Francis Holland School Newsletter February 2013 Amadeus!
From the Headmistress Dear Parents, As this goes to print, snow has turned Regent’s Park into a photographer's paradise and London roads are uncharacteristically quiet. However, school remains a hive of activity: lessons, public examinations, Interform drama rehearsals and 11+ interviews have continued unaffected, thanks to the commitment of FHS staff, some of whom commute long distances. Many girls are involved in this year’s Inter-form drama competition. Details of the early evening heats can be found in the online school calendar and parents are most welcome to attend. The finals of the Inter-form drama competition will be held on the 135th School Birthday, which will be celebrated on Tuesday 12th February. The adjudicator of the drama competition will be Miss Rachel Forbes. During February half term, Mrs Grant will lead a ski trip to Alpe d’Huez. We wish them a great week! All Lower Sixth parents are invited to accompany their daughters to the UCAS and Higher Education Evening on Tuesday 12th March, which will provide detailed information about university applications, including those to Oxford and Cambridge colleges and to universities in America and Europe. FHS parents whose daughters are not yet in the Sixth Form are also welcome
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A memorable and vibrant production of Peter Shaffer's Amadeus, produced and directed by Mrs Oakley, with musical direction from Mrs Rolfe Johnson, was the highlight of school drama in the Autumn term.
to attend. The evening begins at 6pm and the main presentations start in the Hall at 7pm. The Parents’ Association Committee will be hosting a Supper Quiz on Thursday 25th April; please keep the evening free if you would like an opportunity to meet other FHS parents and some of the teaching staff in an informal – but competitive! – atmosphere. Invitations and further details will be sent to you later this term. The highlight of this term’s concert programme will be the joint performance with the Choral Society of Harrow School of Haydn’s Creation at Harrow School, on Tuesday 19th March at 7:30pm. Tickets will be available from the FHS school office or from Mrs Rolfe Johnson, in the Music Department. I look forward to seeing you at these
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and many other school events during the term.
Mrs V.M. Durham
The Head Girl's Team Sponsored Skydive in aid of St Amedeus School The charity skydive, led by Head Girl Sophie, will take place on 9th March and includes thirteen Sixth Form girls, Miss Mahieu and Miss Hotchkiss. The funds raised will help to build new Science blocks at St Amedeus. Donations can be made to www. justgiving.co.uk/fhs-skydive Thank you for giving your support.
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Staff News Congratulations to Miss Angharad Langley, our current Acting Head of Psychology, who has been promoted to Head of Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE).
Effort, Achievement & Contribution to School Autumn Term 2012
Form Effort Achievement Contribution IIIJ
Anna Clayton
Mariam Mohammed
Emer Connolly
IIIM
Ella Sprosta
Antonia Burgess
Laura Stewart-Harris
Mao Saeki
Cassia Thakkar
IIIS Amanda Martins Miss Langley
We also offer congratulations to Mrs Tanya Chaimowitz on the birth of her second daughter, Eliya, who was born in April of last year and look forward to her return from maternity leave in February.
LIVJ
Emilia Wilson
Lael Johnson
Ellen Pallant
LIVM
Shree Kharwar
Eva Gimpel-Oxinalde
Andie Macarthur
Kelly Lutzius
Giada Pipicelli
LIVS Georgia Boardman UIVJ
Tatiana Green
Natalia Ruhe
Ella Barker
UIVM
Zinnia Silver
Holly Loveday
Willow Hellier Watts
UIVS
Alice Haine
Emma Mead
Sophie McMeikan
LVC
Georgia Young
Emily Maguire
Vida Fatemi
LVL
Tamsin Taylor
Xiusi Li
Millie Williams
LVW
Caroline Turner
Imani Strangeway Al Sayigh
Miranda Soskin
Olivia Turner
Clio Georgiadis
UVF Grace Schneiderman Mrs Chaimowitz and Eliya
Finally, we would like to warmly welcome Miss Rose Oloumi who has recently been appointed as the new School Secretary.
