Dear parents
It has been a busy time in the Pre-prep assemblies, our oldest children have written and performed class assemblies, we have discussed how to look after our mental health on World Mental Health Day and had the first in our series of Inspire and Guide assemblies.
Last week the Year 2 classes delighted their audiences with a summary of their learning this term. Sharing key messages about looking after the environment both our City and Madingley children spoke confidently and with enthusiasm to their parents and the rest of the Pre-prep. A memorable moment in each assembly was the autumnal woodland songs the children performed. They really encapsulated the change of season we are experiencing during our Pre-prep playtimes and outdoor learning.
Another seasonal event took place at the end of the week as the Pre-prep children celebrated harvest. Each class shared their interpretation of harvest during the assembly, Reception sang a song about the machinery used during harvest time and Year 1 displayed their art painted with natural objects such as conkers, sticks and leaves. Thank you to all of our Pre-prep families for the generous harvest food donations we were able to fill many crates for Jimmy’s Night Shelter.
In the World Mental Health Day assembly the children shared their ideas on how to keep our brain healthy. Lucien decided that a balanced diet was important. ‘Plenty of sleep’ and ’learning new things to keep your brain busy’ were also suggested. The children then considered how to keep their thoughts healthy and positive and shared strategies for coping with negative thoughts. Sophie thought you should lie down in a quiet, dark room to help you feel calm and Ronit said you should think about things that make you happy. Aniket decided meditation could help and Isobel and Hadrian thought that listening to happy music would help stop negative thoughts. At such a young age the children are developing a sense of their wellbeing and how to look after themselves.
Finally this week the children have been inspired by members of our staff, Mrs A and Miss Sakol shared their experience of a physical and mental challenge and how they had to prepare for these challenges and what it felt like once they had achieved their goals. The children had some excellent questions for the staff and were inspired to tackle their own mental and physical challenges. If any of our parents have an inspiring experience that they would like to share with the children please do speak to your child’s classteacher.
I wish all of our Pre-prep families an enjoyable autumnal weekend.
Sarah Holyoake, Head of Pre-Prep
