The Falcon Spring Newsletter 2020

Issue 5 | Spring 2020 | falconsprep.co.uk

PREPARATORY

In this issue

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r e t s a E Happy f ro m

ns a t F a lc o e n o y r Eve

P re p

| Issue 5 | Spring 2020

WELCOME

“We have a long way to go.” Sighed the boy. “Yes, but look how far we’ve come,” said the horse.

(Charlie Mackesy) I think this quote from our January ‘Book of the Month’ illustrates perfectly where we all may be in our thinking right now. Whether it is to do with the current climate and its impact on our day-to-day lives or that of our own personal progress and development. We are all on a journey of some form and that journey, depending on the what, where and when, can be bumpy, straight, windy, narrow, uphill or downhill. This journey, whatever it may be, is not constant. Just as learning is not constant and does not always go in a straight line. However, it has the potential to take us from where we are now to places we have only imagined and even places we never thought possible to reach.

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hat is key to remember is that learning is about the journey, not just the destination. A lifelong process, self-directed towards discovery and curiosity…not a forced march to an already identified standard or end goal. Despite us successfully preparing the boys for their next schools and ensuring that they are in the right place to succeed, our focus never detracts from the boy’s personal experience and targets for success. We focus on the whole child, on the entire education, not just the outcome. We strongly believe that no matter who we are and what we do, we are all learning, all of the

time. This one journey in our lives is one that never ends.

Last term, I reflected on the growth of the school and looked back at where we had been on our journey so far. This term, I look forward to what is yet to come whilst taking a moment to savour all the positives from the Spring Term. I do not know about you but this term seems to have flown by, well perhaps not the last couple of weeks (!!), and already the mornings are getting lighter and the days longer. The boys continue to approach their learning with enthusiasm, making the most of all that is on offer and not shying away from new challenges.

Despite COVID-19 slightly altering our last couple of weeks at school together, it certainly has not held back our curriculum or the learning opportunities offered to the boys this term. We have had a huge number of trips and events taking place both in and out of the school and I hope that you enjoy reading about some of them within this newspaper. In fact, this term there were over 20 trips organised for the boys, in just 10 weeks of learning! Wow! We also hosted a variety of events for parents and welcomed a huge number of prospective pupils and their families to our various Open Events.

Perhaps a highlight for me this term has been our revived focus on reading. Starting In January with ‘Miss B’s Book Club’ and a new book of the month, to a brand new library space both upstairs and in the Gallery with over £500’s worth

of new reading material for all ages, to staff and pupil recommendations and finally topped off with perhaps the best World Book Day we have ever had. This term really has been busy for the English and Library Team and if these efforts do not get the boys reading, I am not sure what will! Why reading?

Well, by sparking growing imaginations, stimulating critical thinking and helping to develop empathy, reading gives children the very skills they need to succeed at school, at work and in life. While it is undeniable that being able to read confidently is an essential life skill, the importance of reading just for pleasure should not be underestimated. Study after study has shown how reading for pleasure is vital for academic success, mental health and even later, economic success. The emphasis here is on reading for pleasure: simply being able to read does not confer the same benefits as actually enjoying it.

Keep your eyes peeled for some new initiatives and reading challenges set to take the school by storm next term!

I must also share with you another fantastic conversation I had with some boys in the Middle School over lunch. Discussing our favourite parts of the day, the boys then asked me what part of the week I enjoyed least. Before I got a chance to even consider their question, the boys agreed, most sincerely, that my worst part of the week was at 4pm on a Friday afternoon when I waved off all the boys and was left all on my own in the school for the weekend. Now as committed as I am to the school, I have not yet been in a position whereby I was required to sleep on my office sofa! I will never say never though and I love the fact that the boys are so aware of my joy in being in their company.

Rather than being sad at the boys leaving though, I am always delighted to watch them skip off happily, excited to tell their families tales of their learning, while also excited about what the next week will bring.

I remain feeling incredibly lucky to be part of this school community and working with such fantastic boys and staff. We have many exciting things planned for the Summer Term and are keeping our fingers crossed that everything gets back to normal very soon.

Stay safe, keep healthy and we look forward to welcoming you back for Summer 2020!

Miss O Buchanan Headmistress

| Issue 5 | Spring 2020

WELCOME

Online Safety Online safety is an important element of the curriculum in life skills, ICT and in the wider school curriculum. This term, Safer Internet Day was broached by our Year 8 boys in an engaging assembly highlighting ways that you can stay safe online. The boys used a SMART approach to ensure that you remain safe online and do not share valuable information with others.

TS: S is for ‘secure’: A good password is vital to stay Safe online.

You should pick a password that noone else would think of.

