European Youth Parliament - St Helen & St Katharine

headlinesWe have been delighted over recentmonths to welcome back to St Helen’sOld Girls Rebecca Wait (‘06 Leaver)whose critically acclaimed book The Viewon the Way Down has been publishedrecently; Elspeth Hanson ( ‘05 Leaver)who returned ‘hot foot’ from aninternational tour with the highlysuccessful string quartet Bond to join usfor Prize Giving and a wonderful musicrecital with St Helen’s musicians; as wellas the many OGs who returned to Schoolfor the Annual Reunion in June, somefrom as far afield as the USA and Angola.Old School Hall was full of stories,laughter and much reminiscing.Mountains of MedalsSt. Helen’s Sixth Form scientists have taken part in biology, physics and chemistry Olympiads overrecent months, achieving a huge medal haul! The Olympiads are national competitions for themost able school scientists in the country. St Helen’s biologists doubled their previous highestmedal tally winning two gold, two silver and six bronze.Special mention must go to gold medallist Eleanor Hurrellwhose performance earns her a place in the next highlycompetitive round. The Chemistry Olympiad is targetedat Upper Sixth pupils and St Helen’s chemists achievedeleven awards – three silver and one bronze in UpperSixth and one silver and six bronze in Lower Sixth. TwentyLower Sixth physicists sat the demanding British PhysicsOlympiad, a one hour examination with an unforgivingtime allowance! Katya Richards gained a gold award anda book prize; four students gained silver awards andthirteen bronze.Congratulations to all!Catherine Moon, U6E.New Prefect TeamMany OGs comment that school isunrecognisable from when they werehere and indeed development continuesapace, with work well under way on thenew Science Centre and theredevelopment of the netball, tenniscourts and playing fields. St Helen’s is,of course, so much more the sum of itsbuildings. Our ethos and values and theskill and dedication of staff remain theconstants that provide the foundationon which all else is built.St Helen’s is about discovering anddeveloping strengths, taking risks, beingable to make mistakes and learn fromthem in a safe environment. Achievingacademically and developing the selfbelief and confidence required to helpnavigate the ever-changing worldbeyond school. Our aim is to continue toprovide this foundation for generationsof pupils so that our OGs continue tobecome critically acclaimed authors,internationally renowned musicians orwherever their individual interests andpassions take them.Rowan Edbrooke, HeadmistressCongratulations to Head Girl Meg Buckingham; Deputy Head Girls Poppy McAlister and KateSimmons; Sports Captain Hannah Ellis and the prefect team: Rea Averill, Ella Davis, NatalieFatemi, Grace Fearnehough, Eli Glover, Alice Lowe, Clarissa Luxton, Lucy Matthews, Olivia Rohll,Stella Ryley, Adèle Scott, Chloe Topping, Eliza Tracey, Ottie Uden, Fiona Watters and Emily Wyatton their selection. We wish them a happy and successful year.Redevelopment ofSchool FieldsDuring the summer holidayswork will take place on SchoolFields, to relocate and redevelopour netball and tennis courtsand two lacrosse pitches.To enable full use for practiceand competition throughout theyear, it is essential to have floodlights and we were unable tosecure permission for this withthe hard courts in their currentlocation, so close to housing.This, combined with the age of Artist’s impression of School Fields redevelopmentthe current courts, led to thedecision to relocate and redevelop the courts, to run along the Faringdon Rd, providing a topquality all weather surface and flood lighting which will significantly enhance the court facilitiesavailable to the girls for lessons, practices and matches. The courts and two lacrosse pitches will beready for use in September.Huge thanks to the Parents Association who have already contributed £20,000 towards the cost of theproject and have a number of further fundraising events planned for the Michaelmas term.Faringdon Road2 | Trinity Term 2013

SIDElinesSports DinnerLottie Hoskin receiving the Hunt Trophy, awarded to the most outstandingathlete across a range of sports in the Sixth Form.On Friday 26 April, St Helen's held their second annual Sports Dinner. The review of sportingachievements, given by the sports leaders from each sport, highlighted what a hugelysuccessful year it has been for sport at St Helen’s and numerous individual successes wererecognised with prizes being awarded to girls across the years.Samantha Murray, GB silver medallist in the modern pentathlon at the London Olympics,awarded the prizes and gave a fascinating talk about the highs and lows of her career, howshe motivated herself to achieve at the very highest levels and even brought one of her laserpistols along to give a demonstration!We were treated to a fantastic dinner, prepared by our Executive Chef Olivier and his team,and the evening finished with a raffle to raise money for school charities and the gym squadtumble track.Thank you to Mrs Wilson and the PE