July - South Wilts Grammar School for Girls
Transcription
July - South Wilts Grammar School for Girls
ONWARDS July 2010 Staff Farewells There will be several changes next year. We say goodbye to members of staff who are leaving at the end of term: Grace Hemming will retire after 28 years as Bursar at South Wilts. Mrs Hemming has been a member of the Senior Leadership Team, having responsibility for school finance, HR and the support staff as well as the school site and has overseen the many new buildings and refurbishments over the years. Mike Parks retires after 31 years at South Wilts, for the past 20 years as Head of ICT. He was part of writing the Specialist School Bid in 2003. He also taught Chemistry until 1998. Alan Dennis retires as Head of History and SEN after 20 years here. Ian Owen leaves after 21 years as Teacher in Charge of Classical Civilisation to take up a Head of Classics post at Bishop Wordsworth’s. We also say goodbye to Joanna Milkins (English) who is going part-time to Gillingham School, Gemma Ellis (Science and Geology) who is travelling overland to Australia, Lucy Darby (Sports Co-ordinator) and Nicky Taylor (parttime Art). Catherine McLannahan (Drama) goes on maternity leave. We also say goodbye to Joel Harley, our Bournemouth University ICT student who has been here on a one year work placement. Mary Andrew has worked her gap year on reception and as departmental support, particularly in Music. We would like to thank all those who are leaving for all their hard work and wish them well for the future. Building Work This summer we are aiming to complete the refurbishment of the Old Building. This includes replacing windows and doors and raising the level of the downstairs floors. Work started last October holiday and has continued throughout the year. The refurbishment of the computer rooms is already well underway. Corridors and stairways will be redecorated. We are also extending the Dining Room and refurbishing it. Students are currently helping with the design of the interior to give the area a light and modern feel. Learning Resource Centre and Academic Mentoring The new LRC has meant much greater usage by students who enjoy working in this environment. Mrs Wood and her team of student librarians have been very active in running book club, book awards and competitions and ensuring that the LRC is popular The LRC has been used for one to one mentoring by Sixth Formers. Academic mentoring this year were led by the Year 13 students Miranda Kent, Mei Ling Henry, Charlotte Little and Rachel Tooley, with very little staff input. It has been so popular that additional mentors have needed to be trained to cope with demand. (Mrs Stratton) A Message for the Summer The holidays always seem to fly by, especially for girls expecting A and AS level results on Thursday 19th August and GCSE results on Tuesday 24th August. This has been a fantastically successful year for the school with sporting, musical, artistic, dramatic, mathematical, scientific and creative achievements in every area. Congratulations and enjoy the summer. (Mrs Stratton) Academy Status When we return in September we will start to inform and consult parents and students about the new Academy Status. Hopefully all the essential information will be available by then. (Mrs Stratton) July 2010 Page 2 Attendance Uniform Parent Support Page 3 Charity News Our link with China Page 4 South West Academic Trust news Page 5 Psychology Essay Competition Maths News Page 6 Junior Maths Challenge Page 7 G&T Science & Drama Day Eco Week Page 8 German Trip French Trip Page 9–11 Activities week Page 12 Activities Week Auschwitz Page 13 Industry Days Page 14 Drama News Music News Page 15 Music News Page 16 Music News Sports News Page 17 Sports Day Page 18 Sports News Page 19 Sports News Page 20 IT / Facebook News Lost Property September Start Dates ONWARDS Attendance As the end of this year approaches and another bunch of holiday/ absence requests find their way into my pigeon hole, please can I ask you all to consider such absences very carefully next year. There is the expectation that all students will attend all lessons and the pattern of absence can be very disruptive. Only in exceptional and unavoidable circumstances should family holidays be taken in term time, all others have to be refused authorisation. Other activities, however beneficial they may seem to be, should take place in holiday or weekend time, excepting those activities such as music examinations where you are offered no alternative. It is understandable that you only see the day or few days absence of your own daughters, but this adds up to a very big picture where staff have to deal with absent pupils on a daily basis, seriously disrupting the educational flow of a series of lessons. Over 500 days of schooling have been lost through holiday absence this year and over 400 pupils have requested absences for reasons other than illness or medical appointments. When considering requesting absence next year, please bear these statistics in mind and be prepared for your requests not to be authorised. (Mrs Stammers) Uniform If you are buying uniform in preparation for the new term in September, please can I ask you to take the following into account: A school fleece is appropriate to wear to and from school as are plain coats in dark green, black, navy or grey. Hoodies, denim and coats with logos are not acceptable. Shoes for school must be black, low heeled and plain, it is not appropriate to come to school in boots, trainers, sandals, cloth or canvas shoes of any kind. Tights for the winter months must be navy, dark green, black or flesh coloured but not grey. We always appreciate your cooperation in ensuring your daughter comes to school in the correct uniform, with a skirt of a decent length and without jewellery or make up. Thank you. (Mrs Stammers) SWGS Uniform shop E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.swgs.wilts.sch.uk The term time opening hours are: Thursday 12.00 to 1.00pm 1st Saturday of each month 9.30am to 10.30am The summer holiday opening times are: Monday 30th August 2010 9.30am to 1.30pm NB The shop will be closed from 23rd July to 31st August 2010 Parent Support Adviser Chris Lister is now working as the Parent Support Adviser for both South Wilts and Bishop Wordsworth’s Schools. She has responsibility for other schools in the Salisbury area and has worked for the last 18 months with the schools in Durrington. Chris can offer help and support to parents with worries regarding their daughter/s during their time at school. She is not part of the school staff and all meetings will be confidential unless agreement to share information in the best interests of the student is given. Some things which she has been involved with in other schools include; Providing a listening ear for parental worries Offering guidance about behavioural problems Gaining access to information about other difficulties including financial worries, relationships and health issues Referring parents and students to other agencies Supplying details of Parenting Groups If you feel that you would like to contact her about any issues facing your family, please do so on 07595 217569 Or email [email protected] 2 ONWARDS Charity News Last term ended with a teacher versus student relay