Chronicle 2022

CHRONICLE

Reaching New Heights

Uniforms that are made to last are not only better value per wear, they’re better for the environment too

Student Leadership Team 2021-22

Head Girl – Anya Gray

Deputy Head Girl – Amy Urmson

Senior Prefect – Grace Griffith

Head of Boarding – Julia Fulton Deputy Head of Boarding – Jenny Zhang

House Captains

Argyll – Ciara Moore

Buccleuch – Eilidh Chandler Douglas – Urja Singh Lindsay – Louisa Geddes Moray – Adionne Munyuni Strathmore – Marcia Gardiner

School Prefects

Abby Steedman, Amelie Masters, Lucy Stewart, Maryam Ali, Hanan Hafizal, Katie Binstead, Emma Cook, Victoria Cranston, Poppy Gray, Alexis Gentleman, Honeybee Jardine, Sive Lawrie, Erin Heffernan, Katie Monk, Alice Mahoney-Muir, Maithili Vijayakumar

Vice House Captains

Argyll – Aleeza Shafiq

Buccleuch – Isla Irving Douglas – Emma McCracken Lindsay – Chaatu Bheemanandham Moray – Perdi Short Strathmore – Sophie Taylor Editor:

The Big Four

Taking on the role of Head Girl has been a wonderful way to conclude my school career. Over the past year, the school day has felt in limbo between normal and not-quite-so normal. Although many events were off the table, I am proud of what we, the Big 4, Upper sixth and the school have accomplished this year. Upper School Student Council has been revamped, there is a renewed focus on wellbeing, and we even managed to squeeze one full assembly in! This year has taught me the importance of working together and understanding my own weaknesses. I am certain that the lessons I have learnt will equip me very well for later on in life. I am beyond grateful for this experience, to St George’s for teaching me so much and everyone who has helped me along the way.

Anya Gray - Head Girl

I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have been Deputy Head Girl this year. Being immersed in the school community has been very special and I have loved working with both younger and older students as well as staff and Senior Leadership. Providing a way for students to have a more formalised voice, through setting up the Student Council, has been a wonderful highlight for me. It is my hope that the Student Council will become an integral part of school life. As our final year at school draws to a close (still getting my head around that!), I can appreciate the value and lifelong skills I have developed through this role – from communication and organisation to taking initiative and encouraging change. My time at St George’s has been filled with friendships, memories, and happy times. I am so proud of our year who have navigated bravely through many uncertainties and I feel honoured to have been a part

of this inspiring group of friends – thank you class of ’22. Amy Urmson - Deputy Head Girl

During my eleven years at St George’s, I have always looked up to the Big 4 and being appointed as Senior Prefect was a huge privilege. The role has equipped me with many transferable skills which I developed through leading the Sixth Form Prefects, collaborating with Junior School across a range of activities and events, organising the Leaver’s Ball, and directing The Revue. Whilst it’s been a busy year, balancing the Senior Prefect role with studying for Advanced Highers and pursuing my cocurricular activities (including Gold DofE and 2XI Hockey Captain), it has been so rewarding and memorable. My St George’s experience has been amazing and I’m forever grateful for all the friendships made.

Grace Griffith - Senior Prefect

After joining St George’s in 2020 for my last two years of school, getting to be a part of the Big 4 as Head of Boarding was an amazing and fulfilling experience. I was able to show leadership as well as gaining so many other valuable skills along the way. Not only was my role rewarding, it made my time in Houldsworth so special; I am so grateful for the opportunity to strengthen my bond with the other boarders and our house parents. In the Big 4, being able to work as a team with my friends made a stressful last year so much more enjoyable and all of the hard work worth it. Although I haven’t been at St George’s for long, it is undoubtedly a home away from home; and I greatly cherish all the friends and memories I have made during my time.

Julia Fulton - Head of Boarding

Letter from the Head

examinations; occasions like Speech Day and Leavers’ Balls ‘in real life’ and the return of overseas trips. If anything, the calendar of events was more intense than ever, as the resolute St George’s staff sought to ‘catch up’ on rites of passage much missed by the staff and students alike. The whole community felt a renewed appreciation of the simpler aspects of school life: being able to socialise across year groups; to participate in music performances once more and to be able to restore the much valued co-curricular and enrichment opportunities so hard to emulate online.

Welcome to this year’s edition of The Chronicle, which looks back on a year more familiar in terms of its rhythms and routines, after the disruption to the school community brought about by the ravages of the pandemic. Whilst 2021-2 was not without its challenges and restrictions, we saw the return of more traditional markers of the academic year: public

This year marked the final year of Mrs Hems’ leadership as Head, and I have been so appreciative of her grace, intelligence, and vision as I take up the reins at St George’s. To lead the school during such a challenging time will have taken great determination and resilience, yet she wore this lightly and continued to keep the values of ‘Trouthe and Honour, Freedom and Curteisye’ at the heart of St George’s. As you read these pages, it will be apparent just what a fantastic job the staff and students do in keeping the school a place of learning where opportunities abound, minds are opened and horizons are broadened. I do hope you enjoy reading it.

Carol Chandler-Thompson 2022

Nursery

In Nursery the children are given the opportunity to go on numerous outdoor excursions and visit historical places, museums, and galleries. Every year is different as our trips are inspired by the children’s interests and topics of learning. During the Autumn term the children visited Craigie’s Farm to pick their own fruit. We share the belief that the road to healthy eating and lifestyle starts with early exposure to the entire process of food production - from ‘farm to fork’ and everything in between. During our visit to Craigie’s Farm the children explored the rows of strawberries and apple trees, gaining a real-life opportunity to understand where their food comes from.

It is our belief that venturing out of our normal Nursery environment, to participate in a trip or outing, deepens the children’s understanding of topics of interest, giving them real experience of the subject, and provides them with practical memories to draw upon in their future learning. Nursery trips can be a powerful motivational tool, encouraging further learning and sparking children’s curiosity. As Confucius said: “I hear, and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”

Preschool Adventures

As an extension of our Spring Concert and learning experiences about the changing seasons the preschool children visited the Van Gogh Alive exhibition. In springtime our garden was surrounded by trees that were beginning to bud and flowers that were about to burst into bloom. These scenes brought to mind Van Gogh and his beautiful work to capture all the colour, light and beauty of the season. During their visit, the children explored the work and life experiences of Van Gogh during the period 1880 to 1890 where he created many of his timeless masterpieces. This experience wasn’t just an opportunity to look at his paintings but to step inside an exciting and vibrant world of light, colour, and sound to feel their power.

During our preschool adventures the children learn to develop their cultural understanding, gain respect for the world they live within and acquire invaluable skills for life. Travelling with classmates is not only fun and exciting, but it can also help children to form new friendships and grow in confidence. Our carefully planned trips give children an opportunity to become independent learners as they apply critical thinking in new contexts, take initiative and assess risk.

Primary One Caterpillars and Butterflies

ies using the Tux Paint software programme.

We drew butterflies using the Tux Paint software programme.

We all tried to make our patterns symmetrical. It was quite tricky controlling the mouse!

We made caterpillars by sponge printing and carefully painting on our interesting patterns.

Primary 2 Flowers –Watercolour Painting

As part of our Plants topic in Primary 2, we used watercolour paints to create these beautiful still life paintings. First, we sketched the vases and flowers lightly with a pencil. We had to look very closely at the shapes to make it look just like the flowers in front of us. Then, we experimented with different colours by mixing them on our palettes. We practised adding more water to see what would happen. We were very proud of the finished results!

Our Primary 3 Victorian Trip to Hopetoun House

During our topic on the Victorians, we visited Hopetoun House to experience what life might have been like for some children who took up service in a wealthy house. We all dressed up in Victorian outfits and we acted out the different role that each job entailed. We had to be very quiet because servants were seen but not heard. Some servants had to face the wall if the Lord or Lady were to walk past. We are very glad that children today do not have to work and are allowed to enjoy school and receive an education. After our hard day’s work, we were allowed to play with Victorian style toys in the cobbled courtyard.

BUTLERS’ & FOOTMEN COMMENTS

I liked dressing up as a footman and seeing the different rooms of the house. Ava

I enjoyed being a butler because I was the top servant and a boy for the day. Alice

I was a butler. My favourite part was bossing the servants around! Eliza

I was footman and my favourite part was when we were in the Butler’s pantry. Isla

MAIDS’ COMMENTS

I learned that there are different types of maids. Pearl I would not have like to be a maid in a Victorian house because they had to light fires. Imogen

I was a scullery maid. I did not like sleeping under the Butler’s table- it was so uncomfortable!

Zara

BUTLER’S PANTRY COMMENTS

My favourite thing about Hopetoun House was when we were playing in the butler’s pantry. Maryam

I liked when we got to play in the Butler’s pantry. Ivy

I liked that we played in the butler’s pantry. Ilma

I liked cleaning an antique clock in the garden parlour. Rebecca

I enjoyed when we got to pretend to bake in the pantry and we got to weigh the strawberries. Emily

WRITING WITH QUILLS COMMENTS

I enjoyed writing with the quill and ink. Zoe

My favourite part was writing with a feather quill. Hannah

TOYS COMMENTS

I liked that we played with Victorian toys and I really like the Jack in the Box. Amaya

My favourite thing was dressing up. I was a lady’s maid. Darcy

I was a house maid and my favourite part was sweeping the stairs. Clara

I liked played on the cobbled street and playing with a yo-yo. Rose

I like that we got to play with the Victorian toys. Lucy I liked playing with the Victorian games. Gigi My favourite part was playing with the Victorian games. I liked pulling around the little wooden train. Freya My favourite thing was to do the Victorian games. I liked bowling. Saanvi

Primary 4

In Primary 4, we have been learning about water and the water cycle. Through this topic, we have been finding out some amazing facts about water. We went to the Water of Leith to explore our local area and to learn more about water, aquatic life, pollution as well as conservation of water.

