kgs newsletter april 2016

1KGS Newsletter ∙ APRIL 2016

make baguettes as well as pastry and some of us were even allowed to put the baguettes into the wood-fired oven! That afternoon we crossed the town and went underground for a visit of the Joseph Perrier Champagne caves. We were shown how the CONTINUED FROM

APRIL 2016 ∙ www.kgs.org.uk

NEWSLETTER

After a full day of travelling, the 14 KGS students and staff finally arrived in Châlons-en-Champagne, our home for

the next week. Châlons is a town 180km east of Paris in the heart of the Champagne region of France. Having been reunited with our hosts (they spent a week in England last October) we

BON VOYAGE!It was a busy time for KGS over the Easter break as groups encompassing rowing, CU, CCF and two language exchanges took part in trips

JCU TRIP ∙ page 5 FUN RUN ∙ page 12

Our annual Junior Christian Union Houseparty trip to Isle of Wight

Colourful costumes from the Second Years at the annual charity Fun Run

continued on page 6

all enjoyed a quiet evening with our families. The next morning we were treated to a guided tour of the ‘collège’ which was originally built as a monastery. The chapel is still standing but the rest of the buildings have since been turned into classrooms. Before lunch we visited a boulangerie where we learnt how to

FOURTH YEAR STUDENTS IN FRANCE

2 APRIL 2016 ∙ KGS Newsletter

Welcome

"Quote xxxxx xxx Doluptat xx utem asin xxctem utas aute m asimaio"

WELCOME

STUDENTS, STAFF & ALUMNI NETWORKING AT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS


Comment

In 1867 Britain took what was referred to as a ‘Leap in the Dark’ in reforming the electoral system in a manner that is

reputed to have changed British democracy as we know it. This Disraelian construct, however, by virtue of the propaganda and debate associated with it, in reality overshadows the real forces for change in the democratic process. The forerunner to 1867 was the 1832 Great Reform Act, and the changes that made important differences to who could vote, why and who for were the 1884 Representation of the People Act as well as the 20th century Acts that extended the franchise to women and the wider working classes. Thus, with the exception of ‘Lords, lunatics and criminals’ (often regarded as being one and the same, my history teachers would say), everyone gained the vote. The leap in the dark was only a singular moment when not much actually changed but everyone noted and accepted that reform was inevitable.

As an historian this is similar to how I regard the upcoming European referendum. There is a great deal of crystal ball gazing, trying to predict the positive enhancement or negative fall-out of what being in or out of a cohesive European Union may portend but in reality it is what has gone before and what is to come that shall bear the real consequences of our intentions and actions. I am not a political animal but an historian, so I do not intend to bear my soul on how I shall vote come June 23rd 2016. This week we were, however, able to put our local, newly elected MP James Berry on the spot and ask him whether he was for or against ‘Brexit’. Being put on the spot like this was poor reward for being our host at our latest KGS Friends networking event but being a politician I would hazard an educated guess that he was expecting it and is well used to tough questioning. He admitted as much in his words of introduction in confessing that the questions posed to him by KGS students, when he visited recently, were tougher than those he and his colleagues faced in Select Committee meetings. Incidentally, he is all for staying in the Union.

Being at the House of Commons with a wide variety of alumni, parents, students, staff, governors and friends of the School was just another example of how our Foundation and Friends offices and colleagues work to offer fantastic opportunities to the past and present of KGS. Once a Kingstonian, always a Kingstonian! Meeting successful, articulate

and engaging members of our KGS alumni also brought to mind the fact that our current Fifth Years and Upper Sixth do not have to take a leap in the dark as they embark on a period of study leave for their GCSEs and A levels. As they step forward they do have our very best wishes for their every success. No doubt some will feel that there is much more yet to do whilst others will be willing themselves to take stock, relax and have confidence that they have everything in their personal and academic armoury to achieve the very best grades possible.

In preparing our students over the last two years, and more, we have aimed to not only equip them with all of the knowledge and skills they need but also the confidence and resilience they require for this latest raft of tests and exams, as well as those they shall face in the world beyond Kingston Grammar School. All schools, especially those in the independent sector, are vitally aware of the importance of maintaining students’ well-being, or perhaps we might say the happiness of children, at a time when enormous demands are placed on them to compete to attain the best grades, attend the top universities and enter favoured careers. This has become so much the case that some schools have withdrawn from academic league tables and vie instead for the heights of the physical and mental health stakes. As we bid adieu to our Upper Sixth and à bientôt to our Fifth Years, we are confident that they shall want to achieve as highly as possible and are well equipped to do so both mentally and physically. We certainly wish them very well in doing so but are confident in the knowledge that for these crucial years we have placed an equal emphasis on working well and being happy, seeing the latter as a crucial prerequisite to the former.

Bene agere ac laetari and good luck to all!

Stephen LehecHead Master

Follow Mr Lehec on Twitter @KGSHEADMASTER

"Quote xxxxx xxx Doluptat xx utem asin xxctem utas aute m asimaio"


TRIPS

WET & WINDY IN WALESCCF Easter Camp this year was at

Sennybridge, Wales, meaning a 6am meet at Ditton Field. Despite this

early start, we were all looking forward to the week of adventure training that was ahead of us. After four hours on the coach, we all desperately needed to get up and stretch our cramping legs, and what better way to do this than climb a mountain? Not to be deterred by the famously rainy Welsh weather, we set off, clad in enough waterproofs to stay dry during a flood... or so we thought. First we hiked to the top of Corn Du, and then carried on to the summit of Pen y Fan. Eating lunch at the highest peak in South Wales was very satisfying, even without the great view that was hidden behind the clouds. Drenched, we made our way back to base, already looking forward to dinner and a hot shower.

