The termly magazine of Queen’s Gate School
Show pieces
Art & Design Technology Exhibition
Issue 54 · Summer 2018
Going for gold
Top D of E Award for Elisabeth Long
plus
Junior & Senior School Sports Days
Glorious feelin’
The Junior School production of Singin’ in the Rain
THE END OF THE SUMMER TERM IS ALWAYS A TIME TO REFLECT ON THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE PAST YEAR
From the Principal’s Study Dear Parents, It is my pleasure to invite you all to read the Summer Term 2018 edition of the QG News which, as always, is filled with news of our activities in both the Junior and Senior Schools in another action-packed term. The Summer Term, as ever, has been dominated by examinations – GCSEs and A Levels as well as internal end-of-year examinations. Our girls have coped well with the challenges of new specifications and the move from modular to linear examinations at A Level; we thank them all for their hard work and application and wish them well when results are published in August. Despite their academic commitments, as you will see from the pages of the QG News, staff and girls in both the Junior and Senior Schools have been involved in a myriad of other activities, whilst enjoying this summer’s beautiful sunshine and high temperatures. There has
been an abundance of trips, in London and further afield, our Sports Days, and picnics in Stanhope Gardens. One of the highlights of the end of term was the annual Art and Design exhibition, where we admired the exceptionally high standards of work produced by our girls. We congratulate all involved. The end of term is always a time for celebration as we reflect on the achievements of the past year, and our Assemblies and Junior School Prize Giving gave us all the opportunity to celebrate the year and our achievements together, and also to say thank you and goodbye to our leavers, both staff and girls. In particular, we said farewell to our Deputy Principal, Mr Alter, who retires after 11 years at Queen’s Gate. We thank him for all he has contributed to our School, and wish him good health and happiness as he embarks on new adventures. As I conclude, may I thank all of you for your support and goodwill during the past year and wish you a wonderful summer holiday, with time for refreshment and relaxation. With my very best wishes to you all. Yours sincerely, Rosalynd Kamaryc Principal SUMMER 2018
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editor
Miss A. Hinds
AUTUMN TERM 2018
sub-editors
Miss E. Acton-Edmiston Mr H. Capper Mrs S. Evans Mrs R. Kamaryc design & art direction
ARCH Design Studio photography
DFPhotography Fergus Burnett Photography Miss E. Acton-Edmiston Miss A. Hinds contributors
Ms L. Arthur Ms N. Bond Miss S. Bradnick Mrs E. Burnside Mrs Z. Camenzuli Ms A. Chua Miss F. Clarke-Williams Mr J. Denchfield Miss J. Hasler Miss C. Hurlbatt Miss C. Lamb-Wilson Dr M. Lee Mme F. Leluan Mrs C. Makhlouf Mr G. Marton Mr S. Mataya Mrs C. Mayne Mrs G. McHenry Miss S. Palframan Miss C. Podavitte Mrs E. Scott Miss E. Smith Miss N. Sitko
term begins Wednesday 5 September half-term Monday 22 October — Friday 2 November term ends Friday 7 December
Dates for the diary AUGUST
NOVEMBER
Thursday 16 August A LEVEL RESULTS
Monday 12 November INSPIRING WOMEN: GINI & ECCIE NEWTON · 6 PM
Thursday 23 August GCSE RESULTS
Senior School Hall Tuesday 20 – Wednesday 21 November LIV PLAY (TIMES TBC)
SEPTEMBER
Chelsea Theatre
Tuesday 4 September LVI INDUCTION (AM) REMOVE INDUCTION (PM)
Monday 26 November CAREERS CONVENTION FOR PUPILS
Sunday 9 – Friday 14 September REMOVE TRIP TO DEVON
Friday 30 November JUNIOR SCHOOL NATIVITY
Friday 21 September A CELEBRATION OF TEN YEARS OFTHE JUNIOR SCHOOL
Junior School Hall
Senior School
DECEMBER Saturday 1 December CHRISTMAS FAIR
Senior School
OCTOBER Monday 8 October INSPIRING WOMEN: SPEAKER TBC · 6 PM
Wednesday 5 December CAROL SERVICE
Holy Trinity Church, Prince Consort Road
Senior School Hall
Queen’s Gate School 133 Queen’s Gate
Tuesday 16 October GCSE DRAMA PERFORMANCES
Senior School Hall
London SW7 5LE
key
020 7589 3587 queensgate.org.uk
senior school junior school whole school
@queens_gate /133queensgate
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QG NEWS
Contents Senior School
Junior School
6 Head Girls’ update
43 GCSE Drama performances
16 III Form trip to Normandy
7 Leavers’ Week round-up
44 Summer Concert in pictures
35 LIV Bushcraft trip
49 The Principal’s Outing in pictures
17 IIA visit the Isle of Wight & IIB discover the Iron Age at New Barn 18 IB at the Florence Nightingale Museum & Preliminary & Transition French workshops
38 Lia Moore joins the London Children’s Ballet & Elizabeth Long’s D of E Gold success
45 Little Mozarts concert
39 Extended Project Qualifications
EVENTS
19 Science theatre & The Queen’s Gate Diploma
40 RSC live broadcast of Twelfth Night
46 Inspiring Women: Venetia Falconer
20 Art Exhibition
41 LVI English pupils visit Keats House
47 Lecture by Dr Guy Sutton
42 LIV’s French exchange
48 Summer Garden Party
22 Clubland Reports on STEM Society, Science Club, Sign Language Club and Fencing Club
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FEATU RES
SHOW PIECES
Much talent is on display at the Art and Design Technology Exhibition
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SPORTING GREATS
An overview of this term’s exhilarating collection of sporting fixtures SUMMER 2018
WHOLE SCHOOL
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STORMY WEATHER
The dazzling School production of Singin’ in the Rain
36 CHARI-TEA
The term’s fundraising activities are topped with the AgeUK Tea Dance 5
24 Awesome Book Awards 25 Design a Book Cover Competition & Book Fair 26 London Mathematical Olympiad 2018 Victoria Bunimovich wins gold 27 Summer Concert in pictures
STAFF N EWS 50 Staff farewells
SE N IOR SCHOOL · H EAD GI RLS
School headlines Senior School Head Girls Christiana Didizian and Anna Vittoria Porter bid Queen’s Gate a fond farewell, reminiscing about their year group’s remarkable achievements and looking to the future
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e have both very much enjoyed our final year at Queen’s Gate, and our role as joint Head Girls! Our last week of school included a different dress-up theme each day, (pyjamas, 90s, Disney and Hawaiian), our leavers’ breakfast and our leavers’ photo. A few weeks before, we also had our leavers’ assembly where there was a range of emotional speeches, a video and a slideshow of photos from our seven years together. We were also lucky enough to hear Clara Morrissey, Ariane Goudie and Jasmine Holder sing together, with Elisabeth Long playing guitar. Once we had all finished our A Level examinations, we enjoyed a wonderful drinks reception in the Senior School Hall with our teachers, parents and fellow UVI classmates. The evening followed with our leavers’ dinner at Beaufort House; a very memorable evening for all. Friday 6 July was our last ever day at Queen’s Gate. We had our final assembly where a range of awards were presented by Mrs Kamaryc, and we said our goodbyes. On behalf of this year’s entire Upper Sixth, we would like to say a very big thank you to Queen’s Gate for all it has given us over the years. We feel so privileged to have grown up in a place where we were able to fulfil our academic potentials, whilst, in true Queen’s Gate style, never forgetting to have fun! We will miss Queen’s Gate very much, but we know that, wherever life takes us, we’ll always have a home here. We wish you all a very enjoyable and restful summer holiday, and all the best for the year ahead! Warmest wishes,
Christiana and Anna Vittoria 6
QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL · SIXTH FORM
So long, farewell A well-dressed round‑up of Leavers’ Week with a side of waffles!
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he UVI’s last week of term is always filled with frivolity, and tradition dictates that themed fancy dress days are the name of the game before the looming grip of their final examination season takes hold. This year, themes of the week included Disney characters, a pyjama day and the 1990s! The UVI also took on the LVI at rounders. A fiercely-fought game resulted in a draw of 6–6, and a second game narrowly saw the UVI take the victory 21–20. The week ended with the Leavers’ Breakfast – this year a little different from past years, with the Head Girl team requesting an American-style buffet of waffles, pancakes and a lot of yummy toppings. We look forward to seeing the Class of 2018 again in the future, as they become our newest crop of Old Girls, but for now, it’s bon voyage!
