onwards - South Wilts Grammar School for Girls

ONWARDS
®
December 2014
December
2014
Page 1
We have come to the end of yet another busy term.
Staff News
We say goodbye to Mrs Burrows (Maths) who is retiring. Mrs Burrows has
been employed at SWGS since 2002.
Xmas Cards
to India
Page 2
Safeguarding
We also have said goodbye to Mr Bush, who has been employed at the
school since 2007. He leaves SWGS to take up a promoted post at
Wellington Academy.
Lost Property
Page 3
Homework
Parent
Consultation
We hope that everyone has a really good relaxing holiday.
(Michele Chilcott)
Wishing you a very
Happy Christmas from all the
staff at South Wilts
Christmas Cards to India
Well done to everyone who entered
the Christmas Cards to India
competition – we had so many
entries and all of them were
amazing. Our visitor from the
Lawrence Homan Public School in
India was very impressed (as are
we!) and is looking forward to taking
them back to her school and
spreading some Christmas cheer
from England. After a huge amount of deliberation, we all agreed that the
winning card is Ella Waterworth’s (7B) entry, which really captures the
essence of Christmas. The runners up (in no particular order) are Tanvi
Dabke (11B), Emily Wright (8N), Alice Mawdsley (8N) and Lucy Jackson
(8A). The prize for the most entries from one form went to 7B, with an
astounding 45 cards! Mrs Coundley led the way in the staff Christmas
cards competition with a festive Christmas tree design. Well done
everyone!
LRC
Page 4-5
English/
Drama
Page 6-7
Science
Page 7
History
Page 8
Geography
Page 9
MFL
Business
Studies/ICT
Page 10
DT - Food
Technology
Page 11-13
Music
Page 14-23
Sport
Page 23-25
Charity
Page 14
Calendar
ONWARDS
Safeguarding Your Daughter’s Welfare
I wanted to draw your attention to a number of different issues which
all impact upon your daughter.
Firstly, we realise that for some students a very early arrival at school
is necessary because it fits in with parental commitments or public
transport issues. However, we need to draw your attention to the fact that although the school
buildings may be open, there is no supervision of students before school until the Learning
Resources Centre opens at 8.15 am.
The Key Stage 3 students now have access to a wellbeing resource, Zumos, which has sound
recordings and daily information to support their positive mental health. This has been funded
through the National Lottery and the impact will be evaluated after the year’s trial. Students
can log in through the internet either at school or at home and as a school we can see what
issues are trending in the different year groups.
Wiltshire Council are also funding a Health and Wellbeing survey in all Wiltshire schools who
elect to take part. This will be delivered to Years 8, 10 and the 6th Form early next year and
the results, available in the summer, will give us a wealth of information on all aspects of the
students ’ health and wellbeing which we can then follow up in programmes of study and
initiatives in 2015-16.
(Mrs C Stammers - Deputy Head)
Lost Property
Parents are reminded of the importance of naming their daughter’s belongings which are
brought into school. Anything which is left around the school and taken to lost property can be
returned to students if named (students are sent a note through the register system and
parents are emailed). However, all unnamed items remain in lost property until claimed and
after three months these items are disposed of.
Currently there are 13 pairs of trainers, 15 school jumpers, 3 school navy jackets, as well as
umbrellas, lunch boxes, drinks bottles, scarves, black tracksuit bottoms and non-school
uniform. There is also a table tennis set in a Guinness tin. The following is a list of the many
unnamed coats in lost property:
Mountain Warehouse navy jacket, age 11-12
Generation grey jacket with fur hood and toggles, age 10-11
Helly Hansen black waterproof fleece lined jacket, size M
Bronte navy jacket with a red fur lining, size 30
Monsoon green jacket with a pink flower lining, age 10-11
Superdry black jacket with a pink lining, size medium
Jack Wills red hoody with a fur lining, size 8
Top Shop black coat with a fur trim hood, size 8
Monsoon black gilet, size large
Marks & Spencer grey coat, age 11-12
Country Style navy wax jacket, size 30
Jack Wills navy gilet, size 8
Johnnieb brown wax jacket
Tammy navy quilted jacket, age 10-11
Tom Joules navy quilted jacket, size 10
If you think any of these items belong to your daughter, please ask her to come to lost property
and check. Parents are welcome to check for themselves and lost property is open on
Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 12.30pm to 1pm.
(Mrs J Taylor)
2
ONWARDS
Homework when Absent from School
If you are off school for less than 4 days at a time, then you are expected to find out what
homework was set from your homework buddies in Years 7, 8 and 9, or from a friend. If you
are absent for 4 days or more at a time, Mrs Passam or Mrs Bishop will then find out what work
you have missed and this will be emailed home to you. Please do not ask/email staff unless
you have been unable to find out information from your peers. Thank you.
(Mrs D Owen and Mrs H Timperley)
Parent Consultation Evening Dates
5:00 - 7:30 pm
Date
Day
Events and Parent / Governors meetings
08/01/2015
Thurs
Year 12 Parents’ Consultation Evening at 5pm to 7.30pm
12/01/2015
Mon
Year 13 Parents’ Consultation Evening at 5pm to 7.30pm
09/02/2015
Mon
Year 9 Parents’ Consultation Evening at 5pm to 7.30pm
04/03/2015
Wed
Year 11 Parents’ Consultation Evening at 5pm to 7.30pm
26/03/2015
Thurs
Year 10-13 Academic Support Evening at 5pm to 7.30pm
22/04/2015
Wed
Year 8 Parents’ Consultation Evening at 5pm to 7.30pm
30/04/2015
Thurs
Year 7 Parents’ Consultation Evening at 5pm to 7.30pm
23/06/2015
Tues
Year 10 Parents’ Consultation Evening at 5pm to 7.30pm
Learning Resource Centre
The Year 7 students all received a free book this September from the
Booktrust programme called Bookbuzz. Bookbuzz is a reading scheme
designed to support schools to encourage reading for pleasure and develop a whole school
reading culture. More information can be found at www.bookbuzz.org.uk. The girls came into
the LRC to choose their books and have been busy writing book reviews on the titles they
chose. The reviews are now brightening the walls of the LRC.
Year 7 Book Club
The Year 7 Book Club takes place in the LRC every Thursday lunchtime. This year the girls
chose the name ‘Wonderful Bookworms’. The Book Club has been taking part in various book
related fun activities, such as word searches and making posters. Thank you to the Sixth
Formers who have been helping this term, Lara Bonney, Octavia Clark and Juliana Hemesley.
Newcomers are always welcome.
(Mrs C Gardiner - Librarian)
3
ONWARDS
ENGLISH / DRAMA
National Novel Writing Month
“Ever wanted to write a novel?”
Many of us have decided to give it a shot, and see where it goes, before giving up and
claiming that a lack of either time, talent, inspiration or planning was the death of a
masterpiece. National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo as it has become known, doesn’t
work like that. The scheme runs throughout November, and the idea is, quite literally, to write
a novel in a month. There are no rules regarding length, genre or style – you set yourself a
target, and if you hit said target, you win. It sounds fairly simple on paper, yet in reality, it’s an
entirely different story.
And so the challenge began, but this year, we had a new weapon on our side, in the form of
Sixth Former, Ellen Emmin. Struck with the genius idea of running a NaNoWriMo club in
school, she became an advocate for the challenge, and set up a weekly lunchtime session for
all those involved. The idea was that this group would become a support network for all those
who were hitting the typical boundaries that stop most budding novelists, and help us to win
the challenge.
