Issue 9
Autumn Term
14th Nov 2025
Dear Parents, We commenced the week with an assembly around the Anti-bullying Week theme of ‘Power for Good’ and reflected on the powers we each wield and how easy it is to say something mean, spiteful or hurtful. I encouraged the Year 6 girls facing their Entrance Exams on Wednesday to take a breath this week before responding, particularly if feeling anxious. As James says, the tongue is the most powerful muscle in the body. We had a beautiful remembrance service on Tuesday where the trumpet calls from our Senior CCF pupils echoed through Mairlot Hall reminding us of the freedom that was bought for us all. Year 6 have done fantastically well all week in their Entrance Examinations and Scholarships, they conducted themselves with goodness and grace; remaining calm, positive and hardworking. Well done, girls, we had many positive and delighted comments from colleagues in the Senior School who were conducting the examinations. We capped off the week with Odd Socks Day, where it was delightful to see the brightly colourful array of oddly paired socks and tights that the girls had combined to celebrate the end of a week focussed on how uniquely special we all are as individuals and how we can celebrate those differences together. “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” Martin Luther King, Jr. “There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up” John Andrew Holmes “Strong people stand up from themselves. But the strongest people stand up for others.” Unknown Wishing you all a wonderful weekend ahead, Gareth Tindall
Y5 Museum of Egyptology Year 5 invite you to visit their 'Museum of Egyptology' on Wednesday 10th December in the Senior Library. The girls will be showcasing the projects they have chosen to research and will be keen to talk to visitors about their learning. Please come and join us to see some 'wonderful things!'
Pastoral Pause Coming into this third week of New Ways November – break free from the old habit and thought – ‘No Way’. There’s no way I could do that or achieve that. There’s no way I have time for that. There’s no way I could afford that. There’s no way I would have the confidence to… Replace that with New Ways… I overheard a story today about a man who had smoked for all his adult life since the age of 16, who one day decided (yes, that simple, he made a choice, a different choice) that he would quit. He took the same amount of cash out of his bank weekly as was his habit, and he put it to one side. Within a year he took himself on the holiday of a lifetime! New Ways…what if you took the money you would have spent on that (name brand) high street coffee and put it to one side… What if you got up 30 minutes earlier and used the time to… What if you volunteered in a local charity shop, visited a local nursing home, stopped surfing socials for an hour a day and dedicated the time to learning a new skill, reading a book, completing an online course, making a meal you’ve always wanted to try out… ‘What if…’ oh, the ridiculous possibilities of that expression. Let’s start using it for good, rather than for fear. ‘God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect… Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first.’ 1 John 4: 16 - 19
God Bless You, Gareth Tindall
Key Dates 2025 - 26 As outlined in the Parent Handbook, and reiterated at the Parent Welcome Reception, there are three key dates in the school calendar that are compulsory for all the girls to attend. This is to help them understand the importance of team work and collaborative responsibility as these are events where they are all involved and need to support each other. These dates are as follows: Christmas Service Thursday 4th December, 18.30 to 19.30 Spring Concert Thursday 12th March, 18.30 to 19.30 Prep School Prize Giving Thursday 2nd July, 19.00 to 20.00 We would be grateful if you could keep these dates free so that all girls can be present at these important community events.
Autumn Term, Key Diary Dates 2025-26: Fri 21st Nov
Wed 26th Nov Thurs 27th Nov Fri 28th Nov Thurs 4th Dec Wed 10th Dec Mon 8th 11th Dec Fri 12th Dec
Subject Revolution Maths Workshop Primary Maths Masterclass Year 6 families, SLT Drinks Reception 6RG Class Assembly Winchester Science Trip FOST Christmas Fair Carol & Christmas Concert Yr. 5 Museum of Egyptology Santa Fun Run Christmas Jumper Day End of Term
09:00 -12:15 13:45 - 15:30 18:00 - 18:45 08:30 - 09:00 All Day 16:30 –19:30 18:30—19:30 08:30 - 09:00 08:30 - 09:00 All Day 16:15
This week you have received the following communications on SchoolPost: Year 6: Year 5:
Year 6 Leavers book & hoodies Year 6 LifeLab Project - Putting Young Minds To Work
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Whole School: Reminder, Odd Socks Day, 14th November Polka Theatre Christmas Trip with FOST Carol Service, 4th December 2025 Santa Fun Run, 8th December 2025
St Teresa’s SchoolPost Communication System Go to: https://stteresas.schoolpost.co.uk/ Please remember to check your inbox, including your junk/spam, as the email may go to your junk box the first time it is sent. If you have any questions please email prepinfo@st-teresas.com
St Teresa's Drama Production and Drinks Reception for Year 6 Families
Golden Book Well done to all of the girls in our Golden Books this week: 5AB Maddie J for her effective and informative poster about Tutankhamun. Lily J for working so hard in Maths to apply her knowledge of the times tables to different questions. Vivienne W-S for always being kind and offering to help others. 5HT Olivia H for re-writing sentences to ensure the pronoun was not ambiguous. Charlotte E for her efforts in Maths, as we explored various methods for multiplying and dividing as well as how we could use factors to support us. 6RG & 6MK All Year 6 are in the Golden Book this week for tackling the Entrance Exam with confidence and maturity. They equipped themselves superbly, representing the school well and we are so proud of you all. Well done!
