Eaton House The Manor Girls' School

News



Welcome Letter

26th April 2012

Dear Parents,

I do hope you all had a most enjoyable Easter break and that the girls have recharged their batteries ready for another very busy term.

News from the Spring Term
The last few days of the Spring Term saw a hive of activity in the Girls' School. Our Spring Music Concert saw many of the girls performing solos and the Choir sang beautifully. The F1 girls walked around Clapham Common in aid of Walk for Water, raising an impressive £1340 in the process - well done to everyone involved!

Unlike the recent rainy weather, the last Wednesday of term dawned bright and clear and the sun shone down on the girls during the Easter bonnet parade. I was amazed by the fabulous creations and by the work done in the four houses to produce banners and props for the parade - well done to Arundel girls for winning the overall prize.
That afternoon we held our Cross Country Competition. The girls made short work of the route and the first girls over the line recorded some excellent times. Miss Charlotte has totted up the scores and I am pleased to announce that Balmoral was the winning house for both the Junior and Senior races!

Our Prize Giving at the end of term is always a special event for the girls. Arundel proved to have won the most house points over the term, and this was greeted by a deafening round of applause. We are fortunate to have a number of silver cups and trophies presented to the school by current and past parents which we award, together with books and certificates.
We would love to be able to award more cups and if you are interested in presenting one please do get in touch. In particular we would really appreciate cups for History, Geography, Junior and Senior Drama and many of the House events. Well done to everyone who was awarded the Form, Subject and Effort prizes last term and particular congratulations to the following girls who were awarded external prizes:

Rose Halstead  Grade 2 Singing
Victoria Gordon-Brown  Selected piece for Royal College of Art Exhibition
Ella Barker  Commended piece for Royal College of Art Exhibition

Summer Term News
We are delighted to welcome Mrs Louise Nickalls to the staff this term. Miss Louise has previously taught at Burntwood School for Girls and Prospect House and she takes on the role of Head of Science. I am sure the girls will benefit greatly from her experience and enthusiasm for her subject.

We are also pleased to welcome one new girl into the school this term. Miranda Holroyd joins us from The Family School and will be in 1B.

I hope the girls have enjoyed taking part in the Readathon for Harrison's Fund over the holidays. Please may I ask that all sponsorship money is in by Monday 30th April. We are hoping that Harrison’s father, Alex, will be able to join us for an assembly later this term to award t-shirts and certificates to classes who have reached their target.

Please do peruse the term dates which accompany this letter carefully - we have a lot of exciting events planned for this term. Particular dates for your diary are:

2-4th May  F4 and F5 residential trip to Juniper Hall
14-16th May  F3 residential trip to Hilltop
23rs May  Olympics Day
1st June  Jubilee Celebrations (school ends at 3.00pm)
22nd June  Junior School Play 2.00pm
28th June  Parents' Evening
3rd July  Sports Day 10.00am (no afternoon school)
9th July  Summer Drinks Party

As always, please do not hesitate to get in touch should you have any queries or concerns.

With very best wishes

Mrs Sarah Segrave
Headmistress



Welcome Letter

12th January 2012

Dear Parents,

Welcome back to the Spring Term. I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas with your families.

Harrison's Christmas Disco
Amongst the many Christmassy end of term activities the Girls' School hosted its very first disco, and what a fun night was had by all. I am pleased to say that together with money from the Carol Service collection, we were able to send a cheque for £900 to Harrison's Fund. Donations were also made to The Children’s Society and St Barnabas Church and a further £200.50 was raised for Harrison's Fund through the purchase of Christmas Cards designed by the girls.

New Faces
We are delighted to welcome Laura Kaddaj into F2 this term. Laura joins us from Newton Prep and her brothers currently attend EMTM Prep.
We are also looking forward to meeting our new Gap Assistant, Shaugnah Ambrose, who will be joining us shortly.

