The termly magazine of Queen’s Gate School
The hills are alive!
The Juniors perform The Sound of Music
Issue 57 · Summer 2019
Art to art
Girls exhibit work at Roy’s People Art Fair
plus
Mental Health Awareness Week
Sporting a smile
The cheerful Junior and Senior School Sports Days
From the Principal’s Study
Dear Parents, A very warm welcome to the QG News of the Summer Term 2019. I hope that you will enjoy reading it and as you do, you will see the variety of opportunity available to our girls, which enables them to develop invaluable personal skills and to enjoy enriching experiences. The Summer Term is very much dominated by examinations, both internal and external. However, after the examination season is over, we have time to enjoy trips and activities, as well as our annual Sports Days. This Summer’s weather has not been quite as kind as last year; however, rain did not dampen the spirits of III Form for their week in Norfolk, nor LIV on their Bushcraft trip, the Duke of Edinburgh expeditions, nor our Remove Induction picnic, where we braved the weather with true British resilience. Events this term have included a Classics evening where we celebrated the Latin language and our commitment to the Classical subjects, the Junior School Art exhibition and the Senior School Art and Design exhibition. At the beginning of term, we enjoyed an outstanding Junior School production of Getting to know…The Sound of Music and this was followed by several concerts throughout the Term. The Summer Term brings a number of farewells to staff and pupils alike. To our leavers, we say thank you for all you have given to Queen’s Gate and send you our warmest good wishes. As another busy but successful term draws to an end it is time for you all to enjoy a well-earned Summer holiday. Have a wonderful Summer!
THE VARIETY OF OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE TO OUR GIRLS ENABLES THEM TO DEVELOP INVALUABLE PERSONAL SKILLS AND TO ENJOY ENRICHING EXPERIENCES
With all good wishes, Mrs R. M. Kamaryc Principal SUMMER 2019
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editor
Miss A. Hinds sub-editors
Miss E. Acton-Edmiston Mr H. Capper Mrs S. Evans Mrs R. Kamaryc design & art direction
ARCH Design Studio
AUTUMN TERM 2019 term begins Monday 9 September
bank holiday Monday 6 May
half-term Monday 21 October — Friday 1 November term ends Thursday 12 December
photography
DFPhotography contributors
Ms E. Aston Ms M. Butt Mrs Z. Camenzuli Miss L. Coles Mr J. Denchfield Miss J. Hasler Miss C. Hurlbatt Mrs P. Garty Ms C. Gover Miss C. Lamb-Wilson Mrs C. Makhlouf Mr G. Marton Mr S. Mataya Miss M. McCann Mrs A. Mitropoulos Miss S. Palframan Mrs E. Scott Miss S. Scott Miss N. Sitko Ms. M Vazquez
Dates for the diary AUGUST
DECEMBER
Thursday 15 August A LEVEL RESULTS
Tuesday 3 December JUNIOR SCHOOL NATIVITY
Holy Trinity Church, Prince Consort Road
Thursday 22 August GCSE RESULTS
Thursday 5 December KIDS FOR KIDS CHRISTMAS CONCERT
SEPTEMBER Friday 6 September LVI INDUCTION DAY REMOVE ORIENTATION DAY Tuesday 10 – Saturday 14 September REMOVE TRIP TO DEVON
Saturday 7 December CHRISTMAS FAIR
Senior School Tuesday 10 December CAROL SERVICE
Holy Trinity Church, Prince Consort Road
OCTOBER Wednesday 2 October CAREERS CONVENTION FOR PUPILS
Senior School
NOVEMBER Wednesday 20 November INSPIRING WOMEN TALK
Senior School Hall
Queen’s Gate School 133 Queen’s Gate
Monday 25 – Tuesday 26 November LIV PLAY
Senior School Hall
London SW7 5LE 020 7589 3587 queensgate.org.uk
Friday 30 November CHRISTMAS PLAY (IB/IA/IIB)
Holy Trinity Church, Prince Consort Road
@queensgateschool @queens_gate
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key senior school junior school whole school QG NEWS
Contents Senior School 31 LVI activities days A chance to broaden horizons once examinations are over
14 IIA visit the Isle of Wight & IIB discover the Iron Age at New Barn
32 LIV Bushcraft trip & LIV Computer Scientists visit Legoland A programming roller coaster
15 III Form’s week in Norfolk
6 A message from the Head Girls 7 Meet the new Prefects 12 Classics Evening 28 Professor Robert Winston joins MedSoc for a day & Behind-the-scenes at the Natural History Museum
Junior School
33 LIV tour the Houses of Parliament & Gardening Club visits the Chelsea Flower Show
29 Veronica Allara-Carlin workshop The former Head Girl gets creative with feminine hygiene
34 Charity round-up
FEATU RES
THE HILLS ARE ALIVE
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Girls exhibit their work at Roy’s People Art Fair at the OXO Tower SUMMER 2019
18 Art Exhibition
20 Literature Festival Week
The Junior School helps us to get to know The Sound of Music
ART TO ART
17 UKLA Digital Book Award
19 Sports Day
30 Sixth Form English enrichment A year overflowing with cultural pursuits
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16 The Discover Children’s Story Centre & IA & IB visit London Wetland Centre
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SPORTING PROWESS
The Senior School Sports Day raises the bar even higher
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OF SOUND MIND
The School practises mindfulness for Mental Health Awareness Week 5
WHOLE SCHOOL 24 Sport Report News and results for Biathlon, Fencing, Athletics and Rowing 26 Young Art Competition
STAFF N EWS 35 Staff farewells 37 PTA Chairs
SE N IOR SCHOOL · H EAD GI RLS
We are a family, like a giant tree Senior School Head Girls Freya Buxton and Angelica Meneely look back fondly on their time at Queen’s Gate and wish their close-knit year group well for the future
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t is a bittersweet feeling to say that our time at Queen’s Gate has come to an end. We have bid farewell to the School in many different ways including an emotional leavers’ assembly, a fun leavers’ dress-up week and comfy leavers’ hoodies showing off the identities we have formed here. Yet despite this, it still feels so odd to think that we will not be returning in September to start a new Academic year. Each of us has had such a unique experience, with anywhere between two and 14 years to develop any number of different passions and interests. However, despite nurturing our differences we have all shaped our experience under the same eccentric roof and, as we have been warned: ‘you can take the girl out of Queen’s Gate, but you can’t take Queen’s Gate out of the girl’. We are so grateful to have had the opportunity of being educated here; we will miss the School dearly. Queen’s Gate has been, literally and metaphorically, a second home to us. ‘We are a family, like a giant tree’ is a lyric from the musical Dreamgirls which should be the School’s motto! Indeed, while the term ‘blossomed’ may be considered outdated for modern girls facing the world, we have certainly been given strong roots to take life in our stride. On behalf of the entire UVI, thank you very much to all the staff who have made our experience here unforgettable. To everyone in UVI: You have all grown into such incredible people. Much love to you all – go out into the world and fly high. 6
QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL · H EAD GI RLS/PRE FECTS
Prefects 2019–20 Congratulations to the new Prefect team PRE FECTS 2019–20 Victoria Ascani QG Challenge and Tuck Shop
Anna Long Environment, Junior School and Music
Ida Mwangi Library and Tuck Shop
Amandine Bodet Lefevre Events and Tours
Luna Middleton-Roy Debating and Model United Nations
Clara Cole Clubs and Publicity
Anoushka Monzon Ladas Inspiring Women, Peer Mentoring and Tours
Maria Posada Junior School, Model United Nations and Music
Helena Findlater Charities, Outreach and Science Anna Hastie Events and Office SUMMER 2019
Lakshmi Murugappan Science and Technology
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Jasmine Prime Charities, Inspiring Women and QG Challenge Iqah Reduan Environment and Office
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QG NEWS
J U N IOR SCHOOL · DRAMA
s l l i h e Th
e v i l a e r a
ain mount y r e v e , ed l climb duction o o o r h p c l S a sic c nior ar’s mu ound of Musi The Ju e y is h t eS during ow…Th n K o t Getting
SUMMER 2019
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J U N IOR SCHOOL ¡ DRAMA
The Company Maria Rainer Mother Abbess Captain von Trapp Max Dettweiler Liesl Friedrich Kurt Louisa Brigitta Marta Gretl Sister Margareta Sister Sophia Sister Berthe Sister Luke Rolf Frau Schmidt Franz Zeller Schreiber Baron Elberfeld Fraulein Schweiger
Sophie Goreli Charlotte-Amicie Capelle Lauren Mooney Chelsea Pekin Nefeli Siokos Beatrix Hillier Martina Vila Vittoria Aprile-Borriello Ella Johnson Eloise Allen Ava Garlick Amelia Rainsford Varvara Dementyeva Carolina Mascarenhas Izabela McDaniel Larissa Faillace Ava Porcaro Mariam Affara Nova Rose Mihalcheon Shahad Shadi Elizaveta Rogalskaya Agatha Dshkhunyan
Lonely Goatherd Ensemble Audrey Agapov Eliza Aves Medeyya Al Otaiba Stella De Caro Agatha Dshkhunyan Izabela McDaniel Eve Perusat Ottavia Ryan Shahad Shadi Tiana Thacker
Nuns Audrey Agapov Cordelia Bourrette Lebriz Clayton Allegra Colciago Stella De Caro Matilda Hoberman-Evers Katie Mooney Sole Muzzi Zoe Petropoulou Ottavia Ryan Yildiz Soufraki Maya Weiler
Concert Trio Manhattan Madsen Elizaveta Rogalskaya Eve Perusat
Party Guests Manhattan Araujo Madsen Eliza Aves Anouk Benson Milla Blain Filippa Capoferro Sophia Colafrancesco Greaves Kaira Hameed Lucy Jiang Althea Kuntze Martinez-Campos Elizabeth Lockwood Lia Moskov Tiana Thacker
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QG NEWS
J U N IOR SCHOOL ¡ DRAMA
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n Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 May, girls from the upper years of the Junior School performed their annual play at RADA Studios in Bloomsbury. This year saw a special adaptation of the classic musical The Sound of Music by Rogers & Hammerstein, based on the real-life story of the Von Trapp family and their escape from the Nazis. Musical favourites, such as Raindrops on Roses and Climb Every Mountain were sung wonderfully by the IIA and III Form cast against a clean and simple backdrop, showcasing the girls’ talent as well as the beautiful costumes created by former parent Mrs Lenterman and current parent Mrs Vila. The Von Trapp family children were a delightful ensemble, with their abundance of energy and brilliantly executed choreography throughout, as well as superb solo performances from Sophie Gorelli as Maria and CharlotteAmicie Capelle as Mother Abbess. Congratulations to the whole cast and crew for another superb production!
SUMMER 2019
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SE N IOR SCHOOL · ACADE M IC
A classical forum Girls celebrate the ancient world at the School’s first Classics Evening
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n Wednesday 8 May, the Senior School hosted its firstever Classics Evening. The programme was wide-ranging and included a play performed in Latin and Ancient Greek, as well as recitations of Ovid, Virgil and Euripides, to display the classical languages the pupils had been studying. The variety of texts, from a tragic monologue by Medea to Ovid’s playful tips on how to court, made these recitations dynamic and engaging. There was also a series of presentations on the Iliad, Heinrich Schliemann and the Cyrus Cylinder, and an examination of the master of fake news, Emperor Augustus. The girls also put on an Ancient World talent show that featured Zeus, Medusa, Cleopatra and Alexander the Great, among other classical celebrities. In the four rounds, hosted by Cupid, ancient personalities competed for the prize of honour and applause. It was a hilarious script, written and performed with great wit and originality.
The evening ended with a fascinating talk by author James Renshaw titled ‘A cross-cultural love story across Hadrian’s Wall’. In this engaging talk, the audience learnt about a single tombstone and the lives of ordinary people living in the Roman Empire. All the girls spoke confidently and thoughtfully, showing their passion for the Classical subjects they are studying. It was a wonderful opportunity for them to display their interests and achievements.
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QG NEWS
Junior School 14
RESIDENTIAL TRIPS
Intrepid pupils explore the Isle of Wight, New Barn in Dorset and much of Norfolk
SUMMER 2019
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UKLA AWARD
The new Digital Book Club is recognised for its app judging efforts
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18
ART HOUSE
The Junior Art Exhibition is packed with texture, pattern and colour
J U N IOR SCHOOL · TRI PS
Exploring the Isle of Wight
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n Monday 3 June, IIA set off to the Medina Valley Centre on the Isle of Wight. Day one saw the girls take part in lots of exciting activities, including a bug scavenger hunt and pond dipping. They were also asked to take part in some very important conservation work, so they rolled up their sleeves to help create a creepy-crawly bug hotel! The day ended with a fabulous falconry show which included some very impressive birds of prey including the barn owl, falcon and vulture. Orienteering was the name of the game on the morning of day two. In pairs, the girls developed their map reading skills and made their way around the grounds of the Medina Valley Centre to discover three check points. In the afternoon they went to the seaside, and left no rock unturned and no crab undiscovered! To kick-start day three, the girls went on a bird and butterfly hunt through the beautiful meadows and heathlands. They then took a step back into the geological history of Brook beach, where they saw the enormous footprint ‘trace fossils’ of the Iguanodon dinosaur. On the last day, during a hike high on the cliffs, next to the Tennyson Monument, the girls sat and listened to some poems written by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Inspired by the rolling hills, cliffs, sea and birds that surrounded them. The girls then wrote beautiful poems of their own. All in all, a fabulous trip, which ended with a much deserved ice cream and souvenir purchase!
