eNews @stgeorgesascot
Issue 105, Spring 2017
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House of Lords Visit St George’s School hosted a talk from members of the House of Lords on Friday, 27 January 2017 to encourage pupils to become more engaged with the political and parliamentary process. Lord Borwick and Baroness Pidding met with girls from the Fourth Year to Upper Sixth for an hour to talk about the work and role of the House of Lords. This was followed by a question and answer session on various aspects of the parliamentary process and life at Westminster generally. Debbie Kratt – Head of History and Politics at St George’s said, “This was a fantastic opportunity for our pupils to interact with someone who knows the parliamentary system inside out, as it can sometimes seem far removed from their daily lives.” The visit was arranged through the Lord Speaker’s “Peers in Schools” programme, which has been running across the UK since 2007 and has so far involved around 75,000 young people. This continuing outreach programme sends members of the House of Lords into schools, academies and colleges across the country to give talks in support of the citizenship curriculum.
From the Headmistress Only a few weeks have passed since the short, wintry days of early January, yet a great deal has happened at St George's during this time. Girls facing public examinations later this year have completed mock exams, and for all girls there has been the usual diet of academic inspiration and challenge in lessons, punctuated by stimulating visits and trips. It is always a delight to see the girls achieving success outside the classroom too, be it on the sports pitches, on the stage or as part of their regular clubs, and you will see in this very full edition of eNews that we have a great deal to celebrate. One event that particularly stood out for me was the House Debating Competition – our girls certainly know how to argue! In experiencing my first House Parties, I have enjoyed spending time with the girls and their families, and over the last few weeks I have hosted all the Lower Sixth girls, in small groups, for supper at home with my family. This has been a lovely opportunity to get to know the girls in an informal setting, as
well as learning more about their exciting plans for life beyond St George's. I continue to see prospective families and Prep School Heads each week and without exception they are impressed with the School and the girls showing them around. We are holding our next Open Morning later this month (Friday 24 February) and we look forward to welcoming many more families who will experience St George's for the first time. With very best wishes for half term.
Mrs Liz Hewer Headmistress
Awards
Fantastic Achievements Headmistress's Commendations Mrs Hewer awards a Headmistress's Commendation to girls who have excelled at a subject or activity within school. Congratulations to all of the girls who have received credit for their effort and achievement- keep up the good work!
Form Captain
Vice Captain
1NA 1CL 1CM
Ava Swidler Ruby Woodward Imogen Hillary
Saskia Kotelawala Amira Axmark Lucy Grant
2AF 2TL 2SJ
Olivia Pryer Matilda Cayton Rosie Swidler
India Williams Rosa Bavington Carmen Ng
3LJ 3MJ 3AP
Daisy Tibbatts Eve Hayward Celia Jackson
Beatriz de la Pena Corral Amy Selwyn Amelie Roberts
4NG 4KS 4FR
Ellie Pusey Anna Ewens Keshni Vadivelloo
Alexandra Povarova Olivia Bromilow Fatimah Iqbal
5LG 5JO 5IH
Leila Bennett Siena Rohan Punch Suwannakit
Fiona Allen Laura Beaumont Amelia Hitchcock-Merritt
Form Captains Announced The Form Captains and Form Vice Captains have been voted in by their peers for the Spring Term. It is an important role to fulfil, as each girl will canvas the views of her Form Group and feed these into the School Council meeting which the form captain attends. The girls will also play a lead role in Form Group planning and events.
Veterinary Success We are incredibly proud to report on the wonderful academic achievement of another Sixth Form pupil, Mimo, who has been successful in her application to read Veterinary Medicine at Clare College, Cambridge. Mimo, one of the Head Girls this academic year, is to be congratulated on a fantastic achievement given the highly competitive application process for this scientific discipline. Mimo continues in a line of successes at St George’s in applications for Veterinary Medicine and will no doubt inspire future Georgians with her accomplishment.
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Music Pupil Excels We are also very pleased to announce some of the incredible academic achievements of Georgian girls this term, below is a note from Mr A Wright, Assistant Head and Head of Sixth Form here at St George's School. Helen has been successful in securing places for two conservatoire courses for singing. Helen, the School’s Music Prefect, has made her decision with her first choice being the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, who have given her a scholarship and unconditional offer owing to her achievements in the application and interview auditions. Despite the excellence of the St George’s Chapel Choir, this is the first time a girl has achieved such a place and she is deserving of great praise for this achievement. We are very pleased to congratulate Helen on all of her hard work and determination, resulting in this fantastic offer, and we look forward to hearing about her continued success in the coming years.
