A Foreword From Mrs Parpworth
What a remarkably fulfilling and rewarding first term we have had! We have packed so much into our calendar resulting in countless achievements and experiences for everyone involved – the saying, ‘time flies when you’re having fun’, couldn’t be more apt.
As we approach the festive season, I am filled with gratitude for the wonderful community we have here at Wellesley Haddon Dene. The spirit of unity and collaboration has been evident throughout the term, and it is heartening to witness the collective efforts of our students, parents, and staff.
With the end of term finally upon us, the children have been busy with a variety of performances and activities which have cast festive cheer far and wide across the school. Our little ones delivered a truly spectacular Nativity performance and we, alongside parents, smiled throughout. Pre-Prep sang their hearts out at the Christmas Celebration Concert and we marvelled at their confidence to stand on stage and perform so boldly.
Thank you to the kitchen team for cooking such a hearty Pre-Prep Christmas lunch. Dressed in Christmas jumpers, the children and staff enjoyed a delicious banquet with all the traditional trimmings. I am sure you will agree, the children’s handmade Christmas hats which were worn to lunch were wonderful. This was followed by the Christmas Fair which provided a heartwarming opportunity for children of all ages to play and interact with each other. We look forward to the Christmas Feast and parlour games happening tomorrow for our older children to enjoy.
Christmas is a time for giving. During this term we have raised over £1500 for charity. Thank you to everyone for taking part and supporting important causes such as ‘Jeans for Genes’, ‘Children in Need’ and ‘Young Minds’. In fact, I recently received a thank you note from the Royal British Legion to say thank you for the £125 raised during our Poppy Appeal. We have made a significant difference to the lives of others.
All children have now completed their end of term assessments and progress reports will be available for all via the parent portal at the end of term. We do hope that you find them useful and please do not hesitate to contact your class teacher should you have any questions.
Last but certainly not least, I want to extend my deepest gratitude to our exceptional teachers and staff who have worked tirelessly to create a nurturing and challenging learning environment for our children. Their commitment and dedication to our children’s success is truly commendable – I hope they enjoy the well deserved break ahead! As this year draws to a close, we want to thank everyone in the community for their unwavering support. May this Christmas be filled with moments of connection, reflection, and shared happiness. Wishing you all a joyful holiday and a prosperous New Year!
We look forward to welcoming day children back to Wellesley Haddon Dene on Tuesday 9th January and boarders on the evening of Monday 8th January.
Happy Christmas everyone!
Mrs Jo Parpworth
School Last Week
Senior Paris Trip
On Saturday 2nd December, the Seniors travelled on the Eurostar to Paris in order to spend 4 days as part of their linguistic studies. We visited the Arc de Triomphe and the Louvre museum, saw all the landmarks (the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, Montmatre), enjoyed a day at Disneyland and a boat tour on the river Seine (a firm favourite among them). The views from the Arc de Triomphe and the Sacré Coeur in Montmartre were fabulous. We won’t lie to you, it was a bit cold. We even got a little bit of snow on Sunday. Nevertheless, whether it was the cold, the rain or the snow, nothing stopped our pupils having the best of times. Some have even said they kept saying “bonjour” and “excusez-moi” once back in the UK.
Year 1 and 2 Christmas Adventure
Year 1 and 2 both had a magical time during our festive school trip to Manor House Forest School at Quex. The children were greeted with a snow filled wonderland, the buzz and excitement truly was a sight to behold! The children were immersed in the festive spirit and joy of Christmas throughout the whole day!
The day began with a wonderful christmas trail where the children had to search for various Christmas characters, and complete a festive quiz and other challenges along the way. We then got up close to some of the animals, who live at the forest school, including a rather interesting chicken called Derek!
We were all brought together with a delicious hot chocolate and marshmallows around the campfire, before having a go at some Christmas crafts – I am sure you will agree that they were definitely unique Christmas decorations, adorned with lots of sparkle!
We finished the day with a special trip to see Father Christmas, where the children delighted in telling him some of the things they’d been up to this year and things on their Christmas lists!
It really was a magical day, thoroughly enjoyed by all!
FA Cup Match Debut For Our Boys!
We were thrilled to see Teddy and Lyndon on ITV4 last week where they had the opportunity to be mascots for Ramsgate FC’s FA Cup match. It was such a brilliant experience for them – they even got to touch the cup! It was so lovely to see Mr Lawson, Chair of Ramsgate FC, and Mrs Smith (Teddy and Lyndon’s parents) being interviewed during the match too – thank you to them both for flying the flag for Thanet!
Big Read
It was wonderful to see so many pupils sharing their favourite books together for the Big Read across the school on Tuesday last week. There is something very special about seeing our older pupils sitting down to share a story with our younger pupils. Unfortunately years 7 and 8 were on their way back from France but they will be sharing stories with 2N and year 3 over the next few days.
