Newton Prep

Fri, Jul 2nd 2010 – Newton News

From the Headmaster

PTA Summer Fair

On behalf of all those who attended and hugely enjoyed this year's Summer Fair, may I thank and congratulate all those people who worked so hard to make it such a success.  As far as I could tell through the smoke and haze of the barbecue, a good time was had by all.

Leavers' Disco

If you have received an invitation to the Leavers' Disco and the Drinks Party for the Parents of Leavers, please confirm that you are attending as soon as possible by emailing Emily Lamb, my PA, on hmpa@newtonprep.co.uk

Leavers - remember to bring your iPods, indelibly marked with your name, so that the DJ can play your favourite dance tunes.

End of Term

Term ends on Thursday 8^th July.  Lower School children should be collected from their classrooms between Noon and 12.15 pm.  Upper School children will be dismissed from the All Weather Pitch between 12.15 and 12.30 pm.  Parents are advised to park away from school if at all possible.  The Pagden Street drive-through and the parent car park will be open; Lockington Road is likely to become congested.  Plenty of parking is available in the trading estate and on Prince of Wales Drive.

Leavers' Assembly and Prize Giving

11.15 am in the Auditorium

Parents of Leavers in Years 6 and 8 are invited to attend this occasion.  The parents of prize winners in other years will be invited as soon as we have identified this year's winners!  The Guest of Honour will be Mrs Jill Aisher, Deputy Head.

Holiday Communications

Over the holiday, parents will receive several mailings, starting with the children's end of term reports.  Later in the holiday, parents will receive an up-date on the building project and details of next year's parking arrangements when we have a clearer idea of time scales.  Parents will also receive a Report on the School Year.

To All Our Readers

May I wish all readers of Newton News ‘a very happy and relaxing holiday'.  To those leaving Newton Prep, staff and pupils, all good wishes for the future.

Nicholas Allen

Handwriting Hospital

This week is the final week of Handwriting Hospital. We will send you more information on next year's Handwriting Hospital in the Autumn Term.

Kerry Collins

Lower School Sports Day

We very much look forward to seeing you at our Lower School Sports Day on Tuesday.  Our parent car park will be left open during the day for you to use should you need to bring your car. 

Reception 2010- 2011 (Current Nursery)

Parents of all children who will be starting school in September are welcome to make an appointment with their child's new class teacher on one of the afternoons during the first three days of next term (when the pupils will be staying for just mornings).  Appointments will be available on the afternoons of Wednesday 8th, Thursday 9th and Friday 10th September between 14:15 and 16:30 on each of those afternoons.  The appointments are simply to provide you with the opportunity to meet your child's class teacher individually and to ask any questions you may have. The appointments are entirely optional and you may wish to wait until later in the term to meet with your child's teacher at parents evening which is usually held in October.

If you wish to make an appointment for the start of term, sign up sheets will be available in the Reception corridor all day on Monday 5th July, when you may also pop in to meet your child's new teacher after school.  Class lists for September 2010 are being sent home today, Friday 2nd July.

Victoria Goodson

Head of Lower School

Music Lessons Autumn 2010

Yes, it may seem a lifetime away, but the sooner lesson requests are received, the less likely your child is to miss out!

Information and lesson contracts may now be found in the letters/forms section of the website for you to download and fill out, or alternatively, you will receive copies in the Summer break mail-out.  Please sign a copy, and deliver or send them to Reception for the attention of Anna Miller.  Existing music students who plan to continue must also have a contract signed for the new academic year.

Year 1 and 2 Strings Programmes

Current Reception and Year 1 children are all eligible to join the Strings Programmes, which are fantastic music-making opportunities created especially for our young musicians. Places are limited, so please find the information you need and forms to fill in the forms/letters section of the website, and return as soon as possible to Mrs Anna Miller, via Reception.  Please note that you do not need to send in an additional general music lesson contract if you fill in a Strings Programme contract.

Anna Miller

Roman Mosaic Project

All the children who study Classics took part in the Roman Mosaic Project, working with a mosaic artist to create an original Roman style design incorporating the children's art work. Over two days children came in small groups to work on areas of the mosaic which they found fun and therapeutic. Nathalie Vin and her assistant Monica were very happy with the result and had themselves put in a lot of preparatory work to cut the pieces to the required sizes. Congratulations to the following children whose designs were incorporated into the panel: David Kemp,  Karim Saddedine, Tomasz Czerniawski, Faye Saulsbury, Allegra Simpson, Teddy Blackburn, Natasha Curtis and Ella Kitchener. The whole represents the sum of Newton Prep: academic, cultural, physical and aesthetic. You can see the mosaic outside the auditorium on the third floor.

