July 5th 2019
Celebrating Creativity
The theme at our Pre-Prep Awards ceremony was creativity and I believe our Pre-Prep oozes it! The classrooms in Pre-Prep are magical dens of creativity and learning. Our first priority is to create environments that are physically and emotionally safe and secure. Our new Bobcats and Year One classrooms have had a wonderful first year and are unquestionably geared towards our boys.
Every boy interacts, explores and has the freedom to move within their environment daily, devouring a curriculum that is aiding their development. Mrs Haywood, Mrs McKenzie, Miss Wilkinson, Miss Richards, Miss Avery, Miss Moore and Mrs Lowe have worked tirelessly to create learning experiences that encourage creativity and imagination: creative writing, Lego designing, role play, music and mark making are all examples of how the boys are exploring and comprehending their world and increasing their opportunities to make new connections, become resourceful and develop their own ideas.
The boys are given a menu, rich in open ended learning experiences that include the wonder of Forest School. Here, playing in the mud, making dens, climbing trees, discovering nature and being outside are simple pleasures that have defined childhood for generations. The boys are able to be creative, drive their own learning and make valuable connections that can transfer into their classroom learning and life skill set. Thank you to Mr Squire and Mrs Thatcher for their commitment and determination, whatever the weather, to take our boys to the woods.
Henri Matisse defined creative people as ‘Curious, flexible, persistent and independent with a tremendous spirit of adventure and a love of play’ and that perfectly sums up the boys in our Pre-Prep. They are on the very first part of a learning journey that is gearing them up to be creative and independent and we thank you for sharing this journey with us.
In our Awards ceremony we acknowledged the following five core values within our boys: Endeavour, Humility, Enjoyment, Resilience and Teamwork. It finished with a very moving performance of A Million Dreams. Boys, you are creative and talented individuals and you are going to live in a world that you design.
Nicki Hartley, Head of Pre-Prep
