A Foreword From Mrs Parpworth
It has been brilliant to see all children return in such positive spirits and despite some mixed weather. Watching the boys and girls making full use of the outside spaces at our disposal has been heartening. Inside the classroom, some of our pupils have been working towards their upcoming exams and assessments. Well done to everyone for applying themselves in a positive manner.
Thank you to everyone for their messages of support, gratitude and love last week. Your words meant a great deal to me.
Mr Khan and I will write to you separately with regards to the plans moving forward.
Mrs Jo Parpworth
School Last Week
Hockey Success
Congratulations to our Year 4 hockey team for coming first out of ten schools in Thanet this week at the Quicksticks Hockey Tournament. Also well done to Year 6 who came third in their tournament. This is a huge achievement for our small school – such brilliant teamwork!
RNLI Pre-Prep Assembly
Thank you to the RNLI for coming in to teach our youngsters about beach safety. The children now know the meaning of all the different beach flags, how to swim out of a rip tide and about the importance of not entering the water on their own.
Letter from the King!
Year 5 were super excited this week to receive a letter from King Charles thanking them for all the work our school is doing to protect the environment! Click on this link to read it!
Primary Maths Challenge Bonus Round Finals
Congratulations to our exceptional Year 6 mathematicians for taking part in this gruelling test which saw finalists from around the country competing to reach the top spot. Well done to everyone who took part including Nicholas and Clara but a special mention must go to Genevieve who achieved a bronze award and Theo A who achieved a silver award. To get to this level and standard is absolutely incredible – well done everyone!
School This Week
Nature & Environment News
Spring is such a beautiful time at WHD. We are so fortunate to host many species of plants on the site from daffodils, tulips and wild garlic. We spotted some British bluebells blooming in our orchard this week. Our beehive is now in situ in the wildlife garden and our new pond has attracted a newt! Thank you to Mrs Sabin-Dawson has negotiated several new water butts around the school site, free of charge! These will come in very handy over the coming months to water our strawberries, raspberries and potatoes.
Thank you to everyone who took part in the Big Plastic Count. From the data collected, we threw away 206 pieces of plastic a week which equates to 10,712 pieces a year! 74% of this plastic packaging came from food and drink items. Food for thought!
We are looking forward to opening up our Eco Shop where you will be able to refill toiletries and cleaning products to reduce waste further. On that note, we have received many job applications from students wishing to be selected to run our new Eco Shop business. We are in the process of shortlisting these applications for interviews which will take place this week. We look forward to informing you about who has been appointed.
RNLI Assembly – Friday 19th April
The RNLI will join Pre-Preps to discuss beach safety.
Parent Quiz Night – Friday 26th April
Following on from our successful quiz last year, we will be holding another quiz for parents to enjoy. The event will start at 7pm until 10pm. During the evening there will be several rounds of trivia, music and opportunities for you to explore your creative side! Please bring your own drinks and food. We look forward to seeing you there!
Future Events
Class assemblies this term (Old Hall)
Reception – Friday 21st June at 9am
Year 1 – Friday 14th June at 9am
Year 2 – Friday 7th June at 9am
Year 3 – Friday 28th June at 9am
Year 4 – Tuesday 2nd July at 9am
Year 5 – Tuesday 11th June at 8.30am
Year 6 – Tuesday 18th June at 8.30am
Seniors – Tuesday 25th June at 8.30am
Year 3 trip to Whitstable Museum – Tuesday 30th April
This is an exciting trip to Kakawa Artisan Chocolate & Co Ltd, in Whitstable, which ties in beautifully with their Geography and History topics of The Americas and in particular, South America and The Mayans.
Exeat – Friday 3rd May
The school will close at 3.30pm on this day. After-school Club will not run on this day. Boarders will arrive on the evening of Monday 6th May.
Bank Holiday – Monday 6th May
School will be closed for day pupils.
Year 6 SATs Week – Begin Monday 13th May
The exams will run Monday to Thursday with a treat planned for the end of the week with Mrs Parpworth and Ms Elliott!
