All parents are welcome to come for a Friday morning coffee and breakfast in the school hall. There is always a short presentation (20 minutes). These include ways to really help support your child's learning at school, parenting advice and support and information about a wide range of things from safety to spellings and maths to mindfulness and more!

Why come in for a coffee morning?

• meet other parents
• chat to your friends
• have breakfast (for free!)
• celebrate that it is Friday
• learn something new
• feel involved in school life and up to date with what's going on
• have some time just for you and feel great!

Friday mornings are always fun and very informal. Parents can bring their toddlers and babies. There is lots of time to ask questions, share experiences and find out first what is happening in school.

Mums, Dads, Grandparents, Carers, Aunties, Uncles and friends of the family are ALL welcome

What Orion Parents say about Friday Coffee Mornings (survey Oct 2019)

"each week is different and I love it"

"I like the positive energy"

"I have found new friends"

"you get updated with great topics"

"I get to catch up with the other mums"

"I find it very interesting"

"I feel part of a special community"

If you miss coffee morning or can't attend you can find out more here! 

15/03/24 - Neuro-diversity Celebration

08/03/24 - International Women's Day/Mother's Day

BINGO & BREAKFAST

A wonderful Goldstar coffee morning with Orion and Goldbeaters parents TOGETHER, celebrating women and mothers.  A great community spirit and lots of fun playing bingo - big thanks to L'oreal for donating the prizes. 

01/03/24 - Reading

There is much research about the benefits of reading for children and the impact that reading for pleasure has on their academic attainment and social and emotional development. There are some great tips and advice here for parents. Get into good habits when your children are babies!

23/02/24 - Digital Well Being

A really well attended session today full of parents keen to be more informed about the digital well-being of their children and how to stay informed and keep them safe. We had a great discussion about our own screen usage, peer pressure for parents and for children and lots of excellent questions for Mr Remnant and Mrs Shear to try to answer! Use the links here to find out more

WINTER COFFEE MORNINGS - January 2024

The winter can be hard. Word Up starts for the children and well-being coffee mornings are taking place every Friday for parents. Self-care is important. We'll be doing some mindfulness activities, positive affirmations, doodling and other activities to try together and then do at home with your children. Everyone is welcome.

Click below for the science behind doodling.

IDEAS FOR "LIGHTING UP" YOUR KIDS THIS DECEMBER - 24/11/23

Enjoy some of the ideas here on Friday 1st December when school is closed to children for an INSET day. If you would like to do the Snowman Trail see the map attached below. Please send us your photos, they will be posted here - we 'd love to see your children enjoying some of these. Use the email address office@orion.barnetmail.net and mark for attention of Mrs Shear. 

CHILDREN IN NEED COFFEE MORNING: 17/11/23

Are our parents smarter than our 10 year olds? The parents had a go at the Feel Good 5 a Day quiz that all the children did as part of the Feel Good Campaign. Lots of fun and feeling good! Thanks parents and our team of Y5 children for being good sports.

MOVEMBER - Spark your Brain & Move your Body

Parents were exceptional this morning. We got in the Movember spirit with Miss Costin leading some aerobic exercise and some brain puzzles too. Happy hormones released! Exercise club for mums will be available with Miss Costin on Wednesday 15th, 22nd and 29th of November at 3pm

Celebrating our Apple Festival with some crumble making!

13/10/23

We made apple crumble this morning to take home to mark the end of the Apple Festival for the children. Thanks to all those you got involved.

WORLD SMILE DAY - 04/10/23

celebrating the first Friday in Rocktober with the smiliest and most creative parent community there is! 

Macmillan Coffee Morning - 29/09/23

Thanks to all the parents who came to support Macmillan today. We had a challenge morning with much laughter and some competition! Parents modelled great co-operation, respect and togetherness this morning and £86 was donated in cash and more directly to Macmillan! 

THE JOURNEY THROUGH PRIMARY SCHOOL

What to expect - 15/09/23

Many of our parents attended today's coffee morning to find out more about what their child will learn at school. Our children's learning journey through primary school from nursery to Y6 is a very exciting one. In the presentation you can find out a little more and detailed information about what your child will learn this school year will come from their class teacher. 

WELCOME BACK TO FRIDAY COFFEE MORNINGS

08/09/2023

An amazing turnout of parents today for our first Friday back. THANK YOU!

We have shared a record 24 coffee mornings together this school year. To all of the wonderful parents who have come - you are a shining example of love, kindness, respect, positivity and community. Thank you for making Fridays SPARKLE - Mrs Shear 

COFFEE MORNING GO FEST TRIP TO ST AUGUSTINES

Coffee morning parents went on the road today by walking over to St Augustines for an architectural exhibition of Grahame Park at a visit of the church. Goldbeaters parents met us over there. We have such a respectful and wonderful parents community.

GO FEST Fabulous Fashion - 09/06/23

Parents had a taste of the first week of Go Fest 2023 this week. Y2 treated us to a catwalk show of their upcycled bags! Parents then had a go at creating felt flowers and rosettes to upcycle. It really felt like summerland in the hall this morning. Joyful! 

ONLINE SAFETY - 18/05/23

Lots of advice for parents this morning in how to celebrate the technological world we live in but also understand potential risks and how they might minimise them. Really interesting discussions! Thanks to those who attended. See the helpful links below.

