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Weekly Newsletter Friday 23rd May 2025
From the Head
From the Head of Pre-Prep
Dear Parents,
Half term next week: you can all have a lie-in...I am imagining all of your replies to this sentence! We have had an enjoyable week. Year 1 spent a happy morning in Shoreham village on Monday and kept the postal service busy by posting cards to their own homes.
Thank you for coming to our Open Class Event on Tuesday. The children do like to show off their work to you. I attended the Scholars' Dinner on Tuesday evening. An annual event that all of the Scholars are invited to alongside the Year 6 children who are about to become our new Scholars in September. Well done to Clara and Oliver who sung to everyone and to the Art Scholars who explained glass fusion. I learnt things I didn’t know and honestly their work would not look out of place in any gallery.
Yesterday was our annual French Day, several children tried our snails at lunchtime. We ate baguettes and drank grenadine to the sound of piano accordions played by our Prep children. Thank you to our Years 7 and 8s who came down at playtime to serve the food and drinks. One child told me as the Prep children left that it was the best playtime ever and they had made new friends. Many thanks to Madame Buttery and Madame Poracchia for all of their hard work.
At the time of writing, we are eagerly anticipating our Sports Day. Mr Davies has the children primed and ready to show off their physical skills. He has also ordered no rain.
We return to school on Monday 2nd June. The Year 2 children will be getting ready for an adventure at Stubbers!
Overheard in Pre-Prep:
Child 1: "Why are the flags out?"
Child 2: "The adults are celebrating the coffee cart again!"
Have a good half term holiday,
Zerrin Leech
Celebrating St Michael's Scholars
Tuesday evening saw our annual Scholars' Dinner celebration take place. Acknowledging the achievements of our current and future Scholars, pupils dressed up for the occasion which included music performances by Music Scholars Clara H (accompanied by Mrs Handel) and Oliver S, as well as a glass fusion presentation by Art Scholars Mikayla, Finlay and Florence.
The dinner, prepared by St Michael's talented Catering Team, was lasagne followed by cheesecake which was enjoyed by all.
Year 1 explore Shoreham
Year 1 had a lovely morning visiting Shoreham on Monday, exploring the village and looking at different types of houses. Perhaps the most exciting part of the day was when they got to deliver the postcard they had written to themselves via the post box.
We then visited Shoreham Church where the children admired the stained glass windows and spotted the features of a church which they have been learning about in class.
We were particularly impressed with how polite and sensible the children were as they walked around the village.
Charlotte Grove, Year 1 Teacher
French Day 2025
We had another fun and successful French Day! French Day, c’était super!
It was a chance to fire up our pupils’ passion for language learning and their curiosity about all things French. From Pre-Prep all the way to Prep, the children were dressed in bleu, blanc et rouge and so was the school! Everyone had an 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. French Day was also a brilliant chance to practice our French speaking in games with Year 8 as well as attending Madame Buttery’s amazing assembly 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.
We also discovered some delights of the French cuisine with escargots (for the most adventurous ones!), boeuf bourguignon, baguette, saucisson and crêpes. Lunchtime was also a chance to admire the beautiful menus designed by Year 2 and Year 4 all around the Dining Rooms and to celebrate the winners of our competition about French idioms. 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).
Madame Buttery and Madame Poracchia
Competition Winners 2025
St Michael’s Challenge
This year’s St Michael’s Challenge has once again been a resounding success, helping our children develop the lifelong skills embedded in our St Michael’s Learning Behaviours.
The mentor groups and planning sessions—focusing on planning, speaking and listening as well as giving constructive feedback—were thoroughly enjoyed by all. These sessions not only enhanced key skills, but gave pupils the opportunity to get to know and collaborate with different children and support one another.
Our senior pupils have once again proven invaluable, offering encouragement to younger children and providing thoughtful and supportive feedback throughout the process.
As always, the range of topics explored was vast and inspiring. Just a few examples include: The Mystery of the Bermuda Triangle, Dubai, Zookeepers, Fencing, Gem Caves, The Titanic, Sea Urchins, Space Travel, Horse Riding, Sleep and The Evolution of Art.
The children have now received their feedback, house points and targets for next year. Nominations for Head’s Stars are currently being collated.
A heartfelt thank you to everyone for their enthusiasm, creativity and dedication. We can’t wait to see what exciting topics next year will bring!
Mrs S Clarke, Deputy Head (Academic)
St Michael's pupils compete in Judo Championships
Congratulations to the St Michael's pupils who took part in the IAPS Judo Championships earlier this month.
The children's dedication and hard work in their after-school Judo sessions with coach Chris Bowles clearly paid off during the tournament as they demonstrated resilience and tenacity in all of their contests. St Michael's girls placed as the 2nd school overall, whilst the boys placed as the 3rd school overall with only 2 points separating 3rd and 1st place.
