From Mrs Ross

Link to nativity write up : https://www.thepilgrims-school.co.uk/a-nativity-to-remember

This afternoon's festive walk, through the Christmas Market to Winchester Cathedral, with our Pre-Prep staff and boys has been a fabulous, Friday finale.  Canon Tess led our very special Assembly, in the Nave, beneath the beautiful shining star.  The boys sang 'Away in a Manger' softly, and we prayed our very own 'Candle Prayer' together.

Photos from the Christmas Dinner today:

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Pilgrims' Shell Awards

• Year 2 – to Sahil for his fabulous progress when painting. What a neat and precise nutcracker you created this week. Well done, Sahil! 
• Year 1 - to Aaron for working so hard at school, particularly in the Nativity play, having been poorly and off school for several rehearsals.  A great camel!
• Reception - to  James, for being an amazing, sparkly star.
   

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Diary dates

 

Diary dates	Times	The week ahead
Monday 5 December	0815-0845 1300	Open Classrooms for parents  Pantomime: Jack in the Beanstalk
Tuesday 6 December	0815-0845	Open Classrooms for parents  Last After School and Supper Club (Coding Commoner running as normal)
Wednesday 7 December	1400-1500 1530-1630 approx	End of Term pickup  Whole School Carol Service in Winchester Cathedral - parents welcome to take their sons
Monday 9 January	0830	Term begins for Pre-Prep

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Notices

Menus - Please find a link to next week's menus here, on My School Portal. (Next week's menu is to follow)

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From the PPA

Year 2

With the arrival of Advent this week, we have felt we can certainly dive headfirst into Christmas here in Year 2. The utterly fabulous performance of all the boys in the Nativity on Wednesday well and truly opened the doors to Christmas.  

A whistle-stop tour of other festive events going on here would include the making of a very special Christmas decoration, the hanging of Craft Club’s pom pom hats on the Year 2 Christmas tree and the folding of our printed paper to make paper stars for the windows, a Christmas story around the tree in the Front Hall with Mrs Leslie, the opening of the first two doors of our Pre-Prep Staff advent calendar… thank you Pre-Prep Staff for embracing the Christmas spirit! So far, we’ve found Mrs Anderson in a bobble hat and Mrs Ross dressed as a reindeer behind the numbered doors! Finally, the arrival of a Very Special Delivery in the post that Mrs Payne had received in the Front Office from Father Christmas himself brought with it a rather cheeky chap direct from the workshops of the North Pole. This impish elf has already got himself stuck in a present in Year 1, caught up in a Nativity star in Year 2 and been found trying to fly a rocket into space! Where else are we going to find him? The boys are eagerly keeping tabs on his movements! 

Teachers and staff are fizzing with excitement for what next week will bring… Christmas cards to make, a Christmas pantomime to watch, the Christmas party to enjoy. What a magical end to the term! 

Year 1

Well, what a week we have had in the Pre-Prep!  

The boys kicked off our week with our Christmas Nativity dress rehearsal with Year 3s and Nurseries watching.  It went okay, but we knew we could do better, so we practised again on Tuesday for the Year 4s, better, but again, we knew we could improve even more.  On Wednesday the boys performed 'the real show' and WOW!  We were blown away by how amazing they all were.  The boys remembered their lines, knew where they needed to stand, acted superbly and sang beautifully.  I am sure you were as proud of them as we all were.  

Thursday welcomed the 1^st of December and Advent. The Year 1 boys received a special delivery from Father Christmas himself with a letter, advent calendar and sack full of decorations to share.  They were so excited, full of wonder and questions, just magical!  Look out for the naughty Elf who has arrived too!  One reason why I love teaching in the Pre-Prep!

A truly magical and memorable week.  Have a fabulous Christmassy weekend.
Mrs Huntley

Reception

It really is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas this week and the boys have made their teachers and parents very proud with their performance of our Nativity play, We Three Kings. 

Mary took great care rocking baby Jesus and Joseph looked on admiringly whilst the donkey knelt patiently beside the manger. The shepherds did an excellent job looking after their sheep and the star shone brightly throughout, twinkling, singing and moving right on cue. Well done, boys; the Drama and Music departments have much to look forward to in the years to come.

As we come to the end of our final full week of term: in Maths, the boys have been working hard on developing their knowledge of the number five. They were very proud of their efforts, which started as a teacher-led activity to make towers of five, then they took this one step further and worked together to build a tower stretching right the way across the classroom. Much talk occurred from boys going home from After School Club, intrigued as to what the boys were learning, a whole school community embraced a simple five-minute activity which lasted into the following day.

And of course, the boys have been busy with glitter making Christmas decorations adding to the excitement and anticipation. I wish each boy and their family a very Merry Christmas.

And a couple of photos from our Cathedral Assembly this afternoon:

 

Forest School 

Christmas came early to Forest School, this week for the boys. The boys had a wonderful time decorating our wooden tree, which was constructed from an old wooden pallet. Year R made decorations using fir cones, and had great fun creating some Rudolph medals, which they wore with pride.

Year 1 were very excited about their first fire pit session. The boys learned how to ‘Stop, Drop, Cover and Roll’ as well as, how to build a small fire using layers of sticks. Cooking popcorn on the open fire really was a treat, and a fitting end to a very busy term.

Decorating the Christmas tree was also very popular with the boys in Year 2. Using sticks, ribbons, pipe cleaners and feathers, the boys created some magical stars to hang on our tree. Some of the boys also enjoyed making wooden Santa faces.
Mrs Walker