SUMMER 2018
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SE N IOR SCHOOL · ACADE M IC
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QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL ¡ ACADE M IC
Show pieces An incredible array of talent is on display at the Art and Design Technology Exhibition
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his year’s Art and Design Technology Exhibition took place in the penultimate week of term, with GCSE and A Level work on display, showing the incredible talent of our young artists. Ranging from selfportraits to re-imagined film posters and even creating the odd flamingo vase, the exhibition had a diverse and enthralling nature, with some admirers wishing it to be a permanent fixture in the Hall!
SUMMER 2018
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SE N IOR SCHOOL · E N RICH M E NT
Life enhancing The LVI enjoy three days of enrichment activities BY E M MA FE RON E SCIENCE AND JUNIOR SCHOOL PREFECT 2018–19 AN D LAU RA CON N I ES- LAI NG MODEL UNITED NATIONS AND TOURS PREFECT 2018–19
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n the morning of Wednesday 13 June, LVI embarked upon three days of enrichment activities. We could not have contemplated such a far cry from the intense two days of internal examinations with which the week had begun – and any expectations we did have were not only met but exceeded beyond any stretch of the wildest imagination. A group of us met with Dr Lee and Miss Palframan outside St Paul’s underground station before making our way to the Old Bailey. Although there was no certainty as to which cases we would be able to view from the public gallery, it had been released on the Old Bailey’s website that there would be hearings on a variety of serious cases including murder, sexual assault and terrorism. However, perhaps the most terrifying prospect for some was the court’s strict no phone policy. Having passed through the airport-style security with only a small collection of headphones and portable chargers being temporarily confiscated, we were finally invited to listen in on some of the trials taking place that day. Those we were able to attend included a case about a banned neo-Nazi extremist group called National Action, and one about a murder conspiracy.
Elsewhere, girls enjoyed a cookery class run by the Avenue Cookery School. Upon their arrival, they met the famously charismatic cooking instructor, Diana, who shared her expertise on classical culinary skills, before letting the Queen’s Gate girls loose in the kitchen to attempt their own chocolate roulades and quiches. At the same time, our aspiring artists enjoyed a drawing workshop at Tate Britain. The afternoon brought an equally exciting array of activities. Some went for an exclusive tour around the National Theatre, during which the lucky group had the opportunity to see a set being assembled for an evening performance. They were astounded by the sheer scale of the backstage work needed to put on a single production. Others participated in a mock trial at the Royal Courts of Justice. Mrs Clear, for the sake of this workshop, had been accused of drink-driving, and played the role of the defendant with immense passion! Fortunately for Mrs Clear, she was acquitted on all counts. The girls really enjoyed the opportunity to imitate real court proceedings. On Thursday morning, a small group of us dared to experience Mr Mataya’s notorious taxidermy class. We were 10
greeted by the charming site of defrosted rats sprawled out across the worktops. The surgical aspect of the activity was interesting in its own ways. We won’t go into detail, but suffice to say that it proved a valuable experience for future medical students among us. On the other hand, another group of girls chose the less gruesome option and took part in a fascinating workshop on the evolution of feminism at the British Library. The aspiring medics had an equally enriching afternoon session with Dr Will Owen, who gave them a valuable insight into applying for medicine at university, both with regard to the interview and the personal statement. They also relished the experience of a university-style medical tutorial. Thursday afternoon also had a political bias; some went to the Design Museum to see an exhibition on the use of graphics in political propaganda, whilst others visited the Houses of Parliament for a debating workshop, and were able to meet the Rt Hon David Lammy, MP for Tottenham. By far the climax of enrichment week was when the whole year assembled at Regent’s Park to see an evening performance of Peter Pan at the Open Air Theatre. We were intrigued by the powerful juxtaposition of elements of the First World War with the innocence of childhood. This provided a constant reminder of the darker historical context in which such a light-hearted work was written. Everyone agreed that the set was brilliantly crafted and the acting engaging. Friday transported us away from the magic of Neverland and back to reality when the whole year returned to Queen’s Gate for Higher Education Day. We received lots of advice about writing highly-effective personal statements and experienced the utter pleasure of opening our UCAS accounts. However, relief came when everyone enjoyed a picnic in Stanhope Gardens, which proved such a lovely way to relax in the sunshine after a busy week. We would like to thank Dr Lee, Miss Palframan and everyone else involved in organising these unforgettable experiences. We could not have asked for a more diverse range of enrichment activities and invaluable opportunities. QG NEWS
Junior School 19
WIDE-ANGLE LEARNING The new QG Diploma is launched in the Junior School
SUMMER 2018
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TAKE ART
Pupils display their creative side at the annual Art Exhibition
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RECOVERING ARTISTS The Design a Book Cover Competition results
J U N IOR SCHOOL · DRAMA
What a glorious feelin’
The stage of the Chelsea Theatre is flooded with light and colour, singing and dancing in the dazzling Junior School production of Singin’ in the Rain
Don Lockwood Kathy Seldon Cosmo Brown Lina Lamont R. F. Simpson Dexter Dora Bailey Zelda Teacher Miss Dinsmore Roz Sam
Cecily Morrissey Gioia Duenas Sophie Tomala Alessa Lindblad Hill Kay Cottrell Kaitlyn McCoy Alexia Harmsworth Maria Vvedenskaya Isabella Ciampolini Manley Imogen Cobb Lina Affara Santa de Marco
Dexter’s Assistants
Nadia Soufraki Natalia Echeguren Anjuli Schulz
Screening Guests & Fans
Sarina Wahab Tiana Wadhawan Eva Kydd Cecilia de Marco Mika Westoby Victoria Bunimovich
Stagehands & Party Guests
Mariam Affara Emily Green Suhan Xie Oona Ingle-Finch
CAST
J U N IOR SCHOOL · DRAMA
Coconut Grove Dancers Eloise Allen Charlotte-Amicie Capelle Larissa Faillace Sophie Goreli Ella Johnson Alexia Lenterman Carolina Mascarenhas Ava Porcaro Nefeli Siokos Martina Vila
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Singin’ in the Rain & Broadway Melody Dancers, Party Guests & Fans Shahad Shadi Mariam Affara Vittoria Aprile Borriello Varvara Dementyeva Agatha Desh Ava Garlick Beatrix Hillier Izabela McDaniel Nova Rose Mihalcheon Lauren Mooney Chelsea Pekin Eve Perusat Amelia Rainsford Elizaveta Rogalskaya
QG NEWS
J U N IOR SCHOOL · DRAMA
T
he Junior School pupils opened their brightly-coloured brollies on Tuesday 24 April to embark on a three-show run at the Chelsea Theatre of the MGM musical, Singin’ In the Rain. The 48-strong cast of IIA and III Form girls showed off their talents as the black-box theatre was transformed into 1920s Hollywood. The pupils excelled in the large song and dance numbers, which included Broadway Melody, All I Do Is Dream Of You and of course, the famous title song, Singin’ in the Rain, where yellow raincoats and umbrellas filled the stage with colour. The production was ably led by Cecily Morrissey (Don Lockwood), Gioia SUMMER 2018
Duenas (Kathy Seldon), Sophie Tomala (Cosmo Brown) and Alessa Lindblad Hill (Lina Lamont), who all showed their strengths in both the comic and serious elements of the show. Director Mrs Makhlouf drew some fine acting out of the cast, while Miss Seager’s complex choreography was skillfully and stylishly realised. With the addition of beautiful costumes created and sourced by QG parents Mrs Lenterman and Mrs Rodriguez, the girls transported the audience back to that more glamorous golden age evoked by the show. Congratulations to all the cast and crew for a wonderfully enjoyable production of a true classic. 15
J U N IOR SCHOOL · TRI PS
Norman conquest This year’s residential trip to Northern France is bursting with activities and new experiences BY ALESSA LI N B LAD H I LL III FORM
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n the Summer Term, III Form went to Normandy. We woke up very early, but it was definitely worth it because we had so much fun fitting so many activities into the day! We were placed into two groups: the Notorious Ninjas of Normandy and Group O, aka the Omega Bondicorns. We quickly built team morale by inventing war cries! Miss Hague led Group N while Miss Bond was in charge of Group O. We experienced many things that a lot of us hadn’t experienced before; this trip made sure our horizons were
