A newsletter from The Mead School 16 Frant Road Tunbridge Wells Kent TN2 5SN www.meadschool.info

1. Newsletter
Autumn Term 2014
‘…..individual success for every child…..’
Taken from The Mead School
Mission Statement
The Mead School

3. Dear Parents and Friends
WOW – what a wonderful term we have all enjoyed. We welcomed 44 new
children and two members of staff into our family in September and now we
cannot imagine life without them. Each has enriched our community and
embraced all The Mead has to offer.
EXAM SUCCESSES
Huge congratulations to the following members of Year 6 who have passed
the Kent Selection tests at Grammar School:-
Shaan Bains
Rebecca Colbran
James Conway
Emma Donovan
Talia Hardie
Scarlett Kilcoyne
Edward Lahner
Xavier Lake
Edward Lynch
Alexander Maltby
Jo Price
Thomas Price
Sofia Roy
Ella Stanford
Emma Stewart
Isobel Warren
Leia Watts
At the time of writing we are still awaiting entry and scholarship exam results
for various independent schools.
HOT NEWS:
Huge congratulations to Sophie Ovenden who has been awarded a dance
scholarship to Bethany. This is The Mead’s first dance scholarship for 20
years; so well done Sophie and Miss Victoria!
PLANNING PERMISSION
It has always been quite difficult to manage the school entrance from our
upstairs offices. Despite video links and television CTV, we would be happier
to have a downstairs office and reception area. To this end we have
submitted two planning applications to Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. The
first is to create a new entrance to the Kindergarten down the side of the
school and the second is to construct a new office and reception outside the
current entrance with two new classrooms above. I am sure you will see the
yellow posters go up outside the school before too long.
ANNUAL CYCLE RIDE IN AID OF THE ROYAL NATIONAL CHILDREN’S
FOUNDATION
The last Sunday in September saw a host of intrepid Mead cyclists take to the
‘Forest Way’ cycle track – all ages, all levels and all speeds could be found
heading towards Forest Row and a much enjoyed barbecue with deliciously
scrummy cakes before returning back to Groombridge.
It was a wonderful day – a chance to really enjoy a family activity – I could be
spotted on a tandem with a trailer! – whilst raising funds for the Royal National
Children’s Foundation. We were thrilled that Chris Hughes, Director of
Operations of the charity, came to an assembly to receive a wonderful cheque
for £650. Thank you everyone – see you next year – same place, same time!

4. WATER AID NEWS
I am delighted to say that we have reached
our target of £2000 and will hand over a
cheque to Water Aid in assembly next term.
The children have been wonderful in saving a
little from their pocket money and pestering
family and friends for donations. From the
smallest child in Kindy to the oldest in Year 6 I
have been amazed by the children’s
compassion and understanding and a real
desire to help those less fortunate than
themselves. One child brings in coppers each
day, another saved up his entire pocket money
over the year and gave it all to Water Aid saying ‘I will get lots of presents at
Christmas and those people don’t even have clean water’. There are many
such stories.
A huge thank you to children and parents!
Rachel Crouch
OTHER CHARITIES
Thank you once again for your tremendous
response to the Samaritan Shoe Box appeal.
92 shoes boxes are now on their way around
the world to children less fortunate.
You also generously donated £147 towards
the Poppy Appeal and £110 to Movember not
to mention all the produce that we were able
to take to ‘Soup Bowl’ as part of our Harvest
Festival celebrations.

5. UNDERSTANDING YOUR ADOLESCENT DAUGHTER
Girls seem to be growing up faster and faster these days and it can
sometimes be difficult to know how best to help, support and simply
understand them during this time.
We are delighted to announce that we have invited Jules Wareham to come to
The Mead to give a talk to both staff and parents on issues related to
adolescent girls.
Mrs Wareham is the head of girls’ boarding at Bethany School and has years
of experience in this area.
The talk will be on Wednesday 11 February 2015 at 7.00 pm so parents of
daughters of any age, please make a date in your diary as I’m sure it will be a
very interesting and helpful evening. Equally, should you have an older
daughter already at secondary school and would like to come, we would be
delighted to welcome you.
A letter with more information and a reply slip will be sent out nearer the time.
Debbie Latty, Y6 Form Tutor
E-SAFETY
I attended an e-safety briefing in October, and among other sources, here are
some E-safety items in brief:
The number one fear for young people in telling their parents if they have
seen something inappropriate or had an approach online is that of their device
being taken away. Our advice is to underline how important it is to report
anything untoward.
Parents are encouraged to change their phone PINs every month, as there
has been a growth in children overriding the parent locks on purchases. It IS a
pain but doesn't cost any money.
Snapchat was recently in the news after their party Apps which used
Snapchat had their servers hacked. In school, we take the view that any
picture online should be one you are also happy to have outside your house!
If you have any e-safety worries, or concerns, please contact me to see if I
can help.
Stephen Lockyer
The School Council have had a busy first term. I have a great new team and
they instantly came with loads of ideas.
Our first mission was to explore the school and report any maintenance issues.
Many things have been done because of the council’s beady eyes. We were
also fully involved in decisions regarding the new tranquil garden. The new
large outdoor cushions have arrived and more is on the way!

6. We have also been trying to solve the playground equipment issue. We again
entered into the initiative that enabled us to exchange unwanted clothes and
textiles for playground equipment (science equipment last year). The
unwanted clothes are either given to
others that are in need or broken down
and recycled into new materials.
This year we managed to save 260
kilograms of unwanted textiles from
landfill. Thank you to all of you who
helped us to reach this target. The school
council are now deciding what playground
equipment they would like and it will be
unveiled in the New Year!
Thank you, The School Council
ART
MATHS WHIZZ... FOR PARENTS?
Usually, it is at these end of term newsletter moments when I
recommend that your child spends their spare holiday moments
brushing up on their Maths skills using their fantastic Maths Whizz
tutoring programmes. And of course I do, Again.
But this holiday I would like to see more parents using Maths Whizz too.
If you have not yet set yourself up with a Maths Whizz parental account then
you are missing out. Missing out, on the opportunity not only to get a detailed
overview of your children’s progress within all areas of their Maths Whizz; but
also missing the ability to send and share with your child bespoke certificates
and interactive stickers, these celebrate and enjoy their achievements and
successes gained within this interactive tutoring programming.
Setting up a parental account is child’s play. Simply go to the ‘console’ area of
your child’s account and click on the orange ‘parent info’ button and follow the
on screen instructions.

