A Message from Mrs Knox

It has been lovely this week meeting so many parents for our Year 11 and Pre-prep parent teacher meetings. These opportunities are invaluable as we work together to support the children in achieving the best possible outcomes. We look forward to meeting Prep School parents next week and Year 8 parents on the 16th November. Years 7, 9 and 10 will be afforded the same opportunity next term - please look out for the dates in the Spring term calendar. Tomorrow, we are hosting our new pupils Assessment and Academic Scholarship day and will be welcoming over 60 pupils. I know Years 5 and 6 from our school and St Cuthbert Mayne had a thoroughly enjoyable day today visiting various World War II sites in our local area. Next Friday, we will be holding our School Remembrance Service. Poppies are available in the School Office. Have a lovely weekend.

Mrs Knox

Driving on the School Site

Please can we remind you of the following to ensure a safe school for the children. Thank you!

* If you are coming to watch a match, parking is at the bottom of the site

* The speed limit is 10 miles per hour (absolute maximum) 

* Please do not park in front of the Performing Arts Hall 

* Please do not park in small drive leading up to the top pitch as this is a pedestrian path

The Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal

We are supporting the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal again this year and we have lots of poppies available in the Main Office, so swing by and donate what you can and choose one of the various styles we have on offer. Thank you for your donations and for supporting such an important organisation!

ISA Dance Competition

In case it passed you by, Wednesday was World Ballet Day and also the day of the ISA Dance Competition, held at Reddam House School in Berkshire! Florrie P in Year 9 represented us impeccably, dancing her ballet solo beautifully and receiving accolades from older pupils from other schools. Thank you to Florrie's mum for accompanying her!

Florrie is a busy ballerina at the moment: she also performed at Disneyland Paris over half term and is appearing in Dorking Pantomime this Christmas! 

Ballet club also celebrated World Ballet Day by watching the Royal Ballet Company's daily class, which was live streamed as part of the 24 hour festivities. This offers a very rare window into the secret (and less glamorous!) side of life as a ballet dancer. We enjoyed a hot chocolate and spotting our favourite dancers as we watched!

Miss Francis

Battle of Hastings Trip

On Saturday 15 of October, Year 6 went to where the Battle of Hastings happened. After a long bus journey, we walked to a playground, which was really fun to let off some steam. We then saw a white smith (like a blacksmith but does smaller jobs) making nails like they would have done back in the Middle Ages. It was fascinating how they made tiny nails and sharp axes from metal, and we also saw how they burned iron in furnaces

Once we finished watching, we did some sword practice, learning moves like blocking and attacking. Then we had tasty baguettes with old fashioned music played on old fashioned instruments in the background. All of us saw the ancient tapestry that the French created, showing the events of the battle. It was super interesting and amazing to see how much effort and determination the people making it had.

Later, we watched some beautiful birds of prey flying around, including peregrines, kestrels and hawks. We then went on to look around The Normans' camp on the side of the field, examining the bows and arrows in the tents and we noticed the shapes of the shields were different on the Norman’s side. We then went to look at the Saxons' side of the field - some of us even got to hold their weapons and shields. The people talked to us lots about other engaging items they used back in the time, like board games and the food they ate.

After that we watched the re-enactment of the Battle of Hastings. The troops came in and the horses approached from the Normans' side. It was a very close fight, with the Normans trying different strategies to break the Anglo Saxon shield wall until an archer shot King Harold and killed him, winning the fight for William's Normans. Everyone cheered as the new king, William, rode around on his horse through the field. It was such a fantastic experience and I think everyone would definitely go back again. 

by Harry L, Arthur H, Ben W, Holly B

With Bonfire Night upon us, Year 1 pupils have been creating fantastic firework paintings, whilst the children in Reception got creative with clay, making candy canes inspired by their shared reading of the 'Hansel and Gretel' fairytale. The Year 6s have also been delighting in their own class book, delving ever deeper into the ancient mysteries of 'The Dark Horse', creating Wanted posters for a devious character currently on the loose - you have been warned! Year 4 enjoyed completing their Heritage badges in Endeavour - the first of many they'll be tackling in Prep School; well done everyone, but special congratulations to those who achieved a Gold level! Meanwhile, in Years 2 and 3, 'comparison' has been quite the buzz word this week; Mrs Nicholson's class spent their Topic lessons contrasting the original Ancient Olympics with its modern day equivalent, and the Year 2s were thrilled to look at the similarities and differences between jelly worms of the edible variety with the real living thing, dug up (carefully) around the grounds, all under the watchful eye of Miss Munro. Have a great weekend everyone! 