Celtic bushcraft IIB learn about life in an Iron Age village at New Barn in Dorset BY H E RO COB B IIB
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he bus ride to New Barn was long but it was nice looking out of the window at all the green grass. When we got to New Barn, we saw two goats and sheep and alpacas. Kirstie, our guide for New Barn, said the alpacas protect the sheep from predators. We then built shelters using long sticks, some tarpaulin and string. We also made some pottery. I made a cat and a long bowl to put things in. The next day we went to the café for breakfast and then to the Iron Age Village. We went into the Round House and it was smoky from the fire. The Iron Age man told us a story about the
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Romans and the Saxons. Once everyone had come out of the Round House we made some butter with a special stick and milk. We had to make the butter into a ball and then put it on a plate. After that, the Iron Age man gave us some chalk and a carving utensil and we carved some pictures into it. On our last day we did some bush crafting where we made fires. We made a fire with some cotton wool, rolling it on a piece of wood until it smoked. We also learnt other methods to make fires. After that, we had our last lunch and got on the coach back to School after a great trip!
QG NEWS
J U N IOR SCHOOL · TRI PS
Norfolk adventures III Form spend a wonderful week in East Anglia
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n Monday 10 June, III Form embarked on their trip to Norfolk. They started the week off at Bewilderwood, whizzing along zip-lines through the forest and climbing into treehouses. They also took a boat to cross the ‘Scary Lake’ where Mildred the vegetarian crocodile emerged to give them a jump! As the girls were preparing for the evening meal, which very special guest should appear in their corridor? None other than Mrs Kamaryc! On Tuesday, they arrived at Gressenhall. The displays gave an excellent, interactive experience, explaining the plight of the Norfolk citizens who found their way to Gressenhall during the Victorian era. The girls tried on costumes and observed many artefacts from the original workhouse. After this, they visited the farm and enjoyed meeting the animals and beautiful Suffolk Punch horses. They also went inside the schoolhouse and cottages, all lovingly restored to recreate an authentic representation of life over a century ago. After a visit to the gift shop, they headed back into Norwich, stopping off for a short but memorable visit to the Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts. The girls sketched ancient tribal treasures from around the world and modern masterpieces by the likes of Francis Bacon, Henry Moore and Modigliani, before heading off to the bowling alley
SUMMER 2019
for the evening! Crabbing was the first activity on day three. The girls filled their buckets quickly and were not squeamish in the slightest; all were eager to get to know their friends before placing them back in the water and boarding the coach to Morston Quay. Serenaded by an orchestra of oystercatchers, redshanks and gulls, the girls enjoyed a boat trip, led by a guide who pointed out birds and geographical features of interest. They even saw some big grey seals which they then did impersonations of at the swimming pool later on! To refuel, the girls tucked into some delicious fish and chips at the world-renowned Sheringham Trawler restaurant, before heading off to the cinema that evening. On the fourth day, everyone boarded
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a steam train and chugged through the countryside, along the Bure Valley Railway, taking in the landscape which has changed so little over the past century. This was followed by a chartered boat ride on the Cordon Rouge where the girls were treated to a very interesting presentation on the history of the Norfolk Broads. After disembarking, there was time to peruse the bookshop and lots of the girls bought reading material for the journey home. Back at the hotel, ready to burn off some energy after a very tranquil day, the girls went trampolining. The final stop of the trip was at Norwich Castle Museum, where the girls were able to walk around the Egyptian and natural history exhibits before boarding the coach home after a truly wonderful week away!
J U N IOR SCHOOL · TRI PS
IA come to tea IA let their imaginations run wild at an exhibition of author and illustrator Judith Kerr’s work
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n Thursday 16 May, IA took a wonderful trip to the immersive exhibition of the amazing work of author and illustrator Judith Kerr at Discover Children’s Story Centre. They had so much fun exploring Mog’s garden, going to the V.E.T, finding the alligator under the bed and visiting Sophie’s kitchen, where the tiger came to have tea! The class also loved coming up with ideas for their own stories, based on the mousedogbird that Mog dreamed up. It was so magical to be able to enter the world of the stories they love so much.
Budding botanists IA and IB wade into the London Wetland Centre BY ZOYA B HATNAGAR IA
H
ere we are at the Wetland Centre! My excitement was rising and I couldn’t wait to see all of the extraordinary animals and plants. Miss Hasler instructed us to put our belongings in boxes as she didn’t want us to lose our things. I quickly followed her instructions as I was eager to enter the nature reserve. I smelt flowers and plants all around me. The lush greenery in the surrounding area took my breath away. I peeked down over the bridge and saw ducks with emerald heads diving in search of food. As we walked further, we saw funny brown otters swimming, eating and playing in a pond. They were quite
silly and playful, which made my friends and me laugh. Later, we met some interesting people from the Centre and engaged in a fun activity where we had to explore and identify a variety of plants and leaves. The activity was intriguing and I learnt so much about cinquefoils, daisy leaves and other exciting things. On the way to lunch I spotted beautiful birds such as kingfishers, robins and sand martins. Finally, we went to the Wetland Centre Museum and learned about aquariums, forests and waterfalls. It was a very educational trip and I hope we will go again. 16
QG NEWS
J U N IOR SCHOOL · EXTRA- CU RRICU LAR
UKLA Digital Book Award Pupils are awarded a special recognition certificate for their fine judging skills
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n the Spring Term, the UK Literacy Association (UKLA) and the Book Trust selected Queen’s Gate, as only one of four schools in the country, to evaluate two new digital story apps this year for the Children’s Digital Book Award. The competition aims to reward apps, e-books and other digital interactive products, using children as part of the judging panel. The newly-formed Queen’s Gate Digital Book Club set to work in the Summer Term, meeting one lunchtime a week to explore and evaluate two shortlisted interactive story apps, the ‘Children’s Intel Agency’ and the ‘Famous Five’. Girls then created videos reviewing the strengths and weaknesses of each app, as well as submitting posters and forms to give a thorough overview of their thoughts and feelings. The club concluded that their favourite app was the ‘Famous Five’, based on Enid Blyton’s celebrated series of the adventures of Julian, Dick, Anne, Georgina and, of course, Timmy the dog. SUMMER 2019
The overall award-winner will be announced on Friday 12 July at the UKLA international conference, where they will also be awarding the School with a special certificate in recognition of all the hard work that they put into the judging process – the only school to be granted this honour.
