HIGH FLYER OCTOBER EDITION
VOLUME 6
2015
High Flyer is Wycombe High School’s half termly magazine celebrating past and present life at school. If you would like to advertise in this magazine, please contact Mrs Dana Morgan on 01494 523961 or e-mail dmorgan@whs.bucks.sch.uk. Our Finance Office will invoice you upon distribution of the magazine. ADVERTISING RATES Items listed for sale: Up to £10 = £1.00 11 – 25 = £2.50 25 - 100 = £5.00 100 and over = £2.00 Wanted or Miscellaneous = £1.00 LAYOUT Full and 1/4/ page - Portrait Half page - Landscape
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PUBLICATION FORMAT High Flyer A5 Colour – Primarily electronic PDF. Annual Magazine A4 Colour – circa 1500 printed as well as electronic PDF. Our magazine goes out to over 1400 local households and thousands of alumnae and is also online at http://www.whs.bucks.sch.uk/ The High Flyer magazine is predominantly an online publication, distributed by email and published online, the size of the adverts are based on the A5/A4 format of the finished product. However we are happy to accept A4 (or other) sized PDF or JPG files and will resize these accordingly to fit. The publication incorporates margins and therefore does not require provision for a bleed edge. We are enormously grateful for the continued support of our advertisers. We hope you find their products and services useful. Please note: We do not accept educational and tutoring advertising for High Flyer. Inclusion of an advert in this publication does not mean the school or the Parents And Friends Association (PAFA) endorse it. Buying a product or service from this publication is entirely at your own risk. Next Edition
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December
Wednesday 9 Dec
Monday 14 Dec
Diary dates - Autumn Term 2015/2016 3 November
PAFA Meeting, 7.30 - 9.30 pm, The Forum Y8 Parents' Conference, 7.00 - 8.30 pm
4 November
Autumn Concert, 7.00 - 9.30 pm, Hall
19 November
PAFA Frost Fayre, 6.30 - 9.30 pm, Hall & The Forum
25, 26 & 27 November
School Play, Hall, 7.00 - 10.00 pm
1 December
An Evening of Celebration (EPQ Evening for Y11 & 12 students & parents)
2 December
Y9 Parents' Evening (4.30 - 7.30 pm)
9 December
Y13 Parents' Evening (4.30 - 7.30 pm)
11 December
Movie Night, Hall, 6.00 - 8.00 pm
15 December
Carol Service, All Saints Church, 7.00 - 10.00 pm
17 December
Y14 Prize Giving, 6.30 - 9,00 pm 2
Table of Contents
Heads of News Crew Emily Morgan Year 13 A3 Saoirse O’Connor Year 13 P3 Year 9 Ana Meechan C10 Simran Suri A5 Year 10 Sraavya Kocherlakota N3 Shristi Ghosh Year 11 Zainab Alam P5 Ambar Yousuf A2 Year 12 Erin Benee P3 Ellie Tarr P9 Lead Staff Member Mrs D Morgan Proofreaders Mrs C Crosby Ms C Wace
Cover Art by Sarah Abrahams Y11 N6 Advertising in High Flyer
Page 2
Diary Dates Spring Term
Page 2
Message From Headteacher
Page 4
Tributes to Georgia Betteridge
Page 5
Art
Pages 6-7
Charity
Pages 8-9
Development Ambassadors
Pages 10
Development Office Update
Pages 12-13
Donor Thank You Evening
Page 14
Drama
Pages 16-19
English
Pages 20-21
Extra Curricular
Pages 22-24
Geography
Page 26
Guild
Pages 28-33
History
Pages 34-35
Languages
Pages 36-37
Library
Pages 38-41
Maths
Page 42-43
Music
Pages 44-49
News Crew
Pages 50-51
Original Contributions
Pages 52-53
Oxbridge
Pages 54-56
PAFA
Pages 58-59
Psychology
Pages 60-62
Science
Page 63
Sociology
Page 64-65
Sport
Pages 66-74
Technology
Pages 745-77
Advertisers Calendar of Events PAFA Barn Dance PAFA Frost Fayre PAFA Burns Night WHS Social Media LIFE Build Pyramid Fitness Abundance Wellbeing Wycombe Squash Club Football Academy Bisham Ingenuity IT Lilla Huset Young Drivers Experience The Fitness Experts Hawkinsport Zenopa Chiltern Camarata Imaginations Wild Chiltern Music Therapy Thames Graphics Cineworld Perton Signs WHS Lettings PYP Sport Gift Form
Wycombe High School Marlow Road High Wycombe Buckinghamshire HP11 1TB Tel: 01494 523961 Fax: 01494 510354 office@whs.bucks.sch.uk Should you wish to contact the Headteacher or any other member of staff by email, please do so through the school office at: office@whs.bucks.sch.uk.
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Message from the Headteacher Dear Parent
importantly by the range of opportunities and activities Wycombe High school girls are involved in.
We are delighted with the very positive start we have had to the 2015-2016 academic year. It is particularly pleasing to see how well new students in Years 7, 8, 9 and 12 are settling into Wycombe High School. Our national reputation has resulted in a significant increase in the numbers applying to, and joining us, over the last six years. This academic year we have been joined by record numbers of students. In Year 12 alone we have welcomed almost 50 new students. This is enabling us to continue to offer a broad range of A Levels at a time when many other schools, due to financial constraints, are significantly reducing the range of A Level subjects on offer. At Wycombe High School we are proud to offer Social Sciences, Economics, Business Studies, Classics, Art, Drama, Sport Studies, Technology and Music alongside the more traditional English, Mathematics, Sciences, Modern Languages and Humanities, supporting a high degree of individual choice and flexibility. Moreover our students start Sixth Form with four A Level subjects, narrowing to three subjects later in Year 12, once our girls are confident about their preferences and strengths. Our students are also able to continue with four subjects throughout Sixth Form if that is academically appropriate for them. This flexibility, coupled with exceptional pastoral care, means we are consistently amongst the very top state schools nationally. We were delighted to welcome our Year 11 girls to our Sixth Open Evening on Wednesday 21 October from 7.00 – 9.00 pm to showcase our excellent Sixth Form.
Many subjects and a vast array of extra-curricular activities are highlighted in this ‘new look and feel’ publication. There is truly something from everyone. I am indebted to our News Crew who lead on the publication of High Flyer, particularly Emily Morgan and Saoirse O’Connor our co-Heads of News Crew. I urge you to take time to read it in its entirety and if your daughter is involved in any activities beyond school please do make us aware, via the main school email address (office@whs.bcuiks.sch.uk) or Mrs Morgan our Development Director (dmorgan@whs.bcuiks.sch.sch.uk). We would be delighted to celebrate her success. I am very saddened to learn about the death of one of our former students, Georgia Betteridge. There is a very moving tribute to Georgia in High Flyer written by her Tutor Group. Georgia left Wycombe High School a few years ago and was an undergraduate at Cambridge before her illness brought her life to a sad end. She touched all who knew her in a very positive way. Our thoughts and prayers are with her family.
Looking forward there are some dates to put in your diary. Our Parents and Friends Association are holding our annual Frost Fayre on Thursday 19 November and our annual Burns Night on Saturday 30 January. And our first formal concert of the year will take place on Wednesday 4 November at 7.00 p.m. I look forward to seeing you at all of these super events.
This edition of High Flyer is the very first of this academic year. High Flyer is an entirely studentled publication that showcases the many achievements of current and past students. I know that you will be impressed not only by its editorial and journalistic qualities, but more
Enjoy Half Term. Mrs S N Cromie, Headteacher 4
Tributes to Georgia Betteridge We are deeply saddened to learn of the death of one of our former students and a much loved and valued member of Bronte 6.
me down, despite the rigorous demands of life in the Sixth Form! Georgia was totally committed, loyal, and enthusiastic and never let anybody down.
Georgia was a humble and modest student whose beauty shone from the inside. She made the time to speak to everyone, showing an interest whatever the Year Group. She was a supportive and caring member of the tutor group who is remembered as being the person who was always smiling! She will be remembered in the spirit that she lived her life.... with joy and vitality.
In addition, she was a joy to be around! Charming, lively, kind, always immaculate, generous, loving and caring of others - - and a wicked sense of humour! I have been listening to some of her music, reading tributes, recalling memories and looking at photographs posted by her many friends over the past few days, and, despite the tears, I have managed to smile and giggle out loud when I’ve been reminded of some of the pranks and fun times she shared with all of us and especially her lovely friends, on tours, in concerts and sometimes in the classroom!!
Bronte 6 Tutor Group Over the years at Wycombe High School we have shared and marvelled at the talents of so many of our students, especially those who contributed so much to the musical life of the school both in and out of the classroom. Georgia Betteridge was one of these very special students, a fine cellist, pianist and singer and a truly beautiful person, inside and out. It was a privilege and joy to teach her and make music with her. From her early days as a fresh faced new girl, she immersed herself in orchestras, choirs and chamber music groups. Nothing daunted her and in her first year at WHS, along with three other Year 8 girls, she took part in her first Music Tour to Leipzig with 120 other students from all Year Groups. The fact that we were participating in an International Choral Festival with choirs from USA, Switzerland, Holland and Germany did not faze her at all. She took everything in her stride, the music making, the workshops, the cultural visits, the history, the concerts, appearing on stage in the world famous Gewandhaus concert hall and of course, the socialising – Georgia was at the centre of it all! Well prepared, always intent on giving of her best, we knew even in those early days that she was going to develop into a fine musician and would take a leading role in our activities. And so she did. Georgia blossomed in every way. Academically, she was a brilliant student – I think her other subject teachers would agree with me there! In fact, Georgia had so many options open to her when it came to making choices in the Sixth Form. She continued to sing in Chamber Choir and lead the cellos in Senior Orchestra and Senior Strings. I made some hefty demands of her in terms of repertoire – and she never once turned 5
Georgia had the world at her fingertips, but alas she has been cruelly taken away from us and we will never know what she could have given to the world in future years. From WHS she went to Clare College, University of Cambridge, where she was clearly achieving brilliant results even in the short time she was there. In her short life, she made such an impact as a person and as a musician. Along with many others, I’m so glad I was able to share some moments with a remarkable young lady, Georgia Betteridge. RIP xx. Mrs Sheila Cornall, Former Director of Music, Wycombe High School
Art Art in Year 13
this may seem like a long period of time, it passes by very quickly when you get into your work and is actually one of the highlights of doing art for me!
Year 13 is the annum in which we are expected to decide what we want to spend our time doing and Art is no exception to this rule. The first unit we undertake in Art during Year 13 is a personal study: we decide what topic interests us most and form a question surrounding it with which we answer, or not as sometimes the case may be, over the first three months of the school year. The body of work should help the artist come to a conclusion based on their personal question through exploring their topic as a journey from research, to artist copies, to records of observation, to development and then to producing a final outcome. The journey does not always take the artist where they expect but the idea is that they get to explore something that interests them and therefore they can learn as they go along.
To give you a small insight into the sorts of work currently being produced by our class here are a collection of pictures from each artist and their project titles. Lauren Moorhouse, Year 13, Nightinagale 1
For our personal study, as well as completing a full portfolio of art work we have to write a journey to accompany the body of work. This is an essay that is between 1,500 and 3,000 words long. This is a way for each artist to express how they are progressing with their project and developing their ideas in a written style which the examiner will use in conjunction with the art work produced to mark the project at the end. As previously stated, the artist's journey does not always end up in the place where they initially expect it will, the written essay is the perfect place to evaluate how and why this has happened. We are currently in the development stages of the personal study and everybody's work is progressing wonderfully. Everything we do informs our decisions for what to do as a final outcome and each artist's work will develop into one by the Christmas holidays.
Amie Carter: Flowers
We begin our second unit of work about mid February next year, we are given a selection of six externally set titles from which we are able to choose from to base our project around. These titles will be very different to each other and can be interpreted differently by each person, therefore ensuring that all of our projects end up very different. We have just over a term to complete this project which means that we have to be one hundred percent focused as we still have to produce a large amount of work, although not a written essay this time. We will have a 15 hour exam at the end of this project which is the time we will have to create our final outcome. Although
Lotty Clare: Women and their Portrayal in Art
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Jamie Dean: The Portrayal of Eating Disorders in Art
Lainey Wilkinson: Animals
Lauren Moorhouse: Seaside
Rebecca Pope: Towns
Fleur Wilson: Ballerinas
Isabel Bond: Food
Hannah Rendell: Domestic Violence
Chloe Williams: Flesh
Leea Smith: The Portrayal of Illness in Art
Rachel Hill: The Use of Photoshop to Manipulate Images 7
Charity In our Nightingale assembly we were visited by two lovely representatives from last year’s charity Buckinghamshire Disability Service (BUDs), Dawn and Heather, who were volunteers for the charity. They came to celebrate the £1797.11 that we raised last year for the charity and we presented the ceremonial cheque to them. They were so grateful for our efforts in fundraising and they pointed out that because they were a non-profit organisation and rarely received grants from the government. This money however small made a massive difference to them. Some of our money will be going towards a portable hearing loop for events in the local area, providing help for those within Bucks. This shows that we have made a direct impact on our community and, as pointed out by Dawn and Heather, this will help thousands of people in the future. It is an amazing achievement for Nightingale and we hope to replicate our endeavours this academic year for Doctors Without Borders.
A visit from Mark Dykes, a representative from Wycombe Homeless Connection, Austen’s house charity last year, sparked emotion among the house, as we saw how grateful he was for our donation, and the impact that it would have. In his assembly last year, he brought with him a rucksack filled with essential items for survival for someone living on the streets, which often they go without. These basic necessities shocked the students, thus in this week’s assembly he talked of how the money we raised would help to provide the homeless with these items that we would instantly take for granted. Mark also shared with us, an eye-opening anecdote about a former RGS student who had come to Wycombe Homeless Connection for support some years ago, and is now on the road to recovery. He conveyed passion for the charity and it’s beliefs, which made us all incredibly proud to have donated such a significant amount of money to such a deserving organisation.
