st helen's magazine 2015

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ST HELEN’S MAGAZINE 2014-2015 [03]

I am enormously proud of all of our pupils: they are talented, able,

ambitious, thoughtful, generous, bright and hard-working – and great fun to be with. Mr Johnston has faced a difficult task in making his selection of the activities, events and articles for this magazine because there is so much that happens during the year in a School with more than 1100 pupils but he has chosen wisely and what follows presents a valuable snapshot of the School in 2014-15. I do hope that you enjoy reading it.

I chose as my theme for Prize-giving and Speech Day this summer the subject of transformation because St Helen’s is undergoing a very exciting period of change and development. In July 2015 we embarked upon a programme of very big changes which will physically transform the School. By the start of the next academic year, the brand new Junior School building will be welcoming pupils and parents into its spacious and light assembly hall, classrooms, and green spaces. In School House, on Eastbury Road, we will have a stunning new Reception. Some of the cloisters around the quad will have been glassed in and there will be a lift, a new staircase and a stimulating environment for sixth form learning. The new playground for Little Gables is already providing a wonderful learning area for the girls to explore and we have created a safe, family-friendly route between the two LSH buildings.

Once these works have been done, we will begin the work of re-modelling the former Junior buildings of Mackenzie, Lund and Claremont and creating a new

concourse around The Centre. We will then have a great deal more flexible and valuable space for the Senior School. I hope that by September 2017 the site will have been transformed but that we have remained true to what makes the School so special. At the heart of the School will remain the older buildings, the space to wander and reflect, the sports pitches and the traditions we all love and enjoy. This year we have adopted a new image to adorn our publications and it shows the clock tower and the weather vane which are recognisable to all current and former pupils.

And what else are we transforming? We anticipated the transformation of the public exam structure so that we can confidently embark upon the new and intellectually exciting linear A levels. The Sixth Form enrichment programme was introduced two years ago and now includes taught courses and the Wednesday lecture. Last year we extended this programme by creating the University Preparation courses and the EPQ and next year we will begin to build the Futures Programme through which we can create the network of alumnae, and current and past parents, who can mentor current pupils, buddy undergraduates and advise girls as they embark on their careers. I have also appointed a member of staff to oversee our academic extension programme and to advise and prepare pupils who are encouraged to apply to the most competitive university courses in the UK and beyond.

All of this has been given a huge boost by another of this year’s transforming

innovations. The Development Office, led by Zoe Baines, has begun to create opportunities for alumnae and former parents and staff to stay in touch with the school of 2015. She works alongside the Old Girls Club to make the connections and build the relationships which will broaden our St Helen’s community and strengthen it. We have had parties and barbeques, and last month were able to join with Merchant Taylors’ School to hold a joint City Networking party. I am delighted to watch the School community growing in this way.

The fundamental reason for the Development Office is to build relationships and networks. Out of those relationships we also hope to be able to raise funds to support capital projects but more importantly, to support individual girls through the bursary programme and in so doing to transform lives.

There are many, many more innovations taking place but all of them are directed towards enabling our existing and future pupils to flourish and to develop into the most exceptional young women who will lead their professions and communities. These are exciting times!

I hope that the stories, photographs and articles in this year’s magazine will provide you all with an understanding of why I am so proud of the achievements of the pupils of St Helen’s and of the hard work and commitment to excellence of the staff who care for them.

» DR MARY SHORT

I AM DELIGHTED TO INTRODUCE THIS YEAR’S ST HELEN’S SCHOOL MAGAZINE. IN IT YOU WILL FIND A WEALTH OF PHOTOS AND STORIES WHICH REFLECT THE

VIBRANCY AND CREATIVITY OF THE SCHOOL COMMUNITY.

From the Headmistress

Contents3 From the Headmistress

4 Nursery Fashion Show

6 Nursary Farm

8 Reception vist to Chiltern Air Museum

10 Clay Lane Environmental Centre

12 Around the World dress up day

14 The British Schools Museum

16 Author

18 Easter Bonnet Parade

22 Year 3 Pirate Day

24 Year 4 Rock Climbing

26 Year 5 Trip to Hooke Court

30 Bushcraft

32 Book Week

34 Year 6 Trip to RAF Hendon

38 Cromer

40 The Wizard of Oz

42 Year 7 PGL

46 Trip to Boulogne

48 Berlin History Trip 2015

50 Lake Tahoe

52 Trip to Italy

54 Trip to Japan

56 Visit to CERN

58 Spanish Exchange

60 Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Expedition

62 Duke of Edinburgh Silver Expedition

64 Duke of Edinburgh Gold Expedition

66 Debating

68 Cabaret

70 Phab

72 Young Enterprise

74 Art

78 U19 Netball County Finals

80 Sport Teams

90 Speech Day & Prives

94 Destinations of Leavers 2015

[04] ST HELEN’S MAGAZINE 2014-2015 ST HELEN’S MAGAZINE 2014-2015 [05]

THE GIRLS IN NURSERY ENJOYED TAKING PART IN A FASHION SHOW WHICH LINKED TO THE TOPIC ‘MYSELF’.

The girls examined different materials and were encouraged to describe the appearance and texture of different outfi ts. The girls showed great confi dence while

walking down the runway!

Nursery Fashion Show

THE GIRLS SHOWED GREAT CONFIDENCE WHILE WALKING

DOWN THE RUNWAY!

ST HELEN’S MAGAZINE 2014-2015 [07] [06] ST HELEN’S MAGAZINE 2014-2015

Nursery Farm

THE NURSERY SCHOOL YEAR ENDED WITH A FARM VISIT WHICH

LINKED TO THE TOPIC ‘FARM ANIMALS’.

The girls were thrilled to see a variety of farm animals

on their school grounds such as mice, ducks, chickens, rabbits, lambs, goats, kids and piglets to name a few. It was pleasing to see the girls handle the animals with confi dence and excitement. The visit was a perfect way to end an informative topic and to consolidate learning in a practical and fun way!

» RIYA KANSAGRA


Reception vist to Chiltern Open Air Museum

The museum contains houses and artefacts from various times

in history as well as traditional farm animals. When the girls arrived they were able to visit the cottage belonging to the ‘Three Bears’ and tasted some of their porridge with honey! The porridge had been cooked over the fire in a traditional pot. It was a real success.

After eating the porridge, the girls went upstairs to look at the bears’ beds. Outside the cottage the girls made masks of the bears using leaves from the local trees. They also visited the wood where the bears play and tried to build a house for each bear from the sticks and leaves available. The results were fantastic! Then it was time for

lunch and the girls really enjoyed their picnics. After lunch, the girls visited all the different buildings on the site and even had time for a quick visit to the playground. There were many tired or sleeping girls on the coach coming back to school.

» DONNA MASTERS

RECEPTION GIRLS VISITED CHILTERN OPEN AIR MUSEUM ON A GLORIOUS SUMMER DAY. IT WAS THE FIRST TIME FOR MANY OF THEM

ON A COACH AND THE SENSE OF EXCITEMENT WAS ENORMOUS.


THE GIRLS’ VERY LAST TRIP






IN YEAR 1 WAS TO CLAY LANE





ENVIRONMENTAL CENTRE.





TTTTTThey had the opportunity to go pond dipping and

hey had the opportunity to go pond dipping and








hunt for mini beasts in their natural habitat. They






















enjoyed digging in the earth and looking under logs for

























mini beasts before observing them under magnifying


















glasses. They loved carrying out all the water



















experiments and were amazed to discover how













dirty water is purifi ed.

dirty water is purifi ed.

» NEERU JOHARNEERU JOHARNEERU JOHARNEERU JOHAR

Clay Lane Environmental Centre


AS PART OF THEIR ‘AROUND THE WORLD’ TOPIC, YEAR 1 GIRLS DRESSED

UP IN COSTUMES FROM DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE WORLD.

It was lovely to see the children and staff in their colourful and vibrant costumes. The girls used their

creative skills to make objects from different countries including Chinese lanterns, Australian boomerangs and Dutch windmills.

» NEERU JOHAR

Around the World dress

up day


THE YEAR 2 GIRLS WERE SO EXCITED, DRESSED IN SMOCKS READY FOR THE

TRIP TO THE BRITISH SCHOOLS MUSEUM.

