Welcome back! We hope you had a restful half term and a chance to re-charge after the long but fruitful first half of the Autumn term. 

This week’s zest for learning was really apparent around the school. Year 4 learnt everything there is to know about the Roman Army. John Eagle, a Roman expert and consultant on the original Gladiator film, brought his real Roman weapons and armour to HT. The children loved being dressed in authentic gear and playing battle games. John also drilled Year 4 with genuine Latin phrases and terrified us all with stories of Roman Army discipline. We are so lucky to have these experts come to visit us and bring history to life! A group of Year 5 and 6 girls were also fortunate enough to visit the ‘Extraordinary Women of the Bible’ exhibition, which is currently on display in St Mary’s Church. The girls had a wonderful trip looking at artworks by Bulgarian artist Silvia Dimitrova, listening to music and reading poetry. If you are interested in reading more about the exhibition or visiting yourself, please see the link: https://www.htsmguildford.org/extraordinary-women-of-the-bible 

We are continuing our assembly series introducing HTPD heroes, whom each demonstrate a particular characteristic, alongside Bible heroes from the Old Testament; learning that God has always used people to build his kingdom on Earth. We have certainly drawn inspiration from these heroes, discussing determination, uniqueness, care, love and being true to ourselves. This week, we have drawn our inspiration from Mother Teresa, it was fascinating to find out that we have our own links to this remarkable lady within the school community! Our assembly series is inspiring us all to make a difference in the world and “To imagine the journey in another’s footsteps; nurturing understanding, respecting all.”  

It’s been great to see so many parents and carers at the HT parents’ evenings this week – thank you for taking the time to find out about your child’s learning journey so far this year. I hope you found the conversation helpful; our teachers always find it so good to share ideas with you for supporting your child’s learning together. If you missed out on booking an appointment, do get in touch with your child’s teacher. Next week it’ll be the turn of our infant families and we’re looking forward to showing you around Pewley, if you have not seen it since the RAAC remedial works.  

The usual reminder... please ensure you are parking both safely and respectfully around the school at drop-off and pick-up and never on the double yellow lines or zig-zags. I know I sound like a broken record; however, in addition to safety, we must remember that the school is situated on a public bus route. One afternoon this week, the bus could not get past a parked parent’s car, which subsequently held up the traffic for at least 5 minutes, as well as the bus schedule. Unfortunately, I also watched a very patient local resident wait for a considerable amount of time to get out of their own drive as it was blocked by parents parking across it. We appreciate it is very busy on the roads, but we ask that you respect our local neighbours and the Highway Code. Please could you also relay this message to grandparents and anyone else who regularly does drop off and picks up, many thanks. 

And finally, some happy news – Jo White has had a little baby girl, Florence. Both are doing well. We are sending our love and best wishes to the White family at this special time. 

It is a very busy half term, please keep a close eye on the school calendar to ensure you and your child do not miss out on any of the fun! 

Have a wonderful weekend. 

Vicky 

Thought of the Week: “Let your soul shine.” Mother Teresa – Do you do the right thing? 

“Do not forget to do good to others. And share with them what you have. These are the sacrifices that please God.” Hebrews 13:16 

Whole School

Scenery (Juniors) 

With Christmas just around the corner, we’re excited to begin preparations for this year’s Christmas play—A Christmas Carol! The performance will be held at Holy Trinity Church, and we could really use your help in bringing the production to life. 

We’re looking for volunteers to assist with creating and decorating the scenery. If you have experience with building or crafting backdrops, or if you have artistic skills and would be interested in painting the backdrop, we would love to hear from you. 

Please get in touch with Danni if you’d like to lend a hand. Your support would be greatly appreciated! 

DT Evening (Juniors) – Thursday 21 November 

We are excited to invite you to a Design and Technology (DT) Fundraising Challenge at Holy Trinity School on Thursday 21 November, from 6:00 to 7:30pm. This event is a wonderful opportunity to have fun with your family and friends, and celebrate our DT curriculum. Together you will take on the task of designing and making a product based on a specific brief to meet the school’s current needs (details to follow)! 

Ticket costs will be confirmed shortly, and will cover the cost of a delicious pizza and materials. You will be able to purchase them through ParentPay. Please note, we have space for a maximum of 15 teams, with each team consisting of up to 8 members, including both children and adults. Your child will receive your purchased tickets in class, along with the design brief and more information about the evening. 

We will provide cutting and sticking tools, but you will need to raid your recycled materials to use for building your product. 

We look forward to seeing you there! 

Guildford Resilience Pipeline Project at Pewley Down

Our company, Galliford Try, is working on behalf of Thames Water to deliver the Guildford Resilience Pipeline Project. We have started the construction phase across Pewley Downs and we have fenced off areas where the work is being undertaken. We are currently wanting to keep everyone safe and ask for anyone going there to be cautious and not to enter the working area. If you do have any queries or concerns please contact our customer liaison specific to this project by calling Nicola Daniels on 07935 421764 or emailing nicola.daniels@gallifordtry.co.uk.