The quarterly magazine of Queen’s Gate School
Issue 46 · Spring 2016
Royal institution
HRH The Duchess of Cornwall opens the new Science Labs
Special 125th Anniversary relaunch edition
Snow place like Panorama
A brand new look
Skiing in the Canadian Rockies
We are the champions!
PLUS Science Week
The U13 Biathlon team wins gold
Reading Week
Remove Showcase
UVI pupils getting into the 125th Anniversary spirit
Front
From the Principal’s Study
Dear Parents, It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Spring edition of the QG News. Some years ago, the production of the QG News passed to Mrs Elizabeth Scott, our Librarian; on taking on this responsibility, Mrs Scott transformed our newsletter, successfully balancing tradition with innovation, to produce the colourful and eye-catching editions we have enjoyed in the past few years. I would like to thank Mrs Scott very much for her work with the QG News and wish her well with her new projects in School. The reins have now passed to Miss Amy Hinds, our Communications Officer, who has brought a different style and look to this edition of the QG News, the first in our 125th Anniversary year. Miss Hinds has much to cover in this edition, as it has been an action-packed term. As well all our usual activities, we began our 125th Anniversary celebrations this term with the Anniversary Ball at the Landmark Hotel and this was followed by the Senior School’s outstanding production at RADA of Merrily We Roll Along. Just after half-term, we were delighted to welcome HRH The Duchess of Cornwall back to her old School to open our newly refurbished Science laboratories – it was a special day for us all. The girls and staff have also enjoyed an interesting Science Week and Reading Week – as well as carrying out their usual academic commitments. I congratulate the girls and staff on a successful term and hope that you will enjoy reading of our activities and achievements. With my very best wishes Rosalynd Kamaryc Principal
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Front
Contents Front 6 Calendar Summer term dates and what’s on
7 Staff news Meet our newest staff members
Senior School 8 Explore the Archives Step into 125 years of QG history with the new Digital Archives
40 The pistes of Panorama A report on the snowtastic half-term ski trip to the Canadian Rockies
9 The Time Travellers’ Showcase Removians search for the enduring qualities that define QG girls
44 Model United Nations Conference
14 Reading Week A week of literary activites, storytelling, spirited debate and even a spot of dressing up 20 Science Week Marine biology, neuroscience, astronomy, the history of medicine, ornithology … and heavy metal Queen’s Gate School 133 Queen’s Gate London SW7 5LE 020 7589 3587
26 The English-Speaking Union’s Public Speaking Competition & Remove’s motte-and-bailey castles
45 GCSE Science Live! 46 Charity update Raising money for worthy causes with the annual Pink Fashion Show and a Make & Buy Sale 50 Jane Eyre at the National Theatre & The Tempest at the Globe Theatre 51 Lessons from Auschwitz A visit to the concentration camp reminds LVI that history has a habit of repeating itself
queensgate.org.uk @queens_gate /133queensgate
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QG NEWS
Front
Junior School 30 IA outing to Juniper Hall & Preliminary visit the V&A 31 Talk by author and TV presenter Cerrie Burnell
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Featu res
Fit for a Duchess
Royal assent from HRH The Duchess of Cornwall for the new Science Labs
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Senior School Musical
33 III Form trip to the Globe Theatre
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Biathlon Champions
Gold medals for the U13s at the National Schools competition
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You shall go to the Ball
A QG first, Sondheim’s Merrily We Roll Along is an absolute triumph
The 125th Anniversary celebrations are launched in style
52 Music The Spring Concert banishes the winter blues, and QG’s contribution to a St Matthew Passion at the RFH
53 Sport Report News and results for Fencing, Modern Biathlon, Cross Country, Rowing, Hockey and Swimming
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32 Little Mozart Concert
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34 Road Safety and School Travel Calendar Awards 35 Visiting the Courtauld Gallery & British Museum Expedition 36 Science Week Aeronautics, medicine, astronomy and a bit of quizzing 38 Sport Report News and results for Fencing, Hockey, Modern Biathlon, Swimming and Gymnastics
Front · Calendar
Summer Term 2016 Tuesday 12 April–Thursday 7 July n.b. term ends 1.00 pm bank holiday: Monday 2 May half-term: Monday 30 May–Friday 3 June
Junior School April Tuesday 19–Wednesday 20 April Junior School Play
Chelsea Theatre, 5.30 pm
Senior School
Wednesday 27 April Whole School photograph
April
May
Tuesday 19 April GCSE Drama Parents’ Performance
Monday 16 – Friday 20 May III Form York Trip
Senior School Hall
June
Wednesday 27 April Whole School photograph
Wednesday 22 June Junior School Sports Day,
Battersea Park
May
Tuesday 28 June Junior School Prize-giving
Friday 13 May UV & LVI Study Leave begins Friday 27 May UVI Study Leave begins
June
SAVE THE DATE 21 September 2016
Friday 24 June Senior School Sports Day
125 th An n iversary Ch urch Service
Battersea Park
St Martin-in-the-Fields, Trafalgar Square
Monday 27 June Art & Design Technology Exhibition
Private View, 5.00–7.30 pm
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QG NEWS
Front · Staff News
Mr Solomons
Mrs Leigh
Miss Pearson
Mrs Leigh is the new Teaching Assistant in the Junior School. She has a degree in History from Oxford University and a PGCE from the University of Exeter. She speaks French and German, but is normally to be found working with English and Maths. When her youngest child was old enough to go to secondary school, Mrs Leigh worked as a Teaching Assistant in Dulwich, where she spent four years before arriving at Queen’s Gate in January 2016.
Miss Pearson joined Queen’s Gate in March 2016 as Senior School Secretary. She previously worked at Garden House School as a Teaching Assistant. Following this she did an advanced PA course at Quest Professional. For the past three and a half years she has worked as a Private Family PA. Miss Pearson is delighted to be back in a school environment and to have joined the support staff at Queen’s Gate.
Mr Chaudhry
Miss van Zuijdam
Mr Maclean
Mr Chaudhry joined the Queen’s Gate Mathematics Department in January 2016. He studied Mathematics at the University of Wales, Swansea, and completed a Master’s degree in Education at London Southbank University. He has taught Mathematics in International Schools in Oman and Singapore.
Miss van Zuijdam is teaching French, covering Mlle Manier’s maternity leave. After graduating with a degree in English Literature, Language and History, Miss van Zuijdam moved to the UK to improve her English with the view to teaching English in France. Having trained as a teacher at the University of Leicester, she moved to North London where she worked for three years in a mixed school.
Mr Maclean is teaching Mathematics, covering Mrs Rose’s maternity leave. He gained a Master’s degree in Mathematics from Leeds University before training to become a teacher in Bath. Prior to Queen’s Gate, Mr Maclean has taught in schools across Wiltshire and North-West London, and also lived in Canada.
Mr Solomons is the new Teacher of French. He studied French and German at Oxford University, and also holds a degree in Law and a Master’s degree in Technical Translation. Mr Solomons has been teaching languages for over 17 years and is also a professional freelance translator. Before arriving at Queen’s Gate in January 2016, he taught at Queen’s College, Harley Street.
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125th Anniversary · Digital Archive
The Digital Archives are constantly evolving. Check back regularly for news and updates.
Explore the Archives The newly-launched Digital Archives are a window into the previously unseen history of Queen’s Gate
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fter 125 years of rich history at Queen’s Gate, we are pleased to announce that much of the Queen’s Gate Archive is now available online through the School website. Every edition of The Log, the School magazine, and many photographs have been digitally reproduced to provide a comprehensive search facility, enabling users to search within a specific collection, or across the whole archive. Access to the Digital Archives is free of charge for all members of the
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Queen’s Gate Community, though the website is password protected and requires registration. Please visit the Digital Archives section on the School website and follow the link to register for login details.