M: M is for ‘meet’: only trust people online who you’ve met in real life… and only meet people from the internet who your friends and family know in person.

A: A is for ‘accept’: only accept

messages, files and pictures from people you trust.

R: R is for ‘rely’: always check any information you are told online: you never know what people are really after.

T: T is for ‘tell’: tell someone you trust if something makes you feel uncomfortable or worried.

Children’s Mental Health Week This term we celebrated Children’s Mental Health week. The Children that Care Committee delivered a fabulous assembly all about ‘Finding Your Brave’ and all the different ways that boys in the school can find their brave. Their focus was about speaking to others and sharing your worries.

This was cemented during our form time sessions during the week which focussed on wellbeing and linked in with the boy’s assembly with the theme of finding your brave, and how that can be different for each individual.

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It is said that courage is not the absence of fear. Courageous people have the same feelings, they are also afraid of some things, but truly a brave person manages to triumph over his fears.’

In the face of challenge, When options can seem few The obstacles are many As you choose what you must do Perfection is the enemy

That holds us in its grip As we discover our own bravery Its hold is sure to slip What if our choice is wrong What if someone dies What if we do nothing Or we fail with 50 tries Maybe you will save a life Or win a Nobel Prize When you discover your own bravery The worlds sees with open eyes

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| Issue 5 | Spring 2020

SCHOOL EVENTS

World Book Day The Falcons celebrated World Book Day in style this year, with not one but three visiting authors! The day kicked off with an assembly from the humorous and creative Matt Brown, who gave the boys an insight into his writing process, leaving them inspired and with some great writing tips to try out themselves. Expect to see story titles involving pets and names of Welsh villages in the near future, as well as stories combining Dracula and Snow White, werewolves and fish!

Matt kindly stayed behind to sign copies of his books for the boys as a memento of the day. He certainly left a lasting impression on them and his various books can currently be found glued to hands of scores of boys across the school!

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ot on his heels came visits from Julie Smith, who ran a workshop for Years 3 and 4 on character creation, and a lesson in cookbook writing from celebrity chef and writer, John-Gregory Smith. The boys loved trying out and then devouring John’s ‘Rolo Brownie’ recipe!

The lead up to World Book Day saw students across the school take part in various writing activities for National Storytelling Week, writing and acting out

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stories together, creating comic books, finger puppet stories and much more.

As part of World Book Day, the school is joining in with the national challenge of sharing 1 million stories, encouraging boys to read at home with family and friends as well as to their classmates. Boys and staff also got to dress up as their favourite book characters for the day, and from Harry Potter to ‘The Golden Ticket’, everyone looked fantastic!

| Issue 5 | Spring 2020

SCHOOL EVENTS

Staff and boys did a fantastic job turning classroom doors into book covers.

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| Issue 5 | Spring 2020

Year 3

Shrek Adventure!

On Wednesday 12th February, Year 3 travelled by train to Waterloo to go on a fun-filled adventure looking for Shrek.

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nfortunately the Shrek bus had run out of magic, so we started singing and dancing to ‘I’m a Believer’ and we must have been good because we got the magic working again and were able to jump aboard the magic bus. Regrettably, Donkey was driving the bus (rather badly!) We had a hair-raising journey and ended up squashing a witch (which didn’t go down too well with Rumpelstiltskin) and crashing into Shrek’s swamp. After that we had all sorts of adventures with the help of some famous fairy tale characters such as Cinderella and the Muffin Man.

However, we had to remember we were on a quest to make a magic potion which would open a portal to get us back to London and away from the witches. It took us a while but we secured all the ingredients that we needed and finally arrived back in London. Just in time too – we were really hungry so we had our picnic in a swamp!

After lunch we had a Fairy Tale Workshop all about the features of successful stories. We proved ourselves to be good actors too. We came back to school inspired and happy.

Year 3

Holly Lodge On Thursday 12th March, Year 3 got on the school minibus and travelled to Holly Lodge which is part of a working farm in Richmond Park.

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s we drove through Richmond Park we were amazed to see huge herds of deer. We saw Red hinds and Fallow does. Mr Dawkins explained that there were some young stags amongst them and we could spot them by looking out for their antlers. Some of the deer were very close to the side of the road, we could see them so clearly. One even chose to cross the road right in front of the minibus – we were all impressed.

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First, we went to explore the big oak trees in Richmond Park and our plan was to have a picnic in the park.

However, the weather had other plans. When we arrived it was warm and sunny. We started playing and enjoying the huge open space to run in. Within two minutes there was a hail storm! It was unexpected, very cold but exciting and exhilarating.

By the time we got back to our coats they were full of hail stones.

Suddenly, the sun came back out.

