From the Head’s Study
It is an absolute pleasure to welcome everyone back after our summer break. We have had a really positive start to the term and have been simply spoiled with this wonderful weather. I must admit, I am happier now that the weather has cooled slightly as it was stifling over the weekend, but perfect weather to enjoy a trip to the local water park as the boarders did on Sunday.
The summer holiday was very busy but highly productive. You may have seen that we hosted a camp for Ramsgate FC which assisted over 100 local children during the summer period. The HAF programme provides holiday activities and food support to children in receipt of free school meals through holiday periods. Research has shown that the school holidays can be pressure points for some families. For some children this can lead to a holiday experience gap, with children from low-income households being less likely to access organised out-of-school activities, more likely to experience ‘unhealthy holidays’ in terms of nutrition and physical health and more likely to experience social isolation. We are so proud to have helped so many children during this time and thank Mr Lawson, Ramsgate FC’s Chairman, for facilitating this worthwhile initiative.
During the holiday my family moved on-site and we already feel settled in our new home. I would like to say an extra special thank you to Shaun and Jon (maintenance team) for all their help and support with the relocation. My three cats Arthur, Alfred and Archie seem to be slowly acclimatising to the new surroundings and I am sure you will see them through the windows once their confidence builds.
We welcomed several new staff at the start of the term and they are already making a huge difference within our community. Mrs Lear (science), Dr May (Latin), Ms Websper (Drama), Miss Clayton (Year 2), Miss Frew (Reception) have settled in and have already ‘wowed’ me during their first week.
We also welcomed many new families to the Wellesley Haddon Dene family, including several international boarders. Everyone has settled into life at WHD as though they have always been here, many of which received School Values Awards from me this morning for kindness.
Some of our Year 6 pupils sat the Kent test on Thursday. They tried their very best and we were so proud of their focus, conduct and resilience during this intensive day.
You may have seen that we have invested in a brand new Reception outdoor learning area at Junior House. This a purpose built area which will be designed to provide opportunities for child initiated play, critical thinking and problem solving. To that end, the children in Reception have been tasked to design how the outdoor area should look and they are working on raising funds to fulfil some of their ideas. We look forward to sharing the finished project with you in a few weeks time. I would like to thank Jake Smith (JJs Brickwork) and Jake Flockhart (The Urban Terrace) for their high quality workmanship in completing this area for us.
Meal times are very important and we want this to be a time where children form good eating habits and manners. To that effect, we have reinstated our ‘family service’ style of lunch dining where teachers sit with their children, serve the food and encourage proper etiquette. We had our first sitting today and it was refreshing to see the children taking their time over their meal, enjoying conversations and eating until tummies were full rather than dashing out to play.
This week and next, a series of curriculum meetings will start whereby you will be able to find out more about your child’s learning journey for the year. This is an important meeting where you can ask questions and form the start of good relationships with teaching staff. I strongly encourage you to attend these meetings.
I am so delighted to welcome you all back and look forward to this exciting year ahead.
Mrs Jo Parpworth
School Last Week
Mr Boyne Swims the Channel
We would like to congratulate Mr Boyne for completing his swim of the Channel with his teammates during the summer holiday. Both Mrs Crompton and Mr Boyne have accomplished this admirable challenge, both being an inspiration to our children.
Mr Boyne has been kind enough to recount his journey:
On the 18th of July at about 10.30am, my fur friends and I started our swim across the Channel. Whilst we were relatively confident, we had no idea of the enormity of the challenge which faced us. The group consisted of men with either a high level of experience in sport or the military, with one already withdrawing a month before the swim due to the effect that the trial swims at Dover harbour had on him. The process for the swim is to wait for ideal conditions, and then take it in 1 hour long segments, all one stroke, all in order, until we reach France or get pulled from the water.
I was second in, and after getting over the initial shock of the cold water, I tried to get into some form of rhythm for my swim. This proved difficult in the choppy conditions, with the waves bouncing off the support boat which resulted in me being hit from both sides. Finally, the hour was up and I was out, dry and trying to warm up. Seasickness then started to creep in and it became hard to get any food or drink into my system. So after 4 hours of warming up and trying not to be sick, I was back in the water.
