Hymers Review_Spring Term 2024

HYMERS REVIEW

A ROUND-UP OF OUR SPRING TERM 2024

We Will Rock You takes to the stage

Our senior students from Years 9-13, together with a live

band, entertained packed audiences with their performance of the musical We Will Rock You.

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Our students were at the Modern Foreign Languages Spelling Bee regional finals in Leeds. All three students qualified for the national final Cambridge University in July! Zainab MH - 1st in Spanish, Reya G - 3rd in Spanish and Aidah I - 1st in French.

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At the Capitol in Washington, in the rain! Nothing has dampened our spirits though.

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Our NCS Life Skills group took part in a community service activity, partnering with Beverley in Bloom at Beverley Train Station. We were proud to see them embracing the opportunity to make a positive impact in their community.

Well done Rafael, Megan, Pranav and Marceline!

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Mateo, Jorge, Tom and Mel took part in the Modern Foreign Languages Debating Competition at St Peters, York. They represented the school in French and Spanish, displaying exceptional skills and dedication! Well done, or should we say, ‘bien joue!’ and ‘bien hecho!’

GENERAL REVIEW

‘Alex Sutton Prize’ Awarded for Year 10 Chemistry Challenge

Almost 30 students in Year 10 took on the newly created Year 10 Chemistry Challenge at the end of January.

The contest saw 12 teams of enthusiastic students taken on a real-world laboratory situation, identifying five clear, colourless solutions which had lost their labels, with only minimal equipment. All of the teams successfully managed to identify the solutions in times ranging from 27 minutes and 13 seconds to as little as five minutes and 43 seconds.

Gordon Prescott, Head of Chemistry, said: “The challenge had a high degree of difficulty. In addition to knowledge of acid-base chemistry, the students had to work together to produce an organised procedure which avoided duplicating tasks. They also had to be prepared to adjust their plan in real-time to adapt to the information their results revealed and to any difficulties they encountered.”

After completing the task, the teams of two were judged on time, their reporting, health

Careers Convention

Our annual Careers Convention was held in March for students to network with business people, service personnel etc., to gain insight into their desired career path. Here at Hymers College, we take great pride in our award-winning careers support and guidance. We are particularly grateful to have support from our Old Hymerian community, plus former parents and students, who help to provide invaluable insight for pupils and parents into the world of work after Hymers.

and safety, teamwork and organisation, plus a set of 23 unusual questions designed to test their creative thinking.

Third place went to Isabella H and Adam M, second place to Thomas B and Zyana C, and in first place we had Raphael S and Wenhao Y.

The winning team are the first holders of the Alex Sutton Prize, created in memory of a long-serving and distinguished previous Head of Hymers Chemistry. Joining in 1962, Alex Sutton taught at Hymers for a total of 40 years, with 34 of those years as Head of Department.

OH Jonathan Snee

OH’s Gemma Stephenson and Sarah Lightowler, Croda.

Hull

and East Riding pupils take on Hymers College Science Challenge

More than 50 students from schools across Hull and the East Riding headed to Hymers College in January for their inaugural Science Triathlon.

There were set practical challenges for the Year 10 pupils in Biology, Chemistry and Physics. 11 schools competed in the Science Triathlon, including St Mary’s College, South Hunsley School, Withernsea High School and Kingswood Academy. They were mentored by Hymers’ Sixth Form students throughout the competition.

Steven Williams, Director of STEM at Sirius Academy North, said: “The Science Triathlon has furthered our pupils’ love of science, giving them a goal to aim towards and opening their eyes to possibilities in their future that they probably wouldn’t have imagined beforehand. It’s great for them to have this experience at Hymers College. When you’re teaching day to day, you don’t have the opportunity to do things like this. To be able to really stretch and challenge our pupils is fantastic.”

Luke Fuller, a Science Teacher at Holderness Academy, said: “The competition added a new aspect to our pupils’ learning. It’s allowed them to experience something new and to do some wackier experiments. Our pupils enjoyed using the new facilities at

Hymers, as well as having a peek at some of the old equipment that has been saved from the school’s history.”