However, we were rather wet so we ended up having our picnic in the Victorian classroom. Afterwards the sun was still shining so we got the chance to explore the wildlife garden.

We picked up sticks and had a good look around at the different habitats.

We spent the rest of the afternoon as Victorian ‘chymists’ (that is the old word for pharmacists). We wore white aprons and had two separate workshops. In one we learnt about herbs and how the active ingredient is extracted from them. We used a pestle and mortar to grind up mint which we then mixed with glycerol.

We helped each other to filter the mixture until we had extracted a clear liquid – essence of mint. This could then be used in medicines. We were

also allowed to smell other herbs and spices like juniper, chamomile, eucalyptus and cloves. We found out that the Victorians made medicines to help with the symptoms of illness (for example cloves for toothache) but that they didn’t treat the causes of the illnesses.

We also spent time in the Victorian Pharmacy. This is really old fashioned and still has its original furniture and equipment. We used real Victorian pill making machines to make pills which were made from 9 tenths filler and 1 tenth active

ingredient. We had to weigh them on weighing scales to make sure they were accurate. We then rolled them in gold which made them easier for people to swallow. We designed our own pill boxes using a metal quill which we had to dip in ink. We brought our pillboxes home to show our families but we were under strict instructions not to let our little brothers or sisters take the pills. Luckily all of us in 3C are very sensible and trustworthy. Who knows maybe we may grow up to work in medicine ourselves one day?

| Issue 5 | Spring 2020

BEYOND THE SCHOOL GATES

Year 4

Hogsmill Trip The Year 4s were treated to an amazing experience at the Hogsmill Water Treatment Site.

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ccompanied by three staff members, all Year 4s piled into the minibus and arrived at Hogsmill where they were ushered into a classroom. In this classroom, they were treated to an array of experiments – a firm favourite being called ‘Poo Power’. During this experiment, it was explained that methane is extracted from excrement and used to power the lights and other electrical items around the Hogsmill Site.

introduced to purify the water further, before it is then let back into the Thames.

After some smelly experiments, the class was treated to a walking tour of the facilities where they got to see the water treatment process first hand.

Starting with the settling tanks, which is where all of our waste water goes. This flows into a succession of other tanks where micro-organisms and bacteria are

Hogsmill was a site with a lot to offer, and the tour provided a great opportunity to understand how wastewater is treated, and there’s even a nature reserve to explore and be one with nature. An excellent time was had by all.

After a great morning learning about where water goes once flushed, the class again was treated to a quiet moment in The Hogsmill Nature Reserve, where each boy was given some binoculars and a bird identification sheet and sat silently in a hide overlooking a dam, attempting to identify any local water fowl.

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| Issue 5 | Spring 2020

BEYOND THE SCHOOL GATES

Year 4

West London Synagogue

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n Wednesday, the Year 4s went on a brilliant school trip to West London Synagogue. We learnt a lot about Judaism and really enjoyed having a look at the Torah. We went to Marble Arch on the way, and had a fantastic photo at the London landmark, and then headed off to the Shul. When we arrived, Mickey (our fantastic tour guide) introduced himself and told us a few fun facts about Judaism.

Did you know that the ceiling of West

London Synagogue was destroyed in the Blitz?

Then he took the class up to the Bimah (the stage at the front of the synagogue, where the Rabbi reads the Torah.) We got to hold the Yad, the tool they use to point at the Torah, and Mickey even sang us a prayer. Overall it was a fantastic trip and we really enjoyed the experience.

Written by Isaac Z – Year 4

Year 4 & 6

Choir Tour Workshop 8

A fantastic and uplifting musical afternoon was enjoyed by the Falcons Prep girls and boys who sang their tour repertoire together for the first time in an ambitious and rigorous workshop rehearsal.

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aking the reins in equal measure were Madeleine Lang (Falcons Girls) and Mr Peckham, steering the two choirs through repertoire already prepared and introducing new items. Music came from a variety of genres from Gospel to classical featuring composers including Howard Goodall, Beatles, Tim Minchin and Curtis Mayfield.

The Girls school were perfect hosts and it was delightful to see the boys and girls interact musically and socially. We are hoping our next choir tour can take place in 2021.

| Issue 5 | Spring 2020

BEYOND THE SCHOOL GATES

Year 5

British Museum

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n Tuesday 29th January, Year 5 set off to visit the British Museum in central London.

After a couple of tubes and a walk through the busy streets of London we arrived at the impressive museum.

First, we visited the Sutton Hoo exhibition and looked up close at the wealth of some of the Anglo-Saxon treasure that was buried along with the warrior. Boys were asked to find artefacts that

reflected the status of the buried man as well as items they found interesting.

