edition93
2016-17
MACHIO
E.S.T.E.A.M ESTEEM . SCIENCE . TECHNOLOGY . ENGINEERING . ARTS . MATHS
The Annual Magazine of The Royal Masonic School for Girls
Many thanks go to… All the students (and staff and designer!) in this year’s Machio Team for all their hard work and ideas for the magazine, and everyone who contributed work to this year’s Machio.
Introduction that has challenged us to hio this year. It has been a process Mac for e them our n bee has ESTEAM et when deciding the aesthetic range of topics, even from the offs er wid a from s idea r rent diffe explore to see the Machio team grow ove n really impressed and pleased bee e hav We ion. r edit nge r’s you yea for this enjoyed working with bers and creativity. We have both the course of this year, both in num the school’s ethos. es ass proud of and that encomp be can we ng ethi som e pos com girls to focus for this year, and issue as it has been our school this for t cep con the as EAM EST We chose the year involving ESTEAM s available at RMS. Highlights of nitie ortu opp er wid the nts ese also repr nce excursions. However, s, geography expeditions and scie tion peti com hs mat , trips acy include liter s into pupil welfare and e highlights RMS’s continued focu them our into ’ eem ‘est of n atio the incorpor the community’s wellbeing. EAM is a concept he as our new Headteacher and EST son Car Mr by d joine n bee e hav This year we is the perfect opportunity azine will be his first edition and mag This . ged oura enc ally stic has enthusia its vibrancy. to welcome him to the RMS in all
Caitlin and Emily, Year 12
The Machio Team of 2016-17
editors Miss Reidie, Mrs Coffey, Mrs Fryer Guy Moultrie | Gma RMS for Girls Rickmansworth Park, Rickmansworth Hertfordshire WD3 4HF +44 (0)1923 773168 www.rmsforgirls.co.uk
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Goodbye mrs rose… Mrs Rose had a fantastic send off in School assembly at the end of Michaelmas term, where the girls treated her to a “This is your RMS Life” experience, complete with the big red book, as well as a presentation that finished with some of our favourite Mrs Rose pictures… here are just a few of them! Mrs Rose left the Great Hall for the last time with the words of the School Hymn ringing in her ears, pushing her specially decorated bike as she did so (thanks to the PE Department for customising the bike! Of course, Mrs Rose couldn't be pictured without her beloved bicycle, her links to Cambridge and her love of all things Italian! During the assembly, Mr Keiles presented Mrs Rose with the gifts so thoughtfully bought by FORMS on behalf of RMS parents and guardians. Mrs Rose in turn has presented the School with a duck house for the Chapel Quad, named “Casa Rosa”, to keep our returning pair of ducks and their ducklings safe from the marauding birds! Mrs Rose’s portrait (above), in keeping with our “Portrait of…” theme is now hanging in the Dining Hall.
Dear Parents, Guardia ns,
Staff and Students, 16 th December 2016 I am enormously grat eful to everyone for a wonderful send off. excellent House pan My last day was very tomimes, to the Sixt special, from the h Form entertainmen which the girls spoke t and the This Is You so well about different r Life episode in aspects of school life I have been overwh over the years. elmed by everyone’s warmth and affectio will need an addition n and my office is like al removals truck whe Santa’s Grotto – I n I move out! The pres Keiles was incredib enta tion from FORMS by ly generous and very Mr and Mrs thoughtful. The term has been full of highlights; the extraordinary Christm when one imagines as Concert scaled new it can’t get any better, heights; just our musicians continu performing such as e to surprise. There the Concert Band and were new groups the orchestral pieces wer Rachmaninov. The e superb, especially Community Choir wer the e outstanding and we choirs perform Mr Bra were thrilled to hear mmeld’s original piec the massed e, A Christmas Carol venue next year. Ear which we will try to lier in the term we enjo put on in a public yed A Midsummer Nig imaginative as a prod ht’s Dream which was uction and performed highly to a very high standard sports teams have bee , with well executed n playing with great comedy. Our success and I have many girls on their ach been delighted to con ievements in such a gratulate so range of fields. We Institution Computing have been delighted Masterclasses this term to host The Royal and hope to continu with further Maths – e to build on this pres based events. tigious link My parting gift to the School is a donation to the campaign so his theatre and also that Mr Hyde is help a more immediate stru ed along the way to cture -a duck house come every year to on the quad to protect breed and are attacke the ducks who d by crows. As befits constructed by Mr Lee our creative environ s, our very talented ment, this was estates manager who materials. built it entirely from recycled I wish everyone all the best for the future und er Mr Carson’s excelle everyone once again nt leadership and I than for all the support that k I have received ove school. r many years at this very distinctive Have a relaxing holi day and a happy and healthy 2017. With warm regards and for the last time ,
Diana Rose Headmistress
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MICHAELMAS TERM 4
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Matilda the musical On Wednesday November 30th, Year 7 went on their first ever English trip to the Cambridge Theatre to see Matilda the musical. Before we arrived at the theatre we got on two coaches (one of them broke down... but luckily we had arrived when it happened). Eventually, we arrived after an hour of playing on our iPads. Next we got inside the building, where we were given our tickets which would allow us to take our seats in the theatre. Then as if by magic the play began... with a fabulous song to start. The song at the beginning was when seven or eight children pushed forward a table saying happy birthday on the table cloth that was draped around the table. Abrupt as it was when the first child started to sing, an extremely loud beautiful voice came out, and we were all wowed! The next amazing part was when the head teacher came out and lifted a six year old up by her hair and threw her across the room... it was spectacular!!! (We all thought the head was played by a man due to the manly look to her). Next was when we all got tasty snacks like ice cream and slushy drinks, we all thought the interval was too long! The next amazing part was when Matilda made the glass full of water fall over with her eyes...she scared the living day light out of me with that trick! What happened next was a step higher than her last trick she made a piece of chalk write something truly terrifying to Mrs Trunchbull that made her run away screaming - so far that no one has ever heard of her again. The musical had a happy ending after all with Matilda getting a new mother Miss Honey, her class teacher who stood up to her parents and saved the day!! On the way back we played some more on our iPads and discussed the plays magnificent acting. By the time we arrived home it was half seven (nearly bed time) so that is the best bits of Matilda the musical! Eleanor Mayhew Year 7
Machio competition photos Following on from the success of last year, the Machio Team decided to run another image and article competition. Entries were received from staff and pupils across all year groups and tough decisions were made regarding which entries would go to print. Many thanks to all who took part, some of the photographs are shown here.
Charlotte Levy Year 8
Lirit Dampier Year 7
Mrs Coffey
Virali Shah Year 11 5
Taisha Sharma Year 8
MICHAELMAS focus day What is STEAM? A vapour arising from hot water? An industrial form of power or the build-up of anger?! It’s all of these things but put into an educational context STEAM is a collection of subjects that have been grouped together. Senior school girls learnt this in their first assembly of the year with the help of a video featuring cute children wearing subject themed t-shirts: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics. The school was committed to focusing on these subjects during the 2016-2017 academic year and this began with an offtimetable Focus Day on Thursday 8th September. Cunningly an extra ‘E’ was been added to make us unique and so STEAM became ESTEAM, a play on words that encouraged girls to build their own self-esteem and confidence. As with previous Focus Days all pupils were relieved of their usual timetables and attended sessions led by in house experts (teachers) and a few extra helpers who came along to share their own personal experiences of STEAM. Girls were allowed to wear practical, comfortable clothing so they could get stuck into all the activities and some of the staff, History in particular, were sporting some interesting outfits! The aim of the day was the help pupils apply creative thinking and practical problem-solving to a range of tasks that had more pronounced cross-curricular links than they might normally be used to. For example the Maths department focused on order, pattern and colour for its braiding activity whilst Art and Textiles teachers were utilising digital technology to draw animals on IPads. The Performing Arts and PE departments invited girls to use themselves in creative ways and also to build Self Esteem through group work. Humanities and Language based subjects had to be slightly more inventive with the brief but rose to the challenge by creating lessons based upon Technological Inventions. The Design and Technology and Food and Nutrition teachers treated Year 8 to hands-on sessions in rocket building and bread-making. The Science department invited back old girl Megan (currently completing an Engineering degree) and Gaby to help Year 7 and Year 11 to build and race cars made from scrap materials. Over in the Art Department our guest speaker, Nick
Corston from SteamCo brought in a fascinating piece of equipment that turns newspaper into titanium strength STIXX and in a break from the norm the English teachers were simultaneously helping Year 11 to illustrate passages from classic novels. If this wasn’t enough Mr Buddie had also invited BBC Microbit creator, David Whale, to school to inspire the whole of Year 8 on how to use their new personal piece of technology! Year 10 were also challenged to consider climate change with a talk from Royal Holloway lecturer Danielle Shreve. The sixth form girls started their day by attending careers seminars led by different professionals who work in diverse fields. Sadie Viles was a medical technician at GSK for 20 years and now works for the Motor Neurone Disease charity. Richard Kirby, a local businessman brought in his 3D printer to show the girls a live example whilst Captain Chloe Booty shared her experiences of life in the Armed Forces and how she got there having completed a Masters in Engineering. We were also happy to welcome back Rianna Roston who spoke to girls about her degree in Art History and University life in general. Following this form groups took part in either a Crime Scene Investigation (I still don’t know who the murderer was!) or were invited to challenge their brains and fingers to create complex structures from paper. After a very busy and warm morning, we were lucky enough to have a live rocket firing from the Lower field and a well-earned lunch! Traditionally the afternoon of Focus Day is always given over to start of term Celebration featuring the entire school, from the Ruspini children who sang songs about Rocket Men and stars through to the most important people; the parents and families sat in the balcony. During the Celebration we saw lots of photos and videos about the morning and joined in with songs and hymns. Our guest speaker took to the stage and after taking a selfie with the entire school from his vantage point at the front, Nick Corston enthusiastically shared the reasons behind his passion for STEAM and summarised the day by speaking of inspirational people such as Lemn Sissay and Elon Musk. Overall it was an inspiring and eventful day that hopefully prompted pupils and staff to consider how they can apply skills across the curricular and maybe reconsider their future careers.
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Year 7 Digital Drawing
Year 9 & 10 Maths and Braiding
Year 11 STIXX Engineering and Architecture Challenge
Year 7 Car Building and Racing
6th Form Crafts
Year 8 Science of Breadmaking
Year 8 Rocket Making
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6th Form Crime Scene Investigation
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esteam in cadogan house The whole school ESTEAM focus day was a great success in Cadogan House. The girls embraced the Science fair theme and produced the most amazing experiments and presentations. They spoke about what they were showing with an impressive depth of understanding. We had experiments ranging from bubbling Vesuvius to water powered light houses, chromatography of felt tips to the science of popcorn. The range was vast and we all enjoyed walking around talking to each other. A wonderful way to start the year.
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The plays of William Shakespeare are full of drama, action, romance and excitement and, while we love reading them over and over again, they are undoubtedly best when performed live. The Globe Players visited RMS in November in order to perform one of Shakespeare's darkest and most famous plays - 'Macbeth' - the supernatural tale of a husband and wife who do the unthinkable in order to become King and Queen of Scotland. Year 9s all gathered excitedly in the Resource Centre to watch the play come to life through performance. In 'Macbeth', there are very few light-hearted moments amidst the murder and betrayal that dominates the play, but one of our favourite moments was watching the girls roar with laughter during the comical scene with the Porter. The students were - as always - very positive about the performance and it not only helped them with the module in question, but provided them with the invaluable experience that comes from any live production. Mrs Gardner
The Gothic Man In December, we welcomed one of our regular guests to RMS so that the Year 9s could watch dramatic performances of two nineteenthcentury gothic stories to support our curriculum. With a particularly misty and bleak day, we already had the perfect setting as the entire year group gathered in Devonshire House for this special event. The Gothic Man (whose real name is Rupert Mason from RedHeart Theatre) narrated two unforgettable stories – Charles Dickens’s ‘The Signalman’ and H.G. Wells’s ‘The Red Room’. The students and teachers were enthralled as we listened to these chilling ghost stories, with Mr Mason putting on a brilliant performance as always, using distinct voices and demeanours for each character, as well as atmospheric lighting and dramatic sounds to truly bring these tales to life. Mrs Gardner
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The Globe Players: Macbeth
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photography trip to laycock abbey In October, the Year 12 Photography students went to Lacock Abbey to see Henry Fox Talbot’s house. At the museum, we took photos using film cameras and then we explored the museum and the Abbey. There was a Camera Obscura, which we went inside. This allowed us to see the Abbey from a different perspective. We then saw the famous window where the positive negative photo was taken. Later, we went into the city centre of Bath to take more photos of different buildings and views. In our next lesson, we developed the film and enlarged some of the photos and we were all very pleased with the outcome! Thank you to Miss Lawrence who organised the trip. Anna Baker and Phoebe Hughes Year 12
MFL Day On the 28th September 2016, Year 8 found themselves off timetable and plunged into an array of exciting activities, all designed to give them a taste of a wide range of different cultures. From Portuguese patisserie, to Chinese dancing and from a Swahili taster session to a treasure hunt on iPads all round the school, there was something for everyone to enjoy !
