Autumn Term
23rd NOVEMBER 2020 Issue 1 : 4th September 2020
Dear Parents, We come to the end of another busy week, in which mock examinations were held for Years 11 and 13 in English and Art, teachers continued to field the challenges of blended learning, and preparations are underway for the Carol Service (directed by Cecil B DeMille and Deacon Simon). The latter will be held via Teams, live, from various different locations within the school at 6pm on Tuesday 8th December. A number of girls will be contributing, and details will be circulated soon. Drs Wedlake, Poffley and myself also held mock interviews for the girls who are preparing for Oxbridge: so far we have heard that Grace G, Ellie J and Isabelle H have all received interviews for Cambridge, and I extend my huge congratulations on this splendid achievement. We were struck by the composure, articulacy and cogency of those whom we have seen this week, despite the naturally high-pressure environment of such a situation. Topics ranged across Marx, Plato, women leaders and their handling of the coronavirus outbreak, the Elgin Marbles, free speech and cancel culture, and Thatcherism. We await news of the three students who have applied to Oxford; fingers crossed. All will be interviewed remotely in the second week of December and we wish them huge luck. It is that time of year: please do support FOST and their wonderful online Christmas Fair; details below. A huge amount of work has gone into this, and all proceeds will go towards the second-hand uniform hut. We remain hugely grateful for everything FOST does to support the school, particularly in these circumstances. I was also lucky enough to have a sneak preview of this year's school Christmas card, painted by Libby C in Year 13. What a belter - well done, Libby! Oh, to be talented - it is exquisite. Next week, we look forward to seeing our 42 Year 8 girls back in school on Tuesday 1st December. They have been a credit in their approach to online learning, and my thanks to them, their teachers and parents. The challenge of having thirteen girls online and four girls physically present in my own Classical Civilisation class on Wednesday reminds us that, despite the relative normality of all the activities that continue, we are living in anything but normal times. However, it is the small things that always help us through: in another difficult week, I came back to my office yesterday to find two Tupperware boxes of potato, cheese and leek bake on my desk - my all-time St T's favourite. Thank you to the kind soul who put them there, and for reminding me, yet again, what a special place this is. Kind regards, Claire McShane.
ENGLISH NEWS Year 11 English Language and Literature Mocks English Literature Paper 2: Wednesday 2 December 11am (50 minutes + 50 minutes) Please remember that this paper is Romeo and Juliet and Unseen Poetry (50 minutes each)
English Enrichment Years 10 and 11 The Globe Theatre will be streaming their production of 'Romeo and Juliet' for young people from 28 September until February 2021. They also have family workshops available online. https://www.shakespearesglobe.com/watch/#:~:text=From%2028%20September%202020%2C%20you,filmed% 20in%20the%20Globe%20Theatre.&text=Packed%20with%20love%2C%20family%20feuds,students%20and% 20families%20to%20Shakespeare.
MATHS NEWS UKMT Senior Maths Challenge In November, students studying mathematics in years 12 and 13 participated in the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge. The 90 minute challenge consisting of fiendishly difficult multiple-choice questions is sat by students across the country. Particular congratulations go to Catherine L in Year 12, who achieved a gold award, awarded to the top 6% of participants. Well done also to Lucy-Kate C and Natasha T who were awarded silver certifications, as well as Scarlett A, Abby H, Saskia C and Gina Y who achieved bronze awards. Certificates will follow in the new year. Pictured below are some of the girls who participated in the challenge and an example of some of the questions.
ANNOUNCEMENTS Please could we ask girls to bring in headphones if one of their teachers is self-isolating and dialling in from home as this will avoid feedback. Monday's seminar on managing anxiety in your child through the exam period was fantastic. If you would like to take a look, please see recording at https://drive.google.com/file/ d/1kml5x3uiQI2wd5fV1EAdu37I_E31U6ax/view?usp=sharing
Dear Girls, We have been asked by Home Counties Carers to send in Christmas drawings so that they can share them with their elderly patients. Please can you give your artwork to your Art Teacher by Thursday 10th December so that we can send to them. Thank you
BOARDING NEWS We have had three birthdays to celebrate in the Boarding House this week Happy Birthday to Olivia (16), Azaran (14), and Aimee (13). Our evenings have been filled with drinking hot chocolate, decorating Gingerbread, and making paper chains to decorate the boarders’ bedrooms. On Saturday, the boarders all participated in a Treasure Hunt. Five games with different tasks to find letters that made a word. A video from each team was then made and judged at the end of the day. Well done, Peter Corridor for winning first place! Their rendition of Mamma Mia was so entertaining; they all joined in and dressed up for authenticity. On Sunday, we put up the Christmas trees for each house which creates such a homely feeling and gets us in the festive spirit. We are all looking forward to Christmas . Miss Mentz spent the weekend making mac and cheese and swiss rolls with the girls for food preparation and nutrition practicals. Next weekend all the Boarders will be having Etiquette lessons with Dr. McShane.
