|
|
|
To be a Pilgrim is to look forward, Episode 19 Pilgrims are, like children all over the country, looking forward to being back in School, to seeing their friends and teachers, and to resuming education in person on Monday – something until the past year we have all taken for granted. We, teachers and staff, are really looking forward to seeing and hearing boys in the School again. The School without boys is a strange place; not exactly the Marie Celeste, but it certainly does feel deafeningly quiet in large parts. In two ‘To be a Pilgrim’ pieces over the last month, and in recent Monday Head’s Assemblies, I have described the importance of learners having and developing a Growth Mindset. This is important for anyone involved in learning and teaching: for Pilgrims, parents and teachers. The impact of a Growth Mindset is that by believing you can grow your intelligence the resulting effort, determination, resilience and process that a learner goes through leads to superior educational outcomes. Teachers and parents who praise learners’ process and effort, rather than outcomes, are crucial to help learners develop a robust Growth Mindset. A Growth Mindset also leads to happy, more resilient learners. Win, win, win, win: happy (win), resilient (win), lots of effort (win), superior outcomes (win)! With this in mind, I want to congratulate the boys whose hard work and effort has led to Music Scholarships so far this year. The specific awards and schools achieved so far were listed by Mr du Plessis in last week’s To be a Pilgrim so I will just mention again the names of the boys: Thomas Gotch, William Holmes, Shane Shelley, Alex Sheng, Oliver Street, Kyven Tan, Wilson Tang, David Wang, James Whiteley and Oscar Walmsley (Choral). Well done, all of you, on your hard work and effort, on the process that allowed you to achieve these truly prestigious awards. Senior schools are thrilled to make these awards and I know they will open doors to lots of exciting opportunities for the boys in their senior schools: opportunities to perform in ensembles, orchestras, choirs and as soloists, to work with and support other musicians, to organise school or house music activities and competitions, to represent the school at home and abroad and so much more. Who knows, maybe even a future musical career? I know that the hard work and effort that led to these awards will continue. I encourage boys in younger years to take inspiration from the attitude of these boys and all Year 8 musicians. Great work! At this point, I want to pay tribute to and thank Mr du Plessis for his incredible work in leading the Music Department and supporting all Pilgrims on their musical journeys (from Grade 1 to Scholarship, Reception to Year 8, and everything in between). Thank you as well to Mr Burton, all the VMTs who teach at Pilgrims, and parents who support their sons in every step of that journey. This has been an incredibly challenging 12 months for musicians everywhere and yet we have still enjoyed so much astonishing music (albeit in slightly different ways and requiring a great deal of organising) both in School and on screens. We look forward to more music and a lot more opportunities to make music together. Another great achievement that has been the result of hard work and effort is Harry Huxley’s painting inspired by the contemporary artist Tim Muddiman (Study in Two-point Perspective) described in Mr Walter’s article below. Tim commented after seeing the image of Harry’s painting on Mr Walters’ post on Instagram, “This is a significant honour. I love the re-work. Top marks to your student. Please pass on my admiration to Harry! Excellent.” Well done, Harry. This is an incredibly exciting and wonderful acknowledgement for you. Keep up the hard work. I award you a Head’s Show Up. We look forward to opening the School on Monday and welcoming back boys, teachers and all staff. For those boys for whom travel restrictions and quarantine requirements mean that you are not able to return for these three weeks before the Easter holidays, we are thinking of you. You will not be left out, and we look forward to seeing you on Zoom (just for the moment, it will be in person soon). Have a lovely weekend! |
|
|
The Week Ahead Saturday 6 March | 12:30
| Parent Drop in meeting with Dr Essex
https://zoom.us/j/5748915058 | | 12:30-15:00 | Lateral Flow testing for Year 7 and Year 8 | Sunday 7 March | 18:30-19:30 | Lateral Flow testing for Year 7 and Year 8 boarders | | 19:00-20:00 | Boarders may return | Friday 12 March | 18:00
| Exeat begins
| Saturday 13 March | | No school
|
|
|
Welcome back to school from the Front OfficeA reminder that Isobel is your first point of contact with the school. Please email ipayne@pilgrims-school.co.uk for the following: - any day-to-day enquiries
