Francis Holland School Newsletter July 2010 Alexandra rose day
From the Headmistress Dear Parents, The public examination season now extends from early May until late June and involves more than half the students in the school, because all the Lower Fifth sit three modules of their science GCSEs. Sincere thanks to the excellent team, led by Mrs. Jeannie Cohen, the School’s Chief Examinations Officer, that organised several hundred examinations with efficient calm and good humour - no mean feat!
Elena Georgiou and Isobel Apter sell their first rose to the Prime Minister, Mr David Cameron. Report on page 3.
As this newsletter goes to press, the visit of Father Faustine Furaha, Headmaster of St. Amedeus School in Moshi, Tanzania, is coming to an end. Father Faustine has spent two weeks at FHS and gave a memorable presentation about the work of his school in assembly. We look forward to continuing our sponsorship of St. Amedeus School and learning more about its work from Miss Gallagher, when she returns in September from her secondment in Moshi. Thanks to many of you who have attended the large number of school events in the second half of this term. In particular, girls have been well supported at events such as the Junior Concert, the Lower Fourth Science Fair, the Lower Sixth Italian play, the Upper Sixth Leavers’ Prize-giving Evening and the Evening of Jazz. The GCSE and A level Art exhibitions were most enjoyable occasions, as ever; we were delighted to welcome F r a n c i s
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Lady France, Chair of Governors until 2005, to the GCSE exhibition. Particular thanks to all in the Art department.
leadership speak for themselves. May both Miss Williamson and Rev’d Locke enjoy long, happy and well deserved retirements.
Two members of staff are retiring at the end of this term. Both have had most distinguished teaching careers. Miss Williamson, Head of English and Drama, came to FHS in 1992 and has inspired generations of students with her intellectual energy. Her passion for Shakespeare and Chaucer is little less than legendary! Miss Williamson has generously donated a school prize, a Poetry Quaich, which will be presented for the first time at the School Prize-giving Evening on September 30th at the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Rev'd Locke, Head of Religious Studies, taught for many years at North London Collegiate School and was Assistant Chaplin at Stowe, before coming to FHS. The results of the R.S. Department under Rev’d Locke’s
During the summer holidays, the Sixth Form Common Room will be enlarged and extensively refurbished to provide more space in September for the sixth form, which will number almost 120 pupils. Please see our website (www.francisholland.org.uk) for details of the school office’s opening hours during August and for details of events next term.
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With best wishes for an enjoyable and relaxing summer holiday.
Mrs. V.M. Durham 1
Staff News
Mrs. Oakley
Mrs. Catherine Longworth, Chair of Governors, presented a gift on behalf of the governors to Mrs. Oakley to congratulate her on twenty five years’ outstanding service to the school. Mrs. Oakley joined the English department in 1985 and has produced innumerable school plays and musicals, in addition to her teaching of English, Drama and Theatre Studies. Mrs. Oakley is Head of Careers and PSHE, both of which were categorised as outstanding in the 2008 ISI inspection.
We shall welcome a third science technician to the school next term, in addition to Mrs. Gelaye Unwin and Mrs. Nasim Kazemi, who provide sterling support to the teaching staff. Mrs. Mahima Shah will focus on assisting physics practicals, as well as contributing to general science duties. We congratulate Mr. Ward, Head of Physics, on being promoted to Senior Teacher, with effect from September. In addition to his current responsibilities, Mr. Ward will be in charge of teaching cover and room requirements and will work closely with members of the Senior Team. We say goodbye to several members of staff at the end of this term, including Rev’d Bullock, who has been inspirational in leading school services at St. Cyprian’s in addition to his classroom teaching of R.S. Miss Dickens, Head of Italian since 2006, leaves to become Head of a Modern Foreign Languages department. Miss Dickens has made an exceptional contribution to school life, having also been Deputy Head of Sixth Form; she has led many school trips, including one to St. Amedeus School in Moshi in 2008. Miss Calvo has gained promotion to Head of French; we thank her for all she has contributed to the French and Spanish Departments. We also offer best wishes to Mr. Grant (Head of Art), Miss Webb (Biology department) and Mr. Morris (Music department) : all of whom have contributed a tremendous amount to school life, not least to the staff Christmas pantomimes! We also thank Miss Bain for all her work in the P.E. Department this term, covering lessons for Miss Gallagher.