event, organised by 11B. We were fortunate with the weather and teacher teams from Humanities, Maths and Science battled it out with Y11 and Y13 teams from SWGS. Mr Parks looked extremely dapper in his suit and bow tie as official starter; Mrs Owen, in a beautiful hat, awarded the prizes at the end and yes, you have guessed: the pupils won! The Year 11 team: Philippa Hollinghurst, Rebecca Heil, Vicky James and Imogen Wolsey were just too good! Thank you also to 8E for running the charity cake sale at the end of term, achieving their charity target easily. World cup fever hit South Wilts in June and July with a sweepstake organised by 10W (won by Shiffa Shahid, 10A; 2nd place Mr Philips). Winners of Charity Relay Well done to 9E for their lunchtime guessing games fair, to 9W for their outdoor games event and to Miss Drysdale’s group for their “How well do you know South Wilts?” quiz. Did you know that South Wilts has its very own Gareth Malone? After just a few sessions with Mrs Evans, who ran a voice workshop at one of our TD days, the staff singing group was challenged to put on a short concert for pupils on Wednesday 14th July, in aid of the school charities. Hopefully the pupils were impressed! Finally, the charity prefects will be putting on a “Get Ready for Summer” event on the evening of 21st July in the main hall, supported by local shops and beauty outlets. I am sure that this will be a very successful evening. We are all looking forward to the summer holidays but remember to be safe in the sun as well. We look forward to presenting cheques to the Children’s Society and the Mayor of Salisbury’s charity, Childrens Chance, at our end of year charity assembly. There have been some very innovative ideas for raising money again this year and I have been overwhelmed by the sheer generosity of pupils, parents and staff raising approx £10,000. Well done everyone! (Mrs Tallis) Video conferencing with China Our International school prefects in Year 12 have once again been talking face to face with students at our partner school in China. We discussed topics such as May Day celebrations and the recent German exchange. Students in China told us of their exams and showed us some of their magic tricks. There was also an opportunity to discuss music, with students here and in China listening to the same bands. We hope to extend this video conferencing opportunity to a wider range of students next year. (Mr Jones) 3 ONWARDS South West Academic Trust - Year 9 Challenge Day ‘Is there a difference between honesty and law?’ This is just one of the challenging questions posed to groups of Year 9 students across the South West Academic Trust (SWAT) schools. Eight Year 9 students from South Wilts initially formed cross-school groups at the first SWAT Challenge day held at Exeter University in April. Students were posed an Oxbridge interview question and tasked with the challenge of preparing a presentation in response to their question on 6th July. Students worked hard to maintain contact with their group to plan their presentations over distance. Nonetheless on July 6th students presented their ideas, and the results were truly astonishing. With questions ranging from ‘Is there a difference between innocence and naivety?’ to ‘What is the purpose of comedy?’ students grappled successfully with complex and abstract ideas. Their presentations were balanced and thought provoking with a good dose of humour, creativity and controversy! The presentations were videoed and are/will shortly be available on the school website www.swgs.wilts.sch.co.uk. Students were challenged both in their interpersonal skills and abstract thinking and achieved outstanding results. The SWAT will be holding further Challenge Days next year. (Mr Jones) South West Academic Trust - Student Voice Conference On Thursday 1st July we went to Exeter University to take part in the South West Academic Trust’s first ever Student Voice Conference. The morning consisted of all participating schools making a 10 minute presentation on ‘Enrichment opportunities outside the classroom’ and ‘Student Voice’. All schools were very honest and put forward problems they had encountered in their research and suggested potentially very effective ways to solve these issues. After a delicious lunch the representatives from each school were divided into pairs, one Year 12 and one Year 10 and then formed discussion groups lasting half an hour on three topics: ‘How are we challenged?’, ‘Is it cool to be clever?’, and The role of competition in our selective schools. The teachers circulated and listened in as some of us got into heated debates and others discussed mutual problems and issues we come across such as pressures and frustrations that stem from competition and the need to reward students who show outstanding commitment as well as outstanding achievement. It was an extremely enlightening day where we discovered methods other schools use that we hope once we feed back to SWGS will help to improve our student voice and increase the opportunities offered to further our learning. (Anna Goodman, Laura Mason Year 12; Shiffa Shahid, Sabrina Maurice-Broom Year 10) 4 ONWARDS Psychology Essay Competition Congratulations to Jemma Mouland 13MMT for winning 4th place and £100 cash prize for her entry into a national psychology essay competition run by Heythrop College (the specialist Philosophy and Theology College of the University of London.) Students studying AS and A2 were invited to apply and Jemma responded to the poster displayed in our Psychology classroom The Heythrop Psychology Essay Prize 2010 was awarded following entries composing a response to the following title, ‘The Lack of a Single Theoretical Framework in Psychology is Problematic for Discipline’. Discuss. (Mrs MacTaggart) Gifted & Talented Maths Day On 1st July a group of four Year 9 South Wilts students (along with Miss Copley) went to a Gifted and Talented maths day at Stonehenge School. Anna Inman, Georgia Smith, Elly Crosthwaite and Emma Beck enjoyed a day investigating how aeroplanes glide. To begin with we were given an introduction on how aeroplanes worked, and what made them glide. We were then given a booklet and had to make our own plane out of card. We learnt that to make our plane fly well we had to find the centre of gravity and add weight to it. We discovered that the centre of gravity would be nearer the front. When we finished the planes we went down to the hall to test them. We tested them by putting different weights on them and then flying them. We then recorded the results. We found the day very interesting and by the end of it we had learnt a lot about how planes glide and how to make them fly further and be more successful. We would like to say thank you to Stonehenge School for having us and also to Miss Copley for taking us. (Georgia Smith, Anna Inman Year 9) Year 7 FunMaths Roadshow A Bi-Lingual Maths Event On 6th July, Year 7 took part in the FunMaths Roadshow held in the Main Hall. This was a bilingual event with 50 mathematical puzzles to solve…..but with the instructions written in French. Twice as puzzling!! The participants went around in twos or threes tackling a range of challenges that varied in difficulty, with the French speakers of 7A translating for the German speakers of 7E and 