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A Message from Mrs Knox
 This week, Prep School welcomed Surrey Wildlife Trust who helped us conduct a birdwatch in the grounds. The aim is for all the pupils to take part in the Big Garden Birdwatch on the 26-28th January. Last year over half a million people took part, counting a huge 9.1 million birds, with sparrows taking the top spot. With birds facing so many challenges today, it is more important than ever to get involved in birdwatch, which will give a valuable insight into how our garden birds are faring. Do have a look at the website and see how you can join the challenge.
Huge congratulations to our Year 11 pupils who have now concluded their week of Mock examinations. We are all very proud with how positively they have approached the whole process. Next week is our Cross Country week, which is a highlight for many! I look forward to some personal bests and moments of heartwarming sportsmanship, as well as enjoyment of a warming hot chocolate at the end! Have a lovely weekend.
Mrs Knox
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The School menu for next week
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Year 10 trip to Tate Modern
On Friday Year 10 GCSE Art and Design pupils travelled to London to visit Tate Modern. The trip was designed to give them the best possible start to their next project, which they will be developing around the theme structures. Tate Modern never fails to impress, surprise and enthrall; pupils were given the autonomy to explore the galleries independently and respond to their favourite pieces of work in their sketchbooks. Particular pupil favourites included Andy Warhol's early work, “Surface to Surface” by Susumu Koshimizu, and the photography of Dorothea Lang.
Following our visit to Tate Modern we took a photographic tour of the Southbank and surrounding areas. This took us over the Millennium Bridge to the contrasting architecture of St Pauls and the alleyways of Blackfriars, followed by the iconic National Theatre and the Millennium Eye. This allowed pupils to collect a wide variety of contrasting visual starting points for their coming project.
Mr Watson
  
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Year 5 trip to Uxbridge Museum
 On Monday the Year 5s were fortunate enough to visit the Battle of Britain Bunker in Uxbridge. This incredible bunker housed the Fighter Command’s Operations Room, which controlled the RAF’s command of the Battle of Britain. It played a pivotal role in the successful defence of Britain in 1940.
The Year 5s were able to wander around the exhibition and experience the interactive displays that showed how the Dowding Air Defence System worked. After lunch, the children had a workshop which showed what resources, tools and skills were used to help with communications during those stages of the war.
 We were then taken down the 76 steps into the bunker and the operations room, which was like stepping back in time. Appearing almost exactly as it did at the height of the battle on 15th September 1940 at 11.30am. The pupils got a real sense of what it might be like to work under such high pressure circumstances for those men and women. Our guide was extremely informative, and she was very impressed with our pupils’ existing knowledge of this time in history. It really was a wonderful, unique and immersive experience for our Year 5s.
Mrs Rigby and Mr Gritton
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Reception and Year 1 Space Day
On Thursday 11th January, Reception and Year 1 had their Space Day. All the children came dressed up in amazing costumes – Heidi really enjoyed dressing up in space clothes – which really were out of this world!
 Before play the two classes worked together and created Moon Rock Cakes where they worked on their turn taking skills and used lots of fine motor skills when combining butter and flour. Ottilie, Ali and Eliza really enjoyed cooking. They also made their very own planet night light, where they had to colour in their planet and attach it to a light. Annabelle S loved her pink planet and Grisha made a face planet for his. Oli loved making the globes.
After play, they went to PE where they split off into smaller groups with spaced-themed names such as Shooting Aliens, Team Mercury and Team Saturn, in order to complete their space missions. Ali, Jack, Marc and Mattie (Team Shooting Aliens) particularly excelled in the climbing up and down the climbing frame challenge. The children also enjoyed using their core strength to go under and over obstacles and had fun showing their jumping skills. Harry enjoyed doing PE and space.
 Following this, the children went down to the Old Hall to have their costumes judged by the School Governors.
After lunch, the children learnt about the different planets and then did a quiz, where they earned lots of stars!