Department for organising a fantastic evening.Hannah Ellis, Sports CaptainOther ResultsRound UpSwimmingYears 5-9 competed in their inter-form galas inJune, closely fought competitions with manyrecords being broken. Congratulations to NiaPerks, Lydia Holt (Year 7), Annie Sharp, RachelYoung, Baylie Powell (Year 8), Emma Goudge,Ruth Delany and Florence Wiggins (Year 9),who all broke school records.RoundersThe season began on a high with a trainingday with England rounders coaches andmatches against national teams at St Helen’s.Rounders teams continue to present strongopposition, winning the majority of matchesplayed this season. The U11 team won theChandlings Invitational tournament and theU14s our own event.TennisDeveloping in strength and depth across theschool with large numbers of girls playingeach week and representing the school infriendly fixtures. The U13B and U15B teamshave reached the finals of the countycompetition, to be played in September. 6U13-U19 pairs are playing in IndependentSchools’ Tennis Association Championships.AthleticsThe intermediate athletics team qualified forthe regional finals of the National Schools’competition, a first for St Helen’s. 12 girlsqualified to represent the Vale or Oxfordshireat various championships.Mrs Wilson, Director of PE and SportPre-season tennisat La Manga ClubOver the Easter holidays 17 pupils from Years 7,8 and 10 and 3 members of staff enjoyed aweek of intensive tennis training at La MangaClub, Spain. Under the guidance of the Spanishcoaches everyone’s tennis (beginners andexperienced) improved hugely. The tennis tripwas a wonderful experience, allowing pupilsand staff to train and play sport alongside eachother, and gave girls in different year groupsthe chance to make new friendships in adifferent environment.Sports DayBlessed with a little sunshine, a slight wind and a smattering of cloud, SHSK athletes took tothe track and field with great enthusiasm and determination. Keenly fought sprints, tacticallyrun distances and exuberant jumping and throwing were the order of the day. Every formwas competing for the title of ‘Year Group Champion’, resulting in some stellar performancesfrom Year 5 all the way through toLower Sixth. A number of schoolrecords were broken including theYear 7 long jump record which hasstood since 1987, broken by CharlotteJonkers (7L). Other record breakerswere Alice Thorby and Anna Kelly(Year 6), Lara Ratcliffe (Year 8) andLizzie Evans (Year 9). Hugecongratulations to all whoparticipated, supported and helpedon the day and to Mrs Trumper for herfantastic organisation of the event.Trinity Term 2013 | 3

FRONTlinesYour View of School Life‘Frontlines’ is run by the girls, for the girls. Thanks to all who have contributedthis term. Please let us know if you would like to write a report or if you areinterested in joining the ‘Lines team’.You can email the editorial team: communications@shsk.org.ukYear 8 atthe OscarsJunior Department Thrills and SpillsIn June, the Junior Department visited Kingswood Activity Centre on the Isle of Wight to takepart in a series of exhilarating challenges and team-building activities. There was muchexcitement from the moment the group left school, as the girls embarked on a rousingrendition of ‘One hundred green bottles sitting on the wall...’! Despite some unfavourableweather, great fun was had by all as new friendships were made and old ones built upon. Thegirls enjoyed the thrills of the Leap of Faith, Jacob’s ladder and the 3g swing, and the muddyNightline course was a surprise hit. There was even time for a trip to the beach, where girlsbattled against the tide in order to complete the sandcastle competition.On Friday 26 April the Young Film Company,based in London, returned to St Helen’s to giveYear 8 a Challenge Day to remember. After abusy morning of stunt fighting, camera workand screen writing workshops, the girls werethen divided into small groups and given thechallenge of producing a short, silent film, usinga variety of camera shots and Georges Polti’s‘rules’ on dramatic situations. The films, all of avery high standard, were screened at the end ofthe afternoon and an Oscar presented to thegroup who had produced the best film. Year 8clearly enjoyed the day, met the challenge withgreat energy and enthusiasm and honed theirfilm making skills!Physics at Thorpe ParkAS physicists experienced physics in actionat Thorpe Park. The opening lecturedescribed the g-forces experienced byriders; how roller coasters use a teardropdesign to reduce g-forces to safe limits andhow anticlockwise corkscrews, followed byclockwise, help reduce dizziness! The girlsmade energy calculations based on theSwarm ride, working out its maximumvelocity and were reassured to learnthat the braking system on theDetonator worked solely onelectromagnetic damping,rather than running the riskof failing in the event ofa power cut! Plenty oftime remained toexperience theg-forces andenjoy the thrillof the rides!Mrs Edwards,Head of PhysicsMaths Team successCongratulations to Anna Carpenter, ImogenRichards, Calypso Phillips and Natalie Miron whocompeted in the southern counties final of theYear 10 Mathematics Competition, organised bythe Further Mathematics Support Programme,at Reading University.After five rounds of difficult and testing problems,requiring understanding of mathematical topicsfar beyond GCSE work, the St Helen’s teamfinished seventh, out of eighteen teams. Theteam were presented with medals and a trophyfor winning their respective heat to qualify forthe final and deserve much praise for theircommitment and hard work in preparing forthe competition.Mr Moylan, Mathematics4 | Trinity Term 2013

