Newsletter - St Michaels Preparatory School

5th February 2016
Newsletter
FROM THE HEAD
School Council Charity Mufti Day for Cancer Research
Visit by artist Oliver Barratt
Visit by Kara Tointon
Visit to Ardingly College
Friday 12th Feb – No school for pupils!
I think Friday at St Michael’s summed up all that we do. It had many elements. Down in Pre-Prep we
enjoyed learning about the variety of snowflakes there are in my assembly ,requested by Erica. While
up in Prep we had Mufti Day organized by School Council for Cancer Research. We prayed in chapel on
Thursday for the many, many people touched by cancer, thinking particularly of parents here who have
died, their families, and those who today are undergoing treatment or recuperation and dealing with
the everyday tough stuff of feeling exhausted or being in pain. We think of them often and if the power
of collective support could make them better, believe me it would.
As well as wearing home clothes and giving to support this worthy cause we also today listened to our
Y6 violin quartet playing Telemann Concerto for four violins in D and had visiting artist, Oliver Barratt
from Sevenoaks School to show his work to the children. He talked eloquently about giving ideas form
and showed the process both physical and intellectual of three works of art that have been
commissioned from him. Skyline is a beautiful piece that sits in the centre of Liverpool City to mark its
being European City of Culture. The second piece was commissioned to mark the loss of life of
scientists exploring Antarctica and has two parts, one in Cambridge University and one in the Falklands
and if they were co –located, they would physically fit together. The final piece he talked about is on
show in Sevenoaks School. Oliver was inspirational and he made the pieces significantly more
meaningful to us all through his presentation around the ideas that gave each one shape and the
materials chosen. As if that weren't enough excitement for the day, this afternoon, Kara Tointon of
Strictly and Eastenders fame visited the school to celebrate the making of the film about Dyslexia that
our children were involved in. We had visitors from Otford and Shoreham Schools and interest from
the press and parents. We were delighted that her bubbly personality could be experienced in the flesh
and we see the making and sharing of this film demonstrates our total commitment to include
everyone in and around the community of St Michael’s .
On Wednesday I was fortunate to visit Ardingly College, a large mixed day and boarding school from 218 that sits in 250 acres of Sussex countryside about an hour from here. I saw a lot of investment in an
interesting model of boarding, with the final year being spent just as an Upper Sixth, living and
preparing for success in University both academically and domestically. The multiple year groupings of
the other boarding houses give
leadership and mentoring roles
therefore to Lower Sixth
students. It’s a great model.
The beautiful chapel at the
heart of the school is both a
physical and spiritual centre to
the school and the warmth of
my reception from headmaster
Ben Figgis, his wife and his
welcoming team of staff was a
relaxing interlude to the preoccupations of the day job!
I commend this school to you.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
From The Head 1
Pre-Prep School News….5
Prep School News….13
Sports News……...28
follow us on twitter
@StMichaelsHead
Introducing our new Peripatetic Music teacher Matt Davies .
USE OF COCONUT AT ST
MICHAEL’S SCHOOL
We have granted permission for
our caterers to using coconut in our
menus.
From our research, we have
concluded that coconut is not a
nut, it is a seed and although it can
be a food allergen, occurrences of
that are relatively rare in the UK.
As it is highly nutritious and rich in
fibre, vitamins and minerals we do
not see any good reason to not use
it at St Michael’s.
However, this is a reminder to all
parents that you should contact us
if your child is allergic to it or any
other food product.
Having been immersed in music from the age of four, Matt Davies quickly
found it becoming a huge part of his life. At the age of 12 he received a
scholarship to Junior Trinity College of Music, which he attended every
Saturday until the age of 18. He is now a professional musician having
recently graduated from the leading international conservatoire, the
Guildhall School of Music & Drama, specializing in Jazz Saxophone. He is
also a clarinettist, flautist, pianist and drummer of an equal calibre. Recent
performances include playing with some of London’s elite function bands,
big bands, ensembles, pit bands and pop groups. During his professional
career he has performed at many prestigious venues and events including
Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club, The Royal Festival Hall,
The Vortex Jazz Club, Pizza Express Jazz Club, The Harlow Playhouse, The
Gherkin, The Shard, Azerbaijan (for the Secretary of State), toured
Switzerland as a soloist accompanied by orchestra and was invited to play
at a jazz festival in Combret, France. He has been teaching for seven years
now, both as a private and peripatetic music teacher, and has experience
of teaching all ages and levels of ability, from absolute beginners to
professional musicians. He regularly accompanies an adult choir and
continues to arrange and compose for some of London’s finest musicians.
Illness and Games
Following my entry last week about illness and games and phoning home I
wanted to let you know what a big impact this has had on attendance in
class and on children phoning home for forgotten items. We seem to have
all but eradicated this in one week. I must however clarify that all teachers
carry slips to give to a child for the office to phone home if a child
presents to staff as unwell . This enables teachers to be more closely
involved . For those who missed it last week, I repeat the information
below.
Our parent handbook requests that sick children are kept off until they are
well enough to attend school . We would request that parents give
consideration to others when sending recuperating children who are
infectious, to school. It isn't good for anybody. We would like children to
come back when they are ready for a whole day including sport .
A child with a temperature is not fit to be at school. We have now got
thermometers so that we can judge who needs to go home. Any other
child will not be sent home, allowed off lessons or given permission to
phone home. If a member of staff has a concern about a child and
requires a call to be made, the office will do this.