Primary 5

My favourite thing we did in Primary 5 was camp. I shared a dorm with Anushka, Zandi, Jaanhavi, and Macy. My favourite thing we did at camp was the leap of faith. It was really frightening but really fun. Zoe A

The camp that we went on was definitely the best. We went for two nights, Wednesday 18th of May and Thursday 19th of May 2022. The three days we were away were filled with activities. My top two favourite activities were certainly the leap of faith and the PJ disco! Fleur B

In P5 my favourite memory was camp because we had dorms and I got the people I wanted to be with. The activities I enjoyed the most was the leap of faith, archery and the challenge course. Zandi D

Primary Five camp was one of the best trips that I went on. We went for three days and two nights. My two favourite activities were the leap of faith and the mountain biking. Sophia G

I loved camp because we did so many activities. There was leap of faith, archery, challenge course, orienteering and bike riding. I shared a dorm with Bess, Minna, Siara and Izzy. Katie H

When I went to camp I loved the PJ disco and the leap of faith. Macy H

My favourite memories are going to camp which was at Lendrick Muir. On the first night we did the leap of faith. It was when you climb up a ladder 15m in the air and then you jump to a trapeze in the air but if you don’t want to you can jump down. Then we toasted marshmallows over a fire saying jokes and riddles. Laurie H

I loved going to Bannockburn because we got to try on the different armour that they would have worn in the lots of different battles. My favourite piece of armour was a helmet. It was a bit smelly though. Hollie K

I loved P5 Camp! I fell over at one point and cut my nose and lip, which both bled, and bruised my shoulder. But I really liked the Pyjama Disco! I wore Space pyjamas! Bess L

In primary five camp I was in a dorm with Kana, Oliva and Laurie. The pyjama disco was great. We did archery, leap of faith, adventure course bike riding and orienteering. My favourite things were bike riding and leap of faith. I jumped off the platform three times and I caught the bar. Eva M

My favourite bit of P5 was going on camp to Lendrick Muir. When we got there, we got to look around the grounds and then got sorted into our colour groups. I was in pink. The first activity we did on Wednesday was orienteering and on Thursday we did 4 activities. My favourite was mountain biking. Alice N

In P5 my favourite thing was the P5 camp. The most enjoyable thing at camp for me was the LEAP OF FAITH! I also enjoyed the bike riding activity. We did some tricks and went on a bike ride through the woods and we ate a plant! Marianna O

My favourite memory in P5 is the P5 camp. At P5 camp we were given dorms. I was in a dorm with Katie, Izzy, Bess and Minna. In camp we did loads of different things like the leap of faith and archery. We also had a camp fire. Siara P

I have enjoyed most going to the Primary Five camp. Going there with all my friends was so much fun. All the activities were awesome. I didn’t really have a favourite but the two I enjoyed most were archery and the challenge course which was like an obstacle course. Amelia R

My favourite memory of P5 was P5 camp. We had a PJ Disco, archery, mountain biking and lots of other things as well but the thing that I enjoyed the most was the… LEAP OF FAITH. It was TERRIFYING. Isabela R

At camp I enjoyed the leap of faith and the bike ride through the forest. I also liked archery. I was in a dorm with Laila A, Matilda, Alice, Phoebe and Sofia. That is a pretty big dorm if you ask me! I was in the purple group. Aneesa S-U

My favourite memories in primary five were when we went to camp. I got put in an activity group with Eva, Amelia, Fleur, Zoe, Isabelle, Katie and Layla. My favourite activity was the challenge course. Erin S

In Primary 5 I liked camp. I was with my best friends. I had Macy, Zandi Jaanhavi and Zoe in our dorms. We had two bunkbeds and three single beds. I had the top and Jaanhavi had the bottom. Zoe had a whole bunkbed to herself. Anushka S

Primary Five camp was my favourite so far. I loved doing all the fun activities like leap of faith - that was my favourite of ALL. We also did lots of other activities like the challenge course, archery, orienteering and mountain biking. Isobel S

P5Y

I enjoyed P5 camp. It was fun because of the leap of faith, the mountain biking and the marshmallows! We sang songs round the campfire and told jokes. Flora A

I loved Camp. My favourite activities were mountain biking, archery and the leap of faith. Overall camp was amazing. Laila A

In P5 we went on camp. We went on a coach to the Wallace monument and got split up into three groups. There was a video about the Scottish Wars of Independence, then we went to the third floor. It had lots of interesting facts. Dilara B

I enjoyed P5 camp when we did the leap of faith. It was a bit scary but so much fun. Poppy B

I enjoyed P5 camp because we got to go on the leap of faith, and we got to go mountain biking. They were so much fun. Emily G

My favourite part of camp was toasting marshmallows and burning them in the fire. Mine burnt a lot but I didn’t care. It was delicious. Isabelle L

My favourite memory of Primary 5 was camp. I loved my dorm room, and all the activities were so fun. I’m looking forward to going back in Primary 6. Poppy L

I loved P5 camp. It was all so much fun, but my favourite thing was the leap of faith. Ellie M

I also enjoyed P5 camp. I did so much fun stuff like the leap of faith. Grace M

I loved camp. I shared a dorm with Kana, Laurie and Eva. We had a great time. I especially loved the Leap of Faith. I was scared at first, but I ended up having a good time. Olivia O

On P5 we went to the Wallace Monument and camp. I was in a dorm with Laila, Alice, Sofia, Tillie and

Aneesa. We were in dorm 10. The leap of faith was high, and I tried it, but I came down. Phoebe P P5 camp was my favourite part of P5. On the last day we went to Edinburgh Castle, and we saw the Stone of Destiny. Leyla P

On camp we did lots of fun things like archery, mountain biking, leap of faith and orienteering. At camp we had PJ disco it was fun. We also went Edinburgh Castle and we got to see the Scottish Crown Jewels and the Stone of Destiny. Jaanhavi RG

I loved camp. We did so many activities like leap of faith, mountain biking, orienteering, challenging course and archery but my favourite activity was the leap of faith. It was scary but fun. It was great fun sharing a dorm with my friends too. Samyuktha R

On the first day we went to the Wallace Monument and there was a lot of stairs. When we got to camp, I did the team challenge, and it was fun! Katie R

Going to P5 camp was the best school trip by far. I shared a dorm with Olivia, Eva and Laurie. My favourite activities were the leap of faith and mountain biking. Kana

My favourite thing in P5 was camp. We got to go on the leap of faith and do so many more fun activities. Natalia S

The best things from camp were the Wallace Monument, making a human called Barbara, the pyjama disco and the challenge course. Matilda WS

At camp we had a campfire, sang songs and did jokes and riddles. The next day we did orienteering and a trail bike ride but I didn’t go on the trail because I couldn’t ride a bike, so Miss Provan taught me. Eloise W

Notes on P6 Camp

Monday 16th May

Today I went to school full of excitement. We put our luggage into the back of the bus and then we were off to Lendrick Muir. When we got there, we were put into activity groups. We all stood there in the rain and sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to Elizabeth. Our first activity was raft building. We had to tie logs together with rope to make a structure and then put that on top of barrels. It was very fun, but I fell in twice and got numb from the waist down. Later when it was raining, we built our own rafts. In the end we had to get in the freezing water to push the raft in. We all screamed! After dinner, we did a murder mystery. It turned out that the maid had murdered Lord Mowbray. It was really funny because Mr Fowles was pretending to be Lady Mowbray! Then we went to our dorms, but we didn't go to sleep for ages with all our chatting and laughter.

Tuesday 17th May

Our first activity was the king swing! The king swing was fun but scary. We were attached to a big metal bar with a harness. Then the people who were not on the king swing would pull a rope to raise us up. Then, when we got to the height we wanted to be, we pulled a cord and swung high. Next, we did bungee trampoline jumping. We were attached to two long ropes that were attached to the harness and we would jump up and down and we would go really high. I did a backflip which was really fun! My next activity was mini survival where we had to make a small den for a stick man so he could stay warm. Another activity was tree climbing where we wore a harness and climbed up the tree until we couldn't go up any higher. If we made it to the top, we had to squeak a yellow dinosaur. I made it to the top! Our final activity was mini survival. We had to make a shelter for pinecone people to see if they got wet. After free time, we had dinner and then we played some ball games and had a campfire. At the campfire, we had marshmallows and sang some silly songs.

Wednesday 18th May

Today was the last day and we did group activities. After breakfast, we had some team challenges and did a rocket launch. Before we left, we watched a little video about our time at camp. I really enjoyed my camp, and I would gladly go again.

By Jessica and Emilia

Photography

Remove Camp

An overview

In September, we set off on our new adventure to Lagganlia in the Cairngorms National Park. The bus took 3 and a half long hours. We were told our dorms and activity groups, then we ran upstairs to checkout our dorms. We got a tour of the campus, ate lots of blueberries and an amazing meal. We then curled up in our beds and soundly fell asleep.

The next day, with the birds tweeting we had a simple but delicious breakfast followed by the plan of the day. Throughout the week we did lots of fun activities such as tree climbing, skiing, snowboarding, hiking, swimming, mountain biking, archery, bouldering, competitions and downtime over the four days.

All through the week we had amazing breakfasts, lunches and dinners. The activities were so much fun and the teachers, plus the instructors were really nice. We all had a really good time. We pushed ourselves and each other. There was some scary and nervewracking parts but that was fun to go through. We had an amazing time and hope all future Remove students will too.

Ghorgie and Sophia, Remove X

Activities

The first day was all about settling in and blueberry picking. We met our cheerful and enthusiastic camp instructors. They seemed to be pleased to see us and they said they were going to challenge us.

My favourite activity was swimming in the river. It was very cold, which was superb because it was a very hot day. We had spent the morning cycling for two to three hours through the woods. I was hot and sweaty when we returned to the camp for a picnic lunch on a bench. The river was only 5 or 10 minutes walk away and I played in the river for a long time. Other people got out and played with the pebbles on the island. The sun was shining and there were no midges. It was really refreshing.

Another enjoyable day was when we went on a walk around a loch. We made crowns out of reeds. Our instructor Fiona taught us how to make it. We picked the reeds ourselves and then walked along while we plaited a reed crown. There was no time to sit still,

the midges were attacking. The afternoon was more restful. We made a fire and Fiona brought dough that we wrapped around a stick and cooked in the fire. We picked blueberries and squashed them up to make blueberry jam. They were very sweet and delicious. I did 27,000 steps that day.

On another day I took part in archery in the morning. I really enjoyed that and would like to have another go. In the afternoon we went skiing. It was hard work, but I had never skied before.

The final morning was competition time. The instructors had set up lots of puzzles and we had to compete against the clock. There was a big spiders' web and we had to get everyone in the team through a different hole in the spiders’ web. Some people had to stand on my back to climb through. Another problem was rescuing a duck from a drainpipe using only water. The drainpipe had holes in it, and we weren’t allowed to tip the drainpipe up. Our team did well but we didn’t win. Well done to team three who did win.

I learnt a lot at camp, and I especially liked being with all my friends. Kate, Remove P

What we learned

Camp at Lagganlia was a fantastic opportunity to challenge ourselves and to get to know each other better.

All the activities were super fun. My personal favourites were skiing and archery. I also enjoyed it in the evening when we had a bonfire and ate marshmallows! The instructors helped us to get out of our comfort zones and pushed us to the best of our abilities. In some activities, such as orienteering, we had to be in teams which encouraged us to work together and support each other. At nighttime, we were blindfolded and held onto ropes to move around. We had to trust and rely on each other to find our way. I found snowboarding quite difficult as it was new, but I learnt that you cannot be good at everything and tried my best. Overall, I loved my camp experience, exploring the outdoors and learning new skills.

Fifi, Remove Q

Music

The start of the Academic Year 2021/2022 in the RMC was greeted with a sense of eager anticipation as instrumental ensembles and choirs resumed and the prospect of performances to live audiences again became a realistic possibility. The relaxing and lifting of some restrictions meant that performing/singing outdoors was a distant memory and appreciated by staff and students alike.

The RMC hosted the Young Musician of St George’s competition in November 2021, a contest which highlighted a wide range of talent, and we were again treated to performances of the highest calibre. This was the fourth year of the Young Musician competition at St George’s, and whilst everyone who participated played exceptionally well it was Christine (L5)- piano who won the competition. The Young Singer of St George’s competition which was in its third year produced a winner in Georgia (L6). Unfortunately, although some restrictions had been relaxed, we still could not have an audience present so thanks to Mr Raynor who video recorded both competitions and streamed them to parents. Both competitions were externally judged and both judges commented on the

high standard of playing and singing of the students as well as their performance skills.

External examinations were thankfully not affected to the extent they had been last year, and although we still entered some students via video recording, we managed successfully to have face-face examinations with examiners present. Students again, who seemed to enjoy playing/singing to an examiner in the auditorium, worked incredibly hard, and their efforts coupled with their teachers’ support really paid dividends with outstanding results being achieved.

Throughout this year the Music Department managed to present the Junior and Lower School Performers’ Platforms and although our Autumn Platform was recorded our Spring Platforms were performed to a live audience, and these were received enthusiastically by both audiences and performers.

