Canons Life - Summer 2019

CANONSLife The Summer Term 2019 at North London Collegiate School

FEATURING Summer Festival Eco News Pets Therapy Canonaid The Adventures of Pinocchio

Canons Life / Summer 2019

Contents 4-7

NEWS AND EVENTS Question Time Philosopy Debate Chemistry Students visit Oxford Pet Therapy Valedictory Day Summer Breeze Memorial Garden

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ECO NEWS Plastic Hackathon

10

LEONARDO DA VINCI

11

TRIPS & EXCHANGES

page 4

page 8

12-13 JUNIOR SCHOOL

Wind in the Willows

Summer Concert

page 10

page 12

14-15 PERFORMING ARTS

The Adventures of Pinocchio

The House of Bernarda Alba

Canons Follies 16

MUSIC NEWS Concert for St Luke’s Hospice

17

CHARITY NEWS Canonaid Fête Hygiene Bank Collection

page 14

18-19 SPORTS

Gym and Dance Display

Pamela Flower Tennis Tournament

page 16

18 page 13 FRONT COVER: Artwork by Cara Chedid (Pre-U Art & Design)

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Welcome

from the Headmistress A

s the Summer Term draws to a close, I am struck by the incredible warmth and generosity of the NLCS community, and the feeling that this is not just a school but also a family.

The term began with an evening of lively debate at the NLCS ‘Question Time’ with a fabulous line-up of Old North Londoners, current students and parents, with questions covering a range of subjects from the environment, mental health issues, inequality in the workplace and the education system of the future.

We held a wonderful drinks evening in Central London, to thank those who have donated to and supported the School in so many different ways, and were reminded by bursary recipient and Paediatric doctor, Deluxy Elangaratnam, of the generosity of former donors, without whom her life would have been very different.

My request for good weather was granted for the annual Parent’s Guild Summer Fête, the ONLA Picnic and the Summer Breeze party, which were all opportunities for parents, students, ONLs and former staff to gather together as part of the wider NLCS family, which makes me feel very proud.

Minimising our carbon footprint is something that I feel very strongly about and as a School, we are committed to becoming carbon neutral by 2030. We are on the way to becoming a certified Eco School, and are working with Olio, an organisation which redistributes edible food that would otherwise go to waste. I am now keeping bees, and we have launched several new ecological initiatives this term as well as a travel app, HomeRun. With this in mind, I am excited to tell you that Canons Life is going digital.

The weekly newsletter which I send out every Friday will be renamed “Canons Life Online”, packed with photos and stories about life at School. We will still be sending out The North Londoner once a year, in the Autumn Term, to keep as a tangible memento of your daughter’s time at School.

I wish everyone a wonderful and restful Summer holiday.

Sarah Clark, Headmistress

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We are on the way to becoming a certified Eco School

Canons Life / Summer 2019

News & Events

PHILOSOPHY DEBATE WITH HARROW SCHOOL

NLCS QUESTION TIME

This term, we hosted a vibrant evening of lively debate at NLCS ‘Question Time’, with proceeds from ticket sales going to The Bernice McCabe Bursary Fund.

Questions from the audience ranged from Brexit, the environment, mental health issues, inequality in the workplace, the education system of the future and the outcome of the European Elections.

We were delighted to be joined by a fantastic line-up of panellists including: Nadhim Zahawi (MP for Stratford-on-Avon); Trevor Philips (writer and television producer);

Old North Londoners Susie Orbach (psychotherapist, writer and social critic), Lucy Tobin (columnist for the Evening Standard), Lizzie Paton (reporter for the New York Times) and Katie Mandel (TV news journalist CBC News in Canada), who brilliantly hosted the evening. Year 12 student, Kristina Kerr, also joined the panel and certainly held her own amongst such a distinguished group of panellists. We are grateful to all those who contributed to and attended such a dynamic and thought-provoking evening.

CHEMISTRY STUDENTS VISIT OXFORD Year 12 chemists had the unique opportunity to visit to the University of Oxford’s Chemistry Department and ask a panel of post-docs and PhD students questions about the Chemistry course at Oxford and the life of a researcher.

During the trip our students visited the university’s new Chemistry Teaching Laboratory, and took part in an ester synthesis workshop using the labs state of the art IR and NMR machines. The students found this experience extremely valuable, especially as they were able to expand their knowledge by linking the experiments conducted in workshop to their class learning at NLCS.

