Bhs spring 2013

Page 1

HIGHLIGHTS Spring Term 2013

BHS_7_Final.indd 1

10/06/2013 13:06


talKinG heads

Introducing our School Business Manager – Tony Sutherland Before my arrival at Blackheath High

plus a number of

School, in early 1999, I served in the Royal

smaller areas, such as

Navy for nearly 29 years. My role in the

Transport and Lettings

RN encompassed a wide variety of roles,

(Open Door). To help

predominately finance and administration,

the school provide

both at sea and ashore, and home and abroad.

these many services,

Whilst serving in the Ministry of Defence, on

we are lucky to have a

the staff of Field Marshall Lord Inge in the

team of competent and

early 90s, I was fortunate to be awarded the

dedicated support staff,

MBE for services to the Royal Navy.

a team that I am proud to lead.

students’ faces when they return to school

My role in the Armed Forces was primarily

When I am asked “what do you find the most

– that’s what makes my job so rewarding.

one of support at a variety of levels, which is

interesting and enjoyable aspects of your

Over the past 14 years I have been fortunate

very similar to what I provide here. My role is

role?” I would have to say that it is when a

to experience that on quite a number of

to manage the provision of a wide variety of

building or project is completed, invariably

occasions!

support services, including: Finance, Estates,

during the holiday period, and then I see

The most recent success story that I have

Catering and Cleaning, Health and Safety,

the look of surprise and pleasure on the

been part of, right from the initial planning through to fruition, is the total refurbishment of the Senior School Dining Room and servery. A lot of time and effort went into the design and, as is clear from the pupils’ reactions, they certainly approve of their new dining area! There are a number of very exciting developments around the corner, that will enhance our girls’ learning environment, both at Seniors and Juniors – lots to keep me and my team busy and we will report on progress as decisions are made. The confidence of the girls here, along with the enthusiasm of the staff and the support of the parents, really does make Blackheath High School a rather remarkable community of which to be part. In fact, the Girls’ Day School Trust’s Senior Management Team regularly praises the innovative and forward thinking approach of our school and, whilst not the largest school in the Trust, we are certainly at the forefront of many initiatives. I just feel privileged to play a part in the continuing success of our school!

2 Blackheath High School Spring 2013

BHS_7_Final.indd 2

10/06/2013 13:06


Talking to our Tremendous Teaching Assistants

talKinG heads

Teaching Assistants are vital in the smooth running of our Junior school classes and provide valuable support to our teachers and pupils. We are very fortunate to have experienced and highly qualified TAs at Blackheath High Junior School, who are dedicated to supporting and inspiring our girls. Our TAs often work with small groups of pupils, giving them individual attention and enhancing their learning experiences, such as when Mrs Cornwell gets an excited bunch of girls dressed in their waterproofs and wellies and takes them on an adventure through the Forest School!

Mrs Morris “I have worked in all kinds of childcare settings from a baby room looking after 0-2 year olds to working 1 to 1 with children with some very special needs. I have an NVQ3 qualification in Early Years and Education and a level 3 Diploma in Childcare Studies. I was inspired to become a TA whilst volunteering in my son’s school and seeing the vital role his TA played in supporting him. He has special needs and the support she gave, not only to him but to all of the children in the class, was amazing and heart-touching. I watched him grow from a boy with very little confidence to being a lively, confident and outspoken member of the class. I thought then, that it must be a great feeling to know you have helped

each one of the girls makes throughout the year and take a sense

children to achieve their goals. This is one of the favourite parts

of pride in the fact that I have contributed in some way. I’m a firm

of my job. When one of the girls shows me a piece of work that

believer in our school’s ethos of ‘resilience’ –to encourage the

she initially struggled with, at its finished stage, with a big smile on

girls to keep going and feel proud of them when they achieve

her face because she, not only found that she COULD do it, she

their goals. Additionally, working at BHS gives me a good balance

understood how to do it well enough to help her class mates! It’s

between work and home life (I’m the only girl in a house full of

a wonderful feeling and very rewarding. I love to see the progress

boys!!) and I look forward to what each new day brings.”

Mrs cornweLL

worked with an inspirational teacher at Robert Owen Nursery

“Since becoming a member of the Early Years Foundation Team

School and it was from there that I never looked back – I had found

I have attained the NNEB qualification - the Nursery Nursing

my vocation, working with children under five.

qualification. I have also recently completed a Foundation Degree

I’ve been part of BHJS since 1999, when the Nursery first opened

in Early Years which, in turn, led me on to study further for the BA

and, during my time here, I have seen many changes: my favourite

Hons degree in Early Years. My dream is to eventually become a

being when we came to our new building and the children were

Nursery Teacher...so watch this space !

able to play both indoors and outdoors.

I naturally love working with small children and I knew, from

Many of you know me as the ‘Forest School Leader’, where I take

an early age, that this is where my talents lay. I was one of the

small groups of children out to play in our wonderful forest area.

youngest students to be accepted at Southwark College back in

This, I must say is my favourite part of the day, as I plan each

1983 and have since worked in various settings: day nurseries,

session to enable the girls to use their own imagination, create their own play: climbing trees, looking for mini beasts or, as one little

hospitals, nannying, special needs provisions and state schools. I

explorer described it as “just peacefully sitting and watching the world go by!” Forest School has opened up a dynamic and new way of playing and learning in a fun but safe environment. Having such wonderful outdoor opportunities helps develop so much confidence (and excitement) in the nursery girls. I have great admiration for the staff team I work with; from the inspirational Head who has always made time to listen to my thoughts and plans, the Head of Foundation Stage who includes my ideas from planning and observations, to the excellent teaching staff and other nursery nurses who have the same sense of fun as myself!”