A midsummer night’s dream Lord what fools these mortals be! On a Midsummer’s night, four young lovers wander into a forest in search of love but are met by an enchanted wood where fairies lie and spirits roam. From the 8th to 10th November, RMS put on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream with a futuristic twist, accompanied by a soundtrack of hard-edged synths and newly composed music by Mr Brammeld. The concept of the play was ‘transforming the power of love’, which was controlled by the Pucks manipulating the mortals. We took the meaning of ‘transforming’ very literally, by creating a monotone world and turning it into a colourful Utopia. By ripping up the set, lighting and colour changes, creating a sense of magic in the atmosphere, we created the fairy world run by Oberon and Titania. The added humour of Nicki Bottom transforming to an ass and the audiences response of her song, showed how we keep the audience entertained throughout. The contrast of the monochrome to the bright costumes, set and lighting, created more freedom for the lovers to explore themselves and along the way find love- when the Pucks allowed them to. The show was a huge success due to the hard work from the actors and the crew behind the scenes. The cast had a huge responsibility of learning such complex Shakespearian and as a result, some members of the audience say that it was the best adaptation of the play they had ever seen. The long monologues and complex pronunciation showed the level of skill our actors have. Each person involved put in all their effort to create a professional and impressive production, and I think we executed this perfectly. Chloe Chancheong Year 12
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On the 30th November 2016, the A-level Textiles and Performing Arts students went to visit Emma Victoria Payne; a well-known wedding dress designer in Knightsbridge and also a past RMS student. Emma talked us through her journey of how she got to where she was; she talked about her university experience at Central Saint Martin and her application process which involved her wearing one of her own pieces to stand out from the crowd. She also discussed her involvement in ateliers and fashion houses in Paris and Brussels and the creation of her business. We all looked through the variety of dresses she had, commenting on the quality of the fabrics used, as well as the beautiful hand sewn detail. She explained her design process which consisted of the bride trying on a range of dresses, finding which style they prefer and then altering it to their size. Emma also explained the growth of her business, starting from working in a wedding dress shop, working her way up in that business before setting up her own boutique and creating her own business. She explained the troubles of setting up her own business such as sourcing fabrics, employing dress makers and buying a boutique. We all really enjoyed the trip, getting inspiration from the dresses as well as useful information on setting up a business. Layla Chauhan and Catherine Jennings Year 6
Moon rock & meteorites In November, RMS were lucky enough to be loaned some moon rock and meteorites for a week. These were showcased with various activities and lessons in Ruspini, Cadogan and Senior school during the day. We also held two after school events, which included an informative talk from visiting speaker Dr Sarah Hutton on "Galaxy Quest: Finding hidden objects in the universe", Planetarium and Observatory visits and a spectroscope building workshop. Visitors to the event were able to have their photographs taken with moon rocks and meteorites behind unique astronaut and alien stands made by Art students and the teaching department. Thank you to everyone who was involved in these successful events. Mrs M Knight 11
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Visit to Emma Victoria Payne - Bridal wear designer
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Brian Cox Trip
art Trip to tring
An exciting opportunity arose in October 2016 for the A-level physicists; a trip to go and listen to Professor Brian Cox lecture about the Big Bang. An insightful talk left everyone bewildered by the concept of the expansion of the universe and it was a thoughtprovoking start to the new academic year. This trip definitely inspired everyone to take an interest in the field of astrophysics some of the girls and Mr Dacanalis even starting a heated debate during the interval. Being a scientific celebrity, Brian Cox had everyone’s attention and made an otherwise very challenging topic user-friendly and thoroughly interesting. All in all it was an educational and highly beneficial trip!
In early October the whole of Year 7 set off to The Natural History Museum in Tring. When we arrived we were amazed at how big the museum was, and how many animals were in each case. In our groups we then chose animals to draw and worked through our task sheet. We finished upstairs and were excited to draw some larger animals including deer, sea lions, and even a moose! After completing our work we made our way back to the coach, returning to school just in time for lunch.
Jessica Faulkner Year 12
the cutest pet This year saw the arrival of a new RMS competition; RMS’ Cutest Pet! This was really fun to do, and on behalf of the Charities Committee, I would like to thank everyone that entered. The team of us that were running the competition were so impressed by the number of entries we received, as well as their quality. It was rather difficult to decide on our winners, but we really enjoyed the process as all the pets were very cute. However, after much deliberation, we were able to come to the following decision: Runners up; Lauren Cliffe with her bunny Rosie, and Grace Ingles with her cat Mo. Winner; Amy McGuire with her dog Leyla. Congratulations to these girls as well as everyone else that got involved - and of course the pets. I would also like to thank Jessica F, Niamh D, and Lauren C, who helped to organise and run the competition. We hope you enjoyed looking at the pictures as much as we did! Caitlin Finnan Year 12 12
What was your first job? A paper boy and then I began acting – most notably on Brookside. How did your character get written out of Brookside? I wanted it to be killed off, but the script writers said no as there was already a major death that year. So, my character was sent away to play football. What was the scariest thing about starting at RMS? I wasn’t worried as everyone is friendly and welcoming, and I knew that it was just the type of school that I wanted to join. What were you most excited about when starting at RMS? Getting to know the school and the girls, and all that we do. For example, there was one weekend where I had a ‘heart-swells with pride moment’ where on the Friday night there was an At Home, on the Saturday morning I met the two Young Enterprise groups at a competition in Watford, the cross-country girls got through to Nationals, and over the whole weekend the school gymnasts at all ages got through to Nationals. They were all achievements, but on a daily basis, I enjoy speaking to all the pupils. What has been the most interesting thing you have found out about at RMS since being here? Watching drill just before I officially arrived, as I found that it is something which you can accurately describe as very unique – I believe it isn’t often in life that you can use the word ‘unique’. Which moment has stood out most during your time at RMS? I found that there were lots of moments that sprung to mind when I first heard this question. There were a number of conversations and classes that I have engaged with that I could mention. I think the evening of LAMDA singing where all of the girls from year 7-13 were taking part in singing examinations was a particular highlight. Another highlight for me was the boarders’ sing along to the ‘Sound of Music’ (with props and costumes!). My daughters really enjoyed it too! Do you think social media is an important part of leadership? It is extremely useful as a teacher as there is a whole learning network where you can share resources and learn from other teachers – and I think this is invaluable to teachers. When you are in the leadership role, there is a sense in which you want to show off your pride in the school. It is also another way in which successes can be celebrated. It also allows people that aren’t part of our community to see what a great school we are. Why do you think STEAM subjects are important? All subjects are really important, due to the knowledge and skills that we gain. But, STEAM subjects are important as not enough girls go into STEM jobs, and those that did were often not given leadership opportunities, and so it has been important for the whole country. STEAM is important, in my view, because it also includes the artistic and creative subjects which are invaluable. Creativity is an important part of standing out, especially as wideranging knowledge is increasingly accessible at the click of a button. All of the STEAM subjects encourage creativity. 13
Why did you choose to study English at University, and what were the biggest challenges that you faced? I chose English, because somewhere along the way, I had inspirational teachers that made English come to life for me. I wanted to read all the great books at university, and read some of the best thinkers that have ever lived. I wanted to know what Virginia Woolf said, and know more of Sylvia Plath. As a post graduate I studied Amelia Langley, who was the first woman in England to put together a whole collection of poetry. One of the biggest challenges was that there weren’t enough hours in the day – there are still so many great books and plays that I haven’t read that I would love to read. I hope that literature can help us to become better human beings because only literature can put you in someone else’s position, and we can learn empathy from that. What do you think of the boarding community? Boarding in itself is wonderful. I value it. It is important to our school history. There are so many good aspects of it, and I am keen to hear from boarders what the experience of boarding is really like. Please tell us an interesting fact about yourself. When I was 12, I was the boy who launched Heinz in a squeezy bottle. I am also a ‘fool for Liverpool’ football club. I also used to play the guitar. Do you have a favourite lunch meal yet? For me, ‘fish and chips Friday’ is the winner. (At the time of the interview, he was also looking forward to the prospect of trying the RMS roast dinner). We would like to thank Mr Carson for taking the time to let us interview him, and for answering our questions with real thought and consideration. The Machio Team
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an interview with mr carson
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Parliament trip On a chilly November afternoon, a group of eager A Level Politicians set off to London on a visit to the Houses of Parliament. Many of us had never set foot inside the impressive grounds before and so it was an exhilarating moment to find ourselves walking down the same corridors as so many esteemed politicians also tread. First on the agenda was a tour of the building, in which we saw historic paintings, heraldic shields and ornate wooden panelling up close. The next surreal moment was to enter the House of Commons and to stand in the tiered seating – only MPs are permitted to sit on the benches. Standing in the physical heart of British democracy is a memory we shall all treasure. We then moved across to the House of Lords, not forgetting to note the change of carpet colour from green to red. We saw the exquisite Royal Throne where the Queen sits when she opens Parliament each year and then passed through the Central Lobby, recognising the statues of Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher and seeing the pigeon holes where post for the MPs awaits collection. The final stop on our tour was the extremely grand Westminster Hall where we had the opportunity for a class photo. After visiting the Parliament building we attended a workshop in the newly-built Parliamentary Education Centre just across the road. We were asked a series of quiz questions about the British political system and other governments around the world and also had the opportunity to voice our opinions on matters such as Brexit and voting for 16-year-olds. It was a valuable and fascinating trip and we are very grateful to Miss Simmonite and Mr Adams for making it possible. Miriam Bonney Year 12
Politics — Trump debate A mere three weeks after the news broke that Donald Trump was to be the 45th President of the United States, political furore was still very much at the forefront of society. As the notable businessman was transitioning into potentially what is the most powerful post on Earth, a question was posed by the global community - Trump: An American Tragedy? An ‘urgent’ debate, run by Intelligence Squared (a political forum for smart discussion), was therefore organised in light of the news, and, we, a group of politically charged teenagers, made our way to the Emmanuel Centre in London. The panel accommodated a broad political spectrum of opinions; Anne Applebaum, foreign policy commentator for the Washington Post, who had previously suggested that Trump was a “threat to the West”, contrasted with the more pragmatic views of Steve Hilton, who believed that Trump would provide a “practical difference” to the life of the average American. The Chair, Jonathan Freedland, Guardian columnist, skilfully steered the conversation towards the more contentious topics surrounding the Presidency, covering relations with Mexico, the Russian election hackings and Trump’s apparent willingness to work with Putin. One great feature of an Intelligence Squared debate is that the audience have the ability to question and contribute to the narrative of the panel, allowing us to consider the comments that individuals found important. My personal favourite was one querying the legitimacy of a President who ran his campaign through the likes of de facto Twitter rants. However we perceived Donald Trump, whether as a narcissist or a revolutionary, it was clear that experiencing such a discussion helped us deepen our knowledge, broaden our understanding and explore different perspectives that we may otherwise have not considered. Despite the controversial nature of this debate, the importance of politics in its ability to unite and divide a room simultaneously, through the beauty of freedom of expression, is one that should not be taken for granted. A full recording of the debate can be found on the Intelligence Squared website. Carla Tilsiter Year 12 14
On the 30th of November 2016, 45 year 9 girls went on the first ever year 9 Mathematics trip to the Gielgud Theatre. The Gielgud Theatre is where ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time’ is performed. The play and book has lots of mathematics equations and concepts hidden in it. So we went to see ‘The Curious Coincidence of Maths in the Day Time’ a series of mini mathematics lectures about these concepts. The lecture was run by Matt Parker, who invited 3 other mathematicians, Rob Eastaway, Hannah Fry and Ben Sparks. Although we have only just started our GCSE the way they explained the mathematics inside the book was fun, engaging and relatable. They showed us how the music in the play is made by prime numbers, we also found out how the set, costumes and lighting were done. After the interval the actor who plays ‘Christopher’ in the play showed us the scene where he explains the A level Mathematics question. He also answered our questions. We then had a Q&A with all the mathematicians. It was a great day out and everyone enjoyed it. Thank you Miss Cassidy for organizing it, and all the teachers who gave up their day to take us. Sami Berkoff and Liberty Burgess-Adams Year 9
Senior Maths Challenge The UKMT Senior Maths Challenge was a fun day where the four of us worked well altogether as well as in pairs to complete challenging questions. It required us to think outside the box. The first round were simply ten questions worth six marks each which needed a variety of skills and techniques in order to solve them. Chineme and I worked together of the first two questions we came across and then worked individually on the subsequent questions we attempted. Jenny and Esther did the same, and when we had an initial answer to all questions, we individually checked the questions we hadn’t done the first time around and then after that we discussed all of the questions and talked about our different approaches until the end of the allotted 40 minute time limit. The second round was the cross number round. This was a crossword type grid where all the answers were numbers. One pair had the across clues and the other pair had the down clues, and many clues were reliant on an answer from the other pair. In addition, no communication was allowed between the pairs other than asking the teacher sat with us to pass on a message regarding which answer you needed. For this challenge Esther and I worked together on the down clues and Chineme worked with Jenny on the across clues. We performed well on this only dropping three marks out of a potential 57. The third round was the lightening round, which gave eight minutes to complete four questions, of which, the final three were reliant on subsequent answers from the previous question. We worked in the same pairs as before for this receiving either the first and third question or the second and fourth question. There were four lots of four questions for this and on the second lot of questions, with 17 seconds to go, Esther and I passed the answer to Jenny and Chineme and Jenny was able to complete the question and write the answer in correctly with 2 seconds to spare. In the end, we came 5th out of 21 schools. It was a very enjoyable day which expanded our perspective and stretched our mathematical ability. 15
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The Curious coincidence of maths in the day time - year 9 mathematics trip nov 2016
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Biology Week This academic year students were covering topics from the new GCSE and A level specifications and they proved to be enjoyable for both students and staff! Biology Week is organised by the Royal Society of Biology and it showcases the important and amazing world of the biosciences, getting everyone from children to professional biologists involved in fun and interesting life science activities. At RMS, each year, we hold a biscuit/ cookie decoration competition which features amazing biology related designs. This year was no different as you can see from the photos! Mrs Sears
autumn fun in ruspini
CARTS The Community Arts group is a fun choir that meets on Tuesdays after school and then performs the show to audiences in the community, from local residential homes to the Chelsea Pensioners. This year our programme was ‘A Night at the Oscars’ and had some great songs from films.
