Headteacher Blog Archive Spring 2 2025

4 April 2025

This week has been truly special as we hosted two out of our three Model Sedarim, bringing the spirit of Pesach to life in a meaningful and joyous way. It was heart-warming to see so many families come together, sharing in the anticipation of the upcoming festival while immersing themselves in the Seder experience. One of the most memorable moments was watching the children—and even some enthusiastic parents—bring the 10 Plagues to life through lively re-enactments. The excitement and laughter that filled the room will be a cherished memory for a long time to come!

Across the week the children have been working hard, as usual, on a variety of other lessons and activities to further develop their learning. In Reception the children have been writing sentences about themselves when they were a baby using baby photos to help them. Year 1 have been writing their own versions of the Three Billy Goats Gruff. Year 2 have written some historically accurate accounts of the event of the Fire of London in 1666. Year 3 have enjoyed looking at the difference between mass, capacity and volume. Year 4 have continued reading The Tinder Box and have been imagining they are some of the characters from the book. Year 5 have enjoyed learning how to use a protractor to measure angles. Year 6 enjoyed building the River Thames and the Amazon River in the sandpit, the made sure they had different features along the river bank and that they were different widths.

London City Strikers, a dedicated girls’ youth football club in North London, is currently offering talented and enthusiastic young footballers the opportunity to attend trials for their teams, with a view to joining the club. They would love to extend this invitation to girls in our school who are passionate about football and eager to develop their skills in a competitive yet supportive environment. London City Strikers, pride themselves on providing UEFA-standard professional coaches, fostering teamwork, and helping players reach their full potential, both on and off the pitch. Trials are open to girls from Year 3 onwards, and they welcome players of all abilities to showcase their talent.

Trial Details:

Powerleague Barnet:
Mondays: U9 – U11 (5:30pm – 7:00pm)
Thursdays: U8 – U10 (4:00pm – 5:30pm)

Powerleague Finchley:
Mondays: U12 – U14 (5:00pm – 7:00pm)

The Totteridge Academy:
Wednesdays: All age groups (5:00pm – 6:30pm)

Congratulations to the following children for demonstrating Educational Excellence in class this week and for joining me at my tea party:

Zach R, Mason M, Lenny B, Summer J, Seb R, Casey K and Ollie B.

Wishing you all a Shabbat Shalom and a Chag Pesach Sameach,

Mrs Martin

28 March 2025

This week the sound of Pesach songs including 'Mah Nishtanah' and 'Frogs Here, Frogs There' have been ringing out along the corridors. It has been wonderful to see the children preparing for Pesach and focussing so hard on creating their own Haggadot. We look forward to see many of you at our Monday Sedarim next week and the week after.

Thank you to everyone who attended our Scholastic Book Fair last week. The event was extremely successful with lots of children buying some fantastic new books to read and enjoy at home. The fair also raises some much needed money for the school and has provided us with funds to purchase some new dictionaries and thesaurus for the children to use in school.

A visit from Perform. We were very pleased to receive a visit from Perform on Thursday 27th March. The children had a wonderful time exploring the theme of Under The Sea and using drama, dance and singing to help develop their confidence, concentration and social skills. Perform run regular weekly classes in the local area and they are offering a special introductory discount to all parents of Etz Chaim Primary School if you come along for a free trial session before Thursday 22nd May. To claim your discount, just call Perform on 020 7255 9120 quoting ETZC220525 or book a Free Trial Session online at perform.org.uk/try.

This week, Mrs. Cohen took a group of children to the Key Stage Two Israeli Dance Festival, and they were absolutely fantastic! Their energy, enthusiasm, and dedication shone through as they performed with confidence and joy. It was wonderful to see them embrace the spirit of Israeli dance, showcasing their hard work and teamwork in such a vibrant and exciting way. The children represented our school beautifully, demonstrating not only their impressive dance skills but also their respect and appreciation for the cultural significance of the event. We are so proud of each and every one of them for their commitment and passion!

Congratulations to the following children for showing academic excellence today and for being invited to the tea party which was with Mrs Osborne today:

Louie C, Amelia M, Kai L, Jax R, Dylan C, Louis B and Ollie S.

Shabbat shalom,

Mrs Martin

21 March 2025

This week, as part of book week, we have been fortunate enough to have our Founding Governors visit the school and talk to classes about how the school was set up and came to life. It was clear to hear from their visits the struggles they had to go through to set up our wonderful school. However, in the words of one of our Founding Governors, "the long meetings and numerous court cases were all worth it. To be able, 15 years to the day, to come back and talk about the journey with a class full of brilliant children really does make it all worthwhile."

I am delighted to share with you a wonderful article about the Festival of Spoken Ivrit which we took part in last half term. It is always lovely to see our pupils and staff in print!

https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/festival-of-spoken-ivrit-inspires-thousands-of-young-jewish-students/

On Wednesday we took a team of Year 5 and 6 girls to the Maccabi Netball Tournament. The girls looked extremely professional in their new kits and played exceptionally well as a team. The team participated in their first-ever tournament, showcasing impressive teamwork and skill throughout the afternoon. In their group stage, they played four games, securing two wins, one draw, and one loss, which earned them a spot in the semi-finals. There, they faced a tough challenge against a strong team from IJDS, who ultimately defeated them. Despite the setback, the girls remained positive and stayed on to cheer for the IJDS team as they went on to win the entire tournament. It was a fantastic learning experience for the team, and they left the event with pride and determination for the future.

