To begin with this week, a thank you: to all of our Prep and Pre-prep pupils for their enthusiastic and polite hosting of those visiting our wonderful School on Open Morning. We had many comments from impressed guests, including praise for those Senior pupils who were touring them, and who enjoyed reminiscing fondly on their time in Prep and Pre-prep! I also thanked Prep pupils in assembly for a huge improvement in the tidiness of the cloakroom, not only taking more care of the space, but also their own (and others') belongings. Long may this trend continue! A final thank you, and well done, to Siena N in Year 4 for her very interesting talk on Judaism.
Nursery have made puff paint ice creams and had the chance to experiment with making real ice cream, too – perfect preparation for the warmer weather! Year 1 spent their Science lesson dissecting plants to understand the different parts and functions, then took home their sunflower and tomato plants that have been growing in the classroom. Year 2 were experimenting as well, seeing which materials would make marks – they were surprised that a brick made a coloured mark and that a wooden ruler could mark cardboard.
Year 6 took their learning into the Senior lab where Mrs Tattan-Robb, Head of Science, burnt various materials to demonstrate irreversible change – magnesium was the particular highlight! Year 3 delved deep into the inner workings of plant biology, observing the petals of white daffodils turning blue when placed in a beaker of ink. In English, Year 6 have written haiku inspired by the seasons and Munch's famous painting The Scream and limericks, which everyone agreed were fun, but much harder to master. Lastly, in DT, Year 5 chose whether to use a dowel or finger joint to assemble their bookends – with measurements underway, construction and tool usage begins next week!
Values Certificates: Lily C for Effort
Reading Certificates: Silver for Max M; Gold for Elodie Y; Platinum for Jenson Br
Rising Readers: Ayla OK (3N), Coralie C (4R), Izzy W (4G), Barnes P (5T), Felix B (6N) and Max H (6G)
Stars of the Week
Nursery: George VDB for having such a positive attitude throughout the day and his ready engagement in activities.
Rosie A for her quiet, kind attitude in class and for her collaboration with her peers.
Reception: Bobby C for a wonderful attitude to learning and working on his expressive reading.
Charlie R for fabulous number work this week, you worked methodically counting on from 10 to make the teen numbers.
Year 1: Oliver A for his enthusiastic start to the term. Oliver always has his hand up and will always be willing to have a go.
Austin Y for your consistent positive attitude towards your learning, your effort is outstanding!
Year 2: Sienna H for super impressive similes about The Great Fire of London. You used brilliant vocabulary to add depth to each one.
Swimmers of the Week
Oliver A for demonstrating his front crawl technique, streamlined body position and breathing bilaterally to the end of the pool and back.
Gracie B for such a positive attitude towards the challenge of swimming a whole length unaided. Gracie maintained a streamlined position and great technique which allowed her to increase her pace.
Mr Wright
We had a truly wonderful day on Wednesday as we gathered to wish our Year 11 pupils all the very best for their upcoming exams during a heartfelt farewell assembly. Mrs Sangiorgio prepared a fantastic slideshow celebrating their journey through the School, which you can view 
On Tuesday, Year 3 enjoyed a wonderful day at Butser
The seven groups of Year 10s walked west towards the first campsite at Small Dole near Steyning. After much comparing of blisters, they survived their first night of camping and cooking and set off for Washington Camp on the second day. One industrious group managed to liberate a discarded wheelbarrow and used it as a packhorse for the day. This has since become a much-prized DofE asset at School! There was a case of illness and another of a damaged arm, but the victims were resilient and their friends very supportive under trying circumstances. 
Their last day was celebrated with a special assembly, where our Year 6 pupils read a poem from Oh, the Places You’ll Go! by Dr Seuss to send them off with good wishes for the future. Our Year 2 pupils added to the occasion with a heartwarming performance of Reach for the Stars. During the afternoon, the Science Department gave them a memorable send-off too, filling the lesson with bangs, fire and excitement through a series of spectacular experiments.
