Pipers Post | Autumn 2022 edition

CHICAGO. SENIOR SCHOOL PRODUCTION

WINNING THREE GREEN APPLE ENVIRONMENTAL AWARDS

On Monday 21 November, we were invited to the Houses of Parliament to receive two celebrated international Green Apple Awards.

Little did our representatives know that the Green Organisation were so impressed by the application put forward, that they awarded us the Green World Environmental Ambassador award, which will be presented at a special ceremony next Spring. This means Pipers has won not only two, but three environmental awards; the first School in the history of the Green Apple Awards to do so. Pipers students will represent the UK not just in education, but across Business, Industry and Governments at the Green World Awards 2023 in Florida, USA.

NIA WINS OUTSTANDING

ACHIEVEMENT AWARD FOR NCS

Nia F (Year 12) took home the prestigious Outstanding Contribution Award as part of the National Citizen’s Service, a flagship Government initiative aimed at 16-17 year olds.

Nia was absolutely delighted to meet the 2012 Paralympic Gold medallist, Naomi Riches MBE who was the guest speaker for the evening. Naomi, also registered blind, was so generous with her time and chatted with Nia, showing her gold medal and explaining the tactile features and braille on it.

We are so incredibly proud of Nia, who continues to add to the awards she has won, not only within School, but from her commitment to extra-curricular activities.

A SPECIAL TRIBUTE ON PIPERS RADIO

Led by an incredibly talented group of Year 12 and 13 students, our Radio Team took to the air for a tribute broadcast to mark the life and reign of her Late Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II.

This show was a celebration of service and commitment to the people of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth.

SONY BIRD AND BAT HOUSES

MACMILLAN COFFEE MORNING

On Friday 23 September, the School played host to a Coffee Morning to help raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support.

We are so pleased to have been able to raise over £400, with the winner of a fabulous cake generously donating it to a nursing home in Hillingdon.

Overrecent weeks, Pipers and Sony have developed an excited relationship, and more recently we are hugely grateful to Sony for hand-making and giving us bird and bat boxes. It was great to see our Senior students finding the best places they could go in the School.

GCSE AND A LEVEL RESULTS

Students celebrated yet another year of outstanding GCSE results at Pipers. Results across the 22 subjects taken have seen over two thirds of all grades achieve the top 9-7 grades (A**, A* and A).

A Level results have maintained the incredibly high standards of both the pre-pandemic and pandemic years with yet another year with a 100% pass rate and for the sixth year in a row.

OAK TREE PLANTING TO COMMEMORATE QUEEN ELIZABETH II

In honour of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, members of the School community came together to plant a tree to mark the reign of our late Monarch.

In consultation with the students, the School wanted to celebrate her service to the Commonwealth, in a way that would be seen by future generations of Pipers students, making sure that her lasting legacy remains and to help encourage daily reflection of The Queen’s meaningful life.

The tree was purchased as a result of the generosity of a large number of parent and staff benefactors, and planted in a special ceremony led by the Head Girl Jada B and Pre-Prep student Ellenna C.

May she always be remembered.

NATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR PIPERS STUDENTS

Back

in August 2022, the School discovered it had, for the second year in a row, qualified as finalists for the National Competition of Food, Farming and the Natural Environment.

We are delighted that Pipers students were crowned winners of this national competition just reward for the dedication they have shown in support of LEAF’s goal of developing more sustainable food and farming.

In celebration of the much-loved literary masterpieces, our Library Team put together an unforgettable evening on Friday 14 October.

Each group made their way to different parts of the School for quizzes, Quidditch and potion-making, with the winning group announced in the Theatre at the end of the evening. This event is always over-subscribed and a firm favourite amongst students.

The students and staff came together for a special presentation and assembly to remember and honour those in the Armed Forces whose bravery will never be forgotten.

The period of reflection started with a heartfelt speech delivered by our Head of Security and former Military Veteran Mr Johnston. A student recited ‘Perhaps’ by Vera Brittain shortly afterwards. At the end of the two-minute silence, the Head Girl’s Team placed the poppy wreath down as the School choir performed a beautiful piece by Mozart.

