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To be a Pilgrim … is to be resilient, Episodes 7 and 8
Resilience is a quality we really value at Pilgrims’ and over the last seven days the whole school community has come together and shown it in abundance for which I am, in equal measure, immensely proud and immensely grateful.
I apologise for not managing to place my usual piece in the ‘To be a Pilgrim’ newsletter this time last week. I know you understand; after three positive Covid-19 cases in the school community, senior colleagues and I spent that day on the phone to Public Health England’s local health protection team assessing our situation in real time. This enabled Public Health England to tell us which boys and adults needed to self-isolate. I am pleased to report that those affected in the school community are recovering. I thank everyone who has thought of us, worked hard to look after and educate the boys in school and at home, and prayed for us.
Pilgrims’ are resilient and so is the incredibly talented and dedicated staff (both teaching and non-teaching). With the second country-wide lockdown in its third week and boys self-isolating at home in every year group in the school except for Reception, we segued seemingly seamlessly (with no apologies for the alliteration) into a new world of hybrid learning (i.e. boys at school and boys at home being taught together) on Saturday morning for Years 4 to 8. This continued in the same vein when boys in Reception to Year 3 started their school week on Monday. We had planned throughout the weekend; our All Staff emails were busy pinging and we had an unprecedented Sunday evening staff meeting on Zoom. School continued, learning continued, and everyone showed sense, determination and, as I say, resilience. As I write this, I could not be more inspired by our whole school community - boys, staff, parents and wider families the Cathedral and the College – we all pulled together, adjusted and carried on. Thank you!
My assembly on Monday 9 November was about a subject very important to me: Service. Serving others. I will talk a lot more on that subject in the future as we think about what service means for the boys and the school and how we can serve others outside the school community with our hands, our energy and our brains. On that Monday, I spoke of Remembrance and the Poppy Appeal and Children in Need.
On Friday 13 November, before I took ‘the call’ I referred to at the start of this piece, I was in the middle of writing for this newsletter about an incredibly moving Remembrance Service on 11 November. Part one was recorded and shown in classrooms (including a wonderful address by a certain senior serving member of the armed forces) and then for part two, we gathered together outside as a whole school (in year group bubbles) around the quad for the Last Post (played by Ben H, Sasha R, James W, and Thomas E), the Two Minute Silence (even the fans in the kitchen were silenced), the laying of our bright red wreath of poppies, and then the Reveille. To end the service, the Year 8 Marching Band (on this occasion sitting!) played a very rousing National Anthem and a moving Abide with Me. With a poppy on every chest, boys and staff fell silent remembering all those who gave their lives for our country in the two world wars and wars and conflicts ever since. The sentiment was felt by even the youngest boys in Reception – in an age-appropriate way of course.
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In addition, all throughout last week (9-13 November), the boys worked hard and thoughtfully on our Children in Need charity event, initiated and spearheaded so wonderfully by Dr Sarah Noble and the PPA, and supported in school by Becca Higham, Anne Erasmus, Lucy Brown and the maintenance team. Thank you all. The boys learnt about the incredible work the charity does in our own city, county, and throughout the UK to make children’s lives better by helping remove the barriers that some children face so that they can thrive. On Friday 13 November, Pudsey was with us! The boys were delighted to see his bright yellow ears growing out of the front of the school when they arrived in mufti that morning, along with all the colourful spots which had appeared everywhere from pillar(s) to post (literally.. see picture below). Their work (learning and reflections about Children in Need and children in need) was on display outside the school and by the river; even the massive rainstorms could not dampen the spirit. |
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This week we crammed in so much as well. To name a few: a fully hybrid school with boys and even a few staff Zooming in, Year 8 exams on Monday to Thursday, the PPA Quiz and raffle by Zoom on Wednesday, our second Virtual Open Day (well, evening) for prospective boys and parents and the largest assemblies we have had all year with so many smiling boys on big screens Zooming in from home and their classrooms. I will finish as I started: the Pilgrims’ community is resilient and very strong. We came together, supported each other, and to (mis)quote a very fitting (but now rather over-used) phrase coined by the British government's Ministry of Information in 1939, we kept calm and carried on. I would not have expected anything less but I am nevertheless very humbled and grateful. Happy exeat! |