Well Done Congratulations to Francesca La Costa who was runnerup in this year’s NHS Careers Competition. Francesca designed a recruitment campaign for a job within the NHS, and the judges were very impressed with her efforts. She won a memory stick! Mr. Clayton Head of History and Politics Department 2
Summer 2010
Form Captains
Amelia Mehra
Jemima Sam Russell
Ella Williams IIIM Aoife Gratte
Andrea Bhattacharjee
IIIJ
Games Captains
IIIS
Kathryn Waters
Rachel Cowan LIVJ Sabrina Conroy Iglesias Eugenia Klemos LIVM Katia Pagano Danah Cred LIVS Hazel Hoodless Cecelia Reeve UIVJ Ella Marshall
aphne Chouliaraki-Milner UIVM Beatrice Kilgour D
Sarah Mohammed UIVS Rebecca Harding
Sara Vaziri-Tabar LVB Olivia Boothman
Catriona Higgins LVC Yasmin Assan
Saskia Grabiec LVL Marisa Goldstein
UK Junior Mathematics Challenge 2010 We have received the results for the UK Junior Mathematics Challenge 2010. In the Thirds, Bronze certificates are awarded to Isabelle Shirley, Georgia Young, Charlotte Bridgeham, Jasmin Aked, Lydia Hook, Georgia Wright, Charlotte Robson, Rosie Roberts, Olivia Escudier, Jessica Tuli, Rebecca Edge, Emily Maguire, Rosie Ling, Cordelia Groes and Alix Baker. Silver certificates are awarded to Emma Weideling and Ella Williams. In the Lower Fourths, the following pupils have received Bronze certificates: Margot Smith, Giorgi Polydor, Alisha Mukherjee, Isolde Shirley, Lucy Streeten, Stella Moore, Pandora Ballard- Rossiter, Saskia de Borchgrave Niblett, Sophie Davison, Clemency Brookfield, Deanna Chaytor, Amber Van Dam and Danah Cred. Silver certificates were awarded to Ruby SamRussell, Katharine Marris, Yasmeen Ullah, Sarah Kehoe, Olivia Hugh-Jones and Hanna Bayoudhi. Sabrina Jaffer wins a Gold certificate as well as the Certificate for Best in School. Well done, girls! Ms. Murugan Mathematics Department ju l y
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Alexandra Rose Day On Wednesday 16th June, two of our Sixth Formers, Isobel Apter and Elena Georgiou, accompanied by the Headmistress, Mrs. Durham, visited No. 10 Downing Street to meet the new Prime Minister, Mr. David Cameron. The girls were delighted that the annual tradition of sending our FHS girls to sell the first rose to the Prime Minister on behalf of the Alexandra Rose Charity was honoured again this year. The selling of the first rose launches the Alexandra Rose's Annual Collection.
Mrs. Durham, Isobel Apter and Elena Georgiou in the Cabinet Room at 10 Downing Street on Alexandra Rose Day (Mrs. Durham was allowed to sit the the Prime Minister's chair)
Thirds’ Science Museum Trip
Photography (and also page 1): Victoria Dawe
After a studious week of summer examinations, the whole of the Thirds relaxed with an enjoyable (yet educational) day out at the Science Museum. After registration we all braved the tube to arrive at South Kensington, full of excitement for our day ahead.
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We split into two groups and followed an itinerary of three exhibitions outlined by the museum. We visited the ‘Fuelling the Future’ exhibition, which showed us many alternative power sources for future generations and also the environmental effects they have. The most popular parts of the exhibition were the dance mats (linking the type of alternative power to its source) and the electric-shock pole (you place your fingers on a metal pole ). Randomly someone received an electric shock, all in the name of Science! We also watched the Science show ‘Rocket Launch’, which outlined just how difficult launching a rocket can be. To help get concepts across, pupils and teachers were pulled from the audience to become rockets! The grand finale of the show was a hydrogen fuelled rocket which erupted with a huge bang. Possibly the most popular exhibit we visited was the Launch Pad, a series of hands-on experiments relating to different aspects of Chemistry and Physics. We spent over an hour experimenting with heat-sensing cameras, generating power and feeling dizzy as we felt the effects of friction and centrifugal force on the spinning pole! We also managed to fit in a picnic and a trip to the museum shop before beginning our journey back to School. Many thanks to all colleagues who made this trip possible.