- to let us know if your son is unwell and will be absent from school
- if you have any future medical appointments you need us to be aware of
- to change the designated adult who has permission to collect your son (NB: this crucial in order that we sign your son out correctly)
- for any updated change of contact details
- if you are unsure of anything at all
Please email nurse@pilgrims-school.co.uk if you require your son to be absent from Games. Please email Karen Pacey (kpacey@pilgrims-school.co.uk) if your son has a future planned absence such as a school visit which we need to be aware of. Please email Claire Beverton (cbeverton@pilgrims-school.co.uk) if you have a query regarding the Pre-Prep. Please email Alison Higgins ( ahiggins@pilgrims-school.co.uk) for any second-hand uniform queries (until the end of this term only). Thank you, and we look forward to hearing from you. Isobel Payne, School Office |
|
|
|
Artwork of the WeekStudy in Two-Point Perspective (after Muddiman) by Harry H (6Y) The Year 6s are fast approaching the end of their Lockdown project this week. Their brief was to create an artwork inspired by the work of contemporary hardedge abstractionist Tim Muddiman, whose practise fuses architectural modernism with painterly abstraction. If you know what to look for, you can also see his ingenious use of two-point perspective in his illusionistic paintings and prints. Harry H (6Y) has produced an outstanding acrylic painting on canvas at home this Lockdown and it is only fitting that this work receive the recognition it deserves as this week's 'Artwork of the Week' for all the many patient hours he has poured into its production. Well done, Harry! I am amazed and impressed. Thank you for going above and beyond the brief and my expectations. Have a Show Up for your efforts! If you are on Instagram, make sure you check out Tim Muddiman's account " tim_muddimant (tim_muddiman)" and our school account, "art_at_pilgrims", for some behind the scenes photos of this week's Artwork of the Week. Mr Walters |
|
|
|
Form of the Week: Junior – 5P Senior – 7S An edible treat will be posted home today! Junior Plus Badge Winners 5P – Neil C, Fraser N 5W – Ayden C, Tristan S 4B – Teddy E, Nathan Z 4M – Zach M, Charles N, Ennis Z 3G – Edward D, Harry C, Alexander L 3E – Zach W, Alfie H Mr Burton School NoticesPPA News The postponed Trout Night will take place on Wednesday 17 March. You can Zoom in to watch Year 8 parents Tor and Hugo Hardman prepare a spring feast. Follow along with your own ingredients or order direct from ChalkStream. Details to follow. Menus Please find next week's menu on My School Portal here. |
|
|
Last day of Critical Worker School! It's the last day for the Critical Worker Crew! The children of critical workers have been looked after throughout this period of lockdown by an amazing team of teaching, medical, catering, cleaning, maintenance, management and admin staff! This is a big thank you to them all from this group of boys! |
|
|
|
|
Online safety - message from Mr Murphy, IT ManagerAs we all find ourselves spending more and more time online these days, it is essential that we ensure we are following best practice when it comes to our online safety. At school, we have systems in place to ensure that the boys are not able to access any content that could be deemed inappropriate, and we hope that this is something that is replicated at home using the many tools available. Whilst website access is relatively easy for us to control, when it comes to games and apps, it can be a little trickier. Many games can be easy to identify as suitable or not for our children, but some are not all that they seem to be. "This County Lines app is not surprisingly creating consternation amongst parents of exploited children. It is a game about running a County Lines (Cunch) operation. The NCA, VKPP and NCLCC are all aware of this app and the NCLCC is investigating whether any action can be done about it. It appears to have an in-chat facility which woul enable grooming/recruitment and so hopefully action can be taken. This App appears to be available via the Iphone App store etc. Information from the National Police Chiefs’ Council." I do hope you find this information useful and that, like me, will be checking our children's phones and devices to ensure that all of the apps are age appropriate. |
|
|
|
