eNewsletter ARTS Summer 2018 Issue 114
www.stgeorges-ascot.org.uk
END OF YEAR CELEBRATIONS Page 3
FESTIVAL OF NATIONS Page 6
HOUSE ATHLETICS Page 22
NORMANDY Page 34
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FROM THE HEAD This edition of eNews brings us to the end of a very exciting year at St George’s. It has been a whirlwind last few weeks of trips, sport, music, drama and of course exams for many. We finished the term with our fond farewells to the Upper Sixth leavers at their Valedictory Service, Prize Giving with the inspirational Natasha Devon and, last of all, the Leavers Ball.
Academic Page 9
Sport Page 22
As the girls and staff head off for the summer holidays we will leave behind the team who are already making excellent progress on the construction of our new 6 lane 25 metre swimming pool. This pool is the final phase of a development plan that last saw the opening of the fantastic new library in the Luker Building in 2016. It will mean we have the very best facilities at St George’s for academics, creative arts, performing arts and sports, enabling the girls to try out, and thrive in, a wide range of co-curricular opportunities. We will be very excited to see the progress that has been made on the pool when we return to School in September after what I hope is an enjoyable, and restful holiday. Liz Hewer Headmistress
Arts Page 28
IN THIS ISSUE Trips Page 34
Page 3 End of Year Celebrations Page 6 Festival of Nations
Charity and Community Page 40
Page 9 Academic
Page 18 Admissions Page 22 Sport Page 28 Arts Page 34 Trips
Page 40 Charity and Community Page 42 Boarding Page 45 Sixth Form Page 46 Other News
END OF YEAR CELEBRATIONS
VALEDICTORY SERVICE AND PRIZE GIVING Prize Giving saw the Upper Sixth Form girls enjoy a memorable and emotional final day as pupils at the School. The Valedictory Service was led by Reverend Watts and pupils, staff, parents and governors were able to enjoy the singing of the Chapel Choir along with readings and reflections on the girls’ time at the School. During Prize Giving each of the Upper Sixth girls was presented with a Leaver’s Diploma by Mrs Hewer who spoke to all those present about the achievements of every Upper Sixth girl leaving St George’s. This year we were delighted to welcome Natasha Devon MBE, writer and activist, as guest speaker. Natasha spoke to girls on the topics of mental health, well-being and becoming who they want to be.
END OF YEAR CELEBRATIONS
SIXTH FORM BALL On Thursday 5 July we said our final farewells to the Upper Sixth at their Leavers’ Ball. The girls looked wonderful in their gowns as they arrived at school, beginning the celebration with a drinks reception with parents and teachers in the South Lawn marquee. In the Sue Cormack Hall, the girls had arranged a photobooth and disco, and the catering team put on a lovely three course meal. The girls will be greatly missed, and we look forward to welcoming them back as Old Georgians in the not too distant future.
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SUMMER AWARDS On Tuesday 3 July, the Summer Awards took place in the Sue Cormack Hall to celebrate the girls who have performed well in their academics and also as part of their extracurricular activities and for recent events at the School. Some of the awards given were music and LAMDA certificates, individual achievement cups and Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards. Well done to all girls for their hard work this term.
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FESTIVAL OF NATIONS On Monday 25 June the girls and staff came together to celebrate the many different cultures and nations represented at St George’s. The festivities started with a fantastic lunch provided by the catering team, with foods from around the world, from Katsu curry to Churros, Spaghetti Bolognese to the Nigerian ‘Dodo’ (pan fried plantain and eggs). At tea the girls were treated to cupcakes and squash, a much needed refreshment in the sweltering heat! Club time brought round the real celebrations, with girls from across the school showing off their cultures with a whole array of displays. With world music playing in L04, girls and staff could get a bindi from Bangladesh, Halloumi from Greece and Krapfen from Germany. They could try on Pakistani clothing and have their names written in a number of different languages. Following a tough judging effort, prizes for best country displays were awarded to Nyah and Amelia for Bangladesh, Luktan, Cartoon and Waan for Thailand and Kasey for Australia. Thank you to the EAL team, and all the girls involved, for their hard work in bringing together such a wonderful event.
