Issue 88, Friday 2 May 2014

eNewsA Royal Appointment for Chapel Choir

Members of the Chapel Choir were delighted to be invited to sing at The Price Philip Trust Raceday at Ascot on Wednesday 30 April. The girls performed as guests arrived and also sang grace after HRH the Earl of Wessex had delivered a speech to the 400 guests.

Centenary Battlefi elds Tour

On Saturday 26 April, 25 girls accompanied by Miss Jackson, Mrs Owens, Mr Sharkey Mrs Potter and Mrs Macro got up early to come to school for the St George’s Centenary Battlefi eld Tour of the Ypres Salient and the Somme. The weather was damp but everyone was excited. We set off for the Eurotunnel and arrived in Ypres just after lunch.

The fi rst stop was Essex Farm Cemetery in Ypres, it is a small Commonwealth War cemetery and amongst the men buried here are VJ Strudwick, a VC winner, who was only 15 years old and had lied about his age. The cemetery is also next to a fi eld hospital, famous for being where John McCrea wrote ‘In Flanders Fields’ the well-known war poem. We then visited the German cemetery at Langemark. There are about 45,000 burials at this cemetery including a ‘comrade’s grave’ with 25,000 men in it. There was a totally different atmosphere between the two which was interesting to experience and refl ect upon. The last cemetery of the day was Tyne Cot, the largest commonwealth cemetery. It has 12,000 graves and about 34,000 names of those missing and it is a very moving place. Charlotte Coates was able to fi nd the name of her relative who is listed on the wall of the missing. The whole experience of the large cemetery was very moving. All the girls found it really interesting to see all of the graves of the soldiers who fought in the Great War, and they tried imagine who they were.

That evening after supper, we attended the daily memorial ceremony at the Menin Gate with many others and Ella Davis was able to fi nd a member of her family listed. We then got to visit the Leonidas chocolate shop much to the delight of everyone.

On Saturday 26 April, 25 girls accompanied by Miss Jackson, Mrs

The next day we visited Sanctuary Wood, which has preserved communication trenches to give us a feel of what life might have been like for the soldiers. We then returned to Ypres to the Flanders Field Museum; we needed a whole day to see everything but the photographs and exhibits gave us an idea of the scale of the fi ghting and conditions for the soldiers, as well as the civilians who were still in the areas the fi ghting was taking place.

We then headed for France, visiting Vimy Ridge which has a totally different type of memorial for the Canadian soldiers, on to Thiepval where Lily Caines, Mrs Owens and Mr Sharkey found more names of relatives missing in action, and then to Beaumont Hamel, another Canadian memorial where you can see the outline of the trenches.

We then started out on our longer than expected trip home, resulting in us unexpectedly getting the ferry home and watching Miss Jackson and Mrs Owens racing around moving cones and directing French traffi c. It was such a good trip, thank you to Miss Jackson, Mr Sharkey, Mrs Owens and Mrs Potter and Mrs Macro.

The International Junior Netball Festival – U15

On Monday 14 April, the U15s started their campaign to win the 2014 International Junior Netball Festival at Disneyland Paris. 64 teams took to the courts, each playing seven 14 minute matches to decide which competition they would be playing in on the final day.

Our first match was against Acklam Grange School ‘A’ team. We were all very nervous, but once Scarlet scored the first goal we calmed down and got into a good rhythm. We won 12-2 with Rosie Fisher receiving a mention for her play in defence. Our second match was against Burnt Mill Academy ‘B’ who were competitive but started to make simple mistakes. We won 8-2 with Emily Hughes receiving a mention. Our third match was against Leeds Stars Netball Club. Again our defence proved too good for the opposition and we won 14-3 with Stephanie Bankole receiving a mention.

Our fourth match was against Blundells School and like us, they played fast and hard with both teams scoring after their centre. This turned out to be an extremely tight match and we drew 6-6 with Esme French pulling out all the stops to receive the mention. Our fifth match was against Hinchingbrooke School and after an excellent 7-1 first half we switched our players to allow them a well-earned rest. At this point in the competition the heat in the building was beginning to cause the players to tire and only those that were fit were able to keep playing in every match. We won 13-5 with the mention going to Caroline Phillips for some excellent shooting. Our sixth match was against Brooksbank School ‘A’ team who were a very experienced team. We tried valiantly to minimise their options but eventually lost 9-19 with Sophie Maclean receiving the mention for her continued effort.