We were told very little about the next day’s activities apart from needing to bring a complete change of kit and clothes, so we were all slightly scared as to what we were going to do. First, we went to an activity centre to pick up wetsuits, wellies and helmets, and we then drove to a rock climbing wall. The other group immediately changed into wetsuits and went gorge walking but we were led to an intimidatingly high natural rock climbing wall and given a harness. Possibly the most scary part of this was that the people holding our safety ropes were other cadets. Having been reassured multiple times by my partners that they weren’t going to drop me, I climbed first. My entire team made it up and back down, which we were very proud of, but there was no time to celebrate as we ate lunch and then moved straight onto the next activity – gorge walking. We all changed into wet suits and walked down a narrow path that led down into the river that ran just by the rock-climbing wall. Having attempted to keep ourselves at least reasonably dry for the first 20 minutes, we all accepted the inevitability of getting our wellies completely filled with water. The gorge walking consisted of walking alongside, and sometimes in, the river and clambering over rocks and was my favourite activity of all four days. At the end we all had a chance to jump into the water and after the initial shock of the freezing temperature, we all enjoyed it immensely.

We were given the choice between canoeing and kayaking the next day. I chose to canoe as that seemed like the activity where we would get less drenched. After being shown the basics, we played a game of tag, which was surprisingly challenging in a canoe.

On the last day, we managed to squeeze three activities into half a day – an assault course, BMX biking and archery. The assault course was very muddy but great for teamwork. BMX bikes are strange if you aren’t used to them – the saddles are so low you can’t sit on them

so you have to stand up on the pedals. After a day packed full of activities we set off back to Ditton Field.

Overall, I absolutely loved all the activities on camp, even if all my clothes were still

slightly damp and caked in mud at the end of the week. It’s all part of the fun! I’m already looking forward to Summer Camp, where we might even have a bit more luck with the weather. ●

Cdt Emilia Kinzler, 3HMN

"Overall, I absolutely loved all the activities on camp, even if all my clothes were still

slightly damp and caked in mud at the end of

the week!"


school life

JCU HOUSEPARTY '16Halfway through the Easter holidays,

we dragged ourselves out of bed for an early start at Ditton Field, where

JCU would set off on the annual houseparty, this year to the Isle of Wight.

The first activity after settling in (and the highlight of the trip for me) was the night-time trip to the beach. This is a JCU houseparty tradition involving torches, wet feet and stars - lots and lots of stars: we could see all the constellations like Orion and the Big Dipper really clearly. I had never seen a sky like that before. It was very dark so you weren’t even able to tell where the sand would give way to rock pools, resulting in some unwelcome and very cold surprises! After a manic and impromptu shell-hoarding session - instigated by the discovery of an enormous clam shell - we fell into bed.

The next morning’s activity was team games, including such exotic sports as oversized

hockey and dancing to somewhat unfamiliar Disney songs (like the Isle of Wight Ferry), joined in the afternoon by laser tag with fairly over-defensive yellow team players. Of course, I am biased; I was on the red team. Unfortunately, the session was cut short by rain, which also negated the possibility of a campfire. While others stayed in the main hall for organised fun, I and several other First Years grabbed the Wii and played Wii Party until bedtime.

On each day of the trip we also managed to fit in morning and evening sessions where we met to discuss the Christian faith. These were very interesting, and everyone was able to get involved and hopefully learn something new.

The dawn of the final day brought back team games including the high-risk sports of blind football (aka crawling around with a scarf on your eyes) and burrito (wriggling

out of a blanket with your hands and feet tied together). Both were harder than they sound. Later in the day the sun had come out, so we took the minibus to what Mr Wenham claimed to be ‘The Isle of Wight’s Premier Tourist Attraction.’ Luckily, Blackgang Chine Adventure Park was actually rather good: it had a rollercoaster, a waterslide, an ice cream/souvenir shop and Mr Wenham’s favourite - the dinosaurs. It was a brilliant end to a fantastic few days. ●

Sophie Farrell, 1LMJ

Consent forms for the CU Summer Camp are now available on Firefly. Open to all pupils from First Year to U6, it runs from the 13th – 20th August. Please contact Mr Wenham for further details.

AT BLACKGANG CHINE ADVENTURE PARK

TRIPS


school life

FRONT PAGE

champagne was made before learning about how it is stored but unfortunately there was no tasting to be had!

Friday began with a morning of lessons for us along with our exchange partners. We joined them for History, French, Science and Maths. There was a clear difference in teaching styles compared with those back here – one of their lessons mainly involved the teacher standing at the front dictating notes to the class! In the afternoon we split into two groups with half of us going to the national circus school and the other half visiting the local theatre. After a couple of tiring days we then went home with our host families for Easter. Over the weekend, we did a wide range of activities from having our first tennis lesson to meeting our hosts’ extended families for a traditional Easter feast!

Unfortunately, due to the heightened security in central Paris, we were unable to visit the city as planned on the Monday but, thanks to the teachers' quick thinking, our day was saved. We went to the local cinema and watched Batman vs Superman (in French!) before spending an afternoon at the bowling alley. On our final full day in France we drove to the nearby city of Reims and en-route we stopped off at a local chocolate factory for a lesson in how to make the best chocolate. Most importantly, we got to taste the different variations of their chocolate. Later in the afternoon we had a guided tour of the cathedral where many of the French kings had been crowned. After a long day we went back for our final night with our exchanges before our journey home the following day.

We waved goodbye to our exchanges on the platform on the Wednesday morning and began our train journey home. I would like to thank the teachers who made the trip possible, and especially for their quick thinking which meant that we still had plenty of activities to do on the Monday. ●

Toby Fairhurst, 4PJJ

UNE SEMAINE EN FRANCE

TRIPS


school life

"We learnt about how the champagne is stored but unfortunately there

was no tasting to be had!"

TRIPS


school life

We were all very excited at the opportunity to go to Holland this Easter and play hockey against a

Dutch team. Holland are renowned for their hockey talents and despite knowing that the matches were going to be tough we knew we were going to have fun on the exchange.

When we finally arrived after a long minibus journey we met our exchanges and went back to their houses. We had been warned about the fines we were going to have to pay that would go towards the presents for the awards at the end of the tour. The fines could be for anything: if you were late to where we were meeting or if you did some bad ‘dad’ dancing at the disco. The next day we were lucky enough to go to the Eifteling, a well-known theme park. Even though it was raining we had lots of fun on all the rides, though some people did have to pay fines for being late back to ‘base’.

