Schools news (including two festive productions at Bovingdon Primary Academy)

Micklem Primary School - Extreme reading challenge

The primary school in Warners End has been very busy this term with their extreme reading challenge, launched by deputy head Mr Steven Lloyd.

Encouraging every child (and parent) to enjoy reading and to do it more often is a high priority at Micklem Primary School. Mr Lloyd said: “So long as the children are safe, reading can be done anywhere. I am overwhelmed by the response I have had.”

Micklem School’s website has its own special extreme reading page, where photographs can be seen of students, staff and parents reading in very strange places.

Bovingdon Primary Academy Christmas productions

The nursery and reception classes at performed an outstanding version of ‘A Little Nativity’ to celebrate the festive season. Thanks is sent to all parents for their support and also a huge ‘well done’ to all the children for working so hard. They are all superstars! It really is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...

Key Stage 1 travelled all around the world during their Christmas production. The children wowed audiences with their singing and dancing as they explored Christmas traditions in different parts of the world.

Bovingdon Primary Academy was awash with colour as the Key Stage 2 children put on Any Dream Will Do, a West End style extravaganza of Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s production of ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’. Every child in Key Stage 2 took part and the show was a huge success!

Jupiter Community Free School Topping Out ceremony

Children from Jupiter Community Free School have visited the building site of their new school to inspect progress.

Building contractors Balfour Beatty has been working hard to get the school ready for completion, which is on target to be May 2015.

In the meantime the community school, which opened in September this year, is in temporary accommodation within Astley Cooper School.

Those in attendance at the topping out included Mike Penning MP, University of Hertfordshire secretary and registrar Sue Grant, Kevin Bate from Balfour Beatty and Jupiter Community Free School principal Sue Attard.

To celebrate the progress of the building, the children laid bricks with help from their guests.

Mr Penning said: “I am delighted to attend the topping out and to see the new school building progressing so quickly for the local children. This is a great project and it is fantastic to see the children have a chance to lay a brick - it is something they will remember for the rest of their lives.”

The school welcomes enquiries for applications for reception places in 2015. The school is part of the Hertfordshire County Council admissions process. Telephone 01442 217188.

Longdean School - A Christmas Carol

Year 7 students from the Hemel Hempstead school enjoyed a festive treat when the Tiny Giants theatre group performed the old yuletide favourite, A Christmas Carol.

Longdean’s English department arranged for the touring theatre group to perform the Dickens’ masterpiece to support Year 7 students with their studies of Victorian gothic literature.

This enabled students to gain a greater understanding whilst ensuring they were able to enjoy the enriching experience that the dramatic arts bring to many lives.

The event was a huge success and enjoyed by all.

St Cuthbert Mayne School, Christmas concert

The play at the Hemel Hemsptead school was entitled ‘The Apprentice’ and told the story of Joseph, from his early days as an apprentice carpenter. Although Lord Sugar did not feature, there were plenty of hirings and firings before Joseph found himself in Bethlehem, celebrating the Nativity.

Children in Years 3 and 4 performed the play, raising over £300 for the School Council’s nominated charity, Age UK.

Astley Cooper School Christmas fayre

The Hemel Hempstead school raised money for the Pepper Foundation at its annual Christmas fayre. Students gathered to buy hand made products from other students including the school’s Dragon Apprentices.

The fayre included a dance arrangement from Years 7 and 8, and singing from older students.

Business and enterprise teacher Mrs van Loen said: “The fayre is a way of getting students to show their entrepreneurial skills as well as making money for such a worthy charity.”

St Thomas More Catholic Primary School and Nursery

Chrismtas started early for the choir of the Berkhamsted school who have been bringing cheer across the town.

The children joined parishioners of Sacred Heart Church for a Carols by Candlelight Service in aid of The Hospice of St Francis. The 20 strong choir, with members aged between seven and 11, sang a selection of songs including Let It Snow and Let It Go from the popular Disney film, Frozen.

Headteacher Isabel Cerasale said: “It was wonderful to be part of such a moving evening for such a worthy cause.”

The choir’s festive season started with the opening of the school’s Christmas Bazaar and went on to include singing for the Candlelight Club at their Christmas lunch.

As part of the Christmas Bazaar the whole school was involved, selling products that had been made during their Enterprise Week.Throughout the week prior to the bazaar, children from nursery to Year 6 were busy little elves, creating their own mini empires, designing, making and costing products to later sell at the event.

Deputy head Fionnuala Smith said: “The children had an amazing time running their stalls and it was a great opportunity to develop skills for later life.”

Greenway Primary and Nursery School Bake Off

A group of Year 5 girls from the Berkhamsted school organised a home baking competition to raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. The girls organised everything themselves and eventually received 40 entries from children aged five to 17. The final total raised was over £55.