Rock and Pop Concert. Continued County Success. More excellent swimming results. See Page 7

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1 Newsletter Issue February 2016 I n s i d e t h i s i s s u e : Rock and Pop Concert Year 7 at Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Revision Idea! A Week in the Life of a Millfield Prep Monitor Millfield Prep Open Day Year 3 Achievements and Pancake Day South African Exchange T-shirt Design Challenge Year 5 Similes A Shakespearean Mash-Up! Year 7 Production Rehearsals Millfield Prep Writer s Club Riders Parents Meeting EAL Pupil and Word of the Week This week s Picture of the Week is this sensitively painted oil painting by Elena L 7GHC Boarding Life 6 Sport News 7-9 Pre-Prep & Minis Toddler News Half Term Arrangements Friday 12 Sunday 21 February Boarders: Boarding pupils can be collected from houses at 3.45pm Day Pupils: Years 3, 4 & pm from Martins Lane Years 6, 7 & pm from Martins Lane If collecting more than one child please use the collection time for the eldest child. There will be no after school clubs, games or activities on Friday 12 February and no Saturday School. For coach travel, please contact: suzanneguidi@millfieldprep.com Diary Dates Friday 12 February Half term begins at 3.45pm Year 7 Parent/Teacher Meetings, Assembly Hall, pm Sunday 21 February Boarders return from 5.00pm onwards Monday 22 February Year 8 Academic Scholarship Exams and CCE/ACCE Trials Year 3 Quarry Trip, Glastonbury, 9.00am- 3.45pm Tuesday 23 February Year 8 Academic Scholarship Exams and CCE/ACCE Trials Wednesday 24 February Year 8 Academic Scholarship Exams and CCE/ACCE Trials Brass Ensemble Day with Onyx Brass, Millfield, 9.30am-3.30pm Friday 26 February Year 6 Parent/Teacher Meetings, Assembly Hall, pm Rock and Pop Concert Last Friday night brought back the eagerly awaited Rock and Pop concert. Weeks of preparation and hard work culminated in an exciting and polished performance from all the pupils involved. We heard a huge variety of songs, ranging from acoustic numbers such as Stay by Rhianna and Yours by Ella Henderson to the upbeat, electronic Sax by Fleur East. We were all so proud of the pupils ability to learn and choreograph their own songs, as well as being brave enough to stand on stage and commit to what they had rehearsed. Read more on Page 2 Continued County Success More excellent swimming results. See Page 7 Safer Internet Day On Tuesday 9 February, Year 6 joined in the buzz surrounding Safer Internet Day. They used the heart, a universal sign for love, to promote respect and kindness online. Each pupil filled a heart template with messages about what the internet means for them and how to treat others in the digital If you have any comments or suggestions, please contact the Editor: rachelhopping@millfieldprep.com or call

2 Millfield Prep Newsletter Issue February 2016 Page 2 Rock and Pop Concert Last Friday night brought back the eagerly awaited Rock and Pop concert. Weeks of preparation and hard work culminated in an exciting and polished performance from all the pupils involved. We heard a huge variety of songs, ranging from the acoustic numbers such as Stay by Rhianna and Yours by Ella Henderson to the upbeat, electronic Sax by Fleur East. We were all so proud of the pupils ability to learn and choreograph their own songs, as well as being brave enough to stand on stage and commit to what they had rehearsed. A huge well done to the following budding superstars you should all be very proud of yourselves: Jamie W, Clarissa J, Kyle D and Ciaran D, Amy B, Sam P and Annabel J, Ryan and Kyle G, Morgan Z, Caspian F, Barney F and Ollie W, Lucy R, Henry O, Caitlin C and Rebecca K, Raffi M, Caragh N, Georgia D and Jami S and The Rock Band: Connor C, James B, Mac R and Maddie C. A few pupils also discovered new talents, taking on the role of compère for the evening. This is no easy task (as Mr Boyd will attest to!), so thank you very much to Jami S (our lead compère for the evening), Ryan G, Raffi M, Annabel J, Kyle D and Ciaran D for their sterling efforts in revving up the crowd before each performance. A massive thank you to all the staff in the Music Department that helped make the night a such success and a special thank you to Mr James for setting up the lights and to Spencer F and James B for controlling the lighting during the concert. Finally, a sincere thank you to all the parents and pupils who attended the concert. The support from the crowd was superb and made the atmosphere on the night truly electric. Well done, everybody! Mrs Sturges Year 7 Visit Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra Last week the Millfield Prep Music Department took a selection of Year 7s to see Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in