We played our first match against Wageningen Hockey Club with some disappointing results from the girls but a good win from the boys’ A team. Happily, both girls’ teams managed to

HOLLAND HOCKEY TOURFor the first time in 30 years, a second girls’ team was invited to come to Holland, much to everyone’s delight

improve as the tour went on and the Bs won one of their matches against WMHC, making them the first girls’ B team to do so.

The next day we went to Utrecht and spent some time shopping and trying the Dutch food. However, some of the girls opted for a McDonald’s burger over the typical Dutch food, which meant they were fined! The

OUR GIRLS IN WAGENINGEN

"Happily, both girls’ teams managed to improve as the tour

progressed"

next morning it was time for our final match against WMHC, so we were determined to win. However, although none of the KGS teams won, the games were very close and all players improved hugely throughout the tour.●

Izzy James, 3KEC

TRIPS


school life

J14 ROWING CAMP AT DORNEY LAKETwenty of the Third Year rowers spent a

few days after Easter rowing at Dorney Lake, a 2000m, 9-lane lake owned by

Eton College and used for many major events including the 2012 Olympics and the 2016 National Schools Regatta at which some of these pupils will be racing.

There was a big improvement in the rowing, with complete concentration on effective rowing. Most sessions were at least 8km long, with the boys’ octuplet notching up a couple of really excellent sessions of 12km (three full laps of the lake). At the end there was a boys versus girls race in octuplets, won by the boys! This group are also commended on the extreme efficiency of their rigging and trailer loading. This is a good

introduction to the concept of a full training camp such as those that they will do in the Fourth Year and beyond. ●

Mr R Smalman-Smith

J15 ROWING CAMP IN GLOUCESTERThirty of the Fourth Year rowers spent a

week during the Easter holidays rowing three times a day on the Gloucester-

Sharpness Canal based at the Wycliffe College boathouse. This canal is ideal training. It is very long - they can row 14km in either direction (and back!) without stopping, not that any of the crews quite managed this. It is also free from the effects of stream and largely free from other river traffic. The only obstacles are the low bridges, which create the need for some unique “run up and lie down” techniques. The ideal conditions and good mileage produced the required benefits and the crews can look forward to some excellent regatta racing this term.

The group took over a local youth hostel for the week, where the highlights were the pool

table, the cooked breakfasts and the evening lectures.

As well as rowing, there was an afternoon spent in Gloucester seeing the historic dockyards and the cathedral, though some groups only managed to see the inside of a KFC. On the last day a short trip was made to a spot where we had been told there would be a spectacular sighting of the world famous “Severn Bore” (a huge tidal wave up to 3 metres high travelling very fast inland up the river). It was great to experience this, but it turned out to be rather less dramatic than we had been led to believe. ●

Mr R Smalman-Smith

HOW TO GET UNDER A LOW BRIDGE

TRIPS


school life

My first evening with my Spanish family was a

really enjoyable experience where I got to try some very nice Spanish food and have fun with my exchange partner. In the morning, I went with my teachers and friends to Madrid where we saw the Royal Palace and had an opportunity to go shopping. Afterwards, we had a flamenco lesson which was really fun.

Then it was the weekend and I went with my exchange partner and his family to see more of Spain. We went out in the evening with his friends and their exchanges, went swimming and explored Colmenar Viejo, which is the town where the Spanish school is based.

On the Monday, everyone went to Toledo where we learned about the religious history. The next day we went back to Madrid to the Bernabeu football stadium followed by some typical Spanish tapas for lunch. On the last day we went into school with our exchanges before playing a huge match of football after which we sadly had to say goodbye to our exchanges.

I really enjoyed the trip and loved my time with my exchange family. I think it has really improved my Spanish as I learned new words and was able to work on my pronunciation. I would definitely recommend it. ●

Matthew Wilson, 3HMN

¡VIVA ESPAÑA!The Third Year headed to Spain for their language exchange over the Easter break. Matthew Wilson tell us what they got up to in Madrid

TRIP TO BERNABEU FOOTBALL STADIUM

"I really enjoyed the trip and loved the time with my exchange family"

CCF PROMOTIONS

Before the Easter break, the CCF hosted a round of cadet promotions, which were eagerly

awaited by all in contention. Following much debate and many performance reviews, we are pleased to announce the following promotions:

Promotions to Lance CorporalCdt Freya KingCdt Isadora JonesCdt Frances HedleyCdt Zoe SamamaCdt James Beynon Cdt Elena Elley

Promotions to CorporalL/Cpl Florence HalyL/Cpl Mikulas PolenskyL/Cpl Anouk Vassen

Promotions to SergeantCpl Miles ComptonCpl Oliver Cole

Promotions to Colour/Flight SergeantSgt Rohan WinderSgt Jake Cutts ●

TRIPS


school life

The training took place near Biarritz in south-west France and putting our rowers in a strong position for the

regatta season to come.

Clear, sunny skies regularly featured above Le Lac de Soustons and morning outings on glass-flat water offered the chance for all to work on their technique, unencumbered by the stream and passenger boats that are a feature of our home reach.

As has become the norm on these camps, that first outing was followed by a second breakfast, a meal made even more enjoyable when it is hard-earned.

However, evening sessions were regularly hit by wind, leaving coaches searching out sheltered corners around the 4.5km-long lake, or retreating to the salle de musculation – a newly built weights room next to our accommodation block.

The centre in Soustons also boasts a classroom, which was put to good use for pre-exam revision, under the watchful eye of Mrs Corcoran. On a mid-camp afternoon off, the group travelled down the coast to St Jean de Luiz, where pouring rain put paid to sunbathing but the local pizza restaurants were much frequented.