We also paid a visit to the 5000-year-old mummy that has been on display in the British Museum since 1901. This body was originally nicknamed Ginger due to his red hair and was embalmed immediately in the hot sand when buried.

Year 5

Horniman Museum Year 5 are looking at cultures this term with a particular focus on Native Americans and totem poles.

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e went on a trip to the Horniman museum to see a real totem pole, and also to learn more about the culture and to get a better understanding of animals appearances for our own designs later in the term. We started the day in the world gallery and completed a series of drawings from different cultures around the world. Next, we looked at how different cultures included animals in their everyday objects. We were lucky enough to be able to have lunch outside as the sun was shining!

In the afternoon we explored the taxidermy room and got a better understanding of the biology of the animals and produced a variety of drawings in response. It was a fantastic day and the boys had an excellent time.

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| Issue 5 | Spring 2020

BEYOND THE SCHOOL GATES

Year 5

Epsom College Public Speaking Competition

On the 27th February, a team of four Year 5 boys visited Epsom College to partake in the Public Speaking Competition.

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he Falcons Lego Boys presented their speech on the beloved nostalgic toy Lego, discussing how Lego has evolved and adapted over time and still captures the imagination of the youth of today and hopefully many more generations to come.

Jayden T helped the team to prepare and write the speech, Freddie H opened the speech as the chair and delivered what the judges called a

‘charismatic and warm welcome’.

Scott Mc-L was the main speaker and was described as having a ‘calm intelligent air to him’. Myles closed the speech with a charming summary, another boy who was also praised for his ‘clarity and intellect’. The boys had a fantastic time participating! Well done Falcons Brick Boys!

Year 6

Imperial War

Museum

On Wednesday 4th March, Year 6 became documentary makers for Smash TV!

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fter receiving instructions via video link as well as press passes, phones and clipper boards, the boys were set free in the World War One exhibition at the Imperial War Museum.

Year 6 were asked by Smash TV to document 5 items that stood out to them as important artefacts to help educate other school children learn about World War One.

Year 6

Year 6 Citizenship Day T

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he Year 6 boys attended Citizenship Day, run by the Borough and what a glorious day it was!

The sun was shining and the boys were put through their paces in investigating and understanding what to do in a variety of scenarios. This included

personal safety when on public transport, planning safe walking routes depending on the time of day, as well as medical emergencies and how to call for help. The skills learnt will no doubt be invaluable to the boys and it was a super morning developing their life skills.

| Issue 5 | Spring 2020

BEYOND THE SCHOOL GATES

Year 6, 7 & 8

Iceland Trip

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celand in March – expectations were for considerably more snow than last year’s April trip and significantly colder. It didn’t turn out that way at all. Sure we had some impressive snow showers and extended snowfall at night but overall a considerable amount of the time we were blessed with sunshine and blue skies. Day 1 and a half were admittedly pretty windy though and we didn’t hang around outside the bus for too long at Gulfoss or at the site of the ancient Icelandic parliament.

Our trip guide was very knowledgeable about the state of the economy in Iceland, the geology of Iceland, waterfalls, geography in general and of course VOLCANOES AND EARTHQUAKES! A lot was learnt over the 4 days and hopefully since returning much of this has been passed on to you all at home. By all accounts the boys have been full of stories and experiences from the trip.

Iceland is, not surprisingly, pretty big on waterfalls, volcanoes and earthquakes and Gulfoss one of our day 1 stops, was quite impressive.

Further stops at Seljalandsfoss and Skogarfoss on subsequent days may well have spoiled the boys for the rather diminutive examples that we have in the UK, lovely though they are!

The volcanoes were sadly less active than we had hoped for although the effects were all around us from the numerous dormant and extinct peaks, old lava flows (of course all of the rock is igneous / of volcanic origin!), bubbling pools, geysers, black sands, volcanic bombs scattering the landscape and geothermal energy plants.

More exciting though on day 3 over 200 earthquakes near the airport at Keflavik, mostly minor but one measured at 5.4 on the Richter Scale – all quite exciting. Quite a few heads

hoping for a fissure to open up and lava fountains to erupt. For those budding volcanologists out there an interesting app for you – ‘Volcanoes and Earthquakes’ – should come up with a volcano with a ‘V’ on top and a seismograph reading through it!

The Secret Lagoon was very relaxing until it became less ‘Secret’ and two coaches of Senior School children turned up. Super Jeeps was the next activity and it was great. A lengthy trip over snow fields up to a glacier snout followed by a monster snowball fight. We also managed to squeeze in an off-road trip through the dunes and on to the beach. This was great and ‘Nicky Minaj’ playing on the speakers – absolutely ‘bangin man’, ‘innit fam’! Mr Martin joined in with the boys and delighted the audience with wicked moves in the jeep – still got it!