Advice from the NHS says that exercising with a cold or runny nose
presents no danger to health unless the exercise makes you feel weak or
dizzy.
A child who is exhausted is not fit for school. If a child is taking medication
with potential side effects then school should be aware so that the right
decisions can be made to keep them healthy and safe. Thankyou
Children Off Games
In Pre-Prep children who are not fit to do games should not come to school.
In Prep children who must not do games may not do physical exercise at
break or lunch time either.
Parents must write or email me via the main office copying in the form teacher before 8.20 to request a child is off games. Parents must indicate whether
they will collect their children at 1.30 or not. A list of these children will be
reviewed by me and the arrangements for their playtimes are as follows.
In Prep School all off games pupils will be sent outside to collect snack and
then required to attend the library where they will register against the list of
those whose parents have emailed or written.
Royal National Children’s Foundation
We support the Royal National
Children’s Foundation. Its
membership comprises charities who
consider grants and awards to assist
children in need whose families
cannot afford educational or boarding
fees. Pupils may be at Independent
schools or State schools where a
boarding fee is charged. Their contact
details are:
It will not be possible for children to decide if they feel better in a day and
phone home. The decision must be made at home in advance.
Educational Grants Advice
Independent Schools Council
c/o Royal National Children's
Foundation
Sandy Lane, Cobham
Surrey KT11 2ES
Pupils who are not in matches will be watching their classmates or can be collected with permission sought from the head at 1.30
http://educational-grants.org/
At lunch when they are not eating they will proceed to the library where they
will be registered . Just before afternoon school restarts they will be sent out
to walk round to the white doors and back to lessons.
A new Off Games Request Form available on the website / in the Offices
Sainsbury’s Vouchers
Dear Parents,
It is the time of year about when we ask all parents who shop at Sainsbury’s to
start collecting active kids vouchers and donating them to school. We have
been fantastic over the years at doing this and they are put to fantastic use
buying extra equipment for the sports department.
It’s easy to collect vouchers for Active Kids 2016. Simply shop in Sainsbury’s
stores and online at sainsburys.co.uk and you will earn Active Kids vouchers on
your shopping.
In Sainsbury’s Locals, you will get one voucher for every £5 you spend. You’ll
notice these vouchers are larger than the ones you receive in Sainsbury’s
supermarkets and have a photograph on them.
In Sainsbury’s Supermarkets you’ll receive 1 voucher for every £10 you spend.
So if you spend £40 you’ll get four vouchers, but what’s new is that they’ll all
be printed on one piece of paper. These vouchers are white and smaller in size,
with no photograph on them.
Please bring any vouchers collected to the prep school office.
Tel 01932 865619 (answered
between 9am to 11am)
Déjà Vu Second Hand Uniform Shop
The primary goal of Déjà Vu is to provide a place for parents/carers to
be able to buy excellent or good condition second hand uniform at half
price or less.
Other notes:
The shop’s additional role is to raise funds for the benefit of the
school and to allow parents to recoup monies on higher value uniform items.
Items for sale should be clean and pressed.
How the shop operates:
Clothing is either donated to the shop for sale or can be brought in to
be sold on behalf of parents, but this is subject to a de minimis limit
of £10 (resale value). This means that items that would be priced at £10
or under are treated as donations.
All funds earned either go to the school or to parents. The shop is not
run for profit, and is 100% run and managed by volunteers.
The de minimis limit was increased to £10 in 2015 to reduce the
labour-intensive administration time spent in the financial side of
running the shop (labelling, tracking, collating, cheque production).
The by-product of this is however that more funds will go to the school.
Resale values are subject to adjustment for condition.
Uniform with the OLD LOGO is now being phased out as we have a good
stock level of all NEW LOGO items. The OLD LOGO items can be recycled
in the ³Recycle with Michael² bin.
We are open 8:15 to 9:15 on the following days:
Monday - Fi Kerr, Penny Bulley
Tuesday - Sarah Maltarp, Fiona Michie
Thursday - Charlotte Crossley, Claire Goodwin Friday - Sarah Williams,
Sally Hudson
Please bear with us if we are a few minutes late or have to close at
short notice - we all have kids at the school.
You can find us in the Old Pre-prep courtyard next to the new clothing
shop.
Since September 2013 over £10,000 has been raised for the school by
Déjà Vu, and since June 2009 this number is over £20,000. The funds are
segregated by the school and have been used for various specific projects.
Déjà Vu monies have gone into the following projects:
Artificial cricket surface
New books for the Library
New Guided Reading Scheme
Impero agreement (monitoring software)
Espresso subscriptions (online digital resource)
Instead of donating items to the shop, parents can recoup some of the
cost of higher value uniform items. We label the items with a unique
seller code and when the items are sold they will receive 75% of the
sale value, with cheque runs being done at least twice a year. The
other 25% goes to the school.
The following items would currently all resell for more than £10 so can
be sold on behalf of parents:
Blazer
Tartan skirt
Tartan tunic
Summer dress
New style black coat
Olympic kit bag
Cricket jumper
Cricket tank top
Football match top
Rugby match top
Rugby waterproof top
Prep tracksuit top
Hockey top
Green jumper
Uniform Shop
If anybody wants to visit the Uniform Shop,
please park In the Pre-Prep car park and walk up.
Thank you
PRE-PREP SCHOOL NEWS
Tuesday 9th Feb Chinese New Year.
