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Latest School News
PREP DEPARTMENT
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Monday 13 May | Year 5 Osmington Bay, Dorset (return 17 May) |
| Year 6 End of Year Exams commence | |
| Saturday 18 May | ISA National Swimming Gala |
| Sunday 19 May | Year 6 to France (return 24 May) |
| Monday 20 May | Years 1 to 5 End of Year Exams commence |
| Monday 27 to 31 May | Half Term |
| Monday 3 June | FOSC Reps Meeting and AGM |
| Wednesday 5 June | ISA London West Athletics |
| Friday 7 June | School Travel Plan Event |
| Tuesday 11 June | Class Photographs - am |
| Year 1 and 2 to Orleans Park Gallery | |
| Friday 14 | LAMDA Speech and Drama Exams - all day |
| Nursery and Reception to Bocketts Farm - all day | |
| Monday 17 June | ISA National Athletics Championships |
| Saturday 22 June | Year 5 Activities Morning 9.00am |
| Open Afternoon 1.00pm | |
| Monday 24 June | FOSC Committee Meeting 7.30pm |
| Friday 28 June | KS2 and Senior Sports Day at St Mary’s University College |
| Sunday 30 June | FOSC Summer Fair 12noon |
| Monday 1 July | Prep Production (Dress Rehearsal) |
| Tuesday 2 July | Early Years and KS1 Sports Day |
| 1.45pm to 3.00pm at St Catherine’s School | |
| Summer Concert 7.00pm | |
| Wednesday 3 July | Prep Production 7.00pm |
| Friday 5 July | Year 5 Taster Day |
| Monday 8 July | Prep Celebration of Achievement 2.00pm |
| Wednesday 10 July | End of Year Mass All Parents welcome (time to be confirmed) |
| END OF SUMMER TERM 12.30pm |
Prep School - Timetables for Summer Term 2013
Available for download - Read More
IMPORTANT REMINDER - NUT FREE SCHOOL
Please remember that, for health and safety reasons, St Catherine's School is a Nut Free Zone as several of our pupils suffer from serious nut allergies. Nut traces alone can trigger anaphylactic shock in severe cases.
Prep School Newsletter
A full version of the fortnightly Newsletter can be accessed online by logging into the Parents Section of this website.
Bikers' and Scooters' Breakfast
Friday 14th June 2013 at 7:50am
As part of our School Travel Plan, we are hosting a special Bikers' and Scooters' Breakfast for the girls who wish to ride their bikes or scooters into School. The price for breakfast is £1.80 but every girl will receive a gift kindly donated by Moore's Cycles of either a water bottle or a pink reflective slap band.
Please call Chantal Goldburn to register your daughter for this great event.
0203 261 0142
Email: cgoldburn@stcatherineschool.co.uk
George Bullard Talk
Last term we were entertained by George Bullard who is one of the country's most prominent explorers, currently holding the world record for the longest fully unsupported polar journey ever.
He has been down the Amazon, swum marathons, cycled across Europe. He also works as an ambassador for the Britsh Exploring Society Many girls signed up to become members at the end! This week we had a talk from Briony Turner about her tme in Maasailand.
Science day
On Thursday 21 March the Prep Department celebrated Science day. Each class had a different subject to study. In Year 6 a man from the Lookout Centre told us all about Mars rovers and how they landed on Mars. After, we were given an assignment in our groups. Each group was given a plastic egg, two balloons, tape and paper. We had 30 minutes and we had to make sure the plastic egg did not break when it was dropped from a high height onto the floor by using balloons to slow the gravity down. Then we all tested which group's egg would take the longest amount of time to fall to the ground. It was a really amazing workshop and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Mairead Cole - Year 6
Mr Golding from the Lookout Centre came into school to talk about the planet Mars. He showed us pictures of landers, which are robots that explore the rock planets. Year 4 and Year 5's mission was to create a parachute that would land softly. We used everyday materials such as string, paper and balloons. We were put into groups and we had a lot of fun creating our landings and discovering how the landers work After we had made them we measured how long it would take them to reach the ground. We are looking forward to another scientific challenge next year.
Amelia Mackie and Shania Malhan - Year 5
ST CATHERINE'S CUBS AT ST GEORGE'S DAY PARADE
Ines Bell, Poppy Chan-Paxton, Maia Harris, Larissa Michael, Naya Nwokorie. Tia Rabheru, Khushi Shukal and Jennifer Weaver represented St Catherine's School at the Richmond-upon-Thames District Scouts St. George's Day Parade on Sunday 21 April. The girls enjoyed a short service in which they found out more about St. George and why he represents the Scout Association. They also paraded around the grounds of Christ's School in Richmond. The girls looked really smart and behaved impeccably. They were a real credit to the Cub Scouts and the School. We received some very favourable comments from the District Commissioner of Richmond and the Deputy County Commissioner of Greater London South West. Girls in the School can join the Cub Scout Pack in the term of their 8th birthday. We have plenty of spaces for anyone interested in joining. "I want the public to know how scouting continues to open young people's eyes to a world of extraordinary promise and possibilities" (Bear Grylls Chief Scout).
YEAR 1 SCOOTER TRAINING
Year 1 enjoyed an afternoon of scooter training by instructors from the London Borough of Richmond. The girls had good fun learning new skills and control of their scooters together with learning the golden rules of safe scooting: being careful, considerate, controlled.
