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To be a Pilgrim … is to grow, Episode 15
Education is a right for all…
Sunday, 24 January, was the United Nations International Day of Education. Here at The Pilgrims’ School, every day is a day when we celebrate and strive for the highest standards education but Sunday and, specifically Monday when we marked the UN Day of Education as a whole school, were different. On Monday, we remembered that access to an education is a right for all children in the world in order to develop their personalities, talents and mental and physical abilities to their fullest potential. António Guterres, Secretary General of the UN, paid tribute to “the resilience of students, teachers and families in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic”. The pandemic is thought to have exacerbated the attainment gap between less and more affluent children as the former are more likely to be constrained by lack of access to technology, individual tutorship and stable learning environments. But on Monday, the UN Secretary General also reminded us that even before the pandemic a massive 258 million children and teenagers in the world did not have access to education - the majority of whom are girls. António Guterres encouraged all countries and economies to address this issue saying, “Education is the foundation for expanding opportunities, transforming economies, fighting intolerance, protecting our planet and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.” It is not negotiable.
Remembering…
Wednesday 26 January, was Holocaust Memorial Day 2021. We remembered men, women and children systematically killed by the Nazis during World War II – including six million Jews, many Roma, the disabled, gay people and others – as well as victims of later genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Darfur. The Holocaust Memorial Day Trust held a national photography competition, ‘Light up the Darkness’, judged by the photographer and director Rankin, sculptor and Holocaust survivor Maurice Blik, Tulip Siddiq MP, and HMD Trust CEO Olivia Marks-Woldman OBE. The HMD Trust teamed up with Girlguiding, the National Union of Students, the Scouts and the Union of Jewish Students to understand what ‘Light up the darkness’ means to young people today. The winning photos together form a unique digital exhibition which you can see displayed here Light up the Darkness.
The following image was Highly Commended: The Fallen, by Madeeha Raja (14-18 Section).
Growth Mindset…
During another busy and exciting week of learning in Pilgrims’ Virtual School, and building on our discussion the previous week about endeavour, I have been introducing the boys to Professor Carol Dweck’s work on Growth Mindset. Growth Mindset is an incredibly powerful concept in learning and teaching. Professor Dweck and colleagues studied the behaviour of thousands of children. While many of them rebounded from mistakes or losses, others did not recover from the smallest of setbacks and this hampered their future learning significantly.
Professor Dweck and her team found that the children who found it very hard to recover and move on from setbacks, mistakes or losses shared what she called a Fixed Mindset. These children believed that intelligence is fixed. They believed that people are born with a certain intelligence or potential or ability to be ‘good at’ or ‘bad at’ mathematics or art or whatever. This means they feel there is little value in putting in effort or challenging oneself and they tend to give up when challenged or frustrated. As you might imagine, this leads to less good educational outcomes but also, a fixed mindset impacts children’s resilience and self-esteem too. Those with a Fixed Mindset avoid challenges and taking risks, do not like making mistakes and even avoid people who they think are ‘smarter’ than them.
Children with a Growth Mindset believe that intelligence grows with education, effort, practice and challenge. A mistake or set back, as I said last week, is an opportunity to learn or an opportunity to grow. So are challenges. The very act of struggling and being challenged or practising grows their ‘intelligence’. Effort is king! Those with a Growth Mindset seek challenges, new things, and feedback in order to help them improve and are inspired by the success of others.
Growth Mindset finds its biological essence in neuroscience. When we try new things and challenge ourselves, neurons in our brains join together; when we practise, the neurons that have joined together become stronger and form neural pathways. In this way we have wired our brain to be able to do something new. Our brain is a muscle and we become smarter by exercising it.
There is more to say on Growth Mindset but for now, let me leave you with a few Growth Mindset statements that the boys practised saying out loud on Monday. If you hear any of the Fixed Mindset statements on the left-hand side of the image below in your house, perhaps you might encourage the Growth Mindset alternative on the right-hand side. Thank you!
PS the most important word of all is YET. “I can’t do this YET… but with effort, support and practice I will learn…”
And finally, as part of Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week (1-7 February) the boys will learn about good mental health in a number of activities next week, including PHSEe, our assemblies, and tutor group sessions. We all look forward to telling you more about that in next week’s To be a Pilgrim.
