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Visits & Exchanges
Visits and Exchanges
Geography Field Trip to Arran
On 16th June, all the Lower Sixth geographers set off on a sixhour coach journey to the Isle of Arran. We would be staying the week at the Lochranza Field Study Centre where we would collect our data for our individual coursework.
Before even leaving school we encountered a critter in need. A squirrel was trapped in a drain between CPS and The Avenue, luckily the helpless creature was saved when the maintenance team and a couple of our students came to the rescue. Thankfully the journey itself ran smoothly and to the excitement of everybody, we were greeted with surprisingly pleasant weather when arriving on the island. And the blessing of sun continued for the duration of our visit to Arran.
On the first evening at the field center we were introduced to the campus manager Stuart as well as some ‘unique’ food and rainwater which was soon substituted for (better flavoured) juice! The main common room of the center soon became an STP hub, filled with constant cries of “TURN IT UP” and “BAZZAA” throughout all the episodes of Love Island which brought all 35 of us together at 9pm every night. Watching the world cup group stage matches was also another good opportunity for the fellas to take their minds off all the geography, especially as we witnessed England grabbing a late winner against Tunisia.
Throughout the week we enjoyed a mixture of days dedicated to both human and physical geography. These were sometimes led by our favourite member of the field center staff: Douglas, who managed to hook us up with some high quality gear needed to carry out our investigations. The island’s midges were also a recurring nuisance, forcing us to wear midge nets at points where the irritation became unbearable.
On the human geography days, we “metamorphosed” (Stuart buzzword) into the irritants as it was our turn to ask the public a series of questions as part of our questionnaires. As imagined, these were not always well received, especially when 10 students try and fight their way to an elderly couple who have already refused the questionnaire five times before. On the physical geography days it was slightly more ‘hands on’, as we participated in measuring beach pebbles, infiltration rates, soil moisture… etc. These days were usually followed up by a couple of hours of classwork at night which didn’t go down too well, however it was good to look forward to some well deserved free time after a long day out.
We would all like to thank our teachers, Mr Bowden, Miss Ullstein and Mrs Tooby-Smith for making this trip possible as it was a brilliant opportunity. This was also Miss Ullstein’s last trip to Arran with St Peter’s as she leaves the school this year to pursue her career elsewhere, so we all wish her the best of luck!
Art Trip To Paris
FRIDAY 9 FEBRUARY – SUNDAY 11 FEBRUARY (First weekend of February half-term)
Over the course of the year we ran a number of art trips which took us the length and breadth of the country, including the Lower Sixth Form drawing weekend to Boggle Hole near Whitby, a day trip to London Galleries with the Fourth Form and a Lower Sixth Form visit to the Hepworth Gallery in Wakefield. The highlight of the year, however, was the Upper Sixth Form Art trip to Paris during the February half term.
Travelling by train to London and Eurostar to Paris, our small group of Upper Sixth Form artists, accompanied by Mr Hall and Mrs Chisholm arrived in Paris on the evening of Friday 9 February and as the sun was sinking over a frozen city we left our bags at our hotel (in the shadow of the Bastille), and walked through le Marais (or hopped in the case of Lucy Dabbs!) to the Pompidou Centre for our first dose of culture. Designed by Richard Rogers and built in the early 1970s, it is a strange building which seems a little incongruous in this elegant city.
However the students were bowled over by its modernist interior, and stunning collection of modern art, some of which we knew well from the history books, but most of which was new to the students. A vast collection there was something for everyone to gain inspiration from. After an evening meal in an authentic local bistro the students walked back to the hotel and fell, exhausted, into bed.
The next two days were a whirlwind of artistic and gastronomic treats, which gave students and staff alike a blast of what this amazing city can offer. An early morning visit to Sainte Chapelle to see (or rather witness) the extraordinary sight of the 13th century windows soaring above this elegant space, followed by a (rather treacherous!) walk along frozen pavements on the left bank of the Seine to the Musée d’Orsay. This converted railway station overlooks the river and houses the most comprehensive collection of impressionist and post-impressionist art in the world. Lunch in the local arrondisement was followed by a visit to the Musée Rodin just round the corner, where the students encountered a feast of Rodin sculptures including famous pieces like The Kiss and The Thinker and numerous drawings and maquettes, all housed in the elegant Hotel Biron which was Rodin’s studio at the beginning of the 20th century.
