Prep Newsletter Friday

29th April 2016

Dear Parents,

‘Alice the Musical’ Having spoken with a few girls in Years 3 – 5 they have suggested that as part of their costume for the musical that they wear a special, small head piece (hair band, clips, very small hat etc.) to liven up their outfit. Please do not buy anything especially as the head piece can be any colour or pattern. It could be home made. It could show allegiance to a particular character in the musical. So long that it is small (ensuring we can see your daughter’s face and it allows you to see the children around her) it can be anything of your daughter’s choosing! Author visiting May 24th Linda Chapman is the author of a number of books - My Secret Unicorn, Stardust, Sophie and the Shadow Woods, Not Quite a Mermaid, Skating School, Wild Friends, Angel Wings, Dinosaur Land and novels Genie Us and Genie and the Phoenix. She will be spending time talking and working interactively with every Prep School class about her books, explaining where her ideas come from and performing a short reading. The children will be helping her to create stories or characters in their workshop and will be encouraged to ask and answer lots of questions. Linda will be selling her books at 15:30 in the Lower Prep - any Prep School parent may come in to buy one or more books and meet with her. Communication Children come first at St Margaret’s School. Teachers are very happy to talk with you but currently they are finding that their preparation time is being reduced as parents are expecting to talk with them before school. If you need to give a message to a teacher please write it in your daughter’s Reading Record Book (Reception + Year 1) / Homework Diary (Years 2 - 6). If you wish to meet with the teacher please make an appointment through the Prep School Office (hours are 08:00 - 13:30 daily) The Lunchtime Concert this week was very lovely as the majority of performers have been playing their instrument for a short time. By playing to family and friends, not only are the children encouraged to put in that little extra practice, but they gain confidence and after the nerves have dissipated, a feeling of pride. Well done to all of our performers! Y2 Saanya (piano), Tara (piano), Ore (piano) Y3 Amaya (piano), Arya (saxophone), Aneesa (violin), Zienna (violin) Y4 Ishiya (piano), Beatrice (violin), Iman (piano) New building update

• The building is on schedule to be completed this summer and all staff are currently preparing for themove when they are not with the children.

• The car park is nearly completed, as per the schedule.The Prep School Council met earlier this week. They decided that on the next Mufti day on 27th May that there should be a Shakespeare character theme and for the one on the last day of term in July the theme will be ‘Science’. They also discussed how money could be raised for the new adventure playground; ideas included cake sales, selling ice creams after school, holding a sponsored swim and hosting a Bring and Buy sale. Finally the decision on how to spend their gift of £200 has resulted in the following play time toys being requested: a Team Walker, a large balance beam set, space hoppers, Double Scooter boards. Our School At Work morning is next Thursday 09:30 - 12:00. Please join us and take a tour of the school, particularly the area that you are not as familiar of. Website Did you know that in the Parents Area of the School website you will find the Term Diary? Within the Prep Parents tab there is also a number of documents to inform you of the curriculum, suggested reading lists, pupil well-being and much more.

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After School Activities

These have now all restarted this term.

Day Activity Year group Collection time Collection venue

Monday Swimming Club

Years 3 - 6 17:15 Sports Centre

Rounders Years 5 - 6 17:15 Upper Prep

Tuesday Science Club Years 3 - 6 17:05 Upper Prep

Zumba R - Year 2

Years 3 - 6

16:15

17:00

Upper Prep

Wednesday Chess Years 1 - 2 16:15 Upper Prep

Chess Years 3 - 6 17:15 Upper Prep

Swimming Club

Years 3 - 6 17:15 Sports Centre

Ballet Reception

Year 2

Year 4

16:30

17:15

18:00

Ballet Studio

Thursday Ballet Year 1

Year 3

Years 5 - 6

16:30

17:15

18:00

Ballet Studio

Friday Mini Tennis Years 1 - 2

Years 3 - 6

16:30

17:30

Upper Prep (if wet or too cold, collection will be from the Sports Centre)

Mrs C Aisthorpe Head of St. Margaret’s Preparatory School

Fatima Y3 and Afrah Y5

Reception Roma

Year1 Seyi

Year2 Sia

Reception In Reception we have been learning to add doubles in

Maths. We used ladybirds and then doubled their spots to find the answers.

Year 1 This week Year 1 have been introduced to the concept of multiplication.

The girls used cubes to 'act out' multiplication sums and we talked about the related vocabulary. Super work Year 1!