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Lower School Ski Trip There are thousands of words to describe the skiing trip but I am only going to say three. Fun, amazing, cold. These words pretty much summarize the whole trip. The trip was great fun as you got to be with your best friends and also got to meet new people in different years. At the beginning of the trip I felt so scared but as soon as I left my mum and got on the bus with my friends my frown turned up side down. We were talking about everything that happened that morning and what we were looking forward to. As we reached the airport I felt so grown up, I had my own suitcase and was travelling without my parents. This trip was a great tester trip to see if I was ok with going to another country on my own, and it worked because although we did not have
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our phones we had plenty of time to contact and call our parents. One time I had a one-hour conversation with my mother, it was great long chat. I was telling her about how pretty and sunny it was and how you could go shopping whenever you wanted. You got put in groups according to your ability of skiing but even though this happened everyone got to mix and nobody felt left out. On top of all the excitement the instructors were extremely nice and understanding. I fell over quite a lot of times but my group would always wait for me in the middle of the run and immediately asked me if I was okay. Over all I really enjoyed this trip as it taught me to be independent and to never give up at anything.
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Ghana 2017
Going to Ghana was an amazing experience, which really showed me a different perspective on life. My most lasting memories of Atorkor were: learning and finding out about their culture and traditions, meeting and getting to know all the kids and how welcoming and friendly all the village people were. I truly loved how even the small things we did, such as helping the kids read books, felt like a huge help in assisting them develop their English and their confidence. It was a huge pleasure to see how the children were entertained and played for hours just with a ball. They were always smiling, loved glitter and seeing themselves on our phone cameras. Another great part of the trip was the special bond I made with the group of girls whom I was lucky enough to share the experience with.
I found the trip to Atorkor to have a significant impact on the way I viewed things coming home. Seeing the children’s faces light up as we entered the community not only made me feel welcomed, but also created a sense of gratitude to me and empathy, seeing how little actions can go such a long way. This trip was so rewarding and inspirational to me to know that I helped make a positive
The trip had a huge impact on me and it’s definitely made me want to help more people, to volunteer more and to try new experiences. Nikki Greaves Year 12
impact in the lives of many children. The whole experience I found to be very humbling and it made me appreciate the things I take for granted, things like running water - after seeing children limited to a few plastic bags filled with adequate clean water a day. This allowed me to look at things differently and understand how lucky I am, becoming frustrated to know that there are some people out there who are oblivious to the widening gap of development and inequalities to date. Mostly, I found the trip to be a once in a lifetime opportunity and am thankful for the experience that I was able to embark on.
My time in Ghana was most definitely an eye-opening experience that has made me more appreciative of the things I have, from material items to family, whom, unlike that of my buddy Joana, do not have to live in a city miles away from me in order to earn a living. It follows that the experience has caused me to be more mindful of complaining about trivial incidences in my life. Not only this, but I have been able to make lasting friendships and happy memories of playing with the children at the summer camp, whilst also improving my communication and leadership skills. Also, being taught to cook and clean by our buddies filled me with tremendous admiration, and experiencing their language, dancing and music gave me a real appreciation for Ghanaian culture. Not only was I warmed by the sense of community in Atorkor, I was also filled with admiration for the natural beauty of the beaches, rainforest and other places that we visited in Ghana, such as Meet Me There, which is definitely somewhere I would love to visit on my future travels. Indeed, on the topic of travelling, I have certainly been opened to the idea of undertaking voluntary work at a later stage in my life, especially having seen the positive impact the Atorkor Development Foundation has had on the village. This has subsequently given me the urge to potentially volunteer somewhere that hasn’t yet received significant help, and our trip to the rainforest and ability to witness its tremendous beauty has opened my eyes to the possibility of undertaking conservation work. Moreover, witnessing first-hand the injustice in the world really has had a lasting impact on my outlook on life and society, directing my attention to the possibility of studying philosophy at
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Issie Attey Year 12
My trip to Atorkor has impacted me greatly in various ways. First and foremost, it made me understand the value of education. During our visit, the village school held their prize day celebrating the academic achievements of many pupils. The school emphasised the importance of education in creating a better life for ourselves, recognising potential and what can be achieved with a hard-working attitude. A huge number of students received academic scholarships throughout the ceremony; however other aspects of a well-rounded education were celebrated too. There were performances by the drama club, several dances and RMS even contributed with a gymnastics display and our school hymn! With equally great an impact was my realisation that community and friendship are so important in our lives and are often overlooked. A strong sense of family and community surrounded the whole Atorkor village, a quality not often seen back in London. I think this became most evident to me during the Church service we took part in during our first week. I noticed that families came in smart and colourful dresses to sing, pray and give thanks together, filling almost the entire church. After talking to my buddy, Princess, I discovered that extended families often live together, taking care of the elder and 19
younger family members first hand. I formed extremely close bonds with some of the children who were so open-hearted, friendly and bursting with energy all the time. Running the holiday camps, especially the volleyball games with the younger boys, was by far the highlight of my trip. The children were so keen to get involved, never complained even when some of the activities went slightly awry, and went crazy with the glitter in particular (AKA ‘disco-disco’) during arts and crafts sessions. Our weekend trip to the more touristy area of Cape Coast was such a contrast to the Atorkor lifestyle and really put the hardships the villagers face on a daily basis into sharper focus. I can safely say I had an unforgettable experience which has most definitely inspired me to do further volunteer work, especially with children. Next year, I hope to get involved in some of the volunteer schemes available in South Africa during my spring and summer holidays as I think it is incredibly rewarding to help others and it makes us more appreciative of what we have. Gilah Allardice Year 13 The recent trip to Atorkor was an enjoyable and memorable trip, that taught me so many valuable life lessons that I can use in later life and with university. I came away from Atorkor with a greater appreciation towards life and with a deeper understanding about how privileged I am, meaning that I need to
take all opportunities that are given to me. Throughout this trip I began to understand the importance of working in a tight community; the best part of this trip for me was seeing the beaming smiles on all of the children’s faces when we went to do the holiday camp and also giving out our donations. Additionally the holiday camp was an enjoyable wakeup call as I was not expecting the children to be so excited to do crafts, but it was a pleasurable challenge that I would love to do again. I intend to put this memorable trip on my University Applications, as it will showcase voluntary skills. I very much intend to continue to volunteer and would love to go back to Atorkor in the near future. Rhiannon Cliffe Year 12
The trip to Ghana with school was quite honestly one of the most incredible experiences I have ever had, and probably will ever have. To experience such a diverse culture and spend time with the people of the village was an honour, and to help run a club for the children was both rewarding and enjoyable. I became very close to my partner girl and her family, so much that when she goes to Ghana’s capital city to see her brother we can stay in contact. Although this is occasional, I cherish these conversations. Having that specific relationship with a girl my age made the trip even more personal and fulfilling. The trip opened my eyes to the rest of the world and made me appreciate how lucky and privileged I am. It has made me want to do more charity work in the future, both raising money and actually helping in other countries. Going to Ghana was inspirational and I have hugely benefitted from this experience, more than I ever thought I would. Serena Conn Year 13
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university. I do hope that, in the future, having been to university and having gained a great deal more knowledge and contacts, I might be able to make a more profound impact on the developing world. Having been filled with such inspiration, and developed an aspiration to make a difference, I am exceedingly grateful for what really was an incredible experience.
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Year 10 Kew Gardens trip On Wednesday the 21st of September the Year 10 Textiles students went on the much anticipated trip to Kew Gardens. As soon as we arrived we began some of our tasks which included drawing, painting and sketching some of the many plants in the vast greenhouse. There were different levels to the greenhouse which gave us the opportunity to look at the plants from many different angles and therefore explore some exciting shapes. Using a few techniques which included sketching with the opposite hand, drawing in biro and watercolour painting, we were able to fill our pages full of colour and shapes which could easily be transferred into some textile pieces. We also visited the Hive, an interactive sculpture which imitates the sounds and movement of bees in a real hive. A lady showed us some materials which can be found in a bees hive and taught us how we could use them within a piece of textiles. The trip allowed us to do loads of observational sketches that would form the basis for many textiles pieces later on in our coursework. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms Brooks, Mrs Bloomfield-Proud and Miss Reidie for taking us on the trip. Charlotte Year 10
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The Year 7 & 8 Football Team celebrating a victorious end to the season.
Rush Hour Rush Hour is our series of informal concerts which give pupils the opportunity to perform to family and friends in a relaxed environment. There are five Rush Hour Concerts throughout the year, taking place in the New Mark Hall on Fridays after school. Pupils from Cadogan House and Senior School are always welcome to perform. Mr Brammeld
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Football
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Spectrum On Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th March, many girls from years 7-13 took part in Spectrum Dance Show. As the name suggests, it was themed around colours, which gave us many ideas for new dances such as ‘Girls Just Want To Have Fun’ (pink) and ‘One’ (silver). We had the chance to work independently to choreograph solos or group dances, as well as Fusion taking part in whole company dances choreographed by Mrs Isherwood and Serena (a year 13 Fusion choreographer).
On behalf of all the girls involved in Spectrum, thank you to Serena, Shona, Sophie, Sarah, Mrs McCarthy and Mrs Isherwood for helping us to put on such a great performance.
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Spectrum was a brilliant opportunity for all girls in the school to get involved with school dance and contribute to an incredible performance. We all worked extremely hard to put on the best show possible, so were thrilled to hear all the wonderful compliments we were given after the shows. Spectrum gave us the chance to develop our choreography and difficult dance skills, but most importantly, it hugely improved our ability to perform and engage with the audience. The dance show was proof of the impressive dance community we have at RMS, and was a very rewarding way of showcasing our talents.
Cadogan House Mystery Day
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It was an exciting start to the Hilary Term with the first ever Cadogan House Mystery Day. The girls in Years 2– 6 had to try and unravel the story of what happened to Mr Connors’ Christmas Chocolate presents which were on his office table at 4pm on Thursday 15th December. By 9.00pm the chocolates had disappeared. But who had taken them and why? We made sure the girls understood this was a fictional mystery. There were eight possible suspects all with their reasons for being in Cadogan House in that time period. During the course of the morning the girls had an opportunity to interview the suspects and to look at physical evidence including CCTV footage. The task was designed to develop questioning skills and to ultimately stimulate the girls own writing. The day finished with a grand unmasking and, much to Mr Connors relief, the return of the missing items.
The Lion King The Prep department put on a beautiful production of the Lion King. Mrs Espinoza, Miss Holly and Mrs Whitbread worked together with every girl in the Prep department to produce a wonderful show. The girls were magnificent, retelling this timeless story with joy. The quality of singing, dancing and acting were outstanding. Well done to every girl in the Prep Department.
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From the Cadogan House Head Girl: Everyone knows that the theme of the Lion King is ‘The Circle of Life” – the story of how a young, playful lion cub, Simba, having learnt some life lessons from his father and his friends, finds his courage and takes up his rightful place at Pride Rock. Along the way, he meets new and different people, tries new ways of doing things, has lots of fun, and most of all, he learns from his mistakes. And, of course, he gets to sing some great songs. In many ways, this is just like Cadogan House! Just like Simba’s adventures, this year has been jam packed with fun and learning for us, and hopefully we too end the year wiser than we started. Along the way there have been many new and challenging experiences for us; mastering new maths skills, working on our spellings, remembering what we need for lessons, learning to play musical instruments and even growing potatoes! I still can’t believe that as Timon in The Lion King, I spent a whole term learning how to dance the hula in a meerkat onesie – that was certainly a new skill for me!
The Michaelmas term started with the ESTEAM day, which showed us that we can be creative with Science – the best ideas happen when we think outside the box and are original, as well as messy! (the playground didn’t recover for a long time from the volcanoes and the slime!) On Roald Dahl day, we brought in our favourite reading book (mine is The Twits) and hunted for the 7 golden tickets which had been hidden around school. The teachers joined in too by dressing up– the best being Miss Bell who came dressed as a VERY violet Violet Bow-re-guard from ‘Charlie and the Chocolate Factory’. Then there was the Mystery Day – dum dum dah! – Who Stole Mr Connors’ Chocolates? – Mr Connors was completely outraged that someone had stolen the chocolates from his office … The chocolates which were Mrs Rose’s leaving present! So he called upon 250 girl detectives to help solve the mystery. The teachers played various roles – my favourite character was Miss Scarlett Goody, a vain, self-obsessed trainee teacher who was desperately in love with Mickey the Janitor! This year, we also learnt that doing things in a different way can make them more exciting – a great example of this was Pyjama Reading day when the whole of Cadogan House came to school dressed in their onesies and pyjamas. We snuggled up together in the library under blankets and read to each other, whilst sipping hot chocolate. This is what school should be like! Like at Pride Rock, there has been a change in leadership here too – Mrs Rose retired at Christmas and we welcomed Mr Carson 25
Mrs Rose left us with an important message encouraging us to persevere and to always try to challenge ourselves, in other words, never give up. Because not everything which is worthwhile is easy or fun, and we have to keep trying, especially when things get difficult. So amongst all the fun this year there has been lots of hard work too, and we are given new challenges every day. The good news is that you don’t have to do it all by yourself at Cadogan House – we have friends to support us, and our teachers to guide us. So, on behalf of us all, I would like to thank all the teachers and supporting staff for the hard work they put in. At times, we may not have shown it enough, but we are all very grateful. And so, for Year 6 our time in Cadogan House is coming to an end, just as the sun sets over Pride Rock. I have had such a brilliant time here – and I know that all you younger girls will enjoy it as much as we have in year 6. But just like the story of the Lion King, we travel on knowing that the important skills of learning whilst having fun pass safely down to the years below, just as we now take over from those girls in senior school who have gone before us. It is indeed The Circle of Life! And so, finally, I’d just like to leave you with those brief words of wisdom from Timon the Meerkat – Hakuna Matata! Helena Burns
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Like Simba and Nala, we also started to explore being away from home – perhaps not to the elephants’ graveyard, but the prepreps have been on day trips to Kew Gardens, Buckingham Palace and the Florence Nightingale museum, and Prep have stayed away from home at Hundnall Park, Shortenills, the Isle of Wight and Shropshire. It’s wonderful to go away with friends but even better to come home – personally when I’m away I miss my cats too much … oh and my family!