Justin Stanley, said: “We pride ourselves on being a part of our community and what better way than to open our doors to other local schools. Having recently refurbished our science laboratories, it was a pleasure to see lots of new people enjoying them.”

Hull-based companies Wood and Cargill, Croda in Goole and Phillips 66 in Immingham have sponsored the Science Triathlon challenge and awards ceremony.

Emily Pennack, Development Manager at Hymers College, said: “We are incredibly lucky to have such an engaged employer and alumni community. Our Old Hymerians have shown support for a wide range of activities, from events to bursaries supporting pupils through their time here at Hymers. As well as heavily supporting our students and school events, our alumni are often panelists at our HymersCAN (Careers and Networking) events throughout the year, which are designed for any local students in years 10 to 13 to get the inspiration and knowledge they need to succeed in a range of careers.

The winners collect their prizes at an awards ceremony on 6 February held in the Main Hall.

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Methum W has received a special invitation. In recognition of his 100 not out for Hymers College against MCC in June 2023, the club has invited him to visit Lord’s Cricket Ground for an Achievement Day during the Test Match between England and Sri Lanka!

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History and Classics were proud to present a seminar on International Women’s Day. Well done to everyone involved and thank you to their audience!

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Daneen S, Polly K, Riya G and Parul K in Year 12 competed in Imperial Schools 2024, one of the UK’s largest debating competitions, hosted by Imperial College. Daneen S and Polly K reached the Novice Finals and Polly made the ‘Top 10 Novice Speakers’ list! Well done girls!

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We were delighted to welcome pupils from 11 schools across the region to our Science Triathlon. Thank you to the schools and sponsors Wood, Cargill, Croda and Phillipps 66.

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Nine of our Year 3 girls played their first ever Saturday competitive football game for Walkington against Chanterlands Girls Football Club. We hope they continue to love the game for many years to come!

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We had a cracking day of hockey at HMC Boys tournament. The boys did fantastically, drawing four and losing two against some excellent teams. Well done all involved and thanks to Pocklington Prep School for hosting a top event.

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Congratulations Orlaith on representing Humberside at the English Schools National Cross Country Championships.

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The end of term games session for our U13 hockey squad was used as an awards presentation. Well done to Isaac for winning most improved, Omar for winning Coaches Player B’s, Antoine for winning Coaches Player A’s and Ben for winning Players’ Player.

National Finalists SPORTS REVIEW

Hymers College’s U15 rugby team beat six teams from across the country to reach the England Rugby National Plate final.

The annual England Rugby National Schools tournament saw over 650 teams from across the country compete for the opportunity to play at an international stadium for the coveted title.

Hymers hosted Oundle School in the semi-finals in a very close match, showing real resilience to win 22-21. They faced Cranleigh School in the final on Tuesday 12 March, competing at StoneX Stadium in North London, home to Premiership team Saracens.

Justin Stanley, Headmaster commented: “I am delighted for the players and our sports staff. We have a rich sporting history here at Hymers, especially when it comes to rugby, and making it to the final is a wonderful way to recognise the hard work and dedication that has been put into the boys’ training.”

Steve Walmsley, Director of Sport at Hymers College said: “We are incredibly proud of all of the players. They are a fantastic bunch who demonstrate true commitment and camaraderie.”

Congratulations to U15 squad captain, Keiji, who made his debut playing for Hull KR last month.

A message from the Headmaster

In ancient times, from all over the Greek world, travellers would journey to the holy site of Delphi. They came to visit the shrine of Apollo, the god of prophecy, light and music, and consult the worldfamous oracle. The travel writer Pausanias who visited the site in the 2nd century AD informs us that worshippers who came in search of Apollo’s wisdom were met by two gnomic inscriptions above the doorway to the temple.

The first inscription read: “Nothing in excess”.