On the other side of the river from Musee d’Orsay one comes across l’Orangerie which contains the extraordinary ‘panoramic’ water-lily paintings by Monet. Most of the students knew Monet’s work second-hand from books and cards (and placemats!), but nothing can really prepare you for the experience of these paintings in the flesh. The term ‘installation’ is used commonly now to describe work by artists where they interact and alter a space with a piece of work, a modern concept perhaps but applied many years ago by revolutionary artists like Monet.
After another slap-up meal in a lovely restaurant behind Notre Dame Cathedral, the students were quite relieved to get back to the hotel and everyone was in bed by 10pm!
The next morning after a leisurely breakfast we walked to the Musée Picasso, a mere 10 minutes from the hotel for another taste of genius. Paris does museums and galleries like no other city, and this was no exception. This extraordinary 17th century villa has been beautifully renovated over the past five years to tastefully combine old and new architecture, and as such is the perfect venue to house the revolution that was Picasso’s art. After the whirlwind that was the Saturday, the Picasso museum was the last of our visits and we reluctantly picked up our bags and returned to the Gare de Nord to start our journey home. Both students and teachers alike were exhausted but exhilarated, and freshly inspired for the last few months of the Art A Level Course. This trip is to be repeated together with the History of Art students in February 2019.
Italy Music Tour 2018
On Monday 23 July, a group of sleepy students and staff arrived at 7am ready for departure. After a long coach journey and a delay on our flight, we arrived into an extremely hot Venice Treviso airport. There we were introduced to our brilliant tour guide Susanna and our coach driver Luca. We travelled to our hotel in Cittadella and had a dinner of pizza (lots of it!). On the Tuesday we visited Verona, seeing sights such as the Casa di Guilietta and the Roman Arena. That evening we performed at the beautiful Duomo di San Lorenzo in Abano Terme, with highlights being Schubert’s Kyrie and Gloria, featuring solos from Harriet and Ben, and pieces such as Exultate Justi by Viadana. The next day we went to Venice, travelling on a rather bumpy vaporetto and had time to explore the city. That evening we had the honour of participating in a Mass in St Mark’s Basilica, singing four motets with a highlight being Palestrina’s Sicut Cervus.
Thursday was more relaxed, with free time to explore Cittadella, before a long journey to Caorle to sing in the Chiesa San Giovanni XIII in Porto Santa Margharita. Highlights of this concert included the Wind Band playing their Overture from Rosamunde by Schubert, Rosie singing a beautiful solo by Mozart, and the Chapel Choir singing The Three Kings by Cornelius with a solo from Jack. At the end, we had a surprise standing ovation from the very enthusiastic audience. Friday was a day to look forward to, with a visit to a local waterpark and our final concert in Marostica. This was a wonderful concert, with some excellent solo singing from Izzy and Dan, and lighter repertoire mixed in, such as folksongs from the Chamber Choir and Tour Choir. The Brass Ensemble, who featured in all the concerts, finished their tour with a sparkling rendition of the Trumpet Voluntary by Clarke. To finish our tour, the whole choir came together for an impromptu encore of Stanford’s Jubilate in C, which we sung with great energy, and this provided an exciting and emotional farewell for all the U6th.
We would like to thank all the staff — Mr Spencer, Mr Grant (especially for his help with the Brass Ensemble), Miss Ullstein, Mrs Lawrence, Mrs M-K (who looked after us as usual), Mr Hall, Dr Harrison, Mr Wright, Mr and Mrs Edwards and of course Mr M-K for a wonderful tour.
Felicity Edwards (U6th)
World Challenge expedition to Swaziland
World Challenge provides school expeditions and amazing experiences to students across the world. On 26 March our team from St Peter’s started out on their expedition to the kingdom of Swaziland, the last absolute monarchy of Africa. Arriving into Johannesburg we were picked up from the airport by our guides from ‘All Out Africa’, for our drive east to Swaziland.
The first part of our trip took us to Ndinda, a neighbourhood care point which supports the local community, caring for their own orphans and vulnerable children. Ndinda has 35 OVCs (orphaned and vulnerable children) who are supported by the care point, aged between three and seven years old.