(although I’m not suggesting that our new leader, Mr Carson is like the evil Scar in anyway, at all!)
Royal Observatory
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On 19th May, Year 7 were lucky enough to visit the Royal Observatory in Greenwich. The first activity was an interactive classroom session on Seasons, Phases and Eclipses. The girls then went to the Meridian Line, and took a tour around Flamsteed House which used to be the home of the Astronomer Royal. Most girls agreed that the most exciting part of the day involved a visit to the Planetarium to watch a show entitled Solar System, Galaxy, Universe, where the girls were also able to take part in an informative Q&A session with the astronomer after the show. Mrs Knight
New Lab
The first Chemistry practicals took place in the new Lab 35 after its renovation during Easter. Year 9 successfully made copper sulfate crystals, and Year 10 girls produced excellent PH curves.
Baggle-Young EnterpRIse
Innovative, up-cycled and handmade, the Baggle was an idea initially proposed by our Marketing Manager Mia, who resolved to find a solution to the struggle, and pain, of carrying multiple shopping bags at once. After much deliberation and discussion, the group worked collectively to manufacture, sell, promote and finance the Baggle, bag-handle. Throughout the stages of the competition problems arose, most particularly how we were to produce mass stock when much of the group had limited expertise in haberdashery. However, such problems were met with resilience, under the steady leadership of Anna, our Marketing Director, and by the end of the process the majority of the team were competent sewers, able to quickly and efficiently produce a Baggle. Progressing to the Regional Final of Young Enterprise surpassed many of our expectations and proved the hard-work had paid off. As a group, we are now able to use our newly acquired skills of entrepreneurship, time-management, team-work and even threading a needle, elsewhere. Emily Fell Year 12
Fitting for the ESTEAM theme, the girls are incredibly happy with their new updated facilities and are looking forward to the rest of the science department being upgraded to the same high standard.
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Y12 Chemistry
Chemistry is a fundamental subject that helps us understand the world around us better. You can find pleasure in exploring your intellectual curiosity and happiness in appreciating the meaning and significance of knowledge that was once unknown to man. Imagine the modern day without coffee, vaccinations, and plastic. Many products like Vaseline and matches were created by accident, this shows that breakthroughs are happening all the time.
Everyone can get involved and do some chemistry in one way or another, it is all around us; from cooking to playing with slime. I highly encourage girls to get involved with any science because scientists, chemists, and engineers are in high demand right now. Especially for girls, as the gender gap in these male dominated industries are begging to be amended. There are plenty of opportunities at school such as clubs, the ESTEAM lectures, the Crest award, Olympiads. But there are also plenty of opportunities for independent study. I recently went to two university taster days. At King’s College London, I learnt all about the science of slime, what it is made of, how it bonds, and why polymers like slime are crucial today. I even made some myself! At Queen Mary University London, I took part in exploring the viscosity of various materials and how it changes with different variables like temperature and the mass transfer of materials. Both events were fascinating and fun! I was first enthralled by chemistry when I was reading the ingredients for a packet of crisps. There were so many long and complicated words that sounded like a different language. I thought it was just potato and table salt! Nomenclature is a vital skill for A-Level chemistry. For a recent required practical, I distilled an alcohol, an aldehyde was made. We tested this through the Tollen’s test which includes silver nitrate. The aldehyde is oxidised and silver ions are seen on the wall of the test tube. It resembles a mirror. It was very special to see something that I had made so clearly. I hope this introduction to chemistry has stimulated more girls to learn about chemistry and its significance to the world. ‘The important thing is to never stop questioning.’ – Albert Einstein. Sonu Pun Year 12 27
Last term the Year 12 Chemistry groups got out of the labs and on the train to London, to see the ‘Chemistry in Action’ lecture series. The symposium opened with a quick welcome before diving straight into the first lecture on Poisons. It was an engaging and insightful talk combining history and chemistry, teaching us about the horrific side effects of these chemicals and essentially how to poison someone. Following the poison lecture, we heard talks on beer, exam techniques and a rather complex explanation on lithium ions, which was made much more manageable by the assistance of a 3D presentation! The final lecture of the day was on Mercury, which was passionately delivered by the speaker who really communicated his fascination for the element, the talk was very interesting and also amusing. We all had a lovely day seeing what we learn in the classroom ‘in action’ and were exhausted from all the information that was thrown at us! We would like to thank Mrs Bayne and Mrs Hawkins again for taking us. Rosie Narden Year 12
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New developments are always being created but exciting prospects in nanotechnology, renewable energy like biofuels, and enzyme use still have a lot to be discovered. However numerous challenges still face us. A huge expectation is placed on our generation to solve many problems. Diseases, plastic waste, and climate change are already impacting people, habitats, and environments around the world. Even Leonardo DiCaprio acknowledges the importance of having environmental scientists. You could be the next revolutionary scientist of the century.
Chemistry Lecture
Steam Lectures
Reminiscing
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Following on from our Whole School Focus Day at the start of the academic year, it was wonderful to also have a series of evening lectures aimed at introducing students to various STEAM topics and inspiring them to seek a STEAM related career. The first lecture entitled “Women Building the Future – Tales of the construction site” was given by Sophia Forrest CEng MICE, who works at Taylor Woodrow as a Civil Engineer. She talked about her experiences as one of few female civil engineers on a construction site. Mai Nguyen gave a second lecture in this series, and gave insight into forging a career in tunnelling, detailing her experiences in Australia and the UK. (Photo above left is Mai).
During a visit to RMS by a group of old girls, we thoroughly enjoyed looking through their old photos of school and boarding life. It was really interesting to see the differences in uniform and fashion, but also really nice to see how some aspects of life are still very similar. Of course most of the buildings look the same, although we now have several new additions, and the trees have got much bigger! We thought it would be a fun idea to try and recreate some of the old photos, and even managed to get our housemistresses involved. We hope you enjoy the photographs, we are quite proud of them, and it took quite a while to get everyone in just the right position! Harris Boarding House
Other topics covered were the radiation risks of cancer treatment, computational chemistry and biochemistry. As well as science topics, there were also lectures on Mathematics and Art, such as “The mathematics of anamorphic art” given by Professor Alan Davies, and “The Myths and Masterminds of Renaissance Venice” given by Lavinia Harrington, who currently works for Art History Abroad. Many of the girls, parents and staff members who attended the lectures commented on how inspirational the speakers were and how much they enjoyed the series.
a new Club is born An exciting new club began this year, Science Experiments Club! Allowing girls to partake in exciting experiments and enthusing their passion for STEAM and in particularly science. We conduct experiments that are A-level and GCSE standard, with the aim of encouraging girls to pursue the sciences into the later years of school. Our first session was flame tests, a practical that produces bright, vivid colours depending on what metal is burnt. Like magic, the colour suddenly appears with a flash. This is backed up by the theory of electron loss in metals and explains how fireworks produce their bright colours. Jessica Faulkner Year 12 28
SPARKS
Holly Smale
At the beginning of this academic year, we set ourselves the ambitious goal of being the first team to raise over £10,000. This seemed like an almost impossible target and by Christmas time, with £4000 in the bank, we were convinced that this aim was merely an unrealistic aspiration. However, alongside the entire RMS Community, we continued to fundraise throughout the year, to raise as much money as we could for Sparks. Now, we are absolutely delighted to reveal that we have managed to achieve our goal of £10,000! In fact, we have raised a staggering £12,000 in total! This is an RMS first; never before has this amount of money been raised by the Deputy Heads of Charities and we could not be prouder. This total has certainly surpassed our original expectations of what this year had in store for us. We must say that the greatest reward of all is knowing that this year’s efforts are being put towards such a worthwhile charity, Sparks. It is wonderful to know that this money will go towards helping to fund the research behind some of the rare diseases that currently affect the lives of thousands of children in the UK on a daily basis. We honestly cannot thank everyone enough for their support and encouragement. This has been an experience that we will never forget and we know that we will come away from it not only with a fine-tuned skillset, but also with a number of fantastic memories that we will be able to look back on with great fondness and nostalgia.
Holly spoke to all the Year 7s and all the Year 8s about her experiences at school and how this gave her motivation to write the ‘Geek Girl’ series. Holly, a self-professed ‘geek’, was horribly bullied at school and her speech about the pain that this caused her, but also how she found strength in herself, was incredibly powerful and moving. She hopes that reading her books will allow others to be proud of who they are, to seek help if they need to and to recognise the impact that their actions can have on other people. Holly not only spoke to the Year 7s and Year 8s, but also gave a short presentation for World Book Day in our Literacy assembly. Thank you to Mrs Fryer for organising this event.
Spectroscopy in a Suitcase On 22nd March, the Year 13 Chemists were fortunate enough to have an interactive session provided by Imperial College London, entitled ‘Spectroscopy in a Suitcase’. The purpose of the session was to engage the students by giving them the opportunity to participate in analysing some organic chemicals. Maeve and Jon brought in specialist equipment so that the girls were able to have first-hand experience using Infrared Spectroscopy and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. They were also given some particularly challenging data to interpret, which allowed them to expand on the knowledge they had learned in lessons. It was a very enjoyable and informative event, so thank you to Maeve and Jon from Imperial College, who delivered an excellent workshop. Mrs M Knight 29
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We wish next year’s Deputy Head Girls of Charities, Elizabeth and Caitlin, all the best of luck for the coming academic year. Katie and Hannah Year 13
Our first author visit of the year starred Holly Smale – the author of the very popular ‘Geek Girl’ series. The first of the series, published in 2013, won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and was shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize. The ‘Geek Girl’ series has been published across the world and translated into almost thirty different languages. Not only were we very lucky to be able to welcome Holly to RMS, but she was actually able to join us for World Book Day!
debating in oxford On a relatively relaxed Tuesday, four eager but slightly anxious RMS debaters embarked on a journey to compete in an Oxford Schools Debate Competition. The journey was long, but aided in smoothing out any increasing nerves.
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Once we arrived and saw the various other schools, the excitement built. We were told we would be competing in teams of two: Emily and I and Amber and Sophia in a different team. The first debate was on ‘This House Believes that in dire situations terrorists should be tortured for information’. Emily and I were on the proposition, and we were told we were not only competing with the opposition but the other team on the proposition. After a brief break and the conclusion of the first debate we advanced to debate the next teams. It was both reassuring and slightly unnerving that we had to debate against the other two RMS girls Amber and Sophia, but we managed. The second proposed motion was ‘This House Believes that the British nuclear program: Trident should be renewed’. On the side of the opposition, Emily and I were more successful in arguing the second time around, and by the end of the competition had gained some extremely valuable advice and experience. We cannot thank our Debate Chaperone Ms Callow enough for not only taking us, but coming in to watch both teams when she could. The experience was priceless, and one that definitely elevated our skills as budding debaters. Myrtle-Cleona Priddy Year 12
Annual Netball tournament On the 25th of February 2017, the senior netball teams took part in the annual RMS Netball Tournament. After an early wake up call, big breakfast and long warm up, the matches started. The Senior A team were undefeated all day and even beat their rivals North London Collegiate by 3 goals, meaning they came first in the competition overall! The Senior B team also had a successful day finishing 3rd. It was the year 13s last netball tournament playing together so it was good to end on a high. Megan Elworthy Year 12
Year 7 hockey Year 7 hockey teams have done particularly well this year. We have been playing 7 a-side the whole season with 2 teams. The A team (Lirit, Maisie, Issy, Carys, Maria, Livvy and Imogen) successfully beat Queenswood (B), Beaumont, St Micks, WGGS, Parminters, St Clement Danes and JFK. The B team (Lara, Grace, Lilly, Ella, Annabelle, Amy, Josie, Jamina and Iona) also successfully beat St Micks, Rickmansworth, WGGS, Parminters and they drew against Hockerill and St Clement Dames. Both the Year 7 teams won the District Tournament but unfortunately didn’t get into the County Tournament. Overall both teams did very well. Thank you Ms Booth for all your help. 30
Model united nations With weeks’ worth of notes ready for discussion and 80s outfits chosen for Saturday’s ‘shack night’, twenty six Year 12s headed to the Haileybury Model United Nations conference for a weekend of fruitful, insightful and enjoyable debate. Having previously been put into committees dedicated to a particular topic, such as Human Rights or Disarmament, we spent the first half of the weekend in our particular groups lobbying and debating to pass what we believed to be the most successful resolution. These resolutions had been produced in an attempt to tackle a specific and relevant global issue, for example the governance of refugee camps in the Middle East. The successful resolutions were then taken to the General Assembly at which over 600 delegates, representing over a hundred countries and having travelled from a multitude of different places, thoughtfully and intensely scrutinised each proposal. It was a successful weekend for many of the RMS delegates with a proposed amendment by Issie being included in one of the successful resolutions! The entire experience was highly useful in challenging ideas, improving speaking and listening skills and communicating complex and potentially contentious ideas.