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J U N IOR SCHOOL · ACADE M IC
Junior Art Exhibition Pupils make themselves at home in this year’s art exhibition
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his year’s Junior School Art Exhibition took place on Monday 20 May, with visitors from both schools attending. Each class has been drawing from different themes this year to create their finished artworks. In IA the theme was ‘underwater’. Pupils produced beautiful mixed media and collage fish, displaying an arrangement of textures and patterns. They used a variety of materials such as bubble wrap, foil, sequins, cardboard, oil pastel, ink and paint! IIB’s theme was close-up animal eyes. Pupils worked on a larger scale and produced a collage and mixed media composition, looking closely at eyes and focusing on reflections, colour, tone and pattern. The girls experimented with a variety of materials to create expressive mark making. In IIA, architecture was explored, using London buildings as inspiration to produce beautiful illustrative and colourful collage houses. Their final pieces were decorative clay tiles. Well done to all the Juniors who worked very hard, and have produced exciting, creative artworks. 18
QG NEWS
J U N IOR SCHOOL · SPORT
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JUNIOR SCHOOL SPORTS DAY
his year’s Junior School Sports Day, on Wednesday 19 June, was a great success. Both fierce competition and determined team spirit were shown by all the girls who took part, competing for either Victoria or Elizabeth House. Armed with smiles and house t-shirts, every pupil from Preliminary to III Form travelled to Battersea Park’s Millennium Arena, ready to compete. Pupils in Preliminary, Transition and IB showed athletic prowess in their sprints and relays, and the utmost concentration could be seen on their faces as they took part in the egg and spoon and obstacle races! Particular grit and stamina was shown by pupils in the 600m and 800m races with IIB twins Beatrice and Elisabeth Comon crossing the finish line at exactly the same time to break last year’s 600m record! Some impressive field performances were also on display, most notably in the high jump, where long-standing records from 2010 were broken by both Filippa Capoferro (IIA) and Ava Porcaro (III Form). After a delicious lunch, which included strawberries and cream provided by the PTA, it was time for more KS2 track events and relays. III Form’s Sophie Goreli impressed the crowd with a
stunning 100m performance, breaking another record from 2010. Strong team camaraderie and neat baton passes were displayed in the relays, and it was encouraging for the competitors to see so much support from the sidelines! Victoria were crowned overall champions with 701 points, a significant victory over Elizabeth who came away with 497 points. Congratulations to everyone who took part, and a big thank you to all the staff who make this day happen each year.
Lucy Jiang IIA
100 Metres Sophie Goreli III Form High Jump
SUMMER 2019
Filippa Capoferro IIA Ava Porcaro III Form
701 points
KS1 OVE RALL CHAM PION Anna Walker-Haworth KS2 OVE RALL CHAM PION Lucy Jiang KS2 I N DIVI DUAL CHAM PIONS IA Lula Westoby II B Elisabeth Comon
Lucy Jiang III FORM Ava Porcaro
A special mention to the girls who set new records
80 Metres
Victoria
IIA
Record Breakers 600 Metres Zoe Tabojer IA Beatrice & Elisabeth Comon IIB
WI N N I NG HOUSE
2:31 min 2:20 min 9:81 sec 15:38 sec 1.30 m 1.30 m
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J U N IOR SCHOOL · LI B RARY
book Monday Dave shelton, 2013 Carnegie Award shortlisted author and illustrator, ‘kickstarted’ the Festival with a fast-paced and funny improvised story-telling session with IB and IA. He followed this by running a cartooning workshop with Comic Book Club, speaking further about his career, which began solely as an illustrator and has evolved to both writing and illustrating. Author Nikki Young also joined us, running two ‘Spy School’ creative writing workshops with pupils, who were delighted to try their hand at being secret agents. They wrote and decoded messages, set a crime scene with clues and filled in a character interview sheet, all of which were used in the stories that they composed at the end of the workshop.
Tuesday Lucy strange, whose debut novel The Secret of Nightingale Wood was shortlisted for numerous awards, including the 2018 Awesome Book Awards, spoke to girls in Remove about her inspirations and research process for her most recent book Our Castle by the Sea, a beautiful wartime mystery entwined with magic and myth. Lucy also facilitated creative writing workshops based around some aspects of her novel – sea monsters, megalith myths and magical realism – with IIB, IIA and III Form.
Multi-story week The Junior School held its inaugural Literature Festival from Monday 13 to Friday 17 May. This exciting new venture included visits from six amazing authors, illustrators, poets and storytellers, trips to the Discover Children’s Story Centre, an immersive mystery night and the unveiling of a special wall mural
Wednesday The festival week presented the perfect opportunity to hold our annual JS Book Fair! Kew Bookshop once again brought a fantastic selection of for pupils to buy. This year, girls in Remove also attended the Fair during their lunch break, which proved to be a very well received addition to the schedule. 20
QG NEWS
J U N IOR SCHOOL · LI B RARY
tree
Thursday
Friday
Abie longstaff, popular author of the Fairytale Hairdresser and Magic Potion Shop series, spoke to girls about what inspired her to write, and the props that she uses to invoke creativity whilst she is writing, such as miniature potion bottles and dolls. She even brought along a long segment of yellow wool that she had plaited whilst writing The Fairytale Hairdresser and Rapunzel. Each session ended by brainstorming ideas with the girls, which were then incorporated into their own stories. The Library, STEAM room and several classrooms were transformed into crime scenes for the ‘Mystery of the Golden Pen’ event on Thursday evening. This immersive experience saw girls and their parents play the role of detectives, to figure out which of three suspects stole a priceless pen (rumoured to have belonged to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle), how it was stolen and the motive for stealing it, by piecing together the clues dotted around the School.
The hall erupted with laughter as poet and novelist A. F. Harrold shared some of his work during Friday morning’s assembly, including the superbly memorable A Poem About a Dog. A. F. also led workshops for IA–III Form, during which the girls learned that writing poetry does not need to be complicated. Some poems can be as simple as a list such as those created by IIA and III Form, on the topic ‘If I Ran the School…’. Storyteller Helen Tozer rounded-off the week’s lineup, with Preliminary, Transition and IB, who were treated to her unique style of sharing stories, which included the use of sensory props and craft-making.
