Headmaster’s Update
As educators, we often talk to the children about the importance of being a ‘lifelong learner’, always seeking opportunities for personal growth and new experiences. There was certainly a learning moment for me this week when accompanying Year 4 on their visit to the Science Explorer Dome in our main hall, experiencing a workshop all about the habitats on earth and the adaptations that suit animals to their environment. The children loved exploring the complex food webs which demonstrate interrelations between species and the sensory experience even included real rainfall inside the Dome! I know that the pupils really enjoyed the shows throughout the day, from Year 1 to Year 8, including the older year groups exploring the fascinating topic of engineering.
On a related science theme, it was incredibly impressive to view a host of projects showcased in Pre-Prep assembly on Thursday as part of Miss McVey’s ‘Life Cycle’ poster competition. It was remarkable to see the standard of the entries and the variety of creative approaches taken to explore lifecycle stages, both of animals and of plants. Many congratulations to the overall winners and highly commended entries, all of which were exceptional:
Reception: Bailey, Nora, Ula and Dhruv
Year 1: River, Divya, Max and Emma
Year 2: Lyra, Sonny, Ben and Rupert
Highly Commended: Maalini, Rayaan, Jude, Annabelle and Sebastian
Alongside this we would like give huge congratulations to our winners and runners-up of the Prep Science Competition.
Winner Year 3,4&5 Category : Sophia Runners up: Elia, Alex and Martina
Winner Year 6,7&8 Category : Tabitha Runners up: Toby, Arav and Ed
We’ve been privileged in recent weeks to witness superb assemblies from Pre-Prep and this week was no exception, with Mrs Robertson’s Year 2 class decking the school hall in green and sharing with us the story of St Patrick’s calling to Ireland. We loved hearing the legend associated with him ridding Ireland of snakes and bring Christianity to the Irish people. Did you know that the three-leaved Shamrock represents the Holy Trinity? It was fantastic to see the Year 2 children work so well together, being so confident on stage to act, sing and dance.
At this time of year, the stage in our main hall is a very busy place, with Thursday afternoon seeing our super talented Year 3 and Year 4 children perform ‘Ye-ha’, a rootin’, tootin’, foot-tappin’ wild-western-themed comedy, wonderfully performed by the cast. It was a treat to see the children at their dramatic best and we even had an impromptu encore, entirely unplanned, because the children were having so much fun! My sincere thanks go to Miss Maddison, Mrs Lintin, Mrs Freeman, Mrs Thompson, Mrs Harris, Ms Burton and Mrs Harber for their oversight and brilliant inspiration. If that wasn’t enough, Mrs Richards transformed the school hall space to fit with our Spanish-themed Mothers’ Day Breakfast, held just this morning in a sea of red and yellow. This event was planned to offer our collective thanks to mothers, grandmothers and female carers, with our Senior Prep ‘camareros’ serving refreshments and treats, such as pan con tomate, tortilla and tarta de Naranja to our esteemed guests. We hope all of our guests had a lovely time and the perfect start to the weekend!
Oliver Barrett, Headmaster
Key Dates
Mar
| Day: | Date: | Event: |
|---|---|---|
| Mon | 23 | Year 3 Trip to Butser Ancient Farm |
| Tue | 24 | Reception Trip to Bocketts Farm |
| Tue | 24 | Year 1 Trip to Gunnersbury Park |
| Tue | 24 | Year 2 Trip to Gunnersbury Park |
| Tue | 24 | School Council Meeting |
| Wed | 25 | Wear Your House Colour Day (non-uniform day) |
| Thu | 26 | Year 5&6 Production – Oliver With A Twist @ 6.30pm |
| Fri | 27 | Hockey and Football Sports Tour to Jersey – Departs |
| Fri | 27 | End of Term (half day) |
| Sun | 29 | Hockey and Football Sports Tour to Jersey – Returns |
All up to date events information can be found on MSP
Sports Fixtures
Mar
| Day: | Date: | Sport Event: | Location: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed | 25 | Year 5 Boys A&B vs Surbiton | Surbiton – Hinchley Wood |
| Wed | 25 | Year 5 Girls A&B Hockey vs Staines Prep | Staines Hockey Club |
All up to date events information can be found on MSP
Celebrating House Colours Day – Wednesday 25th March
On Wednesday 25th March, we’re celebrating House Colours Day—a brilliant opportunity for pupils to proudly represent their House by coming to school dressed in their House colours and raise money for a good cause. To partake in this event pupils will be asked to donate £2 and this will simply be added to your school bill. Money raised during the day will go to our African Vision Malawi charity. Should you wish to opt-out of the event and the donation, please complete the Charity Donation Form on My School Portal.
On Wednesday, there will be a House assembly in the morning, where the most creative and eye-catching outfits will be recognised and celebrated.
During breaktimes, there will be activities where the pupils will have the opportunity to win Easter treats. Please see below for what the children will need to bring in to partake in the activities.
PREP
Prep pupils should bring in a maximum of £2 in 50p, 20p and 10p coins which they can spend on the breaktime activities.
PRE-PREP
Pre-Prep children do not need any money in on this day as it will be pre-paid. The Easter charity activities for Pre-Prep pupils will cost £1 each which will be added to your school bill.
Money raised during these activities will also go to our African Vision Malawi charity.
On this non-uniform day, please make sure that the children have appropriate footwear for breaktimes – trainers are ideal.
Year 6 Creative Writing Competition (Optional)
Multi-Sports Easter Camp at TPS
Mrs Fox and Mrs Lindsay’s Easter Holiday Art Camp!
The Old Kingstonian HC – Summer Hockey Programme
The Old Kingstonian HC invites children from Year 3 and above to join their Summer Hockey programme.
My School Portal
My School Portal is a great school-to-parent communication system.
Here you will find the latest events, which can be synced with your electronic calendar, weekly menus and copies of all letters sent home.
Below are important notices from two key departments which are updated weekly:
Pre-Prep — messages from Mrs Barnes including club collection
Click Here
Safeguarding & Wellbeing messages from our Designated Safeguarding Team
Click Here
School Meals week commencing: 23rd March Menu Week 2
