Dear Parents/ Carers,

What a week! Last night, we had the most phenomenal St Patrick’s Day themed auction complete with an Irish Folk band and the most amazing Irish dancing troop! How I managed to stop myself getting up there I do not know! The hall was packed and the bidding was a frenzy of raised hands. Supper was supplied by Cookie and her beef stew was superb. Just lovely to have us all together in the hall enjoying each other’s company and the keg of Guinness. If you bid and won, thank you so much; if you bid and lost, better luck next time and, if you just came for the stew and Guinness, I hope you enjoyed the crack! Thank you Justine, Louise and FOSS for a super evening!

Here is a link to the dancers in our hall https://youtu.be/3G8QFVjT6D8 and check out the enclosed photo and my turn out!

perfume experience prize.; https://www.experiencedays.co.uk/charity-scheme

We finish one event and they just keep coming….

Country Culture Night this year is about all things French!

Please join us and the French community in St Stephen’s to enjoy a French Soirée on Thursday 31^st March at 19:00. Come and explore French culture, history, music and art, delicious French food, Champagne, Cheese & Wine and a bit of Can-Can!

Book your tickets on parentmail now for only £10.

Mums and Chums Breakfast

Please join us for a celebration breakfast in honour of those special women in our children’s lives on Friday, 25^th March at 8am in the main school hall. Cookie will be cooking up the most scrumptious breakfast treats and the faithful buckets will be on hand for much appreciated donations.

Poetry Mad Madan

Mrs Walsh’s Year 2 class delighted us with their wonderful assembly on poetry. Their loud confident voices echoed around the hall bringing smiles to everyone’s faces. It was their first assembly (and Mrs Walsh’s) and they came up trumps! Amazing singing and dancing were the order of the day – pat on the backs all round.

Mother’s Day Meal

Come on you know you can get a table with us, you know the food will be good (Cookie’s roast lamb and veggie option) you know it’s for a good cause and you know there’s an adventure playground! The House Captains have unanimously agreed to donate all the money raised from their Mother’s Day Lunch on Sunday, 27^th March to the DEC Appeal. A quick reminder that the school hall will become a dining room and that the House Captains will be offering a three course meal with a vegetarian option from 1.00pm onwards. There will also be a cash bar. Please reserve a table via parentmail – £150 per table of 8, £20 per head, £15 per child and £350 for a private dining experience for 14 with wine – child care available before/ during/ after the meal. The House Captains, Cookie and myself would love some volunteers to help on that weekend so please email me on head@ststephensce.lbhf.sch.uk

Mars Hour – Y3 & 4 Trip to the Geological Society

Students from Years 3 & 4 became geologists for the day at the invitation of STEM Learning where explainers from the Geological Society told us all about different types of rock, both on Earth and on Mars. We made our own versions of the Mars rover out of LEGO, which we showed to astronaut Tim Peake via a live link up with the UK Space Centre. We were also lucky enough to handle a 4.5 billion year old meteorite which fell to Earth over 600 years ago. Thanks to STEM Learning and the Geological Society for such an ‘out of this world’ session.M – I learnt a lot about the different types of rock and how the rocks on Mars aren’t very different to those here on Earth.

L – It was really interesting to think about what we needed to create our own rover for Mars. It really made me want to become a geologist when I’m older.
M – It felt very special to hold the meteorite which is even older than our planet!
R – I loved looking at the detail of the rocks through the microscope.

Nowruz New Year

In celebration of our multicultural school, we are taking part in the Nowruz celebrations!

On 20/21 March, the Nowruz New Year is celebrated in many countries including Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, many Central and South Asian communities as well as in the Kurdish regions of Iraq, Syria, Turkey and even as far away as Mongolia.

It marks the official beginning of spring at the spring equinox – the moment when the sun crosses the equator and day and night are of equal length.

Cookie is making a special Nowruz lunch for the children this coming Monday 21 March and parents are as always welcome to join their child (email/call to Annora to book).

In the evening, also on 21 March, Ms Kazem will do a special Persian belly dancing class for parents at 7pm and 8pm at the school and there will be some Iranian snacks as well. Please text/Whatsapp/email: Hanieh/Leman/Sanne at 07741030038/ sannevdbergh@gmail.com if you would like to join. No prior belly dancing experience or outfit needed, just an opportunity to have a bit of fun while getting some really good exercise!”

Have a lovely sunny weekend.

Mr Schumm