HIGHLIGHTS Autumn Term 2013
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DRAMA
Dracula Following the success of the Gadesden Competition, Mr Grant Corr directed his first play at Blackheath High School for Years 11-13. It was an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula and was a terrifying but terrific night out.
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DRAMA
“This year’s production was a spectacularly spooky telling of one of the best known horror stories in the world, the tale of Count Dracula. The spine chilling ambience; the fog; the flicker of the candles; and the iconic silhouette of Dracula set the mood as we followed the story of John Harker (Bobbie Gillespie) as he is taken to the brink of death and reality when he meets the elusive and dangerous Count (Rosie Hough); and how Dracula is destroyed by what he desires, Mina (Alexandra Brilliant). I think that this was one of the best and most ambitious plays, ever produced and directed by our Drama department, and every performance was three dimensional and memorable. The whole cast and crew, worked tirelessly but also had so much fun. We were all extremely proud of the team’s achievements as actors, technicians and backstage managers. It really was a triumph that we shall savour for years.“ Elizabeth Isaac
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DRAMA
Gadesden Competition
N
ovember was a particularly dramatic month in the Junior School. All girls in Years 3 to 6 became playwrights who worked in House groups to write, rehearse and perform their own plays to compete in the Junior Gadesden Competition. The competition final took place on 29th November 2013 when four groups in each year, one representing each House, took to the stage in front of an audience and the judge, Mrs Tyrrell, Head of Performing Arts Faculty. Each performance was introduced by charming Year 6 comperes who also ensured the smooth running of the competition. The audience was clearly impressed by the girls’ performances. It was obvious that the actors had rehearsed extremely hard in preparation for the competition – and had also organised wonderful costumes and props. Every single girl performed with confidence and assurance. When all the plays had finished, Mrs Tyrrell spoke to each group about their performance, picking out her
favourite moments in each play and complimenting original ideas or clever techniques. Finally, she announced this year’s winners of the Gadesden Trophy: Mimaru Tanaka, Matilda Aldridge, Felicie Lehman and Tara Sharma-Vogelsang from Year 4, representing Morden House. Congratulations go to the winners and to all who took part to make the event so entertaining and successful! Similarly, just before October halfterm, the Senior School Gadesden Competition was held. We were delighted that former Blackheath High School Drama Teacher and now professional ‘stand up comedian’ Mark Jones, was able to spare the time to judge the entries from the four Houses from Years 7 -10. He was impressed, as we all were, with the high standard of performance and he found all the pieces entertaining and engaging, commenting that “it was a very difficult decision to pick the winners”. However, it was Mirali Patel and Laura Alonso de Oliveira (Y10 Paragon House) who were announced the overall winners, with their performance of ‘The Exam’.
Christmas Performances
T
he Nursery Nativity went extremely well with the girls telling the traditional nativity story through song. There was a particularly enthusiastic performance of “I’m a little angel, a perfect little angel”. Each class also performed a dance: the girls from NFT danced to ‘Tomorrow Shall be my Dancing Day’ by John Rutter; the girls
from NPM danced to Mike Oldfield’s ‘In Dulci Jubilo’; and the girls from NAM danced to the Ronettes ‘Sleigh Ride’. It was a delight for the parents and nursery staff to see the three and four years old confidently perform in front of a large audience of adults. The performance put everyone into the Christmas mood, so much so that Lucy Linacre (NFT) remarked, “Will Father Christmas come now?” Our Year 2 girls performed a wonderful Nativity play, entitled, ‘A Midwife Crisis’. The play retold the Christmas story through the eyes of a midwife and her two trusty sidekicks, donkeys ‘Steve’ and ‘Ron’. Wise Men, several rock ‘n roll Shepherds, as well as a chorus of Angels were all part of a show that oozed Christmas spirit
and mirth. The audience thoroughly enjoyed a night of song and dance, including beautiful singing from Year 1, who sang the Christmas favourites ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ and ‘Little Donkey’, as well as the Reception classes, who put on an unforgettable dance. The girls looked fabulous in their decorative costumes and their talent and confidence were clear for all to see.
