september 29th 2017 1 somewhere over the rainbow · articles. we hope you enjoy them and discover...

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www.tauntonschool.co.uk

CHALLENGE NURTURE INSPIRE

September 29th 2017

SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW

MORE INSIDE

THIS DAY IN HISTORYPupils delve into the past and

discover when William Duke of Normandy invaded England.

YEAR ONE BUILD A BEAR DEN

Children learn about bear habitats at Forest School.

Nursery 4 create a gallery of work to 'bee' proud of.

BUZZY BEES

MORE PICS ON PG 4

On Friday 22nd September, Reception went on their first school trip. They went to Rainbow Care Farm in Wiveliscombe and had a fantastic time feeding the sheep and the chickens, painting and grooming ponies, roasting marshmallows on the fire and creating a hobby horse for their own pony races. All of the children were very well behaved and were a credit to Taunton Pre-Prep. What a lovely start to the Reception year!

Chantelle Margenout

Pupils go in search of Paddington.YEAR 2 BEAR PROJECT

Expressive Arts Week begins.

CALLING ALL PERFORMERS

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The Pre-Prep and Prep Courier

THE HEAD HAS HIS SAY... by Andrew Edwards

NEWS FROM NURSERY AND PRE-PREP

by Kathy McLauchlan

by Kathy McLauchlan

During the past week, I have had the great pleasure of watching TPS pupils displaying their talents in a wide range of events. The Taunton Deane Swimming Championships was a chance for me to see many TPS pupils excelling in the

pool, whilst I much enjoyed seeing all of our teams giving their all on the hockey and rugby pitches on Wednesday. On the musical side, the Performing Arts Café was a delightful concert, very well supported by parents and staff.

As our pupils reach the top of the Prep School, there is an increased focus on leadership as well as on their own performance as individuals. On Tuesday, I confirmed the leadership roles which we have allocated to our Year 8 boys and girls. Every pupil has been given the opportunity to lead in at least one area of school life, which he or she has chosen. There are Digital Leaders, Performing Arts Leaders (Music, Drama and Dance), Science Leaders, Art Leaders, DT Leaders, Librarians and Eco Leaders. In sport, as well as the appointed captains of individual sports, many pupils have expressed a desire to follow a programme which will develop their sports leadership skills and a letter will be sent home next week to parents of those pupils. Nearly 30 of our Year 8 pupils have also expressed a desire to become ‘Junior Leaders’ and they will soon start spending time with our Year 3 pupils. In addition, the Head Boy, the Head Girl, the four Heads of

Houses, the two Activ8ors and the two Boarding Captains are members of the School Council who meet regularly with Mr Coleman and I, providing them with the opportunity to work in partnership with their peers and senior management for the good of the school community.

Becoming leaders at the top of our school will give our Year 8 pupils the chance to develop a special relationship with staff which draws upon their increased maturity and independence. They have been given access to areas during break which are not open to younger children, they read regularly in Chapel and some of them will be touring the school tomorrow with prospective parents at Open Morning.

We believe strongly that the best time to join a Senior School is at the age of 13. During their final year in TPS, as well as taking on responsibilities as leaders of the Prep School, our pupils will spend an increasing amount of time using Senior School facilities and being taught by Senior School teachers and our shared elite sports coaches. It is the best of both worlds and, by the end of Year 8, they will have held on to all of their childhood years as well as becoming self-assured, confident and mature young people, ready to work, play and socialise alongside the young adults of the Senior School.

Mr Edwards

In this busy world we need to train our minds and our bodies to be restful and this week we have

welcomed back Louisa Miles from Echo, to deliver our Mindfulness programme.

Year One are learning about mindful body positions, mindful listening and techniques for breathing and relaxation. Ask them to show you some of the techniques. You can try them out together.

Perhaps, if you would like more information, we could also do a workshop for parents. Do pop in and have a chat for more information. Year 2, as last year, will also have some sessions and these are planned for January, in the Spring Term . We are also planning to have a mindfulness enrichment day

and we’d love to involve you all in this too. So watch this space.

This week we have had stunning starts for all our creative curriculum topics and all the boards in the hall have been changed so have a look when you collect your children. There are some super photos of the Reception at the farm. At the end of the day, when children are tired and asked what they have done at school, so often the response is nothing! Obviously not true, then gradually, when having a bath or bedtime story, bits and pieces spill out. Photos and show me boards help you share with your children and get the bigger picture!