7. You will then be able to access their ‘dashboard;’ giving you access to both
the history of their completed lessons and tests as well as showing you their
progress through their lessons from any chosen point in time. You will be able
to preview their next lessons as well as have access to other useful tools.
Please visit either the whizz.com site or email me
ifeaver@themeadschool.co.uk if you have any questions about setting this up.
In the meantime, I would like to say an enormous WELL DONE to all those
Mead pupils who have worked so hard on their Maths Whizz this term, as well
as to those who have already been awarded gold, silver and bronze usage
certificates over the course of the term.
Certificates for Maths Whizz, ‘Winter Whizzers,’ will be distributed in January
on our return from the break.
I Feaver
Literacy and Library Update
Move over the 3R’s, it appears to be time for the 2L’s!
What a frenetic, productive and successful term this has been! It has been a
joy to see the diversity of Literacy tasks and activities that pervade Mead
classrooms during the course of any term.
A tiny snap shot of literacy work in any particular week could see pupils, of all
ages; tackling tasks designed to stimulate responses to texts, create writing of
different genres and purposes and further develop individual reading skills;
pupils enjoying SPaG (spelling, grammar and punctuation,) tasks specially
designed to enhance and practise designated grammatical and sentence
based skills; pupils engaging in phonics lessons and activities designed to
cement and build upon spelling accuracy and reading fluency as pupils move
forward through the school.

8. An enormous THANK YOU, to all those children who
took part in the Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’s reading
competition. Certificates have been awarded and
those who wished have been put forward into the
prize draw.
The importance of encouraging children of all ages to read at home for
pleasure can never be underestimated. So please take advantage of the
forthcoming Christmas holidays, to find a moment of calm amidst the
excitement of the festive period and share the joy of reading with your child at
home.
Thank you also to our parent librarians, Mrs Henry, Mrs Ames and Mrs Lake
who have continued to donate one lunch time each week to operate our fiction
library. They have been ably assisted by our team of pupil librarians, who
have been working hard behind the scenes organising stocks of fiction and
non fiction books as well as our many periodicals.
…MORE PARENT LIBRARIANS
ALSO REQUIRED!!
I would love to hear from you if you have an hour and a half to spare, once a
week. Should you be interested, please get in touch with me,
ifeaver@themeadschool.co.uk and I will give you more information about this
fantastic role in school.
I look forward to the New Year and to welcoming author, storyteller and
teacher, Patrick Ryan into school in January; he will be supervising and
engaging children in creative writing workshops for all pupils from Year 1 to
Year 6. More details to follow…
I Feaver, Literacy Coordinator
‘Ta Dah!’
…a fantastic visit by author Anna Bogie to our
Kindergarten and Reception Infants.
On Wednesday 26 November author Anna
Bogie came into school to read to Reception,
Pre-Reception and Kindergarten children.
Anna is a children’s picture book author and
writes books for 3 – 7 year olds.
Her debut book ‘Happy Hooves, Ta Dah!’ was published on 1 September
2014 and the second book of the same series; ‘Happy Hooves, Oh! Oh! Oh!’
was later published in October 2014.

9. Radio Kent came along to The Mead and recorded Anna reading to the
children and answering some of their questions. This will be broadcast by
Radio Kent in the run up to Christmas (the date and time to be confirmed.)
Before leaving the Mead, Anna signed and personalised her books for the
children who had chosen to buy copies. We look forward to hearing about the
next book in the Happy Hooves series and would certainly welcome Anna
back in school to share her talents with us once again.
I Feaver, Literacy Coordinator
MODERN LANGUAGES
French and Mandarin have proved a huge success with the children this term.
My office is sited next to the language room and I am amazed at the children’s
enthusiasm and ability to pick up two completely different languages – it really
is very exciting.
FRENCH
For me, my first year at The Mead School and for some of the children, this
has been such an exciting term. I have tried my best to make my lessons fun
and challenging. My main target for your children is to make them enjoy a
different language and to see them coming to my class with a smile on their
face and hearing them saying “we are having French now, great!”.
The children have been responding amazingly well to lessons, developing
their kinaesthetic, speaking and writing skills.

10. With Key Stage 2, we made an important point on how to greet and present
ourselves, singing and dancing. We have been very busy studying the
different topics they will need to progress in the future (French alphabet,
grammar, numbers, time, places in school, how to give and receive directions
using different types of transport, feelings, dates and combining different
topics).
In Key Stage 1 and Reception classes, I have tried to make the children listen
to French language by reading (with visual) stories (knights, princesses,
dragons and mini super heroes) in a fun way.
In Kindergarten and Pre-Reception,
we sang, danced and played.
I am so excited that term two is
coming up soon with a lot of new
topics. Well done children for your
commitment to French and I do really
hope (I know you will) we enjoy term
two as much as we enjoyed term one.
Je vous souhaite à tous un Joyeux
Noel et une merveilleuse nouvelle
année!
Monsieur Stéphane.
PERFORMING ARTS: DRAMA & DANCE
Once again we welcomed The Young Shakespeare Company in for KS2 who
spent the day ‘workshopping’ and watching a fantastic performance of
‘Macbeth’. The children had a great day and were fully involved throughout.
We are still cleaning the blood off the gym floor however!
RAD Ballet exams were held on Thursday 27th
November with boys and girls
being entered in Pre Primary and Primary Ballet. The children were beautifully
prepared by Miss Emily and looked fabulous. Results are due next term. Year

11. 2 and 3 girls who have taken their Primary exam and are
now Grade 1 will now go into LAVENDER leotards and
wraps (no skirt). These are available from the dance
boutique. Please don’t feel you need to buy a new
leotard straight away, wait until your child has out grown
their pink.
On Friday 5 December, the school was treated to a tap
dance display presented by three of our Year 6 dancers,
Sophie Ovenden, Ella Stanford and Verity Pinnington
Jones. The girls are working towards their Grade 2
exam and danced beautifully. Well done girls.
Don’t forget about our second hand ballet, modern and
tap uniform list outside my room. Please sign up if you
have anything to sell and come and have a look if you
would like to buy some of your child’s dance kit second
hand.
Nativity 2014 was once again performed by our
wonderful EYFS children. King Charles Church was
packed with excited parents, grandparents, aunts,
uncles, cousins, nannies and more! The children
performed with enthusiasm and confidence – Well done.
A big thank you to Mr Zerpa Falcon for his wonderful
piano playing, to all the EYFS staff for all their help and
hard work this term and to Mrs Latty and Mrs Biggs for
the great set and costumes.
A big thank you to Miss Emily and Miss Lesley for
running our viewing afternoons for Ballet, Jazz, Modern and Tap. The children
performed beautifully in front of their friends and family.
LAMDA exams have been confirmed as Monday 16th
March and Tuesday 17th
March. A timetable for these days will go up nearer the time.
Thank you to all those parents and children coming to support our panto boys
on Tuesday 16th
December. I look forward to seeing you all there in the
morning ready for the 10.30 performance. Break a leg boys!
Most of you will have met my Modern and Tap maternity cover by now. Miss
Lesley took over from half term and the children are really enjoying their
lessons and continue to improve. I am sure you will all welcome Rajere
Ferjani who will be covering all my drama and LAMDA lessons. I am sure the
children are going to really enjoy her classes.
Lastly I would like to say a big adieu to all the children and parents. Thank you
for bearing with me this term as I have got bigger, slower and more tired! As
I’m sure you can guess I certainly won’t be disappearing as Master Hall No 1
will be starting in Kindergarten and Master Hall No 2 will no doubt be joining
Mini Meadites as soon as we have some sleep patterns established!!
HAPPY CHRISTMAS! Miss Victoria