In our final match of the day we played Chelmsford County High School and we knew that if we won it would place us very high in the competition on the final day. We all put in 100% effort and played exceptional netball, winning 11-3 with Scarlet Mason scoring some amazing goals and the mention. At the end of a very hot afternoon, Player of the Day went to Rosie Fisher who started the competition as WA but happily switched to Defence to help her team mates. The team finished second in Pool D with 16 points having scored 73 goals and only conceding 41.

On the second day the girls received coaching from a number of Super League and England players. It included a skills session and lots of fun competitions. Our coach for the morning chose Alice Robbins as Player of the Day for her enthusiasm and energy.

Finals day came very quickly and on arrival we learnt that we had made it into the top eight teams in the whole competition and would therefore play in the International Showdown Cup. All of us were very excited and thrilled to have the opportunity to play the number one ranked team from Mount St Benedict College in Australia. Matches on this finals day were 28 minutes long with a 2 minute half time.

We started nervously and quickly realised that this was going to be a very fast match as the Australians were very agile and accurate with their passing. Every time the ball entered their goal circle they scored making it very difficult to gain possession. At 3-0 down Scarlet scored our first goal and the entire team cheered. From here we gained in confidence and the final score was 21-6 to the Australians. To put our score into perspective the Mount St Benedict ‘College A’ team scored 161 goals and conceded only 15 in the seven matches played on Monday, so our 6 goals against them was a fantastic achievement. The mention goes to Emily Hughes for her determination and effort in defence.

We then played St Catherine’s Bramley in the Semi Finals and had a great game taking control quickly. With excellent coordination between our players we won 19-3 with Esme French, our captain, receiving the mention. Our last game of the competition was against Brooksbank ‘A’ team who we had previously played on day one. This would decide which team came fifth and sixth out of the 64 teams. We tried exceptionally hard and after a number of switches of players through injury the final score was 20-5 against us. The mention went to Stephanie Bankole who played the second half as Centre having never played this position before. Player of the Day goes to Scarlet Mason who not only scored some fantastic goals but also learnt to jump for her rebounds.

Overall we were all thrilled to have performed so well and achieved 6th position in the competition. The eventual winners were Mount St Benedict College ‘A’ team.

The Player of the Tour went to Esme French for her outstanding ability and effort.

Netball Tour 2014

The International Junior Netball Festival – U16Having spent the morning in the Disneyland Park the U16 team played in their first pool netball match against Lode Heath School. It was a tough start with a few nerves showing initially, but once the first goal was scored the team settled into their game and managed to win the match 10-8. Mention in this game went to Caitlin McArthur for her defensive work and excellent interceptions.

In our second match, we played against Burnt Mill Academy in a slightly easier match and ran out winners by 14 – 1. As we did not have our regular goal shooter with us throughout the tournament, all of the squad players rotated to have a go at shooting, and this game not only did Eliza Ballin score, she also fed the ball into Octavia Mason extremely well and thoroughly deserved her mention.

In our third match, we played against the first of 2 netball clubs in our pool; Swan Netball Club. Unfortunately the speed of their play was too much for us on this occasion and the team lost 4 – 17. Anna Mason claimed the mention for her continued determination and play up and down the court. Acklam Grange School ‘B’ were our next opponents and having just lost our first game it was an excellent response by everyone and we ran out easy winners by 20 – 0. There was some excellent shooting by Octavia Mason and Caitlin McArthur, but Olivia Haig received the mention for her excellent and consistent passing into the circle.

In our fifth match, we played Bicester College and not only played extremely well, but also prevented the opposition from scoring at all, winning eventually by 17 – 0. Mention in this game went to Octavia Mason for her excellent shooting percentage. Ribble Valley Netball Club were our next opponents and even though the teams legs were tiring, we put up an excellent performance but unfortunately lost the game by 9 – 11. Anna Mason was the mention in this game for her consistent passing and movement around the court.

In our final game of the day we needed to win in order to ensure that the team qualified for a place in the top 16 and the afternoon session on finals day. We played against Brooksbank School ‘B’ team and after a tight start got into the flow of things winning the game by 16 – 2. Octavia Mason continued with her strong run of form and received the mention for this match.

