Termly Review
The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School
Issue 3 I Michaelmas 2014
~ Michaelmas Term Review ~
www.cvms.co.uk
1
Contents 1 2 4 6 7 8 10 11 12 14 15 16 18 20 22 23
Headmaster’s Welcome Foundation Day Mass Royal Albert Hall Visit from a Vaughan Pupils & Politics Battle of the Houses Life as a Brother Rob Lloyd-Jones Clubs & Societies Enterprise Club World Challenge Battlefields Trip Art Department Music Department Vaughan to Run Centenary Ball
www.cvms.co.uk
Headmaster’s Welcome At long last, the School is onehundred years old, and in this most momentous of terms, we have staged two of our three grand set-pieces to celebrate this event – namely, the Centenary Foundation Day Mass at Westminster Cathedral in September and the Centenary Celebration at the Royal Albert Hall in October. (The Centenary Ball in June is yet to come.) An anniversary as laden with significance as the hundredth invites us to look at ourselves as we are now through the prism of the past, so that we can gauge where we are going in the future. In so doing, we make sure that as we grow, we become more truly what we were meant to be. Such conscious and properly constituted self-examination is in harmony with the true purpose of Catholic education: it is about growth. It is about change. The Blessed Cardinal Newman said it all in a searingly wise single sentence: ‘To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.’ So the questions to be asked are: how have we, as a school, lived? How have we changed? How far along the journey to perfection are we? We can all come up with our own answers. The staff and Governors are charged with the responsibility of doing so on an ongoing, day-today basis. Others, though, such as Cardinal Nichols, take a longer-term perspective; what he had to say on the matter in his homily at the Centenary Foundation Day Mass is as instructive as it is encouraging: ‘Today I offer my warmest congratulations to The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School as we celebrate together this centenary. I congratulate and thank the School for the fine traditions it has fashioned
and maintained over these 100 years since its modest founding on 21 September 1914. I thank the School, and all involved in it, for its fidelity to a founding vision together with its development in response to constantly changing demands. Cardinal Vaughan School is both steadfast and innovative, a point of real strength in the diocesan network of schools and one willing to play its part, as called for by its motto, in loving and serving fellow Catholic schools in the Diocese. I thank you for this.’ And I thank the Cardinal too. I thank him for the continuity which he, by virtue of his office, represents and
which by his actions he promotes. My gratitude and best wishes go to you also for the part that each of you play in this wonderful community. I wish you and your families a happy and holy Christmas.
Paul Stubbings, Headmaster
www.cvms.co.uk
1
Centenary
Foundation Day Mass
2
www.cvms.co.uk
On Friday 19 September, pupils, parents and friends of the Vaughan gathered at Westminster Cathedral for our Centenary Foundation Day Mass. In what proved to be an incredibly moving and memorable service, highlights including the premiere of a specially commissioned motet by classical composer and conductor James Macmillan CBE, His Eminence Cardinal Vincent Nichols delivered this particularly thoughtprovoking homily to the School: “Today I offer my warmest congratulations to The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School as we celebrate together this centenary. I congratulate and thank the School for the fine traditions it has fashioned and maintained over these 100 years since its modest founding on 21 September 1914. I thank the School, and all involved in it, for its fidelity to a founding vision together with its development in response to constantly changing demands. Cardinal Vaughan School is both steadfast and innovative, a point of real strength in the diocesan network of schools and one willing to play its part, as called for by its motto, in loving and serving fellow Catholic schools in the Diocese. I thank you for this. The founding vision of the School is that of Cardinal Francis Bourne. On coming from Southwark to Westminster in 1903 he made education one of his key priorities. His concern was mainly with primary education but he had a vision of founding a network of secondary schools across this growing diocese. Your school was part of that powerful vision which took many generations to achieve. Cardinal Bourne’s time was a time of profound and widespread opposition to Catholic Education, not from a secularist standpoint but from the dominant Protestant Liberalism of the day. Cardinal Bourne had a long battle, conducted very skilfully, to defend and establish the position of Catholic Education as a true and proper expression of parental choice and therefore having a true and proper place in a democratic society. Bourne won the day, and so your school exists, as a memorial to his illustrious predecessor.