Violet Mendoza and Katey Jackson experiment with the electric-shock pole
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Dr. Welch Chemistry Department 3
GCSE and A Level Art Exhibitions
Thames Barrier: Lower Fourth Geography Trip On Tuesday 22nd June, the Lower Fourth enjoyed a hot and sunny trip to the Thames Barrier to learn about how it protects London from flooding. We travelled on a boat from Westminster Pier to the Barrier and visited the information centre to learn about how the barrier works. Following this, we visited the new 'View Tube' which overlooks the Olympic park to see the progress in building for the 2012 games. A huge thanks to Miss Sainty for organising and leading the trip and to Mrs. Bexon and Mrs. Forde for accompanying us.
For the second year the Art Department was able to hang the examination exhibitions within the department in the two main art rooms, which gives an ideal space to show the work of the students. Both opening nights were very well attended by parents and friends; and so were a fitting celebration of the work of the girls.
Miss Hack Head of Geography Department
As Head of Art I would like to thank the girls for their hard work and say that both the GCSE and the A level exhibitions looked absolutely stunning. The range of work now being produced in the department is phenomenal with ceramics, textiles, large scale painting, printmaking, mixedmedia, digital imaging and video. What is so impressive about the Art at Francis Holland is not only its variety but the girls’ individuality and technical confidence. Mr. Grant Head of Art Department
Italian Play: Due partite
Careers Evening: 6th October 2010
Due partite is a very funny and thought provoking play written by Cristina Comencini.
Our next Careers event is the Careers Evening on Wednesday 6th October, 2010. This evening provides all girls from the Lower Fifth to the Upper Sixth and their parents the chance to pick the brains of the professionals in a wide range of careers.
Every Thursday a group of ladies would gather to play cards and discuss their loves, lives and children while their daughters played in the next room. The play is a bitter-sweet comedy about the female world: four women, four friends who have discussions about their loves, motherhood, marriage, frustrations and hopes. Thirty years later, the daughters meet at a funeral for one of the mothers. Like their mothers, they discuss their hopes, dreams and fears, revealing that the fundamental identity of women hasn’t changed; on the contrary, it is still made up of endurance, patience, irony and pain. The Lower Sixth Italian class were responsible for directing, stage-managing and performing the play. Many thanks to Miss Dickens for all her support and guidance. Ms. Mazzon Italian Department
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What do you want to do when you grow up? Post-GCSE Work Experience As we go to press our Upper Fifth have just completed or are in the process of undertaking a week’s work experience. These lucky girls have secured placements in a huge variety of career fields, from News International to Lulu Guinness Handbags, from Tadpoles Nursery to “Sugar” magazine, and from the Evalina Children’s Hospital at St Thomas’s to Vessel Gallery mounting a commercial exhibition of modern art. The pictures show Tanya Robertson learning about the work of a journalist at The Daily Telegraph, Many thanks to all you wonderful FHS parents and friends who took these girls under your wing and gave them such fantastic opportunities to learn about working life beyond school.
I am busy writing to lots of FHS parents to ask them to describe the nuts and bolts of what they do, talk about their own career paths and share their expertise on how to break into competitive career fields; for example, what university courses they should consider and how to obtain work experience. It is an invaluable way to spark an interest, and perhaps, challenge a young person to consider careers they might not have thought would suit them. Most importantly, it is part of our challenge to the girls to plan for the future. If you would like to be part of this event, I would love to invite you. We begin with a buffet supper for our guests, before dispersing across the school where girls can come to hear presentations and talk face to face with the professionals. Please contact me via the school office or by e-mail to kate.oakley@fhs-nw1.org.uk Many thanks in anticipation to those FHS parents who volunteer to represent their profession on 6th October. Mrs. Oakley Head of Careers Department
Tanya Robertson (UVT) enjoys work experience at the Daily Telegraph
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Mrs. Oakley Head of Careers Department
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Islam and its Relationship with other faiths Londoners were probably slightly taken aback to see twelve FHS girls and two teachers walking down Park Road wearing headscarves and ‘trackies’ on what was probably one of the hottest days of the year. We were in fact going to visit the Central London Mosque to see an exhibition only open for a few days called “Islam and its Relationship with other faiths.” When we arrived we were met by Anisa who was to be our great guide – she even gave us a cold drink at the end of the trip because it was so hot. We had a brief tour of the Mosque and then spent time in the Exhibition which began with a Moroccan Copy of the Holy Qur’an written in gold. The exhibition contained several copies of the Holy Qur’an including one in Hebrew and some extracts from the Torah.