At the start of the term the Music and Drama departments started rehearsals for Sister Act not really knowing if the show would go on but in true Broadway fashion the show did go on. Unfortunately, we were unable to invite families and friends, but we performed three matinee performances to selected year groups.

The performances were the first to be staged in the refurbished Upper School Hall and the first in two years. To say it was an emotional experience would be an understatement!

One of the highlights of the Winter term across the school community is of course Christmas with its Concerts and Carol Services. This year again was impacted by Covid restrictions, and we did not manage live concerts, however, we were able, with the creativity, dedication and commitment of Mrs Morrison, Dr. Cradock, and Mr Raynor, to video and stream some festive cheer with contributions from all parts of the school. Another positive moment was our traditional folk band Off the Scales’ performance in Greyfriars Kirk. This recently formed ensemble is under the expert direction of Calum MacLeod and Margaret Robertson MBE.

Although 2021 had been an improvement on the previous year, we looked to 2022 with an eager expectation. The Music department was preparing for concerts in the Spring term and hoped that they would be able to go ahead. Unfortunately, the first casualty was our concert in March which had to be cancelled because of a spike in Covid cases. Undeterred preparations still went ahead for the Choral Concert, The Lower School Music/Drama event organised by Mr Raynor, Cantate Concert directed by Anne Lewis and

the P3 Musical directed by Mrs Morrison. All these events managed to take place albeit with a reduced, invited audience but at least performing was back across the whole school.

The Summer Term, I am pleased to say, was almost back to normal and included Junior School and Lower School musical events taking place, Piano Platforms organised by Robin Hutt, a Summer Concert highlighting the musical ensembles who had not performed all year and of course our Leavers’ Recital.

As I have said in the past couple of years, taking everything into consideration the resilience, commitment, and perseverance of both the students and teachers has ensured that the Music department has had another successful and fulfilling year.

On a personal note, I am retiring this year as Director of Music and would like to thank my colleagues for all their hard work and support over the past six years. The past two years have undoubtedly been challenging but we managed to keep going and more importantly kept the students going and kept music as live as possible. I have enjoyed my time here at the school and enjoyed working with the talented students who have passed through the RMC. I wish the incoming Director of Music Jasmine Nicholson and the rest of the staff many happy days of music making, fun and frolics!

OGA - The Mask

For my OGA project I want to explore and highlight through the medium of dance, some of the challenging experiences teenagers face in the 21st century. Principally, to demonstrate the way many young people hide their individuality to conform to society’s norms.

My interest in this topic was first sparked through my study of two of my GCSE courses: Drama and RMP which explored the topics of exclusion, identity and cultural beliefs. In addition I wanted to combine it with my passion for dance.

To develop my general ‘vision’, I want my dance to highlight the pressures and challenges young people face today and the expectations they have to fulfil either at school or in a social context. This has been worsened due to Covid19. Moreover, I want to explore the extent to which people fit in by consequently putting on an exaggerated front.

Through my movement I will demonstrate that it appears the only way to be accepted by society is to camouflage your individuality. This is achieved by continually pretending to be someone you are not as we all wear a mask of one type to conceal who we truly are. In recent times we have all been forced to wear a Covid mask in certain places and situations. This adds yet another dimension and layer to my piece. More generally, in order to fit in, teenagers tend to feel compelled to wear a mask which is in effect hiding their individuality. Thus the aim of my dance is to explore this concept of society expecting us to act and look a certain way.

I directed my research towards songs and poems whose underlying rhythm I wanted to incorporate into my dance. I chose the poem ‘We Wear The Mask’ by Paul Laurence Dunbar as it really mirrors the theme of

having to hide your individuality and please society. This poem (and its words and rhythm) strongly influenced the movement of my piece, each movement having a set purpose with the ultimate aim for the audience to understand the pressure many young people feel today. My dance is structured by a range of motif, the purpose of which is to demonstrate the struggle and fight against society’s expectations. I have used embellishment to develop my motif to convey my dancer’s courage to be who she truly is.

Embellishment is a choreographic device where detail is added to a move, such as a hand gesture or an arm movement.

Music is also a key influence - I used a vocal recording of ‘We Wear The Mask’ by Paul Laurence Dunbar. This creates an eerie and almost sinister tone as Dunbar’s voice is the only sound, and highlights the theme of society being a powerful force with its expectations being the only ‘voice’. In comparison, I have also used an instrumental piece of music which has sudden sharp moments to reinforce the restrictions the dancer wants to leave behind. The piece is titled “Margins” which reflects the idea of people having to fit into one image that is deemed correct. This music is free and lively contradicting the title and shows you do not have to fit into margins to be accepted.

I used a mask as a the main prop for my dance. I wanted to convey the idea that we are expected to wear a mask and are expecting others to wear one but this generates a sense of feeling trapped. It also creates a vicious circle which I want my audience to reflect on. In order to successfully convey this, I will utilize a mask to add emphasis to my dancer’s inability to be an individual but instead have to fulfil society’s

desire to conceal their true self. I incorporated the use of a mask to initially shock the audience, however, in reality this is not surprising. For example many people pose as something they are not on social media. Although my dancer is seemingly eager to please society by dancing with the restrictive mask, they desperately want to escape from these confining ‘margins’ and be free to move with fluidity.

This corresponds to everyone always wanting to fit in and be on top of the latest fashion trends. Furthermore, we have all become very familiar with wearing a mask through the Covid-19 pandemic. It has become a sort of ‘uniform’ in which most people conform to.

The mask would be used at the beginning and at the end to emphasize the power society can hold over us. Consequently, this leads to my character having to put on the mask at the end to be accepted but hopefully prompt the audience to reflect on their own lives and to consider if they are wearing a mask.

Finally, in terms of costume I wanted to portray the theme of rejecting society’s expectations and being true to yourself. I have chosen to add a twist to the more traditional dance leotard by combining it with footless tights and black contemporary socks. Moreover, the colour was significant as black symbolises power and strength which my character obtains once removing the mask. In addition, I will have red handprints on my waist to signify society continuing to pulling my character back and not allowing her to be herself.

In conclusion, I have found this project to be very beneficial and rewarding on a number of fronts. Firstly, my research pulled together cross curricular aspects of my schoolwork, and has enhanced my general research and study skills. Deciding to demonstrate my findings through the medium of dance has taught me so much about creativity and has allowed me the freedom to fine tune my choreography skills. It has challenged me to explore all aspects of theatre: music, movement, costume, props and audience.

I learnt that choreography is a work in progress and has to adapt and change as you start to work on a piece. As I got more familiar with my choreography I could go into more detail about the emotion behind each movement and think about the message I wanted to highlight to the audience through facial expression and performance technique. I wanted to feel the emotion and through understanding and practice, this would allow it to be conveyed to the audience.

L5 Geography fieldtrip to Loch Ranza, Isle of Arran

The excitement of finally getting to go out on a field trip after Covid was hard to contain. We had been learning about glaciation as part of the Physical Landscapes GCSE course. We were super excited to be able to see the landforms we had been learning about in the classroom. However, we really had no idea they would be quite so spectacular in real life!

We boarded the ferry in Ardrossan on a very wet Tuesday morning and took the 2-hour ride to Brodick. On the bus journey to the field centre, we were blown away by the beautiful scenery. On the Wednesday we embarked on a hike around the Glenrosa Valley where we saw amazing mountains and glacial landforms including pyramidal peaks, hanging valleys, U-shaped valleys and corries. We developed our fieldwork gathering techniques by drawing annotated sketches of the scenery. Seeing this landscape in real life has really helped us with our understanding of erosional processes and topics studied in GCSE. As well as studying the beautiful scenery we also had an opportunity to develop fieldwork skills by conducting tourism surveys and questionnaires around Lochranza.

We also got to sample the lovely gift shops and cafes too!

On Thursday we further developed our research skills by heading to the river. We split into two groups. One studied the Upper Course of the river and the other group the Lower Course. When we reached our designated location, we collected a range of fieldwork data including the width, depth, speed of the river and the number and type of insects in the river. After collecting the data and exchanging data with the other groups, we wrote it all down in our Fieldwork booklet during our afternoon classes.

Overall, we all had an amazing time, and it was a trip we all will never forget, especially when we had our night-time fun and games. When we got back a lot of us had become closer friends, thanks to the bonding we had in the games room where all of us would hang out later at night.

By Chantal, Emma-Clare, and Natasha, U5

Erasmus Community and Culture

Our Erasmus project continued throughout this academic session and involved sharing and receiving examples of Scottish and European culture. We’ve learned about European culture, for example, Italian Infiorata and Liberation Day, we’ve taught our partners about national celebrations including Bonfire Night and Pancake Day and we’ve had virtual calls to learn about the similarities and differences growing up and going to school in Italy, Austria and Scotland.

St George’s students in Upper 4 and Lower 5 thoroughly enjoyed hosting our partner students from the English International School of Padua (the EISP) in June to share a taste of Scottish Culture. We were pleased to be able to include our Austrian partners at the St Georgen Middle School (NMS St Georgen) digitally for parts of the week too.

Monday included some time spent in school learning Ceilidh dancing and recreating a mini-Highland Games as well as time spent in lessons and touring St George’s.

Comparisons were drawn between the two schools throughout the day. Highlights included the open space, sports facilities, and the choices available at lunch.

Tuesday was spent exploring the Pentlands; team games, map reading, and stunning views were enjoyed by both our hosting and visiting students. Our visitors enjoyed learning about rural Scotland and hobbies such as ‘Munro bagging.’

Wednesday was time to explore Urban life. A group of Upper 4 students became tour guides for the day and led a walking tour of Edinburgh, teaching about sites including Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile and Greyfriars Kirk.

We were thrilled to be able to host our visitors after long delays due to covid and even more delighted to hear what a happy and memorable experience they’d had. The countdown to our visit to Italy has begun!

Grazie mille per tutto, EISP. See you soon!

Sister Act

Our production of ‘Sister Act’, directed by Rebecca Nicol and Judith Neeson, brought this unconventional musical to the stage in November. I had the pleasure to be involved from day one, from rehearsals to performance, and it has got to be one of the best productions St George’s has ever seen.

When passionate pop cover singer Deloris (Georgia) walks in on her gangster boyfriend Curtis (Urja) killing a man, she runs to the police who place her into witness protection. The only issue? Her place of refuge is a convent.

Deloris, accompanied with her backing singers (Georgia, Komal, Sofia & Eilidh) kicked off the show with sequins and sass, singing ‘Take Me To Heaven’. The audience were hooked by Deloris’s fabulous energy and stunning vocals, that brought us all the way through

the first act, to the convent’s choir room. In ‘Raise Your Voice’ we are treated to great characterisation from the chorus, each bringing their unique personality to life. As the nuns find their voices, a feeling of community emerges, between the nuns, and also the audience.

Amelie’s Mother Superior is one of the most unforgettable characters. With her old habits (excuse the pun), the relationship between Deloris and the venerable nun starts out rocky. It is refreshing to watch as their differences become a catalyst for much-needed change.

Sister Mary Roberts (Kiera) delivered a heartfelt solo in ‘The Life I Never Led’; sung with feeling and aspiration, her supressed passion for adventure being let loose was a joy to behold.

‘Sunday Morning Fever’ was simply dazzling: dancing nuns in colourful outfits; bible passages taught

through 80’s disco movies; and a seriously impressive rap from the convent’s most senior nun, Sister Mary Lazarus (Grace). It wasn’t just the choreography that shone: the singing, with its layers of melody, was entrancing and a testament to the hours of dedicated rehearsals – trust me, I was there for every single one! All in all, this was a highly entertaining number and a great way to launch into the second act.