Nicola Easton Year 13 Nightingale House Captain
Hebe Grout year 13 Austen House Captain
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Development Ambassador Update Munroop Phagura (Year 13 Pankhurst 8) Head of Development, together with Emma-Beth Lacey (Year 13 Austen 1) Deputy Head of Development are leading a team of eight Development Ambassadors this academic year. The team includes Rhianna Ramachandran, Niamh Duncan, Kira Dhariwal and Juliet Taylor in Year 8; Louise Etherington in Year 9 and Olivia Irvin; and Fern O’Shaughnessy and Jessica Martin in Year 12.
one based on a TV game show? We also have four Movie Nights planned and need their help to choose the films you want to see. Please encourage your daughters to complete the Quiz & Movie Night Survey which can be found in the Development Course on Moodle to have their say!
Our target is to raise £3,000 to help pay for the construction of a new all-weather pitch for the school and wider community. They plan to do this through a variety of fundraising activities and events.
Movie Nights are for ALL YEARS and are a chance to hang out with friends in a relaxed environment where, if you want, come in your PJs, onesies, bring your duvets and pillows and chill for the evening. The Guild sponsors quiz prizes and Movie Night refreshments. Cineworld sponsors Movie Night popcorn and four free tickets for the lucky raffle winner.
Our first event was the third annual Open Mic Night showcasing a wonderful range of talent. We had 26 acts featuring 37 students from Years 7 to 13. Acts included singing, dancing, musical theatre and instruments. The range of talent brought down the house on Friday 16 October raising £674. A full report will be in the December edition of High Flyer.
The Development Ambassadors also sell branded merchandise. To help reduce the number of plastic bottles thrown away each year we introduced an eco-friendly, dishwasher safe water bottle which has been reduced in price to £3.00. This year we added black lanyard card holders for Squid and Bus Passes for only £1.00 - a great, time saving devise that will help your daughter be more organised. We are in the midst of designing our 2016 Art Calendar which will be on sale at the PAFA Frost Fayre Thursday 19 November.
Once again we ran the Custom Card and Gift Tag project working with Art Projects for Schools. Paintings, photographs, drawings and collages have been turned into beautiful holiday, birthday, thank you and blank note cards. Everyone was invited to participate including students, staff, parents, siblings, family and / or neighbours. We look forward to receiving the cards week commencing 9 November just in time for the holidays.
Thank you for supporting our fundraising events to help reach our target. We couldn’t do it without you. Munroop Phagura, Year 13, Pankhurst 8 Head of Development and Emma-Beth Lacey, Year 13 Austen 1 Deputy Head of Development
Each year the Development Ambassadors produce quizzes and Movie Nights. We need your daughters help to decide what two quizzes they would like this year – a Pub Style Quiz and / or 10
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Development Office Update Last year our goal was to raise £145,000 to equip the New Music Centre and Performing Arts Classrooms. With the support of current and former parents, students and staff, grants and sponsors, we are very happy to report we met 84% of our goal raising £122,806 for the School Development Fund.
over £345,000 in our Science facilities and will continue to do so. This is part of a seven year rolling plan to upgrade all of our Science Labs. This year we will be applying for a grant from the Condition Improvement Fund for the construction of a link building between Christie and Downs with five large classrooms for English, Maths and Humanities as well as improved accessibility to Student Support and Medical Facilities. At the Sports Award Evening in July we launched the Play Your Part Sport Campaign to raise funds for an all-weather pitch for the school and wider community which will be in place this time next year. The estimated cost to build and equip the pitch is £600,000. We are very pleased to report we have already raised £220,000 towards this goal leaving £380,000 to raise. You can help us participating in fundraising events and organising some of your own! We would like the entire school community to join ‘Team Wycombe High School’ and enter five runs ranging from 5 to 10k up to a half marathon. These events can be walked, walked-run or run it is up to you.
Donations from parents to our Future Fund and Play Your Part campaigns make up the majority of donations. We are hugely grateful to all of our families for their donations. Student led fundraising by the Development Ambassadors, as well as magazine and advertising sales by the News Crew, contributed over £5,000 to funds raised. They couldn’t have achieved this amount of success with out the support of the entire school community - current and former students, parents and staff - by attending, participating, performing and promoting our events and contributing fabulous content to High Flyer and the annual Magazine.
Our first event is the Santa Fun Run in Marlow on 6 December. If you are interested in taking part, please sign up http://www.santasfunrun.org/ as part of ‘Team Wycombe High School’ and set up a fundraising page to help raise funds for the Play Your Part Sport Campaign. This is just the beginning. New Year New Sport-a-Thon. We want to invite everyone to complete the distance of a marathon (26.2 miles) in a sport that is not your regular activity over a period of three months. More on this to follow after Half Term.
With this money the school was able to equip the Music Technology Suite and purchase mirrors and bars for the new Performing Arts classrooms. The Development Ambassadors raised over £4,000 to landscape the New Music Centre. To date we have planted nine trees and hope to complete landscaping in the coming months. This year our goals are to raise money to equip the Recording Studio and purchase performance lighting equipment for the two classrooms that can be converted into a large performance and rehearsal space. The Music Department will be raising money through concert ticket and audio sales. Over the past several years we have invested 12
We are very pleased to report that three of our teachers have already completed their first Play Your Part Sport challenge by competing in the Oxford Half Marathon. Mrs Honnor, Director of Music, and Mr Snodden, Music Teacher, set out to prove that musicians can do sport! Together they raised over £1,200 for the WHS Senior Choir to travel to New York in January to perform Karl Jenkins ’Adiemus’ at the prestigious Carnegie Hall from both electronic and cash donations. They would like to thank everyone for their encouragement and donations in the lead-up to and after the race. Who knows what they will attempt next… After five weeks of training and raising money, Mr Nevard (Graphics Teacher) managed to raise £370 for the Play Your Part Sport Campaign in 1hr and 55 minutes. We are hugely grateful to these amazing teachers who have dedicated time and energy to raising much needed funds for the school. Everyone needs to get on board, attend and participate in events and most importantly donate to the school’s Play Your Part Sport Campaign in order for us to achiever our target. If you feel able to support us with a financial gift, please complete the Gift form in this edition of High Flyer. Thank you for your support. Mrs Dana Morgan, Director of Development 13
Donor Thank You Evening On Thursday 17 September in the New Music Centre, a Thank You evening was held for anyone who has donated to the school during the 2014 2015 academic year. Some incredible entertainment was provided by students Tabi Caroe Year 13 Bronte 5, Becky Howitt Year 11 Parks 10 and Alice Martin Year 10 Bronte 2. Tabi serenaded guests with a beautiful piano piece played effortlessly. Becky and Alice sang beautifully while accompanied by Mrs Honnor. Drinks and delicious sweet and savoury canapés were provided from Innovate. All in all, the evening was a great success.
classrooms into a 150 seat performance space available to our many choirs, bands and ensembles. This facility will also open up new opportunities for students interested in the direction, production and technical aspects of performance. We are still looking for additional funding and sponsorship to ensure all of the planned facilities in the Music Centre become a reality. For example we require £11k to complete and equip the recording studio which will be an exciting first for Wycombe High School. In addition, we require £2k for lighting equipment to showcase our performances in the best possible light. Mrs Cromie outlined plans to develop a new allweather pitch for the school and wider community which will be in place this time next academic year. She encouraged all attending to ‘Play their Part’ by running, jogging, hiking etc. in as many sponsored events possible to help raise the £380,000 necessary to build and equip the new pitch.
Mrs Cromie spoke thanking all those who attended for their generous support and describing how their donations directly impact the school. Guests were invited to go on a tour of the recent developments including the new Music Centre, Sixth Form Café, Sixth Form Study Area, Careers Library and Performing Arts class rooms.
This ‘Thank You Evening’ is one of the school’s important events allowing us to acknowledge all those who can support us financially with a one off or regular gift to the Future Fund. Without their support we would not be able to develop our facilities to the extent that we currently do.
I accompanied one of the Development Ambassadors (Niamh Duncan, Year 8, Pankhurst 4) on a tour with some Year 8 parents. It was interesting to hear what they thought about the evidence of their contributions. One parent said that he felt his donation went to a very good cause. I think seeing all of the benefits from everyone’s generosity is a great way to show donors that their contributions are directly impacting student life. A total of £1.6m has gone towards building the New Music Centre and equipping the two large classrooms, nine practise rooms and Music Technology suite. This inspiring building is a testament to the hard work and generosity of so many people who share our ambition of delivering an outstanding education to all our students.
Ana Meechan, Year 9, Curie 10, News Crew
Students enjoy lessons in the building centrepiece - the Rehearsal, Recital and Performance Space. This flexible area can be transformed, in minutes, from two acoustically separate 14
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Drama Summer Youth Project ‘Singing in the Rain’
We had a lot of fun creating this piece of theatre. Guided by our fabulous director, Matthew Dye, our Summer this year saw the fantastic return of the wonderful choreographers, Felicity and Jamie Wycombe Swan Summer Youth Project. I had the Sansom, and the undeniable talents of the privilege of being involved in the excitingly upbeat musicians and costume department, we were able ‘Singing in the Rain’, alongside an incredibly to put together the bundle of jazzy fun that is strong cast, a lot of whom were fellow Wycombe ‘Singing in the Rain’, whilst making new friends High School girls. and bringing on some summer showers ourselves! Of course, a final thank you must go out to Katie Ell, our fabulous producer, without whom none of this would have been possible. She was a true star. For those who saw it, we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did and we hope you will enjoy the upcoming Youth Theatre production ‘Into the Woods’ in February half term.
Myself and fellow WHS participant Zoe Harper in full 20s costume. For those who don’t know, ‘Singing in the Rain’ tells the story of Don Lockwood, a Hollywood actor in the 1920s who is astounded to be caught in the phenomenon that is ‘talking pictures’. This new advance proves to cause problems as Don’s costar Lina Lamont may look angelic, though she certainly does not have the voice to match! Luckily, the studio manages to find a young girl to dub her voice, who is, coincidentally, the girl our strapping hero falls for.
A group of cast members, including myself, all dressed up for our first show.
Emily Morgan, Year 13, Austen 3, Head of News Crew
A delightful montage of our rehearsal time compiled by co-choreographer 16
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Drama The following review was previously published in Morpeth Herald. Tegan Williams Year 9 Parks 10 toured with the production of Annie starring Craig Revel-Horwood.
Jonny Fines. Along with cohort Lily (also a performance worthy of note, by Djalenga Scott), they pose as Annie’s real parents in an attempt to bag a $50,000 reward.
The sun came out on Annie at the Theatre Royal By Paul Larkin paul.larkin@jpress.co.uk
But the absolute star of the show was Annie herself, Sophia Pettit, who showed she is insanely talented. Her voice was pitch-perfect, powerful and punchy and she performed some difficult ballads with an effortless grace that belied her tender years; she made acting and dancing look easy. One minute she would be collapsed in a crumpled heap of emotion, the next belting out a refrain from Maybe or Tomorrow.
My teenage daughter is an Annie aficionado. She has watched the three movies, new, old and original, countless times on repeat; seen the stage show in various guises; bought the soundtrack; learnt the lyrics; and I’m sure we have the T-shirt somewhere in the house.
Every little girl in the auditorium (and there were many of them!) would have left dreaming of being Sophia on that stage.
Who better, then, to accompany me to the Theatre Royal, Newcastle, to watch the latest production of the ever-popular musical, on the first leg of its UK tour?
She is one of three Annies in one of three teams of orphans and if the Roxy and Astoria line-ups are as good as Team Waldorf, then audiences are in for a fantastic time throughout the tour’s run. But for now, stand up and take a bow Liani Samuel (Pepper), Daisy Parry (Kate), Tegan Williams (July), Natasha Raphael (Duffy), Chloe Bowes (Tessie) and the littlest and cutest, Jessica Cartledge (Molly) – Team Waldorf!
You all know the story, there’s surely no need to remind you that it is set in a tough girls’ orphanage in New York in 1933 and follows the rags-to-riches journey of 11-year-old waif Annie, one which takes her to the top of American society where she even influences President Franklin D Roosevelt with her sugar-sweet, positive outlook on life. Just as familiar are the songs – Hard Knock Life, Easy Street, You’re Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile and, of course, Tomorrow. The headline act on the tour is Strictly Come Dancing stalwart Craig Revel Horwood, who proved he is more than just a tough-talking judge as he donned a frock for the part of the indomitable Miss Hannigan, the orphanage matriarch. He can act (although I expected a bit more snarling nastiness from him), he can sing and he can certainly dance. His poise, rhythm and movement, even in high heels and with large, false boobs, was worth 10 out of 10 in my book – he’s a beautiful mover!
The dance routines throughout by the entire cast were alone worth the ticket price to watch, although you wouldn’t expect anything less with Mr Revel Horwood breathing down their necks. I particularly enjoyed the tap sequence at the end of the number NYC – tap seems to be a fading art in musicals these days. To cap it all, the vocals and music were tight and as uplifting as the show itself, and it was all played out in a magnificent set. No self-respecting Annie reviewer can finish without mention of the pooch – in this case, Amber did the role of Sandy proud and would have won any waggiest tail competition.
He was supported by a very strong cast who have been drilled to perfection. Alex Bourne, as billionaire Daddy Warbucks, was suitably authoritarian when he needed to be, yet softcentred as the plot unfolded.
Cheesy though it is, if you’re stuck in a day that’s grey and lonely, this show will definitely clear away the cobwebs and the sorrow, ’til there’s none.
