Prep Newsletter Friday

26th February 2016

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Dear Parents,

Over the next few months we will be bringing you up to date news of our

redevelopment project, of which much has happened over the last few

years.

The next phase is particularly exciting for the Prep School, as we will be

leaving Hillbrow (where Reception, Year 1 and 2 are currently housed)

and the Merry Hill site (where our Years 3 - 6 are), to move into the newly

developed former Lower School building. This was built in the 1920s

and more recently housed the Lower School (Years 7 - 9) until they

moved into the newly built Humanities Hub in September 2014.

This week our Bursar, Dr Young answers questions about the financial

and logistical aspects of the move of the Prep School.

1. What facilities will be improved?

* The playground will have a soft play floor.

* Toilets will be an integral aspect of the Reception classrooms.

* Improved Science and Art provision.

* Large library.

* Large, better presented classrooms.

2. When will it be ready?

We are increasingly confident that the programme for completion will be

met. Of course, the British weather will play a part, as will the discovery

of unexpected things underground. I think we should start to move into

the new building by the middle of August and the new kitchen and Dining

Room at the beginning of September.

3. How will I drop off my daughter and pick her up?

Drop off arrangements and times will be communicated more formally in

a few months but for now.... the current entrance to the Senior School

from Merry Hill Road will remain our main entrance. The current exit

however will be the new coach entrance.

On driving through the current entrance, vehicles will turn right in front

of 'The Lodge' and through what is currently the sixth form car park to a

new drop-off zone within the new car park. Parents of Reception age

girls will have their own arrangements next to the Reception classrooms,

but all others from Years 1 to 13 will be expected not to linger in the new

car park but to 'kiss and drop'. There will be staff on duty outside to greet

and there will be a line of sight from the drop-off zone to the new building

entrance.

4. Will there be a Dining Room in the building?

All girls will eat in the totally refurbished School Dining Room, situated in

the main School building. It has been designed to suit girls of all ages

and even has a toilet right by the new entrance. In this way the quality

and range of food will be consistent throughout St Margaret's.

Dress up as your favourite book character (Friday 4th) This is always

greeted with huge enthusiasm. Throughout the week there will be a

number of book related activities to celebrate World Book Week. These

include: making a book, designing a book jacket, writing a book review,

sharing a favourite book from when little and teachers reading an

excerpt from their favourite childhood book in assembly.

Before Friday please would you help your daughter to select her

favourite book from when she was little and discuss with her why she

likes the book. She could also prepare an excerpt to read to her class.

On the Friday all of the children will have the opportunity to share their

favourite book with others.

Costume - dress up as your favourite book character - please do not buy

anything especially for this event. In the 12.02.16 Newsletter I suggested

a variety of websites to help with costume ideas.

St David’s Day (Tuesday 1st) celebrates the patron of Wales,

falling annually on 1 March was chosen in remembrance of

the death of Saint David in 569. On Tuesday those girls who

belong to Rainbows, Brownies, Guides, Beavers, Cubs or

Scouts may wear their uniform in celebration of this special

day.

5. How much will the redevelopment cost?

The works enable us to vacate the current buildings by providing

improved facilities elsewhere on the School site. Over the last couple of

years we have opened the new Performing Arts Studio, the new

Humanities hub and a new Sixth Form centre, which have cost about

£2.5m. The refurbishment and rebuilding of the former Lower School

Building, along with the associated changes to our car parks, road

layouts and landscaping will cost a further £5.5m.

Spelling Bee (Wednesday 2nd) Throughout this week every

girl from Reception to Year 6 has been tested on the

spellings they were learning during half term. Those in

Years 3 - 6 with the highest scores will go through to the

semi-final and then the highest scorers into the final. Last

year there was huge excitement and collaboration as friends

were helping and testing the finalists before the event.

Next Week

Mother’s Day assembly (Tuesday 8th) This special

event will take place in the Senior School Hall at

14:30. Please would you park in the Sports Centre

car park and walk over to the hall. Please do not

arrive until 14:15 as you will not be able to enter

the hall before due to another event. Before the

children present their assembly Mrs Hardy will be

giving a short talk to parents. At the end of the

assembly you may collect your daughter from the

Lower Prep/Upper Prep as usual. All After School

Activities and the After School Club will run as

usual.

500 Words competition A number of girls from Year 2 - 6 entered this

competition. We are eagerly awaiting to discover if any have won a place

in the semi-final.

WE ARE COLLECTING

SAINSBURYS

VOUCHERS, PLEASE

POST YOUR

VOUCHERS IN THE

UPPER PREP OFFICE

OR LOWER PREP

POSTBOX. THANK

YOU!

Sainsbury’s Vouchers Angel in Year 6 and her team of willing helpers are

counting the donated vouchers each week. They have produced posters

to encourage as many vouchers to be donated as possible because they

have worked out what they would like to buy from the Sainsbury’s Active

Kids voucher booklet. Currently we have 86 vouchers and would like in

excess 4000! The vouchers can be popped into the Lower Prep post box

in the entrance hall or the Upper Prep office.

