News Archive 2009-10
Charities Benefit this Christmas
In the current climate Belmont's Christmas activities have not only been fun for all but have had a serious theme as well. The annual Stamp Collection has taken place raising money for the RNIB and the Chamber Choir performed a variety of Christmas music for the Over 60's at St Paul's Church.
A number of singers took part in CLIC Sargent Young Voices at the Albert Hall and the joint Mill Hill Foundation performance of Manger Tom raised funds for Teens Unite. Both of these are Cancer Charities. Other scheduled events included the Christmas Concert, Year 3's 'Squeak' and Year 4's 'It's a Miracle' presentations and the Annual Lower School and Upper School Carole Services which were held at St Paul's Church and Mill Hill School Chapel.
Tudor Times
Year 5 have been studying Newspaper articles in English lessons this half term. Miss Wilkinson's set 2 were asked to write theirs around Tudor news which formed a cross curricula link with their History topic. Click on the links below to see some examples of their work:
Winter Wonderland
Once again 'Friends of Belmont' rose to the occasion and put on a glorious array of stalls and games at the annual Winter Wonderland event on Saturday 5th. Children and parents alike enjoyed the seasonal festival with activities such as karaoke, a giant scalextric, scrumptious food, and most important of all, Santa Claus made his annual visit as well!
‘Manger Tom’ Makes a Magical Evening
Mill Hill were proud to welcome Terry Jones to the School as guest narrator in a performance of Director of Music, Richard Allain’s Christmas Cantata, ‘Manger Tom’. Choirs from Devonshire House, Lyndhurst House and Belmont schools, together with the Cantiamo Girls’ Choir from Mill Hill performed their own selected pieces, as well as Richard’s ‘Manger Tom’ to a packed Large. It was a magical evening with many wonderful performances – the perfect way to get us into the festive mood. There was a retiring collection in support of Teens United which raised £1,000.
RCS Chemistry Week
Mill Hill welcomed all 80 Year 8 pupils from Belmont into its Chemistry department for a noisy, smoky bangs and flashes demonstration and a chance to make a crystal garden. All visitors received a pen or key ring to mark their visit. "Chemistry Ambassadors" (Mill Hill's A Level pupils) were on hand to help with the activities. Click here for more information about the event on Mill Hill's website.
South African Nyanga Township Rugby Appeal
Following many generous donations from parents in the form of money and rugby boots, we have managed to send R12,500 (£1,000) to Nyanga Township and the Lagunya RFC, as well as between 30 and 40 pairs of boots. The children will receive their boots at a special Christmas Ceremony. The money will be used to upgrade and buy new rugby equipment for this underprivileged club. Nyanga is a poverty-stricken area of Cape Town and is one of the oldest and largest townships after Langa. It is 26 kilometres from the city centre.
25th November Open Morning
A warm welcome awaits prospective pupils and their families at our forthcoming Open Morning on Wednesday 25th November. View Belmont on a normal working morning between 9.30 and 11.00 am. Tours run from 9.30-10.30 and the Head will give a talk at 10.30. No appointment necessary, children welcome, plenty of parking.
Living History at Hatfield
Year 5 had a super, if somewhat chilly, day out at Hatfield House! As part of the Living History programme, the children were greeted by a court minstrel, a court guard and Mary I before being granted an audience with Henry VIII himself, which was a rather nerve-wracking experience! The children were able to demonstrate what they had learnt of the Tudor dynasty so far and gave impressive, well informed answers. This lifelike experience really brought the period to life, widening their knowledge further and making for many more exciting lessons ahead!
Junior Choir Trip to Oliver!
On Wednesday 4th November, members of the Junior Choir enjoyed a trip to see 'Oliver! The Musical' at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. In addition to the West End cast including the winner of BBC's 'I'd Do Anything', Jordie Prenger, they were able to spot Jordi F from Year 4. He is pictured here backstage in his Workhouse clothes by courtesy of the theatre. He is one of the team of children who has been performing 'Food Glorious Food', 'Consider Yourself', 'Who Will Buy?' and other hits. Everyone seemed to enjoy the trip and Mrs Duncan kindly offered the parents 'more' tea on their return to School.
National Poetry Day Competition Winners
Many Belmont pupils took part in the National Poetry Day Competition this week, producing a number of very creative and interesting poems based around the theme 'Heroes and Heroines'. The winner for Lower School was Ellen B from 3KP and from the Upper School was Eliza W from 8JC.
Problem-Solving Presentation
Carrying forward Belmont's commitment to SEAL (Social and Emotional Aspects of Learning) 7JH performed their chapel on problem solving to the rest of Upper School. They introduced many historical characters who had their own problem to face (such as Beethoven, Christopher Columbus and Winston Churchill) and how they got through them. In a lighter tone 4JS performed a highly entertaining chapel entitled 'Beauty is a Beast'. In the play, the children conveyed to the audience that it was more important to be beautiful on the inside than on the outside.