Well done, girls.
Mrs P Mabelson
Year 1 Teacher
YEAR 6 SCIENCE LECTURE
On Tuesday, 12 March Year 6 went to the annual Science Lecture for Year 6 pupils across the borough. It was a very “bracing” walk to Twickenham Stadium – thank you Mrs O’Neill and Mrs Jones for coming with us and surviving the multitudinous blasts of Arctic air.
The show was about superheroes and their superpowers and how these could be achieved through different aspects of Science. Most of the girls liked the section on the power of lasers. A Walkman was plugged into a laser and the beam was transmitted through the air without anyone seeing. The sound travelled through the laser and we heard the music through a laser detector. When the presenter put her hand in front of the laser beam the sound stopped. Magic!
Another experiment saw a water balloon used to show how forces may be spread out. As the two children caught the balloon they took the force in their cupped hands as they pulled back their elbows. Another way of showing how forces are distributed was when three children built an arched bridge made of sturdy foam ‘bricks’ and they were able to walk across without the bridge collapsing. We also found out how to drop an egg without it breaking! Useful in Food Technology?
Tennis Lessons at St Catherine's School
The England Sports Group is pleased to inform you that we are continuing our after-school tennis clubs at St Catherine's School after the Easter holidays.
Course dates, times and cost:
Friday 19 April – Monday 8 July 2013
(Excluding half-term Monday 27 to Friday 31 May)
Monday 3.45pm to 4.45pm
Reception, Years 1, 2 and 3 - £90.95
Friday 4.00pm to 5.00pm
Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 - £90.95
Please call our office direct on 0800 043 0707 to book & pay by credit/debit card.
Website: www.englandsportsgroup.com
World Book Day
World Book Day began with a kaleidoscope of colour as the girls arrived dressed as a variety of colourful characters.
We had a wonderful time being entertained by Chris Powling, our guest for the day. Notebooks and pencils are now at the ready for any spectacular ideas we have for writing our own books.
Matt Dickinson - The Siena Society
Thursday 14 February, 2013
On Thursday 14 February, the renowned explorer and author, Matt Dickinson presented a riveting lecture about an expedition he organised to Antarctica in which he and eight others planned to trace his own father's footsteps from half a century earlier. Matt planned to sail from the southern-most tip of South America, around Cape Horn to Antarctica with the particular aim of climbing the highest mountain down there; a feat his father never sadly accomplished. Matt punctuated his lecture with video clips and some of the images we saw of the voyage across the Southern Ocean in their 60 foot yacht, Pelagia, were truly terrifying! What must have been a particularly poignant moment for Matt was when they came across his father's camp, abandoned 50 years earlier; tins and debris lying undisturbed for all that time. As always with Matt, he passed on much good advice to the girls; this time he recommended that any girl interested in a career in journalism, should find something meaningful to campaign for and then write articles in support. And yes they did manage to climb the highest mountain in Antarctica and sail safely back!
Mr A Pearson
Head of 6th Form
Must the Queen Die?
On Thursday 7 February, Years 4, 5 and 6 were inspired by the visit of author K.A.S. Quinn to St. Catherine's Prep Department. Ms Quinn has written two novels for 9 to 12 year olds, "The Queen Must Die" and "The Queen at War" combining historical adventure with gothic time travel. The books are set at the height of the 19th century portraying the events and times of the Victorian Era, ideal for our topic in Year 6.
Ms Quinn's talk began with her telling the girls about her childhood in America and time spent working on various magazines including "The Spectator". The audience was transfixed as she spoke about life in Victorian times and the girls were transported back in time with the chance to try on some Victorian costumes which caused great hilarity. Ms Quinn then answered questions about why she became a writer and the process of writing, which held the enthusiasm of the children and really brought to life how books are created. After lunch Ms Quinn was kind enough to spend some time talking to the girls and she signed copies of her books which will no doubt become prized possessions on many book cases for years to come.
Mrs A Jones - Prep Librarian
Ski Trip to USA
In February half term twenty girls joined Mrs Ward, Mrs Saddler and Sister Paula in new Hampshire, USA. We stayed in a lovely hotel called the Snowy Owl Inn. Each day we had four hours of Ski School to improve our technique. The ski instructors were great. We went skiing in two resorts, Waterville and Loon Mountain. We all had so much fun we will remember this school trip for a long time to come.
Phoebe Thornett - Year 6
Years 3, 4 and 5 Design and Technology Workshop
On Tuesday 26 February Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 took part in a Design and Technology Workshop with Jeremy King, from Jeremy King Engineering Schools.
The chairs were made out of several sheets of newspaper and then put into the Stixx machine which makes it firm and ready to use to make the chair!
(Awaiting original photo from M Hughes)
Hi Mariam, can you place on the shared drive the photo that is missing from the above article. regards Chantal
They were all very creative and some of the designs included Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Narnia, Alice in Wonderland and Harry Potter.
The children made chairs based on book characters and painted them as well. The children were given a base and they had to finish it and do the back design.
Everyone enjoyed it including the teachers and helpers and we hope we have another DT workshop sometime soon! The chairs will be displayed in the Prep library on World Book Day.
Amelia Mackie - Year 5
All the girls learned new skills, like how to use the Stixx machine and how to use a hacksaw.