Mini Factory On 30th January, all economics students in the sixth form had the opportunity to visit the Mini Plant in Oxford, which happens to be the birthplace and heart of MINI production. We got the chance to get an inside view on how the cars are manufactured from scratch, by having two detailed tours in the body shell production and in the final assembly of the car. Some would think that this trip would be more appropriate to physics and engineering students due to the whole technicality and specialisation in the production, however so much real economics is involved in this transnational company. The aim of the trip was to link what we had learnt, such as how effective specialisation is, to the real world. The first thing that impacted all of us as we walked in the first warehouse, were the 3,000 gigantic robots. We were amazed to see the accuracy of detail that the robots carried out in fixing the main compartments of the cars in a matter of seconds. The room was about the size of 17 football pitches and it was extremely full. This made us think how costly the lights and electricity must be to keep the place running. The robots are cheaper than the human workers in the long run. They make fewer mistakes, take less time and therefore fewer bills have to be paid for the lights to be on, which results in a profit for the Mini factory! The innovation of technology for the production of cars has been a great development as it has created automation in the factory. The robots have resulted in dynamic efficiency as they have changed the way the factory runs. It is shocking that we only saw 700 employees all day, compared to the thousands of 31
employees that used to work there, before the robots were introduced. Some interesting facts that we learned from the tour guides are they make 68 cars an hour; one individual car is made in 5 hours and a half; one car is made every 54 seconds. These figures amused us all, and showed how efficient the factory is. There were also employees who had to fix the car pieces together, which it was very interesting to see as every person has a special role to do. They would do that specific role and the car was moved to the next person who would add something else to it. We asked the tour guide, whether they got bored of doing the same thing all day long, however he said they took turns and had different shifts everyday which seems quite reasonable and enjoyable for the employees. We visited the Mini Museum and this gave us an insight into the number of minis that were created in the past and how each model has developed. It also showed us the impressive creations Mini are hoping to create in the future. We are so happy to have had this opportunity and we thank Mr McDonough for organising the trip for us. We all agreed that we would strongly recommend this trip to any economics student as it has given us lots ideas for application and real life examples to apply in our A level exams this June. Paula Vrijheid Year 13
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Emily Fell Year 12
Year 10 Maths Feast On Monday 6th February, four year 10 students, Anna Ngan, Jennifer Ferguson, Emma Wei and Nicole Yeung, accompanied by Mr Broome, visited Roundwood Park School to take part in the FMSP Maths Feast. Over 30 teams from the local area took part and competition was fierce. Students participated in a series of maths ‘courses’ – a starter, main and dessert – it was an exciting competition, testing mathematical problem-solving, composure under pressure, communication and teamworking skills. The RMS team performed admirably in all disciplines and secured a creditable 8th place in this tightly fought competition. Well done.
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Junior Maths Challenge
Jenny said: On 3rd of March four girls went to Habs School to compete in a team Maths Challenge. It consisted of 4 rounds. The first round was group questions where we answered maths problems as a team. The next round was a cross number. It is like a cross word except in numbers. We were split into pairs for this; one pair doing the down clues and the other pair doing across clues. It was challenging but very fun at the same time. The third round was the shuttle which was when we were split into pairs and we had to answer a question. Then the answer we got was passed onto the other pair and they had to use that answer to complete their question. The final round was a relay. The two pairs were placed on two opposite sides of the room and we had to answer a question and then run to get it checked: if it was right we got the next question for the other pair and if it was wrong we had to try again. It was an exciting, fun day of maths.
Vicky said: It was so fun. I appreciated very much that I had the chance to join the group for the Maths Challenge; it was very good experience for me. All in all, we did well and tried hard. It is a good memory and will stay in my mind forever. 32
Frantic Assembly Year 10 and 12 Performing Arts students were lucky enough this term to participate in a Frantic Assembly Workshop. This was led by Maggie, who works in, and is fully involved in Frantic Assembly. This type of drama is very stylised and uses lots of movement and physical theatre to convey everything from emotion to characteristics about a person. Going into the workshop we were all sceptical about what it was that we were in for. The warm up was very intense; there is a huge emphasis on the physical strength of an individual, especially for the use of lifts which is very prominent in Frantic Assembly’s work. Our tasks consisted of learning different lifts in pairs and groups; how to understand weight transfer, and how to trust our peers when being lifted. This was a first for all of us but was extremely fun. Other tasks consisted of creating short pieces in which the music was constantly changed to convey different emotions. None of us thought this would be a major aspect, however we all came away from the workshop fully understanding the ways in which music can affect our work.
Bella Hallett Year 12
The Tempest On the 18th January a group of girls from Year 12 and 13, as well as a couple of boys from Watford Grammar, made the two-hour long coach journey to Stratford upon Avon — the literal home of Shakespeare, to see ‘The Tempest’. Despite the cold and rainy weather, we were excited to reach our destination and begin our workshop prior to actually seeing the production. During our two hour workshop, we were able to develop our understanding of ‘The Tempest’ as well as learning the new insightful way of interpreting the text, through the medium of drama — which we were all very enthusiastic about! The performance of the play itself was incredible, not just due to the many talented actors who performed an enjoyable yet emotional interpretation of the play, but the high-tech graphics the company were able to use to make the storm and Ariel (an air spirit) as realistic as possible, due to the Royal Shakespeare Company’s collaboration with Intel. We would like to thank Mrs. Gardner, Ms. Gunn, Ms. Callow, and Mrs Bomford, for allowing us to go on such a fantastic and memorable trip. Tamzin Kraftman Year 12 33
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The workshop forced us to all think in a different way, and gave us real inspiration for the use of physical theatre and Frantic Assembly’s work in our own pieces that were to come in the future. We learnt many different things throughout the morning. Firstly how to trust our peers and how to get them to trust us, secondly perseverance; we all had to have many failed attempts at the lifts to get them right, we were never going to get things right the first time around. Lastly, we learnt new techniques and approaches which will improve our work for years to come. We would all like to send a big thank you to our brilliantly skilled teacher Maggie and the amazing skills that she has passed onto us. Thank you to the teachers for organising such a wonderful experience!
Raising Agents Cooking is applied chemistry and many chemical reactions take place when food is cooked. Raising agents allow us to have a number of delicious products such as bread, cakes and Yorkshire puddings. Without the raising agent these foods would not have the light, open texture we enjoy.
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The girls use a number of different raising agents throughout their years at RMS to make a variety of products.
Year 4 made scone based pizzas using self-raising flour
The chocolate cookies
Year 9 kneading bread dough to make savoury pin wheels
Afternoon tea prepared by Year 10 – various raising agents
Cheese soufflé –raised with air
Choux pastry - raised with steam
Year 7 adding bicarbonate of soda to make chocolate cookies
Mini toad in the holes – raised with steam 34
This year around the Easter period, we looked after 10 ‘Living Eggs’ which were incubated until they hatched, and then girls looked after them for another week. The first chick hatched successfully on the Thursday morning, and some girls were even lucky enough to watch the second chick hatch during morning break time. The eggs and chicks were available for everyone to monitor over the ‘eggcam’, and the chicks were visited by Ruspini, Cadogan and Senior school girls throughout the 10 days that they stayed with us. We learned a lot of interesting facts about how the colour of the chick can be used to identify their sex, as well as the lifecycle of chickens. Older girls were interested in discussing moral issues, such as the welfare of the chickens and where they were taken after they visited our school. Mrs M Knight
Easter Chicks
House Variety Show 2017 And the winners were: Atholl-Sussex!
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Here the sixth formers perform together, singing favourites from the Lion King. Cumberland showcased some impressive gymnastics moves in their show. Just missing the top spot, Moira’s rendition of ‘Moira-Mia’ had everyone up on their feet! Scarbrough’s Ciara Lathrope’s country solo was mesmerising. Miss Callow
Why I love teaching & learning languages Because it’s about more than just the language: it’s about food, culture, history, politics, geography, people. It’s real, it’s useful and it’s fun.
It helps me to become a more wellrounded person as I can communicate with more people
Mrs Evans (German) Elizabeth (French and Mandarin)
You are able to communicate with people you wouldn’t have been able to before! Jeea (French and Mandarin)
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Learning a language is a long process, which requires a lot of dedication and patience. At the same time it can be so much fun and so rewarding! My favourite thing is travelling to the native-speaking country and feeling that I can actually SPEAK!!! The most hilarious and amusing things happen during the learning process, though. These include hearing weird pronunciations from my classmates, corresponding to funny or silly words in English; having vocab tests where someone forgot a word and the rest are trying fruitlessly to explain it to the person. Learning a language is one of the most fascinating activities that you can find. You will embrace the language faster, if you fall in love with it. Daria (French and Russian)
Because there is nothing like seeing the smile on someone’s face when they realise that you can speak their language. Being able to connect in this way is such a special feeling. Miss Lavelle (French, Spanish and Portuguese)
Learning a language opens doors to new cultures, people and possibilities! It makes us more open-minded and better-informed about the ever-changing, complex and interconnected world in which we live. Above all, you get the opportunity to see the world from a different perspective, which is very enriching and inspiring. Katie (French and Spanish)
Not only do languages give you the ability to communicate over-seas, but they have actually helped me to understand my own language better and I now speak better English because of it! Languages give you more possibilities of what you could do outside of the classroom and in the years ahead, whilst widening your knowledge of cultures and lifestyles around the globe.
I love languages because they are an opening door to whole new cultures and a wonderful way to communicate with people from different countries. Mrs Viseras Marin (Spanish)
Miranda (French and Mandarin)
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Alicante report to feel more confident with our skills, we were treated to a proper paella and a range of traditional Spanish desserts. On our last day, before heading off for the plane, Señor Piqueiras got the chance to dig out his ‘Sir Alan’ impression as we undertook Apprentice tasks. We had to find and ask for a number of strange items from around an amazing covered market. seemed to speak so fast! In the evening we went to have dinner at a place called 100 Montinos where we tried small sandwiches which were amazing! The next morning we were off to our first day at language school. It was an intensive session but we felt more able to interact with the locals. The afternoon saw us exploring a little more of the town and trying tapas for lunch, using our developing language skills. After a second morning at the language school where many of us were beginning
All was going well in our group until we came to one item we were unsure of and asked for help from a lady at a coffee shop who unfortunately translated it wrongly and so we arrived at Mr P’s table with an incorrect item and had to quickly find the correct one!! We all agreed that this was definitely a trip we’d recommend to the current Year 7 and 8 girls who study Spanish and thank our teachers for giving up some of their time to help us develop our confidence and language skills. Jemima Forrest Ratcliffe
It was an easy trip to the airport at that time in the morning. The airport welcomed us with large Krispy Kremes and soon we were in the air. We arrived in Alicante and got on a local bus with our luggage, admiring a country some of us had never set foot in before. When we arrived at our hotel, our rooms were unfortunately not ready, so we started our first task. We split up and went to get lunch and had to ask a Spanish speaking person a question in Spanish to extend our skills. This proved to be a surprise to some as everyone
Le rendez-vous de vos cauchemars! Décrivez en trois mots la personne avec qui vous êtes sorti(e). Jean-Paul: Gertrude est très vilaine, méchante et idiote. Gertrude: Jean-Paul est très âgé, risqué et grossier. Qu’est-ce que vous avez fait pendant votre soirée ensemble. Gertrude: Nous avons croisé Jeremy Corbyn quand nous allions à un restaurant. J’abhorre Jeremy et j’ai dû le gifler. Comment aurais-je pu savoir que Jean-Paul aimait Corbyn? Jean-Paul: Quel désastre! Gertrude déteste Jeremy Corbyn! Pourquoi? Jeremy Corbyn est le meilleur politicien! Comment a-t-elle osé le gifler? Au restaurant, qu’est-ce que vous avez mangé? Gertrude: Nous avons refusé de manger parce que nous nous somme disputés au sujet de Jeremy Corbyn. Jean-Paul a renversé du vin sur ma robe. J’étais tellement énervée que je suis partie tout de suite!
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The intrepid adventurers set out on a mighty quest - to develop and strengthen their understanding of a strange and foreign language. When I say ‘Intrepid adventurers’ I mean the tired Year 9 Spanish Group and their equally tired parents who were waiting for the trip to depart at the unearthly hour of 4 o’clock on a Sunday morning during the Easter holidays. Although sleepy, we were excited to go forth, excited about the journey ahead of us. The teachers arrived soon after and with a final wave, the bus sped out the school gates.
Creative Writiing Course
- Arvon Centre -
Yorkshire English trip
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Over half-term, I and three other Sixth Formers, along with a group from Watford Grammar School, travelled to Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, to partake in a creative writing course. The purpose of the trip was to better our literacy skills, improving the tone and nature of our work. Staying in the home of Ted Hughes, surrounded by an expanse of countryside, there was no lack of inspiration; it was the perfect location in which to write and think creatively. The trip lasted 5 days, each of which was spent writing, getting involved with workshops organised by the tutors, walking and as a novelty for some of us, cooking! The culmination of the week’s work was a student-made anthology, ‘Ls and Ponytails’ which each of us now has to keep. A big thank you deservedly goes to Miss Callow for organising the trip which proved to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Emily Fell Year 12
Ghana The Arvon Creative Writing Centre, based at Lumb Bank, West Yorkshire, is a retreat at which English students from RMS and Watford Grammar School for Boys were able to thought-provokingly and in a tranquil environment, improve their literacy skills. The trip was led by two published authors Mark Illis and Emylia Hall, who offered professional and informed advice on a range of writing genres and methods. A collection of the week’s work was put together in the Arvon anthology which each student was then able to take back home. Part of an example of the work that was produced follows, Turaya’s piece details her experience on the school charity trip to Ghana and the special encounters she had: And that’s when I saw her. Peering from behind an older boy, her dusty little fingers grasping cautiously at his shorts. She was smiling with all that was left of her baby teeth, her lips cracked from the heat. Her hair was shaved short, but small ringlets of curls still balanced on her head defiantly. Her skin was deep caramel, it seemed to command your attention, coloured chalk stains danced up her forearms in spherical patterns. But her eyes seemed distracted, they did not reflect her toothy grin, nor her stubborn curls nor the playful colouring stains. They were frantically searching for something, apprehensive, waiting. She looked expectantly into the faces of the volunteers, each time more hopeful of success than the last. She searched each volunteers face for an unknown quality, her eyes seemingly desperate. I watched her, for a moment, stopping in the dirt, letting the wave of welcome flow onwards without me, the celebration gushing past me like I was a boulder in the past of a river. Time seemed to pause for a second, hanging in the air around me. Then I met her eyes. And for whatever reason, she found that unknown quality in me. Her perceptive eyes looked beyond the colour of my skin, and the reason for my arrival, and in me found a connection that was more than race and ethnicity, friendship in the purest form. Turaya Morton-Kemsley Year 12 38
Trepidation It’s cold in the hospital, cold and lonely as I walk through the sterile white corridors that all look the same, smell the samelike alcohol and cleaning fluid. It makes me suspicious, like there’s something underneath it. I feel like I’m not in control of my own body, gliding on some invisible force that follows the blue signs marked Ward 2C. I think that’s how everyone here feels, as we pass each other and smile timidly in greeting, apologising with our eyes I’m so sorry you have to be here. Her room is plain, functional, and basic and it makes me want to cry, makes we want to beat the clinical white walls to distinguish them from the rest. It makes me sick to see her here, eyes shut as if she could be sleeping, which seems unnatural outside of her own domain, always plastered with photos and draped in fairy lights.