12. MUSIC
The Music Department has been as busy as ever. Now we are nearing the
end of a very long term which seems to have fallen into three parts. First we
were welcoming in the newcomers and getting everyone settled with the
instrument they wanted to learn. Next came demonstrations in assembly that
has created a tidal wave of enthusiastic beginners, mostly on violin and piano
but also, cello, guitar, drums, clarinet, flute not forgetting brass and recorder,
and hopefully harp.
The first half of term ended with a rousing Harvest Festival at King Charles the
Martyr. There was great singing from each year group and of course Choir,
and a very good band of instrumentalists. Cauliflowers Fluffy requires a
demanding set of notes on recorder with lots of flats and sharps.
After half-term the Choir were invited to give a little concert at the Baptist
church in Frant Road. This was a first for us although classes have visited the
church during RE lessons. As well as a variety of songs there were solos from
Leia Watts on cello, Sissy Ellse and Ben Fasham, voice, Lara Donelly, piano
and Emma Sabbatini, violin, most of whom were practising for exams. Mr.
Zerpa-Falcon accompanied.
Victoria Longhurst helped out
with Assembly and recorders.
She has been giving piano
tasters and will be joining the
team of Peris next term,
teaching piano and harp. Mrs.
Parker is leaving at the end
of term. She is hugely
respected and we shall miss
her. Thank you for all you
have done.
All year groups have worked
very hard to get their carols

13. from memory for the Carol Service. They have also learnt other skills and
theory along the way: e.g. how many beats in a bar? What is common time?
How to beat time; major and minor; calypso rhythm and so on.
We have had a carol competition this term and various children have had a lot
of fun composing. Results on the last day of term!
We have just received the ABRSM exam results which are excellent:
Ashleigh Clarke gained a Grade 1 Pass on flute, Alice Davies a Grade 2 Merit
on flute, Lara Donnelly a Grade 1 Distinction on piano, Isabella Ellse, a Grade
2 Distinction for singing, Olivia Ellse a Grade 1 Pass on cello, Emma
Sabbatini Grade 1 Distinction on violin and Alexander Evans passed his
preliminary on piano.
For your diaries:
O2 Concert for Choir Wednesday 28th
January
Pro Concert to raise money for instruments Saturday 7th
March 7.30pm–
details to follow
Spring Junior Concert Thursday 12th
March 4.00pm in the dining room
It only remains for me to say have a Happy Christmas and enjoy all your
music-making!
Sarah Stuart-Pennink
Steps in Time, steps out again!
On Wednesday 5th
November, Years 4, 5 and 6 were lucky enough to
enjoy the entertaining and interactive performances, staged by Ollie
Naylor, who is the brain behind the ‘Steps in Time’ dramatic company.
The hugely talented Mr Naylor transported Year 6 back to the days of the
Second World War in his role as ‘William – the World War 2 evacuee.’
Year 5 met Mr Naylor in the guise of ‘Charlie – the Victorian Shoe Shine
Boy,’ discovering some of the features of everyday life Victorian
England, finally Year 4 experienced a trip to Ancient Greece,
experiencing some of the sights, sounds and characters of Ancient
Greece!
The children were electrified by these fantastic performances that
transported them all on historical learning journeys, really bringing to
life the differing History topics encountered.
We look forward to welcoming ‘Steps in Time’ back to the Mead in the
New Year, when our Year 2 discover more about the Great Fire and our
Year 3 experience Tudor life at close quarters!!
I Feaver
Literacy Coordinator

14. EYFS EVENING
In November, we welcomed over 50 parents to the school to share with them
the way that we progress through Early Years and beyond. The canapes were
prepared by some of the Year 6 Cookery team, Anita and Monsieur Stephane,
and they were incredibly ‘moreish’!
After Kindergarten and Pre-Reception presented photos of activities so far this
term, we were treated to an impromptu Phonics session by Mrs Hunt, while
Miss Peace explained our new assessment tool, Tapestry, allowing the EYFS
staff to track the children more easily.
I covered our approach to individualised teaching, nicknamed the Learning
DNA, where I explained how we stream the children and monitor against their
exam scores and targets, providing as individualised a learning experience as
possible.
The final treat was six of our current Year Six presenting their experiences of
The Mead, from those who'd been here from Reception, right through to Talia
Hardie, who has been with us for little over a year. As ever, the children stole
the show!
Many thanks to all those attended - if you would like to speak to any of the
staff about progress or transition at The Mead, please don't hesitate to get in
touch.
KINDERGARTEN & PRE-RECEPTION
We are, at the time of writing, knee deep in glitter, fairy lights and nativity
costumes as we hurtle towards the end of term and our most favourite of
celebrations …. Christmas!
Our nativity has been a major focus for the latter part of the Autumn term, as
Miss Victoria has guided the four early years classes towards two main
performances, one in front of the whole school, and the other in front of
families and loved ones. There wasn’t a dry eye in the house!

15. Talking of which, our ‘Grandparents Day’ back in November also proved to be
a beautiful, emotional experience, as we treated these most precious of
relations to ten (ten!) songs, tea, homemade
cakes and a tour of not only our classrooms but
the whole school (thank you Year 6 tour guides!).
This has become an eagerly anticipated annual
event, the photos from which are now part of a
large wall display outside Mrs Hunt’s classroom –
do please have a look when you are passing.
Other photos on display include those taken
(again by Trini Vargas, Rosa’s mummy – thank
you!) at our most recent forest school morning up
at Hargate Woods. This was an initiative that we,
as a department, embraced last year, and are
delighting in it’s continued success, both in terms
of the obvious enjoyment gleaned by the children,
and their learning in all areas of development –
come rain or shine!
We have enjoyed many topics this term for which
the children have shown great enthusiasm.
Dinosaurs were very popular at the beginning of
term with games being played both inside and
outside in the grounds. This led on to observing the beautiful changes Autumn
had to offer. The children all showed great interest in Diwali, the Hindu festival
of light. They acted out the story, dressing up and showing great expression.
This can also be said for our topic on pirates. The imaginative games the
children played were a joy to watch.
Other highlights this term have included the re-introduction of French lessons
into Kindergarten and Pre-Reception – with the amazing Monsieur Stephane
(or Monsieur Bonjour as he is known to his small friends). We are very lucky
to enjoy and benefit massively from weekly specialist lessons in music, PE,
swimming, ballet, judo and yoga – and French is a welcome addition.