Vik and the black sands beach was impressive as usual as were the very dangerous waves we very much stayed clear of. Being on the coast we also had the opportunity of seeing some impressive caves, stacks and arches, a particular set which represented one of many famous folk tales.

But this is a good point to finish on – ‘Icelandic story time’ was probably the only time, whilst awake, when the boys were actually quiet for any length of time, such was the great time they were having. Miss Buchanan held them spell-bound with tales of Trolls, Witches and that old favourite – ‘Snati-Snati’.

A seriously excellent time with loads packed in to 4 short days – impressive stuff and hopefully something they will all remember for years to come.

Mr Martin – Head of Geography and Trip Leader

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| Issue 5 | Spring 2020

BEYOND THE SCHOOL GATES

Year 7

Hampton Court

On Tuesday 4th February, Year 7 visited the historic home of Henry VIII and his unfortunate chief minister Thomas Wolsey.

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e experienced the public dramas and private life of Henry VIII, his wives and children as we walked the very corridors of the past Tudor Court. At the beginning of the day, boys were met by Lady Snowdon (in full costume!) who insisted that all boys and teachers bowed

to her when she requests. Lady Snowdon spoke to boys about the Tudor ‘religious rollercoaster’ as she pointed out hidden secrets and paintings in the Tudor rooms. After a quick lunch, boys visited a new exhibition ‘Elizabeth’s lost dress’ and played in the magnificent Tudor Gardens.

Year 7

Richmond Museum

On the 17th January, Year 7 visited the small but exciting Richmond Museum and took part in a tour of Richmond’s Tudor past.

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he first section of the workshop involved visiting the remains of Richmond Palace, a royal residence which stood in the 16th and 17th Centuries.

Situated in what was then rural Surrey, it was a home to many monarchs such as Henry VII and Elizabeth I. The first stop for Year 7 was a path from the river to the royal palace where many a servant would have trundled along the narrow path laden with goods and food for the lavish court. The boys then saw an original Tudor wall that used to line the orchard that fed the royal court. Also pointed out by our informative guide

was the original gate house that proudly shows the crest of the Tudor Rose, as well as the Welsh dragon.

Inside the museum, the boys took part in a series of workshops that allowed them to develop their source analysis skills in preparation for the Common Entrance Exam next year. By matching each source to its purpose and asking questions such as ‘how useful is this source?’ and ‘how is this source limited?’

The boys were able to get up close to Tudor artefacts and develop their skill set as historians.

Year 7

Bandai Namco

Having invited the Year 4 boys to enjoy a day of gaming in the Autumn term, Bandai Namco once more invited Falcons to visit them. This time, Year 7 had the pleasure, learning how games are created and developed, marketed and sold across the world.

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ur boys then got the opportunity to develop their own game, with the brief of pitching their ideas to a panel of three Bandai Namco experts. They had to create a game concept, marketing ideas, a presentation and finally a persuasive speech to convince Bandai that their idea was the best. The boys took extreme pride in this, with the winning group even coding a prototype game for the panel to enjoy.

At the end of their presentations, the students received personalised feedback from Marketing and Communications Director, Lee Kirton as well as a certificate for their efforts. This was an inspiring project which helped the boys practise their persuasive writing as well as giving them an invaluable insight into something so many of them are passionate about: gaming!

| Issue 5 | Spring 2020

BEYOND THE SCHOOL GATES

Ski Trip The 2019 edition of the Falcons Folgarida Ski Trip was one that will live long in the memory. Blessed with more snow then we had ever seen before, the boys were spoiled with conditions in the first half of the week.

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bumper group of 33 boys and staff were treated to great activities, greater food and even greater company. Some of the highlights include the slalom races at the end of the week, the incredible lunchtime menu and the infamous annual ‘Max Factor’.

This year though, it was the Twitter feed that stole the show, so it was only right that a small selection be included here: o the top of the mountain they went, T Most of their energy spent.

The skiing was gruelling, They now need refuelling, Eating their lunch, they’re content.

30 excited young men, Went up the mountain at 10:00.

They’re now down to eat, And to rest wary feet, Because shortly they’ll go up again.

On top of a hill in the snow, All of the skills were on show.

We’ve come down to rest, We’ve given our best, This morning was “magnifico”.

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COMPETITIONS

Board Game Competition This term Year 5 were tasked with creating an exciting board game about the Medieval period.

We had entries where you could buy a medieval house, work in a medieval job and face the challenges that an everyday peasant would come across.

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special mention goes to Tom P who created his board game in a physical castle and Alexander W who designed his own version of the Medieval game oflife!

