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A Message from Mrs Knox
 What a wonderful display of baking talent we enjoyed on Monday, with over 65 incredible cakes and treats entered into our House Bake Off competition! The creativity, skill and effort that went into the entries were quite remarkable. Huge congratulations to all our talented bakers, and thank you to everyone who took part.
Today, we marked World Mental Health Day, with our Wellbeing Manager reminding us of the importance of looking after our own mental health and supporting those around us. This year's theme, 'Lived experiences heard: real voices, real change', highlights the importance of listening to others, making time for meaningful conversations and ensuring that everyone feels heard and valued. These are important messages for us all and reflect the kindness and care that we seek to foster throughout our school community. Thank you to everyone who wore a 'touch of yellow' to show their support and help raise awareness of this important topic.
Finally, congratulations to all our swimmers who represented the School at the ISA London South Regional Swimming Gala today. Have a lovely weekend.
Mrs Knox
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House Bake Off!
 The first round of the Duke of Kent School Bake Off kicked off on Monday with an influx of impressive baked goods. The competition in the first round was fierce, with over 65 entries from students across the school. The House Captains had the challenging (and tasty!) task of sampling all the cakes and bakes brought in. They then had to decide which entries would progress to the Prep and Senior finals, which will take place after half-term. All students who took part should be proud of what they accomplished, and by taking part, they earned 3 House points. During break time, the students held a bake sale with all the money raised going to our school charity, Dementia UK. Congratulations to the students through to the finals:
Buzzard: Prep - Darcey S, Senior- Norah C
Hawk: Prep- Matilda T, Senior - Lottie O
Kestrel: Prep - Jenson Br, Senior - Archie B
Peregrine: Prep - Sienna H, Senior- Charlotte L
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Year 3 Social Event
 Last Friday, Year 3 children enjoyed their first Prep School social evening. Once they had recovered from the great excitement of getting into their party clothes, we began the proceedings with a good boogie. Just Dance turned into Musical Statues, which then morphed again into Musical Bumps. This was followed by a game of pass the parcel, and they soon discovered that having a forfeit included in each layer of wrapping was much more fun than the traditional sweet that they were used to! We had congas, cowgirls riding their horses round the circle, pictures being drawn with feet, ballroom dancing and impressive unwrapping of bananas (without using hands) to name but a few of the comical tasks they were asked to do!
As it was such a sunny evening, the children were also keen to get some fresh air and have a nostalgic play in the Pre-prep playground. For many of the children, this was their first time staying for tea at school, which they thoroughly enjoyed. Finally, it wouldn't be a Prep School social event without the inevitable game of Hide and Seek in the dimly-lit corridor. There was some truly impressive hiding but luckily we managed to find everyone just in time for departure, after what had been a thoroughly giggly and happy evening.
Mrs Nicholson
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Guinness World Record Attempt
The Year 7 English class were abuzz with excitement today as we, together with thousands of children across the globe, attempted to set a new world record of the most people reading online in 12 hours. Children’s author and scriptwriter, Frank Cottrell-Boyce hosted an online lesson, where he read some of his work and inspired the class to consider how some mistakes can have happy and magical outcomes. The session culminated in a shared reading experience where we all delved into another world for 10 minutes.
Fingers crossed we have been successful!
A special thank you to Indie K who helped out.
Mrs Punter
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A letter From French Pen Pals!
Year 8 have had an exciting delivery this week as they received their very first letter from their pen pals at Victor Duruy School in France! The pupils are now busy preparing their replies in French, putting their language skills into practice and discovering a little more about life across the Channel. We look forward to hearing more about their international friendships and having a Zoom call with them soon!
Mme Fellous
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William’s Three Peaks Challenge for Sepsis Research
 Over the next year, William from Year 5 is taking on a challenge that is huge for someone with such little legs, walking the UK's three highest peaks to raise money for Sepsis Research FEAT, a cause that is incredibly important to his family. He’ll be starting with Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), and as you might expect, his Mum and Dad will be right beside him for every step, climb and sore muscle along the way!
If you'd like to support Will and help raise funds for this fantastic charity, he'd be truly grateful. Every donation, no matter the size, will make a big difference. Support William's fundraising page.