Holly Dale Spencer was superb as Warbucks’ faithful secretary, who plucks Annie from the orphanage to live in his luxurious mansion. And my favourite character was Rooster, played with convincing aplomb and comic slyness by
And did my expert companion enjoy it? You bet your bottom dollar she did. We both joined in the deserved standing ovation at the end.
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English The Beginning of the End
Crawling Night All hallows eve A night of trickery Buckets full of treats All of it is what the eye meets
Gradually, as the thick and heavy smoke lifted, the bleak sky was filled with scorching flames and dragon fire. Desperately, with my wooden bow and steel arrows in hand, I ran around trying to scare them off. Secretly, I had never shot an arrow before, deep down within me was an agonising pain that shot down my spine every time I thought about it, telling me that they meant no harm. How could I kill an innocent creature? Deep down I knew it went against every instinct my ancestors ever had; however it just seemed wrong to kill dragons that had never been a deep threat to myself and my loved ones.
Eyeballs hanging out for humour The casual ghastly haunted house rumour The night of the paranormal A feast on fear for the supernatural Centuries ago a day so grim Now buckets are full of sweets to the brim A shadow cast across your gaze But nothing seems to have you in a frightened haze
Briskly, I jumped back out of my head and into reality, all of the dragons had left. Except one, the pack leader, Scar. He was standing over my family, none of them dared to move. Paralysed with fear all I could hear was my own heartbeat thumping out of my chest: the drum continued banging away. It made it impossible to think so I didn't, I just charged at him. Lining up my bow, rapidly, I ran.
Zombie hands poking from the graveside A nightmare on some street leaving you mortified Watch your back on this night What lurks in the shadow may give you a fright Don your costume and your mask Go ahead and in the night you shall bask In the shadows of Halloween May your nightmares never be seen
The blazing fire had incinerated them, burned alive by the one thing they despised most in the world. The mighty had fallen, and so had my faith in dragons. All I was thinking about was avenging my family. Painfully, as the ashes of my family blew away in the wind, I drew back the thick twine between my trembling fingers, and released it. I had done it, the last shard of my hope pierced his chest. As he fell to the ground I felt his pain, I saw it at that moment. I was destined to kill dragon. My thirst for dragon blood had conquered me and my life was about to transform. The final battle had begun!
All these monsters stalking through the dark On this fearful trip you embark The fiendish ghosts you discover May leave you as a goner Fear, fear, fear and fright A sprinkle of a monstrous sight A dash of your anxious sweat All of your nightmares on this day have been met.
A night that crawls into your mind Be careful of what you may find.
Myriam Zouine, Year 7, Bronte 5
Nadia Zaman, Year 12, Nightingale 2 Branna I was a heretic, staving, lusting, resolving for her love her love, her love, her love the consummating strength of dirt and oil unraveled unto her altar, altar of red. Our kisses created of poisonous wine, to be one is all we wished. 20
But she wished for more wished to possess, to own, to be my white pale bones, my skin, my yellowing teeth but not mine, hers and still I stayed, consumed the insanity, the lunacy and upon that altar I was brandished, amongst the bohemian angels the lure of the devil's spawn. Her, me.
Thump, thump, thump, the pounding sound, peeling away at my mind the beat reduced to the slight gasp of life my hands wrapped, entwined round her soft boney neck the white skin, reddened by my touch she clasped my eyes, with her own and the air turns crisp, the wind kissing my skin as we rest upon the hillside, the eerie sense of death suffocating, reducing the mangled limbs of the below cemented below the heavy earth the stench of rotting corpses, invading my nostrils but still I remain, remain in this ever ending despise the rot and discord of our love, mine the need, the gasp, the want to bare our souls to the evangelical light of heaven oh the purity of her skin will get me there. But I was just criminally vulgar.
The stains were not hers, but the blood of mine deceived by my own mind, For God did not save angels, but casted them down to hell the only thing the nefarious men fear, of blood and ruin, on the streets of the starved, raving homeless. and my love is no good against a fortress of desire, pure or not I the state decrepitude, destroy her innocence her grace, the frailty O’ Branna.
O’ Branna, my own angel, captured, tamed. But what I am but just annihilation, death. Defeat. Lauren Goswell, Year 12, Parks 2
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Extra Curricular Sixth Form Film Club Films have always been a large part of my life - I was lucky enough to be the last year to enjoy the Film Studies AS - and so having a club that allows us to explore the various types of films available was really exciting for me. The club is run by Mr Rushton, whose passion for film inspires excitement for all of us who attend.
Sixth Form Film Club is a really wonderful way to spend your Friday lunchtime, as the atmosphere is incredibly relaxed and informal. We all enjoy our food, films and faffing about, and sharing in these just makes it more fun!
Each half term a new theme is chosen, collectively so as to cater to everyone’s preferences. To begin with, Mr Rushton wisely chose to ease the new members in with the delightful ‘Teens in Film’ theme. And what a great way to start!
Emily Morgan, Year 13, Austen 3, Head of News Crew
Our first meeting showcased the comedic ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’, which was a total hit with the newcomers. The light-hearted feel of the film was just what was needed to draw in those extra few at the ‘Freshers Fair’ in early September. Since then, we’ve watched a number of other classic teen films, looking at a variety of teen stereotypes and/or storylines that are common between them. My favourite has to be ‘teen rebels’ in which we noticed how the 80s liked to use trench coats as the iconic rebel symbol in films such as ‘Say Anything’ and ‘Heathers’. 22
Great Missenden Lighthouse 2015 Despite the religious messages that were so clearly being conveyed, it was definitely a relaxed environment where it didn't matter who believed and who did not, only that you were all coming together to spend an enjoyable week taking care of these kids.
I was introduced to the phenomenon that is Lighthouse at the start of the summer holidays by my good friend Leea Smith, who has volunteered her services in prior years. The camp serves to teach children about Christianity and God in a fun, friendly way through song, dance, drama, crafts and the occasional lesson, catered to the thought for that day. I’d only ever heard about Lighthouse in passing prior to this, and so was completely unprepared for what I might find. I was pleasantly surprised.
Overall, I had a thoroughly enjoyable time, especially when it came to crafting our team sign and lunchbox. Go team Boo! Emily Morgan, Year 13, Austen 3, Head of News Crew
The atmosphere I was presented with, during my short time as a Lamplighter for the six-year-olds, was one of relaxation, fun and an eagerness to learn. The children were encouraged by the enthusiasm of all the volunteers, my team included., to get involved in the many activities open them. Their favourite times of the day seemed to be those which allowed them to expel their energy (namely games and the ongoing dance sessions provided by the band).
The decorative lanyard that I made for myself.
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Extra Curricular Medical Talk
When Mr Neal was asked what shocked or surprised him most so far with regard to medicine, he replied, “how useful everything is”. Even the simplest areas taught to him, which he deemed irrelevant at the time, have helped him later on in some shape or form. Dr Abbas, when asked the same question, said it was the “lack of good communication among other doctors”, especially when discussing sensitive issues with patients. In medical courses today, there is a huge emphasis placed on human interaction, as this is an incredibly important element of working in the healthcare sector.
On Thursday 8 October we were lucky enough to be joined by a fourth year Oxford medical student, Giles Neal, and local GP Dr Sara Abbas. They gave a very informative and interesting talk on Medicine, offering all attendees an insightful perspective on what it is like as a degree and a job itself. Both Mr Neal and Dr Abbas grew up with medicine-related backgrounds; Dr Abbas’ father was a GP and so was Mr Neal‘s. Dr Abbas said that she was working as a receptionist at the GP’s practice where her father worked at the age of thirteen, and that she thoroughly enjoyed this. She was inspired by the amazing impact her father had on the lives of his patients, and knew from this that medicine was exactly what she wanted to do. Mr Neal had work experience with colleagues of his father, and was interested by the ways in which the human body works, which, in addition to his desire to help others, helped him decide to take medicine. Despite this, Dr Abbas and Mr Neal stressed that there are no advantages from coming from a medical background; if anything, it appears even more impressive if you are the first to look into it.
In the matter of looking for work experience, both speakers said it was just as important to gain from experiences as getting them in the first place. It should not be something that costs an extortionate amount. Dr Abbas said that applications to GPs and hospitals should be sent well in advance of the requested placement, and letters should be adequately formal and polite. Universities can see that the candidate is dedicated and truly interested by medicine if they have gained experience in a relevant field (such as at a pharmacist’s, laboratory, or hospital) beforehand.
In relation to university, Mr Neal said that Oxford University was particularly good because terms only last eight weeks. Although these are incredibly intense, more time is spent on breaks. At Oxford, students are able to specialise in particular areas of their learning such as neuroscience or immunology. He would encourage everyone to apply, and to prepare for BMAT/ UKCAT entrance tests beforehand. Interviews at Oxford consist generally of both science-based and ethical questions. Mr Neal and Dr Abbas said that studying at university is no more intellectually trying than A levels; there is just more of the content to learn. Dr Abbas, prompted by a pessimistic-sounding question from a student, emphasised the importance of self -belief too: she stressed to “believe in yourself! You are clever!” Both speakers commented on the advantages of extra reading around the subject, which is applicable to all subjects. In terms of A levels, chemistry is imperative, biology is most definitely invaluable, and maths (statistics) is also useful.
One of the most important aspects of applying for medicine is that it should not be done with the sole intention of earning lots of money. Being a doctor does allow for a comfortable, good life, but does not pay extremely large amounts of money. The best motives are to want to fulfil a strong desire to help others and a keen interest in the science behind medicine. Ambar Yousuf, Year 11, Austen 2, News Crew
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Geography Pink Lake Australia
Hillier’s pink colour is less accentuated when viewed from the surface but it is very prominent from above. However, unlike other pink lakes around the world, its water is still distinctively pink even when it is in a glass.
Lake Hillier, also known as The Pink Lake, fascinated me because of its unusual colour. The lake is located in Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia and interestingly, the colour of this lake is pink. It lies about three kilometres west of Esperance and is bound to the East by the South Coast Highway. Middle Island's pink lake dates back to the journals of explorer Matthew Flinders in 1802. Flinders climbed Middle Island's highest peak (now known as Flinders Peak) to survey the surrounding waters when he came across the remarkable lake. Middle Island and its pink lake is located in pristine wilderness. In the right weather conditions, the lake turns a soft shade of pink due to the high concentration of algae in the water. Lake Retba, on the coast of Senegal, shares Lake Hillier's chromatic weirdness.
Lake Hillier is not the only Pink lake in the world, there are many others such as, Pink Lake Retba, Pink Hutt Lagoon, Australia, Pink Lake of Salina de Torrevieja, Spain, Dusty Rose Lake, Canada.
For a few years, salt used to be extracted from the lake but nowadays it is only used for tourism purposes. The water of the lake causes no harm to the human skin and the Dunaliella salina alga is completely harmless as well. In fact, swimming in the lake’s water is safe, however, the only way to get there is by helicopter. Zainab Alam , Parks 4 , Year 11, News Crew
Why is the Pink Lake PINK? The reason of its unique colour is still a subject that is not fully understood by scientists, although most suspect it is to do with the presence of the Dunaliella salina microalgae. The Dunaliella produces carotenoids, a pigment found in carrots as well. But the presence of halophilic bacteria in the salt crusts could be another explanation. A reaction between the salt and the sodium bicarbonate that is found in the water may cause it as well.
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Guild Former Student Profile Sally McIlhone: Attended WHS 1997 - 2003 What did you get up to at WHS in terms of study and extracurricular activities? I studied Drama, Food Tech, Art, German and RE at GCSE (along with English, Maths and Science). And then English Lit, Politics, Theatre Studies at A-Level (and German at AS Level, but the less said about that, the better). I was in several school plays ‘Oh! What A Lovely War!’ and ‘A Midsummer Night's Dream’ - and school musical ‘Oklahoma’ (where I was the only girl to play a male character, even worse his name was Ike Skidmore, I wore a fake ginger moustache and never really lived it down). I was also on the Debate Society where Mr Tucker and I once defended beards. Why two of my key school memories involve facial hair, I will never know. Do you have any fond memories you’d like to share? Drama classes with Mrs Gill were always my favourite time at school. It was where I felt most myself and most inspired - everyone was so enthused and always pulled together to produce great work. And I made some amazing friends at Wycombe High, some are still my closest, oldest friends, some I speak to on Facebook every now and again, some I don't hear from anymore but think about a lot. Wycombe High gave me some great stories and for that I'm eternally grateful.
the place for you, I can feel it.' And she was right. What do you know now that you didn’t in Year 13 that you’d like to share with current students? It's great to have plans for the future but sometimes life completely ignores those plans, and pulls the rug out from under you. My mum always used to say 'out of bad comes good' and I didn't want to believe it when I was younger but it's true - you will have times when bad things happen, life is not always a bed of roses, but if you can face those hard times and keep going, you'll reap the rewards. And most of the time you'll learn really valuable lessons too. One of the worst things that happened to me since I left school, I can now see it was actually one of the best as it put me on the path to studying again and rediscovering what truly makes me happy. Inspire Lunchtime Talk with Sally McIlhone -
What did you do after school? Straight to Uni, but I waited another ten years to do an MA, so you know, swings and roundabouts. If you went to University where did you go and why did you choose it? I went to Warwick University which was brilliant. I chose it because it had one of the best Law courses in the country, it was far enough away from home, but close enough to still be able to surprise my Dad and come home to watch the rugby. My mum and I went to the open day and just felt these great vibes. She said to me, 'This is 28
Friday 9 October Sally left WHS in 2003 and went on to do a law degree. However, she soon discovered that law was her dad’s dream for her and not her own. After University she moved around from home to Bristol to London, working several jobs and realising that real life, it’s tough! She used to write poetry and songs for her band at University, and had always been interested in writing but had never had a really killer idea. Until one day in the car she was hit by a flash of inspiration for a play: ‘Brain Drain’. It was performed over three days in 2008 and received a four star review from the local paper. Putting on ‘Brain Drain’ gave Sally the confidence to pursue her dream, journalism. During Sally’s talk she said that ‘sometimes you
have to take a sidestep in order to move forwards’, and this is what she had to do. As she had no idea how to get into the industry, she began by writing several blogs and did an internship with OnTheBox.com. She was turned down from the job she applied for at FRONT magazine but offered a job as a sub-editor instead. It turned out that this was not the job for her and because she didn't have much experience at this job she found it very challenging. So she applied for a job at SHOP magazine and… got the job! She worked as a News and City Guide Editor and after 2 years got promoted to News and Fashion Editor. Sally wanted a new challenge, at a bigger, more wellknown magazine, and so she applied for a job as a Front Section Editor at FHM. She was hired, but it wasn't the new exciting job she had imagined. It was very stressful and her boss was never satisfied with the ideas she came up with so, not wanting to be a failure, she got up earlier, worked harder, but nothing would cut it and after three months she was out of a job. Her mum had always said ‘out of bad comes good’ and so Sally persevered, working with various magazines over the summer. She then went back to SHOP and was promoted to Managing Editor. Despite now having a job again, Sally felt as if she had failed at her chance to progress in the industry and began having panic attacks. She quit caffeine, began counselling and therapy and even though she occasionally gets attacks she is now able to deal with them and calm herself down. Working at FHM taught her that she doesn't want to work for a magazine for the rest of her life and so she thought, what makes me happiest? Scriptwriting. She has just started an MA creative writing course at City University and loves it!
competitions, email Editors of your favourite magazines. The website GorkanaPR.com is a good place to find internships. Build up a profile of your work/photography on social media and keep up to date with industry news. Write a CV This is very important for getting a job. Include what interests you, and very importantly, what experience you have had.
