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A message from Mrs Knox
 Excitement is mounting ahead of the first performance of our musical this evening. I am sure it will be a show to remember — full of energy, humour and the determined spirit of standing up for what’s right, very much in true Made in Dagenham style. Good luck to the fabulous cast and crew. A huge well done to all our staff taking part in Movember and proudly growing their magnificent Mos in support of men’s health. Mr Southee deserves a special mention for racing around the school this morning to deliver 16 mini-assemblies to our form groups, sharing this important message with enthusiasm and impact. Finally, good luck to all of our swimmers in the ISA National Swimming finals in the London Aquatic centre today. I am excited for Monday..... Year 3 will be decorating our Christmas tree in Old Hall. Happy weekend.
Mrs Knox
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Windows into Learning
 Last Friday, we welcomed parents of our Prep pupils to this year’s ‘Windows into Learning’ event, allowing them to explore how we teach Maths across the Prep School. The session opened with an introductory presentation from Mr Wright and Mr Gritton, who shared an overview of the curriculum, demonstrated key classroom resources and explained a range of teaching strategies and mathematical approaches.
Parents then had the chance to step into their children’s shoes. Working independently at first — which brought a few nervous laughs! — they later reunited with their children in the classrooms for some hands-on activities. From place value code breakers, to interactive games about multiples and challenges linked to time and 3D shapes outside, there was a lot to get stuck into! Pupils were thrilled to guide their parents (and their parents’ friends) through the activities, proudly sharing what they’ve been learning.
We were delighted with the engagement and excitement throughout the morning, and we look forward to hosting our next ‘Windows into Learning’ event.
Mr Gritton
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Prep School House Bake Off
 Monday brought a sweet celebration as Prep School pupils competed in the final of the House Bake Off. Their challenge was to create a sponge cake that included a reference to the school and the 50th celebrations. The finalists had complete freedom over the ingredients, recipe and designs so fully unleashed their creativity!
All of the entries looked fantastic, demonstrating real skill and imagination, which made judging especially difficult. We were very fortunate to welcome Simon from Celebration Cakes in Cranleigh and his father, Tom to join our judging panel. After much consideration, Alaska B (Kestrel) was declared the winner.
 Congratulations to Annabelle-Sunshine T (Buzzard), Max L (Hawk), and Arthur and Darcey M (Peregrine) for reaching the final from a field of 53 pupils. All Prep School entrants received three House Points for their efforts.
Mr Gritton
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MOvember
Movember is coming to an end......
As November draws to a close, the time has almost come to bid farewell to the impressive moustaches grown for Movember! A huge and heartfelt thank you goes out to every single person who has contributed - your generosity has helped us raise over £1200 for a very good cause. While the hairy journey is nearing its end, the opportunity to make an impact is not over: there is still a small window of time left to donate and push our total even higher by clicking the following link - DOK Movember. Thank you!
Mr Monk
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The Pre-prep department has been transformed into a costume and make-up department over the past few days, as preparations for the Nativity properly take hold. As well as singing practice and rehearsals, Year 2 found time to head into the woodland to enrich their Geography learning, identifying human and physical features on their walk. English has had a decidedly festive flavour in Pre-prep classrooms as letters have been drafted and edited for Father Christmas who will be especially impressed with Year 2's use of commas! Reception pupils, meanwhile, made gingerbread and used the baking process to practise their mathematical understanding of 'more or less'. On the topic of baking, huge congratulations to all the Bake-Off finalists, and a special mention for Alaska B who won the Prep category.
In Topic this week: Year 3 have been learning about architecture in Ancient Greece, studying temples, theatres and column styles; Year 5 located the mountain ranges in the UK using relief maps; and Year 6 have begun a project to research the weather and climate in a place of interest to themselves - ranging from Taiwan to Toronto and Crete to Cornwall! In Science, Year 4 have been investigating which materials are good insulators, Year 5 discovered which sponge contains the most air and Year 6 were comparing the pros and cons of series and parallel circuits. And in English, Year 6 found themselves unexpectedly on a treasure hunt leaving them desperate to reach the climax of their class novel. Lastly, I must acknowledge the super talks we had this morning: Ayla OK, Maddie C and Elodie Y spoke about their passion horses; and Izzy W told us all about her incredible achievements at Laser Run with Team GB. Inspiring stuff, girls! Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!