As ever, the eight-day camp included selection races and the opportunity to form and test summer crew combinations, with three sessions each day. The boys’ 1st VIII, girls’ double scull, boys’ J16 four and the girls’ J16 group all came together well and are now looking forward to Wallingford Regatta

ROWING CAMP IN FRANCESpring did not come early to Soustons this year but 21 boys and girls from the KGS Boat Club still managed to make the most of their annual Easter training camp

on 1st May and several other races before the National Schools Regatta at the start of the half-term holiday. ●

Mr MW Gough

A CALM MORNING AT LE LAC DE SOUSTONS

BUDDHIST TEMPLE TRIP

On Thursday 21st April, a group of 50 keen Second Year students visited the Buddhist

Temple in Wimbledon. After just a short coach journey, we were warmly welcomed by one of the Buddhist monks and a breathtaking view of the temple and its surrounding gardens.

We were given 15 minutes to walk around the gardens and familiarise ourselves with the designated worship areas and the stunning landscape. Following this, we met the monk and our teachers again, respectfully taking off our shoes to enter the beautiful temple.

We then listened intently to the monk

explaining all of the paintings anddecorations in the temple. He taught us many of the rules and concepts within Buddhism, along with actions to help us remember them!

We were then lucky enough to experience meditating in the temple, as a result of which we all felt very relaxed and peaceful. It was especially inspiring because we were in a very spiritual atmosphere. Afterwards we were given the chance to ask the monk many questions (some of them being very hard to answer!). ●

Gabi Linney, 2CLB & Jess Larkin, 2HRL

TRIPS


school life

FUN RUN FUNThe fun run before the Easter break lived up to its name with the Second Year making

a real effort to dress up for charity. The ‘best boy’ was Will Lloyd as a girl (in a beautiful red number) and the ‘best girl’ was Flora Gilmour as the Easter Bunny (very

appropriate). We had lots in onesies, especially the green Walworth variety, and Faiz Saleem who was wearing ‘5 coats’ (mmm, not sure about that one!)

Controversially, one house won hands down and the other three drew. In order to separate them, I have taken their best placing and added it to their worst placing (to get the lowest number)! It seemed the fairest way…

Results are therefore:Taverner (47)Walworth (54 and 52)Queen’s (54 and 53)Lovekyn (54 and 57)

And that concludes House Cross Country 2016. Thank you to all those staff who assisted with each event! ●

Mrs N Maclean

"Results are:Taverner (47)

Walworth (54 and 52)Queen’s (54 and 53)Lovekyn (54 and 57)"

OPERA STAR

STUDENT-FRIENDLY NEWS

SECOND YEAR DRESS TO IMPRESS

SCHOOL LIFE

Joseph Steel, 1SAB, has been singing in the children’s chorus in Ormond Opera’s production of ‘The Pirates

of Penzance’ in Twickenham. Ormond Opera is a professional opera company so this is most exciting news indeed. Joseph also learns the violin at KGS with Miss Monument so we look forward to reading more about Joseph’s musical pursuits in the near future. ● Mrs T Watkins

Students are now able to take advantage of fantastic current affairs resource The Day, the

online news service created for secondary school students. It aims to deliver the headlines from a neutral standpoint providing context, talking points and a glossary to enable students to engage with key national and international developments; expand their current affairs knowledge and develop their analytical and debating skills. Students can register for the daily news bulletin and search the site for articles organised by subject and tags. For keen linguists there are hundreds of translated articles in French, German, Italian and Spanish. The Day can be accessed via Firefly. ●

Mrs H Cleaves


school life

Hopefully, however, this won’t happen because the good people at the JET (Joint European Torus) Laboratories

near Oxford are working on a source of unlimited power for the future and, on March 8th, a group of Lower Sixth physics students

POWERING THE FUTUREIt’s the year 2088. The last barrel of oil has just been used, the last chunk of coal burnt and power supplies to the whole country stop: no electricity, no cars, no more online physics articles

GOING FOR GOLD

The 18 new Gold Duke of Edinburgh recruits enjoyed a first training weekend in the New Forest.

Whilst many of them have completed the Bronze Award, it served as a good reminder of how to pitch a tent (in the dark!), cook a square meal or two, orien-tate a map and differentiate between grid bearings and magnetic bearings.

The group bore the brunt of chill winds and cold nights with great spirits and now look forward to a warmer practice this July on Dartmoor. ●

Mr NE Mackay

be held for 10-20 seconds. Perhaps the biggest issue for a reactor is that it needed more energy to run than it created. Then, as we were being shown the bespoke robots required to fix the inside of the ‘doughnut’, an intercom announced they were ‘about to pulse’. Our guide explained this meant that the reactor was running and that, very briefly, we were standing a few metres away from quite literally the hottest place in the entire solar system. A quick look into the sea of monitors and tea-drinking boffins that was the control room and our tour was over. All that was left was to ask the guide any pressing questions, and we were off, back to our fossil-fuel-burning society.

We all hope that JET or one of the many other similar projects around the world succeeds, and we wish them luck. In the meantime, we want to thank Culham Laboratory for showing us around and, of course, the Physics Department for taking us. ●

Oliver Cole, L6JWS

and teachers went down to see what they were doing.

As we arrived we were greeted by an enormous site, housing a myriad of buildings and demonstrating the importance of what was being done here. This was further emphasised in a welcome talk which detailed what JET was doing and why it was so essential. JET is attempting build a Nuclear Fusion Reactor, something that would be able to supply large amounts of energy with a plentiful fuel (water) and no waste products (the helium that is released as a by-product is actually something that we’re running out of). Sounds perfect, doesn’t it? However, in order for this to happen, the inside of the doughnut-shaped reactor (called a Tokomak) has to be heated to incredibly high temperatures and the plasma that forms needs to be held in a controlled way.

As we were led around the main reactor building, our very enthusiastic guide explained that as they could only achieve temperatures of about 30,000x that of the sun’s surface (still pretty hot, we thought), the plasma could only

TRAINING IN THE NEW FOREST


school life

In the Chemistry labs students investigated the chemistry of chocolate. They ate pieces that had been subjected to different

temperatures and learnt how changing conditions affected the structure and therefore the taste of the chocolate. While I am sure they enjoyed doing the experiments, I suspect they enjoyed eating the chocolate more!

