The Alton Term Summer 2018
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The Headmaster
Contents Whilst so much of our communication these days is online, we felt there was still demand for a printed publication you can pick up and thumb through and so are introducing this termly magazine to complement our regular digital communications. We would welcome your thoughts. The Alton Term cannot possibly cover the enormous amount going on at School but gives a flavour of the things we’ve been getting up to throughout the term as well as sharing stories about our pupils, staff and alumni. We have pupils and alumni who represent their county, region and indeed their nation in their chosen fields and sports. However, we are just as interested in the everyday steps that are taken along the way to these fantastic achievements. So, please do get in contact if you have anything you would like to share:
Feature
Marketing & Communications Dept., Alton School, Anstey Lane, Alton, GU34 2NG email: communications@altonschool.co.uk tel: 01420 82070
Contents
2
The Headmaster
3
Nursery
2
Pages
4-5
Prep
6-7
Senior
8-9
Sixth Form
10-11
International
12-13
Sport
14-15
The Arts
16-17
Alumni
18-19
The Staffroom
20-21
Pupil News
22-23
Welcome!
At the end of another busy and fulfilling year I would like to take this opportunity to thank pupils, staff, parents and governors for all their hard work and commitment. The year unfolded with its customary round of successes, personal triumphs, and exciting educational visits. The breadth of activities and the range of opportunities has been impressive.
School exchanges to Colombia and Germany, trips to France, Italy and the biannual expedition to India offer the chance for our pupils to gain an unparalleled insight into other cultures. These experiences, undertaken relatively early in a pupil’s life, cannot be underestimated. They mould character, moral fibre and a sense of personal fulfilment. Hundreds of sporting fixtures, a myriad of musical events and creative performances coupled with academic endeavour provide everyone with a moment to shine. We continue to focus on a simple desire to encourage children to make progress and learn in an environment that is challenging, forgiving and embraces opportunities for growth. To our leavers, I would employ the adage of a childhood friend, ‘Don’t cry because it is over. Smile because it happened’. I hope you enjoy this first edition of The Alton Term and wish all pupils and parents a happy summer holiday.
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Down on the farm
Mill Cottage Farm came to visit and all of the children from Alton and Medstead loved having time with the goats, sheep, pigs, donkeys and guinea pigs. Everyone had a turn at milking cardboard cows and brushing the goats and pigs. Not usually considered the most beautiful or strokable of animals, strangely enough the turkey was the biggest hit of all!
Medstead chickens In the beautiful grounds of our Medstead nursery site, the children have been enjoying getting to know some feathery new arrivals. Kindly donated by the Sutton family, three chickens are providing the children with a wonderful opportunity to help care for them, collect the eggs every day, and learn to cook a variety of eggy dishes!
Nursery Sarah Harvey, Nursery Manager
With so much warm, dry weather, this summer term has been lovely with lots of fun events and activities. A highlight was Royal Wedding fever gripping the Nursery. Red Kites staged their own wedding and tea party with royal guards mounted on hobby horses! Our fort was turned into a Palace and the children took it in turns to be Harry and Meghan followed by a Royal Banquet, party games and dancing. We are looking forward to our new garden in Alton being completed over the summer holidays. The children have been enjoying watching Mr. Marvin working hard to develop it and they are very excited about the beach theme with pirate boat, lighthouse, beach huts and walk-in sand pit!
Red Kites Soar
The close ties between the Nursery and Prep School gives our lucky Red Kites children a wonderful head start in education. They are all early readers with advanced phonics and maths skills and love making silly poems in Rhyming Soup. They are all really looking forward to starting ‘big school’ and are confident and well prepared for the next stage of their lives. Good luck Red Kites! 4
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Year 3 sleepover at Privett
Year 3 loved their trip to the Privett Activity Centre in May. They played football, dug for rocks, searched for treasure and undertook many team building activities. They had an amazing time, returning exhausted but buzzing. Class sleepovers encourage independence and Mr Scowcroft and Mrs Matthews were most impressed with the maturity and confidence the children displayed.
Ahoy Year 5!