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It is normally impossible for students to ask questions of their intellectual heroes in person, whether it is Plato, Nietzsche or Simone de Beauvoir. However, this term, Year 12 Philosophy students were able to participate in a discussion with a leading American philosopher, William Lane Craig, who visited Harrow School as part of his UK tour.

Familiar to the girls from IB and Pre-U Philosophy courses, he leaped out of the textbooks and spoke to them in the flesh.

Some students asked excellent questions which pressed him on his arguments about the existence of objective morality, whilst others challenged Dr Craig to account for the randomness of quantum events within his theistic cosmology. After the talk, heated debates among the girls continued. As a result, they have lots of food for thought and will continue the discussions about William Lane Craig’s arguments in class.

Canons Life / Summer 2019

GOLD DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE Six NLCS students were invited to Buckingham Palace to receive their Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. After arriving at Hyde Park Corner, the girls were free to explore the sunlit gardens before assembling in a horseshoe to be greeted and addressed by Prince Michael of Kent. It was his first time at these awards and his keenness and interest were evident. Rebecca Adlington spoke about her swimming training and success at two Olympic games and passed around her gold medal before awarding the certificates to the students. After photographs, Mrs Betts was presented with a framed certificate to reward over twenty years of leadership in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. This year ten of our students have completed their award: those who sat their A level examination on the day will be invited at a later date.

PETS AS THERAPY

Student wellbeing and pastoral care remain at the heart of our practice at NLCS. This term we welcomed eight therapy dogs into School as part of our farewell activities for the senior students embarking on study leave. The pets ranged from a stoic and peaceful Golden Retriever to a gorgeous French Bulldog. Pets as therapy animals have been shown to be wonderful at reducing stress and we hope that they provided a delightful antidote to end of year examinations.

In addition to this, we have launched a weekly Relaxation Club, a new initiative from our Pastoral Team in the Senior School. The lunchtime sessions open to all girls in Years 7-13 have included mindfulness, yoga and listening to birdsong in the grounds.

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Canons Life / Summer 2019

YOUNG ENTERPRISE - WEST LONDON FINAL In June, our three Young Enterprise teams made their way to the University of West London for the West London Final of the Young Enterprise Company of the Year Programme. The girls presented their businesses brilliantly to the judges and guests. Their trade stands, interviews and presentations highlighted knowledge of their markets, passion for their products and finally, tremendous team ethos. Their efforts were rewarded: Ingenuity Books won the Disney-sponsored Creativity award, 1Cup won Best Presentation and Global Palate won Best Marketing.

The girls have had a fantastic experience and developed a range of new skills. Congratulations to all three teams for their fabulous achievements in business this year.

NATIONAL GIRLS CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP

VALEDICTORY DAY Once again, we said farewell to our Year 13 leavers, the Class of 2019.

The sun was shining on Canons as we welcomed family and friends for our Valedictory Day celebrations. It was a wonderful event, with students sharing stories about their time at NLCS and saying goodbye to staff and classmates.

We were delighted to also welcome back Old North Londoner, Teleayo Ogunyemi, who spoke so eloquently in a humorous yet inspiring way about her time at School and her experiences since leaving NLCS.

NLCS had fantastic chess success at the National Girls Championships. The Under 19 A team won their first ever title with a huge score of 20.5/21 points, securing their position with a round to spare. No NLCS team has ever won the U19 title, so it was a fitting way to end the NLCS chess careers of Elizabeth and Emmanuelle, who both move on after representing the school for many years.

The Under 11 A team faced strong competition from Brookfield’s School.

However, they fought to win the title with 14.5/21 points. They pipped the B team by just half a point who came in at an excellent second place. With seven teams overall, each student played their best against some of the country’s top girls schools. Team camaraderie, regardless of whether they won or lost, was clearly apparent and the girls were always keen to watch and learn from each other. Well done to all who took part!

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Canons Life / Summer 2019

SUMMER BREEZE It was lovely to see so many parents at our Summer Breeze party on the last Saturday of term. It was certainly the ‘hottest night’ of the year. This was a wonderful community event, with parents and staff enjoying an evening of food, dancing, music and even magic! We are delighted to announce that around £5,000 was raised for the Bernice McCabe Bursary Fund. Thank you also to everyone who helped organise the event, and to those for their generous prize donations.

