NHSG In the Picture - Easter Issue 2020

In the

picture • Junior and Senior School Edition •

Easter Issue 2020

Each for Equal!

Read more about our International Women’s Day celebrations on p2

In this latest and bumper edition of In the Picture, we have brought together articles from both Junior School and Senior School to reflect and celebrate on some of the activities that took place across the whole school in the second half of the Spring Term, and prior to us moving to Guided Home learning on 23rd March. We hope you enjoy reading about these and seeing the photos from the times when we were all able to be together. We feel that this edition serves as a reminder of our wonderful community and of the NHSG spirit.

We will continue to draw on the strength of our community and spirit throughout the Summer term, while Guided Home Learning continues, and look forward to when we can safely open our doors again to be together.

Senior School • p2-p26

Leading girls’ education

Junior School • p27-46

Sporting News • p47-54

Where girls learn without limits

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Senior School • p2-p26

NHSG recognises trailblazing women on International Women’s Day

International Women’s Day, a focal point in the movement of women’s rights, is always a very poignant event in our Senior School calendar. On Friday 6th March, girls in Year 7-13 demonstrated their creativity by dressing as the trailblazing women that they feel have been most significant in the advancement of women’s rights. It was wonderful to see such an array of iconic female figures in school, from Greta Thunberg to Emily Davidson to our very own Head Girl; a handful of Year 13 pupils dressed in tribute to the outgoing 2019/20 Head Girl, Katie Dixon! Hundreds of iconic women were represented who have clearly made a positive impact on NHSG girls.

In addition to the inspirational female dress-code, girls gave donations of feminine hygiene

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products for Newcastle Integrated Domestic Abuse Services and The People’s Kitchen as part of our Free Period campaign. The generosity of our community is always overwhelming when it comes to charitable gestures and International Women’s Day 2020 was no exception.

During assembly, pupils had the opportunity to hear from Professor Ruth Plummer, Professor of Experimental Cancer Medicine at Newcastle University. Ruth is also a longstanding member of our school community and one of our inspiring alumnae, as well as a member of the NHSG school governing board. She delivered an eye-opening assembly on her career path which has led her to developing innovative cancer treatments for patients.

She is currently director of the

Sir Bobby Robson Cancer trials Research Centre, sits on the Cancer Research UK Science Funding committee and chairs the Cancer Research UK New Agents Committee. She has achieved her dream of making an impact in the field of Medicine and talked of how, with the right support and hard work, your future is in your own hands. We would like to thank Ruth for giving up her valuable time to illuminate the complexities of cancer research with NHSG girls, and also for presenting the prizes for our annual International Women’s Day competition.

Each year, Senior School girls are invited to submit a piece of work that epitomises the women they admire most, with the prizes awarded at our International Women’s Day assembly. As always, the

standard of competition was extremely high and the task of judging was not an easy one.

Congratulations to our 2020 winners who will receive book tokens as a result of a generous donation from our prize sponsor Mrs Margaret Vane.

1st place - Aania Ahmad, Inari Bari-Jones, Lucy Grey and Maz Ogunkoya (Year 7) for their video entry on heroic women throughout history.

(Winners pictured left with Professor Ruth Plummer) 2nd place - Minnie Dobson (Year 9) for her intricate book sculpture inspired by Louise May Alcott.

3rd place - Angela Lu (Year 9) for her emotive video on Malala Yousafzai.

Well done to everyone that took part in the competition and the day’s activities.

See all of the pictures on the School Facebook page! @NewcastleHighSchoolForGirls 3

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Megan Leung scoops GDST Science prize Huge congratulations to Megan, Year 12, for her winning entry in GDST’s #700STEMChallenge.

The challenge? To write an article of 700 words on one of the following four categories: Science, Technology, Mathematics and Engineering. Talented Megan entered the Under 18 category with her thought-provoking essay on genetic engineering: “CRISPR-Cas9 has the potential to solve all of society’s problems.” Do you agree?

Megan is a huge advocate of all things STEM and we know this is just the start of her successes in this field. Watch this space, but in the mean-time you can read Megan’s essay in full on p8.

