|
|
A message from Mrs Knox
I had lunch with the Prefects this week and was incredibly impressed by the way they managed the meeting, updating each other on individual areas of responsibility and the decisions taken by their student committees. They ended the meeting talking about the Year 11 v. Year 7 "Capture the Flag" competition next week. It was great listening to them problem solving, navigating perspectives and finding solutions - skills that are helping them develop essential leadership skills for the future. I have to commend all of our school leaders who are doing an absolutely fantastic job in their roles. Tomorrow, we look forward to welcoming many families to our Open Morning. Thank you to the many pupils who are joining us as tour guides. I know our visiting families are always most complimentary about the way our pupils present themselves. Thank you also to our PADoK representatives and Governors who are also joining us for the morning, Fingers crossed for a dry day! Have a lovely weekend.
Mrs Knox
|
|
|
|
|
Safeguarding: Whatsapp Warning
We have been made aware of a Whatsapp group called 'World Record' that children are being automatically added to. Once joined, the group contains explicit images. The group already contains 12,000 members.
Please be aware and mindful of your children's online interactions and activities.
Mr Southee
|
|
|
Hello Yellow
This Thursday we celebrated World Mental Health Day at School, taking inspiration from Young Minds’ 'Hello Yellow' initiative.
All week, pupils have had the opportunity to enter a yellow-themed House Quiz to earn points for the respective Houses and attempt to receive 100 points for the winning House! They have until Monday morning if they haven’t yet completed their entries.
Today, all the staff wore a touch or a lot of yellow to signify that we are in support of the pupils’ mental health and that they are not alone - there is always someone in School they can talk to if they are struggling.
The theme this year is ‘Wear it loud. Wear it proud’, a reminder that we are all different and equally important. Ultimately, the aim is to remind them of the importance of pride in themselves, caring for themselves and asking for help if they need it.
Young Minds have partnered with The Doodle Boy, 14 year old Joe Whale, a doodle artist who has created a business from his designs, to encourage young people to doodle to express themselves, for fun and for relaxation.
Many pupils had the opportunity to doodle and complete Wellbeing Bingo with their form tutors and could also attend a Doodle Club this lunchtime, where they watched a tutorial and had a chance to practice some of the Doodle Boy’s designs or create their own. Great fun was had by all whilst being reminded that expressing ourselves with pictures rather than words can be very therapeutic too. Just like us, our doodles are individual and a form of our own self expression. These creative opportunities allow our minds to switch off from a sometimes overwhelming cognitive experience and focus on something less demanding and controlled instead.
There were some wonderful creations and I will be displaying them in the Art corridor next week for pupils to enjoy - they will be returned to the artists in the new half term for you to enjoy at home.
Handmade bunting decorated the School featuring good mental health advice, quotations and some fun doodling. Combined with the staffs’ pops of yellow, regardless of the weather, it was definitely a ‘sunny’ day!
Mrs Douglas
|
|
|
|
Biology Week
To celebrate Biology Week, Senior School pupils were treated to a visit from Medical Mavericks on Monday. During their session, pupils were able to try out a whole host of Biology-themed activities outside the curriculum. This varied from taking an ultrasound, looking at their growth plates (many pupils were keen to see if they still had any more growing to do!) viewing their veins, listening to their heart beat and even having a go at drawing fake blood from a fake vein! Pupils also had a chance to ask questions to the team which included a doctor and medical student.
Elsewhere, pupils in Years 7 and 8 started their Science lessons with a game to test their observational skills and short-term memory. This was followed up by learning about the scientists behind the test, hearing about what they study, their interests and some fun facts!
For those pupils looking to enter the BioCraft 3D competition, a reminder of the rules can be found following the link below. A good quality picture is all that is needed to enter, and the deadline is the 4th November, so half term is the perfect time to get creating!
Enter the BioCraft 3D Competition Here
Mrs Vermeulen
|
|
|
|
E-Safety Parents Forum
On Tuesday morning, we hosted our AI Parents' Forum in the Meetings Room, where Mr. Boden led an engaging discussion on the benefits and drawbacks of AI. He also provided an overview of how AI platforms work and how they will be rolled out to Senior School pupils. Afterwards, parents had the opportunity to experiment with AI by using prompts tailored to specific subject areas.
For more details, please find the attached slide deck, and feel free to explore the prompts yourself!