Form Reps
The Form Rep System has been running for a year now and I would like to say a huge thank you to our very first reps for all their hard work - the Summer Drinks Party, Quiz Night and Disco were all a great success! For anyone interested in being a Form Rep for this calendar year please call or email me before Friday 20th January to register your interest and find out what is involved.

Term Dates
It may be a short term, but it is certainly a busy one! Please do peruse the Term dates carefully and if you have any queries please don’t hesitate to ask. Some key dates for your diary:
Whole School Inter House Cross Country: 10/2/12 at 2.00pm
The Senior Play - Alice in Wonderland: 16/3/12 at 6.00pm
Music Concert 27/3/12 at 9.15am

Senior Schools
I have begun the process of visiting Senior Schools in order to be able to offer advice to you regarding future schools and also to establish good relationships with the schools and heads. Please be aware that whilst the day schools do not tend to require early registration many of the boarding schools prefer it and it can be advantageous in terms of entry.

To date I have visited Cheltenham Ladies College, St. Mary’s Ascot, Heathfield, Alleyns, Francis Holland, More House, Queen Anne’s Caversham, Priorsfield and Putney Park. For your information I will be visiting the following schools this term:

16/1/12 - Wycombe Abbey
20/1/12 - Putney High School
24/1/12 - Downe House
27/1/12 - Wimbledon High School
3/2/12 - St. Mary's Calne
7/2/12 - JAGS
9/2/12 - Benenden
13/3/12 - Roedean

Swimming
I am pleased to confirm that we will no longer be using the Latchmere Leisure Centre for our swimming lessons. The girls will now be taught at Clapham Leisure Centre’s new pool which has just opened. As well as being a little closer to the school allowing us to cut down on travel time, the pool is new, clean and has an adjustable floor for our younger girls. The Kindergartens will use the learner pool and all other year groups will use the main pool.

Lunch
We will continue to offer pasta as an alternative choice at lunchtime this term and new menus will be in place shortly. Parents of girls in KG, 1A and 1B should use the tick sheets outside classrooms to indicate which meal they would like their daughter to have. Girls in Forms 2 and above are expected to make their own choice, having discussed the menu at home with their parents first. We will encourage girls to have the main course where possible and to have vegetables/salad with their pasta.

Uniform
May I take this opportunity to remind you that all outerwear should be as listed on the school uniform list. Girls may wear a green duffle coat, bottle green gloves and the striped school scarf. All hair accessories should be red, green or tortoiseshell.

I look forward to another fun-filled and productive term. Should you have any queries please do not hesitate to pop in for a chat or call me. Alternatively you may email me at ssegrave@eatonhouseschools.com

With best wishes

Mrs Sarah Segrave
Headmistress



Welcome Letter

8th September 2011

Dear Parents,

Welcome back to the Autumn Term. I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Summer with your families.

New Girls
We are delighted to welcome twenty one girls into our Kindergarten class this term. In addition we have two new girls joining 1A and two new girls in Form Two. This takes our pupil numbers to 101.

New Staff
A warm welcome to our new teachers this term:
Olive Edmunds (F5 and Senior Mistress)
Victoria McCambridge (Form 1 Assistant Teacher, based in 1B),
Charlotte Palmer (Games and general subjects, based in 1A)
Camilla Brown (Gap Assistant, based in F3)
Laura Buist (Nursery teacher) will be joining us two afternoons a week as part of her GTP training.

Mrs Nicola Borthwick takes over as Deputy Headmistress this term and I have no doubt she will do a wonderful job. As well as leading Junior Assembly and taking on various responsibilities within school, Miss Nicola will also be dismissing the girls on Wednesdays.

Form Reps
Our Form Reps continue to work hard behind the scenes and this term they have a fun Quiz night planned – more details to follow! New Form Reps will be appointed in January so please have a think about whether you would like to be involved.