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“CRISPR-Cas9 has the potential to solve all of society’s problems.” Do you agree?

First successfully utilised for editing the human genome in 2013, CRISPR-Cas9 is often cited as one of the most significant revolutions in biomedical research of the past decade.

Indeed, it is likely that it will continue to play a crucial role in the genomics of the future, given the potential versatility of its technology in medical treatments, plant engineering and antibiotic research. Yet whilst the applications of CRISPR-Cas9 cannot be ignored, it is clear that they have also encountered much controversy within the scientific community, particularly regarding the ethical and safety risks surrounding proposed methods of utilising this tool. Evidently, these issues must be addressed to ensure the viability of this technology in research.

CRISPR-Cas9 is comprised of two components, the first being a piece of guide RNA, which is used to bind to DNA as well as guide the second component, the enzyme Cas-9, to the part of the genome selected for editing. Using the complementary base-pairing of the RNA and DNA sequence, the complex is easily and precisely targeted to modify, correct or delete DNA by binding to parts of the sequence and cutting them, theoretically enabling parts of the genome to be edited with no other regions affected.

Consequently, it seems that CRISPR-Cas9 could revolutionise the treatment of a huge range of diseases, including inherited genetic conditions such as cystic fibrosis, as well as blood disorders and cancers. Whilst some previous attempts to correct disease-causing mutations were promising, others resulted in devastating effects on patients, including severe immune responses and cancer. Subsequently, it has become clear that gene-editing technology must be highly specific (so as to prevent mutations), a requirement which the CRISPR-Cas9 process fulfils. Indeed, CRISPR technology appears to be applicable for the modification of virtually any genome, including that of plants and animals. Thus, its potential appears to be endless.

However, this is not to say that CRISPR-Cas9 is immune to criticism; in 2018, a study published in Nature Biotechnology indicated that CRISPR had the potential to unexpectedly modify non-target sections of DNA, possibly causing harmful mutations, particularly if these changes were genes linked to cancer. In the same year, Chinese scientist He Jiankui provoked worldwide condemnation, when it emerged that he had manipulated the genomes of two girls using CRISPR-Cas9 in order to induce HIV resistance, a practice forbidden by international law as it involves the modification of human embryos intended for pregnancy. In effect, he had facilitated the creation of geneedited babies, who could then pass on their edited characteristics, both known and unknown, for better or worse, to future generations.

His work highlights the importance of international collaboration to ensure the regulation of CRISPR-Cas9 technology, as well as the need for robust testing systems to check for unwanted genetic mutations. Studies are already underway using cell-free systems in order to identify unintended changes to regions of DNA and increase the safety of any future treatments carried out. Having recognised the promise of CRISPR-Cas9 treatments in laboratories, it seems that a blanket ban on genome editing, based on the fears surrounding “designer babies” or mass genetic modification, would not be the most effective solution, especially given the huge potential of the tool. Whilst we should be aware of the risks, and cautious in our approach, the future seems bright for CRISPR-

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NHSG: Top North East Debating School

We are delighted to announce that thanks to the triumphant efforts of our debating teams and, of course, under the terrific coaching of Mrs McEvedy, NHSG can proudly call itself the Top North East Debating School.

at the prestigious Final which was due to have taken place in May. Jazell and Emy were unbeaten on the day, securing firsts in all their rounds, and then coming first in the day’s Final, making them the Regional Champions!

On Saturday 29th February, three debating teams competed in the ICYD Regional round at Durham, for a chance to reach the Final in Oxford in May. The teams concerned were Emma Scanlon and Ishika Jha, Maryam Tarabishi and Liyanah Riyaz, Emy Chen and Jazell Qasim.

Emma is only the second pupil in our history to qualify for ICYD Finals twice, and Emma and Ishika as a team have also reached the Final of all four competitions they have participated in this year!

We are thrilled to announce that NHSG secured three of the five places available and hence all our teams had won places

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Beeindrunkend Berlin - a cross-curricular adventure

Girls in Years 9 and 10 enjoyed an action-packed few days in Berlin over the February half-term holiday, taking in its many cultural landmarks.