It is impossible not mention Curtis’s gang (Eileen, Kedison, Simi, Imogen & Tami), ridiculous in all the best ways; their sequence breaking into the nunnery was hilarious. Watching them trip, stumble and fall into failure was effective at cutting the tension of this otherwise transformative scene as we saw Deloris sacrifice herself in exchange for the nuns she has grown to love. Deloris’s song ‘Sister Act’ was poignant

and encapsulated the message of the entire performance: loyalty, devotion, and passion.

Naturally, Covid-19 had something to say about the production. Halfway through rehearsals we learned we would be unable to have any external visitors. Though undoubtedly a big blow, it didn’t stop cast and crew from putting on three amazing performances for the school community.

Sister Act was an energetic production with a lot to say. From rapping nuns to clumsy gangsters, it was a fantastic way to spend my afternoons, with a range of incredible performers. This has got to be one of my favourite St George’s productions, thanks to the dedication of our directors and our actors who gave it their all.

Lucia U6

Costa Rica

We think we can speak for every person on the Costa Rica trip when we say it was life changing. Many of us went without having experienced anything like it. It was surreal from the beginning as we were greeted by rain akin to that of Jurassic Park upon arrival. The humid air was welcomed and embraced as we made our way into San Jose to begin our trip, with our two groups working to reverse programmes.

Rancho Margot was one of our destinations, a near 80% selfsustaining farm in the beautiful Arenal region. There we were greeted with beautiful organic food and warm people. We hiked the Arenal volcano in typical Costa Rican torrential rain, and were soaked to the skin, yet no one complained. Making and tasting our own natural chocolate set the tone for the trip. Our stay was short, but meaningful and we all left with a greater understanding of sustainability and nature (and yoga).

A short drive away stood the Monteverde Cloud Forest, a unique kind of forest with moss, rich soil, and of course low-level clouds. A geography teachers’ dream if you will. Everywhere you turned there were trees with over 100 different creatures living both on and inside them. Tree turkeys (yes, they exist) and tarantulas became the mascots of the forest – and one group saw the rare and endangered Quetzal.

The Cloud Forest led us back to sea level and Natuwa Jin the Puntarenas area. We were initially bombarded with the humidity and sound of the rainforest; however, we didn’t have time to dwell on our discomfort- there was work to do! After an introduction to the sanctuary, we were thrown in headfirst: clearing a corn field, planting trees, and preparing food for the animals (a special mention to Papaito the Sloth) Needless to say, we’ve never had that much fun being that sweaty.

Continuing to the Pacific coast, we were then based at Jakera in Santa Teresa. The resort was stunning: from the hammocks around every corner to a pool looking out into the forests. We undertook a beach clean; visited and worked at a recycling centre and hiked through protected Howler monkey forestry – their noise greeting us on many mornings. We met many weird and wonderful animals on our trip. However, there was one in particular that stole our hearts- Oreo the Kitten (we were surprised he didn’t appear in someone’s bag on departure). Everything from sunset swimming in the ocean to late-night ping pong matches: Jakera was a spectacular way to spend time in a place that really taught us the Costa Rican way of life.

And just like that, it was time to make the drive back to San Jose to catch our flight. We all got something different out of this trip. For some it was the culture, for others it was the nature and sustainability focus. However, we can say with some confidence that there’s one thing we all agree on- it’s a trip that none of us are going to forget in a hurry.

Costa Rica… Pura Vida!

A Level Textiles

How to Change Climate Change - Lower School COP 26 Conference

On Friday December 3rd, the Lower School learnt about climate change and the COP 26 conference which was taking place in Glasgow. The activities were all led by our Sixth Form Sustainability Committee. First, our Upper 6 students gave a fantastic speech about the environment, the importance of the conference and what actions we can take to help save our planet. Next came the scavenger hunt where teams had to looking for clues about environmental problems. We all had lots of fun together! Then we were told to split into groups and design a whole outfit using waste materials from the dining centre such as

carboard and containers. We worked in teams to design our outfits, and the person who wore the outfit walked down the hall modelling their wonderful reusable costume. Everyone looked amazing and at the end, a winner was chosen. L4P won for our year group – they used a bag for their top, pieces of paper for their skirt and a flower necklace made of colourful paper and string! It was a really fun and exciting day, and we all learned a lot about how to improve our environment!

Carolina and Anna, Lower 4

Connected Culture Conference

On Tuesday 8th of February, the whole of Lower School had a full day conference to recognise Safer Internet Day. It was a great way to understand in more depth how you should behave on social media and the internet, and how to interact better with other users online.

One of our talks was about body image and how much of their lives people show online. This was very insightful because it made us think about how people’s lives seem amazing online, but they don’t tend to show you the less exciting side of their lives. Following that, we had a talk about screen time. We spoke about how much time people spend on their screens and how this compared with what is recommended. We were shown all sorts of ways to track our usage. We also had a talk about online relationships and bullying; we learned some text and email etiquette (how to text and email properly) and finally, we learned about password safety and got the opportunity to update our security settings. At the end of the day, we listened to a virtual conference on Internet safety. We did a small quiz in our houses which was a very fun way to finish off the day.

We all learnt a lot about how to keep safe on the internet and what to do and what not to do online. Overall, it was lots of fun and we earnt some valuable lessons.

Sacha and Lily, Lower 4

Our Nations Problem

Black Lives Matter

Can you hear us as the glass shatters Racism a disease that has been killing for years Another Death, Another mother’s eyes filling with tears How many more lives do you have to take Until you realise this is not just a trend *sighs give me a break Fight for those whose privilege is lesser Silence is just as bad as the oppresser To you am I a threat?

When all I wanted was to be treated like you with respect It’s wasn’t an accident when you pulled the trigger It’s only an accident if it’s a public figure It’s not our race's problem. It’s the nations A nation facing massive discrimination

The tears we cry The lives that die Is that enough for you to hear us A person’s skin is seen as a threat

One look and your mind is already set Your badge doesn’t put you above the law You aren’t innocent. We know what we saw

Am I threat because of my skin and hair?

Am I a threat because of what I wear?

Zviko M

The Reader

Hello, it’s me. Now you might not know me, but I know you I know you, and you, and you, and you. And everyone else in this room. And you might not know it, but you know me. Because I am the writer And you are the reader. And that truly is an unbreakable bond. Because without you, my stories are just letters on a page. Because without you, my life’s work is forgotten. Without you, my words are just letters, And my letters just ink. So, before we begin, I would like to say thank you Thank you for reading my stories. And thank you for sharing them. But most of all, Thank you for making my words mean something. In other words, Thank you for making me heard. So, sit back, and enjoy the tales of those who weren’t as lucky as me. And I hope you enjoy listening to some unheard voices.

Frankie B

L4 Camp

On the week starting 23rd May L4 went to Ardvreck school in Crieff for our 5-day camp. Over the week, there was a wide variety of outdoor activities to choose from and each of the six groups got to do a different activity each day. The activities included stand up paddle-boarding, canoeing, rock-climbing, laser tag, high ropes and air rifle shooting. On the Tuesday, we had a day of Geography fieldwork, where we covered both the human and physical geography of Crieff. On the Thursday we did a long hill walk to a campsite where we were camping out in big bell tents. We had a great time cooking smores around the campfire! Overall, it was a great week and we had lots of new and exciting experiences whilst doing some activities which put us just beyond our comfort zone. Lily and Sacha, Lower 4

‘Camp was adventurous, fun and challenging.’ Anna

‘My favourite activity was paddle boarding because it was really fun to fall in and watch people fall off and spray each other. The ending where when we got to run and jump into the water was really fun as well.’ Lucy

‘A new skill I learnt was climbing, specifically about how you need to rely on a mix of both your lower and upper body strength at different times, and you have to think of strategies on how to scale what you are climbing.’ Cherise

‘A skill I developed was confidence. I will be less scared when doing public speaking in future.’ Sophie

A Year in Houldsworth

2021-2022 was another interesting year in Houldsworth. At the beginning our Covid habits and routines from 2020-2021 were still present but as the year went on, we were able to welcome family and friends back inside.

On our first weekend, we had a terrific Saturday firepit evening, celebrating coming back together after the summer break and welcoming our new boarders.

It was fantastic to visit Murrayfield and see the rugby with Scotland playing Australia, South Africa, Japan, England and France.

Our wonderful U6s organised a fun-filled murdermystery fancy dress party. The clues led us to find out who had killed Mrs Gray!

As winter arrived, we started celebrating early by helping to decorate the Roseburn Christmas tree.

For the first time, we went carolling in Ravelston Park, raising £668 for Hopscotch Children’s Charity. The night was so much fun, and it was very well received by our neighbours. Safe to say we will be doing it again!

Our Christmas dinner was a wonderful occasion and a visit from Santa, with Mrs McMurray as his helper to give out our gifts, was a lovely way to end the Autumn Term.

In the new year, we had Houldsworth’s Got Talent,

which was a huge success, and the energy and excitement was felt by all throughout the night.

In May, with the weather changing, we spent a Sunday running and walking around Arthur’s Seat in support of Ovarian cancer research. In total, we raised £1,266, a phenomenal effort from Houldsworth’s family and friends.

It was then time to say goodbye to our U6s. We said farewell to them with a night of takeaway and a water fight where Miss McHugh and Mrs Gray also joined in and got soaked.

In the final weeks of term, we had a whole House outing to the theatre to see the Lion King. It was a wonderful way to gather as a community to celebrate this year and a new experience for many. The big elephant walked in between the crowd and it was exciting to see all the people inside it! Tilly, U4

It was then time to say farewell to everyone from 21/22 at our annual BBQ. It was great seeing so many parents, siblings and friends gather in our garden to have an afternoon of food and fun. There were pinatas and a huge game of tug of war. It was also a wonderful way for Houldsworth to say farewell to Mrs Hems. Until next year, 2022-2023!

Carolling Santa

Halloween

Roseburn Tree Lion King

HH Got Talent Rugby

Ovarian Cancer First firepit

Library

In 2021-2022, the Library was excited to welcome back authors to host in-person events.

This was the year we introduced Anna James as the school’s Patron of Reading. As the Patron of Reading for St George’s, Anna’s role is to encourage and develop reading for pleasure across the school community, including students, staff and parents. She visited the school three times over the 2021-2022 year both in Lower School and Upper School.

Author events also included a visit from awardwinning Scottish author Elle McNicoll to Lower School. As a neurodiverse author, Elle is an advocate for better representation of neurodiversity in publishing. A.F. Steadman, author of the new bestselling children’s series Skandar and the Unicorn Thief, visited Primary 5s

in May. And Nursery received a visit from an old friend and new author Emma-Louise Beeson sharing her fairy tale retelling, Goldie Locks and the Bears at No. 3.

Outside of author events, the Libraries were busy with reading, LEGO Library and Student Librarians. We celebrated special occasions like Winnie the Pooh Day, the winter Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóðið (gifting books), and of course World Book Day. And notably the Heartstopper series quickly become one of our most popular reads toward the end of the year.

It would be impossible, however, to talk about the Library without also acknowledging and commemorating the impact of Lorna Barr in the Junior and Lower School Libraries. Her work and enthusiasm continue to inspire our Library ethos.

