eNews @stgeorgesascot
Issue 97, Autumn 2015
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Top Results for St George's Girls
Headmistress Rachel Owens celebrates with Deputy Head Girl Emily who received two A*s and two As!
It has been an excellent year for the girls at St George’s. Reflecting on what our students have attained shows what a rounded education we offer here at St George’s. Not only have the girls gained excellent academic results, these pupils have been empowered to achieve personal excellence and really follow their aspirations. Here at St George’s we want to enable young women such as these to have the life skills as well as the academic results they need to pursue the careers of their choice and to go on to top universities. Small class sizes, inspirational teaching and a supportive and aspirational environment really do make the difference.
Examination Results 2015 90% of A Level grades at A*-C
At GCSE 19% of grades were at the top A* grade and for A Level over 87% of girls were placed at their university of choice.
87% of girls placed at their chosen university
Congratulations to all the girls who worked so hard and who make St George’s such a rewarding, enjoyable and exciting place to be.
19% of GCSE grades at A* 95% of GCSE grades at A*-C
Mrs Rachel Owens MA(Hons) (Oxford) PGCE NPQH
Imogen (16) from Taplow has achieved some outstanding GCSE results gaining 9 A*s and 2 As – a total of 86 points. Imogen is a keen rider and is competing at Pony Club Open Level 5, the highest standard in the UK. She has come fifth in the country for Eventing and eighth for Dressage and also qualified in Show Jumping in the Pony Club National Championships. Alannah (16) from Ascot achieved 9 A*s and 3 As – a total of 93 points in her GCSE exams. Alannah, who is a keen polo player and recently won the Bettina Bahlsen Cup on 18 July 2015, also plays for the St George’s school polo team, as well as in a local team with her cousins and sister. Alannah teaches polo every Sunday and goes to Spain for the whole of August, where she plays most days at Sotogrande. Alannah is both an academic and a music scholar at St George’s, has grade 6 singing, is studying for grade 5 piano and is a grade 4 clarinettist. Commenting on the impressive results, Headmistress, Rachel Owens said: “Students like Alannah and Imogen contribute greatly to all the activities on offer and give back to the community; they deserve to do really well. Sometimes challenges in life bring out the best in our students and motivate them to succeed, and these girls become a real inspiration to the younger pupils.”
Imogen with her results and feature in The Times
Top Results
Ascot Riders Gain Top Results at GCSE
Alannah ready for a polo match
Talks
Social Skills for Life On Thursday 8 October, Third to Sixth Form girls enjoyed a talk from guest speaker Deana Puccio from the RAP Project. The RAP Project aims to raise awareness about personal safety and prevention in the areas of rape and sexual assault. The programme was created for teenagers, young adults and parents in schools, forums, companies and parent groups. Deana discussed the tools available to minimise the girls' chances of becoming a victim of rape or sexual assault, and also Gap Year Safety, Living Away at University and Music Festival Safety for the Sixth Form. Deana is a former Assistant District Attorney from New York City. She worked in the Sex Crimes/Special Victims Unit of the Kings County District Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn. As a sex crimes prosecutor, she worked on cases involving adult, teenage and child victims. She then worked as a law secretary to a Supreme Court Judge in Brooklyn before moving to London in 2001. During her time in the UK, she has taught US law at Holborn College in London. Having grown up in Brooklyn, she had a strong sense of responsibility to give back to her community, combined with a passion for helping women who were victims of sexual violence. Everyone found the talk very helpful. Thank you to Deana for visiting St George's.
Open Morning
Open Morning St George's invited prospective families to an Autumn Open Morning on Saturday 3 October. It was a resounding success, providing prospective parents and pupils with an opportunity to look round the school, view classroom activities and meet the Headmistress, members of staff and our students, as well as enjoy some refreshments. A record number of 80 families came to the Open Morning to watch the various classes and activities, including science experiments, fitness training from the Sports Department, previewing Oliver! in the Drama Department, the choir singing for our guests and a French Cafe providing light refreshments.
