ST BENEDICT’S
NEWS
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M ICHA E L M A S TE R M 2 0 1 6
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• V 020 8862 2010
M headmaster@stbenedicts.org.uk
F St Benedicts School, Ealing •
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Dear Parents, I hope you enjoy reading the first edition of St Benedict’s News. As you can see, it has been a busy and successful term! St Benedict’s is a school which provides many opportunities for the personal development of our pupils. Highlights this term include a superb production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a performance of Hansel and Gretel with a professional opera company, successful Duke of Edinburgh Gold expeditions and a huge number of sports fixtures and opportunities. Academically, pupils have taken part in various national competitions, achieving impressive results. Curricular enrichment has been provided by many trips, both in London and overseas. St Benedict’s News provides an insight into just some of our activities and achievements. What is more difficult to convey in these pages is our strong sense of community, values and respect for the individual which are so tangible in the day to day life of the school. I wish you and your families a peaceful Christmas and a Happy New Year. Best wishes,
Andrew Johnson Headmaster
Dear Parents, It has indeed been an action-packed Michaelmas term at the Junior School, and the weeks have certainly flown by. The children have been able to enjoy a wide range of academic and co-curricular activities, including Book Week, the Instruments Live! concerts and School Challenge Quest. The term will come to a delightful close with the Nativity Plays and the Carol Services, as we prepare to celebrate Christmas. I am grateful to parents for their continued support in all that we do together, and for their generosity in contributing to fundraising for the Advent Appeal in aid of CAFOD, Live in Hope and Colourful Dreams. The final total raised will be confirmed early in the Lent term 2017.
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I hope that you and your family enjoy a peaceful and relaxing Christmas and I wish you great happiness for the New Year.
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With best wishes,
Rob Simmons Junior School Headmaster
ARMY OFFICER SCHOLARSHIP David Cuss (Upper 6th) has been awarded an Army Officer Scholarship to Sandhurst, the first awarded at St Benedict’s in 10 years. The selection process lasted a year, beginning with an interview at Horseguards, and a Generic Army Insight Course. David then attended an Army Officer Selection Board at Westbury. Fitness tests and an obstacle course followed, to assess his stamina, while command tasks – practical problems that involve having to work as a team – assessed mental and physical agility. David said: “The most challenging part of the course was the planning exercise (PLANEX) which involved having to read a long text, draw out the relative information and use it to come up with a solution to a figurative situation. The PLANEX had several different solutions; the task was working out what would work, assessing the different options and then picking the solution that best satisfied all the objectives. We then had to present our plans to the DS and answer questions.” There were 250 applicants competing in the final rounds, and 41 received scholarships this year – a measure of David’s success. David would be happy to advise anyone considering applying for an Army Officer Scholarship about the process. David will attend university before his army career begins, and hopes to read War Studies at King’s College, London. We congratulate him on this outstanding achievement and wish him well for the future.
REMEMBRANCE SERVICE The annual Remembrance Service took place in the Abbey Church on Friday, November 11th, led by Dom Alexander Bevan, OSB. The Headmaster, Heads of School and senior cadets of the Combined Cadet Force laid wreaths before the altar. The Head Girl, Monira Oliveira Khalil, read from the letter of St Paul to the Romans: “Nothing can come between us and the love of Christ.” The Head Boy, Matthew Carr, read from the works of St John Chrysostom: “The cross is the joy of the Father, the glory of Christ, the triumph of the Holy Spirit, the beauty of the angels and the light of the sons and daughters of God.” The choir then sang In Paradisum from Fauré’s Requiem. The whole school observed a two minute silence, framed by the Last Post and the Reveille, played by Benedict King (Upper 5th).
THE REMEMBRANCE CONCERT
ST BENEDICT’S NEWS
The St Benedict’s School Concert and Consort Choirs combined for a Remembrance Concert in the Abbey Church. Conducted by the Director of Music, Mr Eastwood, the choirs sang movements from Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem, Sanctus from Bob Chilcott’s Requiem, Evening Prayer by Ola Gjeilo and Agnus Dei from Benjamin Britten’s War Requiem. The programme also featured poignant readings of war poetry, including John McCrae’s In Flanders Fields and Ted Hughes’ Bayonet Charge.