World Book Day 2021 £1 tokenThis year we are distributing the virtual book token that will enable pupils to get one of the £1 books or to receive a discount on purchases above £2.99. Full details are provided below. There are two different tokens; one for Primary and one for Secondary. Please note that the Secondary token gives access to two books which are not suitable for younger readers and contain mature content (Skulduggery Pleasant, Apocalypse Kings, and Kill Joy.) Please select this link if your child is a pupil in Year R to Year 6 inclusive, and select this link if your child is a pupil in Years 7 and 8. How to redeem the token: The £1 book token can be exchanged for one of our exclusive, new £1 books (see the full line-up here) OR to receive £1 off any book or audiobook costing £2.99 or more in participating bookshops and supermarkets. • The book token is valid from Thursday 18 February to Sunday 28 March 2021. Participating booksellers will honour the tokens beyond the 28 March while stocks last. Please contact your local bookseller to check if they are able to offer £1 off other titles. • The book token can ONLY be used in participating bookshops (find your nearest store at http://booksellers.org.uk/wbd ) • The book token can be printed out and taken to your local bookseller. Booksellers such as Sainsbury’s and Asda are unable to accept the voucher on a phone or tablet screen. For all other booksellers, please check before you visit. • The digital £1 book token cannot be redeemed online. • The digital £1 book token is intended for SINGLE-USE ONLY Mrs Brill |
|
|
|
Year 4 PoetryYear 4 have been studying poetry this term and have enjoyed some of the wonderful poems by Valerie Bloom. The boys had fun reading them aloud and looking at the Caribbean patois. 4M had the pleasure of listening to Mr Symonds read Valerie Bloom's poem 'Just Wait', which was read in a superb Caribbean accent! Thank you so much, Mr Symonds. There were cheers of joy all round! The boys wrote their own poems using 'Just Wait' as inspiration. The results were spectacular, and we were incredibly proud of how hard Year 4 worked on their poems and how much they enjoyed writing them. Well done, 4M and 4B - you certainly have a natural flair for poetry. Miss McGrath and Mrs Buckett |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Accelerated Reader Week 7 Years 3 to 6 have read a total of 35,396,963 words since the start of the academic year! There has been some fantastic quizzing taking place, with almost every boy contributing to the total, and an incredible proportion already achieving Word Millionaire status. The Wrens have continued to storm ahead, extending their lead, but there is a terrific battle between the Saxons and the Normans for 2nd place. A similar jostling of position between the Monks and Romans for fourth place has seen the Romans move slightly ahead as we move into the last few weeks of term. There is plenty of opportunity to level the scores – so keep your reading up! Miss Higham |
|
|
|
The Sky at Night - March 7 onwardsMars Now that NASA’s Perseverance is sending back crisp and astonishing images from Mars, why not look out for Mars at night. Sadly, it’s only going to get fainter as this year progresses; in the months ahead, Mars will slowly but surely dim as – day by day – it will sink closer and closer to the setting sun. However, until mid-March, it looks good; use Orion’s Belt to star-hop to the Mars and the Pleiades star cluster. The Snow Moon Remembered It was great to receive several images in of the Snow Moon last weekend – it was brilliant (in all senses). Thank you to Alfie L for this one. Mr Hammond |
|
|
From the BaseEarly Mornings There is a stillness early in the mornings, especially in Spring and Summer. Those quiet moments just before dawn, when life is waking up (not the teenagers in my household though). The only times I've seen a fox have been then, and many hedgehogs and quite a few other creatures. If I'm lucky and in the garden, I will have a cup of tea with me. I often don't think of those times until I'm in them again. The lack of human noise, just nature, the stirring of wind in the trees and the calls of birds. In Summer, you might get a humid gust of wind blow through, or in Spring a still, crisp, and crunchy ground covering. The day feels full of potential and all the things that could happen. I try and feel in the moment, just to be there and appreciate it. I try not to think of what's come before or what will come after. Be grateful. Then the world moves on and I forget. Until the next time. Hopefully you will have additional 'peace' at home from next week. Mr Shroff |
|
|
Set Winter SportsOn Saturday, on a day of blazing sunshine and azure skies, Pilgrims' held its Set Winter Sports – of course. Hundreds of cabers were tossed, as 12” rulers flew across lawns; hundreds of metres were run, as boys leapt over hay bales, kennels and logs; hundreds of feet were leapt as boys launched themselves from patios, staircases and crates. And they seemed to have fun, as bleary Zoomed-out eyes were replaced by eager smiles and laughter. And staff, too, seemed happier, whether recording from the safety of their homes, or reporting from such venues as Le Mans, Monza, or Silverstone. And Romans won. Thank you, boys, for going for it; thank you, staff, for going with it; thank you, Dr Essex, for allowing it! Mr Hammond |
