Dear Parents,
I hope this finds you and your loved ones safe. I would like to begin by welcoming Mr Robert Russell who joins us as a receptionist to support Zoe Menendez-Buick in her new role as Senior Receptionist. Rob will add some much-needed capacity to our busy and bustling reception. I would also like to welcome back Ms. Racquel Soto-Marin from maternity leave. It’s clearly an unusual time to be starting (or re-starting) at a school, but please do join me in welcoming Rob to the team and in welcoming back Ms. Soto-Marin.
I would like to thank all those parents who have shared feedback about our online learning this week. It has been heart-warming to have received so many emails (and photographs!) highlighting some of the fantastic work that the children have been doing and what they have been learning. Thank you, too, to those parents who have shared things which haven’t gone quite so well. One thing a number of parents have shared is that the online learning is requiring too much parental input and involvement when many of you are trying to work at the same time. We will be working on a revised version of the timetable over the Easter break which I hope will make managing your children’s learning easier.
As ever, please do not hesitate to get in touch with me if you have any questions or comments. I will be back in touch over the Easter holidays to share with you the revisions we are hoping to make to our timetable along with our plans for a “Parents’ Day” on Tuesday 22 April (an opportunity for you to have 1:1 online appointments with your child’s teachers).
With best wishes
James Stenning
@NBHPrepHead
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Dear Parents and Carers,
I hope that you and your families are keeping safe and well during this unprecedented time. As we have migrated to online teaching, your children are using the internet more than ever before. Hence, I wanted to draw your attention to a few websites below to support you at this time:
- Internet matters - support for parents & carers to keep their children safe online:
- Filtering guidance
- Net-aware - for support for parents & careers from the NSPCC
- Parent info - for support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online
- Thinkuknow - for advice from the National Crime Agency to stay safe online
Whilst use of technology is so important at this time, and helps us to stay connected, we all need a break from it. Guidance from health care professionals suggests keeping mealtimes tech-free and keeping devices out of bedrooms overnight.
Please continue to talk to your children to check in on what they are doing online. The most important thing is that if something went wrong (and of course there is evidence to suggest that there are people who are exploiting the current situation to trick people when they are at their most vulnerable), children feel that they would be able to come and speak to someone. The way we react when our children tell us about a problem is absolutely crucial.
I will be available on email should you have any concerns or if you need support.
With best wishes,
Penelope Lee
Designated Safeguarding Lead
Microsoft Teams Guide
Please click here to see a useful video guide to Microsoft Teams made by Cognita's Digital Learning Advisor, Andy Perryer.
Additional Online Educational Resources
Our teachers have put together a list here of online education platforms offering free subscriptions or resources that our pupils might find beneficial.
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ALL YEARS
Comparative Judgment - Using technology to accurately assess pupils writing
This Spring Term NBH Prep has signed up to a promising educational platform, which uses a method of ‘comparative judgment’ to assess pupils’ writing. The system has been developed by a prominent educational author, researcher and ex-teacher Daisy Christodolou (OBE). The platform uses technology to accurately calculate pupils’ writing ages and writing scaled scores based on teachers comparing pupils’ written pieces on screen and deciding which of two is of higher quality.
Its principle is to make an assessment based on a ‘comparative’ rather than ‘absolute’ judgement (i.e. assigning a grade). For example, estimating how tall someone is, produces a range of values (opinions) from different people. However, asking which of two people is taller (making an absolute judgment), produces more reliable results.
A specific algorithm collects the judgments from all the participating schools and then calculates a score for each pupil’s written piece. Recently, Year 6 pupils from the participating schools around the country (including ours) all wrote a piece on the same topic. Teachers then took part in a ‘judging session’, comparing scanned anonymised scripts from different schools including ours. We found the process very informative and believe that comparative judgement will become a very helpful tool in our planning, teaching and feedback.
It is very exciting to see the way technology can make teacher assessment more accurate and efficient, whist at the same time realising a screen is no match for the craft and nuance of teaching children in person.
We are also looking forward to hosting Daisy Christodolou (OBE) for a training for local schools about Comparative Judgement, will take place in the near future.
If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Best wishes,
Veronika Shelley
Assistant Headteacher Lower School
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Great photo submitted by Marcus and Lucius. They have made a den in Queens Wood, which we they are lucky to have just around the corner from their house. They have been visiting it most days during their daily exercise session.
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Notifications and Home Learning Stars
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Year 3
In Life Skills this week, Year 3 were learning about ways to stay healthy and safe. They have created some infographics (below) sharing their top tips.
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Milo (3 Colledge) has used the numbers to create pictures for art this week. Can you see the numbers hidden in the pictures?
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Stars of the Week
This week the teachers have decided to award the ‘Star of the Week’ to every pupil in the class. They gave their reasons below:
4Polglaze - You have done such a fantastic job getting to grips with Teams this week! It’s been lovely to see how engaged you all are with the online learning! Well done!
4 Barrett-Brown - You have helped each other in times of need and have responded to online learning in a positive and productive way. Keep building that IT confidence over Easter
4Power - You have done such a great job learning how to use Teams this week! It has been great to see how hard you are all working on it, finding your files and submitting your assignments. I'm very proud you all!
4Malone - For your patience, your perseverance and your flexibility in these challenging times. Let's not forget to praise those which have shown excellent initiative too.
4 Truasheim - for demonstrating the NBH values of kindess, respect and determination to your online learning. You have engaged with each lesson and ‘rolled with the punches’ with any issues that has risen. Couldn’t be prouder! Well done.
4Foster- Congratulations on an excellent first week of online learning. You have all come such a long way with your digital learning skills. There have been some bumpy moments but I am incredibly proud of the way you overcame these challenges. Well done.
