The Rochester Grammar School 2015 Alumni Newsletter* *previously Old Girls Association Welcome to the 2015 RGS Alumni Association Newsletter! Many thanks to those of you who contacted us last year with feedback on the new format. We have made some improvements this year which will hopefully make this year’s newsletter easier to read and even more informative. Even more of you have responded to our request for email addresses, which means we have been able to save money and get this newsletter to you earlier this year. Many thanks to you all and to the Committee who work hard all year round to ensure the Alumni Association runs like clockwork! We are always delighted to hear from you, and have enjoyed catching up on news from alumni as we compiled this year’s newsletter. We would love for you to join us for the AGM and Annual Lunch on 17th October 2015 to see friends, share memories and see the school. Why not organise a table of friends from your year group? Forms for this, and to become a member of the Alumni Association, if you are not one already, can be found at the end of this newsletter. If you are a member already, please take time to read the feature on membership and get in touch to share your thoughts and ideas. This year’s newsletter features some memories from the school in World War II and an opportunity to read through a summary of the history of the school compiled for current RGS students to study as part of the Founders’ Day celebrations last summer. We were also delighted to hear from the first ever recipient of the new Alumni Award for “Service not Self”, which many of you will have read about in previous newsletters. Please do share this newsletter with as many RGS friends as you’d like, and encourage them to become members too. If you have news or photographs you’d like to share, or any other questions, you can contact the Committee through all the usual channels, and Ann (Chairman) and Avril’s (Treasurer and Membership Secretary) details are at the end of the newsletter. In addition, you can email us at [email protected] or on twitter @RGSKentAlumni. Enjoy! The Alumni Association Committee RGS ALUMNI ANNUAL LUNCH The Rochester Grammar School Alumni Association invite you to join us for our AGM, a tour and then lunch on Saturday 17th October 2015, £22 This annual get together reunites we ‘Old Girls’ and offers chance to reminisce about the old days and MENU celebrate the new. Enjoy a tour of the new school buildings, then join Honey Roast Gammon us for the AGM to hear about the activities of the Committee and Beef Lasagne current RGS news. Following this will be a delicious lunch, at the end of Wild Mushroom Tart with Thyme which our speakers will share some thoughts with us. If you are unable to join us for the whole day, please feel Tomato & Mozzerella Salad (separate dressing) free to just come to lunch. Mixed Green Leaves with Toasted Pine Nuts & Parmesan Shavings There will also be a raffle and donations of prizes would be Green Beans appreciated. Coleslaw Why not get in touch with a few friends from your year and organise a Hot New Potatoes table for a mini reunion? Sun Dried Tomato or Balsamic Dressings To attend, please complete the form at the end of this newsletter and return to Sarah Earle. Chocolate Truffle Torte Apple & Cinnamon Crumble Raspberry Mouse with a Thick Summer Fruit Compote Base Cream or Custard Gipsy Tart After Dinner Mints The new E block Tea/Coffee Please bring something you would like to drink. Don’t forget your camera or your purse! Lots to look forward to… We would love to see and share your pictures of the lunch, especially if This year, we have not invited a keynote speaker, but instead are hoping to it marks the reunion of old school share with you some of the stories of RGS students past and present. The friends! Bring your camera along and current Executive Officer Team (aka Head Girl and colleagues) are working send us any pictures with suggested with the Committee to bring you a short presentation about the adventures of captions afterwards – we will include NChant, RGS senior choir and finalists of the Songs of Praise School Choir of as many as we can in next year’s the Year 2014, and some of our successful alumni, including up and coming newsletter. author Alice Oseman, featured in last year’s magazine. Alongside the collection for the Our tour of the school usually introduces us to new buildings on the school Alumni Award, there will be an site, but this year has been a quiet one for building, and thus, instead, two opportunity to buy the beautiful RGS of our staff alumni have offered to lead a tour of the Psychology and Science pin badge (which was on sale last departments. This should be an interesting and informative tour for any who year), plus signed copies of Alice’s wish to take part, and will include the opportunity to ask questions and see book published last year, Solitaire. student work on display. 