an open rehearsal for their Heroes and Villains concert. All of the pupils on the trip have experienced playing in Millfield Prep ensembles so it was a great opportunity to see how music is covered in the profession. The conductor asked the audience What is the most famous film score composed? Ollie L volunteered Star Wars, which the orchestra immediately performed - much to the pupils delight. They continued with soundtracks from Doctor Who, Star Trek and Avatar. Here are some comments from the day: 'When I closed my eyes, I felt like I was in the movie. Bronte M It was really impressive, just like in the movies. Ecaterina S It was really good seeing the layout of a full orchestra. Ben L Peaceful to my ears... Jess Hazell Amazing! Clarissa J My favourite piece was all of them! Boris F Just like the real thing: Star Wars was so good. Raffi M Really good experience, the sound was really loud and then surprisingly soft and gentle. Sam P The percussion sounded amazing Charlotte T My favourite piece by far was Star Wars. Ralph B The double basses had the best part! Caity Collins Revision idea! In Year 8 Geography the pupils were encouraged to create mind maps based on some of the more complex work we had studied linked to methods of coastal defence. Mind maps are a great way of providing a very visual aid for learning information. They also provide a way for pupils to include a lot of detail, in an easy to digest format. This Mind Map was created by Esme H. She has used a tick to show a positive, and a cross to show a negative. Esme has also developed her own opinion on each type of coastal defence that we studied, whilst including specific detail to help her understanding of the way each one works, and all on one page of A4. Well done Esme, an impressive piece of work and a great revision tool to boot! Mrs Stubbs

3 Millfield Prep Newsletter Issue February 2016 Page 3 A Week in the Life of a Millfield Prep Monitor We have a team of 43 monitors in Year 8 who all help the school in many different ways. In order to become a monitor they had to apply for the position at the end of Year 7 by writing a letter to Mr French and Mrs Henderson saying what role we think we would be most suited too. Every monitor has spent half a term learning the jobs which they do before they were given their badge in assembly. We have eight senior monitors each term who help run the team of monitors and they are given their badges in assembly by Mrs Shayler. There are council monitors, school monitors, pastoral monitors, art monitors and ICT monitors. We have put this article together to give you an insight of what a week is like in the life of a monitor. Every lunchtime there are pastoral monitors who join Pre- Prep in the playground. They play all sorts of games and are always seen running around having fun with the younger children. They know most of the young ones names and are often seen saying hello and having a chat when it is not a duty day for them. One parent recently ed Mrs Blasdale to say how much of a difference she thinks the monitors make at playtime. Her Year 2 son really enjoys their company. All the Pre-Prep staff think that they do a great job playing alongside the younger children. The staff really appreciate the monitors being there as an extra pair of hands or a set of eyes and ears and the children love it! The council monitors represent in both school council meetings and food committee meetings. Last week the food committee had their termly meeting with the catering team. The meeting is run by chairperson Loveday B with feedback given from each year group via the forms which pupils fill out in group tutor meetings. Over the last few meetings match teas have changed, BBQ pulled pork wraps have been introduced, more taster tables and theme days have been put in place, the pasta has been changed, portion sizes have increased and vegetarian options have been looked at with staff meeting pupils who wanted to recommend their favourite dishes. ICT monitors sit up in the control box during assemblies on Monday and Thursday and ensure that Mrs Shayler or the Rev s assemblies run smoothly. They do a very professional job with PowerPoint slide shows running, YouTube video clips being played and the lighting being dimmed all simultaneously. School monitors are on duty every break or lunchtime to control snack or lunch queues. They are always dealing with juniors who are desperate to get to the front and collect their chosen snack. Lunch queues can be particularly busy with people coming and going from clubs, all carrying trays of food. The monitors manage the queues expertly making sure there are clear paths through the servery helping reduce spillages. At the start of term the senior monitors compiled rotas for all the duties. This is no easy task with many monitors having clubs during many break and lunchtimes. To try and give everyone an opportunity takes great organisation and patience. Mr French Junior DT Club Members of the Junior DT club on Monday night have produced these fantastic cars. They constructed them, modified them to get grip and then raced them. Click the icon to see a clip of the race

