Magazine 2012 EDITORIAL

This past year has been no exception to the busyness and talent filled years of St Helens. When starting out with the challenge of creating this magazine, we wanted to capture the enthusiasm, vibrancy and passion of this year, including also our support for the “Because I am a girl” campaign, so focusing particularly on the “power” of the girl.

Our vision for this year’s magazine was to incorporate every aspect of school life and combine these strands in a way that would reflect the character of the school, and the girls and staff that make it. We felt very strongly that every girl, who wished to be, should be included, in order that this would be a personal reflection, for everyone, of 2012. So we have included whole year pages, in order that all girls are featured and also have a say in how their year is represented. We have had not only the editorial team, but representatives from every form, designing the layouts and forming the content of these pages, so that there would be a genuine student feel to the magazine. We are conscious, also, of retaining the balance between reflecting the present moment in time and styles of today, yet also moulding something that will withstand the test of time.

Despite work being temporarily lost, the school network shutting down, creating a larger more complex magazine in a much shorter time period, the team has risen to these challenges in true St Helens spirit. But none of this would have been possible without the smiles, support and guidance of Mr Drew - we thank you for everything you have helped and encouraged us to achieve. And of course to Chris Busby, whose invaluable patience and technical expertise has never failed and has always been at hand.

Being part of this wonderful team has been a challenging and great experience, and we hope that the time, effort and care that has undoubtedly been worked into every page, is evident as your read through this past year.

Meg Buckingham

The School of St Helen and St Katharine Trust Faringdon Road Abingdon Oxon OX14 1BE

Tel: 01235 520173 Fax: 01235 532934 www.shsk.org.uk

Registered charity no. 286892. Company registered in England no. 1710695 and limited by guarantee. Registered office as above.

Photos from school image library

A special thank you to Chris Busby for IT Support

Printed on recycled paper by Leach’s the Printers, Abingdon 01235 520444 contents Miss Edbrooke 2 Year 7 Photo Competition 36 Art: Trips 78 Prefects 3 Year 8 38 Art: GCSE 80 Chapel 4 Drama 40 Year 11 82 Charities 5 Year 9 50 Sport 91 St Kate’s Day 6 Year 9 Photo Competition 52 History of Art 92 Library 8 French 54 Design and Technology 94 Music 10 Spanish 55 Food Studies 96 English 14 German 56 Art: AS Level 98 Juniors 20 Italian 57 Year 12 100 Year 6 22 Religious Studies 60 Work Experience 102 Year 5 24 Science and Maths 61 Archives 104 Duke of Edinburgh 25 Classics 69 New Staff 106 Geography 28 Debating 72 Leaving Staff 108 Art: Lower/Middle School 30 Psychology 73 Art: A2 110 Year 7 32 History 74 Year 13 Leavers 112 Kilve Court 34 Year 10 76 Destinations of Leavers 114 Headmistress

Schools now have such a variety of ways to present the life and activities of the school to their various audiences that much of the day to day life of the school is recorded in newsletters, prospectuses, films and on the web site, so that the place of the traditional school magazine, a glossy summary of the previous academic year, has been under threat. The answer to the question of whether the magazine still has a place has been a resounding ‘yes’ at St Helen’s and I am delighted to introduce this year’s, which is a product of wide consultation by the Editorial Team plus their own vision for the style and content of a publication which represents all pupils and records the work and activities in their year.

The year 2011-12 was certainly one full of creativity which was expressed in so many different ways. Through drama and music, with the outstanding productions of Cabaret and our first opera, Dido and Aeneas; through debating and public speaking which has grown so positively; through art and ceramics, with the wonderful Summer Art Exhibition; and through movement, with our first Dance and Choreography Competition. Creativity was at the heart of the entrepreneurial activities of Young Enterprise and in all the girls’ stalls at the Christmas Fair; it was evident in the photographic response of Year 9 to their visit to the World War 1 bat- tlefields and in the imaginative Olympic competitions initiated by the PE Depart- ment which were such an excellent addition to the sporting year. It has been a superb year of growth and development both for individuals and for the school and I am sure you will enjoy a sample of the life and spirit of the school in the pages which follow.

2 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Prefects

Being a Prefect at St Helen and St Katharine

Being elected as a prefect adds a new dimension to your final year at St Helen’s: as well as studying for your A levels you are given a new role of responsibility and you are taking part in the running of the school. It is really lovely to work with the nineteen other girls in our year to carry out tasks to help with events, and there is a great sense of achievement when we realise what a strong team we have become. Having worked our way up the school, with our own memories of what each year entails, we are now able to give back to the school using first-hand experience. Whether it is supervising a cover period, or helping girls on their induction days, we have been in their shoes and are now enjoying the St Helen’s experience from the other side, at the other end of the school. And we all agree that the Saturday mornings we spend in school are worth it for the notorious boaters that will have a place in our rooms when we have left, to remind us of the fantastic last year we shared with our fellow prefects.

Venice Shrier

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 3 Chapel

Where do you go in the middle of a busy school to find some space? To find some time to simply be still, to gather your thoughts, to gain a sense of perspective in the midst of an often frenetic world? Here at SHSK we are very fortunate to have such a space in the chapel. At any time, girls and staff are able to seek out the peace and sanctuary it offers. The stained glass cross at the front, encircled by the wheel, is not only a reminder of how our patron saint Katharine was martyred for her faith, but a focus for quiet reflection on the things that are important in our own lives. The prayer board and the votive candles both provide opportunities to offer prayers to God for people or other issues that we may be concerned about. Not only is the chapel at the heart of the worshipping life of the community – with both choral and contemporary worship styles now accommodated – it’s also used for occasional weddings and bap- tisms for those who have a connection with the school. Again, the aspect visitors always comment on is the sense of peace within its walls – no doubt as a result of the many prayers that have been offered down the years. And what do girls who’ve left the school often miss most...incredibly, it’s the chapel services! Out in the working world, rarely is there the opportunity to begin a day in collective worship, cultivating a right relationship with God and receiving His strength, comfort and encouragement for all that day might bring! Reverend Taft

4 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Our school charity of the year is Jubilee Pageant Plan UK’s ‘Because I am a Girl’. The money that we raise can help girls in third world countries to stay in education and fulfil their potential. Girls hold the power to help break the cycle of poverty. With education, skills and the right support, girls can make choices over their own future One hundred girls from and be a huge part of creating last- St Helen’s supported ing change. Plan UK as part of their ‘Because I am a Girl’ campaign on Waterloo Bridge during the Thames Diamond Jubilee Pageant.

Year 10 Charity Dinner

Fun Chemistry! Girls in year 10 performed exciting chemical experiments Year 5 Charity Fete 7D’s Tie at lunchtime Amnesty

Every girl in the school has been set the Staff sponsored cycle challenge to raise £52 each. Girls have fundraised in a variety of ways, such as; cake sales, sponsored swimming and mountain climbing, dinner parties and many others......

Individual Fundraising Balloon Debate

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 5 Streams of girls chattering There was a young lady called Kate, and laughing She was famous because she was great. Traipsing through corridors at the start of the day For her was built this school, On her day we start to drool, Knees clean and unbruised before the 2p race At the thought of kit kats for break! Lauren Reed 5S All girls excited at the lesson- free day.

Tempting Kit Kat treats await us and

Empty classrooms stand silent.

Swinging buckets full of coins

Drift towards the netball courts

At competition time.

Yelling, shrieking ‘Helkats go!’ Isabel Anderson 7J

6 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 My St Kate’s Day Since the age of eleven I have always looked forward to the third Thursday in November, as most St Helen’s girls do. No one quite understands St Kate’s Day like we do because as an outsider it seems quite ridiculous. Name another day of the year that includes a whole school Eucharist, Kit Kats at break, a 2p race, a cross-dressing lacrosse match and a Sixth Form play taking the mickey out of our eccentric school. Every St Kate’s Day is memorable but the one that occurred on 24th November 2011 will always be my favourite. I was so fortunate as to be able to play in the Lax Match against Abingdon School and having not played as our original team for two years it was a pleasure to play with all the girls again. We had such wonderful support (who could forget the whole of the senior squad doing the ‘Hakka’ before the match?) and so we were delighted to make the school proud when we finally scraped our win! We then went straight from the match into performing Sno’ Green and as it was a year effort it made the whole thing so much more meaningful. Our peers had written it, we had performed it, and it had all of our personal jokes and stories written into it. I have to admit that I did well up/cry in Never Had a Dream Come True because it was a reflection of a fabulous day, and my fabulous seven years at St Helen’s. Alice Matthews US2E

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 7 Library

Head Girl’s Book Review

We had the pleasure of interviewing the head girl, Alexandra Wilkinson, on the books that she has read and most enjoyed during her time at St Helen and St Katherine’s School. By accessing her library lending history (with permission from both Alex and the librarian), we were able to uncover the books she has taken out from our school library over the last 7 years, allowing her to reminisce on her passion for reading and explore the books that sparked her interest in literature, from Year 7 to Sixth form!

Coram Boy - Jamila Gavin

Without a doubt, this is one of my favourite books and I would advise anyone who hasn’t read it to do so! The story is so incredibly moving, but also particularly interesting because of its history. It is based on the Coram Hospital which was opened in 1741 for ‘The Educa- tion of Exposed and Deserted Children’. Therefore for me, reading this in Year 8 really made me sympathise with the children featured in the novel who would have been my age, and the brutal manner in which they were treated. It is probably fair to say that having read it numerous times, seen it on stage and visited the museum of the‘Coram Hospital, I am pretty obsessed with this book!

Going Solo - Roald Dahl

I’m sure everyone as a child has read at least one of Roald Dahl’s books. I absolutely loved them when I was younger and so decided that by the time I got to Year 8, I was old enough to delve into the life of Roald Dahl himself. I found it really interesting to read about his experiences in the war, because by Year 8 I had started to learn about the wars in history. I was quite shocked by the contrast of his traumatic memoirs of the war, with the comic, lively children’s books he wrote. I think reading this book was a real eye opener for me as it was completely different to any Roald Dahl books I had read before, and therefore gave me a new perspective on his works.

Persuasion - Jane Austen

I read this in the summer of Year 8 going into Year 9. Looking back, I am quite surprised I managed to get through it at that age - I think I must have been feeling adventurous with my reading! As any other Austen novel, I absolutely loved it for its romantic, and at times heartbreaking, storyline. This book was probably the turning point for me for starting to read classic novels. Having read Persuasion I then endeavoured to read Jane Eyre in Year 9, which is another of my favourite books.

A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess

Spurred on by an interest in dystopian fiction due to AS coursework, I decided I had to read this book. Despite it being an extremely disturbing novel, I have to admit to really enjoying it. Although the language is completely foreign, and ultimately quite confusing, somehow I found it an easy and compelling read. It was especially useful for me to read at the time as it gave me an idea of the world of dystopian fiction which helped me with my AS coursework.

8 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Library Carnegie Shadowing Carnegie Shadowing has been an extremely interesting experience for all of us. We read eight different books, reviewing them as we went along, and thoroughly enjoyed it. During this, we went on a Carnegie tea at Larkmead where we discovered what the books we were going to read were.Then we went to the Carnegie Quiz which was great fun at Abingdon School and we were put into groups with people from other schools and answered the quiz questions. Lastly, (and by no means least) we went to the Carnegie forum in the Guild hall where we saw author Rachel Wing, who talked to us and acted out various parts of the different books. The overall experience was very fun and even though the books were a little sad they are definitely worth reading, (especially Between shades of Grey) and I highly recommend Carnegie Shadowing to all Year 7 girls.

Sophie Thickett 7H

World Book Day Vegetable Character Competition

Following the interest that was sparked by last year’s entries the library again ran a ‘turn a fruit or vegetable into a book character’ competition to mark World Book Day. Entries covered a variety of books, from the Mr Men to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. However, as always the Harry Potter series of books still proved to be the most popular source of inspiration!

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 9 This year the music department has been thriving. As well as regular tea concerts, singers’ concerts and piano concerts the musical calender has been scattered with trips and workshops for the girls to take part in. The Michaelmas term brought spectacular productions such as Cabaret, joint with Abingdon school and the opera Dido and Aeneas by Purcell, in collaboration with St Peter’s College, Oxford and also the Joint Choral Society performing Verdi’s Requiem. Christmas came soon after with carol concerts and chapel services upon us, including Nine Lessons and Carols, Christingle and, as always, Ande Ande Ande. Many girls participated in the Oxford Music Festival and Abingdon Music Festival, several of whom won classes, gained distinctions and awards. In addition to external music festivals, the Junior and Senior Music Festivals took place in the Lent and Trinity terms with external adjudicators. In the Senior Music Festival, Venice Shrier (L6) won the Open Class and Katie Blackwell (U6) won the Recital Class. A number of the chamber groups took part in the National Pro Corda Chamber Competition, with the Bartholomew Trio (Rosie Bartholomew, Olivia Law and Lydia Davies) reaching the final and performing in the prize winners’ concert in Cardiff. For the first time ever our string orchestra Camerata joined up with Abingdon’s string orchestra to perform the world premiere of Frederick Naftel’s Song of Songs. They performed twice at both Abingdon and St Helen’s concerts (one of which Naftel himself came to watch) with huge success. As is traditional, we had our summer Jazz afternoon featuring Big Band, jazz singers and Sax- ophone groups. Despite the weather and Andy Murray’s defeat, spirits were high as we enjoyed strawberries and cream. The year ended with the Summer Concert, featuring our senior musicians and ensembles and Lydia Ng’s fantastic solo of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto, accompanied by First Orchestra.

By Maddy Clarke (L6) and Anya Chomacki (L6)

MUSIC

10 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Music Trips

We have had two trips this year in music, the first being a concert in the Royal Festival Hall in Pro Corda Prize Winners Concert, Cardiff London in February. This concert was performed The Bartholomew Trio (Rosie Bartholomew, Olivia by the London Philharmonic Orchestra to Music Law and Lydia Davies) reached the national final GCSE students, with the idea that students of the Pro Corda chamber music competition with could listen to and learn more about some of their rendition of Tryvge Madsen’s Trio for trum- the set works which they had been studying. I pet, trombone and piano. Their performance in the really enjoyed the trip and we were able to listen final was extremely moving and, whilst it did not to four of our set works, including Something’s earn them a place in the winners’ concert in Lon- Comin’ from West Side Story and And the Glory don, they were invited to perform in a runners-up of the Lord from Handel’s Messiah, as well as concert at the Millenium Centre in Cardiff. The being able to hear some other new pieces of girls travelled to a very windy and wet Cardiff on music. Everyone had a thoroughly good time and Thursday and joined four other finalists groups on overall it was a great experience to hear such an the lunchtime performance stage. The standard of esteemed orchestra play in a highly acclaimed performance from the young musicians, who had setting. travelled from London, Suffolk and Coventry, was quite breathtaking and Rosie, Olivia and Lydia certainly justified their place in the line up. Our second trip was to the Sheldonian Theatre in June to hear two fantastic pieces; Piano Many congratulations on yet another stunning Concerto in A Minor, Op. 16 by Grieg, followed performance. by Orff’s Carmina Burana. The Grieg was played by Benjamin Grosvenor, who played it with such flair and poise; by the end everyone was sat in awe of his playing. It was a spectacular piece of music to hear as it has both blindingly fast passages and soft moving chords. In contrast, Carmina Burana is a choral work Singers’ Concert for a SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, bass) choir Twenty girls from years 7-US2 performed in this and orchestra. It is in the form of 254 poems term’s Singers’ Concert. As well as a wide range of and dramatic texts, of which most are songs ages represented, there were pieces from musicals, about morals and mockery, love, or drinking and folk songs, French song and much more besides! It gaming. From the very beginning, the music was lovely to hear some of the younger members of is hair raising as you hear hundreds of people the singing department perform for the first time, singing dramatically in unison, and continues and we were also able to hear from some of the through many different musical ideas, creating leaving US2 girls, who took the opportunity to sing an overwhelming effect. I think I speak for solo for the last time before leaving at the end of everyone who went on the trip when I say it was the term! Thank you to all who took part for such a the most amazing piece of music to be given the lovely concert. opportunity to listen to!

Heather Conder 10L

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 11 12 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Dido and Aeneas Although I am writing almost a year on from Dido and Aeneas, stretching my mind back to the rehearsals and performances is certainly not a hard task; being a member of such a close- knit cast is an experience that is hard to forget. For me, Dido was an entirely new experience: a drama novice, with only one role in a Year Six play under my belt, I was yet to understand the attraction of a school production. But, Dido and Aeneas caught my eye: a chance to act and sing. In addition the production was put together in no more than six weeks, resulting in intensive but stimulating rehearsals. Some consisted of vocal training with Miss Grant, who taught us skills that most of us still use today in singing lessons and concerts, while Mr Hogben helped us to embrace our characters by learning their every moves and understanding their mannerisms and quirks. In my case, this was a cackling witch from the biomes of the Deep South (such was our take on the seventeenth century Purcell opera). It was tricky at first, but as the rehearsals progressed and costumes and lighting were introduced, the cast became so familiar with their characters that the roles felt strangely natural. Of course, the culmination of this hard work was the performance itself. Moments of frantic to-ing and fro- ing back stage were tempered by the soothing sound of Dido’s lamentations as the first act began. Transitions from Dido’s house to boggy swamps were effectively contrasted with lighting changes, such as a projection of glowing leaves on the stage floor crawling over the blackness, like the witches accompanying the sorceress. The most memorable moment for me was undoubtedly the final scene with Belinda cradling the deceased Dido, illuminated only by small candles held by the chorus which were extinguished one by one, until finally the sorceress was left to blow out hers, plunging the theatre into darkness; a lasting image that I believe suc- cessfully captures the excitement and thrill of Dido and Aeneas. Jessica Ward Zinski 11J

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 13 English

Our Towers Of Smoke Fragments

The steam rises from the coffee cups No I’s before E’s, except after C’s. My life is measured in. Entwine their walls and reach far up Capital Letters and. Full. Stops. Into the air we breathe - Grey, like lace, but shimmering, opaque. (Where appropriate, brackets indicate a subordinate clause, Impossible towers in the air, commas break up that clause, a subordinate - like you). Flimsy and delicate-fairy made. Somehow immutable in this simple beauty. Red pen until you learn: colons; semi-colons.

The image shifts Until, flicking through large anthologies, which shower dust And I see princesses, trapped on your knees as you read, and read and read. Poetry - the At the tops of their towers food of the grammar soldiers, 14 lines a sonnet - Petrarchan Since childhood. or Shakespearean? Scenery unchanging and stories Grown stale with perusals. A B A B, A B B A, A B A B C C. They fall into a sleep To escape in dreams from their dreary days. Until...

