Chess, chess everywhere!

The purpose-built chess huts in the playground, with the opportunity they give for practice, may have contributed to so many children being involved in the Berkhampstead Chess Congress.  52 boys and girls from year 3-6 had fun and competed in the first qualifying round on Saturday.  18 won through to the County level Mega-final, but all won stickers, small prizes and gained a great deal of experience whilst honing their thinking skills.  More pictures.

Day Nursery Preview

The 'Take a Peak' morning at our super new Day Nursery went splendidly, with lots of happy children exploring the huge rooms and getting down to some serious playing!  Current school parents were invited to take a look at just how spacious, fresh and lovely everywhere is.  Our Nursery manager and her assistant were busy all morning handing out Information Packs and answering questions. Tours were conducted, drinks and biscuits served, and there was plenty of time for socialising.   

Life During the Civil War

As part of their Stuart topic, year 5 visited the Worcester's Commandery. The children stepped back in time, many donning soldiers' uniforms complete with guns and muskets, giving them a taste of what life was like during the Civil War. They learnt how to handle pikes and load a cannon. After this gory insight Stuart life, the afternoon was a little more tranquil with Year 5 making their own beeswax candles and producing beautiful handwriting with a quill. A fascinating day.

Lots of Netball

The Year 3 and 4 girls attended a great morning's training at CCJS.  Coached games and skills sessions made it a fun learning experience for all involved.  The girls played a huge amount of netball, made some new friends and set themselves up for the season.  

Super Start to the Season!

With a couple of victories under their belts already, the Under 10 boys' football teams have had a great start to the season. They have come together well as teams and are enjoying the beautiful game!  As always, they have played in good spirit and are looking forward to next week's set of fixtures - well done, boys!

Day Nursery - Spring opening planned

We are delighted to announce that Cheltenham Borough Council have given 'change of use' planning permission for us to go ahead with our new Day Nursery.  The premises are superb - large, well proportioned rooms which are light and airy and will allow space for children to thrive and grow.   Our Day Nursery will provide a wonderful place for babies and the youngest children to be cared for, using our trained and experienced staff and building on the reputation for outstanding pastoral care that we have at the Prep School.  Please contact the School Office on 01242 523263 to register for a place and for further details.  

Music - National Success 

Seven Berkhampstead pupils have been successful in auditions for the National Childrens’ Orchestra and the National Childrens’ Choir this year, well done to them - places are highly sought after.  They will have a wonderful opportunity to build on the grounding they have had here at school, and will have chance to rehearse and perform at the highest level.  

Evacuated to the Steam Museum

The Year 6 children wen tback in time this week as, labelled up and with gas masks hanging round their necks, they headed off to the Steam Museum.  They all looked the part and learnt a huge amount about life during the war, brought to life by the wonderful exhibits and having the opportunity to handle original objects.  Story tellers in costume brought the past to life, the children asked lots of questions and learnt a great deal.  A super trip!

 Carols at Beechwood Arcade

The senior choir went to Beechwood arcade this week to entertain shoppers with carols and to get into the Christmas mood.  Collecting for local charities, they thoroughly enjoyed singing a programme of carols for passers-by whilst the wind and rain lashed on the roof above!  It was anything but a Silent Night which they sweetly sang through the noise!

 Pre-Prep Nativity 

The pre-Prep children thoroughly enjoyed performing 'A Tale of Two Birthdays' this week to an audience of appreciative parents and friends. The story was of old King Casper celebrating his birthday in fine style with his friends, King Melchior and King Balthazar. Their bossy wives admire an unusual star, sparkling like a diamond in the sky, and demand their husbands go and find it. Trudging across the desert, the three kings (pictured) resist temptations offered by Herod's unruly soldiers and encounter some sand dancers before reaching a starlit stable. Time to celebrate another birthday!  A super performance with lovely singing - very well done to all!

Christmas Eve in the Toyshop

Reception and Nursery performed a charming Christmas concert for an audience of doting parents, grandparents and siblings. Our youngest children told the story through songs and action - of all the toys in a toy shop coming to life as the clock chimed midnight. We were treated to pretty dollies dancing, trains chuffing , colourful jack-in-the-boxes jumping and the clowns flopping about. A lovely nativity scene came to life too. Well done, early years!

Super busy Santa at the Christmas Fayre!

A wonderful turn-out at the Christmas Fayre this morning - it was lovely to see so many people.  Busy from the off, Santa did a marvellous job in his grotto (formerly the dining room, but transformed beyond recognition!)  There were delicious mince pies, turkey rolls, mulled wine and lots of art and craft for all to enjoy.  The choir sang beautifully and Mrs Agg made a splendid elf!  The Friends of Berkhampstead's organisation was outstanding, their huge amount of preparation paid off to provide a lovely event.  Current parents click for more pictures.