16. Before signing off, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all our lovely
families for their support, warmth and good humour this year, and would like
wish everybody a very happy Christmas. See you in the New Year.
Jane, Mrs Archer, Jenny, and Ellen.
RECEPTION INFANTS
September saw us welcome in our new Reception children with an important
question: If you could buy any pet what would it be? The answers of course
varied but one brave child decided on a dragon. This made us laugh and
then discuss if they are real or not? Had any one seen one? Or heard tales of
old about them?
This interesting theme saw us reading ‘Zog’, ‘George and the Dragon’, ‘Jane
and the Dragon’ and ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’ to name a few titles of books
about dragons we read. Our first display was a friendly fierce one with us
making our own Pet Dragons and naming them.
We have learnt about Our Planet and its native animals and seasons. The
Reception Infants enjoyed a very special now annual private trip to ‘The
British Wildlife Centre’, seeing animals like Badgers, Weasels, Wild Cats and
Foxes up close. I think all Reception children can tell you they live on Planet
Earth in the country of England and name their favourite native animal!
The Early Years Team held our Second Grandparents Day on November
10th. We sang ‘Puff the Magic Dragon’ accompanied by Ms Longhurst on her
harp. This followed with an Autumn Poem and an up-beat ‘He’s got the whole
world in his hands’. Freshly made cakes by all the EYFS staff and Mrs Culley
were served by Year 6’s to our special guests accompanied by tea and

17. coffee. The children were so proud to show their guests their classrooms and
current classroom displays.
Children made poppy badges and proudly wore them for some time after the
11th
November. The 100th
Anniversary was simply covered and
explained. The whole school silence made an impression on them in the
playground. They also commented on hearing the Tunbridge Wells canon
signalling the start and end of the two minute silence.
Our Eco lesson saw us enjoying a factual PowerPoint Presentation by Miss
Peace about Electricity and it sources. We learnt about traditional methods
and new Eco versions available. We have also studied and enjoyed the book
‘The drop goes Plop’ teaching us all about the Water Cycle process.
Festive celebrations began early with us welcoming Anna Bogie – author of
‘Happy Hooves – Ta Dah’ and her new book ‘Happy Hooves Oh, Oh,
Oh’. She read both of her books to us and then asked questions to her very
enthusiastic audience. Radio Kent was also on site to record the experience
and we hope that an excellent edition will be edited and broadcasted before
Christmas. As this goes to print we are still waiting to hear the date and
time. We would like to say ‘A VERY BIG THANK YOU’ to Rebecca, our Office
Manager, for organising this amazing event.
The children have amazed us with their confidence and volume in this year’s
EYFS Nativity. A very jazzy version was performed this year. Well Done
Reception Infants for all your hard work and preparation we are so proud of
you all.
Merry Christmas from the Reception Team, Mrs Hunt, Miss Peace, Megan, Jo
and Ellen

18. YEAR 1
A wonderful term getting to know
your lovely children! We have been
very busy in recent weeks getting
the classroom ready for
Christmas...with a little bit of
learning thrown in for good measure!
We have been finding out about Our
Local Area in Geography which
involved a very happy local walk to
visit the Pantiles. We've also learnt
about Homes in the Past and
focused on Victorian artefacts. In
Science we studied Animals and
then this term learnt about the
properties of Materials. In Art our 'piece de resistance' must surely be the
sculpture portraits we made out of clay and then painted, they look wonderful
and were a lovely way to finish our topic on Self Portrait. The children have
also shown huge improvement in their reading and writing by looking at
variety of texts and learning to write a sentence with cursive handwriting. It
has been a real pleasure to teach your children and I wish them all the best
for the rest of the year.
Have a Happy and Merry Christmas,
Miss Seymour and Sandy
YEAR 2
The children have all settled in to Top Infant life and have been working hard
all term.
In Geography this term we have been comparing India and the UK. The
children made several comparisons between Chembakolli and Tunbridge
Wells. They compared homes, schools, education, festivals and located them
both on a world map. To further enhance their learning we enjoyed a visit to a
local Indian restaurant where we all enjoyed an Indian lunch. The children
were very lucky to be invited into the kitchen to help make chapatti bread.
In Science we have been looking at ‘Health and Growth’ and ‘Materials’. We
have thought about how we are different from other animals, exercising to
stay healthy and we had a lot of fun disguising ourselves and thinking about

19. lifecycles. We also tested different materials to discover if they were stretchy,
bendy or squashy.
In History we have been thinking about ‘Remembrance Day’. We have made
our own poppies, written our own poems, talked about the importance of
November 11th and explored HMS Ocelot and experienced life in an air raid
shelter at Chatham Dockyard.
In Literacy we have written firework poems, learned our weekly spellings,
improved our use of adjectives and have learnt about story writing. We really
enjoyed reading our acrostic poems during assembly to the whole school.
In Numeracy we have looked at number bonds, ordinal numbers and number
sequencing. We can write our own addition and subtraction sentences,
learning how to tell the time and we have been learning our two times and ten
times tables.
The children have loved the Christmas activities during the last two week of
term, decorating Christmas biscuits and even making a stocking for the end of
their beds on Christmas Eve!
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Mrs Morgan & Mrs Moral
YEAR 3
We have enjoyed a very busy term. All the children have settled really well
into Key Stage 2 and are fully participating in all the extra activities offered to
them. We are, as I write, making brochures to advertise the wonders of our
class! (Literacy, information writing!) I though you would like to read some of
their suggestions:
 ‘Learning is fun.
 We learn interesting things and do science experiments.
 We have lovely old Victorian desks and our own pencil cases.
 We have fun clubs.
 Our class work together as a team.
 We have good friends. We have class rules.
 We are kind, caring, happy and helpful.
 We have ‘good work’ sweets and yummy lunches!
 We had Viking day when we learn lots about Vikings.’
No, I didn’t bribe them! They are a wonderful enthusiastic group of children!

