147 DEREHAM ROAD, NORWICH, NR2 3TA

TEL: 01603 625593

headmaster@notredameprepschool.co.uk

www.notredameprepschool.co.uk

HEADMASTER: Rob Thornton MA

NEWSLETTER 9th July 2019 – M10

Trips to Wales

Much talked about and hugely enjoyed. Llangollen is simply beautiful and our hostel was lovely.

One week for each Prep 6 class and some fantastic outings for all. Week 2 was very different in

terms of weather but the children enjoyed each day to the full nonetheless. The children were

an absolute pleasure and many thanks to Mr McGrane, Mrs Bradbury, Mrs Potter, Mrs Johnson,

Mrs Campbell and Miss Savory for giving so much of their time. Please enjoy these links and

congratulations to Georgia for this brilliant piece of written work!

Can I write a recount of an experience?

Our third day in Llangollen was my favourite because of the white water rafting. At 7.00am it

was an immediate “get up and out of bed” situation for a delicious breakfast of jam on toast and

a rush to fit as many supplies as possible into our bag. We cheerfully set off with much time to

spare only to find that we were at the wrong activity centre, but, with a little bit of help, we

arrived on time. After about 20 minutes, we had all changed into wetsuits and buoyancy aids

and were ready for the bitter cold.

Our rafts were pushed down a hill and, after a safety brief, we were on the water. As we neared

our first waterfall (Horseshoe Falls) my heart was pounding; our instructor kept telling us to

paddle, even as we got closer. With a big push, we were down and on the rapids, bouncing from

side to side. They kept coming, but each one only lasting 10 seconds until we reached a waterfall.

All the rapids had very funny names which were dependent on what they were next to. An

example of one of them was called the Motor Museum falls.

With our stomachs spinning and fingers aching (from all the paddling) we reached a calm part in

the river and jumped into the frozen feeling of the water. Mrs Potter was pushed in and so was

Mrs Bradbury because, according to the instructor, “Over 18’s aren’t allowed to stay dry!”

“I can’t feel my fingers” I was saying, but I knew the trip was almost over.

“One more waterfall” our instructor, Targett, stated, “This one nearly scares me”.

We could all see it coming; although we couldn’t see the waterfall, just a drop. We held our

breath. We held on tight. The drop was coming nearer. My legs were trembling as we tipped

nose-down. Smiles and screams were passed round like the flu and were all, soon replaced with

laughter.

Dripping wet, we quickly got changed back into dry, warm clothes and headed to the hostel for

a delicious home-made curry by Mr Thornton. We slept well that night and were sure that we

would never forget the fun we had and the memories we had made.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/dF75abHj1kjpKDsY9 6B Day 1

https://photos.app.goo.gl/oDPWgXwyDyaQ9Y1s9 6B Day 2

https://photos.app.goo.gl/yu6F5k42im2rQc4DA 6B Day 3

https://photos.app.goo.gl/ynmxTBykyVh615np6 6B Day 4

https://photos.app.goo.gl/sWuRHyFuApBhc38R7 6B Day 5

https://photos.app.goo.gl/coa3jcNyKJPTVyaj9 6M Day 1

https://photos.app.goo.gl/3UQ1YLDoQUCoPcjR7 6M Day 2

https://photos.app.goo.gl/f3RD1jFoCN3qoTycA 6M Day 3

https://photos.app.goo.gl/7qx8jK5U5X4CTuRV6 6M Day 4

https://photos.app.goo.gl/4ymgCseaUgZdkbnv5 6M day 5

https://photos.app.goo.gl/UraSNweV8sa8Tj5n7 6M videos

6th June Prep 2 to Pizza Express

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Prep 2 had a wonderful trip to Pizza Express on St Benedict’s Street. The children were very brave

in trying a variety of different toppings such as anchovies, capers and goats cheese. We then had

a go at stretching out our own pizza dough carefully before adding a tomato base and mozzarella

cheese. The best part was tasting our creations when we got back to School! Many thanks to all

of the Mum helpers who joined us for the morning.

12th June Prep 4 to Harry Potter World

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What another amazing trip and we hope you enjoy these excellent write ups from some of the

children:

Connor

On Wednesday 12th of June, Prep 4 went on a school trip to Harry Potter Studios in Watford. It

was a great time - you see and feel how it is as a green screen. They even have a hunt and you

have to find snitches and do stamps.

We learnt how they make every Harry Potter. Did you know that Dumbledore had two different

characters playing him. There is also one more thing that did you know that Hagrid’s hut has

moved 3 times it was in one place for 2 movies for the second time for 1 movie and the last for

5 movies.

