Friday 20th September 2024 

From the Head of Pre-Prep

Thank you for coming to the Coffee Mornings this week. We have had one every morning and I look forward to meeting Kindergarten parents on Monday at 8.45am in the Pre-Prep Dining Room.

Next week we have a workshop for Reception parents to find out how we teach your children phonics. This will be in the Pre-Prep Dining Room on Wednesday 25^th September from 8.45am until 9.30am. On Thursday there will be a Year 1 English Workshop for parents in the Pre-Prep Dining Room at 8.45am.

Next week the whole school will be celebrating European Day of Languages. If your child would like to bring something in from another country that they are familiar with, they are welcome to share this with their class.

We have the school photographer in on Friday 27^th September so please send your children in on that day wearing their winter uniform with their blazer. Boys are welcome to wear either shorts or long trousers. Reception will not need their PE kit on Friday. 1FG and RB will need their clothes for Forest School packed in their Forest School bag ready to change into after their photographs.

Our Harvest Festival will be on the Friday 4^th October. Please see the list of food and toiletries later in this newsletter that the foodbank are particularly short of this year. Please send your donations in from Monday 30^th September.

On Tuesday I went to a safeguarding conference and there was quite a lot of talk around the “Smart-phone free childhood” movement. I have managed to pass this on to a few parents, but I do urge you have a look at this in your year groups with a view to a parent agreement not to give your children a smart phone too early in their childhood.

Overheard in Pre-Prep:

Child 1: "That man is called Richard."

Child 2: "That must mean he's very rich!"

Have a lovely weekend,

Zerrin Leech

European Day of Languages - Thursday 26th September 2024

Pre-Prep and Prep will be celebrating European Day of Languages on Thursday 26th September. We are inviting the children to wear an accessory representing a different country, such as a flag, flag sticker/drawing, scarf or ribbon. Please note that children should still wear normal school uniform. The wearing of an accessory is optional but we would love to see everyone celebrating.

During the school day, children will attend an assembly run by our International Club where they will be given the chance to discover some of the 6000+ languages spoken around the World. Teachers will try their best to greet children in a different language and our Catering Team will cook an international meal. There will also be a surprise video!

We look forward to having some multilingual fun.

Kind regards,

Madame Poracchia

Head of Languages

Get ready for....

School Photographs - Friday 27th September 2024

The school photographer, Gilman & Soame, will be visiting the school on Friday 27^th September 2024.

They will be taking individual photographs and form class photographs. In addition to this, they will also be taking sibling group photographs for children that are current St Michael’s pupils. 

We have previously invited all family groups to attend the Pre-Prep Hall at 8am for these to be taken, but this year we are changing the procedure. 

All families will receive an email giving them specific instructions on what they, as a family, are to do with regard to sibling group photographs, but below is the overview. 

• If all siblings are in Pre-Prep – drop off as normal. Sibling photographs will be taken mid-morning.
• If siblings are split between Pre-Prep and Prep – attend the Pre-Prep Hall at 8am for sibling photographs. 
• If all siblings are in Prep – drop off as normal. Sibling photographs will be taken at morning break.

The sibling group photographs are optional and your children do not need to sit for them. It would be helpful to let us know that you would prefer not to have a sibling photo taken and we would then not collect the siblings from different areas. Please email the office: office@stmichaels.kent.sch.uk to let them know if you do not wish for the sibling photo to be taken. Having this information in advance would help the logistics of the day enormously. Please avoid just telling your children that your choice is no sibling photo as this will add confusion as, occasionally, we find children don’t always have all the information/ get verbal instructions wrong and we would then need to contact you to confirm.

Fraser Wiseman, Deputy Head (Pastoral)

Harvest Festival donations

St Michael's will be celebrating Harvest Festival with a collection of food and hygiene products to support local families in collaboration with the Trussell Trust foodbank again this year. We invite St Michael's families to donate to this cause; please find details below of the different collection arrangements for Pre-Prep and Prep.

Pre-Prep Harvest donations

Pre-Prep children are invited to bring in donations to our Harvest collection the week commencing Monday 30^th September. Please bring your donations to the Pre-Prep Office. 

Prep Harvest donations

Prep will be celebrating Harvest on Friday 4^th October. Due to storage challenges in Prep, we are asking that all produce and products be brought in at drop-off only on the day of the Harvest Festival itself Friday 4^th October. Please do not send anything in before this.

We look forward to supporting this very important cause together as a school community. Thank you in advance for your generosity. 

A Message from the School Nurse

If your child needs medication in school please complete a Medication Permission form which can be found here and bring the medication to the appropriate School Office. Please do not give any medication to your child to bring into school. 

Please also note the exclusion periods for different illnesses listed in the Parents' Handbooks which can be found here. If your child has a temperature they must not be sent back to school until they are 24 hours' fever free without the need for medication. Any child with vomiting or diarrhoea must be kept home for 48 hours after the last bout. This is to protect vulnerable pupils and staff as well as limiting the spread of illness in school as much as possible.

