Room of the Week: Russian Room: Matvey Skirda  
Boarder of the Week: Jean Foley  
 
I can hardly believe two weeks have flown by since we returned from half-term! The days are galloping past at an accelerating speed, it seems. The boarders have been very busy with athletics, cricket, tennis and music - many successful matches, events and activities have seen our boarders all improving in technique and confidence, regardless of the result in competitive terms. In the boarding house we have continued to make use of the odd days of warmer weather to swim in the pool, and have been on several exciting weekend adventures. The Sunday trip to Farming World was a return visit for some, who had requested another opportunity to bounce on the enormous inflatables there, and to see the animals. On Saturday this weekend we went to Margate to the Turner Contemporary Gallery, where the children looked at all the curious objects on display as part of the Curiosity Exhibition. Amongst our favourite exhibits were some carved anatomical models, and a half-penguin half-peacock creation. We were also intrigued by a film about jellyfish, and impressed with the size of the stuffed walrus, although it was interesting to hear the children's comments on why the walrus should or should not have been preserved in this way - a reflection of their awareness of issues regarding conservation that was encouraging to witness. This was followed by a very brief dip in freezing sea, before warming up on tea and chips! On Sunday the whole school boarding community came together at the senior school to enjoy the end of year boarding party, the Summer Slam! This involved several fun inflatables, mass games of rounders and football, welly wanging and even a staff versus student tug-of-war. Everyone had a fantastic afternoon, and it was made very special for the juniors by the warm welcome and inclusive attitude from the seniors.

Room of the Week: Girls Dorm: Angela, Jean and Sydney  
Boarder of the Week: Cristhian Grist  
 
What an exciting week the children have had! On Thursday the senior boarders departed for the annual summer sports tour to East Anglia. Amidst a flurry of last minute tasks the night before - (where are my goggles? I can't find my toothbrush? I know I brought my trainers up here!) the children had managed to pack their kit and were ready to go on Thursday morning. By all accounts the matches were enjoyable, the hotel was great, the food was legendary and Matvey Skirda scored 50 not out and the match ball was his as a souvenir! Everyone returned on Saturday night full of stories and pretty exhausted. In comparison, the younger boarders and Mrs Humphreys had a calm and peaceful day, with farm and ceramics clubs in the morning, and a trip to the cinema to see Epic, in the afternoon. On Sunday after church, we drove down to Deal and went to the Fowlmead country park. This park has a superb cycling track and conservation area. We all hired bikes and helmets and set off to explore. The dare-devil boys were soon off the beaten track and flying over the off-road course at some speed, with Mr Vanderpuye doing his best to keep up! The rest of us also experimented with several of the tracks through woods before finishing up on the smooth and easy tarmac circuit. Refreshed by excellent tea, cookies or cold drinks, we then spent another hour in the playground - the weather was crisp and sunny, with sparkling blue skies overhead. It was a happy and peaceful ride back to the boarding house! This week we are looking forward to wearing wacky ties and bling on Friday for non-uniform day before we leave for the half-term break.

Room of the Week: Beach Hut: Alen and Cristhian  
Boarder of the Week: Matvey Skirda  
 
Another busy week, which finished with a welcome break home for the Bank Holiday. The evenings were, at last, warm enough to allow us to start swimming, and the boarders have really enjoyed the fun in the pool after dinner. This week we also decorated some biscuits to provide an evening snack after swimming - some of our creations were more decoration than biscuit, but were all delicious! Friday evening saw the boarders joining the rest of the school in an inter-school athletics event and it was great to see such enthusiasm and energy being put into all their efforts on track and field.

