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Issue 6 | Autumn 2020 | falconsprep.co.uk

| Issue 6 | Autumn 2020

WELCOME

‘Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts’ When we look back on 2020 it may not be as we expected, in fact, I can be certain that none of us predicted any of this! However, we can choose to reflect and remember in one of two ways. We can look back with disappointment and frustration, focusing on all the things we couldn’t or didn’t do, the people we didn’t see, the obstructions and suffering, OR we can identify the positives, the opportunities still given to us, the strength we found and the resilience we developed not just as individuals but as a community. The decisions we make today will have a lasting impact on our health, wellbeing and happiness in the future. We are all in control of our choices, our reactions and what we decide to do with what is put in front of us. Of course, there will always be things that we cannot control, that is life, and wouldn’t it be boring if we could control everything?! However, how we react is within our control, it is our choice to make. In times like these, it is our strength of character, our resilience, which determines our success. Einstein once said, ‘In the midst of every crisis is great opportunity.’ And our industry, the education sector, is on the verge of what could be our Kodak moment. I strongly believe that whilst CV-19 has undoubtedly brought about much pain and devastation, it has also accelerated and amplified trends in education that were already in motion. It has allowed us to rethink our assumptions about the what, how, where and when of education delivery; promoted critical thinking, problem solving and pupil confidence in their own learning and prompted us to think radically about how we use the physical spaces within our buildings.

Here at Falcons Prep Richmond we often talk about innovation and leadership, about the five learning habits of curiosity, creativity, independence, risk taking and resilience. We speak about these attributes and traits as something that we develop and encourage in all our boys. But what about the staff? CV-19 gave us, the teachers, the opportunity to demonstrate and develop our own learning habits. CV-19 highlighted the importance of a community, the need to connect, collaborate and learn with others. Very quickly as a school, we decided to accept what was dealt to us and use it as an opportunity for further reflection and growth. Going back to ‘normal’ won’t work. The world has changed. Our boys have changed and the opportunities for learning have changed. Rather than pressing ‘pause’ and then ‘start’, we want to press ‘reset’. Recognising what we do well and what we want to keep, whilst being

open to change and continued improvement. Moving forward as a school, we propose that the solutions we are seeking should: � Allow us to rethink some of our assumptions about the what, how, where and when of education delivery � Create reliable pathways for pupils and provide teachers with data analytics which can optimise interventions � Introduce possibilities for more ‘blended’ and/or ‘flipped’ learning, supporting methods which give more time to group discourse and questioning, and which encourage a growth mindset. � Promote critical thinking, problem solving and pupil confidence in their own learning (academic resilience) � Prompt us to think radically about the physical spaces in our building and how they might be adapted for alternative educational uses When struck with the inevitable challenges we had two choices, to focus on the past and all that has gone, or look towards the future and create new opportunities. We chose the latter. We chose to continue. We chose courage! As you flick through our 2020 Autumn Term Newspaper, I hope you are struck by the efforts and contributions from the entire school community to ensure that life at Falcons Prep continues. There have been trips, enrichment opportunities, competitions and experiences developing boys both in and out of the classroom. We have had a hugely successful start to the academic year and I am thrilled with the progress made by all. As ever, I wish to end by thanking and recognising the hard work and effort given by all the staff here at school. I am so proud of where we have been and where we are going. Falcons is a very special school and I feel incredibly lucky to be a part of it and steering us into our future.

| Issue 6 | Autumn 2020

WELCOME

Pupil Leadership Introductions Alex B 8W Senior Prefect

Calvin M 8P Deputy Head Boy

Hi, my name is Alex, and I am a senior prefect. I am excited for my role this year and I will give as many ideas in school council and will help move the school forward. I have been at the school for 4 years and love history and my highlight is the school ski trip.

Hello, my name is Calvin and I am the deputy head boy this year you probably know this by now. In this speech I will be telling you a bit about myself. On the weekend I usually play baseball and football which are my favourite sports. I also have a few hobbies which I try and do when I have spare time. For instance, I love art and am always drawing creatures from my imagination. Also, I like watching TV and playing Xbox after I finish all my homework after a long day at school. Thank you for listening to me and have a nice day.

