From the Head’s Study
On Friday, we joined together to remember all those brave service men and women who valiantly gave their lives so that we may live in freedom. Thank you to all the children who were involved in delivering our Remembrance services, helping us to reflect on the bravery and courage of those we should never forget. We would like to thank Reverend Matt Hodder for leading the service with an engaging message centred around peace and kindness, Mr Spencer Senior for playing the organ and Mrs Spencer and her choir for singing so beautifully. We would also like to thank Kaspar for his performance of ‘The Last Post’ during the service and on Saturday by the War Memorial.
Thank you to everyone who supported the PFA Quiz on Friday night. The atmosphere was superb and it was wonderful to see so many parents and friends having a great time together. Thank you to Ms Mohammed for designing the quiz and to Mr Pullman for helping to host the evening. The total funds raised for the evening reached nearly £500 which will be hugely beneficial to the children; we hope that this is the first of many quiz evenings in the coming months ahead.
Today marks the start of Anti bullying week, kicking off with World Kindness Day. Kindness is central to our school ethos and culture, it is the bedrock which connects us together. I am so proud of how our children and staff treat each other and this is the main factor enabling our school to be such a special place where people can thrive.
We have begun the process of populating our website with new photographs, please do have a look.
Finally, we wish Year 6 a safe and happy trip to Hindleap this week. It is set to be an active and thoroughly rewarding experience and we thank Mrs Crompton and Ms Elliott for taking the children.
Have a wonderful week ahead.
Mrs Jo Parpworth
School Last Week
Remembrance Services
Thank you to everyone who attended our Remembrance services on Friday where we paid our respects to those who have sacrificed so much in order that we may live with freedom and liberty. A special thank you must go to Reverend Matt Hodder from St Peter’s Church, Mr Spencer Senior for playing the organ, Mrs Spencer and her magnificent choir and for all the children who read so beautifully.
Parent/Teacher Quiz Night
The quiz night was a roaring success with much fun had by all. Taking a step back in time to the 1990’s, the parents and staff of WHD were challenged by 6 rounds of music and TV trivia. A special thank you to Ms Mohammed for putting the quiz together and to the PFA for organising such a brilliant evening. We are delighted to have raised £500 for the PFA fund.
Diwali
In celebration of Diwali, Mrs Satish and Mr Kearns held a special assembly this morning. Diwali is a major festival celebrating the triumph of light over darkness and the start of new beginnings for millions of people of the Hindu, Sikh and Jain faiths. Diwali began on Sunday and will be observed over the next five days. Rangoli patterns are often made during Diwali and we are so grateful to Mrs Satish for creating this intricate pattern on the floor of the Old Hall for all the children to see. Rangoli consist of bright, colourful and delicate designs, and they serve a religious and symbolic purpose – to welcome Lakshmi, the Hindu goddess of wealth, and to keep evil at bay!
Primary Maths Challenge
The Primary Maths Challenge is a national competition designed to challenge the most gifted mathematicians in the country. We are thrilled to take part in this every year with much success thanks to the superb teaching of Mrs Satish and the focus of her students.
We are delighted to announce that we have several students in Year 6 who have gained an award having recently sat the paper. We congratulate everyone who attempted the challenge with a special mention to to the following children:
Gold Awards
Stanley Keel who achieved the highest score on the day
Theo Alifrangis
Silver Awards
Genevieve Frogley
Nicolas Chabbra
Clara Montgomery
Bronze Awards
Samuel Kane
Theo Eberlin
Ines Arsuaga Reano
We will await to hear if any of these children reach the Bonus Round, taking place between 5th – 9th February 2024.
If you are interested in looking at the difficulty of one of the papers, please click on the link.