LIFT SHARE

If there is any parent who

can help lift share in the

HA4 postcode area please

contact the Prep Office.

prepoffice@smbushey.co

m

Mrs C Aisthorpe

Head of St. Margaret’s Preparatory School

Congratulations Lower Prep Star of the Week

(last week)

Reception: Tara Year 1: Lauren

Year 2: Karisma

Commendation

CONGRATULATIONS to…

Isabel (Y4) Milly (Y4) Iman (Y4)

Anaya (Y4) Remi (Y4) Lili (Y4)

Anna (Y4) Katie (Y6)

Camille (Y6) Marina (Y6)

We have a number of trips out of school this half term to consolidate and

extend the children’s skills and knowledge of an area of the curriculum.

Year 3 Verulamium to learn more about the Romans

Year 4 Clay Lane Waterworks to participate in a variety of activities

and investigations relating to the Science topic on water.

Year 5 St Albans Abbey to learn more about the Victorians and to have

a Victorian classroom experience.

Year 6 The Lincolnsfield Centre to participate in activities and an

experience of what it was like in the 2nd World War.

Certificate

CONGRATULATIONS to… Kitty (Y3)

Grace (Y3) Nikita (Y6)

Congratulations

Tabitha (Y1) Green Mouse ski badge and certificate

Iman (Y4) ABRSM Grade 1 Violin

Elif (Y5) ABRSM Grade 1 Flute (merit)

Anjali (Y6) Grade 2 Violin

March

29th Feb -

4th

Prep School World Book Week

1st

St David’s Day- girls may come to school wearing their Rainbow/Brownies/Guides/Beavers/Cubs/ Scouts uniform.

1st Year 6 visit to Lincolnsfield Centre (school uniform)

2nd 13:30-14:00 Upper Prep Inter House Spelling Bee

3rd Year 5 visit to St Albans Abbey

4th Prep School “Dress up as your favourite book character”

7th 16:15-17:20 Years 5 & 6 Netball v St Hilda’s (Home)

8th 14:30-15:30 Mother’s Day Assembly, Senior School Hall

10th Lower Prep Environmental Day

16th Year 4 visit to Water Works

17th-18th

LAMDA exams

22nd 15:30-20:00 Rec – Year 6 - Parents’ Evening

24th

Prep School Mufti Day “Swap Day” What profession would you like to be in when you are an adult? Come to school dressed for this job.

24th 14:00 Term Ends

April

12th Summer Term begins

Dates

prepoffice@smbushey.com 020 8416 4501 (08:00-13:30)

Reception

“

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This week we learnt how to add numbers

by counting on a numberline. We made

our very own numberline with magic jewels and used it to

do addition sums.

Year 1

“

This week Year 1

have begun learning

about Florence

Nightingale and how

she helped to

improve nursing. The

children have been

considering how

hospitals are

different now and

how Florence

Nightingale

contributed to these

changes. We are

looking forward to

learning more about

her life this half term.

Year 2 and Year 6

“

Feel The Force!

Year 2 and Year 6 have been experimenting with magnetism.

Year 2 completed 6 rounds of a magnet circus where they had a

different challenge at each table, trying to find out about the

properties of magnets. They quickly worked out that opposite

poles attract and like poles repel. Which items can be picked up

by a magnet? Which is the strongest magnet? Does a magnet

work through different materials? Meanwhile Year 6 were

designing magnetic games and showing that they had

remembered what they had learnt 4 years ago! Some of their

ideas were incredibly creative and they showed meticulous

attention to detail. They then did a consumer test by playing each

other’s games to see if any improvements could be made. Look

out for them coming soon to a toy store near you!

Year 3

“

Year 3 have been learning about

food in Roman times and they

have made menus for a feast.

Some of the food that was eaten

was similar to what we eat today

but the Romans also ate many

things that are unusual for us.

At a feast you may have eaten

roast dormice, jellyfish, patina of

brains, sea urchins, ostrich and

flamingo! Some of the things

would have been seasoned with

fish sauce. The Romans loved it

and it was imported into Britain.

At Verulamium Museum there is a

pot which has been found which

contained fish sauce 2,000 years

ago!

A feast would have been an

exciting event and there was

usually entertainment for the

guests too. However, eating lying

on couches must have been

rather difficult.

Year 3

Year 4

“

Year 4 Geography

In Geography Year 4

learnt about the

continents. They used

their ICT skills to

create a PowerPoint

on a given continent

and shared it with the

class.

Year

As part of our work in History t, the girls have been

researching famous Victorians. Every girl chose a different

character and there was a very wide selection ranging from

John Cadbury to Florence Nightingale. The girls have not all

presented their slide shows as yet but the ones we have

seen so far have been packed with information. The girls

have used very creative ways to make their presentations

interesting, informative and enjoyable.

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