Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Yearbook 2020

The

Falconer - Our Journey of 2020 -

COURAGE | CURIOSITY | CARE

Contents

04 Headteacher’s Report 06 PA Report 10 Head Boys 12 Pre-Reception 23 Reception 34 Year 1 41 Year 2 52 Lockdown 58 Art 62 Music 68 Sport 76 French 78 Poetry Competition 82 Prize Giving 84 Year 2 Leavers 86 Our Staff Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Headteacher’s

Report To all the boys, staff, parents and families, this will be a yearbook that we will all refer to as we tell stories about the time that a virus changed our lives. I am grateful that we all got to see each other again before the end of the year and that we had time for a few last memories together before our summer began.

I always look forward to the time of year when I am asked to write a piece for the yearbook. It is a time of reflection, a time of happy memories, and a time to feel proud as I think about each boy and the growth that has occurred during the year in his learning and development. The end of this year also marks the end of my first year at Falcons Pre-Prep and I feel grateful that I joined this community during such an interesting year. I am going to focus my reflection on our core values as you all know how important they are to me and my hope that each of our boys leaves our school truly having Courage, Curiosity and Care.

Dear Falcons Boys, As you read this in the years to come, I hope you smile when you remember each of the little things that make you a Falcons Boy. Courage: Each day you came to our blue gate ready to learn. You showed courage when you tried a new game, never gave up on a tricky maths problem, or kept practicing how to write new words.

You showed courage when you tried a new type of food made by Chef Nay or played with a new boy in the playground. You showed courage when we asked you to stay home and learn on SeeSaw or Tapestry and see your teachers via Zoom.

You showed courage in coming back to school when you knew that it would be a little different and you had to leave your shoes in the hall. You showed courage at learning how to wash your hands again and again and only getting to see a few of your teachers. Finally, you showed courage when helping a friend in need or asking for help when you needed it. Having courage will help you to always try again and will help you to take action and make good choices.

Curiosity: Each day I saw your eyes sparkle with curiosity. You were always asking why and wanting to find out more information. You became experts on solving maths problems, reading tricky words, and learning how characters feel in a book.

You were curious as you learned how to move your body correctly during sports games in PE, or how

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

to move your mouth so that you sang a beautiful song with Miss Hartley. You were curious as you played with your friends outside and learned how to score the most goals during a football game or what bike went down our little blue hill the fastest.

You were curious every day you came to school and listened to your teachers and explored each and every activity. You were curious as you learned how to use Zoom and what it meant to be ‘muted’ and how to chat with your friends in the chat function.

Stay curious in your lives as that is what will make your brain continue to grow and get smarter and smarter.

Care: Each day I asked you to be caring to yourself, to others, and to our world. As a Falcons Boy, you were caring when you helped a friend in the playground or in a maths lesson. You were caring as you cleaned up your lunch table and kept the toilets tidy. You were caring as you said good morning and good afternoon to your teachers. You were caring as you let boys play with you outside or shared a toy with someone in class. You were caring as you helped your family at home during lockdown and tried your best to keep learning. Always remember to show care for yourself and others.

Finally, I want to end with an acrostic poem about our last term. It is a term I will never forget and one that you can proudly say ‘I was a boy during the time when schools closed’.

L O C K D O W N

Learning from home

On our computers using SeeSaw Chatting with our teachers on Zoom Keeping safe from the virus Distancing ourselves so we don’t spread germs Outdoors was allowed for an hour a day

Washing our hands and singing “Happy Birthday”

Never forgetting our friends and our families

Warmest wishes, Ms McLaughlin Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Falcons Pre-Prep Parents’ Association 2019-2020 End of Year Report The first half of our Autumn Term also illustrated the quite overwhelming generosity of our Falcons Pre-Prep families with a record breaking donation to the Ealing Foodbank Collection. We hit 250kg of food which made a huge difference to hundreds of families in Ealing. A huge thank you to Rosie, Melanie and Olivia for all of their help in collecting, ferrying and beautifully displaying all of our donations.

The Falcons Pre-Prep Parents’ Association is an active group of volunteers who organise an array of exciting and fun events with the aim of fundraising whilst creating a real sense of community at the Falcons Pre-Prep. The PA is independent of the formal running of the school but is generously supported by Ms McLaughlin and her wonderful team.

The start of the year saw a new Head at the school and a new set of Co-chairs for the PA. We hit the ground running with the, now traditional, PA picnic the week before term started, giving current boys and parents the chance to catch up after their summer adventures and new starters the chance

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

to introduce themselves before their first day.