Castle Competition

Year 5 were invited over the Christmas holidays to take part in the History competition to become King of their own castle. Boys were asked to re-create a Motte and Bailey castle in any materials they thought best represented the Norman style castle. There was a selection of fantastic entries across Year 5.

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am S (5DB) and Scott Mc-L (5MB) made their impressive castles out of Lego and Jayden T (5DB) even created his own castle on Minecraft! The runner up in the competition was Alexander M (5MB) who created his moat out of hand-made slime! But the winning entry was Danny W (5MB) whose entry also doubled up a costume he could wear to teach other students about the strengths and weaknesses of the Motte and Bailey castle!

DO YOU WANT TO BE KING OF YOUR OWN CASTLE? YEAR 5 CASTLE CHALLENGE BUILD YOUR OWN MOTTE AND BAILEY CASTLE OVER THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAYS YOU MAY USE ANY MATERIALS YOU LIKE IT SHOULD BE AS REALISTIC AS POSSIBLE 2 MERITS PER ENTRY

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| Issue 5 | Spring 2020

| Issue 5 | Spring 2020

House Bake Off Recipe Competition

This term we had record entries for this competition! Over 40 in fact! Chef Louise had a tough job selecting one winner of each, so we had to increase it to a winner and a runner up!

HOUSES

House Writing Competition Boys were invited to write a newspaper article about a topic of their choice and we were thrilled with the entries. The winners were as follow: 1st: Sahaj B (Molesey) 2nd: Eddie T-W (Richmond) 3rd: Amir S (Molesey)

Mains: ish B - Venison D Winner: Henry sting eo J - Brainbu h T : p u r e n n u R Salmon Dish Dessert: a Bread egan - Banan V T n a Iv r: e n Win mond anny W - Rich Runner up: D o d fruit) R ll (Chocolate an ced the have experien All of the boys inning served both w g in e b r o t h delig d oh ring lunch, an u d rm te is th dishes delicious. my, were they

Themed Lunches E

ach term, Chef Louise and her team organise Themed Lunches for the boys to try some culinary delights from around the world.

This term, the boys have been able to try some delicious food from Burns Night, Chinese New Year and St Patrick’s Day. The boys enjoyed experiencing the different cultures and trying new foods.

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| Issue 5 | Spring 2020

SPORT

Cross Country

Swimming

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t has been an unusual cross country season, with warmer weather and firmer ground, we did not have to endure the usual mud-pools and ice.

The U9, U11 and U13 Cross Country team had a very positive season. With competitions at Arnold House, St James and West London Prep Schools, it was a busy season.

There were many highlights in the term with Ed H managing to finish 1st in one race and adding two 2nd place finishes in the season, which was a huge effort.

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t has been another eventful Spring term in the pool. The swim squad have enjoyed morning training and have made huge progression in their change-overs.

Well done to all the boys that took part in the Richmond Borough Swimming Gala and The Mall Gala. We look forward to our whole school house swimming gala in May at Teddington Pools.

Cross country is a great sport to show get children outside and being social. All you need is you and your faith!

Patrick D – Year 4

Rugby T

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his season saw the U9 side travel to the Bill Sharrock Cup. This was their first taste of festival rugby and they did not disappoint, winning five of five to go unbeaten throughout the festival. It has been a solid season for the U11 sides, with an early fixture against Wetherby Prep showcasing what Falcon boys are all about; grit, determination and effort, in a blistering, swirly, rainy afternoon.

The seniors enjoyed matches against Fulham Prep, Arnold House and Wetherby, to name but a few.

We have some starlets in our U8 rugby side, with real pace and power, the boys will flourish next season in their first venture into contact rugby. Well done to the

Year 5 boys this season who have played their hearts out in tough matches and have come together as a group this term.

This seasons rugby has been packed full of exciting games and tiring training sessions. Some matches we would stare up at the opposing team’s biggest player which could sometimes be intimidating. Once we remembered our training and tackling low, we were going to be fine. I was very happy to have been made captain this season and have been proud of the team and how far they have come.

George H – U13A captain

Hockey I

t has been a blistering start to the Falcons hockey program this term. Boys from Years 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8 have all had the option to choose hockey in games lessons and we have seen the rewards of boys choosing the sport they wish to play. There have been successful matches against Arnold House in all age groups, with the U13 boys taking part in festivals at The Olympic Park and Arnold House.

I have really enjoyed hockey this term and in particular the matches. Recently we played a fixture against Arnold House and we got to put on the big goalie kit, which was fun. I felt energetic, happy and ready for hockey this year as I get to play with and against my friends.