Summer Work
The maintenance staff have been busy over the Summer break ensuring that our new classroom is ready and extending the playground to the rear of the Girls’ School. New equipment has also been bought for this area.
In addition, the front entrance hall, stairway to the Music and Art/DT rooms and the Gym have been repainted and a new minibus has been purchased.
The roofs on the Pre-Prep building have been replaced to allow for solar panels to be fitted during the coming Half Term break.

Uniform
A reminder that KG girls should be in Winter Uniform from the start of term. The rest of the school may choose to wear either Winter or Summer uniform until Monday 3rd October when Winter Uniform becomes compulsory. Please do ensure that your daughter wears the appropriate hat with her uniform and the correct colour socks (short white for summer, long green for winter). May I take this opportunity to remind you that all outerwear should be as listed on the school uniform list. Girls may wear a green duffle coat, green cagoule, bottle green gloves and the striped school scarf.

Parents’ Information Evening
This will take place on Thursday 15th September for all classes in the Girls’ School. The evening starts at 6.00pm in your daughter’s form room. Kindergarten parents are cordially invited to stay for a Drinks party in the Theatre afterwards.

IAPS Annual Conference
Please be aware that I shall be attending the IAPS Annual Conference in Birmingham this term and will be away from Monday 26th September to Wednesday 28th September. Should you have any pressing concerns during these three days please do contact Miss Nicola.

I look forward to another fun-filled and productive term. Should you have any queries please do not hesitate to pop in for a chat or call me. Alternatively you may email me at ssegrave@eatonhouseschools.com

With best wishes

Mrs Sarah Segrave
Headmistress



Welcome Letter

28th April 2011

Dear Parents

A very warm welcome back to the Summer Term – I do hope you all had a very enjoyable Easter.

Staff News
I am delighted to report that Miss Helena had a baby boy, LJ, born on 15/3/11 weighing 3.2 kg! Mother and baby are doing well and will be in for a visit very soon.

We welcome Miss Georgie into KG2 this term as their Assistant Teacher. Miss Georgie joins us from Eaton House Belgravia and I have no doubt she will quickly feel part of the team here.

Letters
This term we will be sending all correspondence in both paper form and as emails. Should the system be successful we will consider moving over to a fully paper-free system from September. Please could you let Jane Doxford know if you do not receive the emails, or if you need to update your email details on jdoxford@eatonhouseschools.com.

Extras
Currently all extras are paid for by cheque but for this term the Girls’ School will trial a system whereby these costs are added to your school bill. Letters regarding trips will come home as normal to request permission and these will detail the cost which will be added to the bill.

Uniform
May I remind you that all girls should be in Summer Uniform from today – school dress, white ankle socks, jumper if needed, blazer and summer hat. The girls may remain in Summer Uniform until the end of September.

Timetable
We have a few changes to this term's timetable. Mr Luke Bedford will be taking Forms 2, 3 and 4 for Tennis on Mondays and there will be Play Rehearsals for the Senior girls instead of Drama and General Studies. A copy of your daughter’s timetable will be sent home today.

Should you have any queries or concerns please do not hesitate to get in touch.

With best wishes

Mrs Sarah Segrave
Headmistress



Welcome Letter

13th January 2011

Dear Parents

Welcome back to the Spring Term. I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful Christmas with your families.

New Girls

We are delighted to welcome three new girls into our Kindergarten classes this term. Isabella and Sophia Kirkwood will be joining KG1 and Mia Risa will be joining KG2.

Staff

As you know Miss Nicky our dance teacher relocated to Sydney at the end of last term. We are fortunate to have Raquel Ashton, an experienced classical ballet teacher from the Royal Academy of Dance, joining us this term. Miss Raquel has already met the girls and is looking forward to teaching them this term.

Miss Rebecca Box joins us on a part time basis to set up a Learning Support department within the school. Miss Rebecca will work with individual girls who need specific learning support, and will liaise with visiting speech and language and occupational therapists where necessary. All girls will be screened in Form One each year and as needed at other times. Miss Rebecca is a very experienced teacher who has taught at Thomas’s, Finton House, JAPs, Unicorn School and Tower House.