Those summer adventures in the sun had meant our boys had grown so much which in turn meant a bumper second-hand uniform sale - a great kickstart to the year. Thanks to Urmi for all her sorting and selling.

The boys then swiftly got caught up in the Rugby World Cup with much fun in the sweepstake and a donation to our charity, the Marine Conservation Society, so the boys could wear their favourite team’s jersey to school before the Quarter-Finals.

Well done to the Kingfisher boys for picking the winning team!

Kristy (and her sister), Firas, Alison, Pyrrha, Melanie, Kate, Rosie, Melissa, Ella, Dan, Charlotte and Diana got the boys creative juices flowing as the annual Christmas card design sessions got underway at school. We also had the joy of seeing the boys’ efforts resulting in some rather splendid self-portraits this year for the biennial tea towel.

The portraits of the teachers certainly caused a few giggles.

Our first bake sale of the year took place after half-term and kept the donations heading in the right direction for the MCS thanks to the appetites of our boys and the generosity of their parents.

A huge thank you to Kristy - our very own Queen of cakes - and her helpers Leyla, Rosie, Bow, Ping, Urmi and Cheryl.

The Prosecco was flowing in the run up to Christmas with the annual PA Xmas gathering - this year at the Duke of Sussex. It was the perfect way to end a busy first term and a great night organised superbly by Ruth.

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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And then the PA elves descended on the school to create the most magical, glittery, sparkling, twinkly, gingerbread enchanted forest ever seen in West London! The boys had a fantastic time enjoying snowball basketball, dangling donuts, snow globes, gingerbread houses and festive Lego culminating in a full on disco which the parents also enjoyed. The copious amounts of mulled wine certainly helped everyone relax on the dance floor and bust out their moves. An incredible event made possible by Kristy, Rosie, Edane, Alison, Melanie, Pyrrha, Urmi, Kate, Maria, Ruth, Ping, Claudia, Charlotte, Bow and numerous others who helped set up, run stalls, lend trees and lights and baked Christmas themed treats for the cake sale. An amazing team effort and an absolutely wonderful day for the boys. A special thank you too to Ruth for organising our gift donations to KidsOut to ensure that those children less fortunate also enjoyed a gift at Christmas thanks to Falcons’ families.

The New Year began with no inkling of what was to come...another splendid bake sale before we moved from cakes to books and our super new fundraising venture - Book Swap Day. The boys thoroughly enjoyed the whole swapping process and loved choosing their new books. A huge thank you to Alison and Claudia for putting the whole event together and to Charlotte and Kate for helping on the day.

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

The annual Falcons quiz night was soon upon us and was superbly supported this year by both schools. Some very generous donations meant that our raffle generated lots of money for the MCS and lots of happy winners. It was such a fun night and a massive thank you to Leyla for all her hard work in organising the event. Thanks must also go to Darielle, Olivia, Puja and Cheryl for their help too.

We won’t talk about who won...

And then, just as we were about to gear up for a fun filled end to Spring and all the joys that the summer term holds, we were hit by an unprecedented event.

As expected, our little school community came together in a way that kept us strong (and sane!) as we all adjusted to a completely new way of living and learning. We swiftly moved to our roles as a virtual PA supporting each other via WhatsApp and launching our rainbow project to collect donations for Ealing Foodbank and to decorate our lovely school with a display of beautiful rainbows to thank our NHS and key workers. The boys had great fun creating ‘thank you’ Instagram pictures each week.

A whole half-term of home-schooling later and our boys were chomping at the bit to return through the blue door - it would be different but at least they were back. We had to think on our feet and a huge thanks to Emma for coming up with the concept and delivery of our ‘Summer Fair In A Box’ which was a resounding success with the boys.

Our Year 2 leavers managed a socially distanced picnic in the park in their class bubbles and adored their leavers hoodies and special keepsake boxes for their badges and ties. They will also receive their leavers books in due course which will be full of lovely memories. Huge thanks to Charlotte, Alison, Kristy, Urmi and Ruth for organising everything.

So, it’s certainly been a different end to the year.

Despite our normal run of events being cut short we still managed to raise a magnificent £2,872 for the MCS - a truly wonderful effort by everyone and a great way to close our two year relationship with the charity as it will soon be time for the boys to cast their votes again and choose a new charity for us all to support.

In closing, we would like to thank our PA treasurer Puja for all her hard work. Thanks also to Melissa Peters who has agreed to join Claire in Co-chairing the PA next year as we bid a fond farewell to Fiona who leaves us for the Prep. A really special thank you to the Year 2 PA, most of whom have been helping our little school for 4 full years now - we will really miss their creativity, enthusiasm and support.

The Prep school is very lucky to be adding most of them to their PA community.