Congratulations to the following children for showing Educational Excellence in class this week and attending my tea party:

Mia S, Ella I, Milly S, Hannah G, Celine S and Zevi M.

Shabbat shalom,

Mrs Martin

14 March 2025

It was wonderful to see so many adults and special visitors at our Purim Teas this week. Thank you to everyone the attended, we hope you enjoyed getting to see a little of what goes on in school.. Also, a huge thank you to Mrs Rubin for writing the script and helping the children learn the songs, as well as two of our governors, Ian Aarons and Natalie Alexander for planning and running the teas so well.

Purim Sameach and Shabbat Shalom

7 March 2025

This week in school has been another busy one, with children in all classes engaged in a variety of exciting activities. From hands-on learning experiences to creative projects, the students have been working hard and making great progress. Whether exploring new topics in the classroom, participating in group discussions, or showcasing their talents in different subjects, it’s been wonderful to see their enthusiasm and dedication. With so much happening, the school has been buzzing with energy!

Year 4 have been working incredibly hard this week, rehearsing and preparing for the upcoming Dance Festival on Monday. Their enthusiasm and dedication have been truly inspiring as they perfect their moves and bring energy to their performance. I would like to extend a huge thank you to Mrs Gishen for her incredible commitment and dedication to the class, coming in each day to teach them the dance despite being on maternity leave. Her support has made a huge difference, and we can’t wait to see the children shine on stage!

This month, our focus is on reading, and we are excited to see everyone getting involved! The Reading Challenge has now begun, and classes are eagerly filling in their charts with the books they have read. It’s wonderful to see so many children embracing the joy of reading and sharing their favorite stories. Keep up the great work, and let’s see how many books we can read together this month!

Today, we came together as a school with Mrs Rubin to rehearse for the Purim Tea shows next week. The excitement is building as the children put the finishing touches on their performances, and it’s wonderful to see their enthusiasm and teamwork. We are really looking forward to welcoming our visitors to school next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday to celebrate this special occasion with us and showcase the incredible talent, hard work, and spirit that make our school so special!

Congratulations to the following children for showing Educational Excellence in class this week and joining me at my tea party:

Teddy F, Jedidiah H-C, Caio F, Noa H, Leonardo V, Lola M and Ollie B.

Shabbat shalom and hope you enjoy the sunshine,

Mrs Martin

28 February 2025

The week began with an unexpected mystery when my favorite mug went missing, replaced by a ransom note. Fortunately, the whole school came together to help solve the case using chromatography. At the end of Havdallah on Monday morning, we examined the experiment’s results and discovered that Miss Weiner had written the note—she had simply borrowed my mug over half term!

This fun investigation was a fantastic way to kick off Science Week, which has been filled with exciting visitors and activities. Mr. Heathcote-Curtis spoke to Reception and Year 1 about being a dentist and caring for our teeth. Dr. Vandermolen visited Years 2 and 3, Dr. Weill spoke to Years 4 and 5, and Dr. Kaye met with Years 5 and 6. We are so fortunate to have parents and grandparents share their expertise, helping children see that doctors, dentists, and scientists are real people who are also part of our school community.

On Friday the whole school took part in some fantastic science experiments in mixed age groups. The children got to complete some 'kitchen sink' science experiments using items generally found around the home. Ask your child what they did. Perhaps they made ooblek with cornflour and water or made an egg bounce!

You may be aware that many of the local parks in Barnet have been renovated and the tennis courts are open to the public again. The ‘Tennis In Barnet’ Clubspark pages contain a lot of information about tennis in our local parks including where the courts are located and how to book a session. https://clubspark.lta.org.uk/PlayTennisBarnet

Is your Year 5 or 6 child an expert baker? If so this could be for you! Applications for the 11^th series of Junior Bake Off; a Channel 4 programme that celebrates the culinary talent and ambition of the younger generation in Britain, have recently opened. Budding bakers aged 9-15 years old are invited to apply to be on the series. Filming would take place from July 2025, but applications close on Sunday 23^rd March 2025. Interested bakers can apply online at - www.applyforjuniorbakeoff.co.uk

Congratulation to the following children for showing Academic Excellence and coming to my tea party today:

Scarlett S, Rachel S, Eliana B, Max B, Eden I, Shulamit B and Sonny C.

It was wonderful to see so many children come to school today with a fabulous accessory to make the start of Adar, the month that Purim falls in. I also enjoyed being told some fantastic jokes by the children to add to the joy of the day. We can't wait to celebrate Purim in a few weeks time and look forward to see many special family members at our Purim teas in the run up to the actual day.

Shabbat shalom.

Mrs Martin