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FESTIVAL OF NATIONS
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ACADEMIC
JUNIOR SCHOLARS’ LUNCHES On Wednesday 27 June the Sports and Arts Scholars’ Lunch was well attended, with hot topics of conversation including physical theatre, world cup football and the art exhibition. Following the Second Year play which was in the style of physical theatre in it the girls discussed the technicalities of it and how the girls had achieved such a high standard through their curriculum. The World Cup was discussed and the psychology surrounding should England go for a win or a loss against Belgium to come first or second in the group stages. Finally the art conversation focused around the art exhibition and the wide variety of art forms that will be on display. The Junior Academic Scholars were invited to join Mr Hoar and Mr Wright for lunch on Thursday 28 June. Enjoying the fine summer weather, the usual excellent school lunch and a specially laid on chocolate mousse for dessert, the girls and staff were able to spend the time discussing recent reading and events in the news over the past weeks. A range of topics were considered including the decision to expand Heathrow Airport with a third runway which was a matter close to home for a number of our girls living underneath the flight-path! Donald Trump’s recent actions were a fruitful source of debate with the news of Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy’s decision to retire being considered in the light of the President’s ability to shape this crucial body for a generation. All those present enjoyed the stimulating discussion as well as the superb food on offer.
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THE LIVING RAINFOREST On Wednesday 6 June the Second Year girls went on a trip to the Living Rainforest, following their work on rainforest ecosystems. They explored the huge greenhouses, learning about plant and animal adaptations to the humid climate. The girls were lucky enough to spot the sleepy sloth (which is often hidden), huge butterflies, a water dragon, and the tiny marmosets were a firm favourite. There was also an opportunity to finish up with an ice cream and a visit to the gift shop, before returning to school. The girls behaved beautifully and were enthusiastic throughout.
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CIRENCESTER & CHEDWORTH VILLA
ACADEMIC
On Monday 11 June the Second Year girls went on a Latin and Classics trip to Cirencester. First they went to the Corinium Museum where they learnt about life in Roman Britain. They looked at exhibits of ancient jewellery, food, drink, health and hygiene and how it has improved. There were lots of hair pins, intaglii rings (rings with small gemstones pressed into them), surgical equipment, board games, keys and school writing equipment. There were also games set out that they could play themselves. They had time to enjoy lunch on picnic benches in the grounds of Chedworth Villa, and even managed to get time to have some ice cream from the gift shop! They were given a guided tour around the villa, and saw the nymphaeum which was a shrine containing water from the nearby limestone hills. The water was carried in wooden pipes down the hill to the baths inside the main building, and it is known the pipes were wooden as they decayed and what remained were lead rings around them. The baths had marvellous mosaics in different coloured stone, which were some of the best in Britain. The girls were shown the hypocaust system below the floor which keeps the baths warm. Their tour guide told us about the edible Roman snails in the area and how big they were. The girls had a great time and learnt a lot about Roman Britain.
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ARTS
JUNIPER HALL On Tuesday 12 June the Fourth Year Geographers travelled to Juniper Hall FSC to carry out data collection and fieldwork for their GCSE course. They spent some time learning about the local area and characteristics of the local river before setting out to investigate how the characteristics of the River Tillingbourne changes as you moved downstream. The girls were enthusiastic and focused when measuring and recording the width, depth and velocity at three different sites, which enabled them to compare the discharge between the three locations. After a cake break back at the field centre, the girls went on to present and analyse their data, and were able to accept the hypotheses they had set at the start of the day. It was a really useful day out, made more fun by the girls’ excellent attitudes and behaviour.
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ACADEMIC
VERULAMIUM MUSEUM On Wednesday 6 June the First Year girls went on a trip to the Verulamium Museum in St Albans. They took part in a workshop in the museum where they looked at lots of different artefacts, all dug up hundreds of years after the Roman Conquest when the town was destroyed. There were four different tables with items from the kitchen, dining room, building and fashion. The girls answered questions about the artefacts, learnt some interesting facts about the town of Verulamium, and watched a video about Verulamium. The girls were given a quiz, for which they had to go round to museum and find the information. For the last activity they were given a tour of the Roman Theatre, where they learnt about the seating in the theatre and the types of plays put on. They also saw some typical shops and houses that would be in Verulamium. The girls really enjoyed the trip and learnt a great deal about the town of Verulamium.