Achievement
Academic Excellence
Boarding
Georgian Boarding Life Highlights enjoyed by our boarders this term have included film nights, a belgium chocolate making workshop (see top right) at Rosies in Wargrave, and a pamper night. Preened and Pampered On Tuesday 24 January the Loveday boarding girls were preened and pampered. Three wonderful beauty therapists set up a relaxing oasis in the Loveday Common Room and the girls received two beauty treatments of their choice; these included minimanicure, mini-pedicure, facial or massage. It is safe to say that the girls who took part felt utterly refreshed and relaxed following this fabulous evening; ready to tackle their A Level work once again.
Pamp e
5 Minutes with... Tabitha,
Third Year Boarder
r Nigh
t
What do you like best about boarding at St George's? I like the friendships that exist between Year groups. I also like the boarding staff who are very caring. What would you say to a girl who's not sure if they would enjoy boarding? You could give it a trial and you might find you like it. We have boarding taster nights where you can come and sleep over. What has been your favourite boarding activity this year so far? My favourite boarding activity was a treasure hunt that was a lot of fun. There were clues around the boarding house as to where the next clue would be and the final prize was sweets! There was also a murder mystery game where we had to search for a ‘murder weapon’ based on clues. Tell us about the friendships you have made at St George's? When I first joined, the other boarders were very friendly and welcoming and showed me around. They checked to make sure I was okay. I already knew a couple of other people from my previous school but I have made new friends too. Many of the boarders are from other countries so I have learnt something about other cultures and traditions which is lovely.
Extra-Cirricular
Trips and Socials National Theatre Visit, London Fourth and Fifth Year pupils visited the National Theatre, London to watch the popular production of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime. This award-winning production, is based on Mark Haddon's novel. The production won 7 Olivier Awards and 5 Tony Awards including Best Play.
Image courtesy of https://www.nationaltheatre.org.uk/
l
Socia Wine Tasting
Third Year Visit the National Portrait Gallery On Tuesday 31 January, the Third Year girls enjoyed a fun and educational trip to one of London's finest art galleries. They visited the much acclaimed, ‘Picasso Portraits’ exhibition which focuses on the evolution of the artist’s work throughout his career. The girls attended a workshop where they produced some fantastic sketches of portraits of Olga Picasso using different techniques. After lunch in Trafalgar Square, they returned to the gallery for some time spent perusing the galleries.
Wine Tasting Social On Saturday 21 January Sixth Form girls and their invited guests enjoyed an evening of wine tasting at St George’s. The event was hosted by Johnny Wyndham of VanVino and saw the pupils and staff taste a variety of wines guided by our expert. Those present also enjoyed a number related quiz, with wine gums as prizes, and took on the challenge of differentiating between types of sparkling wine. Silent Disco On Saturday 4 February girls in the First and Second Years travelled to Papplewick School to take part in a silent disco! The girls danced to their favourite songs, which they were listening to through headphones. An enjoyable evening was had by all.
Academic
St George's Library Services
Library Update and The Berkshire Book Award One year after opening, the Library has continued to evolve to suit the needs of St George’s girls. Along with the regular acquisition of new books, there have been some digital developments. At the start of term we subscribed to JStor, a repository of academic journals which has proven to be an invaluable resource for the sixth form girls; in particular for those undertaking the EPQ qualification. We also subscribe to a number of databases offering articles on current affairs and subject related content. It is a very exciting time as every new day brings further developments and new resources.
Author Jo Cotterill
On Wednesday 8 February we were lucky to host the shortlist announcement of the Berkshire Book Award. Our First and Second Year girls, along with some visiting schools, were the first to find out which six titles were in the running to win this year’s award. The award is wholly nominated for and voted on by the young people of Berkshire so it’s time to get reading and voting for a favourite! Author Jo Cotterill attended the event and spoke to the girls about her personal experiences as a professional writer. The girls then had the chance to purchase books and get them signed; a memorable moment for our eager readers.
Oxford Schools Debating Competition Four St George’s girls took part in the Oxford Schools Debating Competition on Thursday 2 February at St Catherine’s Bramley. It was a new venture for the students and a challenge because the motions are only known 15 minutes in advance. There were 22 schools competing including Winchester College and Wellington College. We entered two teams comprising Katie and Laura, and Olivia and Avah. The first debate was entitled: ‘All media stations should be neutral’ – a challenging debate but one which the girls did not shy away from making many strong points and interrupting with relevant points of information. The second debate was reminiscent of the House Debating Competition with the following motion: The Olympics should only be held in London. The girls were swift in putting together their arguments and were able to argue strongly against this idea. They raised objections based on the economic effect of hosting the games and emphasised the importance of international equality. After three hours of debate the girls returned, a little exhausted, but ready to fight on next year!