You blow, wolf-like, and - Falling through pages you read. They fall into nothing. The illusion shatters, the towers fall, We live like this. e.e cummings I blink. You cough. I turn and smile- And not that you needed an example a model an accepted ‘What were you doing?’ format but to see the soup of letters on which to sup and ‘Just thinking’ remember learning sounds before there were rules

Emily Stevenson US1Z I’s before E’s, except after C’s.

No, I’ll put my sea’s where I damn well please.

Lizzie Humberstone US2D

14 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Mrs David Cameron

He told me I fear today’s society is failing I said to Him Just think big dear and for God’s sake stop complaining

Catriona Suttie

Mrs Newton

I was taking a sip from my coffee cup, When an apple fell, right on his head. I laughed for a while, and then I said, Strange how nothing ever falls up.

Lauren McLoughlin

Year 10 Poems inspired by Carol Ann Duffy

Mrs Fawkes Mrs Dickens

This is it, I’m going to be a writer he said, I think to myself. You’ve got Great Expectations I replied, As my husband comes giggling to me. You couldn’t even write A Christmas Carol, A barrel of powder, I’ve started one called Oliver he told me, A match and some stealth And so I read it, and said to him, He’s going to make a fool of himself But where’s the twist?

Sabrina Longley Josie Connolly

Mrs Fleming to Mr Fleming Mrs Noah

I said I may not know much biology, I pour myself a glass of gin Or indeed bacteriology, And tell him- But if that horrid mould, I told you I should have brought the washing in. Could stop all colds, Isn’t that immunology? Honor Grant

Fiona Alder Mrs Lucifer

When He fell I fell too To hell for things I didn’t do As He welcomes faces new I wish the flames would consume him too.

Amy Buckle

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 15 Year 10 Short Essay

Velodrome

1948. In the far flung reaches of London, hemmed in by rows of quiet terraced houses and overshad- owed by factory chimneys, lies the sleeping beast that is the Olympic velodrome.

Up a ladder, body sprawled against the steep walls of the velodrome lies a man humming an idle tune. Rays of light burst through the dull morning cloud and stretch themselves out along the sweeping golden curve. He climbs down the ladder, stands for a moment to admire his work, and satisfied, walks away, ladder underarm. Now silence prevails.

The puddle on the ground is so still it shows clearly the white flannelled figure of the umpire. He stands at the top of the steps leading out of the underground network of tunnels. The tunnels are made of leaky corrugated metal with curved walls. The puddle begins to quiver. Tiny rings of vibra- tion spread out, destroying the pale silhouette. From the opening of the tunnel a slow rhythm starts up. From the other end where the beat is muffled, figures start to appear. The beat gets louder, faster and stronger. The figures take form. The cyclists emerge. Dressed in cotton t shirts and flannel shorts they walk towards the tunnel exit, getting closer to the rhythmic chanting. Then they reach the steps and start to climb, and their hearts are beating with excitement. They reach the summit, and the rhythm shatters into the roar of the crowd. They take their places on the wooden slatted track and the crowd falls silent. With their heavy steel bikes underneath them they wait for the gun. BANG! Then they are off speeding along the flat section of the wood. They quickly pick up speed, the muscles in their legs bulge and their jaws clench. Pure human strength is what makes them go so fast. They feel the thrill of the speed, and then the boards start to slant until they are almost vertical, the cyclists only staying upright due to the extremity of their speed. They whip round the curve like bullets, to the roar of the crowd.

2012. The lights illuminate the tunnel with a clinical fluorescent light. The sound of camera crews can be heard not far away. The room that contains the bikes is vast and spacious. They line the room like an army of robots, the lights bouncing off their smooth weightless carbon fibre frames. The smell in the tunnels is that of plastic straight from a factory, and the squeaking of shoes against the spotless floor echoes around.

The cyclists themselves are preparing for the race. They down their energy drinks and zip up their weightless skin tight lycra. They fasten on the cycling shoes, the product of years of expert technology, followed by overshoes. They stretch, take deep breaths, one last glug of power juice and they plunge through the doors and out into the corridor which is full of the camera crew, they stride on down the tunnel until they reach the steps. Then they climb, and when they reach the top the crowd screams and cheers. The sleek muscular figures stand for a moment to survey the elegant, golden slumber that lies before them in a sweeping loop of perfectly smooth plastic. The smell of excitement fills the air. The buzz of the crowd whirls about, and the place echoes with the footsteps of champions past.

The team of cyclists take their places on the straight, the crowd drop silent, and the clicks of shoes into pedals are all that can be heard. Then suddenly they shoot off at terrific speed; their weightless machines almost allow them to fly around the track. They zip past so fast that the crowd hardly has a chance to see them as they shoot round in their entirely streamlined gear. But the crowd still roars with amazement, for they are the champions present.

Lizzie Wheeler 10C

16 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Writing in response to Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey

The sky was so blue it could have been coloured in by a child with a crayon. Such a calm, tranquil blue; so clear that if you looked hard enough you could lose yourself in it. But the glare of the sun was harsh as it hacked at the land around them. They stood determined, their feet planted solidly in the ground like stout trees; they remained strong and resolute, ignorant of the heat. The women wore tights and full skirts, with uniform hats, jackets and umbrellas. The men wore waistcoats and every shirt was buttoned to the throat.

Lucinda had always hated funerals. She hated the practised yet passionless delivery of the vicar. She hated the mourners as well. Those who came not because they wanted to pay their respects, but because they felt they ought to. Mourners like Miriam Chadwick. It was Miriam who had broken the news to Lucinda on her arrival at Bellingen. Void of any emotion she had cruelly explained the grim nature of Oscar’s death. Lucinda could not imagine the terror he must have felt. Oscar had spent his whole life feeling trapped and it seemed merciless to condemn him to death by the same hand. And now she could not bear to look at the coffin. It was strange how it held the person she loved so dearly and yet brought only images of horror to her mind. To think that Oscar would now remain trapped for all eternity as too much for her to bear.

The morners began to drift back to Bellingen. “Come back to the house with us Lucinda, we all need cheering up,” Miriam said unconvincingly. Lucinda hesitated. “Thank you, but I need some time on my own.” “Suit yourself,” Miriam huffed as she turned to join the others.

At the entrance to the cemetery Lucinda turned blindly and began to stumble away from the others. She soon found herself heading towards the river. The late afternoon sun, still hot but less relentless now, burned her neck as she staggered and nearly fell on the rough ground. A multitude of midges swarmed around her head. She swatted uselessly at them but the insects would not leave her alone. Lucinda kept on going, not knowing where or why. The vegetation either side of her got thicker as she contined and she had to force the branches from her path. She felt blank, empty. All she knew was she had to keep walking.

Then, emerging from the vegetation, she saw it. The steeple soared above the canopy as if it was reaching for the heavens, the golden cross glinting in the fading light. On paper it had looked like a thing of beauty but standing in front of it the church seemed like a shell, the bare bones of a skeleton. The structure balanced pre- cariously on the river bank like an old man, hunched over, vacant and lifeless, waiting for the end to come. A blue-bellied dragonfly flew against the glass in panic, unaware of the broken pane a few inches from him. The foor swung open beckoning her to enter. But Lucinda could not. All through the past few days it had seemed there was something gathering in her silence. A slow surge of realisation mounting that had not broken or ex- ploded dramatically but burdened her in the small hours of the night. As the sun set the tears came and it was from this moment that she began to date her time of mourning.

Beth Adams 10D

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 17 Traveller’s Tales

I have tales to tell, so Let me go to the duchess Amid her splendours And I will say,

Lady, two tall ships Sail from a distant land. Laden with gold Perfumes and spices Bringing strange stories Of dark skinned natives.

But if she won’t have me Lady, two bright birds I have tales to tell, so Spread their eyeing feathers, Let me go to the heiress Making a headdress Of the fortress so mighty Rainbowed and mirrored. And I will say, Delicate crafts work Of emerald rivers. Lady, two wild cats Slink among shadows But if she won’t have me Darting eyes bright I have tales to tell, so Ridden with secrets. Let me go to the laundry maid Their coats yellow citrons With her rough reddened hands Studded with jet. And I will say,

But if she won’t have me Lady, two great stars I have tales to tell, so Eclipsed last night. Let me go to the handmaiden A dance of the giants Serving her mistress Perfectly planned. And I will say, Flaming orbs bright Moving forever in space.

But if she won’t have me I have tales to tell, so Let me go to the matchstick girl Crying her wares And I will say,

Lady, two red roses Bloomed by moonlight, In an ancient garden Behind high walls. The scent of those blossoms Is a foretaste of heaven.

But if she won’t have me I have tales to tell, so Let me go to the beggar waif Huddled in a doorway And I will say,

Lady...

Joanna Savage 10C

18 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Frog

I remember it as vividly as if it were yesterday. The nice helper had let us out early and we poured on to the adventure playground. Being 8 years old, it was a wonder to me, and it never got old. We would gambol about, tramping across the bridge, swinging across the monkey bars and flying off the swing. It had just been rebuilt and we hadn’t been on it in ages, or what seemed like ages anyway.

Another thing we all loved was pretending. Dragons and princesses in castles, fairies flitting around, being a famous rock star...At that age, anything seemed possible. Nothing could get us, at least until the mean teachers shouted at us and imprisoned us in our stuffy classrooms.

That day, we were happily playing a game of Cross the Bridge in July sun. Shouts and laughs lifted our spirits and it was the perfect weather for playing. Nothing could stop us, not even the teachers. We never listened to them anyway. We were invincible.

Then there came a loud squeal. Then a volley of them. We all piled off the bridge and ran to the source of the noise, kicking up red dust and bark.

A large circle had gathered in the middle of the playground. Thinking someone was hurt, I shouted “I wanna see!”and pushed and wriggled my way to the front. There, splayed on its back, with blood in a puddle around its body like some grotesque flower, was a frog.

“Awesome!” exclaimed one of the boys, clapping his hands in delight.

“No it’s not,” I said, bending down and reaching out hesistantly to touch it. “It’s sad.”

The frog’s eyes blinked uncomprehendingly at me, and looked at my hand.

“I think a cat got it,” I said sadly.

“It’s gross! Someone squish it!” squealed one of the girls. Joe lifted his boot up.

“No, don’t!” Shelby covered the frog with one arm, protecting it.

“So what do you want to do with it?” sneered Joe. “We can’t just leave it in the middle of the playground.”

In reply, I cupped my hands, shuddered and gently scooped up the dying frog, my hands slick with sweat and blood. In silence, I trudged across the playground, Shelby close behind, through the gate and crouched next to the pond.

Nobody had moved. They were watching us over the fence. We scooped up some water, put it in a washing up basin and placed the frog gently in it. Then we put the basin in the shallows of the pond and walked inside, not saying one word, the magic of the adventure playground broken.

Alice Clarke 9GR

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 19 JuN ior Y EaR S

Nativity!

20 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 ‘We really enjoyed making masks.’

Year 6 Victorian Workshop - 1 December

Mrs Whitten returned to St Helen’s to run a Victorian workshop for Year 6. Assuming the role of Granny Thomson, she described the life of a Victorian family. Pupils were given the opportunity to dress in Victorian style clothing and ask questions about the role of Victorian children before learning about Victorian artefacts and inventions. They all had a thoroughly enjoyable afternoon.

Year 5 visit the Oxford Mail - 18 November

On 18 November, Year 5 were greeted by Mr Jeremy Smith, a journalist and features editor of the Oxford Mail. He very kindly showed them around the offices.The tour included seeing the print and distribution area. It was all very interesting and exciting to see articles being put together for the following day’s edition. Everyone was very kind and told them a little about their work on the paper, from the reporters, to the designers and printers. Year 5 were even allowed access into the editor’s office, but he was not there. At the end Mr Smith answered questions in a conference room and the girls were presented with Oxford Mail goodie bags.

Sailed for Gold - 19 June

Years 5 and 6 set off for the Manor to listen to a talk given by Sarah Ayton, double Olympic gold medallist for sailing in the Yngling class. She talked about Olympic sailing, the Beijing Olympics, and the other members of her three-person team, Sarah Webb and Pippa Wilson. Sarah Ayton won her gold medals at Beijing in 2008 and Athens in 2004. After an interesting talk, Sarah gave us the chance to ask questions and closely admire her Beijing 2008 gold medal. The visit had been a great success and we were all very happy as we walked back to school in the sunshine.

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 21 Y E A

I’mR sure that for everyone who has ever been in Year 6, they will remember it as a time for friendships, laughs and so much fun. A remembrance for: St. Kate’s day, the Nativity, making6 German gingerbread houses, the Victorian workshop, Mrs Sanchez coming back, London and of course, the Junior Depart- ments Summer Production of Olivia! -Katy Haynes

“We all enjoyed performing Olivia to our friends and family.”

GINGERBREAD HOUSES Year 6 have been studying German this year as their MFL and have had great fun assembling and decorating gingerbread houses for a competition in the run-up to Christmas. The Häuschenmeisterschaft winners are to be announced on Friday 9th December, judged by Miss Hillier as Head of Modern Languages, and they will receive a certificate and a medal. The houses are to be eaten/demolished at the very end of term, when the girls will be reminded once more - nicht vergessen, Zähne putzen! - don’t forget to clean your teeth! READING MUSEUM – 6th December Year 6 visited Reading Museum to learn more about Victorian education. Dressed in Victorian costume, the girls took part in short lessons in reading, writing and arithmetic set in a reconstructed late nineteenth century schoolroom. Despite experiencing Victorian discipline techniques, the girls had a wonderful afternoon but were pleased to return to St Helen’s and the comfort of their modern classroom.

22 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 LONDON RESIDENTIAL ‘London was an amazing trip. Year 5 and 6 went on the London Eye, saw ‘Shrek - the musical’, visited the Science Museum, went to the Globe Theatre to do a drama workshop, climbed St Pauls Cathedral and went to Downing Street to take a few pictures of number ten. The trip involved lots of laughing – mostly in the dormitory at night!! There was much deliberation over how to make a bed by many of the girls – much to the surprise of Mrs Hall and Mrs Sanchez! The entire year six class had a brilliant time and were very sad to leave the exciting city three days later. Overall, the trip was a huge success and the Junior Department thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience and were very sad to leave. ‘ -Katy Haynes

We loved visiting the sights of London with our friends! - Esther Morgan

‘OLIVIA’ A YEAR 5&6 PRODUCTION - 14/15th June Years 5 and 6 performed the show ‘Olivia’ under the bright lights of Studio Theatre to an audience of family and friends as their end of term treat. Over the past weeks and months the girls have worked extremely hard to learn lines and songs and should be very proud of their magnificent performance. Both evenings were a huge success and were enjoyed by all. ‘Set in the Victorian era, the musical was based on an orphan named ‘Olivia’ who had been cruelly treated. However, things soon change for this down trodden child as she becomes a star of the stage. Olivia’s story takes her from being in a horrible orphanage owned by the cold-hearted Mrs Murdstone, from where she runs away to London, meets a pair of dodgy criminals, whilst a group of flower sellers are trying to find out the mysterious story of Annie, who has amnesia. This funny play was a great way to round off the school year! We had so much fun putting it on and we really hope our hard work paid off.’ -Nia Perks

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 23 ‘All our work was really exciting, we liked Year 5 writing our stories!’ Libby Harris ‘We were offered lots of enjoyable clubs.’

Our London Residential Trip

‘On 16 June we went to London, we stayed in a lovely hotel. We went to the ‘Hands On’ department in the Science Trip, Tower of London, the London Eye and we went to see Shrek the Musical. We went into Downing Street and took pictures of Number 10. It was really fun and we didn’t want the trip to end.’

24 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 DUKE OF EDINBURGH Bronze

Volunteering

For the volunteering section of our Bronze Duke of Edinburgh, we decided to visit the elderly residents of nursing homes around the Newbury area. We wanted to give them something to break up the usual routine of their day and bring a little excitement into their lives, so we organised six two-hour concerts in which we performed our music.

We devised and practised a suitable concert programme, one that included well-known songs from musicals, the two World Wars and folk songs, performed on a variety of instruments ranging from violin to voice.

Not only did we witness smiles Skill forming on the faces of the residents, we also managed to For my Bronze Duke of Edinburgh’s Award skill, I chose to do photog- get them singing along with raphy. I would go into the garden and my neighbour’s fields, trying us. After each concert had been to find the elusive wildlife. I have seen foxes, roe deer, muntjac, little performed, we sat down and had owls, tawny owls, a barn owl, herons and so much more. These expe- a cup of tea with the residents. It riences were amazing, and I would prepare myself to be able to have was fascinating to talk to them a better chance of taking the perfect picture. By walking silently or about their memories, their lives standing absolutely still, it was rare that I didn’t see anything at all. and, as the carers later told us, it meant a great deal to each I tried most of all to get in focus quickly, but also to capture the ani- resident as a lot of them had no mals’ personalities. I learnt more about different camera lenses and visitors. settings through trial and error, and I now know what settings I need to use in different situations. Although it was challenging I really enjoyed doing my skill because I learnt about wildlife and and emotional, especially to see their habits by studying them so intently, and I got some good photos residents with critical conditions at the end. I definitely think I will carry on doing my skill after I’ve such as dementia, it was also a finished my award. very enjoyable, eye-opening and emotional journey. The lessons Issy Buxton 9E that we learnt and the rewards of the smiling faces of so many Physical residents were invaluable. The memories will be treasured in For the physical aspect of our award, we decided to do something that our hearts forever. we had done before but that was quite unusual for girls of our age.

Calypso Phillips and Hannah We played cricket for West Ilsley Cricket Club and participated in Dray 9H weekly training sessions, matches and socials. It was good fun, fantastic exercise and a great social activity! We made many friends and will be going back to play next season.

Calypso Phillips and Hannah Dray 9H DUKE OF EDINBURGH Silver

Skill

For my Silver D of E skill section I chose cooking. I felt that not only would it develop and broaden my knowledge of cooking and its techniques, but also it would teach me skills in the kitchen that I can take forward into later life. I learnt many techniques including knife skills, safety in the kitchen and the importance of preparation. I chose specific recipes and have learnt many that I intend to use in the future. Some dishes I have prepared included a roast dinner and three course meal. Overall this was extremely rewarding. I feel I have not only learnt new techniques but I have gained vital skills that I can take forward into the future.

Emily Hebbes 10D

Volunteering

For the volunteering section of my D of E award, I decided to get involved in a local charity called Sailability. They are based at Farmoor Reservoir and, using specially designed boats, enable people of all ages who are severely disabled or have other illnesses to learn to sail.