Thursday 11th Feb 8:40 am Year 2 Parents – Insight to Year 3. Coffee Morning. Prep Drama Room
Friday 12th Feb – No school for pupils!
Dear Parents,
Year 1 had a lovely trip out to Shoreham this week. The sun shone and the children enjoyed an impromptu recital on the
church organ. At the time of writing Year 2 are getting excited about their benchball tournament at Prep school.
We are looking forward to Chinese New Year Workshops to celebrate the Year of the Monkey. We have Arnie coming
back to St Michael’s with his enormous yellow dragon. There will be lots of noise for the dragon to dance to.
We are delighted that the Choir will take part in the Tunbridge Wells festival again this year. We hope that as many of
the Pre-Prep choir children as possible will be able to join in, so we are giving you early warning of the date and timing:
Saturday 12th March from 1.15pm. This is a fun event and the children gain so much from taking part in the festival.
Please note that half term starts early next week and there is no school on Friday. All the staff will be away visiting other
schools and forging links with colleagues; gaining lots of good ideas and sharing good practice.
Overheard: Mrs Goodwin has been teaching her class Welsh. She asked “Which language is Bore Da?”
1st child: Dolphin.
2nd child: No, Whales!
Have a good weekend,
Zerrin Leech
5
GOLD STARS
Gold Stars were awarded to:
Matilda for beautiful handwriting / Louisa for always being kind and helpful /
Harry B for fantastic independent writing of sentences / Bronwyn for really
speeding up and still writing wonderful sentences / Ava M for working really
hard to sound out words using her phonic knowledge / Eva V for always being
an enthusiastic and hardworking member of the class and setting a good
example to others / Anya and Amber for fantastic progress with swimming /
Murray for working really hard in class / Megan L for working so hard on her
topic information book.
LEXIA CERTIFICATES
Congratulations to;
Georgina G for completing Level 1
Alexandra S and Lucy for completing
Level 2
Harry S for completing Level 3
Max B, Daniel M and Darcy for
completing Level 4
Evie S, Marcus, Natasha S and
Arabella for completing Level 5
Violet for completing Level 8
Jaylen for completing Level 9
Star Violinist: Gracie
Music Practice Award: Charlotte
Judo Certificates
Congratulations to
Jack H for achieving the ‘Gamesmaster of the
Week Award’ on 25.1.16
Raife for achieving the ‘Judoka of the Week
Award’ on 25.1.16
Chloe J for achieving the ‘Rulesmaster of the
Week Award’ on 25.1.16
6
House Point Cup
This week the House Point Cup was awarded to Leeds with a total of 148
points and Lucy B collected it on behalf of the House.
Nursery 2017
If you have a child who was born
between 1/9/14 and 31/8/15 they
fall into the 2017 Nursery cohort.
We start the admissions process for
this age group later this term. If
you have an unregistered child and
plan for them to join St Michael’s
Prep please email me and I will
send you the registration forms
and bank details.
Thank you
Judith Yarnold (Mrs)
Director of Marketing, Admissions
and Development
100 House Points Certificate
Annabelle H – 2FD - Rochester
Congratulations to:
Kitty – RJ - Windsor
Tallulah – 1W – Dover
Sophie F – 2S – Windsor
Torin – 2FD - Dover
Freddie R – 2S - Windsor
Miliani – 2FD – Leeds
Violet – 2FD - Leeds
Sophie A – 2S – Leeds
Alex S – 2S – Leeds
Joshua A – 2S – Leeds
Mia C – 2S – Leeds
Aaron G – 2FD - Rochester
7
Shoreham Church
On Wednesday, Year 1 went on a trip to Shoreham to explore the church and as part of our topic on
‘Journeys’. We were very lucky because one of the church organists, Henry Desmond, was able to come along
and played the organ for us. We all loved listening to the music and enjoyed exploring the different parts of the
beautiful church. We then walked around the village and thought about how the people in Shoreham might get
around as they live in quite a small village. We counted how many cars went past us as we walked along the
High Street – there weren’t very many!
Erica in Reception suggested to Mrs
Aisher that she did an Assembly on
snow as she wanted to learn more
about it; Mrs Aisher kindly obliged and
delivered an enlightening Assembly on
all the different types of snow, and
showed us how snowflakes are formed
then we enjoyed singing ‘Let it Go’.
Thank you for coming Mrs Aisher.
Reception children did so well in their PE lesson this week that they were
allowed a short session with the parachute.
Kindergarten children enjoying their ballet session this week.
In Nursery we have had lots of fun
engaging in activities that help our oral
motor skills.
We have been using straws to blow
bubbles in soapy water and blow pom
poms into a goal.
“We really enjoyed our evaporation experiment in Reception J. When we looked at it after four days, the water
in the jar without the lid was a little below the level of the water in the jar with the lid. When we looked at it
after ten days, we were all amazed by just how much this had evaporated. Just imagine, somewhere out there is
a cloud with drops of water in it from our evaporation experiment!”
We did an assembly on Chinese New Year.
Lucy B, Lucy F and Harry G played their violins for us all during our assembly this week.
Year 2 have been enjoying finding out about their topic oceans and seas.
We have enjoyed:
‘Finding out about all the facts about under the sea’ Freddie
‘I like making my own fact book.’ Joshua
It’s really nice to make your own book, and find pictures so they can go in the library.’ Charlotte
‘I like the sea and the sea creatures in the sea and I like writing about them.’ Arthur
‘I like writing and making books.’ Sophie
After School Care Club:
Sewing machine Murray and Mum
Tuesday
This week the children have continued to be excited about making
their patchwork snakes. As soon as children enter the club a queue
starts to form for using the sewing machine and everyone is eager to
show their new talents to their parents when they are collected.