Christmas tree decorating St Peter’s Church
On the morning of Friday 8th December, Year 3 went to St Peter’s church to partake in a Christmas tree decorating competition. It was the first time we had entered this, so we didn’t quite know what we were up against. The theme was ‘Joy to the World’. The children decorated clear baubles and, with Sharpies, wrote ‘joy’ in different languages on them. They then filled them with tiny beads and glitter. When we got to the church, the decorating was in full swing. We hadn’t anticipated such enthusiasm and copious amounts of decorations! It was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.
Mrs Sabin-Dawson on TV!
We have recently won three awards for our work in nature conservation and environment protection. Mrs Sabin-Dawson has been leading the way and encouraging other schools to follow suit. She was contacted by KMTV to do an interview about our good work. We are super proud of her for being an active role model and activist for change. Please see the video below, Mrs Sabin-Dawson is approximately 3 minutes and 35 seconds in.
Pre-Prep Nativity Performance
Our little stars had their moment to shine at our Nativity performances last week. We were so impressed with their singing, acting and teamwork. They spoke and sang with confidence and showed no signs of feeling daunted by the packed audience. We are so grateful to the teaching staff for preparing the children and to parents for all the wonderful costumes and help with line learning. Thank you also to Mrs Smith for her beautiful photography. It was thoroughly enjoyable and it certainly launched a festival feeling around the school.
Christmas Celebration Performance
Our Pre-Prep children in Year one to three wowed us with their spectacular repertoire of songs, poetry and dance during their festive celebration last week. The programme was filled with choral speeches, song, dance and carols. The costumes were superb and I think we can all safely say that the calibre of performance was absolutely outstanding. Thank you to Ms Websper, Mr Redwood, staff and parents for working together to produce such a stunning show.
Christmas Fun in the Early Years
What a busy fun week we have had in Early Years! Little Denes started the week off with a visit to Orchard House to deliver their Father Christmas letters to the man himself in his special grotto. Later on, the PFA kindly provided cookies, drinks and the children even got a reply for their letters from Father Christmas too! This was swiftly followed by our younger children taking part in a Christmas arts and crafts afternoon with their parents and grandparents. The children were busy making decorations and Reindeer food alongside their adults and ended the session with a repertoire of Christmas songs. Little Denes then joined Reception for what can only be described as a spectacular Nativity! All the children rose to the occasion and played their parts beautifully, remembering all the words and actions to the songs. On Friday, we thought the children deserved a huge treat after all their hard work, so two very special guests (Olaf and Elsa) arrived to entertain them with singing and dancing. What a wonderful but extremely busy week we have all had!
Pre-Prep Christmas Lunch & Whole School Christmas Fair
Thank you very much to the catering team for producing such a delicious and well planned Christmas Lunch for the Pre-Preps on Friday. The children enjoyed all the festive trimmings, Christmas crackers and Christmas tree shaped puddings.
Afterwards, the children enjoyed an afternoon of games and activities at the Christmas Fair, hosted by our senior pupils and staff alongside the PFA. Much fun and excitement was had by all! Thank you to all our amazing staff and parent helpers for making this time so magical for the children.
Reading Coaching
This term, Alice Henry has worked with a number of Y6, 7 & 8 pupils and had great success in helping them build and maintain their reading habits. She has enthused the children with her top reads box that she curates carefully each week for what her readers may need. There has been a buzz around the school, as children have discussed their latest read and have recommended it to their friends. These one to one sessions are proving to build confidence around reading and give children a sense of autonomy in their independent reading journey. If you’re interested in signing up your child for next term, then please let Mrs Crine know. Sessions are limited!
Student feedback:
What is your attitude towards reading? Have these sessions changed your opinion? If so, how?
‘When I started I did not read at all but now I read every day and it has widened my range of vocabulary.’
‘Yes they have because she has helped me pick the’ just right’ books which makes me really excited about reading.’
‘I have now seen the importance and seriousness of reading and the enjoyment that it gives you. In some cases I have been fully immersed in the story.’
Alice’s Holiday reading tip:
The Christmas holidays can be a busy time with family and lots of social events and sometimes children struggle to find the 20 minutes every day. I encourage them to be intentional and make the time to read. It is super empowering when everyone in the family finds some quiet time to read each day. If you model it to your children then they will get on board too. This really helps children see themselves as readers and something that everyone in the family does and enjoys. 
School This Week
Panto Trip Years 1 to 8 – Monday 11th December
We are looking forward to a trip to the Sarah Thorne Theatre where the children will enjoy the morning watching a pantomime performance of ‘Sleeping Beauty’. Please can children bring a snack and a drink for the intermission – thank you.
Christmas Feast Y4 to 8 – Tuesday 12th December
Our infamous Christmas Feast will be held in the evening for Years 4 to 8 followed by parlour games in the Old Hall afterwards (5.15pm to 7pm). Children should wear their best uniform. Please collect the children from the cold corridor at 7pm.
Christmas Carol Service – Wednesday 13th December
Join us in the chapel at 11.30am for our traditional Christmas Service involving Years 4 – 8.Children should wear their best uniform, except for choir members who will be in robes.