Abby Carlton, School Nurse

ISFA U11 boys Kent 7-a-side Tournament

The football season has kicked off with a bang and the St Michael’s boys have dived head first into both lessons and fixtures which has been fantastic to see. Last Friday, we sent a squad of nine U11 boys to the first big tournament of the season, the ISFA Kent 7-a-side tournament at Ardingly College.

The St Michael’s team found themselves in a challenging group of four teams and, unfortunately, lost their first game 2-0 to Lingfield College. However, the boys took this defeat in stride, showing great determination to focus and bond as a team. Their hard work paid off as they went on a winning streak. First, they triumphed over Ardingly College 3-0, with Silas C, Hugo M and William P scoring the goals. Next, they defeated Brighton College 2-0 with William P bagging both goals.

Finishing second in the group meant the boys advanced to the knockout stages where they faced Blackheath Prep in the round of 16. This was a nail-biter and the boys had to dig deep, supporting each other and working hard. Their efforts were rewarded with a last-minute goal by Silas C, clinching the game 1-0.

In the Quarter-Finals, St Michael’s were drawn against Croydon Prep. This was another tight game with few scoring opportunities. The boys battled hard, playing some flowing football, but sadly they lost 0-1.

Throughout the tournament, all of the boys worked incredibly hard, showing great maturity and growing both as individuals and as a team. We are extremely proud of them and they should be very proud of themselves too. Keep up the fantastic work, boys!

Team: Thomas G, Nik B, Adam J, Charlie M, William P, Hugo M and Ruaridh O

Steve Brightman, Director of Sport

U11 5-a-side A and B Football Tournament

Last Saturday, we hosted our annual U11 5-a-side A and B Football Tournament on the playing fields. We were joined by nine local prep schools and were blessed with glorious sunshine. The turnout was fantastic, with many people coming out to watch the matches and support the teams.

The teams were divided into two groups, with the top teams from each group advancing to either the cup or plate knockout stages. Both of the St Michael's teams finished second in their respective groups which earned them spots in the Semi-Finals against top teams from the other groups. Unfortunately, both teams narrowly lost their Semi-Final matches and did not progress to the Finals.

This year’s A team cup winners were Hilden Grange who secured their victory over Somerhill with a golden goal.

A big thank you to all of the parents and supporters who came out to cheer on the teams!

A Team: 

1. Thomas G
2. Nik B
3. Adam J
4. Charlie M
5. William P
6. Hugo M
7. Ruaridh O

B Team: 

1. Robert M
2. Silas C
3. Thomas D
4. Tristan H
5. Max H
6. Nathan H
7. George W

School Play Auditions

The Drama Room was buzzing this week and the air full of clipped, 1930’s British accents, as over 50 pupils from Years 5 to 8 auditioned for the next school play, My Family and Other Animals, the story of The Durrells, which will be performed in March 2025. It was fantastic to see so much enthusiasm, talent and excitement, and to witness the hard work gone into learning lines for the auditions.

The casting notice will be posted on the Drama Room door on Monday 23^rd September and those selected will be called for the first read-through on Thursday 26^th September from 4-6pm.

Need some reading inspiration?

A reminder that we have an account with 'Who Next?: A Guide to Children's Authors' which helps children read more widely by suggesting authors they might enjoy. You can search by author, book title, age group, theme and also by other options such as graphic novels and books published by specialist dyslexia publisher Barrington Stoke. You can access the school's 'Who Next?' account by clicking directly on the link below:

http://www.whonextguide.com/access/StMichaelsPrepSchool?

Open Library on Wednesday afternoons

The Prep Library is open after school on Wednesdays between 4pm and 5pm. All Prep and Pre-Prep children are very welcome, although they must be accompanied by an adult. Please come along to sign out and return library books, use reference books to complete homework tasks or take part in different weekly activities such as word searches, colouring and book treasure hunts. Tea, coffee, water/squash and cake are also on offer.

There is no need to book in advance and you are welcome to drop by at any time or stay for the full hour. Please enter through the front door of the Prep building which will be unlocked. There is no need to sign in at Reception.

The Library is also open to the children every break and lunch time during the school day. Children are allowed take out up to three library books for three weeks at a time.

Happy reading!

Mrs Andrade, Head of English, and Mrs Citron, Librarian

In the Breakfast Club this week the children have had fun making tasty chocolate cornflake treats. Meanwhile in The Hive, we’ve been busy chopping and blending lots of tomatoes to make scrumptious tomato soup.  

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

Please view the below poster for details of how to purchase St Michael's umbrellas.

Week commencing 16th September 2024

Leo secures spot in Glyndebourne's Youth Opera Chorus 

Following auditions in the summer, Leo in Year 6 is very excited to have been chosen to perform as part of Glyndebourne’s Youth Opera Chorus at the 2024 Christmas Concerts.  There are five concerts in December and Leo starts an intensive rehearsal schedule in early November.  The Youth Chorus get the opportunity to sing alongside the Glyndebourne Chorus and the Glyndebourne Sinfonia performing favourite carols, orchestral showpieces and opera highlights.  Well done Leo! 

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

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

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