Finally, the children used oil pastels to create their own panoramic pictures of the solar system. They enjoyed discussing the different colours of the planets.
Miss Walpole
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Surrey Wildlife Trust birdwatching
 On a chilly, yet picturesque, morning the Prep School were lucky enough to receive a birdwatching masterclass from Emma and Harriet from Surrey Wildlife Trust. After an assembly about the upcoming birdwatching events by the RSPB, Years 3 and 4 were first up! Once they practised using binoculars and learned the key points of birdwatching they were ready to see how many birds call the School grounds home. They discovered that a surprising number of pigeons like to visit South Bank! Years 5 and 6 had better luck spotting a greater variety of birds, with the highlights being a speedy blue tit and a crow who decided to show off his areal skills by repeatedly flying over their heads!
 All the pupils did a wonderful job of using their observational skills and being as quiet as possible. These are essential qualities for birdwatching and are very useful ahead of the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch, which takes place from 26th to 28th January. You can find more information about the event by clicking here. I’m sure your children will be ready and able to pass on what they have learnt.
Mr Gritton
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Action for nature – peck of the bunch
With natural nesting sites in decline, adding a nestbox to your garden can make all the difference to your local birds. The total area of all gardens in the UK exceeds that of our nature reserves, and as development destroys trees, hedges and old buildings, natural nesting sites are in decline. Nestboxes placed in gardens can make a real difference to the success or failure of a breeding species in an area, especially when accompanied by the regular supply of suitable food and water.
Taking place between 26th-28th January 2024, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ Big Garden Birdwatch is the world’s largest wildlife survey. Spending just one hour counting the wild visitors outside your window or in your local park helps give the charity a snapshot of how our wildlife is faring. Sign up today for your free Big Garden Birdwatch guide.
Emma Rothwell, Surrey Wildlift Trust
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Whilst supervising a playtime in Pre-prep this week, I found myself being invited to: play chase; watch a carefully choreographed gymnastics display; sample some chocolate cake (that looked decidedly like mud pie); and also referee a football game. These interactions illustrate just a few of the many reasons that I love to be a teacher; the dynamism, energy, creativity and joy that children have is nowhere better exemplified than in the Pre-prep playground!
We welcomed our new joiners this week, and I'm delighted with how quickly and well they have settled. Prep School pupils are focusing on “positivity” this half-term, as their target DoKtopus attribute, and those who started with us are to be congratulated in particular for showing a very positive attitude. Our assembly had the same theme, exemplified by the story of Louis Braille, who overcame various obstacles in his life – not least his own blindness – to be a creative and inspiring figure who has subsequently improved the lives of millions. Spellbound, we watched a clip of someone demonstrating how braille is used, reading Harry Potter with the same speed and accuracy as a sighted person – quite phenomenal, and it definitely made pupils stop and think about the importance of facing challenges with optimism.
Year 6 pupils have begun their latest Endeavour badge – Skill Development – with disciplines ranging from calligraphy and sign language to German and card tricks, from drawing and pottery to photography and knitting. Already, there are signs of improvement, and it will be fascinating to see how far their abilities progress by half term. Positivity will be key, I think, to persevering!
Mr Wright
Stars of the week
Nursery – Finley R for increased independence, communication and improving positivity at lunchtimes!
Martha S for her friendly attitude towards new children, good manners and her positive nature.
Reception – Edie B for a fantastic start to the term. You are showing greater focus in all your work.
William F for progress in all areas; faster writing, more fluent reading and effort in maths.
Year 1 – Alex W for all the hard work he has put into his work. It is really paying off now! Well done.
Year 2 – Alfred A for a fantastic contribution to class discussions during our letter writing lessons. You confidently spotted all the literary features!
Mrs Henry
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The arrival of the cold weather has coincided with the GCSE Mock Exams and the walk up and down from the Sports Hall has become progressively colder for all involved! Fortunately, the Ness Hall heating has kept us all relatively warm, and the focus and commitment shown by the Year 11 cohort deserves to gain good results. Fingers crossed for a lot of positive outcomes and some good lessons learnt as we continue to strive for personal bests all round next summer.
