The termly magazine of Queen’s Gate School
Singing in the rainforest
Remove Showcase
Issue 50 ¡ Spring 2017
plus Ski trip
Exploring elements
A highly charged Science Week
All hail, Macbeth
World Book Day
Alumnae USA tour
Gripping performances in the School play
IT HAS BEEN AN ACTION-PACKED TERM FOR ALL OF US BOTH IN THE JUNIOR AND SENIOR SCHOOLS
top Old Girls Sophie Lucy, Maddy McNeila and Camilla Pfeiffer with Mrs Kamaryc in New York above right The Little Mozarts Concert right Chinese New Year
From the Principal’s Study Dear Parents, Winter has gone, Spring has arrived and another term comes to an end. As always, it has been an action-packed term for all of us both in the Junior and Senior Schools. Teaching and learning, of course, occupy a large part of our time, but as you will see from this edition of the QG News, a Queen’s Gate education offers much more than that; I hope that you will enjoy reading of the many activities and opportunities available to our girls. Science Week, the Senior School play, the ski trip, House Music, swimming galas, the Junior School Open Afternoon, and the LIV French Exchange are all regular features of the Spring Term and again, we have enjoyed these immensely, giving us the opportunity to witness the creativity, the talent and the hard work of our girls. Besides these regular events, our girls have enjoyed a range of cultural trips, two Little Mozart concerts, sporting successes in a range of disciplines, World Book Day, Inspiring Women talks, a Chinese New Year celebration and a range of Wider World speakers. Whilst enjoying the girls’ activities, the Spring Term is also the time when we complete our recruitment for new pupils for September 2017 and I am pleased to report that we continue to enjoy a high demand for places in our School. New pupils, current girls and of course alumnae all form part of the Queen’s Gate community and this term also we have had the opportunity to engage with an increasing number of Old Girls of our School. We have enjoyed two alumnae events in School and at half-term, Dr Lee (Head of Sixth Form), Mrs Thackwray (Alumnae, Events & Fundraising Officer) and I had the privilege to visit New York and Boston to meet a number of Old Girls and also admissions staff at the universities where they are studying – we enjoyed the experience and the very warm welcome we received. At this time of year, I often marvel at the wonder of nature as Spring arrives and with it that wonderful surge of colour as flowers and trees burst into bloom. The associated refreshment and sense of renewal are also inspiring and much needed by all of us after our busy term. I thank you, as always, for your unstinting support of our School, and I wish you and your family the hope and joy of the Easter season.
top Old Girls Anne Springman and Jane Whiteley with Mrs Kamaryc at Melinda Hughes’s concert
Yours sincerely,
right Old Girl Sabrina Didizian with
Rosalynd Kamaryc Principal
Mrs Kamaryc and Dr Lee in Boston SPRING 2017
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editor
Miss A. Hinds
SUMMER TERM 2017
sub-editors
Mr H. Capper Mrs S. Evans Mrs R. Kamaryc Mrs H. Thackwray design & art direction
ARCH Design Studio photography
DFPhotography Miss A. Hinds
JUNE
term begins Monday 24 April
Monday 5 – Friday 9 June IIA RESIDENTIAL TRIP TO ISLE OF WIGHT
bank holiday Monday 1 May half-term Monday 29 May — Friday 2 June
Battersea Park
term ends Friday 7 July
Thursday 22 June SENIOR SCHOOL SPORTS DAY
contributors
Mrs L. Arthur Miss S. Bradnick Mrs E. Burnside Mrs A. Chua Miss F. Clarke-Williams Mr J. Denchfield Miss J. Hasler Miss C. Hurlbatt Mrs H. Hutton Dr M. Lee Mr E. Liepa Mrs C. Mayne Mr I. Maclean Mr S. Mataya Mrs S. Neale Dr J. Mercer Miss A. Molineaux Miss S. Palframan Miss C. Podavitte Mrs E. Scott Mrs L. Shanley Mr R. Stevens Miss F. Sutherland Mrs H. Thackwray Mr J. Toby
Wednesday 21 June JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORTS DAY
Battersea Park
APRIL
Thursday 22 June SUMMER GARDEN PARTY · 6pm
Tuesday 25 April GCSE DRAMA · 6 pm
Stanhope Gardens Thursday 29 June ART AND DT EXHIBITION PRIVATE VIEW · 5–7.30 pm
Senior School Hall
MAY
Senior School Hall
Wednesday 3 May JUNIOR SCHOOL PLAY: HONK 1.30 pm & 5.30 pm · Chelsea Theatre Thursday 4 May JUNIOR SCHOOL PLAY: HONK 5.30 pm · Chelsea Theatre Friday 12 May UV Study Leave begins Monday 15 – Friday 19 May III FORM RESIDENTIAL TRIP TO NORMANDY Wednesday 24 – Friday 26 May IIB RESIDENTIAL TRIP TO NEW BARN Friday 26 May UVI Study Leave begins
Wednesday 14 – Friday 16 June LVI ACTIVITIES DAYS
JULY Monday 3 July JUNIOR SCHOOL PRIZE GIVING 2 pm · Holy Trinity Church Thursday 6 July UVI LEAVERS’ PARTY
AUGUST Thursday 17 August AS & A2 RESULTS DAY Thursday 24 August GCSE RESULTS DAY
SAVE TH E DATE
Queen’s Gate School 133 Queen’s Gate
21–23 September 2017
London SW7 5LE 020 7589 3587 queensgate.org.uk @queens_gate /133queensgate
key senior school junior school whole school 4
Queen’s Gate Senior School QG NEWS
Junior School
Contents
24 Drawing our feathered friends & Little Mozarts Concert
Senior School 14 Shakespeare’s sisters
47 EPQ results & French debating competition
16 MUN conference 17 A Level Drama & Alessia Vernazza’s AADA scholarship 37 Charity Report & Make and Buy Sale
27 James Mayhew draws a crowd
49 Maths Department Round-up
28 Science Week
51 Queens of America Visiting OGs across the pond
42 Sport Report
52 2006 and all that The class of 2006 reunites
46 ESU public speaking competition & Antonia Bryceson at ARTiculate
53 Melinda Hughes in concert An evening of classsical arias and witty songs
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FEATU RES
REMOVE SHOWCASE
An abundance of singing, dancing and poetry under the rainforest canopy
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SCOTTISH NOIR
The School’s production of Macbeth takes on a dark and shadowy form SPRING 2017
26 World Book Day
48 Maths quiz
ALU M NAE
38 Ski trip to Passo Tonale
25 Jimena’s Blue Peter Badge & Diorama Competition
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30 Clothing donation to Zimbabwe 31 New winter coat & Affara family clock 32 Transition visit Natural History Museum & III Form tour Courtauld Gallery 33 IA’s trips to Highclere Castle & Juniper Hall 34 Sport Report EVENTS
SHEIKHA STYLE
6 Celebrating Chinese New Year
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33 Inspiring Women: Mandy Hickson
QG pupil Sheikha Al Thani wins top award for her charity work
SCIENCE WEEK
An explosive and thought-provoking line-up of events and activities 5
STAFF N EWS 54 New recruits Welcome to our new teachers and to the newborn QG babies
EVE NTS ¡ CH I N ESE N EW YEAR
C H I N E S E
above IB with their rooster creations left Senior School girls performing Chinese songs below A dancer from the London Confucius Institute facing page above right
N E W
Performing on the pipa far right Chinese calligraphy workshop below right Guests enjoying the evening reception
Y E A R 6
QG NEWS
EVE NTS · CH I N ESE N EW YEAR
Q Queen’s Gate ushers in the Year of the Rooster with a feast of Chinese culture
ueen’s Gate pupils, staff, governors and parents celebrated Chinese New Year on Thursday 19 January, with food, art and martial arts all featuring as part of the festivities. A Chinese-themed lunch was served by QG caterers Brookwood, who provided delicious stir fries and banana fritters all round. In the Junior School, III Form and IIA took part in a Chinese calligraphy workshop, run by the London Confucius Institute, where they learnt how to hold
brushes correctly and used special paper to paint on, which resulted in a collection of beautiful Chinese number and panda paintings. In the evening, parents arrived dressed in their Chinese finery for their turn to celebrate with a New Year’s dinner. The Senior School Hall was decked out in beautiful lanterns, decorated by Remove, and roosters provided by IB, which impressed everyone on their arrival at the venue. Guests were treated to Senior School girls performing songs and a play, a buffet dinner provided by Imperial China, and performances from students of the London Confucius Institute, whose displays of dance, music and martial arts had the room captivated. A wonderful day of celebrating came to an end, although our special decorations continued to adorn the school while the Chinese New Year was being celebrated across the globe.
