The Priorian 2023

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to the latest edition of The Priorian, which provides us with a wide-ranging account of some of this year’s events and achievements, as well as showcasing excellent work by pupils of all ages at St Benedict’s. I hope you will enjoy reading through this fascinating selection of academic and creative highlights from both the Junior and Senior School.

The Priorian features essays, creative writing and projects which have been nominated by subject teachers and Heads of Department for their originality, scholarship and imagination. The range is wide, from creative writing competition winners to GCSE and A Level Art final examination pieces.

Among the essays, stories and compositions, there are interesting insights into many aspects of school life: the sports’ captains write about the challenges and rewards of leading our sports teams; the Head of CCF reports on the many training exercises and activities of our cadets; and there are enthusiastic accounts of the year’s lectures, trips, concerts and drama productions.

St Benedict’s youngest pupils at the Junior School have contributed some delightful creative writing and artwork and have clearly enjoyed exploring topics such as the ancient Egyptians, the Great Fire of London, Greek mythology and rainforests.

I think you will agree that there is a great deal of talent among St Benedict’s pupils. There really is no limit to what they can achieve if they are given the right support, guidance and encouragement to develop their talents and interests.

Mr A. Johnson Headmaster

Front cover: Aimee Hatch (U5)

NEW ATRIUM & SCULPTURE

St Benedict’s new atrium and complementary sculpture were officially opened and unveiled on Monday 20th February by the Abbot of St Benedict’s Abbey, Dom Dominic Taylor, OSB, and the Chair of Governors, Joe Berger (OP 1976).

The atrium was designed by architect Katie Wilmot (OP 2002), president of the school’s Old Priorian Association.

The St Benedict’s a minimis incipe sculpture (‘from the smallest beginnings’), designed by Jamie Perotti (L5)

WHOLE SCHOOL PHOTOGRAPH

School Photograph

22nd September 2022, a precious moment to shine, Happening every 8 years, this our time. We come together as one, line by line, A sea of green, with smiling faces, Prim and proper in school ties and blazers, From senior school to junior school, Headmasters and staff, One big community on St Benedict’s behalf. Coming together for a memorable photograph. A photograph is but a priceless memory, frozen in time. It is beautiful, or is as beautiful as you would like it to be, Nevertheless, it is part of history That lasts if not forever, then for as long as the photograph remains with me.

Deen Hoque (U4)

Nader Girgis, Henry Gould and Lucy Michael (L4)

Alongside:

Below (left to right): Andrew Khadouri (U6)

James Dodder (U4)

Wilhelmina Watson (U4)

This page: Ava Dunton (U4)

Top: Katia Karadimou (L5)

Bottom left: Hannah Dormann (L5)

Right: Eliza Ridout (L6)

This page: Lana Dayeh (F3)

Top left: Aimee Paget (L4)

Top right: Jude Todaro (L6)

Alongside: Kit Wheldon (L6)

Top left: Ayser Hussain (U4)

Above (l to r): Riona Egan (U4) Alysia Khera (U4)

Top right: Klaudia Cifliku (U4)

Right: Harry Meadowcroft (U4)

Top: Austin Poku (F3)

Left: Isabelle Neal (F3)

Right: Suri Virdi (F3)

Top: James Bedwin (U4)

Middle: Owen Fry (U4)

Bottom: Cecily Fox (U4)

Joe Crammer (U5)

Sara Hadji-Heshmati (U6)

Emma Lang (L5)

Freddie Charnaud (L5)

Letti Stevenson (L5)

Harry Carruthers (L4)

Julia Kicyk (L4)

CocoLumsden (L4)

TomHughes(L4)

Top row: Angelina Nguyen, Coco Lumsden and Francesco Cardelli (L4)

Bottom row: Charles He, Ze Li and Sachika Usami (L4)

reasons for the growth in New Age movements in recent decades

One reason for the growth in New Age movements in recent decades is increasing individualism in our secular society as traditional religions lose their hold on societal beliefs. Heelas notes that New Age is focused on self-spirituality, encouraging individuals to find answers through practices such as meditation and tarot cards, rather

Another reason for the growth of New Age movements in today’s society is because of the choice offered through cultural diversity and, on a wider level, globalisation –the interconnectedness of societies heightened by the existence of social media which provides links to new types of beliefs and practices. Lyon argues that religious ideas

have become disembedded; this is clear in New Age practices such as meditative yoga and transcendental meditation which appropriate beliefs from Buddhism, and focus on self-spirituality as a path to self-improvement. The wide range of beliefs and practices available leads Hervieu-Leger to describe individuals in today’s society as ‘spiritual shoppers’; we can pick ‘n’ mix what suits our needs and desires; Lyon suggests religion has been relocated to the sphere of consumption. Hervieu-Leger observes that, as many parents no longer socialise their children into traditional religions, individuals are free to choose New Age beliefs and practices which do not require sustained levels of commitment. This flexibility, as well as diversity of choice, helps to make New Age movements attractive to many in contemporary society.

Eleanor Bowden (U6)

than rely on churches. Indeed, Heelas further notes how the New Age rejects external authority entirely as part of the de-traditionalisation process. This rejection of traditional religious metanarratives about belief and practice could very well explain why the New Age resonates with more of the population. Drane argues our society is on the cusp of postmodernity, and so we are encouraged to find truth from within as opposed to external and traditional sources. On the other hand, Bruce argues that the popularity of New Age practices is a feature of modern society as modernity, and its rational explanations, lead to secularisation and, therefore, individuals look to non-traditional beliefs as a possible source of identity.

Analyse

volkovslava

... as many parents no longer socialise their children into traditional religions, individuals are free to choose New Age beliefs and practices which do not require sustained levels of commitment.

THE CCF Squadron Sergeant Major’s annual report

RSM Natalia McFadzean (U6)

St Benedict’s CCF is proud to report another very successful year. All of our cadets have learnt many new and useful skills and continue to raise the overall standard of our contingent.

Monday parades were busier than ever this September with over 60 new recruits joining the Teeling Squadron. As soon as they join the recruits begin basic training which allows them to build the skills they need in order to become cadets. This training includes learning drill, military knowledge, skill at arms, fieldcraft and navigation. While many of these lessons may be unfamiliar to the recruits, they have done very well at adapting to the challenges and are on their way to earning their berets.

Wilding Troop (Lower Fifth) have been continuing to develop new skills such as arms drill, learning tactics for how to set up ambushes and patrols, practising fighting in built up areas and using radios. These enable them to improve as cadets and as leaders and will bring them to a level where they can train to be NCOs.

The Upper Fifths in Casey Troop have completed their Methods of Instruction training. They have been assessed on their ability to teach various lessons and to lead their peers in group activities. They have been very successful in doing so and will surely provide a high quality of teaching to future cadets.

Most CCF lessons are taught by the NCOs, who are very committed both to maintaining their own standards and to improving the standards of the section, troop or squadron that they are leading. The commitment that they have made in previous years of training is now evident in the calibre of their teaching and their outstanding efforts to make the CCF the best it can be.

While some of the teaching is done at the school site on Mondays, training also takes place in the field. We have had many exciting and challenging field exercises this year which have provided a great opportunity to put into practice acquired skills, and to learn new ones as well.

In October, all the Teeling recruits went to Longmoor Training Camp for the Recruits Dawn Exercise. This aims to cover both the basic knowledge needed in the CCF, including an introduction to the rifle, and several fieldcraft lessons. While on this camp they were staying in Army barracks, during Recruits Thunder in February, they were sleeping outside under bashes for the first time. They heated up and ate their own rations, went out on night patrols, and got to fire the rifle with blank rounds, also for the first time.

For Wilding cadets and above, one of the highlights of the year is going on Winter’s Bite during February. In this exhilarating four-day exercise, St Benedict’s CCF aim to clear the area of the ‘enemy’ using ambushes and fighting patrols. The cadets practised being tactical in the field, using first aid on the fake ‘Annie’ dolls, and getting used to being in leadership positions. The camp is called Winter’s Bite for a good reason as it’s not always easy, however it is a great opportunity for everyone to push themselves and overcome the challenges presented to them.

Being part of St Benedict’s CCF is a unique opportunity that I am very grateful to have experienced. The contingent has grown and developed significantly this year and is being increasingly recognised by people outside the CCF due to our high standard of NCOs, as well as our Corps of Drums and our public appearances on Remembrance Day and Armed Forces Day. These successes are enabled by the very supportive staff who ensure that our experience is as extensive, challenging and rewarding as possible.

GEOGRAPHY

Azores Trip 2022

On the 22nd of October 2022, the Geography department embarked on a new adventure to the Azorean island of Sao Miguel.

On Sunday morning, we woke up to the sound of the pouring rain. As the Azores has a tropical climate, the weather is very changeable, so we were quite unfortunate with the weather. We began the day by going to the Miradouro da Boca do Inferno viewpoint, however due to the cloudy weather we saw “diddly squat”. After that, we went on walks to other coastal areas, where we were informed about the volcanic rock of the Azores, basalt. We saw many examples of caves, arches, stacks and stumps, which we could relate to our GCSE geography lessons.

Due to the tropical conditions, we took a trip to the local shopping centre ‘Parque Atlantico’, where we bought handmade artisan arts and crafts. We then went on a cultural walk around the town, where we saw historic buildings such as the church, with the distinctive clock tower, and the historic trio of arched gateways to Ponta Delgada, called ‘Portas da Citades’. Learning about the culture of a town so unique was such a refreshing experience.

The weather was much more agreeable on Monday, unlike the previous day, allowing us to go out

to sea in the hope of seeing dolphins and even whales. After taking in the views of the landscape, we finally saw a large pod of bottlenose dolphins. In the Azores, these can be seen year-round in pods with up to 300 dolphins, which is what we saw. We were lucky enough to then see a rarer species – Atlantic spotted dolphins. They are fast swimmers and often “surf” in the waves; however, we saw a baby dolphin who had not yet learned how to jump so was flipping about. We then saw a whale far in the distance. It was a whale of a time!

Our last day in the Azores was jam packed. Firstly, we went to a vulcanological and geothermal observatory, where a scientist told us about the history of the Azores, and how the different islands formed from volcanic eruptions over thousands of years. We then went to the Environmental Interpretation Centre of Caldeira, where we swam in more thermal spas and a waterfall.

Pineapples are grown very widely in the Azores, so we visited a pineapple plantation, where we saw pineapples at all stage of growth. We had the opportunity to buy pineapplebased souvenirs. Finally, we went to ‘Gruta das Torres’, the lava tunnels of the Azores. These were natural caves formed by lava flowing beneath the hardened surface of a lava flow long ago. We saw the two types of lava rock – in Lajido (smooth lava) and in Biscoitos (rough and porous lava). It was a once in a lifetime experience!

After this we went to Caldeira Das Furnas, where we met with scientific specialists who showed us around the thermal springs. We tested the different pHs and temperatures of the water and then tasted them. Surprisingly, most of them tasted just like San Pellegrino. We then went to Parque Terra Nostra, where we had the opportunity to swim in the hot springs, thermally heated by the local volcano.

Overall, our trip to the Azores was an unforgettable experience. We strongly recommend visiting the Azores to anyone as the landscape was breath-taking and the activities we took part in were unlike any other. We want to say a big thank you to everyone who made the trip possible and such a great experience!

Rosa O’Haire (U6) and Destiny Attram (U6)

Local Ealing author, Alex Gerlis, provided an interesting Q&A session with parents and pupils. Upper Sixth students Max and Laurene interviewed him about his ten espionage thrillers set in the Second World War, and how he balances writing a compelling story with historical fact.

Junior School Library Ambassadors

“My favourite book series is ‘The wings of fire’ which is a comic book about a dragon prophecy. I love the Library because it is a great place to sit down, take a book and read it.”

Amelie Booth (F2)

“I help our librarian Mrs Sweetman with issuing and returning books and putting books back on the shelves using the Dewey system. I also recently learned how to catalogue books! My favourite book is ‘Wonder.’”

Mia Yazdi (F2)

“I help Mrs Sweetman by scanning all the books. My favourite books are ‘The Hunger Games’, because I love the mix of sci-fi, action and adventure.”

Louie Souter (F2)

Senior School Book Week

November

2022

Storyteller Kevin Graal ran a day of interactive sessions with Form 3, keeping pupils on their toes with riddles, rhymes and stories for them to ponder, along with rhythmic songs and an alternative version of ‘Rock, paper, scissors’.

Upper Sixth students Max Worrall and Laurene Pratt interviewed Ealing author Alex Gerlis

Storyteller Kevin Graal

Junior School Library

The Library is a source and scene of great activity throughout the year. It is a place to share ideas, socialise, and acquire empathy and understanding.

From Pre-Prep 1 upwards all children attend a weekly Library lesson; it is pure fun, sharing stories with Mrs Sweetman, and browsing books. From Pre-Prep 2 upwards, in addition to sharing stories and poems, children choose and borrow books, both fiction and non-fiction. Lower Preps and Upper Preps learn how books are shelved using Dewey and how to get the most out of non-fiction books, particularly relating to creative curriculum topics. Form 1 and Form 2 are introduced to a tool kit of study skills, whilst engaging with poetry and stories.

The pleasure and power reading affords was demonstrated in a lively Book Week in October. ‘Read Ins’ and story-sharing sessions between classes re-enforces positive reading experiences.

Pre-Prep 3

“The Library is one of the most magical places in the school for me. I always get excited on a Thursday because in the afternoon we get to visit the Library and see Mrs Sweetman who reads us wonderful stories.” (Oliver)

Lower Prep

“The Library makes me feel peaceful and lets me think about things.” (Florence)

“I like to read in the Library and grow my brain.” (Finn)

“The Library opened the world of books to me and what they can tell you.” (Millie)

Upper Prep

“Library lessons are useful as they tell you how to use the library.” (Lawrence)

“Library lessons help me learn about fiction and non-fiction books.” (Grace)

“I get new ideas and knowledge from the library.” (Carlo)

Form 1

“Library lessons make me wise.” (Abi)

“Books grow my imagination.” (Olly)

“I gain information and I love coming and just being surrounded by books. The library has made me a bookworm, so I gain the imagination to create my own story.” (Alessia)

“The lessons help me think differently and think outside the box.” (George)

Form 2

“I like picking new books as it is fun deciding what books you like.” (Jack)

“I like to read books that I do not have at home.” (Becky)

“I learn how to structure stories and where to find indexes and many more things.” (Mia)

“We get to learn about our creative curriculum topic in more detail and the lessons are fun.” (Ethan)

“The lessons help me to learn about how to organise information, which will be very important and useful in the future.” (William)

“The Library helps me categorise things and make it easier to answer things by asking myself specific questions.”

