Newsletter 2012 - Francis Holland School

Letter from the Headmistress
The last year has been a stable one for Francis Holland School and the FHS Old Girls. Once
again the School Birthday was celebrated in style, this time with a drama theme. The
speaker at the service was an old girl Camilla Arfwedson, who is now well known in the
acting world. She spoke fondly about her time at Francis Holland from the age of 4 and
the entertainment for the senior school girls was a presentation about the Graeae Theatre
Company. Junior School girls were enthralled by some circus entertainers. The evening
reception attracted old girls from recent and less recent times but it was particularly
pleasing to see girls for whom it was their first reunion.
Every year I am delighted to report that many of the long standing and traditional
events, such as the Morison Verse, the Lauda Sion and the Fanny Davies competitions,
continue as do the Play Competition and the regular sporting events. The same is true
this year and new activities have been added. The extra-curricular programme is well
established but has recently been enhanced by a new Maths Club, Sloane Sequence One,
and a newly formed Literary Society with some superb speakers. Last term Tim Butcher
and Mark Lawson came to lecture to FHS pupils and visitors from other local schools.
Charity activities are also very well supported with the Wings of Hope Achievement
Award Scheme being very popular for girls in Year 10. The WOHAA teams held activities
including a Fashion Show, a Sponsored Silence and Bracelet making and raised nearly
£6000. The Fashionista Group were runners up in the category for the most innovative team.
News of school activities and of the successes of pupils current and former is posted on the
web site and regularly updated by Vanessa McKinley, who has now been Marketing Director
of both Francis Holland Schools for several years. She will be working with the old girls
committee to set up easier access and Facebook links to make communications simpler.
My own last year has been a busy and happy one and after the announcement that
Mrs Lucy Elphinstone would be taking over as head in September I have had many useful
conversations and meetings with her. She will be welcomed by the staff later this term and
will visit the school on several more occasions before September. She is very excited about
her new role and has been most attentive in making sure that she familiarises herself
with the values and traditions of FHS. I am confident that she will bring fresh ideas to the
school but continue to maintain the essential ethos and style.
I very much look forward to
keeping in touch with FHS through
newsletters and Old Girls’ events and
am confident that the Old Girls society
will go from strength to strength.
Stephanie Pattenden
Headmistress