Salvete

Gareth was keen to offer classes to students wishing to prepare for the Chemistry Olympiad and the Cambridge L6 Challenge. One student he tutored was placed in the top 4% in the UK.

Gareth had a keen interest in IT and has and he significantly enhanced the department's site on i-Fawkes. His own pages contained well over 200 files of videos, animations and explanations of various chemical theories.

His self-declared legacy to the department was to leave us with all of our videos converted to video files and catalogued in our own teaching department area.

I would say that more importantly he left us with students who shared his love of the subject and who have a better understanding as a result of his unlimited teaching time.

Gareth was a tutor in Linton House where he made a tremendous contribution to pastoral care from the moment he arrived in the House. He maintained a tight ship when on duty, but the boys found him very approachable due to his good sense of humour and he could often be found late at night discussing rugby strategy!

Gareth coached the U15 rugby team for two years. He had a no-nonsense, hardworking philosophy to coaching and expected the highest standards of commitment towards training and playing.

In his first year his team reached the last 32 in the Daily Mail Cup, narrowly losing to St Ambrose. In his second year he organised a successful tour to Oxford and his team only lost three matches in the season. The team again reached the last 32 in the Daily Mail Cup, this time losing to the eventual winners of the competition.

Sadly Gareth's family didn't settle to life in York and he left St Peter's at the end of the 2011 Christmas term to teach back at Abingdon School. With his family living in Leamington Spa Gareth was hoping that he would soon find a position in a school much nearer to home so that he could live with his family from Monday to Friday. Fortunately Gareth has found such a post and he is now Head of Chemistry at Warwick School.

P. Northfield

Charlotte Cranfield

Charlotte arrived at St Peter's in January 2008. She was a very valued member of our team of secretaries and receptionists.

In addition to her responsibilities as a receptionist Charlotte was keen to be involved in many other areas of school life. To this end she instigated and ran the Tuesday lunchtime prayer group, set up the Box Office organising tickets for Physics Lectures and other events at the school, joined the Choral Society and took part in Verdi's Requiem and the Messiah and acted in the School Panto in which she played a fabulous cat.

Whilst not at school Charlotte could be found in her garden which she loved.

Charlotte left the school to take up a new challenge and is now working in The Human Resources Department of York Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust as an Events Administrator

In short Charlotte was always willing to join in, was great fun and will be missed.

Lucy Carter

Erica Town

Erica joined St Peter's as our Marketing Director in 2006 after a business and marketing career in the food business. She read languages at Reading University and worked for large organisations including Cadbury, Nestle and Young's Seafood. As a continuous learner by nature (Erica completed a General Certificate in Horticulture and an A-level in Spanish in her spare time), moving into education marketing seemed an obvious next step, but not doing a 120 mile round trip commute from York to Young's Seafood every day was also very appealing. Erica has always seen everything in life as a learning experience and she felt she learnt a great deal in her 5 years at the school, and not just about the vagaries of marketing an independent school. When asked to be more specific she said she learnt how important inspired leadership is, how 'full on' life in a boarding school is, what pastoral care really means, how dedicated staff are to the development of their pupils - Erica can now be heard defending teachers and school holidays vigorously at dinner parties! Her time at St Peter's inspired her to take her next learning step - into teaching - combining her love of travel and all things foreign with English language teaching. She is also indebted to the Physics department for their valiant efforts to help her understand the wonderful world of physics - she is still trying and regularly podcasts The Infinite Monkey Cage'. Erica was a pleasure and great fun to work with, never without her A4 folio in case she needed to scribble something down, always travelling or talking at full speed, and leading by example by cycling to school no matter what the weather. I am personally very envious of the progress she has made over the last 5 years into serious off-piste skiing and the time she now has to devote to it.

Caroline Powell (nee Shaw) Gavin Harper

Caroline joined St Peter's as secretary to the Bursar, Major Brian Jelbert in 1998. She could often be seen with a trail of young children in tow - they being her nieces and nephews who travelled to school from Malton with her every day. Caroline soon became a popular and respected member of the Bursary team and known for her diligence and attention to detail. She could always be relied upon to find transport at the last moment when lesser mortals were unable to do so. Caroline met her future husband Jeremy Powell who owns the Palace Cinema in Malton in 2008 and romance blossomed and culminated in their marriage in June this year. Unfortunately for us Caroline decided to leave the school to assist Jeremy in his work. Her super efficiency and helpful nature is missed in The Bursary. We wish both Caroline and Jeremy every happiness in their new life together.