Young Writers Competition
We are extremely proud to announce that several of our children’s work has been selected for publication in a Young Writers poetry book. Having taken part in the poetry competition, we have a number of children across Years 1 and 3 whose work will feature in the next edition of the Young Writers publication. We congratulate every child for taking part in this competition and a special mention must go to:
Freddie Tipping
Joseph Wake
Pixie Jarman
Teddy Beattie
Zayd Khan
Aziza Foster-Troy
Claudia Flockhart
Emilia Foster
Lara Davies
Lucas Alifrangis
Margot Owen
Perfect Pets Art Competition
We recently took part in a national art competition entitled ‘Perfect Pets’ and we are thrilled to announce that work from several of our children has been selected to be used in a collection of books. The children had to create a fictitious pet of their choice and it was great to see a range of ideas and hybrid creatures. A huge well done to everyone who took part and a special mention to the following children for being chosen:
Monty Cracknell
Olivia Ross
Diruksha Thivakar
Bella Kane
Margot Watson
Eva Roberts
Dominik Foster
Emilia Foster
Frank Lillis
Aziza Foster-Troy
Jamie Bird
Margot Owen
Frankie-Mae Wynn
Lara Davies
Lucas Alifrangis
Cooper Webb
Claudia Flockhart
Florence Smith
School This Week
Team Photos
Copies of the team photos from this term can now be ordered online. Please visit the link below to view the photos:
https://drive.google.com/
Year 6 Hindleap Residential
Monday 13th November to Friday 17th November
Year 6 are looking forward to a week of activity and outdoor fun at Hindleap Warren Residential Centre in East Sussex. With over 300 acres of forest to explore, climb and roam, we have no doubts that the children will have a trip of a lifetime. We wish them well.
Anti Bullying Week & World Kindness Day
Today is World Kindness Day and it’s also the start of Anti-Bullying week 2023, so today we’re wearing odd socks to symbolise our commitment to anti bullying. Thank you for your donations to the Just Giving page below. The impact of bullying can be profound and long lasting. The Anti-Bullying Alliance stated that over 30% of children and young people experienced bullying in the last year, with nearly one child in every UK classroom experiencing bullying every day. Bullying significantly impacts a child’s life and their experience of adulthood. Adults who were bullied as a child are more likely to experience a range of mental health issues, leave school with no qualifications, and not be in stable relationships. At the Anti-Bullying Alliance (ABA) they work to make sure that no child in the classroom gets left behind.
Here at WHD we have a zero tolerance approach to bullying and we work closely with all children to ensure they understand the importance of kindness, respect, inclusion and forgiveness.
Assemblies This Week
Year 5 Assembly – Tuesday 14th November at 8.30am
Year 1 and 3 Assembly- Friday 17th November at 9.00am
Children in Need – 17th November
We will be supporting this very important charity on Friday 17th November. A voluntary donation will be loaded onto School Money. Children can come dressed in non-school uniform or spotty fancy dress.
Exeat – Friday 17th November
School will finish at 3.30pm on Friday 17th November. There will be no after school club or clubs on this day.
Future Events
Tombola items
Tombola items needed for Childrens’ Christmas Fair – any donations for this will be gratefully received throughout November. They can be left with the school office/given to form teachers. Items in the past have included toys, craft activities, games, books, stationery, soft toys, chocolate and sweets or anything that you can think of that the children might like to win!
Class Assemblies Dates
21st November – Year 5
1st December – Year 2
Year 5 Roman Day – Tuesday 21st November
This is a history themed day and we invite all the children to come to school dressed in Roman costumes. On Tuesday, lessons will have a Roman theme and they will also be having a special lunch inspired by some Roman recipes. Please be aware that afternoon activities will be on as normal, but the children can change into their PE kit if they’d rather not attend these sessions in costume. Please could we ask that no weapons are brought into school – plastic or otherwise!
Kent Eco Awards – Thursday 23rd November
We are delighted to announce that we have won another award for our efforts in building a sustainable school and our conservation work. Mrs Sabin-Dawson and some pupils from Year 5 and 6 will travel to Ashford to collect the award and we look forward to sharing the details of this in the coming weeks.
Senior School Show – 23rd and 24th November at 6pm
Our Year 7 and 8 pupils are currently working hard on rehearsing for their annual school production – ‘A Quest for King Arthur’, which is part of the National Theatre ‘Let’s Pretend’ project. There will be two shows, on the 23rd and 24th November starting at 6pm. We look forward to welcoming you for pre-show drinks from 5.30pm onwards. Please fill in this Google Form to book your seats for the show.
https://forms.gle/kbkMYYDWZFVSTgbf7
School Exams Week – starts Monday 27th November
Year 3 London Theatre Trip – Wednesday 29th November
Year 3 has been studying wild habitats in geography this term. As part of their learning programme, they are terribly excited to be taking a trip to London to watch The Lion King.
Senior Paris Trip – Saturday 2nd December to Tuesday 5th December
The seniors have a jam packed itinerary planned for their trip to Paris. They will take in the key tourist sites such as the Arc de Triomphe and to the Trocadero for a view of the Eiffel Tower by night. They will travel to the Christmas market at the Tuileries, visit the Louvre museum, Notre-Dame and they will be met by a guide who will give them a tour of the Quartier Latin. Of course, no trip to Paris would be complete without a stop at Disneyland and a night cruise on the Seine after dinner. It is set to be a trip of a lifetime.