They learnt so much about what it was like to be a child in Victorian

times. The girls loved visiting a real Victorian Schoolroom, using slate and chalk, sitting up straight at the desks and doing real Victorian lessons, including copy writing using ink. They had to be very quiet and obedient. The girls also had the opportunity to visit the headmaster’s house and learn all about how life would have been then, without electricity or an indoor toilet! The day was definitely a success, but the girls agreed they would rather be a child now and go to school at the present time!

» HELEN SCHERBEL-BALL

The British Schools Museum

THE GIRLS ALSO HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT THE HEADMASTER’S HOUSE AND LEARN

ALL ABOUT HOW LIFE WOULD HAVE BEEN THEN, WITHOUT ELECTRICITY OR AN INDOOR TOILET!


Author Visit

IN LITERACY, THE GIRLS WROTE THEIR OWN ADVENTURE STORIES BASED ON THE AUTHOR’S BOOK

‘PUFFIN PETER’.

The girls were fascinated to hear how Petr creates his stories and

develops the illustrations for his books. They all participated in making an enormous, vibrant mural and used wax crayons to draw imaginary living things. The girls learned to blend colours and to use the lightest ones fi rst and the darkest last. In Literacy, the girls wrote their own adventure stories based on the author’s book ‘Puffi n Peter.’

A HIGHLIGHT FOR THE GIRLS IN YEAR 2 WAS MEETING AND WORKING WITH THE VISITING

AUTHOR PETR HORACEK.


LSH TOOK PART IN THEIR FIRST EVER

EASTER BONNET PARADE.

The girls were asked to create their own bonnets at home.

There was such a variety, from sheep designs to egg creations and a spring garden. Girls came in wearing their bonnets and then paraded in a colourful circle, exhibiting them to their friends.

Easter Bonnet Parade

he girls were asked to create

then paraded in a colourful circle,


Year 3 Pirate Day

PIRATE DAY IN YEAR 3 IS A BUILD UP TO OUR ACTIVE LEARNING WEEK.

This day allows the girls to focus on building skills of independence, team work and resourcefulness whilst

participating in structured activities that centre on the theme of Pirates. These include designing a pirate fl ag, walking the plank, embarking on a treasure hunt, and making periscopes. The girls come dressed for the occasion which adds to the colour and fun. They are also given a pirate-themed lunch which fi lls their bellies and makes them yell like pirates!

» SUDEEP GUPTA


Year 4 Rock Climbing

THIS TRIP ALSO ALLOWED THE CHILDREN TO BUILD AND FORM RELATIONSHIPS, SUPPORTING

EACH OTHER AS THEY CLIMBED TO NEW HEIGHTS

It was not just for fun, or even a chance to take part in an exhilarating and

enjoyable activity, but an opportunity to add a practical and co-curricular element to part of the Year 4 curriculum.

In English during the Spring Term, Year 4 looked at the key features of accounts written by explorers who had climbed, or had attempted to climb, Mount Everest. Also in the Spring Term, Year 4 studied mountains, looking at their formation and world location. By going on this trip, the girls were able to try climbing and so experience fi rst-hand some of the mental and physical attributes needed by a mountaineer. The writing which followed the trip resulted in more vivid and detailed accounts of an imaginary journey up a mountain.

Every child had the chance to experience climbing and some of the teachers even had a go at this exciting activity! This trip also allowed the children to build and form relationships, supporting each other as they climbed to new heights. This is one trip Year 4 will never forget.

» MAXINE PARRY

ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF YEAR 4 THIS YEAR WAS THEIR ROCK CLIMBING TRIP TO THE WESTWAY ROCK

CLIMBING CENTRE IN LONDON.


Year 5 Trip to Hooke Court

The main activities were linked to their history and geography topics

of Victorians and River studies. The girls donned their wellies for the river study of the River Hooke. In groups they measured the depth and velocity, recording the data to create a profi le of the river. As well as enjoying splashing about in the river, they saw fi rst-hand how the river has more energy where it is deepest, often on the outside of the meander. They also went into the woods to build shelters, using only what could be found on the woodland fl oor. Some of the structures were extremely well designed.

» KATHY SERINTURK

YEAR 5 HAD THEIR FIRST TASTE OF A RESIDENTIAL

TRIP WHEN THEY WENT FOR A WEEK TO HOOKE COURT

IN DORSET.


Year 5 Trip to Hooke Court continued...


Each year group took part in a different

activity. The Year 3’s spent the

afternoon animal tracking and looked

around the grounds for signs of the

different wildlife that live on our school

grounds. Year 4 had an orienteering

exercise which guided them to different

points around the school grounds and

introduced them to map reading. The

Year 6’s built shelters around the grounds

using bushes and trees while a small

group put up the enormous 14 sleeper

tent ready for the Eco camp taking place

over the weekend. The highlight of the

day was the Year 5’s fi re

building. The girls were

given instructions about

a number of different

fi res they could build.

Once their fi res were

lit they then cooked

Smores, made from

melted marshmallows

and chocolate digestive

biscuits, for the whole

of Junior School!

» KATHY SERINTURK

BushcraftON A SUNNY AFTERNOON TOWARDS THE

END OF THE SUMMER TERM JUNIOR

SCHOOL TOOK PART IN THEIR SECOND

BUSH CRAFT DAY.

and chocolate digestive


Book Week

The week began with a hilarious assembly delivered by Mrs Sami,

Winston and Rosie. Poor old Winston the Book Eating Wolf (Mrs Sami) just did not understand how to devour books to get the best out of them. He was in terrible trouble with Miss Steerwood, as he was tearing up her library books. Thanks to Rosie (Mrs Serinturk) he was

DURING BOOK WEEK THE GIRLS ENJOYED A NUMBER OF ACTIVITIES DESIGNED TO ENCOURAGE THEIR

LOVE OF READING.

taught how to devour a book and feel full and fulfi lled just in the nick of time before he was banned forever from the library.

Mrs Sami went on to talk about reading books and being transported to worlds you are never likely to experience any other way, from living in Victorian times to marrying a prince! She also

told the girls that if they read for just 20 minutes each day for a year they will read in total over 1 million words! The girls were amazed by this. On the Friday, Junior School and LSH had a book character dress-up day with some outstanding costumes made!

» KATHY SERINTURK


Year 6 Trip to RAF Hendon

The girls, clad in evacuee fashion, explored the

planes and machines the RAF used during the

Second World War and some that are currently being

used today. As always, the girls were keen learners as they

moved through the exhibit exploring the impact war had on

people in urban and rural areas. The highlight of the day was

the Wartime Classroom Experience. The girls wrote using

ink wells and quills, completed arithmetic in dockets and

shillings and built their own gas mask boxes. Then the air

raid siren rang and the girls were told they were going

to be evacuated, just as the children in London

were during WWII. It was wonderful to see the

girls immersed in history in every sense

of the word.

THE YEAR 6’S WENT

TO RAF HENDON AS PART

OF THEIR HISTORY CURRICULUM.


CromerIN JUNE, THE YEAR 6’S HEADED TO CROMER

IN NORFOLK FOR THEIR WEEK-LONG

RESIDENTIAL TRIP.

The girls explored the changing coastline and learned about

coastal defences. They explored the rock pools along the

beach to learn about interdependence and adaptation. They

worked together through team-building activities such as

nightline and team tech. Most excitingly, each girl attempted

the Leap of Faith! The girls supported each other, cheered

each other on and spent hours laughing. Cromer was

the perfect place for the girls to spend a week at

the end of their Junior School careers.


The Wizard Of Oz

This play has always been a favourite of Mrs Crawford’s, and as she was

retiring it was fi tting that it should be the last play she directed. The leads of Dorothy played by Saachi and Abbie were excellent, but the teachers stole the show as a motley crowd of generals who gave a fi tting tribute to Mrs Crawford, much to her surprise! The girls were fantastic as they sang and danced their way through Oz, each girl playing a key part in making this show a success. Having two shows this year allowed many of the girls to showcase their talents. It was great to see their months of hard work pay off.

