eNews Spring 2016 issue

eNews Issue 99, Spring 2016

@stgeorgesascot

/stgeorgesascot

Georgians make history Two girls have made Georgian history, by being the first St George's girls to achieve the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Olivia H and Chantal H completed their practices and then Assessed Expeditions in the Lake District last Summer.

Activities for each DofE section require a minimum of one hour's commitment a week over a set period of time, so they can be fitted in around academic study, hobbies and social lives. Development and regular progress must be shown and all activities must be completed by the participant’s 25th birthday.

The Gold Award consists of the following sections; Volunteering section: 12 months Physical and Skills sections: One section for 12 months and the other section for 6 months Expedition section: 4 days/3 nights Residential section: Undertake a shared activity in a residential setting away from home for 5 days and 4 nights.

Chantal and Olivia with Mr Moran

The award shows that the girls have the skills, determination and mentality to succeed. Olivia and Chantal will receive their prestigious award brooches by post, but will attend Buckingham Palace to receive their certificates from a member of the royal family.

Mr Moran, DofE Leader for St George's comments "I am immensely proud of Olivia and Chantal: they have proven to be great ambassadors of the award and thoroughly deserve the recognition."

Gold Award badge and brooch

Rotary Youth Speaks Having won the local event, the Ascot Rotary Youth Speaks competition, the intrepid three of Blanca, Olivia and Avah went on to compete in the area final. It was held in the surroundings of Wexham Park Hospital in Slough. The girls were excited and had practised so well in the days leading up to the event.

As a team, the delivery was clear and articulate. Olivia C as speaker was particularly impressive and was subsequently congratulated by other contestants as being the best speaker of the intermediate competition. The standard was very high but unfortunately they were just pipped to the post. Many congratulations to the three girls who worked very hard and did so very well.

Avah, Blanca and Olivia

Achievements

Fantastic Achievements Form Captains and Deputy Captains Headmistress Commendations The Form Captains and Deputy Form Captains have been voted in Mrs Owens awards Headmistress Commendations to girls who by their peers for the Spring Term. have excelled at a subject or activity within school.

It is an important role to fulfil, as each girl will canvas the views of So far this term, over 40 Commendations have been awarded her Form Group and feed these into the School Council meeting. for a variety of subjects and achievements by the girls.

The girls will also play a lead role in Form Group planning and Congratulations to all of the girls who have been recognised in events. this way.

Form 1ES 1EA 1CL

2AF 2DK 2NA

3LJ 3FW 3MJ

4JO 4IH 4ML

Form Captain Thea S Mathilda C Katie B

Deputy Captain Poppy C-B Mannat S Lucy K

Ella W Blanca O Alicia P

Laura D Adrienne S Adele C

Alice W Isabella S-H Abi R

Tare E Sadhvi S Tejasvi M

Catherine L Lolade A Edina G

Siena R Alisa A Leila B/ Alice H

By popular demand, culinary arts has returned to St George’s and for the first time in years, the Cookery School Kitchen is buzzing with excitement and purpose. With the introduction of the Leiths School of Food & Wine ‘Let’s Cook’ programme for First and Second Year students, our girls are learning the fundamental skills of professional cookery and loving every minute of it.

"The programme is neither a traditional food tech course nor a brownie baking club" stresses Culinary Arts teacher and Leiths graduate Mrs Andrea Magee. "It is bespoke to St George’s and is specifically designed to develop cookery skillsets whilst broadening the girls knowledge and appreciation of food, ingredients, culinary trends and nutrition.”

By following the Leiths curriculum, our girls are developing a foundational knowledge of key cookery techniques and a real understanding of some of the corresponding theory. It’s all about establishing a core competency in the kitchen and, of course, fuelling the corresponding enthusiasm and confidence. For example, whilst the girls are engrossed in whisking up the sponge base for a Swiss roll, they’re grasping the theory behind it.

The girls can happily talk about what makes the cake light and airy and even the different types of ‘rising agents’ used in cake baking.

Likewise, our girls know how to season dishes and thicken soups and can tell you about the transformational qualities of the humble egg! Importantly, they’re beginning to understand some of the basic principles behind cooking so that they know why something works and if it doesn’t, how to problem-solve and fix it. “This is just the beginning of their culinary journeys,” says Magee.

