Friday 13th September 2024 

A Message from Mr Pears

Dear Parents,

Welcome to a new academic year at St Michael's. I hope you had a wonderful summer and your children have enjoyed their first days back at school. It has been wonderful to catch up with many of you this week and to meet our new families for the first time since their initial tours of St Michael's, which for some was a few years ago.

The start of term has been action-packed and full of opportunity for the children as they have settled into new routines and faced a number of exciting challenges already. 

Years 7 and 8 began the term with a two-day induction which included sessions run by Empathy Action, a charity dedicated to inspiring and empowering individuals to contribute to building a fairer, safer and more equal world. The pupils approached the topics explored with compassion and maturity, showing empathy for the stories explored and displaying some core values of global citizens. We look forward to seeing these values brought to life through their learning and daily encounters over the coming years. 

Last Friday was also a chance for Year 7 to celebrate the start of their senior years at St Michael's as the pupils gathered for the inaugural Camp Out. An unforgettable time was had sharing pizza, games and stories as new friendships were made and anticipation built for the year ahead. 

The fun continued into this week as on Wednesday Year 2 welcome a variety of fascinating animals to Stable Court with The Animal Experience. From a bearded dragon and millipede, to a tortoise and meerkat, the children learnt so much during this session, topped with the opportunity to hold and stroke many of the creatures. The courage and inquisitiveness shown by the children was amazing to see, with many of them being much braver than me when holding the Royal Python!

On Thursday we were proud of our Year 6 pupils who took the Kent Test (11+) following months of hard work and preparation. The children were calm and focused throughout the day, displaying early signs of readiness for their senior education in the future. 

I'd like to end by thanking the Estates Team including Mr Smith, Mr Hooper, Mr Thorpe, Mr Gadd and Mr Robertson for their tireless efforts throughout the summer, preparing (and in some cases transforming!) areas of the school for this academic year. From building a new toilet block next to the Astro turf, to redecorating classrooms, extending offices, resurfacing the driveway and giving the Prep Dining Hall and Sports Hall a makeover. The Team's feet have barely touched the ground as they have dedicated hours to making our environment one that we are even more proud of than before.

Wishing you all a brilliant weekend.

Best wishes,

Nik Pears

From the Head of Pre-Prep

Dear Parents,

Welcome back to the start of the Michaelmas Term. It has been lovely to watch so many happy children coming into Pre-Prep and so many brave children deciding to walk down the bridge by themselves! If your child is happy to walk by themselves or with a friend, please feel free to use the rolling drop-off lane. If your child requires you to walk down to the garden with them, please park in the main car park.

Thank you to Mrs Palmer who put on a Forest School information session for Reception parents this week. Several parents had said they didn’t realise so much learning was involved.

Next week we are starting our Year Group Welcome Mornings. Year 2 parents can join me on Monday 16^th September at 8.45am in the Pre-Prep Dining Room, Year 1 parents on Wednesday 18^th September at 8.45am and Reception parents on Thursday 19^th September at 8.45am.

The P&F have a meeting of Class Reps on Tuesday in the Pre-Prep Dining Room and the International Club will hold their meeting on Friday 20^th September in the Pre-Prep Dining Room. You will receive separate communications from these groups. It’s a busy week next week!

This year we are going to try and put as many parent events as possible in the mornings as requested by working parents so that it is slightly easier to schedule your day. There will be the inevitable afternoon slot for things like Swimming Gala or Football Tournament where we don’t have access to the facilities at any other part of the teaching day.

Fruit snack and milk are now being provided at no additional cost to parents. You are welcome to continue providing a fruit or vegetable snack in a named box if you prefer. Please stick to your decision for the whole term as we are trying to gauge the amount of fruit we need to order each day.

Please can I remind those of you who are on site early not to send your child down to the garden until a member of staff has got to the top of the bridge. This ensures we also have staff at the same time covering the garden. Many thanks.

Overheard in Pre-Prep:

Child: "Mrs Crane, when does concussion club start?"

(I think they meant percussion!)

Have a lovely weekend,

Zerrin Leech

We are delighted to welcome the following individuals to St Michael's:

Please click here to read biographies for each of our new staff.

We recently said goodbye to the following St Michael's Governors who are stepping down from their roles:

Ben Charles and Cameron Kiggell

We thank Ben and Cameron for their contribution to the St Michael's community. Both dedicating countless hours to their roles as Governors, we are grateful for all of their support and guidance which has helped to shape St Michael's into the School that it is today. 

School Photographs - Friday 27th September 2024

The photographers, Gillman & Soame, will be in school on Friday 27^th September 2024 to take individual, form and sibling photographs. 

In order to maintain continuity and uniformity, can everyone please wear winter uniform for this day. 

With regard to the sibling* photographs, we will be operating these slightly differently this year, with only some families having to come to the Pre-Prep Hall for 8am. A wider explanation will be communicated soon, with specific details for those with more than one child at St Michael’s. 

