December 2012 - St Dominics | Sixth Form College

N E W S L E T T E RDecember 2012 (No. 198)St Dominic's is a Roman Catholic Sixth Form College committed to the personaland spiritual growth of all its members based on Christian values, academicexcellence and high quality pastoral careFrom the PrincipalLooking back through the College calendar for this half term there are so many events in which studentshave taken part in addition to the normal timetable of lessons. In addition to the many subject related tripsand sports activities there was the first of the Comenius visits to Lithuania, a Kintbury retreat, the Collegebased Religious Studies conference and hundreds of students watched the College version of Take MeOut. A highlight was the 1 st Year Christmas Mass celebrated by Fr David Williamson and attended by 500students and staff in the Sports Hall which had been prepared for the occasion. This was also my opportunityto say goodbye to the students and wish them every success in the future as they prepare for the Januaryexaminations (the last time that the January session will be available) and look forward to completingtheir AS courses next summer. So a busy half term and I am sure that students and staff are looking forwardto a well earned rest. For me the last seven weeks have encapsulated the St Dominic’s experience –one in which members of staff undertake with great professionalism the preparation for assessment, examinationsand UCAS applications, but go the extra mile in making sure that students enjoy a rich experienceof education during the relatively short time they spend at St Dominic’s. It has been a privilege to work withsuch a committed staff body and to have received the support of students, governors, parents and thewider College network during my eight years as Principal. I am sure that the College will continue to thrivedespite the challenging conditions in which it operates and I wish all of the College community every successin the future.Patrick HartyHappy ChristmasATTENDANCE REMINDERCould all parents and guardians please remember the following important rules regarding student attendance:• Reception must be told (in advance) of any class that a student is going to miss. It is not enough to tell theteacher or tutor.• The student or parent/guardian must telephone Reception before 10.00 a.m. on each day of absence (thisincludes doctor’s and dentist’s appointments, University Open Days etc.).• If students arrive late, or wish to leave early for any reason, they must complete a form at Reception.• If the student or parent does not notify Reception then the absence is unauthorised and this will be recorded onReports.The College is very proud of its outstanding levels of attendance and we value the co-operation of parents andguardians in keeping attendance high. We know that high attendance generally leads to high levels of achievement. Ifwe are concerned about unauthorised absences we will endeavour to contact parents/guardians as soon as possible.All students and parents can get access to their grades, attendance statistics, subject targets, reports etc. on-line athome. Parents will of course still receive regular paper copies of relevant reports and grades in the usual way.

Page 2Inside this issue:Chaplaincy 2St. Dom’s Got Talent 3Lithuania 3Election Fever in US 4Kew Gardens 5Art & Design 5RGS Lectures 5Junior Suggia Gift 6English Conference 6Engineering Dinner 7National Poetry Day 7London Zoo 8Maths Challenge 8Target 2.0 Challenge 9Big Voice 9Materials Science 10Sponsored Sleepout 10Cambridge Debating 10Diamond Light Source 11Christmas Concert 11Sports News 12Bhuddist Temple 14From the ChaplaincyAs we come to the end of a busy term, it’s important to reflect back on the highlightsand give thanks for them. For me one of the highlights of this term wasthe Kintbury experience weekend. Eight students joined me for this. As usualwhen we arrived the students from each of the schools and colleges were quiteshy but by the end of the weekend had made some good friends with thosethey hadn’t met till the first night. The weekend at Kintbury is a highlight becauseit’s a privilege to see the young people there form a new community andtake another step on their faith journey. The weekend provides an opportunityto evaluate the things that are going on in their own lives and share if they wishto, to help others learn from their experiences.On the theme of taking the next step on their faith journey we commissioned 12students as Eucharistic minsters to help with communion during the masses inCollege. We also have four students who are looking to receive the sacramentof Confirmation and are beginning their preparation for this.Another highlight of the term was the recent Christmas mass. This was a lovelycelebration of faith in our community. It was the first time that we have broughta