4 Millfield Prep Newsletter Issue February 2016 Page 4 Year 3 Achievements and Pancake Day Year 3 have been in both a celebratory and thoughtful mood this week. We have had more achievements to add to the Achievement Tree; Thomas S has gained his first Cubs badge for helping at home, Aggie S has shared with us her skiing badges and Sam L has made his second entry onto the tree for competing in the Longleat 2 mile Fun Run at the weekend. Sam Lumsdon We have also been celebrating Pancake Day and have enjoyed tucking into pancakes whilst thinking about what we might give up for Lent. South African Exchange We welcomed Travis H and James C to Millfield Prep on Saturday, from a lovely, sunny South Africa. They will be staying for six weeks and taking part in all aspects of school life with their Year 7 host families. This has linked to work that we have been doing in RS, considering people who inspire us, and this week we have looked at the life of Helen Keller, who was both deaf and blind. We have been trying to use our emotional intelligence to empathise with how she might have coped with being both deaf and blind by using ear defenders and blindfolds whilst trying to identify a number of objects. It was very difficult and made us think carefully about how important our senses are and how difficult life must be for people whose senses are impaired. Mrs Seal and Mr James T-shirt Design Challenge Millfield Prep s Green Team are looking for a t-shirt design for this year s Eco-day. It needs to be an easy-to-print picture or catchphrase or a combination of both. It should ideally be one colour. The pupil who produces the winning design will receive a fairly-traded bamboo and organic cotton t-shirt featuring their design! All entries can be done on Showbie (code 3RVJE) or on paper and handed in to Mr Seal in E5. Year 5 Similes This week, 5G have been using similes to help give the reader a vivid picture of the place they are describing. Here are just a few: As I ran into Puth, I felt as excited as a child finding an Easter egg. As the wind pushed me home I heard a train shoot past me like a plane taking off. Willow W As I opened the door the smell came back like a rush of old. I heard the creaking of the floor like a mouse squeaking. Hannah H As I walked into my garden in the early morning sunshine, I felt a tingle of thrill embedded deep in my heart. I walked further, through the leafy green shrubs, into my secret place. I lay down on the grass, gazing at the blue sky which was the colour of joy and happiness. I could smell flowers that smelt like scented perfume. I thought I could never be quite as content as right now. Sophie H As I walked through the door into my garden, I felt as free as a bird flying out into the wild. I saw the raspberry plant with raspberries as red as my lips, sparkling in the blazing sun. I flopped down into the deck chair and looked down at the pink flowers that were as pink as my cheeks. Tara L

5 Millfield Prep Newsletter Issue February 2016 Page 5 A Shakespearean Mash-Up! Rehearsals are underway for this term s Junior performance A Shakespearean Mash Up! which will be performed on Monday 21 March at 6.30pm and Wednesday 23 March at 1.30pm. All 84 Junior children are involved, either in the band, the dance group, or with acting parts. Please could parents assist children with learning their lines and ensuring that if in the band, their instruments are in school on Wednesdays. There will be no scripts allowed after half term! I would also ask that every child brings into school a named carrier bag in which we can store their costume. Requests for extra bits and pieces to help with costumes will be sent out over half term, but please do not hesitate to contact me if these requests are too onerous. The week before the production Monday 14 Friday 18 March is National Shakespeare Week celebrating 400 years of Shakespeare s creative legacy and throughout this term the Juniors will have the opportunity to open the door to Shakespeare and take part in some creative crosscurricular activities in preparation for their performance. Building up to their performance, the children will be taking part in a competition in art lessons to design the front cover for the programme and will also be sculpting gargoyles from clay. The gargoyles will be available to purchase