Mr Boden
|
|
|
House Bake Off - Round 1
The first round of the Duke of Kent School Bake Off kicked off the week with an influx of impressive baked goods. The competition in the first round was fierce, with 73 entries from pupils across the School, a new record! The House Leaders and House Captains had the challenging (and tasty!) task of sampling all of the cakes brought in. They then had to decide which entries would progress through to the next round, which will take place after half term. All pupils who took part should be proud of what they accomplished, and by taking part, they earned 3 House points. During break time, the pupils held a bake sale which raised over £370 for our School charity, Sarcoma UK.
Congratulations to the students through to finals:
Buzzard: Prep - Eva W, Senior - Phoebe P
Hawk: Prep - Max L, Senior - Alexander I
Kestrel: Prep - Mila S, Senior - Edie H
Peregrine: Prep - Siena N and Elsa H, Senior - Mercy M and Will M
At this point in the term, it is very tight between the four Houses. Buzzard has a narrow lead over Peregrine whose recent victory in the first House Quiz helped them jump from fourth to second, with less than 1 point separating Hawk and Kestrel! You can follow this link (Autumn Term leaderboard ) to see the most up-to-date totals.
Mr Gritton
|
|
|
|
The Wilder Schools Programme
This year, as part of the Wilder Schools programme, Surrey Wildlife Trust (SWT) Education Tutor, Emma Rothwell, will be joining Duke of Kent School to help pupils improve their School Grounds for nature and take more of their learning outdoors.
Surrey’s wildlife is in decline, but by taking some simple actions at home, we can all help create a Nature Recovery Network across the county.
In February 2025, SWT will launch their Actions for Nature Competition - complete and report one or more Actions for Nature at home or in your community, and Duke of Kent School will be in with a chance of winning a funding grant towards outdoor learning equipment or tools for School Grounds improvement!
Action for Nature – Log Out, Log In
As the days grow shorter and Halloween approaches, why not create a cosy log pile village for all things creepy and crawly?
Log piles are perfect hiding places for invertebrates, providing a convenient treat for frogs, birds, and hedgehogs too!
Your logs can be neatly piled in a cool, dark corner, or loosely scattered under a hedge. Like this, they are handy for mulching the soil, but you’ll get more wildlife if you do create a concentrated stack.
You could even bury your timber vertically to create a ‘log pyramid’, perfect for the larvae of one of our most iconic insects, the Stag Beetle!
Branches and logs can be freely available from local tree surgeons or arboriculturists, just ask nicely! Native, locally sourced wood is best.
If you don’t have your own outdoor space at home, why not help the environment by aiming for a more sustainable Halloween? Make your own costumes and decorations (or buy second-hand), and rather than giving out plastic-wrapped treats, why not bake some of your own?
If you do carve a pumpkin, try using the innards in a tasty recipe, and please don’t leave it in the park or woods after Halloween, as these non-native squashes can be harmful to our wildlife - compost it instead!
Mr Gritton
|
|
|
6G Assembly
On Wednesday 6G performed the first class assembly of the Year to the Prep School and Year 2. The focus of the assembly was 'giving things a go' and preventing those 'What if...?' worries from stopping you from trying something new. 6G shared examples of when they gave something a go and how enjoyable or enriching the experience was. They later shared a story called 'Hello Autumn' to share how easy it is to become stuck in a cycle of 'What if...?' but Autumn, the main character in the book, was able to overcome that with the help of his friends. Every member of 6G put a lot of effort into learning their lines and everyone gave a confident performance. Well done!
Mr Gritton
|
|
|
Duke of Edinburgh News
Congratulations are in order for the following pupils for completing their DofE Bronze Awards: Isaac P (Year 11) and Will B, Jamie C, Arthur D-K and Chester S (the first ones from Year 10). Special congratulations have also been earned by Zac W (Year 11) who is the first in his year to fully complete the DofE Silver Award. Will and Jamie volunteered at their Scouts and Cubs respectively, Chester's skill with his clarinet was outstanding, Arthur impressed at LAMDA and DofE Club, Isaac was excellent during his expedition, and Zac became an experienced Money Manager/Investor as his skill! They have all greatly earned their DofE completion Commendations. A belated thank you is also owed to Miss Helen W who supported the recent DofE Bronze expedition, in all weathers and with indomitable cheerfulness!
Mr Lodge
|
|
|
We have been paying close attention to wellbeing this week, with staff showing their support by wearing a splash of yellow on Thursday. In assembly, we discussed how this gesture represented teachers' concern for pupils' happiness and, as Dagny N commented, was also a reminder about the importance of talking to someone about their problems or worries. In the same assembly, we thought not only about our mental health but also our physical wellbeing. Logan N and Max L gave an informative talk on 'fruit and vegetables', hopefully inspiring many children to try something new or eat a colourful plate at lunchtime.