Well done to Tristan and Jamie C who have completed their snakes,
they look absolutely amazing! It was lovely to hear Tristan say “I’m
very proud of myself” to me and to hear Murray explaining so
beautifully to his mum how to use the sewing machine.
Hand puppet Eva Van marionette
The children have also had opportunities this week to make exquisite
marionette bird puppets, use the loom to weave wool, create play
dough models and use the laptops to record and create their own
short mini films. Well done to Amy and Lucy who have mastered the
weaving technique really well.
During our cooking session this week the children enjoyed making
owl pancakes which looked too cute to eat!
Well done to everyone for making the After School Care Club such
great fun this week, we have all really enjoyed ourselves.
Mrs N Smith
Lexia:
Level 6 - M Elliott
Level 7 - H Owen
Level 8 - E Collings
Level 8 - A Paizes
PREP SCHOOL NEWS
What a fantastic assembly we had this morning. Lucy, William, Helena and Yong-Xing
played the Telemann concerto for four violins in D major, Oliver Barratt the artist came
to show us his amazing artworks and we collected lots of money today for Cancer
Research. Thank you every body for making today special.
Level 9 - T Darsey
Level 9 - J Murray
Level 9 - O Maltarp
Head Teachers Stars:
Level 10 - A Ulens
Level 10 - W Sherry
Level 10 - H Soper
E Ward
O Fowler
29/01/2016
01/02/2016
Wonderful writing in English
Helping at Snack time
Level 10 - B Kerr
Level 11 - I Gascoyne-Day
Level 11 - O Crane
Level 11 - R Landgrebe
Level 12 - B Welland
Level 12 - J Van Slingelandt
Level 12 - J Beesley
Level 13 - R Neville
Level 13 - H Wilkinson
Level 13 - H Wall
Level 13 - K Smith
Level 13 - H Nix
Level 13 - A Khan
Level 13 - R Everest
Level 14 - G Williams
Level 14 - A Martin
Level 14 - C Kern
Level 14 - J Fryer
Level 14 - M Supple
Level 14 - A Winter
Level 15 - A Tovey
Level 15 - E Supple
Level 16 - J Allen
Level 16 - P Rabe
Level 16 - T Rabe
Level 16 - K Pathiwill
Level 17 - G Goodwin
13
Mummified Meerkats!
Year 3 are currently studying the Ancient Egyptians in history and this week we have been mummifying my
meerkats! (Soft toys not real ones, I hasten to add.) We have been learning about the ancient ritual of removing
the brain with a hook before throwing it away, then taking out the lungs, liver, stomach and intestines which all
go in to canopic jars as they are needed in the afterlife. Lucky for the meerkats we did not remove their stuffing
or cover them in salt to dry out, we simply went on to wrapping them in linen strips and decorating them with a
death mask. Finally we added a Book of the Dead so that they would be able to reach Osiris in the Underworld.
We hope you enjoy our photos of 3C, 3H and 3M.
Madame Chapelle.
Please note that no meerkats were harmed during the making of these photos!
15
Monday and Friday Lunch Time
On Monday and Friday lunch time the Year 5 & 6
girls spent their time shaking some dance moves,
eating popcorn and chatting. The purpose of this
event was to have some fun and to help develop
friendship groups and encourage an open forum.
Lots of fun was had by all!
Visit by Kara Tointon
There was a great atmosphere of excitement this
afternoon as Kara Tointon came to visit.
She chatted to parents and children after the
screening of the film we made and was as
delightful in the flesh as on stage and screen
Thank you to Mr and Mrs Beesley who enabled
this to happen, Mrs Martin and Mrs Marsden
who ran the project and to the Sevenoaks
Chronicle who sent a photographer.
The film made an important contribution to
meeting the needs of the families here and
around Otford whose children are dyslexic .
Thank you Kara! From all of us
Roman Day
Year 4 enjoyed a splendid day at the Forum last Friday when ‘History off the
Page’ paid a visit to the school. Each child became a slave for the day and
learned a number of key skills in the hope of being apprenticed and earning
their freedom. They trained to be physicians, to make ceramic charms,
mosaics, wax tablets, frescoes, jewellery, oil lamps, and pots and were even
apprenticed as scribes and merchants. Togas and laurel wreaths abounded
as the children moved around the room, learning from the “mistresses and
masters” or shopkeepers (who were, in fact, our wonderful St Michael’s
mums and dads).
The fun-packed day certainly enriched the children’s curriculum studies of
Roman Britain in a way that can only be achieved from a ‘hands on’
experience. Special thanks go to the parents who volunteered to help and
dressed accordingly - we really could not have done it without you.
The Year 4 Team
I am pleased to let you know that Miss Lauren Pearce has been appointed to
be Head of Years 3&4 from September 2016 .
Advanced Art
A few paintings which the children have produced in
advanced art after school activity.
J Xie’s Art Work
J Sabin’s Art Work
A Griffiths Art Work
S Ecclestone Art Work
A visit to Sevenoaks School
A team of astronomers visited Sevenoaks School on Thursday evening to hear Dr Boulianne describe how scientists can find and identify
planets in orbit around stars outside of our solar system. Fascinating science delivered in a fun and understandable way by Dr Boulianne
and her team, including two old Michaelians!