(Lucian)

Pre-Prep 1 Library Lesson

Book character costume day

The Tempest

Tuesday 22nd and Wednesday 23rd November 2022. Studio Theatre

This year, Middle School and Lower Fifth put together a production of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. It is a story about a ship being shipwrecked on an island. I had the role of Antonio who is trying to overthrow the King.

We rehearsed for seven weeks. The rehearsals started with read-throughs, then went on to staging the play. Learning lines was more difficult than usual because of the Shakespearean language.

We had two dress rehearsals, with the final one going much worse than the actual first performance! The dress rehearsals were the first time we had done a full run-through, and linking scenes together is one of the most difficult things, having to remember cues and prop changes. This play had a very large cast with 34 people which made backstage quite cramped and it was difficult to be quiet.

The ensemble of island spirits added a great deal to the feel of the production, especially in the shipwreck scene. The sound and lighting really created the atmosphere of a storm on an island which helped bring the whole play together, especially scenes with the island spirits, flashing lighting and thunder sounds.

I think both nights went extremely well and the whole cast pulled together to create very exciting and fun performances.

Luke Crown (L5)

The Addams Family

2nd, 3rd and 4th February 2023

The three-night run of The Addams Family can only be described as a rip-roaring success as the musical comedy about this spooky but weirdly wonderful and endearing family hit the St Benedict’s stage.

The story focuses on Wednesday Addams (Kyra Nelson: L6) who is all grown up and in love with a young man called Lucas Beineke (Mark Maalouf: L6). He is considered to be from a ‘normal’ family but is yet to meet the deliciously devilish Addams clan. It begins with Wednesday confidentially telling her father Gomez (played by the brilliant Toby DanielsShayvard: U6) that they wish to marry. However, she asks that he keeps her secret from his beloved wife Morticia (Kate Kenny: L6). Uncle Fester (Angus Macallister: L6), a great romantic, tries to keep the young couple together but the youngest member of the family, Pugsley (Charlie Ambrose: L6), would rather keep them apart. The dinner at the Addams’ family home turns out to be rather more eventful than planned…

The main characters, including Grandma (Amelia Young: L6) and Lurch the butler (Inigo Bigland: L6), with the additional cast of ghastly ghouls, captivated the audience with brilliant choreography and comedy. The lighting, band and supporting choir contributed to the atmosphere. Led by Gomez, portraying the head of his freakish family, everyone delivered their comic lines perfectly and engaged the crowd throughout the performance.

If you didn’t manage to get a ticket for this Bennie’s performance, you really missed out. However, look out for the collaborative team of Mr Randall and Miss John in the future to experience a taste of the West End in Ealing!

Gabrielle Hynes (L4)

DANCE SHOW 2023

‘Dancing through the Decades’

The Gold practice expedition took place in the Derbyshire Peak District in April, with 29 students taking part.

Being one of the few who hadn’t done D of E Silver, I felt apprehensive about the Gold practice expedition, however this nervousness was immediately replaced by excitement when I was surrounded by friends, putting up our tents and getting ready for the experience. On the first day, we met our instructors, who were endlessly helpful with guidance on map reading, compass bearings, and general tips for surviving the experience. Though the walking was tough and intense at points, the encouragement from my group kept me going, as well as the games we played to distract us from tiredness. But most of all, the friendly competition between groups motivated us, especially when limited hot water in a shower was on the line!

Though I naturally missed the comforts of home, the experience of camping was something different and exciting; we had freedom to go on walks at night, or to have a feast of sweets while telling ghost stories. One of my favourite memories was stargazing with my friends, appreciating the nature we miss here in London. The views were another motivator to keep going and the diversity of the area meant that one day, after a steep walk, we might be looking out over a valley, the next we might be in a forest, or the next, by a massive reservoir. However, as enjoyable as the views were, the rewarding feeling of arriving in camp, finally sitting down to a hot meal, and catching up with

everyone was unmatched. There was definitely a sense of camaraderie between groups, at night joining together to chat or play games, which meant I ended up talking to people I hadn’t talked to before. The expedition did push us to our limits, but overall, it was an unforgettable experience with lots of fond and funny memories that I will treasure for a long time.

Callum Chadwick (L6)

On Saturday the 1st of April we set off on a 3-hour journey to the Peak District to begin our Gold practice expedition for 5 days. Despite having done my Silver and Bronze before, it was still inevitably a bit daunting to be hiking and camping for five days straight, however, it was soon replaced by enthusiasm and eagerness upon seeing the reaction of my friends, meeting the lovely instructors and setting up camp. Our instructors and school staff helping out all played a huge role in our expedition and experience through their positivity, generosity and helpfulness. As it was still only the early afternoon of the first day, we planned our route for the following day and set off on a walk for a few hours, each group with the instructor they chose, to get to know the area a bit before we properly hiked and navigated it the next day. The landscapes that we saw when walking in the Peak District were incredibly picturesque, peaceful, and lifted our spirits.

Although the walking over those five days was tough, our group dynamic, conversations and laughs shared really kept us going, as well as bumping into other groups or schools and having locals cheer us on. We were very lucky to have amazing weather during the expedition, and although some nights were cold, nothing could have beaten the experience of everyone reuniting in the evenings to have dinner together, chat and play games. One of my favourite memories was when we were all sat together in the evening wrapped up in blankets, laughing about the things that had happened to each of our groups during the day.

Going through the expedition was a test for all of us mentally and physically, but it was absolutely worth it and the friendly competition between groups to arrive first at each of the campsites and at the end destination on the last day motivated us to try our best and keep going. We also learnt valuable skills such as map reading, orientation, teamwork but also independence and resilience. The memories created throughout the expeditions will be ones which stay with us for the rest of our lives and I am so glad I signed up for doing D of E. When we finally completed the expedition there was a great sense of accomplishment felt by all members of the group as we were very proud of ourselves for overcoming the challenges that we were presented with through the expedition!

Tessa Swarbrick (L6)

UNIVERSITY DESTINATIONS 2022

80% of Upper Sixth students secured places at the UK’s top 30 Russell Group universities, with the majority (78%) going to their first-choice university. Five students have taken their places at Oxford, reading Physics, Classics, Geography, Modern Languages and Engineering, and five are studying Medicine – at Bristol, Glasgow, King’s College, Manchester and Nottingham. Two students have been awarded places at the prestigious Kingston School of Art Foundation Courses, and one has a place at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art on a BA Honours course in Technical Theatre and Stage Management.

Destination Course

Aston Business and Management

Bath Health and Exercise Science

Bath Economics

Bath Mathematics

Birmingham

Bournemouth

Economics

Sport and Exercise Science

Bristol Medicine

Bristol Economics and Management

Bristol Psychology

Bristol Economics

Bristol Neuroscience

Bristol Politics and International Relations

Bristol Engineering Mathematics

Bristol Economics

Bristol

Chemistry with Scientific Computing

Brunel Civil Engineering

Cardiff

Cardiff

Cardiff

Durham

Edinburgh

Edinburgh

Human Geography

French and Spanish

Urban Planning and Development

Modern Languages and Cultures

Biomedical Sciences

Chinese and Linguistics

Glasgow Psychology

Glasgow

Business and Management

Glasgow Psychology

King’s College Medicine

King’s College

Lancaster

Nutritional Sciences

Business Management

Lancaster Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology

Lancaster Business Management

Leeds Geography

Leeds History

Leeds

Environment and Business

Leeds Geography

Leeds

Modern Languages and IR

Leeds International Relations

Leeds

Philosophy, Psychology and Scientific Thought

Leeds Psychology

Leeds International History and Politics

Leicester

Liverpool

Liverpool

Business and Management

Business Management

Geography

Liverpool Geography

Liverpool

Loughborough

Psychology

Financial Mathematics

Manchester Management, Leadership and Leisure

Manchester Planning and Real Estate

Manchester Economics

Manchester Politics and International Relations

Manchester Medicine

Manchester Met

Drama and Contemporary Performance

Newcastle Geographic Information Science

Newcastle Business Accounting and Finance

Newcastle Mathematics with Finance

Newcastle History

Newcastle Sport and Exercise Science

Northumbria

Nottingham

Business and HR Management

Pharmacy

Nottingham Medicine

Nottingham

Mechanical Engineering

Nottingham Management

Nottingham

Nottingham

Architecture

Engineering and Physical Sciences

Nottingham Trent Real Estate

Oxford

French and Beginners’ Russian

Oxford Classics

Oxford Geography

Oxford

Chemical Engineering

Oxford Physics

Oxford Brookes

Queen Mary

Queen’s Belfast

Reading

Royal Holloway

Sheffield

Sheffield

Sussex

Sussex

Sussex

Sussex

Sussex

Sussex

UCL

UCL

UWE

UWE

Warwick

Warwick

Warwick

RADA

Kingston

Kingston

Criminology/International Relations

Engineering with Foundation

Business Economics

Politics and International Relations

Modern Languages and Management

Business Management

Psychology

Social Sciences

Drama, Theatre and Performance

Business and Management Studies

Business and Management Studies

Primary and Early Years Education

Banking and Digital Finance

Neuroscience

Natural Sciences

Criminology with Psychology

Sport Rehabilitation

Biochemistry

Global Sustainable Development/Business

English Literature

Technical Theatre

Art Foundation

Art Foundation

Engineering Society

A new society was established by Upper Sixth students this year, open to everyone interested in science and engineering.

Science Fair

Lower Fourth Science Projects

Does scent affect taste?

How to make a pulse jet engine

Tusika Vimalan, Eliza Jordan, Aimee Paget

a: Lemon battery

Mehdi Darwish, Rohan Jha, Zavian G. Rathod-Brew

b: Does branding affect taste?

Jonny Pow, Stanley Watts, Samuel Lock

c: Rocket blast balloon experiment

Oscar Hickman, Chris Le Bouedec, Veer Bassi

d: Jell-O-zymes

Georgia Brown, Sachika Usami, Gabrielle Hynes

e: Spice up your life

Alex Szyszk, Moneim El, Charlie Elveson

f: Paper airplanes

Freddie Burden, Zac Noziere, Jay Whiteley

MODERN LANGUAGES: GERMAN

German Exchange

In September, St Benedict’s German GCSE students spent a week in Meschede, in the west German state of North RhineWestphalia. Their visit continues our successful exchange partnership with a German Benedictine school, now in its 17th year.

On the 25th of September 2022, the German Exchange pupils woke up bright and early, ready to meet our teachers at St. Pancras station by 7am. We then set off on the Eurostar to Brussels where we had time to relax and have a bite to eat before we took the remaining trains to Meschede Hauptbahnhof. When we arrived, we were warmly greeted by our partners and their families before we were quickly whisked away back to their homes for a nice relaxing evening. The next morning, we were free to do any activities we wanted. Some decided to play mini golf, some went to watch their partner’s handball game and most went to a German fete where they were able to try delicious dishes such as Currywurst and Schnitzel.

When Monday came around, we were given a tour of the school by our German partners, and we then joined them in their lessons until 11:55am. At 12 o’clock, we met with our teachers for a reflection session where funny, crazy, and interesting experiences were shared. We then met back up with our German partners and either had lunch or went home as some students had no further lessons. When everyone was finally at home, we all had a nice relaxing evening in, adjusting to this new German school routine.

On Tuesday, we began the day by joining the German students in their lessons once again, before we were given an interesting and informative talk and tour of the Abbey by Pater Klaus-Ludger. At 2pm, however, things started to heat up as the German Exchange pupils would take on the home German team in a football match. Things got off to a good start for the Exchange team as goals from Rory Johnston, Jamie Porter-

Thomas, and Felix, one of our German partners, put us up 3 goals to 1. However, a loss of momentum allowed the home side to take control which led to them winning the match.

Wednesday was a completely different day for us as we visited an alpaca farm and then headed to a wildlife park where we split off into small groups, walked, talked, and had something to eat.

On Thursday, the Germans had to endure a regular day of lessons whereas the English students went into Dortmund and visited the German Football Museum where we learned about many of Germany’s amazing players and even saw the World Cup. Once our museum trip was over, some decided to go shopping whereas some whizzed around the beautiful city on E-scooters. It was an amazing visit and I’m sure we would all love to go again.

When Friday arrived, we spent the whole school day in lessons with our partners. However, once it was over, we all headed to Hotel Waldhaus Föckinghausen, which was owned by one our exchange partner’s family, in order to have some traditional German food such as Bratwurst and Kartoffeln and also to just have a nice end to a brilliant trip. Some people sat at tables and chatted, and the rest organized a football game on the grounds next to the hotel.

A week had already gone by, and we all met back at Meschede Hauptbahnhof at 8:30am on Saturday where we bade a final farewell to our German friends who had treated us like family during the time we were there. Overall, the German exchange was an eye-opening and brilliant experience, and I would love to take part in something like it again. I hope all we all keep in contact with our newly made friends and special thanks to Mr Thomas, Miss Davis, and Fr Thomas for organizing such a great trip and allowing us to have this amazing experience.

Joe Crammer (U5)

SPORTS CAPTAINS

FENCING

It has been a great year for fencing at St Benedict’s with numerous successes in fixtures and tournaments alike. I am delighted to have seen almost every fencer across all disciplines develop both on a personal level and as a team.

St Benedict’s teams have challenged, and often beaten, some of the most prestigious teams in the country, taking home 91 victories against teams like Dulwich, Westminster, Highgate, Twyford, Millfield, Eton and many more!

St Benedict’s fencers also regularly take part in national-level competitions, which are a great way to really test their mettle against some of the nation’s best. One of the most notable competitions of this year has been the British School Team Championships, where many of our teams performed very well. We had a great number of successes at the competition, with our U15 foil team being ranked as the very best in the country! We also won the London Quadrangular trophy, where the best fencers from four high-profile London schools competed against each other. After a hard fight, we won narrowly by just one victory. Finally, we have seen a number of successes in the Public School Fencing Championships – a massive competition with over 1,200 fencers competing. Numerous St Benedict’s fencers ranked very well, often getting to the finals, where we only narrowly missed being national school champions. It is great to see so many St Benedict’s fencers succeeding on such a large scale, and I cannot wait to see how we perform in the British Youth Championships later this year.