Tour of New Library
The girls were invaluable in showing off their school; thank you to everyone who helped with the day. Drama rehearsal of Les Miserables
Dance Class
Science Experiments
Sports Lessons
Art Classroom
History Classroom
French Cafe
Academic
Religious Studies Neasden Mandir Temple
Neasden Mandir Temple On Thursday 1 October, Third Year Religious Studies students visited the Neasden Hindu Temple (the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir) in London. BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is an inspiring building of traditional Hindu design and exquisite workmanship. Using 5,000 tonnes of Italian Carrara and Ambaji marble with the finest Bulgarian limestone, the Mandir was hand-carved in India before being assembled in London in June 1993. Over 3,000 volunteers inspired by His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj contributed to making the Mandir a reality. It was – and continues to be – funded entirely by worshippers and well-wishers. The visit included a talk and short video about Hinduism and the Mandir, plus an exhibition and a chance to experience an Arti Ceremony, one of the most popular ceremonies of the Hindu faith. The girls very much enjoyed the trip and would like to thank the volunteers at the Mandir for looking after them and Mrs Magill, Mrs Graham and Dr Tieanu for accompanying them on the visit.
Academic
History Normandy During 'Activities Week', Miss Jackson, Mme Burrows, Dr Tieanu and Miss McCann accompanied Third Year girls to Normandy from Saturday 6 to Tuesday 9 June. The girls met and were given talks by British Commando veterans who were part of the No.47 Royal Marine Commando formation. The Commando was formed in August 1943 by Winston Churchill, a past pupil at St George's. As part of their first operation in June 1944, they were involved in 'Operation Neptune', the Normandy Landings now termed as D-Day. They succeeded against their Nazi opponents and liberated Port en Bessin during the Second World War. Following this trip, St George's has sent the veterans a donation of ÂŁ300 and some letters from the girls, which were very well received by the veterans themselves.
History and Politics Parliament, Westminster On Tuesday 22 September, Sixth Form History and Politics students visited the Churchill War Rooms, Parliament and The Supreme Court. The girls also explored a secret World War II bunker and museum that told the story of Georgian Sir Winston Churchill's life and legacy. The trip also included an informative visit to the Education Centre at Parliament and a visit to The Supreme Court, where they learnt that the court is the final court of appeal in the UK for civil cases, and for criminal cases from England, Wales and Northern Ireland. It hears cases of the greatest public or constitutional importance affecting the whole population.
The Supreme Court
3 November 1882 Winston Churchill becomes a boarder at St George's School, Ascot. Four weeks after his eighth birthday.
Arts
School Production
The First Year through to the Upper Sixth and the Drama & Music Departments of St George's performed a stunning production of the much acclaimed show 'Les MiserablĂŠs School Edition' for three consecutive nights on 7-9 October. The production was very well attended, and proved to be a great success, with many audience members commenting on how professional the performances of the girls were. There were some great dance routines, some excellent characterisation, moving solos and spectacular chorus numbers! Congratulations to the Director of Music Mr Hillier, Assistant Director of Music Miss Mason, Director Miss McCann, Assistant Director Mrs Gregan, Technical Director Mr Pearn, and Creative Producer Mr Carroll for all their hard work which made 'Les MiserablĂŠs School Edition' such a success. More photos of the show can be found on our website and our Flickr page.
Arts
Arts Life at St George's Windsor Art Festival A huge congratulations to the girls below for winning prizes at the Windsor Art Festival Awards recently. Painting, Second Prize - Albina Painting, Commended - Anastasia Sculpture, First Prize - Georgina Sculpture, Third Prize - Harriet Sculpture, First Prize - Georgina Drawing, Commended - Ella Textiles, Commended - Alice Pitt Rivers Museum Visit On Thursday 17 September 2015, the First Year girls went to the Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford. The girls enjoyed lots of drawing and viewing all of the exhibitions. Student Jacqueline reflected on the visit: "We saw lots of interesting things to draw patterns and small artifacts from around the world. It was a very good and interesting day, I would very much like to visit again."
Painting, Second Prize - Albina
Albina and Georgina
Visits
Bowling and Laser Quest
On Friday 18 September 2015, the Fourth Year went on a trip to Wokingham Superbowl.
Wokingham Superbowl
The girls enjoyed one hour of intensly competitive bowling with Mrs Magill and Mrs Obaditch, followed by a game of laser quest before indulging in pizza. Undoubtedly a fun evening had by all!