The trip, led by Head of History, Mr Hyde, was a crosscurricular adventure full of life changing experiences that enhanced and deepened pupils’ understanding of Western Europe, supporting learning in both the History and German curriculums.

The historical tour included visiting the Soviet Memorial at Treptow Park, the East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall, the Alexanderplatz TV tower, the Brandenberg Gate, Jewish Memorial, Reichstag Dome, Sachsenhasuen Concentration Camp, Olympic Stadium, the site of the Potsdam Conference and the Zossen military bunker.

Beeindruckend (impressive)!

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Eating Disorder Awareness Week Between 2nd and 8th March, NHSG recognised Eating Disorder Awareness Week, in conjunction with the UK Eating Disorder Charity, Beat.

Raising awareness in school of eating disorders is one of the new Head Girl team’s key agenda items. This dedicated week therefore provided an ideal opportunity to help address some of the common misconceptions around these illnesses.

1.25 million people in the UK are living with an eating disorder. Moreover, there has recently been a sharp rise in hospital admissions of young people with eating disorders, and the NHS Digital data for England found the most common age for patients with anorexia was 13 to 15 last year. By raising awareness of the issues with the girls, and signposting where they can go to find additional help and support, we are working towards changing these alarming statistics for the better.

On Tuesday 3rd March, members of Year 13 led a whole school PSHE session on the topic, followed by some awareness-raising activities at a

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lunchtime Stall in the Hall. The tasks served to stimulate discussions around body image as well as how to identify and respond to body image concerns.

On the Wednesday, Year 11 heard from Maria Lavelle who works for NIWE Eating Distress Service and, on the following Monday, all parents were invited to an information evening to learn more about the work NHSG have been doing with the girls around body image and disordered eating.

Those in attendance also had the opportunity to listen to Dr Katherine Crosby, a Clinical Psychologist who works at the Richardson Eating Disorder Service at the RVI. As an expert in her field, Dr Crosby was able to field queries and provide advice on this sensitive subject matter in a safe and supportive setting.

A Series of Public Apologies Each year the National Theatre commissions ten new plays for young people to perform, bringing together some of the UK’s most exciting writers with the theatre-makers of tomorrow.

The talented performers of NHSG rose to the challenge of bringing a rather unusual tale to life which they performed for our school on Thursday 12th March: A Series of Public Apologies in response to an “unfortunate incident in the school lavatories”.

word can cause offence and in carefully choosing one’s words, we try to regain power and often weaken our position in the process. In John Donnelly’s new play, he explores the use of words and how often they can be meaningless. He looks at modern society and how language can be reduced to a hashtag. He questions whether actions are in fact louder than words.

At times comical and at times

dark, the play gave the whole company a variety of challenges to work with. How do we deal with repetition and still create an entertaining and engaging piece of Drama?

How do we create character from a faceless mass? How do we theatrically represent the chaos of social media?”.

Those in attendance on Thursday evening will agree that the play was a thoroughly entertaining triumph.

John Donnelly, the BAFTA nominated writer of this bold production, describes the play as “heightened in its naturalism, in its seriousness, in its parody and piercing in its interrogation of how our attempts to define ourselves in public are shaped by the fear of saying the wrong thing. Presented quite literally as a series of public apologies, this play is spacious, flexible and welcoming of inventive and imaginative interpretation as each iteration spirals inevitably to its absurdist core.

It is a play on words, on convention, on manners, on institutions, on order, online and on point.”

Reflecting on the play, Mrs Dobson, Head of Drama, also posed some interesting thoughts and questions...

“When a public apology is offered and then a further apology must be issued in order to apologise further for a misjudged apology, we are suddenly reminded of the importance of words, the misplacement of words and the futility of words. One misplaced

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The promotional poster for the play was created by aspiring actress, Zoe Rankin, Year 12.

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Slumber style in aid of life-saving treatment

The school pyjama day and evening slumber party is one of the girls’ favourite annual events which sees girls wear their bedroom attire during the school day to raise money and awareness for the whole school charity.