|
|
|
|
To VAR or not to VAR!Being part of the PE department here at Pilgrims' gives staff the great privilege to be involved in a wealth of different sports. From rugby, cricket and hockey, to athletics, fishing and sailing. It is well known, however, that the football season is the highlight in my personal sporting calendar. Football, for me, is a passion no matter what the level. My role in coaching and helping boys in the early stages of their development gives me as much joy as seeing experienced teenagers turning into excellent young players. Outside of Pilgrims’, football also dominates the television at home. A scenario I am sure many of you can relate to. It seems that with the ever increasing world of social media, more games televised than ever, and the armchair fans able to vent their frustrations and opinions with ease, the controversies that elite football throws up often takes the limelight away from what we all actually love about the game - the football itself. Rarely now do pundits, or indeed fans, talk about new emerging talented footballers, or the fantastic strategic plays by a manager, or the wonderful goal scored from range! Commonly now, football conversations start with. ‘Why was that goal disallowed for handball?’, ‘why was that given as a penalty?’, ‘VAR is rubbish!’, VAR is brilliant!’ Many sports across the globe have used technological aids to help officiate, and with great success. So why has football, arguably the greatest and most popular sport of all, taken so long to catch up? Firstly, association football rules are largely the same across the board, from elite level leagues in Europe, to grass roots. It was deemed unfair on teams with far less infrastructure, as they would be unable to accommodate the complicated technology, and so if not all teams could facilitate them, then it wouldn’t happen at all! This changed in 2012. When the ‘Hawk Eye’ style technology used in tennis, was applied to determine if a ball had crossed the goal line. This proved popular and very successful, meaning more and more technology followed. Today, Video Assistant Referee (VAR) divides opinion. With referees having the option to view certain scenarios in slow motion, many believe that there is now no excuse for the officials to get a decision wrong. However, increasingly, this still seems to be happening, creating more pressure and anger towards the on-pitch referees. Football, and indeed sport in general, is often based on interpretation. What one person considers a foul may be very different to another person’s view. An incident can be viewed numerous times, from numerous angles, but still generate a difference in opinion. ‘Too many cooks spoil the broth’ proverb - if too many people are involved in one task, it will not be done well. I am a traditionalist. Football has been refereed by one man out on the pitch, and two assistants for many years. It is only now, with the introduction of technology, that incorrect decisions and controversies seem to be on the rise. Players, managers and fans I am sure, would rather let the referee use his expertise and experience to control the game and stick to the ‘you win some, you lose some’ mentality. I am certainly in that camp and long for ‘the good old days’ to be back. I will leave you to decide which side you are on! Mr Buck |
|
|
Photography CommonerLight bends when it passes through water, causing the objects behind to change appearance. This is called refraction, and the photography commoners made use of this phenomenon this week. All they used was a glass of water and a background. If you look closely you can spot a self-portrait and a dog (not in the same photo!). Mr Armstrong |
|
|
|
|
Epic Skills Would you like to know how to mimic a capercaillie, use hot keys, train a dog, start computer programming, make paper planes or learn some ball skills? CBBC's How to be Epic at Everything is fine, but Pilgrims' boys of the Epic Skills commoner have been developing a skills library of their own! Not only have they got an epic skill, but they have developed their instructional and technical skills to create these tutorials. Check out their amazing skills videos on our Vimeo account with the usual password. Mr Short |
|
|