Marwell Zoo On Tuesday 15 September 2015, the First Year girls visited Marwell Zoo. The girls explored the zoo, learned about helping endangered species and met Colin the cockroach, plus a snake, before having lunch, playing at the playground and seeing the penguins. Pupil Isabel, reflects on her visit to Marwell Zoo: "We had the opportunity to see some animal skins and touch a cockroach. I really enjoyed the trip and have loved my first few weeks at St George's."
Marwell Zoo
On Tuesday 15 September, Third Year girls travelled to Henfold Lakes in Dorking, where they did 'Bushcraft' and bonding activities under the supervision of staff from 'Action Days Out'. The girls were taught how to build a shelter and start a fire using a kit without matches or a lighter. They then built the shelters, started fires and cooked fruity bread over the fire in groups. Despite the damp weather, everyone had lots of fun. Thank you Miss Jackson for organising the trip.
Sutton Life Centre On Tuesday 15 September, Second Year girls visited the Sutton Life Centre in London. Sutton Life Centre is a unique, state of the art educational and community facility in South London, promoting good citizenship, personal safety and the environment. The girls learnt important skills to keep them safe in the modern world. These included using public transport and social media in ways that would keep them out of danger. The girls particularly enjoyed the tour of the model home, where they learnt how to stock their fridge with healthy foods and how to react in the event of a fire. The workshops in the afternoon focused on staying safe on line and promoting an awareness of the threats posed by drugs and alcohol.
Visits
Bush Craft
Visits
Williamsburg History Trip The Sixth Form enjoyed a trip to Williamsburg, Virginia, USA, during the Autumn Half Term break on 17-27 October 2015. The girls attended lectures and seminars at the College of William and Mary and made use of the University library as well as visiting Washington DC, Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown. The girls enjoyed a delicious meal at the Hard Rock Cafe in Washington DC, walked the Mall, and visited Arlington National Cemetry and many of the Mall museums. In Williamsburg, the girls learnt about what is involved in mastering the skills needed to perform to a full house, as well as receiving lessons from a dance instructor on dance techniques in 18th Century Virginia. They also watched a re-enactment on the street of the turbulent scenes in the days leading up to the outbreak of the American War of Independence. Their visit to Jamestown Island included a visit to an archaeological site and the new Jamestown Museum. The girls participated in a dramatised inquiry into the charges of witchcraft brought against Grace Sherwood in 1706 called Cry Witch. The audience was invited to question the witnesses, weigh the evidence, and determine the guilt or innocence of "The Virginia Witch". Thank you to all of the staff for taking time out of their Half Term to accompany the girls on these excursions. More photographs from the trip can be viewed on our website.
Boarding
Boarding Life Social activites enjoyed by our boarders so far this term included a Bowling and Laser Quest weekend, a Bollywood workshop, baking fun, and a visit to Westfield Shopping Centre.
Bowling & Laser Quest Weekend in Wokingham Bollywood Dancing Workshop
Eton Social
On Saturday 12 September, St George's hosted a black tie ceilidh with Eton College boys. Everyone took to the dancing, entertainment and delicious food with much enthusiasm.
Socials
Markham boarders bake muffins!
Forms
Meet a Form Form 4ML have been telling us about their favourite subjects, what they enjoy about St George's and their hobbies outside of school. Pictured below with their Form Tutor Mrs Lowe.