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Hockey players at St Benedict’s struck gold with a visit from Dr Hannah Macleod, who represented Team GB at the Olympic Games in London 2012 and Rio 2016. Hannah, a Forward in the Team GB Hockey squad, won Bronze in London and Gold in Rio. Hannah visited the school on September 1st, giving the senior school girls an inspiring start to their hockey season. Having just returned from Rio, this was the first time she had picked up a hockey stick since the Olympic final. Hannah took the girls through a training session, which included tips on the best way to attack, demonstrations on types of forward moves and tactics on the ‘golden shuffle’ (the move which won the team Gold against the Dutch team in Rio). Hannah has an excellent relationship with St Benedict’s and has visited the school twice before. She said: “It’s been absolutely brilliant to see the increased numbers of hockey players at St Benedict’s today. How they’ve taken on the information and put it into practice in such a short space of time is really promising.”
ST BENEDICT’S STRIKE GOLD WITH AN OLYMPIC VISIT
Emma Szlachetko (Upper 6th) attended the training and said: “It has been really great having Hannah here. Everyone has been really keen to meet her; it is incredible for us to see someone who has gone so far in hockey – she inspires us to achieve what she’s achieved in the Olympics.”
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...it is incredible for us to see someone who has gone so far in hockey – she inspires us to achieve what she’s achieved in the Olympics.
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BACK TO THE
Children in Forms 1 and 2 at St Benedict’s Junior School began the term with a brilliant trip to The Forties Experience, Bushey. Everyone travelled back in time to the days of the Blitz, making a stunning start to their WW2 topic, We’ll Meet Again. There could be no better introduction to the language and themes of the topic, than climbing into an Anderson Shelter, dressing up in forties clothes and listening to an air-raid siren.
Later in the term, everyone came to school dressed as an evacuee, labels, suitcases and gas-masks at the ready.
We pretended we were in a house in the Blitz, surrounded by fire bombs. It was fun and exciting! (Helena)
I absolutely loved the garden because we had to put out the fire caused by the incendiary bomb. (Olivia)
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I liked the Blitz because it was realistic with the sounds and the air-raid siren. (Artie)
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the Big Draw
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The Cloisters became an artist’s studio for the day in October, when all pupils in Forms 2 and 3 took part in the Big Draw. Developing their work on contrasting textures, they created imaginary, fantastic creatures, with claws, fur, feathers, antlers and beaks.
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The Duke of Edinburgh’s Gold Award qualifying expedition took place at the beginning of term and was a great success. A group of 26 Upper 6th students undertook a four-day trek in Snowdonia, applying their navigating, survival and camp-craft skills in challenging, mountainous conditions. Mrs Comins, who co-ordinates the Gold expeditions, said: “They all did brilliantly and have no doubt learnt a lot about themselves, each other and the challenges of working together as a team in difficult conditions.” The Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award is a major, prestigious achievement, and is highly respected by university admissions department and employers.
ST BENEDICT’S NEWS
DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD
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Caroline wins the European Youth Debating Competition
Caroline Gakpetor (Upper 6th) has won the final of the European Youth Debating Competition, held in Budapest in October. Caroline defeated competitors from nine other European countries, including Germany, Spain and the Netherlands, and was one of only three students to represent the UK in the competition, which has been running since April this year. The UK team included Ambrose Mac-Fall, also in the Upper 6th at St Benedict’s. The subject for the debate was: ‘How would you imagine your future – with or without the petrochemical industry?’ Caroline argued the case for more investment in renewable energy in the future, and less reliance upon petrochemicals. The aim of the competition, organised by the European Petrochemical Association (EPCA), was to inform about sustainability and resource efficiency, and to promote STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). It was adjudicated by representatives of the chemical and petrochemical industry, academics, journalists and NGOs. CEO of the European Petrochemical Association, Cathy Demeestere, said: “I was profoundly impressed and inspired by the overall level of maturity and debating skills the young debaters have presented. Seeing the challenges Europe faces, I am convinced that initiatives like this are crucial and deserve our continued support.”