Scholars, Gifted and Talented and
St Catherine's Singers'
Wednesday 6th March 2013 at 7:00pm
If you would like to reserve your place, please contact Chantal Goldburn on:
0203 261 0142
or
Email: cgoldburn@stcatherineschool.co.uk
Production: 'We Will Rock You !'
Performances in the main hall on:
Thursday 21st March at 7.00pm
Friday 22nd March at 7.00pm
Saturday 23rd March at 2:00pm
Sainsbury's 'Active Kids' Vouchers
"I'm passionate about inspiring kids to try a new sport. And that's exactly what Active Kids is all about -
encouraging kids to try, and hopefully really enjoy something new."
David Beckham - Active Kids Ambassador
SainsburyActive Kids aims to help young people of all ages and abilities lead healthier, more active lifestyles whilst having fun.
We have until 22nd May 2013 to collect as many Sainsbury's Vouchers as possible. Last year proved to be extremely successful and we were able to get lots of new sports equipment for both the Senior and Prep departments. We appreciate every effort made by pupils, parents, staff and friends.
PE Department
S P O R T S - N E W S
Congratulations to the Year S Swimming Squad who took part in the Swimming Gala against Radnor House last Wednesday. St Catherine's received 147 points and Radnor House 43 points - a fantastic result! A big thank you to all parents who came along to support the girls. Well done to everyone who took part. The
Swimmer of the night was Amelia Mackie (Year 5)
History Day
Lara Wright, Year 6, has written an imaginative letter to her parents, pretending to be an evacuee in World War Two. Here is part of what she wrote.
I have been billeted with Mr and Mrs Bleakwood....When I arrived Mrs Bleakwood served us some meat stew and a cup of milk - I know you'll both be happy because I ate it all up....Yesterday, the rest of the children and I went to the park and played a group game of football. It was fun, but the locals teased the 'townies' for having weird voices. Well, I would say if anything their voices are weird! Then us evacuees were given some sweet. That didn't go down well with the local children!
Before you ask, I am fine, I am not too upset that I'm not with you or daddy, but I am worried about my sisters as I'm not with them anymore - no-one had room for us all. When we were being billeted I tried to stick with them, I'm sorry........... I started school yesterday, but I've been put in the little ones because I can't read or write very well. Mrs Hartridge says I'm a quick learner and I'll move to the other class very soon. Tomorrow Mrs Bleakwood is taking me down to the village so that I can get some new clothes and a book............
ISA Cross Country Championships
Congratulations to Olivia Lintott, Amelia Mackie and Tess O'Donnell (Year 5) and Isla Patterson, Phoebe Thornett and Olivia Weedon (Year 6), who were
selected to represent the school at the ISA championships on Friday 8 February. It takes great strength of character and determination to compete as a cross country runner. Our students were outstanding.
Mrs J Healey
Head of PE
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to Amelia Mackie (Year 5) who achieved 3rd place overall, out of 72, in the ISA National Cross Country Championships and has been selected to compete in the Nationals. We wish Amelia the very best on the 2nd March .
WELL DONE, AMELIA !
ISA Cross Country Championships.
Friday 8th February 2013
A total of 19 Schools attended these Regional Championships. St Catherine's snatched 1st place in the U14 category!
5 students were selected to compete at the Nationals in March! ( The 1st 10 runners in each age group go through.)
Eleanor Attridge (Year 8)and Amelia Mackie (Year 6) achieved 3rd place in the U12
and U14 categories!
The PE Department staff are incredibly proud of the following who have been training throughout the year and were selected to compete. All completed the gruelling course displaying great determination, strength of character and true grit :
The Teams and positions were:
| U14 Girls ( Yr 7& 8) Team | U16 Girls (Yr 9 & 10) Team |
|---|---|
| Megan Read 17th | Nicola Lovegrove 29th |
| Daisy Langton 8th | Francesca Turner 14th |
| Josephine Grist 9th | Emily Burge 26th |
| Eleanor Attridge 3rd | Isabella Kessell 19th |
| Gracie Mackie 4th | Ellie Plumb 31st |
| Jemma Hardy 24th | Lydia Rodford 32nd |
| Florence Golder Res |
Breakfast Club - Fun Friday
Come and join us for 'Fun Friday' on 15th March 2013
7:50am to 8:15am
Fabulous food all for only £1.00 per child
Please call Chantal Goldburn to reserve your place
0203 261 0142
Menu
- Crispy bacon
- Cumberland Sausages
- vegetarian sausages
- baked beans
- Pancakes
- Muffins
- Waffles
- Boiled eggs
- Poached eggs
- Scrambled eggs
- Toasted cheese muffins
- Toasted cheese and ham muffins
- Smoothies
- Toasties
Year 6 wrote a paraphrase of Robert Frost's poem
'Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening'
I was riding through the woods on my trusty steed. I could barely see where I was going because the sky was black and the moon was hidden. My horse's hooves crunched in the crisp, hard snow. The bitter wind whipped the breath from my lungs as it howled through the trees. I knew we'd have to stop and rest, but we were still so far from where we needed to be.
