KEWLIFE 102

KEW LIFE
Issue 102
October 2021
The Newsletter of Kew Green Preparatory School
RECEPTION CELEBRATION OF AUTUMN
This term the children have been learning all about their new school and they have been making new friends! As Autumn caught up with us
quite early this year, the children started showing an interest in picking up conkers and Autumn leaves. It soon became all about Autumn and
its beautiful colours! As part of our Autumn topic, the children learned about Percy the Park Keeper and his friends. We read his book in class
and then had a special visit from Percy himself! Turns out there had been a big storm and Percy needed the children’s help to sort into seasons
the clothes that had been blown away by the mighty winds. Since all of Percy’s animal friends had been working so hard at tidying up the park
after the storm, Percy wanted to thank them by inviting them to a snack. Since Percy knew how amazing the children are with writing their new
sounds, he asked the children to help write the invitations. The children used their phonics knowledge to write on the invitations the things that
Percy’s friends would be eating at his hut. The day was packed with learning activities, fun and giggles! The Reception Team
MATHS MAGIC IN YEAR 4
Every Wednesday in Year 4, we have class Maths with Ms Chandler. This
term, we have been challenged with some quite tricky investigations like
tangrams. We were all given a square divided into 7 coloured shapes,
called tangrams. Ms Chandler gave us several challenges to try,
including putting pieces together to form triangles, rectangles and
parallelograms. We also designed animals and made displays of our
work! We have also investigated Triangles and Quadrilaterals. First, we
looked at different types of triangles and quadrilaterals and revised their
names. Our challenge was to use 9 dots to draw 8 different triangles and
16 different quadrilaterals. We were not allowed to include rotations of a
shape. Last week we learned about Roman Numerals and how to read
them. Then we had several challenges, a coded message, a crossword
and a Roman Numerals jigsaw to fit together. They kept us busy for a
long time! We were challenged with jumping frogs too! The challenge
was to move both sets of frogs to the opposite side of the pond. Frogs
were only allowed to jump forward and could either jump over one frog
or jump to the next lily pad. We tried using coloured cubes to represent
the frogs and if we managed to swap them over successfully, we had to
record how to do it. By the Year 4 maths crew … which is everyone in
Year 4.

YEAR 1 EXPLORE ST PAUL’S CATHEDRAL
Last week Year One went on a trip to St Paul’s Cathedral. We were lucky enough to see lots of
famous landmarks on the way from The London eye, The Houses of parliament, Tate Modern, Big
Ben, the Old Bailey, Nelson and the lions at Trafalgar Square, The River Thames, and many bridges
to keep us entertained. We arrived at St Paul’s very excited to learn. As we entered the building the
children were instantly in awe of the beauty in front of them, the gold, the angels, the statues, the
lights, the candles, the silence, the size, and the ceiling…. WOW it was huge and very beautiful.
The Cathedral we were standing in was the 5th one built because the 4th one was devastated by
the Great Fire of London in 1666. We made our way through galleries, down underground and
through prayer rooms and halls, taking in all the information. We saw lots of black statues that
were from the Fire of London, they had been damaged from the intense heat of the flames and
parts of the statues exploded. The children marvelled at the tomb stones of the famous including
that of Sir Christopher Wren, the architect who designed the Cathedral after the fire. We also learnt
how London coped with the fire and how they used to live in the 17 th century compared to now.
