BulletinSUMMER... 2004 From the Ashes Head’s Lines On Friday, 18th June, it was wonderful to have the opportunity of thanking many of the lead players in our recovery from last August’s fire. I would like, one more time, to thank, in print, all those parents and pupils for the wonderful offers of help delivered by letter, phone, email and in person. All the fire- affected areas are back in full use with improved resources and facilities. We have now embarked on the delayed Science project. The Portakabins have been converted into laboratories, using The phoenix on the cake baked by Pat Mamelok was Sixth Form Resource Centre was rebuilt, refurbished, benches, cupboards and equipment etc a suitable symbol for the tremendous effort which and re-equipped and the new Computer Rooms from Biology, Physics and General has gone into rebuilding parts of the School after were ready. Mrs Pickering referred to the Science Labs. The latter have been last August’s fire. On Friday 18th June, members of professionalism, courage and sensitivity of the stripped and major demolition will the School gathered, together with representatives Fire Service, the welcome arrival shortly commence. The project should from the Greater Manchester Fire Service, Salvation of the Salvation Army Mobile Canteen, the be completed in ten months’ time and Army, Insurance Companies and ISS, the Salvage sympathetic assistance of the Insurers and the will not only provide extended modern Company, to celebrate the return of the affected support of various individuals immediately following Physics and Biology laboratories but areas. Members of the Senior Club the fire. She also thanked Seddons, the also one additional laboratory, improved and PTA Committees also showed builders, and Barry Johnson, the disabled access, and additional offices their support. Architect for their unstinting efforts in and interview rooms. The current making sure that all the building work The afternoon started with an alleyway will be incorporated in the was finished on time and to the highest assembly in the Arts Centre where main building and the external standard. Mrs Pickering took everybody back to appearance of the south end of the the horrific events of ten months The rest of the afternoon was spent school will be a pleasure rather than an ago. The pictures of the blackened raising money for Sport Relief. Despite eyesore. and water-damaged Computer Rooms and Library the rain, girls donned their one red sock which When Keith Bradley, the local MP, were a solemn reminder of the seriousness of the proclaimed ‘Doing It’ and ran, walked, jogged, three- visited Withington in April as part of situation facing the School on 22nd August 2003. or-more-legged - a mile round the school field. the MPs to School initiative, we took A second sock, saying appropriately enough ‘Done It’ With the help, expertise and support of the the opportunity of expressing our will be available next term. The fancy dress emergency services, staff, pupils, parents and the concerns about road safety on costumes got wet, the socks got muddy but spirits local community, the clean-up and recovery Wellington and Victoria Roads. He kept were not dampened and afterwards everyone operation was soon underway. Portakabins were his promise of passing these concerns enjoyed their ice creams and orange juice happy in erected and what could be salvaged was removed on to the Council, a school sign has the knowledge that they had done what Withington for cleaning and repair. The builders moved in and been erected and the Keep Clear always does best – overcome adversity and address the phoenix finally did arise; classrooms were rebuilt markings by the school gate will soon the needs of others. (and enlarged), an improved Library opened and be repainted. The Council have sent rescued books were returned to new shelves; the continued… Head’s Lines continued… notices forewarning that drivers of vehicles stopped on ‘School – Keep – Clear’ zig-zag markings risk being issued with a £40 Penalty Charge Notice.

You will shortly be receiving the 2004- 2005 Calendar. Do please pencil in the dates for Parents’ Evenings, Plays, Concerts etc. Next year’s PTA AGM, on 12th October, is twinned with the third of our Parents’ Information Sessions. The first two covered Drugs issues and Eating Disorders and both were deemed extremely valuable by all those present. On 12th October, a specialist in the field will address the important topic of Alcohol and Teenage Drinking and I do encourage you to attend if you are free to do so.