For further details, please contact Sig.na Podavitte, School Archivist: cpodavitte@queensgate.org.uk Scan this QR code with your smartphone to be taken to the Digital Archives
QG NEWS
Senior School · Remove Showcase
The Time Travellers’ Showcase Remove go in search of the qualities that have defined Queen’s Gate girls for the last 125 years By Miss Hinds Communications Officer
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ach year, the Remove Showcase is an eagerly anticipated event by parents and guests attending. What have the girls spent their first year doing? How well are they working together as a form? What surprises have they got in store for us? Well, this year was a little different. To continue the celebration of our 125th Anniversary on Wednesday 9 March, Remove paid homage to the School’s history by performing The Queen’s Gate Time Machine. Using information from the School magazine The Log and other historical documents, the girls acted, sang and played their way through the years. During the performance the audience was transported from 2016 back to 2006, the 1970s, the 1960s, the 1940s, 1915 and finally the 1890s, on the hunt for the qualities of a Queen’s Gate Girl. Some ‘familiar’ faces were encountered along the way including SPRING 2016
Trinny and Susannah, HRH the Duchess of Cornwall, Nigella Lawson, the Duchess of Marlborough and even the School’s founder Miss Wyatt herself! It turns out that a Queen’s Gate Girl is versatile, talented, noble (and very groovy), determined, strong and charitable – a perfect mix! Some excellent performances took place with acting leads taken by Honor Makhlouf, Stephanie Goreli and Flora Stockdale, and soloist performances by Jessica Ballard singing Here, There and Everywhere, Maddie Perry-Smith in London Pride, Eugenie Bourrette in Keep The Home Fires Burning, Katherine Neely playing Elgar’s Salut d’Amour and Catherine Walmsley performing her own composition, Waiting in the Wings. Well done to the whole of Remove for inventing The Queen’s Gate Time Machine.
top left Sabine Carlier depicts Queen’s Gate founder Miss Wyatt top right Cecilia Woods as a young Camilla Shand aka HRH The Duchess of Cornwall above Maddie Perry-Smith sings London Pride
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125TH Anniversary · Royal visit
Fit for a Duchess Old Girl HRH The Duchess of Cornwall returned to her roots at Queen’s Gate to celebrate 125 years of education and officially open the new Science Laboratories BY COCO WARNER-ALLEN HEAD GIRL
HRH The Duchess of Cornwall
125TH Anniversary · Royal visit
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above The Duchess talks to Form V Biology pupils
n Tuesday 23 February 2016, HRH The Duchess of Cornwall visited Queen’s Gate to officially open the new Science Laboratories, following their recent refurbishment. I had the great honour of not only being introduced to the Duchess, but also giving her a tour of the School. After meeting HRH on the steps of 133 Queen’s Gate, we descended into the basement to the labs, where Sixth Former Marie Deschamps presented the Duchess with her very own personalised QG lab coat to wear during her visit. In the Biology lab, HRH spoke to Form V pupils about what they liked about the new labs and how they compared to the old ones. In Physics, the Duchess spoke to Sixth Formers who were conducting three different experiments. Finally, in the Chemistry lab, the Duchess was given the opportunity to take part in a titration experiment, though remarked she preferred to have Mr Selkirk conduct it joking that she wouldn’t do it as well as he could, which produced a lot of laughs from those in the room. From there, the tour moved into the Gym where HRH met pupils who were rock-climbing and fencing. Following this, the Duchess visited the ICT Suite where girls showed HRH coding processes and spoke about their recent work in both ICT and Mathematics. The tour then headed to the Black Dining Room, where artefacts from the Queen’s Gate Archives, including magazines and photographs from 12
the 1950s and 60s when the Duchess was a pupil at Queen’s Gate, were on show. After this, HRH met Design & Technology and Art students, complimenting each girl on their work, and congratulated Mr Mataya on the success of his Department. In the Library, she met Junior School and Remove girls who have entered the BBC’s 500 words competition, of which the Duchess is an honorary judge. At a formal reception in the Senior School Hall, the Duchess sang the School Song, listened to a performance by the Combined Choir, unveiled the Science Laboratories plaque, cut a cake and spoke of her own memories at Queen’s Gate. She remarked ‘I can’t believe Queen’s Gate has been going for 125 years, it feels like 125 years ago that I was here … Queen’s Gate must have given me a foundation and gave me a love of English and reading’ and joked that she had never held any positions of responsibility in the School, though was an avid swimmer. HRH also commented that she thoroughly enjoyed seeing the progression of the School and the girls and wished us the best of luck in all our endeavours. As she left, the Duchess was met with the traditional Queen’s Gate ‘three cheers’, thanked me for the tour and wished me luck for my future. We all gathered on the steps of the School to wave farewell. It was a cherished experience for all involved and one which will not be forgotten. QG NEWS
125TH Anniversary · Royal visit
I can’t believe Queen’s Gate has been going for 125 years; it feels like 125 years ago that I was here. I wish I could say that I had been Head Girl or a prefect or even Captain of Games, but I was none of those things. I might have been on the swimming team. […] I did leave at 16 – I didn’t go on to the sixth form. I think in those days we weren’t encouraged to go to university, I think the very clever girls went on but nobody seemed to give us much inspiration, so we went off and explored the university of life in Paris, Rome, London and places. But Queen’s Gate must have given me a foundation and gave me a love of English and reading and for some unknown reason they have made me Chancellor of Aberdeen University, so Queen’s Gate must have taught me something. So thank you for having me here today and I wish all the girls the best in the future; I’m sure you will all go off to do great things.
clockwise from top Head Girl Coco Warner-Allen greets the Duchess; Having unveiled the plaque, HRH reminisces about her school days; The Combined Choir perform Thorns in the Straw for guests; Swapping coding tips with Annavittoria Porter SPRING 2016
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Senior School · Reading Week
Reading Week B
etween Monday 7 and Friday 11 March, the Senior School took part in this year’s Reading Week, with a number of fun activities and fundraising ventures taking place in and around lessons. These included teachers talking to pupils about their love of reading, girls dressing up as book characters and much more!
A book in a day On thursday, Remove and LIV heard the Ray Bradbury short story A Sound of Thunder read to them by their subject teachers, page by page over the course of the day. The tension mounted at the end of Period 8, when many girls had to change classes and wait to hear the thrilling twist at the end. We were all reminded of the pleasure of hearing a story read aloud and that reading certainly is not just for English lessons!
Imparting our love of reading Also on thursday, 17 girls from UVI volunteered to take the short trip to the Junior School in order to share their love of reading with their younger counterparts. The Junior School pupils found the activity to be very enjoyable and expressed their excitement for the friendly, informative and engaging interaction with the UVI students. The UVI girls also found the experience to be rewarding and relished the opportunity to encourage the Junior School pupils to maintain a passion and desire to read for pleasure as they continue through their schooling. 14
QG NEWS
Senior School · Reading Week
Classroom decorating competition Over reading week, Form Rooms were transformed into settings from favourite books for a competition judged by Mrs Kamaryc and Mr Denchfield. The door to LIVAP took them through the wardrobe to Narnia; spots danced before their eyes in LVISP’s tribute to 101 Dalmatians; and tigers and bears lurked in the corners of LIVMS’s The Jungle Book. However, the overall winner was LIVHH’s highly evocative Satis House of Great Expectations, complete with crackling fire and wedding cake.
This House believes… On friday morning, LIV considered the relevance of reading in the 21st century by taking part in a series of inter-Form British Parliamentary-style debates. The motions were as follows: — This House believes that books are a thing of the past — This House would put popular teen fiction like The Hunger Games on the English syllabus — This House believes that books which have racist or sexist views should be banned We heard some thought-provoking arguments and the girls had the opportunity to consider some controversial issues, as well as honing their debating skills. Many found that reading is in fact a more political act than they had thought. SPRING 2016
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Senior School 路 Reading Week
Book character dress-up day As well as decorating classrooms, girls and staff were given the opportunity to dress up as their favourite book characters. From Harry Potter to Indiana Jones a fantastic effort was made by all, and a special well done to the Year Group Winners below.
Remove (pair) Isabella Valpy
Katniss Everdeen Catherine Walmsley
Effie Trinket The Hunger Games Remove (individual) Tatiana Gomendio Sandino
Cruella De Vil
LIV (pair) Oki Morrissey
Little Red Riding Hood Camille Ho
The Big Bad Wolf
LIV (individual) Sabrina Mannes Diaz de Cerio
Hetty Feather
Sixth Form Georgina Bronheim
Jordan Baker The Great Gatsby
Form IV Ines Penaud
Alice in Wonderland Form V Emma Ferone
Piggy
UV Rosie Walker
LIV (ensemble) Alice Lord, Sienna Zaitshek, Lucia de Batte, Erin Dorrance, Margherita Bossi, Katya knopfler (Remove) & Maya Mathew
Harry Potter
Staff Sig.na Podavitte
Pippy Longstocking Ms Yates Miss Haversham Miss Palframan
Scheherazade
Cruella De Vil
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QG NEWS
Senior School · Reading Week Author visits
By Mrs Scott Head Librarian
As part of Reading Week, girls in Remove through to Form IV enjoyed author visits from two fantastic writers; one in School and one virtually, via Skype, from his home in the French Alps.