ROMAN BATHS & MUSEUM OF FASHION On Wednesday 23 May, the Third Year girls headed west to see the Roman Baths and Museum of Fashion. On arrival, half of the girls went to a Latin and Classics talk with one of the guides at the baths, who showed them artefacts and gravestones, and helped them read and understand who they belonged to. The other half completed a worksheet where they had to explore the baths looking for the sign posted answers and listen to the electronic guides to help them fill out the booklets. They were taken all around the baths, learning about different aspects and features of the baths and how they were made. After a quick visit to the gift shop and a sunny park lunch (and ice cream), the girls regrouped for a walk to the Fashion Museum. They walked through the old cobbled streets and saw the small, boutique shops and cafes, enjoying the live music from the buskers who were singing and playing. Once at the Fashion Museum the girls looked at the different trends throughout history and were allowed to try on dresses from across the decades, which was a particular highlight. ST GEORGE’S, ASCOT | ISSUE 114
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ACADEMIC
JANE AUSTEN’S HOUSE On Wednesday 27 June, Mr Lee and the English Department took the Fourth Year girls to visit the Jane Austen House Museum. The girls were given a short introduction about the background of Jane Austen’s life, and were then split into two groups. The girls went to Chawton House, which was owned by Jane Austen’s brother. The house was very big and had pieces of furniture that were used in Jane Austen’s life, like the dining table. They then went on to a dance lesson, where they dressed in period costumes and learnt how ladies and gentlemen would dance during the time of Jane Austen. They also saw the house that Jane Austen lived in which was much smaller but had even more restored furniture, including the writing table that Jane Austen wrote many of her novels on. There was a kitchen in another area of the house and the girls got to make small lavender sacks and were given quills to write with. As a treat at the end of the day, the girls were given strawberries, cream and scones! The girls had a fantastic time learning about Jane Austen’s life.
NETTLECOMBE During the week of the 18 June the Lower Sixth travelled for three hours with Mrs Johnson and Miss Stepp to Nettlecombe Court in West Somerset. The focus of the trip was to allow the girls to explore topics and locations for their own independent A Level Geography investigations which are to be carried out over the Summer. They visited a series of locations, including the coastal village of Watchet and the four km long shingle ridge at Porlock Bay. The girls worked with students from Bruton and Tewkesbury Schools to learn data collection techniques in order that they might be able to carry out their own primary data collection. On the final full day of the trip the girls selected here they would like to go to carry out their own investigation and they worked with fantastic focus and independence.
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ROYAL ACADEMY SUMMER EXHIBITION On Tuesday 26 June the Lower Sixth Art pupils and the Second Years girls went to the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in London curated by Grayson Perry. It was very different from the previous galleries the girls had visited, as the art works were more visually displayed and were without names on them. The girls found it interesting to see the work of famous artists, such as David Hockney, and other less-famous artists next to each other and compare. They particularly liked the bright and vibrant colours of the rooms the pieces were presented in, particularly as the majority of the work was unique and abstract. There were a few compositions that struck some of the girls, such as Cathy de Monchaux’s ‘Refugee’ and Anselm Kiefer’s ‘Gehautete Landschaft’, that showed using bright colours the beautiful image of the universe and also the scene of a war forest using layering and dimensions. The girls were blown away by many of the pieces, such as the grizzly bear carpet installation and some of Bridget Ridely’s inspired paintings covered with paint.
ACADEMIC
HENLEY RIVER & ROWING MUSEUM On Tuesday 26 June, the First Year girls travelled to the Henley River and Rowing Museum on a Geography trip to find out more about floods. The girls began their day at the museum with an exciting workshop which enabled them to investigate river processes. Within this workshop, the girls completed six practical tasks which ranged from map skills to small investigations. They enjoyed the surface run-off practical the most, where they had to pour water over two different surfaces and calculate the amount of water that was collected as run-off rainwater. The girls had to predict the outcome of which surface would be permeable and impermeable. After the workshop, the girls went on a riverside walk to find out which areas of Henley were at risk of flooding and how management has been implemented to keep the residents safe. At the end of the day, they were able to explore the museum, where they found out how Henley has been affected by flooding in the past. The girls also loved finding out more about the Royal Henley Regatta and the Boat Race. Some of them even tested their ability to work within a coxed four boat and tried to keep in time for their strokes.
KALLOS GALLERY & BRITISH MUSEUM On Tuesday 5 June the Fourth Year girls visited the Kallos Gallery and the British Museum in London. At the Kallos Gallery, Hayley, an alumna of St George’s, introduced the girls to some very rare and valuable artefacts from the ancient world, such as sculptures, rings and coins. She explained their origins and the theories about their possible uses. In the British Museum the girls saw the Parthenon Frieze as well as the Bassae Frieze, both of which they have used in their source material for the GCSE Classical Civilisation course. The friezes were very interesting because they had only ever seen photographs; seeing them up close enhanced the details. The girls could easily imagine what they once looked like as there was a video showing them with paint and real bronze weapons. They also saw some wine bowls and water jugs which depicted stories, myths, plays and gods. The bowls and jugs showed stories that they had studied, for example the Death of Penthesilea.