A monumental thank you must go to the entire PA team - their efforts, talents and ideas leave us speechless time after time as they create such a fun and varied schedule of events for our lovely school community.

And our final, biggest thank you of all goes to you.

The PA would not work without the support of all our volunteers, our parents, our wonderful staff and most of all the never-ending energy and enthusiasm of our boys who are the reason behind it all. Many, many thanks to you all.

Claire Wheeler and Fiona Bosman Co-Chairs of the Falcons Pre-Prep PA

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Head Boys and House Captains 2019-2020

Rafferty, Joseph and Didar

Oscar J, Oscar F and

Harrison

Reuben and Fred Dylan and Alexander

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AUTUMN TERM

SPRING TERM

SUMMER TERM

HEAD BOY

Dylan Orringe

Vedant Sardesai

Alfred Gibb

DEPUTY HEAD BOY

Alexander Chancellor-Weale

Zachy Misan

Advik Talukdar

RED HOUSE CAPTAIN

Didar Vasseghi

Fred Martin

Oscar Johnson

YELLOW HOUSE CAPTAIN

Joseph Avi-Dan

Reuben Adebutu

Oscar Facemire

BLUE HOUSE CAPTAIN

Rafferty Stephan

Christian Barda

Harrison Buckley

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

Alfred and Advik

Zachy and Vedant

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Little Falcons

From left to right: Zian Xu, George Pitura, Elliot Barker, Harvey Lotay, Justyn Frederick-Barton, Jaiden Frederick-Barton, Albert Lidster, Simon Trufanov, Mrs Bnidar, Daniel Benedetti, Mrs Rizk, Guille Carretero, Mrs Malik, Aksel Jones, Dillon Deb-Rattray, Adam Daoudi, Hector McGechie, Trysten Jafari, Ali Yahya Bader, Lennox Hart-Svensson

Pre-Reception

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

Once upon a time in September 2019, 17 little boys started their school journey in the Little Falcons class at Falcons Pre-Prep. Little did they know, it would be the year they (and their parents) would never forget.

It all began as a typical start to any school year!

The school opened its doors after the summer holiday and the little boys wowed us with their confidence from day 1 and before we knew it the boys were in a routine and ready to learn!

Throughout the year we plan many trips and visitors to enhance the boys’ learning and to bring the world to life for them beyond the blue door. Each year we follow topics to enhance the boys learning.

Our first visit was from Marjorie, a Chelsea pensioner who visited us as part of learning about where we live. She had tea with the boys and in her smart Pensioner’s uniform, she had the boys marching to ‘The Grand Old Duke of York’.

In keeping with our ‘All about me’ topic, we had a visit from the Rainbow fairy who showed the boys how to ‘eat a rainbow’.

By December our boys were ready to take part in their first performance, the Nativity play. Lights, Camera, Action! Their confidence shone through yet again and the stage was filled with stars in the form of barn animals.

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Throughout the autumn term a highlight was jumping into Mr Kerneis’s minivan and heading to Chiswick House and Gardens and the Gunnersbury Triangle each Monday for Forest School. It was my mission to make sure that by the end of the year the boys would love mud, bugs and sticks. It is safe to say that jumping ahead to the last week of the school year, we had boys bringing in snails, woodlice and sticks on a daily basis collected en route to school!

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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The start of 2020 was action-packed. We blasted off into space with our ‘space’ topic. There was dressing up, rocket making and astronaut ice-cream tasting. We even had a picnic on the moon! The boys were well practiced in writing their names and taking part in daily phonics and maths lessons. Their enthusiasm to learn was wonderful to see.

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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And then, on 13th March, it was announced that schools would close on 20th March due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Falcons team jumped into action to keep learning alive and although the school building closed, the Falcons never did!

It is a year we will never forget as educators and as parents I am sure you will agree. Parent partnerships are a big part of what we foster at the Falcons Pre-Prep and this only strengthened our bond. From Tapestry activities to Zoom online learning sessions and playdates, we made the best of a situation we could never have imagined.

It is certainly a year for the history books!

Mrs Bnidar Head of Pre-Reception

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Pre-Reception Nativity Play

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

From left to right: David Lolua, Ashkaan Fouladgar, Jules Mak, Leo Proctor, Lucas Carretero, Oliver Schmidt, Mr Murphy, David Peters, Samson Zakrevsky, Kailun Duan, Colin Brennan, Harrison Soroka, Archunan Velummylum, Konark Baishya

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Kingfishers

From left to right: Sebastian Steenbergen, Sebastian Wheeler, Felix Johnson, Leo Brooke, Rowan Canavan, Mr Kibreab, Philip Krastev, Miss Ahmad, Finlay Adams, Kareem Bizzari, Max Lennard, Hugh Marsh, Dylan Turner, Rufus Hall

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

Reception I think it is safe to say that the year 2020 will go down in history, and certainly will never be forgotten.