RELATIONSHIPS & SEX EDUCATION COFFEE & INFORMATION MORNING - 28/04/23

If you missed this very well attended session the presentation is below

IN HONOUR OF MOTHERS DAY, INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY AND THE START OF SPRING WE WELCOME WONDERFUL MUMS FROM ORION & GOLDBEATERS FOR A SPECIAL BINGO COFFEE MORNING - 24/03/23

FOOD, NUTRITION & YOUR FAMILY - 17/03/23

Food has certainly bought our parent community together over the last few weeks. A packed hall again thanks to Give Help Share - great ideas today for healthy lunchboxes and picnics and thermos flasks to keep food warm. Thanks to all who have attended - you've been wonderful.

FOOD, NUTRITION & YOUR FAMILY - 10/03/23

This weeks focus was a healthy meal on a budget. All parents need ideas and inspiration for healthy meals. Food prices are rising and rising so it’s great to have new tips. This week we had a recipe for a vegan bolognaise. It was full of nutrients, quick and easy to cook! Absolutely delicious! 

FOOD, NUTRITION & YOUR CHILD - 03/03/23

Our children's food tastes continually develop as they grow older. Eating well has become more important for us all to maintain a healthy body and mind.  A 3 part coffee-morning this March started with How to Sugarproof your children's snacks. All parents attending made a Weetabix Cheesecake - very low sugar and a great idea for a dessert or a nutritious breakfast. Be inspired with some new food ideas! Next week - Healthy Meals on a Budget

STRATEGIES TO SUPPORT ANXIETY - 24/02/23

What an amazing turnout this morning for this information session for parents. Sarah Konn gave some really useful advice on how to manage anxious episodes with our children. Remember we will always try to help and support you and your children at school and there are services that you can self refer to such as BICS (Barnet Integrated Clinical Services). The link for this service and today's presentation is below to refer to. There are some breathing and grounding techniques available to try on our mental health children's page.

WORDS WORDS WORDS - 03/02/23

Great turnout today from parents who really want to support their children with their language development. We played lots of word games that parents were going to try out at home. Parents shared good ideas together.

WINTER WELL BEING COFFEE MORNINGS - JAN 2023

We are focusing on adult well-being this January. Come to a coffee morning for some friendly chat, a tasty breakfast and some self care. Parents need to look after themselves in order to look after their children. Have some ME time! We have doodled and made bracelets and enjoyed some mindful time and time together. Self- Care is not Selfish.

MAKING XMAS TABLE DECORATIONS 09/12/22

Great job today parents and a huge thanks for ALL your help - you are the BEST

ME TIME - DREAMCATCHERS 25/11/22

A peaceful and productive morning for parents making dreamcatchers. Lots of chat, laughter and togetherness whilst making these...it seemed like everyone was happy to breathe out for an hour and enjoy some quiet creative time.

READING & LOVING TO READ - 18/11/22

Parents shared some great tips with each other this morning on where to get books for their children, how they support them at home and asked questions about how to help them at home even more. The presentation is shared below. 

MAKING CONNECTIONS IN MATHS - 11/11/22

Miss Chambers presented some information to parents about times tables, when children need to learn the different tables by and how they can really help at home. Parents were fantastic and shared their own own ideas and techniques on what works for them and their child. We will revisit maths again in a couple of weeks time.

INSET DAY 21/11/22

ROCKTOBER COFFEE MORNING: 14/10/22

Huge thanks to todays parents who attended who also helped decorate the hall for next week’s family event - a celebration of Black History. You did an amazing job and made enough for the hall and the theatre! 👏👏👏

FAMILY NITE: BEETLE DRIVE

No Coffee Morning this week but a wonderful turnout for our first Thursday evening family night. Parents and children took part in a Beetle Drive - an old fashioned fast paced dice game promoting participation, turn taking and playing against and getting to know many different families. There was a really positive community spirit in the hall with lots of laughter and quality time for families.

MacMillan Coffee Morning - 30/09/22

Known as the world’s biggest coffee morning and often Orion’s biggest coffee morning! Thanks for the donations to a brilliant cause and your good humour and kindness today. Parents enjoyed hot drinks, cake and took part in a trial Beetle Drive to learn the rules for our first family night next week. A very social and spirited morning!

Peace Day - 23/09/22

A practical coffee morning today. Parents used the Japanese art form of origami to make paper cranes. Cranes are a symbol of peace and we learnt the story of Sadako Sisaka and 1000 Paper Cranes. Parents thought that origami activities would be a great task to do at home with their children. Great skills shown this morning...well done! Follow the link below if you want to make a paper crane!

The Journey Through Primary School - 16/09/22

Another amazing turnout from our parent community this morning to find out more about the experience for their children throughout their primary years. Information was shared on the curriculum, testing, how to support your child's learning throughout the school. Great questions were asked too. See the presentation shared below.

Welcome Back to a New School Year - 09/09/22

What an awesome turnout this morning.  A packed hall of parents for our first Friday morning back together. Such a positive start to see lots of familiar and also new faces. Lots of information given about this year's quest and themes. So many opportunities for children during the school day and also outside of the typical school day. Watch out for parent and family opportunities too.