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FRESHERS’ BBQ
ADMISSIONS
On Friday 8 June the newest Georgians joined us for our Freshers’ BBQ. The girls and their parents were welcomed by current First and Second Year and Sixth Form girls and quickly began the host of activities put on for them. The girls enjoyed a bouncy castle slide and the families were treated to a wonderful BBQ from the catering team. The highlight, though, was definitely the ice cream van, complete with music, which arrived in the car park just in time for dessert. We look forward to welcoming the Freshers on their first day in September.
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ADMISSIONS
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HOUSE ATHLETICS
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SPORTS
The sun shone for our Summer House Athletics event on Friday 8 June and parents arrived in force to watch an amazing afternoon of sport. The girls excelled themselves in every event and the ‘Georgian Spirit’ was in evidence in every performance. The girls participated with determination and zeal and pushed themselves to achieve their very best. Becket House were the winners on the day but there were individual winners too in each event and in each year group as individual points winners. Congratulations go to Elizabeth, Joanna, Chloe, Imogen and Fiona for being 2018’s top points scorers! Charlotte and Ella were our record breakers for the afternoon with Ella breaking the school shotput record only to have her new record broken by Charlotte minutes later! Both girls received medals to recognise their amazing achievement.
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SPORTS
SPORTS AWARDS Our Annual Sports Awards took place on Friday 8 June with girls of all ages receiving colours and awards across all our many sports. We introduced Skiing and Cross Country colours for the first time this year to recognise our girls’ achievements in these areas of sport. The girls and parents were treated to a fabulous talk by Pamela Cookey, ex-England Netball Captain, who spoke about the value of balancing sport and school work, setting goals and persevering in the face of adversity, playing a range of different sports and the value of training and hard work. The girls thoroughly enjoyed her inspirational words and appreciated the tips she gave them on achieving and managing a work-life balance.
SPORTS
HOUSE TENNIS
On two blistering hot days the Junior and Senior House tennis players took to the courts to contest the house tennis competitions. There were some phenomenal matches, many very close, and the overall results reflect this. In many case one or two game wins were the difference in placings and this shows how close the girls are in terms of their tennis ability. The girls are to be commended for their perseverance in the heat and their fabulous teamwork. Overall the results were as follows: Senior First Churchill - 15 points Joint Second Becket and Darwin - 15.5 points Fourth Alexander - 9 points Overall results: First Churchill - 30.5 points Second Alexander 22.5 points Third Darwin - 21.5 points Fourth Becket - 19.5 points
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Junior First Second Third Fourth
Churchill - 15.5 points Alexander - 13.5 points Darwin - 9.5 points Becket - 7.5 points
SPORTS
OTHER SPORTING ACHIEVEMENTS South West Regional Round of the Junior Track and Field Cup, Exeter Stadium
Our Junior Athletics team qualified for the South West Regional Round of the Track and Field Cup which took place in Exeter on Tuesday 5 June. The girls really raised their game and produced some fantastic performances with Daisy winning the 800m, Charlotte winning the shot-put, Oona coming 2nd in the 1500m and Joanna coming 2nd in the 100m. The girls really enjoyed performing on a bigger stage and will be working towards qualification for next year's event and hoping to go further in this national competition. Oona has continued her scintillating form in distance running by qualifying for the 1000m at the Berkshire County Championships which take place on Thursday 5 July - we wish her the very best of luck!
Ascot Schools Rounders
Congratulations to the enthusiastic U12 Rounders Team who took part in the Ascot Schools Rounders competition on Tuesday 12 June. Our girls were just pipped for gold by Gordons School, who scored one more rounder overall.
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SUMMER ARTS EXHIBITION
We were delighted to welcome friends and family to the Summer Arts Exhibition on Monday 2 July. The Summer Art exhibition is a celebration of the Art work produced by girls of all ages during the last two years. The Art department are proud of the talent and high standard of work that was on display from all year groups.