London Confucius Institute soas.ac.uk/lci Imperial China imperialchina-london.com SPRING 2017
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SE N IOR SCHOOL · RE MOVE SHOWCASE
Singing in the rainforest
above The Latin play top right The whole of Remove perform Yanomamo below Tess McGill’s LAMDA performance
E
This year’s Remove Showcase is bursting with music, dance and drama
ach year the Senior School’s youngest set of pupils, Remove, present a collaborative piece of work showcasing singing, dancing, acting, poetry and exhibitions of the time they have so far spent at Queen’s Gate. This year’s Showcase theme was the rainforest, and the featured music was Yanomamo, by Peter Rose and Anne Conlon. With a mix of upbeat songs, such as The Monkey’s Tale, and slower pieces including The Sad Land, girls showed off their beautiful voices through large and small group work, as well as solos. As is tradition, the afternoon began with a Prelude, this year featuring both music and dance, with impressive performances from Laura Kehren and Madeleine Sacks, who showed their balletic skills, and Tess McGill who played Daquin’s Le Coucou on the piano beautifully. Girls then provided LAMDA pieces, 8
with Aria Singh-Bernath impressing with her acting skills; the Latin Play, this year based in a Roman slave market(!) and the Queen’s Gate Challenge presentation, written in a news bulletin-style. A new addition for this year’s Showcase was a debate between six girls, with the motion ‘This House would end deforestation in the rainforest immediately’. After some compelling arguments, the vote was put to the floor. The Showcase ended with watching a compilation video of September’s French Trip – which was extremely funny! Following the performance, girls had the opportunity to take guests on tours of the School, before tucking into tea and cakes served in the Black and White Dining Rooms. Thanks go to Mr Denchfield, Miss Hurlbatt, Mr Liepa, Ms Sansun, Mrs Mailley-Smith and the Sixth Form for their hard work. QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL · CHARITY AWARD
C
Sheikha honoured for her charity work
urrent UVI pupil and global charity director, Sheikha Al Thani, was presented with the prestigious Arab Organisation Award at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Creative Sports Awards this January. The 17-year-old Qatari Princess has been running SATUC (the Sheikha Al Thani Charity for Underprivileged Children) since the age of 14, after she saw first-hand the poverty in which children were forced to live when she was growing up in Egypt. ‘When I was four, I helped my mother out with visiting poor families living in the local area, taking them basic provisions such as blankets and food, as well as spending time speaking with them. My mum instilled in me at a young age to give and not expect. I felt very humbled even early on,’ says Sheikha. Amongst other projects, SATUC runs a football tournament every two years, where charities from all around the world put forward a team of youngsters from poorer areas, aiding them to travel abroad (mostly for the very first time) and play in the tournament, giving an opportunity SPRING 2017
that otherwise would not be afforded to them. In 2016, Sheikha was awarded an honorary doctorate from the United Nations for her work, and became a WFUNF Goodwill Ambassador. On receiving the honour, she remarked, ‘I can only find happiness when I see smiles on the faces of children … they demand very little and that is why I work hard to send a message to the whole world that a smile on the face of an orphaned child after winning first place in a tournament far surpasses
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winning wars and shedding blood!’ Incredibly, alongside everything else she does, Sheikha is currently completing her A Levels at Queen’s Gate in Mathematics, Art and English, having gained her Arabic A Level last year. She has also applied for a number of universities in the UK and America to read Middle Eastern Studies. Many congratulations to Sheikha for all her great work, and we look forward to hearing more about the good work of SATUC in the future.
SE N IOR SCHOOL · DRAMA
When shall we three meet again? The School’s absorbing and powerful production of Macbeth at the Chelsea Theatre
SE N IOR SCHOOL · DRAMA
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presence within the character with he Queen’s Gate tradition of intensity, and her version of the wellproducing first-class Shakespeare known ‘Is this a dagger I see before me? was a challenge to which the cast The handle toward my hand, come, let of Macbeth rose with ease on Wednesday me clutch thee’ speech showed a talented 15 and Thursday 16 March for this year’s quick switch from sanity to murderous school play. intent. Lydia’s acting ability was well The Chelsea Theatre provided a matched by Bonnie-Jane Goudie’s perfect backdrop, with its black boxrepresentation of Lady Macbeth. The style venue and, as the audience entered difficult character and her decline into the atmospheric room, they found madness was played with a confidence themselves greeted with lines of silent befitting the role. soldiers, ready to do battle. Lara Garvie’s Banquo – the first to die The story, which follows the prophecy in a swift and brutal manner on stage – of General Macbeth’s rise to King of returned in the perfect ghostly manner Scotland, begins with the three ‘weird sisters’ predicting Macbeth’s good fortune. of ‘puppetry’ by the witches. The ghostly character was enhanced by the artistic The three, played by Catalina Marti, student make-up team of Jasmine Comel, Amandine Bodet Lefevre and Seraphina Anna Vittoria Porter and Phoebe Head. Kilroy-Silk, then perched on the side of the stage, creating havoc, and using the The company coped well with this dead as puppets to taunt the increasingly bloody and profound play by the Bard, frayed title character. and congratulations go to each member of Lydia Bacon’s chilling portrayal of the cast and crew involved in creating a Macbeth perfectly captured the insane memorable and haunting performance. 12
QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL · DRAMA
STARS, HIDE YOUR FIRES; LET NOT LIGHT SEE MY BLACK AND DEEP DESIRES
SPRING 2017
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SE N IOR SCHOOL · FOCUS ON SHAKESPEARE
Shakespeare’s sisters The girls encounter innovation and experimentation in the productions of Shakespeare they have seen this year BY M RS BU RNSI DE HEAD OF ENGLISH
I
t is a principle of the Queen’s Gate English Department that every girl must have access to Shakespeare at every stage of her study. Following the 400th anniversary of his death in 2016, we have had more opportunities than ever to expose the girls to Shakespeare in performance; we believe this is central to meaningful study and to fostering a love of these works which are perhaps the heart of our country’s contribution to world culture. The academic year began with Form IV seeing the National Youth Theatre’s roistering production of Romeo and Juliet. This high-octane approach was also worked into elements of the technologically innovative Tempest at Stratford; the use of CGI made the experience particularly powerful for Remove in their study of the play. Othello
at the Sam Wanamaker Playhouse, the pre-Restoration theatre at The Globe Theatre, was also striking in its audacious juxtaposition of a traditionally-attired
THE CAST MANAGED TO SCANDALISE A WORLDLY 21ST-CENTURY AUDIENCE — AND SOME QG GIRLS!
choir in the stage gallery with a selfietaking Iago. As in Othello, an all-star cast for King Lear at the Old Vic Theatre retained the comic relief and with this managed yet to scandalise a worldly 21stcentury audience – and some QG girls! A thread running through productions we have seen this year has been gender experimentation, which would have been par for the course for Shakespeare’s first audiences. In Twelfth Night at the National Theatre, Tamsin Greig was superb as Malvolia, whilst the tone was opposite but the principle of gender-blind casting the same in having Glenda Jackson as King Lear. The Shakespearean all-male cast was also inverted in our school production of Macbeth this year: Queen’s Gate continues to teach that being a girl is no bar to anything.
Electrical storm Remove are swept up in the RSC’s cutting-edge production of The Tempest in Stratford BY ALICE RE E D REMOVE
O
n Thursday 12 January, Remove travelled to see a production of William Shakespeare’s The Tempest at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. ‘Amazing’ is a word I would use to describe the production. I found the acting amazing because when the actors spoke I was transported to the lush magical island on which the play was set. Simon Russell Beale was cast as Prospero (the protagonist). He portrayed the character as a man who desired revenge, forgiveness and his title, Duke of Milan. The lighting at the beginning was incredible when they were creating the
furious fast flashes of lightning. When I first saw Ariel I felt as if magic was real as they used both actors and holograms. I was astounded, as I had never seen anything like it. When Juno opened her mouth she sang like an angel, and when the nymphs got the tambourines I thought it was wonderful that the music was performed live and not pre-recorded. The dancing was lively and poppy. It made 14
the final scenes exciting, and gave them a real party atmosphere. This production was colourful. When the goddess Iris glided onto the stage her clothes were a rainbow. When the spirits appeared the background changed into a series of colours to match Juno’s singing. Both the staging and the acting were of a very high standard. I would recommend the production to anyone! QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL · FOCUS ON SHAKESPEARE
The Secret Island A piece of creative writing inspired by The Tempest BY ANASTASIIA GAPPOEVA REMOVE
I Moorish murder Girls attend a lecture before watching a searing interpretation of Othello at The Globe Theatre
lifted my heavy eyelids and exposed my sore eyes to the ghostly light of the sky. The air pressed on my lungs trying to choke me. The lifeless illumination of the sky blinded me and it felt like the earth itself was swallowing me up. Limply, I staggered up. My limbs felt swollen. As I stood up, cold shivers went through me infecting all my body with prickly goose bumps. I looked around for a living soul. Emptiness. No living creature. No movement. Only freakish cold and faint howling in the distance. My ship was caught in a tempest. After it went down, I crashed through the boiling waves but soon my powers gave in and I sank into a trance. Now I have awoken on some deserted island. Shifting my body forward, I glided towards the
BY HAN NAH McN E I LA UVI
P
rior to watching the production of Othello at The Globe Theatre, we had the benefit of attending a lecture by Tony Howard, Professor at the University of Warwick. Professor Howard gave us much to consider, focusing on the impact of historical and social context in the divergence in interpretations of the play in production. We then had the privilege of watching Ellen McDougall’s interpretation of Othello. Her production breaks through the confines of time by presenting 21st-century references and values against a Jacobean backdrop. McDougall managed to preserve the essence of Shakespeare’s tragedy while incorporating elements of the ultra-modern, making the play terrifyingly relevant to the world in which we live today.