Modern Olympic fencing has a heavy French influence, and France is often regarded as one of the homes of the sport. In December 2022, 25 fencers from St Benedict’s were given the opportunity to undertake an intensive week of training in the CREPS sports centre in Paris. We trained with renowned French fencing clubs, and sparred with a diverse selection of skilful fencers, including fencers from the French national team. The

intensity of training was so great that we were able to hone our skills in such a way that would have taken months of training here in England. We also experienced Parisian culture, and – of course – have some fun at Disneyland!

At the end of this year, many senior fencers will go on to leave St Benedict’s, including myself. While it is a great shame that I have come to the end of my time fencing here, I know with absolute certainty that the future of fencing here will be incredible. I know this because I have experienced first-hand the depth of the commitment that each coach has, both to the sport and to the students, and – as a result –I have seen many junior fencers develop beyond what I ever expected of them. I am very thankful for the opportunity to compete with such a wonderful team, in an equally wonderful environment, and cannot wait to see the fencers of tomorrow!

a whole new group of players were brought together. It was a successful trip where the team bonded for the first time and we came out with a win, despite many players going down with the flu.

A real turning point in the season was the London regional tournament, where the team really came together as one, working with each other to win matches. We won our first four games, beating teams like Alleyn’s and Trinity, before narrowly missing out on our place at the national round against Mill Hill. Although this final match was disappointing, the whole team realised what we were capable of and knew how to continue the rest of the season.

Our greatest achievement of the season came in the national plate competition. After beating Aldenham in the first round, we were set to play Gordon’s, who we knew were a tough opposition, and had beaten us for the few years preceding. It was one of our toughest games of the season, but the energy and commitment showed by the team allowed us to come out with a 2-1 win. In the next round we beat James Allen’s Girls’ School 5-1 putting us through to the quarter finals, which we won 3-0 against Brentwood. The semi-final was against St. John’s Leatherhead, who beat us to the final with 3 goals to nil. It was a disappointing result but we weren’t too disheartened because of the high quality of hockey we played.

HOCKEY

The standard of hockey played by all age groups this season has been better than ever. From teams winning their London tournaments to going far in national competitions, we have really seen the advancement of hockey in recent years at St Benedict’s and this is a testament to the talent and coaching of girls’ sport at school.

The First XI’s season began in Maidenhead for preseason, where

It has been a pleasure to captain this year’s 1st XI, and I am so proud of everything the team have achieved. We have had such a successful season, with the team winning 18 matches out of 28. Hopefully this can continue at our trip to Bath on the 24th March, where we can play our last matches together and spend time with one another. Thank you to Mr Nijhar and Mr Condon for coaching us and to Mr Stringer for keeping our fitness up. I’m sure the team will continue to flourish next year and I wish them all the best.

Rosaleen O’Haire (U6)

Ethan Barter (U6)

NETBALL

Netball this year has showcased an enormous amount of talent within girls’ sport at St Benedict’s. Both terms have consisted of multiple, successful outcomes for the girls and every individual has grown over this time. There has been evident commitment across all age groups with continuous participation in strength and conditioning sessions before school and netball training after school. With the support and guidance from coaches, players have developed new skills, become fitter, and improved team communication on and off the court.

To sum up the first team’s season, we have won a total of 19 matches and scored 615 goals, giving us a 70.4%win rate. We started off the season at Middlesex and National Schools tournament where the team displayed moments of resilience, teaching us the importance of never giving up. We also participated in the Sisters n Sport National Competition where, after winning our first match, we proceeded in the cup and made it through to round 3. The main highlight for the first team was our win against JAGS within this competition. The thrilling match ended in a draw to which we took victory in a golden goal situation ending 39-38. Later in the season, the first team also played in the Highgate tournament, beating every team and subsequently winning first place. The girls’ composure and positive attitude in each of these major games highlighted our unity and how far we have come. The hard work, drive and determination shown by the team to consistently develop has allowed us to create an impressive and high standard netball game to watch.

A massive thank you must go to the entirety of the sports department, in particular Miss Maynard, Miss Broome, Miss Williamson and Mr Stringer. Their hard work and support have allowed the team to succeed in ways we never expected. It has been a pleasure leading the first team this year and seeing how everyone has progressed. I am so grateful for the friendships built in this time. I wish next year’s first team and all future players the best of luck and I am excited to hear about netball achievements in the years to come!

Isabelle Haran (U6)

and any other people who made the amazing trip possible.

RUGBY

For the first team, this season has been something of a building block. While there have been some good results, such as St George’s Harpenden, the results from the season overall would appear disappointing. This season has been riddled with injuries to key players which has affected the outlook of the season. Despite this there have been fantastic moments throughout.

Our year started with the incredible trip to South Africa which will never be forgotten by anyone who went. Games against Rondebosch, Paarl Boys, Hermanus and Stellenbosch were hard fought, but we came out victorious in three of the four only losing to a Rondebosch team that were ranked 3rd in South Africa at the time. We got to witness the incredible match day experience of South African rugby at Paarl Gimnasium where thousands of spectators watched an average Saturday block fixture. I speak on behalf of everyone who came on the trip as I once more thank the coaches, parents

As I stated previously our season has been plagued by injury, however this set back has allowed many talented U16s to gain valuable first team experience earlier than they potentially would have done. Despite a subpar year for the first team, results in other age groups have been positive, suggesting the future of rugby at St Benedict’s is in good hands. The U16s started poorly but ended up 7 games undefeated at the end of the season, closing off their season with spectacular wins against RGS High Wycombe and Hampton. The U15s had a 73%-win record, noticeably doing very well in the two-day Langley festival, losing narrowly to Trinity School Croydon in the final. The U14s struggled, results-wise, but having attended their training sessions throughout the season I know there is a lot of talent within that year group. The U13s may be challenging the U15s for ‘team of the season with an impressive 77%-win record. The Under 12’s followed suit with a highly successful season’ with a 63%-win record. These results throughout the school, and good performances dotted throughout the first team season, suggest that rugby at St Benedict’s is in good health, and we are well on the way to returning to former glories. None of this could be achieved without the hard work of players and coaches throughout the school. The work done in gym sessions (which are consistently well attended and led by Mr Stringer), and the afterschool training sessions – which are only possible thanks to the dedication of coaches – appear to be paying off.

Oliver Mayes (U6)

A view from America

A Level Politics pupils give their view of the US today following the Politics Trip to New York and Washington D.C. in October 2022

American politics is starkly different from its British counterpart, with a codified constitution and federal government distinguishing the two on a level unknown to most. As politics students, we travelled to the US with an open mind and were intrigued to see the differences in politics and the state of the country. Our classroom studies were transformed into tangible sights and participation in aspects of US and global politics.

Superficially, there are many similarities between the two political systems: there are democratic elections, universal suffrage, two dominant political parties and a national political figurehead. However, the creation of the US system is deeply rooted in anti-colonialism and revolution, and unlike in Britain, was created after a single event (the War of Independence) in 1787 and now, over 200 years later, remains largely the same today.

The USA at the point of its founding was based on the racism of slavery. Nearly two centuries later, in the mid-20th century, a fight for total suffrage and black empowerment was seen with the likes of Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr leading the Civil Rights movement for racial integration. We walked through the streets of Harlem with our exuberant guide immersing us in the history and culture of this famous district of New York City from the cultural explosion of the Harlem Renaissance in the 1920s through to its days at the centre of the Civil Rights movement. We stopped outside the department store and scene of the near-fatal wounding of Martin Luther King which later inspired his 1968 ‘I’ve been to the Mountaintop speech’. King’s words ‘If I had sneezed’ which referenced how close he came to dying, and George Floyd’s more recent ‘I can’t breathe’ tell us of an America which is still far from equal and beset with racial tensions.

The words “I can’t breathe” have recently come to epitomise the systemic racism within American police forces, and perhaps symbolic of wider inequalities and political division in the country. We had glimpses of this division throughout our trip; there was at least one homeless person on every corner, and in each Subway station, hiding from the cold and desperate for some help. This was the scene of a state that was not equipped to handle such a problem, the scene of a country whose government had seemingly taken a step back in providing for its people. Yet simultaneously you were confronted by the wealth embodied in the gleaming skyscrapers of Downtown and the bright and mesmerising neon lights of Times Square.

The political atmosphere was tense; a country with a large divide – both geographically and socially leads to significant battles on the political front. This divide is seen permeating society with news programmes veering between left and right, and closed echo-chambers of support is nurtured and partisan division reinforced.

We stood in the shadows of landmark moments in the history of the US, such as on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial from where King delivered his famous ‘I Have a Dream’ speech in 1963, to the US Supreme Court where protestors have gathered over the years to support and oppose controversial rulings in America’s culture wars such as the recent overturning of the Roe v. Wade ruling.

In participating in question-and-answer discussions at the State Department, the World Bank and the foreign policy think tank the Atlantic Council, we were also able to explore issues of global politics and international relations, such as the war between Russia and Ukraine, that we study as part of the Global Politics A level course. Here, we witnessed the traditions of liberal internationalism that despite being tested, still resonate in the American foreign policy community today.

We left on the eve of the mid-term elections, and the spectre of Donald Trump exerting influence over the Republican Party. The divided Congress that followed has once again demonstrated the forces of checks and balances applied by the Founding Fathers some 200 years ago are still alive and well in modern America today.

Laurie Traeger (U6) and Christopher Moon (U6)

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

The Douai Essay Competition 2022: Lessons from The Rule of St Benedict

Congratulations to the winners of the Douai Foundation Essay Competition, who were invited to write about The Rule of St Benedict and to relate it to modern times.

Sixth Form Essay Prize Winner

Linking socialist economics with Benedictine monasticism: how was St Benedict’s idea of monastic life developed?

In reference to The Rule of St Benedict, it is important to interpret many of its teachings from a more progressive perspective, particularly those relating to his theory of what correct monastic life looks like and how it should be practised. This is because most of us are of course not practising monasticism and instead find our vocation to be working regular jobs. Instead of choosing to ignore this seemingly useless material (that being his instruction of monasticism), we find that within it we can interpret various concepts that are applicable to our modern world, most notably being how the order of monastic life can be used as a magnified example of a socially and economically functioning society. Despite not being religious myself, these teachings can ultimately be harnessed positively due to Christian values being universally selfless and charitable.

Circa 375 B.C., Plato’s The Republic first articulated an early model of socialism, in which he described a separation of Athens into classes or sections based on whatever each man excelled at most. This left a male society divided into philosophers (or rulers, as he called them), soldiers, and traders. Within this he created a subset “Guardian” class, combining the soldiers and rulers, and for this class he suggested a complete abolition of private property and “communism of family”. While his concept was underdeveloped and deeply flawed, it paved the way for the socialist ideals eventually leading to Marx’s philosophies as he solidified his idea of a Communist utopia in The Communist Manifesto, touching on Platonic Communist theory but also critiquing it; in Das Capital, Marx notes that “the labourer must adapt himself to the work, not the work to the labourer”, rightly suggesting Plato’s idea of class was oversimplified.

From a financial perspective, a functioning monastic community can in a sense be viewed as a “centrally planned economy,” (Nathan Smith, The Economics of Monasticism) adhering to socialist economic values as the Abbott is responsible for the wellbeing of the monastery and the monks themselves own no property or wealth. There is an apparent reason as to why this works: the monks work not

for necessary wage but for the benefit of their community. There is nothing inherently exploitative about this cycle as it disintegrates any form of class or hierarchy within the monastery consequently meaning that no proletariat is forced to exist, since there is no measure or importance of profit.

Of course, this approach is necessary if the monks choose to live a lifestyle in accordance with St Benedict’s rule and in alignment with the teachings of the Bible. In chapter 73 St Benedict remarks that “Every page and every word of divine authority in the Old and New Testaments [is] a most reliable guide to human life”, which is reflected in his teachings regarding monasticism; the reason socialist values align themselves so well with Christian ethics, and more specifically Benedictine Catholicism, is mainly because of the lack of greed present in the individual’s work incentive under socialist systems. Rather than placing emphasis on the individual’s personal gain, as traditional rational capitalism may incite, the stress is shifted away from profit but rather towards benefiting the surrounding community, a Christian moral attitude found in teachings as fundamental as “love thy neighbour as yourself” Mark 12:31. As such, it is clear capitalism entirely is incompatible with Christianity: one ideology prioritises charity and selflessness, in other words the benefit of others, and the other serves to benefit the individual.

From a Marxist perspective, however, there is the suggestion that religion and socialism are incongruous to each other, seen in practice from the Marxist-Leninist atheism of the Soviet Union. Marx had labelled religion as “The opium of the people”, mainly because in many cases the Church served as a political power which aided the division of class. To an extent Marx is right; for centuries the Catholic Church in England has been corrupted, ranging from problems surrounding indulgence payments to corruption stemming from the Reformation, yet these of course are not true examples of pure Christianity as they continue to prosper economically through capitalist means. From a personal perspective I disagree with Marx’s atheist standpoint, purely because religion (in this case in reference to Christianity) can offer an additional, pure work incentive that continues to embody socialist values. By incorporating Christian moral concepts within areas as fundamental as the workplace, the individual is guided, enabling them to stray away from capitalist social norms; in our current society we see selfserving capitalism as something accepted and normalised. This is due to the clear progressive agenda displayed by

Jesus in the New Testament which aligns itself with the socialist values brought forward by Marx, establishing a “middle-ground” in which religion can be utilised within a socialist society. This is exceedingly portrayed both in Jesus’ cleansing of the temple in Matthew 21:12, and his mention that “it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” In Matthew 19:24, in both instances being directly critical of self-serving capitalist values and the significance placed on monetary and material wealth.

Linking this back to The Rule of St Benedict, we can suggest that he built upon these progressive values exhibited throughout the Bible particularly within the life of Jesus, and through these values was able to craft and develop his concept of monasticism, taking these lessons and

Upper School Essay prize Winner

teachings and applying them together to create a lifestyle that embodies them. Ultimately through this essay we are able to explore both the origins of St Benedict’s idea of monasticism but also why it works: the values surrounding this lifestyle can be applied economically to our current lives, inspiring us additionally to live with greater spirituality.

Alexis Markou (L6)

Firstly, in his Rule, St Benedict calls for leaders to be chosen for ‘merit of life and wisdom’. The word ‘wisdom’ is critical as it outlines that leaders should not only be able to teach and pass on values to clergy and others, but also to uphold these values in daily life and live by what they say. If we were to apply these values in the modern political climate, we would see a drastic change in who was elected and how the country was run. Instead of just seeing those from privileged positions (for example twenty British Prime Ministers were educated at Eton, which charges fees of £46,296 a year), we would see charity and care workers, who offer huge amounts to our society but are swept under the carpet, in positions of power. In his Rule, St Benedict clearly states leaders should not be chosen ‘for their rank’ but how they live their lives. This again would change those in power, and the country would not just be led by the monetary elite but by those who offered a great deal to our country, whether that be through charity work, public services, or key workers. This would result in a much more empathetic and people-based parliament. However, following The Rule of St Benedict could also provoke current leaders to adopt a more Benedictine and compassionate way of ruling.

