The Castle - Summer 2023 Edition

WELCOME BACK

EDITOR'S LETTER

Dear Reigatians,

As the school year comes to a close, many of us will (thankfully) be finishing our external exams, and will be looking forward (with a mixture of nerves and excitement) to moving onto the next chapter of our lives For the Upper Sixth leavers, this school year has gone so quickly - so our advice would be to make the most of it!

Thank you to the teachers and staff members who have continuously supported us over the years, and good luck to everyone in the future!

Sofia

L & all the students at The Castle

TOPICS OF INTEREST OPINION PIECES

C O N T E N T S

SIXTH FORM COMMITTEES REVIEWS BAKING

Do you want to contribute?

The Castle provides the perfect opportunity to have your voice heard!

Perhaps you have a particular interest worth sharing, or a frustrating gripe you'd like to get off your chest - whatever your story, please do get in touch with Ms Harvey about getting your work featured in the next edition of The Castle.

SHININGA SPOTLIGHTON VOLUNTEERING

Shining a spotlight – An amazing week spent working withRevitalise!

Revitalise is a national charity that runs 3 purpose-built holiday respite centres for disabled people and their carers across the country. It is one of the only organisations for specialised care breaks and has gained support from the likes of actress Dame Judi DenchandBBCpresenterDameEstherRantzen!Overthe Easter holidays, I was fortunate enough to spend one week volunteering at Jubilee Lodge in Essex, one of the Revitalise centres, where I met some lovely people and decidedIwantedtosharemyexperiencetopromotean inspiringorganisation.

AFEATUREBYNITHYAS

When Revitalise was founded 60 years ago by founding trustee Joan Brander MBE, it was known as the Winged FellowshipTrust.Theideabehindthecharitywastooffer eventhesmallestavailableperiodofrespite,topeoplein desperate need of it Fundamentally, the 3 main objectivesofRevitalisehavechangedminimallyoverthe 60yearssinceitsfounding Theseinclude:

-Providing specially equipped centres where disabled peopleareprovidedtheopportunitytorelaxandrestore theirwellbeingwhilsthavinganenjoyablebreak.

-Providing support for family carers, with 24/7careavailabletoanyonewhoneedsit. -Providing residential volunteering opportunities to enrich the guests’ experience!

Asavolunteerstayingforaweeksomewhere whereIwasunfamiliarwiththesurroundings, peopleandtypeofwork,Iwasapprehensive leadinguptomystayatJubileeLodge.Little didIknowhowfuntheweekaheadwouldbe! My typical day consisted of eating meals at thesametableasafewoftheguests,where I would assist as necessary, followed by washing up and clearing away. In between meals, the other volunteers and I would accompany the guests up the road to the picturesque nature reserve and stables or participate in in-house activities such as painting and quiz night; we even decorated themainloungeandhostedateapartyfora guest’s70thbirthday!

My week with Revitalise was refreshing and I can confidently say I have come out of it having learned a lot from everyone I worked with. Mostly, having observed all the staff interact with the guests, I would encourage reflectiononhowwespeaktopeople.

AtRevitalise,everyonewastreatedandspokentowiththesamecompassion and enthusiasm, whether they had a disability or not. The same inclusivity shouldbeadvocatedinourday-to-dayenvironment,andIbelieveweshould actpositivelyagainstdiscrimination.Revitalisealsoofferedsuchanenjoyable experience, and I left having made lots of new friends. I would encourage anyone who can get involved and volunteer within the community, whether local or far, to make the most of every opportunity to make an uplifting change! Thankyouforreading.

OUR TRIP TO TENERIFE

DAY 1

After a 4 hour flight to the island, located off the west coast of Africa, we were greeted by the warmth of the Canary Islands - the land of towering palm trees and exotic cacti. The weather was a nice surprise compared to the cold and the rain we were used to back in the UK!

During the coach ride, which went around the coast and then onto our hotel (that's right - no hostels on this trip!), we enjoyed sea views that glistened for miles on the horizon, and wondered at the enormous volcano in the centre of the island. Out across the vast, blue ocean, there were the outlines of the other distant islands such as Gran Canaria and La Palma

DURING THE EASTER HOLIDAY, THERE WAS AN EPIC SECOND FORM SPANISH TRIP TO TENERIFE WHICH INCLUDED LOTS OF INTERESTING ACTIVITIES. FROM EXCITING WATERPARKS TO SUNNY PYRAMIDS. WE HAD LOTS OF FUN AND HIGHLY RATE THIS SCHOOL TRIP!

We drove to the hotel, which was basic but met our needs We were put in random rooms, so most of us were not with our close friends and weren’t very happy, but in the end that made for the opportunity to meet new people and make new friends!

After a little time at the hotel to unpack, half of us began the short journey to a Spanish cooking workshop There we made mojas: a speciality of the Canary Islands made by crushing vegetables and adding vinegar and oil We had been previously told that we were making paella and perhaps our hopes for that dinner were too high When we got there we saw vegetables and grinders but no rice or meat for paella and we were very confused! Despite what we had been told, we made the mojas and had a competition between small groups to make the best one. We also made gofio – roasted flour mixed with honey and banana, almost like cookie dough The next day we were outraged to find out that the other group had made paella! However, it was good to make something different for a change!

While one group ate the food we had cooked, the other half of us ate dinner at the hotel that included fish, a variety of meat and some tasty potatoes, called papas arrugadas which are traditionally boiled in sea water to make them super salty After dinner, the group who didn’t cook left the hotel to play mini golf and eat refreshing ice cream That night, both groups arrived back late and were very tired so sleep came easily!

DAY 2

The following day we woke up with lots of excitement Although getting out of bed was not easy, we were helped by the sun creeping through our windows like liquid gold. First up on our agenda were Spanish classes at a local language school. Unsurprisingly, some of us weren’t particularly energised by the thought of a 2-hour lesson first thing in the morning However, it turned out to be extremely interesting and interactive We learned a lot and had fun doing it! The teacher arranged several activities which taught us a wide range of vocabulary that came in useful later in our trip

Later, we ate lunch on the coach as we made our way to the pyramids of Guimar. They were unusual pyramids (maybe not what we expected!) and had a unique purpose Unlike the Egyptian Pyramids, they were not built to bury the dead –instead, they were made to align with the sun and moon on the shortest and longest days of the year, thereby showing the date and time They were unusual in appearance too as they were just layers of rock that got smaller as they got taller, a bit like steps. Interestingly, no one is sure when the pyramids we built, but most assume some time in the 18th century. We were told to think about that ourselves

During our tour around the pyramids, we took part in a treasure hunt that involved dressing up as pirates and competing against each other in challenges From quirky hats to drawn-on scars, some of us got very into character but others thought it was a bit clichéd In addition to the pyramids, we also got to see lots of exotic Canary Island plants and trees, as well as sustainable parks and beautiful views of the glistening ocean.

At the very end, we were presented with the chance to wander around the gift shop and the café Although the queue was long, most of us managed to buy delicious ice cream and a refreshing drink, perfect for the blistering hot weather. The gift shop sold many souvenirs, not just of the pyramids but of Tenerife as well We had a wonderful day but were exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel

After a much-needed break in our rooms, we split up again so that the other half of us could go to the cooking workshop, where they (finally!) made paella and various other Spanish delicacies We all had a very enjoyable night and went to sleep quickly again when we got back.

DAY 3

On Wednesday, we had a continental breakfast before embarking on our trip to another Spanish lesson where we continued learning vocab to help us on our trip However, we were quite restless because we were desperate to move on to our next activity – a trip to the Siam waterpark!

Inspired by a Thai waterpark, Siam park is full of tropical plants and beaches as well as amazing water slides From plunge holes to lazy rivers, there were so many slides to try out!

We arrived in the scorching heat of a Tenerife early afternoon ready to go off and explore Although food was promised when we got there, there was no café for us to have our lunch in sight. It turned out that the booking had got lost and we couldn’t eat until 3 Nevertheless, we still had an amazing, if slightly hungry, time In fact, it meant we could head straight to the big slides without having to cope with an overly full stomach!

