The Joy of the Yellow Flowers - Why Daffodils Should Be Called Sundrops!
During Covid, our now Year 5 cohort nicknamed Daffodils as Sundrops ... to sit neatly alongside their amaryllis cousins, the Snowdrops. I thought it a perfect time to relive those charming discussions again, as we look forward to warmer days, an exciting summer term and the launch of our new school in September.
The Sunlight Connection
Daffodils are nature’s way of announcing the arrival of warmer days and a fresh start. After months of winter gloom, their bright yellow hues mirror the sun itself, bringing joy and warmth to the landscape. The name “Sundrops” captures their essence perfectly - each bloom reflecting the golden glow of the sun, as if a piece of sunlight has landed gently on the earth, reminding us that brighter days are ahead.
A Symbol of Renewal and Optimism
There is something undeniably uplifting about daffodils. Their vibrant colour and delicate, trumpet-like shape make them a universal symbol of happiness, hope and new beginnings. Just like the start of spring, they signal a time to refresh, to embrace new opportunities and to step forward with optimism.
A Fresh Perspective
So, what do you think? Should we start a movement to rename daffodils as Sundrops? Join me!
Whether or not the name catches on, one thing is for sure - these golden blossoms will continue to inspire hope in renewal and fresh starts.
Joff
Nursery - Promoting Teeth brushing in the Early Years
Sarah Wolford - Head of Nursery & Kindergarten
Throughout the Early Years department we are promoting good oral health. We have introduced a teeth brushing programme as part of the children’s day to day routine.
Supporting children with their oral health has been featured in the national news and is part of the Early Years Foundation Stage Framework. Good oral health habits need to be formed from a young age. Tooth decay is largely preventable and affects around 25% of 5 year olds!
We have been so pleased that all our families have given permission for their child to take part in this programme and we are so proud of the children for showing such a positive attitude. Making this experience fun through well thought out activities and learning opportunities will support the next generation in promoting good oral health.
Kindergarten
Catherine Garlick - Kindergarten Teacher
In preparation for our exciting theatre trip next week to see ‘The Smartest Giant in Town’, Kindergarten have been immersing themselves in the story. There have been opportunities to: make boats, just like the goat in the story; design a tie, just like the one George the giant gives to the giraffe; make puppets; practise our rhyming and to explore measuring. Kindergarten have also been discussing the acts of kindness that George the giant showed in the story and then thinking of ways they could be kind. Finally, we made kindness crowns, just like the one that the animals gave to George! We are all ready for the show next week and Kindergarten are now ‘The Smartest Giant in the Town’ experts!
Reception
Holly Newton - Reception Teacher
This week we have been finding out about 3D shapes, with a particular focus on cubes, cuboids and cones. We have been learning to describe these shapes by counting the number of faces and by recognising whether these faces are flat or curved. We have been counting the number of edges and corners we can see and finding 2D shapes within 3D shapes; for instances spotting that a cube had square faces. We used card and construction straws to build these 3D shapes and made careful prints by placing them in paint and printing with the different faces and describing the prints we produced. We also carried out an experiment to identify which 3D shapes roll and which can slide, making predictions first and then testing to see if we were right, recording what we found out on our clipboards.
We are very proud of Faye this week, because she competed in her first gymnastics competition. She had to remember a routine to do in front of the judges, together with a vault/springboard jump.
She diligently practised her routine at home and did a super job, remembering her routine perfectly. She showed great courage, as she was the first to show her routine to the judges and she managed to gain second place in her group. Well done Faye - we are so proud of you!
Year 1
Jacklyn Garwood - Year 1 Teacher
It was a week of adventure as Year 1 made their way to Port Lympne. The children enjoyed riding in the safari jeep and spotting the many different animals from the continents we have been studying. Back in the classroom, we then spent the week learning and experimenting with measuring and capacity. Well done Year 1 for such a productive week!