*Please be aware that only current pupils will be photographed for the sibling photographs.

Labels on clothing and possessions

A reminder that all uniform and possessions should be labelled with your child's name clearly shown on them. This will help us to reunite lost property with its owner. 

School Play 2025

Auditions - My Family and Other Animals

Your child will need to audition for a part if they would like to be involved in our next School Play. There are a range of smaller and larger parts available, but the competition will be strong.

There is also some opportunity for puppeteers to operate some puppet animals: your child will still need to audition if they wish to be considered for those parts.

Auditions will take place on Monday 16th - Wednesday 18th September 2024. 

There will be a sign-up sheet on the Prep Drama Room door and your child will need to select a slot to audition.

It is advised that they learn the lines before attending. Boys will read the part of Larry and girls will read the part of Mother. The lines are linked below. 

Auditions are only open to pupils who will be in Years 5, 6, 7 and 8 in September. 

When might your child be needed?

Rehearsals: These primarily take place on Mondays and Fridays from 4-5pm (or 6pm sometimes) and Thursdays 8-9am (before school). There will be five Sunday rehearsals from 10-4pm. Your child is unlikely to be required at all rehearsals and will receive a schedule of the rehearsal sessions in advance.

Please click here for the audition script

Years 7 and 8 show compassion in Empathy Action workshops

As a school we wanted Years 7 and 8 to begin the academic year with an exciting two-day induction programme that would help to equip and empower, develop key life skills, build a a sense of cohesion across the year groups and help set the tone and expectations for the year ahead. In the past St Michael’s has supported and worked together with Empathy Action, a charity dedicated to inspiring and empowering individuals to contribute to building a fairer, safer and more equal world and we felt they would be a superb organisation to help achieve our aims.  

Empathy Action ran a series of excellent workshops and activities with our senior pupils. The Global Citizenship and Empathy session allowed discussion and exploration of the definitions of these and the role that we all play in our daily life. The ‘Some, Tonne, None’ exercise inspired some deeper thinking about the distribution of the World’s resources. We were delighted to welcome Khalil who shared his family’s life story from leaving Afghanistan and arriving in the UK. He gifted the children with a small handmade shoe which has attached a helpful reminder of walking a mile in someone else’s shoes.  

Their saying: Empathy plus Action equals Compassion was discussed and from this the children created a Wall of Empathy, exploring the importance of empathy and how we can each develop this further into action with a focus on what we can do for others. During ‘Compassion Truth and Dare’ teachers and volunteer children answered questions related to Compassion. Stories about inspiring family role models; teachers who showed particular care; reflections on being more compassionate to new people; and appreciating thoughtful gestures were shared by those who faced questions in the ‘hot seat’! The Compassion Dares were accepted with litter picking, volunteering, charity work and reaching out to someone you haven’t spoken to for a long time.  

On Friday, St Michael’s teachers continued the induction programme with activities inspired around the themes of Arrival, Identity and Empathy. An Art piece is being planned and created using the everyday item, a wooden spoon, as the medium for creating an individualised piece that represents themselves. Mr Pears explored further the story of Khalil and his family as they made the difficult transition from Afghanistan to begin a new life in the UK, helping the children to understand the desperate plight that many face around the world and why some may be forced to seek refuge away from their homeland.  

On Monday, during Mrs Baisch’s afternoon club, Hearts and Crafts, the pupils spent some time supporting Empathy Action’s work by attaching tags to the gift bags that the charity give out. This is a job that Empathy Action’s volunteers would normally have to carry out and our children have saved them some time by helping out!  

Our children finished these sessions with the challenge to look for further opportunities to turn their empathy into action with acts of compassion for those around them. Empathy Action seeks to cultivate a sense of global citizenship and responsibility, advocating for a world where no one is left behind. This is something we all believe passionately in. We hope that our induction programme will have given our Seniors a positive start and that as a group they will embrace the values and act on the ideas they encountered last week.  

Mrs Clarke, Deputy Head (Academic)

Back to school!

The drizzly weather didn’t dampen our back to school spirits on the first day of the Michaelmas Term!

It was wonderful to see so many smiley faces as everyone returned to St Michael's excited to reunite with friends and get stuck into a year of fun and learning.

A special welcome to our new pupils who we look forward to seeing thrive with us throughout their time here. 

Pizza, hot chocolate and memories to cherish at Year 7 Camp Out

The traditional first-week Year 7 Camp Out took place on Friday. Although we did not enjoy the heatwave temperatures of last year, the rain did not dampen our spirits! 

This was a great opportunity to get to know each other again after a long summer. Luckily it was dry enough to play some football on the lower pitches whilst the hard work of erecting the tents was left to parents! We enjoyed lots of pizza, fizzy drinks and snacks after walking to the top of the Warren.