In true professional style, Mrs Magee also stresses the importance of kitchen efficiency, safety and food hygiene, and a visit to the Student review "What I really like about cookery is that we enjoy learning about and eating what we cook.

Our cookery teacher is really kind and helpful."

Student review "I have lots of fun and have learnt a lot. I am confident that I can now make my own supper sucessfully. I wish there were more lessons!"

classroom speaks volumes. Donning starched chef’s whites, the concept of ‘mis en place’ and ‘working clean’ is beginning to become second nature to the girls. Even the once daunting task of wielding an 8” chef’s knife is now becoming a breeze.

What’s the payoff of this type of programme? Most of the girls (and their parents, who are lucky enough to get some of the leftovers) will rave about the bounties of their labours – dishes ranging from French classics including Crème Anglaise and Crêpes Suzette to the all-time contemporary favourites of Thai chicken curry, carrot and coriander soup and salmon fillet with a lime crust. But the real benefits of confidence, competence, creativity, and a real appreciation for an essential life skill will last well beyond that last bite of cake.

Watch out world! Future Masterchefs are in training at St George’s.

Leiths Cookery Course

Leiths has landed!

Academic

Academic

Girls' Schools Association Leadership Day On Wednesday 30 September, 15 girls were selected to attend the Girls’ Schools Association Leadership meeting at St Swithuns’ School in Winchester. Mrs Graham and Mrs Farmer-Mason accompanied the girls on a very enjoyable and stimulating day.

They listened to a talk by Joanna Kane, co-author of 'The Suited Hippy And The Stress Junkie', about the role of the woman in the workplace and how to achieve that top position and have the determination to do so.

The girls were then introduced to women who themselves have been at the top of their careers. Students talked about the qualities of a leader, examples of leaders and the difference between a manager and a leader.

Girls at St Swituns' School

Girls were then divided into groups with girls from other attending schools to take part in team-building games. One game included protecting an egg from cracking after falling from a great height they learnt parachutes were key! Student Laura B comments "The activities were fun and interesting. One consisted of transporting litres of water from one end of a field to another, with only a small number of pipes."

The day ended with a drumming workshop which brought everyone together.

Laura B comments further "On reflection, we all learnt a great deal from the trip and can safely say we have obtained the knowledge and understanding to pursue future careers in the leadership sector of the workplace."

Thank you to all of the staff involved in organising the day.

History First Year students have been studying medieval kings, Chepstow castle and looking at the development of castles over time. Over the Christmas holidays, the girls were tasked with making a model of a medieval castle from a country of their choice. The castles were superb and all based on UK castles apart from one intricate castle from Japan.

Miss Jackson is very proud of the girls' efforts and enjoyed exploring each castle.

Transporting water in a team

Drumming session with all of the attendees

Academic

Mathematics Cake Thurdays Every Thursday, Mr Naeem treats his Lower Sixth Form students to 'cake Thursday'. Each girl brings in different types of cakes to enjoy throughout the lesson.

This term a detailed, Maths-themed cake was created by Zafirah.

All of the measurements on the cake are to scale. Well done Zafirah!

Zafirah with her mathematical masterpiece Intermediate Maths Challenge On Thursday 4 February, a selection of Fourth Year girls took part in the Intermediate Maths Challenge at St George's.

The challenge involved answering 25 multiple choice questions in one hour and was sat in school under normal exam conditions.

The results will be sent to the the school at the end of February.

Good luck to all of the girls who took part.

Latin The Two Plinii On Thursday 28 January, Miss Fontes accompanied Fifth Year girls who are studying Latin GCSE to a lecture given by the Guildford Classical Association on Pliny the Younger and Pliny the Elder, at the Holy Trinity Church, Guildford.

Pliny the Younger was a lawyer, author, and magistrate of Ancient Rome. Pliny's uncle, Pliny the Elder, helped raise and educate him.

Both Pliny the Elder and Younger were witnesses to the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 AD, in which the former died.

Pliny the Younger

Pliny wrote hundreds of letters, many of which still survive and are of great historical value to studies of this time period. Some are addressed to reigning emperors or to notable figures such as the historian Tacitus.

Pliny served as an imperial magistrate under Trajan and his letters to Trajan provide one of the few surviving records of the relationship between the imperial office and provincial governors.