Our battles for Catholic Education today are less intense but real. We live in a very plural society in which cohesion and mutual understanding is so important. Catholic schools recognise this. Thus we put forward systematically the principles on which a good society can be based, drawing on the wealth of Catholic Social Teaching, a treasure that others are beginning to recognise. In the same vein, we have long recognised the importance of studying the beliefs and practices of other religions, doing so from the constructive basis of a living faith in God. If there is a problem with religious literacy today, with ignorance of other religions, as many are suggesting not least in light of the problems faced in Birmingham, the problem does not lie in faith schools, in Catholic schools. It lies elsewhere, wherever religious belief is treated in a minimal manner, or even disparaged. That is where the problem is to be tackled. At the heart of a Catholic school – as is demonstrated in this great celebration of Holy Mass – lies the person of Jesus. He calls us together, person by person, so that we can know, love and serve him – amare et servire – and in doing so find our fulfilment, just as St Paul says: ‘I want you to be happy, always happy in the Lord; I repeat, what I want is your happiness.’” Additional photos and videos of the Centenary Foundation Day Mass are now available from the School website: www.cvms.co.uk
www.cvms.co.uk
3
Centenary Celebration at the Royal Albert Hall Tuesday, 14 October 2014 The Centenary Celebration at the Royal Albert Hall was a very special occasion for everyone involved with the Vaughan, whether they are current pupils or teacher, previous staff, pupils, parents or friends of the School. As for ourselves, it was an event that will remain with us always and it was
4
www.cvms.co.uk
a privilege to be involved with such a momentous part of the School’s history. The Celebration was structured around a series of short films documenting the history of the School. Especially made for the occasion, the films were accompanied by music from the
incredible School Orchestra, Big Band, Choirs and Schola. The films, for us, highlighted the impact the School has on the lives of those it touches, not only the pupils but also those involved in some way with the Vaughan. One of the most impressive parts of the Celebration was the tone the School
took throughout. There is a fine line to be trod between celebration and self-congratulation, and it was a line the School always negotiated with aplomb. Our own part in the celebrations, though small, as we narrated on stage the lives of two of the most famous Old Vaughanians who gave
their lives in the Second World War, was an experience like no other. To have stood on the stage at the Royal Albert Hall and to speak to 5000 people is not something you get to do everyday.
to fill the Royal Albert Hall, and to have everyone there to celebrate our School made us realise how lucky we are to be able to say that we too attend The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School.
What made the evening so special was the support from everyone who attended. To have been able
Kit Stanford (Head Boy) and Harriet Lea (Head Girl)
www.cvms.co.uk
5
A Vaughan Education: Tom Vaughan visits the Sixth Form It’s not often the Vaughan is visited by Catholic aristocracy, but on Thursday 13 November we were extremely pleased to welcome Tom Vaughan, Cardinal Vaughan’s great-great-nephew, to the School. Speaking in an assembly with the Sixth Form, Tom revealed that while he had a very privileged upbringing, as the youngest of four brothers it was made clear from a young age that he would not inherit the family wealth and did not “leave home with a silver spoon in my mouth”. Without a University education or career so to speak of, at the age of 18, Tom, fearing he was unemployable, decided to take a £100 loan and set up business with his brother. As one of the first travelling discotheques, the business was extremely successful and went onto become the largest entertainment
Tom Vaughan: entrepreneur, businessman, novelist and great-great-nephew of His Eminence Cardinal Vaughan
business in the world, contracted in over 400 different hotels and 40 cruise ships. Inspiring pupils with his extremely entertaining tales of Portuguese police and entrepreneurialism, Tom’s eloquence and affability rendered him the perfect example of his one rule in business: “People like to do business with people they like”.
Valuing customer service above all else, Tom emphasised the importance of referrals as the key to a successful business and encouraged pupils to: “Never be afraid to stand out. Never be afraid to mark yourself out as an individual. Don’t be afraid to dream and don’t be afraid to dare to dream.”
“Don’t be afraid to dream and don’t be afraid to dare to dream.” 6
www.cvms.co.uk
Pupils & Politics:
Tom D’Silva leads Q&A with MP Zac Goldsmith
Earlier this term, Tom Daborn (Old Vaughanian, 2006 – 2013) and I ran a Question and Answer event with Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith for young people in the Richmond Park and North Kingston constituency. Tom and I co-chair Richmond Park’s Conservative Future (CF), which is the party’s youth wing for the area. Whether it be locally, regionally or nationally, there is no better time to get involved in politics and the result of next year’s General Election really is too close to predict.
Our main role at Conservative Future is therefore to increase political participation and voter turnout for young people, leading the canvassing sessions for the General Election.
