Etz Chaim Jewish Primary School

Reception, Year 5, and Year 6 launched Science Week with an inspiring visit from one of our parents, Dr. Weill—a real-life scientist! The children were highly skilled in operating electronic microscopes, using them to explore a variety of samples and even identify different types of foods. Years 5 and 6 were amazed to see individual cells from onions and tomatoes and they learned how DNA acts as the blueprint that allows cells to build different organisms. This hands-on experience sparked wonderful curiosity, prompting questions such as: Are vegetables and fruits alive? How do you perform good science? How can we investigate living organisms? These are truly advanced questions—on par with those asked by Dr Weill's university biology students — showing that our five and ten year olds are thinking just as deeply as twenty-year-olds!

 

The Etz Chaim Chess Club has had an incredible start to the term, proudly representing our school in not one, but two major inter-school competitions! This week, a select group of our chess stars travelled to the Emirates Football Stadium to compete in the prestigious London Chess Classic Junior Tournament, where schools from across the entire country battled it out. Etz Chaim didn’t just compete—we won the whole event, setting a new record points total! A huge mazal tov to all the players for their outstanding performances. A special celebration goes to Jax R, who earned an individual Gold Medal with a perfect score of 15 points! We are also incredibly proud of our Bronze Medal winners: Sylvie B, Joseph G, Oliver O, Casey K, and Louis B—each delivering brilliant performances for the team. What an extraordinary start to the year for our Chess Club. With more tournaments planned for the Spring and Summer terms, we can’t wait to see what our talented players will achieve next!

 

On Thursday, a mixed group of Year 5 and 6 netballers travelled to compete in the next round of the Barnet Netball League. Despite challenging weather conditions, the team showed fantastic resilience and skill. They narrowly lost the first game in the final minutes but came back with great determination to win the second match. Throughout the afternoon, the children displayed excellent teamwork and supported one another brilliantly, both on court and while waiting as reserves. The hosting school was so impressed with our players’ sporting ability and positive attitude that they have invited us to take part in additional matches in the future. We are incredibly proud of the team’s efforts and achievements.

 

This morning, a team of Year 5 and 6 boys took part in an exciting football match against Goodwyns. From the first whistle, the boys demonstrated excellent teamwork, clear communication, and great determination on the pitch. Their combined efforts paid off, and the match concluded with a well-deserved draw. The accompanying teacher praised our team for their impressive skills, sportsmanship and positive attitude throughout the game. We are incredibly proud of their performance and look forward to arranging another fixture with Goodwyns next term.

 

28 November

 

It has been an exceptionally busy week. We began on Monday with KS2 enjoying a visit from Lord Levy, our School President and a member of the House of Lords. He spoke to the children about Parliament, the two Houses and some of the important initiatives he has been involved in. Today, our local MP, David Pinto-Duschinsky, spoke to Year 1 and Year 2 about his role as a Member of Parliament, helping them gain a better understanding of what an MP does. We are so fortunate to have strong links with these community leaders and we greatly appreciate the time they give to come in and speak with our pupils.

 

Thank you for your generous donations to the Camp Simcha Toy Drive as well as Food Bank Hub’s Breakfast Champions campaign. This week, a group of young people from Kisharon Langdon joined our Year 6 pupils to create the words “Mitzvah Day” using the food collected. Together, they then sorted the items ready for delivery to the Food Bank Hub. Our Year 6 children loved chatting with our visitors as they worked side by side.

On Monday, a group of Year 3 and 4 footballers went to MMK to take part in an exciting football tournament. The children played in multiple matches throughout the afternoon, showing great skill, determination and teamwork in every game. They represented our school brilliantly, demonstrating sportsmanship, enthusiasm and a real passion for the sport. It was wonderful to see them supporting each other, celebrating successes and learning from every challenge on the pitch. The tournament was a brilliant opportunity for the children to develop their football skills while enjoying a fun and competitive experience with their friends.

 

On Tuesday, Year 4 enjoyed an exciting Roman Day. They spent the day immersing themselves in Roman life and culture—making mosaics, exploring Roman artefacts, and even forming their own Roman army. The children dressed as Romans for the occasion and each chose a new Roman name for the day, making the experience truly memorable.

 

On Wednesday, a talented group of Year 3 and 4 footballers represented the school at another Maccabi football tournament. Both teams played extremely well, showing great teamwork, determination and sportsmanship throughout the day. The children demonstrated impressive skills on the pitch and their positive attitude made us incredibly proud. One of our teams even progressed to the quarter-finals, which was a fantastic achievement. It was a wonderful experience for all involved and a great opportunity for the pupils to challenge themselves and enjoy competitive sport. 

 

On Thursday, our Tzedakah Tzevet delivered the collection to the Food Bank Hub. Marcus and his team welcomed them with a talk and a tour before they got to work sorting the items. They were so efficient that they even helped volunteers process a fresh delivery of food! It was a wonderful opportunity for our pupils to learn how rewarding it feels to do a mitzvah and make a real difference.

21 November 2025

 

It’s been a busy and productive week across the school, with every year group diving into exciting learning. Reception have ben discussing Road Safety and making their own road signs and roads for our bike area. In Art, Year 1 have been experimenting with painting dark backgrounds using blue and black, exploring how to create lighter and darker shades. Year 2 have continued reading Bog Baby and have invented their own imaginary creatures, writing clear instructions on how to care for them. Year 3 have been enjoying their maths work, finding number pairs that complement each other to make 100. Year 4 have started their new book, The Ice Palace, and have been describing the mysterious witch who appears in the forest. Year 5 have immersed themselves in Ancient Greece, writing letters home in role as Greek soldiers. Meanwhile, Year 6 have been focusing on division, practising both the bus stop method and long division, and discussing which strategies they prefer.