Thank you Miss Fontes for arranging this trip.

Pliny the Elder

Trips

Australian Exchange Trip

From left to right: Miss Jackson, Kiera, Ellie and Mrs Owens Ellie and Kiera with Emily Sutherland and Millie Chambers from St Catherine's School, Melbourne On Wednesday 20 January, two Georgians set off for our annual exchange trip to Melbourne, Australia. Kiera and Ellie were the successful applicants for this exchange. They will be welcomed to St Catherine’s School in Melbourne for this term, before St George’s welcomes two of their girls in the Summer.

Ellie is with Emily Sutherland and family and Kiera is with Millie Chambers and her family for a term.

We wish the girls well for this exciting once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and can’t wait to hear all about their adventures and meet their guests on their return!

Drama Trip On Wednesday 27 January, Sixth Form Drama students made their way to the Southbank in London for a day of Shakespeare-themed learning and entertainment.

Accompanied by Mr Carroll and Miss McCann, the girls toured Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre where, aside from all the interesting facts about where Elizabethan audiences had to use the bathroom, the girls also learned a lot about the staging of plays in Shakespeare’s time which will help them with their studies.

After a delicious lunch, in the afternoon the girls supported an ex-Georgian by seating themselves in the Olivier Theatre at the National Theatre to see a performance of ‘As You Like It.’ The girls greatly enjoyed Polly Findlay’s vision of the pastoral comedy, which provided rich opportunities for comparison and contrast with what they had learned about traditional performances at the Globe.

Offices were hoisted into the air to become the Forest of Arden and there was a great deal of music, dancing and spectacle. It was a useful and enthralling performance for the girls to watch, and they are very grateful to the Drama department for this excellent outing.

On Monday 8 February, GCSE and A Level Art and Photography students travelled to London to visit the Tate Modern and Tate Britain.

Visits

Art Gallery Accompanied by Mrs Fidler and the Art Department, the girls toured Tate Modern in the morning, visiting the current exhibitions.

In the afternoon the girls visited the Tate Britain to see many famous pieces of art, including Tracy Emin's 'My Bed' and many works by Frances Bacon.

The girls very much enjoyed the trip and returned to school feeling inspired.

On Tuesday 9 February and Wednesday 10 February, the St George’s senior Drama company SL5 performed a translation of Federico García Lorca’s ‘House of Bernada Alba.’

Staged on a stunning set created by Russell, the girls mesmerised the audience as the inhabitants of the all-female Alba household.

Captivated throughout by the high drama and many secrets the women have, the dramatic conclusion brought some audiencemembers to the point of tears.

For Lottie H and Ellen K it was also an emotional moment, as it marked their final performance after seven years of Drama at St George's.

Congratulations to the spectacular cast for their performance and to Miss McCann and Mr Carroll for directing such a brilliant piece.

To view more photographs of the production please visit our website.

Arts

Drama

Arts

Arts Life at St George's

Drama

'Hidden' performance On Monday 1 February, girls in the Second-Fifth Year assembled in the Sue Cormack Hall to view a special performance of the play ‘Hidden' by amateur drama company, Peer Productions.

Characters Sophia, Matt and Tash meet at a music festival. They are three very different teenagers. They go to different schools, have different friendship groups and have led very different lives. However, they all have the same problem - they use self-harm as a way to cope with their feelings. 'Hidden' tells the story of the recovery of the three very different teenagers as they struggle with mental health problems and self-harming behaviour.

This moving piece taught the girls about self-worth, mental health and self harm in a very vivid way.

Art Landscape prints The art on display in the Sue Cormack Hall entrance foyer, which includes print artwork by Second Year students, has attracted much comment and admiration.

The theme in the Second Year is currently Landscape. The girls created imaginary landscapes last term based on observations in the classroom; they had been looking at the work of British artists such as David Hockney and Peter Doig. Some girls made a collograph print plate and others made a print by indenting a polystyrene tile.

Life Drawing for Fifth Year and Sixth Form

Extra-curricular

After school clubs

Robotics and Coding

School clubs and activities take place daily around the school and off-site, which all of the girls sign up to. Clubs on offer include Zumba, Life Drawing, Debating, Table Tennis, Orchestra, Robotics & Coding and Cardmaking.

