From Mrs Hall

Our first assembly of the year, inspired by the book ‘What do you with a Chance’ focused on each and every individual in the Pre-Prep being destined to make a difference in the world and having the courage to think big and take that chance. Our mind-set really does dictate our reality and I very much hope that our pupils feel ready to take the plunge this year; to grab hold of the opportunities that come their way and have the courage to seize them.

 

Save the Dates

There are many exciting events coming up over the next few weeks, so please keep a look-out for further details.

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Pilgrims' Shell Awards

• Year 2 – to Wiliam O’K for his kindness on Monday, tidying up all the pencils in the classroom.
• Year 1 - to Rhys A-D for his kindness when helping tidy up in the playground. Well done, Rhys!
• Year R - to Christopher M for being a really kind member of our class, especially towards playing outside with his new friends.

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Notices

Menus for next week 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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Commoners

The first commoners started this week with much excitement and concentration!
Mrs Ford

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From the PPA

 

Year 2

This week the Year 2 boys turned detective. Mrs Hall interrupted our registration time with news of some animal footprints being found. There was also a red cape and a basket full of Traditional tales. These were discovered in the Pre-Prep playground.

Boys were quick to shout, 'a wolf', followed by much discussion on how they could monitor nighttime activity with security cameras and drones, leading to a capture in a humane trap. The boys were bursting with questions, for example: What does a wolf look like? and What does it eat and what sound does it make?

Over the course of the week the boys have used their imagination and knowledge of Traditional Tales, designing their own book covers, retelling the story of Little Red Reading Hood, changing the ending and character studies.

If you have any Traditional Tales at home, this weekend would be a great time to revisit them. Why not encourage your son to change the ending or add a character or two?
Mrs Kent 

Year 1

The Evil Pea’s visit to the Year 1 classroom last week has facilitated lots of opportunities for learning this week. The boys have discussed and described why SUPERtato was such a good SUPERhero. They thought about how they could be SUPER in the classroom and the playground and have created their own SUPERhero medal. Their ideas about being SUPER in the classroom have been used to create our own class rules to start the term to help all boys to feel safe and secure in their space to be able to learn effectively. Of course, a week with SUPERtato would not have been complete without some potato printing! 

Developing speaking and listening skills 

There are various opportunities within the Year 1 classroom to promote effective speaking and listening which is an important skill for our boys to develop. Each Monday morning, we shall have “Weekend News” time where we shall share something of interest to us from our weekend. Each Friday afternoon, we shall have “Show and Tell” time where the boys can speak about an item that is of interest to them. You can help them prepare for both of these speaking and listening opportunities at home by talking to them to help them organise their thoughts. If your son would like to bring something in for Friday Show and Tell, we ask that it is either something they have made, something from a special day out or trip, or perhaps something of interest they have found. They should try to speak for a minute or two about their item and answer some questions from the rest of the class. Guy did this wonderfully last Friday when he brought in a sea urchin to show us all from his summer holiday. 
Mrs Ford

Year R

Wow!  What an amazing start to the new school term we have had in Year R and what sensible, polite and grown up boys I have had the pleasure to welcome to their new school.  

All Reception boys have settled really well, and they are already becoming familiar with the new routines and rules in our classroom and around the school. The boys have wowed me with their listening skills and ability to take on board a variety of instructions from many new adults.   

This week has involved lots of different activities both inside and outside the classroom. The main focus for us has been on settling happily, getting to know each other and to be kind.  

The boys have particularly enjoyed working outside with the large construction, playing imaginatively with sea creatures and wheeled vehicles, manipulating dough and reading in the book corner.

What a fabulous week we have had!  Well done boys, it has been great to get to know you more and I am looking forward to more fun next week.
Mrs Huntley

A few requests and messages for next week:

*Fridays will be 'show and tell'.  Please can your son bring in something of interest to talk to the class about with growing confidence. I ask please, if possible, for this not to be a toy as such, unless there is a good reason behind the toy e.g. it has been purchased on a holiday OR from a day trip, OR has been constructed etc. Great things to bring in are, pictures, models, items collected on days out, souvenirs, photos etc.

*Please can I ask for a family photograph to stay in school and be displayed.  A small to medium-sized one would be perfect. These will be used for your son to talk about his family first and then to be displayed in the classroom as a reminder for him while away from you. It can ease separation wobbles brilliantly. If these could be in school by the end of next week (Friday 22 September) that would be great. Please email them through to me if it is tricky to print.

Forest School

It was lovely to welcome the boys back to Forest School this week. Everyone was keen to get outside and spot what changes had happened over the last few months. A huge part of our sessions this week for Years 1 and 2 was about re-familiarising the boys with the sites, identifying hazards, as well as understanding our Forest School expectations.

For Year R, Forest School was very much a new experience, and we had great fun exploring our local site and hunting for some natural items. The boys also learned how to take bark rubbings, and as a class we created some natural bunting. 

Year 1 enjoyed playing ‘1,2,3 where are you?’ which is fun game that gives the boys a chance to explore the site. Then using an egg box, the boys found 6 natural items that they found interesting; the egg boxes were displayed all together and some of the boys shared their findings with the class.

Year 2 used natural items to create some beautiful natural rings that grew in size each time another natural ring was added. The boys needed to work as a team, and a stunning piece of natural artwork was created. The boys then decided on their favourite ring.