SPRING 2017
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grey forest in front. I smelled the luring aroma of lavender. A quiet melody started. As I edged closer to the forest, strange translucent creatures started prancing
I CRASHED THROUGH THE BOILING WAVES around me. They whispered: sleep, sleep… The music got louder. The air loosened around me. The whiff of flowers poisoned my mind and my body lightened as I drifted into the world of dreams.
SE N IOR SCHOOL · ACADE M IC
Keeping their resolutions The quality of the Queen’s Gate delegates shines through at the Haberdashers’ Aske’s MUN conference
Q
ueen’s Gate represented Grenada and Senegal at the three-day Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School MUN conference, from Friday 17 to Sunday 19 March. 450 delegates from 30 schools attended, ranging from non-selective/selective state schools, independent schools and international schools from Frankfurt and Azerbaijan. Although our delegations consisted of some experienced UVI MUN-ers, there were also some less experienced delegates on the team, several attending a MUN conference for the first time. Poppy Hooper and Maha Alyami were both excellent Guest Chairs in the Health and Disarmament Committees; they led the way in the often difficult task of managing large committees debating complex and difficult issues, including the question of combatting cancer and the issue of racial profiling. Both were in total control of their committees at all times, and chaired with confidence and professionalism. In particular, Poppy received the highest praise from a spokeswoman belonging to The Hague International Model United Nations who was most impressed by her detailed knowledge and chairing skills: goodhumoured, consistent, clear and fair. Poppy and Maha had the privilege of addressing all the delegates at the closing ceremony and both received honorable mentions as highly commended Chairs. First time MUN-er Julia Wolchover was the main submitter on her resolution on the question to prevent sale of small arms to terrorist organisations, and another first-timer, Luna Middleton-Roy, was a co-submitter on her resolution on the future of the West Bank. Both
were chosen for debate at the General Assembly (GA). Their resolutions were two out of the five chosen for the GA, out of the hundreds of resolutions submitted by delegates of other schools such as Harrow, Highgate, Godolphin and Laytmer and University College School. Anna Vittoria Porter had the tough task of representing Grenada in the Special Commission committee, attended only by the most experienced delegates and where the quality and intensity of debate is very high. Her hard work and commitment paid off, and in the end she deservedly won the prestigious Distinguished Delegate Award at the closing ceremony. This is a tremendous achievement for Anna Vittoria, and well done goes to her, and all who attended. top Luna Middleton-Roy debates at the GA above Poppy Hooper guest chairing the Health Committee below The assembled delegates
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QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL · ACADE M IC
Acting American
Turn it off and on again A Level Drama practical delivers a powerful piece of contemporary theatre
O
n Thursday 23 February, the Drama Studio was transformed into a living room for this year’s A Level Drama Practical Exam. The AQA moderator, Mr Ed Tomlin, alongside LIV and UV GCSE drama pupils, were treated to a spirited display of immpressively mature acting by UVI's Zoe Marigo and Georgina Bronheim. Zoe was this year’s sole candidate for examination, and for this she wrote, designed and directed a contemporary piece entitled ControlAltDelete, which revolves around the complicated relationship between half-sisters Sheridan
(Zoe) and Nickie (Georgina) who share a secret which threatens to destroy them. Their performance had the audience gripped, and afterwards there were cries for the rest of the play to be written by Zoe. Well done to both girls! top, above & left Scenes from ControlAltDelete top right Alessia in Queen’s Gate’s Merrily We Roll Along
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Alessia Vernazza is awarded a scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Arts
U
V pupil and aspiring actress, Alessia Vernazza, has been offered a place at the prestigious American Academy of Dramatic Arts (AADA) in Los Angeles, where former students include Anne Hathaway, Robert Redford and Kim Cattrall. Alongside her place, Alessia has been awarded a Merit Scholarship, based on the strength of her audition. During her time at the AADA, Alessia will spend one year in LA and one year in New York, before finding out whether she is selected for a final year as a Company member, an honour only bestowed on a few individuals. Alessia said ‘I was thrilled to learn that I had been selected to join an elite group of young actors at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in Los Angeles. I’m truly grateful that AADA have given me this wonderful opportunity to further my development to becoming an actress in the future.’ We wish Alessia a huge amount of luck over in the USA, and look forward to seeing her on a cinema screen in the future!
SE N IOR SCHOOL · SCI E NCE WE E K
SCIENCE WEEK 2017
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ach year girls in both the Junior and Senior Schools are treated to an array of scientific activities for the Queen’s Gate Science Week. Between Monday 20 and Friday 24 March, the Senior School were able to take part in quizzes, workshops, lectures and fundraising activities.
20—24 MARCH
To launch the week, Dr Guy Sutton’s annual trip to Queen’s Gate for a day of brain seminars took place on Monday. During the day he presented sessions to A Level Scientists on brain disorders and diseases, such as autism, Alzheimer’s and schizophrenia. Girls then had the opportunity to take part in a sheep’s brain dissection with Dr Sutton – a popular activity! That evening, parents and pupils gathered to hear Dr Sutton’s lecture on the development of the teenage brain, and how to look after your brain on a day-to-day basis. LVI pupil, Christiana Didizian commented ‘it was a great opportunity to hear Dr Sutton speak; his evening lecture about the teenage brain and how different factors can influence the development of this major organ, was really enriching. The day was an eye-opener, enhancing our knowledge and understanding of such a key part of life.’ top & right Dr Sutton’s evening lecture left Dissecting a sheep’s brain with Sixth Formers
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SE N IOR SCHOOL · SCI E NCE WE E K all images Matthew Tosh and his explosive displays
Tuesday morning saw the polar opposite of Dr Sutton’s lecture, when presenter, broadcaster, pyrotechnician and physicist, Matthew Tosh arrived with his indoor fireworks! GCSE and A Level pupils were the lucky attendees for Fireworks – Real Science or Just Bangs? which explored the chemical and physical processes behind the visuals. Luna Middleton-Roy from Form V said: ‘We learnt about the incredibly complex planning behind intricate pyrotechnic arrangements, taking into account the weight, speed and height of each firework, the location of the performance and the effect of wind when outdoors, and, of course, the probability of anything going wrong. We also learnt about the science within each firework, from the composition of gunpowder (a compound of charcoal, sulphur and potassium nitrate), right down to the structure of the atom. The most visually spectacular part for many was when we tested the effect of heating different metals to see which colours they produced, with barium showing a green flame, potassium turning purple, and strontium going red. It was a great experience.’ SPRING 2017
WE LEARNT ABOUT THE SCIENCE WITHIN FIREWORKS, FROM THE COMPOSITION OF GUNPOWDER TO THE STRUCTURE OF THE ATOM
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SE N IOR SCHOOL · SCI E NCE WE E K
SOME PEOPLE CAN TASTE A CERTAIN FLAVOUR AND OTHERS CAN'T, DEPENDING ON THEIR DNA
On wednesday scientists from the Queen Mary University’s Centre of the Cell gave two extremely interesting talks titled Invasion, Infection, Immunity and Ingenious Genes, to A Level and GCSE pupils respectively. During the two sessions girls were involved in activities, such as sifting through antibodies to find antigens, and learnt about genetic bottlenecks and variations. Form V’s Ella Vorbach said ‘We took part in a variety of activities, each displaying the formation and information about DNA. My favourite was the ‘taste test’ where we established that some people can taste a certain flavour and others can’t, all due to specific DNA differences.’
top Angelica Meneely demonstrating how genetic bottlenecks happen right Emily Dobson and Christiana Didizian try to find the ellusive antigen against the clock bottom Girls show off their chromatography t-shirts
During lunchtime that day a t-shirt chromatography workshop run by Miss Wise took place, with the girls' creativity using this method resulting in some extremely fun and interesting visuals!