The competitors have already begun preparations for next year's IAPS Championships with Chris beginning a programme to improve their judo further.
Year 4 Roman Battle
Prep Art House Photography Competition
St Michael's Eco Club invites members of the St Michael's community to take part in our Big Litter Pick this year. Don't forget, you can borrow litter pickers from the Pre-Prep and Prep Offices!
Please visit our Learning Development Parent Guides page for a collection of valuable resources for parents, focusing on Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). Here you'll find a variety of courses and information designed to support you and your child. Whether you're looking for educational materials, support groups or expert advice, these resources aim to provide the guidance and assistance that you need. We will update the resources each week so please keep checking this page.
"Reddit describes itself as a ‘social news’ site where users connect and share stories, opinions and support; debate issues; ask questions; and chat to people with similar interests. Discussion topics are organised into communities (known as subreddits) that are created, run and populated by users who remain anonymous throughout. Free speech is encouraged and users – or ‘redditors’ – can vote posts ‘up’ or ‘down’ so they get more (or less) attention. Reddit is free to join, although signing up to Reddit Premium unlocks an advert-free version of the platform. In the guide, you'll find tips on avoiding potential risks such as harassment, trolling, intrusive notifications and fake news.”
Words by Dr Claire Sutherland, Online Safety Consultant
This week we’ve had lots of fun as we’ve squished and shaped play dough to make different creations. We’ve also made balloon rockets and even became milkshake connoisseurs, mixing up tasty flavours for refreshingly cool drinks.
For more information about the Hive or Breakfast Club or to book in your child, please contact Nicky Smith at WrapAroundCare@stmichaels.kent.sch.uk.
International Club Family Picnic
The International Club will be hosting a Family Picnic with a bouncy castle at the end of half term on Sunday 1st June (also known in some countries as the International Children’s Day!). Please bring your favourite dish to share and arrive from 12.30pm/1 pm onwards. The plan is to also have some hot dogs for the kids (please advise us of any dietary requirements). See our WhatsApp chat for the address details.
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Yuliya and Urszula, International Club Co-Chairs
P & F Summer Fest 2025
Muddy Stilettos' Half Term Guide
Join the fun at this year's Otford Village Fete
The Otford Village Fete, run by The Otford Society, is one of the biggest in Kent. Held every year for over 80 years, this year's Fete will be taking place on Bank Holiday Monday 26th May 2025 11am - 4pm on the Otford Recreation Ground, TN14 5PR. You can find out more by clicking here.
St Michael's will also have a stand at this year's Fete: come and say hello as well as taking part in our competitions, activities and story time sessions.
|
Name |
Reason |
|
Aadhi C
|
For going above and beyond in drawing and labelling their ideal French town; his work was creative and neat. |
|
Danny S |
For a brilliant Open Morning speech performed with confidence. |
|
Tara W |
For a fantastic Open Morning speech performed with confidence and charisma. |
|
Thomas G |
For a wonderful Open Morning speech, learnt off by heart! |
|
Belinda B |
For an amazing Open Morning speech and musical performance. |
|
Jamie D |
For a brilliant and well-prepared Open Morning speech. |
|
Emile M |
For a polished Open Morning performance. |
|
Hugo H |
For his Open Morning Computing session which he put weeks of preparation into. He was astonishingly professional, asking questions to share the most pertinent information; his enthusiasm for the subject was infectious. |
|
Xander S |
For his Open Morning Computing session which he put weeks of preparation into. He was astonishingly professional, asking questions to share the most pertinent information; his enthusiasm for the subject was infectious. |
|
Sophie N |
For an inspirational, interesting and confident presentation in the St Michael’s Challenge. |
|
Teddy T |
For his excellent effort in the St Michael’s Challenge. |
|
William C |
For his excellent leadership and mentoring in the St Michael’s Challenge. |
|
Joe G |
For his excellent leadership and mentoring in the St Michael’s Challenge. |
|
Lucia A |
For her free-standing and colourful heliocentric model of the Solar System with facts for each planet. |
|
Oscar B |
Using his creativity to inspire his Solar System shoe box and demonstrating a clear understanding of the relative size of the Sun and the planets in his model. |
|
Lex B |
For his illuminated and creative scale model of the Solar System with detailed facts. |
|
Aiden G |
For his excellent presentation to the class describing his model Solar System and the interesting facts he found out. |
|
Clara H |