Values Certificates: Alexander I (Effort), Solomon S-B (Kindness)

Aloud and Proud Group: Arthur S and Charlie S 

Mr Wright

Stars of the Week

Nursery: Angus T for settling into Nursery so happily and with a brilliantly positive and conscientious attitude.

Reception: Charles L for a super positive week and being extra helpful in the classroom.

Year 1: Sienna d P L for her effort in phonics and her huge leap forward in reading.

Year 2: Ivy H for fantastic independent writing during English Lessons.  You wrote some brilliant questions about your sea creatures.

Mrs Henry

We were straight back into the swing of things this week with a rather stormy reminder that summer is nothing more than a distant memory! A busy week that has seen the Senior School council continue to look at how the rewards and sanctions model might best serve our pupils as well as a Year 11 Parents' meetings taking place during a dark and wild evening befitting the halloween period. I do hope the discussions felt as valuable to the parents and pupils as they were to the staff as we move into the final push towards the GCSE Exams. The Year 11 drama group also had the opportunity to attend a performance of 'Othello' at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre in Guildford on Thursday which sounded highly entertaining!

As the pupils continue to accrue Merits and Commendations it is no surprise that the list of those qualifying to attend Friday morning's Celebration Snack has grown. This Friday we welcome Orson A, Erin C, Ben J, Ben O, Harvey R and Patrick W (all from Year 7), Edie H and Mercy M from year 8, and Lucy M, Daisy N, Vir O'r, Annabel O from year 9 to receive a gift and meet Mrs Knox to celebrate. Congratulations to you all and keep up the good work!

Lastly, may I take this opportunity to remind you that pupils are not allowed to bring in any food from home. Whilst I understand I sound like a party-pooper, particularly when referring to those bringing in treats on birthdays, we cannot condone this due to the risk of allergies being triggered. The only exception to this is on the last two days before the Christmas break, when many Form Groups exchange Secret Santa gifts and we allow foodstuffs to be brought in, as long as they do not contain nuts.

Mr Wilson

Tickets for 'The Addams Family' are now available to the wider school community. Please email bookings@dokschool.org to reserve your seats.  There is a limit of 6 tickets per family per performance please. There are none left for Saturday evening but plenty left for the Saturday matinée and a fair few left for Friday evening.

Performances are on:

Friday 25th November - 7.30pm

Saturday 26th November - 2.30pm

Saturday 26th November - 7.30pm - SOLD OUT

Mr Rye

Boys' Football: U12/13 D v. Moon Hall

On Wednesday, the U12/13 D and E team travelled to Moon Hall. The D team match was played first and this was a very even contest, with Declan E making some great saves to keep the team in the game. Both teams were creating chances but it was Moon Hall who scored the goal at the end to win the game 1-0. The E team match was played second and another evenly contested match followed. Duke of Kent created the better goal scoring opportunities with Jack P getting into a couple of great positions but unfortunately the team were unable to capitalize and couldn't score a goal. The game ended in a draw, well played to everyone involved in both matches. 

Mr Orme

Boys' Football: U12/13 B v. Kingswood House

What A Game!

The boys fought valiantly from start to finish, running, pressing and pinning back the opposition. The defence, marshalled superbly by Charlie L and supported ably by debutant Ben J, led a high line, allowing our midfielders and attackers to operate in advanced positions. The engine room was an interchanging rush of Patrick W, Daniel S, Ollie K and Rhys W, all of whom brought energy and passing. Our first 2 attempts narrowly missed the target, but eventually the pressure told, and Ollie K rifled a shot into the back of the net. Constant pressure from our forwards led to two quick fire goals in the second period; Duke of Kent School now had an unassailable lead. A few more shout-outs go to Arthur D-K for a memorable assist, Daniel S for a fine finish and finally, to our stopper number one, the brave and quite magnificent Jasper T for the save of the season.

