St Edward's Newsletter July 2017

Dear Parents,

As we look back on another fantastic year at St Edward's Prep, we have much to celebrate. Our STEAMED initiatives have continued to go from strength to strength offering our boys some fantastic opportunities. To mention just a few activities, we have learnt how to fly in a real plane simulator, visited the Science Museum and the Berkshire Museum of Aviation, investigated virtual reality, had fun learning about outer space and watched the life-cycle literally come alive by hatching our own chicks!

We opened our new library, full of amazing books for boys, and enjoyed a hilariously interactive visit from author and illustrator Korky Paul. The Year 6 boys achieved scores to make the school proud in the regional Maths Challenge and won the Oratory School's debating competition. In the first year of the Wishford Enterprise Award, one Year 6 group, Taste of Spice, came first from across the six Wishford schools, for creatively integrating their Computer Science skills into their business plan and returning the highest profit.

Our new sporting facilities at Sulhamstead Cricket Club for field sports and The Oratory Senior School for swimming, demonstrate the school's commitment to improving an important part of our curriculum. Under the new leadership of Director of Sport, Nick Bovingdon, we are excited to be offering our boys ever better sporting opportunities.

This year we have extended our support to working parents by offering year round care (well, almost at 50 weeks!), because we understand how important it is to have qualified staff looking after your children in a safe environment where they have fun learning. Our new Pre-Reception Class launch in January has built its capacity through the year to the point of being full this term. This is a great success and a hugely positive addition to the St Edward's family.

This year has seen a new PTA committee come together to build on past success. We thank them all for their hard work and look forward to the fun and inventive ideas they have for the next academic year.

In the words of Head Boy Gaurav Bains, "I would just like to finish by saying that St Edward's has been a wonderful time for me. It's been filled with fun and happy times and I hope that nothing will change too much in the future because the school is already perfect just the way it is." I can assure you all that St Edward's Prep will remain a fun and happy place to be, where we support and challenge boys to get stuck in, take risks and fulfil their potential.

Stuart Morgan-Nash

St Patrick's House victors of Sports Day

SPORTS DAY

St Edward’s annual Sports Day took place on the hottest day of the year, and the whole school arrived at Palmer Park ready to show off their sporting talents. Everyone took part with great sportsmanship, and helped contribute points for their House, and winners of the House Cup this year were St Patrick’s!

At St Edward’s we celebrate the success of every boy, whatever their placing. Sports Day is an occasion where some boys will shine, and we heartily congratulate their wins. For some, it will have taken real courage to compete alongside the ‘sporty boys’ and in front of a large crowd. Well done to all the boys. They tried hard and should be proud of all that they achieved. Most important of all, they had fun!

Thank you to the wonderfully supportive parents and family members, who cheered and encouraged every child, and big thanks to everyone who helped with the running of such a happy and successful day.

PRE-PREP ASSEMBLY

All of the boys from Pre-Reception to Year 2 took part in their Celebration Assebmly. They told the story of the Billy Goats Gruff grandchildren relating it to the Step Up Day they had taken part in earlier in the week. Moving classes is not only an end but the beginning of something new. Good things are waiting for us just around the corner!

The Year 6 boys really enjoyed the Wishford Weekend!

WISHFORD WEEKEND

The Wishford weekend gave Year 6 the chance to meet and socialise with pupils from the six other Wishford Schools. The boys camped for two nights in the beautiful grounds of Hatherop Castle School accompanied by their tutor Mr Parsons, Dr Cane-Honeysett and Miss Elwood. Hatherop put on an action packed program including a dance competition, mini-olympic event, a climbing wall, school fete, team games, tennis, movie night and camp fire songs.

One of the highlights of the weekend was the announcement of the Wishford Enterprise award, for which the boys had submitted their business proposals and profits, earlier in the term. Dragon's Den contestant, and now millionaire, Jordan Daykin was there to announce the winner. Two St Edward's teams placed in the top 3 with Taste of Spice winning the competition for St Edward's.

The boys represented the school excellently and had a great final night at the school disco which was finished off with all the schools dancing in one final dance together. It was an awesome weekend with pupils saying it should be a "Wishford Week not a weekend!" and another saying "It was the most fun I have ever had!"

Heatree Residential

HEATREE RESIDENTIAL

Kicking off with Orienteering the boys quickly got to know the lay of the land and with a few sneaky tricks (yes, we know you covered that marker Mr Bovingdon’s group) the teams worked well together strategising and developing a few novel ways of finding the different signs. Supper was around the campfire and, being in the great outdoors, ensured that not hunger but fresh air was the best sauce. The surrounding woods, with streams, ‘quick-mud’; mossy boulders; dappled light; Tarzan swings and sticks which became staffs and wands, provided endless inspirations for fantasy games. Building strong and stable rafts, the boys proved themselves as brilliant future engineers. Smelly water and stringy algae (lots of it) did not deter them from Water Wars or the Great Belly Flop Off courtesy of Year 5’s Isaac and Tom. Fears were conquered with the help of plenty of teamwork and encouragement on the high ropes course and abseiling from the tallest of towers saw the boys’ sense of daring growing and growing.

It was Kurt Hahn, a key figure in the development of experiential education, who said, “There is more in you than you think” and our Heatree adventures proved this time and time again. The boys, although tired when they returned, were all walking ten feet tall because of the many challenges they had conquered. Reaching the top of the climbing wall; swinging from the high ropes; building and balancing on a raft; Orienteering; bravely abseiling from a very tall tower and further adventures in the woods, saw each and every boy realising that they are so much more than they thought.