We went off in our groups of 3 or more and enjoyed an amazing afternoon of fun One of the best slides (if that's your thing!) was the Volcano. In a 4 person rubber ring, you are catapulted into complete darkness as you plummet through the bubbling rapids that represent the island’s central volcano This is followed by a laser light display before you splash down the plunge hole to the landing pool For our group, it was particularly thrilling (and quite scary!) because the side of our ring got pushed up the side of the plunge hole by the rough rapids leaving us tilted up the wall before we were thankfully dislodged by another wave!

Before we finally had our lunch, we all had a chance to swim in the wave pool, which had an enormous sandy beach attached to it, complete with rows of sun loungers During our time in the water, the wave machine came on, creating enormous waves to play in They started small so that we could jump them, and eventually became bigger and bigger The larger ones actually rolled us up onto the beaches! .

Lunch was classic pizza and fries: a perfect break in the middle of what was a very exciting day After another hour or so to revel in the park, we headed home to a well-deserved rest. Many of us slept on the coach!

When we got back to the hotel, we were given time to pack and relax in our rooms before dinner at the hotel and then a beautiful evening walk around the town The teachers kindly bought us all ice creams and we ate them with a breathtaking nighttime view of the ocean lapping over the volcanic rocks, which were astonishingly black next to the white froth of the breaking waves. After a quick trip for souvenirs, we headed home for the night.

DAY 4

On our final day in Tenerife, we ate our final hotel breakfast and finished our packing. We were all really tired at this point but still looking forward to another memorable day. Firstly we headed off on the coach with our suitcases to the Finca de Margarita – a working banana plantation This banana plantation provides bananas for all of the Canary Islands as well as Switzerland and now we are no longer in the EU, soon the UK too

After a very hot coach journey, we were welcomed into rows and rows of banana plants. Did you know that the banana plant is actually grass? A very big grass though! It and the pineapple plant are the only two types of grass that produce fruit

We learned lots about bananas and how vulnerable they are The tour guide spoke to us in a mixture of Spanish and English, allowing us time to try and translate her information Our Spanish isn’t perfect yet so it was quite hard to work out but with a little help, we finished with an interesting understanding.

Some of the facts we found out were:

Banana grasses are cloned to increase their numbers

The plants don’t make seeds like most others; instead, the mother plant produces her one and only ever bunch of bananas before producing another banana grass from her roots and then dying

The plants are referred to as 'feminine' because the only male part is the stalk that connects the bananas to the grass. They are cloned because their reproduction process is very slow and each grass only produces one bunch

There is only one type of banana that people widely buy in supermarkets meaning that if a disease wipes out the banana plants, there will not be another option of bananas to take their place This is why the plant species is so vulnerable

After this talk, we had lunch under the plantation’s ancient mango tree and then we were allowed to taste samples of some of their products which are made from the bananas grown there, as well as a Tenerife banana itself

The bananas were really sweet and delicious –much tastier than the ones in England! Some of the products included banana jam, banana mojas, and sweet banana dough It was really surprising what they could make with one banana!

Next on the agenda was a trip to the famous black sand beaches. We were able to go off and buy drinks, churros, more souvenirs, and of course ice cream It was a good last moment of freedom to explore the island before we returned to the airport in time for the long flight home

At the airport, we changed back into clothes more suitable for the cold March climate of England After the usual airport stress, we bought dinner from the food court and various snacks for the long journey ahead of us, eventually boarding the plane and saying goodbye to Tenerife. A 5hour flight landed us back home at Gatwick at 11 pm to meet our families They were all eager to hear about our adventures We were all sad to leave, even though many of us were anxious before our trip It had been an amazing and very educational experience!

MEET OUR NEW LIBRARIAN!

What is your favourite genre and book?

My favourite genre is magical realism and I absolutely adore it! My favourite book altogether is called 'The House Of The Spirits' by Isabel Allende I think I must have been around 32 or 33 when I first read it and I was abroad in the Canary Islands. I thought it was just magical: it just suddenly slips off into a strange world when everyone starts seeing the future, having strange feelings, and going on those instincts I love that about it because it just makes life magical

Have you

always been a keen reader?

Yes! It took me a long time to read because when I was little I had problems hearing so I was a very late reader, but I had a mum who was a teacher She would always read to me and I was always interested in what was in the book. I think that is where my fascination for stories has come from I would say I am obsessed with stories more than anything! So yes, I am a keen reader but nowadays, because I get very exhausted, I listen to a lot of audiobooks.

When did you join RGS and what made you interested in joining?

I joined on the 17th of April of this year I saw the job advertised back in January and I thought what a wonderful place to work! I've had a long association with the school: my father went to the school back in 1952 We found some of his records and information When I was around 17 or 18, I used to have friends who went to Reigate Grammar too so I’ve always liked the school, and coming here has always been something that I thought would be great And then I saw the job advertised and I thought ‘I can do all the things on that list, so I am going to apply!’

What do you like about working in the RGS library?

Well, who wouldn’t like to work in a library like this? If you ’ re a librarian and you walk into this library, you can imagine the wow factor it has. When I was taken around by Ms Robertson and I was shown the library, I was just blown away It was like being shown the best thing ever! The building, and all of you of course, are just as amazing because what would the library be without the people who come?

What is the latest news in the library?

At the moment, we have got all our summer reads out and on display. We are also about to send postcards out Everyone is going to take a postcard home and write on it where they go in the world this holiday We are hoping that everyone will send one in because it doesn’t matter if you don’t move from your sitting room this summer, you can still go anywhere in the world with a book It is the cheapest method of travel there is! And not only are we going to give it to students, we are going to give it to teachers, canteen staff, the estates team... They are all going to get one! In September, there will be a big display of them all I would like everyone to use this library because it is open to everyone, not just students, so we can all be reading. You would be surprised by who is a keen reader You might find someone cleaning your classroom and they have taken a few books out because they love reading too and have access to this amazing library.

What about the library do you think could be improved and what is your vision for the library in the future?

My vision for the library in the future is to connect more departments so that everything you learn in your lessons is linked or included in the books and resources we have here in the library. Obviously, we ' re going forward in a digital way so everything will be more online with digital resources, but I think there will always be a place for books Even with AI, I think reading skills will still be super important for programming and the best way to learn those skills is through books

What is your advice for students who are reluctant readers?

I think they are just missing out on so much because you can get a completely new and different point of view on something Sometimes I go away and I'm just relaxing and reading, and I suddenly see something from a totally different point of view, so it helps every day to consider things from all angles It doesn't matter whether you ' re reading a factual or fiction book, you can see things from different points of view It doesn’t need to be a particularly complex book either. I think it just gives your brain a rest and takes you somewhere else.

What is going to be different in the library in the Autumn Term?

It will have some different displays obviously, and we ' re going to have Library lessons in the First and Second Form The library is a place where we get together, and I hope there will be cross-curricular projects through the library and all its resources. Maybe the science department will work with the English department; for example, it would be really interesting if there was a project on Frankenstein looking at whether or not you could scientifically build someone and then ethically think about whether or not that is the right thing to do in English or T and P We need all these things to come together I think it would be really fascinating!

THEBEVISHILLIERWRITING COMPETITION2023

IssueNo 6|June2023

TalentedWriters

The Bevis Hillier Award celebrates the importance of creativity beyond the constraints of the curriculum and the wonderful writing talent that the Fifth Form possesses

The annual competition is judged by renowned English art historian, author, journalist and Old Reigatian, Bevis Hillier Mr Hillier spent a generous amount of time providing annotation and feedback on the submitted pieces and particularly noted that the winner's telling of the story was “admirable”, with many of the short-listed pieces leaving him impressed with the talentofthewriters

Thank you to everyone who entered the competition and congratulations to those shortlisted for, and who won the prizes. Congratulationstoour2023winner:Maebh Gibbs. She now takes her place amongst more than a decade of incredible writers

wehavehadthepleasuretoknowatRGS We are all writers – love words and enjoy weavingmagicwiththem!