All of the girls very much enjoy the clubs and with such a wide range to choose from, there is something to suit everyone.

Cardmaking with Ms Johnston every Friday

Boarding Fun Boarding

Social highlights enjoyed by our boarders this term have included designing canvas bags, playing board games, a cupcake decorating competition, making pop-cakes and rocky road treats and also going to the cinema and bowling alley together.

Making rocky road treats

Creating canvas bag designs

Bowling fun and games

Decorating cupcakes - delicious!

Forms

Meet a Form This term, Form 5KS tell us about themselves and what they enjoy about St George's, with their Form Tutor Miss Spencer.

"I enjoy playing golf and reading in my spare time. My favourite thing about being at St George's is the delicious food. My favourite subject is History."

Antonina K, Form Captain

"My favourite subjects are Textiles and Mathematics. I do LAMDA lessons and enjoy making things and going swimming.

Mariam A

"I like playing lacrosse, netball and using the gym. I enjoy the needlework club at school and hold a Silver Ambassador badge."

Ella D

"My favourite hobby is playing the guitar. The subject I enjoy the most is History and I like the making projects."

Hannah C, Deputy Form Captain

"The best thing about St George's is having second helpings at lunch! I like to play netball, write and dance in my free time. I am a member of the debating club" Olivia A

"My hobbies outside of school are reading, watching films and visiting museums. The best thing about St George's is the variety of clubs on offer."

Grace D

I like eating lunch with my friends at St George's. I enjoy drawing and attending the Robotics and Coding club in school."

Arina K

"The highlight of being at St George's is being given the opportunity to try new things. I enjoyed the Australian exchange last year and play golf, tennis and netball in my spare time."

Isabella L

"My favourite subject is Sport. The best thing about St George's is the food. I enjoy singing and fashion and hold an ambassador badge."

Yasmin M

"I like Biology practical lessons.

Having the opportunity to be involved in various school events is great. I enjoy ballet, art and writing."

Megan M

"I enjoy Philosophy and Ethics and being able to work independently at St George's. I do LAMDA, I am a Charity Captain and Silver Ambassador."

Anna M

"My favourite subject is Philosophy and Ethics with Mrs Magill. The food at St George's is my favourite thing about the school. I enjoy cooking and playing tennis in my spare time."

Amy W

"I am a member of a tennis club in Berkshire. I enjoy lacrosse, netball and tennis. My favourite subjects at St George's are Sport and Geography."

Iona W

Forms

"I like learning about Biology, especially about cells. I enjoy playing the guitar out of school time, and I really enjoy the food and people at St George's."

Tamaraebi E

Houses

Becket House Party 2016 On Friday 29 January, Becket House held its annual House Party, with the theme of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’

The Dining Room had been decorated with an impressive array of trees and fairies, and B House girls and parents were treated to a delicious meal courtesy of the Catering Department.

Following dinner, parents and girls made their way to the Sue Cormack Hall for the entertainment. It began with the Becket House entry into the House Drama competition, an abridged version of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ which had the audience in fits of laughter.

Students Kate G, Georgina A and Jacqueline B all performed solo songs, followed by Laura B and Daisy T dancing to David Guetta’s ‘Titanium.’ Finally, the whole house sang the house song ‘It’s all about you’ by McFly. It was an evening which was greatly enjoyed by all, and a thank you goes to Mrs Jones and Mr Pearn for organising the entertainment, as well as to the catering team for their amazing effort.

Churchill House Party 2016

On Friday 5 February, Chruchill House held their annual party.

The theme of the evening was 'Hawaiian'. The dining room was decorated with vibrant beach decorations, with sparkling wine and sunshine at every turn.

The girls put on a variety of different performances, some of which were debuted in anticipation of the House Music competition later in the term. Even Miss McCann got involved, singing in the ensemble piece.

Everyone had a wonderful evening: many thanks go to Mrs Fidler, Mr Pearn, Mr Esling, the catering team and all the girls who put in so much effort to make the evening a success.

On Thursday 11 February, St George’s held its annual House Debating competition in the Sue Cormack Hall.

Houses

House Debating 2015 First off was Alexander versus Becket, debating the motion ‘This House believes reality television does more harm than good’ then Darwin proposing that ‘advertising should be banned,’ with Churchill House opposing.

