eNews: Friday 4th October 2019

From the Head

I am delighted to let you know that following our two year focus on well-being at schools we have been accredited with the Wellbeing at School award offered by the National Children’s Bureau with Optimus Education.

I’d like to thank Fraser Wiseman and his change team which comprised staff and parents and I’d like to thank Lorna Sharp from West Kent Mind, who helped us build our training partnership to become the lead school in Kent for the number of trained staff and parents.

If you would like to train in mental health First Aid please do sign up for the next course which is in November

The award takes the school through a period of questioning, reflection, engagement and action to improve outcomes, awareness and signpost sources of help. During this period a great deal of progress has been made. People feel more confident to say they’re struggling if they are and there is no shame attached to expressing such a feeling.

Of course there is a tension for leaders and parents, who also know that resilience is a key component of wellbeing and hand-in-hand by providing challenge, managing disappointment and failure with positivity and making explicit next steps and new opportunities for trying again, children can grow the ability to deal with disappointment and thus alleviate anxiety and stress.

Of course this does not mean to say that we will lose focus in this area, quite the contrary. We recognise that we are at a point within the journey and we will continue to focus on adapting the curriculum for children, so that the vocabulary to articulate things that can cause anxiety is known and mastered by children. We also know and understand that staff and parents must be clear that unless they look after themselves they will be no use to anyone else and they have our blessing in this endeavour!

My assemblies on perseverance in Prep and Pre-Prep have focused on two stories to date, the first is the incredible story of team Hoyt.

For those of you that you that are not aware, Rick and Dick Hoyt raced as a team together in marathons and triathlons over three decades and have demonstrated the most incredible perseverance in the face of extreme challenges with Rick, a quadriplegic sufferer of cerebral palsy, who has to communicate letter by letter through a computer, and his Dad pushing him in a running chair. You can see a glimpse of their incredible story in the weblink below or perhaps order Rick’s book:

One Letter at a Time 

Click here to watch my video from assembly

Next week I shall be out of school on Wednesday and Thursday on an inspection. I’m looking forward to learning something new on my two days away.

I hope that this weekend, wherever you are, you can give yourself the space and time to enjoy the company of your family, let your mind free itself of worry and have some good, wellbeing-inducing fun!

Jill Aisher

About the Wellbeing Award for Schools (WAS)

Developed in partnership with NCB, this whole-school award focuses on ensuring effective practice and provision is in place that promotes the emotional wellbeing and mental health of both staff and pupils.
The award has a focus on changing the long-term culture of a school, and embedding an ethos where mental health is regarded as the responsibility of all.
To achieve this award schools will be expected to demonstrate how they:
• Show their commitment to promoting mental health as part of school life
• Improve the emotional wellbeing of their staff and pupils
• Ensure mental health problems are identified early and appropriate support provided
• Offer provision and interventions that matches the needs of its pupils and staff
• Engage the whole school community in the importance of mental health awareness
• Capture the views of parents, pupils and teachers on mental health issues

News from Pre-Prep

• Harvest Festival Friday 4th Oct. Wonderful donations received – thank you all for your generosity
• Parking/Drop Off – Please don’t leave your car in the drop off only area
• Tuesday 8th October Open Morning

Thank you for all your harvest festival donations. You are very generous and the Trussell Trust wish to pass on their thanks for the enormous quantity of food and toiletries which they can now distribute to so many families in need.

Traffic updates: Please try and park within the white lines in the car park. This will enable us to fit as many cars as possible into our Pre-Prep car park.

Next Tuesday we will be holding our Open Morning for prospective parents who may wish to send their children to St Michael’s. If any of you wish to look at Prep school in action ready for moving into Year 3, please contact Jane Thornton. Please note there will also be opportunities in the Lent term to visit Prep in preparation for your child’s transition.

As the weather is rather rainy now please could you make sure we have your child’s school coat sent in everyday?

Overheard:
About the Harvest food “and we got it all from Lidl!”

Have a lovely weekend.