» KATHY SERINTURK

“WE’RE OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD…”

THE YEAR 6’S FINISHED THEIR TIME IN JUNIOR SCHOOL WITH THEIR

AMAZING DOUBLE-HEADER OF ‘THE WIZARD OF OZ’.


Year 7 PGL

After breakfast, we split up into our groups and went to our activities. My group’s fi rst activity was

abseiling. Although I had never abseiled before, I was looking forward to it. It was actually harder than it looked! Luckily, we all got to go twice. Our next activity was the climbing wall. It looked quite high up, but I wasn’t nervous, as I had climbed before. We went up with our partners and rang the bell at the top. Then we abseiled down. Everybody in my group managed to get up, including Mr Hoffman. After lunch, we went on the Challenge course, which was like an obstacle course. On Saturday morning we designed our raft, the Minion Float, and then went out and actually built it using barrels, rope and wooden poles. Fortunately, it didn’t capsize! Our penultimate activity was the Vertical Challenge, where we fi rst went up a rope ladder, then tyres, before climbing a rope wall to the top. After that we went down on the giant swing which everybody found really exciting.

» HANNAH ORME

WE ALL WOKE UP EARLY ON THE FIRST MORNING OF OUR PGL ACTIVITY

EXPEDITION IN WILTSHIRE.


After sleeping and snacking our way through a long coach ride we fi nally

arrived in the town. Our fi rst stop was the shopping centre; we split off into small groups and enjoyed the novelty of French shops and products. There, I bought some small food items to take back home and some bath bombs for me and my sister, and, judging by how many Sephora bags there were on the coach, a lot of other people had a similar idea!

The next portion of the day was spent at a local bakery where we learned how to make croissants and bread. It was interesting to see how the croissants are shaped before baking and some of us got to help cut the dough too. We also got to taste some freshly made croissants, pain au chocolat and bread, which were all delicious.

Then we visited a museum where we saw exhibits on ancient civilisations and artefacts. Next to the museum, there was a small street where we put the French we had learned into practice. We had activities to complete which included buying postcards, souvenirs and food, whilst using our French oral skills.

Finally, we went to a traditional French restaurant for dinner, where we relaxed and enjoyed our meals. Then, a chef showed us how to make crepes which we happily ate, making for a great ending to the day. We hopped back on the coach afterwards and said “au revoir” to France after having had a lovely trip.

» BY ARYA RAVAL

Trip to BoulogneON JUNE 12TH THE YEAR EIGHT FRENCH CLASSES

TRAVELLED TO BOULOGNE, FRANCE TO EXPERIENCE A

TASTE OF FRENCH CULTURE AND LIFE FOR A DAY.

fter sleeping and snacking our way through a long coach ride we fi nally

of French shops and products. There, I

Trip to Boulogne


Berlin History Trip 2015

On the first day we had the opportunity to see the

Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp a few days before Germany marked 70 years of its liberation in April 1945.

Over the next few days, we saw all of the major landmarks in Berlin such as the Reichstag, Checkpoint Charlie, the Brandenburg Gate, the East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall and the Soviet War Memorial. We had guided tours around The Topography of Terror Museum, The Museum of German Resistance, The Story of Berlin Museum, The Jewish Museum and the Holocaust Memorial and Museum.

In particular, the Holocaust Memorial and the Jewish Museum were very interesting, as not only were they informative, but the abstract architecture of the museums added to the overall experience, helping us empathize with the victims of the Third Reich whilst trying to comprehend just a little of the overwhelming pain and fear they went through.

All the girls enjoyed the trip immensely and we learned a lot more about the Third Reich and the events following the Second World War.

The trip was a huge success, bringing all our classroom work to life!

» BY KHADIJA YAQOOB

TOWARDS THE END OF THE EASTER HOLIDAY, GIRLS FROM YEARS 10 AND 11 WENT ON A 4 DAY HISTORY TRIP TO BERLIN. AS PART OF OUR GCSE COURSE, WE HAD BEEN STUDYING THE

‘DEVELOPMENT OF DICTATORSHIP’ IN GERMANY 1918-1945.


Lake Tahoe

While we were in San Francisco we also visited Alcatraz Island. After

a short journey by boat, we were given audio guides which told us the route around the prison to take, as well as lots of interesting information. One thing that was really hard hitting was how the prisoners were so close to the busy city of San Francisco but yet so far. Out of the small windows the prisoners could see San Francisco, yet as Alcatraz is an island and a maximum security prison, it would be near impossible for the prisoners to escape. As we passed the rows and rows of tiny cells, listening to the sound effects of prisoners shouting and keys jangling via the audio guides, we were transported back to the time when Alcatraz was inhabited, giving us a real sense of what it must have been like.

After returning to mainland San Francisco on the ferry, we boarded one of the trams that the city is famous for and headed to Union Square. Most of us were awed at how big the shopping district was and we made full use of the exchange rate and sales, most of us finding at least one good bargain! San Francisco is definitely one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It has a great mix of raucousness and serenity, and although we definitely do not miss walking up the hills, we certainly do miss the views that we saw when we reached the top of them.

After a long journey across California, we finally arrived at Lake Tahoe.

WHEN WE ARRIVED IN SAN FRANCISCO, EVERYONE WAS EXHAUSTED. THE FIRST NIGHT WE WENT TO BUBBA GUMP’S SHRIMP CO TO EAT AND MOST OF US WERE ASLEEP AT OUR

TABLES, EVEN THOUGH THE FOOD WAS DELICIOUS.

Although very dark, we could just about make out the water below and the snowy peaks above us, which were breath-taking even at this time of day. The first day consisted of boot, helmet, ski and pole hire, as well as several hours skiing in one of the four ability groups. Our first ride up the gondola was spectacular to say the least. It was a beautifully clear day and the huge lake was sparkling in the sun. Throughout the days that followed we came across many other spectacular sights, including one at the top of the chair lift on the Stateline between Nevada and California, where one could see

the oasis of life by the lake and, on the other side of the mountains, the empty yellow-orange deserts of Nevada. On top of the fantastic skiing, the week was packed with various crashes, flying people and incidents with trees. Our evenings consisted of a swim, a meal in various restaurants around the town and activities such as bowling, shopping and going to the cinema. All in all, it was one of the best trips we have been on, since we learned so much about the world and ourselves, along with having the time of our lives.

» BETHANY BROWN, ISABEL WINDSOR AND IMOGEN YATES


Trip to Italy

The journey to Naples on the plane was a short one, with

certain members of the group more animated at 7.30 in the morning than others! As soon as we arrived, girls were more than happy to slip on the sunglasses and the occasional fl oppy sun hat, as the weather was gorgeous in comparison to drizzly, autumnal England! The trip lasted for 6 days with 3 spent in sunny Sorrento and 3 spent in slightly chillier Rome, with girls and teachers alike discovering their inner tourist! We gorged ourselves on the biggest pizzas known to human-kind, ate plates full of pasta and couldn’t resist the delicious, creamy gelatos! Highlights of the trip included Caecilius’s house in Pompeii, studying the pumice at the top of the magnifi cent Mount Vesuvius, vlogging amongst the amazingly well-maintained wood, stone and mosaics of the Herculaneum ruins, exploring the biggest amphitheatre

ON THE FIRST SUNDAY OF OCTOBER HALF TERM, AT 4.30 AM, 17 OVER-EXCITED GIRLS AND THREE STAFF MEMBERS SET

OFF FOR HEATHROW AIRPORT.

in the world, the Colosseum, epically failing at taking panoramas inside the beautiful Pantheon whilst trying to spot the non-symmetrical part of it and haggling with selfi e-stick sellers, much to our teachers’ dismay! The ancient ruins of the classical world were truly incredible, breath-taking and interesting. Thanks to Dr Berriman’s extensive knowledge, girls learned a phenomenal amount whilst on the trip. A particularly memorable moment was when we realised the famous Trevi Fountain was drained of water due to temporary reconstruction and we could walk along a ramp literally just out of touching distance with the fountain. Overall, the girls were truly impressed with Italian food, life and ancient culture and would seriously recommend the trip to any budding Classicist or Latin student!