Room of the Week: Beach Hut: Alen and Cristhian  
Boarder of the Week: Angela Budha Magar  
 
Last week finally saw the weather take a turn for the better! We were able to enjoy some lovely outdoor play in the evenings, with our boys taking advantage of the extra time for cricket practice in the nets. On Monday night we celebrated Jean's birthday in the usual boarding house tradition, and the children loved the treat dinner that chef prepared. The weekend weather held clear, and on Saturday Mrs Tobin took the boarders to Herne Bay, where pocket money was spent in the arcade or on treats - chips on the beach in the sunshine! On Sunday four of the boarders went with Mrs Humphreys and we joined the senior boarders on a day out to London to Wembley arena to see the National Basketball League play-off finals. It was a packed house and a close match - very exciting to watch, but our favourites were the acrobatic basketballers, who came on in the breaks to perform some amazing slam-dunk trick shots, using trampettes and the backboard. Their spins and somersaults were incredible, with the ball ending up in the basket every time! The other boarders went to Folkestone to play at the cliff top park. It was a beautiful day and the view out to sea was stunning. Some adventurous climbing up and down the cliff path provided exercise and the afternoon finished with a well-deserved snack and drink at the cafe! This week we look forward to the Athletics evening and BBQ on Friday.

Room of the Week: Girls Dorm: Angela, Jean, Sydney  
Boarder of the Week: Thiery Fan  
 
Well, that weekend certainly passed quickly! After our usual chilled out Friday night we were straight into an athletics meeting and Saturday clubs. Alen and David went up to the Farm and spent a couple of hours sorting out fresh bedding for guinea-pigs and helping to feed the new orphan lambs. Thiery ran fast and furious in several races, even competing in the 600m and finishing a very respectable 4th! The other boarders went to Ceramics club to work on some more creative projects in clay. after cricket and tennis practice in the afternoon, Jean had her birthday party, which several of the boarders joined and enjoyed. Mrs Humphreys went into town with some of the others where we saw The Croods and also purchased new school shoes and trainers. On Sunday we were organised early with backpacks holding pack lunches and extra water, and set off for Brands Hatch at Paddock Wood. What a brilliant time we had! In our own suite, overlooking the finishing straight, we were perfectly placed to see the entire circuit. We watched saloon cars battle it out at great speed, or Legends and TinTops race through the corners - not as fast, but just as competitive. However, the best races were definitely the trucks - very satisfyingly noisy and astonishingly aggressive in their racing style - there was no hesitation in pushing rivals out of the way or nudging them off the track! We all picked our favourites and did some very noisy cheering! In between races we were able to play in the new playground, or have fun on the funfair bungee jumping. The children were well behaved and sensible, and it was a fantastic day.

Back to school!  
Watch this space for news of our first weekend back-we are looking forward to a very exciting day out at Brands Hatch, watching the Truck Racing! We also have athletics on Saturday morning and cricket and tennis practice on Saturday afternoon. You can see that we have kept up the usual pace of activity from day one!  
All the boarders have settled back into boarding routines with very little problem. Everyone was pleased to see each other and exchange news of what they did in the holidays. The Year 6 boarders who had been on the trip to Paris were excited to tell us about all the fun they had. The very welcome warmer weather and light evenings have meant we have been able to play outside after dinner, taking full advantage of our beautiful grounds for active play. No pictures just yet, but check back with us on Monday next week!

Room of the Week: Circus Room: David  
Boarder of the Week: Jean Foley  
 
First of all I must apologise to everyone - last week came and went without a website update! Sometimes there are just not enough hours in a day. Anyway, we have had a busy two weeks, with outings to the cinema and indoor play centres last weekend, an evening visit to the senior school to watch the Comic Relief dance show and shopping and roller skating to finish! The weather last weekend stayed cold and inhospitable, so the movies and the indoor play were perfect distractions. On Monday night we were treated to a variety of dance performances at the senior school, ranging from a very polished and slick Michael Jackson number from visiting Herne Bay High students, to several less slick but very entertaining mash-ups from groups of senior boarders. It was great for the juniors to see the older boys and girls from many different nationalities and age groups all joining together to embrace the spirit of fun and laughter in aid of Comic Relief - these glimpses of senior school life are so important for them to get a sense of the opportunities awaiting in the senior school. Our final weekend of term included a shopping trip in Canterbury, during which the boys purchased some traditional toys known for their loud and realistic noise when inflated and then flattened - these caused much hilarity back in the boarding house, with staff and children having to 'oops pardon me!' over and over again. On Sunday afternoon we went roller skating at Herne Bay - some boarders are already excellent skaters, but the prize for perseverance must go to Alen, who began very wobbly, and finished tearing around at speed! This week we have the Spring Concert, in which several boarders are playing an instrument or singing, and then it will be a race to get the Year 6s ready to go to France on Thursday! Don't forget to follow their adventure on Mr Carter's twitter!