If you had asked me what animal Acacia was I would have said a lion, she was beautiful and terrifying, loud and perspicacious. Her ability to find humour and laughter in the world that surrounded her was effortless, we had been invincible. I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t what got us into this mess in the first place. Now, that brave lioness was gone, and in her place a fragile bird with flightless broken wings and these four walls her aviary. I had always been a good liar, it’s said strict parents make sneaky kids and that’s true, but I never thought it would go this far. I told the police I wasn’t there. I told them I didn’t know. I suppose I thought that I would have a lifetime of stories to tell, but now there is no other. This will be the only story I will ever be able to tell. Grace Stewart-Ricketts Year 12 39
Terminus y, Her age masked by curiosit happiness, with s Her name synonymou e the cruellest, tam ld cou Her smile so warm it her. d love In her was life, and life vibrant, Her temperament carefree and fident, Her posture strong and con versatile, Her habits extravagant and Prospects flourished. But now her age revealed, idance, Her name one of pity and avo one, no cing enti d, Her smile deplete d. cke In her, life had atta Exhausted and weary, ked, Her posture slouched and croo Her habits monotonous, Prospects constrained. , Now her age forever paused ered emb rem be to one Her name longer, no be to d, ishe Her smile van . fled has life ing, In her is noth Her temperament now passive Her posture still, Her habits forgotten, Her prospects eliminated. Emily Fell Year 12
and cool,
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The constant noise of the ventilator makes me want to jump from the dirty window overlooking the equally dirty city, it’s a repulsive sound, like nails on a chalkboard only more nauseating. The doctor that had spoken to her mother and I had said it was precautionary, that you could never be too careful with injuries that involved the brain. It had been around this point in the conversation that Penny had started crying and I had stopped listening. She’s hooked up like a stage lighting set, what seems like a hundred of wires and tubes pump different substances in and out of her skin, the skin that I can’t look at. She has always been pale, her dark hair had accentuated this, but now she looks like the blood has been drained from her body, pale blue veins like tree canopies in the rainforest, all entwined and dancing beneath the surface as I trace her cool skin with my shaking fingertips. She is covered in grazes, tiny abrasions that look superficial but in perspective they cover almost half her body. The other half is purple, a deep shade of violet like overripe plums, surrounded by a magenta halo, the more prominent bruises shaded with emerald greens or sickly yellow. I can hardly breathe.
Disney Magic On 21st-23rd March, Disney came to RMS. The Lower School, including girls in Years 7-9, put on a Disney tribute that brought back many memories for some. Disney Magic consisted of all our favourite Disney songs, from ‘Let it Go’ to ‘Under the Sea’ - the girls performed a wide range of songs. The characters ranged from Elsa and Anna from Frozen, to Belle and Lumière, from Beauty and The Beast. However, what made the girls stand out in their own individual ways, were the costumes and make up they had on, courtesy of Mrs McCarthy and her wonderful team. The show, put together by Mrs Whitbread and Mrs Heaffey, with the help Mrs Isherwood and Ms Flatto, consisted of 50 girls, 25 fusion members and a team of 12 on production. Mrs Whitbread and Mrs Heaffey joined together to decide on ‘Disney Magic’ as this year’s production. I had the chance to sit down with them both and asked them a few questions. Why did you choose ‘Disney Magic’ as this year’s play?
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“It was something different and everyone loves a bit of Disney.” - Mrs Heaffey “It gave a lot of girls a chance for solos.” - Mrs Whitbread. What are your favourite songs in the play? “Beauty and the Beast.” - Mrs Whitbread “I love all of them but God help the Outcast was new to me.” What preparation has been put into the production to make the play spectacular? “Hours and hours and hours of rehearsing, planning and having fun.” - Mrs Whitbread “We had a lot of sing-alongs while researching.” - Mrs Heaffey Eva Opoku Year 8
ruspini in springtime
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Dorothy Mortimer Watson
Dorothy Mortimer Watson Standing in a field, With dead bodies all aro und you, Away from your family, Away from your friends, You feel alone, But really you’re not, You’re helping the world forever.
Dorothy Mortimer Watson, Staff Nurse, 1888-1917: died on active service in the First World War.
We know little of Dorothy’s school career but when she left in 1904, she returned to Harrogate apparently to work in a business there. Given that we later discover she became a nurse, it is interesting to note that, unlike many of her fellow pupils who showed a proclivity for nursing, Dorothy did not become a probationer in the San in her final year at the School. Perhaps at that time, she had not found her vocation. We don’t know when and where she trained to be a nurse, but presume it to be in Harrogate. In 1915, she transferred to the 2nd Northern General Hospital in Leeds which was designated as a war hospital. In 1908 the Territorial Force Nursing Service was established, originally intended for home service only, in 1913 members of the TFNS were given the opportunity to serve overseas if required. Standards for admission to the service were high. Women had to be between 25 and 35 years of age, British subjects, welleducated and have completed threeyears of nurse training in an approved hospital. In 1916, Dorothy joined the TFNS and was sent to Malta on active service. At that 41
You won’t be forgotten, You’ll always be there, You can’t be thanked mo re, And it’s always a story to share, You will be remembered, May you rest in peace, You helped the world fore ver. Libby Dunster Year 8
Dorothy was based at St John’s hospital, a former school in Sliema, which opened fully equipped to receive 400 patients just before Dorothy arrived there. With so many casualties arriving, being treated and moving on, contagion was always a problem and, sadly, Dorothy became a victim. She died in Mtarfa hospital of the toxaemia induced by measles on 13th March 1917. She is buried in Pieta Cemetery. Of the total number of members of the TFNS, six were killed by enemy action and 42 died from illness, 33 at home and 9 abroad, of whom one was Dorothy. Harrogate Infirmary erected a memorial dedicated to those members of their staff who died on war service. When the old infirmary closed and a new hospital was built, the plaque was taken down and, in this centenary year for WWI, it was reinstated in the new hospital and re-dedicated by the Hospital Chaplain. Lorna Cowburn
Digital Art by Charlotte Levy Year 8
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She was born to Christopher and Mary Watson in 1888; she had two older siblings. When her father, a cotton yarn agent, died in 1894, Dorothy became a candidate for acceptance at the Royal Masonic School for Girls.
time, Malta was known as ‘the nurse of the Mediterranean’, its geographical position being strategic for receiving the wounded from the Gallipoli and Salonika battle campaigns. Dorothy was one of 1,000 nurses treating patients in 28 different military hospitals.
Your name is Dorothy Mo rtimer Watson, You were at RMS, At the age of 27, You went to the war as a nurse, To help the frail and wound ed, You gave up your own tim e, You’re helping the world forever.
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Year 6 Science induction The Year 6 girls from Cadogan came for a taster session in the Senior School Science department as an introduction into what kind of activities they would carry out in Year 7. After a lab safety talk, they learned how to focus a light microscope, and discovered more about Forensic Science. Then they carried out an investigation ‘CSI style’ to see if they could work out who the suspects were in a crime that had taken place – Bailey the puppy had been stolen! After being introduced to the crime, the girls prepared some slides of hair samples to look at under a microscope, and then compared them to samples A, B and C that had been collected at the scene of the crime. The Year 6 girls were very successful in finding out who could have stolen Bailey the puppy, and everyone had a fun morning! Mrs Knight
Kensington Palace and the V&a museum In February, Year 11 Textiles students headed off to London for a day packed full of exhibitions and inspiration. We began the morning at Kensington Palace for the opening of ‘Diana: her fashion story’, an exhibition showcasing some of Princess Diana’s most iconic dresses. Full of motivation we then walked across the park ready to see our second exhibition ‘You Say You Want a Revolution? Records and Rebels 1966 – 1970’, at the V&A Museum. After exploring two museums and investigating two exhibitions, we headed back to school full of ideas. Mrs Coffey 42
Biology Year 13 Trip Year 13 Biology students visited the Fieldwork centre at Epping Forest in April to investigate animal and plant populations. The day included recording information from a number of quadrats, pond dipping and statistical calculations and it was part of the required practicals programme of the girls. Mrs Sears
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Year 10 Berlin trip 2017 On 23rd June 2017, 26 girls and 3 enthusiastic teachers set out for a long weekend of history fun in Berlin. Unfortunately 3am is not the most popular time to wake up and head to school, however all girls took it upon themselves to get there and with all but one passport! When we finally arrived in Berlin after a short flight from Heathrow we went to our hostel and were sure to grab the Wifi password as soon as possible. We then spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the city and going to the Deutsches Historisches Museum where we had our first taste of Berlin history. We looked at all the memorabilia including the first edition of the Treaty of Versailles, which was truly incredible to see in real life. We then travelled back to our hostel to have a delicious dinner. Afterwards we set off to the Reichstag, which is the German Houses of Parliament. The building is beautiful with a glass dome at the top, which we were able to walk up. From the top you could see the whole of the city which was truly magical. We later arrived back at the hostel for a well-needed rest ready for the action packed day ahead.
After our tour we retired back to the hotel for an evening meal, swiftly followed by a visit to the Imax in the Sony centre where we watched the new Pirates of the Caribbean movie with a ton of popcorn! Day 3 consisted of a 4 hour guided walking tour with our favourite tour guide Brian who had a wealth of knowledge. We visited sites 45
After that we went to the site of Hitler’s bunker where he committed suicide when he realised Germany had lost the war. Finally we finished at Brandenburg Gate, which is an 18thcentury neoclassical monument in Berlin, built on the orders of Prussian king Frederick William II, after the successful restoration of order during the early Batavian Revolution. After finishing the amazing eye opening tour we headed to the Olympic stadium. This was built for the summer Olympics in 1936 and then renovated and used for the 2006 Fifa World Cup. It had the most beautiful view and was very breath-taking. Afterwards we headed back to the hotel where some people relaxed and chilled at leisure, and some decided to go and have ice cream and drinks at a lovely restaurant accompanied by Mr Grogan and Miss Onyems. Then finally we headed back to the hostel for a good night’s sleep. Day 4 started with our final breakfast, then everyone packed up their belongings and checked out of the hostel. However we still had time to visit one more museum. This was the DDR Museum which gave us an insight into day-to-day life during the war using interactive learning, it really helped us absorb all the information. One thing we couldn’t forget was doing a final bit of shopping in a Berlin Mall and then we made our way to the airport for dinner and a flight back to Heathrow. A big thank you to Miss Simmonite for organising the trip and Mr Grogan and Miss Onyems for making it possible, as it was an unforgettable experience full of fun and interesting information. I truly recommend it to anyone studying GCSE history in the future. Sienna Hall and Tallulah Baker Year 10
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Day 2 started with a lie in until 9am and then we travelled to Sachsenhausen Concentration camp using the integrated transport system of trams and trains. Sachsenhausen was a Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, used primarily for political prisoners from 1936 to the end of the Third Reich in May 1945. Between these times the camp took over 35,000 victims. Here we met the fascinating Brian, our tour guide, who was an actor and director and for a few months a year takes tours in Berlin. He knew everything about everything to do with Berlin’s history and showed us all around Sachsenhausen.
including The Berlin Wall, which was a guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989, between East Germany and West Germany. This included Checkpoint Charlie where we put our feet either side of East and West Berlin.
Mixed media tools
Amber
Phoebe
Molly
Libby
Millie
Julia
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Rachel Maddison Alina
As part of the Year 8 ‘Objects’ project pupils used several materials to represent technological tools including collage, paint, ink and charcoal. The results were outstanding.
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WW1 memorial poppies created by Year 9 artists
The Chaplain and Chapel Assembly Most weeks in each School Term the pupils bring themselves to Chapel for Chapel Assembly. On Monday Years 7 to 9 attend and on Wednesday Years 10 to 13 attend; this is for the practical reason that we can’t easily fit all the pupils and relevant staff into Chapel, and it also allows me to “pitch” things differently when necessary to younger and older audiences. Most of the time it is me doing the talking. That’s not the greatest teaching model, but then Chapel Assembly isn’t the same as being in a classroom; I have 300 pupils in front of me on Monday and 400 on Wednesday and it’s not a time for being interactive. Neither is it a time for much pupil involvement; I do when I can and when I’m well enough organised (!) but normally I don’t have the opportunity and I content myself that pupils are involved in House, Year and Great Hall Assemblies.
Slapton Field Trip When faced with the idea of a compulsory geography field trip to Slapton, Devon, I was not most pleased. The sheer prospect of standing in the miserable wind and rain for 4 days brought frowns to every geographer in Year 12. This, however, was not the case when we arrived after our 6 hour coach ride down to the coast - the sun was radiating heat, the breeze was soft and the waves were gently lapping at the shoreline. What more could we have asked for? Although we still had to conduct our geographical investigations, the conditions we were able to work in made the idea of our A-Level geography much more pleasant, despite beach profiling and sediment sorting not being the most thrilling of activities! The atmosphere of the trip was brilliant, and I could not have wished for a more enjoyable field trip away from home. Carla Tilsiter Year 12
I hope that most of the time at least some of the pupils get something out of what I present. I’m very open to feedback, though I get very little, so if any pupil reading this would like to drop me a line with ideas and suggestions – even constructive criticism – I’d be pleased to hear from you. Have a good 2017/18 year everyone! Reverend Quill 47
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I’m very clear Chapel Assembly isn’t a service; it’s evolved from the days when the Chaplain would have taken lots of services and pupils would have been expected to attend, not least on a Sunday when I understand boarders (at that time I believe all pupils boarded) had to attend three times! Now the pupils come once a week and yes, most weeks we sing a hymn, but my remarks (supported by PowerPoint, YouTube and a healthy dollop of Google research!) are about School Values, or what’s going on in the world, or personal development, or moral and ethical issues. And at Christmas there’s now a light-hearted tradition to consider the messages behind some of the Christmas TV advertising!