The Year 5 residential trip to the Isle of Wight is a week long event that the pupils look forward to all year. It reinforces the independence, teamwork and resilience that we engender throughout the Prep School. Year 5 visited Sandown Zoo, Osborne House, went fossil hunting and had a private boat cruise to the Needles. There was also a lively disco at the end of the week! It was a brilliant learning experience and good preparation for the French residential in Year 6.
Prep
Pim Grimes, Head of Prep This term has been extremely busy with lots of activities keeping the children out and about and learning in a multitude of different ways and environments. Adventure Week saw every class engaged over four days in all sorts of outdoor activities, from den building and hunting for mini-beasts, to deer tracking and Anglo-Saxon weaving to name but a few. Children and staff alike had the most inspirational week. We say goodbye to our delightful Year 6 children, pictured below in their brilliant end of year production of ‘Cinderella and Rockerfella’. They have been such an asset to the Prep School and only this morning I received a report from their recent visit to France saying that everywhere they went, people commented on how incredibly polite they were. What an accolade! We wish them well in their next adventure.
Founder’s Day 2018 Founders Day is always a special occasion when we reflect on all the hard work and achievements of our Prep pupils as well as announce our Prefects and Head Boy and Girl for next year. Well done to all our certificate winners and thank you to all the parents who came along. It was a boiling day and the ice cream kiosk was the coolest place to be.
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Hacking Challenge 21 Year 9 pupils enjoyed a thought-provoking day of technology challenge activities at Cisco HQ in April for Girls Power Tech Day. The aim of the event was to inspire girls to pursue careers in STEM through hands-on exposure to the latest technology and engagement with industry professionals. The focus was on e-safety, with challenges involving hacking, biometrics and banking security.
TeenTech City of Tomorrow
Year 8 have been busy designing futuristic buildings and shared their innovative ideas at the TeenTech City of Tomorrow 2018 showcase in May with hundreds of other UK students and judges. Our pupils all won British Science Association CREST Awards and had success in a number of categories including designs for domestic, education and leisure buildings.
Piquing Curiosity
Snow postponed Year 10’s Bath and Bristol trip until May but it was worth the wait. We had an extraordinary science experience in We The Curious, where visitors are challenged to question, collaborate, innovate and experiment. Visiting SS Great Britain was equally stimulating, exploring the life and legacy of Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It was an action-packed few days and we managed to fit in an open top bus tour of Bath, trips to the Fashion Museum (see picture!), Roman Baths, and the theatre too. 8
Senior Sally Webb, Senior Deputy Head This is an exciting time in the life of our school and we are looking forward to the arrival of Senior boys this September. It is also a good time to think about and capitalise on what we do well, to enhance these aspects and make sure that all of our students are benefitting from them. One such area is the individualised learning support we give pupils to ensure they reach their full potential. We have stretch programmes for the most able High Potential Learners (HPL) as well as specialist support for those who require additional help to progress academically. As promised in our Development Plan last year, I am delighted to let you know that from September, we have brought these together in one programme supported by a team of experienced staff, for everyone who would benefit, from Prep to Sixth Form. Details about the programme, which we call ACE (Aspire, Challenge, Extend), can be found on our website, or please do get in touch with me. Meanwhile, I wish you all a happy and peaceful summer holiday.
Mindfulness in the Classroom Tim Gay, Head of Religious Studies, has been continuing to roll out our Mindfulness programme this year. He has taken inspiration from many sources. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. But today is a gift. That’s why it is called the present. These surprisingly profound words from Kung Fu Panda are now well known to all pupils in Years 7 and 8, who have been learning how to pay attention to the present moment rather than dwelling on the past or future. Whilst being quiet and reflective is sometimes tough for 11 to 13 year olds, Mr Gay reports that, “Most of the girls recognised that mindfulness, if practised regularly, could help with their concentration, study, anxiety, and even sleep. I hope that seeds will have been planted this year which, if nurtured with practice, can offer tools to help the girls flourish.” 9
Scott Sanderson, Head of Sixth Form
Year 13 have worked extremely hard in preparation for their A Levels. They have been a committed, driven, yet really fun year and I will miss them greatly. I wish them all the best. We had a wonderful Leavers Mass and Assembly where we formally said goodbye, followed by the Prom where everyone was able to let their hair down and celebrate the end of their exams. Year 12s have big shoes to fill, but I know they can do it. I am of course looking forward to our Year 11s joining us, as well as some new students from outside the school who will be made to feel very welcome. We have enjoyed having the boys from our International Programme in the Sixth Form this year and are delighted to be welcoming our first local young man into the Sixth Form in September.
