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A message from Mrs Knox

What a fabulous World Book Day yesterday as we celebrated the world of books and the joy of reading. We were joined by author Daniella Blechner, founder of Conscious Dreams Publishing. She gave an inspirational talk to the pupils about her journey on becoming an author and ran some engaging creative writing workshops. The pupils and staff are to be congratulated on magnificent costumes! I struggled a bit with my webbed feet but enjoyed being Jemima Puddle-Duck for the day! Thank you to the English Department for a super day. Today, we celebrated House Music and I must congratulate all the pupils who performed in front of the School. I am always blown away by their sheer bravery as well as incredible talent. Finally, House Song almost brought the house down and huge congratulations to all our performers and teachers for a colourful, musical and entertaining finale! Congratulations to our two SATRO teams who came first and second place in their competitions this week and are now through to the next round to be held at Royal Holloway. Happy Mothering Sunday to all our Mums, Aunties and Grandmas this weekend.

Mrs Knox


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The School menu next week


Year 3 trip to Kew Gardens

On Friday, Year 3 visited the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. This was to support our learning in Topic lessons on rainforests. Each group attended a fascinating workshop and had the opportunity to explore a number of artefacts from rainforests. They were also able to examine, smell and taste some rainforest food and tried to identify various spices. We then had a role-play activity, whereby we packed our essential equipment, flew to the rainforest in the Palm House and then searched for useful resources amongst the plants, looking for those that would be able to provide food, shelter, construction materials and medicine. It was a wonderful day out, filled with learning opportunities. We were very impressed with the children’s knowledge and behaviour that they demonstrated throughout the day.

Mrs Nicholson

 


National Careers Week

To kick-start the week on Monday morning, senior pupils enjoyed an assembly which focussed on the theme of career change. During the assembly, pupils learnt that, while some individuals have a clear vision of their future career, it's perfectly normal for many to be uncertain about their path. The pupils discovered that most of their teachers, despite their passion for their current roles, had originally envisioned themselves in completely different professions. They were introduced to stories of notable figures, such as Michelle Obama, who transitioned from a successful legal career to impactful work with a non-profit organisation focussing on apprenticeships and training for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Their aim was to help prepare them for public service careers.

Throughout the week, teachers enhanced this theme by displaying on their classroom doors lists of the various roles they had held before entering the education field. This initiative sparked numerous discussions and encouraged pupils to view life as a series of vocational adventures and opportunities, rather than potentially having to commit to a single career path for life.

House music on Friday provided Year 10 and 11 pupils the opportunity to learn more about a career in the music industry. They enjoyed the chance to chat with House music judge Adam Martin, who spoke to them about his experiences and how to navigate a career within this sector. 

It was heart-warming to see both senior and prep school pupils eagerly participating in the word search and crossword competitions. The winners of the chocolate prizes will be revealed next week!

To wrap up, here are a few key pieces of advice that concluded Monday morning's assembly.

  • Treat everyone how you want to be treated.
  • Have a path but be flexible.
  • Aim to have fun whilst working hard.
  • Venture outside of your comfort zone.
  • View every person you meet as a door that may lead you to a new opportunity.
  • Take best advantage of any opportunities that present themselves.
  • Search for the value in feedback or criticism.
  • Remember – worklife balance is so important.
  • Do what you love and enjoy; a career will follow.
Mr Wyllie

Wilder Schools Action Day

Thursday was the first Action Day of the Wilder School's project. The area between the teaching block and the link was identified as a good place for Years 5 and 6 to target. Before we got started, the pupils were reminded how to use spades and tools like secateurs safely and everyone was given a job to focus on. The Year 5s threw themselves into the backbreaking work of removing the surprisingly tough weeds from the soil in the flower bed with gusto and determination. Some of the pupils started removing the dead bracken that had built up over time. The Year 6s then took up the gauntlet after break time and continued to churn up the soil and clear the surrounding area of weeds and bracken. All the pupils showed superb teamwork skills and relished the challenge. 

In the afternoon, Year 3 had an outdoor Maths lesson. They participated in a carousel of activities that consolidated their understanding of arithmetic and fractions while encouraging them to apply it in different, real-world contexts in the woodlands. All the pupils relished the opportunity to get outside and work with their peers to complete the challenges they were set, with one pupil saying "I love solving maths problems with sticks!”