Zac Goldsmith, Conservative politician and MP for Richmond Park
Seven Vaughanians attended the Q&A event, along with over 50 other young people from the constituency, with Zac facing a grilling Prime Minister’s Questions would have been proud of! I spoke to two of our Vaughan Sixth Formers to hear their thoughts on the evening: “As a member of Zac’s constituency, the Question and Answer session was a perfect opportunity for me to discuss local issues. The session included a range of different topics with many young enthusiasts taking it upon themselves to challenge the MPs views. It was fantastic to see such a good turnout from my fellow Vaughanians, with Tom D’Silva doing a grand job in chairing the Question and Answer session.” Nicolas Daborn, U6NH “Hearing Zac Goldsmith talk on a range of issues from Young Conservatives grill MP Zac Goldsmith on the issues concerning them and their constituency Palestine to the controversial third runway was fascinating, especially given the proximity of the talk to the upcoming election. It gave us all an insight as to where the party and the personal line diverge and how Zac is able to bridge that, often uncomfortable, gulf.” - Patrick Sayers, U6MT Nicolas and I have recently started up a Debating Society at School, primarily for Sixth Formers but also open to anyone with an interest in Politics and current issues. It is held every Thursday lunchtime in Room B9. Thank you to those who have come along so far. We hope to see you (and some new faces) again soon! Tom D’Silva, U6PF Zac Goldsmith with Richmond Park’s Conservative Future
www.cvms.co.uk
7
Battle of the Houses Campion, Fisher, More, Mayne This Centenary year has seen the reinvigoration of the House system at the Vaughan. With the aim of fostering increased involvement in the School community and encouraging interaction between the different year groups, Campion, Fisher, Mayne and More are once again a proud way of identifying each Vaughan student. The Michaelmas Term has seen a variety of new Inter-House competitions that have shown how wide the skill set of the Vaughan pupils really is. The main event has been what will hopefully now be the annual Cardinal Vaughan Talent Show. With performances ranging from an award-winning Irish dancer to a possible future member of the Magic Circle, via a rock band and a six part salsa troupe, the School really does have an eclectic set of pupils. All performed with star quality and enjoyed immensely by an encouraging audience, the Talent Show should
8
www.cvms.co.uk
prove to be a highlight of the School calendar in the coming years. The abilities of the Vaughan students takes on many forms and pupils from More and Campion have also been able to show their creative sides in designing a new House crest and VLE page. The winners of both of these competitions get to enjoy seeing their designs used across many different areas over the coming months. In addition to this, Inter-House sporting competitions have helped to introduce the new members of the Sixth Form to each other through the volleyball and mixed-netball tournaments that have been held. All of these events have been adding to the House points which each pupil collects for good behaviour, excellent work or showing an obvious attempt to be involved and helpful to the running
of the School. The points gained by each House were totalled up to show that Campion had earned the right of the House holiday and bragging rights for this term. The sight of Mr Christian (Head of Fisher) crumpling in Assembly at the announcement that Fisher had been pipped at the post showed how much the House system had begun to matter! Next term looks to be another exciting period for the Houses, with a photography and short film competitions that will hopefully lead into the inaugural Cardinal Vaughan Film Festival, challenging Cannes and the Oscars for the most prestigious accolades of the year! - Mr L Smith, Head of More House
Mr Smith speaks to More House in an assembly on the meaning and importance of Remembrance Day.
House Captains In September, all pupils were invited to put themselves forward to be elected by their peers as House Captain for their year group. This is who you chose to represent you and your House:
Campion
Fisher
Sixth Form Inter-House Volleyball Tournament
Dominic Ogbechie Ben Thomas Sam Malham Ben Walsham Sam Davies Jamie Fulker Nathan Anokye Alfie Hill Edward Morgan Luke Pericos Jad Dao Frankie McGovern Nicholas Davies Anthony Freely Sean Hill Josef Van Den Bergh Madeleine Oliver Laura Gallagher Matteo Di Paola Freddie Cornwell Emily Bassaly Chris Downard Cian Murray Celine Clarke
Greta Thompson sings her way to first place for Mayne House
Devlin Brant Callum Coen Herbert Mensuoh Tom Mars Noel Sarmiento Daniel Coen Luke Gregorio Khalim Ryder Matthew Bacarese-Hamilton Greta Thompson Fifi Hegarty Josh Quilligan
Lower School boys shake hands as the winners are announced
Mayne
More
Conor Higgins Morgan Harriott Loui Welbrock Bertie Townsend Harry Forster Francesco Zuchelli Liam Murphy Donte Watt-Yemoh Carolina Rosa Jack Nestor Samuel Mehari Isabel Machado
Further congratulations to the following pupils who successfully auditioned to represent their House in the Lower and Upper School Talent Shows: MAYNE: Andre Weston-Peters, Greta Thomson, Joseph Sawyer, Luca Pharaon, Sonny Laurel, Gavin Sabornido, Thomas McCann and Nicholas Onana- Doughty CAMPION: Dominic Ogbechie, Nathan Anokye, James Owusu-Apente, Molly Atkinson, Emily Bassaly, Nicholas Panchi, Juan Gaviria-Duen, Molly Atkinson, Mariela Pineda, Molly Atkinson MORE: Joshua James, Kacper Kielbasa, Oliver Moran, Conor Quinn, Charlie Cahill FISHER: Ethan Scanlan, Filippo Turkheimer, Marvin Salde, Logan Stewart, Ryan Healey and Bede Joly