Years 3, 4 and 5 all had an opportunity this week to care for our School environment, tending to the wildlife garden, created last year; Emma from Surrey Wildlife Trust was most impressed with how our efforts are already having an impact. After half term, we are looking forward to welcoming back Graham and his rescued hedgehogs, to learn all about the species and also how we can help protect them in and around our gardens.
Stories have, as ever, featured heavily in classrooms this week. Reception used Little Red Riding Hood as a basis for memory games, and inspiration for some cultural costume wearing, practising dressing skills in the process. Year 6, meanwhile, reached the end of the first part of their book, The Dark Horse, with a thrilling final chapter that brought gasps and widened eyes. One other story I enjoyed this week was 'Hello Autumn', retold by 6G in their super assembly, as a prompt for us all to 'give things a go'. I very much hope the children have all turned a nervous 'what if' moment into a positive discovery this week!
Values Certificates: Beth F and Max M for Effort
Reading Certificates: Bronze for Florence A
Rising Readers: William C, Rocket M, Johnnie G, Logan N, Eva W and Evelyn C
Aloud and Proud Readers: Siean dP and Violet W
Mr Wright
Stars of the Week
Nursery: Finley C for settling into Nursery brilliantly and for his positive attitude towards all our activities
Reception: Bobby C for working independently on practising his tricky words and sharing his knowledge of the USA.
Finley R for a great positive approach to everything we do in class.
Year 1: Easton J for his amazing effort in his writing and his phonics. He is super determined.
Humph G for his determination and perseverance in challenging his number formation.
Year 2: Annabelle R for her hard work and perseverance with spelling high-frequency words. She has developed a great strategy to help manage the challenges. Also, for her incredible resilience towards your new adventure.
Mrs Henry
|
|
|
This week has been an eventful one for the Senior School, filled with exciting activities and important causes. On Monday, as part of Biology Week, pupils had the opportunity to immerse themselves in a hands on workshop led by Medical Mavericks. It was wonderful to see everyone so engaged, whether they were modelling keyhole surgery, examining their growth plates, experiencing an ECG, or simply measuring their height. The interactive stations sparked curiosity and brought biology to life.
Monday also marked the much anticipated first round of the Bake Off. The range of entries was impressive, and the annual cake sale during break was, as always, a highlight. Pupils not only showcased their culinary talents but also raised funds for a good cause while enjoying the delicious results of their efforts.
The School turned a vibrant shade of yellow yesterday for World Mental Health Day. Staff participated in Hello Yellow, wearing touches of yellow to remind students that no one is alone when it comes to mental health. It was a meaningful reminder of the importance of mental wellbeing and support within our School community.
A number of pupils have passed another milestone of 25 Merit points and joined me today for Celebration Snack Break, well done to:
Ben B, Lauren B, Charlotte C, Harrison H, James N, Bea T-R, Ben W, Penny A, Henry O'B, Eddie C, Molly F, Penny N, Alex B, Theo C, Tildy C, George C, Declan E, Rupert H, Monty L, Eva P-R, Chester S, Rose S, Charlie H, Vir O'R
Special congratulations to Dante R-D & Rhys W for exceeding 100 Merit Points and receiving their recognition badges, and to Lucy M for surpassing 300 Merit Points and earning her recognition badge! What a great achievement!
Mr Wyllie
|
|
|
Girls' Hockey: U14/15 B v. King Edward's
On Tuesday afternoon, a mixture of girls in Years 9 and 10 travelled to King Edward's for their hockey matches. On our way there, the rain was extremely heavy but it had calmed down by the time the games began! The U14/15 B team game was end to end in the first quarter but finished 0-0. The team decided they would aim to use the width of the pitch a little more in the second quarter and drive to the baseline to create goal scoring opportunities. This worked fantastically well and gave the U14/15 B team a 2-0 lead. However, King Edward's came back strongly and scored a wonderful goal bringing the score to 2-1 at half time. As the game progressed, Sascha H and Holly R made some excellent tackles at the back and often managed to find a great ball through to our midfielders. Penny N played brilliantly and scored our first two goals! King Edward's continued to push and went 3-2 with just one quarter left to play. The attitude and application of the team in the final quarter was fantastic leading to a goal scored by Lucy P after a great pass into the circle. The score finished a thrilling 3-3, what a brilliant game. Well played to everyone!
