1996 1996 Year 11 Dinner Editorial
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Sibford 1995-1996 1996 YEAR 11 DINNER EDITORIAL By nature I am a reactive sort of person and the three judgement and not stay content with what they have quotations which have set me going this time around are received second-hand. It is offered in the belief that there from a music critic, a French mystic and a Friend, is Truth to be found, indescribable and incommunicable, respectively. but waiting to be discovered in the mystery of personal encounter." In the introduction to a tape of Buddhist chants, Damien Ffrench makes the questionable allegation that "music Simone Weil wrote rather a gnomic statement with the and religion have always been two of humanity's great following words: bolt-holes from reality and, at best, towards ecstasy." To make his point he then adds, "And didn't Marx call religion "Obedience to the force of gravity: the original sin." the opium of the masses?" I think Weil is challenging us to engage with the forces He fails to note that true religion is indeed no spiritual E which seek to limit our life and never to fall prey to the tablet, but in fact humankind's encounter with Ultimate other great human original sin - lassitude - while also Reality and the truth of the Self. I am quite sure that learning the wisdom to live within the necessary Buddhists would be dismayed to think of their chants as a perimeters which make us the human beings we are. means of escape: instead they see them as a means of meditative encounter, just as Friends see silence. It is this spirit which we hope you will find in these pages which follow and through which you will be enabled to Contrast his words with those of Harold Loukes in his share something of the life of the whole Sibford book "Friends and their Children", published in 1958: community: school, parents and old scholars. Enjoy them and spread the good news. "The prime object of a Quaker religious education is this: that children should use it to arrive at the religion of their Sean Kenny FOREWORD FROM THE ACTING HEADS It is a great delight to be writing a short foreword to a youngest and the oldest to be the focus of our building magazine that reflects such a busy and exciting year in programme. At Easter the diggers and drills arrived to the life of Sibford. It was a year which started with the turn the Orchard Close car park into an airy and spacious opening of a new annexe, to house the increased number extension to house our infants and the growing numbers of girl boarders, in a wing of the old Manor and it will end of juniors in time for the opening in September. When we with the arrival of Sue Freestone to Holly House and to gather as a whole school for meeting on Tuesdays there Sibford. ln between much has happened both academically are a growing number of legs which swing wildly on adult and socially. chairs to remind us that the Rising Fives have arrived. The Sixth Form too has expanded with a wider number of A At the heart of Sibford is our belief that each individual Levels being studied and the new Land Based Industries should be valued for their own strengths, enthusiasms GNVQ underway. Fielding House has had a face lift and and potential. This year the GCSE results brought so its members are taking on increasing responsibilities in much happiness to so many because they knew that they the school as a whole. had achieved so much more than at one time they, or others, would have thought possible. The same is true of The magazine also details much of the work carried out the smiles of satisfaction at the completion of a Duke of by SOSA and PSFA and we greatly appreciate the support Edinburgh expedition or the happy conclusion of given to us by these two organisations. August saw the Children's Camp. We know that as you browse the pages departure, after six full and exciting years, of John and you will find so many more examples of personal bests: Susie Dunston and January will see Sue Freestone arriving whether on the rugby and hockey pitch, in drama, in from Bristol and both happy and eager to start working at music, in art, in technology, in maths, English and other Sibford. We welcome Sue and Rupert and wish them classrooms, in science lab and walled garden or in many years of happiness with us. We have greatly enjoyed accomplishments on a huge range of visits and activities. our term holding the reins and appreciate very much the support we have received from staff, parents and pupils These individual successes are the lifeblood but they alike. need to be supported by the fabric, facilities and advances in the curriculum. This year it has been the turn of the Simon Horsley & Caroline Homan MAGAZINE PRODUCTION EDITORIAL TEA M: SCHOOL: Editor Sean Kenny P.S.F.A: Editor Jane Cleland Photography Ann Stevenson and Karen Turburfield CO-ORDINAT ORS: Sean Kenny and Mike Finch S.O.S.A: Editor Michael D. T.Farr PRINTE RS: H.E. Boddy and Co. Ltd., Banbury Photography Philip Morris, Russell Steed and lan Weatherhead. Front cover artwork. The new Globe Theatre under construction at Southwark, London. The design and fabrication was undertaken by Old Sibfordian - Peter McCurdy (1962-67). (Fu/l details are shown elsewhere in the magazine.) 1 BOARDING THE SIBFORD OVERVIEW CURRICULUM 1996 1995-1996 The year started with another opening: this time an annexe The past year has been marked in curricular terms by for Margaret Fell House. The increase in girls boarding exciting developments at the top and the bottom of the numbers was delightful to see and so, while all Year 7 - 11 school, in Years 1 and 2 and in Years 12 and 13. The girls are members of Margaret Fell with Lesley Norton as extension which has been built on to Orchard Close and their House Mistress, some of the seniors have, as home the arrival of infants at Sibford School will be written for a term or more, the wing of the Manor which overlooks about at greater length elsewhere, but there is an the Walled Garden. It is also good to see the girls so well appropriate symmetry with the exciting developments in represented on school council; this has seen hot debates the Sixth Form. this year on end of term discos, boys' earrings and is beginning to consider a code of conduct for all pupils. After two years of planning this September sees not only the arrival of the largest Year 12 which the school has The Maintenance Team then turned their attention to seen but also the radical overhaul of the Sixth Form Fielding and, by September, the interior face lift was curriculum. The school has long been a leader in the complete, in time to see the largest Sixth Form for some provision of vocational education and it is pleasing to time. Cooking seems to remain one of the favourite report that from September 1996 all our vocational courses pastimes in house but it is being closely rivalled by the will come under the GNVQ banner. The subjects being new pool table and whenever I pop in to say hello in the studied will be Business at intermediate level, Land Based evening, one group or another is anxious for basketball, Industries at intermediate level and a more general despite John Howard's broken elbow in one of the first foundation level course. Just as exciting is the games of term. In next year's review I hope to be able to development of our A' Level courses with the introduction report the increased leadership by the Sixth Form in many of maths and music for the first time and the expansion of activities for younger pupils. our A' levels in geography, business studies, textiles, design, art and English. Boarding at Sibford however is about so much more than buildings: this year has brought to our number new pupils Elsewhere in the curriculum it is pleasing to report that from Bullawao, Equador, Japan, Korea, Uzbeckistan, the first cohort of media studies pupils have successfully Norway, Sweden, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Germany, Belgium, completed their GCSEs whilst the re-introduction of some Spain and yet all settle with astonishing speed into the Year 9 music brings us closer into line with the National heart of Oxfordshire and are soon happily discussing the Curriculum. merits of Oxford or Stratford for a Saturday trip. This is due in no small part to the dedication and commitment of Overall another pleasing and busy year; we look forward the House Staff and we have been delighted to welcome to an equally busy and fulfilling time this year this year Jackie Bartlett and Cathering Marklew to Margaret Fell, and Tony Skeath and Sarah Spittle in new guises into Simon Horsley Penn and Fielding. This September saw new departures in our weekend SIBFORD SCHOOL LOOKS FORWARD TO A NEW HEAD provision, with Paul Ludlow co-ordinating On- Campus activities throughout the weekend as well as the long list Sibford School will be looking forward to a Happy New of trips out. Away from Sibford, climbing, canoeing and Year when the new Head arrives to take up her shopping remain as popular as ever, while in school appointment, following the departure of John Dunston, donut making, basketball and computer games probably who is now Head of Leighton top the list.