During my time at the sailing club I met a lot of truly brave and inspirational people of all ages and it was fascinating to hear their stories. One moment that I will always remember was on my second week when I took a girl called Imogen sailing. She is the same age as me and has Down’s syndrome. The smile on her face and the happy squeals she made for that half an hour made me realise how important organisa- tions like Sailability are.

I am so glad that I took part in D of E because otherwise I might not have had this incredible experience. Volunteering made me realise that in the future, I want to go into medicine where I can help people like Imogen.

Phoebe Langdale 10M

Physical

About six months ago I started rugby at a nearby club and am really enjoying it, so I chose to do this for the Physical section of my Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. We train once or twice a week with matches on Sundays, I have already participated in one very exciting, albeit a little easy, sevens tournament in which we did not concede a point and I even had the opportunity to score my first couple of tries! This season we are playing U18 15-a-side in the Dorset League and have matches scheduled nearly every week, the first being this weekend. On Sunday, along with many other girls from my club, we went along to county trials, and were all successful in gaining positions in the Oxfordshire U18 team. We will be playing alongside, and against, some of the girls from the England U20 team!

Olivia Hurrell 10M

26 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 DUKE OF EDINBURGH Gold

My Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has given me the opportunity to set myself new challenges, meet people, and learn new skills. The most demanding part of the Award was the expeditions, where we were faced with flooded tents and wet boots on the practice, to near heatstroke on the qualifying. Despite the adverse weather conditions, our team morale never failed and we have all come away from the expeditions with many good memories. We devised a route that allowed us to appreciate the stunning scenery, including waterfalls, lakes and Roman roads. A personal highlight of our time in the Brecon Beacons was reaching the summit of Pen Y Fan and the enjoyable (yet slightly dangerous) descent to our finish.

It has been really rewarding seeing how my navigational and general camp craft skills have progressed since my first Bronze practice expedition.

For the volunteering section of the award, for the past year I have helped out at a local respite centre, where they aim to connect elderly individuals with ordinary life and encourage them to take part in a variety of social activities. From mosaic construction to sports games, singing to horse racing, the day care centre never fails to keep the clients entertained and amused. Over the year we have built close friendships with the clients and enjoyed listening to their life stories and playing board games with them. One of the most notable and rewarding tasks was cycling around Abingdon collecting gifts for the Christmas raffle; it felt like we were actively making a difference.

Alice Raban, US1Y

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 27 YEAR 12 RIVER STUDIES Twenty one US1 geography and water, they traipsed back students visited the nearby to school. Jasmine Walter was Sandford Brook. They spent the in a sour mood after dropping morning collecting data on her Curly Wurly on the ground: various river channel the restrictions of the risk characteristics with methods assessment were simply too and equipment that they had strict and health and safety previously organised laws had to be followed. In the themselves. The river bed afternoon they first organised proved more unstable than and interpreted their data and previously anticipated and then spent an hour practising there were several instances of geography skills exam girls falling into the river, questions in preparation for fortunately not hindering our their AS exam in the summer. results but providing hilarious Overall the girls had a great entertainment. Milly Nunney day and thoroughly enjoyed the also lost a welly to the strong, geography teachers’ various relentless currents. After a array of brightly coloured coats. quick chocolate treat from Miss Snowdon and more than mud

YEAR 10 RESIDENTIAL TRIP TO NETTLECOMBE COURT, SOMERSET During May of Year 10, those studying GCSE Geography went to Nettlecombe Court in Somerset. We went down for three days to study field work methods for rivers, using practical skills in the process. By working within of our results. As well as It was such a valuable trip the vast grounds surrounded being educationally orientated, and really helped us improve by Exmoor national park, we there was the opportunity to our geographical skills, as surveyed a variety of streams visit the coastal landscapes at well as other functional skills that were part of the river Porlock Bay and Minehead, we could apply to subjects in network running through where, by appreciating their general. I can vouch for eve- Nettlecombe. beauty, we were able to learn ryone when I say that we all All our days were spent more about their structure and thoroughly enjoyed this oppor- outside, with the evenings the geographical processes by tunity geographically, and a dedicated to deciphering which these landscapes were weekend to Exmoor thrown in statistics and making sense formed. was an added bonus.

28 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 YEAR 12 VISIT TO BAR- TON ON SEA AND HURST SPIT The US1 Geographers undertook fieldwork on the Hampshire coast at Barton- on-Sea and Hurst Spit. The aims were to develop fieldwork skills and to answer the question; “Is Hurst Spit Worth Protecting?” As usual, we were wet! The US1s were up for quite some time on their were blessed with excellent to their eyes in data analysis, return. We learnt a lot from weather, considering both the methodologies and write-ups our trip. Tuesday and the Thursday

Y9 VISIT TO CADBURY WORLD YR 13s AT STUDLAND BAY

YEAR 8 GEOGRAPHY FIELD WORK: BOURTON-ON-THE-WATER

On a sunny day in June Year 8 through, the miniature village went to Bourton-on-the-Water as and, inevitably, the shops. part of our study of tourism. We did questionnaires with shop- We interviewed tourists about why keepers about the main type of they came here, discovering that people that their businesses re- tourists from all over the world lied on. In most cases the shops came to the Cotswolds! We inter- relied on tourism, particularly in viewed people from Japan, Aus- summer time. traffic count. tralia, New Zealand and Holland, We also did land use maps and and there were probably lots of street quality surveys. These After completing all the other other nationalities as well, because included deciding whether build- activities in the booklet we had Bourton-on-the-Water is very well ings would be for tourists or some shopping time! This in- known. locals and seeing how suitable cluded eating ice cream, feeding roads were for public use. At ducks and wandering around the People come to see the architec- exactly 12 o’clock all St Helen’s beautiful village. It was a really ture, the low stone bridges with the girls stopped where they were good trip and everyone thorough- beautiful river Windrush flowing and did both a pedestrian and a ly enjoyed it!

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 29 LOWER AND MIDDLE SCHOOL ART YEARS 7,8,9 & 10

Nicole Johnson Maddy Southall Akrivi Ventouras

Emma Hawkins 8K Zara Coombs 8K Gabriella Fitzgerald 8K Olivia Crowcombe 8K

YEAR 10 PRINTMAKING WORKSHOPS

Printmaker Janet Lueck came into school and led a collograph printmaking workshop for Year 10 students during two afternoons in November. This was part of Unit 1 coursework for GCSE Art and Design. Students made a ‘plate’ using materials such as lace, wallpaper, string and tissue paper stuck to thick card and then made blind prints (no ink!) to see how their design looked. They went on to ink up the plates and the prints all looked fantastic.

30 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 YEAR 9 CREATIVE ARTS DAY

At the start of the Lent term, Year 9 took part in an exciting and very full Creative Arts Day in school. Pupils were able to choose two activities from:

• Working with Chef Olivier Hubert in Food Technology.

• Creating large scale collaged drawings with artist Dionne Barber.

• Making an animation with Angus Dick.

• Learning how to present their designs in DT with Nic Lowson.

• Ceramic sculpture with Anna Lever.

• Creative textile construction techniques with textile artist Artur Ridley.

There was also a talk about modern art in the 20th century from Miss Cobb.

After the day we put an exibition up of the work that had been made (an amazing amount in such a short space of time!) and everyone felt they had really enjoyed the chance to try a new technique or process and understand more about the art, craft or design they do in lessons.

Lizzie Findley Beatrice Simmons Eloise Collins Louise Ball

Sophie Caffyn 10J Millie Southgate 10C Lizzie Wheeler 10C Laura Hutchison 10M

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 31 Tie Amnesty As a fund raiser for Plan UK ‘Because I am a Girl’, our class decided to collect the dis- gusting and terrible ties from the fathers of students in the school. Students were asked to encourage their fathers to relinquish the worst of their ties for the small handling fee of 50 pence a tie. There was a great response, with over 70 ties being handed in. During February, we gathered the ties (while closing our eyes!) and took them to the dry cleaners. Then we repackaged and labelled them so they became presentable. We priced each one individually. When all of this was done, four girls took the ties to Abingdon school (with Mr. Drew) and set up for a grand sale of reconditioned ties to the boys. We started our selling pitch, “Come and buy your Ties for Father’s Day: the perfect gift for any father, any age.” The boys began responding by saying , “I have no money”. We suggested an I.O.U. sheet and we were on our way. This appealed to many different people and the ties started flying off the shelves, until only a few were left. We raised £150 and would love to do it again to rid us all of the bad ties from St. Helen’s fathers’ cupboards. Eve Lawson-Statham, 7D

32 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Year 7 ‘At Home’ In October, the whole of Year 7 took part in the annual ‘At Home’ evening. This was a fantastic way for us to get to know each other, as we had only just joined the school and were in the process of making friends. We were all extremely nervous before the show, as our parents, grandparents and friends would be watching us perform, but we all supported each other and made sure that we all enjoyed the evening as much as possible. Anyone who wanted to perform on the evening was able to and, as a result, we had a variety of acts, including a pianist, Junior Choir and a dance act. My favourite act was Junior Choir, who performed ‘All for the Best’, as there were many members of our year group who were involved in it, making the performance very special. I also really enjoyed the cookery demonstration, demonstrated by Florence Davis and Georgia Seymor, as it taught me many new tips to use in my kitchen at home.

When ‘At Home’ had finished, we experienced a mixture of emotions! We were all really relieved that it had gone so well, and the ap- plause from the audience confirmed that we had put on a good show. On the other hand, we also felt really sad that it was over, as we had had such a great time entertaining our family. I hope that we can put on a similar performance soon!

Imogen Lowe, 7N

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 33 KILVE COURT

I looked down the vast slope with a mixture of awe and fear. I steeled myself. 1...2...3...GO! I was off like a rocket, speeding down the track like hellhounds were after me. In an instant, I spotted a menacingly sharp turn at the bottom of the hill, beyond that a wooden fence. I would never be able to turn in time. I prepared for the painful thud. NO! What was I thinking? As I neared the ter- rifyingly troublesome turning, I abruptly twisted the handle bar so that I swiftly glided to a halt. I breathed an ecstatic sigh of relief, the adrenaline pounding like a drum in my head. It was thrilling to know I had braved the treacherous slope... and survived.

Poppy Ringrose 7H

Click! I was strapped into my harness. It clenched tighter and tighter like a malicious, sneaky python! My first thought, ‘HEEELLLPPP!!!!’ just one step at a time. I can’t do it! ‘Can I get down now?’ I asked. ‘You’re only on the first beam, you could just step off at this point!’ the instructor teased. I looked up. The mixture of beams and wires that I had to balance across to get to the top were star- ing down at me, almost luring me up. I walked on. This isn’t so hard! What was I going on about? I climbed up the multiples of staples. Then I was feeling brave. I pranced across the beam. Only, the beam had a different idea and seemed to escape from my feet, and I fell off. I got to the top eventually, the view was stag- gering. I glided down on the rope, then landed on the ground with a bump.

Maisie Jackson 7N

‘3,2,1, CLIMB!’ the instructors called out, releasing us from the holds that for some reason kept us chained to the gravel. My leg hoisted my foot up to the first rung. It was wobbly down here; what would it be like up there? With the greatest amount of calmness I could muster, I scrambled up to the second, no third rung. I had caught up with the rest of my team by now - well, nearly. Later on, the sixth rung, my luck was running out. I looked down and saw people the size of dolls urging me on and something that was invisible but much more important - safety. A place where I couldn’t fall… ‘PEEP!’ A shrill noise filled our ears. My fellow climbers peeled off the ladder like old wallpaper before it was my turn. I stepped backwards into nothingness…

Eleanor Halls 7D

34 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 As I climbed onto the first log of the Jacob’s Ladder I swallowed the lump that was building in my throat. I scrambled up the first few logs, but then I froze. My legs turned to jelly and I felt my knees trembling. I was stuck and I could not move. My hands slipped on the log. Suddenly I saw a hand reaching out from the darkness. It was Tilly! She called to me, ‘Hold my hand’ and so I grasped it. I knew that she was also petrified of heights, so I didn’t know whether we could go on. As I heaved myself over the log I felt pride seeping into my bones. When, at last, we had our feet back on solid ground I thanked her and she replied, ‘That’s what friends are for.’ We had conquered our fears together!

Ellie Woods 7J

TeTeTeTe... My teeth were chattering as I waited for my turn on the high ropes. Click click. This was it. If I go now, there’s no coming back. I stepped on. At last. One down, two to go. I climbed up the icy cold staples, not looking down as I knew it would delay my arrival to the top. I hurried on. Now the second pole. The dreaded nerves came in. ‘I can do this, I can. I have to! One step at a time Imi’ , I said to myself. I ran across the beam. I was overpowered with joy and happiness. Then I remembered that I had to do the wire, with just five ropes above me to support me. I slowly climbed up the staples, and with a bit of encouragement from below, I was on the wire. It felt as if it was nothing but jelly, wobbling under my vulnerable feet. I had to trust the man, and the harness. I leant back into the free air, and I let the instructor bring me back to Earth. I lay down, looking up at the amazing experience I had just achieved.

Imogen Lowe 7N

One of the things I love most about Kilve Court is watching the girls challenge themselves to try new things, particularly things they find scary, and seeing the smiles of achievement afterwards. This trip was no exception, and I was also im- pressed by the team spirit and the way the girls encouraged and supported one another. Thanks to the girls’ encouragement I made it to the top of the climbing wall: ‘You told us to challenge ourselves and go one foothold higher - now you do it. You can’t come down yet!’

Mrs H Nash Head of Year

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 35 Winner

2nd Place SPRING

Winner As High As The Sky Holly Richards

2nd Place Yellow In Bloom Nicole Johnson YEAR 7 PHOTO COMPETITION

Winner

KILVE 2nd Place Winner Stones Forever Lara Ratcliffe

2nd Place Friends Remembered On The Rocks of Kilve Beach Eliza England Year 8

Drama My Year Eight Experience

I remember my first day of year eight,

And the rumours that I’d hear,

The girls who’d been and done the trips,

Said fun awaited us this year.

At first I did not believe their talk,

Of trips to Bourton and its stream,

Of skiing down snow-capped mountains,

And using nitrogen to make ice-cream.

Sport

38 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Trips

Those rumours turned out to be true,

As we embarked on an amazing year,

Making films in a one day academy,

And getting advice in our future careers.

I can truly say I’m sorry, Fishbourne Palace Bourton on the Wa- ter Geography trip That year eight ended so fast,

Thank you to all who made the last twelve months,

An experience that will last.

Yasmin Inkersole 8K

At Bristol Design Museum

Mandir Trip Film Day

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 39 Drama A Review of the Year The new school year began with a rehearsed reading of Blue on Blue, a brilliant new play written and directed by Charly Clive about friendly fire in Afghanistan. A great script, a couple of rehearsals and a collaboration between drama students past and present: this, the drama teachers agreed, was The Way To Go. Dido and Aeneas broke new ground and was both musi- cally and theatrically stunning; Cabaret was hugely powerful and successful , and was alluring and unset- tling in equal measure; The Abingdon Arts Festival included a breath-taking range of contemporary and traditional texts: Cymbeline, The Shape of Things, A Mil- lion Tiny Plays about Britain and 2 verbatim projects, Come Out, Eli (Y11) and Cruising (6th Form). Verbatim was a fascinating concept as the actors were wired up to ear pieces that delivered each line into their ears to be repeated seconds later. The outcome was an exceptional standard of characterisation as the actors recreated ac- cents, vocal inferences and rhythms they never would have dreamed possible. I loved it. Twelve Angry Jurors (Y9&10), directed by Zenia Selby and Lizzie Humberstone (both U6), was taut and thrilling and an outstanding demonstration of independent achievement; and the Juniors entertained packed houses with their charismatic production of Olivia. The A level and GCSE season saw productions of Messiah, Vernon God Little and Hayfever, 25 monologues, 7 Y11 devised pieces and 6 Y10 devised pieces. Jenna Chick (Y10) won the playwriting competition with her play China’s Chil- dren, an inventive and stylised exploration of China’s one child policy. Mrs Mason also wrote a play, Home Truths, about the impact of the First World War on the Steele family. Doubtless the major event of the year was the drama tour to Japan in July 2012, organised by Olly and Re- becca Hogben. It enabled 18 Sixth Form girls and boys to tour an original piece of theatre to a professional venue in Nagahama and to immerse themselves in Japanese puppetry and culture for a magical, life-changing 10 days. This was Mr Hogben’s swan-song. He leaves to take up an Assistant Headship at Streatham and Clapham High School having inspired a generation of students and engendered a love of theatre in every class he taught. It was hard to let him go because he was such a brilliant colleague, committed Head of Year and fantastically knowledgeable, witty and gifted teacher. His legacy lives on in a zenith blue wash, a bunch of black sticks, a collection of black costumes, and a funky chicken warm-up. 2011-2012 CABARET

42 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Last year I took part in the school’s production of Cabaret. It had been a last minute decision to audi- tion with a friend but little did I know that it would make my term one of the most enjoyable terms I’ve had at St Helens so far. Cabaret is not a typical musical and although it has its moments of comedy and romance, throughout there is an underlying sense of danger and tension that grows as the Nazi’s influence begins to infiltrate even the KitKat club. As a member of the cast one of our roles was to help create the atmosphere of the club and after each rehearsal we began to feel more and more immersed into the play and the dangerous world of Berlin in the 1930’s. But it was the talent and dedication that everyone put into the play, from the teachers to the main characters to those who helped backstage that pulled the play together to create a production that I know I nor anyone involved will ever forget. Chloe Topping

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 43 Home Truths I was lucky enough to be cast as one of the leading roles in the Lower School production Home Truths. The play was written by our drama teacher Mrs Mason and is set in World War I. It follows the lives of the Steel family, who were left at home when the men had gone to fight. Our rehearsals lasted for around six months and we met every week. Each week I learned more and more. Everything was done with a very professional approach and everyone got on so well with each other. We got to perform the play in the studio theatre with amazing lighting and sound. The finishing touch was the professional costumes: all the cast were well dressed and everyone looked so realistic. The performance turned out to be a huge success and everyone enjoyed every minute of it! Being part of Home Truths gave me a thirst to be involved in more drama throughout my time at St Helen’s. Claudia West 8W

44 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 The Arts Festival 2012

Cymbeline Cymbeline

Cruising

The Shape of Things

Come Out Eli Come Out Eli

A Million Tiny Plays Cruising

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 45 As soon as Ms Watt read out the drama production an- Twelve Angry Jurors nouncements during the first school assembly, I knew that the production of Twelve Angry Jurors was going to be extremely powerful and emotive.This marked a whole new venture for the Drama Department; not only was the play adapted very cleverly from a famous film, Twelve Angry Men, to suit an all female cast, but it was also directed superbly by an A-Level drama student, Zenia Selby.