Room of the Week: Girls Dorm: Sydney, Angela, Jean  
Boarder of the Week: Prasanna Rana  
 
It hardly seems possible but this is the end of only the first week back after half-term! We all came back refreshed after the break, and were able to tackle the busy week with new energy-including a 'Let's Dance' evening on the Wii, from which Sydney and Matvey emerged unbeatable champions! The boarders were fully involved in netball and hockey fixtures, training sessions and club activities - we certainly appreciated our usual 'chilled' movie night on Friday! Saturday morning was occupied with ceramics or hockey fixtures, and in the afternoon we went to Brockhill Park. This is the most wonderful open space for adventurers, and the recent wet weather provided us with several muddy challenges! It was fantastic to see the children enjoying the fun of such natural activity - climbing, sliding, jumping and exploring - it reminded Mrs Humphreys how important it is to provide these experiences in the face of modern-day entertainment choices. Satisfyingly muddy, we headed back for showers and dinner. On Sunday, after church, mindful of the looming Mother's Day next week, we went over to Herne Bay and spent a fruitful hour or so at The Activity Box, painting ceramic tiles and gifts. A brief shopping stop in the supermarket, and a run in the park, completed a busy but enjoyable weekend.

Room of the Week: Russian Room: Matvey  
 
Half-term approaches with a flurry of final activities and sporting fixtures! On Friday night the school hosted a highly successful Kids on the Catwalk show, in which six of our boarders took part. Lively music and fun clothing made for a delightful fashion parade and the children absolutely loved it. On Saturday the older boys were out all day at a hockey fixture in Bishop's Stortford, so Mrs Cross took the remaining boarders into town where the usual favourite haunts supplied satisfactory treats and snacks! The weather was turning cold so a bus ride home saved tired and cold legs! On Sunday our school chaplain Dr Glass was taking the service at church, and he asked five boarders to help him - Abin, Prasanna, David, Cristhian and Alen all read part of a prayer and spoke clearly and well - Mrs Humphreys was very proud of them! After lunch Mrs Cross took everyone to Herne Bay to the swimming pool, where a most enjoyable afternoon was spent on the inflatables and slide. After a quick stop in the supermarket to refresh ebbing energy levels, we all headed back to the boarding house for a quiet Sunday evening. This week we are looking forward to going home for half-term - perhaps when we get back the weather will be on the upward climb towards summer!

Room of the Week: Circus Room: David  
Boarder of the Week: Sydney Smart  
 
Definitely the highlight of last week was Thursday's Boarders Got Talent evening! We were extremely privileged to have in attendance three very famous personalities to judge the contest, although there was something familiar about them on close inspection…... We had a variety of entertaining acts, from football rainbow flicks, to dance moves and reciting the alphabet. Even the queen joined in to sing the national anthem! One entrant playing a newly mastered tune on the viola was impressive, but the real stars were the two singers, who were equally popular with the judges and therefore awarded joint top prize. Great fun had by all and generous support for all from the audience. Several boarders had home visits or outings on Saturday, so it was a small but lively band of boys who went bowling in Ashford. Staff were easily outclassed by the younger bowlers, and there were some extravagant victory dances on show! Sunday after church the weather turned cold and wet so we decided to head down to Folkstone to Kids Planet. This great indoor play centre has a dead-drop slide which proved a real challenge for some - even our gap assistants were momentarily daunted! A quiet evening in the boarding house was a sure sign that we had had a good work-out!