From Mrs Hall

If you ask any infant school teacher, the next few weeks leading up to the Christmas festivities are some of the most magical yet frenetic times of the year! We are ensuring the boys stay as focused as possible amidst all the excitement, balancing the wonder of the season with the structure of daily learning. From practising lines for the nativity play to engaging in festive crafts and songs, the boys are fully immersed in the spirit of Christmas.

This week, we were fortunate to welcome another special visitor, Jane Riordan. Jane immediately captured the boys' attention as they eagerly introduced themselves to her. Her stories, inspired by the works of A.A. Milne, had everyone engaged. The boys listened attentively as Jane read a passage from Winter in the Wood.

Following the reading, we all had the chance to become illustrators. Mark Burgess, Jane’s illustrator, guided us step-by-step on how to draw Winnie the Pooh. The boys thoroughly enjoyed the experience and rounded off the session by asking some very thoughtful and interesting questions.

A huge thank you to everyone who has been helping the boys practice their lines for the nativity play. I am incredibly impressed by how quickly they have not only memorised their words but also mastered the comedic timing of some of their lines! We are looking forward to our show next week.

Have a lovely weekend.

* * * * * * * * * * * 

Shell Awards this week:

Year 2: to James - for his politeness and manners.
Year 1: to Lucas for the incredible attention he has given to practising his narrator lines for the Nativity. Well done, Lucas!
Reception: to Ralph for showing such interest, respect and engagement during our recent Pre-Prep workshops.

 

* * * * * * * * * * * 

Save the Dates !

Saturday 30 November	08:15-09:15	Wellbeing Matters LIVE: CANCELLED
Tuesday 3 December		Christmas Jumper Day and Christmas lunch for all boys  16:15 - Choristers sing at the switching on of Cathedral Christmas tree lights
Wednesday 4 December	15:00-16:00	Christ Church visit Pre-Prep
Thursday 5 December	10:30	Balanced Babies Event for prospective parents Book here: Open mornings and events - The Pilgrims' School
Thursday 5 December	11:00	Pre-Prep Nativity Dress Rehearsal
Friday 6 December	11:00-11:45	Pre-Prep Nativity for parents (Details to follow)
Monday 9 December	08:15-08:45	Pre-Prep Open Classrooms
Tuesday 10 December	08:15-08:45	Pre-Prep Open Classrooms Pre-Prep trip to Mother Goose pantomime
Wednesday 11 December	13:30 15:30	End of Term Cathedral Carol Service for all parents

* * * * * * * * * * 

Notices

After School Club and Commoners pickup times: Please remember to collect your sons promptly, either at 1630 when After School Club ends, or at 1800 when Supper Club ends. 

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 news

The boys have been very fortunate to have taken part in two fantastic extracurricular enhancement workshops recently. These extra experiences are so important. They really bring things to life for our boys by helping them to appreciate the wider world, the opportunities that life has to offer alongside showing empathy and respect for others. The boy's engagement and interest have been a joy to watch, and I have been proud of their impeccable behaviour.

Last week, a gentleman called Nath came to visit the Pre-Prep.  He worked with each class separately and spoke to the boys about his disability, cerebral palsy. For many of the boys, this was their first encounter with someone who has a disability.  I had previously spoken to the Reception boys about Nath's visit and what they were to expect. For some boys, I knew this experience was going to be a little overwhelming. I told the boys how Nath has a speech impairment and how we would need to listen carefully and allow his computer to talk for him at times.  

I explained that cerebral palsy is when a person's body moves differently because of how their brain works. Some people with cerebral palsy might use a wheelchair, like Nath, or need help to walk. They are just like everyone else and can do many fun activities. When we work with a new friend who has cerebral palsy, we can help them by being patient and understanding.  Everyone can be a good friend, no matter how their body moves!

I was so impressed by how the boys responded to Nath. They were kind, caring, patient and motivated to join in with his activities.  The boys were very interested in finding out more about how Nath is able to do many activities that we take for granted. 