After fiery exchanges, humorous jibes and some brilliant audience participation, Alexander House met Darwin House as winners of their debates in the final round, where teams argued the motion ‘This House believes we are too late on climate change.’

While both teams argued brilliantly, it was Darwin who were finally victorious. Darwin House summariser Chloe also jointly won Best Individual Debater, along with A House Second Year Olivia.

Congratulations to all girls who bravely took part, and thank you to judges Mrs Witt and Mr Carroll, as well as to Mrs Kratt for organising such a stimulating competition.

Best Debaters, Olivia and Chloe

Alexander v Becket in the first round

Churchill v Darwin in the second round

11+ Entrance Examinations On Saturday 23 January, St George’s welcomed over 50 girls for their 11+ examinations, interviews and auditions.

Following the examinations in the morning, girls enjoyed a delicious lunch with staff, followed by a fun afternoon in the Library watching a film, colouring in St George and the dragon, and playing board games whilst they await their interviews.

While all girls were academically stretched, the day was very useful and showed how thriving and competitive St George’s is.

Thank you very much to the Admissions and Marketing Department, the teaching staff involved and also to Mr Cornish and his team for putting on such a successful event!

Admissions

Admissions

Sixth Form

Five minutes with Mr Wright Mr Alexander Wright Assistant Head (Sixth Form), History and Politics Teacher What did you do before St George’s?

Before St George’s, I was the Head of History, Politics and Sociology at the City of London Freemen’s School in Ashtead, Surrey; I was also Head of Sixth Form Careers.

What is your greatest achievement?

I think it was completing a Masters Degree in Imperialism and Post-Colonial Studies part-time whilst teaching at the Royal Grammar School in Guildford and then at Freemen’s.

How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

Fun, accessible, focussed. I think my friends would say I’m fun, intelligent and organised.

What was the last book that you read?

The last book I read was ‘Black Earth: The Holocaust as History and Warning’ by an historian called Timothy Snyder. It took me a little time to read with other commitments, but history is my first love.

Which person, alive or dead, would you most like to spend a day with?

Abraham Lincoln. He comes across as an incredibly interesting man, someone who would be interested in you. At my previous school we taught the American Civil War, which is where I became interested in him. The funny thing about Lincoln is that basically all of his biographers fall in love with him, and I think it would be fascinating to find out if their image of him is accurate.

Social Occassions During this term, the Sixth Form have enjoyed social events with staff. They have also met Mr Wright, our newly appointed Head of Sixth Form.

On Friday 15 January, the girls indulged in beautiful cupcakes created by our talented chefs. A desserts event was also held on Friday 22 January.

This was a great opportunity for girls to interact with teachers in an informal setting.

If money was no object, where would you travel to?

Patagonia, in southern Argentina. It has got fantastic landscapes, wildlife, glaciers: it’s a remarkable place. You can only really go there in the middle of our winter and I think I’d need at least a month to explore, so a job might have to be no object!

What are your impressions of St George’s so far?

Most of all, I have noticed the warm sense of community that St George’s has, the fact that everybody is known as an individual, which is a remarkable and unique element of the school. The girls are great; there is a sense of care and interest about them.

In your opinion, what makes a good Sixth Form?

A good Sixth Form is where a student achieves more than they ever believed themselves capable of achieving in terms of academic success, but also in terms of their social awareness and the opportunities they have, such as the possibilities for leadership. It is not only about them achieving what they hoped to manage but also about them achieving things they never even dreamed were possible at the beginning of their Sixth Form journey.

What he says: I have had a lovely welcome here; I’m grateful to everyone who has made me feel very much a part of things already.

What others say: We are really lucky to have Mr Wright join our senior team.

His calm and thoughtful manner has already been much in evidence in our meetings. He has already established himself as a champion of the girls, too, being determined to help them organise a stunning leavers' ball on site here at St George's.

Mrs Owens

Lower Sixth Alexander House Dinner On Monday 18 January, Lower Sixth girls from Alexander House enjoyed a dinner with Mrs Owens at Garden House.

After being warmly welcomed by the Headmistress, who received a gift of flowers and chocolates from the girls, everyone sat down to a delicious meal.

Thanks to the catering team, everyone enjoyed an evening of fantastic food and conversation.