20. A very happy Christmas to all of you! Rachel Crouch
Year 3 Poetry:
Sea, sun and Night Sky by Ollie Ellse Fireworks by Emma Sabbatini
The wavy sea Fireworks shooting in the sky
Overlapping then crashing Like scattered dandelion
Softening after a storm Tearing those
For that’s what the sea does Fluffy clouds apart.
The sun People gasp at the sight,
Hovering in outer space Never they saw such a light!
Lighting up the world Fireworks spreading rainbow colours
With its power In the sky.
The night sky
Covering the sun
Darkening the houses
Making us sleep
By Sienna Hardie
Take me on a ride
To where the waves flow and the wind blows
To Mars by the starts
To soft sand on the land
To the seas with the breeze
Let me fly in the sky.

21. YEAR 4
The start of a new term and a new academic year is always a busy time, and
life in Year 4 has been no exception. Your children have risen to the
challenge of a more onerous timetable and homework regime admirably, and
we never cease to be amazed at their enthusiasm for taking on even more
activities and clubs in their already long and full days.
We have been really pleased with the way in which the children have applied
themselves this term, working hard in all subjects and bringing a wealth of
personal experiences to their learning. A highlight of our literacy programme
was the visit from Jane Maltby, who shared with the children what life as a
journalist is like, leaving many of them inspired to embark on a career as a
reporter, and honing their interview skills on their poor, unsuspecting teachers.
The children have been enthusiastic about our topic of the Ancient Greeks in
History, and have taken part in lively discussions about routes, transport and
journeys, and whether or not to build a bypass in Geography, but Mrs Biggs’
Science lessons have definitely won the popularity stakes this term, with
skeletons and bones proving a firm favourite. Finally, do take the time to have
a look at the online information sheets created by your children as part of both
Literacy and ICT.
As the colder weather sets in, we wish you all a very happy Christmas and
look forward to welcoming your children back in the New Year.
The topic Habitats has also been a winner and we have explored the
playground and pond area. Some of the children got a bit wet and everyone
was muddy but we discovered a number of different creatures. Our next trip
was Hargate Forest a marvellous area not far from school where again the
children were not afraid to get dirty!! I have loved teaching the year 4s this
term and can't wait for our next adventures! Have a great Christmas everyone.
Stephen Lockyer , Jill Faure & Lisa Biggs

22. YEAR
5
Year 4 celebrating Shabat
adhere
Definitions
verb (intransitive)
1. (usually followed by to) to stick or hold fast
2. (followed by to) to be devoted (to a political party,
cause, religion, etc); be a follower (of)
3. (followed by to) to follow closely or exactly
4. ⇒ adhere to the rules
(Source: Collins, English Dictionary.)
Every Year 5 child has immersed him/herself into every aspect of life at The
Mead as they started their new school year in September. 5F and 5A have
thrown themselves into Year 5 activities with unflinching gusto and
enthusiasm!
We welcomed a number of new Year 5 pupils to
the school in the Autumn Term and just like their
existing Mead classmates, they have worked
hard to adhere, understand and learn what it is,
that makes The Mead so special.
After a long Summer break our pupils have hit
the ground running; adopting new routines,
adjusting to increased work loads and learning
their new timetables.

23. From investigating nuclear power at Dungeness Power Station with Mr Agnew
and Mrs Culley, to exploring the social and economic changes that took place
during the Victorian Age at the Museum of Kent Life with Mrs Faure as part of
their History
curriculum,
researching rivers
and their features in
Geography to
exploring a wide
range of text and
SPaG based
objectives within
Literacy sessions,
Year 5 have truly got
‘stuck in’ to their term.
The breadth of our
challenging Year 5 curriculum enables each individual to explore and extend
themselves within a wealth of opportunities from academic and dramatic to
sporting and musical challenges during the course of any school day.
Well done to everyone in Year 5! Have a wonderful Christmas break. Mr
Agnew and myself look forward to welcoming you all back into school on
Tuesday 6th
January with plenty of enthusiasm for the new term (as well as a
fully packed pencil case and of course, a named gluestick!)
Mrs Feaver & Mr Agnew

24. My Victorian School Day by Alfie McNeill, Year 5
I woke up feeling happy. It was Friday. I like Friday, it is my favourite day. I
went through the boys’ door at school. The first lesson was Religious
Education. Miss Martha is very strict, she canes students for fun, including
me!
The next lesson was arithmetic, one of the three Rs. I like arithmetric
because I am good at it. Most people are not good at it, like Jan. She got
caned for getting the answer wrong. That looked painful.
English. I hate English because I am dyslexic, but most people do not know
about dyslexia so I was whipped six times and then put in the hanging cage.
PE. PE is the last lesson of the day. It is called the drill. It is challenging but I
like it.
When I get home I get beaten twice in a row!.

27. ‘Dark by Eddy Heffernan, Year 5
The villagers of Hadlow Down feared the old house by the name of Treetops.
It was by far the biggest house in the lane also the grandest. But now it was
haunted; the long rafters had fallen or were rotting and windows were boarded
up .The once luxurious garden was covered with weeds, brambles and nettles.
At night foot steps could be heard from inside.
Sometimes you could see a pair of bloodshot eyes or a shadow in the dust.
The woods in which they lived were dark and unloved. Bears and wolves
prowled the woods; it is said that it is haunted with spirits .Everyone that has
ever gone in has never come out...
Everyone that had ever walked past the old house instantly did not like it
except a boy called Ged .One day he went into the house, he walked down
the drive and opened the door…
Earlier he had felt a constant pull in his head; it pulled and pulled at the back
of his mind never stopping. It was as if there was a hand twiddling with the
wires in his brain. He soon felt like a mouse in a trap because it would not
let its firm grip on his brain go.
He walked through the open door and wiped away a curtain of cobwebs and
saw the inside of the house; it was so grand! By the door were two guards
well you could say they were .I pulled off one hand and thousands of pure
white doves flew out . Giant pictures hung on the wall pictures of brave
knights or sun sets .Also there were cabinets with shells, crystals and there
was one long sword with ancient writing on it. As he went further in he saw
more and more great wonders like a picture of the family or a huge carved
fireplace.
He walked up the old staircase which shuddered under his weight. The stairs
were covered in weeds .He got to the top and plunged into darkness…
It took a while for his eyes to adjust to the dark but he soon saw well enough.
He saw a mummy [not your type of mummy.]
It was slumped in a chair .Suddenly its eyes glowed red. Ged felt as though
his soul was fading and a new soul was rising Ged tried to fight it but failed he
felt like he was falling into a black hole; he was trying to grasp at something
but could not. Then silence. Aah! His senses stopped and there was stillness
and the dark...’
YEAR 6 NEWS
As always, this term has been a very busy one for year 6. We started with 11+
exams the week after returning from the summer holidays and shortly
afterwards were rewarded with the excitement and anticipation of the annual
Isle of Wight study trip.
For some (but not all) this is their first experience of being away from home
and being entirely responsible for themselves. As life lessons go, learning to
put the duvet inside the cover and making your own bed from scratch must be
fairly high on the ‘to do’ list!