In the afternoon, the students had an informed assembly about the young poet and soldier Roland Leighton and his fiancée Vera Brittain. Upper Sixth students Mia and Liv performed a ballad written in honour of the late soldier.

Rememberance Day is always a very special and poignant day in the School calendar and we are fortunate to be able to mark it.

CHRISTMAS AT PIPERS

INSPIRATION AND ADVICE IN CAREERS IN STEAM EVENT

In October, we welcomed a diverse selection of speakers to give presentations to parents and students about careers within the STEAM sector. Lots of advice was shared about the range of opportunities out there, providing great inspiration for our students about following their passion, taking chances and finding a career where they can make a difference.

STUDENTS RELEASE SPOTIFY SINGLE

To show their love for musical subjects, Pipers students combined their various musical talents to release a prestigious new single. The cover of ‘Best of You’ by the Foo Fighters is available to listen to now on Spotify

HARVEST FESTIVAL

so proud of our students for donating an incredible 900 items towards their chosen charities for this year’s Harvest Festival.

ROTARY YOUNG CHEF COMPETITION

Weare delighted that Charlotte B (Year 9) has won her district in the Rotary Young Chef Competition with her salmon en croûte and a chocolate cheesecake. She will be going through to the next round in February next year at Hitchin College.

We’re

CELEBRATING THE ELECTRIC 80’S ON FOUNDERS DAY

As part of the Pipers annual tradition of celebrating Founders Day, we felt a brilliant atmosphere as the students took this year’s 1980s theme with great enthusiasm in remembrance of original founder of the school Jessie Cross.

Throughout the Day, the students embarked on themed lessons, a custom lunch time menu, karaoke on the Quad and a special viewing of the classic film ET in the Arts Centre Theatre.

In the afternoon, the Founders Day assembly was a wonderful celebration of the Pipers community, which included a collection of performances and speeches, followed by the traditional cutting of the Founders Day cake by our youngest Reception student Aria H and Head Girl Jada B.

HISTORY SCHOLARS TAKE PART IN NATIONAL COMPETION

Historians Grace (Year 11) and Cianna (Year 12) delivered excellent speeches at the regional round of the Historical Association Great Debate. Amongst tough competition, Cianna was declared the winner and will be going through to the National Final at Windsor Castle next year. Congratulations to both students.

EUROPEAN TRAVELS IN OCTOBER

There was no stopping our students throughout the October half-term break as groups travelled far and wide to partake in various trips across Europe, including visits to Catalonia, Florence and Berlin.

RAISING MONEY FOR BBC’S CHILDREN IN NEED

In our bid to the help change young lives forever, our students had their Pudsey merch ready and worked hard to raise money for the BBC’s Children in Need. We are thrilled as a community to have been able to raise money for such a worthy cause. A huge thank you to everyone for their generosity as we managed to raise a wonderful £692.08.

FOREST SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

Reception had their first chance to use the fire strikers and enjoyed discovering all the different types of fungus in our grounds. Year 1 showed great skill carving their initials onto balsa wood and built lovely fairy shelters for our forest fairies. Our Prep students developed their forest skills by using the saws, carving tools and knives to make picture frames and ‘memory sticks’.

MUSIC CONCERTS

The Autumn Term always proves to be a busy one for the Music department. We have seen performances from around 40 students at the ever-popular monthly Informal Concerts and the department provided remarkable accompaniments to our Founders Day, Remembrance Day, Harvest Festival, School productions, Christmas Shows, Christingle, the Christmas Fair and Carol services. Our thanks to all those involved.

SPORTS ROUNDUP

It’s been a busy Term for the Sports Department. In Netball, all our teams have been in action in the Wycombe District League with the U12A and B and U13B teams all going into the Christmas holidays topping their tables, and a big congratulations to our U14 Hockey team who won their county round tournament and the Senior Cross-Country team who qualified for the English Schools’ cross-country regional final at Stowe. For more information, follow us @PipersSport.