There were students from all ends of the school – a couple of Year 7’s all the way through to
Ellen and her friends in Year 13. The differences weren’t just in age, but also in genre and
word count: from romance to historical fiction, 5,000 words to 50,000, those who write by hand
and those who’d rather type – we had all our bases covered. The support group became a
highlight of the week, as word-weary competitors came together to gripe about cliché plotlines,
writer’s block and ask why on earth they thought the challenge was a good idea in the month
leading up to mocks. A weekly group word count began, and grew, impossibly, before our
eyes. First 50,000 words, then 80,000, then over 100,000 – at our last meeting in Week 4, we
were fast approaching 150,000! But the group wasn’t simply about whining about our bad life
choices – with a little help from some Jammie Dodgers: it became a base for conversations
about our favourite authors, most hated plotlines, as well as seeking advice surrounding other
life issues, such as options for GCSE and A levels from people who have or are taking them.
In four weeks, we moved from complete strangers to good friends … and, of course, wrote a
novel.
(Mrs J Coundley)
Drama
It has been a busy start to the year in Drama so far. Drama Club continues to be very popular
on a Friday lunchtime. I am lucky enough to have a dedicated team of Year 13 and Year 10
girls running the club this year and they are currently preparing for a fairy-tale themed
Christmas Showcase.
I would like to congratulate the Year 11 students who have worked exceptionally hard this term
and have produced a very high standard of Theatre In Education pieces. This project is very
challenging but incredibly rewarding and involved a series of trips out to perform their pieces in
local primary schools: Stratford Sub Castle, Wyndham Park, St. Marks and Sarum St. Pauls.
Walking through Salisbury with Henry VIII and some of his wives in full costume has definitely
been one of the highlights of my year!
Furthermore, we have been lucky enough to experience some fantastic Live Theatre on our
(cont.)
4
ONWARDS
ENGLISH / DRAMA cont.
various trips. Our favourite though, has to have been the brilliant ‘That Is All You Need To
Know’ by Idle Motion. Here’s Rachel and Ruth from our Year 10 Drama class to tell you more…
(Miss K Owen)
On 22 October 2014 the Year 10 and 11 Drama classes
went to see a play called ‘That is All You Need to Know’ by
the theatre company ‘Idle Motion’ at Salisbury Arts Centre.
‘That is All You Need to Know’ is a physical, nonnaturalistic, non-linear performance exploring wartime
Bletchley Park and the effects even many years later. We took notes during the performance
and afterwards wrote up our notes in detail. This is important as it will aid us later on when we
will have to review live theatre in the written exam. For the Year 10’s it is the first live theatre
trip that we have analysed.
‘That is All You Need to Know’ was set in three different time periods. These were; Wartime
Bletchley Park; Gordon Welchman writing his book ‘The Hut Six Story’ about the events of
Bletchley Park; and a committee trying to save Bletchley Park many years on.
Idle Motion were original and very clever in their use of
media types. Video projections, sound effects and
tapes, music and lights were all constants throughout
the piece. Their use of video projections was very
impressive. They used these to indicate to the
audience dates and other information; to swiftly display
war events e.g. evacuation and bombing; and to set the
scene. These video projections were sometimes
projected on to the gauze wall at the back of the visible
stage and sometimes on to props such as a chest of drawers or newspapers being held up by
the actors. They often paired the video projections with sound and lighting to create an allround effect.
We particularly enjoyed the inventive ways that the
furniture was used, for example, a desk was also used
as a sinking ship, by opening the top and having an
actor appear as if drowning; and as a telephone kiosk,
by being held up on its side with a telephone booth
inside.
‘That Is All You Need To Know’ was a very exciting
piece due to the fact that all our senses were being
stimulated. We enjoyed watching the play and we
would definitely recommend it to others, and, if given
the opportunity, we would gladly see another of Idle Motion’s productions. That is all you need
to know.
(Rachel Burgess and Ruth Walker 10W)
English Speaking Union
The Salisbury branch of the English Speaking Union are looking for a parent who might be
interested in becoming their Hon. Secretary to help promote a range of speaking, employment
and extra curricular activities for young people in the area. There are four meetings per year
and it requires minute taking and information emails. If you are interested, please contact Gill
Prior, Chairman Salisbury and South Region [email protected].
5
ONWARDS
SCIENCE
Year 9 STEM Trip
On 14 October 2014, eleven Year 9
students were taken by Mr Lawrence
to attend DSTL (Defence Science and
Technology Laboratory) at Porton
Down for a day of STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering and
Mathematics) careers experiences.
We were greeted by scientists who
work for the MOD (Ministry of Defence)
and we took part in eight different
workshops. The first was a thermal
detection challenge where we had to
insulate a beaker of hot water and using a thermal camera decide which group had the best
design. Next we went outside and threw sweets at different types of ‘armour’ to test which was
the strongest. We did destroy one set of armour by throwing a full packet instead of the
individual sweets – there was nothing in the rules to say we couldn’t! After this we were
allowed to climb over a real-life combat vehicle in order to determine all of the different
components of the design that helped to protect the soldiers inside.
We then moved on to the engineering challenge where we had to build the tallest tower
possible from spaghetti and marshmallows. Points were awarded for how much each tower
cost as well as its height, so the tallest tower didn’t necessarily win. Before lunch we were
shown some real life camouflage suits and then tasked with designing our own camouflage to
match different environments such as deserts, mountains and urban areas.
Following a break, we played a planning operation game where we had to work together as a
team to deliver as much aid as possible to a war torn area. Decisions had to be made on
which paths to take, which vehicles to use and whether to risk going through mined areas in
order to speed up delivery. At this point some of us were interviewed by Spire FM! Next we
had a short session on cyber security which allowed us to
experience coding and encrypting. We sent a message
containing the name of our favourite pop star to the person
sitting opposite us in a format that could not be interpreted by
anyone else if it was intercepted. Finally a session on future
technologies introduced us to some interesting and also
bizarre ideas for what may exist in the future. We were given
different scenarios and then a time limit to decide which five
yet-to-be-invented technologies would have helped us out the
most.
Everyone really enjoyed these new experiences and it has
really opened our eyes to the many different exciting,
interesting and rewarding future career opportunities
available. It has also inspired and awakened our enthusiasm
to continue with the STEM subjects.
(Mr M Lawrence and Georgia-Lee Allen 9N)
6
ONWARDS
SCIENCE cont.
Royal Society of Chemistry’s Top of the Bench Competition
On 27 November 2014 a team from SWGS attended the Royal Society of Chemistry’s regional
heat of their annual Top of the Bench Competition, which is run in order to enthuse and
encourage young scientists to pursue careers in science and especially Chemistry. The team
consisted of Erica Humbey (9E), Georgina Agombar (9N), Emily Canham (10B) and Olivia
Bourne (11E), and was supervised by Dr Wilkinson. The competition took place at Portsmouth
Grammar School. Well done, girls! (Dr T Wilkinson)
The girls describe their day … The day involved us taking part in a number of experiments. In
the morning we had to make our own scientific equipment using polymers and were given some
general knowledge questions to answer throughout the day. The judges were impressed by our
use of general lab equipment to calibrate our hand-made measuring cylinder.
In the afternoon we were given a further two experiments with a number of pieces of
equipment, including an aluminium pie case and an array of metals and solutions. We decided
as a group, to split into pairs as we had done in the morning, to complete the two tasks in a
restricted amount of time, The first task was to work out the reactivity series of five different
metals by testing the voltage between pairs of metals. We were told that this had been an
experiment used in a previous year, but this year it had been made more difficult for us because
we were not told what the metals were and had to work it out for ourselves. The other
experiment involved creating a battery that would in theory produce enough energy to power a
small light bulb, out of aluminium foil, salt, water and a substance bought from a pet shop.