This segment of the swim was in much nicer conditions, where the group managed to spot a seal and some dolphins (as well as continuously dodging cargo ships in the world’s busiest shipping lane). My thoughts weren’t on these however, it was the endless dodging of seaweed and jellyfish. What seemed like an endless amount of these constantly in my way, dragging metres of stinging tentacles behind them, caused me to burn excess energy to weave my way out of harm. This swim felt twice the length as the first.
Once out of the water, mild hypothermia started to cause deep tremors and a much slower recovery time. My hope that this would be my last swim proved to be in vain, as all too soon I was readying up to go again, this time in the dark with a flashing light on the back of my head and speedos. The night swim was tough, with the choppy waves coming back and, due to the close proximity with the boat for safety, an added element of diesel fumes to contend with. I couldn’t believe how long this leg went on for, and was sure they had forgotten to start their clocks. At long last I was out, and hiding down below deck, trying to ‘will’ my body to warm up.
Fortunately, we managed to reach a French cliff just after 2am, after a little over 15 hours of swimming, covering 41 miles of what is a 21 mile straight trip, this was due to the tides and currents pulling us everywhere but where we needed to go. The relief that I wouldn’t have to go in again was probably much greater than the fact that we finished the swim!
All this was done for a great charity, Aspire, who work to support those who have encountered spinal cord injuries. Donations are always welcome and can be done through my just giving page. Thanks so much to those of you who have already donated, it is highly appreciated! This challenge was unlike anything I’ve done before, and managed to challenge me to my absolute limits both mentally and physically. I am so proud of what we achieved as a group, but can unequivocally state that I will never be doing it again!
Well done Mr Boyne – we are very proud of you!
School This Week
Clubs
Clubs will start this week and we are excited by the range of activities we have on offer. Mrs Sabin-Dawson’s Wild Club has signed up to the ‘BioBlitz’ challenge where the children will attempt to record every living species on-site. We will look forward to regular updates from them!
Sports Fixtures Expectations
With sporting fixtures approaching, can we please remind everyone of a few points to remember. Children are to be in full WHD kit for games and fixtures, this includes any protective equipment relative to their sport. Selections will be made on performance, behaviour and kit, and will usually be sent out a few days prior to the fixture. We will endeavour to get as many children involved as possible.
Fixtures are on the school calendar and are subject to change. Mr Boyne will be sending out notifications on selection through Dojo. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact him through email or Dojo.
We are so excited to get started with the sport at WHD, with parents welcome to attend home or away fixtures
Flexi Boarding
You may have seen on Dojo that we are running a promotional Flexi Boarding rate for this term only. We have a fantastic group of Flexi Boarders in Year 6 who have been having a wonderfully fun week in the boarding house, but we are trying to encourage our older children to sign up for some nights now in order to prepare themselves for senior school next year and take advantage of the additional study session for boarders on Friday evenings, led by Mrs Parpworth.
Mrs Spencer also organises a Year 8 evening shopping trip on Thursday nights and we still have some beds available. Why not sign up for two nights?
If you are interested in discussing our boarding options or haven’t decided what night you’d like to do, get in touch with Mrs Spencer for a chat.
boarding@wellesleyhaddondene.co.uk
Additional Swimming Opportunities
We are delighted to be able to offer additional opportunities to learn to swim at WHD.
Our swim academy now runs on a Monday between 4.30-5.30pm for swimmers who are Level 5 or above. We are also offering a Pre-School Swim session on a Thursday for new and existing families with children aged 4 and below. Please contact Mrs Crompton for more details on 07792080586.
Years 1 – 3 Parents Curriculum Meeting
Please note that Mr Knights is holding a curriculum meeting on Tuesday 12th September (3.30pm-4pm) and Mrs Nicholass/Ms Claydon will hold theirs on Wednesday 13th September (3.30pm-4pm).