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DEBATING & SENIOR PRIZE GIVING
Debating and Public Speaking
T
he quality of debating and public speaking at Blackheath High has long impressed me, as has the eagerness with which many of our girls embrace opportunities to develop this essential skill, be it in class presentations, Dragon’s Den style enterprise competitions or form assemblies. It is perhaps obvious to say but individual talent, in whatever field, could easily remain static without the ability to sell one’s vision, or indeed oneself, to the universities and employers that will facilitate future progression and opportunities. It is no surprise that Debating Society remains so popular at Seniors, run by Head of Humanities, Mr Gerrard, for girls in Years 7-9 and myself for those in Years 10-13. In preparation for national competitions, and simply for the pleasure of rational
argument, weekly meetings stage debates about current affairs in Oxford and ESU formats, moot trials, and opportunities for public speaking followed by a good grilling from other Society members. To date we have won the first round of all competitions entered, taking us through to the next round of the ESU Schools Mace, the regional final of the Institute of Ideas’ ‘Debating Matters’ Competition and the final of the GDST Crystall Public Speaking Prize with Elizabeth Isaac in Year 11’s fine performance. We eagerly await the first round of Oxford Schools and the ESU Public Speaking Competition, the latter of which we have twice been London Region runners up. We anticipate a particularly successful year in 2014. Mr Parsons, Assistant Headteacher
Senior Prize Giving
T
he annual School Prize Giving ceremony took place on Wednesday 18th December 2013 to celebrate the achievements of girls in Year 9 - 13 in the academic year 2012-13. We are always delighted to recognise the dedication and hard work of our students and this year we were fortunate to have the prizes presented by Dr. Elizabeth White, a documentary film maker for the BBC Natural History Unit in Bristol. Dr White has worked on series including Frozen Planet and the Great British Year and, as part of her speech, she presented slides from her travels in the Arctic and the Antarctic which included images of penguins, killer whales and Arctic ice whales – as well as a photograph of herself with Sir David Attenborough. It was a particularly interesting speech because her career seemed to happen almost by chance; she left school with no clear idea of what she wanted to do until she discovered scuba-diving at
university and we were all inspired by her achievements since then. Mrs Laws reported on the events in what was a very packed school year and Alexandra Brilliant and Sarah Oladele gave us a flavour of the range of sporting opportunities available to girls – from sailing and horse riding to hockey and tennis; whilst Sade Kalsi and Purva Sawhney talked about the efforts our girls had made on behalf of many charities. Zoe Fuller and Kirtana Medimi explained how the girls had enjoyed fantastic adventure and challenge opportunities, including trekking in India and an expedition to Borneo. One of the most enjoyable parts of the ceremony was welcoming back the girls who left last year and celebrating their achievements. Since we saw them last, most had completed their first term at university, with a few embarking on a gap year so there was plenty for them to tell us about. It was a lovely evening, with delightful musical interludes from ‘Vocalise’ as well as solo performances from Zoe Fuller on Clarinet and Dot MundtLeach on Recorder, and was finished off with mince pies and mulled wine in the Dining Room and a chance to chat to girls and their parents.
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HEAD GIRL TEAMS
HOOL C S R O I N SE
“In September, we finally entered Year 13 and settled into our new roles within the Head Girl Team. We began leaving our mark on the school by revamping the HGT Notice Board to show the rest of the school what we were doing. I have become used to reading out the notices every assembly and, as a result, have been speaking a lot to the younger girls and am enjoying getting to know them. We started holding weekly meetings, and are working with all pupils to help to enhance their school life. I enjoyed preparing my speech for the Open Mornings in the Autumn term as I was able to tell the visitors all about my experiences at Blackheath High School and how I’ve changed as a person from when I was in Year 6. The Young Leaders’ Conference in Bath was an excellent opportunity to meet girls from other GDST schools and identify ways in which we can improve as an effective team.” Alice Uggles, Head Girl
“As Summer came to an end and we returned to school, the five of us on the Head Girl Team couldn’t help but feel a sense of great anticipation for the year ahead. We certainly knew it was going to be another busy one. The most notable change over the summer was the fantastic refurbishment of our Sixth Form Centre. After overseeing the planning and preparation of this, we were delighted to see it become a reality.” Kirtana Medimi