well and truly broadened! The activities included canoeing, horse riding, bread making, market stall shopping, snail tasting, visiting the Christian Dior museum, archery, wall climbing and, of course, the infamous mud course. Each evening the fun continued; we were able to take part in mini sports sessions, roast delicious marshmallows on the campfire and, one thing many of the girls enjoyed in particular, the talent show. We performed scenes from our school play, and some songs were beautifully sung by several girls. 16
All the animateurs were really friendly. They spoke French, which helped the girls with their French speaking skills. We learnt lots of vocabulary surrounding lunch and dinner, particularly the phrase ‘encore de … s’il vous plaît’ for requesting more of the delicious food! The chateau was beautiful, with a lake and so much wildlife. We loved the peacock called Kevin and the Shetland pony called Agnes. It was a beautiful place to visit and we are lucky to have had the opportunity to go! QG NEWS
J U N IOR SCHOOL · TRI PS
Isle of Wight fun BY SOPH I E GORE LI IIA
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n Monday 4 June, it was the day of our trip to the Isle of Wight. We had been looking forward to the trip for the whole year, anxiously waiting. When we got there our first activity was bug catching. We found a White Ermine moth and caught it in a small pot. In the evening we had falconry where we saw four different birds. One of the things I learnt was that vultures only eat dead things. Without them, there would be rubbish everywhere. The next day we went to Rocky Shore in Bembridge where we caught different crabs and creatures. After lunch we went to do orienteering. We had to find different stamps around the woods. After dinner we went back into the woods to have a campfire. The fire was burning and we were ready to sing songs very loudly and roast our own marshmallows! The next day we learnt about dinosaurs on the beach. We found lots of dinosaur fossils which were 120 million years old! On Thursday we went on a long hike from Fresh Water Bay to Alum Bay. It was around a 5 km walk up the mountain. We stopped for a break to write some poetry about the Isle of Wight and what inspired us. I wrote about birds. When we got to Alum Bay we went to the shops and got ice cream. It was a fun day! Friday was our last day, and we visited Osborne House. It used to be Queen Victoria’s house. First we went to the basement and we were servants for Queen Victoria. We had to polish boots, make the bed, lay the table and make coffee and sugar. Although it doesn’t sound very fun, I learnt a lot of new skills being a servant for the day. Overall, the trip was a major success! SUMMER 2018
Crafty Celts IIB learn about life in an Iron Age Celtic village at New Barn in Dorset
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IB had a delightful visit to New Barn in Dorset from Wednesday 23 to Friday 25 May. As soon as we arrived we got stuck into our activities in the Iron Age Village. Our guide, Davidus, told us all about life in a Celtic village. We had the chance to make our own butter, medicine and flour. The butter-making involved a lot of hard work, it was also very messy and the cream slopped all over us, which was hugely entertaining! We learnt to make a poultice out of plantain leaves and spent time grinding wheat into flour. We also spent time in the round house which gave us a very authentic feel of what it would be like to be cooped up in a smoky, thatched hut with ten other people. In the evening, the girls had a great time making pottery animals and watching Russell make a vase on the potter’s wheel. The following morning, sustained by a hearty full English breakfast, we embarked on our Bushcraft activity. This involved making an ember using just a stick and two blocks of wood to create a container that could collect rainwater. In the afternoon, the girls got into groups to build a shelter in which they could sit. 17
This was tricky and involved a great deal of teamwork, especially when deciding what style of shelter to build! Our final day was spent meeting the New Barn animals. They have a variety of sheep, lambs, pigs, goats and an elderly pony called Betsy. The goats, we were told, have a bit of a tendency to escape, and the two alpacas are in great demand for their coats. Apparently, the ladies of Bradford Peverell are very keen to have the wool for their knitting circle! Thankfully the weather held, and we were lucky enough to arrive and depart in glorious sunshine. We learnt a great deal and we are looking forward to going again next year.
J U N IOR SCHOOL ¡ TRI PS/ACADE M IC
Lady with the lamp IB at the Florence Nightingale Museum BY MARIA ESPIAGO IB
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e had a really fun time at the Florence Nightingale Museum. We met Florence Nightingale and she told us all about her important life and her family. Then we got into small groups to learn about her childhood, the Crimean War and hospitals. After all the exciting activities we got together again to learn about being a soldier and a nurse in the war. It was an action-packed morning!
Livre de la jungle Preliminary and Transition discover jungle animals in their French workshops
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n Wednesday 18 April, Preliminary and Transition enjoyed a language workshop led by Anna from Le Club des Petits Pierrots. Pupils learned about animals from the jungle in French, sang, danced and made their own animals masks. At the end, they received a goodie bag with a story to take home. All the girls enjoyed themselves tremendously and have already asked for another wonderful workshop!
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QG NEWS
J U N IOR SCHOOL · ACADE M IC
Quantum reap A play about the search for a plant with eternal life-giving properties sows a scientific seed in the minds of the Juniors BY CORDE LIA BOU RRETTE AN D ALLEGRA COLCIAGO IIB
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e saw a play at School by the Quantum Theatre Group on Thursday 14 June called At the Bottom of the Garden. The great thing about the play was that it taught us a lot about science. Even though there were only two actors who played all roles, the play was clear and entertaining to watch. It was about a professor trying to find an eternal life plant at the bottom of his garden. He travelled with his friend from the scouts, who was actually his nephew in disguise! Following them was his maid Flora and Sir Jasper. Sir Jasper wanted to get the plant first to see what he could do with it! We had a great time watching the play.
Wide-angle learning
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Girls in III Form explore their talents in a broad range of activities for the new Queen’s Gate Diploma
aving completed their 11+, III Form girls enjoyed a busy time preparing for the Queen’s Gate Diploma, a new award that recognises the girls’ talents in diverse areas. The emphasis has been on independence, but teamwork, creativity and leadership have all been essential skills. Pupils took part in first aid training with the St John’s Ambulance and learnt how to stay safe when travelling independently with Transport for London. Girls also put their writing skills to the test when they created their own novels and designed covers. As if all this wasn’t enough to keep them busy, they also completed the English Speaking Board Junior Medallion, earning recognised qualifications as public speakers. Their results were excellent, with 13 girls achieving a distinction. SUMMER 2018
The Summer Term ended with two final exciting activities. First, the girls hosted an ‘at-home’ event, writing invitations to their parents and teachers and providing entertainment and refreshments themselves. Finally, they learnt map-reading skills and travelled to the Chilterns for a day to go orienteering.
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J U N IOR SCHOOL · ACADE M IC
MY FAVOURITE PIECE WAS THE SQUASHED COCA COLA CANS BECAUSE I LIKED THE COLOURS MADE LE I N E TAN TRANSITION
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QG NEWS
J U N IOR SCHOOL · ACADE M IC
Take art Pupils display their creative side at this year’s art show
MY FAVOURITE PIECE WAS THE CLAY WORK. I LIKED THE PATTERNS AROUND THE DRAGON
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he Junior School Art Exhibition, which took place on Tuesday 22 May, proved more popular than ever, both amongst pupils and parents. For the first time, IA joined Key Stage 2 in displaying their recent artwork. Their Egyptian plates were well received, and the intricate gold leaf detail gathered a lot of attention from attendees to the exhibition. They also produced Picasso-inspired recycled cans with experimental usage of puff paints. IIB presented colourful felt landscapes with influence drawn from Fauvism as a starting point. They also visited the V&A Museum to take part in an inspiring workshop based around patterns on artefacts from the permanent Islamic collection. This resulted in interesting abstract compositions, and with the use of a tessellation-based app on iPads, pupils were able to produce a repeated pattern. IIA explored self-portraits, inspired by Graphic Artist and Illustrator, Luke Dixon. Their linear, graphic drawings were well executed, and being able to capture their own likeness accurately boosted the girls’ confidence. III Form have investigated gargoyles and experimented with sculpting media this year. Their gargoyle tiles were imaginative and skilfully created. They also familiarised themselves with linocut as a printmaking technique, using animals as their subjects. We are very proud of our young artists.
