Friday 26th April 2024

From the Head

Dear Parents,

Our week has been filled with immersive learning opportunities as French Day, Earth Day, Maths Challenges and a lamb experience have brought joy and adventure to every corner of St Michael's. 

On Monday Kindergarten explored all things global as blue and green paint together with exciting play activities introduced the children to the meaning of Earth Day. 

Our World focus continued into Tuesday as pupils and staff across the school celebrated French Day which coincided with St George's Day this year. We began the day with a special assembly to mark St George’s Day in Prep led by Mrs Shield. French cultural delights in all forms were also enjoyed, from accordion playing to themed lessons and of course, an amazing French lunch prepared by our talented Catering Team. Merci to the Languages Department for hosting another unforgettable French Day which is a true celebration of their passion for the subject and dedication to your children's language learning. 

Maths was the theme of Wednesday as Year 2 joined Year 3 in the Prep building for a morning of exciting maths challenges as part of their transition programme. Thank you to the Year 2, Year 3 and Maths Teams for organising an engaging carousel of maths activities which kept the children entertained (and competitive) throughout the event! It was also fantastic to see many children signing up for the first of our Prep Maths Countdown Competitions this afternoon. 

Pre-School were delighted to welcome Farmer Robbie from Wilkins Farm on Wednesday along with his four adorable three week old lambs. The smiles on the children's, and staff's, faces as they watched the lambs play with each other, were beaming. 

We have ended the week with an Open Morning which we were delighted to welcome so many families to. Your children were the perfect ambassadors for St Michael's and showed so much pride in their school and the community that we have here. 

Wishing you a brilliant weekend,

Nik Pears

From the Head of Pre-Prep

Dear Parents,

Despite the cold we have had a lot of fun in Pre-Prep this week. Nursery and Kindergarten had a visit from some lambs and tested out some new bikes that can transform into scooters!

French Day on Tuesday was a riot of red, white and blue. The singing of Frère Jacques in two parts was the best I have heard. Snail tasting was very popular and the baguettes with ham and cheese at playtime were very welcome. A huge thank you to Madame Buttery who masterminded the day including organising the competitions and taking assembly.

Year 2 loved joining Year 3 on Wednesday for a Maths Challenge morning and staying at Prep for lunch. 

This morning we showed lots of prospective parents around St Michael’s for Open Morning. I am sure they all experienced the things that also drew you to the school, for themselves.

Next week we will have some marketing photos taken on Monday. You will have been contacted if we need your child to bring in particular kit such as a ballet outfit.

On Wednesday, Year 2 will be heading to Chatham Dockyard for the day as part of their oceans and seas topic. We are always mindful of coaches holding up traffic in Pilgrims Way; as usual this one should be on site at about 7.30am. Returning to site at about 3pm may be a little more difficult as we also have some Prep Sports fixtures going on. Please allow yourself a little more time to collect from school. Don’t worry if you are stuck in traffic, you won’t be the only parent!

Parents of Year 2 children will be welcome to join Mr Davies and me for a talk about going to Stubbers. This will be on Thursday 2^nd May at 8.45am. Coffee will be available in the Dining Room from 8.30am. Please don’t feel you have to attend if you have been before and are reassured about the two-day trip.

Overheard in Pre-Prep:

Teacher: "Does anyone know what 'Comment t'appelles-tu?' means?"

Child: "Will you marry me?"

Have a lovely weekend,

Zerrin Leech

We are looking forward to welcoming the following individual to St Michael's next week:

Bingham Henderson

Prep Teaching Assistant/ Learning Support Assistant 

Bingham has worked in education in London for 20 years in various teaching roles as well as supporting student wellbeing. 

She is married and has three children. Teaching is Bingham’s passion; at other times you will find her having fun with her family, running in the woods with her dog or playing her cello. 

She is excited to be joining the Learning Development Team and becoming part of St Michael's. 

St Michael’s Adults’ Couch to 5k Running Club

Keen to start running but struggling to find the motivation? Looking for a way to keep fit over summer?

St Michael’s Adults’ Couch to 5k Running Club is the perfect opportunity for beginners to build up their running strength and stamina in a supportive and inclusive environment.

The Running Club will meet every Tuesday and Thursday morning (7.15am to 7.45am) for 10 weeks on St Michael’s bottom pitch, concluding with Tonbridge parkrun on Saturday 6^th July 2024. The first sessions are on Tuesday 30^th April and Thursday 2^nd May 2024. Please park in the gravel car park next to the gate overlooking the Astro turf pitch and make your way to the Cricket Pavilion where the group with meet.

If you have any questions or would like to sign up, please contact Laura Andrade at landrade@stmichaels.kent.sch.uk. Please note, you must register your interest prior to the first session in order to complete a short questionnaire.