Year 2

Year 2 have been reading information about all sorts of things and learning how to make notes. We have used our notes to write reports about Budgies and Canaries,

Year 3

In Year 3 we have been learning about India. It has been interesting to compare life in a different country to our life here.

Some of the girls brought in their amazing clothes for us to see.

We just loved the colours, the

material and the beautiful decorations.

Year 4 Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour

Dreamcoat

Year 5

It was very messy because I ‘m left handed.

Year 6

Year 6 Mathematics A highlight of each week for the girls in Year 6 is their Maths

investigations lesson. In most lessons, the class is split into two sets, with one group taught by Mrs Shah, one of our Senior School

Mathematics teachers. For our Maths investigations lesson, the whole class are encouraged to work collaboratively in small groups to develop

their maths application skills to solve a variety of problems.

This week’s challenge seemed relatively straightforward, but as the girls discovered there were one or two tricky parts. Why not have a go at

home and see if you can solve this?

Four to Seven

Which of the numbers from one to twenty can you make with the digits:

4, 5, 6 and 7?

You can use any mathematical operations but you must use all four digits once in each calculation.

Here are some of the solutions Year 6 found:

(6x5) – (7x4) = 2 6² ÷ 4 – 5 + 7 = 11

56 ÷ 4 -7 = 7 4³ - (6x7) - 5 = 17

(4+6) ÷ 5 + 7 = 9 6 x (5+7) ÷ 4 = 18

The trickiest proved to be the number 6. However the girls were not willing to be beaten and decided to investigate this further at home.

Prizes were awarded to the following who all managed to persevere and solve this problem:

Nikita, Dorsa, Bryony, Camille, Arabella, Tessa, Katie, Ruby, Mia, Hannah, Ami, Anjali, Suzie, Kamand, Aryana and Sanaa.

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Dates

May 2nd

May Bank Holiday

4th

Y4 visit to Knebworth House

5th 9:15 -12:00 School at work Morning

11th

14:00– 15:30

Upper Prep ‘Alice the Musical’ performance to Lower Prep and Upper Prep parents

12th 08:30 – 10:00 18:00– 19:30

New Building Coffee Morning in the Senior School Upper Prep ‘Alice the Musical’ performance to parents No After School Activities Upper Prep After School Club as usual

23rd Upper Prep Swimming Gala (no parents due to lack of space) Scholastic Book Fair

24th Author, Linda Chapman visiting each class Scholastic Book Fair

25th

14:15-16:00

Scholastic Book Fair Y5 Rounder's Tournament v Northwood College

26th

Scholastic Book Fair

27th Scholastic Book Fair Mufti Day – Shakespeare character theme No After School Activities After School Club as usual

Half Term

June 6th 08:30 School resumes

Summer uniform to be worn from now Upper Prep Exam Week

7th 15:30 – 16:15 Extra Year 1 Ballet lesson 10th 08:30 – 09:30 Year 2 parents tour of the Upper Prep (letter to go out nearer the time)

Current Year 5 Induction Morning (letter to go out nearer the time)

13th 18:00 – 20:00 Current Year 6 Induction Evening for Year 7 (in the Senior School) 14th 14:00 – 15:30

15:30 – 16:15

Preparatory School Sports Day (letter to go out nearer the time) Extra Year 1 Ballet lesson

15th – 17th 08:00 Year 6 residential trip departs Induction Morning for current Reception – Year 4 (letter to go out nearer the time) After School Activities as usual After School Club as usual

20th Year 5 Taster Day (letter to go out nearer the time) 21st

15:30 – 16:15 18:30 – 20:00

Year 3 Whipsnade Zoo trip (letter to go out nearer the time) Year 5 Reveley Lodge trip (letter to go out nearer the time) Extra Year 1 Ballet lesson Preparatory and Junior Concert (School Hall – letter to go out nearer the time)

22nd Impeyan Animal workshop for each class (in school) 23rd Lower Prep trip to Paradise Wildlife Park (letter to go out nearer the time) w/b 27th Last week of After School Activities 28th 15:30 – 16:15 Extra Year 1 Ballet lesson 29th Lower Prep Drama workshops (in school) 30th 14:00 – 15:30 Preparatory School Speech Day and Prize Giving (Sports Hall)

July 4th am Ballet exams (Sports Centre)

Reception and Year 1 Road Safety workshops (in school) No After School Activities this week After School Club as usual

6th Lower Prep Environmental day Upper Prep walk and picnic (letter to go out nearer the time) After School Club as usual

7th am Year 2 Scooter Training (letter to go out nearer the time) After School Club as usual

8th 14:00 End of term No After School Club