Jill Aisher

Green Day

Congratulations to all involved in Green Day. The selection of recycled hats with messages was quite stupendous ! Certificates galore will be awarded in the final celebration assemblies. It was really hard to choose just one winner in each category in each school. We could have chosen many. However overall winners in both schools were:

Funniest - Christian Hopper 3LE + Matthew Wilkinson RBJ

Most inventive- Ben Stanley 4CB + Poppy Maxwell 2CM

Most stylish - Heloise Gougeon 4CB + Olivia Ipkendanz 1RJ

Best use of recycled materials Lucia Basterra  5WL + George Kitchener 1RJ

Best message Rachel Marston 5VA + Lily Thornham 1KC

During the day all sorts of things were happening to reinforce the green message, No worksheets and a recycling assembly in LS, a Big Tidy Up at lunch time where we found 12 bags of rubbish in Lockington Road alone and we left a lot behind when we had to return to afternoon school. Half a lorry load of recycled clothing was taken away by Phil the Bag and we wait to hear what the weight was and how much money we will have raised for charity. Thank you to everyone who brought bags in. There was a mountain, a very visual reminder of how much rubbish we are often throwing away. With the generous support of Peter Jones we were able to give away organic cotton bags and trade them for revolting plastic ones in the Millennium hall. Upper school children experienced all the green themed lessons that we wrote about a few weeks back in Newton News and were encouraged to log on to a website called We are what we do where they can track small actions that make big changes . It has loads of ideas for helping families to change small things and make a big difference and some very interesting maths that works out the total effect of each person's life choices. Find out more by logging on to www.wearewhatwedo.org

Internet Safety Education

With the advent of the long summer break and plenty of free time for children to do what they want we have shared some basic rules about keeping safe online with all pupils in years 3-7 this week. Parents may find it helpful to spend some more time with their children exploring the website we have been accessing with them here:  www.thinkuknow.co.uk

We have looked at what personal information children should and should not use on personal profiles online, using a fun comic strip quiz in the Cybercafé section and watched a movie that is only available to teachers exploring the dangers of strangers getting access to personal  information. There is much more information that they may wish to explore about gaming, texting, cyberbullying, chatrooms, and grooming.  The website is divided into age appropriate sections and there is an excellent part for parents where you can take a test to see how savvy you are, register for safety updates, report abuse on behalf of a child, and download a pod cast just for you. I cannot recommend this site too highly. It is government funded and a lot of the material is first class.

The Library Ladies

Have you ever come to the library on a Wednesday morning after drop-off? If not, you've missed an integral part of life at Newton Prep. The library hums with activity, as the busy hands of a qui et, unassuming group of ladies fly over piles of books, neatly covering them, and leaving them ready for issuing to eager borrowers. As a result, our books stay in good condition; even though they are issued to many different children, travel to school and back to homes and even go on holidays with families.

My very sincere thanks once again to Christine Zeghibe, Suzi Noetzel, Polly Moon, Margo Schwartz, Polly Freeman, Rachel Chetwood, Pippa Sidney-Woollet, Jackie Bektas, Michelle Phillips, Lisa Parker and the newly-formed Friday afternoon group (yes, we're growing!) for their help and support. And also to lovely Claire Keegan, who so kindly ensures that we never have dry throats.

Nelia Beyers

Medical Room

Just a reminder to pick-up any medicines from the Medical Room on the last day of term if needed or if pupils are leaving.  If not they will be in storage for September. I will also inform parents in August of any medicines needing to be replaced due to expiry dates. Many thanks.

Kellie Bloomfield

Creative Writing Competition

Following last week's Newton News, here is a picture of Henrietta Charnley (please see picture in the emailed version of Newton News) collecting her prize at the Lavender Hill Festival with the Mayor and the new MP for Battersea, Jane Ellison.

The English Dept

Y4 Open Air Theatre Trip to Regent's Park

On Tuesday the 29^th of June, the whole of Year 4 along with Mrs Biran, Mrs Schindler, Miss Saunders, Mrs Beyers and Miss Nouch went to Regent's Park Open Air Theatre to watch a play called "A Comedy of Errors" by William Shakespeare. At first we had out lessons as normal but when the afternoon came, we went down to the Millennium Hall after lunch. Soon the coach arrived and we were off!

When we were in Regent' Park, it was very sunny and there were lots of birds tweeting. We got to the theatre and it was MASSIVE! In the middle was a fairly big stage with the seats around it. It was very high and I was sitting in the highest seats in the shade (luckily). The people in the sun looked boiling; nearly all of them were fanning them selves with bits of paper!

The play was very funny and I laughed a lot! In the interval we all had ice-cream (which was very yummy!) and there were choices of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, and I choose chocolate.

At the end of the pay they had some music on and all of the actors bowed. We left when most people had gone so it wouldn't be too busy. Then we lined up with the rest of tour form, and walked to the coach.

When we were back at school we waited in the Millennium Hall for our parents to collect us. It was a really great day and I really enjoyed it!

Lucy May Latus (4MB)

Message from Our Tennis Coach:  News of a Tennis Camp Y1-4

I am pleased to say that there will be a Crazy about Tennis camp this Summer, for children in years 1-4, at Battersea Park. All the classes will be full of innovative games which are fun and fast moving, teaching children the fundamentals at an early age, while helping players improve their co-ordination and agility, which is great for all sports.

The camp will take place from Monday 2^nd to Thursday 5^th August, between 10-12 midday and 1-3 pm (players can stay for the lunch hour). Children are welcome to join for the week, single days, or individual two hour lessons.

Monday - Thursday, from 10-12 am, or, 1-3 pm will cost £60; Monday - Thursday, from 10 - 3 pm will cost £120; individual two hour lessons will cost £15. To maintain the level of coaching there will be a limited number of spaces that will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis.

To sign-up please email luke.bedford@crazyabouttennis.eu, or call 07704 928 497.

Luke Bedford

Peripatetic Tennis Teacher

In the Dining Room