Ted KS 8W Kestrel House Captain Hi I'm Ted and i'm the captain of kestral – the best house! This year I'm looking forwards to carry on winning and recollect our pizza party we deserve. I have been at the school for almost 9 years and with mine and miss Peters experience we will win. So, this year let’s all try our hardest and we will be victorious!

Oscar J 8W Head Boy

Neel S 8P Senior Prefect

Hello, I am Oscar Jeffs and, as you already know, I am your Head Boy for this year.

Hello, my name is Neel and I am a Senior Prefect. My hobbies are maths and football. I am willing to do whatever it takes to help the school in any way.

I enjoy Maths, History and am a keen sportsman. My main sports are Football and rugby. On the weekends I am very busy playing football as I have matches on Friday and Sunday and training on Saturday. Last year I was chosen for the Prep School Lions team, which was a huge achievement as it is the biggest youth tournament in the world. This is my eight and last year at the school and I hope to make it a good one.

Walter FD 8P Hobby House Captain Hi my name is Walter and this year I have been given the role of house captain of one of our new houses Hobby. My hobbies are football, skiing and watching TV. This year I will helping to lead my house to another merit win.

Reuben G 8P Peregrine House Captain

Henry D 8W Head of Eco Schools

Hello, I am Reuben, and I am the new Head of Peregrine. My hobbies are drama, sport and art. I hope that I can guide this amazing house through these tough times. You see I already know that Peregrine is the best house, but now I just need to prove it to the rest of the school and the world.

Hello, you may already know me, but if you don’t my name is Henry and I will be your eco school’s ambassador for this year. If you don’t know Ecoschools is a global programme engaging 19.5 million children across 67 countries making it the largest educational programme on the planet. For over 25 years Eco-Schools has been empowering children to drive change and improve their environmental awareness through a simple Seven-Step framework in order to achieve the international Eco-Schools Green Flag award. The good news is that Falcons already has the silver award and that is something we can all be proud of, but I know that we can do even better and keep striving to be awarded the prestigious green flag. Let 2020 be the year that we succeed in this endeavour so that future years are well equipped to maintain our green flag status. We will be calling for volunteers to join our eco schools committee, so, if you are passionate about our environment please do join us as it does make a difference and it will be a rewarding experience. Thank you for your time.

Thomas WM 8W FEd Ambassador Hello. My name is Thomas, and I am you FeD ambassador for 2020-2021. I have been since Falcons since Year 4. I am looking forward to my role and I am happy to hear your suggestions. I like Rugby and Geometry Dash. I also like to swim and do maths. I hope that you are excited to hear our guest speakers this year. I hope that it will be a great year.

Will J 8W Merlin House Captain Hi my name is Will I’m the House Captain for merlin. I am super exited to help everyone show there true potential. As seen under my leader ship we have been excelling, winning every competition we have came across has been pretty hard. I am really looking forward to seeing how we do this year Good Luck Merlin.

| Issue 6 | Autumn 2020

WELCOME

Year 3 Welcome We are very proud of our new Year Three boys this year. They became established members of our Falcons family quickly and made friends easily. They have shown that they are able to follow all the new rules and routines and have settled in ready to work, learn, have fun and earn merits. Year Three boys have had a productive first term at Falcons Prep. Not only have they had to get to grips with a whole new school, but they’ve also stepped up their independence, learning and focus and have worked hard in lessons. Our English lessons have focused on the novel ‘The Iron Man’ by Ted Hughes; boys have grown to know the key characters and have written their own poems, diaries and chapters based on the story. In Maths they have worked on Place Value, Addition and Subtraction so far, some boys have even been knighted in our ‘Knights of the Times Tables’ multiplication tables challenge! In History, they have found out all about The Stone Age and soon will find out how life improved for humans

in the Bronze and Iron Ages. In Geography boys have learnt the skills to draw their own maps and are currently exploring continents and oceans. In RS we have focused on Christianity, we heard and discussed some of the Parables that Jesus told, we are currently finding out about how Christmas is celebrated in different countries and cultures around the world. We haven’t even mentioned Art, Drama, French, ICT, PE and Games, Reasoning and Life Skills – what busy boys! All in all, an action-packed term. We can’t wait to see what the Spring will bring!