COFFEE MORNING PROGRAMME 2021/22

Friday 12th November - Healthy Food Promotion/Healthy School Meals Initiative

Friday 19th November - Children in Need (fun coffee morning)

Friday 26th November - INSET DAY - no coffee morning

Friday 3rd December - Personal Social Health Education /RSE - Relationships Education

Friday 25th February - WE ARE BACK! Catch Up and Word Up

Friday 4th March - WORD ART for WELL-BEING - practical session

Friday 11th March - SATs and MORE - Assessments and Tests in School

Friday 18th March - Red Nose Day Challenges

Friday 25th March - Watercolour Masterclass - practical session

Friday 1st April - Parents Spring Quiz

Friday 22nd April: Summer Term and Common Childhood Illnesses

Friday 29th April: Cultural Capital for Children and Free Things to do in London

Friday 6th May: Cooking Session

Friday 13th May: Mental Health Awareness for Parents

Friday 20th May: Smiley Art - a Mindful Time

Friday 27th May: The Royal Breakfast in Honour of The Queen's Jubilee

Friday 10th June: Art & Soul with Esperanza

Friday 17th June: Bees & Snakes - Groovy Green Week

Friday 1st July: Feel the Go Fest Vibe - Whole Lotta Love Week

Friday 8th July: INSET DAY

Friday 15th July: No Coffee Morning

Thursday 21st July: Coffee Morning Party

Thursday 21st July - Final Coffee Morning of the Year

If you missed the last coffee morning of this year click on the presentation below to see the highlights from the 20 coffee mornings we have had together. As always we had a quick team quiz (no prizes!!) and certificates were awarded to all the wonderful parents to make Fridays at Orion so special. See you in September.

Friday 1st July - Feel the GO Fest Vibe and Whole Lotta Love

Parents truly felt the vibe this morning with a flavour of the Pink Fringe. Thanks to Miss Foskett and the wonderful choir who performed beautifully. We reflected on what GO Fest brings to the children and our school community and parents wrote their thanks on Whole Lotta Love Hearts. See some wonderful comments below.

Friday 17th June 2022: GO Fest Groovy Green Week

Parents learnt some information from the presentation to the children this week on "Why Bees Have Smelly Feet?" Lots of laughs and great questions. Miss Goh and her Pet Club Volunteers then came in and introduced the snakes,  presented lots of information and answered questions. The children, Miss Goh and Kellog the snake were all very impressive in their knowledge. Parents got the groovy green vibe this morning.

Friday 10th June 2022:  GO Fest Art & Soul

Coffee Morning Parents felt the vibe this morning with an Art & Soul session led by Esperanza. They created mandalas together on their tables and presented their artwork to each other. Good Vibes Change Lives on Friday mornings too!

Friday 27th May - The Queen's Jubilee Royal Breakfast

A brilliant and very royal turnout this morning to celebrate The Queen's Jubilee. Thanks to those who dressed up to honour Her Majesty.  You looked beautiful.  We have been proud to celebrate this special occasion at The Orion. Long Live the Queen!

Friday 20th May: Smiley Face Art and a Mindful Moment

Mindfulness is when we are thinking about what we are doing right now. Ignoring the past or the future, we just think about the present. The fantastic parents this morning gave themselves some mindful time completing some Smiley Face Art Work inspired by Romero Britto. Everyone chose their own smiley emoji and zentangled or coloured sections around it. Just chatting and thinking about what they were doing right then, not earlier or later. A very special morning. Thanks to all those who attended. Have a look at some of the artwork below.

Friday 13th May : Mental Health Awareness

Saskia Joss who is one of our school therapists presented a fascinating coffee morning today.  We learnt 10 very simple ways that as parents we can increase the amounts of happy chemicals in our children's brains. We learnt about oxytocin and dopamine (happy chemicals!) and how we can boost these levels; by having things to look forward to and be really excited by, by hugging and being close to each other, by getting outside. Click on the presentation below to learn more. Don't forget as parents we need to look after ourselves too!!

Friday 6th May: Cooking

By special request we did some cooking this morning during the coffee morning session. Cost of living is getting higher and higher. We looked at ways of saving money when it comes to food shopping, meal planning and preparing for our families. Mrs Shear did a demo of Green Spaghetti - a cheap, quick, tasty and nutritious meal that parents tried and then we made two-ingredient pizza dough using yoghurt and flour and parents all made a pizza to take home for lunch or tea. Big turnout of parents today who were all wonderful as usual. See below for the recipes and the photos from the morning.

Friday 29th April - Cultural Capital & Free London!

Today we discussed how important it is to expose our children to rich cultural experiences. Schools have a responsibility alongside delivery a rich and relevant curriculum to enable students to function as well-informed individuals and thrive in the modern world but parents can do this in every holiday from school.

We looked together at April's Masterpiece (see below) and also considered that we live just a 30 mins journey from the centre of London which is full of culture and activity.  Please see below lots of things to do in London for just the cost of an adult train or bus fare. Let your children discover and experience London - the architecture and landmarks, the museums, the parks, the views and much more. ENJOY, EXPERIENCE AND MAKE MEMORIES!

Friday 22nd April - Summer Term and Common Childhood Illnesses and how to treat them

Welcome back to the summer term. Thanks to Sarah D, who led the coffee morning today where we looked at things that most children get and experience throughout their school years eg coughs, colds, head bumps, burns, nits, tummy bugs etc and what to do. Parents shared lots of tips too!

Friday 1st April: THE END OF WORD UP QUIZ

Thanks to the parents who came this morning to take part in the end of term and end of Word Up Quiz. It was a tricky one! The name the book cover round is on here if you want to check which ones your children can answer. 

Friday 25th March - Watercolour Masterclass

Huge thanks to Esperanza, the youth leader at St Augustine's Church who taught a full hall of parents about expressionism painting this morning. She was so full of information and made creating a piece of art and painting using watercolours so simple, enjoyable and relaxing for us all. It was a Mother's Day treat. Happy Mother's Day all of our incredible Orion Mums.

