We have had a full week of learning, had great fun at fixtures, got muddy out in the woods, tried new clubs and activities! All in all, a very busy week. Look out today for invites in your inbox to Watch Swim and Watch Dance, when you will be able to watch your child's swimming lesson and Dance Club activities.
We are delighted to introduce our Spring Term Year 6 leaders. These wonderful young people are role models for the younger children and have been recognised for their dedication, leadership, and enthusiasm in various areas of school life. We are looking forward to seeing them shine this term as they take on their new responsibilities.
- Head Girl: Isla
- Deputy Head Girl: Emilia
- STEM Captains: Isabella B and Karly
- Humanities Captains: Sophia G and Sophia B
- Librarians: Ursala and Maya
- Charity Prefects: Marcella and Solenne
- Wellbeing Prefects: Harriet and Elizabeth
- Celts House Captain and Vice Captain: Eva and Camilla
- Danes House Captain and Vice Captain: Solenne and Ursala
- Saxons House Captain and Vice Captain: Cyra and Amelie
- Games Captains: Isabella and Sophia B
- Gym Captain: Amelie
- Swimming Captain: Emilia
What happened in School this week?
Forest Explorers
We have been continuing our topic on favourite stories and this week we have been looking at Julia Donaldson’s fabulous books. We particularly enjoyed ‘Stick Man’ and went down to the forest to make our very own. We also listened to ‘Room on the Broom’ and made some fantastic brooms to ride on. We couldn’t decide on a favourite book as we loved every story!
Reception
In Literacy this week, Reception have been reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears. The children have had fun retelling the story and using different voices for Daddy Bear, Mummy Bear and Baby Bear. They have thought about the characters in the story, choosing their favourite one and explaining why they like that character and sequenced pictures in the right order to tell the story. The role-play area is now the Three Bears Cottage and so the children have been dressing up and telling the story in their own way. For most of the children, reading the recipe and making porridge was their favourite activity and all the children tasted the porridge. Most of the children thought it was just right!
Year 1
Year 1 have started a new book this term called "Iggy Peck, Architect!" It ties in well with our topic on London by looking at famous buildings and the children had an opportunity to create their own structures using a range of different materials. They then had to describe them using adjectives. We have also enjoyed painting in the style of Monet, using our fingers and small brush strokes to create a textured picture; these are on display in the corridor!
Year 2
This week in art, Year 2 looked at the work of Claude Monet and his oil paintings of London. As a class we discussed impressionism and the way artists used colours and brushstrokes in a new way to create paintings that were colourful and bright. They learnt that, during his visits to London, Monet would paint Waterloo Bridge and the Houses of Parliament from his balcony and would sketch the buildings at different times of day, creating paintings affected by different lighting and weather. Year 2 were challenged to create their own artwork using the oil pastels in the style of Monet, and they all enjoyed choosing which colours to use and using their hands to blend the colours together to make wonderful London skylines.
Year 3
In Computing, Year 3 children enjoyed working with a partner to develop their understanding of using questions with yes/no answers to group objects more than once. They learnt how to arrange objects into a tree structure which will help them use an online database tool.
Year 4
Year 4 have started their exciting new topic on The Romans. In Art, we got together with Year 3 and started to design our own Roman scratch pots. This involved colouring our vases in terracotta colours, then painting them with a mixture of acrylic paint and washing up liquid. They were then left to dry so that we could resume a few days later. We will study the designs the Romans used, arm ourselves with an etching instrument and create a Roman masterpiece!
Year 5
Traditional has been a reoccurring word in lessons during this happy week. The traditional method is one which the children have used in their lessons on long multiplication. Some of the mathematicians preferred to use the grid method but whichever method, the children aimed to be efficient and accurate. Traditional Chinese art was our focus in art. Despite the children's initial thoughts about the possible colours and styles of this art, they were surprised to observe the muted colours that were mostly evident. The art mostly featured landscapes and the natural world although some included people, usually religious or important. In science, the children spent some of their lesson building parachutes in readiness to test air resistance. This was also a test of communication and group work skills where the children shone.
Year 6
This week, Year 6 pupils have been introduced to their new English book, Rain Player. The story, which revolves around the ancient Mayan game of Pok-A-Tok, has sparked their interest. They have enjoyed learning the rules of this historic game and creatively adapting it for their playground activities. In science, the class has been exploring the circulatory system, demonstrating a particular fascination for how the heart pumps blood throughout the body. They enthusiastically acted out the circulation process in the playground and used iPads to examine augmented reality models of the heart. The students are eagerly looking forward to next week’s visit to the Senior School, where they will have the opportunity to dissect a chicken’s heart. In maths, the focus has been on fractions, and the girls are becoming adept at comparing fractions using common denominators and numerators.
Spring Term Clubs
Could we kindly ask parents to email the Prep School inbox at prepschool@kentcollege.kent.sch.uk to make any changes to clubs and activities.
To kick off iPad Gurus, we used clip jumps to produce some magic. The pupils used editing skills to make it look like people had disappeared or had turned into something else. Enjoy the video! Mr Sullivan
Sport News
On Saturday, 11th January, Maisie proudly represented Kent College Pembury as an individual competitor at Hadlow College. Riding Twilight Dancer, Maisie achieved an impressive 4th place in the 60cm class. She also took to the arena with her new pony, Claughan Casper, and secured another 4th place in the 70cm class. This marks an exciting milestone, as Maisie has now qualified all three of her ponies for both the regional and championship events later this year. We look forward to cheering her on as she represents Kent College in these prestigious competitions. Well done, Maisie – a fantastic achievement!
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