Summer 2012 - The Queen's School

Festival of musicSeventeen different instrumental classes, involving over a hundred girls, wererepresented at The Queen’s School Festival of Music. From classical to popular,ensemble to solo, string to wind, the judges were treated to the impressive standardof play which has become the hallmark of the day. It was a year 13 pupil whoreceived the coveted Amy Underhill Trophy as overall winner having come first in thewoodwind trophy for her outstanding rendition of the 1st Movement of Poulenc’sFlute Sonata. As ever, the standard was extremely high with all categories proving tobe a very high standard.Perfect stridePictured above riding her pony Smashis year 9 pupil Ellie Williams, the newnovice dressage 2012 National SchoolsEquestrian Association County Champion.Ellie and her three team members,Gemma Owen (year 4), Eleanor Hassall(year 9) and Chloe Stratton (year 11),have managed to qualify for the nationalchampionships which will be held inBuckinghamshire later this year.Senior School4What a starTwelve weeks of research and creativity in her graphic design lessons produced excellentresults for one talented girl whose prototype was highly commended ina national competition run by Starpack. Briefed to create a reusablecontainer to transport fruit and vegetables home from a farmers’market, she and her fellow year 9 students were asked toconsider ease of use and storagetogether with the versatilityand protective qualities of theirproduct as well as its appearance.Rebecca will attend an awardsceremony at the end of July andher design will be displayed onthe Starpack website.Pure poetryEarlier this month, a year 8 student was announced a runner up in the iF Poems /The Times young poet national competition. Her piece, entitled My Mother,was selected from nearly 1000 entries by a panel of judges including JamesHarding, editor of The Times, and literary editorErica Wagner. Rose’s imaginative andsophisticated use of imagery wasinspired by Grace Nichols’ PraiseSong for My Mother, which shehad studied in one of her Englishlessons.Extremely giftedFour students from year 10, accompaniedby their teacher Erika Robinson, recentlycompeted against schools from across theregion in a three day Extreme Physics courseheld at Lancaster Royal Grammar School.The girls participated in a series of fascinatingchallenges, experiments, quizzes and gamesincluding designing dragster racers, measuringthe mass of an alien and even indoor skydiving!Quickly establishing themselves as the teamto beat, the girls impressed judges with theirteamwork, creativity and knowledge and,after making a confident final presentationexplaining the physics of flight, they wereawarded first prize overall. The team captain,also received a special award for the bestindividual achievement.