JULY 2014

Head’s Lines Dear Parents I am delighted to send you this update on our girls’ curricular and extracurricular activities in the latter part of this summer term. As the front cover illustrates, the climax of Alive with the School year was the moving and highly impressive production of The Sound of Music, which many of you came to see. Many thanks for your support for the cast and crew, who worked so hard to achieve such high standards. We have been planning a number of events to celebrate the 125th anniversary next year, of the School’s foundation in 1890. I will have Withington was well and truly alive with the more news about this next Sound of Music as one of the School’s most term but, meanwhile, ambitious productions yet took to the stage. would like to thank all Family and friends of WGS were treated those families who have already ordered copies to a stunning extravaganza of theatre, in a of the commemorative book Towards the Light. show that brought together music and drama There will be an event to launch the book in the against the backdrop of a magnificent Alpine set. second half of next term. With a cast, orchestra and crew of more than 150, girls from every year in the School from Looking to the future, we are now waiting for Transition through to Upper Sixth, were involved planning permission to build our new Junior in this epic production of the iconic wartime School and Hub. We have been assured it classic. Boys from The Manchester Grammar is imminent! As soon as this is granted, our School played some of the male roles while contractors will be able to move on site, setting others were ably and amusingly played by WGS everything up during the holiday period, so that girls. There were many more pupils and staff the building works can be carried out safely and back stage and front of house, helping out during efficiently during the following months. We are the performances and in the many months of still anticipating that the new Junior School will preparation and rehearsal. be finished in time for September 2015. Work on the show began 15 months ago and there have been over 140 hours of rehearsals. I look forward to seeing many of you on A Level And it showed – the singing, music and acting and GCSE Results Days, and to welcoming the were truly flawless. Yet more hours were put into girls and staff back to school in September. costume and set design, ensuring a production of With all good wishes, truly professional standard. Continued on the centre pages... Mrs Sue Marks Headmistress Farewell Class of 2014...

School’s Out À bientôt ‘Hubble, bubble, toil and trouble’ became entertainingly real as The annual Leavers’ Concert and Dinner for girls, their parents and Upper Sixth students transformed themselves into a ‘scary’ array teachers was held the night before, on 7th May, with individual of witches, vampires and zombies to mark the annual tradition of musical performances and a grand finale by the whole year group Leavers’ Day. For the morning of 8th May, visitors were welcomed in which every girl joined in a rousing WGS adaptation of What by a sign informing them that they had arrived at Withington Dreams Are Made Of by Hilary Duff. Ghouls’ School. Around 300 attendees enjoyed a French-inspired dinner in Head of Sixth Form Mrs Elizabeth Robinson quickly discovered the School Dining Room. Speeches and toasts were made by that her office had been magically turned into a Haunted House Headmistress Mrs Sue Marks, Head of Sixth Form, Mrs Robinson, with her usually business-like base, located next to the Sixth Form Head Girl Helen Wheeldon and the two Deputy Head Girls Rhona Common Room, having been treated to a Not-So-Grand Designs Dawson and Emma New. makeover as bats, spiders, cobwebs and other creepy crawlies took Said Mrs Robinson: over her room. “As with every cohort, we will be sad to see Part of the Leavers’ Day celebrations, organised by the Sixth Form pastoral team, included a morning of fun and games with a them go, yet thrilled to see them go forward to competitive bistro quiz, followed by a hearty brunch and rounded exciting pastures new. They each have so many off with a series of house games in the Common Room - won by strengths and talents and can do whatever they Lejeune - before the morning ended, as all good parties do, with put their minds to. I have no doubt that they all cupcakes and goody bags. have great futures ahead of them.”

Leavers’ Ball The final celebratory event for the class of 2014 was a grand ball, together with their counterparts from The Manchester Grammar School and Manchester High School for Girls, held at the Hilton Hotel in Manchester. Cheshire Life and Lancashire Life magazines covered the event, hopefully in the September issue, on sale from around 22nd August. Private View Withington’s recent GCSE and A Level Art Exhibition drew a crowd of more than 100 invited guests in an exhibition hailed as “extremely impressive.” The event - held on 12th June in the Art Studio and around School - showcased the work of 31 Art and Design Students from Upper Fifth through to Upper Sixth under the theme of Self. Family and friends of the students, Governors and Staff were treated to a musical welcome from the School’s accomplished harpists led by teacher Louise Thomson and a tour around the stunning display of work produced by the group of 23 GCSE and eight A Level students. The School’s artists focused on a variety of subjects including architecture, landscapes and portraiture and used a broad range of techniques encompassing ceramics, porcelain, textiles, printing, life drawing and traditional painting. Head of Art, Mrs Ruth Fildes, said: “I was absolutely blown away this year by the quality of the group of artists here, not just individually but as a whole group. Their work was extremely impressive and the whole evening had a great feel about it. It bodes really well for the aspirations of these girls as artists of the future.” Author Visit Third Formers were treated to an Dof E inspirational visit by award-winning author Michelle Harrison. Bronze Silver Gold Michelle, who won the Waterstones Congratulations to our nine Bronze Award groups, The Silver Practice Expedition took place on 6th-7th A magnificent 22 Lower Sixth pupils have taken on Children’s Book Prize in 2012 for her novel who successfully completed their Qualifying July when 28 girls in six groups walked from Whaley the Gold challenge this year and they have completed Thirteen Treasures, has subsequently written Expedition in the West Pennines on 11th-12th June. Bridge to Hayfield with an overnight camp in Edale. Practice and Qualifying Expeditions this term. two sequels, Thirteen Secrets and Thirteen Many thanks to Mr Snowden, Mr Lindsay-Dunn and The weather was good apart from a couple of light The Practice expedition took place in the Yorkshire Curses, and her latest novel One Wish was Mr Eckersall for their support and to all the parents showers - ideal for midges, who tormented us in the Dales. Gold Qualifying took place over four days in published recently. who were check-pointers. campsite. We were joined by six mountain leaders on July, also in the Dales, with a route starting and ending During her visit to the school on 10th June, day two, who walked with the groups and provided at Ribblehead via Sedbergh, Ravenstonedale and the girls enjoyed a Question and Answer additional training. Hardraw. All girls completed the expedition; a special mention should go to Esther Webber who finished session, listening to Michelle talk about despite carrying a knee injury and to her team mates her books and her work, her sources of Mrs Ruth Lindsay Dunn DofE Coordinator who helped and supported her throughout. inspiration and what it is like to be a writer.

LAMDA Showcases Aspiring actors from the Third Form to Upper Fourth took to the stage in force in this year’s LAMDA showcase event. In an action-packed day of examinations on 20th June, culminating in separate evening performances for each of the three year groups, 63 girls in total performed to a packed house of friends and family in the School’s Drama Studio. Ranging in LAMDA Grade Levels from 1 to 6, the girls produced a well-balanced display of their acting abilities with a variety of monologues and duologues as set or devised pieces, dressed in full costume against a backdrop of stage lighting, music and sound effects. Said LAMDA teacher Mrs Nicki Smythe: “We had sad pieces, happy pieces, drama and comedy. It is a real commitment for our girls to undertake these exams. The energy and enthusiasm shone through with every performance. Every year the standard seems to get better and better.” This year’s showcase was the largest yet as Withington’s LAMDA courses are increasing in popularity. “We already have quite a number of the new Third Form, due to start in September, signing up for lessons,” said Mrs Smythe. Holocaust Centre MUN Conference 2014 Manchester Grammar School Girls from the Lower Fifth were given a rare opportunity to hear at first hand a On 21-22 June, WGS participated in the third MUN conference to be held at Commended Delegates: Holocaust survivor’s account of life in a MGS. Representing the delegations of Russia, The Congo and Qatar, WGS had concentration camp during World War Two. 23 girls participating from four different Year groups – and for many this was Amy Brown, Anisa Akhtar and Siyang Wei representing Russia On a visit to the Holocaust Centre in their first major conference. Four Lower Sixth girls also participated as Chairs with Siyang debating in the very difficult Security Council. Newark, kindly funded by a friend of the – Sam Cooke, Caroline Cartmill, Penny Jones and Haleh Taghinejadi as well as School, the group saw a memorial garden Jessica Stolberg in Upper Sixth who filled the prestigious position of President Highly Commended delegates: and small museum. of the General Assembly. The Holocaust Centre is run by the Aegis The girls had prepared well and most took resolutions with them which Anisha Chopra and Teneeka Mai (both representing Russia); Trust, a Christian charity, that campaigns were debated in Committee. Charlotte Bream and Tammy Smutna – both Ayesha Choudry and Hemma Jari - in their first-ever conference, on human rights issues in areas of the first-timers – had their resolutions debated and passed in their respective both representing The Congo. Ayesha also won the ‘spoof’ award world where genocide and war crimes have Committees. Many were prepared to take the floor not just to ask points of for “most likely to be a dictator”! taken place. information – I was really impressed with the girls’ delivery and ability to think on their feet and answer questions about their resolutions. Outstanding delegate: Awards at the end of the conference were very widely distributed this Maaham Saleem - this was particularly outstanding, as this was year, showing the quality of debate and standard of delegates. WGS did Maaham’s first conference. exceptionally well, therefore, to achieve so many. The competition was fierce! Overall, the Russian Delegation, led by Amy Brown, won a Commended award, Last Days of Troy Thanks to all the girls who gave up their weekend and worked so hard placing WGS third out of the 35 countries that were represented. The Classics Department took a group for the conference – they were fantastic representatives of the School of Year 9, 10 and 12 girls to the Royal and lovely company. Ms Jane Maher MUN Coordinator Exchange to see The Last Days of Troy. This world premiere was an adaptation of Homer’s Iliad, written by poet, Simon Armitage. It was running in repertoire with a modern play about the war in Iraq. Many of us were struck by the relevance of issues raised by this poem of Homer’s, composed nearly 3000 years ago. The tragedy of the waste of human life for a cause which meant little to many of its warriors was very clear but the play was lightened by humour in places, particularly in the scenes involving the gods on Olympus whose childish whims could cause so much anguish on Earth. The language was very accessible to all the audience and, as ever, the Exchange made ingenious use of the staging to represent the wooden horse, walls and Paris’ bedroom! The girls, who have studied the Trojan War, all enjoyed it and would recommend others to see it if they ever get the chance. Mrs Jo Howling Head of Classics Chemistry Champ! Lower Sixth Student Jessica Quirke has won the highest possible award in this year’s Cambridge Chemistry Challenge. Spring Musical Showcase Jess was one of a small number of students Weeks of rehearsals for the orchestra and all choirs and bands reached After the break, the orchestra displayed superb versatility in playing across the country to be invited to attend fruition on one special night in May. The Spring Musical Showcase Suite: English Folk Songs No.1 followed by the GCSE Music musicians who a residential summer chemistry camp at provided an evening of entertainment with performances both classical and touched hearts with their rendition of May it Be. A cello solo, voice solo, Cambridge after gaining the University’s contemporary, involving girls from the Third Form to Upper Sixth. Brass Ensemble, String Orchestra, Lower School Choir and voice ensemble Roentgenium award. The evening began with a performance by the Thursday Singers, all built the concert up to its big finish, a thumping James Bond Medley by the Senior Orchestra. The Challenge attracted almost 7,000 a mixed-voice chamber group of pupils drawn from WGS, MGS and MHSG. students nationwide, including 20 from There followed a feast of varied performances - vocal solos and ensembles, Thanks go to Mrs Sargent and Miss Holland for an amazing, uplifting show Middle School Orchestra performing Chariots of Fire, Flute and Clarinet leaving everyone wanting more as all great entertainment should! Withington. Six girls achieved Gold Ensembles, Senior Choir and, as has become traditional for the close of the Awards demonstrating a significant first half, the Arts Centre audience was ‘rocking’ to a set of upbeat and leap beyond A Level, two scooped Silver moody pieces from the School’s jazz group, Stage Band, conducted by showing very good ability to think through Miss Holland. unfamiliar material and a further 11 secured Copper demonstrating good knowledge of the subject. Head of Chemistry, Dr Cristina Vilela, said: “For the first time, one of our girls has gained the highest award, the Roentgenium, given to only 0.8% of students. This is an outstanding achievement.”