On Tuesday 8 March, Form IV were privileged to meet renowned author Adèle Geras, whose career spans four decades and over 100 books for both children and adults. A lively and witty speaker, Adèle shared many humourous anecdotes about her life as a professional writer. The girls found it fascinating to learn that, having begun her post-university life as a West End actress, Adèle then moved to Manchester with her husband where, upon discovering it difficult to find acting jobs, she did ‘what all stars do’, she became a teacher – ‘because teachers are on stage seven times a day’! It wasn’t until she had her first child that she embarked on a career as an author, although writing had been a passion from a very young age. The girls asked many interesting questions and each session finished with the opportunity to purchase one of her books (courtesy of Kew Bookshop) to have signed.
On Friday 11 March, LIV and Remove ‘met’ multi-award-winning author Marcus Sedgwick, whose most recent book for young adults, The Ghosts of Heaven, has been named a Printz Honor Book (in the US) and is on the longlist for the 2016 Carnegie Award. Marcus began the ‘virtual visit’ by showing the girls an enviable view from the window of his top-floor study whilst explaining that taking inspiration from one’s surroundings is always beneficial for a writer. He next gave us a tour of his study, drawing attention to the wall behind him, which contained a hand-drawn ‘map’ of the plot as well as other planning ideas for his forthcoming novel; he explained that he never writes a book without first ‘mapping it’, although he did admit that he occasionally ‘diverts off the map’ during the writing process. Marcus was personable, funny and, exactly like Adèle, passionate about writing and sharing stories.
Our school-wide Readathon was launched on Monday 7 March (Senior School) and Monday 14 March (Junior School) and will run until Friday 15 April. In our previous Readathon, the School raised over £6,700 for the Readathon Charity and the charities it supports with the funds it raises, Together for Short Lives, CLIC Sargent and Roald Dahl’s Marvellous Children’s Charity. Funds are used for the provision of books and other reading material as well as storyteller visits and literacy aids for children in hospital. With assistance from our family and friends (aka sponsors) during our 2016 Readathon, we hope to raise even more for this worthwhile cause! For more details please visit the Readathon page on MyQG: Library/General Information/Readathon and QGBuzz: Library/Readathon
Senior School · Musical
senior School M usical
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t was a musical many had never heard of, let alone seen. Despite being a Sondheim gem, its obscurity is due perhaps to the lack of a film version and to having had only a handful of revivals in the West End and on Broadway. However, on 25 and 26 February the most recent adaptation of Merrily We Roll Along took place at RADA’s Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre by none other than Queen’s Gate School. This was the School’s first‑ever musical and the months of preparation and hard work paid off when pupils took to the stage showing impressive singing, dancing and acting skills,
Sondheim’s little-known Merrily We Roll Along was an ambitious choice for the School’s first musical but the result was an absolute triumph By Miss Hinds Communications Officer
above Charley Kringas (Angelica), Mary Shepard (Georgina) and Franklin (Matilda) performing ‘Bobby & Jackie & Jack’
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QG NEWS
below A pensive Franklin Shepard
left In a tense court
below left Franklin
scene, Gussie (Zoe)
Shepard, Mary Flynn
and Joe (Alessia)
(Lily) and Charley
(centre) bring
Kringas are ‘Old Friends’
comedic lightness to proceedings
It was wonderful to discover Sondheim’s complex music gliding through the comedic and challenging songs with brilliance and ease, showing exactly what Queen’s Gate girls can do! A story performed in what feels like the wrong order, beginning at the ‘end’ and ‘rolling along’ back in time, we follow the story of film producer
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Franklin Shepard, discover how he got to be so famous, and how many friends he lost along the way. Stand-out performances from Mathilda Santin-Arcadu as Franklin Shepard, Angelica Meneely as Charley Kringas, Lily Cobiella as Mary Flynn, Georgina Bronheim as Beth Franklin, Zoe Marigo as Gussie Carnegie and Alessia Vernazza as Joe Josephson showed the dramatic talent that Queen’s Gate currently has to offer. A huge well done to all the cast and crew involved in creating such a wonderful evening for parents, pupils and guests alike.
Senior School · Science Week
Science Week 2016
Monday 29 February— Friday 4 March
Introduced By Dr Mercer Head of Science
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cience Week at Queen’s Gate is a time when the girls have the opportunity to hear from scientists and conservationists from many different fields. This year we were thrilled to welcome back Dr Guy Sutton to present his introductory tutorial in neuroscience to our Sixth Form students, and Alan from Eagle Heights, with his beautiful birds of prey for a stunning and unique flying display. We also met new scientists including The Blowfish (you may have seen him on television) who talked to the Upper School girls about his work in the field of Marine Biology and also played heavy metal on his guitar! The Lower School were entertained with a wonderful theatrical performance about the History of Medicine and the Remove pupils had lots of fun finding out about the Solar System in the planetarium. The week was a great success and the girls were very inspired by the enthusiasm and passion of the speakers involved.
The Blowfish
Heavy water By Iona Pernthaller Form V
Our first visitor of Science Week was the world’s only heavy metal marine biologist, The Blowfish, who enthusiastically talked to forms IV, V and UV about several creatures that live in the ocean. The Blowfish named lots of bizarre marine creatures that we had never heard of, but of all the marine animals mentioned during the presentation, he clearly favoured the shark. We were shown the large range of sizes of sharks, using a ball of string, from the small dogfish shark to the enormous whale shark, which is bigger than the Senior School Hall! The Blowfish remarked how plastic is a major threat to the ocean, as it is toxic to the marine animals. He constantly used statistics throughout his presentation, including the fact that there is a plastic patch in the ocean around the same size as the state of Texas in the USA. Not all was doom and gloom though, he also spoke about how marine animals have inspired the idea of aliens in Sci-Fi films, and how the study of the ocean can help us understand our world better. QG NEWS
Senior School · Science Week
The Birdman
High-flyers By Luna Middleton-Roy IV Form
On friday 4 March, we were given the amazing opportunity to see some beautiful birds of prey from the Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation, without even leaving school! Alan, aka Birdman, brought four birds to meet us. The first was Sybil, the Harris’s Hawk, who gave a brilliant demonstration of her hunting skills, flying the length of the Hall and landing on the backs of chairs. She is currently 28 years old, but she could reach the age of 40. Next, we met Dom (who has a brother called Dick) the Peregrine Falcon. He is the fastest member of the animal kingdom, and can reach speeds of up to 242 mph (389 kph). He appeared to be a bit nervous,
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as numerous bird droppings were soon visible at the front of the Hall! We were then visited by a film star who was in Clash of the Titans: Alaska, the bald eagle. She was huge in comparison to the much smaller Peregrine Falcon, with a wing span of around two metres. Her natural habitat is in the snowy parts of North America where she hunts fish with her needle-sharp talons. She flew around the Senior School Hall, showing her huge wings, and even stood on Gigi Tate-Gargour’s back! Lastly, we met Sparky the Barn Owl, who we all thought was very cute. However, we soon learnt that she is also a very fearsome predator, with incredible adaptations for hunting at night. Everyone was astounded by her completely silent flight, as she flew around the Hall. We all loved these incredible birds of prey, and learnt a great deal about their adaptations for hunting and surviving in the wild.