At the end of a tiring first day the team managed to finish 3rd in their pool with 15 points, scoring 92 goals and conceding 40. Player of the day went to Octavia Mason for her outstanding play in all of the matches. During the coaching session on the second day it was left to the Super League and England players who were taking the group to choose their player of the day. Caitlin McArthur was chosen for her improvement, ability, and overall involvement and attitude throughout the session.

The next day was the 'Finals' and we were placed in the Challenger Cup Competition, and we realised that we would be fighting for not only the cup but also to achieve a top 10 position in the overall tournament. In our opening quarter-final match we played Chelsea Academy and right from the off got into the swing of things, moving the ball quickly down the court where it was converted easily by our shooters.

The finals games were longer, but the team competed with ease and ran out eventual winners by 22 – 9 with Octavia Mason receiving the mention. In the semi-final we met Mount St Benedict College ‘C’ team from Australia who were to be very hard to beat with both their ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams playing in the showdown cup competition and being renowned as being the strongest school at the tournament. It was end to end straight from the start with there never being more than 2 goals difference between the teams. However, St George’s pushed on and won by 22 – 20 which meant that we had qualified for the final!!

In the final we met Blundells School and had another very tight and fast match. The team gave it everything and were desperate to get that winning goal. Both teams raised their game and every single girl played their part in a fantastic match. However, when the final whistle was blown we didn’t quite make it and ended up losing by 14 – 17. Mention in this match went to Eliza Ballin who had played exceptionally well in all of the matches as our stand in goal shooter.

The team finished runners-up overall which meant that out of the 64 teams competing in the entire tournament, they ended up in 10th position which was an unbelievable achievement without our regular goal shooter. Congratulations go to all of the team members for being flexible in their playing positions and for standard of play during the tournament. Player of the Day went to Anna Mason and Player of the Tour went to Octavia Mason whose consistent performances throughout the tournament were recognised not only by us, but also everyone else at the tournament.

Only St George’s and the Australian school, Mount St Benedict College, managed to get both their ‘A’ and ‘B’ teams into the top 10 so we were delighted with this fantastic achievement. The best was still to come though, when St George’s was awarded the umpires' special award for ‘The Spirit of the Games’. This showed that not only are our girls fantastic netball players but that they also play their games in a fun but respectful manner.

Well done to all players for a fantastic tour.

Netball Tour 2014

Ski Trip 2014

This year’s ski trip took us to Risoul in the La Foret Blanche ski area in France. We stayed in Le Morgan Hotel which was close to the slopes and we were lucky to have clear blue skies and good snow for the time of year. All the girls had a wonderful time, or so they told me, and for many, it was their first experience on skis. The beginners’ progressed amazingly well in their lessons and everyone gained a certificate and badge at the end of the week.

The girls looked forward to the varied evening entertainment and the Karaoke night was a great success. I think that we just about managed to clear the bar of customers!! The Luge was very exciting and the girls enjoyed pelting each other and the staff with snowballs. The bakery next to the hotel had a constant queue of Georgians waiting for their freshly cooked Churros!

The girls were a delight to spend the week with; they were kind, courteous and excellent company. They made the job of the staff very easy and were a credit to the school.

Mrs Fidler

GCSE DRAMA

The GCSE examined performances took place on Tuesday 29 April. The three groups performed their 25 minute devised pieces to an external adjudicator. The pieces were based on the Columbine Massacre, 9/11 and Honour Killings.

Georgian Gallop 2014

Congratulations to Darwin House who took fi rst place in this year's Gallop! It was a fantastic atmosphere and well done to all those who took part!

Congratulations to Sophie Griffin (1Y) who won the yummy Giant cookie in one of our fund raising initiatives for this term!