I rode through the woods almost every night now, but each time I was stunned by the beauty. I was the errand boy and it was my job to deliver the necessities to all those who didn't live in the village. All of a sudden snowflakes began to drift past my face and my path was soon lost. A new layer of soft snow slipped and slid beneath my horse's hooves. I stopped beneath an icy tree and watched the needle sharp icicles drip glistening drops of clear water onto the snow encrusted soil. I sighed and gazed over the snowy woods once more.
by Elizabeth Garbett
Entrance Exam
Congratulations to all the girls who sat the entrance exam on 7th January. Despite the inevitable apprehension before the exam, it was wonderful to see so many smiling faces.
Our prefects did a great job in introducing the girls to each other, calming them down and in explaining the arrangements for the morning. The Small Hall was soon full of chatter and laughter.
Once the exams had been completed the activities began, including; Swimming, Cooking, Art, Trampolining, Science and Spanish. These gave the girls an opportunity to wind down, have some fun and get to know others in their group, in a more relaxed atmosphere.
Two weeks on, the papers have been marked and we are so thrilled that all of our own Year 6 pupils achieved exceptionally high marks, with several individuals placed within the top seven. The examination papers were challenging, therefore, both the girls and Miss Hodgson should be very proud of their preparation, hard work and success. We look forward to them joining the Senior School in September, where they will be sure of a warm welcome from us all.
Mrs Grant Pastoral
Head Key Stage 3
BREAKFAST CLUB
Come and enjoy our Breakfast Club each day from 7:50am until 8:15am. Our Spring Menu includes, sausage and egg, waffles and bacon sandwiches. Any enquiries please call Chantal Goldburn on
Tel: 0203 261 0142
or email cgoldburn@stcatherineschool.co.uk
We will be holding a 'Fun Friday' at Breakfast Club soon .....whereby you will be able to sample our new summer menu all for only £1.80 Spaces will be limited so watch out for the date to be released .... because we are 'The Best Breakfast Club in Twickenham'!
Year 4-7 Swimming Gala v The Harrodian School
On Tuesday 22nd January, St Catherine’s hosted a Swimming Gala against Harrodian School. The squads involved A and B teams from Year 4 to Year 7. The St Catherine’s swimmers performed outstandingly and, although the scores were close, we won 107 points to 95. Well done to all of the girls who competed and thank you to the senior pupils who came along to help score and be place judges.
Mrs Edwards
PE Department
ISA CROSS COUNTRY
We wish the following Senior competitors the very best of luck for this event:
U14 - Megan Read, Daisy Langton, Josephine Grist, Eleanor Attridge, Gracie Mackie, Jemma Hardy and Scarlett Wright
U16 - Nicola Lovegrove, Francesca Turner, Emily Burge, Izzy Kessell, Ellie Plumb, Lydia Rodford and
Flo Golder.
Mrs Healey
Head of PE
Year 4 to Year 7
Swimming Gala v The Harrodian School On Tuesday 22 January, St Catherine's hosted a Swimming Gala against Harrodian School. The squads involved A and B teams from Year 4 to Year 7. The St Catherine's swimmers performed outstandingly and, although the scores were close, we won 107 points to 95. Well done to all of the girls who competed and thank you to the senior pupils who came along to help score and be place-judges.
Mrs A Edwards - P E Teacher
YEAR 2 SCIENCE- BIRDS IN THE PLAYGROUND
Whilst undertaking their topic about plants and animals in the local environment, the girls in Year 2 noticed a distinct lack of birds around school. Excepting the odd magpie and pigeon, our feathered friends were noticeable by their absence. The girls decided to try to do something abut this. They researched the birds that ought to live in a environment like the school grounds. Then they found out the foods that they might like and made feeders to encourage them to stay around school.
How to make a bird feeder (by Maya Sharma Year2)
You will need: plastic cups, string, lard, bird food.
- Ask your teacher to put a hole in the bottom of the cup.
- Thread the string through the hole.
- Put dead worms, sunflower seeds and nuts in the cup for the birds to eat.
- Melt the lard and pour it over the seeds in the cup.
- Leave it to dry for a minute.
- Hang your birdfeeder outside on a tree for the birds to eat.
To see if their experiment was a success the girls are going to take part in the RSPB schools bird watch.
Mrs A Oakley
Year 2 Teacher
ISA National Swimming Gala in Coventry
We wish the following swimmers the very best of luck for the upcoming ISA National Swimming Gala in Coventry on Saturday 19th January 2013:
- Lydia Rodford
- Amelia Mackie
- Olivia Weedon
- Rosin Neligan-Ayling
- Mary O'Donnell
- Maisie Rodford
- Megan Read
- Hannah Mackie
- Gracie Mackie
House Drama 2012-13
The first ever House Drama competition was launched last term and was a roaring success. The four houses were given the theme of Christmas and asked to create, cast, write and direct a piece lasting no more than 20 minutes. Design and technical elements were also part of the criteria. House Captains and Vice-Captains were responsible for the organisation of rehearsals and rose admirably to the challenge.
Each house had to ensure there were two pupils from each year group (Year 5 through to Sixth Form) participating in some way. This led to a lovely sense of camaraderie that was created amongst the pupils. The houses faced many challenges along the way, not least of which was trying to find suitable rehearsal times and venues.
Bronte performed first and gave us a 'High School Musical' inspired vision of Christmas, with Emma Nail stealing the show as 'Troy', complete with fake tan! Cavell performed next with their soulful ensemble piece, followed by a 'Chav-tastic' vision of Christmas from Pankhurst, complete with Mr Rock as a moody angel. Lastly, Nightingale entertained us, especially with a female Father Christmas (Mrs Oakley). Lauren Jackson stole their performance as the crazy 'Bouldermort', going on to win 'Best Actor' overall. Pankhurst were the overall winners.