My favourite was when we went into the Forbidden Forest and we saw a centaur. When we

explored more in the Forbidden Forest we couldn’t see Aragog but then slowly Aragog came out

of the hole and other spiders from the ceiling. It was a couple more steps before we saw the

reindeer that saved Sirius Black and Harry Potter from the dementors. Another one of my

favourite parts was when we went to Gringotts bank. There were so many galleons, knuts and

sickels but they weren’t real. lt was half way through when we saw the dragon breaking out of

Gringotts that was protecting special vaults.

I was surprised by the right paper Hogwarts broken Gringotts. They were so realistic you

wouldn’t believe it that Hogwarts was made out of white paper. It was taller than an adult and

wider than 3 adults. It was great fun there. It was the best school trip ever and this book and

passport about Harry Potter Studios.

Alice

On Wednesday 12th June, Prep 4 went on a school trip to Harry Potter studios in Watford near

London.

We learnt lots of things and it was so fun. We learnt that lots and lots of people had a job to

organise everything and we saw all of the sketches that people had drawn for Hagrid’s hut and

it was so detailed. Robbie Coltrane (who played Hagrid) was six foot ten! My favourite part was

when we went into the dark smoky forbidden forest and saw lots of big models of spiders and

the spiders were made out of coconut, the green screen broomsticks, Hogwarts Express and

Diagon Alley.

I was surprised by the 3D screen with the big white dragon destroying Gringotts bank because it

was very loud and it also looked real!

I really loved Harry Potter studios and I would really love to go again so I can see things I missed.

I absolutely loved it!

Bonny

On Wednesday 12th of June Prep 4 went on an amazing school trip to Harry Potter studios in

Watford. We did all have to wake up very early to get there but I think it was definitely worth

getting up very early.

We all learnt some deep secrets and some amazing facts like Hagrid’s hut had to be moved 3

times and some of the goblins were acted by kids.

My favourite part of the school trip was everything but I really liked seeing the 3D dragon on the

screen and the Forbidden Forest.

I was very surprised by the spiders because before seeing them a person who worked there told

me that they were made of coconuts and I thought that it was funny because that a scary spider

could be a coconut!

I had a great time and if anybody else goes there I think you’ll love it like I did.

Elise

On Wednesday 12th of June 2019, Prep 4 went to Harry Potter studios in Watford as a school trip

and it was the best school trip I’d ever been on! The journey was a few hours long and we had

to arrive at school at 6.15 am, but it was worth it. We saw goblin masks, had an acting lesson

and loads more.

My favourite part was going on little carriages and using a green screen, seeing dementors. My

second favourite part was going into the Forbidden Forest feeling steam on our feet and laughing

as the school in front of us screamed because Aragog was creeping forwards and breathing fire

on the screen behind it. When the dragon breathed fire and real steam came I jumped! During

our trip we went into a classroom (which could only be accessed by 24 of the staff and none of

the visitors!) where we learnt how difficult it is to make a film.

One of the most interesting places to visit there was the mini model of Hogwarts which took 30

days and 30 people to build! Did you know that when seeing the outside of the beautiful building

of Hogwarts you’re actually seeing the outside of that model we saw that day! It was amazing

seeing Daniel Radcliffe older in each of the films and I shall never forget seeing Diagon Alley!

Another thing I’ll never forget is my school trip to Harry Potter Studios!

Prep 3 to Pensthorpe

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All of Prep 3 thoroughly enjoyed their class trip to Pensthorpe. On arrival at the park, we were

greeted by the friendly faces of our educational tour guides Alan and Mel. Before starting our

first activity, it was clear that we had already been immersed in the rich wildlife of the park

because the children had been encircled by a brace of plucky ducklings keen to say hello! Our

fun filled morning continued with an interactive discovery session about pollinators, feeding the

diverse range of birds on Mill Pond and being tickled pink by the flamingos! When we arrived at

WildRootz the children’s eyes lit up, not only because it was lunchtime but also because the

outdoor adventure play area was truly magnificent! The children all tucked into their lunches

with gusto and then spent the afternoon climbing the fabulous tree towers, whizzing down the

winding slides and navigating the various mazes and rope bridges. As the trip came to an end

both children and teachers boarded the buses with contented hearts and magical memories. A

glorious day out was had by all!

Summer Fete

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What a magnificent event this was and thank you so much to the PTA and parents for making it

so special. The use of the Dereham Road car park (enforced by our build) turned out to be a

real success and we should do this again!

First Holy Communion

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Congratulations to our First Communicants and well done too for all the hard work on Tuesday

afternoons. The children sang beautifully in the Cathedral Gardens and thank you to Mrs

Kaznowski for supporting the singing so sensitively - Mrs Kaznowski is our new SINGING

TEACHER IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN LESSONS!

Preps 3, 4, 5 and 6 Musicals

https://photos.app.goo.gl/5WwJB1RhQfninru6A

Thank you to everyone, pupils and staff, who made these evenings very special indeed. What a

perfect venue the Playhouse is!