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The Week AheadSat 21 November | 1400-1430 | Open Head's Zoom | https://zoom.us/j/5748915058 | Wed 25 November | 1330 | Y8 Set Quiz | Saxons A v Normans A | Thurs 26 November | 1600 | Y8 Set Quiz | Romans A v Monks A | Fri 27 November | 1600 | Y8 Set Quiz | Monks B v Wrens A | Sat 28 November | 1400-1430 | Open Head's Zoom | https://zoom.us/j/5748915058 |
(Set Quizzes are only for boys) |
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Artwork of the WeekThree Panel Challenge by Max H (Year 4 Virtual) Max H completed these three narrative panels in his own time this week after having to miss some of our Year 4 Virtual Art class on Tuesday morning. Well done, Max, for giving your Art your all and for capturing such a carefully observed fleeting moment of home life. I would also like to thank Dr Essex, Mr Murphy and Mr Upfold for upgrading and maintaining the Art Department’s new and improved digital technologies (see photo below). In this week of fully and/or blended virtual teaching, I have relied heavily on this tech and I am pleased to report that it has not failed me once. Mr Walters |
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School NoticesJunior Plus Badge Winners 5P - Neil Chen and Minwoo Choi 5W - George Sinclair and Harry King 4M - Rafael Cordon and Ike Crewe 4B - Harry Dennis-Meyer 3E - Kit Marnham and Lucas Jia 3G - Austin Short and Rufus Macdonald Well done, boys. Mr Burton PPA Virtual Quiz Night: Thank you to the PPA for hosting the successful Quiz on Wednesday. Please see the report further down in the newsletter. Have you changed your contact details recently? Please remember to update the office if we need to amend contact details for parents, guardians, and anyone else on your contact lists. There are two good ways to do this: either by email to the office (ipayne@pilgrims-school.co.uk) or through My School Portal. Please log on, select My Children, Parent Directory, Edit my details. Thank you. Year 8 marching band: There is a clip of marching band rehearsals available to see on My School Portal. Please go to School Information and Galleries. Year 8 parent meetings: It has been a challenging week for the Year 8 boys, and we are very proud of how they have approached their exams this week. We will be marking exams over the weekend and begin feeding back to the boys in their lessons next week (some have already begun). Parents' meetings to discuss the exams (and all other matters) will take place over Zoom and are on Tuesday 1 and Thursday 3 December, from 1800-2000. The booking system will be live early next week. Mr Duncan Menus: weekly menus can be found on My School Portal under the My Children tab. |
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End of ISEB!The majority of Year 6, and a small handful of Year 7 boys, have had a busy few weeks taking their ISEB Pre-Tests. These are the main tests taken to determine selection for their future Senior School. These boys have been working incredibly hard to prepare, both at school and at home, and the days of the tests arrived with much anticipation. Mr Duncan, Madame Vieilleville and I were so impressed with the calm and purposeful approach from all the boys, and we could not have asked anymore from them. On completion of the final test, the boys gathered together for a small celebration, involving chocolate and cupcakes! I think it is clear to see from the pictures that they all felt very relieved. With four boys still to sit their tests, there will be more celebrations to come when they are ALL finished! Miss Higham |
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Year 8 Debating Commoner Last week, the boys enthusiastically prepared and debated the motion This House believes that all meat is murder. This debate was only the second debate of the term, however, already they showed signs of increasing confidence. The boys were all keen to develop their skills and they listened carefully to their opponents to successfully rebut and challenge. This motion highlighted a wide range of arguments on both sides, and the boys showed a good understanding of complex moral and ecological matters, arguing about the human need for nutrients, the environmental importance of farming, and, of course, the moral question of animal welfare. The Judge's marks for delivery, strength of arguments, and rebuttal from each team sided with the Opposition this time, therefore, the motion This House believes that all meat is murder was not carried. The motion for the Year 8 Debating Commoner next week is This House believes that the police should be armed and I encourage all boys to develop their arguments and research the topic in preparation for a robust debate! Team 1 Proposition: William B-D, Gerald A-A, Zain N, Season L Team 2 Opposition: Oscar W, Arun S, Sebastian F, James K |