for a donation at the performance, with funds raised going to the Rescue our Ruins Appeal for Glastonbury Abbey. There will also be a selection of Tudor food and drinks to sample at the performances to aid the cause. We look forward to a busy term of creativity and thank you for supporting the children in their efforts. Mrs Seal Year 7 Production Rehearsals Rehearsals for the two weeks after half term. No scripts. We need to really focus on stage directions and actions. Please note various times: Tuesday 23 February pm pm Thursday 25 February pm Tuesday 1 March pm Thursday 3 March pm pm Assembly Hall The Gathering of Tellers On Yer Bike Raleigh Assembly Hall Casablancus Assembly Hall Fistful of Nuggets Assembly Hall Lunchpack of Notre Dame Castle Dribula Millfield Prep Writer s Club Below is a snippet of a gripping piece from one of our talented writers. Ghost Story by Caspian F Slam!!! The door flew shut behind him, as he trod carefully over the cobwebs and into the dark, gloomy hall. He could hear the distant echo of people singing carols wafting towards him from the church. He desperately tried to block the sound from his ears. His eyes scanned the room for anybody who might be able to attack him, and they rested on the dusty, colourless curtains where there was an odd bump, as if somebody had hidden something behind it. Cautiously, the man slipped his hand in his pocket, where he was relieved to find the handle of his knife. An odd sound behind him made him sharply wheel around expecting to find somebody, but there was nothing. Heart pumping madly, the young man turned around and strode over to the curtains To read the rest of the story, along with other fantastic work from our pupils, go to the following link: >> millfieldwritersclub.wordpress.com Riders Parents Meeting Friday 26 February 8.45am Riding Classroom Come along to meet the new Stable Manager, Nicky Craven, and enjoy breakfast with Hayley and the team. We have a whole new team of instructors who are really excited about getting current and new riders achieving their goals; whether it be competitions or out for a gentle hack. EAL Pupil of the Week This week s Pupil of the Week is an old favourite. The world famous Anton D steps up to the podium for the first time this year, but the third time in his life. What did it for him this week was a combination of his thorough preparation for his mock writing exam and his excellent efforts in his speaking test. He threw in some great phrases like I ve got a lot on my plate, and wowed Mrs Trevis (the examiner) until she had to stop him to move on to the next question. If this boy doesn t get colours for talking, I ll be disappointed. I ll leave you with a section of Anton s creative writing, devised from a picture of a rock climber: I was full of sweat. I had a feeling like I could fall down any second. I could smell I was in danger. I couldn t feel my legs. My eyes were in pain. I couldn t hear anything. I was saying to myself, come on, pull yourself up! Mr Seal Word of the Week We look forward to seeing you! This week, translate the following Latin word for your chance to win a small prize cor a) heart b) choir c) circle Please send answers to Mrs Crispin at ghc@millfieldprep.com

6 Millfield Prep Newsletter Issue February 2016 Page 6 Boarding Life On Saturday evening the girls in Hollies enjoyed a Chinese New Year themed dinner in House. The girls made decorations during the afternoon and adorned the kitchen with lanterns and dragons before eating a delicious feast of Chinese delights. Certainly a great way to cheer up a gloomy Saturday! Very competitive pancake races were held this week. Team Duncan and Team Knight, led by two of our wonderful matrons, battled against each other to win the accolade of fastest flipper. Team Knight won in a very tight photo finish! The delivery of a trunk always causes great excitement at Berewall - as you can see, the Juniors couldn't wait to get their hands on the large cardboard box and put it to good use. Champion boys (below) made gourmet burgers for their Saturday night rugby watching session last weekend. A well known chain now has competition! On Tuesday the Chestnut boys whisked up a MASSIVE VAT of pancake mix to use for their evening entertainment. Firstly we had fun with some pancake running and flipping relay races. Luckily the rain/sleet/snow held off just long enough for us to complete the games before we all went inside to eat as much as we physically could. At the start of the evening we thought we had enough batter to bathe in but after an hour and a half of solidly cooking pancakes for the hungry hoards, Mr Cageao and Mrs Duke flipped their last one when the mix finally ran out. Not a morsel remained and 30 boys went to bed replete.

