Newsletter - Summer 2019
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Coolinge Lane, Folkestone, Kent CT20 3RB Email: [email protected] Tel: 01303 251125 NEWSLETTER - SUMMER 2019 Dear Parents & Carers It is difficult to believe that another school year draws to a close - my first as Principal. Time flies when you are having fun, so the saying goes and certainly this academic year we have all worked hard to make sure that the girls experience fun at school and a fun school! Whilst national agendas focus on ‘narrowing gaps’ and ‘closing gaps’ and concentrate almost exclusively on purely academic outcomes, here we have been busily filling gaps with experiences and opportunities to enliven and enrich our curriculum, develop character traits like self-confidence, resilience and commitment and that will create memories of school to last a life time. As ever, work continues apace with the FSGBacc, with further exciting developments on the horizon. Our first big school production in several years - Annie, has just had a stunning 3 night run. We are busy working on an exciting new project for, and with, our Nepalese community, via The British Council. Mr Easton, our lead on Computing & Digital Literacy is working on a new Lego League robotics venture and on creating our very own ‘Escape Room’. Our Radio Station is currently recruiting the first wave of presenters, ready for a September launch. 45 cadets are set to commence CCF in September. Our Language Ambassadors are already out in our own school community, leading lessons here and at local primaries and girls continue to enjoy the bikes, the climbing wall, cheerleading and of course expedition season is well underway with Duke of Edinburgh. All the while, the day job of planning, teaching, marking and reporting continues and this year some 4650 examinations have been taken between Ys 10, 11 and 13 at both GCSE and A Level. It is testament to how much we do as a school, that this part of school life rarely gets a mention in newsletters. It is also a reflection that our curriculum and our core purpose is driven by the unshakeable belief that exam results are what the girls get; they do not define who they are and will play only a part in shaping who they become. Our academic curriculum then is only a part of what we do. Even at this late stage of the year, with the exam season now behind us, there has been no let-up in the opportunities and experiences provided. Girls have enjoyed Sports Day, Mountain Biking & Kayaking trips to Bewl Water, trips to London, Quex Park, Charivari, National Archives, Women in Engineering events, our first cheerleading performance, our annual Listening Project in History, our Careers Fair, seeing their teachers perform at FSG’s own Strictly Come Dancing, Blue Sky Theatre Company Visit and we are about to embark on the final three days of ‘enrichment’ with all that entails - trips to Boulogne, White Chapel, History Workshops etc. etc. Charlie Chaplin, in his movie The Great Dictator, considers that with our increased knowledge of the world and of each other, it is possible to become cold and cynical, that we can ‘think too much and feel too little’. ‘More than cleverness we need kindness and gentleness’ he says. 22 July 2019 Pg 1 So, as my first year as Principal draws to a close, I reflect on the things that I hold dear and that drive me in my actions and drives us as a school in our actions every day. These are the importance of kindness in our school and in our dealings with each other, the importance of optimism and the importance of recognising what a contribution each of us can make to each other and to the world. Picking up again with that Charlie Chaplin speech I ask our girls to…. ‘Use your cleverness well. More than just knowledge you must have wisdom. You have the power, the power to create and spread happiness. You have the power to make this world a world of reason, a world where science and progress and knowledge and wisdom will lead to all people’s happiness. You have the power to make this life free and beautiful and to make this life a wonderful adventure’ I take the opportunity to thank all staff for their endless hard work and commitment to the girls. I thank our girls for their continued hard work and their willingness to have a go and get involved and for making FSG such a wonderful place to be and I thank everyone for their support over this first year. We have achieved a lot together. We welcome girls back to school on Tuesday 3rd September 2019, but in the meantime I wish you all a restful and peaceful summer. Mr Mark Lester Principal International School - We are busy working to become an International school, which will increase the opportunities for girls to engage with their school aged counterparts internationally and in time, perhaps even visit them at home. We have begun this work by linking, initially with a school in Kathmandu, Nepal, chosen because of our large Nepalese community here in school and in Folkestone. Below shows our girls video conference with school girls in Nepal. 