Street dancers Gavin and Sonny (AKA In Sync), pop and lock their way to a double Mayne House win in the Lower School Inter-House Talent Show
www.cvms.co.uk
9
Life as a Brother Brother Mairesean’s personal testimony of faith
As part of their studies into the difference between a contemplative and apostolic religious life, pupils from the Third Form were excited to spend an RE lesson questioning the Vaughan’s Assistant Chaplain, Brother Mairesean O’Leary, about his personal testimony of faith. The lesson began with Brother Mairesean (or Brother M. as we like to call him) asking the boys about their perceptions of him and what they imagine to be the best and worst things about being a monk. ‘Free food’ and ‘the opportunity to meet amazing people’ were suggested as the greatest benefits of the vocation, while obedience, material possessions and being unable to marry and start a family were deemed to be the most difficult. Brother M. agreed with all of the boys responses and went on to answer their (many!) questions, explaining his journey from a sportsmad teenager to the man he is today: “As a child I was interested in religion but I was also equally interested in science - physics in particular. I was the eldest of six children and both my parents were teachers so I had a very normal upbringing and couldn’t
wait for the school bell to finish at the end of the day so I could go out and play baseball, basketball and (American) football with my friends. However, I do remember my mum really questioning her faith and wanting to know the answers—she did not take her religion for granted and I think that must have affected me. When I began University I saw bad things in a way I had never seen up close before. I started thinking,
‘If God is really there, how can he let these bad things happen?’ I’d argue with believers as if I was an atheist and argue with atheists as if I was a believer. However, I always found both sides of the argument to be insufficient. University was also a religious turning point for me through God’s favourite sport: basketball. Our team was extremely successful and through basketball I got a taste of what fame was like. I realised that it just doesn’t make people happy. Fame is not necessarily a bad thing, but it operates like a trap; it will never make you really happy. I realised that
Brother M. playing a game of ‘God’s favourite sport’ in the School Gym
as many bad things as there are in the world, I knew that I had family and friends who loved me and that goodness is better than all the other bad things. I still can’t explain why God doesn’t stop all the bad things, but I know that for whatever good is in the world it outweighs all of the bad. God suffers with us in Jesus. And in some way I think that we suffer so that love can grow stronger.
I wear this habit to keep me focused. Just because I am a Brother does not make me automatically any closer to God than anyone else, and this reminds me of what I am doing here. I know that God is calling me to this so that I can be focused on my happiness, and helping others to be happy too. Especially a happiness that never ends, which is what heaven is, and starts even now. Being a Brother is almost like being the winner of a negative lottery. Sometimes you cannot help but think, ‘why me?!’” St Antony’s parish in Forest Gate, where the Community of Saint John is based and where Brother Mairesean is a member
10
www.cvms.co.uk
Rob Lloyd-Jones in the Library On Thursday 9 October, we were delighted to welcome the pupil’s favourite author, Rob Lloyd-Jones, to the library for a full day of workshops with the First Form. Rob’s own journey from an easily distracted boy who “couldn’t read, wouldn’t read and hated reading”, to someone whose life revolves around books, clearly inspired many of the boys as they waved their hands in the air, vying for Rob’s attention.
It was very funny when he told us that he got into trouble at school for stealing biscuits from the staffroom because he was trying to act like his favourite story character [Robin Hood]
”
- Alessandro MacKinnon, 1MF Set in London in 1841, Wild Boy tells the story of an extraordinary boy who is covered in hair, raised as a monster and condemned to life in a travelling freak show. The novel (soon to be made into a movie) was one of a selection of books in the 2014 Bookbuzz. Bookbuzz is a reading programme from Booktrust, which supports schools to encourage reading for pleasure, independent choice and develop a whole school reading culture. Participating schools offer their pupils the opportunity to choose their own book to keep from a list of 17 titles suitable for 11 - 13-yearolds. Wild Boy was the most popular title chosen by the boys from the 2014 Bookbuzz list. Both Wild Boy and Wild Boy and the Black Terror are available for pupils to borrow from the School Library.
”
5 fun facts about Rob Lloyd-Jones
1) He was born in San Francisco but moved to England when he was young.
2) During a summer break Rob tried to cycle from the south of Alaska to the north. He didn’t even get half way. (‘No one told [me] it was that big’)
3) By the end of University, Rob knew that he wanted to write stories. He eventually got a job as a writer for Usborne Publishing where he wrote and edited over 30 books, on subjects such as Ancient Egypt, the Crusades and the history of London.