Thank you so much in advance for your support. If nothing else, your donation will help motivate two slightly less enthusiastic adults up three mountains! 
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It's been a very artistic week in Pre-prep. Year 2 have started making papier mache jellyfish whilst our Year 1 pupils were inspired by Picasso, creating their own portraits in his cubist style. Both classes were working on 'more than' and 'less than' in Maths, and Reception visited The Burrow for some mathematical fun outdoors, searching for shapes. They also created a huge map, charting Little Red Riding Hood's journey to her Grandma's house! In Nursery, the children explored an autumnal sensory activity, baked some goodies and enjoyed working on identifying the letter 't'.
In Prep School, Year 3s' excitement in their Science lesson was unbridled, as they used disclosing tablets to see where they have been brushing their teeth most (and least!) effectively. In History, Year 6 have been looking ahead excitedly to their weekend trip to watch the Battle of Hastings re-enactment, studying the details of the battle itself, all of which will come to life tomorrow! Year 4 are honing their skills in Maths, finding time intervals and telling the time to the nearest minute, and learnt about river erosion, transportation and deposition in Topic. I popped into a Year 5 English lesson and was hugely impressed with the kennings they have been writing, one of my favourites being a 'shadow scamperer' to describe a spider! Have a great weekend everyone.
Values Certificate: Greg O for Responsibility
Aloud & Proud Readers: Olivia H & Tom N
Reading Certificates: Owen G (Bronze)
Star of the Week
Nursery
Charly – for her continued progress and excellent focus when exploring the balance scales. She loved working them out to make them balance.
Reception
August C - for taking great care with his work and super progress in letter formation.
Phillipa C – excellent listening and focus in class and careful following of instructions.
Year 1
Ollie S – for putting effort into table activities and working independently.
Year 2
Oscar P – for making positive choices and showing fantastic independence with his learning this week.
Mr Wright
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It has been another busy and enjoyable week in the Senior School. On Monday, pupils spent time during Form Time exploring the UNIFROG careers platform, beginning to think about future pathways, career aspirations, and the opportunities available to them beyond school. These sessions encouraged pupils to reflect on their interests and consider the many exciting possibilities that lie ahead.
The first round of this year's much-anticipated Bake Off also took place on Monday, with pupils showcasing an impressive range of baking talents. The standard was incredibly high, and it was wonderful to see so much imagination and effort on display.
Today, our school community came together to support World Mental Health Day by taking part in the Hello Yellow campaign. Staff and pupils added a splash of yellow to their outfits to show their support for positive mental health and to reinforce the message that nobody should face mental health challenges alone. It was a fantastic opportunity to highlight the importance of kindness, looking after ourselves, and supporting one another.
We are also delighted to celebrate another group of pupils who have reached the impressive milestone of 25 Merit Points and were invited to today's Celebration Snack Break. Congratulations to:
Charlotte L, Mila S, Andoni B-S, Charlie B, Sonny C, Isabel N, Zara P, Charlotte P, Henry S, George S, Amelia W, Joni A, Freddie G, Harry L, Alex O, Freddie P, Dante R-D, Alessandro S, Henry S, Theo C, Ben J, Jasper T, Patrick W, Ben O.
A huge well done to Layla B, Evan W, George R, Edith S who have now exceeded 200 Merit Points and received their recognition badge. Congratulations also to Eddie C, who has surpassed 300 Merit Points, earning their recognition badge. Finally, an outstanding achievement for Ben O, who has now accumulated over 500 Merit Points and is well on his way to 600 for the Platinum badge.
Mr Wyllie
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Huge congratulations to our Year 11 GCSE Drama cohort who successfully performed their Devising Pieces on Wednesday evening this week. There were some wonderfully creative moments of drama brilliantly realised and acted by the pupils, who have really worked so hard to pull it all together. First part of their GCSE done – well done everyone!
 Guys and Dolls
As I'm sure lots of you have heard or seen, the Senior musical this term is the wonderful 'Guys and Dolls'. Tickets will be available for this after half-term, with a priority booking window for parents of the cast first and then the remainder being released to the wider community at a later date.
Please could parents' of the cast make a note of the remaining Sunday rehearsals:
1st November
8th November
22nd November
The shows themselves are on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th November (two performances). More information and details will be released nearer the time.
