From Mrs Hall

We began the week by continuing our exploration of the Pilgrims' Values, focusing on 'Joy'. The boys reflected thoughtfully on what it means to be joyful, discussing ways they can bring joy to themselves, their friends, and their teachers. Their ideas ranged from kind words and thoughtful actions to sharing smiles and laughter—wonderful reminders of the power of positivity in our school community. There was also great excitement as George Sheldon, our Pre-Prep tortoise, returned from his time in hibernation! The boys were thrilled to see him again, eager to welcome him back and check on how he was settling in after his long winter rest. Our Plant of the Week has also sparked great interest, with the boys learning all about Himalayan Balsam. They were fascinated by its unique features and the way it spreads its seeds so dramatically!

It has been a fantastic start to the new half-term, and we look forward to more exciting learning adventures ahead. Wishing you all a sunny weekend!

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Shell awards:

Reception: to Ralph W-P for showing his kind and gentle nature towards others.
Year 1: to Lucas for focusing quickly on writing tasks, working independently and being motivated to work on his personal target.
Year 2: to Rhys for asking good questions about George Sheldon🐢 

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Save the Dates !

Music Groups for Toddlers and Babies
Don't forget our toddler music group, Musical Shells and our Little Shells play sessions for pre-schoolers. We encourage you to spread the word to friends and family - all our welcome! (see flyers at the bottom of this newsletter).

Saturday 1 March	09:30-11:30	Whole School Open Morning See the Admissions page - Visits, Open Mornings and Events, on our website.
Friday 7 March	19:00	PPA Quiz Night (book on My School Portal)
Saturday 8 March	09:00	Pilgrims' Parley, The Octagon (sign up on My School Portal)
Monday 10 March	tba	Year 2 Parents' Evening meetings (information and booking process will follow)
Tuesday11 March	tba	Reception and Year 1 Parents' Evening meetings (information and booking process will follow)
Friday 21 March	tba	PPA Book Sale in the Yard
Wednesday 26 March	All day	Reception trip to Manor Farm
Thursday 27 March	tba	Pre-Prep Mother's Day in the Woods
Friday 28 March	15:30/16:30	Term ends for Easter holidays, returning: Thursday 24 April

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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 the second half of this Lent term. I have enjoyed hearing about your half-term experiences through discussions with the boys. It sounds like everyone was able to recharge their batteries ready for the term ahead, and what a great one this is!

Spring has sprung (or nearly, and it definitely has in Reception class). What excitement to have six duck eggs incubating in our classroom with the hope of new hatchlings before the Easter break. The boys were excited to learn about Farmer Benny needing help as one of his ducks had laid too many eggs and could not sit under them all. They were very much up for the challenge of helping with Farmer Benny's problem. They keenly unwrapped the incubator, which led to lots of great discussions about what it was, how it worked and what we needed to do to help the eggs stay warm and safe inside. Now, the six duck eggs are safe and snug with all the boys keeping a careful watch over the incubator temperature and water levels each day. Only twenty-four days to go! Fingers crossed!

To enhance our new theme for this term, 'Spring has Sprung', the bottle igloo has turned into a nest!  Miss Whitmore and the boys have covered the bottles with brown material and are busily sewing and stuffing eggs of their own. This has been extremely popular and the boys are so very proud of their sewing achievements. A great new skill to practise. Well done boys.

I hope you have a super weekend and the sun continues to shine.

Mrs Sarah Huntley
Reception Teacher

Year 1

Welcome back, Year 1!
The genre of writing that Year 1 will focus on this half term is letter writing. As an early introduction to this style, the boys were tasked with writing a letter to me about their half-term adventures and happenings. They were encouraged to try as much as possible to write independent sentences. They also enjoyed communicating an element of their week away through drawing and painting.

Step 1 to becoming a knight: a page
During our topic session this week, we explored the start of the journey to becoming a knight. The boys were shocked to hear that they would have left home as young as Year 2 to go and live in a castle to start their training. After discussing what the day in the life of a page would be like, discussion moved to whether they would give this life a thumbs up or a thumbs down. Interesting comments were heard like:

• It’s not for me. It would be very smelly!
• I’d like to learn how to use a bow and arrow.
• I don’t want to have to drink beer!
• I don’t think I am strong enough to lift all the armour to help the knight.
• I would miss my family.
• I don’t want to eat hard, stale bread!
• I would like to do all the training.

Mrs Victoria Ford
Year 1 Teacher

Year 2

Year 2 have had a fantastic time exploring new topics and developing their skills across the curriculum!

In Literacy, we have been learning about information texts, identifying their key features and how they present facts. We ventured into the fascinating world of Charles Darwin and his studies of the humble earthworm. The boys were fully engaged in discovering what Darwin learned about these incredible creatures and their important role in our ecosystem. It was wonderful to see their curiosity and enthusiasm as they explored his findings!

In Maths, we have continued working on multiplication and division, building confidence in problem-solving and applying our knowledge in different contexts. The boys have been working hard to master their skills, showing great perseverance and determination.

Our learning journey also took us to East Africa, where we explored the traditions of the Maasai tribe. The boys particularly enjoyed practising their tribal dances, embracing the rhythm and energy of this vibrant culture.

It has been a busy and exciting time in Year 2, and we look forward to even more adventures in learning next week!

Mrs Sarah Hall
Year 2 Teacher
 

Forest School

Before half-term, I collected some small but beautiful natural items and froze them in a balloon. These turned into some magical ice orbs that the boys in Reception had fun looking at closely, watching them slowly melt to reveal the magic hidden within. We also had fun playing ice boules with them!

Storytelling is an important part of our Forest School sessions and I always enjoy sharing a story with the boys. However, this week it was Year 1’s turn to tell a story. Choosing a familiar story, the boys helped retell this story, and were then asked to build a suitable home for our three little pigs. Touching details were added to their creations, making sure the houses were safe and strong before the ‘wolf’ visited and tried to blow the houses down!

It is always fun using nature in a creative way and this week the boys in Year 2 used natural items to create some artwork based around their initials. Ideas started simply, but the boys then became more imaginative, combining initials to make a unique piece of artwork and decorating them.

Mrs Fiona Walker
Forest School and LAMDA Teacher

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PPA Upcoming events

Pre-Prep for pre-schoolers