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QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL ¡ SCI E NCE WE E K
Thursday saw the return of a giant planetarium in the Senior School Hall, and Removians took part in sessions learning all about the stars and planets that are part of our solar system.
top & bottom The Gastronauts get to grips with chemical reactions, assisted by Tess McGill right Anastasiia Gappoeva controls the Gastronauts’ eating habits using electrodes on her arm
The busy week ended on Friday with a visit from Gastronaut Stefan Gates, whose TV shows include Food Factory, Cooking in the Danger Zone, Disaster Chefs and Gastronuts. His high-energy show was full of explosive chemistry and extraordinary food, which was much enjoyed by Remove, LIV and Form IV. A cake sale also took place on Friday, raising money for the charity Sightsavers. A wonderful week was had by all our budding scientists, and thanks go to Dr Mercer and all the Science staff for their hard work in creating such an amazing line up of sessions. SPRING 2017
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SUCCESS!
Queen’s Gate Year 6 pupils have again shone with their results at 11+ and gained places at some of the country’s most prestigious schools. Pupils will be going on to study at St Paul’s Girls’, Godolphin and Latymer, Downe House, St Swithun’s, Woldingham, and Queen’s Gate Senior School. Their results include two Academic Scholarships, one All-rounder Scholarship, one Mathematics Scholarship, two Mathematics Exhibitions, one English Scholarship, two English Exhibitions, one Art Scholarship and two Sports Scholarships. If you would like to arrange a private tour of Queen’s Gate Junior School or Senior School, please contact our Registrar, Miss Isabel Carey: registrar@queensgate.org.uk.
Queen’s Gate School 133 Queen’s Gate London SW7 5LE
@queens_gate /133queensgate queensgate.org.uk/admissions
Junior School 26
DO SOMETHING BOOKY
The 20th-anniversary World Book Day is celebrated in literary style
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WORD PAINTING
Author and illustrator James Mayhew wows the girls with his vivid stories
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SCIENCE WEEK
From forensic crime scene investigation to outer space
An entry into the Queen’s Gate Flower Show
SPRING 2017
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J U N IOR SCHOOL · ACADE M IC
Winging it Drawing birds from life BY AVA KU NCHALA III FORM
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n February, during our Art lessons, Mr Mataya brought in some very different things for us to draw. Our topic this term has been birds, so he brought in four different taxidermy birds. One was hung from the ceiling, and the other three were on the table. The one hung from the ceiling was a small bird, and the others were slightly bigger. It looked like one of them had a very cool hairstyle! After we admired them, we had to
pick a bird and sketch it, from our seated point of view. I chose to draw the one with the funny hairstyle, but it was a very hard choice. We drew the birds for most of our lesson, and we had to be very careful not to knock the table! I really enjoyed that lesson, and thought it was incredible to sketch an actual object, instead of copying another picture. And the bird hanging from the ceiling looked really cool!
Piano prodigies Plenty of talent on show at this year’s Little Mozarts Concert
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his year’s Little Mozarts Concert took place on Thursday 23 February, showcasing the hard work that Junior School pupils have been putting into their piano practice. The concert took place in the Senior School Hall, and the audience of pupils, parents and staff enjoyed the varous musical offerings. Beginning with the pre-graded pieces, the School’s youngest pupils tinkled the ivories with confidence, playing pieces including Sleepy Violet, The Magic Potion, and Tweedledum & Tweedledee’s Adventures. ABRSM graded pupils, preparing for Spring 2017 exams, played their favourite pieces, including a lovely rendition of La donna é mobile by Lara Fox and Asian Tiger Prowl by Ella Johnson. The final part of the concert consisted of duets – a tough challenge for these young musicians, to which they rose with grace. Very well done to all the pupils who took part in this concert, and a big thank you to piano teachers Ms Chua and Miss Tham, and to Director of Music, Mr Liepa. 24
QG NEWS
J U N IOR SCHOOL · ACADE M IC
Whale song
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Jimena Calvo-Moreno wins a Blue Peter badge for her well-crafted poem
hird Form pupil, Jimena CalvoMoreno, has received a coveted Blue Peter badge for a recent poem she wrote, inspired by a piece of homework. Form teacher, Mrs Shanley, had set her class the task of writing a poem based on an important animal, and the idea of writing about the ‘King of the sea’, the whale, seemed perfect. After submitting her homework, Jimena refined and developed her piece before sending it to Blue Peter. A few weeks later, she received the good news that her poem was liked so much by the Blue Peter team, that it had earnt her a blue badge. The team commented on how much they liked the rhymes, and Jimena was thrilled with the positive feedback.
Jimena said, ‘I’m motivated to get another badge now; I’d like to get a silver one, so I’m going to think of something special to do for that’. We’ll be keeping a close eye on Jimena’s Blue Peter efforts!
I’m just Someone in the Sea As I soundlessly submerge in the seas, My mouth fills itself with luscious eat. I navigate the mixed seas, I savour different delights, To my hungry likes. Nobody can attack me I am the King of the sea If they attack me, I will quietly devour, Even though it will be sour. As I migrate, My family, I will take, For a warm break. The sweltering sea, Lies in the vicinity, Of me along with my family. When I penetrate, I am not in a very satisfying state. For my family I wait, On the jagged shore, I stay. My breathless circumstances, Lay waiting for me to suffocate. My family I wait, Desperately keeping my eyes awake, I rest on the lonely riverbank.
DIORAMA COMPETITION As part of this year’s World Book Day celebrations, Mrs Scott and Miss Podavitte launched a literary Diorama Competition in the Junior School.
All the competition information can be found on QG Buzz: qgbuzz.queensgate.org.uk/library/world-book-day-2017/diorama-competition
WHAT IS A DIORAMA? A diorama is a three-dimensional recreation of a scene from a book, a play or a film inside a shoe box. You can use any decorative materials including fabric, paper, paints, wood, stones, pipe cleaners, wool etc.
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Entries for this competition, as well as the Book-themed Board Game and Storybook Puppet Competitions are now being accepted until Tuesday 25 April, so get choosing your favourite scene from a book and be creative!
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J U N IOR SCHOOL · LI B RARY
World Book Day
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The 20th anniversary of World Book Day is celebrated with the typical Queen’s Gate literary panache
he Junior School marked the 20th anniversary of World Book Day on Thursday 2 March. Following this year’s theme of ‘Do Something Booky’, classrooms were decorated, quizzes were undertaken, stories were read and games were played! Dressing up as a favourite storybook character, of course, played an enormous part in the celebrations. A special World Book Day assembly was held in the morning, and included the Drama Club performing short scenes from famous books and the launch of various book-related competitions. During break and lunchtime, Key Stage Two participated in an interactive game of Literary Cluedo. Their classrooms, the Library and the Art Room became book settings, and the girls went from room to room making accusations in an effort to solve the mystery of which literary character had committed which crime, and where. In the end, 33 girls correctly figured out it was ‘Alice with a bucket of water in Mordor’! We are also pleased to announce that III Form’s version of Mordor was selected as the winner of the Room Decoration Competition. Throughout the day, III Form girls
‘popped up’ in lessons, reading stories to their younger counterparts, and the game ‘Simon Says’, renamed ‘The Author Says’, was played by Key Stage One girls. It was truly a ‘booky’ day.
clockwise from top Preliminary in their literary finery; Lara Fox and Justine Bourrette ‘popping up’ to read Alice in Wonderland; III Form’s Sauron in their Lord of the Rings classroom; Miss Podavitte and Mrs Scott taking tea at the end of a busy day
A video of Junior School staff, including Mrs Kamaryc, being interviewed about their favourite books, can be found on QGBuzz: qgbuzz.queensgate.org.uk/library/world-book-day-2017
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J U N IOR SCHOOL · LI B RARY
Word painting
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The girls’ imaginations are fired by a day of talks and workshops with author and illustrator James Mayhew
n Friday 17 March, renowned author and illustrator, James Mayhew, spent the day in the Junior School, giving talks and creative arts workshops to IIA, IB, Transition and Preliminary. His Katie and Ella Bella Ballerina series of books have been introducing children to art and music history for over two decades. The girls were told how the little girl who ‘steps into paintings’ in his Katie series is, in fact, based on his sister called Katie, and were utterly fascinated by the initial version of his first book, Katie’s Picture Show, which he wrote and illustrated when he was at art college over 30 years ago.
A superb storyteller, James recounted the story of Scheherazade at the start of IIA’s Art and Music workshop. Following the story, he then illustrated aspects of it in time to the Scheherazade Suite by Rimsky-Korsakov, and the girls were in awe as Scheherazade’s face, minarets, a sea monster and a ship emerged on the page! It was then the girls’ turn to illustrate in time to the music ... soon, their very own masterpieces, based on the tales told by Scheherazade, began to materialise! During IB’s workshop, James shared the tale of Benito Bonito and his pirate treasure. The girls were amazed to learn that James’s grandfather had actually been one of the first treasure hunters to look for the buried treasure, and were especially enthralled when James showed them the eyeball of a shark that his grandfather had caught whilst on the island! Preliminary and Transition were told the story of The Orange Princess, and James illustrated as he went along. In the remaining few minutes of their session, taking direction from the girls, James drew a monster ... a twoheaded, ten-armed, ten-legged, horned creature with wings like a bat and a tail like a dragon. He signed this illustration 27
and then each girl was given a copy to personalise by colouring, naming the monster and signing with her own name alongside James’s, so that she could have a keepsake illustration that had been created by her and James. A fantastic day was had by all!