With the onset of darkness, comes the best part of the evening. Our Year 7s were keen to share gossip and past stories from St Michael’s with our new Gap Students over a cup of hot chocolate and yet more sweets. Then, Man Hunt in the dark until lights out. Luckily, no one actually saw the Otford Panther lurking in the woods. I have to say I was very impressed this year with how quickly everyone fell silent. It meant I could get some well-needed rest after the first week back at school!

A great start to being in the senior part of the school. Year 7, it was a pleasure being in your company throughout the evening. Many thanks to the Head and Deputy Head Girls and Boys for joining us and helping out as well as Mrs Dodd, Mrs de Belder and Mr Scott - and especially to Miss Jackson for camping overnight. 

Mrs Shield, Head of Years 7 and 8

Year 2 animal experience

As part of our topic on Amazing Animals, Year 2 had a visit from The Animal Experience on Wednesday. From giant millipedes to meerkats and everything in between, the children learnt some fascinating facts and then got to hold the animals if they wanted to. It was a fantastic experience and one the children are bound to remember for years to come. 

Ms Salmon, Head of Years 1 and 2 

St Michael's Scarecrow promotes British Farming Day

St Michael's Catering Team led by company Accent Catering recently collaborated with the National Farmers' Union to highlight the origins of our food through a ‘Back British Farming Day’ celebration which took place on Wednesday 11th September.

The Catering Team was tasked to commemorate the occasion by decorating the Dining Room with a range of fruit and vegetable displays, crafting the ambience of a farmyard market stall featuring all the fresh produce available to the St Michael's community. They utilised a scarecrow as the focal point of the project, adding a touch of autumn to the St Michael’s dining area.

Behind the scenes

Our incredible Estates Team including Mr Smith, Mr Hooper, Mr Gadd, Mr Thorpe and Mr Robertson have been hard at work throughout the summer holidays to prepare (and in many cases, transform!) our school grounds ready for the academic year ahead.

Some of the many projects that the team have completed include: 

• Resurfacing of the main school driveway
• Redecorating classrooms
• Upgrading classrooms to include new storage
• Upgrading toilets, changing rooms and shower rooms
• Upgrading the Prep Dining Room
• Installing a new dishwasher in the Prep Kitchen
• Refurbishing the girls' toilets in Prep
• Installing a toilet block next to the Astro turf
• Extending the Sports Office
• Painting and laying new flooring in the Prep Sports Hall?

We would also like to mention the work of teaching staff for their creativity and hard work in preparing learning environments for the children. The Pre-School, for example, spent the summer and INSET days creating a new space for the children using more natural base colours as well as adding provocations and features to create a calm atmosphere.

Trinity Term Music Exam Results

We are delighted to share our most recent set of exam results from music exams taken in the Trinity Term. Certificates will be presented in a forthcoming assembly where the children’s achievements will be celebrated and they will be congratulated for all of their hard work and practice leading up to these exams.

LAMDA results

We are delighted to share the below set of LAMDA results. Congratulations to all of the pupils who took part and achieved a brilliant set of results; they should be extremely proud of themselves!

There’s been lots of excitement and chatter in both the Breakfast Club and The Hive this week as the children warmly welcomed each other back from the Summer Holidays.

The Breakfast Club have enjoyed playing the game Magnetic, while in The Hive children have picked, cooked and sampled some of our own runner beans which we planted last term.

Recruiting riders to represent St Michael's

Are there any keen riders in Prep who would like to represent St Michael's at the NSEA (National Schools Equestrian Association)?

We are hoping to put a team together again this year: it’s a lovely way to meet like minded friends in different year groups.

Competitions are show jumping from 40cm through to 95cm, dressage or combined training. Competitions are held during weekends and holidays so no time off school is required. You will need your own pony.  

The NSEA is the recognised body for equestrianism in schools throughout the UK, providing inter-schools competitions for teams and individual riders. Their aim is to promote and encourage the participation in and recognition of equestrian sport within schools in Great Britain.  

Please contact Flossy Digweed for more information on 07881 931165.

Please click here to view the NSEA's website

St Michael's Umbrellas

Week commencing 9th September 2024

Hot off the press

Did you spot St Michael's in the local press during the summer?

Luke sprints to athletics bronze

Congratulations to Luke S who received a bronze medal in his Athletics Club Championships. Luke secured second place in his heat and a bronze overall in the 100m sprint race. Well done, Luke! 

Please click the above banner for information about upcoming open events and admission dates for:

Benenden School 

Bennett Memorial Diocesan School

Box Hill School

Claremont Senior School

Cobham Hall School

Cranbrook School

The King's School Canterbury

The King's School Rochester

Lancing College

Oxford International College

Roedean School

State Secondary School Open Events

Sutton Valence School

Tonbridge School

Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for Girls 

Walthamstow Hall

Wrotham School

Please click the above banner for notices including:

Mrs Grayland's Half Term Netball Camp

Follow us on social media!

Make sure you are following St Michael’s social media channels for important updates and content throughout the year.