STOP PRESS: FULL LENGTH VIDEOS ARE AVAILABLE FOR THESE SHOWS!!!

We are unable to upload them to our usual spot due to size and we are currently looking at

alternatives………..

Pr-Prep Parents High Tea

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I believe this is the first time we have held this event and how lovely it was! The children were

on top form and the refreshments were excellent. Many thanks to parents who kindly offered

gifts to Mrs Campbell and Miss Savory – this was very touching and hugely appreciated.

Prep 1 to Pensthorpe

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On Thursday 27th June, Prep 1 visited Pensthorpe Natural Park for their end of year summer trip.

On arrival we were greeted by the Education officer Allan. He taught the children all about the

process of pollination (with the help of a few volunteers) and common pollinators found at

Pensthorpe. We were shocked to learn that without pollination we wouldn’t have any of our

favourite foods – imagine breakfast time without coco pops!

We continued our day outside, feeding a huge variety of different ducks and geese. Some

children were very brave and even fed them out of their hands. They were all incredibly greedy,

our enormous buckets of duck food didn’t last long! We then walked through the beautiful

grounds to the see the cranes and flamingos. Did you know that what looks like a flamingo’s

knee is actually its ankle!

After a quick look at the lovely (but speedy) red squirrels it was time to have a well earnt break

and feed our hungry tummies. The afternoon was spent having lots and lots of fun playing on

both the fantastic indoor and outdoor play areas with a mini milk to cool us all down at the end.

Everyone agreed it was a wonderful day.

Prep 6 French Café

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Last Friday, all the Prep 6s came kitted out with stripey T-shirts, berets (if available!) and aprons for the

long-awaited French Café for which they had been practising their conversational skills.

In the morning, both classes assembled some Jus Roll croissants and pain au chocolats to be baked over

lunchtime, ready for the afternoon’s event. After lunch, Prep 6M sat down on the bistro tables and chairs

laid out on the field, while each of Prep 6B were assigned a partner to be their customer. They then

handed a menu they had made to their customer and asked, in French, what they would like. Orders were

taken and delivered while 6M made polite conversation amongst themselves – in French!

The classes then reversed roles after which they played the game “Corners” with French colours and

animals.

Fun was had by all – and the children had a “real life” experience of using their classroom learning.

Library Plea!

Please would you check your bookshelves at home to see if you have any school or class library

books as we would like them all in, in order to organise the library move into the new building.

The main school library books have stickers and numbers on the spine as well as the school stamp

inside. Meanwhile class books should also have a stamp and the name of the class inside the

front cover.

Please do take some time to check as it is crucial that we don’t lose stock – particularly the new

books ordered this year.

Toddlers to the Playbarn!

Our All Smiles Toddler Group visited the Playbarn at Poringland on Friday 21st June, and great

fun was had by all. We all enjoyed being out and about together, and playing in all of the

different areas, both inside and out. We met all of the animals, including the pigs, donkeys,

Shetland ponies, alpaca, rabbits, guinea pigs and some very agile goats!! There was plenty to

do and we all enjoyed our picnic lunch.

We returned, tired but happy in the afternoon after a real treat of a day out! Thanks to all who

helped make it so much fun.

Pre-Prep to the Dinosaur Park

Armed with a rucksack full of biscuits and water, Pre-Prep (supported by a plethora of grown-

ups) ventured off in search of dinosaurs!! Luckily, Mrs Campbell knew where some had been

spotted recently so that’s where we headed to. We all had a fantastic day searching for, and

finding, lots of different dinosaurs. We called up the rangers from their hut to tell them a T-Rex

had been spotted, but we don’t know if they heard us….. We even dug up some old bones and

enjoyed looking at the different animals in the small farm. The weather was perfect and after a

packed lunch, we had time for lots of fun on the adventure playground. We finished the day

with a very tasty ice-cream (yes – even the grown-ups had one) and arrived back at school tired

but happy. A big thank you to the staff and parents who helped on the day.

Broadland Youth Choir

Congratulations to Eve and Emilia who have been singing with the Broadland Youth Choir in a

touring production of ‘Joseph and his technicolour dreamcoat’ at Ipswich Regent Theatre.

Wefeel so proud that your talents are enjoyed by more than just us at school - well done!

Sports Day at The UEA

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The weather was kind, and the children were on all top form, with younger children attending

the UEA for the first time. Apologies for the PA system being intermittent but the children all

had a thoroughly entertaining afternoon. HUGE thanks to parents who were sporting (!) enough

to take on the children in the 4 x 100 metres realy. This was very impressive and you were all

pretty decent too!

Animals from Notcutts!