SUMMER 2019
Thank you to all our guests, pupils, parents and staff for helping to make our Literature Festival a huge success! For additional news and more photos, visit the Literature Festival 2019 section on QGBuzz. You can also follow the Queen’s Gate Library on Twitter @QG_Library. 21
Books do grow on trees Pupils’ artwork adorns this specially created mural – the first in what may become a literary forest
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o commemorate the Literature Festival, a new wall mural was created using the girls’ illustrations, unveiled by Mr Denchfield and Mrs Kamaryc. Favoured storybook characters cover the branches of a large tree, with a trunk made up of re-imagined book cover designs of favourite titles.
SE N IOR SCHOOL · SPORT
SENIOR SCHOOL SPORTS DAY
Record Breakers A special mention to the girls who set new records 200 Metres Alexandra Taylor Form V
28.19 sec
100 Metres Alexandra Taylor Form V
13.51 sec
High Jump Zoe Weiler LIV
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1.24 m
Shot Put
Mika Westoby Remove
Discus
Isabelle Wilkinson-Campbell Remove 16.15 m Alexandra Taylor Form V 17.94 m
7.86 m
QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL · SPORT
A
fter several days of rain showers, the sun came out and the atmosphere was buzzing at this year’s Senior School Sports Day on Thursday 20 June. The girls’ track and field talent was showcased at Battersea Park, with the four houses (Wyatt, Spalding, Johnston and Douglas) all going for gold. Across the year groups, Spalding proved to be the strongest House, winning the meet overall with 276 points, Douglas came in second (170 points), Wyatt in third (133 points) and Johnston House in fourth with 124 points. Victrix Ludorum (overall Champion) went to Form V’s Alexandra Taylor, who achieved an impressive 33 points and broke records in the 200m, 100m and discus, as well as setting the record in the newly created javelin event!
Individual Champions were awarded to Remove’s Hannah Rekrut, LIV’s Zoe Weiler, Form IV’s Ciara Horton, Form V’s Alexandra Taylor and LVI’s Cecily Weston. A huge well done to everyone who took part to create another fantastic day of sport!
WI N N I NG HOUSE Spalding
276 points
VICTRIX LU DORU M Alexandra Taylor Form V
33 points
I N DIVI DUAL CHAM PIONS REMOVE Hannah Rekrut
20 points LIV
Zoe Weiler
28 points FORM IV
Ciara Horton
25 points LVI
Cecily Weston
SUMMER 2019
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10 points
WHOLE SCHOOL · SPORT
SPORT REPORT BIATHLON Whitgift Summer Biathlon The whitgift summer Biathlon took place on Sunday 19 May, with a team from Queen’s Gate raring to go! For some of the girls taking part this event saw the launch pad for their Biathlon careers, and with all the pupils receiving medals, we shall be looking out for this talented group in the future. WH ITGI FT BIATH LON RESU LTS U12 GI RLS Silver medal team Ella Johnson, Izabela McDaniel, Ava Porcaro U13 GI RLS
2
Cecilia Weber
3
Mika Westoby U14 GI RLS
3
Melinda Aznar Gold medal team
Hannah Rekrut, Melinda Aznar, Eleanor Crider Silver medal team Gioia Duenas, Chloe Rasteu, Ines Mathais 24
QG NEWS
WHOLE SCHOOL · SPORT
Sport in brief
FENCING British Fencing Youth Championships
England Youth Championships
This year’s british Fencing Youth Championships took place in Sheffield from Saturday 4 to Monday 6 May. LIV’s Erika Bustnes placed 3rd in the U14s Girls Épée, with classmates Vanessa Lemer and Claudia CrawfordBrunt coming 8th and 9th respectively. In the U16 Girls Épée, seasoned fencer Patrycja Krzyzaniak was crowned British Champion – another exceptional achievement.
The girls continued their success in June at the England Youth Championships, with Vanessa Lemer and Harriet Hillier winning the silver and bronze medals in the England Youth Championship U13 Girls Épée.
ROWING
Maddie Perry-Smith won the WJ15 single
scull gold medal at the Ball Cup Regatta in May, and achieved a team silver in the WJ15 coxed quad race. Maddie also qualified for this year’s J18 double sculls at Henley Women’s Regatta.
Georgiana Hillier and Cecilia Woods won the Barnes and Mortlake Regatta in their coxed quad. Ruby O’Keeffe won the Bea Longridge Trophy with her Tideway Scullers crew at the Henley Women’s Regatta in June.
CRICKET There has been a successful start to this year’s cricket season, with girls displaying great batting and fielding skills, winning all their matches this season. This heralds a promising future for us in the cricket world.
ATHLETICS Virgin Money London Mini Marathon This year’s group of Mini Marathoners ran the three-mile course on Sunday 28 April, just ahead of the main Virgin Money London Marathon. The team of Chloe Bartholomew SUMMER 2019
(U13 Girls), Lara Mannes Diaz de Cerio, Tess McGill, Isla Wallrock (U15 Girls) and Sabrina Mannes Diaz de Cerio (U17
Girls) all performed well at the event and ran good times. 25
ATHLETICS The Athletic Team came 3rd out of six teams in the Francis Holland athletics meet in May.
WHOLE SCHOOL · ART
Victoria Ascani
Amelie Thompson
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he Royal College of Art Young Art Competition is for school students aged 4–18 raising funds for Cancer Research UK. It is a wonderful opportunity for aspiring artists to have their work judged by well-known professional artists and exhibited at the prestigious Royal College of Art and, at the same time, raise money for Cancer Research UK. Congratulations go to all the girls whose work was chosen to be on show.
Ava Porcaro
Commended iii form AVA PORCARO liv ERIKA BUSTNES ZOYA E DWARDS form iv ELEANOR RANIOLO uvi ISABELLA TALEGHANI
Highly commended Zoya Edwards
lvi VICTORIA ASCAN I AM E LI E THOM PSON
Eleanor Raniolo 26
QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL · EXTRA- CU RRICU LAR
Art to art
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Queen’s Gate A Level Art pupils get the chance to exhibit at London’s only artist-run art fair, Roy’s People Art Fair, at the OXO Tower
his year, from Thursday 4 to Sunday 7 April, A Level Art pupils were invited to exhibit their work alongside professional and emerging artists from across the UK, at the OXO Tower on London’s Southbank, as part of Roy’s People Art Fair. The fair gives artists and visitors the unique opportunity to view artwork (and buy it!) in a relaxed ‘non-gallery’ environment, and to take part in creative workshops. During the exhibition, Christine Crawford-Brunt and Annie WainmanFreed took part in a live installation; painting in action and displaying their skills and techniques. Louise Ridsdale and Lucy Porcaro also spent time demonstrating their work and the execution of their final outcomes. Head of Art, Mr Mataya, also exhibited at the fair, as well as taking part in a live demonstration of painting himself, a discipline he has been developing over the past five years.
