Dear Parents and Carers, 

It was wonderful to welcome so many of you to our Parents' Evenings this week. Thank you for taking the time to meet with your child's teacher and hear about how they have settled into the new school year. Strong partnerships between home and school are vital to a child's success, and we greatly value these opportunities to celebrate achievements, discuss progress and work together to support every child to flourish. 

It has been another busy and enriching week across the school, with opportunities for children to learn, serve and grow in a wide variety of ways. 

This week, 24 of our Year 5 and 6 children began their roles as our new Wellbeing Ambassadors. They took part in specialist training with Eikon, enjoying a range of engaging activities while learning about the Five Ways to Wellbeing and developing the skills, confidence and understanding needed to promote positive wellbeing across our school community. We are incredibly proud of their willingness to step forward as caring and responsible role models for their peers. Their enthusiasm, compassion and commitment to helping others were evident throughout the training, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact they will have as they share their ideas and help further strengthen wellbeing across the school. 

Year 6 had a fascinating opportunity to meet the High Sheriff of Surrey, Joosje Hamilton. She spoke to the children about her role and the work of the judiciary, helping them to understand the importance of public service and the justice system within our community. The children asked a wonderful range of thoughtful questions, covering everything from the responsibilities of the role to whether she had ever met the King (sadly, not yet!). The visit was part of their preparation for attending the annual Judiciary Service at Holy Trinity Church next week and provided an excellent opportunity to deepen their understanding of civic responsibility and community leadership. 

As part of their Religious Education learning about different beliefs and worldviews, Year 4 enjoyed taking part in a Humanist baby naming ceremony led by local Humanist celebrant Rebecca Newenham. Held outdoors beneath the trees in our arena, the ceremony provided a beautiful opportunity for children to experience how families from different traditions celebrate important milestones in life. Children took on the roles of parents, grandparents and Guiding Lights, making promises to support, care for and encourage the baby throughout its life. 

Rebecca helped the children explore the importance Humanists place on kindness, relationships, community and helping others to live happy and fulfilling lives. The experience also prompted thoughtful discussion about spirituality, belonging and the things that unite us as human beings. 

On Thursday afternoon, our Year 5 and 6 cross-country team travelled to Rydes Hill Common to compete in one of the most challenging races of the season. Both the girls' and boys' teams tackled the demanding course with determination and resilience, competing against many local schools. We had some outstanding individual performances and, most importantly, the children represented HTPD brilliantly through their effort, sportsmanship and encouragement of one another. We are now looking forward to the cross-country relay event at Boxgrove in a couple of weeks' time. 

We are delighted to share a fantastic literacy opportunity taking place on Thursday 8 October. The British Council and the National Literacy Trust are coordinating a Guinness World Records™ title attempt for the most people reading online within a 12-hour period. You can find out more information here: Take 10 Record Attempt We encourage as many families as possible to get involved and celebrate the joy of reading. 

This year's Harvest celebrations will focus on supporting those most in need within our local community. Alongside collecting food donations for the North Guildford Food Bank, we will also be raising money for a local charity selected by our School Council. This year the children have once again chosen to support Real Change Guildford, recognising World Homeless Day and wanting to help people who are working to rebuild their lives away from the streets. Donations can be made via ParentPay or by sending cash into school. We hope that, together, we can make a meaningful difference to those facing hardship within our local area. 

Harvest Assembly Dates 

Infants: Tuesday 13 October at 8:50am 

Juniors: Wednesday 14 October at 8:50am 

We will also be collecting donations of dry goods for the Food Bank. Items that are particularly helpful include: 

• Laundry liquid 

• Spray cleaner 

• Drinking chocolate 

• Spreads (jam, honey, marmalade, Marmite or chocolate spread) 

• Tea 

• Tinned tomatoes 

A gentle reminder that toys should generally remain at home unless a member of staff has specifically requested that they are brought into school. Toys can easily become lost or damaged and can sometimes distract children from their learning and play. Thank you for your support in helping us maintain a calm, focused and enjoyable environment for all children. 

As we move further into the autumn term, it is wonderful to see children settling so confidently into new classes, embracing opportunities and demonstrating such enthusiasm for their learning. Thank you for your continued support in making HTPD such a warm, welcoming and thriving community. 

With best wishes, 

Vicky