Internships Be enthusiastic! Don’t complain, everyone will remember you if you don’t complain and are helpful. Show that you have interest in the magazine and never refuse any job - you will gain valuable life skills. Contacts Contacts are everything. My contacts were the reason I was able to get work when I was out of a job and you’ll never know when you’ll need to use them! Finally… Don’t give up! It is very tough to get into the industry but if you persevere and get a job you will find working in the industry very rewarding. Email me at: smcilhone@globalblue.com I am super busy but I will always try and get back to you. Be patient with me! We do have regular internships so get in touch if you are looking for something over the holidays. Sophie Richards Year 12 Parks 3 Head of Guild
Sally’s advice to get into the industry… Experience All experience is helpful - apply for internships/ work experience, write blogs, enter writing 29
Guild newly qualified dentists and providing expert advice on dental standards to the NHS. Once I had completed my second degree I accepted the position of complaint manager within the group. I am now responsible for dealing with patient complaints and compliance with grievance legislation. I also provide practices with advice on many dento-legal areas such as consent and confidentiality.
Laura Hunter Attended WHS 1998-2004 What years did you attend WHS? I attended Wycombe High School from 19982004. What did you get up to at WHS in terms of study and extra-curricular activities?
Come to Laura’s inspiring and informative Lunchtime Talk, ‘Choosing the right path for you’, on Thursday 3 December from 1:45 pm to 2:20 pm in the Learning Centre.
I did Biology, Chemistry and Physics A-Levels. I also enjoyed being Chair of the Debating Team and I was awarded the 'Science Prize' at the Year 13 Prize Giving ceremony.
‘People have a unique mixture of abilities, talents and interests. In my experience, being successful is often not about being the very best person in one area but about the combination of all your talents. Finding your niche, where your attributes are sought after, and working hard, brings happiness and success. So, where do you belong?’ - Laura Hunter
Do you have any fond memories you'd like to share? Opening exam results and seeing lots of smiling faces and proud parents! What do you know now that you didn't in Year 13? Once you find your niche, and work hard, you will be successful. What did you do after school? Straight after I finished school I had a gap year. I travelled around America, Australia and India. What Uni did you go to and why did you choose it? University of Birmingham Dental School. I chose this university because it was friendly with excellent teaching staff. I completed my dental degree here in 2010. I then went to the University of Cardiff Law School. I chose this university because of it's good reputation in the area of medical law. I graduated from here in 2015 with a masters degree in medical law.
Laura in Year 8 in 1999
What happened once you left uni? Once I finished my dental degree I then spent the next few years practicing in Berkshire and joined Portman Healthcare in 2013 at Walker and Associates, Faringdon as a full time NHS/Private dentist. Since 2014 I have been an active member of the Oxfordshire Local Dental Committee, engaging in roles such as talking to
Laura in Year 12 in 2002. 30
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Guild Archive Display in the Library
Also we should very much welcome more volunteers to help with: sorting, cataloguing and housing records answering enquiries digitisation of records
In the Library, by the Archive, there is a set of display cabinets which we use to show examples of the extensive collection of historical information there is about our school. During the summer holiday a new display (thanks to the hard work of Guild committee member and Archive volunteer, Jill Boyd) was mounted in the cabinets using copies of articles, photographs and objects from the Archive collection. The display cabinet has five sections and each section shows the history of different aspects of school life. These include a selection of photos and examples of uniform; photographs and memories of previous Head teachers; the development of the Library; the early curriculum with examples of timetables, exercise books and text books and a section on the strong tradition of Music at WHS.
If you would like to know more about the Archive, just to visit it or to help, do contact me via Reception. Volunteers are usually there on Wednesday mornings during term time and at other times by prior arrangement. Rachel Sutcliffe Designated Governor for the Archive
We are very fortunate in having such a comprehensive collection which can be used to trace the history of the school, from its foundation in 1901, and the lives of past pupils. Do visit the Library to see some examples of what is contained in our interesting Archive. Archive Volunteers The ongoing work of volunteers receiving, sorting, cataloguing and housing records for the Archive, is very much appreciated. The process would be much quicker and easier if all records included the fullest possible details, including dates and names – particularly important for photographs.
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Wycombe High School Guild Annual General Meeting Monday 29 June 2015
Dates: Wine and Cheese Evening for local former students and staff: Wednesday 11 November. RSVP. RSVP to guild@whs.bucks.sch.uk by Friday 6 November.
After an enjoyable buffet lunch in The Forum, 22 members of the Guild, including the President, Sharon Cromie, the Vice president, Rachel Sutcliffe and committee members Lynda Arnold, Jill Boyd, Branwen Kelly, Marian Brocklesby and Dana Morgan assembled in D104 for the AGM. It was disappointing that so few were able to attend, though employment responsibilities prevented the Treasurer and probably many others from doing so.
Next committee meeting: Wednesday 6 January 2016– volunteers to join the committee would be most welcome. 2016 AGM: Monday 27 June 2016 2017 Grand Reunion: 24 June 2017 to commemorate the centenary of the death of Mary Christie, the first Headteacher of WHS and the first President of the Guild.
The Guild finances as shown in the audited accounts were in a very healthy state and membership had increased from 1985 to 2184 since June 2014. The Guild was therefore able to sponsor many school events and activities such as concerts and drama performances; movie nights and quizzes and the Inspire Lunchtime Talks. Dana Morgan provided more information about these in her presentation and also updated members on Play Your Part fund-raising for building and equipping the new Music Centre; for upgrading the School Hall; for performing arts classrooms, dance and drama studios. The next project would be the all-weather pitch campaign. Rachel Sutcliffe gave a brief account of Archive work by volunteers from the Guild and thanked Jill Boyd, Liz Taylor, Janet Paterson and Penny Waterfield for their assistance. More volunteers are always welcome. Finally, Sharon Cromie presented news from the School, with more information about the new Music Centre. WHS is now a teaching school (ie training teachers), rated outstanding by Ofsted, as well as a Mathematics Hub, one of only 34 in England. Other achievements and activities of the students included charity fund-raising; overseas links; examination results which place WHS as one of the top 50 schools in the UK. After the meeting ended, members enjoyed visiting the annual Art Exhibition in the Learning Centre.
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History ‘Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens’ Jane Dunn book review:
seem as if there were some scenes that served no purpose whatsoever to the film.
Firstly, Dunn's premise set out in the introduction is admirable. She claims that this will be a dual biography focused on the events that shaped each woman's characters and "interactions" in a roughly chronological format. In my opinion, it did fulfill this premise however it just did not have the same spark as Weir’s writing having read ‘The Six Wives of Henry the Eighth’ just before. I found the book highly interesting throughout, however noticed some frequent repetitiveness in the fact that the author seemed to have sometimes forgotten that she mentioned a similar thing, if not , the same thing a few pages beforehand. I also found it slightly disorganised how the first two thirds of the book deal with a relatively short period of time compared to the last third of the book, which rushes through 20 years of time.
My only real problem with the movie (besides how comically evil some members of the Catholic Church were portrayed to be) was Joseph Fiennes in the role of Lord Robert. His character seemed very cringe-worthy and his styling in the film I thought was not historically accurate at all (trendy haircut). It was most probably to do with the fact that I had recently seen his brilliant performance in ‘Shakespeare in Love’ so I had high expectations, however I feel his acting style did not suit the film ‘Elizabeth’ at all. Overall, I thought the film was an entertaining, interesting and impressive history lesson. Florence Dutton Year 13 Austen 6
Some of the things I liked about the book was Dunn’s comparative analysis of Elizabeth and Mary as she makes both queens more vibrant and real by pointing out their differences in relief to each other. I also very much appreciated the family tree and chronology at the beginning of the book as it proved to be highly useful throughout reading and keeping individuals and events straight in my head. Having seen the film ‘Elizabeth’ recently I found it interesting to see how Elizabeth and Mary were portrayed as I now knew a lot more than I did on the background and life of the two figures having read the book. Overall, I felt this book had lots of valuable information and insight on Elizabeth and Mary and their relationship throughout their lives, although I felt that there were some flaws in the author’s writing style which made me lose interest sometimes throughout reading. Review of ‘Elizabeth’ the film: I found this film highly interesting and thought it was very appropriately cast as Cate Blanchett made a memorable performance as a young ruthless Elizabeth. Not only was the acting superb everything to the costume detail and the way it was directed and made was excellent. This certainly portrays Elizabeth as a determined young woman with the way she had to deal with certain matters throughout the film. The web of danger, betrayal and intrigue was very enthralling and helps the film manoeuvre through a few slow sequences as it did 34
Interview with Recently Published Miss Hilary Brash This half term a textbook which Miss Brash has been diligently working on for the past eight months will be released. The textbook produced by Edexcel to be used for their new History course contains a large section written by Miss Brash.
Miss Brash told us told us that the deadlines issued by the exam board were regular and vigorous, ‘though not all contributors met them’ she was later told. The text book also contains a sample essay written by Miss Brash which if you’re hoping to get anything close to a high grade I advise you read. The sources used had to be picked from a huge database supplied by Edexcel. If you think that referencing at the end of you coursework is bad, think of referencing all the sources used in a single section of a textbook. If students, or indeed teachers, wish to see the textbook it is now available in the school library and online. Many months of hard work have gone into the book and we offer massive congratulations to Miss Brash for completing the work. To all you History students, rush to the library now to get cracking. If you get stuck, at least now you know who to ask. Saoirse O’Connor Year 13, Parks 3, News Crew To purchase a copy of Miss Brash’s book please visit: http://goo.gl/9AcLdz
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French Home Stay This year the French Homestay was held between the 11 July to the 15 July and it was an amazing week. Rather than staying in (for example) a hotel we stayed with French families, this helped us develop our speaking skills as we only communicated in French - it was difficult but not impossible! We kicked off the week with a visit to the Sacré-Cœur (a beautiful church), later on we visited Centre Georges Pompidou (an art gallery with so many interactive features). The area around the Pompidou featured several pieces of artwork. Many people got sketches of themselves drawn. Most of us watched a magic show. On the second day we went on a boat ride around Paris (Bateaux-Mouches) and we were able to see many famous monuments such as the Eiffel Tower. We also went to the prettiest garden in all of Paris Jardin Des Tuileries and because there was a carnival near by we were able to visit that too. Finally we visited Tour Montparnasse (Montparnasse Tower) and this has the best view of the entirety of Paris. There were around 50 floors and we were able to go right to the top. Near the Tour Montparnasse there was a shopping centre so we
were also allowed to go shopping for a few hours. On the way back to our hosts houses we drove down the Champs-Élysées (this is where the Arc De Triomphe is based). On our third and final full day in Paris we went to DisneyLand! This was on Bastille Day so we were able to see the parade as well as go on many rides. This was the day most people had been looking forward to! Some families also took students to see the Bastille Day fireworks - they were amazing! It was definitely one of the best trips ever!
Sana Afzal, Year 9, Austen 9
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Latin Reading Competiton During the summer term, Year 7 were asked to perform a play from the book Cambridge Latin Course Book One, either ‘In Baslica’ or ‘Poppaea’. In groups of three or four we had to assign roles to ourselves, translate and direct the play.
perform in their lessons. They get into groups of the right number and have about a week to prepare and memorise the Latin pieces. They then perform their Latin pieces in front of the class. The class then votes which group from each piece should go through to the finals. Later on, the rest of the year gathers in the Hall to watch the performances, as do a panel of judges. At the end, the judges decide on a winner.
We were given a few lessons in our Latin classes to rehearse our play and learn our lines off by heart for a mini audition in front of our classes. One performance of each play in each class would get through to the main competition. The main competition was very exciting; all of the best groups were performing and the whole of Year 7 was watching, as well as a panel of teacher judges. All of the plays were amazing! Each group would take to the stage and perform in turn, and their classmates would be cheering them on, with some friends carrying encouraging banners. In the end, the best two groups were 7A and 7B’s performance of ‘Poppaea’, with the best actress being Lucille Tardif.