Mrs Monk
Girls' Hockey: U15/16 v. King Edward's
Duke of Kent School played against King Edward's School, with both A and B teams taking turns each quarter. In the A team, Isla B scored a goal and Saoirse W was strong in defence. Alice B and Clara H-S helped move the ball forward, while Phoebe P, who very kindly helped out with the opposition was awarded player of the match. Saoirse W was also player of the match for her defending. For the B team, Issy F tackled well in midfield, Francesca R drove the ball towards the goal, and Mattie R made great interceptions. Sydney R was player of the match for her block tackling and clearances and so was Francesca R. Everyone played fantastically, making it a great afternoon!
Miss Walters
Netball: U8 v. Farlington
On Thursday afternoon, the U8 blue netball team welcomed Farlington to our Sports Hall for their netball match. This was the girls 4th match of the term and it was fantastic to see the progress they have made so far. It was a very close match with some great play from both teams. Nola S played some wonderfully powerful passes to Olivia H in the circle, leading to lots of goal scoring opportunities thanks to Olivia's great movement and shooting accuracy. Siena de P L worked with great determination throughout the game, often getting into a space and offering a pass. Elodie Y and Annabelle W worked hard to stay with their players and win back possession whilst Maddie C and Ayla O'K made brilliant runs and showed great improvements in their catching skills. The score finished 2-0 to Duke of Kent School, well done to all the girls involved for a great afternoon of netball!
Mrs Monk
Netball: U8/9 v. Farlington
The U8/9 Green Team were very excited to play Farlington School this Thursday at home on the outside courts. They began their match well, passing fluently towards their shooting circle and taking an early lead with an effortless goal from Coralie C. The rest of the quarter was a challenge as Farlington's tall players towered over them, disrupting their ability to pass out of defence. However, they played a different Farlington team in the next quarter, and it was great to see some good interceptions from Siena N at GK, strong passing into space and movement off the ball from Annabelle Sunshine T plus two great goals from Pia S! The third quarter was against the taller team again and this time the opposition finished a goal up. Nonetheless, Duke of Kent School worked hard as a team to break down their play with tight marking and created plenty of goal scoring opportunites but shooting was made difficult by their height advantage. During the fourth quarter the team found their rhythm and worked the ball neatly under the post to Daisy W's who scored 2 lovely goals. The final quarter was against the taller Farlington side but a 0-0 draw was a positive reflection of how the team battled hard and improved their play despite being under pressure. Overall, Duke of Kent School won 5 goals to 1 and well done to Elsa H who was voted player of the match.
Mrs Dann
Netball: U8/9 v. Farlington
On Thursday, the U8/9 yellow team had a close netball match against Farlington. The girls played their longest game and did well to keep up with sides changing each quarter. Darcie S scored our first goal early on and followed that up with 3 more amazing goals throughout the match! Darcey M and Dagny N worked hard in defence and made some great snatches of the ball. Tildy T and Willow B were fluid through the middle creating some lovely options and moving the ball on and Georgia C worked hard at sticking to her player making it hard for the other team to receive the ball. The score was 5-4 to Farlington (so close!), I was impressed with everyone’s performance and determination, it was a lovely game to watch.
Miss Walters
Football: U8/9 Tigers v. Farlington
Another win for the Tigers was in sights and with the short trip down the road to Farlington the boys were hopeful. A quick warm up and then straight into the action, Duke of Kent School were the better of the 2 sides maintaining the ball in both defence and attack. A great win for the boys and onto House matches next week.
Football: U8/9 Panthers v. Farlington
After a win the week before, the Panthers were looking for their 2nd win on the bounce. A good start gave Duke of Kent School an early lead with the fast playing astro helping the boys. Another great defensive performance from Duke of Kent School kept the chances coming but more importantly stopped Farlington from scoring. Another great performance from the players.
Football: U8/9 Lions v. Farlington
With no match last week due to the weather the Lions were excited for the chance to prove themselves. After early goals from both Duke of Kent School and Farlington the score remained 1-1 until the last seconds. With Farlington scoring very, very late on; only seconds before the final whistle Duke of Kent School didn't have time to get restarted. Unlucky result however most importantly some great play and enjoyment from all the players.
Mr Hewitt
|
|
|
What Parents & Educators Need to Know about In-Game Chat
Online gaming enjoys an ever-increasing level of popularity, and many players are eager to connect as they enjoy a friendly competition or go for the win side by side. Whether it’s to strategise and coordinate, or simply have a chat as you indulge in your hobby, the fact remains that plenty of games now offer means for their players to talk to one another, be that in a text or voice format.