» NATASHA LEAKE


This is the sixth consecutive year with Konan Girls’ School, demonstrating our

good relationship, and we were all made very welcome. During the fi rst week, the girls experienced Japanese school life with their host sisters at school, and during the evenings and weekends they experienced various things with their host families, such as visiting local attractions around Kyoto

and Nara. In the second week, we visited Hiroshima, Osaka, Hakone National Park and Tokyo. Throughout our stay, the host families and the school were very generous and hospitable, and the girls were treated very well and made to feel at home.

» MOTOKO ISHIKAWA

Trip to JapanDURING THE OCTOBER HALF TERM HOLIDAY, THREE Y11 GIRLS JOINED

THE TWO WEEK JAPANESE ACADEMIC EXCHANGE PROGRAMME HELD AT KONAN GIRLS’ SCHOOL IN KOBE, JAPAN.

and Nara. In the second week,

Hakone National Park and Tokyo.

families and the school were very generous and hospitable, and the girls were treated very well and


Visit to CERN

We arrived on Wednesday night after a short fl ight and went

straight to bed. The next morning, we were up bright and early to travel by tram to CERN. On arrival, we were given a talk by one of the scientists working at CERN explaining how the facility

worked. She also gave a brief overview of the projects undertaken there. After the talk, we were then fortunate enough to be given a guided tour of one of the facility’s projects, ALICE, which detects quark-gluon plasma, a state of matter thought to have formed just

after the Big Bang. ALICE is one of the components of the 27-kilometre long Large Hadron Collider ring, the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator. Although the ALICE detector is enormous- 26 metres long and 16 metres high and wide- it is used

ON WEDNESDAY 11TH FEBRUARY, A GROUP OF 12 A-LEVEL PHYSICS STUDENTS TRAVELLED TO GENEVA, SWITZERLAND TO VISIT CERN, THE EUROPEAN

ORGANISATION FOR NUCLEAR RESEARCH.

to study quarks, which are microscopic particles that make up protons and neutrons. It was incredible to be able to see what we had been learning in school being applied in the real world. After our tour, we were lucky enough to meet, by chance, Samuel Ting, who won the Nobel Prize in 1976 for the discovery of the J particle. He was an inspirational man who was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to take photos with us and answer any questions we had.

We then had lunch in the enormous CERN cafeteria, which served almost every cuisine imaginable. Whilst we ate we socialised with the scientists, asking them about their day-to-day work and their long-term careers. What became

apparent was the diversity of the scientists, not only in terms of the work they did at CERN, but also in terms of their nationalities.

In the afternoon, we were able to go shopping in a nearby town, where we all made good use of the famous Swiss chocolatiers. In the evening, we enjoyed a pleasant walk through Geneva and then had dinner at a traditional Swiss restaurant. We ate cheese fondues whilst being serenaded with live traditional Swiss music. Although we were less than impressed with the cheese fondues, the music was good and many girls (and even Mr Le Bas!) went up on stage to give it a go.

On Friday, we had another early start and took the tram again, but this time to

visit the United Nations Offi ce in Geneva. It was an impressive building, with huge conference rooms and extraordinary artwork. We were given a guided tour and saw the Alliance of Civilizations Room, which was decorated by the famous artist Miquel Barcelò, and the Assembly Hall, which is not only the largest room in the Palais des Nations, but was also the headquarters of the former League of Nations. We were also able to see a conference room which had been set up for a meeting of the Environmental Committee. Although completely unrelated to physics, the trip to the UN was an amazing experience that provided a welcome contrast to the previous day’s excursion to CERN.

» KELSEY PATEL AND BIJAL SHAH


We were delighted with the girls’ behaviour and how hard they

tried to practise their language and immerse themselves in Spanish culture. All the Spanish parents that I spoke to mentioned how impressed they were with the effort the girls were making and how well they behaved.

During our time in Spain, we toured Madrid and had the chance to sample some “churros con chocolate” in one of the traditional cafes. We also visited the famous Madrid art galleries. First we went to Museo del Prado where we focused on Goya’s paintings. We also visited the Centro de Arte Reina Sofía where we enjoyed looking at some contemporary paintings from Joan Miró, Salvador Dalí and Picasso, including the famous Guernica. We were very lucky to have a lesson on these artists beforehand, as it helped the girls to appreciate the paintings more. The lesson was delivered in Spanish! Colegio Altair also organised two day trips to Toledo and Segovia. In Toledo we were able to visit the cathedral and enjoy some incredible weather, which really helped the girls to appreciate the old quarter where

you can see the blend of Christian, Jewish and Muslim architecture. In Segovia we saw the Roman Aqueduct and the Alcázar.

The Spanish exchange has now been running for over 10 years and we have a great partnership with Colegio Altair, who are always very welcoming.

» ESTHER SERRANO» ESTHER SERRANO

Spanish Exchange

MR HOFFMAN AND MS SERRANO ACCOMPANIED A GROUP OF ELEVEN YEAR 10 GIRLS TO THE

SPANISH EXCHANGE.


Over those two days, we learnt so much about independence and

responsibility - as well as taking charge of ourselves, rather than relying on adults. Of course, the backpacks we carried were fairly heavy, often making us wonder what we even packed in the fi rst place; but the feeling of accomplishment when we reached the fi nal checkpoint was more than worth it.

Throughout our expedition, we got a real chance to look around and actually appreciate our surroundings. We all, at least once, stopped for a few seconds to look at the landscapes that we often overlook, and constantly pointed things out to each other that we didn’t even know existed.

Yes, we did get lost down some roads, and it was freezing at times - but as an experience it is something that will stay with us for a long while. The highlight for our group was the rather unwelcome ambush by a cowherd. At the time, we were feeling pretty positive with our journey, with only about 20 minutes or so till our checkpoint until we managed to encounter a good 15 curious cows, who were blocking our footpath.

At fi rst, we weren’t too concerned - in fact, we were so indifferent about it, we decided to take a picture of them, staring blankly at us. A few of us decided to pass. This was a big mistake. The herd thought it would be a good idea to make loud grunting

Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Expedition

ON FRIDAY 1ST MAY, GIRLS FROM YEAR 10 SET OFF TO COMPLETE THE BRONZE DUKE OF EDINBURGH EXPEDITION, WALKING

AROUND 24 KILOMETRES OVER TWO DAYS.

noises, and follow three of us down the path. We then made a quick detour around a couple of trees, not wanting to disturb the cows.

However, they came charging after us, practically stampeding, and making extremely intimidating territorial mooing noises. The rest of our group somehow managed to distract the cows, taking the attention away from the others closest to them, and we took this chance to run - well, more like waddle because of the bags - across the fi eld

and climb over a fence to be reunited on the original side.

Although it was nerve-wracking at the time, we now have a good story to tell. Despite the ups and downs, we loved the experience, and look forward to carrying on with the Silver Award. As long as there won’t be another episode involving cattle, I’m sure it will be just as enjoyable. Or maybe, in fact, there should be another, for old time’s sake!

» PRIYA CHAKRABORTY


Duke of Edinburgh Silver Expedition

The Peak District is composed solely of fi elds and hills, which was

made known to us upon arrival, when we trekked up what seemed to be an endless incline, only to discover that this was merely the path to our hostel!

Rising early the next day, the prospect of our trek was not one we regarded with great enthusiasm. The steadiness of the light rain, the grey skies and the rolling hills hardly inspired confi dence in us as we set out. Nevertheless, with admirable optimism, the groups departed one by one, set to conquer the mountainous landscape before us. The rest of the day posed no such diffi culties as the fi rst hill we had encountered, instead becoming warmer and more pleasant as the sun rose higher in the sky, and before we knew, we were at the campsite. This, in itself, seemed to be an achievement, as we settled ourselves into our temporary dwelling. Unfortunately, we made this delight increasingly well known as more girls arrived, to the dismay and annoyance of the rest of the campsite. Having been reprimanded for our want of propriety by Mr Froggatt, our company quietened and began to go about the necessary tasks with a more reserved nature. The other two days followed with a similar routine. Some groups stayed in the tranquillity of the fi elds, while others chose to venture into the small villages located in the area. Each provided entertainment and

IT IS A TRUTH UNIVERSALLY ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH AWARD IS NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART. OUR SILVER EXPEDITION TO THE PEAK DISTRICT

SERVED ONLY TO CONFIRM THIS.

enjoyment, though civilised restrooms were only encountered by those travelling through the aforementioned towns. At last we arrived at the coach park, having climbed many a fence with little dignity and fought through nettles. The miserable, overcast weather put no dampener upon our delight at the fi nish of our expedition.