whole year group together to celebrate mass as a community. The atmospherewas prayerful and reflective and Fr David reminded us of the importanceof the gifts at Christmas.When we give gifts at Christmas we are reflecting God’s love through our actionof giving. After all God gave us the most important gift at Christmas, hisonly Son Jesus. Each time we buy a present, wrap it and give it, we are expressingour love for those in our lives, the presentbecomes the physical expression of this. What couldbe more important than letting our loved ones knowwe care. That’s what God did when He gave us Jesus.So let this Christmas be a time of generosity and lovefor those around us.I’d like to thank you all for the generosity you haveshown in your support of our Christmas collection forthe Catholic Worker Farm. Many items of food havebeen donated and we have also raised £260 from donationson ParentPay. This will all help make Christmasa happy festive occasion for the women and theirchildren who live there. Thank you for making a realdifference to the lives of others.Angela Clapham, ChaplainBulletins:• Attendance• Study Leave• Examination• Times Top 20• Catering AssistantWould all parents and students please note that College re-starts for allstudents on MONDAY 7 JANUARY 2013Please ensure that Christmas and New Year holidays do not overrun with thisfirst week of term. This is an important examination time for all students.STUDY LEAVE AFTER CHRISTMAS1st Year AS Level Students have study leave from 9 January—15 Januaryinclusive (normal teaching from Wednesday 16 January)2nd Year A Level Students have study leave from 14 January—25 Januaryinclusive (normal teaching from Monday 28 January)Some students may be required to come in during the study leave period tocomplete coursework as requested by subject teachers.

Page 3St. Dominic’s Got TalentCrowds cheered on their fellow students at a highly-successful showcase of skills. Ten finalists took to thestage at the St Dominic's Got Talent contest in October in the College's sports hall after qualifying throughthe lunchtime auditions held once a week in the preceding weeks.The judges - Director: Academic Support, Peter Jenks and students Alex O'Neill and Naomi Zampangi -chose the top three and a decibel meter was used to monitor the roar given to each of them to decide thewinner, The Beatboxers, who picked up the crystal trophy and had actually triumphed in a similar smallerscalecompetition last year."It was a screaming success," said Head of Visual & Performing Arts, Kevin Rossall. "There was singing,dancing, beatboxing, Zumba, stand-up comedy and solo instrumentalists - a real variety. Watching them, Ithought they could be on Britain's Got Talent let alone St Dominic's Got Talent."More than half the College's cohort packed into the hall to witness the professionally-staged evening thatincluded announcements in the style of The X Factor's booming 'The Voice', the dramatic orchestral musicused to ramp up the tension, and cameras to record and broadcast the performances on a screen.Kevin said: "There were a group of 25 1st Year students who as part oftheir extra curricular Wednesday activity said at the Fresher's Fair theywanted to get involved in an entertainment company we had wanted toset up. The group decided on the name '24 Carat Memories' becauseone of the things our Principal says is that he wants to create 'goldenmemories' for students. The whole thing is a third-year degree project offormer student Sean Doran, who is studying at the Central School ofSpeech & Drama, and the company is going to organise an event everyhalf term and this was their first. The proceeds are going into a pot to bespent by the company and next half term they are holding a version ofthe children's game show 'Get Your Own Back' where teachers will begunged!"Taken from The Harrow ObserverLithuaniaOn Monday 5 November a group of four students and two staff visited Lithuania for a week as part of anexchange project funded by the British Council. Whilst the students were in Lithuania they stayed with hostfamilies of the students at Aitvaro High School in Klaipeda. The exchange also incorporated three otherschools and colleges from Poland, Germany and Turkey. Each school brought between 4 – 6 students andthe project, called Comenius, will last two years.During their stay the students spent some days in Aitvaro High School itself, working in collaboration withtheir students and the other international students on developing a web page for the project and progressingfurther the aims of what we all hoped to achieve. The result was that the students wished to developinternational collaboration and cultural exchange with the specific focus on social justice.Other trips during the visit included a visit to Nida, a national heritage site on the Curonian Spit, whichboasted breathtaking views