The Bulletin – Edition 21
The boys in Year 6 are settling into a changed rhythm of school life, now that the main roar and thrust of the 11+ admissions process has diminished to a gentle rumble. Mrs Tinkler and I saw, between us, every boy in Year 6 this week for a pastoral catch up. We have careful plans in place to keep the Year 6 boys going in both academic and pastoral terms, continuing as we do to prepare them for life in Year 7 at their next school. There is a terrific ‘Leaver’s Programme’ coming up for the boys, with most activities taking place next term (and more details from Mrs Tinkler to come shortly). This week the boys got a taste of what to expect. They enjoyed a very thought-provoking seminar session on Tuesday by an excellent speaker from the charity ‘Growing Against Violence’, which aims to protect young people against peer-to-peer violence and exploitation both on the streets and online. The boys’ maturity and interest in the topic, as they listened and contributed to the session, was exceptional and indicates how seriously they engaged with the material being presented.
Prep
Assemblies
We had two excellent assemblies from the boys in 4M and 3H in the Prep this week, centred on our theme of ‘ideas and beliefs’. The boys in both classes shared the ideas that were important to them, and in so doing articulated some very personal feelings and emotional responses to the challenges they know they face. There were plenty of very uplifting examples however from the boys as they explained how they try to develop their self-confidence, and self-belief and accomplish their own goals. It was very inspiring.
Music
It was excellent to welcome four Prep boys’ parents, one Prep boy’s aunt and two current colleagues (!) onto the “stage” in the James Hall at the Prep on Monday morning, to perform in our very first ‘Parents & Adults Informal Concert’. The boys were captivated hearing from more accomplished musicians and one beginner adult musician, who shared their love for the instruments they have developed a connection to. It was then fantastic to hear the adults play (and sing!) their favourite pieces. Do please ask your boys which ones they enjoyed the most! This is very advance notice, but we shall be repeating the concert this time next year. Plenty of time for more adults involved in school life to practise…!
News from Mr Salt, Head of Games:
The Surrey Junior Rugby Festival, which is one of the big rugby events in the school calendar, took place last Friday and Saturday. Over twenty schools from the surrounding area attended the festival that was held at Kings College Wimbledon’s sports ground over two days. Over those two days, Spring decided to take a break from returning and the North wind blew bitterly, which chilled some fingers but did not dampen the boys’ spirits!
Pre-Prep
A word from Mrs Murphy
What treat for us this morning, Year 1 led an uplifting assembly on the topic ‘Spring’ and how fortuitous this coincided with more spring-like weather during the week! The children delighted us with their fabulous poetry recital and seasonal facts - thank you, Year 1.
School Council under the guidance of Mrs Leissle have been working hard to plan our next ‘fun’ charity fundraiser. Next Friday (18 March) we shall be showing our support for Red Nose Day / Comic Relief. We shall all be wearing something red and, in the case of the children, this will be as part of their school uniform. Perhaps red socks, a red tie or even red shoes? Do look out for full details in SchoolPost!
Kindergarten
We have focused on the traditional tale, ‘The Three Billy Goats Gruff’ this week in Kindergarten. Having read many versions, we noticed that whilst many of the characters stayed the same, the trolls all looked very different from book to book and some endings were different too. We discussed how stories have settings, a clear beginning, middle and end, and identified these within the story. Using the large outdoor equipment, we made a bridge and had fun using the goat puppets to act out the story with friends and we also acted out the story using our own puppets made in class.
Reception
Reception have been enjoying some gardening and talking about the weather this week. We have talked about all sorts of different weather types the children have experienced, and how we feel in each one. We were lucky to experience so many different weathers this week in true changing season style. From sunny spring days, frosty mornings, torrential rain and wind!
Year 1
Year 1 have enjoyed exploring poems this week. The children had lots of fun looking for rhyming words. They loved reading the poem, ‘Where Teachers Keep Their Pets’, which inspired them to write their own poem using the names of friends and family.
Year 2
Year 2 have thoroughly enjoyed using the story, ‘Bob the Man on the Moon’s Best Ever Friend’ as inspiration to create their very own unusual best ever friend. The children then wrote all about their best ever friend, describing what they looked like using similes, how and where they met and what they like to do together. Next week, the class will be working in small groups to create their own adventure for Bob to go on!