Feedback from Year 3 Boys What we love about Falcons Prep:

• The lunches • Play times • The teachers • The children in my class • The sports fields • Rufus the school dog • You get a choice of food at lunch • We can play on the Astro • Football tournaments • There is a really long corridor • Learning • PE • We are in Houses • We earn merits • Food is delicious • Teachers are very kind • It is an experienced school

• The school is lovely • The experience is a lot of fun • Science is fun • Teachers are good • Teachers are nice • Lessons are so fun • It is an interesting school • Great lessons • Sports • Football Club • ICT is amazing • We get given choices • Play equipment • Nothing is boring • Art • I LOVE THIS SCHOOL

| Issue 6 | Autumn 2020

WELCOME

Christmas at Falcons

| Issue 6 | Autumn 2020

IN THE CLASSROOM

ART Year 3

r theory, rning all about colou Year 3 have been lea pro’s at primary w no capes. They are ds lan d an ion sit compo pth in a landscape. and how to create de rs lou co ary nd co se and d created our own artist Malika Favre an e th at rm d ke loo ve ha We r theory to create wa r knowledge of colou ou ing us s pe ca ds lan and cool scenes. Year 4

Martin and king at Michael Craig Year 4 have been loo d with everyday rke how he has wo t ou ab t rn lea ey Th etitive pattern patterns. created our own rep we d an s de ca de for objects ital patterns and used o got to explore dig als e W to is. th by ed inspir ttern. The boys had digital repetitive pa n ow r ou . ns ate tio cre lla to se apps plored tes ic designs and we ex learn about geometr Year 5

ertwasser and rning all about Hund Year 5 have been lea e learnt all about his e and paintings. W aland. The his Eco architectur time spent in New Ze his d an re tu na in s inspiration ser inspired piece, x resist Hundertwas wa n ow eir th d ate boys cre a Hunderwasser nscription, designed tra er nd wfi vie a d create tte and final piece. and made a maque tile ic ram ce ral tu ec archit

Year 6 Year 6 weren’t able to finish their totem poles at the end of year 5 due to lockdow n so we started this yea r completing their totem pole piece s. The boys learnt how to construct 3D sculptures using cardboar d, papier mache and we finished by painting them. We als o completed our portra iture project and looked at the artist Chuck Close. Year 7 Year 7 have been worki ng on the project natur al form. We began with learning ho w to make our drawings more accurate and how to add tone suc cessfully in order to give a shape form. They then learnt ho w to use oil pastels to cre ate tone and created their own colou r viewfinders of close up sections of fruit. The boys then turned the se studies into needle felt ings. Year 8

Year 8 have had a fantas tic first term in Art. Du e to lockdown in Year 7, the boys were unable to finish their cu lture project and their African Masks. We have now completed ou r giant African masks and they look am azing. They will be going on display in the school. They also all completed a self-portrai t assessment in the form of a monopri nt. The boys learnt how to apply tone and neat details to the fac e. Finally, they all comple ted a WW2 war tile for remembranc e day inspired by Paul Cu mmins ‘Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red’ installation.

| Issue 6 | Autumn 2020

IN THE CLASSROOM

Photography Photography is part of the Year 7&8 Design Technology carousel. 8P were on photography this term and we explored studio photography. The boys have learnt how to use the different camera functions and how to edit their photos in Photoshop. Our title was Distortion and each week we had different objects, which we manipulated. They pulled apart fruits and photographed the process, took close up shots of natural forms to change their appearance and created comparison images looking at rusted and new metal.

