A Message from Mrs Knox

What a wonderful way to end the half term. With a backdrop of bunting and the Union Jack floating in the wind, we marked the Platinum Jubilee with an assembly, maypole dancing by Pre-Prep, a wonderful picnic hamper on the lawn and traditional party games. A day like this wouldn’t be complete without an ice cream. The tug of war at the end was a highlight! Well done to all pupils in Years 3-10 for approaching their exams this week with a calm and purposeful attitude. Everyone deserves a good break next week. See you on Monday 6th June for a very busy final half of term. Please do mark Saturday 11th June (9am – noon) if you would like to join us for the final Forum Garden build morning. Happy holidays.

Mrs Knox

Reminders for after Half Term

Monday 6th June - Return to school @ 8:00am

                                 - Year 9 History trip around local sites

Tuesday 7th June - ISA Junior Athletics London South Regional

Wednesday 8th June - Year 6 trip to PGL departs

Thursday 9th June - UN Children's Festival 

Friday 10th June - School video filming

                                - Year 6 trip to PGL returns

                                - Year 3 camp begins

                                - An Evening of original Works @ 6:00pm

Saturday 11th June - Parent/Child Golf Morning at Hoebridge Golf Club @ 09:00am


Seedlings Sale

Last year the Charity Committee came up with the idea of a seedling sale as a way to raise money for the School's nominated charities while still adhering to Covid protocols. This week the Prep and Senior School Charity Committees repeated this success, selling courgette, butternut squash, chilli, tomato and green bean seedlings ready for transplanting into the vegetable gardens of our School community.

Many thanks to all those who donated additional seedlings for the sale as well those who bought plants and gave cash donations. The sale raised over £100 for Access Adventures and The British Red Cross Ukraine Appeal. 

Mr Watson

In Prep School, exams have taken centre stage this week, and we were congratulating the pupils in Assembly on how well they have risen to the challenges of revision, a different timetable as well as the exams themselves. There was a tangible sense of relief around the department when they were all concluded on Thursday - and whatever the results may be, if children tried their hardest, we can't ask for any more than that. 

Whilst Pre-prep timetables haven't been affected by exams this week, there has been industrious creativity wherever you look, with fervent Jubilee preparations culminating in our whole School celebrations on Friday afternoon. From finger-painted flags, collage bunting and glittery crowns to stained-glass portraits of the Queen and ribboned rehearsals around the Maypole, the children have entered well and truly into the spirit! They were especially excited to be taking part in events within their Houses - a first for the Pre-prep department - much to the delight of the children from Prep and Senior Schools. Lastly, we bid a bitter-sweet farewell to the butterflies in Reception as they took their first flight of freedom, having been raised from caterpillars in the last few months under the watchful eye of the Reception pupils. 

We have much to look forward to next half term, including the Year 3 camping, Y6 PGL residential to the Dorset coast, the Children's Festival in Woking and a day off timetable to celebrate World Oceans Day. And that's just the first week back! We hope you have a restful and fun-filled break. 

Values Certificates:

Kindness: Hubert S and Theo C

Effort: Sam PR

Mr Wright

Another busy week of exams as Year 7-10 join our Year 11 students in completing tests across the subject range. I have been hugely impressed by the conduct of pupils throughout the Senior School as they have looked to achieve their best, revising sensibly and keeping on top of their emotions. Throughout the school we are willing them to do well but, nonetheless, constantly reminding pupils that this is not the be all and end all of their academic year; these exams should be a chance to find out how much they know, what revision and exam strategies work well for them and a chance for self-reflection and improvement in the coming weeks and years. We want them to be proud of their successes but also able to acknowledge failure as an opportunity to learn and improve.

With no assemblies this week due to the school exams we have not had any commendations issued. Nonetheless, today sees its own unique celebrations as we host our Queen's Platinum Anniversary Picnic at lunchtime, with games, food and celebrations taking place in the glorious sunshine. I for one cannot wait to get started! 

I wish you and your families all the best for the well-earned half-term break that is now upon us.