“My first term on the Head Girl Team has been really fun, we have taken part in exciting events, and, undertaking our responsibilities within the school has been hard work, but thoroughly enjoyable. I have taken up the role of Eco Prefect, incorporating this responsibility into my role as Senior Prefect. The Eco Committee has been really productive in starting this academic year in the most sustainable ways. This year, our school is aiming to achieve the Green Flag Award, an award given to schools who work hard to create a sustainable, environmentally aware atmosphere. Therefore, I have been working alongside the Green Team and Eco Committee to come up with ideas to achieve this award. I am excited for what is to come for our school and what lies ahead within my role on the Head Girl Team.” Mia Ryder, Senior Prefect
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“I am really enjoying being part of the Head Girl Team and working to improve the school to make it even more enjoyable for everyone. Since September, we have held a Year 7 and a Year 8 disco, both jointly with Eltham College. These were a great success, really fun and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves. The girls have since asked for another one! We are hoping to organise at least two more, one for each year group. With the money raised going towards the Sixth Form Ball, it is beneficial for both sides. I love organising events and am finding this part of being on the team great! I hope the rest of the year will be as brilliant as it has been so far.” Sorcha Liston-Smith
HEAD GIRL TEAMS
“As a Year 13 student, September meant delving straight back into the world of UCAS (university application) and juggling this alongside the various duties to the school, which has been a real test of my organisational skills! However I have thoroughly enjoyed it. The Young Leaders’ Conference in Bath was a great event, enabling us to work with other like-minded young women from GDST schools across the country.” Nifemi Alonge, Deputy Head Girl
HOOL C S R O I JUN
“We are the Junior Head Girl Team: Dilmi, Hannah, Julia and Shona. Dilmi and Hannah are the Head Girls and Julia and Shona are the Deputy Head Girls. We aim to be good role models to the rest of the school and help anyone who might need it. Through our roles, we represent the school by giving speeches at various events such as Open Mornings and the Christmas Carol Service. We also escort
visitors and prospective parents and pupils around the school and assist the Senior Leadership Team, and teachers during assemblies, by handing out certificates and helping with the birthday celebrations. We have regular meetings with the Head of Juniors, Mrs Skevington, to discuss ways in which we can help make our school even better. We feel that we have a big responsibility and we work our hardest to fulfil our roles to the best of our ability. We hope that, if the other girls have any queries, they feel comfortable enough to come to us for support and advice.”
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HOUSE SYSTEM
House System T
he House System at Blackheath High is an essential component of our school’s cultural life enabling girls from different years to collaborate, create, perform and ultimately compete in various competitions throughout the year. What’s more, it’s great fun! Members of the four Houses: Morden, Meridian, Paragon and Vanbrugh, led by elected Year 12s, and overseen by teacher Heads of House, are awarded house points for individual achievement in any aspect of school life, and larger numbers of points for whole school House Competitions, to win the termly House Cup and ultimately the House Cup for the whole school year. Following Morden’s triumphant victory in 2012/2013 - hot on the heels of a particularly convincing Sports Day performance - it was inevitable that competition would be fierce this year as rival Houses sought to break the apparent Morden monopoly. The advent of several new competitions enabled Meridian’s romp to victory in the Harvest Festival Salvation Army Food Collection; a stunning performance in the House Music Competition Individual Performer Categories led to Vanbrugh’s
victory (although Paragon and Meridian’s House Choir pieces with notable teacher contributions almost denied them the honour) and Morden’s oratory brilliance won them the House Debate. Each House now has a webpage on the portal run by the students with articles and photos keeping members abreast of upcoming events and notable successes; this is judged each term by the ICT Department who were most impressed by Morden’s winning page last term. Competitive spirit remains fierce in the various sporting events run throughout the year and the ever-popular Gadesden Drama Competition which was judged this year by former BHS teacher and comedian Mark Jones (see page 4). Amongst many others, upcoming events include the Greenman Public Speaking Competition, the Iron House 4 mile race and the ever popular House Quiz. Much to the delight of new Head of House, Mr Atkinson, Paragon stole victory from Morden last term followed by Meridian and Vanbrugh in 3rd and 4th place. These are early days, so let battle commence!