The National Portrait Gallery The Sixth Form co-curricular programme features weekly trips and events designed to engage our students in the wider world and look beyond their exam subjects. In May this included a private tour of the National Portrait Gallery. We had a wonderfully knowledgeable guide who provoked lively debate about image and identity in portraiture using examples across history and culture, from Winston Churchill to Amy Winehouse.
Meerafest 2018 In an event which it’s hoped will become a regular highlight of the calendar, our Sixth Formers organised a spectacular concert in February to raise funds for Meera. Local bands gave generously of their time and talents including The Collision who have been signed up by Radio 1! There was a great atmosphere and the crowds danced the night away.
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Sixth Form The students who go talk with compassion and experience about what they saw, how they felt, and most importantly what they will go on to do to eleviate hardship where they see it. This in turn spurs others and slowly but surely the ripples of our India Expedition reach out. Why do we go to India? We go to get bigger hearts, a better understanding, to take part in other initiatives to help others. And to start ripples...” 19 Sixth Formers head out for Varanasi on 20th August taking with them the money the school has raised over the past year. Every penny is used to support the efforts of our Sisters in educating India’s poorest. Good luck! Photo taken in 2016.
Ripples from India On committing to the bi-annual trip to India, our Sixth Formers work as ambassadors to encourage the whole school in raising money for the Meera Foundation which supports the work of the Congregation in India (see further information on page 13). Jill Kerr (pictured above), former Sixth Form Tutor and trip leader explains, “In India we work in a free school (run by our Sisters) where the poor are given an education. We visit their villages and see what no income looks like. We open our hearts to the children and we celebrate the pig giving birth whilst inwardly wishing it wasn’t in the one and only room where everyone lives! We go without lunch to give money to repair a water pump, (is this hunger?) and we discuss why a performing monkey gets more food than the children. Then we come home and go off to start our new lives....but the experience leaves a profound mark. 11
Pram Racing
Two of our German exchange students got to experience the craziness of a typical village fete as they entered the annual Ropley Pram Race with appropriately one English and one German ‘car’. Neither car won but everyone had a great time. Pictured are Katie May and Lydia Bonney with their German friends.
Vist Colombia
Over the holidays, 4 Year 10 pupils and Mrs Inglis will be spending three weeks soaking up Colombian culture and immersed in Spanish at our sister school in Barranquilla, Colombia. The trip is open to Years 10 to 13 and is offered to both Spanish and nonSpanish speaking students. Our Colombian Summer School includes trips and visits to learn more about this fascinating part of the world. We can’t wait to hear all about their adventures in September!
International
Order Expanding in India The Order of Our Lady of Providence, the Congregation that established our School and provides its spiritual heartbeat, has a significant and expanding presence in India. Over 90 Sisters in India actively pursue the Congregation’s mission to educate the poor so that they are better able to look after their families and communities. On a recent trip to see us, Sister Sheila, (pictured opposite with Sister Helen) who runs St Joseph’s Convent School in Varanasi, explained the operations of the Congregation.
Goodbye International students!
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Our school has been enlivened and enriched by the huge contribution of our 9 International students who have spent two terms in the Sixth Form. They have done so much to share their cultures and languages whilst embracing ours. We couldn’t have held our vibrant school carnival and parade without them and they will all be missed. Pictured left are: William, Maria Camilla, Sara, Tina, Andrea, Hendrik and Ole from Colombia, Germany and Iran.