Poetry Week This week we were lucky enough to be visited by poet Tomos Roberts. Tomos inspired the boys with a reading of his popular poem, ‘The Great Realisation’, before enjoying an in-depth discussion on how to write poetry, current affairs, social media, expressing yourself in a digital age, and collaborating with Ashley Banjo and Diversity. To finish, Tomos helped the boys to create a whole group poem. The result was a hilarious tale of a Minecraft goalkeeper whose skiing escapades (alongside his friend - an astrophysicist) lead to disastrous consequences! Tomos certainly left an impression on the boys and the boys will follow up the session by writing poems on a topic that they feel passionately about. For more of Tom’s poems, go onto YouTube, where you can find his channel: Probably Tomfoolery.

| Issue 6 | Autumn 2020

IN THE CLASSROOM

Senior School Prep Week The Year 6 Senior School Preparation week is all about developing skills to help you in the future. The boys tackled examination technique, interview skills, presenting skills, online assessment and developed their own CV for their future schools. The boys did a fantastic job, and we wish them all every success on their individual journeys. I found the interviews very helpful because I had never done an interview before so it was nice to see how it feels and how to present yourself in a nice way. Also, I learnt some ways to keep the stress down and stay calm. But overall, my favourite parts of the week were the CV’s and posters. Scott M This week I have learnt lots of new and useful skills. One of my favourite tips was seeing your stress rising like water rising in a bucket. I have developed new ways of dealing with my stress such as reading, taking deep breaths and relaxing, putting work into time slots with breaks and /or keeping hobbies alive. CV building helped me to think about questions that interviewers might ask me and developing new answers for them. I found making the posters and the interviews quite fun and beneficial for me. James G The PEA’s practice was very helpful because it allowed us to understand what the format of the exams would actually be, so we could work out what may be some useful skills and tips to get through the exams. The 11+ practice was beneficial to us because it tested our skills that we have learnt in English and Maths and by applying these we could see how we may tackle the paper tests. My favourite part of this week was making the CV’s and making the poster. Alexander W

| Issue 6 | Autumn 2020

BEYOND THE SCHOOL SPORT GATES

Richmond Museum Workshop Early in September Richmond Museum came to Falcons to lead Year 3 in an exciting Workshop about the Stone Age to the Iron Age. Luckily it was a beautiful sunny day so we were able to work out in the playground. First, we became a living timeline, we were each given a time period (for example, the Tudors or the Romans etc). We all started in the same position on the playground, representing 2020, and then we each took one step for every 100 years that has passed since then. We quickly realised that our playground isn’t big enough for us to ‘step back in time’ to the Stone Age – it was so long ago. Then we were shown an artefact from the Stone Age, Morag from Richmond Museum explained how archaeologists use artefacts to find out about the past. In groups we were set the challenge of

exploring ‘pits’ - one from the Stone Age, one from the Bronze Age and one from the Iron Age. In each pit was a set of artefacts. We had to be extremely respectful and careful when handling them. We acted as real archaeologists - we measured them, we examined them closely, we sketched them, we decided what they might have been used for. We used our detective skills well and had some wonderful ideas. We learnt a lot about our new topic and enjoyed ourselves too.

BEYOND THE SCHOOL GATES

| Issue 6 | Autumn 2020

All things Firefly We have had a busy first term with Firefly, as teachers populated their pages with fantastic lesson content, activities and exciting enrichment opportunities. All homework is now set via Firefly, hopefully making it easier to keep track of tasks to do and what has been completed. Keep an eye on the weekly newsletter for exciting challenges and competitions. Parent guide If you are still feeling a little bit less than completely confident… please read through our Firefly Parents Guide to help with any issues you might have. There is a step by step guide on logging in, tasks and navigating yourself around, (there is a link in our weekly newsletter) or you can find it here: https://falconsprep.fireflycloud.net/firefly-helpguides-for-parents Enrichment pages Each subject at Falcons will have an enrichment page to help push boys to the next level! Enrichment pages are located on the landing page of each subject, there you will find reading recommendations, days out, videos and activities to complete at home. Top Tips f rom Tom Wray Miller: Firefly Extraordinaire • Always check your tasks!

• If you cannot find a page, ask you teacher to bookmark it to your class so you get a direct link to the page. • If you are overflowing with tasks, or want a personal task, you can go onto the task section to set yourself a task or see what all your tasks are. • You can see your lessons and you due date of tasks in the planner. Why we love Firefly by Nathan Solomon 8W “Firefly helps my learning because if I forget to write homework inside of my diary or if I have a club I can check the homework that I was given. I can also receive the homework including the work I did in class from school even if I’m off school so I can find out what my classmates are learning at school and so will not have any gaps in my learning.” Amazing pages to check out:

• Your handy to do list is on your homepage

(I’ve saved pictures separately to go in the newspaper)

• You can find information about clubs, houses as well as your subjects on Firefly

Mindfulness: https://falconsprep.fireflycloud.net/ staying-calm

• There will be tasks when you open Firefly which will contain your homework or classwork.