7B’s French speakers translating for 7N’s German speakers. Some staff and sixth form volunteers checked the answers before they moved on to other puzzles. It was widely regarded as a big success by both the Mathematics Department and the Modern Foreign Languages Department, and by those who took part. They thought it should be repeated next year because … “I really enjoyed interacting with a different form and also found the maths and French mix very fun” “It exercises your maths and language skills” “It gives us a chance to get to know new people and experiment with different languages and have a go at problem solving” It’s really fun and helps the forms to make friends. It also tests your maths and French skills but most of all it helps you co-operate with others.” “Because it was challenging and fun” “It helped people work together” (Mrs Allen) 5 ONWARDS Junior Maths Challenge 124 students in Year 7 and 8 took part in the Junior Maths Challenge. This national competition is run by the UK Mathematics Trust. Gold, silver and bronze certificates are awarded to 40% of participants nationally and the most successful participants at each level are invited to enter follow-on rounds. This year 65% of our entrants were awarded certificates, which was a fantastic result. In addition, the Best in School was Niamh Aarons, 7B, who was invited to take part in the Junior Maths Olympiad, for which she also receives a certificate of participation. In the Junior Mathematics Challenge, the following girls were awarded: Gold Certificates Year 8 Charlotte Bateman 8N, Esther Bersweden 8E, Clover Crosse 8A, Fiona Defty 8B, Alice Ditchfield 8N, Tegan Eldridge 8B, Emily Hitchins 8N, Poppy Iveson 8N, Eleanor May 8E, Amelia Powell 8A, Molly Smith 8A Year 7 Niamh Aarons 7B, Sarah Croager 7A, Olivia Day 7N, Gemma Morgan 7E, Annabelle Sessions 7E, Joanna Starling 7A, Natasha White 7A Silver Certificates Year 8 Katherine Aylward 8E, Anna Barnes 8B, Rosie Bishop 8N, Ellen Emmins 8N, Hannah Evans 8E, Isobel Finlay 8A, Isobel Gentle 8N, Polly Gill 8B, Amber Goodwin 8A, Emily Green 8B, Rebecca Ingram 8E, Rebecca Lee 8E, Gabrielle Morse 8B, Holly Scott 8N, Ksenia Solovieva 8N, Hope Stidwill 8B, Joanna Weaver 8E Year 7 Harriet Allen 7E, Emily Barnes 7A, Lara Bonney 7B, Imogen Cawley 7E, Octavia Clark 7B, Elizabeth Cusack 7E, Sophie Ellis 7B, Anna Godson 7A, Meaghan Hopkinson 7A, Sophie Hudson 7A, Kegan Hughes 7E, Chloe Mead 7B, Natalie Moncur 7E, Emily Oswell 7B, Eloisa Paver 7E, Rebecca Perriment 7E, Sarah Tooms 7N, Alicia Vidal 7A Bronze certificates Year 8 Virginia Baker 8A, Amy Challis 8N, Milissa Coker 8B, Hannah Copping 8N, Lucy Cunningham 8E, Catherine Dodd 8A, Anna Gentleman 8B, Caitlin Hogan-Lloyd 8N, Kate Jordan 8E, Molly Judd 8B, Claire Leese 8N, Keshia Merry 8N, Bria Muir 8A, Claire Prince 8B, Rebekah Wood 8B, Olivia Langhorn 8B Year 7 Imogen Collins 7N, Katherine Cooke 7E, Niamh Dale 7B, Juliette Glennon-Alty 7B, Alice Heaps 7E, Jessica Lock 7A, Laura Melville 7A, Lucy Olsen 7N, Anna Rolfe 7B, Megan Rushton 7B, Jasmine Thayer 7B, Jessica Webber 7A (Ms Offner) 6 ONWARDS Gifted and Talented Science and Drama Day On Monday 5th July ten Year 7 students visited Wyvern College to take part in a gifted and talented Science and Drama day. The day was organised through the Wessex gifted and talented cluster chaired by South Wilts as a Lead gifted and talented school. Our students worked with other Year 7 students from Wyvern and St Joseph’s schools to investigate a challenge using skills of scientific investigation and team work. Students were posed the problem that a community is concerned about the fish dying in the nearby river. They investigated possible causes and made suggestions to solve the problem. The students worked extremely hard and had a very enjoyable day. They were also praised highly by the organisers and hosts for their abilities and conduct during the day. (Mrs Harris) Eco Week “South Wilts is going green! Why don't you?” was one of the many posters seen around the school during our EcoWeek (5th - 9th July) this summer. Members of the school EcoTeam organised and ran the event with the invaluable support of the staff and other school departments. The Sports Day Banner Competition incorporated a sustainable theme and the IT Department ensured that the computers were on for a shorter period of time each day – our thanks go out to both departments. Science and Drama Day The Gardening Club ran for a lunchtime and its regular members spent Thursday remodelling the school pond area. On the same day the canteen (photo left) surpassed themselves once again with their Green Theme Canteen and for the duration of the week they also provided students with biodegradable takeaway trays rather than the polystyrene alternative. Extra recycling was collected around the school, and students were encouraged to find a greener mode of transport to school during the week – hats off to Mr Jones who cycled 50 miles to and from school on Friday to raise money for the EcoTeam! We also hit our target of 100 improved journeys with staff and students using public transport rather than getting a lift or walking/cycling rather than using a vehicle. An enjoyable week was had by all; particularly Mrs Herbert’s tutor group who won the EcoWeek Quiz!. (Emily Nash 6JMA) 7 ONWARDS Year 7 German trip I have just got back from the German trip. It was amazing and we had loads of fun. There were lots of cool activities and there was never a dull moment. Although it was a long journey, it wasn’t as bad as I thought, as you could watch DVDs and chat with your friends. On the Tuesday we went to Cochem castle. I thought that it would be a bit dull but it was quite interesting and there was a little gift shop, which was a really good place to buy souvenirs. Afterwards we took the chairlift up to an animal/theme park. In the theme park there were lots of rides – small ones and quite big ones. It was great fun! The animal park is not too big and it was nice to walk around looking at the birds, bears, raccoons, deer, goats and other animals. We saw baby goats being born. On Wednesday we visited the school in TrabenTrarbach and met our pen pals. The school was very friendly and we were given a free drink before we left. We then went shopping in Bernkastel and had a really nice boat trip back to Traben – Trarbach in the afternoon. In the evening we played mini golf and it was great fun. On Thursday we went to Trier and we stopped off at a very large supermarket on the way. It was absolutely massive and took about 10 minutes just to get from one end to the other! In Trier itself we went to the Roman amphitheatre, the Roman Baths and the Basilica. Then we were able to go shopping which was exciting! Overall, the German trip was a great success and it was one of the best experiences of my life. (Gemma Morgan 7E) Year 7 Visit to France At a very early time on the morning of Monday 7th June, 7A and 7B gathered with their parents to load luggage onto the coach and say goodbyes, before setting off to Normandy in France. After a long coach journey, broken by picnic breaks and DVDs, the group arrived at their accommodation in St. Martin de Brehal. Students and staff found their rooms, went off to supper and then bed, after a tiring journey. During the week there were visits to a market