Welcome to Sherborne Girls by Sherborne Girls

WELCOME TO SHERBORNE GIRLS

The international community of Sherborne Girls warmly welcomes you to the School. I hope that these letters from some of our international pupils of fer helpful advice and give you an insight into some of the international events that happen throughout the school year.

Ms Samantha Aristotelous

Welcome to Sherborne Girls

Starting at Sherborne Girls means more than just moving to a new country; it's about joining a lively boarding school where all your subjects are taught in English. Even if you've talked to others about their experiences, it's normal to feel a mix of nervousness and excitement. Let me tell you a bit about Sherborne Girls to help put your mind at ease.

At Sherborne Girls, we appreciate what makes each pupil unique You each bring your own experiences, traditions, habits, tastes, viewpoints, language, and culture. We mix all these elements together to create a new and exciting community every year Each year is different, filled with new events while also celebrating the

best moments from the past. In the 2023-2024 school year, our international pupils enjoyed many fun events like the international Christmas party, the Chinese New Year banquet, International Women's Day, and Languages Week.

So, the culture here is to embrace diversity and foster a sense of belonging. As someone who has lived overseas for many years, I ask you to live here for just a month and tell me that you agree that only by living abroad do you truly appreciate your home culture. Each one of you brings a bit of your culture to Sherborne and together we make Sherborne Girls our international home

Ms Samantha Aristotelous Head of English as an Additional Language

Letter from Imogen in U6

Welcome!

My name is Imogen, and this year Stephanie and I will be working together as the International Prefects I live in Abu Dhabi, in the UAE, and am fascinated to learn about as many different cultures and countries as possible. I joined the School in L5, and am studying History, Politics and Maths for A Level, as well as doing DELE, a Spanish course

I know that moving to a new school can be a daunting experience, even more so if you live overseas, however, before you know it Sherborne Girls will feel like a second home. Along with a large group of teachers and staff, we are here for you if you ever need support, are missing home, or just want a chat

Throughout the year we will put on a number of events, celebrating a

range of cultures, to hopefully make you not only feel more at home, but so we can all discover about other cultures as well

So, if I could give you one piece of advice; just enjoy it! Right now you may be apprehensive about making friends and settling in, but things will soon fall into place, and before you know it you will be in your final year, with an amazing group of friends, having had the most fantastic school experience.

Here is my email: 18HodgesImo@sherborne.com

Please do contact me at any point, I am always here for a chat, and I hope that your next few years at Sherborne Girls are amazing ones

Best wishes Imo

Letter from K atie in U6

Hi all!

Welcome to Sherborne Girls! My name is Katie and I joined Sherborne girls in L6. I have been here for almost one year now.

Before I came to England I had mixed feelings. First, I was really anxious. Would I feel left out because everyone would have their friendship groups already? Would I fit in as a new international student from Hong Kong? Would I be able to keep up when the teacher spoke really fast? The reality was, the girls were incredibly friendly and they made me feel part of their group. There are girls from all around the world so it is fascinating to learn about new cultures. The girls will be curious to find out all about your culture too! Finally, teachers don’t speak too fast and you can always ask questions freely.

I not only felt really nervous but at the same time I was quite looking forward to coming here. The social aspect to boarding schools excited me. We are able to mix with other Houses and the boys school too. The highlight is the Chinese new year party and the formal dinners when we need to dress up. These are all entertaining and memorable.

You can have similar fun and exciting experiences. Just be brave and get involved in lots of different kinds of activities from sports, board games and volunteering to CCF.

Lastly, if you have any questions, you can ask me or another friendly face ~ :)

Katie

Letter from Fumino in U5

Dear new girls,

Welcome to Sherborne Girls! My name is Fumi I think you might be anxious about friendships, studying in a different country and in a different language, being homesick and a new life in England I understand these emotions because I came here from Japan just a year ago!

Let me tell you about my first day at Sherborne Girls. Before I came to school, I was nervous because I was the only Japanese girl in my House and my English was not fluent However, all the girls in my year group were there to welcome me and at dinner on the first night we talked about ourselves, and we immediately got on. At Sherborne Girls, everyone gets on regardless of where we are from Everyone is so easy to talk to, and if you feel homesick, you can talk to your friends because maybe they are feeling the same as well.