Mr Wilson

This week's suggested competitions and events are listed below. Remember there are many more that can be view on the Stretch and Challenge Website (https://sites.google.com/dokschool.org/stretchandchallenge/home)  

Junior Sketch for Survival (5-16 years)

A global art initiative in aid of conservation. You can be a part of Junior Sketch for Survival 2022 by entering our art competition. There are three age categories.
The short-listed art selected from all submissions will be exhibited in London & Manchester, as well as competing for our awards. The deadline for entries is 30th June 2022. For more information visit: - https://explorersagainstextinction.co.uk/initiatives/sketch-for-survival/junior-sketch-for-survival/

The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award (11-17 years)

The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award is one of the biggest and most established prizes for young people aged 11 – 17 in the world. If you’re an aspiring writer, enter your poems to the competition by 31 July 2022. For more information visit - https://poetrysociety.org.uk/competitions/foyle-young-poets-of-the-year-award/

Mr Wyllie

House Drama

Our House Drama competition has been launched this week! All the information is in the House Google Classrooms, so the pupils can have a look in there or come and find Mrs Honey for more information.

The judge has yet to be confirmed but will be a professional working actor and we are hoping for plenty of monologue and duologue entries. The finals will be open to parents and are on Wednesday 15th June from 4.30-5.30pm. Good luck!

Dates for the diary:

Friday 10th June - An Evening of Original Works

Wednesday 15th June - House Drama FInals

Sunday 19th June - 'A Monster Calls' rehearsal

Saturday 25th June - Summer Concert

Sunday 26th June - 'A Monster Calls' rehearsal

Wednesday 28th and Thursday 29th June - 'A Monster Calls' performances

Monday 4th July - Year 11 Leavers Concert

Thursday 7th July - Pre-prep Dance Show

Mr Rye

What Parents Need to Know about Toddlers & Screen Time

The toddler years are full of excitement, exploration and energy. It’s a critical time in children’s development, when brain connections are rapidly forming. Youngsters often begin to discover devices around this age, as they learn to communicate with friends, play games and watch videos (Ofcom recently found, for example, that one in five 3–4-year-olds in the UK uses social media). These activities can make a child happy and relaxed but have a damaging impact if overused. Setting screen time limits for toddlers can be a challenge, so we’ve pulled together some suggestions for making sure your little one is interacting with the online world in a safe, healthy way.

In the guide, you'll find tips such as setting parental controls, removing devices at certain times and using screen time as a reward.

Click on the link to help you find out more about "What Parents Need to Know about Toddlers & Screen Time".

Mr Boden

Rounders: U14/15 v. Belmont

On Tuesday afternoon, a mixture of girls in Years 9 & 10 travelled to Belmont for their first rounders match of the term. All the girls have been playing cricket in their lessons and other matches so far this term but exam week was the perfect moment for a rounders game! The girls managed to remember all the rules and tactics and so put on a great performance, often outwitting the Belmont team with their clever play! Annabelle R did an excellent job of bowling without giving away any half rounders in no balls throughout both innings. The scores were very close after the first innings of 35 balls each with Belmont on 9 and a half and Duke of Kent School on 10 rounders. In the second innings, the U14/15 team fielded brilliantly with some exceptional catches from Violetta and Tilly alongside FOUR catches from Macy B! This helped to keep Belmont's score to a minimum but they still had multiple big hitters scoring very good rounders. They finished on 18 rounders and it was the U14/15 girls turn to aim to score 9 rounders to win. With some more excellent tactical play and a few misfields from Belmont, the team managed to score 22 and a half rounders and win the game! Great work everyone! 

Miss Vickers

Girls' Cricket: U12/13 A v. Belmont

On Wednesday afternoon, the U12/13 A team travelled to Belmont for their 5th cricket match of the term, so far the girls had won 4 out of 4 matches so they were aiming to finish the half term unbeaten! The U12/13A's won the toss and decided to field first. Belmont had some very good batters displaying good technique and hitting multiple 4s throughout their innings. Duke of Kent School bowled well with Clara, Alice and Jess bowling some brilliant overs in particular. As the game went on, the girls managed to get a few wickets including a great catch from Sydney R. Belmont scored a strong 107 runs so the girls knew what they had to beat. The team had worked hard on their batting over the last few weeks and this was starting to show with some much more controlled and thoughtful batting than in previous matches. It came down to the last over and luckily Niamh and Bella held their nerve to score some important boundaries and give the U12/13A their 5th win of the half term with a score of 124, winning by 17 runs. Another great game, well done to all of the girls involved! 