Year 2
Louise Hawtin - Year 2 Teacher
Year 2 have been learning about mass, volume and capacity in maths. The children have had lots of fun comparing the mass of items from around the classroom, as well as weighing them in grams and kilograms. They also compared the capacity of different containers and measured liquids in millilitres and litres; amazingly everyone managed to stay dry!
Year 3 - Magnetic Attraction
Carina Everist - Year 3 Teacher & Religious Studies Teacher Years 3-6
Are all coins magnetic?
Which materials are magnetic?
Year 3 were very keen when they carried out more investigations this week. Ezra made a fantastic deduction about which coins were magnetic. Persie suggested a new question - Are all metals magnetic? Mrs E is very proud of her Scientists.
Year 6 - Exploring Islam
Year 6 were very lucky on Monday when a visitor came from the Mosque in Hastings to give them a fascinating talk. Cllr Yunis Smith explained how he became a Muslim at the age of 18 after a visit to Morocco. They learnt more about the Five Pillars of Islam, Ramadan and Prayer in the Islamic Faith. Mrs E was very impressed with the questions the children asked. Yunis was interested to hear what our School motto is: "Doing our best for the benefit of others", as one of the Pillars encourages Muslims to give to charity when they can.
Science
Becky Prior - Head of Science
Year 5 Search for Signs of Spring
As the seasons change, Year 5 have been on the lookout for signs of plant reproduction. Exploring the school grounds, they observed budding flowers, new leaves and even early pollinators at work. This hands-on investigation helped them understand how plants begin their life cycle in spring, from pollination to seed dispersal. It was a great opportunity to see science in action and appreciate the natural world around them!
Year 7 investigate rust in action!
This term, Year 7 pupils have been investigating what causes iron to rust. They placed iron nails in different conditions - wet, dry, air-free, and salty solutions - and waited a few days before measuring any changes in mass. This allowed them to determine which environment leads to the most rusting. The experiment provided a clear insight into the process of corrosion and why rust prevention is important in everyday life.
French
Acorn Clayton - Head of Modern Languages
Year 7 - Calligramme Poetry
Year 7 French classes have been studying Calligramme poetry, inspired by the poet Guillaume Apollinaire. The children have created some very artistic pieces of writing in French. Here is a small sample with some lovely Calligrammes by Beth, Charlie, Rosie and Valeria.
“Ticket pour l'espace" is a special stage production designed to help children enjoy learning French. The actors perform in French and English to tell the story of an English boy who wins a trip to space, only to find that everything on board the rocket is done in French.
Onatti plays are always great fun and the children were totally immersed in the story and enjoyed practising their French language skills with plenty of audience participation. Well done to our audience volunteers Caspar and Daisy - who built the rocket, and Vivi who went off to space with the astronauts!
Carpentry
Lucy Stone - Teaching Assistant
Year 3 have completed their bendy birds which have been beautifully coloured with an array of designs. They then migrated from the carpentry workshop to the classroom to have a look at the resident ducks!
Neurodiversity Celebration Week, 17-23 March 2025
Phoebe Cameron - Head of Learning Support
Following the success of Neurodiversity Celebration Week 2023 and 2024, we celebrated it again this week, taking part in the 2025 event. Thousands of schools across the world were joining in. Ally Linney led us in an assembly on Monday morning with a short video, reminding us of what neurodiversity is. Neurodiversity is based on the idea that everyone has a differently-wired brain and their own unique way of thinking and experiencing the world. Differences in the way our brains are wired mean we may find some things challenging and some things relatively easy. We each have our own strengths and challenges. We were reminded that it is important to be aware of and respect our differences and to show kindness towards people who may feel different. It is thought that 15-20% of the population is neurodiverse.
Through a simple form time activity on Tuesday, ‘Roll and Tell,’ pupils talked about what makes us all unique, the strengths neurodivergent individuals may have and how we can be more welcoming and inclusive. They were invited to name some of the neurodifferences they knew.