Secondly, following The Rule of St Benedict could further allow modern political leaders to develop more ethical leadership qualities. St Benedict outlines twelve steps towards humility. The fifth one outline the importance of ‘transparency’, and therefore reinforces the importance of living honestly. In a Benedictine monastery ‘transparency’ mean not hiding sinful thoughts or acts, but instead confessing them humbly. Being truthful and upholding ethical values is a key part of being a successful and popular leader, however these basic values have faded as politics

has progressed. Recently in British politics we have seen a key member of parliament, Matt Hancock, failing to live by The Rule of St Benedict by hiding sinful acts and having a secret affair behind his wife’s back, through which he broke his own lockdown rules. Even one of Britain’s Prime Ministers, Boris Johnson, broke lockdown rules by having a party. However, instead of owning up he denied it and said it was a ‘work event’. If the Rule of St Benedict was followed by key political figures it would prevent leaders from breaking their own rules and attempting to cover them up.

Thirdly, the first word in the Rule of St Benedict is ‘listen’; more specifically it says, ‘listen carefully’. This idea of listening and hearing what everyone has to say is a vital value that needs to be upheld in politics today. Without listening to what others, whose ideas might deviate from our own, have to say, we cannot understand each other and progress as a society. Therefore, following the Rule of St Benedict in modern times, where there are extreme political differences, listening is crucial in maintaining a balanced and fair political system.

However, it could be argued that following The Rule of St Benedict could be dangerous and it may lead to a totalitarian regime. Within a Benedictine monastery the Abbot (the leader) is to be treated and listened to like God. If we were to apply this treatment to modern political leaders, they could never be questioned no matter how horrific their actions were. So, even if they did not follow the other rules set out by St Benedict, no one could challenge them as they are acting as God on earth.

Edmund Harper (U5)

The Rule of St Benedict should be followed and interpreted by political leaders today to help overcome moral and ethical challenges.

The Rule of St Benedict was created over 2,500 years ago and made by the Abbot St Benedict. Despite its age it can still be useful for modern life and in this essay I will be focusing on how it helps daily life and I will use quotes from the rule.

I think The Rule of St Benedict is useful for modern daily life because of St Benedict’s teachings in the rule. I say this because in the rule St Benedict says, “Idleness is the enemy of the soul.” This is important for daily life because people are getting lazier every day and not being lazy is a very simple but important lesson. Therefore, this rule is very good for the modernday society. For example: people are getting too reliant on their phones and people cannot do simple, regular tasks like shopping.

Another one of St Benedict’s teachings that is good for daily life is to listen.

In The Rule of St Benedict, it states “Listen and attend with the ear of your heart.” This means to listen to others and really think about what they

The Rule of St Benedict

are saying. This is good for daily life because people need to listen and engage with the speaker, making this lesson very useful for modern society. For example: people are too rushed and prioritise other things instead of really paying attention.

The next useful teaching from The Rule of St Benedict is the teaching to respect others equally. The quote is “Before all, and above all, attention shall be paid to the care of the sick, so they shall be served as if they were Christ himself.” This is useful because it shows us that people should not be judged by others. Therefore, this quote from The Rule of St Benedict helps people in their daily life. For example: different people (depending on gender, race, or anything else) get paid more or less than others who work just as hard.

St Benedict’s rule is helpful for people in their daily life because he says that people should be dedicated. The quote is “He who labours as he prays lifts his heart to God with his hands.” This quote is saying that people should

work hard and is very useful because being dedicated is an excellent quality to have, therefore making The Rule of St Benedict very useful for people nowadays. For example: people sometimes take less care in what they do (like a job, sport, or meeting a target).

In conclusion, I think that St Benedict’s rule is useful for people’s daily lives because of all its teachings. I say this because of the lessons in the rule I mentioned but there are many more examples and teachings in the book. Therefore, The Rule of St Benedict is very useful for people’s daily lives. So, after 2,500 years it is still relevant.

Jake Mudge (F3)

Middle School Essay Prize Winner

UK Bebras Computing Challenge: Gold Awards

48 St Benedict’s students received Gold awards in the UK Bebras Computing Challenge, which placed them in the top 10% nationally.

A total of 284 St Benedict’s students from Form 3 to the Upper Sixth took part; 70 gained Distinction and the highest scoring students were Aaron McQuillan (F3), Riona Egan (U4), Finlay Burns (U4), Lewis Hoffmann (L5) and Gabe Soriano (U6).

Coding the next Alexa – meet Cheryl

Gabe Soriano (U6)

Friday 13th January, Lunchtime talk in the Helikon Centre

Many of us have had the frustration of virtual assistants whether Alexa, Siri, or Google, politely failing us with the statement “Sorry I can’t help you with that.” However, Gabe took matters into his own hands when he wanted an intelligent virtual assistant that could enact his will in computer games as if he was a general commanding his troops, or give a detailed insight into flights, and for an avid Dungeons and Dragons player and dice connoisseur, rolling a dice with any number of sides is essential.

The result of all this is Cheryl, a virtual assistant that runs on his laptop. We got to meet Cheryl during the talk, and I even got to face-off against her in a game of ‘rock, paper, scissors’, where Team Human emerged triumphant.

Gabe also delved into the technology behind Cheryl, where he had used Object Oriented Programming to divide her abilities up into different classes, and utilised Google Speech to Text API in order to give Cheryl ears and a voice.

The talk finished with questions surrounding the future of Cheryl and whether someday soon AI models such as ChatGPT will give us all a truly intelligent assistant.

Thomas Gordon (U6)

St Benedict’s top scoring Gold award holders: Aaron, Lewis, Gabe, Finlay and Riona, with the Headmaster

CLASSICS

The value of studying Greek Theatre

The prospect of studying classical civilisation at university is often met with questions of its relevance and usefulness to an audience 2,500 years later; however, I am looking forward to this opportunity due to the unique vantage point that classics provides to scrutinise both an ancient and modern society. This is especially discernible in the study of Greek theatre, which is encapsulated by Scott’s view that ‘the story of theatre is the story of Athens’, suggesting that it is a reflection of reality that informs us of the lives of ancient Athenians.

Ancient theatre is extremely useful in helping us to understand key aspects of Athenian society through conveying religious beliefs of the time. For example, Greek tragedy often depicts an inherent trust in the gods, which is best exemplified in Oedipus Rex when Oedipus assures the citizens that he ‘acted at once’ and ‘sent Creon… to Delphi’. This demonstrates the belief that visiting an oracle was a legitimate course of action in ancient politics. The close relationship between religion and state is illustrated in Book 7 of Herodotus’s Histories, when Themistocles interpreted the Delphic oracles reference to ‘wooden walls’ as the need to reinforce the navy, leading to a win at the Battle of Salamis in 480 BC. Evidently, in the ancient world religion and politics were interlinked – this view is reinforced by Cartledge describing it as ‘fabrics of thought and behaviour woven from the same threads.’ Therefore, our understanding of the role of the gods is developed, as we can see them as a trusted source of guidance. Moreover, Tiresias states in the Bacchae that ‘we do not hold intellectual debates on the gods.’ Not only does this suggest an expectation of unshakeable trust in the gods, it also conveys opposition to contemporary debates among philosophers questioning their nature and existence. Consequently, we learn how the view of the gods has shifted over time –

from unwavering belief to debates of their existence and a rise in the sophist movement. However, this sort of relationship is not portrayed in comedy – in Aristophanes’ Frogs, the gods are ridiculed, with Heracles mocking Dionysus’ choice of ‘heroic’ clothing‘that lion skin on top of your little yellow number’. The audience cannot but question the nature of divinity, or at least see Dionysus as a source of ridicule in that moment. The humour derived from Dionysus’ character could be a nod to the performance at the City Dionysia (a religious festival) and suggests through this comedic subversion the maintained importance of the gods. Greek drama’s ability to inform us of contemporary views of religion contributes heavily to its usefulness as a classical source.

This idea of the plays being performed at religious festivals means that they often expand our understanding of religious acts and rituals. In Sophocles’ Oedipus Rex, this is seen in the prologue when Oedipus describes the ‘branches wound in wool’, which are offerings to Apollo called eirerisione Apollo being the god of plague and disease, amongst other things, makes this extremely fitting due to the circumstances of Thebes suffering with a plague.

‘Lift the native Phrygrian drums’ and the chorus describe a ‘circle of stretched hide’ and them ‘singing in worship of Bacchus’. This clearly highlights the fact that music was central to worship of Dionysus, which is supported by the fact that at the City Dionysia dithyrambs (choral dances sung in honour of Dionysus) were performed and in the Maenad vase (late 5th century), the centre right figure appears to be playing a drum. This is also evident in Frogs through the chorus of Initiates inviting people to ‘dance’ in a meadow and join the ‘sacred band’, reinforcing the association between music and worship. Moreover, Higgins emphasises this link between theatre and religion by claiming that to ‘attend the theatre was a religious duty and the responsibility of all pious citizens’. Suggesting theatre was strongly tied with worshipping the gods, which is further evident in the archaeological evidence at the Theatre of Dionysos and the Theatre of Thorikos as both have an altar near the stage area, suggesting that drama and religion were intricately linked. This makes Greek drama interesting to study as it facilitates the analysis of other sources that contribute to our understanding of antiquity, such as vases and archaeological sites.

It could also inform us of religious acts that citizens of Athens carried out in 430 – 426 BC (during a plague). Furthermore, this is seen in the Bacchae, when Dionysus says to

The depiction of women in theatre also enables us to learn about their role in society. In particular in Oedipus Rex when Oedipus explains to Antigone and Ismene that no one will want to marry them and so they will ‘wither away to nothing, single, without a child’, which indicates that the dominant role of women is as wife and mother and without this being the central part of their identity they will be pushed to the edge of society and thought of as nothing. Moreover, this is evident in the Bacchae when the chorus describe the women of Thebes as ‘far from their shuttles and looms, stung to madness’, which suggests that the Bacchic frenzy has made them abandon roles stereotypically expected of them. This would have been shocking to a contemporary

audience, as Edith Hall explains that the portrayal of women without husbands or who have subverted the expectations of their role within a family in tragedy is a display of the ‘Athenian citizens’ anxiety about the crises which might afflict his household in his absence’. Therefore, it’s clear that in Ancient Greek society, women were seen as untrustworthy and so must be held accountable by their husbands and if this system failed it would spark fear. This idea isn’t explicitly shown in comedy but in Frogs the idea of women being sexual objects is seen through the maid providing ‘several dancing girls’ for Heracles (Xanthias in costume). Additionally, in Aristophanes’ play ‘Assembly Women’, the notion of women being in power is seen as absurd and comical. Therefore, in both tragedy and comedy the view of women as inferior is dominant and

is an accurate reflection of reality as women in classical Athens lacked rights to citizenship and so were treated as second-class.

Scott also claims that the playwright should be viewed as a ‘didaskalos’, meaning teacher, and so both tragedy and comedy aim to better the audience or society – in a mostly politically motivated way. This is helpful as these messages can indicate perceived flaws in society at the time; for example, in Oedipus Rex, the chorus states that ‘pride breeds the tyrant’, which highlights the issue of monarchy versus democracy, specifically within a monarchy the over reliance on the sanity of a single leader and that arrogant and egotistical behaviour can lead to deficient leaders. Sophocles is clearly trying to reinforce the strength and importance of democracy. Moreover, Euripides signals the same idea through the messenger saying ‘I fear the swiftness of your moods… which is excessively king-like’: Pentheus is fulfilling the negative stereotypes of a king in being overly emotional and abusing his power to instil fear in his citizens. Additionally during the parabasis in Frogs, the audience is encouraged to forgive politicians who were ‘tripped or thrown by one of Phyrnichus’s moves’, in order to regain reliable

leaders; here, Aristophanes makes a direct reference to the oligarchic coup in 411 BC, which clearly furthers our understanding of the political landscape in Athens as it suggests the fragility of democracy at the time.

Greek drama is an extremely enlightening tool to study the ancient world as it reveals several aspects of society, such as the stereotypes as well as religious and political beliefs. Tragedy and comedy achieve this through different routes: tragedy can offer insight into the reality of classical Athens through the accurate depiction of the relationship with the gods and the role of women, whereas comedy can do so through its world of fantasy, and by subverting norms tells us of genuine belief. This interdisciplinary nature of Classics is what is most appealing to me and so the opportunity to develop my understanding of Greek drama at university is compelling.

Edie Bright (U6)

Lower Fourth Classicists

Theatre of Thorikos

A memorable performance of Handel’s Messiah

On Saturday, 3rd December, 45 members of the Consort Choir, Ealing Abbey Choir and returning Old Priorians, came together for an uplifting and memorable performance of Handel’s Messiah in Ealing Abbey conducted by Mr Christopher Eastwood, Director of Music. The choir was accompanied by professional orchestra – including St Benedict’s staff, peripatetic music teachers, and a current Lower Fifth student – and joined by soloists Catherine Bench (OP15) (soprano), Gemma Morsley (mezzo-soprano), Oliver Kelham (tenor) and Grant Doyle.

The Messiah tells the story of Christ’s life in three parts. Part 1 prophesises the coming of Jesus and the nativity; Part 2 covers his passion and death, ending in the famous Hallelujah chorus; and Part 3 tells of the resurrection and ascension.

St Benedict’s Consort Choir meets for a weekly practice every Thursday morning before school, with additional rehearsals in the days leading up to the concert. Many of the members of Consort Choir

are former Ealing Abbey choristers, who already owned a copy of the vocal score, which is the traditional gift when leaving the choir at the end of Lower Fourth. Few of us had actually sung the full oratorio before, although some numbers were already familiar from Christmas and Easter performances with the Abbey Choir. Over weeks of rehearsals, I enjoyed learning the other choruses under the able direction of Mr Eastwood, particularly the joyful His yoke is easy, which ends Part 1.

really brought the music to life and added a sense of anticipation. Since the orchestra and soloists had already rehearsed the arias and recitative passages, the tutti rehearsal concentrated on the choruses and on the appropriate tempo, dynamics and balance for the acoustics of the cavernous Abbey and its impressive reverberation.