7 HOME Sport Millfield Prep Newsletter Issue February 2016 Page 7 Millfield Prep Newsletter Issue February 2016 Page 7 SWIMMING Somerset County Championships - Round 3 Wow! Another fabulous weekend of racing at Millfield pool as Millfield Prep took on the best swimmers in the county for the third weekend just one more to go! The team produced some very exciting relay swims winning the relay challenge trophy for the 14/U age groups. The squad between them won 14 gold, 21 silver and 15 bronze medals. 116 personal bests were achieved and five school records smashed years Tom D Katie W Heidi D Grace O 12 years Ruby S Calvin F Patrick S Charlotte T Emily O Maddie C Alex P 13 years Yuka M Sophie M Stan C Clement K Wyatt W Jasmine N Rocco C 14 years Polly P Alex S Gold Freestyle and Medley Relay Gold Freestyle Relay, Gold 100m and 200m Backstroke, Silver 100m IM, Bronze 200m Breaststroke Silver 200m Backstroke, Silver 200m Breaststroke, Bronze 100m Backstroke and 100m IM Gold 200m Breaststroke Gold 200m Backstroke, Gold Freestyle Relay Gold 50m Butterfly, Silver 100m Backstroke, Bronze 100m IM Gold in 50m Butterfly, 100m IM, Medley and Freestyle Relays, Silver 200m Breaststroke Silver 100m and 200m Backstroke, Silver 200m Freestyle, Bronze 400m IM Gold Freestyle and Medley Relay Gold Freestyle Relay Silver 200m Breaststroke Gold 100m Backstroke, Gold Freestyle Relay, Silver 100m IM, Silver 200m Backstroke, Bronze 50m Butterfly Gold 200m Backstroke ( school record) Gold 100m Backstroke ( school record) Gold in Freestyle and Medley Relays, Silver 100m IM ( school record) Silver 50m Butterfly, Bronze 200m Breaststroke Bronze 200m Breaststroke Gold 50m Butterfly, Gold Medley Relay Gold 100m Backstroke, Gold Freestyle Relay, Silver 100m IM, Silver 50m Butterfly Bronze 200m Breaststroke, Silver 200m Backstroke Bronze 100m Backstroke Bronze 50m Butterfly, Bronze 100m IM, Gold Freestyle Relay Gold 50m Butterfly, Gold Medley and Freestyle Relays, Gold 100m IM, Silver 200m Breaststroke, Bronze 200m Backstroke Gold in Medley and Freestyle Relays, Silver 100m Backstroke, Silver 200m Backstroke, 3rd Junior U16, Bronze 200m Breaststroke, Bronze 100m IM ( school record) Gold Medley Relay, Silver 100m Backstroke, Bronze 50m Butterfly, Silver 200m Backstroke (PB and school record breaking the school record which was set by OM James Guy) Congratulations to the following swimmers for some excellent personal best time times: Jack F, Benjamin L, Jami S, Jack V, Esme H, Ffion R, Philippa L, Melissa M, Willow W, Francesca D. Mrs Gouldby Polly P Alex S Swimming captains collecting the Relay Challenge trophies 14/U

8 HOME Sport Millfield Prep Newsletter Issue February 2016 Page 8 Millfield Prep Newsletter Issue February 2016 Page 8 NETBALL U12B The U12B s (pictured below) played in their own tournament on Wednesday afternoon. They had to play five matches as it was a round-robin event. The girls faced some extremely tough teams throughout the competition but they played superbly all afternoon. We started our campaign with a 4-1 victory over Taunton, which was followed by a 9-1 victory over Hazlegrove and a 10-0 victory over All Hallows. Up next was an incredibly strong Queen s team where we settled for a 4-3 victory. This set up a final with Blundell s as neither of us had lost a match. At half-time, it was 2-1 and then through grit and determination in the second half, Blundell s did not get another shot in their circle and we scored another five goals to win 7-1. The girls were a fabulous team and they worked so hard together and played brilliantly. Well done to Emily B, Alex C, Jo C, Adelina D, Annabel J, Philippa L, Emily O, Ffion R and Rebecca S. They thoroughly deserved to be crowned Millfield Prep U12B netball champions. Miss Stone CROSS COUNTRY South West Championships On Saturday all matches were cancelled due to the bad weather but cross country never stops! The conditions were tricky to say the least with high winds, heavy rain and deep mud! Will A was running in the Year 9 race and battled through the conditions to have a good run against boys that are a whole year