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Music news It was a moving performance by our Year 8 Marching Band at our Remembrance Assembly last week. Any passers-by in College Street or The Close must have been touched by this performance too! For a clip of rehearsals from our newly formed band, new since the Covid-19 restrictions have not permitted us mix to year groups, please go to My School Portal, School Information, and select the Galleries folder. Mrs Brown |
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Book ReviewGuts and Glory: The American Revolution by Ben Thompson |
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"I think that this book was very good at organising different parts of the revolution into different chapters and having a key character for each chapter with their own fact file. This fact file made it a lot easier to remember all the important information. Also, it had a lot of good humour that allowed me to see the revolution in a more realistic light and made me understand that all the heroes and villains of the story were human too" by Oscar Walmsley |
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''Guts and Glory'' would very useful for the boys to read before the summer exams and it would make a good Christmas present too! Other books that we have been reading and boys would recommend are shown here. There are three books in this series, and they were all very good reads on my half term. Mrs Bailey |
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Christmas Book ClubA good number of children are already enjoying the books selected for each year group (see the letter sent last week. If you would like a copy, please email: aslater@pilgrims-school.co.uk). Cake Break will include a Zoom link for those children not in school. Details will be released next week. The Zoom links and details will also be available on the Library Google Classroom (code ztpc6rw). Mrs Brill |
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The Sky at Night - November 21 onwardsMany apologies for last week’s cloud. Mars is still shining brightly red, and has been at its highest in the southern sky at around 10pm. Some of the boys have joined in, viewing via telescope, and have been polite enough not to show their disappointment. Mars, through anything but a professional’s telescope, is sadly rather unimpressive. The distance between Mars and our planet is starting to increase again, having passed the closest point in their orbits around the Sun (or “opposition”) last month. Mars has already started to reduce in brightness, and while it will dim further throughout November, it will still be a striking sight, especially on the evenings of November 24, 25 and 26, when it will be in close conjunction with the Moon. Do enjoy the spectacle! Mr Hammond |
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A Happy Birthday break timeAn amazing array of cupcakes, professionally made by our catering team, help Year 5 to celebrate Neil’s birthday. |
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The Inter Set Quiz I am delighted to say that the Inter-Set Quiz has started. Year 8s will be in action this term, with other years to follow. The first matches were played this week. On Wednesday, Monks B overcame Normans B. On Thursday, Saxons B defeated Romans B. In both matches, there was wisdom, disaster, and a lot of fun. Mr Hammond |
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Digitally adapted! Pilgrims’ has been filled with amazing teaching and learning this week. There is a whole new vocabulary amongst staff, parents, and boys that would have hardly been recognized a year ago: virtual classes, hybrid classes, normal classes, Google Classrooms, and Zoom. Here is just a taste of what’s been going on as Mr Buck leads a virtual PE lesson, Mr Buckett Zooms into a Year 5 maths set, and Year 8s, Walter and Oscar, sit on the Virtual Open Evening Q & A panel. All under a beautiful rainbow! Mrs Brown |
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Boarding at Pilgrims'Whilst prospective parents were having a virtual tour of our school, our boarders were enjoying their free time. Below is a typical Wednesday night at Pilgrims'. Mr Burton |
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Boys enjoy toast and cereal before bed. |
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A variety of board games were played in the Octagon |
Laurie S and Oliver M enjoy learning to play the accompaniment for Ding, Dong arr Wilberg. |
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Year 8s have access to the ICT suite for emailing and gaming. |
The grid is for a friendly football match. |
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Boys enjoy 'popping in' for a catch up with Mrs Ford and take their vitamins and other meds. |
James P is enjoying a FaceTime call with his Mum. |
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Sport NewsWe have more news to share of representative success. George C, in Year 7, has been selected for Hampshire U12s in cricket. Congratulations, George. Autumn continues but thankfully we are still able to get out and use our fantastic pitches. Below is an image of Year 4 in PE last week, enjoying their ball skills module, comprising striking, fielding, target practice, throwing, and catching. Mr Short |