Several displays explained the roles of Christian and Jewish communities within the Islamic world and the Treaties to protect their rights. We were given a good introduction to Islam and Islamic ethics which we begin in next years GCSE course. The Exhibition taught us about the roles and rights of women, the value of the human embryo and other contemporary issues such as tolerance and justice. Overall it was a brilliant experience and we took away a lot of valuable information which will really help us in our R.S. GCSE next year. Many thanks to Mrs. Bexon for organising and accompanying us on the trip. Natasha Kleeman and Tori Wolkind (LV)
Lower Sixth UCAS Day All the Lower Sixth returned to school on Monday 14th June, for a University Application (UCAS) Advice Day. We had outside speakers from Imperial College, Oxford and Nottingham Universities, who explained to the Lower Sixth how the UCAS application works, and gave lots of helpful hints about how to write a good personal statement. This was much appreciated, as it is a daunting task having to persuade a university that they want to offer a place on their course to you, rather than all the other candidates – and all in 47 lines or 4000 characters! Mr. Jenkin explained how the actual on-line application works and Mrs. Oakley showed once again that she is a font of endless good advice on how to research university courses. Good luck to all the Lower Sixth as they begin their university applications! Mrs. Forbes Head of Sixth Form
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Junior Concert: June 2010
The Junior Concert this term took place on the evening following a rare victory by the England team in the world cup, with the optimistic bombast of the Dambusters March in the heady days when we still dared to hope… The best laid schemes of mice and men!
sonata, played by Alice Lumley. The great musical traditions of Germany were not neglected; we had a Beethoven Sonata crashing and cascading from the fingers of Francesca La Costa and the pure refinement of J.S. Bach was manifested in the Summer air by Natasha Lucas on the cello.
However, the evening blazed forth with flashes of colour from many lands and places; Sunny Spain was evoked in brilliant form by Olivia Hugh-Jones with her rendition of part of Lalo’s Symphonie Espagnole and by Bethany Wright’s performance of the sultry Habanera by Ravel. We were immersed in the colours and sounds of India with a mesmerising performance on the Veena by Srutti Suresan and the sophistication of La France was placed before us in the intricacies of Saint-Saens’ Oboe
We have not the space to mention all the soloists, but we thank them all, as well as the choirs and instrumental ensembles, including a very spirited performance of Rutter’s “Heavenly Aeroplane” by the Junior Chamber Choir. There were many performers from the junior school, who will be moving onwards and upwards, and we anticipate great things from them in the future. Mr. Thorne Music Department Jasmin Aked (IIIM)
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Alisha Mukherjee and Hazel Hoodless
Aine Monaghan and Florence Hastings
Clemency Brookfield and Lily Dogmetchi
Katia Pagano and Izzy Comber
Athena Thrasyvoulou and Danah Cred
Lower Fourth Science Fair
Zoya Pervez and Ellie Marks
Alice Lumley hard at work
Rachel Cowan and Alice Lumley
The winners with Dr. Ling Ge and Dr. Welch
After five weeks of hard work the grand finale of the Lower Fourth Science fair took place after school on Monday 28th June. Each entry was produced by two pupils; they had to answer a scientific question of their choosing. In order to do this they were given a display board and guidance on how to begin, but the direction of their projects was up to them. Three knock-out heats were held and the eight highest scoring projects were judged at the final. Parents and pupils were able to view all of the Lower Fourth projects in the Gloucester Room, prior to the finalists making their presentations and the judging commencing. The eight finalists were quizzed by the judge, and then each pairing presented their projects to the Hall. Our external judge was scientist Dr. Ling Ge. Ling is a Research Associate funded by Leverhulme Fellowship at Imperial College, London. Her research focuses on developing new theoretical tools for understanding condensed phase electronic states and applying these to ionic liquids. These are capable of producing substantial energy and environmental benefits. Ling works at Imperial College, London, in collaboration with Oxford University. We are grateful to her for giving up her time and expertise in judging the Science fair.After some careful consideration Olivia Hugh-Jones and Sabina Sadh (LIVJ) were announced as winners, for their answer to the question “Why do bees die after stinging us?” and were awarded the first place prizes. Many congratulations to all of the finalists for the high quality of their presentations, and well done to all of Lower Fourth for all their hard work and motivation in the past weeks. They are ideally placed to excel as they begin their GCSE’s in Science next year. Many thanks to the Head Girl's team for their help, the Science teachers for their continued support and the Lower Fourth for their enthusiasm! Dr. Welch Chemistry Department