Term Ends – Wednesday 13th December at 12.30pm
Please see class specific instructions on Class Dojo.
Future Events
Adult Art Classes (from January)
Mr Parfitt is excited to be launching a series of adult evening classes designed to hone skills in various art forms. This is a great opportunity to develop a love of art, learn more about artists of interest and socialise with like-minded people. Please see this leaflet for more information.
Buy Nothing New Challenge – Friday 2nd February
This January, we will be supporting the ‘Buy Nothing New’ challenge. We will spend the month collecting old materials to reuse in the coming month.
That means pledging to buy nothing new for school resource cupboards (reusing and recycling existing materials), uniform and clothing swap days, and other used book events. It’s an opportunity to get creative, to think about second-hand shopping and uniform swapping, and for families and our school alike to save some pennies while protecting the planet.
So, if you are having a ‘clear out’ after Christmas, please back up any good quality clothing, books and toys you no longer need and bring to the office. Thank you for helping us to care for the planet.
Winter wonder for Wildlife – Saturday 24th February
Save the date! We will be holding a sponsored walk for pupils around Pegwell Bay nature reserve on Saturday February 24th to raise money for the World Wildlife Fund and Kent Wildlife Trust. We will be joined by members of the Kent Wildlife Trust team (and possibly some other local environmental organisations). We will be asking our pupils to get sponsors for this 5km walk (twice around the nature reserve) and would love this to be a fun family event for our pupils in year 6 and below.
Reminders
Term starts
Boarders return at 6pm on Monday 8th January and day pupils return on Tuesday 9th January.
School Values Awards
Pre-Prep
Reception | The whole class for a fabulous Nativity! We are so proud. They worked so hard and were brilliant! |
Year 1 | Tilda Hempstead – Tilda has made fantastic progress with all of her work and has shown resilience to build up her confidence and skill set. Tilda also demonstrates kindness on a daily basis and will go out of her way to encourage others. Elliot Palmer – Elliot’s reading and writing has come on leaps and bounds over the past couple of weeks. He is putting in the hard work and has the enthusiasm to do his very best; Elliot has also shone during our Computing lessons, completing all tasks to a very good standard. |
Year 2 | Frederick Tipping- Freddie’s confidence has grown rapidly in drama since September. Freddie has stepped up to help early years narrate their nativity, he kept us all in check as narrator for our assembly and he has really stood out in the rehearsals for our Christmas celebration- particularly pushing himself to do a solo! Hannah Nelson – for her excellent narration at The Nativity and delivering the lines with confidence. Felicity O’Dell – Felicity has really impressed with her positive attitude towards her writing lately. She is growing in confidence and challenging herself to not only use our non-negotiables (full stops and finger spaces) but to also uplevel her own writing using ambitious vocabulary! Rez Gardner and Catalina Marsh-Gonzalez for their outstanding contributions to the Pre-Prep Nativity. Both children have given their time and made a huge effort to learn and rehearse their lines and have supported the younger children by leading them with the actions to the songs. |
Year 3 | Emilia Foster – for her positivity in class, always striving to put her best effort into her learning across all learning. |
Seniors
Year 4 | Georgie Crompton – He has tried very hard this term. It is lovely to see the change in Georgie’s attitude towards learning. Keep up the good work, Georgie! |
Year 5 | Izzy James – for her determination and resilience when approaching the difficulties of learning the new language of Latin |
Year 6 | Finn Murtagh – Finn went out of his way to help others and tidy and clean up after everyone at lunch and dinner as well as around the accommodation whilst at Hindleap. Samuel Kane for always encouraging and helping others to achieve their goals. |
Seniors | Felix Worthington – For his kindness and helpfulness on the Paris trip, taking into consideration teachers’ comments and instructions, trying hard to learn and use French when he has never studied it. Tate Sheppard – For his patience and helping those who needed it on the trip. For his linguistic and cultural curiosity. For his kindness in helping Mrs Spencer with the First Aid Kit very often without being asked. Lila Grady – For her decisiveness, her cultural awareness, for her positive attitude, for her kindness, for always being the first to volunteer to help. |
Team of the Week:
From Mrs Ryder and Mrs Spencer – The Seniors for being a top-notch group on the Paris trip, representing the school and its values well. Behaviour was excellent. They showed cultural curiosity and sensitivity. Mrs Ryder also appreciated their kindness in offering support and carrying suitcases.
School Calendar
Please click here and scroll through for the most up to date calendar of events for the term.
atches This Week
2.00pm start unless otherwise stated
No fixtures this week
Please always refer to the website calendar as it is the most up-to-date place to check for fixture changes and locations.
If your child has been selected for a fixture, we will communicate with you prior to the fixture with information regarding the recommended pick up time from Wellesley HD.
Matches Last Week
Football v JKS: U11 A Boys (h) | Lost 0-4 |
Hockey v JKS: U13 A Girls (a) | Lost 1-4 |
Hockey v JKS: U11 A Girls (a) | Lost 1-2 |
Hockey v JKS: U11 B Girls (a) | Lost 0-5 |