Mr Gritton


SATRO Problem Solving Challenge

Twelve students set off for St Bedes School in Redhill, full of enthusiasm and a touch of nerves for the challenge ahead. Faced with the challenge of moving 20 lego bricks 1.2 meters using just an egg box, elastic bands and a variety of other bits and bobs, pupils had 90 minutes to design, build and test their lego block vehicle whilst up against stiff competition from other schools. The Year 10 and 11 team tested their vehicle first, flinging two lego blocks out of the egg box and costing them marks, before the Years 8 and 9 team had their turn. When the final score announcement came, the Year 8 and 9 team scored an incredible low score of 31, bringing them in as the lowest scoring runners-up, and the Years 10 and 11 team came in first with an even lower score of 22. With both teams scoring lower than all A Level teams from other schools on the night. We could not be more proud of their teamwork, design and problem-solving skills. Onwards to the final…watch this space!

Mrs Wilkinson


World Book Day

Yesterday, Duke of Kent School celebrated its annual World Book Day festivities – it was a fantastic day as all staff and pupils embraced dressing up as their favourite literary characters to mark this event. World Book Day is such an important occasion for the whole school, as it is a wonderful opportunity for the Duke of Kent School community to join together and celebrate a love for books and reading.

This year, we were delighted to invite back former secondary school teacher, children’s author and founder of Conscious Dreams Publishing, Daniella Blechner to spend the day with the children, and reiterate the importance of reading. Daniella’s love for reading developed early on in her school career, where she decided to write her own stories when she found lots of book characters didn’t look like her. Daniella’s morning assembly was based on her new children’s book 9 Days of Piper Snow; a beautiful story about losing someone dear and how an unexpected friendship can have the power to create lasting memories. Strangely, it was actually based on a real pigeon that has decided to visit her after her father passed away and who has made himself at home!

The day started with the usual procession of the pupils’ costumes with the Senior pupils assembling in a magical tunnel as the Pre-Prep and Prep pupils skipped through and paraded their costumes. There were Harry Potters, Oompa Loompas, and even a couple of dinosaurs! The staff excelled again this year in their themes and ideas: the Science Department were from The Lord of The Rings, PE were all characters from the Winnie the Pooh books and the Performing Arts Department stunned us all with their incredible Greek characters. (Don’t look at Mrs Honey!) A special mention has to go to Mr Wright who, as Cruella Deville, had his 101 Dalmatians in tow and the Maths Department whose three bears were harangued by a cheeky Mr Monk as Goldilocks.

After the morning assembly, Daniella was treated to a “show and tell” session with Years 3 and 4. She was introduced to wonderful characters and enthusiastic stories about why these characters meant so much to them. “George’s Marvellous Medicine” was a particular favourite. Throughout the day, Year 7 and 8 had an exciting “Storytelling” workshop with Daniella, where they looked at creating characters, plot, setting and blurbs. During lunchtime, Daniella held a writing workshop for those pupils that wanted to learn more. There, Daniella shared some top tips with the pupils. It was amazing to see her ignite some of the creative minds of the children and even commented how some of the pupils were authors in the making!

In the afternoon, Year 10 and 11 had a careers-based talk. Daniella took the pupils through different career opportunities within the field of publishing and discussed how many authors are now using social media as a platform to promote their books. Year 10 also participated in paired reading with the Year 5 and 6 pupils, where they not only read to each other, but chatted about their own personal favourites.

During the whole of this week, Year 9 have taken a special trip to Pre-Prep to read the children’s literature books they had written and created in English and Computer Science. It was a brilliant experience for the children to become their own “published authors”. Seeing them read their stories to the Pre-Prep pupils in action was both heartening and endearing – the Pre-prep staff were so complimentary about both the books and how engaging and animated the Year 9 pupils were with the Pre-prep children.

As always, there was an immense buzz throughout the School as the pupils relished in letting their love for books and creativity free. Thank you to the amazing Duke of Kent School staff for taking the time to dress up and promote a love of reading across the School! 