These experiences were designed to test all the groups equally, as no schools had tried them
prior to the competition. In the end the afternoon was very successful and we completed the
tasks with time to spare in which to complete the science general knowledge questions.
Whilst we were waiting for the judges to decide on winners, we watched a demonstration by the
University of Southampton, which involved using liquid nitrogen to investigate changes of state,
and impressive exploding hydrogen balloons! It was an exciting day packed full of activities
where we tested our knowledge and our team work. It was nice to get to know new people and
learn so many things about chemistry: using polymers and making a battery. I'm really pleased
I was part of the team - it was a great experience!
In a nail-biting finish (where the two top teams were described as ‘neck and neck’) we were
finally awarded second place and have a beautiful trophy with which to decorate the Science
department.
HISTORY
Roman Mosaic Workshop
Year 7 students became Roman artists for a morning or afternoon
during the recent Roman Mosaic Workshop. Local artist Joanna
Dewfall spent half a day with each form during which they each
produced a mosaic coaster inspired by their study of Ancient Rome.
The students showed great creativity and everyone produced a very
Roman piece of work. The mosaic that both Joanna and the History
department felt best captured the spirit of Rome and that showed
great skill was produced by Amelia Osman in 7N.
(Mrs A Stephens)
7
ONWARDS
GEOGRAPHY
South Wilts comes second in Wiltshire, Hampshire and Dorset Geographical
Worldwise Quiz
On 21 October 2014, three Year 11
Geography students took part in the GA
Quiz at Talbot Heath School, Bournemouth.
The team of Alice Risebrow, Isabel McNulty
and Laura Coakley had been selected by
the Geography Department after winning an
in-house competition, put together by Sixth
Form Geography prefects Asha Bridewell
and Anita Stern.
In the County competition, the South Wilts
girls took on teams from Poole Grammar,
Canford, Bryanston, Talbot Heath, St
Edwards and Ringwood. Each gruelling round tested their geographical knowledge of things
like famous UK landmarks, map skills, fieldwork, general knowledge and recent events. With
scores appearing on the big screen it was clear from the start that the competition would be a
two-horse race between Bryanston and South Wilts. Isabel, Alice and Laura did exceptionally
well under pressure and should be really proud of coming second place. They won a
certificate, an inflatable globe and a big box of chocolates …. no prizes for guessing what they
were most pleased with!
(Mrs K Parker)
Year 7 Geography SWAT Competition
This term the Year 7 were entered in to a regional
competition, competing against ten other grammar
schools from across the South West. They were set the
task of presenting geographical information about their
‘Favourite Place’ and explaining what made that place
special to them. With a £50 Amazon voucher as first
prize there was a big incentive to be as creative and as
detailed as possible.
The entries received were fantastic and very varied in their locations. Venice, Romsey,
Lulworth Cove, Edinburgh, Rome and Salisbury were all chosen as favourite places for very
different reasons. Some students had presented the information as a newspaper article,
others as a bright eye-catching poster, with one student even producing a two-page tourist
guide. We were only able to send through three entries to the regional competition and
choosing these was very difficult. After much deliberation the entries chosen were by
Abigail Hill, Charlotte Wilson and Zoe Shadlock. All these students have been given a
certificate and a small prize for their effort.
As the entries were so impressive, certificates for the following students were issued to
congratulate them for their hard work: Lucy Preston, Mary Walker, Charlotte Wilson,
Emily Monk, Molly Makin, Kayla Eberhard, Sacha Moore and Ellen Molnar. A huge well done
to you all!
(Miss C Taggart)
8
ONWARDS
MODERN FOREIGN LANGUAGES
French Exchange 2014
On 17 October 2014, Year 10 and 12 students from South Wilts and Bishops embarked on the
first leg of an exchange programme to Nantes, France. An early start with a bus departure at
5:30am began the trip on a very excited (and not at all tired) note, as the students and
teachers headed for Portsmouth. After the six hour ferry journey across mildly choppy seas,
and the four hour drive to Nantes from Calais, we finally arrived at St. Joseph Le Loquidy, our
exchange partner school.
After spending the weekend with our respective families, we had a very exciting week planned
in Nantes. This involved a variety of different activities, from visits to FC Nantes Football
Stadium, to ancient castles in surrounding towns. Both year groups also took an active role in
some lessons at Le Loquidy, which included Geography, Mathematics and English. A highlight
of the exchange for the Year 12 students was undoubtedly a day trip to Paris, in which we had
time to visit famous landmarks and explore this beautiful city for ourselves. I am sure all the
other students will agree that the day was certainly one to be remembered; particularly for
some who caught a surprise bicycle ride and ended up at the wrong train station for the
journey home!
Living with a French family and being completely immersed in French culture for this length of
time proved to be challenging and quite tiring at times, however, the improvements made to
our language skills was invaluable. What’s more, some of us may have made friendships for
life. On behalf of all the students who took part in the exchange to Nantes, I would like to
thank all the teachers who spent much time organising the trip; it was an absolutely fantastic
experience.
(Mrs S Hackett)
BUSINESS STUDIES / ICT
Student Robotics
On the first Saturday of half term
some of the group that makes up the
SWGS Student Robotics team made
their way down to Southampton,
accompanied by Mr Greenslade. All the teams that were there called out that they were
present, followed by the lecture theatre screaming ‘yeah’ in response, as instructed by the man
leading the initial presentation. The task this year was explained as Capture the Flag.
This was followed by the start of activities for the day, allowing everyone to get to grips with
how to program their ‘robot’. Kits were handed out which contained all the essentials people
would need to get their robots started. Unfortunately there wasn’t a designated builder on our
team: all were coders, meaning that when we got to a task that involved a bit of building of
circuits, there were some problems, but most of the coding tasks were done with no problems.
A lot was learned from this event, from how to transfer code to the device to make it work, and
how to get the robot to move (in theory of course at this point) and many theories were
formulated about tactics and the code that would be needed.
(Bria Muir 13D)
9
ONWARDS
DT - FOOD TECHNOLOGY
British Nutrition Foundation - Drummond Education Awards 2014
For the third time in five years a South Wilts student has won the coveted Drummond Award
for gaining the highest marks in Food Technology at A level. Charlotte Lloyd joined Sarah
Beckett (2010) and Natasha Patel (2012) on this prestigious list.
Charlotte’s achievement was
marked by an invitation to the
British Nutrition Foundation
Awards ceremony held at the
Royal College of Physicians in
Regent’s Park London. After a
lecture by Professor Ricardo
Uauy, Professor Emeritus at the
London School of Hygiene and
Tropical Medicine, entitled
‘Health is shaped before
conception and by early life
events’, Charlotte was awarded
her certificate and a cheque for
£100 by the Patron of the British
Nutrition Foundation HRH The
Princess Royal. I was also presented with a certificate and a cheque for £200 to use for the
Food Technology Department. Princess Anne chatted to Charlotte and me afterwards about
her role as Patron and her passionate views on the importance of education in nutrition.
At the ensuing reception I
talked to the admissions tutor
for King’s College London, who
was also awarded a funding
grant for her research into
‘sleep and its effect on diet and
obesity’, about past and
present SWGS students. It
was gratifying to note how well
regarded our students are by
the Higher Education
institutions.
Following the Awards
luncheon, Charlotte and I found
ourselves seated next to an ex
SWGS student called Rebecca
Haresign, who has just been recruited after graduation from her Food and Nutrition degree by
the British Nutrition Foundation, to help develop and deliver their education policies.
Charlotte thoroughly deserved this award for all her hard work and we wish her all the best in
her future studies.