Trip to St Albans It was Tuesday the 13th of June, and we were going to the Roman Museum and theatre in St Albans, to learn about Roman history and culture. The whole bus was ecstatic. The previous year 7s had told us all about it and it sounded amazing! We were split into three groups and set different activities throughout the day.
Finally, we visited the hypocaust which is a roman underfloor heating system; it was incredible how advanced the Roman engineering was. Mr. Young even told us a horrific story about it. Overall, I thought the trip was incredible and it really helped me understand the lives of Romans a lot more. Isabelle Hutton Year 7
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The first activity I took part in was to look around the ruins of a Roman theatre. It was extremely interesting, there were many different boards to read, telling us about its structure, what it was used for, how many people it seated, and the types of plays they would perform there. There was also a piece of original Roman artwork showing the theatre in its original form. Although the theatre is now only ruins we could all picture the scene in Roman times.
The next place we discovered was the museum. I particularly enjoyed this because of all the beautiful mosaics and artwork scattered around as well as all the information on Roman life. We were also lucky enough to watch a very interesting video clip all about the Romans and St Albans.
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Digital montages Bisola
Sonya
Annie
Jasmine
Hayley
Year 9 were tasked to create imaginary montages based on contemporary artist Graham Holland. They tried out ‘Photoshop Mix’ to layer up their compositions digitally.
Lillie Mia P Ella Nishka
Mia T
Maddie
Freya Witheat
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Cubist Musical Instruments Beatrice Vane
Valentine Sidonie Students respond to Picasso’s abstract cubist collages of musical instruments through drawing on iPads. 49
Creative Writiing Competition
- Childrens Books -
Chemistry
by Saloni Rawat
“Open the door Dr Mortimer Kinsley, open the door at once!” hollered Dr Mansly who was rattling the door furiously. She had been passing lab 39 to have noticed that when she looked through the window, all she could see was ominous, thick, white smoke. That is of course when she ‘ran like the wind’ more like hobbled down there turning red in the face with her limping left leg all the way. She thought to herself ‘The old forgetful man forgot to open the windows again, what would he do without me?’ “Doctor Mortimer!” she sang once again heaving all her weight onto the door one last time before stepping back to regain her breath; if she hadn’t she would’ve been turning purple (if that was even possible). Suddenly her common sense returned and instead of pushing the door handle, she pulled. Slowly. Smoke came rolling out of the damp, moist room with the most distinctive smell, and this smell definitely wasn’t of a dream perfume! It smelt of a football kit two weeks late of washing that had been rolled around in the mud. It made Dr Mansly’s snout like nose shrivel in disgust. As much as she didn’t want to enter the room, she had to save Mortimer. She used one of her oversized hands to swat the distinctive eye watering smelling smoke away and the other to cover her nose even though it hardly made a difference. Through the white suffocating mist Dr Mansly saw the outline of a man holding a conical flask. Relief spread through Dr Mansly’s body as she pottered towards the man. When she got a few feet to where the man was she noticed his back was turned towards her and he seemed to be doing some type of jiggly
Chemistry
by Millie Jamieson-Pond
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Golden rays of sunlight pierced through the luscious emerald trees, which scattered the bank, like splashes of paint on an artist’s canvas. The beams were stones, skimming the cars and roofs, like water, only to bounce back into the sky. We sat there in silence, looking up at the bundles of white fluff, floating by like boats on the horizon, sailing to an unknown destination. Tiny ice crystals settled on dust particles, suspended over 6,000 metres in the air. All eight of us together lying on the soft shards of grass, reunited. The memories of the warm spring day where we frolicked about in the English countryside repeated in my head like a broken record. Tianjin was a fresh start for all of us. My father was offered a job opportunity to work in an office block near the port; his role in the company was a mystery to all of us. My mother stayed at home with the children until we were settled in the alien environment. We were alone, even when we were all together. Isolated, even though the city was vast. Afraid, even when we were safe. I peered out of the marigold curtains on to the cranes below us. A faint glow of the evening sun, hidden by thick clouds illuminated my room, tinged with a golden light. In the shadows, the unknown lurked, ready to pounce. A faint rumble of the lorries passing the flats on the road beneath me shook my possessions lightly like
dance move whilst singing “carbon, metal oxide, kettle, boiling methane, gold… no blue flame and…” before the man said anything more a plume of white smoke emerged from his bubbling flask. Dr Mansly put her hand on Dr Mortimer’s shoulder which made him turn around. “Oh my Doctor Mortimer Kinsley you look…” Dr Mansly had turned sheet white shocked. “I look splendid do I not?!” Mortimer laughed. If it wasn’t for Mortimer’s voice Dr Mansly wouldn’t have known it was him. Long gone were the days of Dr Mortimer’s wrinkles, saggy cheeks and patchy bald head. He looked younger, fitter and kept caressing his velvet brown hair. “Dr Mansly finally after twenty years in the lab I have found it, the cure, the formula of ageing backwards! I look forty three, I am going to be rich and own a tesla, the mansion of my dreams!” Mortimer closed his eyes and smiled as he took a deep breath. “My whole life, to relive all those twenty years growing old in the lab! Why Dr Mansly aren’t you going to applaud me?” Mortimer opened his eyes to look for Dr Mansly but she seemed to have disappeared. Suddenly he looked down to see a curious looking toddler tugging at the end of his trouser. He picked up the toddler and noticed it was wearing a humongous lab coat. A lab coat with the name tag of ‘Dr Julia Mansly’. He stared at the baby in disbelief. It couldn’t be. It shouldn’t be. “Does this mean the time it takes for me to age down is different to others?” he asked the baby with excitement in his eyes, not noticing that he was getting smaller by the second. A minute passed by and suddenly on the floor were two babies staring at each other in amazement. Dr Mortimer’s dream of ageing down definitely was a grand dream, a dream he accomplished, maybe not the way he had expected but definitely accomplished with chemistry. ripples on a clear ocean. I was a bird; trapped within my cage, overlooking the city as night fell, secret and unknown. I looked closely at the port hoping to see my father coming home from work, but the people were distant spots, with their features blurred and insignificant. A small flicker of light shone in my eyes, drawing them to the source. In amongst the chemical warehouses a blaze of amber burst through the rooftops. As I watched it, it grew, producing a coal-black cloud, erupting from the flames. Flashes of sapphire pierced through the industrial jungle, heading to the port. The sirens echoed through the flats, shaking the residents off their sofas, to the windows. Ten minutes passed. Over a hundred firemen swarmed the port. The flames had grown into a crown of blazing light, burning through the defences put up by the firefighters. As the night took over, the charcoal dust cloud blended into the night sky, occasionally glowing from the intense flare. With a dull pop, my eyes were set ablaze with a pure white light, burning through the sky. When my eyes adjusted, I looked up at a floating fireball, towering above the city. Out of the colossal tangerine cloud, rising above me, flew thousands of radiant meteors, plummeting to the earth. I quickly rushed away from the window, in fear of shattered shards. As I turned to run into the next room, an incandescent light emerged from behind the glass and within seconds, the world was filled with darkness. 50
Charity Quiz Night To celebrate and support the incredible fundraising work of the school charity, Sparks for Children’s Medical Research, myself and Mia Robertson held a Quiz Night on Friday 5thMay. There was a great turnout at the event with around 45 people in attendance; including an RMS PALS teacher table, both Leadership teams from RMS and the Leadership team from adjoining John Hampden Grammar School. Everyone battled through challenging questions ranging from guessing celebrity baby pictures to the intricacies of the Highway Code. The overall and well deserved winners of the night were the PALS teachers who won the coveted chocolate prize! As a result of the enormous support from parents and members of the School community we were able to raise £450 for SPARKS, which will be added to the amount already raised through all the events held this year. The final total will be announced shortly. We would like to thank the wonderful compere Mr Broome, and Mrs Baron for helping us with the logistics behind the evening. In addition, thank you to all the Year 12 students who came to help us out, as well as our outgoing Deputy Head Girls for Charity, Hannah and Katie for providing food and helping to drum up support! Elizabeth Whittaker Year 12
Civil war day On 9th June, a man and a lady came in for a re enactment of the Civil War. We all had to dress up as someone from the Civil War: parliamentarian or royalist. First of all we had to go to the New Mark Hall and Mr Body gave us a talk on what the day would entail. Then we headed outside to take a form picture with us in our costumes. Shortly after, we had a long walk down through the time tunnel. The time tunnel is where we ‘officially’ changed eras. As it was about to rain we headed of inside, to the sports hall. This is where we met the man and lady. They talked about a lot of historical information and I learnt a lot of new and interesting facts that I didn’t know before. He talked about having to excrete their waste products into a bucket in those days (which is very disgusting, seeing as we have modern toilets for that!). I also learnt that married woman had to cover their hair and long hair was seen as beautiful. Their clothing was very different: women wore long dresses, men wore stockings, baggy trousers and shirts. Women had no rights in those days. Madison and Lucy got the chance to dress up as a lady from the Civil War era. Lunch was chicken soup and jacket potato. This would be something similar to what they had to eat in the time of the Civil War. We had a break before we were outside and listening to the man speak about armour and weapons. Charlotte got a chance to wear the armour and hold the weapons. The armour was very sturdy and strong; but extremely heavy. Followed by that we had to grab a long stick and march down the fields, with our ‘guns’ (actually sticks), in rows as if we were in battle. This day was very interesting. I learnt lots of new stuff and broadened my knowledge of the history of Civil War. Alina Kamal Year 8
The great £2 challenge
Upon our return to school, we were extremely impressed by their efforts and by the large number of girls who managed to raise over £100. Well done in particular to Annabelle T, who raised £208. Well done also to Montana G, Isabelle H, Maisie L, and Maya S in 7R, who raised an incredible £508.79! This has been a fantastic example of the sheer entrepreneurial and tenacious spirit of the younger years and there are clearly some leaders-in-themaking who are starting to emerge! Kate and Hannah Year 13
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Well done to all of the girls in Years 7-9, who partook in the £2 Challenge. Girls who volunteered were given £2, with the task of ‘growing’ this through fundraising events during their Easter holiday.
Cadbury World On Friday 5th May, Year 8 went to Cadbury World. We started the trip off with a two-hour coach journey to Birmingham. Although the coach journey was long, we kept our spirits up for the delights of chocolate. Just before we arrived at Cadbury World, we drove through a pretty town called Bournville, which was originally created by the Cadbury family to improve their workers lives. Cadbury World was in the middle of Bournville, but it didn’t look like a factory as it was made from the same bricks as the houses surrounding it. We even drove past the place! Once we were there, we were greeted by the sweet aroma of chocolate. As we went through the gates and into the exhibition, one Crunchie, Curly Wurly, Freddo and Dairy Milk was handed to us. Not many people waited to tuck into their bars. The exhibition was very interesting with videos showing chocolate through the ages and the creation of Cadbury. Half way round, we went into the actual factory and were given a little cup full of melted chocolate. We could then choose what we wanted to put in the chocolate. The toppings were Jelly Babies, ground Crunchie, mini marshmallows, ground biscuit and fudge. It was a very difficult choice to make. The exhibition ended with a 4D experience. Part of the experience was going on a roller costar made of chocolate and the chairs moved with the video. It felt like we were actually inside the roller costar. At around 12:30 lunch was served. Everyone wolfed downed their sandwiches so quickly that seconds were gone before 1:00. Miss Cook let us go on the climbing frames in the playground. We were climbing all the rope ladders and sliding down the slides for an hour and we would have stayed there for longer, if there wasn’t the temptation of the shop. The shop was amazing. It was a room full of chocolate. At the back, there was a little room off to the side that sold Mis-Shapes and boxes of chocolate quite cheaply. Everyone bought something and lots of us couldn’t actually lift the bags our chocolates were in. All in all, it was a successful shop. The coach journey home seemed to fly by and we were back at school in what seemed like no time but was actually two hours.
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Millie Groom Year 8
ruspini in summer 52
Regent’s University Fashion Competition The Regent’s University International Fashion Competition is an exciting competition which allows students to represent their school and if their designs are shortlisted, have their work showcased at the Regent’s Final Collections Fashion Show in May 2017. The competition, open to both UK and international pre-degree students (including A/S, A level, foundation and equivalent pre-degree programmes), involves designing a fashion outfit, working from the specified brief. The subject of the competition this year was ‘Sustainability’. I entered the competition using pre-worn denim and elements of the RMS uniform, including a school shirt and Cadogan pinafore, to produce an editorial piece. I was required to enter a photo of my garment being worn as well as a design board which displayed my thought process and my inspiration. I was incredibly lucky and out of hundreds who entered I was shortlisted to the final three. I was asked to send my garment to the university with the necessary accessories so that my work could be photographed on a model. My work was then showcased at the Regent’s Final Collections Fashion Show and photographed by a professional on a model. The other two shortlisted entries were from the Czech Republic and Turkey, and it was very interesting to see their take on the brief. Their designs were very impressive! At the showcase the winner of the competition was announced and I placed as a runner-up. I was fortunate to receive a series of books on fashion design and photography, as a prize, as well as a copy of all the photographs taken of my piece. The competition winner was well-deserved as she had designed a duvet coat, completely made of second-hand jeans! The experience was very exciting and I feel very lucky to have had the opportunity to have my work recognised and showcased. It has given me confidence in my ideas, and I would love to enter more competitions like this in future. Turaya Morton-Kemsley Year 13
No Man’s Land
In this ‘tragicomical’ drama, we followed the night of two men, Spooner and Hirst. The latter, an affluent chronic alcoholic, had just run into Spooner, a disreputable poet, at a Chalk Farm pub, and invited him back to his grand Hampstead home for what proves to be far from just the one drink. As they become more and more intoxicated, their stories become more and more unbelievable, especially when the two house attendants Foster and Briggs return home… Being the notoriously complicated and subjective play that it was, many seemed dazed by the ambiguous messages brought up throughout. Nevertheless, it left numerous with insightful interpretations of this very equivocal drama, which entertained us all on the journey home to Rickmansworth. On behalf of everyone who went on the trip, I would like to thank Mrs Gardner and Ms Gunn for taking time out of their evenings to take us to see such a perceptive and memorable play. Tamzin Kraftman Year 12 53
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On a cold Monday evening, a group of girls from Years 11, 12 and 13 made the venture to Wyndham Theatre in Central London to see the critically acclaimed drama “No Man’s Land”. After a short train journey, we arrived at the theatre to find our seats. While the seats may have triggered the fellow vertigo-sufferers amongst us, the sightings of acting legends Sir Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart, quickly dissolved those fears and turned our minds to intrigue.