Summer 2012 Blackheath High School 3

BHS_7_Final.indd 3

10/06/2013 13:06


india triP

Inspiring Trip to India “Imaginations were fired and a lifelong desire for further adventure and experience, beyond our usual metropolitan pleasures, was ignited.” The City Experience

Having arrived at Delhi Youth Hostel in the early hours and taken a swift ‘power-nap’, we sprang into action, visiting ‘India Gate’ - the first of many reminders of British influence/activity on the subcontinent followed by a visit to the ‘Gandhi Memorial and Museum’ to investigate and reflect upon the great man’s example and far reaching influence. We then visited ‘Dilli Haat Craft Market’, a hotbed of textile, stone and wood-based artisanal activity where the girls haggled over pashminas, had henna tattoos painted…and I purchased a family of painted wooden elephants! Following the first of what would prove to be consistently excellent meals, we sank into a deep slumber before awaking bright and early the next day and setting off by train to Agra to marvel at the beauty and splendour of the Taj Mahal, eat more delicious food, and recharge in time for the ‘Old Delhi Experience’ the next day – a colourful cacophony of exchange! We explored the streets in rickshaws, visited

“The India trip was an amazing experience. I felt that I learnt a lot about the country and different cultures and it was also a great opportunity for me to get to know other girls in my year and also the lower years. Surprisingly, my favourite part of the trip was hiking in the Himalayas, as I was initially very nervous about this part of the trip and the physical strength it needed, especially at

Father Ravi’s Shelter to witness his amazing work and meet the orphans, and visited two temples which were inspiring in such different ways. At the main Sikh Temple on Chandni Chowk we were warmly invited into a huge kitchen to join an ever changing stream of Sikh visitors working to provide free food for pilgrims. So grand was the scale of the food production that the contents of giant ‘balti’ dishes, two metres in diameter, were being stirred using enormous spoons. Those dining in the huge hall next door, sat on the floor in

lines as equals, irrespective of caste, race, religion or gender – a simple yet beautiful collective dining experience! Our visit to the Old Jain Temple – our first encounter with Jainism - hidden at the end of an ancient road largely untouched by the seismic cultural and economic changes – proved similarly enlightening, covered, (as the interior was), in the most exquisite carvings and painted ceramics. Overwhelming and utterly stunning, the like of which I have never before seen; this temple rivals St Peters in Rome.

such high altitudes. The views of the mountains in the clouds and the sun setting between them were breathtaking - like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It was wonderful to walk through the woodlands and meet villagers who live completely self-sufficiently. We also visited a primary school in the Himalayas; it was amazing to see how enthusiastic the children were about learning, even though they needed to trek for many miles to get to their school each day.” Farah Morgan

4 Blackheath High School Spring 2013

BHS_7_Final.indd 4

10/06/2013 13:06


india triP

The Globalisation Experience

The Himalayan Experience

In the evening we took the overnight sleeper train (not to be confused with the Orient Express) to Kathgodam before climbing 7000 feet by jeep to Sitlakhet in the foothills of the Himalayas. The view across the mountain range was simply sublime and having settled into Camp we enjoyed five days of trekking, mountain activities, a visit to a local school and an afternoon ploughing a field for tea and kiwi payment at a subsistence farm, to learn more about the local people and their way of life. As a cultural experience we were truly spoilt being the only visible westerners and entirely immersed amongst the local Himalayans who

were utterly warm and charming. It’s interesting how quickly we settled into our BHS mountain community and adjusted to a way of life so detached from that which we know in London; the group cohesion was superb.

To ensure one last culture shock, before returning to London, we visited ‘Kingdom of Dreams’ on the outskirts of Delhi - think Disney meets the Moguls, with a splash of Bluewater shopping mall! A huge, synthetic recreation of the architecture of India’s different regions, with accompanying restaurants and gift shops, followed by an all singing, all dancing, giant-eagles-andacrobats-flying-through-the-air theatre performance that left us utterly dazzled. The whole trip was a fantastically diverse cultural experience that the girls and teachers seized with great relish. Imaginations were fired and, I am certain, a lifelong desire for further adventure and experience beyond our usual metropolitan pleasures. Thanks go to Dr Pascoe for making it happen!

For me, the India trip was literally lifechanging. The people we met, the things we experienced and the places we visited, such as visiting Father Ravi’s Shelter and the schools, were amazing experiences and I will never forget this trip. Our guides were amazing, funny and helpful - one of them is even helping me to plan a trip back to India, volunteering in a school for disadvantaged children (I have to learn basic Hindi and Nepalese). I had so much fun and will remember it forever.” Zoe Fuller

Spring 2013 Blackheath High School 5

BHS_7_Final.indd 5

10/06/2013 13:06


music

year 2 and year 7 ‘Taster’ Lessons

Music

Mrs Ridgeway, Director of Music reflects on her first term at Blackheath High School Having arrived at Blackheath High part way through the academic year, I quickly discovered that there was never a dull moment and that the Music Department was certainly at the hub of everything that was going on. The busy schedule of weekly rehearsals offers something for everyone, whether it be the wonderful Choirs, the Rock Band, Ukelele Orchestra, Percussion and Samba Band or Sinfonia. Work started straightaway for the Spring Concert when all the groups were able to perform in a very professional concert in the Theatre. We heard some lovely performances at the Tea Time Concert - a more informal occasion for soloists and

small ensembles - and the Samba Band played at a Junior School assembly inspiring the girls to join in with the exciting rhythms. I was privileged to audition Year 6 musicians for Music Scholarships and was very impressed by the high standard at which the girls are already performing. Associated Board examinations took place at the end of term and, I’m delighted that the results were very pleasing. Thinking about the future, Mrs Gunton and I will strive to further develop the wonderful tradition of music-making at Blackheath High, particularly progressing the instrumental ensembles. We hope that there will be something musical

spring concert “I am in my final year at Blackheath High and have been an active member of the Music Department ever since I joined the school in year 7. My main instrument is ‘voice,’ which I also study outside of school at the Centre for Young Musicians on a Saturday, but I also play violin and ukulele, the latter of which featured in the recent Spring Concert. In the Spring Concert, Amy Hough and I led the Ukulele Orchestra with an arrangement of ‘The Four Chord Song’ by the Australian band, ‘Axis of Awesome’. The orchestra had worked very hard, and we felt they did us and themselves proud with their confidence and enthusiasm, as well as being absolutely spot on with their parts! I also performed ‘Voce di Donna’, an aria from an opera called ‘La Gioconda, with the Chamber Choir. The concert was spectacular; everyone really put their all into their performances, and it was greatly enhanced by the inclusion of the new Percussion Ensemble, which showed the versatility of the performers, many of whom were also in other musical groups. Through my years at Blackheath High, I feel I have really been able to develop as a musician, especially my voice which has come on in leaps and bounds with the help of our talented music directors! The many and

Instrumental Lessons In addition to optional instrumental/vocal tuition offered to all students, all members of Year 2 and 7 are

to suit everyone in the school and that making music will become a regular part of every pupil’s week. Those girls who ‘live’ in the Music department will tell you what a difference it makes to their lives. It is never too late to start having instrumental or singing lessons so why not apply now?! Mrs Ridgeway

varied opportunities BHS gives its students to participate in all kinds of ensembles is unparalleled; I have high praise and grateful thanks for the Music Department” Bea Paterson-Achenbach “The piano is my main instrument in which I recently passed a Grade 8 exam but I also play the violin and the ukulele. In the Spring Concert I performed one of my Grade 8 pieces, ‘Valse Romantique’, by Debussy. I also played with the school’s Sinfonia Orchestra. The Ukulele Orchestra, that Bea and I run, closed the concert with our rendition of the Four Chord Song. The musical opportunities offered by BHS have allowed me to explore new instruments and the school has been very supportive of the Ukulele Orchestra since its inception four years ago. Over the years, I have been lucky to have forward thinking, dedicated Directors of Music who have inspired my fellow students and I to develop interest in different genres of music and introduced us to both classical and contemporary composers. Now I am coming to the end of my musical education at BHS, I have started to realise how instrumental, if you’ll excuse the pun, they have been in encouraging me to explore my full potential! Amy Hough