A photo gallery will be added to the School website next week.

Mrs Punter, Mrs Southee, Mrs Rowley and Miss Allsop

Pre-prep Mother's Day celebrations

This morning, Pre-prep entertained their Mothers for their annual celebration. Each child had made a beautiful gift and card and the Mums had a lovely time enjoying a cup of tea or coffee and some fresh breakfast delicacies. Year One sang a song to the Mums and Reception painted some truly memorable portraits that will become keepsakes for years to come! The children had a lovely time showing their visitors around the classroom telling them how much they loved them! What a delightful way to start the day!

Mrs Henry


G Live tickets

Please note, all tickets to G Live that have not yet been collected will be sent home with pupils tonight.


I promised a busy one when I wrote in last week's Bulletin, and it has not disappointed! Rehearsals for the Prep Production – The Tree of Time – ramped up, and lots of people around the School have commented on how nice it's been seeing glimpses of costumes – even in the Dining Room at lunchtime! We also took some significant steps forward on Wednesday in putting the Wilder Schools Action Plan into practice, starting with the redevelopment of the area between the Prep classrooms and Pre-prep playground to encourage more biodiversity. Well done everyone for getting your hands dirty and putting in a real shift! There's no room here to do justice to World Book Day, but I had a wonderful day meeting several of my childhood heroes, such as Sherlock Holmes, Fantastic Mr Fox and Willy Wonka, plus a host of more recent literary characters, including Fing, Hermione Grainger and Percy Jackson!

Today, we rounded things off with Mother’s Day parties in Pre-prep and House Music (of which more in next week's edition). 

In the classroom, Year 1 finished reading Matilda and Year 6 finished Holes, and Reception and Year 1 even produced a book of their own on World Book Day – a collection of all the facts they have learnt about space this term. In Science, Year 3 have been learning about deforestation, making posters and leaflets to encourage people to take action. Year 1 were also learning about time, handling clocks and tackling a series of tasks within a minute, such as doing star jumps and trying to get waterproof trousers on – a very handy skill to be working on at present! Have a lovely weekend.

Aloud & Proud Readers: Norah C & Ruby W

Rising Readers: Daisy W & Arthur M (3), Logan N (4), Felix B & Andoni B-S (5) and Alfie H (6)

Reading certificates: Elsa H (bronze); Evelyn C (silver); Henry G (platinum)

Values Certificates: Evie B & Grace B (Effort) and Theodora J (Responsibility)

Mr Wright

Stars of the week

Nursery – Dixie J for being kind and caring towards her friend and for setting a good example to others.

Reception – Easton J for showing greater positivity in all areas, your effort is really paying off!

William F for super focus in phonics and trying to work more independently.

Year 1 – Ali S for his lovely attitude to his learning, especially when helping his friends to tell the time.

Gracie B for her perseverance in swimming and ICT, especially coding.

Year 2 – Nola S for showing wonderful curiosity towards new learning.

William C for demonstrating and understanding the importance of good listening, particularly to instructions.

Mrs Henry

The week began with Mr Wyllie hosting a fascinating “careers week” assembly, discussing how he happened upon teaching, the importance of trying different avenues and the fact you are never too young to start thinking about what career may be of interest to you! On Tuesday the KS3 and KS4 SATRO teams were out competing in a Problem Solving competition, with the KS4 team winning their category and the KS3 team coming a very close second in theirs. Both teams have qualified for the finals on Wednesday 20th March from 4pm at Royal Holloway University and we wish them the best of luck! 

As well as a huge number of sports fixtures taking place in rugby, hockey and netball on Tuesday and Wednesday, Thursday saw us celebrate the fantastic annual World Book Day with the greatest array of costumes I think I have ever seen. Friday is House Music Competition Day and, as I write this, I am confident that the slightly worried look on many a staff members’ face will be alleviated once the Houses start to sing their songs, when no doubt all will fall into place.