In our final rehearsal on the afternoon of the concert, the full choir met for the first time and we got to hear the orchestra and soloists, which

We returned in the evening in our smartest school uniform, with the Abbey Choir dressed in their cassocks. Following the orchestral overture and the uplifting tenor aria Ev’ry valley shall be exalted, we sang our first chorus And the glory of the Lord. The next two hours flew by surprisingly quickly and we were soon singing my favourite chorus which concludes the whole work, Worthy is the Lamb. I was particularly impressed by the expressive singing of soprano, Catherine Bench, who communicated the story very well especially in the aria I know that my Redeemer liveth The concert was a great success and was met with a standing ovation from an appreciative audience.

Ben Dovey (L6)

The Middle School Creative Writing Competition

Pupils in Form 3, Lower Fourth and Upper Fourth were invited to write a 500-word opening of a mystery story. Here are the winning entries from each year group.

>>> It’s 2159.

>>> Humans Have Colonised The Galaxy.

>>> A hospitable planet, planet 56b has been turned into an aquarium-based theme park and research centre.

>>> It closed down in 2167. Reason unknown.

>>> New months had to be incorporated into the calendar due to planets orbiting stars and rotating at different speeds to earth. 56b has over 20 more months than earth and a day and night is only 20 earth minutes.

>>> The year is now 2193. 31-year-old detective Bob Instern has been sent to the scene via a transportation pod named The Horizon…

Voice Log begins 23rd Banck 2167

DAY ONE

It was dark when I landed on the planet’s surface. The landing was mostly smooth but with some slight turbulence. So far, I haven’t seen any life forms other than a few yellow bioluminescent eyes of fish swimming by under the water. The theme park looks huge and ugly from the outside. I don’t know why any child would want to go near it, let alone enter it. I hope it looks a lot better from the inside and maybe even have working machinery (keep in mind it has been shut down for around 30 years). It looks like a warehouse. I will conduct a thorough exploration of it and the nearby surroundings in the morning.

DAY TWO

At first light, I headed into the theme park. A glowing neon welcome sign stood imposingly above a bright doorway. The door was labelled THE LAB. I read the name aloud. The lights and machinery were solar powered, so I didn’t have to worry. No signs of life, at first glance, but, when I scanned it, it came up with over 50 living organisms. I soon found out why. The area I had entered was the laboratory section of the park; shrieking, hissing and moaning poured out of the tanks, piled up along the walls of every corridor. Every tank was labelled with the species names and the gender of the specimens. It was fascinating looking at the diversity of each, almost surreal, creature.

I was going to head deeper but all the lights turned out. Terrified, I rushed out as quickly as I could to find that it was night-time. No sunlight meant that I would have no light inside the building. So, I would have to conduct my searches during daylight hours. I couldn’t help thinking, how was this possible? I had only been in there for about ten minutes. The station had told me that days were shorter here but not told me by how much. Sure enough, the night was only ten minutes too. I didn’t bother to sleep.

DAY THREE

Again, at first light, I quickly rushed to the place I had been yesterday and continued on my journey. The end of the corridor split into three. One door said LEVIATHANS Another said CARNIVORES. The name of the last door was unreadable. It seemed as if someone had spilt paint over it, red paint. Each door had a porthole.

The LEVIATHANS door led to a long, large room with six glowing blue fish tanks lining the walls, I couldn’t make out what was inside. The room beyond the CARNIVORES door was similarly laid out but with many small tanks instead. The red door (the unreadable one) had a translucent red liquid on the port hole. ‘Blood’, I instantly thought. “No, you’re being silly”, I told myself aloud. I pushed at the door. It creaked open.

The room was deathly silent compared to the shrieking and moaning of next door. A lonely terminal stood in the middle of the room. A thick USB stick stuck out of it. As I pulled it out, all of the lights turned out and I ran straight home.

DAY FOUR

I felt very weak this morning, so I took a self-scan. The screen waved and the red word INFECTED bleeped violently. Apparently, I have caught an airborne disease called Karaharr. I cannot leave the planet for risk of spreading the disease throughout the galaxy.

I can expect death tomorrow (20 minutes).

If you are reading this DO NOT ENTER THE RED ROOM. And to the station DO NOT COME IN AFTER ME.

Log terminated 26th Banck 2067

>>> Uploaded to the east galaxy space station police >>> Coordinates attached: (2121,3267,902,404)

Harry Carruthers (L4)

The mountain range was a beast, and I was the helpless prey, overshadowed by its ominous spines that cut through the clouds like knives. Mist snatched at the feet of the mountains, almost invisible as it passed by. Everything was white, as if someone had erased any traces of life for miles and miles. Clouds hung low and weaved in and out of the mountains, choking them silently. There was something threatening about this silence, as if something huge was about to happen.

Suddenly I caught a glint out of the corner of my eye and I immediately began to scramble down the rocks, desperate to find anything that might lead me to the answer. This tiny glint got bigger and bigger as I advanced, until it became a vast, all consuming glow. And that was when I saw it…a golden telescope, no bigger than the length of my forearm, illuminated by the light of a thousand crystals that protruded from an overhanging rock. Their light was so bright that it parted the mist, which hung in the air, framing the whole scene like a work of art. I hurriedly bent down to pick up the telescope, wasting no time. The metal was cold in my hands and I could hardly feel my fingers as I examined the object. It was a miniature golden telescope covered in engravings from a foreign language which I could not decipher. There were also some number dials, and I pulled a small slip of paper from my pocket excitedly, finally another step closer to my goal. Four numbers were scrawled onto the paper, and with shaky hands I began to turn the dials, one after the other until I came to the last one. I squinted at the paper, but I began to panic when I realised that I could not read the last figure. The ink must have smudged in my pocket. Trying to compose myself, I continued to turn the dial, trying every combination

Warzone

Bullets soar past my head. Fighter jets drop explosives as the engines roar. The shrieks and groans of dying men are barely heard in the chaos. Gunshots fire. Bodies, limbs, and obliterated plane parts are littered on the floor like garbage. More blood. More gunshots...

I remember when I was younger, before the invasion attacks started, when there was peace in this Hell of a world. That all changed when the Aliens attacked. They showed no mercy. They slaughtered innocent people. Fear spread like a plague. Schools educating young children soon turned to schools preparing them for war and bloodshed.

The Aliens possessed technology unknown to humanity. They fought like war machines, fearless, dangerous, and deadly. It seemed as if they had an infinite supply of

until I eventually heard a small click. I could hear a quiet whirring sound as the contraption began to rearrange. I was still shaking, but this time from excitement. I was so close that I could taste the victory…

All of a sudden, the whirring of the machine was drowned out by a loud rumbling that shook the mountainside. Snow tumbled down the cliffs, swallowing everything in its path. The beast that was the mountains was roaring, and I had to escape quickly unless I wanted to be its next meal. As I began to pick my feet up off the ground, I heard a voice coming from somewhere nearby. “You should not have come here.” I looked around, terrified. The mist that before had been so beautiful was now my worst nightmare, hiding everything. Whoever it was could come from any direction, and I was frozen, unable to decide what to do or where to go.

Suddenly a hand grabbed at me and I was knocked to the ground. My vision blurred and I quickly began to lose consciousness. The last thing I heard was the silence once more…

everything, including themselves.

There I was – on the battlefield – my life flashing before my very eyes. The comrades I grew up training and eating with, perishing, as if life were just a video game. I had never seen a man die – but after a while – one gets used to it. After a while, you begin not to care about anything anymore. Hearing the groans, the screams of agony of suffering men will seem like a thing in everyday life. After war, a man will never be the same again. Life is meaningless.

On the floor, I see a silver bracelet, dirty and drenched in old blood. It instantly reminded me of my mother. A caring, gentle, lovable person. Her bracelet was remarkably like the one on the floor. During the time of peace, she used to cuddle me and always used to make me feel better when something had gone badly in school... a shame she died. Before Earth descended into chaos, my

family and I were living a happy life. I had a younger brother, a father, and a mother, who was pregnant with another child. We did not even have a chance to name him before he and the rest of my family were brutally slaughtered by the Aliens.

A bullet skims the hair on my neck, missing me by just a centimeter. Part of me is wishing that it had killed me, but I quickly shake away that thought. A grenade lands right before my feet. Avoiding it is impossible. I accept my fate. My last prayers and thoughts rush through my brain... then everything goes black…

Christopher Hanna (F3)

Molly Garner (U4)

INTERVIEW WITH THE HEADMASTER

excellent examples of leadership. You learn from people along the way and that’s also part of the picture.

Natalia: As a follow-up question, has being a leader come easy to you or is it something that has come with lots of experience?

Mr Johnson: That’s a good question. You must have some innate qualities – to be a person who’s disposed to take on leadership. But you also learn; you learn what works and you also make mistakes along the way. Partly it’s about nature but mostly it’s about what you learn.

Natalia: Looking back at your time at St Benedict’s what do you feel was your biggest accomplishment or success?

Heads of School, Natalia McFadzean and Robert Jeffries, talked to Mr Johnson about his long career and his time at St Benedict’s.

Robert: What motivated you to become a headmaster, and did it live up to your expectations?

Mr Johnson: It’s been a really amazing journey. I’ve been a Head for 17 years, 10 years at Stonyhurst and 7 at St Benedict’s, and it’s involved so much variety – of experience, opportunity, and responsibility.

One minute you’re working with pupils, another minute you’re talking to parents, then you may be dealing with finance, or buildings; you’re planning for the future, supporting staff, talking to alumni and friends of the school; all sorts of things that are really challenging and interesting. Of course, you learn as you go along – you can’t know all those things fully on day one – and hopefully you get better with experience. So, in terms of variety, opportunity, responsibility – yes, absolutely, it’s definitely lived up to what I’d hoped it would be.

In terms of ‘why’ I became a head – as Head of Languages at Winchester College I was quite interested in leadership, and in how you get a group of people to face in the same direction to achieve a common goal. I am quite interested in how you lead a community. In a school like this, you want to live by a set of values; to work together, to show respect for each other, to set standards for how we treat each other. Yes, we want to be ambitious for our students, but we also want to help people to grow as individuals. All those things are important. Being a head is an opportunity to put your set of ideas into practice and it is, and has been, a huge privilege to be head of this school and of my previous school.

The final thing to say about why I became a head is that I’ve had some pretty inspirational role models along the way. I was deputy to a great headmaster in Sheffield and was also deputy to a brilliant head of department at Winchester – two

Mr Johnson: The first thing to say is that no single individual can claim credit for things that are achieved in an organisation. Yes, I lead St Benedict’s, but all the staff and pupils have contributed to what we have achieved here in recent years. It is a team effort.

And we’ve made great progress academically over the past few years. I think it’s a place where we’re quite ambitious, and that sense of ambition has grown in recent years. As you both know yourselves, people want to do well here; they expect to achieve really high standards and to go off to top universities. That’s certainly something that I think has developed well over the last few years.

Also, I am always impressed by the breadth of opportunity at St Benedict’s and by the standards being achieved. The music is just amazing, the recent dance show and the drama production were both very impressive, and the sports are going extremely well. D of E is a much bigger thing than it used to be, the CCF has grown in the last few years, so there are quite a number of areas, where together – and it’s not just my doing – we have raised our game at St Benedict’s.

I’m also really proud of the fact that we are a very strong community, and I’m proud of those strong Benedictine values that St Benedict’s has long been associated with – which haven’t been lost in the pursuit of high standards. I think it’s really good that we have a distinctive identity; we’re really good at community as well as all those other things that I’ve mentioned. The trick, really, is to preserve the ethos and not to lose the unique identity while trying to raise the game in other areas. That sense of decency and fairness, doing the right thing by other people – I personally feel very strongly about those values which is why, week after week, I try to find different ways of communicating them.

Finally. I’m delighted that the reach of St Benedict’s has extended considerably. People are talking about St Benedict’s, taking an interest in the school, and applying to join us from further afield, as well as locally. It’s fair to say that the reputation of the school has grown.

Robert: What are some of the most significant changes you have seen at the school during your time at St Benedict’s, and how have they impacted the students and staff?

Mr Johnson: I’ve already talked a little bit about academic challenge and aspiration. I think that the Helikon Centre, which we established around 6 years ago, is a good example of our focus upon the academic culture of the school, and the idea that academic progress is not just about following the syllabus, but is also about going beyond it and exploring things that you find really interesting. That’s why there are more people doing the EPQ than there used to be, and the HPQ – which is now done by everybody in L4 – because we want people to think beyond what they are required to do to get their GCSEs or A Levels – that’s definitely one thing.

I’ve mentioned the co-curricular. I’m pleased with the growth of D of E. Most people now do bronze, many do silver and a lot do gold. D of E is a good example of holistic education, which I think is really valuable: yes, you’ve got an academic core, but all those other things around it, such as developing skills and doing voluntary work – plus the expedition which takes you out of your comport zone – all these elements represent the kind of holistic approach which I think the school ought to stand for.

Natalia: D of E is a good experience because it’s not just trekking through a field somewhere, you’ve got the volunteering and developing skills.

Mr Johnson: Exactly. People get so much out of it.

Robert: How has St Benedict’s adapted to the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, and what do you see as the long-term impacts of the pandemic on education?

Mr Johnson: You’ll remember that time in March 2020 when we closed the school – before the government told us we

had to because they were so slow! We had to work out really quickly how we were going to educate our pupils. There was no system already in place; we didn’t take it off the shelf. We tried Firefly, and it didn’t work because it wasn’t interactive enough. At the time we’d just started learning about Microsoft Teams and so some staff had an idea about what it could do. We’d planned to introduce it over a couple of years and so we had to accelerate this into a couple of days. Staff were rapidly trained in how to use this new way of teaching and learning. I am so impressed by how all our teachers did this so quickly; it was a huge achievement, and I’m very proud of the staff-pupil response to the challenge. What we put in place was very effective.

Natalia: I can say that interactive Teams was very much easier to use and helped us all not to feel too isolated.

Mr Johnson: That’s certainly what we hoped for. So, we learnt a lot about IT and Teams in the pandemic and we are now using it regularly. Part of the reason we are introducing laptops for Form 3 and Lower Fourth is that we’ve learned from the pandemic that we can educate pupils in a hybrid way.

We learnt how much we need each other, too. I’ve never seen pupils so joyful to come back to school as when they returned after lockdown! It isn’t good enough to be on a computer all the time; we need to appreciate each other in community and so in a way it’s an endorsement of those values I mentioned before: being together in community, learning to see the good in others, and to engage well with others.

