Welcome to the Column an Outstanding Performance: Senior
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ColumnTHE ISSUE 2 2006 Welcome to In 1868 Disraeli wrote to Queen Ha-Ha, sheep and heifers grazing Victoria that “the flag waves again in a Poussinesque landscape. The Column over Stowe which one never There is an atmosphere of hushed expected” after the second Duke of expectation as the hoardings go Buckingham’s bankruptcy. A few up outside the Chapel to demarcate days ago, we all rejoiced in seeing the area where the new girls’ the Union flag fluttering over the boarding house is to be built. newly restored Corinthian Arch to The designs are ready, contracts in this issue: mark Her Majesty the Queen’s signed and the bulldozers will be 80th birthday. moving in next week to demolish • School News ..................P2-5 Schools, like many institutions, Wisteria Cottage (fortunately the have cyclical patterns and I am girls have been relocated to the • Old Stoics .......................P6-7 delighted to say that Stowe seems refurbished 1 Home Park house). to be enjoying something of a Having welcomed twenty-four new • Old Stoics – Births, renaissance. After one of the largest girls into the 3rd and 4th Forms in which differentiate between the very able Deaths & Marriages .....P7 renovation projects in Europe, the September, we are now well and and those who require more support. Old Stoics News ............P8-9 North and South Fronts look truly on our way to becoming a fully We were delighted to hear that Lavinia • co-educational School. resplendent in the Spring sunshine. Spurr, Jack Randall, Georgina Newman • Old Stoics Sports ........P10 I cannot think of a better view in We are determined that each and Max Kirchoff were successful in their England than the vista which and every Stoic reaches his or Oxbridge applications and we are School Sport .................P10-11 presents itself when you stand on her academic potential. Heads confident that this year’s Upper Sixth will • the South Front Loggia and gaze of Departments have been fulfil our high expectations when the over the gently sloping lawn with instrumental in delivering revised A-level results are published in August. • End Piece .........................P12 Stoic cricketers contesting an inter- schemes of work, using ICT This edition of The Column reflects the Stowe-Doku..........................P12 house match, golfers teeing off on imaginatively to enhance the way kaleidoscopic variety of activities offered • the 6th hole, the beagles being pupils learn, target-setting for a Stowe education. exercised between the two Vanbrugh examination year groups and lake temples and, beyond the implementing teaching strategies continued on page 2 } An outstanding performance: Senior Congreve’s Photos: Roy Ottaway Roy Photos: Les Misérables (school edition) Les Misérables is probably the rehearsals and performances. I know “Stowe’s performance rivaled the people’s favourite musical. It was how much the pupils were grateful for London productions.” very encouraging as a Director to having so many dedicated staff to realise that our version lived up to turn to for help with their most the expectations of appreciative testing pieces of recitative and knowledgeable audiences. and harmonies. The standing ovation on Saturday This teamwork extended to other evening was instantaneous and made colleagues and pupils because all the rehearsing and preparation without costumes, a set, lighting worthwhile. All four performances and sound, front of house and box were well received (even the Dress office, makeup and many other Rehearsal turned out to be a full “The finest school production of any work facets involved in the production that we have ever seen.” house!) it was very encouraging for we would never have been able the pupils to realise their production to provide such a ‘professional’ was having such an impact. production. We have an excellent As in all theatre productions, photographic record of the show and certainly with a project of this which I hope you will be able stature, the teamwork involved was to access via our website at: one of the critical factors in the www.stowe.co.uk/news/news/ success. Jonathan Kingston, Hilary 05-06/summer/les_miserables.html Ford and Mark Edwards were all and re-live, like me, some of the “Your front of house team did you proud.” superb in their commitment to all the poignant and emotional highlights. Lionel Weston, Director School | continued from page 1 Music goes from strength to selected for their dedication, team strength with the orchestra work and agility. They are given tackling an increasingly advice on diet, exercise, sports challenging classical repertoire; psychology and motivation so that the Chapel Choir sang a spiritually they can focus on fulfilling their charged Evensong in the sublime considerable potential. There are Stowe receives £30,000 setting of Christchurch Cathedral, always new opportunities for Oxford and there cannot be many sporting prowess to flourish