Head's Lines Developing Responsible Citizens
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Editor: Mr Ray King Tel: 07768 022 082 DO CALL US DATES FOR YOUR DIARY Publicity Officer AUTUMN TERM 2005 [BEFORE WE CALL YOU!] SEPTEMBER 5th [Mon] Staff In-service Day Pupil absence: 6th [Tues] Term Starts Please would all parents use 9th [Fri] Science Day the following number to inform 12th [Mon] Lower II : Parents’ Introductory Evening 7.30pm the school of pupil absence before 13th [Tues] Upper II : Parents’ Introductory Evening 7.30pm 8.30am on each day of absence. 14th [Wed] Transition & Form 1 : Parents’ Introductory Evening 7.30pm 15th [Thurs] Whole School Photograph [am] Absence line: 21st [Wed] IIIrd Form : Parents’ Introductory Evening 7.30pm 0161 249 3476 30th [Fri] Harvest Festival [Junior School] OCTOBER Senior Late Room: 4th [Tues] Harvest Festival [Senior School] 4th [Tues] Young Shakespeare Drama Day [Junior School] 0161 249 3492 6th [Thurs] PTA AGM & Entertainment 7.30pm SUMMER... 2005 [in the library] 10th [Mon] Y Touring Company [Fifth & Sixth Forms] am or pm Bulletin 16th [Sun] DofE Walk [Lyme Park] All day Junior Late Room: 18th [Tues] Founders’ Day at the Bridgewater Hall 7.00pm 07729 805647 [School finishes at 1.00pm] Developing responsible citizens Head’s Lines 19th [Wed] French Exchange Departs [Upper Fourth] Dear Readers 19th [Wed] Friday Timetable WITHINGTON’S teaching staff and pupils enthusiastically turned the government’s 20th [Thurs] Charity Fashion Show 7.00pm requirement for education to equip young people in the knowledge, skills and understanding As the end of the public examination 21st-28th [inclusive] Half Term Holiday needed to play an active role in society into a whole day of exciting, innovative projects. session signals the conclusion of 27th [Thurs] French Exchange Returns another academic year, we will soon have to bid farewell to our leavers – NOVEMBER pupils and staff. The Upper Sixth depart 2nd [Wed] Gunpowder Plot [Junior School] for the next exciting phases of their lives 3rd [Thurs] Friday timetable with the good wishes of the entire 3rd [Thurs] Open Evening 4.00-6.00pm school community. As was said at the 4th [Fri] Exchange Pupils return to France Leavers’ Dinner in May, they have been a 4th [Fri] Staff In-service Day [No pupils in School] really special year group and will be 5th [Sat] Open Morning 10.00-12.00noon much missed. We also send wishes for 8th [Tues] Parents’ Evening : Junior School good luck, health and happiness to UK Senior Maths Challenge [Sixth Forms] leavers in other year groups and urge 9th [Wed] Sixth Form Open Evening 6.00-8.00pm them all to keep in touch. As will be 11th–13th [Fri-Sun] Ghyll Head Weekend [Third Forms] Citizenship Day, organised by Mrs Julie Buckley, saw both Senior and Junior Schools fully engaged in a seen herein, the six members of teaching 12th [Sat] Model United Nations Conference Cheadle Hulme School [Sixth Forms] range of dynamic events from environmental stewardship to international peacekeeping. Mrs. Buckley told staff for whom this is their last term at 12th [Sat] PTA Dinner Dance, Old Trafford Cricket Ground the Lower Sixth media team, which reported the events and published their own newspaper ‘Widen Our Withington have, collectively, given an 18th–20th [Fri-Sun] Ghyll Head Weekend [Third Forms] World’, that the idea was “to enable pupils to take a step closer to becoming informed, thoughtful and incredible one hundred years of 18th [Fri] Pirate Queens by Charlotte Keatley: World Premiere 7.30pm responsible citizens.” outstanding service to the school. Their 19th [Sat] Pirate Queens by Charlotte Keatley: Gala Performance 7.30pm invaluable contributions will be 22nd [Tues] Parents’ Evening : Lower VI Forms 6.00 - 8.00pm honoured at various events leading up DECEMBER to the end of term and, of course, at 1st [Thurs] A2 Drama Devised Production [Provisional] 7.30pm Founders’ Day on October 18th. We 5th [Mon] Carol Service at St Ann’s Church 7.00pm wish them all that they would wish for 6th [Tues] Rotarians’ Christmas Party 6.30pm themselves in all that the future holds 8th [Thurs] Parents’ Evening : Third Forms 6.00 – 8.00pm for them and, on behalf of generations 9th [Fri] Junior School Theatre and Party Day of Withingtonians, we thank them for 12th [Mon] Senior School Carol Service 7.00m their commitment and inspiration both 14th [Wed] Junior School Carol Concert 6.30pm within and outside the classroom. 