Mr Allen

Boys' Football: U11 As and Bs v Kingswood House

Our visit to Kingswood House proved to be a hugely successful and entertaining afternoon. The As faced some strong opposition in a game characterised by terrific commitment and several missed opportunities on both sides. Encouragingly, the Duke of Kent Boys didn't let their spirit wane after going a goal down, indeed they seemed spurred on by conceding, and were very soon level by half time. After the break, they continued to look the more accomplished passing team, and were eventually rewarded with a winning goal. Well done, boys! Alongside this game, the Bs produced some of their most fluid football of the season. Not only did they show excellent positional discipline, and a growing trust in their team-mates' abilities, they strung together several passing moves from defence to attack that lead to a multitude of scoring opportunities and, in the end, 5 well deserved goals. The most notable sign of progress in this performance was the boys' composure in controlling the ball when receiving a pass or bringing down a clearance, then getting their heads up and making firm passes to another Duke of Kent School player. It sounds simple, but now the boys are seeing for themselves how much easier the game can be when the basics are done well. Super stuff! 

Mr Wright 

What Parents Need to Know about FIFA 23

FIFA 23, like its many predecessors, is a massively popular football simulator featuring lifelike recreations of thousands of real-world players, drawn from teams around the globe. While the gameplay is subtly improved year on year, the publisher EA’s focus remains firmly on FIFA Ultimate Team – a mode in the game that can tempt players of all ages to spend actual money on recruiting better players for their side. With each new release of FIFA comes a host of new players to unlock – meaning that youngsters can feel pressured to keep buying to compete with their friends.

In the guide, you'll find tips on a number of potential risks such as age-inappropriate chat, scammers and addiction.

Click on the link to find out more information about "What Parents Need to Know about FIFA 23".

Mr Boden

As the pupils finish their first week back after half term, I hope they have acclimatised to the rhythms and routines of school life. For some, the excitement of returning to see friends, take part in sport, return to classes and activities will have been welcomed. I’m aware that for some, however, the return after a break at home with family and outside pursuits, can be a challenging and sometimes stressful experience. This has been reflected by the number of pupils wanting to talk by attending my drop in sessions.

Next week is International Stress Awareness Week and last Wednesday was the UK’s national Stress Awareness Day, an important reminder that we should be aware of what our own personal stressors and stress levels are. Talking with others helps us to know ourselves better and the better we know ourselves, the more likely we are to recognise when we are reaching a point of overwhelm. 

Recognising stress signs:

• More irritable/ angry than normal

• Feeling agitated

• Difficulty sleeping

• Making mistakes

• Increasingly muddled or forgetful

• Consistently tense and on the go

• Not enjoying time with friends

• Physical symptoms of headaches, aches, nausea or tension

Experiencing a number of these symptoms could be an indication that you need to manage your stress with time taken to focus on self. Mindfulness, breathing exercise can be beneficial in the moment. In the longer term, making time to walk, exercise, rest, eat well, socialise and engage in pursuits you enjoy rather than adding to a busy schedule should be seen as necessary tools to regulate stress and keep a busy schedule manageable as opposed to all consuming and crushing.

The NHS has created a short quiz to help you create your own plan to be 'kind to your mind'. https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/mental-wellbeing-tips/your-mind-plan-quiz/

Stem4’s free to download app, https://www.clearfear.co.uk/ is designed for young people and is aimed at supporting them with stress and anxiety.

Over the weekend, remember to take some time to focus on yourself, particularly if you know it will be busy.

Mrs Douglas

Please can all parents be aware that we ask that pupils do not bring in food treats to share at school on their birthdays.  We have a number of pupils at school with severe allergies, so we have a strict policy that all food on site is provided by our kitchens only (for health and safety purposes).  This way we can reduce the risk of vulnerable pupils and staff from coming into contact with allergens, potentially triggering a severe allergic reaction.  Many thanks for understanding.

With 5th November approaching this weekend, we hope you all get to enjoy bonfire night safely, whether at home, or when visiting a public display (let's hope the weather forecast improves!).

For useful safety advice (including the firework code) please go to:

https://www.britishfireworksassociation.co.uk/firework-advice-for-consumers/

The following website also includes an overview of relevant first aid advice in case of any injuries/burns:

https://onlinefirstaid.com/firework-injuries-first-aid-tips/

Finally, please can Year 10 and 11 pupils attending the French Exchange in January, return their trip medical questionnaires (fully completed by a parent) to Mrs Sarjant by the end of term (these should be coming home to you this week).  