YE N NY LI TRANSITION
SUMMER 2018
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J U N IOR SCHOOL ¡ CLU BS
Science Club
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STEM Society update
his term Mrs Mayne and Mr Bonner took Science Club to the fabulous gardens of the Natural History Museum. Here we were lucky enough to observe the progression from spring to summer, identify the five different soil types found in England and the flowers associated with them, and leaf identification. We also visited the Cocoon, where we were prepared to set off to research flora and fauna in the Panama rainforest, and saw the magnificent displays of many of the exhibits already obtained from around the world. There were eight floors of displays and a fantastic glass lift to take us to the top!
A soaring end to a very constructive year for Junior STEM Society
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BY E LISAB ETH LONG JUNIOR SCHOOL PREFECT 2017–18
TEM Society has had a very successful year! The girls have really enjoyed completing several activities including building balloon rocket cars, origami, making kaleidoscopes and creating marshmallow catapults. Currently, we are designing gliders and in the process of building them! During the last day of Science Week, we held a special STEM assembly. The girls all spoke in the assembly about their experiments, and why they loved being a part of STEM. Then, with the help of Mrs Mayne, we raced our balloon rocket cars to see which car would travel the fastest! Creating this new society in the Junior School has been extremely rewarding for me. I wanted to be able to share my love for science, and show these younger girls that they can do whatever they want to do, especially in the field of STEM subjects, in the future! The girls have so much enthusiasm and eagerness when I see them early in the morning, and it has been an absolute pleasure spending time with them. I am very grateful for the help given
by Anna Vittoria Porter, who has been so dedicated to the girls, as well as fellow UVI pupils Isabel Ocampo and Marianne Malhame-Khawam. I am also appreciative of the support given by Mrs Mayne and Mr Denchfield, as well as all the Form Teachers. As Anna Vittoria, Isabel, Marianne and I are all leaving this year, I wish our new STEM leaders Emma Ferone, Saba Naji and Iona Martyrossian good luck with the STEM Society.
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QG NEWS
J U N IOR SCHOOL · CLU BS
En garde! An introduction to the cut and thrust of Fencing Club
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encing is so wonderful. Lots of girls do it and they all enjoy it. Sometimes fencing is dangerous, but extremely fun! At the Olympics the fencers JUMP AND TACKLE! My favourite fencing move is a lunge.
Sign Language Club
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History of Fencing
BY B EATRICE COMON AN D SOFIIA KE RN ES IA
Princes and Princesses did fencing too! Princesses came and fought for jewels. When fencing was first invented, they used wooden sticks! In the modern day we use a foil. When we grow up we use épées and sabres!
ign language is used to communicate by people who are deaf or mute, however, other people can also learn sign language. In Sign Language Club our teacher is Miss Bond. She has taught us how to do the alphabet with our hands, which is hard to memorise. We have learned how to do our names, and we play a game to guess which name we are spelling out. It is a wonderful club.
SUMMER 2018
BY SOFIIA KE RN ES IA
Rules of Fencing 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
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Always wear trousers – no shorts Always wear protection Always wear a chest blade Hold the sword in the right way Play safe!
J U N IOR SCHOOL · LI B RARY
Queen’s Gate Juniors judge the Awesome Book Awards
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ollowing the success of its inaugural year in 2017, we were exceptionally pleased that Cranleigh Prep School elected to make the Awesome Book Awards – a prize that recognises new authors and their debut novels written for children aged 7–10 – an annual event. In addition to inviting girls in IIA and III Form to participate, this year Mrs Scott and Miss Podavitte decided to include the whole of IIB in the programme, with the goal of expanding their reading choices by challenging them to read books that they might themselves not otherwise have selected. The shortlist – Cogheart by Peter Bunzl, The Secret of Nightingale Wood by Lucy Strange, The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson, Radio Boy by Christian O’Connell and Erica’s Elephant by Sylvia Bishop – was announced in early November and the girls spent several months reading their way through the list during their weekly library sessions. Upon completion of a book, the girls were asked to write a review, some of which were entered into Cranleigh’s Awesome Book Awards Book Review Competition. At the end of April, the programme culminated with a final discussion, the merits of each book
were evaluated, and votes were cast. By a very narrow margin, Radio Boy edged Erica’s Elephant to be named the School’s winner. Our votes, along with those from 60 schools across London and the SouthEast, were then submitted to Cranleigh and all that remained was for the overall winner to be announced at the Prize Giving Ceremony on Thursday 3 May. Ticket demand for the ceremony was overwhelming, but we were fortunate enough to have been allocated ten tickets, meaning eight lucky girls had the opportunity to accompany Mrs Scott and Miss Podavitte to the event, which was compered by last year’s winner, Ross Welford, and Cranleigh’s 2018 Patron of Reading, M. G. Leonard. By the end of a series of speeches given by each of the five shortlisted authors, anticipation from the audience had reached fever pitch. Finally, the moment we had all been waiting for arrived – Ross announced that the 2018 winner was Cogheart by Peter Bunzl! We are very proud of the girls’ efforts; it has been a joy to watch them rise to the challenge and see that by stepping away from their literary comfort zones they can find a more varied range of books for their reading pleasure.
SHORTLISTED
My favourite book was Radio Boy by Christian O’Connell. I love the story’s message – never give up on your dreams! YI LDIZ SOU FRAKI IIB 24
QG NEWS
J U N IOR SCHOOL · LI B RARY
Recovering artists The results of the Design a Book Cover Competition
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ollowing the launch of the Design a Book Cover Competition in the Spring Term, it was exciting to see a wonderful collection of beautifully illustrated book covers imagined by girls in each year group across the Junior School. IIB’s Allegra Colciago and Cordelia Bourrette, who were the patrons of this initiative (QG News 53, p. 44), spent time carefully looking at the entries and finally announced the names of the winners and highly commended designs in assembly. The girls remarked that the competition was fierce and they thanked all the participants for their enthusiasm and creative contributions!
Winners
Highly Commended
preliminary YSAURE GUIBERT Jack and the Beanstalk
preliminary OLIVIA TOMALA Jack and the Beanstalk
transition ANNA WALKER-HAWORTH Room on the Broom by Julia Donaldson
transition REBECCA QUAN Mummy Fairy and Me by Sophie Kinsella
ib MARIA ESPIAGO The 26-Storey Treehouse by Andy Griffiths
ib LUDOVICA BASSO · LOLA ANDERSON Magic Mermaid
ia SOFIIA KERNES · SOPHIA HARMSWORTH The Worst Witch and the Wishing Star by Jill Murphy iib IMOGEN GRAY The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson iia AVA PORCARO Dogs by Emily Gravett iii form TIANA WADHAWAN Wonder by J. R. Palacio
ia VALERIE OSTAPCHENKO The Worst Witch to the Rescue by Jill Murphy iib ZOE PETROPOULOU Tom Gates, Absolutely Fantastic by Liz Pichon iia ELLA JOHNSON The Nine Lives of Montezuma by Michael Morpurgo iii form MIKA WESTOBY White Fang by Jack London SUHAN XIE Winnie the Pooh by A. A. Milne
Book Fair
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e would like to thank Kew Bookshop, who once again provided an amazing Book Fair with a superb selection for girls to purchase. A testament to this is that former Junior School pupil, Amika Piplapure met her mum and sister at the Fair after school, because she ‘always finds the best books at the Queen’s Gate Book Fair’. We also would like to thank the girls (and their parents) who kindly purchased special books for the Library, which will be treasured by many future Queen’s Gate girls.
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J U N IOR SCHOOL · ACADE M IC
Number one
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he Gold Award at this year’s Vertical VIth Annual London Mathematical Olympiad, has been won by III Form pupil Victoria Bunimovich. The competition saw Victoria compete against both boys and girls from Years 6 and 7 for the top title of Olympiad Champion. ‘We had to solve mathematical problems on the day of the meet, and then explain how we solved them to the panel of judges,’ Victoria said. ‘I really enjoyed doing it’. Congratulations Victoria!
