Summer 2018
SENIOR
High Notes The Magazine of Wimbledon High School
Summer 2018 | Senior High Notes
A Message from the Head “Only connect”. Margaret’s famous exhortation from Forster’s Howard’s End exhorts us to “connect the prose and the passion … to live in fragments no longer”. Writing in 1910, Forster was confronting an increasingly alien, rapidly industrialising world, which seemed to threaten the very business of being human and being alive. More than a century later, as we all wrestle with what the explosive impact of digital innovation means for us all, in the way we live, the way we think and the way we connect with our world and with each other, nowhere is this discussion more important than in schools. This is one of many reasons why, at WHS, we’ve been talking so much this year about how academic subjects connect, thinking beyond the “fragments” of what were in essence C19th constructs (let’s call this Biology, let’s put this into Geography, let’s make this History and this Classics) and instead really exploring what can be gained when learning is properly cross-curricular. As we have refined our exciting plans for Project Ex Humilibus, we have been able to share with our school community and a wider group of constituents that our proposed building development is as much about educational philosophy as it is about space. With our new STEAM tower (science, technology, engineering, arts
Cover Photo by Esen Bozdagli
and maths) the first thing to be built, we will be creating and developing facilities which enhance and require truly interdisciplinary learning. We’ve made a start with that this year, in our prototype STEAM room, which has seen countless collaborations over recent months: students studying the WWI poets researching with the scientists in residence how Post-traumatic Stress Disorder could have influenced their creativity; Geographers having a go at making a wind turbine, musicians looking at the physics of music, artists inspired by biological dissection… We know that problem solving, intellectual agility, teamwork and resilience will all be skills that our children need for the future. You’ll see these in action across these High Notes pages too – from our pioneering inaugural Grow Fest celebrating all things pastoral (and set to become an annual fixture) to trying out Mandarin on the China trip; from digging in to win a rowing race to crafting a perfect short story. It’s been an amazing year for connection at this school. I hope you see that when you read this! Jane Lunnon HEAD
HEAD GIRL’S NOTE It has been a thrilling year at Wimbledon High, and we have had such a wonderful start to our new positions as Student Leaders this past term. PRIDE Week served as a perfect taster for all that we plan to accomplish within the next year and our ethos as a Student Leadership Team: celebrating something truly important, and having a great time doing so! It is difficult not to be struck by the intelligence that sits within the walls at WHS, and this year we hope to focus on really pushing each and every student to use their own unique intellect as a force for good in the outside world. For us, this means a new focus on ambition. There is nothing more important to us as a team than making sure every student leaves Wimbledon with the skills they need to not only succeed in the outside world, but to change it as well. Wishing you a great summer and look out for another incredible year at WHS – we hope you are as excited as we are! Ava Vakil
Senior High Notes | Summer 2018
GROW FEST 2018 EL A IN E HA L L IGA N, PA R EN T P RA C TIC E “What a feat! You put on an incredible fest of speakers and activities and the fact you got so many to sign up and speak is a testament to the relationships you are forging. I predict this event will go from strength to strength year on year.”
Deputy Head Pastoral, Fionnuala Kennedy, writes:
DEA NA PU CCIO, RA P P ROJEC T “What an inspiring day.”
It’s time to open our eyes, really think about what is happening for young people rather than what we hope or assume, and bring into the light the difficult and challenging issues facing teenagers today. That was really at the heart of my vision for Grow Fest – a forum for discussion, gathering together a variety of experts and voices. Who’s not an expert in the challenge of growing up in 2018 if not our very own girls and their parents? We were joined by acclaimed educationalists, mental health campaigners and many others with a story to tell. A highlight was definitely watching our girls be inspired by a measured yet passionate debate on the ‘snowflake generation’ between Linda Bellos and Natasha Devon (who thought the term should be banished).
JOA NNA BL OXHA M , VIS I TO R “Wow! Get me back to school! What an innovative day with ebullient speakers and memorable workshops. I learnt so much and was so inspired by the calibre of Wimbledon High students; their confidence, knowledge and shine.”