Miss B’s Book club: https://falconsprep. fireflycloud.net/miss-bs-book-club

• You should go to the bottom tab on resources to learn about Firefly and know where to go.

Enrichment pages: https://falconsprep. fireflycloud.net/subject-enrichment-pages

| Issue 6 | Autumn 2020

BEYOND THE SCHOOL GATES

Kings Bruton We are blessed with a wonderful location in South Somerset. There are 350 pupils at King’s and the key to our success, and sustained popularity, is to combine our relatively small size with a high quality education. 1. What was your lasting memories f rom Falcons school?My lasting memories from Falcons was in year 8 doing geography with Mr Martin and playing football in the cage. 2. How did you find starting at your new school? How was settling in, making friends? At first, I felt very different to my fellow country folk however I soon settled in and I have now made brilliant friends.

Dylan Bradbury

3. Are there any similarities with your new school and Falcons? The similarities I tell you are pretty sparse since there is a rather large size difference however I can assure you that the teachers are all just as nice as the ones at Falcons.

4. What were the new challenges you faced? The challenges I faced were that everything normally done by the teachers for me at Falcons are now up to me to do, such as; making my own revision booklets, handing in homework with-out being asked to and having to know when your own break finishes with-out being told by a teacher.

Also, the amount of different sports, ranging from Badminton to Football to Tennis and so on, is incredible.

5. What are the new opportunities you have? Sport, clubs, being a scholar etc? The opportunities that I have are incredible. For example: if you want a club to happen after school all you have to do is write a proposal and get people to join before telling the deputy head for them to approve of it.

7. What advice would you give to current Falcons pupils? Advise that I would give would be to keep trying and always work your hardest.

6. What new skills have you had to develop? I’ve had to develop a sense of responsibility for my own things, time keeping and how to make my own food as I sometimes stay in the boarding house.

Charterhouse

An outstanding education for boys and girls aged 13 to 18. Founded in 1611, Charterhouse is one of the UK’s leading independent boarding and day schools, providing an outstanding education for boys and girls aged 13 to 18.

1. What was your lasting memories from Falcons school? The family atmosphere and being in a small group of friends and getting to enjoy all the challenges and fun together during my time at the school. I loved the school trips such as St George’s Football Tournament, Iceland, and my best memory would be the ski trips to Italy and participating in the IAPS ski racing team. 2. How did you find starting at your new school? How was settling in, making friends? Going to a new school after lockdown and from a day to a boarding school was a big change, but I was excited and ready. I think I have settled in really well and we had a really good introduction programme to help us. Everyone in the years above and generally everyone is

very supportive. My housemates are very friendly, and my housemaster and Matron are very kind., 3. Are there any similarities with your new school and Falcons? The teaching staff are all really supportive and kind and understanding like Falcons Staff. 4. What were the new challenges you faced? Every building is a walk from the next unlike Falcons so being on time to lesson is key because the school is much bigger. You have to be organised to make sure that you have everything you need for the day. 5. What are the new opportunities you have? Sport, clubs, being a scholar etc? As a

Sports Scholar, I am able to use the gym and I have strength and conditioning twice a week, as well as access to physiotherapy and nutritional support. There are lots of sports to get involved in like Shooting, Fives, Squash, and so many more. We are starting the Cadets programme next term and I want to take part in the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. There are lots of Societies (clubs) to join after school and we are allowed to set up new ones. I have started a 3D Design Club. 6. What new skills have you had to develop? Organisation and time keeping is very important and I have to have all the right books and be on time, I cannot go back to the house to get my books or pencil case. I share my room with one other pupil so trying to keep my bedroom

Joshua Towlerton

space tidy and organising my washing and uniform for the week is a good skill to develop early on. 7. What advice would you give to current Falcons pupils? Make sure you are organised in years 7 & 8, if you are organised, the jump to secondary school will be a lot easier. Enjoy your time at the Falcons and look forward to your new school.