Mr Paul Roscoe joins the team as an Assistant Teacher and ICT technician. He will be based in the Girls’ School every morning, and will be responsible for ICT support across the group of schools in the afternoons.

As I am sure some of you may well know, Miss Helena is expecting a baby! The baby is due at the start of April and Miss Helena is anticipating starting her maternity leave on 18th March. I am sure you will all join with me in congratulating her and her husband on this lovely news! A new Assistant Teacher for KG2 will be appointed to work with Miss Emily in the Summer Term.

Form Reps

I would like to establish a system of Form Representatives this term. Initially this role would involve being a contact point for any new families joining your daughter’s form, and being part of a committee to organise a charitable/social event. I would hope that the role will develop naturally to provide another useful avenue of communication between parents and the school. Should you be interested in becoming a form representative, please email me before Friday 28th January.

Term Dates and Class Assemblies

To avoid any conflict of interest with Pre-Prep assemblies we have moved our class assembly day to Thursdays. Please see the attached term dates for the date of your daughter’s assembly, and other key dates for the term. The Summer Term will start on Thursday April 28th as already published, but we will be closed on Friday due to the Royal Wedding. School reopens after the Bank Holiday weekend on Tuesday 3rd May.

Uniform

May I take this opportunity to remind you that all outerwear should be as listed on the school uniform list. Girls may wear a green duffle coat, bottle green gloves and the striped school scarf. The optional fleece for Form 3 upwards is no longer part of the Girls’ uniform, but if your daughter has it she may continue to wear it until it is outgrown. All hair accessories should be red, green or tortoiseshell, though they may wear pink on Wednesdays for ballet! Ideally Games kit should be named on the outside on the right as you look at it just below the embroidered logo. In cold weather please do pack an extra layer for Games and ensure tracksuits are in school. It is essential that all girls playing hockey in F2 upwards have a mouthguard and shin pads. Those girls selected to play in fixtures against other schools will be unable to participate unless they have these items.

I look forward to another fun-filled and productive term. Should you have any queries please do not hesitate to pop in for a chat or call me. Alternatively you may email me at ssegrave@eatonhouseschools.com

With best wishes

Mrs S Segrave
Headmistress



Half Term Letter

22nd October 2010

Dear Parents

The last six weeks have flown by and Half Term is upon us already! It has been an absolute pleasure to get to know you and your daughters and I wanted to thank you all for welcoming me so warmly this term. The new girls have settled in beautifully and the older girls have done a wonderful job showing them what is expected of Eaton House girls!

The run up to Christmas is always a busy one and I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight some forthcoming events.

Open Day

Open Day takes place on Saturday 13th November. The day is primarily an opportunity for prospective parents to view the school and consequently we have decided this year that only the pupils that are involved in a specific activity need to attend. This year the Choir girls will need to be at school in full uniform by 10.30 please, for a short performance in the Sports Hall at approximately 10.40.

Remembrance Service

Holy Trinity Church's Remembrance Service takes place on Sunday 14th November. The service is preceded by a procession and representatives from Eaton House will lay a wreath to remember the old boys of The Manor School who lost their lives.

Games

The Senior girls (Forms 2, 3, and 4) have been playing netball so far this year and will start their hockey lessons on Tuesday 16th November. Girls in these forms will be following the Quicksticks Programme (set by The England Hockey Association) and will need the following items - a wooden or composite hockey stick, shin pads and a mouth guard. These can be purchased from a variety of stockists, but two local shops are:
• Capstick Sports, 84 Northcote Road
• Ceelect Sports, The Hockey Centre, 149 Lavender Hill
Most shops will be able to advise you on the size of stick needed, but as a rough guide it should be around an inch shorter than your daughter's waist. Please could you ensure sticks are named clearly.
The Junior girls (Forms KG1, KG2 and F1) have been playing hockey in their Games lessons so far this term and they will switch to netball on the same date.