Friday 18th March - Red Nose Day

Thanks to all the parents who came to our Red Nose Day Friday Coffee Morning! We absolutely started the day with a lot of laughter and smiling. Tables of parents took part in some team challenges and team spirit and healthy competition was certainly alive in the hall. We think you are brilliant! If you've not come to coffee morning before...come and join in next week.

Friday 11th March - SATS and MORE - testing and assessments in school

A fantastic full up hall this morning to find out about tests and assessments and SATs at primary school. It's been 2 years since children have had to do statutory tests at the end of Y2,  Y6 and the phonics screening in Y1. There is also a new baseline assessment for Reception and multiplication tables check in Y4.  The presentation is below if you'd like to find out any more information. Thanks to all those who attended, gave really good advice to other parents and asked brilliant questions.

Friday 4th March : Word Art for Well-Being

Some quiet time for art and creative work can really boost our well-being. This was proved this morning with very determined and talented parents learning to graffiti art and colour their work in the style of the artist Romero Britto. To celebrate International Women's Day and feel empowered, proud and a bit more relaxed we thought of words that described how we were as women and mums. CARING, KIND, SUNNY, PROUD, BLESSED, SUPPORTIVE, GENEROUS, STRONG, FUN, JOYFUL, LOVING, WISE and SUPER were just a few of them.

Friday 25th February : COFFEE MORNING IS BACK!

We were unable to host coffee mornings last half term due to high levels of Covid infection within the school community but WE ARE BACK ON FRIDAY MORNINGS!

End the week with a feel good Friday coffee, croissant and activity together with other parents in the hall. All parents/grandparents welcome! Today we had a catch up session with what's been happening for children in school and WORD UP! 

Friday 3rd December - Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)

Thanks to the huge number of parents who attended this coffee morning, asked questions and gave opinions and advice to others. The presentation can be found below - hopefully all of parents will feel informed and able to support and educate their children alongside us to ensure they become healthy, resilient and responsible members of society and very importantly are able to keep themselves safe.

Friday 19th November - BINGO for Children in Need (and The Arnolfini Portrait)

Friday 12th November - Healthy School Meals & a little bit more

Brilliant group of parents this morning, lots of lovely new faces. Thanks for giving up your time.

Our nutrition expert was unable to attend last minute so Mrs Shear gave some information on how we promote healthy eating at school and showed the new dinner plates for Y1 and Y2. Lots of questions asked about school meals and choices.  There is a new Healthy Eating Section on the Advice for Parents Page on the Parents Section of our website. Take a look!

Friday 5th November: Being Safe Online Part 2

Huge shout out to Mr Remnant for his advice this morning on keeping your children safe on digital devices, games and social media. Have a look at the slides below. The internet is amazing and we depend on it for many things/everything. As parents we just need to be AWARE of what the risks are and how to make sure our children know them and have boundaries and agreed rules. Great participation from parents today!

15th October - Being Safe Online - Part 1

Todays we looked at our own online behaviour as adults. Our children learn from more from watching us than listening to us.  Are we doing some of the things we are asking our children not to do?

Could we measure our own screen time?

Do we share passwords?

Do we ask permission to take or post a photograph online?

Do we send negative messages or post negative things on social media or in what's app groups?

When and where do we use own phones?

Lots of very interesting discussion took place and we considered some top tips which you can click on below

Friday 8th October - Rocktober & How to rock reading at home

Making great readers takes a real partnership between school and parents. Did you know that if you read or tell a story every day to your child by the time of their 5th birthday you will have read them 1825 books! It was lovely today that parents were giving each other really helpful tips about reading at home. Have a look at the slides below to find out more...

Friday 1st October - World Smile Day

Did you know...? smiling can boost your immune system, babies can smile in the womb, children laugh up to 400 times a day, if you smile whilst talking on the phone you sound much friendlier and there are 19 different types of smile.

Our parent community loved being greeted by a happy squad of children this morning when they came into school.  A very positive start to the day! 

Friday 24th September - Macmillan Coffee Morning

What a lovely morning today - it was very mindful.  We made glitter jars! And raised £130 for Macmillan Cancer Research. If you want to make these at home with your children - here's how to do it! Either follow the Youtube link or have a look at the instructions below.

Friday 17th September - Well-Being Coffee Morning 

Together today we looked at some aspects of adult emotional well-being and how to help our children with managing their emotions and maintaining a healthy mind and body. 

We discussed the importance of relationships, routines and regulation and looked at some techniques to help children learn how to self-regulate (helpful for adults too!) Click below on the presentation if you need any advice or support for your own well-being too.

Friday 10th September - Homework Tips and Enrichment Ideas

Some tips here on how best to support your child with their homework. Parents can do so much at home to expose children to exciting and enriching activities. Get your child up to London, walk along the river, go on a bus ride, look at the buildings, go to a museum or a gallery!

Friday 3rd September - Friday Coffee Morning is BACK. 

It was AMAZING to see so many of you this morning in the hall.  THANK YOU! 

We talked about What's New in school for children and parents and also about how to get back into a good bedtime, morning and eating routines. More next week about homework routines, enrichment activities at school and in the local community.

Friday 2nd July

It felt very Hunky Dory in the hall today for our Coffee Morning. All the parents who took part in the self care challenge shared photos of moments where they thought about themselves - did some exercise, met a friend for a meal, had a quiet cup of tea and their favourite food or just sat down for half an hour to watch some TV (of their own choice!). Orion parents are just INCREDIBLE!

