We had such a joyful start to the day today with a very special Junior Prep assembly. The children have been fully immersed in their learning about Uganda, exploring life there through a wide range of subjects. This morning, they brought that learning to life with a colourful and vibrant performance full of dance, song and storytelling. It was a real celebration of their creativity and curiosity. Thank you also to all the teachers who worked so hard with the children this week. On Sunday it is World teacher appreciation day, so a perfect moment for me to thank all the fabulous teachers here at Sunninghill. We appreciate all that you do for all our children.
It was also wonderful to see so many parents and families in the audience. Your support means the world to the children, and having you in school to share these moments makes them all the more special. Thank you to everyone who was able to join us.
Following the assembly, we moved seamlessly into our Open Morning. We were delighted to welcome families looking at our Nursery, Reception for next year, and a number of other year groups. As always, our Form 7 and 8 tour guides did a brilliant job showing visitors around and sharing their pride in Sunninghill. We are also very grateful to our PTFA members who came in to meet prospective parents and kindly helped with refreshments.
It was quite the week for science this week. On Monday, our Form 7 students had a fantastic day at Winchester Science Centre, diving into the wonders of science and discovery! They got hands-on with non-Newtonian fluids, making slime and exploring the strange behaviours of materials that defy expectations. In the planetarium, they journeyed through space, learning about stars, planets, and the mysteries of our universe. And with two floors of interactive exhibits, there was no shortage of curiosity, creativity, and excitement! A brilliant day of learning, experimenting, and exploring — science really does come alive outside the classroom!
Form 7 & 8 also blasted off into science on Wednesday afternoon. Pupils took part in a fascinating ‘Space Case’ workshop led by Jo Richardson from Space Detectives, exploring how materials are used in satellite design and related careers. Through five hands-on activities, they examined eight different materials to decide which would be best for building a satellite — and even got to hold a real composite material used on the International Space Station! A brilliant blend of curiosity, creativity, and STEM in action!
On Wednesday, Form 3 took a trip to our local museum to observe the Ancient Roman artefacts. They were able to observe the old mosaics found in our beautiful town and even had the chance to try on replica clothing from 2,000 years ago and smell scents that they would have used for perfumes. In the afternoon, the children were lucky enough to have a tour inside the remains of the Roman Town House at the top of town. They were able to look at the older heating systems the Romans used and how they used different mosaic patterns in each room.
The children had a brilliant day and were able to ask lots of questions linked to their Ancient Romans topic.
It was lovely to welcome Amanda from Wessex Cancer Support on Thursday, who popped in to collect the money that the school council raised for them over the last academic year. Amanda was so grateful to the Sunninghill community. Charity is very important to us at Sunninghill. and over the years, we raise so much for a variety of different charities, much of which is co-ordinated by our school council team.
Forms 1 and 2 topic this term is China. This week they were comparing British and Chinese cuisine, and visited a ‘Chinese restaurant’ and had a big feast, just as families do for Chinese New Year! The children really enjoyed learning about a new culture and had lots of fun together – they even experimented with chopsticks!
The Autumn Regatta at the Andrew Simpson Portland took place this week, with our U13’s racing on Thursday. Max, Phin, Seb and Nathaniel from Senior Prep competed in 4 races totalling 3 hours on the water. They competed exceptionally well with one boat finishing in 6th place and the other in 14th. We look forward to our sailing sessions to help the children improve their skills ready for regattas later in the year. Well done to the 4 boys involved – as always you were brilliant.
The school has been buzzing with energy all week, and today was no exception. I felt very proud of our children and the whole community.
Wishing you all a wonderful weekend.
David