Young Enterprise Student Seminar Lower Sixth students are in full swing with their companies as participants of the Young Enterprise programme.

Young Enterprise is a not-for-profit enterprise and financial education charity in England & Wales. Young Enterprise's mission statement is "To inspire and equip young people to learn and succeed through enterprise."

Community

Young Enterprise

The Company Programme is aimed at ages 15-19 and run during the course of an academic year. Students form a business and elect a board of directors from among themselves, raise share capital, then create, sell, and market products, attempting to generate profits.

Two groups of St George's girls have formed a business. All of the girls will gain experience in writing a business plan and company reports, as well as their presentation skills and sales techniques.

The girls will continue to sell their products, whilst also attending seminars run by Young Enterprise over the coming months.

PRISM is a family-like company made up of three small groups which have chosen exciting and unique products to sell.

Products for sale: 'GlowTunes' - ‘glow in the dark’ earphones available in blue, green and pink.

'8/1' - Heat sensitive mugs, on which pictures develop as hot liquid is poured in.

'Amora' - Aromatic jar candles.

GEOGRAPHY WORKSHOP

Saturday, 19 March 2016 from 9.45am-2.00pm

Company profile

by Managing Director, Holly BOUND consists of three products including mason jars, tea and fluffy socks. They aspire to create products available to those of all ages.

We also hope to create a brand image which portrays our passion for our products. We also aspire to improve on our team work skills which will therefore benefit us extremely in the future.

FOR PREP SCHOOL PUPILS IN YEARS 5-7 BOYS AND GIRLS

Spend the day with the Geography Department at St George’s School, Ascot and take part in a variety of fun activities.

The day will focus on core Geography skills and is designed to complement the pupils existing work at school.

The day is open to girls and boys from any prep/primary school, in Years 5, 6 and 7 and is available on a first come, first served basis so booking early is advised.

For more information please email Mrs K Elliott at kelliott@stgeorges-ascot.org.uk or visit www.stgeorges-ascot.org.uk.

Prep Schools

Company profile

by Managing Director, Robyn

Prep Schools' Netball Tournament On Saturday 30 January, St George's hosted the Prep Schools' Netball Tournament.

Sport

Sports Life at St George's A group of St George's students umpired various matches between prep schools which included the winners of the tournament, Hoe Bridge School plus runners up Pembridge Hall School, Maltmen's Green School, St Piran's, Bishopsgate School and Godstowe.

From left to right: Rosie, Esme, Emily, Mrs Owens, Stephanie, Jenny and Ella

The St George's girls did a super job at being umpires for the day.

St George's School v Walthamstow Hall lacrosse match On Saturday 9 January, the St George’s U12, U14 and U15 lacrosse teams played lacrosse against Walthamstow Hall.

Despite the very wet and muddy conditions, the St George's U15 team won their match with a tremendous score of 8-7. Well played to all of the teams for such a triumphant effort.

Congratulations to Rosie S, Lucy S, Isabella B-B and Georgia M for achieving player of the match awards.

St George's School v Heathfield lacrosse match On Saturday 6 February, the St George’s U12 and U13 lacrosse teams played lacrosse against Heathfield School.

Social Media

New Twitter accounts In collaboration with the Marketing Department, Ms Kennedy, Head Librarian, Mr Wright, Assistant Head (Sixth Form) and Mrs Lowe, Head of Sport, have recently launched new Twitter accounts for their departments.

Ms Kennedy comments, "You can find out about all the latest library news; from new books and films available to borrow, to competitions and events. Libraries are a great source of information so you will also be able to find weird and wonderful facts, links to useful resources, news from publishers and educational organisations such as universities".

We hope that the St George’s community will find many useful sources through the new accounts.

To find out more information and to follow the accounts, search for @SGA_Library, @SGA_Sport and SGA_ SixthForm on Twitter. The Drama Twitter account has also been rejuvenated, search for @SGA_Drama.

Watch this space for further St George's Twitter accounts coming soon.

+44 (01344) 629920 St George's School admissions@stgeorges-ascot.org.uk

Ascot Berkshire

SL5 7DZ

Social Media

Unfortunately, the St George's U12 team lost their match, but the U13 team won their match with a score of 10-9 in a very competitive and nail-biting match.