Drama Stars Year 5:
Isabelle C for working so positively in her group, making creative suggestions and supporting everyone in a kind and thoughtful manner.
Year 6:
Sophia H for her continued enthusiasm and increased confidence in performance.
Scientist of the Week Year 5: Year 6:
Vivienne W-S for her Tea Maker Marvellous Mechanism. Molly W for her excellent investigation write-ups and her Wake-up Machine design. Ellie B-S, Esme S and Jessica S for their excellent investigatory work with electrical circuits.
FOST 2nd HAND UNIFORM SHOP Submission forms are under FOST 2nd hand uniform on the St Ts website: Second-hand Uniform Shop REMINDER: CASH or CHEQUE only please for the foreseeable future. Open Fridays 8.30am-9am and First Saturday of every month 10:30am — 11.00am by appointment only: Please contact Wendy or Camilla: Fostuniform@gmail.com
Odd Socks Day 2025 St Teresa’s Effingham is fundraising for NSPCC
Prep News
As we continue to develop our use of Atom Learning for Schools: Atom School, some of you have reached out to Atom enquiring about use of Atom Home, their platform to support learning for children and parents. Please find below some links shared with us by the team at Atom to support your understanding of the differences and how Atom can support learning at home. • Atom Home Information Sheet • A video on the differences between Atom Home and Atom School • A short Atom Home platform demo • Parent FAQ guide
Changes to Bus Schedules To make things smoother and safer, we've introduced the Vectare Travel App. If you haven't registered yet, please sign up at this link: Vectare Travel using your email address from iSAMS. You can make all the necessary changes on the website. If you need further help, please reach out to the transport team at effinghamschoolstrust@vectare.co.uk or transport@effinghamschools.org / 01372 750255.
End of Day Plans Any end of day changes, please email your class teacher and copy in the school office prepinfo@st-teresas.com.
Absence Notification & Evidence Form A reminder to complete this form if your child will be absent from Prep due to illness or other valid reasons. To ensure accurate attendance records, please upload evidence (e.g. appointment text, letter, or email) if the absence is due to a medical appointment. Wherever possible, appointments should be made outside school hours. We will not necessarily respond to them unless there is extra information or evidence required for attendance records.
Trip/Workshop Form & Payment Completion As part of the upcoming Prep School trips/workshops, we kindly ask that you complete both of the following steps as soon as possible: Microsoft Online Form – This form is essential for confirming your child’s participation and providing necessary details. Payment via Evolve – Please ensure payment is made through the Evolve system. Please note that our accounts team operates separately within the Trust. This means that even if you have already made the payment, we do not automatically receive confirmation of it in the Prep School. Completing both the form and the payment ensures your child is fully registered for the event.
Christmas card competition Recently, we were contacted by the Catholic Independent Schools' Conference about an annual Christmas card competition that they run. Our art club were keen to get involved and these are their submissions. The theme was 'O Holy Night' and the only direction given was to explore the more traditional and spiritual elements of Christmas by creating designs that capture the peace, serenity, and reverence of the season. Good luck to all those who have entered.
Inspire Academy of Dance We are excited to announce our upcoming Watching Week, taking place on Wednesday 3rd December. This is a wonderful opportunity for parents and carers to observe their child’s progress in dance classes and see them in a class environment. For the last 15 minutes of each class, we propose that parents/carers are invited to come and watch. We expect parents may begin arriving around 20 minutes before the end of the class, and the class teacher can then welcome and monitor them as they come in approximately 15 minutes before the class finishes. Please indicate that you are happy to take part by completing this short form, and let us know of any additional requirements or information that parents should be made aware of: https://forms.gle/UU5mM2zSQ3eLf13b6
Thank you for your continued support — we’re really looking forward to sharing this special week with you and your dancers.