Setting up CampWalking BootsOver two weekends in May, 70 Year 9 pupilsundertook their Bronze DofE assessmentexpeditions. Each group planned a 2-day routecovering between 14–16km each day departingfrom Bibury and walking through the Coln Valleyto camp near Filkins. The second day broughtthem north to Burford through the villages ofHolwell and Westwell. A further 8 participantscompleted their expedition during half-term,walking from Shipton to Stow, finishing the nextday near Naunton. The weather varied fromEnglish EnrichmentIn discussion with Lucy Hughes HalletRoom 101An opportunity for an invited ‘school celebrity’ todiscuss their top five pet hates which they wouldlike to consign to Room 101, the infamous torturechamber in George Orwell’s novel 1984.torrential rain to glorious sunshine – almost toohot for walking with 15kg packs on your back!Also out in half-term were 5 Silver teams fromYear 10 on 3-day practice expeditions walking viaStow towards Chipping Norton before returningto Shipton to complete their training. All theSilver teams are now ready to undertake theirAssessment expedition in the White PeakNational Park in July.Mrs Wilson, DofE CoordinatorSixth Form English students have had a busyterm, starting with a stimulating lecture atLiterary Society by Lucy Hughes Hallett who isa writer, critic and cultural historian. Lucy talkedabout repression in Jane Eyre suggestingseveral new ways of reading the novel in therun-up to AS exams. Upper Sixth students thenenjoyed seeing King Lear at the Globe inLondon, which again provoked heated debateover the interpretation. Finally, five Lower Sixthgirls were challenged by a Taster Day at QueenMary, London where they joined seminars andlectures of university level on texts beyondtheir A level course.Mrs Canlan-Shaw is Head of Psychology and will beHead of Lower Sixth from September.I must say I find the consigning of 5 things to Room 101a very difficult task. There are few things that I hate buthere goes.Pet Hate 1: People who don’t smile back at you. It doesn’t take much, and if someonerewards you with a smile to cheer up your day, then I feel it is only polite to reciprocate.Don’t you?Pet Hate 2: People who are ungenerous. I don’t mean in terms of material things, butthose who judge people and are not tolerant of other peoples little foibles. Everyone canhave a bad day and I think that it is important to cut people a little slack sometimes.(Maybe I should do that when people don’t smile back at me!)Pet Hate 3: Beetroot and, of course, sprouts (I think I am allowed two things in one here asthey are just little things!)Pet Hate 4: Bungee jumping. Well why would you?Pet Hate 5: Mosquitos. I hate them with a passion. I don’t understand how they can zoomin on me when others seem to get away scot free. A couple of years ago I went to Corfuand I awoke one morning to find that I was covered from head to foot in bites. Bites seemto turn into great red carbuncles on me and so I didn’t quite create the impression I washoping for when I strolled along the beach later that day!Actually that turned out to be easier than I thought. I’m just warming up!Interview withMiss McAdamMiss McAdam joined St Helen’s inFebruary 2013 and is DeputyDirector of Music.What did you do before you joinedSt Helen and St Katharine?I was living in Dubai and working in aninternational school as Head of Music. At theweekends I would head out on safaris in thedesert or go to the beach but I really missedhome, especially the countryside.What is the favourite part ofyour subject?I love the sense of community andatmosphere in school. I really enjoy runningthe Musical Theatre Club for Years 8-10 as Icompletely adore musical theatre! I also leadLower School choir and Sinfonietta so thereis lots of variety.What would you like to achieve in thenext 12 months?I want to help the music department to thriveand provide lots of opportunities and fun forthe girls. I would like to be a role model andbe someone who they feel comfortable withand able to chat to. I am also accompanyingthe Year 11 and Lower Sixth Swaziland tripnext summer which will be incredible!What are your interests outsideof school?I love walking, especially when a pub lunch isinvolved! I have recently taken up golf andwould love to take up baking as there isalways so much cake in the department! Iam a member of a local theatre group andplay the piano there. Recently I played SarahBrown in Guys and Dolls which wasgreat fun.What is your favourite musical?I absolutely love Les Misérables but alsoCarousel, especially the song If I loved youwhich always makes me cry!Trinity Term 2013 | 5