"My favourite subject is Latin, especially translating and acting out stories. I enjoy tennis and the best thing about St George's is the delicious food." Alice, Form Captain
"The best thing about St George's is being with my friends. I like to play netball and enjoyed playing a part in the recent production of Les Miserables at school." Leila, Deputy Form Captain
"My hobbies are LAMDA, singing, tennis and netball. The subject I enjoy the most is Drama and I am a member of the School Chapel Choir." Catherine
"I like learning about the Russian Revolution in History. I enjoy reading out of school, and I really enjoy the food at St George's." Suzune
"My hobbies are reading, dancing and playing the drums. The subjects I enjoy the most are Biology and French. I am the library rep for my Form." Annabel
"I enjoy GCSE Sport and learning about keeping active. The best things about St George's are the food and the Sport on offer. In my spare time I enjoy playing polo." Edina
"I enjoy Geography, French, Religious Studies and the food at St George's. My hobbies include netball, lacrosse and tennis." Emily
"My favourite thing about St George's is the delicious food and eating with my friends. I enjoy designing webpages in IT. I go horse riding every weekend outside of school." Eleanor
I like to learn about History at St George's. I enjoy singing and playing sports inside and outside of school." Isabel
"I like Art, especially sketching at school. My favourite thing about St George's is the new library which is a relaxing place to do some private study." Tina
"My favourite subject is Music, I especially enjoyed it when we did harmonies in an African song. The best thing about St George's is being with my friends." Phoebe
"I enjoy baking, badminton, fitness and animals in my spare time. My favourite thing about being at St George's is the delicious food." Mbali
"My favourite subject is Physics and learning about sound waves. I enjoy the food at St George's and studying in the new library." Rebecca
"The best thing about St George's are the small class sizes. I enjoy English and History. My interests include dance and I have extra music lessons." Fiona
Forms
"My favourite subjects are Sport, Biology and Religious Studies. The best thing about St George's is the support we get from the teachers. I enjoy tennis, netball, lacrosse and golf." Sophie
Awards
Form Captains and Deputy Captains New Form Captains and Deputy Captains announced The First to Fifth Year Form Captains, Deputy Form Captains and Charities Representatives were voted in by their peers for the Autumn Term. They are important roles to fulfil, as each girl will canvas the views of her Form Group and feed these into the School Council meetings. The girls will also play a lead role in Form Group planning and events. Congratulations girls on your superb achievement.
Form 1ES 1EA 1CL 2AF 2DK 2NA 3LJ 3FW 3MJ 4JO 4IH 4ML 5KS 5FR 5JP
Form Captain Molly Isabel Isabelle
Deputy Captain Amelia Jacqueline Megan
Charities Molly Isabel Isabelle
Aimee Georgia Ally
Laura Daisy Charlotte
Sasha Olivia Eve
Catherine Ellie Lucy
Lily Annabel Kiera
Sophie Katie Kanyinsola
Laura Imogen Alice
Ebi Punch Leila
Julia Henrietta Catherine
Antonina Anastasia Jade
Hannah Anna Lauren and Georgia Charlotte Ella Lily
Mrs Owens congratulates some of the girls
Sixth Form
Tatler Awards Caitlin, Lottie and Octavia joined Mrs Owens as guests of Tatler at their award ceremony this Autumn following St George's previous win of Best School Food in the UK.
Upper Sixth Talk On Tuesday 13 October, Upper Sixth girls were joined by their parents to hear a talk which aims to help both parents and daughters prepare for University interviews. Heather Fearfield and Matthew Locke from The Broadcast PR Business, discussed topics including the different professions on offer after university, and how the interviews will differ depending on the discipline of the university course. The girls were given advice on how to prepare for an interview and reflect on what they need to practise before an interview. The girls were also asked how they thought they could improve in practice interviews. Overall the girls thought the talk was very useful and will be taking on board the advice given.
Macmillan Biggest Coffee Morning On Friday 26 September, parents were invited to join in The World's Biggest Coffee Morning with St George's Parent Association in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.
Charity
Raising Money for Macmillan The morning was a good chance to meet other mothers over delicious cakes and refreshments. Rev. J Sistig also organised a cake sale for girls and staff at school, supplied by the superb catering department of St George's, and parents too. Over ÂŁ380 was raised in total. Thank you to the girls, staff and parents involved for their support.
The new library is proving to be a great success, buzzing with girls using the facilities on offer. Ms Kennedy and Mr Moran are very much enjoying the space and helping girls find what they need in the choice of books and resources available. The classrooms downstairs are fantastic spaces for the girls to learn, with the language lab recently named after past Head of Modern Foreign Languages, Mrs Vicky Potter. Please do visit the building during your next visit to St George's.