where everyone did lots of shopping, the Mont St Michel with its fantastic views and very many steps, a historical day visiting the D-Day beaches and the Bayeux Tapestry and an enjoyable visit to Champrepus Zoo. The visit to the school was a chance to meet the penfriends Year 7 had been writing to during the year. This was a bit scary at times but a real chance to communicate. Everyone had a great time but it was nice to get home to tell family and friends all about the trip. (Mrs Jouahri) 8 ONWARDS Year 8 Trip to Longleat During the Year 8 activities week, we went to Longleat for a day. This was extremely enjoyable and we think that most of our friends would agree. At the start of the day, we got on the coach at normal school hours; needless to say, we were all very excited and loud – well those of us that weren’t travel sick! When we arrived at Longleat, we went straight through to the safari. The safari was amazing especially as it was in such beautiful surroundings; we all enjoyed the view and were mesmerized by the different animals. After the safari, we entered the beautiful orangery, in the stunning Longleat House. The talk we were given, was very interesting, we learnt a lot about how the park is run and the history of Longleat. Next, we enjoyed a relaxing boat trip across the glistening lake of Longleat; here we saw many sea lions – so cute! We also saw a 50 year old gorilla called Nico, with HD, flat screen, sky TV. Lastly, we were given some time to explore the grounds of Longleat; many of us bought ice creams and sweets! We enjoyed visiting Longleat’s smaller but equally as good, attractions. Overall, Longleat was one of our highlights of the week, we would definitely go back! (Phoebe Pugh, Emily Herod, Roisin O’Neill and Emily Bailey 8B) Duke of Edinburgh Introduction Day Despite the awful weather, Year 9 pupils travelled to Potterne for a Duke of Edinburgh introduction day, run by the army, as part of their activities week. We took part in a variety of team building activities, including tower building with giant Maccano, buggy building, the Eggtastic challenge and an obstacle course. Only one group were not allowed to take part in the obstacle course due to health and safety because of the rain. We enjoyed all of the activities, and our favourite activity of the day was the buggy building. Afterwards, we had an interesting talk about The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme, including what it is and what you have to do for it. Overall, we had a fun day and learnt a lot about team work and The Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme. (Alice Nield, Emma Clarke and Melly Morris 9W) Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme 2009 / 2010 We started the year with 95 girls (18 groups) enrolling at Bronze, 45 girls (6 groups) at Silver and 35 girls (5 walking groups and 1 sailing group) at Gold. Each participant attends one two hour meeting a month for training, in addition they are asked to attend a planning residential at the appropriate level. Bronze - The students were taken out on a day walk in December or January to practice map skills. 90 of the girls attended the planning residential weekend at Oxenwood Outdoor Education Centre in February 2010 and completed all the paperwork needed for their expeditions. They all did very well considering that they were camping out and it rained for most of the weekend! All the girls attended the practice expedition which took place in the Chalke Valley in April. 72 of these girls went for assessment in May, in Savernake Forest and the rest in June in the Marlborough area. Silver - There were two silver day walks in the Purbeck area and a residential planning weekend nr Bridgewater in January 2010 to complete their training and expedition paperwork. Their assessment was in the Brecon Beacons. Gold - At gold level, a Brecon weekend was enjoyed by all and gave them practice at walking in different weather conditions as we had heavy snowfall whilst we were away. The gold assessment was on Dartmoor in June or will be in the Lake District this summer. (Mrs Morris) 9 ONWARDS Discover Adventure Day I had a really good day with Discover Adventure and I think we all learnt to work in teams of people that we may not have worked with before. I think we all did really well. This was our first chance to work in our new forms which we will be in next year (Year 9). I thought this was the perfect day to do this as it was all about team work. The activities we took part in were great fun. I especially enjoyed the climbing wall activity. We all worked really well to complete the tasks and help each other. By the end of the day we got to know each other quite well, which was a bonus to the day. We had to use lots of different skills within the day which was good as there were lots of different types of activities. I would have loved to have a longer time to spend there and I really enjoyed myself and so did all of my friends! (Hope Mayhew 8A) Langford Lakes One of the days during Activities Week involved us going to Langford Lakes to learn more about the environment, focusing especially on invertebrates and different types of leaves. When we arrived, we were given sheets that we were asked to fill out as we carried out an experiment investigating whether more invertebrates lived in flowing water or still water. We split in half, before getting into groups of three. Our group went to the stream first and we tested its PH, temperature and the rate at which it flowed. We also took samples from the water and checked its clarity and used our sheets to identify what invertebrates were living in it. Discover Adventure Day We then went to the pond and carried out the same tests so that we could compare our results. Overall, we found that not only did more invertebrates live in still water, but a larger variety lived there. After lunch, we started our second activity and collected different samples of leaves before sorting them into a dichotomous key. This key meant you were able to identify a leaf by looking at its features, such as its shape and its veins. Overall, it was a really interesting day that contrasted with the rest of the week, and we were able to learn more about the environment we live in. (Kellie Patrick 8A) Take your Daughter to Work Day Year 8 have been finding out about the world of work either by joining their parents for a day at their place of work or by a school based investigation into the variety of careers available. The students in school for the day did an excellent job of creating an eye catching display of a wide range of careers. Photo right. (Mrs Stammers) 10 Langford Lakes ONWARDS Year 8 Trip To The Playhouse On Wednesday 9th June, Year 8 went to the Playhouse to participate in a day of acting and learning new Drama skills. We started off the day by walking from school to the Playhouse, where we were met by two representatives of the playhouse called Mark Powell and Sarah Butcher. They gave us an introduction to what we would be doing throughout the day and we went through some fun warm up starter activities. We were split into two groups: half of us went with Mark and the other with Sarah. In Mark’s group we learnt how to create a scene by only using two words; this was very interesting and a completely