Values Certificates: Milly M for Kindness
Stars of the Week
Nursery: Charlotte A for displaying great progress in numeracy and for sharing her knowledge with her peers.
Reception: Isla C for having such a positive attitude in the classroom, it's really paying off!
George R-K for displaying growing confidence in classroom activities and good aiming and throwing skills in P.E.
Year 1: Bobby C for his strong work ethic - he constantly challenges himself.
Dixie J for her fantastic attitude towards her work - especially phonics and reading.
Year 2: Jack T for your fantastic expression and projection of your lines in the Nativity.
Oliver A for your kind and gentle presence and being a wonderful role model.
Swimmer of the Week
George R-K for consistency; you are putting your face in the water and following instructions so well!
Mr Wright
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What a busy and memorable week it has been! In addition to the fantastic teaching and learning happening across the School, our senior production has truly taken the spotlight. The exceptionally dedicated cast and crew have been working incredibly hard to bring Made in Dagenham to life, and their commitment shows. After catching a glimpse of the dress rehearsal yesterday afternoon, I can say with confidence that anyone attending tonight or tomorrow is in for something really special.
Huge congratulations to everyone in the Senior School, whether performing on stage, contributing behind the scenes, or encouraging their classmates. Each person has helped make this much-loved annual event a highlight of the school year.
As always, a number of hard working pupils reached the milestone of earning 25 Merit points. Huge congratulations to:
Charlie B, Felix B, Evelyn C, Elfie G, Wolf R, Esme W, George C, Arthur D-K, Monty L, Charlie L, Mercy M.
A special mention goes to Charlotte C and Leo B who have surpassed 200 Merit points and received their recognition badges.
Well done to all our pupils for their hard work and achievements this week.
Mr Wyllie
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All girls in Years 7 and 8 took part in this year’s House Pickleball competition, it was a fantastic opportunity for everyone to experience a new sport and learn the key rules and skills involved. The tournament began on Wednesday 5th November and concluded during Monday’s PE lesson this week. The atmosphere was full of excitement, and it was brilliant to see the girls’ confidence, skills and understanding of the game grow with every round.
Each House fielded three pairs, with matches played across three courts in a busy schedule of fifteen 5-minute games. Impressively, every pair secured at least one win, showing great determination and progress throughout the event. The standout performers were Jasmine W & Amelie C, who topped the scoring with 18 points from six wins (3 points for a win), and Elfie G & Halle S, who finished close behind with 16 points from five wins and a draw.
In the final standings, Kestrel finished 4th with 24 points, just behind Buzzard in 3rd place with 27 points. Peregrine secured 2nd place with a strong total of 37 points, and Hawk were crowned champions with an impressive 44 points!
A special well done goes to Eva W and Florence A for their helpfulness and willingness to umpire, and to Pascale E, Amelia W and Lauren B for showcasing excellent skills on court.
Well done to everyone who took part, we are already looking forward to next year’s competition!
Mrs Monk
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This week, Pre-prep and Year 3 welcomed Nigel Grimes https://www.nigelgrimeswellbeing.com/ into school, and what better place than The Burrow, to hear a reading of his new book? ‘The Forest’s Secret’ is all about helping children to discover the magic of nature. Pupils were enthralled with the enchanting images and the adventures of Amelia and her Grandma, who learn the secrets of the forest and the calm it can bring into our lives.
‘“It feels like the forest has a heartbeat.” said Grandma. “And now you’re in rhythm with it.”’
Pupils got to feel that ‘heartbeat’ themselves as we wandered into the forest and allowed our senses to absorb the natural world around us - listening to the forest sounds of leaves rustling, birds singing and the football matches nearby!
We also mindfully focused on the feelings of the wind and the textures of the moss and tree bark. Nigel helped the children reflect on the nature of worries and how, like the clouds, they may darken the sun for a little bit before moving away and allowing the warmth of the sun to once again return. Imagining we were trees sharing our food and water via our roots was a real highlight and pupils enjoyed deciding what kind of tree they were.
If you would like to order a signed copy of the book, please do email Mariette Douglas by Monday 1st of December when I will be sending the final order.