CREATIVElinesLegends of the LostFor her last Lower School production Mrs Mason returned to a storytellingformat. Her first production, in 2001, had been stories from Arabian Nights.Legends of the Lost is a compilation of stories and legends about lost children.Robert Browning’s poem about the Pied Piper provided the words of the firststory, with a multitude of animal and human roles portrayed with convictionby the cast. The conflict between the mayor and the Piper was stronglybrought out by Rose Pitman Wallace and Bethan Kelly.Other legends were sourced from Norfolk, Ireland, France and the U.S.A. Thecast cleverly devised their own scenes from these stories, bringing out bothpathos and humour. Izzy Caffyn played the feral child, Memmie Le Blanc,with an endearing combination of innocence and savagery.The chorus of travelling storytellers were colourfully costumed byMrs Hughes Morgan, the Assistant Director.The final Senior Concert of the year isalways an emotional occasion and wasparticularly so this year as we saidgoodbye to an outstanding group ofmusicians in the current Upper Sixth. Themusic was of the highest calibre, featuringchoirs and instrumental ensemblesperforming works by Gershwin and Holst,Walton and Hindemith, to name but a few.There were sensational solo performancesfrom Kate Parrot, Anya Chomacki, EleanorHurrell, Olivia Law, Maddy Clarke and RosieBartholomew and the wonderfullyappreciative YPH audience were treated toa thoroughly enjoyable evening.Ms Rakowski, Director of MusicA Flawless FarewellTuneful TempestSummer Art ShowThe Art Department was delighted to showcase the GCSE andA level art and design work, together with highlights of art,ceramics, design and technology in Years 5 – 10, at the opening ofthe Art Department Summer Show in June. Many guests visited theshow including Old Girls; parents, past and present; pupils;governors; art teachers from other schools and girls who will bejoining us in September. The evening went with a swing as guestsenjoyed the music from three bands; drinks and canapés that trulydelighted; and were looked after by the amazing prefect teammaking sure everyone knew where to go. It was a wonderful way toend what has been a busy year in the creative arts at St Helen’s.The Junior Department performed their summer production, a musicaladaptation of The Tempest, to an audience of family, friends and staff,who were treated to a fast-paced show full of laughter and emotion.Ariel (Ella Crowcombe) narrated the tale as Prospero (Charlotte Rogers)sought revenge on those who had betrayed him. Two murder plotswere revealed and a love story unfurled, all told through song, danceand some of Shakespeare’s original lines, which the girls worked hard toperform. The lead actors and chorus alike are to be congratulated ontwo very successful performances, and for starting the JuniorDepartment’s fundraising efforts for the new school charity: profits fromticket sales will all go to World Vision.6 | Trinity Term 2013

COMMUNITYlinesFrom the Archives...110th AnniversaryServing the CommunityLower Sixth Home VisitingOn Monday 11 May 1903, 11 children – ten girls and one boy, gathered in aroom in a house on the Wooton Road waiting expectantly to be taught. Itwas the first morning of lessons at St Helen’s High School for Girls inAbingdon. One five year old girl later remembered her first day....“We startedsimple lessons, learning to do a little needlework, with Sister Annie doingthe cooking.”The School was founded by the Anglican Community of St Mary the Virgin,Wantage, who had set up St Katharine’s School at the end of the previouscentury. Frank Pearson designed the main school building which wasopened in 1906. In 1938 the two schools merged to become St Helen andSt Katharine. 110 years on and the school has grown beyond all recognitionand goes from strength to strength.Mrs Champion, School ArchivistOver 50 Sixth Formers take part in community service eachweek, visiting 10 different placements including the KingfisherSchool, local primary schools, the Abingdon Alzheimer’s Centre,Abingdon Health and Wellbeing Centre and visiting the elderly.School has provided 8 bicycles for us to use and we can beseen, in high-vis jackets and helmets, pedalling aroundAbingdon en route to our placements!I have volunteered at the Alzheimer’s Centre over the past year.I have really enjoyed my time there, getting to know the elderlypeople, but it has also been emotionally challenging as I haveseen, at first hand, the impact of progressive Alzheimer’s onpeople’s lives. It is however, one of the highlights of my week,and I encourage pupils lower down the school to get involvedin community service when they are in the Sixth Form.Catherine Moon, U6ESHSK Society Reunion 2013Turning back the clock in the Sports HallSchool Magazines from the ArchivesMore than seventy former pupils and staff returned to St Helen’s