MEMORIAL GARDEN

In order to mark the one hundredth anniversary of the ending of the First World War last November, we planted a new cedar tree near the South Courts and also dedicated a bench there, inscribed with the words of the poet, Edward Thomas. Over a thousand perennial poppy plants were planted in freshly-created borders and we looked forward to seeing the garden grow and develop over the rest of the academic year.

In late winter, snowdrops and crocuses brought delicate colour to this corner of the grounds and then, as summer

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approached, we watched as buds gradually appeared and grew on the poppies.

By early June, as we commemorated another World War with the seventyfifth anniversary of D-Day on 6th June, the poppies were in full flower – a great swathe of crimson blooms. Students, staff, parents and vistors came to see the garden, to admire the poppies and to pause for a while and remember the sacrifice of those who, in two great conflicts, selflessly gave their lives in order to give us the freedom which we enjoy today.

Canons Life / Summer 2019

ECO News N

orth London aims to be Carbon Neutral by 2030. We’re doing our best to reduce the environmental impact of our site, and there have been a number of events held and measures taken to raise the profile of these issues amongst the school body, and encourage active participation.

NLCS has received a grant from One Carbon World, part of a UN environmental programme, which will offset 300 tonnes of our carbon emissions, and the organisation is working with us to help us reduce our emissions.

With this in mind, we are embarking on a project to install secondary glazing across the school site; we have installed solar panels on the roof of the New Building; and the rest of our energy comes from a Green Energy Supplier. We’re looking at ways to reduce or offset our main source of emissions – flights – and from September, the students will vote for our carbon offsetting organisation and all international trips will include an opt-out carbon offsetting charge.

There have been a number of assemblies, form time activities, and Senior Societies events throughout the year to educate and empower the students to participate in sustainability and it has been pleasing that many of the changes in school have been led by students. We have encouraged the students to consider the impact

of their purchases, and to question the provenance and supply chain of goods, as well as the waste produced. A group of Year 10s initiated the launch of our new recycling scheme; thanks to the actions of a Year 9 student the kitchen no longer uses palm oil that isn’t from a certifiably sustainable source; and, following Mrs Clarke’s decision to make NLCS #NoBeef, the Year 12 Environmental Awareness Society arranged for a Senior Societies talk by Mathew Shribman, the campaign’s founder, which prompted lively discussion amongst the Sixth Form students on the role our food choices can play in our environmental impact. The society is currently working towards Eco School Status.

There are lots of exciting initiatives we are going to work on next year. Over the summer holidays, an Ecologist will visit the school site to carry out a survey of biodiversity. The grounds team have already put in lots of bee-friendly planting to support Mrs Clarke’s mason bees, and the Natural History Society are looking forward to implementing the Ecologist’s suggestions of how to encourage more invertebrates, mammals, and birds on to the site.

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HomeRun App We have recently launched the use of the HomeRun App. This will provide the school with anonymised journey information for staff and students that we can use to promote new environmentally sustainable travel initiatives and will support us in developing our travel plans with Harrow Council and TfL. Please do all sign up!

Climate Change poses an existential threat to our society. It is imperative that we act to reduce our environmental impact, and educate and empower the next generation to hold sustainability at the core of their values. At North London, we are privileged to teach the leaders and thinkers of the future, and the values they develop now will carry them through life and inform their professional decisions. The threat of climate change seems great, and the challenge of finding global solutions can often seem daunting, but the cumulative impact of the actions of many individuals can make a difference, and we should all do what we can.

Miss Chapman and Ms Bernstein, Sustainability Coordinators

Canons Life / Summer 2019

North London aims to be Carbon Neutral by 2030

THE JUNIOR PLASTIC HACKATHON Sixth Formers from the NLCS Environmental Committee travelled to Wycombe Abbey to take part in the first ever Junior Plastic Hackathon. Inspired by a similar event held at Imperial College London, the day aimed to enable young people, scientists and industry experts to collaborate on finding solutions to tackle the world’s plastic problem.