different concept of improvisation. We then had a short break where we could meet up with the other half of Year 8 to discuss what we had been doing and what we would be doing next. We swapped with the other groups to work with Sarah where we did some body work, working with partners to create some sequences of moving around as one. We then added to this by joining up with some other partners, to create one big group. We had to move around together using different heights and widths. We were able to watch each other performing and learnt how we could have improved our scenes. After this we had a lunch break which gave us some time to chat and talk about what we were going to do after lunch. Everyone was very excited about the afternoon and we couldn’t wait to get started and to find out what we were going to be doing. We had to get into groups of around six and we were given a prop and some lines generated by the other group during one of the morning’s activities. We got straight to work with Mark by going into improvisation; we had to include the lines in our play in some way, whether it was simply reading them or making them into a conversation. The time went very quickly and we had to go and join the other group and perform our pieces after we had got our plays together. It was really fun to perform the play and watch how people decided to interpret the piece of writing that they were given. We learnt so many new skills that we will now be able to include in our upcoming Year 8 Drama Competition which is based on the theme of time. (Emmeline Ross 8N) Year 7 Lulworth Cove On a Wednesday morning, half of Year 7 bundled into a coach, waved goodbye to SWGS, and set off towards the prospect of a sunny geographical day at Lulworth Cove. An hour and a half later sixty sun cream smothered South Wilts girls set foot in Lulworth, a honey pot for tourists. First stop was Lulworth Cove itself, a small cove with fantastically blue sea and the odd bang due to being close to an army firing practice site. We stopped to note down the five different types of rocks that made up the cliff side. After walking up a meandering path we got to our next location, Stair Hole. This is where we looked in to more detail about the hard rock, Purbeck Limestone, and why it goes vertically upwards. Next we stopped for lunch and an ice cream, which gave us the energy to walk up a steep chalky hill in order to reach Durdle Door. At Durdle Door we noted down how a naturally beautiful giant rock arch has been created due to a process called erosion. We then headed back to the coach with a great deal of knowledge about coasts. Overall Year 7 highly enjoyed this world famous geological location on the south coast of England. (Sasha Hilton 7E) 11 ONWARDS Year 9 Circus Skills Workshop During Activities Week, Year 9 took part in a Circus Skills Workshop, which was organised by the Shooting Stars Company. The whole day was divided into two halves, where half of us would spend time in one room, doing a range of Circus skills, whilst the other half would experiment with other miscellaneous items. There were diabolos, spinning plates, and even a tightrope. The spinning plates were quite hard to learn at first, but after we had mastered the basics, other tricks seemed quite easy. The diabolos were difficult too - however, some people managed to learn how to throw the diabolos high up into the air (we ventured outside onto the school field for this) and catch them nearly every single time. After a wobbly trip on the tightropes, we learnt the art of Hat Manipulation, which everyone was pleased with, as once we had learnt some nifty ways of getting a trilby hat on and off our heads, we could invent some tricks of our own, and mimic dancers or singers such as Usher. We were given some free time after that, during which we had a go on wobbly bikes and tried on some completely ridiculous hats and waistcoats. It was almost like a circus in itself - there were students balancing on stilts and teachers who were diabolo-spinning like professionals. There were miniscule clown bikes and unicycles, which everyone was eager to have a go at. I tried a go on the clown bike, but it was so small that I got cramp in my feet and had to get off. Keeping well away from the bikes, I instead stuck with Devil Sticks, which were fairly easy to get the hang of, and great fun if you could do it well. Watching students struggle at the unicycles was always hilarious - whenever you caught a glimpse of them you would see them clutching at the nearby railings, unable to move yet egging on others to "Get a move on." This was similar to the clown bikes in ways - if you were to lean too far back you could descend into a spectacular wheelie, before falling straight onto your back, and the bike itself would career off into a stationary unicyclist, causing havoc for everyone. However, as we packed up, we were delirious with stories to tell each other -for instance, who had managed to travel one foot on the unicycle, yet fall backwards onto somebody on sky high stilts, how the teachers were better than the students at juggling, and how one of the instructors had demonstrated a brilliantly epic 'solo' on the diablos. The day was very eventful, and inspired many students to buy some of the equipment. But overall, it inspired us to run away to the circus, because it was all so much fun. (Emily Howard 9E) Sixth Form Trip to Auschwitz. Recently myself and another sixth form student, Rosamund Pearson, took part in the Lessons From Auschwitz project. The project consisted of four parts. An orientation seminar in which we met Kitty Hart-Moxon who lived through the Holocaust and Auschwitz and now talks about her experiences. We then had a one day visit to the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp in Poland. This was a very moving experience for everyone who took part. It was definitely a trip worth making as the understanding and the knowledge that you gain is amazing, however it is not a place that I would like to return to in a hurry. The third step involved a reflection seminar in which we discussed what we felt and what we had learned from our time at Auschwitz. This was a great chance to think about what had happened and to experience it again. The final step was a follow up project. Rosamund and I led a class of lower school students and taught them about our experiences and helped to continue spreading the message of the Holocaust, so that nobody can forget possibly the darkest period in human history. (Lucy Coy 6CXM) 12 ONWARDS Year 9 Industry Days The whole of Year 9 were involved in three exciting and challenging days. Twenty-five local companies set realistic business problems for small groups of pupils to solve over 3 days. The pupils set up a tremendous rapport with their respective employers and the solutions they came up with were amazing! Using their advanced ICT skills enabled them to produce professional presentations on the final day. Employers, staff and governors enjoyed lunch on the Friday, followed by a tour of all the presentation boards, after which pupils made their formal oral presentations. A cup, donated by The Old George Mall, was presented to the overall winning team, “Pizza Hut” (Mia Baines, Alex Cater, Isobel Harrison, Naomi Coombes, Grace Collins) whose problem