 

A huge thank you to the PTA for the fantastic fireworks evening they organised for the school, which raised an incredible amount. We are very excited to be installing a new projector in the hall with the funds raised and look forward to putting it to good use for many years to come.

 

As part of Road Safety Week, the children have been learning about how to cross the road safely before heading out to the zebra crossing to put their knowledge into practice. It was lovely to see classes pairing up for this activity and to watch the older pupils supporting our younger children so responsibly. We also loved seeing so many bright and colourful clothing items in school today, helping to share the important message: Be Bright, Be Seen!

 

As part of our Mitzvah Day preparations and our partnership with Kisharon Langdon, Year 6 welcomed a visit from Rachel, who works for the charity, along with Talya, who is supported by Kisharon Langdon. They spoke to the class ahead of next week’s activity, when they will work together to sort the collected breakfast food items before they are delivered to Food Bank Aid. Rachel commented on what an absolute delight our Year 6 students are. The children listened attentively, asked thoughtful and relevant questions and showed genuine sensitivity and respect towards Talya and Abimbola. On the journey home, both visitors spoke warmly about how much they enjoyed spending time with the class. As they walked around the school, other students also noticed that Talya was visually impaired and responded with kindness—opening doors and stepping aside. It was wonderful to receive positive feedback from our visitors around the strong values and middot instilled in our children. We look forward to welcoming our guests again next week.

 

Congratulations to the following children for showing Educational Excellence in class this week and joining me at my tea party. We had a wonderfuly discussion today about which football team should be our school team!

Ido M, Blake K, Harrison F, Sylvie B, Mila and Ezra R.

 

Shabbat Shalom,

 

Mrs Martin

14 November 2025

 

On Sunday, the PTA put on a fantastic fireworks display for the whole community. It was wonderful to see how much everyone thoroughly enjoyed the event, from the dazzling lights to the warm, welcoming atmosphere. A huge thank-you to our PTA for their hard work, dedication, and the countless hours they put into making the evening such a success.

 

Monday was the start of Anti-Bullying week. We began the week by taking part in Odd Socks Day, celebrating everyones differences, showing that everyone is unique and should be accepted and respected as they are. All classes have also had lessons around this years theme "Power for Good" as well as a workshop from Streetwise. The week encouraged everyone to use their power to speak out against bullying, offer support to those affected and promote kindness and respect. 

 

On Tuesday, we marked Remembrance Day with a moving tribute during our school assembly, where we reflected on the significance of the day and those who have served. At 11am, the whole school came together to observe the two-minute silence with great respect and thoughtfulness.

 

On Wednesday afternoon, our new Year 5 and 6 girls’ football team proudly competed in their first Maccabi Tournament of the year. The team delivered an outstanding performance, scoring an incredible 12 goals during the group stages, while our goalkeeper kept a clean sheet until the final group game. Their efforts secured a place in the quarter-finals, where, after a tense 0-0 draw, the match went into extra time. In the final seconds, we conceded a goal, bringing our tournament journey to an end. We are immensely proud of the girls’ teamwork, skill, resilience and sportsmanship, and we thank them for representing our school so impressively! 

 

We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported our Mitzvah Day collections so far. This year, we are collecting breakfast items for Food Bank Aid to help families in need, as well as new toys for Camp Simcha to give to children who are unwell in hospital. We are so grateful for the generosity and kindness shown by our school community in helping to make a difference to others. The collection will continue next week, and we warmly encourage anyone who would still like to contribute to bring in their donations.

 

Shabbat shalom,

 

Mrs Martin

7 November

 

What a joy it has been to have all the children back in school after half term! It’s been an incredibly busy week, but the excitement and energy in the classrooms have been absolutely infectious. Everyone has enjoyed the flow and consistency of a normal week, diving straight back into their learning and activities with enthusiasm. Seeing the children reconnect with their friends and routines has truly been the highlight of the week!

This week, a group of Year 5 and 6 boys took part in a football tournament. Throughout the event, they demonstrated excellent teamwork, communication and determination, working exceptionally well within their teams to play some truly fantastic football. It was wonderful to see not only their skills on the pitch but also the way they encouraged and supported one another, showing great camaraderie and resilience. We were incredibly proud to see how all the boys represented the school with such positive sportsmanship, showing respect to their teammates, opponents and the officials. The tournament was a brilliant opportunity for them to come together, have fun and showcase their talent. Thank you to Mr Moscow and the other parents who attended for their support on the day. 

This week, our school has been supporting Armistice Day in a meaningful way by selling poppies to raise awareness and funds. We also held a special assembly so that the children could understand the significance and importance of this day, reflecting on the sacrifices made by so many. It was wonderful to see the pupils engaging thoughtfully with the history and showing respect as they took part in these activities, helping to bring the meaning of Armistice Day to life in our school community. 

 

We are thrilled to welcome Buddy, our therapy dog, back to school! Alongside David, Buddy will be visiting each Tuesday to spend time with specific children, providing comfort, support and a little extra cheer. The children always enjoy his friendly presence, and it’s wonderful to see the positive impact he has on their wellbeing and confidence.

 

Congratulations to the follownig childen for being chosen to attend my tea party today:

Teddy F, Lana M, Asher I, Shoshannah W, Kamran G and Ezra K.

 

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom and hoping that those who attend enjoy the fireworks,

 

Mrs Martin