Charity Cookie Win! UK Maths Challenge

Congratulations to Moe Kishima (5Y) who qualified for and competed in the 2nd round of the Intermediate Maths Challenge - the European Pink Kangaroo competition for students around the world in Fourth and Fifth Year, or equivalent. Moe obtained the highest possible award for the paper, a certificate of merit, which is a fantastic achievement. Kangourou sans Frontières (KSF) is an independent association, whose purpose is to organise the annual Kangaroo contest with the aim of promoting mathematics among young people around the world. The name sounds strange, but recognises the fact that the organisation was inspired by the Australian Mathematics Trust. Each year over six million school pupils aged 5-18 from more than 50 countries throughout the world take part at various levels. So when you sit the Kangaroo you are part of a huge community of maths students! The UKMT has been involved in Kangaroo activities for many years and uses the hour-long multiple-choice papers (in English) as an extension to the Intermediate Challenge.

Green Dragons Enterprise Day

Members of the Fourth Year had a fantastic day on 24 April on a Green Dragon experience day run by Bright Green Enterprises.

An environmental twist on 'Dragons Den', over the course of the day, the girls had to invent, develop and present an environmentally friendly business concept. Working in teams, students challenge themselves to develop their environmentally friendly business: from the drawing board to the business pitch, teams join together their skills and ideas to develop new and innovative ideas. They also had the opportunity to see how these skills can transfer to their futures at university and in their careers.

The girls worked very well together and came up with amazing ideas ranging from shoes that produced wifi to naturally produced sun cream. The presentations from each group were excellent and the girls thoroughly enjoyed the day.

We are delighted to welcome Sophie Sitch and Elsa Robertson who join us this term from St Catherine's School in Melbourne Australia as part of our Annual Australia Exchange.

The girls are staying with their host families and have already been exploring Ascot, Windsor and London, as well as settling in to school life here at St George's.

Australia Exchange

Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme We had a large group of girls head off to the Lake District at the end of March for their Bronze and Silver Practice Expeditions. They had a great time, the sun shone (a bit) and no one got lost!

5 Minutes with …

Name & Qualifications: Kato Harris BSc PGCE FRGS CGeog

Job Title: Deputy Head (Academic)

What did you do before St George’s? I was Assistant Head at South Hampstead High School. What is your greatest achievement? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-s2iKUBaFo

How would you describe yourself in 3 words? Homo sapiens sapiens.

Who is/was the most influential person in your life? My grandfather encouraged my interest in cricket to the extent that it routinely threatens to overwhelm my spare time.

What was the last book you read? A Girl’s Ride in Iceland by Ethel Tweedie. It was written in 1889 and I thought it would be good preparation for taking a group of Ascot girls to Iceland.

What would you do if you won £2m in the Lottery? I would wonder how I had managed this without buying a ticket.

If money was no object where would you travel to? All fifty States. I have already done 19.

What is your ultimate Desert Island Disc? Pink Floyd, Shine On You Crazy Diamond (Parts 1 to 9).

Which person alive or dead would you most like to spend a day with? Larry David.

What makes St George’s so special? Everything is special at the moment.

The Queen’s Six Lay Clerks from Windsor Castle

Tuesday 24 June 2014 7.30pm in the Cormack HallSt George’s School, Ascot

www.thequeenssix.com

Why should the devil get the best tunes?

entry is free | there will be refreshments & a retiring collection

School Website Sportsboard Moodle School Email

Scan the QR codes below using your smart phone to go directly to the web page you need.

Looking Forward...Monday 5 May 2014

BANK HOLIDAY Baorders return by 8.30pm

(Sixth Form 10.00pm)

Tuesday 6 May 2014Nocturne Piano Recital

9.00pm, Chapel

Thursday 8 May 2014 Dance & Jazz Evening 7.30pm, Cormack Hall

Saturday 10 May 2014 OPEN MORNING

'Summer Soirée' Third and Fourth Year Social

with Harrow 7.15pm

Monday 12 May 2014 Compline

9.00pm, Chapel

Thursday 15 May 2014 AS Drama Practical Performance

7.00pm, Drama Studio

Junior Concert 7.00pm, Chapel

Saturday 17 May 2014 'A Very British Affair'

Charity Gala Dinner and Dance Guards Polo Club

Monday 19 May 2014 School Examinations Commence

for First - Fourth Year

Friday 23 May 2014 Half Term Begins

ST GEORGE’SASCOT

The Dance & Music Departments present the annual

All are welcome, entry is free.

Refreshments will be served from 7pm.

Dance &JazzEvening

Thursday 8 May 2014 at 7.30pm in the Sue Cormack Hall