ISTA Tennis A squad of six Withington girls battled it out on the tennis courts of Eton College during a three-day ISTA event held at the end of June. Representing the school were U19s, Rishem Khattar and Pip Slattery, both Upper Fifth; the U15 pair were Aneesha Adlington and Imogen McLean and the U13s were Phoebe Rochford and Katy Stonehouse. Teacher of PE, Miss Sarah Deadman commented: “The girls were excellent ambassadors for the School and played an exceptionally high level of tennis.“ Essay Prize Lower Sixth student Siyang Wei has been awarded a top prize in a Cambridge University Historians in Russia 2014 essay writing competition. Withington girls were treated to a fascinating insight into Russia’s rich and Siyang, 17, jointly won first prize in this year’s colourful history, with an opportunity to experience two very different sides Woolf Essay, a prestigious competition run of Russia during the Easter break. annually by the University’s Newnham College. The Lower Sixth student - who has just The week-long trip saw girls from Lower Fifth to Lower Sixth take in the sights completed her AS examinations in English of Russian capital Moscow as well as the many historic and architectural Language, Physics, Philosophy, Mathematics wonders of the city of St Petersburg. and Further Mathematics - decided to enter the competition after reading about it on the Highlights of the time spent in the capital included Red Square by day internet and chose to write her 2,500 word and by night and traveling on the Metro through the palatial Moscow essay around the subject, ‘the value of work’. Metro stations. Siyang said: A visit to the world-acclaimed Moscow State Circus provided light relief after “The Woolf Essay Competition was a great an interesting and emotive visit to the Novodorichy Convent and Cemetery, opportunity - both to explore a topic that and the Museum of the Great Patriotic War (as World War II is known in interested me outside the school curriculum, Russia). Time was also spent at the Kremlin, the Church of Christ the Saviour and to try my hand at the kind of independent research-based essay writing that I hope will and the Contemporary History Museum. be in my future at university. I greatly enjoyed An overnight journey by train transported the group to St Petersburg, writing my entry and had a wonderful time at the country’s second largest city known as the cultural capital of Russia, the event, and would like to thank the College where there was a sunny welcome with beautiful blue skies overhead. for hosting the competition and for granting us the privilege of visiting.” A more leisurely pace of sightseeing was in store and the group visited the Dr Sam Lucy, Newnham’s Admission Tutor and St Peter and Paul Fortress, St Nicholas Church, the Yusopov Palace, where one of the judges, said: Rasputin was murdered in 1916, rounded off with an evening at the Ballet “Siyang’s essay was well-grounded in evidence, where the girls were lucky enough to watch a performance of Swan Lake, was clear, well-structured and showed a sharp a perfect end to a great day in this beautiful city. political sensibility too.” Newnham College is a women’s college at the The following day, the girls enjoyed a trio of Museum visits - the heart of Cambridge University where Virginia Contemporary History Museum, the Political History Museum and Woolf, feminist writer and leading modernist, the Hermitage Museum, which is so full of art and artefacts it is said addressed the Newnham Arts Society in 1928 it would take nine years to work through all the exhibits if you spent before writing her work, A Room of One’s Own. just five seconds looking at each one. A gala dinner at the 19th Century Nicholas Palace was a fitting finale to the day.

As the trip entered its last day, the girls made their way to Pushkin, home of Catherine Palace, the summer residence of the Russian tsars. Painted a bright blue with gold detail, it was impressive from a distance and even more impressive inside. The opulence of the palace, with its amber room, numerous lounges and bedrooms, really brought home the extravagance of the Russian tsars, which led to the ensuing Revolution.