Mrs Peggy Hobbs Gavin joined St Peter's School in August 2006 just in time for the start of the new academic year. He quickly settled in to the role of IT technician, bringing a fresh youthful personality and attitude to an ageing department! Once we all understood what he was saying, he became a valuable source of knowledge, wit, and entertainment with his humorous stories from jobs past. It's no secret that Gavin enjoyed working here and it was with a heavy heart that he handed in his resignation after finding employment (much) closer to home. Gavin was a popular figure among all departments within the school and although colleagues were very pleased for him and what it meant to his home life...all were sad to see him go!

Paul Hynard

Lisa Browne

Miss Lisa Browne joined the school in September 2011 as a member of the b u r g e o n i n g M a t h e m a t i c s department. She was no stranger to numbers having taught Maths for two years at Bullers Wood Girls' School in London and before that she was an Investment Banker and Trader in the City of London. The question I immediately wanted to ask was ... why on earth did you give up such a financially lucrative job? Her reply was equally immediate; "Because I'm not motivated by money."

Lisa was educated at Scarborough College before going on to Durham University where she gained a Master's Degree in Mathematics. Her East Yorkshire upbringing was one of the reasons why Lisa wanted to return to this part of the world.

Lisa is multi-talented and her interests include music and sport. I get the feeling that whatever Lisa does she does exceptionally well. She is a member of the York Symphony Orchestra in which she plays violin. Lisa is also a keen sportswoman. Whilst in London she played netball regularly and now helps with coaching at St Peter's. She runs regularly in 10K races and enjoys sport of all kinds. To date Lisa has become involved with school badminton, hockey, body toning as well of course as netball.

Whenever I see Lisa she always seems to have a smile on her face and this could be attributed in part to the fact that she is, she states, "really enjoying life at St Peter's." Lisa thanks everyone for the warm welcome she has received and for the support she has been given by the Maths Department especially "Captain Maths David Spencer" (her words not mine). Lisa has no desire to move on.

On behalf of the school I hope that Lisa will continue to find St Peter's to be an excellent place to be and wish her a long and successful career.

John Darmody

Lucy Carter

Mrs Carter is originally from Harden (near Bingley), where her last job was in a primary school before she moved to York last autumn to work in the St Peter's School office. She now lives in the 'chocolate-box' village of Wheldrake with her two daughters, Lottie and Lily.The move was motivated by the desire for a 'change of scenery' and the opportunity to live in a 'beautiful city'. Mrs

Carter was attracted to the ethos and friendliness of St Peter's, as well as its 'fantastic atmosphere'. She describes her favourite things about the School to be its traditions and the way in which the School helps the community. Mrs Carter also says that St Peter's is the nicest place she's ever worked. Outside of work, Mrs Carter likes to swim, run, cycle and spend time with her family and partner. In three words, she describes herself to be 'impulsive, sensitive and hardworking1 . When asked for her words of wisdom she said "Live well, Laugh lots, Love more" and always "Treat people as you would like to be treated". We would like to welcome Mrs Carter to St Peter's and wish her happiness in her time here.

Felicity Halstead LVI

Helen Coney

Miss Coney joined us this year as a new member of the Drama department. After studying Drama at Aberystwyth University, she later did her post S • graduate course in S Technical Theatre at 1 RADA.

Miss Coney has '. always wanted to teach *-j since her bad 1 experience of drama at -: %• school, she felt that i Drama should be taken * >* more seriously as a subject. She feels that Drama is not just about acting it involves; teamwork, building self-confidence and having a production you can be proud of! When asked to describe herself she chose "ambitious, determined and enjoys a challenge."

Miss Coney came to St Peter's due to the reputation, opportunities and being in one of the most beautiful cities. Since becoming a member of the school, her life has been taken over by drama in all three schools and loves it. Her first impressions of St Peter's was how friendly everyone was and the ease to settle into the school routine.