Approximately 11,000 pupils a year attend 26 schools across India which are either owned or managed by the Sisters. The large fee-paying city schools provide buildings in which the poorer, rural communities can be taught for free. Varanasi is the centre of operations, where Candidates and Noviciates are educated for religious life. On completion of their studies, the newly qualified Sisters go to University to study as nurses, teachers and social workers before going out into the community to help develop schools and dispensaries. It is the work of the Sisters that we support in our fundraising for the Meera Foundation and that our Sixth Form have the privilege of witnessing and supporting during their trip to India.
Seeking new host families If you are interested in being paid to host one of our international students for a few months, please see the Brochure for Host Families on the school portal or contact Jane Gould at: jgould@altonschool.co.uk 13
Sports Day Scorchers
Senior Sports Day was a scorcher! Despite the heat there were lots of school records broken, well done girls. Special congratulations to our Athletes of the Year: Beth Thorpe (Year 7), Rose Fitzergerald (Year 8), Emily Killing (Year 9), Lucy Slape and Milvina Ward (Year 10) and the Victor Ludorum, Beth Thorpe. Thank you to all the parents who braved the sun and came to support. Sadly, The Alton Term had to go to press before Prep Sports Day but there will be photos on our website.
Sport
Simon James, Head of Sport It has been a busy year. 98 teams across Prep and Senior Schools have attended 617 fixtures across 12 different competitive sports. For a relatively small school that is a lot of sport. I’d like to thank all the parents who have attended, supported, travelled and enabled attendance at these fixtures! We have recently surveyed all pupils from Years 3 to 13 to get their thoughts about sports provision and have been delighted with their feedback. Over 90% of our pupils say they enjoy sport here at Alton. This reflects the opinion of both those who take their sport seriously as well as those who we encourage to participate, so I am particularly proud that we are finding something enjoyable and active for everyone.
Alton gainsplus Athletic National Champions Cricket isa nationals
A squad of Alton pupils from year Years 4 to 11 attended the ISA Athletic National Champions. All put in fantastic performances, whilst some achieved of National Champion: opposite pagethe is ultimate sports accolade day Beth Thorpe - Double National Champion in Hurdles and Relay (Year 7) Emily Killing - National Champion in 4 x 100m Relay (Year 9) Lara Bassett - National Champion in 4 x 100m Relay (Year 7) Harry D’Arcy - National Champion in Long Jump (Year 4) Well done to the other outstanding squad members: Will Hodges (Silver Medal High Jump), Hannah Lowe (Silver Medal 600m), Lara Thomas, Issy Rendall, Safiya Hussain and Sam Lloyd. 14
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Festival of Music
3 hours of non-stop glorious music filled the Welsford Hall at Open Day Festival in March. Our full range of orchestras, choirs, ensembles and soloists sang and played an eclectic mix of styles and charmed the audience. It was an emotional day for our Year 13 students who were giving their last performance at school after many years of wonderful concerts and recitals. We are so grateful for all their contributions.
The Arts
Fake news hits art
Is graffiti art? Year 5 has been immersed in a project looking at street art, thinking about the moral and political issues surrounding graffiti and studying the work of artists like Banksy. They’ve had great fun exploring and creating their own street art in the woods, which will culminate in a whole class installation by the end of term.
With mixed media insects buzzing around, beautiful graphic work inspired by nature, and vibrant colour wheels inspired by British sculptor Tony Cragg, it has been a stimulating term in the Senior Art Department. Our photographers, textile artists and painters have responded to topical issues such as Trump and “fake news”, plastics and the environment, homelessness, and identity. Influences from around the globe are evident in the excellent coursework and exam pieces which our pupils have submitted this year. We are delighted to see these themes appear alongside some more traditional and familiar ones. The diversity and richness of approaches shows true creativity and artistry at work.
Teatime Concert Alton Senior School’s annual tea time concert was once again a tremendous success. A wide variety of styles on clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, flute, piano and drums was heard, from the delicate fioritura of a Chopin Nocturne to the heavy rock rhythms from the drumkit! The String Quartet gave a polished performance. Thank you Mrs Douglas and Mr Robinson for organising a glorious afternoon of music.
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Stay in touch!