Charity Begins at Belmont
Fund raising for charities got off to a fine start this year when The Friends of Belmont arranged for Belmont pupils' and parents' to support 'The World's Biggest Coffee Morning'. As in previous years they joined together to 'raise a cup' to help improve the lives of people affected by cancer. Then last week the proceeds of this year's Upper and Lower School Harvest Festivals went to support Homeless Action in Barnet. Jeans for Genes Day is always popular amongst the pupils who each pay a sum of money for the privilege of wearing their denim jeans for the day. This year there was a mural competition as well as break-time house activities. Children were encouraged to create a mural using old bits of denim, rivets and tabs, etc. The cost of entry to the competition went towards the total sum raised.
Interactive Panoramas
Come and explore Belmont's grounds: take a stroll around the Quad, the Adventure Playground, the Master's Lawn and the Poon Nature Reserve.
Belmont Putter Competition
The 7th Belmont Putter competition was played on Tuesday at Arkley Golf Club in glorious sunshine. 24 pupils, teachers, parents and grandparents played a 9 hole Texas Scramble and for once the teachers did not have to finish playing in the dark. This year's winners were Graham D, Jamie D, Alan C and Calum C who were definitely 'over the moon' if not a little surprised. As a result we had several mentions the next morning on a famous radio station! Thanks to Mrs Adler for presenting the prizes and to Mr Fleet, Mr Ince and Mrs Mason for their help and support. Due to widespread enthusiasm there may be another golf event in the spring term.
New Pupils Team Bonding
Current Y7 Belmont pupils integrated well with the new Year 7 pupils when they enjoyed their team bonding activities last week. The event started with a few ice-breaking games like 'standing with all the children's feet in the smallest possible circle'! More structured activities included 'Spiders Web' and 'Electric Fence'. The children were then instructed on how to erect their tents for the overnight camping experience. After supper, and when the tents were all put up, the children split into groups for either 'Race Night' or 'Gym Games'. This very successful event always leads to firm friendships being made among the children and sets the tone for the remainder of the year.
16th Belmont Annual Grandparents' Day Celebrations
Belmont Grandparents and Grandchildren were able to enjoy time together as the children welcomed their Grandparents to the 16th Belmont Annual Grandparents' Day Celebrations.
As on previous years, the sun shone as children took their grandparents on a tour of the school and grounds which, this year, included a tour of the new Nature Reserve. There was an opportunity for family photographs to be taken and also the Belmont Enterprise Club organised a sale of mugs for families.
The day continued with a concert in the Chapel where music was performed by groups, choirs and individuals. Despite only having a very short time to rehearse the standard was high. Musical talent was as diverse as the classical 'Evening Star' sung by Mary E, the calypso 'Banana Boat Song' performed on saxophone by Dita J, to musical theatre when Emily G performed 'Greatest Star'. The concert was followed by a traditional school lunch of fish and chips with trifle for dessert.
Fresh Term Starts at Belmont
The new term started with Induction Morning on Wednesday 2nd September as all the excited new pupils met their teachers and colleagues the day before term started. Integration begins right from the beginning at Belmont for all pupils as the first fortnight includes Upper School Rugby and Netball Training Sessions, Prefect Induction, a Year 3 Bonding Afternoon, a Year 7 Team Bonding Overnight Session and whole school Buddy Meetings. An additional new undertaking within PSHE classes will be SEAL – or 'Social & Emotional Aspects of Learning' which will help all children with all aspects of social interaction both in the playground and in the classroom. All this creates a firm foundation from which children can develop new beginnings all round.
Grandparents' Day Celebrations
Belmont Grandparents and Grandchildren will be able to enjoy time together on Wednesday 16th September for the 16th Belmont Annual Grandparents' Day Celebrations. The day will involve a concert in the Chapel, lunch, tours of the school and there will be an opportunity for family photographs to be taken. Details will be posted out at the end of August.
October 10th Open Morning
A warm welcome awaits prospective pupils and their families at our Foundation Open Morning on Saturday October 10th. All three Foundation Schools – Grimsdell (pre-preparatory), Belmont (preparatory) and Mill Hill – will be open: Grimsdell from 10.30-12.30 and Belmont and Mill Hill between 9.30am and 12 noon. No appointments are necessary – please come and meet Senior Academic staff and tour the Schools. Parking will be signposted for each School from The Ridgeway.
End of Term Activities
After all the pressure of exams Belmont children enjoyed the annual extra activities built into the curriculum towards the end of term. Years 3-5 enjoyed a variety of events during Activities week whilst Year 8 were on a Leadership course in Cornwall and Year 7 were in Wales on a Geography field trip. In the meantime Year 6, who had just returned from a French Trip, launched straight into rehearsals for their annual play. The final few days of term saw the Athletics Afternoon, the Friends of Belmont Summer Fun Day, the Year 7 House Drama Evening, the Year 5 play 'Fleeced', the Upper School Summer concert and finally Parents' Day where Darren Gough wowed everyone present with stories about dancing and cricket! Yet another full and all-encompassing term end in the Belmont Diary, designed to support pupils smoothly through their passage from childhood to adulthood.