When asked about her hobbies outside of school she answered "I do a lot of reading, visiting places of interest, knitting, sewing and love to learn new skills." Her words of wisdom are to follow your dreams and don't give up - always go with your gut feeling and don't be afraid to stand out from the crowd. Miss Coney has three lifelong ambitions in the following order: travel around the world, teach in Africa and to open a Children's book store.

We wish her well in her time at St Peter's.

Alison Thornton LVI

Oliver Couttie

Oliver is a Yorkie through and through. Born and bred here he attended All Saints RC High School, York College and York St John's where he gained a BA Hons. degree.

Oliver's overriding passion is sport - any sport - Football, Athletics, Basket Ball, Cricket and Rugby League are a few ways in which he has tried to become exhausted. I'm exhausted just writing them down. One team sport above all however, is to Oliver almost a religion...Hockey!

It is no surprise that it was through Hockey that Oliver met Jonners and was introduced to the school. Oliver is to be with us for two years as part of the Graduate Teaching Programme. Apart from studying and sport Oliver has, whilst a student, had several jobs including working in Nestle's Chocolate Factory. He has also travelled to Australia where he worked his way around the continent doing jobs such as bar work and fruit picking. Scuba diving and Bungi jumping are amongst some of the extreme experiences that Oliver has had and it was whilst scuba diving off The Great Barrier Reef that he came face to face with a White Tip Shark - "not a man eater but scary enough" says Oliver.

Oliver has enjoyed his first few months at St Peter's and states that he is in awe of the opportunities available for pupils here as well as of the expectations of both staff and pupils. We have enjoyed having Oliver with us and hope that the experience continues to be enjoyable and rewarding.

J.Darmody

Michelle D'Vali

Despite her exotic surname Michelle is a Yorkshire lass. She was born in Ossett and has also resided in Bridlington, where she attended school, and Leeds, where she attended university studying first for a BSc and later a Doctorate in Astrophysics. Before further study for a PGCE, Michelle worked as a postdoctoral researcher at Leeds Uni and as the manager of The Yorkshire Planetarium at Harewood House. It is no surprise that

with so many stars in her portfolio she was snapped up to teach Physics at St Peter's.

Michelle is married to Simon and they have a three year old son named Neo. When not at school much of Michelle's time is spent being a wife and mum although she does have a number of other interests. Her favourite pastime is - you guessed it - astronomy and she is the proud owner of a large dobsonian telescope. Music is also an important part of Michelle's life and she describes her taste as eclectic. Not only does Michelle enjoy listening to music she plays both acoustic and electric guitar.

Things that not many people know about Michelle include the following...

1. She rollerbladed around a telescope on the summit of Mt. Hopkins in Arizona.

2. She lives on chocolate.

3. She is on first name terms with Charlie Bolden - Chief Administrator of NASA and an actual astronaut.

Highlights of Michelle's time at St Peter's include surprise surprise - the Star Gazing event as well as the Physics Olympics.

Unfortunately, Michelle's first year at St Peter's is also her last as she is leaving us to take up a position at The Grammar School at Leeds in September. However, Michelle makes it clear that she has fully enjoyed her year at St Peter's and describes the school as "a big family". She greatly appreciates the warm welcome afforded to her by the whole school community.

Her time here may have been short but I know that Michelle has become highly regarded by staff and pupils.

Our best wishes and appreciation of all she has achieved during her time here go to Michelle and her family.

(David Morris has written an appreciation of Michelle in the Valete)

John Darmody

Revd. Daniel Jones

The Reverend Jones arrived at St Peter's in September this year and he seems to have settled in well. He describes St Peter's to be "a genuinely friendly and welcoming place to be." He felt called to be a chaplain ever since the age of 19 and so read Divinity at The University of St Andrews. Revd. Jones enjoyed his time there before going on to teach Religious Studies at The King's School, Worcester. Following this Revd. Jones was ordained and took on the role of Chaplain here at St Peter's. He describes himself to be naturally quiet, shy and thoughtful. Speaking in front of the whole school is without doubt a hard task for anyone. When asked how he felt when speaking in Chapel, Revd. Jones stated that it was nerve racking as he has a responsibility over our time, yet it is safe to say that he successfully captures our attention with his thought-provoking sermons. Revd. Jones's favourite hymn is 'O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,' and when asked to create an 11th commandment he stated "to enjoy who you are and make the most of everything you are offered." We wish Revd. Jones and his family a long and happy stay at St Peter's.

