ColumnTHE ISSUE 6 2008 in this issue: • School News P2-5 • Old Stoics P6-7 • Old Stoics News P8-14 Speech Day • School Sport P14-15 • End Piece P16 It was a pleasure to welcome so many parents and guests to Speech Day at Stowe on Saturday 24 May, on what transpired to be the only dry day of a Bank Holiday weekend, to join with us in celebrating the achievements of Stoics over the past year. Excerpt from the Headmaster’s speech: whole school. In the words of a press the rounded individual. Our sportsmen and sportswomen This last year has fair claim to go release from the newly re launched down in the chronicles as one of the Department for Children, Schools combine high levels of participation more exceptional years in the and Families: “as leading knowledge with substantial success in rugby, development and success of Stowe. navigators you are mission critical to hockey, lacrosse, netball, squash, On the academic front, our successes achieving robust and effective tennis, swimming, basketball, golf, in public examinations – which are discharge pathways from the rowing, athletics, cross-country, only part of the totality of things – secondary phase of the intensive fencing and fives. Stowe ended the was very pleasing last summer. learning scenario.” last cricket season at the top of the Schools’ League Table and the At A-Level our excellent Upper 6th Other schools may boast of better lacrosse team had a magnificent run Formers of last year achieved a 100% facilities, but what matters most is of victories which culminated in a pass rate with 70% of them achieving people as individuals – each a person stunning win over Wycombe Abbey A and B grades. This is a significant in his or her own right, unique and in the last match of the term. Stoics increase on 60% in 2006, building unrepeatable, every one with an have routinely taken part in county, on a steady success from just 48% in innate potential for goodness and regional and national 2004. One Stoic, Calvin Ho, achieved greatness. Stowe strives to be the competitions and we find a remarkable six A grades last seed-bed for the individual, nurturing ourselves in the happy position summer while 32 others achieved at pupils to aim for high standards of of accepting transfers from least three A grades. GCSE results service, care and compassion in an other schools which cannot improved this year with the A* and atmosphere of friendliness, openness match the breadth and depth of A pass rate rising to 34% with Harry and acceptance. This is not just Burke achieving our first clean sweep our sporting excellence. Special idealistic wishful thinking. of 10 A*s. My thanks to the members mention this term should go to the of staff for their commitment, A good school will offer many swimmers who have enjoyed their dedication, love of teaching and opportunities for personal enterprise best season for many years with superb efforts to raise academic and and creative development which seconds being knocked off many intellectual standards across the constitutes the broad education of long-established school records. continued on page 2 School continued from page 1 Stowe continues to inspire creativity and and an inspiring occasion when something very innovation in the arts as could be seen in the valuable and central was stated or re-stated about exhibitions of paintings, design projects and the Stowe community. The Stoics were magnificent creative textiles. It was heartening to see the Arts and one could not mistake the strong sense of Design and Technology Festival expand into the Arts and Science Festival shared pride as The Queen and Prince Philip spent with lectures on sharks, plants, global warming the afternoon sampling the astonishing diversity of Competition – Advanced Class win and genetic engineering balancing the more Stowe. They were charmed by the friendliness, On Monday 3 March the Design Department, 16 familiar diet of plays, dance workshops, concerts warmth and openness of the Stoics who were in pupils with two members of staff (Mr Eve and and musical master-classes. There will be a further turn charmed by the royal couple’s graciousness, Mr Ardley) entered the 2008 Design and and final metamorphosis this autumn as we have dignity and good humour. Queen’s House is a Technology Tournament held at Aylesbury College. now settled on the Stowe Festival which means superb building, and it works: the quality is such 12 schools were represented across three that we can celebrate art, science and even bring that we have almost forgotten the difficult months categories: Basic, Intermediate and Advanced. sport into the mix. of stress and uncertainty caused by the contractor Stowe entered four teams of four students (three A- This year’s talented Senior Congreve cast staged a going into administration. Level and one 3rd Year group). There was stiff memorable double bill of ‘Six Characters Looking It is not just the big eye-catching projects like new competition, and all teams worked very hard. for an Author’ and ‘The Real Inspector Hound.’ It boarding houses and all-weather pitches that Stowe did very well, winning 1st and 2nd places was nice to hear that even Tom Stoppard, a former should be celebrated. There are the newly restored overall in the Advanced class, with the 2nd placed parent, wrote in to say that this was an unusual chimes of the school bells above the North Front team also receiving the award for Best Design and imaginative coupling of two very different but entrance, in the Chapel there is the quiet space for Portfolio. The actual challenge ‘task’ and design portfolios are on display in the Design centre for nevertheless complementary plays. contemplation which has been forged out of the visitors to see. Teams were: The musicians have continued to flourish with fine ante-chapel. At the swimming pool there is the performances given in the morning’s orchestral state-of-the-art timing system and electronic notice Overall Winners concert. Add the constantly high quality of singing boards. A newly restored lantern and weather vane Emma-Claire Bailey, Luke Davison, Henry Longton, from the Chapel Choir, marvellous jazz and wind in Cobham Court and the re-rendered stucco on Joshua Low bands, a weekly showcase of talent in the Music Nugent. Because of the scale of the work that is Second Overall and Best Design Portfolio Room on Wednesday afternoons, the countless going on at Stowe we sometimes forget to notice James Hale, Rowley Barclay, Natalie McDaid, rock bands that form and then dissolve – citing the small, almost indiscernible improvements that George Beaty, Henry Pilleau, Mark Goodenough, artistic differences – and you have all the elements are transforming our environment. Thank you to all Kit Dickinson, Will Childs, David Akam, Anna of a seriously musical school. those who have contributed so generously to the Carter, Molly Davison, Ben Hackett Campaign for Stowe making the changes – both The highlight of the year was of course the opening large and small – possible. of the new girls’ boarding house by Her Majesty The Queen on 29 November, a glorious golden day Dr Anthony Wallersteiner, Headmaster A greener Stowe Our appeal for redundant mobile phones to be Marathon Triumph collected for recycling has been very well supported. So far over 250 phones have been sent for Charity for recycling to CarbonNeutral Company. As a After a restful Easter Holiday while most were direct result 250 trees are being planted as part of enjoying the last Sunday morning of the holiday, their forestry project at Donkleywood, a large I made my way along to Greenwich along with native woodland recreation project in the the many thousands to one of the starts of the Northumberland National Park. This project will London marathon. Not my first and certainly not plant a mixture of species including birch and to be my fastest, I set off along the 26.2 mile aspen. It will offset some 20,000t of CO2 over 100 years. Donkleywood was once home to a native course with a spring in my step and isotonic woodland called Duncan’s Wood which was made drinks in my stomach! up of ancient oaks. This was cleared at the end of Having just been given a new GPS watch for my the 18th century for sheep farming. Remnant birthday, I used it to pace myself very effectively pockets of original woodland remain onsite and and ran to a steady pace to record 3 hours 42 mins. the project will link these pockets together to It was my most enjoyable race to date and my huge create the largest native woodland scheme in the thanks go to my family, Jude, George and Lucy who Northumberland National Park. This will make an supported me throughout the training and the day important contribution towards the National Park’s itself. Thanks also go to all my family, colleagues plan to increase the area of native woodland cover and friends that sponsored me and contributed to in the park to 4%. Public access is provided by the fantastic total of £5,400 raised for the Juvenile three public footpaths and a bridleway. Border Diabetes Research foundation. Looking forward to County Ride and Reivers Cycle Route, part of the next year already! National Cycle Network, run along the planting scheme’s northern boundary. Mr J Ing, Chatham Housemaster 2 ColumnTHE THE CAST Oliver ...........................Charlie Winton (3rd Form) Mr Bumble ...................Peter Last (Head of Geography) Widow Corney ..............Ro Masters (Deputy Head, Pastoral) Noah Claypole ..............Sam Halpert (Stowe Harvard Fellow) Mr Sowerberry .............Ed McLean