(Mrs G Mahoney)
10
ONWARDS
MUSIC
Individual Success
Congratulations to the many girls who have passed individual Music
exams this term, including the following girls who have passed Grade 8:
Anita Monserrat – Theory of Music with Distinction, Natalie Tan – Tuba
with Distinction, Hannah Williams – Trumpet with Merit.
Following successful auditions, Jessica Jennings has become a member
of the ‘Cello section of the National Youth Chamber Orchestra and Anita Monserrat a member
of the First Violin section of the National Youth Orchestra. These are exceptional
achievements which will lead to thrilling opportunities.
The A Cappella Trust and New Staging
The A Cappella Trust has donated a sum of money, which combined with money raised by
members of the choir, has enabled the purchase of some very handsome staging to allow for
better visibility when performing in certain venues. The staging will receive its first outing on 24
January 2015 at our concert in St. Martin’s Church.
Evensong Review – 22 October 2014
On the final day of school last term, the beautiful setting of Salisbury Cathedral played host to
the South Wilts A Cappella Choir for Evensong, under the direction of Mrs Poppleton. Despite
being a familiar setting for most of us, the choir was sensitive and respectful of the true
meaning of the service.
Following the psalm and the stunning Shephard responses, the choir sang Ivor Atkins’
‘Magnificat’ and ‘Nunc Dimittis’ – the latter being distinctly poignant, and appropriately calming
after a busy term. The anthem, ‘Greater Love Hath No Man’ by John Ireland, was compelling
and emotive – a particular favourite of many of us in the choir. This piece is often sung in
services to commemorate victims of war, which, as it is the centenary of WWI this year, was
very appropriate.
It was a thoroughly enjoyable service, and thanks must go to Mrs Poppleton for her endless
dedication to getting the best out of our choir. We would also like to thank Mr Fay for
accompanying us on the organ, and Mrs Fay for filling the shoes of Mrs Timperley so
effortlessly during rehearsals this term.
(Tegan Eldridge 13I)
Junior Choir Performance at the Friends of SWGS and BWS Christmas Fair –
22 November 2014
Junior Choir had the great experience of singing at the FSWGS/BWS Christmas Fair on
22 November 2014. They congregated around the piano and sang some of the songs they
had rehearsed for the Autumn Concert, as well as some popular Christmas carols and songs.
All were adorned with a Christmas accessory, and were in jovial spirits. We were
accompanied by Mrs McGuiness on the piano, and are very grateful to her for her jaunty
playing. The Christmas Fair was a lovely occasion for our ‘debut performance’ and we are
hoping to sing there again next year.
Well done to all singers, and thanks to all parents who supported us and the fair.
(Mrs H Timperley)
11
ONWARDS
MUSIC cont.
School Concert – 25 November 2014
The attendees of the annual November
concert were this year welcomed by the
Senior Orchestra, conducted by Mrs
Poppleton leading them in a dramatic rendition
of the ‘Thieving Magpie Overture’. After this
large scale piece, Mr Wilkinson’s Guitar Group
then took the stage, the small group of players
performing the blues classic ‘I’d Rather Go
Blind’, with Izzy Finlay on lead guitar and
Annabel Salisbury on vocals and an
arrangement of the soul song ‘Destination
Anywhere’ with vocals by Georgia Clarke. The Training Orchestra, comprised of younger
players, performed two challenging works but as always charmed the audience with their
wonderful playing. The choice of an arrangement of Vivaldi’s ‘Winter’ was particularly
appropriate and enjoyed by all. Continuing the winter theme, we heard The Secret Flower- a
carol composed by Natalie Tan, one of our own sixth form students, for her AS level Music. It
is always inspiring to hear music written and performed by the talented girls at our school and
Natalie’s carol was a wonderful choice. Chamber Orchestra, comprised of just nine players
from the Senior Orchestra, then performed parts of Avison’s ‘Concerto in E Minor’. The size of
the group really allowed these players to show their individual talent and provided a completely
different sound to that of the Senior Orchestra. As always, the audience was amazed by the
size of the Senior Choir - every year a huge number of girls participate in the choir which
demonstrates the enthusiasm and talent for music that is part of the atmosphere of the school.
After two arrangements of spiritual songs the choir performed ‘Gaudete!’ - an atmospheric
modern arrangement of an ancient carol accompanied by percussion players.
After the interval we were once again greeted by the Senior Orchestra, this time playing a
selection of tunes from the Academy Award-winning soundtrack of Disney’s ‘Pocahontas’, a
fun choice from a film that many of the players probably grew up watching. They were
followed by Junior Choir whose rendition of ‘Hallelujah’ was particularly moving. It is always
wonderful to watch Junior Choir - all members show such a musical sensitivity and talent from
such a young age. They were followed by A Cappella, a group of older singers from the
school. This year we heard them tackling a particularly challenging piece - Holst’s eight-part
‘Ave Maria’ which required much hard work and practice. This was followed by the seasonal
‘The Snow’ by Elgar, a piece which also allowed two members of A Cappella to showcase their
violin virtuosity as Rosie Howell and Tegan Eldridge played the accompanying violin parts.
This small group of singers was then rejoined by the rest of the Senior Choir
members to perform their last two pieces,
including the cheerful ‘Hail Holy Queen’
from the musical ‘Sister Act’. The final act
of the evening was the school Wind Band
playing two more medleys from popular
musicals. They played us all the
sensations from the recent Disney
phenomenon ‘Frozen’, followed by the
recognisable tunes from the classic ‘Les
Misérables’ ending the evening on an
impressive note.
12
ONWARDS
MUSIC cont.
As always, we were presented with a huge range of musical styles
and genres in this year’s concert, demonstrating the versatility and
range of talent in the school. We took a few minutes at the end of
the concert to show our thanks to all those who contributed to such a
wonderful evening and to the audience for encouraging their
daughters to participate and make this possible. The next
opportunity to see our wonderful choirs will of course be the annual
carol service in the Cathedral on 16 December 2014 and all our
groups will again be performing in the school concert on 17 March
2015. A Cappella and Chamber Orchestra will be giving a concert in
St. Martin’s Church on 24 January 2015. Many thanks to all those
who participated in and organised such a brilliant evening of
entertainment.
(Annabel Salisbury 13D)
Carol Service – 16 December 2014
We are privileged once again to have our Carol
Service in the beautiful setting of Salisbury
Cathedral. The girls from our three choirs, joined
by the men who sing for A Cappella, have worked
extremely hard to prepare a service of readings,
prayers and music. We are particularly thrilled that
the Senior Choir will be singing a carol by Tegan
Eldridge and A Cappella singing one by Esther
Bersweden.
Forthcoming Events 2015:
A Cappella Concert - Saturday 24 January 2015 – 7.30pm – St. Martin’s Church
The concert will include items from the Chamber Orchestra as well as performances
of Bach’s glorious Magnificat and Lauridsen’s beautiful Lux Aeterna by A Cappella
and an invited orchestra. Tickets, £12, or £8 for students, are available from the
Learning Resource Centre.
School Concert – Tuesday 17 March 2015 – 7.00pm – School Hall
A Cappella Evensong – Saturday 18 April 2015 – The Queen’s College, Oxford
Joint Choral Concert for SWGS Senior Choir and BWS Choir – Saturday 2 May
2015 – 7.30pm – Salisbury Cathedral
Open House – Tuesday 7 July 2015 evening – 5.30pm - School Hall and other
rooms
13
ONWARDS
SPORT
Tap Dance
I attended the IDO World Championships of Tap Dance for the
fourth year. Having achieved the Gold Medal last year, it was
going to be tough to hold on to the world title! This year I
competed in the
Adult Category,
representing Team
England with a solo
dance, a small
group and the
formation which
includes
most of the
Rosie Howell - Solo dance
adult team. I was
in the Adult Category
the youngest
competitor in the solo category, but came 7th out
of around 35 dancers, missing out on the final by
just one place. Our small group made it to the
The current England Team, both Juniors
final, also coming 7th, while the boys’ small group
and Adults.
representing England came 1st. The big victory
for the team however, was winning the formation category, both in the adult and junior
sections – meaning we are reigning world champions for the second year running!
