Putting Charitable Thoughts into Action
We have very much linked the act of Charity and the quality of Ambition into this fortnight’s pastoral theme.
It is easy to think about helping others but harder to take action. Turning charitable thoughts into real deeds does not require grand gestures though, as small acts can make a big difference too. Donating even a little to a cause you care about helps charitable organisations continue their work.
The key is consistency, as we focus our ambition on doing our best for the benefit of others. Pro aliis optimum agere. By making a habit of giving your time or resources, you not only improve the lives of others but also enrich your own. Charitable actions, big or small, can create a ripple effect that makes the world a better place.
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Author Gareth P Jones visits Pre-Prep
Nicky Whittaker - Head of Pre-Prep
Pre-Prep returned to an inspirational morning of storytelling on Monday when they were lucky enough to be visited by author Gareth P Jones. Gareth instantly struck up a song on the piano, and the Year 1 and 2 children were spellbound by his theatrical performance, powerful voice and hilarious narrative used to tell the story of “Rabunzel.” All of Gareth’s fairytale stories are given the twist of a strong, feminist message, and both the children and the adults enjoyed this story!
Gareth used his text “The Lion on the Bus” with the younger classes of Reception and Kindergarten, and they too loved his interactive performance on the piano and ukulele. It was wonderful to see the children so enthused about the books they had chosen for signing and they were all eager to spend time talking to Gareth. Both staff and children commented they wished every Monday could be like this.
A huge thank you to all the parents who donated costumes for our sustainable costume swap this week, and we look forward to celebrating World Book Day in style next Thursday with a dress-up day and a pre-loved book swap. Happy reading Pre-Prep!
Nursery
Sarah Wolford - Head of Nursery & Kindergarten
We are all very familiar with Eric Carle’s most famous book, ‘The Hungry Caterpillar,’ and this book is definitely the Nursery children’s favourite book!
So many learning opportunities can be achieved from reading this story, from learning about the life cycle of a butterfly to learning the days of the week as well as mathematical skills, the list is endless!
The children enjoyed creating the body shape of the caterpillar with dough, cutting and sticking as well as baking a caterpillar cake for our Bake Off afternoon on Friday. We cannot wait to share the cake with the rest of our Pre-Prep friends.
Kindergarten
Catherine Garlick - Kindergarten Teacher
It’s been wonderful to welcome the children back after the half term break and we’ve enjoyed a very exciting first week. On Monday, we were treated to an inspiring reading workshop with the author Gareth P. Jones. The children were enthralled throughout and loved joining in with his songs and stories.
Then on Tuesday we had a visit from the ‘Big Bad Wolf’. The children listened attentively to the story of ‘Little Red Riding Hood’ and asked the wolf lots of thoughtful questions. During the rest of week we’ve been exploring the story of ‘The Three Little Pigs’ and the children have used their creativity to make some super houses.
Reception
Holly Newton - Reception Teacher
This week we created some dotty art with circular stickers which the children became completed immersed in as they created their beautiful pictures. Activities such as these are helping us to develop our fine motor control, that is our ability to involve small muscles working with our brain and nervous system, to control movements in our hands and wrists. We are so proud of our hard work, taking pride in what we are producing, which is so lovely to see.
We have also been exploring some of the larger equipment outside with energy, determination and curiosity! We have kept on trying when we encounter difficulties in doing what we wanted to but are adopting a ‘can do’ attitude learning by trial and error and with the support and encouragement of our wonderful friends.
Our key text this week has been The Gruffalo and we have enjoyed joining in with the story and the repeated parts. We have been using new vocabulary in our small world play and have been thinking about words to describe the Gruffalo using some super adjectives. Next week we are going to make our own Gruffalo crumble and we can’t wait to see what it is made with!
Year 1
Jacklyn Garwood - Year 1 Teacher
What a fabulous start to our half term this week. The children worked like our Pre-Prep Pal, Cassie Cat, learning about the continents of the world. There was so much enthusiasm and interesting questions to be explored about our new topic of ‘Amazing Animals’.
The week was complete when we ventured to the Prep School Cooking Room to cook and bake our healthy recipes for the Pre-Prep ‘Bake Off’ at the end of the week. Well done Year 1 for a great start of our half term!
Year 2
Louise Hawtin - Year 2 Teacher
Year 2 have had a busy week baking and exploring outside. On Wednesday the children worked together like Billy Bee to make sweet potato blondies as well as apple and raspberry muffins. They had to mash, grate, mix and fold the mixtures before being put to work to clean up the cookery room!
On Thursday we went on a minibeast hunt and made tallies to record what we found. We also went to Forest School and had a lovely, if somewhat chilly morning in the woods. The children made dens, created artwork, made wands and cooked a delicious batch of pancakes.
Year 3 - May the Force be with you!
Carina Everist - Year 3 Teacher & Religious Studies Teacher Years 3-6
In Science Year 3 planned an investigation to compare the amount of force needed to move a toy vehicle on different surfaces. They had to decide how to keep it 'fair' for the vehicle (not just for them!) and accept that it is fine to have predicted differently to the result.