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ARTS
On display outside the dining hall were the cushions that First Year Textiles pupils created along with detailed canvas paintings of eyes and Maori poly-prints. Selected Textiles printed landscapes recently created by Second Year girls were on display as well as blue sculptural organic forms, powerful self-portrait paintings and observational sketches of fish and imaginative fashion illustrations created by Third Year girls. Many of our recent ‘Bird’ competition entries were presented, with the prize winners and highly commended being celebrated. Fine Art canvas paintings by Fourth Years were also on display, alongside Lower Sixth Art, Textiles and Photography coursework, including Kasey’s delicate paper cuttings and Ruth’s felt wall hanging. Our Artist in Residence, Kristina Karnilaviciute, produces beautiful, intricate and imaginative etchings, some of which were on display at the exhbition. Kristina has also worked with some of our A level girls over the year to show them the process of etching. In the Luker building visitors were able to see some of the GCSE Fine Art and Textiles work, while our 15 A-level pupils’ work, including Art, Photography and Textiles, were all on display in the South Lawn Room.
ARTS
MUSIC FOR A SUMMER EVENING
On Tuesday 3 July, St George’s hosted the annual Music for a Summer Evening concert in the Sue Cormack Hall. The evening began with refreshments in the South Lawn marquee with girls, parents and staff preparing excitedly for the show to begin. Impressive performances from the Chapel Choir included Some Enchanted Evening’ (Rodgers) and ‘All the Love I Have’ (Lloyd Webber), as well as beautiful performances of ‘Found/Tonight’ (Platt/Miranda) by Lily and Isabel on vocals and piano and ‘Presto’ (Haydn) by Elizabeth on piano. The St George’s Jazz band delighted the audience with renditions of ‘Tequila’ (Flores) and ‘From a Distance’ (Gold). Overall, the girls showcased their immense talent and level of professionalism, and it was both a memorable and emotional final concert for the Upper Sixth girls leaving St George’s this year.
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ARTS
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GRIMM TALES On Thursday 28 June, the Second Year girls wowed the audience with their outstanding production of ‘The Grimm Tales’ by Carol Ann Duffy. The whole year group performed to tell the interwoven stories of four fairy tales which ended in dark and gruesome ways, before a little magic helped to put the endings right again. The piece was performed in the style of physical theatre, and the girls created each prop, set piece and storyline using their bodies. There were some visually captivating movement pieces and the sheer amount of constant movement on stage, coupled with the creativity of each idea made the piece very exciting to watch. Director, Miss Johnson, said “The girls had never heard of physical theatre before, so they did incredibly well to tackle an unfamiliar style of performing and then execute it with such professionalism and confidence. There was a huge amount of complex choreography to learn and yet the slickness of every single movement displayed just how hard the girls had worked over the rehearsal process. This was a real ensemble piece which allowed every single Second Year to shine on stage and reflected a true group effort. The girls themselves contributed some amazing ideas to the piece which were very advanced for their year group and I was truly impressed. It was hard to believe watching the final performance that they were only Second Years and not older and I am very proud of each and every one of them for what they have achieved.”
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ARTS
TRIPS
NORMANDY At the start of the term the Third Year girls spent a week in Normandy exploring History and the French language. For some this was their first time on a ferry, but the beautiful sight of Normandy was enough to ease any sea legs. The weather did its best to dampen spirits, but the girls were lively and joyful throughout the week. Each day was spent visiting museums, towns, memorials, sites, cemeteries and much more. Everywhere they went they were told about both sides of the story, the allies and the x-axis, giving them lots to think about and analyse.
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TRIPS
Many of the girls were moved by their visits to cemeteries and meetings with veterans, and noted that even though the veterans have gone through the war, they still seem to be very happy. The trip was interesting, educating and emotionally moving for the girls, who returned home with a newfound respect for those who fought in the war and a greater understanding of the conditions, which they will be able to use to enhance their future work in History.
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BRECON BEACONS
TRIPS
From Monday 18 to Thursday 21 June the First Year girls experienced a fun and challenging four days in the Brecon Beacons, Wales. They demonstrated impressive teamwork and infectious positivity during a 12km mountain hike, which involved geocaching and walking through a cloud! Climbing the rock face of a disused quarry gave them a real experience that they would not get on a climbing wall. It pushed both their physical and mental boundaries, and a few had to overcome some trepidation about the height, but they all listened well and helped each other out. Kayaking and canoeing tested coordination and teamwork and a fun time was had by all, with some nautical acrobatics jumping in at the end. A great deal was learnt about outdoor survival from the instructors on the walks and in bushcraft, where the girls learnt to make a fire, build a shelter, what could be foraged to eat, and even which plants could be boiled up to reduce infections if you were injured! Each night some girls chose to camp while the others lodged inside. One of the highlights of the stay was the Brecon Mountain Vintage Steam Railway that runs alongside the accommodation 3 times a day. The girls had fun rushing to meet it on the bridge where the driver would respond with the whistle, much to their delight. On the final evening the girls had a bonfire and a “Doly Gaer’s Got Talent” competition, before the midges drove them back inside for musical chairs and other fun party games. Before they knew it the time had come to pack and say goodbye to the wonderful instructors. Memories made, friendships forged, tired but with a huge sense of accomplishment, the girls headed back to the coach for the trip back to Ascot. Mrs Radley says this was one of the best groups she has ever taken away on a trip; they were so upbeat, helpful and kind to each other. They really were a credit to themselves and the School, and made the trip so enjoyable for the staff. Special thanks to Mrs Shingles and Miss Mason, and to all the support staff who helped make such a smooth trip.
