Schools/colleges

CHILDREN from a Rickmansworth primary school will help to raise the roof at the Royal Albert Hall for a special gala concert.

Pupils at Rickmansworth Park JMI, in Park Road, Rickmansworth, will join more than 2,500 students from 98 schools across the county to perform alongside Hertfordshire Music Service.

Two concerts will take place on at 1.30pm and 7.15pm on Sunday, March 7, accompanied by the Hertfordshire Schools Symphony Orchestra.

CHILDREN from a Rickmansworth primary school will help to raise the roof at the Royal Albert Hall for a special gala concert.

Pupils at Rickmansworth Park JMI, in Park Road, Rickmansworth, will join more than 2,500 students from 98 schools across the county to perform alongside Hertfordshire Music Service.

Two concerts will take place on at 1.30pm and 7.15pm on Sunday, March 7, accompanied by the Hertfordshire Schools Symphony Orchestra.

A CHILDREN'S centre in Northwood which offers yoga classes for babies was officially opened last Friday (15).

Hillside Children's Centre, in Northwood Way, has been created specifically for families with tots from birth up to age five.

The centre, which is one of 12 to open in Hillingdon within the last two years, is based in a purpose-built bungalow next to the Hillside Infant School site.

CHILDREN have another opportunity to enjoy the snow tomorrow (7) as the following schools have announced they will remain closed for a second day.

Eastbury Farm JMI and Nursery in Northwood

Christ Church C of E School in Rickmansworth

Rickmansworth Park JMI in Rickmansworth

Rickmansworth Secondary in Rickmansworth

Shepherd Primary in Rickmansworth

St Joan of Arc Catholic School in Rickmansworth

St Mary's C of E Primary in Rickmansworth

Yorke Mead Primary School in Rickmansworth

St John's Catholic Primary School in Mill End

Harvey Road Primary in Croxley Green

Little Green Junior School in Croxley Green

Malvern Way Infant and Nursery in Croxley Green

Maple Cross JMI in Maple Cross

SNOW and severe weather conditions has caused the following schools in Northwood, Rickmansworth, Croxley Green and Mill End to close today (6).

Eastbury Farm JMI and Nursery in Northwood

Frithwood Primary School in Northwood

Holy Trinity C of E Primary School in Northwood

Arnett Hills JMI Primary in Rickmansworth

Christ Church C of E School in Rickmansworth

Rickmansworth Park JMI in Rickmansworth

St Joan of Arc Catholic School in Rickmansworth

Shepherd Primary in Rickmansworth

St Mary's C of E Primary in Rickmansworth

Yorke Mead Primary School in Rickmansworth

St John's Catholic Primary School in Mill End

Harvey Road Primary in Croxley Green

Little Green Junior School in Croxley Green

Malvern Way Infant and Nursery in Croxley Green

A PRIMARY school in Rickmansworth has announced it will close tomorrow (6) as a result of severe weather forecasted over the next 48 hours.

St Mary's Church of England Primary School, in Stockers Farm Road, has asked parents to keep their children at home due to a lack of heating caused by a gas leak.

A statement on the school's website said: "We regret to say we shall be closed on Wednesday, January 6 because of a lack of heating due to a gas leak.

"This should be repaired on Wednesday."

Classes are expected to resume on Thursday (7) and parents are advised to bring their children to school unless they hear otherwise.

KINDHEARTED students at St Martin's School in Northwood decorated more than 350 shoe boxes before filling them up with toys and sweets, to send to needy children in Eastern Europe.

Pupils at the school, in Moor Park Road, were taking part in the Love in a Box appeal in aid of Christian charity, the Mustard Seed Relief Mission.

They sent the gifts to schools, churches, refugee camps, orphanages and hospitals in Romania, Moldova and the Ukraine.

CHILDREN designed artwork for a new bag for life scheme, as part of a competition to encourage the local community to go plastic-bag-free.

The new Three Rivers bags for life, which are made of jute, are available across the district.

One of the winners was Lydia, a pupil of Harvey Road Primary School in Croxley Green, whose original and interesting designs caught the judges' attention and highlighted the importance of reducing plastic bag consumption.

GREEN-FINGERED pupils at Harlyn School in Northwood took part in a pumpkin growing competition, with the winner weighing a staggering 13.5kg.

The contest saw classes plant three seeds in a pot and choose the healthiest, which was transplanted into the school garden and cared for by the children.

The winning pumpkin, which broke the scales during a tense weighing session, was produced by class RJ, with help from teacher Miss Meadows and teaching assistant Mrs MacDonald.

Runners up classes 3P and 4M grew significantly smaller pumpkins by comparison, weighing 3.8kg and 2.75kg respectively.

They were all rewarded with prizes including sweets and seeds at a special assembly at the school, in Tolcarne Drive, this morning.

Headteacher, Jackie Lack, said: "Our school garden has been established for six years and we hold popular competitions every year, which have included hanging baskets and potato growing.

"The children always enjoy themselves and are very dedicated. Everyone was amazed by the size of the winning pumpkin - it dwarfed the others and some teachers even joked that it had been genetically modified!

"We will begin growing more fruit, vegetables and plants in the spring."

MORE than 1,300 students, staff and parents from Rickmansworth School will run 8km to pay tribute to a former pupil tomorrow (20).

Pupils at the school, in Scots Hill, led by PE teacher Antony Smith, hope to raise £6,000 in memory of Captain Tom Sawyer.

Tom was just 26 when he was killed in January, while fighting a Taliban stronghold in Helmand, Afghanistan.

The race, which is sponsored by Batchworth Park Golf Club, starts at 11am and snakes through Croxley Green and Moor Park, before ending at the school.

There will also be a variety of fun activities including a bungee run, sumo wrestling, bouncy castle and junior golf competition.

The event is the fifth fundraising run for the school, which has previously collected money in aid of breast cancer and prostate cancer.

This year, most of the money raised will go towards Help For Heroes, with some earmarked for a new changing room and trampolining facilities.

Mr Smith said: "It's a fantastic way to get our pupils active and help to raise money for such a worthwhile cause which is especially close to our hearts."