Australian Exchange On Friday 20 January, two Third Year girls, Olivia and Georgia, embarked on an exciting journey to Melbourne, Australia as part of St George's annual exchange trip with St. Catherine's School Melbourne. The girls were paired up with an Australian exchange partner, and they will live with her and her family for 10 weeks in total. During their time in Melbourne so far, the girls have explored the Australian culture and enjoyed the hospitality and friendship of their new host families. As well as taking part in academic studies, the girls have enjoyed many extra-curricular activities, in particular rowing camp. The rowing programme at St. Catherine's is one of the largest and most successful in the country, and the opportunity to take part has been an exciting start to their adventure for Georgia and Olivia. Follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/stgeorgesascot) and Twitter (@stgeorgesascot) for further updates of the girls' adventures.
Academic
Debating Competition
Academic
Classics Sixth Form Classics Trip to London On Tuesday 7 February, Classical Civilisation pupils in the Upper Sixth travelled to the Shaw Theatre in London and attended a performance and lecture on Sophocles’ ‘Antigone’ as this is one of the plays on the syllabus for Greek Tragedy. Olivia, Ellie and Miss Fontes (Head of Classics) enjoyed both the production and the talk, which was held at University College London. The talk was given by Phiroze Vasunia, the Chair of Greek, at UCL. He discussed the reasons behind Antigone’s desire to bury her brother despite the fact that he had been a traitor and his burial had been prohibited by her uncle, Creon. The trip provided the girls with valuable revision material for their forthcoming AS examination in Classical Civilisation.
First Year Latin Role Play During a Latin Class with Miss Fontes, the First Year girls acted out a scene from Stage 4 of the Cambridge Latin Course. It was a courtroom drama in which Caecilius, a banker from Pompeii, successfully prosecutes a Greek merchant, Hermogenes, who has failed to repay a loan. The girls translated the passage in groups and then performed it in English, using various props and costumes. They assessed each other’s performance and were awarded marks for the quality of their presentation and the accuracy of their translation. Miss Fontes awarded merits to the winning group.
Image courtesy of UCL http://uclgreekplay.blogspot.co.uk/
Lower Sixth Drama Performance The Lower Sixth drama pupils have rehearsed extensively for the A2 exam season. The performance photographed here 'Untitled' was devised from scratch by the girls and influenced from research into Post Natal Depression, Refugees and Sex Trafficking. It was a thought-provoking piece that followed the lives of two women imprisoned for the circumstances they found themselves in. The piece was heavily influenced by the theatre company Punch Drunk and adopted the styles of promenade, immersive and physical theatre. The audience were immersed within the women’s stories as they were free to explore the stage area, and at times, physically moved, directed and addressed by the four performers. The piece was beautifully executed and the physical movement sequences especially captivating.
Arts
Arts Life at St George's
Arts
Into The Woods Production On Tuesday 7 and Wednesday 8 February, selected girls from the Third Year to Upper Sixth completed entertaining performances of James Lapine's musical Into the Woods. The show was directed and produced by two creative pupils Alannah and Mimo, they both worked extremely hard ensuring the show was executed professionally and with creative flair. The detailed and beautiful set (which was borrowed from Southhill Park) added a lot to the visual impact of the show. The parents, staff and students were impressed with the production, well done girls for all of your hard work!
Fourth Year Scuplture The art on display in the Art Department, which includes ceramics, textiles, sculpture and glass work, is extremely colourful and has attracted much comment and admiration. The girls are always pushing the boundaries and exploring new ways of expression. The images to the left and below represent sculpture from the Fourth Year.
Third Year Roman Pottery The girls in the Third Year have acquired the skills to replicate clay pottery popular in ancient Greece. The research books showcase their ability to think critically, and develop a sense of informed opinion about the work they are creating.
Letters to Lebanon First Year Pen Pal Project Girls in the First Year have been broadening their horizons by engaging in a pen pal project with Lebanese pupils from Batloun Official School in the Al Barouk area of Lebanon. They have already exchanged two letters and are excitedly waiting for their next opportunity to write. The girls have been learning about the school their new friends attend, the sports they play and the differences between the two cultures. They loved how the other pupils decorated their letters with drawings and patterns, and were inspired to do the same. In their most recent communication, the girls have been explaining the different celebrations that take place in the UK, such as Christmas and Valentine’s Day.
Arts
Art and Sculpture
Forms
Meet a Form The Form featured in this addition is 1CL
Claudia says...
Isabella says...