Senior School · Science Week
Dr Sutton workshop & Lecture
Picking your brain By Elena Kuzmenkova LVI
On tuesday 1 March, Sixth Form science and psychology students enjoyed an instructive, interesting, and thought-provoking workshop by neuroscientist Dr Guy Sutton, as part of Science Week. Dr Sutton delivered an interactive talk on the brain and epigenetics and how they influence the character and mental functions of a particular person. Each brain is different and has its own complicated network of neurones and synapses, which work together to form memories and the character of a person. Dr Sutton talked of the different mental conditions and abnormalities that can be encountered today, including schizophrenia. He discussed the various circumstances that make it more likely for these
conditions to occur such as head injuries, brain damage and the intake of particular drugs. The esteemed lecturer also talked of new discoveries regarding causes and treatments of schizophrenia, and how they help to relieve the effects of this condition. As part of the day we enjoyed a hands-on dissection of a sheep brain. Although small in size, it is similar to a human brain, consisting of the same regions such as the hippocampus and the cerebellum. All students took part in the dissection, exploring textures and patterns of the different parts of the brain. Later, in the evening, Dr Sutton gave a captivating and exceptionally interesting talk on the topic of the ‘criminal brain’. Parents as well as 22
younger pupils were welcomed and enthusiastically took part in the discussion of whether a ‘criminal brain’ actually exists. Dr Sutton talked of the effects that influence a person to become a criminal and whether they are genetic or environmental. We discussed the triggers that can push a person to commit a crime, and what defines a crime as every country has its own legislation. Dr Sutton presented to us the most interesting case studies, asking the question: who in each case was responsible for the crime? Was it the person or the brain? We thoroughly enjoyed Dr Sutton’s visit and hope to see him next year with new, exciting discoveries about the brain. QG NEWS
Senior School · Science Week
Dr Death
Medi-evil cures By Mia Beechey LiV
On tuesday 1 March, Dr Death and his Medi-evil Medicine Show visited school as part of Science Week. He used his ‘pantomime’ to explain how medicine and treatments have evolved since Ancient Greek times and the father of medicine, Hippocrates. We all thoroughly enjoyed it and found it very educational. I especially liked learning about grave robbery and Burke and Hare, the West Port murderers. I also enjoyed learning about the strange ideas, theories and methods people had about medicine when it first was used. It was great that the audience were so involved and Dr Death made his performance very interactive. I’m certainly glad that medicine isn’t what it used to be, but it was very interesting and valuable to learn what it was and how it has changed.
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planetarium
Stargazing By Maddie Perry-Smith Remove
During science week Remove took part in a planetarium talk. A giant dome was inflated in the Senior School Hall and we all excitedly crawled inside! We learnt all about the Earth, Sun, moon and other planets and stars! We were told about how the stars make different shapes or constellations and about the four seasons and southern and northern hemispheres. My favourite part was when the lights were dimmed and we looked at the stars on the ceiling of the dome. I definitely learnt a lot of new things during the talk; I’m sure everyone else did too! 23
Senior School · Sport
U13 Biathlon team crowned National Champions The QG U13 Biathletes’ hard work pays off with gold medals at the National Schools’ Modern Biathlon Championships at Crystal Palace By Miss Hinds Communications Officer
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his year’s U13 team were crowned National Schools’ Modern Biathlon Champions on Saturday 19 March at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. LIV’s Zoe Auld, Katya MacLennan and Sabrina Mannes Diaz de Cerio and Remove’s Isla Wallrock beat Headington School into second place by 115 points to become the overall winners with a total of 6,626 points. The team completed a swim and a run to clinch the prestigious title, which in previous years has been won by the Everton Swimming Association, Dorset Pentathletes and Millfield School.
The competition, which is run by the British National Governing Body for the Modern Pentathlon, Pentathlon GB, sees the top athletes from schools around the country compete as individuals and teams over the weekend. Team member Katya said ‘we train six or seven times a week in swimming and love it so much; it’s so exciting to have won as a team!’ Asked how they celebrated Zoe commented ‘I had pizza and a special dessert afterwards!’ Many congratulations to the U13 team on their great achievement. We look forward to further Biathlon titles in the future from these talented girls. 24
QG NEWS
Senior School · Sport
We train six or seven times a week in swimming … it’s so exciting to have won as a team! Team Results U13 Girls 1 Queen’s Gate 6626 2 Headington School 6511 3 Wycliffe Preparatory School 6465 4 Leweston School 6464 5 St Teresa’s School 6455 6 Chatham Grammar School for Girls 6453 7 James Allen’s Girls School 5664 above (L–R) Sabrina, Isla, Katya and Zoe at the Championships right Katya and Zoe with their winning medals SPRING 2016
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Senior School · Academic
Speaking their minds The English-Speaking Union’s Churchill Public Speaking Competition at Francis Holland School By Mr Denchfield Head of English
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n Thursday 28 January, two Queen’s Gate public speaking teams from Form V and UV entered the English-Speaking Union’s Churchill Public Speaking Competition at Francis Holland School. Both teams gave splendid performances. Freya Buxton spoke about how the destruction of World Heritage Sites should remain a war crime,
putting forward very interesting and topical arguments which explained how such sites provide national identity and offer lessons from history for future generations. Victoria Newell gave a very interesting philosophical speech, arguing that faith and rational thought cannot co-exist. She drew on philosophers from Marx to Kierkegaard and tackled some very challenging
questions. Nora Hoegh and Maria Allgaier were warm, welcoming hosts who both ran tight ships, keeping an eye on timings and managing the responses of the audience. Iona Pernthaller and Alexandra Pitts offered probing challenges to the speakers in their roles as questioners; they were required to think on their feet as they heard their assigned speakers’ speeches for the first time
and then devise questions. The competition was very stiff; our teams were up against Godolphin and Latymer, Francis Holland, Notting Hill and Ealing High schools, as well as London Oratory, who were the only team to progress to the regional final. I was very proud of all team members and I am pleased that they all found the experience to be enriching and worthwhile.
Fortifying work Remove show off their engineering skills with some impressive motte-and-bailey castles By Eugenie Bourrette Remove
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n Remove we have been studying motte-and-bailey castles and Ms Heseltine gave us the opportunity to design our own castles over the Christmas holidays. There were plenty of different styles. Some people made huge models up to one square metre! There were also tasty models such as the chocolate finger cake model which was devoured by RCH and was voted unanimously the tastiest castle! There were also models which included real wood and straw. The castles were all well designed and were much admired by Ms Heseltine. It was hard to evaluate the castles as they all had different styles. One girl even brought her model with her from France. I wonder how Ms Heseltine’s desk looks now – it must be crammed with all sorts of motte-and-bailey constructions!
top right (L–R) Nora, Victoria, Iona, Maria, Freya and Alexandra at the ESU competition above & right Two of Remove’s epic motte-and-bailey creations
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QG NEWS
Junior School 31
Cerrie on reading
Author and CBeebies presenter, Cerrie Burnell, pays a visit
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Science Week
Aeronautics, medicine, astronomy and a bit of quizzing
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Sport Report
Fencing, Hockey, Modern Biathlon, Swimming and Gymnastics
Plane clothes: Amelia Earhart dress-up day
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Junior School girls are overjoyed to meet HRH The Duchess of Cornwall
Junior School · News
Trying out village life By Izabela McDaniel IA
IA escape to the country and find village life to their liking
M
y class went to Juniper Hall, which is located outside a village called Mickleham, on Monday 1 February. We walked to the village so that we could see the difference between the city and a village. As we were walking, we noticed that the village was quiet and not as polluted as London. Our first stop was Rose’s Store, which was much smaller than the shops in the city. The buses in the village do not come as often as those in the city, and there was not so much traffic in Mickleham. The village school was very narrow. In the end, we found out that village life is much easier because it is not so noisy, it is calm and you don’t get stuck in traffic. It was a great trip.
Orient express Our outing to the V&A was an exotic treat, writes Preliminary
O
n Thursday 10 March, Preliminary embarked on a thrilling adventure: a V&A Voyage at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Travelling at times by Magic Carpet, we first visited the Indian subcontinent and were fascinated by stories of Sultan Tipu of Mysore and his exciting Tiger automaton and other treasures. Cecilia Mascarenhas drew a fantastic picture of Tipu’s Tiger on our return, pictured right. Arabella Byrne was a fierce and tyrannical ruler dressed in her turban as Tipu. In Ancient Persia we delighted in a picnic which was represented on ceramic tiles in jewelled colours; Chloe Zou posed as the Princess in the heavenly garden scene. Our journey also took us to China where we searched for dragons. It was an inspirational experience.
top left IA meet the Mickleham village goats
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QG NEWS
Junior School · News
left Cerrie Burnell entertains the
Cerrie on reading
Juniors with Harper’s latest adventures
Author and CBeebies presenter, Cerrie Burnell, visits the Junior School
below The Juniors as a ‘wild orchestra’
By Mrs Scott Head Librarian
I
n celebration of World Book Day 2016, we were extremely lucky to have author and television presenter, Cerrie Burnell, visit the Junior School on Tuesday 1 March to speak to Transition, IB and IA about her writing. She focused primarily on her chapter book series about a magical little girl called Harper; the third book in the series, Harper and the Sea of Secrets, being one of the specially commissioned £1 World Book Day books. Cerrie was a very inspirational speaker, and the girls enjoyed listening to her read passages from her books, pretending they were a ‘wild’ orchestra (imitating the one in her first Harper book, Harper and the Scarlett Umbrella) asking questions about her life and career and having her sign their copies of her books, which had been supplied by Kew Bookshop. A great time was had by all!
