February 2016 NEWSLETTER

February 2016 NEWSLETTER From the Headteacher We have had another busy half-term. We have recently been meeting with all our year 11 pupils to discuss their mock exam results and help them to plan on how they will build on their recent successes for the summer and beyond. The message is clear to all our pupils – with hard work and determination they will succeed in their exams! There is so much more though to BSG as you will be able to see from the stories in this newsletter. Last week our senior team led by Olivia Burt and Caitlin Gregory organised an excellent conference with inspiring speakers on the theme of ‘unleash your potential’ for pupils and parents. In this newsletter you can read more about it along with a whole range of other successes this half term. I am sure parents will join me in thanking staff who give up so much of their own time to support the girls in their various activities and events. It has been a particular privilege to interview over 70 students from Year 12 who have applied to be a part of our senior prefect team. I am always humbled at the sheer range of talent and involvement in both the school and wider commu- nity which so many girls show. My thanks go to our outgoing senior team so ably led by our Head Girl Olivia and her deputy Caitlin, and our team of House Captains who have done sterling service this year. I am delighted that we have made the following appointments for the coming year: Head Girl Bridget Dence Deputy Head Girl Megan Lucas House Captain Katy Packer Austen Deputy House Captain Beatrice Skene House Captain Katie Arnold Curie Deputy House Captain Jack Searle House Captain Ellie Horan Franklin Deputy House Captain Jasmine Pang House Captain Charlotte Thomas Parks Deputy House Captain Daisy Christian-Edwards House Captain Hannah Mayne Rossetti Deputy House Captain Amber Nicholas House Captain Frances Hand Shelley Deputy House Captain Ethel Lingad I hope you have all a restful half term break and we send best wishes to all going on the school ski trip next week to America. My grateful thanks to all staff accompanying the visit who are giving of their time so freely for the benefit of the girls. We are looking forward to a sell-out PSA Quiz Night after half term. Over 160 mums, dads, daughters, staff and friends are joining us for a night of trivia and curry. This is always an excellent social occasion! If you have not bought tickets yet you may not be too late! To the following pupils who have received Headteacher's Commendations for 80 merits Erin Child (7F) Hollie Pouncett (7F) To the following pupil who has achieved one hundred and twenty merits: Alice Dawson In January, fourteen year 13 biologists took part in the British Biology Olympiad (BBO). The BBO is an international competition open to students around the world that challenges and stimulates students with an interest in biology to expand and extend their talents. It enables students to demonstrate their knowledge and to be suitably rewarded and publicly recognised by the award of medals, certificates and other prizes. It is hoped that competing in the Olympiad will encourage students already interested in this valuable, wide-ranging and rewarding subject to continue their study beyond A-level. It consisted of two 1 hour multiple choice papers taken online. Students did really well and achieved the following results: Claudia Santoni Gold Mengting Chen Bronze Annabelle Culling Highly commended Rebecca Price Gold Alix Zelly Bronze Inger Nyman Highly commended Madeleine Taylor Gold Natalie Pursglove Bronze Maya Darnton Highly commended Bryony Barker Silver Erin Robinson Bronze Celeste Man Highly commended Georgia Slater Silver Siliang Yao Bronze Claudia Santoni was one of the top gold medal winning students that took part internationally and now goes forward to take an additional paper in March to compete for a place on the UK team that will enter the International Biology Olympiad to be held in Vietnam later in the year. Miss Yendole with lots of windows. The sky was a individuals can have. Next was high, bright-blue square above us, Jeremy Corbyn, the leader of the with wispy, white clouds racing Labour party, who discussed his across it. We all queued up to go in experiences with human rights in through the doors on the other side parliament, and how lucky we are to of the courtyard, opposite the ‘in’ live in a country where human rights and ‘out’ arches. are above party policy (that is, everyone agrees that human rights Inside the doors, there was a small are not something which can be but incredibly elaborate entrance ignored, and that we must have hall. Everything was exquisitely systems in place to prevent violations decorated, with lots of little crests of them). everywhere, and marvellously Our walk through the city from the intricate designs picked out in red, At this point, there was an interlude, coach station was very scenic and blue and gold. I had been expecting while Jeremy Corbyn tried to deal had taken us past something like what one sees of the with all the people who wanted to Buckingham Palace. We had no Houses of Parliament on the speak to him. Then John Bercow, the idea what to expect as we arrived television – a great room of tiered Speaker of the House himself, came at Portcullis House, where we had green seats – but it was nothing like in and addressed us from the lectern been told to enter the building. that at all. It was more like the as well. Portcullis House is just across the rooms of a particularly spectacular street from Big Ben and it has a After that, we visited a few more of and well-maintained National Trust splendid view of the Thames and the the stands. There was one table property. London Eye. where we could use some pairs of The reception we attended was ‘virtual reality goggles’ and Here, we met Ms Anne Montague, spread over three large rooms. headphones to experience what it is with whom Dr Ellsmore had been in There were little stands dotted like to be in solitary confinement in a contact to organise the trip. We everywhere, each devoted to a tiny cell. This was distinctly at odds entered the building through a large particular prisoner of conscience with our actual, extremely opulent glass turnstile, and beyond that, whose plight is being highlighted in and cordial, surroundings. We also there was a series of security the ‘Write for Rights’ campaign. It wrote some letters to a precautions a lot like those one wasn’t long before the speakers Mr Albert Woodfox, who has been would find at an airport. We were began to address us from a lectern imprisoned in such a cell for over admitted into a lobby area right at in front of the hearth of the largest forty years, in Louisiana, the USA, the front of the building, behind the of the rooms. despite his original conviction having large windows. It was all much more been overturned. modern than I had expected. We The first speaker introduced the could see through the glass into the event and spoke generally about To conclude, we found it so inspiring main building, where there seemed the importance of human rights. He for our little group to be invited to to be real trees growing, stretching was followed to by another man such a prestigious event. A lot was up towards the skylights in the high who was kept as a prisoner of said about how effective it can be roof. conscience when he was a student. when many individuals act together He was very grateful to Amnesty to achieve something, which was also Presently we were led into the International for their campaigns, encouraging. Overall, it was just such actual Houses of Parliament through which eventually led to the release an honour for us to have been a tunnel under the road, along with of him and his friends, and later that invited. all the other Amnesty supporters who of his father, who was arrested for had been invited to the event. The participating in a peaceful protest. Speaker’s House had its own Then the lady who is at the helm of courtyard outside, which was used as Amnesty International, Kate Allen, a carpark. This was walled on all sides by the fronts of tall, sandy- talked about Human Rights Day, and coloured, old-fashioned buildings how much impact small actions by Many thanks to all year 7 students who took part in the Spellathon last term. An incredible £1,381 was raised and sent to Mencap to help young people with learning disabilities. Many students succeeded in learning all 100 words. A special mention should go to 7C who raised a very impressive £576.75, and to Rebecca Geldart in 7R who raised £140 on her own. Mrs Driscoll Both our Schools Challenge squads did very well this half-term. In the Junior Schools Challenge competition (years 7 and 8), January 25th saw our 3 teams at Bryanston for the Wessex regional contest in which 16 teams from 10 schools took part. Although none of the teams reached the semi-final, our ‘B’ Team, comprising Mali Foote, Emily McLellan, Samantha Radaelli and Rebecca Warner, though knocked out in the first round, recovered gallantly and sailed through to win the Plate competition. The senior team (Sarah Harlow Boardman, Jack Searle, Caitlin Ridgway and Grace Weaver) travelled to King’s College, Taunton, to play the Wessex regional final.

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