over Klaipeda and the Baltic Sea. On another day out we visited Palanga,which is the main tourist area and seaside resort in Klaipeda and is located on the Baltic coast. Other activitiesincluded an ice skating trip, an international contest and a trip to a local orphanage/support centre forchildren where our students spent time with under privileged children. Whilst there we had a chance toreally understand more about the important role ofthe support centre in the local area.Despite some wet and cold weather the studentsthoroughly enjoyed their visit and really got a lot fromthe exchange in terms of culture and experience. Thenext visits as part of the project will include an exchangewith schools in both Germany and Polandwhich we look forward to with great enthusiasm.Kevin Rossall, Senior Tutor

Page 4Election Fever in the StatesJust before the half-term break, the Humanities Department took 19 students on a four day tour of theUnited State’s capital, Washington DC. The students discovered there was far more to the city than election-fever as these comments prove:Overall the trip to Washington DC was incredible. We visited many iconic tourist destinations including theWhite House, the Supreme Court, the Lincoln Memorial and the US Capitol. My favourite part was when wevisited an American high school. Once there, we were able to attend lessons, and this gave us the opportunityto interact with some American students. This trip has certainly educated me, both politically and culturally,and I hope to visit DC again in the future!Caitlin BoyleGoing on the Washington trip was one of the best decisions I have ever made. So many opportunities weremade available to us such as visiting a high school, and touring the White House. The shopping over therewas probably one of the best parts of the trips. It was such a good experience to have and a memory I willkeep with me forever.Jess CampbellWhat I enjoyed most when going to Washington DC was the political history embedded in the city. From thememorials of great Presidents to war memorials of WW2 and the Vietnam War. As for the great food andshopping, that was just a huge bonus!Ciara KerrI found the trip to Washington DC a wonderful and exciting experience. Viewing the monuments left me inawe. These where things I was used to seeing only on television. It was a great trip with great people.Thank you.Ocheiko ObandeAs I'm neither a history or politics student, the Washington trip was an amazing opportunity for me to learnabout the US political system, as well as teaching me about past presidents. My favourite thing we did inWashington was going to the Supreme Court. I found it fascinating learning how laws are considered andpassed. It heightened my interest and knowledge in history and politics more than I ever expected! We allhad such a great time.Susannah HineEXAMINATIONS—SUMMER 2013Entries for Summer exams will be made in early February. In a small number of cases where student progress hasbeen poor through lack of effort and/or poor attendance, the College may notify parents that a private entry will berequired, for which fees must be paid by the student concerned. Parents of such students will be informed as early aspossible following the internal examinations in January. Payment of entry fees must be made as soon as possibleafter notification, and no later than MONDAY 18 FEBRUARY, in order that the College can meet Examination Boarddeadlines. Application and payment to re-sit examinations for Summer 2013 will be arranged after receipt of theJanuary results on Thursday 7 March. The Deadline for re-sit applications will be MONDAY 11 MARCH. It is essentialthat students keep in regular contact with examination information by all available means (classes, tutorials and noticeboards). Students requiring advice should speak to the relevant Departmental Head, Subject Teacher or theExaminations Manager. Students requiring information regarding private examination entries for subjects not taught atSt Dominic’s should contact the Examinations Manager by the end of JANUARY. A Level exams will take place up tothe end of June2 nd Year students should not arrange to take holidays until the first week of July1 st Year students are reminded that full attendance is required until the end of the Summer Term