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DREAMGIRLS
TRIPS
On Wednesday 4 July the Second Year girls had the treat of seeing the matinee performance of Dreamgirls at the Savoy Theatre, London. The girls had a fantastic afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed the show. Afterwards, they headed for Pizza Express before returning back to school.
WOKINGHAM SUPERBOWL AND HORSESHOE LAKE To celebrate the end of the GCSE examinations, the Fifth Year went out for a day of ten pin bowling, pizza and dragon boating on Wednesday 4 July. The competitive spirit of the girls was in full swing at Wokingham Superbowl, after which they enjoyed pizza for lunch. The warm, sunny weather meant that the afternoon at Horseshoe Lake was especially beautiful, and the girls embarked on an afternoon Dragon Boating workshop with expert instructors. The activities were designed to develop team building skills as well as being an opportunity for the girls to have some fun with their friends before a very well deserved summer holiday.
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TRIPS
DUKE OF EDINBURGH
Silver Practice Expedition & Silver Qualifiying Exp
The Fourth Year Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award Expedition departed for the Brecon Beacons on Friday 29 June. Everyone was very excited about camping in the mountains for four days in the beautiful sunshine. On arrival, the groups met their instructors for the weekend, Josh and Liz, and set up tents before heading out for a navigation training day. There was a second navigation training day on the Saturday too, and across both days the groups learnt about bearings, map features, contours and how fast they would walk with bags on. Although the heat made it challenging, everyone enjoyed walking in the gorgeous Welsh countryside and camping at by the riverside at Aberbran campsite. The official practice expedition began on Sunday morning. The groups had to find their own way into Brecon and then navigate the canal to get to Pencelli campsite, which was a 7 hour walk in total. On the way, they stopped for the occasional break, and spotted herons and ducks as well as other wildlife. The groups persevered in the face of very high temperatures, showing teamwork throughout. Both groups were very successful and reached camp in good time for an evening relaxing and playing frisbee. The practice expedition finished on the Monday with a walk that was more navigationally challenging, but both groups performed extremely well in the heat and can be proud of a successful practice expedition. The qualifying expedition will take place in September and the groups are looking forward to putting their skills to the test for real in that expedition.
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TRIPS
AWARD
pedition
The Silver Award qualifying expedition for the Fifth Year took place from Saturday 30 June to Monday 2 July. The girls set off from school early on Saturday morning in order to get to the start of their walk in the Brecon Beacons. The group had experienced extremely challenging cold conditions on their practice expedition, but went to the opposite extreme for their qualifying expedition, hiking in temperatures in the high 20s. On the first day, the group climbed the mountain, Fan y Big, at 719m. It was a real challenge in hot temperatures and with full expedition bags, but the group rose to the challenge, enjoying a fantastic view and awesome sense of achievement at the top. That night, they camped in Dolygaer, by a pretty river, but where the midges were very pesky. They enjoyed a campfire to help deter the little biting flies and made friends with some Duke of Edinburgh Award participants from some other schools. On the second day, the group worked with their assessor, Simon, to develop their navigation skills. They went up Garn Du and learnt how to do micro-navigation, using a compass and pacing to work out precise locations of small features. On the third and final day, the group were excited that they had nearly finished and hiked with great spirit, deterred only by the occasional blister. They presented their project at the end of the expedition on the Biodiversity of the Brecon Beacons, demonstrating the enormous amount that they had learnt across the expedition. We are very proud of the plucky fifth year girls, who excelled on this expedition!
CHARITY AND COMMUNITY
PRIMARY SCHOOL VISITS On Thursday 17 May pupils from Windlesham Village Infant School enjoyed a morning of music at St George’s. They learnt about drums and the world’s first “mobile phone”, and how drums were used for communication as well as celebrations. Mr Smith gave a fantastic drum solo and each group had the chance to use African djembes. They sang as a choir with Mr Hillier, and performed some movement to music, mostly Disney themed, with Miss Johnson. All were treated to a well-earned snack from the catering team, before the buses came and it was time to say farewell. A very good time was had by all involved.
