The Waconian 2019

Jason Lock - Pages 75, 98-100, 108, 118, 122-123 Mark Tattersall - Page 66 Karin Albinsson - Page 77 Cover Artwork: Isabelle Marsh, Year 8

IN THE BEGINNING... MANCHESTER DISTRICT SCHOOLS FOR ORPHANS &c. OF WAREHOUSEMEN AND CLERKS To Warehousemen and Clerks, We respectfully call upon all of you to render what aid you can in the founding of schools for orphan and necessitous children of men of your own class; a successful issue to what has been already so well begun will be highly honourable to all engaged in it, and very beneficial to the bereaved and unfortunate; all that is now required to work out such an issue is your hearty co-operation. In this matter you all have a sacred duty to perform; those of you who may be so circumstanced as to render it improbable that your own children may ever need the shelter of the schools, will remember that the strong should help the weak, and that “it is more blessed to give than to receive”... We renew our entreaty for the co-operation of all, so that we may establish an institution worthy of the cause in which we are engaged.

Signed, by order of the Committee, EZEKIEL BROWNE, Chairman. BRITON RICHARDSON, Secretary.

22, ST ANN’S SQUARE, MANCHESTER, October 24th, 1854

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INTRODUCTION JUNIORS AUTUMN WINTER SPRING SUMMER

THE WACONIAN 2019

FROM THE EDITOR

“ In my retirement then my thoughts will constantly turn towards a place which I have devotedly loved and in which I have ardently laboured.” Mr George Board, Head of Cheadle Hulme School 1884 – 1906

“ I felt as soon as I came here that this School was special. The School was relaxed yet purposeful and it had a feeling of a place where people were at home…the influence that boarding had on the School is still there. It is a very special feeling that is unique to this School.” Mr Michael Scaife, Deputy Head 1966 - 1995

The 150th anniversary of the Main Building is as good a time as any for a few personal memories. I first walked up the stone steps and through the green front door of Cheadle Hulme School to attend a meeting for teachers of German in the autumn of 1987. I had recently moved to Manchester and was working at a very different kind of school. I was amazed by the building, the grounds and above all the atmosphere. A small boy opened the door for me and said good afternoon, followed by a lady pushing a trolley of coffee and scones. I decided then and there that if I ever spotted a job going in this wonderful place, I would be first in the queue to work here. A year later, in September 1988, I began what has been now 31 years working in the Modern Languages Department. In some ways it was a different place; there were still five years of the Boarding House left and the School was constantly open with things always going on. Teachers could sign in for any meal on any day of the week and whenever we had a Parents’ Evening many of us would go for a swim, have dinner - served in the separate Staff Dining Room - then help the boarders with homework, chat to School Nurse Jenny Pickering in her flat or watch TV. Bonfire Night was held every year in the Junior School and involved an excellent bonfire and fireworks with food, all free of charge and open to any member of the school community. The Boarders’ Carol Service was very special too. Term dates were dictated by the flight times of the boarders going home for the holidays, and as mid-week tickets were much cheaper we always started and finished on a Wednesday. The staff choir was very strong. We rehearsed every Tuesday straight after school and on the last day before the October half-term holiday we sang at St George’s in Stockport at the Founders’ Day service. Teachers processed into church in gowns with those of us who the Head of Music, Michael Fletcher, had given a lift to still shaking with terror. The atmosphere was fantastic, the music was very traditional and as the School

was so much smaller everybody fitted nicely into the church. When I first arrived, the Senior School was four-form entry and I knew the name of every student within a month of starting. The current S forms were named after me, with my Year 7 form the first to be named 7S for Shand! The School was open to the outside world, no fences around the site, and I remember only once an unwelcome visitor straying in during a late report writing session, to be quickly seen off by a group of male teachers which included Marcus Sparrow! Everything seemed very relaxed and the sense of community and pride in the School was very evident. Teachers came and, as I have, stayed for years. Many things have not changed and the sense of community, the people who work and study here and the beauty of the grounds and buildings still make me very proud to be part of Cheadle Hulme School. I have had a particularly good group of students in the Lower Sixth Editorial Team for The Waconian 2019 – they have been a pleasure to work with, full of ideas and reliable, and have taken ownership of their sections, responding enthusiastically to the trust I placed in them. Vicky Ellison, with the help of her excellent Year 5 editors, has made the Junior section colourful and interesting and given a lovely snapshot of everything that happens over the year; I am really delighted with what she has produced. Thank you to Paul Hartley of Ingenious Creative for his fabulous design work, Andy Galloway at Galloways Printers, Emily de Vere In the Art Department and Lisa Durrant in External Relations; I am sure you will agree that the finished magazine is, thanks to them, a really classy production. I hope that you will enjoy reading The Waconian 2019 as much as I have enjoyed helping to create it.

Judith Shand, Editor

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THE WACONIAN 2019 EDITORIAL TEAM Flora Forgacs Academic

Jack Nolan Academic

Rohan Kotecha Academic

Cara McCrory Art

Millie Perrett Art

Nina Hesse Art

Anna Kapoor Charity

Laura Hartig Charity

Matthew Torkington Drama

Maya Dhokia Drama

Maia Williams Music

Oscar Cooper Music

Sam Ashley-Taylor Sport

Teri Devlin Sport

Daniel Proctor Sport & Trips

Caprice Darnell Trips

Cate Howe Trips

THE WACONIAN 2019

A lasting impact and a special link to the past 150 years of the Main Building at Cheadle Hulme School Heather Procter, Librarian Before the Main Building The CHS story began at Shaw Hall in Flixton, where the School took on the first six pupils in 1855. Records show further moves to Chadderton Hall and later to Park Place in Ardwick; however, none of these locations was owned by the School. It was during the time at Park Place that serious efforts began to raise the funds for the Executive Committee to realise their ambitions for a school of their own. Location, Location, Location Eventually a small, five-acre plot in Cheadle was selected and the land was purchased from Mr Storey in October 1865 for £300 per acre. The foundation stone laid by Lord Granville at the site of the Main Building on 28th August 1867 marked the start of construction work. It would take a further two years for the building to be completed. It was finally opened on 7th August 1869 - 150 years ago this summer – by the Earl and Countess of Ellesmere.

The Swim When first built, in 1876, the Swim was at the current site of the Drama Studio. In 1887, a dressing room was added and in 1898 it was enlarged. Heating it was not considered until 1909 - the boys had lessons in it almost straight away, but girls were not taught to swim until 1900. Something they might not have minded, considering the freezing temperatures and the murky quality of the water! The Swim moved to its current site in 1911, complete with a pump room and an artesian well to help supply the water and the old Swim was converted into a gym. Juniors During Mr Purdy’s Headship, some changes were made to better accommodate the differences between the older and younger pupils. A detached wooden house was built to accommodate the Junior Department. Later they were moved to more sturdy and permanent quarters in two rooms added to the Main Building. It wouldn’t be until 1970 that the Junior School as we know it now opened.

Additions of all Kinds 50 pupils moved to the site in 1869 upon the building’s completion; however, the new building was far more spacious, and allowed the School to take in more and more children. Only 15 years later, there were 246 students registered. Despite all of the additional space, including outdoor play space, necessary expansions were added to the building over the years to accommodate the growing numbers. A gymnasium came in 1871, followed by an infirmary four years later, and two extra dormitories. By 1876, the Dining Hall had been enlarged and separate laundry rooms, a wash house and a swimming pool added. Holden Hall (then known as ‘The School’) opened in 1881, as it was felt necessary to have a separate building for lessons. Holden Hall has had its own expansions over the years, but even then it had four classrooms, a large hall and a laboratory. The Wings The John Rylands Wing opened in 1899 costing £8,200, raised via generous donations by Mr and Mrs Rylands. Both had long supported the School and the wing was named in their honour. The ground floor became a recreation room for the boys, and the two floors above became extra dormitory space, with around 80 beds, easing the formerly crowded conditions.

Food, Glorious Food! Under Mr Purdy the Dining Hall was extended and the stained glass windows, still in place today, were installed. One window features the Latin phrase palmam.qui. meruit.ferat (‘let he who deserves the prize win it’) under a depiction of boys playing cricket, and the other dulce. est.desipere.in.loco (‘it is pleasant to enjoy oneself on the right occasion’) beside girls dancing around a maypole. In 1908 electric lights were installed, powered from the School’s own gas engines.

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The War Years The First World War halted most of the building works; however, a girls’ dormitory was expanded to be used as extra space for the Infirmary, which had been converted into a Red Cross Military Hospital. This was used throughout the war, and closed upon its end in 1919. As the number of boarding students fell, and the day students increased, the boys’ ‘A’ dormitory (where the current library sits) was converted into classrooms. Part of the girls’ playroom was partitioned to create a study. The only major building work to occur was the completion of the Lockhart Building, named after the Head, just before his retirement in 1954. During World War 2 the School took in evacuated pupils from Manchester High School for Girls and Fairfield High School, and the number of enrolled students totalled nearly 1000, despite the School being designed to hold only 400. All 503 windows of the Main Building were blacked out each night and air raid shelters were dug in the fields and added underneath. You can still see the entrances to some of them today. All shelters had bunks, mattresses and sanitation and were electrically lit and heated. Post War During Mr Whiting’s Headship (1954 – 1962) more emphasis was placed on encouraging able students to study in the Sixth Form. This resulted in larger student numbers once more and, with that, more space needed to teach and house them! The Lockhart Labs were extended in 1957 and the library space was enlarged within the Main Building. During Mr Johnson’s Headship (1963-1974), the new Junior School opened in 1970, a new gymnasium was built, and the old gym turned into a pottery studio.

The 80s and Onwards Skipping ahead to the 80s and boarding was becoming less popular. In 1983 another stained glass window was added to the Dining Hall, as a memorial to two pupils who had sadly died in a car crash in France the previous summer. 1980 saw the Derby Building (then called the X Block) completed and in 1987 Staff House. It was during Mr Wilkinson’s Headship from 1990 to 2000 that one of the largest changes occurred - the closure of the Boarding House in July 1993, after 138 years. However, pupil numbers remained healthy, especially in the Junior School, and in 1998 the Infant Department opened, with Years 5 and 6 moving into what was formerly the girls’ boarding rooms in the Main Building. Almost £2 million was spent on the Main Building over these years, including the development of the Art and Design centre in the middle part of the Main Building and the development of the atrium. The Sixth Form was enlarged, including a small café, and in 1992 the Christopher Simon Building opened, specifically for the teaching of Modern Languages. A PreSchool opened in 2018, allowing CHS to accept children aged three for the first time. Never Stopping for a Minute As we write this, further alterations are underway; a new staff room is under construction in the place of the Upper Sixth Common Room. The building of a new Sixth Form centre is in progress, due to open in September 2019, on the site of the former Staff House. We have gone from a five acre site to an 83 acre site, but the beautiful green entrance door and the stairs that lead to it have stood firm and it is on climbing those stairs and entering the first building of Cheadle Hulme School where children have lived and learnt and slept and played for 150 years - that we feel a special link to the past that many institutions can only dream about.

THE WACONIAN 2019

Staff Memories 150 years of the Main Building at Cheadle Hulme School Martine Webster, Junior School (Former Head of Girls’ Boarding) When I arrived at Cheadle Hulme School over 40 years ago, the Victorian dormitories with huge high ceilings and rows of iron hospital-style beds and high ceilinged bathrooms that were so cold that the toothpaste would freeze were still there and conjured up memories of the workhouses described by Charles Dickens. During my first year living in the building, following an anonymous donation enormous restoration work was begun; ceilings were lowered, Sixth Formers were given their own rooms and younger pupils’ dormitories were made smaller and cosier. We lived in a virtual building site for nearly a year and there was certainly no concern about Health and Safety or worries about young children getting splinters from all the building work going on!

stay with day pupils at the weekend or go home whenever they wished and there was the opportunity for temporary boarding. In 1993 the decision was made to close the Boarding House and to a number of boarders who could not contemplate this radical change, which for some meant leaving the School, this was devastating. I will never forget some Sixth Form boarder boys and girls suggesting that even if younger pupils had to leave, they could maybe move with a couple of staff to a small Boarding House in a building like Broomefield.

The day began with a ‘waking bell’ at 7.13 am which was followed up by a ‘rising bell’ soon after at 7.20am, after which breakfast was eaten in the main Dining Room. This was supervised by the teachers on duty for the day, both of whom would eat on a raised High Table, and afterwards the boarders collected their laundry from the linen room and got ready for school.

So the interior of the Main Building was altered again but this time in an unrecognisable way and I struggle now even to work out exactly where my flat was when I was Head of Girls’ Boarding because they even removed and replaced staircases and pillars.

Once school had ended, a succession of meals provided a structure for the evening and on a typical evening there were supervised prep sessions in the Junior School for the younger pupils and activities like swimming and games. In the summer, boarders were summoned from distant ends of the field by the school bell which was rung by a rope near the Tower Door; the sound of the bell tolling could be heard by all those in the neighbourhood. The older boarders were allowed to go to LV (Little Village - Smithy Green) or BV (Big Village - Cheadle Hulme ‘proper’) in twos and threes if they signed out and trips out in the minibus were organised for the weekends. Day pupils could stay for tea and then join in with activities and in a similar, fairly flexible, way boarders could go to

The transformation was incredible. Art Studios in the eaves replaced Sixth Form boys’ bedrooms, the dorms become classrooms and bathrooms disappeared. Staff flats went, as did the laundry and the linen room and boarder studies on the ground floor became offices and meeting rooms, not places to ‘chill’ and watch TV or smoke if you were a Sixth Former! The structure is different now in terms of how each section of the School is organised but much has stayed the same. The curriculum has changed as have public exams; in some respects education has been revolutionised and the world has moved on but the caring ethos associated with boarding remains. Even now when standing opposite the main steps near the flagpole and focusing on the gargoyles and the front door, many memories flood back, reminding me and many others of the days when pupils and staff lived, ate, played and worked together in the Main Building, which was not only a school but a home.

8-9 Brigid Rawling, Mathematics Department

Marcus Sparrow, Geography Department

I remember my first day vividly; September 1985, turning up for the staff meeting as a newly qualified teacher, dressed smartly in my mother’s A-line skirt, high necked checked blouse and my own court shoes. I was called Miss McShane then and became Mrs Rawling in 1992. I was surprised to find the school almost deserted and wandered through the grounds towards the Junior School in search of another human being. In the distance I saw an elderly man shuffling towards me. I caught up with him and asked had I got the wrong time for the staff meeting and Mr Goodison who turned out to be the Head of the Junior School told me I had the right time, just the wrong day...I had arrived a day early!

The biggest changes I have seen in my 30 plus years at CHS have been the closure of the Boarding House, the growth in technology and the increase in safeguarding.

Back then we had an intake of four forms per year and an eight period day on Monday and Tuesday and a seven period day Wednesday to Friday, finishing at 3.30 pm. Lessons would be timetabled for 35 or 40 minutes with no travelling time. Teachers were not room based, so everyone travelled all over the site.

The Boarding House meant that the School was open virtually 24/7. I remember queueing (at midnight) to use the only photocopier available for staff use. The Boarding House also had some unusual ‘facilities’. There was a room, known as The Pit, where boarders who were over 16 and had their parents’ permission could go to smoke. It was often impossible to see from one end of the room to the other as the fumes were so thick. It was also not unusual to find day pupils in the boarders’ common room, known as The Palace, on a Saturday afternoon watching TV and eating toast.

The staff room we used was the temporary area we are using now - the Drama Studio. Back then we also had separate “Men’s and Women’s Ends”. Woe betide anyone who dared venture into the wrong end. We were all very excited when Staff House was built in 1987, complete with a central socialising area downstairs where men and women could now mix and the luxury of individual work stations for each of us upstairs. This was so welcome after such cramped conditions previously when we would be competing for space to mark our books. Report writing time was always a sociable activity. The reports were handwritten so we had to wait for one teacher to finish a set before passing on to the next and there was a lot of waiting around with Tippex at the ready. Sometimes we would be in Staff House working until midnight. If anyone made a particularly bad error, we would all have to copy out that report again! The offender would have to buy a round of drinks for the affected staff. Of course, back then we didn’t have the internet. Pupils had text books for each subject and exercise books or files that they carried around with them. Back then you would revise whatever was in your exercise book and that would suffice. Handwritten worksheets might also be provided after a mad dash to the single photocopier - but we usually had to wait for legendary, long-serving (42 years) Physics teacher Mr Bullock to finish. Is it better now than then? Are today’s pupils better educated? I am not so sure. Life certainly seemed a lot more straightforward and stress-free back then.

Before the advent of mobile phones the School had a payphone for pupils to use. Last minute changes of plan, like a cancelled sports practice, meant that there was a queue to inform parents of the changes. Registration was done on paper rather than computer and each pupil had a report book which contained all their reports from Year 7 (or First Year, as it was then) to Year 11 (or Fifth Year). Teachers had to handwrite their reports into these books, and there was a high demand for Tippex. School trips were organised by sending a letter home to parents via the pupils then collecting a handwritten permission slip and the cash, or cheque, from each individual pupil. Other ‘trips’ were even less formal. If I was in school in the evening or at weekends the boarders might easily persuade me to run a few of them out to McDonalds in my car. When I started there was no Staff House, no Christopher Simon Building, no astroturf or 3G pitches. The Geography Department was on the top floor of Holden Hall as the present Geography rooms were dormitories for the boarders. The estate of houses by the Main Entrance wasn’t built; instead there was the Headmaster’s House and an orchard, so coaches came into school along Old School Lane from Hulme Hall Road. There was a four form entry, but each class could have 30 pupils in it, and so there were fewer staff, particularly on the administration and pastoral side of school life. Boys played lacrosse and rugby as the main school sports, there was no football and CHS were not very good at cricket!

THE WACONIAN 2019

FROM THE JUNIOR EDITOR This year, the Junior Editors have worked extremely well in their small team and have produced a great amount of work between them. The ideas and enthusiasm that the children have had for writing articles has amazed me, as has their independence and ability to write creatively at such an early age. The Editors have included articles from our smallest children in PreSchool to our very grown up Year 6

pupils. In addition to this, they have chosen to write articles to include academic, sports, music and creative arts and also one-off experiences such as our Lego Day. The Editors really hope that you enjoy reading their articles and that you are able to appreciate the variety of activities and events that the children have taken part in this year. Vicky Ellison, Junior Editor

THE WACONIAN 2019 JUNIOR EDITORIAL TEAM ARE...

Fleur Cleary

Freya Farrington

Nicole Danam

Oliver Norbury

I joined Waconian Club because I like writing and I am passionate about English, but I stayed for the team spirit that evolved in our Junior Editing Team. It’s fun and interesting to find out about what is happening in the Junior School and then collaborate our ideas to make an article. I still find it surreal that the articles that we put together and write are published throughout the School in The Waconian magazine. Fleur Cleary

Rhea Dutta-Roy

I fancied giving Waconian Club a go because I thought it would be fun, and I wasn’t wrong! I also wanted to improve my typing speed, and Waconian Club really helped! We do a lot of incredible things at this School, and The Waconian magazine helps you to remember some of those things years after they’ve happened. I recommend Waconian Club for anyone looking to write something the whole School would read. Freya Farrington

I wanted to be a Junior Editor because I wanted to write about all the amazing things our School does. I really enjoyed Waconian Club because I had lots of fun helping to write The Waconian magazine My favourite bit was definitely going to the Pre-School and taking pictures of their artwork and listening to them singing some nursery rhymes! It is also quite fun to interview the teachers and students about trips and other activities. Nicole Danam I joined Waconian Club because I had read previous issues of The Waconian and I loved them. When I found out that it was the Year 5s who did it, I thought that I would give it a try. I don’t regret my choice as I like writing and typing. Oliver Norbury I decided to become a Waconian Editor because I wanted to share everything we do and the staff do for us. It also gives us the chance to improve our typing skills. I enjoy it so much and I never want to give this up. I like the fact we can talk and discuss our ideas and go out to do interviews and so on! I recommend this to anyone who just wants a break and wants to share opinions with the whole School. Rhea Dutta-Roy

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Visit to the Pre-School Freya Farrington, Nicole Danam, Rhea Dutta-Roy, Year 5 We went to visit our new Pre-School to find out what they have been up to since it opened. The pre-schoolers sang to us - lots of nursery rhymes such as ‘Hickory Dickory Dock’, ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’, ‘Row Row Row Your Boat’ and ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’. The pre-schoolers are very imaginative as they were adding their own verses to ‘Hickory Dickory Dock’. They have great singing voices! They are very creative and have made lots of lovely pictures too. The room is full of toys and paintings that the pre-schoolers had made themselves. It has plenty of pictures and photos of the children out of school having fun with their parents and families. They have a lovely playground with all sorts of equipment, such as a little hut with small plastic cars inside, a tiny car park, a blackboard and a little stool so they can draw their adorable scribbles. They also have a tunnel, a little grass hill, a climbing frame and many more enjoyable toys. The pre-schoolers are the cutest little humans ever! We were in total awe of them. Especially their adorable singing! We absolutely loved going there and meeting them. The pre-schoolers and the Reception children went to the Chill Factor as a fun outing for the day and they enjoyed playing in the snow! Although they were very cold when they got back, they still enjoyed themselves. What lucky children and thoughtful teachers!

THE WACONIAN 2019

Year 1 go to Red House Farm Year 1 have had a wonderful experience at Red House Farm seeing animals, having fun tractor rides, playing in sand pits and much more! They have had an amazing, adventurous time and some of the children did some report writing about it.

On Thursday we went to Red House Farm. First we went on a coach. When we got to the farm, we had a snack. We went into the maze. After that, we found a scarecrow. It was hard, but we did it! It was really fun!

For our visit to Red House Farm, we went on a coach. When we got to the farm we had a snack. Then we went to the maze. We found scarecrows. Then we had a play in the playground. I also liked the toy digger. It was fun.

After that, some of us went on the bouncy pillow and some of us went on the barrel ride, so we took it in turns. We saw two chickens. Finally, we went on the coach back to school. It was a great day! Annabelle Lee

I liked playing with my friends. There were 4000 pumpkins in the field. After that some of us went on the bouncy pillow. And then we saw pigs, sheep and hens. Finally we went on the coach back to school. William Ferguson

On Thursday we went on a coach to Red House Farm. After our snack we went to see the apple trees. After that we saw the fat pigs. Then we saw the pumpkin path. Next we saw the chickens and there were 1000 chickens! Then we saw five sheep. After a while we went on the barrel ride and then we went on bouncy cushion. It was fun. Finally we went in the maze. Sumukh Munshi

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Meet Mrs Davies: our Junior and Infant Swimming Teacher

Nicole Danam, Year 5

Why did you start doing the Inter-House swimming gala? I wanted everyone to have the opportunity to experience being part of a competitive swimming event and gala and swim in races. I think it’s important that everyone can be part of a team. What was the first year that the InterHouse gala started? There had been quite a few Inter-House events and I believe some swimming galas for Year 5 and 6. However, when I started in my post in charge of Junior and Infant swimming, I introduced InterHouse swimming across Years 3 - 6. The first one if I recall correctly was 2001. Why do you enjoy teaching swimming at CHS? The pupils are keen to learn and improve, they listen, and it is very rewarding to see the progress that they have made.

How long have you been teaching swimming at CHS? I started in 1994 when I joined the staff and was employed to teach PE and Games, this also involved teaching swimming in both the Senior and Junior Schools. Then, in 2010 I was offered the job with the responsibility to be in charge of Junior and Infant swimming. I couldn’t be prouder of how enthusiastically and hard the pupils have worked. Why do you enjoy swimming? It is a good form of exercise and a chance to put your head down and switch off and just swim. I actually used to be quite good at it too! I find it very rewarding to see how our pupils progress and develop as they move up through the School.

Why do you like running swimming galas against other schools? First of all, I want to give pupils the opportunity to showcase their swimming and enjoy participating as part of a team representing their School. Secondly, I am probably a little bit competitive!!!!!

Meet Mr Whitelegg - our Junior Swimming Coach Rhea Dutta-Roy, Year 5 Mr Whitelegg is the swimming coach for all year groups, from Pre-School up to Year 6. Two years ago, Mr Whitelegg began working alongside Mrs Davies at CHS to coach swimming. As well as his job here at CHS, Mr Whitelegg coaches swimmers to a national standard. As an ex-competitor and regional representative himself, Mr Whitelegg certainly has the qualifications to coach the children to a high level! We asked Mr Whitelegg why he enjoys coaching at our School and he said; “I like working with children and developing their talents as well as seeing quick progress. Helping children to realise their potential and inspiring them is very rewarding too.”

THE WACONIAN 2019

Lego Day Oliver Norbury and Fleur Cleary, Year 5

Lego Day was an exciting day filled with fantastic fun for all. The whole School, Juniors, Infants and pre-schoolers as well, participated in building some incredible creations. We did lots of activities such as creating Lego boats in our houses and erecting tall Lego towers which thankful ly didn’t topple over! At the start of the day, some people got to explore with the Lego before doing some individual challenges. Some of the creations that we made included robots, houses, cars and boats.

For another activity, eac h year group piled into the hal l for a cha llengin g House Competition where each House had a whole mat of Lego. We could only carry it to the bui lding mat using a spoon or chopsticks. This made it extremely dif ficult yet even more fun. We had to bui ld a bri dge wit hin our House Team. At the end of the day, the whole School met in the hal l to view our final creations. There were amazing str uctures and the tal lest bui ldings and towers.

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Year 2 Dinosaur Simile Poems My dinosaur is as scary as a tiger. My dinosaur has teeth as sharp as a sword And eyes as twinkling as a star. His legs are as scratchy as a spiky horn. He is as tall as the tallest man in the world. Mine is a T-Rex. Caolan Mccann My dinosaur is as shiny as diamonds getting polished. He is as clever as a fox tricking a rabbit. He is as strong as a whooshing tornado coming to earth. As dark as space at night time. He is as fast as a cheetah trying to catch his prey And he is as loud as a drum playing a solo. My dinosaur is a T-Rex. Allana Flanagan My dinosaur has teeth as sharp as a knife And his tail is as hard as a brick. His neck is as long as a sky-scraper And he is as scary as a shark chasing after you, Trying to eat you. He is as big as 200 school buses with an upstairs And his claws are as sharp as scissors. He is as dangerous as a bull charging at you and a lion eating you. His breath is so strong that he could blow you away To the moon or the sun and his face is As ugly as lots of wrinkles. He is as angry as a shark not getting any dinner. He is as fast as a leopard running as fast as he can And his head is as big as the world. My dinosaur is a T-Rex. Ella Henry My dinosaur’s teeth are as big as a banana And as sharp as an axe. She is as scary as a monster and as scaly as a crocodile. She is as long as 10 buses. Her claws are as sharp and as spiky as holly leaves. She is as dangerous as a lion Trying to eat you. She is as big as a skyscraper. She is a T-Rex. Mattie Ramsbottom

THE WACONIAN 2019

Junior Artists!

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THE WACONIAN 2019

Year 5 Trip to London Rhea Dutta-Roy: The Tower of London Some people say the Tower of London is one of the seven wonders of the world... and I AGREE!! This was the first place the Year 5s went to on our London trip, and from the outside it looked amazing! We got into our groups and went to explore the old history of the Tower of London. There were many artefacts and armour that we all enjoyed looking at. The small building in the middle, which is called the White Tower, was built by William the Conqueror in 1078 after his successful battle. Freya Farrington: Shakespeare Globe Theatre Prepare to shake your spears in the Globe Theatre of London! Upon arrival at the Globe, we were greeted by a friendly actor who would be our tour guide. We had a look inside the Globe, and apparently the more money you paid, the higher up you sat. I thought the Globe Theatre was really interesting and I learnt that the trap door on the Globe’s roof represented heaven and the one on the floor of the stage represented hell! Nicole Danam: Natural History Museum After we had been to the Globe Theatre, we took a long trip to the fascinating Natural History Museum. At the Natural History Museum, we first had lunch in the picnic area. Then my group went to the earthquake exhibit and learned how earthquakes are formed by the movement of the plates on the crust of the earth. Then we experienced what it would be like being in Japan at the time of the earthquake and the room shook underneath our feet! We next explored the minerals section and looked at lots of salt sculptures. It was amazing because some of the minerals were in the cases and were glowing and it looked really quite magical. After that, we saw all the stuffed animals, birds and insects and we had lots of fun. We went to the shop and then we reluctantly left the informative Natural History Museum. Fleur Cleary: Matilda the Musical Just after we finished eating at Pizza Hut, Year 5 took a short stroll over to the Cambridge Theatre. Outside, the theatre was extremely colourful and plastered with reviews and pictures of what we were about to find out was an absolutely amazing show! When we got inside the theatre, we realised what great seats we had (I mean, some of us were even on the front row!) and excitedly sat down in them. The display around the stage was amazing but what was even better was obviously the show itself! It was packed full of catchy songs, fantastic acting and very impressive dances and I think I can speak for everyone when I say that it was a fabulous show and we were all very sad when it was over. Oliver Norbury: Harry Potter Studio Tour On the third day, we went to Harry Potter World. First we entered into the Great Hall of Hogwarts where we saw the costumes of famous Harry Potter characters, including Daniel Radcliffe who played Harry Potter in the eight films. Whilst on the trip, we were given a challenge to find 13 golden snitches that were hidden around the tour. C lues were given in our Harry Potter passport-like booklet, which we had each been given on the coach when we arrived. Inside there were also lots of props and costumes. It was fun trying to spot the things we had seen in the movies in real life. After we had looked through some of the props, we entered the dark forest where there were massive animatronic moving spiders bigger than me and you combined, and it was especially scary since it was so dark and foggy.

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Charity Fun Day 2019 Fleur Cleary and Oliver Norbury, Year 5

This year our Charity Fun Day theme was Music. This meant that we could dress up as anything to do with music such as composers, musical notes and famous singers. Throughout the day, each year group came to the hall and sang songs for half an hour each for our Sing-a-Thon. This meant that we CHS Juniors were singing for three hours non-stop! Also on Charity Fun Day everyone from Year 3 to Year 6 got to make a stall to raise money for the charities that we chose. Year 3 made some delicious cakes and cupcakes, Year 4 made some wet outdoor games that included lots of water. Finally, Years 5 and 6 made some indoor games such as lucky dips and guessing games.

Our School Council took everyone’s ideas about which charities we should support this year and then made a final decision. The charities were: NSPCC The NSPCC helps children who need someone to talk to. The children can phone up and ask to talk to someone who will listen to their worries, reassure them and help. Bliss Bliss helps babies who are born prematurely or sick by taking them into special care and supporting their families. Their vision is that every baby born prematurely or sick should have the best chance of survival and quality of life. Seashell Trust The Seashell Trust is aimed at anybody from the age of 2 to 25 who has multiple disabilities such as communication skills and deafness. It is based near here in Cheadle Hulme and includes both a school and a college for education and care. We asked some of the Infant children about what their favourite stalls were: “ My favourite stall was Hook the Duck.” Conway, Year 2 “ I liked getting my toy lizard. The best stall was the electric stall because I won my lizard there.” Hudson, Year 1 “ I loved buying and eating cake and the stall where you throw the water balloons.” Edie, Reception “ I liked the Sing-a-Thon because I like singing. I liked the stall with the giant football because it was my brother’s stall.” Liberty, Year 1

THE WACONIAN 2019

Junior Sports Report

Cricket Our Junior School pupils have been enjoying the cricket season playing in

Rounders

Games lessons, lunchtime and after-school clubs, practices and competitive fixtures.

The Years 5 and 6 Girls’ Rounders Team

The U11 AJIS Team has had an excellent season,

travelled to Lytham for the annual AJIS

winning their match against local rivals Stockport

Rounders Competition. They were unbeaten all

Grammar School in the final in a very close match. The

morning, playing St.Bedes, St.Mary’s Prep and

Team then progressed to the semi-final of the AJIS

AKS. This put us in the quarter-final where we

Cup where they were beaten by a very strong King’s

beat Oldham Hulme. In the semi-final we played

Macclesfield Team. The highlight of the season

The King’s School, Macclesfield and beat them,

for our Junior cricketers has been winning

progressing to the final! In the final we played

the Plate Competition in the Manchester

and won against Withington, and we finished

Grammar School 6-a-side Tournament.

as overall champions. Mr Mason, Year 5 Teacher Ruth Fisher, Junior Sports Teacher

Tennis It was an all CHS final at the AJIS

Football

Tennis Tournament. In June, Eva and

CHS hosted the annual AJIS U9

Leila from Year 6 travelled to The King’s

Football Festival for 17 other schools

School to take part in the competition.

involving just over 200 pupils. The CHS

Both girls won all of their singles matches

teams played some competitive fixtures

and won their semi-finals to meet each

and enjoyed a great morning of football.

other in the final. It was an extremely

We received very positive feedback,

well played match with Eva coming

both on our players and the event.

out as the winner. Mr Cartright, Ruth Fisher, Junior Sports Teacher

Year 6 Teacher

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Year 5 and 6 Junior Sports Tour to Jersey Fleur Cleary, Year 5: Interview with Mrs Walker Why did you choose Jersey for the Sports Tour? Jersey was recommended to me by another school who have been there and it’s not too far away, a good distance. Also the company who we organise the tour through have a good link with Jersey and they have done lots of tours there. How did the matches go and were you happy with the results? Yes, I thought the teams were very well matched in ability, particularly the girls’ fixtures. The football was quite difficult for the boys since it was a high standard but despite that, we played well, especially against St Michael’s School. What was your favourite part of the trip and what do you think was the children’s best part? My favourite part of the trip was the day when we had the swimming at the hotel and jumped into the freezing pool after the hockey fixture. I think maybe the beach was the children’s favourite part, as they loved it and I know they all enjoyed the ice cream! How do the children benefit from the Sports Tour? They get to play against new opposition and they have an experience of being away from home and going on an airplane on their own. The children also get a lot of time to socialise with others and make new friends. They learn about sharing rooms, looking after their own stuff, keeping things tidy and just overall being a lot more independent.

Oliver Norbury, Year 5: Interview with Mr Mason What was your favourite part of the trip? Spending time on the beach at St Helier and playing touch rugby! How did you feel by the end? I was quite tired after helping to look after 48 children, but really pleased with the way the trip went and how enjoyable it was. What would you change for next time? Nothing – I thought the fixtures and activities were superb, even the weather was kind! Which game went the best throughout the trip? I really enjoyed seeing the U11 Rugby Team play so well against Jersey Rugby Club.

Fleur Cleary, Year 5 Aqua Splash Water Park In the early afternoon on the Saturday, after we had had a fun time at the beach eating ice cream, collecting crabs and playing games, we headed over to the Aqua Splash Water Park. Inside there were three slides that were fantastically fast and fun! There was an inflatable donut ride and two flumes: a fast one and a slow one. There was also a wave machine where you can try and jump over the big waves. We definitely all enjoyed watching our friends jump off the really high diving board (and doing it ourselves) because we all made some big splashes! Bowling In Jersey, we had the treat of going bowling on the Saturday evening. It was really fun and everyone got into it - especially the teachers! It was exciting to see how the scores panned out and although it’s impossible for everyone to win, I’m absolutely certain that everyone enjoyed themselves. Disco On one of the evenings, we had a disco, which included a DJ, some flashing lights and a very good time! Everyone danced the night away to some of our favourite songs including ‘Gangnam Style’, ‘The Macarena’ and ‘Despacito’! Jersey Zoo One of the best activities in Jersey was definitely the zoo! There were all sorts of animals like colourful exotic birds, howler monkeys, (which made a lot of noise!), bright pink flamingos and silly baboons. There was also a playground, where you could see the monkeys playing and have a good time yourself, but one of the best bits was that no teachers went around with you! You were all by yourself, except for your friends of course, and you got to choose what things you wanted to buy from the gift shop. Matches We played three matches each but since there were a lot of teams, there were too many scores to record - all I know is that everyone, even if they didn’t win, enjoyed themselves and the game.

THE WACONIAN 2019

Year 6 Spooky Story Openings Plot 6 Skeleton: Barnabas Toth An ancient monumental Victorian hall was up for sale. It looked like the whole structure was about to fall apart. CRASH; the barely transparent windows were cracked as though a car had run into them, shards of glass tightly hanging onto the translucent cliff. The roof tiles were meant to be a jovial bright red but instead the clouds’ tears slowly trickled down miserable tiles of crimson like blood noxiously dripping onto the tiles. The ravens screeched menacingly as the screams of pain could be heard, echoing around in the silent background. Although this level of grotesque could be enough to drive a sane man crazy, people came to look around the inside. People who didn’t care

The Scarecrow: Tabitha Perls Over the summer we rented a beautiful little cottage with a garden that had daisies and poppies in a moist crumbly soil that lay next to thin cut grass, the fields were full of wheat that lay on top of the tall strands of grass. The birds sang the most enchanted song and had nests in the small trees so you could see the little eggs that sat in the weaved basket made for them. But the one thing that was distracting and disturbing me in this luxury cottage was that in the field right next to the gate was a SCARECROW and it was the most creepiest thing. It had black buttons stabbed in its eyes with red wool and its mouth had been stitched in a crooked smile that didn’t look right.

what other people thought of their house, those types of people. The inside was a fascinating wonderland of beauty with lavender and roses everywhere. Just one breath of the amazing scent could make you want to live there for evermore. Candlelight is the only used source of light, absurd yet tranquilizing as it may be. The ultra-soft cushions on the ultra-soft couch standing on the ultra-soft carpet can fit in peacefully with the calm atmosphere, with the beige, wooden table, the beige, wooden chairs and the beige, wooden cupboards, making the dream kitchen and diner come true.

The scarecrow was wearing an old ragged coat. I had one sibling and there were only two bedrooms upstairs so I had to sleep downstairs on the awful, itchy sofa with the scarecrow in the corner of the window watching over me as I slept. The next morning I woke up and everyone was going shopping. I didn’t want to go because shopping is boring. I was at home alone and then all of a sudden the phone rang. Mum said never to answer the phone while she is out but I didn’t listen, so I picked up the phone and all I could hear was loud, deep breathing on the other end of the line, I dropped the phone as my body shivered in fear.

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Year 1: Peter Rabbit

THE WACONIAN 2019

ell and ‘The Wizards of w o C a d Onc ssi e e’ r Oliver Norbury, Year 5 C CHS hosted an event in Holden Hall on the 18th September 2018 with three other schools and Cressida Cowell. Cressida gave an inspiring talk about her new book and about her job as a writer. Her new book ‘Twice Magic’ is the long-awaited sequel to ‘The Wizards of Once’ and is as spectacular as ever. This book features the truly magical heroics of the witch-fighting duo, Xar, a wizard prince with forbidden magic. We asked James Brophy in Year 5 about his thoughts on ‘The Wizards of Once’ and if he was looking forward to reading the new book; “Yes, I am really looking forward to reading this book - it looks amazing! It has already gripped me even though I am only on the first chapter.” We also asked Fleur Cleary what she thought of the book once she had finished reading it. “I loved ‘Twice Magic’ and couldn’t put it down once I had started reading it. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes fun adventures.” Cressida Cowell gave us some top tips for becoming a writer including keeping a notebook everywhere you go to write your thoughts down and sketching ideas too.

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Junior Kayaking Trip 2019 Rohit Surapaneni, Year 5 On Thursday 6th of June a small group of Years 5 and 6 kayakers from our School, accompanied by Mr.Johnson and Mrs. Cecil, went on a trip to Burnage Rugby Club. Not to play rugby but to kayak down the River Mersey. We parked next to the River Mersey and met Ian (our instructor). We geared up with helmets and life jackets, got safety instructions and then started our exciting journey down the river. On the journey we learnt lots of different things. We didn’t just learn about different kayaking techniques but also learnt about the nature that ‘lived’ on the side of the river. For example; there is a plant on the side of the river that can burn you more than fire! On the River Mersey there are lots of fun things to do including going down fast rapids. Some of us even fell into the freezing water! We came back to School a bit wet and cold but excited after an exhausting afternoon.

THE WACONIAN 2019

‘Born in a Barn’

Oliver Norbury, Year 5

The Infant performance was a spectacular show performed by the Year 1s and the Year 2s. Some of the main parts were: The donkey - Emily Norbury. The cockerel - Jack Oakes. The dog - Edward Millington. The owls - Salahuddin & Zara Baglin. Angel Gabriel - Conway Sim. The Year 1 classes sang and danced to songs as well. Overall it was a great performance from everyone.

‘Snowman at Sunset’

Rhea Dutta-Roy, Year 5

Our new Pre-School and Reception children performed a winter musical for Christmas. They sang and danced with great confidence! And even though they are still young, they delivered their lines clearly and put on a great all-round performance!