The following were invited to attend Celebration Snack Break to receive a prize on Friday morning after achieving a multiple of 25 merit points in the Senior School; Sam L, Alex MC, Lois M, Alessandro S (Year 7), Ben O, Bob P, Jasper T (Year 8), Henry R, Rhys W (Year 9), Lucy M, Florrie P, Mattie R, Daisy R (Year 10). The following also received their commemorative black badge for reaching 100 merit points; Vir O'R, Kit B, Clara HS, Saiorse W, whilst Ben J (Year 8) reached 200 merit points and therefore received his white commemorative badge (only the second in his year group to achieve this). Well done to you all!

Mr Wilson

Cross-country: ISA National Finals

On Saturday, six pupils from the Senior School represented London South at the ISA National Cross-country Finals at Worksop College. Henry O'B and Thibaut J ran in the Year 7 boys’ race of 2.7km finishing with an impressive time of 12 minutes and 26 seconds, finishing 33rd and 34th. Oscar V and Sam R then ran in the Year 8/9 boys’ 3.8km race finishing 21st (12 minutes and 47 seconds) and 40th (13 minutes and 40 seconds). The Year 10/11 boys’ race saw Isaac P and Charlie P run a very fast 4.5km finishing 28th (18.32) and 19th (17.51). Huge congratulations to everyone who took part, they should be very proud of their fantastic achievements.

Mr Green

Girls’ netball: U14-U16 A Team v Shoreham College

On Tuesday, the U14-U16 A Netball Team drove through the driving rain to the south coast to play Shoreham College. This was a significant match for the Year 11s as it was their last match representing Duke of Kent School. Spirits were slightly dampened by the weather, but it didn't take long for the team to rise to the challenge and start to dominate the game. Frankie M looked strong at C linking well with Bella S who fed the circle with confidence and accuracy. Jess I and Rose S shot consistently well, they moved fluently together to make space and get free from one of Shoreham's strongest players. It was good to have Izzy F at GK, her strong communications skills and ability to slow down the opposition's GS was invaluable to the team. Abi W and Ava W were also excellent in defence, effortlessly gliding in front of their attackers to make some superb interceptions. The final score was 18-11, a convincing victory and a great way to finish the netball season.

Mrs Dann

Girls’ netball: U14/15 B Team v Shoreham College

On Tuesday afternoon, the U14/15 B Netball Team travelled to Shoreham College for their final netball match of the term. Despite some rainy conditions, the girls cracked on with the game and soon got into their flow. It was beautiful to see the fluency of play from GK all the way up to GS with each member of the team playing their role. Clara H-S and Alice B were flawless as a shooting duo, giving the team a strong lead at half-time. We rotated shooters, and it was great to see Daisy R and Saoirse W also score goals for the team! Phoebe P and Tildy C both played brilliantly in centre and made some cracking interceptions. Josie M, Isla B and Francesca R all played out of position throughout the game and did fantastically, showing great versatility. Well done to all the girls for a convincing win and for showing great improvement throughout the term – what a brilliant season of netball!

Miss Vickers

Girls’ football: U10 Girls' Football Team

What an afternoon the U10 team had at the football tournament hosted by Pennthorpe School on Wednesday! After navigating our way through the group stage matches against Pennthorpe Bs (2-2), Pennthorpe As (0-1) and Cranleigh As (1-0), we faced Pennthorpe Bs again in the quarter-final. As full time concluded at a 0-0 draw, the girls were faced with a penalty shoot-out! Layla, Ivy and Elsa all stepped up to take a penalty and Florence did a fantastic job of facing the Pennthorpe penalty takers as goalkeeper. Despite losing the shoot-out we stepped forward to our next match against Pennthorpe Cs and our hard-working, determined team were rewarded with a 5-0 win. We then found ourselves in the final against Pennthorpe B’s, again! This time the girls were determined to get the win! We were able to maintain an early 1-0 lead following a super assist from Elsa, which was finished by Layla and saw the team win the match and emerge overall winners of our group! Each and every player put a phenomenal amount of effort into their game-play across the course of the afternoon. They should feel immensely proud of their final result, as well as the enthusiasm, sportsmanship and perseverance they showed – it was a long and physically demanding afternoon! Congratulations to the champions: Florence, Evelyn, Evie, Eva, Elsa, Charlotte, Ivy and Layla. Also to our devoted supporter, Seren!

