From Mrs Hall:

We’ve had a fantastic start to the Summer Term here in Pre-Prep, getting straight back into the swing of things with lots of energy and enthusiasm from the boys. A very warm welcome to our new families who have joined us this term. We’re delighted to say that all five boys have settled in beautifully and are already becoming a wonderful part of our school community.

Year 2 wasted no time diving back into their learning, kicking off the term by discussing St George and the Dragon in pairs. The boys enjoyed exploring and comparing different versions of the myth, sharing their ideas and interpretations with great thoughtfulness.

Year 1 have been busy too, especially as they welcomed their new teaching assistant, Katie Jackson, to the team. The children have been working on using questions in their writing, adding curiosity and creativity to their work right from the start.

Reception launched into their exciting new topic, Animals Around the World. It’s been brilliant to see their enthusiasm as they begin exploring the wonderful variety of creatures and habitats across the globe. The ducklings have also brought plenty of joy and entertainment for everyone!

During the Spring Term, the Mindful Moments Commoner group planted lots of seeds in preparation for our exciting Charity Plant Sale, which will take place on Thursday 8 May from 3.45pm. This term, Year 2 will be learning all about oceans, and they felt that ocean conservation would be a very fitting cause to support. The plant sale will take place outside the Pre-Prep front door from 3.45pm—we hope to see you there!

Finally, a quick reminder: please ensure all boys have a named hat and a water bottle in school each day. We’re looking forward to a busy, fun-filled term ahead!

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Shell awards:

Reception: to Theodore and Leopold for settling into life at Pilgrims' so confidently.
Year 1: to Macarthur for such improvement in his reading and great expressive voices. Well done, Macarthur!
Year 2: to Benedict Maschio - For being kind and helpful towards our new classmates.

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Special Request: As part of our continued effort to enrich the boys’ learning through hands-on, creative experiences, we are developing a dedicated Woodwork Station in our Reception classroom. This will offer the boys a wonderful opportunity to explore materials, develop fine motor skills, and enjoy the satisfaction of making and building. To help bring this exciting project to life, we would be incredibly grateful for your support in collecting a variety of interesting and reusable items. If you have any of the following materials at home, we’d love to give them a new purpose in our woodwork area:

• Bottle tops (plastic and metal)
• Corks
• CDs/DVDs
• Buttons
• Small wooden log slices
• Door knobs
• Bannister knobs
• Sandpaper (any grade)

Donations can be handed in at drop-off or in the designated box outside the Pre-Prep door. Thank you, as always, for your continued support and generosity. With your help, we can create a truly inspiring space for the boys to tinker, build, and imagine! 

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Save the Dates !

Musical Shells and Little Shells for Toddlers and Babies
A few spaces remain for this term's musical preschool group: Musical Shells. Sign up soon if you'd like to join in

Little Shells play sessions take place on 6 June. We encourage you to spread the word to friends and family - all are welcome! (See flyers at the bottom of this newsletter). 

Monday 5 May	All day	Bank Holiday - no school
Tuesday 6 May	0930-1130	Year 2 Cathedral Crypt tour and workshop
Thursday 8 May	1545	Pre-Prep Charity Plant Sale
Friday 9 May	1900-2130	PPA Drinks Party and opening of the River Room in the Pre-Prep garden
Friday 16 May	0830	Pre-Prep PPA Coffee morning after drop off
Tuesday 20 May	All day	Year 2 trip to Chichester harbour
Friday 23 May	1115 1200	Pre-Prep Celebration Assembly Half-Term begins
Monday 2 June	0830	Teaching resumes

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Notices

Menus are available here on My School Portal. 
^{Reminder: no food is to be brought into the school and/or given to boys at any time, especially at sign-out.}

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Reception

Welcome back to life in Reception Class once more and welcome to our new class members, boys and ducklings!  I have very much enjoyed hearing about your Easter holidays; such varied and fun times.

This term we are focusing on the theme 'Animals around the World'.  We will be exploring continents and the animals that live there.  

What a treat in store for the boys when they arrived at school this Monday morning. After much perseverance, care and patience, two little ducklings hatched at the Huntley house at the end of Easter.  Hoorah!  The ducklings are such a huge joy for us all to have in our classroom. They have real characters and the boys love them.  They will have official names by the end of the week, and hopefully, have enjoyed a safe swim with the boys supervising them!  

I hope you all have a fabulous bank holiday weekend and the sun continues to shine.

Mrs Sarah Huntley
Reception Teacher

 

Year 1

Various types of seafarers have captivated the boys' attention this week. From dressing pirate characters and creating a cutlass, to practising our fine motor skills. The boys have been introduced to the RNLI as a charity,  and we have started our MayDay Mile. The boys have show real enthusiasm.

RNLI visit
On Tuesday afternoon, Brian Masters, a volunteer from the RNLI came to visit the Pre-Prep to talk to all boys about how to stay safe at the beach. We learnt so many things about how to keep ourselves and each other safe on the beach.... like: what the different coloured flags mean, when a red flag might be used, what number to dial in an emergency and how to find out our exact location on the beach notice board, what to do in an emergency in the water and how to float, and just how important the RNLI and their charity work is.

On average, the RNLI saved 45 people a day across the British Isles. Last year, they saved 125 animals. Over 50 people have now survived from their Float to Live campaign which has only been taught as a strategy for a couple of years.

RNLI fundraising starts
Thursday 1 May was the start of our class MayDay Mile Challenge. We are utterly thrilled to have some donations to our charity fundraising page already. The boys found this hugely motivating! Keep checking Tapestry for photos and videos of how we approach the challenge each day.

Mrs Victoria Ford
Year 1 Teacher

Year 2             

The boys explored different versions of the classic tale George and the Dragon in Literacy. They listened to various endings and creatively wrote their own, showcasing fantastic imagination and storytelling skills. Additionally, they created vibrant dragon drawings to bring their stories to life.

Mrs Maxine Kent
Year 2 Teacher

Forest School

The boys in Year R went on an adventure to Elizabeth Mead this week. Once there, we learned how to carry and work with larger sticks and small branches. Inspired by our recent bug-hunting activities, the boys had a wonderful time creating their own huge, imaginary minibeast sculptures. So next time you are out walking in the water meadows, keep an eye open for some wonderful creatures lurking in the fields.

This is such a wonderful time of year, with so many exciting changes happening right in front of our very own eyes. Year 1 spent some time spotting how the site has changed since last term. They discovered spring is really in full swing; they created a natural picture frame and designed a spring picture using items from the forest floor.

Great excitement for the boys in Year 2 as we introduced the boys to our Farm to Fork project. We learned how to handle young seedlings and planted these carefully in our allotment boxes. Over the coming weeks, the boys will nurture our young lettuces, radishes, carrots and sweet peas. We even made good use of old milk bottles and turned them into watering cans!

Mrs Fiona Walker
Forest School and LAMDA Teacher

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Pre-Prep for Pre-Schoolers and Pre-Prep Open Days