was “To increase lunchtime business in the Salisbury restaurant”. The group carried out research into people’s lunchtime eating habits and presented a wide range of excellent ideas for improving number of customers. They also discovered aspects of the business which needed considerably more marketing and gave very plausible ideas to create awareness of the Pizza Hut offer. The Manager has forwarded their ideas to Head Office! Many groups were asked to return to the companies and present their ideas to management teams. This they very much enjoyed and it made them feel very important! Some of the ideas from other groups are being adopted by the companies and they are working with the pupils to develop this work further. The Spire FM group have planned a “Fashion Month” which will run in September. These three days have given Year 9 pupils the opportunity to develop communication, decision-making, problem-solving and time-management skills. They enjoyed negotiating in teams and putting their ICT skills into practice. The company representatives very much enjoyed working with the pupils and were extremely impressed with the pupils enthusiasm for their task set, creativity and attention to detail. Well done to all Year 9 pupils! Thank you to the following companies who are so committed to this annual event: Exeter House, Marks & Spencer, Old George Mall City Centre Management, Pizza Hut, Rowanmoor Pensions, Salisbury Arts Centre, Salisbury City Council, Salisbury Museum, Salisbury, Cathedral Visitor Services, Salisbury Law Courts, Salisbury Playhouse, Shopmobility, Spire Fm, The Red Lion Hotel, Three Swans Surgery, Tourist Information Centre, The Mercure White Hart Hotel, Trethowans LLP, Waitrose, Wiltshire Community Dieticians, Wilsons Solicitors, Wilts Constabulary, Wiltshire Fire & Rescue, Wood BMW, Woolley & Wallis. (Mrs Moody) Gramma Mia! A SWGS/BWS whole school, student run production had never previously been attempted, and so the first thank you really must go to Mrs MacLannahan, who gave us permission to run around and attempt it. Mrs Sherburn and Mrs Tomkies for being so patient with us when booking our rehearsal and performance times, and then to Mr Evans for agreeing to lock up after us. Mrs Taylor was a huge help and printed and cut out the wonderful bright blue tickets, before we passed them to Mrs Wood in the library to help sell them. A huge thank you to Mr Jones for giving us the money to hire the sound equipment to experiment with, and to Expression Events for providing it. I cannot stress enough how grateful we are to Mr Brown who covered all our rehearsals, and also to Laura Mason who managed all the lighting as well as finding time to be the new Head Girl and to Julian Farmer who frequently turned up at 9am to sort out the sound, despite having left school. Lastly, to all the parents who put up with us for re-quiring their children until at least 8pm every day for a week, and then for coming along and supporting us. 13 ONWARDS Design and Technology Exhibition Regular visitors to our annual Design and Technology Exhibition will have noticed a change this year; the coursework folders have moved over to e-portfolios. This meant that the gym was full of computers, however, the practical work was still present in all its diversity. This range was exemplified when visitors were greeted at the door by a Performance Dress by Jess Carver designed for professional singer Joy Thacker (Yr13); a Nature Garden for balconies made from recycled materials by Hannah Wilson; an architectural concept model of a football stadium by Aaron Pedliham; a concept model for a new Sports Rally Car by Isaak Mustifa and a display stand containing a range of ceramic products by Rebecca Hardingham. The diversity continued throughout the rest of the exhibition with a wide variety of products meeting a range of design situations. The open evening was well attended including the recently retired County Adviser for Design and Technology Vince Marriott. Mr Marriott commented that it is not just the quality of work that he admires when visiting South Wilts, but also the thoughtful and imaginative analysis of the idea development that is always so clearly evident. (Mr Crouch) Music News Leaving Staff We are very sad to be losing two members of our department at the end of this term. Ros Bromley has taught violin here for several years, encouraging her pupils to enjoy playing and to share her passion for music. Her very generous contribution to many of our concerts has been much appreciated. Christina Bourne has taught at South Wilts for very many years and has made a wonderful contribution to the department, preparing singers for exams and concerts and always seeking to hone her own teaching and try out new ideas. We thank them very much for their dedication and enthusiasm and wish them very well for the future. (Mrs Poppleton) Congratulations Many girls have been successful in individual instrumental and singing examinations. In particular, the following girls have passed Grade 8: Eleanor Cook (Viola); Katie Davies (Clarinet); Eleanor Sargent (Clarinet with distinction). Clare Scott recently passed her Royal School of Church Music Gold Award with a very high mark. Frances Copp, who left SWGS last summer and is currently studying Medicine at King’s College, London has just been awarded the title Bournemouth Singer of the Year. (Mrs Poppleton) 14 View more photos at http:// www.swgs.wilts.sch.uk in the photo gallery London Winds Quintet On Friday, 29th May some SWGS wind players (Rebecca Bostock, Katie Hall, Alex Richards, Ellen Sargent and Rosamund Thomas) went to the Salisbury Arts Centre to attend a Masterclass with two of the members of the London Winds: Philippa Davies (flute) and Michael Collins (clarinet). Both soloists and ensembles took part. They each played a piece that they had prepared in advance and were given advice on how to improve it and the rest of their playing. Those in the SWGS Wind Quintet learnt about tuning, posture and using their full range of dynamics as well as how to balance the different instruments with their different timbres and tunes in the piece. The soloists (clarinet and flute) were given advice on a variety of ways to improve their technique and playing. In the evening the London Winds gave a concert in St. Thomas’ Church where they performed a variety of music for Wind Quintet. The girls really benefitted from the Masterclass. Thank you very much to Mrs Wiseman for taking us to this event and giving us this valuable experience. (Roz Thomas 9B) ONWARDS Music For Life Sarah Beckett in Year 13 is organising a fundraising concert in aid of a charity called the AV Foundation. It supports education in developing countries and she hopes to raise enough to build school buildings and a community kitchen in Bergmanshoogte; a village in Karoo, South Africa. Music For Life showcases the best of local music talent, including students and staff from SWGS, and will feature all types of music from classical through jazz to acoustic and pop. The show is on Friday September 10th 2010 at the City Hall Salisbury, and tickets will be available from the City Hall Box Office. Tickets are £12 for adults and £10 for 18s and under. Don't miss it! (Sarah Beckett 13BAW) Junior Concert The Junior Concert was a really