For her 3D printed model of the Solar System with effective use of tabulated planetary data and facts. |
|
Tom K |
For his free-standing and colourful heliocentric model of the Solar System complete with starry background and planetary facts. |
|
Herbie L |
For his creative model of the Solar System with an interesting fact for each planet. |
|
Finlay S |
For his superbly presented and researched scale model of the Solar System including Halley's comet and the asteroid belt. |
|
Finley S |
For fitting the Solar System to scale inside a shoe box and including clear annotations and detailed facts about the planets. |
|
Lev V |
For his 3D printed, heliocentric model of the Solar System showing the orbits of the planets. |
|
Joe G |
French Trip - “Sage comme une image” (as good as gold) |
|
Oliver N |
French Trip – “Monsieur Soleil” (ray of sunshine) |
|
Olivia O |
French Trip – “Madame Soleil” (ray of sunshine) |
|
Hugo H |
French Trip – “Monsieur Mange Tout” (French gourmet) |
|
Finlay S |
French Trip - “Monsieur francophile” |
|
Nik B |
For consistently completing creative Science homework with care and attention to detail throughout the year. |
|
Adam J |
For consistently completing creative Science homework with care and attention to detail throughout the year. |
|
Finlay S |
For a very well researched and presented river flood PowerPoint presentation using excellent geographical knowledge and terminology. |
|
Lex B |
For a well presented river flood leaflet book. Good discussion of the impacts of the flood using geographical knowledge. |
|
Finley S |
For a well presented poster for the River Mersey flood. Great use of different types of maps to show features and impacts. |
|
Lucia A |
For a well presented poster for the River Thames flood. Good use of photos and research to show impacts. |
|
Bertie D |
For a sensational robot creation! |
|
Georgia R |
For being an amazing reporter during the French trip and for writing the newsletter piece. |
Players of the Match - week commencing 19th May
|
Team |
Name |
Reason |
|
Boys' Cricket |
|
|
|
U9A |
Ben C |
For accurate bowling |
|
U9B |
Harry B Ian V |
Voted for by the opposition For fast and accurate bowling |
|
U9C |
Balint N Benji S |
Voted for by the opposition For great bowling |
|
U9D |
Teddy T |
For holding a good line with his bowling |
|
U8A |
Ethan M |
For his match winning batting, scoring 20 runs and hitting the last ball for 6 to win the game |
|
U8B |
Daniel L |
For good focus and excellent wicket keeping |
|
U8C |
Zihao G Henry M |
For great fielding and bowling For good batting |
|
Girls' Cricket |
|
|
|
U9A |
Amy H Elsie G |
For batting well and scoring 18 runs For good bowling |
|
U9B |
Nzu O Ella F |
For great batting and scoring 15 runs Voted for by the opposition |
|
U9C |
Thea L Sofia F Ariana S |
For good bowling For good batting Voted for by the opposition |
|
U8A |
Anika B Harriette R Freya E |
Voted for by the opposition for good batting Voted for by the opposition for good bowling For good all round play |
|
U8B |
Thora W Rosanna C Mia D |
Voted for by the opposition for good bowling Voted for by the opposition for good batting For good bowling |
|
U8C |
Liza V Zara Autumn H |
Voted for by the opposition for good all round play For accurate bowling |
Albert competes in Europa Football Cup
Congratulations to Albert who played at the Europa Cup in Paris with his academy team, Kent Elite last weekend. Albert's team came second in the whole tournament and had the chance to play at the PSG stadium on the pitch. This is an amazing achievement, well done Albert!
St Michael's family impress in Judo competitions!
Congratulations to Cían, Willow, Lana and Peter for their recent Judo successes.
Competing in the IAPS Judo competition at Bishopsgate School earlier this month, Cían was awarded 2 Golds and the Throw of the Day trophy, whilst Lana was awarded Gold and Willow was awarded Bronze.
Last weekend Cían, Willow and Peter also competed in a club competition at Tonbridge Judo Club. Cían won Gold and the Throw of the Day trophy, Willow won Silver and Peter won 2 Bronze medals and the Spirit of Judo award.
Keep up the amazing Judo!
Thomas wins Player of the Season!
Congratulations to Thomas who was awarded Player of the Season for his Boys' Under 12 team at Sevenoaks Hockey Club on Sunday. He received his award from Ben Fox, former Sevenoaks hockey junior and GB Hockey squad player.
Jessica achieves ballet distinction!
Congratulations to Jessica who took her Primary Ballet exam with the Royal Academy of Dance at the end of March. She worked so hard in preparation for the exam, learning her routines and practising which resulted in her achieving a distinction grade!
This is a brilliant achievement Jessica and we can't wait to hear how you get on working towards your grade 1!
Staff Sports Camps
Mr Thomas' Half Term Hockey camp
Mr Thomas will be holding his Half Term Hockey Camp at Hollybush Hockey Pitch on:
Tuesday 27th May
Wednesday 28th May
Please click here to book.
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