CLUBS & ENRICHMENT

Year 4 Romans One day this term Year 4 were replaced by an army of terrifying soldiers and intimidating Caesars! This terrifying group had arrived ready to conquer and rule over the Falcons Prep Roman Day. The day was filled with Roman historical and cultural exploration. We took part in a Latin Lesson with Miss K where we learnt about the significance of Latin, how to greet each other Roman style as well as an exploration of mythical Gods. Then, it was outside to the playground for an exhibition hosted by the Richmond Museum. We looked at a Roman game, wax tablets that were used for recording Roman alphabet and numerals and were able to examine a range of Roman artifacts. We had a brilliant time and loved exploring our Roman topic with an adventurous day!

| Issue 6 | Autumn 2020

CLUBS & ENRICHMENT

M-Tech

Art Scholarship What an amazing term we have had in Art Scholarship. The Year 7&8 Art Scholars are currently completing a workshop carousel. This is designed to give them experience with different materials and processes and will improve their skills across multiple disciplines. The boys have completed a variety of monoprinting workshops looking at different subject matters from animals to landscapes. They have also been testing their abilities with reduction printing inspired by Picasso’s ‘Still Life Under the Lamp’. Next term we will begin working in 3D and working on their observational drawing.

CLUBS & ENRICHMENT

Lego Club

Miss B’s Book Club If you haven’t heard about Miss B’s Book Club, where have you been? Miss B’s Book Club is all about getting the whole school community together and sharing our love of reading. Each month three new books are selected for the different age groups across the school and boys (and staff!) are encouraged to read and share their reviews. So far this term we have had books on the themes of ghosts and ghouls, Remembrance and Christmas! All books are advertised in our weekly newsletter and on Firefly and we encourage you to get involved! I wonder what January will bring?

| Issue 6 | Autumn 2020

CLUBS & ENRICHMENT

Life Skills Summer Challenge The Life Skills Summer challenge was a successful one, with boys learning to do all sorts of useful things! The boys had a choice of activities form 4 categories: Diet/Nutrition, household, Garden/Outdoors and travel/safety. Each activity was awarded points which will be added to the end of term House Totals. It was great to see the different things the boys had learnt to do demonstrated in their presentations when they returned to school. Special mentions to: Year 4: Dylan, Christian and Arvy Year 5: William and Eddie Year 7: AJ and Benjy Year 8: Oscar and Thomas

Half term challenge write up The half term challenge was a cross-curricular activity between Life Skills and Art and allowed the boys to express ‘the person behind the mask’. The boys got creative with their self-portraits and their pattern of mask, and described what type of person they are, what values they have and what they enjoy. Well done to all who took part!

| Issue 6 | Autumn 2020

HOUSES

The new house names and captains This term has seen the introduction of our NEW HOUSE NAMES. This was a suggestion from the Year 8 boys last year and with the rebranding of the uniform and logo, it seemed like the perfect time to make the change! The new House names represent the 4 Falcons that reside in the United Kingdom:

Hobby

We also have 4 wonderful new House Captains:

Kestrel

Hobby: Walter FD

Merlin Peregrine Each house has a new mascot which the boys have named, and they live in the gallery in their nests. Keep an eye out for which order they are in, as the house with the winning weekly merit total will be perched at the top!

Kestrel: Ted KS Merlin: Will J Peregrine: Reuben G If you have any ideas for your house, please do speak to the 4 house captains! If you want to find out more about them, have a look at the pupil leadership introductions page.

House Public Speaking Competition The boys did a fantastic job with this competition! Each house entered via the Head of House, and one finalist was chosen to perform on the last Friday of the half term. The four finalists were Christian S who spoke about The Brain for Merlin, AJ LF who spoke about Terriers in the war for Kestrel, Elvis TW who spoke about the Harry Potter Studio for Peregrine and Oscar J who spoke about Dinosaurs for Hobby. It was a tough one for Miss Buchanan and Mr Westby to judge, but a winner was eventually decided, and it was...Christian S! Well done to all boys who took part.