Anna James

Elle McNicoll

Read with Pride

Jolabokafloðið

Blind Date with a Book

A.F. Steadman

In Memory

This year, we were deeply saddened by the news of Lorna Barr’s passing and would like to take a moment to commemorate her and her impact on our Libraries. Lorna was most loved as Miss Lorna and Miss Barr in the Nursery and in the Junior School and Lower School Libraries. She delivered weekly Rhyme Time sessions to Little and Big Owls and ran a programme of weekly library visits for P1-P6 on top of day-to-day library operations. Lorna always knew the best book to recommend (including her personal favourites, like Pamela Butchart) and often went above and beyond for events with costumes and special activities.

She will have left an indelible mark on many of the girls, whether that’s from picking them up from a fall in the playground, helping them to choose a book, or scaring them with her infamous Halloween spooky stories!

We also have Lorna to thank for years of creative and eye-catching displays. She had an intuition for not only what would look great on a wall or display but also for what would spark pupils' imaginations and inspire reading. We continue to update her Bookflix display in Lower School, which gets frequent attention.

It’s obvious how important Lorna was to St George’s and in particular the girls of Lower and Junior School. She was unbelievably kind, generous with her time, and unbelievably patient with any of the children who encountered her.

In lockdown, Lorna stretched her skills even further to provide everything children were missing in the Library through story times and activities on Teams. Lorna met the challenges of lockdown and the pandemic head on and was then, as ever, an invaluable member of the team.

Most of all, Lorna was kind. She always put others before herself, including in the Library. She gave so much of her spirit and energy and enthusiasm to her work reading to children, preparing resources and sharing library skills. She always asked how she could help or contribute: for her students, her colleagues, and her friends.

We consider ourselves very fortunate to have worked with Lorna Barr. She was an unbelievably enthusiastic colleague whom we will remember as someone who was always prepared to give something a go. She always embraced a challenge with a positive mindset, a willingness to learn and good humour.

St George’s will miss Lorna, but we are also grateful to have so much of her around us in the Library, and the students and staff who encountered her won’t forget her. Chloe Elder and Duncan Wright (current and former Senior Librarian, respectively)

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

It’s been a challenging year for the girls taking on the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award, with many of the pandemic restrictions in place. However, St George’s students rose to the challenges and prevailed with over 80 awards this year.

DofE is not just about the expedition section, exciting and challenging as that is! The girls have had to complete sections covering volunteering, skills and physicals - with the Gold candidates fitting in a residential too. In order to achieve all these elements of the award, the students have taken part in activities ranging from crocheting, baking and performing arts

to rock climbing. Many have chosen to help in charity shops or charity organisations such as Missing Maps and Rainbows to name just a few.

The expeditions this year have been to the Pentlands, Lowther Hills, Trossachs, Fort William and the Cairngorms. The students have faced many challenges during these expeditions, from extreme weather conditions to the dreaded midge, with them having to dig deep into their mental reserves to achieve what they set out to do.

Congratulations to all students for their determination, dedication and commitment.

Duke of Edinburgh Award

Hockey

Hockey at St George’s was back in full swing. We were soon back to our full fixture calendar with games against The Mary Erskine School, George Watson’s College, George Heriot’s and Edinburgh Academy in the first half-term. In the second half term we travelled further afield playing Dundee High, High School or Glasgow and Hutchesons’ Grammar which was a great opportunity for all to enjoy playing sport together with friends.

All of our U6 leavers took part in the Kilgraston 2nd XI tournament where they were able to compete as a year group for one last time! This was a great experience for the girls to reminisce and complete their school hockey career with those they started with.

Our 1st XI and U15A teams both competed in the Scottish Cup, although we did not progress to the

finals all teams gained valuable experience to take forward in the coming season.

A number of pupils earned representative honours. Well done to Sophie, Kate and Honor who played for Edinburgh Lightning in the Brave Academy Series. Abi, Issy and Hannah all represented East District U14 Hockey in inter-district matches. Well done to Kate who also represented Scotland Emerging Girls in fixtures against England during the Summer.

Lacrosse

Autumn started off with an abundance of Lacrosse players, we were able to fill both pitches with games happening at each fan. As the nights crept in and we played under the lights, our keen lacrosse players continued to persevere, ready for what the spring term would bring.

The hard work our U14s and U15s put in during the cold, wet, wintery evenings was crucial to their success this season. An exceptionally close game against Fettes College saw a tie in our opening game of the season. The team used this challenging game to learn and push forward with successful wins against Loretto and Glenalmond College.

A senior team was formed inspired by their previous success with Mrs Bargeton pre COVID. The hours they put in during early Friday mornings paid off and they had great success with wins against Loretto, Dunottar, Fettes College and Glenalmond College. Congratulations to Katie, Robyn and Isla who represented U19 Scotland at the Home Internationals.

Netball

Another busy year for our netball clubs at St George’s.

As always, netball thrives each year and this one was no different, with a high number of girls participating in each year group, working hard, and having fun!

This year we launched our very first Primary 5 netball club which proved to be a huge success.

Our seniors started the season on a high note at The Mary Erskine School GSA Annual Tournament.

We also participated in Netball Scotland Scottish Cup where our Lower 4, Upper 4, Lower 5 and Senior A teams enjoyed the competitive games whilst developing their knowledge of the game.

During the Summer term, St George's hosted the annual EPSSA P6 and P7 netball festivals. It was lovely

to see girls from Flora Stevenson Primary School, Towerbank Primary School, Leith Acadamy, St Ninian’s RC Primary School, Murrayburn Primary School, Cramond Primary School, Juniper Green Primary School, St Peter’s RC Primary School, and Erskine Stewart’s Melville School on our campus all taking part and having fun.

Lots of friendlies have also been played during the year against Edinburgh Academy, Strathallan School, Fettes College and Craigclowan School & Nursery

This season, we also had 4 students who were selected to represent the Edinburgh District squads. Huge congratulations Darcey, Olivia, Iris and Tamilore.

Cricket

This year’s Cricket season saw the introduction of P5 Cricket at St George’s and numbers continued to grow at all levels, with well over 120 girls taking part in sessions each week across the school. We had fixtures for all age groups, including the very first match for Primary 5; a win over Cargilfield School.

Primary 6, Remove and Lower 4

Primary 6 and Remove teams played regular fixtures with George Watson’s College on Saturday mornings, as well as taking part in two festivals. Our U11 team competed in the Mary Erskine School Festival, and we then finished the season with an excellent 4th placed finish at the Cricket Scotland Festival.

Lower 4 pupils trained on Thursday afternoons and showed great potential, winning all their games with George Watson’s College, The Mary Erskine School and Cargilfield School.

Upper 4 and Lower 5

This was an excellent year for Upper 4 and Lower 5 cricketers, who developed their skills and played fixtures with George Watson’s College and The Mary Erskine School, rounding their season off with the S3 soft ball tournament at the Cricket Scotland Festival. We entered two teams, and both made it to the semi-finals, with one of the teams just losing out in a close final – an impressive performance by all players.

Senior 1st VIII – Hardball

This year saw the first hard ball cricket fixtures for St George’s in many years. On Tuesday 24th May a team of 8 players, 5 of whom were playing their first hardball game, travelled to play Loretto 1sts in a friendly. St George’s batted first and scored 64 runs in 10 overs, with Molly (Lower 6) top scoring. A great bowling performance saw St George’s win an exciting game by 7 runs.

We then faced The Mary Erskine School in the Scottish Cup, with another 2 players experiencing their first hardball game. St George’s played well but lost to a strong MES team. Wickets for Sophie (Lower 5) and Bella (Upper 4) and a good catch by Florence (Upper 4) were the highlights.

Well done to all players on a very successful Cricket season!

Equestrian

2021/22 has been a busy year for the St. George’s Equestrian Team but a great one! We welcomed one new member to our team this year, namely Bea. She joined Olivia, Rosie, Emma and Daisy to compete in a mix of NSEA and BSJ events throughout the year. There were clears at every event and many placings too. Most notable were Marni, who came second in the Pony Foxhunter Championship at the Horse of the Year Show in October, 2021, Daisy; Olivia, who qualified for the British Show Jumping National Championships Schools Finals in August and Rosie has been selected to represent Scotland in the British Eventing 90 Under 18 Youth Championship at Bishop Burton in August 2022. I am sure you will join with me to wish them all the very best in their events and look forward to hearing how they get on.

Other Equestrian Success 2021/22:

Championship to be held at the Royal International Horse Show at Hickstead in July.

She then qualified all three of her ponies to compete at the Royal Highland Show on Sunday 26 June.

One other equestrian success this year which must not be forgotten, was for Marni on her pony Caleb, who came second in the Pony Foxhunter Championship at the Horse of the Year Show in October 2021. This was an amazing achievement and exceeded all expectations as she was one of only 7 young Scottish riders to qualify. In addition, whilst at the Horse of the Year Show she also came twelfth with her pony Jac in the 138cm Showjumping Championship. Another amazing achievement!

In 2022, Marni and ponies have continued to have an amazing run.

She started off the year qualifying for the JC

Then at the beginning of June, Marni attempted her first ever 1.35m qualifier for the Pony Showjumper of the Year to be held at Horse of the Year Show in October. They came 3rd overall and qualified! It has been an exciting year for Marni so far and we wish her all the very best for these competitions and look forward to hearing how she gets on.

The first event that the team competed at was the NSEA Northern Championships at Alnwick Ford early in September. The girls had a successful day with an early start for Bea, who nevertheless managed two clears and a fourth prize in the 75cm Showjumping.

The rest of the team that day, made up of Olivia , Emma and Daisy finished second place in the 1.0m team event and qualified for the final at the NSEA Championships at Keysoe, in October.

They also had some individual successes too. Daisy was second in the 1.10m individual jumping Championship and Olivia first in the 1.20m Open Pony Qualifier. Both riders also qualified for the NSEA Championships at Keysoe, in October.

On Sunday 10th October, Bea competed at the Strathallan Show. She had double clears in the 70cm Showjumping class, and a great day out with her pony in the 85cm event too.

In May there was a flurry of events which saw Bea competing for St. George’s again, whilst the rest of the team was studying hard for national examinations. On Sunday 1st May Bea was show jumping at the National Schools Equestrian Association ISEC Event. She

moved up a height/ class and although not placed, it was a great experience for her.

The next and last event that Bea rode for the school this year was the NSEA Show Jumping and Arena Eventing Qualifiers at Floors Castle. She had a very successful weekend being placed in a number of her events.

The final event of the year was at Morris equestrian centre on Sunday 22nd May, 2022. Olivia and Daisy went to try to qualify for the British Show Jumping National Championships in the Schools Finals. There, Daisy and her pony Curravordy Builders Blue and Olivia and her pony Norbet qualified in the 110cm Show Jumping event and Daisy also qualified in the 100cm Show Jumping class. So that gives the girls a chance to represent the school at the finals at the beginning of August.

Congratulations to all our equestrian members who have worked extremely hard this year competing for the school. We look forward to seeing you compete again next year and if there are any other students who fancy joining us please do get in contact.

Sports Day

On Tuesday 28th June we hosted our annual Sports day. The students from Lower and Upper school all participated in various events to collect points for their House in a bid to be crowned winners of the infamous house cup. There was also an individual athletics championship which was included in the programme. This gave girls the opportunity to compete in individual athletics events against others in their year group. There were many excellent performances and displays of sportsmanship throughout the day, and the overall results were as follows:

P6 Athletics Championship

1st Teme

2nd Isla

3rd Charlotte

Remove Athletics Championships

1st Sophia

2nd Eliza

3rd Kari

Lower 4 Athletics Championships

1st Lily

2nd Sophie 3rd Francesca

Upper 4 Athletics Championships

1st Adora

2nd Mary 3rd Hannah

Lower 5 Athletics Championships

1st Maighdlin

2nd Caitlin

3rd Daisy

Senior Athletics Championships

1st Sofia

2nd Robyn

3rd Anna

House winners Upper School

Lindsay

Congratulations to our winners and runners up and to all who took part in a brilliant day of sport!

