"This year, I want to be more resilient"
The start of a new year is always filled with hopes for self-improvement and fresh opportunities. While many adults make resolutions to become better versions of themselves, our children can benefit just as much from reflecting on their goals for the year ahead. A powerful resolution that I have suggested they think through this week is: “This year, I will try to be more resilient.”
But what does it really mean to be resilient, and how can children embrace it as a goal for the year?
In our Pre-Prep, the children learn how to 'try, try and never give up' with Terry Tortoise. In the Prep, we discuss that being resilient means that you do not give up when something does not work out as you had hoped. Instead you keep on trying and look for another way.
Bouncebackability
Resilience is the ability to bounce back from challenges, disappointments and setbacks. It is about staying strong and positive, even when things do not go as planned. For children, resilience means learning how to handle difficult situations with patience, perseverance and a hopeful attitude.
Remember, resilience is not an innate trait; it is something that can be nurtured. By making it a focus this year, you can help your child to cultivate an inner strength and a strong sense of self that will serve them for years to come.
This year, let us encourage our children to embrace challenges, learn from their mistakes and always keep moving forward with resilience in their hearts. Here’s to a year of growth, strength, and bouncing back with every challenge that comes their way.
Joff
Pre Prep - Eat the Rainbow
This morning the dining hall has been the venue for a series of 'Eat the Rainbow' workshops for Year 2, Year 1 and Reception, with further workshops during the afternoon for Nursery and Kindergarten.
Sophie Crosswaite, Head of Nutrition at Accent Catering, delighted the children with her talk designed to gain awareness and the importance of eating the rainbow every day. By the end of the workshop our children were able to talk through the different colours of the rainbow and the benefits they have on health and wellbeing.
A big thank you to Sophie and her team for engaging each year group and making it so much fun!
Nursery - Winter Wonderland!
Sarah Wolford - Head of Nursery & Kindergarten
We started this Lent Term with the magic of winter! What a truly exciting beginning, as the skies filled with snow clouds and our Little Vines children enjoyed the awe and wonder of snow!
The rich learning outcomes that were addressed as we headed outside to explore were immeasurable! We extended this learning by freezing animals in water and investigating what happened to them overnight; that was when the curious nature of the children really shone! They were just like our Pre-Prep Pal Cassie Cat, questioning what had happened and thinking about solutions to rescue the animals from the ice!
Kindergarten Fun
Cathy Fuggle - Kindergarten Teacher
This week we enjoyed reading the story ‘Orion and the Dark'. We talked about the things Orion was frightened of and how sometimes our imagination can run away from us and make things seem much scarier than they really are. We then looked at the stars and planets and talked about what happens at night time. We talked about our own bedtime routines and how cosy and special night time can be. The children drew their own brilliant ‘The Dark’ characters and made some beautiful star pictures. Kindergarten also had a great time going into our ‘dark tent’ and using torches to create silhouettes of nocturnal animals inside the tent.
Reception
Holly Newton – Reception Teacher
In Reception we have been talking about how sometimes we come across things that are difficult and how we can overcome them. We have been thinking about challenges that we would like to attempt and what we could do to achieve them. The children chose different materials to make a collage of their face to display next to their chosen challenge and thought carefully about how to join different materials together.
We have also been finding out about penguins, where they live in Antarctica and where this is on the globe in relation to our country, England. We are not sure that we would like to live in Antarctica after finding out that it is the coldest and windiest place in the whole world. Brrrr … !
Year 1
Jacklyn Garwood - Year 1 Teacher
The children were surprised to find a dinosaur footprint when they returned from the Christmas holiday! They enjoyed measuring with non-standard units to discover just how big dinosaurs really were. We looked at dinosaur teeth and categorised dinosaurs into groups of carnivores, herbivores and omnivores based on the shape of their teeth.
We also met a big, friendly dinosaur in the Chaplin Theatre for a drama workshop. We acted out various types of dinosaurs, performed some poetry and used Julia Donaldson's delightful book 'Tyrannosaurus Drip' as a focus for mime, improvisation and voice work.
The children worked together like Billy Bee in their Gym lesson to complete their obstacle course in record time ! Well done Year 1 for such a productive week at school!
Year 2
Louise Hawtin - Year 2 Teacher
Money has been our focus in Maths this week. The children have worked in small groups like Billy Bee, selecting coins to find the correct amount to buy their items. They have also found different ways of making the same amount and have compared totals. Using notes and coins really helps the children to develop their understanding of money and of course they all love going shopping!
Year 3 Maths
Carina Everist - Year 3 Teacher & Religious Studies Teacher Years 3-6
What number, when multiplied by itself gives the answer 2025?
Year 3 loved exploring this in their first Maths lesson of the new year. They worked with a partner and a calculator to see who would be the first to find the correct answer. This led on to the discovery of what makes a 'square number'.
Year 3 - Facing Challenge
Year 3 collaborated well in Life Skills. They discussed a variety of challenges and agreed that one person's challenge may not be another's.
Year 3 - Egyptian Feast
Year 3 enjoyed an 'Ancient Egyptian' feast (flatbread, honey, dates and lentils) in their exciting first lesson in Humanities.
Year 3 - Rock Detectives!
In Science Year 3 made careful, scientific observations of rocks using pastels and wax and thinking about the texture, colour and appearance.
Year 4 - Boys' Reading Rest
Louise Barrett - Head of Juniors
4B boys doing some lovely quiet reading at rest.
Year 5 – Science - Reversible or irreversible?