 Tuesday thawed out just enough to allow some touch rugby to take place, with the U14 boys running riot against Farlington, with Felix C, Harry L and Ben K particularly catching the eye. The U14/15 A, B, C and D netball teams all visited Downsend School with mixed results, particular standout performers including Tildy C, Alice B, Bella S, Issy F and Clara S. In Biology, a number of classes have been (enjoying?) studying and dissecting fish in lessons this week, with a strong smell permeating through the lower corridor in testament to their hard work!
Congratulations this week go to the following, who have gained a multiple of 25 Merit Points and therefore attended Celebration Snack Break on Friday morning; Holly B, Thibaut J, Indio K, Ben W (Year 7), Orson A, Harvey R, Patrick W (Year 8) and Felix C, Ben K, Eva P-R, Lucy M (Year 9). We also had three members of the School community who have now gained 100 Merit Points and received their commemorative badge in assembly on Friday morning; Will B, Max S and Jess I. Well done to all of you.
Have a lovely weekend.
Mr Wilson
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As we begin a new term, as well as a new year, it is important to not forget about the number of webinars that UNIFROG offers that can help guide your future choices, or just be an interesting talk that you might like to hear more about.
The following are available for all pupils and/or parents who would like to learn more about careers in these sectors.
Discover engineering and technology
From designing and building rocket ships to creating functional robots, engineering and technology are fascinating subjects for those with a passion for maths and science. In this webinar, you’ll hear from Imperial College London about the kind of things you’ll learn in an engineering or tech degree, and you’ll hear from a current student about what it’s really like to study them.
This webinar takes place on Monday 22nd January @16:30.
To sign up click here.
Discover liberal arts
Liberal arts include subjects such as history, English literature, and even some sciences. Find out more about liberal arts from Leiden University, John Cabot University and University College Fryslan. You’ll learn how to prepare for a liberal arts degree, and hear from a current liberal arts student about what it’s really like to study this subject!
This webinar takes place on Monday 22nd January @17:30.
To sign up click here.
Discover creative arts
Are you interested in performing, visual art, music, design, media and anything in between? Hear from Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and Radboud University to learn more about different creative arts courses. You’ll learn about preparing to study, how to perfect your application, and what it’s really like to study creative arts from a current student.
This webinar takes place on Tuesday 23rd January @16:30.
To sign up click here.
Discover business and management
A degree in business and management can teach you the transferable skills you’ll need to pursue your dream career. Want to find out about the kind of things you’ll get from the degree? Join EU Business School, Audencia, EHL and Esade Business School to get your questions answered.
This webinar takes place on Tuesday 23rd January @17:30.
To sign up click here.
Discover psychology
Have you ever wondered why people behave the way they do? Psychology is a pathway you should consider taking if you want to learn about the inner workings of the human mind and general animal behaviour. We'll discuss the kinds of things you’ll learn in a psychology degree, and where they could take you on your career path.
This webinar takes place on Wednesday 24 January @16:30.
To sign up click here.
Discover computer science
Computer science is at the forefront of the ever-evolving tech world we live in, and a degree in computer science could open many doors in your career and help you to earn a high wage early on. IE and Concord University will join this live webinar to talk about what you’ll learn if you choose this degree, and how to know if it’s the right pathway for you.
This webinar takes place on Wednesday 24th January @17:30.
To sign up click here.
Mr Wyllie
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Girls’ Netball: U14/15 B Netball Team v Downsend School
On Tuesday afternoon, the U14/15 B Team travelled to Downsend School for their first netball match of the term. It was an extremely cold day, so the girls were wrapped up and keen to get started! The match was close from the start with the score finishing 3-2 to Downsend after the first quarter. After a quick chat, the team began to communicate more and think more carefully about their decision-making. This made an immediate difference, with the U14/15 B team going 6-4 up.
