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Autumn 2016 The Review

Maxime SabatiniDevelopment OfficeSt Paul’s Girls’ SchoolBrook Green, London W6 7BS020 7605 [email protected]

OPs WORKING ABROAD Aurelia Rosenbloom, Catherine Lennox, Olivia Zinzan

OPs WITH INTERNATIONAL CAREERS Nadia Dajani, Zoë Rooke, Heather Sadtler, Nadia Zilkha

THE INTERVIEW Rebecca Fabrizi, Associate Director of the

Australian Centre on China in the World at the Australian National University

Dates for the diary

Class of 2006: 10 Year Reunion Tuesday 8 November 2016

6pm to 8.30pm In the Old Library

Biennial Christmas Fair Saturday 19 November 2016

11am to 3pm In the Great Hall

Carol Service Tuesday 6 December 2016

7pm to 8.15pm In the Great Hall

Christmas Concert Tuesday 13 December 2016

7pm to 9.15pm In the Great Hall

Lunch for the Classes of the 1970s Thursday 9 March 2017

12pm to 2pm In the Old Library

Soirée Musicale Tuesday 21 March 2017

7pm to 9pm In the Great Hall

Contents

Cover:Our cover photograph was taken by Maria Vlotides, OP 1988 to 1995, full-time artist specialising in photography and sculpture. Taken in Syria in 2009, the cover depicts the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, also known as the Great Mosque. Built between AD 705 and 715, it is considered to be the oldest surviving stone mosque. The stillness of the men sitting in quiet conversation at the centre of the photograph caught Maria’s attention. Maria captured the everyday nature of that moment, serving as a reminder that this mosque was a place of gathering and exchange, and not only solitary prayer or tourism.

4 OPs working abroad

6 OPs with international careers

12 From the Modern Languages departmentPlease contact the Development Office or visit opconnect.org.uk for more information

4 OPs working abroad

6 OPs with international careers

8 From the Development Office

10 The Interview Paulinas meet Rebecca Fabrizi, OP 1983 to 1990, of the Australian National University

12 From the Modern Languages department

14 School news

16 Archive corner St Paul’s Girls’ School and the First World War

18 Notices

A word from Leila Molana-Allen

Languages and travel are at the heart of this edition. I’ve always preferred learning a language in the streets to the classroom.

While at St Paul’s, I went on every language exchange I could, but the breadth of foreign trips now available to Paulinas makes me a little green with envy.

It’s taken me a while to learn that when abroad, languages are about communication, not accuracy. Use what you have and don’t be shy; it’s the best way to improve. The new MIV linguistics programme seems the ideal way to expose new Paulinas to the benefits of a multilingual background, whether or not they come from one.

I am currently based in Beirut, Lebanon, and having covered the Middle East and Africa as my primary beat for more than five years, I yearned for the necessary language skills. For several months now I’ve been a freelance journalist and Arabic student with this pulsating city as a

backdrop. I’m already working in my fledgling Arabic as well as French. It’s such a privilege to be learning a completely new language a decade after leaving school. This sentiment is echoed in Rebecca Fabrizi’s fascinating interview piece, which can be found on page 10.

I always knew that travel would be my priority as I forged a career, and that languages could be my passport. Heather Sadtler’s assertion that linguists are an ‘automatic asset’ has been reflected in almost every job I’ve had. It’s wonderful to read about the number of Old Paulinas who have careers abroad, and who use languages in the workplace. At a time when so many of the world’s borders are in flux, we are lucky enough to enjoy freedom of movement; languages make our opportunities almost limitless.Leila Molana-Allen, OP 1999 to 2006Freelance broadcast journalist in Beirut, Lebanon

The ReviewAutumn 2016

The Mercers’ Maiden can be found embedded in various locations in the school’s architecture and links our school with the history of the City and its foremost Livery Company. The Maiden proper is entwined with the story of The Mercers. Anne Sutton, the distinguished mediaevalist, argues that the Maiden was originally a seamstress, a ‘silkwoman’, and that her image developed from the cognizances, or devices, worn on their sleeves by liverymen (I Sing of a Maiden, 1998). Gerald Horsley, our architect, gave the white stone Maiden adorning the exterior of St Paul’s a commanding position over the entrance. If one stands on Brook Green facing the façade, the eye is drawn upwards to the Maiden on her lofty segmental pediment. The panel, adorned with wreaths and flowers, carries the motto of the Mercers’ company: Honor Deo.

p16 Archive corner

THE REVIEW | 32 | THE REVIEW

OPs working abroad

Aurelia RosenbloomThe importance of a global career

I don’t think I could have imagined when I left St Paul’s that years later I

would be writing a Review article from Israel. Life has taken me from London working as a City attorney, to a career as a lawyer in the music industry in Los Angeles, and now as General Counsel for a billion dollar private company in Israel! I’ve learnt so much about how even within the same profession there is so much choice, so much room to continually grow and to continually learn. I’ve reinvented my specialities, I’ve re-qualified and I’ve taken time out to be with my daughter following her birth. I then returned to a completely different legal role where I’ve insisted on maintaining a work-life-balance; something common in Israel given its

attitude to the promotion of working women. This balance is reflected in my ability to have taken a year’s maternity leave and having gone from having only five days of annual leave in my position in the US, to over twenty in Israel.

