Junior Sports Day
Junior Sports Day was held at the end of June, on the hottest day of the year so far. All of the pupils from Prep. joined in the track and field events which included high jump, triple jump, long jump, 100m, 400m, relay and the tug o' war. The children really enjoyed the day and competed hard to win. Everyone did really well but Alisha and Fabio stood out as exceptionally talented on the Sports Field.
Wasdale Residential
The Prep. Department took part in a residential trip to Wasdale Youth Hostel at the end of June. The trip consisted of an eight hour hike around Wasdale with all of the children having a go at map reading. Apparently, they only got lost once! The pupils tried out canoeing on the lake under the watchful eye of Ian Carter, one of St. Bees School's Outdoor Pursuits Instructors. Once Alisha, Yasemin and Emily went the right way, they had a fun afternoon on the water, so much so that Thomas and Hugo decided to jump in for a swim at the end of the afternoon. On the second day the pupils had a go at climbing at Eskdale and gyll scrambling at Netherbeck. Although the gyll was freezing and the water was running very fast, the children seem to have enjoyed this part of the trip the most; perhaps it was the full English breakfast they had eaten following the powercut at the Hostel that morning that gave them extra strength. 
Rock Pooling
Rock pooling on St. Bees Beach - what a lovely way to learn about the creatures and mini beasts that live on the shoreline. Pupils from the Prep. Department had fun catching crabs, shrimps and shellfish on a beautiful sunny day in June. The pupils were fascinated with the large number of jelly fish that had been washed up onto the beach and enjoyed using their nets to catch interesting types of creatures, before safely returning them to their watery homes.
Dove Cottage
The sun was shining and the birds were singing when the Prep pupils visited Dove Cottage in Grasmere at the end of May. The children went for a poetry walk and did some creative story telling with pictures from one of Wordsworth's poems, followed by a tour of the cottage. The children had a great time and have written a short report about their day which can be opened by clicking here.
Teddy Bear's Picnic
If you go down to the woods today be sure of a big surprise! More than 50 teddy bears
and their owners took part in the first ever Teddy Bear's Picnic at St. Bees School in its 400 year history. Children from several local pre-schools attended the event along with their teddy bears that had been dressed for the occasion. Pupils from the Prep School performed 'Goldilocks & the Three Bears' which they did with alot of energy and enthusiasm. The children then took part in some action songs, pass the parcel and a teddy bear walk before tucking into a delicious picnic. Everyone really enjoyed the day, so much so that we might even organise another one next year!
To view a report produced by Yasemin and Molly please click here. 
Yew Tree Farm
Down on the farm there are goats named after the periodic table! The Prep. Department visited Yew Tree Farm recently to learn how to care for farm animals. Click here to read Evie and Alisha's accounts of their day. The children would like to thank Mr and Mrs. Simper for showing them round and allowing them to get close to the sheep and goats.
Tag Rugby Competition
Pupils from the Prep. Department can be seen in action at the Tag Rugby Competition held at St. Bees School on Friday 30th April. The children tried hard and even though they didn't win, they had a fun time taking part.
St. Bees School were delighted to be host a second time to the Copeland Schools' Tag Rugby Competition. Russell Gainford who represents the Copeland Community Rugby Union Coaches had organised the event which saw 28 local primary schools joining in, which meant 300 pupils took part in a fun if wet afternoon. This event was the culmination of all the work the Copeland Community Rugby Team have done throughout the year in the Copeland area. The St. Bees School fields were full of children in brightly coloured rugby kits; with 9 matches being played at any one time. There was an excited atmosphere as older pupils from School came to cheer the teams and give them encouragement. The final was a close run thing but St. Bees Village School beat Jericho in the end.Well done to the pupils at St. Bees Village School.
St. George's Day & Shakespeare's Birthday
On Friday the 23rd June the Prep Department celebrated Shakespeare's birthday and St George's Day. They made St George's flags and filled them with fascinating facts about St George. At lunch time the catering staff dressed up and served food and the dining room was full of Union Jacks. In the afternoon the children learnt about Shakespeare and pretended to be the three witches as they recited the start of Macbeth. Click here to read Thomas' account of Shakespeare, and click here to read Sophie's account of St. George's Day.
Fun on the Beach
A mermaid has been spotted on St. Bees beach!
Luckily the children from the Prep. Department knew all about it having spent a
fantastic afternoon with their sleeves rolled up collecting different textured stones to create their impressive statue. The rain stayed away long enough for the children to have a fun afternoon designing and building their creation whilst at the same time learning about different rock types and how the sea can affect the size of the stones as they roll around in the tide.
The project started in the classroom with some research into stories about mermaids and then progressed to the children putting their plans into place down on the beach.
Once complete the children then had fun decorating some of their favourite stones, turning them into mini beasts and sea creatures back in the classroom.
Prep. Department Newsletter: "The Buzz" 2
The children in the Prep. Department have produced the second edition of their own newsletter "The Buzz 2". Find out what has been happening in Prep. over the last couple of weeks.
Spring Flowers
At the start of the Spring Term the children planted hyacinths and crocuses in trays to help understand how flowers grow from bulbs. As the term has progressed the children have watered and cared for the shoots and they have now turned into beautiful flowers in full bloom. They have given wonderful smell and colour to the entrance to the Prep. Department.
Prep. Newsletter
The children in the Prep. Department have created a new Newsletter which they have titled "The Buzz". The children have written all of the articles themselves and have prepared all the artwork and photographs.
Reception Class
St. Bees School is planning to expand its provision to children aged between 4 and 7 years in September 2010, creating a new Early Years Foundation Stage Class. Class sizes are initially likely to be small (10 or fewer children per class) so provision will be tailored to the needs and abilities of individual children.
World Book Day
Children in the Pre. Department dressed up as a character from their favourite book on World Book Day. Click here for pictures