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This beautiful artwork was drawn by Rudy H in (4Malone), in honour of all the NHS workers.
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Year 5
11+/13+ Booster Course
The Year 5 booster course is going to be postponed and moved to October Half-term 2020.
Team codes
By now all the children should be part of every subject team with their respective class and teacher. Please see this document which has all the team codes for Year 5 in case your child is not part of a particular team. Please make sure your child does not join a team that they would not be part of the class for.
The Year 5 challenge this week was: To create an picture of an animal using only your socks. There were some brilliantly creative entries as always below are just a few.
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This detailed and informative poster was created by Adan A as part of his PSHE lesson this week.
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Year 6
Remote Learning Rockstars
6Todd - Oscar B was fantastic in his PE lesson. Lots of great answers and worked really hard. He has also been super helpful with other pupils this week.
6King - Amelie has had a wonderful cheerful attitude to remote learning and is setting a fantastic example to the rest of the class.
6Encinar- Daniel M for being a very helpful pupil with afternoon registers. He is always very punctual and is in the right place at the right time.
6Holt - Kiko has been amazingly organised and has helped others, including her teachers.
6Ralph - Rahul arrives on time to every session and helps out everyone (including his teachers) by posting team codes, assignment links and timings for his peers - couldn’t have done this week without him!
Subject Teacher Nominations
Ms Encinar - Archie - Superb work in Spanish.
Ms Vivian - Emily H – Great listening and answers to questions during our maths lessons this week.
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Year 6 Students have being showing off their literary talents this week. Above are two pieces of Blackout Poetry written by Oscar J (left) and Noah I (right) in response to the children being asked to isolate words which struck a chord with them in response to the book, Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane, a spell book to conjure up potentially lost words in our society today. Below is an extract from Joseph S's creative writing task last week. Pupils were asked to respond to the visual promt and continue the narrative:
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"An impenetrable layer of thunderclouds ominously shrouded the sky. the last ray of warm yellow light was shut out and the man felt dear clawing at him from the inside. As he ran, he glanced quickly at the towering hills in front of him searching desperately for a shelter from the relentless rain that was sure to come. In his hast, had failed to sea the Gorse bush in front of him. The thorns pierced his skin and he felt the trickle of blood on his left arm. Cursing it, he ran on. There was only one thought going through his mind: safety."
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Above are some ‘Bursts of Colour’ with accompanying descriptive phrases created by some 6 Ralph pupils.
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Congratulations to Victor F for achieving his Silver iDEA award for Computing.
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Year 7 & 8
Please see an Upper School update from Nicola Swales here.
In English this week, Year 8 produced some great descriptive writing in response to Ted Hughes’ poem ‘Wind. They were encouraged to personify the wind and invent original imagery in their descriptions. Here are some extracts from Charles R. and Christian N.
"Later that evening, the wind began it mischievous deeds once again. This time it was joined by its old friend: Fog. Fog crept up on the house like a ghostly serpent, slid along the window, flicked it tongue into the corners of the house, waited a moment and then slipped back along the path." Charles R
"The wind collects a few grains of sand in its cupped hand and carries them across the bed and ruffles the hair of the water, making it float towards the shore and swish across the sand. The waves thank him by poking their heads out like a dog wanting to be stroked.
Afterwards, it flies to the animals and taunts them while they are all curled up and trying to sleep by blowing into their ears, puffing up their feathers and flicking sand into their eyes like a school bully as they snarl at it in annoyance." Christian N
Year 8 have also been practicing their article writing in English this week with the topic of How to Survive Quarantine with your Family. Below are excellent examples from Hovig T and Charlie S they make for excellent quarantine reading.
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Miss Holt’s Year 8 Computer Science class have been using Tinkercad to design 3d models. Over the next few weeks their task is to design an accessible playground for primary school children. Their design must incorporate elements which can be accessed by wheelchair users. Looking at some of the amazing work after just one lesson, we can’t wait to see what they create over the next few weeks!
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Upper school Leaders
Zachary S – for a great attitude and proactive approach to Online Learning.
Charles HS – for commitment to his school work and going above and beyond with his learning.
Jojo U-W – for his boundless enthusiasm and encouragement of others.
Oliver B – for exuding positivity in all that he does.
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Year 3 & 4: Ivan (3Truesdale)
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Year 5 & 6: Rocco H
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Year 7 & 8: Theo W
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Don't forget to follow the Prep Art Instagram account here to keep up-to-date with the art department’s top tips for young artists working from home, as well viewing the beautiful work that is produced on a daily basis by pupils.
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Well done to all those pupils who have put in huge efforts during our lessons this week. It’s been great to see all the work put in to complete the circuits, physical challenges and skills challenges. A special mention to Oscar B and Sebby W in year 6 who did a great job in completing their circuits. Rocco H in year 5 handed in an incredibly detailed Health Journal, well done Rocco! A mention must also go to Louis D who got 16/16 in the year 7 & 8 rugby quiz, the only person to do so in the whole upper school!
Online Learning Videos and Photos
All the PE teachers have been very impressed with the commitment and determination in our pupils when completing their physical activities. We would love to be able to share their successes with the rest of our community through segments in this newsletter. Please share with us photos and videos of the children taking part in the physical challenges, skills challenges and fitness circuits. These can be posted to the child’s PE channel or emailed through to Mr Cooper or Mrs Watson.
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PE Holiday Challenge
Over the Easter break we’d love to encourage everyone to keep up their physical activity. Our holiday physical challenge to you is to complete as many burpees as you can in 1 minute! Please send in photos and videos to Mrs Watson or post them on to your PE class channel.
Check out Miss Todd’s effort in the video, it will take some beating!
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You can now view previous newsletters here.
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