Friday 25th June

Some together time for grown ups this morning. When was the last time you, as a parent did something purely for yourself?  You can not pour from an empty cup.  Complete Mrs Shear's self care challenge. Have a go at doing one thing each day just for you. Self care is not selfish. It'll make YOU feel Hunky Dory!

Friday 11th June

Thanks to the 30 parents who came in for a coffee and a croissant today. It is always lovely to see you. There are some jobs for some parents with spare time who can help the BYT charity at the moment. We are very grateful to our fabulous parent community

Friday 21st May 2021

Coffee Morning was back today for the first time in over a year. It was so uplifting to have our wonderful parents back in school together. 30 tickets will be available until restrictions in UK are lifted altogether. Please collect from the office or from Mrs Shear. We thank you for your good humour, kind words and cheer on a Friday morning.

Friday 6th March 2020 - Times Tables

Thanks to Miss Chambers who led a very helpful coffee morning for parents on times tables, multiplication methods and what your children need to know/learn in each year. Please look at the presentation and some of the resources below to find out how to support your children with learning their multiplication facts.

Friday 28th February 2020 - Food!

A fantastic morning today. Food carvings created by Michael from Relish - we made watermelon frogs but check out the links below for other ideas. Mrs Shear shared a way to pack your children full of vegetables even if they don't like them! Recipe is below. We tasted some chocolate brownies that had beetroot and cauliflower hidden inside. They were delicious and have 50% less sugar than other brownies. Again the recipe is below. Loads of tips shared by parents and Michael on really nutritious, economical and tasty recipe ideas.

Friday 7th February 2020 - E-Safety Presentation

How do you make sure your children are safe online? Social Media, Gaming, Messaging and Youtube are huge parts of our children's lives now. Do you know what they are doing? How can you protect them from possible hazards? Loads of information shared today and you can always come into school and get advice from us. Look for E-Safety advice on our website!

Friday 24th January 2020 - Word Up Word Up!

All about words today! Lots of fun facts to share with your children about words and some games to play together to develop yours and your children's knowledge of words, use of words, spelling of words, memory and quick thinking. Parents were great today. Lots of laughing. A good start to the day. Word Up starts on Monday. NO COFFEE MORNING NEXT WEEK. Back on the 7th FEB!

Friday 17th January - Art for your Heart

Parents put heart and soul into today's coffee morning. Last week we talked about finding quiet time in the week for yourself and today we practiced it with some very calm and peaceful art. Parents produced Romero Britto style heart images in felt tip and Kandinsky inspired heart art in oil pastel. Toddlers had a go too. Look on the link below to try this at home with your children.

Friday 10th January - Think Pink 2020

Welcome to the first coffee morning of 2020! We have been meeting together on Friday mornings for 7 years! Lots of exciting things happening this term for children and parents. Come in on a Friday to find out a bit more...

Friday 13th December: The Big Quiz

Thanks to the 10 great teams of parents who took part in this mornings quiz - lots of laughter, kindness, teamwork and happiness. It's not the winning that matters it's the taking part.

See you back at coffee morning in 2020.

Friday 22nd November 2019 - Keeping Up With the Children in Maths

Incredible turnout today to find out how your children learn maths at school. It's very different to how you might have been taught. Miss Chambers explained how all children are taught to understand maths in a concrete way, then a pictoral way so that they can then understand maths and numbers in a more abstract way. Find out more by looking at the presentation below

Friday 15th November - Move your Buddy or Move with your Buddies

As usual a wonderful spirit and energy was demonstrated again this morning when we did some exercise all together! Thanks Miss Costin for coming down to model some easy HIT exercises that parents and children can do at home together. Of course we finished off with some ZUMBA! It's harder in the winter months but keep moving!

Friday 8th November - POSTCARD ART and UNITAS YOUTH ZONE

A Move It day today when parents created some postcard art. What's the idea behind it? Just send a positive vibe to someone else! Thanks too to Jennifer from the Unitas Youth Zone for coming along to encourage parents to sign up their children.

Friday 1st November: Movember and KIT

Did you know? - November is the ninth month of the ancient roman calendar and gets it's name from the Latin for nine "novem". The word nine in lots of languages including Farsi, Urdu, English, Spanish, Portugese, German derives from the Latin. Many historical events in British history took place in November - The Gunpowder Plot in 1605, The end of the first world war in 1918 and the launch of the BBC service in 1936.

Today our parent community demonstrated a Move It moment for Movember. KIT stands for Kindness Initiative Together and parents showed just that by collectively helping the preparation of the BYT charity Pop Up Shop. Thank you to all who gave some time and worked together. You are wonderful.

Friday 11th October: Common childhood illnesses and first aid tips

Thanks for coming in for this session led by Sarah Dickon our head of welfare. Lots of information was shared about very common children's illnesses and what to do. Parents shared ideas and advice. Some tips for general helpful first aid and links to good health websites are included in the presentation attached

Friday 4th October - World Smile Day/Dental Hygiene

A very smiley and well attended coffee morning today. We welcomed Dr Kinaree Patel from Colindale Dental Surgery on Colindale Avenue. She gave a very informative talk to parents on oral hygiene which you can click on below. Lots of great tips, advice and reminders for parents on how to best look after their children's teeth.

Friday 27th September: Macmillan Coffee Morning and Bingo

Thanks for coming in to play bingo this morning. Selling extra bingo cards raised £40! Well done to the 3 lucky winners!

Friday 20th September: Whirled Peace

Orion Parents model such peace, harmony and positivity. Thanks to those who came in this morning to enjoy a coffee and make a pinwheel for peace. Pinwheels are often symbols of childhood and represent happy joyful times. They can be made from most types of paper, card, and unwanted plastics. A good rainy day activity to do at home! There was a peaceful vibe in the hall due to all the concentration!! Check out the photos below.

