Educational Visits

On 11th November the head boys and girls along with the school council represented St Helen's at the Cenotaph in Central Park. All the Catholic schools and other local schools also attended, along with the Mayor, the MP for East Ham, Stephen Timms, the councillor for education, Julianne Marriott and the British Legion. The schools and dignitaries laid wreaths to remember all those who died in the First and Second World Wars and in conflicts which have happened since. Fr Bob Hamill led the service and we prayed for peace.

Year 5 had an amazing visit to the Jewish museum to help them understand the origins of our Catholic faith. The photographs show how they learnt about the Passover Meal, the Torah, Hanukah and artefacts important in the Jewish faith.

On Wednesday 30th October year 2 visited the Royal Festival Hall to see the London Philharomic Orchestra perform ‘Zog’. They enjoyed listening to to story through music.

Day 1: We arrived safely in Rome and headed to our first Basilica; St. Paul’s Outside the Walls. We discovered more about the story of St. Paul and were amazed by how spectacular the Basilica looked. Being at the Basilica was very special because we were able to pray at the tomb of St. Paul, an extraordinary start to our pilgrimage.

To experience the effects of WWII and the continuing influence of war on the world, Year 6 visited the Imperial War museum. The children explored the First World War galleries to gain an understanding of why the Second World War happened. They discovered shelters, recruitment posters and found out more about the Blitz. They also linked their learning during cookery lessons to food rationing during the Second World War and discussed how food was imported into Britain. ​

Year 6 used a range of art techniques to create Aboriginal Song Line maps at West Ham Park. Firstly, they went on a walk around the gardens to collect natural resources to help them with their final art piece. On the walk, the children found out how some plants are used for medicinal purposes and the history of the Mulberry tree. Finally, they created a song line map of the park using charcoal, chalk, clay and leaves to show what they had discovered on their walk.

Year 6 have been comparing cityscapes and landscapes in art this half term. They will be using work from artists Herbert Mason and Paul Nash to create their own pieces using oil pastels and charcoal. At the National Gallery, the children looked at landscape paintings on different scales and discussed how the artist portrayed perspective. Some of the paintings studied and sketched include Claude Monet's Thames Below Westminster and Canaletto's Eton College view from across the Thames.

On the 23rd September, as part of their art unit, Year 5 went on a tour of the Brick Lane area. This allowed the children to see a variety of examples of street art. They learnt about the history of street art in the area and discussed whether or not street art is vandalism.

In September, Year 6 pupils spent four days at their Science and Geography Induction Camp. They completed outdoor science and geography learning at the St John Bosco Camp in Essex. St Helen's pupils attended the camp with St Joachim’s pupils and had lots of fun. They developed their scientific knowledge by learning about animals and habitats in the UK. Meanwhile, they increased their geographical knowledge by developing their mapping skills. Other exciting activities included: canoeing, archery, bingo and evening campfires.

Year 5 went on a Pilgrimage to Walsingham. It was a wonderful day celebrating our Mother Mary. We studied the history of Walsingham and how Mary appeared to a girl called Rechelda. This was compared to the annunciation when Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary. We celebrated mass with our special friend Monsignor John Armitage. We visited the Slipper Chapel. Here we could place our petitions ensuring we prayed for all those in our thoughts. We walked the holy mile, praying the rosary as we walked. We were lucky to keep our shoes on, many pilgrims made this journey bare foot. It was a special day; practicing our faith and living our our values through prayer.