Head over heels LIV gymnast Chloe Bartholomew wins gold at the Vegas Acro Cup
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IV pupil, Chloe Bartholomew, boarded a plane to Las Vegas in March to compete in the Vegas Acro Cup. 110 gymnasts from 19 countries take part in this prestigious international event. Chloe’s trio stunned the audience by winning gold in their category (11–16 years old). This is a phenomenal achievement, as they were up against older girls who have been competing together for years. Many congratulations!
SUMMER 2019
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SE N IOR SCHOOL · CLU BS
Laboratory conditions
A behind-the-scenes trip to the Natural History Museum BY H E LE NA FI N DLATE R LVI SCIENCE PREFECT
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ur small society, along with Mrs Garty and Mrs Mayne, rushed off to the Natural History Museum one lunchtime, where we journeyed via the exhibits, through the staff library full of very old books and into the laboratories. It was so exciting to see ‘behind the scenes’! Dr Emery took us down to the laboratories, where we put on our lab coats and went into the hot lab. Down in the lab, we found out about the parasitic flatworms called schistosomes, which are released by infected freshwater snails. These parasites can burrow into your skin and get straight into your blood stream, causing schistosomiasis. The infection affects millions and millions of people in Africa, Asia and South America. We learned about the way a schistosome develops, and even got to see an infected snail, producing schistosomes under a microscope! We also learnt a bit about the way forensics can be used in identifying criminals, based on the observation of maggots! On our way back through the museum, we got a sneak peek at some of the skeletons that were being prepared inside the lab. Overall, it was an absolutely fascinating trip; I just wished we’d had more time to look around! Thank you so much to Mrs Garty and Mrs Mayne for taking us – it was so interesting.
stethoscope MedSoc SUMMER TERM REPORT
Research matters IVF pioneer Professor Robert Winston talks to the medical society about his career and latest research BY ALEJAN DRA AGOSTI N I ASTORGANO LVI
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n Wednesday 1 May we were lucky enough to have Professor Winston as a guest at our MedSoc. The medical pioneer in the field of IVF started off by briefing us on the current research he is carrying out at Imperial College. At the moment he is focusing on genetically engineering embryos in order to prevent any abnormalities the embryos could have inherited, for example a faulty gene which could cause a certain disorder. Afterwards, he spoke about the importance of learning from failure in order to progress. We learnt about all of his failures in his primary research of IVF and how even after spending months on a specific piece of work he believed could be successful and unfortunately was not, he would always keep these ‘mistakes’ which he learned from and, eventually, they led him to find the answer he was looking for. He is a great example of how perseverance and being consistent in your work will allow you to reach your goals, which was much-needed motivation for those of us who want to pursue medicine in the future. Finally, as a last piece of advice to the aspiring medics in the room, he revealed to us the worst thing doctors can do in the presence of their patients: look at their watch!
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QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL ¡ E N RICH M E NT
Head-side-medical Mental Health Awareness Week
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he Senior School pupils fully embraced Mental Health Awareness Week from 13 to 19 May, with an array of activities to promote their mental wellbeing. From yoga to mindfulness colouring-in, they reminded themselves that a healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body!
Sanitary conditions Former Head Girl Veronica Allara-Carlin leads a workshop on improving access to feminine hygiene products
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n Wednesday 24 April, Veronica Allara-Carlin (OG 2015) delivered a fascinating test workshop on how to make reusable sanitary pads! Her degree project at University of the Arts London (UAL) aims to break the taboo of menstruation and provide a solution for girls who have limited access to sanitary products. SUMMER 2019
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SE N IOR SCHOOL · E N RICH M E NT
Enriching English Sixth Form English pupils have enjoyed a year brimming with cultural trips and activities
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his year has been filled with many exciting trips for QG Sixth Form English pupils. We began with a bang by attending Shakespeare’s Globe theatre to watch Othello, which we are currently studying in LVI; it was a fantastic experience and we were pleased to feel our understanding increasing as the performance went on, despite not having studied the play by that point. I know the UVI girls really benefitted from seeing their A Level text in the flesh, as well as their second trip to Keats’ House, the home of the poet about whom they are
BY ISAB E LLA FU RST LVI ENGLISH SUBJECT AMBASSADOR
all passionate. Other exciting trips that have stretched outside our curriculum have been the visit to the National Theatre to see Antony and Cleopatra and the ballet of Frankenstein at the Royal Opera House. Being a school in Central London, we are able to go beyond the curriculum and attend events which widen our scope and understanding of the subject. Within school, the English Department has also offered many activities to build discussions further. Two of our favourites are the Fitzgerald Society, named after a former QG Head of English who won the prestigious Booker Prize, which meets weekly to explore writing beyond the curriculum, and our literary link-up with the boys of the London Oratory School, where we discuss poems outside the curriculum and initiate deep conversations on the poets’ craft. Upcoming trips with the English Department this summer will be to see A Midsummer Night’s Dream in Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre and Miller’s sellout Death of a Salesman. We are also looking forward to the annual contemporary poetry conference at which LVI girls will hear the poets from the anthology we study discussing their craft. 30
QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL · E N RICH M E NT
Active learning From cooking and court cases to drama and natural history via Freud and Kubrick, the LVI activities days were filled to the brim BY ISAB E LLA FU RST LVI
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he Lower Sixth enjoyed two fun days of activities in midJune to round off the end of our examinations – it is safe to say everyone had a great time! We experienced cooking workshops at the Cookery School in Little Portland Street, visited the Old Bailey and Supreme Court where we sat in the public galleries, did a drawing workshop at the Tate Britain, a theatre workshop at Pineapple Dance Studios, a behind-the-scenes tour of the Natural History Museum, a feminist workshop at the British Library, a backstage tour of the Royal Opera House, a visit to the Freud Museum and saw the Stanley Kubrick exhibition at the Design Museum…phew! Each activity offered a fresh learning opportunity for us, and happened to be a great way to relax after our examinations, whilst also ensuring there was something that appealed to each and every pupil. We all came together for the final activity, visiting the Duchess Theatre to see The Play that Goes Wrong – it truly ended the week in a fantastic and hilarious way – which was well deserved by all!