4) His favourite books are Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce. 5) If you ever meet him he guarantees that he will have a roll of tape in his pocket. And he’ll explain why.
www.cvms.co.uk
11
What’s On?
outside the classroom
Clubs &
Philosophy Club Wednesday lunch, Room 601
Societies
Sixth Form Interact Wednesday lunch, Room 406 Debating Club Thursday lunch, Room B9 GCSE Latin Support Thursday lunch, Room 405
Questioning Catholicism
One notable favourite is Chess Club. Here one of our Sixth Formers explains his love for the game:
Questioning Catholicism Friday lunch, Room 6
“About six months ago I discovered an old Romanian clock hidden within one of the cupboards in Room 101. Until that moment, I had not been aware that chess had been played at the Vaughan since the 1960s.
The A-Club Art Club Monday afterschool, Room 208
“It would be an honour if the Old Vaughanian Association could assemble a chess team and challenge us to a match.”
Homework Centre Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs Afterschool, Room 105 Crazy Colours Art Club Tuesday afterschool, Room 207
I should not have been surprised. Chess has been captivating players for nearly two millennia. Unlike draughts, chess has not been solved by game AI (Artificial Intelligence) and is still played at a professional level. Such is the vast number of possible moves that make chess difficult for a computer to crack and yet both enjoyable and challenging for a human player.
Chess Club Tuesday afterschool, Room 114 Scrapheap Challenge Thursday afterschool, D&T rooms History Film Club (L6/U6) Friday lunch, Room 406
Chess is also an exercise in concentration. Chess develops strategic planning and problem solving - benefits which the currently more popular pat-ball cannot claim to provide.
Sixth Form Rock Climbing Friday afterschool, Westway
I believe that when you sit down to a game of chess, your age, background and academic ability are non-essential. There is no reason why a First Former cannot defeat a Sixth Former, or even a teacher (as I have once done), and this is why the chess community we have at the
A full timetable of all the Vaughan’s extracurricular Clubs & Societies (inc. sport and music) can be found on the School VLE.
12
www.cvms.co.uk
Here at the Vaughan we place a high value on our School’s clubs and societies as a key element in providing pupils with a broad and well-rounded education. On top of the usual array of sport and music activities, this term a number of new extra-curricular clubs and societies clubs have been established.
Making Christmas hats in Crazy Colours Art Club
Players from the Vaughan’s 1978 Chess Club
Vaughan is as equally hospitable as it is competitive. Over the past few years, we have competed in various fixtures against local schools such as Holland Park, with the events enjoyed by all who took part.
“I believe that when you sit down to a game of chess, your age, background and academic ability are non-essential.” Now the School is in its centenary year, we hope to encourage some Old Vaughanian chess players back to the School for a game! It would be an honour if the Old Vaughanian Association could assemble a chess team and challenge us to a match. Please email staffh@cvms.co.uk if you are interested in getting involved.” - Artur Dybowski, U6NH
Questioning Catholicism is another important addition to the School’s list of clubs and societies. Held every Friday lunchtime by Mr Kelly and the School Chaplain, Fr Dominic, pupils are given the opportunity to ask sensible questions about any aspect of Catholicism, with a focus on explaining teachings which are so often misunderstood or criticised as being ‘controversial’. A few of the topics discussed this term include: the Church’s teaching on sexuality, the end of the world and the media’s presentation of the Church versus the reality, to the myth of opposition between science and Catholicism and the history of the Catholic Church in the twentieth century in the light of Hitler, Mussolini, Franco and Stalin’s rule. A variety of pamphlets, books and articles are also available for pupils to borrow. Art is also experiencing a new breath of life at the Vaughan, the School’s walls acting as something of a canvas
for our very talented artists. This is partially thanks to the two afterschool clubs that are run every Monday and Tuesday by Miss Cleary and Miss Carew. Here pupils have the opportunity to hone their skills and explore new techniques and crafts, one of this term’s main tasks to design and create their own Christmas party hats!