We must acknowledge that some people found the pandemic very hard and some still haven’t fully recovered from it. Supporting people’s mental health is even more important now and we mustn’t ever take it for granted.

Natalia: Looking back on your career as a headmaster, what are you most proud of, and what will you miss the most about the job?

Mr Johnson: I’m proud of how the academic achievement has moved forward, and of what our students achieve; proud that most now go to really good universities, thanks to their academic success and also that they are able to cope in a very competitive environment.

I’m also extremely proud of our music, our drama, dance, and sport.

Above all, I’m very proud that St Benedict’s girls and boys turn out to be decent, balanced, grounded young people –confident but not arrogant, interested in leadership – and in making a valuable contribution to society. I believe that they

have a sense of conviction – a set of values; that they would be willing to challenge something that was wrong rather than just standing by.

Of course, I will miss people and I will miss being the head of this community. What I really enjoy is working with other people to find solutions to problems and issues which need to be dealt with; I like working through those things, finding solutions, where problems seems intractable.

But I’m a firm believer in embracing change, not just waiting for life to happen to you. So, now seems like a good time to make a change, and to live my life in a different way.

U6 LEAVERS

Luke Ainslie

Alodie Aldridge

Arusun Aravinth

Destiny Attram

Ethan Barter

Leila Bennadi

Max Bercow

Louis Bhavnani

Eleanor Bowden

Billy Bradley

Edie Bright

Ryan Carter

Mark Cattell

Gabriel Chambers

Jonathan Cronin

Toby Daniels-Shayvard

Billy Delargy

Aamile Depal

Jemima Dodd

Benjamin Dovey

Isabella Downer

Connor Fitzgerald

Luca Francis

Thomas Gordon

Sara Hadji-Heshmati

Isabelle Haran

Ben Harrison

Luke Haviland

Lochan Hearn

Emma Hermans

Shreyas Hiremat

Mia Hobbs

Cameron Hughes

Sammy Irwin

Stanley Isaac

Robert Jeffries

Alice Jenkins

Isabel Johannsen

Grace Jones

Zareef Kabir

Neel Kantamaneni

Lea Kassouf

Emily Kawamata

Eden Kennedy

Annice Kerr

Andrew Khadouri

Kuba Kicyk

Cheyenne Kouyoumjian

Sofia Krunic

Alex Ladhur

Harry Lyons

Tom Mackenzie

Gracie Maher

Harry Manners

Oliver Mayes

Aoife McColgan

Natalia McFadzean

Gabrielle McKenna

Anthony Meyers

Emily Michael

Joshan Minhas

Christopher Moon

Haaris Noordin

Sebastian Norman

Daniel Norris

Jenom Nyam

Harry O’Connell

Alekxander Ofori-Koree

Rosaleen O’Haire

Oliver Perotti

Laurene Pratt

Benedict Rimmer

Erin Roberts

Isaac Rush

Henry Rust

Sophia Sandelson

Philippe Seidenberg

Amalie Shakespeare

Eleanor Sharpe

Dexter Shelmerdine

Daniel Shenas

Charlie Soden

Gabe Soriano

Savo Stojsavljevic

Kordian Szyszko Nicewicz

Arhat Talwar

Barnaby Thompson

Laurie Traeger

Sophie Tripp

Christopher Vaughan

Laura Wijesinghe

Max Worrall

Rami Ahmad

UK Maths Trust Challenge

This year’s National Maths Challenge results were extremely encouraging at all levels, and among the best achieved at St Benedict’s.

The UK Mathematical Olympiad for Girls

28th September 2022

The UK Maths Olympiad for Girls encourages girls to tackle advanced mathematical problems and consists of five challenging questions. The results were impressive, with a Distinction awarded to Elena Llinares-Perales.

Intermediate Maths Challenge

1st February 2023

This year’s UKMT Intermediate Maths Challenge results were extremely encouraging, once again.

Senior Maths

4th October 2022

Entered: 75

Kangaroo: 4

Certs: 37

12 Silver 19

Bronze

Gold Certificate Winners: U6

All six students were invited to take part in the next round of the competition, where Gabriel Soriano was awarded a highly prized Merit Certificate in the British Maths Olympiad.

12 Gold

Intermediate Entered: 129

4 Gold

Olympiad: 9 Certs: 81

26 Silver 43 Bronze

Helena Ramsden was the awarded the Best in School certificate, achieving an outstanding score of 113.

Sama Alshelh, Elena Llinares-Perales, Lucy Brooks and Martha Hickman (L6)

Above: Gabe Soriano, Ben Rimmer, Headmaster, Alice Jenkins and Thomas Gordon (U6)

Left: Emily Kawamata and Rami Ahmad (U6)

Back row: Sota Tanika (L5), Taichi Taketsume (L5), Lewis Hoffman (L5), Freddie Ruzicka (L5), James Marlow (U5)

Front row: Alfie Shilling (L5), Yash Shah (U4), Dmytro Danylenko (U4), Yuta Fujimori (U4), Maria Scott (L5) Not pictured: Helena Ramsden and Joseph Crammer (U5)

Gold Certificate Winners

Upper Fourth Ancestor Projects

Sasha Hyslop Peters

Freyja Caesar

Seb Cullinane

Georgia Toolan

Maximus Meza

Below: Dyran Birdi

ST BENEDICT’S LECTURE SERIES

The Robin Nonhebel History Lecture 2022: ‘The Anglo-Saxons: Myth and Reality’

Dr Marc Morris

The highly acclaimed medieval historian and author, Dr Marc Morris, came to St Benedict’s to deliver the most fascinating lecture on the Anglo-Saxons. Breaking down popular myths surrounding the period and the people, he enriched our understanding of the impact of medieval and even later Victorian propaganda on our view of their lives today. From the position of women in Anglo-Saxon society to whether kings were democratically elected, Dr Morris painted a picture of a brutal world far removed from the oftenromanticised pre-Norman age. Indeed, he highlighted the complexities of life following the Norman Conquest and how traumatic the invasion must have been, explaining why the legend of the idyll was created as native historians sought to reconcile with 1066’s damage to Anglo-Saxon pride. As the medieval chroniclers found comfort

in expressing frustration with Norman rule and contrasting their criticisms of the conquerors with reminiscing for the idealised centuries before, so too Dr Morris explained how kings like Alfred the Great were used by the Victorians to glorify the beginnings of Empire in the union of Wessex and Mercia. This was an example of how history can be appropriated dangerously, used to support colonialist ideologies. The concept of “Englishness” itself was formed in such a way in Anglo-Saxon times too: in his Ecclesiastical History, Bede used the idea of a shared heritage to promote Christianity by creating a sense of social cohesion in England, while Alfred the Great developed this by promoting the English language to unite his subjects against heathen Viking invaders. Thus, this talk appealed to both our medievalist and modernist historians alike as we were pressed to

consider why such myths and legends are created and permitted to inhabit a society’s imagination, inspiring us further to the study of history as we were encouraged to see past such illusions to come closer to the truth.

Dr Morris’ lecture was illuminating, exciting, and different – while his approach to women’s history seemed to perhaps dull the excitement of the perceived military heroines of the period, like Aethelflaed, Lady of the Mercians, as he deconstructed the myth built around her of such strong female characters living in AngloSaxon times rather than discuss how historians can actually construct the lives of those without control of the narrative by using archaeological evidence and reading in between the lines of our primary sources to see past prejudice, by looking at how history can become tangled with myth and legend, Dr Morris’ lecture left us with a powerful message to question what we know, surely pushing us to become the best historians we could hope to be.

Eleanor Bowden (U6)

‘Political Reflections’

Stephen Pound

Annual Richard Baker Science Lecture

Tomasz Schafernaker

‘Women in Music‘

Gabriella Di Laccio

Gabriella Di Laccio, who is my singing teacher, spoke about how women in music, specifically female composers, are not given the appreciation they deserve. She then performed a number of songs before performing alongside Girls’ Choir, myself and another student and some of her previous students. I found it fascinating learning about my own unconscious bias and wonderful to see how passionately she sang. It was such a brilliant opportunity to be able to sing alongside her as well, and I left feeling inspired and wanting to make a change.

Alice Moore (U5)

On the 28th of November we had the pleasure of hearing Tomasz Schafernaker speak about meteorology and climate change as part of the St Benedict’s Lecture Series.

Before Tomasz’s talk, we had a presentation by one of our Upper Sixth students, Henry Rust. He spoke about how going vegan can help with climate change, and the positive impacts veganism has had on the climate. It was a great example of how we can make small changes in our lifestyle and how beneficial this can be for our environment.

Tomasz’s passion for weather started at a young age, and the topics of daily temperature and wind speed were of particular interest to him. He studied meteorology at the University of Reading and quickly became part of the Met Office after graduating. Tomasz’s career started in the BBC Weather Centre in 2000 working as a broadcast assistant, where analysing and presenting the weather were the main parts of his job. In an age where supercomputers predict and model most of our weather, he spoke about the changing role of a meteorologist and what it takes to make the partnership between such advanced technology and human skills work. He then moved on to the more serious topic of climate change and showed us, through his brilliant illustrations, what the world around us would look like in the future if the temperature keeps rising as it is now. He explained the importance of analysing the weather and how analysis of long-term weather trends can be used to predict the potential impact of climate change on future generations. Rising sea levels, and warmer summers and winters were among the main concerns he spoke about. Warmer temperatures would mean that in future we could see most of the arctic melting in the summer.

His inspiring talk was followed by an interview and discussion with a student panel, giving us the opportunity to ask Tomasz some questions of our own. It was a great opportunity to gain his insight on our own thoughts of meteorology and the future of our planet as a result of climate change. When asked about the school’s plans to raise money to build our own weather station Tomasz was very enthusiastic about his support. He thought it was a great way for students to interact with the climate around us and would make learning about climate change and the weather a more hands-on experience.

I know I can speak for everyone when I say that Tomasz’s talk was both insightful and enjoyable and has hopefully made everyone think about changes we can make, as a school and as individuals, to tackle climate change.

Kara Irvine (L6)

Professor Anthony Gordon delivered a compelling and fascinating talk on his research work during Covid times, captivating all who attended.

He began by discussing his work, providing us with a photograph of an intensive care unit, to enable us to visualise the core concepts of critical care. This was an informative introduction to the complicated nature of his

work as an NIHR research professor and Chair of Anaesthesia and Critical Care at Imperial College London.

Professor Gordon’s career pre-Covid focused on treating patients, and research. Both exciting and innovative, his research is conducted through use of clinical trials, known as REMAP-CAP (Randomised, Embedded, Multifactorial, Adaptive Platform Trial for Community-Acquired Pneumonia). Going into detail about the trials, he explained how drugs were developed and tested to treat the COVID-19 virus. Certainly admirable, considering the extent of damage COVID-19 caused, illustrated by the CT scans we were shown, of those in critical care suffering from the virus- a frightful sight indeed!

There followed a discussion on methods of statistics and data analysis used. Professor Gordon also talked about Artificial Intelligence (appealing to Physics students) as a focused way to treat patients and store their monitored data in a safe and reliable way. Using AI, Professor Gordon explained, doctors are now able to collectively use their experience and treat patients in a precise, and personalised fashion.

Professor Gordon’s achievements are particularly commendable, in developing drugs that have saved many patients suffering from COVID-19 and the subsequent impact of his team’s discoveries worldwide as recognised by WHO.

Zach Khan (L6)

Shevaun Haviland, the Director General of the British Chambers of Commerce, shared insights into the organisation’s role, including their aim to build British businesses, invest in people for a stable economy, and raise export-led growth. Haviland’s wealth of

knowledge in politics and economics was evident in her discussion, which helped me to understand the interconnected world of business and trade more comprehensively.

Haviland also shared her background in business, which added further depth to the talk and helped to provide context for her points. Her discussion on the recent Trade and Cooperation Agreement was particularly interesting, as she highlighted the positive impact of exporting for businesses. Her perspective was particularly enlightening considering the uncertainty that Brexit has brought.

The British Chamber of Commerce aims to support businesses in the UK by providing them with a range of services and resources, including networking

events, training, and advice. The talk helped to emphasise the Chamber’s importance in promoting a strong and stable economy for the UK, and the role that businesses play in achieving that goal.

In addition, Lara Giusti, co-founder of Veloforte (a cycling nutrition brand) provided a unique perspective on trade through Brexit, sharing her personal experiences and insights, which made the talk more relatable and practical.

In conclusion, I found the talk to be a valuable learning experience, which provided me with a better understanding of the British Chamber of Commerce and the role it plays in supporting businesses in the UK.

Ben Rimmer (U6)

‘Making the UK the best place to start and grow a business: presenting the voice of British business to government’

Shevaun Haviland

‘Developing Treatments for Critically Ill Patients with Covid-19’

Prof Anthony Gordon

Can criminals be identified based on if they ate a cookie as a child?

By Jayme Ferrett (L6), Callum Chadwick (L6) and Bailey Davis (L6)

During Experiment Two, 27 participants performed the same ‘Go/No-Go’ task inside an MRI machine which was able to scan the brain. They found that the inferior frontal gyrus (the part of the brain that tells you to avoid risky behaviour) was more active in high delayers and the ventral striatum (the part of the brain that wants rewards) was more active in low delayers.

Have you ever wanted to have something but there was always something pulling you back? Have you ever tried to resist temptation but instead gave in? Well, about 50 years ago, the psychologist, Casey, had carried out the cookie test. This was to test whether or not children have the ability to resist a nice chocolate chip cookie to then get 10 of those cookies after 5 minutes. Casey had then showed us, by using a cookie, how alluring a stimulus can be. For example, trying to resist a chocolate bar even though you are on a diet. Psychologists believe that the brain has cognitive control which creates strategies to help delay this gratification. You may put the chocolate bar away, you may turn away from the chocolate bar so every temptation is put behind you, you might try distract yourself or just give in and end up eating it.

Did you know that different parts of your brain dictate whether you give into temptation or to restrict yourself? The right inferior frontal gyrus (quite the mouthful!) focuses on planning, control, and avoiding risky behaviour, while by contrast, the ventral striatum is associated with desires, a reward system, and what benefits you in the short term.

In Casey’s study, 562 four year-olds had completed the cookie test for their ability to delay gratification. Between 1993 – 2003, 155 of the same children had completed a questionnaire when they were 20 – 30 years old. This helped to categorise people into ‘high delayers’ (those who resisted temptation) and ‘low delayers’ (those who could not resist the cookie).