Mr Rye
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What Parents & Educators need to know: Helping Children connect with Nature
A slightly different approach this week. Spending time in nature can support children’s wellbeing, learning, confidence and development – but busy routines, safety concerns and limited outdoor space can make it harder to prioritise. This guide explores why everyday contact with the natural world matters, and how families, schools and carers can make outdoor time feel accessible, enjoyable and worthwhile.
From noticing wildlife on the school run to creating mini-adventures, growing plants at home or using technology to identify birdsong and insects, the guide offers simple ideas for all ages. It also highlights how older children can benefit from independence, purposeful challenges and sensible risk-taking, helping them build resilience and curiosity outdoors.
Click the link to learn more about "connecting children with nature".
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Today we have been marking World Mental Health Day, which is tomorrow, by joining in with Young Minds, Hello Yellow initiative. This involved all staff and pupils being invited to wear some yellow as a reminder that nobody should struggle alone, that we need to be seen and heard.
We started the day with an assembly which delved into the invisible backpacks that we all carry and the need to ensure we remember what we can do to lighten the load. It was also a good reminder that as the backpack is invisible, we never know what stuff people are carrying in theirs, so we should be mindful of kindness and understanding.
The assembly concluded by considering ‘the yellow ripple’ understanding how small actions can make a big difference to others, so it’s important to consider the support we may offer in small ways – a smile, including others, asking if someone is ok.
At break, pupils had the opportunity to do some glass doodling on the link windows and remind everyone of the important things we can do to help ours and others’ mental health. At lunch, they were also invited to take part in some Hello Yellow arts and crafts of mindful colouring, word searches and stars to reflect on what makes them feel they belong.
Well done to pupils (and staff) for embracing the dress code and considering the importance of others and their own mental health.
Lastly, a brief reminder that myself and Mr Wright will be hosting a talk about ‘Girls on Board’ and how it is implemented at Duke of Kent School on Monday the 12th of October. The talk will begin at 8:30 in the Meetings Room and will finish at 9:15 - tea and coffee will be provided. If you would like to attend, please let the office or myself, mdouglas@dokschool.org know so that we can make provisions accordingly.
Mrs Douglas
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We've had some head lice in lower years again over the last week; they have been pretty persistent this year! Please check your child's scalp if they start to scratch frequently. See the link below for advice:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/head-lice-and-nits/
It's World Mental Health Day tomorrow (see Mrs Douglas's bulletin piece). Mental health issues can often present as physical ill health. Please let your child's form tutor and the school nurses know if there's anything stressful going on in a pupil's life inside or outside of school, so that we are fully informed if they attend the medical room feeling unwell and can get to the bottom of things more quickly in order to find the right solution.
Well done to the boys in 10W who got stuck in to a practical PSHE lesson with Mrs Sarjant and Mr Herbert yesterday, learning about why and how to perform Testicular Self Examination, and why it's important to "know what's normal" for your body and to report any suspicious changes (even if that's a scary thing to do!). Use the links below to find out more about this disease:
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/testicular-cancer/
https://www.testicularcanceruk.com/
https://yourprivates.org.uk/
A reminder that October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. PLEASE CHECK YOUR BREASTS! (Did you know that 400 men a year are also diagnosed with breast cancer?) Coppafeel is a brilliant charity with great resources for anyone who wants to know more:
https://coppafeel.org/
The School Nurses
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The Second Hand Uniform Shop will be open on Wednesday 14th October from 3pm to 4pm, located next to Ness Hall.
PADoK Clubs:
Pilates
Pilates with Alicky - Monday morning 08.30am at Ewhurst Rec.
Duke of Kent School Flyers – Netball training
Mondays 17.00 – 18.00 in Old Hall. Please contact Tara at padok@dokschool.org if you are interested in playing. Any experience welcome.
Duke of Kent School Singers
Tuesday - 08.20 – 09.00 in the Meeting Room with Mr Rye/Mrs Williams.
 Come sing with us, all welcome & very relaxed.
Contact Cathy Williams at padok@dokschool.org.
PADoK Book Club
Watch this space, a Christmas title will be promoted soon.
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