SUMMER 2019
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SE N IOR SCHOOL · TRI PS
Power bricks LIV Computer Science pupils visit Legoland to make and programme model racing cars… and ride the roller coasters of course BY MARIA KYRIAKI DOU & AN DI E KU ROPATWA LIV
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IV went to Legoland on Friday 14 June for a Computer Science trip. When we arrived at Legoland we separated into our individual groups. Everyone had the opportunity to go on roller coasters and water rides. Each group took turns in going to the Education Centre to take part in a workshop, where we learnt how to make our own mini racing cars out of Lego, and then programme them. When we had all finished programming, we had a race to see which car was fastest. In the afternoon, everyone was rushing to find some fun rides to go on and, before we got on to the coach again for our journey back, we had the opportunity to buy a souvenir from one of the gift shops. We would like to thank Ms Butt for organising the trip, and Mr Cohen, Ms Helm, Ms Adler, Ms Marshall and Mr Moss for coming on the trip with us. We really enjoyed this fun day out.
Wild things
LIV discover their survival instinct on the Bushcraft trip BY RADA KOVATCH EVA LIV
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e set off on Thursday 6 June for our Bushcraft trip at 7 am, and had a fun coach ride, which included playing card games and chatting. After two hours we made it to the Bushcraft area, where we were separated into our tents and unpacked – setting up our sleeping bags. We stayed at Bushcraft for two days and participated in lots of activities. My favourite activity was fire-building because we started fires from scratch, and then we got to cook burgers on them while
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they kept us warm. I also enjoyed learning knife skills, where we used a knife to whittle tent pegs from a normal stick. We also learnt about how to be safe when using the knife. At the end of the first day we were all huddled under the yurt and around the fire. We ate delicious brownies and drank hot chocolate and told each other riddles. I think that this was a nice change of scenery that helped us all bond as one big group, and is an experience that I will never forget.
QG NEWS
SE N IOR SCHOOL · TRI PS
Flower power Our keen horticulturalists venture to the Chelsea Flower Show
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n Friday 24 May, the Gardening Club and Horticultural Society members attended a trip to Chelsea Flower Show. The group visited the Show Gardens, charitable projects and toured the shops, as well as meeting a special Chelsea Pensioner volunteer who had served in the Royal Veterinary Corps.
Debatable O
LIV reveal their political colours at the Houses of Parliament
n Friday 28 May, LIV boarded coaches to the centre of UK political power, the Palace of Westminster, to see inside the Houses of Parliament. The girls enjoyed seeing the Robing Room, where the Queen prepares for the State Opening of Parliament, and pointing out portraits of monarchs who they have studied in history. We all appreciated the gold decoration in the House of Lords, and it was great to see the girls pointing out their local MPs’ pigeon holes in the Members’ Lobby. In the House of Commons, our girls asked questions about the role of the Speaker, SUMMER 2019
and some voiced their ambition to be elected as MPs themselves one day. After the tour, they took part in a parliament-style debate on the question of the voting age being reduced to 16 years old. Some girls took on the roles of Speaker of the House and leaders of political parties and spoke with eloquence and vigour. Following the debate, we were met by Baroness D’Souza, who told us about her work in the House of Lords and how it could be reformed in the future. A fascinating trip that has educated and inspired the girls to involve themselves in politics. 33
WHOLE SCHOOL · CHARITY
Charity round-up The Summer Term was busy with bake sales, jeans days and other fundraising activities BY H E LE NA FI N DLATE R & JASM I N E PRI M E CHARITIES PREFECTS 2019/20
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hroughout this term, we have supported a range of charities with bake sales and jeans days, which have always proved successful at School. The prefects also organised a healthy food bake sale in support of mental health awareness week for the Mental Health Association. On Monday 10 June, Form IV took part in a charity walk through London, passing the National Gallery – although it was raining it didn’t dampen their spirits! Our many cake sales raised a total of £483 with £283 going towards the RNLI and £200 going towards the Alzheimer’s Society. The Junior School raised £244 for the Javan Green Magpies by wearing bright green clothes and crazy hair! Overall, this term has been successful yet again in raising money for the many admirable causes.
OUR MANY CAKE SALES RAISED A TOTAL OF £483
AgeUK Tea Dance We continue to host our weekly Age UK lunches, and rounded off their year with the annual tea dance on Thursday 13 June. The LVI prefect team baked a range of cakes and biscuits, including a flavourful carrot cake, chocolate brownies, and of course, some exotic fruit on sticks! There was plenty of music from the singalong cockney singer Tom Carradine, who entertained with tunes from the 1940s to the 1970s, and songs from the musicals. Then the prefects encouraged all the tea goers to get up from their seats and join us for a dance – there were some classic moves from Dr Lee, Mrs Kamaryc, Mr Crundwell, Mrs Camenzuli and a surprise visit from young ones from the Junior School, which we all loved. 34
QG NEWS
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 M RS BU RNSI DE
M ISS HAGU E
M M E LE LUAN
I have been extremely happy during my five years at Queen’s Gate, first of all as a very keen part-timer, and then becoming thoroughly enmeshed as Head of English. I think what makes the School so magical is the warmth between colleagues, which is reflected amongst the girls, as well as a joyful willingness to look for the jollity in everything. This approach chimes perfectly with me, and is something I will be hoping to find in my new role, although nothing will ever outdo the delight of this School’s wonderful location, its heartfelt approach to the provision of chocolate biscuits or its commitment to celebrating Christmas for as long and as vigorously as possible. I have loved being in the community here and will treasure the memories forever.
I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here at Queen’s Gate and have relished every second of working in the warm and friendly environment the School offers. I shall miss being part of such vibrant team of staff, but I am excited to start the next chapter of my career. I wish everyone at Queen’s Gate the best of luck for the future and thank them for making my time here so special.
After two and a half years at Queen’s Gate, it is with a heavy heart that I am saying goodbye to my lovely pupils and colleagues. It has been a pleasure to work in such an inspiring environment and I feel really lucky to have taught across both the Junior and the Senior schools. My next position as Deputy Head of Boarding is taking me to Switzerland, by the Léman Lake with my husband and cat! I wish the very best to the girls and I look forward to hearing all about their achievements in the future.