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Junior School · News
Eine kleine Mozart concert Memories are put to the test in this year’s Wonderland-themed Little Mozart concert By Ms Chua Piano & Keyboard Teacher
‘W
e are late! We are late … we are 22 days late to celebrate the 150th Anniversary of Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland!’ announced QG White Rabbit, Lweji Lopes Padre (pictured right), on Friday 22 January. It was time for this year’s Little Mozart concert, a unique annual event which showcases each pupil’s ability to memorise a piece of music, to take place. The first half of this year’s concert showed our younger musicians talent of performing from memory. Pieces were composed by piano teacher Ms Chua from her series Playing Piano is Fun (PpiF), and were based on characters from the classic Lewis Carroll novel. Transition pupils Marianna Napoli and Serena Verma opened the concert with a piano pieces, which introduced
the character of Alice’s tabby cat, Dinah (Mummy Dinah), and her two kittens (Snowdrop & Kitty). As Alice’s adventures unfolded, the musicianship of all the beginner musicians was extremely impressive. The second half of the concert began with girls singing a very special version of Happy Birthday to the 125 year old Queen’s Gate, with lyrics by Miss Tham. Junior School Girl graduates of PpiF, now members of the Senior School, then performed duets, and the musical progress and growth in them all was clear, showing their musical commitment and promise. Congratulations to the performers and thank you to the audience for their great support. We look forward to your continued support at the Little Mozart 2017 concert. 32
QG NEWS
Junior School · News
Shakespeare’s history plays A visit to the Globe brings the past to life in dramatic style By Lydia Andriopoulou Deputy Head Girl
O
n Tuesday 8 March, III Form visited the Globe Theatre. When we went inside the theatre we sat in front row seats. Our first impressions of the area were mind-blowing; it was beautiful and had a very old look. There were seating areas called a ‘men’s box’, where the rich people paid 6p, the equivalent to £100 today. The rich would drink wine, while the poor had to pay 2p to stand in the pit, drinking ale and eating fruit. The poor were known as the ‘penny stinkers’ because they were dirty. On the stage are two red marble pillars which are called ‘The Pillars
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of Hercules’ because they are so strong. When first built the Globe was described as a ‘jewellery box’. There isn’t a roof on the Globe because Shakespeare wanted natural light, and plays would take place at around 3 pm. We then went and did a drama workshop based on A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We had fun and enjoyed our time at the Globe Theatre a lot. 33
Junior School · News left The girls and Ms Vazquez meet the Mayor of Kensington and Chelsea, Cllr Robert Freeman below Amika, Allegra and Anastasiia’s winning artwork
Safe portraits Artwork from three QG girls is chosen in the Road Safety and School Travel Calendar Awards By Allegra Meltzer III Form
O
n Friday 22 January, Amika Piplapure, Anastasiia Gappoeva and I went to the Road Safety and School Travel Calendar Awards, after our artwork was chosen to appear in this year’s calendar. We all had a really enjoyable time. We first went for something to eat and then everyone looked at the chosen pictures for the calendar in an exhibition. After this, there was a ceremony and everyone got to have a picture with the Mayor of Kensington and Chelsea, Cllr Freeman, as well as receiving a certificate and book token. At the end we were all given a goody bag containing fluorescent jackets, a water bottle, calendars and much more. It was a superb night.
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QG NEWS
Junior School · News
Making an impression A visit to the Courtauld Gallery reveals masterpieces of French Impressionism By Tess McGill Head Girl
O
n Tuesday 9 February, III Form went on an interesting trip to the Courtauld Gallery, which is inside Somerset House on the Strand. We were greeted by our guide, Alice, who showed us the works of Monet, Manet, Cézanne and Van Gogh. The first painting we saw was Un bar aux Folies-Bergères by Edouard Manet. It was one of the best-known paintings in the gallery. Our guide spoke in French for most of the visit, which was good for our language skills. Everyone did well in answering Alice’s questions, which impressed her very much. One of our favourite activities was sketching Degas’ sculpture of a ballerina from three different angles. It was a fascinating trip and a great experience to see first hand the works of such famous artists.
Pharaoh worship An exhibition at the British Museum unveils Egypt’s journey through time and faith
O
By Lydia Andriopoulou Deputy Head Girl
n Monday 25 January, III Form set off to see a wonderful new exhibition SPRING 2016
at the British Museum called Egypt: Faith after the Pharaohs. Within the exhibition
there were three sections; Christianity, Judaism and Islam. We saw all kinds of different artefacts. In the Christianity section we saw the Codex Sinaiticus, the oldest ancient bible handwritten in Greek. Another interesting piece was called ‘the gravestone of Abraham the perfect monk’. On the gravestone was four squares. On two of the squares there 35
were gospels and on the other two were the Greek letters ‘Α’ (alpha) and ‘Ω’ (omega), which are the first and last letters of the alphabet, showing that God is first and last. We saw very beautiful Islamic glass weights, which people would carry with them. Also we saw a copy of the Torah written in Arabic. It was extremely strange and fascinating.
Junior School · Science Week Introduced By Dr Mercer Head of Science
Science Week 2016
T
he Junior School’s Science Week was packed full of fun activities and things to see and do. Our youngest pupils were treated to a demonstration and talk about flight, which tied in perfectly with their dress-up day for aviation pioneer Amelia Earhart. They also enjoyed visiting the QG Planetarium, the History of Medicine show, seeing Birds of Prey from the Eagle Heights Wildlife Foundation and taking part in their annual Science Quiz … phew!
Birds of prey
Talons show By Tess McGill Head GirL On friday 4 March, we saw the Birds of Prey show, which introduced us to some amazing live birds. First was the Harris’s Hawk. The handler, Alan, told us all about her and how she survives in the wild. We were able to ask questions and watched her fly around the room. She even perched on some girls’ chairs. Next was the Peregrine Falcon, the fastest animal on earth. This time he didn’t fly around the room, but we were still amazed by this handsome bird. When Alan bought in the next bird, everybody was astounded by its size. It was a Bald Eagle from North America. This bird was huge and probably my favourite because of the way she stared at everyone. The teachers gave permission for her to be allowed to fly across the room. She was very impressive but quite noisy. The final bird was a Barn Owl. She flew so silently and gracefully, which was in contrast to the Bald Eagle. She was also a very pretty bird. This spectacular show was a great way to end Science Week. above The Juniors
right Dr Death
meet Sybil, the Harris’s
and his History of
Hawk, and Alaska, the
Medicine show is a
Bald Eagle
hit with the Juniors
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QG NEWS
Junior School · Science Week Mad Science
Flying lessons By Lara Jordan III Form As part of Science Week we met a scientist called Josh, who came in to talk to us about how a plane flies and how it needs four forces, up thrust, gravity, thrust and drag in order to fly straight. We were shown this with the use of diagrams and demonstrations with paper planes and boomerangs. Josh also told us about Sir Frank Whittle, who invented the jet engine, and Sir Isaac Newton, the man who discovered gravity. He then blew us with a leaf blower to demonstrate how if a plane (us) is tilting forward we will straighten up with air. Then the really exciting bit happened. We got to make planes of our own! Everybody put them together and we flew them around the room. It was a bit crazy because some planes were out of control and going everywhere, but it was really fun. All the classes from IA to III Form got to do the workshop and I am sure they all loved it just as much as I did. Thank you, Josh!
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above Showing off home-made planes right A tense moment in the annual Junior School Science Quiz
Planetarium
To infinity and beyond By Sophie Goreli IA Our first activity of Science Week was on Monday 29 February when IA and other Junior School classes went on an exciting visit to the Planetarium … only it took place in the Junior School Hall! We were so excited that we wanted to just rush in and start learning! We saw a big dome in the Hall, and crawled into it. That was it – we were inside the Planetarium! First we talked about the Sun, and how the Earth rotates around the Sun, and how the Sun stays still at all times. You might think the Sun is moving, but it’s actually you. Then we learnt that there are 365 and a quarter days in every year. The 37
quarter day is saved up for four years and then they are added up to make one full day, which is added to February, like this year. After that we learnt about stars. We learnt that the stars are very very hard to count and that it’s harder to count all of the stars than all the grains of sand on every beach in the whole world. Then we learnt about the constellations. One was called the Plough, which is shaped like a saucepan. We learnt that stars are different colours depending on how hot they are, but we can only see them as white. Sadly then it was time to go. We had such a lovely time.