Matthew R

| Issue 5 | Spring 2020

PA NEWS

Message from Falcons Prep Parents’ Association W

e have enjoyed a very busy and active Spring Term and we are delighted to share these highlights with you all.

The Falcons Prep PA continues to donate time and with the support and involvement of our parent group , we are all working hard to contribute to the school’s pastoral care and community and charity programme.

Please get in touch if you would like to become involved.

Judith le Fleming, Chair, judith.lefleming@iprlicensing.co.uk Sally Ricketts, Dep Chair, smjtaylor@hotmail.com Anna Harrison, Treasurer

PA Calendar Summer Term 2020 Please note the dates for your diary and more details will be shared closer to the event date: Summer Term 2020

PA CLASS REPS Kate Wray, Year 3

Mihaela Wiseman, Year 6

Sandra Ekrami Year 3

Rosie Orringe, Year 6

Nikol Athousak Year 3

Melissa Appleton, Year 6

Christie Wright, Year 4

Nicola Dawson, Year 7

Luli Bloomfield, Year 4

Rebecca Towlerton, Year 8

Fri 1st May

Date tbc

SPRING BAKE SALE (Yr 6 baking/donating) SPONSORED WALK*

TBC

TBC

SUMMER BAKE SALE Fri 20th June

(Yr 7 & 8 baking/donating)

TBC

Held 3pm at RAAC during Summer Fair

Sonya Abraham, Year 5

Lucy Hockey, Year 8

Lara Jackson, Year 5

Fri 20th June

Tue 30th June

Fri 3rd July

FALCONS SUMMER FAIR RAAC

FALCONS ART EXHBITION* FALCONS PA SUMMER PARTY The Marlborough, Friars Stile Road, Richmond

TBC

TBC

TBC

* school event with PA involvement via fund-raising

December 2019 Fund-raising Round-up Our Falcons boys, their parents and friends were so generous in supporting the various initiatives to help raise as much as possible for our special chosen charities, Skylarks Charity along with the collection for St John the Divine Church and their community programme.

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| Issue 5 | Spring 2020

PA NEWS

Carol Singing for Skylarks Charity The Falcon boys were full of festive cheer, wearing their Santa hats, and singing their hearts out to some fabulous Christmas classics in support of Skylarks Charity.

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he buckets were shaking and we Exceeded the funds raised last year and collected an impressive

Christmas Bake Sale T

he annual Christmas Bake Sale was another popular event and raised funds to contribute towards the Christmas festivities organised by the PA (Yr 7/8 movie afternoon and Y3/4/5/6 Panto).

£176.34 in just 45 minutes of carol singing! Fabulous job! Thank you boys!

Christmas Jumpers for Charity T

hank you to parents for supporting Skylarks again through involvement in Christmas jumper-wearing! We had many boys away on the annual ski trip but the boys in school raised an impressive £45.10 which is much appreciated

by Skylarks.

Valentines Bake Sale

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here was a lot of love in the air at Falcons Prep for the Valentines Bake Sale this year.

Parents from Year 3 and Year 4 provided the beautiful baked goodies and the boys raised a superb £172.80 to help fund Easter treats for the boys.

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Christmas Carol Service F

alcons parents were equally generous during the collection at St John the Divine church for the Christmas service and donated £261.56 which was divided equally between Skylarks and St John the Divine church local community support programme.

The Annual Falcons Quiz Night

It is one of the most popular nights in the calendar when the Falcons Prep and Pre-Prep come together and enjoy a night of fiendish questions and Thai food, and all for a worthy cause.

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e were delighted to support the Pre-Prep charity, Marine Conservation, as we now take turns and use the Quiz to raise money for each other’s charities.

The Pre-Prep wish to thank Prep school parents for their major contribution to an overall £2200 raised on the night. Raffle tickets and a silent auction event on the night were very popular.

A special thank you to our eminent Quiz Master, Mr Sean Carey, supported by his daughter, our amazing Teaching Assistant, Miss Underhill-Carey, along with the Pre-Prep Master of Ceremonies, Mrs Leong-Thompson.

Finally, well done to the winning team. Prep Teachers table “Risky Quizness”, you were phenomenal!

| Issue 5 | Spring 2020

FUTURE SCHOOLS

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n this Spring Term’s edition of the Newspaper, we are lucky to hear from two more of our Alumni and their experiences since moving on from Falcons Prep. Adrian and Fred are now in two different schools, but the foundations they had here have instilled a passion in the extra-curricular side of school life and it is lovely to hear that this is something that they have maintained. Thank you to both of them for their time in writing for us.

With 8 minutes’ walk from Clapham Junction in a green oasis, Emanuel School is going from strength to strength. The independent school has risen almost 100 places to enter the top 100 schools for combined GCSE and A level outcomes in The Sunday Times Parent Power tables (2019). As a fully coeducational school, Emanuel also sits within the top 50 schools for girls and boys.

