BY LILA BREWER ALUMNI RELATIONS AND DEVELOPMENT TRUST OFFICER
The Return of the Tunnels An update from our Headteacher, Miss Deborah Stanley
Our current students as well as many of our alumni are aware of the Second World War tunnels that we can access at the rear of the school, together with Miss Helen Keen’s contemporary art work from that time, which has become more widely known through ‘A Schoolgirl’s War’ written by Mary Smith. The last picture in Miss Keen’s collection of Second World War paintings at MGGS dates from 1948 and is entitled ‘The end of the trenches’. Those who are observant will have noticed that this painting is not from the rear of the school, but the front, as the land is clearly rising.
In summer 2019 we were privileged that the Kent Underground Research Group rediscovered the entrance to these tunnels and we were able to explore underground. The tunnels at the front of the school are a mirror image of those at the rear of the school and are in better condition. As with the tunnels at the rear of the school, the walls have been used by teachers to assist learning. These have all been documented by the team from Kent Underground Research Group, and in due course we hope to make more widely available. Of most interest, was the drawing below. At the bottom of the drawing is written the name, Marion. If anyone knows who this might be we would be interested to hear from you.
If you have visited the school since summer 2019 you will not have noticed these tunnels.
For
health
and
safety
reasons
we
refilled
the
entrance.
The
school’s
Development Trust have agreed to fund the opening of these tunnels so that we can take groups of people down. We know so many MGGSA (MGGS Alumni) and others are very interested in the school’s history and we are now working to make the tunnels more widely accessible. In order to do this we are planning to build an extension on our current Sports Hall to create a visitor centre to be open to the public during school holidays. There clearly is a cost to this project and Lila Brewer, our Development Trust Officer, is currently leading on our fundraising campaign called ‘A Step in Time’ to generate the funds needed for this project.
If you would like to learn more and find out how you can help support this project you can email Lila directly on dto@mggs.org or look at our website:
https://www.mggs.org/connected-community/development-trust-office
The school’s motto: 'non sibi sed omnibus': ‘not for oneself but for all’, is something we firmly believe in. We are privileged as a school to have such a fantastic historical resource, which we believe we should share with the wider community. We hope you will join us in making this a reality.
Miss Deborah Stanley Headteacher
In a world that is so busy 'doing', this garden can be a space to 'be' rather than 'do'.
THE WOODLAND GARDEN OUR SPACE TO REMEMBER AND REFLECT The MGGS Development Trust was delighted to welcome The Mayor of Maidstone, Cllr Marion Ring as the guest of honour on Tuesday 9th July 2019 to officially open ‘The Woodland Garden ~ our space to remember and reflect’.The project was born from an idea of Mrs Green, our School Counsellor, who wanted to create a safe space where students, staff and their families could mark significant milestones in their grief and where, as a counsellor, she could work with students to support them. It is a sobering statistic that 1 in 29 young people have experienced the death of a parent or sibling and many more will have experienced the death of another loved one, such as a grandparent, a friend or a pet. Mrs Green commented, “I am pleased that the project has grown to be so much more. Nature can be calming and grounding. In a world that is so busy 'doing', this garden can be a space to 'be' rather than 'do'. A space to remember a loved one but also a space to reconnect to nature, to others and to ourselves, and a space to reflect on what is important in life in the midst of the stress and busyness. A space that the whole MGGS community can use. I look forward to using
Everyone wouldn’t
at
MGGS
have
been
is
thrilled
possible
with
the
garden
without
the
very
and
it
generous
donations from Headstart Kent, Bovis Homes, the MGGS Parents and Friends Association, current students and staff as well as our beloved alumni.
this garden to support students, for example, by creating memory stones that
can
be
placed
here
as
part
of
their
counselling,
or
outside
of
counselling at a time that is important for them to mark, to being able to take our work out of the counselling room into this beautiful space where
The garden has provided a place for the friends and family of MGGS to leave a legacy. Mrs Lila Brewer, The MGGS Development Trust and Alumni Relations Officer said, “It has been wonderful to work with families and see their joy
they can reconnect and reflect."
in having their own bench, sculpture or an area of the garden
'The Woodland Garden’, designed and created by Greenwood Landscapes, has a theme of circles. Circles have strong symbolic meaning and have been
used
throughout
the
garden
to
represent
inclusion,
wholeness,
nurturing and unity. We ran a competition to design sculptures for the garden and the winning entries have been brought to life by a local blacksmith. Each form group takes turns in looking after the garden to ensure that it is well maintained and there is a real community feel about it. This garden is not only for the students to enjoy, but also for them to take ownership of, with a sense of responsibility and dignity.
in memory of a loved one." Former MGGS student, Pauline Unwin,
contacted
the
Development
Trust
because
she
wanted to create a memorial at the school for her mother. Susan Rosier was a much loved and well respected maths teacher at MGGS until she retired due to ill health in 1997. Sadly, Susan never got to enjoy her retirement as she passed away shortly after leaving us. Staff and students collected money for her family, who wanted to use it to create a memorial. The Woodland Garden has provided Pauline, her father Brian and her family with the opportunity to do just that. They have sponsored the beautiful Moon Gate and a rose in Susan’s memory, as well as a bench which will be positioned next to a cherry tree at the entrance to the garden.