| Issue 6 | Autumn 2020

HOUSES

Harvest Loaf Making Competition This competition was a popular one this year! Although it was done slightly differently to usual, with boys participating at home. However, our wonderful bakers did not disappoint! Some of the masterpieces were truly fantastic. Boys documented the process of making the dough to the intricate detail on their loaves. Special congratulations to theÂ winners and runners up: Winners: Merlin: Eshaan C (6) Peregrine: Oscar J (8) Kestrel: Reuben A (3) Hobby: Ivan T (4) Special Mentions: Calum W (5), Oscar J (3), Thomas WM (8), Isaac A (4)

| Issue 6 | Autumn 2020

HOUSES

House Football Results This competition was a popular one this year! Although it was done slightly differently to usual, with boys participating at home, our wonderful bakers did not disappoint! Some of the masterpieces were truly fantastic. Boys documented the process of making the dough to theÂ intricate detail on their loaves. Special congratulations to the winners and runners up: Winners:

Year 3 & 4 - Kestrel & Peregrine Year 5 & 6 - Kestrel Year 7 & 8 - Hobby

House Vegetable GrowingÂ Competition Our annual Vegetable Growing Competition occurred over the Summer Holidays, with so many fantastic entries! Our green fingered community grew all sorts, from onions to potatoes to tomatoes to herbs. A great effort by all! Congratulations to the Winner: Dylan E (Peregrine) for his wonderful timeline of growing

his tomatoes and Eshaan C (Merlin) for his whole array of different veggies grown. Runners Up: Jack-Daniel OS, Freddie H, Ishaan R, Oliver and Thomas D and Mohammed N

| Issue 6 | Autumn 2020

SPORT

Football With every challenge comes opportunity! This has been the mantra within the sports department all term. Even though we have been unable to play competitive matches against other schools, we have used the opportunity to play a number of sports during games lessons. The boys have enjoyed dodgeball and rounders competitions as well as some cross country races. This term has seen the first Falcons Football World Cup, played within the separate pods, on a number of games afternoons. In Years 3 & 4, the competition was fiercely contested by France, Germany and Brazil. All powerhouses on the world stage. France eventually came out on top, with player of the tournament Wyatt M scoring 25 goals along the way. In Years 5 & 6, Le Bleus dominated proceedings, winning all of their matches to go along with player of the tournament James Bâ€™s 23 goals. Our final tournament saw the Years 7 & 8 take to the stage in the showpiece event of the term. Going into the final game of the season, it was all to play for, with Brazil, France, Spain and Portugal all within sniffing distance of the coveted Falcons World Cup. In the end, it was Spain who took the trophy back to Madrid. Player of the tournament fell to Spain's top goalscorer, Oscar J.

| Issue 6 | Autumn 2020

COMMUNITY & CHARITY

Falcon’s Sponsored Walk and Eco-School’s litter pick-up along the Thames Path

On Friday 16th October Falcon’s Eco-Schools decided to piggyback on to the Skylark Sponsored Walk. We headed out with litter pickers, gloves and bin liners in order to improve our local environment and make Old Deer Park, Kew Green and the section of the Thames Path we used a more pleasant place for the local community. We had 3 or 4 pairs of boys doing the litter-picking each of the Eco-Committee was joined by a volunteer and what a very generous attitude that was. I joined Years 7 & 8 on their litter pick – 5 miles at a pretty brisk pace but that didn’t slow down our litter pickers Henry D with his volunteer Finn C, Lucas Mc with his volunteer Sam P and Daniel N with his volunteer Ege A. I was so impressed with the efforts from these

Harvest Donation This year, we did things a little differently! Instead of bringing in food donations to school, and all of it going to a local charity here, we asked pupils to donate to their own local foodbank where they live. Pupils were invited to take pictures and send them to their form teachers. We had a huge response, and lots of boys donated food locally to where they live at the supermarket donation boxes. Well done, Falcons! I am sure the people who received your donations were very grateful.

boys. I followed up from the back trying to ensure my bag was more full than theirs (I can’t help it the competitiveness of a sportsman). They were doing such a good job that as I wandered up chivvying on the chatty plodders, I found next to nothing to pick up. At least within a sensible reach! It was sad to see the amount of litter around closer to the river level or some way down the bank.]

| Issue 6 | Autumn 2020

COMMUNITY & CHARITY