(Rosie Howell 13C)
Equestrian Success - Bethany Puzio & Smokin Gun
Bethany Puzio (11E) and her competition pony, Gunner,
have had a very exciting end to a busy season.
In November 2014 they were invited to the British
Connemara Pony Society Annual Awards, as one of the ten
finalists for the BCPS National Performance Title. This
competition, which is open to adults, professionals and
children alike, is run over 12 months, with points given for
placings at affiliated events across a range of disciplines (e.g. eventing, dressage and show
jumping) and with bonus points for qualification and/or placings at National/Championship
level. We were absolutely delighted when Bethany and Gunner were announced as emphatic
winners, scoring over 4,000 points more than their nearest rival. Within
the scheme they won five sub-categories, and Bethany also won the
Junior Rider Award.
This is their third National Title together, having been National School
Dressage Champion in 2012, and then last year winning the National
Pony Club Novice Eventing Title. Then Bethany attended the Southern
British Show Pony Society Annual Awards, where she and Gunner won
the Open Working Hunter Pony Title for the third year running. To cap
it all they were also announced as the Overall BSPS Points Champion
for 2014, a title they’ve never achieved before.
Gunner is now having a well earned holiday, in preparation for next
season!
14
ONWARDS
SPORT cont.
Cross Country
The Hudson Field event took place in pouring rain and muddy conditions, however the girls did
themselves proud:
Minor Girls
Position
Junior Girls
Position
Inter Girls
Position
Lucy Matthews
3rd
Abigail Burn
1st
Anna Tuck
2nd
Isabella Goulding
4th
Louise Webb
2nd
Emma Pike
5th
Charlotte Holman
th
Hannah Craggs
11th
5
Sacha Moore
Kiera Reavill
7th
th
Rachel Lang
8th
th
6
Alice Rattue
8
Rachel Herring
9th
Maddie Emmett
22nd
Alice Uloth
10th
Georgie Holman
4th
Senior Girls
Harry Jenkins
1st
Becky Esdaile
5th
2nd
Isabel Dickson
As South Wilts were organising the event, our thanks to Jeff Butt and Dave Amey who set up
the course and helped run the event and to our Sports Prefects: Clover Crosse, Sophie
Waddington, Juliette Glennon-Alty, Emma Vaughan, Anna Rolfe and to our Yr 10 Sports
Leaders: Abigail Collinge, Matilde Martins, Elspeth McNicol, Ali Lane and Erika Scott. The
event could not have run without you.
The overall results for the 4 cross country races held from September to November:
MINORS
NAME
Isabella
Goulding
Lucy Matthews
Charlotte
Holman
OVERALL
PLACINGS
POINT
S
FINAL
PLACE
1,1,1,4
3
3,3,4,9
10
1st
3rd
4,5,6,10
15
4th
JUNIORS
Abigail Burn
1,1,1,1
3
1st
Louise Webb
2,2,5,5
9
3rd
INTERS
2,2,2,2
6
2ND
Isabel Dickson
1,2,2,3
5
1ST
Gabrielle Morse
3,3,5
11
Anna Tuck
SENIORS
3RD
The girls now qualify for County races on Saturday 6 December at Grittleton.
15
ONWARDS
SPORT cont.
Year 7 Netball
The first challenge of the season came before half term at the Salisbury and District Netball
Tournament that was held at SWGS. SWGS entered two teams and they were placed in
separate pools so wouldn’t meet unless they progressed to the finals. SWGS A played St
Edmunds B winning 13-0 and then beat Trafalgar A 9-0. The B team started with an excellent
match against Godolphin and won 7-4. They also beat Leehurst Swan with a convincing 9
goals to 1 result and had to beat St Edmunds A team to reach the finals with SWGS A. With
that aim in mind the B team made swift work of the opposition and won 12-6. The final was to
be an all SWGS final! All players played with enthusiasm and determination whilst also
keeping the atmosphere friendly and fun. A particular mention to Orla Lovatt-Williams the B
team Centre who took charge in the middle of the court and made some great interceptions
and to Molly Hole who was the tournament top scorer as the A team Goal Attack. The final
score was 8-2 to the A team so SWGS A finished as winners and SWGS B team took second
place. A fantastic result so early in the season. Well done to all players- Zoe Shadlock, Molly
Hole, Izzy Fuller, Alice Cutress, Imogen Lee, Lucy Matthews, Izzy Siggers, Sophie Davidson,
Sasha Moore, Florence Walker, Grace Burton, Emilia Bullifent, Orla Lovatt-Williams, Donya
Saneie, Olivia Evans, Ella Waterworth, Maddy Pearce and Georgia Madzarevic.
Since the tournament the Year 7 teams have played St Edmunds again. Unfortunately they
could only bring 10 players so the A team played first and won 8-0, the B team played them
second and won 6-1 and then for the final third the teams were mixed together and SWGS
won 5-0. By then it was rather dark and the girls did well to see the ball and the court
markings! Orla Lovatt-Williams and Molly Hole were voted Players of the Match by St
Edmunds.
The B team were also due to play Leehurst Swan but the match was rained off.
Year 8 Netball
The first match of the season for the Year 8s was against St Edmunds and SWGS were
dominant from the first whistle to the final one, so much so that we were asked to field a
weaker side as St Edmunds were getting a bit demoralised. The A team had the majority of
possession as the final score of 21 goals to nil would suggest. The B team were also too
strong for the opposition and won their match 9-1. Flossie Ball was voted Player of the Match
for the As and Lexi Brown was voted Player for the B team.
The Year 8 Salisbury Festival was the next opportunity for the teams to play. Unfortunately
some schools couldn’t play so there was a round robin competition between SWGS A, SWGS
B, Godolphin and Trafalgar. SWGS A won all their matches 15-5 v Godolphin, 11-1 against
SWGS B and 13-5 against Trafalgar. SWGS B team drew 3-3 against Trafalgar but lost to
Godolphin. The overall results were SWGS A first place, Godolphin 2 nd, Trafalgar 3rd and
SWGS B 4th on a count back of goals scored for and against. Well done to the whole squad
on their efforts in training and in matches.
16
ONWARDS
SPORT cont.
The B team were also due to play Leehurst Swan but it was rained off.
SWGS visited Godolphin for an A and B team fixture and a repeat of the festival match.
Unfortunately Godolphin are not focussing on netball this term and SWGS dominated all
aspects of play. The A team played 2 halves of 8 minutes first and won 10-3. Godolphin
asked for the score to return to 0-0 to help encourage the players but SWGS won again 4-2
and again in the final 8 minutes 7-1. At times SWGS were rushed on court and passes went
astray because players weren’t balanced but for the majority of play SWGS used space well
and fed some lovely balls into Theo and Sedona in the circle. When the ball did reach the
Godolphin end, Darcy, Flossie and Sasha worked as a team to close down the space and limit
their opportunities forcing Godolphin to make errors. The B team, with Delilah Sturgis stepping
in last minute to play GA, played 4 separate games, each one starting again at 0-0. SWGS
proved to be far too strong and won each match 8-0, 5-0, 3-0 and 3-0. Godolphin failed to
score a goal. Players of the match were Sedona Jamieson and Darcy Arnold-Drewett for the A
team and Delilah Sturgis and Georgia Scott for the B team. Well done to all the players
involved.