28. The three days spent on the island are completely filled with visits and
activities, from Osborne House via Shanklin Chine and the Botanic Gardens,
to the delights of Carisbrooke Castle and its resident donkeys.
The children have spent this term working on their precious topic books which
will provide a permanent record and reminder of all their experiences.
This is a time for the children to come together as a co-operative group and
they always return tired, happy and rather more grown up than when they left.
Year 6 have also acted as wonderful guides on Open Day, ‘Granny Greeters’
on Grandparents’ Day and chefs cooking and serving their delicious creations
to appreciative visitors.
Some have honed their skills as public speakers at the EYFS Seminar held
this term and their confidence and maturity shone through at this event.
As Christmas approaches, they have taken on the task of spearheading the
annual Carol Service, learning lines for readings and poems, practising
instruments and designing covers for the Order of Service. All this while still
continuing with a normal, packed school timetable.
In November Year 6 took part in the Primary Mathematics Challenge. This is
held under the auspices of the Mathematical Association and the children
have to complete an increasingly challenging question paper in 45 minutes.
Some of the questions were quite thought-provoking, for example;
Last year Gareth was 13 times older than his son Herbie.
This year Gareth is 10 times older than Herbie.
In how many years’ time will Gareth be 7 times Herbie’s age?
All the children deserve to be congratulated for having a go but special
mention should go to the following children, who all gained certificates for their
performances.
Bronze Certificate Silver Certificate Gold Certificate
James Conway Becky Colbran
Eddie Lynch
Jo Price Scarlett Kilcoyne
Alex Maltby
Leia Watts
Ella Stanford
Xavier Lake
With so much happening, it is hardly surprising that
the time in their final year seems to be passing very
rapidly. They all deserve a restful Christmas holiday!
Heather Waight & Debbie Latty

30. WINTER TERM UPDATE FROM THE FRIENDS OF THE MEAD SCHOOL
Well, I don't know about you but I cannot believe it's Christmas already! It
barely seems like five minutes ago that the term started!
The FOM have run several fun and successful events including the non-
uniform PJ day, which the children absolutely loved. The Quiz night, despite
the small numbers that turned out, was a fantastic evening. I hope you all
enjoyed the opportunity to view and hopefully purchase the handiwork of your
budding Picasso through My Child's Art.
We are finishing the end of the year with the raffle of the inspired and very
creative Class Christmas Hampers. A big thank you to everyone for their
donations and to the Class Reps for organising the hampers. Mulled wine
and mince pies will be available on 10th November from 15:30 - 17:15, prior to
the Carol Concert. Raffle tickets will be available on the day too for friends
and family to purchase. We will also run a lucky dip for the children, so please
bring your 20 pence pieces.
Next year holds yet more fun events on the FOM calendar, with the first one
being New Year celebrations of hot chocolate and a cake sale on Thursday
22nd January at both pick up times.
I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your continued support, as
without it we could not raise the funds for additional items for your children.
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and best wishes for the New Year,
Donna Brewer
FOM Chair
Web: www.fomtw.co.uk
Email: friendsofthemeadfomchairs@rocketmail.com
HOUSE NEWS
Thackeray
Thackeray continues to go from strength to strength, with the yellow flag still
very much in evidence in the playground. This term our main focus has been
Children in Need. We raised well over £300, which is fantastic as we realise
that there have been a lot of charitable initiatives to support this term. Our
sincere thanks to all children and their families for their continued support and
very generous and delicious contributions for our cake sale.

31. On the sports front, we have taken part in
interhouse netball and football and won the
interhouse swimming fun races, with
everyone trying their best. Our Sports
Captains, Verity Pinnington Jones and
Edward Lahner have been stalwart in their
persistence in reuniting lost property, much
of it still unnamed, with its owners. At this
point please could we extend a plea to ALL
pupils to ensure that their possessions are
named?
We would like to thank House Captains, Becky Colbran and George Briggs for
their determination in getting everyone’s house points in on a weekly basis
and keeping the book up to date.
We wish you all a very happy Christmas and New Year.
Chalybeate
After a few wet and windy months of hard work and good work collecting we
have eventually seen our lovely green flag flying on the flagpole this term. We
scored 20 points for the U8 & U9 football, 20 points for U10 & U11 football, 20
points for Infant swimming races and 12 points for Junior swimming races. We
are all very proud and excited at our results so far as with a total of 92 we won
the Inter-house Sports Competitions this term.
The autumn term’s J4 House Captains; James Conway and Talia Hardie
along with the Sports Captains; Alex Maltby and Ella Stanford have
worked tirelessly in their positions of responsibility, completing the house
books weekly, guiding various visitors around the school and have taken on
their roles wholeheartedly and with great enthusiasm.
We have enjoyed supporting the various fund raising events this term
particularly Water Aid which has reached its target of £2000 and look forward
to organising our own fund raising event next term to raise much needed
funds for our chosen charity, Help Tibet.
Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year!
Mrs Waight, Mrs Crouch, Mrs Morgan, Miss Peace, Myriam and Sandy.
Wellington
We have enjoyed meeting every week and sharing our news with each other
and this term we have welcomed new members to the house from Reception
upwards. All of the Wellington staff have been very impressed with the way
the House and Sports Captains have embraced their responsibilities by
keeping the house book in order and by wading through the never-ending
mound of lost property. Just a gentle reminder to ensure that all property is
named clearly!
The children have been very busy this term earning good works by being
polite and kind to others and by working hard. Well done Wellies, keep it up!