Maddie Jackson LVI

Hannah Hamilton

Miss Hamilton was born and brought up in Shetland and attended the University of Dundee where she studied English. As a student she worked for a day wrapping broccoli in a supermarket, before having to leave due to an allergic reaction to the chemicals. Luckily, she has had more career success since, working as a journalist in local radio after leaving university and before joining the marketing and PR profession, in which she has worked for ten years. Now, Miss Hamilton joins St Peter's as the Marketing & Communications Director, with exciting plans for raising the profile of the School.

Before moving to York, Miss Hamilton worked in Scotland at the High School of Dundee. When researching new opportunities she came across the St Peter's website and was 'bowled over' by the quality of all aspects of the School. This was reiterated by visiting St Peter's, where she was impressed by the friendly atmosphere and diversity of opportunities on offer for students.

Miss Hamilton described herself to be 'energetic, positive and enthusiastic', qualities she certainly demonstrated by throwing herself into the busy world of St Peter's and taking the part of Alice Glam ('the one who can't sing') in the Staff Pantomime. In her free time she enjoys running, swimming, horse-riding and pilates.

When she was asked to offer us a few words of wisdom, Miss Hamilton told us that 'If something bothers you, do something about it'. We welcome her to St Peter's and wish her well during her time here.

Felicity Halstead and Phoebe Liu LVI

Dori Lopez

This is Mrs Lopez's second year as a Housemistress in Manor and her first year teaching Spanish at St Peter's. She is originally from Cordoba, Spain and studied English at the university there. Mrs Lopez has always wanted to be a teacher, although she was unsure as to which subject. When we asked if she had found it difficult to learn English she replied that even though it may be hard sometimes, the language is a pleasure to learn. Mrs Lopez describes herself as a 'sociable, honest and hard-working' person and says that her motto in life is 'You get out what you put in', a quality which she tries to instil in her students. She says that she doesn't find it strange being surrounded by teenage boys in Manor as she feels very maternal towards them, however she's unsure if they see her as a mother figure! In her free time Mrs Lopez enjoys jogging, aerobics, Zumba and reading (when she has time) and says that her dream holiday destination would be South America, as she feels a cultural bond with that part of the world. She says that as a teacher she has enjoyed being able to experience a different side of St Peter's this year, describing the school's atmosphere as very welcoming and the staff to be 'brilliant' and 'supportive'. We asked Mrs Lopez if she could give us any Manor secrets, so she told us about locking herself out of the house in her dressing gown in the middle of the night and having to knock on the assistant housemaster (Mr Ray's) window to get him to let her back in! We send Mrs Lopez our best wishes for her time at St Peter's and very much enjoyed speaking to her, even if Mr Gwilliam was 'incredibly rude' (his words, not ours) to us when we turned up at Manor.

Felicity Halstead/Maddie Jackson LVI

David Mackie

David joined us this year to work in our Marketing and Admissions Office.

He was born in Edinburgh and raised in East Lothian, which he states "is pretty, yet few seem to be aware of its existence". words) such as Bradford and Coventry.

Having lived in and enjoyed the wonderful city of Edinburgh myself I'm sure that David must miss the Scottish Capital. However, he is happy to be back in York and is enjoying his work in promoting St Peter's and gaining experience of how the press operate.

David has some very interesting interests and hobbies. He states "in my spare time I am, like so many others, a struggling writer and puppeteer. I'm also a committed environmentalist and sometimes walk for miles to recycle stuff".

We wish David the best of fortune in his new position and hope that his stay at St Peter's will be long and rewarding.

