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THE NEWS

SENIOR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER SPRING 2019

SCHOOL LIFE

‘I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way.’ Wise words indeed from Whitney Houston, but what does she mean? To judge from many in education, an emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) is the best way forward, and certainly there is much of value in these subject areas, but I would also encourage all children to learn at least one foreign language and preferably more. Of course, there are those who claim that ‘everyone speaks English anyway’ so it is a waste of time to learn another language. This is both untrue and ignorant in my experience. Learning languages is certainly about developing fluency and the ability to communicate in another tongue, but it is also about appreciating the essential humanity that unites us. I don’t think there is anything more important given some of the antiimmigrant, populist rhetoric currently so prevalent. Indeed, Dr Elizabeth Stephens, speaking to us a few weeks ago on the New World Disorder, pointed out that populism and intolerance reached their height just prior to the first and second world wars.

At St Swithun’s we are unusual in compelling all pupils to learn Latin, French and German for two years – L4 and U4. After that, Spanish and ancient Greek are also on offer with Italian available in the sixth form. We believe that our students benefit enormously from exposure to other languages and cultures. In addition, we seek to celebrate all of the languages spoken by our students. Just before Easter, some of our sixth-form students organised an international day encouraging all of us to re-examine our ideas about other cultures and to understand that in the end, whatever our culture or language, we have more in common than there are differences. Recently we have also enjoyed hearing students talk about their Easter traditions in their mother tongue, we have welcomed our German friends from St AngelaSchule to St Swithun’s and our M5 and U5 have spent time in France. We have students from 29 countries at St Swithun’s. It is our intention to continue to value language learning and different points of view.

1 L6 politics trip to the Supreme Court 2 GCSE resistant materials coursework 3 Snow day 4 M5 wellbeing day 5 Art department light and dark exhibition 6 Dressing up as The Tempest for World Book Day

Jane Gandee MA (Cantab) Headmistress

7 We were thrilled to receive an award from Education Advisors Limited for being a Top 5 Girls’ Boarding School for 2018 A’ level results.

SCHOOL LIFE

SCHOOL LIFE ARE YOU A NEANDERTHAL? GERMAN EXCHANGE Over the last two weeks of term, 25 M5 students welcomed their German exchange partners from St AngelaSchule in Königstein. After attending school lessons for two days, our visitors then enjoyed day trips to Winchester, Oxford and London. The friendships that were made will be further strengthened over May half term when our students go to Germany to improve their spoken German and to immerse themselves in the German way of life for a week.

– A TALK BY ELLA AL-SHAMAHI

This term we had the pleasure of welcoming the National Geographic Explorer Ella Al-Shamahi to school to give us all an incredible insight into her career as an anthropologist. She went through a brief history of mankind, focusing particularly on Neanderthals and the story of their time on earth. Ella had many moving experiences to share with the audience about working in hostile and disputed territories. Her passion for fossil hunting and exploration of the unknown encouraged us all to face our fears and pursue our own dreams. Written by Maria Solovyeva L6

STEM CHALLENGE DEBATING MATTERS The school debating team made an excellent start to the spring term by winning the regional Debating Matters competition. This great day of debating was an incredible insight into how solution-based discussion in the real world works, and was an opportunity to connect with many like-minded individuals. As someone who does a lot of ‘British Parliamentary’ style debating, I enjoyed the change in style at this event. Later on in the term, we attended the Cambridge University Schools Debating Championships and the Oxford University Competition. After many intense rounds of debating we were not selected to proceed to the second round but we are really looking forward to competing in more competitions next year and hopefully winning some too. Written by Wura Belgore L6

L5 students took part in a STEM enrichment activity which was delivered by Mott Macdonald Engineering and developed in conjunction with our maths department. The idea was for the girls to plan a new road bypass around Chichester whilst considering the wider implications of their schemes. They were asked to think about the environmental impact on plants and animals, air quality and noise pollution as well as the visual impression of their solution and possible disturbance of historically significant sites. The girls also balanced the social benefits of shorter journey times with the potential division of communities caused by the introduction of new high-speed roads. After coming up with alternative schemes, the girls calculated the potential costs and worked out the timescales for development. The task was very open-ended, resulting in a wide range of creative solutions which included a ski lift system for cars over Chichester and a two-storey highway around the city.

THE NEW WORLD DISORDER – A TALK BY DR ELIZABETH STEPHENS At the end of March, St Swithun’s welcomed Dr. Elizabeth Stephens, managing director of geopolitical tech company Trendline Analytics. Dr Stephens was a fascinating speaker and her talk about authoritarian leaders and the New World Disorder was relevant and compelling given our own political situation. The topics which Dr. Stephens explored included the rise of populism, Britain’s future post Brexit, and the effect social media is having on politics today. I can say with confidence that everyone who went to the talk ended the evening more informed and a bit wiser! Written by Zara Boucher L6

ISHAL ELECTED AS WEST HAMPSHIRE’S MEMBER OF YOUTH PARLIAMENT Ishal Mahmud U4 has been elected as the Member of Youth Parliament (MYP) for the West Hampshire constituency. Ishal will now work with Members of Parliament and service providers in order to champion youth issues and to present the views of constituents. She will meet regularly with other MYPs to hold debates and plan campaigns on both a local and national level, including the annual debate within the Chamber of the House of Commons every November.