Junior School · Sport
Sport Report By Miss Hurlbatt Director of Sport
above U11 Epée team with their Championship bronze medals left The IA Team at the Inter-House Hockey Tournament below left National Schools’ Modern Biathlon finalists Tess McGill & Lene Zundel
Hockey
Biathlon National Schools’ Modern Biathlon Finals On Saturday 19 March, two III Form pupils, Tess McGill and Lene Zundel, took part in Pentathlon GB’s National Schools’ Modern Biathlon Championships at Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. A big well done to both girls for their achievement of reaching the finals of this competition.
Inter-House Hockey Tournament
U11 Hockey v Knightsbridge School
This year’s Inter-House Hockey Tournament took place on Wednesday 2 March and saw IA, IIB, IIA and III Form pupils fighting it out for Elizabeth and Victoria Houses. Excellent team work and match play was on show during the games, and congratulations go to Elizabeth House, who were the overall tournament winners.
The U11 hockey team played against Knightsbridge School on Wednesday 24 February. A tough match to start, with Queen’s Gate finding themselves 3–0 down at half-time. In true QG style the team fought back to win the match an impressive 6–3. Player of the match was hat-trick scorer Tess McGill. Well done girls!
right The victorious U11 Hockey team
Junior School · sport Fencing
clockwise from left Beatrix Hillier; Harriet Hillier & Vera
Juniors clinch Epée Bronze Medal in British Championships
Ushakov; Tess McGill; Gioia Duenas Dahms
The Queen’s Gate U11 Epée team of Claudia Crawford-Brunt, Jimena Calvo Moreno and Harriet Hillier won this year’s Bronze Medal at the British Team Epée Championships on Saturday 27 February. A big well done to the team!
below left House Captains with Mrs Kamaryc
Swimming Inter-House Swimming Gala On Wednesday 16 March, IA, IIB, IIA and III Form participated in the annual Junior School Swimming Gala at Fulham Pools. It was an excellent afternoon of racing and all of the girls who took part or supported were great ambassadors for their Houses. After much competition, the overall winning House was Victoria and the Individual Champions were: IA Beatrix Hillier IIB Gioia Duenas Dahms
Gymnastics
IIA Harriet Hillier & Vera Ushakov III Form Tess McGill
Junior School Gymnastics Fixture v Garden House and Eaton Square Schools Congratulations to all the III Form girls that performed in the Gymnastics Fixture against Garden House and Eaton Square Schools on Thursday 17 March. The girls all worked extremely hard to prepare for the event, producing dynamic and skilful routines that they performed with composure and grace. Congratulations to Therese Comon who came second place and well done to Mona Affara, Aurora Agapov, Lydia Andriopoulou, Gemma Morris, Matilde Nannizzi and Isabela Traynor for their participation. SPRING 2016
above Therese Comon shows off her 2nd-place medal right The III Form gymnastics team
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Senior School 路 Trips
The Pistes Perfect conditions for serious skiing and non-stop fun on the snowtastic half-term ski trip to Panorama in the Canadian Rockies By Mr Crundwell Head of Upper School
Of Pa 40
QG NEWS
anorama main picture The view of the slopes from the village left  Genevieve and Olivia enjoy the snow in Canada SPRING 2016
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Senior School · Trips
the intermediate group soon shrugged off any ski rustiness and were soon taking a chair lift to the Mile One Hut and following the Moose Trail and Show Off back down to the Upper Village. The advanced group went further up the mountain and soon conquered Skyline and Roller Coaster. Après-ski on the first night consisted of a torch-lit ski procession down the mountain to celebrate Alberta Day.
O
n Friday 12 February a merry party of 16 girls (Alessandra Aprile Borriello, Alexandra Aitken, Genevieve Coben, Maja Coben, Therese Comon, Clara Dahan, Samaira Gill, Olivia Hill, Lweji Lopes Padre, Ellen Klein, Iona Martyrossian, Katherine Neely, Valentina ParilliOcampo, Ines Penaud, Vasilisa Shemyakina and Lene Zundel) along with Ms Storry, Ms Wilson and myself, departed from school at noon to catch a coach to Heathrow for the long flight to Canada. The nine-hour flight, however, passed quickly with the girls playing cards, watching films or simply gazing in amazement as the plane passed over Hudson Bay. After arriving at Calgary, a five-hour coach journey took us to our final destination, Panorama, in the Canadian Rockies. Our first day skiing saw the party divided into their groups (beginner, intermediate and advanced) amidst perfect weather (−2°C) and even more perfectly groomed snow. Whilst the beginners started on the nursery slopes, 42
The next day was another almost perfect skiing day, with a temperature of −1°C and strong sunshine. All groups were making progress but the advanced group of Therese, Maja, Clara, Alessandra, Ines, Genevieve, Olivia and Alexandra were the first group to visit the top of the mountain at 7,759 ft. Black and double blacks and moguls such as Elmo and First Chance were no match for these elite QG skiers. In the evening the group went bowling. Despite having only five pins to aim at and a much smaller ball, the scores of the four groups were remarkable. The group consisting of Therese, Samaira, Vasilisa, Lene, Katherine and Lweji swept all before them whilst Valentina won the overall highest score with 147 and Samaira came second with 142. Tuesday was the standout day of the trip for ski conditions, with 8 cm of snow falling overnight and when the clouds cleared, they revealed a winter wonderland in the village and even better skiing on the slopes: soft powder with seemingly only the Queen’s Gate girls skiing heralded a magnificent lesson. On our last day skiing, the ‘used-to-bebeginners’ group of Lweji and Katherine scaled the summit of Panorama. From the Red Carpet to the top in only five days is a remarkable achievement and even if the black run of 1,000 Peaks was taken very steadily it was still completed by these two extremely courageous girls. QG NEWS
Senior School · Trips
In the afternoon the whole group participated in a downhill slalom. After two practice runs, all the girls had two attempts to record a fastest time – all were winners, but the fastest times were achieved by Lweji (beginners), Iona (intermediates) and Genevieve (advanced). In fact, Genevieve was faster than anybody who attempted the course, including the instructors! Sadly we had to say goodbye to both the slopes and our super instructors and promised that we would return some day.
far left Genevieve
above The advanced
winning the downhill
group on the slopes
slalom
below The intermediates as elks
My thanks go to Ms Storry and Ms Wilson who ensured that all the girls were up in time for breakfast, properly suited and booted for skiing and obtained the necessary eight hours of sleep so that they could fully appreciate the slopes the next day.
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Senior School · Trips
Model delegates The QG contingent hone their diplomatic skills representing the UAE at WesMUN 2016 By Poppy Hooper LVI
O
At MUN each delegation is assigned a country – we were given the United Arab Emirates – to represent in debate on issues ranging from early motherhood and the refugee crisis to civil liberties. The debates were held in committee rooms with other schools, some of whom had travelled from as far away as Norway and Brazil! Before the weekend commenced, we had to prepare a resolution paper on a topic from our committee and a policy statement, which gave a brief introduction to our country’s standing. After some extended informal and formal lobbying in committee meetings during the conference, I merged my resolution with China and we made amendments on clauses in the hope of debating them in the final General Assembly. As a delegation, three of our resolutions were
n Saturday 12 February, Maha Alyami, Arina Bykova, Elena Kuzmenkova and I took part in WesMUN 2016, a four-day Model United Nations (MUN) held at Westminster School. Excitingly, not only would we be attending the conference but were also chosen by the organisers as one of 16 schools (out of over 80 attending) to deliver our speech at the Opening Ceremony, which Maha did professionally and with confidence.
top Maha, Arina, Elena and Poppy at WesMUN 2016 above right A committee meeting during the conference left Maha delivers
chosen for debate and one was chosen to debate in the GA, which was a great outcome. The MUN was an enriching experience for all of us. In particular, it enabled me to represent a different country from my own and maintain its views on current matters, thus developing my debating and research skills. I also enjoyed working towards a more sustainable world for all as it felt as though we were capable of making a difference when the Baroness Anelay gave a closing ceremony speech at the final General Assembly.
