From Mrs Hall:

Next week promises to be just as exciting as this one! On Tuesday evening, we are looking forward to our Positive Parenting Evening. This will be an informative event and a wonderful opportunity to hear from Sarah Cobb, whose expertise and practical advice are always greatly appreciated.

We are also looking forward to welcoming fathers, grandfathers and special family members to our Father's Day in the Woods event on Wednesday 17 June from 9.30am to 11.00am. Please meet us at the back gate at approximately 9.25am. We hope you will be able to join us for what is always a special morning of outdoor activities and shared experiences.

We are also delighted to confirm the staffing for the next academic year:

Reception: Mrs Sarah Huntley
Year 1: Mrs Victoria Ford
Year 2: Mrs Maxine Kent and Mrs Sarah Hall

We are equally pleased to share that our Pre-Prep Teaching Assistants will be Mrs Margie Pleming and Miss Helen Whitmore, who will continue to support the boys across the department with their care, encouragement and expertise. In addition, Mrs Sacha Thorne will be spending even more of her time within Pre-Prep, continuing to provide specialist support and targeted interventions, as well as working alongside class teachers to enhance learning opportunities for both individuals and whole classes throughout the school day.

The boys have already enjoyed their first transition opportunities and have approached these sessions with great excitement. Over the coming weeks, they will continue to spend time in their new classrooms and with their new teachers, as well as visiting other areas of the department and Year 3. These experiences help to build familiarity and confidence, ensuring that everyone feels happy, prepared and ready for the opportunities that September will bring.

Finally, we are still looking for a few volunteers to care for George the tortoise during some of the summer holidays. If you are able to offer George a temporary home and a little extra care, we would be extremely grateful. Please do let us know if you are interested.

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Save the Dates !

Diary dates for next half-term appear below. Remember the whole school diary is displayed on My School Portal here:

The Pilgrims' School – Whole School Diary

Tuesday 16 June	1830		Positive Parenting talk with Sarah Cobb, Pilgrims' Hall (see flyer below) Book here: Positive Parenting talk - Tuesday 16 June - The Pilgrims' School
Wednesday 17 June	0930-1100		Father's Day in the Woods
Thursday 18 June	am		Whole school photograph
Friday 19 June	1830-2100		PPA School of Rock event for parents (See details in tonight's SchoolPost)
Saturday 27 June	0830-0930 1630		Wellbeing Matters 'Live' Staff and Parents Cricket Match
Tuesday 30 June			New Boys' Day
Wednesday 1 July	1900-2000		Pre-Prep Introduction Meeting for Parents
Friday 3 July	1600-1700 1700-1900		Pre-Prep and Lower Prep LAMDA Showcase Summer Art and D&T Exhibition
Monday 6 July	0815-0845 1330-1500		Open Classrooms Pre-Prep Sports Day
Tuesday 7 July	0815-0845 0915-1545		Open Classrooms Pre-Prep Trip to Meon Shore
Wednesday 8 July	1500-1530 1545		Celebration Assembly Term ends for Pre-Prep

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.}

Upcoming Events

 

 

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Shell awards:

Year R - Louis for being a sensible, considerate and kind hearted member of our class.

Year 1 - to Henry R for his outstanding effort in independent writing this week and his determination to produce his very best work. Well done, Henry!

Year 2 - to Ally, For the joy and positivity he has shown since joining Year 2. Ally is always eager and enthusiastic, and he has settled into his new class well. 

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Year 1

Should Francis Drake take the treasure?
There was a real buzz of excitement in the Year 1 classroom yesterday as the boys stepped aboard the Golden Hinde, Sir Francis Drake's ship, and took on the role of cabin boy, faced with a difficult dilemma: should Drake seize the Spanish gold from the mighty galleons?

Armed with persuasive language, bossy verbs, exclamation marks and even the occasional rhetorical question, the boys set about convincing Drake to follow their advice. Their writing was full of passion, creativity and conviction, with many producing highly persuasive arguments that demonstrated a growing understanding of how authors can influence their readers.

What made this lesson particularly special was the level of independence on display. Every boy worked independently to write his argument, something we have not seen before as a whole class. The excitement of the subject matter clearly captured their imaginations and inspired them to write with enthusiasm and purpose.

It was wonderful to see the boys so immersed in their learning, eagerly debating whether Drake should "Take the gold immediately!", "Capture the treasure before the Spanish escape!", "Take the treasure back to Queen Elizabeth!" or perhaps consider the consequences first: “You must not take the treasure. It is not yours!” Their engagement, focus and determination throughout the lesson were a pleasure to witness. We were also hugely lucky to welcome two Winchester College boys, Thomas and Felix, into our lesson to assist us.

The lesson has sparked even more curiosity, with questions now flying thick and fast about life aboard the Golden Hinde, Francis Drake's love of drawing, and what might happen to those who disobeyed the Queen's command. It is always a delight when one lesson generates so many new avenues for enquiry, and I suspect we shall have to dive even deeper into this fascinating period of history in the coming weeks!

Year 2

Year 2 visit to Dell Quay
It was with some trepidation that we boarded the minibus on a very wet Monday morning. However, our spirits were not dampened in any way. In fact, the boys declared, “It was a great day!” There was not a single murmur of complaint about the rain from them — although the same cannot quite be said for the teachers!

Our wonderful ranger, Mary, made the day run like clockwork. She cleverly adapted the schedule throughout the day so that we were sheltered in the classroom during the heaviest downpours. The sun even made a brief appearance while we were happily river dipping, and we arrived back at school somewhat soggy but very happy. It was one of those days when, as teachers, returned feeling rather tired from counting not only the boys, but also wellies, trainers, socks (both wet and dry), waterproof trousers, and countless other items! However, we were enormously proud of the way each boy approached every activity with enthusiasm and determination. It was truly a memorable day.

I am now going to hand over to some of the boys for their own recounts of the trip. Each boy selected a photograph on which to base his writing, describing what happened, what made the experience special, and what he learnt during our visit to Dell Quay.

And finally, one last call for any plastics, crisp packets and wrappers, plastic bottles and lids, with many thanks. We look forward to sharing our pollution-inspired artwork with you soon.

​Mrs Maxine Kent
Year 2 Teacher

 

Reception

This week, the boys in Reception have been exploring the composition of shapes and investigating how smaller shapes can be combined to create larger ones. I challenged them with the question, "How many different shapes can you use to make a triangle?" The boys worked incredibly hard, using a range of shapes in creative and imaginative ways to construct triangles of different sizes. Some of their solutions were wonderfully complex and demonstrated excellent problem-solving skills.

The boys also applied their knowledge by completing tangrams and shape pictures, carefully rotating and manipulating shapes to fit them into place. It was fantastic to see such perseverance, spatial awareness and mathematical thinking on display. Well done, boys, for your excellent learning and application of these important geometry skills!

Maybe you would like to have a go at this at home!  It can be quite mindful.

Happy weekend.

Mrs Sarah Huntley
Reception Teacher
 

Forest School

Year 1 were very excited this week as our Forest School session was taken by Isabella Powell, Winchester College’s Natural History Fellow. The boys visited the River Keeper’s Cottage on Garnier Road and spent the session studying the different invertebrates found in the River Itchen. The boys listened well to Isabella, showed sensitivity towards the small creatures and asked sensible questions. The boys were very excited when Isabella caught some tiny Bullhead fish!

Fiona Walker
Forest School and LAMDA Teacher

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