Miss Vickers

Girls' Cricket: U12/13 B/C v. Belmont

On Wednesday, the U12/13 B/C girls' cricket team played Belmont. The girls started lost the toss and kicked off the match batting. The whole side got numerous 4's and 6's and worked incredibly hard to build their total up to 281 runs ahead of Belmont coming in to bat. 

Belmont had a tricky start with Emma F and Edie H making two catches in the first two overs shortly followed by Lucy M too. The bowling was superb, with very few no balls or wides. A special mention to Lucy M and Annabel O who bowled brilliantly with straight and fast balls making it hard for Belmont to score off them. The final score was 281 - 253 to Duke of Kent School. Well done everyone!

Mrs Woolgar

Mixed Cricket: Year 2 v. Belmont

On Tuesday Morning, the Year 2 (U7) Mixed cricket team made the short trip to Belmont School where Duke of Kent School played their first school cricket match. They played a pairs cricket match, in which Duke of Kent School fielded first. The team were great and impressed everyone with their focus in the field, which allowed them to stop a lot of boundaries; there was some fantastic fielding by Henry H in particular, as he was always ready attack the ball and get it back to the bowler or wicket keeper, Norah C showed off some good fielding skills as well getting her body behind the ball. Some great wicket keeping was shown from both Elizabeth S and Violet W. Belmont ended their innings on a score of 38. It was Duke of Kent Schools turn to bat, and it started well with a strong partnership between Tombi W and Logan N, through plenty of powerful strikes. Douglas S played a few great shots off the bat, also some brilliant running in between the wickets from Mila S with some strong calling and Joey S with some great speed in between the wickets. Duke of Kent School ended their innings on a score of 43 to win the match. Well played to everyone involved, a fantastic first cricket for you all for Duke of Kent School. 

Mr Orme, Miss Martin and Miss Vickers

Boys' Cricket: U15 v. Kingswood House

This Tuesday, the U15 A boys cricket team played a 16 overs aside match v. Kingswood House. Kingswood House won the toss and decided to bowl first. Duke of Kent started the innings slow but had built a solid foundation to accelerate the innings throughout the last 10 overs. Max S and Ben E had a nice opening partnership of 58, with Ben retiring on 30, which then allowed both Leo H who score a quick 31 with a few classy shots and Tom H who powered his way to a score 32; to finish off the innings in style with Duke of Kent School ending on a score of 149 from their 16 overs. In the second innings, two really well bowled opening overs from both Alex W and Fraser R put Kingswood House immediately behind the run rate. The batting team kept playing their shots and hit some fantastic boundaries in the middle overs, then Leo H came onto bowl and bowled a fantastic three overs, getting a wicket and going for just 8 runs through some great fielding to back him up. This lead to Kingswood House finishing their innings on 118, a good team win for the U15 A’s. Well played to everyone involved and thank you to the weather for being with us until the last ball had been bowled. 

Mr Orme

Today we have been celebrating the Platinum Jubilee in school as the pupils sported patriotic colours of red, white and blue. This brings back memories of myself at school celebrating the Queen’s Silver Jubilee in my red, white and blue nurse’s uniform, whilst enjoying similar festivities. Also, disbelief that this was 45 years ago!

The celebrations mark a tremendous achievement as the Queen represents the longest-serving British monarch and the third longest-serving monarch worldwide. Very few will achieve what the Queen has but we have all, nonetheless, reached our own personal goals and achievements. It is important to remember the adjective ‘personal’ here. We are individuals and our achievements are individual to us. Others’ achievements should not diminish or detract from our own as this comparison can wear away at one’s self esteem.

This is especially important as we approach the last half term and pupils will be expecting the results of their exams. This can be a very anxious time and it is important to employ some strategies to minimise the stress for those waiting for results. Parents could encourage their children by:- 

  1. Don’t keep talking about the exams - once completed they cannot be changed. Enjoy the half term break and allow them to put school out of their minds.

  2. Spend time with friends - a distraction from waiting, it is important to encourage them to relax and have fun. 

  3. Be positive - reassure them that ultimately your pride in, and love for, them is not altered by the results. If you are anxious about the results your child will pick up on this also.