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ART GALLERY
Oil Paint Alice Uggles
Ceramic Farrah Morgan Autumn 2013 Blackheath High School 9
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MUSIC
Senior School T
he calendar of musical events for the Autumn Term was filled with interesting, exciting and challenging opportunities and events. Many, varied music clubs were run, including Sinfonia, Chamber Choir, Rock Band, Samba Band, Mini Mallets, Ukulele Orchestra and Vocalise all of which were popular and everyone was given the chance to shine whether it be through Music Assemblies, Tea-time Concerts or the Autumn Concert when all the groups performed a diverse range of music. We successfully auditioned for the most recently-formed vocal group, ‘Vocalise’ and have already been given lots of new opportunities. It is a relatively small ensemble and we are expected to sightsing fluently and sing in up to 4 parts, with only a few of us singing each part. The ensemble was asked to perform at the Mick Jagger Centre in Dartford as part of the Dartford Symphony Orchestra Concert; this was undoubtedly one of the highlights of our year.
The Chamber Choir has also performed at a number of events including the Autumn Concert and Carol Singing at Lewisham Shopping Centre to raise money for charity. We work hard, rehearsing three times each week before school, but it is great to learn so many new songs and to be able to perform at such a high standard. Our Christmas Afternoon was held at St John’s Church and we began with the traditional carol ‘Once in Royal David’s City’, with the Chamber Choir processing from the back, and finished with ‘O Come All Ye Faithful’; it was great to sing the descants! Year 7 Choir, Chamber Choir and Vocalise performed Christmas songs interspersed with Christmas readings. It was a lovely event and a great way to start the Christmas holidays. We are looking forward to seeing what the future brings; more performances, more instrumentalists and a high standard of excellence in Music. By Meg Twist and Martha Nash, Year 9
HOUSE MUSIC COMPETITION 2013
O
n 20th November, Blackheath High held its very first House Music Competition – an event which showcased the wide range of musical talent, teamwork and organisational skills BHS pupils possess! In the morning, heats for the Individual Performance Competitions were held, adjudicated by Karen Jones, a local professional flautist. She noted that even in these initial rounds, standards were high, and that all girls should be proud of their performance. The afternoon featured the finals of these rounds, with soloists from the winners of each section giving a performance in front of the whole school; an eclectic mix of instruments from violins to drums to recorders! Following this was a culmination of weeks of effort on behalf of all the pupils (and some teachers!) in the form of House Singing. Each House performed their rendition of ‘Let it Be’ by the Beatles, and one other song, some accompanied by instrumentalists, others with a more simple ‘a capella’ version. Much fun was had by all listening to each House’s attempt to perform their songs – some of which were more successful than others! Congratulations to everyone who took part; we look forward to next year’s competition and the performances it will bring with it! By Dot Mundt-Leach, Year 12 10 Blackheath High School Autumn 2013
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MUSIC
Junior School CAROL CONCERT
C
elebrating Christmas, our Junior Carol Concert, featuring Years 3, 4 5 and 6, took place at Saint Michael’s Church, Pond Road, in the last week of term. Always a popular event, the concert really put us all in the Christmas spirit. The Deputy Head Girls gave a warm welcome to the many families attending. Every-one enjoyed the programme of Christmas readings and musical pieces. A special mention should go to the readers, including our Head Girls, who spoke with clarity and expression. The excellent singing was accompanied by skilful playing by our Recorder Group. Chamber Choir sang with the polish and precision we have come to expect, leaving us in no doubt that they were worthy winners of the Beckenham Festival. We were delighted that Mr Mackay, who will be joining us as Deputy Head at Juniors next term, was able to attend. He was astonished and impressed by the talent and confidence of our girls. As is traditional, a collection was made for Reverend Christie’s Charity ‘The Raheli Trust’ in Western Tanzania after the concert, raising a much appreciated £614.77; a very generous gesture from our parents.
BECKENHAM FESTIVAL FOURTH TIME WINNERS!
W
e were delighted when, once again, our Junior Chamber Choir won their class in the Beckenham Music Festival for the fourth consecutive year! The choir, comprising 40 girls from Years 5 and 6, sang beautifully and gave everything they had to their performance. They were awarded 92 marks overall which is a Distinction and the top grade. They sang ‘Irish Blessing’ a moving piece by Bob Chilcott, the set piece ‘Winds through the Olive Trees’ by Michael Neaum and a show stopping, Strictly-inspired number ‘It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that sing, sing, sing’ accompanied by a professional drummer. They received many compliments afterwards and I would particularly like to mention our wonderful girls, Jasmine Bassi and Sunanda Saxena who sang the duet at the beginning of the set piece with such confidence and purity of tone.