We love hearing all about what our former pupils and staff have been getting up to. If you have any updates for us, or would like to join our alumni database, please email alumni@altonschool.co.uk
Harry Charles (Alton Prep School 2002-2011) Harry is a Prep School alumnus and alongside his sisters (who are still here at Alton), has gone on to achieve incredible showjumping success. In March, Harry, age 18, won his first 4* Grand Prix, topping a 46-horse class and besting ten other pairs in the jump off with a speedy 33.02 second round. “It was awesome to win a Grand Prix at the 4* level at my first attempt, especially on Controe as he’s come up with me through all the 2* and 3* shows,” said Harry.
Emma-Jane Hendry (Alton 1997-2004)
Emma-Jane graduated from Bath University in 2008 with a 2.1 BSc Hons. She then returned to Microsoft Xbox where she had completed an intern placement before moving on to work for a video streaming service. This job brought her into contact with all sorts of people, as can be seen by this picture of Emma-Jane with Matt Damon! Now based in America, Emma-Jane is working on business development for Amazon.
Jasmine Wells
Former pupil Jasmine came back to Alton last week to give a talk to lower Sixth students about neuroscience and mental health. It was fascinating to learn about how the brain operates and why and what happens when things go wrong - as well as how to put them right again! Jasmine left Alton School in 2013 and is currently in her second year studying Neuroscience at Bristol University. She is part of the Black Dog project, which involves attending school assemblies and running small workshops to talk about mental health.
Alumni 80 Years Of Memories The school’s 80th Birthday was celebrated in style by our alumni in June. Pupils and former teachers from across the decades came together to enjoy a lunchtime party and reminisce about their school days. Many remembered their time in the days when the Manor House operated as a boarding school. There was much laughter over the display of old photos as well as the joy of finding old friends. Caroline Knight, fifth great niece of Jane Austen, was our guest of honour and gave a speech reflecting on how the school was a steady and calming influence at a time of great chaos as her family prepared to leave their ancestral home of Chawton House after 400 years. She also reflected on how the school motto Be the best that you can be has stayed with her throughout her career. Caroline runs a literacy charity called https://janeaustenlf.org/
Would you like to come in and talk about your work or something you care deeply about? Or can you offer mentoring or work experience opportunities? If so, please email: communications@altonschool.co.uk
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Pupil News Celebrating some great achievements outside of school activities this term. Top left to right: · Year 10 Aggie Waldron took 3rd place at the National School Equestrian Show Jumping Championships · Year 9 Izzy Hay and her team, The West Park Blades, came 6th at the National Netball Championships · Year 10 Ballroom Dancer Jess Lacey was awarded Vice-Champion at an International Under 16 Ballroom Solos competition 2nd Row left to right: · Year 9 Katie May, goalkeeper for Alresford Town Youth Girls, was named U14 Division 2 Player of the Season by the Winchester and District Girls Football League · Rose FitzGerald competing for Aldershot, Farnham & District Athletics Club won the Long Jump and came 3rd in the 300m at the recent Senior Districts Athletic Championships · Upper Sixth student Sara Diab received 2nd Place/Highly Commended in the Independent School Association’s Shakespeare Monologue Competition 3rd row left to right: · Year 7 Daisy Harrap won the Shetland Grand National at Badminton Horse Trials · Year 10 Lucy Slape won pre-Cadet of the year and qualified for the England Judo Squad · Year 11 Jessica Stephenson was 1st (Distinction) in two harp categories at the Basingstoke Music and Arts Festival Bottom row left to right: · Year 8 Katherine Simmons and her team the ‘Farnham Fireballs’ won the National U16s UK Floorball Championship · Year 3 Manor Colts players achieved the following end of season awards: Cameron Sanders (Most Improved), Joseph Smythe (Players’ Player) and Zac D’Arcy (Manager’s Player) Also pictured team member Alex Stapleton · Year 5 Imogen Smythe, Year 7 Amelia Smythe & Year 8s Ruby Mann and Ella Winn competed at the National Eventers Challenge in Hickstead having qualified earlier in the year.
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Trips and Events
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Co-educational Catholic school with Nursery, Prep, Senior and Sixth Form.
Alton School, Anstey Lane, Alton, Hants, GU34 2NG. 24
ww.altonschool.co.uk
Tel. 01420 82070