Habs Weekly - Prep and Pre-Prep edition - Friday 18 November

Head of Prep School’s Message

Ms K Umpleby

Children in Need is the BBC’s UK charity. Since 1980, it has raised over £1.5 billion for disadvantaged children and young people in the UK. Habs Boys Prep marked the occasion this year by wearing their pyjamas to school, joining a special assembly and giving a donation to the charity. When thinking about charity we often think of and focus on the benefits of such endeavours for those that the funds will benefit. In the case of Children in Need, as a result of giving 179,000 children and young people have stronger self-belief, 179,000 enjoy better relationships, 150,000 have increased essential skills, 151,000 have stronger emotional wellbeing, 83,000 are more empowered, 83,000 have better physical wellbeing and 32,000 are safer - which is an incredible achievement. However, I also think it is important to recognise the benefits of charity to those that are giving, as well as those receiving.

Giving develops the valuable trait of empathy. Empathy is innate, but it is best when nurtured. The world would be a much better place if more people felt true empathy for those less fortunate than themselves and acted accordingly. Having children donate their money from a young age teaches them that even the smallest child can make a big difference in the lives of others. They will learn that you don’t have to have experienced personal or physical tragedy to have compassion for others. Many professions, like doctors, nurses, and psychiatrists, require a strong sense of empathy. By nurturing this trait in your child from a young age, you may be helping them be successful in their future career.

Charity work encourages gratitude. By exposing your children to different charities from an early age, they will learn that there are all kinds of people and life experiences in this world. They will begin to see and truly understand that there will always be someone less fortunate. Grasping this concept early will help children to grow up with a grateful attitude.

Donating encourages your child’s passions. If your child loves to read, suggest that they donate their money or new books to Books for Africa. If they love the outdoors, suggest donating to the National Trust. Children will develop a sense of pride in earning money to give to something they love. It will simultaneously encourage their passions while getting them involved in projects which could someday lead to their chosen profession. Children who donate to animal charities may end up as veterinarians. Those who donate to wildlife conservation groups may end up as biologists. You never know what effect their charitable donations will have on their life.

And last, but by no means least, studies have shown that being charitable increases serotonin levels which could help fight off illness, whilst increasing levels of general happiness and wellbeing.

Pre-Prep looking ahead

Reception&Y1

Christmas Cards

INFORMATION

Should the children wish to send each other Christmas cards, our Christmas post box is now in the reception area. The last day for posting cards is on Monday 5 December, and cards will be distributed on Thursday 8 December. Please do not bring any cards in after this date. Please ensure that the name and class is clearly written on the front of the envelope. A card or letter to the whole class would also be a kind gesture if your child would prefer to do this. As many of our pupils have allergies, please do not include any sweets or chocolates inside the envelopes.

St Andrew’s Day celebration

CELEBRATION DATE CHANGE

Due to our Winter Concert rehearsals taking place on Wednesday 30 November, Reception and Year 1 will be celebrating St Andrew’s day on Thursday 1 December.

To mark this occasion, we would like the pupils in Andrew’s House to come to school dressed in blue and white clothing. They will be having a themed lunch and be tasting some Scottish delicacies alongside Scottish music. There will also be an opportunity to have a go at playing the bag pipes and dressing up as a traditional Scotsman.

Christmas Lunch

FRIDAY 9 DECEMBER

Reception and Year 1 will be having Christmas Lunch on Friday 9 December. To get into the Christmas spirit we would like the pupils to wear a festive or brightly coloured jumper on this day. We would also like the pupils to make a festive hat to wear for the lunch. The hat can be as simple or elaborate as you wish. Please make sure your child brings their party hat to school on Wednesday 7 December.

Pre-Prep reminders

Whole school

Snacks

After School Care

POLITE REMINDER

Reception&Y1

Winter Concert

FRIDAY 2 DECEMBER

We warmly invite you to our Reception and Year 1 Winter Concert on Friday 2 December at 1.30pm. The concert will take place in the Seldon Hall (the music school building opposite the Prep School).

Please click here for more information regarding rehearsals and the final concert.

Flu immunisations

WEDNESDAY 7 DECEMBER

The flu immunisations for Reception and Year 1 are due to take place on Wednesday 7 December. The consent letter will be sent out by the school nurse in due course. Please note Year 1 will not require their swimming kit on this day.

Wellbeing Day

MONDAY 21 NOVEMBER

On Monday 21 November we have planned an exciting Dinosaur themed Wellbeing Day for Reception and Year 1. Pupils will have the opportunity to complete a variety of dinosaur themed activities in their year groups with a special surprise at the end of the day. Please can pupils come to school wearing their full Habs uniform.

Y1&2

Pantomime visit

TUESDAY 29 NOVEMBER

Year 1 and Year 2 will be watching the Pantomime Cinderella at the Gordon Craig Theatre in Stevenage on Tuesday 29 November. Please click here for more information.