On Friday 13th March, NHSG girls got into the slumbering spirit and the corridors were awash with colourful and cosy nightwear. After lessons were over, girls in Years 5 to 13 stayed to watch a film together, but not before purchasing a variety of tasty treats that were on offer from House stalls!

There was everything from toasties to hot chocolates available, plus a choice of pampering services such as nail painting and hair braiding.

We are delighted to reveal that

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the girls managed raise over ÂŁ1500 for the Bubble Foundation UK, a charity that specialises in the life-saving treatment of babies within the Great North Childrens Hospital.

The fundraising efforts were fantastic all round but a special mention must go to Turbinia, the House which raised the most money at their stall; over ÂŁ200!

Well done, girls.

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A spontaneous celebration for Years 11 and 13

Somewhat earlier than expected, we celebrated Year 13’s last day in our school facilities on Friday 20th March. While it is not quite the end of their educational journey with us, it marked their last day as a group together before they began Guided Home Learning. We hope that we will be able to enjoy further celebrations with them in the fullness of time, but on Friday we quickly organised a small celebration so we could wish them well for the weeks ahead and thank them for their courageous and positive attitude under these exceptional circumstances. The girls arrived in School dressed in their old Junior School uniform and sang an emotional farewell song during the morning’s final Whole School assembly, followed by cake and, taking advantage of the sunshine, numerous photo opportunities throughout the school grounds!

We were enormously proud of the girls’ resilience and positivity, the hallmarks of an NHSG girl!

Year 11 also had an impromptu celebration, as is our annual tradition, and enjoyed their own farewell cake, a Year Quiz and a series of dance challenges in the afternoon. Great fun and very few tears! It was lovely to see them smiling through their uncertainty and supporting each other.

Thank you, Year 11, for being equally as positive and we’ll see you very soon!

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Inspiring Alumnae Business Network We have recently been working with a group of our Inspiring Alumnae to establish a business network for former pupils of NHSG, Central High and Church High, as well as former pupils of other GDST schools living in the region.

Having set up a committee, chaired by alumna Jane O’Mahoney, we held our inaugural event for the NHSG Inspiring Alumnae Business Network on 11th March at School. This first event saw alumnae of all ages who are working in business join together to hear from inspirational speaker, and global mind-set coach, Dr Maurice Duffy. This was followed by an opportunity to network with one another to see how our alumnae working in the region can help one another in their businesses and careers. NHSG Sixth Form girls were also invited to attend to take advantage of this unique support group. Overall, the event proved a huge success and probably couldn’t have come at a better time, just before we all turned to our communities and networks to support each other in the following weeks and months.

In this touching article, committee Chair Jane O’Mahoney, explains more about the ethos of the group and how it aims to be cheerleader for the empowerment of women in business.

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YES, you can! The three most important words you can say to a young learner. When I think back to my time at an all-girl school I realise that behind everything was the message that we could achieve whatever we wanted to. Of course, grades are important but what you understand as you get older is that mindset is the most important tool of all. Yes, you can be a CEO, yes, you can be an engineer, yes, you can be a politician! When you have this mindset, you have a burning desire and drive that naturally delivers first class results.

Embolden the young throughout their primitive years and they will challenge anyone who questions their ability to achieve greatness.

The Newcastle High School for Girls Inspiring Alumnae Business Network Group was established with the aim of

continuing to empower and support fellow alumnae from Central High, Church High and NHSG as well as those from the Girls’ Day School Trust living in the region as we make our individual journeys in business. The group is also open to current NHSG sixth formers as they are the future and we must support them in any way we can.

Our inaugural event, held in March, was a roaring success and it was phenomenal to see the number of women who turned up with such enthusiasm and passion. We are each other’s cheerleaders. Too often, women are pitted against each other but we can achieve far more when we celebrate success and push each other forward.

Many people believe an all-girl education puts the emphasis on

gender differences when actually the opposite is true. It removes gender bias from the offset. I will never forget sitting in the common room in Year 12 with the entire Year Group and the Head of Year asking where we wanted to be in ten years’ time. The range of ambition was remarkable. The memory still pops in to my head from time to time and makes me smile. There is no life direction that is more important than any other and the most honourable one is the one that makes you happy and not the one you think you should take. Yet, it still makes me tingle to remember sitting in a room full of women so empowered and full of belief that they have what it takes to be the best in anything they tackle. It is essential to build an army of women who support each other and relate to the issues many of us face in business.

not be able to meet in person for the foreseeable future but the power of communication runs deep and will see us through to better times.