MGGS Alumni (MGGSA) Update
Alumni Focus Would you like to feature in our next newsletter? Please do get in touch to tell us what you have been up to since you left MGGS. We'd love to hear from you!
We also want to inspire our students by creating some posters to go up around
Upcoming events December 2019
the school, highlighting the career paths that our alumni have chosen. If you are happy to feature in a poster, please get in touch.
Y13 Careers Interviews
Spread the word!
January 2020
Please help us to to trace as many MGGS alumni as possible; we want you all
A Step In Time ~ 10,000
to feel part of the MGGS community. The aim is to hold regular reunions and we are also looking into mentoring schemes and networking events. In order to
Steps A Day Challenge
get these up and running, we need as many alumni on our database as possible. Alumni can sign up using this link:
March 2020 https://www.mggs.org/connected-community/development-trust-office
Head Students 2000-2018 We are planning to add the names of all MGGS Head Students from the last 2 decades
to a board in the Main Hall. If you are in contact with any Head
Students from 2000 onward, we would be grateful if you would you ask them to contact us.
A Step In Time ~ Keep Calm and Dance Show
Spring / Summer 2020 Head Student board unveiling
Careers Update It has been a busy Term 6 for Careers, our Year 13s are in the process of sending off their UCAS applications for university with some already receiving offers! This year we have had 164 applications to process, with a range of courses applied for from Medicine to Graphic Design. After applications are made, universities request to meet the students in person and hold interviews; therefore, we have had many requests for practice interviews from the students. The alumni response to the initial request to help chair the practice interviews has been amazing, and we are incredibly grateful to those who have already volunteered their time and expertise. There is still time to help out as interviews will continue into the New Year. If you'd like to chair a practice interview, please email Miss Hodges (amyhodges@mggs.org) with your availability and area(s) of interest (e.g. Healthcare, Law, Art and Design etc). The feedback received from the students about the value of having a practice interview is always positive, as it helps them build confidence before the big day. We couldn't offer such a diverse range without alumni help and support, so thank you. Amy Hodges, Careers and Higher Education Coordinator.
MGGSA Reunions
MGGSA 2009, 10 year reunion.
The MGGS Development Trust were delighted to welcome back a group of alumni who left MGGS in 2009. Bethany S, our Head Student for The Development Trust, and Izzy B from Year 9 took the group on a tour of the school before
they
gathered
refreshments
and
to
in
Buckland
share
House
for
with
one
stories
another from the past 10 years. There was much excitement school
and
as
the
group
reminisced
travelled about
around
their
the
time
at
MGGS. It was wonderful to hear about their experiences and they enjoyed the opportunity to see both which traditions have remained and where
improvements
have
been
made.
The
MGGS Development Trust would like to hold more reunions for our alumni.
We'll meet again?
A
note
from
Alumna,
Christine
Warne
(nee
Armstrong):
1949 will seem a long time ago to many people, but,
seventy
years
on,
a
group
of
MGGS
old
(literally!) girls still meet up every year for lunch, to chat and to reminisce about our school days. We have held a separate reunion of our class of ’49 for over twenty years now and most recently, the venue has
been
where
we
The
Horseshoe
met
2019.Hopefully
this we
Pub
year shall
in
East
on
18th
meet
up
Farleigh,
September again
next
September and we extend a warm welcome to any others of the class of ’49 who would like to join us. Please contact lbrewer@mggs.org if you would like to get in touch with Christine about joining them.
Supporting MGGS The MGGS Development Trust Office has raised over £100,000 since 2017 from the generosity of parents, alumni and friends of the school. This has allowed us to replace the failing power distribution system in the main hall, which prevented the use of the stage lights, the refurbishment of the school library and the creation of ‘The Woodland Garden ~ Our space to remember and reflect’ In order to sustain Maidstone Grammar School for Girls’ successes, it is important that the MGGS Development Trust continues to grow. This ensures that the very best facilities are available for our students, supporting them academically and pastorally.
WE NEED
YOUR
Alumni HELP
The MGGS 1888 Society
Update
We are delighted to be launching The MGGS 1888 Society in January 2020. As you know, MGGS was founded in 1888, at its original site in Albion Place in Maidstone. The MGGS 1888 Society is an exclusive group of alumni with two tiers of membership. Level 1 - Alumni who pledge to donate at least £18.88 per month to The MGGS Development Trust. Level 2 - Alumni who pledge to donate at least £18.88 per year to The MGGS Development Trust. Each level will come with its own member benefits which will be announced in January 2020. In order to join, please complete and return the standing order form (and Gift Aid form if applicable) at the back of this newsletter. If you already donate, you will be automatically enrolled at the applicable level.