Friday 19 March, Comic ReliefFriday 19 March is Red Nose Day and we thought it would be a great opportunity to have some fun and 'do something funny for money'! The plan is for the boys to have an assembly to explore what red nose day is all about and some of the charities that the fundraising supports. In terms of fund raising activities, Mr Hammond has kindly agreed to organise 'Pilgrims make you smile' - similar to 'Pilgrims got talent' - which will air at 7pm on Friday 19 March. In addition to this we thought it would be fun to have a red themed mufti day. Each boy will be provided with a (non-plastic) red nose when they arrive at school which is part of the national fundraising activities. IMPORTANT *DUE TO THE CHALLENGES OF COLLECTING MONEY DURING COVID, WE WOULD LIKE TO COLLECT £3 PER BOY FROM THE SCHOOL BILL. PLEASE E MAIL ppa@pilgrims-school.co.uk IF YOU ARE NOT HAPPY FOR US TO DO THIS. THIS WILL NOT PREVENT THE BOY TAKING PART IF HE WISHES TO. The full £3 will be sent to the comic relief charity. Please do read Mr Hammond's e mail below for full details of 'Pilgrims make you smile and we look forward to a fun, funny, fundraising, red splashed school day on Friday 19 March! The PPA Dear parents, What a chance for your son to make others smile! Friday 19 is Comic Relief Day – and Pilgrims' will celebrate with a Pilgrims Make You Smile event, rather in the style of last year's online Pilgrims' Got Talent So, all you need to do is to prod your son to produce an act to make others smile. He might: Tell jokes Sing a jolly song (with actions) Somehow make mime funny Balance books on his head whilst eating The opportunities are endless The Final will be broadcast at 1900 on Friday 19 March. All he has to do is to make a video (2 mins max) recording of his feat, and send it to me by the close of Friday 12 March Many thanks, Geoffrey Hammond ghammond@pilgrims-school.co.uk |
|
|
|
From Mrs RossThank you to all of the Pre-Prep boys and teachers who made 'World Book Day' so special this year! We managed to celebrate books in all their genres. The boys' enthusiasm was infectious, and we had fun sharing our knowledge of book characters whilst working through an action-packed day of learning. I look forward to seeing you all next week! |
|
|
|
Y2 have been visiting the Maasai Mara in KenyaThey spotted, hyenas, lions, zebras, hippos, rhinos, and giraffes! The most exciting part was watching The Great Migration of the wildebeest as they travelled from the Serengeti plains, following the rains to find new pastures. Finally, they met the Maasai warriers and joined in with their tribal dancing! Mrs Thorne |
|
|
|
|
This week's Pilgrims’ Shell AwardYear 2 - to Charlie Liddiard for impressing teachers with his excellent concentration and focus during English lessons. He has made fantastic progress with both his reading and his written skills this term. Year 1 - to Wilberforce Fuggle for working sensibly and independently throughout virtual school. Well done! Reception - to Oliver, for his hard work and enthusiasm in virtual school. Oliver always goes the 'extra mile', I am very proud of you! |
|
|
Year 1 Thank you for a lovely final week of virtual school, Year 1. I can't wait to see you next week and have loved seeing your magical lands that you have created for the top of the magic faraway tree as part of our World Book Day activities. Mrs James |
|
|
|
|
The Boys in Reception have had yet another superb week in Virtual school, from moon landings, to pirates, to World Book Day. They have been busy learning how to use a number line to aid their addition and subtraction sums, some even taking their learning outside enjoying the spring sunshine. In RWI, one group drew some 'mean and cruel' looking pirates before writing wanted posters with high rewards on capturing Red Hat Rob! They have shown an abundance of energy, and I cannot wait until we are all back in the classroom on Monday morning! Mrs Kent |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Year 1 used the natural environment to explore number bonds this week. First of all, the boys had to create 3 x 3 grid out of sticks and then collect a range of natural items from their surroundings. The challenge was to see if they could make each row and each column add up to 10. Once completed it also became a nice piece of outdoor artwork! I shared the lovely story ‘The Adventures of Leaf Man’ with Year R. We chatted about the character and the boys then created their very own ‘Leaf Man’ using leaves from their garden. I wonder what adventures their ‘Leaf Man’ got up to? We were in an arty mood with Year 2 and I challenged the boys to create some giant nature letters of their initials. They were encouraged to go on the hunt for some interesting natural items that they could include in their masterpiece and I was thrilled with their designs. Mrs Walker |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Sign up at www.thepilgrims-school.co.uk for The Pilgrims' School Outreach Programme event taking place on Saturdays from March to the end of May. Please share it widely! |
|
|
|
|
The Pilgrims' School, 3 The Close, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 9LT 01962 854189 pilgrims@pilgrims-school.co.uk; admissions@pilgrims-school.co.uk |
|