Page 5Kew GardensOur trip to Kew Gardens in October was both enjoyable and valuable. It started with a guided tour of thePalm House, where we learnt an array of facts about biodiversity which were relevant to our course. In itshot, humid atmosphere, which is ideal for tropical plants, we saw the African oil palm which is the most importantoil-producing plantation palm in the Tropics. Then we went on to the Princess of Wales Conservatory,which features plants from around the world and from a wide variety of biomes. This part of the tourwas focused particularly on the impacts that economic activity has on biodiversity. Our guide, who wasvery informative, put us into small groups for a role play where we had to decide how tourism might affectthe mangroves. A memorable moment wascatching sight of a chameleon which wesuddenly noticed in one of the mangrovestree. Another was seeing some rather largecat fish in a pond filled with water lilies. Afterlunch we had time to explore the groundswhich for me was the icing on the cake as itgave us time to look at more of Kew’s iconicplants.Vinay PatelArt & Design ExhibitionAs ever, students on the AS and A2 Art and Design Technology course put on a variedand vibrant exhibition. Both 2D and 3D art and design were represented and rangedfrom drawing and painting, photography, installation pieces, fashion, film, and muchmore. All the visitors thoroughly enjoyed the show, the grades achieved for the workwere as usual, very good, and thank you to all who contributed it.Ruth Blackford, Art DepartmentRoyal Geographical SocietyI have been to five Royal Geographical Society lectures which were recommended to us by our teacher.The one on the Snow Leopards was my favourite. The lecture was given by an American biologist fromBoston, who had travelled to Mongolia, Kazakhstan, China, India, and Pakistan to film, document and researchthese beautiful animals. He did this using a combination of photos, videos and placing radio collarson leopards (which were programmed to fall off within a year). Some of his findings were amazing, such asthe distance the Snow Leopards cover. Human factors are the primary cause of the Snow Leopards’ declinein numbers, as prey species, such as Markhor, are killed for food or horns. Snow Leopards arehunted directly for their fur, which is sold on the black market, or because they are blamed for killing livestock.The footage collected of these big cats and of the alpine environments in which they live was stunning.I also enjoyed the lecture “Agriculture for Change” which reinforced material I had learned in class. Itbegan with a description of the success of a Ugandan scheme which involves growing East Asian rice inthe country as opposed to African rice, as the former has a much higher yield. We were told how highercrop yields can have positive spin-off effects for local Africans as the yields enable them to earn enoughmoney to send their children to school. The lecture finished by looking at golden rice. This rice is fortifiedwith vitamins and minerals and helps tackle world hunger by providing higher quality food as opposed to alarger quantity of it.Vinay Patel

Page 8London ZooWe arrived at the zoo promptly at 10:00 and were given free time to explore and have a look at the 750species of animals at the zoo. The most popular exhibits included the ‘gorilla kingdom’, ‘big cats’, ‘penguinbeach’, ‘reptiles’ and ‘ butterfly paradise’. The purpose of our visit to the zoo was to mainly observe other’sreactions towards seeing the animals and recording them in order to later diagnose whether or not they areexperiencing symptoms of any phobia. This was to give us some ground knowledge on general phobiasand fears. We had approximately an hour and twenty minutes to visit as many exhibits as possible and recordpeoples reactions as at 11:30 we were scheduled to meet outside the education centre in order tohear a talk by a clinical therapist on phobias and what exactly triggers them.The talk was split into two parts; the first part explained what phobias are, and outlined the reasons whypeople might develop them. The second part focused on arachnophobia - fear of spiders and outlined theZoo’s ‘Friendly Spider Programme’. This is when we experienced the shorter version of systematic desensitisation(gradual exposure) given to cure phobia, which included hypnosis for 15 minutes. All the studentsand most of the staff participated in the hypnosis while Sarah Halon took pictures of us. After the hypnosiswas complete and we were ‘woken up’, the Psychologist revealed that he had a tarantula spider hidden in abox at the front of the room which caused some of us with extreme arachnophobia to run from the room (itseems that the hypnotherapy didn’t work on Annabelle!). The Psychologist then asked if any of us wantedto hold the spider. Most of us were brave enough to hold the spider on the palm of our hands, even somepeople who had been extremely phobic of spiders in the morning. Overall, it was a really fun trip, welearned loads about phobias and how to treat them and some people were even cured of their fear of spiders.Shiromini Satkunarajah & Sara TofiqMaths ChallengeIn November a team of four mathematicians, Sam Booth, Farhat Sawhney, Yuxuan Zhang and Arpan Shahrepresented St. Dominic's at the London North Maths Team Challenge final. The event involved a series ofchallenges, including: completing a cross-number