John Darmody

Lee Manning

When asked to have a shot at describing himself Mr Manning replied "highish, widish and not very handsome". Mr Manning arrived at St Peter's having taught at King William's School in the Isle Of Man, where he lived for ten years and very much enjoys the Manx way of life. Although he was born in the Midlands, the part of England furthest away from the sea, throughout his lifetime he has lived on various islands within the British Isles, including Jersey and Guernsey. Mr Manning describes his love for the sea as "somewhat childish".

His love of languages, began at the young age of 11, and was initially "down to his mum and dad" who funded a French exchange which then resulted in a close friendship with a French penfriend. By the stage of 3rd form, Mr. Manning had already spent holidays in France with his pen friend, improving his French profoundly, and amazingly, he has still remained in contact with this penfriend to this day.

After graduating from Cambridge Mr Manning felt that he wanted to pass on his linguistic skills to others, and give others a "crack of the whip". He also said that when studying a language, the beauty of it is that one can lead a "double-life experience":

another language allows us to reach a point in which we can communicate with a whole other group of people, which any linguist would agree is one of the most satisfying outcomes of their line of work. Following on from this, he gave us some "words of wisdom" in which he said "do unto others as you would have them do unto you".

We will try to live up to this starting by warmly welcoming Mr Manning to St Peter's.

Maddie Jackson / Phoebe Liu LVI

Jan Miles-Kingston

Mrs MilesKingston joined us as 3?.a member of the E c o n o m i c s Department at the start of the year. A former student of ~ Sheffield University, ?• she studied Law and ; Economics and 3 continued her studies ;. in London doing a > . Post-Graduate course where she later £ became a Barrister. Additionally, Mrs Miles-Kingston worked in Publishing in Oxford where she wrote numerous textbooks on Business, Law and Economics. Following a few tasters in teaching, she decided that the interaction and ability to aid students understanding was much more satisfying.

Mrs Miles-Kingston has been part of St Peter's for a long time due to her husband Mr Miles-Kingston being Director of Music. Her first impressions of St Peter's were how friendly and welcoming both students and staff were. She takes part in several school activities including judging the schools debating society and frequently helps with music events.

Outside of school Mrs Miles-Kingston enjoys attending book club, reading, debating, and watching films but mostly enjoys spending time with her two children.

When asked for any words of wisdom Mrs Miles-Kingston chose "Keep calm and carry on" as she feels that this applies to most aspects of life. Her life long ambition is to go Wing Walking as she has an undying passion for flying. We wish her all the best during her time here.

Alison Thornton LVI

Simon Mortimer

Mr Mortimer joined St Peter's this year as our new art teacher, following Mrs Huysamen's departure to South Africa. Prior to joining the school Mr Mortimer has led a rather exotic lifestyle, having taught art at The British Embassy School in Athens, whilst also spending many years in Spain as a freelance illustrator, along with spending time in Indonesia. Indeed, it was after teaching English Language abroad that Mr Mortimer decided to take up a career in teaching. However, he had not always longed to be a teacher. From an early age he had aspired to be a fireman. Mr Mortimer states that his love and passion for his subject comes from a love of making and creating art, whilst also viewing new and exciting ideas in galleries. Mr Mortimer says that one of his favourite artists is Tracy Emin, due to her work being both fun and full of character. Equally however, he sites both Wade Owen and Basquiat among his favourite artists, describing them as bold, bright and exciting. He was attracted to the school by its great history, along with being amazed by the facilities, and in particular the Art School. In his spare time, Mr Mortimer enjoys sports such as squash and running plus games such as cards and chess. When asked what his pet-hates were, Mr Mortimer stated: people who lack a sense of humour, people with no manners and those who take themselves too seriously. Finally, when asked what his main aim in life was, Mr Mortimer replied that in the grand scheme of things it was simply to be as happy as possible but he would also like to win The Turner Prize!! We wish Mr Mortimer all the very best at his time at St Peter's School, and hope that he has a fantastic time here!