FORM 3 SIGN UP FOR ACTIVITIES
ST BENEDICT’S NEWS
The eagerly awaited Co-Curricular Fair took place at St Benedict’s early in the term. Teachers and senior pupils set up a series of colourful and enticing stalls, so that new pupils in Form 3 could fully appreciate the huge range of activities on offer. The Cloisters resounded with the evident enthusiasm of the punters, who eagerly signed up for activities such as Eco Council, Dance, Drama, Polyglots, a whole host of music and sports activities, and clubs for Science, History, and many other subjects.
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ST BENEDICT’S TIME-CAPSULE Children at St Benedict’s Junior School watched as their time-capsule was buried on the site of the new Nursery and Pre-Prep Department. It contained letters written by every child aged 3 to 11 at the school, a St Benedict’s uniform and a newspaper – illuminating material for archaeologists of the future!
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Landscaping around this beautiful new facility will provide better outdoor play areas for the children. It is due to be completed by September 2017.
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Book Week at St Benedict’s was a stimulating, varied and enriching celebration of books throughout the school. As well as competitions, book discussions and reading sessions, pupils enjoyed a series of inspiring talks from authors. Film maker and mountaineer Matt Dickinson talked about his experiences in Antarctica and on Everest, which inspired him to write the thriller series Mortal Chaos and The Everest Files. He also led a creative writing seminar for Upper 4th pupils.
Caroline Lawrence
Steve Cole, author of the Astrosaurs and Young James Bond series, spoke entertainingly about his research into the weird and wonderful inventions of the 1930s, which provides many ideas for his fiction. Caroline Lawrence, author of The Roman Mysteries series, talked about the inspiration for her work, which is classical literature and ancient Rome. Quoting Picasso, she said: “Good artists copy; great artists steal.” Children at St Benedict’s Nursery and Junior School enjoyed some lively story-telling from Teresa Heapy, author of Very Little Red Riding Hood, comic and nonfiction books. The fairy tale theme continued when the Hobgoblin Theatre Company presented The Greatest Fairy Story Ever Told. Their energetic, humorous romp through a collection of fairy tales had everyone spellbound!
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Book Week concluded with a wonderful dressing-up parade of story-book characters.
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BOOK WEEK
The Hobgoblin Theatre Company Teresa Heapy
Steve Cole
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Modern Languages Week 2016 The St Benedict’s Modern Languages Week in September proved to be a varied, wide-ranging and extremely busy week. Two language exchanges took place: the Upper 5th Spanish group travelled to Benicarló, and the Lower 5th German group went to Meschede. To mark the 10th anniversary of the Meschede partnership, Mr Johnson visited the Gymnasium der Benediktiner and presented the Headmaster with a St Benedict’s coat of arms.
Herr Heinz-Jürgen Plugge (Headmaster of the Gymnasium der Benediktiner), Miss Davis (Head of German), Mr Johnson, Dom Thomas Stapleford and Mr Thomas
The Family French Evening gave Form 3 pupils and parents the opportunity to discuss how to become efficient language learners, and to sample a little French cuisine. The first floor of the Cloisters was brought to life as Form 4 showcased different countries and cultures. Lower 5th Spanish pupils went to the Europa Centre, Upminster, to produce a radio broadcast in Spanish. Sixth Form linguists attended a Why Languages? talk, given by the Head of Modern Languages, Mrs Brooks, and other members of the teaching staff.
On Friday morning, Onatti Theatre Company performed a play entirely in French for the Upper 4th, drawing a few pupils into the action! Finally, a Brazilian-themed lunchtime, the launch of an impressive collection of poems and stories in French, German and Spanish written by pupils, and the annual Form 2 vs Form 3 Languages Quiz rounded off the week’s events.
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Merci! Danke! ¡Gracias!
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PRIZE GIVING 2016 In September St Benedict’s welcomed The Lord Alton of Liverpool as Guest of Honour at Prize Giving in the Abbey Church. Prize Giving is a high point in the school’s calendar, when the many talents and achievements of our pupils are celebrated.
David Alton, who is an Independent Crossbench Peer, praised St Benedict’s for the excellent education it provides. The pupils he had met over the years, he said, had shown an impressive awareness of the current challenges and injustices in society, and had shown a determination to make a difference. A tireless campaigner for human rights, David Alton drew attention to the plight of the thousands of people throughout the world who suffer religious persecution, in countries such
as Iraq, Pakistan, North Korea and Burma. He said: “Young people who have benefitted from all that schools like St Benedict’s have to offer are well equipped to seek and serve truth, and to find solutions to the challenges of our times.” The St Benedict’s Choir gave an excellent performance of John Rutter’s Gloria, and the Vote of Thanks was given by the Head Boy, Matthew Carr, and the Head Girl, Monira Oliveira Khalil.