The rehearsal process was exciting and hard work, throwing many challenges to us along the way. After months of lunchtime, weekend and extensive technical and dress rehearsals, we were finally ready. It was at these final rehearsals that the tension and emotion became apparent; we were not only enthralled by each other’s wonderful and heart–felt performances but also captivated by our own, deeply personal characters. Therefore, it was a privilege finally to perform our highly–anticipated interpretation of Reginald Rose’s moral drama in the Studio Theatre in front of our friends, family and teachers. I had a truly wonderful time throughout the whole process and will always remember participating in such an inspiring, thought– provoking production.

Chloe Taylor China’s Children

Being the director and writer of an original play about the impact of China’s one-child policy was one of the most insightful and character- building experiences of my life. The play is a tale of interlocking lives amongst the drama of the policy and how it affected all ages and social backgrounds. Soon after I heard my play was to go ahead, I selected a talented group of Year 8s and 9s to take the play to life. Rehearsals were fast paced and exciting; it was incredible to motivate and inspire a group of younger actors, and it is definitely something I would like to do in the future! The performance was an experience I will never forget, sitting in the director’s chair surrounded by friends, family and staff, knowing there was nothing I could do now but see my words come to life on stage. Overall, China’s Children was a thoroughly rewarding experience, and I would recommend anyone to grasp other opportunities to experience what I did in the future. Jenna Chick

46 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Lucy Taylor and Chris Young in ‘Cabaret’

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 47 JAPAN 2012 At four in the morning on 18 July 2012, eighteen nervous and tired drama students and five teachers got on a bus and headed to Japan. What followed was two fantastic weeks of puppetry, boiling weather, raw fish and the kindest people in the world.

I stayed with three other girls with the Fujiki family, who epitomised the kindness of the Japanese, loading us with beautiful yukata (a summer kimono) and many other presents to take home with us. The village in which we stayed was called Tonda, and housed the theatre where we worked. It was a truly stunning town, with very traditional buildings. We were in rural Japan, with rice paddies as far as one could see, yet a two hour train journey took us to the bustling city of Osaka, which we visited to watch a professional Bunraku performance and visit the amazing HEP Five department store. Another day trip took us to Kyoto, the cultural capital of Japan, where we visited the famous golden pavilion.

We were given the opportunity to learn calligraphy, traditional Japa- nese flower arranging called ike- bana, a harp like instrument called the koto, and to participate in the peaceful and moving tea ceremony. Other day trips included a boat trip across Lake Biwa to Chikubu Island, which houses Shinto and Buddhist temples, where we participated in a ritual involving writing a wish on shells and attempting to get them through a gate. We also visited the local school, taking part in workshops with the students and teaching them about British theatre, before performing our devised piece, An Island Story, to them at the Lute Plaza.

48 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Our purpose in visiting Japan was to learn Bunra- ku theatre. We spent four days learning Bunraku, which comprises three disciplines: the puppet- eers, the chanters and the shamisen players. We all worked on the three different sections for the first three days, then specialised on our final day. The puppetry was beautiful and hard, as the pup- pets were manned by three people; one person controls the head and right arm, another control- ling the left arm and the third manning the feet. It was tricky to co-ordinate the movements of the three sections in time with the chanting and the shamisen. However, by the final day, all the different groups performed the section to the praise of our teacher there, Abe-sensei.

The Japan trip was a wonderful two weeks where I learnt about drama, the kindness of the Japanese, hi-tech toilets, how to tie a kimono and how to figure out what food didn’t contain red bean, fish or green tea. The teachers were fantastic, finding lost passports, serenading each other in karaoke and organising a wonderful trip where nearly everything went perfectly.

Katy Donnelly US1S

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 49

Year 9 2011-2012

Drawing by Megan Fitzgerald Winner

AUTUMN

Winner Leaves In The Water Hannah-Jane Brown

2nd Place Ripening Medlars Issy Buxton

Best Technical Autumnal Pyrotechnics Lucy Davies Standing Out From The Crowd 2nd Place Jo Muller

Best Technical Best Technical YEAR 9 PHOTO COMPETITION

Winner

REMEMBERING THE PAST

Winner In Rememberance Flora McAlister

2nd Place Never-Ending Kirstie Gill

Best Technical Poppy After Poppy Alex Baxter Stone Never Forgets Pippa Sayers 2nd Place

Best Technical Best Technical French French Exchange

On the 27 March, a group of over-excited yet slightly nervous Year 9 girls all headed to Paris on the French exchange. We were looking forward to putting into practice all of the French we had been learning and seeing our exchanges again. The journey there flew by and we soon arrived at our exchange school called Sainte Marie de Neuilly. My exchange and I walked back to her apart- ment where I met her family. They were really kind and made me feel very welcome by speaking slowly and helping me to settle in. We spent most of the first day just getting to grips with the language and the routine of our families. The French breakfast certainly lived up to expectations, and we learnt some interesting French eating habits like drinking the leftover milk from their cereal bowl! We visited the school on the Wednesday and Friday afternoons and had the chance to be in some lessons. PE was my favourite lesson because we learnt the French version of rounders; the competitive side definitely came out in all of us and it was fun socialising with the French girls. We also went on a variety of trips (all on the Métro!) such as: Le Musée du Louvre, le Château de Versailles, L’Arc de Triomphe and the Champs Elysées. My favorite day was when we visited L’Opéra Garnier and Montmartre - they were both so beautiful. It was an amazing experience that none of us will ever forget. Most of us are still in touch with our French exchanges and some are planning to meet up again in the near future. My French has certainly improved and I am so glad I took part!

Molly Liddell 9GR

6th Form Trip to Paris

In February 2012, A level French and politics students de- parted from St Pancras on the Eurostar to embark on a trip to experience the culture and language of Paris. We were all extremely excited, and had prepared our suitably black, Paris- ian outfits! Despite the freezing weather, we had an amazing time visiting Montmartre, taking a boat along the Seine and strolling up the Champs-Elysees. Not only did we spend time enjoying the Parisian life, but we also attended conferences; one in French for the French students, and one on politics for the politics students. On the last day we all attended a large conference where we enjoyed listening to excellent speakers such as the economist and broadcaster Evan Davis, and also MPs from each of the three main political parties. It was an incredibly diverse trip where we were able not only to practice our French and experience the Parisian culture but also enjoy watching and getting involved in heated political debates.

Alex Wilkinson US1Z

54 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Spanish Study Trip to Salamanca In April 2012, nine A Level Spanish students travelled to Sala- manca to attend an intensive Spanish revision course. The revision course was held at Mester School where we covered a range of aspects of the Spanish language, including topics from the AS and A2 courses, grammar and extended vocabulary. We stayed with host families where we were immersed in the Spanish culture, enabling us to practice our spoken Span- ish, since the families did not speak English, alongside allowing us to enjoy the delights of the Spanish food and customs. Our language lessons were complemented by various activities, which included visits to the impressive cathedral and the University of Salamanca, cooking traditional tapas food and lessons in salsa and flamenco dancing. This wonderful opportunity not only gave us confidence in our speaking ability but broadened our knowledge of Spanish culture and ways of life.

Holly Crocker US1S and Libby Nicholson US1X

Spanish Exchange

In October 2011 a group of Year 11 Spanish students from St Helens and Abingdon School travelled to Colexio Manuel Peleteiro School in Santiago de Compostela in the north west of Spain. We spent ten days living with our exchanges and experiencing the Spanish culture. The family I stayed with were so welcoming and I had such a great time making new friends, tasting traditional dishes and improving my Spanish! We went on a variety of trips including visiting the oldest lighthouse in the world, INDITEX, Zara’s headquarters and a wind farm where we learnt (in Spanish!) all about the renewable energy sources. We also spent time in Santiago where we visited the thirteenth century cathedral, a world famous pilgrim site: it was an incredible building and the architecture in the city was stunning. Everyone also thoroughly enjoyed a trip to the biggest shopping mall in Europe! We spent time in lessons with our exchanges and teaching the junior school children English. This was a great experience and helped our Spanish to improve considerably!

Alice Atkins 11M

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 55 German German Exchange

Going to Bielefeld on the German exchange was a great experience and if I had the chance I would do it all over again. It was an opportunity to really immerse yourself in the language, experience a new culture and it really helped us to improve our German as we learned many useful new phrases. The family life was great: they were all really welcoming and made us feel right at home as soon as we stepped through the door. They were very willing to help us learn and we made many new friendships which we hope to keep. The trips we went on during the day allowed us to see other parts of Germany such as Cologne and Münster where we went to a chocolate factory and got to look around the cities. In our free time we were able to go shopping and explore the city some more, getting a real insight into the culture and food. When we weren’t on outings we were in school and this was a great way to see how another country’s education works, and try to understand subjects in German. I really enjoyed the outings we did as a whole group, together with the German exchanges, as we went ice skating and to Dr Oetker World which was great fun. Best of all I enjoyed the traditional football match, England vs. Germany, which was very exciting and full of team spirit as everyone was able to take part. Overall I really enjoyed the exchange, I had a fantastic time and have been able to improve so much, whilst having a great time and meeting lots of lovely people.

Emily Wyatt 11J

MFL Society Dinner 88 pupils and staff from St Helen’s and Abingdon School gathered in the Charles Maude Room at Abingdon to mark the European Day of Languages 2011. The evening began with refreshments, followed by an opening speech by the President of the girls’ side of the Soci- ety (Alice Sarsfield-Hall), and then a lecture by Mr George Van den Bergh, founder and director of www.thisislanguage.com. Mr Van den Bergh delighted his audience with a whistle-stop tour of the history of cinema with particular emphasis on the competition that exists between Hollywood and European film-makers, highlighting some of the key players and defining moments along the way. A ‘Q&A’ session followed the lecture.

We had a delicious three-course meal whilst participating in a ‘name the faces’ quiz. The atmosphere was very jolly, with both girls and boys commenting on how enjoyable they had found the evening.

56 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Italian Italian Exchange On Tuesday 18 October, two teachers and ten girls left for Novara, (a town near Milan). Initially we were very apprehensive, but our nerves soon subsided and by the end of the week we didn’t want to leave our Italian families. We visited a huge variety of places including two of the famous Italian lakes, ‘Lago Maggiore’ and ‘Lago d’Orta’, our local town and Turin. We also enjoyed a day in Milan where we saw the Duomo, the opera house ‘La Scala’ and Leonardo’s ‘The Last Sup- per’ which was breathtaking, before indulging in some shopping! One of the most insightful days on the trip was when we went to school with our exchanges. It was very different to St Helens, for example, they started school at eight o’clock and finished around lunchtime. At the weekend we spent time with our exchanges’ families. I went for a walk in stunning scenery of the Alps and saw Cervinia, the highest peak in Italy. On the last evening we went out to a pizzeria together. We all felt we had had an amazing trip and learnt so much not just about the language, but about the culture, cuisine and history of the country. The next day everyone was sad to leave their exchanges whom we had got to know so well over the week. But we were already looking forward to welcoming them to England and forg- ing even deeper friendships.

Chloe Topping 11M

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 57

Religious Studies

Philosophy at St Helen’s Philosophy begins in wonder and St Helen’s aims to stretch girls by challenging their current perceptions and answering their questions with yet more questions. The study of philosophy begins at the moment the girls enter the school, asking inexhaustible questions such as ‘Does God exist?’ and ‘Who are we?’ The subject really stresses the importance of considering multiple points of view and learning how to formulate rea- soned arguments to back up your own belief and opinion. Outside lessons there is also a thriving philosophy community, which is based around the interest and enthusiasm of the girls who understand that, ‘the unexamined life is not worth living’. There is a senior philosophy club run every week at lunchtimes where the girls learn about philosophical issues by immersing themselves in debate and activity. To name but a few examples of what we learn about at the club: political philosophy and what constitutes a just society; the study of linguistics and where language originates from; the problem of personal identity and how to identify a ‘person’. As a sixth form student I also independently set up a junior philosophy club for enquiring minds in Years 5 and 6, which I run weekly with a friend. This helps me view the subject from a completely different perspective and it is both challenging and fulfilling trying to devise activities which will both inform and interest the younger students. In addition, it’s a lot of fun! As well as extra-curricular clubs, last year the Religious Studies Depart- ment also offered a series of lectures led by Dr Wyss. These lectures encompassed epistemology (the nature and theory of knowledge) and political philosophy and were extremely engaging and informative. Many girls commented on how interactive the lectures were - Dr Wyss was particularly enthusiastic to hear our ideas and objections to specific points and arguments. The lectures really strengthened our critical assessment skills and by being probed to think more laterally about a spectrum of ideas, our minds have become more analytical. By request, Dr Wyss will be returning this year to give more lectures on a range of diverse issues.

There are also a number of philosophy essay competitions held regularly for those who enjoy a challenge and are not daunted by the prospect of writing essays - for fun. Titles of past essays have included: ‘Nothing is something. Discuss’, ‘How does one achieve happiness?‘ and in the summer term of 2012, aptly titles to fit the Olympic hype that was present in the school, ‘Sport is about competing not winning’. St Helen’s is the perfect place for exploring philosophy through religious studies - there are endless opportunities to be stretched and challenged. I simply can’t imagine doing anything else. Jasmine Walter, U6H

60 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Year 8 visit to @Bristol

Year 8 embarked on a trip to the @Bristol science Centre. The exhibits at the science centre are varied and engaging and the group of very excited girls were quickly immersed in activities which ranged from powering the water pump with the 'hamster wheel' to making a news broadcast in the 'newsroom'. Giant bubble making was again one of the most popular activities. We watched a show entitled The Boggling Brain Show which was about the brain and the nervous system. In the afternoon the girls participated in a workshop entitled 'The Earth and the Universe' where they had to prepare and deliver presentations which were all absolutely super.

Olympic Science and Technology Quiz

As part of the St Helen’s Olympic celebrations, pupils from all sections of the school gathered to compete and win points for their Olympic team in the St Helen’s Science and Engineering Week Quiz. There were five rounds of science and engineering themed questions and an Olympic picture round. Girls demonstrated excellent scientific and Olympic knowledge and the competition was close. China finished in the gold position closely followed by Greece and Germany. China was represented by Emma Gibbons and Natasha Squire Year 6 pupils, Imogen Richards and Francesca Sissons from Middle School and Axie Finch and Sophie Evangelisti in Upper School.

Mathematics Challenges For All

This year 52 girls obtained a Gold Award, 115 girls a Silver Award and 119 girls a bronze Award throughout the school. Some girls are then selected to enter the Olympiad long question rounds or the Kangaroo Multiple Choice Rounds. By virtue of being in the top 25 in the UK, Katya Richards (Year 11) was later selected to represent the UK in the European Girls’ Mathematical Olympiad which took place at Murray College, Cambridge. Hannah Kinnier-Wilson (Year 10) obtained a high score in her Olympiad paper and was invited to attend the UKMT Mathematics Summer School. In the Junior Mathematical Olympiad distinctions were gained by Fiona Bunn and Olivia Crocombe. Teams of four mathematicians also enjoyed competing in the Senior, Year 10 and Junior Regional Team Mathematics Challenge Competitions. Congratulations to our Year 10 team who won the local round against stiff competition from neighbouring schools.

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 61 Animazing

On Wednesday 21st Septem- ber each Year 7 form had a session with Steve Bridger Upper School lecture on early brain development from 'Animazing'. The girls were shown a wide variety On Tuesday 1 November 2011, a group of about of animals and heard about twenty Upper School biologists attended a lecture their adaptations and life- entitled ‘Brain development - how the body’s most styles. This fitted in well with complex organ and the world’s most complex the classification topic that computer wires itself during early development'. they are currently studying The lecture was given by Dr Jeremy Taylor from in biology. Judging by the Oxford University's Department of Physiology, excited squeals and beaming Anatomy and Genetics. He outlined his research smiles, the highlight of the into how cues affect the growth of nerve fibres in experience for the girls was the brain and discussed the phenomenon whereby when they were given the 90% of human neurones cross over to the other opportunity to handle the side of the body at the top of our spinal cords. This animals. The three crossing over is found in all other mammals that baby albino hedgehogs have been studied with the exception of hyraxes were loved by all as was (African rodents), a finding that no scientist has the (thankfully) de-scented yet been able to explain. Another inexplicable skunk. Some girls were finding was that the auditory and visual abilities of even brave enough to albino people are impaired slightly by their have a cockroach climb on condition. The audience were challenged to be- them and a python round come scientists to find explanations for findings their shoulders! such as these.

62 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 British Biology Olympiad Results 2012 Outstanding Sixth Form Biolo- gist 2011 The British Biology Olympiad is a na- Alexandra Finch of US2 is the tional competition open only to the best St Helen's winner of the Ox- Upper Sixth biologists in each school. fordshire Independent and State Congratulations go to the following girls: Schools Partnership (OISSP) Gold medal and through to the next Sixth Form Biology prize. round: Kitty Hutchison Alexandra was presented with a Bronze medals: Bonnie Gammer, Sarah book token and certificate at an Stedman, Poppy Simonson award ceremony held at Oxford Highly commended certificates: Jo Ridg- University Museum of Natural ley, Axie Finch, Lydia Uden History on 10 November. The Commended certificate: Agnes Donnelly ceremony was preceded by a This is St. Helen’s biggest medal/certifi- tour of the museum and a lec- cate haul to date and Kitty is the first St. ture given by Timothy Walker, Helen’s pupil to be awarded a gold medal the director of the University and to be invited to the next round for of Oxford’s Botanic Garden the top 100 students nationally. The girls and Arboretum. In his lecture, received their medals at the Royal Soci- he explained global initiatives ety in London on 28 June 2012. to conserve plant biodiversity, keeping the students, teachers and parents present engaged with his enthusiastic delivery Abingdon School Biology Society Guest Night and interesting case studies.

On Friday 18 November 2011, a group of about thirty Upper School girls attended the annual Abingdon School Biology Society Guest Night. The evening began with a lecture entitled ‘Bioenergy - a green future or just hot air’ by Professor Chris Howe from the department of Biochemistry at Cambridge University. A very clear and engaging speaker, he started by describing the huge increase in global energy demand that is predicted as countries such as India and China become more developed. He then talked through graphs that estimated when we are likely to have exhausted all of our reserves of fossil fuels. He suggested that energy from biological sources could be a fea- US1 visitHarcourt Arboretum sible solution to this problem and outlined three areas of current research into bioenergy.

