From the Head

From the Head of Pre-Prep

Dear Parents,

Another busy week has ended with photographs of all the children in the school and a lot of the staff. This is a military operation; well done, Mr Wiseman. Thank you to all the staff who organised the children.

This week we have run two parent workshops about English and Phonics. We have got through masses of flu immunisations and learnt what we need to bring in for Harvest to help out the foodbank. Any donations of food and toiletries are acceptable however, pasta, tea and cereals are given in generous amounts by the major supermarkets, so Swanley foodbank doesn’t need these items.

Next week we have Open Morning on Wednesday 4^th October for any prospective parents. If you know of any parents who are looking for a school, please pass on our Admissions details or guide them to our website.

On Thursday 5^th October, Kindergarten parents are welcome to join us in the Dining Room at 8.45am for a Phonics Workshop. Coffee will be available from 8.30am. Come and find out how we start your child on the journey to reading.

On Friday 6^th October the children will have a Harvest Assembly. Please send your donations in before Friday if possible as the foodbank picks up after the assembly. Any bags or boxes with food and toiletries are welcome.

I have enjoyed going swimming with the Year 1s this week but I still need more practise at getting the swimming hats onto children’s heads! Burying conkers in playdoh with Nursery and running Doh-Disco with Reception have also been some of my highlights.

For my regular paragraph on parking; please park considerately. I know parking spaces are tight but parking over the lines does cause problems for subsequent parent arrivals. Please also note that there is a one-way system around the car park so please follow the arrows.

Overheard in Pre-Prep: Teaching a Religious Studies lesson about Christianity the children were looking at a picture of Jesus with bread and wine. 

Child: "Oh! that makes sense now, my daddy must love Jesus because he’s always drinking red wine!"

Have a lovely weekend,

Zerrin Leech

We are delighted to welcome the below individuals to St Michael's:

Nick Skelly - Governor

Nick is an ex-parent, his children attended St Michael's Prep School from Nursery through to Prep. He is a keen golfer and enjoys spending his free time on the course. Nick has worked in the construction industry for 27 years as a chartered quantity surveyor. He is highly skilled in his profession and has a wealth of experience in managing construction projects. Nick is a dedicated professional who takes pride in his work and is committed to delivering high-quality results.

Jonathon Shea - PE Teacher 

Jonathan (or Joffie to most) enjoys everything sport oriented, but football is his main passion, having earned his UEFA B Licence and playing at a semi-professional level for multiple teams in the area, currently playing at Tunbridge Wells FC. Joffie is proud to have built and managed the local NextGen football academy over the previous 7 years, which offers young players that are serious about self-improvement the opportunity and support to do just that, if you want to know more, please ask him! Joffie is a keen golfer and is always up for a round of golf. He is particularly happy on the golf course, playing and generally beating Mr Brightman. Mr Shea is excited to start working at St Michael’s, to help the pupils learn and grow through sport and activity.

Amy H for writing an excellent book, Arfer's Great Adventure

Kim V for showing great enthusiasm and determination in matches  

Players of the Match - week commencing 25th September

Congratulations to Hugo M who has recently been awarded a distinction for his ABRSM Grade 3 Piano Performance exam.

There are still spaces available in our Prep Percussion Group which this term will be a Samba Band. No previous experience is necessary and any children interested should come to the Music Rooms at 10.45am breaktime on Fridays.    

Need some reading inspiration?

A reminder that we have an account with 'Who Next?: A Guide to Children's Authors' which helps children read more widely by suggesting authors they might enjoy. You can search by author, book title, age group, theme and also by other options such as graphic novels and books published by specialist dyslexia publisher Barrington Stoke. You can access the school's 'Who Next?' account by clicking directly on the link below:

An Introduction to Who Next...? - Who Next...? from Fiction Explorer Ltd (whonextguide.com)

http://www.whonextguide.com/access/StMichaelsPrepSchool​

Open Library on Wednesday afternoons

The Prep Library is open after school on Wednesdays between 4pm and 5pm. All Prep and Pre-Prep children are very welcome, although they must be accompanied by an adult. Please come along to sign out and return library books, use reference books to complete homework tasks or take part in different weekly activities such as wordsearches, colouring and book treasure hunts. Tea, coffee, water/squash and cake are also on offer. There is no need to book in advance and you are welcome to drop by at any time or stay for the full hour. Please enter through the front door of the Prep building, which will be unlocked. There is no need to sign in at reception. The library is also open to the children every break and lunchtime during the school day. Children are allowed take out up to three library books for three weeks at a time.