Here’s some advice Go on school trips because it is a good way to make even more friends In April I went to Greece

with my friends, and I had an amazing week! We went to many museums to learn about the history and had lots of fun too. If you ’ re keen on trips, don’t miss these opportunities.

Before I came to Sherborne Girls, I only hung out with my friends from my school in Tokyo. Now I have friends from all over the world and they encourage me to try new things. In less than one month I made quite a few new friends that I could share my feelings with I can depend on them

Before I came to SG, I was not open to new ideas, and I did a lot of gaming in my free time but since I came to SG, I have discovered so many new activities I am now much more adventurous I play badminton, I play the drums and I love my art lessons. Now I am more active, and my days are super full.

I hope you will love here like I do!

Fumi

Letter from Stephanie in U6

Hi everyone – Welcome to Sherborne Girls!

My name is Stephanie and I am one of your International Prefects this year Along with Imo, we are very excited to get to know you all and hope to make settling into school much easier.

A little about me – I was born and raised in Hong Kong and joined Sherborne Girls in the Middle Fifth Before I came to the UK I was apprehensive and excited at the same time as this was my first experience being far away from home I still remember vividly my first day: even though I was a bit lost and overwhelmed to start with, everyone here was so welcoming and kindly showed me around, so I settled in very quickly.

I know it may be very daunting when you first arrive in another country, but also remember plenty of others will be feeling exactly the same too so you ’ re definitely not alone. There will so many people eager to support you, and my advice is don’t be shy to reach out to House staff, teachers and friends. I am always available toofeel free to come to me for a chat

or send me an email or Teams message if you are even slightly homesick I understand that it may be very hard to be away without your family and friends, so I hope we can do as much as possible to make you feel at home!

I am currently doing Maths, Chemistry and Geography A Levels so please feel free to ask questions about these too.

Here is my email: 18ngste@sherborne.com

Also, I recommend bringing some of your sentimental items, such as your favourite stuffed animal and plenty of your photos to decorate your room. Finally, we are a supportive community, and try not to shy away from all of the opportunities the School offers You will certainly have an incredible time here with plenty of fun.

I look forward to meeting you all!

Stephanie xx

Letter from Ashley U4

Welcome to Sherborne girls! I'm Ashley and I came here last term in L4.

Being a new girl, you might feel anxious about making friends, just like I was However, please, don't worry Just try not to be too shy and then you will find that making friends is a piece of cake. Find out about your dorm mates by asking them about themselves, and soon you will have a lovely homey dorm

Being an international girl, you might feel homesick, but again don’t worry, you can talk to the Chaplain in the Ark, which is a cosy place in main school; she is so kind and understanding Also, at Sherborne Girls, we ’ ve got lots of international clubs, such as the Japanese club, and we have to hold different international events like the Japanese school trip, the Chinese New Year dinner so, it might help

you guys settle in and not feel so far from home

As a boarder your days will always be full as the School puts on different events every weekend, such as socials with other schools, trips to the cinema, and even camping trips The housemistress will also give you surprises, such as bringing an ice cream truck to School!

Finally, I am really looking forward to meeting you, and I hope you have a great time at Sherborne Girls If you ’ ve got any questions, here is my E-mail: 23WangAsh@sherborne.com

W ishing you all the best!

Ashley

Letter from Ayako U4

Dear new girls,

Welcome to Sherborne Girls. My name is Ayako. I am in L4, and I arrived this year in April.

How are you feeling about coming to Sherborne Girls? Excited? Nervous? I felt nervous because I arrived this year in April in L4, and I thought everyone would have at least one best friend and I would not be able to talk to them. Anyway, I WAS able to talk to my room mates easily. If you are not an outgoing person, here is a tip how to make friends with your roommates. First, ask them loads of questions to get to know them, and also talk about the things that you have in common with them.

Also, if you are coming to West the teachers and the staff are friendly too. When I came here, they helped me settle in, and it was much faster than I expected. They can help you answer any questions you have about prep, your schedule, and anything else you might be worried about.

The food is delicious!! There are some international foods. I especially like the Chinese bao buns and the Katsu curry. They are yummy!

Make sure you are ready to have fun as well as study at Sherborne Girls!! Have a super first term.

Ayako