Unique staircase up to the library area
Building exterior
The beautiful bookshelves
Girls making use of the facilities
Library
New Library
News
Room Naming Ceremony On Tuesday 13 October, St George's paid tribute to three past teachers who had celebrated 25 years service at the school. Mrs Wendy Moyles who was Head of Learning Support, opened the 'Moyles Meeting Room' located next to the Dining Room, Mrs Jane Spooner, a past Science Teacher, had a Science lab named 'Spooner Laboratory' after her, and Mrs Vicky Potter who was Head of Modern Foreign Languages, enjoyed opening the new 'Potter Languages Laboratory' in the new library building. Family members and current staff watched each room being 'opened', and then celebrated with tea and pastries with Mrs Owens in the South Lawn Room. The photographs from the day can be viewed on our website and Flickr account.
Whole School
School Photographs On Friday 11 September, the school photographer visited St George's. Photographs were taken of all First Year, Fourth Year and Lower Sixth girls and new girls in other year groups, and group photos of the Upper Sixth, the Head Girls' Team and Chapel Choir. It was the perfect day for the Upper Sixth, Head Girls' Team and Chapel Choir shots outside the school main entrance. Other photographs were taken in Chapel against a staged background. The girls very much enjoyed being stars in their own photoshoot!
Sport
Sports Life at St George's U18 South East Netball Tournament On Wednesday 30 September the U18 'A' and 'B' teams took part in the South East Berkshire netball tournament held at St George’s. The U18 'A' team were in the top cup division drawn against the best schools in the area. They won against Wellington, the Abbey, Charters and Ranelagh School and only lost one match against St Mary’s 'A' team. This placed them second overall. The U18 'B' team were in the plate division and played nine schools. They had some fantastic wins against Luckley House, Heathfield, Marist and Ranelagh and also some close matches against St Mary’s 'B' and 'C' teams and LVS. Overall, the team came third. All the players worked extremely hard throughout and mentions go to Octavia, Esme, Megan and Stephanie.
Position First Team Second Team GK Caitlin Lottie GD Emily Stephanie WD Anna Polly C Esme Rosie WA Olivia Emma / Megan GA Octavia Megan / Emma GS Scarlet Alice RES Victoria
Girls Go for Gold
The Fifth Year girls taking GCSE Sport went to the Girls Go Gold Conference at Headington School in Oxford on Thursday 24 September. The conference began with an inspirational talk by Winter Olympic Gold medallist, Amy Williams, MBE who is Britain's first solo Winter Olympics champion in 30 years and the first female individual Gold Medallist for 58 years.
Keynote speakers also included Rocky Clark, MBE and Katherine Merchant from the England Rugby Team, plus England and Great Britain Hockey player and star of the London 2012 Bronze medal winning team, Alex Danson.
Olympic Gold Medallist, Amy Williams
Overall the girls felt attending the conference was an amazing experience and would recommend it to the GCSE Sport students next year.
Women's England Rugby Team captain Rocky Clark, MBE and team mate Katherine Merchant
Website
St George's Website In September, the new St George's website was launched. The new design and layout lends itself to a smoother and clearer visitor experience, whilst the superb photography across the site creates a fresh and dramatic look. The new gallery includes social media links, our online publications and our new Flickr account. This is where all of our photographs for various events are held - well worth a look! Videos including the stunning new drone footage of the school grounds are available for you to view. Please see some features of the website below:
Website homepage with scrolling header images
The gallery features social media, online publications, news and Flickr feeds
Website Live calendar function
Drone video footage of St George's grounds Alumnae photographs on our Flickr account
Academic information pages The website will soon see some additonal functions, including an online payment facility for admissions purposes, and a sports board in the parent portal area to view the latest fixtures and results. A virtual tour facility will also be added, to enable you to view the school from the comfort of your sofa! We have had some lovely feedback about the website so far. We hope you enjoy using it as much as we did putting it together.
Headmistress’s Lecture
How surviving a brain tumour changed the life of former Monkton Prep School Headmaster James Shone
James Shone I can & I am
Wednesday 25 November 2015 5.00pm in the Sue Cormack Hall Join us for the next Headmistress's Lecture. Entry is free. Please confirm your place with Mrs J Witt on 01344 629 904 or jwitt@stgeorges-ascot.org.uk
+44 (01344) 629920 St George's School ST GEORGE’S admissions@stgeorges-ascot.org.uk Ascot Berkshire ASCOT www.stgeorges-ascot.org.uk SL5 7DZ