Please wear something that you can comfortably run in to the sessions including proper exercise trainers. Please also bring a water bottle.

Could you be a St Michael's beach hero?

Tennis at St Michael’s

St Michael’s is delighted to maintain its partnership with LoveSport Tennis Coaching this year. We are seeing more and more pupils wanting to learn and play tennis and the Trinity Term's Tuesday School of Sport tennis sessions have once again proved very popular. Lee Friend, a Level 3 LTA Coach, still has spaces available in our Saturday morning coaching sessions. Please refer to the LoveSport flyer below for Lee’s contact details.

The mental and physical advantages of tennis for children are profound. It's an exceptional sport that encourages camaraderie among friends and family. Beyond being incredibly enjoyable, it offers remarkable health benefits that extend into adulthood. In addition to its physical advantages, tennis provides children with a workout that enhances memory, learning, social skills and behaviour. Moreover, it fosters various transferable physical skills such as coordination, flexibility and balance.

Mr Brightman, Director of Sport

Better Body Group partnership 

Dear Parents,

The St Michael’s PE Team continues to explore new ideas to promote sports and activity for all of our pupils. Recently, we have engaged in discussions with the Better Body Group in Sevenoaks regarding an opportunity to provide our pupils with access to their Young Athlete Development Program. As a result of these discussions, we are excited to announce that our Years 7 and 8 Sports Scholars will be embarking on a ten-week programme aimed at educating young athletes on correct training techniques, while focusing on developing strength, flexibility and mobility to support overall sports development. These sessions will be led by experienced Better Body specialised strength, conditioning and exercise coaches.

Furthermore, the Better Body Group would like to extend an offer to all St Michael’s Prep School pupils (please note this is applicable for Year 3 and above) for a free 30-minute 'Kids Personal Training Session'. Please refer to the below flyer for contact details.

We sincerely appreciate all your support.

Best regards,

St Michael’s PE Team

All things français for French Day!

French Day, c’était super! We had another fun and successful French Day! 

It was a chance to fire up our pupils’ passion for language learning and their curiosity about all things French and the Entente Cordiale. From Pre-Prep all the way to Prep, the children were dressed in bleu, blanc et rouge and so was the school!

Everyone had the opportunity to explore new aspects of French culture by listening to an accordion concert, dressing up like a French person and having their picture taken at the photo booth. We also discovered some delights of French cuisine with boeuf bourguignon, baguette, saucisson and profiteroles, speaking French and playing games with Year 8 as well as attending Mme Buttery’s amazing assembly about the Paris Olympics in Pre-Prep, listening to a French prayer during Chapel, visiting our grenadine bar run by our Year 7 pupils in Prep and much more. Teachers across the school added a French touch to their lessons, Merci! As you can see, it was a very busy day.

It was also a chance to admire the beautiful menus designed by Year 2 showcased around the Dining Rooms and to celebrate the winners of our French Bunting Competition. The quality and creativity of the entries was incredible! Please find photos and results below.

A l’année prochaine (Let’s do it again next year). 

The Languages Department 

Pre-Prep Bunting Competition Winner:

Ilse A, Year 2

Pre-Prep Menu Competition Winners:

Prep Bunting Competition Joint Winners:

Sofia F, Year 3

Peter S, Year 4

Runners-up: Theia H (Years 3 to 5 category) and Amelia A (Years 6 to 8 category)

French Day highlights video:

St Michael's hit the slopes!

This year's Family Ski Trip was an extraordinary journey with 125 of us flying from Gatwick to Chambéry in the French Alps before making a short transfer to Les Menuires. The trip was a phenomenal success, selling out within hours of its release. With 85% of families returning from last year's trip, anticipation was high for the week ahead.

Upon arrival, Hotel Piolet greeted us with warm French hospitality, setting the tone for the week ahead. After a swift ski fitting, we were ready to hit the slopes on Sunday. 

On Sunday, the children were split into seven groups, with instructors meeting us outside the hotel to kick off the day's adventures. Parents formed their own groups, while the youngest children enjoyed the hotel crèche. Lunchtime brought everyone back together for a well-deserved meal.

In the afternoons, skiing continued with parents joining the children for some post-ski refreshments and snowball fights at the main resort. Evening activities included visits to the 'fun park', movie nights, talent shows and awards night; ensuring fun for all.

Despite a few surprises, the trip ran smoothly, leaving us with cherished memories. Plans for next year's trip are already underway and details will be released in the coming weeks, promising another exciting adventure in the mountains.

Mr Thomas, Head of Boys' Games

Family Ski Trip highlights video:

Lambs visit Pre-School!

Four beautiful lambs surprised Nursery and Kindergarten on Wednesday morning as Farmer Robbie from Wilkins Farm visited St Michael's with his 3 week old animals. 