Our Striding Out strand brought fun with robots and the chance to have a go on the decks…
A thought-provoking day, but also a joyous one! Here’s to next year… 01
#OWNYOUROWNVOICE
Summer 2018 | Senior High Notes
With our pastoral theme of the year Raise Your Voice, it was fitting that in 2017 – 2018 the opportunities for WHS students to use their voices multiplied considerably. We held two performance poetry events, a riotous International Women’s Day to mark the centenary of suffrage for the first women in the country and Clever Clogs. Unconquered Peaks, our student magazine, is now fully online and updated weekly with insightful articles and fun musings. And our online teaching and learning platform, WimTeach and WimLearn, has allowed students, in Richard Bristow’s words, “to challenge existing academic discourse, write about issues they are passionate about and ignite further debate.” New articles are posted weekly, e.g: Does Honesty Have a Place in the Law? Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Work Cross-gender Casting in Shakespeare’s Plays: Does it Solve the Problem of Gender Inequality? Hearing in Colour: Synaesthesia and Musical Composition Crispr: How New Gene-editing Technology Will Affect You
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Senior High Notes | Summer 2018
NI HAO FROM CHINA Year 9 students of Mandarin enjoyed the chance to put their new language skills into practice during an exciting trip to China over Easter 2018.
Rebecca Jesson, Year 9, writes:
四 月份九 年 级 和 十 年 级 一 起 去了北 Sì yuèfèn jiǔ niánjí hé shí niánjí yīqǐ 京。我们参观了很多地方，比如故宫， 长城，等等的其他有名的观光地点。我 们玩的很开心。这趟旅行让我们收获了
很多东西比如我们的中文进步了。我们
吃了北京烤鸭，珍珠奶茶和猪肉馅的饺
子。中国的食物很好吃。中国很有趣！
qùle běijīng. Wǒmen cānguānle hěnduō dìfāng, bǐrú gùgōng, chángchéng, děng děng de qítā yǒumíng de guānguāng dìdiǎn. Wǒmen wán de hěn kāixīn. Zhè tàng lǚxíng ràng wǒmen shōuhuòle hěnduō dōngxī bǐrú wǒmen de zhōngwén jìnbùle. Wǒmen chīle běijīng kǎoyā, zhēnzhū nǎichá hé zhūròu xiàn de jiǎozi. Zhōngguó de shíwù hěn hào chī. Zhōngguó hěn yǒuqù!
In April, Year 9 and Year 10 went to Beijing together. We visited many places, for example, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China and lots of other famous tourist attractions. We had a great time. On this journey, we learnt many things, like that our Mandarin really improved. We had the Beijing Peking Duck, bubble tea and dumplings with pork fillings. Chinese food is really good. China was so much fun! 03
Summer 2018 | Senior High Notes
MUTATION Written by: Ariane Compton, Year 7 W I N N E R , G D S T C R E AT I V E W R I T I N G P R I Z E
D
r Stefano Ivanov pulled two gleaming Perspex chairs out from under the table and sat down – offering the other chair to his wife. “Ida, look at the world. It is perfect, all due to my invention. Now, anyone can be whoever they desire and do whatever they desire! I can barely remember the world before humans could change their genes. Do you remember how I did it? Nobody thought I could,” Stefano began. His glimmering sapphire eyes staring earnestly into Ida’s. “Imperfection shrouded us in Cimmerian darkness; from being the bottom of the class in maths, to having the wrong hair colour, imperfection was what divided us. And I fixed all of that.” Stefano lifted his feet and pulled open a mahogany drawer, gazing lovingly at his daughter’s report card. It was flawless: he had modified his daughter, Celeste, in every way possible, creating the girl he had always desired. He lifted a photo frame, holding a picture of her prior to her alterations. He studied it, put it back on its face and moved his eyes to a more recent picture of his daughter. Stefano had mutated many of his genes, too; he was barely the same man anymore. “My dear, I can hardly believe that some people were afraid of my adamantine ambition, assuming so idiotically that there were side effects! We are all still healthy and flourishing, isn’t that right Ida? I seem to recall a man named Dr Allan, he was my partner at the time, who cancelled my project. I was so utterly incensed that I continued it without him and I was the man – the illustrious and pioneering scientist - whose face was in every newspaper. Despite my sour memories of him, I do not recollect his motive for abandoning me. That hypocrite used my invention just as much as anyone else!” Stefano told Ida, just before he got up to enter the kitchen. “Ida,” Stefano frowned, “We are beginning to run out of