Visit to Oxford University Anatomical Neuropharmacology Unit

On 14 March fifteen upper school biologists were lucky enough to visit the Neuropharmacology Unit at Oxford University. After a brief introduction we were split into groups and invited to visit different areas within the unit. The first department my group visited was involved in researching the basal ganglia of the brain and neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s is caused by low levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine. The researchers were looking at the interaction between dopamine and neurones in the brain. We were shown how a single neurone within the brain can be located after experimentation and prepared for inspection, which involved visiting the unit’s electron microscope. The second department we visited was researching the hippocampus, a part of the brain which plays an important role in memory. We were shown how each neurone in the brain is linked to the memory of a certain location. We watched a video in which the electrical activity of them brain of a rat was moni- tored, which showed that every time the rat visited a certain area of the box an impulse was detected in the same neurone. I really enjoyed the afternoon and it was really interesting to see what we have learnt in lessons being used in the forefront of medical research. STFC School Science Prize

Francesca Welham is the St Helen’s winner of the Science & Tech- nology Facilities Council (STFC) school science prize for 2011. The aim of this prize is to reward achievement and to encourage scientific endeavour. Each school in Oxfordshire and wider area was invited to nominate a Year 10 pupil who showed interest and success in science over the previous year. The prize, a £25 book token and certificate, was presented in a ceremony at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory. The ceremony was followed with a talk on ‘Super-intense lasers’ by Ceri Brenner.

“Smashing Atoms” Competition Winner

We are also delighted to announce that Francesca Wel- ham (Year 10) is the winner of this year’s Institution of Chemical Engineers, IChemE, essay competition. Her essay was published in the IChemE newsletter which is read by over a thousand professional engineers working in the Thames Valley area. Francesca’s prize was presented by the IChemE Group Chairman in a school assembly during the Trinity term.

Spaghetti and Marshmallow Challenge

As part of our celebration of National Science and Engineering Week, Year 8 were required to build towers from spaghetti and marshmallows. Working in pairs, they had to construct a plat- form at least 30cm above the bench. The winner was the tower which supported the greatest weight. The girls were given clues to help them, such as how to make strong shapes and the need to strengthen the base. The winning groups gained a chocolate prize!

64 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Chemistry Olympiad

This year, for the first time, a number of St Helen's Sixth Form chemists entered the Royal Society of Chemistry Olympiad competition. Four US2 girls took part and we are delighted to report that Kitty Hutchison and Jo Ridgley achieved Silver Awards and Sarah Stedman and Amy Todd achieved Bronze Awards. Although this competition is intended primarily for Upper Sixth pupils, a number of our Lower Sixth girls were keen to try the paper and we congratulate Lorel Scriven, Elli Hurrell and Catherine Moon for achiev- ing Bronze Awards and Leying Lee for being awarded a Commendation.

Liquid Nitrogen

Girls in 9H joined forces with the Chemistry Department to organise a lunch time charity fund-raising event. We demonstrated the properties of liquid nitrogen - including frozen bananas, crumbling roses and deflating balloons. We then made lots of ice cream (using Heston Blumenthal's recipe) to sell in the cafe area. Girls purchased tickets for the event and also paid for their ice creams. All proceeds go to the school Cambridge Chemistry Challenge Success charity - Plan UK, Because I am a Girl. Well done to 9H for all their hard working in organsing this This competition for the Lower sixth is designed event. to stretch and challenge Year 12 pupils who are interested in chemistry. The paper is set by a team of chemists from St Catharine’s College, Cam- bridge and is entered by over 4200 students from UK schools. Nationally, around 60% of entrants are successful in winning awards. We are delighted to announce that seven St Helen’s girls have won awards. Lorel Scriven has achieved a Gold Award that places her in the top 8% of entries. Emma Walsh has achieved a Silver Award and five girls - Alison Drake, Eleanor Hurrell, Ley- ing Lee, Rona McKee and Catherine Moon - have achieved Copper Awards.

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 65 Year 11 Physics Challenge 2012

Thirty girls in Year 11 entered the Physics Chal- lenge competition organised by the British Physics Olympiad on 6th March. They sat a one hour paper based on GCSE knowledge, but with extremely challenging questions. We are pleased to announce that twenty-five girls gained Bronze Awards and two girls (Susannah Boddie and Alice Lindsay) gained Silver Awards. Huge congratulations must go to Elinor Macnab and Katya Richards for securing Gold Awards. Their scripts are now sent to the British Physics Olympiad office for consideration for book prizes.

British Physics Olympiad AS Challenge 2012

Rona McKee, Lorel Scriven and Charlotte Salt all gained Bronze Awards in the AS Physics Challenge competition. They sat a one hour paper based on AS knowledge but with very complex questions in a limited time. They did extremely well!

Mathematics Inspiration Lectures

Last October a group of sixth form- ers went to Reading to listen to three lively lectures on ‘Maths on the back of an Envelope’ – estimating how much profit your local McDonalds make, how many penguins can stand one on top of the other from here to the moon and other thought provoking questions. ‘The Mathematics of Juggling' – this was where we had to keep our eye on one particular coloured ball and follow its path when juggling several other balls. ‘Mathematics of the Olympic Sta- dium’ – explained about the engineering techniques needed to design a stadium that would not collapse. We all enjoyed the lectures and went home in search of the nearest set of juggling balls!

66 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 British Physics Olympiad Experimental Pro- ject Success

Six US1 physicists formed three working pairs to enter the Experimental Project competition. They had to design and carry out experiments, analyse their results and evaluate their methods, to investigate the specific heat capacities of two materials and link the relevance of their work to cooling a microprocessor chip in a computer. The girls worked independently during lunch times over a few months, carrying out research and a series of practicals which culminated in the writing of a report for submission. We are delighted to announce that Abigail McGill and Madeleine Norbury gain Bronze Medal Awards, while Sophie Stables, Emma Walsh, Imogen Kempton and Rona McKee gain Commendation Medal Awards.

British Mathematical Olympiad News

Katya Richards in Year 11 was selected from the Senior Math- ematics Challenge to go through to the first round of the British Mathematical Olympiad (BMO) which took place on Friday 2 December. This is the first of two selection rounds for selecting the British training squad for the International Mathematical Olympiad. The paper for this lasts three and a half hours and contains six very demanding mathematical problems for which full written solutions are required. Out of the 1400 nationally who entered this competition Katya came 22nd! She gained a silver medal (not missing a gold medal by much). In the second round (which lasts for three and a half hours and contains four even more complex and demanding problems) she came 21st. As a result of her success in BMO Round 1, Katya was invited to attend the joint New Year training camp for the British and Hungarian International Mathematics Olympiad training squads that took place in Hungary from 27 December to 4 January 2012

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 67 Olympic Science and Technology Quiz

As part of the St Helen’s Olympic celebrations, pupils from all sections of the school gathered to compete and win points for their Olympic team in the St Helen’s Science and Engineering Week Quiz. There were five rounds of science and engineering themed questions and an Olympic picture round. Girls demonstrated excellent scientific and Olympic knowledge and the competition was close. China finished in the gold position closely followed by Greece and Germany. China was represented by Emma Gibbons and Natasha Squire, Year 6 pupils, Imogen Richards and Francesca Sissons from Middle School and Axie Finch and Sophie Evangelisti in Upper School.

National Science and Engineering Week

National Science and Engineering Week, overseen by the British Science Association, shines the spotlight on how science, technology and engineering relate to our everyday lives, and helps to inspire the next generation of scientists with fun and participative activities. Girls in Year 7 and in the Junior Department were able to experience ‘The Magic of Science’ with Richard Robin- son. Year 8 were presented with a hands-on engineering challenge involving spaghetti and marshmallows! Year 9 were introduced to the world of nanotechnology with a talk and discussion led by Dr Vanessa Cheel; they will also have hands-on experience with a range of small animals during a visit by Animazing. Big Science, “Big Bangs and Black Holes” was the title of a lecture for Year 10 by Dr Kristian Harder and all year groups were invited to join the Olympic Science and Engineering Quiz organised by Mrs Pocock-Bell and the library team. There was a record number of CREST projects underway with Year 9 and Year 10 this year, and girls had their project work displayed in Old School Hall, sharing their experiences by presenting in school assemblies. Upper School biologists were invited to join visitors from local schools at a lecture on eukaryote diversity. Classics Trips 68 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Year 9 trip to the Roman Baths, 2011

On 5 October, the girls in Year 9 went on a classics trip to the Roman baths. When we arrived, we had a short walk through the town to reach the Roman site. When we reached the baths we were given a talk by one of the members of staff at the baths, about the tombstones and dedication plaques that had been found on the site. We found out how to read the Latin, and then we had the chance to look at some of the real Roman artefacts that had been found at the baths. We were allowed to handle the objects, and the lady who had talked to us helped us to work out what they would have been used for. I found it really amazing that I was holding something that would have been used over a thousand years ago! After a lunch break of sitting in the town square and eating fudge, we went to see the baths. Walking around the baths, we all got a feel of what it was like in Roman Fishbourne 2012 times. It was so interesting! We could feel the tem- perature of the water where it came out of the springs On 23 May Year 8 visited Fishbourne Roman Palace near from the ground, and it was a lot warmer than we Chichester. When we arrived after the long journey, we expected! I really enjoyed seeing everything that the were excited to see what was waiting for us inside. Romans threw in there as offerings to the gods. We First we visited the north wing, which was full of frag- got to drink the spring water, and that really didn’t ments of mosaic flooring. There was one complete mo- taste nice! There was a cemetery next to the baths full saic floor - it was really interesting to see the beautiful of hundreds of dead Romans, and I found that quite design. The other mosaics had patches that were burnt in interesting, as lots of very sick and diseased people the fire. Next we visited the marvellous garden. We only visited the baths to be healed and, not being healed, visited half of the gardens as the others had been built died there. I found that the trip to the baths really on - houses and streets lay where the garden used to. But enhanced my learning, and I learnt a great deal from there was still a triclinium (outside dining area) and a it. herb garden, displaying all the splendid plants that may once have grown there. We completed a worksheet with Carly McIntosh 9GR and Anna Simonson 9E many questions on, and watched a marvellous information video. We learnt about how the palace was built and what materials were used. After the film we had lunch outside in the sun. We then visited the museum and filled in the rest of our worksheet and investigated some artefacts in a workshop. We looked at fragments of pots, walls, pieces of glass and how the roofing was made. People got the chance to dress up as Romans and slaves. It was interesting and exciting to see what the Romans would have worn and how long the togas were. Overall it was a very interesting and enjoyable trip!

Louise Atkins, Miranda Robertson, Freya Wooding 8F

Classics Trips ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 69 Classics trip to Ben Hur

On 6 July, ten St Helens GCSE and A level classics students journeyed to the Watermill Theatre in Newbury to watch a humorous adaptation of the book Ben Hur. This is the story of a rich Jewish Classics prince, Judah Ben Hur, who becomes enslaved by the Romans and then returns to royalty after a difficult five years of absence. This production was comical and very over-acted, where inadequate Plays costumes with un-fixed wigs and revealing tunics were the norm! The chariot race was highly amusing and interesting as it was performed by only two actors on stage. There were just four actors in total, Classics trip to Clytemnestra - 18 November who each enacted multiple characters (with the exception of Ben-Hur), which was both impressive On a Friday night, several classicists ventured to the and funny, considering that the film version had theatre - this time to the Oxford Playhouse, to see a several thousand actors. It was a brilliant way to Greek tragedy. Clytemnestra was the title but it was round off the year’s work with a good laugh. We really the play by Aeschylus, The Libation Bearers, per- had a great time and would recommend the play to formed by students at Oxford University in the origi- anyone entertained by general silliness! nal Greek. Not only that, but the production was in the style of Japanese Noh theatre, resulting in a mixture of Ellie Fishleigh, Sabrina Longley and Meg Pragnell cultures that worked surprisingly well. The actors gave 10C a polished performance and the play gave much food for thought. We all had an excellent evening and look forward to our next dramatic outing in the summer.

70 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Helicon Club

Would-be Roman cooks gathered in Hayward House to create and eat the Roman banquet which has become a termly tradition of Helicon Classics Club. The menu included something for all tastes, from the honey-smeared comfort food of the pancake-like ‘Roman toast’ - ably rustled up by Year 7s, 6s and 5s, to the interesting and tasty ‘bread salad’ and braised green beans made by Year 8s and 9s. The most amazing feature was the discovery that Ro- man cuisine is a still living tradition, as some particularly creative Year 10s and 11s improvised on an ancient recipe for a spicy herb sauce for dormice (but fear not - they used hard-boiled eggs as stand-ins) to produce a really fantastic new flavour. Thanks to the hospitality and help of Mrs Grant-Ross, this gastro- nomic Odyssey was enjoyed by all.

Classics author visit, 4 July 2012

To finish off our Year 9 Latin course we were lucky enough to have a visit from Ed Hassall, the author of Troy Story. We had been studying Greek mythology stories at the end of term so it really was a treat. Ed Hassall told the story of the battle of Troy in a fun and interesting way, choosing plenty of volunteers to help act out scenes. He dressed up his volunteers in hilarious costumes (including a bin bag and bed sheets), and would ask them to read sections from his book to help narrate the story. The way the book is written is very clever as it is all in rhyme, and is very amusing as well as easy to follow, and made the story of the battle of Troy much clearer. As quite a dramatic person I was very enthusiastic every time he asked for volunteers and was excited to be picked for the final fight scene. I ended up being chased around the lecture theatre and then met my end by being skewered by a spear (a long wooden pole). It was brilliant to take part but also hilarious seeing it being done by friends. All in all it was a brilliant end to the Year 9 Latin course and the year!

Marina Aspinall 9E

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 71 Debating

and Alexandra Entwistle-Thompson magnificently in the regional finals at under the guidance of Mrs Haines, showed Wycombe Abbey, but sadly were beaten enormous enthusiasm and talent for by Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Boys debate. In addition to lively debates each in a nail-biting last match. It was some week, the girls took part in two ‘friend- consolation to learn that Haberdashers’ lies’ against Abingdon - winning all four went on to win the plate at the National debates in fine style! Finals in London! Public Speaking Debating US2 Radley Conference The Rotary Club’s Youth Speaks competi- The annual Radley/St Helen’s debat- The Debating Society on Thursday tion is the major event for our talented ing dinner took place on Friday 11th lunchtimes always draws a crowd for public speakers. Teams of three girls from November and was unanimously agreed topical and fun debates, including one each of Year 9, Year 11 and US1 took part to be the most successful in the history featuring Mr Delacour and Mr Wil- in the first round in Witney. The Year 11 of this event. The topic for the joint con- liams arguing the motion that ‘Teachers team of Helen Dallas, Jess Ward-Zinski ference this year is Leadership and the should not be replaced by computers’. and Rea Averill were selected for the debate was on the motion ‘This House Abingdon boys were invited to speak on second round and went on to win this as values co-operation above leadership.’ several occasions, with girls attending well. They were competing against some In spite of very spirited argument from some meetings of the Abingdon Debat- extremely experienced and accomplished our two debaters - Georgina Stockley ing Society after school on Fridays in sixth form teams and the standard was and Kitty Hutchison - the boys, who return. Social opportunities were also exceptionally high, but the judges were proposed the motion, had the easy task pursued, with a group of 16 US2 girls unanimous that their presentation on ‘The and managed to persuade more people enjoying a black tie evening debate at Hidden History of the Olympics’ was the of their case. Lively discussion and argu- Abingdon in March. Particularly amus- strongest of the evening. ment continued over the most delicious ing was the final debate in the Trinity European Youth Parliament dinner and the level of noise in the refec- term for the US2 pupils who started the The 2010-11 European Youth Parliament tory suggested that everyone had a most Debating Society two years ago. Gorg team, who had placed third at the Na- enjoyable evening. The conference takes Stockley and Beatrice Allen chose the tional Session in Durham in July 2011, place on Wednesday 16th and all of US2 motion for their swansong ‘Hot girls took charge of selecting the new US1 will have the opportunity to explore the have problems too’ and were ably op- team of girls to take part in the Regional issue further. posed by the newly elected Chairman Forum at the Oxford Union in March. The and Secretary of the Society for 2012-13, team took on the role of the Committee on The 17th annual conference for the Katie Pennick and Emily Stevenson. Regional Development for the competition Upper Sixth at Radley and St Helen’s and were delighted to be selected for the took place on Wednesday and pupils In addition to lunchtime debating, in National Session taking place in Liverpool enjoyed an extremely busy and stimu- the Michaelmas term twelve girls at- in September 2012. The girls were com- lating programme. This year’s theme tended a workshop held jointly with mended on their constant engagement and was Leadership and our four speakers Abingdon introducing them to Brit- excellent teamwork and the jury specifi- came from a fascinating range of ish Parliamentary debate, and for the cally noticed how everyone on the team careers, covering the first time St Helen’s entered teams in had a role to play. media - Fru Hazlitt, both the Oxford Union and Cambridge CEO of ITV online; Union competitions in order to practise. Schools business - David Although unsuccessful, all the teams Challenge Richards, founder learned a huge amount about competi- of Prodrive; tive debating and enjoyed the experience 2011 saw the sport - Ed Smith, immensely. first ever entry sports journalist by St Helen’s and writer and St Helen’s also hosted the ESU Mace in the Schools Commodore competition at the end of November, Challenge com- Jake Moores with Lorel Scriven and Le Ying Lee petition, a for- - Commander proposing ‘This House would hold mat based on the of Britannia parents liable for serious crimes commit- University Chal- Royal Naval ted by their children’. To their delight lenge television College. (photo is they were selected to represent the series. St Helen’s of Fru Hazlitt and David Richards district in the next round, where they hosted the first round, with pupils from SHSK and Radley) triumphed again to reach the Regional in which the B team, captained by Poppy Final in Birmingham. Here they were Simonson, with Emily Stevenson, Phoebe The afternoon was spent exploring a highly commended by the judges and Langdale and Seraphima Goeldner- huge range of different historical figures awarded second place in the heat, Thompson, sadly lost overall on points dif- and debating their styles of leadership. placing them 2nd out of 44 teams in ference to Wycombe Abbey. The A team, As ever, girls returned to school full of the region. This put them in the top ten captained by Kitty Hutchison with Elinor new ideas and having formed several nationally, a huge achievement given Macnab, Laura Hutchison and Lucie Rich- new friendships. that this was their first experience of ardson, beat St Edward’s Oxford and Rad- competitive debating. ley College to qualify to play again against Wycombe Abbey and Haberdashers’ Aske’s The newly-formed Debating Club for Boys to determine the South East regional Years 7 to 9, coached by Lorel Scriven champion. The girls acquitted themselves

72 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Psychology

Psychology in Sixth Form Psychology underpins everything we do and have done in our lifetimes and the chance to study such a fascinating subject at AS/A Level was one not to be missed. The AS course covers a vast range of topics including developmental and cognitive psychology, stress, abnormality as well as social influence. What I found so satisfying through studying the subject was that we not only learnt the different theories and reasons as to the various behaviours within the topics but we were able to see these in action through their application within research studies and case studies. For example within Social Influence we explored the aspect of obedience in Milgram’s experiment in 1963. The end of the course brought the opportunity to carry out group research projects such as gender differences in risk-taking behaviour and this helped us to not only clearly understand the various elements of psychological research but also put us in good stead for the individual projects we would be conducting in the A2 course. The element of debate within lessons and the evaluation of theories proposed, made the psychology AS course all the more endearing. Psychology trip to Bristol Zoo We also had the opportunity to visit Bristol Zoo in the Lower Sixth for psychology. Here we selected an animal within our groups that we wished to observe. The purpose was less to study specifics of animal behaviour than to learn about research methods. Prior to observing the behaviour we had to initially decide upon the characteristics of the animal’s behaviour that we would record. We put these into a table with the exact descriptions of each characteristic so that we could ensure each person in the group would be recording the same behaviour in the tally chart. For example, within our group we chose to study the Penguins and one of the behaviour characteristics we would be looking for to record was preening, another simply walking. Having recorded behaviour for the amount of time we had decided upon prior to the investigation, we transferred our results into a graph which we presented on a screen to the rest of the class. The trip really helped us to consider the detail needed for an accurate research study but was also a fun day out for all the psychology students!