Throughout history this maxim has generally been interpreted to advise self-restraint and moderation in all things and to advocate that balance is essential to a healthy lifestyle. Of course, such a sentiment is certainly not unique to Greek thought; it is shared in many philosophical and religious traditions across the world such as Chinese Taoism, Islam, Judaism and Christianity.

The activities and events that are highlighted in this edition of the Hymers Review undoubtedly speak of a busy and full school life for our pupils. However, they also speak of a breadth of opportunity and experience that we believe is essential to nurturing wellrounded and confident young people. The single-minded pursuit of absolute excellence in one particular discipline - whether that be academic or extra-curricular - does have its place in a high quality education, and there is no doubt that high performance requires focus, commitment and dedication. At the same time, concentrating too much time on a single pursuit can prove to be limiting to a child, who is unlikely to be aware of the myriad of different ways in which their lives may unfold ahead of them. Therefore, in order to ensure that we expand, rather than limit, the horizons of our pupils as they consider their futures, at Hymers we positively encourage pupils to try things that they have not tried before and get involved in a wide range of co-curricular pursuits.

Swimming Success

Great results from all of our Junior School pupils attending the Hull Active School Team and Individual Swimming competition resulting in an overall team win.

In addition, we want our pupils to be able to recognise and appreciate the talents and efforts of others and be exposed to high quality in a breadth of different fields. Most pupils at Hymers do not end up professional musicians, dramatists or sportspeople; however, it is genuinely life-enhancing for all of us at the School to have the opportunity to watch young people excel in disciplines in which they may well end up making a career. For example, it is a huge privilege for our pupils to be able to enjoy the outstanding performances of our musical stars on a weekly basis in assemblies. Some of these experiences will stay with our pupils for life.

The second inscription that greeted worshippers above the doorway of the Temple of Apollo was: “Know thyself.”

By making the most of the breadth of a Hymers education, participating in a wide range of co-curricular activities and studying academic and creative subjects that are not on offer in all schools, our pupils do get to “know themselves”. They learn about their strengths and weaknesses; they learn to challenge themselves and find that they have talents that might otherwise go undiscovered; they develop character traits, such as self-esteem and resilience, which will be invaluable to their later happiness and fulfilment. And they make friends for life.

The outcomes of a high quality education are far more than simply a string of top exam grades.

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Our boys and girls teams both came third in the Humberside Badminton Championships played at the Hull Badminton Centre in February. The standard of play was very high - well done to all involved.

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The staff PE team have been working with our Head of PE, Mrs Johnston, on the reintroduction of gymnastics to our curriculum. We hope that our students have as much fun as we did!

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Patrick, Hugo and George have represented the Under 15s Hull Schools, city reps football team who were today declared champions of the Yorkshire Federation Schools Football League. They travelled the region all season unbeaten. Fantastic news boys - well done!

Congratulation to all including the individual medal lists - Annabel (25m Free), Henry (25m Back, Breast and Free), Olympia (25m Breast) and Freddie (25m Free).

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Huge congratulations to Year 10 student

Danah E who has successfully been selected for Rhinos Netball U15s School Games Squad!!

Great work Danahgood luck.

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Year 6 proudly showing off their self-portraits.

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Congratulations to Dylan in Year 7 who, after winning the International Piano competition for Juniors in France, was invited back to perform at the all winners concert at Hymers College.

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It was a joy and a privilege to be in the audience for this evening’s concert. Numerous outstanding performances, not least from our Year 13 students who have contributed so much to Hymers music over the years. Bravo and thank you.

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We are incredibly proud of our Year 6 Choir who were finalists in the Barnardo’s National Choral Competition and represented the school superbly.

ARTS REVIEW

Senior Production of We Will Rock You

Our 2024 Senior School musical production, We Will Rock You, saw over 40 students act, dance and sing, accompanied by a fantastic live band, bringing Ben Elton’s hit comedy musical to life.