Thanks to the generosity of those who sponsored my Greater Manchester Run two cheques for £401.75 have been posted, one to Francis House and one to St Ann’s Hospice. Junior School Playground

School examinations are now over and Girls from the Junior School were given a post-exam treat when the new playground was opened on Friday, as I write there are very few public 25th June. The girls all agree that it has made playtime more enjoyable. examination papers remaining. It has Aimée Coleman says: ‘Our new playground has made a great difference to playtime. The play area has been a pleasure to commence the brought me happiness, joy and confidence. Compared to the normal tarmac we play on, what’s to compare?’ reading of pupils’ reports and there will justifiably be many proud parents when The favourite activity is definitely ‘the wobbly bridge’ because, as Ella Mamelok says: ‘However hard you try these are brought home at the end of you just fall off!’ term. I do hope that a happy Summer break is enjoyed by all. Sadly, at the end of this term we say farewell to Mrs Nichola Watson (Head of Food and Textile Technology), Mrs Mary Modern Languages Trips Rawsthorn (Head of PE and Games) and, Mrs Geneviève Adams (Head of French The Modern Languages Departments are in the Hornfleur and Deauville. For the first time, Lower Vth and Spanish). Tributes to their huge process of organising many exciting trips for 2005. to Lower VIth girls will also have the opportunity to contributions to Withington will be The French Department are planning the tenth visit Andalucia for six days in April with the Spanish made in the annual Newsletter and at exchange to Paris. Pupils from Withington and Department. The trip will commence in Malaga, Founders’ Day and details of new Manchester Grammar School will attend St Louis de cover a variety of cities and towns and enable girls appointments will be given in next Gonzague, a well-known school on the banks of the to have first-hand exposure to the language, culture, term’s Bulletin. We wish staff and pupil Seine. The Department are also planning a trip to history and architecture of this rich and diverse part leavers every success and happiness in Normandy next April for Upper and Lower Fifth, of Spain. The second Sixth Form German Trip to their futures. We look forward to incorporating the Landing Day beaches, the Berlin also departs in April and a Rhineland Trip for greeting all returning pupils, and those Memorial Peace Museum, the historic cities of Caen Upper IVth and Lower Vth will take place at the start new to the School, on Friday, 3rd and Bayeux as well as the picturesque resorts of of the Summer holidays. September.

Janet Pickering Headmistress. Bolivia

Preparations are now well underway for the World Challenge Expedition to Bolivia next Summer. Nearly 40 girls are participating in the expedition and they each need to raise over £3000. Fundraising started with a car boot sale which raised over £100 and will continue with a clothing sale with clothes donated by New Look, Bay Trading and Pilot in the Autumn Term. A Salsa Evening and a Halloween Disco are also planned. Girls and staff are eagerly awaiting the three-day training expedition in Buxton in October. The PE department - as usual, had a busy past few months.

After many practices on Thursdays and Fridays during the course of the It has also been a very successful rounders season with all teams playing year, the Withington Girls’ School team has been firmly established. very well. The IIIrd form and LIV teams have been especially successful with Thanks to the help of the PE department and the perseverance of Team neat fielding and strong batting. The highlight of the term, however, was Captain Ally Capron, Withington can now boast many extremely competent the Upper II achievement of runners-up spot in the AJIS rounders bowlers and batswomen. An inaugural Test Match has been organised competition at Cheadle Hulme. They were unbeaten in their section, and in against Tytherington High. the triangular final they beat Cheadle Hulme but lost out to the eventual winners, Birkenhead. 2004 has been an excellent season for athletics. The Seniors have enjoyed two home fixtures and many girls achieved personal best scores. The new high jump matting will enable girls to try different jumping techniques. The Junior School enjoyed a match against Stockport Grammar, winning overall by one point. In June, Lower II and Upper II took part in the AJIS Athletics event at Stanley Park, Blackpool. The standard was high and once again the girls improved their times and distances. Special congratulations go to Charlotte Woods who achieved the national qualifying time of 2m and 21secs for the 800m. We look forward to Sports Day on Monday 5th of July.