However, let us cast our minds back to the beginning of the academic year, which started in the Autumn of 2019. A group of fresh-faced Reception boys bounced through our school gates, ready for the year ahead. There was a real sense of excitement in the air. The conversations consisted of what they had done during the summer holidays, what toys they were going to play with (dinosaurs were popular of course) and most important of all, what was for lunch!!

Our opening topic was My Family and Me. The boys brought in pictures of their families and gave the class a little insight into their home life. They loved sharing and talking about all the special people in their life. The pictures were then put on display and the conversations kept on flowing.

The Autumn term flew past and before we knew it, we were visiting the Lyric Theatre to watch Father Christmas. The boys were in their element, Father Christmas had the boys, parents and teachers in tears. One boy turned to me and said, “Now that was funny!”

We stayed in the Christmas spirit when we returned to school, and got the ball rolling with our ‘Nativity’!

The casting was tough as we had many able actors.

We spent hours rehearsing and boy did it pay off.

The boys produced an incredible performance that even wowed the teachers! There were many proud adults in the building.

We kick-started our Spring term with a visit from Dinogirl. Now, I am sure your boys have already spoken highly of her, but she was AMAZING! She turned our Reception class rooms into ‘Dino-world’ and the day was filled with fossil making, dinosaur decorating and dinosaur fact sharing. Dinogirl was amazed at what our boys already knew - I think we may have a few palaeontologists in the making.

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Each year, as part of our social understanding, we visit our friends at ‘The Peregrines’. This time round we joined an art and music lesson. We made snowmen, sang songs and played instruments. The boys loved it!

The Summer term saw a huge change in learning this year. A term full of the trips and activities had to be cancelled and we all went online. It was a challenging time, where everyone (students, staff and parents) had to really think hard and adjust the way learning was conducted.

The boys showed such versatility and adapted quicker than we could have hoped. Zoom lessons, Tapestry and SeeSaw became the daily norm, and it was incredible to still be able to see the boys regularly, even if it was over a screen! Reception learnt to complete lessons and exercises on a screen and excelled with their IT skills. We were even told we had adapted quicker and better than many companies had! We were extremely proud of the boys.

Then when we all had finally settled into a productive routine, we were excitedly told we could return to school, albeit, not as normal. Social distancing, limited resources and hand gel awaited the boys as they raced through the gates on the first day back. Again, the boys showed amazing flexibility and prospered.

WHAT A YEAR! Mr Kibreab Head of Reception

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Reception Advent Concert

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Robins

From left to right: Alexander Timoshenko, Luke (Gexian) Zhou, Rohan Mehta, Lawrence Schmidt, Xander Ashwell, Miss Sandor, Miss Adams, Nikita Trufanov, Al Martin, Sebastian Benedetti, Louis McGee, Toby Ollerenshaw

Year 1

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

Who would have thought in September, when those little boys clattered their way up the stairs into Year 1, we would be ending the year experts on Zoom? It has been wonderful watching those small boys grow up both physically and in their self-confidence and abilities.

The PA did marvels at Christmas with their fun day.

The boys had so much fun. If you ask them what their favourite memory of Year 1 is, a close second from visiting the Prep school is the Christmas fun day. The Carol service always brings tears to my eyes.

The year started off peacefully. We investigated the local area looking at the river and icehouse in Grove Park, we learnt about numbers in maths and a strange bear in English who had lost his hat. In history we looked at our homes and how they have changed. To investigate this further we all went to the Chiltern Open Air museum to make candles, bricks and toys.

During the Spring term our class had its assembly.

Leo the Knight who would not fight came to life with all the boys learning their lines and acting wonderfully in front of their mums and dads.

We started learning about a special polar bear called Leaf and learnt how to measure with accuracy in Maths.

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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The whisperings of lockdown started to be heard.

How on earth could we take our year group online, into a virtual classroom? A week before Easter the lockdown happened.

Suddenly we all had to learn new technologies and skills. Transferring our class into the virtual world was not easy for anyone but it happened and Zoom became second nature and Seesaw

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

was our classroom. It was lovely to see everyone’s faces and hear their news, even if it was just about their growing plants or football matches with their siblings. We still worked hard in English and Maths.

An alien called Beegu came to visit and answered questions, column addition was learnt by everyone.

The seaside in the past was compared to the present-day beach, which no-one had been to for at least a month.