J U N IOR SCHOOL · SCI E NCE WE E K
SCIENCE WEEK 2017
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cience Week in the Junior School was full of fun, educational activities, with trips to the Science Museum just up the road, a visit to the Queen’s Gate Planetarium and a themed dress up day. This year, girls got stuck into fingerprint analysis, had a visit from a ‘mad scientist’ and dressed up as aliens, astronauts, stars and all things ‘spacey’, as well as hosting a cake sale and taking part in the annual Science Quiz. A big thank you goes to all the staff and helpers involved in making this such a special week.
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J U N IOR SCHOOL ¡ CHARITY
Clothes line
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The Juniors collect and donate a mammoth quantity of clothes to the SPCA in Zimbabwe
ver the Autumn Term the Junior School worked together to donate clothes to a charity on the brink of shutting down in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe. The Bulawayo SPCA is a charity that supports the welfare of all animals. They provide free veterinary services to people who cannot afford to look after their pets, and they house many stray and abused animals found in and around the city. Recently, the charity has hit hard times, mainly due to the current economic crisis in Zimbabwe. On hearing the news, the Junior School PTA decided to organise a clothes donation to raise funds, and the School collected an incredible 165kg of second-hand
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clothes, as well as donating ÂŁ1,500 to ship the large consignment to its destination. All the clothes were packed into fourteen large boxes and arrived in Zimbabwe in December 2016. A small local clothing business offered to sell the clothes on behalf of the SPCA to the Bulawayo public, and so far the charity has received over US$600 from the sales. As the majority of the donations were winter clothes, more sales are predicted as the weather in Zimbabwe slowly gets colder and people start to prepare for the winter season. Many thanks to Miss Bradnick and the PTA for organising this collection, and to all those families who donated clothing to make the venture such a wonderful success.
QG NEWS
J U N IOR SCHOOL · EXTRA- CU RRICU LAR
A fresh coat Junior School girls get a wardrobe update with a new coat for the Autumn/Winter 17 season
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rom Autumn Term 2017, Junior School girls will be sporting a brand new look as part of their winter attire, in the form of a new coat! IIB pupil, Carolina Mascarenhas, modelled the new coat in assembly on Wednesday 15 March, and commented that ‘the coat feels cosier than our one now, and the velvet around the collar and pockets is so soft!’ We look forward to seeing the new look later in the year.
Give it time
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The Affara family present the School with a handsome grandfather clock
brand new grandfather clock has been installed in the Junior School reception hallway this term, thanks to the generosity of the Affara family. The family currently have two daughters in the Junior School, Mariam in IIB and Lina in IIA, as well as Mona, who is now in Remove in the Senior School. The beautiful clock is embellished with the School’s very special 125th Anniversary logo and the gift was given to mark this occasion, as well as to express the family’s gratitude to the School for the outstanding education which has been received over the generations. The family has a long association with the School, as Mr Affara’s sisters both attended Queen’s Gate, and subsequently have sent daughters here also! A very big thank you to the Affaras for this stunning timepiece.
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J U N IOR SCHOOL · TRI PS
Meet the mammals Transition discover the Natural History Museum’s mammal collection
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n Monday 6 February, Transition visited the Natural History Museum, just up the road from the School. The weather was beautifully sunny and perfect for walking to the museum from their classroom. The girls have recently been learning about classifying animals in their Science lessons, and a trip to the mammal section of the museum was the perfect way to consolidate their learning. The museum supplied each girl with an explorer hat and a pair of binoculars. The whole class really enjoyed exploring and identifying the many mammals that the museum has on show.
First impressions III Form soaks up the art on their visit to the Courtauld Gallery
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n Tuesday 7 February, III Form visited the Courtauld Gallery, which is located in Somerset House on London’s Embankment. They were lucky enough to see some impressive Impressionist artwork on display and to be taught all about the paintings ... in French! The girls enjoyed learning about the work of famous artists, which included Autumn Effect at Argenteuil by Claude Monet, and Lordship Lane Station, Dulwich, by Camille Pissarro, as well as picking up some new and exciting French vocabulary. The girls have continued studying some of the Impressionist work in their French lessons. This is in preparation for their trip to France in May, when they will be visiting Normandy, known as the ‘birthplace of Impressionism’.
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J U N IOR SCHOOL · TRI PS
Highclere
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IA unearth ancient Egyptian treasures at Highclere Castle
Alexandra Chubini (pictured left in red) writes: On Thursday 19 January, my class visited Highclere Castle. We met our tour guides and went to the Egyptian exhibition. There we saw paintings that were painted by Howard Carter who also discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb. All of my group had little candles. We entered a dark room with lots of little flaps. We had to peer into these flaps and inside there was a replica of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Inside the Treasury there was a golden shining sofa, a tiny model of a sphinx, shabti and two statues of gods standing beside the entrance to the burial chamber. There was a model of the golden sarcophagus, which is a coffin. Tutankhamun was called the boy king because he became pharaoh at the age of 8 or 9 and he died when he was 18 or 19. Although he wasn’t a special pharaoh to the ancient Egyptians, he is special to us because his tomb was the only one which had not been robbed. We all enjoyed our trip to Highclere, it was a lot of fun.
A went on a trip to Highclere Castle, Hampshire, on Thursday 19 January. The castle is home to Lord and Lady Carnarvon, and is relevant to part of the girls’ History lessons on ancient Egypt. The fifth Earl of Carnarvon discovered Tutankhamun’s tomb with Howard Carter in 1922, and there is an exciting interactive exhibition about ancient Egypt and a recreation of the discovery of the tomb. The girls dressed up as pharaohs and ancient Egyptian princesses and tried a range of activities to do with ancient Egypt. There was also the opportunity to explore the beautiful gardens, including the Secret Garden, where the most recent version of this famous book was filmed.
Escape to the country IA get a glimpse of village life at Juniper Hall in Mickleham BY MAN HATTAN ARAUJO MADSE N IA
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n Thursday 23 February, our class went to Juniper Hall. When we got there we made a prediction. Mine was, ‘I think the village will be very clean’ and my prediction was right. Next the guide Simon told us that London is a mega-city and Mickleham is a village. When we had finished talking, we got a clipboard with a checklist on it and headed out. When we were walking we saw that there were almost no cars
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at all. Finally we got to the village and we filled in our mission page, then we walked to the church and had our lunch and looked at the gravestones. A worm crawled up my boot – AAAAAAH! We counted all the cars, lorries, buses, vans, bikes and motorbikes. Next we went to visit the schools in Mickleham and learnt that there were only two! Then we went to the bypass and counted all the traffic there, then we went back and had playtime – yay!
J U N IOR SCHOOL · SPORT
SPORT REPORT
Swimming Gala
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GALA CHAM PIONS clockwise from
IA
top left Champions
Alexandra Chubini & Maya Weiler
Alexandra Chubini &
A record-breaking Inter-House competition at Fulham Pools
II B
Maya Weiler; Beatrix Hillier; Harriet Hillier; Victoria Bunimovich
ach year Junior School girls from IA, IIB, IIA and III Form battle it out to determine which House, Victoria or Elizabeth, will come out on top as the best swimmers. On Wednesday 22 March, the annual Junior School Swimming Gala took place at Virgin Active’s Fulham Pools. With a full programme of 36 races taking place during the afternoon, and their parents cheering them on, the girls showed their Queen’s Gate stamina by performing impressively well over the range of races, which included the 25m Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Butterfly, as well as Freestyle and Open Relays and the Fun Relay. A number of records were broken during the afternoon with IIB’s Beatrix Hillier setting new records for the 25m Freestyle and Backstroke, and IIA’s Victoria Bunimovich setting a new record for the 25m Freestyle.
Beatrix Hillier IIA
above The Gala in full flow
Victoria Bunimovich III FORM Harriet Hillier J U N IOR OVE RALL CHAM PION Victoria Bunimovich
The winning House was named as Victoria with 249 points, beating Elizabeth with 195 points. Congratulations to all the girls who swam so well during the afternoon. 34
QG NEWS
J U N IOR SCHOOL · SPORT
FENCING London Region Youth Championships On saturday 4 March, Queen’s Gate fencers took part in the London Region Youth Championships. Claudia CrawfordBrunt claimed third place in her age category, and has now qualified for the British Youth Championships in Sheffield at the end of April. Well done Claudia.
HOCKEY Inter-House Hockey On wednesday 22 February, the Junior School Inter-House Hockey competition took place at Battersea Park, with all pupils from IA, IIB, IIA and III Form taking part in full and modified games of hockey to determine an overall House Winner. IA and IIB participated in both modified games of hockey and an extra dribbling relay race. IA competed in a nail-bitingly close battle, with Victoria only just taking the title in the end. For the pupils in IIB the girls were so well matched, the games finished in a draw, with great performances from both Houses.