Art club The girls did some wonderful weaving to create some colourful, fun and practical bowls. I wonder what they'll put inside?
Year 5 PSHE As part of their PSHE work, during anti-bullying week, Year 5 acted out various scenarios. In groups, they worked together to find a suitable solution to the issues that presented themselves.
Year 5 Science This week, Year 5 mapped out the solar system with our inflatable planets. We saw that as the planets moved further away from the sun, the distances between them became much greater!
Maths Week 17– 21st November 2025: We’re excited to celebrate Maths Week with lots of fun activities designed to spark curiosity and enjoyment in Mathematics. Here’s what’s planned next week: • Monday Assembly, Launching Maths Week! • Estimation Competition, can you guess the closest? • Photo Competition Please encourage your child to take part!
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Tips for Tiny, fun tasks like planning a party TTRS Battles begin on Monday, Who will come out on top? Subject Revolution workshop on Friday morning.
Music News
Assembly Performances Thanks to Eloise K (Piano) and Ania S (Violin) who performed in our celebration assembly last week. And congratulations to Molly W (Piano) and Isabelle C (Piano) for their performances this week. Please do let Mrs G know if you would like to perform in assembly.
Orchestra Fabulous to have a full complement of musicians for this week’s rehearsal as we embraced Christmas with While Shepherd’s Watched Their Flocks and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. They are continuing to listen to one another carefully and it is encouraging to see how they help one another with tricky rhythms or notes.
Chamber Choir Friday rehearsals continue to be very energetic and there is great enthusiasm for our Christmas selection this year!
Musician of the Week Year 5 Year 6
Ottilie H for her super work mastering the chord patterns and strumming challenge in our ukulele class. Cecily P Thank you for offering help and guidance in our keyboard class for the girls who missed last week.
Year 5 Year 5 had a wonderful treat this week with performances from a number of Year 6 students. In addition to hearing performances on cello, violin, trumpet and voice, Year 5 were invited to ask the performers questions. The ukulele class featured some different strumming patterns; building in both complexity and tempo. We played The Lion Sleeps Tonight, I’m Yours and Beautiful Things to practise quicker chord changes and everyone appears to be feeling more confident in finding the tricky G7 chord!
Year 6 Many of Year 6 were taking part in sports fixtures, interviews or other music events, so those that were left dived into the Christmas repertoire with their usual enthusiasm! We also learned Labi Siffre’s anti-apartheid protest song Something Inside So Strong and discussed the musical devices he used to emphasise the meaning of his words. In our keyboard classes, we have continued reading traditional pitch notation and linking the notation with piano keyboard and letter names.
Sport News
Hockey UKSA U11 Hockey Tournament – Burgess Hill What a fantastic day of hockey for our U11 girls at the UKSA Tournament in Burgess Hill! The team played with brilliant spirit, determination, and teamwork throughout, showing how much progress, they have made this season so far. The girls came 2nd in the UKSA plate!! Amazing achievement everyone! The U10 A and B hockey teams put on fantastic performances against Sutton High School. The A team secured a strong 3–1 victory, with Scarlett S named Player of the Match after scoring two excellent goals, and Emilia adding another to seal the win. The B team followed with an exciting 3–2 triumph, led by Player of the Match Florence H, who scored twice, while Lulu D added a crucial third goal. A big shout-out goes to Millie G and Viviene W for their superb efforts in goal, helping both teams to well-deserved wins.
Netball Both the U11A and U11B teams took to the court this week and showed fantastic determination, teamwork, and energy in their matches. Despite challenging windy conditions, which made passing and movement down the court difficult, all players worked extremely hard and demonstrated great resilience. The U11A team secured a well-deserved 7–3 victory, displaying excellent movement and strong communication throughout the game. The Player of the Match was Zoe. The U11B team faced tough opposition and, despite a 7–0 loss, showed great spirit and continued to work hard until the final whistle. The Player of the Match was Sienna. Overall, it was a brilliant effort from both teams, with every player contributing to two competitive and enjoyable matches. Well done to everyone involved!
Pupil News Charlotte E represented her club in the Level 3 Dorking Open Gala on Sunday. She swam 100m free and 50 butterfly and received a bronze medal in 50 free. If your daughter has completed any sporting achievements outside of school, the PE department would love to hear about them. Please email Mrs Hitchman with a short description and photo to a.hitchman@st-teresas.com.