Year 9 Netball
The Year 9 team played their first away game of the season to Parkstone Grammar School,
Poole. The first quarter was played against their Year 11 team. Both teams started well but it
was Parkstone who took the advantage and won 6-3. Keeping the score the same, we then
played the U14 B team. This quarter allowed our girls to get into rhythm, and Georgie
Strawson and Katy Cutler’s communication in the defensive Circle had a strong effect on the
interceptions and dominance which led to SWGS gaining the lead with a 7-6 score line going
into the third quarter. The U14 PGS A team played in this quarter and the work between
Abigail and Natasha in the attacking end saw goals going in from a variety of distances, giving
SWGS a deserved 14-6 lead. The final quarter saw PGS put out a mixed team of Year 9 and
Year 11 players. This was a challenge to our girls, especially the Year 11 PGS Goalkeeper
whose height meant Natasha had to shoot under extreme pressure. It was the closest and
toughest quarter in terms of goals, but overall SWGS won 17-10. Well done Girls!
Team: Georgie Strawson, Katy Cutler, Anya Mawdsley, Claudia Bailey, Emily Wall, Abigail
Robertson, Natasha King and Bethan Oliver.
U14 County Tournament
The U14 team qualified second in their group from the Salisbury District Tournament which
gave them a place at the County Tournament. On Sunday 16 November the U14 team
travelled to Dorcan where they played a round robin tournament and the top two teams would
17
ONWARDS
SPORT cont.
qualify for regionals. Our first match was against St
Mary’s, and it was a 13-3 victory. As the matches went
on so did the girls’ confidence and it wasn’t until our two
toughest matches Marlborough and Godolphin that we
were particularly tested. Some excellent feeding from
Katharine Buck and Claudia Bailey into the circle gave
our shooters Abigail Robertson and Natasha King
shooting chances. We were 4-3 up against Marlborough
but unfortunately it was not to be our day and we lost 76. We had to at least win or draw against Godolphin to
go through in second place and it was a tough match,
with many of the
girls knowing each other and both schools desperate
to win. 4-0 down at half time, it felt like game over but
the determination and fight back enabled us to draw 77. Well done to the whole team for all their effort and
we look forward to regionals on 31 January in
Bournemouth.
Team: Abigail Robertson (C), Natasha King, Bethan
Oliver, Georgie Strawson, Katharine Buck, Anya
Mawdsley, Emily Wall, Claudia Bailey and Katy Cutler.
Year 10 Netball
Congratulations to the Year 10 B team who played their first fixture against Burgate School.
After a very competitive 1st quarter the girls were up 3-2 with both teams playing strongly.
South Wilts settled in the 2nd quarter and found their rhythm, resulting in a 10-4 lead. After this,
the team never looked back with the final score 22-13. Fantastic play by all the girls who were:
Alice Uloth, Mathilda Julien, Bea Young, Georgie Cox, Jess Robinson, Rachel Herring (C),
Harriet Legg, Steph Brown and Katie Young. ‘Player of the Match’ voted for by Burgate was
Rachel Herring, a particularly well deserved accolade as GA is a new position for Rachel – well
done.
Both A and B teams played in the Area District Tournament in hurricane conditions! Wins were
aplenty; the A team narrowly missed out on first place to Godolphin and the B team were
placed 3rd overall.
In slightly better weather, the A and B teams played a friendly against St Edmunds. A very
strange result of both teams winning with exactly the same score: 21- 4! In the A team, Elise
Wolfarth was named Player of the Match and in the B team Jess Robinson. Well done to:
A Team: Mathilda Julien, Ellie Fitzgerald, Rachel Burgess, Annabel Ditchfield, Tara
King, Elise Wolfarth (C) and Ellie Russell.
B Team: Freya Croager, Prescelli Annan, Bea Young, Georgie Cox, Jess Robinson,
Rachel Herring and Harriet Legg.
U19 Netball
The U19 Netball players have been working hard to become a new squad as we have
welcomed students from other schools into the SWGS team. The teams are now beginning to
settle and producing some excellent results as a consequence. In their school fixture vs St
Mary’s Calne, the 1sts won 16-14 and the 2nds lost by just 1 goal in a very tight game. In the
U19 Wiltshire County Tournament an amazing team performance left us placed 3 rd overall.
18
ONWARDS
SPORT cont.
Wins included 8-2 vs Warminster; 23-0 vs Swindon College; 7-5 vs Dauntseys; 10-4 vs St
Mary’s, 15-2 vs Hardenhuish; 11-8 vs Godolphin and a convincing win vs Sheldon.
Unfortunately the last 2 matches of the tournament were against the toughest competition and
despite winning for three-quarters of the match, New College eventually found another gear
when it really counted and pulled away in the last 3 minutes, meaning a loss for SWGS 9-13.
In our final match against Marlborough there were a few too many errors in the first half which
meant we were playing catch up. We did win the second half but unfortunately overall
Marlborough took the points, winning 9-4. Well done to the following squad on an excellent
performance: Darcy Bounsall, Annabel Harding, Izzy
Dickson, Juliette Glennon-Alty, Sophie Waddington,
Emma Vaughan, Mia Trythall, Anna Rolfe, Millie Lewis
and Lizzie Dodd.
Well done to the U19 Wednesday night league players
who have been competing in the Salisbury Ladies
league at Sarum Academy. They have held their own
against some very well established and experienced
teams. Results are as follows; wins: 30-28 vs
Godolphin, 59-17 vs Harnham B, 35-19 vs Downton Jade. Losses: 23-30 vs Downton Ruby,
19-45 vs Harnham A, 23-46 vs Swans. Well done to the following players on their excellent
commitment every Wednesday evening (particularly in some rather wet conditions!): Annabel
Harding, Millie Lewis, Ellie Wotton, Anna Rolfe, Mia Trythall, Gemma Morgan, Imogen Trigger,
Emma Vaughan and Darcy Bounsall.
Year 11 Netball Umpiring
A big thank you to the following Year 11 students who umpired at the Primary High 5 Netball
festival that was held at SWGS- it couldn’t have happened without you:- Hazel Cutler, Helen
Forrest, Kiera Reavill, Sally Morris, Anna Feest, Amy Webster, Phoebe Wing, Beth Moloney,
Hannah Pickup and Charlie Robertson. Three of the group will now go on to umpire at the
District Finals in December.
U12 Hockey
SWGS V GODOLPHIN
The Year 7’s played their first 7-aside game against Godolphin. The team consisted of 11
players and roll on and off subs were made during the game to ensure everyone had a fair
amount of playing time. It wasn’t long before the several attempts on goal resulted in us
taking an early lead. Some excellent attacking down the right and left side saw Alice Cutress
receive many chances to put the ball away, which she did. At half time we were leading 5-0
and it wasn’t long into the second half before we were scoring again, goals from Zoe
Shadlock, Millie Wharmby, Molly Hole, Grace Burton and Sophie Dennis. A great game which
resulted in a SWGS win 12-0. Well played everyone. Player of the Month was awarded to
Zoe Shadlock.
Team: Alice Cutress (C), Zoe Shadlock (C), Isobel Siggers, Sophie Dennis, Abigail Howard,
Grace Burton, Millie Wharmby and Maddie Pearce.
19
ONWARDS
SPORT cont.