IIA and III Form played full matches, with Elizabeth narrowly beating Victoria by 2–0 in the IIA game, although Victoria got their own back, beating Elizabeth 3–2 in the III Form game. The overall House winner was Victoria.
CROSS COUNTRY London Schools' Championships On wednesday 1 March, the Queen's Gate Junior Cross Country competed at the West London Schools' Cross Country Event in Wormwood Scrubs. The Queen's Gate team competed against a variety of other prep schools, including: Chepstow House, Cameron House, Eaton Square, Garden House, Knightsbridge, Latymer Prep, Hyde Park, Parsons Green and Portland Place. We would like to congratulate all of the pupils that took part. It was a competitive race, with all pupils completing the course with great determination and sportsmanship. SPRING 2017
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EVE NTS · I NSPRI NG WOM E N : MAN DY H ICKSON
Mandy Hickson Leaving on a jet plane ... with one of the RAF’s first female Tornado pilots BY POPPY HOOPE R HEAD GIRL & INSPIRING WOMEN PREFECT
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t was such an honour to meet, and listen to our final inspiring woman of the 2016/17 series, former RAF fast jet pilot, Mandy Hickson, on Monday 6 February. Mandy is one of only five women to have been a Royal Air Force Tornado GR4 fast jet pilot, and is now a motivational and keynote speaker. She delivered the story of her career with great humour and charisma, and all of us in the Senior School Hall were thrilled to hear about her time in Iraq where she operated in the hostile, challenging environment of the ‘no fly’ zone. Although she was finally able to achieve great success in becoming one of the first females to operate in this field, Mandy had to overcome many obstacles in order to reach her goal. Her determination to achieve was evident when she told us about failing the computer-based aptitude 36
tests twice, yet managing to get the RAF to take her on as a test case. Once there, her hard work, and the support of those around her, led to her finally getting her place as a female Tornado pilot. Not only was her speech inspiring, it was highly entertaining and left me open to the idea of the opportunities outside of the curriculum. Being Inspiring Women Prefect has been an exciting and enriching experience for me. It has given me the opportunity to meet such strong, motivational yet humble women who have achieved so much, based on perseverance and self-belief. As well as being women to look up to, attending the talks has given me encouragement to follow my own path and has taught me that success is brought on from your inner drive. QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL · CHARITY
Charity round-up This term’s good causes included Xenia, a charity for migrant women, and Red Nose Day
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BY ISAB E L STE E LE CHARITIES PREFECT
ueen’s Gate has yet again had a highly successful term for charities. There have been numerous jeans days and cake sales throughout the term, including a cake sale for Xenia, an organisation which builds relationships between migrant women and English-speaking women in the UK, and for which we raised £180.68. Red Nose Day took place on Friday 24 March, and girls were able to buy red noses during the day, as well as attend a movie and pizza night in the evening, which was a lot of fun! Looking forward into the charities
calendar, on Wednesday 21 June the School will host its annual Age UK Tea Dance in the Junior School Hall, something that our friends enjoy as much as our Sixth Formers. I want to say a big thank you to everyone in the Senior School for coming up with innovative ideas to raise money for deserving causes and, of course, many thanks to everyone contributing so much to improve communities across the world – I have enjoyed my time as Charities Prefect over the past year. Altogether we have managed to raise £3,052.04 for charitable causes this term!
Making a quick sale
WE HAVE RAISED £3,052.04 FOR CHARITABLE CAUSES THIS TERM
LIV’s Make and Buy Sale raises a large sum in record time BY AU DREY LAWRE NCE LIV
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You can watch a video of the Make and Buy sale by visiting the Queen’s Gate Facebook page: facebook.com/133queensgate
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n Wednesday 22 February, LIV held their very own Make and Buy Sale with contributions from both forms, LIVHH and LIVLC. With a wide array of stalls including food and accessories, Year 8 managed to raise £878.83 in half an hour! This was a massive achievement, meaning that we were able to donate the money to two charities instead of one; Sense and Save the Children. The accessory counters selling things such as pom-poms, hair bows and chokers proved very popular. Among the assortment of stands were also pupils selling personalised phone cases, slime, stress balls and emoji t-shirts. It was such a great experience for us all to learn a little bit about being entrepreneurs and a great day for charity, as well as being a fun low-key competition between the forms.
TA K
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TO TH E
PE S
Th e Ton Que ale en’s in t G BY AD he ate EL s Ita I NA lian kiers SH AH Alp tac AT s fo kle AF OR r so the M me pi s IV ha tes o lf-t erm f Pas sno so w
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QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL ¡ TRI PS
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n February half-term, I was one of the group of lucky girls who went on this year’s ski trip to Passo Tonale in Northern Italy. Every morning we woke up enthusiastically, excited for the day ahead. We skied for two hours each morning before having a delicious Italian lunch. After that, we did another two hours skiing, before taking part in lots of fun activities each evening. It would be very hard if I had to choose my favourite thing about the trip, but I really enjoyed just how much skiing we were able to do each day, and all the exhilarating off-pistes we completed. The views on the slopes were breathtaking, and it was wonderful to have such knowledgeable teachers and instructors around us. I would really love to go on the trip again if I had the chance!
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SE N IOR SCHOOL · SPORT
SPORT REPORT Swimming Gala Competition is intense at this year’s Inter-House swimming event The annual swimming gala for Remove and LIV is a fun-filled event, one in which the four Houses – Douglas, Johnston, Spalding and Wyatt – show off their competitive side in the pool. Featured races included the 25m Freestyle, Backstroke, Breaststroke and Butterfly. Each discipline allowed an ‘Invitational Race’ where swimmers from any year group are allowed to take part and race to gain further points for the Houses. After all the races were finished, and the scores were totted up, it was announced that the Remove Overall Champion was Tess McGill, Overall LIV Champion was Isla Wallrock, and the Overall Gala Individual Champion was Katya MacLennan. A tight finish for House points, but overall Douglas pipped Johnston to the post as Overall Team Champions, and the Swimming Gala shield was presented by Mrs Kamaryc to House Sports Captain, Christiana Didizian. A huge well done to all the girls who took part in this successful event, showing off the QG swimming talent currently in the School.
← Tess McGill ↓ Katya MacLennan
↑ Christiana Didizian → Isla Wallrock
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SE N IOR SCHOOL · SPORT
Public Schools’ Fencing Blades of glory QG fencer Patrycja Krzyzaniak has once again triumphed and has been crowned Girls’ Mount-Haes Epée Champion at this year’s Public Schools’ Fencing Championships. The competition, which brings together the top fencers from Independent Schools across the country, is fiercely fought each year, and is one of the top achievements in Youth Fencing. Out of a pool of 65 fencers from schools including Alleyn’s, Francis Holland NW1, Wycombe Abbey and Millfield, Patrycja came out on top after a number of matches, showing her continuing improvement in Epée. Patrycja was joined by LIV’s Agnes Burnside and Alexandra Taylor, Form IV’s Maria Crawford-Brunt, who placed 12th in the field, Olivia McCoy, Adelina Shahata and Megan Van Lynden, UV’s Christine CrawfordBrunt and Astree de Laperouse, who placed 19th and LVI’s Caroline Winter and Sara Costanzi, who placed 17th overall. The size of this squad and quality of fencing from the QG girls at this competition is all thanks to the expert coaching at Queen’s Gate by Mr Meshkov.
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British Schools’ Modern Biathlon Commendable results at the National Championships The British Schools’ Modern Biathlon Championships – part of Pentathlon GB’s Series – is a competition which comprises a run and a swim, and is the culmination of a set of preliminary competitions organised throughout the country from October to December each year. On Saturday 25 March, Justine Bourrette (U11), Lara Mannes Diaz de Cerio (U12), Isla Wallrock, Zoe Auld and Sabrina Mannes Diaz de Cerio (U14) went to Crystal Palace National Sports Centre to compete in this prestigious event. Each pupil had qualified through their ranking or finishing positon in the SouthEast Regional qualifying competition. Congratulations to all the girls for their outstanding training and preparation for this event and for reaching this stage of such a prestigious Championship. 43
BIATH LON NATIONAL RAN KI NGS U11
137 Justine Bourrette U12
13
Lara Mannes Diaz de Cerio U14
12
Isla Wallrock
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Zoe Auld
SE N IOR SCHOOL · SPORT
FENCING London Region Youth Championships On Saturday 4 March, Queen’s Gate fencers took part in the London Region Youth Championship. It was a very successful day with Patrycja Krzyzaniak taking first place and Maria Crawford-Brunt claiming third place. Both girls have now qualified for the British Youth Championships in Sheffield at the end of April.
