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22nd September
Dear Parents
Fellowship Afloat, Year 5 Dahl Residential Trip
Year 5 had an exciting week filled with activities such as sailing, kayaking, archery, and team building. Aside from having fun, the children have developed skills that will be useful for a lifetime. Fellowship Afloat is a unique residential trip that welcomes every child into a community where they feel a sense of belonging and teamwork. This experience has greatly boosted the children's self-esteem and set them up for success early on in the year.
All the children seemed to be thoroughly enjoying themselves, and it was evident in their happy faces and excited squeals during each activity. The personal development of each child was remarkable, as they managed to achieve their goals even in the face of challenging situations. Year 5 worked well as a team, supporting and encouraging each other while also having fun and creating memories.
The children's excellent behaviour is a credit to the Year 5 parents, and it was heart warming to see their faces light up despite the ropey weather. The trip would not have been possible without the hard work and enthusiasm of Mrs Davies, Mrs Curnow, Mr King, and Miss Rymill. They encouraged the children, dealt with any challenges, and showed kindness throughout the trip. It was truly a magical experience that the children will remember for a long time.
International Peace Festival
Harpenden schools joined together for “Peace One Day” at the Methodist Church on Thursday afternoon. Thank you Owen for your wonderful rendition of 'Heal the World' on the saxophone - we are all very proud of you.
Reception Phonics Workshop, Wednesday 27th September, 8.45am-9.45am
A letter went out this week to all Reception parents as we are offering a parent workshop on Wednesday 27th September, 8:45am-9:45am to find out more about how phonics and reading are taught at Harpenden Academy and to offer practical guidance on how you can help at home; the partnership between school and home is vital in developing your child’s love of reading. We hope to see you there but will hope to be recording the session so parents can access it at a later date.
Lost Property Collection, Wednesday 27th September at 3.20pm (school pick up)
Lost property is an unfortunate reality in school settings. It's easy for children to misplace their belongings, and without proper naming of school uniform, it can be difficult to return lost items to their rightful owners. That's why the School Council is hosting a Lost Property Collection event next Wednesday, 27th September, at pick up. Parents are encouraged to come and search for any lost items that their child may have misplaced. Additionally, there will be an opportunity to grab any items in your child's size free of charge. It's important to note that this event serves as a reminder to parents to label their child's uniform with their name, so that lost items can easily be returned to their owners. We hope to see you there!
Year 5 & 6 Netball
We have a team of 10 children in our Thursday netball club and we would really like to increase the numbers. It is wonderful to see so many boys. Everyone is welcome and we especially need some more girls!
Reminder Earrings in School
Guidance from the association for PE states "“Personal effects, such as jewellery, (including body piercings), watches, hair slides should ideally always be removed to establish a safe working environment"
For health and safety reasons, we strongly recommend that children remove their earrings before participating in physical activities such as PE and swimming. This is because wearing earrings can pose a danger to both the wearer and those around them. We must prioritise their safety over aesthetics. This is particularly important when it comes to children wearing earrings to school. We have a duty of care to ensure that our children can participate in physical activities without unnecessarily endangering themselves or others.
In the event that your child has just had their ears pierced and is unable to remove their earrings for PE, our office will tape them up for their PE lessons. However, we recommend that you consider piercing your child's ears at the start of the summer holidays to allow for six weeks of healing time. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
Next Week: Bike to School Week, w/c 25th September 2023
A reminder that next week is 'Bike to School.'
MacMillan Coffee and Cake day, Friday 29th September 2023
On Friday morning, 29th September, please bring along cakes, biscuits, cookies etc cooked from home or shop-bought and we will do our very best to help raise much-needed funds for MacMillan. You can drop them off at the school main entrance, on the Friday morning, where there will be a member of staff or a FoHA volunteer there to greet you. Breakfast club children can take their goodies into the club and Laura Jones will take delivery of them. Please label the goodies & any containers so we know what they are and who they belong to. Remember we are a nut and sesame-free school.
Parents can make their donation towards their cakes via this website link prior to, during and after the event. The bake sale will take place at pick up time at 3.20pm. There will be no cash accepted on the day as this will be a cashless event but all donations are gratefully received. This way the children can still take part in the fundraising event without the fear of lost money.
This year there is the added temptation of the "teacher taste off" as the members of staff battle it out in assembly to see who has the winning brownie/blondie. These will be up for sale after school too.
Historically this has always been a popular event with plenty of money being raised for MacMillan cancer support.
Join FoHA (our PTA) for the first meeting of the academic year!
Thursday 12th October - 8pm - Harpenden Academy (location dependent upon number of attendees)
For those of you who are new to Harpenden Academy, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) is a compulsory yearly meeting where we look at the accounts for FoHA, appoint members to key roles, report on what has happened over the past year and vote on any outstanding key issues. It is also a great opportunity to find out more about FoHA as a whole and most importantly to meet other parents/carers.
VACANT CORE COMMITTEE POSITIONS:
Chair/Co-Chair
Secretary
Though all core positions will need to be re-elected, the two listed above are vacant and will need to be filled during the AGM so if you want to find out more - come along to the meeting :-)
All parents and carers are invited to attend the meeting!
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO RSVP OR SHARE YOUR REGRETS
Happy birthday this week to: Martha and Hayley
The Harpenden Christmas Carnival Procession
The Harpenden Christmas Carnival Procession is a wonderful tradition for our Town and we are looking for new groups to join us this year. Schools, musicians, dancers, gymnasts, clubs, and other organisations are all welcome! It’s a great opportunity to have fun and promote your group.
If you are interested in taking part in the Carnival which takes place on 26th November 2023, please do get in touch, we would love to hear from you.
Girls' Football
I'm delighted to be able to open our doors to the PSA Girls Academy for any girls interested in playing football at your school. New and experienced players are welcome to our open session alongside our current players.
Our girls our sponsored by Tongue Tied Management, the agency that look after elite athletes, including the likes of England's Euro Winners Keira Walsh and Leah Williamson! We are booking in an opportunity for a player visit very soon!
Venue: Hemel Hempstead Town FC (ON 3G), Vauxhall Road, HP2 4HW
Date: Thursday 28th September & 5th October
Time: U8s - U11s (Year 3 - Year 6) 5pm - 6pm
U12s - U15s (Year 7 - Year 10) 6pm - 7pm
Please contact Joe Fitzgerald to register for the FREE TRIAL session.
Old Albanians Rugby Club
With childhood obesity at an all time high, and the positive impact that sport can have on a child’s mental health I am sure you will agree sport is really important for every child. Rugby is ALL INCLUSIVE a sport for all body types and fitness levels,
Every child genuinely has a place in Rugby. The elements of the game are gradually added through the years to help the child’s development, and unlike football our teams up until U13’s are not streamed at all we play with totally balanced mixed ability sides so every child really feels included and part of the team This is what in my opinion makes Rugby GREAT. NO A, B, C every child at minis level is equal and a valued member of the team.
In Rugby we follow the Core Values as set by the RFU
- Teamwork
- Respect
- Enjoyment
- Discipline
- Sportsmanship
And we really believe that there is no better sport to help children develop and make friends for life.
Old Albanians is one of Hertfordshire’s largest Ruby Clubs excelling in all age groups across the men’s and women’s side of the sport
We really are a club for all demographics and Hertfordshire RFU and Old Albanians also have the provisions and support to assist those families from less privileged households.