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food. Shall we go and buy some? Or shall we eat out? No? Well, I am perfectly happy to stay indoors if you want to, except it seems that whenever I buy food online it simply never comes… I wonder why.” Rummaging through the cupboard, Stefano found a few things, and made lunch with that – only Ida was seeming rather reticent; she hadn’t eaten all that much for a while. “Whatever is the matter, dear? Oh, I know - I miss Celeste as well, but she will be back from her residential trip ever so soon,” comforted Stefano. He wondered for how long Celeste had been away. In fact, he had started to lose track of the days. Eventually, Stefano decided that this was enough - he needed to be more active and buy some food, so he took a key and locked the doors - only it wasn’t quite working. “Ida? Where’s the master key?” he called. Each of the tens of copies of the key were not quite right, as every time a key is cut to imitate another it becomes increasingly inaccurate. Only the master key could push its way through the keyhole. Despondency washed through his brain; he remembered the old world, imperfect as it was. However, soon this thought escaped his mind and he was preparing to go outside again to buy some food – yet, something just didn’t feel right. He pulled the velvet curtain aside, and lo! The ashen clouds were weeping onto the damp, soggy soil. Possibly this was not the time to escape the boundaries of the safe indoors. However, he could not hibernate for eternity. Raindrops slid down the moss-covered window, resting on the lead latticed window panes. In the silence of the afternoon, the song of the raindrops resounded in Stefano’s ears and became thunderously loud. Looking to his left, he saw Ida sitting on the sofa reading ‘Frankenstein’, one of her favourite novels. The hoary leather binding clung to the cover of the book, parts of it
Senior High Notes | Summer 2018
ODE TO MY DESK LAMP Written by: Jess Leunig, Year 10 COMMENDED IN
peeling away and the print faded; the sallow, crusty pages were falling away from the spine and growing looser every time Ida flicked the pages. “Why not have that tome replaced by an eBook?” Without a word on her lips, Ida merely shook her head. Stefano was aware that his wife was against the revolution of technology, and this was clearly exhibited by the fact that she had barely any genetic changes - but rejecting the possibility of a book on an electronic device? She was far too old-fashioned. Sullenly, Stefano trudged down to his basement, where his lab was. He saw a myriad of different phials sitting neatly on the shelves, in an array of colours. Fuzzy memories of what these fluids were for came flooding back… so many lost years of his life filled his head. Then, a chill climbed up his spine. Sepia images of reports on the news of his invention being dangerous crept back, thoughts about closing the Mutation… Sprinting back upstairs, his eyes scanned the house for Ida, but she was nowhere to be seen. Fragments of glass hung from the window frames, with tattered curtains flapping in the wind. Blankets of dust sat on the furniture, mice darting under the floorboards. Glancing outside, the streets were derelict and with not a soul to be seen. The memories of his wife’s funeral in the year 2093 flickered back; a torrid stream of tears slid down his cheeks. The planet had been laid to waste due to his inexorable ambition: He was what remained of humanity. Like the sole master key which could force itself through the minuscule keyhole of life – all other clones were disposable. Dr Stefano Ivanov fell to his knees and saw the fantasy of his life flashback to his eyes - Ida quiescently reading, a forest of umbrellas hurrying back indoors, but all this was fiction just like his vision of a flawless planet: the vision of The Mutation.
TH E G DS T L AU R I E M AG N U S P R IZ E
Watching over me – a halo above my braids. My desk lamp, proofreading the starred wet ink, saturates my writing ‘til it drips with illumination drinking in the wattage so that flowers bloom between the lines, flourish and flounder from my fountain pen. sunflowers, searching for their lighthouse Or maybe it’s just me. Looking into a desk lamp for guidance. Turning my face as if I am what grows here. There are no blossoms in the cracks between the pavement or the pages every word is just me.