CE French Listening / Speaking Exams – Tuesday 14th May
We wish all our students the best of luck in these important exams.
Digital Marketing and Careers Presentation
As part of our Careers Programme, one of our parents, Emma Frewin, will join Years 5-8 to discuss her career in marketing, the steps she took to get there and the skills required. We are looking to inform our students about the opportunities for employment and how their learning will support different pathways.
PFA Fundraising Day – Friday 24th May
We are inviting children to come to school in their pyjamas on this day to raise funds for the PFA. A voluntary donation will be added to School Money.
CE Exams start this week – Monday 3rd June
We wish everyone in Year 8 the very best of luck for these important exams. The children will end the week with a fun session down at the beach on Friday!
Reception 2024 Transition Session – Wednesday 5th June
We warmly welcome our new cohort of children who will join us in Reception this September. We have lots of fun planned in our forest school and this will be a brilliant opportunity for parents to meet the teachers and other families in the class. We look forward to giving each child their very own Wellesley Haddon Dene School bear. The session starts at 1.30pm to 2.30pm.
Year 5 STEAM Day – Thursday 6th June
We are looking forward to a day at Chatham & Clarendon Grammar School for a fun and interesting day of maths, science and engineering!
Seniors Trip to Rockley – Monday 10th June
Our leavers will join Mrs Parpworth and Mrs Crompton for a week away at a residential camp where there will be lots of fun and exciting activities to explore!
Reception Trip to Monkton Nature Reserve – Thursday 13th June
As part of Reception’s focus on ‘How things grow’ this term, they will be visiting Monkton Nature Reserve to see lots of flora and fauna, birds and animals.
Safety Talk for Year 6 – Friday 14th June
PC Cleaver will join us to discuss all aspects of safety as our Year 6 children transition to secondary school.
CE Results Day
Good luck to all our Year 8’s receiving results on this day.
Exeat – Friday 14th June
The school will close at 3.30pm and there will not be any after school provision on this day.
Summer Showcase of Performance – Friday 21st June
Please join us for an afternoon of performances celebrating the very best talent across our school.
Year 1 & 2 Trip to Wingham – Tuesday 25th June
An opportunity to go wild and explore nature for our amazing youngsters.
Year 5 & Senior Leadership Speeches – Wednesday 26th June
We will invite our Year 5 and 6 pupils to deliver their campaign as to why they should be selected as the next student leaders of the school.
Whole School Photo – Wednesday 26th June
Reception 2024 Transition Session – Wednesday 26th June
An opportunity to return for a second class-based activity to familiarise our pupils with their new classrooms and outdoor learning area.
Year 6 Surf Day Thursday 27th June
Year 6 will enjoy a session down at Joss Bay to perfect their surf skills ready for the summer holidays.
Pre-Prep Sports Morning & Speech Day – Friday 28th June
Please save this date in your diary between 9.00am-11.00am. We look forward to welcoming everyone to our annual prize giving ceremony followed by a highly competitive morning of sport.
Year 6 Leavers’ Party – Friday 28th June
Save the date between 4-7pm. We look forward to celebrating Year 6’s time with us, reflecting back on many happy memories whilst having lots of fun.
Year 3 & 4 Archeological Dig – Thursday 4th July
These children will join Dr May and the Canterbury Archaeological Trust on a dig in Canterbury. Will they find some Roman coins? We are sure they will have lots of fun and learn lots of interesting facts during this step back in time.
National Transition Day – Thursday 4th July
Year 6 will attend their new secondary schools on this day.
Year 5 & 6 School Show – Friday 5th July
Please save the date. We will be holding two performances at 2pm and 6pm. This is set to be a spectacular production showcasing the amazing talents of these classes.
Prep & Senior Speech & Sports Day – Saturday 6th July
We look forward to celebrating the many achievements of our students this year and welcome everyone for an afternoon of family sporting fun.
Year 6 Leavers’ Speeches – Monday 8th July
Join us in the Old Hall where our children will speak of their memories and experiences with us.