I like these reading competitions because you can get very creative with your performances. For example, in my year, there was one group that used shaving cream in the performance! It also helps you recap vocabulary in a fun way. It is a really nice break from textbook work. The roles vary a lot too. In Year 7, I played a poor slave girl. This year, I played a rich and spoilt wife. Very different. You also get to wear costumes and use props which adds to the fun! I really liked it this year, because I got to see the Year 9 performances as well (they are in Year 10 now). They were really good and nice to watch. I can’t wait until next year!
Overall, it was fantastic and everyone who competed was outstanding.
Elisa Dibb-Fuller Year 9 Pankhurst 5 Rebekah Sparks, Year 8, Bronte 5 On Wednesday 8 July, the Latin Reading Competition Finals took place in the Hall. For those who don’t know what the Latin Reading competition is, here is a brief explanation. Years 7 – 9 are given an option between two monologues or duologues from their textbooks to
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Library New Rules….
The Autumn Term has started well, with superb borrowing rates from our new Year 7 students. Between them, they have already borrowed more than 400 books. Our first delivery of new fiction and non-fiction books is on the shelves, and as well as daily newspapers, we stock the latest editions of a range of subject-specific magazines. Meet the team….
The Library is reserved for silent study during breaks and lunch.
Year 8
Tablets must not be used in the Learning Centre, except under the guidance of a member of staff. Students must never leave their tablet in a bag outside the Learning Centre. If they are not required for a lesson, tablets should be stored securely in lockers. Over the summer the Mezzanine has been converted into a new Careers Area, with university prospectuses, job information, and dedicated computers. Competition Success…. Our Student Librarians and Senior Student Librarians help to run the Circulation Desk, organise displays and are happy to help you Year 9 look for books or make suggestions.
A number of our students took part in the Marlow Museum River Competition, and the overall winner was Libby Hart, B4, Year 7, with a superb painting of Marlow, ‘Two Seasons’. All entries (artwork, writing, poetry) will be displayed in the museum at the Court Garden Leisure Centre.
Library Events…. On display…. On Thursday 8 October at 1.45 pm we hosted a presentation by 4th year Oxford medical student, Giles Neal. This was a fantastic opportunity for students from all years who were able to ask questions and find out what it’s really like to study medicine or a related subject. (See article in Extra Curricular section of High Flyer).
French, Spanish and German fiction to mark European Languages Day, a touch of glamour for London Fashion Week and recipes for your own bake-off. Scholastic’s Teen Book Club offers the latest fiction at discounted prices. Every order earns the school free books for the Library. You can view the most recent catalogue and order books through the Scholastic Moodle button.
All Year 7 students will have the opportunity to meet the bestselling author, Charlie Higson, when he visits John Hampden’s on Tuesday 3 November. Charlie Higson, who has also written the ‘Young Bond’ series, will be speaking about ‘The End’, the final book in ‘The Enemy’ series.
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Books just in….
existence is through the words he dreams about, the world he conjures around him using the power of language. For the reality of his world is brutal and stark. He is not named, nor do we know his crime. But he listens. He listens to the story of York, the prisoner in the cell next to him whose execution date has been set. He hears the lady, an investigator who is piecing together York's past. He watches as the lady falls in love with the priest and wonders if love is still possible here. He sees the corruption and the danger as tensions in 'this enchanted place' build. And he waits. For even monsters have a story...”
DVDs for French A level:
Books:
This book discovers the courage of the protagonist being on death row yet still living in the present. Life should not be given up, not until the last possible minute. Every breath is precious; every person has a story to tell. We sometimes need to think more about what is underneath the surface – a person can be anything. For most of us, we play the role as a passenger in this world, but is it ourselves that we should be worrying about, or other people? It examines how our viewpoint might change if we were faced with our imminent mortality and questions should we receive a second chance, or even a third one, if what we have done is not really our fault. The novel’s themes are explored in a smooth yet intriguing plot. I hope this novel can give you some inspiration about the things that you might be thinking about in your life. Life does not always go in the way you want it to go, and sometimes it is up to us to address these situations and question our intentions. This book addresses how to look at things from a different perspective even when faced with a seemingly impossible situation. To look for the good within. Mrs Pruszewicz & Mrs Warner, Learning Centre
Yaqing Luo Year 12 Nightingale 4
‘The Enchanted’ by Rene Denfeld “Even monsters need peace. Even monsters need a person who truly wants to listen - to hear - so that someday we might find the words that are more than boxes. Then maybe we can stop men like me from happening... “ “A prisoner sits on death row in a maximum security prison. His only escape from his harsh
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A brief gothic analysis of ‘Wuthering Heights’
Wuthering Heights is an extraordinary novel. The influences on Wuthering Heights are identified as widely spread in space and time and then drawn idiosyncratically to form this novel. Lynn Pykett suggests that the novel moves between gothic/ romantic forms, which predominates in the older generation of Catherine, Heathcliff and Edgar and the emerging genre of Victorian domestic fiction so that Brontë’s novel moves between Mary Shelley and Dickens and mixes these genres. Wuthering Heights tells the story of a change in perception of families, and particularly explores the subordinate position of women through the cultural changes during the time. Moreover, Wuthering Heights embodies many gothic features such as ghosts, the opening of graves, visions, decay and elements of ‘otherness’ are also explored. This is represented through the use of the powerful ‘demon-like’ protagonist: Heathcliff. This raises the debate of whether Heathcliff is a man or a monster, a constant motif explored throughout the novel. These features are also represented in other ‘gothic’ novels such as Mrs Radcliffe, which was a popular novel in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, as well as in Mary Shelley’s classic of the genre, Frankenstein, published in 1818, the year of Emily Brontë’s birth. Furthermore, in Wuthering Heights, the most prominent and lasting impression is made by the passionate emotions of Catherine and Heathcliff (the storyline consists of their love affair). However, their love cuts across all the unconventional elements of a novel’s plot. This is because Heathcliff’s unresolved passion continues to overshadow the text, and the novel’s resolution focuses on Heathcliff’s state of mind, and his death, eighteen years after the death of Catherine. One could also argue that in Wuthering Heights, there is a level of life, which does not cause or depend on the ‘plot’; and this level is conveyed as of supreme interest and importance. Subsequently, the novel highlights the continuing, unchanging parameters of existence, rather than the mainly external events, which occur during the lovers’ lives. Reshma Bobby, Year 13 Bronte 9
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Maths In late summer 2015, the Maths Department sprung on Year 9s a surprise test. It was done in English and MFL lessons, so that one half of the year group would not be able to warn the other half, and it would therefore be a genuine surprise. The purpose was to show students that they could remember more maths than they thought, and that they could unexpectedly apply it outside a maths classroom. Mr Mackerras recently caught up with some of the students who did the test to talk about the experience. Here are their fairly honest answers!
mark I was going to get I could instead focus on the questions. FP: I was quite annoyed because I did quite well, but nobody got to find out about it. My test just went straight in the bin and the only person who knows that I did well was me. CW: Me too, I did well in the test so I was disappointed when I found out that it wouldn’t be recorded. You say that you did well. Was that unexpected for you?
How did you feel when I turned up to your English/MFL lesson and gave you a surprise maths test?
CW: Yes it was, because I didn’t realise how much I was learning while doing the spreader outer until I got a chance to do a test on it.
FP: I’m not going to lie, I didn’t want to do the maths test because we were watching a film and we were looking forward to that.
What would you all have done had you known in advance that you were going to have a test that day?
ZH: I disagree, I was not particularly interested by the topic we were doing at the time, so I actually preferred a maths test! FC: Actually, I didn’t mind doing it because I discovered that I could do all the questions.
HA: Actually, I would not have done much revision because I could tell that the spreader outer was working and that I would be able to remember things.
How was that? If it was a surprise test, surely you didn’t have a chance to study beforehand?
FP: I disagree, I would have studied the night before and I would have been stressed out by the revision and worrying about the test the next day.
FC: The ‘spreader outer’ made it okay, and meant that I remembered what I’d been doing without needing to study.
If you had known in advance that the marks would not be recorded would you still have studied the night before?
What do you mean by the ‘spreader outer’?
FP: No!
FC: It’s this system with lots of questions to do each week, but instead of doing 10 questions on Pythagoras, for example, in one week, you spread those 10 questions out over the entire time. It means you are constantly revisiting everything and are much more likely to remember it.
Why not? FP: Because it wouldn’t have mattered; it wouldn’t have counted for anything. What about your own happiness? FP: If I had revised and then done badly, I would have felt bad about it. But if I had done no revision and done badly, I would have known that I only had myself to blame.
How did you feel when you found out that we weren’t going to be recording the marks? HA: I thought it was pointless, because it meant that we were just doing a test for no reason.
So doesn’t that mean that’s it did count something? FP: Yes, but nothing majorly important.
LC: I thought it was good because it made it less stressful; instead of worrying about what 42
Primary School Maths Challenge On Monday 6 of July 2015 Wycombe High School held a maths challenge for teams of students in the local area. Each team comprised of four students from the same school who were given different challenges to test their mathematics ability under pressure. The day was run by our mathematics department, mainly Mrs Walters and Miss Walker, with help from a few willing AS maths students to make the day run smoothly. I personally helped with the relay round, a challenge that I had experience in and knew was particularly difficult. The teams were split into pairs and each pair was given two questions that made a set of four, and between them they had to answer these questions correctly to gain points. However, there was a catch. In order to answer the second question, you must use the answer from the first and so on until you reach the last question and then see whether any answers were correct along the way. If that was not difficult enough, either pair cannot interact with the other whilst answering the questions, they must pass answers through their teacher supervising under tough time pressures. I have to say, I did not envy them. Even after all of this, all of the students seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves throughout the day and they seemed to enjoy the competition with other schools.
Nikki Easton, Year 13, Nightingale 8
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MUSIC This year’s Music Tour was held in Barcelona, Spain, with a slight French touch. On the evening of July 10, many talented musicians and singers set off on a “bon voyage”, to two sunny destinations; the first being Clermont-Ferrand in the sunlit South of France, from Folkestone.
After this was a look-around of the Chocolate Museum itself, and its quaint, eccentric sculptures ranging from action movies to war replicas. For many of these, it was incredible that the sculptures were chocolate-based! Soon after, an entertaining activity of silly poses with Mrs Honnor’s bear; and a contest for the quirkiest captions.
The overnight journey meant that arrival was at 4:00 pm (3:00 pm BST) on 11 July. Upon arrival, a guided walking tour was conducted; once outside in France, it was undisguised that the sky was cloudless and markedly warm. The tour was intriguing, and the sights of Clermont-Ferrand’s “Volcan de Lemptegy” volcanoes were idiosyncratic. This visit also consisted of two 4D simulations about the eruptions of these now dormant volcanoes, each very different from the other. The first was arranged as an informative fact file, and the second being in an eruption, trapped underground: the dialogue of which was unsurprisingly in French!
On the evening of July 13, the first concert took place, after a guided tour of the Sagrada Famillia, a spell bounding venue, where much knowledge of the structure’s history and purpose was shared.
After the visit, the next destination was to the accommodation; Hotel Gergovie, where all had stayed on both 11 and 15 July, for temporary lodgement for the stay over. At the hotel, after dinner, a very interesting contest was held: it entailed completion of a written problem in order to obtain craft resources to make a “Music Fairy” in teams, which were then judged by the teachers. On the next day, the travel continued to the second sunny sojourn; Barcelona, Spain,
A vast building, the Sagrada Famillia had excellent acoustics and amazing aesthetics, which made the concert seem even more prestigious. An array of choral music was sung at this concert.
where the main body of the tour was held. The day after arrival in Spain, there was an excursion to the Chocolate Museum, where each participant learned how to make chocolate lollipops from three flavours of melted chocolate, which were to be squeezed through plastic wrapping, much like icing. Another contest was announced for the best Treble Clef lollipop made in the group.
The following day (14 July), there was a visit to the Spanish artisan village “Poble Espanyol”, where there was much shopping of the intricate pieces and beautiful designs which are unique to regional Barcelona. In the morning, at this venue, another concert was delivered which included both instrumental and vocal performance; the repertoire including informal pieces as well as the 44
choral music. Ensuing this was a guided tour of the fascinating, infamous Salvador Dali museum in Figueres, where many conspiracy theories were discussed about the artist’s inspiration for many of his tremendous works, as well as the enchanting optical illusions of the same. It was also Mr Bell’s birthday, so a celebration was held for departure, involving balloons, crowns, large birthday cards, and a plethora of laughs and smiles! In the evening was the final concert of the tour, held at Church of Saint Pere, Figueres.
On the penultimate day of the tour, the journey took a U-Turn back to Clermont-Ferrand. A final contest was announced – the teachers were to guess a song, which the students performed without singing the tune or the lyrics; but instead had to communicate it through other sounds – no instruments! To mark the end of the tour, there were awards (with some bizarre categories – Sleeping Beauties?), and a special performance from the teachers, who reworded songs to address iconic, and hilarious, events from the trip. There was dropping cups, announcing winners, strange beatboxing, and an entertaining remix of parodies that evening. The morning of 16 July; after a 5:30 am wake-up, everyone packed and set off for home through the Eurotunnel, and, standing on the sides for cool air, there was joking and talking till England. Simran Suri, Year 8, Austen 6, News Crew
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A record number of people visited Pennfest this year and for good reason. The fifth annual Pennfest The Dualers was held on the 17 until the 19 of July this year and the glorious weather held out all weekend. The range of entertainment available stretched from local bands, to a fairground making the festival a family event. The festival’s headliner on Friday was world renowned band ‘Scouting for Girls’ and it only went up from there. Opening for the act was Ska band ’The Dualers’, who had everybody doing the ‘Ska’ dance and singing along to their favourite reggae tunes. These well-dressed fellows were followed by rock band ‘The Feeling’ which was, in my opinion, the highlight of the festival. With a brilliant stage presence and playing well known songs such as ‘Love it when you Call’ they stole the show. Of course, all this build up was all in favour of the well-known, and wellloved, ‘Scouting for Girls’. It was a real joy to see one of my favourite bands from when I was The Feeling
Scouting For Girls younger performing live. Despite playing new songs from their upcoming album, the band also treated the crowd to some classics. ‘I Wish I Was James Bond’ and ‘She’s So Lovely’ were incredible ways to close this first evening. A little bit of nostalgia goes a long way. On Saturday the event saw bands such as ‘The Fratellis’ and ‘The Hoosiers’ who only added to the already star-studded line-up for that weekend. Sunday was equally full of famous names, with appearances from artists such as Union J and Rebecca Ferguson, however unfortunately we were unable to make that day.