lovely evening, full of sparkling performances of a great variety of music. There were many solos, duets and small chamber groups, with all students singing and playing to a very high standard and with great aplomb. Piano Students’ Concert Mrs Notley and her pupils gave a delightful concert on 1st July. The students played a variety of solo and duet repertoire to an audience of friends and family and then shared refreshments together. Thank you very much to Mrs Notley for arranging this event. (Mrs Poppleton) The Training Orchestra began the concert with very polished and effective renditions of ‘Rondo alla Turca’ by Mozart and ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ by Reid and Brooker. The evening came to a lively conclusion with a most enjoyable selection of ‘Songs from the Sixties’, including such well-known songs as ‘California Dreaming’, ‘Scarborough Fair’ and the ‘Shoop Shoop Song’. The Junior Choir did these well-loved numbers justice, singing in beautiful harmonies with great enthusiasm, commitment and verve. We were very grateful to those instrumental and singing teachers who supported the evening, to Mrs Notley for her sensitive accompaniment of the Junior Choir and to Mr Ottaway and Mrs Cooper for accompanying their pupils. Piano Students’ Concert My team masterminded the evening, directed the Training Orchestra and Junior Choir, accompanied many of the soloists and organized the whole event. Thank you very much to her and to all who contributed to such an enjoyable evening’s entertainment. Junior Concert 15 ONWARDS ‘From the Beginning’ A group of players joined a few other young people to provide a band to accompany infant children in a singing and classroom percussion project. This was organised by Mrs Parsons in conjunction with the Wiltshire Music Service Wiltshire Connect Project and took place at the Arts Centre under the baton of Valerie Hayward. The whole event proved to be great fun and very worthwhile. Thank you to Mrs Parsons for arranging this exciting opportunity. (Mrs Poppleton) Forth Coming Events: 10/09/10 City Hall 7.30pm AV Trust concert 15/09/10 P1 Music Room 7pm A Cappella Workshop 16/09/10 Salisbury Cathedral 7.30pm Senior Choir 18/10/10 Salisbury Cathedral 5.30pm A Cappella 24/11/10 School Hall 7pm School Concert 14/12/10 Salisbury Cathedral 7.30pm School Carol Service Lady Taverners Outdoor U13 & U15 County Finals Both the U13 and U15 teams played superbly well on a scorching day at Trowbridge CC, both securing top spot and securing a place at the regional finals in Bournemouth on August 10th. Each individual played a vital role throughout the day. Batting was strong and bowling was consistent, with some outstanding bowling performances from Clover Crosse and Hope Mayhew and Laura Jack behind the wicket. Well played girls and good luck for the next round. (Miss Cassidy) A Cappella Wedding Some of our girls very much enjoyed singing at the wedding of a former member of A Cappella, Bridget Hendicott. Her sister, Eleanor, is a present member. The service was beautiful and we all felt privileged to be there to support Bridget and Jim in their marriage. (Mrs Poppleton) Wiltshire Music Service ‘Primary Live’ Festival Members of the SWGS Chamber Orchestra took part in this event at the City Hall. The purpose was to inspire primary school young musicians to continue with their instrumental music making. Mr Parsons organised this and led the girls in a very enjoyable and valuable day where they were able to share their love of playing with younger children. Judo - National Team championships I took part in The National Team Judo Championships this weekend in Walsall. There were nine areas/teams there altogether including Scotland, Combined Services and several of the other regions in England, there were many British and England squad players as well as two of the Olympic team members competing. Each team was further spilt into teams of cadet, juniors and seniors and then by gender, I was in the junior women’s South of England (Hampshire, Kent, Sussex and Surrey) team. We managed to get placed second (silver) despite being one player down to the other teams with London first and Northern Home Counties third. (Emily Snell 6DJE) Have a look at the link about the event: ht tp:// www.britishjudo.org.uk/ 16 ONWARDS Sports Day 2010 The PE Department wish to thank all staff, Friends of South Wilts, sixth form and competitors for contributing towards another highly successful Sports Day at South Wilts. Well done for such an excellent standard of competition - including four school records broken! Hannah Richards threw 8.73m in the Year 7 shot putt which breaks a record from 1996; Lizzie Clifford ran 44.4s in the Year 9 300m and 11.8s in the 75m hurdles breaking records from 2006 & 1998 respectively; Emily Kalik ran 2.28:2 in the Year 10 800m breaking a record from 1993. Well done! Year 7 1st 2nd 3rd 4th E (136) B (123) A (92) N (91) Year 8 1st 2nd 3rd 4th N (134) A (131) B (120) E (95) Year 9 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th E (214) B (186) A (181) W (122) N (109) Year 10 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th W (199) N (166) A (163) B (140) E (137) The best athlete awards were also presented to the girls who had scored the most points within the limits of sports day entry (2 track & 1 field plus a relay, or 2 field & 1 track plus a relay). Results below: Year 7 1st Rebecca Perriment 2nd Phoebe Kalik Year 8 1st Catherine Lethbridge 2nd Imogen Kunzer Year 9 1st Lizzie Clifford 2nd Jerry Edwards Year 10 1st Hannah Brown 2nd Ellie Ingram 17 ONWARDS World Schools Orienteering A huge congratulations to Lucy Butt from Year 11 who recently competed in the Championships in Spain. Lucy ran as part of the Great Britain squad in the U16 event covering a course of 4.7km. Lucy finished 3rd individual which is an astonishing achievement for an international event – well done! We are very proud of you and delighted that all the hard work and training paid off. (Miss Salen) Salisbury Schools Swimming Gala Many girls competed in this year’s Swimming Gala which was fantastic. The girls faced stiff competition but won medals in many individual events. Lucy Butt (right) Boston Ski Trip 2010 The ski trip was so much fun! We got to Boston in the late afternoon. On the coach ride to the hotel we were all pretty excited for the first hour and then it was just the year 9’s making the noise, then it got quieter and quieter as most people began to fall asleep. Casey and Derek were awesome! They were the ski instructors. We all made so many interschool connections. On our first full proper day in America, we went to Freeport… SHOPPING! It was really hot and it was a lot of fun. The next day was our first day of skiing, and in the morning we had to get everything organised, such as ski boots, helmets, skis, etc. We were then all spilt up into different groups of ability, with two groups of beginners and a group for advanced. We spent the whole week skiing and making memories that will last a lifetime. On the Friday, it was time to go so we all packed up and set off for Boston airportbut first, we went shopping, AGAIN! And then we all got on the plane and had to come home… The ski trip was so much fun, and we would like to take this opportunity to thank the teachers who