older. Mr Duke U12A The team (pictured below) participated in their annual Millfield Prep Netball Tournament on Wednesday. With the sun shining and the girls on great form (and very excited) we were ready to play. Our first match was against Wells and the girls dominated throughout the game. With fantastic goal scoring from Jess H, Rosa L and Isla N we managed to win Our next two games were very untidy and we took a time to settle into our own play. With the help of the mid-court players, India-Rose O, Clarissa J and Charlotte T, we held on to win both games comfortably against All Hallows 9-0 and Queen s In our last group game we faced Blundell s. We knew this would be a tight match as we played against them at the beginning of the term. The Blundell s GD was very strong, but Caitlin M held her nerve and passed the ball out of defence beautifully to Elena L and Amirah W D. The team went on to win 7-4. In the semi-finals, they played Taunton. They had two very tall shooters, but again with the help of Caitlin and Maddie C s great marking and defence work we won 11-3 In the finals Millfield Prep definitely started to play their best netball in the competition. Outstanding movement and shooting from Jess and Isla got us off to a wonderful start. The girls began to communicate and pass the ball into different channels of the court. All the girls worked incredibly hard and had a passion to win and play to their full potential. They won the game Congratulations to the girls on winning the Millfield Prep Tournament. Mrs Morgan-Hughes Before After...

9 HOME Sport Millfield Prep Newsletter Issue February 2016 Page 9 Millfield Prep Newsletter Issue February 2016 Page 9 TENNIS On Saturday morning we had lots of Mini Tennis players and parents for the introduction to Mini Red Tennis tournaments in the Sports Hall including: Seth C, Lucy C, Thomas and Isla S, Sophie and Jon A, Jem H, Sam L, Amelia G, Jack S, Tallulah P, Ben and Emi L, Brychan J and Krijn S. We also had lots of children competing locally in two different tennis tournaments last Sunday. The following went to Taunton for a Grade 5 U10, U12 and U14 competition: Andrew P, Bobby M, Christian W, Will N, Izaak S, Kizzi R, Suza J, Will T and Rebecca S. The following played in the Mini Red and Orange tournament in Somerton: Charlie and Will M, Brychan and Ellis J, Thomas S, Jess H, Nathaniel S, Oliver C, Max C and Lowen S. Charlie M won the Orange event, Ellis J was runner-up and Jess Hewitt won the Red event. All our players played very well in both events on Sunday and were a credit to the school. If anyone is interested in their child competing, they need to be signed up to the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) in order to get a British Tennis Membership (BTM). More details are on the Parents Portal or visit the LTA website: Please note that affiliation to the LTA is free as long as you put Millfield Prep as your Place to Play. HOCKEY The U11 boys ventured to Clifton to try and qualify for the National Finals of the IAPS Hockey. There are three phases to the day and a small slip up can lead to instant disappointment as it puts you out of the competition. 38 teams started and we needed to get to the final four. We started steadily and sneaked through the first phase. The second phase was very wobbly! Games are 12 minutes long and twice we scored in the very last minute (or slightly over!) to sneak through to the final four. We then met a very strong team from Chafyn Grove who put us out of the chase for the cup, but we had already achieved our qualification aim. The boys have lots of work to do as we need to retain possession more effectively. We have a few weeks to get ready and the boys are fully up for the challenge. Thank you to the parents who supported nervously from the sidelines and huge thanks to Mr Morris and his watch that was a little slow for umpiring all day for the boys. Mr Duke Squad: Seb S, Andrew H, Calum J, Ethan U, Alex P, Jo C, Freddie T, James S, Felix S and Bobby M. ALSO Public swimming times in half term at Millfield Pool. Call Sarah Godwin on or sarahgodwin@millfieldschool.com for details