6 Blackheath High School Spring 2013

BHS_7_Final.indd 6

10/06/2013 13:06


currently offered the opportunity to learn a musical instrument which they have not before studied. This opportunity takes the form of free instrumental tuition and the loan of a musical instrument for one year. The experience has inspired many students to continue to learn and enjoy participating in a variety of instrumental ensembles and we thank the BHSA for their tireless fundraising, which enabled us to purchase the instruments and be able to offer this opportunity to our girls.

Visiting Music Teachers

music

Instrumental and singing lessons are delivered by a team of visiting professional music staff at both the Junior and Senior Schools. They teach individual and group lessons in addition to leading instrumental ensembles and choirs. Many students receive weekly, individual instrumental and singing lessons and, at present, students receive tuition in flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, violin, viola, cello, double bass, piano, voice, guitar and drum kit. We are proud to have such a talented team of musicians, with extensive experience in a hugely diverse range of instruments to teach, encourage and inspire our girls. Here, some of our visiting music teachers tell us what they enjoy most about teaching at BHS and how music helps develop many skills and attributes: David Black teaches guitar and ukulele at the Junior School, giving lessons and running extra-curricular clubs.

David said “It’s really rewarding seeing the girls progress from playing their first few notes through to taking graded exams. I’m always proud of my students performing in school talent contests and impressed by how the girls put aside their nerves and manage to give beautiful, controlled performances. I believe that learning to play an instrument is an incredibly rewarding challenge in itself. It teaches discipline, patience and determination - and it’s a challenge that lasts a lifetime!” David Black graduated with first Class Honours from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and in 2004 he completed an MMus at the Royal College of Music, London. He now lives in South East London and is busy performing solo, as one half of the Albach Guitar Duo and with contemporary music group ‘Rarescale.’ Recent performances have taken him to San Francisco (Old First Concerts), Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Lima (Peru), Aarhus (Denmark), Long Island Guitar Festival and recordings for BBC Radio. He has also recently written a study book for Quercus publications. Alison Jones teaches violin and viola in the Junior school to girls in years 2 to 6. Alison really enjoys teaching our girls, saying “I think the best thing is seeing the excitement on the girls’ faces when I collect them from class! I have been fortunate to teach some very talented girls and I am particularly impressed by the level of concentration exhibited by the younger girls. I find that learning a musical instrument helps with concentration and attention span, listening and problem solving skills.” Alison Jones graduated from Trinity College of Music, London in 2008, with First Class Honours. She continued her studies at the Royal College of Music in London, generously supported by a Leverhulme Orchestral Mentorship scholarship. Recent engagements have involved work with the LPO Future First Scheme, Grammy nominated artist Chilly Gonzales, and tours to China with the Kent Sinfonia. Klio Blonz teaches flute at the Senior school and praises the enthusiasm and dedication of our girls. “I applaud the enthusiasm of the girls when they first discover an instrument. Above all, I love the moment when they decide to truly commit to it and, through regular practice, they discover the pleasure of music making! BHS girls are bright girls, full of zest and interest to learn . I have been very impressed and touched listening to some of the Tea Time concerts;it’s beautiful to witness all of their buzzing creativity!” Klio Blonz studied in Paris before joining the class of Wissam Boustany at Trinity College of Music in London. Klio has performed extensively both as a soloist and ensemble player in France, Greece, Ireland, Bulgaria and the UK, including appearances at the Mayfield Festival, Brighton Festival, Demetria Festival and the International Music Festival of Cyclades. Klio is also a co-founder of the Leto Ensemble which has been broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and is active performing in the U.K. and abroad. Nicola Wydenbach, soprano, is a graduate of the Royal College of Music and teaches singing to girls in years 7 to 13, including preparing students for exams, auditions, G.C.S.E , A Level and University entry. Nicola is always impressed by the level of talent displayed by our girls, saying “The girls at Blackheath work very hard and love singing which makes each of the half hour lessons just fly! Every girl’s voice is individual and develops at a different rate. Since starting teaching at Blackheath in 2009, I have been very impressed with the level of talent and commitment. Pupils here are very self- motivated, which is unusual in a secondary music department.” Nicola Wydenbach is a graduate of the Royal College of Music. Supported by a scholarship from Diva Opera she completed her Graduate Diploma. Nicola has worked extensively throughout Britain and Europe. She has sung with English National Opera, the Royal Opera House, the Monteverdi Choir, London Voices, at the Aldeburgh and Bregenz Festivals as well as recording with Damon Albarn and on the Hobbit soundtrack. She is a regular leader for Streetwise Opera and she has also been a mentor for the BBC on their project ‘Go Sing!.’ She has worked on projects for the English National Opera, Opera North, English Touring Opera, Glyndebourne, Sing Up and Youth Music. Rebecca Nash is a professional pianist, singer and composer and teaches at our Junior School, from Reception through to year 6 and commends the girls’ positive attitude and commitment to learning. “All of the girls recognise that the more work they put in, the more they will gain from their music lessons. I would say some of my pupils are extremely talented, and all of them are organised and work very hard. Learning an instrument gives the girls an outlet for their creativity. Rarely do I need to encourage them to take part in performances, for they are extremely self motivated.” Rebecca Nash graduated from the Trinity College of Music Masters Course in 2012. She plays in a number of projects; her own trio with Matt Fisher and Will Harris, the folk-jazz fusion ensemble Wizahikken, Entropi, Paradox Ensemble, The Potter Ensemble, and Benin City. Rebecca is also active as a composer for radio and theatre. Festivals include Glastonbury, Meltdown Festival, Isle of Wight Jazz Festival and Llangollen Jazz Festival. Her awards and achievements include: Winner of Arts Council of Wales Award, Uri Caine Prize, The Worshipful Company of Musicians Silver Medal and the Friends of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Spring 2013 Blackheath High School 7

