Wellesley HD Weekly 26th June 2023

School Last Week

Parents Festival of Cricket (Year 5 – Year 8)

Thank you to all parents, grandparents (and suitable substitutes) who committed to Saturday’s festival of cricket. There was some phenomenal talent on display – from both the adults and the children – and HIGH level of competition. Champagne moments are far too many to mention, and the spoils were shared amongst the children and the adults. The Year 5 match was won by the parents, as was the Year 6 fixture. The afternoon fixtures were very different. The noisiest game was without doubt the co-ed 3rd XI fixture, and the 2nd XI completely demolished their parents in emphatic style. Perhaps the closest game was the 1st XI. Chasing an improbably large total of 165, the 1st XI prevailed in the final over as Mr Burleigh was swotted over mid wicket for the winning runs by Freddie Loudon. Thank you for your great support and special thanks to Mr and Mrs Spanton for generously donating the sumptuous strawberries for the match teas.

National Boarding Week

Last week was National Boarding Week, which is celebrated all over the UK by schools who are members of the Boarding Schools Association.  Click here to see a snapshot of what we got up to.

Years 3 & 4 Residential Trip – Carroty Wood, Tonbridge

Children from Years 3 and 4 took part in an activity break to Carroty Wood near Tonbridge. Activities undertaken were open canoeing (children were allowed to jump into the lake after learning how to control the canoes around the lake), archery, abseiling, bushcraft (shelter building) and high ropes. It was a fantastic opportunity for children to gain independence whilst developing their teamwork and communication skills. Thank you very much to Mrs Crompton, Ms Jefferies and Mr Pullman for taking care of the children on their first major residential trip away from home.

Kent Schools’ Golf Championships

Our senior golfing team headed to Canterbury Golf Club for the annual Kent Prep Schools’ Golf Championships on Tuesday last week. We fielded 6 pairs (the most of the schools who entered) and all of our golfers demonstrated the progress that they have made through our golfing activity programme. Our first pair of William F and Freddie L took the overall trophy, with Rio G and Jamie M coming a very close second. It was a great afternoon of competitive golf and our thanks go to King’s Canterbury for their generous hospitality and leadership of the event and well played to all golfers.

Author Visit: Ciaran Murtagh Years 4, 5 & 6

We were extremely pleased to have the BAFTA award winning children’s author Ciaran Murtagh in school on Thursday. Ciaran, who has written many children’s books as well as Shaun the Sheep and Mr Bean (amongst his many nationally acclaimed programmes), gave a fantastic and inspiring talk to Years 4, 5 and 6 pupils. He explained how he comes up with some of his amazing ideas, even when he’s not feeling especially creative.
He followed this with a special writing workshop with Year 5 on character development.
A really big thank you to Mr Murtagh for taking time out of his busy schedule to talk to the pupils.

Art Trip to Turner Contemporary

On Thursday a group of senior students that have demonstrated a keen interest in Art and Design visited the Turner Contemporary in Margate to view the works of Beatriz Milhazes, a world renowned Brazilian artist whose work is on display until 10 September. Milhazes emerged in the 1980s as an essential figure in the Brazilian art movement embracing painting as a form of energy and expression. The children were totally captivated by her work and were inspired by her use of everyday materials to capture her own personal journey through life. We would highly recommend visiting the gallery to view Milhazes’ work if you haven’t already.

Year 6 Trip to the Beach

On Friday, Year 6 were treated to fish and chips followed by an ice cream at the beach in Broadstairs. Mrs Parpworth thoroughly enjoyed spending time with Year 6 as they embark on their final few weeks left at school. The weather was glorious and despite some attacks from local seagulls, the class managed to have lots of fun at the beach.

Ampleforth College Junior History Competition

Congratulations to Rose Symington-Mills who was “Very Highly Commended” in this national competition which resulted in over 120 entries from all over the country. Rose’s essay was highlighted by the judges and was compared to the standard of a Grade 8 or 9 in GCSE history – a remarkable achievement for a Year 6 pupil. Very well done, Rose.

School This Week

Speech Day and Sports Day (LD – Year 3) Friday 30th June

We are looking forward to inviting parents from Year 1 to Year 3 to our Speech Day/Prize Giving at 9am on the 30th June.  Please see attached the schedule for more information.