Drop off

IMPORTANT NOTICE

When you arrive at school in the morning to drop off your child, the Prep and Senior Schools operate a one-way system from Butterfly Lane.

Starting from Monday 21 November, Year 2 parents have the choice to either park in the North Drive car park and walk their child over to the Prep School or alternatively, parents may drive around the Astro-turf pitches and park up next to the blue cones behind the Aske Hall so that your child can hop out of the car ‘airport style’.

Members of Prep staff will be present during the first few days at the Aske Hall drop off, to direct the pupils safely to the Prep before they become fully accustomed to the route. If you do choose to use the Aske Hall, drop off, then we would ask that your child is sat on the lefthand side of the car to allow them to hop out safely and easily.

All pupils should be dropped off at school between 8am and 8.30am

Flu immunisations

TUESDAY 22 NOVEMBER

The Immunisation is at the Prep School on Tuesday 22 November for Year 2. Please click here to submit your consent. The electronic link will close at 3.45pm on Monday 21 November 2022 .Please note the form will not work on some mobile phones and tablets. In the meantime, if you need any more information, please do not hesitate to contact the Vaccination team on 01462 427008.

Wellbeing Day

WEDNESDAY 23 NOVEMBER

On Wednesday 23 November the Prep having an exciting wellbeing day planned. Pupils will be spending times in their houses and completing a variety of activities which will test their resilience, creativity and growth mindset.

Please note that one of the activities is a laser show where there will be bright lights and music. If you feel there will be a problem with your child attending this session, please contact their form tutor before Wednesday.

The children will have the opportunity to explore choices in forest school, please can the pupils (Year 2 to 6) come in wearing their blue games kit (long sleeves and trousers) with their house t-shirt (if they have one - Year 2 will be provided one).

Carol Service arrangements

FRIDAY 9 DECEMBER

Please click here to read a letter with important information regarding our Carol Service arrangements.

Prep looking ahead

Whole School

St Andrews Day

HOUSE EVENT - WEDNESDAY 30 NOVEMBER

This year we are once again supporting AVUK, a charity that provides auditory verbal therapy for deaf babies and young children. We are excited to support a cause so close to the heart of our school community.

What to wear: The day will be called Loud Shirt Day and for a donation of £2 we would love all the pupils to come to school in their brightest, loudest clothes. This includes spots, stripes, or anything clashing from head to toe. Temporary hair dye is permitted. Pupils who have PE on that day will be able to do PE in their home clothes and will not be required to wear the school PE kit.

Cake Sale: We will also be holding a cake sale at breaktime, so please bring some change for the cakes which will cost 50p each.

Please could the pupils in Andrews House bake or buy the cakes (no nuts or sesame seeds) and bring them to the hall on Wednesday morning.

Thank you in advance for supporting such a special cause!

Year 4 rugby fixture

TUESDAY 22 NOVEMBER

All the pupils in Year 4 are playing rugby v Gayhurst, Beacon and Davenies on Tuesday 22 November. Kick off time is 2.30pm and parents are very welcome to watch. The matches will all take place on the Parks Pitches near the Girls’ School. The pupils will be free to leave at the normal time of 4pm.

4MJ Class Assembly

FRIDAY 25 NOVEMBER

We are delighted to invite parents of pupils in 4MJ to their Class Assembly on Friday 25 November. Please arrive at the Prep School Reception at 1.25pm to sign in. We anticipate the Assembly will finish by 2pm. Parking will be available via the Butterfly Lane entrance in the North Drive Car Park.

We look forward to welcoming you on the day.

Year 6 rugby fixture

TUESDAY 22 NOVEMBER

All the pupils in Year 6 are playing rugby at Belmont Prep School on Friday, 25 November. Kick off time is 2.30pm and parents and guardians are welcome to spectate. Please can you make sure your child knows how they are getting home and that they write one of the following three options in their homework diary:

1. Pick up from Belmont at 3:30pm

2. Pick up from Habs Prep at 4:45pm

3. Coach home from Habs Prep at 5:30pm

Prep reminders

Whole school

Swimming

Please be reminded of the school policy regarding absence from Swimming lessons - which are a compulsory aspect of the National Curriculum. If a child is well enough to be in school, they must be well enough to be participate in the full timetable, which includes Swimming, Forest School, and PE. If your child cannot swim due to injury or any other reason, we ask that you submit a doctor’s note stating such. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Pupils wearing hoodies

Prep pupils are allowed to wear school hoodies during days in which they have PE or Games. They may also wear them during Games lessons if they so wish. Pupils must also be wearing their school blazer every day to school, including on PE and Games days, as this is a key component of their school uniform.