AUTUMN TERM COFFEE MORNINGS 2019

Friday 6th September: New School Year and Back to Routines

What a great turnout today! Thanks for coming to coffee morning and a big welcome to all our new parents. Click the presentation below to find out about courses for adult learners that take place at The Orion, Goldbeaters or in and around Grahame Park and Burnt Oak. Need any tips about getting back into a firm school routine? Have a look here!

Friday 13th September : Reading

Reading is a huge area - today we discussed the importance of reading and how to foster love and enjoyment of reading at home. Thank you to those who shared tips of what works for them and their children at home and who asked questions and wanted to know more about great books to read. There are recommended books for you on this website. Go to Children - Academic Learning - Champion Reader.

THANK YOU TO ALL THE PARENTS WHO COME IN SMILING ON A FRIDAY MORNING. YOU MAKE COFFEE MORNINGS GREAT!

THERE'S ALWAYS ROOM FOR NEW PARENTS TOO.

COME ALONG IN SEPTEMBER

The Big End of Year Quiz - Friday 19th July

Whilst the children were enjoying the last GoFest show of the year, parents celebrated the end of term and the upcoming summer with a table quiz. From knowing your Disney princesses to your crisp flavours it was a lovely session with lots of laughs and some healthy competition!

Thanks for coming in today and being such great sports!

Thank you - Friday 12th July

Welcome back to coffee morning - it's been a few weeks! A round up this week of some if the amazing learning experiences that children and adults have had this year. And a few thank yous to all the parents who have been so engaged and supportive of their children at school. We think you are amazing!

GO Fest Purple Week - Dad's Breakfast - Friday 14th June

A morning off for the mums this morning as dads, uncles and grandads brought their children to school. They celebrated Father's Day together with a buffet breakfast and some physical activity outside! Thanks to all those who came in and hope all our Orion dads had a special Father's Day!

GO Fest Orange Week Coffee Morning - Friday 7th June

It was a great turn out this week - thanks for coming in to find out What's Going On? Highlight from the week were shared and of course a sneak preview for parents as to what is happening next week.

Mum's morning off next Friday as Dad's are invited to bring the kids to school and enjoy a Father's Day breakfast. Coffee Morning back on 21st June.

Bright Yellow Coffee Morning - Friday 17th May

Mental Health Awareness Week

Having positive mental health and well-being allows us to realize our full potential, have healthy relationships, cope with stresses of life and work productively. Today we talked about some ways of keeping our mental health positive and how we can model emotional well-being for our children. We discussed healthy diet, good sleep routines, importance of physical activity. We looked in more detail at listening to our children and encouraging them to talk and at how to build resilience in our children.

It's really important to talk to someone if we don't feel ourselves. Sometimes talking to another parent can really help, joining a class or taking some time to do something for yourself.

Bright Yellow Coffee Morning -  Friday 10th May

Autism Awareness

Today we learnt a little bit about autism. Autism is a spectrum condition which is often characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication. 1 in 80 primary school children are autistic. At our school we have children with varying degrees of autism throughout the school and also in The Jets which is an autistic resource provision. Big thanks to Miss Angus. Watch the animation below to find out more.

Bright Yellow Thinking Coffee Morning - Friday 3rd May

Shakespeare and the chicks!

A very inspiring coffee morning today with some information about William Shakespeare, a powerful presentation of Shakespeare verse from Y5 and a quiz about the language we use today that originated from Shakespeare's writing. You can find the quiz and some more resources on the presentation below. Big thanks to Miss Cowan who prepares our children to take part in Shakespeare Festival. The baby chicks also came for coffee with their very skilled pet club handlers. Have a look at the photos below.

Bright Yellow Coffee Morning - Friday 26th April

Healthy Eating Tip and Fitness

Huge welcome back to parents today with news about this half term. Lots of information and dates about what is coming up for children and parents. A big thank you to Yinka Thomas who gave some healthy eating tips and information about free fitness programmes for children and their families. Click on the presentation below to find out the contact details and for further information.

PAMPER NIGHT 2019

What a gorgeous evening for mums and kids this was. Thank you for your warm smiles and kindness and welcome to each other. We hope you enjoyed some pampering, some shopping and some food and some quality time with your friends or your daughters. It was a very happy event - check out the smiles in the photos.

SRE (Sex and Relationships Education) - Friday 22nd March

Thanks to all the parents who attended today's coffee morning. There were many! Miss MacDonald and Mrs Shear presented lots of information to parents about SRE lessons at school and provided parents with access to all the resources and lesson plans. Parents had a chance to give views, ask questions, clarify information and ask for advice. If you would like to know more to be informed please come in and ask.

E-Safety (keeping your children safe online) - Friday 8th March

Big thanks to Mr Remnant this morning on a terrific e-safety coffee morning. Technology is a brilliant thing and the advantages of the internet outweigh the disadvantages. Our responsibility as parents is not only to keep our children safe when they are using technology but also to make sure our children can come and talk to us when they need to (even if they have made a mistake!) Have clear and simple rules for your children and be fair and realistic. There is loads of advice in the parents section of this website (online safety) and always someone to ask here!

Science - Friday 1st March

It's Spring! Science is a core subject of the primary curriculum. We discussed the importance of science in our children's future and also had a "go" on the microscopes looking at some interesting slides. Thanks to Mrs Cohen and the Y6 Science leaders for assisting. Next week we will be having an E-Safety presentation. Please pop in.