Also, for all you food lovers out there, Pennfest has a huge range of food each year, from tacos to pizzas to brownies. It was a real treat! The merchandise was plentiful as well, with many interesting stalls selling everything from clothing to glow in the dark face paint (something which we put to good use). The entire weekend was a huge success, as proven by the record 20,000 people that passed through the gates during the entire weekend. Isobel Anderson, Year 13, Pankhurst 6 (with additions from Emily Morgan, Year 13, Austen 3, Head of News Crew)
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Music ‘Terrific Trio’s Concert’
Mr Bell followed the ‘Flute Sonata’ with ‘Polonaise Opus 26, Number 1 in C# Minor’ by Chopin on the piano. It had a very dramatic beginning and if the audience thought that it couldn’t get any better, they were proved wrong. This piece was composed in 1836 and was dedicated to a composer called Josef Dessauer.
On 8 October 2015, the Music Department’s Tea Concert Series finally began. The first of the series was a concert featuring the music teachers themselves, Mrs Honnor, Mr Snodden and Mr Bell (also known as ‘The Terrific Trio’). This concert was planned by the Year 11 XPG Group and was in the new Music Block. Parents, students and even teachers were all there to see ‘The Trio’ perform.
Mrs Honnor finished off the concert by singing ‘Sea Pictures’ by Elgar while accompanied by Mr Bell on the piano. It was a sensational performance and Mrs Honnor stunned everyone with her remarkable pitch range.
Members of the audience gathering before the concert for coffee and cake. The concert began with ‘The Trio’ performing the ‘Flute Sonata in E’ by Bach. Mr Snodden was playing the flute while Mrs Honnor was on the cello and Mr Bell on the piano. It was a spectacular performance and a brilliant start to the concert. Alice Martin (Year 10, Bronte 2) stated that ‘it was interesting to see the teachers perform for once and it was great idea for fundraising’.
Overall, the concert was a huge success and we raised over £80 towards the Carnegie Hall trip in January. The next Tea Concert on the 23 October which will be reported in the next edition of High Flyer. Thabooja Sathiapal, Year 11, Curie 2, XPG Class 'The Terrific Trio' performing the 'Flute Sonata in E' by Bach. 48
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News Crew We’re very excited to be releasing the first revamped version of High Flyer this half term! After a long and arduous haul, it is finally ready for your eyes and we couldn’t be prouder! The new team has worked incredibly hard on this first project; laying out and writing articles, creating the new template, sourcing artwork and much more.
competitions to hopefully fit several tastes: Historical, Supernatural and Fantasy. For the artists we have introduced a comic strip competition. So if you are a budding cartoonist, we would love to see your work. All and any work, be it written or otherwise, that is contributed is greatly appreciated. The more of you that contribute, the better magazine will be. All contributions are due 11 December to give us time to design, produce and print the magazine for a March launch.
One of the more exciting things that has been introduced this year is our edition themes, starting with this terms ‘Haunted’ edition. We have had a great response to these, with some wonderful original content being sent in, as well as themed contributions from subject leaders. I look forward to seeing this continue with the upcoming ‘Festive’ December edition.
We hope you enjoy this new edition of High Flyer, and that you continue coming back for more in December!
Our aims this year are to increase contributions from our amazing artists, writers and journalists. Our goal is have every department represented in each edition of High Flyer. We want to celebrate your achievements in and outside the classroom. Bottom line we want more involvement from the student body.
Emily Morgan, Year 13, Austen 3 and Saorise O’Connor Year 13, Parks 3, Heads of News Crew
We are already working hard on preparing the 2016 annual magazine for you. We have many fun and interesting competitions in the works and are excited for the responses to start rolling in. This year we have devised several short story
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Featured Cover Artist With each edition of High Flyer, we will be featuring a piece of art, graphics and / or technology produced by a Wycombe High School Student. For the October edition of High Flyer we chose a piece of art by Sarah Abrahams, Year 11, Nightingale 6. Here is what Sarah had to say about her artwork. “I’m a Year 11 student in Nightingale 6, hoping to do Art, Graphics and Maths A Level next year. I would like to go into architecture or product design in the future. I chose Art as an early GCSE course and created this piece in my 10 hour final exam, it was one of three pieces for the final exam and took me around three hours. I drew it using dipping pen and a variety of black and coloured inks. The theme of my exam unit was ‘Fantastic and Strange’ and within this I explored Surrealism and decided upon an Alice in Wonderland kind of style. This piece helped me to achieve an A grade in my Exam Unit. I loved creating these pieces. It has inspired me too look at A Level art as an option. I also had the opportunity to research and explore many other artists’ styles such as Picasso, Gaudi and Dali, as well as, less well known artists like Redmer Hoekstra and Nicoletta Ceccoli, who both had a strong influence on the direction of my development work.
I found the art course amazing and am really looking forward to doing art a level. Sarah Abrahams Year 11 Nightingale 6
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Original Contributions The Cellar
and cried out desperately, “Leave me alone. Don’t hurt me.”
Sammy was scared. His parents should never have left him in the basement alone, even if it was only for five minutes. He had started to hear noises that weren’t quite human. He must have been imagining them.
The wind grew stronger and Sammy screwed his eyes shut. “Please” he said weakly. There was a soft thud behind him and Sammy turned over slowly. He opened his eyes and looked up cautiously. Just in front of him, lying on the floor was a ghostly figure. It was a girl, around his own age with deep, blue eyes.
But, in the dark basement, all on his own, they seemed very real. First it was just a creaking floor board, then a door slamming, then a soft thudding. Then, as Sammy thought that it couldn’t get any worse, he heard screaming. Not a human scream, but a bloodcurdling, howling, heart wrenching scream. That was the last straw for Sammy. He ran across the floor, dodging broken glass as he went, until he reached the stairs. He charged up them towards the door but it was locked. Sammy grabbed hold of the handle and pulled it with all his might but the door wouldn’t budge. He was stuck in the basement, all on his own, in the dark.
She smiled sweetly. “I said I just wanted to talk” she giggled. Even though the figure looked calm Sammy was still uneasy. “What do you want to talk about?” he asked nervously. The figure giggled again. “Your death” she whispered. Before Sammy understood what she had said everything went black. And that was the last anyone saw of little Sammy.
Then he felt a breeze. It wasn’t coming from the door, but from deep in the basement. Sammy turned around slowly. Then he heard another scream. This time he definitely wasn’t imagining it. It was real, far too real. Something moved in the darkness. Sammy stepped bravely forward and tried to make himself look intimidating. As he was only seven this wasn’t very easy. He stepped further in to the darkness and soon he couldn’t even see his hand in front of his face. Now Sammy was really worried. As he stepped further in to the shadows something brushed his neck. Sammy jumped backwards. A shadowy figure appeared and stepped towards Sammy. It opened its mouth and Sammy prepared himself for the scream but a human voice spoke.
Dawn Harper Year 10, Bronte 10
“Hello Sammy,” the voice said clearly. “I’m sorry if I scared you but we need to talk”. Sammy turned around to look at the figure but it had disappeared. “Hello is anyone there?” he asked nervously. He felt the cold breeze again and he called out “Who are you?” It was a struggle to keep his voice steady. He was really scared and he could hardly stand up. There was another gust of wind and Sammy fell backwards. He put his hands up to cover his face 52
The Crow Loose floorboards and creaking doors, Flapping curtains and moving drawers. Moaning from the cellar below, Statues with eyes turned old and yellow. A ghostly figure sat crying in the dark, A light above that flickers and sparks. The wolf which howls to the midnight glow, The deathly cry of the jet black crow.
The girl that creeps in, small and scared, Innocent and unprepared. The hands that reach out from the darkness ahead,
Her mind filling with feelings of dread. The cold hand that grips her arm, The piercing scream, filled with alarm. The girl on the floor as white as snow, The deathly cry of the jet black crow Dawn Harper Year 10, Bronte 10
Emily Cook, Year 9, Austen 2
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Oxbridge Update UCAS Oxford and Cambridge have a 15 October deadline for UCAS applications, so our Year 13 cohort has been busy polishing Personal Statements. Those applying to Cambridge must also submit a Supplementary Answer Questionnaire. University Tests Many courses and colleges at Oxford and Cambridge also require applicants to sit a University Test. These take place on Wednesday 4 November, in school. Details of which test for which subject can been found in the prospectuses. The school runs preparation sessions for our current Year 13s, which start before the summer holidays. More details of the tests and past papers can be found on the Oxford and Cambridge Moodle button. On 23 September Year 13 and Year 12 students had the opportunity to sit a sample Thinking Skills paper, which is similar to many of the University Tests. This is set and marked independently by Cambridge Pre-Assessment. Later this term the students will be given individual feedback. Year 12s In September I held a meeting for Year 12s who might be interested in applying to Oxford or Cambridge. Generally we are looking for students with a minimum of 6A* at GCSE who are great independent learners and have a real enthusiasm for their subject. Any Year 12 who was unable to make the meeting should speak to me as soon as possible. The first step is to familiarise yourself with course details and the resources we provide. The Oxford and Cambridge Moodle button should have most information that you need. Here are some useful dates:
YEAR 12 OXBRIDGE – IMPORTANT DATES TUES 3 NOVEMBER
VISIT TO SOMERVILLE COLLEGE, OXFORD (NUMBERS LIMITED)
MON 7 MARCH
VISIT TO NEWNHAM COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE (NUMBERS LIMITED)
TUES 15 MARCH
PRE-ASSESSMENT TEST – SAMPLE TEST FOR THOSE REQUIRED TO SIT A UNIVERSITY TEST
WED 23 MARCH
OXFORD & CAMBRIDGE CONFERENCE
TUES 7 JUNE
WYCOMBE ABBEY OXBRIDGE PREPARATION MORNING
WED 29 JUNE
OXFORD OPEN DAY
THURS 30 JUNE
CAMBRIDGE OPEN DAY
SPRING TERM
COLLEGES, DEPARTMENTS RUN TASTER DAYS – CHECK MOODLE AND UNIVERSITY WEBSITES.
MID - OCTOBER 2016
UCAS DEADLINE FOR OXBRIDGE APPLICATIONS (school deadline is mid-September)
Oxbridge Applications is a private company which does charge for some services, but you can register for free, and they do provide lots of useful information at no cost. http:// www.oxbridgeapplications.com/register/ 54
Dollin Essay Competition We had a fantastic response to Wycombe High School’s Dollin Essay Competition. Miss Brash and I have shortlisted the essays and they will be judged by Oxford historian, Hazel Tubman. Details of the winner and runner-up will be published in next month’s High Flyer.
Reading in greater depth… The Library stocks a great range of subject-specific magazines which complement your coursework and introduce you to issues beyond the syllabus. You may borrow back copies of any of the magazines. Mrs Pruszewicz, Oxbridge Co-Ordinator
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Oxbridge Update Prestigious Scholarship Success at Oxford University
Chloe’s achievement and that of our other talented musicians comes at a very good time for Wycombe High School Music. Our students are deep in rehearsals for their performance of Karl Jenkins’ world premiere of ‘Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary’ in the Carnegie Hall, New York in January 2016. Our choir was head-hunted to perform in this prestigious event having been judged to be outstanding by an independent professional production company.
We are proud to congratulate Chloe Rooke on being awarded the Repetiteur Scholarship at St Catherine’s College, Oxford. This scholarship is the only such one awarded at Oxford University making it even more special. What an achievement! We are so very delighted for her. Chloe has just taken up her place at St Catherine’s after leaving Wycombe High School this summer. She and three other ex-Year 13 students are reading Music at Oxford or Cambridge this year, alongside their successful WHS peers reading subjects such as Engineering, Classics, Human Social and Political Sciences, Classics and English Literature. In addition four students over and above Chloe achieved choral scholarships at Oxbridge or entry to one of the world’s finest music conservatories.
We are so very proud of everyone.
Mrs S N Cromie, Headteacher
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PAFA tickets please email pafa@whs.bucks.sch.uk to request a booking form.
PAFA is the Parents & Friends Association for Wycombe High School. All parents automatically become members when your daughter joins the school, and everyone is always very welcome to join our meetings. Our role is to organise a wide variety of fun events for parents and students, and to help raise money to support facilities the school is unable to fund.
The Barn Dance will be closely followed by the annual Frost Fayre, on Thursday 19 November from 6.30 - 8.30 pm in the school hall, where over 30 stall holders will be selling gorgeous gifts you won’t find on the High Street, including handbags, jewellery, candles, and beautiful decorations. New for this year will be Christmas wreath demonstrations from an expert florist, book early to avoid disappointment and come hungry as there will be a wide variety of delicious food available.
As a WHS parent, especially if you are new to the school this year, an excellent and easy way to help us raise funds is to join the '200 Club'. Simply buy a number in our monthly draw for just £1 per number (£12 a year). Of course you can buy more numbers and increase your chances of winning! Half the monthly proceeds pay for additional school facilities and equipment and the other half is distributed to parents as prize money! Most recently we have used these and other funds raised to buy outside shelters for the girls and to equip the main hall with lighting and sound technology. To become a 200 club member simply email pafa@whs.bucks.sch.uk requesting a '200 club’ form, complete and post the form in the PAFA mailbox outside school reception, and help us reach our fundraising goals for 2016.