Perry Uniform

Thank you to those parents who have chatted to me recently regarding the school uniform. We have spoken to Perry Uniform and they will now undertake to make a greater variety of sizes (waist and length) in the winter kilts. In addition the current stock of summer dresses will be sent back to have their belts reinforced. They have apologized to any parents still waiting for school hats, there has been a problem with the manufacturer but I understand this has now been resolved.

Regarding ordering new items of uniform, Perry have asked if parents could allow plenty of notice and that where possible
• Those parents wishing to purchase a duffle coat for this winter place an order during Half Term as the supplier will only make enough to fulfil exact orders.
• Orders for Summer uniform be placed by February half term - this includes white P.E. kit for the Kindergarten girls.
• Orders for Winter Uniform be placed by the June half term

Dates for the diary

10th November - Individual School Photographs
13th November - Open Day - Choir to perform at 10.40am
15th November - Exam Day - Forms 2, 3 and 4
16th November - Trinity Hospice Christmas Fair - Choir to perform at 7pm
19th November - Long Leave (Friday, Saturday and Sunday)
25th November - Parents' Evening - no clubs. 4.15pm start
7th December - Carol Service (including Kindergarten Nativity Play) 2.00pm
15th December - Ballet Presentation - all forms to perform short extracts from The Nutcracker

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful Half Term break

With best wishes

Mrs S Segrave
Headmistress


Welcome Letter

9th September 2010

Dear Parents,

It was an enormous pleasure to shake hands with the 83 girls that now make up the School this morning as their new Headmistress. The first day of the academic year is always a special one, and it was so lovely to see so many excited, happy girls rushing in to start the term.

I would like to extend a very warm welcome to all of our new girls and their families, both in the Kindergartens and further up in the school.
In addition I am delighted to welcome four new members of staff this term – Miss Kirsten returns from maternity leave in the Pre-Prep and she will team teach Form One with Miss Alice, who has just completed her PGCE at the Institute of Education. Miss Nicola returns to Eaton House and will take responsibility for Form Four and Miss Celestine joins us as Assistant Teacher in KG1.
We are extremely lucky to have such a wonderful team of teachers and I know how much they are looking forward to the term ahead.

Information Evenings

There will be Information Evenings for all parents on Thursday 16th September from 6.00 - 6.45pm.
These will be held in your daughter's form room and form teachers will give an overview of the curriculum for the year to come and be available to answer any questions about daily routines and practical matters.
It would be extremely helpful if any outstanding address and medical information forms could be returned so that address lists can be distributed at this time.
There will be a Drinks Party for all Kindergarten parents directly after the Information Evening downstairs in the Sports Hall, and I very much look forward to seeing you there.

Communication with the School

Please do stay in close touch with your daughter's form teacher and myself so that any queries or concerns can be quickly dealt with. I shall be available at the door every morning and most afternoons for a brief word, and appointments may be made to see me via my PA Mrs Jane Doxford. Otherwise, please do call me on the main school number (020 7924 6000) or email me at ssegrave@eatonhouseschools.com We are in the process of setting up email addresses for all teaching staff and relevant details will be given to you as soon as this is up and running. May I ask you to ensure that only non urgent emails are sent to staff as they will have limited opportunities to check them during the normal school day.

School Uniform

Just a reminder that Summer Uniform may be worn until the end of the month.
Please do ensure that if summer dresses are worn girls come to school wearing the boaters and in short white socks. Girls may wear either green tights or long green socks with the Winter Uniform.

Miss Nicky, our dance teacher, has requested that the girls wear ballet uniform to their lessons which take place on Wednesdays. The girls will require the Royal Academy of Dance pink leotard, pink skirt, pink socks and ballet shoes. These are available form the RAD shop in Battersea Square and from a number of other suppliers. As well as allowing the girls more freedom of movement in their lessons, Miss Nicky is hoping to introduce the RAD exams in the future and girls will need to have the correct attire for these.
If your daughter already has a ballet leotard of any style or colour that fits she may wear that for classes until it is outgrown.