The group was accompanied by Ms Maher and Mrs Menzies. Catalyst Centre As part of our Chemistry studies, Upper Fourth Scrawl’s a winner! Royal Society girls travelled to the Catalyst Discovery Centre in Withington’s pupil-run magazine Scrawl is making the news itself after Widnes where they had tutorials on how elements two of its Sixth Form editorial team won awards in a major media are formed in stars and the use of surfactants. competition. Both students attended the Awards ceremony which was Presentation During the visit on 19th June, each student made held in the Stationers’ Hall in London on 23rd June. her very own bottle of shower gel with various The British Physics Olympiad Experimental Project, attracting entrants from colours and fragrances. At the annual Shine Schools Media Awards ceremony, Scrawl was schools nationwide, is designed to stretch A Level Physics students to the Highly Commended in the Magazine Cover category with designer limit. This year, not one school reached the Gold standard. Only one school The girls were wonderful ambassadors for the Molly James, a Lower Sixth student, being declared joint runner-up made Silver. That school was Withington. A team of three Lower Sixth girls school and the museum staff commented on for her innovative design. - Haleh Taghinejadi, Teneeka Mai and Penny Jones - enjoyed the reward for how engaged, intelligent and polite they were, their efforts with a day out in London, at the invitation of the Royal Society, although they were quite alarmed at how few had The judges praised Molly’s cover design for “its striking artwork.” Molly to collect their awards for the best project in 2014. ever done the washing up at home! has had previous recognition for her talent in design, when she won a The girls had the opportunity to meet several distinguished guests and to Prizes went to Emily Fung, Zarafshaw Bhatti shoe design competition a few years ago. hear an engaging lecture on particle accelerators by Dr Suzie Sheehy. and Sunayana Randev for their ‘Science and Scrawl’s editor, Vidya Ramesh, also in the Lower Sixth, was named as a Said Teneeka: Technology Trail’ entry. top 10 finalist in the ‘most inspirational pupil’ category. Vidya, who in “It was also inspiring to talk to a previous Mr Kirk Eckersall Teacher of Chemistry the Autumn term won the Oxford University Wainwright Archaeology Essay Prize, has had further success submitting essays to Oxford; this Head of Physics at Withington, Dr Francisca time winning a History Essay Prize from St Hilda’s Oxford. Wheeler, who is now on the BPhO Committee Scrawl is produced at least twice a year by volunteers from Third Form to Sixth Form, and was shortlisted against competition from and who imparted valuable advice to all of 200 schools. us regarding a higher education in science. Overall, it was a privilege to receive our awards in a venue with such prestige and rich scientific history.” Congratulations to Teneeka, Haleh and Penny! UCAS Day Faraday Challenge Berlin 2014 Students preparing for University Applications A team of budding young engineers from Withington’s Lower Fourth have Eighteen Year 9 girls spent an exciting weekend in Berlin with Miss Ellis & Mrs had an opportunity to learn about the UCAS scooped a cash prize of £250 for the School after winning third place in the Ferrol, visiting the Reichstag and Brandenburg Gate amongst other historical process during an Information Day on 17th prestigious Faraday Challenge Competition. sights. Of course they also immersed themselves in football fever as they June, with parents invited to an evening session delivered by the Senior Assistant The group of six girls had clinched a place in the national final after a series of watched Germany win the World Cup! An exciting time was had by all! regional heats in which almost 400 schools were set a design-based challenge Schools Development Officer at Durham aimed at testing their engineering skills. University, Colin Ferguson. He provided an up-to-date picture of the current situation It was the first time Withington had entered the Challenge - run by the Science regarding University applications across the and Facilities Council – and the girls were delighted to hear they were through UK, which was followed by an opportunity for to the last round and rewarded with an expenses-paid trip to the two-day final parents and girls to ask questions. event which was held at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Oxford. The team was tasked with designing a miniature rocket with two payloads and The Lower Sixth had spent a full day a transporter that was to have flashing LED lights. Against fierce competition participating in the UCAS-related event and after an intense day that involved the design and construction of the rocket which included talks and activities designed as well as a presentation on the finished piece of work, the girls were thrilled to to give them a comprehensive guide into take away third prize. personal statement writing, tips on interview The girls’ trip had also included a tour of the laboratory where they played with techniques, information on Gap years and computerised robots on a ‘Martian’ landscape and a visit to ISIS - a plused advice on careers. neutron and muon source. The team was also treated to a welcome dinner the evening before the final competition and a ‘space quiz’. Head of Physics, Mrs Lisa Bradshaw, said: “The Faraday Challenge is an Engineering-based competition that links the STEM subjects together. It is a great opportunity for the girls to see how real Young Enterprise life engineering projects are run and to see how Science, Technology, Maths Aside from the various markets, competitions and Engineering fit together as well as the importance of teamwork and and presentations that the Lower Sixth Young communication skills. Tensions were high at times throughout the day but the Enterprise girls take part in each year, they girls kept their cool and delivered a super presentation and final product. In also sit a GSCE examination in Enterprise. total 394 teams entered the competition this year and to come 3rd can only be This year, as is usual, all girls passed the described as outstanding. Both Dr Maisey and I were really proud of them and examination, including three with Distinction, their achievement.” but special mention must go to Jessica Zeng, Many congratulations to the team on their success: who achieved the top marks in the UK. Charlotte Jefferies - Project Manager, Hannah Ali - Electrical Engineer, Well done, Jessica! Florence Bradshaw and Rose McEwan - Aerospace Engineers, Lucy Higginbotham - Mechanical Engineer, Suzie Petri - Accountant Congratulations to... Head of Art, Mrs Ruth Fildes who has been awarded a distinction in her MA from Manchester Metropolitan University. Her work focused on best practice in Art and Design education in schools. Former Staff Party Annual Open Reunion The Former Staff Tea Party is an annual reunion for On Saturday 14th June the School played host to Alumnae former teachers and support staff organised by the and former staff for our Open Annual Reunion. Spanning over Development Office. Sheena Cartledge, our Catering 40 years, we brought together Old Girls from most counties Manager, well remembered and appreciated by our former across England. They were joined by former staff: The official launch and inaugural annual lunch of the staff, provided a lovely spread of sandwiches and cakes along Miss Marjorie Hulme, Miss Amy Morris, Mrs Val Hempstock, Emily Simon Society was held at School on Friday June with a special summer punch. Despite the summer rain, it was Mrs Uschi Lynas, Miss Joan Henegan, Dr Mary McDonald 27th. Set up as a means of thanking people who have well attended, including former Headmistress, Miss Marjorie and Mrs Christine Barrat, [nee Manning] who narrated many indicated that they will be leaving a gift in their will to Hulme; former Latin teacher, Miss Amy Morris; former Music stories and contributed to much fun and laughter. Withington, this annual Lunch will provide an opportunity teacher, Mrs Christine Barrat, nee Manning; and an old friend Over coffee and biscuits, our guests enjoyed the displays from for the School to keep members up to date with of the Withington Onwards Committee and former Transition the School archives, which included a selection of uniforms, Withington’s developments and plans. teacher, Mrs Monica Hastings. photographs, Withington Newsletters and School Bulletins The President of the Society, Headmistress, Mrs Sue The occasion was attended by over 20 former teachers and before being formally welcomed back to Withington by our Marks, welcomed the Patrons and members and the former support staff of the School. The event is never long current Headmistress, Mrs Sue Marks, and Development Development Director, Toni Leden, spoke about the aims of enough to catch up with old friends; however, it provides Director, Toni Leden. the Society which has been established in recognition of a great opportunity for staff to talk informally with their Before lunch, Toni spoke to those gathered about the impact the generosity of Founder, Emily Simon, who bequeathed predecessors and successors, including the new Development our former pupils have made to the School and how proud we the Playing Fields to School upon her death in 1920. Director, Toni Leden. are of all our girls’ professional achievements. Toni proceeded Two bursary recipients also spoke about how much they Mrs Marjory Spurgin, said: to talk about her own family heritage at the School, including valued the opportunity they'd had to attend Withington, “Thank you to everyone for the lovely tea party. It is always her grandmother, Marjorie Gibbons Sankey who attended their experience of School and their plans for future good to see former colleagues and catch up. Thank you to Withington from 1912-1914, arriving each day for lessons by studies. Patrons, Miss Marjorie Hulme and Mrs Margaret Penny and Toni for organising the tea party and, of course, horse and carriage, and her daughter, Rebecca Stern, who is a Kenyon, both former Headmistresses of Withington, also Sheena and her team for the lovely buffet.” class of 2007 alumna. attended the event and joined in the official toast to We look forward to seeing all our former members of staff Guests enjoyed a three-course lunch expertly prepared launch the Society. After the lunch the guests enjoyed an at next year’s 125th Anniversary Celebration at Withington by the School catering team. The lunch provided further open rehearsal of the School biennial musical ‘The Sound Girls’ School. [A Summer date in June is currently under opportunities to reminiscence over a specially prepared of Music’. They commented how much they enjoyed the consideration.] Please support us and promote all our School Quiz. 41 questions representing each reunion year lunch, meeting the bursary recipients and other guests and Celebratory events to friends, Alumnae, former staff and were chosen by the Development Officer, Penny Knipe. seeing the School ‘at work’. current and former parents. Examples included the name of the 1st XI hockey captain in 1974 and the name of the hamster that disappeared for a In recent years the School has received legacy bequests week in 1989. of all sizes from former pupils, parents and staff. All gifts Tours of the School followed, and much time was spent are greatly appreciated; a Legacy is an enduring way to chatting in each room, exclaiming how times have changed support the School, its pupils and their futures. and admiring the GCSE and A-Level Art Exhibition. The facilities available to current pupils were much commented upon, and revisiting their old classrooms even bought a tear or two to the eyes of some past pupils. After returning from their tours, guests enjoyed further refreshments and the Class of 1989 showed initiative by researching further answers to the Quiz in the old Withington newsletters as a result of which they were declared the winners with a score of 23 out 41. [Graded a C+]. Farewells and further celebrations were had in Manchester City Centre before heading home. All in all, those in attendance commented on how much they enjoyed the reunion, but wished more people from their years had attended. We hope they will all return next year for the 125th Celebratory former staff and Alumnae Big Party. Spotlight On: Alumnae Dates for your Diary 16th September 2014 Sky French 2014 UVI Leavers’ Reception [Class of 2004] 4.30pm, Withington Girls’ School, Bistro Aerodynamics Software Engineer, Williams Formula 1 Team. 6th October 2014 Cambridge University: Natural Sciences [Physics] BA & MSci [2008] Founders’ Day Cambridge University PhD Experimental High Energy Physics 7.00pm, The Bridgewater Hall The annual commemoration of the Founders of the School. Open to all alumnae and former staff. I graduated from a four year degree in Natural Sciences at Peterhouse, Cambridge back in 2008. I then remained at Peterhouse to complete a 14th October 2014 PhD in Experimental Particle Physics, before being elected to a Drapers’ Alumnae Careers Networking Forum Company Research Fellowship at Pembroke College, a position I held until 6.30pm, The New Cavendish Club, London February of this year. 20th November 2014 During my five years as an Experimental Particle Physicist I was a member Withington ‘After Hours’ in Oxford 5.30pm - 8.30pm, Oxford, venue TBC of ATLAS, one of the four experiments at the Large Hadron Collider. The LHC is a giant particle accelerator which straddles the French-Swiss More details of all our events can be found border near Geneva, Switzerland. Whilst many associate the LHC with the on the Alumnae webpages. recent Higgs Boson discovery - the experiments are searching for and using the data recorded by the ATLAS experiment at the highest energy in Please contact the Development Office on measuring much much more. 2012, have just been published in the Journal of High Energy Physics and 0161 249 3494 or at [email protected] are part of ATLAS’ world leading limits on the masses of the stop and it’s to reserve your tickets. The main focus of my research was the search for Supersymmetry. supersymmetric decay products. Supersymmetry is a theory that solves several flaws with the Standard We look forward to seeing you soon. Model, survives at high energy and offers an explanation for dark matter. In February I decided it was time for a new challenge, and so I have In Supersymmetry, each known Standard Model fermion (boson) Is since left Cambridge(shire) for Oxfordshire where I am working as an associated with a supersymmetric boson (fermion), having the same Aerodynamics Software Engineer for the Williams Formula 1 Team. quantum numbers as its partner except for its spin. As yet no evidence for I have incredibly fond memories of my time at WGS. The strong work Supersymmetry has presented itself In the ATLAS experiment, or indeed WGS Online ethic that my time at Withington gave me has been invaluable. I received Our Alumnae Association Withington Onwards any other, experimental data… lots of encouragement at school which propelled me enthusiastically into stays in touch with hundreds of Alumnae through My later research was thus increasingly focused on supersymmetric my physics degree and beyond. I have been very fortunate since leaving Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter! models, not just compatible with the recently discovered Higgs boson, Withington - analysing data from the Large Hadron Collider, and now but also those which could have reasonably evaded our searches so far. working with a Formula 1 Team! I feel the wind in my sails again. One such example is the direct production of ‘light’ scalar top squark My physics degree has opened the door to many opportunities, and my Add: WGSAlum (or ‘stop’) particles. Of the supersymmetric particles, those of the third career has followed a path I couldn’t have predicted. I’d encourage all Join: Withington Girls’ School Alumni - group generation, like the ‘stop’, can have masses significantly lower than those pupils to follow their hearts, work hard, and see what happens… of the other generations. Naturalness arguments also favour top squarks being the lightest coloured supersymmetric particles. They could therefore Add: Development Office - Withington Girls’ School be produced in relatively large numbers at the Large Hadron Collider. Join: Withington Girls’ School Alumnae - group Earlier this year I was finalising my search for events in the ATLAS data consistent with the production of pairs of stops that decay to final states containing two leptons (electron like particles) or similar. My results, Follow: @WGSAlumnae for daily School and Alumnae updates ENHANCING OPPORTUNITIES Supporting Annual Projects at Withington