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Artwork of the Week
"Abstract (after Kandinsky)" by Patrick B, Year 3
In the Christmas Term, the Year 3s were introduced to the formal elements of Art. This term, we are exploring the ways in which great modernist abstract artists have made use of these elements in their revolutionary artwork. This week, I am pleased to share with you an outstanding drawing by Patrick B which not only demonstrates a clear understanding of the formal elements of Art but also of the paired back, hard-line and hard-edge aesthetic associated with the so-called 'father' of abstraction, Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944). Well done, Patrick!
Have a Show Up for your efforts.
Mr Walters
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School Notices
Pastoral Support - We have worked hard to ensure there are many avenues of pastoral support for our boys throughout our virtual school. Zoom calls are available for the following:
- Assemblies by the Head, other staff members, and cathedral clergy (Mon-Thurs 0840 - compulsory)
- Tutor Time - twice daily (0830 & 1620 - compulsory)
And these options below:
- Year Group Socials (twice weekly)
- Close of Day Cocoa - daily (1830)
- Chat with the Nurse - weekly (Wed 1645)
- Catch-up with Matron - weekly (Fri 1645)
Boys and parents can contact Mr Shroff by email at anytime.
Parents may speak to Mr Shroff in the Saturday 12pm Zoom Session for parents about any concerns, followed by a chance to meet with Dr Essex and another member of the Senior Leadership at 1230.
Mr Burton
Dress to Express
As part of us acknowledging and exploring Children's Mental Health Awareness Week next week, we are inviting all boys to dress up on Friday 5 February. We would like all boys to wear weird and wonderful outfits to really express their individuality, quirks, and likes. Miss Higham says she might wear pyjamas - I might wear my top hat! Let's all have fun dressing up and expressing ourselves......
Mr Shroff
Learn how to iron - Many Pilgrims like to look smart and feel smart; they know that a crisp shirt feels good; they know that smooth sheets can ease sleep.
However, few families use laundries, so the task of keeping the Pilgrim boy smart can fall upon the already vexed parent. The solution?
Learn how to iron. Of course, irons get hot; of course, mistakes will be made, but the joy of wearing what you yourself have ironed is not to be underestimated. So, have a go!
Mr Hammond
Sport at Pilgrims – Fives
In late March 2020, the Pilgrims’ Fives team was preparing to head for London for the National Championships. Nothing can be presumed, but it would have been a brave man who would have bet against them coming away without at least one trophy, for they were an outstanding group. Unfortunately, a day later, the finals were cancelled, and the rest is sad history. The team never put on its gloves again; the courts echoed empty, the chance for glory had gone.
So, September 2021 should be a very important month – the month when Pilgrims’ boys return to the courts at Winchester College. And they will return, because Fives is a great sport, and Pilgrims’ boys often become the best players in the country.
What is Fives? Speed, grace camaraderie and power are all attributes of this remarkable game played in a court similar to a squash court, but with a solid ball and a glove on either hand.
Why is Fives a great sport? It is simple to learn. It requires the determination to become a balanced player - your right and left hands are equal. And no boy can gain advantage by the purchase of smart equipment – there is none.
Why do Pilgrims excel at it? It requires athleticism; it requires good teamwork; it requires impeccable manners – in Fives, each player admits his fouls equally; it requires intelligence.
So if, in September, you are in Year 6 or 7 or 8, an opportunity awaits. Seize it.
Mr Hammond
Form of the Week:
Junior – 5W
Senior – 7S
An edible treat will be posted home today!
Junior Plus Badge Winners
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5P – Lucas B, Kevin G
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5W – Adam K, John G
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4B – Seth T, Rian D
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4M – William S, James B
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3G – Nicolas U, Boris H
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3E – Edward W, Kit M
Mr Burton
PPA Events - Please see the very end of the newsletter for flyers giving details on the upcoming Deep Sea Diving talk and the Chinese New Year dumpling making events in February.
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Accelerated Reader Set Results
The boys in Years 3 to 6 have access to Accelerated Reader, which helps to monitor their independent reading. Once a boy has finished his book, he should take a short quiz, which will show how much he has understood. In addition, it counts up the number of words within that book, and gives him a running total throughout the year.
This year, we are encouraging the boys to 'read for their set’ and look to see which set can read the most words by the end of the year! Week three results are in – Saxons narrowly hold their lead despite a strong challenge from the Wrens, who move into 2nd place. Monks and Romans – your set REALLY needs you!
Miss Higham
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From the Base
Next week is Children's Mental Health Awareness Week. The school will be running activities and assemblies based around the theme of 'Express yourself'. The focus is finding ways of talking about and expressing your emotions and feelings, especially in creative and non-verbal ways.
