2Nd March, 2018 Issue 16

Mr Leon Bareham Headteacher 0733 800 155 [email protected] Ms. Lucy Darwin Deputy Headteacher Pastoral 0734 700605 [email protected] Mr. Peter Wairi Deputy Headteacher Admin [email protected] Mr. Duncan Gowen Deputy Headteacher Academic [email protected] Mr. Chris Starling Deputy Headteacher Co- Curricular School Contacts 020 8067783/4, 020 2662137/8, 0724 255444 Hillcrest students at President’s Award Hiking/Camping weekend 20 IN THIS BULLETIN THIS ISSUE Page 2 – Head Teacher’s message; Alumni 2nd March, 2018 Page 3 – Board of Governors’ message; Deputy Head Page 5 – Inspiration from the Hexagon Issue 16 – 20 Page 7 – Junior School; Middle School Pages 8 and 9 – President’s Award Expedition Term 2 Page 10 - EAMUN Page 11 – Sixth Form; Music News Week 8 Pages 12 and 13 – Girls’ Hockey; Swimming Page 14 – Boys’ Hockey; Events U15 Boys’ Hockey team who won the Peponi Tournament last weekend Mr. John Eveson Head Teacher 0786 888 890 [email protected] Mrs. Razwana Kimutai Deputy Headteacher 0710 540 079 [email protected] Ms. Tiffaney Algar Deputy Headteacher 0717 041 506 [email protected] Mr. Maurice Otieno Head of Senior School 0722 740 795 [email protected] Ms. Jane Akelola Head of Middle School 0733 714 579 [email protected] Mrs. Kira Channa Head of Junior School 0723 688 666 [email protected] . MESSAGE FROM THE HEAD TEACHER Congratulations must go to our U15 boys who won the Hockey Tournament last week at Peponi School. This is becoming a most pleasing habit. Not only did they win, but they did not concede a single goal throughout the tournament. A winning formula is often built upon a stout defence. This weekend is the Hillcrest Hockey tournament; a popular event and in a sport about which we are passionate and have a strong winning record. I know they will play their best and be excellent role models for visiting schools. If you are free, please do come along and cheer them all on. On Thursday this week we hosted our annual Careers Encounter for Years 10, 11, and 12 students. The thing that makes it so valuable is the experience, advice and openness of those parents and contacts, who give their time and come to speak to those interested in their profession. The range of Careers catered for cannot fail to enthuse. Over sixty professions were represented. Many thanks to them. We also gave a briefing session for those Year 11 parents and students who are interested in our new range of BTECs on offer next year. We are planning to offer the following five new BTEC courses: Travel and Tourism, Sport, Business, Photography and Performing Arts. If you missed this opportunity, then please do ask us for more details. We have a range of literature available to explain these new courses, the entry qualifications and the destinations to which they can lead. Following Jive’s victory in the “Battle of the Bands” last year, we have three bands competing this year: two composed of Year 9 students, or a compilation of Years 9, 10 and 11; a third from Sixth Form. With the support of our students on Friday afternoon we have high hopes of a successive win. Finally, please do read the special message from our Chair of Governors. We all wish you a most pleasant weekend. John Eveson Head Teacher [email protected] ALUMNI NEWS – REIKO SAKIMURA - CLASS OF 1989 Reiko graduated from University of Cambridge (BA, Law) 1992; College of Law, Guildford 1993; Linklaters, London 1993 then was admitted as a solicitor in England & Wales 1995. UBS Warburg (Japan) Limited (Investment Banking Division), Tokyo 2000; Linklaters, Tokyo 2004. Admitted as an Attorney-at- Law in New York 2004. Registered as Gaikokuho Jimu Bengoshi (England & Wales) 2006. She joined Clifford Chance Tokyo as a Partner 2009. She specialises in international capital markets, including international debt and equity offerings, convertible/exchangeable bonds, IPOs, medium term note programmes, regulatory capital securities, corporate hybrid securities and samurai, uridashi and Tokyo Pro-Bond Market bonds. She also advises Japanese issuers and their advisers on EU securities laws. Reiko who is fluent in English and Japanese is foreign member of the Dai-ni Tokyo Bar Association Reiko is singled out for her prowess acting for major financial institutions in an array of bond transactions including MTN programmes. Clients report that: "She is good at making thorough disclosures in highly leveraged industries where there are constant reviews, and her judgement can be relied upon." She is also well versed in zero coupon convertible bonds and has advised a number of managers including Nomura International and the trustee, Law Debenture Trust, on the issuance of JPY15 billion of bonds due in 2020 and listed on the