Mrs Andrade, Mrs Yarrow and Mrs Medd

A Message from the Deputy Head

Smart Watches

A reminder to parents that smart watches are strictly forbidden, for safeguarding reasons. We understand that different makes and models have different features, but it is not possible for staff to recognise what each does just from the exterior, when they all look very much alike.

National Black History Month Poetry Competition 2023

We are pleased to share details of the 2023 National Black History Month Poetry Competition below:

This competition is a way to honour the amazing achievements and contributions of black women in various fields – from literature, music, science, politics, and social care to campaigners, nurses, and everyday heroes who have made a difference. They want you to learn about and celebrate black women who have made significant contributions in various fields. You can submit a poem about a pioneering black woman who has made an impact in their chosen field, explaining why she is an inspiration to you. The poems don’t have to be about famous people; they can be about members of your family, women who have inspired you in your community, or even about you. All poems will be judged by a panel made up of experts from the world of poetry and literature, who will consider creativity, originality, and relevance to the competition theme. The judges will be looking for poems that capture the spirit of Black History Month and celebrate the achievements and contributions of black women. The competition is open to primary, secondary, college, and university students across the UK, and there will be separate categories for each level.

The competition will be judged by a panel of experts in literature and poetry, with winners announced on World Poetry Day which is celebrated on 21st March 2024.  To enter the competition, all you have to do is submit your poem here by the deadline of Wednesday 15th November 2023.

European Day of Languages

On Tuesday, along with thousands of other schools in the UK and Europe, we celebrated European Day of Languages. A day that is designed to encourage language learning across Europe. Prep pupils came wearing accessories and attended an Assembly run by 6P, during which they realised that they were already well versed in multiple languages thanks to cognate words. They also had the chance to do a warm up in Spanish before attending their lessons. Teachers greeted them in many languages such as German, Croatian and Arabic; pupils definitely tested their languages skills! For a snack we ate pretzels and for lunch, our cooks prepared food from Italy, Greece and Spain.

It was delicious! Let's do it again next year!

Bis bald/à bientôt/see you soon.

The Languages Department 

Highlights video:

Please click here to watch.

European Day of Languages Competition Winners

Congratulations to Amelia A (Year 8) and Tom B (Year 3) for winning the 'why we learn languages' poster competition.

These are the amazing entries that we received for the competition:

Giggles galore have been had in The Hive this week as feet and hands have been painted black to make cheeky crows for our scarecrow display. In the Breakfast Club, yummy flavoured milkshakes have been enjoyed, along with various card games and foosball matches.

To book either the Breakfast Club or The Hive please contact The Hive Manager Nicky Smith at wraparoundcare@stmichaels.kent.sch.uk.

Elizabeth named Player of the Season

Congratulations to Elizabeth in Year 6 for being named the U10s girls' Player of the Season by Knole Park Hockey Club. Keep up the amazing hockey, Elizabeth!

Toluwa is Man of the Match

Well done to Toluwa in Year 7 for winning Man of the Match in his recent game against Kingsdale Orange with his football club Halls AFC. Toluwa scored 3 goals and assisted 3, leading Halls AFC to an impressive 9-2 victory. Keep it up, Toluwa!

Finlay wins sliver at Gymnastics Regional Final

Last weekend, Finlay in Year 6 represented London at the Gymnastics Regional Finals in Birmingham. He competed in the U13 category and came away with a silver medal. What an incredible performance. Well done, we are very proud of you and cannot wait to hear what you achieve next. A video of his winning tumble can be found here. 

Charlie and Jessica's Karate Success

Congratulations to Charlie C in Year 2 and Jessica C in Year 1 for passing their karate grading last weekend and earning their next belts. They are clearly both working so hard in their karate sessions.

Send us your stories!

Has your child won an award, passed an extra-curricular exam or accomplished something exciting recently? We love celebrating our pupils’ amazing achievements and want to showcase them in our weekly newsletter. Email tusher@stmichaels.kent.sch.uk to submit your child’s achievement.

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