The MGGS Legacy Society 2020 will see the launch of the MGGS Legacy Society, which will allow participants who are perhaps not able or willing to donate during their lifetime, an easier way to benefit the School and reduce the tax burden on their family. Inheritance tax-efficient, legacies can be left in a variety of ways to suit individual circumstances. More details will follow in due course.
One-off or regular gifts We are very grateful for all donations, big or small. You are able to donate to The MGGS Development Trust via our Virgin Money Giving page www.virginmoneygiving.com/fund/astepintime, by cheque made payable to the MGGS Development Trust or by BACS . Please pay: Account Name: The MGGS Development Trust, Sort code 40-31-06, Account Number 32495813
Easyfundraising Help raise funds for MGGS whenever you shop online, without costing you a penny! Use easyfundraising to shop with over 3,300 big name retailers including Argos, John Lewis and ASOS – when you shop, you’ll raise a free donation for Maidstone Grammar School for Girls every time, it’s that easy! This video will show you how: https://youtu.be/CiTr2doXM_o. We have so far raised over £850 from 111 supporters. Just imagine how much we can raise in 2020 with more friends of MGGS signing up!
Volunteering We would love to hear from you if you are happy and able to get involved with organising fundraising events and/or various administartion tasks for The MGGS Development Trust.
Grants If you hear of any grant making trusts who you feel would be able to help us with our projects, please do get in touch with us.
Fundraising Ideas Do you have any experience of successful fundraisers? Do you have fundraising ideas to share? If so, it would be wonderful to hear from you.
WWII at MGGS Here at MGGS we are very proud of our history and are pleased to be able to share it via 'A Schoolgirl's War and our primary school tunnel visits programme.
Alumni Update
A Schoolgirl's War A
Schoolgirl's
War,
written
by
Mary
Smith
-
former
MGGS
Headteacher, is an evocative record of school life in wartime bringing together an exquisite and unparalleled set of paintings of girls at school during WW2, and first-hand recollections of pupils who
experienced
the
disrupted
schooling,
the
air-raids, the
doodlebugs and the lessons in underground shelters. MGGS art teacher Helen Keen set out to record the life of the school as the war unfolded. Her paintings have never been published before. Those pictures and the vivid memories of the old girls, now in their 80’s and 90’s, will move you and surprise you. The material will be a rich read for anyone with an interest in the history of the home front in WW2. The selling price is £10 (plus P&P), with profits going towards various school projects. Copies can be ordered via the following link:
http://www.mggs.org/latest-news/its-here-a-schoolgirls-war-bymary-smith-the-story-of-a-kent-school-during-world-war-two
Primary School Tunnel Visits We host visits to our WWII tunnels experience for primary school students. Interested primary schools can request further information by contacting Lila Brewer via dto@mggs.org.
MGGS Today Head Student, Bethany S and our team of Development Trust Ambassadors (DTAs) share their views on the work of the MGGS Development Trust.
Working
MGGS
Since the opening of the refurbished Mary Smith Library last January, the Development Trust would like to
Development Trust is a new
with
share with you the impact it has had on students’ learning and school life. Below are some student
role
perspectives on our Library.
this
year
the
for
the
Head
Students and I was more than ready
to
take
it
on.
I
love
How have the students at this school benefited from the new library?
working with the Development
"I think that students have benefited from the library as there are many new seating areas which makes it feel
Trust
more welcoming and you feel comfortable to go there to take a break from school work and just pick up a
as
about
I
am
so
passionate
enhancing
the
school
book." Rachel C
community but also because it has
taught
me
so
many
What do you like most about it?
valuable skills, such as project
"I’m new to the school so I don’t know what it was like before but I as soon as came into the library I
management
immediately felt at home as there was such a wide range of books and the whole place seemed so modern and
creatively. opened
and
thinking
Recently,
up
a
I
have
Trust Ambassador programme where
people
inviting. I love going there at lunchtime!" Emily D.
Development
in
the
lower
years can get involved with the
What difference have the changes made? "More students are choosing to go to the library at lunchtime because of the changes that they have made." Rachel C
projects that we are working on.
Working
Development very
with
Trust
rewarding,
looking
forward
and to
the
has
been I
the
am next
few months with the launch of
How have the changes affected Year 11 students? "The increased number and range of books has made it easier to find lots of interesting books to read and having all this choice is a great way to de-stress and pick something that I know I will enjoy. The environment of the library is very peaceful and easy to concentrate in and I enjoy working and revising there, especially before my GCSE exams." Katie L.
‘A Step in Time’!
From a Sixth Form perspective, how have the changes in the library impacted your learning? Bethany S, Year 13 Development Student
Trust
Head
"The library has changed a lot since the refurbishments. I think the changing of the old chairs to modern sofas and beanbags gives a more comfortable atmosphere to the library as a whole, especially when the younger years have their English reading lessons here. As a volunteer I see a lot more students taking books to read which is a positive impact as the library is being used more. I also find it easy to work in here when I have free periods
because
it's
a
quiet
place
where
you
can
easily
complete a good couple of hours of revision. "Sujata G.
It is great to see that the work the MGGS Development Trust does has such a positive influence on the work and wellbeing of all students.