U13 Hockey
SWGS V GODOLPHIN
The U13 team played their first 7-aside hockey match against our rivals Godolphin. With a
mixture of Year 7 and 8 players and some first time goalie experiences, it was good learning
curve. Zoe Shadlock went in goal first, showed some great reactions to stop some quick
stops. Most of the first half action was in the Godolphin attacking half, but some quick breaks
meant we were able to counter attack and show some clinical finishing with Coco Bradley,
Alice Cutress and Tash Miskin all getting on the core sheet before half time. The second half
saw Zoe Shadlock come out of goal for Sophie Dennis and the domination of the right wing
began. Some excellent players by South Wilts and attacking which gave Zoe the opportunity
to score on the counter attack. Final score was 6-3 to SWGS and some excellent defensive
plays by the Player of the Match Sasha Elliott. Well done!
Team: Tash Miskin (C), Zoe Shadlock, Alice Cutress, Coco Bradley, Sasha Elliott, Margaret
Jacobs, Olivia Evans, Sophie Dennis and Theo Weston.
U16 Hockey
SWGS V HAMPSHIRE COLLEGIATE
The U16 team played their first match since their success at the County Tournament. It was a
match which involved lots of rain, dirt and physical prowess. The girls had been training hard
and were looking more like a team who knew their positions and roles. Hazel and Hannah
Pickup looked solid at the back, covering each other when Hampshire Collegiate exploited any
gaps. Sarah and Lara were strong in the middle, penetrating their defence. Katy and Lily
occupied the left side causing problems throughout. It was Sarah Brown who broke the
deadline and got SWGS in front. It wasn’t long before Hampshire Collegiate took advantage
of short corners and were 2-1 in front at half time. As the confidence grew in the second half,
the opportunities started to come with goals from Lara Mayhew and Lily Jackson putting
SWGS in front. Well done, tough physically demanding game in the rain!
Team: Sarah Brown (C), Lara Mayhew (C), Lily Jackson, Sammy Cole, Matilda Bryant, Grace
Bairstow, Katy Cutler, Hazel Cutler, Molly Morrison, Hannah Pickup, Phoebe Wing, Zoe
Shadlock and Alice Cutress.
SWGS V CLAYSMORE COLLEGE
The U16 team headed to Claysmore College on a rainy, cloudy afternoon. We didn’t have
long to warm up before the game had to start. The first half saw both sides having equal
chances and possession. It was Claysmore who capitalised on their chances and took a 2-0
lead. Some tough character building saw South Wilts react quickly with a Katy Cutler strike to
make it 2-1 game on. The Claysmore team were moving the ball around and gaining more
possession, and when in the D looked dangerous, the first half ended 3-1. The second half
showed a good battle in midfield which we were starting to dominate and it wasn’t long before
we scored through a great goal from Lara Mayhew. 3-2 to Claysmore. It wasn’t long before
Claysmore counter attacked and were back in front, 4-2. South Wilts persisted in the rain and
on the attack looked dangerous. Katie Evans debut involved her getting on the score sheet
too, making the game very tense at 3-2. With a few minutes left South Wilts had several short
corners but it was too late and the game finished 4-3 to Claysmore. A great game showing
courage and determination to keep going through the rain and cold weather. Well done girls.
Team: Sarah Brown (C), Lara Mayhew (C), Lily Jackson, Sammy Cole, Matilda Bryant, Katy
Cutler, Hazel Cutler, Molly Morrison, Hannah Pickup, Phoebe Wing, Grace Bairstow and Katie
Evans.
20
ONWARDS
SPORT cont.
U16 Hockey Regionals
It was an early start to the day, leaving South Wilts at 7am in
order to get to Clifton College Sports Centre, Bristol, in good
time before our first game. We knew we faced a challenging
day ahead and were up against very strong competition,
including Canford, Millfield and Bryanston, but we were
determined to stay positive and focussed throughout the
tournament.
Our first game was against Hereford Cathedral. This was a
strong performance from South Wilts and we beat them 3-0
which was a positive start. We scored our first goal soon into
the game after a brilliant build up from our defence into the
midfield. An excellent pass to Sammy in the ‘D’ who finished it
off with a reverse slap into the corner in true textbook style.
We were quickly back into the 'D' and a great strike from
Sarah from top gave us our second goal. Our third goal came
Two captains: Lara Mayhew from a short corner; I hit the ball to Sammy on the post and a
and Sarah Brown
great touch from her secured another goal. This gave us a
great start to the tournament.
Our next game was against Exeter School. We managed to keep the momentum going and
put up a strong fight, scoring 2 goals both in quick succession in the first half. Lily and Sarah
scored two brilliant goals; one came from a hard cross from Sarah to Lily positioned on the far
post who deftly put her stick to it, sending the ball shooting up into the top corner - the
goalkeeper did not stand a chance. The opposition was unable to get back at us, and the
game finished 2-0.
Dean Close was the final opposition in our pool and we knew they were a particularly strong
team so the pressure was on to come top of our pool. It was a closely fought battle and the
game could have gone either way, but in the end it was Dean Close who won 0-2. Both goals
came from very well rehearsed short corners and although our defenders did everything they
could, the ball managed to reach the back of the net. However, although we were beaten in
this game, we ended up second in our pool, which gave us a place in the quarter-finals.
It was Canford whom we faced next. This was also a very close game and I think we
surprised them with our expertise. We had several chances at goal but their goalkeeper was
just too good and we couldn’t find room to get the ball past her. The game finished 0-2.
Considering the team has only been playing together since the beginning of term, with only
training once every other week, we were very happy with our performance and were thrilled to
have got so far in the competition.
We are very grateful to Friends of South Wilts who kindly
funded the purchase of our team kit. It made all the
difference to the team having proper hockey kit to wear,
especially when taking part in such an important tournament,
and by looking the part, it gave that added boost of
confidence to our performance. A special ‘thank you’ too to
Miss Allen and Mrs Parker for all their wonderful support, and
for getting hockey up and running again at South Wilts. The
sport is hugely popular amongst the students and we are
21
ONWARDS
SPORT cont.
extremely grateful to them both for giving us all the opportunity to play, and also to Anna
Barnes and Clover Crosse, our Sixth Form coaches.
Team: Sarah Brown (C), Lara Mayhew (C), Sammy Cole, Lily Jackson, Hannah Pickup, Hazel
Cutler, Katy Cutler, Molly Morrison, Katie Evans, Phoebe Wing, Grace Bairstow, Georgie Cox
and Grace Macready (GK).
A Taste of Bath University
On 21 October 2014, a group of fifteen GCSE PE girls took an early minibus up to the
University of Bath. None of us really knew what to expect and we were all slightly
apprehensive on the way up of what the day would involve. When we got to the university, we
were all stunned by the sheer size of the campus. Once parked, we headed over to the sports
building. Quite a few of us had been before to see the Bath team play netball but seeing it
from a ‘sport student’s’ point of view was totally different. Everywhere we looked there were
posters of successful athletes who have come from or trained at Bath University and those of
us who were knowledgeable about athletes were quick on the mark to spot which famous
Commonwealth Games Runner or England Hockey player was walking about. The
atmosphere was so professional and we really felt like true sportswomen walking around.
The first session was a fitness theory talk by a sport scientist. He mainly spoke to us about
the university and all the different aspects that go into training an athlete. It was interesting to
see what the athletes have to do when they really commit themselves to a sport, particularly
one like Bobsled (which he focused on). The commitment required is unbelievable and it
really made us realise all the different components someone needs to be an elite athlete.
After the talk we walked to one of the gyms where two sportsmen were waiting for us with
bags of netballs. This session was on hand-eye coordination and just general fitness using
netballs. We did a huge variety of activities with netballs on our own, in pairs and in teams
(which really brought out the competitive side within us) and ended in a mass game of a
combination of netball and catching the flag. It was really good practice for the budding
netballers in the group as well as those who just needed to work on their catching/throwing
ability. We all left the session red-faced and tired, extremely desperate to eat lunch and have
a rest!