“I wanted to join Crazy Colours Art Club as I like art and want to become an architect when I am older. I am making my Christmas hat for my dad as he always rips the one from his cracker over dinner so I want to make a hat that he can’t break!” Oliver Govie, 1MF
www.cvms.co.uk
13
Enterprise club
The Real Business Challenge
The Enterprise Club was formed in the autumn of 2014. The Enterprise Club is for budding entrepreneurs who want to develop the practical skills necessary for running a business. As well as being very useful for those studying Business Studies or Economics, it is also good experience for anyone considering a future in business, large or small. Throughout the course of the academic year members of the Enterprise Club will be set a number of challenges and will enter an array of national enterprise competitions. The aim of the Enterprise Club is to develop independent thinking and learning as well as working together is cohesive groups to achieve goals. The first task of the Enterprise Club is to enter The Real Business Challenge designed by Coca-Cola. The Real
14
www.cvms.co.uk
Business Challenge is a national enterprise competition for students who will be in Years 9 and 10 from the start of the 2014/15 academic year. The Real Business Challenge is free and linked to the curriculum; it challenges students to work in teams to tackle a business task set by Coca-Cola Enterprises. It is work-related learning at its most engaging and provides an opportunity for young people to develop enterprise skills that will give them a competitive edge in today’s job market. The challenge for 2014/15 is to form a company and develop a new, sustainable, healthy juice brand that is inspired by the Special Olympics Great Britain (SOGB). Each company will need to present itself and its brand across no more than 10 PowerPoint slides. The School will select the best
entry for submission to Coca-Cola Enterprises’ judging panel. Coca-Cola Enterprises will look at all the entries and, in each region, the companies with the best ideas will be invited to a regional final where they will be given the chance to work with Coca-Cola Enterprises and SOGB on a live project and win some great prizes along the way. In the New Year the Enterprise Club hopes to take part in The Tenner Challenge and The Ryman National Enterprise Challenge along with exploring many other exciting opportunities. Mr P Kelleher, Head of Third Form
cardinal vaughan’s world challenge
www.world-challenge.co.uk
As the Vaughan moves into its second century of love and service, we are now offering pupils the opportunity to take on a World Challenge. World Challenge offers young people the chance to explore the world and experience different cultures, developing valuable life skills. It’s education through exploration, and we need your help to get it off the ground. In June 2016 we plan for up to twelve pupils from across the School to travel to Costa Rica. Here they will work alongside a local community or on a conservation project, immersed in the daily life and traditions to offer an unrivalled cultural experience. However, a World Challenge expedition starts long before the date of departure, with planning, team building, fitness training and fundraising being important aspects of the preparations. Over the next two years we hope that you will show your support for our young Challengers and help us to make a trip of this scale possible. Please speak to Mr Regan for information about how you can get involved.www.cvms.co.uk
15
To the Battlefields
Marking the centenary of World War One From Sunday 14 to Wednesday 17 September, Miss Sutton and two Upper Sixth students travelled to the battlefields of Belgium and France to commemorate the 100th anniversary of World War One. They were joined by a number of other local schools as part of the government’s new flagship scheme to mark the centenary of the start of the First World War and give thousands of schoolchildren the opportunity to visit the Great War battlefields. Here Sixth Formers Emily Bassaly and Harriet Lea describe their experience: “The immediate prospect of travelling through Belgium and France on a coach for four days may have been daunting but, in actuality, it turned out to be rather more than that. The focus of the trip was different on each day, and we used these focus points to try and relate what we were seeing to our own, modern, viewpoint. We began by thinking about a specific soldier from our area, and we were given the task of finding his grave at the Tyne Cot cemetery. Upon investigation, any graveyard shows that the war was a feat of international cooperation, which can be clearly seen by the lack of discrimination – Canadian soldiers are buried next to Scottish men and officers next to privates. The Imperial War Graves Commission (IWGC), the organisation which took charge of commemorating the dead, operates by the policy that ‘all are equal in death’, and we were able to see this concept in action throughout the trip. The extensive nature of the tour meant that we could compare the treatment of soldiers from many different countries, and, as such, one of the most poignant graveyards that we visited was the Landmark cemetery, which houses the remains of enough German soldiers to constitute an entire village. There are very visible differences between this graveyard and those instituted by the IWGC, but the sense of sadness about the place was no less than at any other. The war was not confined to one small area, and therefore the memorials placed at the sites of the former battlefields are spread around a large expanse of Belgium and France. The nature of each memorial is different, ranging from the massive Thiepval Memorial to the relatively small graveyards which require visitors to walk through fields to reach. Before this trip, it was easy to assume
16
www.cvms.co.uk
Top: Allied cemetery Bottom Left: Harriet and Emily joined with pupils from other local Schools Bottom Right: The Last Post at the Menin Gate
that all graveyards look exactly the same, but after visiting even a few, it became clear that this is definitely not the case. Each remembers the dead in different, but no less effective, ways.” - Emily Bassaly, U6AB “One overwhelming experience was our trip to the Belgian town of Ypres. Standing in front of the Menin Gate Memorial we were surrounded by the names of some 54,000 fallen soldiers; the sheer size of the monument, coupled with the town’s daily service of remembrance, emphasised the town’s enduring respect and honour for the War. We also saw a number of war grave cemeteries on our tour, an experience which was both solemn and fascinating. I was shocked by the contrast between the German war graves compared with the British and French war graves. Firstly, the German
cemeteries were far fewer than those reserved for the fallen allies. This was particularly highlighted in our trip to the Somme where white war graves of the British and its colonies were scattered between fields for miles. The German cemetery we visited had black gravestones, where one headstone had up to 13 soldiers beneath it and was hidden in a forest of oak trees. There was a mass grave in the centre of this cemetery with thousands of unknown German soldiers buried below.
