23rd May 2025
Dear Parents
It's hard to believe that it is half term already. Thankfully the weather is starting to make us feel like Summer is just around the corner and before we know it, we will be celebrating the end of another school year…but until then we have plenty of events to share in this week’s newsletter.
Greece Goes to Pieces - Year 5 Play
This week has been Year 5 Play Week. As parents, you may already know that as part of our Hearts and Minds Project, the Year 5 class performs a play for the school and their family members.
This week, Dahl Class performed the play “Greece Goes to Pieces,” which was a delight to watch. The children had a wonderful time working together. Below are some pictures from the performance, giving a taste of the event.
However, these pictures do not reflect the many hours of practice the children have dedicated, nor the words they had to learn, or the hard work involved in making the play a success.
Well done and congratulations to Mr. King and Dahl Class for entertaining us so brilliantly!
World Bee Day at Harpenden Academy
Every year on 20th May, World Bee Day is celebrated around the globe—and this year, the Ladybirds joined in the buzz! We explored the vital role bees play in our world and learned how important they are for growing the fruits and vegetables we enjoy at home.
During our discussions, we talked about how bees might seem scary at first, but they’re actually more afraid of us and only sting when they feel threatened. The children were very thoughtful as they learned how to respect and protect these important pollinators.
We took part in a variety of hands-on activities to develop our fundamental skills. The children loved cutting, colouring, and crafting their own bee headbands and paper bees. We also explored the fascinating life cycle of a bee, working together to put the different stages into the correct order.
It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm of the children as they celebrated bees and their contribution to a healthy planet. We’re proud to see the young learners at Harpenden Academy embracing sustainability and showing such care for the environment.
Year 5 - Basketball Trials
This week we learnt that Luca in Year 5 was recently invited to trials for the Hertfordshire County U11s Basketball Team and he also tried out for the Oaklands Wolves U12s National Team. We were delighted to hear that he was successful at both trials. This is brilliant news and we are so proud of him and thrilled for him. Well done Luca – this is a huge achievement and we are so excited for you.
Lovely Mark the science man returns
We all really enjoy it when Mark comes to school as he is genuinely a fascinating man who delights the children with his activities and knowledge. This week he worked with Year 4 children looking at the topic of teeth- more of that later. But in the evening, he and I held an evening all based on time and skill.
Approximately 45 parents /children joined us for the family science event where Mark issued a challenge to all of the families relating to time. These evenings always bring out the competitive edge but my goodness me! I think this evening was one of the most interesting from an observer’s point of view.
Thank you to all of those families that came and book the date for next year when we will be back for another round.
Mark the Science Man - Teeth Workshop
In Year 4, we had a visit from Mark the science man and we learnt about the importance of looking after our teeth and how to keep our teeth healthy by brushing them regularly and maintaining a healthy diet. We discovered some fascinating facts about teeth and learnt about how our own teeth compare to the teeth of other animals. It was really exciting to get the chance to create our own moulds of teeth so we could get a good insight into what a set of healthy human teeth look like. It was a fantastic afternoon full of creativity and new learning.
Scholars Cup
Our Year 6 football and netball teams recently competed in the Scholars Cup, where they demonstrated impressive skill, determination, and sportsmanship. Both teams worked incredibly hard throughout the competition, showing respect for their opponents, excellent teamwork, and a strong commitment to doing their best. Their effort and positive attitude paid off as they secured third place in their respective events. We are so proud of their achievements and the way they represented our school with such pride and integrity. Well done to all the players for their hard work and dedication!
Year 1 Zoo trip
Elmer class recently had an exciting trip to Whipsnade Zoo, where we participated in an engaging workshop all about fur, feathers, and scales. During the session, we learned how to group animals based on their physical features, which helped us understand more about their classifications. After the workshop, we had the opportunity to explore the zoo and apply our new knowledge by grouping the animals we saw. It was a fantastic learning experience, and we finished the day with a fun and relaxing playtime. Everyone had a wonderful time, and it was a great way to bring our learning to life!
Sports Day, Wednesday 18th June 2025
We have had a few enquiries regarding Sports day this year as parents want to book the day off work. I can confirm it will be on 18th June, at SJL sports field and will be approximately 1.30pm-3.00pm. Further details will be out after half term.
Mrs Duncan
Year 6 parents have already been informed, but I wanted the entire school community to be aware that Mrs. Duncan will be taking a short sabbatical from school for the next six weeks. She is doing so to support her daughter’s wellbeing during her A-Level exam period.
Mrs. Duncan will return to us at the beginning of July, refreshed and ready to face the final few weeks with the Year 6 children before they leave to attend their secondary schools.
See you in July, Mrs. Duncan!
Leavers' Event Wednesday 9th July 4-6pm
Year 6 parents get ready for a delicious treat! Year 6 will plan, prepare be serving a spectacular three-course meal to their families on this special day. To ensure everyone has plenty of time to enjoy their meal and get organised, pick-up will be at 12:15pm on Wednesday, 6th July. Full details are on Class Dojo for Year 6 parents.
Save The Date - Year 6 Farewell Assembly Friday 11th July 9.00am - 9.30am (Year 6 parents only)
Times Table Rock Stars Launch
On Monday 23rd June, we will be hosting an exciting day to launch Times Table Rock Stars for Year 2 - Year 6. Times Tables Rock Stars is an online maths programme that takes all the worry out of learning times tables and has a proven track record of boosting children’s fluency and recall in multiplication and division.
There will be an informative pre-launch meeting for parents at 8.30am-9.00am on Tuesday 17th June, to get parents up to speed with the programme so that they can best support at home. Please do come along! We hope to see lots of you there.
Reminder, Class Photos, Monday 2nd June - first day after half term
Please can parents ensure their children are wearing the correct school uniform which means the correct sweatshirt/cardigan, shirt and school shoes. Please ensure the children are not late to school on this Monday as they may miss their class photo which will be happening straight after registration at 8.45am.
Traffiic Light Creative and Performance Arts
We’re back for the summer half term with Friday After School Creative Arts Club. There are a few spaces available, so if you’d like to come along and join us, we’d love to see you!
Year 6 Fun Run
In March the year 6 children organised a whole school run in order to raise money for an event called Running to Save Lives.
If parents remember this was part of a bigger fundraising event organised by John Ferguson, Head teacher of Kimpton School . Through this event we were able to contribute over £500.00 from Harpenden Academy. While we still do not know the overall amount raised through all of the run runs and half marathons we were sent this letter today from Andrea and Simon Bailey who started a charity for their daughter Jess who sadly died through cancer. The Jessica Brady Cedar Trust is one of the charities that has benefitted from the money raised. I have attached their letter below indicating their thanks gratitude towards the children but also how the money has been allocated to continue to make a difference.
Legoland
FoHA has secured Legoland tickets for just £19pp for Tuesday 24th June which is an inset day.
https://www.foha.co.uk/fohashop/p/legoland
Summer Movie Night
https://www.foha.co.uk/fohashop/p/summer-movie-night
Grab Your Popcorn - It’s FoHA Summer Movie Night!
Join us for a fun-filled evening with a family-friendly movie, snacks, and great company.
- Monday 14th July - Reception and KS1
- Wednesday 16th July - KS2
Time: 3.30-5.30pm on both evenings
Venue: School hall, Harpenden Academy
£3.50 per child including a drink and snack
Don’t miss this chance to relax, have fun, and enjoy a night at the movies - FoHA-style!
Happy birthday this week:, Phoebe B (Yr 1), Arley C (Yr 2), Eglantine V (Yr 2 ),Lucy M (Yr 4), Austin S (Yr 4), April S (Yr 5)
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