Holly Crocker US1S

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 73 HISTORY 2011-2012

GCSE Trip to Berlin

In December, 35 GCSE History pupils, accompanied by three teachers went to Berlin to learn more about the German history surrounding our GCSE course. During the trip we visited many places of significance, including Sachsenhausen concentration camp. This was the hardest part of the trip for many of us; the bus journey back to the hotel that night was silent. We visited the Jewish Museum, where there were many rooms filled with faces, representing all the mil- lions that died, and a holocaust tower, which was a narrow room with very high ceilings, and only one escape, that was just out of reach. It was designed to make you feel helpless and isolated, just like the Jews. Another place we went to was the Stasi prison where we were able to enter the small, damp prison cells of the old building, and the bigger, bare rooms in the newer part, which were used for interrogation of prisoners later in the 1900s. The trip wasn’t all sad and mournful; the evenings were full of entertainment! We went bowling and to traditional Christmas markets, where many of us were able to purchase festive gifts for our families back home. On our last day we were treated to lunch out at an Italian restaurant, which was a lovely end to a memorable trip.

US1 Project

The Lower Sixth embarked on a project to discover the effects of the Second World War on school life. We went to the archives and examined a variety of sources including Sister Superior reports and school magazines to find any evidence about the war and how far it made an impact on the day to day running of the school. Though Abingdon was considered a ‘safe zone’ there was still considerable disruption to school life. Distractions came from the flying of planes overhead from the nearby aerodrome and one cloakroom was converted into the local gas decontami- nating centre. As far as the life of the school was concerned, dances had to be cancelled because there weren’t enough decora- tions and only one school magazine was produced each year due to paper shortages. However throughout the course of the war pupil numbers increased and there is also evidence that some girls took an interest in the current political situation, attending lectures and conferences on re-building post-war Europe, and organising debates. Despite minor disruptions to school life it seemed that the school remained unaffected by the horrors of war and everyone tried to remain positive about their situation. Year 9 Chateau Visit 2011 After many hours on the coach and ferry we arrived at the Chateau in France. Everyone was eagerly excited about our days ahead and all the things we had planned! On our first day we went to Vimy Ridge where we were taken outside to see the trenches where the Canadian soldiers had fought the battle of Vimy Ridge, the trenches were held up by sandbags on either side and as we wandered through all the trenches we imagined what it would be like for the Canadian soldiers in 1917. We made our way back to the centre where the lady then showed us to the acres of ground where the Canadian soldiers had fought, the ground was very uneven and sheep grazed on it now. We were then taken to the Vimy Ridge memorial which is a huge building of two towers with Canadian soldiers names carved into the side; this was very emotional as everyone tried to find their family names carved onto the side of the building. On the second day we went to Ulster Memorial Tower which is now located on what was once the German front line in the Battle of the Somme. We went inside and were welcomed by our guides who did many activities with us such as wearing the uniform of a German soldier, watching videos and visiting the trenches from the Battle of the Somme. On the last day we went to Theipval where every year our school reads a poem, lays a wreath and has a two minute silence. This was the most emotional part of our trip but it made us realise the harsh realities of the war. I don’t think any of us will ever forget our year 9 trip to France; it was a great experience!

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 75 10M 10C

10D 10L

76 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 I think it’s fair to say that Year 10 has been a fun year. Despite a few drawbacks, currently I can only think of D of E (let’s be honest, it’s not all that fun), we’ve had so many “good times”, if we’re going to be all year 8 about this. I think one of our favourites has to be the charity dinner. Our only in-school social event of the year! I know we all went out with a bang in the Year 9 ‘daylight disco’ where drinks were £1 and the last song was Beyonce’s Halo in which we all stood in a circle and clapped like a gospel choir, but the school social made another return this year. Everyone knew what they were going to wear by Febru- ary, and if you hadn’t got a ‘date’ or ‘companion brought against will’ by January, there was no chance of the Abing- don boys getting an invite. No offence intended there. I think though, the organising committee did an incredible job, Sophie you are a saint, and everyone else involved did so well! Some had concerns about the banana pudding, but never mind.

One of my favourite parts of the charity dinner, however, was Shu’s surprise proposal, to the one and only man of her dreams. I will never forget that boy’s face (and Mr Moylan’s actually, he was more surprised than anyone) when you asked him to marry you. Immy’s acceptance speech for her prize in the raffle is something words cannot describe, so I won’t even try. The singing was incredible. Franny and Jazzy, your voices are amazing! I know everyone loved the ski trip as well, and although I wasn’t there, I have heard some hilarious stories - not including Mel’s leg because that wasn’t funny. Well not that funny. Everyone involved in Twelve Angry Jurors - the angry nurse face was wonderful, Jenny you have the northern accent nailed (if it wasn’t supposed to be northern, sorry about that one). Devon, you managed to stay angry. For the entire play. Which was just so impressive. Millie’s angry section was genuinely scary, hence the name ‘angry section’. The art trip was another favourite. As a DT tagalong, I loved this trip and I know the people who actually have drawing ability did too. The scenery photography in the rain was one of the best parts, despite us trying to re-enact a boy and a girl walking in the woods. Honor, you made a lovely boy. On the last day, we went to the Dame Laura Knight exhibition, and after admiring the beautiful art work, I fell down the stairs, and into a wheelchair (not instantly, obviously). It wasn’t the best end to the trip as, while everyone else was at Roche court sculpture gardens, I was on the bus drawing a giant pink fork with water colours. It was my best drawing, ever. I seem to have too many favourites of Year 10 and I want to have included everything, but I know I haven’t... so it was essentially a good year wasn’t it?

Orla Leggett 10D ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 77 ART TRIPS Year 10 Art Trip to Cornwall - 29 June - 2 July

Year10 artists, designers and potters had an exciting four days in the far west of Cornwall working in the landscape, art galleries and museums from the extremes of St Michael’s Mount gardens and harbour to Tate St Ives, where we saw the work of contemporary American artist Alex Katz. We saw the paintings of Dame Laura Knight at the Penlee Art Gallery and on our way home we enjoyed seeing sculpture in the beautiful grounds of Roche Court. On Sunday Design and Technology students had an action packed day in Falmouth working in the Maritime Museum and galleries in the town; their special focus was marine craft. Artists braved the elements and spent the day in the landscape on the Trewidden estate, drawing and painting under the direction of Mark Spray. This inspirational workshop opened our eyes to exciting new ways of working with unusual materials to engage with the environment. Art Trip to the Summer Art Exhibition Ashmolean Museum In the glorious sunshine of an early evening in June, St Helen’s welcomed pupils, parents and friends of the school to enjoy a 22nd June private view of the School’s Art and Design exhibition. Accompanied by jazz and light refreshments, guests were Upper School 1 artists spent Fri- invited to view the exceptional GCSE, AS and A level art and day afternoon in the Ashmolean design work, along with highlights of work from other year Museum working from the collec- groups. tion. They were gathering information for the first A2 Unit on ‘En- Upper School 1’s Visit to Courtauld Gallery counters’; students are asked to refer to artworks and make their In June, US1 visited the Courtauld Gallery and Tate Modern. own responses. The highlight of This introduced them to nineteenth and twentieth century the afternoon was seeing two new painting, which will be the focus of the fine art aspects of installations by artist Jenny Sav- their A2 studies next year. The Courtauld Gallery is less well ille in the Renaissance Galleries known than the National Gallery, but has an equally important and working from them on iPads. collection of French Impressionists and Post-Impressionists. As well as working in the galler- With the gallery to ourselves for much of the time, it was ies they studied drawings by John easy to transfer detailed teaching and learning to such a Ruskin and John Piper in the Print distinguished environment. After lunch alfresco, it was time Room. It was very exciting being to examine Alfred Barr’s definitions of the ‘isms’ of modern able to see the work up close and art at Tate Modern. Some limitations to his methodology to have background information were quickly discovered and debated, proving that US1 are from the Print Room curator. definitely ready to progress to more advanced matters in the history of art.

78 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 ART TRIPS

Upper School Art Trip to Italy - 2-5 October

Upper School art, art history and Italian AS and A level students travelled to Florence, Siena and San Gimignano for four days to support their studies in art, architecture, language and culture. Highlights of the trip included drawing in the cathedral in Siena, the New Sacristy at San Lorenzo (to work from Michaelangelo’s sculptures), and the Uffizi art gallery for the art students. Art historians were able to see major works of art in situ, such as The Holy Trinity by Masaccio in Santa Maris Novella as well as the Duomo and Baptistry in Florence. Language students visited Dante’s house in Florence for a Art Trip to Oxford guided tour and a Contrada museum in Siena. Everyone enjoyed being so immersed in Italian To start their GCSE course, Year 10 artists and art and culture! ceramics students visited Oxford in late Septem- ber to work from the ‘Ghost Forest’ exhibition outside the Natural History Museum. They went to the Museum of the History of Science to make drawings from the collection of clocks and instruments. After a very full and interesting day, Chris Parkin, Education Officer from the MHS, introduced the group to how they might use the collection further and showed them drawings and prints from the museum’s library that related to what they had been looking at on the topic of ‘Inside/Outside’. Everyone came away with lots of inspiring ideas!

Jane McDonald Head of Art

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 79 GCSE ART YEAR 11 Charlotte Goosey

Lauren Sahota

Helena Otty Emily Diserens Gabriella Volak Alice Lindsey Meg Buckingham

Phoebe Bray Natasha Blows

80 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Grace Edge Chloe Topping

Holly Mason Susannah Boddie Alice Lowe Martha Stone Olivia Rohll Matilda Dolin Natalie Fatemi ST HELEN &STKATHARINE 2012 Magazine

Philippa Slay 81 Year

82 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 11

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 83 OLYMPIC DAY Sports Day marked the culmination of over 50 sporting competitions and USA S Korea Brazil events completed by pupils since the 4960 4690 4550 start of January, from netball and lacrosse to the fun run, trampolining and skipping. Sports taster sessions were organised, alongside the main competition, to enable girls to try new sports. Archery proved to be a particular favourite and a new Archery Club will be starting in September. A number of high profile sports people including Graham Edmunds, Paralympic swimmer, and Sarah Ayton, Olympic sailor, talked to the girls about their Olympic experiences. Celebrations that began with a sporting theme have been embraced by the whole school and expanded to involve, amongst others, music, philosophy, food technology, the library, languages and mathematics competitions and activities. St Helen’s Olympic competition was intended to inspire and reflect Olympic values and the girls’ competitive spirit, teamwork and support for each other has been wonderful to see. A truly Olympic experience! After a very close fought competition, with table positions changing on a weekly basis, many congratulations to the USA on a great win! There were five year group or school records broken: • Louise Ball, Year 10, set a new school long jump record of 5.03m • Fiona Bunn, Year 8, set a new Year 8 1500m record of 5’24.00 • Lucy Conway, Natasha Squire and Iona Willows set Year 5 and 6 track and field records.

Sarah Wilson, Head of Physical Education

84 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 85 Olympic Lacrosse The Olympic lacrosse competition was a fantastic way for everyone to have a go at lacrosse, regardless of ability. We competed for our country, and we had a great time trying to score as many goals as possible, against our rivals, to earn as many points as we could. Ciara Robinson, usually an outfield player, volunteered to be goalie for South Korea, and turned out to be very good, considering that it was her first time in goal! In the end, it was Japan who conceded the most goals, which will be very useful when it comes to the total number of points at the end of the year. Emily Wyatt, 11J

Olympic Rounders The Olympic rounders competition was just as much of a success as the Olympic lacrosse. Again, the countries competed against each other to try and score the most rounders as possible. It was a great day for it, being very sunny, but thankfully not too hot, and everyone had great fun joining in and testing out their (sometimes rusty) skills. The competition was well- fought and in the end Japan were the winners, having beaten Australia in the final. Kate Simmons, 11J

86 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Fun Run As part of the Olympic celebrations and as a way of boosting our points for our country, many girls turned out for the Olympic Fun Run, consisting of a cross country course, circling the lacrosse pitches and library. Even though it was a pretty murky and uninspiring day in terms of weather, many girls from across the age groups came to compete or cheer on their fellow team mates. The girls were divided into two groups, with the younger girls running first. Many people dressed up in costumes which represented their country or were donned in flags, so the Fun Run turned out to be a very colourful and fun event! There was even someone dressed as a lion! Mr. Marjot even competed and wore his Brazil flag, as well as supporting other Brazilians and girls. For the older girls’ race, we again had many enthusiastic competers, including Alice Mat- thews, Milly Belcher and Emma Walsh who decided to complete the course as a three-legged race, which provided endless entertainment for both the teachers and the other participants. Mr. Marjot again ran the course to support the runners. In the end, it was Australia who won the most points, as it had the highest placing competitors. It was a thoroughly enjoyable (though pretty muddy!) event and I’m sure that it will be repeated in the future as a great way for fundraising or just having fun. Alice Lowe, 11J

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 87 SHSK LACROSSE TOUR USA 2012

Thirty four girls from the senior lacrosse squad and four teachers went on lacrosse tour to the East Coast of America. We travelled a total of 588 miles on the trip, stopping in Washington, New York, Martha’s Vineyard and Boston. We were unbelievably lucky with the weather - it was sunny every single day! The only exception was the very last day when we left in the rain. All of the matches were a great experience. Being able to see how the game was played on the other side of the Atlantic was a lot of fun and we all enjoyed finding we were more than capable of holding our own against strong American teams. A particular highlight was the game against Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School on a freezing cold evening when the first team came back at half time to draw 11-all in a very tense match. The four host families we stayed with made everyone’s trips a unique experience. They were all so generous, especially with the chocolates on Easter Sunday, and we were all very excited by their amazing houses. Lacrosse tour has been a once in a lifetime experience and we have all come away with hundreds of memories and many new friends – if a little sunburnt and with many more clothes! Hannah Ellis, 11R

88 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 LACROSSE

Lacrosse in the 1st team was an The 2nds lacrosse team was named The 3rds lacrosse team have had a experience we will never forget. ‘Team of the Term’ this year, which great season this year, especially This season (the last for many girls) definitely sums up our season. In our win against Uppingham School, had its ups and downs but we all the Midlands Tournament, we took with the final score at 11-1. The 3rds developed as players, demonstrating second place, after having lost in tournament at Marlborough College consistent determination and fight. the final to Wycombe Abbey. On was a great opportunity to work and The high point of the season was in the lacrosse tour we managed to play well as a team, and we came a tightly contested match against win some of our matches; we won 2, a credible 4th place, with the help one of our biggest rivals: Chelten- drew 2 and lost 2. This was a great of some very enthusiastic 2nd team ham. After a huge struggle in the achievement and surprise, as our players to make up numbers! Against first half we were down 6-2. How- aim had only been to not lose any St. Bartholemew’s School we man- ever we came back and managed to of our matches too badly! Special aged a convincing win, and came out defeat them 9-6! This was a match congratulations to Georgia Aynsley, very pleased with our performance as that showed how closely the team (normally a field player), who was a team. We also competed in the Mid- worked together and how far we had our goalkeeper. She did a fabulous lands tournament and, even though come. The team also had some well job, managing to save 9 goals in the we lost, we played a fantastic game fought matches on the lacrosse tour, first match! Thank you also to Alice against Downe House, where we felt which we greatly enjoyed and learnt Matthews for being such a good proud that we’d managed to cope with a lot from. captain to the team. a very strong team. 1st Lacrosse Team Kate Simmons, 11J Alice Lowe, 11J

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 89 NETBALL

March Madness The final matches of the season were played at our ‘March Madness’ tournament at the end of term. This was the school’s own tournament and involved every team and every netballer in the school. The senior girls were captains and had to organise their own team, which comprised of girls from every year group. In the end, we had 120 Smurfs, pigs and fairies, among other characters, running, jumping and leaping around the courts. The Hoskin Huskies remained undefeated throughout the whole afternoon and so were the deserving winners of the tournament, after a gruelling final. Ms. Ed- brooke enjoyed judging and awarding various girls for their efforts, including ‘Shooting Stars’, ‘Solid Defenders’ and even ‘Top Casualty Award’!