Y3 to 6

Flu immunisations

The Immunisation is at the Prep School on Tuesday 22 November for Years 3 to 6. Please click here to submit your consent. The electronic link will close at 3.45pm on Monday 21 November 2022 .Please note the form will not work on some mobile phones and tablets. In the meantime, if you need any more information, please do not hesitate to contact the Vaccination team on 01462 427008.

Y3 to 6

Wellbeing Day

WEDNESDAY 23 NOVEMBER

On Wednesday 23 November the Prep having an exciting wellbeing day planned. Pupils will be spending times in their houses and completing a variety of activities which will test their resilience, creativity and growth mindset.

Please note that one of the activities is a laser show where there will be bright lights and music. If you feel there will be a problem with your child attending this session, please contact their form tutor before Wednesday.

The children will have the opportunity to explore choices in forest school, please can the pupils (Year 2 to 6) come in wearing their blue games kit (long sleeves and trousers) with their house t-shirt (if they have one - Year 2 will be provided one).

Year 5 trip to Tower of London

THURSDAY 1 DECEMBER

Year 5 will be visiting the Tower of London on Thursday 1 December. Please click here for more information.

Senior School Scholarships

INFORMATION

Please click here to read a letter regarding the application of Senior School scholarships.

Nicholas Wolmsey visit - WWI workshop

MONDAY 21 NOVEMBER

On Monday 21 November, Year 6 will be visited by Nicholas Wolmsey, who will be bringing the battlefields of The Great War to life with his state-of-the-art virtual reality technology! The children will have the opportunity to discover the horrific reality of the trenches, try out some of the equipment and to immerse themselves in over 100 years of history. We are really looking forward to sharing this uniquely enriching experience with our pupils, but please do have a sneak peek by clicking here.

Pre-Prep & Prep looking ahead

Car parking and safety

HIGHLY IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ

Click here to read a letter regarding car parking and safety from our Chief Operating Officer, Mr Rob Dunn.

Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI) report

INFORMATION

As a result of introducing the new Reception cohort in September, ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate) were required to complete a Material Change Inspection, in order to check that our systems, policies and facilities met their standards for Early Years. We are delighted to inform you that we passed with flying colours.

Please click here to see the updated version of our ISI Report.

Outgrown Uniform Sale Prep and Pre-Prep

Click and Collect service order online and have delivered to your child’s peg!

Click here for more information and to order online.

Pre-Prep & Prep reminders

Lunch

Breakfast and After School Care

BOOKING INFORMATION

Click here to book your child into the breakfast club or After School Care (ASCF) the week commencing Monday 28 November. Prearranged bookings can be made up until 12pm the Friday before.

After this time, please email ascf@habsboys.org.uk for Prep pupil bookings and preprepoffice@habsboys.org.uk for Pre-Prep pupil bookings.

Please note, there may be a small charge for ASCF after 4pm. Please be reminded that After School Care finishes at 5.30pm. Please arrange to collect your child from the Prep School reception by that time.

Important safety notice

PLEASE READ

Please be reminded that parents and students should not be using the bridge on North Drive for pedestrian access. This is for health and safety reasons, particularly, as the mornings and afternoons are getting darker, and the road is in constant use.

If you are walking from the North Drive to the Prep School, please walk on the new path, via the pitches which is lit. If accessing the main campus, please access the footpath near the MFL car park.

Please also note, that at the beginning or end of the school day, vehicles should not be parking or picking up from the service road outside the Prep building. Please use the designated pick-up areas on Pitch 5 or the North Drive Car Park for drop off and collection.

Tooled Up

You are probably aware that at this time of national focus on antibullying, pupils across the country are encouraged to wear different coloured socks, celebrate uniqueness, diversity and take part in activities that promote kindness. If you want to find out more about bullying in its different forms, and effective ways to tackle it, you might be interested in Tooled Up’s interviews with experts on sibling bullying, cyberbullying and social connectedness and the impact of social media. Cultivating kindness and empathy is vital in combating bullying. Find out more about the importance of kindness with their interviews with experts, Dr Jess Datu and Professor Robin Banerjee. You could also see how many acts of kindness you can perform as a family between now and Christmas? Tooled Up’s 100 Acts of Kindness will help.

Pre-Prep & Prep School news stories

Radlett Remembrance Day Parade

On Sunday 13 November, pupils joined with the Girls’ School and members of the local community in a Remembrance Parade in Radlett. Pupil representatives walked respectfully and read names of fallen soldiers. A wreath was laid on behalf of the school as a mark of respect.

Reception Remembrance Day

Reception were busy this week learning all about Remembrance day and thinking about the importance of the poppy. Pupils carefully made a poppy out of clay and painted it with acrylic paint. Pupils were so excited to take them home and share their new knowledge with their families.