To support you, the parents, I'd like to sign post you to several excellent online resources. This help is for a myriad of areas, including home-schooling, worries about Covid-19, and what to do if concerned about your child. I also have lots of material that I would happily send you if you contact me directly at: mshroff@pilgrims-school.co.uk
Whenever mental health is discussed, the focus is often on POOR mental health, but I say to anyone I talk to about this - don't dismiss discussions about mental health because you think 'it doesn't apply' or 'my family is fine'. We want to educate young people how to PREVENT poor mental health and to live happy and fulfilling lives. Don't wait to talk with them about things until it is too late. A child is never too young to have these discussions. Expressing feelings and emotions, acknowledging them and then learning to deal with them is all the more pertinent with youngsters.
In these challenging times, it surely is an excellent time to start, and to continue working with our children.
Anna Freud Centre for Children and Families - https://www.annafreud.org/
Mind - https://www.mind.org.uk/
Do take care and be safe.
Mr Shroff
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The Sky at Night - January 30 onwards
A Beautiful Meeting
There is a great joy to being up early - even in the depths of Winter. For those who have yet to experience the frissons of 0400 wanderings, there is good reason to try it out on February 5.
A beautiful meeting of the waning Crescent Moon and the red star Antares will treat early risers. The pair climb into the southeast near 0425, sliding higher and almost reaching due south by 7:30, as the morning twilight begins to overwhelm them.
Go for it!
Mr Hammond
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Year 5 Science
More practical work going on at home in Year 5!
Boys are testing different materials to see which would make the best curtains. Are they opaque, translucent or transparent? What other features of these materials make them suitable for curtains?
Lots of fun, with boys trying to find dark places to carry out their work - proper boyzone stuff!
Mr Shroff
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Design and Technology classes
In D&T this term, Year 5 have been looking at flag designs, and in particular the Union Jack. Their task was to redesign the Union Jack and, as you can see, their designs are particularly vibrant and original.
You might want to consider if you have a favourite, and why?
How would you redesign the Union Jack?
Mr Armstrong
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Kitchen Lockdown
Brought to you by the Ford family
KL2.0, Episode 3: “Whatever Oats Your Boat” or Speedy SNACKS!
***These recipes contain nuts***
We are all in need of little pick-me-ups throughout the week at the moment: perhaps it’s a little burst of energy required to get you through to lunch, perhaps it’s a tasty snack that will help your mood. Cakes and chocolate bars are fine in moderation but what about making your own little energy peps that taste yummy and are a little bit better for your bodies? These two recipes are quick and easy too. On your marks, get set, SNACKS!
For Nut Butter Balls, you will need:
120g porridge oats
200g nut butter (we used peanut)
200g dates
50g nuts
2tbsp cacao nibs (or powder)
3tbsp maple syrup
For Coconut Bites, you will need:
160g porridge oats
160g nut butter
100g coconut oil
60g sultanas
50g honey
40g desiccated/ shredded coconut (plus a little extra for some final sprinkling if you wish)
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Virtual Set Running Challenge
We would like to encourage you to take part in our Virtual Set Running Challenge. Juniors (Y3-5) run 1km and Seniors run 2km for their Sets.
It would be great to have as much participation as possible. Please send a photo of the recorded time and distance on the device being used, a screenshot, or share the file with me, as evidence of the run. ashort@pilgrims-school.co.uk
Entries run from now until the closing date - 2359 on Wednesday 10 February 2021 - are valid. Individual entries will form part of their Set average. Bonuses may be awarded for numbers in each Set participating! The winning Junior and Senior Sets will be announced in the newsletter on Friday 12 February, as we break for half-term. There is also time to do a bit of training before you submit your best effort - good luck! AJS
BONUS PARENTS' COMPETITION!
Parents are also encouraged to participate in the equivalent adult version. Send me evidence of your fastest 5k, run between now and 2359 on Wednesday 10 February 2021. You will be aligned with your son's Set, your time forming part of the Set average against the other Sets - grrr....
HANG ON THE STAFF, WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING??
Send me your best 5k times too, run as per the instructions above and I will randomize us into teams to see which team can emerge triumphant to win the virtual bottle of champagne.
PLEASE NOTE:
Think about completing your continuous effort on an open, safe countryside route, a park, or quiet pathways.
To be run at a quiet time of day such as early morning where there will be fewer other people around, and on a sensible, pre-planned route.