Awards

2023winner-MaebhG

Jointrunners-up-BillyR

&EvelynM

HighlyCommended

HannahB

HannahC

AmikaS

TheOcean-MaebhG

Tied to one of the table legs in the Bridge – the commanding station, two-gun barrel ends compressed into my temples Every now and then sweat caused the metal openings to slide across my brow and cheek bones – every movement provoking a flinch of the shoulder, twitch of the eye, and punch of acidity washing up from the stomach to the tongue like the fragments of a broken wave careering up a beach front; burning the walls of my throat throughout its course -all side-effects of vomit brewingfromwithin.Wesetsail.

The sea was my home My first job was assisting my dad (Third Officer of a general cargo vessel). I would organise life-saving appliances and keep the lookout. Occasionally they’d allow me to steer the ship all by myself only for two minutes though Duringthosetwominutes,Iwasthecontrollerofa220,000-tonnefreighter;the waves behaved under my dominance, every movement, sound and cut through the watersmyhandswereresponsiblefor.ItwasthatsummerIknewthisjobwouldbemy future–howeverboringorantisocialfriendsthoughtofit,thisstupendous,mammoth-

TheOcean-MaebhG

Senseless, we scurried back across the higher deck back into the bridge where all navigation and communications were conducted but in place of the stand-in mariner were three formidable Somalian pirates disguised in scarves masking their identities and draped in belt straps laced with roughly 100 bullets – two per person secured like cross-body bags over each shoulder Each had one large gun in hand alongside other weaponry strapped to their trousers and shirts The largest of the three was leaning against the dashboard fiddling with a knife No-one uttered a word Not even the ocean ’ s waves bubbled or fizzled; not even the windhummedorswished

An hour passed, the one with the knife had briefed us on their intentions and how we would assist in achieving them They tied me down with guns at the ready, coarseropefastenedacrossmymouthandhandsgrazingmyskin’ssurface.Atfirst ourcrew ’sMasterandtheBosunabidedbytheirinstructionsbutwhentimepassed and the three thieves had become more relaxed and less observant of the navigation,Inoticedthewheelmoveafewmoreanglestotherightthanexpected. It was extremely subtle – something only a top navigator would notice and expect toalteronaroute–butallthoseyearsofhaving2minutesatthewheelI’dlearnta few things. The bosun and I made eye contact. He'd caught on. No one uttered a word “Hold on a second,” the one with the knife barked, “what are you up to?” he asked, having seen us exchange glances Within 2 minutes I was leaning over the edge of the deck glaring at the muddy waters below. “Boat master, we ’ ve hijacked enough of these ships to know when people are attempting to outsmart us and trust me it becomes less and less entertaining – you have ten seconds to stop this insubordinationandcarryonwiththecoursebeforeIlosemytemper,10.....4..3..2..1...”

“Do it” my master said heedlessly 10 years I'd worked on this same boat with the same people 10 years under his wing I'd been climbing the ladder aspiring to be in his position and he would so casually toss my body like the other two. “Chuck him” the pirate laughed Static and breathless, I stared into the basin of blue that would soon be the source of my demise but no one stirred Instead, the other two men, removed me from the deck’s edge and then their scarves. The identities beneath the layers of material were Jono and Ronny, our ship’s guards The two then neutralizedthepirateandplannedtostickhimintheemptymetalcargoboxwhere the two others they’d captured and stolen clothes from and the rest of the party were While being untied the master approached the humiliated buccaneer, “We’ve been out on this ship across these shores enough times to know your methods of robbery,afterall,thisshipandtheoceanisourhome”.

DO WE ALL SUFFER FROM

VIDEO CALLING PARROTS, BY ANYA P

In the UK alone, 1 6 million birds are kept as pets. Although they are friendly companions and can make you laugh, there are also downsides for the birds in captivity, the largest issue being those experiencing loneliness. Parrots in the wild generally live in large flocks but, in captivity, they are almost exclusively kept alone or in very small groups. When parrots are isolated, they tend to feel lonely or even bored; this can be shown through pulling out their feathers

The Northeastern University and the University of Glasgow decided to tackle this issue by training parrots how to video call. This is what we did during lockdown to stay in touch with family and friends.

After the video calls, the parrots that the study used started to show more social and playful behaviours such as communicating with their owners and being more vocal. The parrots who made the most calls, received more calls which suggests that the birds became more social

'Connection is why we are here: it is what brings purpose and meaning to our lives.' - Brene Brown

OF SOCIAL THE BENEFITS

How did the parrots learn how to call the others?

The caretakers of the parrots taught the birds to associate touching a bell with touching another bird's profile photo to start the call After frequently doing this, the parrots learned the faces of the birds that they were friendliest with and called them more than others.

The team that ran the study hope that video calling could be the new future for solitary parrots as they are extremely intelligent birds and extroverted animals

What does this all mean?

You may be reading this article and asking yourself, who cares? But I think this news story says a lot about what we have in common with animals and birds, and those commonalities are probably more extensive than we think. If you have a pet, you may find yourself talking to it, feeling connected to them in some way – you may even consider them a friend. So perhaps this trivial news story is not so trivial after all – we all need social interaction in our lives, and this applies to the animal kingdom too.

FAMOUS SPORTING COMPETITIONS IN THE UK THIS SUMMER!

Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world, starting in 1877 when it was a garden party tournament and only 22 players competed. The only competition was Men’s Singles; Ladies' Singles, and Men’s Doubles were added in 1884, with Mixed Doubles and Ladies' Doubles making their first appearance in 1913 The dates for Wimbledon this year are Monday 3rd July to Sunday 16th July 2023, and it is widely considered to be the most prestigious tournament in the world.

Key Facts

·Strawberries and cream are a Wimbledon tradition! 28,000 kg of strawberries and 10,000 litres of cream are consumed during Wimbledon Every year, over 140,000 bowls of strawberries and cream are dished out for the spectators and players All the fruit comes from one farm in Kent. Every morning before dawn, two teams of 40 pickers arrive at the farm to pick over 100,000 strawberries for one day’s consumption during the tournament!

"THERE IS NOTHING LIKE PLAYING AT WIMBLEDON; YOU CAN FEEL THE FOOTPRINTS OF THE LEGENDS OF THE GAME-MEN AND WOMEN-THAT HAVE GRACED THOSE COURTS."

VENUS WILLIAMS

ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ONE OF THE MOST

·Over 50,000 tennis balls are used every tournament with 256 players and 254 matches in the singles tournaments alone Wimbledon needs a lot of tennis balls! Balls are changed after the first seven games and then each ninth game Last year, 54,250 balls were used across the Wimbledon championships. That’s the equivalent of 24 cans of balls per day for each outside court, and 48 cans per day for Centre Court and for Court One.

Since the 1870s, players have been required to wear white during the tournament, as it was thought that it would make them sweat less and would show fewer sweat marks. Since 2014, accessories also need to be white Players must be dressed in suitable tennis clothing that is almost entirely white This applies from when the player enters the court Normally, the Umpire decides on the day whether their outfit is acceptable Not even the top players can get away with bending the rules, and a few of them have been told off by the organisers Andre Agassi, known for his love of bright outfits, refused to play at Wimbledon from 1988 to 1990 The organizers wouldn’t allow him to wear his branded personal attire on the court, so he refused to play Even Roger Federer came under fire once for wearing orange-soled shoes in one match. He had to remove these before his next match

·Wimbledon is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament that is played on grass courts During the event, the grass is cut to a height of exactly 8 mm

·To get tickets to Wimbledon, a public ballot was created more than 100 years ago to offer as many people as possible the opportunity to get tickets for the Championships The ballot gives tennis fans from around the world the opportunity to enter a draw to purchase tickets to The Championships each year.

The Current Champions in Men’s Singles are Novak Djokovic and Elena Rybakina for Ladies' Singles

Matthew Ebden and Max Purcell won the Men’s doubles last year with Barbara Krejcikova and Katarina Siniakova winning the Ladies' doubles Neil Skupski and Desirae Krawczyk won the Mixed Doubles

·Last year the All England Lawn Tennis Club banned Russian and Belarusian players from participating due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine As a result, the three main governing bodies of tennis - the ATP, WTA, and ITF - stripped the tournament of all tennis ranking points

Records

·Martina Navratilova has won the most women ' s singles titles, with an impressive nine wins at the All England Club – more than any player in the men ' s or women ' s games has been able to achieve before or since. Steffi Graf and Serena Williams have come close, with both having won seven singles championships at Wimbledon.