BHS_7_Final.indd 7

10/06/2013 13:06


seniOr sPOrt

Senior Sport

t

he start of spring Term 2013 saw the senior ski trip depart for Torgon (covered in detail in HigHlife which you can download from our website). Easily recognisable our girls in a sea of pink, singing at that top of their voices, were easily seen gracefully making their way down the slopes between France and Switzerland. As soon as we made it back into the UK, a term of Netball and Hockey fixtures was embarked upon. Good successes were seen at U12, U13 and U14 levels in both sports in fixtures and county and trust tournaments. We had the opportunity to attend one of the International World Championship’s Netball matches against Australia at Wembley in January, which gave the girls a chance to view the world’s best teams playing at the top level in the sport. Competitive spirit was seen as the English strong group had an Ozzie in their midst, sporting banter at its best, especially when England won by a couple of goals! We have continued working hard in maintaining and improving our fitness over the winter months and this has paid off with pleasing results for our teams at the London Schools and GDST Cross Country events. Our girls show great motivation for the sport and have been seen out in all weathers practising and vying for positions in the squads. Even in the snow we have taken full

advantage of a new addition to our sporting facilities - the installation of a permanent orienteering course at the sports field. We have run house events where they have used their running, map reading skills and team work to find the hidden controls and bring back the correct information for points for their Houses. In addition to this, we are delighted to have been able to turn on the floodlights for the first time, covering both the netball courts and the astro. This installation will extend our ability for home matches, festivals and tournaments being held on site for our students, during the winter months. Hopefully the home advantage will work in our favour!

time in Torgon, “We had such a good get up at morning we would Switzerland! Every from Miss a bang on the door eight o’clock due to t and for a quick breakfas n w do t en w e W . Holland r boots fore we tugged on ou be h nc lu r ou ct lle to co our skis the mountain with and trudged up to n morning After a tiring but fu over our shoulders. France tiful mountains in skiing over the beau a café n for a nice lunch in w do e ttl se ld ou w e w few hours cliff. After another perched on a snowy oms for return back to the ro of skiing we would er the welcome supper. Aft a lly na fi d an er a show our e would just fall into evening activities, w as a fantastic trip!” beds! All in all it w Megan Twist

“The ski trip was such good fun! I had never skied before and, when I first tried it on the first day, I was terrified but, by the following day, I was confident enough to try new things. The instructor was really nice and was very patient which really helped me to improve. By the third day, I was ready to try small jumps and I didn’t fall over once! On the fourth day, we used the button lift and everytime I tried – I fell off it! It was a disaster but the instructor helped me until I got the knack! It was really wonderful when we went to the other side of the mountain and skied from Switzerland into France, especially when we were up 1000ft in the air! My skiing improved a lot over the week and I definitely want to go again. ” Maddie Cossey “The skiing was fantastic, the girls were brilliant, the trip could not have been any more enjoyable and I can now stay on my skis without falling over at every turn!” Miss Reed

8 Blackheath High School Spring 2013

BHS_7_Final.indd 8

10/06/2013 13:06


New Floodlights at the Sports Field

W

e were delighted when our eagerly

anticipated floodlighting finally came into play at the end of the spring Term. We are now able to use the floodlighting between October and March each year, enabling us to extend our programme of

sports fixtures and extra curricular activities. Greenwich Council determined the hours of operation to be limited to 8.00pm, which we consider sufficient for our use and that of the local Tennis Club, Uptown Experience. These limited hours are also designed to support our good relationship with our neighbours in

Kidbrooke Grove. To complement the lighting, new car parking facilities have been completed, as well as landscape planting along the new perimeter fence on the Northern boundary. “Another successful project, helped considerably by a most generous donation of £30,000 from the BHSA.”

Junior Sports

u

nfortunately, the beginning of the spring Term was severely blighted by bad weather but, in normal BHs spirit, we made the best of the situation with a mixture of inclusive and competitive events covering the whole of the Junior school with opportunities for all both within lessons and at fixtures. The Year 5 and 6 girls attended some fabulous and fun Hockey events where girls and boys from local schools got together to train, practise skills and play matches. They also gave the opportunity for those who had not yet represented the school to have a go. The girls also learnt new skills playing competitively in mixed teams and met new people. At the end of February, Year 6 and 7 enjoyed a fantastic afternoon of Cross Country Races at the Inter House Cross Country Event and, despite the freezing weather, the girls showed determination and displayed some excellent individual and team results. These results will count towards the end of year House Competition. Year 3 made a promising start to their Netball career with a spirited effort at the local schools’ Netball Tournament and Year 6 battled their way into the top 3 in the Schools’ Netball league and also finished 3rd out of 11 at the end of season tournament in March. Well done! Year 5 continued a good level of success in their matches and a particular favourite for them was the comic relief “Silly Socks” Netball Tournament. The girls had a fabulous, if a little chilly, time playing their games in the silliest socks they could design and make!

Spring 2013 Blackheath High School 9

BHS_7_Final.indd 9

10/06/2013 13:07


BOOK WeeK

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors and the most patient of teachers.” CHARLES W. ELIOT

Book Week – Celebrating our love of literature

t

o celebrate world Book Day and the wonder of books, we filled a whole week with themed activities. The whole school filled with excitement as we celebrated our love of literature. The girls and staff enthusiastically embraced the many activities and events; making wonderful ‘Books in a Box,’ enjoying a fun sleepover, completing a book trail, eagerly swapping and buying books, picking their brains at the Balloon Debate, meeting

published authors and, as ever, creating fabulously imaginative costumes for the character dressing up events. At Seniors, the Book Trail, where pupils compete in a quiz designed to make them use many different aspects of the Resource Centre, was completed by many students from all year groups. The winners were Eveline Norbert and Maya Gunn de Marcos. We were delighted to welcome published authors with Juniors enjoying visits from Rachael Mortimer and Ian McDonald. Senior School girls had the opportunity to meet and listen to a talk by Marcus Sedgwick, who used to work in children’s publishing and before that was a bookseller. His books have been shortlisted for many awards, including The Guardian Children’s Fiction Award, the Blue Peter Book Award, the Carnegie Medal and the Edgar Allan Poe Award. Our newly refurbished junior library was officially opened by Rachael Mortimer who said she was thrilled to be asked and spoke to the girls about the importance of books and how reading books inspired her to become a writer. She then read her book ‘The Snoring Princess’ to the Reception classes, who then acted out the story in full costumes! Key Stage 1 girls were enthralled by Ian McDonald’s storytelling and then made up their own part of the story following the pattern he had used. During the Balloon Debate senior school pupils were tasked with explaining, as persuasively as possible, why their character should not be thrown out of a hot air balloon. The audience of pupils and staff voted Daisy Riley and her ‘Manga’ character, ‘Lucy Heartfilia’

10 Blackheath High School Spring 2013

BHS_7_Final.indd 10

10/06/2013 13:07


BOOK character dress-uP Parade Junior scHooL sLeePoVer “On Friday 8th March 2013 there was a sleepover at the Junior School for years 4-6. In the new library there was a quiet reading area and in 1VW’s classroom there were craft tables with the chance to make pretty bookmarks and book corners. Miss White and Miss Syrad guided us and helped us with the making of the bookmarks and the book corners. Thanks to them, we had lots of lovely things to take home and use. The girls really enjoyed reading in the hall with all of their friends and would like to say a huge thank you to Carol for making hot chocolate and cookies. They were delicious! The girls would also like to say a huge thank you to all the teachers for coming in their pyjamas as well and making it such a fun night for everyone. It was extra special for the Year 6s because it was their last sleepover night at the junior’s. We had a really lovely evening!” Amelie Ready and Jessica Wilks 6LN

the winner. One of the most creative activities during book week was the “Book in a Box” competition at Juniors which all the girls participated in with great enthusiasm. The response was magnificent and we thank all parents for your support in helping the girls to produce such impressive creations.