Tablet Technology Transforms Clear views of Geography Fieldwork Electrons in Atoms Fifteen Nexus 7 tablets purchased as a result of the 2013-14 Thanks to a generous donation to the Enhancing Opportunities Enhancing Opportunities Fund were deployed recently when the Lower Fund from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous, the Physics Sixth used them for their City Centre A2 fieldwork. The tablets enabled Department has been able to buy a digital spectrometer. This has the girls to embrace a new way of studying the urban environment already been used with AS students as part of their course. when they were used to collect quantitative and qualitative data to “The spectrometer means we can accurately measure the wavelengths study pedestrian movement in the regenerated Manchester City Centre. of light from sources and hence determine the energy of the electron The tablets have an industry standard GIS app installed that made data transition within the atom. We can also compare the spectrum of collection in the field an easy and rewarding experience. The girls were light emitted by different sources and this will be of interest at GCSE. able to synchronise the collected data to specialist software installed In addition we have also been able to purchase five standalone data on the School network and then apply the data to create interesting loggers. These can be used in Physics teaching throughout the Senior GIS maps. Other functions on the devices were used to capture School and mean that the girls can use this equipment first hand in qualitative information. The camera was used to collect visual sensory small groups rather than watching a teacher demonstration.” data, the audio recorder to tape sounds and the video to film action sequences so that the girls were really able to capture the 'sense of Mrs Lisa Bradshaw Head of Physics place' of regenerated areas like Spinningfields. The girls then used this multi-media content to share findings in an exciting way with the rest of the group back in the classroom. This pilot study has demonstrated the potential of the tablets which were running alongside the more traditional fieldwork techniques so girls could clearly assess the value of technology in their fieldwork studies. The tablets are also helping teaching staff develop the girls into more independent learners. Head of Geography, Mrs Julie Buckley said: “We are now excited about applying the new technology to local fieldwork with younger classes using the tablets for visual and audio recording as a simple starting point. The tablets are making geographical study more relevant to young people and are improving the efficiency and potential of data capture and processing and providing the pupils with transferable skills for the future.”

Withington Calling… We would be delighted if you would consider making This summer Withington is embarking on a Telephone Campaign to an update on the progress of existing projects at Withington and impart a donation. If you would like further information support the Enhancing Opportunities Annual Fund projects and Bursary news of future plans. Run by the Development Office the campaign aims about the Enhancing Opportunities Annual Fund, Fund. Between the 4th and 18th August a small team of recent leavers to raise £50,000 to boost the Bursary Fund and to fund exciting projects please contact the Development Office on will be telephoning former pupils, and current and former parents, to give including a 3D Printer and a Foreign Language Showcase. 0161 249 3494 or at [email protected] Spotlight On:

The Emily Simon Society has been Hannah Sowden established in recognition of the [Class of 2005] generosity of Founder, Emily Simon, who Story Producer Hollyoaks, Channel Four Television Corporation bequeathed the Playing Fields to School King’s College London: French with Linguistics [2009] upon her death in 1920. The Emily Simon Society allows School to recognise those who would like to support the School’s Following in my mother’s footsteps, I joined Withington in 1994 as an future through a Legacy gift, enabling excitable Transitioner. I loved every second of Junior School life... projects such as the Bursary Fund to from Mrs Hasting’s musicals to the Christmas cinema trip. In 1998 I grow and enhance the opportunities entered the Senior School and the years raced by. It’s now nine years since I left, but the memories are as vivid as ever; the crippling fear of for all current pupils. The launch of the forgetting your lab coat, cramming for Latin vocabulary tests and the Emily Simon Society is reported in the ultimate privilege of the salad bar! preceding pages Within a flash, our A2 levels were upon us... and it was UCAS time. I’d known I wanted to work in television for a while and I knew I was passionate about languages, but the two don’t go hand-in-hand, and I was growing tired of being asked if I aspired to work in French television! For continuing dramas which produce 2.5 hours of television per week, So I’d like to thank Mrs Chicken and Mrs Ositelu for inspiring me; it didn’t it’s essential to have a team who structures and plans the stories. matter that I didn’t plan to use it vocationally – I loved French and that Four times a year we hold a long-term story conference, where we decide was that. where our characters will be in a year’s time. And then every month we So off I went to King’s College London to study French with Linguistics have a short-term conference to fill in the detail. After a conference, and I was soon lost in a haze of Flaubert, French psychoanalysis and we talk through all the stories for a block of twenty episodes. With four translation. I spent my year abroad living the high life in Paris and stories per episode, that’s... well, rather a lot! Then we write the storylines returned to London, where I graduated in July 2009. Of course, the - a detailed breakdown of the action and the characters’ emotional question on everybody’s lips was... so now what? journeys - and after three weeks of edits and rewrites, we publish the document and commission the scriptwriters. It’s fast-paced, stressful and I stood firm; I was going to work in television. At the age of thirteen, the hours are long, but it’s like playing with a doll’s house every day! I’d picked the name of someone from the credits of ‘Coronation Street’ It’s exciting, stimulating and the reward of watching your ideas on and had written to them asking to see how they made the show. When television never fades. I turned eighteen, they invited me to undertake work experience and it confirmed my dream. During my time at university, I knew I had to keep In August 2013, I was honoured to make ‘Broadcast’ magazine’s Hot Shot one eye on the future and made a contact at Hollyoaks where I did more list, but my biggest and proudest achievement was winning Best Soap shadowing and found my niche in the editorial department. at the Soap Awards in May this year. For a show which is the eternal Please telephone Toni Leden, underdog, it was an incredible triumph. After graduating, Hollyoaks asked me to provide holiday cover as Development Director, an Assistant Script Editor and I was delighted when it turned into a Withington may be far from being the underdog, but for me, it shares the on 0161 249 3494 same fundamental ethos that ‘Hollyoaks’ depends on: anything is possible. permanent role in the story department. The theory and structure of story or email [email protected] is a minefield, but once I got my head around it, as well as the tone and I am eternally grateful for the confidence and self-belief instilled in me at pace of the show, I progressed quickly. Within three and a half years, Withington. I have no idea where’s next for me, but I’ll never forget where for further information or I was made Story Producer and am now in charge of the story team. I came from. for a confidential discussion. ...Continued from the front page... In the months leading up to the show a video blog and Twitter updates created a ‘Virtual Sound of Music’ which chronicled, above all, the fun and laughter enjoyed in the rehearsals and preparations. There were three evening shows, held on 2nd to 4th July and a matineé preview performance on 27th June. Children from local Junior Schools were invited to the matinee and a Friday afternoon open rehearsal was attended by members of the Emily Simon Society, legacy donors to the School. The Grand Finale on 4th July included a Gala Reception complete with ‘paparazzi-style’ photography, a star-studded ‘walk of fame’ and glittering decorations adding a festive atmosphere to the last evening performance. At the end of the show, Mrs Marks summed it up in a very few words, when she said, indicating the cast, and to thunderous applause: “I am totally in awe of these young people.” Head of Drama Ms Jen Baylis, who produced and directed the show with Head of Music, Mrs Gilly Sargent, said: “This was a mammoth production involving so many Withington girls and staff, as well as MGS boys. The response from the audience after each performance was so warm and full of praise. It was an incredibly special experience and we are immensely proud of our girls who worked so hard to put on a superb performance.” Maria Isabella Barber The Mother Abbess Isabella James Sister Berthe Deshna Shah Sister Margaretta Eleanor Poston Sister Sophia Arina Ashtab Captain Georg von Trapp Harrison Edmonds Franz the butler Mimi Johnson Frau Schmidt Radhika Saggar Liesl Belinda Parker Friedrich Vikram Mitra Louisa Elin Donnelly Kurt Barney Bird Minh Ton Brigitta Charlotte Marsh Sophie Reuben