Breaktime Snack

I am happy for parents to chose whatever snack they feel is best for their daughter's morning break. I would ask that no nuts are brought into school in case of allergies and suggest that yogurt tubes are tidier than yogurt pots! Sweets, chocolates and fizzy drinks are best saved for the weekend please.

'Big Sisters'

All new Kindergarten girls have been allocated a ‘Big Sister’ from Form Three or Form Four. The girls will help them at morning break and be a friendly face around the school.

Please do read the Term Dates that accompany this letter carefully and should you have any queries please do not hesitate to get in touch.

With best wishes

Mrs S Segrave
Headmistress


Welcome Letter

20th April 2010

Dear Parents,

I hope that you have had a lovely, relaxing Easter holiday. EHTM has staff and children who have not been able to fly back to the UK yet. Mr Gillett is currently in Egypt but will return as soon as he can!

We have, as usual, a busy term, the first half being taken up with rehearsals for Dick Whittington. We look forward to seeing you all on 27th May at 2.30 for the performance. Do please ensure that costumes are in on time and that your daughter knows her lines! F3/4 are going to Hilltop in Norfolk with the Y3 Pre Prep boys, for three days of fun activities, there are class trips planned and a whole school trip at the end of term when we are all going to Greenwich for an enjoyable day together. We are holding a joint assembly with the Pre Prep to learn more about Islam and there is Sport Day to look forward to. And we have a Parents v F3/4 and Staff rounders match – a first for the Girls’ School. More about my idea later, this will be a lovely way to end the school year.

Could I ask you that you do not arrange your daughter's birthday party on a school day. The girls get so excited on the day and then are tired the next so we do not manage to get much teaching done. Many thanks.

Mrs Segrave and I finalised the staffing for September last term and we have an excellent, experienced team. Mrs Nicola (who was Headmistress of EHTM Nursery School, has had a variety of teaching experience and is returning from maternity leave) will teach F4/5, Mrs Sue F3, Mrs Jane F2, Mrs Kirsten (who is returning from maternity leave and who taught F1 in the PP) F1 and the two Kindergartens will be taught by Miss Emily assisted by Miss Celestine (an ex-Vale School pupil of mine) and Miss Emma assisted by Miss Gracie. We will continue to have plenty of support from the specialist part time staff as we do now.

I am very much looking forward to my last term in education – the Summer Term is always a particularly enjoyable one with lots going on, including my Retirement Party on 16th June. I look forward to seeing you all there.

Yours sincerely,

Mrs Susie Lang
Headmistress


Summer 2010 Menu Information

15th April 2010

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the latest edition of the catering information letters once again. It’s Summer again and before we know it will be sports days and end of year events.

We continue to use pollack for the battered fillets and have sourced a product made from a whole piece of fish and not minced. We are introducing a baked salmon fillet in order to comply with the government legislation requiring us to provide ‘oily’ fish once every 3 weeks. The suppliers of these choices are certified by the Marine Stewardship Council who ensure that they come from well maintained and sustainable stocks. The quality and flavour of meat is extremely similar to cod.

Roast dinners are on the menus once a week and are very popular with pupils and staff alike. All roasts are served with a vegetarian gravy which is also suitable for most allergy sufferers and can be eaten by all at the school at present.

We have a freshly made tortilla wrap back on the menu filled with plenty of wholesome vegetables such as red peppers and tomatoes in the filling which are good providers of vitamin A and the chicken is breast meat only.

Filled baguettes are back and always prove popular with the pupils as they can have as many fillings as they like in an organic baguette.

We will also have our mini sausage pasta with our homemade pesto (nut free) and this has proved a popular choice in the past.