Mrs Green

Girls’ football: U11 Girls' Football Team

What an incredible afternoon for the U11 girls’ football team! We arrived at Pennthorpe School in good time and soon the group matches got underway. The U11s first match was against Cranleigh B Team; it was a tight game and the two teams could only be decided by one goal, scored by Jasmine W! The team took great confidence from their first win and continued their winning ways against Pennthorpe C and Farlington A with 6-0 and 4-0 wins respectively, with epic goals from Halle S, Jasmine W, Ruby W and Hope N! These fantastic results put the U11s top of the group. Their next match was against the team that placed 2nd in the other group, Cranleigh A. It was a very tight game, but Cranleigh managed to get a goal within the first few minutes. The U11s fought back with Jasmine W hitting the post and the Cranleigh goalie making some epic saves. On this occasion, Cranleigh A came out on top but there was more to come!! The U11s then won their next game against Cranleigh B 1-0 and therefore went through to the final with their four wins and one loss (12 goals scored and one conceded – an impressive record!). The final was against Cranleigh A and it was amazing to see the determination from the whole team. Hope N and Charlotte C played fantastically in defence, making tackle after tackle! Meanwhile, Jasmine W, Bea T-R and Ruby W worked as a great team tracking back to defend and making some cracking passes forward to Halle S and Amelie C! The score at the end of the ten minutes was 0-0 in the final, so it was down to penalties! Millie W had played incredibly well in goal, making three crucial saves in the final and she continued to shine when saving a penalty! This saved penalty and one missed penalty from Cranleigh meant that the U11 Duke of Kent School team were champions!! A huge well done to Ruby W, Halle S and Hope N for bravely stepping up to take penalties – what superstars! A huge well done to the whole team for a fabulous afternoon of football.

Miss Vickers

Girls’ football: U12/13 B Team v Pennthorpe School

On Wednesday, the U12/13 B Team donned their football boots for a match against Pennthorpe. Despite all the rain from the last few days, the sun finally made an appearance and spirits were high! The pace of the game started high and they were all doing a great job bringing the ball to the box, putting pressure on their defence. Molly F worked tirelessly to get the ball upfront, and Sascha H and Holly B provided great support and made some important interceptions and passes. When Pennthorpe were on the attack, Holly R made countless tackles to stop them in their tracks, and Isla W made some important saves as goalkeeper. Special mention must also go to Lola C who showed brilliant versatility, making great passes in midfield as well as trying her hand in goal, with great success! They all showed great resilience and were very unlucky not to score. Well done all! 

Mrs Vermeulen

Girls’ football: U12/13 A Team Football v Pennthorpe School

On Wednesday, the U12/13 A Team enjoyed their first football match this term. Pennthorpe were an extremely confident team who had some very skilful and experienced players. However, Duke of Kent School were not perturbed by this. Everyone threw themselves into the match, playing with enthusiasm and determination. Willow D played brilliantly at centre midfield demonstrating her pace and strength on the ball. Myrtle M was great in defence, closing down the opposition quickly and stealing possession through her effective tackling. There were moments where the team strung some lovely passes together, aided by Esme W's skilful first touch and vision on the ball; they were unlucky not to score. There were lots of positives to take from this match and with continued practice the team is bound to go from strength to strength in their tournament next week.

Mrs Dann

Boys’ rugby: U15 v Shoreham College

It felt a little like Groundhog Day from the World Cup with several sad faces after getting out of the mini bus as we all realised it wasn't that sunny down by the coast. Mr Herbert told us that we were playing in his home county and that we would have to up our game today. Despite the weather we realised we had a big game against Shoreham College who looked eager to win. The heavens were open and the pitch was waterlogged and muddy.

Both teams huddled for a pre-match talk, and Duke of Kent School was certainly up for the game today. We won the coin toss and decided to receive at the start at the kick-off. The first five minutes led to mistakes on both sides, this was going to happen in such muddy conditions. Early possession allowed some nice runs by our great wingers and fly half and there was some good tackling by Dante D, Henry Y and Jamie P. We were able to win the ball out of a ruck and a mazy little run was made by our scrum half with a good finishing pass to Jamie P. Jamie P was able to draw their defence in and pop it off to Josh W-D who finished it with a try in the corner. Josh W-D managed to get the conversion, 7-0 up!

