07.02.2025 Prep Bulletin

Dear Parents & Carers,

Whilst this week has seen the customary abundance of classroom and extracurricular activities including the (Years 5 and 6 swim teams at the IAPS Championships at Millfield), it seems as though we have spent a good deal of time welcoming visitors to the school. Amongst the raft of prospective parents and children enjoying their taster days, we have also welcomed Jack Dunne, the professional rugby player, who spoke to the older children on the topics of professional sport and protected characteristics and Ben Clitherow from Cornish Metals who gave a presentation to Year 5 on, among other things, their exciting venture to source tin for a low carbon economy.

As for our regular happenings here at Truro School Prep, our assemblies and theme for the week has been that of ‘Inspirational people’. We began by focusing on the rich and famous who had battled to achieve their success, looking in particular at the stories of JK Rowling and Jim Carey.
The main focus, however, was the opportunity to explore the actions of some younger, less famous, but extraordinarily inspiring people.

I share a couple of examples with you here:

Katie Stagliano
When she was nine years old, Katie brought home a cabbage seedling as part of her school’s 3rd Grade Cabbage Programme and nurtured her seedling until it grew into an enormous 40lbs. Katie donated the cabbage to a soup kitchen, where it helped to feed over 250 people. From this one cabbage was born the idea for ‘Katie’s Krops’, a project to create vegetable gardens where fresh and healthy produce could be donated to people in need.

Today, ‘Katie’s Krops’ offers grants to children aged between 9 and 16, which enable them to buy the items that they need to grow their own produce. Growing areas range from a pot that is large enough to grow a single vegetable to a designated allotment. Not only do the gardens provide healthy supplies to the hungry, but they also empower the growers, providing them with valuable life skills and instilling in them a sense of pride and responsibility. They have also helped to feed hundreds of thousands of people.

Ryan Hreljac
When Ryan was six years old (some sources claim as young as five!), he learned about the devastating consequences that people faced in countries where there was poor sanitation and no access to fresh, clean water. Although he was very young, he felt so strongly about it that he wanted to help tackle the problem. At first, Ryan set about doing extra chores to earn money. Later, he started participating in public speaking events to raise the $2,000 needed for his first well in northern Uganda.

Three years later, the Ryan’s Well Foundation was born. Today, over a thousand communities have clean water due to this project. The Foundation has saved lives by reducing the risk of disease and given more than a million vulnerable people the prospect of a brighter future.

Of course, the main thrust of the message is that we can all make a difference. We might develop an idea that grows into a project that reaches far and wide, but that is not the only measure of success. Small and quiet actions are also incredibly valuable and if we can all make positive differences to our friends, our peers and our families, the cumulative effect will be incredible.

So that is the challenge I set to the children: to try to make a positive difference on a day-to-day basis but also to spend some time thinking about how they might extend this to the community and to the wider world.

They really are a truly amazing bunch of young people and it would not surprise me in the least if, when telling a similar story in the future, I find myself including a number of young Truronians!

On the topic of inspirational Truronians, this Friday saw a Service of Thanksgiving take place in Truro Cathedral for David Pierce. David taught English and General Science at Truro School Prep for 20 years and coached sport (and especially cricket) to thousands of children including Laura Harper (England cricketer), Robert Bell (first-class cricketer) and Sir Ben Ainslie who identified David as ‘his favourite teacher’. David will be much missed and our thoughts and prayers remain with his family at this time.

Finally, looking into the future, the briefest of glimpses at the School calendar tells us that we have an incredibly busy week ahead. I take this opportunity to remind you of the importance of checking the weekly year group Clarion messages so as to ensure that everyone can be in the right place at the right time with the right equipment (I can at least hope!).

In the meantime, I wish you all a lovely weekend with your wonderful and inspirational offspring.

With every good wish,

Rob Morse

Head of Prep

School News

Latest From Truro School

Rugby Star Inspires Pupils at Prep

Exeter Chiefs player and former Ireland U21 international Jack Dunne visited Truro School Prep to speak with Year 5 and 6 pupils

Uncovering Cornwall’s Mining History

As part of Year 5’s new Ballerion Award, we were joined by Ben Clitherow from Cornish Metals.

Weekly News from Pre-Prep 07.02.25

Our youngest pupils at Truro School Prep have had another fantastic week packed full of curiosity, learning and fun.

A Sunny Break at Prep

Our Prep pupils were certainly making the most of the sun during their lunchtime break.

Super Sounds of Samba!

Our Samba groups met at lunchtime for a joyful session led by Mr Weeks.

German Fun

This term, 5RK and 6AG have been learning German as a part of their MFL carousel, using songs and games to support their learning.

School Notices

Messages & Downloads

Showjumping

Mrs Ryder is looking to identify students who may be interested in competing in the school’s showjumping competition this June and potentially in future events. The competition offers a range of jumping heights: 40cm, 50cm, 60cm, and 70cm.

If your child has access to a suitable horse and the necessary experience to compete, she would love to hear from you. Please get in touch to discuss their eligibility and potential participation at fcr@truroschool.com.