UVH
Mariam Hanna
Georgia Morris
Celia Stolper
UVP
Sophia Davison
Zoya Pervez
Clem Brookfield
LVI
Jade de Tourniel
Rebecca Harding
Molly Carl
Katie Jones
Talia Glantz
LVI Leila McGarel Groves LVI
Katie Rafter
Sarah Mohammed
Kitty Miles
LVI
Catherine Sinden
Tessa Sandford-Bondy
Julia Muccio
UVI
Chrissie Bradley
Yasmin Assan
Roxy Afifi-Sabet
UVI
Talia Brooks
Lizzie Teplukhin
Helena Hensher
Grace Whitehead
ZoĂŤ Silkstone
Tori Wolkind
Cecile Tulkens
UVI Numaira Choudhary UVI
Emma Harrison
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Congratulations!
Well done to both Zoës
Congratulations to all our Upper Sixth who have been offered places at highly competitive universities. Zoë Cannell has gained a place at Balliol College, Oxford, to read Classics. Zoë Silkstone has gained a place at Robinson College,
Cambridge, to read English. Tara Oberoi has also gained an early decision place at Cornell University, New York, to study Architecture. Mrs Forbes Head of Sixth Form
UPPER FIFTH CHARITY EVENT
FHS staff dance Gangnam style for charity!
This year's Upper Fifth charity event raised money for the Rainbow Centre in Sri Lanka. The Rainbow Centre works to enable children to break free from a cycle of poverty that would otherwise trap them in the world of crime, begging, addiction and abuse. It is a very worthwhile charity, and if you would like more information please visit www. rainbowcentresrilanka.com. This year the charity theme was FHS on Music Videos, and each class had to perform a short routine based on their F r a n c i s
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theme. We saw everything from Beyoncé to Gangnam style, in which the teachers excelled. With a cake sale, raffle and admission, we raised a total of £520 for the Rainbow Centre. It was a very successful event and the Upper Fifth charity committee, along with the rest of the year group, did a great job! Miss Gustave Head of Upper Fifth
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The Carol Service at St Cyprian's Church
Having been submerged for weeks with the production of Amadeus and the music of Mozart, the music of Christmas was suddenly upon us. Four choirs and the string orchestra were involved in the school Carol Services on the last Monday of term. As usual, we started with the candlelit procession of the medieval Hodie and on the insistence of Upper Sixth - "It’s our last Christmas!" - the Senior Choirs sang several movements from Britten’s Ceremony of Carols and recitatives and choruses from Handel's Messiah. Some wonderful readings and majestic organ playing from Ollie Lallemant made it a very special service. The collection from both Carol Services raised over
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£600.00 for the Musicians Benevolent Fund, a wonderful amount for a most worthy cause! The following afternoon, Sixth Form singers went to the Butterworth Centre in St John's Wood to sing Christmas music. The girls were wonderful with the patients and although we were there to give them some Christmas cheer, we also all learned a great deal from our visit. We intend to do some more for this centre later in the year. The term ended with yet more Christmas choral music in our traditional church service and after the staff pantomime, the whole school sang lustily in our annual rendition of
The Twelve Days of Christmas at the end of the final assembly. The Upper Sixth were well prepared with large rings and gold dust for the fifth day and the first years caught on to the "stand up, sit down" routine very quickly. It is always a brilliant way to end what is a very busy term. We have several concerts this term, and in particular I would like to draw your attention to our performance of Haydn's Creation with Harrow School on Tuesday 19th March. If parents would like to sing at this concert, they are most welcome to join us. Mrs Rolfe Johnson Director of Music
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Ten Upper Fourth girls attended a Science conference at the O2 Arena with Mr Ward and Miss Hotchkiss in November. The girls were prize winners from the Science Fair in June and the tickets were part of their prize. The speakers at the conference also included Simon Watt, the presenter of Channel 4’s Inside Nature's Giants and Professor Andrea Sella of UCL, who gave an enthralling lecture on "How did the zebra get its stripes?" Professor Brian Cox had the audience transfixed with his talk on the mysteries of the solar system, relativity and time and space travel. The highlight of the trip was the opportunity for the FHS girls to personally meet and chat with the speakers after the lectures. It was a fantastic chance for the girls to meet and talk with such a world famous physicist and Miss Hotchkiss managed to control herself reasonably well in the presence of her hero, Professor Brian Cox.
Science Prize Winners
meet Professor Brian Cox, OBE
Mr Ward Head of Science Department
Mr Ward and Professor Cox at the Science conference
Miss Hotchkiss is delighted with her autograph from Professor Brian Cox!