Pre-Prep Nativity Performances – Wednesday 6th December and Thursday 7th December
Being one of most looked forward to events in the school calendar, we cannot wait to welcome our Nursery and Reception parents to WHD’s Nativity performance. More details to follow.
Year 1 -3 Christmas Celebration Performance – Thursday 7th December
We are very excited to welcome you to our festive programme of song, dance and poetry at our Christmas Service for Years 1 – 3 at 2.15pm. The children will take centre stage and will have their time to shine, filling our hearts with festive cheer.
Christmas Jumper Day – Friday 8th December
All children are invited to wear non-school uniform with a Christmas jumper.
Pre-Prep Christmas Lunch & Christmas Fair
We will provide a full Christmas banquet style lunch for our pre-prep children followed by a Christmas Fair and games in the afternoon.
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. More details to follow on School Money.
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).
Christmas Carol Service – Wednesday 13th December
Join us in the chapel at 11.30am for our traditional Christmas Service involving Years 4 – 8.
Term Ends – Wednesday 13th December at 12.30pm
Reminders
School Uniform Shop
We have a range of preloved uniform items available in our uniform shop. Please contact Liz Dilkes, Chair of the PFA, to arrange an appointment.
Boom Reader
Please remember to encourage your child to read every morning or evening and log this on their Boom Reader account. Class teachers and form tutors are reviewing this every day. Thank you for your support.
Money
Please ensure that your child does not bring money to school on any other day than tuckshop day.
School Values Awards
Pre-Prep
| Reception | Caleb Purland for persevering – he is reading every day at home and making progress in his phonics. |
| Year 1 | Leika Weymouth – Leika for showing fantastic kindness and helpfulness to everyone. Leika will automatically go out of her way to help in and out of the classroom. I have also been very impressed with her progress in reading and writing lately.
Monty Cracknell – Monty works extremely hard in all lessons and has such a brilliant attitude to learning. He gets on with the tasks immediately and does so with a smile on his face. He is eager to learn as much as he can. |
| Year 2 | Henry Honeyman- Henry did the most amazing recall of the key events during The Great Fire of London. Henry has also been working really hard with his handwriting and we can already see a vast improvement.
Mia Low- Mia is showing fantastic resilience in maths lessons. She’s really pushing herself in each and every lesson with a smile on her face!
Freddy Mulvihill for his persistent hard work in lessons and determination to succeed. Freddy always contributes in class discussions and is always keen to discuss and share his opinions.
Rez Gardner for his excellent approach to his learning. Rez works hard in lessons and is always keen to push his skills with challenging work. He is focused and achieves high standards across the curriculum. |
| Year 3 | Freddie Spencer for his brilliant attitude to learning, challenging himself in maths to complete calculations with a high level of success.
Lara Davies for always completing her learning to a high standard with a positive attitude and a smile! |
Seniors
Year 4 | Florence Smith for showing resilience and not giving up when things seem difficult. This attitude has helped Florence to challenge herself and continue to improve. |
Year 5 | Pearl Dunbar-Brunton for having the courage to try something new and outside of her comfort zone. |
Year 6 | Suri Lear for her mature attitude to learning and for staying focussed in lessons, which means she produces great work. Magnus Dilkes for resilience – keeping up his place as goal-keeper despite loss in confidence to achieve some amazing feats for the U11 team in difficult circumstances. |
Seniors | All of the seniors have been working extremely hard on their upcoming play, but the values award for their consistent hard work and a fantastic attitude to learning goes to Barad Fardalian and Freya Ralph. |
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, 15 November
Football v Northbourne Park: U13 A Boys (a)
Football v Junior King’s: U11 B Boys (h)
Football v Thanet Passport Tournament: U9 A Boys (Margate Football Club)
Hockey v Northbourne Park: U9 A and B Girls (a)
Thursday, 16 November
Dodgeball v Thanet Passport Tournament: U7 (Ramsgate Leisure Centre Gym & Pool)
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 (a) | Lost 0-7 |
| Football Metherall Cup: U11 A Boys (a) | Plate Runners Up |
| Football v St Edmund’s: U13 A Boys (a) | Lost 0-3 |
| Hockey v Northbourne Park: U13 A Girls (h) | Won 3-1 |
| Thanet Passport Netball A U11 (a) | Finals Lost 4-2 |
