Thank you for all your Christmas gifts and wishes and kindness this term. It is a very unusual run up to Christmas with so many of the usual celebrations changed or adapted in some way.
We are all disappointed that every child has not been with us until the very end of this week, but congratulate those children for adapting so quickly to school life back on Zoom!
We are very grateful for your support this term and our special grotto was as magnificent as ever, even though one key person could not attend this year!
Our children have been brilliant this term, adapting so well to "the bubble rules" and we all hope they have enjoyed the "different Christmas " with special messages from Father Christmas and The Elves arriving by "Zoom". The virtual pantomime was a great success, and I would like to thank the PTA for their support on this, making the experience affordable for all. Nigel was delighted to be back organising games and music for the children yesterday.
I would like to thank all my colleagues for the effort and thoughtfulness they have shown this term; trying to make each day special for the children.
The term has not been easy for anyone, as we continue to negotiate our way through the Pandemic. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel. The vaccination programme has begun and although we still have some way to go; we look forward to 2021 with hope, excitement and a return to a more normal pattern of life.
We all wish you a very Happy Christmas and a peaceful New Year.
Way back at the beginning of October we entered the Virtual Daily Mile Challenge organised by the Grantham and District Sports Partnership. Fifteen Schools and 1,979 pupils took part in this challenge which in these times is a great result. Grantham Prep had over 89% of the school involved from Class 1 right through to Class 6. Each school needed to organise a mile course and run as many times as they could and send the fastest three times in each category into the organising team. The results have just been sent back and we have achieved 8 certificates from children finishing in the top three. Congratulations to everyone who took part. Results:-
1st Place - Mya (Year 4 Girls)
2nd Place - Harry (Year 2 Boys), Henrietta (Year 2 Girls) and Pippa (Year 5 Girls)
3rd Place - Alexandra (Year 2 Girls), George (Year 3 Boys,) Eva (Year 3 Girls) and Luca (Year 6 Boys)
Virtual Swimming Gala (Laxton)
A team of 34 students took part in the virtual swimming gala last month organised by Laxton School, Oundle. This included every current Junior swimmer who was swimming last year, plus one of our new members, Sofia in class 6 who joined us this year. Over 288 swimmers were involved in this gala and to allow us to take part without having swum this term, we used our best times recorded in the Spring of 2020. Six Gold, 9 Silver, 13 bronze and 15 Bonus certificates were achieved by our swimmers. It is entirely likely that we were “swimming” against current swimmers and so I was very pleased that such an achievement from right across the year groups was evident. Jack(3), Isobel A(2) and Mya(1) achieved Gold standard; Theo(2), Isobel A(1), Harry T(1), Phoebe(1), Sofia(1), Seth(1), Mya(1) and Lily-May(1) all achieved Silver; Bella(1), Tessa(2), Phoebe J(1), Yuvan(2), Stanley(1), Maddison(1), Harry K(1), Pippa(1), Katherine(1) and Lily-May achieved Bronze; Harry T(1), Dexter(2), Bella(1), Stanley(1), Tessa(1), Jai(1), Finley(1),Mathew(1), Jessica H(2), Seth(1), Thomas(1), Pippa(1) and Katherine(1) all achieved a bonus 5 point certificate. The Relay teams scored 1 Silver, 6 bronze and 1 Bonus certificate from 8 races which was a great result. Let's hope for a return to the pool soon, so we can extend the good work done last year in pursuit of the important personal best times.
The children have once again embarked on lots of fun creative Christmas activities during the last week. Making their special Christmas cards, Christmas trees, magical globes, watercolour paintings of Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus and of course not to forget the yummy mince pies to share with all the family. What a busy time!!
The last week has just flown by with Christmas lunch on Monday, the fantastic virtual Aladdin pantomime on Tuesday, the Live Zoom celebration on Wednesday, the Christmas grotto visit and parties on Thursday and the release in this week’s newsletter of the children singing some Nativity songs in their lovely Christmas jumpers. The classroom has such a festive feel which is adding to all the children’s Christmas excitement!
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to Everyone!!!
Class One were amazed that the very next day after watching Raymond Briggs' 'The Snowman' film, the school grounds were carpeted with soft, deep white snow! The children had watched the wonderful, wintry tale as part of their weekly PSHE session; thinking about how to be a good friend. There was an abundance of ideas floating around and we all agreed that the best friends in life are those who are kind, caring, fun, good sharers and in particular, people who greet you with a smile! Happy Christmas to everyone. Enjoy the holidays...see you in 2021!
Christmas has finally come to Class Two! All the children in the class have tried their best to stay off the naughty list and I think they have succeeded (for the most part!)
Every member of the Class had tremendous fun considering what they wanted for Christmas. Please Santa: do not forget about us!
I have been extremely pleased with their attentiveness to presentation (Santa has to be able to read them!) and their accuracy with spelling. I can even see some commas!
Well done Class Two. Please can everyone in our Grantham Prep family have a very merry Christmas!
These photos / clip show class 4 enjoying their last art lesson of the year - completing the painting of their giant Autumnal leaves. Although the seasons have changed rather dramatically this week, these beautiful leaves certainly bring some cheerful splashes of colour, with our budding artists using the 'Pointillism' technique to add shade, colour and highlights to their work. Beautiful work, class 4, well done!
This week class 5 made Christmas cards in class. Using skills they have mastered in STEM they created an intricate design which required them to use all their patience and knowledge to create wonderful cards.
Students said goodbye to November, in a unique and delicious way: celebrating National Sandwich Day. They engaged in different activities handled by the Science Department. From crafting your own sandwich to creating crazy recipes.
John Montague is credited with creating the first sandwich in 1778. Supposedly, the Earl, while gambling, refused to leave the table during an all-night card game. Hungry, he told his servants to bring him some meat placed between two slices of bread so he could eat with one hand and continue to play with the other.
Celebrating Sandwich Day (Nov. 3th) is a wondrous delight, all you need to do is get in and make yourself every kind of sandwich you can imagine. It’s really as simple as that, though if you’re feeling experimental, Sandwich Day is the best time to create something new!
Candy Abreu
Science Department Coordinator
MYP 4 Physical Science - Amazing Race
Last week Miss Rennie’s MYP 4 Physical Science class competed in the 2020 French/Physical Science Amazing Race. Students were divided up into three teams, Team Obelix, Team Tintin and Team Titeuf, each with at least 1 French student in their team.
Route directions were written in French by Miss Reitsma, which sent the teams racing from the veggie garden, to the tennis courts and even to the art quad. They had to complete various challenges, including building a working electric circuit with all the correct components, constructing a paper aeroplane that had to fly a specific distance, chemistry questions and, especially difficult, answering French grammar questions.
The overall winners were Team Tintin: Ariel Kedem, Antonio Biagi and Jack Thomas.
Special awards were given to Alexander Cowell-Vu for being a good communicator; Luc Tierlinck for being a good risk-taker; and to Leander van Staden for showing good reflection skills.
Miss Reitsma and Miss Rennie
Hout Bay International School SOUTH AFRICA
School Bus Collection Points & Times
Bookings for this week:
Please contact the school office to book a place for your child.
8.10am Normanton on Cliffe
8.20am Ancaster
8.25am Wilsford
On Fridays the bus will run 15 minutes earlier to ensure pupils arrive in time for the *Music Machine" School Band rehearsal.
Access to the School Building after 4.30pm
As you are all aware there is now a gate which has a key code access to the Creche in the evening. If you do not have the code, please call 01476 593293 and your call will be answered by Creche.