“This is ‘a super choir with a beautiful and well blended, warm tone who showed a wide dynamic range and well controlled high notes.” Frederick Appleby, the adjudicator Autumn 2013 Blackheath High School 11
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TECHNOLOGY
New Technology and Innovative Teaching A
s a school accredited with the ICT mark, we are officially recognised for successfully developing the strategic use of ICT in both administration and across the curriculum. Our parents have proof that their children are attending a school that ensures they are at the forefront of modern technology! We continuously look at ways in which new technology can enhance our pupils’ learning experience and, over the autumn term, we increased use of iPads across all year groups and the curriculum. Use of new state of the art technology, including a 3D printer, has also been introduced in Design Technology to further support the girls’ designing and making skills.
Senior School iPad Use
i
Pads have been used throughout the Senior School since September and are proving to be a really effective tool to improve teaching and learning. They are extremely popular with both teachers and students and are being used more creatively than is possible with laptops. Using the iPads encourages the pupils to work more collaboratively and the girls are really enjoying producing, within groups, presentations using iMovie or creating eBooks using Book Creator. Here are some examples of how the iPads have really brought learning to life during lessons:
English In English, Year 9 girls were recently given the task of producing their own Mad Hatter Tea Party from “Alice in Wonderland.” Normally this would be achieved through writing a script in Word and performing a role play. The iPad engaged them fully and allowed them to work more creatively to produce their own movie with effects and sound that they were really proud of and could share with the rest of the class. It also allows parents to see their finished work and be more involved in their learning. Year 7 girls have also been videoing and editing their book reviews which they have then been able to share with the rest of the class as a resource.
ICT In ICT classes, Year 9 girls have been learning about the history of coding and code breaking and their roles in the Second World War. The girls learnt about the Enigma machine and then used an iPad ‘Enigma’ app that is a replica of the one used in the war with all the original sounds and movements. The girls learnt a lot and thoroughly enjoyed setting codes for their partners to try and break.
“Using the iPads is very simple an d effective. They are very portable, fun to use and the iMovie app mea nt we could create films stra ight onto the iPads which we could then present wirelessl y!” Eden a number of times so that they really understand it, in their own time. Additionally, a number of apps are being used which allow things like complex graphing to be demonstrated easily and quickly.
Maths Our Maths Department has started to produce their own videos in ‘Aurasma’ and, uses the ‘Camera’ app to allow the pupils to watch them for homework before the lesson. This ‘flipped lesson’ approach gives teachers more time to spend with pupils on exercises during lessons. Pupils are benefitting from being able to watch a concept being explained
“In English s to we used the iPad d se on a make movies ba Wonderland’. scene in ‘Alice in perience and It was a great ex was even used my group’s film learned for display. We joyed lots and really en ia el ourselves.” Am
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extremely “The iPads are ch. In History, helpful for resear research women we used them to ternet access in work. The in easy to switch is fast and it is ks s to make eBoo between screen e and films.” Evi
TECHNOLOGY
“Being able to use the iPads is a go od opportunity an d we are very lucky to have th em. We are learning a lot th rough using them . It’s also fun and helps us to bett er understand the subjects and topics we are be ing taught.” Poppy
History During their History lessons, girls have been using the iPads quite extensively for project research, enabling them to become much more in charge of their own learning. The iPads enable them to research topics quickly, save pictures that they can annotate and talk about and produce a video or presentation that shows they understand the topic. The girls are finding this learning method to be very engaging and are working very enthusiastically, often continuing their work outside of their classroom to produce something they are proud of and want to share with others.
“In R.E, we Religious Studies used the iPads to find Year 9 will soon be using information. Th is was so the iPads to produce an much easier an d quicker as ebook on ‘The Afterlife’. you don’t have to log on, you ju They have also been st grab and go. W e could gather th working on ‘Edmodo’ e information in to produce statements our folders. It w as an enjoyable w as fictitious characters ay to learn in showing their response the lesson.” to how the universe was Lera created. They could read each
Geography
“Since we got iPads, we’ve made apps online and tested them on the iPads. They have made studying Geography much more interesting!” Wemi
The Geography Department has been using Geography specific apps such as ‘Google Earth’ and ‘Globe’ apps to allow the pupils to quickly reference parts of the world they are studying. They have also created movies on subjects such as overseas call centres which allowed them to demonstrate that they are fully aware of the advantages and disadvantages. They need to discuss and research before they can make the movie so it ensures that they are thorough in their fact finding work.
others’ statements then produced a collective statement on behalf of the three groups: Christians, Creationists and Atheists. In Year 11, iPad app ‘Popplet’ is being used to create mind-maps to illustrate Christian and Muslim attitudes to bullying. Year 13 used the same app to show aspects of the Interfaith Movement in the UK.