Year 8 Leavers’ Dinner – Tuesday 9th July
Our senior leavers will be treated to a banquet in recognition of their time with us.
End of Term Chapel – Wednesday 10th July
Everyone is welcome to attend our final Chapel of this academic year.
Leavers’ Lunch for Years 6 & 8 – Wednesday 10th July
We look forward to welcoming all our parents in Years 6 to 8 to say a final farewell and goodbye to our wonderful school.
Reminders
In May half term, Alpha Schools have two half term camps which are open to all students. These are based at Lucton School, Herefordshire and Prebendal School, Chichester.
Alpha Students can attend these half term camps at a discounted rate of £600 per student for nine nights. If you wish to book for a half programme of four or five nights, this is also available. Sibling discounts of 10% are also available.
Please email kate.unsworth@alphaschools.co.uk to book or for further information.
School Values Awards
Pre-Prep
| Reception | Reception – Jacob Flockhart for showing courage when swimming and putting his whole head under the water. What a star swimmer! Monty Watson for showing resilience in maths whilst reasoning and solving problems using 3D shapes. What a marvellous mathematician! |
| Year 1 | Emi Weeks for seamlessly settling into our class after joining us this week. Emi has come in with an excellent attitude for learning and has made many friends very quickly. Bella Kane for excellence in phonics and pushing on in all aspects of her school life. Bella consistently works hard and shows kindness & resilience on a daily basis. |
| Year 2 | Pixie Jarman- Pixie has settled back into our routines well and has been working hard in each lesson, with a real focus on her presentation. She is working more independently and she is not only offering up her ideas but she is also able to share her reasoning. Roland Dilkes- Roly has produced some impressive work this week, particularly his writing in English and Science. He is taking great care with his presentation and we have noticed how hard he is working to improve handwriting. Gene Hunter-Felton. Gene is our newest member of the class and has settled really well. He is making new friends and working hard in lessons. Herb Halton. Herb has returned after the holiday with his usual positive attitude for class activities, demonstrating enthusiasm in his learning. He has also helped in welcoming our new pupil. |
| Year 3 | Grace Glanville – Grace has settled so well into the class it feels like she has always been with us. She has made many friends already and has participated enthusiastically in all activities on offer. Frank Lillis – Frank has been an enthusiastic reader over the Easter break and is reading a diverse breadth of reading material. His efforts are paying off and he is reaping the benefits of improving his skills in other areas of the curriculum. |
Seniors
| Year 4 | Milo Baybars and Teddy Lawson for showing such a positive attitude and enthusiasm for learning. |
| Year 5 | My 6 new pupils (Alexandra Farrell (Wellow), Cassia Saxton-West (Wellow), Maisie Chantry (Clevelands), Laila Danson-Slater (Clevelands), Beau Young (Clevelands) for showing courage in their first week at WHD. |
| Year 6 | Theo Eberlin and Sam Kane – good positive start back. Hard working, respectful and trying their best. Genevieve Frogley – doing the right thing and looking out for others. |
| Seniors | Lila Grady for completing all of her practice science and maths exam papers over the Easter holidays, and scoring straight A’s in them all. |
Team of the Week:
Year 4 for doing exceptional work in French with their listening tasks. They worked really hard and did an amazing job. They should be super proud of themselves for tackling a new task with confidence and enthusiasm. Well done Year 4! Also the Year 4 hockey team for winning the Quicksticks Tournament.
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
Monday Football Year 1 (3:45 – 5:10pm) Wednesday Infant Agility A & B (9:00am – 12:00pm) Cricket v Junior King’s: 2nd XI (h) Thursday Cricket v St Lawrence: Mixed U9 A and B (h) Saturday Cricket v Junior King’s: Girls U13 A (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
Quick Sticks Hockey v St Lawrence: Mixed U9 A | 1st |
Quick Sticks Hockey v St Lawrence: Mixed U11 A | 3rd |
Super Saturday Football v Upton: Boys U9 A | 4th in tier |
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