A big thank you to all pupils and staff who took part, and especially to each House Captain and Vice-Captain for your hard work and dedication. A special thank you to Mr Jasper Jacob, our guest judge. I look forward to seeing everyone's efforts in the 2013-14 competition. Mrs V Penrose-Drama Department.
St Catherine's School Prep Carol Service
Followed by mulled wine and mince pies
Thursday 13th December 2012 at 7:00pm
in the Main Hall
Catholic Children's Society Carol Service
On Tuesday 4 December, Year 5 climbed aboard our school minibus and headed off to Westminster Cathedral to join almost 2,000 other children from Catholic Primary schools around the Diocese for a very special re-telling of the Christmas story.
This annual event, organised by the Catholic Children's Society, tells the story of Christmas from Joseph's point of view as he remembers the event almost thirty years on. Year 5 had an excellent view of the service from the sanctuary, where they formed part of the choir leading the singing of some favourite Christmas Carols. Bishop John Arnold, who led the service stopped to meet our pupils afterwards.
Our thanks to Mr Hall for driving the minibus and to Mrs Williams and Mrs Martin who accompanied the children.
Miss M Ryan - RE Teacher
CONGRATULATIONS
Congratulations to all the girls who achieved their Pee Wee Karate Certificate at St Catherine’s on Wednesday 5 December.
- Pee Wee Karate
Reception
- Isabel Aguiar
- Alexis Bell
- Ellyse Broadley
- Eve Bull
- Holly Coughlan
- Masooma Khan
- Jasmine Mehrotra
- Grace Stewart
- Meredith Todd
- Sofia Tsiakis
- Jia Ying Wu
Year 1
- Amrita Rana
- Nicole Edetanlen
Year 2
- Lucy Wardrop
Funakoshi Karate
Congratulations to all the girls who received their awards on Saturday 1 December.
BLUE BELT
Year 4
Poppy Chan Paxton
YELLOW BELT
Year 3
Ines Bell
Eleanor Chidwick
Emilia Kupczyk
RED BELT
Year 3
Rachel Lea
Year 2
Sophie-Marie Brand
Ruby Drake Doyle
Lucy Wardrop
Year 1
Zara Raman
It is always a pleasure to teach St Catherine’s pupils. All the girls who take part in Pee Wee and Funakoshi Karate are enthusiastic and have worked extremely hard and consistently to earn their well deserved awards.
Well done, girls!
Jonathan Hubble - Karate Instructor
Swimming Update
On Wednesday 5 December our Year 5 and 6 girls swam against Year 6 and 7 girlsfrom Putney Park School. All the participants had lots of fun and we won the event 77 points to 43. The swimmer of the night was Amelia Mackie (Year 5). Well done to all the girls who took part.
Our next swimming gala will be against Radnor House School on Wednesday 30 January. Good luck to all the girls who will be swimming in Coventry on Saturday 19 January.
The Summer Reading Challenge
Congratulations to all the girls who received their Summer Reading Challenge Certificate, for successfully reading six books in a library in the Richmond Borough over the summer holidays.
Well done, girls!
Landmark Arts Centre Festival of Song
On Thursday 8 November, the Prep Choir and St Catherine's Singers joined choirs from other schools in the borough to take part in the Landmark Arts Centre's Festival of Song.
As the Prep Choir assembled in the Small Hall for a warm up on Thursday 8 November the excitement and anticipation of their imminent performance was tangible. The girls glided up and down their warm up excercise more smoothly than ever before and gave a
show-stopping rendition of "Dem Dry Bones" to an audience of two -that was before we had even stepped outside the school.
The weather was kind and the girls enjoyed a lovely, brisk walk to the Landmark Arts Centre accompanied by three members of staff, six parents and a grandparent, whose assistance was greatly appreciated. When we arrived, further excitement was generated by the sign of the giant spider sculpture above the entrance and the massive proportions of the inside of the building.
The Prep Choir was one of four choirs taking part. The St Catherine's singers impressed everyone with their beauty of tone. Two other choirs from Feltonfleet School and Westbury House sang a wide range of songs with great gusto. When it came to the turn of the Prep Choir to perform, the girls were so eager that they sprang up onto the stage with the speed and lightness of gazelles. They started with a rousing performance of a lively spiritual called, "Dem Dry Bones" and followed this with a beautiful two part arrangement of the Beatles' song, "Yesterday". The girls then sang a topical song entitled, "Save our Planet" with great conviction and energy. The choir ended their performance with a beautiful African lullaby called, "Abiyoyo", which they sang with a very gentle and gorgeous tone and which helped to calm the audience. The afternoon ended with "Mango Walk", a joyful song which was performed by all four choirs and accompanied by some of our very able Year 6 xylophone players. A wonderful time was had by all.