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‘Alice’: the Junior School Christmas production Interviews by Oliver Norbury, Nicole Danam, Rhea Dutta-Roy and Freya Farrington, Year 5 Years 3 - 6 performed the play of Alice in Wonderland this year for the Christmas production with the Year 5 pupils taking the lead roles. Two pupils were given the part of Alice to share and they were both outstanding! Here is what some of the actors thought about the performances: “ Even though it was hard, I really enjoyed it and it was so fun to do with all my friends. Although I was nervous, I did not feel shy because Mrs.Beckwith was there to encourage me and Mrs. Boardman was supportive when it came to my songs. I was tired in the rehearsals because it was really exhausting. I screamed when I found out what part I got! When we were all on stage I think everyone was really anxious but because the lights were so bright no one could see anything!” Scarlett Thomas (Alice 1) “ I felt nervous when I had to sing my song because everyone was watching me. I thought my costume was really pretty and I loved the colours. I didn’t mind giving up my time to do rehearsals because I loved my part and wanted the performance to go well - which it did! It felt unreal when I got the main part, I felt really proud of myself. I am a big fan of the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ book because it’s mad and so am I!” Eleanor Wood (Alice 2) “ This was my first proper performance so it was nerve-wracking but interesting and a very fun part to play. I was a bit worried that my solo would go wrong...but it didn’t! It wasn’t the prettiest costume but I was expecting that as I was the Mad Hatter! It was exciting when I first got to see and wear the costume. It was a very enjoyable part to play and I wish to do something like this again! I’ve been wanting to do something like this for ages and I finally got the chance!” Beatrice West (Mad Hatter) “ I really enjoyed playing the White Rabbit in ‘Alice in Wonderland’, but nerves almost got the better of me at the beginning, and during my solo song, ‘I’m Late’, Still, it was a very confidence-boosting, fun experience, and all of the hard work we put into the production together really paid off! I was always so excited to be in the main cast in the Christmas production, and it was one of the things I was looking forward to when moving up into Year 5. My character definitely rubbed off on me though, because I am often late for school!” Freya Farrington (White Rabbit) “ It was very fun, I rather liked pretending to be dumb! I liked my costume very much, even though it was very itchy. I loved the lines I had, especially the one where I say, “I don’t know the meaning of half those long words and what’s more I don’t believe you do either!” Edward Harrop (Lory) “ W hen I heard the news that I got the Queen of Hearts part, I was really happy that I had got the part which I had auditioned for. I was really proud of myself! I liked my costume and my favourite part of it was the skirt as it was really poofy and it had lots of underskirts. I wasn’t nervous when I went on stage as I do a Drama Club out of school on Saturday and we do shows there so I already had some experience. I did feel a bit sad when the play was over because I enjoyed doing the performances.’ Mia Khanna (Queen of Hearts)

THE WACONIAN 2019

Junior Music Festival Rhea Dutta-Roy, Year 5

Once every year, young musicians from the Junior School gather together to perform a piece of music and this year the Music Festival was fantastic! Whether it was a string, brass or woodwind instrument, the pieces of music were majestic and they suited the person who was playing them. Each performer sat down at the front until it was their turn. Once it was their turn, they walked up to the front, with their instrument and music, and played a two-minute piece. When they finished, they bowed, walked back to their place and waited for the next person to perform. “The children did themselves proud and it was pleasing to hear well-prepared pieces being performed on a wide range of different instruments. I was particularly impressed with the professionalism shown - children introducing their pieces and remembering to take a bow at the end. Fabulous! Mr Pettitt was hugely impressed too and it was a treat for the children to hear him perform on the cor anglais and share some of his experiences performing around the world as a professional musician. Well done, everyone!” Miss Marsden, Junior School Music Teacher

“ I played ‘Come ye Sons of Art’ on the trumpet, a brass instrument. I did enjoy it as I really love playing music.” Molly Oldham, Year 5 “ I played a majestic piece on the cello, a string instrument. I enjoyed it because I take music not as a hobby but as a lifetime activity.” Rohit Surapaneni, Year 5 “ I played a beautiful piece named ‘Bomhea’ on the string instrument, the violin. I really enjoyed the Music Festival because I am extremely passionate about music and love playing pieces for my family and friends.” Nishika Kirwadi, Year 4 “ I play the piano and I played ‘War Drum’. I enjoyed it because I got to stand up and play my piece in front of everyone!” Katie Double, Year 3

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Our Tattenhall Trip What Year 2 thought! A few days ago I went on a trip that was absolutely amazing! We went to Tattenhall but it was not a day trip as it was a residential. When we got off the white bus we were at Tattenhall. (Did you know Tattenhall was a school?) When we got there we were amazed - we got sorted into our rooms and there were two bedrooms. One was the blue striped bedroom and the other one was the orange striped bedroom. Once we were in our rooms we started to unpack. Once we had unpacked we went out onto the lovely green grass … When we were outside, there were lots of things to play with such as a climbing frame, trim trail and football nets to play football. I chose to play football! After that we had a cap which we coloured in light and dark colours. Once we had made our amazing caps we took a picture of them. Then we had lunch! Jack Oakes Just before the holidays I went on an amazingly amazing trip to...... drum roll please......Tattenhall! First we walked up to the coach, we hopped on and set off. When we got there we unpacked our bags, then found out our rooms. I slept in the orange room on the top bunk, my BFF slept under me. Then we had a little snack and a look around. Then we played outside, had some fun, and went back inside because we were designing our caps and that was my favourite bit. We went to lunch and it was…….PASTA! Florrie Woodhouse A few weeks ago I went on an exciting trip. First we got on the coach and I sat on the coach next to Jack. When we got to Tattenhall, we met the staff and we had a snack. After, we had a look around the place and outside. There were two dorms - one was orange and one was light blue. I was in the orange room. After we looked at our rooms, we played outside in the playground. I played football then we designed our caps. I drew about Tattenhall because I was in Tattenhall. After, we went on an adventurous walk. At the end of the walk, we played in a huge playground! There was a long zip wire, then we went back and we had tea. For tea, I had fish and chips with peas. YUMMY! We played outside and toasted marshmallows. And on the next day I went on the zip wire! Arun Devakumar In the afternoon it started to get warmer and we started doing our activities. There were three low ropes, zip wire and archery. It was so fun. At about eight o’clock we went outside again to toast marshmallows on a campfire. The smoke kept coming towards me. We then went for a walk around Tattenhall. We saw lots of things on the walk like carved wood animals on the brown, wrinkly trees. Nina Hetta

THE WACONIAN 2019

“ In the years that have gone the School has, above all other things, stood for formation of character, and in the existence of its old scholars, of a host of men and women of sterling worth.” The Waconian, 1914

“ The exterior of the School now wears a brighter appearance since the labours of the painters. They have been with us for several weeks; and their perilous operations at the top of lofty ladders have been the source of much interest to our youngsters.” The Waconian, 1914

“ Considerable excitement was aroused when it became known that the hospital at the Schools has been offered, and accepted, by the Red Cross Auxiliary Hospital for wounded soldiers. A number of ladies were kept busy for some weeks making preparations for its equipment…” The Waconian, 1915

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THE WACONIAN 2019

The Charity Hike – the Students’ Views Tom Curtis and Neel Amarnani, Year 7 The reason we chose to do it was so that we could feel good and happy knowing that we were helping the children and the community. We also chose to do it so that we could explore routes and places we had never been before which will help us later on in life when we go out on our own. We felt we should help and that gave us enough adrenaline to push our way to the end. We would encourage other people by showing them what they are walking for because the Hike for us was to build a school for other children and we are helping them structure their future. We think that the Charity Hike is important

because we help children who are less fortunate than us. It is important because the children that don’t get a good education need to learn so that they have a chance in life. Also, it is important as they need food to stay healthy as well as an education. We would advise every student to do the Charity Hike at least once during their time at Cheadle Hulme. It gets us into the outdoors and gives us the chance to help other people other than just ourselves. We would also advise the Year 7s to do the Charity Hike as you could walk with some of your new friends and get to know them better.

Isabelle Marsh, Year 8 On Sunday the 14th October at 10am, an early start for some, a large group of CHS students arrived at Poynton Station. It was the day of the Charity Hike. The rain was lashing down, and some people were already soaked, but still they came. Many, given the chance to give up their Sunday and go on a 15k or 20k hike, would most likely turn it down, but not us Waconians! At CHS one of the values is Altruism, which is why so many showed up, despite the weather, to go on a long walk. All for one great reason, to help others by raising money for charity. That is what I think makes the Charity Hike so important; it gives students the opportunity to help others. The idea of going on a ‘hike’ may sound off-putting to some, but once you

have experienced it, you will realise that it is just a fun day out with friends. That is why I have decided to do it for the past two years and why I suggest, even if you despise the idea of a hike, to give it a go. Even if you find it is not for you, it is important to try it and in doing so raise money for charity. Many people ask if it is hard and in response I would say: it depends on your attitude towards it. I think if you keep your spirits high and walk with friends then it is fairly simple, providing you do not get lost. I would also suggest that a good energising snack and plenty to drink is helpful. Of course, sweets are a necessity! All in all, give the Charity Hike a go, persevere, and take part in it with a group of friends, perhaps even in fancy dress!

Alyssa Kouyate, Year 9 This year, I took part in the Charity Hike with two of my friends, doing the 15k route. I decided to do it this year because I took part last year, and it was really fun. Also, it is great to raise money for my House, and to know that you are doing something for a good cause. I think it is important to do the Charity Hike because you get to walk with people you might never have been friends with, and you know that you are walking to help those less fortunate.

I would advise those who would like to take part in the Charity Hike next year to make sure they have a copy of both the 15k and 20k instructions, in case they get lost and need to follow another route, like my friends and I did. I am going to encourage others to take part in the Charity Hike next year by talking about it to them, and pointing out that it is a great cause and helps your House.

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Small Steps Foundation Hannah Darwent and Hafsa Alam, Upper Sixth Do you know when the charity was set up and who started it? Small Steps was set up by Cat Dunlop, an ex-pupil who was heavily involved in MUN during her time at CHS Can you tell me about what the Small Steps Foundation does? Small Steps is a charity based in Uganda, running a special needs class within Glory Be Nursery School in Buwenda. It works to provide a safe, inclusive environment for SEND children, supporting each child’s individual needs and preventing them from becoming socially excluded. It also provides an after-school coaching programme, aimed at those who, with extra support, can then join the mainstream nursery classes. They provide quality affordable preschool education for over 200 children each year. Unlike larger charities, it doesn’t have high admin costs and every penny raised really does go straight to the nursery. Cat works voluntarily and supports herself from her savings; it’s only the Ugandan team members who are paid a wage. For how long have you volunteered to help the Foundation and why do you think it’s important for you to do this? I’ve been volunteering with Small Steps for over three years; it is a small charity which doesn’t get much support and so CHS’ contributions make a huge difference. The money goes a long way in Uganda - £1 feeds all of the nursery’s children for an entire day so even a small contribution helps a lot. How much money have you raised for the charity so far and can you give me some examples of the way the money raised has helped the charity? The last school year’s total was nearly £3000; we are hoping to beat that this year. This year the charity has worked hard to improve the conditions for their staff as they are the ones who drive the vision of the project; they have constructed staff housing adjacent to the school and the teachers have their own purpose-built toilet and latrine block. What are the long-term goals of the charity? They hope soon to secure enough monthly donors to give every member of staff a pay rise so that they feel respected and motivated.

MacMillan Charity Cake Sale Lauren Wheeler, Upper Sixth Please can you tell me a bit about the charity that the event was supporting? The event was run in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support as part of their Macmillan coffee morning appeal. Macmillan’s aim is to enable cancer patients to live their lives as fully as possible from the moment they receive their diagnosis. They understand that cancer affects so much more than a person’s health, including their family, job and even their ability to pay the bills and they strive to provide patients with access to unrestricted support in these areas. Why is this charity so important to you? I think it’s safe to say that we are all related to, or know of, someone who has struggled with cancer at some point in their lives and unfortunately many of us have lost loved ones to this horrendous disease. Having witnessed the terrible effects the disease can have on a person’s physical and mental health I wanted to help raise some money for a charity which supports sufferers. How much money was raised by the cake sale and how will this help the charity? With all the generous donations of cakes, alongside a fair few boxes of doughnuts, and the support of everyone who attended the cake sale, we were able to raise just under £400 for Macmillan, which was a great achievement! The money will go towards providing practical and emotional support for patients and financial aid for sufferers who are unable to work due to their condition; some will also go towards research aiming to find more effective treatments for the disease. Do you have any future school events planned in order to fundraise more for this charity? At the moment, no, although I hope that the School will continue to support the coffee morning each September since it really is an incredibly worthwhile cause! However, I do hope to continue fundraising for other charities throughout the year, including supporting the homeless charity Shelter at the upcoming school production.

THE WACONIAN 2019 Emily Tallon We arrived at Condover Hall at lunch time so first we ate our packed lunches and then got into our groups for activities. After we had met our team leader we had to come up with a name for our groups and a chant. Our groups were called ‘Da Supremes’ and ‘CHS Warriors’.

Year 7 at Condover Hall

We had to use communication and for this we talked to help each other do the activities. We had to get everyone through a loop while we were holding hands. We used the CHS Thinking Skills often when doing our team challenge. Our first activity of day one was circus training and we found this tricky but really enjoyable at the same time. We helped each other by spinning each other’s plates on the sticks if they were stuck and improved our skills by doing tricks with friends or partners. One of the activities was called Diablo, and it was probably the hardest. We also had a lot of fun with the gladiator walls. We would race each other to the top. Some people just went up for fun though. Once we got up there, we would get to jump off while the people at the bottom let us go down. The hardest part was definitely the tyres near the top. It was fun when we got down as we just stepped off or some people jumped off. You could do this facing backwards if you wanted. In the evening we had a campfire. We got to sing lots of fun songs and we all got to show a talent if we wanted to. There were lots of acts. One girl made very good owl impressions, there were lots of funny jokes and a very spooky story. On day two….at 6:50!!!.…..we woke up and got our clothes on to go to breakfast. After we had gone back to our rooms to get changed into our activity clothes we met up with our team leader and began our first activity. We were very excited. We went kayaking on the lake, where it was extremely cold and we got splashed a lot! After that we had the choice to jump in, and even though it was cold we did it anyway. We were very sad when we had to leave. We packed our bags and then we enjoyed our last activity, which was abseiling and orienteering and it was really fun. We left on Friday.

34-35 Armaan Mesbahi The Condover Hall residential trip was amazing for me, it had loads of fun stuff to do and I made a lot of new friendships. We did lots of activities which were new to me and I really enjoyed them all. When we first got there the only thing I saw was a huge mansion that looked extremely old - we had a tour of a small part of it and I was surprised by that because I thought we were going to have a tour of the whole thing, but as we went through the back door it was like another world to me considering how big it was. I asked the instructor just how big it was, and he said it was 76 acres! From that point on I knew that I would have a great time. My favourite activities were kayaking and the gladiator wall.

On the gladiator wall, there were these two big pillars that were loose, and you went up it in partners and you really had to work together to tell your partner where the easy spots to get up were. I think this most of all led to a lot of friendships between people. When we went kayaking the weather was really hot, but it wasn’t the same for the water. The reason why kayaking for me was one of the best activities is because as we were on the water, there was a lot of time to talk to your partner and really get to know them better. I have gone on a lot of residential trips in primary school, but Condover Hall was by far the best trip I have done.

Azeem Haque The trip on the way to Condover Hall was, well, let’s say, amusing. Joseph Bald (who is probably the funniest and the most entertaining pupil) got pretty much everybody on the coach to sing nursery rhymes and other songs such as ‘Jingle Bells’. Everybody had a good time on the coach and we all joined in (apart from the few people who didn’t actually like the song). The dorms were great too! In my dorm there were four people and we had lots of fun together. There were some downs and parts that were not as good, but they got resolved quickly, thanks to Mrs Whatson and Mr Upton and all the other staff who helped and encouraged us every moment while we were at Condover. As for the

activities, well, let’s say some were challenging and some were fine but the important thing is that everybody had something that they liked and enjoyed doing. We all found out some things that we can or can‘t do. Some people struggled with the circus activities, but Samuel and I thought we would suit a circus quite well. One activity everybody liked was kayaking as it was so much fun. We all enjoyed splashing each other, capsizing each other and even capsizing ourselves on purpose. The whole trip was really good and everyone had lots of fun.

Hawa Iqbal Condover Hall was a really great trip. I really enjoyed the abseiling because it was my first time and it was fun going down the wall and looking down. On the first night we had a campfire, we sang some songs and had a talent show and we were going to perform but we ran out of time. At night it was hard to get to sleep because we kept talking. When we were told to turn the lights out, we kept talking, but Mrs Fowler came in and told us to be quiet so we had no choice. We also had lots of snacks, which was really fun. On the second day after we got there, we did kayaking on the lake and we had to work as a team to paddle across the really cold lake. Everyone kept splashing at us.

At the end we did trust falls off the edge of the platform. After that we did rock climbing and the gladiator walls, which everyone really liked. The quiz was our last activity. The last day was when we did abseiling and orienteering, and after lunch we went home. The bus back was really funny though because everyone was singing. The activities made us work together and trust the others in the year. We all encouraged each other in everything we did. The food wasn’t too great, but overall it was really good bonding trip!

THE WACONIAN 2019

Heritage Day Rohan Kotecha, Lower Sixth This year Heritage Day was held on Sunday September the 16th and was coordinated by Lily Danson, a member of the Student Council who was also recently appointed Head Girl. Heritage Day is a national event in which places which are normally closed or require paid admission for the public are free to enter so that people can be educated on the rich history of these nationally spread locations. The two themes of this year’s Heritage Day at CHS were World War One (with this year being the anniversary of the end of WW1) and Women of CHS. This included the highlights of the School’s involvement in the war, notable women who have attended CHS, women getting the vote and much more. During the guided tours throughout the School which were given by students on the day, people would be able to learn about such significant moments as these, right from CHS’s opening in 1855. The tours began at around 10am and continued throughout most of the day. The groups weren’t too large and they even included a few keen children who were offered a quiz about the School’s history, with the promise of a prize at the end. Students ensured that they highlighted specific answers to the quiz on the tour so as to give the kids a bit of a helping hand.

Holden Hall was the next stop on the tour, as the academic heart of the school where all lessons used to take place. Within Holden Hall, the room H1.3 was set up to look like a historic Victorian classroom. Here, groups could learn about the structure of lessons and how they differed for boys and girls. The tour proceeded to the Drama Studios where the visitors were informed that one of them used to be a swimming pool, hence the false floor, in which the girls were not allowed to swim until the 1900s. The new swimming pool was pointed out to the group as well as the cellars beneath the main building which were used as a radio club, as an air raid shelter and then later as a playroom for boarders. The tour continued to the oldest building in the School, the Old Barn, before heading back to the Main Building where the tours ended. The visitors were then free to look around at the other exhibitions as well as enjoy some refreshments.

The tour started at the Main Reception, where there are copper plates commemorating the Old Boys and the single Old Girl who died in WW1 and WW2. The tour then continued to the exhibition area in the History Department, past the Head’s office where Miss Pearson, the first female Head at the School, was mentioned. Upon reaching the exhibition, people were given time to browse the array of pieces of history which were on show and special attention was drawn to the copper plaque commemorating the School’s role as a hospital in the war and the letter of thanks signed by Winston Churchill himself. The groups were then led back towards Reception and through the library where the layout of the school and its accommodation for boarders until late 1993 were described.

The initial tours ran quite smoothly with the students being able to answer the questions of the visitors with relative ease. However, it wasn’t long before the typical British weather made an appearance and made things a bit more challenging for the students, to say the least. Nevertheless, the pupils managed to keep the outside segments of their tours short and sweet, so as to avoid the heavy downpour of rain, as well as trying their best to cover all of the main points and interesting facts for the quiz. After a long, tiring day of tours and being consistently rained on, the tour guides were able to return with their groups to the Dining Hall and managed to get a break to relax out of the cold and damp weather. A particularly well-deserved one especially after Lily told me she looked like she’d been for a swim in the pond! Despite the weather conditions resulting in a smaller number of people coming in the afternoon, the day on the whole was considered a worthwhile and enriching experience by students and members of the public alike.

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A flower in the war

Change

Naisha Vora, Year 8

Skye Macleod, Year 10

Just a simple flower, Hidden amongst them all, Though a leader to the path beyond, It looks up to a tower, Its king for sure, Like one of the soldiers lined up for war, Day by day a petal falls, Until all is lost… Now the tale is told, About a simple flower, Whose name was Poppy, Singing in glory, For its pride and the power.

He follows you wherever you go. He creeps up on you, He’s sly And you don’t want to make him angry, Because he will never die, He can make a storm on a sunny day, And make you feel fear

Women’s march Miliani Fraser-Fletcher, Year 10 I march for change I march for girls with no education Forced into marriage With men years older than them I march for women trapped in domestic violence With no one to turn to, no escape I march so our daughters Will be paid the same as their peers I march so they can live without fears Of being objectified An item that men can use Abuse I march so that When a girl is born into this world It will be a world that will accept her, Protect her, See her as equal I march for change

What flavour should I add next? Kiska McQuillan, Year 8 A texture of sand that trickles through my fingers, Dancing particles woven together in an inseparable mixture, Ingredients bound together, Mixed with caution, Balanced and weighed, passing through the stages of a soon-to-be treat, The ever evolving nature of the baking process Is not so far from the growth of children into adults. Nurtured and kept warm, Loved and protected, From a baby bun in the oven, To a splendid full grown sponge. The oven door opens and the aroma of a golden cake seeps into the air. The only question is, What flavour should I add next?

But you never see him For he is your silent shadow. He makes summer days From chilly winters, And monkeys into us, He makes us feel warm inside He gives us a buzz. But it’s better if he stays Quiet in the hospital room. He will come creeping back soon, But he’s always a weight on Your shoulders And he can’t be trusted at all. His name is very simple, But big and broad too, His nick name is Tamper But his real name is...change.

Change Jack Bourne, Year 10 The little seed lays down in the mother’s hand, The little seed is protected in the broad land, The little seed starts crawling – like a mouse, Up and down his parents’ house. The little seed starts to grow, He finds out things he should not know, He finds his footing and starts to walk, Soon enough he starts to talk. He starts to travel to and fro, from where his life began, Before you know it – he is gone. He gets a job in the big broad land, He starts to earn money he can spend, He gets a wife, has lots of fun, Goes on travels around the world, places he has not gone, He finds the place his ancestors are from. He then settles near his home, He buys a house, one which he calls his own, He starts to make decisions from his throne, Then the little seed makes seeds of his own. They grow up – and follow the path where their fathers have gone, Which turns out to be a good one.

THE WACONIAN 2019

Young Enterprise: Team Avantura James Madeira, Upper Sixth The Young Enterprise programme is the UK’s leading charity that empowers young people to harness their personal and business skills. Running throughout one academic year, students make all the decisions about the day-to-day running of an enterprise of their choice. Ultimately this ensures that the product has the ability to be taken to market and become commercially viable. Thus, Mr Hornsby assembled an elite team of students who were adequately equipped for the challenge ahead.

was a huge gap in the market for Manchester-themed merchandise that didn’t just contain a design with the classic bee approach. And so our product was based on two different designs, a standard design and a Christmasthemed design. Both designs featured the Mancunian parka and bucket hat, with the iconic bee patch on his arm. Our main design (along with our Santa T-shirt design) was designed by our team’s artist Ollie Clemetson and was then printed at Boohoo in Manchester. We therefore felt as though we had created a product which appropriately fitted in with the well-known Manc culture. Fund Raising - In order to finance our main product we were aware that we would have to raise funds. Firstly, we each invested £25 worth of shares into the business which ensured that all 14 of us, including Mr Hornsby, were equal shareholders. We then had many opportunities to fundraise for our product. Sales - With the stock finally in our hands we were able to launch our products on various social media platforms as well as beginning sales. This included selling at stalls at the Christmas Markets in Manchester and also at the Trafford Centre market stalls. We were then invited to pitch our business idea and product to the prestigious business firm PricewaterhouseCoopers at their city centre offices in a Dragons’ Den-style presentation. We received some brilliant feedback from the business experts with remarks about the uniqueness of our design as well as the professionalism of the team. This set us in perfect stead for the ultimate finale in which we were to present our product to a panel of judges at the Stockport Schools and Colleges Finals.

Our first meeting of the campaign began with the team appointing roles within our company. We knew it was vital to ensure that we had a business structure built for success. Within the company we decided who would take on the role of being the Managing Director, the Human Resources Manager, the Financial Manager and the Sales Manager. Each role was as vital as the others as we knew that in order to run a successful company, we would have to ensure that the business ran like clockwork. Throughout the process we met at least once a week to discuss new ideas and to review progress from the past week. This method was very effective as it allowed us, as a team, to keep on top of our work and to progress week by week. This replicated real-life business boardroom meetings, just like you see on The Apprentice; however, Sir Alan (aka Mr Hornsby), didn’t actually fire anyone throughout the process. Straight from the off our thoughts were focussed and we settled on our product idea of Manchester-themed T-shirts and also our company’s mission statement: “Our aim is to create a fun working environment, to ensure customer satisfaction with unique product designs and to guarantee outstanding quality”. The Product -“A quirky character dressed in all things Manchester. Wearing the Manchester bee loud and proud”. This was the basis for our original design. When drawing up ideas about the design, we as a team found that there

We were delighted to receive the award for best presentation at the Finals, and were highly commended for the product we designed and developed ourselves. Throughout the process we managed to generate a sales revenue of over £1700, which reflected the hard work and dedication the team put into the business. The stock that we had left at the end of the process was donated to children in the Gambian High School in The Gambia and to Jinja Connections and Giasco, which are both street boy charity foundations in Uganda. None of this could have been achieved without the help of Mr Hornsby and our business advisor Alison Carthy. The Team was: Finn Ballantine, Harrison Blower, Ryan Skelton, Joel Kinsella, Holly McInerney, Hannah Cooper, Cam Shields, Nikta Rokni, Ollie Clemetson and Harrison Wood.

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MUNCH 18: “WE NOW DECLARE MUNCH 18 OPEN” Cate Howe, Laura Hartig and Maia Williams, Lower Sixth MUNCH 2018 started spectacularly, with many new and interesting people to meet from twenty-five schools across the nation, from as far away as Bristol and southeast London, and our special guests from Madrid. First, accompanied by an enthusiastic bout of applause, the Ambassadors all made their way out to collect their flags in an orderly fashion. There was a jovial atmosphere as Ambassadors from a variety of schools, each representing their own nation, made their way down the centre of the hall and waved their flags to the beat of suitably dramatic music which had been pre-recorded by the School’s Concert Band. This display was followed by an appropriate and warm welcome from the Deputy Secretary General, Kirsty Dickson, and the ceremony commenced. First to take the floor was the Head, Mr. Smith, who gave a brief history of the School and prided CHS on its altruism, which he believes is expressed through its involvement in MUN. He posed the intriguing question of whether the UN is outdated or far ahead of its time. The UN was founded to rebuild relationships between countries after the Second World War; however, Mr Smith argued that a similar tension can be seen in foreign policy today, demonstrated by numerous civil wars such as the ongoing one in Syria. Most important is the social impact of the UN, in terms of sacrificing the short-term interests of separate nations for the long-term interests of the world. The UN also does a lot to represent education in the world and the fact that it was World Teachers’ Day the day before was very fitting and only helped to stress this point. The talk was inspiring and thought-provoking and certainly all the delegates learnt something from it.

Following the speech by Mr Smith, Secretaries General, Pat and Rohan, decided to defy eighteen years’ worth of MUNCH tradition and skipped the usual first conference anecdotes in favour of some valuable advice. They told the delegates not to be afraid, but to ‘go bold and speak’, advice that many of the more experienced delegates would undoubtedly agree with. The Keynote Speaker this year was Rachel Evans, the First Secretary General for MUNCH back in 2001 and, as Kirsty pointed out, this was before most of the delegates were born. She has made many appearances in the School since and this year she opened with the motivational statement ‘go for it because you’ll get so much confidence from it’, which applies to everyone here at MUNCH, especially new participants. Unfortunately, the intended Keynote Speaker, Saba Al Mubsalat was obliged to rush to Saudi Arabia for her humanitarian work but left a video explaining the importance of participating in MUN. Saba described how her two sons became more empathetic and accepting of the wider world due to their experiences in MUN. She expressed how people’s innate ignorance can be resolved through their involvement, as MUN stresses the importance of coexistence, and how events in one nation can so easily affect surrounding nations. This can be applied on a smaller scale in our own communities and even within the School itself.

THE WACONIAN 2019

Humanitarian Aid: the People Matter Adam Wolowczyk, Upper Sixth We interviewed Rachel Evans who is the Executive Assistant to Saba Al Mubaslat, the CEO of the Humanitarian Leadership Academy. This is an organisation, part of Save the Children, that creates online learning resources for people affected by disasters, supporting people on the ground in communities. What would be your advice to someone who wants to get involved in humanitarian aid? The first thing I would say is work hard, study and try to understand the context of everything you are doing as much as possible. I think the last one is very important because the expertise in this area comes from the ground, the people who actually live there on a daily basis - it does not work if it is only led by a group of people far removed from the situation in a board room. You have to have acceptance into a community otherwise you will have very little impact. The Head posed the question of whether the UN is outdated or ahead of its time - what are your views on this? I don’t want to think that the United Nations is outdated. I think that it is necessary: it is crucial in bringing together nations and it does a lot of good work. There is work going on with UNHCR and the Human Rights Council. It has been proven that when the UN is in a country it creates more peace, so I think it’s a good thing because it is helping the situation. It could be better but every organisation can be better, a lot of bureaucracy and politics go on there that can sometimes prevent the good work actually reaching the ground, but it does great work and definitely has a place in this world. It isn’t outdated. I believe it can be updated to make the systems better but it needs to be there and it does work. How can countries work together with other countries that might be reluctant to be involved? As Saba said, I think it’s about understanding human nature and the human element of the people who are in trouble and to try and make that the priority when you are in negotiations. Unfortunately, that sometimes gets lost in negotiations and translation and I think it is really important to focus on the people and put other matters aside. I think if a lot of politicians could remember who they are working for, instead of putting their own interests first, then a lot more good things would happen. What do you think about the refugee crisis? We are very much still in a crisis; if there are people who are displaced then there is a crisis. I also believe that the media should be representing what is actually happening on the ground a lot more than they actually do, for example if you look at what is happening currently in Calais, in the Jungle, there is a distinct lack of media coverage because the English and French governments have said that it doesn’t exist anymore. There are stories out there if you look for them but they aren’t in the mainstream media. Every organisation and every institution has its own agenda and this plays into it a lot but I strongly feel that the media should be more accountable for responding to and reporting on the refugee crisis.

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An Interview with the Head Adam Wolowczyk, Upper Sixth, interviews Mr. Neil Smith who started as the Head at the school this year having previously taught here earlier on in his career. Have you been involved in MUN before? Yes, I was involved when I used to teach at CHS. I have been to the MUN conference in The Hague twice, which was spectacular, and also the Haileybury MUN conference. What is your best memory of MUN? I would have to say that it is the high level of discussion between young people on issues that really matter. Students don’t just see it as an academic exercise, they really care about it and see the value of discussion and the importance of seeing issues from the perspective of other countries. This is a skill that is incredibly valuable in life in order to make well-informed decisions, particularly in the current climate of misinformation in the media. Why is it important to take part in MUN? MUN is important because it provides an opportunity to carry out in-depth research and to pursue particular interests outside of the curriculum. It is also an invaluable opportunity to meet people from different backgrounds. It helps to give an individual a liberal education that is strongly in line with the Waconian values and this encourages greater integration into society in adulthood. An outward-facing society is very important, and I believe that the UN epitomises this. The only difference with MUN is the greater focus on the individual. These conferences have a friendly and supportive atmosphere and it is all based in a fun and engaging context that all years in the School can get involved in. I am often impressed by the extremely high-level conversations that students have all the while learning how to have a dialogue, challenge and question one another. Feedback from students has reinforced for me the fact that MUN is the most rewarding thing that you can do at school, and it is amazing to see what people then go on and achieve from this. What would be your advice to a new delegate? At first listen and identify who to support, but my main tip would be to get involved and engage in the debate, don’t be afraid to try. MUN presents an array of opportunities; there are many chances to get involved even if you don’t want to delegate whether it be in Tech, Press, as a chair, hospitality, as a secretary - the list goes on. What particular aspect of international politics most interests you? I am always interested in the balance that countries strike between self-interest and collaboration. It is fascinating to watch it all unfold, especially in such uncharted waters that we find ourselves in today.

THE WACONIAN 2019

The Fallen

Change

Alexander Vernon, Year 8

Teri Devlin, Lower Sixth

The fallen: They are the fallen, They are the people who saved us all, Their courage and bravery, Drove the enemy away, It was their duty, Serving king and country.

Should we conform to society’s obligations? Surely this causes limitations. Should we feel like uniform nations? Surely this is not one of our inclinations.

The guns fired from the trenches, Mud flooded their boots, Blood spread through the trenches, As if it were disease, Explosions deafened them, As the years wearied them. Blazing fires lit the night, Artillery was pulled to the fight, Horses struggled and strained and suffered, Lying almost dead in mud and wire, Launching attacks, More and more fell. With little falter, These brave men fought for our rights, Our freedom, our lives, We are in debt to them, For their sacrifice saved us all, We will remember them.

If only dreams could become reality. If only judgemental qualities did not exist. If only we didn’t feel the need to fit in. If only people did not have to hide their ‘free’ choices. So what am I saying? If only mankind did not exist?! If only we could see life from the perspective of a ‘lesser’ individual, Conceivably our minds could change the dystopian theme. If only we all could adopt this scheme. What does equity mean to you? Why do we believe that we have a higher status than someone? Surely we can all find it within us to change. Change? If only someone would put the effort in to make a difference If only we could all be respectful and inclusive; If only we could reach a definite inference To alter one’s life to accommodate others is mandatory but illusive. What does change mean to you? Is it too much to ask to rely upon your common decency? Because everybody deserves their opportunity to be thankful for life, Why should mankind get in the way of us uniting and taking a stand For people are the ones who make a change. We can abolish hate crimes, If only nobody undermines Change.

Gas Freya Thomson, Year 9 I I I I

saw saw saw saw

my my my my

best best best best

I I I I

saw saw saw saw

the yellow-like substance in the air, the soldiers struggle to put the gas mask on, men drop to the ground... it was too late, my best friend in a state.

I I I I

once once once once

saw saw saw saw

friend struggle to breathe, friend fall to the floor, friend’s last breath of air, friend just lying there.

a happy joyful fellow, a man with a family, my best friend’s last breath of air, my best friend just lying there.

I once saw a poster to join the army, I once saw the smiles upon their faces... it was fake, I once saw the yellow fog in the air, I once saw my best friend just lying there.

The Duncan Matheson Prize

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Rachel Dalton-Woods, Head of Thinking Skills The Duncan Matheson Prize was introduced in the Summer Term as a compulsory independent project for Year 8 students that was started over the summer and completed in the Autumn Term of Year 9. It is a project designed to engage and challenge students across a number of academic disciplines and has been constructed in such a way as to allow students to explore a topic of particular interest to them whilst developing their ability to work independently. The project requires students to work independently researching, investigating and developing a chosen topic or piece. There are a number of tasks to be completed, including: • Planning the project; • Researching information;

L.S.Lowry, the Salford Artist Isabel Gregory, Year 9 I love art and painting and I decided to do my piece on L,S,Lowry because he is an artist from my area. It is easy to copy his work and I love the almost childish style he used in his paintings which hides so much complication. I find his style simple but really effective. During the process I learnt that it is much easier to create the end product if you do plenty of research and preparation before you start. If I come back to this project I would like to study his teachers and all the things that influenced his work.

• Designing and agreeing with their mentor on a title; • P lanning for the necessary stages of the project and requirements; • C ompleting a learning log (diary) of their progress, and producing the final project outcome. 37 pupils were chosen as placed winners and a further 17 were awarded commendations for effort. Isabel Gregory was overall winner; her topic was: My World through the eyes of L. S. Lowry Mr Smith made the final decision and said that: “They were all really impressive pieces of work, and it was exceptionally difficult to select just one. However, Isabel’s project combined elements of research, description, analysis and creativity so this just shaded it for me”.

ADHD – a Visual Representation Orla Fox-Partridge, Year 9 I wanted to create something which would show the positive side of ADHD and the impact that it has on people’s lives. I wanted to show how long my piece took to make and the process I went through to create it. As it developed, I learnt a lot more about ADHD and the various aspects of neurodiversity involved. I would like to spend some time later looking into the impact that it has on the learning process, for example how and why revision can take so much longer for students with ADHD.

THE WACONIAN 2019 a haven for wildlife. Three decades later, there are still areas of Calke that are rarely seen and many stories yet to be discovered. During our visit, we took some time to reflect on the beautiful church within the grounds. St Giles Church was the parish church of Calke from 1160 until 1834. It is now a private chapel, also owned by the National Trust.It is a consecrated church, so it can still hold marriages and baptisms. Sir George Crewe restored it in 1829 at the point of deterioration when it was felt to be unworthy of God’s service. The church as it stands today is almost a replica of the church that stood in 1829. The Abbey is also home to one of the country’s largest collections of taxidermy. The Harpur Crewe family were avid collectors over several generations, amassing a huge number of paintings, furnishings, natural history and works of art. Astonishingly, they never threw anything away; with a rich spirit and interest in wild animals, the family collected over 1000 different species.

Calke Abbey Oliver Aspin, Year 9 Recently, I and the other Year 9 Art students visited the impressive Calke Abbey. The Abbey is a Grade 1 listed country house located in Ticknall, Derbyshire. The site was an Augustinian Priory from the 12th century until its dissolution by Henry VIII. It was owned by the Harpur Crewe family for nearly 300 years. Today the house is open to the public and many of its rooms have been deliberately left in the state of decline in which the house was handed to the National Trust. Not only is there an Abbey in the National Trust Park but there is also a church, gardens, a grotto, stables and tunnels which lead under the Abbey and we also had time to visit these. As mentioned already, Calke Abbey was once the home of the reclusive and private Harpur Crewe family, who kept Calke hidden away until the estate and its collections were handed to the National Trust in 1985 because the owners were in a large amount of debt due to the cost of death duties. The Abbey has had over seven owners since it was built, the National Trust being the eighth. You may think this is a strange place to visit for an Art trip when our topic is ‘Day of the Dead’- a traditional Mexican celebration. However, the trip was about being creative: using the old yet incredible objects and ornaments to create something of our own interpretation. It wasn’t just about the extraordinary artefacts found around the Abbey, it was about the landscape, the building and most importantly the rich heritage and history this countryside estate has to share with us. The Abbey is home to many secrets which have been uncovered over the eight centuries of its life. When the gates were unlocked by the National Trust and the shutters opened, a country house in decline was revealed. Abandoned rooms were packed full of treasures, the courtyards were overgrown and the park had become

The objective of this trip was to discover artefacts and inspiration for our final piece of work. The variety of different places to explore gave us all different focuses to work on and develop. There was a wide range of objects from soldiers, flowers, compositions of artefacts and the huge variety of taxidermy on offer. Since returning from the visit, each of the classes has been creating different pieces of work; some classes have made clay picture frames, others have made skull-like rag dolls made from different fabrics. The class I am in is creating paintings on rustic wood cutouts and we have developed different techniques using inspiration from an artist called James Ensor. At the end of the Autumn Term everyone in the year has accomplished their final piece and these pieces have shown off the talent of some very keen Art students. Ultimately, I think the trip was great and it gave us some really good inspiration and ideas that we could put towards our final piece. It’s been a great topic!

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a Talk by Rosalind Tomlin Maia Williams, Lower Sixth

It is no secret that all musicians suffer from some degree of performance anxiety and this year the Music Department has offered provision to help the School’s musicians. Renowned violinist Rosalind Tomlin gave us a presentation designed to aid pre-performance nerves. She has helped world-class musicians who perform on some of the most prestigious stages in music and we were all honoured to have her in the School. The session opened with Rosalind frightening a few unfortunate musicians, including Kirsty Dickson and Arran Gill in the Lower Sixth, by asking them to perform in front of all those attending the talk. Although both Kirsty and Arran were willing to perform, naturally, the prospect of an unanticipated performance was bound to create some nerves. Nevertheless, this was done on purpose to demonstrate that pre-performance nerves are a normal response. Rosalind demonstrated the ‘fight or flight’ reaction by making us play a game under timed conditions. She described how adrenaline can make you react either by causing you to perform better and ‘fight’ or by making you perform worse and ‘freeze.’ She then explained that the normal response to pressure such as performing can be triggered too often, which can become a serious issue for many musicians. They often face greater pressure than athletes as athletes have a crowd cheering for them and are allowed to make a few mistakes, whereas musicians are expected to be perfect and can be faced with a silently judging crowd. She comforted us by stating that many pop stars such as Robbie Williams, Adele and Rihanna suffer from performance anxiety and that even musicians at a high level who have been performing for years get nervous before a major performance. When she posed the question of whether or not any of us had ever felt as though we could have performed better during an important performance, there was a unanimous raise of hands from all those attending, even those working in the Music Department.

Rosalind then went on to explain some specific challenges a musician may face such as dealing with physical symptoms of nerves such as sweating palms and ‘butterflies’, and in more extreme cases, a lack of breath control and nausea. Other challenges include memorising music and transferring many hours of solitary practice to the big stage as part of a group or as a soloist. One of the main challenges is managing and controlling anxiety not only pre-performance but during the performance. She told us that standing in front of a crowd to perform anything at all is not normal, and that surrounding factors can affect how anxious we feel when it comes to performing, including our level of preparation, the event itself and the type of audience. For example, a Music exam judged by an examiner from the ABRSM may cause more nerves than a school performance in front of familiar faces including friends and family. Finally, Rosalind advised us on how to overcome our fear of performing. She explained how performance training has the aims of overcoming mental and emotional difficulties, challenging nervous energy in a way which works for the individual performer and helping us to perform to the best of our ability. A particularly effective way of doing this is to find a way to relax before a performance, for example, switching your phone off and talking to your friends and family, as well as ensuring that you get enough sleep the night before a performance. She highlighted the importance of resilience, reminding us that even if you make a mistake during a performance, it is much more impressive to carry on and appear confident than to allow the mistake to ruin the performance. Ultimately, the best way to overcome performance anxiety is to perform at every opportunity. This will eventually make performing less fearful and more enjoyable. On behalf of everyone who attended the talk, we found it thoroughly enjoyable and I am sure that we will all incorporate some of the advice given by Rosalind before and during performances in the future!