Upper Prep explore Africa As part of this term’s topic, Out of Africa, Upper Prep visited the British Museum for a talk and treasure hunt around the African Rooms. After an interesting presentation on Benin art, the children really enjoyed searching for clues to the hidden treasure, completing their workbooks as they went. All are now experts on Benin symbols and artwork!
ST BENEDICT’S NEWS
The evening began with an address from the new Headmaster at St Benedict’s, Andrew Johnson. Mr Johnson gave a report on the outstanding events, activities, victories, trips and triumphs of the past year, and said: “There is a common thread which runs through Catholic education. Catholic schools recognise the unique value of every individual, whoever they are and wherever they have come from. We seek to develop pupils’ gifts and potential to the full, while encouraging them in their faith and nurturing them as people in the fullest sense.”
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A Midsummer Night’s Dream was performed by pupils from the Lower 4th to Upper 5th this term, to mark the 400th centenary of Shakespeare’s death. The play was performed in the round, and the audience was captivated from the beginning by the elegant dignity of Hippolyta (Paulina Sienniak), Theseus (Louis Clow), and the angry Egeus (Harry van Dinter). The young lovers’ forest trysts were brilliantly performed: the furious fight between Hermia (Eleanor Harper) and Helena (Zoe Rutherford), as their hapless suitors looked on, was hilarious. The bewitching of Lysander (Ed Moss) and Demetrius (Daniel Fayinka) was particularly well conveyed, as both lovers fell into hypnotic adoration of the wrong girl, proving that “The course of true love never did run smooth.” Puck’s mischievous glee was brilliantly captured by Darcie Hunter, as she led everyone “up and down” with her magic. Finley Carty-Howe captured Peter Quince’s frustration perfectly, as he tried to coax high art from the “rude mechanicals”. Jack Leonard as Bottom was truly outstanding throughout, both as the jackass of Titania’s affections and as the overblown hero Pyramus. His heroine Thisbe (Finn Keelan) matched his melodrama. The entire cast performed with total conviction and wholehearted involvement in the drama from the minute they entered the stage to the curtain-call at the end.
ST BENEDICT’S NEWS
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM
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THE ABBEY CHOIR TOUR TO AUSTRIA AND SLOVAKIA
The Ealing Abbey Choir, which includes nineteen choristers from St Benedict’s School, toured to Vienna and Bratislava over half term. The choir, directed by Mr Eastwood, performed a series of concerts at a number of venues including the Stephansdom, Vienna’s magnificent cathedral. Concerts included works by Byrd, Haydn, Bruckner and Tallis, and were well received
Instruments Live! Concerts at St Benedict’s Junior School
ST BENEDICT’S NEWS
Three morning concerts have given St Benedict’s young musicians the opportunity to perform this term. Parents have enjoyed polished, expressive performances from our singers, percussionists and string players.
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by large audiences. In Vienna the choir rehearsed with the Vienna Boys’ Choir under its director Gerald Wirth, which was a unique opportunity for the two choirs to come together. The final concert of the tour was performed in Bratislava as part of the 6th International Festival in Gregorian Chant; the Choir sang Tallis’ Magnificat octavi toni and a contemporary setting by Matthew Martin of the 6th century hymn Christe Redemptor.
ST BENEDICT’S OPERA CHOIR STEAL THE SHOW IN HANSEL AND GRETEL St Benedict’s pupils took to the stage in Midsummer Opera’s production of Hansel and Gretel at St John’s Waterloo in November. The 24 members of the choir, aged between 11 and 17, had been invited to sing in Humperdinck’s fairy tale opera by director John Upperton. Mrs Esslin-Peard, the choir’s director, said: “Midsummer Opera ran a workshop with our pupils in the summer to cast boys and girls who could both sing and act. They were looking for a real commitment to learning the score in German.” The St Benedict’s singers gave two spell-binding performances as the Gingerbread children. As one singer commented, “We were treated like adults in the rehearsals. We had to work hard with the professional singers and we got a real insight into how an opera It was a joy production is put together.”