I love that I have a truly global career. Geography and physical location seem to mean so much less nowadays. There are times where I work with the US in the evening, Sydney in the morning and at all times representing our company which is located in a high-tech hub in the centre of Israel; a relatively small country punching well above its weight in the international high-tech scene. While English is widely spoken, Hebrew is spoken internally in the company. Despite having arrived with none, I now speak Hebrew together with English at work, and I have learnt to adapt to multiple cultures’ negotiating styles. My Hebrew is strongest in a professional environment, the irony being negotiating and discussing documents in a foreign language without knowing the equivalent of its ‘ABC’.

Every day is a challenge (in a positive way) and every day brings something new. Aside from the struggle to learn new vocabulary and to develop my language skills (including reading from right to left), I don’t think I’ll ever get used to Sunday

being a ‘normal’ working day (the weekend is Friday and Saturday in Israel), or working on New Year’s Day! That being said, going to work in jeans and a t-shirt (standard in Israel

high-tech whatever your role) represents an easier transition from the days of formal suits and high heels worn back in London. The jeans dress code is reflective of the general attitude of the company; very hard working but equally relaxed…an approach that doesn’t always sit so well with our more formal customers who are used to traditional corporate business environments. All in all life is never boring and I am so looking forward to discovering what country might be next on the list as, after all, I’m married to a Canadian!Aurelia Rosenbloom, née Greystoke, OP 1996 to 1998

I love that I have a truly global career

Olivia ZinzanHumanitarian work across the globe

I always knew what I wanted my dream job to entail – travel, meeting

people, doing something I could enjoy and feel I was making a difference. I’ve been lucky to build a career around my passion; bringing the voices of those most vulnerable and marginalised to the fore in the hope of creating change. In humanitarian work, clichéd as it sounds, language barriers do fall away. It’s only through luck we’re not the ones caught up

in crises.I studied French, Spanish and Latin at St

Paul’s (Latin GCSE was compulsory at the time), although geography was my favourite subject. After reading geography at the University of Oxford, I spent four years at a communications agency but knew it wasn’t really for me, so I quit and headed to Ecuador to gain further experience in development. If nothing else, I would improve my rusty GCSE Spanish.

On my return to London I joined the charity Save the Children. In seven years

there I moved from fundraising to the humanitarian team, and then to the public affairs team in Australia. I’ve been deployed to emergency responses in Kenya during the 2011 Food Crisis, the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan, Iraq as part of our Syrian refugee response, South Sudan and Nepal. It’s hard being constantly surrounded by news of disasters, but I have met hundreds of incredible and inspiring people. Hardest has been watching the duration and decline of the crisis in Syria – stories of Syrian refugees I’ve met are those that stick with me the most. Most recently I’ve joined CARE Australia where I manage our public-facing communications, raising awareness of the work CARE does to fight poverty and our critical focus on empowering women and girls.Olivia Zinzan, OP 1993 to 2000

Catherine LennoxThe value of working abroad

A fter studying French at Durham University, most of my career has

been spent abroad – just not in France and not speaking French… My only career stint in France occurred soon after graduation. I had joined J. Walter Thompson (JWT) as a graduate trainee and I spent two years working on the launch of a European haircare brand for Unilever. My clients were based in London and Paris, so I split my

week between the two cities. While formal meetings were conducted in English, my French was very valuable for building relationships with colleagues and clients. A year later, I approached the CEO of JWT and asked to be considered for a position in New York. He said he would contact me. He did – but asked me to move to Tokyo, not to New York…

After the initial shock, I agreed and spent two extraordinary

years at JWT Tokyo. I learnt crucial lessons about working abroad: the excitement of constant, unexpected discovery; the thrill of living outside your comfort zone; the value of always being ‘other’, assimilated, but never entirely, and hence always more interesting to colleagues and clients. After two years in Tokyo, I finally made it to NYC with JWT. I left in 2005 to found my own, Galileo Research, a psychology-based market research company that has thrived in the US over the past decade.