THE WACONIAN 2019

Manchester Art Fair Adam Hayley, Art Department Over the course of the weekend of 12th to 14th October 2018, once again the Art Department were proud to exhibit at the re-branded Aviva Investors Manchester Art Fair, formerly called The Buy Art Fair. In our fourth year of partnership with the Fair our relationship flourishes and it is a great privilege that we are the only school to be associated with the event. In its second year at Manchester Central, the most prestigious Art Fair in the north continues to grow from strength to strength, attracting over 120 exhibitors and showing thousands of original artworks for sale by names including Banksy, Ben Eine, Liam Spencer, Gordon Cheung and Jamie Shovlin. Limited Edition prints were available from Tracey Emin, Peter Blake and Damien Hirst and it is most pleasing to say that the students of Cheadle Hulme School have exhibited in the presence of such esteemed names. This year we were given our largest space to date, hanging 55 pieces created by students in Years 9 - 13. The majority of the show as always is curated from the excellent A-Level work from the previous year’s cohort, ‘The Class of 2018’. It is always overwhelming to see the superb work of our students exhibited but to see their work at such a prestigious event is truly breathtaking and if you have never been to the Fair it is a fantastic experience. My favourite moment continues to be watching the many expressions on the faces of our visitors. At first glance they nod in approval, then come the silent whispers, then comes realisation and then the question: ‘Is this a school?’. This process seemed to happen much more frequently this year and that is testament to the stunning work from our students. Always looking at ways in which we can extend the opportunity to more students, we invited a total of eight students to ‘Paint Live’ with us this year. It was a pleasure to showcase the talent of Upper Sixth students Isabel Ashworth, Freya Charlton, Jude Buckley, Oliver Clemetson, Isabel LaingSmith, Beth Lomas and Amy White and Year 9 student Max Cooper. Five of the aforementioned Upper Sixth students have since begun the application process for places on Arts-based courses and I firmly believe that including this experience in their UCAS references has helped them to stand apart from their peers during selection. On her experience at the Art Fair Beth Lomas says; “At first I was nervous but soon warmed to the process… I now understand the benefits this has given my portfolio compared to other people and it was a truly valuable experience”. This has allowed her to achieve a string of offers at prestigious Architecture universities across the north of England and Scotland. Amy White is applying to study Interactive Digital Media, having studied Maths, Business and Art at A-Level. Again, being able to apply a range of experiences and skills and creatively develop ideas is crucial to being accepted onto these courses. Still only starting out on his journey within Art and Design but already making a significant impact within Cheadle Hulme School is Year 9 student Max Cooper. He is already a highly accomplished painter who provides his own strict level of challenge, and we are now looking for ways in which we can extend his experiences outside of the studio. Packing away is always the hardest part and unhanging all 55 pieces lacks the excitement of the initial exhibition hang. The endless melees back and forth to the van after a hard-worked weekend seem arduous but once we have unpacked back at Cheadle there is a distinct feeling of pride, of success and of the Art Department having achieved something together. For over the course of the weekend we weren’t just another school Art show, we were exhibiting next to Damien Hirst and for our students who knows where that confidence will take them. Personally, I can’t wait to do it all again in 2019!

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Mobile Phone Show Cavan Booth, Upper Sixth, with a little bit of help from Matthew Torkington, Lower Sixth It was a phenomenal opportunity to be chosen to direct the Sixth Form Play this year, but also a daunting one after the standards were set so high by the previous years’ performances. I was a part of last year’s production, ‘Pronoun’, and thoroughly enjoyed the process of rehearsals and, of course, performance. It was strange to me, then, to spend the performances this year cowering backstage and praying that everything went right for the actors.

for me backstage! - the rehearsals didn’t always go as smoothly as planned. One example which I often think about with fond memories was a rehearsal where Taylor and Oscar had to do some physical theatre, involving spinning around in a circular manner in the centre of the stage. They were both very...what’s the word?...KEEN to try this out. I couldn’t begin to describe the frightening few seconds it lasted; however, I will say that it ended up with both of them on the floor on opposite sides of the room. The rest of the cast could not keep a straight face for about half an hour; looking back it’s an absolute miracle no-one got hurt!

We had had two months of rehearsal for ‘Mobile Phone Show’, a play I chose after really connecting with its stagedirectionless script by Jim Cartwright, allowing me lots of room to create the action on stage from scratch. This often involved complex physical theatre and scenes that included as many people as possible in each moment.

Other memories of the show were also very enjoyable, such as the lunchtime where we all watched the movie ‘Rocky 4’ to figure out how we wanted to play a scene. To be honest, I’m not sure this was for acting benefit, as it was more about watching something entertaining on our lunch break!

‘Mobile Phone Show’ is a strange mixture of many stories revolving around our increasing reliance on technology: a Black Mirror-esque exploration of our pursuit of friendship that could turn us into puppets hanging from strings.

There were also quite a few moments very close to the actual show where I felt real panic! For example, during a tech run through, people kept looking down at their phones, which they were supposed to. However, watching them looking at something on their phones it seemed a little TOO convincing! It turned out that scripts

Taylor and Hettie each delivered powerful monologues, with Matt and Oscar’s comedic moments about the stresses of getting a new phone, Cam and Leon’s scene about connecting over text with distant friends, Hannah, Jess and Georgia’s heart-breaking story of three sisters torn apart by the loss of their mother and texts from beyond the grave. Of course, whilst, very fortunately, it all came together on the night an extremely stressful 45 minutes

had been photographed by the cast so they didn’t have to remember their lines! Genius...however, they quickly learnt their lines before the actual night. Another funny (yet worrying!) moment was when Taylor got completely tangled in string and could hardly walk off stage during one dress rehearsal, and, given the fact that it was supposed to be an emotional scene, this was not an ideal situation! However, the play ended up a resounding success, and I could not be prouder of the cast and the whole team. I’d also like to thank Ms Harms and the Drama Department for such a fantastic chance to have a directorial debut and one that will hopefully lead onto my dream career of being a film director. The whole experience was thoroughly enjoyable, and I would recommend anyone if they get the chance to take part in the Sixth Form Play, as it is a feeling like no other on the final night when the realisation sets in that you managed to pull together a whole show completely on your own. I would like to thank my brilliant cast, Drama teachers and tech crew for making the show possible.

THE WACONIAN 2019

Washington DC 2018! To our delight, our early flight called for a 3:30am arrival time at Manchester Airport, where we were greeted with a book - ‘A Short Introduction to American Politics’ - by the very enthusiastic Mr Axon and Mr Thorn. After a long flight and a stopover at Frankfurt Airport, we finally arrived at Washington Dulles Airport, where an exciting week lay ahead of us. Upon arrival, one of the most bizarre things to those of us who had never been to America before was the pedestrian crossing. It took a while for us to work out that there was a countdown system, unlike our own pedestrian crossings at home. Similarly, we were surprised that there were easily five fast food restaurants within a 50-metre radius of the hotel, leaving no shortage of choice of dinner. It is safe to say that everyone was exhausted on the first night, and once we had been separated off into our rooms, there was not a peep from anyone until the morning. On Saturday morning, before heading off to explore the sites of Washington, we had breakfast at the local Starbucks and indulged in the exclusive American additions to the menu. Some indulged more than others

Maia Williams, Lower Sixth

and treated themselves to a variety of different breakfast baps. During the morning, we went on a walking tour of Washington, including the Washington Memorial and the White House. It was a very windy day; however, the incredible close-up of the Washington Memorial was certainly worth the very long walk. Whilst we were on our way to the White House, we encountered a pro-Trump rally, which was a perfect way to begin our American experience! In the afternoon, we attended the Newseum, which was full of fascinating information about American history and we ended the day with ‘Beetlejuice the Musical’ at the National Theatre, which everyone thoroughly enjoyed. Sunday was dedicated to visiting all the interesting museums and other historical monuments that Washington has to offer. The first museum we visited was the Holocaust Museum, which struck a chord with everyone, especially considering the attack on a synagogue in Pittsburgh the previous day. We spent the majority of the morning reading and watching videos about this atrocious period in history, which left everyone feeling sombre. We headed back to the Newseum to finish looking around it, and had lunch in the cafe, before

48-49 being left to visit the other museums in the area in our own groups. We visited museums such as the Aerospace Museum and the Native American Museum, which was particularly interesting to those studying History A-Level. Before going back to the hotel to prepare for dinner, we walked to the Lincoln, World War II, Vietnam War and Korean War Monuments, where we were free to take pictures and spend some time looking at each memorial. A memorable incident was the woman whose brother had died fifty years ago to the day in the Vietnam War, who greatly appreciated our visiting of the monument. In the evening, we had dinner at Chadwicks Old Town in Alexandria, Virginia, with Old Waconian Steve Redhead, now a Deputy Assistant Director in the Congressional Research Service. Monday called for formal clothing as we had a tour of Congress, first the Senate and then the House of Representatives. This was one of the most exciting days as we had a tour guide who told us about the history of the building and how the Civil War had affected it, and we were allowed access into each of the Chambers to see where the senators and representatives sat. We had lunch in the Dirksen Senate Office Building café and had a talk from Jennifer DeAngelis, Senior Health Policy Advisor to Senator Sheldon Whitehouse, who described the nature of her job to us. Following this, we went to the US Supreme Court, where we were informed about the structure of the court and in particular about the topical debate of Brett Kavanaugh’s appointment to the court. We were surprised to hear that the judges did not meet as regularly as we thought they did. After a long, informative day, we went to Downtown DC to relax and have dinner. We had an early start on Tuesday as we drove to the neighbouring state of Maryland, where we had a tour of the US Naval Academy in the morning. We visited some of the rooms where the pupils lived, as well as the sporting facilities, and we were even lucky enough to watch their ‘roll call’ live, which was very impressive. Once we learnt that the pupils had to wake up at 5am, we collectively decided that none of us were tough enough to go to the Academy, and walked to the Maryland State Capitol. We were split into two groups and had a tour, during which our guides explained the history of the Maryland flag as uniting two families. We were even allowed to sit in the House of Delegates and Senate! Steve Redhead then invited us for dinner at the Boatyard Bar and Grill, where many of us had their renowned crab cakes, Michelle Obama’s favourite! To end a busy day, we walked around the monuments of Washington and the White House at night, which were all lighted up, and we saw President Trump’s helicopter fly away from the White House! On our final day, we had a tour of the Pentagon and were surprised to hear that there were over a hundred different restaurants and fast food places in it. The corridors were full of memorials for different wars, such as the Second World War and the Vietnam War. We also had the opportunity to visit the 9/11 Memorial in the grounds of the Pentagon, which was moving considering the impact the attack had on the Pentagon and the number of lives lost. Before going back to the hotel to collect our suitcases, we went to the Pentagon City Shopping Mall where we treated ourselves and our families to souvenirs. Finally, it was time to drive back to the hotel and back to the airport after an unforgettable trip!

THE WACONIAN 2019

A Visit from Susan Bullock Hettie Smith, Upper Sixth

On the 2nd of November, former CHS student Susan Bullock came to school to give a speech on her life as an opera singer. Susan has had an incredible career travelling round the world and performing in some of the most prestigious venues. Susan Bullock joined CHS in the second term of Year 12. She studied English Literature, French and Music at A-Level, subjects which have helped with her career. Her favourite co-curricular activity was the school choir and she even encouraged members of the audience to join the current CHS choir as it is “so much fun!� After CHS, she auditioned for the RNCM for piano but found out that she needed a second instrument. At the last minute, she decided to use her voice and prepared a song. After the audition, they asked her to be a singer, which her mother was extremely unhappy about as she had a spent a lot of money on piano lessons! After her talk, many questions were asked by the audience. They ranged from personal to technical to general. Here is a selection of what was said:

Do you have any superstitions before performing? I always will sit down by the piano and play Welsh hymns. It calms me. My mother and grandmother were Welsh. What was your craziest performance? I was in Paris performing and got a call asking me to fill in for a show the next day in London, so after being on the phone for an hour, I flew home, rehearsed the first act in the morning and the second act during the interval and performed. And then the next morning, I was on a plane back to Paris. All quite surreal! Have you played any characters which were lifechanging? Playing Elektra, to me, was a life-changing experience because the character is on the stage the whole time going through so much personal change. I find the role extremely fulfilling to play. Do you have any advice for handling nerves? Remember that you are well-prepared and that a certain amount of nerves is normal. What is your favourite language to sing in? German, as I find it is the most comfortable language to sing. What is your least favourite language to sing in? Russian, as it is the most difficult, especially the pronunciation. Do opera singers really know what the words mean? Yes, they have to - opera singers are essentially actors and the words are the most important part. What is your favourite venue? The London Coliseum Theatre as that is where I first performed and I have a soft spot for it.

50-51 Any disasters on stage? I fell through a trap door that wasn’t shut properly once but carried on singing, clambering out of it. Another time I slipped and fell on stage smashing my pearl necklace everywhere! All you have to do is carry on!

A WORKSHOP WITH ROB BUCKLAND Hugo Ryan, Year 9

How do you prepare before a show? No spicy food, aeroplanes or loud restaurants or trains as you don’t want to strain your voice. Lots of water! Just don’t shout! How do you create vibrato? Vibrato is a natural thing which happens when you sing. It can be over-the-top and damaging when singers push. But often it is used unconsciously by the singer. Which is your favourite director to work with? I don’t have a favourite director...but I love working with several. Keith Warner, Richard Jones, Graham Vick, and both Alden brothers David and Christopher. Out of all the roles you have played, what was the one which made the biggest mental impact on you? The biggest mental impact has to be from Elektra….. without question...she is a very disturbed character, obsessed with revenge and harbouring great rage and resentment towards her mother for the murder of her father, At the same time she is incredibly vulnerable and lonely, a very complex character and very taxing to play both vocally and emotionally What is your number one piece of advice for anyone who is wanting to go into the performing arts profession? My number one piece of advice is this: don’t even think about going into this profession unless you are prepared to give 200% to it at all times...not just with regard to the work, but also to the lifestyle. You don’t have a “normal” life if you are a singer and you need to be aware of that at the outset. The job involves long periods away from home and family and that can be very difficult. It isn’t all glamour by any means!! I am writing this from my apartment in Toronto where I am working for two months. I left on Boxing Day so couldn’t really have a normal Christmas - that is the kind of thing I am referring to. Which actor do you love to work with the most? Is this because you have good stage chemistry? Or is it a friend who you have lots of fun working with? The joy of our job is that we are constantly meeting new people. Sometimes we are lucky and get to work with friends and, in my case, I have worked a lot with my husband which is fantastic. At other times we work with complete strangers and that also makes for an interesting atmosphere. It is impossible to single one person out! Do you have any tips to help with nerves on stage? Nerves are normal! We are all nervous, regardless of however long we have been in the business. Nerves can actually be quite helpful; they are a sort of excitement too. To cope with nerves I think the best advice is to be fully prepared from the first moment you set foot in the rehearsal room. if you know your role backwards and inside out, then you won’t be as nervous as you would be if you were unsure. It is all about the preparation. But if you don’t have a little sense of nervousness even when fully prepared, then I think the performance will come over as rather routine and flat.

In Autumn Term, Concert Band and Studio Band were given the amazing opportunity to meet the musical artist Rob Buckland. Rob is also the Director of Saxophone at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. We had an exciting day of different musical sessions, including a concert at the end to show case some of the exercises and pieces we had learned. The day began with Rob playing us a piece on the soprano saxophone, an unusual instrument that looks like a cross between an alto saxophone, the most common saxophone, and a clarinet. Our first session focused on breathing, and we learnt how to play longer notes with richer sounds. We also tackled some new pieces that Rob had brought with him, which was a fun sight-reading challenge. After break, we started looking at how we could develop our skills of playing a piece by ear. Using a South African styled piece, we played a copying game, which involved listening to Rob and mirroring back as best we could the same notes. To make it even harder we couldn’t write the notes down, it was all done by ear. It was a very interesting exercise as we were encouraged to think of the notes as numbers in a scale instead of letters. During lunch we sight-read a piece that Rob had brought with him. To kick off the afternoon we played the full South African piece that we had learnt by ear. It was great fun and everyone did really well. We were then lucky enough to play one of our school pieces, ‘Quad City Stomp’. Rob gave us expert advice on how we could take it to new levels and it came on leaps and bounds. Our last session focussed in depth on sightreading, which is a key orchestral skill. We played the piece we’d studied over lunch; it was very difficult and it stretched us all. Rob helped us to read music more fluently by teaching us techniques on how to look ahead in the music. The day concluded with a small concert to our parents. Rob introduced himself and played an amazing self-composed piece called ‘AltoGenesis’. It’s a captivating piece of music using all parts of the instrument! We also performed what we had learnt during the day. It was a thoroughly enjoyable day where we all learnt lots of new techniques and improved our playing abilities. We were really grateful that Rob gave his time to spend the day with us at CHS.

THE WACONIAN 2019

Hockey – the ups and the downs! Chika Sharples, Lower Sixth My experience with sport has been a series of highs and lows. I started playing hockey for Alderley Edge when I was eight, as my friend Louise had convinced me to join her in trying it out. As with all new challenges, I was nervous, but quickly realised how much I enjoyed it. Growing up in a household that worshipped football and the Premier League more than anything, along with a brother who regularly played football, I felt it was my time to find something I could call my own. Of course, it took time to adjust to this new competitive lifestyle. Training every Sunday became a ritual, not to mention a social activity with some new-found friends. My primary school wasn’t particularly interested in sport, so once I started in Year 7 at Cheadle, I was amazed at the opportunity to play more hockey. I remember my first match for school vividly; the demand for hockey was so great that there was a C and D Team as well as the A and B, with me being placed on the C Team. Over time, my passion and dedication to Wednesday lunchtime and afterschool training paid off, and I was promoted to the B Team, winning the ‘Most Improved Player’ award the following year. When Year 9 came around, I had managed to establish myself as a regular in the A Team, an achievement I was immensely proud of when surrounded by such incredible talent. Additionally, my commitments to Alderley had also increased, as I had matches at the weekend for them too. To ensure my skills were up to scratch, I attended extra

sessions in school, including early morning. The prospect of county hockey also came into the equation, resulting in yet another training session. The total number of times I was playing hockey amounted to around 6 -7 times a week. In late September, early October of 2015, my worst nightmare became a reality. I had noticed a sharp pain in my back beginning to appear, but told myself that it was just fatigued muscles. One night after returning home from training in floods of tears, and barely able to move, my parents took that as a sign that something was definitely wrong. After a consultancy at the hospital, I was given an MRI, where they discovered that I had a Pars Defect on the left side of my spine, almost like a fracture of the bone. The doctor told me to cease playing hockey immediately, as it aggravated the situation and could make it even more serious. I was fitted with a plastic spinal brace that ran down my left leg, leaving me unable to walk or move properly, and preventing me from sitting down entirely, restricted to standing or lying down. This was a difficult period. I was relying heavily on my friends, and my poor friend Cate was forced to carry my heavy bag around for me all day, and had to have my mum help me with the most basic everyday tasks, such as showering and dressing. This carried on for twelve weeks, but I was still restricted from any sport after the brace was removed. Although my spine continued to heal, what followed was another setback.

Year 7 Family Sports Morning The students’ views

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After the doctor finally discovered the problem of a chronic illness, things improved. I was feeling better, able to move freely and without pain, but still cautious. My injury had left me with almost no hope of returning to hockey. However, I began to go to the gym to strengthen my core in order to protect my back. After twelve months, I was stronger, faster and fitter than ever, thanks to my personal trainer. He asked the question, “Do you think you’d be able to play hockey?” which I couldn’t answer, but I resolved not to rule it out completely. After another few months of training, I decided to give hockey another go. I attended the season’s first session in September, holding a hockey stick for the first time in over three years. I was terrified, but felt a huge sense of pride in myself. I had told myself previously that I was not good enough to play for the team, yet only a few weeks ago, Mrs Maw asked me to play for the First Team. That was an incredible moment not just for me, but for my family and friends too, who had witnessed how disappointed I was when I had to stop playing, and my mum was reduced to tears! It felt amazing to be out on the pitch, doing something that I had never thought I would get to do again. We won 2-1 that day, but regardless of the result I was proud of what I had accomplished, and now I can only continue to work hard so that I can keep playing.

“ At the beginning of Year 7 we had the choice to go to the Year 7 Sports Morning on the first Saturday. We decided to go. It was a great experience for us and a good opportunity to make friends and get involved in sports. The girls did hockey and netball, and the boys did rugby and football and we all had an amazing time. We learnt new skills and developed them through sport. In hockey we played a game that taught us how to dribble with the ball. In netball, we played a game to practise our shooting.” Ella Vincent and Poppy Clarkson “ It was really fun and exciting to meet new friends. I was a little nervous before coming here that it would be hard to find a lot of new friends but this was a really good way to find some.” Toby Wylie “ It was really energetic and I made a lot of new friends. It was a nice way to start the year.” James Bradley “ We played football and rugby - football especially. The football was really good but I would have liked to do contact rugby, instead of tag rugby.” Oscar Grainge

THE WACONIAN 2019 The Jungle Annabelle Farmer, Lower Sixth At the beginning of our A-Level course, the Sixth Form Drama students went to watch a performance of ‘The Jungle’, written by Joe Robertson and Joe Murphy, at the Playhouse Theatre in London. From the moment we walked into the theatre, we were engrossed by the set and the unique display of theatre in the round. To enter, we walked past discarded camp beds and a few shelves of stock and foods, through a rudimentary kitchen, where overpowering spices simmering on the hob left us quite surprised. The cakey mud underfoot that we had to walk through to get to our seats created the impression that the theatre itself had been squatted in and occupied by uninvited guests. Witnessing the events of the Calais migrant camp unfold, whilst being seated practically on the stage at the tables of the café set, was an extremely stimulating technique to make us evaluate the extent of our privileges. The play begins with a funeral and the threatened eviction of the camp’s inhabitants in October 2016, and goes back in time to trace the site’s growth over the eighteen months the play presents to us. We witnessed round the long, rough tables how a random mix of refugees turned into a town of more than 6,000 citizens living side by side with

nothing but faith and the daily burden of desperation. The restaurant setting also became multifunctional as it transformed into a motorway with cars passing by. Whenever the traffic clogged up during the performance, we were introduced to the game that the refugees raced to play, ‘Douga’, an attempt to stowaway in a vehicle and get to the UK. This was a portrayal of the lengths to which the refuges go so they can reach safety, which created understanding and pathos in those watching. Throughout the performance we were shown a diverse range of emotions from each of the characters, firstly the optimism which is personified in the character of Safi, a former Literature student from Aleppo, Syria. He views the camp as a place full of hope and finds his salvation within it. However, this is contradicted in the character of 17-year-old Okot, who has made the testing journey from Darfur, Sudan, and who declares that a refugee dies many times. Another contradiction within the play is that Salar’s Afghan Cafe, which the production is based around, represents the human capacity for resilience, whereas one of Salar’s customers constantly complains about there being insufficient sanitation within the café. The presence of voluntary UK helpers also creates distinct

Fup Matthew Torkington, Lower Sixth On the 14th of November, the Drama A-Level and GCSE students went to see a production of Fup at the Everyman Theatre in Liverpool. The original plot of the play was based on the novel by Jim Dodge, which has an anarchic character who is a duck, Fup, as the main character. The theatre production we went to see, Kneehigh’s take on the original plot, was inspired and impactful. Throughout the performance, the members of the audience were put through their paces with the waves of fluctuating emotion that are experienced throughout the play. The school trip took place after school and the coach journey there was very enjoyable, as the company of my fellow Drama students made up for the boredom of the long journey. After all, Drama students aren’t typically the quiet, withdrawn sort! We had no knowledge of the theatre company before we saw the show itself and therefore we were amazed by the energy and passion with which they told the story. It was enjoyable for all audiences, with the hint of adult humour in there, coupled with the seemingly childish caricatures that were portrayed on stage. Kneehigh also effectively create characters that the audience love and can relate to very strongly. Therefore when the protagonist of the plot, Tiny, ends up shooting Fup at the end, everyone was in great shock, disbelief and sadness all at once! However, this was immediately counteracted by the very comical feathers that were thrown in the air, almost mirroring a slapstick style.

One other element to the performance that I particularly admired was the wide set of skills of the actors, as each part had some singing, acting and even dancing involved. As a Music Theatre student, I had great admiration for the quality and professionalism of the execution of this difficult skill. Another element of the performance that I enjoyed was the way the company intertwined music so seamlessly into the plot of the story. As a piano and guitar player I found the music very enjoyable to listen to, especially because it was live, which is becoming increasingly rare today. The variety of instruments used by the same actors was also incredible to me as the different range showed off their discipline of playing different instruments. However, one of the best elements they incorporated into the performance for me was the puppetry. The puppeteers were so accomplished and delicate with their movements that they truly did seem to bring the puppets to life in the way they gave them breath and weight. These puppets were somehow also relatable for the audience, despite not making any sounds and relying solely on their body language. The discipline the actors had to show in order to act with the puppets and tell the story through their interaction was also impressive. The whole experience was memorable and enjoyable, and I hope to see many more Kneehigh productions in the future.

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reactions from the other characters. Initially perceived as intruders, their efforts in home-building, childcare and education are, in the end, gladly received. But the biggest conflict within the production comes in the violent dispute over whether to accept a French offer of relocation or fight to preserve the existing, self-made community.

THEATRE REVIEWS

For me, the most overwhelming factor of the performance was that the majority of actors were refugees that had experienced the authentic horrors of seeking safety from civil wars and attacks on their culture. Also, being shown real footage of people losing their lives due to terrorist attacks, for example, the Paris attack in 2016 and the little boy who was found washed up on the beach when trying to reach safety, was a complete revelation of the awful things that occur in the world and made me realise how lucky I am to be living in a stable civilisation.

Punchdrunk Maya Dhokia, Lower Sixth As a Drama A-Level student, I have a personal passion for theatre, performing and learning new techniques. Exploring new ways of working is such a key part of this and we are incredibly lucky at CHS to receive visits from practitioners each year to enhance our understanding and to improve our own performance styles. Both Lower and Upper Sixth were treated to a two and a half hour workshop with Punchdrunk, a theatre company whose use of experimental physical theatre is aimed at stimulating and challenging audiences on a much deeper level than conventional theatre. This opportunity meant that we could explore the working methods of this company, which not only helped with our study of the company as part of the course, but was an interactive and engaging way to open the year, especially to us who had just started our A-Levels. Physical theatre is a genre of theatrical performance that encompasses storytelling primarily through physical movement. During the workshop, we spent a lot of time with a partner and with them created a short physical sequence that we experimented with by performing it in different locations around school. This use of promenade theatre is something that Punchdrunk utilises in their performances, often having shows in atypical locations such as derelict buildings or office buildings. I found this to be challenging as it forces us to reconsider what we expect from theatre and what we expect the audience to experience. As the watchers were free to be an active audience, walking around through the performers, this created an edgy and exciting feel to our piece, something you may not find in conventional theatre. This workshop reaffirmed to me and to many others why Drama and the Arts are so important. The ability to create, perform and share creates an unrivalled feeling of satisfaction and this workshop inspired us to rise to the challenge of devising through physical theatre, a hard technique to do effectively. I will certainly apply what I have learnt in the future and feel inspired to use the understanding of this company and apply it to my A-Level devised mock in the spring.

THE WACONIAN 2019

The Benefits of Sport Daniel Proctor, Lower Sixth Here at Cheadle Hulme School we are privileged to have many outstanding examples of sporting talent on both an individual and team level. The coaching staff are excellent and vast sums of money are spent on maintaining and updating sporting equipment in order to enhance our sporting experience. This then begs the question: why does the school go to such lengths, and invest so heavily, in Physical Education? What are the benefits of taking such an interest in sport? Education these days is stressful, with work sometimes seeming never-ending. It is easy to fall into the trap of overworking, overstressing, and overthinking. It is important to provide time in the busy schedule to take part in sport as this provides a time to unwind and relax. Sport allows one to take time away from work, when the focus of life can be on oneself and not lingering on the seemingly all-important studies. One quality that sport, both individual and team, can provide is a massive boost in self-confidence. I myself have personal experience in this matter. When I started to invest properly in team rugby in Year 9, I discovered new-found aspects of myself. Before I broke into the A Team, I had never appreciated or backed my own ability in the sport and realising that I could actually compete for a place in the team and thrive amongst the other boys was an amazing feeling. After beginning to participate in team sport, I found I was much better able to stand up for myself and I experienced a new feeling of being able to channel aggression. This transferred to my school life, as for the first time I found within myself the ability to stand up both to others and for what I believe in. It is my genuine belief that all who take part in sport are made better mentally by the experience, and that the boost in confidence gained simply by competing for something has a lasting and profound impact on self-control. The importance of teamwork skills is stressed nowadays and going through education we are always encouraged

to find activities which allow us to practise and perfect our teamwork skills. The reality is that it cannot be stressed enough how much sport, especially sports like football and rugby, help to develop certain aspects of teamwork. A theme of collective responsibility is clear as each team member must learn to be reliant on the others and, crucially, learn to trust each person’s ability to do the job that they have been tasked with. In addition to this is the aspect of personal responsibility that is required to work as part of the team. Sport teaches one that in order for a team to work properly, each person must perform their own role to the best of their ability but must trust each of the other team members to fulfil their own role. This is also where the skill of self-discipline is practised through sport. For a specific style of play or for a system to work, each member of the team must play with discipline. No matter how mundane or strenuous the role of each person may be, if they lose their self-discipline then the system will cease to work and the whole team will suffer as a consequence. Another life skill that is explored through playing sport is leadership. These skills are important for later life as to be successful in running a business or having a leading role in any profession, we need to have explored our own ability first in this field. In many sports we see the natural leaders come into focus, either through their great skill or ability to guide and inspire others in their team. Playing a sport often provides people with the confidence in their own ability to lead other people, which then transfers to their profession. The quote: ‘’The battle of Waterloo was won on the playing fields of Eton’’ is often attributed to the first Duke of Wellington and, although it is accepted as being apocryphal, it shows clearly that the skills necessary for fine leadership are best learnt by partaking in sport. Overall, people who take part in sport become wellrounded individuals and possess key skills for future life. One of our Waconian values is resilience, and I believe this to be the most important thing learnt through participating in sport of any kind. Whatever the hardships, whatever the difficulty, and no matter how hard you have to work, you must never give up.

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Sports Science Trip to Salford University Sam Ashley-Taylor, Lower Sixth

On the 20th November the A-Level Sports Science students in both Lower and Upper Sixth went to Salford University to get an insight into the life of a Sports Science student at the University. The students looked at three different labs specifically: the performance lab, the exercise and physiology lab and the strength and conditioning lab. Although we were only there for the morning, it was an insightful, enjoyable and informative day for the students as well as for the teachers. There were plenty of synoptic links with what the students do at the university and with what we are currently studying for our A-Level courses. We found the visit to the performance lab the most enjoyable part of the day, due to the fact that we all got to experiment with the different equipment available. In addition to this, we engaged in different activities which could measure and improve physical attributes and components of fitness such as reactions, power and speed, to name just a few. Using the equipment was fun for the students and for anyone who was planning on taking Sports Science in the future the performance lab helped students picture the recreational but also beneficial uses it could have. Their world-class human performance laboratory is one of the best equipped in the country and contains almost every type of physiological performance analysis and biomechanical testing equipment, including a 30-metre sprint track with in-built force platforms, motion capture systems, blood and gas analysis equipment and speed guns. The exercise and physiology lab was also fascinating as it showed us the extensive equipment the Uni has, and one of our students used this to monitor their respiratory system. The tests consist of a choice of treadmill or cycle exercise tests relevant to performance in endurance-based activities. Tests include use of specialist equipment to measure maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), running economy, blood lactate and heart rate profiles, and cycle-specific power tests that are common practice with elite athletes. In the lab, students also learnt practical ways to measure body fat in specific parts of the body. As well as this, we were shown what an ultrasound scan on the knee looks like. This is a unique educational experience as many of us hadn’t seen an ultrasound scan before but with the help of the professor at the University, who directed us through the scan, we could understand the screen displaying the ultrasound scan of the knee very well. At the end of the morning we got a brief look inside the strength and conditioning lab and were impressed by the diverse and advanced equipment the lab had to offer. This again heightened the insight that we potential Sports Science students got from the visit to Salford University.

THE WACONIAN 2019

The Auschwitz Project Amena Qadiri, Lower Sixth

In October Emilia Cole, Miss Boughey and I visited Auschwitz-Birkenau and we each came back with a different perspective.

Studying the Holocaust inside a classroom and walking over the ground where it actually took place are two completely different things. We visited two sites during our trip Auschwitz and Auschwitz II-Birkenau, both completely different but used for the same purpose. At Auschwitz we had the chance to walk around the huge buildings which the Jews worked in. One of the blocks had a hall full of pictures of all of the Jews who were kept there. There was one picture that still sticks in my head: a picture of a girl, her hair all shaved off. The tour guide told us her story, and that before the picture was taken she was beaten up and after the picture was taken she died because she was so traumatised by the experience. Another room that really stayed with me was one containing a glass box full of hair. Before the prisoners were killed their hair was shaved off to use to make cloth. This was most horrifying because it showed how they did not just kill the Jews but they used them as much as they could to earn money and profit from them. The final building that our group visited was a gas chamber, and this for me was the most shocking, as inside were several rooms and on the walls were scratch marks from the victims. It was quite scary, walking into a room where millions of deaths occurred and I felt the lingering after effects of the events. What particularly shocked me was that opposite both of the concentration camps people had built modern day homes and even hotels. This made me

feel very uneasy because I would find it difficult to live near a place that was the cause of millions of deaths.

had suffered. This was in essence a living testimony to those that had died.

Auschwitz II-Birkenau was completely different. This camp was incomprehensively big compared to the other Nazi concentration camps, at 49 acres. It had railroad tracks right into the camp which were used to bring the Jews from different areas into the camp. We were told that every time the train came, both sides of the railroad would be full of people. Even on the train, they would be thrown one on top of the other. Many died on the railroads due to disease because they were kept in the trains for multiple days without toilets, food or water. We were taken around to look at the wooden housing in which the Jews had been forced to live. They were poorly built and water would usually leak in during winter. Moreover, the beds were just wooden racks and there were not enough so people would be forced to lie on top of each other. The bathrooms and toilets were in the adjacent building and because the conditions were so unhygienic, diseases could spread around easily. In both camps, many died due to starvation because they were underfed and overworked. We also discovered that some people who operated the gas chambers were Jews themselves; they were in the Sonderkommando.

This trip was truly heart-breaking but it was really crucial for us to go and see this to help with the HET Memorial Projects being run by CHS this year. When I used to think about the Holocaust, I thought about the Jews who died in the gas chambers. But now I also think about the Jews who died at the camps, from hunger, on the trains, due to disease and like that small girl simply due to being a Jew.

These operators hid some of the bones, teeth and ashes of the dead bodies so that when people found them they would know what the Jews

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To converge or not to converge? Lucy Greig, Lower Sixth It may be unfair, but research shows silence IS golden… if you have a Liverpudlian accent. To be discriminated against for your accent is obviously not just, but changing your accent is equally damaging to your identity. ‘He says tomayto, she says tomahto’, I say why on earth does it matter? We Brits live in a society way too obsessed with social status and the associated accents. So, after seemingly progressing closer to equality over the years, why is it that Britain still has such a big problem with accent discrimination, or what the University of Manchester professor Dr. Baratta has called ‘accentism’? We’re all familiar with regional stereotypes: Manchester is seen as a party city full of scallies, hipsters and wannabe WAGs, whilst its Liverpudlian neighbours supposedly aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed. The latter stereotype of course wasn’t helped by 2018 Love Island’s Scouser Hayley Hughes, who notoriously asked if Brexit meant “wee woen ‘av eny mor tsreees”. However, it might not just be her lack of brains preventing her from joining co-star Dr. Alex George in the medical profession, but rather the negative stereotypes formed by her accent. In the same way, a Liverpudlian child who actually does aspire to be a doctor may be held back because they pronounce the job title as if it has four c’s opposed to one. If you don’t believe that this level of ‘accentism’ exists, I’m backed up by a shocking statistic, found by law firm Peninsular, who say that 80% of employers admit to discriminating against people due to their accents. And the stereotypes don’t stop there. In fact, ComRes’ 2013 research for ITV shows that the Received

Pronunciation accent (what you might know as Queen’s English) is rated the smartest in Britain with 62% intelligence. Meanwhile, if we go back to Liverpool, they were voted the least friendly, trustworthy and intelligent - not exactly something you’d put in your Tinder bio. OK, so you may think this is just nonsense; near enough 10% of the time the response to the questions was a simple ‘I dunno’. On this small level, accent-judging might not be too harmful, but it is more so when people feel forced to change the way they speak in order to secure their careers. Not too long ago, a woman who taught in West Berkshire reported being given an official target to “sound less Cumbrian” by her school. An Ofsted spokesperson labelled this ‘clearly inappropriate’ - and rightly so! You may be wondering: “What’s the result of ‘accentism’?” Well, most of us consciously or subconsciously change the way we speak to fit the norm. A sociolinguist named Howard Giles came up with his ‘Accommodation Theory’, which basically says that we make our speech patterns similar to those around us. This can be done through ‘upward convergence’ (mirroring the speech behaviours of someone who is of a higher status than you) or ‘downward convergence’ (mirroring the speech behaviours of someone with lower status than you), which is much rarer. Not everyone tries to speak ‘posher’. The same ITV/ComRes survey from earlier discovered that 4% of Brits have downwardly converged and tried to sound less posh, something done by reportedly 11% of Londoners. Let me remind you here of Tory George Osbourne adopting a faux Cockney (or what has been coined ‘Mockney’) accent in what you might

call a desperate attempt to gain support from Morrisons workers. In Norwich in 1974, a sociolinguist named Peter Trudgill looked at this ‘Accommodation Theory’ and something called ‘code-switching’, which is where people switch between different speech varieties. He noticed that words like ‘walking’ were pronounced ‘walkin’’ in casual conversations more often than formal ones. So, when people dropped the ‘g’, which is known as ‘clipping’, they unsurprisingly tended to be more relaxed. Basically, they had the ability to use the standard ‘-ing’ ending when they wanted but it wasn’t necessary in casual situations. Some, on the other hand, resist these ideas society holds so strongly and refuse to converge or switch at all. Nicola Redman, who has a Northern Irish twang as a unique selling point, records voice-overs for TV and radio commercials. She sees her accent as an asset in her industry and actively encourages keeping regional accents. Though she recognises that accents have good and bad stereotypes, she argues “If you are committed to your career and good at what you do, it is possible to overcome these and ensure it isn’t a hindrance”. To converge or not to converge, that is the question. Should you go full Eliza Doolittle and completely erase your entire accent? I say no. My point is that people with regional accents shouldn’t feel a need to give up either their identity or their authenticity to get ahead in life. Instead, the thing that needs to change rather than the accents themselves is the rigid attitudes towards them, which hold many restrictions on those of us who don’t quite speak like Judi Dench or Jeremy Paxman.

THE WACONIAN 2019

“ Since September many improvements have been made on the girls’ side; the playroom has been transformed by white casement curtains prettily stencilled being hung at the windows and bowls of flowers placed on the ledges.” The Waconian December 1923

“ Thanks to the continued generosity of our governors – individually and as a body – the library continues to grow. But we are not yet satisfied. It requires a very large library to satisfy the needs of 300 boys and girls.” The Waconian, July 1925

“ The Mechanical Club: gradually the numbers rose, till it was evident that new club-rooms would be needed. The Headmaster gave permission for the use of the cellar, and they were forthwith cleaned out and benches installed in them.” The Waconian, 1930

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THE WACONIAN 2019

The Gambia

Anna Phillips, Upper Sixth

The visit to The Gambia is an altruistic trip that CHS runs every two years, where students get the opportunity to experience what the schools are like in a culture that is completely different from ours. We support multiple schools in The Gambia, however, it is our partner school, Cheadle Hulme School Gambia, that is very special to those who went on the trip and I hope that we can make it special to everyone else because the students and staff that attend that school there are truly amazing people.

them it was clear that they had high aspirations and I felt a real need to help them achieve their goal.

I have been fortunate to go on a lot of trips that the School has run; however, this one was the most eyeopening of my life. We arrived in The Gambia eager to see what the week had in store for us and immediately noticed the complete difference in culture that we were stepping into.

experience in itself.

We were met at the airport by Mr Shaw, an incredible man who has been our connection with The Gambia for years. Over the week we visited over ten schools, the first being one of the best high schools in The Gambia; this school, while being one of the more advanced of all the schools that we saw, still has need of our support. There were broken tiles and overcrowded classrooms and they didn’t have enough chemicals to carry out their required practicals. They are very smart individuals who could do so much if they had the proper equipment; talking to

After viewing the school, we experienced the Gambian markets, which were very interesting and like no other markets I had seen before. We also got to stroke crocodiles at a holy piece of land - safe to say some people were terrified but still managed to pluck up the courage to at least give them a little pat. At the end of the day we got to take in the beautiful African sunset which was an

The next day we got to experience the thing I was most excited about, which was the African dancing and singing in a fun welcome ceremony that a rural high school put on for us. After we took a tour of the school we realized that the number of buildings that there were was not in proportion to the number of students, and being a technological school they lacked the resources that were needed in order to get the full benefit of an education. Yet they were all spirited and intelligent individuals who were making the best out of what they had. After this, we visited a primary school inland where the students had been eagerly waiting for us all day and they gave us the greatest welcome of our lives, parading up and down the road all the way to the school. We were introduced to their local dancing and

singing by the women of the village, they showed us all the improvements that our fundraising had enabled, such as the vegetable patches that they had on site, and we got to view the village on the way to a very special meal that they put on for us. Later that evening we travelled further inland to Tendaba Camp where we were staying for the next couple of days. To kick-start our time in Tendaba we first visited Tendaba Primary School, where a group of children welcomed us with a beautiful

song, and we got to participate in the singing and dancing this time, with them singing some songs for us and we even sang some songs for them. A lot of us didn’t want it to end, especially the grand finale of the conga. I have to say a highlight was reading to them in their library, where a lot of us tried our best to do the different voices of the characters. Although they didn’t have a lot, they made an effort to make the place colourful and welcoming. We were sad to leave them. However, next we got to meet the most adorable toddlers at a nursery school, who recited their ABCs and sang for us. Our next stop was the Islamic School, which was in the worst condition of any of the schools that we saw. There were 96 children in a classroom smaller than the smallest ones we have at our own school and the toilet

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was a hole in the ground surrounded by metal. This was the school that opened my eyes the most; they had the bare minimum but were still some of the happiest people that I have ever met. We spent a long time playing with the children: dancing, singing, playing football and even giving a few piggy back rides. Afterwards, we visited the Christian School just on the other side of the village, and while they were in better condition compared to the Islamic School, they were still in desperate need of our help. It is amazing how

one community in the middle of The Gambia could inspire you so much. Our final day in Tendaba was the one that a lot of us had come on the trip to be part of. The main part of the day was spent at the Cheadle Hulme School Gambia, where we got to meet the children who attended school there and the local community. We danced the most here and were more involved in the proceedings, and were delighted to see that all their buildings are named after staff past and present from our School.

We learned that a lot of the children go to school with an empty stomach, so they rely on the meal that they are given at school as this is their main meal of the day. We also had the opportunity to play a football game against them, with them beating us by a long way. It was enlightening to see how much they rely on our support and I really hope that we continue to help to develop the school and support them as much as possible in the future. After hours of singing, dancing and football we ate a special dinner and prepared for the long journey back to Kombo Beach Hotel, where we spent our last evening. These children have far less than we have, yet they are still willing to share and are happy individuals who could do so much if they had the proper equipment that they need in order to gain the best education possible. All they want is a good education, which with a little bit of our help could benefit them beyond what we can imagine. The children that we met truly touched me and I will never forget the remarkable individuals that I met on that trip.