Staff Leavers

Alexandra Hems Headteacher 5 years at St George’s

Since joining us in January 2017, Alex has been an impressive Head. From the outset she has demonstrated an incredible understanding of the values of girls' schools. She has been a huge supporter of all activities across the programmes at St George’s. One of her first priorities when she joined the school was to set up the Foundation Office at St George’s and put in place a network so that former pupils could not only stay in touch with the school, but also so that they could help each other as women in the workplace. She started the London reunions, which have been so successful, and has taken a genuine interest in the careers of our alumnae. Our 130 celebrations were Alex's idea and the wonderful frieze of the history of the school will forever be a reminder of her Headship.

Covid, of course, was a great challenge. Alex's leadership ensured that St George's was the talk of Edinburgh for our provision during lockdown. Furthermore, to have overseen the magnificent refurbishment of the Hall and Crush Hall during such a

time is truly to Alex's credit. Alex has a wonderful work ethic and managed to balance the leadership of St George’s with her own family life, which is no mean feat. Not only that, she also achieved this with energy, grace and humour. Particular thanks come from us for Alex’s interest in the Old Girls, two of which now include her own daughters, Charlotte and Sophie. Thank you, Alex, for your support and leadership of the school. We wish you every success in your new role as Head of the Aldenham Foundation in Hertfordshire and hope you will stay in touch. Don’t forget, you may leave St George’s, but St George’s doesn’t leave you!

Fiona White Deputy Head

of JS, 32 years at St George’s

Fiona has been a central part of St George’s Junior School for the past three decades and has been a driving force for the development of the vision and ethos that is strongly in evidence today. She is a passionate and dedicated teacher, who always prioritises the needs of the children in everything that she does. Fiona joined St George’s Junior School in August 1990 and was initially employed as a teacher of

Upper Primary. Her talent for teaching, organisation and enthusiasm shone through immediately leading to her appointment as Head of Lower Primary. Fiona’s keen eye for detail made her the ideal person to develop the Science curriculum for every stage of Junior School. Fiona’s colleagues and generations of children will remember with fondness the many Science Fun Days that Fiona coordinated for the Junior School. These were full days dedicated to providing children with an opportunity to witness first-hand the wonder of the scientific world! This patience embodies Fiona as a teacher. She has time for every child in her class, and indeed the entire Junior School. Fiona has a wonderful sense of humour and this is in evidence not only for her colleagues but also for parents and children as well. Fiona has been an incredible influence over the positive ethos focused on wellbeing, learning and enjoyment for our young learners in Junior School, especially following her appointment as Principal Teacher (learning and teaching) in August 2014, and then as Deputy Head of Junior School in 2016. The nurturing atmosphere which ensures that every girl feels welcomed and included is a huge part of what makes our school so special and Fiona has been instrumental in its development. We wish Fiona well for the adventures that she is planning for this next stage of her life. Bon voyage Fiona – thank you for being a wonderful colleague - we will miss you!

Milly Adams

Teacher of Primary, 28 years at St George’s Milly began her career at St George’s as a respected full time Primary 4 teacher in January 1994. With much to give, Milly soon became a valued member of the Duke of Edinburgh team in the same year, leading multiple expeditions over the hills for many years. On return from maternity leave following the birth of her first child, Rebecca in 1996, Milly took up a job-share with her colleague, Fiona, pioneering the way for a more flexible approach to working at St George’s Junior School. Completely committed to her role as a Duke of Edinburgh leader, Milly continued to devote many a weekend to expeditions and was often to be seen with her baby, Thomas, on her back as she walked the hills with the St George’s Duke of

Edinburgh students. In 2015, with her family now growing up quickly, Milly returned to full time teaching, becoming a Primary 1 teacher, where she has enjoyed teaching the youngest of our students. Milly is an accomplished pianist, has green fingers when growing plants, is a master cake baker and is a very obliging member of staff who is a pleasure to work with. St George’s Junior School will miss you, Milly (and your cakes!). Wishing you all the very best Milly, as you move into retirement.

Peter Thomson

Head of Music, 22 years at St George’s Peter joined St George’s in August 2000 as a Teacher of Music under Philip Redfern and swiftly established himself as a passionate musician. This is no surprise as he had studied at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama, achieving a Double First diploma in voice and piano, followed by his PGCE. While we know of Peter’s love of Jazz and his success with the Jazz Band, it is a little-known fact that he sang in the Scottish Opera between 1983-87. He uses his powerful vocal chords to good effect in the RMC and at hymn

practices, when it sometimes seemed as though he and Mark Ashmore were the only people actually singing. We have also benefited from Peter’s skills on the piano at assemblies, although he needs the odd nudge when he loses count of the number of verses that have been sung. Peter’s well-deserved promotion to Director of Music in 2015 heralded a new age of music at St George’s. He has been very energetic in his promotion of music, both curricular and co-curricular, and his list of concerts, performers’ platforms, musicals and indeed music tours, is long and impressive. Covid hit music particularly hard, and it is greatly to Peter’s credit, and that of the Faculty he leads, that so many of our students continued their lessons online and have re-formed orchestras, choirs, ensembles and bands. New applications for instrumental lessons are, in fact, at a record high. ‘Sister Act’ was a triumph in the most difficult of circumstances, and the concerts held over the last few weeks of term were a testament to the hard work and determination of our musicians, led by Peter. We must also thank Peter’s wife, Michelle, who has accompanied many of our musicians over the years. Peter’s daughter, Lizzie, left St George’s in 2014 and has gone on to forge her own successful musical career. Thank you, Peter, for your contribution to the musical life of St George’s over the last 22 years. We hope you enjoy a long, happy and musical retirement.

Sinclair

Paula attended St George’s as a pupil from 1980 and graduated in 1993. She went onto study at Aberdeen University where she received an MA Hons in French and then onto Edinburgh University where she attained her PGCE in Primary Education. We were very fortunate that Paula returned to St George’s in August 2003, as a Primary Teacher where she has taught in varying stages across the primary years, in particular with our Primary 6s, the P3s, our P1s and for 6 years with the P5s. During this time Paula was also involved in the CCF and was also our Acting Contingent Commander in 2005. In more recent years, Paula made the move back to Lower School to teach the P6s. With her wealth of knowledge at this age and stage (and of course St George’s as a whole, including Lower School), she hit the ground running. In less than three years she has led the eco committee to devise, fundraise and build an outdoor biodiversity classroom and a rather large, outdoor seating area outside Lansdowne Modern. Two significant projects have been created through passion from Paula and, in turn, our students. Paula always had her students and colleagues' best interests at heart. We are incredibly thankful for her attention to detail, time with students who have moved on from P6 and her care. Paula - we are all very excited for you and your next chapter and wish you all the very best.

Iain Fleming

Digital Content and Website Manager, 14 years at St George’s

During his 13 years at St George’s, Iain’s mastery of IT skills and a willingness to problem-solve to create something useful for staff have provided us with a range of IT systems. Many of these feature in the backbone to the smooth running of the school including the IT Helpdesk ticket system, the secure exams procedure for computer use, helping to implement Virtual Reality into the curriculum, rolling out Microsoft Teams in the space of 2 weeks before the school shut due to lockdown and running the setup and delivery of the live Teams and Zoom Virtual Events Later adding Digital Content Manager to his armoury and in this capacity, he has been instrumental in creating quality video content and photography for the school. Our video clips are a fundamental part of our marketing strategy, and they play a key role in bringing the school to life across all our digital channels. Iain is always super quick at responding to IT issues coming into the Hub and more than once has

Paula

Teacher of Primary 19 years at St George’s

dealt sensitively with navigating stressed teachers through Microsoft Teams during the early days of distance learning. In addition, he has made a huge contribution to supporting all staff in keeping up to date with their plethora of IT devices and the fast pace of changing IT. His help and support have been greatly appreciated by staff and students at St George’s. We wish him well with his new role at Edinburgh Uni Business School as Technology Support Officer.

Cate Stewart

Early Years Practitioner 14 years at St George’s After thirteen years with St George’s Nursery, Cate Stewart made the difficult decision to retire at the end of this term. During her time in Nursery, Mrs Cate has shown extraordinary love, care and warmth to all of the children. Her gentle and kind approach has long been appreciated by children and families alike. Her knowledge of the early years curriculum is much admired and she has a special skill for sharing this wisdom with the children. Cate has been an important advocate for developing art projects within the nursery and we will remember her well for these spectacular displays. Her background in graphic design means that she is an inspirational artist in her own right. Her own enthusiasm and creativity has allowed many a child to express themselves with gusto and meaning! Over the years, Cate has been a supportive colleague to all in the Nursery and Junior School team. She is much respected and always sees the best in every situation. In recent years the song 'Always Look on the Bright Side of Life' has been a favourite of hers to sing, and Cate's colleagues in nursery say that this captures her cheerful and optimistic approach perfectly.

So, although it is with sorrow that we say goodbye, we know that Cate is looking ahead to this new chapter in her life. She is looking forward to being able to spend more time with her extended family, and beloved dad. And, as her daughter Lucy prepares to enter into her final terms of sixth form here at St George's, Cate is keen to be able to support Lucy with this new and exciting stage of her young life as well. Thank you Cate for being such a valued member of our St George's nursery team, and for all of your contributions to our school.

Jane Thompson

Senior Admissions Officer, 11 years at St George’s Jane started at St George's in September 2010 as a part-time playleader in the After School Care Team,

before taking on the additional role of part-time Admissions Officer in October 2011 (working between two areas), before being solely in Admissions from August 2018. At St George's she has enjoyed all her different roles working with many lovely and talented people and happy children. Working in the Nursery and Junior School has always been a lot of fun, and she has many happy memories from berry picking at Craigies Farm or sandcastle building at North Berwick with holiday club to pulling young children on sledges around the hockey pitches in the deep snow of 2010. Her role in Admissions has been somewhat more serious but also rewarding in a different way! Admissions is a diverse and interesting role; she has met a huge range of people, and certainly, no two days have ever been the same. We will miss Jane's friendship, hard work, dedication and professionalism. She has been an outstanding member of the admissions team, a strong team player, a tower of support and a dear friend to many. We wish Jane the very best in her retirement!

Jackie Irvine

Teacher of English, 11 years at St George’s Before joining us at St George’s, Jackie had been a Head of Faculty, a staff reporter and also a freelance writer. Jackie is a wonderfully, warm-hearted woman. She cares deeply about her students, colleagues and friends, and can always be relied upon to lend a listening ear or a supportive word in times of stress or difficulty. If you are having a wobbly day, a quick chat in the staffroom or WhatsApp exchange with Jackie will set you right again. As a teacher both of English and of Support for Learning, Jackie brings to the classroom a sense of fun and a real passion for learning, patiently carrying even the most reluctant students along with her. Students speak of her with fondness and latterly she has been very much missed. Despite years of experience and expertise which she could easily draw upon, Jackie epitomises the expression ‘going the extra mile’, and this is especially true where issues of student wellbeing and pastoral support are concerned. Jackie is a strong advocate for the students in her care, speaking up for them and never afraid to put her head above the parapet when others might shy away. We fervently hope that during this long and happy retirement, Jackie will still make time for a few WhatsApps!