MUSIC NEWS I play the piano and love playing jazz on the trumpet. I decided I wanted to learn the trumpet when I heard the trumpets playing in Verdi's Requiem, and in which my mother and sister were also singing. My family are very musical. Mum (harp and piano) has performed professionally, and dad achieved Grade 8 with distinction on the violin. My sister also plays the harp and piano. She has performed widely in operas, including the Magic Flute and Gianni Schicchi. She hopes to make her career as an opera singer. Some of my best musical experiences include a choir tour to Lisbon and performing in Handel's Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall. I have also enjoyed taking part in music competitions and participating in numerous productions at Stagecoach. My ambitions are to hopefully get to grade 8 when I am a bit older, to go on more choir tours and to play in a jazz band and an orchestra. Jasmine, Year 9
The theme for this year’s Young Writer competition is “My Happiest Day”. All ages up to 17 are asked to produce a piece of fiction or non-fiction/story or poem, relating to this theme. It should be up to 550 words long or one side of an A4 sheet. Entries to be sent to Mr Mentz (n.mentz@st-teresas.com) by the end of November.
YEAR 7 SCIENCE CLUB Last week we saw the results of the dried fruit kebabs. The girls were excited to share their results, lots of impressive photographs and Freya even brought in her dried fruit kebab! The girls told us about the change in mass, with one of them measuring a reduction in mass of 50%. The girls understood the use of lemon juice for preserving, and were able to explain the mass decrease as a loss of water due to evaporation. Excellent!! After much discussion, the judges were unable to reach a unanimous decision and it was suggested that every entrant be awarded the trophy as joint winners. Well done Darcey, Layla, Freya, Eris and Katy - a super effort indeed! The task for this week is about balancing clowns! Hints to aid balancing include adding plasticine or paper clips to change the weight on the legs. The girls have been given some templates which they will colour and cut. Photographs of the balancing clowns will be used for judging. There will be points for decoration as well as balancing.
Year 11 Science support session Do you feel like you need a little bit of extra help? Did you struggle with online learning? Have you forgotten all you did last term? If you answered yes, to any question then you should come to one of the science revision sessions. Biology
Chemistry
Physics
When
Monday
Wednesday
Thursday
Time
Lunchtime
Lunchtime
Lunchtime
Where
28
28
28
MedSoc Exciting club for year 13 down to year 10, run by the Student MedSoc Committee, overseen by Dr Evans and Dr Wedlake. Alternate Tuesday lunch times, 1.45-2.15pm, on teams for Year 10, room 29; Year 11, room 28 and sixth formers, room 31. We will be discussing different conditions/diseases that were shown in the BBC programme ‘Diagnosis Detectives’ episode 3. If you are interested in all medical related issues and like to discuss ethical issues, look at case studies and listen to speakers then let Dr Evans or Dr Wedlake know so we can add you to the team.
Visit our website www.st-teresas.com/ equestrian
E-mail equestrian@st-teresas.com
Or find us on Facebook “St Teresa’s
We hope that you are all staying safe during the second lockdown. We are looking forward to when we can open again for afterwards. We will not be returning to our usual timetabled lessons until next term.
When the lockdown ends next week we will be organising ourselves to get ready for the adhoc and catch up lessons that are booked in for the week commencing Monday 7th December, and our lessons and activities for during the Christmas holidays.
Christmas Pony Afternoons For those who have booked in, or are thinking about booking in for the Christmas Holidays, please bring your own hat and boots to ride in as we are not lending out equipment until it is deemed safe to do so.
Reminder on dates! Adhoc lessons: w/c Monday 7th December Spring Term Riding starts on: Monday 11th January
NSEA Reports Unfortunately all competitions have been cancelled for the duration of the lockdown. We look forward to seeing the team back out in action in December!
This Week On Sunday we celebrated the feast of Christ the King. We recalled how Jesus turned earthly ideas of what a king was like on their head as, at the Last Supper, he knelt down and set us an example by washing his disciples feet. Jesus did this throughout his life. Rather than being born in a great palace, he was born in a stable. Rather than being waited on in a royal nursery, he was laid in a manger. Rather than courting the rich, popular and powerful, he chose his followers from the poor, the vulnerable and those cast out from society. Rather than a throne on a grand dais, his place of glory was on a cross on Calvary hill. And rather than a crown of gold, he word a crown of thorns. The Feast of Christ the King asks us to look at our world and our lives and to ask ourselves what is truly of value, what do we prize above all other things, what truly makes us fully human and fully alive. The example of Jesus reminds us that we are most human, most the person we are called to be when we follow his example and serve others.
Menu Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Starter
Soup of the day
Soup of the Day
Soup of the Day
Soup of the Day
Soup of the Day
Main
Traditional Beef Lasagne
Roasted Chicken Breast with Yorkshire Pudding
Locally Sourced Pork Sausages
Chicken Burritos with Fresh Tomato Salsa
Traditional Battered Cod or Cod Fish Fingers
Chef’s Trolley
Chef’s Salad & Marinated Olives
Chef’s Salad
Chef’s Salad
Shredded Iceberg Salad
Chef’s salad
Vegetarian
Fresh Vegetable & Quorn Lasagne
Fresh Vegetable & Noodle Stir Fry
Meat Free Sausage
Vegetable & Bean Burritos with Fresh Tomato Salsa
No Chicken Teriyaki with Noodles
Sides
Crusty Bread & Roasted Vegetables
Roasted Potatoes & Mixed Vegetables
Mashed Potato & Broccoli
Cajun Slaw & Sweetcorn
Chips & Peas
Additional
Jacket Potato & Beans
Jacket Potato & Beans
Jacket Potato & Beans
Jacket Potato & Beans
Jacket Potato & Beans
Dessert
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Coconut Flapjack Slice
White & Milk Chocolate Chip Sponge
Shortbread Biscuit
Fresh Fruit Salad
Items in Italic - Sourced from F Conisbee’s, our local butcher
HOLIDAY CLUBS AND EVENTS