It really is beginning to feel a lot like Christmas here at Sunninghill!
We had a wonderful day yesterday and today with our absolutely magical, and much anticipated, Nativity performance – A Fireside Nativity’. We had trumpets, ukuleles, strings and bells as well as so much singing and dancing! It really was a magical performance. The children were fabulous and there was not a dry eye in the house! My thanks must go to all the Junior Prep staff who worked so hard to put this together and of course children who performed so beautifully.
On Monday, our fabulous PTFA came in to decorate the hall and our fabulous Christmas tree. It looks and smells absolutely wonderful.
On Wednesday, our Junior and Senior Gardening Club had a lovely time designing a Christmas wreath for our front door. It was so lovely to see both groups working so well together – it looks absolutely stunning! Thank you to Liz, our Head Gardener, and to all the children who helped create such a beautiful wreath.
Year 5 have been enjoying their Orienteering lessons this term. They have learned to orientate and navigate using a map, understand the symbols in a key which represent objects, find controls on their map, locate and record information. They have partnered with someone different each week to promote an understanding of working together. In these photos they are using the electronic equipment which digitally records all the data on a ‘dibber’ attached to their finger. On completing a course they are given a print out of where they have been and the time it has taken.
As part of their PSHE topic on identity and careers, Jo Lockwood came to talk to Year 7 yesterday about her own amazing career. Jo works for an NGO helping countries in need with humanitarian aid and development. She has worked in Afghanistan, Mali, India and Kenya, as well as many other countries. Some of the projects have been training healthcare staff, helping introduce new crops, vaccinating farm animals, helping children to get a basic education and building a new bridge to prevent villages from being isolated. Year 7 were absolutely fascinated and many of the children said that they might consider a career in international development. Thank you Jo for coming in to speak to us and for the chocolate Christmas puddings which were very well received!
This afternoon we were delighted to welcome our buddies from the Glencairn Residential Care Home. They came for a festive afternoon tea with Form 4 and their parents. It was such a lovely afternoon with games, a quiz, biography readings, music from Iris and Kitty, and fabulous sausage rolls, cakes and mince pies. We were also delighted that our buddies were able to come and watch their buddies perform in the Nativity yesterday too.
Last night we also held our Senior Prep informal concert! Wonderful performances from some of our older children, many of whom were performing for the first time in front of an audience. Well done to Mrs Nolan-Stone, Mr Vanburgh and all of our visiting music teachers who work so hard with all the children that they teach. Tonight we are looking forward to our senior formal concert that we know will be absolutely lovely!
Next week will be another fun filled week of Christmas festivities. We have our Christingle Assembly on Monday, a Christmas trip to the pantomime on Wednesday for Nursery to Form 2. Thursday is our Christmas day at Sunninghill – children will come to school in Christmas jumpers, enjoy carols under the stairs at 11am, Christmas lunch, and then Christmas parties, ice skating and the Christmas fayre at 4.30pm! We have our carol service at 2.30pm on Friday 8th December and let’s not forget the class Christmas door competition!
It’s going to be a lot of fun!
Have a wonderful weekend everyone.
David