When lockdown lifted and we finally returned to school, the removal of the screens between the boys and the teachers was a gift. We were able to talk and learn as the group that we were before we were forced into our homes. It was lovely to see how much had been learnt, how much needed to be reminded and how much they had all grown.

Those little boys from September were little no more. Technological whizz-kids and experts at the finer points of iPads, Zoom and Seesaw.

The boys learnt about a man called Bob who tidied up the moon, how to divide and multiply numbers and shapes and shared their expertise and interests in how to live a green life. All of this being done while socially distancing.

All the boys have worked hard, played hard and showed such resilience. They are ready for Year 2.

Miss Adams Head of Year 1

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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From left to right: Joseph Avi-Dan, Max Planting, Advik Talukdar, Fred Martin, Taorui Pang, Mrs Thomson, Theo Pitura, Harrison Buckley, Oscar Facemire, Oscar Johnson, Zachy Misan, Christian Barda

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Merlins

From left to right: Marcus Wells, Didar Vasseghi, Elvis Terakopian Watts, Dylan Orringe, Rafferty Stephan, Milo Montgomery, Mrs Thompson, Alfred Gibb, Reuben Adebutu, Vedant Sardesai, Alexander Chancellor-Weale, Mikael Malik, Nikolai Mazalov

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

Year 2 What a year this has turned out to be! 2020 will go down in history and the boys have truly earned their graduation medals. These are our most memorable moments: Autumn Term: On the first day, 23 boys eagerly burst up to the top floor and through the doors of their Year 2 classrooms, excited to start a new year as the ‘big boys’ of the school. The cohort were in good hands with our first Head Boy Dylan and Deputy Head Boy Alexander. We had our first ever fixture against Finton House, and the boys’ determination shone through the pouring rain. Our Harvest Festival reminded us to think of and help the less fortunate and everyone enjoyed listening to the singing and recital of poems.

Going to the RAF Museum and taking part in a mock evacuation was probably the highlight of the year for most. Our Grandparents Tea Party followed on, and both old and young had the opportunity to swap stories and memories of their childhood over delicious pastries. Each class performed assemblies on celebrating diversity and acceptance of each other through well-known story books; there were a few budding thespians who pulled off comedy effortlessly (keep an eye on your screens in the future!). We went bright and bold at Christmas, with the PA pulling out all the stops with a Gingerbread Enchanted Forest-themed fun day.

The parent helpers made it an incredible day for all and the boys often reminisce about it. The term was brought to a close with a beautiful, traditional Christmas Service at St Paul’s church, with Oz and Fred singing captivating solos.

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Spring Term: Spring sprung and this term, the boys were led by Head Boy Vedant and Deputy Head Boy Zachy. The Falcons Pre-Prep had our first ever Movie Night, thanks to the voice of the school council. That evening the hall was packed with the entire school dressed in their pyjamas, clutching their favourite soft toy and snuggled into their blankets watching Despicable Me, munching on pizza and sweets. The next week, Year 2 journeyed to Aylesbury where we had a splendiferous time exploring more about one of our all-time favourite authors. The boys churgled while climbing through Fantastic Mr Fox’s tunnel and were shrunk like Mike Teevee. There were definitely no grunions that day! Our poetry competition judged by Coral Rumble was extremely successful; the boys’ confidence and ability to perform impressed us all. The first and final rugby fixture of the year was played against Wetherby Kensington and we came out triumphant.

“Go into the world and do well.

But more importantly, go into the world and do good.”

Minor Myers Jr.

Summer Term: There was certainly a twist to our final term of the year. SeeSaw and Zoom became all too familiar and the boys made us so proud with their resilience and adaptability in what was unchartered waters. Head Boy Alfred and Deputy Head Boy Advik were our leaders in this strange time, and guided us through with messages of encouragement and inspiration.

Learning remotely did not slow the boys down and in years to come there will hopefully be many happy memories to cherish: from a sneaky message sent during a Zoom lesson or annotating all over the Headmistress’s assembly PowerPoint on screen share! These memories will always make us smile.

Finally, ending the year in a virtual prize giving ceremony was a wonderful way to celebrate and say goodbye to our band of boys. It was a gift to be able to spend the last few weeks back in the classroom together before graduating from the Falcons Pre-Prep.

Mrs Thompson Head of Year 2

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Trip to RAF Museum Top Guns Go To Hendon!

Our trip to the Royal Air Force Museum generated a real buzz of excitement among the boys. “Chocs away” we shouted as the coach took off climbing higher and higher with clear blue sky ahead of us and Chiswick growing smaller and smaller behind us. “I feel the need for speed” Mrs Thomson said.