Victoria Bunimovich is crowned champion of the 2018 London Mathematical Olympiad
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QG NEWS
J U N IOR SCHOOL · M USIC
Junior School Summer Concert WEDNESDAY 27 JUNE Holy Trinity Church, Prince Consort Road
SUMMER 2018
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WHOLE SCHOOL · SPORT
JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORTS DAY
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he competition was high at this year’s Junior School Sports Day, with the two houses, Elizabeth and Victoria, vying for the winning house prize. Donning their house t-shirts, every pupil from Preliminary to III Form travelled to Battersea Park’s Millennium Arena on Wednesday 20 June, ready to compete. There was much competition in the egg and spoon races and some impressive track and field performances followed; most notably, Elizaveta Rogalskyaya, breaking the Vortex throwing record with 17.70 m! Preliminary, Transition and IB pupils showed real athletic prowess in their 50 m sprints with some quick reaction times and mature running technique. After a delicious lunch, which included baked treats and strawberries and cream provided by the PTA, it was time for the Houses to cheer on their teammates in the relays. Slick baton passes and strong team camaraderie were evident and it was fantastic to see the enthusiastic audience supporting each side! At the end of an exciting day of sport, smiles and sunshine, Victoria were crowned overall champions with 406 points. Their opposition was hot on their tail however – only seven points behind! Congratulations to everyone who took part and a big thank you to all the staff who make this day happen each year.
Record Breakers A special mention to the girls who set new records Vortex Throw Elizaveta Rogalskyaya IIA Kay Cottrell III Form
17.70 m 14.70 m
600 Metres Beatrice Comon IA Katherine Mooney IIB
2:33 min 2:28 min
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WHOLE SCHOOL · SPORT
WI N N I NG HOUSE Victoria
406 points
KS1 I N DIVI DUAL CHAM PIONS PRELI M I NARY Ysaure Guibert TRAN SITION Yenny Li & Eleanor Scott IB Katya Pankin KS2 I N DIVI DUAL CHAM PIONS IA Beatrice Comon II B Filippa Capofeno IIA Sophie Goreli III FORM Gioia Duenas J U N IOR OVE RALL CHAM PION Gioia Duenas
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WHOLE SCHOOL · SPORT
T
SENIOR SCHOOL SPORTS DAY
he atmosphere was electric on Thursday 21 June at this year’s Senior School Sports Day, as the girls’ athletic talent was put to the test at Battersea Park, with the four houses (Wyatt, Spalding, Johnston and Douglas) going head to head. Across the year groups, Spalding proved to be the strongest house, winning the meet overall on 297 points, with Douglas in second (286 points), Johnston in third (202 points) and Wyatt House in fourth with 150 points (sadly the support of white bear mascot, Taicia Bourtakova, was not quite enough!). Victrix Ludorum (overall champion) went to Alex Taylor, who also took home the IV Form award. Individual Champion titles were awarded to Remove’s Fabiola Waldron Sanchez-Cid, LIV’s Aurora Agapov, Form IV’s Alex Taylor, Form V’s Natasha Bustnes and LVI’s Shoug Shadi. Very well done to everyone who took part in creating another wonderful day of sport.
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QG NEWS
WHOLE SCHOOL · SPORT
WI N N I NG HOUSE Spalding
297 points
I N DIVI DUAL CHAM PIONS REMOVE Fabiola Waldron Sanchez-Cid 18 points LIV Aurora Agapov
21 points
FORM IV Alex Taylor
25 points FORM V
Olivia McCoy
21 points LVI
Shoug Shadi
10 points
VICTRIX LU DORU M Alex Taylor
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25 points
SE N IOR SCHOOL · SPORT
SPORT REPORT
BIATHLE Cheltenham Biathle & European Qualifier
ATHLETICS Virgin London Mini Marathon On sunday 22 april, girls from Queen’s Gate competed again in the Virgin London Mini Marathon, representing the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. In the hottest London Marathon to date, the Queen’s Gate athletes coped admirably with the temperature and raced exceptionally well, finishing with pleasing times.
Virgin Money London Marathon Head of art, Mr Mataya, joined the masses again for this year’s Virgin Money London Marathon. Mr Mataya completed the 26.2-mile course around the capital in 7 hours and 4 minutes, raising over £1,200 for the Blue Cross for Pets charity.
Following her qualification at the British Schools’ Modern Biathlon Championships earlier this year, Form IV pupil Isla Wallrock raced in the Cheltenham Biathle & European Qualifier on Saturday 28 April. Isla finished in 9th place in the Youth B category, successfully securing a Reserve place to represent Great Britain in June’s Madeira International Biathle, with the possibility of a place in the European Biathle Championships in July. We continue to watch Isla’s achievements in anticipation of further successes over the coming academic year.
Queen’s Gate Marathon Team REMOVE Zoe Weiler LIV Lara Mannes Diaz de Cerio FORM IV Isla Wallrock FORM V Sabrina Mannes Diaz de Cerio UV Alessandra Aprile Borriello LVI Sophie Green
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QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL · SPORT
BIATHLON Whitgift School Modern Biathlon The remove and LIV biathletes travelled to South London on Sunday 20 May for the Whitgift School Biathlon. Pupils competed well, showing confidence and stamina in a very competitive field. The girls dominated in the Year 7 category, with Melinda Aznar coming 1st and Zoe Weiler and Fabiola Waldron Sanchez-Cid in 2nd and 3rd place respectively. The girls also took 1st and 2nd place in the team stakes with Melinda, Zoe and Fabiola winning the team category and Justine Bourrette, Chloe Bartholomew and Sofia Zurita following closely. In the Year 8 girls category, Lara Mannes Diaz de Cerio came 1st and, along with Aurora Agapov and Sofia di Bernardini, also took the winning team spot. Congratulations to both squads on these achievements.
Queen’s Gate Biathlon Squads REMOVE
Melinda Aznar, Zoe Weiler, Fabiola Waldron Sanchez-Cid, Justine Bourrette, Chloe Bartholomew, Sofia Zurita LIV
Aurora Agapov, Amelia Beesley, Sofia di Bernardini, Lara Mannes Diaz de Cerio SUMMER 2018
WH ITGI FT BIATH LON RESU LTS REMOVE
1
Melinda Aznar
2
Zoe Weiler
3
Fabiola Waldron Sanchez-Cid
Winning team: Queen’s Gate A Melinda Aznar, Zoe Weiler, Fabiola Waldron Sanchez-Cid Second-place team: Queen’s Gate B Justine Bourrette, Chloe Bartholomew, Sofia Zurita LIV
1
Lara Mannes Diaz de Cerio
Winning team Aurora Agapov, Sofia di Bernardini, Lara Mannes Diaz de Cerio 33
SE N IOR SCHOOL · SPORT
ROWING London Youth Games Rowing Regatta FENCING
Seven girls were selected to represent Queen’s Gate and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea at the London Youth Games rowing event on Saturday 19 May. They competed in three events: the Year 9 coxed quads, Years 10–11 coxed doubles and Year 11–12 single sculls. All three crews put in a strong performance during the time trial, earning themselves places in the side-byside finals. The girls demonstrated the strength of the School’s rowing programme, taking the gold medal position in all three finals against the 32 other boroughs in London – an amazing result!
The queen’s gate fencers have been working hard this term, as can be seen by the excellent results from this year’s Leon Paul Junior Series.
Fairfield Epée and Cardiff Epée On sunday 27 may, Queen’s Gate girls took part in the Fairfield Epée, with Form V’s Maria Crawford-Brunt taking the Gold medal position in the U15 age group. In the U13 category, younger sister and Removian Claudia Crawford-Brunt achieved Bronze, with classmates Harriet Hillier and Jimena Calvo Moreno coming 7th and 11th place respectively. Harriet also competed in the Cardiff Epée on Sunday 13 May, winning joint Bronze in the U13 age group, with Jimena finishing in 6th place.
Walton & Weybridge and Chiswick Regattas Form iv pupils Georgiana Hillier and Cecilia Woods have been continuing their rowing success outside school, winning both the Walton & Webridge Regatta as part of the Barn Elms crew, and the Chiswick Regatta with their coxed quad in May. They also won the J14 doubles at this year’s Ball Cup Regatta at Eton Dorney in May, beating 11 other crews to the title.