"I enjoy the teachers at St George's, they are really kind and supportive but most of all they want the best for you"
"I love art, PE, science and Latin as they are fun and sometimes challenging"
Lily says... "I enjoy being at St George's because I like the sports and my close friends and having a tuck shop"
Gabriella says...
Amira says... "My favourite subject is Drama because it is the first lesson I have ever had in it, and I have made a lot of progress like being in the School's Jack and the Bean Stalk production "
"I love being at St George's because there are es lots of different activiti ies bb ho and lessons, my " include netball and art
Hannah says... "I love to play tennis at School, Mr. Ingham is really nice and I enjoy all of the activities."
Lucy Says... "I like to play the flute inside and outside of school and my best moment so far has been getting 100 merits".
Ruby says... Lara says... "My favourite lessons are sport, science and cookery"
"I enjoy all of the sport and drama at St George's as well as the tuck shop, I also enjoy the Chapel Choir"
On Monday 30 January, the annual House Debating Competition took place. This is a House team competition with three students per team. "Ladies and gentlemen, I beg to propose� was the closing statement from Alexander Houses' first round of a compelling argument for the idea that modern technology contributes to feelings of loneliness. Darwin House opposed this idea, claiming that social media and modern transport increase social connectivity, thus alleviating isolation and loneliness. In the subsequent debate, Becket House produced the controversial statement that junk food advertisements should be banned from children's television as they contribute to childhood obesity and encourage 'pester power' amongst children, thus increasing the likelihood of unhealthy food being purchased by parents. In opposition, Churchill House claimed that banning advertisements would be a misplaced effort and that money should be spent instead, on educating children and families on healthy eating. Alexander and Becket won the judges over with their eloquent and persuasive arguments and they each secured a place in the final. "The Olympics are a waste of money" proposed Alexander House; an argument that Becket fiercely rebutted on the grounds that long term prosperity is often enjoyed by the host countries after the event has been held. All of the girls that participated in the debates did a fantastic job at producing intelligent and emotive arguments on behalf of their Houses, however it was Becket House who won the final, with Emily winning the Best Debater award. Congratulations Emily and the rest of Becket on a brilliant win!
Becket House Champions
Houses
House Debating
Houses
House Parties
"The girls love the parties, they have a sense of ownership over them..."
A Red Carpet Event On Friday 20 January, girls, staff and parents enjoyed an extravagant evening of award winning food, plus an array of entertaining performances by the Alexander girls. The theme of the evening was Movie Award Season Dinner and the dress code was black tie. The dining room was transformed into a venue fit for the Oscars, decorated with lights, stunning table decor and a sense of prestige. In keeping with the Award Season theme, the girls performed their award winning production of Sleeping Beauty to staff and parents in the Sue Cormack Hall at the end of the evening. There was also a dance by the first year girls , three musical performances, and a thought provoking Spoken Word poem about the origins of Alexander House. The performances showcased the girls ability to impress, and all those who attended had a wonderful time.
Houses
Alexander House
Houses
Becket House A Tale to Remember On Friday 3 February, it was the turn of Becket House to host their themed party. The fairy-tale theme was complemented with glowing fairy lights, candy canes and a general sense of wonder and fantasy. Parents, staff and the girls once again enjoyed a delicious three course meal prepared by the catering team. At the end of the night, the girls performed their own version of 'A Twisted Fairy-tale', a performance that previously won them the House Drama Competition last term. There were also a range of musical and dance performances that showcased the range of talent the Becket girls have. Overall, everyone who attended had a fantastic evening and the efforts of both the girls and staff made the evening both entertaining and magical.
Houses
"The show was incredible fun to watch!"
Sport
St George's Sports News Georgian Netball Success! On a freezing cold day on Tuesday, 17 January, the U14 A and B netball teams competed in their annual Ascot Schools Netball Tournament away at Charters School (see left). The B team had a really tough draw in the group stages but played extremely well finishing 6th in their group. The A team also had some touch matches but with confidence high having convincingly won their first match, they went on to win all of their group matches finishing top of their league. In the semi-finals they met arch rivals St Mary’s. The game swung one way and then another with only 2 goals being the difference at any stage of the match. In the final 2 minutes the team managed to pick up a loose ball and with Amy S being clinical with her finishing throughout the tournament, St George’s completed a thrilling victory of 8 goals to 6. In the final we came up against a very strong Marist team, and having used all of our energy up in the semi-final the final was just one step too far on the night. The girls finished as overall runners-up and we are very proud of their achievements. Players of the tournament went to Amy S and Imogen R in the A team and Aimee T and Avah R in the B team.
U18 Ascot Schools Netball
Swimming Success!