No fire engines, no protective clothing, only leather buckets and axes to put out the fire. After
lunch we walked to the Millennium bridge (aka the wibbly wobbly bridge) this is where we saw the
likes of the Shard and Tower bridge (a firm favourite) before we hopped back on the coach to
school. We were floored by the amount of questions the children asked and answered during our
visit. Miss Fuller
YEAR 4 AT THE CHILTERN OPEN AIR MUSEUM
On Thursday, 14 th October, Year 4 went to the Chiltern Open Air Museum to
learn some more about the Anglo Saxons, which we are learning about in
history. We found our way to our first workshop which was all about
archaeology. We got to dig up different artefacts, piece together pottery, we
looked at coins from the olden days and we even had to search through poo to
work out what they used to eat so that we could date the poo! Next we had an
early lunch so that we would have more time to explore, including time in a
really fun playground. We went into an underground tunnel to try to hide from
Miss Davies! In the afternoon we had an Anglo-Saxon workshop. We met a
woman dressed as an Anglo-Saxon who taught us how to introduce ourselves
in her language. We got to try on a replica helmet, shield and sword, we used
the Ogham alphabet to carve our names into clay, we made brooches with
small jewels and even wove our own fabric. We did so much! We rate the trip
as 5 stars. Gia and Eva 4G
A NEW COMPANION ARRIVES AT KEW GREEN
When there is a great idea at Kew Green, there is a very good chance that the
School Council have been behind it! The proposal of having a school dog was the
latest one to come from them, last term. So, since September, we have been graced
by the presence of Elsie, Mr Puckle’s Hungarian Vizsla, one day-a-week. She has a
wonderful temperament and friendly demeanour. It’s safe to say that Elsie has been
a hit with the children and she has certainly been busy enjoying all that Kew Green
has to offer… Elsie has joined the children in assemblies, taken part in a number of
Upper and Lower School lessons, helped children with their maths, listened to
children read, played catch in the corridors, slept on Mr Peck’s sofa, gone for walks
on the green and practised her phonics in Lower School! The children are
delighted to have a new companion learning alongside them! Elsie has a wonderful
calming influence on everyone she meets and never fails to put a beaming smile on
our faces. It has been lovely to see children across different year groups interacting
and forging new relationships when in her presence. Having Elsie in and around
school helps to further instil values of empathy and respect, whilst ensuring that our
children’s emotional well-being is at the forefront of everything we do. She enjoys it
so much it’s difficult to drag her out of the school gates at the end of the day! Miss
Mathews and Mr Puckle

YEAR 6 BECOME GREAT CITIZENS
On Friday, 8 th October, Year 6 went to a Citizenship Workshop in Bushy Park,
where we learned how to keep safe and how to handle various hazards in the
world around us, such as fire, cycling carefully, railway safety and stranger
danger. There were nine workshops to complete. The first was a talk about
safety on the river, then bulling which was so interesting to listen to. In the
stranger danger activity, we got told to stand by the tree by our instructor and
then a woman came by who was looking for her child. She was very suspicious.
After a while, the instructor came back and revealed that it was part of the
activity and she was actually our instructor too. Next, we did an activity on fire
safety and it was very useful. We talked about a fire alarm and what we need to
do if there is a fire and when we need to do it. The best option is to call 999 and
say your address. The Fire Fighters should take about 6 minutes to get to the
fire. We learned many useful things that we can use now and in the future if we
ever face serious danger. We found the morning’s activities really helpful and
we are thankful to the people who ran the course. Overall, it was an enjoyable trip and we would love to do it all over again! A selection of
Year 6 Citizens
YEAR 5 HORRIBLE HISTORIES
On Friday, 15 th October, Year 5 went on their first trip of the year to Richmond Theatre
to watch the Horrible Histories production ‘Barmy Britain’. Once we got there we were
a little bit excited and couldn’t wait for the show to start. At the beginning of the
show, we learnt about the Romans, Boudicca, King Henry the VIII and the Tudors and
Richard the Lionheart. It was basically an acting timeline!
In the second half of the performance, we got to wear 3D glasses and it felt like the
objects were coming at you. It was fun but also quite scary, at times. There was a slight
bit of horror but still a good few laughs and silly jokes! We had such a fun time and it
really brought our history learning to life. We cannot wait for our trip to the Tower of
London for Crime and Punishment! Mr Bennet
YEAR 6 VISIT WINDSOR CASTLE
On Monday, 4th October, Year Six went to Windsor Castle. When we got there, we were given a device to tell us where in the castle we were.
After that, we set off towards St. George’s Chapel. There was a giant window with pictures of royalty on it; we even saw the past graves of
kings and queens! Most impressively, we stood next to Henry VIII’s, Jane Seymour’s and Charles I’s graves! While we were walking, we saw
that the Royal Standard was up. The Standard is a flag and when it is raised, it means the Queen is inside.
It was amazing seeing all the details, such as the Tudor and York roses and Catherine of Aragon’s pomegranate badge! My teacher and I
were spotting things and gaping at the graves of Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville. It was all so beneficial for learning history (my favourite
subject!). Next, we had a workshop; it was amazing. We learnt about William the Conqueror and the Domesday Book, acting out scenes. We
learned plenty about how monarchs changed and helped the country, including how Windsor Castle has changed through the years. It used
to be a motte-and-bailey castle! Lastly, we went to the State Apartments. We looked out of the windows to see if we could see The Queen
but we just saw guards stomping. The rooms were beautiful and ornate! The most interesting part was seeing all the Knights of the Garter’s
shields displayed on the wall of St. George’s Hall. Did you know, if they are blank, it means that a knight has betrayed the monarchy.
By Year 6 Windsor Castle fans … and there were many of them!