As promised by generations before us, the Silver expedition brought with it memories of both utmost felicity and absolute melancholy. One of the fi ner moments of the weekend manifested itself in a most extraordinary historical revelation: we found ourselves to be the recipients of a lesson in Mr Froggatt’s ancestry. For having passed the village of Froggatt, haste was made in quelling our violent curiosity regarding the possible connection of this place to our leader. Indeed, our enquiring minds were satisfi ed - Froggatt is a village once owned by the family of Mr Froggatt.

Three days had been productively spent, and although the weekend was much more challenging than had been expected, especially compared to the Bronze expedition, all of us are glad that we achieved the Duke of Edinburgh Silver Award and we would highly recommend it.

» NICOLE BILAN AND JESSICA GRAYDON

[064] ST HELEN’S MAGAZINE 2014-2015

Duke of Edinburgh Gold Expedition


While everyone else spent the fi rst few days of summer recuperating

from the year’s toils, we embarked upon a fi ve- hour coach journey to what would be a physically and emotionally exhausting, yet rewarding, experience. We spent our fi rst night in Wales in a bunkhouse nearby, preparing for the challenge ahead, which would consist of walking 70 kilometres over four days with a 16kg rucksack on our backs, and camping and cooking in the evenings.

Day 1 began at 7:30am. We had our fi nal taste of civilisation with a hearty English breakfast at the bunkhouse, and then split off up the mountains in our two groups of six. The day proceeded with as few hitches as we could have asked for, but the terrain was diffi cult and the altitude had clearly affected our spirits. In many ways, the fi rst day set the tone for the rest of the expedition. It soon became obvious that in order to get to the end successfully, we would have to try hard to maintain a lively morale among the group. We woke up after our fi rst night of camping to the sound of birds chirping and condensation dripping slowly onto us inside the tent. The six of us knew that Day 2 would be a greater challenge, since it was our longest route, which we had to walk with stiffer bones and little sleep. Fortunately, the weather continued to hold up for the duration of the day, making us hopeful that this

ON THE 10TH- 14TH JULY 2015, A DOZEN YEAR 12’S SET OFF TO THE BRECON BEACONS IN WALES TO COMPLETE OUR DUKE OF EDINBURGH GOLD QUALIFYING EXPEDITION.

would be the case for the rest of the expedition as well. How wrong we were!

Day 3 brought with it gale-force winds and fog so thick we struggled to see 10 feet in front of us. Almost the entire route consisted of walking along the ridge of a 700 metre mountain with torrential rain streaking across our faces, soaking us through our waterproofs. Since much of the terrain we had to navigate was considerably fl ooded, we spent a proportion of the day trudging through ankle- deep waters. Although the day was tough and the conditions relentless, the general demeanour of the group was that of victory, and we felt invincible. Upon arrival at the campsite for our fi nal evening, shivering and hungry, we hung up our wet clothes in the barn of a kind farmer, ate our well-deserved hot dinners, and got straight into our comparatively warm, partially dry sleeping bags.

The fi nal day of our Duke of Edinburgh experience began with the demoralising sound of rain pelting against the roof of our tent, and forcing our tired, battered feet back into our cold, water-drenched walking boots. By Day 4, the simple task of walking to the water tap took every ounce of our strength, with blisters and aching joints worse than we’d ever experienced, all before our rucksacks were on our backs. However, thankfully, our route was shortest that

day, and we knew we were coming to the end of the expedition. The weather wasn’t as bad as the previous day, and we made it to the end of our route with the bitter-sweet knowledge that we had fi nally completed our fi nal ever Duke of Edinburgh expedition. From walking for two days in Amersham in year 10, to navigating the Brecon Beacons in unforgiving weather, Duke of Edinburgh has been one of the most rewarding and life-changing experiences we could have had together. We would all highly recommend it to anyone looking to push themselves to achieve things they didn’t know they could.

» JINA RAHIMI, REBECCA HALLAM AND MADDIE HICKS


THE JUNIOR AND SENIOR FINALS OF THE SCHOOL DEBATING COMPETITIONS TOOK PLACE IN THE CENTRE

AND OLD HALL ON FRIDAY 10TH JULY.

Debating


In the junior fi nal Verity Leake and Abirame Sritharan of year 7 took on Kate Hunter and Maya Kateli of year 8 in debating the motion “This house would ban

homework”. In the senior fi nal Vicky Tsouki and Uma Gurav took on Emilia Peters and Ria Savjani in debating the motion “This house believes that single-sex schools

are good for education”. All the girls spoke with spirit, fl uency and cogency in putting forward their arguments and the standard of debate was high. Kate Fallowfi eld and Kristen Smithers judged the junior fi nal and chose Kate Hunter and Maya Kateli as

the winners, and Shivani Ananth and Maria Ahmad judged the senior fi nal and chose Emilia Peters and Ria Savjani as senior winners.

LEFT TO RIGHT: RIA SAVJANI AND EMILIA PETERS, WINNERS OF THE SENIOR DEBATING COMPETITION

LEFT TO RIGHT: KATE HUNTER AND MAYA KATELI,

WINNERS OF THE JUNIOR DEBATING COMPETITION


CABARET

Fusing a vital part of recent human history with music, humour and

tragedy, Cabaret is a 20th century masterpiece. It so cleverly utilises drama to explain the hateful fervour in late Weimar Germany that allowed Nazism to take hold. Interwoven with Kander and Ebb’s glorious music, Cabaret whisks you into the audience of a 1930s German nightclub and involves you in the lives of the performers. The musical follows the lovely Sally Bowles from her fi rst encounter with ‘Perfectly Marvellous’ American writer Cliff, telling the story of their affair set against a backdrop of rising anti-semitism.

Mrs Connell’s and Mrs Sinclair’s direction balanced the themes of love and hate, using multiple elements of drama. Katya de la Fuente starred as Emcee of the nightclub, exhibiting a diverse performance, vast singing range and a rather fetching pair of leather lederhosen. Sally’s naivety, so perfectly captured by Jina Rahimi, paired with Kristin Smithers’ very real interpretation of Fraulein Schneider, conveyed two normally untold reactions to the rise of the Nazis.

The fi rst act was fun and lively, with huge numbers like ‘Willkommen’ and ‘Don’t Tell Mama’. The costumes were exquisite, exhibiting the societal change throughout the course of the play. I was lucky enough to be able to perform ‘Tomorrow Belongs to Me’, a song which marks one of the most distinct changes in tone in musical theatre. And for the record, I think my reputation

CABARET FIRST ENTERED DINNER TABLE DISCUSSIONS IN THE LASSMAN HOUSEHOLD IN JULY. MUCH TO MY FATHER’S DISMAY, I HAD BEEN CAST AS A NAZI PROSTITUTE IN

THIS YEAR’S SCHOOL MUSICAL. I, ON THE OTHER HAND, WAS ECSTATIC - AND NOT JUST BECAUSE THE ROLE WAS ENTHRALLING.

has just about recovered - even if I was told by my old headmistress that the last role she had seen me play was a prostitute.

