SPG Alumni newsletter 2011 Contents: P.2 Overview from Tricia Kelleher Development overview SPSFC update PFA events update P.3 Gospel singing workshop Junior School & Pre prep updates First official school photograph Barnardo’s Day P.4 Then & Now Cooking up a storm P.5 Books and other publications P.6 Our first male alumni P.7 Industry Focus on Medicine P.10 Retiring and leaving staff Group 35 reunion P.12 Obituaries P.14 Announcements P.15 SPG Reunion 2010 review P.16 SPG Reunion 2011 and 130th anniversary music concert 10 ways to get involved To coincide with our 130th anniversary, there Overview from will be activities and events you might be Development interested in attending, and we will be Tricia Kelleher Tom Read has joined the contacting you about these later in the year. Foundation as Development Welcome to our alumni newsletter for 2011 –we Officer. Tom’s role will focus on how Please do put the date in your diary for our had a great response to last year’s newsletter so fundraising can support the ethos 130th Anniversary Ball on Saturday 10 thank you for all your contributions and updates. of the school to meet its’ vision and September at Kings’ College. aims of development for the future. As you are probably aware, the last year has seen big at Cambridge Crown Court, Save the changes in alumni relations children fundraiser. Poppy Beddoe was . TheOPG Committee and SPSFC update organised a charity music concert to raise members agreed it was Our new co-educational 6th form has had a money for key vaccinations for children raising necessary for alumni phenomenal start, and as most of you know, in just over £1,300, La Manga netball tour in Spain relations to be run by the two years since opening its doors, the college has and a fundraising visit to The Gambia school. We hope this makes been awarded International Baccalaureate (IB) School it easier for you to keep in touch, to give us of the Year 2010 by The Sunday Times. news and changes of details. Our numbers are growing in the college, On behalf of the school, I would like to publicly currently 128 students, projected to be around thank all our Group Secretaries who have 150 for September 2011. Around 25% of those worked tirelessly over the years- some of students take the IB course, with the rest taking whom have led their groups for several A’ Levels. decades. This work has been invaluable in 42cnd Street helping us know our alumni better and we hope This success continues with around 25% of our you will still stay in touch with them, and students being offered an Oxbridge place. This 40 students from the Stephen Perse Foundation continue to update us of any new members figure continues to grow despite the fact that we took part in last term’s major production – 42nd you come across. are finding Oxbridge and other top university Street. First performed on Broadway in 1980, places are definitely harder to achieve than ever the musical has been dazzling audiences with This is our 130th Anniversary year, so we are before. We see this is due to a far greater global songs such as We’re in The Money, Lullaby Of looking at how we grow and develop as a market for UK university places and restrictions Broadway and 42nd Street for over 30 years. 2 Foundation. It is vital to us that we continue to on numbers of places on many courses The production was directed by Fina Mason be able to offer top-level education to as many (funding cuts). One of the biggest changes is with Matthew Rudd as Musical Director and was people as we can – this was part of our that it is getting even harder to distinguish performed at The Mumford Theatre in founders’ ethos. Therefore, part of our vision between students at the top level so students Cambridge to enthusiastic audiences. The cast will look at how we might expand our wishing to prove themselves at the very top were joined by the members of the full school fundraising opportunities to coincide with this need to work significantly harder to evidence it. orchestra with other senior school students special anniversary and beyond. In many ways, the IB course gives students a forming the backstage team. This term the different way of demonstrating this evidence. production for Years 8 and 9 is a creative The schools in the Foundation go from strength adaptation of Bram Stoker’s chilling novel to strength, and this year, we have acquired There have been some great highlights for the Dracula. The Year 7 production will take place in Madingley Pre-Prep school, meaning that we 6th form in the past year including (((I can’t get the summer term. can educate pupils from the age of 3-18. I’m rid of the bullets, but want to condense to a delighted to welcome our first male alumni from sentence instead and make 42cnd Street a If you would like to go on a mailing list to buy our 6th form college, which has already won different bolder bit?))) By doing this, please can tickets for music or drama events, please let the the accolade of ‘Sunday Times IB College of the PFA bit go in space provided and that way alumni office know. the Year 2010’. give Barnardo’s a bit of room? The Mock Trial In this newsletter, we see some of the wide and PFA fundraising update wine-tasting evening and the annual Christmas varied directions our alumni have taken. The Fayre at the junior school, which proved as (Parents and Friends of Stephen Perse common theme is that the school equipped popular as ever. Foundation) events update them with self motivation, good preparation for life and encouraged an inquisitive mind. Not The next few months promise to be equally This year has seen the Stephen Perse least in terms of academic qualifications, but busy, with more social events planned for the Foundation PFA go from strength to strength, also the skills needed to carve a successful summer. The PFA is also delighted to support with a full programme of events for both junior path in life. the Foundation in celebrating its 130th birthday, and senior school parents. Last summer saw and is helping to organise a special anniversary the highly successful Quiz Night and Silent I hope you will be able to join us for our next ball, taking place at Kings College, Cambridge Auction raise nearly £3,500 towards the SPG reunion on 18 June. If you can’t make on Saturday 10th September 2011. The ball is refurbishment of the school gym. More than that day, there are other ways to get involved - open to everyone, and we would love to 150 parents and staff battled it out in a tightly see the back of the newsletter. welcome back as many alumni as possible for fought team contest. Last term also had a what is sure to be a memorable evening. For packed programme of events, with the I look forward to seeing some of you in June. more information, and to book your tickets traditional welcome drinks for new parents, a please contact Alison Sansome on … (details Gospel singing Junior school & pre-prep updates 2009-10 was a special year for the Junior workshop School because January brought the 50th anniversary of our move from 52 Bateman In June 2010, 75 boys and girls aged between Street to the current site on St Eligius Street. 9 and 13 from a range of local schools enjoyed This was marked in different ways: a 1960s a gospel singing workshop before taking part style charity concert, the Eco-Committee’s in a concert in front of family and friends. Led delivery of 50 trees to Milton Country Park and by gospel composer and conductor, Tina Brooks, the children learned a number of School, new equipment was installed and is gospel and negro spiritual songs (and actions), now providing hours of pleasure for the girls in singing in unison and harmony to create a truly Years 3-6 and girls and boys in Year 2! The memorable sound. We are very grateful to the spring surfer, outdoor stage and story-teller’s Whittlesford Community Gospel Choir who chair are particular favourites. The children and joined the children for the evening staff are always keen to welcome visitors to the performance. Junior School, particularly those with special East Anglian Children’s Hospice, celebration connections, so if you would like to call and tell We will be running future musical workshops tea parties in the garden of 5 Brookside us about life as a Perse girl in your day we that will be open to all, so keep an eye on our organised by the PFA, and an assembly visit would love to hear from you! website. from an Old Persean, Christine McRitchie Pratt, Madingley Pre-Preparatory School, became who shared her memories of moving into the part of The Foundation in June 2010. The ‘new’ Junior School 50 years ago. school is a co-educational independent school As well as thinking of others, our pupils had fun for children aged 3 – 7 situated three miles from thinking about how they might upgrade their the City Centre, and means that the foundation playground. After much deliberation a ‘wish list’ now offers education from age 3-18. The photo was drawn up and, thanks to the generosity of shows pupils making cakes to celebrate the a couple whose daughters are in the Senior Stephen Perse 130th anniversary.