organised this and came. (Tiffani Chatee & Naomi Blake 9B) 18 The night ended with the relays in which South Wilts won every race in every age group, picking up trophies for the U16 medley and freestyle relays and the U14 medley and freestyle relays. This was a very successful night, well done to all the girls involved. (Miss Dew) Equestrian Club Sandroyd School Tetrathlon Shooting, Swimming, Cross Country Riding and Running. Rosanna Sykes, Alice Elgar, Frances Elgar and Emma Blackburn came 3rd in the team competition. (picture below) Well Done! Dressage Championships Alice Pearse and Toby won the unaffiliated dressage championships at Sparsholt College in Prelim. Well done! (Mrs Holland) Rosanna, Frances, Alice and Emma ONWARDS County Athletics Championships Following successful performances at the Salisbury Schools Area Athletics competition many girls competed at the County Championships on 12th June. Six South Wilts girls were especially successful and earned their place at the South West round in Exeter on 19th June. They were Amelia Clifford (2nd in 400m Hurdles and Flat), Abby Dalziel (5th in High Jump), Elisabeth Clifford (3rd in 75m Hurdles), Eleanor Ingram (5th in Javelin), Sophie Kalik (5th in 1500m) and Imogen Wolsey (1st in the 3km). Amelia, Imogen and Elizabeth all performed well enough to be selected for the English Schools Track and Field Finals in Birmingham on 9th & 10th July. Amelia placed 7th in the 400m Hurdles, Elisabeth placed 6th in the heats for 75m Hurdles plus ran the first leg of the 4x100m relay (7th overall), and Imogen placed 5th in the 3km. Remarkable achievements, we are extremely proud of all of you. (Miss Salen) County Pentathlon 5 girls attended this event at Marlborough College on Friday May 28th - Imogen Kunzer (Year 8), Elisabeth Clifford (Year 9), Hannah Brown, Rosanna Grant and Nicole Esdaile (All Year 10). The girls all performed exceptionally well at the Long Jump, Shot Putt, High Jump, Hurdles and 800m. Imogen and Nicole came 4th in their age groups, Rosanna came third and Lizzie and Hannah came 2nd. The year 10 girls won their age group as a team. Leading on from this event was the South West round at Millfield School over the weekend of the 26th and 27th June. From the previous round Lizzie qualified to represent the Wiltshire team in the Pentathlon on the 27th. Rosanna, Nicole and Hannah all qualified for the Heptathlon which took place over the two days and also included Javelin and 200m. All the girls performed very well individually and as a team, Rosanna, Nicole and Hannah’s team finished second in the South West, just missing out on qualification for the next round. Individually Hannah came 8th, Rosanna came 13th and Nicole came 20th. Lizzie had a fantastic day, qualifying 1st with the Wiltshire team and second individually in the South West, Lizzie will now go on to represent the South West in the next round. Well done to all the girls involved. (Miss Dew) Tennis Three South Wilts teams competed in the Salisbury Schools Year 7 & 8 doubles tennis tournament at Victoria Park on 18th June. Squads 2 & 3 both came 2nd in their pools following strong performances from Tilly Clark, Ana O’Connor, Emily Walker, Clover Crosse, Molly Judd, Izzy Rutledge, Emma Evans, Megan Dunlop. Squad 1 – Imogen Kunzer, Hannah Richards, Milly Watson and Hope Mayhew, (right) won their pool so progressed to the final against Trafalgar and emerged victorious! This secured a place in the County Final in Swindon on July 1st. The girls played Kingdown & Ridgeway and once again South Wilts won all matches to take home the County Winners trophy. Well done! (Miss Salen) The PE Department and sixth formers enjoyed an afternoon of tennis on Court Number One at Wimbledon on July 3rd. We saw the girls singles final and two gentlemen’s invitational doubles matches plus an array of tennis stars practising around the grounds – Martina Navratilova to name but one! (Miss Salen) 19 ONWARDS Low Cost Computer Software If you are planning to purchase software packages for your PC in the near future then consider looking at RM’s discount department for UK school and college students. Current prices are:MS Office Professional Plus 2010 (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Publisher, Access): £39.07 New Facebook Online Safety Link Launched just last week, all young users of Facebook – and their parents – are invited to add the new ClickCEOP ‘app’ to their profile. Through this app, they will be able to access advice, help and support from the CEOP Centre, the government online safety group. Crucially, young people will be able to report instances of suspected grooming or inappropriate sexual behaviour directly from their profile to specially trained investigators. Visit RM’s website at www.rm.com/basement to see the full details and prices for these and other products. In order to purchase, you must have a child in full-time education. Check details carefully, particularly the specification of the computer needed to run the packages. Phone the Once added to their profiles, young users company for help if you are unsure. (Mr Parks) will receive regular messages from CEOP and its partner organisations who operate Social Networking Sites: Continued ‘behind the button’ to make children safer. Concerns CEOP’s new Facebook page At school we block all access to social(www.facebook.com/ClickCEOP) will also networking sites such as Facebook because of contain polls, news alerts and status our concerns over misuse: Web stalkers who “groom” teenagers in order to updates. The page will look at topics that teenagers care about, such as celebrities, build up online relationships that could develop music and exams and will link these into emotional interactions if the teenagers subjects to questions about online safety. concerned are groomed carefully; The development of personal profiles, often left open to public view, in which teenagers have often been encouraged by online “friends” to post very personal information and suggestive photos. We would encourage all parents to monitor the internet use of their children, and to do so closely and thoroughly. This would include access to their social-networking accounts. Some potential employers now trawl through the Facebook accounts of job applicants to check for possible misuse. (Mr Parks) Users can either add or bookmark the ‘app’ so it appears on their profile, as not only a constant source of help and reassurance for them but also as a strong visual signal to their friends, family and others that they are in control online. (Mr Parks) Coombe Road Concerns If you have any concerns about road safety on Coombe Road (A354), Coombe Bissett, please e-mail: [email protected] Lost Property Parents are reminded to name all property belonging to their daughters which comes into school. All named items brought to Lost Property are returned to girls quickly. However, anything unnamed remains until it is claimed, or is kept for two terms and then disposed of. (Mrs Taylor) Wednesday 1st September Thursday 2nd September Friday 3rd September Monday 6th September September Start Dates am Year 12 pm Year 13 in school Year 7 only in school Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 13 in school All years in school 20
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