» ALICE LASSMAN


Phab

After two terms of fundraising events, including a 10 mile sponsored

walk, a successful season of candy cane sales, a James Bond inspired Casino Night, an American High School themed disco, and our annual ‘Phab Revue’, on Monday 6th April the wait was fi nally over and the week fi nally began. Any nerves were quickly forgotten as soon as the guests arrived and transformed Merchant Taylors’ from a normal school into a hubbub of excitement and activity, full of bouncing space hoppers, dancing to an endless playlist of High School Musical and diving into the infamous Phab ball pond. As soon as you walked into the MT’s dining room, you were immediately struck by the warmth of the atmosphere and incredible energy of all the guests and their hosts. The fi rst night was spent visiting a petting zoo, where the guests had the opportunity to meet snakes, toads and the extremely fl uffy chinchilla. From such a great fi rst day, it was clear that the rest of the week’s activities would not disappoint. Trips to Intu Watford, Woburn Safari Park and Hollywood Bowl kept us all very busy, as well as swimming, baking, sailing and movie nights watching both ‘Despicable Me’ 1 and 2 and the fi rm

SINCE THE FIRST TIME I HAD BEEN TOLD ABOUT

PHAB IN YEAR 7, I THOUGHT THAT A WEEK

SPENT LOOKING AFTER DISABLED TEENAGERS

SOUNDED AN ‘AMAZING’ EXPERIENCE. “IT’S JUST

SO ‘AMAZING’”, I WOULD FIND MYSELF SAYING TO

PROSPECTIVE PARENTS WHILE WE PASSED THE

PHAB NOTICE BOARD ON OPEN DAY, AND “IT’S

SUCH AN ‘AMAZING’ OPPORTUNITY,” I WOULD

CONSTANTLY HEAR FROM EX-PHABBERS. AFTER

A WHILE, I DID BEGIN TO WONDER WHY NO-ONE

COULD DESCRIBE ‘PHAB WEEK’ TO ME WITHOUT

USING THE WORD ‘AMAZING’.

favourite, ‘Frozen’, which left the guests and hosts belting out ‘Let it Go’ for the remainder of the week.

This year, Phab was treated to a whole day’s music workshop from Tom Billington and his team from ‘Electric Umbrella’, which was a truly unforgettable experience. In a ‘musical treasure hunt’, the guests followed Tom and his team around the site where they could play any instrument from the ukulele to the enormous tuba, sing songs, dance, and just have fun.

There was not one person who was not smiling from ear to ear, and for me, the true happiness and joy that we experienced on that day really captured what Phab is all about and why we continue to do it each year. However, the week was by no means easy. All of the hosts were faced with challenges they had never come across before, and many of the guests’ needs were both physically and emotionally demanding, sometimes for 24 hours a day. But, the bond between the hosts

and their guests makes absolutely everything worthwhile as you see their wonderful personalities grow and also feel that everything you do is greatly appreciated.

The week came to a close with a celebratory barbecue, to which all the parents of the hosts and guests were invited, and after another special appearance from Electric Umbrella, an awards ceremony and emotional speeches from Miss Baker, Father Bond and, of course, our very own Paddy, it was time to get pampered for the Phab fancy dress disco. Although a great night, it was tinged with sadness, as we knew that the next day we had to say goodbye to the people who had become like a new family to us. The next morning, in a desperate but largely unsuccessful attempt to hold back our tears, we said goodbye to our guests, and gathered in the common room for some much-needed hugs and time to refl ect on our incredible week. As soon as my family asked me, ‘Well, how was it?’ I found myself replying, like so many Phabbers before me, “It was amazing!”

» JEMMA WOLFF


Young Enterprise TEAM ORENDA

BERLIN

Okay, so they’d mildly mispronounced our team name

Orenda, but having been called ‘Orrendous one too many times our team were more than forgiving. We stood there on stage bewildered, having no idea what had just happened. We were at the BFI, had just shaken hands with Jo Elvin, taken a selfie with Piers Linney, and hugged Steph McGovern from the BBC. Was this really happening to us?

We’d won Young Enterprise!

Let’s take it back to 9 months earlier, when we all walked into our meeting room to discuss our company for the first time. We were about to embark on a three-term journey of the Young Enterprise Company Programme, but we would’ve hardly guessed where our never ending hard work would take us. In fact, in our first session, aside from getting to know the loveliest of advisors, Sarah Starr, we were hypothesising about how far we could get - how one team had managed to get to Cambridge and how we would try to design a product as successful as theirs. But when one team member announced we should get to Berlin, she was abruptly silenced.

Over our WhatsApp chat, we were discussing team names - think Episode 1 of The Apprentice. A Phoenix, Infinity and Ignite later, we really wanted something more original. It was then that someone found Orenda, meaning the force within each of us that inspires us to do something, and we knew this embodied what we wanted. After hours of brainstorming, scribbling wildly on whiteboards and enthusiastically spurting out ideas, the Orenda team had finally been rendered speechless. In silence, each member stared at inanimate objects in the room. And

ST HELEN’S ARE UK CHAMPIONS IN YOUNG ENTERPRISE‘TEAM ORIENDA!’ WE JUMPED OUT OF OUR SEATS WILDLY SCREAMING, SOME

CRYING, MOST OF US TREMBLING, ALL SHAKING OUR HEADS IN DISBELIEF.

then, it came. Whilst looking at a lone water bottle, our idea began to form - “How about a water bottle with a snack container at the bottom?” A few more hours of development and research later, the Sip ‘O’ Snack was formed. In fact, we were so keen on the concept of screw-ability, our bottles were once going to be called ‘skru’. Our advisor quickly...advised against it. We drew up designs and scoured the world to see what globalisation could provide for us.

Jumping from supplier to supplier on our bottle treasure hunt, we finally placed our first order and the arrival of our original product meant things couldn’t get much more exciting. Promoting and selling the bottles in the run-up to Christmas became our new mission. A typical scene of every team member on the phone trying to find potential fairs led to three fairs ranging greatly in character and, well, success. But whilst we sold these cheap, yet colourful British bottles (making their retail debut at Calendar Sale) we were also in the process of picking our dream bottles from none other than our now friend and business partner, Lilian - from Shanghai, China. We ordered 600 of her bottles after selling out of the initial 240

which arrived just in time before our first trade fair. By this point we had broken even, and were preparing our company report and presentation for our first round at Merchant Taylors’ School.

“Remember, guys, if we don’t get through, it’s great! That’s one less presentation for us to do” - it seemed like perfectly good logic, and somehow we made it through the first round. We were privileged enough to make it to KPMG in Watford, then Hertfordshire University...then Cambridge University. We couldn’t believe it every time we made it through, especially not after being presented with ‘Best Report’ at Watford and ‘Best Innovation’ at Hertfordshire. Our hard work was really paying off, and the profiteroles were really good too. By the time we’d made it to Cambridge, we agreed that the whole team should come to experience the feelings of a round, which were unlike any other, on the grounds that this would be our last. They announced that we’d won Best Report...then Best Presentation...then the Environmental Award. Then we were told we had actually made it through to the National Finals of Young Enterprise.

What really excited us was the thought of even more lovely meals for free, but this time we were granted two nights’ accommodation too. On the Wednesday evening we were told we had received some good news and bad news. Bad news: we would have to wake up at 4 the following morning. The mood in the room turned sombre. Good news: we had been picked as one of two teams to feature on BBC breakfast. More shock. The following morning I was asked to explain our product - “Great! Now just say that to 2.5 million viewers”. I’ve never felt so lucky, or excited, or nervous.

Two trophies later, it dawned on us that we were actually going to Berlin to fly the flag for the UK. On the 28th of July, Jaznique Arora, Leah Glater, Maddie Hicks, Maya Raichoora and Alice Lassman represented Orenda in the JA Europe finals, arriving in Berlin to meet students from some of the 37 teams ahead of a few days of tough competition.

The next day was an early start and by lunchtime we had faced a panel interview with three of the judges. After lunch, we delivered our presentation to the other teams as well as the judges and special guests. The presentation was nerve-wracking but we managed

to give a polished and professional presentation despite the large audience. This was followed by a traditional German dinner buffet in a beer house and a bus tour of some of Berlin’s most famous sights. Everyone enjoyed the food, dancing and bus tour after a long, tiring day.

Our last day saw us up early again to prepare our trade stand for the final part of the competition. We were interviewed by several sets of judges and had the chance to sell our bottles to the

public and to other competitors. After a successful day of selling, only the awards dinner and party were left. We were delighted to walk away with the Citi Foundation Award for Remarkable Customer Service, while Maya and Alice won JA Alumni Leadership Awards.

We would like to thank both Sarah Starr and Mr Khan for all their help and encouragement.

» ALICE LASSMAN AND MADDIE HICKS


Art

YASS RAD

RASIKA BHARADWAJ MIHIKA ATHALYE

HEIDI ROBERTS

NEEVA HARIA

RASIKA BHARADWAJ


ALISHA GUPTA

PATRICIA ODYSSEOUS-SUTHERJESSICA RILEY


U19 Netball County Finals ON SATURDAY 14TH MARCH, THE SENIOR NETBALL TEAM FACED THEIR FINAL AND

MOST IMPORTANT FIXTURES OF THE SEASON – THE U19 COUNTY FINALS.