22 July 2019 Pg 2 Annie After a 7 year hiatus, we welcomed back the return of the big school production with ‘Annie’. A stunning show with girls involved in all aspects of the production, from backstage crew, lighting, sound, set design and creation, make up and of course our stunning cast. After months of rehearsals, the big night finally came and to rapturous applause. Parents and visitors could not believe the talent of the cast and the quality of the production. Three stunning evenings, all accompanied by a 21 strong orchestra with present students, past students, parents, future teachers (our new DoL Music - Mrs Katrina Livingston) and Miss Welch (History Dept) all under the masterful Mrs Braddy. 22 July 2019 Pg 3 Strictly Come Dancing FSG On Friday 12th July 2019 we saw a return of last year’s first ever Strictly Come Dancing FSG. Having worked on their routines in clandestine fashion over several months’ preparation, it was Mr Quinn who kicked off the show. Dancing to the Van Halen classic he ‘jump’ed from the stage to the dance floor before sweeping an awaiting Mrs Fenton off her feet. Despite stiff competition amongst the seven couples it was Mr Birkman, who won for a second consecutive year, with his new dance partner, Mrs Harvey, with their rendition of ‘Time of my life’ from Dirty Dancing. No one puts Mrs Harvey in the corner! Guests were also treated to professional dance displays from our very own Mrs Morrison, who organised the whole event. Girls had a night of entertainment at the hands (and feet) of their teachers and some £800 was raised for charity. 22 July 2019 Pg 4 ART Year 8 Students contribute to ‘Lasting Memories’ In June, Y8 students painted pebbles in their art lessons as part of a community art and heritage project called ‘Lasting Memories’ to commemorate 100 years since the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. ‘Lasting Memories’ culminated in the creation of seven giant poppies on Folkestone beach on 28th June and was organised by a local art group called the East Cliff Creatives. The poppies were created from around 54,000 Folkestone pebbles painted with eco-friendly paint. Each pebble was painted with a design and was an artwork in its own right. The Poppies represented the seven months between the Armistice of WW1 and eventual peace, with the signing of the Treaty of Versailles on June 28th 1919. Each poppy represented stories from seven themes that impacted on the local community during this time such as Spanish Flu, voluntary aid detachments, peace celebrations, refugees from Belgium, Canadian troops and rest camps. The students painted 644 pebbles, with some very intricate and thoughtful designs, well done Y8! ‘Fantasy Fiction’ proves a fitting theme for Charivari this year! It was all drums and glitter on Saturday 6th July as Charivari, Folkestone’s Street Carnival, wound its way from The Stade, up the Old High Street, to the Leas. 22 July 2019 Pg 5 This year’s theme was ‘A night at the movies’ and the procession provided glimpses into the genres of action adventure, science fiction, horror, musicals, world cinema and fantasy. Twelve Y9 FSG Art students were given the genre of ‘fantasy’ and chose to create builds of Totoro (from the Studio Ghibli animations), Fawkes the phoenix from Harry Potter and the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz. The workshops took place over 3 days in the Strange Cargo factory in Cheriton where each group worked with a carnival trained local artist. The first day involved creating the structure out of willow witheys and bamboo, the second day was covering the builds with tissue and latex and the third day (the really fun day) was spray painting and decorating the builds with plastazote foam and BLING! (more glitter than you have ever seen!). The parade itself was on a sunny day with the drums transforming the town into a ‘babel of noise’ and the builds bringing gasps and smiles to the crowd that lined the streets. Well done to all the students involved, especially those who did a sterling job carrying the builds on their shoulders. 22 July 2019 Pg 6 Students turn into explorers with a trip to Quex Park In July, Year 9 art students visited the Percy Powell-Cotton museum at Quex Park in Thanet which features an array of exhibits acquired from the Far East.