Trip to Lille Our annual Christmas visit to Lille on Saturday 15th December was once again a success. This year Miss Tucker, Miss Gustave and Mr Peters travelled with a group of Lower Fifth and Upper Fifth girls. Everyone stocked up on presents and the girls enjoyed practising their French at the various stalls. They also sampled a few delicacies, such as the delicious waffles from Meert. In the afternoon we were entertained by a group of Santas on motorcycles who took over Place Rihour and started singing Christmas carols. It was a delightful trip for all! Miss Gustave Modern Foreign Languages Department
Lower and Upper Fifth students studying GCSE French enjoy a school trip to Lille F r a n c i s
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Amadeus Main School Play: December 2012
Peter Shaffer’s interpretation of the rivalry between two composers makes for splendid theatre. This is the third time Mrs Rolfe Johnson and I have directed the piece, and it never fails to move me. Why is this? First of all it has got to be the music. Mozart may be characterised as infantile, mercurial and sometimes downright irritating, but his music transcends all that. Having the extracts played live, (and beautifully) by Mrs Rolfe Johnson’s hand-picked band of strings with the inimitable Ollie Lallemant on piano, was just inspirational.
Next, there is the privilege of working with talented young actresses. If you want to act at FHS you are going to have to stay late and rehearse long hours, so you need to be completely passionate; and you are going to have to wear trousers! Where else, but in a girls’ school does a girl get to play John Proctor from The Crucible, or Benedict from Much Ado About Nothing or Salieri in Amadeus? The enthusiasm, imagination, and total commitment the cast gave to the show was really quite humbling and I am extremely proud of them!
Finally, the play’s Brechtian structure makes for fascinating theatre. I hope that everybody who saw the production will have taken home a favourite moment, something they laughed or cried over, or even an uncomfortable moment of recognition, perhaps when Salieri addresses us all as “Mediocrities everywhere!”. Well, mediocrity is definitely not the right word for Amadeus. In fact it may be the best piece of theatre we have yet produced. Mrs Oakley English and Drama Department
Molly as Antonio Salieri 6
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UK Senior Maths Challenge December 2012
Spring 2013
Form Captains Games Captains
Caroline Coyne IIIJ Mina Guessous
Ella Sprosta IIIM Hannah Barlay
Ella Roeser IIIS Olivia Muccio
Amba Royston LIVJ Rae Farrow
Andie Macarthur LIVM Danielle Dunkley
Hilary Hollander LIVS Anastasia Michanitzis
Lucy Morris UIVJ Zoë Lowdermilk-Oppenheim Lara Shiels UIVM Georgina Miller
Christabel Coles UIVS Charlotte Hogarth
Jazzy Aked LVC Lizzie Quacquarelli
Jess Tuli LVL Ella Nickerson
Caroline Turner LVW Georgia Wright
Rim Douba UVF Nina Sarin
Mariam Hanna UVH Zhanna Shalabayeva Olivia Hugh-Jones UVP Rosie Minderides
Phillipa and Srutti win silver certificates for their performances
The results for the UK Senior Mathematical challenges are as follows: In the Lower Sixth, Srutti Suresan won a Silver Certificate as well as the Certificate for Best in Year. Well done, Srutti! In the Upper Sixth, Talia Brooks and Elizabeth Teplukhin were awarded a Bronze Certificate. Phillipa Taylor obtains a Silver Certificate as well as the Certificate for Best in Year and the Certificate for Best in School. Well done, girls! Miss Murugan Mathematics Department
Parents' Association News A very happy, healthy and peaceful New Year to you all – the Christmas festivities seem a very dim and distant memory already! We have no specific events this term but would like you to make a diary note for our Spring Event this year. By very popular demand, we are repeating last year’s event and hosting a Quiz Night on Thursday, 25th April. As always, this is an extremely popular occasion so we highly recommend you send in your replies as soon as you get the invitations, which will be sent to you in February. As you know, as well as a social evening, we aim to raise as much money as possible for the various charities supported by the school; therefore, I am getting in early here to ask for your very kind and continued 8
help: we are looking for donations towards the Silent Auction and the Raffle. For silent auction prizes, the minimum value is usually in the region of £250 – with no ceiling limit, of course!! Please dig deep and see if you and/or your company are able to donate a suitable Silent Auction prize; these are always an invaluable part of the evening’s fund-raising. We are always on the look-out for some lesser value, but nevertheless superb, raffle prizes and, again, would be most grateful for your contributions. If you feel you are able to make donations, please contact me by email on bac@ consultancyonestop.com. Thanks in advance for your kind generosity and we hope as many of you as possible will attend the Quiz Night on 25th April 2013.
