Etz Chaim Jewish Primary School

This week, we have thoroughly enjoyed our three model Sedarim. It has been a joy to see the children preparing to celebrate Pesach with their friends and family members, embracing the traditions with such enthusiasm. We hope you enjoyed seeing the 14 parts of the Seder displayed in our classroom windows as you made your way to the playground, well done to all the class teachers for supporting the children in creating such fantastic depictions. Also, a huge well done to Ms Rose, Mrs Braham and Miss Zairi for organising and leading such fantastic Sedarim - your efforts made the experience truly special for everyone involved.

 

We are delighted to share that we have once again achieved the Healthy Schools London Bronze Award (Renewal). This accomplishment reflects the continued dedication and hard work of our staff in meeting the required criteria. The Quality Assurance Group praised the application as high quality and comprehensive, noting that it clearly demonstrates how each criterion is fulfilled. They highlighted that health and wellbeing are strongly embedded not only within the curriculum but across the wider school environment, with emotional health and wellbeing standing out as a particular strength.

 

Just a reminder to all our families about our upcoming Etz Chaim Family Fun Run on the morning of Sunday 17th May. This promises to be a fantastic community event, bringing everyone together for a fun, active morning while raising vital funds to support our school. Children can take part in a 1.2km, 3km or 5km route (all can be walked or run), with an optional 100m race for those feeling competitive!

Sponsorship can be collected using the forms sent home, in cash returned to the school office, or via the following web page https://etz-chaim-fun-run.square.site/ 

Don’t forget to select your t-shirt size via your class WhatsApp poll by the end of today. We’re especially excited to see the children’s creative t-shirt designs and to celebrate the classes and individuals who go above and beyond with their fundraising. We hope to see as many families there as possible for what will be a joyful celebration of our school community!

 

Congratulations to the following children for demonstrating Educational Excellence in class this week and being chosen by their teachers to join me at my tea party today:

Toby R, Effie R, Gefen R-D, Tsvi A, Zac B, Dylan C and Ariella A-S.

 

Wishing you all a wonderful and restful Pesach break, I look forward to seeing everyone back in school on 13^th April.

 

Shabbat shalom,

 

Mrs Martin

20 March 2026

 

Another busy and rewarding week has flown by here at school, and it has been a pleasure to see our pupils continuing to approach their learning with such enthusiasm and determination. From the classroom to the playground, there have been many moments to celebrate, with children showing resilience, kindness and a real sense of pride in their achievements. 

 

This week, we have had a truly wonderful Book Week, with excitement and enthusiasm for reading evident across the whole school. Our theme centred around a whole-school search for Frank the Full Stop and his friends, inspired by The Full Stop That Got Away by Laura Baker, which we used to launch the week and remind children of the importance of punctuation in a fun and engaging way. We were incredibly fortunate to take part in virtual sessions with the author, Laura Baker, who shared her story, spoke about life as a author and introduced us to some of the key characters—our sincere thanks to the PTA for making this possible. Throughout the week, the children have also enjoyed a range of activities including staff story time, paired class reading and a lovely family story time this morning to round everything off. It has been a real highlight to hear pupils across the school talking so enthusiastically about punctuation! 

 

I had a wonderful time on Monday after school watching our fantastic group of dancers perform on stage at the Arts Depot for the Barnet Dance Festival. It was a real joy to see the children performing with such confidence, energy and skill. Congratulations to all the girls for their amazing performance, and a special well done to Mrs Gishen for her brilliant choreography and dedication in preparing the dancers for this exciting event.

 

Years 1 and 2 were lucky enough to take part in a workshop on Tuesday called Muffin, Don’t Get Squished!, which promoted essential road safety skills for our youngest pupils. The session helped children learn important ways to stay safe when travelling on and around the roads as pedestrians. Through the live presentation, the workshop aimed to encourage long-term positive behaviour, helping the children understand how to stay safe around roads.

 

A huge congratulations to our Year 5/6 girls netball team on their fantastic performance today, securing an impressive 11–1 victory over Goodwyns. The team showed outstanding teamwork, determination and skill throughout the match, supporting one another and maintaining great focus from start to finish. It was a well-deserved win and we are incredibly proud of their effort and sportsmanship—well done to all involved!

 

Looking ahead to next week, we are very much looking forward to our three model Sedarim, which are always a highlight of the school year. These special occasions provide a meaningful opportunity for our children to deepen their understanding of the traditions of Pesach, bringing their learning to life through shared experience. We look forward to welcoming families into school to take part in these celebrations and to seeing the children engage so thoughtfully and enthusiastically in this important part of our celebrations.