16th [Fri] Term Ends 2.00pm Other articles in this bulletin testify to 16th [Fri] Gambia Group departure [Upper Sixth] the achievements of pupils past and Third Formers, aided by the Lower Sixth and members of staff, sallied forth into the community to work present. Over the past few days special SPRING TERM 2006 on environmental enhancement schemes from creating wild flower gardens and planting trees and visitors to the school have given much JANUARY shrubberies, to building footpaths and gravel pits. 3rd [Tues] Staff and Departmental Meetings cause for review and reflection. Hilda 4th [Wed] Spring Term Starts The whole school voted in a mock general election; Lower Fourth pupils, representing five political parties, Hartt, our nonagenarian old girl, (see 13th [Fri] Senior & Junior Entrance Exams [No pupils in School] hit the campaign trail with posters, leaflets and hustings meetings. herein) wrote in an email following her visit ‘I can’t tell you how pleased I was FEBRUARY to see Withington again. I only wish I 20th–24th [Inclusive] Half Term had great-grandchildren to be educated APRIL there. Knocks spots off their supposedly 6th [Thurs] Spring Term Ends elite schools in South Africa and SUMMER TERM 2006 Melbourne!’ Written responses from 24th [Mon] Summer Term Starts somewhat younger ‘old girls’ who attended the Senior Club June Reunion, MAY expressed gratitude for the true life skills 1st [Mon] May Day Holiday they had acquired during their school 29th [Mon] Half Term starts days. Mrs Grace Khakula, long-term Withington Girls’ School, Wellington Road, JUNE friend of Ann Lipson, our Senior Club – Upper Fourth girls staged two Mock Trials, heard before a real judge, Judge Platts, 26 years a Barrister in Fallowfield, Manchester M14 6BL. 2nd [Fri] Half Term Ends Kenya link, gave an inspirational courts all over Britain before being appointed a circuit judge in Liverpool at both Civil and Crown Courts. JULY assembly on June 20th and following Tel : 0161 224 1077 Fax : 0161 248 5377 Thanks to a series of presentations from the Ministry of Defence, Lower Fifth girls learned about the 7th [Fri] Summer Term Ends at 2.30pm her visit wrote ‘this is but the beginning Email: [email protected] impact of citizenship on a global basis and took part in role-play dealing with an escalating civil war in an of great adventure in promoting good AUTUMN TERM 2006 imaginary country. ideals in fostering love and unity beyond SEPTEMBER Web: www.withington.manchester.sch.uk Asked what made a good citizen, Mrs Pickering told the media reporting team: “Someone who has respect racial barriers’. 5th [Tues] Autumn Term Starts [provisional] Registered Charity No. 526632 for themselves and is prepared to put others first.” Continued on page 2. Continued from front page. This academic year our pupils have visited the United States, France, An extraordinary life... Germany, Spain, The Gambia and Uganda and, just before the end of term, Limbering up for Bolivia THE School rolled out the welcome mat for a remarkable ‘old girl’ - prolific Australian our two world challenge expedition playwright Julia Britton, aged 91 - who was a pupil in the 1920s and early 1930s. groups will depart for Bolivia. Julia, who has had around 40 plays produced in the last 20 years - many about English literary figures - Citizenship Day on June 27th was the THE Duke of Edinburgh’s Award continues its popularity at all After final authorisation from the award scheme’s head office that the result of the commitment and arrived with a Melbourne-based film crew in tow. They were making a film called ‘Fearless’ about her dedication of a team of staff but, most amazing life. levels despite its rigorous demands. Bolivia Group’s expedition in the summer will count towards a Gold of all, of the enthusiasm, energy and Daughter of the first-ever woman science graduate at Manchester University, Julia – or Hilda Hartt as she Award, nine of the girls heading for South America engaged in a two-day vision of Mrs Julie Buckley. Hopefully it was then - became a Withington pupil in 1925 and left in 1932 to study classics at Manchester University. wild country practice in the Yorkshire Dales just before the end of term. will be the first of many such events to She spent some of the mid-1930s in Nazi Germany before moving to South Africa where she married and enhance our community links and widen worked as a journalist on a left wing newspaper in Natal. our world-view. Whilst we look forward to celebrating, with our pupils, AS/A2 In the late 1960s she arrived in Adelaide, South Australia and taught Ancient Greek and Latin. When her and GCSE success on August 18th and husband died she became a real estate agent and then astonishingly, at the age of 73, embarked on a new 25th, respectively, we continue to prize career as a playwright. the opportunities Withington provides Mrs. Pickering, said: “It was absolutely fantastic to welcome Hilda back. She was fabulous – for personal, social, moral and cultural a real inspiration. She held our current pupils spellbound when she talked to them in the library. growth as equally important as The message she gave to the girls was ‘set your sights high, follow your dreams and really go for what academic success.