90 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Basketball The U16 basketball team have had a fantastic season this year, especially the landmark victory for the first time against the European School, with the final score being 44-41. Basketball is a major sport at the European School, so the result serves to demonstrate how far basketball has progressed at St Helen’s.The first time our teams met two years ago, the European School won by a depressingly large margin, and this trend continued for the past few years. However, this year we fought with dogged determination for every point and gradually came from behind during the fourth quarter. Meera Manek, 11J

Choreography Competition 2 May marked St Helen’s first ever choreography and everyone was excited to see the outcome. At Abingdon School, we had technical rehearsals where we checked that everything would run as smoothly as possible and that we got used to the stage size. The rest of Year 8 then arrived and we rehearsed our curriculum African tribal dance work. A highlight of the afternoon was seeing the fabulous duets and group dances performed by the Dance Con- nection school - they were truly spectacular. For me, my favourite bit was performing my dance in front of the audience and seeing the positive feedback at the end Ruth Delany, Year 8 U15 Aegon Tennis Championship On 17 November, our U15 Aegon tennis team competed in the National Quarter Finals of this prestigious competition. Alice (Captain), Re- becca, Lizzie and Jemima won the group stage last summer and this term continued to win all of their matches in the knockout stages. Their achievements put them among the top sixteen teams in the country, and therefore we travelled to compete at Bath University. It was a fantastic experience for the girls to be among performers of many sports at such a high level and to see the fantastic facilities. Ski Trip Girls Go Gold The ski trip was quite Conference for Elite Sportswomen an eye opener for me. I experienced the strange About six hundred sportswomen from schools sensation of skiing for across the country congregated at Edgbaston High the first time and had to School for the GSA Girls Go Gold conference on 21 come to terms with the September 2011. unfamiliar customs of Following the Head Mistress’s welcome and in- a country I knew lit- troduction, Baroness Sue Campbell, Chair of UK tle about. We all had a Sport, started proceedings with her keynote speech. whale of a time and never The room was spellbound as she gave an inspiring seemed to stop laughing. address on how to achieve, weaving into her talk Whether it was scaring the words of If I Can Just Believe in Me, one of two Mr Moylan with our hor- songs performed by the EHS Chamber Choir at the ror stories or panicking start of the day. on the chair lifts, we were The schedule was full, with a constant roundabout always having fun. Over- of specialised workshops hosted by professional all we saw some breath- athletes and experts in sports-related fields, such taking, dramatic scenery, as ‘Sport Psychology in Applied Practice’, ‘Sport tasted some interesting Science’ and ‘Week in the Life of an Elite Student food and became more Athlete’. familiar with the pictur- It was a busy morning of activity, building up to esque shops of Saalbach, the hotly-anticipated arrival of the special Guest especially Spar! Speaker, Dame Kelly Holmes. It filled the girls Hazel Bannerman, 8F with confidence as she spoke of how her love for sport and athletics all started as a young girl at school and how any of them could one day be like her.

Sports Dinner On 27 April many of our older athletes gathered together for a lovely evening to celebrate a year of significant progression and success in the school’s sporting life. We were treated to an inspirational speech from the recent England netball captain, Karen Atkin- son, a delicious meal à la Olivier (our school chef) and a lively group of people to enjoy the evening with! It was fascinating to hear how Karen’s sheer determination had transformed her from an original member of her school C team to one of the most accomplished netballers in the country. This really goes to show that everyone can achieve their ambi- WIMBLEDON tions if they put in the hard work. Imogen Kempton and Emma Walsh History Of Art

In June 2012 the History of Art group visited two Lon- don galleries to begin A2 studies in painting and sculpture of the 19th and 20th centuries. Our first visit was to the Courtauld Gallery, housed in Somerset House’s impressive state rooms. There was a fine collection of Impressionist paintings such as Manet’s ‘Bar at the Fo- lies Bergeres’ and a version of Degas’ ‘Little Dancer’ in bronze and tulle. Rather than the impersonal, neutral walls of the modern gallery, the 18th century neo- classical Courtauld rooms allow paintings to be hung in the manner of 19th century Paris salons. One reason for visiting this gallery was to study the Cezanne room, where six paintings of the figure, still life, and landscape encapsulate Cezanne’s painting style. This was to be a key element in subsequent schoolwork. Soon after, we arrived at Tate Modern where we fo- cussed on Cubism, analytical and synthetic develop- ments by Picasso and Braque and Surrealism, with its extension into the Metaphysical work of Giorgio de Chirico. This led to a realisation that labels, which seem to be the delight of the Art Historian, are often misleading as they can mask the subtle mix of stylistic influences that may be found in paintings by an artist like Paul Nash.

PRACTICAL HISTORY OF ART Following the tradition of learning about an artist’s style by copying a picture of theirs, the Art Historians were given an end of term treat, allowing them to escape from docu- ments and written analyses of art, to real canvas and paint. The challenge was to copy as exactly as possible the forms, tonality, colours, textures and brushwork of a Cezanne still life painting. An authentic oil palette was given, including the then new colour of French ultramarine, a synthetic pigment that was much cheaper than the previous lapis lazuli, and the flat, square brushes that Cezanne used to make his mosaics of colour. This study revealed the inportance of plasticity in oil paint, the direction of brushstroke doing much to model the form on the flat canvas. ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 93 2011-12 Design Technology Diary

September October There were nine of us in GCSE DT this year and our task was to design and create a children’s toy. Once we had come up with some interesting and unusual designs we set to work on our toys. The first step in creating them was daunting, but soon we were all sanding, sawing and painting away.The lessons had a friendly and relaxed feeling to them yet still we worked through our folders to create a step-by-step log of our designing and manufacturing process, which we were all to be proud of at the end. After an action-packed year of making, we all finished our projects on time and so had completed 60% of our GCSE. The projects varied in size from a little magnetic theatre to a rocking boat big enough for a child to fit in, yet everyone was pleased with their final creations and can’t wait to take them and their folders home.

Fiona Watters 11W

November December On arrival at the Design Museum we went inside and saw the most extraordinary works of art. My favourite was a pile of teapots stacked up in neat rows and columns. The teapots were painted a vibrant red and glistened in the lights. On the top level of the building there was a wall of glass with a wind-chime outside the building. Every time wind went past the chime the glass wall tinted different colours. In the museum we saw the Olympic torch for the relay. We were so excited to see one of the torches. After this excitement it was time for a workshop. It was amazing. All the items had been made using and recycling bits of wood, paper and juice cartons. My favourite was the bag that had been made out of recycled plastic bags! Overall the DT trip was fantastic and I really enjoyed it.

Emma Goudge 8L

January February After lots of work, building obstacles, devising plans and programming robots we were ready for the challenge. The day started with a short briefing. We went with a prepared program from school, however we decided against using it and so created something new there. Luckily it was a sucess. Our next challenge was table games, where we were in head-to-head challenges with other schools. After losing the first one, we picked up rhythm and won the other two rounds. We were amazed to hear we came second in the table contest and had to show our programs on stage. We were so proud to have done this well. Overall, I enjoyed the experience because we had a lot of fun, worked hard and became a very strong team.

Jemima Croggon 8L

94 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 2011-12 Design Technology Diary

March April On our trip to the V&A Museum,we were lucky enough to take part in a lighting workshop, where we learnt about different aspects of contemporary and innovative lighting designs. One designer stood out as the lights he designed were colourful and intriguing and used different textures to achieve this. Also in the workshop, we were given materials to make our own lights. The lights produced were so varied considering we all started off with the same materials. I created a cube hanging light, but there were fish and cone shaped lights there too. My highlight of the trip had to be being given the opportunuity to display the lights we had made in the V&A. We asked members of the public for their opinions on our lights and the feedback was invaluable as it will help us to know how to respond to our clients’ needs when it comes to our GCSE pieces.

Orla Leggett 10D

May June For one of our DT trips we joined the geographers on their trip to Cadbury World. On arrival we had a tour around Cadbury as well as learning about the history of the chocolate and the geography of where it is all made and sourced from. We then left the geographers and went for a talk with a member of the Cadbury staff who showed us a series of videos about how the products are made and different types of production, for example, batch, mass and continuous flow. These were very interesting and linked in nicely with our DT! We also were told how Cadbury overcame issues to do with the chocolates and how their machinery was designed to make sure that, for example, the crème eggs were filled correctly and the honeycomb in a Crunchie was coated properly. Overall this was a very interesting trip and the chocolate at the end was definitely a bonus!

Rachel Wierszycki 10L

July August Towards the end of term, a group of design and technology students along with Year 10 art and pottery students, made their way to Cornwall. We stayed in Penzance for a couple of days visiting different areas. On the first day we visited St Michael’s Mount and its gardens and harbour. Here we looked at hard and soft drawings, which helped with drawing techniques. On one of the days we visited the Falmouth Maritime Museum where we improved our drawing skills and visited different art and jewellery galleries. On the last day we visited Tate St Ives and the Roche Court sculpture garden but unfortunately the weather did not make it as enjoyable as we hoped. I am sure all the students would agree that it was a very enjoyable trip in which we improved and learnt many skills.

Fernanda Fenn-Torrente 10C

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 95 Food Studies Food Studies GCSE Research Skills

In line with most other GCSE examinations, Food Studies has a controlled assessment element. Un- like food-based examinations of old, where candidates had to prepare set dishes under strict exami- nation conditions, the controlled assessment requires the girls to investigate a food-based topic and demonstrate their skills in researching a subject and independently drawing conclusions whilst also displaying high level culinary skills. The GCSE group in year 11 are shown here putting their research and practical skills to the test whilst investigating topics such as the role of fruit and vegetables in the diet, providing a balanced diet for a student on a low-income and the social influences on the traditional British diet.

Themed Gateaux

In May, year 9 were given the opportunity to transform a cake they were making in their practical lesson into a themed Celebration Gateau.

Many girls selected the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee as their theme, hence all the lovely red, blue (summer berries) and white (cream) colours. Later in the term, several girls selected the Olympics as the theme for the cakes. All the cakes were beautifully decorated and equally delicious to eat! Food Studies Food Studies National Finalists – Food Writers’ Cookery Competition:

Congratulations to Emma Hawkins (8K) and Natalie Miron (9M) who both entered a national cookery competition run by the Guild of Food Writers. The competition required them to create a delicious and imaginative two course meal for their favourite sportsperson which showed original- ity and skill. The girls were both selected as national finalists. As there are only 7 places in the final, this is in itself a wonderful achievement and they went forward to the next round to cook their menu in front of a panel of eminent food judges.

Emma’s menu: Special Spaghetti Carbonara and Garlic Ciabatta Dessert: Chocolate fondant with cream and a strawberry coulis

Natalie’s menu: Pan-fried Venison with truffle-infused pomme purée baby asparagus, crispy pancetta and blackberry sauce Dessert: Gold medal chocolate and raspberry tart with Chantilly cream and raspberry coulis

The girls attended the National Final on Thursday, 24th May and cooked their chosen menu in front of the judges. Natalie came 2nd overall in the Competition and both girls were awarded prizes.

When I first heard about the competition through school, I couldn’t wait to start planning my two course meal. It had to be based on a favourite sports person, so I chose Jessica Ennis for her all round athletic ability. After a few weeks of planning and experimenting my dishes were chosen. I chose the courses because they were huge family favourites and also each ingredient reflected one of the sports in the hepthalon, the event that Jessica Ennis competes in. My meal was: Around a month later I received a phone call tell- ing me that I had got through to the final in the competition. I was so excited but also very nervous. After weeks of practising on my friends and family, the day finally arrived. I drove up to the Electrolux kitchens in Luton, where I would have to cook. We were allowed to have a quick look around our cooking stations before we began. It went well and in the end I managed to finish off my dishes exactly as I wanted to. After the second group of finalists had cooked, we went back to the kitchens to get the results. I didn’t get placed but I still got a certificate, medal and a few other prizes for being a finalist. Overall it was a great day and I really enjoyed the whole experience. I will definitely be entering again next year to try and get placed.

Emma Hawkins 8K UPPER SCHOOL ART

Emma Howes

Emma Howes Natalie Jennings

Izobel Astley-Cooper

Caroline Papp Izobel Astley-Cooper

98 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 A1

Jess Dee

Caroline Papp

Natalie Jennings

Life drawing with glow sticks Flora Burles

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 99 MARATHON GEORGIA AINSLEY I ran Brighton Mara- thon in April 2012. It was YEAR 12 hard work as I had to run at least four times a week and try to balance

JOINING THE SIXTH FORM ...

The sixth form at St Helen’s is a completely new experience to all the other school years. The best thing about it is the perfect balance between independence and support. In PRO-CORDA – EYP sixth form you feel a sense ROSIE of independence as you BARTHOLMEW AND embark on your chosen European Youth OLIVIA LAW. At the subjects. Yet at the same Parliament (EYP) helps beginning time you don’t feel like you students learn more about current EU issues, forming a are on your own. I also love Incredibly, we wider cultural understanding the freedom of sixth form- were chosen to through debates. Ten pupils with extra study periods you represent UK in the can organise your work around were selected for the SHSK Munich 2013 commitments and activities and team and, after International still have the time to sit down and debating in a Session. enjoy a cup of tea with friends! Regional Session, we got through to the JOINING THE SIXTH FORM FROM THE National Session PERSPECTIVE OF A NEW GIRL... where we debated with Joining the St Helen’s sixth form has teams been a wonderful change. As soon as MUSIC FESTIVAL across I arrived, I was welcomed by a year of VENICE SHRIER friendly faces and teachers who gave me the UK. all the support and confidence I needed The open class had a great atmo- when settling in. The structure of our day is sphere. It was full of variety, with different very different becuase we have lots of frees genres within the programmes of individual and only participate in lessons that we have players as well as a whole range of chosen to take for AS which is a great relief! instruments being played. There The sixth form centre at was a relaxed feel to it as well as the high standard of the per- St Helens is a fabulous facility - the CHRIST- perfect space to relax formances, MAS REVUE. com- with your friends and PING make the most of an We wanted to make PONG TABLE unlimited supply the revue a fun and fes- During the summer of tea! tive experience for the whole term the sixth form welcomed school this year so we divided the ping pong table into our a portion of our year into teams and home. It added a different started auditions, advertising and techni- dynamic to the quiet, studious cal preparation early on. Talented acts just area. The sixth form’s com- kept flooding in and we were lucky enought petitive nature flourished. to have a wide variety of choice including some Screams of victory/defeat fantastic singers and dancers. The outcome was were heard from miles fantastic with even the wooden Christmas trees man- away. This post-exam aging to make an appearence between acts! gift from the teachers formed a new

100 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 my school work but in the LAUREN KEDAR - end I completed the race ROWING. in 4 hours, 46 minutes and Lauren has recently raised over a thousand been selected for the pounds for the Cystic GB junior women’s cox- Fibrosis Trust. Now two less four, competing in more girls in my year the World Championships are going to run it and in August 2012. After row- I wish them all the luck ing for just two years and and determination in the only turning 17 during the world! World Championships this year, this is a remarkable achievement that caps an amazing season of rowing at Read- ing Club.

of the year, we were presented with an obscure piece by Machsten. After rehearsing both individually and as a group we quickly grew to love it and competed in three rounds of intense competition. Finally, we made it to CYMBELINE made it to the runners up round in Cardiff which was a fantastic experi- ‘Cymbeline’ was not a ence. Shakespeare play I had heard of, and so I was extremely excited to be acting in it, but little did I know how extraordinarily complex and exhila- rating the play was going to be. It is one of Shakespeare’s last plays, and it ing seems to have elements of all his works from in it. It involves cross-dressing, poison, the dedicat- mistaken identity and a headless corpse: ed practice put in a recipe for the perfect, light hearted Shake- which is necessary for spearean comedy. I played both the Queen when you are competing. and Arviragus (one of the King’s lost sons). I was utterly shocked when my Despite playing two completely contrasting charac- name was called out as a prize winner, ters, for me this added to the whole exciting atmo- and honoured to be recognised among the sphere of the play. The production was rich in props, other competitors who played so beauti- tech. and set and included a lot of costume changes, fully. but this was perfect to create the magical, complex world of Shakespeare’s ‘Cymbeline.’ take on stress relief. We look forward to the competition that is lower sixth next year.

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 101 Work Experience

This summer I worked at a Formula One team in the composites department where carbon fibre parts of the car are moulded before curing. As a memento I made a 60% size helmet mounted on a plinth and engraved a plaque with lasers. I was then given the opportunity to make some real car parts including the head rest web and gear changers. This was a compliment as they trusted me enough to use these in F1 cars in forthcoming races. I shall never forget the moment when I held the Spanish F1 trophy won in May! Alice Atkins 11M

I spent a week at a marketing company near Oxford. It was a very diverse company as the team included those who specialised in PR, design and marketing. While I was there I spent a lot of time observing the development of a campaign for ‘Make a Wish’; the team had to create an advertising campaign that will roll out next year. My main task in this was to call magazines and ask for estimates of how much it would cost to advertise the campaign.

Ella Davis 11M

For one week I joined the Womenswear Team in the Head Office of a national department store in London. I had to draw up a Comp Shop which involved researching competitors and therefore analysing the market for autumn-winter 2012. I was surprised to see how complex the fitting process of clothes was, when observing a couple of fit sessions, and I was lucky enough to visit the Press Show where the company launched their products for autumn-winter 2012. This included launching the new Christmas gifts for this year and is only held once a year! As well as learning so much, I hope that I might have found my ideal career path! Emily Macpherson 11R

I had a week’s work placement at a science research facility which has a synchrotron (particle accelerator). I got an insight into working as a scientist. During the week I was able to observe many experiments ranging from x-raying aeroplane motors to x-raying tiny protein molecules. It was a brilliant week as I got to see so many different aspects of the workplace. It really inspired me to take a science at university and think about science research as a possible career choice.

Francesca Ramsey 11M

For my work experience, I went to an architectural practice as I am interested in design. On arrival I was taken through all the work stages an architect goes through to create a building. I designed my own virtual building using computer programmes such as AutoCAD and Google SketchUp. I had an insight into the practical sides of the job which was particularly interesting as I got to see the process from initial designs to the finish of the project. This included going to cli- ent meetings and seeing the architect’s role in the building process, showing that the job holds a lot of responsibility. I found the experience very enjoyable and Grace Edge 11J insightful and would recommend it to anyone interested in design.

102 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Year 11 - 2011

For my work experience I spent two weeks at a wildlife park. Over the course of my placement I carried out various different tasks, and I was also lucky enough to be allowed to spend a day on each of the other mammal sections! This meant I got to see a huge variety of animals and how they care for them there. It was an wonderful experience to be so close to some of the most amazing animals. The placement gave me an insight into what it would be like to work with animals, which was really useful as I want to be a vet.

Holly Mason 11W

I was lucky to work at an international charity based in Oxford. I helped to organise a big charity dinner which will be taking place in September. I did a mixture of work, from admin to organising meetings, being creative and doing moss graffiti to writing reports on the current food crisis in West Africa for their intranet. I also researched products, venues, staff etc, for the event. It involved working under my own initiative more than I would normally have felt comfortable doing which helped boost my confidence, teach me new skills, make me more independent and help people all across the world. Felicity Mulford 11M

I worked at a design business and found that my days were packed full of jobs such as taking stock-counts, hoovering the studio, and assembling flat-packed looms. I therefore realised that working in the design business does not always have a connection to initiating and implementing creative and exciting ideas. Many people, having completed art and design degrees, were limited to administration and day-to-day routine. Although this was a disheartening realisation it was perhaps the most worthwhile lesson I have learnt from work experience and this has made me much less naϊve about the working world.

