11 minute read
CLASSICS
WAKEFIELD WHERE GIRLS HAVE EACH OTHER
Coronavirus has done its best to scupper the travel plans of many in 2020, but all was not lost for the Classics Department in 2020. In January our enthusiastic senior students travelled down to University of Warwick for the annual Ancient Drama Festival. Not only is this an opportunity for our Sixth Form students to see their undergraduate counterparts perform ancient plays - this year Sophocles’ Oedipus the King - but their knowledge and interests are stretched by academics offering something beyond the scope of A Level specifications. While Professor Michael Scott made fascinating connections between Greek Tragedy and Athenian Democracy by linking Oedipus with Pericles, the most novel insights were probably provided by a survey of the role of sphinxes in the ancient Greek world.
At the same time, I was extremely grateful for our ever-enthusiastic student leaders for their help in introducing Year 5 students to the delights of Classics, especially aspects of the life in Pompeii and Herculaneum. We were delighted by the creativity of our visitors in making their own household gods before they were spell-bound and shocked in equal measure by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
Out& About
The Classics Department also normally has a very busy Spring Term making final preparations for, and then travelling on our Junior and Senior Classics Trips. This year we felt very fortunate to sneak in the ‘Pompeii Trip’ with half of Year 8 as Coronavirus remained contained in the north of Italy. Nevertheless it was quite an unnerving experience to be met at Naples Airport by members of the Italian Red Cross in full PPE aiming laser thermometers at everyone’s forehead as they entered the terminal building! Once through this unusual - at this early state of the year welcome, the trip got off to a great start: after a first experience of buying local pizza snack lunches we headed for the little known Antiquarium of Boscoreale and the Villa Regina. We expected to look down into the trench from which this farming villa was excavated, surrounded by apartment blocks dating from the end of the 1970s. Instead the staff were surprised and the girls delighted to be able to explore this little gem of a Roman working farm.
Once we had settled into our hotel in Sorrento and enjoyed the familiarisation walk into town, we prepared to split the large group into two for the next two days of excursions. The large villa at Oplontis and the small city of Herculaneum continue to be fantastic sites for the students to explore and develop their understanding of how the Romans organised their city life. We introduce the girls to a wide range of real people through the evidence they left behind in their documents and memorials, as well as the everyday items that they carried to their deaths. The casts of the skeletons and bodies are a sobering reminder of the human price that was paid so that we are able to tour and learn from such well-preserved sites. On a more positive note, it is encouraging to see the amount of conservation work and limited excavation revealing exciting new discoveries and the girls certainly enjoy being the first High School girls to see these new places, including this year the House of the Bicentenary in Herculaneum and the House of Leda and the Swan in Pompeii that made the international news. Naples National Archaeological Museum also seems to have more rooms open these days and is now a firm fixture on our itineraries. This year our not-so-visited half day trip was to Cumae, the site of Apollo’s famous Italian oracle and the close to the famed entrance to the Underworld. Mrs Oliver’s recitation of a section of Virgil’s Aeneid is not to be missed!
Our preferred final destination is Pompeii, a city which in recent years has repaid handsomely the effort of a full day’s visit. This year the site did not disappoint, and neither did the girls: their stamina was impressive and their ability to use the knowledge and confidence they had built during the trip to independently interpret the individual buildings they were visiting was delightful. I am always keen to show the girls as much of the site as we can manage and there were plenty of new areas to see as well as the amazing old favourites like the House of Menander, the Stabian Baths, and of course the amphitheatre. I am sorry to report, though, that Mrs Oliver somehow prevailed again in the annual, and much anticipated contest in the arena!
I seem to repeat every year, but it is absolutely true that the interest shown by the girls, and the insightful questions they ask, as well as the ever evolving display of the sites, keeps this visit fresh and exciting for Mrs Oliver and me. We are privileged to share our love of these places and our continuing desire to understand more about them with the students and staff with whom we travel. It is such a pleasure to take interested and interesting people and I look forward to seeing them again on future Classics Department visits. My thanks must also go to Mrs Oliver and our other amazing members of staff who are so tireless and enthusiastic and make leading this trip so easy and pleasurable. I look forward to being able to return as soon as possible.
Unfortunately, as we were making final preparations for the senior Classics trip to Rome at Easter with the Art and RPE Departments, Coronavirus continued its spread across Europe and our remaining travel plans for the year were thwarted. As I write, Air Bridges are being promised and historical sites and museums are steadily opening up. When it is safe and sensible, I look forward to travelling again to Italy and Greece, as well as to Hadrian’s Wall. We in the Classics Department will do all we can to provide the opportunities for your daughters to make life-long memories and experience these wonderful sites.