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Main picture: Dr Murphy (new Head of Science from Sept 2010),Mr Davis (current Head of Science) and Dr Ling Ge with the winners of the competition - Olivia Hugh Jones and Sabina Sadh
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The winners receive their prizes from Dr Ling Ge
Aisha Samuels and Holly Fairgrieve
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Lower Sixth Tutor Groups: Trips Days (Post AS Examinations!) LVIKO: trip to the Sir John Soane Museum and the V&A Admittedly the reaction on being told we would be spending the morning of our Lower Sixth ‘bonding’ day at an architectural museum was not overly enthusiastic, yet I think I speak for all when I say how enjoyable the Sir John Soane Museum turned out to be, as well as our lunch at Brunswick shopping centre and visit to the Victoria and Albert Museum to see the Grace Kelly exhibition. On Tuesday 15th June my class assembled at nine thirty before hopping on the London underground to take us a few stops to Holborn, close to the Sir John Soane Museum. Having entered what appeared to be a rather normal and nondescript house, the eccentric interior proved to be in startling contrast. We were given a brief introduction to this house museum by a guide who told us how Soane had designed the house to live in but also as a setting for his collection of antiquities and works of art, before we were left to wander around freely and explore, very much in line with how Soane intended his collection to be viewed, where the visitor is free to make their own discoveries. Furthermore there is a noticeable lack of plaques in the house, and it is arranged in a manner as close as possible to how Sir John Soane left it, as this is the way Soane intended his collection to be seen, where the objects were to be admired for their appearance rather than their history. Amongst the amazing treasures set within the quaint rooms are an Egyptian sarcophagus in the basement, Hogarth’s renowned set of paintings ‘The Rake’s Progress,’ and the domed ceilings which caused much exclamation. The class was even more impressed after being told how this fascinating house was a source of inspiration for designers such as Manolo Blahnik and Paul Smith! The next stop was Brunswick shopping centre for lunch, a quick walk from the museum. As a result of the breezy weather we dispersed to try out the various restaurants available, such as Carluccio's, before reconvening (after a quick browse in the shops!) and setting off to the Victoria and Albert Museum to the Grace Kelly exhibition, much to our anticipation. The exhibition most certainly did not disappoint. Set in the heart of the famous fashion section, the exhibition was not only informative but also beautiful to the eye, with all the incredible dresses on display.
LVIKO outside the Soane Museum
LVIMD: trip to the Whitechapel Art Gallery and the Pineapple Dance Studios Despite the “late” ten o’clock meeting time at Liverpool Street Station, LVIMD’s outing began slowly; late arrivals, tired eyes and cries for coffee, however, were accompanied by a general feeling of enthusiasm. Our first stop was at Whitechapel Art Gallery, (a “fiveminute-walk” that with both our intelligence and Duke of Edinburgh's Award skills we extended to twenty minutes,) whose very abstract art was largely incomprehensible to us and thus most probably completely misinterpreted, yet enjoyed nonetheless. This was followed by a short walk through sunny streets to the Spitalfields Farm, which seemed wonderfully out of place, located behind the hustle and bustle of Brick Lane and from which we would have readily taken a couple of the charming goats back with us. Yet common sense prevailed, and we left the farm empty handed and hungry, promptly moving on to lunch at Wagamama. The final excursion, the brainchild of Miss Dickens, is certainly not one to be easily forgotten. Entering Pineapple Studios in Covent Garden, we mentally prepared ourselves for the experience that was to be learning the dance routine to Beyonce’s “Single Ladies.” Unfortunately it was probably not we who should have been preparing ourselves, as the dance instructor, having assumed that we were from a “performing arts school” could not have been less ready for the sight of LVIMD’s remarkable rendition of the routine, which could not have been a better end to such a lovely day. Kim Tance (LVIMD)