Today, we still face struggles that are historically related to our gender. The resounding issue I heard discussed most at our new group’s inaugural networking event was the challenges women face when it comes to having children and a career. How long did you take for maternity leave? How did it affect your career? This issue is more prevalent in certain sectors than others and no doubt it will take time to change the tide but the more we support each other, the sooner these questions will become obsolete.

We are in unprecedented times but the connections we have made will continue to support us as we navigate through unchartered waters. We may

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Junior School • p27-46

Engineering extraordinaires! ranging as space rockets, pirate ships and cars. It was amazing to see them solving complex problems, for example, how will an astronaut breathe when they get out of their spaceship on the moon?

By using two plastic bottles to serve as oxygen tanks, of course!

Another very popular part of our provision is the block area.

Girls once again have demonstrated skills including construction, resilience and spatial awareness and some of their creations are a sight to behold. Their engineering work has produced, to name but a few, a space rocket launch pad, a space station and even a hotel complex including a swimming pool! These creations were made using just wooden blocks.

Following on from last year’s successes, girls in Reception were once again invited to participate in the Primary Engineers competition.

The question to answer was: If you were an engineer, what would you do? Girls were asked to identify an everyday problem and design something to solve the problem. A professional engineer visited Reception at the end of January to inspire the girls and the questions it prompted from them during the session showed their deep level of thinking. The girls in Reception are excellent problem solvers and their creative and engineering skills are often demonstrated in our

areas of continuous provision.

One area in the classroom which has become a firm favourite is our woodwork station. It has been a real pleasure to observe girls, just 4 and 5 years old, handling tools like saws and hammers with care, precision and confidence.

Our deconstructed role play area is another place in which girls have demonstrated their engineering skills. Thorough planning and preparation was required before construction could begin and our girls were brilliant at the idea generation stage, followed by gathering the appropriate resources for constructing creations as far-

Based on the girls’ outstanding efforts in the classroom, we are very confident that their entries to the Primary Engineers competition will, once again, be of great interest to the judges. Contributions have included a dog collar which translates a dog’s barks so that owners can work out what their dog is trying to communicate, a recycling robot which automatically sorts objects in its tummy, robots which fix broken toys and a flying wheelchair which can propel people across countries and continents!

Good luck to all of our entrants, you’re all winners in our eyes.

More pictures on the next page!

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Katie Morag inspired assembly showcases learning in Year 1

Year 1 have been immersed in their topic based around the popular Katie Morag books written by Mairi Hedderwick.

They have used the books as the basis for many English and topic lessons, culminating in a fabulous assembly on Friday 6th March for girls in Junior School and then their own parents.

The topic lends itself to lots of Geography-based learning because the stories are inspired by the real Scottish island of Coll. The girls completed map work to locate the island, then we created non-fiction books after researching Coll on the internet. They did an amazing job to create their books which included important literary features such as a contents page, headings, captions and fascinating facts.

The girls had fun learning about geographical terms. They found out what physical and human features are and searched for some examples around the school grounds.

During English lessons, we spent time studying the characters and plots of specific Katie Morag stories. We even went on a hunt outside to locate different characters. Katie Morag Delivers the Mail was a popular story to learn more about the main character and Katie Morag and the New Pier was used to look at differing opinions for and against building a bigger pier on the fictional Island of Struay.

The girls worked incredibly hard to practise their Year Group assembly and they did a superb job! They showcased their amazing knowledge by taking the audience on a journey to the Scottish Island.

They also acted out Katie Morag Delivers the Mail using lots of crafty props.

Congratulations Year 1!

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Successes at Ryton & District Festival Of Music, Speech & Drama The Ryton Festival is a charity run by volunteers and has been in existence for over 75 years.

It provides a platform for music and drama performers of all ages with varied classes including organ, choral, speaking, singing and individual verse.