They had been reminded of some of these labels in the Monday assembly, including Autism, Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Dyslexia, Dyspraxia, Dyscalculia and Tourette’s Syndrome. They were also reminded that, whilst these conditions can bring plenty of challenges, such as difficulties with concentration, reading, spelling and how we communicate with each other, they can also bring very positive attributes, such as creativity, thinking outside-the-box and determination.
Through posters put up around the school, we were reminded of well-known neurodivergent people who have made amazing contributions to the world. These included Victoria Beckham who has Dyslexia, Daniel Radcliffe who has Dyspraxia, Simone Biles who has ADHD, and Chris Packham and Greta Thunberg, who have Autism. Many of these people have talked about their struggles at school, which is not always the easiest environment for neurodivergence, and how life beyond education has opened wonderful opportunities for them, enabling them to pursue their varied interests and talents. Indeed, they attributed their success to their unique way of thinking and perceiving the world. It made us realise at Vinehall just how important it is to be kind and tolerant of others at school, to recognise hard work, resilience and determination, and to enable ALL pupils to showcase their unique strengths and talents.
We were reminded that we can make someone else’s day by being understanding and kind.
Forest School
Acorn Clayton - Head of Modern Languages
6PW spent Thursday afternoon in the sunshine at Forest School. The children had a lot of fun playing team-building games, inventing recipes for the mud kitchen, creating dens and balancing on the slack line. They helped to cook a seasonal snack on the fire using wild garlic, which everyone agreed was delicious.
Sport
Matt McKinnon - Director of Sport
As we head towards the end of term, the sports pitches have been as busy as ever, with the girls playing football against Claremont and Saint Ronan's and the boys taking on Skipper's Hill & Dulwich at hockey. The Colts A had an exciting outing at the Bede's U11 hockey tournament on Wednesday, finishing 4th after losing to the eventual winners in the semi-finals. Zac Atwood was extremely pleased with the way the boys played all afternoon, especially in the opening three matches of the tournament.
In a change from the traditional 7-a-side format, the 1st Team boys played a 9-a-side match using the full astro. It took a while for the team to get used to the space available, but they soon got the hang of it, moving the ball brilliantly, scoring five well-taken goals in the win against Skipper's Hill.
On Monday both Cross Country teams took part in the Goodman and Hutchings event at Dulwich, Cranbrook. Both teams ran very well against a strong field around the 1.5km course, with the A team finishing 13th and the B team 18th out of the 24 teams.
Notable performances:
Fergus C - 3rd fastest U9 boy
Harry M 5th fastest U11 boy
Beth D 8th fastest U13 girl
Charlie C 4th fastest U13 boy
House News
Saxton House – Beach Clean
Mary Alderson - Head's PA and Director of Drama
The Saxton staff were so proud of our wonderful House pupils on Tuesday when they went to Bexhill for the beach clean. Year 8 children made little teams with the younger ones and looked after them beautifully. Some participants were litter-picking, some recording the items discovered and everyone searching for harmful rubbish on the beach. Three kilos of detritus were collected and removed.
We were especially proud of Charlie C who found a £10 note and donated it to the House charity, rather than laying claim for himself! The children certainly earned their hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows on return and all the House points awarded to particularly diligent and kind Saxtonites, doing their best for the benefit of others.
Boarding
Katherine Kirkwood – Head of Boarding
Last week we decided to switch things up a little and went out on Saturday morning. It was very chilly, but dragging a huge tyre up a hill will no doubt keep you warm. We had a lovely morning tubing down the slopes at Knockhatch. Once everyone was thoroughly exhausted, we sat inside and had a hot chocolate to replenish energy and warm up.
We returned to school and had a quiet afternoon with tuck and a movie.
On Sunday morning some of the boarders went on a trip to Sainsbury's and then spent the afternoon doing various activities. We went outside despite the icy wind, played football on the astro, watched a film and spent some time just chilling and chatting to friends. After a very energetic Saturday morning, the rest of the weekend was just for relaxing and starting to think about packing up for the Easter holidays.
Other News ...
Happy St Patrick's Day from the Catering Team
On Monday the Accent catering team delighted the children with their St Patrick's Day menu and celebrations!