Students were given topics such as fast fashion, toiletries and food, and were then free to explore the problems that arise due to the extensive use of plastic in these industries. Each team was given lots of inspiration throughout the day, including a talk by an Oxford

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University Materials Scientist and an expert in recycling from Veolia. After a period of idea development, teams had to begin preparing their pitches for the panel of experts. Final presentations included solutions that ranged from cellulose sandwich packaging to bamboobased clothing lines. Overall, it was a hugely interesting day that motivated all attendees to work hard to find solutions to tackle the issue of plastic pollution. As students and members of the Environmental Committee, we will be sure to incorporate the skills and ideas we learnt from the day into North London’s sustainability plan.

Canons Life / Summer 2019

Leonardo Da Vinci Summer Festival

“THE NOBLEST PLEASURE IS THE JOY OF UNDERSTANDING.” (Leonardo da Vinci) When Leonardo da Vinci died on 2nd May 1519, at the age of sixty seven, the world lost one of the greatest geniuses who has ever lived – the ultimate ‘Renaissance man’.

Although he is probably best known as an exceptionally talented artist who produced iconic works such as the Mona Lisa and the Last Supper, he had a brilliantly versatile mind, an immense curiosity about the world in which he lived and a seemingly insatiable thirst for knowledge. His sketchbooks and notebooks are full of meticulous drawings, diagrams and written observations about a dazzling array of subjects – detailed studies of the human body, experimental sketches of flying machines, calculations about astronomy and his own, often highly original, thoughts about geology, engineering, botany, zoology, sculpture, architecture, literature, maps and music. He darted between, and across, all kinds of disciplines, identifying connections rather than divisions, always asking questions and always seeking to understand more.

In our Summer Festival this year, we wanted to honour this extraordinary individual by capturing a little of his creative genius and encouraging students and staff right across the Senior School to experience the exhilaration that Leonardo found in learning and discovering. Every department contributed towards a vibrant and varied programme of events which accurately reflected the insatiably adventurous and inquisitive mind of the celebrated Renaissance genius.

he had a brilliantly versatile mind

D

uring the week before the main Summer Festival, everyone had the chance to hear the BBC’s recent Radio 4 talks on Leonardo’s range of talents and interests – anatomy, maps, weapons of war, machines and flight. This theme of the five ‘faces’ of Leonardo was picked up in a wonderful display in the Library which reflected the versatility of the polymath’s mind and his determination to understand the word around and beyond him. For adventurous spirits (with strong stomachs), there was a chance to watch the live dissection of a heart and the Medical Ethics group invited us to join in their investigation of surgical systems established by Leonardo. Later in the week, Pure Science Society and Art Society joined forces to provide a biological illustration workshop inspired

by Leonardo’s meticulous sketches and, in order to encourage us to examine Leonardo’s legacy in a very different light. there was a special meeting of the Literary Society to explore the theme of ‘Melancholia and Leonardo.’

A highlight of the Summer Festival Week itself was when Dr Julian Roberts from the History department gave a wise and erudite Nicholson Lecture on ‘Leonardo, Art and Faith’, suggesting that Leonardo was a man driven by a desire to capture ‘the truth’ by collecting and collating all the ideas and discoveries which he had inherited from the Mediaeval world.

In a great kaleidoscope of activities throughout the week, Year 7 created and tested robots and explored the history of medicine or got involved in engineering activities, Year 8 built and tried out models based on Leonardo’s designs and considered climate change, Year 9 explored ‘Space and Time’ through English and Philosophy, while Year 10

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enjoyed a multi-lingual treasure hunt around the school trying to work out who had stolen the Mona Lisa by solving clues in Classical and modern languages.

For the Year 12s there was a chance to look at the celebrated Golden Ratio in Maths and to take part in a Drama and Music collaboration based on Leonardo’s life. In case spirits were flagging as the end of term approached, three giant jigsaws based on Leonardo paintings presented both students and staff with a daunting challenge – to get the puzzles completed by the end of term.

Leonardo would, I think, have approved of the many imaginative and collaborative ways in which we have celebrated his extraordinary life and many achievements during our Summer Festival. He may have died five hundred years ago, but, as we have all discovered the sheer power of his personality and intellect is as strong and infectious as ever.

by Mrs Fotheringham, Assistant Head (Communities)

Canons Life / Summer 2019

CHAMBERY EXCHANGE

D of E - WALES

DUBLIN

CHINA

Trips & Exchanges NLCS STUDENTS IN JEJU

NLCS JEJU EXCHANGE STUDENTS VISIT WESTMINSTER

STUDENT EXCHANGE WITH SCEGGS, AUSTRALIA

NLCS DUBAI EXCHANGE VISIT

D of E - PEAK DISTRICT

BIOLOGY FIELD TRIP

D of E BRONZE EXPEDITION

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Canons Life / Summer 2019

Junior School News

WIND IN THE WILLOWS

T

his has been an exciting term in the Junior School. A variety of performances, fairs, sporting events, tournaments and trips have been enjoyed. The girls have worked hard to raise money for their Canon Aid Charity ‘Healing Little Hearts’, with the Lower School girls visiting heart-related workshops including watching a heart dissection!