Sadly this was never realised due to heavy traffic and strict observance of the legal speed limit!

The Year 2 trip to the RAF museum brings to life the history topic of children evacuated to the countryside during the second world war. We started with a tour of the many amazing aircraft with the boys discussing speed and flight. A Spitfire that saw active service was a definite highlight.

There are many future pilots and engineers if the conversation was anything to go by.

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

The main part of our day was when we got to meet an air raid warden and spent time in a bomb shelter where we learnt about rationing, the blitz and life in the blackout.

Saving the best till last, the boys got to try on some genuine Royal Air Force uniforms. Much fun was had by all and there was intense discussion about the need for formal dinner dress when back at school! Our guide spoke passionately about the bravery of our armed forces and their role in keeping us all safe.

A day is really not enough there but home we had to go. Such was the excitement of the day a few boys slept on the journey home but all agreed it was a fantastic day. Defending the skies of Britain we agreed is powerful and thought-provoking. Many of the boys expressed an interest in going back with friends and family to learn more. During the journey home we discussed the motto of the Royal Air Force. Through adversity to the stars, a message for us all!

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Grandparents’ Tea Party The Year 2 Grandparents’ Tea Party is a firm favourite in the Pre-Prep calendar and this year’s party did not disappoint - we had an excellent turn out and it was wonderful to welcome so many grandparents to our school. Chef Nay made sure that there were plenty of delicious treats and a selection of drinks for our esteemed visitors.

Once the grandparents had settled in with a cup of tea and cake, the boys nervously entered the hall. The anticipation made the usual chatty boys quiet as mice. This did not last long though, and soon the boys were chatting not only to their own grandparents but to many others. It was heartwarming to see the boys share their favourite childhood memories and also listen intently at how childhood games may have changed. Some of our visitors brought photographs and items from their childhood to show. Many of the grandparents had experienced rationing as a child, if not war itself, and the boys were fascinated to hear how life has changed in the past decades.

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

The boys made us proud with their confidence and good manners throughout. Eventually, the tea party unfortunately had to come to an end and the boys sang a couple of songs to the grandparents before they departed.

Thank you to all the grandparents who made this event such a special one. We are already looking forward to welcoming the next group of Year 2 grandparents to our school.

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Trip to The Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery The boys buzzed with anticipation boarding the coach to The Roald Dahl Children’s Gallery.

With seatbelts fastened, we were ready to embark on the journey down the M25 to the market town of Aylesbury.

With excited chatter, we made the short walk through the narrow streets to the gallery where we were greeted by our guide for the day. After a short snack (and a necessary coffee run for the teachers), we started our first adventure of the day – straight to the Roald Dahl Gallery!

The boys listened with zeal as they were told tales and stories of the life of Roald Dahl; from the days of a spy to the last books and words he wrote.

They were finally let loose in the interactive gallery and immersed themselves in the imaginary world of Matilda, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Twits. The highlights were definitely the green screen and of course the glass elevator.

After a short lunch break, we made our way to the Children’s Gallery. With the Enormous Crocodile as their inspiration, the boys examined native British predators and artefacts. Finally, they designed and created their own predator. The predators bore long spiny claws, grotesque colours and with multiple eyes, the teachers became masters at peeling the sticky backing off googly eyes!

Alas, it was finally time to go home. Typically, the return journey is pleasantly peaceful as many of the boys, exhausted from the day’s adventure full of new experiences and intriguing facts, drifted off and enjoyed a quiet nap.

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Lockdown

Memories from Lockdown Just as we neared the end of the Spring term, COVID-19 changed our lives in a way that we will remember forever. A national lockdown was put in place, schools closed and we took our learning online. If ever the Falcons Pre-Prep values of Courage, Curiosity and Care were needed the most, it was during this time as teachers, parents and boys sought to quickly get to grips with Zoom and SeeSaw to keep their learning going whilst keeping their spirits up and being kind to those around them.

We were so proud of our boys and families during this time and the resilience and care that everyone showed. As well as amazing learning, some wonderful initiatives were undertaken such as making much-needed PPE, putting together goody bags and decorating our gates with bright and colourful rainbows by way of saying ‘thank you’ to all the NHS key workers and celebrating Captain Tom Moore’s 100th birthday.

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Artist of the week Reception Hugh Marsh Pre-Reception Justy n Frederick-Bar ton

Over the past year the boys have been exploring, making and creating beautiful artwork with clay, paint, charcoal and lots of other various materials.

In our art lessons we strive to cultivate excitement, choice, curiosity, personal expression, technique and empowerment in an environment where there is no ‘wrong or right way’. In the words of Pablo Picasso “Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.”