her Opening Ceremony speech
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QG NEWS
Senior School · Trips
GCSE Science Live! QG science enthusiasts are treated to an inspirational day of learning By Elisabeth Long & Marianne Malhame-Khawam UV
O
Professor Robert Winston
Dr Lucie Green
n Friday 26 February, 30 pupils from Form V and UV were given the chance to see and hear five of Britain’s top scientists, all working at the cutting edge of their specialisms. All five scientists succeeded in engaging the pupils from a variety of different schools in a direct and exciting way. Firstly, Professor Lord Robert Winston, a medical doctor and distinguished scientist, spoke about human fertility and showed rare and fascinating videos. Secondly, Professor Andrea Sella spoke amazingly about chemical processes in which he used chemicals on the stage to illustrate his ideas, engaging with us all immediately. After, Dr Lucie Green, a solar researcher at UCL’s Department of Space and Climate Physics, talked about her fascinating area of study; the activity in the atmosphere of our nearest star, the Sun. Her talk was captivating and it was incredible to hear the new planned missions to places such as Mars, or Jupiter’s moon Europa, in the years to come. Following Dr Green, was Professor Jim Al-Khalili, who was enthralling as he spoke about whether time travel was possible; it was one of our favourite talks.
top Tilly Amrolia and Marina Ocampo
Professor Jim Al-Khalili
at the event SPRING 2016
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The final speaker was Professor Richard Fortey, who has worked at the Natural History Museum for over 30 years as a palaeontologist, studying mainly the long-extinct marine trilobites. He captivated the audience with his exceptional enthusiasm and passion for these ancient arthropods. One of the best parts of the day was when we were given top tips on examination success from an experienced science examiner, to help improve our science GCSE results. The day was fast-moving, exciting, and thought-provoking. It was an incredible and unforgettable experience.
Professor Andrea Sella
Professor Richard Fortey
Senior School · Charity
Charity update It has been yet another busy term for QG girls raising money for worthy causes By Ingrid Easton Charity Prefect
Pink Fashion Show Our main charity event was the annual Pink Fashion Show in support of Cancer Research UK, which took place on Wednesday 10 February. Teachers including Mrs Kamaryc and Mr Alter debuted full pink outfits, and Mr Mataya even displayed one of his many talents as a juggler! Students paid £1 entry to the lavishly decorated hall to watch the performers strut the catwalk. On the previous day a cake sale was held, with a range of delicious goods, which both teachers and pupils alike enjoyed. Overall the event raised £316.05, a fantastic sum of money for a worthy charity.
Age UK lunches The age uk lunches have continued as usual this term, with the number of guests rising, showing Queen’s Gate is becoming an ever more popular location for the lunches in the eyes of the local residents attending.
Other events Other charity events that have taken place this term include a dance off organised by the PE department in support of Sport Relief and a Onesie Day in support of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home. 46
QG NEWS
Senior School · Charity
We made and we bought! By Sofiia Iermolaieva LIV
On Wednesday 27 January, the LIV held a Make and Buy Sale to raise money for the orphanage Queen’s Gate supports in Cambodia. It was a fantastic event that inspired teamwork and brought friends closer together. Each form had a stand and sold a huge variety of products including cakes, cookies, smoothies, candy floss, candles and bracelets. There were also services such as a photo booth, hair braiding and karaoke on offer. LIVMS’s best seller was the photo booth, which raised over £60! LIVHH made a lot of their money by selling candy floss and smoothies. Finally, LIVAP had some of the most wonderful cakes which attracted girls to SPRING 2016
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the event from across the School. The Senior School Hall was packed for the whole lunch hour with customers from all year groups and staff. Mr Mataya enjoyed getting his beard braided and Mrs Burnside was a key promoter of the photo booth. We raised an incredible £586.08 that will go towards literacy projects in the orphanage. The form that raised the most money was LIVHH, a big well done to them! Thank you to Mrs Hutton for organising the event and to all of our form tutors and deputies for supporting us. We had a great time and enjoyed working together as a form group.
125TH Anniversary · The Ball
You shall go to the Ball A magnificent ball at the Landmark Hotel ushered in a year of special events to celebrate Queen's Gate turning 125 By Miss Hinds Communications Officer
above Mrs Kamaryc welcomes the guests right Head of Sixth Form Dr Lee (2nd from right) with (L–R) Sixth Former Olivia Breibart, Senior Prefects Sabrina Didizian and Ingrid Easton and Head Girl Coco Warner-Allen
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QG NEWS
125TH Anniversary · The Ball
S clockwise from top Auctioneer Philip Hook in full flow; Guests enjoying the evening; Bidding during the Live Auction SPRING 2016
aturday 23 January brought the much anticipated launch of Queen’s Gate’s 125th Anniversary year with a stunning Ball at the Landmark Hotel in Marylebone. Around 300 guests were treated to a glamourous evening, which included a three-course meal and a Live and Silent Auction in the Ballroom at the fivestar hotel. The Live Auction, with lots generously donated by many friends of the School, and overseen by Sotheby’s auctioneer and former QG parent, Philip Hook, included a holiday to Sardinia’s Forte Village, an Internship at Stephen Webster, and a day for two at the magnificent Van Cleef and Arpels jewellery Maison in Paris. The Live 49
Auction raised over £30,000, and the evening raising over £60,000 in total for the School’s Bursary Fund, which is helping additional girls benefit from an education at Queen’s Gate. Huge congratulations to the Ball Committee, chaired by Queen’s Gate Senior School parent, Mrs Nada Wynn, for this night to remember. The Anniversary Ball was quickly followed by the School’s first-ever musical, Merrily We Roll Along (see page 18) performed at RADA’s Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre, and this year’s Remove Showcase (see page 9) which was themed around 125 years of the Queen’s Gate girl. Another exciting initiative which has been launched this year is the Queen’s Gate Digital Archive (see page 8). The Digital Archive is an online resource which means every member of the Queen’s Gate Community is able to access documents accumulated over the entire 125 years of the School’s history. Make sure you keep an eye on the Queen’s Gate website for more exciting news about the 125th Anniversary events taking place throughout the year.
Senior School · Trips
Storm in a playhouse Removians are blown away by a spellbinding production of The Tempest at the Globe
Expressionistic Eyre The National Theatre’s stage adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre fired the imagination By Kamilla Abdullayev Form V
D
rama pupils from UV, LVI and UVI went to the National Theatre on Wednesday 6 January to see director Sally Cookson’s adaptation of Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre. On the short walk to the theatre from the tube station, we seized the opportunity to take a few group pictures and some selfies! The play was a very inspiring production and it helped us to have a better insight into the dramatic style of expressionism. The staging was creative with different levels of ramps, ladders and wooden frames
which, under the superb lighting, became Thornfield, Lowood School and the Yorkshire moors. A piano and other musical instruments were a part of the set and the actors also sang and provided the sound effects. Their energetic, slick, physical acting techniques will definitely improve our own performances and develop our understanding of how to present our own expressionistic pieces. Overall it was a very enjoyable experience and we’re thankful to the Drama Department for taking us.
By Eugenie Bourrette Remove
On tuesday 23 February eight Removians were chosen to see William Shakespeare’s The Tempest at the iconic Globe Theatre, and I felt extremely lucky to get a place. We went into the authentic Shakespearian playhouse, which was candlelit and atmospheric. The ceiling was covered with celestial paintings and we devoured the elaborate decoration with our eyes. The play itself was spectacular; the story of the lost duke, Prospero, and his daughter Miranda was well played. My favourite actor was the Jester – he was excellent comic relief – which I am sure the others also enjoyed. Ariel (Prospero’s henchman) made a spectacular entry through the ceiling which surprised us all; it sounded like the curse was on us! However, all ended well and we were sad to leave after such a brilliant evening!