Marta Flossie Bird Annie Williams Gretl Hannah Cope Greta Brooks

Rolf Gruber Xenon Watts Elsa Schraeder Gaby Eden Ursula Anna Fry Max Detweiler Natalie Wynn Herr Zeller Rosie Simon Tammy Kwartz Frau Zeller Hazel Cranmer Baron Elberfeld Sobia Siddiq Baroness Elberfeld Alex James New Postulant Sadie McGrane Admiral von Schreiber Kitty Rooney Fraulein Schweiger Alice Hackney Solo Nun Kitty Rooney Festival Flower Girls Lillian Sears Ellie Gray Janika MacMillan St George’s Day UII Visit Stockport Air Raid Shelters The Juniors celebrated St George’s Day in their On the morning of Tuesday 6th May Upper II were Assembly on 23rd April. Many questions were asked evacuated, along with Mrs Air, Miss French and Mrs and answered about the tradition and meaning of the Howling, to the Air Raid Shelters in Stockport. The girls day. Things like: “How do we know St George actually (and staff!) arrived at school in full 1940s costume, existed?” and “Dragons – fact or fiction?” The history complete with gas mask boxes, identity cards and behind the Union Flag was investigated and everyone name tags. On arrival at the shelters, the billeting had the opportunity to draw their own. officer Mrs Hodgkinson was most alarmed as she had been expecting only six evacuees but in true Blitz spirit Special Singing Assembly she accommodated us in the shelters and gave us a Thank you to Mrs Ashworth and Ms Clucas, two tour. We had a fantastic time exploring the largest of the School’s singing teachers, for the Assembly purpose-built civilian air raid shelters in the country they gave for the Juniors. In a taster session about which were designed to provide shelter for up to 6,500 learning to sing, very quick progress was made people during the Blitz. The tunnels, which are almost to three-part harmonies. They were also treated a mile long, were fitted with electric lights, benches to solo performances from girls who already take and bunk beds and as we wandered through them we singing lessons, excellent control over the pitch and also saw the first aid post, sick bay, area for nursing tone of their voices. mothers and a café. The toilets - both chemical and ‘flushing’ – were inspected with squeamish interest by AJIS Choir Day the girls who were clearly not totally convinced that On Thursday 8th May, 14 members of Upper II this was the luxurious shelter suggested by its wartime travelled to The Queen’s School, Chester to take nickname of the Chestergate Hotel! part in an AJIS collaborative singing day. Over 200 The girls serenaded Mrs Hodgkinson with renditions pupils from twelve different schools took part in of It’s A Long Way To Tipperary, We’ll Meet Again and a day of singing workshops with Dr Shirley Court, Pack Up Your Troubles In Your Old Kit Bag, which they Director of the Hallé Children’s Choir. She regularly had been practising at school, and she added some conducts massed choirs of primary school children new songs to their repertoire, including Who’s That and has conducted the Massed Choir of 600 voices Knocking At The Window and Run Rabbit Run. at the Royal Albert Hall on three occasions. Eight different songs were taught during the day and the On their return to School the girls enjoyed a ration- girls learnt all about the importance of the letter style lunch of cheese pie, stewing beef and green in ‘E’ in singing – Energy, Enthusiasm, Enunciation, beans, followed by semolina, which the kitchen staff Eye Contact and using your Ears! had kindly provided. The day undoubtedly gave the girls a sense of what life was like during the Blitz and they embraced the whole experience with great enthusiasm. Mrs Catherine Air Teacher of History Archaeology Day Form I go Greek On Wednesday 25th June, each Junior School On 24th June, Form I dressed as Ancient Greeks and Form had a session (two periods) with a lady went to Kosmos Greek restaurant in Withington whose name was Pippa. She came to talk to us for lunch. The visit was linked to our History topic about Archaeology. She first talked to us about on Ancient Greece and, after researching the types what Archaeology is, and the difference between of food eaten by the Ancient Greeks, we sampled an Archaeologist and a Palaeontologist. She told some traditional Greek dishes at the restaurant. us that an Archaeologist is someone who digs up Loulla Astin and her team provided us with things from the past to get to know about the way delicious food and lots of information about the people from the different times in History lived and history of Greek cuisine. she told us that a Palaeontologist was someone The girls sampled olives, tabouleh, pitta bread who digs up dinosaur bones and fossils. with tzatziki, houmous and taramosalata, After that she showed us some pottery from the Spanakotyropitakia (feta cheese and spinach Victorian and Roman times. Then we were given parcels), Dolmathes (stuffed vine leaves) and the task to find objects, like the ones Pippa had Kieftethes (meatballs). To finish, we were treated to shown us, in a tray of small pieces of rubber, using Loulla’s special semolina cake, which was delicious. plastic trowels, brushes and magnifying glasses. We all returned to school after a successful trip, When we found something we had to put it on the feeling very full and happy! Thank you very much to timeline that had dates from Stone Age to Modern Loulla Astin and Kosmos Greek Restaurant. Day. We had a very interesting day! Mrs Helen Stallard Teacher of Form I Zahra Shah & Khadija Nadeem Form I Very Young Enterprise Mathematics Fun! On 25th June, Upper II held their Young Enterprise Thank you to the Senior School Maths teachers, sale. This was the culmination of much work, Mrs Amanda Collard, Mrs Sarah Mounteney, learning how a business runs, applying for jobs, and Mr Andrew Parry for a great afternoon of starting a company, customizing products and Mathematics. Upper II were treated to a murder profiting and selling the goods. It has been a mystery with codes to break and clues to find, learning curve for all the girls and tested their rotational symmetry with a twist, ‘cubitz’ and a creative, collaborative and teamwork skills to name heated game of ‘In the Bin’! All the girls thoroughly a few! We've had lots of fun, a few frustrated enjoyed the activities, which challenged and tested, tears, much noise and hilarious presentations. and they really loved the prizes! The final sale was amazing with fantastic stalls and professional products. Everything was sold Transition’s visit to 'Kathmandhu' in under 20 minutes with all the Juniors enjoying In Geography, Transition have been learning their lunchtime shopping. Well done to all of Upper about food from other parts of the world. To II who raised £473.73 for Cancer Research UK and supplement our studies, we were able to visit the the Open Door charity. Great Kathmandu restaurant in West Didsbury. The girls in Transition dressed up in colourful Indian Eco Warriors clothing and were able to sample a range of foods The Junior eco warriors have enjoyed the fruits from India. We were also able to learn about the of their labours having their ‘school’ grown ingredients in some of these foods and how they strawberries with cream at lunchtime. are made. We all really enjoyed our delicious meal! Mrs Debbie Odeyinde Transition Teacher Teddy Bears’ Picnic Knowsley Safari Park On 3rd July, it was the Teddy Bears’ Picnic day. On 4th July, the entire Junior School boarded two All Junior girls were allowed to bring a teddy Roy McCarthy coaches to soon arrive at Knowsley bear if they donated £1 for the charity, Safari Park. Despite the rather inclement weather Child Bereavement UK. the Juniors were eager to see all that Knowsley We could take our teddy to lessons if we wanted to, could offer. so I took my bear to ICT. We got to decorate a teddy- To start off the trip Upper II went to the shop for shaped biscuit and they were judged by Mrs Marks a little 'retail therapy'. Lots of cute cuddly toys – the best ones won another teddy bear! We also were bought as well some sweet pleasures. Next had a picnic packed-lunch of delicious food. Then we they went around to see all the normal zoo animals were allowed to eat our scrumptious, tasty teddy bear - it was amazing how close you could get to the biscuits. I think our teddies enjoyed the day, too! giraffes, it was within touching distance. Anushka Acharya Transition Next we went to the sea lion show. Everyone marvelled at the sheer intelligence of the sea lions Lego Day and their show. They were called Biffo and Reggie On 30th June, the Juniors took part in a brilliant and they were very cleverly trained sea lions. Next Lego workshop. We were given the task to make a we went to see the birds of prey. The birds were lit-up city. We had to start off with a light-up base called Nibbles, Luna and Shadow and they amazed then complete the structure by adding on more us with their talents. We were shown how certain and more Lego. We could make whatever building features on each bird were adaptations to their we wanted! There were doors and windows, trees, original habitats and how their strengths relate to flowers, cars and a vast range of coloured blocks their original environments. to use. Once we had finished our building, we We then went to the safari ‘drive through’. connected the metal bolts at the side of it with All of Upper II found it a phenomenal experience and wires which went to a battery. Once the circuits were very fortunate to take part. We went into the were complete, we switched off the main lights and different animal enclosures and the monkeys were a all the Lego buildings shone just like a model city. It very amusing spectacle. Next we went into the lions' was amazing! We had a fantastic day and we didn’t habitat and as they were prowling about around the want it to end. coach, the lady told us about prides of lions and how Erin Howells Upper II the females do all the work and that there is only one male in the pride who is very lazy. Altogether all the Juniors thoroughly enjoyed the excursion and we thank all the teachers for taking us. Brontë Horsfield & India Clarke Upper II Magic Garden Junior Trip to Condover Hall The Juniors created a magic garden in the On Wednesday 4th June - Friday 6th June, Upper and playground using colourful flowers they made in Lower II went away to Condover Hall. The trip was their Design Technology lessons. described as a ‘phenomenal experience’ by some of the girls from both Forms. We took part in a variety of Junior Craft and Textile club activities including: Conquest, Laser Maze, Tunnelling, During the Spring Term, girls who participated Survival, Camp fire and Busted! in the Craft and Textile club learnt how to Conquest was the ultimate game of Laser Quest with produce a small weaving. The girls looked at lots a difference as the game took place in an inflatable of different examples and thought very carefully maze in utter darkness... the only light which could about the colours and types of yarns that they be seen was the light emitting from your guns. would like to use. Tunnelling was an endless underground tunnel maze. Part of the group used some very tricky The only equipment you possessed was helmet and weaving techniques with fine threads. a flashlight. We had to manoeuvre ourselves to fit Pupils trying these techniques proved to be through constricted spaces and find our way to the very meticulous and diligent. The methods hidden balls. It was tiring and exciting and put Upper required a lot of concentration with a careful II’s memory to the test to remember the way back! hand and this is shown in their creations. Campfire was one of Upper II’s evening activities and Other girls wanted to experiment with different it involved delicious melted marshmallows, great textures, picking out glittery papers, pipe cleaners, songs and a variety of fantastic accents! ribbons and sari yarns. Those were only a few of the unique activities that Some of the woven designs were very we completed. There were so many amazing things impressive and showed a mature use of colour. and we were all grateful for being able to go on this Some girls selected materials with very subtle fabulous trip and for the teachers' company. colour combinations. These included earthy tones We thoroughly enjoyed it as many of these activities or ice blues and silvers. were things we had never done before. We all hope to Once the weavings were complete, the girls go on another trip as excellent as this! attached them to willow sticks so that they could be displayed at home. By Lakshmi Shivakumar and Safa Saeed Upper II Miss Hannah Brown Art Technician Author Visit On 3rd July, two authors visited the School to tell us about languages and how they are all related. Professor David Langslow and writer, Rosemary Kay, first gave us an understanding on how the mother languages evolved to become the modern languages we know today. We were given the task to get into groups of different languages that were all related to each other – like a family tree. We were then put in groups to solve a mystery that was all based in Italy and in Italian. We thought it would be impossible, but with David and Rosemary’s help, we all became experts. The workshop gave us a great taste of lots of different languages. Rivonia Goswami Lower II Sports Inter-House Sports Rounders The annual inter-house Swimming Gala and Sports On Wednesday, 7th May, two Upper II teams played Day, held in the final two weeks of term, were both Rounders away at Ladybarn House School. won by Williams. Well done Williams and better luck The matches ended with a game each with a to Hunter next year! win for the B Team and a loss for the A Team. Junior teams went to Cheadle Hulme School on 26th June to take part in a Rounders tournament vs Cheadle Hulme School, Kings Macclesfield and Greenbank School. The A Team, all from Upper II, put in a fantastic performance winning all of their matches. Their teamwork paid off and they were well-deserved winners of their medals. Well done. The B team, comprised of Lower II girls, won one and drew one. Said Junior Match coach, Mrs Jayne Lane: “The girls played with great energy and commitment, took their chances and played as a team.” Tennis On Friday 13th June, Kimberley Munasque was selected to represent Withington in the AJIS Tennis Tournament, held at Kings Chester. Kimberley won her first three matches and won her group. This led to an exciting semi-final then a play-off for 3rd/4th place against the Grange School. Again a very tough and close match ending with Kim coming 4th out of 11 girls who competed. Thirteen Junior girls competed in tennis matches at Cheadle Hulme School on Wednesday 25th June. All the girls played extremely well, winning ten games, drawing four and losing two. Well done to all the girls for taking part and representing Withington in such an exemplary manner. Strawberry Serenade In a show which was infused with joy from start to finish, the Juniors’ traditional summer concert, Strawberry Serenade, took place on Monday 16th June. As ever, the show focused on musical instrument and voice performances before the interval and then a whole Junior School musical play in the second half. Opening with a wonderful performance of Moon River by the Junior Orchestra, the audience knew they were in for a delightful evening. The Junior String Ensemble were next, performing with aplomb and gusto, conducted by their teacher, Rebecca Thompson. Third on the bill was the entire Junior School with their colourful ukuleles. The percussion group, taught and conducted by Andrea Vogler, followed on with an amazing piece featuring more than a dozen girls playing a wide variety of percussion instruments including drum kit, bongos and steel pans. The Junior Choir closed the first half with an enthusiastic rendition of The Lion Sleeps Tonight which included dancing as well as singing! During interval everyone enjoyed delicious strawberry scones and fruit punch in the Dining Room provided by Mrs Cartledge and the Catering Team. After the break, Dorothy’s Magical Musical Tour transported the audience through time into the different decades of the twentieth and twenty- first centuries. Dorothy and her companion were able to ask a variety of celebrities, past and present, for their opinions on what makes successful singing. The Beatles, Abba, Bee Gees, Spice Girls and Elton John were all able to proffer some nuggets of advice to Dorothy about what makes a good performance. The story culminated in an audition on a TV talent show in which Dorothy received rave reviews. This hugely successful play was written and directed by our very own Director of Music, Mrs Gillian Sargent, and produced by Mrs Williams. It included enthusiastic, lively and entertaining dancing and singing performances from all of the Junior School. Fond Farewells... Mrs Jackie Walker Miss Sophie French Mrs Margaret McNeill One of Withington’s longest serving members Teacher of History, Miss Sophie French is leaving School Nurse Margaret McNeill, QN, is retiring of staff, Mrs Jackie Walker, retired at the end of her post at Withington to relocate to the Lake after 11 years at Withington. Sister McNeill was the Summer Term, after a career at the School District prior to her wedding later this year. the first nurse directly employed by the School, spanning four decades. Miss French, who joined WGS four years ago, is and she has been instrumental in defining and Mrs Walker joined WGS from the University of originally from Cockermouth and is now looking developing the role to what it is today, an integral Manchester (BA Hons History with Economics) forward to moving back to Cumbria to take up part of the pastoral team – a 5 days a week drop- as a Teacher of History 37 years ago, leaving