Science Science topics lend themselves well to the iPads as there are many Science Apps that are available to enhance how they already learn. New apps like ‘4D Anatomy’ allow students to look at different parts of a body and choose to look at the muscles or just at the skeleton. Girls can rotate the image and find out more about the parts that they are studying by links to further information or short videos.
“They are so easy and much quicker to use than laptops and they take up less space on our desks. Access to ‘Edmodo’ is very useful. Taking pictures for our projects and making videos is also less complicated than with camera, because we can edit them straight away.” Maria Autumn 2013 Blackheath High School 13
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technology
Junior School iPad Use
S
imilarly, the iPads are an invaluable tool at the Junior School. They are being used alongside traditional teaching methods, to support and enrich the children’s learning. Whether it is practising letter formation, creating e-books or videoing themselves being weather presenters, the girls have thoroughly enjoyed using them throughout the term. They have used them to present their work in new and exciting ways and cultivate their questioning skills by having a more immediate and personal research tool. The iPads have inspired and engaged the children and have enabled them to create more cross-curricular links between subjects. Year 4 have been using the ‘Safari’ APP to explore similarities and differences in cities around the world. The iPad trial in Year 3 continues to prove successful, with the children having no shortage of positive comments to say. For Maths, they provide a fun learning tool, support the children when working “Learning on their individual targets and help the resources are really children embed methods that need good on the iPad, like repetition. For ICT, the children are Maths Bingo and lots given the opportunity to learn new and of other apps”. Lucy exciting skills. For example, they learnt how to create an animation and turn it Cornwall into a video, using their own voices, set designs and stories.
“We used ‘Pages’ to write our Gadesden entries in groups.” April Edelsten
New Technology in Design Technology Department
I
n Design Technology over the last few years we have been able to use state of the art machines to support our designing and making. For the last 3 years
we have been using our laser cutter. The very impressive jewellery produced by Year 8 girls, is an example of laser cut work which has been much admired and was exhibited at Eltham Palace. The amazing ‘beehive’ currently on display in the Resource Centre was an A level project made with the help of the laser cutter and visualised through the use of ‘Google sketch up’, a 3D CAD programme. We are delighted to now also have a 3D printer, extending our facilities even further into the 21st century! The printer arrived in September and so far Year 8 and Year 12 students have been using it. We have installed new 3D CAD software, ‘SpaceClaim’, onto the DT laptops, which is known as the key to the 3D printer. The girls will design their products on the screen in order for the machine to print their ideas. We hope to show this off at the Easter Fair where girls and their parents will be able to see the machine running and have the opportunity to buy products printed in front of their eyes!
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ART GALLERY
Pencil Kiran van den Berg
Collage Erin O’Brien
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SPORT
Senior School Sports A
t the start of the new academic year, the Senior School PE department extended the provision for sport, both within the curriculum and the extra-curricular programme. Students in Key stage 4 are now enjoying basketball lessons and also have the opportunity to gain further experience and develop skills through coaching sessions after school, with our fantastic coach Joel Moore. Netball continues to be one of our girls’ sporting strengths, with individual
advanced skills being seen in match play with some great results, particularly in the U15 GDST Netball Rally which, this year, we organised on behalf of the GDST Sport Trust and also in the U14 Kent Netball tournaments. We also entered the London GAL league for Cross Country with the girls having training sessions throughout the Autumn Term. In the first round, we had 5 students in the top ten. A fantastic result for our girls and we are very confident that they will perform well in the competition races. Finally, during the term, we saw the BHS Hockey Academy commence, using the new rejuvenated flood light astro, after school on Mondays. This is an opportunity for some of our students with potential in the sport to gain top coaching from Richard Young the Youth Development OďŹƒcer for Kent.