Advanced Science group visited Sevenoaks School in February to learn about how extrasolar planets are found. We joined Sevenoaks
School’s Astronomy Club, the pupils showed us how a reflecting telescope works. It was too cloudy to see stars so we looked at someone
running on the treadmill in the gym! One of the boys showed us how elements like hydrogen give off light of different colours. We looked
through a slide and saw the colours given off by the gases, some colours were stronger and this tells scientists what stars are made of.
The Astronomy Club included two St Michael’s pupils who left Year 8 last year, it was good to see them. Charlotte Denny
Calling all Budding Authors!
To coincide with National Storytelling Week which begins on Saturday, the
English department is today launching a story-writing competition. There are
four age categories: Year 1 & 2; Years 3 & 4; Years 5 & 6; and Years 7 & 8. The
winner from each category will be awarded a cup, which will be displayed in the
relevant house section in the dining room / Pre-Prep. There will also be
Headteacher’s Stars for the winners, plus house points for everyone who enters.
Stories can be any length and can be typed or handwritten. They must be the
pupils’ own work but careful editing and redrafting is very much encouraged!
Pupils should hand their entries to their English teacher or to Mrs Andrade by
the deadline of 4pm on Monday 22nd February (the first day back after the half
term holiday). Please ensure that every entry is clearly named with the child’s
name and class. Winners will be announced on Friday 26th February.
Radio 2 is currently running its popular 500 Words short story competition. We
would like to encourage the children to enter this too, perhaps entering the
same story for both competitions. As well as explaining the rules and how to
submit a story, the 500 Words website http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/
p00rfvk1 features some useful resources such as the Alphabot word generator
to help kick-start the story-writing process. You can read the winning stories
from previous years, as well as finding out about the prizes, which include rather
a lot of reading books and tickets to the star-studded final. The deadline for the
500 Words competition is Thursday 25th February.
Happy writing!
Mrs Andrade
Wall to Wall Media
the production company behind
award-winning programmes
such as Who Do You Think You
Are?
We have been commissioned to
make a landmark series for BBC
Two over the Easter period 2016
where we recreate the Victorian
East End of London and populate
it with families, couples and
siblings who have ancestral
connections to the slum areas of
Victorian Britain’s industrial
cities. We would like to hear from
families all over the UK and we
are also keen to represent
different cultural communities as
they not only contribute a valued
part to British culture today, but
often have their own family
stories of migration and survival
throughout British history. This
is an element that would most
resonate with the stories of
migration in Victorian Britain we
will be looking into, and the birth
of our cosmopolitan nation at
that time.
The aim in the series will be to
live, work and make ends meet
exactly as the Victorian poor
would have done. They will be
expected to find work, master old
trades and sell their wares in
order to put food on the table and
to make the weekly rent. We
want to explore the period before
the birth of the Welfare State and
how the plight of the Victorian
poor changed our nation for the
better. This is not an acting job,
but an immersive history
experience for factual television.
Interested parties can contact us
to find out more at
casting@walltowall.co.uk or 020
7241 9228 or read more at
http://www.bbc.co.uk/
showsandtours/takepart/
victorian_east_end
Internet Safety Week:
Internet Safety Day is on Tuesday 9th Feb 16, however, we have extended this to
Internet Safety Week from Monday 8th – Thursday 11th Feb 16 and will be covered
during ICT & Computing and PSHE lessons. ‘Internet Safety Day’ will be celebrated
globally with the slogan ‘Let’s create a better Internet Together’. The focus of this
event is to look at ways of how we can protect ourselves whilst using the Internet and
remain safe when visiting social media websites.
All students in St Michael’s will be involved in group discussions, tasks and will watch
some videos which are age appropriate and from Dfe (Department for Education)
approved websites.
Parents Transport For
Young Voices Concert
If any parents are interested
in coming together and
traveling in style on Bus/
Coach to the Young Voices
Concert on 8th February.
Please contact Susan Fryer
ASAP, as it is only in a week.
fryer541@btinternet.com
Below are various links for parents which contain many resources with fun activities
you may wish to share / use with your children.
http://www.saferinternet.org.uk/safer-internet-day/2016/education-packs/
parents
http://www.childnet.com/parents-and-carers
https://www.betterinternetforkids.eu/web/portal/resources/gallery/detail?
resourceId=656744
https://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/parents/
http://www.internetmatters.org/
English Touch Type Jnr:
English Touch Type Junior is a Touch Typing software we use in school. Should you
wish to purchase this to help develop your child’s touch typing speed, you can do so by
visiting the following link which also gives you a discount. The standard price is £29.95
per copy or £44.95 for both Junior & Senior, this link is £18 for one copy or £33 for
both: http://www.englishtype.com/SchShop-2016012994255- StMichaels.php
The attached leaflet will provide you with more information about the English Touch
Type software.
Please note, that if you purchase this software for use at home the levels achieved at
school will be higher as they have used this at school as part of their curriculum.
Should you have any questions or queries you can contact me directly via email on:
jbooth@stmichaels.kent.sch.uk
01732 811248
Inter-House Senior and Junior Drama Duologue
Competition
O Chugg Is Cutting
His Hair
The Little Princess Trust is a charity
that creates donated hair into wigs for
children with cancer. ‘I have decided to
cut my hair and donate my hair to the
trust. I also want to raise money for
the charity. O Chugg is thrilled and
grateful for the generous financial
donations, supportive comments and
interest in his fund-raising and hair
cutting. He is particularly grateful to
Elliot Harlin-Bethal from Rehab Hair
in Sevenoaks, who will cut his hair
properly after that first snip. Elliot is a
Michaelean and has a long history with
the school.