The curriculum meetings are designed to provide an overview of the learning programme and for you to ask any questions about the learning journey ahead for the class.
HPV dose 1 – Year 8
The Kent and Medway School Aged Immunisation Service is coming to school next week to carry out the cancer-preventing HPV vaccinations for students in Year 8 – don’t forget to consent or decline before the cut-off date via their website
Immunisation Team | Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust (kentcht.nhs.uk) .
You can also phone the team 0300 123 5205, text 07401320923 or use their web chat if you have any questions about your child’s immunisations.
Future Events
Stay & Play Sessions
We are running weekly stay and play sessions every Tuesday 10.30-11.30am in our Sports Hall for existing families with babies/toddlers and new families. Please do invite any of your friends and family members with little ones who may be interested in the session
Jeans for Genes Day
We are fundraising for this very important charity on Friday 22nd September where children will be permitted to wear non-school uniform for the day (to include denim items). We do hope that you are able to support this special cause.
Wine Tasting
Following on from our successful wine tasting last term, we are excited to announce we will be holding another session in a few weeks’ time to celebrate autumnal flavours and good company. Please join us on Tuesday 26th September between 6-9pm for an Autumnal Classics Wine Tasting. Everyone is welcome. For more information and to book visit: https://www.oscarroadwine.co.uk/products/autumnal-classics-wine-tasting-in-the-gardens-of-wellesley-haddon-dene
MacMillan Coffee Morning
Join us for our coffee morning on the 29th September from 8.20am onwards on the terrace (next to the swimming pool) where we will be selling refreshments and cakes in aid of MacMillan. We would be grateful for any cake donations to be handed into the Office (the day before) remembering that we are a nut free school.
Parent Exercise Classes
Flavia Corbani is running conditioning and fitness classes from 8.30am on Tuesdays at WHD for parents. Please contact her on 07834240617 for more details.
We are delighted to offer an additional fitness class for adults with Mrs Crompton on Wednesday evenings for Pilates at WHD. Please contact 07792080586.
Open Day
We will be holding an Open Day on Saturday 4th November with a Fireworks Theme from Year 1 to 8. We would like children to attend school on that day between 10 and 1pm. There will be a variety of activities to enjoy and delicious food too. More details will follow but please put this date in your diary and we would be grateful if you could share with any prospective families you know.
Reminders
PSHE
Please review this letter regarding our PSHE curriculum. Please contact Ms Elliott to discuss your rights to ‘opt out’ or to discuss any concerns you may have.
Safeguarding reminder
Our number one priority is to keep everyone on site safe, especially our children. This is a polite reminder that parents should not come past the yellow barrier next to the science block during school hours with the exception of spectating at sports fixtures.
For parents of children in Year 4 upwards, please do not take children before 4pm (excluding Wednesdays for sports fixtures) unless pre-arranged with the class teacher. Children in Year 4 to 6 are dismissed by class teachers.
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 of 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 Feedback
We are proud of our school community and the inclusive nature in which we value everyone’s voice. We are fully committed to the continual improvement of our school and your ideas would be greatly appreciated. If you have time, please complete the survey. We will aim to give feedback on any suggestions we have implemented.
Awards
School Values Award
Pre-Prep values awards will start this Friday.
Senior
Maisie-Jane Buckey | For settling into life at WHD so courageously. |
Asiha Adeyemi | For kindness and helpfulness. |
Rocio Bravo Labrador | For kindness to younger pupils. |
Sadiq Adeyemi | For kindness towards new pupils. |
Team of the Week
Every week, a team or group of pupils are nominated for a special treat with Mrs Parpworth. This week, both Year 6 and our international boarders have been nominated for their efforts and courage.
School Calendar
Please click here and scroll through for the most up to date calendar of events for the term.
Matches This Week
2.00pm start unless otherwise stated
Wednesday 13 September
Football v Kent College: U11 A (a)
Football v Kent College: U11 B (a)
Saturday 16 September
Football v Junior King’s: U13 A Boys (a)
Hockey v Junior King’s: U13 A Girls (a)
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
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