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eyond the classroom, pupils are encouraged to take an active part in daily co-curricular life, with over 50 clubs and societies and a wealth of opportunities in art, music, drama and sport.

Pupils thrive in this busy environment, growing in

confidence and achieving places at institutions from Cambridge to RADA. Former pupils have pursued a vast range of exciting careers, including artists and award-winning novelists, actors and screenwriters for the BBC and Netflix, singer-songwriters, leading

Emanuel is building on its long-established relationships with the local community. Boys and girls of all ages work collaboratively with local state schools on enrichment projects and fund raise for charitable causes. Last September, Emanuel launched its new ‘Primary Ambitions’ partnership with 22 local primary schools. Every Friday afternoon, sixth formers mentor primary pupils in the arts, academic subjects and sport – a valuable cross-sector relationship, using the school’s facilities, involving 96 Emanuel pupils and over 500 primary pupils. Emanuel remains committed to free places and aims to educate 43 pupils on fully funded places in the next 4 years.

1. What are your lasting memories from Falcons?

5. What are the new opportunities you have?

Sport, clubs etc…

Falcons Ski Trip, Football in the cage and of course all the teachers.

More free time, such as longer lunch breaks. Sport is taken really seriously here and we have Saturday fixtures every week and even more frequent training sessions.

2. How did you find starting at your new school? How was settling in, making friends etc...

Adrian Gui

medics, lawyers and entrepreneurs, including the founder of the World Wide Web.

6. What new skills have you had to develop?

I found that settling in was made easy by getting involved with Sports. By joining a sports team you have lots of opportunities to make friends with new people.

The ability to get yourself up and organised in the mornings in less than five minutes. It is a big school and you have to work on your time management and navigational skills!

3. Are there any similarities between your new school and Falcons?

7. What advice would you give to current Falcons pupils?

The food is delicious and both of the schools have a big emphasis on sport which is really important to me.

Enjoy the familiar and nurturing atmosphere at the Falcons as it becomes harder in a new environment. The support you get is great preparation for the challenges of senior school.

4. What were the new challenges you faced?

Having to adapt to new surroundings, mainly trying to find the correct classroom during my first few days of school.

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| Issue 5 | Spring 2020

FUTURE SCHOOLS

Clayesmore prides itself on developing enterprising, ambitious young people who want to achieve their best and who are prepared for the modern world.

Located in Dorset, near Shaftesbury and Blandford Forum, Clayesmore is a happy, family-oriented independent, co-educational day and boarding school for 13 to 18 year old. Set in a beautiful 62 acre campus with both heritage and modern buildings, Clayesmore offers each student the very best opportunity to thrive by offering a wide range of academic and cocurricular choices.

1. What are your lasting memories from Falcons?

My favourite memory of the Falcons was break time, whether it was football in the cage or table football in the playground. Being outside with all my friends is a memory I will never forget.

Another fond memories is Drama lessons, especially the puppet shows in Year 5 and 6. Five years later, I still have the two puppets I made in my room!

2. How did you find starting at your new school?

How was settling in, making friends etc...

It was hard starting at my new school but only because Falcons was where I grew up and I hardly knew any different. The first few days of a big new school can be daunting to begin with but you get used to it very quickly.

Coming from a school of 200 people to a school of 500 people was a challenge. Realising that coming from the top of one school to the bottom of another is quite hard.

The 6th formers were very scary in the first couple of weeks but now I am used to it. I am boarder so I am good friends with a lot of the older boys.

5. What are the new opportunities you have? Sport, clubs etc…

I have gained many new opportunities for example a wider choice of languages from French or Spanish to Russian and I am studying for GCSE Spanish. I am also playing Hockey which I hadn’t done before. We play Basketball to a high level and I really enjoy that and play twice a week.

6. What new skills have you had to develop?

3. Are there any similarities between your new school and Falcons?

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Fred Leney

The level of sport in both schools is good and I really enjoy sport. Falcons started me off on my sporting journey and put me on the path to becoming the sportsman I am today. Now with my new school pushing me further I have learnt to play two new sports (Basketball and Hockey) to a high level. After only two years of playing basketball I am now playing for the 6th form whilst only being in Year 10.

4. What were the new challenges you faced?

I need to be very organised because independence is a big thing in senior school.

7. What advice would you give to current Falcons pupils?

In your first few weeks at senior school try and make as many friends as possible. Set a good impression as first impressions last.

I’m at boarding school and some people may think that they wouldn’t like it but don’t count it out as although you are away from home it is really good fun.