The sponsor form and box is in the
School Office.
O Chugg Just Giving Page
https://www.justgiving.com/OllieChugg
Junior Division Yrs 3, 4
Senior Division Yrs. 5, 6, 7, 8
Tuesday saw the launch of the inaugural St Michael’s Inter-House Drama Duologue
Competition. Twenty six pairs of students from across the school competed in either the
junior or senior divisions to fight for a place in next week’s grand final on Tuesday 9 th
February and clinch the crystal star award for their house. We saw a range of extracts from a
variety of plays- from Alice in Wonderland, to Black Adder and War Horse, and it was evident
that students had spent a lot of independent time and effort rehearsing and preparing.
The Junior Division final will take place in the Drama Room at 14:45 and
the Senior Division final will take place in the Drama Room at 19:00. We are delighted that ex
-pupil Oli Dillon will be joining us to judge the finals. Oli has had a vast amount of
professional experience in the field, and is very excited to come and see the current wealth
of talent on the St Michael’s stage. Parents and friends are invited to come along and
support too, and refreshments will be served.
Out Of Bounds Comedy
The Parent and Friends Committee are proud to present a night of
stand up comedy on Friday 18th March, at 7.30pm. Hosted by Out of
Bounds Comedy, this promises to be a great evening of
entertainment with 3 fantastic comedians. Tickets are £20 each,
including light snacks. A licensed bar will also be available.
Tickets will be available to purchase from the Prep and Pre-Prep
offices from Monday - this event has sold out every year so please
purchase your tickets as soon as possible to avoid disappointment.
Many thanks
The P & F Committee
Bethany School Open
Morning
SENIOR SCHOOLS
Saturday 6th February starting at
10.00am
Benenden School
Waiting Lists
Cobham Hall Open Mornings
Taster & Sleepover and Open
Mornings will take place on:
Friday 22nd April 2016
Saturday 23rd April 2016.
We would like to draw your attention to our Admissions registration
lists for 11+ entry in 2017 and 13+ entry in 2018 – both of which will be
operating a waiting list very soon. As of today there are:

no waiting lists for 11+ entry in 2017 and beyond, but this will soon
change

13+ entry for 2017 is already being wait-listed and we will move to a
waiting list for 2018 entry imminently
Sackville School Open Day
Saturday 12th March
10.00am-12.00pm
We therefore will be contacting all those parents who have expressed
an interest in these entry points to make them aware that registration
is essential now if they are to make it on to our main lists for 2017 and
2018 entry.
Our current Admissions Situation is stated on our website. Details of
the many visiting opportunities and Open Days we run during the year
are also listed. We would also be delighted to welcome prospective
parents and pupils for an individual visit and a meeting with Mrs Price,
Headmistress, if they prefer.
Walthamstow Hall
Opening Morning Thursday 10th
2016
10.00am-12.00pm
Parents
Can parents please use the drop-off to
allow children to exit the cars on the
pavement side. The system is made more
efficient if parents can remain in the car
and ensure their children have their bags
available to them as they exit the car.
Please do not use the parking spaces on
the other side of the drive, facing the
playing fields for drop-off. Children should
not be dropped off before 8am. There are
no members of staff on duty in the
playground before this.
Can parents please observe the speed
limits within the school grounds and still
use correct signals when turning into or
pulling out of a parking space. The No
Entry signs must also be respected and
adhered to.
Disabled bays are for those families with a
Blue badge or with specific permission
from school to park there on a temporary
basis. They MUST NOT be used as a dropoff/ pick area.
NEXT WEEK
(P) = PARENTS WELCOME
Monday
8th February
Tuesday
9th February
Wednesday
10th February
Safer Internet Day
Go Green Week and
Safer Internet Week
Prep School Staff Briefing
8.00
Later Start for Children
involved in the O2 Concert
10.45am
Y4 Trussell Trust Food Bank
Week
Y6 Victorian Day at King’s
School, Rochester
Pre-Prep staff briefing
7.45am
R, Y1, Y2 Chinese New Year
Workshop
Y3&4 Young Voices Charity
Concert Rehearsal O2 Arena
12.00 noon
Internet Safety Quiz
Young Voices Concert O2
Arena 7.00pm (P)
Y8 Reps’ Meeting with Mrs
Aisher 8.30am (P)
Netball Holmewood House
U13 A,B (H) 2.30pm (P)
Netball Sevenoaks Prep U11
A,B (H) 2.30pm (P)
Netball Hilden Grange U10 B
(A) 2.30pm (P)
Junior Inter-House Drama
Duologue Competition
Finals 2.30pm (P)
Rugby Rose Hill 1st XIII, U11 A,
U10 B (H) 2.30pm (P)
Staff Training 4.00-5.15pm
Rugby Rose Hill 2nd IX, U11 B,
U10 A (A) 2.30pm (P)
Senior Inter-House Drama
Duologue Competition
Finals 7.00-9.00pm (P)
Dogs
Thursday
11th February
Friday
12th February
Dogs are welcome but please make
sure you clean up after them.
There is a risk of blindness form
touching dog poo and putting a finger
in your eye.
Please remember that some children
and adults find dogs a source of
anxiety. Please keep dogs on a lead, in
the care of a responsible adult. We
suggest that if waiting with a dog, you
keep to the end of the pathway near
the library and remain on the grassed
area27
so that children can pass by on
the path.