Fixtures (week commencing 17th November) Tuesday 18th November—U11A&B Hockey V Danes Hill (A) + U11C&D Hockey V Danes Hill (H) Tuesday 18th November—U10A-D Netball V Notre Dame (A) 2:30pm St Teresa's Effingham | Sports Home You will be able to access fixtures for the day, alongside the Sports Calendar which can provide you with all the sports fixtures weeks and months in advance. If a team sheet has been published for a particular fixture, the blue ‘person’ symbol will be available to click on. Simply click on the blue symbol next to the fixture to access the team sheet.
STE Website
ECPro Booking Website
Remembrance Day at St Teresa’s Tess and Rosie were honoured to be present for the Remembrance Day parade on Tuesday. Horses have played a crucial role in supporting our military throughout history and this was a great opportunity to remember the contribution that they and other Service animals have made. Autumn Term Availability for trial sessions We currently have the following availability for Prep school students who might be interested in some ad hoc riding lessons and/or in our BHS Pony Stars Club (non- ridden) before the end of the Autumn Term. There is a 8% discount on these ad hoc lessons.
• Tuesday at 4pm-5pm - BHS Pony Stars Club • Tuesday at 4pm-4.30pm- Riding lesson • Friday 4-5pm—BHS Pony Stars Club • Friday at 5pm—Riding lesson Please email equestrian@st-teresas.com if you are interested.
NSEA National Championships Thursday 16th October—Sunday 19th October Addington Equestrian Centre After months of challenging qualifiers, 9 members of the NSEA team set off for the National Championships at the hallowed grounds of Addington, for 4 days of stiff competition against the very best equestrian teams and individuals from schools across the United Kingdom. Despite some very challenging circumstances which meant competing with a smaller team, the NSEA Manager, Lucy Collins, said the girls ‘showed immense resilience, supported each other unanimously and pulled off some amazing results’ The Team: Electra B, Florence B, Harriet L, Olivia S, Lilly S, Rosie C (team captain), Amber B, Claudia B, Antonia S. National Championships Combined Training (CT) The Pink Team (Electra B, Rosie C, Antonia S and Olivia S) rode exceedingly well for a second place on the podium in the Novice CT class (see photo). Rosie C also competed in the Individual Novice CT class and came 5th. National Championships Show Jumping The 90cm Pink Team (Claudia B, Rosie C and Antonia S) rode very good rounds and finished in a respectable 11th place. In the 1M Class Rosie C rode a fantastic clear round but her horse, Monkey, was extremely tired and was not fast enough to be placed in the top 8. In the Regional Points League Finals in which the whole team rode a round each at heights varying from 70cm to 1M, the team placed 9th.
National Championships Jumping with Style (JWS) All of the riders and horses did an amazing job and saw great improvements as the classes progressed. Rosie C and Monkey did a fantastic job and came 8th out of 78 in the 80cm class and 15th in the 90cm. Please do join us in congratulating the girls not only on their achievements but on demonstrating such great sportsmanship and team spirit. AMAZING RESULTS
This Week Bible Reading A Reading from the Gospel of John So they took away the stone.Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
Reflection In this week of Remembrance it is important to reflect on the great sacrifice many have made for our freedoms that we enjoy today. We remember all we have loved and all we have lost. And we pray for them and ask God to keep them.Yet Jesus’ life and ministry reminds all of us that death is not the end, it does not have the final say. We are people of the Resurrection, people of hope.
Poem They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them. But where our desires are and our hopes profound, Felt as a well-spring that is hidden from sight, To the innermost heart of their own land they are known As the stars are known to the Night; "What soap is for the body, tears are for the soul." Jewish proverb
Congratulations to Our Brochure Winners! 1st Place: Florence D (5AB). Runners-up: Monica H (5HT), Olivia Lukac (6RG), Liel G (5HT) Fantastic work to all who entered.