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to work with
John Upperton from Midsummer the pupils from Opera summed up the contribution St Benedict’s. of the students, saying, “It was a joy to work with the pupils from St Benedict’s. Musically they were very well prepared and made a robust sound in the finale of the opera. Those that took the parts of the 14 angels, lulling Hansel and Gretel to sleep, played their roles impeccably, to the (tearful) delight of many audience members.”
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Economics and Business Studies students enjoyed a fascinating trip to Japan over half term. The packed itinerary offered a unique opportunity to learn about Japanese culture and history. The students learned how money evolved in a country that historically was cut off from the rest of the world, visiting the Japan Stock Exchange and the trading floor at Nomura. They experienced the vibrancy of Japanese shopping, from the historic shopping area of Nakamise Dori, to the fashion boutiques of Takeshita Endori Street. The exclusive, rarefied shopping experience of Omotesando Hills contrasted with the Tsukiji Fish Market – one of the largest in the world. The group was fortunate to visit the British Embassy, where they attended a talk about trade and international relations. A visit to the Shinjuku Government Buildings provided panoramic views of Tokyo from the observation deck, as did a breath-taking ascent of the 333 metres high Tokyo Tower. The trip offered a valuable insight into Japanese culture, with visits to Nagano’s Zenkoji Temple, one of the most important temples in Japan, the Meiji Shrine, which is dedicated to the deified spirit of Emperor Meiji, and the Imperial Palace – the residence of Japan’s Imperial Family. Students also saw Tokyo’s famous 7th century Sensoji Temple, and toured the Tokyo National Museum. Finally, the itinerary allowed them to appreciate Japan’s natural beauty, taking in Tokyo’s Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens, Sumida Park, and Hama Rikyu Garden.
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Mr Simpson
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JAPAN
Government and Politics trip to New York and Washington DC
“The visit to the US State Department was a unique experience.”
The Government and Politics Department undertook their fourth, and most ambitious, biennial trip to New York and Washington DC this autumn.
(Ollie Symes, Upper 6th)
In New York we toured the 9/11 museum, went on a Civil Rights walking tour of Harlem and visited the centre of global diplomacy at the United Nations headquarters. We then went to the heartbeat of US political activity, Washington DC. In the space of two and a half days we toured the Pentagon, took part in a question and answer session at the US State Department, went to a lecture at the Supreme Court, toured Congress, met with the Political Director at the National Right to Life, engaged in a political discussion at the Institute of Global Politics with Old Priorian and Professor of Irregular Warfare Dr Sebastian Gorka and visited the Apostolic Nunciature. This was in addition to visiting many of the impressive monuments, taking in an ice hockey match between the Washington Capitals and the Colorado Avalanche and eating at the famous Ben’s Chilli Bowl!
“I have never had a more interesting hour than when we met Old Priorian Dr Sebastian Gorka.” (Louis Grantham, Upper 6th)
The students were fantastic and really engaged with the incredibly interesting people we met, asking intelligent and searching questions to maximise the invaluable opportunity available to them. Mr Joyce
NYC
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Lower 5th historians visited Berlin this summer. The whole week was packed with activities related to our GCSE course. First, we visited the Olympic Stadium that was used in the 1936 Olympics, when Hitler wanted to make a spectacle of the Nazi Party. We then visited the Reichstag, and enjoyed the view of Berlin from the top of the building. Next, we visited Sachsenhausen concentration camp, and the DDR Museum, where we discovered how people lived under Communism in East Berlin. After a trip to Berlin Zoo, we went to a museum called The Topography of Terror, which stood on the same site as the headquarters of the Gestapo and the SS in 1933–1945. Next we ventured deep into what used to be East Berlin and visited the Berlin-Hohenschönhausen – a Stasi prison. The experience was incredibly interesting and opened our eyes to the Communist regime. A walking tour of Berlin included significant buildings during the time of Hitler, and many memorials that are hugely important now. At Checkpoint Charlie we read stories of how people escaped from East Berlin. Afterwards, we went to the beautiful Wannsee Villa, where the Nazis decided the final solution. Finally, we saw the Berlin Wall, which was decorated with artwork and looked truly stunning, before visiting the Schloss Cecilienhof, where the Potsdam conference happened. This was a spectacular trip, which we all hugely enjoyed. Paulina Sienniak (now Upper 5th)