If you would like to get involved with any of the events listed above, even if you only have an hour to spare, we would love to hear from you! And your feedback about current events and ideas for new ones is always very welcome so please feel free to get in touch via email at pafa@whs.bucks.sch.uk Best wishes to you all Sonia Holloway Chair, Parents and Friends Association
We were delighted that so many Y7 parents came along to the new parents coffee morning in September, and that the Family quiz, won by brilliantly named “Team 7UP”, was a sell out and raised a fantastic £775 for the school! Thank you so very much to everyone who took part and also to the Committee members who helped out at the event. At our AGM in September, we said a huge thank you to Jo Warnock-Horn, Catri Plummer, and Alan Baker who stood down from the Committee after providing many years of incredible support. We also expressed our thanks to Kitty Garrett who Chaired us during a very busy 2015 and who has kindly agreed to continue to support PAFA events this year. The next event will be a Family Barn Dance on Saturday 14 November, featuring the return of the hugely popular Mizzen Rambler ceilidh Band who have packed the school hall for two consecutive Burns nights! Family and friends of all ages are very welcome, with tickets priced at £7 per adult, £5 per child and £20 per family, including a veggie or pork hot dog supper. For 58
Year 7 Quiz Night On Friday 25 September, Wycombe High School hosted the most amazing quiz night I have ever been to. The rounds were fun because you worked together, had a laugh and found out weird and wonderful things that you would never have otherwise known.
We enjoyed some delicious food and the Guild kindly donated an ice cream to every person present. We would like to thank Mrs Morgan, PAFA and the Guild for helping host the night, in addition to all the helpers who stood by and provided refreshments. I believe everyone had a great night and enjoyed the quiz overall.
7B, also known as the B-lings, were by far the best team there, since we won almost every round consuming many sweets, which was the prize for winning. Each round had a special theme. The Blings had success in Disney and Sport, attaining full marks on both papers.
Milly Crosby, Year 7, Parks 6
Winning Student Team Winning Adult Team
Year 7 Quiz Night Results 59
Psychology Do animals have an episodic memory?
Of course, the main issue with studying animal memory is that they are unable to talk, and the vast majority of animals (with the exception of certain primates which have learned sign language or use images) are unable to communicate in a manner that shows us exactly how they process information and exactly how that information is stored and recalled in their minds. However, many psychologists are trying to investigate these topics with experiments based around trying to prove the existence of an episodic memory. There has been recent research into whether or not dogs do actually
For many years, scientists and psychologists have thought that animals only have a very simple memory structure and rely mostly on instinct without understanding what is happening or why they are doing what they are. However, now scientists are understanding that animal’s memories are much more complex than we realise. An episodic memory is one that remembers specific events and can recall details about those events. We as humans have a complex episodic memory which helps us to process new stimuli by using information that we have stored about previous episodes related to the stimulus. For example, if someone has been to a restaurant then contracted food poisoning, they are unlikely to want to go to that restaurant again as they remember the unpleasant experience from the past and are using it to influence their future decisions. It has long been established that the majority of animals do have some form of memory; we all know, for example, that dogs can be trained to perform tricks or behaviours such as ‘sit’ or ‘beg’. This can be explained through conditioning, where the animal is taught to associate performing the correct action with something desirable such as a treat or toy, then eventually the reward can be removed while the dog still does the correct action. However, this still shows that they have some form of basic memory as they remember which action is associated with which word and how to do each action.
have an episodic memory, in the form of an experiment in Japan by Takaoka et al. from Kyoto University. 24 dogs were used in the initial experiment, which relied on the fact that dogs will reliably follow human gestures such as pointing. The dogs were placed in front of two opaque containers, one of which had food hidden under it. In the first stage of the experiment the researcher pointed towards the container with food underneath it and the dogs reliably followed the gesture and were rewarded with the food. In the second stage the researcher consistently pointed towards the incorrect container (the one with no food underneath) and the dogs still followed their gestures. In the third stage the researcher pointed once again to the correct container, but this time only 8% of the dogs followed their gestures. To ensure that the dogs had not just learned that humans as a whole were untrustworthy in that situation, they repeated the first two conditions of the experiment exactly but instead of the same researcher pointing to the containers in the third condition a new researcher was introduced. The dogs followed this new researcher with the same reliability as in the first condition, proving that they had learned that it was that specific researcher who was untrustworthy. This research suggests
Dogs are a particularly good example of a more complex memory system as well. It is well documented that, in some cases, dogs which have been mistreated by a man may be wary of, or even aggressive towards men while being completely friendly and happy around women or young children. It could be argued that the dog remembers being mistreated and recognises that the person in front of them is male, and as such wants to stay away because it wants to avoid the feeling of pain that it remembers from its previous experiences. However, it can also be argued that this is not a manifestation of an episodic memory system, but rather some kind of instinct that the dog has developed to stay away from men, without the dog really realising why they are being wary. 60
that dogs do have an episodic memory, as they were able to recall past information about events to judge the character of a certain person and predict what they were going to do in the third condition; a level of cognition that a few years ago would not have been thought to exist in dogs. There has been similar research to support the conclusions of this experiment in an experiment by Marshall-Pescini et al from Milan University. In the experiment they found that dogs were able to use their understanding of an observed social interaction between two humans to judge which people were behaving generously and which were behaving selfishly. Two-thirds of the time, the dogs attempted to solicit a treat from the ‘generous’ person as opposed to the ‘selfish’ person. This provides support for the findings of Takaoka et al as it suggests again that dogs use their memory of events to judge character and act accordingly, hence providing evidence for the existence of an episodic memory. It is not just dogs that have an episodic memory, however. Work with chimpanzees and gorillas has revealed that they too have an episodic memory which, as humanity’s closest evolutionary relatives, is relatively unsurprising. Schwartz et al from Florida International University in Miami are in the process of studying the nature of animal memory with a west-lowland gorilla named King,
different study into primate memory was carried out by Charles Menzel from Georgia State University in Atlanta, involving a female chimpanzee named Panzee, who communicates via a keyboard containing lexigrams. The keepers hid 30 different items, one at a time, outside Panzee’s enclosure while she was watching. 90% of the time, Panzee was able to correctly direct other keepers, who were unaware of the items’ hiding places, to where the objects were hidden. Several times, Panzee herself initiated the guiding without being asked, which suggests that the ‘remembering’ is spontaneous and not just a result of being ordered to do it. This further provides evidence for the existence of an episodic memory in animals as she was able to remember separate events and recall positions of objects with a better accuracy than many humans would manage. There has been criticism of many of these studies, however, as many psychologists define true episodic memory as being able to remember the ‘what, who and when’ of an event. The majority of these studies prove that animals can remember the ‘what’ and the ‘who’, but not necessarily the ‘when’. Roberts et al suggested that true episodic memory should at least have some form of idea as to the time of day at which an event happened, and as yet it is unknown whether animals have the ability to remember this detail. Schwartz et al are currently working on teaching King the gorilla the concept of simple time such as ‘yesterday, today, tomorrow’ etc., and if this is successful they may be able to teach him times of day such as morning, afternoon and evening. This could be a breakthrough with respect to whether animals are able to remember the time of day at which an event happened, which would suggest that they do have a true episodic memory. Overall, the evidence suggests that at least some animals do have something similar to episodic memory in that they definitely seem to be able to remember specific events. While they may not necessarily have the same memory structure as humans, they do have a much more complex memory and higher level of cognition than originally thought by the majority of people in the past. More research needs to be carried out in the field of whether animals are capable of ‘mental time travel’ and vaguely understanding the concept of time, which in turn will lead to the proving or disproving of the existence of a true episodic memory in animals.
who communicates via picture cards. Communication with him has shown that he can remember which keeper gave him which food, even when the keepers themselves cannot remember. A further study carried out by Schwartz involved King watching 33 strangers performing different tasks such as playing the guitar or doing star-jumps. He then had to identify the person by the activity and was correct over 60% of the time. This provides definite evidence that gorillas do have an episodic memory,as King was able to recall a specific event and details about it (the task and the person doing it). A
Zoe Harper, Bronte 9, Year 13
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Psychology Book review: ‘Stumbling on Happiness’ Daniel Gilbert What makes the book interesting is not only Gilberts humorous style of writing but his unorthodox idea of reaching happiness. According to Gilbert when life takes a turn for the worse it can eventually lead to a brighter outcome. He uses examples of two men; one who was wrongfully imprisoned and another who was paralyzed. However rather than being distraught about their circumstances Gilbert explains how it allowed them to reappraise their situations and alter their perspectives on life to find greater value and pleasure. “The moral of the story?, If you want to be happy, healthy, wealthy, and wise, then skip the vitamin pills and plastic surgeries and try public humiliation, unjust incarceration, or quadriplegia instead.”
Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert is a non-fiction book that takes an opposing approach to a self-help book. Rather than explaining and demonstrating ways to be happy he convinces the reader how difficult and unrealistic the goal of happiness is to achieve. Do we really know what makes us happy? Our scale of happiness is constantly changing so when are we really happy? He explains how the faults of our hearts and heads deceive us into what we think is happiness to later compare with other experiences and emotions and realise perhaps it was not. Gilbert focuses largely on the future with the central thesis that our judgements of the future are often poorly made. He puts these faults largely to imagination stating that it fails to recognise important details and realise how different things will be when they actually occur.
Furthermore, what is also exciting about the book is the opportunity to discover the author. Throughout the novel Gilbert uses witty remarks and comical lines; “like shrewd politicians, they ignore the question they are asked and answer the question they can”. His sarcastic tone and enthusiasm to objectify what we think we know inspires the reader to think long and hard about their conceptions of happiness and life. On one hand he can be seen as charming and intriguing however on another he may come across and overly confident and somewhat rude. The book offers an alternative perspective to reaching happiness which as a concept itself is intriguing. From the book I have learnt that happiness is almost unobtainable because when do we really know when we have reached it. What makes us happy one day may be what ruins us on another. The book has provoked me to think, is happiness really a feeling? Or is it a desirable goal in life which we strive to reach yet never really know when we are there. Kate Haynes Year 12 Parks 5
However despite a slightly cynical idea that happiness is unobtainable, Gilbert offers an approach to reaching happiness; discuss the future with people who have experienced that same or a similar event already. Despite our perceptions that each individual is unique and unlike any other, Gilbert shows that by comparing our future to a random person’s past we can use this as a guide to personal fulfilment to predict our future happiness rather than our faulty wishful thinking. 62
Science KS3 Science Club KS3 Science Club runs every Thursday lunchtime in Lab H from 2:00 pm onwards. All students from years 7, 8 and 9 are welcome. So far we have enjoyed making rocket mice, testing parachutes, creating spaghetti towers and even taking part in a rat dissection! Coming activities include:
22 October – ‘Shape Shifting Slime & Black Snakes’ 5 November – ‘Screaming Jelly Baby & Flame Tests’ 12 November – ‘Build a Moon Buggy’ 19 November – ‘Papier Mache Planets’ 26 November - ‘Scorching Silicon’ All are welcome and you can just turn up on the day. If you want to know more please come and speak to me in the science prep room next to Lab H. Mrs Kate Truby, Science Technician.
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Sociology Year 12: The Nature vs Nurture Debate In the middle of Year 11 we both made the decision to study Sociology in the sixth form. We were apprehensive at first due to the fact that we had never studied the subject before. Although, through completing the summer work on the ‘Nature versus Nurture’ debate, we both immediately developed a keen interest on the topic and overall subject.
case suggests that socialisation enabled Kamala to adjust to life with humans and that the nurture side of the debate can be considered to be very important. The first topic which we studied was the process of socialisation. We immediately began to learn new key terminology and concepts which we both feel has developed our vocabulary and impacted our perception of the society we live in. Since then we have continued to enjoy learning about different people’s opinions within the subject and developing our own. Additionally, we feel that the subject has been useful in other subjects which we are studying, particularly Psychology as it provides a different viewpoint and compliments it well.
We particularly enjoyed researching the effects of socialisation and how it can impact an individual’s personality and behaviour, as it was interesting to see how it can be applied to everyday life and our
We are thoroughly enjoying learning about this subject and are excited to see what else Sociology has to offer. Lauren Jones Year 12 Pankhurst 6 and Livvie Gresswell Year 12 Pankhurst 4
individual situations. We researched feral children and how they can be used as examples in the ‘Nature vs Nurture’ debate. One case we found interesting was where two girls Amala and Kamala were discovered in 1920 having lived with a pack of wolves. They were captured to be observed and descried as having ‘wolfish appearance and behaviour’. They were taught how to speak, play and behave as humans then went to live in an orphanage. This 64
Year 13: Book Review ‘Understanding Media Semiotics’ By Marcel Danesi
The book investigates the idea that it is ironic that in contemporary media representations the main message is the nefarious control media had. Movies, popular books, TV documentaries and website warn about the ‘dangers of the media’, showing the paradox of culture. Within the chapter I read, it explains, the semiotic perspective, the hypodermic needle view, pop culture and concluding reflections. It was interesting to read about the assumption that there exists a ‘need for meaning’ in all human being and this, arguably, is the reason why media products of all types are so interesting. They provide representations that feed our need for meaning. Which lead to humans creating pop culture forms.
There are no answers and no solutions. Cultures resolve their problems and set their future goals dynamically from within. While it is true that globalisation of the media has transformed the world into a consumer frenzied ‘factory’, it is true that the changes to this are because of within. Therefore it falls on us to make sure the next generation knows the difference between a news documentary and an advertisement for running shoes. Ironically this is best done through the media. Hannah Gatfield Year 13 Bronte 4 65
Sport Sports Day Results Another tremendous WHS Sports Day took place on Friday 10 July 2015, featuring a wonderful Magna Carta themed opening ceremony courtesy of our very talented musicians, acrobats, playwrights and artists in Year 10. This was really something quite spectacular! Overall Results: 1st Bronte 2nd Nightingale 3rd Parks Looking forward to our next super Sports Day on Friday 8 July 2016. This will feature another no doubt spectacular opening ceremony created, produced and performed by our current Year 10 students. Miss Snook, PE Teacher
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Below find extracts from ‘The Medieval Magazine’ created by the Year 10 XPG Students (now Year 11) led by Mrs Sarah Houchin, Editor in Chief. You can check out the complete magazine on line by following this link: http://goo.gl/wJiHC0
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Sport Zambia and Botswana Expedition
Everyone I met seemed happy, and in turn I was very happy too.