Roger Federer has won the most men ' s singles titles at SW19 (the Wimbledon postcode), lifting the trophy eight times His first win was in 2003, defeating Mark Philippoussis in straight sets. This was the first in a streak of five straight wins at The Championships until Rafael Nadal clinched the title in 5 sets in 2008 over 4 hours and 48 minutes!

Federer most recently won in 2017, beating Marin Cilic without dropping a set However, Novak Djokovic is not far behind with an impressive seven triumphs at SW19.

On Court 18 in 2010, John Isner and Nicolas Mahut played out the longest tennis match ever to have occurred at 11 hours and five minutes, before Isner won 70-68 in the fifth set Since then, a rule has been introduced to stop marathon matches like these, with a ten-point tiebreak in the final set if the score is 6 games all

Scottish Andy Murray ended the wait for another British winner of Wimbledon after 77 years when he defeated Novak Djokovic in 2013. He remains the only player to have beaten Djokovic in a Wimbledon Final Murray was beaten in the final in 2012 by Roger Federer, but triumphed at Wimbledon again in 2016 He also won the gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics held at Wimbledon, defeating Federer in the men ’ s event, then winning silver in the mixed doubles with Laura Robson.

At Wimbledon, the records for the fastest serves are held by Taylor Dent (148mph / 238 2kmh in 2010) and Serena Williams (129mph / 207 6kmh in 2008).

The shortest match in the Championship's history took place in 1969, when Sue Tutt dispatched Marion Boundy in just 20 minutes, for the loss of two first-set games.

All in all, it is fair to say Wimbledon is a big deal! It is a part of our sporting history and heritage in the UK, and I am sure many of us at RGS will be tuning in this summer! The big question is: who will win the 2023 Wimbledon titles?

THE JELLYFISH NEBULA

Jellyfish in space?!

The Hubble telescope has recently captured some photos of the “Jellyfish” nebula JO206. JO206 lies over 700 million light-years from Earth in the constellation of Aquarius “Jellyfish” galaxies are named this way because of their relation to the aquatic sea creature JO206 is a galaxy that is made up of a colourful star-forming disk that is surrounded by pale clouds of dust Due to the interaction between galaxies, trails of stars can be seen resembling the “tentacles” of the “jellyfish”. These “tentacles” allow astronomers opportunities to study star formations under extreme conditions, far from the main body of the Jellyfish galaxy However, Hubble revealed that there are no significant differences between star formations in the main body of the Jellyfish galaxy and star formations in their tentacles This suggests the environment of the newly formed stars only has a minor influence on their formation

The dark secrets soon to be unravelled:

In a few weeks, a European space probe will be sent into space, with scientists hoping the Euclid telescope will reveal some of the mysteries of dark matter The telescope very aptly gets its name from the Ancient Greek mathematician who invented axiomatic geometry

The £850 million mission will investigate dark energy and dark matter which remain unfathomable to scientists

Dark matter is the name given to the force that was proved to be accelerating the expansion of the universe –a discovery made in 1998 Dark energy and dark matter both remain invisible to humans, but scientists have been able to infer their existence by measuring their impact on the unusual behaviour of other stars and galaxies It is believed it is invisible because most of the particles probably do not emit, reflect, or absorb light

Euclid was intended to be launched last year on the Russian Soyuz rocket However, after the invasion of Ukraine, the European Space Agency ended its cooperation with Russia but agreed to use a Falcon 9 from Elon Musk’s SpaceX company It is currently scheduled to launch on 1 July and is estimated to take a month to cross the solar system to its destination 15 million km from Earth It will be stationed at a position known as the second Lagrange point; here the craft will be able to look out into deep space Euclid is also able to able to survey one-third of the night sky at a time - this precision is crucial to uncovering the secrets of dark matter To avoid the fact dark matter cannot be seen, Euclid will be using a technique known as gravitational lensing This involves taking millions of images of galaxies. In certain cases, light from these distant galaxies will pass through dark matter on its journey toward Earth

When that happens, its gravitational field will stretch and deflect the path of the light This is gravitational lensing and the distorted pictures it produces will provide key discoveries into the nature of dark matter

The product of this incredible work will be the understanding of how the universe has expanded over the past 10 billion years It is hoped that Euclid could help to unravel the mysterious secrets of dark energy and dark matter More on this in the next edition of The Castle!

Did you know that dark energy and dark matter both remain invisible to humans, but scientists have been able to infer their existence by measuring their impact on the unusual behaviour of other stars and galaxies?

SELFIES, SNAPS AND SELFLOATHING.

WHY DO WOMEN IN THE MODERN DAY HATE THEMSELVES AND WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT?

AN OPINION PIECE

By Ruby D

In the 1960s, the trend was a boyish, skinny figure - a symbol of revolution from the strict standard of femininity of the 1950s In the 1980s the trend was to be athletic and tall, but also curvy. Incidentally, this era also saw a huge anorexia upswing in women and girls In the 1990s, it was chic to be extremely gaunt and skinny, and supermodels like Kate Moss were idolized Bulimia skyrocketed From the 2010s onward, the trend is a flat stomach but an hourglass shape and voluptuous curves Think Kim Kardashian Now what are these ‘trends’? The female body. But should our bodies really be a ‘trend’? These trends may be different, but they have one thing in common: they present a consistently unattainable beauty standard for women Now, in the digital age, the pressure on girls and women to conform to trends feels more prevalent than ever

I’d like to start with the obvious example: social media In theory, social media is a beautiful melting pot of thriving communities and new, creative ideas, but, largely, in practice, it is an endless scrolling succession of beautiful women who ‘live their dreams’ and ‘effortlessly’ achieve the body that the rest of us dream of It is easy to see how this influx of seemingly perfect influencers and models being constantly shown to impressionable young women leads to a false impression of inadequacy.

It just so happens that a recent study of women showed a clear link between higher usage of Instagram and increased self-objectification and body image concerns, as well as eating disorders, indicating a breakdown in self-confidence Furthermore, social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok and Facebook have a vested interest in having people scroll for longer, so use algorithms that show a user more of the content they interact with, quickly leading to users spiraling down rabbit holes of comparison, warped body image and photos that trigger an obsession with body weight I have seen too many of my female friends obsess over their weight- weighing themselves up to ten times per day- all because of social media

Now, why is this social media tirade of a perfect standard to attain maintained when it leads to such emotional pain for so many? Profit I’d like to move on to how women are exploited under modern capitalism, as unfortunately for many, along with the digitalization of beauty standards comes the digitalization of capitalism This means that companies pushing any content or advertising that includes features that are unattainable to most on social media (such as a lack of hip dips, blemishes and body hair, to shining, thick hair) is profitable, and therefore pushed to more users. The result of this? More people will pay for products that they think will solve these non-issues However, all this profits cosmetic companies, surgeons and fast fashion companies, but not users.

This begs the question: why is social media still used?

Why don’t the masses abandon their hand-held jail cells? Well, on top of validation on social media through likes and comments being highly addictive, the world is simply unfriendly to those who don’t have smartphones To many, it is unclear how integral our phones are in daily life, but they are used for tickets, transport, sending money, calling Ubers, ordering food, taking pictures, scanning QR codes, easy communications, and undoubtedly many more reasons It is unsurprising how many women and girls are exploited by these companies considering just how prevalent smartphones and therefore social media are We cannot escape.

Along with the mentioned detrimental effects of social media, there are some positive effects. I’m sure you have heard of #metoo movement where women post about their experiences of sexual abuse or sexual harassment by powerful men on social media Perhaps you ’ ve also heard of the #HeForShe campaign, which reached over 1.2 billion people worldwide and highlighted the necessity to involve men and boys to attain gender equality for women. Social media is a powerful beast, and it can be harnessed for the good of women It can provide community, freedom, and safety for women. Furthermore, the digital age brings forth many opportunities and a huge space for empowerment in jobs. A vast ocean of free information leads to women having access to opportunities that they have not previously had, so women are gaining further independence from a patriarchal system, through entrepreneurship.