Shoreham College attacked and it was up to our big guys alongside Jack D and Matt A to hold their attack up and win the mall. After good work from the forwards to win the ball it was suddenly lost again, but we carried on and blamed it on the weather! We managed to win the ball back in the scrum and give it to our fly half, who placed an amazing kick back into their half. There were more big tackles by Henry Y as the opposition were still hitting our line hard – they notably had a big second row. There was a great run by Jamie P, half the length of the pitch, but at this point we were struggling to get our hands on the ball. The game became scrappy with lots of penalties and knock-ons and both teams were guilty of trying to kick too much. However, suddenly, against the run of play the Duke of Kent School team did what they do best and spun it down the line in front of our 22 through Matt A and Dante D to Jamie P, who did an amazing run all the way to their 22. As we won another ruck we passed it down the wing to Jamie P for a try and Josh finished it once again,14-0. 

Straight from the kick-off, we came back at them with another good run from Isaac P, Matt A and Dante D. There was good work from Troy K going straight and taking out a few players, he was also finding his form as well. However, there was another turnover and the opposition came back strongly with their number 8 sprinting down the side-line but stopped by our defence. A lovely turnaround for Duke of Kent School and Jamie P was off running with the ball for another try. After another successful conversion for Josh W-D the score was 21-0 to us just before half-time. With the half-time whistle imminent, Duke of Kent School made a lovely run down the wing, a pass to our inside center, and Matt A was in to score. Unfortunately, the conversion by Matt failed, we finished the half 26-0 up. 

Straight into the second half, Isaac P caught the ball just in front of our try line and passed it down the wing with our scrum half passing it to Tom B, who made a lovely run, but just got tackled before he could break through. More runs were made by Leo T-R who must have been inspired by watching Duhan van der Merwe the great Scottish player (South African really!). Leo T-R made another lovely break through their line and nearly scored a try but sadly dropped it on. With a scrum being awarded to the opposition, they were able to keep possession in the scrum and then kicked the ball down our wing with our winger catching it. With a few nice passes down the line Moxon K was able to finish the lovely move with a try. Josh W-D was yet again able to smash the conversion right down the middle, 33-0. As Matt A shouted again “in positions to receive boys”, we got in the W formation to receive the ball. Our winger caught the ball and decided to kick it. A returned kick from the opposition was knocked on right in front of our try line; a scrum was awarded. Shoreham College passed the ball out of the scrum only for Henry Y to put in a tackle (we’re still not sure if it was legal or not!!). Another scrum was awarded and we were able to win the ball back and kick it back into their half. After a few rucks, Troy K and Jack D were able to win us the ball back. A penalty was awarded and the ball was passed straight to Jack D who ran through their defence to finish it with a great try. Josh W-D managed to get the conversion again making it 40-0. Leo T-R collected the kick and was able to get the ball to Matt A, who made a little run then passed it to Jamie P. Jamie P, yet again, was able to make more distance and tried to pass the ball to Tom B, but sadly the ball went into touch to finish the game with a 40-0 win against Shoreham College. 

Even though it was a wet and muddy game, the Duke of Kent School U15 team were able to finish the season undefeated with a nice win! Well done to all who played this season. 

Matt A, Under 15 Rugby Captain


What parents and carers need to know about persuasive design online

For many companies who operate in the online space, attention and engagement are the holy grail. Social media sites in particular make deliberate creative choices to keep people scrolling, reading, watching and clicking. This phenomenon is known as “persuasive design” and it’s being employed in the vast majority of the digital world’s most popular destinations.

A study by the charity 5Rights Foundation concluded that “…the brain's response to rewards and punishments can be leveraged through persuasive design to keep children online.” Our guide can help to educate youngsters on the effects of persuasive design – and suggests ways to insulate themselves from its influence.

Click on the link to find out more information about "What parents and carers need to know about persuasive design online".

Also, Internet Matters is a great website that can help you deal with online issues, give you advice for different age groups, and give you step-by-step guides for setting controls for different devices.