Clea Friend

Visiting Music Teacher (cello), 8 years at St George’s Clea's work as a community musician has expanded recently to the Middle East where she is involved in setting up a music programme for Syrian refugees in Aarsal, Lebanon. She has also been employed to work in her own community to aid with Covid recovery and for this has set up the new Stockbridge Music Hub. (www.musichub.uk) These projects along with an active freelance playing career create a rewarding musical combination. She has enjoyed her seven years at St George's and hopes to keep connected with the music department through occasional coaching, adjudicating and teaching.

Billy Melville

MIS Support, 7 years at St George’s Billy joined St George’s in June 2015 and slipped quickly into his role. Billy set about making his mark by offering his thoughts and ideas to streamline our processes. A friendly face and a helpful nature made him a firm favourite of the staff as he was always to willing to help. Billy’s ability to manipulate vast amounts of data in a single spreadsheet should be recognised at this point. What would look daunting to most was a normal amount of data for him to handle. His attention to detail is second to none. Over the course of his time at St George’s he has worked on some large projects requiring large volumes of data to be cleaned and manipulated. In all cases this has been done carefully and commented on by the system suppliers. He never got stressed by anything. Despite a to do list as long as your arm, Billy calmy worked his way through it. Often working beyond his 5pm finishing time to make sure he got it done (unless it was a Friday and there were after school drinks!). When the decision was made to move our MIS to ISAMS, Billy was instrumental in the data migration and cleansing. This was a huge project made harder thanks to COVID, but it is a testament to him that the data was migrated in time and the system was up and running in 8 months. Billy will be an absolute loss to the MIS team and to the staff as a whole.

Thank you for all the support you have given everyone.

Turid Engstrom

Early Years Practitioner 7 years service

Turid joined St George’s Nursery team in April 2015 and has worked with every age and stage of Nursery

children. She is passionate about Nursery education and is an advocate for children’s play experiences, especially in the outdoor environment. Turid has great skill and training in equity of provision for children with additional support for learning needs in the early years setting. Turid has been a driving force in developing the Nursery playground and Fantastical Forest areas in recent years. She enjoyed extending the children and staff knowledge of the Virtual Nature School during the Spring term 2021 and was dedicated to ensuring that all children had access to learning stimuli for outdoor activities during covid lockdowns. The Nursery team will miss Turid’s drive and determination – no task is too great and Turid will always find a way to bring quality provision and care to the children. For Turid, the child is always at the centre. We have been proud of Turid as she has worked hard to complete er BEd in Early Childhood Education over the last few years, at the same time as working towards becoming a Forest School Leader and also being mummy to two very energetic twin boys. You are an inspiration Turid, and we wish you every success in developing your home as a childminding setting, and we know that this new chapter of your life will be a wonderful success.

Olivia Lovely

HR Manager, 5 years at St George’s Since Olivia joined us in August 2017, she has been a huge asset to St George’s. Olivia’s eye for detail is a great strength, and we have always been in awe of her ability to retain a great deal of complex information, relating to employment law for example, and to apply it to a given situation with ease. Her wise, considered counsel, and willingness to give herself wholeheartedly to finding solutions to apparently intractable problems has been much appreciated. As note taker to the Staff Consultative Forum she has been invaluable, and I know we will miss her in this capacity as in so many other areas of school life. She has definitely been the human face of HR, and gives a great deal of herself, with kindness, patience and sensitivity. A great listener, however long her own to-do list, she always makes time for people. We hope that her new life on Skye allows her plenty of good balance and relaxation as well as a professional challenge. We wish her every success and happiness in her new adventure!

Rebecca Warren Head of Physics 5 years at St George’s

Becky started at St George’s in 2017 as Teacher of Physics, having joined us from Manchester Creative and Media Academy. She gained her first degree from Edinburgh in Physics, has a Masters from Oxford in Archaeological Science, a further Masters qualification from Glasgow in Proteomic Technologies and a PhD in Biophysics, also from Glasgow. Becky quickly impressed us, not only in the classroom but also with the enthusiasm with which she embraced other areas of school life. During her time with us, Becky has worked in Houldsworth as a Boarding Tutor, where her contribution was very much appreciated, and she also edited two outstanding editions of the Chronicle with impressive attention to detail and editorial flair. In due course, Becky took on the role of Head of Physics, and we have very much appreciated her thoughtful leadership of the department. The UK Space Design Team has flourished and achieved success at National level under her inspiring leadership; this is such a special opportunity for our students, to work across year groups, and also, in the finals, with teams from other schools. Becky leaves us to explore new opportunities outside the classroom, and we wish her every success and happiness in this next stage of what we know will be a great career.

Nicolas Curiel

ICT Technician, 4 ½ years at St George’s Nicolas Curiel, known to us all as Nico, joined St George’s four and a half years ago with an ambition to further his IT knowledge and improve his understanding of English. He has succeeded on both fronts and has made an enormously valuable contribution to the constantly busy IT department. His work has taken him to all corners of the school and he has undertaken some of the grubbier tasks in hidden nooks which keep our IT running smoothly. He has always done this with a smile on his face and a willingness to learn and improve. While our lives were affected by the pandemic, Nico felt the impact more closely than many of us, being cut-off from friends and family in his native Spain. It is to there, and Valencia specifically, that Nico will move and we all wish him well in his journey and future life. Nico, thank you for all that you have done for St George's and good luck with your future career.

Nicola McPhail

HR Assistant, 4 years at St George’s Nicola has worked part-time in HR since August 2018. Joining us from ESMS where she was their part-

time After Schools Club Administrator, Olivia recalls during the recruitment process Nicola advising she was looking for 'greater variety and a heavier workload’. I think we can safely say that Nicola got exactly what she had hoped for at St George's, possibly too much at times. Working part-time and initially squirrelled away in a side office upstairs in Lansdowne House and then most recently backstage in Upper School, not everyone may have been as fortunate as her immediate colleague to get to know Nicola through her sense of humour, available ear to listen, a fascination with the weather, and a love of animals, music and family - although those of you who joined us in the last couple of years will have no doubt had an email exchange at the point of applying for your job, and a friendly word/setting you at ease on your interview day as Nicola was front and central at being everywhere at once on those days, no mean feat when plate spinning the organising of panels, tours and lesson observations where necessary, as well as switching all of this to being on-line over lockdown whilst balancing her own home-life and homeschooling of her two girls. Nicola's behind the scenes presence and willingness to throw herself into the heavy workload, often working beyond her scheduled finishing time to the detriment of time with her family, has been really appreciated and greatly valued by Olivia and our recruiting managers. Nicola leaves us to join the SSPCA, Scotland's animal welfare charity, as Board Secretary and Administrative Assistant, thereby combining two of her passions - animals and family with this working-from-home position. We wish her every success in this new venture.

Jeremy Harper

Business Director, 3 years at St George’s Jeremy joined us in 2019 from Edinburgh Academy, and, as the school’s first Business Director, I think it is not an exaggeration to say that he has had a transformative impact on the way in which we operate at St George’s. I think we have all appreciated the transparency and clarity with which he has presented the operations of the school as a business to us, his approachability, visibility and wide-ranging interests in all aspects of school life. Jeremy was in his second term here when Covid struck and I simply do not know how we would have fared without him. The Houldsworth team will remember Jeremy helping to fix fire alarms in the House late into an evening. A keen walker and lover of the outdoors, he

volunteered to accompany students in the Pentlands during the summer term when we were short of staff. Able to move comfortably between operational and strategic thinking, Andrew, Olivia, and latterly Jill and I have very much enjoyed wide-ranging discussions in our many meetings over the last two years. Far from the traditional image of the penny-pinching Bursar, Jeremy is prudent of course, as we would hope, but his first instinct has always been to try to make things happen for the school if he possibly can. A man of immensely generous spirit and humanity, Jeremy has brought so much more than financial wisdom to St George’s. Jeremy leaves us to become the Finance Director of the National Museums Scotland, which sounds like a tremendous role and one in which we know he will excel. Jeremy, we will miss you greatly, but we wish you every success and happiness in this next stage of your career.

Martin Crawford

Teach of English, 3 years at St George’s Compassionate, loyal, creative: these are just some of the words that we would use to describe Martin Crawford. Martin has been working with us in English over the past few years, initially here and there as a cover for colleagues, but for the last few years as an integral member of our department. Martin is a colleague who is always willing to talk - but more importantly, is willing to listen. We all remember the meaningful conversations we have had, and how his supportive, calming presence has helped steady us in trying times. It is not only us as colleagues, but the students who have been affected by him. Martin is passionate about art, poetry and literature, and he shares that passion with his classes with an emotional sincerity that never fails to resonate. His high expectations and supportive demeanour make him adept at drawing the very best out of his students; under his guidance, their creativity soars. Martin is leaving St George's to move to Madrid where he will explore the new role as a teacher of art, and we will miss him enormously. We will miss never quite knowing what amazing life-story we will find out next: previous forays into a medical degree, careers as an English teacher in Edinburgh and Hong Kong, completing his art degree, his award-winning art exhibitions - and even building bikes. He is a man of many guises, of many interests, and of many wonderful qualities. We wish you, Kirsty - and Pepper - the very best of luck, and we promise to try not to be too jealous when

thinking of you soaking up the Spanish sunshine. Thank you for your support, your understanding, and your boundless enthusiasm. Please stay in touch and enjoy your next adventure.

Scott Robertson

Janitor, 1 year at St George’s Scott has been a reliable and useful member of the team, always ready with a smile and helping hand and has been a great help managing Saturday hockey parking and looking after the growing number of weekend events at St George’s. Scott will be missed from St George's and will be an asset to Clifton Hall School. We wish you all the best going forward Scott.

Jane Jones

Teacher of English, 1 year at St George’s Jane joined the English department at the perfect time: January 2021, straight into a national lockdown! She hadn't met the department. She hadn't met any of her students... but undaunted by these challenges, she immediately got stuck in. Through her little box on a Teams call, she radiated a warmth and generosity of spirit that helped us all through those long winter months and when we were all finally able to be together in person, we realised that what we had only just been given a glimpse of her kindness, humour and fabulousness. As a teacher, Jane is dedicated to educating young people about pertinent issues in society, encouraging them to think independently, follow their creative talents and strive to break barriers. Her vast capacity of empathy and her enthusiasm means her classes adore her; it also enabled her to forge strong relationship with them even when all she was staring at were circles on a computer screen. She has designed schemes of lessons that challenge and focus on emotional intelligence, and her classes are really going to miss her.

But it is as a colleague that Jane has made the biggest impact and will leave the biggest legacy - and that is not just the office pastries for Friday breaktimes. She is a pillar of style and manners, and an appreciator of all things fabulous.

She is a theatre and film buff and always has things to recommend. Her glamour is legend and we all wish we could be like Jane when we grow up. She has a wonderful capacity for sensitivity, willing to listen and support anyone with an inclusive and non-judgmental outlook, never missing an opportunity to ask about things that matter to others.

A devoted mum to three wonderful boys, Jane is also a widely published professional writer and leaves us to focus on that. We have even been privileged to meet her alter-ego, Princess Poppy, when she came in in full costume to do a reading with the Junior school, and we know that many exciting opportunities lie ahead.

Jane, we will miss your wonderful stories about trips to the White House and London publishing parties with various celebrities. We will miss the colour and the joy you bring every time you arrive in the office, and the department will (quite literally) be a duller place without you.