Set in a future world, where live music is forbidden, the rebellious Bohemians break away from the brain-washed Ga Ga Kids and their Killer Queen to find the ‘mighty axe’ and embark on a mission to save rock and roll.

Given how highly the Arts are valued here at Hymers, it was no surprise that so many students understood the show’s message -

of the value of live music – and were eager to audition for the production, which was performed to sell-out audiences. The show, with Mrs Fong as Musical Director and Miss Witts as Director, was supported by a team of 16 students who undertook vital technical roles such as camera operation, lighting and sound, projections, curtain operation and set and prop management, led by a strong staff support team.

The musical, featuring all of Queen’s best-loved hits, was performed in our Judi Dench Theatre, which will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year with a Senior Drama production of Hamlet

World Book Day

The Year 6 Leadership Club - with help from Mr Doyle - organised a fun-filled day of book-related activities including a costume parade, a book treasure hunt, guess the missing book character as well as a re-enactment of George’s Marvellous Medicine. Well done to the club!

Classics Trip to Warwick

Hymers Classics students travelled south to the Ancient Drama Festival at Warwick University

They were treated to a series of university seminars and an excellent performance of Aeschylus’ Persians. Some fantastic speakers provided great insight into the classical world and its relevance today. They took the opportunity to catch up with some old friends - Old Hymerians Charlotte Heald (History), Sewmini Narasinge (Law) and Elly Hong (English and Creative Writing) - while they were down there. It was great to hear about how they are all thriving in their first year at Warwick University!

Year 6 students enjoy DT lessons

Year 6 students have been part of some extended learning with our Senior School Design and Technology Department this year.

They have used a range of traditional wood working tools and these pencil tidies are the second project they have worked on so far.

Fantastic work Year 6!

NCS Life Skills

NCS Life Skills sessions have started this term for students in Years 11 and 12. They aim to help develop young people’s skills and confidence ready for adult life. Well done to the students for producing these paintings, which will be on display at Filey Train Station this summer!

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Well done to our World Book Day poster competition winners for your fantastic entries

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Our amazing senior prefects still clutching their scripts from a superb assembly on the importance of education to girls for International Women’s Day. Thank you for speaking so movingly about your experiences at Hymers!

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A fabulous day of music making for the Junior School House Music Competition. Stunning solos and great group singing. Well done to the winners, Brandesburton.

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The Walk and Talk club ventured to pastures new this week and found a den! Sandwiches were eaten, stories were told and everyone had a great time. The club is open to all junior school children - just bring some suitable footwear and a packed lunch.

Hymers Hessle Mount

Year 1 Production of Rock Pool

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Year 1 students at Hymers Hessle Mount are made the most of their gymnastics topic this term with some jumping, balancing and forward-rolling.

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Whenever the weather allows, the children at Hymers Hessle Mount make the most of their outdoor PE sessions, especially when Miss says they can have the parachute out!

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From parades to plays, the pupils at Hymers Hessle Mount had so much fun for World Book Day. Thank you to all of their parents for helping them to create such amazing costumes.

Head of Hymers Hessle Mount, Mr Copeland, was delighted with the display of talent and creativity in the Year 1 production of Rock Pool

The play took the audience on a fun, light-hearted, rocking adventure under the sea filled with friendship, determination, acceptance and community. It wasn’t just the acting that stole the show - the children’s artwork created a wonderful backdrop.

Science Week

For Science Week, Year 2 built rockets using vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. This meant things got a little explosive! There were fizzes, and bangs. In the words of one student, “that was the most coolest thing I have ever seen in the whole world” ...and we have to agree!

Bird Week

The production was also taken ‘on the road’ to the local Tranby Park Care Home where the children brought joy to the residents. Well done to all involved!

Pancake Race

It was time to take to the field for the annual Pancake Day Race.

The children conquered the obstacles in record time! All the children and teachers too, who couldn’t resist having a go, did really well and had a flippin’ good time.

This popular annual event once again thrilled the children, with visits from…

Please

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