Current Members of the Committee: Mrs Vivienne Durham – President Mrs Sue Silkstone – Chair Mr Rob Haine – Treasurer Mrs Fran Whitehead – Secretary Mrs Alex Francisco – Teacher Liaison Mrs Laurel Rafter Mrs Varney Polydor Mrs Andrea Haine Mrs Shalini Hinduja Mrs Susan Pym Mrs Sally Cowan Mr Paul Turner Mrs Zoë Goodway Mrs Dawn Hobson Mrs Tina Hughes Ms Rose Campbell Mrs Louise Reina Mrs S Silkstone Chair – FHS Parents’ Association
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream: Drama Workshop
On the afternoon of Thursday 17th January 2013 the entire Third Year enjoyed a workshop on A Midsummer Night’s Dream performed by The Young Shakespeare Company. This highly interactive and entertaining performance saw the girls creating the worlds of Theseus’ court and the mysterious woods through sound effects and performing a multitude of the roles including the four lovers. The workshop not only helped the pupils get to grips with Shakespeare’s complicated story line, but also the themes and language of the play, all of which they will go on to study in more detail in English lessons this term. We would like to say a huge thank you to The Young Shakespeare Company for such an enjoyable afternoon and I would like to congratulate all the Thirds for their warm welcome and enthusiastic participation. Mrs Bachle-Morris English and Drama Department
Scarlett enjoys the Drama workshop
The Young Shakespeare Company re-enact a scene from A Midsummer Night's Dream
Bottom has his ears tickled! F r a n c i s
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FHS Sports Report
Inter-form Hockey Tournament December 2012
The Thirds enjoyed the dance workshop!
Never a dull moment, already this term FHS has competed in the Middlesex Gymnastics competition – more to report in the next edition of the Sports Report, but we are all very proud of how the girls presented themselves. Our Thirds and Lower Fourth participated in a morning Dance workshop with the focus on cultural dance from Africa and India which certainly got the blood pumping! And the February Fitness Fortnight has begun; the FFF as we now like to refer to it, is a fortnight of fitness, strength, agility and speed testing carried out in lessons for the girls in the Thirds to the Lower Fifth to reflect upon and analyse with their peers. The PE Department also took a great trip to the Wembley Arena to watch the International Netball Match – Australia v England (there are mixed emotions about the final scores!). The fun "cranks up" a notch after the half term with the school
Sports Certificates Autumn Term 2012
IIIJ IIIM IIIS Sian Khan Lily Abel Iman-Esayo Dekonor Yasmin Morrell Hannah Barlay Olivia Muccio Gabriella Rapp Melissa Symons Anna Maria Petrushevski LIVJ LIVM LIVS Julia Casanova Danielle Dunkley Kelly Lutzius Alex Stephenson Amber McDonnell Helena Mantafounis Emilia Wilson Aisling Sheehan Saffron Taylor UIVJ UIVM UIVS Natalia Ameen Holly Loveday Annelise Appen Lucy Minderides Georgina Miller Alice Haine Christina Nakhla Zinnia Silver Zhanet Kostova-Thomson LVC LVC LVW Vida Fatemi Lydia Hook Hannah Badawi-Crook Isabelle Shirley Helena Snider Sasha Vanger Alfie Watt Jean Watt Georgia Wright UVF UVH UVP Rachel Cowan Sabrina Conroy-Iglesias Alice Acland Marguerite Fournier Alice Lumley Domenica Etherton Nancy Paul Isolde Shirley Olivia Hugh-Jones 1 0
Gym and Dance Display on offer at the start of March. The week after is our annual "Mini Marathon" and the term ends with the Inter-form Netball tournament. Interlaced around these events are the many team fixtures and FHS is also entered into the under-twelve and under-thirteen Middlesex Netball tournament and our u16 team have made it through to the County Netball finals, which is fantastic. Please do come and support these events if you have a spare moment! Congratulations to all girls who received a Sports Commendation at the end of the Autumn term. Your effort, determination and commitment certainly was noticed and the PE Department will be on the lookout this Spring term for further worthwhile recipients. Miss Tucker Head of PE Department
BSGA Annual Floor and Vault Competition January 2013