Y7 Field Trip to Pembrokeshire
83 children headed off to Wales. They stopped at Chepstow Castle on the way for some 'seiging practice' and then continued on to what seemed like the end of the world… The Victorian Fort, at which everyone was staying, lowered its draw-bridge and welcomed the guests with open arms – fortunately, the only fights were for who got top bunk! On Tuesday there was a walk along the National Parks Coastal Path and children performed tasks along the way. On returning to the Centre everyone got an opportunity to go crabbing and ride in a speed-boat. On Wednesday work started in earnest when, at Newgale Sands, one of the projects was to measuring pebbles and storm ridges. This was followed by drinking lots of hot chocolate to fend off the cold. On Thursday there was a journey along a Welsh River from source to mouth, with the opportunity to test the height of everyone's wellies as they waded through the water whilst working on further projects. On the last night there was a BBQ on the beach. The annual 'Stone Skimming Competition went well as did the '20 20 Cricket Final' and the 'Volleyball Tournaments'. All in all the parents had a very quiet weekend when they took their exhausted children home on Friday.
Y8 Leadership Week in Cornwall
Despite the early start, there was plenty of enthusiasm to be found at Belmont on Monday the 8th June. The Year 8’s revisited Newquay, Cornwall to embark on a week of watersports and team activities; excitement was high. Throughout the week the pupils were in groups of 20, 15, 10 and were involved in activities ranging from abseiling to archery and from surfing to sailing. They had to do problem solving, work as a team and above all, listen, a skill that sometimes needs practising! The boys and girls, however, were all excellent and participated with the kind of attitude expected from Belmont pupils.
Musical World Premiere
Year 6 were lucky enough to take part in the world premiere of the first musical ever to be written about the achievements of Sir Joseph Bazalgette and his engineering triumph that is the London sewage system! The play was set in 1858 during the time when the River Thames became very polluted and a terrible smell was given off as a consequence. As one of the guests to the final performance on Tuesday we welcomed Peter Bazalgette, the great, great grandson of Sir Joseph Bazalgette. Everyone enjoyed the performance.
DT Challenge
On Friday 5th June, Belmont was host to the Inter-Schools Design & Technology Challenge. The theme of the event was 'time' and Year Five pupils from local schools had to battle their wits in order to get Marty (the main character from the movie Back To The Future) back to 2009 safely from 1955. They had to design and make a timing device using only the equipment provided. All of the teams were commended for their dedicated teamwork and amazing ideas. Well done to Frith Manor School for coming 1st in both the practical challenge and the quiz, and also to Belmont for coming in close 2nd place. Congratulations also to all the other schools involved.
17th June Open Morning
A warm welcome awaits prospective pupils and their families at our Open Morning on Wednesday 17th June, 9.30 -11.00am. View Belmont on a normal school day – no need to book, just come along. Children welcome.
A typical week at Belmont in May
Despite the usual round of seasonal exams and successes on the sports fields, many new families enjoyed viewing the school and grounds on a sunny Open Morning which was followed by the official opening of the new 'Poon Nature Reserve'. In addition to the normal academic curriculum - May has seen children taking part in a variety of activities. Among these they supported the national 'Walk to School Week', the Lower School had their Summer Concert, a number of musicians were taken to see a performance of 'Joseph' and 65 children raised money when they took part in a sponsored charity swim for the Daisy Garland Charity for children with epilepsy. Additionally, as part of their history curriculum, Year 5 enjoyed a Victorian Experience at Hitchin, Year 6 visited Whipsnade Zoo and 3KW performed a play at morning assembly based around Ancient Greece. The Upper School didn't miss out as their maths classes came to life on 'Mega Maths Day'. Children did various whacky puzzles that tested their abilities to work out the mathematical solutions using everyday formulae. All in all a busy and fruitful week for every single Belmont boy and girl.
- Charities Benefit this Christmas
- Tudor Times
- Winter Wonderland
- ‘Manger Tom’ Makes a Magical Evening
- RCS Chemistry Week
- South African Nyanga Township Rugby Appeal
- 25th November Open Morning
- Living History at Hatfield
- Junior Choir Trip to Oliver!
- National Poetry Day Competition Winners
- Problem-Solving Presentation
- Charity Begins at Belmont
- Interactive Panoramas
- Belmont Putter Competition
- New Pupils Team Bonding
- 16th Belmont Annual Grandparents' Day Celebrations
- Fresh Term Starts at Belmont
- Grandparents' Day Celebrations
- October 10th Open Morning
- End of Term Activities
- Y7 Field Trip to Pembrokeshire
- Musical World Premiere
- DT Challenge
- 17th June Open Morning
- A typical week at Belmont in May