Back in school, our Autumn lecture series that is timed to benefit those applying for university Classics courses, was again a success, this time seeing students delivering lectures for the first time on Alexander the Great and Marcus Aurelius. And in lockdown our Year 11 and 13 students have made the most of being freed from external exams to pursue a range of Classical interests through our Limitless Learning programmes. There has also been time to join the baking craze that swept the nation with bread rolls fit for the gods.
Mr J M Hargreaves
WAKEFIELD WHERE GIRLS HAVE NO LIMITS
Junior Bake Off 2019
In Spring of 2019 I heard Junior Bake Off were selecting bakers for their upcoming show. I was so excited when I heard about this as I love the show.
The first stage of the application process was to fill in an online form. It took me a few hours to complete as there was a lot of information that I had to include about my baking knowledge and experience. After completing the form, the next step was a telephone interview with one of the show producers. They asked me many baking related questions and a lot about myself and my bakes. The next stage was an audition in London, where I had to take my own bakes for the producers to taste and they asked me lots of questions about how I made my bakes. Finally, then came the final audition where I had to go to London again and do a practice show with the other bakers that had got to the final round of the auditions.
The next day, my mum received a telephone call from the producers to say that I had got onto the show. I was so thrilled to find out I was selected as one of the twenty bakers who had made it onto the programme. A few days later we received information for all the bakes that needed to be practiced for the show (Showstoppers). For example, the first day would be a cake and the theme was “what you enjoy doing with your family”, day two was to do a biscuit theme in the form of “your best day ever” etc. Since we only had about three weeks to practice all the bakes, I used to practice all my bakes everyday after school and weekends. I really wanted to get my recipes and timing right, so I would be ready for the show.
The show recordings took place in August, in Kent. I was so excited to meet all the other bakers who I hadn’t officially met. We had a lovely tour of the buildings where we would be staying and even got to go into the Junior Bake Off tent to see where we would be baking and recording. We were guided by the producers and had a health and safety check carried out. I was too excited to go to sleep that first night, I had met some lovely bakers that I was getting to know and it felt so surreal. The day of our first recording arrived, I was so excited to meet the judges and Harry Hill. I can truly say going onto the Junior Bake Off Show, was one of my best experiences of my life. It has changed my life in so many ways. I have made lots of great friends that I will always cherish forever. I have learnt many new skills, not just in baking but have become a more confident person. My passion for baking has developed since going on the show, I regularly bake at home for my family and friends. If you are thinking about applying to go onto the Junior Bake Off show, I would definitely recommend it!
Karina Sahota - Year 9
ARKWRIGHT ENGINEERING
Arkwright Scholar and Deputy Head Girl, Anna Chew reflects on her achievements in Design & Technology this year
In June of last year I received the news that I had been successful in attaining an Arkwright Scholarship, which is an engineering scholarship providing scholars with mentor support from an engineer in the industry, connect days with other scholars, a sponsor, exclusive experience opportunities and financial support. To be awarded the scholarship I had to pass a series of stages and this selection process is said to select those who have great potential to be future leaders in engineering. Initially I had to write an application, answering specific questions about engineering and my leadership experience. Following on from the application, I then sat a design aptitude exam and on the back of this was offered an interview. I was interviewed by a panel of engineers and questioned on my application, leadership and design projects I had worked on. I officially received my At the Annual Rotary Technology Tournament we entered six teams in total from the Foundation. There were three teams in the foundation (Year 8s) category, two teams in the intermediate category (Year 10s) and one team in the advanced (Year 12s). The foundation and intermediate teams were a mixture of WGHS and QEGS students; the advanced team consisted of all girls. The foundation team consisting of Lucy Holland, Alice Feetham, Oliver Hobbs and Kieran Sak took the 1st place trophy in their category, and the intermediate team consisting of Maja Banas, Nell Poppleton, Zack Siddle and Maximilian Stirc took the 1st place trophy sponsorship from The Happold Foundation at an awards ceremony in Edinburgh.
With the scholarship, I went on a three day workshop which involved learning about many different aspects of engineering, a site visit and then we designed a Special Educational Needs school, which we pitched to about thirty engineers. The workshop was at the BuroHappold London office and this amplified my interest and knowledge even further, and was an invaluable experience, which I probably wouldn't have had otherwise. It was genuinely one of the best weeks I've ever experienced. With my financial support, I have so far purchased interesting books and resources to support my learning and have an upcoming course over the summer. My mentor has been crucial in supporting my university application and offering advice
Annual Rotary Technology Tournament
in relation to my studies.
in their category. The advanced team consisting of Anna Chew, Rosalind Aveyard, Brooke Inglesfield and Ebony Hempsell placed 2nd in their category.
The challenge required teams to design and construct a vehicle that could travel up a slope by converting the gravitational potential energy of a 200gm weight into kinetic energy, with greater complexity added to the challenge in the intermediate and advanced levels.
Mr Carlin