in a position as Teacher of History and Politics at in service for pupils providing ‘tlc’ and, when 1979 to spend time with her young family, before Keswick School. needed, plain common sense! re-joining the WGS staff in 1989 having taught, in the interim, With a BA Hons in History from the University of Manchester, Miss Known to the girls fondly as ‘Nursie’, Sister McNeill joined the School at Cheadle Hulme High School and Parrs Wood High School. French originally joined Withington as an NQT to provide maternity after a successful 30-year career as a Nurse and then District Nurse Mrs Walker has served under four Headmistresses – Miss Hulme, Mrs cover in the History Department - but when her temporary position with the NHS in Trafford and South Manchester. Whilst at WGS, in Kenyon, Mrs Pickering and Mrs Marks – and in that time, she has seen came to an end, she was offered a permanent role at the School and 2007, she was awarded the prestigious Queen's Nurse title for her work. many changes. during her time here has taught in a variety of departments including Mrs McNeill’s role as School Nurse has involved a variety of the Juniors. responsibilities. “Every day has been different,” she says, “But I have “When I first started at Withington, it was with two form, rather than loved every minute of the time I have been here. I will really miss the three form entry, and 35 girls to a class. There was no Transition. It Miss French, who is getting married in October, says she will remember girls. It has been an absolute privilege to share their school life and was a much smaller school in those days. There was no Arts Centre, Withington as a very special place. “Aside from the academic successes, to see them grow from being young girls in Transition into being self- no Sports Hall, no Language Lab - and the staff canteen was a tiny, one of the highlights for me has been watching the many events confident, beautiful young women.” windowless room,” she explains. “There were no men on the staff, no that the girls are involved in. They show what a wonderful school part-timers and we were not allowed to wear trousers or boots!” Withington is in so many different ways.” With her husband having already retired, Mrs McNeill – who has three daughters - now hopes to spend more time with her family Mrs Walker added that some things, however, have not changed: Mrs Angela Adshead and to pursue her hobbies. A keen gardener, she plans to work on her “There is still the strong work ethic both amongst the girls and the staff Mrs Angela Adshead, Personal Assistant to allotment where, she says, she particularly enjoys growing vegetables. the Headmistress, is leaving Withington after that there always was,” she says. “Retiring from Withington has been Mrs McNeill has been invited to take up a position as a Health nearly ten years. With her husband, John, a hard decision as I have always counted myself fortunate to teach at Consultant in the private sector, a role she will carry out on a part-time already retired, Angela has decided to take early such an excellent school with so many friends, supportive colleagues ad hoc basis. and delightful girls. However, I am looking forward to spending more retirement to spend time with him and her family. time with my family, including my grandson Charlie.” With a background in commerce, Mrs Adshead Mrs Zoë Goldman Withington’s Head of French, Mrs Yorke Menzies, was amongst her first joined WGS as School Secretary in 2004 ‘looking Mrs Zoë Goldman, is leaving the School for a ever pupils as was acclaimed composer Sasha Johnson Manning. for a sea change’ and was soon appointed to the second time. After a two-year stint as a Part-time role of PA to the then Headmistress, Mrs Janet Pickering. Her role over Cover Supervisor, Mrs Goldman intends to return “I need to leave WGS before I find myself teaching the grandchildren of the years has included work in Admissions, responsibility for organising to teaching her specialist subjects, Art, Design former pupils!“ she added. Founders’ Day, as well as the day-to-day task of ensuring the smooth and Technology. Mrs Walker hopes to spend time with her family, gardening at her running of the Headmistress’s diary. Mrs Goldman originally joined the School as the allotment, and travelling. She has a trip to Australia and New Zealand Highlights of her time at Withington, she says, have been the privilege Head of Design Technology in 2006, when she planned in the New Year. of working for two Headmistresses and, last year, a memorable trip to introduced CAD/CAM to the Department taking Disneyland Paris and La Rochelle with Year 8 girls. it forward in line with new technology. She left for the first time in “Having been part of the WGS family for quite a few years now, I will 2010 to further her studies, gaining a Distinction in Art at University of greatly miss all my colleagues and friends and the day-to-day ‘buzz’ Arts, London, and also having her second child, a daughter. Her initial of completing another successful day at Withington. I have loved Textile Engineering degree was gained from UMIST and she specialised every minute of it,” she comments. “My aim now is to enjoy life in a in Resistant Materials and Electronics for her PGCE. Mrs Goldman said completely different fashion with my husband and family, especially my that she will always stay in touch with her many friends at Withington. two wonderful daughters, Nicola and Amy, the younger of whom will be giving birth to my first grandchild in early August.” Mrs Adshead enjoys walking, gardening and is looking forward to taking up golf. Enterprising Days... ICAEW Finals Earlier this year, six of our L6 Economics students won the Manchester round of the Institute of Accountants Business and You’re hired! High Flyers Management skills competition [BASE], Withington’s Lower Fourth proved they’ve got what it takes to be The sky was the limit for Withington’s Lower Fifth during a recent beating over 30 teams to achieve this award. international businesswomen of the future as they excelled in a ‘Foreign Business Enterprise Day. In June they attended the national final – Language at Work Masterclass’ delivered in School recently by the Young As part of a national schools’ initiative run by the Young Enterprise a two-day event at a top Birmingham hotel. Enterprise organisation. organisation, the entire year group – split into twelve teams – were given Using their Economics and Management skills The day-long project on 20th June, involved the girls battling it out in the opportunity to explore their entrepreneurial talents as they were they performed with flair and insight. They teams to bid for the task of organising a two-day international conference charged with creating a new airline from scratch. had to work with a professional mentor and for French, Spanish and British delegates. The girls could choose the During an action-packed day on 3rd June, the girls worked through develop a strategy for a company, analysing subject and theme of the conference – but as part of the challenge, they the project brief - from design concept, agreeing target audiences, the marketing, financial and ethical aspects had to speak in their chosen language of either French or Spanish. Lower negotiating and even creating their own uniforms, through to producing of the business. They carefully considered Sixth linguists and volunteers from local businesses were drafted in to a business plan and culminating finally in presentations which impressed the impact of the company’s activities on help with the day’s activities. the judges and volunteers from industry. its workforce and the environment and Tasks included finding a suitable venue, booking equipment, designing Said Acting of Head Careers, Mrs Nichola Watson: recommended an incisive strategy to a panel invitations, planning menus, preparing tourist itineraries for overseas of senior chartered accountants. delegates and creating a delegate pack; all within a budget of £90,000. ”The feedback from Young Enterprise was incredible. The energy, creativity and enthusiasm of our girls was They gained a great deal from the Withington’s new Nexus 7 tablets, donated to the Geography department competition, including skills of teamwork, by the School’s Enhancing Opportunities Fund, were a helpful resource a pleasure to observe and the volunteers said they were working to pressure and thinking through for the girls who used them for their research. The finale to the day was in awe of them, especially given the timescales!” the implications of business strategy. It was a presentation of the bid to the client – and for first time ever, all the The winning team was Dragonfly: a very professional and high profile event Withington teams chose to present the entire project in either French Hanya Irfan, Ruby Kay-Lambert, Iris Skipworth, Krisha Suryavanshi, and will also help students with university or Spanish. Sarah Evans, Lily Gu and Deepthi Haribaskaran. applications and business careers in the Acting Head of Careers, Mrs Nichola Watson, commented: future. They also had the chance to meet “The girls were very professional and articulate and the business leaders and enjoyed the competition judges were very impressed with their linguistic skills.” dinner and post-competition party. Verdadera Inspetacion (True Inspiration) were the day’s winners. Well done to: Sobia Siddiq, Mila McEwen, Annie Hine, Anaum Abbasi, Teja Potluri, Apoorva Verma and Mansi Vaish. Physics Olympics Upper Fourth pupils Apoorva Verma, Natasha Anson, Lauren Cain and Rosie Harris travelled to St Peter’s School York on 18th June to compete in the annual Physics Olympics competition. Events included bridge building, lighthouse construction, calculating the weight of a small pink panther, a marble run, fastest boat and a Fermi Quiz - each had to be completed in under 30 minutes. It was a long day but we all had a super time and hope to improve on our final position (21st out of 35) next year. Mrs Lisa Bradshaw Head of Physics Work Placements Upper Fifth girls have swapped the classroom Deansgate Sprints Chemistry Festival for a taste of life in the workplace following On Friday 15th May, six Third Formers travelled to Deansgate, Manchester On Wednesday 11th June, four LIV Girls and Dr Pavey travelled to Manchester their recent GCSE examinations. to compete in the Semi-Final of the Greater Manchester City Sprints. University in order to participate in the annual Salters’ Festival of Chemistry During a two-week period, from 23rd June to All girls had qualified the week before with excellent times over 60m, competition. The competition was fierce, as we were competing against 4th July, the students were able to volunteer gaining them a place in the top 50 fastest girls in Manchester. This time past winners including Loreto Grammar School and Bacup & Rawtenstall for work experience, gaining valuable insight they would compete against the top 50 from London, Newcastle and Grammar School. into possible career options before starting Birmingham as well. The girls had to finish in the top two in their heat Our first challenge was the Salters’ Challenge, which tested both our Sixth Form in September. to have a chance of making the final and the opportunity to run at the understanding of past investigations that we had done at school, but also new City Games the following day. All girls ran excellent times and all but one ones. We split into two pairs and each pair took on an investigation. One was With a diverse range of placements, the girls a chromatography challenge, where we were to compare samples of ink to narrowly missed out on the chance of making the final. However, Freya chose taster weeks in careers ranging from one found at a crime scene. The other, tested our skills at carrying out a new Metcalf ran an excellent time making it into the final. Using all the tips Law and Medicine to Fashion Design and investigation which we had not met before: working out which non-metal Buying. Engineering, Education, Dentistry, she had been given throughout the day, she finished 2nd overall qualifying was used to make a salt. This proved difficult, as we were forced to retake one Finance, Journalism, Media and Design, for the City Games the following day. Freya flew the flag excellently for of the tests multiple times before we were confident with our answer. Withington, winning the warm up race just before the city games began. Marketing and Pharmacy were amongst the At lunch we were invited by Jenny’s mum, Sau Yin, to walk around one of the areas selected. Congratulations to her and all the girls who competed! labs. Dr Sek gave us an informative tour and we all enjoyed seeing what one Feedback from employers has been very of the University labs looked like. positive, with one reporting the WGS After lunch, we experienced the gruelling University Challenge, which proved candidate was “spontaneously friendly, to be more difficult than it seemed. We were given a salt and an acid, and consistently good humoured and quick to learn were told to mix amounts of each which would create a reaction lasting – giving her the ability to relate well to her exactly one minute. After trying equal amounts of each with a result lasting colleagues. She should be commended for her only ten seconds, we realised we had our work cut out for us! After making initiative and common sense.“ over 15 batches of the solution and a few arguments over which solution would be poured into which, we ended up with amounts that, when put together, created a reaction lasting 60.87 seconds! We then enjoyed an exciting Flash Bang Show while the judges made their decisions. There were a series of amazing explosions including burning four packets of Monster Munch crisps at once, together about a quarter of a child’s daily amount of energy. By the end of the show we were eager to find out the Chester Zoo results of the day’s competition. We were thrilled to find we had come 2nd in Third form pupils enjoyed a trip to Chester the University Challenge, only narrowly defeated by William Hulme Grammar Zoo as part of their Biology fieldwork. School. We would like to thank Dr Pavey for accompanying us on this trip and for During the visit on 12th May, the girls had making it possible! an opportunity to touch a snake and live cockroaches, with one of the highlights of Georgina Clegg, Jenny Leigh, Sukanya Nanchahal & Teja Potluri the day being a walk through the darkened bat cave. There was a lesson on classification where the girls learnt to identify samples from different vertebrae groups and they were also given time to explore the wide variety of animals housed at the Zoo. Face painters transformed some of the girls into flamingos and leopards – a fun finale to a very enjoyable day. Young Analysts Senior Physics A day out at On Tuesday 29th April, three Lower Sixth Chemists participated in the Royal Society of Chemistry Young Analyst Competition at Challenge Jodrell Bank Manchester Metropolitan University. The RSC has themed 2014 as the year I was delighted to be asked to attend the prestigious Senior Physics Challenge, On 13th May, Lower Fourth spent a day at Jodrell Bank - it was a great trip of ‘Chemistry and Art’ and the girls a five day residential course in early July at Cambridge University. The which was interesting and informative. We had a one-hour lecture where were asked to analyse the chemical application in April included a Maths test and I began preparing for the course we learnt a lot about the Solar System, the planets, the Milky Way and the content of canvases and inks and to use immediately after finishing AS exams because the course required reading Romans’ strange perception of the constellations. We also spent time in the analytical techniques to detect forgeries. about mathematical techniques not studied at school. dome observing the sky as seen by the Lovell Telescope. They accomplished this with a series The week gave us a flavour of the life of a Cambridge Physics student as In the Discovery Centre, we tried our hand at landing a ‘robot’ safely on of experiments including titrations, a we had lectures on quantum mechanics each morning from Professor Mark Mars - the robot was actually an egg! This was a really fun challenge and technique commonly used at A Level, and Warner FRS, followed by afternoon practicals (in the Cavendish Laboratory!) most groups were successful although it would have been nice to see more UV spectroscopy, which none of the other We also had lectures after dinner (these lectures were in a theatre at the cracked eggs! Overall, the trip was good and one even though the weather competitors had encountered. back of the Eagle pub which is owned by one of the colleges). The workload was stormy. was intensive but it was interesting to look at the mathematics underlying Best in the North West LIVW fundamental physics which is studied at university. Katie Wharton The girls excelled at all tasks, gaining the I stayed in Newnham College for the week, but made friends with students ‘Best Practical Skills Team’ award and, staying at other colleges. We dined in different colleges’ Great Halls each after scoring an unprecedented 99.5% night which was an added bonus and enjoyed punting down the river during score in the written tasks, were proclaimed free time. winners of the North West heat, taking Overall, the experience was unforgettable and I would recommend anyone them through to the National Final held interested in studying Physics at University to consider applying. at Lancaster University in June. The girls performed extremely well, being one of Penny Jones Lower Sixth the few teams who successfully completed the challenge of identifying an unknown compound. Well done Amy, Haleh and Teneeka!