In keeping with BHS Book Week tradition, the grand finale was the ever-popular Book Character Dressing up Day and this year the outfits were truly amazing! Our Junior School was filled with Harry Potters and Cats in Hats as teachers and children paraded in the gym. At Seniors, the girls excelled themselves creating weird and wonderful costumes; some even included paper mache objects and masks and a group of girls braved public transport covered in green white and yellow face paint! Mention must also be made of the staff efforts which, for the first time ever, included live props, as Mrs Elliott brought in her border collies to complete the Sixth Form’s farm yard themed entries and Mr Gerrard’s inflatable darlek impressively completed his Dr Who outfit. After much soul-searching Mrs Lardner awarded the staff prize to Mr Atkinson for his ‘Santiago from Ernest Hemingway’s Old Man and the Sea, ‘ entry, complete with a large Marlin and a homemade beard! Special commendations must go to Mr Parson’s ‘ Pi’ and Mrs Aspden’s rather alarmingly convincing ‘Cruella Deville’!

THe BiggesT BooK sHow on eArTH “As part of Book Week, year 5 went to “The Biggest Book Show on Earth” at the Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre. The show began with introductions to all of the authors and illustrators taking part, including Cathy Cassidy, Francesca Simon, Shirley Hughes, Guy Parker-Rees, Anthony Horowitz, Rachel Bright and Lauren Child who wrote all of the Charlie and Lola’s, Clarice Bean and is working on her next book ‘Ruby Redfort’. We all found this extremely interesting and very exciting; we even got to hear a new Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon which has not even been published yet! We heard lots of advice from each author plus great tips on illustrations. Lauren Child said that the most difficult part of writing a story or book is the beginning of it, so she said if you can’t get any ideas just look out of a window and just think of a small idea to start off with and then let your ideas grow. As well as being streamed online, the event was also streaming live into 40 Picturehouse Cinemas around the country, so we were very lucky to actually be there in person! To complete the fabulous day, we all received a book token so we could each get a book written by one of the authors we had met.” Tilly Evans

Spring 2013 Blackheath High School 11

BHS_7_Final.indd 11

10/06/2013 13:07


drama - lamda

Drama-LAMDA

O

ver the past seven years the Lamda programme at Blackheath High has grown and flourished. LAMDA is the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts, a leading drama school with very well respected performance and communication exams, along similar lines to music grade exams for performers. The exams cover a wide variety of performance skills; mime, devising, Prose and Verse, Reading for Performance and Public Speaking, and of course, Acting. Acting is the most popular course here and this last exam session saw just shy of 100 girls take their grades in acting from grade 1 through to Grade 8 (Gold medal). Aside from the incentive of additional and very useful UCAS points, which can be garnered at Grades 6, 7 and 8, the exam course can be a wonderful tool for all aspects of communication. Four professional actors coach the girls oneto-one or in pairs, and work though two or three pieces of theatre in close detail. Character, physicality, vocal technique, as well as textual understanding are worked on, to performance standard, alongside a thorough literary course on the style and period of the play or playwright as they go up the grades. I like to think of it as satisfying the compulsion to perform, with the help of an acting coach, with a literature/history class thrown in. “This year 92 out of 96 girls achieved a Distinction or Merit in their LAMDA exams”

and is an actor and a singer who has been performing for about 25 years. She has regularly performed with the Royal Shakespeare Company and in the West End, and in theatres all over the country, and across the USA, as well as a wide variety of TV, film and radio. She is passionate about poetry and live reading and is a regular reader for ’Poet in The City.’

cAroLine criTcHLow “I find the girls so inspirational, the classes never seem long enough. At every level they surprise me with their inventive imaginations and their ability to transform into a myriad of different characters, with vocal and physical attributes. Whether working on a duologue or a monologue, I believe that the girls benefit greatly from LAMDA classes. I treat the girls as professional actors. They arrive promptly and work fast and hard; such intense and individual attention means we cover a lot of ground and the girls gain an invaluable experience of working with a director on a fun subject which helps with their overall education. With the confidence that LAMDA classes give the girls, they will be able to present themselves with confidence and intelligence and without fear of being in an unfamiliar situation. “

Kate Wilton is an actress who trained at East 15 Drama School. She has worked extensively in the theatre and TV including major roles for the BBC and independent TV productions. She has toured with many theatre companies around the UK including lead roles in productions of ‘Top Girls’ by Caryl Churchill, ‘A Little Like Drowning’ by Anthony Minghella and ‘A Pair Of Blue Eyes’ by Thomas Hardy.

Terry wiLTon

Jane Austen’s ‘Emma,‘ playing Miss Bates.

“For any performer, to stand in a room with a piece of paper containing a chunk of text and from this to take the first tender steps into physical space, and find a voice, is a fearsome challenge. It is above all a journey into language. Examining the very precise words of a playwright, and developing the physical and linguistic skills of each girl, together we begin to build towards what we hope will become a convincing physical portrait of a character, embodied with his or her own history, style, ambitions, needs and fears. This is the wonderful challenge faced both by brave girls and coaches at the beginning of each Autumn term at Blackheath High. Over the last seven years and more I have had the privilege of coaching some wonderful and talented girls. “

She has also undertaken work for both TV

Terry Wilton has enjoyed a long busy career

and Radio.

as a professional actor, mostly in theatre,

Caroline trained at Guildford School of Acting. Her theatre work includes ‘On Approval’ at The Playhouse Theatre, ‘The Master Builder’ at The Haymarket Theatre and ‘An Ideal Husband’ at The Old Vic