Prep Clubs Autumn Term 2025 MORNING
LUNCH
END OF SCHOOL
EARLY EVENING
(12.45—13.15)
(16.15 – 17.00)
(17.00-18.00)
Years 5, Forest School Years 6, Forest School MON
School Council
Orchestra, by invitation Grade 1+ standard)
Years 5 & 6, Prep GK Club (Astro)
Chaplaincy Team meeting
TUE
Years 5 & 6, Netball Club (7.50 - 8.20, Sp. H)
Equestrian Riding (16.00 – 17.00)
Year 6, ESTA Tennis Coaching (16.15 - 17.15) Young Voices Choir (16.15 - 17.00, until January) Years 5 & 6, Art Club (16.15 - 17.00)
Years 5 & 6, Lego Club
Years 5 & 6, LAMDA Lessons (30-minute lesson between 16.15 - 16.45)
Years 5 & 6, Netball Shooting Club
Equestrian Riding (16.00 – 17.00)
Year 5 & 6, LAMDA Lessons (30 -minute lesson between 16.45 - 17.45)
Pony Stars (16.30 – 17.30) Years 5 & 6, Swim Squad (7:45 - 8.30)
WED
Years 5 & 6, Prayer Group (10.55 – 11.15)
Wind Group (10.55 11:15)
Years 5 & 6, Chess Club
Years 5 & 6, Hockey Club (16.15 - 17.30) Years 5 & 6, Recreational Netball
Schola Cantorum (by invitation)
Years 5 & 6, Football Club
THU
Years 5 & 6, Hockey Club (7.50 - 8.20, Sp. H)
Years 5 & 6, Drama Club (16.15 - 17.00)
String Group
Equestrian Riding (16.00 – 17.00) Years 5 & 6, Ballet Dance (16.15 - 17.15)
Year 5, ESTA Tennis Coaching (16.15 - 17.15) Years 5 & 6, Art Club (16.15 - 17.00) Year 5, Swim Squad (15.45 - 16.45) Year 6, Swim Squad (16.45 - 17.30)
Years 5 & 6, Running Club (Astro)
Equestrian Riding (16.00 – 17.00)
Years 5 & 6 Frisbee Club (16.15 - 17.00) Chamber Choir FRI Touch Typing
Years 5 & 6, Netball Club (16.15 - 17.30) Equestrian Riding (16.00 – 17.00) Pony Stars (16.00 – 17.00) Schola Cantorum (16:30 – 17:30, by invitation)
Years 5 & 6, Street Dance (17.15 - 18.15)
Christmas Wreath Making Workshop Manor House School is delighted to invite you to a Wreath Making Workshop in partnership with Thistles Florist, Ashtead. Bring your festive cheer and get creative as you design a beautiful Christmas wreath. Expect a relaxed, fun-filled evening to get you into festive spirit.
Date: Wednesday, 26 November 2025 Time: 6.00pm – 8.00pm Location: Arcot Hall, Manor House School Tickets cost £40, this Includes entry for 1 adult and up to 2 children to create one stunning wreath together. Spaces are limited so don’t miss out on the seasonal sparkle! Click here to book your space on the Workshop. Spaces are limited so, don’t delay!
Menu—w/c Monday 17th November Hot lunches include a selection of family favourites and suitable alternatives for children with allergies and intolerances.
Week 1
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Soup
Soup of the day
Soup of the day
Soup of the day
Soup of the day
Main
Slow Locally Southern Roasted Beef Sourced Pork Fried or Lasagne with Sausages with Grilled Piri Piri a Mozzarella Onion Gravy Chicken Top
Pulled Pork Mexican Tacos with a selection of Dips and Cheese
Soup of the day Freshly Battered Fish or Jumbo Fish Finger with Ketchup and Tartare Sauce
Vegetarian
Pasta Bar
Sides
Vegan Sausages with Onion Gravy
Sticky BBQ Cauliflower Wings and Corn Riblets
Pasta with Tomato & Basil or Cheesy Pesto Sauce Mashed Potatoes Panache of Mixed Vegetables
Pasta with Tomato & Basil or Carbonara Sauce Cajun Potato Wedges Rainbow Slaw
Spinach Butternut and Feta Gnocchi Bake
Smokey Bean Chimichangas
Onion Bhaji Burger with Mango Chutney
Pasta with Tomato & Basil Sauce
Pasta with Tomato & Basil or Bolognaise Sauce
Pasta with Tomato & Basil or Four Cheese Sauce
Garlic Bread Broccoli
Steamed Vegetable Rice Corn on the Cob
Skinny Chips Garden Peas
Additional
Jacket Potato Jacket Potato Jacket Potato Jacket Potato Jacket Potato & Baked & Baked & Baked & Baked & Baked Beans Beans Beans Beans Beans Freshly Freshly Freshly Freshly Baked Freshly Baked Bread Baked Bread Baked Bread Bread Baked Bread Salad bar Salad bar Salad bar Salad bar Salad bar
Dessert
Bramley Apple Crumble with Custard
Chewy Flapjack
Old School Cake
White Chocolate Cookie Tray Bake
Oreo Cheesecake
Items in Italic - Sourced from F Conisbee’s, our local butcher