The match continued to be end-to-end with the attacking team of Tildy C (C), Francesca R (WA), Clara H-S (GA) and Sydney R (GS) working brilliantly together to create regular goal-scoring opportunities. Going into the final quarter, the score was 10-9 to Duke of Kent School, so it was all to play for. Our defensive set up of Maggie B (GK), Mattie R (GD) and Saoirse W (WD) were on fire by the final quarter and stopped every single Downsend attack. This was crucial to ensure a great win for the team, with the final score being 11-9. A brilliant start to the term and it was fantastic to see such great effort from all members of the team despite some cold hands by the end of the match! Thank you also to Belles H and Anna S for playing a quarter each for our team alongside their own teams!
Miss Vickers
Boys' Rugby: U11 Team v Dorset House
Wednesday saw the U11 Rugby Team travel to Dorset House to play against their A and B team in their first contact match of the term. It was a very cold day, but that didn't stop the boys from giving their all. Duke of Kent School played the first match against Dorset House B and it was fantastic to see all the team getting stuck in and working well together to score a number of tries. Well done to Freddie G who showed good bravery tackling and well done to Alex I for his stepping to score his first try. The second game was against Dorset House A Team, which proved a more difficult match. Some fantastic tackling from Alfie H set the standard as we kept them at bay for the majority of the match. Unfortunately, Dorset House did manage to score a try halfway through. However, straight from the restart Arthur S caught the ball and was able to find some space to score a try. Duke of Kent School managed to continue building pressure and score our second try to win the game. Well done to all the pupils involved as they showed great grit and determination throughout both matches.
Mr Green
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Jazz Night
 I am delighted to announce that friend of the School and past jazz night star Sumudu will be performing at our Jazz Night on 26th January this term. She is an exceptional and versatile talent in jazz, pop and soul. She has performed for the late Queen Elizabeth and sung with musical luminaries Burt Bacharach, Hal David, Dionne Warwick, Peabo Bryson Tom Jones and Van Morrison to name a few.
Most recently she has been on tour with Jools Holland as a vocalist for his big band, as seen on Later... and Jools' Hootenanny.
https://www.sumudu.com
Please email bookings@dokschool.org to book your tickets priced at £15 each.
LAMDA Showcases
Our annual LAMDA showcases are taking place in the PA Hall in a couple of weeks.
Years 9 –11: Monday 29th January, 6pm
Year 7– 8: Wednesday 31st January, 5.30pm
Parents are of course welcome to come along and see what their children have been working on. It is a wonderful opportunity for the pupils to get important performance experience in front of a friendly crowd.
Mr Rye
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Top tips for managing screen time
From using them for communication, work, shopping and entertainment, devices such as smartphones, laptops and the rest are now deeply ingrained into modern society. Small wonder, then, that young people – who’ve grown up surrounded by such gadgets – can sometimes struggle to put them down, switch them off or keep themselves occupied without them.
While limiting our screen time may require a great deal of restraint, the effort can be rewarded with significant benefits to our physical and mental health. Our guide has simple tips for helping to manage the amount of screen time in your household – encouraging the whole family to spend more quality time together and live in the moment.
Click on the link to find out more information about "Top tips for managing screen time".
Also, Internet Matters is a great website that can help you deal with online issues, give you advice for different age groups, and give you step-by-step guides for setting controls for different devices.
Mr Boden
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We are almost two weeks into the new year of 2024 and for those who have made new year resolutions, this may be the point at which you may feel them becoming more of a challenge.
New Year resolutions have their roots in early cultures and would have typically been made in early spring. Deals made with gods about the paying of debts and return of goods for the promise of a good harvest. The Romans moved the start of the new year to January to appease the two-faced god Janus. He was of significance to the Romans believing, as two -faced, he could look to the past year and also see into the future of the coming year. They would make sacrifices and promises to keep themselves in Janus’ favour.
Later, early Christians would practise hymns and bible readings and reflect on how to become better Christians in the coming year, particularly as an antidote to the excesses of celebrating the arrival of a new year. It is now a secular tradition of focus on self-improvement and personal and physical betterment and still adhered to in many parts of the world.