I had been anticipating my expedition to Africa for around one and a half years. I jumped at what seemed to be this amazing opportunity, and I cannot emphasise how glad I am that I did. Of course I had my doubts. 3 weeks away from home seemed rather a daunting prospect, especially as I would be in a foreign country with a very different culture. There were multiple times that I said I didn't want to go, and yet somewhere in the back of my mind I always knew I would.
It was a long run up and I used the 18 months prior to the expedition to fundraise. This included car washing, cake sales, bag packing and other little bits and bobs. However, it took a long time to sink in that I was actually going.
The relaxation stage provided us with such amazing experiences. I can safely say that going on a safari has now been ticked off my bucket list. My group spent a fantastic three days in Botswana, going on three game drives into Chobe National Park. Elephants, giraffes, crocodiles, hippos, zebras, vultures, eagles, water buffalo and lions were some of the creatures we saw, and each and every one was breath taking to behold. I was elated to see Elephants who have long been one of my favourite animals. Despite my very apparent grumpiness to be woken at 5:00am to go on a game drive, I can firmly say it was one of the best experiences. Our relaxation phase also took us to one of the seven natural wonders of the world - Victoria Falls. This was probably one of the best days of my life. I can't actually describe how happy I was on that day, words just don't seem to suffice - it was just incredible.
When we arrived the expedition consisted of three main blocks: charity work, relaxation, trek in that order. Our charity project took place at a school in Zambia, it was entitled the 'Mulemi community school project' and I am very proud of the contribution my group made. The first week saw all 19 of us making bricks. I suppose this sounds easy enough when I phrase it like that. However the work was all manual, meaning it was tiring, and despite it being the African winter, it was still well over 30 degrees - I would say this made it slightly more challenging. Over five days we made 428 bricks, which is hopefully of great help to the project. The school needs to build three more classrooms in addition to its two existing ones in order to gain government funding, and I hope that a third classroom is now in sight. It was such a joyful experience. The atmosphere at the school was so cheerful, the children were genuinely excited to go to school and seemed to relish every new bit of knowledge they obtained. 68
The trek was hard. The monosyllabic nature of that sentence emphasises the difficulty, but I will go into more detail. The trek was four days long. We walked along the banks of the Zambezi river. Now when I say 'walked' I actually mean bolder hopped. On the second day we spent a solid eight hours bolder hopping, while carrying 14 kilogram backpacks on us. Grueling, is the word that comes to mind. I fell over multiple times, and had the battle scars to prove it. I cried... quite a few times. I really missed home and felt like I couldn't keep going. But I did, partly because I had to, as otherwise I would be stranded in the Batoka gorge, but also because I wanted to.
Of course I made it. I completed the trek and was elated at the end. It was the most challenging thing I have ever experienced and probably the most rewarding.
expedition to Zambia and Botswana this past summer were the best three weeks of my life so far. Looking back at what we did, where we went and who we met, I can now truly appreciate just how lucky I was to have the opportunity and the means to go on this trip of a life time. From watching the sunset over the Zambezi from a traditional dug-out canoe, to spending an afternoon playing Frisbee with the children of the rural Zambian village Sooka, with our main form of communication primarily being through frantic hand gestures and smiles, there are memories that I know I could never, and would never want to, forget. Sure, at times it was difficult. After all, as we were told on many occasions, it was an expedition and certainly NOT a holiday.
Of course I have to talk about my group. Timu Moja as we called ourselves (meaing Team One in Swahili) was the best group. The team included 16 girls, two teachers and one expedition leader, and I love them all. We have become so close over the three weeks and I feel a little lost without them. I loved our conversations, our inside jokes and how we supported one another. They made for awesome tent buddies, interesting chefs and great motivators. I didn't just have one person to lean on, but 18 people. I'll just say in the cheesiest way possible that I now have 15 best friends for life.
Sleeping on a thin rolling mat in a tent for three weeks was hard, particularly when cockerels seemed to materialise outside your tent at exactly five in the morning, proving as an interesting wake up call. Trekking down sandy paths with a heavy backpack in the heat of day was hard. Being away from home for three weeks was probably the hardest, especially when your only form of communication with your friends and family being Facebook messages sent from one computer via questionable Wi-Fi. However, these minute hardships seemingly fade away when looking back over those crazy three weeks. Not only did we go on safari and see one of the natural wonders of the world, we got to experience just a snippet of the wide range of different, vibrant cultures on our planet, fuelling my ever increasing desire to travel. I personally learnt so much from my time in Zambia, being able to visit a developing country truly showed me just how lucky we westerners are, from having a safe, comfortable place we can call home to having easy access to a good education, two things that I have definitely taken for granted.
The first step of a journey is always hard. I had no idea what would happen when I signed up for this trip. I have followed the path to its end and the trip has brought me the most incredible memories that I hope to never forget. I didn't quite know where I would end up when I took the first step, but now I can say firmly that I have ended up with confidence and a grounded sense of selfcontentment.
The motto of Outlook expeditions is “Same world, different outlook� which neatly sums up my feelings surrounding what I feel I have gained from the trip. It has taught me that not all learning is done in the classroom, that there is so much the world has to offer, that although exams and qualifications are an essential and important part of life, they are not everything.
Emma Wace Year 12 Austen 10
Tean Stewart-Murray, Year 13, Bronte 7
At the risk of sounding incredibly cheesy, it is no exaggeration when I say that the Outlook 69
Sport U15 Squash Match: Wycombe High Vs Wycombe Abbey On the 22 September 2015 the Wycombe High School Under 15 Squash Team consisting of Alysha Martin, Gina Mullis, Lucy Herritty, Hannah Krasner, Abbie Sumner, and Kassia Goosen as reserve played an away game to Wycombe Abbey.
Lucy Herritty played next as number 3. It was a close match, but unfortunately lost 9-11, 8-11, 511. Last was Alysha Martin who played as number 1. She won 3-0, 11-9, 11-2, 11-7. Kassia Goosen did really well winning her first ever match for the school as the reserve.
Gina Mullis was first on court playing as number 2, winning the first two games 11-9, 11-9. The next two games were close, but she lost 6-11 1012. The last game was the tiebreaker. It was extremely close and very intense, however Gina lost by the slightest of margins 12-14.
Overall, we lost against Wycombe Abbey 3-2 - a very close match, and although we didn't win, we played hard, fought hard, and tried hard, and there is nothing more which you can ask a team to do. There are two more matches coming up against Kenilworth (away), and Aylesbury High (home).
Next was Abbie Sumner playing as number 5. It was her first match playing for Wycombe High and she couldn't have done any better. It was very close, but in the end lost 6-11, 8-11, 6-11. Then it was Hannah Krasner playing as number 4. She lost her first game 11-13, but then came out on top winning the next three games 12-10, 11-9, 11-6.
Alysha Martin, Year 9, Nightingale 1
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D of E Bronze Expedition It was a busy September for the Year ten DofE Bronze groups who spent two of their weekends on the Practice and Qualifying Expeditions in the Chilterns. The students learnt all of the skills they needed to enable them to navigate their way through the Chilterns to their campsite and then onto their finish destination. They had to carry all of their kit and equipment with them and try not to get lost! At camp, they learnt how to cook on a trangier safely and manage their tents appropriately. After a successful practice, all 112 students who started on the qualifying expedition managed to pass! The expedition is challenging, hard work but very rewarding and the students all came away having learnt some invaluable new skills. Well done all! Tasha Saint-Smith Director of Sport & OAA
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Sport Cross country 2015-16
A special congratulations for the U13 category goes to Emily Sanderson, coming 2nd out of 58 finalists, Megan Harris, coming 4th and Mei-ya Lambert in 7th. Our Year 7 runners in their WHS debut performed absolutely brilliantly, with Josie, Skye, Lily and Mia all finishing comfortably in the top end.
Well, we have literally started 2015's cross country season on the B of the Bang!
In the U15 category, Mia sprinted home in 3rd, Amelia in 4th and Harriet in 11th, scoring first place for WHS! Well done team! Full results available on the Wycombe Phoenix Harriers website.
The Wycombe Phoenix Harriers Races For Schools took place on Saturday 3 October and we won two out of team prizes, that's: U13 First and Fourth U15 First WHS even won an additional prize in the U13 category as we entered a large team! U13 Team Emily SANDERSON (Individual medal winner) Lily WALDEN Megan HARRIS Josie EMPRINGHAM Skye AXFORD Imogen THOMPSON Mei-ya LAMBERT Mia CADDELL Sheryl CLIFF
Miss Snook Teacher of PE, Mr Houston Teacher of Mathematics and Alan Hewson (Lead coach at WHS and Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow Atheletic Club www.WSEH.info) For more details on club membership, please see www.WSEH.info.
U15 Team Mia WATERHOUSE (Individual medal winner) Amelia JARVIS Harriet GRAHAM
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English Schools' Cross Country Cup 2015
Well done Team WHS! Wish us luck for 7 November!
The first round of the English Schools' Cup 2015 took place at Cottesloe School, Wing on Wednesday 7 October 2015 and I'm delighted to report that Wycombe High School qualified in both U13 and U15 categories for the regional round on Saturday 7 November!
Miss Snook, Mr Houston and Alan Hewson (Lead coach at WHS and Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow Atheletic Club www.WSEH.info)
The team comprised: Skye Axford Josie Empringham Megan Harris Mia Caddell Mei-ya Lambert Tina Macaulay Emily Sanderson Jemima Copeman Amelia Jarvis Ana Montgomery Mia Waterhouse Lucy Wheeler Harriet Graham Emily Westwood
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Sport U19 Squash Match: Wycombe High School vs Wycombe Abbey On the afternoon of Wednesday 7 October, Wycombe High’s U19 Squash team went up against Wycombe Abbey’s U19 C Squash team in what was a smashing match. The team had a great line up with Cassie Green playing first, Bethan Draper second, Lauren Allington third, Jess Martin fourth and Emily Morgan fifth. All of the girls won their matches 30, although some had much harder battles to fight than others, and in the end Wycombe High beat Wycombe Abbey 5-0. A wonderful first triumph! Huge congratulations to all of my teammates, we got through the first match of Stage 1! Aylesbury High, bring it on! Emily Morgan, Year 13, Austen 3, Head of News Crew
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Technology Year 9 Graphics Early Entry Logo Design for Their Label Project Emily Deane, Year 9 Pankhurst 9, took inspiration from the fragrance of one of her favourite hair care products and created her own customised logo design using her excellent design skills. "It took me a lot of time to render my design so neatly, but the effort was worth it in the end as I am very happy and proud my design"
Textiles Halloween Workshop October 2015 – 55 eager young designers!
Textiles Halloween Workshop October 2015 – Year 11 pupils Joanna and Lizzie demonstrate how to create ‘Mini Pumpkins’
Textiles Halloween Workshop October 2015 Year 13 pupils Lille Peters and Lauren Moorhouse demonstrating ‘Bat Wings’
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Technology Textiles Halloween Workshop October – Year 13 pupil Nadine demonstrates a skull T-Shirt that would be fantastic for Halloween.
A fantastic demonstration of make up artistry by Dominique another Year 13 student.
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Verity Atkins Year 12 Textiles Beautiful felted tablet cover created using upcycled wool and old woollen jumpers. A mixture of Wet and Dry felting technique is used with a fantastic final effect. Recycling at its best!
be personally wearing during A/W London Fashion Week, February 2016. 'The girls deserve these opportunities in order to showcase their amazing talents within Textiles. Collaborative links with outside designers and manufacturers inspire, and create wonderful insights to the world of fashion and beyond. I am very proud of all the young women who worked so hard on this project'. Miss Morgan, Teacher of Design and Technology The technology department are utilising tablets to inspire students upon their career path choice.
Wycombe High at London Fashion Week
The London Underground map suggests over 50 different career paths students could enter when selecting a technology based subject for GCSE and A-Level.
British Fashion Designer and founder of ‘Future of Fashion’ Debbie Wingham, a world famous designer and the creator of one of the world’s most expensive dresses, collaborated with young designers at Wycombe High School to create a show stopping dress for London Fashion Week (18-22 September). The dress was made of an unique fabric, printed with over twenty fashion figures created by talented textile designers in Years 7-11 from Wycombe High.
Whilst in the side, the new, augmented reality Aurasma video wall, shows students the types of things those career paths would lead to with inspiring video clips built in to still images. The app is free, and requires you to follow Mr Nevard using the address cnevard, to view the videos.
Debbie Wingham stated: 'Wycombe High is a school with students of amazing potential in textiles and fashion. The teachers and the equipment are of the highest standard. So far I have taught half of a dozen pupils in my independent fashion workshops and they have all worked at a very high level. I am really looking forward to working with WHS in the future'.
Watch this space for more Aurasma symbols around the school over the next 12 months. Mr Craig Nevard, Graphics Teacher
The unique fabric was printed in school by GCSE students using the school's sublimation printer. The dress is currently being transformed from its original, into a cape, which Debbie Wingham will 77
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Letting of School Premises One way in which we can raise funds is to hire out various areas and facilities of Wycombe High School, for example, Sports Hall, Lecture Theatre, Conference Room, The Forum, classrooms etc.
and a booking form, please contact Reception on 01494 523961 or e-mail Reception@whs.bucks. sch.uk.
For details of availability, charges
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