Residential trips were all the rage for our Year 4-6 girls. Year 6 spent a week having a marvellous time in France. Leaving very early, the girls travelled to Maison Claire Fontaine in the beautiful Burgundian countryside. The girls took part in an action-packed séjour sportif, artistique et linguistique! Much fun was had trying out le tir à l’arc (archery), le cirque (circus skills) et la cuisine (cooking), YEAR 3 DT DAY amongst other things; all conducted in French. Year 5 had a brilliant few days enjoying the Shropshire sunshine on their trip to Preston Montford. The girls hiked up hills and waterfalls, sketched the famous Ironbridge, dipped in streams and befriended sheep, chickens, pigs and a whole lot more! For Year 4 it was their first experience of sleeping away from home with the school. They packed lightly for a one night stay at Bushcraft. Tasty treats were eaten by the fireside as the girls learnt how to survive in the wild.

YEAR 1 ASSEMBLY

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YEAR 6 MAISON CLARE FONTAINE

Canons Life / Summer 2019

In June, Reception girls set off with great excitement and their waterproofs to Little Venice where they spent the morning travelling through the locks on a canal boat and ended up with a delicious picnic on Primrose Hill. Year 2 spent a fascinating day looking for the animals they had learnt about in Science and in their individual projects at Paradise Wildlife Park.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Year 1 were astonished to meet Florence Nightingale, who came to share her stories about how she improved the quality of nursing during the Crimean War. A celebration of different cultures and music from around the world was in store at the Lower School Summer Concert. Our vast array of ensemble groups performed with confidence and the singing from all of our choirs was precise and moving. A clear message was given to all that ‘We are the world, we are the future’.

RECEPTION TRIP TO LITTLE VENICE

daughters at separate assemblies. We had a dragon looking for a story in which he could be a hero rather than a villain for Reception, and Miss Muffet’s search for a new nursery rhyme performed by Year 1.

The final assembly of the year fell to the Year 2 girls who reflected thoughtfully on their time in the First School before they set off to the other side of the link as they join Year 3! The entertainment was followed by a delicious celebratory picnic which was enjoyed by one and all.

LOWER SCHOOL CONCERT

School Council were keen to continue raising money for the National Brain Appeal and ‘The Great Staff Brain Off’ was held. Three teams of staff bravely competed in front of a large audience for the winning title. The School Council had chosen some challenging questions, and it was a tense competition.

Despite the unexpected rainfall for this time of year, both the First School and Lower School Sports Days managed to take place. The girls wore their colour

t-shirts with pride as they ran, jumped and threw their way through the various events. All of our Learning habits were on display and congratulations reigned on the winning teams.

Excitement mounted for the Year 6 production of ‘The Wind in the Willows’ which the girls worked so hard to prepare. It was a wonderful final performance for the girls as they move up from the Junior School. The First School parents were entertained by their

YEAR 2 ASSEMBLY

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FIRST SCHOOL SPORTS DAY

Canons Life / Summer 2019

The Adventures of Pinocchio

T

he Years 7 and 8 production played to packed audiences in our Performing Arts Centre. Featuring over seventy performers, this was a wonderfully entertaining production revealing the students’ flair for the traditional Italian style of Commedia Dell’Arte. Using physical theatre, puppetry and revealing superb characterisation and physicality it was hard to remember that these students were only in Years 7 and 8.

Congratulations to all the performers, technicians and designers for creating such an entertaining visual feast.

Performing Arts A wonderfully entertaining production reavealing the students’ flair

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Canons Life / Summer 2019

The House of Bernarda Alba

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t the end of term, a cast of twentysix Year 10 students performed The House of Bernarda Alba. One of the most celebrated European dramas of the twentieth century, this production electrifyingly transposed the action from a rural village in Spain in 1936 to an estate in London 2019. Here, Lorca’s formidable matriarch Bernarda Alba was the widow of gang member Tony Alba, and the play followed her attempts to secure the family’s dubious fortune and control after the gangland execution of her husband.