Have a happy weekend,

The School Nurses

PADoK News

PADoK Second Hand Uniform Shop

We are planning on making improvements to the shop over the next year or so.  In the meantime, we were wondering if any of the parent community might be help us with a few items.  We are in need of more storage so does anyone have any 65 litre plastic storage boxes with lids.

If you do have any of the above then please email padok@dokschool.org.

Thank you in advance.

Duke of Kent School Singers

Another wonderful turn out for singing this week of past and present parents.

We sang a couple of fun warm ups and then started to work on ‘Somewhere Only We Know'.  The harmonies were lovely and it was obvious some had done their homework over half term! Thank you, Mr Rye and Cathy for organising and Lucy B for sending us all the different parts.

It is such a wonderful uplifting session and there is no pressure whatsoever to perform anywhere. So whether you sing in a shower or studio, all are welcome to come and make Thursday mornings a bit more joyful!!!  Contact Cathy on rhodricathy@sky.com if you would like more information.

PADoK Running Technique – Friday morning 08.30 in Ness Hall

Running technique class resumed on Friday so do give it a go if it is something that could be of interest. All are welcome and little folk can accompany too if you need. 

PADoK Book Club – A Fatal Crossing by Tom Hindle

We wanted to read an old fashioned Who Dunnit and set the challenge to all that join us to send your guesses to Mrs Newman (claire@bluetreerecruits.co.uk) about who you think the Murderer is as you read the book and there will be prizes for those who guess who the killer is!  Join us at 8pm on Thursday 24^th November by the roaring fire in the great hall with a glass of wine to chat about the book, which has been described to have 'A very clever plot and a final twist which will delight Agatha Christie fans. You'll love it.' 

More information about the book is below:

November 1924. The Endeavour sets sail for New York, with 2,000 passengers - and a killer - on board.

When a body is found on deck, ship's officer Timothy Birch is ready to declare the death a tragic accident. But Scotland Yard inspector James Temple is certain there's more to this misfortune than meets the eye. Mounting an investigation, the pair uncover the theft of a priceless painting, and encounter a string of suspects with secrets to hide.

Now, with just days remaining until the Endeavour reaches New York, their search for the culprit is fraught with danger. And all the while, the passengers roam the ship with a killer in their midst...

PADoK Meeting – Monday 7^th November 8.30am in the Meetings Room

PADoK will hold their second meeting of the term on Monday morning.  If you are interested in getting involved in PADoK or just want to see what we do then please come along.  We have an open door policy but do ask that you let your class rep know if you would like to come so we have an idea on numbers.

Burns Night - SAVE THE DATE

PADoK are delighted to invite you for a *TASTE OF BURNS* on *Friday 27th January 2023* at Duke of Kent school. 

An evening of ceilidh dancing, poetry and food to celebrate Scotland's greatest bard, Robert Burns.

Tickets will include a dram, light haggis supper, our piper and traditional ceilidh dancing with caller.

Paid bar will be available. Wear a wee bit of tartan to get into the spirit! 

More detail re ticket prices & timings will follow, but the excitement is already building, we so look forward to seeing you there!   

Mrs Phillips

Senior School Optional Hoodie

The Senior School hoodies have redesigned by members of the School Council and the finished product can be seen above.  They have done a fantastic job at putting this design together and now finally getting to see the finished product.

This new hoodie is available from Stevenson's on their website: https://www.stevensons.co.uk/.  There is also the option to have your child's initials printed onto the front of the hoodie for a slight additional cost, something we would advise to avoid mixing up tops with other pupils. This hoodie is not an essential item of School uniform, so there is no expectation for pupils to have it.

If you wish to see the sample, please pop into the Main Office to see me and have a look at the new hoodie.

Mrs Woolgar

School Social Media

At Duke of Kent School we have three social media platforms; Instagram (dukeofkentschool), Twitter (@DoKSchool) and Facebook (Duke of Kent School). All of our social media accounts are public.

We recommend following all three accounts to receive push notifications with news, updates, educational articles, interactions with other schools, communities and public figures.

        

Mrs Woolgar