top Drama pupils at the National Theatre right Removians outside the Globe Theatre
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QG NEWS
Senior School · Trips
After the trip I began to look at the world in a different way. Any one of us could have been born during that period. Would I have been the victim or the aggressor? The psychology of man is very complex, it is not black and white. The role of the bystander is just as significant as that of the perpetrator. — Arina The main thing that I learnt from the LFA trip was how important it is not to hate. Whether referring to celebrities, subjects or groups of people. I have resolved to never say I hate people and things. This for me is important so that we can improve the world. — ISABEL
O
n Thursday 4 February, our alarms sounded at 3 am. By 5 am we were at Gatwick airport and were soon in the air – off to Poland. Off on a holiday in the middle of a school week, you say? No, this was no holiday. We were two of the 200 lucky individuals who had been chosen to take part in the Lessons from Auschwitz project with the Holocaust Educational Trust. Our first stop was the Jewish cemetery in the town of Oświęcim (named Auschwitz by the Nazis). We then visited Auschwitz I and saw the barracks. Here we went inside a gas chamber, where thousands died. Finally we visited Auschwitz– SPRING 2016
Lessons from Auschwitz A thought-provoking visit to the concentration camp reminds us that the Holocaust must not be forgotten By Arina Bykova & Isabel Steele LVI
Birkenau, where we again went to the barracks and stood on the infamous sorting platform. During our visit, we learnt a lot about the life in a concentration camp: food rations, living conditions, punishments and uniforms on display to us. We saw the gas chambers, the shooting wall, places where many people were murdered. Those who killed during the day, returned to their wives and played with their children in the evening. They were also people, as were those whom they murdered. What caused this hatred? Why did they do it? Many of these questions were answered, however they still remain. 51
There, standing in the middle of Auschwitz, engulfed in darkness, listening to a Rabbi read a Jewish prayer, it hit me – thousands died here. Murdered, not by monsters but by men. We became very aware what humans are capable of – the Nazis did all they could to destroy the Jewish race and failed. It is important to understand that the Holocaust happened to individuals rather than statistics. By dehumanising the dead, we distance ourselves from the event. Just like we distance ourselves from what goes on today. It is said that all we learn from history is that we do not learn from history. Well, that has to change.
Senior School · Music
Spring is sung
S
The Senior School Spring Concert dispels the winter blues
pring time. It’s getting warmer outside, the sun is shining more and the QG musicians dust off the winter cobwebs by performing in the annual Spring Concert. The beautiful setting of Holy Trinity Church, Prince Consort Road was the perfect backdrop for the mixture of musical delights which the Music Department provided. With Katya Knopfler introducing the concert by improvising on her djembe to the Remove reprising musical pieces from their recent Showcase, including Dancing Queen and Love Me Do, the audience were treated from start to finish.
Stellar performances from ensembles such as the QG Barbershop, which included a fun four-part version of Goodnight Sweetheart, the Friday Choir with a moving performance of Fauré’s Agnus Dei from the Messe Basse, the Chamber Choir and Senior String Trio, showed the strength of our current musicians. Beautiful solos from Isabella and Emiliana Taleghani, playing Dussek and Chopin respectively, Victoria Newell playing Fauré and Alissar Wynn showing off her soulful voice with Cry Me a River, were highlights of the evening.
Well done to all the girls who took part in this year’s concert – we look forward to the next musical offering!
top & above The Chamber Choir and Sinfonietta in rehearsals for the Spring Concert
Passionate about Bach Queen’s Gate girls join annual performance of the St Matthew Passion at the RFH
T
above The annual performance of J. S. Bach’s St Matthew Passion at the RFH
he annual performance of J. S. Bach’s St Matthew Passion at the Royal Festival Hall is always an exciting one; a full day of beautiful music performed by London’s finest Bach singers and baroque musicians. The Bach Choir has been performing the dramatic work in concert since 1930 and for the 10th year running Queen’s Gate girls became part of the small ripieno choir for the event. After auditioning for Mrs Mailley-Smith and rehearsing multiple times in school, four LVI students – Georgina Bronheim, Lily Cobiella, Scarlett McManus and Mathilda Santin-Arcadu – were chosen to sing for the choir. 52
After the large group rehearsals, the four girls took part in the epic concert on Sunday 20 March, along with Old Girl Isabelle Santiago-Nuqui. On performing the music, Georgina remarked ‘the St Matthew Passion sparked a love for me to further study Bach’s music’, and Matilda observed ‘it was interesting being part of a larger choir with men’s voices as it’s something we’re not used to.’ The choir were joined by Florilegium, conductor David Hill, and soloists including Sophie Bevan, Matthew Best and Toby Spence. Scarlett commented ‘getting to be part of a concert with so many professional musicians is a unique experience and one we will treasure.’ QG NEWS
Senior School · Sport
Sport Report By Miss Hurlbatt Director of Sport
Fencing British Team Epée Championships On 27 February the Epée fencers headed to Brunel University to take part in the British Schools Team Epée Championships. The U18A Team of Sara Costanzi, Jessica Li and Caroline Winter and the U13 Team of Maria Crawford-Brunt, Patrycja Krzyzaniak and Olivia McCoy both won team silver medals. Many congratulations to the girls on these fantastic results. britishfencing.com
Public Schools Fencing Competition
above The U18 team of Caroline Winter, Sara Costanzi and Jessica Li with
public school fencing results
On Wednesday 16 March the fencing squad attended the Public Schools Championships at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. An extremely pleasing set of results came from the competition, and a big well done to all those involved.
Mount-Hayes Epée 6 Sabrina Mannes Diaz de Cerio 17 Maria Crawford-Brunt 35 Olivia McCoy Junior Epée
Fencing Coach Bob Meshkov at the
6 Sara Costanzi
British Schools Team Epée Championships
8 Caroline Winter
right The U13 team
15 Astree de Laperouse
of Maria Crawford-
21 Jessica Li
Brunt, Patrycja Krzyzaniak and
Senior Epée
Olivia McCoy at the British Schools Team
18 Diana Kiszczak
Epée Championships SPRING 2016
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Senior School · Sport Modern Biathlon National Schools Modern Biathlon Championships Nine girls from both the Junior and Senior Schools took part in the National Schools Modern Biathlon Championships on Saturday 19 March at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre. In the individual rankings, Form V pupil Beatrice Britton placed 12th in the U15s, Removian Isla Wallrock placed 13th in the U13s and UV pupil Christiana Didizian placed 37th in the U16s. The U13 team were crowned National Biathlon Champions, a fantastic achievement for these youngsters. To read more on this, please see the feature story on page 24. Well done to all the girls for these fantastic results and we look forward to watching their Biathlon journeys continue over the coming seasons.
Cross Country English Schools’ Cross Country Championships A big well done to all of the girls who took part in the London Schools’ Cross Country Championships on Wednesday 3 February. A special mention to Marina Ocampo who finished 6th in the Senior Race, qualifying as a reserve runner for the London team at the English Schools’ Cross Country Championships.
top The Cross Country team above Reserve London Team member Marina Ocampo
The Form V rowers (right) and UV pupil Tilly Amrolia (below) at the National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships
Rowing Indoor Rowing Our rowers have had an extremely busy term, and congratulations to the squad for their excellent efforts during the South of England Indoor Rowing Championships, the Kensington and Chelsea Indoor Rowing Trials for the London Youth Games, and the National Junior Indoor Rowing Championships. 54
QG NEWS
Senior School · Sport Hockey Inter-House Hockey Tournament Always an exciting time of the year, the Inter-House Hockey Tournament took place on Tuesday 1 March. Congratulations to all of the Remove, LIV and Form IV pupils for their excellent team work and match play during the games. Well done to Douglas House, who were the overall tournament winners!
top left Remove
above The House
Douglas vs Wyatt
Teams at the 2016 Tournament
Swimming Swimming Gala Tuesday 22 March gave us the annual Senior School Swimming Gala. Competition, as always, was fierce, with an impressive 14 school records broken over the course of the meet. Congratulations to Individual Champions Isla Wallrock (Remove), Zoe Auld (LIV), Lauren Auld (IV Form) and Beatrice Britton (Invitational). The Overall Champions were Isla Wallrock and Beatrice Britton, and the winning house was revealed as Douglas with 237 points to 2nd-place Johnston’s 220. A huge well done to all the girls who took part in the event for a wonderful afternoon of sport. SPRING 2016
left Overall Swimming Gala above The Butterfly
Individual Winners
Race at 2016’s
Beatrice Britton
Senior School
(V Form) and Isla
Swimming Gala
Wallrock (Remove)
left Sports Captains Mina FuentesArquero, Katya MacLennan, Christiana Didizian,Valentina Parilli-Ocampo, Antonia Bryceson and Lauren Auld are presented with the winners trophy by Mrs Kamaryc
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A Royal wave The girls gather on the School steps to bid farewell to HRH The Duchess of Cornwall following her visit