Mr Riggs, Speech and Drama teacher, has been using some very special Trestle masks with the children that explore emotions and body language.

We hope you enjoy all our photos and articles this week, as always Pre-Prep and Nursery are very happy places to be and it is such a joy to see new learning taking place and children who are smiley and happy.

Kathy McLauchlan

by Kathy McLauchlanNEWS FROM NURSERY AND PRE-PREP

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SCHOOL CALENDARSaturday 30th September

Thone House Boarders: Game of Thone

08:30 - 09:15 - Parents' Informal Breakfast*, Chaplain's House

09:30 - 12:30 - Whole School Open Morning*, Wood Library

Sunday 1st October

Thone House Boarders: Visit to Taunton Town Centre

Monday 2nd October

16:15 - 17:00 - Performing Arts Café*, Centenary Hall

Tuesday 3rd October

09:15 - 12:00 - Vision Screening for Reception Class, Pre-Prep

Wednesday 4th October

Thursday 5th October

Friday 6th October

Roberts House Charity & House Singing Day (Prep School Mufti)

PUPPET FUNChildren in Reception have had great fun making puppets and learning a

finger rhyme in French. It is very similar to the well-known British nursery rhyme 'two little dickie birds' but in French les deux petits oiseaux are called Fifi and Blanche and not Peter and Paul. I'm sure they will perform the rhyme in French if you ask them to.

Louise Ashmore

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SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOWFROM FRONT PAGE...

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ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY29 SEPTEMBER 1066

Each Tuesday the intrepid team of TPS History detectives meet to delve into the past and research famous events to coincide with the publishing date of The Courier that week. They have only one hour to research, write and illustrate their articles. We hope you enjoy them and discover some fascinating bits of History .

Joanna Hall-Tomkin, Head of History and Pastoral Head Years 5&6

WILLIAM DUKE OF NORMANDY INVADES ENGLAND

By Joe, Sophia, Marni, James, Aryan and Freddie

1 William Duke of Normandy was born in 1027 and was about 39 when he set sail for England on the 28th September, landing the next day, the 29th of September 1066.

2 Harold Godwinson, or King Harold II, was the last of England’s Anglo-Saxon kings. He was also the last English monarch to be defeated in battle in England by a foreign invader. Harold was born in about 1022 in Wessex.

3 William duke of Normandy laid claim to the English crown after Edward the Confessor (or Saint Edward the Confessor) who was his cousin once removed, died in 1066. William said that Edward had promised him the throne after he died, he told William this when he was visiting France he even said his claim had been accepted by Harold Godwinson in 1064, when Harold had been blown onto the Norman shore by a storm. William invaded England to become king and claim the throne from Harold.

4 William Duke of Normandy landed in Pevensey with about 7,000 troops including cavalry, on the 29th September 1066. He landed with the intent to take the crown from King Harold Godwinson, only to find a completely unprotected beach. All of the English troops were away in York fighting the Viking contender for the throne, Harald Hadrada.

5 The Battle of Hastings took place between Harold and William later, on the 14th October 1066. Harold was defeated and William became known as ‘the Conqueror’. Harold was the last of the truly English Kings and the last English King to be killed by a foreign invader.

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BUILD A BEAR DEN!Year 1 spent a busy morning at Forest School thinking about bear habitats and building bear dens as part of our ‘A Walk

in the Woods’ topic.

The children worked beautifully in partners using natural materials and lots of imagination to build warm, cosy dens. The class bears were very grateful!

Lucy Hebditch

Showing their

EmotionsMr Riggs explores emotions and body

language in Speech and Drama for Reception, Year One and Two as part of their programme of study!

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PHOEBE'S SPANISH FAMILY TREE

Follow us!To keep up to date with all our

latest news and events why not visit our social media accounts?

@tauntonschool

@tauntonschool

@tauntonprep

@tauntonschool

DO YOU KNOW SOMEONE CONSIDERING THEIR SIXTH FORM OPTIONS?

Tell them about our information evenings:

Sixth Form Information Evening covering A Levels, IB and BTECFriday, 6th October - 6.30 to 9.00pm click here for more

IB Information EveningWednesday, 1st November - 6.30 to 9.00pm click here for more

This week's Musician of the Week is awarded to Amalie Thomas. She is a new student who attends both the Orchestra and Wind Band playing the flute. She also attends Senior Choir and has really impressed us in the Music Department. Well done Amalie!