Nath is an inspirational young man who has warmed all of our hearts.

This week the Pre-Prep boys have also had the pleasure of meeting the author Jane Riordan. Jane is the talented author of the new stories of Winnie the Pooh - 'Winter in the Wood' and 'Tales from the Forest'.  We were all transfixed, adults alike, when Jane read an extract from 'Winter in the Wood' to us. Was Piglet going to find his voice? Were his friends able to help find it? Could Christopher Robin help too? Such a beautifully written tale of friendship and kindness.  

The fun was not over either, as the boys were able to watch and join in with a video that Mark, the illustrator, had recorded, showing how he draws Pooh Bear. Some marvellous attempts were made by the boys with some amazing results.    

What a fabulous session with great aspirations shown of becoming an Author and Illustrator of their own published books one day...  What super experiences with more to come over the next two weeks! Happy weekend!

Mrs Sarah Huntley
Reception Class Teacher

 

Year 1 news

It would be fair to say that the Nativity has formed a large part of our learning in Year 1 this week. The boys have stayed motivated throughout the week to give all variations of our practices a good level of attention. We have been in the Pre-Prep Hall, we have tried out the Pilgrims’ Hall for the first time, we have practised our lines outside, we have tested the library in small groups… we have even been singing the songs throughout the day in our classroom with a Nativity disco proving surprisingly popular with the boys!

Alongside the Nativity practices, we have been busy working hard each day on a new creative task in preparation for Christmas. A little taster of the boys’ hard work is included in photo form below. Ask the class what one of the most memorable moments of the week was, and I am certain most of them would recount the moment they cut a hole in their balloon and watched it shrivel away in their papier mâché project.

This week, we also got the pleasure of meeting a special author, Jane Riordan, who talked to us all about the new stories she has written about Winne-the-Pooh. The boys listened avidly to a story where poor Piglet lost his voice, and we had lots of fun following instructions from the illustrator to draw our own Pooh Bear. Many boys came back into the classroom asking to hear the next story about Pooh and his friends in 100 Acre Wood. We are lucky to have a copy of Jane’s books in the library so we shall be able to enjoy a few in between all our Nativity discos!

Mrs Victoria Ford
Year 1 Teacher

 

Year 2 news

'Unique: being the only one of its kind' was the topic of our PSHE this week. The boys spent the lesson learning more about each other while weaving a web, connecting us all together, and all while thinking about what makes us who we are. 

In Crafting Commoner, it was heartwarming to observe the boys in Years 1 and 2 work collaboratively on some snowflakes, each engaged and focussed while chatting over a common theme: an enjoyment of art and craft.

Mrs Maxine Kent
Year 2 Teacher

 

Forest School

Reminder: all boys need to bring a waterproof coat into school each week, along with waterproof trousers and wellington boots for their Forest School sessions. Hats and gloves are advisable too, in the colder weather.

Autumn leaves inspired Year R again this week, and the boys had a wonderful time collecting different coloured leaves to add to their leaf masks. The boys wore their masks with pride, but can you guess who is behind the mask?

Christmas came early to Forest School this week. The boys very much enjoyed decorating our Forest School Christmas tree with such festive fir cones.

Year 1 spent their Forest School session investigating the properties of different materials. This was part of their science curriculum, and followed on from a previous session about identifying different materials in our environment. The boys tested the selected materials to see if they were flexible, transparent, absorbent or waterproof.

Caring and showing sensitivity towards our invertebrates is a huge part of our Forest School sessions. I encourage the boys to connect with these smaller insects and respect the environment they live in. A safe habitat for these insects to live in is important, and the boys in Year 2 very much enjoyed creating mini bug hotels to add to our larger school bug hotel. Quite a des res now!

Mrs Walker
Forest School and LAMDA Teacher

* * * * * * * * * *