Becky Prior - Head of Science
Year 5 had an exciting time in the laboratory this week, designing experiments to explore reversible and irreversible changes. They worked with different substances, observed reactions, practised lab safety and improved their skills using pipettes and spatulas.
Year 6 - Science - Which material is the best insulator?
Becky Prior - Head of Science
Year 6 pupils worked together on an insulation experiment, testing materials like bubble wrap, paper, cardboard, plastic bags and polystyrene. They measured how the temperature of hot water changed over ten minutes and found that bubble wrap was the best insulator. Along the way, they honed their thermometer-reading skills and shared their findings as a class.
Art - Year 5 Shibori Experiments
Tracey Konyu - Head of Art
The Year 5 pupils have embarked on their topic work of 'Cultural Art', looking at Japanese inspired design. Over the Christmas holiday, they left their Shibori experiments to dry. They opened up their work to discover a variety of organic patterns. Some pupils commented that it felt like opening Christmas presents again.
Art - Art Overview
Tracey Konyu - Head of Art
This week, the Art Department wanted to show a slice of the vast array of topics covered in a single week. From architectural designs inspired by Zaha Hadid, to drawing the eye, to celebrating the Chinese year of the wood snake, recycling Christmas cards to make gift boxes and learning to drawing with a stylus. This is just the tip of the iceberg.
Chinese Year of the Wood Snake - illustration by Art Club Members Lucas M, Arthur P and Caspar K. Transformation, Growth and Introspection. On display in the dining room.
Sport
Matt McKinnon - Director of Sport
What a difference a week makes. From Arctic conditions, to some rather mild and sunny days, the entire school have shown great resilience and courage. It is never easy playing rugby and netball when your hands are frozen and that is exactly what all our boys and girls did last week against St Andrew's and Marlborough House. The results may not have all gone our way, but, considering they played after returning straight from the Christmas holidays, the games department were pleased with their efforts.
This week the netballers took on Claremont. It was wonderful to hear how well the teams played, and with more matches to come, I look forward to hearing of their continued progress.
The U8, U9, U10, U11 & U12 rugby teams hosted Skipper's Hill this week. The focus has been moving the ball away from the contact area, getting it through the hands and into space. I was fortunate to referee the U11 game and they did just this, scoring a number of fine team tries. Zac Atwood was really impressed with the U10s and so too Mr H with the U12s.
In a few weeks the girls with change from netball and hockey to football. Please ensure your daughter has a pair of football boots and shin pads.
Year 5 Fun at Forest School
Emily Platt - Head of English
Year 5 had an amazing time at Forest School this week, making dens, playing in the mud kitchens and creating an enormous spinning wheel (James H's creation). Logan LS hand-painted lots of signs today which were very eye-catching. Ben O decided that he would take his home with him he was so pleased with it!
James H's spinning wheel was such a success (see video) that Amy and Laura (who run Forest School) kindly said that James did not have to dismantle his creation at the end, so that other children can admire it! This is probably the most ambitious project I have seen attempted in the woods at Vinehall!
Life Skills: Anti-Bullying Snakes and Ladders in Year 5 Life Skills
Ally Linney - Deputy Head (Pastoral)
Last week, the Year 5 pupils had time to share their thoughts on how we promote kindness at Vinehall School. They discussed ways in which we can be kind to one another and what we can do if we spot any unkindness at school. The pupils also made promises for the New Year and explained how they would promote kindness, respect or tolerance for one another.
We then enjoyed completing and finally playing our Anti-Bullying Snakes and Ladders games. They are hopeful for more time to enjoy their games in Form Time.
Life Skills: Year 6 - Celebrating Difference
Ally Linney - Deputy Head (Pastoral)
At the end of last term, the Year 6 pupils completed their final assessment piece which took the form of dramatic role play and "freeze frames". They collaborated in mixed groups and were given criteria that were the cause for celebration but also sometimes caused conflict. Some of these freeze frames represented cultural differences such as clothing, physical disability, food, the use of technology and cultural celebrations.
Upon our return to school, pupils reflected on the process, and how they met their learning targets and assessed themselves against our Learning Habits and Personal Values.
House News
Ashton House's charity for this year is Dandelion Time, a Kent based charity which provides nature-based therapy for children and families. At a special assembly this week House Captains Tymofii L and Frances S presented a cheque with funds raised at the Christmas Jumper Day.
During the assembly, Dandelion Time visitors launched the seedling challenge. This entrepreneurial challenge gives each class £10 to invest to grow more funds for the charity. At an event in March each class will have a table to sell the items which they have created from the £10 seedling money.
Boarding
Katherine Kirkwood – Head of Boarding
The boarders returned to school just in time to play in the snow. They hurled snowballs and attempted to make snowmen. It was an unusual start to the term and unpacking was delayed by a few days.
We also welcomed our new gappers; Gemma Purcell, Sean Kim and Oliver Cleghorn have joined us for the year and have made a great start.
On Saturday afternoon we continued a great British tradition and went to the Panto. It is a very peculiar spectacle for our overseas boarders, but it was enjoyed by all.
We had a lazy day on Sunday. A trip to Sainsbury's to stock up on tuck and a quiet movie in the common room. The afternoon was lovely and sunny, so we all got a little bit of sun and had a walk around the grounds or played football on the astro.
It was then time to catch up on prep and get ready for the week ahead and the start of the new year.
More News ...
Many congratulations to Matilda B for achieving an Academic Scholarship to Kent College. We are all very proud of her!
Wintry Scenes
Here is a beautiful video shot by Christy, one of our Pre-Prep parents, capturing the wintry scene last week.
Some snapshots taken during the wintry spell ..