at schools in the country that can Stowe and I have been delighted Wolfson Grant stage an end of term ‘Last Night of with the recent success of the the Proms’ concert with a rejuvenated rowing club which We are delighted to have been place extensive resources on the programme ranging from Allegri’s competed in its first regatta at awarded a grant of £30,000 from the network for pupils to use when they Miserere to Madonna’s Like a Evesham in late April. We have Wolfson Education Trust (a Trust that worked on their own away from the Prayer. The finale of one thousand also bucked the trend by positively supports educational excellence) to classroom. The Wolfson project voices singing the words of the encouraging field sports and our fund a project to equip the Science compliments these initiatives as it Dambusters’ March followed by beagle pack is widely Department with a mobile suite of facilitates pupil use of ICT in class and Jerusalem could be heard in the acknowledged to be one of the laptops and datalogging equipment. completes the overall picture of how neighbouring village of Dadford! best in the country. Anyone driving Now whole classes can monitor ICT is used to great effect at all levels We are already in the midst of over the Oxford Water in the early experiments electronically, allowing of scientific study. preparing for next term’s Arts evening will be rewarded with the pupils to develop a true The award is further recognition of Festival which we hope will have a sight of a dozen or so Stoics fly- understanding of what is going on the ground breaking work that goes literary flavour as well as the usual fishing in the restocked lakes. in experiments and reactions. The on in our Science Department. There mixture of drama, dance, song, equipment enables laptops to is a clear vision of how ICT can be and magic. The most recent web edition of the connect wirelessly to a wide range Good Schools Guide comments best used to enhance the delivery of A new spirit of competitiveness of scientific sensors as well as the science education and the software positively on the “unspoiled, un- School’s network. suffuses sport at Stowe. Our arrogant behaviour of the pupils”. that has come out of collaborative athletes represent both County More importantly, this esteemed Stowe’s interest in the use of ICT work with Stowe’s scientists is now and National teams and it is a publication reports on “blissfully in Science teaching was sparked off used both nationally and measure of our new-found happy children”. I cannot think of 8 years ago when the Chemistry internationally. Projects involving confidence that last season’s a better endorsement than that. Department was at the centre of a Stowe staff have led them to cricket 1st XI remained unbeaten national project set up by the Nuffield presenting at national conferences in regular school fixtures and our Foundation. This led to the wide as well as working with overseas lacrosse teams had their most spread use of ICT by science teachers scientists. Stowe has led the way for a successful season ever. The Stowe to enhance classroom delivery, much number of years in the area of science Academy is comprised of our most ANTHONY Wallersteiner work being centred around the use education, this recent project and the successful athletes who are Headmaster of data projectors and interactive support from the Wolfson Foundation whiteboards. This development put in helps to keep us at the forefront. Sir Peter began his talk by observing that credibility rather than truth is the essential quality of theatre, a play or opera being an act of imagination between performers and audience. Having remarked on the distinguishing features of the language and speech- rhythms of such modern playwrights as Edward Albee, Harold Pinter and Tennessee Williams, he concluded his talk with advice on the speaking of Shakespearian blank verse. He then fielded questions for fully half an hour, his observations on the role of the director being particularly valuable. The evening ended with dinner in the Blue Room. This time, it was students from the Upper Sixth who had the opportunity to approach the great man and to engage him in conversation. Leading actors and actresses from Stowe’s production of Les Misérables (school edition) were prominent participators in conversation at table. Sir Peter, who had earlier expressed his intention to depart by 10.00pm stayed on, with characteristic generosity, for an extra half hour, ensuring that so many of those who wanted the Sir Peter Hall visits Stowe opportunity to speak to him were not disappointed. On Friday 24 February 2006, Stowe’s Literary Society The evening began with a reception in the Gothic For years to come, this memorable evening will be was privileged to be host to Sir Peter Hall, probably Library, where Lower Sixth students of English recalled as an exceptional event in Stowe’s cultural the most eminent of all theatrical directors working in Literature and Theatre Studies had the opportunity to calendar.