The Festival is run each year in late February and early March and is held at a number of different venues in and around Ryton. Adjudicators from around the UK visit the festival every year to judge the performers and provide advice and encouragement. The Festival culminates with a concert of Festival highlights and Championship Classes.

Girls from Year 4 had a great time taking part, winning the Choral Speaking prize. Special well done must go to Isla Barras who came second in her Acting session.

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A reading revolution at NHSG for World Book Day

Junior School girls joined in the ‘Reading Revolution’ launched

by World Book Day on 6th March. Of course, World Book Day isn’t just about dressing up or reading on one day each year. Here at NHSG, we aim to foster a love of reading that will last a lifetime and it was an absolute joy to witness the girls’ excitement in sharing their favourite stories with each other.

Our book swap was a great success and we were delighted to have 100 surplus books left over from additional donations.

We have donated these to the local charity, Borderline Books, who provide reading materials for children with limited access to books at home.

We also ran two competitions during Book Week: Design a Book Cover and Guess the

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Even Ms Charlton couldn’t resist entering the Design A Book Cover competition!

Teacher’s Favourite Book, both of which caused a great deal of creativity and curiosity around school. Even Ms Charlton entered the drawing competition, but unfortunately, was pipped to the post.

Remaining true to the GDST spirit, she told the girls “I am

going to be resilient and try again next year.”

The Book-O-Meter was another huge hit with the girls and, impressively, recorded over 500 hours of reading by pupils in Nursery to Year 6 throughout the course of the week!

Overall, this dedicated week of reading was a welcome reminder that books are the gift that keep on giving. You can open them again and again and learn something new each time.

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Mums and daughters join forces for Science Fair

On Monday 9th March, Junior School held their annual Mother Daughter Science Fair to help start their STEM week activities with their very own Great Exhibition!

The standard of entries was outstanding and Ms Charlton and Ms Williams had great difficulty in choosing the winning exhibits. Every Year Group from Nursery to Year 6

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took part and the variety of investigations and research covered all scientific genres.

There is still a large gender skills gap in STEM related careers and the Mother – Daughter Science Fair is one of our many activities within school to raise Science capital with the girls. The phrase ‘you have to see it to be it’ is well suited to the Science Fair and

by mothers and daughters working together, we hope that our girls will see that STEM activities are for everybody to enjoy and study. Many thanks to any fathers and brothers who also helped with the projects.

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Keeping on top of technology in Junior School before writing to help them remember their ideas and listen carefully to the sounds to aid spelling. They have brought their work to life through the use of digital applications such as Stop Motion and have recorded their retelling of stories in order to share with the other girls. The girls have also been given opportunities to learn about basic algorithms through the use of our small programmable classroom robots, Bee-Bots.

Junior School have been working to ensure that there is a seamless integration of technology in lessons to transform and enhance the girls educational experience. Every staff member has received specialised Apple training to develop their knowledge of using technology in innovative ways and they have all achieved certified Apple Teacher status.

We have also undergone assessments on our IT provision throughout the school and conversations in classrooms have confirmed that the girls’ knowledge and understanding of computing concepts is

phenomenal. We are confident that, from EYFS to Year 6, technology is fully embedded in our curriculum to enhance independence and personal challenge in all areas of learning.

In Nursery, girls have gained the skills necessary to develop into potential Computer Scientists in later life. They have been taught to recognise the importance of sequencing and pattern-making and learning the skills to solve problems by thinking both logically and creatively.

Girls have also been encouraged to record sentences

During Year 1 Computing lessons, girls have confidently explained how Kubo robots work and discussed their algorithms to ensure they were programmed correctly to achieve desired outcomes. If their robot did not behave as expected they were happy to go back and ‘de-bug’ their algorithm until they achieved the correct result, showing determination and resilience throughout!

In Year 4, girls have learned how to use technology to communicate effectively to different audiences. Girls were tasked with adapting a script they had written in an English lesson for a podcast using software called GarageBand.

The girls were all very excited and had a lot of creative ideas about ways in which they could change their voices to appear like there was more than one person involved in the podcast.