New Post – Old Girl

At the beginning of May, Helen O’Donnell (nee Newsome) became Withington’s first Development Director. Helen was a pupil at Withington from 1982-1989 and our gain is the loss of Wolverhampton Grammar School where she had been employed as a highly successful Development Manager. Helen will be implementing a Fundraising Strategy which will ensure the continuity of means- tested bursary provision following the loss of Government Assisted Places. She will be assisted in her role by Marjory Spurgin, who many recipients of this Bulletin will know in her current role as School Secretary. Marj will be very much missed in the School Office, but there is no doubt that she will bring much valued knowledge and expertise to the role of Development Secretary. Geography

As it is Summer, a variety of fieldwork has been taking place. The Lower Fifth have been out in the Peak District collecting data for their GCSE coursework. Although there had been a dire weather forecast, it turned out to be a beautiful day with many other school parties in the ‘honeypot’ of Castleton. The Lower Sixth are undertaking urban fieldwork in the centre of Manchester, focusing on aspects relating to their A2 course. Some of the Upper Fourths are doing ‘crime surveys’ in the local area to give them a taste of data collection and presentation that may be used in their future geographical studies. Ogden Trust National Summer Music Course – Schools’ 19th July to 23rd July 2004

Over eighty applications have been received for the Business inaugural Summer Music Course being run by musicians from the Northern Chamber Orchestra Competition and world music specialists. Rebecca Thompson, Course Director, is putting the finishing touches to 2004 the programme for the week and music is being specially arranged to suit children of all abilities. This event is designed to test and challenge the entrepreneurship of Sixth Form pupils, whilst broadening their business education. Schools enter teams of 3 Lower Sixth Formers, who have to construct a solution to a challenging and creative business problem and then present and defend it to a critical audience of peers and members of the business community. Teams are then judged by a distinguished panel. The North West round was held at (Boys) and Withington entered a strong team The Duke of of Pru Buxton, Clare Sibley and Dominique Finnegan-Parsons. Their Edinburgh’s Award task was to create a suitable This has been a very successful year for The Duke of business proposal for empty business premises in a fictional Edinburgh’s Award with fifty-six girls entering for Edge Hill seaside resort near London. The girls Bronze, sixteen for Silver, and eight for Gold Awards. came up with Vanilla! – a patisserie The Bronze groups completed a day walk in the ice Maths Challenge cum ice-cream parlour and argued and snow in February, a practice expedition in the Early in the Spring Term, five groups of girls a very successful case for its Peak District in March and, finally, a qualifying entered the Edge Hill Maths Challenge, which adoption by the judges. The latter were impressed both with the girls’ expedition in June in the very wet West Pennines. involved solving a maths problem and ideas and with the quality of their Many thanks to the enthusiastic parents who have producing a poster and powerpoint presentation. The overall winners helped, rain and shine, on the walks and expeditions presentation to illustrate their solution. Three were Bury Grammar School (Girls) – their help has been invaluable. groups were selected to go through to the who had a greater knowledge of next round; the problems were far more The Silver and Gold expeditions are run by an technical business and financial difficult, but the girls rose to the challenge organisation called Pathways. The Silver group terms. As ever, Withington girls and the groups are through to the final completed a one-day walk in April, will take part in acquitted themselves extremely well round at Edge Hill on Wednesday 7th July. and were a credit to the School. a two-day practice expedition in July and a three- day qualifying expedition from 30th August to 1st We wish them every success. September. The Gold group completed a practice expedition in June and will undertake their qualifying expedition from 9-13th July in the Yorkshire Dales. The three Godesses judge Paris

In May, Upper Sixth students, accompanied by Mrs Robinson, went to a preview showing of the film of Troy is a fitting ending to their A2 course, in which they have been studying Aeneid Book 2 - The Wet Days Fall of Troy. PTA Umbrellas are now available for sale. Please see separate leaflet. Successful Partnership Bids Ceramics and

