At Duke of Kent School we value our excellent partnership with parents. We do our best to ensure that the relationship between home and school gives all possible support to the development of each pupil. Regular communication is vital.
Parents & Families The Office of Parent & Family Programs serves as the primary point of contact for all undergraduate Duke parents and families. We want you to stay connected, both to your student and to other Duke families, remain informed about what's going on within the Duke community, and engage with us.
Indeed, to be a Kent parent is to join a close-knit community, one which you are encouraged, like your children, to enjoy to the fullest. Parents | Kent School
Through Family Weekend, Parent and Family Orientation, the Duke Parents Advisory Council (DPAC), our Parent and Family Newsletter, webinar series, and more, you can provide engaged participation and feedback in order to strengthen our community. Through these actions, we hope to achieve our primary purpose: connecting you to the Duke Family.
We have made it to half term! As a School, we have been fortunate not to have had any cases of Covid-19. The extensive measures we have put in place both at School and, for you, at home have been effective. So, thank you for that.
Our trip to the river Tillingbourne was an enjoyment and treat for all. However soaked our socks became nothing could change how fun and perfectly run it was.
Tuesday afternoon saw the Year 10s complete their House football. All teams played with great enthusiasm and there were spectacular skills on show. In particular, great goalkeeping from Molly G, a wonder strike from Marcus D and great forward movement from Amelie W-B. Spirits stayed high despite the weather which was wonderful to see.
With infection rates rising, it is probably of no surprise that Duke of Kent School has decided to refrain from playing inter-school fixture for the remainder of the Autumn Term. The decision to not play fixtures has also been made by many schools on our usual fixture list.
On Wednesday a group of Year 4 and 6 students donned their wellies and headed out to the Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden.
A new Senior Lunchtime Art Club will be starting after half term. The Club is designed for students that would like to stretch and challenge themselves in Art and Design. It is a great opportunity for those who are planning to take Art at GCSE.
In topic, Year 1 have been learning about castles - who built the first castle and why.
I would like to start by congratulating all pupils on the way they approached the swift move to Remote Learning on Monday. The rest of the week has just sped by with some super highlights. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with our winning SATRO teams this morning about their experience yesterday. A well-deserved outcome.
Once again we performed exceptionally well in the SATRO problem solving competition. The challenge this year was to produce a 10 second timer that turned a light bulb on at the end of this period.
On Wednesday, Year 2 did an incredible job performing their version of the popular children's story, Giraffes Can't Dance.
Nursery: Humphrey G for continued enthusiasm, improved listening skills, focus and collaborative play.
Throughout the first term, all students in Years 7, 8 and 9 were taught the art of oratory during their English Skills lessons. They worked on how to use their body language, the importance of maintaining eye contact and how to use language to engage a listener. This culminated in a preliminary round of in-class competitions.
Our new book is The Promise by Damon Galgut, which was the winner of the 2021 Booker Prize for Fiction. The Promise, set in South Africa explores the interconnected relationships between members of a white South African family navigating the end of apartheid and its aftermath. We do hope you will join us when we meet up on Thursday 17th March.
The Senior School hoodies have been redesigned by members of the School Council and the finished product can be seen above. They have done a fantastic job at putting this design together and now finally getting to see the finished product.
I can’t quite believe that we only have a week to go before half term. These past few weeks have just shot by. This week, I enjoyed talking to our Senior School Council, lead admirably by Zara H and Daisy M. Pupil voice is so important.
On a thoroughly damp Friday morning six groups of Year 10 students began their (COVID-delayed) Bronze DofE Practice Training Day by venturing into our local woods.
Recently I met Dr Cameron, the previous head of the school. Dr Cameron was the head of the school for 12 years. Dr Cameron came to the school when it was just a prep school. However, by the time he left he had transformed it into the thriving school that it is today.
In the last Senior School Council meeting we were delighted to have Mrs Knox joining us. We discussed and fed back on the School's new snack menu. Using the feedback that the School Council gave, the School's chefs are working with us to create a snack menu that is not only healthy, but is packed with food that everyone enjoys.
Hope N, Year 3, loves her long hair and after hearing how her mum “braved the shave” when Hope was in Nursery, she had said that she would never do anything like that with her hair.
It was wet, it was windy, it was cold - but it was a complete privilege to be there on the start line with 5 other runners, for 3 of us our first marathon, and for Chris Finill a record breaking 40th London Marathon.
I'd have loved to avoid the Coronavirus topic this week, as I'm aware there's likely a building amount of "Covid fatigue" among all of us. However, the situation locally is beginning to cause some concern.
Parents find that the more involved they are, the deeper the shared experience with their children. All parents are considered members of the Kent Parents Association.
Indeed, to be a Kent parent is to join a close-knit community, one which you are encouraged, like your children, to enjoy to the fullest. Although Kent is a boarding school, that does not mean that parents have limited involvement in their children’s lives.