The girls were confident in their understanding of the app and were keen to collaborate and help each other to improve the quality of their work.

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Underpinning all of our work with technology is the need to equip our girls with the ability to contribute to a digital society in a responsible and safe manner. E-safety lessons are delivered regularly throughout Junior School and this term the girls benefitted from a dedicated Internet Safety Week.

The theme was ‘Free To Be Me’, focusing on online identity, raising questions around how we should present ourselves on online platforms.

Our Junior School Digital Leaders worked hard to raise awareness of e-safety issues and led assemblies and lessons around different online issues such as cyber-bullying. It was encouraging to observe that even the youngest girls in school are aware of the importance of using technology safely. Girls in Reception explained how important it is ‘not to take photos of anyone, even our friends, without their permission.’ Some of the older girls demonstrated their mature interpretation of the meaning of ‘free to be me’, acknowledging that our online behaviour can have an impact on others and we must make sure not to hurt or upset anyone.

Our focus on technology this term has shown that, while the digital world is firmly woven into our teaching practices and provides an enriching learning experience for girls, we must continue to keep pace with technological advancements to successfully equip them for life far beyond Junior School.

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A trip to the capital for exciting English conference

At the beginning of March, the GDST held the second annual Shakespeare Festival for Year 5 girls. All 25 of our sister schools sent a delegation to the festival which was held in The Globe theatre this year for the first time.

After an early start, six Year 5 girls got a fantastic whistle-stop tour of some of the famous sights of London on the way to The Globe, including London Bridge and the Shard, Borough Market and the Golden Hind ship before walking alongside the mighty Thames and catching a glimpse of St Paul’s Cathedral across the Millenium Bridge. None of these sights, though, truly compared to the thrill of performing Shakespeare on the stage of The Globe during our tour of the world famous theatre.

After a quick break for cookies and juice, the girls were straight into summarising Twelfth Night, working with

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girls from schools from as far away as Brighton and Cardiff.

Our workshop leader focused on the text and the story with snappy games, before work on Tudor music and dancing just before lunch. Throughout the day the NHSG girls got the chance to share their impressions of the day on film and it was a very decidedly big ‘thumbs up’ for Shakespeare and being part of the GDST. We were very tired by the train journey back which started as a Sir Toby Belch party but quickly lapsed into reflective discourse about the day and animated chatter over favourite moments. We arrived back into a rainy Newcastle tired but inspired!

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Junior and Senior School Sporting News • p47-54

Marianne makes a marvellous mascot

Marianne Tuton, Year 5, was delighted to represent her family, School and country as a winning England mascot for their six nations victory against Ireland at Twickenham stadium, London on Sunday 23rd February.

Mr Tuton tells us more about Marianne’s terrific experience: With great confidence, and a beaming smile, Marianne ran out onto the pitch with the England and Ireland teams, holding the hand of England rugby star, Manu Tuilagi.

Fully embracing the “awesome” experience and opportunity, Marianne’s favourite part of the day was when she sang the national anthem with the whole England team in front of the 81000 capacity crowd and ITV. When asked about what Manu was like, Marianne declared “he was really kind and nice, and he had really big hands”!

Patricia Mowbray from the RFU (The Rugby Football Union), who was the mascots pastoral lead for the day, gave a lovely sentiment following the game; “Marianne was an absolute star. Please thank her for me, she’s a real credit to you (mum and dad), and Newcastle High School for Girls.”

It was also nice to see both Marianne and the School getting an acknowledgement in the match day programme, (pictured right).

NHSG is a remarkable environment for Marianne, helping her flourish and discover herself (so far), and providing the ambition and confidence to embrace all the opportunities life presents.

We very much look forward to many more great years between the School and our family.

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Netball prowess at GDST Condover Hall weekend

Olivia Morton, Year 8, reports on her time spent at the GDST Netball Week at Condover Hall, an activity centre set in the Shropshire countryside.

Considered one of the most outstanding Elizabethan manor houses in England, Condover Hall offers the charm of rural Britain with the added bonus of extensive indoor and outdoor adventurous activities. Between Friday 6th and Sunday 8th of March, Condover Hall hosted a GDST Netball tournament for girls in Years 6 and 8. Not only was the venue fantastic in terms of accommodation and activities, it provided the perfect backdrop for the GDST family network to demonstrate their sporting netball prowess.

