HPS Headlines

Friday 26th January 2024

Head's Welcome

Welcome to our latest newsletter, where we blend the excitement of sports fixtures, the importance of dental care, the art of presentation, and the cultural celebration of Burns Night!

In the world of sports, this month promises an exhilarating line-up of fixtures across various disciplines. From the adrenaline-pumping clashes on the rugby field to the graceful movements on the hockey pitch: with all the clubs before and after school, there's something for everyone.

Shifting gears, let's talk about dental health! This week, we had the pleasure of hosting a dentist visit to our Reception class, emphasising the significance of oral hygiene. Remember, a bright smile is not only a sign of good health but also boosts confidence!

This week we've been focusing on enhancing our presentation skills. Whether it's how we present ourselves or our work. All the year groups did amazingly well and on Monday we will announce the winners.

Lastly, we joyously celebrated Burns Night, paying tribute to the legendary Scottish poet Robert Burns. For some there will have been the bagpipes and haggis, and in assembly we commemorated his enduring legacy with poetry recitations and traditional Scottish fare.

Sam Naismith

Head, Homefield Prep School

Recent HPS Highlights!

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🐂Year 6 relished the opportunity to supplement their learning about the circulatory system with an ox heart dissection this morning. They were able to locate the four chambers of the heart and some key vessels such as the aorta.

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🇫🇷Reception have been reading "La chenille qui fait des trous", also known as The Hungry Caterpillar! A great way to discover the French vocabulary of fruits and numbers.

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🏰🌱Reception's focus story this week has been 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. In class we have been exploring money, buying and selling beans, and also working on our STEAM skills to build the Giant's castle in the sky with the LEGO, all whilst getting very messy with the shaving foam!

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🎶Xylophone orchestra was hard at work this lunchtime, learning the theme tune of the Flinstones. This is in preparation of Year 3’s upcoming assembly on the Stone Age. Many of our Year 8’s give up their time every Friday lunch time to mentor boys from Year 3 and 4.

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🎭Last Friday, Year 2 and Year 3 were treated to French productions of both Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood. Freshwater Theatre Company came in to get the boys playing the characters and speaking French. The boys were particularly enthusiastic and Jacob from Year 2 made an excellent Red Riding Hood!

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🌴Year 2 have been using their creative skills to recreate their very own rainforest! We have spent time learning about the different layers of the rainforest, how they're different to one another and the animals that belong in each layer. I wonder if you can remember the four layers of the rainforest?

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🍫 Year 4 took part in a practical fractions challenge, imagining everyone involved wants the largest possible fraction of Maltesers. There were 3 tables each with different amounts of chocolate. Before each boy went to a table they had to consider "If the Maltesers on the table I sit at is to be shared out equally when I sit down, which would be the best table to sit at?"

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🔋Year 5 are currently learning about energy. This afternoon they looked at different objects and appliances to work out the input and output energies for each. They especially enjoyed 'playing' with the Newton's cradle and slinky spring!

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👹"In SLD lessons, Year 8 have improvised Gothic stories, applying their knowledge of the conventions of the genre."

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🪞Year 7 had fun making and using periscopes during their lesson on the applications of reflection. They used their periscopes to look over desks and around corners.

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🫧 2S had a brilliant time with their bubble investigation as part of their STEAM Crest challenge! Will said "I found it very fun, I made different sizes. To make a big bubble I used all my might and for a small bubble I used a little bit!"

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🏅 Leo in Yr5 received a Headmasters Crest for his amazing Poké Ball inspired indices poster.

Subject Summaries

Art: This week, pupils across the upper school have been developing their final pieces. They're now starting to see how all their techniques are coming together. A special mention to Year 8, who started using oil paints this week. Those who have used oil paints before know how challenging it can be to A) paint onto canvas and B) not get any paint on their clothes. A is coming along but we're still working on B!

Computing: In Computing, we have completing a gamut of activities ranging from preparing to be TV chefs to animating in PowerPoint. The boys continue to explore the online world and discover new, and hone existing, skills to familiarise themselves with the increasingly digital world.

English: The boys have continued to astonish us in English lessons. Year 3 have been putting their poetry skills to practice and created a jungle adventure poem! Year 4 have explored how to write an engaging character description while Year 5 have analysed the techniques used by poets. Year 6 have been developing their critical analysis skills, by exploring war poetry in depth. Year 7 boys have been strengthening a broad range of writing skills and Year 8 have been crafting spine-chilling ghost stories.