Martha Stone 11R

My work experience placement was in a large business firm in the City of London and I spent my time mainly focusing on consulting education related ventures. The company I worked for were very good at letting me get involved in real and important projects, by allowing me to help with research and talk to clients. I was also given the opportunity to visit some very exciting places such as the Treasury and the new Olympic park, which was extremely interesting. My work experience gave me a taste of real business life in the City as I had early morning meetings, but I felt this added to my experience and made it more realistic and exciting. Sophie Conway 11W

I really enjoyed my week of work experience at an interior design shop and felt that it was really beneficial. It gave me a great insight into what the designers do on a day-to-day basis, including the kinds of projects that they undertake. I really enjoyed assisting the designers in creating schemes for different rooms and I was able to create my own room scheme using fabrics and furniture designs. Overall, I learnt a lot about working in a team and how the small details do matter; it was a great experience.

Phoebe Bray 11R

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 103 ARCHIVE

This was the emblem on the school unifrom during the 1930’s.

This was the pattern for the dresses worn by girls in the 1950’s in order for them to make their own uniform. 104 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 ...through the ages This green tie was awarded for for awarded tie was This green sports colours.

The now-not so new- uniform has been embraced by the girls and the new arrival of pink has been accepted into the uniform.

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 105 NEW STAFF

MRS ANNABEL During my time at university I worked MR JOHN HUNT WILSON as a nanny and through the family met Princess Diana, Prince William I was really excited I qualified as a PE and Prince Harry and also the actor to join St Helen’s in teacher, specialis- Robin Williams! I am now married January after gradu- ing in netball and with two young sons who keep me ating from St An- tennis, which very busy and in my free time I enjoy drews in 1997 with are my favourite running, skiing and cycling as well as a degree in Medi- sports to play. travelling abroad. aeval History, working for five years at Procter & Gamble (selling huge During my time at the school so far, quantities of Ariel and Pringles) and highlights have included taking fifteen MISS HANNAH experiencing ten years as a teacher at girls to Wimbledon, U14s winning McCAGUE Loughborough Grammar School. the County Netball Tournament, and Wednesday assemblies - especially I currently work During this time I got involved in a when featuring the Army or Paralym- at St Helen’s part wide range of activities as a House pic swimmer Graham Edmunds. I am time, alongside Master, Head of Year, OIC of the RN happily married with four children running work- CCF and director of several plays. and enjoy travelling, musical theatre shops and work- Moving from all boys to all girls I and spectator sports because of the ing as a freelance thought would make for an excit- unique atmosphere, excitement and illustrator outside school. Since ing change and I was interested to noise! arriving, I have been overwhelmed by see how far some of the stereotypes how friendly and welcoming everyone painted by long standing members of LGS would ring true. MR BEN DREW has been. I was right to take them with an enor- Like most profes- Oxfordshire has always been close to my heart, as I grew up in the area mous pinch of salt. My wife and I also sions, potters tend have a new baby so all in all the move to be classified in before moving to Bristol to study has been really rather brilliant! various ways. One Illustration and soon moved back such, is whether after graduating. My interests include it is the clay or visiting art exhibitions, running (I am currently training for a marathon), the fire that most MR JOHNATHAN reading, watching films and taking inspires. Having worked with pot- WILLIAMS tery for thirty years, both have been the occasional spontaneous trip to important but I think the malleable, unusual places! I am a Welsh- versatile extra-ordinarily diverse clay American, brought is the thing that keeps me constantly up in Northern excited to explore ideas and create. MRS JESSICA Ireland, studied in CAMPBELL Scotland (after a The fire can give wonderful qualities gap year in Nige- Moving to the as well and then makes the object ria) and now live countryside from permanent and resilient. I have found in England. over the last 25 years that there are living in Bristol and many parallels with teaching, with working in a huge My interests include sports, being every day new challenges and op- school in South particularly partial to the beautiful Gloucestershire was portunities. game of rugby. I struggle to think of a fantastic oppor- many pet hates, though I’m not a fan tunity and I am still of losing, tomatoes or S Club 7. One of DR CLARE getting used to an environment where those may be a lie. HOLYOAK I can remember most girls’ names! My first impressions of St Helen’s My great love I was extremely pleased that, during included the generosity of the girls for chemistry my first year at St. Helen’s, I was able (particularly my form and A level stu- started at school to finish my Masters in Education dents in giving us wedding presents), through a brilliant with the help of my Year 7 class. In my plenty of ink erasers – the girls here chemistry teacher spare time I enjoy looking after my get very stressed at making mistakes! who had a passion for exciting three chickens, baking (my girls keep – and lots and lots of clapping... experiments and blowing things up! me in a good supply of eggs), garden- After completing a degree and PhD ing and growing vegetables. in chemistry at Manchester Univer- I have dual nationality with Australia sity, I worked for over ten years as a and, although I have not been back research scientist in the pharmaceuti- in many years, I am a big fan of Home cal industry. and Away so I can keep in touch with the accent! 106 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 NEW STAFF

MRS KIRSTY St. Helen’s I worked for two years at a takes me all over the world. I also love HOMANN grammar school in Buckinghamshire, watching films and when time allows but I moved to Abingdon after my heading off to sunny destinations to I have taught for fiancé got a job at Abingdon School. scuba dive. many more years than I care to In my spare time I love cooking, read- remember, but con- ing and walking. I also really enjoy MRS SARAH tinue to find biol- travelling – I spent my gap year before WILSON ogy, and more importantly the pupils I university in Australia and loved it! teach, interesting and great fun. I love sunshine and exploring new I have wanted to places. be a PE teacher I am really enjoying my time at St since the age of Helen’s, and feel that I am privileged 14 and my time at to work with such a great team of The Abbey School MR RICHARD biology teachers, as well being along- in Reading and now at St Helens have DELACOUR side our lovely technicians. not dampened my enthusiasm! I was born to a fam- I live locally, and taught previously I have a passion for everything ily of classical musi- at Our Lady’s Abingdon. After tak- sport-related, particularly gymnastics cians and at the ing a career break looking after my and trampolining, which I trained age of 9 became a daughter, it has been good to get back and competed in during my time at choral scholar at to teaching and everything that St school. This led me to travel to Russia Lincoln Cathedral. Helen’s has to offer. and work with the Olympic coaches I have always loved music, but unlike at their national training centre - a my siblings I also loved the freedom wonderful sporting memory, but also MS LUCY SNOW- opening my eyes to inequality, unfa- DON of being outdoors and going places - I think that’s why geography appealed miliar cultures and the opportunities that sport can offer. I have worked as a to me. teacher for many years, including Previously I was Head of geography at MISS STEPHANIE teaching in Italy and Tunbridge Wells Grammar School for FURNEAUX Greece where I also Boys, and after five years was offered I studied Sport and learned to speak a post at an international school in Exercise Science at some Italian and Brussels. One of the best things about the University of became fluent in Greek. our school is its size – having taught in a school of over 3500 pupils. Exeter. During my I have been working in St Helen’s for time there I played just over a year and think it is a fantas- I am married with two very busy women’s cricket tic environment for learning. Out of children and am also a very keen and netball at a school, I enjoy taekwondo and I have cyclist and enjoy the challenge of long recreational level, but my main sport recently become a black-belt. I also distance cycling. was Lacrosse where I played occasion- spend much of my free time support- ally in goal but mainly as an on field ing my children on the edges of cold, defender. windy football pitches as they are After graduating, I joined many St keen football players. MRS SALLY KEOGH Helen’s old girls and became a mem- My pet hate is ‘indifference’ and I I started my ber of Oxford City Lacrosse. Recently, think ‘curiosity’ is a great attribute to teaching career I volunteered in Ghana, a world away anyone’s character. at Queen Anne’s from what we are used to here. Re- in Reading, but sources and facilities were very basic. moved to work at There could be up to 60 children of St Helen’s in Sep- a variety of ages in one class. This MISS RACHEL tember 2011. My experience taught me not take things KINGCOMBE initial impressions for granted and always be thankful for what you have! I started here at of the school were overwhelmingly St Helen’s in positive - the girls were so friendly September 2011 and welcoming. I was also struck by and I’m really the huge sporting potential girls at St enjoying it so far. Helen’s have; it’s an exciting school to work at. My main interest is lacrosse Everyone is really friendly and the girls (pretty obvious to most who know are all so keen to learn, which makes me), being part of the National Squad my job a real pleasure! Before joining takes up a lot of my time and often

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 107 lLEAVING STAFF

MRS SHEILA BUTCHER We would all like to wish her luck at MRS ELAINE Kitebrook, where I am sure she will POOLE T h e s c h o o l wa s raise the geographical knowledge of incredibly lucky to her pupils and find it easier to juggle find Mrs Butcher, the demands of teaching and mother- What can I say, Mrs just when the Classics hood. Poole was ‘optimus’, Department needed ‘bonus’, ‘laetus’ and someone to tide them over for a year Jane Grey most of all she on a part-time basis. Mrs Butcher never failed to ‘carpe diem’. settled into the School immediately. She was full of new ideas and was the MRS BELINDA Mrs Poole’s incredible love and first member of the Classics Depart- DURKIN passion for Latin was reflected in ment to use an interactive DVD in les- everything she did. She always made sons! In fact, the thing we shall most We are all going to lessons fun and made us laugh every remember is her boundless energy. miss Mrs D because lesson, so that Latin was not a subject She took care of each of her pupils on she made learning ex- we dreaded, but loved! Mrs Poole was a truly individual basis, and this is best citing and funny. She an inspiration to us all and we wish exemplified by the fact that she wrote was always kind and her all the best in the future. three different exam papers for one understanding, and class, to allow each of the new girls to found new fun ways Tilly McAlister 7J display their full potential. Her pupils to help us learn. and colleagues are immensely grateful for all that she did last year, including I especially loved the Aztec plays and going on the trip to the Chateau. when she dressed up as a detective in our history lesson and let us watch Julia Twaits Nancy Drew. MRS LESLIE FULLER We will miss you! Mrs Fuller returned to Olivia O’Byrne 6T St Helen’s in Septem- ber 2011 to teach MRS CHARLIE EYLES MISS ALISON French for a year to BRADLEY Years 7 and 8. Mrs Eyles quickly s e tt l e d i n t o S t Miss Bradley is pos- She put the rest of Helens, her sibly the only person the Language Department to shame, lessons were well in the world who can fitted with the latest trainers and con- prepared, informa- make fitness fun. stantly striving to improve her running tive and fun, helping time in the Saturday morning ‘Park her pupils to achieve To start with she Runs’. The rest of us just couldn’t keep great heights. She was instrumental in would call these practices ‘condition- up! She was excited at the prospect of ensuring the more senior members of ing’ which made them sound much teaching lovely St Helen’s girls again the geography department updated less painful, and her neon accessories and I know that she enormously en- their IT skills. and blaring music distracted us from joyed teaching both her classes. Her what we would usually have consid- love of grammar was legendary and Mrs Eyles was happy to participate ered torture. Her enthusiasm radiated quite infectious and her knowledge in the Geography excursions; walking throughout the squad, and she always great. through the sand dunes at Studland kept us in high spirits whether we and ‘policing’ the corridors at Nettle- won or lost, singing songs and playing When she first left St Helen’s she did combe Court at night.As a Lower games on the bus. so at Christmas to avoid the custom- School tutor, Mrs Eyles was always ary Summer term leaving speech and willing to take part in St Kate’s Day We will thoroughly miss her as a she managed to get out of it again this activities and was hugely competi- coach, and will not forget the happy time as the end of term fell on one of tive when it came to the 2p race, silly memories she brought to St Helen’s. her days off. She needs to come back games etc. There must be photos again and this time we will force her somewhere of costumes donned for Senior Lacrosse Squad on to the stage! various activities! Lisa Astbury She was a willing participant in the more adventurous activities at Kilve Court, encouraging her tutees in the process.

108 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 lLEAVING STAFF

MRS CHERYL MRS SUSAN MRS SUE EVANS SANCHEZ ALLWRIGHT We were extremely Mrs Evans was a pleased to welcome much loved PE We are all really Mrs Allwright into teacher at St Helens going to miss Mrs the Mathemat- for many years. Sanchez. ics Department in January 2012 for Whether it was As our teacher she two terms. teaching the Year was gentle, kind and always happy Seven’s their first lacrosse skills, to help girls with things they were Mrs Allwright always thought carefully coaching the Year Six’s in their netball struggling with. She was very gener- about how to explain each topic and games or accompanying the senior ous with stars and always had a smile would think of interesting questions girls on their lax tour to America, she on her face. in order to encourage each of her was loved by all. Mrs Evans taught students to enjoy mathematics as everything from athletics to swim- Good luck with your new job! much as she obviously does. She ran ming, as well as playing a key part in a Mathematics Club in the Summer the Lower School as a form tutor. Lauren Reed 6T Term and would always give up her time if anyone came to the Math- She was an inspirational woman who ematics Department for help with will be truly missed. MISS JENNIFER a mathematical problem during the ATTIA Flora McAlister 9H lunch hour. Madame Attia is one We wish her every success in the of the most enthusi- future. astic teachers I have ever met. Christine Russell I was fortunate to be taught French by her for one year, and as a class we not only benefitted from her meticulous teaching of French grammar, but also Many congratulations to Miss Bulmer her enthusiasm in educating us about MR OLIVER HOGBEN who on Saturday 7th July 2012 French culture as well. She always married Mr Warren at St Andrew’s lifted our moods with her passion for Mr Hogben’s love for Church, North Oxford. the language, teaching us through teaching never failed a range of innovative styles includ- to shine throughout Obituary: ing presentations, poems, songs and all that he did. debates. MRS NINA LEVICK In lessons he always Not only were we lucky with her It is with sadness managed to amuse that we note the grammatical precision but also her us with his fantastic anecdotes: An passion for music. With a musical death of Nina Levick, example (our class’s favourite), was who taught at background, Madame Attia intro- Mr Hogben’s trip to IKEA to purchase duced us to many beautiful French St Helens between September 2001 some flowers for a production. Notic- and November 2011 songs and famous singers. We were ing him leaving the lift clutching a even fortunate enough to hear her bouquet of flowers, a random chap Nina taught History of Art for ten beautiful singing in a concert she gave shouted “...I DO!” at school. I’m certain that I can speak years at St Helen’s. Her students were very fond of her and she was on behalf of all the pupils who were A more inspirational story was when taught by Madame Attia in saying that totally committed to them. She often he recounted how he had directed a led assemblies and the girls looked we will miss her very much. Not only play having never read it, which has for her brilliant teaching of the French forward to the days she took them, encouraged us as drama students to even asking to go to the hall early in language and culture, but also for her take risks and to trust our instincts. positivity and encouragement which order to get good seats. You had to Perhaps his most remarkable trait follow the themes very closely, as meant that there was never a dull is his fount of theatrical knowledge, moment in our lessons! they darted around in what seemed and how he finds ways to inspire a like a completely zany fashion, all Devised Piece from the most unex- delivered with immense zest, but at pected source; a modern film, a piece Alex Wilkinson, Head Girl the end all the disparate items came of classic literature or even a leaflet together and the message was always from Weightwatchers. worthwhile and sincere.

Nina always put 100% of her energy Rachel Mercer 11R into everything, and her exuberance always made people smile.

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 109 UPPER SCHOOL ART

Lydia Davies

Jessica Reaney

Lydia Davies

Madeline Armstrong

110 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 A2

ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 111 Leavers

Memoirs of a Head Girl - An address to Upper School

Maybe we’re getting old, or maybe time is playing tricks but I can’t quite believe how quickly the year has flown by, Without doubt, it’s been a year I’ll never forget. Togetherness in a year group in a great asset, and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people with whom to spend my time at St Hel- ens. Thank you all for granting me the honour of being Head Girl. You have supported me in ways I couldn’t have imagined, so thank you. To mention individuals in what has been such a closely knit team invidious, but I have to ask: where would we have been this year without Emma Shearer and her nationalistic pride in the colour green, a pride shown daily in those nails painted a beautiful emerald shade? Or Tara and Miranda’s fantastic questions and answers in general studies? Or to Bt for bringing us to St Kate’s Day victory? We were the year group that won the St Kate’s Day lax and gave birth to ‘Sno Green’. All in all, it’s been busy and hectic but also an unbelievably enjoyable time. Finally, US2, ‘though at this moment we’re heading into summer, to the end of our exams and the start of our lives beyond, I know a part of me will always wish we were back here, with our year at St Helen’s instead.

Thank you for a wonderful five years. Lucy Taylor.

112 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 113 DESTINATIONS OF LEAVERS

American Academy of Dramatic Arts

Edinburgh Glasgow

Durham

Leeds Manchester

Sheffield Liverpool

Nottingham Birmingham

University of East Anglia Warwick

Cardiff Cambridge

London

Bristol Surrey

Sussex Plymouth

Exeter

Reading Bournemouth

Southampton Oxford

Acting Anthropology and Archaeology Archaeology and Anthropology Architecture Biochemistry and Molecular Cell Biology Biomedical Sciences Business Management Business Management (Marketing) Chemistry Chemistry (International Programme) Classics Drama Economics English English and French English and Philosophy Environmental Management Film and Television Studies Film Production French and German French and Italian French and Spanish French Studies General Engineering Geography German German and Russian (Beginners) History History and Politics International Business Law Mechanical Engineering Medicine Modern Languages and European Studies Music Natural Sciences Neuroscience with Cognitive Science Pharmacy Philosophy Philosophy, Politics and Economics Prosthetics and Orthotics Psychology Psychology and Psychological Practice Psychology with Professional Placement Spanish and Int. Media & Communications Sports Therapy Theatre & Performance Theatre Studies Veterinary Biosciences Veterinary Science

114 ST HELEN & ST KATHARINE Magazine 2012 Editorial Team Meg Buckingham Matilda Dolin Clarissa Luxton Rea Averill Kate Simmons Alice Lowe Francesca Ramsey Charlotte Goosey Poppy McAlister Sophie Conway Holly Mason Georgina Lucas Martha Stone Eli Glover Sophia Steinsberg Lizzie Arnold Eliza Tracey Emily Macpherson Lucy Matthews Alisa Wai