There are more fruit based pudding choices now that we are in the summer term.

We are now using a wholesale butcher (Heanens) based in Roehampton. They Achieved a 5 star hygiene rating from Wandsworth council who were so impressed with the quality offered that they now supply all of Wandsworth councils schools with their meats. This means that we get Fresh meats Cut Either the same day or the during the night and delivered fresh the day we want to use it. We use only fresh chickens still and are now getting a handmade unfrozen 4oz burger that is 100% beef and delivered fresh the day before use. Our roast joints are also now all fresh too.

We are now using wheat pasta and sauces that are enriched with vitamins to provide the full amounts of vitamins required by the new legislation. Wheat pasta is used so that celiac sufferers can eat it too.

A printout of exactly what levels of nutrients our menus provide and how we comply with the new legislation should also be available to see on the website and if anyone would like to know more on how this works please contact me.

Sports days will repeat last years format and not give out individual picnic bags where a lot of the items were wasted. Instead we will be allowing pupils to help themselves from a selection of fruits (bananas, melon & satsumas). These quench their thirst and give vital vitamins and potassium. There will also be pastries (muffins, flapjacks & mini doughnuts). These provide carbohydrates and sugar to replace lost energy. We will also have a selection of sandwiches and some savoury pies as well just to fill them up. Each pupil will be provided with their own bottle of water and each class will also have a large bottle of water as back up. These bottles can be filled at any time from the kitchen area of the pavilion. We will also be providing cold drinks for the adults but not any hot beverages unfortunately. There are vending facilities should you wish.

As always we are committed to providing a wholesome and healthy lunch within the new government legislation while at the same time trying to find new and better ingredients and products.

I hope that this is helpful in showing you how we put the menus together and the direction that we are trying to move towards. If any parents have any questions about the menus or food in general please feel free to contact me through the Manor office or if you are passing the kitchen and I am in just drop in and see me. Should you wish to have a specific meeting I will be only too happy to arrange this.

David Clayton
Catering Manager

Headmistress' Letter

7th January 2010

Dear Parents,

I hope that you have all had a lovely Christmas and New Year and that the children are rested and ready for the rigors of the new term!

This term, as always, is busy. We are celebrating the Chinese New Year with an Assembly for the whole school and a Workshop for the F1s and KGs. In March we are again organising a Literacy Week. This co-incides with World Book Day, and during the week we will be organising poetry recitals for each class (more details nearer the time). Last year 5 parents told the girls stories or poems at the end of the day during this week. We all thoroughly enjoyed this and I would be delighted to hear from anyone who would like to do it this year. We will be holding Auditions for the School Play in March, Mrs Jane has, very kindly, written a version of Dick Whittington, which we will perform on 27th May. There are also netball matches against other schools – we hope to maintain our winning streak! – and education trips for each class to look forward to.

May I remind you that the school uniform states that the girls should wear green tights in the winter, I accept, if it is warm, green socks, but not white ones, these are for Summer wear only. If your child is not well enough to swim on Friday afternoons please could you collect them after lunch at 12.40. Thank you.

I would like to say a big thank you to Rose Halstead in Form 2, for the regular newsletter that she produces for us all, and to everyone who has contributed to it. I look forward very much to future issues.

Very sadly for us Mrs Gilly has been offered a full time job teaching at the English National Ballet School. She very kindly found us an excellent replacement. Miss Nicky will start in January, she comes with a wealth of experience, including teaching from Nursery to Key stage 3. We are looking forward to welcoming her.

I am very much looking forward to all the events this term – and to the weather getting warmer and the daylight hours getting longer!

Best wishes,

Mrs Susie Lang
Headmistress


Announcement of new Headmaster at Eaton House The Manor Preparatory School
from September 2010

19th December 2009

Dear Parents,

As you are aware we have been waiting to announce the successor to Mr Hepher as Headmaster of Eaton House The Manor Preparatory School. We are now delighted to confirm that Mr Jeremy Edwards has accepted the role and will start in September 2010.