Ten years later – when the original sample of children were now 40 years-old – Experiment One took place. Experiment One tested if low delayer children would then show less impulse control as adults. In the ‘hot’ task, they were told to press ‘go’ when a happy face appeared on the screen. In the ‘cool’ task, participants were told to press the button if a male was shown. Surprisingly, it was found that participants who were low delayers as children continued to be low delayers as adults, especially when shown emotional stimuli.

Casey concluded that the right inferior frontal gyrus is associated with being able to delay gratification and the ventral striatum is associated with impulsive behaviour and not being able to delay gratification. He also found that someone’s delay of gratification is stable across a lifetime; whether someone was able to delay gratification as a child predicted their ability on an impulse control task 40 years later.

So, what does this mean? Do we have free will? Are we doomed if we can’t control our temptations at four years old?

This study can be implemented in a practical setting to explain why someone is acting in a certain way, such as in the criminal justice system. Criminals would be more likely to rely on their ventral striatum because it justifies low delayer behaviour: criminals would be considered low delayers as instead of delaying gratification by working hard and waiting for reward, they may take risks to try and get a reward faster. This could allow researchers to estimate if someone is a criminal from a young age by seeing if their ventral striatum is more dominant. Casey also concluded that delay of gratification normally doesn’t develop with age, so if someone is a low delayer at stages of early development they will typically remain a low delayer.

This study may seem like a troubling indictment of those of us who can’t resist a chocolate cookie, but never fear! Though we may have trouble resisting temptations, we still have the chance to develop discipline. After all, not all low delayers are criminals who can’t resist the temptation of not having that new fur coat – and therefore we shouldn’t change the criminal justice system simply because they have less impulse control. However, it does make us question the extent to which individuals have free will.

It should also be noted that being a low delayer can have positive consequences, such as taking risks and opportunities, leading to a better life.

To conclude, if there has been that moment of temptation, you will now know what makes you reach out for that chocolate bar and eat it.

THE JUNIOR SCHOOL: NURSERY

Billy Goats Gruff

The cute chicks!

Christmas card and decoration making

Nativity Play: The Little Blue Star

PRE-PREP 2 INTERVIEW: MRS SEWELL

Pre-Prep 2 children remember their learning journey started in the Nursery with Mrs Sewell.

Mrs Sewell, you are our wonderful St Benedict’s Nursery Manager. We have such happy memories of our time in Nursery. You started us on our learning journey and you helped build the important foundations of our reading, writing and number work.

We would love to find out more about you and have put together some questions.

What is your favourite food? Mmmm, well, I used to like pasta but now I like curry!

What street do you live on?

I live down a cul-de-sac. That’s a road that has a roundabout at the end for you to turn around and drive away.

Has Jack been good? (Asked by big brother Thomas!)

Jack is very, very helpful. He picks things up and puts things away.

What is your favourite animal? I love dogs! I have an English pointer called Betty. She is black with white spots. When you play the harmonica, she howls! When I play the harmonica Betty can sing in tune!

Which drink do you like the most? I like orange juice.

What is your favourite colour? I like black! I have lots of black clothing in my wardrobe.

What is your favourite material? I like shiny, metallic material.

What is your favourite number? Oh, lucky number 7.

What is your favourite storybook? Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone by J.K. Rowling

What is your favourite dessert? Oh, I like anything with lemon in it! So, I guess I like lemon tart, lemon curd, lemon sorbet….

What is your favourite cake? Lemon drizzle cake!

What is your favourite movie? Hocus Pocus because I was born on October 31st!

Where are you going on holiday? I am going to Jersey in April!

What is your favourite season? I really like Winter because I love Christmas!

What hobbies do you do outside of school?

I like cross-stitch. That is sewing. I made a bee. I also like Nintendo Switch and my favourite game is Kales.

Which hero do you like the best? Superman!

Who is your favourite football player? Ronaldo!

PRE-PREP 1

PP1’s Slither and Stomp topic focused on birds, reptiles, and dinosaurs.

Slither and Stomp

Nativity

Maths Week

Junk modelling

Georgia Chaterjee

Charlie Bent

Aiden Odea Hania Chruslinksa

‘The Adventures of the Egg Box Dragon’

“I like the part in the story when Egg Box Dragon found the missing diamond from the Queen’s crown.”

Tara Khan

“My favourite part was when Egg Box Dragon burned a hole in Dad’s coat. It was so funny!”

Aden Herrtage

“I like retelling the story out aloud to the class. I can use wow words like spectacular, regal and magnificent!”

Zac Jury

“My favourite part of the story was when Egg Box Dragon found the keys, the lipstick and the purse. It was the funniest part. I wish I could create a dragon that came alive!”

Rosie Cullen-Jones

“My favourite part was when Egg Box Dragon did a loud roar and breathed fire over the chocolate cake to melt it and eat it. It was the funniest part. I loved the story!”

James Rolt

Nativity

Maths Week: pizza topping sequences

Fire! Fire! – trip to Tower of London

Into the Woods

Pre-Prep 3 studied woodland plants, animals and their habitats, enriching their knowledge at Kew Gardens. They learned about woodland myths and legends, conservation, and explored impressionist paintings inspired by nature.

Fire! Fire! Theo Joannou

Nativity

Maths Week

Eddie Clisby

Owen Byrne Freya Kennedy-Alexander, Eska Harris, Senri Takemoto

LOWER PREP

Rainforests

As part of their Rainforests topic, Lower Prep studied plant life, visited The Living Rainforest ecological centre in Berkshire, read forest tales and created art inspired by Rousseau’s jungle paintings.

Olivia Chatterjee

Fintan Avella

Making an Egyptian pyramid

UPPER PREP

Out of Africa

Upper Prep studied the myths and legends, music, geography, history and art of Africa.

Leo Johnson Mark Pantea

Walk like an Egyptian Upper Prep have explored the fascinating world of the ancient Egyptians.

Aran Virdi

JUNIOR SCHOOL ART

Top right row (l to r): Zac Vosser (UP); Sam Connery (UP); Warli art (F1)

Middle left: Jayden Mucenieks (PP2)

Middle right: Bella Heanen (PP2)

Left: Max Owen (F2)

Below: Imogen Cull (F2)

Middle left: Maia Amodu (LP)

Bottom left: Fantasy animals (F1)

Cityscape mural by Art Hobby Group

Middle right: Elsa Munoz Alvarez (F2)

Bottom right: Claudia Scott (F2) (both works displayed at the Royal College of Art)

Minecraft pyramids (UP)

Global

Minecraft Cathedral (F1)

The Nile: a Natural Resource

They were so thankful for the river Nile they gave the Nile, a God, Hapi. The Nile flooded every six months, making the soil black and fertile, great for growing crops on. They also used the river Nile as a highway for trading goods. Sometimes the river Nile didn't flood so the soil wasn't fertile so instead they ate tasty birds and fish but there wasn't just tasty foods there were also crocodiles and hippos. It is believed that a hippo might have killed king Tut.

If there was no river Nile

Ancient Egypt would have been just a huge desert, no people would have lived there The papyrus reeds from the river Nile were made into baskets and boats They relied heavily on the river Nile to grow their crops, for trade and other things

They built canals to take the water from the river Nile to irrigate the land When you are in the River Nile you have to be careful because there are some of the world s largest crocodiles that are six metres long

Fact sheet on the River Nile (LP)

warming movies (F2)

Fire safety poster (PP2)

JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORT

RUGBY

The U11s rugby team had a mixed season with both victories and losses. With some of our best performances, we played some really flowing rugby, worked hard for each other, and communicated well as a team. We also came up against some serious opposition and were able to see and learn from how they play their rugby. Overall, the season was an enjoyable one. The teams have really progressed, and I particularly enjoyed the St Benedict’s home match teas!

In PE this year, we have perfected our skills in Badminton and developed our agility through Gymnastics. I loved leaping off the springboard and got gradually better at balances, jumps, rolls, and stands. I have also found that my core strength and flexibility have developed which have helped me in my other sports. My technique with forehand and backhand on the badminton racquet have improved and I look forward to competing against my dad in the summer.

Thank you to all the Games staff for your help and encouragement this year.

HOCKEY

I really enjoyed playing hockey in the U11A Team in the first term and particularly enjoyed being centre and right midfield as I like to run around a lot. We played lots of fixtures that were very fun. In the second term we usually play netball but did two more hockey tournaments, the London County tournament in which we came second but progressed through to the London Regional tournament in which we nearly came first but in the last 20 seconds the opposing team scored. This was a little upsetting, but it was a great experience and we have improved tremendously.

NETBALL

In the Lent Term we played netball and it was really enjoyable. We play fixtures against different schools every now and then and most of the times we beat our opposition. We played fixtures against Belmont, John Lyon, Chesham Prep, Avenue house and St Augustine’s. I have really enjoyed playing netball for the school this term and can’t wait to play tennis and athletics in Trinity Term.

Rugby has been really exciting this term. We played a match at Merchant Taylors’ and the team were really on fire. Everyone worked hard at tackling and passing. At Haberdashers’ we had another tough match, but the team worked hard, and we won.

We played Kew Prep at home and it was a tough match. At half time we were 4 tries down. But no one gave up. We all fought back, and we went on to draw. The coach was impressed with this score because it showed that we don’t ever give up until the final whistle.

I have really loved playing with the team this term. Everyone has worked hard and supported each other. I think we have really improved, and we have represented our school well with our commitment.

Edward Lewis (F2)

Christo Kopoi (F2)

Maria Szyszko-Walls (F2)

Mia Yasdi (F2)

JUNIOR SCHOOL MUSIC

Young Voices at Wembley

On Tuesday 7th February, St Benedict’s Junior School Schola Choir visited Wembley Arena, to sing with 5,000 other children from all across the UK to form the Young Voices Choir. The Schola Choir included pupils from Upper Prep to Form Two who had been hard at work rehearsing for months.

We all arrived and took our seats ready for rehearsals that went on all afternoon. We were exhausted, but when the lights went up at 7.00 pm, and the parents arrived, the deafening noise of both the choir and the audience demonstrated how excited and full of energy we were. The atmosphere was electric.

There was a special song that was played at the beginning, ‘Space Man’ by Sam Ryder, and that got everyone up on their feet. We performed a variety of pop, folk and disco songs. My favourite was the ‘Nile Rogers Disco Party’ medley because there were some songs that I knew from it (such as ‘We are Family’ by Sister Sledge) and it was the finale. Also, they brought out the disco ball, lighting up the arena in a magical way.

As well as the Young Voices Choir there were a few different musicians to entertain the audience: Beat boxers, a brilliant violinist and the one and only Heather Small. It was a great night to remember.

Spring Concert 2023

This year’s Spring Concert was as magical as always, bringing the Junior School’s musical talent to the Orchard Hall for a wonderful night of ‘Music for a New Millennium’. Held on Wednesday 1st March, the audience were treated to a range of musical numbers to take them back to the early 2000s.

The Junior School Chorus (F1-F2) started off singing ‘Happy’ by Pharrell Williams followed by ‘Somewhere Only We Know’ by Keane. Then, individual groups of instruments such as Guitar Group, Brass Group and the Clarinet Ensemble played inspiring renditions of popular tunes composed by well-known musicians.

I loved having the opportunity to play the cajon with the String Ensemble and the Trad group, and I really enjoyed playing the cymbals in the orchestra for ‘Night on a Bare Mountain’, as well as the piano for the 1812 Overture. It was also an honour to be playing in the first ever performance of Dr Atherton’s Percussion composition, ‘Tengu!’

Thank you to Mr Field and all the other music teachers involved for putting on a great concert.

Edward Lewis (F2)

Edward Lewis (F2)

COOKING AMBASSADORS

Our roles as Cooking Ambassadors are to help Mrs Matkov bake for St Benedict’s Day and other times like the end of term. We have also helped at Open Morning where we helped younger children to make cakes and biscuits. We make sure that the cooking room is kept tidy. We also bake with our classes.

Recently, we have prepared food with a chef called Ashley Marsh, who came from The Royal Academy of Culinary Arts. He came to school to teach all of Form 2, about tasting food with all our five senses, knife skills and in our last session we were taught how to make soup. We interviewed Ashley and found out that he has met Gordon Ramsey.

Zach Jordan, Christo Kopoi, Rocco Russo, Nora Khatibi and Harvey Bissett (F2)

JUNIOR SCHOOL SCIENCE

What do our children think about science?

LP

“Science is my favourite subject because you have lots of fun. I have learnt about things that I did not know before.”

Millie Codrington

“It’s my favourite! We get to do so many fun things, like making fossils and flower models, and also it is very interesting.”

Fintan Avella

UP

“Science is my ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE subject because it is fun and interesting. I want to be a scientist when I grow up.”

Miriam Ozdamir

“I love science because it is so exciting. You never know what will happen!!”

Evie Beake

F1

“Science is amazing because I love doing the practical and book work. I have lots of favourite practicals such as using Oreo biscuits to represent the phases of the moon and investigating friction. I want to be an engineer when I’m older.”

Lisa Kluemper

F2

“I love science, because when you focus on what you learn you realise how the whole universe is bound together. Science is life!”

Joseph

Thomas

“I love learning about DNA. Genes are like the story and DNA is the language. I find it fascinating how life has evolved to the present day.”

Elsa Munoz Alvarez

Lower Prep investigating friction

Lower Prep magnetic mazes

Upper Prep making ice cream

Lower Prep identifying parts of a flower

When Lights Run Out

When I turn the lights on, They simply are gone! No electricity is stirring, Even my automatic fan is not whirring! When I try to turn on the toaster to toast bread, It just lies there, looking sad and dead!

My TV, instead of blaring, Was just staring at me, glaring! Then I remembered I was an electrician, And now I’m on an electric mission! I’m going to engage in many fights, I know you’re wondering with whom, and they are lights!

Dylan Bradford

Science homework task – a day without electricity

(F2)

Form 1 – reversible and irreversible changes

Lower Prep – making an ammonite fossil

Pre-Prep science hobby – making spaghetti towers

Bunsen Burners (F2)

FORM 1

Meet the Greeks

The Legend of Poppy

Once there was a woman called Poppy who lived in the forest. She was gifted in the art of hunting. Sometimes, she was said to be a warrior. Poppy’s final hunts were amazing to eat but the act of her hunting was a sight to behold. Dwarves were said to abandon their knitting to come and observe her magic. So spectacular were her works, that observers were often heard commenting, “She must have been trained by the god of hunting: Artemis himself.” Poppy scoffed at this. She proclaimed that Artemis couldn’t do better than her.