Miss Sandor Head of Art

Reception Max Lennard

Pre-Reception Adam Daodi

Year 1 Alex ander Chancellor-Weale

Year 1 Sebastian Benedetti

Year 2 Veda nt Sardesai

Pre-Reception Guille Carretero 58

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Year 1 Roha n Mehta Year 1 Alex ander Timoshen ko

Pre-Reception Ali Yahya Bader

Year 2 Advik Talukdar

Reception Jules Mak

Yea r 1 Lou is McGee

Reception Colin Brennan

Year 2 Osca r Facemire

Reception David Peters & Leo Proctor

Year 2 Harrison Buck ley

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Reception Harrison Soroka

Year 1 Nikita Trufanov Year 1 Lawrence Schmidt

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Music

This year has most definitely been one that we will never forget, with the boys raising spirits with their music-making every step of the way!

Our first celebration of the year was the Harvest Festival at Gunnersbury Baptist Church. After just a few weeks of rehearsals, the boys did a spectacular job, with each year group singing on their own, and ending with the wonderful sounds from the whole-school chorus. Pre-Reception boldly started the show with Big Red Combine Harvester, and were followed by Reception, who took to the stage with Harvest Rock & Roll. Year 1 were particularly entertaining with the ‘punny’ Easy Peasy Harvest and Year 2 finished off the independent numbers with an energetic rendition of The Harvest Tango, silver bow ties and all! The concert came to a close with a rousing song that the boys all came to know and love – Thank Your Lucky Stars.

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The Christmas term was jam-packed with musical performances, and carols and Christmas songs filed the corridors for weeks! The Pre-Reception Nativity, Away in a Manger, was an excellent start to the season. The boys looked so great in their costumes, and they sang with confidence and enthusiasm. The Year 2 boys had a fantastic opportunity to get into the spirit and spread some Christmas cheer by singing some carols to a captive audience at St Mary’s Nursing Home.

The Advent Concert marked the end of the term, and the boys did a fantastic job. Oscar Johnson began the event by giving a spine-tingling solo for the first verse of Once in Royal David’s City, and another highlight was Fred Martin’s beautiful solo opening to Away in a Manger. The concert saw the Reception boys act out the Christmas Story with aplomb, which was punctuated by appropriate carols and fun songs performed by the rest of the school.

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We had been preparing for the Spring Concert when Covid-19 struck, and it was a huge shame that the boys did not have the opportunity to perform together again. However, over the home-learning period, the boys have come on leaps and bounds with their theoretical understanding and their critical appraisal of music.

I have been so impressed with their enthusiasm, adaptability and joy!

I am very sad to be leaving the Falcons Pre-Prep after just one year, but I hope to keep in touch.

I have loved every minute of being a part of the Falcons Family and I am grateful for all the fun that we have had in the music room and the inspiration that all the boys have given me!

Thank you for a wonderful year, and keep singing!

Miss Hartley Head of Music

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Sports

Football Year 2 kicked off the football season with some testing fixtures in the autumn term.

They improved with every game and managed to get some excellent results down at the Westminster Playing Fields. There were solid performances all round that were consistent throughout their campaign.

Year 2 also took part in Prospect House Football Festival in January. It was a fantastic day out, allowing the boys to test their skills against other schools and opposition that we do not usually get an opportunity to play.

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Rugby Year 2 put out some exceptional performances in the TAG rugby fixtures throughout the spring term campaign. The boys adapted well and were able to get some great results in the fixtures played. We also worked with London Scottish RFU every Friday on the games field which brought on major improvements in the boys’ games.

PE skills in lockdown The COVID-19 situation brought about a whole new way of learning from home. The boys took part in PE lessons from their homes via live zoom streams. Practicing various motor skills, ABC’s (Agility, Balance and Co-ordination) skills and core exercises, the boys quickly adapted to this new concept well with fantastic results.

Sports Quiz This year sadly, we were not able to run our hugely popular Family football day. Instead Year 2 took part in our first Family Sports Quiz via zoom.

With many bamboozling questions and some dubious results, the quiz was a roaring success!

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Adapting to socially distanced PE lessons Coming back to school a specific curriculum was designed to be socially distant. There were 4 topics chosen, with the boys doing a different sport each week. These topics were basketball, football, athletics and motor skills. It was lovely to have the boys back in school and enjoying sport outside again.

Sports Day Due to the current circumstances, Sports Day was slightly different this year, but it was still an amazing day! Each class took part in their own Sports Day in the playground in their pods. They were split into houses and competed against each other with a live stream broadcasted home to the parents over zoom! There were other sporting activities such as a sports quiz, sports kit designing and individual sport challenges to ensure the boys had a fun filled day of sports.