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Summer 2018 | Senior High Notes
GCSE ART
First Column (top to bottom): Cosima Aldington, Olivia Crawford-Collins, Sophia Shepherd Second Column (top to bottom): Phoebe Sigee, Jasmine Byk Third Column (top to bottom): Katherine Deng, Nikita Parsons This is just a selection of the wonderful work of our artists. See wimbledonhigh.gdst.net/ourstories for more. 06
Senior High Notes | Summer 2018
A LEVEL ART
First Row (left to right): Rebecca Thomas, Laura Sigee, Zoe Grainger Second Row (left to right): Serena Shakshir, Imogen Storey, May Owen, Isabelle Ellis Third Row (left to right): Rosalind Little, Olya Makarova, Jessica Edge 07
Summer 2018 | Senior High Notes
MUSIC AT THE HEART OF THE
CURRICULUM When discussing subject choices, I have occasionally overheard comments along the lines of “music is fun but ultimately not a very useful subject� and I believe this could not be further from the truth!
What I love about learning music is that it is the subject that develops the widest range of skills that can be used and applied widely in other subjects and outside of the classroom.
Skills such as the mathematical analysis of chords and rhythms, comparative essay writing; writing your own compositions. Developing instrumental or vocal skills, too, of course learning what makes a great performance. There is no other subject quite like it. Another brilliant aspect of school music is that it extends so far beyond the curriculum. The abundance of co-curricular ensembles means there really is a group for everyone. The co-curricular opportunities provide us with unique musical experiences. Playing at worldclass venues such as Cadogan Hall and touring Barcelona with
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Acapella, as we did earlier this year, are experiences many could only dream of. We are so lucky that Wimbledon has such a strong musical presence that will only continue to grow over the coming years. Louisa Clogston Music Rep @MusicRep_WHS @Music_WHS
Senior High Notes | Summer 2018
@DRAMADEPT_WHS Wow. Just wow. Another absolute triumph from @ DramaDept_WHS with Sister Act - a must-see show. @WimbledonHigh @Music_WHS Every time I see a show I think they can’t possibly top it, but here we are. Hilarious, heartfelt, just tremendous.
Can’t wait to see the show, girls. I’m sure it will be heavenly. @WimbledonHigh @DramaDept_WHS
CU R R EN TLY IN P RODUCTION. . .
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Summer 2018 | Senior High Notes
SPORT AT WHS Director of Sport, Louise Gordon, writes: Being a sportswoman at Wimbledon High School grants you the opportunity to experience a wide variety of sports at both recreational and competitive levels. Alongside our traditional sports, cricket is now the fastest growing activity. Our tennis academy has proved popular since launching in January. The rowing programme is well established and the girls compete nationally. Equestrian, sailing and ski team have been running with parent support. Representing WHS not only allows you to train regularly and compete in matches and tournaments but to enjoy becoming part of a team and the wider sporting community – one filled with girls who are ambitious, supportive of each other and full of grit and encompassing all the skills attributed to the Wimbledonian spirit!
Wimbledon High skiers competed in British Schools Skiing Championship!
Here (and opposite) are some highlights from the past two terms! Bronze for Martha and Sofia at the Public Schools’ Fencing National Championships Fifth in the Surrey Schools Cross Country Championships The Y9 and 10 Athletics team qualified for the regional final The U12 tennis team reached the Surrey League tennis finals Anna and Amelie (Year 7) both finished in the top 20 in the National Biathlon Championships We celebrated being the home of British tennis by participating in the Road to Wimbledon tournament at Nursery Road Follow us @Sport_WHS
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The dedication of WHS Boat Club members is starting to pay off – great training from the rowers all year and in regatta season, our first golds, for our J16 pair, J13 single scull and J13 quad. Congratulations girls and to all for their great work!
Senior High Notes | Summer 2018
In netball, our U12s came second in their pool (out of 8) and qualified for the County Finals! Our U13s played in the Surrey Qualifiers. Our U15s competed in the Surrey Netball Finals and our U15C team (pictured) came third in the Merton Tournament. Our U19s won four out of four matches at the GDST Netball Rally!