Artemis was quite disturbed at Poppy’s claim, but he decided to give the woman a chance to calm herself. He came down disguised as an old man. “Be careful not to offend the gods lest you incur their punishment,” he taunted. Poppy answered, “Be quiet, for I have nothing to fear.” Poppy welcomed a contest with Artemis. The god also accepted the challenge and revealed his true form. Poppy stood her shaky ground. She had made a claim and she was sticking to it.

Promptly, the contest began: the mortal at her platform, the god at his. They both began to hunt. A while later, Artemis found a fox to help him cheat but Poppy was still winning so Artemis gave another challenge to see how many birds they could each kill. Poppy won all the challenges so Artemis killed her but after he did, he felt bad.

He decided to bring her back to life as a fox so she could hunt for the rest of her life.

The moral of this Greek legend is: do not offend the gods.

Emmeline Love

Creative Writing

Creative

workshop with author Sam Sedgman

The Awakening of Mr Tumnus

The children wrote descriptive passages about Mr Tumnus reawakening, having been frozen in stone for many months by the evil White witch in C.S Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Returning to Life

Gradually, Mr Tumnus awakened. His hair swayed in the wind. Slowly, his face unfroze as he felt the warmth on his face. Suddenly, his spine collapsed, and he fell into Lucy’s arms. He could hear the rushing unfrozen waterfalls in the distance.

Shakily, he stretched his legs and arms. He could now see all the animals, who also used to be frozen awakening just like him. He could taste spring in the air. He leaped for joy!

The blinding sun was brighter than it had ever been before. The scent of bluebells perfumed the air. He then spotted Aslan, with his enormous golden mane. Mr Tumnus followed him outside where the hedges and flowers were alive with vivid colours.

He opened his eyes wider to take in the ever-growing crowd of animals, getting bigger by the minute. Some time later, the sky cleared except for a few clouds of fluffy cotton balls, floating lazily across the sky.

Dylan Avella

Greeking out to awesome Athena

Amazing Athena has hair like a lion’s mane. Her graceful owl swims through the sky. The beauty she beams is like a star that dazzles in the night. Her power can lift a thousand mountains at the same time. Clang goes her spear as it pirouettes through the sky. Athena’s beauty breaks hearts of millions. Wise and powerful, her grace attacks all those who face her. As you can see, beauty deceives all…

Grace Heald and Sophia Norman

History Competition Finalists

Form 1 pupils took part in the Carton De Wiart History Competition run by Reading Oratory, and three entries reached the Final:

Che Whitton: Black Death poem and collage

Mikey Oldland: Battle of Hastings (television news report) James Giles: Tutankhamun model

Tutankhamun was my age (9) when he became Pharaoh of Egypt. He ruled for 9 years and died at the age of 18. He was relatively unknown until 1922, when Howard Carter, a British archaeologist, discovered his tomb in the Valley of Kings. What was so amazing about this discovery was that the burial chamber was almost completely untouched. This meant that we could learn about life in ancient Egypt in detail and how seriously they took death. We learned how Tutankhamun was mummified, including how his corpse was dried out to prevent rot and how his brain and digestive tract were removed and placed in canopic jars. His body was wrapped in bandages and resin and a solid gold mask was placed over his head. There were 5,398 items inside the tomb. It took 10 years to catalogue and empty the tomb. Today, all the artefacts are on display in museums in Egypt.

James Giles

BLACK DEATH

Rats, rats everywhere, Bitten by fleas, without a care.

Blood-sucking, boil-creating little creatures, Infused the rats with poison to destroy human features. Spreading like a forest wildfire, It became a pandemic that was rather dire.

Rotten dirty streets attracted the horrid, tiny beasts, In London 1348 they had a feast!

The Bubonic Plague dotted victims with black buboes, Even King Edward III’s daughter died under his nose.

The plague would not leave its host Punishing Europe, China and India the most.

The Black Death, as it’s called, Killed 100,000,000 people, leaving families to bawl.

London was lucky to escape its wrath, For in 1666 the Great Fire destroyed all in its path. But somehow the plague lives on, And keeps whispering its malicious, maleficent SONG!

Maths Escape Room

Che Witton

Rian O’Sullivan

Mikey Oldland

FORM 2

Meet the Greeks

Form 2 read the myth of Persephone, who was kidnapped by Hades and taken to the Underworld. Her mother, Demeter, scoured the earth looking for her and asked Zeus for help; he decreed that Persephone should spend six months in the Underworld and another six on earth (because she had eaten six pomegranate seeds in the Underworld): this is how the seasons were created.

Form 2 wrote letters to Hades as if they were Demeter.

In Maths Week, Form 2 were busily engaged in their enterprise project “Make £5 grow”. They created, marketed, and sold their products – from slime to stress balls and cakes – growing their £5 loans to a profit of over £1231, which was donated to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

Teambuilding

Maths Escape Room

Beth Edwards

Reyansh Agarwal

Creative Writing

The black, malicious blanket of night conquers the sky as a ribbon in water.

Fear suffocated my lungs, blocked my windpipe with its hands of murder and tickled my spine like a thousand tiny spiders. Silence, stillness and suffocation… Crushhh, Chrushh; frozen grass beneath me.

The Majestic moon conducted an orchestra of dancing stars, Hypnotising you with melancholy music.

I am nostalgic of faded away, bittersweet memories. The shadows swallowed me into an inky-black ocean of thoughts.

The cold nibbled my nerves.

Suddenly, a crescent, orange, velvet glow flooded the corners of the world, drowned your heart and warmed my body. It intimidated the eerie moonlight and sashayed misery out. Now the sky is a multicolour of crescent, velvet, navy blue. The marshmallow clouds, which are teabags, hung on the dazzling horizon.

The light leaked through my heart as a dove with an olive branch.

The verdant trees shimmered and etched different shades of emerald. What will happen next?

Elsa Munoz Alvarez

The Aurora That Lives

Shadows of Emotion

The flashes, the cameras, the crowded exhibit, Everyone fighting to get a glimpse of me. My life feels like an empty void, and my prison cell a nightmare I can’t wake up from.

The world is corrupt and cruel, it thinks that I am a joke. ‘The Gorilla deserves to be laughed at’ though it knows that it is wrong.

At day, the people plague me, stumbling by my cage. By night the iridescent moon swallows up everything into inky blackness.

As the dormice scamper by, I plead to them to free me, but they run away like all of my bittersweet memories. A tear forms in my eye, a crystal of my lost life, The Stars stumble by, waltzing across the horizon. Thunder clouds roll on, raindrops enshroud my face. Crash! The lightning strikes and kills, a symbol of hope for me.

Becky Ramsden

A rippling ray of emerald green raced across the inky blackness like a ribbon in the water.

Ten thousand gasps rose into the air around me, Hot air balloons firing up into the frozen, Arctic air. The green light bathed the dark, snow laden trees. Tinting the same powdery, paper white snow that I was crunching on a pale, perfect green.

Verdant swirls flickered like fireflies, Pink, red and blue shimmering and outlining the flowing form.

It seemed to emit an eerie, bittersweet sound, although I knew it was only my imagination. They were the most beautiful thing I had ever seen. A colossal snake winding its way through a lightspeckled sea.

It was a silent airborne melody.

William Pokorny and Reyansh Agarwal ©

FORM 2 INTERVIEW: MISS CANOVAS

When did you move to England?

I moved to England in January 2015. At first it was only going to be a few months and I’m still here! This country has some great opportunities and a unique culture; besides that I can travel to Spain very frequently.

What’s different about England and Spain?

Different cultures and different way of seeing life. But here I have achieved just the balance that I have always been looking for. Although they are different, the two countries bring me very positive things.

What do you most like about teaching?

When I see my students enjoying learning Spanish, or when I hear them around the school speaking in Spanish and they feel the same passion that I feel. For me it is something magical that I cannot explain with words. I feel very proud of each one of my students and I always see them working hard. For me there is no better reward.

What’s is your favourite Spanish food?

The paella that my mother makes on Sundays! My mother’s family is from Valencia (where paellas originate from) and she makes them delicious. I also love being able to go for tapas and eat fresh fish whenever I go.

What is your favourite thing about England?

I have many. From the landscapes and charming towns to the cultural offer and the life that this country has. Here you can be yourself, you can express your ideas and not be judged for it.

Miss Canovas started working in St Benedict’s Junior School in September and we were very keen to find out more about her. Miss Canovas teaches Spanish and she runs a Spanish hobby. We think Spanish is a lovely language and we are very lucky to have her teach in our school.

What’s your favourite place in Spain?

My favourite places in Spain are my hometown, Almeria, and Madrid.

My hometown is on the southeast coast of Spain and has the best beaches in Europe. Madrid is the city where most of my friends live and the cultural and gastronomic offer is incredible. Whenever I can, I escape there.

Where do you like going on holidays?

I love getting to know new places, I was recently in the centre of Italy and I loved it. I always choose destinations that can give me a new experience in my life.

How many years have you been teaching Spanish?

I started to be a Spanish teacher right after I finished my university degree and my internship in New York (12 years ago). Teaching my language and my culture is something that makes me immensely happy and privileged.

Why did you choose this school?

I have known former students of St Benedict’s for years, and they have always spoken to me very fondly of the school. Now I understand the reason. For me, this school is the perfect combination of my Catholic faith and the way of teaching. I am very lucky to be a teacher here and to have a wonderful team and students.

How often do you visit Spain?

Whenever I can! I usually go every three months to see my family and friends. I love being able to do this combination.

What are your interests?

I love reading mystery novels. My father had a small bookstore in my city and I always spent the afternoons reading there. I love cooking and spending time with my friends and family.

Last summer I became a fan of paddle surfing and it’s something I always try to do to disconnect and relax in the sea.

What is your name in Spanish?

Judith – it is the same! You only need to change the pronunciation from English to Spanish. Imagine it has a Y instead of a J.

Interview questions by Elsa Munoz and Kasper Muraszko (F2)

JUNIOR SCHOOL LANGUAGES

PUPIL OFFICIALS

SENIOR SCHOOL OFFICIALS

Head Boy: Robert Jeffries

Head Girl: Natalia McFadzean

Deputy Head Boy: Arhat Talwar

Deputy Head Girl: Alice Jenkins

Senior Decans: Rami Ahmad Cameron Hughes

Alodie Aldridge Cheyenne Kouyoumjian

Destiny Attram Sofia Krunic

Mark Cattell Harry Lyons

Gabriel Chambers Christopher Moon

Toby Daniels-Shayvard Rosaleen O’Haire

Luca Francis Erin Roberts

Sara Hadji-Heshmati Christopher Vaughan

Lochan Hearn Max Worrall

Presidents of School Council: Lochan Hearn Cheyenne Kouyoumjian

House Captains:

Barlow: Mia Hobbs and Cameron Hughes

Gervase: Billy Delargy and Rosaleen O’Haire

Pickering: Thomas Gordon and Erin Roberts

Roberts: Leila Bennadi and Christopher Vaughan

Decans: Luke Ainslie Grace Jones

Louis Bhavnani Lea Kassouf

Eleanor Bowden Eden Kennedy

Edie Bright Annice Kerr

Jonathan Cronin Tom Mackenzie

Billy Delargy Oliver Mayes

Aamile Depal Joshan Minhas

Jemima Dodd Daniel Norris

Ben Dovey Ben Rimmer

Isabella Downer Henry Rust

Emma Hermans Amalie Shakespeare

Shreyas Hiremat Daniel Shenas

Mia Hobbs Charlie Soden

Captain of Boys’ Athletics: Rory Johnston

Captain of Girls’ Athletics: Charlotte Gardiner

Captain of Cricket: Ned Watts

Captain of Fencing: Ethan Barter

Captain of Hockey: Rosaleen O’Haire

Captain of Netball: Isabelle Haran

Captain of Rugby: Oliver Mayes

Head of CCF: Natalia McFadzean

CCF Cadet Drum Major: Sgt Rami Ahmad

Leader of the School Orchestra: Helena Ramsden

President of the SVP: Oliver Mayes

JUNIOR SCHOOL OFFICIALS

Head Pupils: Beth Edwards and Hugo King

Deputy Head Pupils: Reyansh Agarwal, Leila Balakrishnan, William Pokorny, Claudia Scott

Prefects: Maxim Clark, Imogen Cull, Cyrus Drandakis, Otto Matthews, William McCahearty, Dilan Patel, Becky Ramsden, Jayden Rao, Ari Svasti-Salee, Yukihiro Svasti-Salee

House Captains:

Bede: Christo Kopoi and Maria Szyszko-Walls

Fisher: Edward Lewis and Miz Yazdi

Gregory: Felix Ryabokon and Lily Jamshidi

More: Jack Salem and Amelia Marron

Art Ambassadors: Harvey Bissett, Harvey Bugeja, Isobel Cole, Jai Deegan, Ruairi Hayato Martin

Cookery Ambassadors: Harvey Bissett, Zachary Jordan, Nora Khatibi, Christo Kopoi, Rocco Russo

Dance Ambassador: Danielle Oyinlola

Eco & Geography Ambassadors: Zander Goodridge, Rayan Sheikh

English Ambassadors: Imogen Cull, Beth Edwards, Lily Jamshidi, Didier Lumsden, Louie Souter

ICT Ambassadors: Alex Collamati, Mylo Landon, Didier Lumsden, Luca Leoni, Byron Williams-Iglesias

Library Ambassadors: Amelie Booth, Louie Souter, Mia Yazdi

Mathematics Ambassadors: Leila Balakrishnan, Dylan Bradford, Bradley Clark, Leo Garcia, Becky Ramsden, Rayan Sheikh, Lucian Wang

Modern Foreign Language Ambassadors: Elsa Munoz Alvarez, Kasper Muraszko

Mass & Music Ambassadors: Thomas Lane, Edward Lewis, Ruairi Hayato Martin, Elsa Munoz Alvarez, Dilan Patel, William Pokorny, Becky Ramsden, Jack Salem, Ari Svasti-Salee, Maria Szyszko-Walls

Pre-Prep Ambassadors: Amelie Booth, Danny Boyle, Wilfred Holland, Zachary Jordan, Amelie Marsh, Mia Maryniak, William Pokorny

Mini Vinnie Presidents: Nora Khatibi, Otto Matthews

Science Ambassadors: Isaac Kennedy-Alexander, Amelie Marsh, Mia Maryniak

School Council Chairs: Max Owen, Danielle Oyinlola

Housemistresses/masters:

Bede: Mrs S Stevenson

Fisher: Miss C Langlands

Gregory: Mr L Wright

More: Mr J Laffey