Supported by England Netball affiliated umpires, GDST netball players were provided with the opportunity to represent their schools and compete with the best of the best in their Year Groups.

Being part of the wider GDST family truly demonstrated that girls can learn without limits as well as the important role that sport plays in developing the skills, character and resilience that they will need in the future.

Over the two nights we enjoyed Condover’s fabulous accommodation; multi-bedded ensuite rooms and, of course, netball courts at our disposal in very close proximity.

The Netball teams from NHSG, although not victorious, left with a few impressive wins, thanks to some strong defensive work, coupled with excellent shooting. We faced some stiff competition, but fought back with persistence and determination.

The weekend was not only about Netball, but the creation of lifelong memories, friendships based on teamwork and invaluable experiences. When we weren’t playing netball, opportunities arose to take part in a series of activities. These included a high aerial trek, high and low rope courses, an indoor laser maze, an indoor games room, 80-seat cinema room with stage for films, presentations and workshops and zip wires. There was no shortage of things to do!

The energy from our teachers, the umpires and all of the girls involved was inspirational and demonstrated the power of the GDST sporting network: positive, confident, dedicated and fearless!

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Georgie goes the distance in National Pentathlon On Sunday 15th March, Georgie Mabbott, Year 9, became the Under 15 English National Indoor Pentathlon Champion by a single point.

Georgie competed in 800m, long jump, hurdles, shot putt and high jump to gain this title at the competition, which took place in Sheffield. Not only did she win by a tight margin, she also produced personal bests in both shot putt and high jump.

Even more impressively, Georgie adds this National title to her win at the Scottish Nationals earlier in the year.

She is an extremely talented all-round athlete who works hard with Gateshead Harriers and is also part of the England Hockey pathway, having been selected for their Performance Centre.

We are extremely proud of her hard work and all of her fantastic sporting achievements!

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National Netball Finals

The highly anticipated National Schools Netball Final took place at Stanborough School in Welwyn Garden City. Our Under 16 team played a fantastic day of netball and represented the School outstandingly.

The first two games against Millfield School and Stephen Perse Foundation were close and the girls were disappointed not to come away with a win.

After a tough game against the Grammar School at Leeds, the girls continued to hold their own against finalists The Grange School, narrowly losing by only two goals.

The Under 16 Netball team have had a brilliant season and thoroughly deserve their success. They are a squad of huge depth and talent, who support each other on and off the court: a real credit to Newcastle High School for Girls.

They performed fantastically to gain a draw against eventual winners Guildford High School, demonstrating the capabilities of the team. With confidence high, it was only a matter of time before the girls won their first game and they did so very convincingly against our fellow GDST competitors, Nottingham High School for Girls.

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Under 11 Invitational Netball Tournament Year 6 Netball Teams also had a busy few weeks; Condover Hall, several school matches and finally their Under 11 Invitational Netball Tournament on Friday 13th March.

The tournament was well attended with over nine teams taking part, meaning the competition was tough. Our A team narrowly missed out on a semi-final place by one point.

Our B and C teams also had very close games throughout. It was a great morning of netball and all of the girls played exceptionally well.

Well done, a great end to a busy season!

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Lois Jackson impresses at English Alpine Championships

The English Alpine Championships is Snowsport England’s premier Alpine event and is the biggest British week of winter ski racing. The competition sees hundreds of young skiers competing on the pristine slopes of the Italian resort of Bormio, enjoying some great weather and well-organised races. Our very own Lois Jackson, Year 13, won an impressive four titles at the Championships, following three weeks of intense training and racing in Bulgaria and Austria: Under Under Under Under

21 21 21 21

English Slalom Champion Giant Slalom Runner-Up English Super G Champion Overall English Champion

Lois even received a mentioned on Snowsportengland.co.uk: “Second place went to Lois Jackson (EVO) who was consistently on the podium all week in the Under 21 category.”

Well done Lois, incredible achievements for such a young skiier!

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