The Bulletin Edition 10

This week, our Junior Travel Ambassadors in Year 5 delivered an inspiring assembly about the importance of doing our part for the environment, whatever our circumstances may be. A key message was how we can all make environmentally sustainable choices when thinking about traveling to and from school. If our own family or personal circumstances make that tricky, small steps in the right direction are bound to be better than none. I am always quietly delighted that at least one family here often makes part of their journey to school by crossing the mighty Thames in a boat, seasonal conditions permitting!

One suggestion that resonated from the boys’ assembly was the importance of considering how to make changes to the morning and afternoon school runs. Cycling is a wonderful option, and we love seeing pupils arrive on bikes—it’s healthy, eco-friendly, and above all fun. For those who cycle, there were helpful reminders about vigilance and road safety overall. We would, naturally, be thrilled if more families gave cycling a try.

Another recommended approach is ‘Park and Stride’. This means parking a short distance away, such as along Gloucester Road or in Carlisle Park, and walking the final stretch. If you are new to this idea, it was suggested trialling it once a week at first to see how it goes, with the aim of building this up and making it a regular habit. By dispersing parking away from the sometimes congested section of Gloucester Road immediately outside our entrance, and continuing the journey to our site on foot, we can improve relations with our neighbours (something we all value) while promoting healthy habits for both children and adults.

I begin with an acknowledgement of Year 6’s First Sporting Last! The Year 6 boys laced up their football boots for the last time for Hampton Prep on Wednesday, as they played the final football fixture of the term against Bishopsgate. It was great to have the whole year group out for this. The Cs and Ds played a half each against Bishopsgate’s Cs and rained in the goals. The Bs were equally strong, playing the ball around the field and scoring some lovely goals. The A team game flowed back and forth in the first half. The boys went two up, only for Bishopsgate to get two back. The scores were tied 3-3 at half time. The boys tightened up started to talk and the goals flowed in the second half. A great way for the year group to finish. We’ve been proud to see their progress as footballers and look forward to seeing their final term as rugby players.

Pre-Prep School Council work tirelessly to make a meaningful difference to the lives of those less fortunate across the UK and more locally. Their dedication and enthusiasm over the last week have already delivered remarkable results, including raising £153.63 for Love to Read and £138.10 for Children in Need. As we approach the end of term, they are turning their attention to one final, heart-warming initiative: supporting The Lighthouse in Woking - a charity providing vital assistance to families and individuals experiencing hardship, and we’re thrilled to lend a hand. This festive season, they are collecting Christmas jumpers (all sizes) and essential items such as toothpaste, shampoo and bubble bath. School Council will begin collecting donations from Monday, 9th December, through to Wednesday, 11th December, and we warmly invite all families to contribute if they can. Your generosity will ensure that more people in need can enjoy a brighter festive season. Thank you in advance for supporting the wonderful efforts of our School Council as they continue to make a positive impact this term.

This week in Kindergarten, we’ve had lots of fun reading different versions of The Gingerbread Man! We noticed that in some stories, it’s the little old man who bakes the gingerbread, in others it’s the little old woman, and sometimes it’s even a baker! The one thing that’s always the same, though, is the ending — the sly fox always catches the gingerbread man!

It’s been a fantastic week of learning and discovery – well done, Reception. The children have continued to thoroughly enjoy learning about a variety of animals, comparing their similarities and differences. We read The Journey Home by Frann Preston-Gannon, a story about a polar bear searching for a new home and meeting other endangered animals along the way. This sparked more wonderful discussions about animal conservation and the importance of caring for animals and their habitats. It was heartening to hear how much the children care about keeping their environment clean and free of litter for the sake of all living things.

In Year 1 this week, during our English lessons, we have been brought to tears of laughter, listening to Michael Rosen’s Down Behind the Dustbin poems! We have spent a lot of time creating rhyming strings, including using nonsense words. The children then matched rhyming pairs and now know that sometimes words rhyme despite having different spelling patterns.

This week Year 2 have had a lot of fun learning how to write instructions in English! Inspired by our reading of Mama Panya’s Pancakes, we applied all the grammar that had been taught regarding imperative “bossy” verbs, time conjunctions and adverbs. This resulted in the children being able to write a set of concise instructions, with additional fun eating suggestions! Hopefully, you’ll be able to share this recipe at home sometime soon.