The FHS Olympic legacy certainly shone brightly on the Inter-form Hockey tournament this year. It was a wonderful week of competition and it was clearly evident that the quality of matches and standard of play continues to improve on an annual basis. Our girls certainly do love their forms and the cheers and squeals from the side-lines, plus the shouts of encouragement from on the pitch created a fantastic atmosphere. Suspense and excitement ensued in
the following week until the final school assembly, where the form winners and best & fairest players were announced. Well done to all girls who participated (which was pretty much the whole school) and many thanks to Miss Bain, Miss Gallagher, Miss Laytham, Miss Mahieu and Mrs Drummond, for making the tournament such a resounding success. Miss Tucker Head of PE Department
Winners from each year group are: IIIJ LIVS (won on goals for & against) UIVS LVC UVP Best and fairest players from each year group are: III – Felicite Auterac LIV – Minnie Kilgour UIV – Christina Nakhla LV – Lotte Bridgham & Millie Williams UV – Rosie Minderides
On Sunday 27th January, ten FHS gymnasts competed at Eleanor Holles School. They trained very hard and performed to a very high standard. Well done, girls! Miss Bain, PE Department F e b r u a r y
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On Tuesday 11th December I was fortunate to be invited to the Gold Award Presentation at St James’s Palace. At this ceremony three former FHS students were presented with their Gold Award. Katherine Arnot (Head Girl 2010-11), Erica Seal and Letty Steer were spoken to by HRH The Earl of Wessex (Prince Edward) and asked about several aspects of the award. He praised them, and all the young people present, for their dedication in completing the award.
m & Dance isplay
Gold Training: 9th February (10-4pm approximately, in school) Practice Expedition: 15th-19th July, Peak District Assessment Expedition: 26th-30th August, North Wales Silver Training: 9th February (10-4pm, in school) Practice Expedition: 25th-27th May, Chelmsford Assessment Expedition: 12th-14th July, Chesham Bronze Training: 7th September (9-4pm, in school) Practice Expedition: 28th-29th September, Harlow Assessment Expedition: 5th-6th October, Chelmsford Miss Laytham Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Co-Ordinator
Also awarded in December were several Bronze and Silver Awards. Congratulations to the following girls: Bronze: Catriona Biggs, Sabrina Conroy-Iglesias, Sarah Kehoe, Julia Muccio and Mim Sandler-Chadwick. Silver: Talia Glantz
Important Dates 2013 If your daughter has recently enrolled in any level of the award, please note the expedition training and expedition dates and venues are as follows:
Erica, Letty and Katherine with their gold awards at St James's Palace
FHS Parents’ Prayer Group
Fun in the snow!
The next FHS Parents’ Prayer Group meeting will take place from 9-10am in the Gloucester Room on Friday 8th March 2013. All FHS parents are warmly invited to attend. For more details please contact clare.macdonnell@fhs-nw1.org.uk. Ms Clare MacDonnell Head of Extra-curricular activities and clubs
Girls who volunteered to come into school to help with the 11+ examinations were rewarded with snow in Regent's Park, which arrived just as candidates completed their final paper. Perfect timing!
Future Dates for your Diary
FHS Gym & Dance Display
Tue 12th Feb School Birthday and Inter-form Drama Competition ................. 8:45am Sat 16th Feb
Ski trip to Alpe D’Huez departs (returning 23rd Feb)
Mon 25th Feb AS and A2 mock examinations for Sixth Form Fri 1st Mar
Lower Fourth Disco ........................................................................ 7-10pm
Sat 16th Mar GCSE Art Preparatory Workshop ............................................ 10am-2pm Thu 21st Mar Parents’ Evening with peripatetic music tutors .................. 5:30-6:30pm 21st-23rd Mar Upper Fourth History visit to Ypres Sun 24th Mar Model United Nations hosted at FHS .................................... 10am-4pm
Friday, 9th March 5pm 5pm on Friday, 8that March All parents welcome In the Hall, all parents welcome! F rancis H olland
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Wed 27th Mar Strings Concert in the School Hall ................................................ 6:30pm
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