Withington has recently been successful in two DfES sponsored Independent/State School Watercolour Classes Partnership bids. An Arts project will result in collaboration between the Northern Chamber Orchestra (NCO) and GCSE Music pupils from Trinity High School and Withington. The culmination will be a number of performances of pupils’ compositions both at the Royal Northern College of Music and at Withington. An additional strand of the project will provide pupils from Withington’s Junior School and other local Junior Schools with NCO workshops and public performances. The second successful bid will enable Withington and Whalley Range High School pupils to benefit from exciting opportunities in the field of creative art. GCSE Art candidates from both schools will participate in workshops with local From September, Mrs Diane Connell (ex-Head of Art) will continue craftswomen and artists in to offer a Junior Ceramics Course (Wednesday afternoons 4.00- residence. The project commences 5.30pm) followed by an Adult Course (6.30-8.30pm). The first such with a two-week summer school courses, held this term, have been highly successful. from 19th to 30th July 2004; the first week being held at Whalley An Adult Watercolour Class may be offered, from September, on Range High School and the second either Tuesday or Thursday evenings from 7.00-9.00pm. Please at Withington. contact Mrs Willis (School Office) for more information about any of the above courses. Stratford Trip On the 8th May a group of Fifth Gambian Expedition and Sixth Form girls set off for a BBC Junior The fundraising for the Gambia Expedition has been weekend in Stratford. The first of extremely successful; over £8000 has already been the plays was a matinee raised which, when added to the £5000 promised by performance of Romeo and Juliet. our main sponsor, Alliance Property, gives a fantastic Mastermind The entertaining play was made all total of over £13000. the more so by the failure of a Congratulations to Lucy in Upper II who has made it trapdoor – central to the plot of the We are very grateful to the many people who have through many hotly-contested rounds to appear in play – to open and Romeo’s contributed so generously, especially Mr Marks and BBC ‘Junior Mastermind’. The filming, at the BBC subsequent confusion. However the Mr and Mrs Preston; Winifred Jones and the London studios, is scheduled for 4th July and Lucy mesmerising production of Macbeth parishioners of Styal, who have donated over 40 has chosen ‘Australian Geography’ and on Saturday night was the highlight soft toys and Babygros and are organising a coffee ‘The History of the Grand National between 1990 of the weekend. The witches were morning; the pupils of Brookhead Junior School and 2004’ as her specialist subjects. We wish her all scary, Lady Macbeth was evil and who have raised over £100; Ladybarn House School, the best! the blood flowed like – well, like a who have raised over £200 with a uniform sale and mixture of glycerine, treacle and red the Asda Store on Princess Parkway. More funds will food colouring - which is what it be raised at a forthcoming Disco. was as we discovered on the illuminating backstage tour, which also revealed the mechanism behind Journey’s End Romeo’s failed trapdoor. On 24th April, Upper Sixth English students and The late night did not stop everyone their teachers travelled to London to see a being up early on Sunday morning, production of Journey’s End by RC Sheriff. eager to participate in Ally The performance was well worth the long train Troughton’s Drama Workshop. After journey and this moving play about the First World a hurried lunch, it was a tired but War had a profound effect on everyone. culturally enlightened group that The performance was useful in preparing girls for made its way back to Manchester. the A-level examination based on the war. Fun Club 26th July to 6th August 2004 News of Past Pupils Applications are still coming in for this Summer’s fun and games for all Suzanne Bailey has gained a IIi in Architectural Daisy Kate Knox gained a First in Classics at members of the community led by Design from the University of Edinburgh where she Cambridge and received the highest dissertation Mrs Mhairi Ferrol, Mrs Sally Fletcher will be spending another two years completing her mark. She is continuing her studies at Cambridge, and Miss Kaeren Browning. Places course embarking on a D.Phil. are still available for children from Louise Coffey has gained a IIi in English at Leeds Antonia Lee has gained a IIi in Human Sciences at age 5 – 13. Please call Mrs Willis in University. Oxford. the School Office (0161 224 1077) Alison Furber has gained a First in Engineering and Kirsty Whittaker has gained a First in Physics at for more information. is now embarking on a PhD. Bristol University. Lisa Hamburger has gained a First in Linguistics at Elsa Sependa has gained a IIi in Law with Leeds University and will be undertaking further Australian Law from Nottingham University. studies there. Following an LPC at Nottingham Law School she will commence a training contract at Slaughter & May. Louise Hoey has qualified as a Doctor at Leeds University Rachel Hunter has now qualified as a Doctor from the University of Leeds. She is currently working in Bristol and is getting married next year.