Mrs H Thresh - Music Teacher
GREEN TEAM RUBBISH PICK UP
On Friday 23 November, Year 5 went around the school collecting rubbish. The aim of the activity was to clear up the school and find out how much rubbish was around the school. We went around in groups of two or three and had two bags between each group, one for general waste and one for recycling. Amelia and I went searching for rubbish in the school grounds. At one point we found a long chain of car keys in the bushes which we returned to the School office. I hope they found out who the keys belonged to! The most recyclable things which everyone collected were paper, cardboard and plastic (about 75%). Lots of people found sweet wrappers around the school. It was fun doing this activity and altogether as a class we collected 10 bags of rubbish! It was surprising how much there was in the school. This means that more people have to pay attention to where they drop their rubbish. Most of the rubbish was put into paper and plastic recycling bins around the school so it will be recycled and made into new things; the cycle goes on and on.
Amelia Mackie, Shania Malhan, Sanah Tucker (Year 5)
ISA SWIMMING GALA
Congratulations to the entire Swimming Squad which was placed 2nd overall in the ISA Swimming Gala held on Thursday 22 November. The Prep Department was awarded 1st place in their section and the Senior Department came 2nd in their section. In total, the Swimming Squad earned St Catherines's School a grand total of 35 medals which is a School record! Well done to all the girls and a big thank you to all the parents and supporters who attended the event.
Mrs S Ward - P E and Swimming Teacher
My Daughter Newsletter - October 2012
Download (PDF Format)
St. Issey October Half Term
Another successful trip. What can I say; we had 37 girls with us this year, the largest number in the 12 years I have been taking our pupils to the idyllic spot that is known as The Manor House, St. Issey. Samantha and Emily both received long service teddy bears as they have been to Cornwall for the past 5 years! Surfing, Cycling, Walking, Kayaking-just an example of the activities we took part in this year as always, along with wonderful weather.
Many thanks to Mr Melling for giving up his time to accompany us.
We are already looking forward to next year.
Mrs Saddler
Trip Organiser
New Parent Social Evening – 25th September
A big thank you to all the parents who came to our social evening.
It was a great opportunity to put names to faces for both staff and parents.
It is a daunting time for the girls and their parents when they start a new school and this event is to help put everyone at ease and help them make some new friends along the way.
I look forward to seeing you all again soon.
Mrs Angelita Faulkner FAPA
PA to Sr Paula & Admissions Secretary
YEAR 6 VISITS THE BOATSHED, TEDDINGTON
On Friday, 14th September Year 6 went to The Boatshed for a morning of kayaking and raft building. It was really good fun! First of all we did kayaking...and three people capsized by 'mistake'(!) So those three were soaking wet - and a bit cold! At the end of the kayaking we made a kayak raft and played a game - sharks and fishes. We had to stand up in the kayak, say our names and then tell everyone something that we liked.
We all worked together in two teams to build a great raft - just out of logs, rope and plastic barrels. Once the rafts were launched in the Thames we had some races and played different games. We had to stand up and sing nursery rhymes, which was tricky with 'The Grand Old Duke of York' and 'Heads, shoulders, knees and jump'.
At the end some of the girls jumped in...and were somewhat wet and cold. We had a great time - every Friday morning should be like this!
“The reason why Scouting remains the largest youth movement in the world is that it’s got great core values: it’s faith, it’s about friendship, it’s about fun – it’s all part of what we wanted when we grew up.” Bear Grylls.
The first members of 1st Strawberry Hill (ST. Catherine’s) Cub Scouts made their promise this week. They promised to do their best, to do their duty to God and the Queen and to be prepared. The core of twelve girls from Years 3, 4 and 5 have been having lots of fun taking part in activities: learning tracking skills, map reading and shelter building. We gained our athletes and first night away badge last year. This term we are focussing on the community challenge and discovering all about what to do in an emergency, how to call the Police and some basic first aid. We will be enjoying our second residential experience this weekend with a sleepover at a local scout hut. On Saturday we will be taking on other Cubs in Richmond-upon –Thames District when we become Secret Agents for the day and try to solve “operation catflap” Many thanks to the Parents for their support as we got the Pack up and running! There are always opportunities for new members; girls can join in the term of their eight birthday and similarly for older girls to undertake service for their Duke of Edinburgh award.
Junior Citizen
On 11th September year 6 went to Bushy Park for Junior Citizen. The purpose of the course was so that we would know what to do if we saw an accident happen or were involved in one. There were ten scenarios based around different emergencies.
We went on a bus and found out how to swipe our Oyster cards – and what happens if we didn’t.
Three of our class received criminal records! We were scored at the different events as well to check that we would know what to do in the future when we’re out and about. The day was amazing and we would have liked to stay longer.
Elizabeth Garbett, Athena Kent-Egan, Lara Wright – Year 6
PHOTOS for SALE
Queens Jubilee Celebrations at St Catherines - Supporting FOSC
A collection of 172 professional photos were taken of the Queens Jubille Celebrations and are available to purchase in aid of FOSC.
Click here to open the Photo Gallery
They come in two sizes 7' x 5' , which are £3.00, and 8' x 10 which are £5.00. These can be ordered via Debbie Lebosquet at:
Telephone: 07958 653062
Email: piggysimmons@googlemail.com
When submitting your order please give your daughter's name and class, photograph number and quantity required.
Payment should be made payable to FOSC.
Summer Play 2012
Click here to open the Photo Gallery
EARLY YEARS’ VISIT TO BOCKETTS FARM
On Tuesday 26 June, Nursery and Reception went to
Bocketts Farm. We had a wonderful day with lots of new experiences. We fed the sheep, lambs and cows and we were all enthralled with the honey coloured kid who delighted in being petted and stroked.