ROWING Kensington & Chelsea Indoor Rowing Competition
Hounslow Schools’ Spring Term Regatta
On Monday 6 February, 21 pupils attended the Kensington & Chelsea Indoor Rowing Competition. Remove pupils Vasilisa Shemyakina, Joy Harrison, Tess McGill, Alexandra Pilot and Maureen Hana started the competition with a fifth place finish. The LIV team had a very impressive performance taking five of the top six places, with Isla Wallrock first, Jessica Ballard second, and Lweji Lopes Padre third. Lilian Scotts and Nina Vere came in fifth and sixth. The Form IV girls proved that our rowing programme is working well as Zoe Dassas, Alexandra Didizian, Katya MacLennan, Valentina Levi and Alexandra Buccellati took the top five places during the four-minute race. Lauren Auld won a silver medal in the Form V girls’ race with Luna MiddletonRoy taking the bronze. Lara Garvie came fifth and Seraphina Kilroy-Silk seventh. The evening finished with Ella Meltzer’s amazing bronze medal in the Year 11 girls’ race, with Iona Martyrossian coming fifth in the same category. Their excellent results have qualified Isla Wallrock and Zoe Dassas to represent the Borough in the London Youth Games later this year. Jessica Ballard, Alex Didizian and Lauren Auld have also made the team as reserves.
On Saturday 4 March, nine pupils competed at the London Borough of Hounslow Schools’ Spring Term Regatta in Chiswick. The girls began with an Indoor Rowing competition in their boating crews. Sophia Mafi, Isabella Searle, Beatrice Bru and Zoe Dassas demonstrated the strength of our squad, winning the Year 9/10 category. After a strong performance on the land, the water races began with Amy Gillyon, Isabella Searle, Mia Beechey and Christina Mouchantaf making their way through the heats and into the final, where they finished third. Impressively, after winning the indoor event earlier in the day, Valentina Levi and Alexandra Buccellati powered their way to the finish line, winning the Year 10/11 race, despite being only Year 9 pupils.
Hammersmith Junior Head of the River The following day, Sophia Mafi, Mercedes Hildreth and Ceci Tombolis represented the London Youth Rowing Thames Tradesmen Rowing Club at the Hammersmith Junior Head of the River event. For many of the members of the WJ14 8×+ team, it was their first major rowing race and they all did amazingly well. Well done girls!
SWIMMING Queen’s College Swimming Gala On Thursday 26 January, members of the Queen’s Gate Senior Swimming Squad participated in a swimming gala hosted by Queen’s College. The team raced against squads from Francis Holland Sloane Square and Queen’s College, swimming excellently, winning all three age group Freestyle Relays, and finishing in the top three in each race. The Squad were crowned the overall winners of the Gala. Well done girls!
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SE N IOR SCHOOL · SPORT
CROSS COUNTRY London Schools’ Cross Country Championships
Inter-Borough Schools’ Cross Country Championships
On Wednesday 1 February, the Queen’s Gate Cross Country Squad travelled to Wormwood Scrubs for the London Schools’ Cross Country Championships. All three teams ran confidently in muddy and very wet conditions. Well done to Lara Mannes Diaz de Cerio who came second in the Junior B Race out of a field of 100 competitors, Isla Wallrock and Sabrina Mannes Diaz de Cerio who placed 15th and 25th respectively in the Junior A Race out of a field of 125, and Marina Ocampo, who placed 15th in the Senior Race.
On Tuesday 7 March, the Squad journeyed to Avery Hill Park to compete in the Inter-Borough Schools’ Cross Country Championships. The Queen’s Gate team solely represented the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and took on this responsibility with great confidence. Lara Mannes Diaz de Cerio continued to shine in this testing sport, and became the first Queen’s Gate pupil ever to gain the title of Inter-Borough Schools’ Cross Country Champion! Congratulations Lara for such an outstanding achievement. Congratulations also go to Isla Wallrock, who came eighth overall – another really impressive achievement!
Inter-House Competitions TENNIS
HOCKEY On tuesday 7 March, the Senior School Inter-House Hockey competition took place at Battersea Park with Remove, LIV and IV Form taking part in full games of hockey to determine an overall House winner. In Remove, Wyatt came first after winning their three games convincingly and playing some great passing hockey. After superb team performances from all of the LIV Houses, Johnston won the year group competition, and in the IV Form, Wyatt and Spalding were neck and neck throughout the tournament, thought Wyatt eventually came out on top. The overall house winner is determined by combining all the points across the year groups. This year, the InterHouse Hockey winner was Wyatt.
Inter-House Competition The inter-house tennis competition took place on Tuesday 7 March at Battersea Park, with pupils playing in both doubles and singles matches to determine the overall House winner. After many well-played matches, the results were as follows: 4th Douglas 3rd Spalding 2nd Wyatt 1st
Johnston
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SE N IOR SCHOOL · ACADE M IC right & below Antonia with her ARTiculate colleagues, and delivering her speech
Folding speech The QG team gains second place at ESU’s Churchill Public Speaking Competition
O ARTiculate Antonia LVI student finds an artistic way with words at the ARTiculation competition
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BY ANTON IA B RYCESON LVI
had an amazing time this term researching and competing in the ARTiculation competition. ARTiculation is a public speaking competition where students in LVI give a ten-minute presentation on an artwork of their choice. Not being in the slightest bit ‘arty’ myself, I initially found the project very daunting, but the scope was so wide that in the end the hardest thing was picking a piece of art to talk about – there was so much choice! I finally chose a photograph of a mosque taken in Afghanistan, and found researching the social stereotypes of the portrayal of Afghanistan in Western media fascinating. When I arrived at the beautiful Dulwich Picture Gallery on the day
of the competition the nerves started to build, and it suddenly dawned on me that soon I would be presenting my talk in front of a room full of strangers! Everyone was so welcoming though; I shouldn’t have worried! All the other talks were on contemporary and thought-provoking topics, from the beauty of the Barbican buildings to subtle feminism in art. All the presentations had completely different perspectives, and each one opened me up to new angles or issues which I wouldn’t have considered before. ARTiculation was an amazing experience for me; my public speaking skills have improved dramatically and a new curiosity in modern art has been sparked in me. 46
n Thursday 26 January, UV’s Freya Buxton, and Form V’s Maria Posada and Luna MiddletonRoy represented Queen’s Gate in the first round of the EnglishSpeaking Union’s Churchill Public Speaking Competition. This prestigious national event requires a team of three girls to prepare to chair, deliver and question a speech on a prepared topic. Freya chose to consider Shirley Chisholm’s famous aphorism, ‘If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair’. Her speech was delivered with great maturity and thoughtfulness, and her fluent, engaging delivery was exceptionally well-received. She listened carefully to questions from the opposing team and the audience, and offered confident, incisive answers. Maria and Luna, as Chair and Questioner for another team, were an excellent pairing; Maria hosted her round with authority and Luna asked searching questions. The team finished a close second, above teams from Francis Holland and London Oratory. QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL · ACADE M IC
Well qualified Queen’s Gate girls celebrate EPQ success
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ueen’s Gate UVI girls have achieved exceptional results this year in the Extended Project Qualification. Many congratulations to the seven UVI girls who completed the EPQ – Nicole Charion Casoni, Maryam Takimoglu, Yufei Wang, Darin Huq, Arina Bykova, Alexina Youakim and Jiyoon Lee. Together, they gained an impressive set of results, with four A* grades and three A grades; the best the School has ever seen! The projects all demonstrated extensive, undergraduate-style research, and each girl wrote a 5,000 word research-based dissertation on any subject of their own choosing. We are delighted with the diverse range of research topics the girls selected, ranging from the response by European governments to the refugee crisis, the costs and benefits of fracking, to the question of nature and nurture in Psychology, to name a few. The results are a reflection of the hard work, creativity and resilience of the seven UVI girls who have carried out their projects in addition to their A Level studies.