Dates for your Diary AUTUMN 2004 Photograph courtesy of South Manchester Reporter 3rd [Friday] Term Starts 16th [Thursday] Gambia Parents’ Meeting 6.00pm 21st [Tuesday] IIIrd Form and Junior School Parents’ Religious Studies Introductory Meeting tbc

SEPTEMBER 28th [Tuesday] Harvest Festival (Senior School) We were very fortunate this term to 1st [Friday] Harvest Festival (Junior School) welcome an eminent Veterinary 5th [Tuesday] Senior Club AGM 7.30pm Surgeon and a local female Parish 6th [Wednesday] Junior School Parents’ Information Evening tbc Priest. Barbara Holgate is the senior 10th [Sunday] DoE Walk (Lyme Park) All day vet. at Astra Zeneca and her 12th [Tuesday] PTA AGM and guest speaker 7.30pm 18th [Monday] Founders’ Day in the Bridgewater Hall 7.00pm presentation on the topic of OCTOBER [School finishes at 1.00pm] research into drugs, which including week comm.18th Drama Production (Lower & Upper IV) tbc the testing of these drugs on 25th – 29th [inclusive] Half Term Holiday animals, was clearly and honestly 3rd [Wednesday] NCO Partnership Concerts (RNCM) 6.30 & 7.30pm presented. It provoked much 4th [Thursday] Open Evening for prospective discussion and certainly enhanced parents and pupils 4.00-6.00pm our knowledge of this controversial 5th [Friday] Staff In-service Day [No pupils in School] 6th [Saturday] Open Morning for prospective ethical issue, which is part of the parents and pupils 10.00am-12.00noon GCSE Religious Studies course. 8th [Monday] Drama Workshop (Lower V) 4.00-7.00pm 10th [Wednesday] Sixth Form Open Evening 6.30-8.30pm The Reverend Lisa Battye, a pioneer 12th – 14th [Friday-Sunday] Ghyll Head Weekend (IIIrd Form) in the movement towards the 16th [Tuesday] Young Shakespeare (Junior School)

acceptance of female priests within NOVEMBER 18th [Thursday] Barnardos Fashion Show 7.00pm the Anglican Church, presented 19th – 21st [Friday-Sunday] Ghyll Head Weekend (IIIrd Form) 20th [Saturday] PTA Dinner Dance (Lancashire many issues including the meaning County Cricket Club) 7.30pm–1.00am of the Trinity, the significance of the 22nd – 23rd [Monday-Tuesday] ABRM examinations Eucharist and losing one’s faith. 23rd [Tuesday] Lower Sixth Presentation Evening 7.30pm 27th [Saturday] Lower V Drama ‘Trojan Women’ 7.30pm Christianity is one of the religions 29th [Monday] Parents’ Evening: IIIrd Forms 6.30pm studied throughout the RS course 2nd [Thursday] Senior Advent Concert 7.00pm and it was very interesting to hear 6th [Monday] Carol Service at St Ann’s Church 7.00pm such an informative presentation. 9th [Thursday] Parents’ Evening: Upper VI Forms 6.30pm We are looking forward to further 14th [Tuesday] Junior Carol Concert 6.00pm 16th [Thursday] Term Ends 2.00pm stimulating presentations next year. DECEMBER Spring Term starts Wednesday, 5th January 2005 For further information contact the School Secretary Withington Girls’ School, Wellington Road, Fallowfield, Manchester M14 6BL. Tel : 0161 224 1077 Fax : 0161 248 5377 Email : [email protected] www.withington.manchester.sch.uk Registered Charity No. 526632