Joseph Himsworth LVI

Graham Smith

Mr Smith joined the school this year at the start of the Easter term as a teacher in the chemistry d e p a r t m e n t . Previously however he had worked in a bank for a short while, before taking his PGCE, after which he moved to Easingwold School where he taught for several years. Mr. Smith was attracted to the school by both its academic reputation and its history, yet now that he's here he describes the school as being superb, with a very friendly and welcoming atmosphere. In addition to this, he is particularly impressed by the school's ability to accommodate and accept so many of its students in a wide variety of extra curricular activities and events, and as a result has taken up a number of the schools sporting activities. Indeed, Mr.

Smith's hobbies include a variety of sports: particularly rugby, which he has always enjoyed and even played at county level, often playing at Twickenham. He has also enjoyed coaching the sport here at the school. We hope that Mr Smith continues to enjoy his time here at St Peter's, and we wish him well for the future.

Joe Himsworth LVI

Heather Stanwix

Miss Stanwix joined St Peter's P.E. department in September 2011 in order to gain experience as part of her degree in Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Leeds. She says she has wanted to be a teacher for a long time and was partly attracted to St Peter's by the fact that they always used to beat her own school (Barnard Castle) and loves York itself. Being a teacher has been her ambition for a long time, and when we asked her to sum up the school in three words she replied 'Wow, three times' admitting she admired its impressive P.E department along with the fact that she finds the faculty "incredibly entertaining". After finishing her degree, Heather would like to visit Australia in order to fulfil her love of netball, gain some experience coaching and pursue her motto in life, 'YOLO' (having only recently found out what this abbreviation stands for!). Miss Stanwix is extremely outgoing, and loves socialising with her flatmates. She describes herself to be "fun and loving", and it goes without saying that she has settled in well, and has recovered from her embarrassing first night when she was locked out of the White House in only her bath robe! Thank you Miss Stanwix for your time here and we wish you the best for the future!

Maddie Jackson LVI

Tim Hitchens

Joining his fellow IT technicians this year, Mr Hitchens joined the school after relocating back to work in York, having worked previously in London for many years. Upon arriving at the school he described that he was immediately pleased, describing the people as nice and friendly, applauding the behaviour of the students, whilst describing the school as having a great atmosphere. When not working, Mr Hitchens is a fervent supporter of Leeds United Football Club, as well as having a general interest in computers along with anything to do with space. He describes his favourite film as being the Martin Scorcese's crime film The Departed. Whilst, if he were to acquire any job in the future, Mr Hitchens says that it would be that of a racing car driver. We wish him all the best for the rest of his time here at the school.

J.Himsworth LVI

Ben White

Mr White is originally from Newcastle (and unfortunately supports the black and whites - editor's note) and last taught at Bromsgrove in the West Midlands. He says that he was inspired to teach after taking a gap year in France where he taught English. When we asked if that means he speaks French, his answer was "Oui".

Whilst completing his PGCE at Manchester University Mr.White worked in the MEN Arena and told us about a p a r t i c u l a r l y memorable occasion when he had to sell merchandise to the Beckhams, who were attending an Eminem concert. Mr White can now add 'salesman' to his CV, as apparently they bought a lot. He was attracted to St Peter's mainly due to its location and its proximity to his wife's family, who live in York. He summed up his first reactions to the school, stating that in three words it was "friendly", "close-knit" and "fun"! When asked if he had any grand plans for the future at Peter's, Mr.White said that he wants as many people as possible to study Economics and Business as they are "relevant, real-life subjects". With regard to personal interests, Mr White is a "football-loving economist" and enjoys playing for "Struggle Street" (the teachers' five-a-side team). He did say that we should blame the name on Dr Thomson... As all teachers are wise, we thought we'd finish by asking for some words of wisdom, to which he replied, "Work hard, play hard". With that classic Peterite attitude we think that Mr White will fit in very well and wish him the best of luck!

Maddie Jackson and Felicity Halstead, LVI

Kate Whittaker

Dr Whittaker is originally from Birmingham, but grew up in Devon. She says that she doesn't really know why she wanted to be a teacher, but really couldn't imagine doing anything else. Before Dr Whittaker came to St Peter's she taught Drama and Theatre Studies at the Universities of Huddersfield and Salford. When asked what had attracted her to York she said that she had visited the city on numerous occasions and had "always loved its beauty and its history", so she "jumped at the chance to live and work here". Based on her first two terms at the School, Dr