Lucy TregeAr BA Hons oxon, MA

Theatre all directed by Sir Peter Hall. Most

“The standard of the work from the girls is tremendous, especially given the huge amount of other extra curricular activities vying for their attention, not to mention academic studies. It doesn’t distract, however, but complements it. No subject, no interview, no job can be effectively mastered with poor communication skills. I’ve nurtured girls so shy and lacking in confidence that this course was almost a form of therapy. I’ve watched them flourish and achieve clarity, confidence and charisma; plus a gold medal, to boot. I hope too, a lot of fun is had along the journey. “

recently she toured No 1 Theatres with

Lucy Tregear studied English at Oxford

opportunity to research plays historically and psychologically and this often results in great discussions as to why a character behaves in a certain way. As I coach at both the Juniors and the Seniors, I have had the pleasure to work with some of the girls consistently for over six years. This familiarity creates a comfortable atmosphere and enables the girls to be less self-conscious and fantastically creative in lessons. “

but also in film, TV, radio and voice-over

KATe wiLTon “The Junior school girls’ enthusiasm knows no bounds, they are incredibly brave and excellent at interpreting scripts. Often they are wonderfully fearless and those who start off a little shy, soon relax and blossom. I enjoy every minute of teaching them and I think the feeling is reciprocated. Equally, the Senior School girls are wonderful. Working with them gives us the

work. He has just returned from performing Polonius and the Gravedigger in ‘Hamlet”, and giving workshops on Shakespeare in universities across the USA. Last year he played Baptista in Lucy Bailey’s acclaimed production for the Royal Shakespeare Co. He has performed with all the major companies, worked many seasons with the RSC playing many, varied roles and has enjoyed long summers with Regent’s Park Open-Air theatre, plus a number of West End theatre runs.

12 Blackheath High School Spring 2013

BHS_7_Final.indd 12

10/06/2013 13:07


drama

TerriFic TeMPesT once again, Blackheath High school graced the stage at greenwich Theatre with our second shakespeare offering; this time performing “The Tempest”. As ever, we enjoyed putting our own Blackheath High stamp on the Bard’s work and we introduced The spice girls and Heston Blumenthal to shakespeare’s mercurial play! How else were Miranda and Ferdinand going to celebrate their engagement party? The girls impressed us all again with their acting talent and ability to make shakespeare’s language trip off their tongues so naturally and with such meaning. year 5 girls delighted us with the famous “Ariel’s song”, in their fabulous tutus and matching, sequinned masks. Heroes and villains were all embroiled in Prospero’s plot (played by elizabeth isaac) and were really entertained by the comings and goings on his island. it was an excellent night out at the theatre and we look forward to being there again next year. Mrs Tyrell

Junior DrAMA Spring term was as busy as ever – ending on a real ‘high’ with the fantastic production of ‘The Pirates of the Curry Bean’ by Year 3 and 4. Ella Mary SabineBacon and Honey Lafford-Walker played the roles of young twins ‘Jack and Liza Periwinkle’, who yearned for adventure,

until they discovered a real life treasure map! When the infamous ‘Redbeard’ (Diana King) and his ‘Pirates of the Curry Bean’ stole the map and kidnapped their mother, ‘Pearl’ (Eloise Airey), the race was on to rescue her, reclaim the map and find the treasure! Our Year 3 and 4 girls acted and sang with great expression and enthusiasm they were absolutely superb! It was a wonderful show,

with talented young actresses; an absolute success! Well done Year 3 and 4! isabelle wilson 4Ts: “The show was fun

and exciting!” Holly Banks 4Ts: “The show was hilarious and I enjoyed my role as Mr. Arthur Wally!” eloise Airey 4Ts: “I enjoyed the production because, when people laughed at the jokes, it felt good inside.” elizabeth reczek 4Ts: “I feel happy and proud to have taken part in the show! “ rosey Page 4nM: “I was really excited about my leading role in front of so many people. “ sienna Miles garrigues 3ng:” I thought the parrot was cheeky and funny!” Spring 2013 Blackheath High School 13

BHS_7_Final.indd 13

10/06/2013 13:07


curriculum enrichment

Curriculum Enrichment

W

e believe that the academic life of our school should include much more than what happens in the main stream curriculum and so, as you know, we offer our girls a wide range of experiences and challenges that enrich our curriculum and their learning experience. This helps foster a love of learning and develops the skills required for the world beyond their secondary education. Through our Senior School’s Curriculum Enrichment programme, we use the talents and experiences of others from outside of the school, in combination with the talents and interests of staff within our school, to enrich our students’ education. The activities offered vary from the physically challenging and cultural, to school based activities, including workshops on Study Skills, Enterprise, Financial Awareness, BBC News Report and Architecture. We also have regular visiting speakers inspiring our students in a range of different subjects and professional artists in residence passing on their creative knowledge, expertise and experience in industry to our pupils.

TeD LecTures Every Tuesday afternoon pupils gather to listen to one of the inspiring thinkers of our time. Now in its second year, the programme of TED lectures provides an opportunity for our students to listen to a 20 minute lecture on a topic which extends their knowledge and experience beyond the limits of the curriculum and challenges them to think about new attitudes and ideas. Aimed primarily at sixth form students, but open to all, each lecture is selected by an academic department as a stimulus, and is followed by an often vigorous discussion of its content and implications. The sessions form part of wider sixth form studies and preparation for entrance to Oxbridge and Russell Group universities.

Recent lectures have included ‘Statistics That Reshape Your World View’ in which statistician Hans Rosling challenges common views about the developing world, and ‘Listening to Global Voices’, in which Ethan Zuckerman puts forward strategies to open up new media such as Twitter to enable us to communicate across culture and language, rather than simply with people very similar to ourselves. Rory Stewart MP presented ‘Why Democracy Matters’, and Ken Robinson spoke on ‘Schools are Killing Creativity’.