Thank you
Y2 Insight to Y3 Coffee Morning at
Prep School 8.40am
Rugby Hawthorns U8 Touch A,B,C,D
(H) 2.45pm (P)
Netball Kent College U9 A,B,C (H)
3.00pm (P)
Netball Kent College U8 A,B,C (A)
3.00pm (P)
Staff Inset Day
This means your holiday at Half
Term starts on Friday 12th and you
can beat the half term rush in your
planned getaway. Staff are using
this day to get out to spend a day
in another school. We look forward
to bringing back and sharing all our
ideas from these visits.
Saturday
13th February
SPORTS NEWS
Rugby League
Oscar played as part of a Sevenoaks Rugby Club team in a regional tournament at Allianz
Park, home of the Saracens. His team finished top of their league and have qualified for the
championship competition later in the year.
SPORTS RESULTS
FRIDAY 29TH JANUARY
IAPS SWIMMING Gala News
The team this year were fabulous all supporting each other with encouragement, cheering
and represented St Michael’s very well. The following swims were exceptional:J Hudson -U11 50m Breaststroke 1st
A Savage - U12/13 50m Freetyle 2nd
I Hassan -U10 25m Breaststroke 2nd
J Benjamin -U12 25m Fly 2nd
H Scott -U10 25m Freestyle 2nd
T Masding-U13 25m Fly 3rd
These races were all heats only so we have to wait now to see if their times are quick
enough for them to qualify for the Finals in May.
Special thanks from Mrs Dudman to T Masding, who was a great support to her during the
gala and also to Mrs Smith and Mr Pearce. F O'Keefe stepped into the gala at short notice
and C Driscoll stepped down to let A Savage swim the 50m Freestyle, commendable
behaviour from both boys.
Netball
Saturday 30th January
Hawthorns U11A Tournament
The girls all turned up in good spirits to play in the tournament on Saturday. They got off
to a fairly shaky start against hosts Hawthorns. Unfortunately nerves and disappointing
passing coupled with some very strong opposition in their group meant that they didn’t
get a chance to get into their flow. Although they improved their play as the morning
went on they didn’t manage to progress beyond their group.
Well done to all the girls for not giving up and a huge thank you to all of the parents and
Mrs Aisher for all of your encouragement and support.
Netball & Hockey
Wednesday 3rd February
Hockey
U13 A v Sevenoaks Prep-Netball (Home)
Players of the Match: E. Hamman
Result: lost 2-4
U13 B v Sevenoaks Prep-Hockey (Home)
Player of the Match: S. Ecclestone
Result: drew 2-2
Player of the Match: M. Handy
U13 B v Sevenoaks Prep-Netball (Home)
Result: Lost 4-5
Player of the Match: S. Pryal
U13 A v Sevenoaks Prep-Hockey (Home)
Result: lost 1-3
Netball
U11 A v Kent College (Away)
U10 C v Kent College (Away)
Result: Lost 10-3
Result: Lost 4-1
Players of the Match: Y. Geer
Players of the Match: S.L Powell and L. Degen
U11 B v Kent College (Away)
Hawthorns U11 C Tournament
Result: Won 10-5
Players of the Match: J. Bulley
U11 B2 v Kent College (Away)
Result: Lost 5-2
Player of the Match: S. Adesanya
U10 A v Kent College (Away)
Result: Won 9-1
Players of the Match:P.Pottier
U10 B v Kent College (Away)
Result:Won 9-1
Players of the Match:F. Tosh and L.Paizes
On a very chilly afternoon, the under 11 C team
played four games as part of the Hawthorns
tournament. In their first match they met the
eventual winners of the whole tournament, City
of London Freemen’s School, who were
extremely strong in all areas of their game. Our
girls worked hard to take their chances where
they could, and there was some strong
defensive work in action. There were some
relatively close games against Aberdour,
Hawthorns and Hoe Bridge. The team showed a
positive attitude and versatility throughout, and
very much enjoyed what was for some their first
tournament. Player of the tournament was E
Seidemann for her robust work in defence
Netball
Thursday 4th February
U8 Green v SVPS (Home)
Result: Lost 1-6
Player of the Match: I. Davies
U8 Black v SVPS (Home)
Result: Won 6-0
Players of the Match: D Stephens, O Neave
U9 B v SVPS (Away)
Result: lost 3-2
Player of the Match: M Supple
U9 C v SVPS (Away)
Result: drew 3-3
Player of the Match: L-M Malin
Caterham U9 A Tournament
Results:
V Hilden Oaks won 3-0
V Hawthorns won 2-0
V Croydon High won 2-0
V Micklefield won 3-1
V Granville won 3-2
V Caterham lost 0-1
The 7 under 11 girls were keen to get underway and do well in this tournament.
They started out well and went from strength to strength showing some excellent skills both in the
shooting circle and in defence. The passing through the mid-court was strong and communication
between the players was great.
The girls conceded only one match to eventual tournament winners and hosts, Caterham and finished
up coming runners-up. They missed out on winning the tournament by just one point. A really great
afternoon of netball was had by all and as usual a huge thank you to all the parents who showed up to
offer encouragement and support to the girls.
