Spring in the Pre-Prep

There is much excitement in Pre-Prep at the moment: we are counting down to 'H' Day! 21 days from when we carefully set 21 eggs in the incubator in Class 2BW we hope to watch chicks hatch out. Chloe Edwards from the Upper School has also been a frequent visitor to check on the progress in the incubator as she was kind enough to bring us eggs from her home. This is all part of Year 2's Topic on their environment and their Science Project on The Animal Kingdom.
The outings this term have been great fun. Reception went to Sainsbury's for their topic on food. I believe they returned laden with hot cross buns! Mmmmm! I have just visited their classroom and they are designing their own topping for pizzas for when they go on their second outing to Pizza Express! Everyone is queuing up to be in Reception!

Year 1 children visited Aston Pottery in their quest to investigate materials and their properties and they are to visit the Botanic Gardens in Oxford as part of their project on growing things.

Meanwhile Year 2 classes spent a very cold day at the Cotswold Farm Park - cold for us, lovely for the penguins! They spent a wonderful day investigating animals and their habitats from all over the world and were fascinated by the huge variety of exotic birds to be seen there. I cannot decide if my favourites were the Meercat family squabbling over the meal worms or the impressive Indian Horn Bill with what looked like an enormous banana on his head!

Many thanks go to The Reverend Sally Welch for inviting Year 2 to Buckland Church. Her talk was fascinating and we were able to explore the beautiful interior and see the wonderful stained glass windows, which include one depicting our own St Hugh.
As always, it is lovely to visit all the classrooms and see the enormous variety of art work which is carried out: collage cockerels and golden fields of corn; glorious painted sunrises; soft pastel drawings of hens from life, and Monet inspired meadows; bird's-eye views and maps of our school; marvellous clay models of birds and animals; marbling; symmetry: there is so much going on!
Our Friday class assemblies are also a delight. Each class teacher and her children devise an assembly on a theme and we invite the Headmaster, Mr Nott, to present the Gold Awards at the start, and to watch the proceedings.
Reception children entertained us with acting out Nursery Rhymes and we were visited by a fearsome dragon for Chinese New Year! Mrs Bown's class had a serious message to tell us about caring for our world and Class 1AL celebrated the winter season and the first signs of spring.
Mrs Bown has been very busy with her gym club preparing for the gym display.

All the children in Pre-Prep have worked hard all term to put on a good show. Mrs Rachel Cartwright has done a magnificent job on our library. We are extremely grateful for all her hard work and dedication. We now look forward to Easter and the warmer weather, and the chance to spend more time out of doors.
                                                                               SCW

Pre-Prep Bears

The Pre-Prep Bears are called Humphrey & Wilberforce and they have a weekend bag full of clothes and a toothbrush! The children are encouraged to take photographs and write a brief diary of their adventures for the display board and website and during Mrs Blythe's and Mrs Lings' weekly assembly, the children who have taken the bears home are invited to come and tell everyone about their weekend.

Click below to view Humphrey and Wilberforce's latest adventures

Molly Gibbard's Diary

Thomas Isaacs' Diary

Sid Mitchell's Diary