Last year, 163 million women became entrepreneurs

Along with these opportunities given by the internet social media allow businesses, cruci entrepreneurs in their audiences a themselves In the their power throu

In conclusion, wh help female innov the digital age on w the genuine conce cycle of body negativity, but it is instead the selfish, profit-motivated social media, fast-fashion and cosmetic companies that are forcing women to spiral down these dark rabbit holes. Our self-esteem should not be used as bargaining chips for companies to play with, nor should we allow them to turn us against each other in the pursuit of an unattainable ideal Mindfulness and taking time away from social media are vital – this will help us all to avoid the addiction and overuse that is all too common in the digital age. But what can we do except remember that social media is a presentation of how we want to be seen, not how we actually are? Prevention of young children from accessing social media is necessary to stop harmful standards and expectations from being so deeply ingrained Social media must make a change instead of being singularly focused on profit for the protection of our children

Thank you for reading.

Tips on managing your social media usage:

Keep apps out of sight, so they're out of mind. ...

Use apps to help you limit your time on social media. ...

Spend an hour a week on at least one screen-free hobby. ...

Enjoy a phone-free dinner. ...

Leave your phone outside the bedroom.

CAN HAPPINESS BE MEASURED?

AN OPINION PIECE

By Ellie W

The only logical way to open this essay is to define happiness Some state it is a positive emotion, while others define it as a state of wellbeing and contentment (Happiness, 2023) Buddhists view happiness as the acceptance of suffering (History of Happiness, 2023) There are endless definitions of the word Therefore, the only thing that can be stated with confidence is that happiness cannot be defined. If this word cannot be defined universally, how is it meant to be measured universally?

So, is this the end of my essay? If happiness cannot be defined, surely it cannot be measured?

Despite the fact that there is not an established definition of happiness, there are many worldwide who believe it can be measured, including scientists, governments and psychologists Utilizing the instrument of the biological psychological perspective, happiness could perhaps be defined as the balance of physiological structures such as hormones and brain areas This can be objectively, accurately, and effectively measured through experiments such as hormone blood tests checking for the presence of dopamine, serotonin, oxytocin, and endorphins. Alternatively, brain scans such as an MRI can highlight whether the areas in the brain responsible for positive emotions are active and healthy.

One longitudinal study strengthened this idea when they found a 76-year-old monk’s left prefrontal cortex (responsible for happiness) was much mor his right side (responsible for negativity). I found that the participant’s brain emitted at an abnormally high level (Virgin Following the biological approach, this c how measuring happiness is possible in m way

However, one main limitation of this arg artificiality and lack of falsifiability. Ho can be exploited and changed easily, suc chocolate bar just before the blood tes brain areas can be trained and strengthe muscle in the body If happiness can b created and recorded, does it truly exist? that happiness can be falsified mea happiness is purely a societal construct im we keep striving to do well? Furth biological approach is extremely reductio not take into account cognitive fact motivation, love and contentment. Th argument to measure happiness in two ways; a biological physiological test alongside an idiographic subjective self-report method on individual happiness levels. Perhaps this could look like Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, or perhaps Jahoda’s six characteristics of mental well-being Bhutan’s main measurement of its country’s productivity is gross national happiness instead of GDP Using 33 indicators, ostensibly, Bhutan has shown how the happiness of a whole country can be measured as efficiently and accurately as GDP (University of Oxford, 2023).

So yes, based on numerous arguments, happiness can be measured But can it be measured accurately?

If happiness cannot be defined, surely it cannot be measured?

Conversely, there are arguments that state happiness is impossible to measure It is too complex of an idea that does not hold a precisely delineated definition. The way one religion views happiness can be in stark opposition to how another views it. Moreover, a collectivist culture ( e g the Eastern Ideologies such as Taoism) will see happiness as more connected with the community and the idea of interconnectedness whereas individualistic cultures emphasise independence and growth of the self (Forbes, 2023). Already, these are two reasons why happiness is too broad an idea to measure; it does not encompass the different subjective paradigms of religion and culture There are further reasons, such as any measure lacking temporal validity. The difference between the question ‘Do you feel happy?’ and ‘ Are you happy?’ is significant. The emotion happiness can be perceived as fleeting, transient, and temporary whereas being happy is a constant meeting of criteria, it is feeling content and happy with one’s life at all times

Therefore, if a question is given to a participant on whether they feel happy, it depends on which type of happ constant kind If transient, the d happy at this moment of time never be put down into data science. As well as cultural soci variable of age A three-year-o from a 60-year-old’s. They will themselves One could argue th able to express their happines what confines us ‘Happiness’ is are many languages that conv English; the word to reflect the confining ourselves by reduci measure it?

Conclusively, yes, happiness ca are very much reduced due to must also be put on why ha measured, should we measure measurable, it is made managea happiness measurements to exp a value is placed on happiness meaning and ethos of what h emotional state to a label? In t sight of what it truly means?

GREAT EMPHASIS MUST ALSO BE PUT ON WHY HAPPINESS SHOULD BE MEASURED. EVEN IF IT CAN BE MEASURED, SHOULD WE MEASURE IT?

THE PACIFIC I PLACE IN THE

Ever since the end of the Seco of countries ranging in size Micronesia to Palau, have been demonstrated in the case of outposts for the European emp became more and more adva the need to square off agains rivalry between the two em declining The commonly, and the American back garden, w future

Despite many of these countri this situation has changed. In world, and investment poured largest economy in the world year, $5 trillion behind the U heft, China sought to expand i term aim of displacing the Un enticed the following nations Road Initiative: Micronesia, V and New Zealand It establishe embassies and trade offices th Zealand scrambling

WHAT IS IN STORE FOR THE PACIFIC ISLANDS?

But one key event crystallised long-running concerns about how thi the Pacific op announcemen between the S security pact, the Pacific: it redeveloping arrest and cr involvement b

Such a bold m DC, Canberra, and London In had taken for diplomatic act hosted the announcing $8 and an 11-p advances. US Vanuatu, and aside for Pacif nearly $2 billi ‘dollar diplom allies have fir ring.

This presents nations, who exploitation a

unanswered As evidenced through the recent USPapua New Guinea basing agreement, trading off significant economic benefits for allowing the basing of US troops in Papua New Guinea, the Pacific can now begin to tap into the deep pockets of both nations, refusing to commit fully to either of China or the US whilst reaping the benefits of both. Pertinently, a senior member of the Australian Opposition, Simon Birmingham, admitted his party should have paid far greater heed to the cries of the Pacific nations over rising sea levels and the effect caused by the fossil-fuelheavy energy mixes of Australia and the United States

Ultimately, the Pacific now stands at the centre of a global struggle, between the United States and China as to who will be the greater power of the next century. Amongst the risk such a contest poses, it also offers the Pacific a glimmer of hope after decades of non-interest: if they play the great-power game wrong, they could lose much of their autonomy, with their people continuing to suffer appalling poverty and their nations threatened by global warming. Play the game right, and the Pacific could emerge economically prosperous, independent, and environmentally secure in the years ahead

DIGITAL TECH COMMITTEE

MARGARET J. WHEATLEY ONCE SAID, "THERE IS NO POWER FOR CHANGE GREATER THAN A COMMUNITY DISCOVERING WHAT IT CARES ABOUT." WITH THIS IN MIND, ON THE FOLLOWING PAGES, FIND OUT WHAT YOUR SIXTH FORM COMMITTEES HAVE BEEN DOING THIS YEAR TO POWER CHANGE AT RGS...

What is the overarching aim of your committee?

The aim of our committee is to utilise technology to supplement and improve the education of students

What have been your priorities this year and how have you gone about them?

Our priorities for this year have been to prepare for our future plans next academic year. We have worked on a competition on programming We hope to launch it next year and are excited to see everyone ’ s creations. This year we have been discussing budgets, criteria, advertising and prizes together and after careful consideration, we have settled on a game design competition

WHAT YOUR DIGITAL TECH COMMITTEE ARE DOING FOR YOU...