Mr Boden
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ISA Handwriting Competition (KS1-2)

This competition celebrates the visual art of handwriting. In an age that encourages the early adoption of keyboard skills, we wish to champion, nurture and celebrate writing by hand. Open to Years 1-6.

For more information click here.

Deadline: Thursday 14th March 2024

ISA Easter Egg Competition (Ages up to KS2)

EYFS-KS2 pupils are invited to design and decorate a 3D egg to celebrate Easter. The more creative and imaginative the better!

For more information please click here.

Deadline: Wednesday 20th March 2024

ISA Young Storytellers Competition (Ages up to KS1)

This competition invites EYFS and KS1 pupils to work together to create a short story with the theme “The Time Machine”. The winning stories will be published in a book!

For more information please click here.

Deadline: Thursday 21st March 2024

Mr Wyllie

This week I have been taking time to meet individually with pupils from Year 11 and hope to have seen all of them by the end of next week. We are aware that this can be a stressful time with exams looming closer and the reality of an ending coming in a few weeks as they leave Duke of Kent School and head off for their further education.

In reality we are always hopeful that they are all very ready to leave and move on to the next setting as they outgrow their current one, whilst mindful that it can be difficult to leave behind what is known and familiar. That, added to the concern over the sitting of exams and anticipation of results, can be a vessel for building pressure and I wanted to ensure that all pupils were reminded that there are outlets for this pressure and to plan how they can find calm when they are feeling overwhelmed. In addition, their form and subject tutors, myself and the wellbeing spaces are available to them and ready to listen.

Something I have tried to stress is the importance of balance; academic study and revision are important for them now but so are opportunities to relax, socialise, exercise and nourish themselves. Once again, planning how you might fit these different, yet equally important, activities into the coming weeks is key.

Yesterday was World Book Day, as I am sure you will have read all about above. A fantastic day organised by the English Department and wholeheartedly embraced by all the pupils and staff. From my perspective (particularly as a former English teacher), I was so delighted to hear one of our lovely Year 9s volunteer how important reading is for our mental health. There are so many positive reasons why reading is so valuable, but the ability to transport, entertain and lose ourselves momentarily in books is so good for our own emotional journeys. I have personally, laughed, winced, sighed and cried whilst reading books and know that a good writer can truly allow us to engage with and experience our own emotions. Even if this is vicariously through a character’s experience, the conduit to our own emotions allows us to process those feelings we may have kept held, and so release them. Some research even shows that reading regularly can lower blood pressure, reduce stress and improve sleep quality. As well as activating all areas of the brain, including our emotional responses, reading can transport us from our own worries, at least for a little while, only to return and address them when we feel ready.

Have a lovely weekend and happy reading!

Mrs Douglas

Please can we remind all pupils who have a prescription for emergency medication (ie reliever inhalers for asthma and/or auto adrenaline injectors for allergies), that they are expected to carry their inhaler or AAI with them at all times at School as per policy. This is so their medication is instantly available if/when needed, wherever they are across our extensive School site. Prep School pupils are welcome to use a bumbag for this. Senior pupils should be able to fit their medication in their blazer pocket. Spare inhalers and AAIs should also be supplied to the School nurses as back-up.

Next week, please can all medications for the Senior choir trip be delivered to Mrs Sarjant by Friday 15th March for those that are to be administered by staff. Many pupils are going to be carrying their own medications, however, as arranged – please do not forget to pack them in your luggage if this applies to you/your child!

A reminder also for Year 10 pupils that they will have their first of two PSHE lessons on cancer next Wednesday afternoon – please let us know at School if you have any questions or concerns.

At School, the levels of ill health are as expected for this time of the year. The busy diary of School events is going to be challenging for everyone's energy levels and health during the last two weeks of term. Once again we would encourage you all to rest up as much as possible this weekend – especially for those who are performing in the Prep Production and those heading to G Live on Tuesday (not forgetting the Sunday rehearsal for Senior Choir members of course) – a long day, but always well worth it; a real highlight of the School calendar!

Finally, a very happy Mother’s Day to all the mums out there – The School Nurses only care for your children's health for a few hours each day. For mums, being an unpaid "Matron" and guardian of health, is a life-long commitment. We salute you!