Whether you make resolutions or not, a new year is often a time of reflection. It is a specific opportunity to look back at the previous year’s events and consider what the new may hold. I often like to consider New Year hopes or intentions, rather than resolutions (which can lead to a sense of failure if not adhered to). Better to start the new year with intention rather than rule.
If you are yet to focus on the idea of intention for 2024, might I encourage the practice of taking time to reflect throughout the year (not just on 31st of January)? It is really important that we all take time to reflect and focus on what we are feeling, what our needs are or what goals we’d like to aim for. It is something I talk to my counselling pupils about – the need to identify what it is we want or need. I also encourage them to spend time reflecting between sessions in order to process and allow for change if we want it. Equally, we can reflect and celebrate just how much we’ve achieved and go forward with the intention of continuing as our wonderful selves!
Mrs Douglas
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The weather looks set to continue to be very cold next week. Please can pupils remember to bring coats, hats and gloves to School. Skins/base layers for games would also be beneficial.
The cold weather will make asthma management more challenging, so please can pupils with a prescribed inhaler make sure they are carrying it with them at all times at School, in their blazer pocket or a bumbag if in Prep or Pre-prep (it should be named so we can return it if it goes astray). Pupils should also have their inhaler with them for the House Cross Country events taking place next week.
For pupils who are prescribed antibiotics for infection, or any other medication which needs to be taken during the School day, please remember to hand the medication in at the front office on arrival at School, and provide a completed parental consent form (available on the School website). The medication should be in the original packaging with the pharmacy label showing. Pupils are welcome to carry tissues and throat lozenges on their person at School if they are struggling with cold symptoms – no paperwork required!
Have a lovely weekend – wrap up and stay warm!
The School Nurses
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PADoK
Dates for your diary: we have Macmillan Afternoon Tea and Mr Rye’s Jazz Night, not one you want to miss, on Friday 26th January. Our PADoK event is on Friday 1st March, more details to follow but please save the date.
Duke of Kent School Flyers – Wednesday 08.30-09.30 (Tara Coles and Lois Williams)
NB: On hold due to the weather, once it warms up this will resume.
Duke of Kent School Singers – Thursday 08.20-09.00 (Cathy Williams)
We had a lovely gentle singing session to get the term started. We sang a few favourite warm-ups before working on “Yellow” by Coldplay. Please do come along and join us for a fun session. You are welcome to come and watch if you would prefer to see what it is all about.
Any questions, please do contact Cathy Williams rhodricathy@sky.com/07813 282910 or please just come along!
A relaxed singing group run by our Director of Music, Mr Rye, who kindly gives up his time to teach us how to sing. It is always fun and uplifting rather than a pressured environment. Our focus is always on enjoying singing and getting the most out of our time together.
PADoK Book Club
Our PADoK Book Club choice for the Spring Term is “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin, an exhilarating novel about two friends – often in love, but never lovers, who come together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity and ultimately a kind of immortality. We look forward to catching up with you about the book when we meet up later this term.
PADOK Core Control: strengthen your body, improve your health with our physio-led stability group. Friday mornings 08.30, Ness Hall
NB: Starts next Friday 19th January for those trying it for the first time.
Ready for the next level of fitness? Our Core Control Class is taking things up a notch! All parents are welcome.
Simply message julia@therunningspecialists.com for details and to confirm your spot.
Let's strengthen our cores and build a healthier, more connected community together!
Click here for the WhatsApp group link.
PADoK Walk – Tuesday 23rd January
Some people have asked us if we can do a walk on a different day of the week, so we are going to try to alternate the day. Please do join us: 08.30am at Car Park 3 Hurtwood Control (Pitch Hill). Everyone welcome.
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Senior School optional hoodie
The Senior School hoodies have been redesigned by members of the School Council and the finished product can be seen below. 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 and have a look.
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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.
  
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