From the Head of the Preparatory School
New Parent Information Session and School Tour
What a joy it was to welcome parents onsite on Wednesday afternoon for the New Parent Information session and School tour. For most of the 60-odd parents in attendance it was the first opportunity to be onsite and explore firsthand the learning and play spaces the boys talk about on a daily basis.
After many months of parents being asked to stay offsite, it was an absolute delight to spend some time talking about learning and teaching and showing parents around the School. It was also very exciting to be able to do much of this in the brand new Year 6 Learning Centre!
The afternoon also served as a reminder of many of the things that are central to learning and teaching at the Prep School. These include a focus on the following:
- Developing learners who are skilful, aware of their strengths and weaknesses and motivated to set ambitious learning goals.
- Student growth and the processes we use to share this with parents.
- Supporting students through flexible, personalised learning that meets each learner at the point of need.
- Developing a sense of international mindedness by exposing boys to complex real life issues that force them to consider the perspectives and experience of others.
Much of this is captured in our commitment to the IB Learner Profile which articulates the learning attributes of lifelong learners.
We look forward to more opportunities in the coming days, weeks and months where we can reconnect with parents and continue to grow the Prep School as a learning community.
Auxiliary Meeting
On Wednesday evening we also held the Auxiliary meeting for March. Once again, we took the opportunity to show off the Year 6 Learning Centre by hosting the meeting there.
As always, the Auxiliary Meeting presented an opportunity to speak about the importance of community and partnership between home and school. Positively, we were able to look forward to increased opportunities for community engagement, including the upcoming Prep School Community Event on Friday 25th March.
COVID Coffee Catch ups
Encouraged by the attendance at a recent new parents’ Coffee and Chat Catch Up, we are planning to run these a few times each term to provide parents with an informal opportunity to ask questions, share insights or just to chat with members of the Prep Executive. There is deliberately no agenda for these catch ups, but they have proven to be very valuable in recent years for staff and parents alike. The next Coffee and Chat Catch Up will be held on Tuesday 15th March from 8:30am at Profiterole Patisserie, just up on Liverpool Road.
If there are particular focus areas that parents are interested in us addressing, please let us know and we would be happy to speak to them.
Pancake Day – final results
Last week’s Pancake Day (Week) went from strength to strength as families took on the challenge of creating making pancakes at home. It was great to see such a great level of engagement and to see some amazingly creative and delicious looking creations!
The final results for the inaugural Pancake bake-off have now been finalised.
The school-based bake-off: Archer 1st, Hilliard 2nd, Henderson 3rd, School 4th.
The family bake-off: Henderson 1st, Archer 2nd, School 3rd, Hilliard 4th.
After some very sophisticated mathematics to ensure the results were fair, I am pleased to announce the overall placings as follows:
Archer 1st, Henderson 2nd, Hilliard 3rd, School 4th.
Here is a video capturing the fun had by many throughout the bake-off.
Archer and Henderson House Chapel Service
The first of the House Family Chapel Services will be held on Sunday, 20th March for boys in Years 3-6 in Archer and Henderson Houses. The Service will begin at 10:00am in the War Memorial Chapel at Summer Hill. All boys in Archer and Henderson are expected to attend this service. All families in these Houses are encouraged to attend and to join in a time of community worship. Boys are to be dressed in their school uniform for this service.
Three-way Conferences
In Week 8 of this term class teachers will begin hosting Three Way Conferences in Pre-kindergarten to Year 6 to discuss the boys’ initial progress and their learning goals for the year ahead. In Years 1 to 6 these conferences will be supported by each student’s most recent MAP results which highlight his growth in Mathematics and Reading.
An email was sent home earlier in the week with information about the online booking system. I encourage you to make this meeting a high priority and to book in a time for you and your son to meet with the teacher. The online system will be the only way to book a conference with your son’s classroom teacher during this period. If you need support with this, please contact the School Office.
Communication between home and school is vital to ensure that your son is progressing in his education. The conference offers the opportunity to discuss your son’s learning with the teacher and for your son to be involved in his own education. Positive and constructive feedback, and open dialogue have the potential to improve motivation, address difficulties, inform goal setting and enhance learning.
Chris Wyatt | Head of the Preparatory School
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:28