The girls enjoyed the pig racing but were disappointed when their pig, Lester Piggot did not win. Thanks to a ‘milk the goat’ demonstration, we now all have skills we didn’t have before! It was a truly super day with lots of sunshine, smiles and tired little girls.
Mrs B Williams - Early Years Coordinator
The St Catherine's School Gifted and Talented Programme Presentations
There was standing room only for the G & T Presentations on Tuesday evening as more than a hundred parents, teachers, pupils, friends and invited guests packed into the Drama Studio in order to be told about the challenging and exciting events on "The London 2012 Project" this year.
The evening began with everyone mingling, drink in hand, as they enjoyed the beautiful piano playing by the talented quartet of musicians, as well as admiring the Olympic themed artwork and installations which had been put up in the Studio especially for the evening.
The stylish DVD, which the 6 teams had worked extremely hard upon to put together as a lasting memento of their achievements on "The Project", sold like proverbial hot cakes as everyone waited patiently for the presentation proper to begin. There was a tangible spark of excitement and anticipation in the air when, at 7 o'clock, the audience was finally invited to take their seats.
The presentations from both the Prep Gold Team and the 5 Senior School Teams were extremely well received, with the girls demonstrating why it was they had been selected to join the Programme in the first place with assured, well delivered performances, conveying not only the essence of challenge they had faced but also the way in which they had risen to it, both individually and as part of their team. The audience was captivated in turn by each team's DVD clip - which each in its own way demonstrated just how far the girls in that particular team had come since being given the original idea for "The Project" back in December last year.
The evening was a very fitting culmination to a year of immense hard work and dedication by all the girls on the Programme and was a clear demonstration that taking up the challenge to learn more independently is both within their capability and is very rewarding. The girls were genuinely proud of what they had achieved and were appreciative of the positive impact the experience had had on their learning generally.
There are still some copies of the DVD available (please see Ms Goldburn before the end of term) - which ought be a "must-watch" item for those pupils in both the Prep Department and in the Senior School who aspire to be on the Gifted and Talented Programme next year.
Mrs J Bailey
Director, Gifted and Talented Programme for Challenge and Excellence in Learning
Must have keepsake and memento of your daughter’s journey as part of the Gifted and Talented programme at St Catherine’s School for the London 2012 Project.
If you would like to purchase a CD, please send in £10.00 either cash or cheque made payable to St Catherine’s School for the attention of Ms Chantal Goldburn.
Year 5 Activity Morning
On Saturday 23 June we opened our doors to prospective pupils to have a taster session here at St Catherine’s.
The girls were divided into groups and participated in many activities including baking cookies, trampolining, science experiments and art to name but a few. All the girls had a great time and enjoyed the opportunity of looking around the School.
Open Afternoon
A very successful Open Afternoon was held on Saturday 23rd June with over forty families touring the school to see both the Prep and Senior School.
This was followed by an address by Sister Paula. The Head Girl and the two Deputy Head Girls also spoke about life at St Catherine’s.
SUMMER CONCERT
What do you get when you work with St Catherine’s pupils who love singing, playing instruments and sharing their talents with an audience? The Summer Concert, which was an evening of enjoyable music and a glow of satisfaction for a great number of jobs well done!
Soloists came forward to sing and play clarinets and string instruments. Ensembles collaborated, playing jazz to classical pieces. The choirs sang beautifully, everything from songs of praise to well-harmonised and powerfully presented songs with a message of nostalgia for times past. It was a fitting send-off for the summer, and an appreciative audience of parents, staff and governors reflected the energy in their applause and generous compliments.
The musicians of St Catherine’s put on an excellent show, and are already talking about next year for which many engagements are planned, both in and out of school, including performances in Westminster Cathedral, Trafalgar Square and the Landmark Centre. ‘Stay tuned!’
Mrs Casper
Director of Music
YEAR 1 AND YEAR 2 VISIT THE MUSEUM OF CHILDHOOD IN BETHNAL GREEN
Last term Year 1 and Year 2 visited the Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green. The museum was a wonderful experience where we saw lots of unusual toys from the past. In the afternoon, all of the children got the opportunity to visit Spitalfields city farm where they learnt about growing plants and how to feed and look after lots of different animals including guin ea pigs, sheep, goats, geese, ducks and donkeys.
They girls all had a lovely day and are already looking forward to their next trip!
Ms L Power
Year 1 Teacher
RULE BRITANNIA!
Our Jubilee party on Friday 1 June was a fitting way to begin celebrating a momentous event in British history. The field was transformed with flags, bunting and decorated tables which gave it a very special feel.
The girls said it was the best afternoon in school by far! They loved having lunch together as a whole school and enjoyed the festive atmosphere the whole afternoon.
A very big thank you to FOSC for creating such a special and immensely enjoyable afternoon.
Ann Marie Stewart
Head of Prep
Air Resistance and Parachutes
In one particular lesson, we studied air resistance by making parachutes. We worked in pairs to design and make our own parachutes.
Some groups looked at the effect of different materials on air resistance, some looked at the shape of the parachute and some looked at the size.
After we had made them we took them outside to test. Different groups researched the effects of different factors on air resistance.
In the end we discovered that the bigger the area of the parachute, the greater the air resistance and the longer it stayed in the air.
Frances Hedley
Pupil (Year 6)
On Friday 1 June we started our day of celebration early in Breakfast Club. The girls and staff enjoyed a
traditional English breakfast amid flags and bunting.