32. Inter-house sports brought mixed results. Although some of the results did
not go our way all the children enjoyed taking part and a good time was had
by all!
We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Wellington Staff
GREEN TEAM
Once again thank you to my Green Team who have been working hard to
ensure our school is as green as possible! This term we have organised our
monthly Walk to School campaign and hope to see even more of you walking
to school next year (New Year's Resolution anyone?!). We also encouraged
everyone to participate in our termly 'Switch Off Sunday' campaign and we
loved receiving the photos of how the hour without electricity was spent. Along
with encouraging every class to recycle paper, we are also trying to
encourage them to only recycle paper that has been used on both sides and
keep other waste paper for reuse. I wish the Green Team all the best for the
rest of the year and I'm sure the green activities will go from strength to
strength under the guidance of Mrs Biggs next year.
Happy Green Christmas
Miss Seymour and the Green Team
**** STOP PRESS!!! *****
Following an assessment on Monday afternoon we have just been told we
have achieved the Green Flag Award, meaning we are now officially an
ECO SCHOOL!
This is an internationally recognised award that we have been working
towards for some time and we are all over the moon that we have achieved it!
Thank you so much to all Green Team members past and present, the staff
and management for helping us implement our ideas and, of course, to you
for supporting our campaigns!
Look out for our official Eco Schools Green Flag which will be raised on our
newly purchased flagpole soon!
Yours proudly,
Miss Seymour and the Green Team
COOKERY – YEARS 3 & 4
We have been very busy this term making apple & blackberry crumble, pizza,
nut free chocolate brownies, vegetable quiche, chocolate fridge cake, sweet
corn & pasta salad, lemon flower sweets, sausage rolls and mince pies.
We have also learnt to use a sharp knife safely, to peel and chop fruit and
vegetables, to make breadcrumbs and to roll pastry.
At the end of every cookery session the children wash and wipe up, clean
their workstations and sweep up any mess. They are getting very good at
clearing up and I hope that they will all help you at home this Easter with both
the cooking and the tidying up afterwards.
We also held a Christmas biscuit decorating competition and we used icing,
silver balls and lots of different coloured shapes. Phoebe Douse and Ashleigh
Clarke came joint first for their very carefully decorated snowman and
Christmas tree.
Have a lovely Christmas holiday! Mrs Morgan

33. Year 5 & 6 Cookery Club with
their Halloween pumpkins
BOARD GAMES
We have chosen and played
quite a variety of games this
term including Snakes &
Ladders, Ludo, Monopoly
and Chess.
The children have either
played those available in school or have brought their own game in from home.
They have played fairly and always stuck to the rules.
We hope next term to have a few more members to join us on Tuesdays after
school.
Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Mrs Morgan
PHOTOGRAPHY CLUB
I can't believe that another term is almost over! Photography Club have
produced some amazing work both on their cameras and on video. Using a
collection of electronic devices we have studied a different theme each week
and compared notes on our work. This term the children have looked at
motion, life at school, games and sport and nature. We have also brought
back, by popular demand, What is it? where the children try to outfox each
other by taking pictures of every day objects at weird angles and/or out of
focus. I have added two of these photos below, happy guessing!! We hope to
hold an assembly of our work in the New Year and also invite the parents in to
have a look.
Have a Happy Christmas. Lisa Biggs

34. THE OFFICE MANAGER’S BIT
A new term and new academic year have started very well from the
perspective of the Office Manager’s office. We have all enjoyed the wonderful
comments in last term’s inspection report and work hard at keeping up our
high standards. Following the full school inspection the kitchen staff were
again well rewarded with another 5 star rating from The Food Standards
Agency after a spot inspection on them in September. A huge well done to
Anita, Mel, Sarah and Lisa for keeping their kitchen so well to deserve this
award whilst still nourishing us through the colder months.
Sitting where I do I cannot help but hear the super work being done in the new
modern foreign languages department. Fen Burley’s (Mandarin) and
Stéphane Carnoy’s (French) enchanting lessons ring out from next door, all of
which I very much enjoy, not all of which I understand! What I do know is how
much the children are enjoying and benefitting from their being at our school.
Juliet Tindall is also a great asset to our extra-curricular teaching resource as
she encourages her pupils in such a wonderfully gentle and nurturing way.
The results of the summer works are put into play with new a climbing wall
and tranquil garden being huge hits with the children. I do hope that the
introduction of the lockers has helped you in your (and now my) weekly
search for kit. Please can I urge you all to take all kit home every week to be
washed, sorted and if needs be, renamed so that we can try to keep lost
property to a minimum. Also please can you name sports kit on the outside of
the garment so that it is very clear for us to monitor when kit is walking.
During this term we have continued to invest in the IT within the school to
upgrade facilities to enable the best possible teaching for your children and
we will continue to do this. We have also laid down plans for investment in the
kitchen for a new cooking system that will enable Anita and her team to further
improve their offering to the children.
You may also see in the coming months some planning applications that we
have put to the Tunbridge Wells Borough Council. There are two plans, firstly
to allow for a side access to the right hand side of the building as you face it
and secondly to extend the front of the building to allow for an entrance hall, a
new classroom and a dedicated modern foreign languages room. These
plans have all been incorporated into the long term development plan for the
school. Also embedded in this plan is the fundamental doctrine to remain as
one of the most competitively priced schools in the area offering an
outstanding standard and breadth of education in a family-orientated
environment. In our planning and forecasting we have married these two
ambitions.
Nigel Wheeler has settled very well into the school casting his quiet magic
around the school in the early mornings fixing things we didn’t even know
were in need. Nigel is a huge asset to the school and we thank him for all his
hard work this term.
David and Margaret remain in the heart of the school keeping all safe and
sound. Dauda continues with us coming into the school every evening to
sweep away the debris of the day.
Please accept the termly reminder, that invoices are due on or before the first
day of next term i.e. 6th
January 2015. Do use electronic transfer where

35. possible and remember that the transfer may take three working days and to
reference your payment with your child’s name.
Fees for the year 2014 / 2015
As previously reported the fees for the academic year are: Kindergarten
£1,625.00, Reception Infants, Year 1 & 2 £2,990.00 and Years 3 to 6
£3,315.00.
Other activities are being charged at the following rates:
We continue to offer over 20 after school clubs and supervised prep sessions
available to all children in Year 3 and above free of charge, a feature unique
to the Mead. These are:
Art, Choir, Cricket, Computer, Construction, Debating, Drama, Eco,
Filmmakers, Football, Geography, Hockey, Masks & Crafts, Netball, Papier
mache, Photographic society, Public speaking, Reading group, Rollerblading,
Rugby, Science, Sewing, Sport, Textiles and Video.
We have also extended our wrap around care provision to 6pm within the
Munch Bunch session, this is charged pro rata and have Early Years
experienced staff at every breakfast session to allow for an early drop of even
for our youngest children.
Parking
Please remain vigilant in regards to the parking around the school including
being aware of our neighbours’ drives as we have constant reminders from
the council in this regard. Please also respect the rule of not entering the car
parking area in your vehicle at any time. This is for the safety of our staff and
children.
Policies and Procedures
Please may I take this opportunity to remind you that any policies and
procedures you may require to view are shown on our website. If for any
reason you do not find what you are looking for there, do not hesitate to ask
either Elizabeth or myself and we will guide you.
www.meadschool.info/policies/
So all that remains is to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year. Rebecca Hall - Office Manager