Why do you think it’s important to help people who are less fortunate than us, for example, the school out in The Gambia?

Kitty: Yes, I did because it made me feel as if, although it was a small amount of money, it could make a big difference and could help improve someone’s life.

Gabby: I think it is important to help the school in The Gambia as we lead very privileged lives and should share some of our good fortune with less privileged children to help them have a better education and school experience.

Emilia: I enjoyed giving money to The Gambia charity on Own Clothes Day because I knew I was helping out with something that has an amazing result.

Kitty: It’s important to help people less fortunate than us because it gives better opportunities to people and in this case furthers their education. Emilia: it is important for those who are not as privileged as us to have an education and this can help them gain jobs when they are older to support their family. Did you enjoy contributing money to The Gambia on Own Clothes Day? Gabby: I really enjoyed donating to The Gambia on Own Clothes Day but feel like I would like to go even further to help the schools out in The Gambia.

In the future would you like to help out in The Gambia and why? Gabby: In the future I would really like to help out in The Gambia and see how a school there works and how our donation can help make a difference to the children. Kitty: I would like to help out in The Gambia in the future so that I can improve people’s lives and be a part of something bigger. Emilia: I would like to help out in The Gambia in the future to help them enjoy their lives, getting enough income to pay for food and water and helping the community.

Kitty Oakes, Gabby McIntyre and Emilia Gaddum, Year 8

THE WACONIAN 2019

Before we go to The Gambia: an Interview with Miss Parker Laura Hartig, Lower Sixth What is your main aim, in terms of helping the community, when you visit The Gambia? To forge new partnerships with schools and staff in a variety of schools in The Gambia and to be able to see for ourselves exactly where some of the issues facing those schools lie. In order to make the biggest difference we need to help them invest in infrastructure to encourage staff to stay in local communities rather than heading to the big cities; but we also want to continue to support the programmes set up by my predecessors Ian Ray and Sue Matthews who committed to helping the schools to feed the children once a day. Why did you volunteer to run the trip to The Gambia, and why are you passionate about helping the community out there? I want to make sure that we reinforce our partnerships with the schools that we have been supporting for 20 years and see some of the building projects that CHS students have been fundraising to support. Education is essential for the local communities, ensuring that the children and schools have access to some of the things we take for granted, I want to make a difference to them in any way that we can. What are you most excited about? I’m most excited about seeing Cheadle Hulme School in Soma, which they named after us, and the new classroom block we helped them to build; our link teacher Mr Shaw has been sending me updates of the two new classrooms that money raised over the last few years has gone to building. While we are out there we are going to open those classrooms and I can’t wait to see them! What impact do you think this trip will have on both the children in The Gambia and the students at Cheadle Hulme School? I hope it will make us all realise just how lucky we are to have the lifestyle and the opportunities that we do, but I hope most of all that it will encourage more people to want to get involved with helping the schools and students out there. I hope it will make us realise that we can make a difference, big or small, but the important thing is that we do something!

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LANGUAGE AMBASSADORS BAKE CAKES! Edie Whittingham and Miliani FraserFletcher, Year 10 Before the Christmas holiday the Language Ambassadors ran a Christmas market in order to raise money for charity. We sold cakes which we had baked ourselves (and some we had bought) - there were biscuits from Germany, French pastries and also brownies and cupcakes. During lunch, we had fun selling the cakes and also listening to the teachers singing Christmas songs. There was a really festive spirit and everyone enjoyed themselves. In total we raised £56 for the charity I Can, which we were so pleased to donate to. The charity I Can provides speech and language therapy to every child who needs it and they ensure that no child is left behind in school because of difficulty in speaking or understanding. More than 1.4 million children in the UK have speech, language and communication needs and I Can aims to reach all of them so they can have the same chances in life as their peers. It was an amazing charity to support and we hope the money we raised will go towards helping more children to live a better life.

Coffee and Carols Lauren Wheeler, Upper Sixth Just before the Christmas break, the School hosted an event for local elderly residents, Coffee and Carols, which aimed to provide older members of our community with a chance to come together to enjoy an afternoon of festive music, food and games. The event was organised and run by Mrs Dunn and a committee made up of members of the Sixth Form who, alongside members of the Lower School, were responsible for serving the guests, distributing gifts and chatting to them at their tables. Over the course of the afternoon the residents were treated to music from various student ensembles, ate afternoon tea prepared by the wonderful catering team, joined in with the carol singing and enjoyed a very popular game of festive bingo. Each guest was also fortunate enough to receive a gift with a personalised card designed by members of Years 7 and 8 during their peer mentoring sessions. The event was a huge success with many attendees contacting us to express their gratitude and to tell us how much they had enjoyed themselves - they, and we, are certainly looking forward to repeating ‘Coffee and Carols’ in future years! Finally, we would like to thank all the students, parents and staff who generously donated gifts and cakes for the event - they were really appreciated by all who attended.

Not only were the cakes being sold that lunch time, teachers Mr Wilson, Mr Jones, Marvin and Mr Penney were all singing some Christmas hits, which added to the Christmas spirit of the day and also attracted attention towards our stall. All the Ambassadors from Year 10 helped out at the sale and two Sixth Formers. It was a really great atmosphere and to be part of something that would contribute to something so important as I Can was really special. We also had merchandise from I Can to sell and despite the fact that not many of these items were sold, it was still important to show where the money was going and to know we could inform people about fantastic charities like this. The Language Ambassadors are a group of students who are in Years 10 and above, who enjoy languages and want to promote and share their love with others. We help out at Open Days and encourage other students to love languages! The Display Team, which includes Miliani and me, made posters and stuck them around school in order to advertise our Christmas Market. We also supplied the stall with fabulous bunting and other decorations that would help people understand what it is we do. I really enjoyed the day and even preparing for it beforehand was really enjoyable. Everyone had come together for such a good cause and it felt great knowing the money was going to something so important. It really made us realize how lucky we are to be able to communicate and speak well, as for some people that isn’t the case. It was a fun afternoon that got us all in the Christmas spirit!

THE WACONIAN 2019

Dave Haslam ChEd talk, December 2018 Neil Smith, Head Dave Haslam is probably best known for his association with the legendary Hacienda nightclub in the 1980s, and as one of Manchester’s most prominent DJs. However, for much of his career since arriving in the city as an undergraduate from his native Birmingham in the late 1970s, Dave has pursued a parallel existence as a chronicler, firstly of the sub-cultures which comprised the post-punk scene and then as a writer of fascinating social histories of his adopted home city. More recently, he created the soundscape that surrounded the New Order performance at the former Granada studios as part of the 2016 Manchester International Festival and released a memoir, ‘Sonic Youth Slept on My Floor’ in 2018. We were delighted to welcome him to CHS at the start of December 2018 to be interviewed for the first of a new series of ChEd talks. During the course of the evening, Dave covered a lot of the ground he writes about in ‘Sonic Youth…’ and proved to be an engaging, open and fascinating interviewee. We started by exploring Dave’s response to Manchester when he arrived in the city as a student in 1980, embracing both what was then a relatively underground post-punk scene and the opportunity to launch his own fanzine, Debris, in 1983. The 1980s saw Dave continue with his fanzine, alongside promoting bands and gradually moving into DJing. His exposure to the burgeoning Manchester music scene saw him cross paths with many of the figures who would attain legendary status outside of the city, and he spoke with no little warmth about his experiences of working with Tony Wilson, New Order and the many other movers and shakers hoping to make their name as the rest of the country lapped up anything with a vaguely Mancunian connection. For someone so closely associated with physical records, perhaps the most surprising revelation of the evening was Dave’s explanation for selling his entire record collection

in 2015. He writes about this at length in his memoir, and he spoke with genuine sincerity regarding his motives for doing so, and the process by which one goes about decoupling oneself from something of such size and emotional connection. Deciding to keep the collection together as a whole, and ensuring it went to someone who is as committed to sharing it with others as himself, he eventually sold the records, all 35 boxes of them, to DJ Seth Troxler. Alongside his anecdotes of life at the centre of the Manchester cultural explosion, Dave also spoke movingly as he reflected on perceptions of the city and its relationship with the inevitable nostalgia and cliché that affect all movements over time. He related this to his feelings about the attacks on the Bataclan in November 2015 and the attack on the Manchester Arena in 2017, saying how important he feels it is to value and celebrate everything that expresses a radical, permissive and alternative spirit.

After patiently responding to a number of varied questions, and signing (and selling out of!) all the copies of his book that he had brought with him, Dave Haslam left the audience with an illuminating, sincere and reflective spin on music, Manchester and more.

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Poem at 18

Poem at 28

Ollie Madeira, Year 10

Ella Richardson, Year 10

We had gone out for Tom’s eighteenth birthday, I’ll never forget the face when we turned down that alleyway. The media shows a world of danger and depravity, But still, we saunter in town with cheek and naivety. Hooded figures eventually appeared closer, Who knew in a matter of seconds Tom’s life would be over? A deafening silence, a piercing scream and dire unease Left Tom on the floor as I rang the police. To the boys on the alleyway, all private school attenders. We were oblivious that they would become knife crime offenders, Tom’s life was taken in a stark instance of fright As his youthful body fell they fled into the night. To the boy who went out with his father’s pocket knife, Who didn’t have the intention of taking a life, It’s not a sign of power and pride inside, But weakness and a great chance of success denied. So before you take the knife think who to blame, Know you’ve left your family to sob and disclaim. The knife is not scary and people aren’t threatened, It’s just another life ruined in its naive adolescence.

I remember the way my feet would move, skipping, dancing to the beat, how the words would pour out of my mouth. A tune floating in the wind. The keys beneath my fingers held such power, They could change my world in an instant, bring it crashing down around me, or build me up until I stood a hundred feet tall.

Poem at 25 Alice Marson, Year 10 How I miss my younger self, The days when I followed my dreams, Filling out my taxes and paying the rent I think of a time when I didn’t worry about money. They never taught me it would be this tough, Standing on your own two feet. I think of a time i could escape, Come back to the place I thought of as home, Knowing that my hard work was going To get me where I wanted to go. Those days were the best, Having fun with mates. Who were more than I could ever ask for, Supporting me, as my ambition grew, And the world around me with it. How I miss my younger self! She was so enthusiastic about everything, Even annoyingly so, So naive to think that the work stopped after uni, Floating along, excitedly planning her future. Now I sit here, listening in and out to different voices. ‘Good Afternoon, Alice speaking, how may I help?’ Though somehow every day is the same: The fluorescent beams that somehow darken a barely lit room And ‘The Racket’ that constantly echoes from the air-con. The hours good, the people nice, But something still missing. She would still be proud of the women I’ve become, Earning money, managing to fend for myself In a respectable job. But question why I stay somewhere I hate, Not knowing that if I went, I would be venturing into the unknown again, And that’s a risk I’m unable to take.

It used to inspire me, The way people wrote their hearts down in a song, Their bravery and passion, Their love for music. But then the work built up, Nights of joy and peace morphing into months of classes and assignments. Hours of practising and perfecting dances, Turned into days filled with homework and projects. And with the work came the insecurities, as my passion for music crumbled I did along with it, The silent whispers at the back of my mind, constantly warning of a wasted future, taunted me with their cries. Of ‘you’ll never be good enough’, all of them egged on by my fatigue-riddled and troubled mind. So I listened, even after all of those years of fighting I gave in. Now I don’t dance, my feet stay still below my desk, silence is my companion. The gentle tune of my life drowned out by the tapping of my keyboard and the endless phone calls, my piano abandoned in the corner. Nothing inspires me much anymore, the excitement of hearing a new song gone, it’s all a reminder of what could have been, how I could have lived if I was only good enough. I have been silenced by the rush of life, my passion snuffed out. A spark that would have grown into a roaring inferno, doused into nothingness. This is my worst nightmare, and I wanted to warn you, before it’s too late.

THE WACONIAN 2019

Junior Dragons’ Den Alyssa Kouyate, Year 9 During the months of September, October, November and December, I took part in an external project called Junior Dragons’ Den. Junior Dragons’ Den is very much like the TV show Dragons’ Den, however, it only lasts four months. The competition itself consists of creating your own product and selling it for three months, with all the money you raise going to your chosen charity - ours was St Ann’s Hospice. The winners of the competition will be the team who has raised the most money after three months. In September, anyone who wanted to take part in the project had to apply via Mrs Bywater, telling her why we wanted to be part of the team and what qualities we would bring to the group. Mrs Bywater chose six of us to take part in the project; however, one person dropped out at the very start and we decided to continue as a group of five. Our team was made up of Isabelle Marsh, Company Director, Isobel Barfoot, Finance Manager, Ayesha Mustafa, Marketing Manager, Sydney Alderman-Smith, Operations Manager and myself, Alyssa Kouyaté, Production Manager. During September, we mainly came up with product ideas and refined our best idea until we thought we would be able to sell it. In October, it was all about getting the £100 from the Dragons to be able to start making our product in big batches. We had to give our presentation on why the Dragons should lend us the £100, and we decided to give the Dragons some samples of our product. We had decided to make a hot chocolate mix in a piping bag, coming as either the classic or white hot chocolate flavour, which could be bought individually for £2.50 or £5 with a mug. We served the Dragons some of our hot chocolate, showing them how to use the product, and they really enjoyed it and our presentation. As a result, they agreed to give us the full £100 for us to begin making and selling our product. Over the October holiday, we had to buy the ingredients for our product and start making it. With the £100 from the Dragons, we were able to make 73 products and buy 20 mugs.

November was when we had to start selling. We sold in many different places, such as Sports Mornings at CHS, Acacias CPS Christmas Fair and at school on Friday lunchtimes. After selling at all of these different places, we ran out of stock, so we used part of the money we had made to make more of our product, hence multiplying our money. Throughout the competition, we used the money we had made to make more of our stock four times. We had to stay extremely organised during November to know where we were up to with our finances and our stock. To ensure we made the most money possible, we discontinued making our white hot chocolate flavour as it was not selling as well as our classic one. We also started buying more mugs as we could sell them for more, so we were making more money. We were the busiest during December. This is when we sold at Manchester Airport and the CHS Junior School Fair. For the day at Manchester Airport, we left school during Period 2 and got back at the end of the day. At Manchester Airport, we had to set up a stall and go up to passengers and people who worked at the airport to try to sell as much stock as possible. We did not end up making a lot of money there as all of the other groups taking part in the competition were there too, so it was harder to sell to people without them going to another stall. Also, when we got there, the stall in the best position had already been taken, and they made a lot of money because everyone in the airport could see them. However, we did end up making a lot of money at the CHS Junior School Fair and at Sports Mornings during December. On the 10th of December, we had to return to the airport to make our final presentation to the Dragons and hand in all the money we had made. The presentation was stressful to prepare, but we had a nice afternoon after our presentation when we ate pizza and were given goodie bags full of presents to thank us for our participation. Overall, this has been a great experience, and I would love to do it again in the future.

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MedSoc 18–19

be able to begin to learn about the true spectrum of medicine through work experience alone.

Kirsty Dickson, Lower Sixth I was delighted when at the end of the last academic year, Adam Wolowczyk asked me to take over from where he had left off and run MedSoc. MedSoc is a student-led group we have at Cheadle Hulme School, where prospective medical students or students interested in a career in Medical Sciences meet to listen to a guest speaker and learn more about the life and responsibilities of a given specialist. It is a real privilege to be running MedSoc this year for several reasons. Firstly, I am so lucky that doctors and health care professionals are willing to come to school to share their experiences and provide opportunities to have some structured discussions about topics ranging from innovative medical technology to medical ethics and how the Biology and Chemistry we learn at A-Level can be applied directly to help vulnerable people. Additionally, I think it is incredibly valuable and insightful for us as students to be exposed to such a variety of medical specialities because we would never

The turn-out this year has been brilliant and this has given me a real sense of reward, to know that the difficulty of arranging speakers (which when contacting medical experts who are very occupied with clinical practice and research is challenging) is more than worth it! We have had some fascinating talks this year - we began with Dr Michael Parker who is a Consultant in IC medicine and in addition to discussing some common critical conditions that he sees and treats, we began to discuss the Four Pillars of Medical Ethics. Next we heard from Miss Anne Foster who was truly insightful. She is a paediatric orthopaedic surgeon at RMCH and, in addition to hearing about the niche nature of her surgical specialty, it was lovely and very reassuring to hear about her healthy work-life balance. Other speakers we have heard from this year include a trainee anaesthetist and a GP and later this year we will hopefully be hearing from a radiologist, an obstetrician and an anaesthetist who has provided treatment in developing countries for

conditions such as cleft palates. I have two main purposes for MedSoc this year - allowing us as students to be exposed to a great variety of medical specialities in order to gauge how diverse Medicine itself is, and to use MedSoc as an opportunity for discussion - a chance to ask experts in their field about their role, to have ethical debates and just allow students to ask whatever they would like to! MedSoc is open to Years 10 to 13 and it is so lovely to hear such a variety of topics being discussed. Finally, I am really grateful to CHS and in particular Mr Chippendale, Head of Chemistry, for allowing us to run MedSoc, which I consider to be so valuable. This is just one of many ways in which the School supports me as a student hoping to study Medicine. In addition to MedSoc, I am completing an EPQ with the title: ‘To what extent did the case of Charlie Gard adhere to the Four Pillars of Medical Ethics?’ and I am part of the Medical Sciences Pathway run by Mr Hedwat at CHS, which is a very useful enrichment tool. I am really grateful to everyone involved and to those who support MedSoc and am really excited to be involved myself.

MiniMedSoc Phoebe Potts, Upper Sixth For those considering a possible future career in medicine or healthcare, MiniMedSoc is proving a great starting platform. For students in Years 9 to 11, this is the ideal place for them to learn more about these professions from someone who is currently going through the application process. I originally decided to initiate MiniMedSoc as I felt I would have benefited from something like this in my younger years when I was unsure about what the many different careers in healthcare were. When I reached Sixth Form, I realised that it was very possible for me to take action myself to do something about this. We did already have MedSoc, which has been running for several years now; however, I had started to notice that this was mainly for students in Years 11 to 13. In my opinion, what was needed more was a platform for students to be able to share ideas in a more interactive environment and where they could also begin to decide if healthcare was right for them, and if so, what domain they would like to go into. I feel that this will hopefully inform their future decisions and provide insight from someone who has recently faced these choices. In the future, we will put some focus on subject choices for GCSE and A-Level, as this will be relevant to most

students attending. I struggled at both these levels to decide which would be the best route into the career I wanted, and so feel that it would be beneficial to hear advice from a fellow student. It can be difficult to decipher which subjects will be of most help, as different professions have different requirements. We will hopefully also begin to introduce some outside speakers, similar to the main MedSoc, so that students can hear talks on various topics of interest. Usually, our fortnightly sessions encompass a range of activities including discussions on current topics, medical ethics and suggested ways in which students can gain a head start for their future applications. For example, discussions on possible volunteer roles to show early commitment and to decide whether it’s the right career for you have proven to be very interactive as everyone contributes ideas. We have so far covered ethical scenarios and dilemmas that doctors face, different healthcare professionals and how they come together in hospital settings and also possible ways in which young students can start to get involved in their spare time. In the future, we hope to cover NHS current topics and also the development of technological medicine, as these are often very interesting and engaging subjects. If you would like to get involved or are unsure as to what a career in medicine entails, or even just would like some subject advice, please do not hesitate to come along!

THE WACONIAN 2019

MUN away

Alvaro Rodrigo, Year 8 I started taking part in the Model United Nations conferences in Year 7 only by chance, as one of the delegations appointed for CHS was Spain, and someone thought that I could do well defending my country. The experience was fantastic, I learned a lot and I decided to make the most of the opportunities that the School offers us through MUN. Taking part in an MUN conference gives you the chance to meet interesting people and to learn how to defend your ideas. To defend something and fight verbally over it you need to be very clear about what it means, what the position of the given country on it is, and what your own view is on the matter. You learn about topics like Human Rights, Security, Health, EnviroScience, Culture‌..and about the contrasting views

of each country on different matters. But most importantly, you learn about having your own view on those issues. This academic year I have to highlight the conference that took place in Tudor Hall School over a full weekend in December. Getting prepared for it was very demanding, but I must say that it was fun from the first moment. I was a delegate for Turkey in the Committee for Human Rights, debating three topics: nations’ rights to censorship, human trafficking, and the rights of people to self-determination. All the delegates from CHS went there very well prepared; we all had resolutions and had been preparing how to approach the debates helped by teachers and older experienced students and that preparation helped us to get fantastic results overall.

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Personally, I managed to get the support of other delegates in the Human Rights Committee to get a resolution through, which helped me to get enough points to win Best Delegate. Turkey also won Best Delegation so we got a team prize too. You could think that debating over such difficult matters can create a bad and competitive environment but nothing could be further from the truth; at Tudor Hall the atmosphere could not have been friendlier and we even had time for a disco. After that conference, we participated in the one that took place at Manchester Grammar School in mid-December. Only one day, and less effort travelling, but preparing for it was no less demanding. This time I was part of the delegation of China, again under the Committee of Human Rights, and this time the topics were: preserving equality

in religiously governed states and taking legal action against multinational organizations. I believe all committees are equally difficult but preparing the one for Human Rights twice has been challenging at times. I could have lived without knowing all the details on human slavery, for example, but at the same time I am very glad that MUN gives me the opportunity to know more about all that happens in the world. I have learned a lot and although I must admit that some information has been difficult to digest, once you know about it you feel that you want everyone to know and that we all should do more to help. Probably that is why I have felt so passionate about these issues in both conferences, and I have realised that putting that passion into the debates is one of the keys to winning, as I won best delegate at MGS too.

THE WACONIAN 2019

Year 7 start with MUN! Samuel Barnett At the beginning of the year I knew that I was really interested in debating and so at MUNCH 18 I was a secretary - in this job I passed notes mostly between people in the same delegation. Sometimes I went between committees too and I was amazed by the huge variety of topics that were up for debate and I decided I really wanted to get involved and become a delegate. That is why when I heard we were taking a day off lessons to debate subjects which troubled the world and that I would finally get to be a delegate, I was delighted. I think the Year 7 Model United Nations days really helped to nurture great skills in all of the participants and even lured many new delegates who found that suddenly over the course of the day they could utilize skills that the experience had given them. The atmosphere of the days was great and got a lot of people interested. I am so glad I got involved and because everyone is so encouraging and friendly in the MUN community I know that it is helping me to develop some great qualities. Annie Barber I really enjoyed the Year 7 MUN day - it was my first ever experience of anything like MUN so I didn’t know what to expect. During the day we debated two different subjects: the armed police and women’s educational rights. We worked in small groups of two or three and represented a different country; mine was France. I started off quite nervous about talking in front of my year group and debating against them but when I raised my hand I got chosen to state my country’s opinion first, and when I started talking all my nerves just went away. Everyone was so supportive (even though I made a few mistakes!) - all in all, I really enjoyed my first taste of MUN, it has introduced me to a whole new side of CHS. 10th January Mini MUNCH 2019 speaker. An interview with our keynote was Beka Tyler-Brough, who Our keynote speaker this year r of MUNCH for several years has been an important organise Sciences at Leeds University. and is currently studying Medical ce? What was your first conferen of Year 7. It was in my first term So my first conference was in here. I was a Secretary so I was Year 7, just a month after I got . I was scared about going MUNCH in was it the basic role and and now I month a here been only I’d Interview with Chair Azwa Iman. to secondary school and events at the school. ce? was doing one of the biggest What was your first conferen ? memory MUN Best I was a delegate in the HuProbably Manchester High MUN. ng, I feel like I was for this last year’s MUNCH beCouncil and it was quite interesti Rights I’d say it was the preparation man beer rememb flow of things and group and I just at first but soon I got into the scared cause we were all such a close quite actuthen helpful. do it together and really nice so that was quite were ing able to all see it happen and chairs the was amazing. The MUNCH ally seeing the weekend happen ? What’s your best MUN memory well. social this year was brilliant as conference and second my at Council r? I was in Human Rights Best parts of being Event Manage and he actually brought an empRussia was sitting next to me So for me, the fact that I’d be dressed up as a Russian person It plays to my skills quite well. ty bottle of vodka with a hat and not actually on preparati pretty interand was tion that so able to just do organisa the whole conference, people and do much speak- throughout have to stand up in front of many my esting. Also, being able to work with ing was one of the best parts. who are unsure about people to give you would What advice friends was really fun. doing MUN? Manager? Worst parts about being Event fun. I was unsure about it behave to do! Every Wednesday Honestly just go for it, it’s quite The hours of guillotining we able to do it?’ but once you get MUN spent just sitting in the cause I kept thinking ‘Will I be y afternoon of Upper Sixth was er. a very good thing for universit seat labels and notepap into it, it’s really fun and it’s Office guillotining placards, badges, and for meeting new people. from delegating or being a When did you decide to switch on writing resolutions? people give you MUN? would of l side What advice Secretary to the administrationa you’re more likely to 8 and a bit in Year 9 and it was make it very controversial because I did some delegating in Year lity I think you can say about it as well. just wasn’t for me. My persona get chosen and there’s more not that I didn’t like it but it world isdebate and people of front in . was not to stand up I decided I’d Interview with helper Chika Sharples that 8 Year in MUN on sues. It was after Withingt rational side and I was lucky for the future? What skills does MUN give you come back and I’d do the administ be a Head Secretary and then that Mrs Evans allowed me to I know everyone says that but Definitely a lot of confidence. be an Event Manager. much more knowledge about so get true and you can also to those thinking about making it’s t necessarily know about What advice would you give world events because you wouldn’ ng to the administrational side? you didn’t do MUN but it’s a the transition from delegati armed police and Palestine if on everything. naturally or it just doesn’t good thing to broaden your mind I’d say if you’re a quieter person you still get to be involved and interest you, go for it because What’s the worst part of MUN? because you’re actually orif anything you’re more involved if in front of everyone. I’m not still get to learn because even I hate how nervous I get speaking ganising everything. You also hear so much of a crowd so I always get a bit you , minutes 20 for ees naturally born to speak in front you go into committ to do the research or stand scared. about the world without having up, you can just listen. And what was the best part? to overcome nerves? What advice would you give amazing to see Cheadle. I did I loved MUNCH because it was a lot. events and the event we’re doing not too long ago and I spoke Practise. These MiniMUNCH Manchester Grammar MUN experiare who was about how from people in Security Council and the crisis China today are great ways to get help was I prebe and e wanted to to ask for help something wrong and everyon done had enced at it. Again, don’t be afraid China your Minidone the research for fun but I also really enjoy doing pared because as long as you’ve the evict me, so that was days like this because it’s and don’t be intimidated by topic, you’ll be able to join in MUNCH and Year 7 MUN helper say what you need to say. really. loud voices in the room, just more chilled. So everything

Mini MUNCH 2019

10th January

Inside: delectable delegates, intriguing interviews and amazing anecdotes...

During the week Mrs Fowler has been incredibly influential, helping to inspire the young delegates and ensuring they all get inTo start off the Year 7 MUN experience, there was the General volved. It was Mrs Fowler who first inquired about the Assembly, which although lacked the usual endless speeches and possibility of a Year 7 MUN day like the one that has just flag -waving grandeur of a full scale MUN conference, had some been run and it was with her help that the other memexcellent introductions to MUN from our guest speaker Beka bers of staff were able to make this a reality. The days and the Upper School Chairs and Supervisors. Beka in particular have been able to motivate the young delegates to try described all the different roles she had taken throughout her something completely new, step out of their comfort MUN experience, and how it had helped her develop skills such zone and gain invaluable skills and confidence. as confidence, leadership and organization, which seemed to Crisis summary really encourage the young delegates from the start. MUN stands for Model United Nations; however, it is often said that A great tragedy has occurred as an unfortunate incident in a Chinese science lab has led to the creation of a great threat. MUN is not a model of the United Nations, but a model for it.

Their aim is to calmly debate and form resolutions on several questions presented to them, in order to gain a better understanding of international diplomacy and politics. All the while

they must take note of opposing arguments and be respectful of

the other representatives in the room. Considering it was Year 7’s first time participating in MUN, the standard of debate was ex-

ceptionally high. The general atmosphere of the rooms was fo-

cused, with the students taking on the advice of their supervisors and helpers. At times, the formal language and procedure proved

The threat comes in the form of the endangered species of the Giant Panda and only this genetically modified individual happens to be thirty times the average size. It escaped a short while

ago and has since made its way through China, Nepal, Bhutan,

India, and is headed towards Pakistan. Already 2,000 individuals have been declared dead, 4,200 missing and 21,000 displaced

from their homes. The cost of the destruction of the countries

affected is 3 billion dollars and counting. The Chinese and Russian governments are preparing to take action in reducing the

holding a debate on China’s One Child policy to demonstrate the language and format needed during debate. An atmosphere of

threat level of the panda, and the UN is preparing its supplies to give out to those in need at this tragic time. It is up the UN delegates to collaborate with each other and

USA and Turkey allying together to present their argument. General Assembly became frantic when the UK proposed to bomb

come up with a solution to this catastrophe.

to be challenging, with the supervisors in the Blue Committee

camaraderie was evident in the Red Committee, with Venezuela,

the pandas in order to deal with the crisis, with many forgetting the

rule of no dialogue on the floor. However, the days were an overall success, with participants of all ages thoroughly enjoying the expe-

rience.

Eden Stanbra The Year 7 MUN day was attended by the whole year group spilt over two days. It was both fun and challenging at the same time and overall a very positive couple of days. Having to research and take on the views and beliefs of the country we were given regardless of our own opinions certainly got us thinking. The MUN day was a great experience for everyone, it encouraged us to talk openly in front of our peers and to listen to what the other delegates had to say. A number of people who attended the MUN day were later inspired to go to the lunchtime club, MUNCH Chat, to take part in more similar activities. I know I am looking forward to being more involved with MUN in the future, starting with MiniMUNCH on 11th March. Joe Thomson When I first heard of MUNCH I got very excited because I was quite interested in the United Nations and debating. I signed up to be a secretary in the DISEC committee at MUNCH 18. My job was to pass notes around between delegates of the same member state and pass resolutions and amendments to the chairs. The head secretaries were very friendly and I got to witness the debates in the committee. One of the debates was about weapon control and this was very interesting. During the conference I learnt about countries that I had never even heard of before, and I found the UN fascinating. I think it is amazing that the UN can get totally different countries with totally different views in the same room and get them to cooperate. MUNCH gives you skills like debating, public speaking and resilience. The debates are about interesting real world problems and are as if it were in the real United Nations. I can’t wait to get stuck into Model United Nations as I really like the experience and the atmosphere - I am so glad I got involved with MUN and I will definitely be taking part again.

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A Christmas Carol Alyssa Kouyate, Year 9 After the Christmas holidays, the Drama Department organised for all students in Years 9 and 10 taking Drama to go and see the play ‘A Christmas Carol’ in Liverpool. Whilst everyone else was boxing up their Christmas trees and decorations, we Drama students carried Christmas into January! We went to Liverpool by coach, and left school ten minutes before Period 5 usually ends. We were allowed to sit with whomever we wanted, so it was fun to be able to sit with our friends. The journey lasted for an hour, so we were able to listen to music and chat with others. When we arrived, we only had fifteen minutes before the performance started, so we had to be quick! We were told to walk quickly and stay together as we cut across Liverpool towards the theatre. As most people already know the story of ‘A Christmas Carol’ off by heart, this company decided to tell this story with a twist. Before the play started, the actors went onstage and introduced themselves. There were only five actors, so when they were asked to list all of the characters they were in this production, they couldn’t even remember all of the roles that they played! This was both surprising and amusing for the audience, and throughout the play it was sometimes hard to recognise which actor was playing which character. This play was a humorous version of ‘A Christmas Carol’ and was very easy to follow. At various points in the play there would be a bit of singing, which most of the audience enjoyed. Some of the scenes in the play required more than five characters, so the actors used hats labelled with the name of a character which they wore when they wanted to portray that person. They also turned this into a joke, and dropped their hats onto the stage or muddled them up. To portray Tiny Tim, they used a ventriloquist dummy, which the audience really enjoyed. The actors wore some very elaborate and colourful costumes, which were eye-catching for the audience. They did some dancing which proved quite funny, and their use of props was very good. Once the play was over, we got back on the coach and arrived back at school for half past nine. It was a really enjoyable evening!

Adam Wolowczyk, Upper Sixth One of the most exciting developments I have seen emerging at CHS in the past few years is the opportunity for Outreach. It is undoubtedly true that one of the most effective ways we can spread optimism and happiness is through music! So far this year our quartet has been fortunate enough to perform at numerous care homes in the local area, all organised by the School. This was such a heart-warming experience - not only did we receive

good feedback on our performances but we thoroughly enjoyed it too. In addition to this, at Christmas we were given the opportunity to play at a Coffee and Carols event in the lunch hall for senior residents from the local area. I think it is amazing that the School is organising more events like this and I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to be involved. Furthermore, as a choir we took a minibus one lunchtime to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital. Many children endure ill health and the

misfortune of disease and this doesn’t stop during the festive period. For our musical performance to have had even the slightest positive effect on the mental state of the children and their families in the hospital would have been more than worth it. Unfortunately, it is not possible to cure some of these health problems in children, especially in those with chronic diseases, and so we need to consider little contributions we can make that may help to build a better quality of life for them.

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Climate change catastrophe ignored! ‘It’s not like we need the planet or anything’ The danger of dismissive attitudes towards the crisis of climate change Sophie Tallon, Year 10 ‘Global warming’ and ‘climate change’ are phrases that everyone knows. ‘Temperatures are rising’ and ‘the sea ice is melting’ are warnings we all hear every day, but I had never really listened. Until I watched David Attenborough narrate the heart-breaking documentary ‘Our Planet’ I had no idea of the danger we were in. The documentary moved many to tears, myself included, with one scene of walruses plummeting to their death that left me cocooned in a cozy blanket, clutching a cup of tea, watching cat videos for 40 minutes in an attempt to cheer myself up. The cute cat videos (and a few pictures of puppies) could not however lull me into my preferred state of blissful ignorance. The sobering reality of climate change had shaken me as I realized the downward spiral our world was heading into. I have read many dystopian books about rationing oxygen and I have watched ‘The Lorax’, so I felt I had some understanding of our future without oxygen, not a future I want my children or myself to have. We are the villains in our children’s future. Climate change is not something we can cross our fingers about and hope that it goes away. Climate change is real and it will affect you. Climate change won’t just have a small effect. It will be more of an issue than just paper straws being soggy. Climate change seems distant but the consequences will be personal. Environmental scientist Dr John Watford stated that climate change would ‘unravel the threads of society’ and ‘make a stranger of a world we once knew’. When I first heard these dramatic statements I scoffed, labelling a doctor who specializes in the environment as ludicrous and a ‘drama queen’. After all, it’s not like he was discussing the literal end of the world as we know it or humanity’s last chance to stop the irreversible effects of climate change.

The reality of climate change has already changed and shaped lives for the worse. Katie Johnson, 8 years old, who lives in a coastal area, showed me how her world has changed. She can no longer play in the local playground because of the flooding that has wreaked havoc in her home. She said she ‘no longer felt safe’ and couldn’t sleep at night because she feared that she ‘would wake up with her home afloat’. She told me that she wanted to be a superhero ‘to save her family from flooding’. When I realized the weight of our impact on the world, I had a motivational spurt to change my ways. I recognized we can make a difference. I invested in a reusable bottle that was less of an investment and more of a cheap and helpful purchase. I then completed a carbon footprint quiz and was shocked to see how easy some changes were and the size of their impact. Did you know that if everyone in the UK switched to green energy light-bulbs it would reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 3%? It doesn’t sound like much, but if everyone ate meat-free just one day a week then carbon dioxide emissions would be down by 5%! Still not convinced that 5% will make a difference? Dr Peter Hawking, who graduated with a PhD from Cambridge, informed me that 5% is equal to 100,000 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions, which is equivalent to the weight of 40,000 elephants! He advised me that ‘a small act can save a life’ and the people of our world who do the little things are ‘everyday heroes’. You might not feature in ‘Avengers: End Game’ and it might seem unlikely: saving the world one green energy lantern at a time? It’s not quite the superhero I imagined myself to be but it’s the one I need to be. You only need to switch once so why wouldn’t you switch to green energy? Not all heroes wear capes.

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Adam Wolowczyk, Upper Sixth

During a Lower Sixth assembly I distinctly recall Ms Harms announcing the new school production: ‘Les Misérables’. Having performed in school productions right the way up from Reception to Sixth Form I couldn’t believe that we were about to embark on quite frankly the greatest musical of all time. A few months later auditions were complete and scripts distributed - when we came back to a new school year we would have to hit the ground running!

I must say I can fully sympathise with the revolutionaries in this time period: single shot rifles are quite annoying! When it came to the actual performance the bringing together of an amazing set, fully equipped, and a more than competent tech team, live orchestra and the afore mentioned props and costumes was truly remarkable.

Having started weekly rehearsals it was very quickly evident that this was truly a mammoth undertaking; there was a lot to rehearse and choreograph and only two months until our performance week. A few stand-out moments, for me, include Cavan singing his ‘Stars’ solo for the first time, Seb fitting his role of Jean Valjean like a glove, choreographing the countless intricacies of ‘Master of the House’ and singing some of the all-cast songs. It was an amazing experience to be part of a collective, on stage, singing with such passion and enthusiasm. Ms Harms was very brave in choosing this play and without her none of this could have been possible.

The feedback rapidly started coming in via emails and teachers congratulating us in corridors and on the way to lessons. The glowing remarks such as: ‘This is such a high standard for a school play’ and: ‘It could rival that of a professional performance’ were extremely encouraging.

One of the most exciting moments has to have been the first dress rehearsal. There is something about dressing up in costume that is really quite enjoyable; for starters you begin to understand your character on another level but also the long coats and fancy waistcoats do make you feel rather important. A huge thank you to Costume Kay who sorted out the wardrobe for the entire cast - the costumes were brilliant as always! In addition, the props were also very well-tailored to the period and exciting to use. At some points on the barricade with a model gun you do actually feel like you are fighting some sort of a battle.

I am sure that I speak on behalf of the whole cast when I say that we were all extremely proud and impressed.

Drama is all about being in a team: the cast. You bounce off other cast members to keep the acting lively and dynamic and you support each other when singing. Crucially, off stage, you help each other with props, lines, costume changes, cues - you name it! It is this team spirit that allows us to create something so extraordinary. It is the best feeling to finish a night and know that all of your hard work has paid off. Sure, it is a lot of work, but it is truly an unbeatable experience. Ms Harms and Miss Purchase ensured that every scene was fleshed out in depth and although at times this felt somewhat laborious it was this rigour and skill that truly gave the performance its extremely high quality. My advice to you would be to audition for the next production – it is sure to be an unforgettable experience and it is something that everyone should get stuck into at least once in their life!

THE WACONIAN 2019

Bee in the City! Oliver Clemetson, Upper Sixth It was exciting to be part of the ‘Bee in the City’ project during the summer and autumn of 2018. The Arts Charity ‘Wild in Art’ in conjunction with The Lord Mayor’s ‘We Love MCR’ charity and Manchester City Council coordinated one of Manchester’s largest ever public art events. 101 ‘big bees’ designed by internationally renowned artists trailed the city and over the summer break it seemed that the city had gone bee crazy, hunting down bees in prominent and hidden locations across town. To support the project, schools were invited to create their own ‘little bees’ and 131 smaller bees were placed amongst the trail. The artwork celebrated the unique buzz of Manchester, from its industrial heritage to its vibrant music scene. Cheadle Hulme School were proud to acquire two bee sculptures, one for the Junior School and one for the Upper School. Freya Charlton and Oliver Clemetson from the Sixth Form were appointed to direct the Upper School bee design. Initially, this involved creating the design for the bee sculpture, where we looked back at the School’s history and present day culture to create a mood that incorporated the School’s Waconian Values. The term Waconian as we know originates from the Warehousemen and Clerks of Manchester’s famed cotton industry. The history books recall the need to provide an education for the necessitous orphans of men who lost their lives serving in this dangerous industry. The bee is placed on a wooden floor, which encapsulates the idea that the School was raised directly from the wooden floors of these warehouses. The school building emerges from the floor and embraces the rest of the design which encompasses other interesting quirks and twists in the School’s history. We are proud of certain design features which include small details such as the feet of the bee styled like the school ties with each House colour represented. To incorporate the School’s history the bees’ six legs have the names of the first six children that attended the School. The original hand-written script tells the story and is presented with information taken from the School’s archives. The bee’s wings represent the stained glass windows in the dining hall of the main building as the formation of the glass mirrors the shape of the bee wing. Across the abdomen the Waconian values are listed and entwined

with maps of the School’s journey from Ardwick to Shaw Hall to our current site in Cheadle Hulme. Within the thorax are portraits of the first teachers here at Cheadle Hulme including the first female teacher at the site, a key moment in the School’s co-educational tradition. I think one of the more succinct features is the reflection of industrial machinery in the eyes of the bee. This subtle reflection hints at the forward-focused mentality of the School whilst remaining true to our roots and core vision. The bee is surrounded by a honeycomb pattern that holds some photographs of early students and staff at the very beginning of the School’s journey. This design was created to make people look back to where it all started and forward to where it will go. As Waconians we are all proud of the School’s heritage but understand the privilege and the limitless opportunities we have as students here. Overall the project raised £1.1 million for the Lord Mayor’s charity and this altruistic mentality as a Waconian value is pleasing to observe. We hope that this activity has inspired many in our community and has provided ideas for how altruism can unite and inspire an entire city.