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Junior School Sports T he Autumn saw another busy start to the academic year with girls in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 being involved in numerous sessions at the field and lots of inter-school matches. We started the season by hosting the Year 6 “Start of Season Netball Tournament.” With 10 schools attending, it was a fantastic event, well supported by parents and one that we hope to make an annual event. An added bonus was that our Year 6 team only lost one game and that was the actual final - they achieved 2nd place overall. The season for the Year 6s is a tough one, they play up to 10 leagues games and finish with a tournament in March. The Year 4 and Year 5 teams have also had several fixtures and are definitely showing promising signs for the future. Another event that stands out was the Year 3 A, B and C Netball Festival with Blackheath Prep. and Merton Court schools. Our girls had their first taste of competitive netball and admirably rose to the challenge. We continue to develop our Cross Country programme and each year group that goes to the field, is fully prepared to run in Cross Country events
SPORT
and we have now extended the distance for Year 5 and 6. We are delighted that, in the ‘Independent schools Cross Country’ run by Busy Bees Academy, several BHS girls were placed in the top 20 out of hundreds of runners. We also hosted a cross country event; again up to 10 schools were invited and the girls competed in 3 races dependant on their ability. Scores were consolidated and we enjoyed another excellent result, taking a very close 2nd team place. In the Year 6 and 7 Inter House Tournament, the girls worked together across the year groups to form mixed teams to compete against other Houses. Morden were outstanding on the day and won the tournament and points for their House. The weather was not kind but we tried to carry on with events and lessons as much as possible, hopefully the Spring Term will bring more clement weather especially as we look forward to another full programme of events including the Mini Marathon, Inter House Cross Country, Hockey Tournaments and more Netball matches.
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ART GALLERY
Pencil on paper Annabel Simm
Paint on board Maddy Harrington 18 Blackheath High School Autumn 2013
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ART GALLERY
Ink Lucy Englefield
Oil on Plastic Nicole Mckintosh
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CHARITY FUNDRAISING
Seniors S
till beaming from the £4828 we raised for various charities last academic year, Miss Williams’ 6th Form tutor group set the ball rolling in September with an assembly about the refugee crisis in Syria, launching a programme of fundraising events to take place throughout the year. This was followed by the annual House Cake Competition and Charity Bake Sale and the reprisal of a traditional Harvest Festival food collection amassing over a thousand items which we donated to the Salvation Army’s Deptford branch. Children in Need occasioned the ever popular Year 8 Talent Show with a broad array of acts including a magic show, solo and group vocal performances and some highly inventive dance acts. Following October half term, festive spirit further fuelled the fundraising fever.
Mrs Pheiffer’s form delivered an assembly about the Trussell Trust and their support of orphanages in Bulgaria, organising the collection of over 60 wrapped Christmas boxes making the entrance to my office closely resemble Santa’s Grotto! Capitalising upon their vocal talent, carols were sung by our choir in Lewisham Shopping Centre to raise money for St Christopher’s Hospice. However, like last year, the girls were particularly fired by the need to raise money
for Crisis at Christmas to provide for the homeless, turning the school into a veritable market of hair and make-up salons, bake sales, a handmade rainbow bracelets stall, a nail bar and henna parlour, candy cane deliveries and several form group Christmas Fairs offering a range of stalls. Another highlight was Martha Nash’s (Year 9) House Festive Tournament involving teams of students and teachers competing to win daft quizzes and perform bizarre tasks, an event Mrs Maddison succinctly described as ‘Hilarious!’ The end product of this blast of fun and enterprise was a Crisis total of £933 and a term total of £5636.50, an excellent achievement that even surpasses last year’s achievements! Mr Parsons
Army as we celebrated Harvest Festival. They then distribute supplies to families which, for a variety of reasons, are in need of help. This is such a poignant time for all of us as we give thanks for all that we have. In November, our Head Girls were seen at the school gates selling poppies in aid of the Royal British Legion as we approached Remembrance Day. Our main fund-raising activity of the term was Children in Need. The staff and girls worked very hard to organise an array of activities and bake a mountain of cakes (not to mention Carol’s cookies) and we raised a stunning £1029.53! The final effort of the term was in aid of “Caring Matters Now”, a charity with a personal interest for a member of the Junior School. Year 6 undertook an