Word Up 2019 - Vocabulary Games - Friday 8th February

Today we looked at the goal of Word Up and how parents can help their children at home develop their vocabulary. We shared some facts about words, a technique for remembering new words and some fun and informal games you can play at home that are great for learning and using more adventurous words. Click on the presentation to learn some of the games.

Board Games - Friday 25th January

Playing a game with your child is a great way of showing them that you want to spend time with them. There are lots of ways to play but today in coffee morning we had a try out of lots of different board and card games. These are great alternatives to "screen time" and teach your children lots of skills including - how to wait their turn, how to think ahead (be strategic), how to win and how to lose (well). Lots of board games encourage good communication skills and develop logic reasoning. Thanks to the parents who came in today. There was lots of laughing and chatting - perfect for a Friday!

Art for your heart and soul - Friday 18th January

A very thoughtful coffee morning - parents took part in some quiet heart art - quilling and painting. Doing something creative can have very positive effects on your brain and your well-being - for children and adults. Viewing art is also beneficial. Put a daily art app on your phone and share it with your child. Click below for more information

How to raise a resilient child - Friday 11th January

Thanks to those who made it this morning! We are "thinking pink" this half term. January weather can sometimes have an adverse effect on adults and children despite lots of positive thinking. Find out more about developing resilience in your child with some very simple tips in the presentation below. Want to learn more? Join Parent Gym for more positive parenting tips and techniques

Coming up next week and in January - Friday 14th December

It's been a few weeks and was great to have such a big turn out this morning. Click on the presentation below if you are interested in signing up for any courses in January. Includes hairdressing, creative writing, parent gym and a mindfulness workshop. Register early. 

Pet Zone and Children in Need - Friday 16th November

A brilliant session today with Miss Goh, our Y5 pet experts and our special guest Kellog the cornsnake. Our experts delivered a really knowledgable presentation with clarity and confidence to a very large group of parents. Parents asked really thoughtful questions which were answered by the pet zone crew. A great opportunity to share a very unique feature of our school. Take a look at the engagement of the crowd below!

Love Reading - Friday 9th November

Reading is a skill for life. Encouraging a love of reading at home can make a huge difference. Lots of help, tips and advice here in the presentation below. Want a good book recommendation? Look on the childrens' page on our website and click on Academic Learning, Champion Reader. Lots of great books to choose from. Get them from the school library or Colindale library. Other book lists below too.  Want to help your child more? Ask them lots of questions about what they have read or while you read with them. Need some ideas click below for great question prompts click on the link below.

Welcome back to Autumn 2 - Friday 2nd November

Thank you parents for celebrating Mr Flathers' award for Headteacher of the Year. We are a very proud school community. Did you know that Pearsons run a scheme where you can thank your child's teacher? Sending them a card to say thanks for free! Details below

Understanding Food Labels - Friday 12th October

Tina from the Grahame Park Health Centre did a really practical session with parents this morning to look at food labels and really understand what we are feeding our children. Healthy eating is for life. The information she gave was a great reminder of what to eat and what's a treat!

Unitas Youth Zone - Friday 5th October

Thanks to Tony Lewis who came in today to speak to us about the amazing new youth zone opening in Burnt Oak for children aged 8yrs plus. Incredible facilities have been planned for the centre which should open in June 2019.

Macmillan Coffee Morning - Friday 29th September

Big thanks to all the parents who joined us this morning for our annual Macmillan Coffee Morning. Thanks to Mika and Rubi for the incredible cakes they baked and donated to school. Our star bakers! Thanks to all of you who took part in the Great British Baking Quiz. Lots of fun along with some incredible fundraising. £750 was raised for cancer care. Proud to help at The Orion!

International Day of Peace - Friday 21st September

It was a lovely peaceful coffee morning today when parents took a few moments to be calm and make peace flowers for their children and each other. Thank you parents for your enthusiasm, smiles, kind words to each other and great spirit this morning. Couldn't come today? Have a look at how we made the flowers by clicking on the presentation below.

The National Curriculum - Friday 14th September

Today's coffee morning was an overview of how and what your children learn at primary school. Parents learnt more about the assessments and tests that children have to take and also how to enrich and really support their children's education. Couldn't come today? Click below for the presentation.

Samosa Drive - Thursday 5th July

No coffee morning for a couple of weeks but huge thanks to the wonderful parents who gave up their time to make samosas for GoFest Community Night. With parents also making samosas at home and donating them we had just under 1000 for our samosa stand. 

Great British Bingo - Friday 18th May

A royal wedding celebration in the hall this morning for parents. Scones with jam and cream and tea were served and a game of bingo with some British prizes was played. Thanks to all who attended for being such fun - have a look at the photos below!

Feed the Body Feed the Mind - Friday 11th May

How does the food we give our children really make a difference to their brains and health. We looked at the "best" types of foods for children and how we could reduce some of the not so great things. Did you know that if your child eats a small pack of crisps everyday then over a year you will have given them 5 litres of vegetable oil to drink! Mrs Shear demonstrated a very simple 5 minute recipe for salmon fishcakes using a tin of red salmon. Good for very fussy eaters and very busy parents. See the recipe in the presentation below.

May Day Bank Holiday Activities - Friday 4th May

Why do we celebrate May Day in the UK? Families get a long weekend this weekend. The sun is coming out - get outside and get some well needed Vitamin D. Look for Spring. Lots of activities available this morning to take away and do at the weekend with the children. Scavenger hunts, nature trails, geocaching and more! Take a photo of your outdoor adventure and send it to Mrs Shear and have a happy sunny weekend.