M ISS HASLE R
I have loved the twelve years that I have spent at Queen’s Gate. The best part about teaching here is the lovely girls, who have been such fun and so interesting to work with. The time I have been here has been an adventure, filled with challenges such as: setting up QGBuzz, finding ways to get pen pal letters to and from Zimbabwe, being part of organising our first ever Children’s Literature Festival and mummifying various children over the years as part of IA’s studies on Ancient Egypt! I will miss everyone when I leave to work in France; but I am excited about my next adventure. SUMMER 2019
M R LI E PA
Mr liepa, our highly esteemed and much-loved Director of Music retires from his position. Mr Liepa joined our Music Department in April 2014 and from the beginning, his passion for music, his expectations of high standards and his enjoyment of performance were evident, as was his wonderful sense of humour. A gifted pianist, Mr Liepa loved to accompany and did so with empathy, enabling our girls to perform to their very best standard and beyond. From Preliminary to Sixth Form, he inspired a love of music and encouraged the girls to enjoy their music making, be it choral or instrumental. He introduced Strings Club in the Junior School, which allowed IB girls to have the opportunity to try a string instrument – this was so successful that it was extended to other year groups. The discipline which his Junior School orchestra displayed in their performance 35
was a joy to behold. His hymn practices were fun and he inspired girls of all ages to enjoy their singing. Under Mr Liepa’s guidance we produced the musical Merrily We Roll Along in conjunction with the Drama Department and he also led our musical contributions to the Kids for Kids Christmas Concert. It has been a privilege to work with Mr Liepa – a talented musician and a genuine, kind, warm and compassionate gentleman. The Queen’s Gate community was shocked and saddened when we heard the news of his stroke, but the number of cards and abundance of good wishes which came flowing in, reflected the high esteem in which Mr Liepa is held. We send Mr Liepa our love and good wishes as he continues his recovery and remind him that he will always be a welcome visitor to our musical events. — Mrs Kamaryc
WHOLE SCHOOL · STAFF N EWS
M R MACLEAN
M RS MAI LLEY-SM ITH
M ISS PALFRAMAN
In my second week at Queen’s Gate, I was thrust on to the catwalk as part of the Pink Fashion Show (sporting an attractive ‘damsel in distress’ hat). This would set the tone for the next four years, as I allowed myself to be swept up in all the School had to offer. I would like to thank all the students and fellow staff who have made my time here as enjoyable as it has been, and I wish everyone the best of luck for their futures.
I have adored teaching here for so many years, and am immensely proud to have had many girls, whom I have taught, go on to become successful professional singers, win singing awards, and form their own choirs. My professional diary has now become too cluttered to truly dedicate the time each girl deserves; I am lecturing at Worcester College, Oxford through CASI, have Royal Albert Hall concerts, filming projects and have two operas being written especially for my voice. I thank you for being such lovely pupils, colleagues and parents.
‘Harry potter’s cupboard under the stairs’ is what has become the affectionate term for the office, with the lofty dimensions of a storage cupboard, that I have shared for the past seven years with my two fellow ‘cupboard dwellers’. This, along with ‘hip hip hooraying’ in final assemblies, lessons in ‘the kitchen’ and the world’s most jolly housekeeper, are the idiosyncrasies unique to Queen’s Gate that I will miss the most. What struck me when I first arrived was the freedom of diversity in both the staff and pupils, which I admire and respect enormously. Now, the winds have changed and I must depart; my next step will see me starting up a Psychology department – a truly exciting business indeed!
M ISS SUTH E RLAN D
I have so enjoyed my time at Queen’s Gate, it is such a lovely school – I still marvel at the eccentricity of these five town houses in central London, accommodating over 500 pupils. I leave still not knowing the location of MF2! I want to say thank you to so many people here at school. To the administrative staff who have always been patient and thoughtful; the catering staff, always ready to help, and serve me extra portions of jelly because they know it’s my favourite pudding; to my lovely colleagues who have supported Drama and shown such interest in the Department and a special thank you to the creative collaborations with the Music Department! Above all, I’d like to thank you all for bouncing into the Drama Studio with such enthusiasm, asking ‘what are we doing today?’ I will smile fondly when I think on this. I will remember the pleasure of being able to cycle to school through the back streets of Fulham and Earl’s Court, culminating in the Natural History Museum, which holds a special place in my family’s experience. Nobody would guess, walking past these town houses, what fun, productivity, warmth, laughter and creativity goes on behind the walls!
MS WARD
Ms ward came to Queen’s Gate in 2008 as Head of PE and Games. Right from the beginning she led by example, through her passion and talent for sport which included many years as a GB pentathlete. Within a short time Ms Ward, through her hard work and vision, transformed PE at Queen’s Gate. She was keen to develop each girl’s sporting potential and introduced a range of new opportunities, including early morning clubs which proved popular and successful. Our Fencing Academy was her initiative, enabling Junior and Senior School girls to become involved in this discipline, either as a beginner or an elite athlete. Later came our Tennis Academy and the introduction of GCSE PE which again proved successful and popular, with girls gaining excellent results. Ms Ward was a victim of her own success; the Department expanded as did the range of opportunities and she was promoted to Director of Sport where she continued to lead and inspire. She led many trips in various parts of the world – dance in New York, biathlon training in Barcelona, sports leadership in Cornwall and skitrips in Europe and North America – and
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under her guidance, many pupils gained national, and on occasions international, recognition for example in fencing, biathlon and swimming. Leading PE at Queen’s Gate requires not just sporting expertise, but also welldeveloped skills in logistics, as well as the ability to ‘think on your feet’. As Ms Ward continued her professional development, she transferred her well-honed skills to the position of Director of Academic Administration and Compliance where she was responsible for the day to day logistics of the Senior School, the organisation of special events, and most recently our timetable. As a member of the Senior Management Team, she worked incredibly hard to ensure that she carried out her duties professionally and contributed much to the management of our School. She also found time to work as an ISI Inspector. Ms Ward leaves us to take up her appointment as Deputy Head (Operations) at Woldingham School. We congratulate her on her appointment, thank her for her many contributions to Queen’s Gate and wish her every success and happiness in her new position. — Mrs Kamaryc
QG NEWS
WHOLE SCHOOL · STAFF N EWS
PTA Chairs Thank you to our outgoing PTA Chairs, Mrs McDaniel and Mrs Mascarenhas in the Junior School, and Mrs Diotallevi and Mrs Hill in the Senior School, for their hard work and support at school this year
Junior School
Senior School
Mrs Aga McDaniel & Mrs Cibely Mascarenhas
Mrs Emma Hill & Mrs Linda Diotallevi
We welcome our new PTA Chairs for the coming Academic Year, and wish them well in their new roles
Junior School
Senior School
Mrs Jemima McDonnell & Mrs Inge Jones
Mrs Bele Duenas, Mrs Nihan Affara & Mrs Fiona Macleay
Queen’s Gate School 133 Queen’s Gate London SW7 5LE 020 7589 3587 queensgate.org.uk @queensgateschool @queens_gate