Rugby
Thursday 4th February
U8 C v Yardley Court (Home)
U9 A v Yardley Court (Away)
Result: Drew 7 - 7
Result: Lost 6 - 4
Scorers: L. Watson (4), C. West
(2), J. Hassan
Scorers: C. Paye, B. O’Keefe,
T. Adesanya, T. L-St George
Men of the match: L. Watson,
C. West
Man of the match: C. Paye
U8 D v Yardley Court (Home)
U9 B v Yardley Court (Away)
Result: Lost 6 - 4
Scorers: J. Fryer (3), C. Mottram
Man of the match: J. Fryer
Result: Lost 7 - 0
Scorers: N/A
Man of the match:
S. Preobrazhenskiy
U9 C v Yardley Court (Away)
Result: Lost 12 - 10
Scorers: T. Darsey (2), K. Pathiwill
(4), J. Cosgrove, M. Rowswell (3)
Men of the match: K. Pathiwill,
M. Rowswell
U9 D v Yardley Court (Away)
Result: Lost 14-11
Scorers: S. Parker-Swift (6), R.
Everest. (3), H. Wall, O. Bailey.
Man of the match: S. Parker-Swift
U8 A v Yardley Court (Home)
Result: Lost 8 – 7
Scorers: R. Landgrebe,
X. Prongue, S. Newton (2),
G. Rehbein (2), J. Sales
Man of the match: S. Newton
U8 B v Yardley Court (Home)
Result: Drew 9 - 9
Scorers: N. Staples, A. Paizes,
O. Bowen, J. Maloney (3), H.
Plank (2), M. Blincoe
Man of the match: J. Maloney
Year 3 boys enjoying wearing their new match tops on Thursday against Yardley
Rugby
Wednesday 3rd February
1st XV v Yardley Court (Home)
Result: Lost 32 - 5
Scorers: T. Masding
Man of the match: T. Masding
U10 C v Yardley Court (Home)
Result: Lost 10 - 2
Scorers: K. Bennett, O. Baker
Man of the match: K. Bennett
2nd XV v Yardley Court (Away)
Result: Lost 31 - 12
EASTER CAMP
Scorers: G. Wright, W. Fowler
Many of you will have had previous
experience of the cricket coaching
provided by our academy coaches, Mr
Van (ECB Level 2) and Mr Ray Willis (ECB
Level 3 and Former Kent U13 Cricket Head
coach) having been on the staff at St
Michael’s for many years of their
approach in teaching your children.
Men of the match: G. Wright, H. Ashdown, J.
Benjamin
U11 A v Yardley Court (Away)
Result: Lost 5 - 3
Scorers: H. French, M. Hall, A. Heslop
Man of the match: M. Ecclestone
U11 B v Yardley Court (Away)
Result: Lost 11 - 6
Scorers: A. Tosh (3), J. Hoch (2), W. Ross
Man of the match: J. Hoch
U11 C v Yardley Court (Away)
Result: Lost 6-3
Scorers: P. Khan, M. Fryer, S. Weir
Man of the match: M. Fryer
U10 A v Yardley Court (Home)
Result: Lost 10 - 1
Scorers: W. Francombe
Men of the match: W. Francombe, Z. Hansford
U10 B v Yardley Court (Home)
We have once again been fortunate in
gaining the expertise of Ray Willis who
will be on hand to share his wealth of
their knowledge and expertise with the
children together with the wonderful
facilities of St Michael’s we can be
assured of a great week.
The camp will run in the last week of the
Easter holidays (Wednesday 13th- Friday
15th April). The days will consist of a
morning session from 9am - 12 noon for
children 8 years to 9 years and afternoon
session from 1pm – 4pm for age 10 years
to 13 years. With the limited amount of
spaces available, I would urge you to
return your reply slip as soon as possible.
Letters are available from the office or
alternatively you can copy and paste the return
slip of the electronic version to:
rwcricketacademy@hotmail.co.uk
Result: Lost 8 - 4
Scorers: O. Stuart, J. Henderson, G. Hull (2)
Best wishes
Men of the match: G. Hull, H. Kirby
Mr van Schalkwyk
HALF-TERM SOCCER COURSE
at St Michael’s Prep School, Otford
Tuesday 29th March – 1st April
Monday 4th– 7th April
The Easter term soccer courses runs from 10am to 3pm. There will be pure football training,
competitions and matches all day. Delivered by our qualified talented football coaches.
Head Coach Carlos Lopez worked for Arsenal F.C in their academy as a coach and scout for
the last 8 years. ‘Any child that I feel has excelled on the course has the possibility of
trialling at Arsenal, Peterborough, Barnet or Leyton Orient’ Carlos Lopez
Morning – First touch, Team play, individual skills, finishing/defending/support play, and
games.
Afternoon– Tournaments, skill tournaments, penalty shootouts, small sided games.
The course costs £100 for the four days. We only have limited spaces so book as early as
possible to avoid disappointment. Please find attached the booking form or collect a
booking form from the office.
If you have any problems or require further information please contact Carlos on 07429
065067 or email archwayfootballacademy@hotmail.co.uk
HALF TERM HOCKEY CAMP - HOLLYBUSH
I will be running a 3-day Half Term Hockey Camp again from the 15th - 17th of
February .And a 4 Day Easter camp running 11th April– 15th April. The course will
run from 10am - 3pm. The lead coaches on the course will be myself and Mr Richard
Young. Letters can be collected from the office or email Mr Thomas at
jnthomas88@outlook.com
These camps are becoming increasingly popular so please reserve your space ASAP to
avoid potential disappointment. Forms will be out next week.
Mr Thomas