Mr Edwards is currently Master at Westminster Under School and was appointed in April 2000. He was formerly an English teacher and then Deputy Headmaster at Emanuel School where he also spent time as Head of Drama and Head of Rowing. He has a B.A (Hons) in English and a PGCE awarded by the University of London as well as an M.A. from the Institute of Education in Educational Studies and Educational Management. He is married with three children; two daughters aged 19 and 17, and a son of 15.

Mr Edwards will be writing a letter of introduction to all our current and prospective parents early next term.

We are very excited by this appointment and look forward to introducing Mr Edwards to you at a number of formal and social occasions over the next few months.

Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.

Yours sincerely,

Hilary Harper
Principal


Headmistress' Letter

9th November 2009

Dear Parents,

After 33 years of loyal service to the Eaton House Group of Schools, 23 of them as a very successful Headmistress, Mrs Susie Lang will be retiring in July 2010. She has successfully established Eaton House The Manor Girls’ School as a very happy and vibrant community. We are extremely grateful to her for all that she has achieved over her long and successful career with us, both as the Headmistress of Eaton House The Vale and now Eaton House The Manor Girls’ School.

We are delighted to announce that Mrs Sarah Segrave will succeed Mrs Lang as Headmistress of the Girls’ School from September 2010. Mrs Segrave has worked for the schools since 1993 and many of you will know her as the previous Headmistress of the Pre-Prep School for seven years. Having worked together since 1993, Mrs Segrave and Mrs Lang will work in close communication over the coming months to ensure the smooth handover that you would expect from our Head Teachers and staff.

Mrs Segrave has two children, Johnny and Eloise, and has been on maternity leave over the last year following the birth of her second child in 2008. We are delighted to be welcoming back this wonderful Head Teacher to the Eaton House Group of Schools.

I’m sure that you will join me in wishing Mrs Lang a well-deserved and relaxing retirement. I am confident that most of it will be spent sampling French wine, in situ, at her house in South-West France, with husband Simon.

Mrs Segrave will be attending various school events over the coming year including the Open Day on Saturday 14th November. We will be contacting the Girls’ School parents with an invitation for a drinks party to meet Mrs Segrave on a more personal level in the New Year.

Yours sincerely

Mrs H.A. Harper
Mrs A-L. Lawrence
Mrs V.J. Back


Headmistress' Letter

Dear Parents,

Welcome to new parents and welcome back to those who joined the Girls' school last year. I hope that you all have had enjoyable holidays. My staff and I very much look forward to an even busier year than last as we have another 21 girls in the school. We have a new KG class, and girls joining in Years one
and two.

We continue to collect the Times book tokens this term, do please cut them out and put them in the box in our Hall. We have a tradition that when it is a girl's birthday that she presents a book to the school for the Library, it is received at Assembly and I put in a label with the child's name and birthday. If you have any books at home that your daughter no longer reads we would be delighted to have them for the Library!

Parents can no longer accompany their daughter's class on trips, BUT they can go on trips of other classes! If you would like to accompany another class's trip please let me know now, so that I can put you on the list. Thank you.

We have a new website and on this you will find this letter, term dates for each school and menus. Therefore we will not be sending out nearly as many "pieces of paper". Do please check the website for any important announcements from now on.

There is a Parents Information Evening on 14th September for each class commencing at 5.30 p.m. for everyone, when the class teachers will tell parents what is expected of the girls and you will have an opportunity to ask her questions and meet other parents over a glass of wine afterwards.

We do not have a two week half term, but we are aware that the children do get tired during the long Autumn Term. We have decided therefore to have a long weekend (20th and 23rd November) to give them a short break after the Exams.

Do please ring me if you want to talk about your daughter and I look forward to chatting to you all at the Information Evening on 14th September.

With best wishes,

Mrs Susie Lang
Headmistress