Our team were asked to help complete the building of a classroom with the help of a local builder. We spent three days getting our hands dirty, preparing the inside of the building for a concrete floor and plastering the walls outside. Ndinda NCP is a place where children can come together and access various services; receive care and support, a meal for the day and some form of education. In addition to helping with the building work, our students also spent time with the children, drawing and playing games.
It is significant that the group all agreed that the time spent helping this community was the highlight of their trip, given the incredible experiences that would follow.
The language, daily routine, activities, facilities and cultural sensitivities were all completely new and different to what we were used to, and Ndinda certainly gave us plenty to think about. Cultural exchange works both ways and, although we were guests for only a short time at Ndinda, we were able to share a little of ourselves with the children and our hosts.
After our stay in Ndinda we travelled to the Malolotja Nature Reserve in the north-western corner of Swaziland. It’s one of the most impressive areas of protected wildlife in Southern Africa and is managed by the Swaziland National Trust Commission on behalf of the Swazi King. On arrival we set up camp, and spent the first night near the park HQ. The following morning we set off on our trek into the Reserve, down the valley to a wild camp on the banks of the Malolotja River. The camps were basic and had no facilities, but provided us with some stunning scenery, and an experience a world away from our normal everyday lives.
Our last campsite was located in a beautiful setting at the bottom of the gorge, close to some small waterfalls known as the “Lower Potholes”. We set up camp, and then had a swim in the potholes, before gathering around the camp fire for our supper, and some local songs from our guides.
After our trek we made our way to Hlane Royal National Park, Swaziland’s largest protected area, and home to some of Africa’s big game, including: rhinos, lions, elephants and antelope. We camped at Ndlovu Camp and enjoyed a few days relaxing and taking part in a couple of safari drives.
Our two weeks in Swaziland was an amazing and empowering trip for our students. They stepped outside their comfort zones, embraced the whole experience, and in some small way will have come back forever changed. Some of the team were interviewed after the trip, and I would encourage you to read their story on the St Peter’s School website.
Over 83 per cent of students nationally raise the expedition fee themselves, and those who went to Swaziland from St Peter’s worked extremely hard in the time leading up to the expedition, raising their own money. Earning your expedition fee will force you to create networks, articulate your case, be bold and ask for help, and demand a commitment from you. When our team were sat watching the sunset at Hlane, somewhere deep down, they will have been very proud that they got themselves there.
The Swaziland Team – Issy Brown, Owen Pudsey, Rosie McLeish, Alex Johnston, Maddy Bennison, Freddie Cowman-Sharpe, Will Morrison, Ewan Henworth, Josefien Heijbroek, Vanessa Johnson (World Challenge Leader) and Jon Whitehouse (St Peter’s staff).
Ski Trip 2018, Bormio, Italy
Bella Italia! There could be few more beautiful places to ski, and to stay, than the Alta Valtellina and Bormio. While it was certainly a long way there and back by coach, blue skies, excellent snow and cold temperatures ensured this was an excellent ski trip. This year 43 students joined the fun and appreciated all that this part of Italy had to offer.
Our instructors from the local ski school were certainly good fun and knew how to make the time on the slopes enjoyable for all. The beginners group made excellent progress and it was a real delight to see just how competent they had all become by the end of the week. All other groups managed to combine fun and learning too with the top groups in particular having a real blast on the slopes Bormio had to offer.
One of the advantages of having the coach was the ability to travel to nearby resorts included on the ski pass which we did on two afternoons. Isolaccia was a place nobody would otherwise have seen. While notable in one respect for its draglifts and slow chairs, I’m not sure whether all appreciated the fact that they had fresh powder to play in and the slopes all to themselves in the busiest
European ski week of the season. I thought it was awesome! Santa Caterina was great fun too, not least in the ski routes through the trees which only the instructors knew about.
Bormio was our main base and at the 3,300m top lift it was bitterly cold (-15 to -17 most mornings) right up to the last day. This kept the snow fresh, the skiing safe and ensured it was a doctor free trip! The group, a large number of whom were in the Upper Sixth Form, behaved impeccably throughout and it was a pleasure to spend time in their company on and off the slopes. Next year we head to Austria!