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French It has been another busy year in French for the boys. For those boys who had already been learning French last year there was a new classroom to adapt to, not quite so big but more conveniently sited for the Year 1 boys at least. The Reception boys quickly learnt where to come and getting there became another confidence-building move for them as they moved on from Pre-Reception.

Our learning developed progressively as before with the boys building on previous learning week by week. Reception began with learning how to greet someone while Year 2 boys developed ways of making friends in a playground with new less formal greetings for someone of their own age. The boys’ steady interest in food enabled learning about expressing an opinion and asking for something they would like – I learnt a lot about what our children like and don’t like! Year 1 performed very vigorously in some early morning role plays, acting out parents and children with enthusiasm and some excellent spoken French. Year 2 talked to each other well during the year but unfortunately missed their turn at their longest role play in the summer term due to the pandemic. However, there were some lovely little plays using lego models in lego playgrounds that very much made up for this, filmed and posted on Seesaw.

We continued to use our website, Languagenut, in school for Year 2, and to watch and learn to sing French nursery rhymes all through the school.

Cartoons were a special treat but Peppa Pig in French was always a success.

Congratulations to all our leavers on their hard work and enjoyment. May they all continue to be as confident and progress to fluency as quickly as possible.

Mme Barker Head of French

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our journey of 2020

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Poetry

Competition

Our annual Poetry Competition ran over a couple of weeks during the Spring term, which involved our boys arming themselves with courage to stand up proudly in front of their peers and recite a poem of their choice. The competition culminated in a wonderful afternoon at St Michael’s Church with the finalists performing to their peers and family and friends. We were also fortunate enough to welcome award-winning children’s poet, Coral Rumble, to the school who kindly ran some workshops with the boys, read a selection of her poetry out loud and helped Miss Buchanan from the Prep School judge the winners. Well done to all boys who took part.

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Prize Winners 2020 PRIZE WINNERS 2020 Mumby French Cup

Alexander Chancellor-Weale

Art Award

Reuben Adebutu

Hill Maths Cup

Frederick Martin

Curtis Edwards Creative Writing Cup

Harrison Buckley

Lloyd Hughes Drama Cup

Elvis Terakopian Watts

Jouhar Sports Cup

Christian Barda

Brewer Music Cup

Oscar Johnson

Pearce Sportsmanship Cup

Dylan Orringe

Milne Trophy for All-Round Progress

Alfred Gibb

Mrs Knight’s Early Years Award

Jules Mak

Courage Curiosity Care School Values Cup

Vedant Sardesai

HEALTHY EATING PRIZES Pre-Reception

Simon Trufanov

Reception

Felix Johnson

Year 1

Toby Ollerenshaw

Year 2

Rafferty Stephan

CLASS PRIZES

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Little Falcons

Aksel Jones

Puffins

Oliver Schmidt

Kingfishers

Philip Krastev

Robins

Lawrence Schmidt

Kestrels

Joseph Avi-Dan

Merlins

Marcus Wells

HEAD BOY AUTUMN TERM 2020

Albert Martin

DEPUTY HEAD BOY AUTUMN TERM 2020

Louis McGee

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Year 2

Leavers

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Advik Talukdar Falcons Prep

Alexander Chancellor-Weale Falcons Prep

Alfred Gibb Falcons Prep

Christian Barda Falcons Prep

Max Planting Falcons Prep

Mikael Malik Falcons Prep

Milo Montgomery Falcons Prep

Nikolai Mazalov Falcons Prep

Didar Vasseghi Falcons Prep

Dylan Orringe Falcons Prep

Elvis Terakopian Watts Falcons Prep

Fred Martin Falcons Prep

Oscar Facemire Falcons Prep

Oscar Johnson Falcons Prep

Rafferty Stephan Falcons Prep

Reuben Adebutu Falcons Prep

HaoHao Liu Beijing International School

Harrison Buckley Falcons Prep

Joseph Avi-Dan Orchard House

Marcus Wells Falcons Prep

Taorui Pang Falcons Prep

Theo Pitura Falcons Prep

Vedant Sardesai Falcons Prep

Zachy Misan Falcons Prep

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Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

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Our

Staff

Staff Leavers Ms Grouni

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Mr Goodman

Falcons Pre-Preparatory School for Boys - Our Journey of 2020

Miss Ahmad

Miss Har tley

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2 Burnaby Gardens, Chiswick, W4 3DT 020 8747 8393 www.falconsboys.co.uk @FalconsPrePrep @Falconspreprep @falconspreprep