Simply put, it was awesome.

The Living Rainforest

THE LIVING RAINFOREST

On the hottest June day in 40 years, Year 1 visited the Living Rainforest as part of our summer term humanities topic work. Without leaving the country we were able to explore the rainforest and discover its wonders in full tropical heat. The Living Rainforest is home to 700 species of plants and animals. In its tropical glasshouses we enjoyed looking out for free roaming lizards, birds and butterflies never knowing where they would appear next! Plus monkeys, a sloth, an armadillo, toucans, and more.

We benefitted from an ‘Edible Rainforest’ tour, with an exceptional guide, who was full of child friendly facts and fact teasers for the teachers. Did you know the resting heartbeat of a crocodile is two beats per minute? The boys found out that all living things need food to survive, and the diets of rainforest animals, including examples of herbivores, omnivores and carnivores. The boys discovered some of the foods we eat originate in the rainforest. These included foods they might find on the supermarket shelves in the UK as well as the diet of indigenous people including bananas, coffee, cocoa, ginger, vanilla and plants that give us life-enhancing medicines, cosmetics and building materials. We learnt that the cocoa plant was first used as a medicine rather than to make chocolate and that Brazil nuts grow in two sets of twelve within each case. A fabulous day!

KIRSTIN SILCOCK

Length of service in today’s society can sometimes be a rarity, and we said goodbye earlier this term to Kirstin Silcock who has retired due to ill health. She served the school in a variety of different roles throughout her 12 years at St Edward’s and she leaves a large gap in the school. It was a real pleasure to see so many attend our assembly for her last month and we know she too was very touched by your support.

So many people wanted to be a part of this special afternoon

WHOLE SCHOOL PICNIC

Despite a dubious looking sky at the start of the day, the sun began to peep through the clouds and we ended up having 3 beautiful hours in the sunshine at Basildon Hall. Although still too wet on the ground to eat outside the boys enjoyed playing football and cricket on the large playing fields. Different play equipment and climbing frames kept the boys entertained and happy.

We were very lucky to be joined by lots of parents (great that so many dads could join us this year too!) who enjoyed spending special time with their sons and also gave them a relaxed and informal opportunity to catch up with pre Prep staff. Furthermore it was a lovely opportunity for boys joining us next academic year to join in the fun and meet their new teachers and soon to be friends!

An extra special moment at the picnic this year was surprising Miss Cullum with a beautifully decorated biscuit mountain to share with everybody as we helped celebrate her imminent wedding. A huge thank you to Mrs Garlick for organising this and for the many hours she spent icing the delicious biscuits.

Mrs Andrew's Great Big Summer Reading List

GREAT BIG SUMMER READING LIST

Need some ideas for how to keep the boys happy over the summer holidays? Check out Mrs Andrew's Great Big Summer Reading List. A whole new world of adventure awaits! http://bit.ly/2rzfC05

Happy faces at the Summer Fete!

PTA SUMMER FETE

What a happy day we had at the fete! The children relished the challenge of the circus workshop and had a go at juggling, plate spinning and mini balance cycles whilst some of the parents were brave enough to try out the unicycle, with varying levels of success!

The face painting, stalls and games were a huge hit as always and the silent auction was a great success. The food stalls were absolutely amazing with BBQ, Indian and African options.

It's events like this where we really feel the warmth of the St Edward's 'family'. Happy faces everywhere! Enormous thanks to our fabulous PTA who worked so hard to give us another great fete to enjoy.

Year 3 and 4 production of Fantastic Mr Fox

FANTASTIC MR FOX

Coming together to perform Fantastic Mr Fox, the Year 3 and 4 boys entertained us with this wonderful version Roald Dahl's famous story. Three mean local farmers – Boggis, Bunce and Bean (one fat, one short, one lean) – make it nearly impossible for Mr. Fox to steal enough chickens or geese to support his wife and their young fox cubs. Not one to die of starvation, sly Mr. Fox hatches a plan that will not only get them food, but give those horrible farmers a taste of their own medicine! Now, all they’ve got to do is start digging …

The plan goes off without a hitch. Almost too well, in fact. Determined to get rid of Mr. Fox, the three farmers decide to take action. They plan different ways to trap and kill Mr. Fox, but fail miserably each and every time. Then they come up with their best plan yet: they decided to dig into Mr. Fox’s home. Now Mr. Fox needs to think up a solution to this problem, or else his entire family, and all the other animals who live in his underground neighbourhood, will be in big trouble!

Marvellous acting, colourful costumes and face paints, as well as dancing chickens and a glorious twist at the end made this a show to remember for boys and parents alike.

2016/17 Head Boys at Speech Day

The Prize Table

Pre-Prep Boys at Speech Day

Prep Boys at Speech Day

SPEECH DAY

It's always such a pleasure to celebrate the achievements of our boys and this year was no exception with prizes given to boys right across the school. We said fond farewells to staff leaving us, warm welcomes to staff joining us, and thanked everyone working within the St Edward's team for their continued hard work and high standards. We congratulated the boys on their excellent progress and wished our Year 6 boys well as they leave us for exciting new school adventures. Thank you to all the parents who joined us for this happy celebration.

PRIZE WINNERS

From everyone at St Edward's Prep, we hope you all have a very happy summer. We look forward to seeing the boys back and fully refreshed in September, ready for another exciting year!

Happy Holidays!

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