FOOTBALL UNDER 10’S TOURNAMENT
On Thursday, 14th of October, Year 5 went to play in
RPPS' under 10s football tournament. It was a massive
tournament with six other schools competing against
us. The weather was fantastic, and everything was in
place for us to enjoy a brilliant afternoon of football. As
the B team captain, I was very excited and managed to
motivate my team so that we were all prepared to work
as hard as we possibly could for each other. During the
competition we showed that as a team we were hard
working, determined, selfless and positive with each
other at all times. After fighting hard throughout our six
matches, we sat down and waited for the medal
presentation. To our delight we found out that we had
managed to secure third place and were all very proud
to receive our bronze medals. Congratulations to
everyone involved, I was proud to be your captain!
Laurie 5G
NETBALL UNDER
11’S TOURNAMENT
On Monday, 11th of November, year six went to the RPPS’ under 11’s
netball tournament. There were lots of other schools and we got to play
seven matches. We managed to win six games and only lost once, to the
eventual winners! We were all very proud of each other. We worked so
hard together, never gave up and built a fantastic team spirit throughout
the afternoon. It was this team spirit that enabled us to claim second
place and we were all super proud to receive our silver medals! Well
done to everyone that took part we did an amazing job! Nala & Loli, Year
6 Netballers
…AND NOW FOR THE WEATHER
Blustery or light breeze? Torrential downpour or light drizzle? Mild or muggy? At Kew Green, we
always know what to expect, thanks to our weather prefects who are continuously updating our
very own weather board. Our weather team also keeps us up to date about the latest climate
and weather news from around the world, as well as fun facts and explanations of weatherrelated
terminology. “Being a weather prefect makes me feel very proud! I can’t wait to update
the board every morning, especially when the weather changes suddenly!” - Timo Year 6
“I like researching the weather online and I have become much more aware of daily weather
changes” - Dora Year 6
Now, the big question is…will it snow this Christmas? Greg Searle
LITTLE AMAL’S JOURNEY FOR CHANGE
This term, we have been following the progress of a character named 'Little Amal' as she
embarks on an epic walk. The 3.5 metre-tall living artwork of a young Syrian refugee child, is
walking 5,000 miles across Turkey, Greece, Italy, France, Switzerland, Germany, Belgium and
the UK to focus attention on the urgent needs of young refugees. As part of a global event,
the children wrote letters to the EU Parliament calling for change to make the world a better
place. Children from Reception to Year 6 included some poignant points in their letters such
as climate change, homelessness, asylum, refugees, palm oil and deforestation. On October
7th, Little Amal delivered thousands of letters, written by children all over the UK, to the EU
Parliament in Brussels.
A member of our Kew Green community is taking part in this walk. Miss Longthorne, one of
our teaching assistants, has taken this term away from school to work as one of the many
puppeteers navigating Amal on her long walk. Miss Longhtorne has been kind enough to
send us video updates and photos along the way. We are keen to hear more about Miss
Longthorne’s experiences as part of this epic journey and the impact it has had. Mr Reed

WHAT’S BEEN GOING ON IN ENGLISH?
This term we have focused on increased opportunities for reading. Children in Years 1 – 4
now have a reading buddy. This means the younger children have increased opportunities
to feel safe, happy and confident as well as having an increased engagement in reading.
For older buddies, we are aiming to improve self-esteem, confidence in reading and
increased cognitive awareness. Our School Dog (Elsie) has also made an appearance as an
engaged listener to many children this term. We know this also enhances engagement and
confidence in reading skills.
This term has seen an array of writing across the school. From letters of apology to the
three pigs, persuasive writing on theme parks, twisted fairy tales, and information texts all
about a range of topics covered so far this year.
Year 3 simply love writing and enjoy finding new, exciting verbs and adjectives, or
thinking up clever similes. This term we have been looking at the timeless works of
Anthony Browne, whose detailed, inference-rich illustrations have provided us with
limitless inspiration for descriptive writing. We have also been learning the
important process of getting all our ideas on paper, then editing and improving
our work numerous times before producing the final piece of writing. Saira in 3G
quipped: “This is so much fun! What if I run out of space to write?”
“It’s always great getting to the end of a writing session and having just about
every pupil wanting to carry on with their work”, reported Mr Searle.
On International Poetry Day, the
children had the chance to hunt around
school for various poems and voted on
their favourite. As part of the day, the
children learnt about rhythm and rhyme
and had the opportunity to compose
their own poetry. Many of them
managed to recite and perform their
very own poems. There were even
acrostic poems written about solids,
liquids and gases!
Year 2 have also been busily working
on improving their writing. We have
been using our imaginations to create a
twisted tale. The children have done all
sorts of work on expanded noun
phrases using exciting and varied
adjectives. We have also been writing in
paragraphs too.