Determined to do well, the team went into the fi rst match against long-time rivals North London

Collegiate and began well, winning the game 5-1. The next game against Latymer Upper saw St Helen’s hold their own and demonstrate their fantastic attacking plays in and around the circle, with Beatrice Everett scoring exquisite shots from all angles. This brilliant netball from the St Helen’s attack left the score at full time at 10-6.

Eager to continue this winning streak, the team faced Lady Eleanor Holles school next. LEH started strongly and the Seniors at half time were 2-1 down but, having beaten them before, St Helen’s were not going down without a fi ght. When the fi nal whistle blew, the Seniors were delighted to realise they had come back to win 5-3. St Paul’s was the next important game and it promised to be interesting since it was the deciding fi xture of the tournament.

As St Paul’s began to dominate the court, a determined Vicki Oyesola held the team up as she supported transition as well as dictating play in the defensive third. However, the Seniors didn’t manage to secure the win and lost narrowly 4-7. A game against Godolphin & Latymer was not one the Seniors were willing to lose, and Sophie Little showed this in centre and also goal attack. Despite being out of position in the second half, she was a key player in the Seniors’ dominance over Godolphin in the fi nal game of the day and St Helen’s were rewarded with an 8-3 win. Assuming they had come in second after St Paul’s, the team were excited to hear that St Paul’s had also lost one game and therefore the winner was to be decided on goal difference.

After much suspense in the presentations, St Helen’s were declared U19 county champions of 2015, winning the tournament on goal difference by six goals! Congratulations to the team and a well-deserved result to conclude a successful season. The team consisted of: Alicia Pinkham (C), Emma Hershman (VC), Grace Andrews, Vicki Oyesola, Beatrice Everett, Kelsey Patel, Amy Cook, Sophie Little and Nadia Jeffrie.

» NADIA JEFFRIE


Sports TeamsYEAR 5 ROUNDERS

YEAR 6 ROUNDERS

YEAR 7 ROUNDERS

YEAR 7 ATHLETICS SQUAD


Sports Teams

YEAR 7&8 ELITE TENNIS SQUAD

YEAR 8 ATHLETICS SQUAD

YEAR 8 BADMINTON

YEAR 8 ROUNDERS


Sports Teams

YEAR 8 NETBALL SQUAD

YEAR 8 LACROSS

YEAR 9 ROUNDERS

YEAR 9&10 ELITE TENNIS SQUAD


LIFE Build Solutions Limited is proud to be the main contractor for the new

junior school at St Helen’s School

Frensham Heights

IID Architects

lifebuild.co.uk

Ibstock Place School

BHM Architects

Kew House School

BHM Architects

BHM Architect

Ibstock Place School

Cumming Anderton Architects

Hertswood School

St Helen’s School.

Wycombe High School

Brocklehurst Architects

Sports Teams

YEAR 10 ROUNDERS

SENIOR GYMNASTICS SQUAD

SENIOR CROSS COUNTRY


Camp Beaumont London Day Camps

Half term, Easter & summer camp fun at St Helen's school Over 40 creative, sporting and adventure activities for 3-16

year olds.

For more information or to bookcall us now on 01263 823 000 / [email protected] www.campbeaumont.co.uk/daycamps

Sports Teams

SENIOR DANCE SQUAD

RUGBY SQUAD


St Helen’s Speech Day, Friday 3rd July 2015

GUEST SPEAKER: MS CLARE SUMNER CBE

Prize for Achievement, Year 7Maiya DevaniEllie HopkinsHannah OrmeUma ShahAbirame SritharanSarah WattsAlice Woodcock

Prize for Progress, Year 7Hannah DavidsonAlexandra Murphy O’ConnorRuby NdirikaKaira PatkiKatie SimpsonLara SmithVictoria White

Prize for Achievement, Year 8

Sarah AndraousVenusha Baskarathasan

Maya KateliTasha NeelakandanSophie PetersSarah Todd

Prize for Progress, Year 8

Sorcha ChanZara ChowdhryJuliette GallonIman HasnaSofia HassanMaya ParkinDanica Patel


Tara DasUma GuravZahra HaqAnanya Hari-NarainCaitlin McDermottGeorgia Willis


Priya GautamHarni HariharnathanSascha JosephEilidh McDonaldIsobel RobinsonNivethiya Sivanantharajah

Year 9 Enquiry Prize

Eleanor BurlingHelen WhealUpper School Prizes


Bethany BrownLilian CottrellBethany LaiHazel LeeIsabel Windsor


Lianne GuffickVera HeAriana JungNour NawarElla PatelHridya Pau

Dame Lucy Sutherland Prize for Outstanding GCSE Results

Maria AhmadShivani AnanthLily BermanAmy CookLehana De SilvaMaya FreimanAnya GillAlice LassmanKelsey PatelBijal ShahSimran Thakrar

ST HELEN’S PORTFOLIO AWARDS

Grace AndrewsKirsten BergforsKara BoddyEllie CohenJessica CohenTemiloluwa ColeGloria CrinnionGrace DayKatja De La FuenteIona FieldingNikita FullerYu Yeen FungChandni Gala-ShahMadeleine GraydonElena GregoriEleanor Grimes

Evelyna HadassGeorgia HakhamAlina HanifNeeva HariaEmma HershmanCaroline HollowayTalia HubbleEllie Hudson-RawlingsLauren JacobsNadia JeffrieParambir JohalAmrit Kaur GillKatherine LaddRianna LeeKate LevinsonEmma Lubel

Nuala MarshallLaura McCulloughMelissa MortonMahum MustafaIfeoluwa ObiladeSaara PetkerAlicia PinkhamRahee RadiaJemma RobackHeidi RobertsVictoria RobertsLucy RydeDavina SandhuBhavisha ShahHarshana ShahSeema Shah

Neha ShamdasEloise ShearsKaira ShettyHolly SmithShannon SmythJeniffer SrivasanAmy Stephenson-YankubaTamsin StewartChi Mun TangRishana ThayaparanAnoushka WaliaFelicity WareingRebecca WilliamsCharlotte Wong

MIDDLE SCHOOL PRIZES

Miss Pitt Award for Outstanding Contribution to Middle School

Hannah Riley

Alice Rowland Brown Prize for Services to Upper School

Emma Brown

June Leader Bursary for Services to the School

Kaira Shetty

The Founder’s Prize for Services to the School

Nadia Jeffrie

Andrew Motion Prize for Poetry Venusha Baskarathasan

Bater Prize for Progress in Advanced Level Studies

Rishana Thayaparan

Cranwell Cup for Lacrosse Nadia Jeffrie

Cullen Cup for Endeavour in CCF Katja de la Fuente

Dorothy Steward Memorial Prize for Progress in Mathematics in Year 11

Priyanka Asodaria

Emma Grose Cup for Performing Arts

Katja de la Fuente

Eva Seldon Bursary for Music Melissa Morton

Fell Prize for Continuous Effort Rianna Lee

Frances Watson Memorial Award for Citizenship

Katherine Ladd

Frau von Berlepsch Memorial Prize for German

Anna Galloway

Grace Sharples Prize for Classics Nuala Marshall

Isobel Thompson Prize for English, Year 13

Katherine Ladd

Janine Warton Prize for Excellence in French

Anya Gill

June Leader Prize for Progress in English, Year 11

Talia Godfrey


Gabriella Schuman


Iona Fielding

Lucy Braham Award for Progress in Art in Year 11

Olivia Braun

Mary Webster Prize for History, Year 13

Katherine Ladd

Merchant Taylors’ Travel Prize Iona Fielding

Miss Edwards Prize for Mathematics in Year 11

Emma Brown

Mrs Dover Prize for Geography Laura McCullough

Patricia Hodge Cup for Outstanding Contribution to School Drama

Katja de la Fuente

Rosalind Onians Award for Endeavour

Nikita Fuller

St Helen’s School Prize for Commitment to Academic Study, Year 11

Barbara Chow


Rianna Lee


Tamsin Stewart


Chandni Gala-Shah


Rebecca Williams

The Gascoigne Bow for Music Anna Galloway

Toshiba Award for Innovation Heidi Roberts

Valerie Howarth Prize for Chemistry Holly Smith

Deputy Head Girl Prize Kaira Shetty

Deputy Head Girl Prize Shannon Smyth

Head Girl Prize Madeleine Graydon

ST HELEN’S PRIZES

SUBJECT PRIZES

Art Heidi RobertsBiology Madeleine GraydonBusiness Studies Laura McCulloughChemistry Talia HubbleDesign and Technology Evelyna HadassEconomics Neha ShamdasFurther Mathematics Emma LubelGeography Kirsten BergforsHistory Saara PetkerHistory of Art Jessica CohenLatin Katherine Ladd

