Dear Parents,
We finished the penultimate week of this half term with a successful Spring term Open Day where we enjoyed meeting lots of lovely families interested in joining the St Edward's Prep community. There were so many brilliant 'Our Planet' lessons to show them, from making junk musical instruments to discovering dinosaurs and space, upcycling using decoupage to producing videos about animal habitats. There were also brilliant demonstrations of our Maths, English, Drama and Sports teaching.
Thank you to all our teachers for showing our curriculum in action and the great variety of opportunities the children have every day, and to everyone behind-the-scenes who made sure the site was looking its best, the food selection was first-class and that everything ran smoothly.
Join us for the St Edward's Prep Eco Festival
We are excited to share all the final details of what promises to be a fantastic showcase of the hard work and dedication our pupils have put into this term's 'Our Planet' theme of investigation, a subject we are very passionate about at St Edward's. We appreciate your support and hope to see lots of you there.
- Date & time: Friday 14 February, 3pm. Please arrive through the main entrance on Tilehurst Road up until 3.45pm when the usual gates will be open.
- Activities include eco crafts, an eco fashion show, scavenger hunt, performances and the Year 6 Enterprise sale where they will be promoting their sustainable businesses in aid of their chosen charities.
- Children will be involved in activities until the end of the school day. You are welcome to join their class or explore the festival at your own pace.
- This is a cash only event, so please come prepared if you would like to support the toy sale, the cafe and the Year 6 Enterprise sale.
- If your child would like to buy items earlier in the day from the toy sale or Enterprise sale, please send them in with cash. Otherwise we can hold items for them until you arrive later in the day.
Donate your unused toys: We are planning to run a second-hand toy sale as part of the event and would appreciate donations from our parent community. If you have any toys at home that are no longer used, please bring them to the school office before next Friday.
Final call for volunteers: We would love to have some volunteers to support us with serving drinks and snacks from the eco cafe. If you would like to get involved, please email jonathan.parsons@stedwardsprep.com.
Photo Highlights
On Monday some of our Year 5 and 6 pupils travelled to Henley Rugby club for a day of expert coaching from Nic Sestaret, Director of Sport at Westonbirt School and ex-professional player with experience playing for the French U21s, the Barbarians and Exeter Chiefs. They were excited to work on their skills alongside pupils from Rupert House School and we can't wait to see them put what they learned into action as rugby season continues!
On Wednesday we had a brilliant sushi demonstration from our caterers Chapter One with lots of delicious options for the children to try, as well as a sushi making station where some of them had the opportunity to make their own.
A few highlights from lessons during today's Open Day:
Calendar Updates
Key dates coming up:
- Pangbourne Woods: Year 2 on Monday 3 February.
- Fixtures: Years 5 & 6 - Wednesday 12 February vs Dolphin School, no Friday fixture for Years 3 & 4.
- Little Hatchlings Stay & Play: Thursday 13 February, 9.15-10.30am.
- Celebration Assembly: Friday 14 February, 8.40am, including Eco Festival Celebrations and Year 6 Enterprise presentations.
- Eco Festival & Year 6 Enterprise: Friday 14 February (full details above).
- Spring Term Parents' Evenings (booking details below): Nursery (LG4) & Pre-Prep: Tuesday 25 & Wednesday 26 February, Years 3 & 4: Monday 3 March, Nursery (LG2 & 3), Years 5 & 6: Tuesday 4 March.
- Half-Term (17-21 February): School closes at 4pm on Friday 14 February for the break. There are no clubs or After-School Care so please make arrangements for your child at the end of the normal school day.
Parents' Evening Booking Open
This term's Parent's Evenings for the whole school will be taking place shortly after the half-term break. For some classes you can choose from two dates. You can find all the dates, times and details by clicking the button below, as well as a separate link to help guide you through the booking process.
This is an opportunity to focus more on academic progress and attainment in all subjects and for Year 5 and 6 parents to meet with specialist teachers as well as form tutors. For any questions, please contact Miss Ruddick - jordan.ruddick@stedwardsprep.com.
Holiday Club Booking Closes on Sunday
This weekend is your last chance to book a place for your child at our half-term Holiday Club. If you have any questions, please email holiday-club@stedwardsprep.com or call the school office. Booking closes on Monday 10 February.
Year 6 Leavers' Hoodies - Order Information
We are excited to be able to offer a leavers' hoodie for our Year 6 pupils again this year; a wonderful way for them to remember their time at St Edward's Prep. The children have been able to choose their preferred design, sizes and colours and we can confirm that the cost of £23 will be added to your Summer Term invoice. Please let us know if you do not want your child to receive one by emailing emily.kenefeck@stedwardsprep.com by Wednesday 12 February.
Chapter One Catering Newsletter
Our caterers at Chapter One and Chef Linda have put together a fantastic newsletter showcasing all the themed events and treats they arranged for us in the Autumn term, as well as information on their approach and values. Follow the link below to read more.
Enjoy the weekend and I hope to see you at the Eco Festival next week.
Best wishes,
Jonathan