Zerrin Leech

On this week’s Message Board

Please log into our Parents’ Portal and click into the Message Board to see new important information as follows:

• Audio files for Young Voices 2020
• St Michael’s Fireworks Display – dates and booking details
• List of Senior Schools attending our Senior Schools Fair
• Half-term Sports Camps, including Mrs Grayland’s new Netball Camp

On this week’s Community Events page

Please log into our Parents’ Portal and click into the Community Events page to see important community information as follows:

• Derek Benfield’s “Anyone for Breakfast?”  – comedy at Otford Village Memorial Hall

Pre-Prep Awards

Gold Stars

Arthur N for fantastic word writing
Beatrix T for writing wonderful letters in phonics
Sylvie F for labelling her favourite foods by using her fabulous phonic knowledge
Eric V for brilliant blending
Mona-Swan M for always being enthusiastic with her reading
Cian C for trying so hard with his letter formation
Arthur S for mending a giant peg for Mrs Leech
Adam O for good work in mathematics
Grace P for 100% effort in every lesson
Amelia R for fantastic and thoughtful participation in our R. E. discussion
Elizabeth S for very careful and creative art work
Sebastian G for fantastic effort with his reading
Zack E for trying his best with his handwriting
Florence B for fantastic attention to detail and great presentation skills on her life cycle work
Finley S for always trying his best and approaching everything he does with such a brilliant attitude
Genevieve M for always approaching work with a positive attitude and a smile on her face
Mickey M for using fantastic scientific vocabulary about life cycles
Myla B for persevering in gymnastics and always smiling
Olanna E for brilliant persevering in swimming and swimming without a float on her back

Music Award

Music Practice Cup: Archie B
Music Practice Award: Walter M
Star Violinist Cup: Irene G

Swimming Certificates

Swim England Learn to Swim Awards

Level 1 – Ava M
Level 2 – Isabelle D

News from Prep

Notices from Mr Wiseman

Parking on the top pitch

We do normally allow parking on this top pitch during the first half of the Michaelmas term, with the last time it is used being Firework night. As we have already had a substantial amount of rainfall, the opening to the pitch is fast becoming muddy through the number of cars driving over this area.
Please refrain from using this as a parking area, unless absolutely necessary. If there are spaces in the other parking areas, please use them.
In the mornings, this must not be used as a drop off area. The allocated drop off area must be used for the Prep school. Ultimately, this is still a teaching area and the surface needs to be protected as much as possible for this to remain so. Thank you.

Uniform

Along with the assistance of my colleagues, I will be having a push towards a stricter adherence to the required uniform we expect the children to wear. It has been noted that some of the children are falling below the standards we expect and, in many cases, this is after being asked to improve their appearance by a member of staff.

The main issues are;
• School shoes – these should be black leather and not trainer style. There is a handful of children who are wearing trainers as this has been recommended by a medical professional. All other children should be wearing their school shoes.
• Tracksuit – if a child is in an academic lesson, but is wearing their sport kit, they should be in full tracksuit. Children often have to get changed at morning break in preparation for a later fixture or event. The tracksuit should always be in their kitbag for these times. They should also have their full tracksuit for match tea.
• Shirts – this mostly affects the boys, but in the winter uniform, the girls must also adhere to this. I, again along with my colleagues, spend a large proportion of time walking around the school asking children to tuck their shirts in. I would ask that parents check the length/ size of the shirts/ blouses, as I can see some of the boys shirts coming out when they put their hands up to answer a question. Although still a couple of months away, maybe Father Christmas could supply some new shirts for the start of the Lent term. I am sure the children would be overjoyed!
• Coats/Blazers – We have seen a distinct change in the weather this week, and I am still seeing some children arrive at school in only their shirt/ blouse (sometimes short-sleeved) or jumper. All the children should be arriving at school, throughout the year, in either their blazer or school coat, depending on the weather.

Much of the above can be assisted from those at home. There will be instances when a child has made a choice to not wear the correct uniform and in these cases a sanction may well be given. The children will be reminded of the expectations regarding uniform, so they will be in no doubt as to the expectations. With your assistance from home, I am convinced we will see an immediate improvement. I also expect parental support if a sanction has been given for non-adherence to the expectations, while in school.

I thank you in advance for your assistance in this.

Sports News & Players of the Match

Match reports and Players of the Match can also be found in the News section of SOCS. Please log in to see the nominations or click this link: http://www.stmichaelsprepsport.co.uk/News.asp?Id=982.

Players of the Match, week commencing 30th September 2019

Senior School Open Days

These can now be found on our Senior School page. 

Upcoming events include Bennett Memorial Diocesan School, Bromley High School Christ’s Hospital, Cobham Hall, Haileybury, Kent College Pembury, King’s Canterbury, Oakwood Park Grammar School, Radnor House, Sevenoaks School, Skinners’ School, Tonbridge Girls’ Grammar, TWGGS, Walthamstow Hall and Whitgift School.