Boys' Hockey: U14/15 v. St. Edmund's
On Tuesday, the U14/15 B team played a hockey match against St. Edmund’s. It was a good start to the match for Duke of Kent School, with Luke M showing off some good skills to set up George P for a well taken goal to give the team the lead. Throughout the match Kai G made some great saves playing as the goalkeeper for the first time in a hockey match. An evenly contested game that ended 4-2 to Duke of Kent School, a great start to the hockey season for the team. Well played to everyone involved.
Mr Orme
Rugby: U9 & U10 v. Ripley Court
This week saw the first rugby matches played by any Duke of Kent School teams for nearly two years. On Wednesday, the U10 team travelled to Ripley Court to play a coaching game. The match was arranged to help the pupils start to build confidence when playing contact rugby, and therefore we started with the U9 laws which does not include rucking mauling or scrummaging. The standard of rugby from both sides was very good and it was amazing to see how quickly confidence grew when running with the ball. It was also very clear that the size of the opposition did not matter when tackling if the technique from the tackler was sound; this was very well demonstrated by so many players and particularly Rommy B. Although we had decided not to worry about the score, it was particularly pleasing to see both sides, who were being introduced to rugby, play out a thrilling draw.
Thursday saw the U9 boys play the same rules in a coaching game and the U8 teams running play their first tag matches. Again these matches were arranged to give the players a chance to experience matches in a controlled and friendly environment. The U9 match played out similarly to the U10 match the day before. The confidence of the team grew as the match progressed and the players started to show a better understanding of the rules. Alfie H showed his determination when and good tackling technique. The U8 teams started to show a greater understand of the offside line and the technique needed to reach for a tag. Many tries were scored and all of the matches, on Thursday afternoon, were very even.
All players should be extremely proud of their efforts and we will continue to help them develop their skills, tactical understanding and confidence as the term progresses. Both contact matches this week were extremely well refereed by Steve Brunning from Ripley Court who showed his experience in letting the game flow and allowing a chance for both teams to experience an enjoyable game.
Mr Green
Netball: U14 v. Moon Hall College
On Tuesday afternoon, Duke of Kent School's U14 team enjoyed a netball match against Moon Hall College. The weather could only be described as foggy, damp and rainy so the conditions were not ideal! However, this did not seem to effect the girls during the match! Each member of the team contributed with great effort and determination and ignored the horrible weather. The game started slowly, with both teams taking a bit of time to get into their flow and link up their passes. By the second quarter, the U14s were flying with Rose S and Ariane L teaming up brilliantly in GA & GS to score multiple goals for the team. Meanwhile, Pippa S was doing an incredible job in GK, Moon Hall College had lots of opportunities to pass into the circle but Pippa managed to make countless interceptions to regain possession for the team. As the quarters progressed, the girls in the mid-court, Annabelle R, Josie B, Eva L and Alex K, worked really well together and began to time their passes with great accuracy and precision. This lead to more possession and consequently more goals! Abi W and Esme P played brilliantly in defence and helped contributed to a brilliant win for Duke of Kent School - well done to all the girls involved!
Miss Vickers
Girls' Hockey: U8 and U9 v. Ripley Court
A sunny but very cold Thursday afternoon brought Ripley Court to Duke of Kent School for matches against our U8 and U9 girls hockey teams. Both teams performed fantastically and we came away with two wins.
The U8s started very strong and Eva W scored our first two goals. Not long after, Florence A scored our third. We were able to score these thanks to some great driving forward with the ball from Evelyn C and Charlotte P in midfield. The game wasn’t over yet and Ripley started to attack our goal but our defence was very strong, with Layla B, Evie B and Seren G making some great tackles and clearances. The game finished 3-1 and Eliza R was given Girl of the Game for her great defensive work.
On the other half of the pitch the U9s were also working really hard with lots of running from Ruby W, Bea T-R and Jasmine W in midfield. Millie W scored the first goal and then the Girl of the Game, Charlotte C scored two more. Ripley continued to work hard and attack but Hope N and Rebekah S were strong in defence and so the game finished 3-0.
Miss Martin
Watching House Cross Country is always a highlight for me in the Spring term. The anticipation and excitement (for most!) on the children’s faces at the starting line is almost palpable. This year did not disappoint and I would like to sincerely applaud all pupils for the tenacity and spirit shown. Good luck to Prep School pupils for their race on Monday! I would also like to congratulate our Year 11 pupils on the determined manner in which they approached their Mocks this week. Finally, when you are next in Old Hall, do come and admire the beautiful new watercolour painting that past parent Sue McAuley painted of our School. It is simply gorgeous - such a talented artist. Thank you Sue! Have a lovely weekend.
Science has been a highlight for many this week. Year 4 have been exploring how sounds are made with different instruments and household items and, in the Pre-prep STEM club, the children had to cut an A5 piece of paper so that they could fit through it. They had three attempts each before being shown that it really was possible!
The Prep School assembly on Wednesday morning centred around our School Value Respect. Pupils shared ideas on how we can ensure our department is a kind place where all pupils and adults show respect to one another. The children were also introduced to some new titles available in the Library, with each book focussing on diversity and providing an insight to another person’s world.
First released in 2017, Fortnite has become one of the most popular games in the world. It currently has around 350 million registered players. Developed by Epic Games, it began life exclusively as a ‘battle royale’ contest, where up to 100 online player characters would fight – with weaponry including rifles, handguns and rocket launchers – to be the last one standing. Today, it features multiple modes which each offer something different (although some modes, such as ‘Save the World’, are only available on certain platforms).
PADoK Book Club