Have a lovely weekend.

The School Nurses

PADoK

Dates for your diary:

SAVE THE DATE!

What: Midsummer Charity Night – raising funds for SARCOMA

When: Saturday 8th June

Where: Hurtwood Polo Club

With: Food, Bar, The Accidentals (Mr Rye’s fabulous band)

Après Ski

The mountains came to Duke of Kent School for one night only, with trees and snow landscape images all around. Everyone made such an effort and dressed as if the snow was thick on the ground and they had just come off the slopes from a day’s skiing. 

Mulled wine flowed, delicious tartiflette consumed (freshly cooked by Jean-Pierre) and then the sweet treats of churros and waffles with all the toppings to finish. Very popular with the clientele!

The bar was busy all night, keeping everyone well-fuelled for dancing to DJ Noah until late. 

A huge thanks to the committee who worked so hard to make the event such a success. Thank you to all of you who came and made it so much fun

Duke of Kent School Flyers

Wednesdays 08.30-09.30 (Tara Coles and Lois Williams)

We had another exciting netball practice session this week. Our players have been working hard to improve their gameplay and enhance their skills, this week focusing on a specific technique counting to two before passing.

Tara explained how this technique allows players to observe the movements of their teammates and opponents, identify open spaces, and make precise passes. Tara demonstrated various scenarios and encouraged the players to practice this technique in different game situations.

The players embraced this strategy wholeheartedly and showed great enthusiasm in implementing it during practice drills and scrimmage matches. It was fantastic to see how this simple adjustment in our gameplay had a significant impact on the overall flow and coordination of the team.

We are incredibly proud of our netball team's dedication and commitment to enhancing their skills. With the guidance of our coach, Tara, and the players' determination, we are confident that our team will continue to excel in future matches. Next on the cards is Pennthorpe.

Keep up the great work, team! Go, PADoK Netball!

So much fun to be had and so good for the soul.

Duke of Kent School Singers

Thursdays 08.20-09.00 (Cathy Williams)

No singing this week due to World Book Day. Please do come along at any time for a listen or a sing. No pressure to perform just enjoy it week on week. Hope to see you there!

Any questions, please do contact Cathy Williams rhodricathy@sky.com/07813 282910 or please just come along!

A relaxed singing group run by our Director of Music, Mr Rye, who kindly gives up his time to teach us how to sing. It is always fun and uplifting rather than a pressured environment. Our focus is always on enjoying singing and getting the most out of our time together.

PADoK Book Club – Thursday 14th March at 20.00

We would love for you to join the PADoK Book Club when we meet on Thursday March 14th in the Old Hall at School at 20.00. We will be talking about this term’s Book Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. Join us over a glass of wine to talk about the book. We look forward to seeing you there.

PADOK Core Control

Strengthen your body, improve your health with our physio-led stability group. Friday mornings 08.30, Astroturf

This week, we delved deeper into our quest for pelvic stability and focused on strengthening the adductor and internal hip rotation muscles. These specific muscle groups play a crucial role in collateral core strengthening and stability.

Our knowledgeable physiotherapist instructor Julia Rowe led us through a series of movements that specifically activated the adductor muscles, which are responsible for bringing the legs together and stabilizing the pelvis. By isolating and engaging these muscles, we were able to enhance our core stability and improve overall performance in walking, running, netball and other sports.

We extend our gratitude to our instructor for guiding us through this valuable training and providing us with the knowledge and tools to enhance our core control. We also commend the Core Control PADoK group members for their unwavering commitment and enthusiasm.

Do come along and meet Julia to find out more about the Core Control Club. Simply message julia@therunningspecialists.com for details and to confirm your spot.

Let's strengthen our cores and build a healthier, more connected community together! 

Click here for the WhatsApp group link.

PADoK Walk 

A few of us met this morning for a walk around Pitch Hill. It was a beautiful day with the sun shining at last. We had a nice time and the dogs all had a fun. Please do join us for another walk soon, it is a really relaxed and good way to meet other parents.


Senior School optional hoodie

The Senior School hoodies have been redesigned by members of the School Council and the finished product can be seen below. 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 and have a look.

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School social media

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

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