36. SPORT REPORT – DECEMBER 2014
Swimming
110 swimming badges were won this term across the school and heartfelt
congratulations to all pupils who earned their badge.
Football:
For the second consecutive year, we have not lost a single match this term.
The U11 won 3-0 against Fosse Bank but due to the bad weather and flooded
pitches, the Skippers Hill match had to be cancelled. The U9 drew 3-3
against Beechwood, and beat Skippers Hill 7-0. Fantastic!
ISA Football:
As last year, we took our team to the ISA London South tournament at Crystal
Palace. It was a glorious day which started with fog and finished in the
sunshine.
The 16 best schools in London and the South of England competed in 5-a-
side matches. Our group was very strong and we finished 6th
.
Tag/Contact Rugby:
Next term will be wet, muddy and cold; please can you add gloves, Mead hat,
towel and a plastic bag to your son’s / daughter’s PE bag. Year 5 and Year 6
will be playing contact rugby therefore the boys will require a gum shield.
Year 3 and Year 4 will be playing tag rugby and a gum shield is not necessary.
The new lockers are reducing the amount of kit lost but we can still improve
the naming. I am checking the PE kit at every lesson and any kit named on
the outside will automatically give a good work to your child. Please help
them!!! By naming outside, I can also track the children “borrowing” kit! For
child protection, I cannot look inside their clothing.
Inter-house results this term:
Thackeray Wellington Chalybeate
U8 + U9 Football 5 10 20
U10 + U11 Football 10 10 20
U10 + U11 Netball 10 5 20
Infant Swimming 18 10 20
Junior Swimming 22 16 12
Total 65 Points 51 Points 92 Points
A big thank you to all parents for supporting their teams and helping us with
the transport.
Years 3 & 4 Netball
Considering that the weather for many of our Monday afternoon games
sessions has been rather inclement, all our year 3 and year 4 girls have had
to put their game faces on, ignore the ghastly weather and try their best in all
aspects of our sessions.
Anita and I have seen the girls work hard on their passing, footwork, marking
and shooting skills; they have certainly shown a far greater understanding of
the basic rules of netball. We have at least one match to prepare and practice
for next term.

37. Well done girls.
Years 5 & 6 Netball
The girls have had a fantastic term on the netball court. They have all been
very enthusiastic and particularly competitive this year. We have played
games against Skippers Hill and Sacred Heart School this term and remain
unbeaten. The first team won comfortably at Skippers Hill and also at home to
Sacred Heart. All the girls in year 5 and 6 played against Sacred Heart. The
first and second team won their matches and the third and fourth team
narrowly lost.
I am looking forward to another successful term after the Christmas break. I
am particularly looking forward to once again competing in the South of
England ISA Netball tournament.
We wish you a Merry Christmas
Pierre Leroy and the PE department.

38. Matches Spring Term 2015
DATE BOYS
(RUGBY/ FOOTBAL)
GIRLS
(NETBALL)
WED
7 Jan
No Matches No Matches
WED
14 Jan
14h30. U11 Rugby workshop at
Skippers Hill.
Thursday
15 Jan
14h45 U9 tag Rugby
At Beechwood
WED
21 Jan
Thursday
22 Jan
14h45 U9 tag Rugby
At Skippers Hill
Friday
23 Jan
ISA Netball Tournament at
Lingfield Notre dame.
WED
28 Jan
U11 Quadrangular tournament at
Skippers Hill
WED
4 Feb
14h45 U10/U11 9 a side
Tag Rugby At Fosse bank
WED
11 Feb
Thursday
12 Feb
14h30 U8/U9 netball
At Skippers Hill
WED
18 Feb
Half Term Half Term
WED
25 Feb
WED
4 Mar
ISA Tag Rugby Festival
At the Mead
WED
11 Mar
Thursday
22 Jan
14h45 Home U8/U9 tag Rugby
Against Fosse bank
WED
18 Mar

39. KEY DATES FOR SPRING TERM 2015
Tuesday 6 January Start of Spring Term. First Infant swim
Wednesday 7 January First Kindergarten & Pre-Reception swim
Friday 9 January First Junior swim & first judo session
Monday 12 January Chinese New Year presentation to Reception and
Years 1 & 2 by ‘Perform’
Tuesday 13 January Eco Assembly
Monday 19 January Forest School for Early Years children
Thursday 22 January FOM event – hot chocolate & cake sale
Friday 23 January Year 2 presenting assembly
Tuesday 27 January Key Stage 2 writing workshops with Patrick Ryan,
storyteller
Wednesday 28 January Key Stage 1 writing workshops with Patrick Ryan,
storyteller
Choir singing at Young Voices Concert at O2
Friday 30 January Year 5 trip to Tunbridge Wells Museum
Tuesday 3 February Reception presenting assembly
Friday 6 February Year 3 presenting assembly
Wednesday 11 February Steps in Time performance to Years 2 & 3
Jules Wareham talk to parents and staff regarding
‘Supporting Adolescent Daughters’ – 7.00 pm dining
room
Thursday 12 February FOM Valentine Disco
Friday 13 February Non-uniform day – fancy dress
Break up for half-term at 12 noon from school
Monday 23 February Return to school from half-term
Tuesday 24 February Infants finish all swimming badges
Wednesday 25 February Kindergarten to finish all swimming badges
Tuesday 26 February Parents can view Infant swimming session
Thursday 5 March World Book Day. WE Day for Year 6.
Friday 6 March Junior fun Inter-House swimming
Saturday 7 March Concert by professional musicians at 7.30 pm –
details to follow
Monday 9 March Trip to see LSO by Year 3 & 4 – to be confirmed
Tuesday 10 March Infant Mini Races. Parent Consultations 4-6pm
(no Junior clubs)
Wednesday 11 March Open Day 10.00 am – 12.00 & 2.15-3.15pm
Thursday 12 March Spring Junior Concert at 4.00 pm, dining room
Parent Consultations 5.30-7.30pm
Friday 13 March Junior Fun Swim
FOM Auction of Promises – to be confirmed
Monday 16 March LAMDA Exams. Parents can view ballet & jazz
lesons
Tuesday 17 March LAMDA Exams. Infant fun swim
Thursday 19 March Parents can view modern & tap lessons.
Friday 20 March Easter Service at 11.15 am at King Charles the
Martyr Church – term ends at 12 noon from the
church
Return to school on Thursday 16 April
Saturday 21 March ISA Judo Competition. Ski trip leave.
Thank you for all your support and involvement in school life – we are very
lucky as a community that your children are blessed with home and school
working so closely together.
I wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and every best wish for 2015.