As a group, we have enjoyed working together and want to carry on considering how we can improve technology for all students at RGS We have also been planning a monthly newsletter that provides advice and tips on all aspects of the digital world As well as this, we are planning a programming club that also acts as a digital helpdesk, to help enhance the programming skills of those in the younger years, as well as providing advice on any digital issues that people have within the school

What can students across the school do to help and support?

We would like people to come to us if they have any suggestions or grievances surrounding technology at RGS and we will do what we can to help! It would be great if lots of people could join our club or enter our competition next year as well and we hope people will enjoy them.

Members of the Digital Tech Committee:

Austin B

What

is your vision for the next academic year?

Next academic year, we intend to launch a game design competition, a programming club and a digital helpdesk We hope these will spark interest from all years in our school community and lead younger students into pursuing useful skills. Moreover, we look forward to connecting with other committees and perhaps co-ordinating our competition with them In the future, we would also like to make a digital newsletter with helpful posts via Teams and email with technology tips and resources

Oscar H

Inigo L B

Bjorn M

Thomas N

Tanay P

Matvii P

Emad R A

Nihal S

Hannah W

WELLBEING COMMITTEE

What is the overarching aim of your committee?

We want to improve the mental and physical wellbeing of students by making the wellbeing services more accessible For us, mental health is so important because good overall wellbeing includes both mental and physical health We also recognise that mental health is something many people may struggle with, so we think it’s important to discuss it openly and make sure everyone knows how to access the services they need.

What have been your priorities this year and how have you gone about them?

We want to make the changes you want to see, so our priority has been gathering information about students’ experiences and opinions on school wellbeing facilities We sent out a form to get an idea of what students feel could be improved, and this will really help us tailor what we can do as a committee for you.

What is your vision for the next academic year?

In the next academic year, we hold hopes of creating an outdoor space to maximise the green areas available around school We’d love to make a zen garden behind the swimming pool to make sure students have a calm and tranquil space to visit

What can students across the school do to help and support?

Students across the school can help and support the wellbeing committee by filling out our form with their feedback This will enable us to make positive changes and improve school life. It would be useful if students could also report back their feedback to the wellbeing hub when applicable

Members of the Wellbeing Committee: Zayna A; Husaina B; Rhiannon E; Eva P; Ria P; Abi S; Felicity W; Olivia W.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION COMMITTEE

What is the overarching aim of your committee?

To expand awareness of the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and the Combined Cadet Force and therefore to expand the membership of both, whilst also promoting the ability to enter into both courses simultaneously and the brilliant opportunities therein Moreover, we seek to ensure that the CCF and DofE, through a sustainable and tied membership, can take advantage of brilliant activities that both courses offer, such as DofE residentials, CCF expeditions, rifle firing trips and flying trips, and Navy experiences such as the Damage Repair Instruction Unit (A safe room with the added threat of rising water) and brilliant sailing trips

What have been your priorities this year and how have you gone about them?

Our priorities this year have been to lay the groundwork for the future of the CCF and DofE as two distinct activities that can still interact and work brilliantly in combination To this end, through a poster and video advertising campaign, one of our main priorities has been to increase awareness of the CCF and DofE and to encourage more students to join both courses. Through this increased membership, we ' re seeking to ensure that over the next few years, both programmes can continue to blossom and develop.

WHAT YOUR OUTDOOR EDUCATION COMMITTEE ARE DOING FOR YOU...

We've made a brilliant and unique video, featuring the members of the committee, which promotes both the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme and the Combined Cadet Force Moreover, we ' ve also sought to promote and emphasise the efforts of younger years in both courses to ensure the vitality of the DofE and CCF after we ' ve left the school, ensuring the energy and vitality they bring to CCF and DofE in all their activities is recognised and respected accordingly

What can students across the school do to help and support?

Take full advantage of the CCF and DofE by joining them and engaging actively in everything they have to offer It's only through students getting engrossed in both of them and committing to them that all students can benefit from the phenomenal and broad breadth of events on offer to cadets We can't recommend enough to students across the school to join DofE, CCF or both, and enjoy the unique meld of opportunities they can take advantage of

What is your vision for the next academic year?

For the next academic year, our vision is to keep on working relentlessly to promote the CCF and DofE and to expand their membership This is so that existing cadets and DofE participants, and those in the future, can have access to greater opportunities whilst sustaining those that are currently on offer, like attending the Mountbatten Festival of Music, Summer Camps on Military Bases, rock-climbing, archery and archery-tag and other fantastic events like the Corp of Drums performing at the Royal Chelsea Hospital

Members of the Outdoor Ed Committee:

Cecily E

Joe F

Asher K

Arun L

Ella S

Hannah S

CRANSTON COMMITTEE

What is the overarching aim of your committee?

We want to inspire all year groups to come together and create a house community where everyone can participate and have fun

What have been your priorities this year and how have you gone about them?

We wanted to get as many people involved as possible and make house a space where all people feel included and appreciated. We wanted to also create a mini competition between house families to improve participation and to create more fun events catering to a range of people’s interests We have created some inter-house family competitions to get everyone involved and bring back the competitive nature that inspires us to be our best At Sports Day, we encouraged everyone to compete in various events, even if they might not have tried them before We aimed to make house assemblies more enjoyable and creative, encouraging participation from all year groups in activities such as a Pictionary race.

What is your vision for the next academic year?

Looking into the next year we hope to engage the community and continue bringing everyone together as a house We want to strengthen the friendships within house families, especially between year groups, and of course, we want to win the house cup!

What can students across the school do to help and support?

If any students have ideas of what they would like to see in house, we would love to hear them! It would be amazing if students are also prepared to get involved with events to get as many house points as possible, and most importantly to have fun and try something new

Members of the Cranston Committee: Kimberly B; Lauren B; Isabelle C; Jonathan G; Harry K; Ella M; Thomas N; Benjamin R; Barnaby T

EQUALITY, DIVERSITY & INCLUSIVITY COMMITTEE

What is the overarching aim of your committee?

To create an environment where education on differences between people is a priority, and acceptance and valuation of these differences is the base standard We aim to achieve this through means of interactive education and exciting events and opportunities that the school community can partake in - an example of this being the Spotify posters we have put up around school!

What have been your priorities this year and how have you gone about them?

Our priorities have been building interest in the EDI committee consistently while ensuring people are still engaged in what we are saying. This will set us up for the next academic year where we hope to organise bigger events, such as a culture day, along with various workshops. We have created and rolled out a variety of posters with links to playlists with songs representative of various continents, showcasing a variety of ethnic music and promoting interest in our committee through non-offensive, interactive material. We also gave an assembly to the Lower School on 'Cultural Appropriation vs Cultural Appreciation'. We have continued the Spotify playlists through to Pride Month by creating a playlist by LGBTQ+ artists, and posters have been put up around the school so keep an eye out!

WHAT YOUR EDI COMMITTEE ARE DOING FOR YOU...

What is your vision for the next academic year?

Beginning to host larger, more encompassing events, which allow a higher level of input from students, and provide the school community with a chance to interact with our ethos on a larger scale We are also looking forward to continuing assemblies through to next year, covering a varied range of topics, and continuously coming up with more fun ideas to spread information and awareness.

What can students across the school do to help and support?

We are always happy to help students run assemblies and events on causes they would like to spread awareness on, the students at the school are a key part of our committee as we are always looking for new areas to educate and spread awareness about If students have any ideas, big or small, that they feel would benefit everyone at Reigate Grammar School if they were more informed, then we are happy to help in spreading the message.

Members of the EDI Committee:

Elenor A W

Fayyad F

Electra M

Nithya S

Maariyah S

Emily W

Please do get in touch to suggest areas that you would like us to draw specific attention to - we are always open to suggestions!

SPORT COMMITTEE

What is the overarching aim of your committee?

To increase participation in sport, making sure there is something for everyone to do and feel comfortable and happy doing so

What have been your priorities this year and how have you gone about them?