“Right around the corner in a far off land, Little Red Riding Hood was skipping with Wolfie on the path. She was going to her sick nanny’s
house as she was bringing her a big bag of beautiful, tasty treats. In there was a big cake, a bowl of strawberries and some toffee. Suddenly…
a misty shadow grabbed her and silence took the air.” Maya 2G
FROM HOMEWORK TO PUBLISHED BOOK…
Sometimes random things happen. For example - you bake a cake for fun and win the Bake Off OR you’re
doing homework, find out about a competition and use your work as the writing and win! Well, that’s
exactly what happened to me…
One day I was working on some creative writing homework when my mum came in and mentioned, “I’ve
just found a writing competition. Want to join?” I agreed. I stared at my homework; then I realised: “Why
write two stories when you can use one for both?” I finished my assignment, typed it up and sent it out.
Little did I know, that not only was I going to win 1 st prize, but also be published in a book and win £20 -
which I donated to Water Aid.
But what feels the strangest: When I enter “Julie Malik” on Amazon, a book with MY name on the front
cover comes up. Though I might have won the competition, I’m far from being famous, so I’m not going to
stop there. A random thing happened to me - from now on I will always see homework as another
possibility .
In case you are wondering what my story is all about: it is called ‘The Mysterious Little Girl’ and tells the tale
of a little girl who enters a forest and – the rest you have to find out by yourself…Julie 6G

LITTLE FRENCH BAKERS IN THE MAKING
The Year 2 children have been learning how to buy different types of bread and
patisserie in French. They played shopkeepers in la Boulangerie, read a story about
a visit to the bakery, sang songs about les baguettes, les gateaux et les croissants
and completed the topic with a croissant making lesson. They had to roulez le
triangle de pâte et formez en croissant. We then asked chef to ‘mettez les croissants
au four s’il vous plait’. Appropriately, on our baking day we were lucky to have
Madame la Boulangère (Mrs Baker) helping us in 2k!
The children told me their croissants tasted fantastiques, delicieux, super! Some ate
them at home with jam and butter and a glass of milk, others didn’t make it that far.
Ila told me she enjoyed shaping the dough and reminded us that the French word
croissant means crescent and that rectangle (for those who made pains au
chocolate) is the same word in French. Kasper K. told us he loved the Neuf
Croissants dans Une Boulangerie song and enjoys telling his grandma about the
lessons as she studied French at university. Amelia informed us that une baguette
is named after its shape, as it also means a wand or a conductor’s baton. I wonder
who might remember what une ficelle (the thinner version) is named after?
Madame Thorpe-Woods
HUNDERTWASSER FLOWERS IN YEAR 1
This term, Year 1 have been exploring the colourful work of Austrian
artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. The children were very lucky to
have the opportunity to participate in an exciting workshop, led by
Mrs. Veevers MA., who is a professional printer and ceramicist. In
the workshop Year 1 learned about the beautiful lollipop flowers
and trees that Hundertwasser painted and which were the focus of
their prints. The children started their prints, by creating circular
flower head collages and making printing blocks drawing lines and
patterns in the style of Hundertwasser. Year 1 were very excited to
use a professional press and inked up their blocks to print onto their
collages. It was a real joy to see the children’s faces as they pulled
their prints off the press. Well done year 1! Miss Ivory
MUSIC PERFORMANCES MAKE A RETURN
As you walk around Kew Green Prep, it is so lovely to hear enthusiastic music-making
springing back into life again – whether it be from a class instrumental band, a jazz
saxophone solo, the strains of a rock guitarist practising for the music assembly after
half term, or our Year 6 Samba percussionists. We have fantastic fun singing all together
in class and the choirs wake the school up with their rehearsals! The children have all
been working preparing songs for the Harvest festival next week and we have really
enjoyed the first few solo performances in merit assembly. We look forward very much
to our upper school and lower school music assemblies after half term and nativity
festivities, not to mention the upcoming Kew Sparkle village performance and the
much-anticipated Christmas Concert at the end of term. A great start, everyone.
AND FINALLY…
What a great start to the year and so good to have clubs up and running, a full fixtures programme, parent assemblies and the doors to the
school open once again. We will review the Covid situation after half term which may allow us to welcome parents fully back in to school. Year
6 children who parents have chosen for them to do so, are working hard preparing for their upcoming 11+ exams. Rest assured, those who
have chosen a through route to a GSG Ltd Senior school are also working hard in preparation for their eventual transition to senior school.
Meanwhile, the little ones in Reception, as always, have shown such a growth in confidence over such a short period of time. As this term drew
to a close, it was very special to have the whole school together for Harvest Festival. Our choirs are re-building their numbers quickly and we
are all looking forward to the events and celebrations that next term will bring. I trust you all have a restful half term break, if you are able to,
and will see you in a week or so! Jem Peck, Editor.
www.kgps.co.uk