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From the Base - Emotional LiteracyI have written about this before, but as I am currently doing a lot of work on this with Y2-Y5, I thought it might be useful to revisit it. One definition is, "Emotional Literacy is the term used to describe the ability to understand and express feelings. Emotional Literacy involves having self-awareness and recognition of your own feelings and knowing how to manage them, such as the ability to stay calm when angered or to reassure oneself when in doubt." This is a vital part of what we do at Pilgrims'. You won't find this on a traditional curriculum document, but helping young people understand their feelings and then manage them is great preventative work to help build and protect good mental health. Never more so than during lock down. Small children often use sad, happy and angry to describe their emotions. But how many of them are aware that when we get nervous we sometimes feel ill? Or that physically, nervous and excited feel similar? Or that annoyed or irritated is a better word to use than angry, as it describes the feeling AND a reason why. As I tell them, why paint with three colours when there are hundreds to choose from? Parents are the biggest influence in helping to develop emotional literacy. Talking and exploring feelings, and exposing your children to your own thoughts and emotions is how they will learn. They will see how you manage your feelings and look to imitate. We set the example. Have a good Exeat. |
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Pre-Prep noticesWe are looking forward to the return of the whole class of Year 2 boys on Tuesday! Please note changes to our drop-off and pick-up location. Year 2 drop-off and pick-up location - from Monday 23 November Please drop off and pick up from the Grid Gate at 08.30 and 15.45. The Year 2 boys can enter via the Grid gate each morning and walk along the Grid to the Pre-Prep Hall door. Drop-off at Breakfast Club and pick up from After School care: This will continue to operate from the Deanery Garden gate, accessed via the front of the school, walking past the left side of the Pilgrims' Hall. Note: We are currently working on improving the lighting in this area of the school during the winter months. |
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Year 2What a wonderful week of hybrid teaching in the Year 1 and Year 2 classes! Thank you to all the boys, parents, and staff who have worked so hard to make a potentially difficult situation work so well. We have all been climbing a very steep learning curve with all kinds of achievements. It will be wonderful to be back at school on Wednesday for a final push towards the end of the Christmas Term. Mrs Ross |
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Year 1 Life in Year 1 this week has been a truly 2020 affair. The boys have Zoomed in from homes in the UK and across the globe as hybrid teaching has taken off! An enormous thank you from me to all of the parents and boys who have supported, concentrated, and fully participated in this very unique style of school. Subtraction, the first moon landing, reading, and phonics have been covered on screen and of course, in person, for those boys still in the classroom. A particular highlight of the week was Wednesday morning storytime which saw boys from the UK, China, and Germany joining their friends in school. It was a joy to see the smiling faces of every boy in our class as they came together via the magic of technology! Mrs James |
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This week in Reception...It has been a very creative week in Reception, making stained glass windows, Kandinsky style concentric circles, paper chains, and our very own Zoo, as well as clay hedgehogs at Forest School. The boys have shown a huge amount of perseverance while getting very gluey hands, as well as good cooperation and teamwork while making a huge length of chain stretching all the way around our classroom. In one boy's words, “Father Christmas is going to love our classroom.” Sorry parents, but what else could I make but paper chains when teaching Read Write Inc and the Special Friends "ch"? Reception award this week goes to: Alexander Over, with a special mention to Teddy James, for being a hard-working Zoo Keeper. Mrs Kent |
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Forest SchoolWhat a busy week of Forest School, with boys throughout the Pre-Prep thinking about the seasonal changes taking place all around us. The terms ‘Migration’ and ‘Hibernation’ were discussed at length as well as the reasons why they take place. Hedgehogs became the prime focus, with boys busy working together to build hedgehog nests from twigs, leaves and moss ready for hibernation. Clay hedgehogs were crafted by those in school, while some of the Year 2 boys used more ingenious objects such as potatoes, stones and apples to make hedgehogs for their nests. Maybe we too should follow the trend of the animal kingdom and hunker down for the Winter season! Mrs Judd |
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The Pilgrims' School, 3 The Close, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 9LT 01962 854189 pilgrims@pilgrims-school.co.uk; admissions@pilgrims-school.co.uk |
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