At the Merton Athletic Championships, our athletes came 1st and 2nd place in the intermediate high jump and we took medals in the long jump, 100 and 200m sprint, 800 and 1500m.
Fun and poise combined at the Gym and Dance Display – girls also competed brilliantly in the GDST rally
Emily and Phoebe played in the inaugural GDST v Lords Ladies team cricket match. A first for women’s cricket and an inspirational moment for our girls.
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Summer 2018 | Senior High Notes
LETTING OFF
STEAM WEEK In celebration of our first year of STEAM – that’s Science, Technology Engineering, Arts and Maths working together with the help of our fantastic Scientists in Residence – Dr Nadine Risso masterminded a very special Letting off STEAM week. The girls enjoyed a fabulous Gases in the Air show by Tim Harrison from Bristol University, exploring the chemistry of our atmosphere through exciting demos with liquid nitrogen, dry ice and hydrogen fireballs. Our Year 12 students listened to a fascinating talk on the latest pioneering developments in Cancer Research from the Institute of Cancer Research and, for the wider school and SW19 community, there was a brilliant interactive science show (with a few more bangs and whizzes) by the Royal Institution. Lunchtime events sprang up across the school: robotics experiments, the great egg drop, the testing of tennis ball servers, art, biology and printmaking, amongst many others, including a tug of war.
“I’m delighted we were able to celebrate STEAM within a buzzy, exciting week, with lots of hands-on cross-curricular experiments, thought-provoking facts and a fair number of explosions!”, said Dr Risso.
At the top of the school, our budding engineers have worked on the Engineering Education Scheme with their mentors from business – a fantastic experience for tapping into insider industry expertise. 12
Senior High Notes | Summer 2018
INTRODUCING OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF
DIGITAL LEARNING & INNOVATION Rachel Evans joined Wimbledon in April and we caught up with her to ask a few questions.
That’s quite some job title! Yup, but the best thing is that it has the word ‘innovation’ in it! I’m a real early adopter and I love the idea that I can share that love of new things every time I introduce myself.
What are your plans for digital learning at WHS? I want to ensure that we’re using technology for excellent learning in a way that is seamless and authentic – respecting the teacher and student. I want it to be exciting too and open everyone’s minds to the almost limitless possibilities that technology can bring to learning and to society as a whole. I hope that we can be ahead of the curve and start thinking now about issues like artificial intelligence and the impact of virtual reality. Whether or not students go into a STEAM career, everyone needs to understand new technology to make sure that as a society we can take action to use it for good.
What do you think will be your biggest challenge? This job is really about people, not technology. Change is really difficult: for individuals and families, for organisations and for society. The pace of technological progress has been fast in the last 30 years and we are dealing with practical changes to our lives, work and society which sometimes we’re not ready for. So that’s my first challenge – how to ensure that everyone in our school community can understand and use technology effectively. That leads to the second challenge – what is the best way to use technology in education? How do we know what’s worthwhile and what is not? I’m really interested in exploring that with my colleagues and the students to make good decisions about how to work with technology to benefit everyone.
What does being a Microsoft Showcase School involve?
global network of schools who are committed to technology for teaching and learning. We get to try out new products first and give feedback to the developers. We also get great support from Microsoft and opportunities for visits and workshops that enrich our students’ experience. Visitors come to see how this all works in the classroom so that they can take back those ideas to their own schools – so a lot of the work is about sharing ideas, which I love.
How have you found life at the school so far? Everyone has been really kind and welcoming. The school just fizzes with energy and ideas all day every day – it’s an exciting place to work where really great learning and thinking is happening.
What do you like doing in your spare time? I love to walk with my dog, ride my bike, knit socks and most of all, read.
Being a Microsoft Showcase School is incredibly exciting. It means that we’re part of a
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Wimbledon High School, Mansel Road, London SW19 4AB 020 8971 0900 • info@wim.gdst.net • www.wimbledonhigh.gdst.net Head: Mrs Jane Lunnon The Girls’ Day School Trust is a Limited Company. Registered in England No. 6400. Registered Charity No. 306983. Registered Office 100 Rochester Row London SW1P 1JP | www.gdst.net