DeBATing socieTy “Your students were fantastic in the debates I saw them in, and it was great to see a real improvement in quality from the qualifying rounds.” Ed Noel,London Administrator,Debating Matters Competition. The thriving BHS Middle School and Senior Debating Societies meet once a week to thrash out philosophical and current affairs topics following British Parliamentary style procedure. In addition to prepared and impromptu debates, we also hold ‘moot trials’ to develop logical argument, critical thought and public speaking skills. Each Easter the whole school participates in the Gadsden Public Speaking Competition, the final of which showcases the oratory talents of two winners from each year group. We participate externally in the English Speaking Union (ESU) Debating and Public Speaking Competitions; Oxford Schools Debating; and the Institute of Ideas Debating Matters Competition. We also compete in the GDST’s Crystall Prize public speaking competition.

format that is challenging and appeals to students. The judging panel consisted of well-respected professionals (including, at this event, a professor of Psychiatry from King’s College, a barrister, business leaders and a senior figure from the Medical Research Council) who believe in this innovative and engaging approach to debating. Six schools competed, each consisting of two teams. Each team had prepared their respective motion’s arguments, ours being

“On 25th March 2013, two teams, accompanied by Mr Parsons and Alice, one of our gap year students, representing Blackheath High School, travelled to the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London, to compete in the Regional Finals of Debating Matters. Buffy Eldridge-Thomas and Sally Mannan formed one team and Nifemi Alonge and I formed the other. Debating Matters offers the chance for Sixth Form students to debate social, scientific and ethical issues that society faces today, in a

14 Blackheath High School Spring 2013

BHS_7_Final.indd 14

10/06/2013 13:07


curriculum enrichment

is THe LewisHAM nATureMAn A VAnDAL or THe new BAnKsy? By Aanandita Saxena, Emerald McLaughlin and Danica Hadzic Around three months ago, a mysterious herd of stags appeared around Blackheath, Brockley, Greenwich and Lewisham, followed by an engraved Lewisham

‘The British Press requires tougher regulation’ and ‘Behaviour change is the best route to sustainability’. We were successful against last year’s winners, Graveney School but, unfortunately, lost against Rochester Grammar School, who went on to win the Regional Final. The experience of preparing and competing for Debating Matters provided us with the confidence that we will need in our future endeavours. It is a valuable and worthwhile experience and one I would highly recommend to future Sixth Formers.” sadé Kalsi, 12rH

BBc news scHooL rePorT DAy 2013 BBC News School Report Day 2013 saw every girl in year seven become a School Reporter for the day. As last year, BHS welcomed a variety of local people to be interviewed for articles of local and national interest. This year, Steve Bullock, Mayor of Lewisham, Chris Maines, Lib Dem Councillor and Tony O’Sullivan, Director of Paediatrics at Lewisham Hospital were among the interviewees. In preparation for the day, students honed their interviewing, writing and editing skills in English lessons. Next, they chose a news story that interested them and set to work researching their chosen topic. On the day, they had the challenge of carrying out their interviews, compiling their reports then editing the final pieces for publication through the BBC News School Report website. Reporters produced a written report, television report or radio report. Everything had to be completed by 1:00pm and the pressure heightened as the deadline approached. With the help of six Year 9 editors, the

Crown with growing daisies. This graffiti is supposedly by an unidentified character known locally as ‘The Lewisham Natureman.’ Many locals are campaigning to save the art and it has already been added to the listed street art in the area. However, not everyone is happy about this as they say it may give people the impression that it is okay to graffiti. Cllr. Chris Maines describes the stags as urban art, rather than graffiti, explaining, ”I think the stags should be saved as it is urban art. We should contact the council and the owners of the walls and we could maybe put Perspex, over the art to stop people ‘tagging’ it, as they already have done on the deer drinking from the river Quaggy.”

There is also an association between graffiti and gangs, as some people say that if there is graffiti in the area it looks abandoned. So what is the difference between elaborate tags and this ‘art’? Sir Stephen Bullock, (Mayor of Lewisham), said that if the locals who live near the graffiti are happy with it, he doesn’t mind it being there. However, it is hard to know where to stop, as some people may describe some elaborate tags as art. For example, if someone tagged the stag would it be right to remove it (the tag), because in people’s opinion the stag is better? Now the question is: should we save the stags, or should we get rid of them, like other graffiti?

reports were a success. Stories ranged from ‘Save Lewisham Hospital’ to ‘The Horsemeat Scandal’, ‘Justin Beiber’s O2 meltdown’ to ‘New Pope Announced.’ After reading some of the girls’ work here, you may want to read, watch and listen to all of the reports through our website.

cAMPAigning To sAVe LewisHAM HosPiTAL By Ellie Waring and Thea Sabattier Thousands of people marched in protest during January and recent months, to protest against the possible closure of Lewisham Hospital’s A&E, Children’s Wards, and possibly Maternity Services. Lewisham Hospital has been named one of the top 40 UK hospitals for the past three years, and has recently invested in many new facilities. Due to this, Lewisham Hospital users have been angered by the decision to close many of its wards. The London Health Care Trust’s new administrator, Mr Kershaw, is mainly responsible for this idea, having completed a draft of the planned closures. He is said to have done this because he believes that closing these wards will force the paitients to go to Queen Elizabeth Hospital instead and increase its income as it is struggling financially. Many people have a strong opinion that this is a bad idea and disagree - leading to the protests. The Mayor Of Lewisham is strongly opposed to the closure. He said that he used to work in the NHS in Greenwich and that it was very difficult to get to Queen Elizabeth hospital. He said: ‘If you simply take a ruler and measure the distance, it is shorter but it is awkward to get to and most people would go to King’s College instead.’ We also spoke to Tony O’Sullivan, Director of Paediatrics at Lewisham Hospital. He urges local people to continue to use the hospital which, he believes, has one of the best Children’s Wards in the country. Protests are still going on but the results of these efforts are still uncertain.

Spring 2013 Blackheath High School 15

BHS_7_Final.indd 15

10/06/2013 13:07


’ e s o p a t x u J ‘ m r o F h t x i S

siXth FOrm

Once again this year, the Sixth Form Show ‘wowed’ the audience. The show was entirely organised, produced and directed by the students, with girls modelling garments they had designed and made themselves. This year’s event, which raised over £1225 for the Fashion Targets Breast Cancer Charity, was themed “Juxtapose”and the garments featured in the fashion show were all designed specifically around this theme. Designs included “black and white”, “wild and tamed” and “angels and demons.”

“This year, the fashion show was an exciting mix of truly innovative fashion design, skilled garment making, great choreography and well directed visuals and music. So much work went into every element of the show. It was a visual feast for the audience and a triumph for the girls who organized and contributed to it. It was a fantastic example of students and staff coming together to work on a project which brought out the very best of everyone’s creative talents.” Ian Whitfield, Head of Art

16 Blackheath High School Spring 2013

BHS_7_Final.indd 16

10/06/2013 13:07


“Once again I was bowled over by the creative talent of our students. The standard of the clothes designs and the quality of the backing films was simply stunning. This, coupled with the fact that the girls are responsible for the running of the entire event, shows that our students are the creative and business minds of the future.” Kate Elliott, Head of Sixth Form

“We were delighted by the success of the show. It was really well-organised and showed off the diverse talents of our students. It was such an amazing event which involved so many students and showed the level of interest in fashion and design.” Lottie Kerr, Organiser