Leon Paul Cadet Epée Competition On sunday 3 june, the Leon Paul Cadet Epée Competition saw Form V’s Patrycja Krzyzaniak gaining the Gold medal and Olivia McCoy joint Bronze medal. 34
QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL ¡ TRI PS
Survival skills The LIV Bushcraft trip proves a wild success BY AM E LIA B E ESLEY LIV
T
he Bushcraft trip was an exciting and enjoyable overnight stay at Hatfield Woods in northern (well, compared to London!) England. We developed our friendships and camouflage skills, and learned how to make traps and fires. One of my favourite activities was making woodland shelters, in which we would later sleep, using just rope, camouflage sheets and tree branches for warmth. Before going to
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bed, we enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate and delicious homemade brownies while singing Disney songs around the campfire, where most of our food was cooked. I also enjoyed the Bushcraft Challenge, especially when one of the activities was to melt marshmallows on the campfire! Overall, the Bushcraft trip was an amazing experience, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and I would definitely recommend it to other pupils.
SE N IOR SCHOOL · CHARITY
Charity round-up The Summer Term has seen a flurry of fundraising activities for many admirable causes BY RU BY O’KE E FFE CHARITIES PREFECT 2018–19
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hroughout this term, we have supported a range of charities, raising money through jeans days and bake sales, as well as hosting the Age UK lunches and annual tea dance. The Sixth Form Tanzania trip girls continued fundraising with a successful bake sale (selling particularly delicious donuts and other treats)! They raised £250 in the Summer Term, which will contribute to their continued efforts towards the Girls4Girls trip (QG News 53, p. 51). LVI pupil, Maryam Jafari Fini, organised a number of fundraisers – supporting NEWTEC, Unicef Myanmar Appeal and I AM Somebody’s Child
Soldier. She raised over £860 in total for these charities, which is certainly an outstanding contribution. Mr Mataya also made impressive fundraising efforts for Blue Cross, challenging himself by running the London Marathon to raise money as well as awareness for the cause. He generated a total of £540 in School, which will help to support animals by providing vital services in animal hospitals and clinics, and in rehoming efforts. Form IV also completed a 10 km solidarity walk, in aid of Plan International UK, on Friday 23 June, stopping for a wellearned break at Nelson’s Column!
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QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL · CHARITY
LOWER SIXTH FORMER MARYAM JAFARI FINI RAISED OVER £860 FOR HER CHOSEN CHARITIES AgeUK Tea Dance The age uk annual Tea Dance was certainly a success on Thursday 14 June, with our guests showing the Sixth Form pupils many moves on the dance floor! There were some great tunes from our musical entertainer, Jonathan Stevens, and a lot of passionate line dancing and shimmying took place. We would like to extend a big thank you again to Mrs Dello Iacono for organising the day, as well as to Mrs Camenzuli for keeping everything running smoothly (and for her groovy moves!), and all the Sixth Form Prefects for their help during the event.
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SE N IOR SCHOOL · EXTRA- CU RRICU LAR
Going for gold Three Upper Sixth Formers and their journey to the D of E Gold Award
Danse macabre
BY E LISAB ETH LONG JUNIOR SCHOOL AND MUSIC PREFECT 2017–18
I
n October 2017, Anna Vittoria Porter (Head Girl 2017–18), UVI pupil Marianne MalhameKwaham and I completed our Gold expedition. In order to achieve this, we had to tackle several different sections: volunteering, skills, physical, residential and our expedition. Only after all five sections were complete could we receive our Gold certificate. I was fortunate enough to go to Buckingham Palace on Thursday 17 May to collect my certificate, and to speak with HRH the Duke of York and HRH the Earl of Wessex, as well as Nigel Vardy, a mountaineer. I look forward to seeing Anna Vittoria collecting her award in the next couple of months and Marianne shortly after.
Removian Lia Moore stars in the London Children’s Ballet production of Oscar Wilde’s witty novella The Canterville Ghost at the Peacock Theatre
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emovian pupil, Lia Moore, gained a prestigious role with the London Children’s Ballet this year, and performed in the company’s production of The Canterville Ghost at the Peacock Theatre during April. Here, Lia tells us about her exciting experience on the professional stage.
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This year I auditioned for the London Children’s Ballet company and got a place in The Canterville Ghost at the Peacock Theatre. Despite its scary name, this ballet production was humorous and moving and geared toward children aged 4–14. I played three roles and appeared several times throughout the show. In the beginning, I was one of the five Elizabethan girls, then I was a Dumbleton daughter, and finally one of the Ghosts. Since January, I spent about 120 hours rehearsing every Sunday and almost every day during the school holiday. As the show came closer the days became more intense, though extremely exciting. I performed on stage a total of eight times. It was a huge success with a capacity audience. I am so glad I had this experience; it gave me strength as a dancer and more love for classical ballet.’
QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL · ACADE M IC
A deeper understanding
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This year the ever-popular Extended Project Qualification saw the most diverse range of topics on offer
his year saw a record number of pupils present their Extended Project Qualification (EPQ ) to a panel of staff on Monday 23 April. The wide-ranging topics explored by the girls included discovering Shakespearian influences in novels to the increase in homelessness in the UK since the Second World War. To complete the EPQ pupils must extensively research a topic of their own choosing, culminating in the delivery of a 5,000-word dissertation and a presentation to an audience and panel. The girls’ research sees them explore academic papers and gather information from as many sources as possible, over a relatively short period of time, much as they will go on to do at university. The presentations were of an extremely high level and showed complexity. Olivia Hill researched the question ‘Should people with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) be held criminally responsible?’, concluding that she believed people with DID should not legally be judged in the same way as someone without
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it, as they are not always aware that they have committed a crime at all. Lucy Porcaro tackled the subject ‘Should rehabilitation be prioritised over retribution?’ using case studies of Halden Prison in Norway, where minimal surveillance is in place, and Oak Park Heights prison in Minnesota, USA, which has 500 security cameras. Congratulations go to all the candidates of this exciting qualification. We wish all the girls well with their EPQ results, and look forward to next year’s presentations.
SE N IOR SCHOOL · ACADE M IC
The RSC comes to Queen’s Gate LIV pupils are captivated by a live broadcast of the new RSC production of Twelfth Night BY MAXI N E CLIGN ET LIV
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n Thursday 8 March, LIV pupils spent the morning watching a live broadcast of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Twelfth Night in the Music Room. The Shakespearian comedy is based in Illyria; a mystical, faraway land where Duke Orsino rules. Viola has just survived a shipwreck and believes her brother is dead. She dresses up as a man to get a job, and from there, things get complicated. Twelfth Night is quite a confusing play, with many plot twists and mistaken identities. I thought that the staging, costumes and props in this adaptation were very smart and quite impressive. I found that the staging was especially notable because it was so modern. The furniture could change at the click of a button! When a prop needed to be added before a
scene, it was done in such a swift manner that I barely noticed. Sometimes, the men and women who quickly came to change a prop were acting! One moment they were mowing the lawn and the next they were dancing. As the play was set in Victorian times, I thought the costumes and props were very suitable. I thought that all the actors and actresses performed really well. Dinita Gohil represented Viola and Cesario as equally strong characters, and played the role of Cesario with no problem at all. I completely understand why it was so believable that Cesario was a man and not a woman! Dinita dramatized and portrayed the ‘dramatic irony’ very well. It was perfect, right down to the little chuckles when saying a line. I also thought Fabien, played by Sarah Twomey, was notable and very 40
pleasing. She turned the usually invisible Fabien into a lively maid who was just as responsible as Sir Toby and Maria. Overall, I really enjoyed watching this live production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night. It was more modern than the other version of the play I had seen previously, which made it more relatable. Even though it was quite long, I absolutely adored this production, and I would definitely watch it again. I recommend this play to anyone who has already analysed it and needs to understand it better, or just to anyone who would like to watch it from a different perspective. Maxine’s verdict: 4/5 yellow stockings
QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL · ACADE M IC
Ode on a poet’s house LVI English pupils visit Wentworth Place, John Keats’s former home in Hampstead
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n Thursday 19 April, LVI English pupils travelled to Hampstead Heath to visit Keats House, in order to further our understanding of John Keats’s brief life and his oeuvre. We embarked on a walk and, as most of us in the group had never visited Hampstead Heath before, we admired the picturesque scenery, took photos of the various references to the poet and dreamed of buying our own house like Keats. On arrival at the house our tour guide, Linda Carey, greeted us. As she led us around the house, she told us several anecdotes from Keats’s life – such as his deep admiration for Milton’s Paradise Lost, the gory medical training that he undertook at Guy’s Hospital and the cruelty of his miserly guardian. We also saw several objects from Keats’s personal SUMMER 2018
BY J E N N I FE R PE REZ LVI
life, such as the engagement ring he gave his fiancée, Fanny Brawne. Although Keats died before their wedding day (at the young age of 25), Fanny mourned by carrying out the rites of a widow, keeping his love letters and maintaining a close relationship with his sister, Fanny Keats. Following the tour, we briefly visited the kitchen and bedrooms. Whilst there, we viewed the paintings that were inspired by the poetry of Keats, as well as trying on the Regency clothing and accessories that the poet and his friends would have worn during their lifetimes. We re-joined our tour guide and analysed two poems written by Keats; The Eve of St Agnes and La Belle Dame Sans Merci. What was helpful about this session was that our tour guide gave us her own interpretations of Keats’s poetry and her advice on essay writing. 41
If you are interested in English literature or poetry, I would strongly recommend visiting Keats House. At the time of writing, we have just returned to school – however, we are making plans to return already!