On Wednesday 25 January the U18 A and B teams took part in the Ascot Schools Netball Tournament here at St George’s. Both teams played some excellent netball and fought hard in their games.
On Monday, 23 January, members of the U14, U13 and U12 swimming teams travelled to Heathfield School to take part in their annual Ascot Schools Swimming Gala. We had 2 girls representing the school in their first swimming gala for St George’s so it was all a little bit tense to start with, but once the first events were underway, and with lots of encouragement from their team-mates, everyone started to settle down into their normal swimming routines. Rosie S finished second in the U13 Individual Medley and this gave everyone the lift and belief that they needed. After some hard fought individual and relay races the U14/U13 team finished third overall and the U13/U12 team finished as runners-up.
The U18 Bs had some tough matches against other School A teams and did particularly well to only lose to Charters A by two goals. The U18 As performed brilliantly and beat Charters, Heathfield, St Mary’s C, St George’s B & St Mary’s C convincingly. Unfortunately, they played their toughest opposition in the first game, before we were fully focussed and where we made too many simple errors, this led to St Mary's beating us 5-9. Despite this loss the girls were crowned AST runners up and should be extremely proud of their achievements. We look forward to more tournament play after half term.
This is a great achievement for the girls and hopefully and experience that will lead them to many more future successes. Swimmers of the gala were Amy S, and Rosie S and Ava S.
On Saturday, 28 January, St George's played host to the annual Year 5 Netball Tournament. The girls warmed up in the drizzle, but as soon as play got underway the blue skies came out and the participating schools began their morning of competitiveness. With several schools beating each other, it culminated in an exceptionally close tournament with the first three places being decided on the result of the final game. With only one point between the teams in third place and the runners-up there were some pensive faces during prize-giving.
The overall results were:1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
Hoebridge Maltman's Green St. Piran's Godstowe Pembridge Hall
20 points 14 points 13 points 7 points 1point
On this occasion Maltman's Green just pipped St Piran's into second place whilst the outright winners went to Hoebridge who won it for the second time in a row. All of the participants left with a prize and a smile on their face and we look forward to hosting the tournament again next year.
Lacrosse News
Lacrosse News The U12s, U13s and 1st team played back to back games on Saturday 4 February against Rendcomb College and Hanberdasher's Monmouth.The U12s played very well in the first game against Rendcomb and passed the ball beautifully around the attack when in possession. This created space and lots of opportunities for the girls to shoot. Running out as eventual 9-0 winners with Lara S and Ava S voted as player of the match. In their second game the U12 team played slight tougher opposition and the defence struggled to stay tight enough on the players, conceding 9 goals and scoring 3 in reply. Players of the match were Lara S and goal keeper Eleanor M. The U13s had lots of attacking opportunities in their games,
but found the opposition goal keepers on good form. After losing a close game to rendcomb 6-4 with Lala K voted player of the match, the U13s went on to play Monmouth. This was another tight match with a 3-3 score line at half time. Again the girls had lots of attacking opportunities and lost narrowly 8-5 with Rosie S voted as player of the match. The 1st team beat Rendcomb 4-2 in their first game. They had lots of good fast breaks and were very unfortunate not to score more against some excellent goal keeping. Congratulations to Ella D who was awarded player of the match. In their second game the 1st team played a very physical Monmouth team. Again a number of chances were missed by the attack and unfortunately the final score was a 10-2 loss. Well done to Emily H who was voted player of the match.
Sport
Prep Schools Netball Tournament
Admissions News
Admissions News 11+ Examinations On Friday 13 and Saturday 14 January, St George’s welcomed prospective pupils from Prep and Primary schools ‘far and wide’ 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 getting to know one another and participating in many activities whilst awaiting interview. Mrs Hewer and all the Staff were impressed with the girls' performances and very much enjoyed the presentations they gave as part of the interview process. Thank you very much to all involved and we look forward to meeting our new First Year cohort in September 2017!
ST GEORGE’S ASCOT Independent boarding and day school for girls 11-18
OPEN MORNING
Friday 24 February 2017 at 9.00am admissions@stgeorges-ascot.org.uk www.stgeorges-ascot.org.uk 01344 629920
Spend the day with the History Department at St George's School and take part in a variety of fun activities
BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW admissions@stgeorges-ascot.org.uk
New in... St George's School Umbrella Don't get caught out in the rain. Handy for watching sports matches and showing your support. These can be purchased direct (£23) from our uniform supplier, The Direct Clothing Company: 01344 872299 or email: uniform@thedirectclothing.co.uk +44 (01344) 629900 St George's School, Ascot Berkshire SL5 7DZ office@stgeorges-ascot.org.uk | www.stgeorges-ascot.org.uk