Unfortunately, this functionality – which is used to connect with strangers just as often as it is with friends – poses several risks to younger players, and parents and educators need to understand these safety concerns. This guide offers expert advice on the issues that may arise when using in-game chat and lets you know how to safeguard the children in your care as they make use of this technology.
Click the link to learn more about "In-Game Chat".
***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 various devices.***
Mr Boden
|
|
|
|
Well done to pupils who received the Flu Immunisation at School this morning; we have had a very good proportion of our pupils immunised, which should stand us in good stead as we head into winter months. If any pupils feel slightly under the weather in the next 24/48 hours as an after-effect of the immunisation, a dose of paracetamol may help pupils to feel more comfortable.
A final reminder that any pupils who were due to be immunised but were absent from School today will be seen by the Immunisations nurses on Friday 6th December instead.
Yesterday morning, Mrs Sarjant enjoyed taking Year 5 pupils for their first of four Prep School PSHE lessons on puberty. If parents would like to know more about the PSHE curriculum and how it is taught, please note the parent breakfast meetings coming up after half term (22nd November for Pre-prep and Prep School and 29th November for Senior School).
The School Nurses
|
|
|
PADoK News
We are thrilled to invite you to the first PADoK event of the academic year. It is a new one for us. Bookings now open!
PARADOX PARLOURS ESCAPE ROOMS PRESENTS:
LICENCE TO DECODE
Friday 15th November 7.45pm – 10pm in the PA Hall
- 4 rounds of codebreaking
- Immersive interactive spy themed puzzles
- Live leaderboard
- Will your team be crowned the elites?
- Teams of 4 to 6 players.
Book at padok@dokschool.org with your child’s name and year group please. Do book as a team (come up with a good name) or individually and we can make up teams.
Cost: £15 per head. Any fundraising will be for SARCOMA UK
Cocktail bar (card only) or BYO drinks and nibbles (& glassware)
PADoK Clubs:
Duke of Kent Flyers – Netball training
Monday at 5:30 – 6:30pm and Wednesday at 08:30 – 10:00am
The DoK Flyers meet on the Netball courts on the Front Pitch by the School drive twice a week. Do come along if you would like to start playing – new players or beginners are always welcome.
Duke of Kent School Singers
Thursday at 08:20 – 09:00am
Calling all Singers Great & Small!
Another fun session on Thursday morning. We started with a few challenging warm up exercises and then Mr Rye gave up as we were not very good!!! It was before 9am afterall!! We then sang Mama Mia, which everyone enjoyed before moving onto the song we are working on. The soprano and alto groups worked with Mr Rye on each line to ensure we were singing it correctly for each harmonies.
If you would like to come and listen to begin with, please do just pop along, it is very welcoming to all new potential joiners. A super relaxed session, no pressure to perform but an opportunity to have a sing song & a laugh with a very friendly group, led by the wonderful Nick Rye, our Director of Performing Arts.
Whether you sing in a shower or studio, everyone is welcome to come along & make Thursday mornings a bit more joyful!
Please contact Cathy Williams for more info: rhodricathy@sky.com
Important Note: please always park at the bottom of the site and walk up to Old Hall.
PADoK Core Control
Strengthen your body, improve your health with our Physio-Led Stability Group. Friday morning at 08.30 in Ness Hall
Do you have new fitness goals or want to build on what you are already doing? Julia is a physio who will help build your core strength and help your fitness training. We would love to see you on a Friday morning 08:30-09:00 for a quick weekly input (little and often is the key to building long term goals!)
Please contact Julia direct to complete a medical form.
Julia Rowe (julia@therunningspecialists.com
PADoK Book Club
Our PADoK Book Club choice for the Autumn Term is “You are Here” by David Nichols, of One Day fame. We look forward to catching up with you about the book when we meet up later this term.
Summary below:
Sometimes you need to get lost to find your way. Marnie is stuck. Stuck working alone in her London flat, stuck battling the long afternoons and a life that often feels like it's passing her by.
Michael is coming undone.
Reeling from his wife's departure, increasingly reclusive, taking himself on long, solitary walks across the moors and fells.
When a persistent mutual friend and some very English weather conspire to bring them together, Marnie and Michael suddenly find themselves alone on the mo.
Mrs Phillips and Mrs Horsburgh
|
|
|
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.
|
|
|
|
School social media
At Duke of Kent School we have three social media platforms; Instagram (dukeofkentschool), X (@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.
|
|
|