“Although difficult to believe, the Winter Show seems to get better and better with each year. Sixth formers Lottie Kerr and Ellie Hathorn did an incredible job of curating one of the most ambitious shows yet. With performances ranging from an amazing acoustic version of Billie Jean by Michael Jackson performed by Ellie and Lara in year 13 to a creative montage of street dance choreographed by Saffron, Leah, Rachel and Anne-Marie; the girls clearly illustrated the range of diversity and talent in the school. Catwalks, as ever, were fantastic, with the students from years 11, 12 and 13 producing a fantastic range of garments whilst girls from years 8 to 13 modelled the clothes with confidence and elegance. Videos made by the girls accompanied the catwalks this year adding a new level of professionalism and creativity to this wonderful event.” Imogen Luddy, Art Teacher

Spring 2013 Blackheath High School 17

BHS_7_Final.indd 17

10/06/2013 13:07


resilience

The Benefits of being able to Bounce Back Why we believe that teaching girls to be resilient is so important

r

esilience is a quality we take very seriously at BHs. Whilst we’re keen for the girls to be empathetic and able to express their feelings and concerns, we feel it is equally important that they develop the strength and determination that will, in part, determine their success beyond our school community; not just academically and professionally but also in terms of family and social relations, artistic expression and physical endeavours. We believe that, rather than recoiling from hardship, we should attempt to embrace and conquer challenges faced, learning from our mistakes and failures and drawing strength and confidence from the battles fought. In addition to form time discussions, PSHE sessions and regular promotion in class of chance taking and bouncing back from one’s disappointments and frustrations, several assemblies were delivered during ‘Resilience Week’ drawing inspiration from exemplary figures renowned for over-coming obstacles and failure, including: Olympic and Paralympic champions, the adventurer Sir Ranulph Fiennes (a personal favourite!), and, surprising, early life failures from Einstein and his failure to speak

a

s you know, ‘resilience’ is a concept close to our hearts at Juniors and central to the way in which we teach the girls and it isn’t just important to us as teachers. When I wrote to parents last summer outlining the ways in which we try to instil this quality in our girls, I was delighted by the huge, supportive response from parents; many of them practising resilience themselves in jobs and professions hit by our challenging economic times. Part of our role as educators is to equip our girls with skills which will allow them to make the most of available options. They also need to need to know that sometimes, with the best will in the world, things don’t go the way you would wish. Sad things happen, seemingly unfair things happen; you can moan about the lot life has dealt you or you can do something about it. Learn from the experience, move on and bounce back. Earlier in the year, a young actress ‘Alice Sykes’ gave an assembly on her powers of

before he was four, causing him to be dismissed as an ‘idiot’; to Michael Jordan and his failure to get into the school basketball team. We also drew inspiration from the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche who, rather than focusing upon taking away the pain, in keeping with the tradition of earlier philosophers, saw challenges, hardship and serious reversals in life as a distinct advantage boldly stating that ‘that which does not kill me makes me stronger’! His view that anything of true value often requires extraordinary effort to attain it is, let’s face it, so often the case. Never before have we had such ready access to technology and culture but is it really any easier in our age to attain true happiness and fulfilment at a deeper level? As Nietzsche observed, the view from the top of the mountain may be the finest, but getting there is extremely difficult. The challenge for all of our girls, and indeed adults, is to learn to accept suffering and set-backs, to be knocked down yet rapidly get up again and keep trying. It’s a great feeling when we see our girls managing this. Mr Parsons

resilience. Alice, although only 17, has had considerable success appearing on television and in the West End. She talked about the auditioning process and the high percentage of rejections which inevitably happened. She has learned already that, sometimes, what you want doesn’t happen, no matter how hard you try but it doesn’t stop her auditioning for the next role. We cannot wait until the girls are in the Sixth Form, or even in the Senior School to start this message. We begin in small ways at Nursery and continue through Juniors. Ms Eastaugh’s lovely mantra “be brave and strong when little things go wrong” is sound advice. Ms Eastaugh and Mrs Bonnar started our ‘Resilience Week’ with a wonderful assembly, full of humour and well received by the girls. Ms Eastaugh’s rendition of a hysterical class who had missed out on a cake sale certainly got the message across in a way the girls understood. If you are four years old, cupcakes, or their absence, are important but are they worth crying over? We cannot wait for major life changing events to happen in order to instil resilience; we use the daily tiny hurdles to get the message across. The assembly also used the image of a rubber

band and rubber ball to reinforce the idea of “bouncing back”. Throughout the week, girls across the school persevered with tricky activities which demanded effort and concentration; often requiring them to begin again to get the necessary outcome. Reception using skipping ropes, hoola hoops and weaving – all very tricky – kept going marvellously and could be heard shouting “I’m being resilient!”. Other classes made tangrams and houses of cards. Year 3 won the award for messiest activity, constructing towers made of marshmallows and spaghetti. They fell down many times but the girls never gave up! So while much fun was had, the message remains the same important one; we wanted our girls to try their best, give it their all but recognise hiccups happen. It is how you cope with the disappointments, not the successes, which will really define you. Mrs skevington

18 Blackheath High School Spring 2013

BHS_7_Final.indd 18

10/06/2013 13:07


ea of

FOrthcOminG eVents

Forthcoming Events June Junior sPorTs DAy Tuesday 4th June, Sports Field eArLy yeArs FounDATion sTAge sPorTs Morning Friday 7th June, Sports Field

JuLy yeAr 6 ‘grADuATion’ PArTy Friday 5th July, 7:00pm Junior School Hall BHsA FAMiLy DAy AnD cAMP nigHT Saturday 6th July, Sports Field

Junior scHooL TeA TiMe concerT (recorDers) Friday 7th June, 3:45-4:45pm Junior School Hall

yeAr 6 PriZe giVing Monday 8th July, 2:00-3:30pm, Junior School

yeAr5/6 ProDucTion Tuesday 11th June, Junior School Hall

yeAr 7 AnD yeAr 8 PriZe giVing Tuesday 9th July, 2:00-3:30pm, Theatre

Junior scHooL ArT exHiBiTion Monday 17th to Thursday 20th June, Junior School Hall Parents are invited to view the exhibition during school hours Monday-Thursday and we will be hosting a late viewing, until 7:00pm on Thursday 20th June

suMMer concerT Wednesday 10th July, 7:30pm The Chapel of the Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich

ArT exHiBiTion (senior scHooL) wiTH MusicAL enTerTAinMenT Thursday 20th June, 6:30pm Senior School senior sPorTs DAy Tuesday 25th June, Sports Field

chool

en

ipping ery uld Other ards. ty, ows es but

ge anted but u cope esses, gton Spring 2013 Blackheath High School 19

BHS_7_Final.indd 19

10/06/2013 13:08


BHS_7_Final.indd 20

10/06/2013 13:08


Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.