puzzle when each sub-team can only see the across (ordown) clues; a mini-relay where the answer from one question is required for the next question; and agroup round with 10 tricky puzzles. St. Dominic's came 11th out of 38 teams, and were generally pleasedwith their performance. The three teams who came first, second and third were all suited, so the idea ofwearing performance-enhancing suits next year was suggested!Additionally, 20 students took part in the UKMT Senior Maths Challenge and St. Dominic's achieved 12medals. Sam Booth did particularly well, achieving a gold medal and automatically qualifying for the nextround, the Senior Maths Olympiad. There were 4 silver certificates and 7 bronze. Over 98,000 studentsfrom across the UK entered the challenge.A sample question from this year's paper:Pierre said "Just one of us is telling the truth." Qadr said "What Pierre says is not true." Ratna said "WhatQadr says is not true." Sven said "What Ratna says is not true." Tanya said "What Sven says is not true."How many of them were telling the truth?Olivia Reade, Maths Department

Page 9Target 2.0 ChallengeOn 20 November four budding Economists from St Dominic's took part in the Bank of England's Target 2.0Challenge. The students - Yavin Fusi-Akpodono, Reema Shah, Serena Grillo and Sahil Shah - had to analyseUK and global economic data, consider their possible impact on inflation and then assess the economicoutlook for the UK, just as the Bank of England Monetary Policy Committee does each month. In apresentation to a panel of Bank of England judges the team explained their monetary policy decision andthen justified it when answering questions from the panel.The judges commended our team for their economic knowledge and awarded them the runners-up position.St Paul's Girls were the winners but our team scored a higher mark than teams representing Harrow Boys,South Hampstead High School and four other schools.Commenting on the experience, Reema Shah said:"The Target 2.0 experience was unique as we put our economic theories to the test and were given a genuineinsight into how the Bank of England makes decisions that impact every individual or corporation in theUK. We were able to see why and how classroom economic theories are important but also share our ownviews and what we would do if given the chance. It was a fantastic opportunity as we got to grips with oureconomy and learnt in-depth how interest rates affect economic growth,employment and inflation. The competition was a powerful vehicle for improvingunderstanding of the economy as our appreciation of the finer detailsof the macroeconomics has improved markedly. It was hard work butimmensely rewarding as we were able to develop a variety of skills – to doindependent research, make our own judgements, construct argumentsand develop presentation skills. Target 2.0 provides a great opportunity tocombine debate, research and economics."Peter Taylor, Business Studies DepartmentBig Voice LondonBig Voice London is a youth project working with teenagers to explore issues of legal identity and the democraticlegitimacy of the legal system within the UK. The project seeks to empower young people, whomay feel distanced from the world of courts and lawyers. These courts are theirs, to protect their rights. Arepresentative, committed group of students can demonstrate to the London legal world why that is, andmust remain, true.Over the past year students from St. Dominic’s have been participating in Big Voice London. The studentstaking part have produced three recommendations papers, which they launched to over 100 leading lawyersat a high profile launch at Parliament on 10 December 2012.At this event speakers, including a Supreme Court Judge and Baroness Helena Kennedy QC met with ourstudents and celebrated the launch of their work at an event coinciding with International Human RightsDay. This event was kindly sponsored by legal publisher Lexis Nexis, who printed the students' papers andprovided wine and canapes on the day.I attended the Big Voice launch event with four ofour students, Amena Malaika Charles, Sophie Leer,Vianne Hilli and Ciara Walsh. Amena was speciallyselected to speak at the event. There were over 100people there including members of the House ofLords. She commented (in glowing terms) on theencouragement she had received from her Historyteacher to take part in the project. She received theloudest applause of the evening for her speech. Theother three speeches were all given by Lords, includingBaroness Helena Kennedy QC.Peter Taylor, Humanities Department