English - Prep School Author Visit – Thomas Taylor
Emily Platt - Head of English
We were very excited to welcome Thomas Taylor, illustrator turned author, who came to talk to pupils from Years 3-8 in the Theatre on Thursday.
Thomas, who is the author of the “Eerie-on-sea" mysteries, told us how he got his inspiration for writing from beachcombing, and he showed us some of the strange and wondrous things he has found.
Alexandra C (Year 6) said: “He told us about how he got his inspiration, for example, by adding a cat into the stories because he saw a shape in a fossilised sponge that looked like a cat. My favourite part was when he said he loved beachcombing and then went on to show us some of the things he had found and let us feel them.”
Betsy S added, “Thomas let us use our senses like smell and touch and see these [objects] in person.”
Teddy H (Year 6) said “Personally, I loved his visit because he showed us a lot of interesting things like uranium sea glass in a bottle which glowed when he shone a UV light on it, and he showed us two pieces of fossilised dinosaur poo from 135 million years ago!”
Thomas told us that in his books, the main character is called Herbert Lemon, while another character is named Violet Parma. In the Q&A session at the end, Henry P (Year 3) asked Thomas how he came up with the names of his books (which are rather unusual). He said that “Malamander” (his first book) was a name he thought of after changing one letter of “salamander” and thinking about the word “mal” meaning “bad” in French. The other book titles are similarly intriguing!
Pupils were delighted to have copies of Thomas’s books signed at the end of the session. Lucas M (Year 6) said excitedly, “I bought one of his books and it looks great!”
English
Emily Platt, Head of English
Following a Year 5 Parents' Evening (when I recommended that Heidi R start reading First News and The Week Junior), Heidi's family subscribed to both publications and <<NEWSFLASH!>>, Heidi was recently commissioned by First News to be one of their Junior Reporters!
Heidi was sent a press pass for a London theatre show on Sunday 9th February and went along as a member of the press to interview the cast of "Pig Heart Boy" and write a play review for the paper. Heidi's article (see below) is hot off the press. Well done, Heidi!
In other news, some of our budding journalists from Years 6-8 will be crossing their fingers and hoping to get their articles published as we submit our finest articles to Mind's Eye Prep Magazine (the prestigious magazine published by The King's School, Canterbury). Wish them luck!
Art - Cherry Blossom with Year 5
Tracey Konyu - Head of Art
The start of meteorological Spring starts on March 1st. As part of the year 5 'Cultural Art' project, the pupils used their acquired skills, using ink, to create Japanese inspired images of cherry blossom trees. They used a variety of techniques to create a contrast between the hard edged tree and the soft blossoms.
Sport - Senior Girls 1st Team - Unbeaten Netball Season
Laura White - Girls' Sport & PE Teacher
The Senior 1st Team has had an outstanding netball season, finishing unbeaten with six wins and one draw. Unfortunately, the final match was cancelled due to poor weather, but this did not take away from their remarkable achievement.
Match Results:
Dulwich – Won 13-7
Cranbrook – Won 18-12
Claremont – Won 22-11
Holmewood House – Won 13-8
St Andrews – Won 8-4
Skippers Hill – Won 25-9
Marlborough House – Drew 9-9
The team demonstrated exceptional skill, teamwork, and resilience throughout the season. They fully embraced our school’s Learning Habits, showing collaboration, resilience, and reflection, which contributed to their growth and success.
In the shooting circle, Alara (GS) was dominant, holding her space well and converting confidently. The attacking trio of Rosie (GA), Captain Frances (WA), and India (C) worked seamlessly together, reading each other's movements and delivering accurate feeds into the circle. Impressively, they also contributed defensively when needed.
The defensive unit, consisting of Isobel (WD), Constanza (WD), Olivia (GD), and Victoria (GK), was outstanding. They worked cohesively to win back possession, implementing effective structures to transition the ball smoothly into attack.
Their ability to problem-solve under pressure and adapt to different situations was a key strength. Whether adjusting to player absences or rotating positions when dominating opponents, the team displayed versatility, and they always had a positive attitude. A special mention to Cassilda, who was in the team for the first few matches until she left for Spain and to Lucie for stepping in to support the team when needed.
I am incredibly proud of their progress, teamwork, and determination. They should be delighted with their achievements this season; an unbeaten record is a fantastic accomplishment! They have been wonderful to coach.
Coming soon …
Marlborough House Vinehall - Talk for Vinehall Parents - 19th March 2025
This is an opportunity to learn about details of the new school logo, uniform, planned capital investment developments, tweaks to daily timings and, very importantly, the mission and vision for Marlborough House Vinehall. Please follow this link to sign up for the talk on 19th March at 7.00pm – with drinks from 6.45pm.
Marlborough House Vinehall - Family Fun Day - 22nd March
TALKING HEADS EVENT
Could parents interested in our Talking Heads Event please sign up by 9.00am Monday 3 March to help facilitate arrangements.