In the Physics Department, Mr Stavros organised for Spencer Kelly, a researcher at Imperial College, to give an enlightening talk about a novel form of fusion called Muon Catalysed Fusion. What is different about this particular form of fusion is that it does not require energy-thirsty lasers or extremely high temperatures for the fusion reaction to occur. A selection of Fifth Year and Sixth Form students asked a variety of questions during the plenary; it was interesting to note that this research attracts little funding due to the cold fusion scandal of the 1980s. From the physics of the very hot we moved to the opposite end of the temperature scale with a series of classroom experiments and demonstrations using liquid nitrogen. Boiling at a smidgen over -200 OC, “this stuff is really cool” mused Mr Pinchbeck, our effervescent lab technician as he proceeded to demonstrate its effect on a balloon filled with air (rapid shrinking and air turning liquid), a daffodil (turning a flexible object extremely brittle) and perhaps most interestingly of all from

NATIONAL SCIENCE & ENGINEERING WEEKBritish Science Week saw a number of fun events organized across the Physics, Biology and Chemistry departments

an engineering perspective, the Miessner Effect which utilises low temperature superconductivity.

First Years have also been having a great time in their Science lessons this week. In one lesson they had the opportunity to make slime (and a lot of mess) and investigate the properties of this fascinating non-Newtonian fluid. Perhaps

NEW LIBRARY APP(no more fines!)

Students can wave goodbye to overdue fines and be first in line for new releases thanks to the library app. ‘iMLS’ is free to download from the Appstore or Google Play. Students can use the app to keep track of their library loans, search the

library catalogue and place reservations. Please see the Firefly page for set-up details and speak to Mrs Cleaves if you have any queries. ●

Mrs H Cleaves

"This stuff is really cool"

the highlight was then the opportunity to make some ice cream using the nitrogen: many thanks to Mr ‘Heston Blumenthal’ Pinchbeck for masterminding the culinary wizardry – the delicious concoction was enjoyed by all. It has been a quite week to remember! ●

Mrs C Hall


school life

The KGS Big Experiment – Chews Wisely!

In Biology pupils were invited to assess the chewiness of three different fruit-flavoured sweets on Thursday 17th March. Subjects were provided with one example of each sweet and were asked to provide their best scientific opinion about which sweet was the chewiest.

The big question was “how do you determine which is chewiest?” Chewiness is defined as “the mouth-feel sensation of laboured mastication due to sustained, elastic resistance

Sweet Mass To Break the Sweet (kg)

Trial 1 Trial 2

Fizzy Dummy 1.80 1.75

Cherries 1.75 1.75

Sour Fish 2.05 2.10

SUMMER VOLUNTEERING OPPORTUNITY

Kingston Libraries is looking for volunteers aged 13+ to support the Summer Reading Challenge. This vital national initiative, in which over 4,000 local children participated last year,

seeks to keep the reading habit alive during the holidays to combat the literacy dip which typically occurs over the summer. To tie in with the centenary, this year’s theme is Roald Dahl so will feature fabulous artwork by Dahl’s award-winning collaborator Quentin Blake. Volunteers need only commit for 15 hours during the period from July to September and will be given full training. Key tasks include joining children up to the scheme, issuing reading rewards such as stickers and medals and chatting to the participants about their reading. Five KGS students took part last year forging great links with the local community. Can we do better this year?! ●

The deadline for applications is Friday 17th June. Please see Mrs Cleaves for details of how to apply or to chat more about what’s involved.

from a foodstuff.” Some subjects took small bites of each sweet, some put the whole thing in their mouth in one go; they all came to their conclusions and ranked the sweets in order of chewiness, with “1” being the most chewy and “3” being the least. The one thing the decisions had in common was that they were all subjective judgements.

Based on the pupils’ judgement, it was clear that they ranked the sour fish to be the chewiest sweet. But how did this match up with the empirical evidence from Mr Rodgers’ rigorous testing (which you can see in the accompanying photo on the right). Here are the results:

Interestingly enough, there appears to be little difference between the fizzy dummy and the cherries but the sour fish clearly come out on top as the chewiest sweet, validating the pupils’ judgement. This outcome does, however, demonstrate the fallibility of opinion-based subjective judgements when it comes to scientific conclusions. Empirical evidence is always more reliable than a gut feeling. ●

Mr M Rodgers

Sweet Mean Chewiness Modal Chewiness

Ranking Ranking

Fizzy Dummy 2.68 3

Cherries 1.85 2

Sour Fish 1.48 1


school life

The evening began with a touch of the classic, as the First Orchestra, directed by Miss Hyde, gave the audience a lively

rendition of Mozart’s ‘Overture to the Marriage of Figaro’, kicking off the show with a loud and powerful start.

The Horn Ensemble was next on stage, introduced by their Director, Mr Ireson, who then proceeded to guide the talented players through a well-executed Lowell Shaw piece, as the performers displayed their wonderful chemistry.

After a short, punchy PowerPoint presentation to set things in motion, the Junior Boys’ Choir followed with a beautiful performance of Dan Smith’s ‘Pompeii’. Aided by a custom-made backing track created by KGS’s very own Recording Club and, not to mention, the enthusiastic directing of Mr von Freyhold, the piece was delivered with true heart and emotion.

SPRING CONCERTFalling on the penultimate day of the Spring Term, the School Concert on 22nd March brought the term to a truly enjoyable close

audience couldn’t help but sing along to their sweet harmonies.

Then, to round off the first half of the concert, the Junior and Senior Guitar Ensembles, directed by Mrs Thurston, treated the audience to a lovely rendition of the Dr Who theme tune, a true cult-classic.

Following the interval, in which the Music Society provided the audience and performers with delicious light snacks and drinks, the show resumed with an enthralling tribute to the late, great David Bowie, with an impressive rendition of ‘Space Oddity’ performed by the

Next was the Drum Club, who began their performance by first educating the audience about the African drums with which they had been experimenting. Then, actively directed by Ms Stephenson, they went on to deliver a powerful composition of drum sequences, even getting the crowd to participate in their emphatic performance.