Be mindful of safety at all times, ALWAYS pass pedestrians and cyclists with an absolute minimum of 2m space and give them priority. If you can’t pass people safely, then don’t pass them until you can do it safely, regardless of whether you have to slow down or even stop.
Warm up well and warm down well.
Above all, enjoy it, do your best, but remember that it’s a bit of fun.
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PPA Quiz - virtual event report
Pilgrims of all ages, and their parents, took part in a fun quiz on Wednesday night kindly hosted by the Burnand family. Patrick, Walter, George and Peter gave us rounds on Year 3 and Year 8 trivia, sport, and Pilgrims’ teachers.
Who knew that Mr Hammond was a Liverpool supporter? Congratulations to the Coope family who took the crown in a tie-break.
The next family quiz will be on Wednesday 24 February at 6.15 p.m.
Anna Kennedy, PPA Chair
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Sketching
Sketching Commoner has been brilliant fun so far this term. The boys have carefully followed videos on how to draw a parrot, a hawk, and this week, a tank, which was suggested by one of the boys. I have been amazed by how well they listened and followed the instructions so perfectly. The boys have picked up some wonderful tips on how to shade their drawings and what sort of colours they could use to create a variety of different affects.
Their superb drawings demonstrate how much they have enjoyed their sketching and the pride they have taken in their work. Well done, everyone. I am so proud of you all.
Miss McGrath
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Photography Commoner
The brief this week was for the boys to take a self-portrait (or selfie!) and edit the image.
I am sure you will agree that every one of these submissions is a striking and exciting take on a very broad brief. Can you spot one of your friends in the photographs?
Quick competition: email Mr Armstrong if you can correctly name all the nine boys in the photographs? A show up to the first five correct entries!
**DISCLAIMER** competition not open to the Photography Commoner boys!!
Mr Armstrong
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From Mrs Ross
Another wonderful Pre-Prep week of learning in all kinds of weather! Well done, boys, parents, and staff.
A big welcome to Daniel, who has joined our Year 2 class this week.
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Year 2
Well done to Edward for his super work at home. Edward's beautiful display board shows his illustration of the meaning of our PSHE Programme (Personal, Social, Health Education) called 'SCARF'.
Following a Virtual SCARF lesson, Edward then knitted his own scarf and added labels showing his list of behaviours needed to make someone into a good friend.
Mrs Ross
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This week's Pilgrims’ Shell Award
Year 2 - to Oscar, for his consistent concentration, hard work and focus during Virtual School. He is such a wonderful role model!
Year 1 - to Tommy for always being so sensible and well mannered.
Reception - to Alexander for his perseverance when things have got tough. He has shown a 'can-do attitude'. Well done.
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Year 1
Another action-packed week in Year 1's virtual school experience!
In Read Write Inc lessons, Pink Group had a visit from the main character in their book, Scruffy Ted. The boys enjoyed meeting him and also brought along their favourite toy which they wrote descriptively about.
When the boys have not been on Zoom, they have had a variety of own-learning tasks which they have had the option to complete. It has been lovely to see and hear of the boys enjoying different interactive activities set. Our pirate learning has continued this week and the boys have enjoyed learning about famous pirates and creating their own fact files about Captain Blackbeard plus a famous pirate of their choice.
As ever, thank you to parents for all your support behind the scenes and thank you, boys, for working so well in this virtual world!
Mrs James
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It has been another busy week in Reception and the days have flown by.
The boys have thrown themselves into investigating time, 3D shapes, and materials, and testing out “What makes a comfy bed”. They have also been experimenting to discover just what could be completed in one minute. For example, how many times can they go (carefully) up and down the stairs, whilst drawing circles? 54 was the record, from start to standing still.
Well done, boys; I am super proud of you all. Thank you, parents, for your tireless support.
Mrs Kent
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Despite the wet weather, Year 1 still managed to get outside. We chatted about how animals also need to find some shelter at this time of year to protect them during the cold months. The boys then set about creating their very own mini shelters for small animals and minibeasts using twigs, leaves and anything else they could find.
Year R also thought about where animals might hide during the winter months. The boys were sent off to look for as many homes as they could find in their garden. They looked for holes in trees, in the ground, under stones and logs. It is amazing how many homes you can find once you start looking!
Year 2 had a go at sorting a range of leaves in lots of different ways. The leaves were sorted by length, by width, by how much they had decayed, favourite to least favourite as well as by colour.
Mrs Walker
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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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