I still love and value that ‘otherness’ of working abroad, of being British in the US business world. It never ceases to be an asset in setting me apart from other business owners, in keeping me on my toes, and in ensuring that excitement and discovery are an ongoing part of my professional life!Catherine Lennox, née Parry, OP 1983 to 1985

In humanitarian work, clichéd as

it sounds, language barriers do fall

away. It’s only through luck we’re

not the ones caught up in crises

Olivia working for Save the Children in South Sudan


OPs with international careersNadia DajaniBreaking barriers in Jordan

Having lived abroad all my

life, the move to Jordan was exciting as well as challenging. Reality kicked in as soon as I delved into my working life. The impact of seeing desperate poverty made me rethink my

life goals. Thus came about the rebirth of my jewellery business, this time with the added dimension of giving employment to local ladies by training them in manufacturing. Deprived of education, born into a socio-economic stratum impossible to get out of, they reaped the rewards of their work within the first month. Overnight they were catapulted into the modern world as proud and productive members of society.

Faced with multiple challenges, the words ‘persistence pays’ in the St Paul’s physics workbook kept recurring in my mind. On many occasions I thought it surreal that much of the work ethos I learnt at school was being passed on to people in the most remote and unlikely places. Dealing with rural women was a novelty, as the culture and vernacular was unfamiliar territory. It was necessary to communicate not only in Arabic, but also across cultures. Any potential resentment

was quickly effaced as I presented myself as a local, differentiated from them only by geography, which excused the accent and the clothing. This broke all barriers. This was over 18 years ago and our success story has had much impact. Our formula has since been adopted in different regions of the country, such as the ‘Um el-Jimal Rock Art’ project, in collaboration with UNESCO, with many more exciting projects in the pipeline.Nadia Dajani, OP 1982 to 1984

Nadia ZilkhaOwning a vineyard in California

The cork on the NADIA Cabernet Sauvignon wine reads: ‘you never

know where life will take you’… Growing up in London, educated at St Paul’s, I had always hoped to work with my father, but I never anticipated that one day there would be a wine named after me.

I moved to New York in 1980 and worked in finance at Merrill Lynch, whilst also volunteering for various charities helping children with disabilities. I moved to Los Angeles in 1986, and would often fly up to Napa Valley to taste wine. It was serendipitous that my father, with whom I’d always dreamed of working, invested in Laetitia Vineyard & Winery in the Central Coast of California in 1998. What a great way to combine my passion for business with food and wine. I am so grateful to be working with my father. He’s 89 years young and more ‘with it’ than many of my peers.

My focus at Laetitia is on marketing and

sales. I travel a great deal to promote our wines throughout the USA. As an owner, I enjoy the interaction with distributors and wine lovers who appreciate our European approach to creating new world wine.

I studied French, Spanish and German at St Paul’s, and my Spanish has helped me a great deal when communicating with many of our workers in California. While we no longer sell our wines in Europe, I fly my wine maker and viticulturist over to France every few years to see what’s new in our industry. I act as an interpreter and I am so grateful to St Paul’s for its strong modern languages programme. I am very fortunate to be on such an unanticipated journey and I love where life has taken me.Nadia Zilkha, OP 1971 to 1973

Zoë RookeSimultaneous interpreting in France

I have recently returned to live in the UK after five years living in Toulon,

which is not far from the region in southern France where I grew up until the age of sixteen (which is how I became a true bilingual). I would have stayed, had it not been for meeting my future husband in London; although ironically, he’s French!

I am a freelance simultaneous interpreter, which means I can live almost anywhere. I work for high-level international conferences and meetings; for example doctors and research scientists (recently, HIV in Marseille), visits by foreign dignitaries (for example, UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon in Monaco), the Cannes film festival, and even cat

beauty contest federation meetings! I learn about many diverse fields of expertise and behind-the-scenes aspects of life. I also travel a lot: assignments have taken me to 14 different European countries, in addition to Cape Verde, Morocco and Algeria. I love the freedom of my job, despite the high pressure and stress.

My degree in biological sciences has proved invaluable in enabling me to handle much scientific and technical subject-matter in my current occupation. After leaving university I spent eight years as an officer in the Royal Navy, which also involved travel (Gibraltar, India, France, Sweden, Finland, Morocco, Algeria and Iraq) and boosted my confidence, without which I might not have developed the nerves of steel required for being an interpreter, nor the courage to move abroad. Every experience lived to the full seems to end up being useful!Zoë Rooke, OP 1996 to 1998

Heather SadtlerSetting up a business in Spain

Studying Spanish at the University of Edinburgh was fantastic, particularly

with the opportunity to travel abroad for a year. It was in Granada that I met my husband, Alejandro, and with his help and support I managed to obtain a First Class degree. I had studied French and German at St Paul´s and I chose Spanish for A level. Mrs Johnson will stay in my memory as one of the funniest and most inspiring teachers during my seven years at school!