on Saturday22 June for their anniversary reunion, celebrating 20, 25, 30 or 40 years sinceleaving school. For many it was the first time they had visited the school since thattime! It was a pleasure to be able to welcome them back. School was filled withthe sound of laughter and squeals of recognition as old friends were rediscoveredand friendships renewed. Sixth Form guides led tours and thoroughly enjoyedhearing the vast array of memories and shared experiences.The Big DrawIn June, Lower Sixth artists worked with sixth formers fromLarkmead School in Abingdon on a joint Big Drawworkshop organised by Adrian Brookes, art educationofficer from Oxford University Museums. Students workedin the Oxford Botanic gardens on a variety of drawingtechniques and then developed a longer drawing. A finalsession in the conservatory used collage to bring ideastogether. It was a wonderful opportunity to workcollaboratively with other artists in a beautiful setting,to create a range of drawings.Dawn Wedge, Alumnae OfficeTrinity Term 2013 | 7

BEYOND THE LinesFrom theAlumnae OfficeIt’s been a busy and excitingfirst six months in my new roleand I am grateful for yourwelcome and support.New Alumnae DatabaseIn June we began using a newalumnae database that is linked toour school information systems,enabling information about schoolleavers to be automaticallytransferred to the alumnae database.All existing OG information has beentransferred and, in future, you canupdate me on any changes to yourdetails either by completing anon-line form, which can be found onthe school website under SHSKSociety, or you can call the OG officeon 01235 532012.Musical Finale to the YearWe were delighted to welcome Old GirlElspeth Hanson (‘05 Leaver) to this year’sPrize Giving. An extremely talented violinistat school and member of the National YouthOrchestra of Great Britain, Elspeth read musicat Manchester University and attended theRoyal Academy of Music in London forpostgraduate violin studies. In 2008 sheappeared alongside David Beckham, playingsolo violin at the closing ceremony of theBeijing Olympics. In the same year she joinedthe internationally renowned all girl stringquartet Bond who perform classical,contemporary and folk music alongsidetheir own compositions. They have releasedseven albums, appeared on television, filmand at the closing ceremony of the London2012 Olympic Games.The evening before Prize Giving Elspethjoined current St Helen’s musicians for awonderful music recital in YPH in whichElspeth performed some solo repertoire,Mozart and Wieniawski, before joiningCamerata to perform Vivaldi's Summer andBach's double violin concerto with currentYear 11 violinist Bethan Rose.The concert was a spectacular and verymoving end to a wonderful year of musicat school.Keep in TouchThe alumnae Facebook account(OG St Helens) is a great way to keepin touch. I would encourage you toadd me as a ‘friend’ if you have notalready done so. In the short timethat I’ve been in role I’ve been ableto help several OGs findaccommodation/holiday jobs,shared many individual successesand also shared school news.Drop me an email:oldgirls@shsk.org.ukOld Girls’ Newsletter 2013I hope that you enjoy receiving thetermly newsletter Lines and theannual Old Girls’ Newsletter. It isalways interesting to read yourcontributions and I know you allenjoy reading each other’s news. Thisyear, in order to include news aboutthe 2013 St Kate’s Day celebrationsand to give our editor, Kate Tolley(‘03 Leaver) a little more time tocollate your submissions, we will besending out the OG Newsletter atthe beginning of January 2013together with Michaelmas Lines.Dawn Wedge, Alumnae OfficeDebut novelMany congratulations to Old Girl Rebecca Wait(‘06 Leaver) on the publication of her first novelThe View on the Way Down. Rebecca, who readEnglish at Oxford University, has been writingfor as long as she can remember and has wonnumerous prizes for short stories and plays. Shewrote The View on the Way Down in the evenings,whilst working as a teaching assistant. The novelwas published in April by Picador, and hasreceived excellent reviews.Rebecca now lives in London and is writing her second novel.‘This is a book that leaves you contemplating many things. Thecomplexity of sibling relationships, the hidden contagiousness ofmental illness, the long shadows cast by childhood, and the painthat is the price of love. The last few chapters build to adevastating climax, and as a reader you are caught in theundertow. It lingers with you, and for those who have sufferedsimilar things, it echoes truth’.The Guardian, April 2013Lines is the newsletter of St Helen & St Katharine, Faringdon Road, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, OX14 1BE.www.shsk.org.uk T: 01235 546 541 E: communications@shsk.org.ukEditors: Mrs Charlotte Carey, Jess Hoskin (11L), Emily Macpherson (L6E), Catherine Moon (U6E), Anna Murphy (U6F), Sophie Topp (11M)Photography: Thanks to Mr Paul Burnett, Mr Paul Moylan and the many pupils who have contributed photosDesign by: MCC Design, Oxfordshire