After eating our lunch a few metres away from Commonwealth athletes, we were taken to the
indoor track. It was such a surreal feeling, music was blasting loudly to pump the athletes,
there were people training all around us, a spin class was on next door and for an instant, it
felt as if we were serious athletes! There was something about the atmosphere that was so
exhilarating and really pumped us up for the afternoon. We were greeted by a sportsman
called Adam Hall who led us in a speed for sport session. He himself was a serious athlete,
his main sport being Judo. This session involved doing squats, sprinting, jumping and
learning how to break. I solely blame this session for our struggle to walk the following day!
The final hour of the day was what we’d all been waiting
for, the Judo session. Judo was a sport that almost all of
the class had never even attempted before so we didn’t
have a clue what to expect but we were in for a real treat.
We started with doing basic forward and backward rolls
across mats and after that, we got into pairs and started
Judo. It was genuinely one of the most fun things we’ve
ever done on a school trip. We were allowed to throw our
partner to the floor as hard as we liked (obviously we had
22
ONWARDS
SPORT cont.
watched numerous demonstrations) and it was a great opportunity to take out any anger that
we had inside us as we floored each other on to a crash mat. It was so funny watching fifteen
girls picking one another up and throwing one another to the floor whilst trying not to fall over
from laughing so much. We ended the Judo session with a game of tackling each other on to
our backs as we tried to get from one side of the mats to the other. It was absolutely
hysterical and as well as feeling achy, we left the session with stomachs sore from laughing.
The day was an absolute success in every possible way, it opened our eyes to university and
has inspired all of us to work hard to get the grades. We learned a great deal about PE and
what doing sport at university consists of, as well as university life in general. It was a great
group of people and teachers and together we left Bath feeling like we’d learned a lot more,
improved our sporting techniques and also learned how to floor someone!
(Celeste Conn 11E)
Congratulations to Lucy-Jane Matthews in Year 7 who competes in
athletics and has become County champion in Long Jump, Sprint
Hurdles and 200m, and South West regional champion in Sprint
Hurdles. She holds 6 club records at her athletics academy in
Southampton and is currently ranked number 2 in the UK for Under
13 girls pentathlon, despite having another year to go in this age
group.
Congratulations to Katy
Cutler in Year 9 who
competes for South West
England Water Polo and
Lucy-Jane Matthews. In
recognition of their
achievements this year,
both were nominated, and went on to win a ‘Funding
Future Olympians’ Sports award presented by
Olympic Heptathlon athlete Kelly Sotherton at the
Wiltshire Sports Awards on 22 October 2014.
Katy Cutler on the left and Lucy-Jane Matthews on the right.
CHARITY
I am Emily Wright and I am in Year 8 at South Wilts Grammar School. I organised Dotty Day
because the RNIB (Royal National Institute of Blind People) helped me and I wanted to give
something back.
This is my story …
I used to have good eyesight but at the age of 8 I was diagnosed with cancer (a brain tumour).
This brain tumour has slowly squished my eye nerves since. I have had chemotherapy and
now it has stopped growing but could start again at any time.
I still have a little bit of tunnel vision left in my right eye (I can see up to about a metre and just
about read
Braille).
comic sans 24 size large print but am learning
(cont.)
23
ONWARDS
CHARITY cont.
This little bit of vision left is very important to me because it is vital to me getting along.
However, I am registered blind and I do have support in school.
I have two wonderful teaching assistants (TAs) to help me in school. They adapt my
resources so that I can be independent in the classroom. I am learning touch-typing and
Braille. These skills will make me as quick as all my friends in the class.
In fact, I can still do everything I used to but sometimes have to approach it in different ways
from my friends, family or class mates. For example, I hope to start using more textured
materials in my art lessons.
Having an eye problem is harder in a way than other disabilities because you are not
obviously blind unless you carry a white cane around with you. People do not know straight
away that I am blind and might expect me to do things that I find tricky, although sometimes
this is quite nice because I can tell people about it in my own way and in my own time.
RNIB has made it possible for me to keep going with all my activities. They have given me
equipment to help at school and at home. I have a cane and sunglasses which I have with me
whenever I go out. These are just two of the things the RNIB have given me.
On 22 October 2014 I organised a national RNIB fundraising day called Dotty Day. At school
I hosted a cake sale. Everyone in the school paid a pound to come in non-school uniform and
wear dots (like Braille). Also I did three assemblies (even in front of the 6 th Formers)! I got
everyone in the school to try and decipher a sentence in Braille and told them this fact: only
7% of all books are changed into braille or large print.
I would like to thank: my TAs, Mrs Hole, the whole of my form 8N, especially Scarlet
Herbertson, Alice Mawdsley and Becca Witte and everyone else who baked cakes and helped
out.
Overall we managed to raise about £958 for RNIB which can hopefully go towards helping
someone like me.
(Emily Wright 8N)
On 14 November 2014 it was the BBC
Children In Need day. For a donation
of 50p students were allowed to come
to school with spotty accessories and
Pudsey ears. The Year 7s in
particular got into the spirit of the day.
£337.54 was raised in total.
12D were the first tutor group to hold a
cake sale this term and raised the
great amount of £74.25! Well done.
7B, 10W, 7N and 11W all have
Christmas-related events coming up
soon.
This year £192.62 was collected for the Poppy Appeal and students have been filling in their
own poppies with poignant messages to display on the old building corridor.
24
ONWARDS
CHARITY cont.
The Trussell Trust Christmas Boxes were well supported again this year
with 54 boxes brought in for collection. Belarus boxes are also being
filled by Years 10-13.
SWGS/BWS Christmas Fair
The staff recipe book was in high demand at the Christmas Fair and I was
delighted to tot up the takings at the end of the day to discover that we
had sold 115 copies! At only £3.00, customers were happy to buy a copy
or two for presents or for themselves knowing that £2.50 per book was
going straight to our three charities. Staff names are attached to the
recipes they have donated so they must be recipes that are fool-proof and
fantastic! Florence Walker of 7E designed the front cover and was
presented with a book token in assembly. I must say a big thank you to
Mrs Taylor who helped me collate the book and with producing all the
copies in time for the fair. Thanks to some of the charity prefects who helped on the day too.
The recipe book will continue to be on sale in school until the end of term.
I am looking forward to handing the reins over
(just a little) to the charity prefects after Christmas
as they are going to be organising a special
evening of fun and fundraising before Easter.
More details will follow in 2015. Also in 2015 there
will be Oddsocks Day for the Stars Appeal so
keep 12 February 2015 as a charity day in your
diaries.
Thank you for your continued support.
(Mrs J Hole)
Boxes for Belarus
Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the ‘Boxes for Belarus’ appeal. Every year we
ask girls in Years 10-13 to support the local charity BVOC Belarusian Victims of
Chernobyl by bringing in donations to make up a form box. These are sent out to those
most in need in Belarus, in particular the many children in orphanages. If you are interested in
finding out more about the work of this charity in Belarus follow this link http://bvoc.org/.
Volunteer Opportunities
Every year a group of our students travel out to Belarus to volunteer on the Summer camps.
In 2015 four groups will go out to the HORIZONT camp between 17 July and the end of
August 2015. The camp runs throughout June, July and August and is open to adult
volunteers and students from any schools. It has proved to be a
rewarding experience for many girls and boys over the years so do
take a look at the photo gallery and information. It is not too late to
join a group in 2015.
25
ONWARDS
26