France and Germany, suffered in the First World War. The Somme in particular was a vital part of the trip. Walking on the fields and viewing the trenches where the soldiers actually fought, and then visiting the graves where they fell, really helped us to understand the real life aspect of the war and is what made the Battlefields Tour such a memorable experience for us both.” - Harriet Lea, U6FC
Such a completely different atmosphere in the German Cemeteries was unexpected but, equally, distressing. To know that such a high number of soldiers remain unknown accentuated the need to remember all who fought and died fighting for their country. Overall the trip helped me to understand the extent of which not only Britain, but its colonies,
www.cvms.co.uk
17
News from the
Sixth Form Artists participate in the RBSS Sculpture workshop
Art Department It is always a hub of activity in the Art Department and we have, as ever, had an exciting and busy start to the new academic year. Starting in September, our Sixth Form artists had the wonderful opportunity to collaborate with London artist Almuth Tebbenhoff. Almuth Tebbenhoff is a member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors organisation (RBSS), which promotes high professional and creative standards among sculptors/artists and is committed to making the full range of contemporary practice accessible to all. Pupils visited Almuth’s sculpture, ‘Sunset’ (currently exhibited at Napoleon Gardens, Holland Park) before spending three afternoons with her in the Art Department as she taught them to create drawings and sculptures using clay and cardboard, working in newly spontaneous and instinctive ways. In November our Lower Sixth artists
18
www.cvms.co.uk
were then given the opportunity to visit the National Portrait Gallery and The Courtauld Gallery. They took inspiration for a coursework project based on expressive portraiture and figurative shapes. The National Portrait Gallery was the perfect location and pupils were introduced to contemporary artists Grayson Perry and Catherine Goodman, who both had current exhibitions of their work on show. At The Courtauld Gallery, pupils were lucky to explore the expressive figurative work of Egon Schiele. Lower Sixth artists sketched in the galleries and intrigued many wandering visitors with their own interpretations of Schiele’s work. The importance of pupils exploring and investigating art in the galleries of London is paramount to their creative experiences at A-Level, and we are incredibly lucky at the Vaughan to be just a short bus ride away from some of the world’s greatest masterpieces!
“Seeing an artist’s work in the flesh is incredible; you don’t seem to appreciate it properly until you’re standing right in front of it!” Oonagh Quinn, L6NC Our next A-Level Art trip is a little further afield. Over the course of February Half Term, we will be exploring the galleries and museums of New York. Sixth Form Artists will have the opportunity to be inspired by the exciting city for their exam unit, commencing in February. But more about the Art Department’s travels in next term’s newsletter! Miss N Carew, Head of Art .
This term’s Star Artists are: Alessandro MacKinnon Marcus Stalmanis Juan Martin-Hernandez Joseph Adesoji Maciej Romanowski Kai Emin Louis McNulty Don Evans David Layle Thomas Benjamin Starkey Dylan Chettiar Patrick McWeeney Michael Mendoza Giacomo Galdiolo Anthony Sarmieto Andrew Merizalde Sam Davies Alfie Hill David Skinner Benjamin Marshall Mike Bautista Felipe Restrepo-Giraldo Jan Kudas Dominik Sowidzki Edward O’Brien Matthew Sterne Josef Van Den Bergh Felix O’Malley Bridget Chin
www.cvms.co.uk
19
news from the
Music Department
Left: Schola sing for All Souls Day at Westminster Abbey Above: Schola record soundtrack for Paddington, in cinemas Nov 28 Far right: Centenary Celebration at the Royal Albert Hall
This has been an unusual and challenging term for the Music Department with the Centenary Celebrations offering a unique opportunity for the School’s musicians to display their talents to a huge audience on London’s most iconic stage. They rose to this challenge magnificently and the performances at the Royal Albert Hall on 14 October have received great praise. There many highlights that evening, from the choral singing of the 150 pupils in the main choir, to the Big Band and orchestral music, to the singing of the entire First Form as all 120 of them so memorably sang Jerusalem. It was a privilege to be in the centre of things and I hope that it will as long in the memories of the pupils as it will in mine. There is a DVD to remind them should they forget! I was very pleased that so many of the
20
www.cvms.co.uk
First Form wished to sing in the choir itself and that they have continued to attend following the Centenary Celebration, with most of them singing also in the St Cecilia Concert in November. Even more pleasing perhaps has been the very large number of Sixth Form girls who have joined the choir this year. I do urge them to continue attending especially next term when we perform Elgar’s great choral masterpiece The Dream of Gerontius in March. It is never too late to join the choir and any boy or girl who would like to sing is very welcome to attend the rehearsals on Friday morning. The St Cecilia Concert contained some very lovely playing and singing, with contributions from lots of the School’s ensembles with more than 150 pupils performing. There were two very pleasant Early Evening Recitals in November with strong playing especially from the Senior