Design and Technology
Heather Addison.
Hannah Churchman’s A2 conservatory storage with integrated iPad stand, newspaper rack, drawer and two side tables.
Ashley Clark’s GCSE corner stationery storage unit with drawer.
Bilgenur’s Oreo biscuit memory stick.
Jessica’s memory stick.
Bronte Tallentire’s GCSE nail polish and accessories unit.
Jennifer’s memory stick.
Emily Sharwood-Smith’s corner ‘bar’ with rotating wine glass holder and vine inspired wine bottle rack with secret spirits area.
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Melanie Metcalfe’s GCSE ‘Ladder’ shelving unit.
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Natalie Chu’s GCSE expanding display unit for mini figures. The unit can also be dismantled for flat packing.
Alice Bishop’s GCSE laptop work station which enables you to work whilst reclining on a chair or in bed.
Nia Jivan’s GCSE iPhone dock, iPad holder and speakers.
Megan Davies’ GCSE shoe storage unit.
Molly Coates’ GCSE castle stationery storage unit to make homework interesting.
Yasmin’s mechanical memory stick.
Nicole Trup’s A2 animatronic head. Sensors allow the eyes to follow the movement of people.
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Juliette Dormoy’s GCSE Bedside unit.
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D of e award 2017 - in the field Last year nearly 90 girls from RMS participated in the Duke of Edinburgh award and enrolled across all levels - Bronze, Silver, and Gold. What followed was a huge amount of hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm from each girl as they worked their way through the different stages of the award. In the summer term we embarked on our expeditions, and what great expeditions they were! Girls suddenly found themselves in unfamiliar situations, which tested their resilience, teamwork, and fitness, but also their map reading skills! (No Google maps here!) Instead of letting those first inevitable mistakes distract the teams they showed a huge amount of resilience as they worked together to get themselves back on course. Sometimes being ‘lost’ can be a good thing!
did mean cooking, cleaning, putting tents up and down, and then walking 20km+ with it all in their rucksacks! The enthusiasm all the girls showed really is a true testament to them. Even when the bad weather rolled in, singing could be heard deep within the New Forest and across the top of the South Downs. Congratulations girls, we hope next year to see you move up a level and look forward to eventually seeing some of you receive your Gold Award. Miss Reidie
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By the time the qualifying expeditions arrived, the girls were looking forward to becoming entirely self sufficient, even if that
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D of e award 2017 - at the palace On Wednesday 24th May, Mrs Fryer was privileged to attend Buckingham Palace Gardens for the presentation of Gold Duke of Edinburgh's Awards. Mrs Fryer was with a group of Award recipients and supporters who were spoken to by The Countess of Wessex- it was a very exciting moment when she and Prince Edward, Earl of Wessex appeared on the steps of
the Palace and everybody sang the National Anthem. Mrs Fryer was especially proud to watch RMS Old Girls Gabrielle Newson and Anoushka Harris receive their Gold awards, and to celebrate their success. They have received a very prestigious award and demonstrated many RMS Values in doing so. Mrs Fryer
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Australia and Singapore tour This Easter, a group of forty seven Year 8-10 girls were lucky enough to go on a hockey and netball tour to Australia and Singapore. We set off bright and early on Saturday morning ready and excited for what lay ahead. Many of us had worked hard to raise money to go on the trip. We arrived late Sunday evening after two long flights at the Super Sports Centre, on the Gold Coast, very tired but excited for what lay ahead. Our time on the Gold Coast included team bonding games on the beach, and some successful hockey and netball matches. In Brisbane, before heading off to Cairns, we spent a day at Movie World. We managed to avoid cyclone Debbie as we left Brisbane to arrive in a very hot and humid Cairns. We arrived at a beautiful hotel and the next day we found ourselves on our way to the amazing Great Barrier Reef, where we were blessed with sunshine and good food. Some of us were able to go out to the edge of the reef with the marine biologist and expand our understanding about the reef. Before we knew it we were in Sydney, which was much cooler but we had so much more in store. Some of our excursions included the Featherdale Wildlife Park in which we saw koalas and many other indigenous Australian animals. We also got to see the famous Sydney Opera house and stunning Harbour Bridge. We were able to see these sights on a boat trip to Manly Beach where we had time to relax on our last day in Australia. Some of us were lucky enough to have a surfing lesson whilst at Manly Beach in the beautiful, warm sea. We had such an amazing time and everyday was jam- packed full of amazing experiences. On behalf of all the girls I would like to thank Mrs Booth and Mrs Spendiff for organising the trip and to all the other teachers for being huge supports and making the trip so enjoyable!
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Ella Godfrey
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GCSE Art Sophie Clayman
Isabelle West
Ellie Hunt
Julia Zhuge
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Georgia Chu-Glen
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Pepper MacPherson
Julia Reid
Ellie Hunt
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GCSE Art
Lucy Mynard
Minnie Sham
Isabelle West
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Olivia Robbins
Ellie Roston 62
Julia Zhuge
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Georgia Chu-Glen 63
A-LEVEL & GCSE Textiles Turaya Morton-Kemsley
Layla Chauhan
Saskia Purr
Sarah Goldman
Catherine Jennings
Olea Verden
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Alice King
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Minnie Ryder
Ella Dichlian
Grace Foster
Bethany Vos
Emily Sharwood-Smith
Christina Moriaty
Schona Nagi
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Isabella Redding 65
A-LEVEL Art Lucy Bonnamy
Alice King
Abbie Jerrard
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Sophie Stewart
Tilly Duce 66
Talya Soames
Talya Soames
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Tilly Duce 67
Cadogan House Residential Trips Every year girls in Cadogan House leave RMS to stay away from home with their peers. The Residential trips form a vital part of developing each girl’s independence and resilience. This year the girls in Year 3 – 6 enjoyed trips to Hudnall Park, Shortenills Environmental Science centre, the Isle of Wight and to a challenging outdoor activity centre, Culmington Manor, in Shropshire. The trips are designed to enhance learning in the classrooms and outside it, enabling girls to form deeper friendships as they help each other succeed. The RMS values come to the fore as our girls are magnificent at ensuring everyone enjoys the trips and thrives.
Hudnall
Park
Year 3
Shortenills
Centre
Year 4
Isle of
Wight
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Year 5
Culmington
Manor
Year 6 68
Creative Curriculum: Pre-Prep The Pre-Prep is alive with learning as we deepen our commitment to a Creative Curriculum. We believe in offering exciting learning opportunities for every child in the classrooms and outside. Our belief is that there is no tension between excellent and enjoyment. It is important learning remains alive with possibilities for young minds. The range of photos show some of the exciting things girls in the Pre-Prep have been involved in this year including a Canal Trip for Year 2, the Land of Cadabra topic for Year 1 and Forest School for Reception. Learning happens everywhere and anywhere!
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A Level Photography Daria Arofikina
Daria Arofikina
Emma Galvin
Emma Galvin
Sophie Stewart
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Sophie Stewart
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India Tunstall
Schona Nagi
Saskia Purr
Schona Nagi
Jessica Mummery
Jessica Mummery
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A Level Photography Gabriella Burgess
Ice Lee
Gabriella Burgess
Gabriella Burgess
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Saskia Purr
Gabriella Burgess
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Iaroslava Safonova
Isa Takenaga
Isa Takenaga
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Mathematical Circle The Mathematical Circle took place at RMS on the 20th and 21st of June. Mathematical Circles are designed for young people with an interest in mathematics. They aim to promote mathematical thinking and provide an opportunity for participants to meet other students who enjoy mathematics. Over two consecutive days, students took part in demanding and stimulating sessions led by experienced mathematics communicators. Jennifer, Nicole, Jasmine and I took part and all of us found it both fun and challenging. On the first day, we had lessons on maths-related subjects such as cryptography and data science. We enjoyed the cryptography lesson the most, despite the incredibly hot weather. We took part in lots of fun activities on the second day, including making Reuleaux triangles. At the end of the day, we had a team competition. We were split into different teams but all of us cooperated well with boys or girls that we didn’t know, allowing us to complete the tasks. The competition was stressful as it was under timed condition, but, at the same time, we all enjoyed the challenges we faced over both days. Nicole, Jennifer, Jasmine, Emma
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Mathematical Enrichment Day On Sunday 2nd July, we travelled to the Royal Institution in London, and met up, before heading into the lecture theatre to hear our first speaker. We did some extension puzzles to start the day. The first speaker was a woman who had done a maths degree and now uses these skills to calculate vital research into glaciers in the polar regions. She showed us how to calculate the average temperature of the earth using various data, including the solar constant, which we could calculate using the energy from the sun and the surface area of a sphere. She also explained how melting ice leads to climate change. During lunch, we competed in a maths challenge
style competition, which we later found out we won, getting only 4 questions wrong, so we won a book by the second speaker, Matt Parker. Matt showed us how to calculate cube roots to six digit numbers, and möbius loops, which you can never cut in half. He also showed us his work in making binary computers out of dominoes, and we also played with a spherical camera. All the maths we learnt there would not been taught in a classroom, and it was really fun to play with maths in a way we are not always able to. It was a really enjoyable day, and we hope to be able to do something like it again. Laura Hollister and Nishka Patel 74
and finally, in august, the results were in… On 17th August the A level results were announced and our Sixth Form students maintained their reputation for excellent academic results with a 100% pass rate at A Level and 48% of grades at A*/A grade. Result highlights included: • 17% of grades were at the top level of A*, compared with a national average of 8% • 48% of grades were at A*/A grade compared with a national average of 26% We are delighted to report the following individual achievements: • Head Girl Serena Conn achieved 4 A* grades and is now studying Physics at Durham University • Jenny Shim received 3 A* grades and is now studying Mathematics at Oxford University • Manaalee Trivedi received 3 A* grades and is now studying Psychology at Leeds University • Alannah Crockatt received 2 A*s and an A grade and is now studying Chemistry at Manchester • Alice King received 2 A*s and an A grade and is now studying Textiles: Innovation and Design at Loughborough • Hannah Roberts received 2 A*s and an A grade and is now studying English at Edinburgh • Isa Takenaga received 2 A*s and an A grade and is now studying Business and Retail Management at Surrey • Twins Zoe and Ella Tilsiter between them received 2 A* and 4 A grades and are now studying Social Policy and Criminology at the University of Birmingham, and Geography at Durham University respectively; their younger sister Carla, in Year 12, also achieved 100% in her Politics AS Level All students applying to study competitive subjects such as Medicine, Veterinary Science and Dentistry were successful in achieving their grades, with Sudima Gurung studying Dentistry at Cardiff, Laura Bartlett Veterinary Science at the Royal Veterinary College, and Atirola Obileye studying Medicine. As well as those moving on to university, a number of RMS students also embarked upon courses at specialist institutions such as: Nicole Trup studying Model Design (Special Effects) at Herts; Sophie Faulkner - a Golf scholarship at Rollins University, Florida; and Fenella Watkins-Hale who is studying at the Guild Hall.
A week later on 24th August, the GCSE results were in. Our Year 11 pupils once again produced a superb set of stats. Fifty-two percent of all grades awarded were A*/A or equivalent, maintaining a six year record of having the majority of results at the highest grades. Twenty-four percent of all grades awarded were A* or equivalent, with twenty-two pupils achieving nine or more grades at A*/A or equivalent. Result highlights included: • 54% of grades in unreformed GCSEs were at A*/A, compared with a national average of 22% • In the reformed GCSE English Language over 8% of grades were awarded the top level of 9 compared with under 3% nationally, and 37% of grades were 7-9 compared with a national average of 17%
Stand out subjects at GCSE included; • 100% A* grade in Chinese • 100% A*-A grade in Religious Studies • 100% A*-B grade in Art and Design, Design and Technology, Music and Performing Arts • 85% A*-B in IGCSE Mathematics • 83% to 90% A*-B grade in Science (Double and Triple Award), History, Geography, Textiles, Food & Nutrition, and Business & Communication Systems
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• In the reformed GCSE English Literature 13% of grades were awarded the top level of 9 compared with 3% nationally, and 52% of grades were 7-9 compared with a national average of 19%
You can be part of
MACHIO 2017-18
Sunrise by Mrs Coffey
The next edition of Machio will be publ ished in the Autumn of 2018 an d you can get invo lved! If you have any po ems, drawings, phot ographs, stories or articles th at you think could be featured, please send them to: machio@royalmas onic.herts.sch.uk
RMS for Girls Rickmansworth Park, Rickmansworth Hertfordshire WD3 4HF +44 (0)1923 773168 www.rmsforgirls.co.uk