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This year’s Geography trip to Iceland in October was full of wonders and amazing sights. On arrival at Keflavik, we went directly to the Mid-Atlantic Rift, where the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate are separating. Here, it rises above sea level, and we were able to walk between walls of basalt along a strange path of black volcanic ash. Next stop, the amazing thermal pools at the Blue Lagoon. Iceland’s Golden Circle takes in a number of breathtaking landscapes. We visited the famous Þingvellir, situated in the Mid-Atlantic Rift, complete with basalt walls, waterfalls and tumbling rivers. At Gullfoss (Golden Falls) we witnessed the awesome power of an Icelandic river in full spate, and the surging power of Strokkur, the world’s most active geyser. From Iceland’s South Shore we saw the Westman Islands, volcanic sentinels that lie on the ocean ridge. We also travelled beneath the glacier Eyjafjallajokull, whose volcano erupted in 2010 and affected Europe’s air traffic. At the neighbouring glacier, Sólheimajökull, we put on our crampons, picked up our ice axes and went for a cool walk. We headed on to the black beach at Vik to witness the towering basalt cliffs and the “Troll” stacks out to sea before visiting the spectacular waterfalls of Selialandsfoss, where we walked behind the cascading water.
ICELAND
Mr P Walton
ST BENEDICT’S NEWS
FIELD TRIP
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The winning cross-country team
ST BENEDICT’S
JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORT RUGBY St Benedict’s Junior School has had a busy term of rugby, with the U9, U10 and U11 age groups fielding 3 teams each in competitive fixtures. The U9s played some great rugby at the annual St Columba’s Tournament. The U11s have shown real potential in their ambition to play from anywhere on the field; showing great determination, they came back from 4 tries to 1 down, to draw 20-20 against a strong University College School team.
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HOCKEY
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The U11 girls have worked hard to develop their skills this term. In the St Benedict’s U11 Tournament in September, the team won all their round games, defeating Notting Hill and Ealing High School, Abercorn and Northwood, losing the final 2-0 to Belmont. The U10s won the plate competition.
EALING SCHOOLS U11 CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS The St Benedict’s Junior School boys’ team won the annual Ealing Cross Country Championships for the third time in October, after a great team effort. George Simpson (Form 2) won Gold to secure the vital points needed to win the overall event. St Benedict’s girls came 7th out of 28 schools across Ealing, with Madeline Kirwan (Form 1) and Ohanna Guede (Form 2) gaining the highest scores.
SWIMMING St Benedict’s Junior School won the relay at the Swimming League heats, hosted at Highgate School.
FENCING The U11 team won a decisive 45-13 victory against Harrodian, led by captain Ollie Overy-Jones (Form 2). Ollie went on to win a Bronze medal at the national Academy Youth Cup event. The U10s had a fantastic day at Highgate School, fencing 24 matches against 8 different opponents and winning 13.
BUDDING TRIATHLETES MEET THE BROWNLEE BROTHERS! The St Benedict’s Junior School Swimming Squad took part in a triathlon in October, and met none other than the famous Brownlee brothers! Olympic medallists Alistair and Jonathan Brownlee chatted to the children and rewarded their efforts with a t-shirt and medal.
ST BENEDICT’S NEWS
The U11 team
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ST BENEDICT’S
SENIOR SCHOOL SPORT HOCKEY
SAILING
NETBALL
St Benedict’s girls did extremely well at the Girls Middlesex School Hockey Tournament this year: the U18s finished 3rd, and the U16 team took Silver by one point; the U14s finished 4th in a very close competition, defeating Francis Holland and Latymer.
The St Benedict’s School Sailing Team competed for the first time at the Eric Twiname Youth Team Racing National Championships in Oxfordshire.
The U16s performed well in the Middlesex Tournament preliminary rounds (Captain: May Nielsen), and now look forward to the finals next term. The U15s achieved a Silver medal at the Frances Holland Tournament.