The Senior Physics Challenge is a residential course at Cambridge University for the top 70 Lower Sixth Physics Students nationwide. Gaining a place is incredibly competitive - each school is allowed to nominate two students who then have to take an online mathematics test which forms part of the selection. I was thrilled for Penny that she was offered a place. Penny has also been to Oxford this term to meet the Head of Physics at Corpus Christi after achieving second place in an essay competition on dark matter. Mrs Lisa Bradshaw Head of Physics The Gambia 2014 Withington’s Gambia Expedition 2014 students CERN 2014 English Outings are almost half way to reaching their fund raising target of £6000. At the beginning of the Easter holidays, our Physics group were lucky enough to be able to take a trip to Geneva, Switzerland to visit the Large Much Ado About Nothing In just four months, the group of twelve Sixth Hadron Collider at CERN and the United Nations Headquarters. When we English Literature students enjoyed a trip to Formers have worked hard, in advance of their arrived at the famous accelerator, we were given a lecture on the site’s Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theatre to watch trip to the country in December, to raise enough history, which took place in the very room that the discovery of the Higgs an entertaining production of the Shakespearean money to build a new classroom at a Mama Boson was announced in! comedy, Much Ado About Nothing. Tamba nursery school in Illiassa. We were then given an in-depth tour of LHCb, one of the experiments at The trip, on 26th April, enabled Sixth formers Funds raised so far have been generated through CERN, which focused on exploring the nature of the Bottom quark. At the and Upper Fifth girls with an interest in a range of events which have included a pancake LHC we saw first-hand the immense size and amount of engineering behind making cook-and-eat class; a raffle, tombola and English Literature, to explore the theme of the discovery of the famous boson, an experience heightened by Microcosm comedy, which is part of the A-level syllabus. Guess the Teachers’ Baby photo game; World Cup and The Globe of Science and Innovation museums which provided more Audience participation played a lead role in football poster sales; a clothing and Jewellery interactive information about CERN and Physics as a whole. Sale in School, a Sports Day at one student’s the performance as the actor playing the witty home and a party organised by another of the Like CERN, the UN is a symbol of international co-operation - a fact character Benedick hid amongst the theatre- Sixth Form group. emphasised to us during our guided tour which only briefly outlined the goers, disguising himself in their coats and UN’s many achievements. Here we discovered the vast amount of artwork hiding under seats. The Gambia Expedition, which will take place in donated by member countries to decorate the committee rooms, including December, is an annual week-long trip that has a particularly impressive piece in the room for the Disarmament Committee, The use of music throughout the production been organised by Project Leader and Geography the UN’s largest committee room. helped to create a convincing comic world Teacher, Miss Kaeren Browning for the past on stage - and excellent sets and costumes ten years. Withington has been supporting the The trip gave us a real insight into the work of the international community, not only for particle acceleration, but also diplomatic achievements and was were used effectively reflect the characters’ education of children and adults through its links development as the play progressed. with the Mamba Tamba Nursery School and rounded off by the beautiful setting of Geneva itself. various literacy programmes since 2004. Teneeka Mai Lower Sixth A View from the Bridge Miss Browning - who will also be accompanied by Withington’s Upper Fifth pupils had an insight three staff members on the trip - says the money raised so far by this year’s group has already been into life in New York in the 1950s during their sent to the Mama Tamba Nursery to start work recent trip to watch Arthur Miller’s A View from on building an additional classroom and providing the Bridge at Liverpool’s Playhouse Theatre. new furniture that will enable more children to The theatre visit on 1st April enhanced the girls attend the over-subscribed school. Funds this year understanding of Miller’s text, which was part will also go towards renovating Mama Tamba’s of their GCSE English course. kitchen. Set in the seafront docking community of Brooklyn Bridge, the play recounts the tragic tale of an ordinary man, Eddie Carbone, lost in a clash of cultures, generations and moral duty. The production evoked the sympathy of the audience when the play’s hero Eddie dies because of his illicit love for his niece, Catherine.