On Tuesday 15 May Frogmore Junior School and Whitegrove Primary School were treated to an experience in the fantastic Science Dome as part of our St George’s “Science Week”. Immersive, 3D viewing took them on a journey through the night sky, through our solar system and then into the microscopic world of bacteria and bugs, and showing Frogmore pupils how different everything looks close up! Whitegrove chose to go back in time and see volcanoes and dinosaurs. This was followed by a fun finale in the form of a roller-coaster through a meteorite belt. Those that weren’t too green around the gills were treated to a snack from the catering team before it was time to head back to school.
LADIES DAY AT ROYAL ASCOT
On Thursday 21 June the St George’s Second Year girls continued the school tradition of lining the streets for the Royal Procession. The girls were lucky enough to see alumna Princess Beatrice along with The Queen and other members of the Royal family.
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CHARITY AND COMMUNITY
SUNFLOWER WALK On Saturday 9 June the boarders from Markham House took part in the Sunflower Charity Walk at Virginia Water Park in support of Thames Hospice. The girls were eager to start the 4 mile walk they had ahead of them and along the way they took some lovely photos as it was a sunny day and the scenery was very summery. Congratulations to Third Year Lala and Fourth Year Lythia for their success in coming first. All the girls who took part were awarded medals for their great effort in completing the walk, and raised ÂŁ167 in total. It was a brilliant day and the girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves.
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BOARDING
LIQUID LEISURE The boarders had a splashing good time at Liquid Leisure Aqua Park on Saturday 23 June. It was a gloriously sunny day and the girls enjoyed a lovely picnic provided by the catering department, before donning their wetsuits ready to take on the inflatable obstacle course. The girls felt like contestants on Total Wipe-out as they enjoyed climbing, sliding and jumping into the huge lake which the whole course floated on! Miss Kellaris, Miss Norton and Miss Johnson were pleased to see plenty of teamwork, as the girls helped pull one another through the course. After an hour of fun, the boarders enjoyed an ice cream in the sun before heading back to school. A fantastic day and a wonderful way for Joanna to spend her 13th birthday!
THORPE PARK On Sunday 1 July the boarders headed to Thorpe Park for a jam-packed day full of activities. The girls had been waiting for the trip all year! At the park, the girls went on a range of different rides, from rollercoasters to water slides and screams of excitement were heard all round. An exciting day was had by all.
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BOARDING
PICNIC & GARDEN GAMES The boarders enjoyed the sunny weather on Sunday 24 June with a picnic and some nice games. They had a lot of fun trying their jumping skills in the Bouncy Castle that was set up by the swings. They were also offered a selection of garden games for the afternoon, while everything was finished with refreshing ice creams and delicious cupcakes.
LEGALLY BLONDE The boarders very much enjoyed a trip to Soth Hill Park on Saturday 30 June to watch Berkshire Theatre School’s performance of ‘Legally Blonde’. The girls had a great time and really enjoyed the fun, girl-power filled show!
NOCTURN DANCE The girls were introduced to contemporary dance on Saturday 30 June, with a fabulously imaginative dance workshop with Nocturn Dance. They did a brilliant job!
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BOARDING
COLOUR RUN
On Monday 18 June, the boarders began the celebrations for National Boarding Week with a barbecue and ice creams in the evening and a giant Jenga game on the South Lawn. After enjoying the lovely food and atmosphere, everyone moved to the fields where the fun really began. All the girls were excited about the Colour Run and made sure that they also got the staff involved in a colourful celebration of boarding life at St George’s. By the end of the evening, the girls made sure that no colour powder was left unused and no one had escaped the splashes of cheerfulness.
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SIXTH FORM
SIXTH FORM TASTER DAY
On Thursday 21 June, Fourth Year girls took part in a Sixth Form Taster Day which gave them a flavour of life in the senior years at St George’s. In the morning, the girls signed up for five lessons with teachers of A Level disciplines giving a thirty minute class which was an indication of what the subject would be like to study in the Sixth Form. Girls were keen to see subjects such as Photography and Business which are not offered at GCSE and form a part of the extensive range of A Levels on offer at the School. The girls enjoyed a chocolate mousse with the Sixth Form tutor team at lunch and spent the afternoon learning about opportunities available to them in the Lower and Upper Sixth such as Young Enterprise and the Extended Project Qualification. The day finished with Fourth Year girls being given a presentation by Bella Eccles of the careers service Tinker Tailor which will be a significant part of our offering for pupils investigating their post-18 options. There will be many other opportunities for the girls to increase their awareness of the St George’s provision in the coming months and we look forward to the Sixth Form Open Evening on 20 September.