Making a video that shows how we can all get involved and a presentation to highlight how important sportsmanship is in our school and how it can impact a community by showing good teamwork and sportsmanship We have gone about this by collaborating as a group during periods for committees but also outside of those meetings talking to each other about the next steps and sharing ideas, like Neve and Vraj creating a new section in the sports newsletter.

What is your vision for the next academic year?

More friendly competition sporting opportunities available for all year groups, so people can enjoy competing and not feel like it is too competitive and intense We also want to keep promoting participation in sport including its health benefits, especially mental health benefits

What can students across the school do to help and support?

Go to games each week and give things a go even if they are nervous or not keen on a sport –you never know, you may really like it or be very good at it! We would also like students to make suggestions to the sports committee – everyone should feel comfortable coming up to us and making suggestion on how we can help!

Members of the Sport Committee:

William A; Thomas B; Emily B; Sean

K-W; Jake L; Connor M; Farah P; Neve P; Tom T; Vraj-Kishor V; Ben W.

ECO COMMITTEE

What is the overarching aim of your committee?

To make positive environmental change collectively and individually, both inside and outside of school. We want to make the RGS community more environmentally conscious and encourage more sustainable future practices

What have been your priorities this year and how have you gone about them?

We have begun by promoting more sustainable waste management practices, such as implementing the new bins in the PMH and Sixth Form Centre The aim of these is to encourage individuals to separate waste correctly and efficiently We have also made the Sixth Form centre plastic-free, replacing bottled water and drinks with recyclable cans. Reusable cups have also been introduced into the PMH to reduce plastic consumption across the school There has also been a huge emphasis on making the school site more biodiverse

Having collaborated with students and teachers involved in the 3rd form ‘Wilder Schools’ elective, the RGS No Mow May Initiative encouraged hundreds of students, staff and their families to allow their gardens to grow freely for the month of May Many sites around school were also left unmown to allow nature to flourish and species to thrive

What is your vision for the next academic year?

To continue to work towards achieving the Eco School Award which involves meeting certain criteria such as forming a club with members from across lower school We would also love to integrate some more separated bins outside and around the school site to be consistent with waste management. We’re currently planning several Swishing events, which will give students across all year groups the opportunity to exchange their preloved clothes for new ones We also hope to host some more RGS Earth-shot lectures, events, and competitions to get younger students engaged with global environmental issues

What can students across the school do to help and support?

Ensuring they continue to separate rubbish correctly, and really getting behind our plastic free movement by bringing in reusable water bottles and coffee cups We would really appreciate support in numbers to our future events from students across all year groups, whether that means tagging along with a single friend, or bringing your entire friendship group! Most importantly, spreading awareness of environmental issues with family and friends and keeping up with the news to keep the topic of conversation relevant.

Members of the Eco Committee:

Laura B

Aimee C

Lucy D

Clara E

Antonia H

Sophie H

Max M

Aurelia N

Isobel R

Annabel T

Please do get in touch with any ideas you may have to make RGS even more ecofriendly!

FOUNDATION COMMITTEE

What is the overarching aim of your committee?

The Foundation exists to connect and engage with the Reigatian community, whether that be alumni, students, or parents, supporting and harnessing the power of the Global Community. We do this in several ways such as events, networking and community activities

What have been your priorities this year and how have you gone about them?

Ensuring every student at RGS knows what the Foundation is and what it can do for them. We have made quizzes for Founder’s Day teaching the students the origins of this school and how it has changed in the decades and centuries before them Members of our committee have created video assemblies presented to all the years telling them about major events such as Giving Day Posters have been made and put up around school to advertise our collection for Stripey Stork and the doughnut sale to raise money for the We Care Bursary Fund

What is your vision for the next academic year?

Strengthen relationships between all members of the Reigatian Community. Ensure that the Upper Sixth know how to work with the Foundation once they have left RGS to expand the community and in a way that can help them in their endeavours

What can students across the school do to help and support?

Get involved with Foundation events within the school such as Inspiring Minds and Giving Day. It is so important for all students at RGS to know the history of the school and be involved in its future!

Members of the Foundation Committee: Anusha D; Eloise H; Matthew H; Olivia M N; Kalyan P; Isobel R; Usman S; Elouise W.

CHARITY COMMITTEE

What is the overarching aim of your committee?

We aim to reach out to more local charities, contributing to them and the community We hope to raise awareness about current issues and how we as a school can support those organisations who strive to make a difference. We all believe that giving to charity is highly important because we feel close to the charities we have chosen and we also strongly believe that we should help to support people affected by these circumstances

What have been your priorities this year and how have you gone about them?

Our main priority this year was to raise awareness about how to support charities through the organisation of events We also hope to raise money for local charities. We have organised a bake sale to raise money in aid of Alzheimer’s We also helped out with a Second Form bake sale, and joined the foundation committee to organise contributions for Stripey Stork As the charity committee, we also helped with the organisation of Loveworks donations which were brought to the school We will also be collaborating with the academic committee in the Autumn term, where we will be helping them run their fair

What is your vision for the next academic year?

In the next academic year, our committee aims to create more opportunities to raise money for a multitude of charities; we would like to expand upon the current range of charities we support

What can students across the school do to help and support?

Students across the school can participate in charity fundraising activities and help support any events that take place: this will include taking part in bake sales or volunteering to help run these events

Members of the Charity Committee: James C; Faye G; Anya H; Augustine L; Sheara N; Jasmine M; Alex M; Sophie N; Emily W; Sebastian W.

Reviews by Sam C

One of the latest new kids on the Netflix block, and perhaps among the most overlooked by the public, is an adaptation of two YA novels in a series by Jonathan Stroud. It caught my eye whilst reading a new issue of the fantastic magazine filled with film buffs known as Empire, and although chaotic ghost carnage was appealing in itself, what left me most intrigued was its timely premise having lived through the COVID-19 pandemic. The show, revolving around a ghost pandemic, may bring up from the grave unwanted memories for many in its audience, but from both a political and entertainment context, it would be crucial to examine this series in any study of early 2020s culture.

Episode 1 could not be more relevant to modern-day politics, with abundant references to the COVID-19 pandemic (the obvious one being how ghosts represent the virus). However, it is as if the pandemic has received a Lorcan exaggeration due to its extension back to the 1970s (in a similar way that Bernarda Alba imposed eight years of mourning on her house rather than one)

Don’t ghost this show and let it join the undead.

Additionally, the economic crises that the pandemic has caused are also reflected, along with a time freeze in technology that denies phones and smart watches from helping the high-octane heroes. Quarantine is solely reflected by a night curfew, but the desire for everyday objects to be clean of ghosts and the need to cover things (like masks) or let in daylight (like ventilation) also set up the show to be a depressing but honest depiction of the persistent and pervasive pandemic that has recently come to pass. As is normal with London, the issues of class, gender and popularity versus skill are commonplace in this show

15-year-old Lucy Carlisle (Ruby Stokes, whom you might recognise from Bridgerton) is the main protagonist; a recently fired agent from the north of England, an origin which changes our understanding that the main hero has to have some kind of noble, posh voice Anthony Lockwood (Cameron Chapman, whom you will not recognise from Bridgerton or indeed anywhere else) initially occupies the eccentric-mystery-man role that can be seen in Strangers on a Train (though I’m sure he’s a better man than he is), but as the show progresses, we see that unlike the films and TV shows of the past, it is Mr Lockwood that will depend on Lucy, not the other way round.

The third member of the agency is not an agent at all, but someone who (in slang terms) we could describe as a nerd, called George (Ali Hadji-Heshmati). Although initially seeming repellent and useless with his rude manners towards Lucy and Mr Lockwood, we eventually see that his most remarkable aspects are hidden in his head. In some ways, we could argue that the real hero did not exist on the battlefield but instead enclosed in the walls of his own home.