Jayne Hornsby, Head of Music and Performing Arts

Musician of the Week Sept 25th - 2017

Phoebe Billings in Year 8 shows her Spanish “Family Tree”. Her hard work and positive attitude in class earned her a Roll Of Honour from Mrs Whitefoot.

Catharine Richards

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https://www.facebook.com/tauntonschool/

https://twitter.com/TauntonPrep?lang=en

http://www.instgram.com/tauntonschool

https://www.tauntonschool.co.uk/news-events/events/2017/october/sixth-form-open-evening/

https://www.tauntonschool.co.uk/news-events/events/2017/november/ib-information-evening/

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Year 8 Explore Unusual Flavours

YEAR 3 & 4 DRAMA DAZZLERS!

Year 8 in their cooking lesson learned to combine different and unusual ingredients such as ginger root, bamboo shoots, baby corns and green chillies to make a fragrant chow mein!

Simon Ashmore

In Dazzlers' Drama this week we re-told the story of Goldilocks! How naughty she and her friends turned out to be! A special mention to two Year 7 girls, Scarlett King and Rosie Imm who have given up their time to support this club.

Andrew Manners

The following performers will be taking part in the Performing Arts Café on Monday 2nd October at 4.15pm in CH.

• Millie Trescothick• Ailani Braine-Clarke• Allyssa Vitug• Emily Vernon• Poppy Treanor• Marni Gallimore• Lily Adams, Keira Hughes, Ava Jolley, Leila Imm &

Ava Leach• Aryan Sharma, Tom White, Archie Bollom, Jonny

Sibanda-Jenkins• Edward Dancey & Mina Li• Gypsy Grace-Wood, Sophie Parker & Kate

Blackmore-Greasley• Charlie Vile & Daisy Challacombe• Edward Dancey• Saffy Masters• Dulcie Catton

PERFORMING ARTS CAFÉ

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NURSERY 4 BUZZY BEES!Nursery 4 have created a new "work to 'bee' proud of" display for the children to

celebrate their achievements and to show what they have been doing. During the first week of term all the children created a buzzy bee to put on the display. The children are then encouraged to choose pictures that they have drawn or outcomes of group activities that they are proud of, to display under their special bee.

Nursery Four Team

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SWITZERLAND CHOIR TOUR

DISCO YEARS 6, 7, 8

Tickets on sale now from the school office

£5.00 each

(includes refreshments)

Raising funds for the Choir Tour. Thank you If you would like to buy a raffle ticket or extra refreshments please bring some

pocket money with you

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YEAR 2 GET THEIR 'BEARINGS'At the beginning of term, two

very precious bears went missing from the Year 2 classrooms. After a frantic search, our Paddington Bears were found hiding in trees with a small pot of marmalade close by. We then had our own ‘Great British Bake Off Sandwich

Challenge’, where Noah and Antoine were crowned Star Bakers! Last week, the children weighed, measured and painted their bears. Freda’s was the lightest and Sophie and Theo’s were the heaviest. The children enjoyed comparing the length and weight

of their bears and are developing an understanding of grams and centimetres. After listening to a variety of Paddington Bear stories the children went on to create their own London Poster. They were amazing!!

The Year 2 Team

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BRING ON THE BRASS! MAKE WAY FOR THE WIND!

Calling all young Actors, Musicians, and Dancers! The House Expressive Arts Week has begun. All children are invited to prepare solo and group performances. 1 House Point per performance – who will be the winning house this year? See Mr Baker and Mrs Hornsby for details. Remember to bring in your sheet music, instrument, or script – anything you need for your performance – to your next Music and Drama lesson.

Sam Baker, Music Teacher

Our celebrated Wind and Brass Instrumental Tuition scheme has begun in earnest, just look at all these excited and enthusiastic young instrumentalists! As in previous years, over the course of this term and into the New Year, the Performing Arts department is offering 4 free “taster” lessons for children in Years 3 and 4. There will be a performance to parents on Tuesday 10th October at 1.45pm in the Centenary Hall. (Refer to the calendar for dates of future performances as part of this “taster” scheme).