Withington’s Head of English Ms Christine Davies said: “These were very entertaining productions that linked in well with the girls' study. They were both very well produced and really did bring the texts to life and enhanced the girls’ understanding of them.” Geographical Jaunts... Mrs J Buckley Head of Geography

Castleton Llandudno Blackpool This year our Third Form Geographers were blessed with exceptional All the Lower Fourth arrived in Llandudno one early Monday morning The GCSE Geographers enjoyed an exciting and eye-opening study of weather which helped the girls enjoy the annual Castleton fieldtrip at the beginning of June to be met with driving rain and bleak overcast Blackpool for their compulsory fieldwork on Friday June 20th. The aim all the more and appreciate the wonderful limestone scenery we skies. was to identify the positive and negative impacts of tourism on the have on our doorstep. The late spring sunshine during the trip, Using a shelter on the promenade as our initial classroom, with resort. The sun was shining so the newly regenerated festival headland on 16th May, meant the girls were able to take their time in waterproofs and umbrellas for protection one Form tried to annotate with its comedy carpet and Spanish-style steps leading down to the identifying the various landscape features through their field colourful photographs of a very different looking Llandudno before golden sands provided a very positive image of this traditional seaside sketching and photographic analysis. venturing down onto the wet beach to measure pebbles and see if they resort that has benefited from considerable European funding. Sitting at the base of Mam Tor, the girls viewed the village of Castleton could identify the various rock types and processes at work. Other However, once behind the colourful neon amusement arcades and nestling at the base of limestone cliffs, evaluated the impact of the tall groups set off on the Victorian tram up the wind-swept Great Orme. hotels along the promenade, the girls observed several vacant and tower of the industrial cement works and also studied the collapsed In true Withington spirit, girls smiled and tried hard to appreciate decaying buildings and old empty guest houses. The negative impact A625 road which sadly has not survived several landslips on this the majestic sweep of this Victorian resort with its grand hotels and of a declining type of tourism was all too obvious. Land-use mapping, unstable mountain of shale. wide boulevards and, using a little imagination, their environmental field sketching, environmental assessments, a litter transect and The narrow path that led us round the edge of the limestone plateau to assessments erred on the positive whilst their fieldwork resource books questionnaires to members of the public gave the girls the evidence the entrance to Treak Cliff Cavern took us past young families of spring became decidedly soggy. they needed to make an informed judgement. lambs grazing and even a television crew filming a nature programme. Then, as if rewarding our display of stoicism, by lunchtime the sun The promenade seemed really alive and it took the girls only a short After the awe and wonder of some incredible stalactites and began to break out over the Orme and views of Anglesey emerged time to appreciate it was partly due to the buzz of large parties of stalagmites which brought to life the underground world of limestone, through the mist. We experienced a beautiful afternoon with the sun people arriving for the Rod Stewart concert to be held in the resort the girls tried to work out the processes involved in the creation of bringing everything to life. Holidaymakers emerged from cafés and that evening. They could see the positive economic impact of this event the impressive limestone gorge, Winnats Pass, that took us down into hotels and the girls found passers-by to interview and answer their and returned to Withington with images of a busy and lively modern the village. Many visitors were relaxing in the sunshine and quite happy questionnaires. Girls were even able to relax as they sketched and resort. Questionnaires were particularly successful and pedestrian to answer the girls’ questions and the pupils started to appreciate how researched their chosen guest houses. counts exceeded all expectations. It was a rewarding day for fieldwork and provided us all with the lasting impression that seaside tourism the limestone scenery was one of the main reasons people were visiting The land-use study of the pier was a much more enjoyable activity the area. in Britain is anything but dying. The girls were focused, interested and without waterproofs and candy floss and ice cream, for some, was admitted their experience really brought the subject to life. Price comparisons with home revealed how local businesses put their a welcome treat. Fieldwork note books dried out and we returned prices up to gain more income from their tourist industry, both from to School with valuable data and a sense of achievement. We really the active visitors who need equipment for some quite extreme outdoor appreciated the support of the Mathematics Department who helped sports but also the more passive tourists who are content to browse keep spirits up whilst in return they gained some useful measurements the gift shops and enjoy food in the local cafes. All the girls loved the for statistical analysis. We were also accompanied by two Manchester quaint limestone cottages and enjoyed the range of ice creams on offer. University post graduate students training to become Geography It is testimony to their focus and approach that we received a teachers who came along as part of their enrichment programme. phone call to the school the following day from a family who had They certainly learnt a lot about the need for initiative in any outdoor been interviewed by our Third Formers and who were extremely work and the challenge that can be faced in teaching Geography complimentary about their polite and intelligent approach to the task outside the classroom. They were, however, more than impressed in hand. It was encouraging to know our girls are being such wonderful with just how motivated the Withington girls were and how their ambassadors for the school even when out in the field enjoying the concentration and focus was sustained throughout the day. wonder of Geography first hand. Congratulations... Hannah Li in Lower Fifth won the best net prize at the Cheshire Girls Golf Championship Sports Day held at Wilmslow Golf Club in May, shooting 79 and 75. Earlier in the year Hannah also The inter-house Sports Day was held at Longford Park on won the club championship at Tytherington 7th July. Lejeune emerged victorious having also won the Swimming Gala on 4th July. Golf Club. Very well done! The other three houses have a challenge on for next year!

Congratulations to Iyal Kannan in the Upper Fourth who, together with her father, took the MENSA IQ test and emerged with a better score than her dad and not to mention Einstein! Iyal received a fair bit of media interest and was interviewed on the BBC Radio Manchester Breakfast Show.

Do call us (Before we call you!) Pupil absence: Please would all parents use For contact after school please use these numbers: Withington Girls’ School, Wellington Road, Fallowfield, Manchester M14 6BL 0161 249 3476 to inform the School of pupil Senior Late Room: 0161 249 3492 Tel: 0161 224 1077 Fax: 0161 248 5377 Email: [email protected] absence before 8.30am on each day of absence. Junior Late Room: 0161 224 1077 Web: www.wgs.org Registered Charity No. 526632