However, as the show progresses, the initial flair for fun and family-friendly entertainment has joined the undead, with the aged-up cast failing to represent our heroes’ true ages as well. Although still strong, I started to wonder if shortening it to two long movies might have been better, since some of the actual effects, including the swashbuckling sword fights (though nowhere near the standard of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) and an incredibly 'show-off-esque' sequence involving vibrant colours and indoor running water (think John Wick 3’s poster) are worthy of the big screen. Despite this, however, the final ghost belongs in the box named “Cheap, Primitive and Overall Worst SFX Onscreen in the 1900s” in the pile marked “As if Clash of the Titans Happened in London"

The sounds the ghosts make are at times a little laughable, but probably work for the early teens age group that the show is meant for The strangest thing of all is that the show seems to give up the ghost as the episodes roll on, metaphorically and literally.

Considering it’s a show about ghosts, it doesn’t seem like there are quite enough towards the end of the show Also, why does the captive Type 3 ghost need to talk?

It is not necessary, but more importantly, why does he talk like he’s in an amateur pantomime, and where is the ghost gag? I understand the need for a posh and naturalistic-sounding voice, but the ghost’s strongest lines are (though rather funny) their wordless wails, not their wasteful words

Lockwood & Co. is mostly loyal to the original books that it’s based on, and the screen-based eight-part series retells the stories of the first two books ('The Screaming Staircase' and 'The Whispering Skull') Small differences in the series include the change of George’s surname, the omission of a rescue by the Kipps’ Crew (the rivals of Lockwood & Co) and changing the gender of John Fairfax’s associate to a woman Nevertheless, the loyalty is very strong, and the down-toearth setting and violence that, unlike Avengers movies, does not occur every five minutes, make its textual origins much easier to see, and although this makes the show rather slow-paced for a TV audience, it increases its realism and allows us to see them as Stroud intended us to.

The main problem with the series, and I guess the books, that we need to discuss is whether the concept is too similar to Ghostbusters to be called original. Stroud’s inclusion of the pandemic and harder-hitting moments makes them certainly different enough to be considered different ideas, but the fact that both agencies are laughing stock at first and both have eccentric owners suggests a potential comparison that could lead the audience to believe that they’ve seen this all before However, we should remember that Star Trek had the warp drive before Star Wars’ hyperdrive, and the Dune franchise featured hyperspace travel before both of them, but they are not so much rip-offs as they are different takes on the same thing, so all in all, it would be too neurotic to call this a rip-off.

It may not turn out to be the glorious gold dust of fame that it clearly hoped to be, but nevertheless, Lockwood & Co is a funfilled, moving and engaging addition to Netflix’s line-up this year, and although its ghosts sometimes seem too comical to be taken seriously, it certainly doesn’t fail to get the spine chilling

LOWER SCHOOL SUMMER READING RECOMMENDATIONS

by Meghan B

As the summer is in sight, it is time to check some books out of the library and get your summer read on! Hopefully the following recommendations will provide some inspiration and keep you occupied over the next two months. Happy reading!

'THE GALLAGHER GIRLS' SERIES BY ALLY CARTER

I would personally rate this series as a five out of five I read all of the books in under a term and found them extremely engaging. The series is based around a group of extraordinary girls who go to a spy school and are trying to navigate their way around spy missions, death and danger I would definitely recommend these books to anyone who likes spy or mystery novels.

THE 'MY STORY' SERIES WRITTEN BY VARIOUS AUTHORS

'My Story – Suffragette' by Carol Drinkwater

I would rate this book a four and a half out of five. It was really interesting and taught me a lot about life as a woman in the early 20th Century. It is written in the style of a diary, from the viewpoint of a girl in 1912 and tells the reader all about her experiences of joining the Suffrage movement I would really recommend this book to people who enjoy historical fiction.

YOUSAFZAI

This autobiography, written by Malala herself, tells her story of discrimination and inequality as a girl growing up in Pakistan. Malala was shot on her way home from school, by an Islamic fundamentalist group who believed that women should not be educated. Following her experience, Malala went from a schoolgirl to a worldwide advocate for women ’ s education Her story was inspirational and moving. I would highly recommend this book.

'A SECRET OF BIRDS AND BONE' BY KIRAN MILLWOOD HARGRAVE

This book is a fascinating, magical realism and historical fiction novel. The protagonist Sofia and her brother, Ermin, go on a quest to discover the truth about Siena. Their mother, a bone sculptor, mysteriously gets arrested on Sofia’s birthday and the children must uncover the secrets of their city to reunite. I would rate this book a five out of five and would highly recommend it.

'I AM MALALA' BY MALALA

'HOLES' BY LOUIS SACHAR

Louis Sachar is an award-winning, young adult author who wrote a trilogy of books starting with ‘Holes’ This book was gripping and I would give it a four and a half out of five. Stanley Yelnats, the main character, gets sent to a corrupt juvenile camp where children are forced to dig holes. The story takes an unexpected turn and is definitely worth a summer read.

WHY READ OVER THE SUMMER?

Reading is a form of relaxation and escapism – this is something we all need in our lives, especially after a busy year at school.

Reading promotes creativity and imagination – it is important we keep our minds active over the summer holidays.

Reading can help us develop empathy – a skill required in all aspects of life!

Enjoyment – reading is a great form of entertainment and gives us a break from screens

Focus and flow – being immersed in a book creates an energised focus that does wonders for our brain activity

SUMMER MOCKTAIL MASTERCLASS!

TRIED AND TESTED BY HUGO J

WILL SWEETEN YOUR HOLIDAYS AND IMPRESS FRIENDS.

This summer, I thought I’d do something different for the baking article After doing countless amounts of bakes, I thought that, just this once, I would give some recipes for mocktails! So here we are - the best of summer mocktails! You’ll also see that in this edition, there are not only mocktails but also iced tea recipes!

INSTRUCTIONS:

Simple but sweet, this recipe is perfect for beginners! You will need:

1 Tablespoon of Sugar

1 Small Bunch of Mint

3 Juiced Limes

Soda Water

The Recipe:

Muddle the sugar with leaves from the mint using a pestle and mortar (or use a small bowl and the end of a rolling pin).

Put a handful of crushed ice into 2 tall glasses. Divide the lime juice between the glasses with the mint mix. Add a straw and top up with soda water.

That’s it!

MAJESTIC MARGARITA MOCKTAIL

YOU WILL NEED: HOW TO MAKE:

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice, from 2 medium limes

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, from 1/2 medium lemon

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice, from 1/2 small orange

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1/4 to 1/2 cup seltzer, or club soda, to taste

Gather the ingredients

Fill the glass with ice cubes and add the lime, lemon, and orange juices along with the agave nectar. Stir well for at least 30 seconds

Top the margarita with seltzer or club soda.

Enjoy!

Did you know...

Mojitos come from Cuba. Margarita means “daisy” in Spanish.

Earnest Hemmingway loved mojitos.

The mojito used to be used for medicinal purposes.

PERFECT PIÑA COLADA MOCKTAIL

YOU WILL NEED:

1 cup frozen pineapple chunks

1/2 cup coconut cream

1 cup pineapple juice

Ice

Iced IcedTea Tea

HOW TO MAKE:

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Pour into a glass, garnish with a pineapple wedge and serve immediately Enjoy!

YOU WILL NEED:

6 tea bags

2 tbsp golden caster sugar

1 tbsp runny honey, plus extra to serve

2 lemons, 1 juiced, 1 sliced

1 orange, sliced

Small bunch mint, leaves picked

Ice

HOW TO MAKE:

Put the tea bags, sugar, honey and 1.5 litres water in a large jug. Leave to infuse for 10 mins, then remove and discard the tea bags Chill until ready to serve

R Stir in the lemon juice, lemon slices, orange slices and mint leaves. Fill the jug with plenty of ice and stir again

Fill tall glasses with ice and pour over the iced tea, then serve with extra honey. Enjoy!

THANKS TO THE CASTLE TEAM!

Thank you to the following students for their work on this edition:

Amika S - illustrator

Sofia L - editor

Hugo J – contributor

Anya P - contributor

Sam C - contributor

Evie W- contributor

Chloe W - contributor

Ellie W - contributor

Arun L - contributor

Ruby D- contributor

Nithya S - contributor

Tabitha B - contributor

Sarah K - contributor

Amelie B - contributor

Sofia M - contributor

Clarabel M - contributor

Meghan B - contributor

Photo credit - Canva.com

School's Out for Summer!