Speech Day and Sports Day (Year 4 – 8) – Saturday 1st July

As highlighted in the calendar and through previous correspondence via Dojo and email, Speech Day and Sports Day for all Year 4 to Year 8 pupils will take place on Saturday 1st July.  This will be an all day event, with Speech Day (including some performances, prizes and speeches) taking place from 11am.  This will be followed by picnic lunches for all families on our playing fields and Sports Day for all Year 4 to 8 pupils taking place in the afternoon.  Please do complete this brief google form confirming your attendance – thank you to those who have already done so.Please see attached the schedule for more information.

Year 7 Camping

This week sees the annual Year 7 camping take place – at the home of Mr and Mrs Loudon in Wye.  Aside from some team building exercises, camp fire building, and a countryside walk, there will be a range of group activities for the children to enjoy – along with, of course, an evening BBQ.  Our thanks go to Mr Parfitt and Miss Wallace for leading the trip and to Mr and Mrs Loudon for allowing our Year 7s to pitch camp in their back garden!

Leadership Speeches (Yr 5 & 7)

On Wednesday morning, Year 5 and Year 7 children will be given the opportunity to deliver a speech outlining why they should be considered for leadership positions in the forthcoming academic year. We will announce our new student leadership team before the end of term. We wish everyone the very best of luck.

Whole School Photo

On Wednesday, we will be taking a whole school photograph. Please ensure that everyone comes to school wearing their WHD ‘Best’ uniform on that day. Please click on the link provided on this voucher to place your order.

Year 6 Leavers’ Party

Thank you to all the parents who were involved in organising a fantastic leavers’ celebration for Year 6. The children were treated to a disco, pizza and sweet treats and fun at a roulette wheel. It was a glorious afternoon and a brilliant send off for Year 6 in the run up to the end of term.

Sickness & Diarrhoea Bugs

Just a quick reminder that our school policy is that any child who has had diarrhoea or vomiting must stay at home for 48 hours after the last incident. We will send a child home again if they are sent into school prior to the 48 hour period.

Parent Testimonials

We would be really grateful to any parents who are willing to write a short testimonial recommending our school so that prospective parents may benefit from reading these when researching our new website (due to be published in the next few weeks). The majority of our registrations come from word or mouth so we would really appreciate your time on this. Written format or short videos would be really beneficial. If willing, please send these to headmistress@wellesleyhaddondene.co.uk. It may also be a good time to remind all parents that we offer a £500 Friends & Family loyalty bonus for new registrations based on recommendations (both the existing and new family will each receive £500).

Parent Suggestion Box

We are proud of our school community and the inclusive nature in which we value everyone’s voice. Having listened to some of our parents, we felt it would be useful to provide an additional platform for the sharing of ideas. We are fully committed to the continual improvement of our school and your ideas would be greatly appreciated. It is really important that this platform isn’t used to air any worries or concerns as these should continue to be addressed in 1:1 meetings with appropriate staff or via Dojo. We will review this virtual suggestion box throughout the school year and will give feedback on any improvement ideas we have been able to implement via our newsletter.
You can access the suggestion box here.

Mr Boyne’s Channel Swim

I am attempting to swim across the English channel next month in a team of 5 with hopes to raise funds for Aspire, a charity who supports those with spinal cord injuries. 

Having competed at the highest level for a world #1 ranked hockey team, I thought this challenge would be a doddle…. How wrong I was! I have been pushed into hypothermia, self doubt and severe fatigue in my attempts to be ready for the swim next month. Unfortunately, we are now down to 5 as a member withdrew due to his severe reaction to the cold water training. There’s a clear reason that more people have climbed Mt Everest than do this swim! We will be navigating through the busiest shipping lane in the world avoiding tankers, ferries, and all that they drag along behind them. 

If you are able to spare a pound or two, I am so close to reaching my target and would appreciate any help given!

https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/craig-boyne?utm_source=copyLink&utm_medium=fundraising&utm_content=craig-boyne&utm_campaign=pfp-share&utm_term=e97afe318fd44e0e902d6c0e540c8e47

Creative Writing Competition

Atom learning is launching the second annual Young Author Award to celebrate the generation’s upcoming young writers. With the chance to win incredible prizes (including a trip to Disneyland and free Chromebooks!)It’s time to pick up a pen and get ready for a summer celebration of creativity!

Click on this link to find out more.

School Calendar

Please click here and scroll through for the most up to date calendar of events for the term.

Menus

This week the kitchen will be serving menu week 1

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