OUTSTANDING INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENTS
FENCING
ST BENEDICT’S NEWS
This has been another good term for St Benedict’s Fencing. The U13 team defeated Wetherby School 5-4 this term. At the Camden Leon Paul Junior Series, Angelica Lawson (Lower 4th) finished 4th. We were victorious against Harrow, with Douglas Ashby (Lower 6th) named Fencer of the Match.
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Alberto Mascioli (Upper 4th) won Bronze in the prestigious Academy Youth Cup. St Benedict’s enjoyed an incredibly successful day against Highgate School, with victories for the U14s, (captained by Nano QuirkeBakradze and Duncan Ashby), and the U18s.
Destiny Attram (Form 3) won a Silver medal in the British National Taekwondo Championships.
CROSS COUNTRY St Benedict’s took part in the English Schools Cross Country Championships held at Harrow, and came 3rd in the Intermediate Boys race.
Leila Bennadi (Form 3) came 7th in the British Gymnastics Challenge Cup, competing against over 100 gymnasts from across the UK. Hugo Delsol (Upper 5th) and Wairimu Guede (Lower 5th) have been selected for training at the Hockey Junior Regional Performance Centre. Douglas Ashby (Lower 6th) has represented GBR at the Budapest and UK International competitions.
Dimitri Coutya secured his qualification for the Rio Paralympic Games. In Epee, Dimitri qualified for the quarter-finals, where he narrowly lost 13-15 to Pranevich (BLR), the eventual Gold medallist. In the Foil quarter-finals, he lost to Hu (CHN) by only 3 points. In November, Dimitri competed again for GB at the World Cup event in Pisa, winning Bronze in the Foil, and beat Pranevich (BLR) 15-11 in the finals to secure Gold in Epee. We are all extremely proud of Dimitri for the inspirational courage and discipline he has shown. Tokyo is already in sight!
RUGBY
OLD PRIORIANS – CLASS OF 2016 Ehize Ehizode Edevbalo signed a full time professional contract with Wasps RFC.
Following their pre-season tour to Biarritz in August, the U18s squad have shown great promise in their victories against Trinity School and Wimbledon College, ably led by Stefan Tsang and Will Taylor. This augurs well for a 6th successive Middlesex Cup title this year!
ST BENEDICT’S NEWS
Paige Powell (Lower 6th) competed in the London short course swimming regional competition where she won the 50 m fly, and took Bronze in the 100 m and 200 m Freestyle. Louis Delsol (Upper 6th) competed for England in Judo and won a Bronze medal in the Sainsbury’s Games. Charlie Page (Upper 6th) continues his family’s tradition of playing rugby for Denmark, making his debut in the European Rugby Sevens Tournament in Hungary, where he was awarded ‘top try scorer’ of the tournament.
We have enjoyed some notable victories in the Middlesex Cup Semi Finals this term: the U14s (virtually unbeaten this season) won 45-5 against Harrow School, while the U15s defeated St George’s Weybridge, and University College School. Several of the U15s squad have been selected for the London Irish Developing Player Programme.
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UK Maths Trust Senior Maths Challenge This year’s UK Maths Trust Senior Maths Challenge results are very encouraging indeed. Gold Certificates have been awarded to Louis Delsol and Ambrose Mac-Fall (Upper 6th), who have also been invited to take part in the next round of the competition. As well as the 2 Gold awards, there were 9 Silver and 12 Bronze awards.
LORD PATTEN MEETS ST BENEDICT’S SCHOLARS Lord Patten of Barnes, Patron and alumnus of St Benedict’s School, was Guest of Honour at the Sixth Form Academic Scholars Evening on November 7th.
ST BENEDICT’S NEWS
Three scholars gave presentations about their aspirations, and spoke eloquently about their chosen university courses – Medicine; Politics, Philosophy and Economics, and Computer Science. Lord Patten presented an award to last year’s best performing scholar, Alvin Lee, who has gained full marks in his SATs (admission tests) for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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In his speech, Lord Patten said that he had been fortunate to enjoy “an exceptionally happy school career, thanks to the Benedictines,” adding that he had “tumbled from one interesting job to the next.” He gave the scholars two pieces of advice: firstly, he urged them to make the most of all the opportunities that St Benedict’s offers. Secondly, he told the scholars not to underestimate what they can achieve in their lives. The Headmaster, Mr Johnson, said: “I am delighted that we are celebrating academic success and scholarship, which is at the very heart of our mission as a Benedictine school. It was a great pleasure to welcome Lord Patten – one of our most distinguished alumni – to help us to recognise the progress made by our Sixth Form scholars.”