SE N IOR SCHOOL · TRI PS
Entente cordiale
LIV’s French exchange adventures in Paris and London BY LARA JORDAN LIV
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e left for Paris on Friday 16 March at 9.30 in the morning, and took the train to Paris. We walked straight to St Louis de Gonzague, our exchange school, and dropped off our luggage before walking around Paris. The weather was beautiful and sunny so we all sat outside. After lunch, we returned to St Louis de Gonzague and had our induction, which involved a tour of the School. We also learned some French songs, met our exchange buddies and ate cake! We talked to our buddies about what we liked about Paris and then they had to describe what they liked about London. We then said goodbye to Madame Riglet and Madame Collombon for the whole weekend. I went home with my buddy and we walked for two hours around Paris before having dinner (ham, potatoes, and a cheese that you melt called raclette). In the morning we were up quite early because we had planned a visit to Disneyland for my buddy Domitille’s 13th birthday. The next day we stayed at home because it was snowing and so cold. The whole weekend was quite difficult for me, because I had to learn French words really fast. I was asked everything in French and was expected to answer in it. It was very stressful, but it definitely made me learn vocabulary very quickly! On Monday, when I arrived at school with my buddy, we had to wait in the
playground for ages in the snow before we could go inside. The first lesson of the day was Mathematics. The teacher explained everything in French, including how to measure the circumference of a circle! After a few more lessons we joined Madame Collombon and Madame Riglet and went to le Louvre and la Musée de l’Orangerie. We saw beautiful art by Picasso and Monet. The next day we attended lessons again in the morning but in the afternoon we caught a bateau-mouche, a boat that goes down the river Seine. We saw the original Statue of Liberty and the numerous bridges that criss-crossed the river. On our final day, we went shopping and had lunch at a typical French brasserie. We then boarded the Eurostar and headed home. Soon after we got back to London our French buddies arrived, and after cake and a brief induction, went home with us.
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Over the weekend, I took Domitille to Greenwich and to a typical English pub where we had fish and chips. For the rest of the week Domitille came with me to school in the morning, and then in the afternoons we visited places including Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre and the Tower of London. Domitille spoke English very well so it made it quite easy to communicate. During our time in Paris, everyone was very supportive and eager to help, and all the pupils were so polite and made us feel very welcome. The QG girls all made a great effort to learn French and make the most of the exchange. Overall, the two weeks I spent with Domitille were challenging but were also fun, and a great way to learn French. It also showed me how different the schools are in France compared to Queen’s Gate (they are a lot stricter and the lessons were more difficult). I really enjoyed the French exchange and I would do it again in a heartbeat!
QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL · DRAMA
By George, I think she’s got it The GCSE Drama candidates display some refined acting skills in their scripted extracts
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n Wednesday 25 April, this year’s GCSE groups performed their scripted extracts from a range of diverse theatre in front of the AQA Examiner, having performed to family and friends the previous evening. Andrea Predic performed two monologues as the Nurse and Juliet from Romeo and Juliet to demonstrate skill in shifting from comedy to tragedy. A lively group piece followed, with Amandine Bodet Lefevre, Lara Brewer, Seraphina Kilroy-Silk and Anoushka Monzon Ladas performing two duologues from George Bernard Shaw’s
Pygmalion. The girls demonstrated their ability to alternate roles and engaged the audience with Shaw’s comedy. In contrast, Amelie Thompson and Jana Diab performed two thought-provoking duologues from Kindertransport by Diane Samuels. Amelie changed from Lil, an elderly grandmother, to Evelyn, a 50-year-old woman, in minutes, while Jana played troubled teenager, Faith. Next, we enjoyed a return to comedy, with two duologues from the Royal Shakespeare Company’s interpretation of The Last Days of Don Juan by Tirso 43
de Molina. In the Shakespearian style Catalina Marti and Maria Posada portrayed Don Juan and his longsuffering servant Catalina respectively, greatly entertaining their audiences. Finally, two contrasting duologues from Anton Chehkov’s The Seagull, by Bonnie-Jane Goudie (Konstantin) and Lara Garvie (Nina) demonstrated the naturalistic acting style. We are pleased that all candidates performed their pieces so fluently and well, showing their hard work and commitment to their subject.
SE N IOR SCHOOL · M USIC
Senior School Summer Concert FRIDAY 29 JUNE Holy Trinity Church, Prince Consort Road
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QG NEWS
WHOLE SCHOOL ¡ M USIC
Key stage fun
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Little fingers play on musically, come rain, shine or snow, at this year’s Little Mozarts concert
his year, the concert took place in the Junior School Hall on Friday 11 May, and, as an addition to the usual programme, girls from the Transition Keyboard Club were invited to perform alongside their older counterparts. Their performance was full of gusto and great musical commitment, using skills that feature in their musicianship development sessions. As part of their classes, pupils learn to listen critically, sing, feel a steady pulse, play, read and write the basics of music. The Junior School pianists played with enthusiasm and fun whilst Senior School pupils performed their graded examination repertoire with a more serious tone. Audiences were equally entertained with enjoyable musical renditions of many pieces specially arranged for each girl’s level of playing. The Playing Piano is Fun series, which the girls follow, prepares pupils progressively on layering the skills in learning to listen, sing, read music and play the piano. This helps the musicians
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progress smoothly to the graded piano examination syllabus. Many girls who managed the whole four-book series in one year are now preparing for the graded piano examinations. A big thank you goes to all parents for their support and encouragement at home; making learning to play the piano possible and fun!
WHOLE SCHOOL · EVE NTS
Get up and go
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The final talk in this year’s Inspiring Women series is given by TV presenter and vlogger Venetia Falconer
t was impossible not to feel motivated as the 2017/18 Inspiring Women series drew to a close on Tuesday 8 May, with a thoroughly engaging, high-energy talk by TV presenter, producer and content creator, Venetia Falconer. The evening began with guests gathering in the Black Dining Room for champagne and canapés, giving them the opportunity to meet their speaker. In her talk, Venetia stressed the importance of work experience, stepping out of your comfort zone and seizing every opportunity that comes your way. She explained that, although she seems outwardly confident, her inner selfesteem does not always correlate and it takes effort to adopt a ‘get up and go’ attitude, which is integral to success in almost any field. After three years of hard graft, Venetia landed herself a presenting role on 4Music. It was there that she had the 46
opportunity to interview A-list celebrities including Ryan Reynolds and Cameron Diaz. However, when bookings stopped coming in, she was left with a crushing feeling of failure, believing that she wasn’t good enough. They say when one door closes, another door opens and, in Venetia’s case, tenacity triumphed over defeat. Seeing that the online and digital world was (and still is) booming, Venetia launched her own YouTube channel and podcast, Talking Tastebuds, and regularly presents on Tastemade, a video network that offers food- and travel-related programming for online audiences. Thank you to Venetia for concluding this year’s series, and also to Prefect Antonia Bryceson for all her hard work to make this year’s talks happen! We now welcome our 2018–19 Inspiring Women Prefect, Iona Martyrossian – we hope you enjoy your new role! QG NEWS
WHOLE SCHOOL · EVE NTS
A gene for this and a gene for that Neuroscientist Dr Guy Sutton explores the influence that genes have over our minds and bodies
F
BY OLIVIA H I LL EVENTS & PUBLICITY PREFECT 2018–19
ollowing his Brain Day with Sixth Form pupils in February for Science Week (see QG News 53, p. 12), Dr Guy Sutton returned to Queen’s Gate on Thursday 26 April, to present his lecture, A Gene For This & A Gene For That. Dr Sutton is an esteemed academic with many years of experience in the field of neuroscience, and he has contributed to teaching at the University of Nottingham Medical School both at undergraduate and at postgraduate level. His primary areas of interest are the genetics of neurodevelopment and neuropathology, as well as the nature of genetic, biological and behavioural factors in chronic disease processes. The lecture explored the field of modern genetics and provided us with
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knowledge of exactly what genes do and do not do. His passionate delivery kept the audience fascinated throughout the lecture – particularly when exploring the various medical conditions that can be a result of genetic mutations. Dr Sutton spoke in depth regarding mental disorders such as schizophrenia, as well as addressing cancer and the genetics and environmental impacts linked to it. He grappled with the complexities of genetics and spoke to the audience in a lively and accessible style. The lecture was well attended by QG students, teachers and parents, who showed their appreciation at the end with a round of applause and a Q&A session afterwards. Thank you for coming to Queen’s Gate again this year, Dr Sutton! 47
WHOLE SCHOOL · EVE NTS
Garden of delights The solstice is marked in style at the annual Summer Garden Party
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his year’s Queen’s Gate events calendar was rounded off on Thursday 21 June in Stanhope Gardens with our annual Summer Garden Party. Over 250 guests, including parents, Old Girls, former and current staff, arrived through a beautiful flower arch created by Old Girl, Alisa Lambina (2003–10), in QG colours. The evening saw guests catching up with each other and making new acquaintances, with musical entertainment provided by the Senior School Girls’ Barbershop singers. The sun shone through the garden’s trees, and all were able to enjoy al fresco drinks and canapés on the year’s longest day. A wonderful evening, which Mrs Kamaryc and the Queen’s Gate Foundation look forward to hosting again next year.
