No April Fools to be seen

Despite it only being 2 school days since my last blog, there certainly is enough to report on. Even with the end of term weariness that makes getting out of bed that little bit tougher (and I am not just talking about the pupils!) we have managed to pack these days full of fun.

Serving others

Friday evening saw 15 Prep pupils take part in a charity Swimathon led by Mrs Ombok, Head of Year 6. Collectively the pupils swam 600 lengths, that is 40 lengths each. We are currently 10th on the UK Leaderboard for money raised for Cancer Research and Marie Curie. Perhaps with your help via the donation page we might even get a little higher.

Also as part of our ever growing programme of serving others, Heseltine House delivered a moving assembly on the idea of community. To turn this theory into practice they requested we bring in books we no longer read to be donated to a range of local charities and schools. The Brentwood Book Bus took shape and 752 books were gathered. These books will bring reading into many homes and schools and contribute to a greater hope of equity amongst children. Thank you Brentwood Prep families.

Our Eco Warriors presented in our Key Stage Two weekly meeting on their plight to find a more environmentally friendly way to have glue sticks in school. Glue sticks are a fairly unassuming item, synonymous with prep and primary schools. But, they present a number of environmental challenges. The Eco Warriors have been researching alternatives but none yet have proven satisfactory and so the next step is to liaise with the companies to see if they will work with us to make change happen.

Intellectual Pursuits

Monday saw two big academic moments with Year 5 taking part in a Shakespeare Workshop and Year 3s enjoying an Endangered Instrument Party complete with freestyling and solos.

The Shakespeare Workshop culminated in a performance of Midsummer Night’s Dream in front of all of Year 4, staff and Senior School Drama A Level students.The Year 5s delivered their lines with impressive confidence and subtlety. Mastering the Shakespearen comedic timing is no easy task.

The Year 3 Musicians also performed with confidence which is quite remarkable considering they all have only been learning these instruments for one term. Playing through the squeaks and off-tune notes but keeping their rhythm to carry the other players along with them they delivered a jazzy number. Parents joined us so that they too could witness their child’s delight at becoming part of something bigger through the magic of being in an ensemble.

Before we break for Easter, I was able to fit in one more Head of Prep Award. Leo P, in Year 4, showed great perseverance and a growing resilience in DT. He has also shown determination in tackling challenges especially when a project doesn’t turn out exactly as he first envisioned. This is the reality of industries across the globe, our young people need to foster the ability to not see setbacks as failures, but as simply the next challenge to embrace. Leo refined and improved his project, rather than feeling the need to start over, allowing him to develop both his problem-solving skills and his creativity. As a result, he has produced a well-crafted, functional CAM mechanism that vividly depicts penguins in their natural habitat. His ability to adapt and enhance his work demonstrates real progress, and he should be proud of his achievement.

Have a lovely Easter break

Alice Goodfellow