Page 10Materials ScienceFor the second year running we were lucky to receive a visit from Jayne Shaw from the Oxford UniversityMaterials Science Department.22 1st Year Physics students listened to a short presentation on Materials Science at Oxford and were encouragedto apply for the course if they were interested in a degree that combines maths, physics andchemistry and were likely to gain top grades in those subjects.A Materials Science degree can lead to a fascinating career developing the materials of tomorrow, be itbody armour to protect members of the armed forces or a new type of artificial heart valve. The course is afour year one, but the last year is spent on a research projectwhich gives undergraduates a chance to develop closelinks with future employers.This talk was followed by a hands-on workshop which gaveus the chance to make our own dye sensitized photovoltaiccell and test its efficiency. Jayne briefly explained the underlyingtheory and then we were able to choose a suitabledye – cold tea was quite popular – and assemble the cellitself. Every group succeeded in making a cell although theefficiencies varied considerably!A brief question and answer session rounded off a fascinatingand informative Wednesday afternoon.Michael Hardyman, Physics DepartmentSponsored SleepoutIn late October 22 students and three staff spent the night outside in cardboard boxes to raise money forthe Cardinal Hume Centre. Mercifully the weather was dry, albeit a little cold and windy, and the cardboardprovided adequate shelter. The following morning the students left for half term, slightly weary-looking butalso more aware of some of the trials that homeless people face. In total more than £2,000 was raised forthe Centre which works to support homeless young people in the capital. Well done to all involved, andthank you for all your support!Olivia Reade, Maths DepartmentThe Cambridge Schools Debating CompetitionHaberdasher Aske’s alumni include such notable people as the historian Simon Schama and the Israeliambassador Daniel Taub, but this in no way intimidated members of the St. Dominic’s Debating Society aswe walked across their extensive campus on the way to a competition debate on Thursday 6 December. Itwas a cold, wet evening but we were soon warmed by the welcome extended to us and the complementarysnacks and drinks on offer.Refreshed and energised our team were all set for the debate. St Dominic’s two debaters were, Laylan Siddikand Meghana Shukla. They were up against three formidable opponents, Queen Elizabeth's SchoolBarnet, Berkhamsted School and Watford Grammar School for Boys but performed magnificently.The two motions debated were: ‘This House Would Abolish the UN Veto’ and ‘This House would ensurethat there were equal numbers of male and female teachers in all our schools’.As the results were announced there was no surprise that Laylan and Meghana had won the first debate,but then had finished second in the second debate and by a whisker came second overall. However, thedebutants did St. Dominic’s proud. The pressure was immense and they acquitted themselves very wellagainst more experienced debaters, we were all cheering at the close of the debate!As we drove back to College in the minibus our debriefing also included cheers and congratulations to theDebating Society Chair Hanaa Hasan who has put so much into this thriving activity. Students who want toexperience a real live debate in College should come along on Thursday lunchtimes at 12.30 p.m. in H104!It was a great night topped off with some funny stories told by the former debating ‘whizz kids’ teachers JoeWhelan and David Palmer. Their support was much appreciated.Ahmad Hnieno

Page 11Diamond Light SourceBig Physics represents some of the most advanced technology the world has ever known, and the UK isstill one of just a few countries in the world with the critical mass of scientists, engineers and wealth to engagein it. Diamond Light Source at Harwell, Oxfordshire, is the UK’s national synchrotron facility, and 12 StDominic’s Physics students and two teachers went to see it on 6 November.The actual machinery is curiously silent – vast tubes arranged in a circle surrounded by what feels like aUniversity Campus – but the people there are some of the top scientists in the UK – not just Physicists, butChemists, Engineers and a host of other disciplines at the cutting edge of technology. We saw the lines ofmagnets which control the path of the electrons, making them travel around the synchrotron, acceleratedwith electric fields to almost the speed of light. As they travel, and as their path is continually altered, theyemit the intense ‘diamond light’ from which the synchrotron takes its name. The beams of light, rangingfrom infra-red to X-rays, are used for analysis of new materials for academic and industry research. Over2,000 researchers use Diamond’s beamlines to conduct experiments in a wide range of disciplines includingstructural biology, health and medicine, solid-state physics, materials and magnetism, nanoscience,electronics, earth and environmental sciences, chemistry, cultural heritage, energy