Peace begins with a smile.
Mother Teresa
‘COOL THE SCHOOL’ AUCTION!!
The online auction for our ‘Cool the School’ campaign is NOW LIVE! Bidding has started on a great many fantastic items and experiences, and every penny raised will go towards supporting the school with installing air conditioning in the (very hot) upstairs classrooms. Go to https://www.32auctions.com/HTSSAuction2025 or use this QR code:
Let’s get bidding and make this our best auction yet—thank you for your support!
And that’s not all! Remember, the live auction event takes place on Thursday next week (22nd May) and features yet more spectacular prizes! Go to https://cooltheschoolhtss.my.canva.site/ for more details. We need as many people to attend as possible; it will be a very entertaining and lively event! Tickets are available via ParentPay. Please do attend if you possibly can. Also, any help setting up would be greatly appreciated. Please contact your class PiP reps to find out more about how you could help on the day, even if you’re not able to stay for the evening event.
Keep an eye out for further messages over next week.
When the Adults Change – Behaviour Book Club for Parents
Weds 22nd May 8-9pm
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArc-GrrTsvHNfIM0Q1zo_cbjmEnQX7WGnF#/registration
Thurs 26th June 8-9pm
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwrdO6spz8qE9E-117tVV20HlsawbLTSiy-#/registration
Thurs 17th July 8-9am
https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMkcu6trjguH9KECsvu4bReON8afztlOme0#/registration
When the Parents Change Book – Buy Here
Moving on to secondary school
This is a very useful resource for parents of children in Year 4 and Year 5. Click here to see the upcoming secondary school events.
Annual school picture day is taking place on Wednesday 21st May: class photos, portraits and sibling photos. Children need to wear their full uniform on this day, including black footwear and their school cardigan/jumper. If your child has got PE on this day, they may bring their PE kit in their bag.
Attendance and Punctuality
Our attendance is strong this week at 97%. Let’s keep it this high!
The attendance bears this week go to Reception with 98.2% and Year 6 with 99%.
The early birds went to Reception and Year 5.
Christian Vision
At the heart of Holy Trinity & S. Silas School are high expectations and depth in faith that inspire our children to grow, flourish and work together to achieve their full potential. It is our intention for all children to develop their fullest sense of self, both individually and collectively.
Strong in our faith in God, let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, by encouraging one another.
Hebrews 10: 23-25
This week we have been reflecting on the next part of the Lord’s Prayer: ‘Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.’ We thought about trespasses, or sins, being the ways in which we go too far and make mistakes with our behaviour. We also learnt that if we ourselves want to be forgiven, we should forgive others too.
In particular, we reflected on Jesus’ Parable of the Prodigal Son. A son asked his father to give him his inheritance early, then promptly wasted it all on selfish and frivolous things. Desperate, starving and ashamed, he returned to his father, not expecting forgiveness but just hoping to be employed as a worker on the family farm. However, as the son approached home, his father ran to him, kissed him and hugged him. Rather than being angry, his father was simply overjoyed that his son had returned.
The order of events here is very important. The father didn’t wait until the son had said sorry before he welcomed him back. He didn’t wag his finger or shout at his son first for wasting his money, and then hug him after he had apologised. It was enough for him that his son had come back. That was all the father needed – for his son to return home and accept his father’s complete, generous, loving forgiveness.
With this parable, Jesus teaches us what God’s forgiveness is like. God doesn’t hold back his forgiveness, until we feel terribly guilty about our mistakes and beg for his love. God runs to meet us and gives us his loving forgiveness freely and completely. That’s one way of understanding why God the Father sent his Son to die on the cross for our sins – that was God running out to meet us and freely offering his forgiveness. God didn’t wait until humankind was sorry before sending his Son; as St. Paul writes in his letter to the Romans, ‘While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.’ All we have to do is come to him and accept this gift, the way the son in the parable came back home to his father.
Be caring and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:31-32
Support for Parents
As part of our work with the PINs project (Partnership in Neurodiversity in Schools), we are excited to share an excellent resource for parents of neuro divergent children. Click on the link below to access a wealth of information, created by parents for parents:
Supporting your neuro diverse child
Free Counselling Service for Parents
Place2Be is a children’s mental health charity with many years of experience working with UK schools to improve children’s wellbeing and behaviour. The charity also supports parents and families and has a wealth of practical tips and advice on many areas of parenting, all of which can be accessed online, including: dealing with changes and endings; building resilience; separation anxiety; de-escalation techniques; positive body image; friendship issues; perfectionism; sleep; gaming habits; and many more. Click on the link here to access and explore the support
We highly recommend the free counselling service for parents through Camden. You can find out more and register your interest via this leaflet.
New Emotional Wellbeing Website for Young People and Families
A new NHS website, packed with emotional wellbeing and mental health information and resources, has been launched to help young people and families, as well as professionals working with them, to navigate support options.
NCL Waiting Room was produced with the help and input of young people, families and professionals. It aims to be a ‘one-stop shop’ for information on specialist mental health services, community groups, emotional wellbeing and self-care resources.
It allows young people and their parents or carers to search for, filter and share resources based on their needs and preferences.
NCL Waiting Room will continue to grow and develop, so watch this space for more details. You can visit the website here and try out the Support Hub resource navigation feature here.
If you have any feedback on the website, you can do this on the relevant pages of the site, or email rtown@tavi-port.nhs.uk
Camden Music Service
From Y1 onwards, you can sign your child up to learn an instrument in school. For more information and to download the Camden Music Service application form, please click here.
Other Community Initiatives
Learn to Cycle this half term: https://www.bikeability.org.uk/
Camden Library
Camden Library Activities
We highly recommend these. Click here for the catalogue.
Term dates for 2024 – 2025
| First day of autumn term 1 | Wednesday 4th September |
| Half term | Monday 28th – Friday 1st November 2025 |
| First day of autumn term 2 | Monday 4th November |
| Last day of autumn term 2 | Friday 20th December |
| INSET DAY | Monday 6th January 2025 |
| First day of spring term 1 | Tuesday 7th January |
| Half term | Monday 17th – Friday 21st February |
| First day of spring term 2 | Monday 24th February |
| Last day of spring term 2 | Friday 4th April |
| First day of summer term 1 | Tuesday 22nd April |
| Half term | Monday 26th May – Friday 30th May 2025 |
| First day of summer term 2 | Monday 2nd June |
| Last day of summer term 2 | Friday 18th July |