Comparing our achievements to those around us is not conducive to our happiness.  As Roosevelt said ‘comparison is the thief of joy’ it only leads to a diminishment of one’s own attributes and achievements. If we can recognise that we only need to do our best and be ok with that, the pressure will retreat, and we can enjoy our achievements without judgement.

Mrs Douglas

Monkeypox has been hitting the news headlines this week, with reported cases in England up to 77 as of the 24th May.  It is a condition very similar to chicken pox (and nothing to do with monkeys!), and as such, should not cause great harm to the vast majority of people should they happen to contract it, as there is no treatment required, and therefore there appears to be no current cause for alarm.  For more information, please follow the links below:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/monkeypox/

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/monkeypox-cases-confirmed-in-england-latest-updates

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At school this week, the pupils have done a tremendous job of tackling their exam week in positive spirits, despite vast numbers of them suffering sore throats, coughs and colds - well done everyone for showing great resilience!  We hope a week of rest and good weather (fingers crossed) will help them all to recover and build some energy reserves to tackle what's looking like a very busy, but fun, final half term of the school year, with plenty of school trips and activities to look forward to.

Have a lovely break - see you on the other side!

The School Nurses

PADoK News

Casino Royale

TICKETS NOW ON SALE!!!

This is for your eyes only! PADoK Presents 

Please join us for a night of Bond Themed glitz, glamour and fun on Saturday 18th June. The school will be transformed into a fabulous casino for the night with welcome bubbles and canapés at 7pm, dancing, magic and more to accompany the event.

Dress Code: Black tie or a twist of Bond

Carriages: Midnight

Tickets £55 per person to be added to the school bill.  Email with you child’s name and class to: padok@dokschool.org

So shake up your wardrobe, stir up the glam, you only live once (twice). Make it a night to remember!

PADoK Walk

The next walk is on Friday 11th June 08.30 at Car Park 3 Hurtwood Control, Pitch Hill.  Everyone welcome.

Duke of Kent School Singers

Another fun filled start to Thursday with a morning singing session.  Wonderful to hear Soprano, Alto and Tenor voices singing together in harmony.    It is always an uplifting start to the day with lots of laughter. This will pick up again after half term at 08.20 in the PA Hall.  Everyone welcome.

Running Technique Club 

If you are a runner or would love to learn how to run with technique training, learn how to build muscle or to just try something new, come along to our Running Technique Club!  A medical form needs to be completed prior to participation.

Contact julia@therunningspecialist.com for more information.

PADoK Book Club

Do you like to enjoy a glass of wine or two with friends and laughing about great life stories?!  Then you should come to the PADOK book club to do just that! We are meeting on Thursday 30th June at 8pm at the Hurtwood Inn Pub in Peaslake to catch up and talk about our summer term PADOK book, Again, Rachel.  It’s a No 1 Sunday Times Bestseller by Marian Keyes – it’s a fun, easy read that makes you feel as if you are part of Rachels life and we would love to see lots of you on the 30th to chat about the book and then of course, catch up more with other DOK parents.  Hope to see you there. 

Mrs Phillips

Senior School Optional Hoodie

The Senior School hoodies have been redesigned by members of the School Council and the finished product can be seen above.  They have done a fantastic job at putting this design together and now finally getting to see the finished product.

This new hoodie is available from Stevenson's on their website: https://www.stevensons.co.uk/.  There is also the option to have your child's initials printed onto the front of the hoodie for a slight additional cost, something we would advise to avoid mixing up tops with other pupils. This hoodie is not an essential item of School uniform, so there is no expectation for pupils to have it.

If you wish to see the sample, please pop into the Main Office to see me and have a look at the new hoodie.

Mrs Woolgar

School Social Media

At Duke of Kent School we have three social media platforms; Instagram (dukeofkentschool), Twitter (@DoKSchool) and Facebook (Duke of Kent School).

Our Twitter and Facebook accounts are public however, our Instagram account is private to keep it strictly for the Duke of Kent School community only. To follow the School Instagram account you will need to request to follow the account. 

We recommend following all three accounts to receive push notifications with news, updates, educational articles, interactions with other schools, communities and public figures.

        

Mrs Woolgar