FROM THE HEADMASTER
This Week
What a week of glorious weather; it makes all of these wonderful, seasonal summer events all the more enjoyable.
I thought this week’s ‘Music in Quiet Places’ concert on Monday was such a lovely occasion with many delightful solos performed. Then, the Year 7 production on Tuesday was so good and it was great to see the children grappling with some almost proper Shakespeare!
Year 8 have had a splendid time on tour in Norfolk and they really could not have asked for better weather for the time they spent on the beach as well as in the sports fixtures. They then had the foresight to stay cool yesterday by visiting the Milton Keynes AquaPark – there was much envy among the rest of the school!
I am very much looking forward to Senior Sports Day this afternoon. We know it is going to be a warm one but some additional shelter has been put in place and, of course, the children will be told to keep drinking and refilling their water bottles.
Even this weekend coming, there is much going on with tennis, cricket and golf. As always, good luck to all involved.
Activities Week
The children always see next week as one of the highlights of the year. Activities Week is a fantastic few days where the children are off timetable, learning, studying and researching specific topics. The topics for each year group this year are:
Year 3 – Roald Dahl
Year 4 – Nature and the World Around us
Year 5 – Tales of Adventure
Year 6 – Action Stations
Year 7 – Adventure
Meanwhile, Year 8 will be heading to Aberdovey in Wales for a week of Outward Bound activities. It is such a special time for the year group as they spend their last few days together.
Cultural Festival
We are very much looking forward to this event next Friday, which begins at 2pm on the top fields. Each form in the prep school has designed and created a stall or activity. There will also be food and drink and other entertainment on show during the afternoon. Parents are very welcome to attend – it should be a very special afternoon.
I do hope you have a lovely, sunny weekend.
Simon Clarke
Headmaster
PRE-PREP
Moving On Morning Arrives!
You could feel the excitement fizzing in the air on Thursday morning, when ‘Moving On Day’ finally arrived. Our Year 2 children headed off confidently to the Year 3 Block, without even a backward glance, and spent their morning discovering many of the new privileges that being in the Prep School brings. Their return walk back to Pre-Prep later in the afternoon was a rather jubilant one, with the children eager to share which of the four houses they had been allocated to.
Meanwhile, for our Reception children, being in Year 1 for the morning brought with it one insurmountable privilege that shaped their entire day ~ stepping over the yellow line! No sooner had playtime begun, than tens of little feet headed across the playground towards the bright yellow boundary, ready to admire the view from the other side!
A Five-Star Forest Feast (For Birds!)
Within the leafy coolness of our forest school, Reception had a wonderfully messy time this week, creating tasty bird feeders for our feathered friends! With great enthusiasm, the children slathered cardboard tubes with margarine before rolling them in a mix of raisins and seeds. Sticky fingers and proud smiles were everywhere as the children carefully hung their handmade treats in the trees. No doubt, these will soon be feasted upon by the host of wonderful wildlife that we know makes ‘Five Acres Wood’ its home.
Year 2’s Final Assembly – Thursday 26th June, 3pm
Finally, next week, sees our Year 2 children taking to the stage in the Hunter Hall for their Final Assembly. Suddenly appearing much taller, more confident, and certainly full of energy and knowledge, our oldest children are busily preparing to perform for the last time in the Pre-Prep Department – well, almost …not forgetting the heart melting Leavers Song, which is yet to come on Speech Day, of course! Do look out for the email, sent out today, containing the live streaming link.
Pupil Achievements
Congratulations to Willa Jack who achieved a 2nd and a 4th place prize in an equestrian cross country competition and to Isabella Wiseman who gained 2nd place in her first ever eventing competition.
Very well done to Harriet Guppy for gaining her Level 1 and 2 awards in Gymnastics.
Congratulations to Alber Coleman who was awarded ‘Manager’s Player of the Season’ at his U7 football club.
Fiona Sanchez
Head of Pre-Prep
CULTURAL FESTIVAL
Parents are welcome to join us!
MUSIC
Music in Quiet Places Concert
It was wonderful to hear such a variety of instruments and styles of music in our Music in Quiet Places concert on Monday. St Andrew’s Church is such a lovely place to perform and the children did brilliantly. Congratulations to all those that took part.
Summer Concert – Tuesday 1st July
A letter was sent out to all those involved in the Summer Concert earlier this week. This is going to be a wonderful evening of music showcasing all the hard work that our ensembles have done throughout the year. All performers will be provided with tea, please do email the school office to request tea for any siblings.
Music Exam Results
Congratulations to the following pupils for their excellent guitar exam results.
Grade 1
Clara Kecker – Pass
George Dalby – Pass
Elodie Bolt – Pass
Arthur Strike-Doyle – Merit
Rory Waite – Merit
Grade 2
William Bellamy – Pass
Grade 3
Luke Mackaness – Pass
Grade 4
Tom Suggitt – Merit
Grade 5
Archie Wright – Merit
REQUESTS FROM PARENTS
As part of our Cultural Festival next week we are holding various activities/stalls and are in need of unwanted crockery/china for Greek plate smashing, anything will do! Please bring in and leave near the lost property shed on the Terrace.
We are also looking for some fully operational board games (age – 7 to 10 years) for our Board Games Club next term with Mrs Kennedy. If they could be taken to the Year 3 block named for Mrs Kennedy that would be most appreciated.
Thank you.
MEDICAL – Head Lice
As this is a problem throughout the school at the moment, please could you take the time to check your child’s hair and treat accordingly.
Head lice are wingless insects that live on the scalp and neck. They are grey/brown in colour, have six legs and when fully grown are about the size of a pinhead. Females attach their eggs to the hair close to the scalp where there is warmth, food and shelter from detection. The eggs hatch about 7 – 10 days later and it takes 10 days for them to be adults and laying new eggs.
When the lice hatch they leave empty shells called nits attached to the hair. Nits are white and you may mistake them for flakes of dry skin. Nits stick to the hair and you will not be able to remove them with normal shampooing.
You can only get head lice through head to head contact. They cannot hop, fly or swim. Although head lice maybe embarrassing and sometimes uncomfortable, they do not usually cause illness. However, they WILL NOT clear up on their own and you need to treat them promptly.
Treatment of Head Lice
There are many treatments available including:
- Insecticides – e.g. Full Marks liquid or Derbac M
- Wet Combing with Conditioner using a special fine toothed comb
- Non–insecticide based products – e.g. Hedrin
Insecticides and Non-Insecticides
When using these products for treating lice they are available as lotions, liquids and shampoos. Always follow the instructions carefully. Usually the insecticide lotion is rubbed onto scalp and hair, left for approximately 8 – 12hrs before you wash it out. Then comb using a fine toothed comb. This process should be repeated after 7 days to kill any new lice that may have hatched.
Wet Combing
This is a method of removing lice with a fine toothed comb. You need to spend 20 – 30mins combing through the entire head of hair. It is easier to remove the lice and nits if the hair is wet and conditioner still on hair. The process needs repeating every 3 days until there have been 3 consecutive sessions without seeing any lice.
Many thanks
Debs Hadfield – Matron
SHSPA – CHARITY PRINTS
If you would like to purchase a print, postcard or bookmark of Spratton Hall, designed by Mrs Hancock (Year 3 parent), you can do so through the link below.
Money raised from these sales is going to support the MND Assocation.
NON-SCHOOL EVENTS
Clipston Village Music Festival
This weekend Archie Gowling & William Scales will be running a second hand toy stall to raise money for Alzheimer’s UK.
If you are at a lose end between 2.30pm & 6.00pm on Saturday you can find them at the Clipston Village Music Festival at the playing fields.