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For LVICD’s class outing, we travelled by bus to Euston Square to visit the Wellcome Trust’s exhibition on biomedical issues. When we were there, we were able to wander around the different rooms which contained the different aspects of biomedical research and addressed issues such as obesity and diseases such as malaria. These exhibition rooms presented these aspects of research in a way that was scientifically factual, and yet they could also be seen as works of art that can entice an audience and portray different interpretations. A piece that can be vividly remembered is the portrayal of obesity in the form of a grotesque, bulging model of a human with huge rolls of fat supported by a pair of stocky legs. The fact that science was combined with art made the experience much more enjoyable and interesting, especially for the LVICD inside the BBC studios non-scientists of the group! During our visit to the Wellcome Trust we also saw the new “Skin” exhibition, which contained many models of various examples of skin diseases and, again, some more art pieces also inspired by the science behind the human skin. As well as fake models in the exhibition, there were also real examples of skin from many years ago, inked with primitive tattoos, which, although they were quite shocking, were very fascinating. After lunch, we walked to the BBC studios, where we had arranged a tour. When we began our tour, we were taken past iconic props from famous BBC television shows, such as the real Tardis from “Doctor Who” and the vintage car from “Ashes
Having come to the end of the day we all parted ways, reflecting on how lucky we were to have access to such inspirational places to visit! Lois Brown (LVIKO)
LVICD: trip to the Wellcome Trust Exhibition and the BBC to Ashes”. We gathered at the news centre of the BBC where we could see many people working on hundreds of computers, researching the most recent events from around the world to be used on the news programmes later. We were then shown a short video of the history of the BBC, which included surprising facts about the broadcasting company, and we were then given a talk by our tour guide about the design of the actual building of studios, which had an interesting story behind it including a gin and orange drink! We were then given a tour of some of the different studios within the BBC centre, and we were even lucky enough to see the rehearsal of the filming of “Mock the Week”, of which many of us are big fans, especially of the comedians Russell Howard and Hugh Dennis, who we saw in the studio. We were also shown the secrets of weather broadcasting on a green screen, and members of our form were allowed to participate in making their own weather report, complete with moving graphics of the day’s weather in Britain. Some other members of our form were also able to get involved when we reached the end of our tour in the interactive room. Ranya read the day’s news complete with teleprompter, camera and theme tune, and Scarlett, Claudia and Lizzy took part in a “Weakest Link” style game show, which ended with Claudia winning and getting her own BBC Tours mug! The whole day was very enjoyable and we are all very thankful to Mr. Davis for arranging this class outing for us. Louisa Dearman (LVICD)
LVIAMC: trip to the London Aquarium and the Museum of Childhood It was an early Tuesday morning when, let’s be honest, going to the London Aquarium and the Museum of Childhood wasn’t our ideal ‘sleeping in till noon’ after finishing our AS. At 9.45 am we were standing outside the London Aquarium. However early it was the view around us was as glorious as ever; we were surrounded by the London Eye, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. Being the fast and sharp Francis Holland girls that we are, we rapidly moved in the queue for tickets, so that the moment the doors of the Aquarium opened, we would be first in line - if only we were standing in the right queue. Once having received our tickets and compared the pictures that were on those tickets, we decided to dive into the first room of the aquarium. The room instantly had the feel of schoolgirls as soon as we shrieked at the fish we saw. The enthusiasm throughout our visit was quite remarkable. After an energetic episode of LVIAMC at the London Aquarium fishy fun, we had a quick bite to eat at Eat! One of the best parts about having a day out with a teacher is that we did not have to be responsible for directions. Well, this is almost always true! Despite having to walk for what felt like a lifetime, we were amused by a woman surrounded by interviewers and paparazzi, and found out it was Janet Street Porter. When we found a bus that went to Bethnal Green, we were ecstatic, and were even more thrilled when we were the only people on the bus! The Museum of Childhood truly brought back memories. Some of us spent time looking at the old toys in the glass cabinets, whereas others decided it would be fun to play ‘dress-up’ in clothes suitable for a 6-year-old and play with Lego! It is safe to say that the most fun we had all day was dancing on the top floor of the museum to music from a jukebox, while playing in a sand-pit and watching a puppet show! This was such a surreal experience, and I will never forget it. The day was certainly a perfect touch for the end of exams.