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Caterpillars and Butterflies Nursery children enjoyed a visit from the pet section of Notcutts

Garden Centre. The pets they brought along included Hissing Cockroaches, Tortoises, Guinea

Pigs, Stick Insects and Lionhead Rabbits. The children were allowed to handle the Rabbits, Guinea

Pigs and Tortoises which they all loved doing. Thank you to Notcutts for providing an exciting

experience. We also had a wonderful picnic in the afternoon sunshine

EYFS Sports Day

Friday saw the annual EYFS Sports Day but this year with a few changes to the races. The children

had all been working extremely hard in preparation for the day under the guidance of Mr Arregui,

whose hard work and positivity ensured the day was a happy experience for all. It was lovely

to see so many parents and friends supporting the children, encouraging and cheering on all the

runners. The races included some classics – the sprint race is always a firm favourite, and the

reintroduction of some old favourites. I think I speak for all involved when I say that the hobby

horse race was a complete joy to watch; such enthusiasm from the children who were clearly

having a fantastic time. All the children showed excellent sportsmanship, cheering on their

friends and offering to run with younger children. We were supported on the day by P5 who did

an excellent job of helping to set up the races and encouraging the children to participate and a

particular mention for Daisy and Oscar for their excellent commentating throughout the

afternoon. The event finished with a lively egg and spoon race involving staff and parents – no

one actually knows who won but everyone had fun taking part nonetheless! Mrs Warne had

arranged refreshments for the afternoon and the cakes that were provided by our kitchen were

very much enjoyed.

A huge thank you to all the staff for their tremendous efforts on the day but in particular to Mr

Arregui for his passion and hard work!

Preps 6 to The Globe Theatre

Last Friday, the two Prep 6 classes ended their work on Shakespeare with an exciting visit to The

Globe Theatre in London. After an early start and smooth journey down, we arrived on the South

Bank ready for our storytelling session of A Midsummer Night’s Dream which was in a cosy Globe-

like auditorium at the Sam Wanamaker Theatre. The one-man show was incredible. We were the

only audience so we each sat either side of the stage so that the children could be including in

the performance. A brilliant, incredibly versatile actor acted out a funny, energetic retelling of

the play and gave the children lines with which to join in. The children were clearly enjoying

themselves judging by the enthusiasm of participation, and the Shakespearean lines were

particularly appreciated by 6B (who had performed the play at the Playhouse) who joined in with

some lines impressing both the teachers and the actor!

Following this, we were taken into the recreated Globe theatre itself and given a guided tour of

the theatre and a very informative talk about theatre in Shakespeare’s times.

A picnic lunch on the banks of the Thames was followed by a visit to some of the permanent

exhibits in the Tate Modern art gallery. We headed for the Bridget Rileys as Prep 6 had studied

Op art this term seeing some Picasso, Mondrian and other artists we have learned about over

the years along the way.

All in all a wonderful cultural end to the year – and hopefully a tantalising introduction to

Shakespeare ready for High school.

Prize Giving

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We do hope the change of venue went down well! The cathedral setting added a sense of

importance to this occasion and we feel very proud of ALL our leavers. Many thanks to Mrs

Harsley for some more fabulous singing and to our SMT for making this run so smoothly. We

wish all of our Prep 6 children the best for Year 7 and beyond and implore them to keep in touch!

End of Year Disco

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Monday 8th July saw the return of the most eagerly anticipated night of the year – the school

disco! Outfits were glittery, swishing and oh-so-cool, and the dance moves- exceptional. Boys

and girls faced each other for a dance off; we saw the worm performed with utmost skill and a

fierce determination from the girls to ‘Shake it Off’. Foam rained down on the dancers with their

arms facing the sky and their feet bouncing from the floor. There was even a slow dance or two;

but I’m sworn to secrecy as to who danced with who….!

Goodbyes and felicitations…

It would be difficult to estimate how many young people have benefitted from the care and

attention received from Mrs Oakley and Miss Adcock over the years. Suffice to say that we as a

school are enormously grateful. We wish Mrs Oakley all the very best at Town Close and Miss

Adcock, as she starts her final year of training to be a qualified teacher. Congratulations to Miss

Houlding too, who will arrive in September as Mrs Sanders! We all wish you a perfect day!

Thank you all for your support this year and do happy a fantastic

summer break! We are looking forward to seeing you on Thursday 5th

September…

PLEASE DO NOT REPLY TO THIS EMAIL - USE THE CONTACT EMAILS BELOW FOR

CORRESPONDENCE

Headmaster Rob Thornton headmaster@notredameprepschool.co.uk

Deputy Head Louise Campbell deputypastoral@notredameprepschool.co.uk

(Pastoral)

Deputy Head Kim Laudan deputyacademic@notredameprepschool.co.uk

(Academic)

Bursar Alli Warne bursar@notredameprepschool.co.uk

Secretary Elisa Moore secretary@notredameprepschool.co.uk