My highlight of the week in Pre-prep was seeding the wondrous array of costumes worn by Year 2 on Wednesday for their Oceans Day explorations. Octopuses, squid, sharks, fish and even a very lifelike jellyfish were just some of the marine animals chosen by the children, and brought spectacularly to life in their creations. The children were also on top form in the water themselves, this week, showing enthusiasm and resilience in the pool. We are introducing a new award to Pre-prep Star Assembly, with a certificate for Swimmer of the Week.
Year 6 enjoyed a visit to the Senior Science labs this week, learning about and trying different methods to separate mixtures, following a demonstration of distillation from our Head of Science, Mrs Tattan-Robb. In English, Year 6 were also taking on the role of inventors, creating a variety of inventions inspired by their class novel 'Holes', and then advertising them with their developing persuasive writing skills. Florence A's 'Hat of Everything' is already on my Birthday wishlist. Year 4's writing has been aimed towards untangling the mystery of the koh-i-poor diamond theft, although it may be a few more weeks before the culprit is revealed!
Lastly, I can't sign off without mentioning the superb efforts of the Prep pupils on the cross-country track this week. It was simply wonderful to witness so many personal bests being achieved, whether they finished first or last in the field. Such grit and perseverance will serve them all well in many other ways, I am sure. Year 6 even used some of their running data to help them learn about speed, distance and time calculations in Maths, calculating how long it would take them to reach Guildford, and how far they could get if they ran for 3 hours. What an ambitious lot!
Stars of the Week
Nursery: Felix for settling into school life so comfortably and for his happy participation in the school day.
Imogen W for working with greater independence and good participation in phonic and numeracy activities.
Reception: Athena dPL for a fantastic attitude to learning, you give everything a go and always display positivity.
Fliss F for careful writing in phonics and applying our newly learnt sounds.
Year 1: Sofia T for showing independence in your handwriting skills. Miss Walpole and Mrs Richmond both said that you were a super listener, and it showed in your work. Well done!
Zara S for your phonics work this week. You did a fantastic job at identifying words with adjacent consonants. Overall, your focus and effort has been super.
Year 2: Eliza H for an incredibly creative Ocean Day costume. You looked brilliant, Miss Jellyfish!
Charles L for your wonderful effort and focus during independent tasks. You have developed a healthy attitude towards challenging yourself.
Mr Wright
It was fantastic watching the pupils this week show real determination and persistence throughout their cross-country events. We had some brilliant finishes with some superb individual performances. All of the pupils are to be congratulated on the way they gave their best this week. Every child earned important points for their house. Who will be the winning house this year, I wonder? Thank you also to the many parents who came along and cheered the children on. Hot chocolate was enjoyed by all! Congratulations must go 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 and their attitude to how they plan to use the results to set goals for the summer exams. Have a lovely weekend.
On Wednesday, Year 2 had an Ocean themed day filled with fun activities. It was great to see the fantastic effort that went into the brilliant costumes; there were jellyfish, mermaids, sharks, and even a squid!
Year 6 embraced outdoor learning while investigating the mysterious death of King William Rufus in 1100. Using our wonderful grounds as an outdoor classroom, pupils took on the roles of William Rufus, Walter Tirel, and Henry I to recreate the famous events in the New Forest. They worked collaboratively in groups to produce detailed accounts, exploring historical intrigue while bringing the past to life in an engaging and interactive way. 
A big well done to Year 11 for their exemplary conduct during this week’s mock examinations. Their behaviour, attitude, and focus have been outstanding, and they should be proud of how they have handled such an important and understandably challenging week.
Congratulations to the following pupils for reaching the impressive milestone of 25 Merit points: Will M, Jasmine W, Penny A, Harry L, Freddie P, Dante R-D, George S, Issy F, Rupert H, Chris M, and Emily N.