Chantal Goldburn
Breakfast Club Coordinator
BREAKFAST CLUB
The new price for Breakfast Club as of Thursday 6th September will be £1.80 per head.
SIENA SOCIETY
On Thursday, 10th May, the Siena Society was treated to a dazzling lecture on the Nature of Colour by Dr Andrew Hanson from the National Physical Laboratory in nearby Teddington.
He introduced his talk by explaining how our eyes interpret colour and that images are created by the way our eyes respond to lights within a spectrum. Our eyes can only perceive a limited spectrum of colours. At one extreme, ultraviolet light would destroy the biology of our eyes and so we are prevented naturally from seeing it. At the other (infra-red) end of the spectrum, the light is simply not powerful enough to excite our eyes into action!
In addressing the question: what are complimentary colours? Andrew illustrated the answer very cleverly. He got us to stare at a union jack made up of Cyan, Yellow and Black. After we had stared at the image for about 30 seconds, the image was removed but to our amazement an image remained etched on our retinas. But the image was in red, blue and white!! It seems that there are 3 ‘additive’ colours: Red, Green and Blue which essentially add light to create a whole range of other colours. (TVs use these 3 colours). The true complimentary, ‘subtractive’ colours which take light away, are Cyan (-Red), Magenta (-Green) and Yellow (-Blue) which are used by artists and ink-jet printers. What was particularly interesting about this was that it would of course be prohibitively expensive for a printer to achieve a pure black from these 3 colours which is why our printers have a 4th colour-‘off’-black.
Andrew Hanson spoke with huge enthusiasm about many other fascinating facts about colour and I would highly recommend a look at a short video of Dr Hanson lecturing on the Craziness of Colour at http://tedxtalks.ted.com/video/TEDxTeddington-Andrew-Hanson-Co
Vive La France!
What a fantastic week Year 6 had in France!
The journey on the ferry across the Channel was smooth and uneventful and we arrived at the Chateau tired but looking forward to our stay.
There were so many enjoyable activities but the visit to the goat farm was loved by us all. The girls had the
opportunity to hold the kids and stroke the goats. Ella and Emilia even had a go at milking!
Thanks to Sister Joseph Clare the weather was good which made our trip to the market, where we honed our bargaining skills in French, and Mont St. Michel all the more enjoyable.
Fencing and bread making kept us busy on our last day and by then the improvement in the girls’ language skills was apparent as all instructions were in French.
On our final evening there, the girls took part in a talent show. Needless to say they excelled themselves singing a beautiful song in French, Ma Normandie - not a dry eye in the house!
I am so proud of the girls as every member of the Chateau staff made a point of saying what a great group they were – polite and willing to give everything a go. The week just passed too quickly!
Mrs Ann Marie Stewart
Head of Prep
Year 5’s trip to the PGL Centre Little Canada
The girls thought it was an amazing experience, the best trip ever! They liked the bunk beds and spacious cabins. The activities were brilliant – the giant swing was probably the most popular, although the Xirtam, Abseiling and Cat Walk were great fun!
Everyone conquered some fears, did things they’d never done before and had an exciting time! (Year 5)
Miss Hodgson and Mrs Ward enjoyed themselves too!
St Catherine’s School Celebrates Completion of Building Programme
The five-year multi-million pound programme to develop and renovate St Catherine’s School, Cross Deep, Twickenham concluded on Monday, 30th April, with a poignant blessing ceremony of the Lawn Building by Bishop John Sherrington, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Westminster.
Last year St Catherine’s opened a new Sixth Form centre, along with a new library, fitness suite and drama studio. On Monday Bishop Sherrington blessed the redesigned ‘Lawn Building’ which now houses a light and airy kitchen and dining room that provides fresh, healthy lunches cooked on the premises for all the girls and staff. On the first floor are new classrooms equipped with the latest IT technology.
As the Auxiliary Bishop in Westminster with special responsibility for education, Bishop Sherrington, said: “I was delighted to celebrate a Mass of thanksgiving and opening the Lawn building, in St Catherine’s school, Twickenham. The new classrooms for Religious Education and the new dining room are a wonderful edition to the school; I thank Sister Paula and her staff for their warm hospitality and the girls, especially the choir, for an inspiring Mass in honour of St Catherine’s.”
“This was an auspicious day for St. Catherine’s. We are delighted with our amazing new facilities and it was a joy to celebrate it as a school community together with so many people who have helped to make it all possible. It was a privilege to have Bishop John Sherrington here, together with priests from the surrounding parishes. The blessing and Mass were a perfect way to mark such a momentous day for the school.” Sister Paula Thomas, Headmistress.
After Mass pupils were given a small treat and, at lunchtime, cakes with an image Catherine of Siena were served.
Len Smiths / Online School Uniform Service
Len Smiths - Supplier of School Uniform - Online Service
For those parents of children entering the school for the first time and wishing to buy a full school uniform you are advised to visit Len Smiths' shop in Twickenham, where girls can try on different sizes for the best fit, - unless you are confident about the sizes of items required.
Price Lists
Early Years
Prep Years
Senior Years
Shop Contact Details
Len Smiths
1-15 Heath Road
Twickenham
Middlesex
TW1 4DB
Sales 020 8892 2201 [ Option 1 ]
