Senior School Updates

Another busy week of remote learning comes to an end with many successes across the subject range. Commendations this week have been awarded to Emily B for her ongoing outstanding effort in remote Geography lessons and to Rufus B, Harry A, Rose S and Ella S (all Year 8) for their excellent poems produced in English lessons this week. 

Having gathered feedback from Student Council members, parents and pupils we have looked to tweak the timetables slightly so as to allow pupils to get outside during daylight hours. It is vitally important for their wellbeing that they get a chance to ride bikes, take the dog for a walk, go for a jog around the block, kick the ball against a wall or practice on their roller skates! We will therefore look to review the timetable every two weeks as we aim to strike a sustainable balance between structured academic studies and independent time and we would of course value any feedback regarding this. Having witnessed the hard work and dedication the pupils have put into bringing the show together I have no doubt it will be an outstanding production and I can't wait to watch it in its entirety. Have a great weekend.

Mr Wilson

Senior School Council Meeting

It's more important than ever to keep in touch and find ways of listening to each other when we are separated. This week, despite the geographic distance between them, the Senior School Council met. They continue to look for ways, in the words of their mission statement, 'to make Duke of Kent School a better place for students and teachers'. The Council's motivation to bring about positive change and the calm, professional manner in which they go about doing so, is inspirational. 

This week the Council discussed Remote Learning and their experience of using the Google Suite as a virtual classroom. The students all agree that their teachers are working very hard, but that they would much rather be in School, learning face to face with them, than at home in front of a screen. I am confident that I speak for the whole teaching staff when I say that their teachers feel the same! The Council agreed that students and teachers alike have learnt and reflected on the previous period out of School and have changed their working practises for the better. They are mindful of the pressures that the current situation places on their teachers, families and their own mental wellbeing and applauded measures to support this, such as the reduction in Prep and the planned 'screen free day'. This initiative in particular they feel will allow them to take a breather from the virtual environment and engage in creative, open ended activities. They gave welcome feedback on observations of good practice in online lessons, as well as areas where they feel teachers and the School could explore alternative ways of working. These have been passed on to Mrs Knox and the Senior Leadership Team and will be an important part of the feedback that informs their regular reviews of online learning.

The 'student voice' is one of the integral pillars that supports the inclusive, caring environment we all enjoy at Duke of Kent School. The Student Council is important in this endeavour, acting as the mouthpiece for the student body; the opinions and feelings of which are always considered and listened to. The Council offers students a sense of ownership over some of the decisions made by the School and gives teachers the confidence to make decisions knowing that they have the support and backing of the whole School community, thus placing the student at the centre of everything we do at Duke of Kent School.

The Council will be meeting this coming Tuesday and every other Tuesday thereafter. Next week we will be discussing the School's sanction and reward system. If you have any observations you would like to share on this or any other areas you think the Student Council should address, please contact your form representatives or one of our fabulous Council Prefects, Zara H and Daisy M.

Mr Watson

Weekly Wellbeing

During this time of lockdown, when we are largely confined to one place, life seems to remain as busy as ever. My hope is that you all take some time to yourself and reflect on how this is affecting your emotions. We are used to listening to our physical self and reacting when we are hungry, tired or unwell but often neglect listening to our emotional signals, or becoming confused as to exactly what we are feeling. 

It is really good practice to take some time each day to acknowledge your feelings and process them - I have added a guide for senior pupils in the classrooms this week. Parents may also find this link to helping their children process their emotions during the Covid19 pandemic helpful.

https://www.chrichmond.org/blog/covid-19-and-kids-a-rainbow-of-emotions

Allowing time to ‘feel’ and sit with your emotions is vital for emotional and mental wellbeing. You may choose to combine this with meditative pursuits like yoga or guided meditation ( apps like  https://www.headspace.com/ are great for this). Or, you may choose to indulge in your ‘passions’ of music, film, creative pursuits, sports etc. as Mr Macdonald spoke of in assembly this week. Ultimately, you are the expert of you, and must do what is right for you.

Remember that feelings are transient, not fixed - acknowledging the difficult emotions allows them to be processed and leaves space for the next.

Feeling

Even the darkest storm passes,

The sun can't shine bright every day,

We can sit with our feelings and notice

How they roll through us then blow away.

Happy: A Children's Book of Mindfulness by Nicola Edwards and Katie Hickey

Mrs Douglas, Wellbeing Coordinator 

E-Safety Tips

2 | Bold boundaries 

Whether agreeing the age they can go on social media, setting out how long they can spend gaming or having a curfew to avoid disturbing sleep, setting clear boundaries will make your child feel more secure about your expectations and confident about what’s OK.

Mr Boden

School Social Media

At Duke of Kent School we have two social media platforms, Twitter (@DoKSchool) and Instagram (dukeofkentschool). 

Our Twitter account is public however, our Instagram account is private to keep it strictly for the Duke of Kent School community only. You will need to request to follow the account. 

Please do follow the accounts to receive the regular updates and to see highlights from each day at School.  There is a link to the Twitter account below.

Miss Vernon