From Mrs Hall:

The boys were treated to a variety of unusual and fascinating instruments from around the world, and we took time to reflect on just how important music is in our everyday lives. It was a real delight to see the boys so engaged - from classical to jazz to world beats, every genre brought smiles, curiosity, and even some rather impressive dance moves!

Looking ahead, next week is an exciting time for all of our Pre-Prep boys as they take part in their key transition events. On Tuesday, we are looking forward to our transition morning, where the boys will have the chance to visit their new classrooms and meet their new teachers. This is always a highlight of the term and a wonderful way to help the boys feel confident and positive about the year ahead.

A small request: if you happen to have any small cardboard boxes or tubes at home (such as those from kitchen rolls or packaging), I would be very grateful if you could send them in for our STEAM club next week. Thank you.

As always, thank you for your continued support. This is such a special time in the school year – filled with celebration, reflection, and excitement – and we feel privileged to share it with your boys. The next eight days are full to the brim with activities and events, and preparations are already underway for the new academic year in September.

* * * * * * * * * * * 

Shell awards:

Reception: to Artie, Ralph, Theodore and Leopold for being superstars on our trip this week to The Watercress Line. 
I would also like to say a big well done to the whole of the Reception Class for showing good manners and polite behaviour while on our class trip this week.
Year 1: to Edward for his helpfulness around the classroom and the playground. Super tidying up, Edward!
Year 2: to Dario for working hard in all areas of the curriculum.

* * * * * * * * * * * 

Save the Dates !

Monday 30 June	1500		Reception only Parents' Evening (Book on My School Portal)
Tuesday 1 July	All day 1900-2000		New boys' day Meet your son's new teacher; all parents in Reception and Year 1 warmly welcome (Pre-Prep Hall)
Friday 4 July	1400-1500 1600		New September starters - Teddy Bears' Picnic and EYFS Presentation to parents  Pre-Prep and Junior LAMDA Showcase for parents, all welcome
Monday 7 July	0815-0845 1330		Pre-Prep Open Classrooms Pre-Prep Sports Day nb: no commoners this week
Tuesday 8 July	0815-0845 all day		Pre-Prep Open Classrooms Pre-Prep beach trip
Wednesday 9 July	1500 1545		Pre-Prep Final Assembly Pre-Prep end of term (No after school care)
Thursday 4 September	0830		Term resumes

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.}

* * * * * * * * * *

Reception

What a busy week!  It has zoomed by!

The boys have all experienced a class trip now and what great excitement and enthusiasm was shown towards being out of school together on an adventure by steam train.  We travelled by minibus to the Watercress Line station at Ropley where we were met by Dan and Kate, who were going to be running our visit.  We trekked down the path with all of our luggage (ie packed lunches, drinks, spare clothes, sun hats, teddies and first aid - gosh what a lot to remember when out with young children!) and entered the waiting area at the station. 

Dan told us about the old station and what the steam trains used to carry from Alresford to London to be sold - Watercress!  He explained how the engines work using coal, water and steam and told us how the trains run from Alresford to Alton on one line then shunt, re-attach again and run back.  We experienced the sounds, smells and sights of a working steam station, but now only for pleasure and not for watercress to be transported.  

The boys were introduced to station master Herbert, who used to live at the Ropley station with his family and pet dog, all of those years ago. Dan showed us some olden day photographs of Herbert with his family on the platform. The boys were able to see how photographs have changed over time and could see the old cars parked up too.  

After a little more information, the boys were given a special ticket which was stamped and later checked ready to board the train. The whistle blew, the train arrived, and we soon boarded. We had a lovely leisurely journey through the station at Medstead and Four Marks and arrived at Alton.  We played 'I spy' on the way, looking out for items on the sheets we had been given. At Alton, we got off the train and watched how the coal was loaded into the hot fire and how the engine went down the track to change direction and re-attach to what was now the front of the carriages. Another leisurely trip back, where our tickets got checked and clipped, ready for lunch.

The afternoon took the form of a story and five activities where the boys could have a go at different tasks. Puzzles, dressing up, bridge building, cog creating and train track building.  They rotated from one to the other.  What great fun! After this excitement, we were lucky enough to go into the signal office to find out how all the levers work and why they all had numbers on them.  

Our trip ended with a little walk up and down the platform looking at various other equipment, counting the steps over the footbridge and a quick go on the Watercress play train.  We were all ready for the minibus ride back to school!  We counted at least three boys asleep on the way back. What a fun day out we all had with lots of learning opportunities and new experiences to be had.

Thank you to everyone involved for making our day so successful. I hope you have a restful weekend.

Mrs Sarah Huntley
Reception Teacher

Year 1

Money
An ice cream shop has come to Year 1! Needless to say, this has created a lot of excitement and lots of chatter. All the boys have been enjoying spending time in the Gelateria, taking orders, serving ice cream and charging exorbitant prices for their goods! Through play, the boys have been exposed to all the different coins and notes we use in our British currency. They all have a secure understanding of the values of the different coins and are starting to understand that various coins can be used to make up the value of an item. Outside the shop, the boys investigated buying items with different coins and played a few different board games to get used to handling money.

Using an atlas
We all used an atlas to find the seven continents of the world along with the five major oceans which was an exciting task in itself. This has helped us gain a greater understanding of how Christopher Columbus discovered America and how Sir Francis Drake circumnavigated the world and what he found when he did. We are very grateful to Felix’s mummy for coming to talk to us on Thursday afternoon about tea, where it comes from and how it is transported to us. As well as learning about trade routes around the world, we learnt about the oxidation of tea and how it turns from green leaves to black tea and got to do some tea tasting. We definitely have some tea lovers in Year 1!

Mrs Victoria Ford
Year 1 Teacher
 

Year 2 

Spot the Difference: Year 2’s Ocean Art with a Message! 🌊
Can you spot what’s not quite right in our sea creature art?
Look closely… 🧐

Each boy has created a second, colourful underwater creature, bursting with creativity and imagination. But wait! Part of each sea creature looks different—it's covered in plastic! That’s not a mistake. It’s part of a powerful art project about ocean pollution.  It’s a great reminder of how we can all help by reducing plastic and protecting our oceans. Come and see the display in our classrooms.

Can you spot the plastic?

 

To support a smooth transition into Year 3, Miss Erasmus joined the boys in Year 2, and they had a special visit up to the Year 3 classroom. There, they were introduced to their Year 3 “cousins”—older boys who will act as friendly guides and role models when school starts again in September. Each younger boy will be paired with a cousin to help them settle in and feel confident in their new environment.

Mrs Maxine Kent
Year 2 Teacher

Forest School

I love looking out for all the different varieties of butterflies that appear around this time of year. Inspired by their presence, and of course, the story of ‘The Hungry Caterpillar’, the Reception boys had great fun creating a giant butterfly. The boys worked in small groups, creating a set of beautiful wings and trying to make them as symmetrical as possible. The butterfly seemed to come to life when one of the boys became the butterfly’s body!

Bees are crucial for our environment and are vital pollinators. After learning the importance of bees and their role, the boys in Year 1 enjoyed making their own little fir cone bee that could visit all the flowers in the Pilgrims’ garden.

 

This week, Year 2 tried to capture the beauty of summer by making a summer clay plaque. Signs of summer were collected, and carefully arranged together and pressed into a piece of clay. The boys thought carefully about their ideas and designs, and the end results were beautiful.

Mrs Fiona Walker
Forest School and LAMDA Teacher