SIXTH FORM BOARDING TASTER The Fourth Year boarding girls had a thoroughly enjoyable taster night in Loveday House on Thursday 28 June. The girls had pizza, bubble tea and played board games, as well as lots of cuddles with Lilo the dog.
UPPER SIXTH COMMUNITY PROJECT After finishing their exams, the Upper Sixth girls took part in the first community outreach day on Wednesday 3 July. Half of the year group went with Mr Wright and Reverend Watts to Warfield Church, where the girls braved the extremely warm July weather to work in the graveyard trimming grass and generally helping out in the grounds. The other half of the cohort spent the afternoon close by at Larkland Care Home in Ascot. The girls spent their time chatting with residents before a number of the girls performed some of their songs from recent concerts and classics from the Chapel Choir repertoire. At the end of the day, all the girls enjoyed a cold, coffee drink after the warm work undertaken and we hope this will be the first of many such initiatives involving the girls and the local community.
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OTHER NEWS
AUSTRALIAN EXCHANGE FAREWELL TEA Friday 8 June saw us bid farewell to our three Australian Exchange girls from St Catherine’s Melbourne, Bella, Chloe and Ruby, with a farewell tea on the South Lawn. The girls have become part of the St George’s family over the past three months, and their happy presence will be truly missed.
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OTHER NEWS
DESERT ISLAND DISCS On Friday 22 June Miss Lofthouse, who will be leaving us after 22 years in July, took part in Desert Island Discs during assembly. The girls learnt of Miss Lofthouse’s entertaining journey to St Georges, and sang along to her favourite songs including ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’, ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘Electric Dreams’ and ‘Viva La Vida’. A brilliant PE Teacher, Sixth Form tutor, Director of Co-Curricular, colleague and so much more. We are going to miss you Miss Lofthouse!
STAFF LEAVERS’ LUNCH On Monday 2 July the St George’s staff gathered on the South Lawn to say goodbye to those who are leaving us (and have left) this year. The staff enjoyed a buffet in the marquee, with farewell speeches wishing the leavers the best of luck in their future endeavours.
LEITHS COOKERY On Monday 25 June the Second Year girls learnt how to cook a perfect steak and how to recognise the different stages of cooking from rare to medium to well done. They then sliced it thinly and added it to an Asian style herb salad. Delicious!
HOUSE QUIZ On Tuesday 3 July, representatives from each House competed in the annual House Quiz. Mr Hoar was the MC for the event, and kept the girls and staff entertained and captivated throughout. The Pub Quiz style quiz tested the girls’ knowledge on a variety of subjects from Sports to Geography, to a hysterical ‘Name that Tune’ featuring dramatic readings of songs performed by staff from the Drama department. Each House did themselves proud and showed off their #SGAcapable attitudes. Well done to all of the girls involved, and to Darwin House for winning with a total of 294 points.
FIFTH YEAR WORK EXPERIENCE Whilst pupils at many other schools were enjoying the end of the GCSE examinations at home, many of our connected, ambitious Georgian Fifth Year girls undertook a week of work experience at firms such as Ann Scott Associates, Ferguson Partners and many more. Although such shadowing can be seen as a rite of passage, the significance of time spent in work is underlined by the emphasis most firms put on time with a candidate in future employment considerations. All the girls enjoyed an informative and interesting time and Molly had a particularly fascinating experience. She writes: “I spent my work experience in Hong Kong working at Reckitt Benckiser who own some well-known brands such as Finish, Clearasil, Vanish and Lysol. My focus has been understanding their brands and business plans for Hong Kong and China. During the week I was asked to do many things, for example, researching Aerogard, an Australia insect repellent brand that has a multi-million pound revenue in China. For this project, I researched the history of the product and why it claims to be better than others available in the market. I also looked at reviews for certain brands the company own and are looking to launch in China, for example, Lysol. In addition to my research, I sat in a number of meetings to understand how some of the research and insights are turned into business actions. I found the interactions between individuals very interesting. It was also fascinating to see how the company is looking to become more sustainable, particularly with regard to the use of plastics.”
OTHER NEWS