French: Over the last 2 weeks, boys have been working hard in French. Year 6 have been comparing the French and English school systems and translating a detailed description of Hogwarts to help build their bank of set phrases before describing Homefield itself. Meanwhile Year 3 have started work on their body parts, playing games and singing songs to embed this brand new vocabulary. With Year 2, they were also treated to a theatre production of both Jack and the Beanstalk and Little Red Riding Hood. This experience helped to build confidence with their French speaking and listening skills as they were also asked to perform!

History: This week in History, Year 5 have been engaged in their learning about Kindertransport and the experience of evacuees. We have been discussing the upcoming Holocaust Memorial Day on 27th January and considering it as a time when we seek to learn the lessons of the past. Year 7 have begun learning about what is now referred to as the Black Death and considering some of the gruesome symptoms. There have been many entries to the Year of the Dragon Competition across the school which we are currently in the process of judging and preparing prizes for.

Maths: This week in mathematics, Year 3 investigated different methods of sharing and grouping. Year 4 explored fractions of an amount, the stakes were high as the largest fraction received the greatest share of chocolate! Year 5 put their knowledge of prime factorisation to the test to find the HCF and LCM of a set of numbers using Venn diagrams. Year 6 collaborated together to solve fraction jigsaw puzzles. Advanced problem solving with the four operations was at the heart of Year 7 lessons. Well done to Lachlan and Aiden for receiving their maths crest for resilience and critical thinking skills.

P.E. & Games: It's been a busy week with rugby fixtures back on after last week's frozen pitches meant cancellations. Our U13s played Kingswood House, Year 3 enjoyed a home fixture against Hawthorns School and Year 6 took on Reigate St Mary's. Well done to the boys for their effort and enthusiasm! Away from rugby fixtures, good participation in sports clubs has continued, both before and after school, which has been fantastic to see. We look forward to eight rugby fixtures and two table tennis tournaments in the final two weeks of the half term!

Science: In science this week Year 3 have started to learn about the different types of teeth. Year 4 have enjoyed making periscopes and 5S have enjoyed making catapults as part of the Year 5 carousel. Year 6 have continued to learn about the circulatory system, and Year 7 have finished their respiratory system work before moving onto the next topic. Year 8 have enjoyed modelling aspects of the solar system.

STEAM: In STEAM Year 1 have enjoyed testing and evaluating their cars whereas Year 2 are continuing their CREST award experiments. Years, 3, 4, and 5 are making good progress towards presenting their innovative ideas for their Leaders Award Competition, and Year 6 have started to make Lego models to investigate different forces and now have the opportunity to design and evaluate their own experiments.

Lower School Summary

This week the Reception boys were treated to a visit from Tracy and Pablo from Sherwood Park Dental Practice. Tracy has written a brilliant story about oral hygiene which she came to share with us. The boys had a chance to hear the story from Tracy, learn about dental hygiene and even got given a goody bag! In Year 1 our boys have really enjoyed their maths topic on money. They've had lots of practical opportunities to pay for items using coins and applied their subtraction knowledge to give change. Year 2 are continuing with their rainforest topic and are building fantastic dioramas of a rainforest scene. They have been busy planning and writing a non-chronological report all about the rainforest.

Homefield Heroes

Reception: Rian, Ethan, Theo & Adam

Year 1: Tian, Bertie, Ali & Joshua

Year 2: Eesa, Charlie, Ali & Subir

Year 3: Rohan, Kaan, Zien & Aaron

Year 4: Axel, Kenzo, Isaac & Gianluca

Year 5: Zain, Ethan, Michael, James, Rowan and Maximilian VB

Year 6:Eric, Ian, Sulaymaan, Josh, Nitin and Ezel

Year 7: Ashar & Nashwan

Year 8: Nsama & Karson

Artwork of the Week

City Rush - Oil on Canvas

Aaron, Year 8

Dates for your Diary

Tuesday 30th January: Year 7 Trip to Bath

5th – 8th February: ‘Book Looks’

Saturday 24th February: Open Morning for prospective parents

4th - 8th March: Book Week: we will be holding a Book Fair after school during the week which will be held in the LRC - CARD PAYMENT ONLY

Friday 8th March: Dress Up Day: boys come to school dressed as a favorite book character. We will also be collecting donations for a local charity.