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SE N IOR SCHOOL · TRI PS
FRIDAY 29 JUNE GOODWOOD MOTOR CIRCUIT
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WHOLE SCHOOL · STAFF N EWS
Staff farewells We bid farewell to the members of staff who have come to the end of their time at Queen’s Gate MR MALCOLM ALTER DEPUTY PRINCIPAL
At the end of term, we said a fond farewell to Mr Malcolm Alter, our Deputy Principal, after 11 years at Queen’s Gate. Mr Alter arrived in 2007 from South Hampstead School, where he was Head of Mathematics. At Queen’s Gate he took up the new position in the Senior Management Team of Director of Teaching and Learning. Not only was Mr Alter the first to hold this position, he was also the first man to be appointed to the Senior Management Team! Right from the outset, Mr Alter was keen to take on new challenges. His arrival coincided with the opening of the new Junior School buildings by HRH the Duchess of Cornwall, and one of his first tasks was to take charge of the official photographers for the visit and to keep the paparazzi at bay – I am pleased to say that, after some initial consternation, he rose successfully to the challenge! Once over this early test, Mr Alter embraced the challenges of his position, grappling with the complexities of our timetable and curriculum, whilst also taking on the role of Examinations Officer, as well as finding time to teach Mathematics throughout the Senior School. As a teacher, he was well respected by his colleagues and pupils as an able mathematician and an excellent teacher, with the ability to build confidence in his pupils and to inspire and
motivate the most able. As a member of the Senior Management Team, he offered sound advice and guidance, not only in his own areas of responsibility, but also in whole School matters. In 2016, Mr Alter was appointed as Deputy Principal. In this role, he was involved in both the Junior and Senior Schools. He was a loyal supporter of Junior School events and also enjoyed attending Junior School Assembly, as well as being a regular contributor to the Junior School’s Folk Music Competition. In all his responsibilities, Mr Alter displayed a sharp mind, common sense, the ability to see the bigger picture, a calm and pleasant demeanour and, above all, 50
an excellent sense of humour. He entertained us on many occasions in Senior Assemblies where the girls loved to hear of the adventures of his youth, and often he used his goodnatured humour to skilfully diffuse potentially contentious situations. Over the years, we also learnt that Mr Alter was a man of many talents. A keen and committed Morris dancer, on occasion he displayed his expertise in Assemblies and our annual Staff/Sixth Form panto. We also learnt that he was a qualified scuba diving instructor – and a keen and talented baker – as well as an enthusiastic and green-fingered gardener. As Principal, I have valued Mr Alter’s contributions enormously. He has always given me wise counsel and support in all School matters, offering unfailing loyalty, commitment and friendship. On behalf of the Governors, staff, parents and girls, I thank Mr Alter for his many contributions to the Queen’s Gate community and for his significant role in enabling our School to evolve and flourish. We shall miss Mr Alter greatly, but wish him good health and happiness in the years ahead and look forward to hearing of his adventures, as he and Yvonne enjoy the time and freedom which comes with retirement. — Mrs Kamaryc QG NEWS
WHOLE SCHOOL · STAFF N EWS
MISS NELL BOND
MISS SARAH BRADNICK
MISS FAITH CLARKE-WILLIAMS
Having thoroughly enjoyed my time at Queen’s Gate, I am moving towards my next challenge. Queen’s Gate is a very special school and I feel honoured to have been a part of both the Junior and Senior teams. I have many happy memories of my time here; getting to know the girls has been a privilege I shall not forget! I wish staff and pupils all the best for the future.
After a fantastic two years at Queen’s Gate, I am sad to say farewell to this wonderful community. I will begin a new adventure in Dublin with my fiancé, and look forward to learning more about the Irish culture. Right from my first day as the Transition Form Tutor I was made to feel very welcome and a part of the team. I have enjoyed teaching Transition and would like to thank Mrs Van Loon and all the Transition girls for a great year, as well as Mr Denchfield and all the staff for making my time here enjoyable. I will miss watching the girls mature as they go through the School, and wish everyone the very best as they begin the new year in September.
I did not know how jolly a school could be until I joined Queen’s Gate, and it is with a heavy heart that I leave my overcrowded desk in the English Office. In September I will be moving to Singapore for a year. During my five years at Queen’s Gate I have learnt an awful lot and I will miss the camaraderie and kindness of both staff and pupils alike, but I go out into the world beyond School confident that, should I be called upon at a moment’s notice to perform in a panto as a (generic) ‘woodland creature’ or lead a Christmas singalong in a library, I would be ready to rise to the challenge! Thank you, Queen’s Gate, for the wonderful memories and all the fun. It has been an absolute pleasure.
MRS HELOISE HUTTON
MISS ANNA MOLINEAUX
MISS SOPHIE TYSON
I loved my time at Queen’s Gate, though sadly the combination of my husband’s new job in Dorset and the birth of our son, Alfred, has meant that I will not be returning in September. I feel so lucky to have taught such lovely pupils and to have worked with such a dedicated group of staff. I will really miss everyone, especially my group of AgeUK members – I hope that the tea dance will continue annually in my absence! I had such a lovely three years and I will be sure to come back and visit next time I’m in London.
It has been a pleasure getting to know the pupils and staff at Queen’s Gate over the past three years. I have enjoyed teaching across both the Junior and Senior Schools and I will miss the variety and opportunity that Queen’s Gate offers. I am leaving to take on a P.E. Teacher position in a British school based in Doha, Qatar. Even from a different country, I will still have a keen interest in Queen’s Gate, and I look forward to hearing about the future successes of its pupils.
I have enjoyed an interesting year at Queen’s Gate with all the challenges and new experiences it has given me, in particular teaching the Junior School pupils. It has been a pleasure to teach across both the Junior and Senior Schools, and I wish all the girls the best for the future.
QUEEN ’ S GATE
CHRISTMAS FAIR 2018 SATURDAY 1 DECEMBER 2018 · 11 AM – 2.30 PM It’s never too early to plan your charitable donations for the Christmas Fair, and we shall be putting out a request for Raffle and Silent Auction donations in the Autumn Term. Proceeds support fun events for the girls, school projects and bursaries.
Please contact PTA heads, Mrs Emma Hill emmahillpost@gmail.com or Mrs Linda Diotallevi linda.diotallevi@btinternet.com, with any queries.
Queen’s Gate School 133 Queen’s Gate London SW7 5LE 020 7589 3587 queensgate.org.uk @queens_gate /133queensgate