10 Newsletter Issue February 2016 This Week... This week been all about celebrations and traditions. We enjoyed a delicious Chinese New Year lunch on Monday, with the dining room bedecked in Chinese lanterns, flags and bunting. Tuesday then saw us all chasing across the playground with frying pans for our annual pancake races, (please take time to have a look at the fantastic actions shots taken by Mrs Trenner on our new camera). Click the camera icon above Then on Thursday the Year 2 children presented an assembly about Valentine s Day and its history and traditions for the rest of Pre-Prep and their parents. All of these events are great fun, but are also important as part of the children s education. British values and traditions are deeply integrated into the curriculum of today and these events serve to remind the children of who we are and why we behave the way we do. I am not sure that the Tadpoles were completely convinced by the pancake races they did look rather bemused at the sight of the teachers flinging batter 10 feet into the air but as they progress through the school they will be able to develop their understanding of these customs and take a more active part. Please remember that we break for half term on Friday and there are no clubs. Crèche will run until 3.45pm - please book this via Mrs Berrow in the office. Have a lovely half term. Mrs Blasdale Dates For Your Diary.. Friday 12 February Wednesday 24 February Half term begins, 3.45pm School Readiness Talk for Pre-School Parents, Pre-Prep, pm Wednesday 2 March Sir Teachalot visits Year 2 Thursday 3 March Friday 4 March Saturday 5 March Thursday 10 March World Book Day Pre-Prep Open Morning, am Mother s Day Assembly, Pre-Prep Hall, 2.45pm Prep & Pre-Prep Open Day, 9.30am-2.00pm Year 2 to Nunney Castle Year 1 When Cheddar Caves were first discovered they found lots of bones inside them. On some of these bones there were marks made with flints that the cavemen had used to help them record data. We now call these marks tallies. In Year 1 the children were given a bag of different coloured counters. They had to sort them into sets to count them. Then they recorded the quantities on coloured bones using a tally. They could then count in groups of fives to tell the rest of the class how many they had of each colour. Ballet Success We are delighted to announce that Harriet B and Emi L, in Year 1, passed their ballet exam. Harriet and Emi do ballet with Miss Richards in our after school club and both girls achieved a merit award at the Pre-Primary level. Well done girls!

11 Millfield Pre-Prep Newsletter Issue February 2016 Page 11 Pre-School Busy Bees! What a busy week in Pre-School this week. On Monday we visited Millfield Senior School and had a wonderful time listening to and playing different musical instruments. On Tuesday we had Pancake Day - the children made pancakes and were able to choose their own toppings; strawberries, raisins, chocolate sauce, golden syrup, lemon or bananas. Yum, yum! They also took part in the pancake races. On Wednesday we went to Forest School and we collected lots of sticks and ate marshmallows toasted on the fire. Thursday is our swimming day. Thank goodness it's half term, we all need a rest! Reception s Forest School Fun We had a wonderful time in Forest School this week. We made our own charcoal and whittled elder sticks to make pencils. Year 2 Programming The children have been writing algorithms and programming the Beebots to reach a destination on their Knights and Dragons grids. They have learnt how to correct mistakes by debugging and worked collaboratively with their Talking Partners.

12 Messy Minis! The children enjoyed getting stuck into different painting activities this week. Plenty of colourful paint on brushes, carrots, car wheels, hands and feet were used to create some mini masterpieces. The children printed onto a piece of fabric which will be mounted onto a frame ready to hang in pride of place at home! We had a delicious snack followed by a visit from the school bunnies, Liquorice and Allsorts! Happy half term!