Autumn Music Recital

We were treated to a lovely early evening concert this week at school.  Lots of children were involved and we heard a super range of instruments including the harp, saxaphone, flute, piano and cornet. Many of the children had started to learn only this term and performed brilliantly, relishing their first time on stage - the appreciative audience   enjoyed music from beginners to Grade 5.  Several children performed in games kit, having come along from other activities - a versatile bunch here!  A member of the chess team dashed  from a fixture to perform the last item on the programme another well-rounded Berkhampstead pupil.  A super concert - well done to all involved.

Recycling Workshop

The Year 4 children are just starting work on 'Our Environment' and the 3 R’s (they will be able to tell you what they are!).  The workshop involved making a pizza with different sized slices which corresponded to how much of each sort of waste we throw away in our dustbins.  The art room became a 'bomb site' with pasta, pulses, bags of leaves, plastic bottles, paper, card, material, twigs and a fair amount of glue covering the tables.  Eventually some of these items made their way onto the relevant pizza slice. Great fun was had by all with this hands on activity. 

Lacrosse Festival

Some of the Year 6 girls were invited to Westonbirt School for a lacrosse festival. The afternoon consisted of a skill session and a general introduction to the game which led into a mini tournament between the many schools whom attended. A worthwhile afternoon for such a fantastic sport.

Year 4 trip to Goodrich Castle

On a beautiful day Year 4 explored the luxury of living in a medieval castle. With a range of workshops involving dressing up, music making and armour, the children gained an insight to the plethora of jobs and tasks that were needed to be done in the castle. In the afternoon the children looked at the castle in a different perspective...how to attack and defend it which certainly provoked some interesting questions and ideas.

Japanese Culture

We were delighted to welcome 17 Japanese ladies to the school to visit Years 2 and 1 today, to run workshops on Japanese culture including calligraphy and origami. The children learnt how to write their names in beautiful Japanese script, and how to make ghosts and pumpkins out of paper.  The enthusiastic ladies also showed the delighted children how to put on colourful, silk kimonos, and all the children had a go at wearing one. The teachers did too and even the headmaster was transformed by the ladies. There was also a Japanese tea ceremony, as well as lessons in how to make Sushi! In the afternoon, Reception were also invited for an Asian feast, and the children tried sushi, prawn crackers, spring rolls and fortune cookies!  A wonderful day!

Inspiring Writing

Eruptions in Pre-Prep playground

Year 2 children saw science brought to life as the climax of their study of volcanoes was reached last week.  Having crafted models from papier mache, painted them beautifully, they then applied the science bit of mixing bicarbonate of soda and vinegar to create and eruption.  The fascinated expressions of boys and girls alike as they watched the 'lava' stream down was a joy to watch.  A really great fun exercise for all involved!

Open Morning Success

Oriental Lunch

A tasty treat awaited pupils today as they had chance to tuck in to a selection of Chinese foods.  As part of the Year 2 topic about China and Japan, the food contained lots of different flavours for all to try - the aromas wafting up from the kitchen all morning were a real appetiser!  Chicken with peppers in black bean sauce, BBQ spare ribs, spring rolls and stir-fried vegetables were served with prawn crackers.  The dining room looked great with flags, balloons and lanterns - the children enjoyed it and there were lots of empty plates and smiling faces.

The iPads Arrive!

Great excitement greeted the arrival of the iPads this week - and that was just from the staff!  They are already widely used and lessons have an extra exciting dimension with them. The children enjoyed sharing their results with each other by passing around their iPads, and with the rest of the class via the large wall mounted flat screens.  

Conker Contest

Nearly all of the Prep children turned out for the Berky Conker Tournament this week.  The event, held on the playground, was fiercely contested and lots of fun was had by all.  Prizes were awarded for 

Bowling them over at County Trials! 

We are delighted that one of our Year 5 pupils has been selected to join Gloucestershire County Cricket U10's squad - there are several able boys in the Year and they have played well together all season.  A really committed player, Matthew plays regularly at school and is a firm fixture in the Berkhampstead team.  He is super keen, playing outside school too, and being first to arrive and last to leave training sessions.  This has paid off handsomely with his selection to train with the County squad over the winter.  Well done, Matthew!

Yummy Cakes!

What a lovely way to end the week!  The PTA organised a super Cake Sale on Friday and the glorious weather meant that the stall was outside in the shade of the trees.  Lots of delicious home-baking was on offer and the cakes were soon snapped up by eager parents and children alike.  

New School Councillors 

Two eager representatives from each Year Group were elected recently to the School Council.  A lengthy first meeting showed that they all had lots to contribute.  Interest in the elections was high.  The minutes of the first meeting will be fed back to Forms via their reps in the next few days.  

PTA Quiz winners

A selection of some of the brightest and most competitive parents in Cheltenham gathered last week for the PTA Quiz and AGM!  Following a revision period that had gone on for weeks (for some teams, at least!) they pitted their wits on rounds ranging from Current Events and Music to 'Identify the Celebrity'.  A super fish and chip supper was enjoyed during the interval.  The winning team are pictured left, celebrating their victory.  A lovely evening!