LVIMD at the Pineapple Dance Studios
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Father Furaha (Head of St. Ame deus School, Tanzania) visits FHS
Miss Gallagher and Sixth Formers complete a charity bungee jump in aid of St Amedeus School
St. Amedeus School I love the way we have such a strong link with St. Amedeus School and think it is great how everyone at Francis Holland does all they can to fundraise for such a wonderful cause. This year has been an action packed year for the Head Girl’s Team fundraising for St. Amedeus in Moshi. Amongst other things we have done a bungee jump, organised an X Factor competition and judged the best cupcake, brownies, sponge cake and decorated cake in a Bake Off. Thank you to everyone who has donated money. As it stands we have raised £5,229.64, which is such an impressive amount, and I’m sure we’ll hear from Miss Gallagher how beneficial the money is. Alexandra Gillum Head Girl
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Parents’ Association News Welcome to the new Thirds' parents, whose daughters join the school in September. We will formally greet you in forthcoming events, but would like to take this opportunity of welcoming you to the Francis Holland Parents' Association. You are probably wondering how you can get involved with the PA and the school; we can help you there ... please read on! • Fundraising – All our events are in aid of charities supported by FHS. We have been raising much needed funds for St Amedeus School in Moshi, Tanzania, for a few years now; Francis Holland was one of a few establishments supporting the building of a new boarding school for Tanzanian orphans. The school is now built and open but woefully stocked. The best way to get involved is to come to the regular Parents’ Association events as often as possible. The next one is the Annual General Meeting on 12th October at 6:30pm. The theme is "How your daughter can succeed in the workplace". • The Christmas Fair – this will take place on Saturday, 20th November, 2010 from 2pm to 4.00pm. We need volunteers for a variety of jobs on the day – e.g., helping in the Xmas Café, manning the odd stall, selling raffle tickets, etc etc; the list never ends!! This is a wonderfully happy event that brings in the festive season and an excellent opportunity to buy some early Christmas presents.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Congratulations to the two groups who completed their Silver expedition sections over the last Bank Holiday. The weather was mildly better and the girls should be very proud of their efforts. One more group will be completing their expedition on the 9th-11th July; good luck, and don’t forget to pack sunscreen… e … D of E The Duke of Edinburgh's Award is ‘keeping up with the times’ and has now gone digital. The record books have been phased out and replaced with the e dofe. It is still very new, and there are teething problems, so please be patient and if you have any queries please do not hesitate to see/contact me. Once participants have been given their login details, they need to sign in and add all of the necessary information, and only then will they be able to see their full home page with each of their sections. Next, participants have to fill in questions about each section (ideally before they start, but not mandatory) and then I have to go through and approve each request. Once this approval goes through and the participant has completed a section, their assessor has to comment on her progress and show evidence of the time spent completing the section. It all sounds very arduous at the moment, but once a participant starts, and checks her e dofe often, I am sure it will become second nature! Congratulations to the following girls who have completed their awards: Bronze Silver Gold Hannah Davidson Katherine Arnot Naomi Haymon-Gorlov Alexandra Gillum Stephanie Gunther Mansi Patel Zoe Silkstone Aanya Singh Sian Taylor Sophie Watson
Wishing you all a very safe and relaxing summer break. Miss Mahieu Duke of Edinburgh Co-ordinator
Nell Brookfield and Mo Langmuir plan the Silver route
Please contact me via the school office if you can help. Wishing you all a marvellous summer holiday. Sue Silkstone Chair of the FHS Parents' Association Committeee Amy Shinder, Jasmin Assan, Emma Dabbs and Tara Oberoi on Silver Expedition 1 4
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FHS Sports Report Short and sweet, this summer’s term has been a delight for the P.E. Department, which has been a fitting end to a fantastic year. With very few rainy days and the sun shining for almost all of our lessons, this has definitely been a recipe for success. Both Rounders and Tennis matches were contested fairly and hard fought with a mixture of ups and downs for each team, which has been fantastic to see! A highlight for the term was taking a group of Sixth Formers to the Aegon Championships at the Queen’s Club in Baron’s Court. Seeing Andy Murray in person was a treat!
