A Friday Round up from Mr Schumm
Good afternoon,
Last night, the school hall was filled with the sounds of Bollywood as we danced the night away! What a superb evening with delicious food, a fantastic dance demonstration, henna workshops, a thought provoking quiz, a plentiful bar and of course fantastic music. Thank you especially to Fazlin for taking the lead on the evening and, of course, her amazing team. And the winners of the quiz are Ryan Jones, Ben Johnson and Juliet Masterson Smith. A taste of the evening- https://youtu.be/2yZW9DSlxd0
Over the last two weeks, Year 3 have delighted us with two stupendous class assemblies. Mrs Jeffrey’s class was first off the block with all things Stone Age, complete with a Queen song with some superb dance moves! They were fantastic with great acting skills, lovely singing and lots of facts being the order of the day.
Next up, came Miss Kelly’s class who taught us how to ‘walk like an Egyptian’ although it would have been an ancient Egyptian! Their costumes were pharaoh-tastic and their confident voices were soon filling the hall as they inundated our heads with numerous facts! There was just time for one last song – I’m Still Standing – and then it was time for the mummies to head back to the classroom.
Yesterday, I travelled to St Paul’s Cathedral with a group of Year 6 pupils to take part in a service for all church schools in London. There was an amazing atmosphere in the cathedral and it was lovely to see former pupil, Thelma Owen, standing at the front giving a reading!
This afternoon I thoroughly enjoyed my lesson in dumpling making! They were delicious and I will be the perfect chef when it comes to making them for our Lunar New Year Celebration on Friday, 23rd February.
Thank God it’s Friday
Next week’s prayer meeting, outside the school at 9am on Friday morning, is open to all with fresh coffee and pastries! The children’s prayer group will be joining in so why not come along and join us, even if it’s just for the pastry and the chat!
Children’s Mental Health Week
St Stephen’s will join many schools across the country next week (5-9th February) by joining in with Children’s Mental Health Week. The theme this year is ‘My Voice Matters’.
My Voice Matters is about empowering children and young people by providing them with the tools they need to express themselves. When we feel empowered, there’s a positive impact on our wellbeing. Children who feel that their voices are heard can make a difference, have a greater sense of community and self-esteem. This year, we want children of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to be empowered to work together to create a positive change for their mental health and wellbeing. During Children’s Mental Health Week, we want all children and young people to be able to say – and believe – “My Voice Matters.”
The children will complete an activity in class, which will allow them to discuss the importance of their voices being heard. In addition to this, on Friday 9th February, we will take part in ‘Wear Your Scarf to School Day’ to support Children’s Mental Health Week. The children will come in wearing a scarf of their choice. This is their opportunity to use their voice to share if their choice of scarf says something special about them.
Ash Wednesday Service
Wednesday, 7th February at St Stephen’s Church at 9am everyone welcome.
Homework Time
Homework – love it or hate it? Always a tricky subject and a feature of school life, that only increases as the years go by – ahh I remember it well, the homework books flying across the kitchen floor! Anyway, as a school we thought it would be worth reviewing our Homework Policy, and capturing parental views is an important part of the process. Please complete the questionnaire on Parentmail.
Debating Competition
This afternoon we are hosting a debating competition with 4 other schools – Ibstock School, Deer Park School, Garfield School and St Francis De Sales. As I type we are still debating so you will have to wait till next time to see how we got on!
Auction Night 14 March
After last night’s amazing FOSS festivities please put Thursday 14 March in your diaries for our auction night! We have some fantastic treats in store for you but we still need lots more of your amazing donations. Please contact Linda if you have anything you can donate such as experiences or a service you could offer. lindajanepowell@hotmail.co.uk
Tickets will go on sale next week! This is always a sell out so if you’re booking a table please buy when tickets go on sale to avoid disappointment!!
Spanish Trip to the BFI
On Tuesday, Year 5 travelled to the BFI to take part in a Spanish workshop centered on films. The children watched a variety of short films and had to answer Spanish questions about the characters, their emotions and the setting. To end the day, they watched the Spanish film, ‘Perez’, with English subtitles.
London Fire Brigade Fire Safety Workshop
Today, Year 2 and Year 5 had a visit from the London Fire Brigade to discuss the importance of fire safety. They discussed the importance of smoke alarms and testing them once every month, with a grown up. They also learnt about how a fire can start; candles, electrical equipment like cookers and cigarettes. They spent time discussing how we can reduce the risk of fire for example by not leaving electrical equipment on when no one is around. Finally, the children spoke about knowing where the fire escape is and carrying out fire drills, like we do in school.
The House Captain’s Charity Family Games Night – Save the Date – Thursday, 29th February 5 – 7.pm. More info next week!
Have an amazing weekend!
Mr Schumm
