Headteacher Blog
24/01/25
We announced our new library monitors during Tuesday morning’s assembly. It was wonderful to hear from the teachers how many children put themselves forward for election this term. I also noticed the many thoughtful posters in each class about what makes a good library monitor. It must have been a very difficult choice for the children and teachers when deciding who to vote for!
On Wednesday a group of Year 5 and 6 girls represented Etz Chaim at the Maccabi Football Tournament. The girls performed brilliant on the day and managed to win 2 matches, draw 1 and loose 1. They scored 6 tremendous goals during the matched and only didn't qualify for the quarter finals due to goal difference. Congratulations to the following girls for competing so well Katie A, Tali B, Shulamit B, Ava G, Sophia G, Sylvie K, Ruby L and Madeline W. As always, a huge thank you to Mr King for training the girls each week and for managing them on the day.
The PaJeS website has a Parents section which include recordings of all of their talks and webinars. They are a great resource for parents on different topics including Smartphones, ADHD, Food and Understanding Girls-managing anxiety, friendships and striving for perfection. All sessions can be found here:
https://pajes.org.uk/wellbeing/for-parents/parent-resources/.
The most recent PaJeS Wellbeing webinar for parents focused on EBSA (Emotionally Based School Avoidance). They had over 200 parent register and know many have watched the recording since. Parents felt it was very reassuring and informative and said “I felt less alone, that my child was not the only one struggling and that there is help and support out there.” And “I learnt a huge amount - really found it exceptionally useful.”
Barnet are offering free Dr Bike sessions to all. The Dr Bike sessions are run by qualified bicycle mechanics and are there for members of the public to take along their bicycles to have a free, full safety check, which includes the condition of tyres, rims, gears, brake function and tyre pressure, any necessary adjustments can be made if required. the whole process is free and available for both adult and child bicycles to have the free safety check and adjustments.
|
Location Name
|
Location Description
|
Date
|
Time
|
|
Middlesex University
|
Pavement on The Burroughs, outside Middlesex University adjacent to Hendon Fire Station, 91 The Burroughs, NW4 4BL
|
12/02/25
|
4pm to 7pm
|
|
High Barnet, Stapylton Rd car park
|
Area immediately to the right of carpark entrance (EN5 4LR)
|
19/2/25
|
4pm to 7pm
|
|
Finchley, Lodge Lane car park
|
Yellow chevrons immediately to the right of the entrance to the Car Park (opposite NL Auction Rooms N12 8JH)
|
12/03/25
|
4pm to 7pm
|
|
Temple Fortune
|
By Bike racks outside entrance to M&S Food Hall at 820 Finchley Road, NW11 6XL
|
19/3/25
|
4pm to 7pm
|
Congratulation to Ayla I, Mola S, Brooke R, Lulu B, Emily W, Izac A and Samson L who came to my tea party this week for showing Academic Excellence in class. I thoroughly enjoyed discussing all the off line games they like to play at home, Uno was the clear winner!
Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom,
Mrs Martin
17 January 2025
It has seemed like a very short week for me this week as I spent Monday and Tuesday at the PaJeS Headteacher conference with around 35 primary, secondary and special school Heads from all around the country. The conference was an enlightening and inspiring experience, with some fantastic and thought provoking speakers. It also providing me with valuable time to talk with other Headteachers as well as time to reflect on the many wonderful things we do in our school and the incredible community we have here. It reminded me just how fortunate we are to have such a dedicated and passionate team of staff and, of course, the amazing children who make our school such a special place.
On Monday we were delighted to welcome David Pinto-Duschinsky the MP for Hendon who spoke to all of the children about his role in Parliament and the local issues that matter to the children. The children spoke to him about their concerns about potholes, littering and the environment.
On Tuesday evening our virtual PTA AGM was held. During the meeting, the current PTA team officially stepped down from their posts, and three new parents were voted in as Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer. Mrs Vittori will become the new Chair of the PTA, Mr Mamka the new Secretary and Mrs Kaiser the Treasurer. They will officially begin these roles after February half term to allow time for a formal handover. I want to thank them in advance for their commitment and dedication to supporting our school community.
I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the outgoing PTA team. Thank you to Mrs Alexander, Mr Miller, Mrs Bladon and Mrs Jacobson. The time, effort, and passion they have all poured into the PTA have greatly enriched our school community, and we are truly grateful.
On Wednesday two teams of Year 3 and 4 footballers took part in the Maccabi Football Tournament. Both teams played extremely well and worked exceptionally hard as a team. Our green team, Asher C, Itay D, Joseph G, Jordan H, Oliver K, Jonah M, Sam S and Hannah Z, played some fantastic matches against some strong teams and held there own in the tournament. I am delighted to announce that our blue team also played some fantastic football, resulting in them winning the whole competition - a huge congratulations to our champion footballers - Sylvie B, Rocco B, Dylan C, Harry F, Dylan M, Robi N and Jax R.
Congratulations to the following children for working hard this week in class and demonstrating educational excellence:
Ariel S, Blake K, Eliana B, Immy F, Raffie G, Gracie C and Sylvie K.
Towards the end of this morning Years 1 to 6 took part in one of their regular Circle Meetings. The focus of todays session was to think about playground games and learn to play some games which they would enjoy taking part in during morning and lunch breaks. We hope that the children will then enjoy playing them together during their free time.
Shabbat shalom,
Mrs Martin
10 January 2025
Happy New Year! I hope this message finds you well and that you had a restful and enjoyable holiday and Chanukah. As we begin this new school term, we are excited to welcome your children back to school and look forward to a term full of learning, growth and success.
This week our new lass Ambassadors were announced in assembly. Each Class from Reception to Year 6 has a Class Ambassador. The role of the Class Ambassador is a very important one. They represent children’s views across the school and provide valuable and insightful feedback to the Senior Leadership Team. I would like to thank our Class Ambassadors from 2024 for their fantastic job over the year, I really enjoyed our meetings. Congratulations to our new Class Ambassadors for 2025. I am really looking forward to to our first meeting and to welcoming them on board.
The Guardian has published a news story on the introduction of new measures on Roblox aiming to improve protection for children on the online gaming platform. Updates include greater parental controls allowing parents to monitor their children’s activity on the platform; adjustments to built-in limits around how children under 13-years-old can communicate with others; and changes to content warning labels. Please read this article for further information: https://www.theguardian.com/games/2024/nov/18/what-is-roblox-everything-you-need-to-know-about-online-game-platform
On Wednesday we were delighted to receive delivery of a new Buddy Bench for our playground which we won in a competition run by M&S and YoungMinds as part of World Mental Health Day back in October. We were lucky enough to receive one of only one hundred benches which were up for grabs. The bench provides children with a place to rest during break times as well as an easy way to signal to others that they would like someone to play with or they would like to play with someone different.
Daily reading at home is vital for a child’s development. It strengthens their literacy skills, expands their vocabulary, and fosters a lifelong love of learning. Regular reading helps improve comprehension, critical thinking, and focus, while also providing a wonderful opportunity for parents and children to bond over stories and ideas. Just 10-15 minutes a day can make a significant difference to a child’s academic success and confidence.
This week it has been lovely to see all the children engaging across the school with the Hebrew reading activities in JS and Ivrit lessons. Seeing them earn JALEPH! points for excellent reading has been a joy.
Congratulations to the following children for impressing their teachers and showing educational excellence in class this week:
Ezra R, Abe R, Annie B, Ariella B-P, Oliver K, Lola M and Mason M.
Shabbat shalom and stay warm,
Mrs Martin
