This year, we have decided that the Houses for Sports Day needed a bit of updating to better represent what we stand for as a school and what is possible for any child growing up in Hertfordshire who has big dreams and aspirations for their futures. Instead of the names of elements, Miss Prickett tasked Year 5 with choosing 4 local athletes who would become the new faces of our Howe Dell Sports Day Houses. After some fantastic homework submitted by all of the Year 5 children, and some great petitioning for their chosen athlete, the tally has been counted and the results are in. The new Howe Dell Sports Day Houses are as follows:

Red = Anthony Joshua

Blue = Jodie Williams

Green = Laura Kenny

Yellow = Sir Lewis Hamilton

Live Learning Spring 2020

A somewhat truncated set of Live Learning sessions this term due to the enforced closure as a consequence of COVID-19. Despite that, we had a really good turnout at the lessons for Years 2, 3 and 5 - thank you very much and we hope you enjoyed them (your feedback below certainly seems to suggest that was the case).

Until we can open our doors to share more fantastic learning with you, please take care and staff safe.

Eco Discovery Bus Project, an update!

• Lovely outcome from Leadership Day is attached, to help plan provision.
• Meanwhile Y6 have collated Pupil Forum votes and the wrap will be white on a blue background, including many designs by the children and logos from our PCL and F & F Tesco sponsors.
• The concrete base is funded by PCL, via our new Governor Paula Stenning.
• F&F have provided a generous £4,000 this is likely to fund the wrap, releasing more school funds to maintain the bus in the longer term.
• Parental donations total contributions are £537.07 from individuals and Christmas collections.
• Our PSA have agreed to donate up to £3,000, if required: this will contribute towards resources including at least  2 scopes for wildlife and planet or star gazing and binoculars which will subsidise parental contributions above.
• Dad Dan Clarke has helped review space and design so that seats upstairs are being removed for space and tables for a full class to be available upstairs. 
• Facilities team are meeting with Mrs Massey to consider storage and additional resourcing before the end of term

All systems steaming ahead for this exciting initiative, instigated due to consultancy funds from our Conference involving many staff and additional Senior leadership traded roles beyond Howe Dell.

Live Learning

Our Live Learning sessions proved as popular as ever this Spring with good turn outs and fantastic feedback from each year group.

Thank you all once again for attending and sharing your child's learning - we hope to see as many of you back with us in the Summer Term.

Once again we will be participating in the Mathletics Numeracy Challenge, which this year will run from 19th to 25th November.

Children can score points by competing against each other or by completing curriculum challenges.

For the first time this year, certificates will be awarded in assembly to the child from each class who scores the most points across the week.

Please encourage your child to participate - you never know, it might just be them who earns the certificate.

Mathletics

In case you were wondering what your child may be missing out on by not having access to Mathletics, why not take a look at the video below which will give you a brief introduction.  There's also a separate clip showing the thoughts of the University of Oxford on the benefits for children who use Mathletics.

Bought directly from Mathletics by a parent, a single child subscription would cost £59. Through Howe Dell, you can have both Mathletics and Marvellous Me for your child for a combined fee of only £10.

WALK TO SCHOOL ONCE A WEEK
We have now launched our Walk Once a Week challenge (or WOW).

For more information please see the attached sheet.

SAFER ROUTES TO SCHOOL
To find out about safer routes to school during winter months please see the link below.