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Christmas Music Alyssa Kouyate, Year 9 Over the last two weeks of the Winter Term, all of the CHS school choirs took part in a number of carol services and a concert around Manchester. We did three carol services in various churches, and took part in the annual CHS Winter Concert at the RNCM. In preparation for the carol services and concert, members of Girls’ Chorus would come to rehearsals every Monday lunchtime, and there were also some Tuesday afterschool rehearsals. During these rehearsals we would warm up, then run through each song once, being given group and sometimes individual feedback from our choir teacher Mr McCombs. We also had a couple of rehearsals with all of the other choirs closer to the concert, just to make sure we were confident in singing the carols and that we could perfectly sing the harmonies together. During the carol services, each different choir sang a few of the songs they had prepared during the lunchtime rehearsals. Afterwards, all of the choirs combined and sang traditional carols, such as ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’, along with the people who had come to watch the ceremony. The choir that I was in, Girls’ Chorus, sang two songs and the combined carols. One of these songs was a French song, called ‘Quelle est cette odeur agréable?’ This was the song that we had had to work the most on, because we sang it in French and had to get the pronunciation right. As I speak French fluently, I sang the solo in this song, which was a lot of fun but also scary. I sang this solo both in the carol services and at the RNCM. The RNCM is the choir event that most choir members look forward to the most. We miss half a day of school, and it is lots of fun practising for the concert and having fun in the green rooms. At the RNCM, there are not just the choirs, but there are also the various bands and ensembles, and I personally take part in Studio Band playing the saxophone. The RNCM concert lasted approximately two hours, and everything ran smoothly. The Year 7s who had never taken part in the RNCM Concert before thoroughly enjoyed it, and are looking forward to the next RNCM Concert in the Spring Term.

Carolling Adam Wolowczyk, Upper Sixth It is a wonderful tradition for Cheadle Hulme School to perform a carol service every year in early December at St. Michael’s Parish Church, Bramhall. It is the time of year for everyone to put away their troubles namely Brexit! - and be joyful, looking forward into the New Year with optimism and hopefulness. In my opinion there is no better way to do this than to relax and listen to an evening of choral music. The singing from all groups, old and young, was of a high standard as always. Cantorum in particular performed ‘Still, Still, Still’ in German very well with a crisp and delicate tone and the Cambiata piece was also very effective in creating a peaceful atmosphere. We heard well-delivered readings from Head Boy, Raff McMahon, and Head Girl, Lily Danson, as well as the Head and a number of other students. The vicar also gave a very moving speech towards the end of the service. The final point to mention is the collective singing of the carols with the audience and choirs. Even though after a few years on repeat these simple pieces may lose their effect I still cherish this lovely tradition. I think carolling succeeds in bringing people together. It reminds us all what a gift it is to be alive!

THE WACONIAN 2019 In September 2018 the Lower Sixth Art and Design students visited London for an educational visit to The Tate Modern, Borough Markets, a Shoreditch Street Art Tour and our final stop at the glorious Wilton’s Music Hall. The aim of the visit was to gather primary source photography for the Lower Sixth portfolio project based on the theme ‘People and Places’. The portfolio project is designed to extend students’ creative thinking, control and handling of media, exploring new processes and raising their Art skills to the required A-Level standard. After an early and prompt start to the day, a 7am meet at Stockport Station was followed by an excited and energetic train journey to London, Euston. Taking the underground to St Paul’s allowed for a quick photoshoot in and around the cathedral whilst traversing the breath-taking Millenium Bridge designed by Norman Foster. Interestingly, it was delightful to see at first-hand the work of ‘The Chewing Gum Artist’ scattered in spontaneous interactions across the bridge. The Tate Modern was a fantastic opportunity to engage with modernist works from across the 19th and 20th centuries, alongside some truly thoughtprovoking contemporary work. The aim here was to develop an understanding of how art work is curated and displayed and so bring ideas back to the studio. From the Tate we made the riverside walk to Borough Markets for our lunch time pit stop. This metropolitan experience in urban dining exposed our students to human interactions and the chance to document the vibrancy and inspiring architecture of the market hall. Further areas of focus were the produce and arrangements of items that almost mimicked the intricate installations seen at the Tate. From the market we traversed across town to meet Gregory, our guide from Dope Art Tours. Meeting on the legendary Brick Lane we trailed through the back streets and ginnels of Shoreditch and heard tales of their rich and vast history. It was inspiring to hear the personal stories behind the artists who decorate the walls, such as Fanakapan, MrCenzone, Ben Eine and Kid Acne, and the friction they have experienced to share their work with a now adoring public. After Gregory had enthused us on the vogue medium of street art we made our way to Wilton’s Music Hall. He told us that the hall is a gem in the heart of London and the oldest grand music hall in the world. It presents a year-round programme of exceptional live music and world-class productions alongside learning and participation work that engages the local community and schools. We spent time listening to talks from the passionate staff whilst sampling the delights from their wood-fired pizza oven. We learned that the Grade 2 Star listed building recently completed a four year capital project with support from Heritage Lottery Fund and numerous trusts and individuals. This project, designed by Tim Ronalds Architects, recently won a RIBA 2016 National Award, RIBA London Award 2016, RIBA London Conservation Award 2016 and RIBA London Building Of The Year 2016. We hope that this experience will inspire the next generation of architects from Cheadle Hulme School, as this is an area that is ever increasing in popularity with our students.

INSPIRATION LOWER SIXTH ART VISITS LONDON Adam Hayley, Art Department

The students have just completed a series of teacher-led workshops exploring the media of portraiture in oils, free machine embroidery, image transfer and appliqué, alongside refining their use of ceramic mediums, glazing and firing their creations. Using the images from London as a catalyst for success they will now embark on a period of independent study pursuing their own line of enquiry and developing ideas in media of their choice. The work is not assessed by the exam board and this proves to be incredibly rewarding as students don’t experience the pressure of fearing failure and at this time we encourage them to push boundaries and try new processes in a bid to understand the artist that they are becoming. We are now looking forward to taking them to Madrid in the Spring Term to pursue ideas for their AQA assessed coursework, and we can’t wait to see what they are capable of.

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THE WACONIAN 2019

Do it for Fun: First Prize in the Talent Show! Ed Moore and Max Cooper, Year 9 On the very first week of Year 7, Max Cooper and I played songs with each other but decided this year that to be successful in the CHS Talent Show, we really needed a band. After a long think, we decided that the best plan was to hunt for a guitarist and a drummer for the band. Previously, Ben Watts had been learning guitar and showing potential. We decided to recruit him in, and that was stage one. Finding a drummer was difficult as I didn’t recall knowing anyone directly who played drums. By chance, when I was collecting my guitar, I heard a drum lesson in the Music Hall. It sounded good with really tight timing, a necessity for any drummer, so I took a peak in to discover that it was a fellow Year 9 student, Finlay Kearney. A couple of days later, I asked him to be a part of the band and he couldn’t have been happier to play with us. Our first rehearsal was only two weeks before the show but the band had great chemistry leading to almost instant progress. As with most groups, we all had a laugh, which only strengthened the relationship within the band. Every lunchtime, we played, listened to the song and analysed to see what would be the best way to make it an instrumental piece. To mix things up and really make it our own, the classic guitar intro to the song was turned into a piano part which really fitted into our style well. I learnt the melody to the song and

Finlay and Ben mastered the rhythm and helped capture the mood. Before we knew it, the countdown was only four days. Rehearsals extended to after school for an hour and the dedication within the band was not only promising but inspiring as well. It showed me that anything can be achieved through hard work and I advise anyone with a talent, from speed eating to dancing, to take part in next year’s show. When the day arrived, nerves were building up, which is contagious and dangerous to a band. The message was to do it for fun. Look like you’re having fun and so will the audience. If the audience enjoy it then there is nothing to be nervous about.

The advice was provided by Max who wasn’t just a pianist but a sort of mental coach for everyone. It worked and the performance was fantastic. The awaiting results didn’t bother me because I knew that that was our best performance and that we all loved the experience of playing together on that stage. Not forgetting the big cheer from Mr Wright at the back of the hall. When we heard the result, I looked around at Ben, Max and Finlay. I was over the moon to think that the judges enjoyed the performance as much as we enjoyed performing. We all approached the stage to accept our award, looking out towards the crowd. That feeling was worth the effort.

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Judoka sweeps up! Sarah Humphreys, Cleaning Supervisor

It’s a few years ago now that it started, but I took up martial arts to keep fit and keep up with my six-year old daughter who wanted to give martial arts a go. That six-year old daughter is now seventeen. We train at Altrincham Judo Club and I also train at Cheadle Judo Club based in the Drill Hall in Cheadle. I was emailed about four years ago by Sensei Chris Doherty to invite me to attend master squad training for any grade and any age over 30. I emailed back explaining that I was only at green belt but would go to the Centre of Excellence in Birmingham to train with the masters. I arrived to watch the room fill with some very famous judoka of the past and most had a black belt or dan grade on, so I felt a little giddy - why on earth had I been contacted? We did the usual warm up technique then just before breaking for lunch they decided on a line-up. Fighting each opponent in a line, all I will say now is that I did exceptionally well at this and I was then earmarked for the British Squad . It has been a long tough road from then on as my gradings had to be spot on in every sense and when I obtained my blue belt I could finally fight at national level. I’ve been British silver medallist in 2016 and 2017 for women aged 40/45 and weighing -78 kg. Last year I made my place on the British Masters Squad and fought internationally in Scotland in the Veteran European Championships 2018 in the same age and weight group as before. I was one of the poster girls on this occasion advertising the competition, and seeing my face all over the Emirates Arena on the magazine, programmes, flyers and website was a very bizarre experience. I’m the current Bronze Veteran European Champion and therefore retain my place on the Squad. I have done my dan grade also, with again some very famous Judoka. My International Judo Federation Card says my favourite technique is harai goshi but it is actually tomanage, a sacrifice throw that made Sensei Karen Briggs MBE famous - I’m hoping that it will do it for me one day. If you wish to find out more about judo then contact my coach Steve Pullen MBE at the Drill Hall in Cheadle or myself. And if you wish to look up my statistics and progress, you can find me on both the British Judo website and the International Judo Federation website.

THE WACONIAN 2019

Madrid: October 2018 Alex McDermott, Year 11 I thought getting up for school was hard; getting up for this school trip was harder - but worth it. I had to wake up at 3am and be at the airport for 4. Everyone was yawning when we arrived but we got some rest on the plane where we saw the sun rise. After a drive on the coach, delayed obviously by a crane in the middle of the road, and a short walk, we arrived at the hotel. We then went for a walk around Madrid into the El Parque Retiro and to El Museo Nacional del Prado. We looked at paintings by Goya, Bosch and Velázquez. After that we were all exhausted so we went for dinner in the restaurant around the corner and went to bed. We had to get up early as we had a special tour around Spain’s parliament building, which is rarely open. We were in the parliament waiting in a Michael Angelo-style room for the tour to start at around 9am and we were all scared to touch anything because everything looked so fragile and expensive, including the chairs we were sitting on. The parliament building had marbled floors throughout the whole building with grand paintings on the walls, including of members of the Spanish royal family, except la Cámara Baja (the Lower Chamber) where the parliament sits. It had a huge altar-like seating arrangement where the Prime Minister sits with the ministers. There was an enormous mural on the ceiling with slightly noticeable bullet holes in from attacks on the government. After the tour of the parliament building, we walked to El Puerto del Sol where we got the underground to the Real Madrid stadium. The highlight of the visit to the stadium was a seating area which turned out to be a great photo opportunity. Later on, we got the underground back to El Puerta del Sol and had free time to shop and explore. The next day we got up early (again) and went straight to the underground as we were visiting the school which the students who had come over to participate in MUNCH attended. I was put into a group who were put in a Philosophy lesson. Luckily, and I mean luckily, we had Mr Wright with us so we asked him what was going on as honestly Plato in Spanish is not easy. We had a tour of the school and they kindly gave us churros to snack on. After that we went back to Madrid and visited the Palacio Real de Madrid and then a food market where we looked at a variety of Spanish fish and meats. We went to the El Parque Retiro again where a few of us hired rowing boats

to row around the lake, which was harder than it looked. After that we walked back to where we were staying, seeing illuminated landmarks of Madrid before going for dinner and then to bed. We were up before sunrise, as we needed to get to Segovia early to make the most of the day. We drove for about an hour, seeing the place where Franco is buried on the side of a mountain on the way there. We arrived in front of the Roman aqueduct and we were all amazed. We walked through the centre of Segovia past the winding streets that all fed off the main square and to the Alcázar de Segovia; a castle, prison, fort and watchtower have all been its roles. After climbing up what felt like miles and miles of stairs, we came to the top, where the views were beautiful; we could see over the whole of Segovia and into the distance. Another great photo opportunity. We looked around the inside of the Alcázar where there were goldrimmed ceilings and medieval-looking paintings and then headed back to the square. We had free time in Segovia after that to explore the town and shop for souvenirs. On the final day we got up at dawn as we had an early flight. We were all tired and even slept through take-off which shows how jam-packed the trip was with such great activities. The whole trip was great and beyond useful for our vocabularies. On behalf of everyone who went on the trip I’d like to say thank you to Mr Wilson, Mr Wright, Dr Williams and especially Miss Becker for putting the whole trip together for us.

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‘I am Malala’ Aaliyah Mayoute, Year 9 ‘I am Malala’ is an autobiography written by Malala Yousafzai. It follows the story of a young girl and her childhood experiences growing up Mingora, Pakistan. It explores the takeover of her region by the Taliban and how one girl fought for her right to be educated and ended up getting shot unmercifully. Reading this book, the thing I will remember most is the devotion Malala, her family and her community had to God. They always kept faithful and even in bad times never questioned God’s existence. I couldn’t understand why they still continued to pray to God after multiple years of struggles and no change. Now I have a totally different perspective. When Malala talks about God in her story, she almost always includes a lesson she learnt from God. She explains how she believes “there is something good for every evil, and every time there’s a bad person, God sends a good one.” Learning more about Islam from reading the book, I found that it is a very hopeful and forgiving religion. Researching Malala and her view of the Talib who shot her because of her courage to stand up for her rights, she has a very unusual view: “I do not even hate the Talib who shot me. Even if there was a gun in my hand and he stood in front of me, I would not shoot him. I have also learnt that religion can help people have a sense of belonging, especially in times of need. Instead of being in complete despair, the community of Islam come together and remain resilient; especially Malala’s father, Ziauddin Yousafzai. After countless warnings and threats from the Taliban, Yousafzai courageously decided that his girls’ school should remain open. This leads on to the next element of the novel that widened my view and demonstrated the importance of reading novels from different faiths and countries. In the media, Middle Eastern countries are constantly being portrayed as having a massive gender inequality balance. For instance, Saudi Arabia only recently disregarded laws that forbade women to drive after years of protests and ‘I am Malala’ clearly exposes the prejudice women face, as one of the Taliban’s main drives is no education allowed for females over the age of ten years old. Women should be with a male guardian anytime they want to go out, dressed in burqas only, as wearing a hijab paired with a shalwar kameez is seen as going against Sharia law. Malala’s mother, Toor Pekai Yousafzai, experienced this violation of her freedom one day as she was shopping. I think the media likes to show the outdated attitudes that mostly less developed countries have and this contributes to my previously closed-minded view. To read about Malala’s father and how he stood by his daughter throughout her protests and campaigns was surprising. Being ignorant of the topic, I had assumed all men in these countries were against women’s rights and completely outdated compared to Britain. So to see a male at risk but still standing up for a female, especially his daughter, was a pleasant realisation and taught me not to generalise. I’m sure that Ziauddin Yousafzai was not the first and only man to have fought for girls’ and women’s rights. Males as a whole are blamed for actions that previous generations committed and this therefore impacts both genders. Nevertheless, inequality is still prevalent and a major issue in every country and some countries in particular definitely have outdated views that need to be challenged. Comparing this to novels I have read before, I could relate to Malala as she is the same age as me, fifteen. This made it easier for me to connect with her, such as the everyday things Malala mentioned that she talked about with her friends, their favourite TV show or what they were doing that evening. Obviously, I could not connect to the struggles she faced. I was so immersed in the story I felt as if I was going through her experiences, which is rare as I don’t really connect with books this much. I was disturbed at my privilege compared to hers, knowing my house won’t be bombed to pieces in the middle of the night or the next day, having no fear of being completely separated from my family. When Malala communicated with God, I would feel safer knowing she felt more secure because of her faith and more powerful each time she spoke to God. A lesson was learnt or a different perspective of the situation was discovered for Malala, not another horrific event. Overall I believe Islam had a huge role in shaping Malala’s courageous and smart personality, as well as the loving family she had behind her.

THE WACONIAN 2019

CHS Netball 2018-2019 Olivia Barber, Head of Netball, and the players

Head of Netball Season Review It has been a fantastic year for CHS netball. There have been some amazing wins and impressive comebacks. Three National titles in one season is an absolutely fantastic achievement. Huge congratulations must go to all the pupils who train and compete for CHS. We have 20 teams in total, ranging from A-D in many year groups. Collectively we have played 218 fixtures and have an impressive 73% win percentage. The players’ dedication to training and hard work in matches across all year groups and teams must be commended. CHS netball is going from strength to strength and it is exciting to think what next season could hold.

U12

Captain: Maya Thompson Coach: Mrs Vernon

Vice Captain: Luiseach O’Neal Stats: Played 22 Won 22

Goals Scored: 582

Captain’s Summary: This year has been great. I have enjoyed everything about the School but in particular I have enjoyed captaining the U12s Netball Team and being picked to play on the U13s along with two of my teammates. So far in the competition, we have done extremely well and we are currently unbeaten, leaving us in the top two schools in the country. We have travelled to many places as far away as Warwick to take part in different stages of this competition. We have scored a total of 582 goals this year. I am immensely proud of how far we’ve come since the start of the year and how much we’ve improved. Coach’s Highlight: Becoming Champions of the SnS National Cup Final.

U13

Captain: Maisie Chrimes Coach: Miss Barber

Vice Captain: Kiska McQuillan Stats: Played Played 27 Won 27

Captain’s Summary: Winning the U13 National Netball Cup was a very special moment for the team. It was our goal in September to win it and as we were winning each round of the competition that goal got closer. We are a very strong team, knowing and reading each other so well. We are definitely a team that loves having fun off court but when on court we are totally focused on the win. Our coaches have worked with us to make sure we’re mentally and physically prepared all year. We definitely work as a team and have great perseverance to get us through. This season has brought us all many opportunities - hopefully next year we can achieve even more. Coach’s Highlight: Coming from behind to beat local rivals Stockport Grammar School in a nail-biting National Final to win 39-31.

Goals Scored: 977

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U14

Captain: Tabitha Bennett Coach: Mrs Dunn

Vice Captain: Hattie Snell Stats: Played 15 Won 7

Goals Scored: 24

Captain’s Summary: It’s been a tough season for the U14 Netball Team but we managed to finish on a high at a tournament at Stonyhurst College, where we pulled back every game. Throughout the season we have thoroughly enjoyed playing and training together. Every girl in the squad has made a great contribution, including some fantastic interceptions from defence, some brilliant attacking from the centre court players and some great shots from the shooters. I hope I speak for all the girls when I say that this season has been extremely enjoyable and we cannot wait to be all back on court. Mrs Dunn has been an excellent coach and has encouraged us all to play our best and keep our positivity. Coach’s Highlight: Not losing a single game at the Stockport Schools Tournament and being crowned Champions.

U15

Captain: Sophie Tallon Coach: Miss Barber

Vice Captain: Lily Mullins Stats: Played 19 Won 14

Captain’s Summary: The U15 Netball Team has had an amazing season. This year we made it to the top 16 in the Independent Schools National Cup Competition. One of our highlights was travelling to play Rugby School who we beat 47:7 and another was beating Bromsgrove 28-25 in cup matches. It was amazing to see the team come together and implement all the skills we have been working on in training. Another of the team’s highlights was competing in the County Tournament in hail, wind and rain. The shooters rarely missed, the attack adapted to the weather and the defence continued to get interceptions. Despite being whipped with hailstones we managed to make the final. This is reflective of how our team has played the whole season: we have never given up and we always fight to the end. Coach’s Highlight: Beating Sedbergh in the first round of the National Cup and realizing that the girls had the potential to go all the way to the final.

Goals Scored: 364

THE WACONIAN 2019

CHS Netball 2018-2019 U16

Captain: Millie Dee-Upton Coach: Mrs Bebbington

Vice Captain: Caitlyn Field Stats: Played 13 Won 9

Goals Scored: 193

Captain’s Summary: 2018/19 has been another brilliant year for the U16 netballers, as the team has continued to go from strength to strength under the visionary leadership of Mrs Bebbington and the effervescent Miss Barber. There are many highlights, but I will pick out just one. The season got off to a great start, with a thumping win over Woodhouse Grove School putting the girls firmly in contention for a shot at the Stockport Schools Cup. The pressure was on as CHS had walked away with the trophy for the four previous seasons and counting could the players deliver under the weight of expectation? Silly question! The team were fantastic and CHS found themselves in the final once again. Despite the pressure, the girls rose to the challenge and after a tense match and some good shooting from Katie Spilsbury the title was clinched yet again - great work! Coach’s Highlight: Beating Withington Girls’ School in a Manchester League fixture as they were preparing for a National Final.

SENIORS Captain’s Summary: My highlight of the year for the U19s would have to be winning the Greater Manchester County Tournament played at CHS. We were up against some very strong school teams from around Manchester and managed to win the entire competition! It’s the last tournament we will play at CHS and it was a great way to round off seven successful years! Our thanks go to Miss Barber who has been the best coach we could ever have asked for. Coach’s Highlight: The final whistle being blown during extra time of a National Cup game and going to golden goal. The team played the ball through the whole court from defence to attack to score and win the game 37-36.

Captain: Grace Mills Coach: Miss Barber

Vice Captain: Megan Humpage Stats: Played 29 Won 22

Goals Scored: 795

We will remember them

86-87 Alison Pope, Learning Support

Several years ago, my family and I travelled to the battlegrounds and war cemeteries of northern France and Belgium. We ‘visited’ my Great Uncle Jack, a distant cousin of my husband’s grandfather, and Old Waconian Leo Almond - portrayed by Ben Pilling (Class of 2019) in the Heritage Day presentation of 2014. Moved by this visit and the background research we had done we began to wonder just how many seemingly unremarkable, yet individual, poignant family stories there were just waiting to be told.

Here are a few of my personal favourites amongst the stories:

As the centenary of the Armistice approached, we were discussing at my church - Bramhall United Reformed Church - how best to commemorate such an important event. It occurred to me that people might like to share their family stories so I approached the congregation with the idea. People responded with memories and stories passed down through the generations along with memorabilia, photographs and historical data.

The film ended with images of battlefields blending with poppies, and a recording of Rebecca singing a song of remembrance in the background. She was accompanied by Mr Mark McCombs of the CHS Music Department, furthering the collaboration between family and school.

It was decided that we would create a film of these stories and it became a family affair with my husband Martin and daughter Rebecca (Class of 2018) assisting with the research and creative side. When all the information was collated, another Old Wac, Oscar Jones, (Class of 2018) came on board and it was his immense technical talent that put the whole thing together. He set the video to the music of George Butterworth, composer and victim of the Somme.

The grandad of Elaine Noden, Will, a member of the church congregation and an Invigilator at CHS, survived the war and became the lion tamer at Belle Vue Zoo in Manchester, his taste for danger clearly not satisfied! The veteran who, each Remembrance Sunday, watched the service at the Cenotaph on the television and recited the names of comrades he had lost. Coincidentally he also died on a Remembrance Sunday. The remarkable and devoted wife who travelled with the Red Cross to Switzerland to visit her husband in a POW camp run by Germans and another who became one of the first members of the Women’s Royal Air Force.

Here are Rebecca’s thoughts on the music: ‘I performed the song ‘For the Fallen’, a moving piece of music, with the words below having been taken from the poem of the same name by Laurence Binyon who worked in a military hospital in France during the war. “They shall grow not old, as we who are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,

Here are Oscar’s reflections on the making of the video:

We will remember them.”

‘In the summer of 2018, I was asked to put together a memorial video about the family stories of the Bramhall United Reformed Church involved in World War One. I felt honoured to be approached for such a meaningful and emotional project, although this feeling was quickly followed by an awareness of the pressure to deliver something satisfactory for the families who were so deeply connected to these stories.

These words are set to a contemplative melody by Mike Sammes, the tune of which mirrors the movement of the sun (falling at the mention of sunset, climbing at the mention of sunrise) and has an instrumental middle section as a period of reflection for the listeners. It’s a beautiful yet emotive song to hear and sing, and I’m thankful that I was able to be a part of this commemoration’.

I found myself in a bubble while editing, and only fully appreciated the material Alison gave me once I began to watch back parts of the video. I remember at this point feeling these families’ connections to the past, and couldn’t help but being moved by their stories which were so closely connected to now and to home.

It was a remarkable film, much appreciated by all who saw it, who were then fortified by an original World War 1 recipe of chocolate and potato cake!

Watching the full 55 minutes play through on Remembrance Day in the church setting was even more moving, especially when I saw first-hand some of the items and medals on which many stories had centred. I also met some of the family members that day. I was grateful for the opportunity to make this video, feeling proud to have been a part of recording this local history.’

My thanks go to the Old Waconians and CHS staff members who contributed to a dignified and memorable event. Rebecca and Oscar are now at university but their involvement with this project was both a credit to themselves and a reflection of the Waconian principles they had learnt during their time at CHS. We did remember them.

THE WACONIAN 2019

Year 11 in Berlin

Shivani Oza, Year 11

From the 27th to the 30th of October, a group of Year 11 students travelled to Berlin to gain an insight into the topics we are studying in History. After an early start at Manchester Airport (5:30am) we arrived at our hotel by midday The hotel was situated in the heart of Berlin, near to Alexanderplatz, which made it easy for us to visit all the sites.

DAY 1 As soon as we arrived at the hotel we unpacked, before meeting our tour guide for the majority of the trip, Ryan. Ryan’s talk at each site was really informative; he was very friendly and could answer all of our questions. We started off with a walking tour of Berlin, covering most of the key sites, and we soon realised there was history everywhere! Some of the most memorable sites were the Max Ligner Wall Mural, made up of hand-painted tiles depicting the socialist idea of happy East Germans, and the Holocaust Memorial, a memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust. It consisted of 2,711 concrete slabs of different heights, which had an overwhelming impact on all of us as it was like a giant maze from which you couldn’t escape and created a feeling of uncertainty and confusion. We then had a group photo by the Brandenburg Gate, one of the city’s most iconic sights symbolising Berlin’s Cold War division into East and West and it is Berlin’s only surviving historical city gate. In the evening, after dinner, we went up the TV Tower, the Fernsehturm, which was built as propaganda to demonstrate the superiority of communism. From here we experienced a panoramic 360-degree view of the historical city below, which was breathtaking. DAY 2 We started off early the next morning to visit the Sachsenhausen concentration camp. This camp was used primarily for political prisoners from 1936 to 1945 and it was a training centre for the SS officers who would then be sent to oversee other camps. Executions took place at Sachsenhausen, especially of Soviet prisoners of war. A famous theologian, Martin Niemöller, was sent here and he wrote this famous poem: ‘First they came for the Communists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Communist Then they came for the Socialists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Socialist

Then they came for the trade unionists And I did not speak out Because I was not a trade unionist Then they came for the Jews And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew Then they came for me And there was no one left To speak out for me’. We all found the tour very moving, it gave us an instant reality check about what life really was like during the war and what made us think even more was the fact that it took place during the lifetime of our grandparents. Upon our return to Berlin, we went to the Stasi Prison. The conditions were totally different from a normal prison as prisoners were made to feel completely disorientated by Stasi leaders so that they would not know where they were (making it difficult for them to escape) and so that they would feel isolated and alone. In the evening we went inside the German Reichstag, the Parliament, and walked up to the dome situated above the debating chamber. DAY 3 On our last day, we spent time focusing on the Cold War. We saw the remains of the Berlin Wall, including the death strip inbetween East and West Berlin, and the undergroud escape tunnels where familes tried to reunite with their loved ones on the other side. Overnight, familes were separated. After having lunch at Checkpoint Charlie and taking pictures with the border guards, we headed back to the hotel to pack our suitcases. Of course the trip wasn’t over before we’d had a game of bowling with everyone! Even the teachers were competitive! This trip has definitely been one of my favourite school trips. The amount we packed into each day was recordbreaking, nethertheless I couldn’t have had a better time. The information we learned helped us to understand our History course in greater depth and I also enjoyed being with my friends. Thank you to everyone who helped to organise this trip.

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Cern – the Main Event! Peter Langton, Lower Sixth For a budding young scientist, there really is no better place to visit than the forefront of human scientific research: CERN. We arrived on Thursday evening, and our first meal on Swiss soil was, underwhelmingly, McDonalds. After a significant amount of complaining about the price of a portion of chips, we headed back over the river to our hotel.

After lunch, we visited the Red Cross Museum, which contained many powerful examples of the incredible work this organization performs. We were not only humbled by the emotionally charged exhibits, but amazed by the layout and experience of such a novel museum. Friday evening was one of fine dining as we enjoyed our meals, especially those who opted for the traditional were inspired by our tour guides who gave us an incredible insight into the workings of such an awe-inspiring machine. Saturday night was one to remember as we joined in a local festival involving musketeering, secret passageways and, above all, some quite appalling dancing. The following morning saw this incredible trip come to an end, but not before we were treated to some questionable ice skating followed by an intense game of giant chess. In conclusion, the trip to Geneva was quite simply an incredible all-round experience, and one that I’m sure none of us will forget in a hurry.

We awoke on Friday morning, and having had a luxury continental breakfast, were enthused for the fascinating day which lay ahead. We started by visiting the Science History Museum, which provided fascinating exhibits demonstrating some of the most important discoveries in the History of Science. These included models of the solar system, an early electron microscope and multiple mechanical systems including pulleys, cogs and springs. However, this trip was not merely a scientific nerd-fest, as was evident when we visited the Palais des Nations, the home of the United Nations. As we were guided around its great halls and conference room, we were not only taken aback by the architectural magnificence of the building, but by the thought of all the momentous moments and debates which had occurred in that very place.

Swiss fondue. The highlight of the night was undoubtedly the live music, especially that performed by members of our own cohort on what can only be described as a giant horn. However, the special mention must go to our very own Mr Fletcher, whose incredible musical talent earned him a standing ovation. Saturday was in many ways the main event: our visit to CERN. We started by visiting two fascinating exhibitions concerning the incredible work which goes on at CERN and the LHC. After a surreal dining experience in which we were able to talk to a professor actually working at CERN, we listened to a fascinating talk by a Dutch engineer working on the LHC. After this, we were taken across the French border to the site of the Compact Muon Solenoid, one of the detectors at the LHC, and the largest solenoid magnet in the world. We

THE WACONIAN 2019

“ We are glad to record that two new rooms have been carved out of the cloakroom between the Library and Art Room: one is a reading room for the VI Form, the other for the use of ping-pong enthusiasts.” The Waconian, 1944

“ All the buildings seemed to be alike, except the swimming bath, which at first I thought was a church – I would often enter the wrong classroom, or wander around in search of the right place to go. What was still more confusing than anything else, were all the different staircases in the house.” The Waconian, 1947

“ In order to mark the official opening of the laboratories, an interesting exhibition of work done in the sciences classes in the school has been arranged.” The Waconian, 1954

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THE WACONIAN 2019

It’s always thrilling to take part in a school event like this - with the lights, the staging, the makeup and most importantly the clothes. During the Spring Term after months of planning and preparing, the Year 11 Upper School Captains hosted the Ethical Fashion Show. The show was put on to raise awareness about the significance of sustainable clothing and how the fast fashion industry can lead to disreputable damage to the earth as well as the population living in it. As Upper School Captains, we felt we were responsible for making a difference. We decided to raise awareness about things like mental health, dressing sustainably as well as dressing well, and supporting local businesses. All of the clothing shown was either responsibly sourced, handmade or recycled. One of our main messages was to reduce the consumption of products belonging to companies that do not care for their workers’ rights. Our comical hosts did a great job entertaining the audience with their engaging words that had everyone chuckling. The models, beautifully showcasing the articles of clothing with smiles on their faces, really had the audience entranced. We had an outstanding singer share a message about the importance of rising up to face every day’s challenges. Alongside all

The Ethical Fashion Show Unab Ali, Year 11

these spectacular showcases, we set up stalls with snacks and drinks and even a raffle. At the very end, a speaker from Stockport’s Mind talked to us about the significance of labels and their impact, which truly represented our message. St. Ann’s Hospice, a well-known charity shop, decided to help us out by letting us use some of their prom dresses to show that there can truly be amazing articles of clothing found in your local charity shop. SOS kindly let us borrow their clothes to showcase on the catwalk. They had some spectacular and bold ranges that were so unique and original that they left people awestruck. This promoted the support of the small businesses that we see on the high street. All of the profit from the event was donated to Stockport and District Mind. We decided to support Mind because mental health issues are commonly neglected. The charity helps our community prominently and so we thought to promote the brilliant work they do in a fun and engaging way. All in all the Ethical Fashion Show was a great success. Without all the help we received, I can only imagine how difficult it might have been, and so on behalf of all the Upper School Captains, we thank the models, the staff, and most of all the companies that supported us in this event.

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My Year Ahead Libby Dolling, Upper Sixth

Last summer I spent a week on the lovely (but very cold) Isle of Coll, where I embarked upon a selection course for Project Trust, a charity that supports young people to volunteer in deprived countries. I first found out about this charity after going to a humanitarian talk that highlighted what a difference Project Trust was making around the world, inspiring me to find out more about it and how I could get involved. Shortly after returning home from selection, I was thrilled to receive a letter stating my success on the selection course and that in the summer of 2019 I would be headed for Honduras, where I would be teaching Art and English to primary school children! Though there was much excitement, an overwhelming feeling accompanied it, as I took in the task ahead of raising £6,200 whilst studying for my A-Levels. I immediately began brainstorming fundraising ideas, filling a mind map with different thoughts and feelings about how best to go about this challenge. First, I did little fundraising things such as giving my friends Smarties to eat and then fill the tube, and setting up a Virgin Money Giving page, so that people knew what I was up to. I also had an interesting few hours running a stand at a car boot sale where I tried to sell off some items! Though these small events were gradually adding to the total, I decided that I wanted to have some bigger fundraising events that would be dotted throughout the year to try and tick off a bigger portion of my target - I decided that shaving my head and hosting a music night would be good ways to raise funds. My idea behind the head shave was that it would be a great way not only to raise money for an important cause, but also to raise awareness and have an impact on a whole range of people. As well as this, I came across a charity called The Little Princess Trust, which is an amazing charity that provides wigs for children suffering from hair loss and I decided that they would be great recipients to whom I could donate the hair that I cut off. The outcome was incredible! I was unbelievably overwhelmed by how much support I received from so many people, making me feel so good about what I am doing and how I could really achieve an impact. I was even able to send 34cm of hair to the Little Princess Trust, which I was very happy about! Though a completely different atmosphere to the head shave, my music night was another huge success, where we had live bands playing throughout the evening, as well as a raffle and an auction taking place. Both events were definitely quite far from my comfort zone but I am so glad that I did them; of course I had my amazing family there supporting me every second, along with friends and even strangers who have been incredibly generous, helping me along the way to reach my final target. I am very excited about my year ahead and where it will lead me; I can’t wait to get out there and help make a difference!

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My experience of the Arkwright Scholarship Hazim Zameel, Upper Sixth My interest in Engineering began with my fondness for cars from a young age. This developed into a fascination with the various mechanical systems implemented in cars, and later a wider appreciation of engineering throughout the world. The Arkwright Scholarship is a programme where different companies and institutions support students interested in pursuing Engineering through their A-Levels with work experience opportunities, scholars-only conferences and financial support. I was first introduced to the Arkwright Scholarship programme through the Design and Technology Department. As I was already planning to study Engineering at university, the scholarship was a clear programme for me to apply for. In Year 11, I began the process with a detailed application form, highlighting my general interest in Engineering, an engineering project I had undertaken and details of other extracurricular activities. I decided to submit my GCSE coursework project (a multidirectional speaker) for my application as it was well researched and documented. The application focused on the key points of my project such as the problems that my product solves and a technical description of how it does that. As part of the application, you have to complete an ‘Aptitude Exam’ under timed conditions. I found the exam quite enjoyable because, unlike most GCSE tests, the Arkwright exam encourages you to draw out solutions and communicate your ideas through both illustrations and description, rather than writing an essay on

your idea. I felt this allowed me to convey my ideas more clearly and show the examiner exactly how my solution works. You receive a choice of questions to answer but the ones I chose were; ‘Suggest three ways in which households could harness this resource to help power devices around the house’ and ‘Design a device that measures, and cuts from a roll, lengths of aluminium foil.’. If you are thinking of applying, or just want to see more interesting questions, there are many past papers on the Arkwright website. After you complete the test, your application is sent off to be considered for an interview. I chose to do my interview at Imperial College London, but there are many venues you get to choose from. The interview day included a tour of the university and engineering tasks that you complete with fellow applicants. I was a little nervous on the day since this

was the first interview I had done, but once I had got into my interview, the experience was quite enjoyable, especially since I was interviewed by an engineer who worked for Jaguar Land Rover! Finally, after the application and interview, all the successful applicants were invited to the IET Savoy Place in London to receive our scholarship from our sponsor. Looking back, the scholarship has helped me in many ways from financial support for my personal engineering projects, opportunities for work experience with engineering companies such as Siemens to networking with other Arkwright scholars. This experience has definitely given me an advantage with University applications, but more importantly, has allowed me to develop my interest in Engineering and produce my designs into physical products.

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Yesterday Maisha Begum, Year 11 I was a boy Yesterday. I watched as my house was looted of its home By the Wolves I thought protected, but instead roamed Hunting for us Sheep, easy prey they could quell Beneath their grasps, choking them until They could not. I stood with my brothers, all in a row Where Mother and Sister were, I did not know Father - he was the ashes floating in the breeze And I wondered why I hadn’t been granted such mercy; But I had. For I then I heard my mother, my sister, their screams Piercing through the desolation, but I could not free Them, for I myself was not free, I was chained Up, mistaken for the beast. Our faces crumpled in pain For we knew. As on us it dawned what the future had to hold Our captors turned to us, and on their faces showed No hint of sentience, as we saw in their eyes What exactly the future held. And so I cried One last time. My sob died on my lips as the Wolves leaped. I was a girl Yesterday. I swallowed my scream as I had been taught; To be seen and not heard; that’s what girls were for, I tried to lie still as the mutilation proceeded Burning, I thought I’d survive, for it was almost completed, But I fell. As the wave of darkness came crashing down on me I thought of Brother, the words I’d taught him to read On the orders of Father; to whose command I was a Sheep; As had been Mother, before she was lost, by his decree, To the dark. But of course, there was no one to grieve When she left us, because, of course, he Forbade our love, mimicking his (lack of) compassion For, of course, she was merely a simple-minded woman Who was gone. I awaited the darkness’ rise, but already found light

Where my mother - my mother - clutched my hand at her side And I knew the dread would be over soon, I was almost there. She caressed my cheek, waiting, as she stroked my hair; Then I left. For even Wolves cannot wake up prized Sheep. I was a baby Yesterday. The silence I seeped was the loudest quiet, My wails suppressed by my fictitious diet, I lolled, lifelessly devoid of the animation expected In an infant; but not me, I had already been subjected To true life. Frail bones jutted out of my cadaverous form My hopeless too-wide eyes taking in the storm Of my family around me, sick, dying and dead No water to cleanse the places that they had bled And then rose. They ascended, and I implored only to join them Wishing not to feel this, just feel nothing, feel numb To the parasites draining me of all that I was With nothing to combat them they crushed me in their jaws; I joined them. The Wolves, they didn’t notice I was no longer there, They’re who were responsible; they only cared That the means of life for Us cannot be reached Even if it meant that us, Sheep, were leeched Of our Rights. The Wolves did not know they’d sown what they’d reap. I am Today. And the boy, the girl, the baby, They can’t ask me why the Wolves Say Tomorrow is better; How can they know? Tomorrow should have been me But I am still Yesterday And the boy, the girl, the baby Are still waiting for Tomorrow to come.

Poem at 32 Sophie Tallon, Year 10 How I miss her, My younger self. I wish She had not been so Short lived.

Cartwheeling and giggling, She reached for the stars, Her naivety part of the charm. She taught me To fear no harm, Embrace my scars. She was smart and sharp, But cared, With a kind heart, Only ever afraid of the dark.

Smart and sharp matured Now sarcastic and full of wit She now understands happy is entangled with harm, Living with fear is the real art, I hope She would admire me. She taught me, Yes But I learned; You can’t escape the dark, But you can light a fire.

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CHS Football – some great achievements! Leigh Wood, Head of Football This year has seen our Under 13, Under 15 and Under 18 Teams all participate in the ISFA Cup Competition. With early exits in the 2nd round for both the U18 and U15 Teams, it was down to the U13s to keep the CHS flag flying. They duly did this, making history in the process as the first U13 CHS Football Team to reach the semi-finals. The U13s also led the way in the ESFA competitions, getting through to the 6th round, which was a great achievement as over 450 schools enter the competition in that age group. The competition also gave our B Teams a chance to play some cup football. The U14b led the way, progressing into the 4th round with the highlight being beating MGS 13-3 in the 3rd round. Throughout the football term, all teams have progressed well and been very competitive in the Saturday fixtures, none more so than the U12a who have played against Rochdale and Bury Academies, gaining one draw and one loss, and also getting through to the Stockport Schools Cup final which will be played after Easter. Senior football has gone from strength to strength, becoming very competitive in the North West Colleges League. They have been dominating throughout the football term in the Saturday fixtures for both the 1st and 2nd Team. The participation of all year groups in co-curricular clubs has been outstanding with over 50 players taking part in Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 sessions. Girls’ football has gone from strength to strength this year. The number of girls consistently turning up to training and participating in matches has been impressive. This year saw the U12s reaching the third round of the ESFA Cup. During the Summer Term the girls have many more matches to play and some crucial games for the IFSA Tournament. Next year will see a continued increase in the development of girls’ football with the aim of getting more teams and year groups playing.