String Ensemble and a strong Junior Concert early in December with lots of good playing from the younger boys. The Big Band performed at the Bull’s Head in October and also led the celebrations at the Senior Citizen’s Christmas party in December. The Schola was busy from the very start of term with the Centenary Foundation Day Mass only two weeks into term. That afternoon at the Cathedral they sang the Messe à deux chœurs et deux orgues by Widor, the role of the second choir taken by around twenty former members of the Schola who joined us for the occasion. The other notable visitor in the apse with us that day was the world renowned composer James MacMillan. The Schola had commissioned a new work from James MacMillan, a motet entitled Emitte Lucam Tuam, which they sang at the Offertory. Mr MacMillan was very complimentary
about the boys singing - saying so not just to us but to the nation later that day when he appeared on BBC Radio 3. The other very memorable occasion for the Schola came early in November when the choir sang at Westminster Abbey for the All Souls Day Service, singing the Requiem Mass by Gabriel Fauré. It was a great honour to be asked to lead such a key service in the church calendar and the boys respond admirably, singing very beautifully. Leo Blair’s Pie Jesu solo was especially striking. A number of the public who were in attendance took the trouble to get in touch to compliment the choir. A few weeks later we performed the Fauré Requiem again alongside other French music in a concert at Sacred Heart Church in Wimbledon, raising £1000 for School Chaplain Father Dominic’s charity, Grief to Grace.
In addition, the Schola has carried out its regular commitments, singing for the Papal Knights in October and enjoying the great privilege of returning to Westminster Cathedral for a Vigil Mass in November. The boys have sung on two movie soundtracks this term and can be heard on the new Paddington film that has been released for Christmas. Meanwhile, 10 boys have been busy singing in La Bohème at English National Opera. As I write we are preparing for the Carol Service (this year returning this year to Our Lady of Victories) which will I am sure be very well attended as always. It is such a delight to see the number of Old Vaughanians returning year after year for this occasion which many regards the start of their Christmas. The younger boys have performed Britten’s Ceremony of Carols on a couple of occasions and the entire Schola made its annual trip to Nazareth
House, singing Mass and Carols for the old and sick who are cared for by the extraordinary Sisters of Nazareth. Finally, just a word to thank all my marvellous colleagues for their work this term. I am very lucky that they are willing to stay after School for rehearsals and concerts and give up their time freely to provide so many opportunities for the pupils. And thank you also to all the pupils involved in the music-making - I am sure that everyone looks forward to the many challenges of next term. I hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas. Mr S Price, Director of Music
www.cvms.co.uk
21
Vaughan to Run
22
www.cvms.co.uk
Running from Cardinal Vaughan’s birthplace in Gloucester to his final resting place at Westminster Cathedral, from 14 to 19 September PE teacher Chris Bailey took on the extraordinary challenge: ‘Vaughan to Run’. Set up in memory of our School’s namesake, Cardinal Herbert Vaughan, third Archbishop of Westminster, this six-day, 193mile journey was just another one of the events organised to mark our 100th anniversary, with Mr Bailey completing his run on the steps of Westminster Cathedral—just in time for Foundation Day Mass. From staying overnight at St Peters Church, Gloucester, to the group of Sixth Formers who accompanied Chris across the finish line, ‘Vaughan to Run’ was very much a communal effort with every penny of the nearly £3,000 raised donated to Aid to the Church in Need and the Good Shepherd Project. Mr Bailey said: “I have been teaching at Cardinal Vaughan for 13 years so to take on a challenge as tough as this one offered a brilliant opportunity for me to give something back. I am grateful for all the support I have been shown so far and hope that many others will get involved and donate to the Good Shepherd Project.” Collecting funds to support and run the local Catholic school of Kassala, the Good Shepherd Project helps provide a place of safety and education for 990 local refugee children on the Sudanese/Eritrean border. Full details can be found on the ‘Vaughan to Run’ website (www. vaughantorun.com). Donations continue to be accepted through our online JustGiving page: www.justgiving.com/vaughantorun/
www.cvms.co.uk
23
!
THE CARDINAL VAUGHAN CENTENARY BALL
!
at the GRAND CONNAUGHT ROOMS
! ! ! ! ! ! 7.30pm - Saturday 20 June 2015 ! ! ! ! ! Further details to be announced soon ! ! ! ! ! !
24
www.cvms.co.uk
#cvms100
! ! ! ! !
The Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School www.cvms.co.uk 0207 603 8478
www.cvms.co.uk
25