and engineering.It doesn’t come cheap – nearly £400m has been invested so far, with athird phase still being developed, increasing the number of beams and thenumber of experiments which can be carried out. Diamond increasinglysupports industrial research and development, technology and innovation.Over 30 companies are now involved including Rolls Royce on aerospaceand energy applications, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline on drug discoveryand development, and Johnson Matthey on improved emissions controlcatalysts – maybe some of our St Dominic’s Physics students will end upworking there!Despo Speel, Physics DepartmentChristmas ConcertThe St Dominic’s Christmas concert is always the musical highlight of the year and this year was no exception.A huge choir of students, staff and alumni opened the concert with the popular ‘Adiemus’ by Karl Jenkins,supported by the St Dominic’s fabulous orchestra. We were also treated to Emma Hyett singing PatrickMiles’ arrangement of ‘They can’t take that away’ by Gershwin, supported by the St Dominic’s ChamberOrchestra and Choir, and the virtuosic Hummel Trumpet Concerto played by Emily Mitchell, whose accomplishedand musical playing has just won her a place at the Royal Academy of Music. Amy Naddermier ledthe flute choir in a lovely arrangement of ‘Summertime’ by Gershwin. Amy has been awarded a Scholarshipto study at Birmingham Conservatoire. The first half was concluded by our excellent soul band led byShauna Cooney with an energetic rendition of ‘Lady Marmelade’.Lessons and carols made up the second half of the concert, and it was lovely to hear the familiar Christmasreadings read by Robert Rowatt, Eilis MacElhatton and Katherine Koranteng. The full Choir and Orchestragave a moving performance of ‘O Holy Night’, ‘Halleluia to the King of Glory’ and Mozart’s Laudate Dominum,with vocal solos by Frankie Englezou, Georgia Raingold, Shauna Cooney, Emma Hyett and DesicaRajendra. It was adelight to see manyex-students and staff,both in the audienceand performing.Abigail Gorton,Music Department

Page 12Sports NewsFootballOur first XI football team have had an extremely successful firstterm in the Middlesex FA Schools and Colleges league. Theteam remain unbeaten in the league having won all seven oftheir games. Highlights have included a 9-1 victory over HarrowCollege and a 5-3 top of the table clash with St Ignatius. Theyare also through to the Quarter finals of the Tye cup where wewill face St Thomas More. Our second XI have also had a goodcampaign so far winning two out of their four matches includingwins over John Lyon and Cardinal Vaughan.BasketballThe basketball team started their season with a bang beating Kingsbury buthave been pinned back in their following fixtures. We still have a chance ofqualifying for the semi final in the Brent Basketball League if we win our remainingfixtures in February.BadmintonSt Dominic’s entered a boys, girls and mixed team into the England BadmintonColleges Tournament. The boys topped their sub regional group and qualified forthe London finals, the girls and mixed team narrowly missed out finishing secondin their groups. The boys team faced very strong competition in the finals and tooka very impressive fourth place overall.NetballThe netball team have made excellent progress over the term starting with aclose match against Whitmore School. After hard work in the training sessions,our determined performances rewarded us with a fifth place finish in theMiddlesex Netball Schools Tournament.TennisThe tennis team went into the LTA Aegon senior student’s competition with highexpectations after a great campaign last year. After an inspiring performanceagainst Windsor Boy’s School we thought this could be our year. With only onedefeat we finished second in our group and now can’t wait to put in a big performancein the National Schools Tournament in the New Year.Sports Enrichment ProgrammeSt Dominic’s Sports Department have put on an array of sporting activities over the term with a great turnout from the students. Along with our more traditional sports; highlights have included girls only basketball,Taekwondo and student led sessions of Zumba and Body Blast fitness. Plenty more to come in 2013!Sport Makers WorkshopOn Tuesday 6 November the College hosted a Sport Makers workshop in partnership with Pro Active WestLondon. The aim of the project is to increase the amount of people volunteering and taking part in physicalactivity, whilst promoting the Olympic and Paralympics values. The workshop included a talk from GB judoathlete Tom Davies, role plays and a deployment depot with local sports clubs and national governing bodiesof sport. Over 75 students and staff took part which made the event a massive success. For their commitmentto the project they all received an Adidas Sport Makers polo shirt and bag.