Mariam Khalik

Support for Learning, 1 year at St George’s Mariam joined St George's just as the second lockdown commenced and immediately built a rapport with her students online - not a start in a new school that anyone would have wanted to experience. In her time here, Mariam has shown her professional dedication and commitment; she knows her P4 and P5 students well and is able to work with their teachers to ensure we are offering the best possible support. In her work with Joanne they have embraced new support systems with the introduction of Nessy and this is where Mariam's dedication to support for learning comes to the fore - she has trained as an access arrangement assessor and is in the final stages of her Masters, which she will complete work on while in quarantine on arrival in Hong Kong in June. Kellett School in Hong Kong are gaining an Additional Support Co-ordinator who embraces the role of support for learning for the whole school community and we hope that the move goes well and brings your family closer together following the impact that has been wrought by Covid.

Lauren Walker

Teacher of History and Modern Studies

Lauren swept into the Department after an extensive career in international schools, latterly in Sweden, and, although in a temporary post, has shown boundless energy and enthusiasm. Her refreshing no-nonsense, straight-talking approach has inspired all of us to question more - and even to examine how metacognitive principles were embedded into the Swedish education reforms in 2011. Her European perspective has also enabled her to deploy a wealth of relevant examples when discussing contemporary political and social issues in Modern Studies.

Pam Oates

Teacher of Economics

In the years she has been working at St George’s Pam has turned her hand to delivering lessons in Graphic Communication, ICT, Modern Studies, History, Economics and, latterly, Business Management.The experience and wisdom that comes with her many years of experience as a Principal Teacher at Preston Lodge High School also shone through - I have a memory of her handling the situation with aplomb when the WiFi failed whilst one of our trickier Upper 4 classes was embarking on an extended online taskand won her the respect of our students.

Iain Smith

Teacher of Mathematics

Iain has been part of the Maths Faculty for almost two years. He says they have been the best two years of his work life, which is extremely flattering for us! His colleagues describe him as being ‘without a doubt the most creative Maths teacher I have ever known’. His treasure hunts and the Times Table Rock Stars are great examples of his level of creativity. For the latter, he was dressed up as an old rocker and jumped around the room with a fake guitar! Iain is a thoroughly committed and dedicated teacher, who tries and does his utmost best to make sure that every student achieves their potential and has an enjoyable learning experience at the same time. As a colleague, he is incredibly kind and generous, always available to help, discuss best practice, share resources, give his time to organise events. We wish him best of luck and thank him for all that he has contributed to the Faculty and to the School in the last two years.

Megan Monczko

Early Years Practitioner

The Nursery and Junior School were delighted to welcome Megan Monczko to our team in January 2021. Megan is a primary teacher from Australia who has specialised in early years’ education. Prior to her time in St George’s, Megan has gained much experience from working in schools and early education and childcare settings in both Australia and Canada. Megan joined us at the beginning of a period of national lockdown at the start of this year and we were grateful to her for the resilience and adaptability that she showed us during this time. Always helpful, happy and upbeat Megan has been an excellent team player and we were grateful to her for the insight and

energy she applied to each task. It is fair to say that although Megan has been with us at St George’s for a short amount of time, she has made a positive impact on many children in both Nursery and Junior School. Her time in Scotland may have been different to what she originally planned as she embarked on her global travels but we hope that she will take happy memories from her time here with us.

Alice King

Graduate Boarding Assistant

Alice joined St George's as a Graduate Boarding Assistant in October 2020 from Aldro School in Surrey where she worked as a Matron. Alice’s chirpy, chatty, creative, and energetic nature was an instant hit with the boarders in Houldsworth helping her to settle in quickly to an already established house. She has become a positive presence that the girls will certainly miss. When we were facing a period of lockdown in early 2021, Alice adapted well to a completely new role and took ownership of the supervision of the girls in the Key Worker Hub. The girls were at the heart of her

thinking; she always ensured they had what they needed, were tuned into lessons on time, took interest in their work and was a motivation for them through this approach. Alice is an excellent communicator. Creative, willing, and cheerful, she is curious and clearly cares deeply about the individual girls in her charge. During a period of staff shortage due to selfisolation, together with pupil isolation and a positive COVID case, Alice was positive, efficient, and calm, unaffectedly taking the lead throughout the day. Despite the added pressures, she also managed to organise a House quiz and host it with great aplomb, making it accessible and entertaining for all.

In Houldsworth, Alice has been able to draw on her own experience of boarding as a child, enabling her to stand in the girls’ shoes and reflect on what makes a comfortable, happy home for all. The Houldsworth team would like to thank her for the energy and enthusiasm she brought in what was an extraordinary, challenging, and changeable year. Alice leaves us to join Wycombe Abbey as Graduate Resident Tutor. We wish her every success.

VALETE 2022

Platinum Badge: awarded to girls who joined us in Nursery and completed their school career at St George’s School for Girls.

Gold Badge: awarded to girls who began and completed their school career at St George’s School for Girls or who have boarded since Remove.

UPPER 6P

Fleur Aitken 2007 - 2022

Platinum Badge

Edinburgh Napier University - Animal & Conservation Biology

Laura Bremner 2008 - 2022

Gold Badge The University of Edinburgh - Veterinary Medicine

Zoë Fleming 2007 - 2022

Platinum Badge Durham University – Anthropology Hanan Hafizal 2015 – 2022

University of Dundee - Law (Scots and English)

Anastasia Mackay 2015 – 2022

University of Glasgow - Sociology (SocSci)

Katie Monk 2012 – 2022

University of St Andrews – Ecology & Conservation

Abby Steedman 2007 – 2022

Platinum Badge Newcastle University – Marketing & Management

Maithili Vijayakumar 2007 – 2022

Platinum Badge University of Aberdeen – Medicine

UPPER 6Q

Laylaa Akhtar 2015 – 2022

University of Aberdeen – Law Anna Edward 2014 – 2022

Edinburgh Napier University – Applied Microbiology

Amishaa Ganesa Murthi 2017- 2022

Edinburgh Napier University - Digital Media and Interaction Design

Erin Heffernan 2020 – 2022

Lancaster University – Marketing Kathryn Lao-Sharp 2015 – 2022

University of Strathclyde – Hospitality and Tourism Management Rachel Mackenzie 2014 – 2022

University of Manchester – Social Anthropology & Sociology

Aleeza Shafiq 2016 – 2022

University of Aberdeen - Politics and International Relations

Yuxuan (Amy) Shao 2019 – 2022

JCA London Fashion Academy –Fashion: Design Branding & Entrepreneurship

Lucy Stewart 2007 - 2022

Platinum Badge The University of Edinburgh – History Srihitha Vishnumolakala 2016 – 2022

Gap Year

UPPER 6R

Jannah Ali 2016 – 2022

University of Aberdeen – History Emma Burns 2011 – 2022

University of Aberdeen – Criminology & Society

Eilidh Chandler 2017 – 2022

University of Glasgow – Geography

Victoria Cranston 2020 – 2022

University of Stirling – Paramedic Science

Marcia Gardiner 2008 – 2022

Platinum Badge Manchester Metropolitan University –Textiles in Practice

Esme Hiram 2016 – 2022

SRUC Scotland's Rural College - Equine Studies

Alice Mahoney-Muir 2017 – 2022

University of Glasgow – Classics/English Literature

Adionne Munyuni 2015 – 2022

University of Aberdeen – Law Georgia Stove 2015 – 2022

Edinburgh Napier University –Criminology

Lauren Watt 2017 – 2022

Edinburgh Napier University –International Business Management

UPPER 6S

Maryam Ali 2016 – 2022

The University of Edinburgh – Medical Sciences

Louisa Geddes 2014 – 2022

Newcastle University – Politics and Economics

Sive Lawrie 2013 – 2022

London School of Economics and Political Science - Geography Amelie Masters 2015 – 2022 Gap Year Foundation Course - Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, London University of Edinburgh – Music Lucy Mutch 2017 – 2022

Newcastle University - Law Aaliyah Price 2020- 2022

University of Aberdeen – Psychology Katie Shaw 2013 – 2022

Gap Year - travelling Emma Swankie 2015 – 2022

Robert Gordon University – Dietetics Xinyu (Jenny) Zhang 2017 – 2022 University of the Arts London – Public Relations

UPPER 6X

Hana Berisha

2021 – 2022 University of GlasgowEnglish Literature

Thalia Chynoweth-Smith Platinum Badge 2008 –2022

University of York – English Fionnuala Heffernan 2020 – 2022 Gap Year Isla Irving 2015 – 2022

Oxford Brookes UniversityCommunication, Media and Culture Honeybee Jardine

Platinum Badge 2007 – 2022

Northumbria University – Fashion Georgia Leighton 2017 – 2022

Edinburgh Napier University –International Tourism and Airline Management Millie McCallum 2015 – 2022

University of St Andrews – Geography Grace Nicolson 2010 – 2022

King’s College London, University of London – European Studies Perdi Short 2014 – 2022

University of Bristol – Sociology with Study Abroad Audrey Simpson-Yeoman 2016 – 2018 2021 – 2022

University of Exeter – Law with European Study

Sophie Taylor 2007 - 2022

Platinum Badge University of Aberdeen – Law with English Law

UPPER 6Y

Emma Cook 2020 – 2022

University of Glasgow –Psychology/Social & Public Policy Poppy Gray 2010 – 2022

Manchester Metropolitan University –Fashion Business and Management Emma McCracken 2019 – 2022

University of Glasgow – Scots Law with French Language Ciara Moore 2006 – 2022 Platinum Badge University of Glasgow – International Relations

Abbey Reid 2016 – 2022

University of St Andrews – Mathematics Urja Singh 2016 – 2022

University of Glasgow – Business and Management (SocSci) Portia Skipworth 2009 – 2022

Gold Badge Durham University – Anthropology and Archaeology

UPPER 6Z

Katie Binsted 2016 – 2022 Gap Year - train and coach sport Applying to University in 2023

Tilly Braun 2020 – 2022

University of Glasgow – Business and Management Alexis Gentleman 2020 – 2022 University of Glasgow – Politics (SocSci)

Flora Henderson 2007 – 2022

Platinum Badge Rose Bruford College - Foundation Course in Acting Melisa Karagol 2013 – 2022

Heriot Watt University – Modern Languages for Business Management Rebecca Miller 2017 – 2022

York St John University – Physiotherapy

Lily Richardson Baines

2016 – 2022 University of GlasgowBiochemistry Ruby Veitch 2011 – 2022

Newcastle University – Politics and Sociology

STUDENT LEADERSHIP TEAM

Julia Fulton 2020 – 2022

Head of Boarding University of Leeds – Criminal Justice and Criminology

Grace Griffith 2011 – 2022 Senior Prefect University of St Andrews –Management Amy Urmson 2020-2022

Deputy Head of School University of Dundee – Medicine Anya Gray 2009 – 2022 Gold Badge Head of School University College London – Philosophy, Politics and Economics

It’s a win win win win situation

Want a multi award-winning team on your side?

Just as St George’s School aims for academic excellence, we strive for legal distinction. And our recent list of awards would suggest we’re achieving this. We’re one of Scotland’s most prominent full-service law firms and we offer specialist legal, property and financial services. But enough about us. We’re here to focus on you and your goals and to help you reach them. We do this by teaming partners with accredited specialists and award-winning individuals. It’s a different approach. And it’s proved a winning combination. Different people. Different approach. Different results. For more information about how we can help you call 0131 516 5354

Garscube Terrace, Murrayfield, Edinburgh EH12 6BG Day and boarding school for girls, 3 - 18 years Boys extending up to the end of P3 by 2024

T 0131 311 8000 E admissions@stge.org.uk

OSCR Charity No: SC012632 Help with fees available stge.org.uk