After this, the Junior Girls’ Choir, directed by Aoife Parr and Charlotte Smith and accompanied by Mr Tierney, went on to give a very light-hearted and uplifting performance of Howard Ashman’s ‘Under the Sea’. Many in the

FINGERS ON BUZZERS...Saturday 19th March saw the annual Saturday spectacular that

is the PSA Quiz. By 7.30 the Hall was packed with 16 teams of expectant hopefuls, the curry was bubbling on the stove, the

bar was doing a roaring trade, jokers were played and all was set fair for a great evening. Then the questions started, and for some the evening was effectively over bar the eating and drinking. For others, of course, with the bit between their teeth, the competition was fierce and in deadly earnest. And what an exciting contest it turned out to be! Going into the last of ten tense rounds, with a set of brain-teasers and a picture round under our belts, there was only one point separating the top three teams. And at the end of the final round we had an almost unprecedented tie! A quick tie-break question later and Mrs Lett’s team of super-brains emerged as worthy winners.

It was another great evening, contested in good humour and a spirit of great fun. And it raised a very impressive £2,200 for PSA funds. So

our thanks go to everyone involved. Mrs Humphrey and Mr Bond had much the easiest job asking the questions and reading the answers, but the real work was done by Teresa Pugh & Julia Mancell Smith in organizing the event. Huge thanks to Terry & Sandra Murray, Stuart Walker & Brenda Parmiter who were front of house.

Matthew Pugh and Nathan Foulsham kept the scores with calm efficiency. On behalf of the School, our thanks to the PSA and everyone who took part for the absolutely vital support they give to so much that we try to do.

Please put Saturday 18th March 2017 in your diaries for next year’s contest - and if anyone wants to practise or limber up, the KGS Friends version will be on October 8th! ●

Mr N Bond & Mrs A Lett

PHOTOS BY LUKE TOMIAK, 5DAS

"The Girls’ Close Harmony

delivered a hypnotising

and beautiful performance"

SCHOOL LIFE


school life

AOIFE TO JOIN LSSO

Aoife Parr, 4ELH, has been awarded a place in the London Schools Symphony Orchestra (LSSO) on

French Horn. Together with fellow LSSO member and Sixth Form cellist Lucy Roberts, Aoife will both tour with the Orchestra to Sweden in the summer and will play at the Barbican in September. ●

Mrs T Watkins

LANGUAGE LEADERS

The Foreign Language Leader Award, an initiative organised by the charity Sports Leaders UK, is a co-curricular programme that Miss Pastore is leading with a group of eleven Third and Fourth Year students.

This is the second year that KGS has taken part in this fantastic initiative. The current Leaders (Clara Lyckeus, Victoria Touzet, Jess Francis, Joe Young, Izzy Pleasance, Ellie Lord, Kitty Griffin, Ciara Kennedy, Lily Abbott, Athena Kent-Egan and Camila Carbajal) are developing their language and leadership skills through a series of language and cultural activities. This includes one-hour sessions every week for 30 weeks, during which students learn how to plan the lessons that they later teach, and how to organise cultural projects and language-related events.

In this process, the Leaders are learning to improve their own language skills, subject knowledge, confidence, and most importantly, leadership skills. They have already taught their first lessons successfully to First and Second Year classes within our school and the experience has been rewarding and enjoyable. They were professional, confident and enthusiastic, and feedback on the lessons has been extremely positive. ‘Teachers’ and pupils engaged well, and some of the pupils commented that they “learnt new things and the activities were exciting and interactive”, and that the teachers were “friendly and fun”, “interactive” and “good at helping people out”. We look forward to seeing these KGS students becoming confident leaders. ●

Miss R Pastore

SCHOOL LIFE

Contemporary Music Group, directed by Mr Hoj.

The Guitar Duet was next on stage, with a truly energetic and spirited performance of Rodrigo y Gabriela’s ‘Tamacun’, which added a touch of South American groove to the programme.

The Girls’ Close Harmony, directed by Miss Hyde, then delivered a hypnotising and beautiful performance of ‘Someone To Watch Over Me’, almost hypnotising the audience with their enchanting vocal precision.

More mesmerising vocals, including some from a very animated Mr von Freyhold, came from the School Choir, who delivered a gorgeous performance of ‘Somewhere Over The Rainbow’.

Last but not least, to conclude an evening of musical brilliance, the Symphony Orchestra, directed by Miss Hyde, gave a final showcase of musical talent, with their strong performance of the 1st movement from Dvorak’s 8th Symphony. It was a thrilling performance, played by a large cluster of some of KGS’s finest musicians, and served as a brilliant end to one of the best musical events of the year. ●

Hakeem Shittu, 5HJW


school life

Friday 18th March saw OKs from five dec-ades returning to the School to celebrate the 38 years of service given to KGS by

Tony Prichard, who died last October. The focus of the evening was a debate between the past and the present with a motion that we hope would have been close to Tony’s heart - ‘This House believes that KGS is a better place since the introduction of girls’.

The motion was proposed by a team from the current Gibbon Society consisting of one girl and one boy from each of the Lower Sixth and Fourth Years. Opposing the motion were three doyens and a doyenne from the Society’s illustrious past: Gopal Srinivasan represented the 1950s, Chris Swift the 1960s, Diana Hulbert, one of the very first intake of girls, the 1970s and Nick Thomas, who was here both before and after the introduction of girls, the 1980s. The debate was chaired by Eleanor Varley, the present member of staff i/c the Gibbon Society.

The standard of debating was very high, with strong arguments on both sides and no shortage of wit and good humour as well.

TONY PRICHARD MEMORIAL DEBATE

There was the intense cut and thrust of ‘points of information’ to keep things lively, and some shrewd and very funny contributions from the floor. Considering the age gap between the oldest member of the OK team and the youngest from the current Gibbon Society (some 55 years at a guess?), the contest was very evenly fought, but the floor votes gave

the edge to the youngsters by some way.