Page 13Dodgeball Inter-Tutor32 tutor groups took part in the fancy dress inter-tutor Dodgeball knockout tournament.Outfits ranged from onesies to Baywatch and even a staff team as Mexicanwrestlers! The overall winners were team ‘Expendables’ who beat ‘Victorious secrets’in the final. There was great effort and enthusiasm put into the costumes andmatches and whilst having fun we raised over £150 for the British Heart Foundation.Table Tennis TournamentEarly in the half term 64 players took part in the table tennis tournament over three lunchtimes. There were some real surprises in some of the matches and the final betweenIeuan and Dube was very close. The crowd gathered to witness a great match which waseventually won by Ieuan. Over £60 was raised and donated to the Royal British Legionfor Remembrance Day.St Dominic’s Futsal Championship18 student teams, playing in four groups, entered into the Brasilianflavoured indoor football competition. Playing every Tuesdayand Thursday lunch time over the half term, the sell out crowdswitnessed some scintillating football and samba skills. Kalon’sAngels met FC Shawarma in the final and proved too strong witha 4-1 victory which crowned Kalon’s Angels as campeões. The£90 raised from the student entry fees was donated to theMovember charity.St Dominic’s Young AmbassadorsRachel Lucas and Rakim Campbell were selected as St Dominic’s Sports Young Ambassadors due to theircommitment and enthusiasm towards increasing sports participation at the College. Rakim has run his ownfitness club and Rachel has helped organise tournaments and coached Back 2Netball sessions. The two young leaders were selected to represent Harrow atthe Young Ambassadors conference at Twickenham Stadium. Another perk ofthe job meant they were invited to the London Youth Games awards evening atLords Cricket Ground where they met British Olympians Christine Ohuruogu andGemma Gibbons. The students will continue to drive sports participation at theCollege so if students/staff have any ideas please see them or members of theSports Department.Badminton Level 1Eight students and our Sports Apprentice, Alex Savage, took their Badminton Level 1 coaching qualificationwhich was held at St Dominic’s during the October half term. All passed with flying colours!FIFA TournamentYoung Enterprise organised a FIFA tournament in College which was designed to raise capital for thegroup and find out who was the best at FIFA in College. We had an amazing turnout with many studentsturning up to participate or support their peers. Theevent which lasted two hours was full of thrills and spills,tantalising football and participants who showed greatpassion for the game. After hours of gaming and countlessmatches, Marc Jean-Pierre emerged as the overallwinner and is officially considered the best FIFA playerin St. Dominic’s. The event raised £55.50 for YoungEnterprise so we'd like to thank everyone who made theevent possible, without you the event would still havebeen just an idea.

The College Newsletter is published six times per academic year. It is sent by email to all currentstudents’ parents, staff (current and former), local schools and parishes, Harrow councillors, theEducation Department, local press and other friends of St. Dominic’s. It is also available to view on ourwebsite www.stdoms.ac.ukBhuddist TempleA group of Religious Studies students were fortunate to betaken to visit the Amavarati Bhuddist Temple in HemelHempstead a few weeks ago. The trip was highly informative,not only enabling us to enhance our general understandof the religion, thereby aiding the RS syllabus, but also agreat experience from which to gain a greater insight intoBhuddism and hear directly from a monk. Ours was afriendly Californian professional, an ex-ballet dancer previouslyknown as Creg before being given his Bhuddist name,Ahimsaco. It was also a spiritual experience as we were ableto have a meditation session, which was highly relaxing. Itwas a wonderful experience and it was also quite enlighteningto speak to someone who had given up all material desiresand had completely devoted themselves to seekinggreater depth and meaning within their life.Emma MohanOnce again, St. Dominic’s is the only sixth form collegein London to rank inThe Times Top 20 State Sixth Form Collegesmoving up from 9th to 8th place nationallyUrgently required from 7 Januaryat St Dominic’s Sixth Form CollegeCatering Assistant, 15 hours per week, Term Time OnlyPlease contact Debbie Browne on 020 8423 7046 for an immediateinterviewSt Dominic's Sixth Form CollegeMount Park Avenue . Harrow on the Hill . Middlesex . HA1 3HXPhone 020 8422 8084 . Fax 020 8422 3759 . Email stdoms@stdoms.ac.uk