SAT's - a parents guide to statutory tests - Friday 27th April

Thanks for such a positive turnout this morning. Parents of children from Reception to Year 6 came in to find out more about SATs. It was very eye opening to see the journey through school that our children have. There were lots of questions and great advice from parents to other parents. Parent POWER!

Click below to see the presentation

Welcome back - it's Summer! - Friday 20th April

Great turnout today! If you couldn't make it we talked about BYT and how it helps your children with their learning. We discussed homework and how parents can really help their children at home with this. Parents shared some great tips too. We also discussed other types of learning that enrich children and where to access swimming lessons, extra clubs, bike riding lessons etc. 

A Look Back at The Term & Community Colindale - Friday 16th March

Thank you for your wonderful attendance at all the coffee mornings this term. Fridays are truly special. Today we looked back at Word Up this term and remembered the coffee mornings we have had. Jan & Hilary visited from the Community Colindale Trust to share some amazing opportunities for adults and kids that take place on Grahame Park. The One Stop Shop is a hive of information. Get your children engaged in the holidays and after school with some really fantastic clubs and activities. Click below to see more

Coffee Mornings will be back after the Easter break. If you like them...bring a friend! Not been before...come into the hall and find out more!

Ladies Pamper & Shopping Night - March 8th 

No coffee morning at Orion this week but a wonderful evening on Thursday celebrating International Women's Day and Mothering Sunday with our parent community at our third annual Pamper Evening. Big thanks go to all the mums, sisters, aunties and grandmas from Orion and Goldbeaters who came to be pampered, have some food and do some shopping. You were so smiley, calm and fun to be around. More thanks go to all our staff volunteers who helped to paint nails, do henna art, make mothers day gifts with the children, serve food, run the raffle and make the evening such a success. Even more thanks to those parents and children who took stands and fundraised for our new foundation. You are simply amazing! If you missed this years event make sure you get yourself a ticket next year!

Common Childhood Illnesses - Friday 2nd March

A huge thank you to Dr Mohammedabbas Khaki who visited today giving fantastic medical advice to our parents on treating common illnesses for our children at home. He talked about chicken pox, coughs, colds, viruses, asthma, stomach bugs. He gave advice as to when the GP should be seen, when an illness may be more serious and when you can see a pharmacist or a practice nurse. Lots of parents attended and Dr Mohammed answered lots of questions. We will welcome him back anytime.

Click below for his presentation

Healthy Cooking Live! Orion and Goldbeaters Together - 23rd February

Thanks to Hilde from ISS Catering and Theresa our wonderful kitchen manager for a fab coffee morning this morning. They prepared and demonstrated a recipe for Frittata - a budget, quick to cook and prepare and nutritious recipe to try at home. Heather answered parents questions about their children's diets and about portion size. She gave tips for healthy packed lunches and talked about what our children eat at school. You can look up more information on school lunches by clicking on the link below (School Food Standards)

Thanks to Goldies parents for coming over this morning!

Click below for a printable recipe

Anxiety in Children  - Friday 19th January & Friday 2nd February

A fantastic turn out this morning (see below) to hear Sarah Konn (a psychological well-being advisor) talk about anxiety in our children, what it is and how it presents. In part 2 Sarah has presented some strategies to use to break a cycle of anxiety. Click on the presentation below to look again.

Learning to love reading - Friday 12th January 

This week we looked at how to foster a love of reading in your homes and how children acquire really positive attitudes towards reading. We talked about reading for pleasure and the education, economic and health and well-being impacts. Click on the presentation for some tips and ideas for your children.

Children in Need Coffee Morning - Friday 17th November

This week parents just had some fun for Children in Need. We learnt about the importance of Children in Need and why we always support it at The Orion. Parents did a getting to know you better activity and then practised with some Super Balls for their Do More Challenge this weekend. Thanks for coming in this morning and joining in with so much enthusiasm!

Memory Skills - Friday 10th November

This week we learnt a little about our memory and what can help us remember information. In school the children are developing methods for quicker thinking and trying lots of techniques to make their memory more effective. Have a go at the verbal and visual memory test with your children. How many things can you both remember?

Games - Friday 3rd November

This week the coffee morning presentation was to learn some fun and useful games you can play at home, on the bus or walking to school. Word games are a great way of developing general knowledge, quicker thinking, turn taking and having fun together as a family. Click on the presentation below to find out more

Physical Activity - Friday 13th October

Thanks to Miss Costin who gave a fantastic presentation this morning on physical activity and healthy eating. Parents joined in with some easy ideas that they can do at home to allow their children to burn off some energy and be fitter. There were some shocking facts about sugar too. Click here to find out.

Encouraging Talk - Friday 6th October

Thanks to Mr Ellis this week who gave a fantastic presentation on learning to talk, developing talk and encouraging talk with your children. Take a look at the slides below for some great advice.

Macmillan Coffee Morning - Friday 30th September

Orion parents played Bingo for Macmillan on Friday during our coffee morning.

Bingo alone raised £55.00. We have added it to all the other generous donations for Macmillan and in total raised £765

Thanks for being such fun and good sports!

The Power of Praise - Friday 22nd September

Praising children develops their confidence and self esteem. Can Do Kids need great praise. Look at the presentation of the Power of Praise to find out how you can use praise really well.

The National Curriculum - Friday 15th September

Want to know more about what your child learns at school? Have a look at the slides below