Sport and Teaching Nick Wright, Modern Languages Department

The main sport I teach and have taught during my career so far is tennis. I have taught tennis to County Level Juniors and I play in the NECTL Premier League, training and competing with Cheshire County Seniors. Sport brings many benefits to my life and could have the same benefits for anyone who plays sport at any

level. The main ones for me are that it helps me to stay fit and healthy, both mentally and physically, and socially it has given me many opportunities to make new friends with similar interests. I play football and tennis, I go running and I go to the gym and I would say I exercise on four or five days each week. When I do sport it normally

takes somewhere between 45 and 90 minutes depending on the activity I’m doing. It is important to create a balance in life and doing sport/exercise is a release that often helps me to be in the right mind-frame to work more efficiently in the other hours of my day. Equally, I try to organise my sport so that I don’t leave myself

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Year 7 Girls’ Football Tournament Poppy Clarkson, Year 7 It was the first girls’ Under-12 football match of the season when we played against Withington Girls’ School. The match ended on a score of 3:2 to us and there are multiple reasons why we won. During the match, we were all always very supportive of each other, and this encouraged our players to achieve to the best of their abilities. We made a great start, making the score one up to us. We had tried to consider all of the tactics that our coaches, Mr Wood and Mrs Currie-Hately, had given us in training and it seemed to have worked. We were a strong team and worked well together using the width of the pitch and making space. Our team included Poppy Clarkson (captain), Aleeza Bani (vice-captain), Imogen Craven, Daisy Lees, Emily Tallon, Elsa Mason, Francesca Porter, Eva Crawford, Lisette Clare, Grace Kopnick and Lauren Atkinson. Towards the halftime whistle the opponent scored a goal, making the score one all. At half-time Mr Wood talked to us about how the game was going and gave us tips on what to do better. Afterwards we had a burst of energy to do well and had lots of shots on goal, bringing the score up to 2:1. As the game proceeded, we had all tired ourselves out, but we kept going as we had to finish the game. We had a great defensive side even though the other team managed to sneak two goals in, and our attacking side was great - with help from the midfielders we managed to score three goals. We all enjoyed the game but I think playing well together as a team felt the best. We all have our own favourite parts including the bus ride, hearing the fancy school bell at Withington Girls’ School (that we all wish to have) and, of course, winning the game. But playing well together as a team is really what we are most proud of.

under time pressure to do work which has a deadline. In terms of advice, I’d say the most important thing is to find a way to make sport and career work, rather than just giving sport up. It’s vital that you have a good balance, otherwise you may start to resent the elements of your life that you put all your focus into and which are stopping you from

doing something you enjoy. When I have a heavy workload and feel that there is no time to relax, I often find that a 20 minute run, shower and some food is just what I need to help me work more efficiently and feel better while I’m doing it. At times I’ve made the mistake of carrying on working and wasted that time by procrastinating and becoming distracted.

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The Choirs Zach Dutton, Year 10 The School’s Music Department provides a wealth of opportunity for all students who enjoy participating in musical activities. This is mainly because there are so many committed teachers and students wanting to take part in the numerous different musical groups. Over my time at the School there is one section of the Music Department that I have been eagerly involved in and this is the school choirs. There are multiple different choirs in order to suit the vocal ranges of everyone and to show off the talents and diverse voices that the students have. In total there are four different choirs, each of which perform both individually as well as combining to sing a more complex song with multiple harmonies during the numerous concerts that take place throughout the school year. The first choir is the Year 7 Singers who manage just as well as the older students to create an incredible sound, thanks to their determination and the excellent mentoring that Mr Dewhurst, the Director of Music, provides for them. The second group is known as Cambiata and this

is an all boys group whose register is not as high as the sopranos and not low enough to be baritone. This choir is expertly lead by Mr Hall who brings his fun personality and enthusiasm to the group. The next group is called Girls’ Chorus and it contains a lot of people whose voices blend together beautifully and they are able to create expert harmonies due to Mr McCombs’ hard work and ability to keep everyone enthused in singing. The final group is called Cantorum and this is made up of the students who wish to advance further in their group singing abilities. This group, again led by Mr McCombs, requires an audition process to get in and creates professional sounding vocals. I truly enjoy having the opportunity to perform in the concerts alongside so many talented people, with the Spring Concert at the RNCM being a particular highlight of mine.

Concert Band Alice Brown, Year 11 Concert Band is a wind ensemble consisting of woodwind, brass and percussion. Due to its wide repertoire; one week we could be playing an arranged orchestral piece and the next we could be playing popular film soundtracks. Playing in an ensemble such as this allows the opportunity to develop teamwork skills whilst also benefiting your playing, as you have to consider the rest of the orchestra, not just yourself as a solo instrument. Over the past year Concert Band has been involved in numerous concerts and outreach projects. The two main concerts during the Winter and Spring Terms allow every ensemble to show what they have been working on for the past term. Concert Band played a broad variety of music from ABBA’s’ Mamma Mia’ to Sweeney’s ‘Quad City Stomp’. Being a part of Concert Band really allows you to extend your musical mind and play pieces from numerous different genres, some of which place you out of your comfort zone. I, personally, enjoyed the outreach concert ‘CHS at the Movies’ where local primary schools had the opportunity to listen to and interact with the band. Each section of the band had the chance to showcase their instrument to

young minds. We also played many famous themes from well-known soundtracks, such as ‘The Avengers’, ‘Doctor Who’ and many John Williams themes. It was amazing to see the joy in the audience’s faces as we inspired them to pick up a new instrument. For brass instruments, there is also the opportunity to be involved in the Senior Brass ensemble run by Mrs Evans as an extension for high performing players. For the past few years this ensemble has also taken part in the Alderley Edge Music Festival, winning consecutive first places. Other musical co-curricular activities include Wind Quintet, Clarinet Ensemble, Saxophone Group and Big Band. Big Band consists of brass, saxophones and percussion but also a rhythm section of bass guitar, guitar and piano. This group allows you to develop your musical knowledge by introducing improvisation and jazz characteristics. Concert Band is run by our Music Director Mr Dewhurst; his humour and love of music inspire all, and have done so for many years. Without the inspiration of each Music teacher the Music Department would not be the same. The hours of dedication that each conductor puts into the work is unparalleled.

Playing in String Orchestra

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Sophia Adamson, Year 11 Being in the school orchestra has really developed me as a musician and I’m sure many others could say the same. In my opinion, being part of an orchestra has many benefits such as widening your musical knowledge and learning how to play together whilst enjoying yourself in a comfortable environment. As the atmosphere is relaxed, it allows you to make mistakes and learn from them. Within the orchestra there are four sections: first violins, second violins, violas and cellos. I sit in the first violins with one of my friends, which makes for an even more enjoyable experience. When I first joined, I didn’t know anyone, but I soon formed strong bonds with people who had a similar interest in music. In the orchestra we play a large variety of ensemble music ranging from classical music such as Vivaldi to arrangements from musicals such as ‘The Greatest Showman’. I find it very interesting learning how to play in these different musical styles as they employ such different techniques and it is easier to learn in an environment with professionals and superior players. The conductor, Mr Dewhurst, who is Head of the Music Department, is always such fun to be around as he is so full of character and always up for a laugh whilst still getting great results from the pupils. This is because he knows how to engage the young mind and involve everyone with his choice of music. However, he does seem to tell the same jokes over and over again!

Another enjoyable aspect of playing in the orchestra is involvement in all the school concerts and joining together with the other musical groups. On many occasions we have supported the school choir with arrangements of ‘Mr Blue Sky’ and other such songs. The lead up to the concerts can often be stressful as there is always doubt as to whether we will be ‘performance ready’ on time as Mr D. is only happy with perfection and will always strive to be more than just a school orchestra. Similarly, we have recently started entering for the Alderley Edge Music Festival which entails playing three contrasting pieces for judges. This is a friendly competition which we won last year!

THE WACONIAN 2019

Studio Band Grace Brown, Year 9 Our Music Department offers a range of exciting musical opportunities throughout the year. One group that I participate in is Studio Band, a training band for those who have only just started playing, or want to develop their ensemble skills, so eventually they can play in more advanced groups, such as Concert Band. Studio Band meets every Thursday lunchtime for 50 minutes. We start by all playing the same note to check that we are in tune, and then we play some fun exercises. It is very exciting when we have to play a new piece as it’s interesting to hear what the music sounds like put together as a band, not just an individual instrument. As we play the piece, if the band makes a mistake Mr Dewhurst will come up with a memorable way everyone can remember it correctly. Sometimes each section will practise part of the piece by themselves, which helps each section of instruments to play in time together and not overpower the others. By the time we have repeated this the session is nearly at an end.

Recently, CHS held their annual Spring Concert at the RNCM, where Studio Band performed. Before we were about to play on stage, I felt a thrill of excitement, as I hoped the audience would like our playing. Studio Band played a range of different pieces: ‘Totally Tropical’, ‘Can You Feel The Love Tonight?’ and ‘Viva La Vida’. I felt a sense of relief when everyone applauded as it felt like all our practice had been worth it in the end. I would recommend playing in a music group whatever level you are at. For me, it has really helped my understanding of working together and my musical confidence has grown. Playing in Studio Band for two years has increased my skills and I am now able to play in Concert Band as well.

Big Band Max Cooper, Year 9 This year I was asked to play guitar in Big Band, which was a great honour because I have always looked up to the musicians who I had seen previously taking part in this band. This year we have played a number of different pieces from the ‘Rush Hour’ theme, my personal favourite being ‘Soul Bossa Nova’, as I can remember hearing it for the first time in Year 7 around the time when I chose to start playing the guitar. For me, the best part of Big Band is hearing all the parts together and understanding how they contribute to the sound as a whole, which is a quite unorthodox in terms of the classically composed music you would expect to hear from a brass-led band. Personally, being part of Big Band is more fun for me than being in an orchestral group as it is more like playing in a band. I would highly recommend Big Band to any

brass players, drummers or guitarists that are wanting an alternative to the more traditional pieces. As a musician and guitarist, joining Big Band has really developed my playing, not as a soloist but as a group player, as it forces me to listen to what everyone is doing around me. It has also given me a greater sense of the art of performance and I hope that the enjoyment that Big Band has given me comes across in my playing. This year has been very interesting for me and I look forward to continuing with Big Band in the coming years.

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Recklinghausen: An amazing experience! Jessica Lightowler, Year 10

We arrived in Germany late on the night of the 13th of February. And after a short, but still rather awkward, car ride to the houses of exchange partners, we arrived to what we would call our ‘home’ for the next

week. After an early start the next morning (which was made even earlier by the time difference), we all hopped onto a train for a day in the amazing city of Cologne. During our day in the city, we had the privilege of experiencing a wonderful tour around the beautiful cathedral. Despite the fact that the tour was all in German, we did manage to understand most of what was happening as we were shown around the massive building full of statues, stained glass windows and endless stone structures. Another unmissable highlight of that Thursday would most certainly have to be our visit to the Cologne Schokoladenmuseum. We had a brief walk around the museum where we learned about the history of chocolate right from the Aztec era. As the exhibition came to

an end, we stepped into a great hall where we immediately stumbled upon a marvellous chocolate fountain. Not only was it a whopping three metres in height, but it also had a lady next to it giving out samples of warm, delicious chocolate. This was definitely a highlight of the trip for me. The next day was Friday and that meant we had to go to school. After sitting through Maths (in German), German Language (in German), Religious Studies (in German) and History (guess what - in German) we finished school at lunchtime. It was at this time that we had a rally and selfie hunt around the town of Recklinghausen. We had great fun and managed to get some funny pictures. That evening, most students and their exchange partners had dinner at the local pizzeria whilst my exchange took me on a surprise trip to see ‘Starlight Express’ in the nearby town of Bochum. This came as a complete surprise and I was utterly in awe throughout the performance. We spent the whole weekend with our partners and everyone did different things from shopping parks to table tennis matches, with one even spending a day on the river whilst her exchange rowed. On the Saturday evening, our German friends had planned to go ice skating with everyone, which was a pleasant surprise. However, we did not anticipate the fact that every single one of them could skate like pros whilst we all clutched the barriers trying not

to slip over on the ice. The evening was entertaining and we all ended up having a great time. We even managed to pluck up the courage to leave the safety barrier and we ended up skating pretty well towards the end of the night! On the Sunday, Bianca and I walked up the highest peak in Recklinghausen (which was not very high considering it was a flat area), where we were met with some stunning views. A very early start on the Monday led us into our last day. Once again we spent the morning at school but this time our teachers took us out to the observatory. This was a spectacular place where we saw the night sky lit up above our heads in a series of projections. The guide then took us up the tower to look through the huge telescope and we found the whole experience fascinating. Afterwards, it was time to say our goodbyes to our new friends. I was personally rather sad to go because I had really enjoyed staying with my exchange and we had had a wonderful time together. Overall, I think the trip was an immense success and I can tell you that we have picked up on so much German. Being submerged in the language really helped us to pick it up and some of us even came back speaking German rather than English! Most of us still communicate with our exchange partners and we know that they are planning to come over this summer which will be exciting. I would like to thank Frau Haffner and Herr Winter for taking us on this incredible trip as we had a wonderful time. I would certainly recommend this to anyone taking German in the future. It definitely was an amazing experience!

THE WACONIAN 2019

Success in Living Edge Art Adam Hayley, Art Department

Cheadle Hulme School has continued its tradition of success in the Living Edge Schools Art Competition. Now in its 19th year, the annual Schools Art Competition attracts entries from talented young artists from across the region and this year, as in previous years, the job of judging who should be named winner in each section was incredibly tough. Each year the competition is judged by Geoffrey Key, one of the UK’s most collected living artists; Hilary Dean and Anna Halliwell from sponsors Jones Homes; our Chair, Martin Heaps, owner of Collect Art in Lymm; Claire Cooper and Linda Chase from Living Edge; alongside the considered input of Trevor and Susan Walker from art suppliers Fred Aldous and

kind providers of prizes for the winners and each entrant. In the U14 category, Max Cooper won for his painting ‘Pride’, a visual and metaphorical depiction of the role our older students play in mentoring the younger year groups here at CHS. This is the third time that Max has won the award in four years. What a testament to his incredible skill. In the U18 category, Hannah Wolowacz from the Class of 2018 was Highly Commended for her portrayal of her friend Megan as both good and evil fairy. This piece contributed to her incredibly successful A-Level in which she achieved an A* award. She now studies Architecture at Nottingham University.

The competition continues to be a huge success and we look forward to watching our entrants progress in 2020.

An Amazing Experience! Max Cooper, Year 9 The day of the competition, as expected, brought with it plenty of nerves. Little did I know that this feeling would soon be relieved in a heartbeat, when my name was announced by the judges as the winner of the Under 14s age category. After the presentation of the prizes, I had my picture taken by the magazine photographer for the next month’s issue and the opportunity to speak to other artists and people there and to view the exhibition. I was asked on more than one occasion what my piece represented; I explained that it was to do with the disparity of power around the world and the responsibility that comes with a position of strength. I was really humbled when I spoke to a lady from the magazine who told me that she had cried when she first saw my painting. It was an amazing experience to say the least.

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The Sixth Form Variety Show 2019 Abbey Marchington, Upper Sixth The annual Sixth Form Variety Show took place on Friday 15th March to raise money for The Gambia and the CHS Bursary Fund. The Sixth Form have links to both these charities and so we felt it was really important to show our support for these worthwhile causes. The evening was hosted by double act Miles Pooler and Taylor Kewell, who created many a laugh throughout the night. The show kicked off with Jemma Vickers who treated the audience to a performance of an original song. There were some more outstanding musical acts throughout the night. The Chemical Brothers (Chemistry’s Mr Taylor and Mr Chippendale) sang some great songs and were joined by Lower Sixth student Oscar Cooper on the drums during ‘Wonderwall’. Hettie Smith sang ‘La Vie En Rose’ from the recent blockbuster ‘A Star is Born’ and wowed the audience with her amazing voice and impressive French! Both Cameron McFarlane and Jude Buckley made their musical debuts and showed off their talent on the guitar. One of the highlights of the night was the musical showcase done by Oscar Cooper, Matt Torkington and Max Cooper who performed no less than three songs but it was their version of Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ which got the hairs on the back of our necks standing up. Seasoned performer at the Variety Show, Keyur Bhanderi, once again exhibited his incredible skills on the tabla and Arran Gill was hugely impressive on the piano with an incredible performance of a Chopin piece. Not only were the audience treated to a plethora of music, but there were a number of other highly entertaining pieces. As per Variety Show tradition, the Oxbridge offer holders and rejects went head to head in a quiz hosted by Cameron McFarlane. The rejects absolutely thrashed the offer holders 120-30! History and Politics Departments’ Mr Thorn attempted to break the World Record for the most capital cities named in one minute. The previous record was set by Richard Osman from Pointless and it came as no surprise when he absolutely smashed the record! Mrs Rawling thoroughly entertained the audience with an outstanding performance of a monologue that she had recently performed in a play and it was lovely to have someone demonstrating their acting talents! Cavan Booth returned by popular demand to perform some mind-blowing tricks in his magic show with plenty of audience participation! As always, the night was closed with a hilarious dance by the Upper Sixth boys, otherwise known as ‘Boyence’, to none other tune than ‘Crazy in Love’. The dance was choreographed by Anna Phillips and Tori Hartley and it was great to see the boys throw themselves into it! The boys were wearing cheerleading outfits which topped off the entire performance. A big thank you too to Tom Donnely, Harrison Burnett, Ollie Potts, Ben Pilling, Keyur Bhanderi, Joe McEwan, Max Gorecki and James Madeira for their participation. It was great to have a really wide range of acts across the Lower Sixth, Upper Sixth and staff and it showed how we can all pull together to create something really special. Thank you to all the acts, whose incredible talent was instrumental in the success of the event. Thanks to Miles and Taylor, who brought the entire night together and created a lot of laughs in the process. We would like to thank the Sixth Form Team for their help in organising and running the event on the night. Lauren Wheeler was incredible behind the scenes, organising refreshments which raised even more money on the night. The raffle was a huge success and raised lots of extra cash and we’d like to thank all the individuals and businesses that donated prizes. The show raised over £600, which will be split between the two charities and will make a huge difference to people’s lives. The Bursary Fund allows even more people to join CHS and the charity is something that we’re very proud of as a school community. The Gambia Fund helps us to improve school life overseas and we were inspired to support them after the Sixth Form visited the country in December 2018. We look forward to seeing what talent is on show next year!

THE WACONIAN 2019

The Ghost Train

Slattery – a Technical Skills Workshop Eleanor Hudgton, Year 10 Making macarons When we first got there, we went straight into business; we put aprons on and started right away. Macarons were the first thing we were to do. They are very difficult to make because of the precise method involved - if you get one little thing wrong they could be ruined. We were all very surprised by the way our instructor worked, all hands and no utensils, she sometimes didn’t even use a bowl, using her work surface instead! We all worked in pairs making the macarons; piping was the main skill involved, and it was very tricky as we needed them to be just the right size so they would cook properly. They took around two hours to make, including an hour and a half teaching us how to make them and half an hour to cook. Everyone’s macaron shells turned out really well; we then set them to one side in order for them to cool ready for the icing. After lunch we went back and flavoured chocolate ganache for us to stick the macarons together with. After forming them, we finished our macarons off with a drizzle of melted chocolate to give them their final look.

104-105 I had great fun playing the part of Julia in Arnold Ridley’s ‘The Ghost Train’ in December at the Stockport Garrick. This gave me the opportunity to be completely crazy on stage! We had a large cast of 11 and as a newcomer I was not expecting to know anyone else, so it was quite a shock to discover that I did in fact recognise two of the other cast members. They were none other than two of my Maths Sixth Form students, Lucy Hardcastle and Tom Joynson, playing young unhappily married couple Richard and Elsie. Lucy and Tom are both fine actors and are currently studying for their LAMDAA grade 8 with the director of the play, Tracy Ray, mother of two former pupils Annaliese and Duncan. One of the great things about being in any play is that we are all there on an equal footing no matter what our day job is or how old we are. Tom and Lucy did eventually manage to address me by my first name! It was a great team effort and we played to full, appreciative audiences for the entire run. Brigid Rawling, Mathematics Department Working on ‘The Ghost Train’ was a truly rare and amazing experience, and I really enjoyed getting to work with more experienced actors. It was a lot of fun to be in the same play as Mrs Rawling and Tom, and I think we all had a great time doing the rehearsals and performances. It was a wonderful opportunity for someone of my age, so I’m incredibly grateful to have been a part of it. Lucy Hardcastle, Lower Sixth I thoroughly enjoyed the experience of working with both a fellow pupil and a member of staff. The play in general is one I really enjoyed reading and the whole performance process was amazing. It was my first experience of doing a play at the Garrick Theatre and the whole experience definitely enhanced my ability to work with many different kinds of people. Without giving too much away, the story revolves around the interaction of a group of differing railway passengers who have been stranded at a remote rural station overnight, and are increasingly threatened by a latent external force. The main body of the play is taken up with the interaction of the varied assortment of passengers. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and will look to do something similar in the future. Tom Joynson, Lower Sixth

Ella Richardson, Year 10 Making a fruit tart The trip to Slattery in Manchester was certainly interesting and helpful. One of my favourite parts of the day was when we made the glazed fruit tart. We were shown how to make the paté sucrée, from the rubbing in stage to adding the egg in the centre to create a smooth paste. We then rolled out the pastry, always turning it so it didn’t stick, until it was the thickness of a one pound coin. We draped the pastry over the tin and pinched the edges to give it shape and make it more decorative. We then blind-baked it to ensure the tart base was crispy. We were shown how to make crème pâtissière and how to sprinkle sugar over the top to prevent a hard skin forming. We were taught how to cover the base in a thin layer of melted chocolate so the pastry cream wouldn’t make the tart soggy. We then added the pastry cream and put a layer of colourful sliced fruits on the top. Finally, we glazed it to give it a shiny finish. Making this tart, and the whole trip in fact, was very enlightening and useful and I hope to use some of the technical skills I have learnt in more of my practical work at GCSE.

THE WACONIAN 2019

Otto Frank’s Diary Freya Thomson, Year 9

4th August 1944 Dear Diary, Miep hasn’t been in days. I’m starting to wonder if he’s still alive. The last he told us the invasion has started. It’s 9:52 in the morning, we’re all starving, the food is scarce. If Mr Van Daan hadn’t stolen our food we would’ve been coping. I am trying to stay optimistic for the children. Margot is struggling, she doesn’t have a friend, someone to talk to, unlike Anne who has Peter. Anne has grown up a lot since the beginning, she’s not my little baby girl anymore. Any day now, that’s what I have to keep telling myself. It’s now 9:55, we are hearing noises downstairs, a telephone ringing. Dussel is trying to go down to answer as he’s convinced it’s Miep trying to communicate, but I’m convinced otherwise. The time is now 10:18, This may be my last entry. We have been found. I have to go. For now……. goodbye.

8th November 1944 Dear Diary, I am now in Auschwitz with Peter. We have been separated from the others, I don’t even know where they are or if they’re still alive. I am not in a very good way; I’m in poor health mainly because of how disgusting this hellhole is. We are all malnourished, not one person has a sufficient amount of food and water. I don’t know the time, I don’t even know the day. All I want to see is my children and my wife again. I know that Hermann has gone, he has gone after being in Auschwitz for two days, ordered to be sent to the sick barracks and from there he was gassed. Peter has left on a ‘death march’. I am very sceptical that he will ever come back. I tried to convince him, I really did. I am praying that Edith and I will meet again - her pale blue scarf is the last that I have left of her.

November 1945 Dear Diary, It has been a year since I last wrote in here. I have good news, I am out. The joy that the war is over is overpowered by the guilt, however. I am the only one from the annex that survived. I don’t deserve to be alive, little Anne and Margot, also brave and beautiful Edith deserve to be here, not me. Today was the first time I revisited the annex. It was hard, oh so very hard to see it all. I relived so many wonderful and tragic memories, the time we celebrated Hanukkah, when Mr Van Daan stole the bread and even just being with family. I found Anne’s diary but I am not ready to open it, I don’t think I ever will be. I cry very often now but I’m trying to be strong for my family. The light has gone from my life but they will live on in my heart........forever and always.

Art in Madrid

106-107 Cara McCrory and Millie Perrett, Lower Sixth

Friday 29th March Friday was a long day of travelling the early arrival at school at 7:30 was a real killer, but it meant we got to Liverpool Airport in the nick of time! We finally arrived in Madrid and it was just a short trip to the TOC hostel. When we got there we found that we eight girls were all in a room all together, it was great! The fun all began that evening when we ventured into the central hub of Madrid and enjoyed a night of Flamenco, food and fun; however, an early night was to be had after all the travelling.

Saturday 30th March Our day started at 9:00 with a visit to the Thyssen-Bornamisza Gallery. This was by far the favourite gallery of the trip due to the wide range of art spanning across several centuries.

our opinions on the gallery and the artwork we had seen and got us all prepared for the next gallery, the Reina Sofia. This was a large gallery with many floors and much to see.

After our visit to the gallery it was time for lunch, which meant a picnic in the park. El Retiro park was a spacious green area perfect for recreation and, the most important thing, lunch. A quick stroll around the park and we found our spot to sit, next to the lake with boats and buzzing with tourists and the everyday life of those in Madrid. The park was great for discussing

The artwork we saw here was very different to that we had seen in the morning as we were able to see artwork exhibited in different medias instead of just paint. Tired out from the walking, we decided that it would be a good time to sit in the evening sun with some juice and start to put our ideas down in our sketchbooks.

Sunday 31st March A slightly later start on Sunday meant we could do some sketch-booking before our visit to the flea-market at 10:30. There was a vast variety of goods that the stalls had to offer, and we browsed this bustling market for just over an hour. Carrying on with the market theme we went to the food markets for lunch - however, the weather took a turn for the worse. This didn’t spoil our fun as we managed to get some tuc-tucs back to the hotel where we grabbed our coats, did sketch-booking then went out again to visit the Museo del Prado. This museum was very different from the previous ones in that there were famous paintings from many famous artists. We decided as a group that after a long day we would get a take-out at the hotel and just chill, however, the night wouldn’t have been complete without a trip to get chocolate and churros.

Monday 1st April Our final day. Although we were all sad that it was the last day in Madrid our spirits were still high. We started the day with a short walk to the Royal Palace. Here we were able to enter a selection of the Spanish Royal Family’s magnificent rooms. I think we can speak for everybody when we say we were amazed by the décor of the rooms. Each room had its own identity in that they were all individual, the detail that went into the rooms was amazing. It was also incredibly interesting to take a step into the Spanish culture and see the similarities and differences between

the Spanish monarchy and the British monarchy. For our final meal we decided that we would all eat together as a big ‘art family’. This was a lovely way to end the trip as we reflected on our favourite parts and funny moments of the trip. Overall the Art trip to Madrid was the best trip we have both been on! As well as being so much fun and a new experience it also really helped kick start our new projects that will take place next year.

THE WACONIAN 2019

Seussical the Musical Charlotte Freeman, Year 9

The auditions and rehearsals for the play ‘Seussical the Musical’ took place at around the same time as the school production of ‘Les Misérables’. This meant that Mia and I were having to juggle both productions at the same time, on top of all of our school work. However, both wanting to be actresses, we made time for the rehearsals and had great fun in performing in both productions. All the stress of both performances and rehearsals was worth every minute. The rehearsals were one of the things I looked forward to all week, even the ones which made me get up out of bed on Sunday mornings. ‘Seussical the Musical’ was the first proper play in which I had a main part, so I was very happy when I found out, and also very excited to perform. My character in the play was a kind-hearted but annoying little bird named Gertrude McFuzz, the one with the tail. She was hopelessly in love with Horton the elephant, and would try and get his attention in any way possible including going to the doctor to get pills to make her tail more fabulous. To get into this character I had to become very awkward, which I found hard as in Drama I had always been taught to be confident, but I was now meant to do the opposite. In the other productions I have done I didn’t get much stage fright other than a few butterflies in my stomach; however, because I had a bigger part, and had to sing and act solo, my heart would be thumping in my chest whilst my hands were shaking as I was waiting backstage. I was worried my voice would be shaking when I was singing but I think my confidence has grown as throughout the performances my stage fright got better. I believe being a bit nervous is good as if you are not nervous at all you might not be as energetic or might sing or say the wrong words…which I did! In this play many of the songs have a reprise version with slightly different lyrics. On one night I sang a part from a different version and I just remember panic flooding over me as I stopped for a split second - but the show must go on! In one of my favourite scenes, Thing 1 and Thing 2 throw fake snow over Horton. On the final night they asked to go over the top with the snow for the finale and use the mops to sweep it off; however, because it was dark they ended up sweeping it around the stage instead of off it. Luckily this was near the end of the show but for the last 20 minutes we were all trying desperately not to slip over (although a few people did) which is hard enough in the character heels we were in, let alone with the additional hazard. One of my other favourite dances was the “fish dance“. As the music starts the four dancers in this scene come out, two with coloured fish hats on and the other two with bright orange octopus hats with flashy lights. They do this dance with a coloured ribbon in each hand whilst a bubble machine blows bubbles around the stage and front row of the audience the original intention for the mops - and flashing lights dance around the walls. It was a great show and I was very happy to be a part of it.

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CHS Hockey 2018 - 2019 Stefan Ray-Hills, Head of Hockey

Girls’ Hockey This season the girls have played some great hockey across all year groups and have worked really well to implement their style of hockey and play with a lot of intensity and resolve. The Senior Team had some impressive results, reaching the last 16 in both National Competitions. The girls progressed through the rounds, knocking out teams such as Rossall and The King’s School Chester. They eventually lost out in the ISHC to a heart-breaking penalty shootout at Rugby, while the England Hockey Cup run was ended at the same round up against a strong Sedbergh team away from home. The U13s travelled up to Newcastle to play RGS Newcastle in the quarter-final of the ISHC. Unfortunately, the girls were unable to find their rhythm and they were beaten by a well-drilled RGS team. This year has seen excellent numbers throughout the season for our Year 7 teams. The enthusiasm and commitment from the girls were evident in the last fixtures of the year where the U12 As, Bs, Cs and Ds all put in strong performances against Withington.

Boys’ Hockey Boys’ hockey this season has continued to grow, with matches played in the Cheshire Cup, National Cups, Regional tournaments and in the U18 Indoor Hockey Competition. The U13 and U15 Teams both went on a cup run to the 3rd round of the National Cup. After picking up some great results in previous rounds the two teams both travelled to the Wirral to take on Calday Grange School. Unfortunately, both teams were unable to progress, losing out in two close games, the U15s to the eventual finalists. The U12s had a fantastic day at The King’s School Macclesfield, finishing runners-up in the England Hockey North West Tournament and qualifying for the North round of the competition. The boys eventually finished 4th in the North round held at Wakefield Girls’ High School, learning along the way and finishing the tournament strongly.

Individual Achievements CHS has had a number of students playing for County, Tensworth, Regional Performance Centres, UK Lions and England this season. Among these players, Will Grant has played for the UK Lions, Caitlin Polley has been part of the England U18 Girls’ Training Group and Felix Tulley has been selected for the U16 Boys’ Squad.

THE WACONIAN 2019

Zurich

January-February 2019: Part I

Jack Nolan, Lower Sixth When I first heard about the trip to Zurich, I remember being really excited from the start. I had never been to Switzerland at that point and I really wanted to learn how their education system contrasted to ours, since Switzerland is rated as having one of the most effective education systems in the world. However, I was slightly anxious that I would not be able to follow the German too well, since I was not studying German A-Level, whereas Flora was. Nevertheless, I saw it as a learning opportunity which I am very glad I took. When we arrived at the airport, we were greeted by our host families and made to feel very welcome. After I had settled in and unpacked, we visited the Kantonsschule Zürcher Unterland (KZU) in Bülach for the first time, where we would have our lessons for the next six weeks. Although the buildings weren’t very elegant, the atmosphere on Monday was exuberant and we quickly became a part our class. A big shock was that everyone was fantastic at speaking English and that they were analyzing poems and literature to the same quality as a typical native English speaker. Somewhat embarrassingly, we were probably not the best at English in our class! We were warned before the trip that people living in the east of Switzerland speak Swiss German colloquially; we found this very strange and difficult to interpret. When written down phonetically or spoken slowly, it is not dissimilar to German. When spoken casually, however, the language has a certain rhythm which makes it almost impossible to understand. Since Swiss German is perhaps ironically not an official language of Switzerland, all national media was in German, French, Italian or Romansh (a little-spoken language which is a combination of German, Italian and Latin). There are also said to be vastly different dialects of Swiss German. This means that someone from Bern may not be able to understand someone from Schaffhausen, despite them both speaking Swiss German. Switzerland is renowned for its efficient and punctual public transport infrastructure so, naturally, I travelled to school every day in a sequence of trains and buses, which meant I had to leave the house at 07:00.

There were numerous shops and restaurants in Bülach to which we could go during lunchtimes; there was no obligation to remain on the school site during the day and a student could go home if their lessons were cancelled. The general atmosphere at KZU felt very relaxed and calm; there was rarely the need for discipline and there was no uniform policy. Furthermore, the teachers didn’t once check that the class had completed any homework since most parents were expected to do this job instead. One of the highlights was when it snowed! And it really snowed! Temperatures dropped to -8°c and there were areas with more than a meter of snow depth. Apparently, this was an annual occurrence so most Swiss people were hardly fazed. For us, however, it was very exciting. Our class was outraged when they learned that CHS had to be closed due to the inclement weather; they wouldn’t dream of such an event! The hills near the school looked especially magical with a winter topping. The food that I was given at home was always delicious; I was staying in an Italian household which meant there was always a surplus of pasta and pizza. Stereotypically Swiss, there was also a large variety of cheeses and meats that appeared after dinner. My favourite food in Switzerland was probably the Fasnachtskuechli which we were able to try. They resembled firm pancakes which were coated in icing sugar. This was closely followed by the crêpes which we could buy near school. A common topping was Ovolmatine™, an alternative - though not replacement for Nutella™. Two weeks into our stay, we were visited by the A-Level German class from CHS. It was very nice to catch up and to spend the weekend talking English with them. We visited the Kunsthaus in Zürich which featured some fascinating works of art as well as a room filled with miscellaneous sports balls. The Landesmuseum was also very interesting, detailing the achievements of mankind and industry. All in all, I am very happy that I spent the first half-term of 2019 in Zürich and I know that I have made some lifelong friends.

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Zurich

January-February 2019: Part II

Flora Forgacs, Lower Sixth Switzerland not only provided me with an endless supply of rich Swiss chocolates, but it has also helped me create some amazing memories with new friends and new experiences which I have really loved! During our time in Switzerland I was lucky enough to stay with two host families; for the second half of my stay I stayed with a family from Argentina who treated me like their third child. One of the things I loved about Switzerland was the diversity of the country, and meeting so many different people with different backgrounds. As Switzerland borders five different countries - France, Germany, Austria, Italy, Liechtenstein - and also because of the huge variety of official languages within the small country, Switzerland is definitely full of really interesting people all with unique stories. For the first week of our school holidays I was really excited to explore the country with a large backpack and handy camera. I took the train to a little village called Eglisau which was a cheerful village alongside the river Rhein. During the summer months people are able to swim here in the river or some daring children may even jump off the Eglisau pedestrian bridge which is at a notso-safe height from the water. I travelled along to Zurich city centre where I tried too much cheese and spent too much on clothes! Zurich is not the capital yet it is the largest city in Switzerland and surrounded by the large Zurich See it attracts a lot of tourists. Later in the week my host brother and Jack’s host sister took us on a day trip to the lovely city of Lucerne - there we spent the day at the Swiss Museum of Transport which was full of a huge variety of cars, planes, boats, trains and all things transport. We even tried a flight simulator, which was one of the great highlights of the day! For my final adventure in the holidays my mum came to visit me for a weekend and we travelled down to Interlaken in a narrow valley in between Lake Thun and Lake Brienz. The lakes surrounded by the Swiss Alps looked like a scene out of a fairy tale. The views were so clear with crystal blue water and snowy mountains reaching to the clouds, and we were lucky enough to have perfect sunshine with blue skies.

Following my first week of holidays we headed off to a week of ski camp in the Davos mountains with skiers and snowboarders of all ages. Skiing proved to be more difficult than I thought, since Jack and I had not had much experience of it, but it was amusing to do the simplest baby slopes. Younger children of four years old were already able to whizz down on the slopes; meanwhile I was still struggling even to put my skis on! Entertainment each evening was the highlight of my whole stay in Davos; each night we would have a competition of ping pong games between all the students and even some teachers. Unfortunately; we did not have any bats so we had to compensate - competitive rallies took place with pots, pans, plates and slippers as bats. On our second day of skiing things were a lot easier and by the third day we were even able to complete a red slope! For our evening activity we had the option to choose between an ice hockey match or going sledging in the night - Jack and I both chose the second option and it was very enjoyable. Once we arrived to the top with the cable car we paired up and began a sledge route downhill - luckily it was a full moon so we weren’t just flying blindly down the side of a mountain. For me and my sledging partner we found it difficult to slow down and turn; this was indicated by the number of times we flew out of our ride and all the blue bruises on my leg the next morning. Sledging at night was an amazing experience. Slowly our time of skiing came to an end and it was time to leave and head back home to the UK. Switzerland offered so many fun experiences and I am really happy with the memories that I’ve made.

THE WACONIAN 2019

L6 German Trip to Zurich

Sam Ashley-Taylor, Lower Sixth

Lower Sixth German students went to Zurich for a long weekend at the end of January. The main objectives of the trip for the students were of course to improve and develop our German language skills, as well as learning and understanding the different cultures in Switzerland in comparison with England and also Germany itself. It was a fascinating trip which all of the students – and teachers – thoroughly enjoyed.

Friday 25th We arrived at Zurich airport around 9pm and were instantly made aware of the freezing weather as soon as we stepped off the plane. Since we arrived relatively late, we got a taxi straight to the Novotel Zurich CityWest, which is where we were staying for our few days. Considering it was a school trip, the accommodation was certainly more than adequate. Saturday 26th After breakfast we went on the tram into the Altstadt (Old Town). The Altstadt is the city’s historic heart. It is home to traditional Swiss restaurants and small independent clothing shops. As well as this the Opernhaus and Schauspielhaus (for the Performing Arts) and the Kunsthaus Museum (an art museum displaying art from across all of Europe which we would later visit) were all in the old town. After strolling around for a bit, the teachers set us a challenge in which we had to find 26 different items all beginning with a different letter – in German of course! We were given free time to wander around for lunch and there were plenty of options available for where to eat. I chose to eat at a pizza restaurant and although it cost around £20 per pizza, it was exquisitely tasty. After lunch we took in some of the scenic views which surround the Old Town, and then went to the Fraumünster Church. This church was special. Normally I tend to find the design of churches a little dull; however, this church was built so delicately and beautifully that I will definitely remember visiting it. In the evening we went out to the theatre to watch a Swiss/German production of ‘Frankenstein’. It was definitely different. Although I found it difficult to understand everything and thought that some of the acting was questionable – it was memorable.

Sunday 27th After waking up and eating breakfast in the hotel again, we went out into the city and visited the Landesmuseum. This was an interesting museum, which enabled us to learn more about the history of the city and of Switzerland. We then had lunch, but because everything was so expensive we went for the cheaper option of a takeaway! Lucas, Mr. Winter and myself then went to the FIFA World Football Museum, whilst the others waited for us in the café. This museum for me was brilliant as it showed the history of each footballing nation as well as showing the history of football and how it has developed over the years. After the FIFA Museum we went to the National Art Museum. If I’m being honest, I wasn’t overly looking forward to this, as art is something I’ve never been too interested in, but my expectations were proved wrong by some of the unique displays. The evening consisted of us going to a very nice restaurant where the majority of us tried a traditional meat dish where you have to cook your own meat. We then went back to the hotel and developed our speaking skills by having a German debate. Monday 28th Today we had to wake up early if we wanted breakfast as we had planned to go to our Swiss partner school and had to arrive there early. Unfortunately, we discovered a problem, as I happened to have lost my passport. I will never forget the look on the teachers’ faces when I had to tell them this! This meant that I had to spend the day with Mrs. Haffner and Mr. Winter while the other students and teachers went to the school. I went to the police station and had to explain the problem and they sorted me an emergency travel document. When we returned to the hotel to have lunch, the receptionist had found my passport, and this was a huge relief! We then waited for everyone to return from the school, where they had had an English lesson and a Geography lesson. We made our way to the airport and got on the plane back home. It had been a cold but lovely stay in Zurich.

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The Sixth Form Pathways Programme Lee Richardson, Deputy Head What do you wish you had learned at school on top of your GCSE and A Level subjects? What knowledge and understanding would have given you an extra helping hand at university? Which skills do you wish you had developed before applying for your first job? These are the questions that we asked to some of our recent and not-so-recent alumni and a group of helpful parents. We asked these questions because we are very aware that excellent academic results and a string of impressive qualifications don’t necessarily guarantee success in the post-school, post-university environment these days (if they ever did). Employers are looking for more than certificates and we need to prepare our students for a competitive, dynamic employment market if their vocational dreams are to come true The answers our alumni and parents gave us were pretty consistent: experience of the workplace, commercial awareness, tech-savvyness, opportunities to demonstrate initiative and leadership, skills that aren’t necessarily developed in academic lessons such as team working and effective

communication. There were also some that were very specific to particular vocational fields; the need to develop a portfolio of work for those hoping to pursue a career in the media for example. Thinking about these answers led us to develop our Pathways programme. This section of our Sixth Form curriculum aims to offer bespoke provision to students in six different vocational fields, Arts, Elite Sport, Enterprise, Languages, Medical Sciences, STEM, as well as a Core Pathway for those who haven’t decided on their career direction yet. Each Pathway offers students a range of experiences aimed at developing skills and proficiencies that will serve them well in their chosen career, as well as contact with individuals who are currently working in that field. Ideally, we want each of our students to supplement this with some relevant work experience.

The programmes have run for the first year in 2018-19 and, whilst we are very happy with how they have been received, we are still developing them and would welcome any suggestions about how we can make them even better in the future, as well as ideas about other programmes that we could run.

You can read about the students’ experiences in the articles that follow.

Emaan Lokasher, Lower Sixth The Medical Pathway is a great way for Lower Sixth students to take time out and focus on what they are looking forward to doing in their career. It is particularly interesting for students who are hoping to pursue a career in Medical or Biological Sciences as we continually discuss the latest news and breakthroughs as well as conducting research and presenting articles from scientific journals. We also engage in lively debates on whether we think certain rules that scientists and clinicians must follow are morally and ethically correct. In addition, we have experts from the medical field come and talk to us about their personal experiences, what they do and how they got to where they are. Very recently, we had a Professor of Gynaecology, Luciano Nardo, come into our Medical Pathway lesson to talk to us about how he made it as a world-renowned Consultant Gynaecologist and subspecialist in Reproductive Medicine and Surgery. We spoke to Professor Nardo about his day-to-day work and how he keeps up with the latest developments along with all the important decisions he has to make. It was a great experience, as we got a fascinating insight into many aspects of working in Reproductive Health. We are now looking forward to visiting his lab, speaking to his team and continuing to develop our link with his clinic.