Mathematics Elena GregoriPhilosophy Iona FieldingPhysical Education Alicia PinkhamPhysics Alicia PinkhamPolitics Kaira ShettyPsychology Caroline HollowayReligious Studies Mahum MustafaScience Emma LubelSpanish and Italian Elena GregoriTheatre Studies Shannon Smyth


Year 7 Scholarship Achuthaa Abayakaran

Year 7 Scholarship Keerthika Arulananthisivam

Year 7 Scholarship Amy Carter

Year 7 Scholarship Sophia Gadsby

Year 7 Scholarship Ellie Hopkins

Year 7 Scholarship Siyona Khimasia

Year 7 Scholarship Ishani Mehta

Year 7 Scholarship Hannah Orme

Year 7 Scholarship Anaiya Patel

Year 7 Scholarship Rakhee Shah

Year 7 Scholarship Roshni Shah

Year 7 Scholarship Raagavi Sivarajah

Year 7 Scholarship Abirame Sritharan

Year 7 Scholarship Sarah Watts

Year 7 Scholarship Alice Woodcock

Year 7 Sport Scholarship Rosie Joslin

Year 7 Sport Scholarship Alice Woodcock

Year 7 Art Scholarship Verity Leake

Year 7 Art Scholarship Anusha Shah

Year 7 Music Exhibition Verity Leake

Art Exhibition Rasika Bharadwaj

Rowland Brown Scholarship Uma Gurav

Rowland Brown Scholarship Alice Watts

Sixth Form Art Scholarship 2015-2017 Luxmi Nanthakumar

Sixth Form Music Exhibition 2015-2017 Sangeeta Santhamoorthy

Music Scholarship Prize Emily Hopwood

Sixth Form Music Scholarship 2015-2017 Amelia Murphy

Sixth Form Drama Scholarship 2015-2017 Anna Kerr

Sixth Form Academic Scholarship 2015-2017 Barbara Chow

Sixth Form Academic Scholarship 2015-2017 Lavana Chrishanthan

Sixth Form Academic Scholarship 2015-2017 Lydia Wareing

Sixth Form Sport Scholarship 2015-2017 Sofi ya Anwar

SCHOLARSHIPS AND EXHIBITIONS

The Introduction of the New Head Girl and her Deputies

Deputy Head Girl – Amy Cook

Deputy Head Girl – Rebecca Hallam

Head Girl – Shivani Ananth

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SECTION: 570

t: 01923 845361 e: [email protected] High Street Northwood, HA6 1BN

Deep Tissue Massage • Manicures • Pedicures • Bio-Sculpture GelsLash Extensions • Environ Vitamin Skin Care Facials • CACI Non Surgical Solutions

NOW IS THE BEST TIME TO START YOUR

LASER HAIR REMOVALPrices start from

£35.00 per session

LIMITED SPECIAL OFFER THROUGHOUT SEPTEMBER

45 MINUTES HYDRATING VITAMIN FACIAL FOR ONLY £40.00! (NORMALLY £52)

This offer only applies to a Thursday, Friday & Saturday - appointments are limited so

call to book on 01923 845 361

Carter Chemist & Ability are Pharmacy and Mobility Specialists with over 80 years of community pharmacy service in Northwood.

• Making daily living easy and affordable

• Innovative mobility aids for all needs

• Carefully selected and competitively priced

• Hire at very affordable rates

• Friendly and helpful staff

Check out our website at www.carterchemist.co.uk

112/114 High Street, NorthwoodTel: 01923 [email protected]

Opening times:Monday - Friday 09.00 to 19.00Saturday 09.00 to 13.00Sunday - Closed

Carter Chemist & Abilitywith over 80 years of community pharmacy service in

• Making daily living easy and affordable

• Innovative mobility aids for all needs

• Carefully selected and competitively priced

SPECIALIST

MOBILITY RETAILERSIn Northwood


Grace Andrews History University of Nottingham

Kirsten Bergfors Geography King’s College London

Kara Boddy Building Surveying University of Reading

Ellie Cohen Hispanic Studies University of Nottingham

Jessica Cohen History of Art University of Edinburgh

Temiloluwa Cole Law with Social Sciences University of Warwick

Gloria Crinnion Chinese and History University of Hull

Grace Day Real Estate Nottingham Trent University

Katja De Ja Fuente Drama and Theatre Arts University of Birmingham

Iona Fielding Philosophy University of Nottingham

Nikita Fuller Psychology with Criminology Nottingham Trent University

Yu Yeen Fung Japanese SOAS, University of London

Chandni Gala-Shah Ancient History University of Birmingham

Madeleine Graydon Medicine University of Cambridge

Elena Gregori Italian and Spanish University of Bristol

Eleanor Grimes Real Estate University of Reading

Evelyna Hadass Architecture University of Nottingham

Georgia Hakham History and East European Cultural Studies University of Nottingham

Alina Hanif Gap Year

Neeva Haria Art Foundation Loughborough University

Emma Hershman Biological and Medicinal Chemistry University of Exeter

Caroline Holloway Psychology and psychological practice University of Birmingham

Talia Hubble Natural Sciences University of Cambridge

Ellie Hudson-Rawlings Fashion Marketing/Management University of Southampton

Lauren Jacobs Philosophy University of Bristol

Nadia Jeffrie Biological Sciences University College London

Parambir Johal Law University of Law

Amrit Kaur Gill Global Health and Social Medicine King’s College London

Katherine Ladd English University of Cambridge

Rianna Lee Law University of Nottingham

Kate Levinson Psychology University of Bath

Emma Lubel Natural Sciences University of Cambridge

Nuala Marshall Classical Archaeology and Ancient History Oxford University

Laura McCullough Geography University of Nottingham

Melissa Morton Music Oxford University

Mahum Mustafa Liberal Arts University of Bristol

Ifeoluwa Obilade Politics and International Studies University of Warwick

Saara Petker Psychology University of Bath

Destinations of Leavers 2015

Alicia Pinkham Chemical Engineering Loughborough University

Rahee Radia Gap Year

Jemma Roback Psychology University of Nottingham

Heidi Roberts Graphic and Communication Design University of Leeds

Victoria Roberts Medicine University of Bristol

Lucy Ryde Psychology University of Nottingham

Davina Sandhu Gap Year

Bhavisha Shah Healthcare Science (Audiology) University of Southampton

Harshana Shah Gap Year

Seema Shah Mathematics with Statistics University of Warwick

Neha Shamdas Economics University of Warwick

Eloise Shears Education with Psychology University of Bath

Kaira Shetty Gap year

Holly Smith Biological Sciences Oxford University

Shannon Smyth English Literature and History University of Edinburgh

Jeniffer Srivasan Politics University of Nottingham

Amy Stephenson- Yankuba

Gap year

Tamsin Stewart Psychology University of Exeter

Chi-Mun Tang Mechanical Engineering University of Portsmouth

Rishana Thayaparan Gap Year

Anoushka Walia Pharmacy King’s College London

Felicity Wareing Gap Year

Rebecca Williams Biological Sciences University of Exeter

Charlotte Wong Accounting and Management Queen Mary, University of London

CONTACT DETAILSSt Helen’s School, Eastbury Road, Northwood, Middlesex, HA6 3AS

Tel: +44 (0)1923 843210 | Email: [email protected] | www.sthelens.london

ADMISSIONS ENQUIRIESAdmissions Enquiries: +44 (0)1923 843230 | Email: [email protected]

st helen's magazine 2015

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