After the votes our distinguished judging panel returned to give the formal verdict. The Head Master, Stephen Lehec, was joined on the panel by David Grossel, OK and former Head of History and Master i/c the Gibbon Society, and Alex Ward, probably our most

ALUMNI VERSES CURRENT PUPILS, CHAIRED BY MISS VARLEY

COMMUNITY


school lifedistinguished debating Old Boy, having coached Leyden University to European and World Championships as well as the Portuguese national team. Their verdict went against the sentiment of the House to award victory to the OKs, singling out Nick Thomas as the top performer of the evening.

Afterwards, the teams and the audience enjoyed a drinks reception and light buffet and shared their memories of Tony with our guests of honour, Tony’s sisters Judith and Angela. It was a great pleasure to welcome them both to the School and their presence made the occasion truly special. After the

proudly contested debate, one thing all those present could agree on was that it was a very enjoyable evening and a fitting farewell to one of the great figures of the post-war generation of teachers, one whose many years of distinguished service will long be remembered for his wit, erudition, culture and, most of all, his tremendous sense of fun.

“I enjoyed…both teams’ contributions and would like to congratulate the School team for their excellence and their courtesy to me when I arrived very early. The standard they achieved was impressive, and the generous hospitality afterwards was very welcome. I am sure Tony would have been delighted by this event and touched to have been thought of in this way. I met him when I joined the School at twenty-two years old in my first appointment and stayed friends with him for forty years.”Andrew Stafford (English Master 1971 - 1975) ●

Mr N Bond

BRUSHSTROKES IN THE BAXTER GALLERYThe Baxter Gallery is delighted to

host an exhibition featuring the work of three exciting international

artists: Dickson Kaloki, Lindsay Terhorst North and Susana Bravo. ‘Under The Radar’ is the brainchild of artist consultant Patsy Buchanan who curated the show and is rapidly gaining a reputation for finding fresh new artists and exhibiting their work in a diverse range of gallery spaces.

Kenyan artist Dickson Kaloki is a portrait painter working predominantly in oils. He frees himself when painting and experiments with different colours, shapes and brushstrokes. His striking and colourful portraits have certainly been popular amongst visitors.

As a mixed media painter and installation artist, South African-born Lindsay

Terhorst North explores issues of identity, displacement and personal meaning. Her ‘Eve in Exile’ series was inspired by the stories her grandmother shared of her time interned in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp in Indonesia during World War II.

Susana Bravo is based in Portugal and has been developing her practice for over 30 years. She is a figurative artist who enjoys working in mixed media: combining collage, chalk pastels, oils, charcoals, water colours and ink drawings. In 2015 she participated in two group exhibitions in London; a solo exhibition in Brazil; artist in residence in both London and in Portugal and was awarded a commendation for one of her paintings at the Carmen Miranda Art Awards presentation in Portugal. ●

Miss C Christie

"This House believes that

KGS is a better place since the introduction of

girls"

THE LATEST EXHIBITION IN OUR BAXTER GALLERY

COMMUNITY


school life

SUPPORTING THE NEXT GENERATIONThe KGS Foundation would like to thank

parents of 2016 leavers who have chosen to gift a portion of their deposits to

the School. We have had a fantastic response so far, with many families opting to support our Bursary Fund, which will enable us to offer greater financial assistance to deserving students.

We will be writing to donors later in the year with an update on the final total raised by the Class of 2016 and to let parents know how the money is to be used. If you would like to contribute to this appeal, please return the appropriate form to the Development Office or for further information about supporting Kingston Grammar School, please contact us at [email protected]. ●

Mr C Conneely

READY, STEADY, COOK!Since September, as part of their Community Service, a

number of Sixth Form students have volunteered to cook at St Stephen's Church in Twickenham for the 50 or so homeless

who drop in there for a meal on a fortnightly basis. From humble beginnings of spaghetti bolognaise, the groups have started to become adventurous and take on the challenge of chicken chasseur

with cheesy dumplings, sausage lasagne and other culinary delights. A great effort by all those involved! ●

Mrs E Hansford & Mr NE Mackay

OUR SIXTH FORM STUDENTS COOKING FOR THE HOMELESS

COMMUNITY

Congratulations are due to Sergeant Matthew Pugh who was successfully selected to be

the London area cadet representative for the RAF at the HRH the Queen’s 90th Birthday celebration at St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday 10th June 2016.

Sergeant Pugh was selected from a large number of high calibre cadets from across all the 36 CCFs in the London area. He will be route lining on the steps of the Cathedral on the day and we look forward to catching a glimpse of him in the television coverage of the day. ●


school lifeCOMMUNITY

FROM THE ARCHIVES

This month’s document was donated by Old Kingstonian John Deverson (1955-63), who took part in the School trip to Paris during the Easter holidays of 1959. The wonderful sepia photograph shows a group of happy boys from the Third Year and above at the Palais de Versailles. The trip was led by their dedicated teachers Ken Cripps and Tony Prichard.

Mr Deverson recalls:

“I can still name quite a few of my peers but have only marked Ken and Tony on the enlarged copy plus a sixth former, Trevor Reed, whom Tony called a "very naughty

boy" at the 1961 celebration lunch! Trevor's claim to fame was that he dived into the Seine from the centre

span of a bridge near the Place de la Concorde. He was our hero!"

The following account of the trip appears in The Kingstonian, May 1959, but doesn't mention the diving incident! ●

Mrs J Halford, [email protected]

'Very naughty boy' or 'hero'?


school life

This was a great opportunity not only to play some very competitive matches, but also to prepare for the London

Tournament the following week. In the first game, despite taking an early lead against Tormead, we ended up drawing 2-2, with outstanding performances from Juliette Den Hoedt and Laura Kimber. The next match, against Godolphin and Latymer, was full of some excellent hockey, the final score being 3-0. Lucy Hicks was especially strong in midfield, picking up many of their stray passes and well supported in defence by Emily Bryce and Anna Duggan, with some amazing tackles and passes. Sophie Morris was also outstanding in this game, with some great attacks down the right and some good attacking and leading opportunities.