Singapore Exchange. Apart from her career success, I remember Reiko as an amazing musician when at school; I understand that she is still playing piano and is in a String Quartet for her company. Jackie Guest Alumni Coordinator [email protected] 2 MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD OF GOVENORS “This week we hosted two educational inspectors from the UK, who were reviewing the schools on behalf of a potential consortium of investors. They have now returned to the UK and it may be some weeks before any further outcome from the visit is determined. The current owners are in discussions with potential new investors, but as is typical in such situations, all parties are subject to a non disclosure agreement, which means detailed information, including the names of the parties, cannot be disclosed. However, the Board would like to reassure parents that our intention remains to sell the school to new investors, who are committed to the long term sustainability of Hillcrest and who bring appropriate educational expertise. We need to advise you that a successful transaction with potential investors is not certain, nor can a timetable for any finalisation be anticipated with any certainty. The Board remains committed to pursuing the School Improvement Strategy in which we are currently engaged, supported by the excellent leadership and staff we now have in place. We believe parents are seeing the impact of the strategy and this will continue irrespective of the timing of any change of ownership. We are committed to sharing news with parents as soon as we are able to do so”. Andrew Hollas Chairman CULTURAL DAY: Saturday, 24th March, 2018 It is almost time for one of our favourite events of the Year: The Annual Cultural Day! For those who have been around for a while, you know that Cultural Day is a day set aside for celebrating the very many different nationalities present in Kenya. Hillcrest Secondary and Prep Schools have students from at least 50 different nationalities. At this event, these nationalities will be represented by way of food and song. As students perform their well-rehearsed songs and dances, parents, relatives and friends will be in stalls selling their traditional food and drinks. This is one of the biggest charity events of the year. Every year, we donate the profits to a worthy cause of our choice. To this end, we are kindly requesting that you parents and guardians support us fully. You can support us by offering to run a stall to represent your country. In this stall, you will sell food that is representative of your tradition/ country/ nationality. Over the years, we have had massive support from parents with special mention to those from China, South Africa, Kenya, India, Israel, West Africa, Somalia, Ethiopia, U.K., Netherlands … and the list is not complete! The event commences at about midday, but parents running stalls should come earlier to set them up. We start off with students’ performances and round off the evening with a local, professional band; it is always delightful to see parents, students and staff “jam the evening away” to a mix of cultural music. We urge you to support us; not only is it for charity, but it is also a fun way to wind down a hectic term! Please do let me know if you can run a stall or even perform. If you can participate in this event kindly email me on on [email protected] Razwana Kimutai Deputy Head Academic [email protected] 3 4 INSPIRATION FROM THE HEXAGON MISTAKES? ‘If everything you try works, you are not trying hard enough.’ Gordon Moore Christel Flowers Focus Trainer for Learning Support [email protected] 5 6 JUNIOR SCHOOL Week eight of this very busy term feels very musical indeed. My heartiest congratulations to all the Year 9 students who participated in the Young Musicians Awards at Kenton College last weekend, five of the musicians have made their way through to the final, well done! This afternoon, I am taking all the Year 9 students to Brookhouse School to watch the “Battle of the Bands” in which their colleagues have put together two Year 9 bands; we also have a Senior School band. My thanks go to all parents who returned the consent letters that were given out yesterday. The two Year 9 bands performed in Assembly this week and did such an amazing job. It isn't easy to perform in front of the whole school, but after much cajoling by myself and Mrs Jago, they saw the benefit of doing a 'dry' run on their family first! I hope that all the Year 9 students are paying close attention to their homework diaries; some students are saying they are getting too much homework, whereas other students are saying they are not getting enough.

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