2 Timetable for the day: 10.30am Registration 11.00am Tour 12.00pm AGM 1.00pm Lunch 2.30pm Keynote speeches THE ALUMNI AWARD – SERVICE NOT SELF At the lunch we will be asking for a £1 donation from each person to finance a money prize to accompany the new Alumni Trophy. The student recipient will be able to purchase a book/music item and the Trophy will remain at school. For more information on this award see page 7 3 THE ROCHESTER GRAMMAR SCHOOL ALUMNI ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Summary of the Annual General Meeting held on 13th September 2014, 11.45am Ann West welcomed everyone to the University. Two students achieved 3+ 3rd year of the Comenius project AGM. A* grades, 30 students achieved 3+ involving students from Germany, A* or A grades, 41% achieved AAB or France and Italy. RGS won the district Apologies were received from Gay better. athletics for the 3rd year running Barker, Heather Gilbert, Myrna and the district cross country. World Reader, Sheena Florance, Elaine The International Baccalaureate Challenge students travelled to rural Gardner, Gwen Pope and Pat Boyle. Diploma results were also China. During the course of the year, outstanding, with an average score students raised over £14,000 for The Minutes of the Previous AGM of 37, an average UCAS score of charities. There were two fantastic were read agreed and signed off by 543 (equivalent to 4 A* grades). The productions; the school play, the Ann West. There were no matters average Higher grade obtained per Wizard of Oz and the game-themed arising. subject was 5.8 and 92% of Higher dance show, Soliflaire. Nchant were grades were 5.7. Results were above in the finals of the Songs of Praise Presidents Report – Denise the worldwide average. School Choir of the Year competition, Shepherd narrowly pipped to the post at the GCSE Performance 2014 was 69% last hurdle, but performing beautifully Ms. Shepherd once again gave a very A*/ A grades, 100% 5+ A* - C grades under the direction of Carolyn comprehensive report on the Schools (including English and Mathematics), Woodman. RGS won the Medway results and progress. The Thinking and the average (best) 8 subjects Young Dragons speaking contest. Schools Academy Trust is now “a Average Point Score was 427.5 The STEM (Science, Technology, family of schools who are stronger (equivalent to 2A* and 6A). Engineering and Maths) group won together”. The mission statement and the “National Big Bang Competition”. moral purpose is to “Improve the life Apart from exceptional academic chances of all our children and young performance, the school has enjoyed Chairpersons Report - Ann West people; embed the philosophy of a a fantastic year. In the World memory MBE JP DL thinking school through transforming Championships, RGS student Ariana teaching, learning and leadership that Prince was crowned the UK schools This has been a different year, we will accelerate learner progress and Champion. RGS completed the lost our very strong member of staff cognitive development” There are now six schools in the Medway Hub (Rochester Grammar School, Chatham Grammar School (boys), New Horizons, All Faiths and Gordon Infants and Juniors. There are also three Schools in the Portsmouth Hub. Further schools are expected to join both hubs shortly. RGS results 2014 were again outstanding. Year 13 achieved 83% A*-B at A2 and 84% A*-B (including equivalent IB scores). Year 11 achieved 69% A*/A overall. At A2, RGS was the highest achieving school in Medway, and the highest achieving state school in Kent and Medway apart from The Judd. RGS also achieved the highest Average Point Score per entry in Medway. Over three quarters of students gained their first choice places at Sports Day 4 in this field. We plan to use the email system to send out the date of next year’s lunch as soon as we agree it with the school. People can then get the date into their diary and not have to wait for the newsletter. We did look at having the lunch in May, near Founders Day, but we would not all be able to attend the Cathedral as there is insufficient room. We are therefore planning for the weekend before the October half term. A welcome was extended to any Alumni members of staff, former staff members and Student Executive Officers, thanks was offered to Denise Last year’s production of The Wizard of Oz for her help and support and further link, Christie Ransom, as she was fund from Liz Cordone (Styles) was thanks to the Alumni Committee.