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C’est discutable
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Queen’s Gate pair reach the semi-finals in a French debating competition at St Paul’s Girls’
n Tuesday 7 February, UVI French pupils, Catherine Suleiman and Rebecca Dion, travelled to St Paul’s Girls’ School to participate in a French debating competition. Topics included the need to rethink French political parties, the use of nuclear weapons and governmental support for drug addicts. Rebecca and Catherine had been preparing these topics for a few weeks, and on the night the girls debated three times against three different teams from the best schools in London. They 47
beat Dulwich College during the second round and impressed the jury with their confidence and passion. They didn’t manage to go through to the final, but were placed fourth overall. Both girls enjoyed the night and felt very positive about their performance and the skills they learned.
above Rebecca and Catherine relaxing after the debate
SE N IOR SCHOOL · ACADE M IC
MATHS QUIZ We all love a challenge, but can you solve these tricky Maths problems? Once you’ve sussed the answers, you can submit them to Mr Toby or any of the Maths Department staff 1. ONE FROM THE TOP... In each of the cases below, use each number exactly once to make 24. You may use addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and brackets. a) b) c)
2. MEET YOUR MATCH In the diagram below, move exactly two matchsticks to make the equation true.
3. ANGLING FOR AN ANSWER The diagram below shows three squares of the same size. What is the value of x?
x
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QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL · ACADE M IC
Number Day
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n Friday 3 February, girls in the Senior School took part in the NSPCC Number Day, a nationwide maths fundraising event run by the charity. Dr Abhishek Arun, Principal Scientist at Microsoft, visited the School to speak about the importance of numbers and mathematics in his field. Well done to UVI pupils Emily Dobson and Liliana Cobiella, who were the first to complete an additional challenge by cracking Dr Arun’s code. Remove and LIV spent their lessons earning House points by solving mathematical problems in small groups. For the third year in a row these pupils also took part in a sponsored
times tables test during their maths lessons. Pupils also took part in a quiz, where they asked members of staff questions related to various subject areas, with each answer a numerical one. LIV’s Georgiana Hillier, Chiara Diotallevi, Honor Makhlouf and Anoushka Dhillon won the competition and congratulations go to them all. Also during the day, girls were asked to estimate the amount of sweets in a container … a very popular game! Well done to Alex Aitken, who won the 309 sweets with a guess of 300. The School raised a total of £1,801.36 on the day, and the Maths Department would like to thank all the girls who were involved in helping us achieve this fantastic total.
Intermediate Maths Team Challenge
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n Tuesday 7 March, Lilian Scotts, Georgiana Hillier, Andrada Durantel and I all travelled to the City of London School to compete in the UK Mathematics Trust Intermediate Maths Challenge. After a taxi ride, during which we made some last minute checks, we arrived at the venue. We were named team 16, although Mr Maclean had told us we there only 15 teams … there turned out to be 30! After a quick warm up session, we started off
BY DIAN E -SOPH I E CAPE LLE FORM IV
with the first heat, the group round. We managed to complete all the questions, so we were quite pleased. We then moved on to the cross-number, which we also completed with only a few mistakes. After a quick lunch break we moved on to the shuttle, which started off quite well, but didn’t finish as well. Nevertheless, we continued on with the next round, the relay, in which as its name suggests, we had to run… After the final round, we got our
results. We actually did better than we thought, and ended up in 13th place overall! We each received a pencil case as a prize. Despite not winning, we had a wonderful time and it was an amazing experience; thank you for organising it, Mr Maclean!
Congratulations to the girls who also participated in the Intermediate Maths Individual Challenge in February ! Silver Certificates Ksenia Malakhova, Luna Middleton-Roy, Uma Dhar, Sophie Laumet, Valentina Levi, Andrada Durantel and Diane-Sophie Capelle ! Bronze Certificates Angela Draghi, Erin Martin, Alice Bru, Beatrice Britton, Louise Ridsdale, Miriam Bawe, Zoe Alfille, Madeson Benmax, Anna Long, Alessandra Aprile-Borriello, Syahirah Reduan, Alexandra Buccelatti and Olivia McCoy
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ALU M NAE · US TOU R
Queens of America
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The Principal takes a trip to New York and Boston to visit alumnae and forge links with East Coast universities
t was a busy February half-term for several member of QG staff including Principal Mrs Kamaryc, Head of Sixth Form Dr Lee, and Alumnae, Events and Fundraising Officer Mrs Thackwray, who embarked on a trip to New York and Boston. The group toured East Coast universities, which are becoming ever more popular choices for our Sixth Form university applicants. They also visited Queen’s Gate Old Girls who are living, studying and working in and around New York and Boston.
above left Mrs Thackwray, Mrs Kamaryc and Dr Lee at NYU above right Mrs Kamaryc with Old Girl Gayatri Ramesh at Princeton left Dr Lee with Old Girls Theodora Petalas and Alessia Miro in New York City SPRING 2017
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The trio went to Sarah Lawrence, NYU, Parsons School of Design, Princeton, Northeastern and Boston College, where they enjoyed insightful information sessions and tours of the campuses given by some QG Old Girls as well as other students. Mrs Kamaryc and Dr Lee also spent time with admissions staff to gain further insight into UK applications to the USA. The new information the School now has will help support our girls’ current and future subject choices and applications. As well as touring universities, the School also held events for alumnae and their guests in each city, providing opportunities for alumnae to re-connect with their peers and meet other Old Girls in fun, relaxed surroundings. In New York, a drinks and canapés reception was held at the Top of the Strand, with a stunning view of the Empire State Building as the evening’s backdrop. In Boston, a delicious meal was enjoyed by everyone at the Atlantic Fish Company in Back Bay. This was a hugely enjoyable and informative trip, and we look forward to repeating it in the future.
ALU M NAE · REU N ION
2006 and all that A decade on, the Class of 2006 reunites to talk about the good old days
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top Mrs MailleySmith catches up with Helena Reed and former Head Girl Miranda Stotesbury above Scarlet McAleese-Banks and Serena Wise enjoy old class photographs
and class photographs from across the years, which particularly prompted a lot of laughter! Thank you to all who came and we look forward to hosting further year group reunions soon at the School.
ueen’s Gate opened its doors on Friday 24 February to host Old Girls from the Class of 2006 for a reunion evening. Having left the School just over ten years ago, it was the perfect opportunity for alumnae to return for a fun, relaxed evening of drinks, canapés and, of course, reminiscing. Current Sixth Form pupils greeted attendees on arrival, and took them on tours where both sides enjoyed hearing about all the changes that had taken place over the last decade; ranging from the relocation of form rooms to the renovation of the science laboratories, and even the removal of a bath tub! We were delighted that former and current members of staff also joined in with the evening, and were able to find out what their previous students were now doing. QG Archivist Miss Podavitte also put together a brilliant display of materials from the attendees’ time at Queen’s Gate. This included magazines 52
below Sharonna Karni Cohen talks Queen’s Gate with the Sixth Formers
QG NEWS
ALU M NAE · M E LI N DA H UGH ES CONCE RT
Lyrical and satirical
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Opera singer and Old Girl Melinda Hughes pairs classical arias with witty songs
usic and laughter were in store on Wednesday 1 March as Old Girl, soprano and satirist Melinda Hughes, and her accompanist and co-writer Jeremy Limb, visited Queen’s Gate to perform a very special recital, entitled Soprano & Satire. The first half of the evening took the audience, which included pupils, parents, governors, Old Girls, staff and friends, on a journey through opera, with a selection of arias including the beautiful Dove sono from Mozart’s Le nozze di Figaro, and Adelaide’s aria from Jonathan Dove’s The Enchanted Pig. Following an interval of champagne and canapés, guests enjoyed a second half of satirical songs. Highlights were Melinda and Jeremy’s own compositions, Britannia waives the rules, which took a hilarious look at the differences between American and British language, and The Cabbie Song, an ode to the archetypal London taxi driver. As the wonderful performances came to an end, the
SPRING 2017
above Melinda performs to a packed Senior
audience were given the opportunity to ask Melinda and Jeremy questions, and found out how the two went through the creative process of writing their clever and entertaining satirical pieces. A big thank you to all who came, and to Melinda and Jeremy for a fantastic recital.
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School Hall below Old Girls Anne Springman mbe and Jane Whiteley in conversation with QG Bursar Mr Cubitt
J U N IOR & SE N IOR SCHOOLS · STAFF N EWS
NEW STAFF A very warm welcome to the teachers who joined Queen’s Gate this term
MS VAZQUEZ
MLLE LELUAN
Ms Vazquez returns to Queen’s Gate as a permanent member of staff, following her time as Ms Sitko’s maternity cover. Following her graduation from Central Saint Martins specialising in fashion and printed textiles, she completed her PGCE at Middlesex University. Since then she has worked in a variety of schools, from St Martha’s to Forest School. She has also completed an MA in Art Psychotherapy, and is looking forward to her new journey at Queen’s Gate as part of a wonderful, expressive Art Department.
Mademoiselle Leluan joined Queen’s Gate in January 2017 as a Teacher of French. She has previously taught French, Latin and German in a state boarding school in Lincoln. Following the completion of the Classes Préparatoires in Paris she moved to England in 2008 to complete a BA at the University of Nottingham and a PGCE at the University of Oxford. She is delighted to be joining a dynamic department and thriving school.
Queen’s Gate Babies Congratulations to the newest members of the Queen’s Gate community!
Cello teacher Mrs Evanson gave birth to Rufus Gerald Hunter Holloway on 23 February 2017
Violin teacher Mrs Hodson gave birth to Louie James on 28 July 2016, weighing 8lbs 12oz. He’s now on all fours and crawling around!
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QG NEWS
RETURNS SEPTEMBER 2017 See queensgate.org.uk/events for more details
125 YE ARS O F Q U E E N ’S GATE
Queen’s Gate School 133 Queen’s Gate London SW7 5LE 020 7589 3587 queensgate.org.uk @queens_gate /133queensgate