 

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

Kai K, Cici M, Teddy K, Lyla V, Max B, Imri H and Oliver O. 

 

Shabbat shalom,

 

Mrs Martin

 

13 March 2026

 

It was lovely to begin the week with beautiful, spring-like weather. The sunshine lifted everyone’s spirits and the children were excited to spend time outdoors, making the most of our fantastic outdoor space. They enjoyed playing, exploring and learning outside, taking full advantage of the fresh air and the bright start to the week.

 

On Monday, Years 5 and 6 were lucky enough to attend an Active Travel and Road Safety play in our school hall, performed by the Riot Act theatre company. The engaging performance helped the children think about how to travel safely and responsibly in their local area. Next week, Years 1 and 2 will also have the opportunity to watch a different play from the same company, which focuses on promoting essential road safety awareness and equipping them with the fundamental skills they need to stay safe when travelling on and around roads as pedestrians.

 

On Thursday, the whole school was lucky enough to take part in a matzah baking activity to help us start looking forward to the festival of Pesach. The children worked hard together to mix the dough and make sure it was prepared and cooked within the correct time. It was wonderful to see so many budding chefs proudly wearing their chef hats and walking around the school. The activity was a fun and meaningful way to bring our learning about Pesach to life. 

 

Congratulations to the following children for being invited by their teacher to my tea party today:

Harper P, Louie C, Rachel S, Caio F, Eitan A, Mila O and Gideon K.

 

Shabbat shalom,

 

Mrs Martin

Following on from Purim, we were lucky enough to extend the festivities with our two Grandparents and Other VIP Teas on Wednesday and Thursday. It was wonderful to hear the children singing and entertaining our visitors, and we thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to meet so many important adults in our children’s lives. The atmosphere was warm and joyful, making these special occasions truly memorable for everyone involved. 

 

The UK government has launched the 'Kids Online Safety' campaign to help parents and carers support their children to navigate the digital world safely and confidently. The campaign brings together practical, trusted guidance on how to start meaningful conversations about online life, understand the types of content children may encounter, and build critical thinking skills so young people can question what they see and make safer choices.

 

Congratulations to the following children for showing academic excellence in class this week and being chosen to join me at my tea party: 

Max H, Zach R, Mimi R, Alfie R, Noa M and Eva B.

 

Shabbat Shalom,

 

Mrs Martin

27 February 2026

 

It has been a fantastic first week back after half term, with a real buzz of energy across the whole school. Pupils have settled quickly back into their routines and have shown a positive attitude to learning, working hard in lessons and taking pride in everything they do. It has been wonderful to see such focus, enthusiasm and commitment from everyone, setting a great tone for the weeks ahead.

 

The children have been working incredibly hard this week across the school. Reception have immersed themselves in learning about celebrations, with a particular focus on Chinese New Year. Year 1 have been busy creating story maps for The Three Little Pigs, helping them to sequence events and retell the story confidently. Year 2 have written engaging newspaper reports inspired by The Snail and the Whale. Year 3 are thoroughly enjoying exploring their new English text and are already showing great enthusiasm in their learning. Year 4 have been developing their maths skills by learning how and when to use millimetres, centimetres, metres and kilometres. Year 5 have used their imaginations to step into the role of explorers in Ancient Egypt, producing some fantastic work. Year 6 have been learning about how floods happen, developing their understanding of natural processes and the world around them.

 

A group of our talented Year 6 mathematicians proudly represented the school this week as they took part in the National Quiz Club semi-finals. They worked exceptionally well as a team, supporting one another and applying their problem-solving skills to tackle some extremely challenging questions. Their focus, resilience and teamwork were impressive throughout the competition, they did extremely well, doing both themselves and the school proud.

 

We are really excited to be celebrating Purim in school next Tuesday. Throughout this week, the joyful sounds of Purim songs have been playing across the school, building a wonderful sense of anticipation and excitement among the children. We are also very much looking forward to welcoming grandparents and other family VIPs to our special afternoon teas on Wednesday and Thursday next week, which promise to be a lovely opportunity to celebrate together as a wider school community.

 

Congratulations to the following children for demonstrating Educational Excellence in class this week and being invited by their teacher to join Mrs Osborne for her tea party:

Ben W, Bobby B, Aaron H, Myla M, Bella E, Maya M and Lola M. 

 

Wishing you all Shabbat Shalom and Purim Sameach,

 

Mrs Martin