Joy and excitement beamed from the children as they watched the lambs walk around their trailer and interact with each other. 

During his visit, Farmer Robbie also answered Pre-School's questions about his lambs and farm, teaching them about the animals' diet, how many sheep dogs he has and that the lambs can sometimes be cheeky!

An amazing experience enjoyed by all!

Lamb experience highlights video:

Times Tables Rock Stars!

Thank you to the 268 pupils who participated in the Times Tables Rockstars Battle of the Bands over the Easter Break!

Mrs de Belder would like to congradulate the top ten rock stars for this competition.

Look out for the next one over the May half term break!

Kindergarten discover Earth Day!

Kindergarten celebrated Earth Day on Monday and joined in with lots of activities to help them understand how we can look after our planet. They sorted items of recycling into paper, plastic and metal categories as well as creating Earths of their own using cotton wool balls with green and blue paint.  

Mrs Dodson, Deputy Pre-School Manager

This week in The Hive we’ve enjoyed making seahorses, angler fish and jellyfish from paper plates. Meanwhile in the Breakfast Club, table foosball and card games have been a firm favourite.

Zohan A for his super monkey facts booklet

Daniel A for a lovely and informative holiday diary

Rihaan S for trying hard with his reading and beginning to make good progress

Peter C for a great Bog Baby story map and super independent writing

Harry W for fabulous writing with enthusiasm about the day the Bog Baby came to school

Caspar H for a wonderful story map and beautiful, independent writing

Jasper D for using his fantastic imagination when writing his own Bog Baby story 

Phoebe D for super work in Maths this week, especially with measuring capacity and mass

Iona H for lovely use of expanded noun phrases in your work describing Traction Man in our English lesson

Grace F for making excellent cross-curricular links when reading

Ivan K for making good choices and always being ready to learn

Martha S for excellent focus and thinking in our Maths lessons

Charlie C for carefully using all four operations to solve problems involving mass in Maths

Zara Autumn H for a beautifully drawn and painted underwater picture

Mason T for excellent effort and improved focus

Billy C for fantastic effort in his reading

House Point Certificates 

Leeds: Reis N and Eliza C

Rochester: River R and Eren E

Times Tables Certificates 

Bronze Times Tables Certificate: Ella M; Willow C; Evelyn T; Reis N and Benji A

Silver Times Tables Certificate: Frank P

Players of the Match – week commencing 22^nd April

Hockey cup hat-trick for Adam and Hugo!

Congratulations to Adam J and Hugo M in Year 5 whose team were crowned the winners of the South East Regional Hockey Cup last weekend!

Hosted at Christ's Hospital School, the boys played as part of the Sevenoaks Hockey Club U10 boys' team in the Area Finals against Guildford, Old Georgians, Lewes, East Grinstead and Canterbury clubs. 

There was tough competition from five strong teams across Kent, Sussex and Surrey with Sevenoaks topping the table and making it through to the Final. 

The Final ended in a draw followed by nail-biting, sudden death penalty shots which Sevenoaks won!  

A fantastic end to a very successful season for the boys' team winning the Canterbury Cup, Kent Cup and the South East Regional Cup.

Well done Adam and Hugo and good luck for the 2024/25 season!

St Michael's Coffee Cart launch -

Friday 3rd May 2024

The St Michael’s Coffee Cart will launch next Friday 3rd May 2024 from 7.30am. Stop by and enjoy a well-deserved coffee during drop-off and a treat from Eat 'n' Mess. The cart will be located near the Pre-Prep building. 

P & F Ball Auction 2024

In May, the St Michael's P&F Carnival Ball auction will raise money for three important causes. The auction will support the P&F's two chosen charities Friends for Families and the Emily Ash Trust. It will also raise funds for an exciting plan to install new play equipment in the school playground. There will be an online and a live event auction.

Please have a think if there is anything you could donate to make this auction a success. We are relying on the generosity of the St Michael's community. Prizes aimed at an experience of a child could do particularly well. Perhaps your network includes a successful sportsperson, author, musician or politician who could offer an experience or a lunch meeting? Perhaps you have a holiday home you could offer for a long weekend? Or tickets to a sporting, theatrical or musical event? We are looking for a range of auction lots, including smaller items for the online auction. 

If you have any ideas or would like to discuss further a possible donation, please drop the P&F a note on stmcharities@yahoo.com.

St Michael's Umbrellas

Please click the above banner for notices including:

Midsummer at Archbishop's Palace, Otford

Girls' Cricket at Holmesdale 

Dulwich Cranbrook Triathlon 

How to spot an Asian Hornet 

Sevenoaks Vine Cricket Club

Charity performances at the Stag Theatre

Otford Spring Celebration

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