However, with her five headstrong daughters copped up in the family home in an emotionally charged atmosphere of bitter rivalry, the play raced toward its shattering climax. Pleasingly, the production coincided with the Spanish department’s teaching of Lorca’s work to GCSE students.

This allowed linguists the chance to see Lorca’s work brought to life to support their studies.

One of the most celebrated European dramas of the twentieth century

Canons Follies

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nce again, at the end of the Summer Term, our Year 12 Students took to the stage for their highly anticipated Canons Follies production. Entitled ‘Naughties’ the show took a light-hearted look at school life, featuring energetic songs, dance and many comedy sketches!

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Canons Life / Summer 2019

Music News Summer Concert

Concert for St Luke’s Hospice

A highlight in the musical calendar this term is our Summer Concert. The evening was extremely uplifting, with a range of musical styles offered up by the Jazz Ensemble, Cello Octet, Wind Band and various choirs, orchestras and sinfonias to name but a few, culminating in an extraordinary performance of Saint-Saëns’ Piano Concerto

by Athena in Year 13. Congratulations to all students and staff for your handwork and commitment over the term, it was a truly enchanting evening.

Each year, St Luke’s Hospice in Harrow present their Summer Proms, a wonderful collection of concerts to raise funds for the charity. St Luke’s Hospice cares for people approaching the end of their life in Harrow and Brent, giving them the best possible quality of life. We were delighted to be invited to host a concert at the end of June at St Lawrence Church in Stanmore. Thank you to all our fabulous musicians, and their family and friends for supporting this local charity.

ST LUKE’S HOSPICE FUNDRAISING CONCERT

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Canons Life / Summer 2019

CANONAID HOUSE FETE

Charity News

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t has been another busy and productive term for Canonaid, the NLCS Charity Committee. Each year group now has a team of students who are led by one of the Committee; this new structure is hoped to give students across all year groups more of an opportunity to become actively involved in fundraising for Canonaid. So far this term we have already had events run by these committees including a bake sale and a staff v student rounder’s match.

In addition to the various fundraising activities and our weekly Tuesday collections, this term, we ran two big charity collections. Firstly, a collection during the month of Ramadan, for which we donated twenty-five Eid gifts to teenagers in a refugee camp in Greece. This collection was initiated by a visit from Old North Londoner, Amy Rushton, who gave an inspirational talk to Year 10 about her role as a volunteer and coordinator of Project Elea, a community of international volunteers working from Eleonas Refugee Camp in Athens.

Finally, at the end of term, students and staff donated toiletry items, including shampoo soap and sanitary products, to give to the charity organisation, The Hygiene Bank. We were delighted to collect eight full bags. The Hygiene Bank will now distribute these items via partners that include local government authorities, voluntary organisations such as food banks and homeless shelters in the local area.

HYGIENE BANK COLLECTION

A highlight of the term is always our Community Summer Party. We are delighted to invite residents of local care homes. Guests and students ate together and watched the entertainment, including Bollywood dancing and singing. It was an enjoyable afternoon for all who attended.

Canonaid took part in the Summer Festival at the end of the term. As well as helping at the Houses Summer Fete, they held an ice-cream sale and ran a tie-dying stall where girls donated to tie-dye an item of clothing.

We have raised money for many different charities, including a charity that provides sanitary items for women in Kenya, a charity that works to stop human trafficking and a charitable foundation which funds cardiac research.

Overall, it has been a hugely successful few months for Canonaid, and we cannot wait for more fundraising ventures in the next academic year.

CANONAID HOUSE FETE

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Canons Life / Summer 2019

Sports News GYM AND DANCE DISPLAY

After many weeks of rehearsals, students from Years 2 to 13 took part in the spectacular annual gym and dance display. The girls who participated did so with heart-stopping brio and confidence, performing a series of complicated dance, gymnastics, trampolining and cheerleading routines that amazed and delighted the audience. This show demonstrated not only outstanding talent, but excellent teamwork. Well done!

PAMELA FLOWER TENNIS TOURNAMENT

Pamela Mary Flower was a pupil at North London during World War 2 and was elected School Games Captain in 1943. It was not an easy time and the School was evacuated to Luton. Exams took place in the cramped and dim air PAM EL A FL OWER raid shelter, but not even a world war distracted the girls from their academic pursuits!