U12 SURBITON TOURNAMENTThe U12 ‘A’ team played in the Surbiton High Hockey Tournament, held at Hinchley Wood

In our last pool game, the team were up against a strong and athletic Burgess Hill. However, we beat them 1-0. Anna le Huray and Charlotte Cahn both had very strong games, matching the speed and quick thinking of the opposition. Then we played Reigate, in which we came out on top, winning 1-0 with an excellent short corner strike from Juliette. We then faced Surbiton, the hosts, in the final. Though all of the girls played exceptionally, and the game was very competitive and close, the girls gave in to the pressure and we lost 2-0. Sophie Wood, Lucy Hicks and Anna Duggan were all very strong in this match particularly, but unfortunately we fell a bit short. However, our performance has improved since then and the team look forward to a rematch with Surbiton soon. ●

Mr D Buttanshaw

GB ROWING CAMPWill Burden and Cameron Spurling both took the next

step on the road to representing Great Britain during the Easter holiday, taking part in residential camps in

Nottingham.

Will was one of six coxes attending the Under 18 Spring Trials at the National Watersports Centre. Although he did not manage to gain the single spot available for the Munich International Regatta in May, he spent three days working and learning with some of the country’s top rowers.

The final day saw Will coxing a four made up of athletes from Shiplake College and Winchester College, which exceeded expectations in 2km testing against other selected boats. He now has his sights set on Final Trials in July, with places at the World Rowing Junior Championships and the Coupe de la Jeunesse – the European team championships – in the summer.

Cameron was invited to attend an Under 16 Crew Sculling camp but, given the strong winds over Easter weekend, only two of those areas were true: many of the country’s top under 16s attended the camp but there wasn’t any sculling available as the water was unrowable.

Instead the group attended classroom sessions with GB coaches and physios, took part in several strength and conditioning sessions led by Mitch Smith from the English Institute of Sport and made use of the rowing machines at the Nottingham Rowing Club high performance gym.

Cameron took part in Under 18 trials at the end of April, looking to gain further experience for next year, when he should be targeting a GB vest as a Sixth Former. ●

Mr MW Gough

SPORT

Congratulations to Jasmin Werner, 5SSC, for winning the U16 Surbiton Club National hockey finals on 3rd April. Zach Wallace, Ed Darwin & Michael Moran also won their U16 Club Nationals.Congratulations to our U12A team who

played in the Regional U12 Hockey Finals before half term. After a tough

match they were runners up to St George's College on penalty flicks. ●Mr M Durban

U12 BOYS MAKE THE FINALS


school life

U12 SURREY HOCKEY

EDDIE DOUBLES UP ON SILVER

Over the Easter holidays Second Year Eddie Hunt swam in the London Schools Swimming

Association gala at Crystal Palace and won two silver medals.

His biggest achievement came in the first leg of the London Regional Championships where he came 3rd in the 1500m freestyle, picking up a bronze medal. There are two more weekends of regional competitions to come - the 7th/8th May and 21st/22nd May - when he is hoping for some more top 5 results! Good luck, Eddie! ●

GOLFERS OFF TO NATIONAL FINALS

The KGS team of Max Dawson, 4LHW, James Hall, 5PWS, and Sam Reid, 5DGB, narrowly won their ISGA

(Independent Schools Golf Association) Matchplay Plate regional final last week, qualifying us for the National Finals on Wednesday 22nd June at Magnolia Park GC near Oxford.

Well done, boys! ●

Mr M Rodgers

The cricket season has begun at Ditton Field. Follow @KGS_SPORT

for the latest news

SPORT

ISOBEL DODDS (OK 2015) ROWS FOR OXFORDEaster Sunday saw the annual Oxford

v Cambridge boat races which for the second year included the men’s

and women’s race on the same day and on the same course. For the first time, however, 2016 saw the women’s second boats also be part of this amazing day of rowing on the Thames.

Old Kingstonian Isobel Dodds was in the Osiris crew, the Oxford women’s second boat, which is no mean feat in her first year of university, especially with the quality of athletes in the Oxford camp and combining an intense training programme with her studies.

On the day of the race the weather conditions were brutal and the wind so extreme some sections of the 4¼-mile course were virtually unrowable. This led to Sean Bowden, the Oxford men’s coach, saying conditions were “the worst [he’d] ever seen on the tideway”, a significant comment from a man who’s been both

athlete and coach on that stretch of the Thames for over 30 years!

Any other event facing those conditions would be postponed, but that is not the way in the Boat Race and all 8 crews who raced that day deserve huge praise for simply completing the course. Every race was affected by the conditions and sadly for Isobel and her crew, Blondie, the Cambridge women’s second boat had the better of the conditions of the day and won by around 3 lengths. ●

Mr P Simmons

The U12 Surrey Competition, held at Alleyn’s, was a great competition for all the girls to take part in and KGS was delighted to be entering two teams. With a good 2-0 win for the As against Alleyn’s B side, they unfortunately narrowly lost their second match

0-1 to Streatham and Clapham. In the quarter-finals, they then played against the hosts, JAGS. After taking an early lead, JAGS fought back for an end result of 1-1. However, winning penalty strokes 2-0, with an excellent performance from Juliette Den Hoedt, Sophie Wood and goalkeeper Charlotte Cahn, they then went on to play in the semi-finals. Very narrowly, despite an amazing performance from all of the girls, they lost to Surbiton 0-1. This led to the team playing in the third v fourth play-offs, where they beat Wimbledon High School 5-0 to come third in the competition.

The B team drew 1-1 against Broomwood, going on to lose to St Thomas’ before beating Alleyn’s A 1-0 to qualify for the next round of the competition. Unfortunately, a 0-1 loss to Alleyn’s B meant that despite a strong performance they just missed out on the semi-finals. ●

Mr D Buttanshaw


school life

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Junior Play coming soon...

kgs newsletter april 2016

Documents