BOARDING LIFE

1 Earlsdown enjoying hot chocolate on snow day 2 Boarding trip to Harry Potter studios 3 Boarding trip to the beach 4 Le Roy friendships 5 High House sushi making 6 Earlsdown getting ready for the L6 ball

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7 Hyde Abbey women of the week 8 Hillcroft eating fruit kebabs

9 Hillcroft arts and crafts

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THE ARTS

THE ARTS CABARET NIGHT

SPRING CONCERT

Our second annual cabaret evening was a lively event featuring a wide range of acts including solo singing, dancing from L4 and group ensembles on the ukulele, piano, guitar and drums. The huge audience in Harvey Hall buzzed with excitement during the performances and demonstrated their appreciation with riotous applause. The staff band jammed and feather boas were flicked to I Feel Pretty. The performance of Masochism Tango produced many laughs. Mrs Hall and Mr Gates enthralled us with a dynamic voice and saxophone duet, and everyone joined in singing the Bohemian Rhapsody karaoke whilst waving their phone lights.

This year’s spring concert featured a variety of music styles and included Sextet in B flat major mvt. 1 by Brahms and Klaus Badelt and Hans Zimmer’s Pirates of the Caribbean film score. Beethoven’s piano duet, Sonata in D major for four hands Op.6 mvt. 1 was beautifully performed by Sasha Ginsberg and Michelle Ng U5. The concert closed with Phoenix Choir singing A Million Dreams from The Greatest Showman, which was a perfect end to a wonderful evening. Well done to everyone who performed.

The cabaret evening provides a welcoming and supportive atmosphere for performers to unleash their hidden talents and is a safe event to break through stage fright. It was great to see so much enjoyment, with performers and audience members grinning from ear to ear.

Written by Amy Gower-Jones U6

Written by Rosie Culver L6

LOOK, THINK, SPEAK Why study art history? Simon Schama’s answer is to ‘discover what it means to be human’. I entirely agree. In looking at art, in thinking about art and in speaking about art, we explore human experience. We ponder why and how the work was made and the reaction it provokes from the viewer. The history of art is the history of humanity. The ARTiculation Prize is a national public speaking competition which encourages young people to engage with art and its diverse and extensive history, drawing on existing thought and creating new. I was fortunate to take part in this year’s competition and, having won the St Swithun’s heat and then the regional final at Roche Court, to have the chance to compete in the grand final held at Clare College Cambridge. I discovered the artwork I would speak about when I visited Pallant House Gallery in Chichester and saw a painting by the artist Vanessa Bell who was previously unknown to me. Her painting was the portrait of her sister Virginia Woolf (painted in 1934) and their relationship became the springboard for my research. My primary focus was Vanessa’s extraordinary artistic output, ranging from interior design to abstract painting. I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to research an artist and share my insights with others. The final was an amazing day thanks to the ARTiculation team from Roche Court and I would wholeheartedly recommend the competition to anyone interested in art. Written by Emma Simpson L6

OLIVIER AWARDS The annual Olivier awards celebrate the achievements of girls in drama throughout the year and are one of the highlights of our spring term. Hosted by drama officer Kristie Poon U6, this year’s awards were presented by drama department staff for school productions, outstanding classwork, commitment and dedication, Communication and Performance lessons, commitment to backstage work, growth in confidence and ‘life-time’ achievements. In the glamorously-decorated setting of Harvey Hall, the evening featured performances from some of this year’s productions, including Junior Drama Club’s 10 minute version of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, C&P extracts, poetry, monologues and scenes from plays. Congratulations to all of our winners.

THE ARTS

‘We saw the show last night and I think it’s probably the best school show I have ever seen. We all enjoyed it so much. Huge congratulations to all involved!’ Parent.

‘I couldn’t believe how professional they all were and some of the singing voices were marvellous. The pupils in the audience were so engaged with what was happening on stage. You could hear a pin drop. Really a resounding success!’ An audience member.

FIDDLER ON THE ROOF

‘What a wonderful production. How challenging it must be to pull all those emotions together into one powerful show, but you did and you did it brilliantly.’ St Swithun’s parent.

‘Just wanted to congratulate you on an absolutely outstanding performance last night. All your hard work has definitely paid off. It really was exceptional. You wouldn’t have known it was a school production. So professional and such talent.’ Parent.