Sam Baker, Music Teacher

CALLING ALL PERFORMERS…

Bring your Instruments, Music, and Scripts to your next Music and Drama lessons

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With the Exeat been and gone, Thone House have been able to recharge their batteries for the run into half term. During the course of this week, they have loved swimming, dodgeball, rocky road making and a

number of other activities, culminating this weekend with ‘Game of Thone’ and some retail therapy. Looking further ahead, we are looking forward to supporting the BSA National Boarding Day – Saturday 7th October, as well as

‘Make do with Marshmallows’ and ‘Come Rain or Shine’.

Michelle ColemanHead of Boarding

GAME OF THONE

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THIS WEEK'S SPORTCROSS-COUNTRY RELAYS

TAUNTON SCHOOL MEMBERS OF THE SOMERSET SATELLITE NETBALL ACADEMY

Well done to our 5 teams of runners who travelled to King’s College. The first runners lined up on the very busy start line, they ran a lap of around 1000m, before handing to the second runners in their teams who also ran 1000m, who then handed to the third and final runners.

All five of our teams ran brilliantly, with TPS having three of the first five teams over the finish line.

I was especially proud of how smart the children all looked and how well they conducted themselves, they were a pleasure to take!

Nicola Foad

A special well done to Georgia-Bella Kingswell and Emily Halliday.

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ASA REGIONAL SWIMMINGWell done to the eight

swimmers who travelled to Bristol to swim in the ASA Schools swimming time trials. A special well done to the boys who recorded excellent times in both the 200m freestyle and medley relays.

Boys - Ollie Heard, Jack Butler, Ollie Butler and Josh Green.

Girls – Macey Barrett, Emily Halliday, Darcie Coleman and Helen Hounslow.

LIZZIE HOUGHTON-KING AT THE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPSIt was a very early start at

7am with a warm up and ‘walk the course’ at the harbour in Viviero, Spain, at 8.00am (still pitch black that far west). First race commenced at 8.30am with 27 U11 athletes from South Africa, France, Egypt, Great Britain, Spain and Austria. Lizzie had a great start, coming into the second shoot overall 10th. A target mishap

on her second shoot saw her fall several places but she put in a massive effort to regain several positions with a superb swim finishing 17th overall. I really hearty performance that has served as a great experience for her at this level. As for the rest of the squad, GB walked away with some incredible results and lots of medals across every age group.

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INTER-HOUSE BIATHLONSOver the last week, the

children have been busy competing in a Biathlon for their house. This has involved a middle distance run (around Greenham) and a 50m swim. The final age groups have competed today and the overall results are being calculated – so the children will all know how they did next week!

Nicola Foad

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Open Morning at Taunton SchoolSaturday 30th September, 09:30 - 12:30 Outstanding Inspection • Outstanding Results • Outstanding Education


Assisted Places

and Scholarships available

HELP US SPREAD THE WORD

Assisted Places at Taunton SchoolYou could be eligible for financial support - come and talk to us Outstanding Inspection • Outstanding Results


Open Morning

Saturday 30th September

Our aim is to provide 75 assisted places by 2020. Please don't rule yourself out - you may be eligible for support or you might know somebody else who could benefit. Click here for more. https://www.tauntonschool.co.uk/assistedplaces

https://www.tauntonschool.co.uk/assistedplaces

https://www.tauntonschool.co.uk/assistedplaces

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The biggest mass-movement dance production anywhere in the UK in each year!

Event to take place at the end March/beginning of April - exact dates TBC.

Choreography workshop will take place at TS between 9th - 12th February 2018

Contact [email protected] for more details!

Students UK Schools Fans

“YOUR PRIORITY INVITE TO PERFORM ON THE BIGGEST STAGE OF YOUR LIFE”

Pro-Excel – 15 years of mass-movement at the worlds greatest venues & stadiums

LIVE AT THE OLYMPIC

STADIUM

BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW!

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ICT HELPDESK GUIDES Getting onto Firefly via a PC or Mobile Device

1. Open your Web Browser 2. Go to https://intranet.tauntonschool.co.uk 3. Sign in with your School Login

Accessing Firefly Student Planner on a mobile device

1. Download Student Planner from the iOS Appstore or the Android Play Store depending on your Device. Try a search for ‘Firefly for students’

2. Type in your School Code - TAUNTON 3. Sign in with your School Login (username & password).

Firefly on PC and Mobile Devices “How to get onto Firefly and Student Planner”

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september 29th 2017 1 somewhere over the rainbow · articles. we hope you enjoy them and discover...

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