Silver Upper 6th Ben Ainslie Marcin Scicinski Michael Vangelatos Jess Miles-Kingston Luca Lota Charles Elliston Hugh Norman Lower 6th Aine McColgan Francesco Sgarra
Louis Delsol
Ambrose Mac-Fall
Bronze Upper 6th Ieuan Beetham Harry Taylor Lower 6th Charles Ayson-Parrish Victoria Szymanska Parsa Sarkis Inigo Azpilicueta Lukasz Podgorski Caterina Ferrari Wadih Madi Luke Rutherford Anna Rice Toby McDonald
Bebras Computing Challenge St Benedict’s pupils have been extremely successful in the UK National Bebras Computing Challenge, with 5 pupils scoring totals in the top 10% in the country. Top scorers take part in a further competition in 2017. The Bebras Computing Challenge introduces computational thinking to students and is organised across 40 countries. Bebras tasks require logical thinking rather than prior knowledge and are delivered online; they are fun, engaging and based on problems that Computer Scientists often meet and enjoy solving. Intermediate (Upper 4th): Thomas Curtis Distinction Matthew Gutaj Best in School – Intermediate Seniors (Upper 5th): Phoebe Daly-Jones Louis Miles Elite (Lower 6th): Marcello Jastrzebski
Best in School – Senior Distinction Best in School – Elite
DEVELOPMENT OFFICE NEWS It has been a busy term in the Development Office! Thank you to all the families who have given to our Annual Giving campaign for the refurbishment of the Orchard Hall. We are working hard to reach our goal of £100,000 and are looking forward to hosting both a whole school dinner in January and a Jazz Soirée in February which I hope you will consider supporting.
lawyer, described what St Benedict’s meant to him, commenting: “Even once you finish your studies here, you never really leave St Benedict’s; it is one big family.” As a small welcome gift, Form 3 pupils were presented with leather Oyster Card wallets.
Next term, we will host two of our key alumni events of the school calendar: the Oxbridge Dinner and Annual President’s Dinner. Details of these events will follow in the New Year. Finally I would like to take the opportunity to wish you all a very Happy Christmas and New Year 2017.
Tara George – Development Director
Fund raising has begun for a new War Memorial for the St Benedict’s fallen, which will be unveiled on November 11th 2018, the hundredth anniversary of Armistice Day. So far, £1,116.13 has been raised.
Careers Focus Breakfast – Dr Fariah Khan In October, St Benedict’s welcomed Dr Fariah Khan (OP 02), to host the first Careers Focus Breakfast of the academic year. Dr Khan gave our pupils a detailed insight into a ‘Career in Medicine’, outlined the numerous pathways available to medical graduates, and gave advice on applying to Medical school. Liam CartyHowe (Upper 6th) thanked Dr Khan on behalf of the attending students and presented her with a small gift.
Politics Trip St Benedict’s A level Politics students met Dr Sebastian Gorka (OP 88) when they visited Washington and New York in October. Dr Gorka is Professor of Irregular Warfare at the Institute of Global Politics.
Dr Fariah Khan with Mrs O’Connor (Head of Chemistry) and Sarah Philip (Upper 6th)
Welcome To The Old Priorian Association Students in Form 3 were officially welcomed into the Old Priorian Association in September. Former Head Boy Anthony Searle (OP 09) attended their assembly and spoke about his school days at St Benedict’s, recalling the importance of the friendships he made during his time at the school. Anthony, who is now a
Forthcoming events: Careers Focus Breakfast, OPA Oxbridge Dinner, Operation Benedict Lecture, Jazz Soirée, Hockey and Netball Dinner.
ST BENEDICT’S NEWS
The St Benedict’s War Memorial Fund During Remembrance Week, a Field of Remembrance was placed at the heart of the senior school. Families were invited to sponsor a memorial cross, dedicated either to one of the School’s fallen, or to a relative who died in conflict.
Governors’ Drinks Reception In September, Chair of Governors, Pat Murphy-O‘Connor and members of the Governing body hosted a drinks reception to thank parents for their support of school projects over the academic year.
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