Looking ahead to the new School year, there are lots of opportunities for your daughters to get involved around the school. Netball, Hockey, Swimming, Gymnastics and Water Polo trials will kick off in the first two weeks of term, so girls must bring kit into school on the first day to be prepared early. Girls should sign up on the noticeboards first day back and take note of the times and dates for trials in their diaries. Sports teams are a great way to get to know more people in all of the year groups and develop sporting potential – 2012 is nearly here…
It feels like this year has whipped by, almost seeming like yesterday we were doing Netball trials for the Thirds. But a lot of sporting success has been achieved this year, starting with our Interform Hockey Tournament, Highgate Netball tournament and Middlesex Netball tournaments in the Autumn term. The Spring term was a wet one, but we did manage to fit in the MDD Dance Workshops, the British Schoolgirls Ski Races, more Middlesex Netball tournaments, the Middlesex Gymnastics competition, the rain-interrupted Interform Netball Tournament and the stunning Gym and Dance Display by the end of the term. The summer’s pinnacle is still to arrive in the form of our Sports Day and Interform Swimming Galas.
Quietly toiling away this year have been our South African sports tourists. Every Tuesday and Friday mornings at 7:45am most have been dragged into school, bleary eyed, to train for the tour in October. The results are clearly evident, and the girls are physically and mentally much tougher than at the start of the year. We will put up a strong fight against our South African hosts, and seeing first hand the country’s treasures will be a wonderful experience to last a lifetime – let’s hope there are no Vuvuzelas (world cup trumpets) still on sale by the time we get there!!! Have a wonderful Summer’s break! Miss Tucker Head of P.E. Department
FHS Staff Tennis Tournament
Staff enjoyed a social evening including a tennis tournament in Regent's Park before half term. Thanks to Miss Tucker for organising the event. Steve King and the kitchen team supplied a delicious barbecue.
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Mosaic Club I would like to thank Surabhi Bhatnagar, Lois Brown, Hannah Davidson, Louisa Dearman and Ranya Mulchandani from the Lower Sixth, who regularly spare an evening after school to spend with the elderly people from the St John’s Wood Neighbourhood Care Group. The members of the group greatly enjoy the girls' company, and very much look forward to this weekly activity. We are currently undertaking an ambitious mosaic project for the Jack Taylor School, which is progressing well thanks to the combined efforts of everyone. Miss Stowell Art Department Technician
Lois Brown and friends at the Mosaic Club
FHS PARENTS’ PRAYER GROUP A group of FHS parents meet informally twice a term to pray for the life of the school and its community. We welcome parents from all Christian denominations, so do come along and join us if you are able - or make contact if you are unable to meet with us during the school day but would like to be included in our mailing list. You can email us on fhsprayergroup@hotmail.co.uk . We meet in the Gloucester Room at school from 8.30 to 10.00. The first prayer meeting of next term will be on Wednesday 15th September. Coffee and biscuits provided.
Girls in the Lower Sixth meet Mr Birchall after the talk Both pupils and staff thoroughly enjoyed John Birchall’s highly interesting talk on Globalisation at the Economics assembly on 30 June 2010. The topics addressed were also relevant to the History, Geography and Politics curriculum, ensuring a Both pupils and staff thoroughly enjoyed John Birchall’s captivated audience.
highly interesting talk on Globalisation at the Economics assembly on 30 June 2010. The topics addressed were FutureandDates Head Start Day also relevant to the History, Geography Politics for your curriculum ensuring a captivated Wedaudience. 1st Sep Meetings for new staff and Heads of Year. The last AS exam was June 10th. The very next day we had Oxford and Cambridge Applications running a Caption for inphoto: Girls Head Start Day school, for those who are considering applying Birchall after the talk. to these universities.
Thu 2nd Sep Staff meetings and INSET Day (no girls in school)
in the Lower Sixth meet Mr Fri 3rd Sep Induction Day for Thirds, Lower Fifth,
Mon 13th Sep Welcome Evening for Thirds' parents
6-7:30pm
Thu 16th Sep Sixth Form Open Evening
5:30-8pm
Thu 30th Sep Prize Giving at Queen Elizabeth Hall
Mrs. Forbes Head of Sixth Form
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Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth 9am-2:15pm Mon 6th Sep Autumn Term begins for all 8.25am
Eight of our own Lower Sixth students attended, plus other students from Francis Holland, Sloane Square, and Queen’s College.
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