THE WACONIAN 2019

Trinity Perruzza-Powell, Lower Sixth Since joining CHS in Sixth Form in September, I have really enjoyed all aspects of school life. I am an aspirational 100m athlete - one day I hope to compete in the Olympics - and clearly I want to do very well in my studies too. At first I was worried about how I would balance the two commitments, but the Elite Sport Pathway has allowed me to excel in both. The ESP involves a wide range of different aspects, which allows me to be a better student-athlete. I have six lessons over the two-week cycle, which enables me to conduct my strength and conditioning sessions with Mr Young and Mr Stonier to become more powerful throughout my event. This, combined with my specific training and yoga sessions, has improved my flexibility and mental strength and has allowed me to begin the indoor season this winter with confidence. Training within the curriculum has given me time to dedicate to my studies and particularly homework. However, if I am finding the balance difficult or I have any other issues, I discuss this with my academic mentor to develop strategies or support to overcome these challenges. Another area of the ESP that I have enjoyed has been the opportunity to work as a teaching assistant in Year 9 Games, as this has developed my confidence and ability to coach. I also recognise that I can be a positive role model to the younger students. The best part of the Elite Sport Pathway is that it allows aspirational athletes from different sports to challenge and compete against each other. This ensures that each session has a real purpose and we are pushed to improve continually. My aspirations for the near future academically are to complete my A-Levels with grades enabling me to go to my chosen university. For sport, my aim is to compete in the 2019 U20 European Athletics Championships in Sweden and the 2020 U20 World Championships in Kenya. With the support that the ESP offers I hope to represent CHS in these competitions.

Oliver Casson, Lower Sixth I’ve been at CHS since Year 7 and my sport is rugby. I play for Sale Sharks U18s, and this year one of my main worries was being able to continue doing sport and keeping up with my studies. The Elite Sport Pathway has been crucial in helping me make time for sport. The ESP is a great way for me to keep up with training when I don’t have Sale Sharks. It also improves my game as it keeps me physically fit therefore enabling me to maintain my workload and get my body to peak performance. With Mr Young we are trained to improve our power and strength so that we can excel in our sport. He writes me specific training programmes that help me stay on track with my conditioning as I also know what and how I will be training. Having periods dedicated to the ESP helps me to keep up with my schoolwork as I am able to go the gym during school and then have time for my homework in the evenings. The best part of the Pathway is that it allows me to get stronger and grow so that I can be the best person in my position, as it is necessary for me to put on weight for rugby, and Mr Young helps me with this. My aspirations are to one day represent my country as well as completing my A-Levels with the best grades that I am able to achieve and then either go to university or carry on with Sale.

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Emma Peeters, Zurich exchange student During our first meeting for the Modern Languages Pathway, Miss Becker, our advisor, suggested that we teach students at North Cheshire Jewish Primary School (where her mother works) basic Spanish and German. We took the amazing opportunity to gain some hands-on experience in teaching. Our relatively small Pathway group of only six people split up into two: one group for Spanish, one for German. On our first visit to the school, we were shown round and introduced to the class. We taught the students in small groups of three or four, each for about twenty minutes. We were installed on two tables (both about one foot high!) in the entrance hall, and the taller “teachers” had to fold their legs up to fit them under the children-sized tables. Though I was worried that the students might not be very interested, I was proven completely wrong in that respect when the first group ran up to our tables at fullspeed, some with better braking abilities than others, and flung their books down to secure the seat they wanted; They were all incredibly eager to learn, one even joking that he only got up that morning to attend the German lesson. To start our lessons, we introduced the vocabulary to them (with the help of lovingly handcrafted PowerPoint presentations) and had them write it down. The students wrote in almost-legible cursive and were very careful about getting the translations (and their spelling) right. Not only did they learn the words we taught them, most groups also had other words they wanted to know: cat, because the family just got a new kitty (el gato), or toilet, because it’s “the most important word to know if you’re in

a foreign country” (el baño – “why is there a squiggly line on top of the n?”). Then, we played games with the students to drill the vocab. For the first lesson which was about introductions, the German group made laminated cards with pictures of celebrities and an emoji, to let the students roleplay a bit and have them practise their introductions and responses to “how are you?” questions and give them a bit more variety than just practising their own names and moods (and who doesn’t want to know how to say “My name is Donald Trump and I am sad” in German?). For the next lesson, where we taught numbers, we played Maths games with the students. “Maths?”, you say with horror? So did the students, but most of them still found it fun to make silly noises for every multiple of three. Some of the students were distracted quickly; an eleven-year old’s attention span is a fickle thing and I looked back on my memories of primary school with new-found appreciation for my teacher’s patience. But all in all, the children were very energetic and a pleasure to work with. I improved my organisational skills and I think the children learnt something, which was our main objective.

Anna Kapoor, Lower Sixth The Arts Pathway gives us work experience in different aspects of the Arts. Currently, we are doing filmmaking, which means we are creating a short film. In this, we learn techniques on how to capture different angles in shots, how to use a camera properly and how to create suspense and tension. Everybody in the group has decided to do a horror film. This means we have to build tension to create an unnerving atmosphere. It has been interesting trying to film a short horror scene, as we are limited in the areas we can go. However, we have seen previous films from years before, and they have been extremely effective. Next term, we’ll be doing work experience in our chosen fields. I have chosen to do an Architecture course, and to work in the BBC. This should be interesting, as for the BBC we get to go early in the morning and see what they do to prepare for the radio, and how they work behind the scenes. We might get to do hands-on work, and help out. The Architecture course will be great, as we can see how architects work on a day-to-day basis and come up with structures for houses. For my A-Levels, I took Art, English Literature, English Language and an EPQ. The Arts Pathway fitted in with my subjects, and that’s why I decided to take it. As well as this, I wanted to get work experience in the Arts, as it will benefit me when trying to decide what job I want, and what I want to study at University. Overall, the Arts Pathway will benefit me in the future, as it will open up great areas which I didn’t know I was interested in. It is a lot of fun making a film, and I am looking forward to gaining work experience in Architecture.

THE WACONIAN 2019

Jack Nolan, Lower Sixth Having chosen the STEM pathway, Year 12 scientists were to complete the Gold CREST Award in teams of two or three; this is a nationally recognized qualification in STEM which involves performing research into a field of our choice and carrying out a practical experiment to test a hypothesis. We have also been preparing monthly presentations which detail our progress and inform the group of what we have found out. There have been many exciting research areas proposed, including the curl of a cricket ball, life on Mars, aerospace engineering, safe road design, golf technique, innovative fuel for cars and carbonated beverages. It was great to see the diversity of interest in the group as it meant we would all learn something new. Being part of the team investigating carbonated beverages, I have so far carried out titrations

to investigate the concentration of phosphoric acid in various soft drinks as well as doing tests for different types of sugar. Amongst the projects, we have also been visited by various guest speakers, including an old Waconian who has gone into STEM and a representative from CREST who was advertising The Big Band Science Fair. Hopefully, we will get the opportunity to do some valuable work experience in STEM as well as mentoring some younger students who are completing a less demanding CREST award.

Graeme McSherry, Economics Department The Enterprise and Finance Pathway began with a session trying to devise a business opportunity and work out what are the common challenges businesses may face. It quickly became apparent that entrepreneurs are faced with a range of potential stumbling blocks. This session flushed out many of the issues which our guest speakers discussed over the Pathway programme. First in the series of guest speakers was Simon Forrest, Director of Spring Bank Consulting and Old Waconian (Class of 1992), who delivered a fascinating insight into the importance of finance for businesses. Topics covered ranged from funding a small business to Simon’s own insight into some of the most important factors behind the success, or otherwise, of start-ups.

top accountancy firm. Students were left with a clear picture of the commitment and dedication needed to succeed. Dr Julie McKeown rounded off our external speaker programme with a brilliant insight into a career in marketing. Julie afforded the Pathway students with an in-depth look at different types of marketing and why it is so essential for business success. The students were especially eager to tap into Julie’s knowledge of studying Business at university as well as of wider university life.

Belinda Walmsley (class of 1994) was next in the series to provide an absolutely invaluable presentation on marketing. Students were exposed to a number of different marketing strategies but also the constantly evolving world of marketing. The discussion quickly moved on to the importance of social media and the indelible impact this has had upon the nature of marketing - with some useful examples for students to use. Belinda emphasized the fact that ‘marketing matters whatever you do’; and this was very true for our Pathways students who were then tasked with devising their own marketing strategies for CHS in the remaining time.

The Pathway has not only provided students with the opportunity to engage with practical insights into the business world, students have also been investigating the more academic side of business through involvement in the Richard Barker essay competition. Students have used time on the Pathway to research and prepare their entries, addressing the question: ‘Do you agree with Milton Friedman (1970) that the social responsibility of business is to increase its profits?’ Competition was provided from E+F Pathway students as well as students from local schools.

Our penultimate speaker was Pete Birch (Partner, Deloitte); affording our students an invaluable account of life within financial services. Pete provided a range of incredibly useful pieces of advice for moving into a career in financial services and gave a brief overview of his own personal route to becoming a partner at a

A significant number of the E+F Pathway students have also taken up the option of entering the Young Enterprise competition and opted to use some of the Pathway time to work on their business proposal. With this year’s team already achieving great things, the extra business meetings have clearly been worthwhile.

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INSIDES OUT CLUB Muead Khaled, Lower Sixth Every Wednesday on a Yellow Week, Sixth Formers congregate in A2.5. The motive? The Insides Out Club. From underground rodents to high-soaring birds, the club has it all. The first time I attended this was with my friend Matt. We were excited to say the least. I mean, dissecting a rat and studying its insides, what could be a better way to bond with fellow peers? Apart from dissecting a frog. Or a pigeon. Or even a pregnant rat! Don’t worry, safety and hygiene are priorities. That’s why we’re well equipped with: aprons, safety glasses and latex gloves. I must say it makes us look professional. We also get a briefing on the basic anatomy of the animal that we are due to dissect. This way we can avoid cutting the wrong places which may damage the interior that we are meant to study. The Insides Out Club is perfect for anyone studying Biology. It allows for the student to understand the anatomies of animals who have similar bodily systems to humans. Seeing how the intricate digestive system of a rat connects to its circulatory system is something that not all students have the opportunity to do. Our first animal was a rat. There were enough for one each; however, Matt and I decided to collaborate on one rat to get better results as we could get more work done that way. We were shown a method and a diagram of what we could expect to see once we opened the rat up.

Matt was in charge of doing the large part of the dissection. This involved pinning the rat onto the board and making incisions in the correct places to allow for us to view as much as we could without deforming what was inside. I was in charge of the finer details. This involved separating the organs from the system so we could view each organ individually. I’d say Matt and I did rather well in our first dissection. We were able to identify the main organs and compare them to the anatomy of humans. We may have accidently cut deeper in some areas, slicing through the liver, but we can overlook that considering it is all a learning curve. A few weeks later we returned to the club. This time we were dissecting frogs. Or frog (as Matt and I decided to collaborate again). The frog we used came from Carolina and was rather large. The process was the same.

I must say, the noises heard were rather onomatopoeic. 1. Brief introduction to animal Snap!

Crack!

Crunch! 2. Demonstration showing how to begin the dissection

To be frank, it was scary. But rather surprisingly it didn’t take long to become accustomed to the process.

3. B eginning the dissection In case anyone is wondering, the odour from a dead frog is significantly better than that from a rat. Better, but by no means appealing. What was interesting to find in the frog was the rocks in its digestive system. At first it seemed like a mistake to Matt and I; however, after discussing with the experts in the room, we found out that it’s normal to find this as frogs consume small rocks known as ‘gastroliths’ to help break down the food in their digestive system. It was certainly an experience to remember. We even made it onto the school Twitter page! I would recommend the Insides Out Club to others mostly because the dissections are independent, which gives you time to plan and explore the areas you want. It also requires no prior experience which means that anyone who is brave enough is good enough. I intend to carry on attending this club and learning more about animals as it really is a co-curricular club that many underestimate.

THE WACONIAN 2019

The Spring Concert Jack Crawford, Year 10

The Spring Concert is always a fantastic event for me and this year was no exception, it went really well and the musicians played a huge variety of pieces. There were jazz pieces, songs from ‘The Greatest Showman’, Coldplay and ABBA tunes, and so many other songs sung or played by the wide range of groups. My favourite pieces included the ‘Libertango’ from the orchestra, ABBA from Concert Band and ‘Don’t stop believing’ from the choir. This concert also marked Mr Dewhurst’s last concert as Director of Music which was a sad moment, making the night even more memorable. The audience really showed their appreciation with a lengthy standing ovation for his brilliant dedication to all aspects of CHS Music over the years.

Personally, I always enjoy playing in all the concerts because I love hearing from all the different musical groups which I’m not part of, especially the brass bands, and I find it really helpful in becoming a more accomplished musician to perform in front of such a vast but friendly audience. I play the violin in the orchestra and the piano in Big Band and wouldn’t change them for any other instrument. I love jazzing around in Big Band and it gives me a chance to discover fun, challenging pieces I would never otherwise play. The thing about Big Band that I enjoy the most though is the feeling when you’re in the middle of playing a piece you really love and you’re just having a fantastic time nothing beats that for me! I’ve been playing in the orchestra for a few years now, and so I know how much effort it takes to really nail a piece, but the feeling of satisfaction when you’ve just played it perfectly in front of a big audience is absolutely mental. It makes me really proud to be able to play in front of an audience in an orchestra with so many talented musicians in it and shows me just how much I love being part of it. Naturally, I would say I prefer playing the piano because I’ve been learning it for longer, but the orchestra has opened my eyes and shown me that, after a few years, I couldn’t imagine

not being part of it and I am so glad I joined it when I did. It was an unforgettable concert and I’d encourage everyone to get involved somehow, whether it’s playing in the percussion groups, rocking around in the different bands or playing in the orchestra.

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MAKE SURE YOU HAVE FUN! Aneeka Rahman, Rosie Richardson and Anna Hardcastle, Year 9 Anyone coming to CHS on the 13th of March after school hours could hear great music coming from Holden Hall thanks to our extraordinary bands and solo artists. If you looked to the back of the hall you’d find the six light and sound technicians, who were all actually students at CHS, who volunteered to help bring this whole concert to life with beautiful light effects and kept the mics in check. Ahead of the night were hours of rehearsals, ever since the chance came up for these musicians to express themselves. The rehearsals also gave a chance for the musicians to familiarise themselves with their music ahead of the night, and a time for the sound and light technicians to create atmospheric lighting for each piece. But G!G isn’t just for musicians; there’s loads of other roles which anyone can get involved in. You could get involved in promotion (selling tickets and designing posters). Or you could help backstage, lighting up the musicians or controlling their mics. Most of the people who got involved with G!G found out about it in different ways. One of the performers, Ed Moore, told us that he “heard about it in Music lessons and posters around schools”. We, the technicians, heard about it through friends and the promotional posters placed around school.

G!G was inspired and created by Mr Lawrence in the Music Department. He told us: “I’m the rock and pop coordinator and therefore the school asked me to come up with a way to develop rock and pop. If there’s a performance opportunity then there’s a reason to rehearse and play an instrument. People who play rock and pop did not have an opportunity to perform in school. So G!G was a way to change that” We enjoyed it because we got to learn new skills like how to create light sets and promote an event and we also got the opportunity to work with our friends and other people who we got to know and bond with more. It was also fun to spend an evening listening to live music performed by students from Year 7 all the way up to the Sixth Form. People who were a part of G!G also had advice for people who want to do it. Ed Moore, Year 9, told future musicians: “Don’t worry about it too much. This is a great performance opportunity for people to showcase their talent to friends and family.”

Hugo Ryan, a Year 9 technician, told us that you should “make sure that you have fun!”. Stanley Simmons, another Year 9 technician said: “ My advice to someone doing it for the first time would be that you can do anything you want and no-one will judge you.” Of course, none of this would have been possible without all the staff who helped. The Music teacher Mr Lawrence and the technician Mr Lambert helped the students with playing instruments or teaching students how to use lights and sound. This opportunity was great for all who took part as everyone involved in it learnt new things about staging, lighting and music, boosted their confidence, met new people and just had a fun time. If you think that you are interested in playing, promoting or helping out backstage at G!G make sure that you look out for any information next year and make sure that when you do it you enjoy yourselves!

THE WACONIAN 2019

“ We live in a very competitive world, but I’m sure the School will continue to flourish. The plans for the refurbishment of the Main Building are very exciting and when the work is completed it will enhance the attractiveness of the School, which already has the advantage of an attractive setting in its own playing fields.” The Waconian, 1996

“ The Ritz, The Savoy, the Yang Sing, and now Strollers. Yes, you may say it sounds preposterous but Strollers has fast become the place to be at Cheadle Hulme School, the elusive and desirable eating quarters of the privileged few.” The Waconian, 2001

“ Huddled up buildings protect you like the walls of a humongous castle which makes you feel comfortable and safe in the walls of Cheadle Hulme School.” The Waconian, 2012

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THE WACONIAN 2019

When my two worlds collided! Hettie Smith, Upper Sixth Before I joined CHS, I had always been interested in theatre. My earliest memories are of my grandparents taking me to see ‘Mary Poppins’ at the Palace Theatre in Manchester. But I had never thought about being in a play or musical myself until I joined CHS. I remember coming into school one day in Year 7 and all of my friends in my

friends with so many different people from different years who I would never have spoken to in a million years if I wasn’t a part of the show. ‘Millions’ was a life-changing experience. It allowed me to become more confident and also introduced me to the world of acting. Being in ‘Millions’ was as if a fire ignited in me. I had a new passion for Drama which I believe will be life-long. In Year 10, I was a part of ‘Cabaret’. This show was by far my favourite production out of all those I have been in throughout my time at CHS. I’m not sure if it was to do with the amazing cast or with this incredible musical, but when the production finished I was heart-broken. After months and months of rehearsing, I had made some of the nicest and closest friendships I have known, some of whom have stayed with me all the way up until Sixth Form.

form telling me that there were auditions at lunch for the Lower School production of ‘Millions’. I don’t know what made me go to that audition as I was usually too scared to put myself forward but something made me want to go. It could have been the fact that all my friends were going and I didn’t want to feel left out. However, I am extremely glad I went! Being a part of this production completely changed my life at CHS. I was able to make

My favourite part of the production was creating the tap dance to ‘If You Could See Her Through My Eyes’ with other students. It ended up with we students choreographing the dance together since there were no teachers at school with any tap experience. This meant that the five of us involved in the dance spent many laughter-filled rehearsals trying to decide what moves to do and also which person would be wearing what part of the gorilla costume. To my dismay, I had to wear a gorilla mask, gloves and feet. This made it extremely interesting for the performance as I ended up spending half of the dance not being able to see. However, it was all worth it as every night when we came off stage the rest of the cast would praise us for how well they thought it went. Every night, I was so excited to get to Act 2 and to be able to go on stage with the other girls as I knew that what we were doing wasn’t only for the show but made me feel like I was a part of something special. And to this day, I miss this show more and more.

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Every year at CHS, the Drama Department has a Sixth Form led play. And for anyone in Sixth Form, I couldn’t recommend it enough. The beauty of the Sixth Form play is that there are no teachers involved. All of the responsibility is on you as students. This is brilliant as you get the freedom to create a piece of theatre any way you want. This year, I particularly enjoyed being a part of ‘Mobile Phone Show’. Being Upper Sixth students in the Sixth Form play meant that we had a bigger responsibility. We helped in promoting the show to other students, encouraging the Lower Sixth to come and audition, selling tickets and also trying to encourage green blazers to come, as one day they will be the ones running the play. It gives many students the opportunity to experiment with their passions: Drama students act, Art students create the sets and posters and others help with Tech. The Sixth Form play allows people with similar interests to join together to make something special which they can call their own. Furthermore, you help to create a little family and memories that you will treasure. When I leave CHS, this will be one of the opportunities that I will miss the most. Throughout my time at CHS, my love for French and Drama has grown bigger and bigger. So when I found out in September that I was given the role of Fantine to play in the School’s production of ‘Les Misérables’, it felt

as if my two worlds were finally colliding. Languages and the Arts are two areas at school which you never really get the chance to do together at the same time so when this opportunity was given to me, it made it even more special! Luckily, for my A-Level speaking presentation, I had already decided to do the background and origin of ‘Les Misérables’ as my topic since I thought this would be a great opportunity for me to challenge my language skills on a subject which excited me. This made the process of understanding my character very helpful as I was spending so much time researching the context of the story. Playing a character from a foreign play meant that the context behind the plot was very different. Since ‘Les Misérables’ is set during the French Revolution and is an extremely popular musical, there is lots and lots of information online, which helped me to figure out the circumstances of the characters. This whole experience has really tested my language and acting skills whilst also making me realise that this is what I would love to do as a career. At the moment, I am in the process of auditioning for Drama School to try and achieve my dream of working as an actor. All I have left to do is to ensure I can carry on with my French studies and maybe one day my two worlds will collide again professionally.

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Head’s Office Design Competition Neil Smith, Head At the start of the academic year, I was approached with the idea of launching a competition to redesign the Head’s office. At first, I have to say I was reluctant to proceed. After all, this is quite a personal space and I wasn’t entirely certain that I wanted someone else’s artistic viewpoint imposed on the room where I would spend most of my working life at the School. However, after a period of deep reflection, and discussion with various colleagues, I was persuaded of the error of my original position! I am so glad I was. The first task was to work up a design brief with the External Relations Team and Mr Hayley, Head of Art. This involved listing my ‘likes and ‘dislikes’ which were then presented to pupils in a series of assemblies; this list would inform the mood boards constructed by the competition entrants. Watching one’s tastes displayed on a huge screen in front of an audience of several hundred pupils provides an instant corrective to any thought that these likes were in

any way something the pupils could recognise, let alone engage with. I’m still waiting for someone to let me know that they were subsequently inspired to study the paintings of Mark Rothko, read anything by Philip Roth or try out late period Talk Talk. Interested pupils were then invited for a tour of the office, before going away and creating their projects. The overall level of work produced by the pupils was remarkable in its creativity, thought, presentation and engagement with the design brief. The judges ultimately settled on two joint winners, Will Wood in Year 8 and Eden Stanbra in Year 7, whose ideas will be blended to provide a blueprint for the new design. I can’t wait to see how their ideas will be transformed into a new design for my office!

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Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award Rosie Nolan, Year 10 This year I am in Year 10, which means I had the option to earn my Duke of Edinburgh Award by doing a certain amount of volunteering, participating in a sport and learning a new skill. For my volunteering, my friends and I offered to help at a new Latin Club set up at the Junior School. We go and help every Friday in the second half of lunch and we teach Latin to the Year 5 and 6 students. It has been great so far and I always look forward to it. In the sessions, we normally sit in small groups and translate and go through a story from the Latin textbook, ‘Minimus’, (which means ‘small mouse’). We finish the sessions with a small Latinrelated game, such as hangman or splat, where there are often prizes to be won.

The Expedition We arrived on Saturday morning at school, bag in hand, very big bag in hand. It was the weekend of our practice expedition and we all gathered in one of the classrooms to await our departure. The weather was miserable that day and the forecast didn’t anticipate any changes any time soon so we waited in the classroom and hoped that the weather would clear. It was soon lunchtime and although the weather was still as awful as it was when we first arrived, we set off ready to go on an adventure. Despite the weather, the bus journey into the Peak District was full of excitement as we discussed what lay ahead. When we arrived, the first thing we did was attempt to put up a tent; it was still windy and rainy and so putting up the tent was quite a challenge but with a bit of teamwork and perseverance we got the job done. That afternoon we went out for a wet and windy walk through the Peak District and although it was cold, we all wore our big coats and jackets and had a good time and eventually arrived back at the campsite, where we had our evening

For my skill I have decided to complete an online coding course on a website called Grok learning. The course teaches the programming language Python and as I already had to complete the course as a part of my Computer Science lessons, it meant I was completing my class work while also learning a new skill. I not only enjoy programming but I think it will be useful to have this skill in the future. For my sport I am doing football. I have done football for a very long time and thoroughly enjoy it. I am now on the Girls’ Football Team at school and often participate in matches. I go to training sessions twice a week, one at lunch time and one after school. I go with my friends and we always have a great time.

meal that we had brought with us. In the evening we played a game of Uno in the shelter of our tents before bundling up in our sleeping bags to get some rest before the long day of walking we had ahead of us. The next day we got up with the sun bright and early at 6 o’clock. We packed our gear and headed out of the campsite at 8am to begin the long walk we had that day. The weather was much better on Sunday as it wasn’t too hot or too cold and the rain from the day before had completely cleared. All of our team knew exactly where we were going and we put our map reading skills into practice as we ventured through the fields of the Peak District. We had a great walk that day and although our backs and feet ached, everyone’s good spirits and the beautiful views we had kept us going. We completed the walk only slightly behind schedule and drove back to school where we helped to put the tents away before heading home to have a nice long rest.

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Eden Stanbra, Year 7

THE WACONIAN COVER COMPETITION RUNNERS UP Shoshi Wertheim, Year 7

Hannah Craig, Year 8

Better Read than Dead!

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Anna Hardcastle, Aneeka Rahman and Rosie Richardson, Year 9 ‘Better Read than Dead’ is a Historythemed Book Club run by Miss Boughey, History Department, and Miss Procter, CHS Librarian, who are really dedicated and put in a lot of effort to make this a very enjoyable experience for students across KS3 and KS4. It is an extremely entertaining club that infuses the world of Literature and History into a socially interactive forum. Students from Years 8 - 11 get together every half term to discuss the books that they have read and enjoyed. The club lasts between 30 to 40 minutes, which gives the perfect opportunity for everyone to have their say and share their opinions. For the club, Miss Procter has kindly purchased a huge selection of historical fiction from which we get to choose our own favourite to take away and read. Students find themselves getting really engrossed in these novels, which are sometimes based upon real life stories. Once we have finished we simply put the book back and sign out another one, and once again delve into the amazing world of historical literature! Within a very relaxed environment, students can openly discuss their books and get recommendations and feedback from other club members.

This is all done whilst having the luxury of light refreshments in a chilled out and jovial atmosphere. Lots of informal discussions about the books we are reading take place on the corridors and even after lessons. Once we have finished a book we have to check it off the register and write in another book. It is important for us not to forget to do this. WWI, the Holocaust and US slavery are some of the themes covered in the books being read and these topics are closely related to what we learn in History lessons at CHS. The aim of ‘Better Read than Dead’ is to encourage students to read books around subject areas that they wouldn’t typically pick up in the school library. Each Key Stage has their own suitable reading list that links to the main topics being studied in their History lessons. This allows them to develop a deeper understanding about what they learn and leads to them becoming more independent learners. If you are worried about missing lunch, don’t, because ‘Better Read than Dead’ provides snacks such as kitkats and apple juice. Also due to

popular demand there will be pizza to eat on special occasions so you don’t have to go to hot lunch or Grab and Go. ‘Better Read than Dead’ is also really fun as you can make new friends there from other years as well as your own. Usually when we read books that we like, we haven’t got someone to recommend them to, as our friends like very different genres of books, but at ‘Better Read than Dead’ it’s so easy to find someone that is struggling to find a book to read, and you can advise them, and you will always be able to find someone that has a recommendation for when you don’t know what you want to read yourself. Students like ‘Better Read than Dead’ because it’s really interesting; this is because you sometimes get people that read the same book but interpret it very differently. It’s great to see these differences, as this sometimes starts a debate and a discussion between the group. Even though all of the books are about what we are studying in History, we never get bored as there are so many different points of view about the authors and different real accounts of the time periods.

“I like going because it is a time where I can relax with people that have the same interests as me, and that understand me. It’s really fun, and a great experience to read lots of books about a time period that needs to be remembered forever, like the World Wars.” Anna

“I enjoy ‘Better Read than Dead’ as it is a social and enjoyable atmosphere in which students can open up about the books which have been read and enjoyed. It is also a club for readers of all varying abilities.” Aneeka

“The thing I like most about ‘Better Read Than Dead’ is the sense of community that comes with having such a good relationship with the teachers and the other students. I also really enjoy the quality of the books we get to read.” Rosie

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A Saint Malo

On fait du kayak

A la plage - attention!

Le kayak commence!

Le dernier soir

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Une Visite en Bretagne

On mange des moules

Une promenade avec Eric

A la plage

Au Village Gaulois

On dessine

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The teams behind MUNCH MATT INTERVIEWS PETE LAMBERT What is your involvement with MUNCH over the course of the weekend? So my job briefly is to organise and implement the technical aspects of the MUNCH weekend, projectors, microphones, the WiFi, the unblocking of websites and the login passwords for all the accounts. It sounds quite complicated and a lot of stuff! Yes it can be - Holden Hall in particular used to be very complicated, but I think since the refurbishment of Holden Hall it’s a lot easier to work with - the Wifi and all the logins.....I like to push that to someone else! I just organise everything and make sure stuff happens. So do you enjoy doing it? I guess I’m asking what your favourite part is - if you can pick one. I really do enjoy all the aspects of the MUNCH weekend a lot of effort goes into it but there’s a lot that comes out of it. I really like the setting up of the gym, for some reason every year it’s always as if we’re not doing it like we did the previous year even though it is the same. I get a real kick out of problem-solving so if there’s a problem that needs to be solved that’s when the enjoyment comes in. You see Holden Hall was quite complicated right after the refurbishment. For the first MUNCH after the refurb, it wasn’t quite completed and there were a lot of issues. Last year there weren’t as many things because we’ve had plenty of time to play around. The gym is a place where there isn’t any AV equipment - it all has to be brought in. That bit’s really tricky but very enjoyable. Finally, do you have any funny or embarrassing moments from MUNCH? So far the only one that keeps getting referred to was in 2017, a couple of years ago, and the Friday before the weekend I went out for a Chinese with my partner it was amazing...In the morning we found out we had food poisoning - the both of us. My partner knowing that I had to work went to her parents’ and I still had to come in that morning. Anyway, I was up a ladder to adjust a projector and just the action of climbing up a ladder was so difficult, I was by myself at this point, and it was painfully difficult just being up there and I was so exhausted and I hadn’t even touched the projector at this point. I was there on top of the ladder arms on the top bit with my head down. I must have looked like I was severely hungover, when in actuality I just had food poisoning. So that keeps getting referred to because I was up the ladder with my head resting on my arms looking like I was hungover and that’s when Mr Drinkwater came in - it was so bad!

Matthew Torkington, Lower Sixth MATT INTERVIEWS JOANNA WILLIAMS AND SARAH HUMPHREYS So Sarah, what is your involvement with MUNCH during the MUNCH weekend, what do you do? I come in the morning and go around to check all the sections of school that are going to be used for MUNCH are clean, the toilets are stocked, teas and coffees are done. We go and serve the tea and coffee to the CHS teachers and the teachers who are visiting. So you’ll find us in the staff room. And we set up again for later in the afternoon. Then we just keep going around-checking toilets etc. Checking classrooms. There’s a lot up in the Geography Department most years. And is there anything to add, Joanna? I’m responsible for making the teas and the coffees, making sure everywhere is clean and tidy and the toilets are stocked up. I bet that’s a difficult job with all the endless sheets of paper used in classrooms! Yes, and all we hear is them on the radio - looking for each other! So what do you enjoy the most about the MUNCH weekend, Joanna - what’s your favourite part? I like the atmosphere because the students are on the radios and I think that’s great ... in fact absolutely fantastic, as it can be quite amusing in parts, especially when they are looking for someone - for example they might say: “Have you seen Patrick?” and we get on the radio too and say: “No, we haven’t seen him” - haha! That’s fantastic – Joanna, what’s the most funny or embarrassing moment that you’ve ever had at the MUNCH weekend that’s maybe happened to you or other people? I did it a couple of years before Sarah and I remember hearing that a few people had passed out...we didn’t know what had happened so we were really scared! In fact it was one of the students who said that she’d just passed out, and that she was fine! And Sarah? I had one of the visiting teachers in this last MUNCH - when we were serving tea and coffee - he started asking me lots of questions trying to catch me out on things - that was quite amusing because he didn’t succeed. It was quite funny.

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Shrewsbury MUN Conference Samuel Barnett, Year 7

MATT INTERVIEWS DAVE WHITNEY OK, first question, what is your involvement with MUNCH during the MUNCH weekend? Well, it happens mostly before the weekend and the run up to MUNCH. We have to get things set up and in place so that it’s just a matter of on the day or just dropping things in and to be fair the students do a lot of their own setting up. Our place is in the background being available just in case. Do you enjoy doing MUNCH? Oh, I love it - I’ve done every one. Have you! Since it started? Yes every one since it started - this year will be my 19th. When it first started it was only a small thing and it just grew over the years and it’s got better and better. I love it - I love the challenge. I mean it has its moments... but it’s all worth it. Absolutely. But the organisation is what you get a buzz out of, yes? Oh yes and it’s great to see the students do it. The students are mega involved in it - we put things in place but most of the time you guys put in all the work. The atmosphere is great. It gets a bit annoying on the radio all the time... but we can live with that. Final quick question – have there been any funny or embarrassing moments? Oh yeah, I’ve had many embarrassing moments! There’s been loads of times where I’ve cleared out a classroom and the students come back and ask where everything is! I I’d cleared it away but they then told me it wasn’t supposed to be cleared away! So that’s definitely one embarrassing moment...nothing major, obviously! The whole weekend is enjoyable and so much fun!

MUNCH is a huge team effort by many people in school – thanks go to the people featured in these interviews and to John Milligan for his help in setting up the gym, Mark Graham and Andy Wilcox for the fantastic catering and to many more!

We arrived at the Shrewsbury School campus ready for a fruitful debate where we would express our country’s views. When I entered the large hall and sat down with my delegation, a feeling of great excitement with some nerves crept into the pit of my stomach as I looked around at the many other delegations. Soon we would enter our small committee room with representatives of different countries and there would be a monsoon of clashing opinions. The day at Shrewsbury was a very fun experience, which was full of laughter, high spirits and heated debates. In my committee - the Disarmament Committee - we covered subjects from a wide variety of issues which trouble the world, from the question of explosive weapons in populated areas to the ongoing conflict in Kashmir, regarding the struggle for supremacy over the area between the Pakistan and Indian military forces. The most gratifying thing of all was that among the ideas formulated by all erudite delegates there was never a single discussion where opinions did not clash and intellects did not duel. Because of my exposure to this truly challenging experience of debating I was able to develop important life skills and the confidence needed to grow as a delegate. My involvement with the conference and all the MUN conferences that I have attended has given me a greater understanding of the problems which face the world and about the subjects debated, but it has also given me the desire to research and further my knowledge.

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YEAR 8 READERS RECOMMEND..! Blood Red, Snow White by Marcus Sedgwick

Animal Farm by George Orwell

The book is about a writer called Arthur Ransome, who leaves his marriage in the UK and moves to Russia to work as a journalist. Unfortunately, a violent revolution, led by Leon Trotsky, erupts, and Arthur finds himself in the centre of it! Both sides seek after Arthur to gather information on the other side, and both sides start to suspect that he’s a double agent. He tries to flee the country, but his girlfriend (Trotsky’s daughter) is tied to Russia and makes it nearly impossible for him to do so! I would recommend the book to anyone above the age of 11, as the language is fairly challenging. Ben Tyler Brough

This book is set in a future where animals are much cleverer than now! And, because of their cleverness, the pigs start a revolution against the humans. Pigs can speak fluently in English, unlike the other animals, and that gives them the power to be leaders… Thought-provoking, funny and gripping, a must-read for all! Will Thomson

The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien Most people have heard of and/or watched the film of ‘The Hobbit’, but, originally, it was a book written by J.R.R Tolkien. The book was written during the 1940s, and is about the adventures of a hobbit (Bilbo Baggins), 13 dwarves, and, at the beginning of the book, Gandalf the Wizard. I would recommend this to anyone and everyone! It is a very exciting and heart-warming book for anyone who loves an adventure! Amelia Cameron

Casino Royale by Ian Fleming ‘Casino Royale’ is a book written by Ian Fleming and is the first in the James Bond series. It is about a spy called James Bond, who has to take down a Russian secret service member, Le Chiffre, by bankrupting him in a game of cards. This book is an adult’s book and is quite mature but still one of the best books that I have read! I would definitely recommend it to anyone aged 12 and up! Gabriel Fitzgerald

The Maze Runner by James Dashner The book is about a boy called Thomas who wakes up in a lift one day, remembering nothing but his first name. When the lift doors open, an army of boys welcomes him and he finds himself in the centre of a maze. For the past two years, they have been searching for a way out, but it’s proven to be very hard, as the maze shifts every night, and monsters called Grieves come out when it’s dark. Thomas has been brought there for a reason and the boys have to either escape or die. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys stories like ‘The Hunger Games’. Maya Wijayasiri

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ is a heart-wrenching, yet funny, excellently written story about a girl called Hazel, 16, who has lung cancer. I highly recommend this book to anyone above 12, especially teens, who are looking for a good, addictive, emotional book to read. Hannah Cowell

Eragon by Christopher Paolini ‘Eragon’ is a series of four books about a poor boy who lives with his uncle and his brother, just outside a town called Carvahall, where an old story teller lives. There is a forest outside near Eragon’s house called the Spine and few dare to venture into it. This book travels with Eragon whilst he’s fleeing from the empire that is controlled by the king. During his travels he meets many people, and loses some too. As his travels go on, he uncovers more facts about certain people and he starts understanding what is going on with the world, and nearing the end he faces some decisions that could save or destroy the world. I would recommend it to a wide range of people from around 10 to 16 years of age. Freddy Adamson

Wild Pork and Watercress by Barry Crump My favourite book is ‘Wild Pork and Watercress’. It is about a boy named Ricky who has never really had a home, until one day he gets adopted by Aunt Bella and Uncle Hec. But when Bella mysteriously dies, Social Welfare threatens to put Ricky into care. The overweight Maori boy and crazy Uncle Hec then flee into the remote and rugged wilderness. The impassable bush serves up immense adventures, forcing the pair of misfits to use all their skills to survive hunger, wild pigs, and the uncontrollable weather. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes adventures. Seb Sumner

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Split Second by Sophie McKenzie

Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz

‘Split Second’ is a book about a boy named Nat and a girl named Charlie whose lives have both been affected, drastically by a bomb. It shows how they aim for revenge, and get into bad situations on the way after joining a group named the EFA, where they are trained in combat to become agents. I would recommend this book, as it is gripping throughout. After reading it, you will be desperate to order the next in the series, which is named ‘Every Second Counts’. I would recommend this book to people over the age of 12 because it features scenes which may cause anxiety for younger readers. Ben Jones

My favourite books are those of the Alex Rider series. They are all about a 16 year old boy who works for MI6. He is sent on dangerous missions, but somehow always makes it out alive! I would recommend them because they are action-packed! There is always a problem that seems impossible to fix, but Alex is able to get out of the situation. There is violence and death involved too, which always makes the read a bit more exciting! The books never repeat themselves, which leaves you always wanting more! Haydn Bennett

Hope in a Ballet Shoe by Michaela DePrince ‘Hope in a Ballet Shoe’ is the emotively uplifting, comingof-age autobiography of Michaela DePrince. The book begins with her childhood growing up in Sierra Leone, where the war left her an orphan. One day her uncle gets sick of having another child around and takes her to an orphanage, where her journey to America begins! It is an incredibly moving story that I would recommend for anyone above the age of 11. Nicole Bernaciak

After The Fire by Will Hill

Wonder by R.J. Palacio My favourite book is ‘Wonder’ by R.J. Palacio. I love ‘Wonder’ because it is all about true feelings and it puts life into perspective. August is a boy who has a facial disorder and has had 20 different operations. ‘Wonder’ is all about August going into fifth grade for the first time in a school. It teaches you how important your friends and family really are. However, it is very sad, but that is one reason I love it so much because it isn’t the happy ending like in every fairy tale. I would recommend this book to people from 10+. Carys Bastin

One of my favourite books is ‘After The Fire’. The book is about a group of people living inside a fence, where they are completely controlled by a man called Father John. Then one day, there is a fire. The book tells the story about what happened that night, from the view of a girl called Moonbeam. I liked this book because its chapters are based on both before, and after, the fire – the details of what really happened on that fateful night are revealed bit by bit! I would recommend this book to teenagers because it can be a little confusing at some points and therefore would be more appreciated by more advanced readers. Scarlett Pye

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

The ‘CHERUB’ Series by Robert Muchamore

This is a book about a teenage girl about the age of 15. She has a dark secret that she is afraid to confess. I would recommend this book to ages 11-14 as there are grown up themes and it is classed as young adult fiction. This is a great easy-reading book which also helps you to challenge your vocabulary. If you want a book that pulls you in and you want a great story, you will love this book! Maisie Chrimes

After a young boy loses his parents, he turns into an undercover spy, working with many other children under the age of eighteen to solve problems around the world. No one knows what CHERUB is or where it is located! I would recommend this to young adults because it transports you into the heart of the action happening. Jamie Wylie

This is a great series for younger readers - it is very realistic and relatable for children who are in primary moving up to secondary and want some advice! The book itself follows the story of a young boy called Greg moving to secondary school with his best friend Rowley, and all the challenges they face on the way. There are 13 books in the series (and counting) and you can get hooked on them instantly! I would recommend them for ages 8-12 depending on your reading abilities. I hope you enjoy reading these books, I know I did! Grace Pabla Thomas

Ketchup Clouds by Annabel Pitcher

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My Krakow Trip Lily-Ella Bright, Year 10

Day 1 On the first day we took a coach from the airport to the beautiful Krakow Old Town main square. We were greeted with the formidable business of tourists rushing around and locals offering us flower crowns and traditional Polish bagels. I remember being overwhelmed by the city’s beauty - the grand St Mary’s Basilica towered over us, against the soft, blue sky. Later in the day, we travelled to the Wieliczka Salt Mines - 300 steps down, we entered the magnificent underground experience. There was a breathtaking bright blue salt water lake, and the walls were covered in sodium chloride salt, which we all got to lick, due to its antibacterial properties! The miners were very religious, as they were working in constant danger, so they created grand, underground cathedrals as places of worship. The spectacular salt cathedral had carvings of Jesus’ life, and a stunning altar, completed with enormous chandeliers made out of salt. In the evening, we returned to the main square to explore more. The sun set over the city and the amber sky only accentuated Krakow’s beauty. Day 2 After breakfast, we had a guided walking tour of the historic Jewish Quarter, visiting the Empty Chairs Memorial and the Eagle Pharmacy Museum, where the pharmacist Tadeusz Pankiewicz was awarded the Medal of the Righteous among the Nations for his bravery

134-135 and compassion towards the ill Jews living in the ghetto. We were later shown around Oskar Schindler’s factory, which has been turned into a museum. It was an incredible tour - it showed me how one single person can make such a disproportionate impact on multiple people’s lives. Schindler saved 1,200 Jews’ lives, by employing them to work in his ammunition factory. After trying some traditional Polish dumplings for lunch, we visited the Galicia Museum, and were walked through a timeline of photos all about Krakow’s past. We listened to a Holocaust survivor’s inspiring story about how her family escaped Poland and moved to South America. She astonished us with her motivating speech, recalling how she became a scientist and discovered life-changing evidence! Her story showed us how she overcame a time of hatred and discrimination, and used it to her advantage, to excel and fuel her motivation in her career. Day 3 It was an early start on the third day, as we were visiting Auschwitz. First, we arrived at Auschwitz 1, which consisted of 22 pre-war barrack buildings where prisoners were held captive. Most of this site was turned into a museum - the halls were covered in the pictures of the innocent prisoners and the large echoing rooms held prisoners’ belongings behind glass cabinets. One room that struck me the most was one of the rooms full of personal possessions, where a mountain of mugs, plates and dotted teapots were piled. A visualisation of each family picking out their favourite china pieces hit me. It reminded me of the fact that these families were expecting to arrive at a new and improved life, only to find that this was not the case. We were shown the harrowing gas chambers, where scratch marks from prisoners’ fingernails as they scrambled for air can still be seen. Just walking on the same ground as these innocent people filled me with guilt and disgust. I felt overwhelmed by my range of emotions, not knowing how to react. Then we arrived at Auschwitz-Birkenau (2) , where we were greeted by the immense sight of the train track entrance. I was overwhelmed by the sheer vastness of the camp, where the barracks seemed to go on for miles. I hardly spoke to anyone, and the respectful silence added to the eeriness of the camp. Leaving the site, I experienced an immense feeling of culpability; knowing that someone of the same species as me could have done such inhumane acts disgusts me. After a long reflective coach ride back into Krakow, we visited a pinball museum - which brought out a more competitive side to us all, and was a nice light-hearted end to an emotional day.