Eco Council meeting

Our Eco Council representatives have done themselves proud in their first ever whole school meeting. They listened with attention and enthusiasm to the ideas of other members and spoke clearly and loudly when it was their turn. All the suggestions on how to make our school eco-friendlier and help to save our planet were truly inspiring. We are looking forward to putting these into action.

Martin Impey visit

On Wednesday 9 November, we were fortunate to have a visit from a gentleman called Mr Martin Impey. Martin is an incredible illustrator who is best known for his artwork interpreting Wilfred Owen’s famous war poem ‘Dulce Et Decorum Est’. He delivered a fitting whole school assembly (as it was just before Remembrance Day) about the war and encouraged pupils at Habs to explore some reading material on this. After, Year 6 stayed in the Prep Hall for a workshop. Simply, we loved the workshop!

Throughout, Martin spoke in detail about his own very personal connections to World War One. His passion came through so much. It was really touching to hear how he promised his grandmother, after hearing her tales, that he would research some of her family tree. He made her proud and managed to do this! He also went through step-by-step each illustration he has created of the poem. It was captivating to hear how he built them up slowly and the hours he spent making them so perfect. Martin also guided us in a drawing workshop on how to draw a soldier with a gas mask on. Our end products looked very realistic, and it also motivated us to give sketching in our free time a go! We cannot wait for more World War One learning.

Write up by: Kamran 6SA, Veer 6SA, Rafi 6RP.

Sketch by Lucas F 6RP

Years 3 and 5 Instrumental Scheme

On Monday we welcomed many parents, family members, guardians and staff to attend our Year 3 and Year 5 Instrumental Scheme Open Day.

The occasion enabled those overseeing the practice routines of the children to gather insight and share their experience with others. Studies have shown that playing a musical instrument requires more parts of the brain to work together than any other discipline. Added to this, the challenge of playing together in a small ensemble demands an increased awareness of sound balance, rhythmic and tonal precision, not to mention empathetic and inclusive engagement.

Many of our leading instrumentalists in the Senior School started their journeys in the Prep Instrumental Scheme and they have now recently performed not so long ago in top ensembles at the superb Festival concert.

National Science Championships

On Wednesday 16 November a group of pupils from both the Boys’ Prep and Girls’ Junior Schools competed in the first round of the National Science Championships. The pupils were required to collaborate in teams to answer a variety of questions ranging from identifying Scientists and their discoveries to naming carnivorous dinosaurs. After some excellent quizzing, four of the teams have qualified for the next round. Well done to all who participated

Neurodiversity Art

Neurodiversity week was celebrated in early November at Habs Boys Prep school. Numerous activities took place, and one which caught the eye of all the prep was when the Art department embraced a collaborative project, enabling all pupils from Years 3 to 6 to participate in creating 6 collaborative posters. Bright, vibrant patterned and collaged backgrounds set the scene for stencilled Quotes from famous persons with ADHD, Autism, dyslexia. Greta Thunberg who has Asperger’s has said “It’s a superpower!” and Ed Sheeran undiagnosed with ADHD but probably has “Everything will be alright in the end. If it’s not ok, it is not the end!”

Year 5 Habs Plus pupils visit Radley Care Home

Over the past three weeks, 10 pupils from Year 5 visited the Radley Care home in Borehamwood. The pupil’s aim was to create fun and festive artworks alongside the residents, which would make an impact to their daily lives.

The pupils certainly had to step out of their comfort zone, being exposed to residents with learning difficulties, dementia, and old age. With growing confidence, courage, and community spirit the pupils exceeded their expectations.

On reflection, pupils wrote: “I have learnt to NEVER stop being kind, no matter how old or vulnerable a condition.”

ESB Catering Certificate of Excellence

We are pleased to inform you that Habs’ has achieved an overall score of 97% in the ESB Catering Operations Audit with a 100% Allergen Management score and proposed Food Hygiene Rating of 5.

Staff update

As many of you may know, Mrs Sanghrajka (4DS Form Teacher ) will be temporarily leaving us at the end of the term, as she looks forward to welcoming her first child in January. After a rigorous and competitive process, we are very pleased to announce that we have appointed Mr Rossington as 4DS Form Teacher from January 2023, for the remainder of the academic year. We were very impressed by Mr Rossington’s energy, enthusiasm and classroom practice during the process, and we feel that he is a great match for 4DS and a super addition to the Habs’ Boys’ Prep School community.

In further news, we are very sad to share the news that Mr Barnett will be leaving Habs’ Boys’ Prep School at the end of the Spring Term. Mr Barnett has been an outstanding member of the Prep School team since joining the school in September 2017. His vision for inclusivity, sportsmanship and resilience within Sport has provided so many Prep students, past and present, the opportunity to thrive on the sports field, developing both courage and confidence. We will miss Mr Barnett greatly but wish him the best of luck in his new school and new endeavours.

WEDNESDAY

FRIDAY

PREP CALENDAR DATES

WEDNESDAY