enterprise project where their brief was to research, design and make a product to sell for a profit, with proceeds going to charity; with only £10 to buy materials. They also made posters to advertise their product. The girls raised a most impressive £400 and, along with the cake sale that took place at the same time, the total raised on this occasion was £591.72. A big thank you and well done to everyone. Mrs J Donnelly
Juniors T
he Autumn Term was very busy with fund-raising for a variety of charitable causes. As usual, we were overwhelmed by the support and generosity of our parents. Early in the term we supported Jeans for Genes and Breast Cancer Awareness. We were able to donate a substantial array of food products to The Salvation
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CHARITY FUNDRAISING
BHSA Fundraising T
he BHSA had a fabulous Autumn term, with non-stop fun and fundraising from start to finish. The term began with our usual ‘Welcome Night Drinks’ where parents old and new mingled with the teaching staff and all enjoyed delicious wines and cheeses and the lovely tunes provided by our jazz duet. Our next event was the always fabulous ‘Diwali’ celebration which was a huge hit with the girls and the grown-ups alike. The girls had the opportunity to dress up in vibrant Indian fashions, practise yoga, have henna tattoos and learn traditional dances. The dancing continued into the evening, featuring some slick moves from the teachers too! As ever, food played a major role in the event and we enjoyed a tasty street food menu which included curries, samosas plus lots more. It was truly a joyful and special event. The last major event of the term put everyone in full festive mode. The ‘Christmas Craft Fair’ has always been enjoyed by the junior school girls but, this year, we injected some extra festive spirit and added even more crafts and stalls, plus a very impressive performance by our Chamber Choir and a visit from the big man, Santa Claus, himself. Everyone left feeling full of Christmas cheer and laden with the lovely crafts they had made. With every event being a sell-out, it was lovely to know that, in creating such fun experiences for the girls and their grownups, we also managed to raise lots of funds for school. The fundraising pot was further filled with monies raised from all our Second Hand uniform sales, The Friday morning Coffee Shop, Christmas cards and wrapping paper sales and the Christmas tea-towels designed by the girls. We
really are lucky to have such a dedicated group of parents to run all the events and experiences, and to be backed up by a wonderfully supportive staff. Our sincere thanks to all Carolyn & Karen (Chairwomen) and the BHSA
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ART GALLERY
Acrylic Paint Bobbie Gillespie
22 Blackheath High School Summer 2013
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FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Forthcoming Events MARCH WEDNESDAY 12TH MARCH, Spring Music Concert 7.00pm, Senior School THURSDAY 13TH MARCH, Year 5 and 6 Concert 4.00pm, Junior School MONDAY 17TH MARCH, The Performance of ‘Annie Jr 7.00pm, Greenwich Theatre
Blackheath High School has a thriving Old Girls' Association, which prides itself in helping former pupils and staff keep in touch, as well as actively supporting the school by sponsoring prizes, supporting careers events and financially contributing toward school activities. The pivotal event in the BHSOGA calendar is the annual lunch and AGM. The sun shone last year, as it always does, and we all had a lovely day. Notably there were several year groups who took the opportunity to celebrate significant anniversaries and everyone enjoyed exploring the Junior school to reminisce about old times and to hear what the current pupils were doing. At the AGM, the BHSOGA gave thanks to Mrs Laws for her support of the Association in this, her final year as Head of the School.
TUESDAY 25TH MARCH, LAMDA Evening 7.00pm, Senior School SATURDAY 29TH MARCH, BHSA Easter Fair Junior School APRIL TUESDAY 1ST APRIL, Year 3 and 4 Production Cinderella and Rockerfella 6.30pm, Junior School Reunion - The upcoming reunion is currently planned for the 27th September at Wemyss Road.
Pimms Party
Website
To celebrate the 20th anniversary of the last school move, the BHSOGA are also excited to announce that they will be hosting a ‘Pimms Party’ at the Senior School, in conjunction with the school, on Thursday 3rd July 2014. This follows on from an excellent event two years ago, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all. Many commented that it was lovely to see so many old faces and have a chance to look around the school.
The BHSOGA website is also now up and running and is regularly updated with news and events (www.bhsoga. org.uk). The password-protected part of the site provides a forum for members to share memories, photos and information about past and future events which we hope will continue to grow with the association. The site also has information about joining the BHSOGA and how to contact the organisation for more information. We always welcome new members, so please don’t hesitate to sign up. Also find us on Facebook: Autumn 2013 Blackheath High School 23
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