Day 4 On our final day, we visited the Gestapo Cells - the once headquarters of the Nazi Secret State Police, the Gestapo. Political opponents were held captive here in prison cells and their inscriptions can still be seen today. The chilling cells were covered in carvings and drawings made by the prisoners. One translated to: “Dearest Mummy and Daddy and my dear family, will I see you again? God only knows.” These soul-stirring messages were heartbreaking to read and the personal aspect of the inscriptions impacted me the most. Prisoners left their names and wrote prayers to God to save them. I was amazed by the talents of some of the prisoners, as we were shown a carving of a woman’s face hidden behind a cell door. I asked the tour guide what the Polish inscriptions around the drawing meant, and he explained that it mentioned ‘a lover back in the ghetto.’ This really hit me, as it showed us how families were torn apart. Prisoners were left only able to pray that they would see their loved ones again. After the astonishing tour of the cells, we had free time to explore the town once more. My friends and I came across a beautiful church, which I later found out was called the Church of St Barbara. Inside we were truly blown away. The ceiling looked like a Michelangelo painting and everything was gilded gold! Stumbling across such a stunning hidden church was a beautiful end to our trip.

THE WACONIAN 2019

Football, Stoke City and me Jasper Newton, Year 9

For as long as I can remember, I have been playing a wide variety of different sports with many of these opportunities coming to me at CHS. Although I have played lots of cricket and rugby, my main passion has always been football. Before I joined the Senior School I had played at three different grass roots clubs - Richmond Rovers, FC Sports and Shots FC - and I had a brief spell at the Manchester City Development Team. Throughout this time, I learned many skills and attributes to allow me to improve in my football and motivate me in pursuing my dream of becoming a professional footballer. Towards the end of the 2016 school year, when I was eleven, during one of my Shots Football matches (which would end up being my final game for them) a Stoke City scout told me that he was extremely impressed with my footballing ability and that he would

like me to go on trial at Stoke City. This was a dream come true for me and although I was slightly nervous, I was raring to go. I then endured a six-week trial where I was unsure whether I was going to get signed up or not, being told at the end of it that they would like to offer me a contract lasting for one year. Within my first few weeks I had already played against teams like Crewe, Man City and Nottingham Forest and I was told that I had been picked to go on the MIC (Mediterranean International Cup) in Barcelona with many players in the age above me. This was an unbelievable experience for me but also one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done. The tournament involved world class teams such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United. We did really

well in the tournament, getting to the semi-finals of the competition where we played Real Madrid but unfortunately we lost to them on penalties. The next season I improved tremendously at my football and also played a game at the Derby County stadium, Pride Park. Due to my performances that season I earned a two year contract keeping me at Stoke until the end of the U14s (this season). Nowadays I miss all of school on Tuesday for day release, train on a Thursday after school and Saturday morning and play a match against another academy on Sunday. My ultimate dream is to become a professional footballer, but if it unfortunately doesn’t go to plan I would still like to be involved in football as a football coach, sports scientist or physio.

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Great fun – but tough! Oliver Pimlott, Year 7

I love all types of sport - I am currently on the CHS High Performance Sports Programme, which is such a great opportunity. All the sports coaches, Mr Stonier and my mentor Mr Bailey, have helped me so much this year, improving my knowledge, skills and confidence.

training at Manchester United, as I have been a fan of them all my life.

My favourite sports are rugby and football, and I have enjoyed representing the School at both of these this year. I’m currently Rugby Captain for Year 7 which is a great honour, but most of all I have really enjoyed being on the football and rugby teams as I get to spend a lot of time with my friends.

I was scouted by United when I was playing at a tournament in Accrington for my club team Box Football. I was asked to go for a trial at their Academy last summer and was then asked to train regularly with them on Friday evenings. The training is great fun but also tough as the level is extremely high. This has pushed me to improve my skills and try new things. It’s challenging and also really competitive, which I love. I mainly play left wing, but I also sometimes play left wing back or right wing.

Outside of school I train and play at the Manchester United Academy (Emerging Talent) and I also play Rugby League in the summer for Salford. I particularly enjoy my

I have played matches for United against other academy teams, and also some touring teams. Wearing the United kit is amazing and one of the best feelings I’ve ever had. It would

be great to eventually be signed by Manchester United, but even if that doesn’t happen it has been an unforgettable experience and I’ll continue to work hard and enjoy my football. Everton, Stoke and Rochdale have also asked me to train or trial with them recently. I really love rugby, but unfortunately I haven’t been able to play club rugby union on a Sunday due to my football commitments. Luckily, the school rugby programme is amazing, and I have been able to play lots of rugby at school, including Rugby Sevens, which has been fantastic. I’m also playing Rugby League in the summer to keep up my training. My dream is to be a professional sportsman and I know I’ve got to keep working really hard to achieve this.

THE WACONIAN 2019

Playing the Bassoon Kirsty Dickson, Lower Sixth I began to play the bassoon when I was in Year 8, and I was so fortunate to have had the opportunity to learn with free tuition as a Music Scholar. I had absolutely loved playing the piano since I had been at CHS, and I owe a huge deal of this to Mrs Evans. It was always such a pleasure going to my piano lessons and remains so to this day, one of my favourite hours of the week. However, even as I advanced with my piano and more opportunities arose as a direct consequence of this, I watched my friends who played the flute, clarinet or saxophone joining ensembles and bands. Whilst I wouldn’t have started with any instrument other than the piano, I felt I was excluding myself from the more social aspect of music, playing with others, and the chance to develop my skills playing as part of an ensemble. One day, my friends and I were researching very unusual instruments that I could take up and that’s where I happened to stumble across the bassoon, which I hadn’t previously heard of. I made a mental note to myself, never expecting to be able to play it! Eventually I discussed the possibility of this with Mr Dewhurst and there actually happened to be a bassoon at school, another bassoon student, and very conveniently a bassoon teacher! And I began from there. I feel so grateful to have had the opportunity to learn bassoon; I was in Concert Band and the Wind Quintet

straight away, and my piano lessons and understanding of Music Theory, combined with Mrs Evans helping me to develop a rigorous technique, allowed me to pick up the bassoon relatively quickly. However, as I had previously only played the piano, one aspect that I found very challenging was the difficulty and complexity required to play just a single note, and this still remains a challenge today when playing at the extreme end of the range of the bassoon. Since playing the bassoon, I have really enjoyed playing in large ensembles at school; Concert Band and Orchestra, smaller ensembles such as the Wind Quintet or playing a duet written for the bassoon adapted from Mozart’s ‘The Magic Flute’. I also have the opportunity to perform as a soloist, whilst still having support from an accompanist. Even after leaving CHS, whilst not intending to study Music, the bassoon will always offer me the chance to play in ensembles and to my bassoon teacher Miss Nixon, Mr Dewhurst and the CHS Music Department, I will always be incredibly grateful. And to those considering playing an instrument, or even to those perhaps thinking of playing a less recognised and more unusual instrument – go for it! It will offer so many opportunities to play and meet people, and you will have a lovely time doing it.

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Maia Williams,

Lower Sixth

The harp is a new addition to CHS’s collection of weird and wonderful instruments this year. I moved here from North Wales, where the harp is ingrained in the culture. It therefore will not be a surprise when I admit that I was shocked by how amazed people were when I first told them that I played the harp. I started playing in Year 3, when my primary school encouraged everyone to choose an instrument to learn for the remainder of our time there. At the time, neither I nor my parents were aware that once you reach a certain standard on the instrument, you are obliged to move onto a larger one which tailors to a higher standard. I was torn between playing the harp and the violin; however, once I had watched videos of Catrin Finch on Youtube I was mesmerised and made my decision then and there. I remember my first lesson vividly; I learnt how to play ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ within the hour and refused to stop playing it for days until I learnt a new piece, and so on. I completed my Grade 1 within a few months and despite my nerves was ecstatic when I achieved a Distinction. My parents rewarded me with my very own lever harp, which at the time was taller than me but in the grand scale of harps was miniscule. However, as I worked up the grades, I started encountering more and more difficulties. I realised that tuning the harp took forever and, being impatient, I often resorted to practising on a disgracefully out-of-tune harp until my teacher came the following week to tune it for me. Additionally, it became much harder once accidentals came in and I had to change the levers and play simultaneously. I graduated from my mini-harp once I reached Grade 3, and my parents rented a slightly bigger harp, which had an extra octave. I was extremely excited at all the new possibilities; however, by Grade 4, my teacher informed my parents that it was time for me to get a pedal harp. Naturally, my parents were hesitant as not only are pedal harps extremely expensive, but they weigh 40kg, are over six feet tall and require a car with sufficient length to transport them. Luckily, my dad’s car met the criteria and as a Christmas present I was gifted a Salvi pedal concert harp with a matching music stand and stool. A pedal harp differs from a lever harp as, rather than having to use one hand to change a lever to provide a flattened or a sharpened note whilst you’re playing with the other hand, pedal harps have pedals at the base of the harp which you can move with your feet to provide sharpened or flattened notes, meaning that you can carry on playing with both hands. Additionally, pedal harps have six and a half octaves compared to lever harps’ four or five octaves. This allows for more advanced pieces with a greater number of accidentals and a wider range of notes. My first performance was in my School’s annual concert in Year 6. I performed ‘Greensleeves’ and was incredibly nervous but found the experience extremely rewarding. Later on, in Year 10, I played in my most memorable performance. I performed two duets and a solo, ‘Ymadawiad y Brenin’ in front of 200 people in a local charity concert. As it was the greatest number of people that I had performed in front of, I was the most nervous I had ever been for a performance but it ended up being a very successful concert. ‘Ymadawiad y Brenin’ is my favourite piece to perform on the harp as it is a traditional Welsh piece and playing it on the harp enhances its Celtic sound. I also love playing music composed for the piano on the harp such as Ludovico Einaudi’s ‘Le Onde’ and ‘I giorni’ as both instruments are very similar and the pieces often sound more pleasing to the ear on the harp. One of my favourite pieces to play at the moment is ‘Nocturne’ by Mikhail Glinka, which is part of the Grade 7 syllabus. I am currently working on my Grade 7 and I hope to complete my Grade 8 by the end of Sixth Form. I am also glad to admit that I have mastered tuning the harp and no longer have to wait for my teacher to tune it for me. I would encourage anyone to learn how to play the harp, as it is an incredibly rewarding instrument and I cannot imagine my life without it!

THE WACONIAN 2019

Being a Peer Mentor

Fiona Buxton, Head of Peer Mentoring

The Peer Mentoring Scheme provides the opportunity for younger pupils in both the Junior School and Year 7 to work with Sixth Form students to establish a good foundation in their school career. The older students advise, encourage and reassure and we are justly proud of the way in which they work together to instil self-confidence and show responsibility and leadership. All Sixth Form Peer Mentors follow training, developing the skills they will require in coaching and team work, and looking at the responsibilities that come with leadership. Within the scheme eight students are chosen to be Team Leaders. This provides the opportunity to manage a team of peers effectively, exercising a variety of qualities required for the role. The Peer Mentors meet up with their Year 7 pupils every week during Form Period or each fortnight in the Junior School. This provides an opportunity to complete an activity, engage in an informal chat or, for any pupils with a particular worry, to confide in their Peer Mentor. This way any potential problems can be picked up and quickly resolved. The system works in both directions, encouraging individuals to help achieve their best at a new school and promoting leadership, responsibility and self-development.

Junior School

Anna Kapoor, Lower Sixth In the Junior School, we see the students every two weeks. Usually, we have a specific topic to talk about, such as bullying, exam stress or managing time. Since they have yet to experience Senior School and the different work environment, we help them by giving them an idea of what to expect. The children love to see us, so when we aren’t teaching them courses, we play games.

Senior School

Laura Hartig, Lower Sixth The first few weeks meeting with our mentees consisted of getting to know them, and I think all of the Lower Sixth enjoyed this process, no matter how daunting it first seemed. I also think it was fun to immerse ourselves into the world of Year 7, and forget the stress of A-Levels for 30 minutes each week. I was quite surprised when speaking to the Year 7s by how confident they all were, and think this confidence grows throughout the term, as they come to meet so many different and new people. The trip to Condover Hall also helped to consolidate the bond between the students. They took part in multiple group activities which helped them to work together and communicate effectively. This time away from the classroom also provided them with a different learning environment where they were able to create new friendships. Meeting with our groups each week also gives us an opportunity to discuss serious topics in a more relaxed environment. For example, we were able to discuss the importance of the Holocaust, not just within History, but also the impact of it upon society today; many of us were astounded at the level of maturity demonstrated during the discussion. They were then encouraged to write down the actions they were going to take to ensure that we have a kind and caring society at CHS. Through the 150th anniversary of the main building, every pupil at Cheadle Hulme has been encouraged to give 150 minutes of their time to someone who would appreciate this; we, as Peer Mentors, have helped the year group to complete their tasks in a way that benefits the community around them. My students have helped their neighbours with the shopping, or offered to mow someone else’s lawn.

It’s important to make them feel that they are able to come to us with any problems. We always try to encourage a positive atmosphere, and some of the Junior Peer Mentors have talked to children if they have been involved in bullying. Being a Peer Mentor can be challenging, for example when the classes get too giddy, but the students always make it fun and enjoyable no matter what. Normally, students will ask what life in the Senior School is like, how to make new friends and how much work they will have to do. We try to reassure them, and to give them as much advice as possible, so that they know what to expect when they move up. Some questions can be tricky to answer, but we always try to be as truthful as possible. Many students have said that they aren’t worried about moving now, because they know what it will be like and that we will be there if they need us.

A BUMPER AFTERNOON FOR CHS MUSICIANS

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Sue Evans, Music Department

CHS musicians enjoyed a fantastic afternoon at Alderley Edge Music Festival in May, securing first place in each category entered.

(cello). They won the Alderley Edge School for Girls Trophy playing the first movement of ‘Brandenburg Concerto No. 3’ by J S Bach.

audience tapping their feet with ‘Superstition’ by Stevie Wonder and ‘Crocodile Rock’ by Elton John/ Bernie Taupin.

The Festival has taken place for over 100 years and there are typically over 2,500 performers of all ages, abilities and backgrounds participating each year.

The third award of the afternoon, the Festival Award, went to the Year 10 Quartet, Allison Grottolo (violin I), Amy Upton (violin II), Lizzy Pollitt (viola) and Katie MacDonald (cello). The Year 10 Quartet played three pieces: ‘Danse Macabre’ by SaintSaens, ‘Eleanor Rigby’ by Lennon/ McCartney and ‘Concerto for Two Violins’ by Vivaldi.

Senior Brass Ensemble won an ‘Outstanding’ adjudication together with the Kay Cup and were invited to perform at the prestigious Gala Concert held on Saturday evening at the Festival Hall. Senior Brass musicians are Alice Brown (lst trumpet), Tom Headridge (2nd trumpet), Tom Fisher and Freddy Adamson (trombone), Arran Gill (tuba) and Oscar Cooper (drumkit).

The first CHS winner of the afternoon was Finlay O’Shea in Year 7 who won the Roskill Medal, playing cello in the Junior String Recital Class. He played ‘Sonata in E minor’ by Vivaldi and ‘Hungarian Dance’ by Brahms. Competing in the String Quartet Class were CHS Senior String Quartet, Daniel Gascoyne (violin I), Sophia Adamson (violin II), Louis DunbarCreasey (viola) and Adam Wolowczyk

The final category of the afternoon was the Open Class for the Kay Cup and Senior Brass Ensemble got the

We all thoroughly enjoyed participating and it was made all the more special by the recognition of the commitment and dedication of the CHS musicians, parents and teachers involved.

THE WACONIAN 2019

A plastic existence: the new reality? The plastic problem and what you can do to help! Rachel Gunn, Class of 2013 and Young Alumni Award Winner 2019 I am a Marine Biology PhD student and an ex-student of CHS. I hope that this article will educate, encourage and engage you in the problem of plastic and how easy that problem is to overcome. The article focuses on ocean plastic, but that by no means makes it irrelevant to you in your everyday life, and I hope upon reading this article, you will be able to make some simple changes that will have a huge positive impact on the environment! T-shirts, shampoo bottles, bags, disposable cameras, dental floss, computer keyboards….what do all these

Possibly from some plastic waste I discarded last week. Possibly some you threw away five years ago. The truth is, the plastic is a build-up across numerous years from everywhere and anywhere. Unfortunately, it is not just straws and bottles that contribute to plastic in our oceans. Discarded fishing gear is another huge culprit, and something that is not as easy to manage. I spent the May Bank Holiday weekend in Cornwall, where the beaches are some of the cleanest I have seen in the UK, with regular beach cleans promoted and conducted. However, the problem of abandoned fishing gear was still evident. Plastic netting and fishing lines were regular unwanted neighbours to seaweed and mussel beds, blemishing what is otherwise a beautiful part of the world. But what are the consequences of this plastic waste? You have probably all heard of at least one story of a whale, a turtle, or other marine organism that has washed up with a stomach full of plastic, yet these are not just ‘stories’. They are fact.

things have in common? Plastic. Plastic is an epidemic, a poison spreading across the world with no antidote. Plastic is not biodegradable, and can persist for hundreds and thousands of years once discarded, choking the oceans, creating mountain ranges of waste responsible for harming countless plants and animals, including humans. Nonetheless, it can be hard to perceive the true impact of plastic when popping into a shop to buy a bottle of water. However, you are just one of possibly millions of people doing that very same thing, and that adds up very quickly. In fact, every minute, humans purchase a staggering one million plastic bottles yet, in the US, only 23% of these are recycled correctly. I was recently on a fieldwork mission around the Scattered Islands of Madagascar. On one of these islands, 6073 items of plastic were collected in a couple of days, yet only three people live on the island at a research station at any given time. So where did this plastic come from?

Plastic is killing marine organisms at an alarming rate. To a sea turtle, a plastic bag floating at the surface looks a lot like a tasty afternoon jellyfish treat. Understandably, it can be hard to see why one should care that a marine organism thousands of miles away accidentally ate a plastic bag. However, that plastic bag our turtle friend mistook for a jellyfish could very well come back to haunt us. Organisms cannot digest plastic. Therefore, a filter feeder, such as a mussel, may take in microplastics from the surrounding water. This mussel is then eaten by a small reef fish, which in turn is eaten by a larger, commercially valuable fish, which is then caught by fishermen. Passing up the food chain, it is increasingly likely that the fish you ate from the local chippy the other night, or the mussels in your seafood pasta, contains microplastics that we are then ingesting. I saw firsthand evidence of this in Cornwall, where I came across a fishing line stuck in a mussel bed, partially ingested by one individual. There is now research dedicated to the impact of ingesting microplastics. Surely this is enough to make us start making changes and reducing the amount of plastic entering the earth’s ecosystems?

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Durable and lightweight, but deadly, plastic is a global pollution endemic. I am aware that so far, this article has been focussed on the negatives. However, it is not all bad news, and there is plenty you can do to help! From an ocean conservation point of view, plastic pollution is one of the few challenges facing the marine realm that we can easily do something about. Even better, we can all do it. And we can do it now. I have found it so easy to make basic changes that allow to live as ‘plastic-free’ as possible. Here are my top five recommendations on how you can do the same on a day to day basis, because if I can reduce my plastic consumption, then you definitely can too! As a marine biologist, I also want to give you five ways you can help reduce ocean plastic specifically, because that is so simple too! `

Plastic Straws! Sam Kortland, Year 8 Well, two years ago I wanted to do something about plastic pollution. I kept saying to myself that I should do something, but I didn’t think it was such a big deal then and I didn’t have enough time to focus on it properly. However, when I entered Year 7, I was doing some homework and saw an article about how marine biologists found a turtle with a plastic straw up its left nostril. This was heart-breaking, and I decided that I wanted to do something about it; this is when I had the idea of trying to create a plastic-straw-free Bramhall. I am now making a huge change to the community around me, and I am so happy that so many people have also started to adopt this change. This little hobby of mine means everything to me and I really want to get more people and students involved. So far, I have fully converted the whole of Bramhall to being plastic-straw-free. Quite recently I decided to start converting Woodford and Cheadle and I have also created information awareness sheets about plastic. I think that we could advertise the dangers of plastic - maybe get children to do activities on a kind of antiplastic day, or just start reducing plastic in school so children can get an idea that it is a growing problem which needs to stop and that our community at CHS is changing that. I am also planning to get other people involved in this campaign, so if anyone is interested, email me and let us all help to save our seas.

5 top tips to reducing your plastic consumption: ecycling bins: this sounds really obvious, but it can be 1. R so easy just to throw all your rubbish in the same bin - make use of the plastic recycling bins on the school campus! 2. S hopping bags: it’s so easy to say yes to a 5p bag, but it’s also so easy to bring your own, and it is such a good way to reduce plastic. I would also encourage you to go for fruit that is not wrapped excessively in plastic. 3. R eusable coffee cup and water bottle: again, such an easy change that makes a huge difference. 4. A lternative toiletries: shampoos and shower gels are nearly always in plastic packaging, and they never last that long. I use LUSH products, which are all either plastic-free or in fully recyclable packaging, and they last so much longer! 5. B amboo toothbrush: similar to toiletries, but this is something I didn’t even think about until recently. They work just as well and are very similar in price! Five top tips to reducing ocean plastics 1. T ake a tote bag: a tote bag is always a useful thing to carry with you instead of a plastic one! 2. T ake your rubbish with you: this one is definitely selfexplanatory! 3. R eusable coffee cup and water bottle (again!): there are always little coffee shops and sweet shops on the beach, so being prepared is a good idea! 4. E ncourage others: a big part of conservation in any sense is outreach, so pass this information on to others. If you pick up a piece of litter from the beach, chances are someone will see and do the same! 5. 3 minute beach clean: this takes no time at all (3 minutes in fact), but if everyone on the beach did it, think of what a difference that would make! If we all tried to do at least some of these things, we would be well on the way to creating a plastic-free world.

THE WACONIAN 2019

The school council tackle plastic! Ollie Potts, Upper Sixth As one of our main initiatives this year, the Council have focused on encouraging students to recycle effectively and reduce the amount of single-use plastic they purchase. A small team of Grace Mills, Libby Dolling and me felt passionate about the dangers of plastic and set out to improve the School’s sustainability. In the Sixth Form, we initially set our targets high - aiming to reduce the purchase of plastic bottles in our cafe by half. This task looked challenging because as a whole, we buy over 550 plastic bottles per week! However, we also wanted to include all years in our project. The first stage of the plan was to deliver powerful assemblies to the whole School, which was a huge success and we were given great feedback - 100% of Year 7 students said the assembly had a ‘big effect’ on them, according to an anonymous survey we sent out. We worked closely with the Head of Maintenance at School to implement as many strategies as we could - for example, replacing the old water fountains with water points so that it was much easier to refill water bottles. In addition to this, we redesigned the traditional branded CHS water bottle and added the caption ‘Keep Our Ocean Blue’,

“ For me, it’s important that we recycle single-use plastic so that we can reduce the number of innocent animals which lose their lives because of plastic. Therefore, I wanted to become a Plastic Rep as, for me, the thought of animals dying due to humans is awful and I wanted to raise awareness of this matter.” Annie Barber, Year 7

selling this design to the whole School in an attempt to promote reusable bottle use. We also wanted to set up a project with our Junior School; we decided upon designing and building a plastic structure, representing the damage our plastic does to our oceans, which we are planning to have set up by Easter. A team of ‘Plastic Reps’ have been assembled from each year group, with the main task of the year being to create our plastic sculpture. The idea behind this was to create a legacy for future years and the next School Council to build on. In an effort to improve recycling awareness and productivity, the team added new recycling points into every building and also improved the signage to make it absolutely clear what material goes into which bin. Libby produced eye-catching posters that have been displayed around school, whilst Grace and I set up an awareness board in the Sixth Form Common Room, displaying a Water Bottle Counter, updated weekly so all students could keep track of our progress. This was written in January and the Council have been very impressed with progress so far. We hope to create a further legacy before we leave CHS in May!

“ I wanted to be a Plastic Rep because I wanted to help make a difference. Each year it is estimated that 18 billion pounds of plastic waste enters the ocean and I want to help. Being a Plastic Rep has given me an opportunity to do that and I hope to help further improve the environment around our School.” Emaan Shah, Year 7 “ I am passionate about reducing plastic waste as I am aware of the damage we humans deal to the planet and this gives me an opportunity to make a difference.” Hugo Ryan, Year 9

144-145 Ma semaine musicale Annie Barber Winner: Year 7 French Lundi je pratique ma flûte Alors je suis prête pour la semaine. Mardi je vais à mon club de chant Parce que j’aime chanter.

MOTHER TONGUE OTHER TONGUE POETRY COMPETITION Die Erde ist groß

Toujours la même, pourtant différente

Annabel Large Freya Thomson Winner: Year 8 German and overall winner Years 7 – 9 North West Competition Ich komme aus England, ich esse Fisch und Pommes, ich spiele Kricket, ich trage einen Zylinder. Sie kommt aus Deutschland, sie isst Leberkäse. Er kommt aus der Schweiz er isst Käsefondue. Die Erde ist groß. Sie kommt aus Österreich, sie fährt Ski in den Alpen. Er kommt aus Irland, er spielt Hurling. Die Erde ist groß. Sie kommt aus Wales, sie trägt einen Morgenmantel. Er kommt aus Schottland, er trägt einen Schottenrock. Die Erde ist groß. Sie kommt aus Frankreich, sie isst eine Baguette. Er kommt aus Spanien, er isst Tapas. Die Erde ist groß. Sie kommt aus Italien, sie spielt Fußball. Er kommt aus Griechenland, er spielt Basketball. Die Erde ist groß. Sie kommt aus Japan, sie trägt ein Kimono. Er kommt aus Australien, er trägt eine Badehose. Die Erde ist sehr groß.

Winner: Year 9 French Quand j’étais petite, j’avais l’air différent. J’avais les cheveux blonds, courts et bouclés Et j’étais très surexcitée avec beaucoup d’énergie, Et puis j’écrasais, ronflant alors que je dormais. J’étais très différente.

Mercredi je vais à mon conservatoire Mais c’est loin. Jeudi je vais au studio groupe Et j’apprends la musique là. Vendredi je vais à mon récital de flûte Mais je suis très nerveuse. Samedi j’ai mon cours de flûte Alors j’apprends de nouvelles choses. Dimanche je vais à mon concert de chant Et je suis encore plus nerveuse.

La igualdad Je suis toujours la même, pourtant je suis différente. J’ai encore les cheveux courts et bouclés, mais plus foncés, Je suis toujours surexcitée, mais aussi calme de temps en temps, Je fais la grasse matinée, je rêve et je ronfle toujours! Je suis toujours la même Quand j’étais petite, j’avais l’air différent. J’étais très timide et silencieuse, sauf si je connaissais bien la personne. Je jouais au foot. Je courais en équipe et je passais le ballon. J’étais très différente Je suis toujours la même, pourtant je suis différente. Je suis forte maintenant, je peux parler toute la journée, Je ne peux plus jouer au foot, je me suis blessée, Je cours toujours en équipe : aux chevaux et cavaliers. Je suis toujours la même. Je me suis fait des amis, J’ai perdu des amis, Je suis toujours la même, pourtant je suis différente.

Emily Tallon Winner: Year 7 Spanish Soy baja y delgada, Tengo el pelo moreno y ondulado, Tengo los ojos marrones, Llevo gafas, Estoy orgullosa de mí misma. Mi amiga es alta y gordita, Tiene el pelo rubio y liso, Sus ojos son azules, Lleva lentillas, Todos somos iguales. Mi padre es alto y delgado, Tiene el pelo canoso y corto, Tiene los ojos marrones, Lleva gafas, Está orgulloso de sí mismo. Mi amigo es bajo y flaco, Tiene el pelo rizado y es pelirrojo, Sus ojos son verdes, Tiene pecas, Todos somos iguales. Todos somos iguales, Si eres alto, bajo, gordito o flaco, Está orgulloso de quién eres, Porque eres lo que te hace especial.

THE WACONIAN 2019

Notre voyage à Toulon! Edie Whittingham, Year 10 Mardi 2 avril It was the day we were going to Toulon. We arrived at the airport ready to go and we were all really excited! When we arrived we had some time to settle in and relax, then later in the evening, the centre had planned some very exciting activities. First there was a game of sardines - a mass game of hide and seek - in the woods nearby. It was pitch black, the only thing lighting our path being the small torches on our phones. As I’m sure you can imagine we were all quite anxious, after all we were being sent into a wood, in the dark, to hide! But once we got going, we didn’t want to stop, so when the teachers finally called us in with the famous tune of the trip, ‘Barman’, we were very annoyed. It was a busy day, so we were all exhausted when we got back to the centre, but couldn’t wait for the next day. C’était un jour fabuleux! Mercredi 3 avril We got up bright and early because we had a busy day planned. The day began with a bus ride into Toulon which was a great way to experience authentic France as we were travelling with all the local people. When we arrived, we were given a guided tour around the famous Opéra de Toulon. It was a great way to see some of the history of the city and learn more about its culture. Towards the end of our tour we got a special surprise as we were able to watch the orchestra in rehearsal. It was really inspiring to see how amazing they were and the talent they had. The beauty of the building struck us all, the staircase being a massive feature and so we obviously got many photos there! Lunch quickly came around and we had the treat of going to Madame Dionisi’s friend’s restaurant. We were able to try lots of different foods which put some of us out of our comfort zones but it opened our eyes to some of the traditional foods of Toulon. Over lunch we had the exciting task of designing our own mocktails for the evening. We split up into teams and had to come up with the best mocktail recipe that we could think of, along with the name for it, and a list of all the ingredients to buy, in French. It kept us all busy over lunch, but a winner was finally decided. It was Madame Dionisi’s group who came up with fantastic original names of Passion D’Abbott, Rosa de la Dionisi and Léna de la Mer. It really brought us together as a group as we had to work together to make sure it was right. Not only that, we also did some karaoke which really brought out another side in the teachers and also the people that we had never really got to know before. It was a fun way to come together as a group and it was a night none of us will forget, for reasons that will stay in Toulon, because: ‘what happens in Toulon, stays in Toulon!’ Nous étions très bons au karaoké!

Jeudi 4 avril Thursday came around, and we were officially halfway through our trip. Another fun day was planned ahead, as today we were going up the very famous Mont Faron. A short cable car ride was all it took to get us to the top, where the views of the city were what I can only describe as breathtaking. The sun was shining and the water glistened in the sun, making a picture perfect scene. At the top, we were given a guided tour around the memorial of the Allied Landings, which again deepened our understanding of French history. We made our descent, admiring the views once again and taking any last photos, and then we were given time to explore the city for ourselves, eat and do some shopping in the mall. It was a really relaxed afternoon and it also allowed us to soak up the sun, while we could. We stayed in town that night and went to a pizzeria in the heart of the city. We really felt the buzz of the city at night. Nous avons trop mangé!

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Vendredi 5 avril This was for many the best day of the whole trip Porquerolles, an island just off the mainland. The weather was amazing, making the day even better. We were split into two teams and were given the task of taking selfies at each checkpoint on the map. On top of the beautiful views of the sea and nature that surrounded us, we also spent some time on the beach, which gave us time to relax, recover from the walking and also do a bit of tanning! C’était le meilleur jour!

“ My favourite part of the trip was definitely Porquerolles as the weather was sunny and the views were very pretty. Throughout the trip we found out what a beautiful place France is, not only in a geographical sense but also the culture and language. We also improved our French by being surrounded by the language and constantly hearing it. Overall, the trip was amazing!” Jasmine Lord “ O ne of my favourite days was when we went to Porquerolles. It was such nice weather and we split up into two teams to take photos. Then we had to race against each other around the whole island while also looking for checkpoints to take photos of. It was fun but such a long walk! Going to the beach and coves was the best bit of the day for me. Having said that, I did equally enjoy the biscuit workshop on the last day before we went to the airport.” Alice Marson “ My favourite part of Toulon was the trek up the mountain at Porquerolles as the views were beautiful.” Lily Beckley “ I enjoyed talking to the local people and improving my French fluency. I also loved seeing some of the famous landmarks and buildings of the town!” Jones Morgan

Samedi 6 avril Sadly, it was our last day but we still had the morning to have fun before we left, and today was biscuit making! Each group took it in turns to have a masterclass learning how to make a speciality biscuit of Toulon called navettes. In the meantime, the other groups were sent into the supermarket and given money to buy whatever food we fancied! Despite the rain, our spirits remained high as we knew we had to embrace the last few hours we had in Toulon. Eventually, it was time for us to leave, bringing our amazing trip to an end. Nous avons adoré Toulon! C’était le meilleur voyage! Toulon was a trip that I will never forget because of the memories, friendships and things I learnt. I loved being immersed in the French language because I think it made me more confident as I had to interact with the French people in an authentic and natural way, which is hard to create in a classroom environment. Thank you to Madame Dionisi, Mr Abbott and Léna for making the trip happen and making it so fun!

“ The best thing about the Toulon trip in my opinion was getting to see all of our students in France interacting with the locals and putting their French to use! Another highlight was the mocktail making with all the teamwork and creativity that was involved in the design and manufacture process. Finally, it was great to see you all pull together on the final morning when a member of the group was injured, acting in such a mature, positive and responsible way, it was amazing.” Mr Abbott “ I really enjoyed the trip especially when we went to Porquerolles Island, what an amazing place! I’m from a different part of France and I found it great to discover new places in my own country such as Porquerolles and Le Pradet. I highly recommend this area!” Léna “ C ’était un super voyage! Les élèves ont vraiment été au top! Je ne l’oublierai jamais!” Madame Dionisi

THE WACONIAN 2019

At the start of the year we were given the task of creating a project based on people and places. This automatically started a train of questions; who? what? where? I finally settled on the idea of cultures, specifically East Asian culture. Our trip to London in late September really kick-started the whole project. After visiting Borough Market, I was able to see all sorts of different cultures come to life through food, drink, spices and flowers. When walking around I was particularly fascinated by the mushroom formations which, luckily, related well with Asian cultures.

Fashion inspired by East Asian Culture Millie Perrett, Lower Sixth

As I am a textile-based Art student I focused on exploring how cultures influenced fashion and was surprised when I became more inspired by male fashion seen on the street. I particularly liked the looser clothing and the wider range of silhouettes formed by the various items worn. A specific detail I noticed about the influence of Asian culture on fashion was the striking silhouette made out of one piece. I decided to research how other designers were able to create striking silhouettes out of one textile piece and found that Cristobel Balenciaga executed this in the most unusual way - he went against the traditional way of complementing the female figure with synchedin waists and instead created pieces with broad shoulders and box shapes. I took this idea and practised creating different silhouettes of my own by using different techniques such as ruching and pleating to create a striking silhouette. All of these ideas came together in helping me to create my final piece, for which I made a cape with a large, ruched neckline with the front two panels of the cape plain and simple while the back panel was covered in ruches made from a variety of materials and sizes in different shades of white. I plan on furthering the project, focusing on a specific side to East Asian culture, Neo-Geisha, using different techniques such as embroidery and shibori.

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Corsets and Rococo my inspiration Cara McCrory, Lower Sixth

I have always been inspired by fashion designers from the stars of the fashion world from Karl Lagerfeld and Jean Paul Gaultier to more hidden talents such as Pam Hogg and Orseund Iris. On this project I decided to focus on one of the most iconic British designers in history, Vivienne Westwood. She is known around the world for modernising punk and bringing it into the fashion world. As a designer she tries to incorporate art into her pieces; something she was heavily inspired by was the Wallace Collection which is exhibited in Manchester Square, London. Her collection from 1990 called the Portrait Collection was heavily inspired by the artist Boucher who features in the Wallace Collection. She printed photographic paintings onto canvas which she then made into corsets. This collection is still circling now as celebrities request these iconic corsets for events, photo-shoots and filming. I was fascinated by how these corsets are still such well-known and sought after pieces nearly 30 years on from the collection’s runway debut. From this I started to look into the era that the iconic Boucher painting was from, finding that it was from the Rococo art period, which was a highly ornamental and theatrical style of decoration and focused predominantly around pastel colours, whites and golds. The extravagant gold frames from this era started to inspire my work and I began creating samples of decorative stitch mimicking the delicate patterns on these gold frames. I also started to think about embellishing canvas after printing on it, to take Westwood’s designs a step further. I used a variety of different hand stitch techniques to highlight areas of the paintings I had carefully selected, such as the frill on the edge of a petticoat or flowers as accents on a dress. I wanted my final piece predominantly to be a replica of Westwood’s work but I also wanted to show my skill with delicate stitch work, hence why I began embellishing details and using frames. My final piece consists of all of my ideas put together in an elegant way that I believe is period-appropriate to the Rococo era.

THE WACONIAN 2019

My reflection after reading ‘Submission’ by Michel Houllebecq George Royden, Year 10 ‘Submission’ by Michel Houllebecq is a controversial novel about a unique political campaign in France in 2022. The fictional General Election sees the battle between the far-right National Front and the Socialist Party, who ally with the newly formed Muslim Brotherhood Party and the Union for a Popular Movement. The left wing parties win the election with their unconventional Islamic candidate, Mohammed Be-Abbes who pacifies the nation and transforms the laws extensively, to allow for discrimination against non-Islamic people and women and even a colonizationlike campaign. It is believed by some that this story was written by Houllebecq to spread his Islamophobic views, whereas some may say it’s an interesting dystopian story; after all, we wouldn’t accuse someone of being anti-white if they wrote about the European colonisation of the world. If it was Houllebecq’s intention to depict Islam in a bad light, he has done so very intelligently. The writer hasn’t based his story on portraying Muslims as bad people, he has started it with a fairly normal campaign where a Muslim wins, and then slowly injected increasingly significant actions that lead to a mirroring of the types of civilisations we see in the Middle East where Christians are persecuted and women don’t have equal rights. At the start of the novel, most Muslims and leftwingers would see this as a positive, and Muslims would almost certainly not feel at all oppressed. This sense of appreciation as a religion is what gives the reader a false sense of security, where they feel that everything after this point is going to follow the theme from the start. However, the story takes a drastic turn and all of a sudden women and non-Muslims are being persecuted by a Muslim authority. Now we see a world where Islam has finally been treated fairly, for them only to exploit it and use it against those who gave it to them. This method is far more sophisticated than the typical racism we see on a regular basis; instead of discriminating against Muslims based on the bad things they have done, Houllebecq shows what he thinks could potentially happen, if Muslims are treated as equals, therefore deterring their acceptance into society in the first place. What also makes the racist views in this novel so dangerously infectious is that it has been followed up with real life occurrences. In Middle Eastern countries Islamist groups are driving out Christianity and in some cases murdering large numbers of Christians, and in countries like Saudi Arabia, women have far fewer rights than men. From this, people may find it easy to believe that there could be a repeat of this in our own countries, and it must be prevented at all costs. However, what they don’t consider is the fact that this couldn’t possibly happen in the West. There are too many obstructions preventing a country like the one described in ‘Submission’ from forming. What could be the unlikely but still unfortunate truth is that Houllebecq simply wanted to write a thought-provoking dystopian novel, and that the cause of the devastation just so happened to be a Muslim.

THE WACONIAN IS PREDOMINANTLY WRITTEN, ILLUSTRATED AND COMPILED BY THE STUDENTS OF CHEADLE HULME SCHOOL AND JUDITH SHAND, TEACHER OF MODERN LANGUAGES, WITH HELP FROM VICKY ELLISON, JUNIOR TEACHER. HEAD Mr Neil Smith Claremont Road · Cheadle Hulme Cheadle · Cheshire · SK8 6EF TEL

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