Tragically, in February 1944 Pamela was killed in an air raid, when her house received a direct hit. As a memorial, her father made a presentation of a silver cup to the School, and so the Pamela Flower Tennis Tournament was born, in memory of the Games Captain who embodied the ethos of North London.

At this year’s tournament we were delighted to welcome Ellen Trilling (ONL 1938) one of our oldest ONLs. Ellen will be turning 100 later this year and was still full of energy when presenting trophies to this year’s tournament winners. Very fitting in the same week as Wimbledon!

Rounding off another fabulous year of sporting events and competitions at Canons was our highly anticipated Pamela Flower Tennis Tournament. The majority of Old North Londoners and current students will have heard of, and perhaps watched or played in the tournament.

However, not many people know about who Pamela was and what the competition is about.

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Canons Life / Summer 2019

10 YEAR REUNION

ONL & Development News 2017 REUNION

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t has been a busy term in our office. In May we were delighted to host a dinner for ONLs in Hong Kong with NLCS staff. If you live in Hong Kong and are interested in connecting with our Hong Kong chapter, do let us know at onla@nlcs.org.uk. It was wonderful to welcome back over 200 ONLs to the ONLA 10, 20, 30 and 40 year reunions in May, and families of ONLs enjoyed the ONLA Summer Picnic in June.

In June we held ‘Thank you’ drinks at Eight Club Moorgate, sponsored by current parents, for those who have given either philanthropically or of their time over the last year. Over 100 guests attended, ranging from members of the Parents’ Guild, parent volunteers, ONLs and donors. Thank you to Claudia and Alexander Mahboubian for hosting such a lovely evening.

20 YEAR REUNION

Following on from last year’s successful event, we are holding another ‘Women in the Workplace’ event that spans all our career societies, where in November guests will hear from prominent women about how the working environment has changed over the years, the challenges women still face and, more importantly, how to overcome them. Thank you to ONL Sarah Anticoni for kindly agreeing

to host this again at Charles Russell Speechleys in London (more information will be sent out in due course).

Our first ever ONL Questionnaire has been sent out with our annual alumnae magazine, ONLine and this will help us shape our future alumnae programme of activities and events. ONLs can fill in the questionnaire at https://www. surveymonkey.co.uk/r/onla2019.

30 YEAR REUNION

40 YEAR REUNION

FORTHCOMING ONL EVENTS

Contact Us

EVENT

ATTENDEES

DATE AND VENUE

TIME

ONLA 50 Year Reunion

Class of 1969

18 September 2019 at NLCS

11am

ONLA ‘Women in the Workplace’ event

All ONLs

21 November 2019 at Charles Russell Speechleys, London

6.30pm

ONLA 1 Year Reunion

Class of 2018

TBC: 8 January 2020 at NLCS

5.30pm

ONLA AGM and Classes of 1979, 1989, ONLA 10,20,30 and 1999 and 2009 40 Year Reunion

9 May 2020 at NLCS

10.30am

ONLA 3 and 4 Year Class of 2016 and reunion Class of 2017

TBC: 25 June 2020 at NLCS

5.30pm

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For more information on any ONL Events and to receive our termly e-newsletter, Community Update, please contact onla@nlcs.org.uk or 020 8951 6475.

ONL Connect is our new online platform enabling ONLs to connect with each other for social and networking purposes. Please visit https://www.onlconnect.org.uk

Frances Mary Buss

@NLCSAlumnae

@francesmarybuss

Canons Life / Summer 2018

NEWS TEAM: Mia Lane – Editor in Chief, Inma Emberton - Canons Life Editor, Jessica Pretorious, Olivia Payne, Shalini Shah, Faye Song (Y12), Aarya Janjale, Chaitali Virani, Soraya Odubeko, Yana Szerkowski, Loewe Lim, Charvi Jain, Vita Rottenberg, Aimee Shah, Lara-Grace Banjo, Chloe Bloom, Coco Cresswell, Ella Davey (Y11), Gaya Giritharan (Y10), Gabriella Zheng, Madeleine Matthews (Y9), Daksha Demba (Y8) Staff Editor: Larraine Bristow With thanks to Mrs Fotheringham for her contribution to the magazine this term.

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