Mrs Douglas
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What Parents & Educators need to know about TikTok
Now the world’s go-to short video platform, TikTok captivates young audiences with its endless stream of engaging clips, but not without potential pitfalls. From unsettling or age-inappropriate content to harmful viral challenges, misinformation and even radicalisation, this ever-popular app can expose children to content that may not always be suitable for them.
Our #WakeUpWednesday guide explores TikTok’s hidden hazards, including in-app spending, compulsive screen time and privacy concerns, offering clear advice for parents and educators. With expert insight and practical safety tips, it aims to help families ensure that TikTok use remains fun, positive and, most importantly, safe.
Click the link to learn more about "TikTok".
Mr Monk
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Pupil visits to the Medical Room have rocketed this week as fatigue and ill health sets in (as to be expected at this time of year). To manage resources, and ensure the School Nurse is available for the higher priority cases, we encourage pupils to build resilience and be self-caring at school as far as possible. Ailments such as sore throats can be managed with regular sips of water and the occasional throat lozenge (pupils are encouraged to bring their own supply of lozenges and tissues to school and not rely on medical room supplies). A lot of aches and pains are nothing to worry about, and will settle on their own without any intervention from the Nurse (pain can be a useful way of your body protecting you by urging gentle movement whilst an injury sorts itself out).
Please talk to your child about what ailments can be managed without the help of a healthcare professional, but also make sure they are also aware of the importance of seeking help from the Nurse or a first aid trained member of staff promptly in the event of a head injury, severe pain, bleeding, allergic reaction, vomiting or diarrhoea (for example). Thank you!
Finally, best of luck to the Senior School Pupils performing in "Made in Dagenham" tonight and tomorrow. Enjoy a well earned rest on Sunday!
The School Nurses
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PADoK News
All Parents and Staff Merry Christmas Drinks - 4th December 18.30
A reminder that next week we have organised Christmas Drinks at The Richard Onslow in Cranleigh – evening of Thursday 4th December – we hope to see lots of you there to celebrate the start of the festive season.
Christmas Hamper Raffle - Tickets now on sale
To purchase tickets:
· Please email padok@dokschool.org with the number of books required with the name of your child & year group.
· 1 book costs £5.
· Last day of ticket sales is Friday 5th December.
· Draw on Monday 8th December.
Charity Support: A portion of the proceeds will go to Cranleigh Food Bank and two local village schools.
PADoK Clubs:
PADoK Pilates Club - Thursdays 08:30 – 09:15
Our second session with Alicky was great. The core team really enjoyed it. We are delighted to introduce you to Alicky who is kindly taking over the Thursday exercise club to replace Core Control. A brief bio: I’m a Physiotherapist and Pilates teacher with 20+ years experience of teaching. Come & join the challenge to get that core fit for Christmas! There’ll be exercise, good tunes & laughs aplenty. Please message on alickypilates@gmail.com for further information or if you’d like to book in. With thanks, Alicky @alickypilates
Duke of Kent Flyers – Netball training
DoK Flyers training is on Monday late afternoons from 17.30 to 18.30, and we are looking for new players to join in this term while the weather allows. Come along for lots of laughter, exercise & fun. No experience necessary, everyone welcome! Please do come along if you would like to play netball.
Duke of Kent School Singers
Thursday 4th December 08.20 Meetings Room (off Old Hall)
A production session with Mr Rye on Tuesday. We continued working on the ending of the song. The harmonies are challenging but we are getting there!
Come along and discover how much fun singing can be!
When: Every other Tuesday from 08:20 to 09:00 & every other Thursday from 08.20 to 09.00
Where: The Meetings Room off Old Hall
Important Note: please always park at the bottom of the site and walk up to Old Hall.
PADoK Book Club – 9th December 8pm
We have chosen a new book to lead up to Christmas and hope to meet at the end of term to talk about the book, even if we haven’t finished it. The Christmas Book Shop by Jenny Colgan.
We will be meeting on 9th December to discuss the previous book and the current title. Please join us for a festive treat by the fire in Old Hall and a good chat. All welcome and do come along if you would like to join.
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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), Facebook (Duke of Kent School) and TikTok (DoKSchool). 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.
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