This term’s production of the musical Fiddler on the Roof was a collaboration with Winchester College, staged at the Theatre Royal. It was a huge undertaking spanning five months of preparation which ended in a performance run that was a complete triumph. Rehearsals started in October and ran every Sunday with cast members becoming gradually and completely immersed in the play and their own character, be that milkman, rabbi or ghost. Practices moved to the Theatre Royal in the final days where dances were perfected and lyrics cemented against the backdrop of professional lighting and sound, and stunning scenery. After all the hard work, production week was fantastic, filled with laughter, singing and new friendships. By Thursday we were ready to tell the story of Fiddler on the Roof in our sell-out production. Each night the atmosphere of nervous excitement in the theatre spurred the 60-strong cast to perform at its peak and to celebrate in the camaraderie of a group cheer at the end of the show. It would be safe to say that performing in Fiddler on the Roof was a once in a lifetime experience for me personally and I wish we could do it all over again. The experience of working with such a friendly and talented group of people was inspirational. As Arthur Lyhne Gold from Winchester College (playing Tevye) said “When people left the theatre on all three nights, they weren’t saying that was quite good for a school play, they were saying that was an excellent professional production!” Written by Zara Boucher L6

‘We were absolutely bowled over by Fiddler on The Roof. It was as good as a West End production. Everything was faultless, from the excellent casting, acting and singing, to the live musicians, the set, the lighting, choreography, staging, costumes and make up.’ St Swithun’s parent.

FENCING

On Tuesday afternoons this term we have welcomed 100 pupils from our local partner primary schools Oliver’s Battery, Sun Hill and All Saints, for science, drama and art enrichment sessions led by 50 of our pupils and staff. This joint activity has proved beneficial for pupils, allowing them to develop a greater understanding of the subjects in addition to improving their confidence, communication skills and patience.

Five of our fencers were selected to compete in the national public schools’ fencing competition in London this term. Michelle Ng U5 competed in the junior foil whilst Brigitte Bacchus, Henrietta Boyle, Alisa Keziban and Winnie Careless L5 participated in the Mount-Hayes foil. In the Mount Hayes competition, Henrietta, Winnie and Brigitte all made it through to the second pool round, and Brigitte and Winnie performed well to make it through to the knock out stages where unfortunately they were drawn against each other. Winnie came through in a tight match to beat Brigitte 10/15 and advanced to the last 32, before losing to the eventual winner of the competition. In the junior competition Michelle took three victories in her first pool qualifying her for the second pool where she won two matches to qualify for the knock-out stages. Her final ranking was 23 out of 49.

Each Friday lunchtime, 20 St Swithun’s pupils visit Winnall and Oliver’s Battery Primary Schools to provide one-to-one reading support.

U13 LACROSSE TEAM SOUTH WEST CHAMPIONS At the South West Rally in March, our U13 team had a superb tournament. After winning all seven of their morning games to qualify for the quarter finals, they then beat St Bartholomew’s 5-1 before taking on St Mary’s in the semi-final and winning 6-1. The final, against Queen Anne’s, was a battle of two undefeated teams. With only 20 seconds to go and the score tied at 2-2, Alice Lander U4 scored a stunning goal handing the South West Rally to St Swithun’s.

U15 NETBALL TEAM SECOND IN COUNTRY Congratulations to our U15 netball team for reaching the final of the Sisters n Sport National Cup. After impressing on their route to the final, winning by margins of up to 46 goals in the preliminary rounds, they were just edged out in a very evenly-matched final.

SPORTS

COMMUNITY

ST SWITHUN’S COMMUNITY

SPORTS

NATIONAL SCHOOLS LACROSSE CHAMPIONSHIP The lacrosse season culminates in the National Championships, and with eight teams and 118 girls representing the school, St Swithun’s had a strong presence again this year. Our 1st XII placed in the top 16 in the country, whilst our 2nd XII played very well to reach their semi-final. The U15A team were unbeaten in the pool stages very narrowly losing out in their quarter-final and U15B team played excellently and made it to the semi-finals. The U14A team played in several competitive and close matches featuring some great saves by Brigitte Bacchus L5, and the U13A team made it to the round of 16 before a tense and narrow loss. With two semi-finalist teams, five teams in the top 16 in the country and 203 goals scored across all of our teams, this was a successful National Championships, and we are already looking forward to next year’s.

Congratulations to lacrosse players Siobhan Tainton L6, Tallulah Jeffes L6 and Jemima Brown U5, and Old Girls Sally Goodhand and Mhairi Brannigan for being selected to play for Wales (Siobhan) and Scotland in April’s home internationals. Miss Nelson-Lee will also be coaching for England.

Our U15 cricket team beat Perins School in the county final of the Lady Taverners tournament to become Hampshire county indoor champions.

We had six skiers from U4-U5 compete in the British Schoolgirls’ Races in Flaine, France

FUNDRAISING FRIDAY

St Swithun’s School, Alresford Road, Winchester, SO21 1HA 01962 835700 office@stswithuns.com www.stswithuns.com Registered Charity Number 307335