Twelve years ago, we made the best decision of our lives. Alejandro and I were living and working in London and we were exhausted. I was at Condé Nast working for GQ Magazine and Alex was a chef in a London restaurant. My family had a

holiday home in Marbella, in the south of Spain, and the opportunity arose for us to move there and decide whether the grass really was greener on the other side. The decision was easy, and after a few weeks we knew we wanted to stay.

We embarked on setting up a business together, cooking for parties and organising weddings and events. We started from scratch: rented a moped, had some fliers printed, and started networking. I found that speaking the language gave me a huge advantage over other ex-pat businesses, particularly in terms of developing relationships with venues and suppliers. We now organise over 100 events a year and we employ over 30 full-time and part-time staff. I have CVs sent to me every week and one of the first things I always look for is linguistic ability – anyone with languages is always an automatic asset to our company.Heather Sadtler, OP 1988 to 1995

Much of the work ethos I learnt

at school was being passed on to

people in the most remote and

unlikely places

Local ladies making jewellery in Jordan

Anyone with languages is always

an automatic asset to our company

I am so grateful to St Paul’s for its

strong modern languages programme


From the Development Office2016 Leavers’ BursaryFunding towards a new bursary

We are immensely grateful to the following donors and VIII leavers last summer for their generous support, which made it possible for a girl to join St Paul’s in the MIV in September 2016. The total raised was £161,500.

Rosemary Torrington, Foundation Director

Rowing campaign updateThe new fleet launches from Tideway Scullers

Last May, 60 parents, alumnae, Paulinas and staff gathered at Tideway Scullers School in Chiswick for the official launch of

the flagship Empacher coxed eight and single sculls Catalyst, Sheldon, KP Redshift and Alexandria. The Empacher, christened Kallenike, a classical Greek term meaning ‘fine in victory’, has since been up and down the country with its senior crew at National Schools’ Regatta as well as other races. After opening with an indoor reception, we proceeded outside to the pontoon where Clarissa Farr christened Catalyst, Alexandria and Kallenike, while the Kirkpatrick family and Michelle Vezie christened KP Redshift and Sheldon respectively.

The boat club has grown to over 100 members from V to VIII and continues to produce internationally recognised rowing alumnae. Zoe de Toledo (OP 1998 to 2005) coxed the Team GB Women’s Eight at the Olympics in Rio, taking them initially to a first-place finish in their opening heat, and a triumphant silver medal finish in their final.

We are most grateful to donors who supported the 2015 appeal so generously.Annie Hage, OP 2005 to 2007, Development Associate

Celebrating music at St Paul’sUnveiling of cornish sculptures

At the Soirée Musicale in June, Clarissa Farr unveiled the new busts of Gustav Holst and Ralph

Vaughan-Williams by the sculptor Marcus Cornish. The sculptures, which are displayed in the music wing lobby, capture

the different and distinctive personalities of the school’s former Directors of Music. Marcus has donated the bust of Vaughan-Williams and the bust of Holst has been given to the school by a generous donor. We are most grateful to both. The sculptures draw upon the school’s musical heritage and artistic creativity.Rosemary Torrington, Foundation Director

Michelle Vezie, OP 2000 to 2007, christening Sheldon

Marcus Cornish with his bust of Gustav Holst

John and Karen AndersonOlivier Arnaud and Lesley Watkins

Daniel and Kathryn BrickenChristopher and Fiona Butcher

John and Kate CarrafiellSimon and Mags Close

Jim Dallas and Frances Goodhart (OP 1978 to 1985)James and Annabella DarbyFraser and Helen Dillingham

Andrew and Helen DysonMark Echlin and Tory Gath

Ben Freedman and Susan Prevezer (OP 1975 to 1977)Eric and Jessica Gan

Hugh Godsal and Sam AngusPeter Goldsbrough and Joanne Shaw

Will and Kate Goodhart, née Hill (OP 1981 to 1988)Stefano and Charlotte Hatfield

Tony and Harriet HorspoolWilliam and Charlotte Iselin

Bernie JackmanKevin and My Phuong Lecocq

Peter and Ling LiRichard and Jasmine Lister

Malgorzata MachalskaSilvana Marconini and Natalya Falconer (OP 2014 to 2016)

Jonathan Martin and Perdita Cargill-ThompsonWarren and Yuka Meneely

Julianne MillerNanthan and Mala Nanthagopan

Lesya NidzelskayaJesse Norman and Kate Bingham (OP 1976 to 1983)

Tom Nyiro and Jasmine ChanRay and Elizabeth O’Brien

Christophe and Delphine PeroyHenry and Yasmin Phillips

Veronica QuilliganGeorge and Fiona Rivaz

Nicholas and Cecile SealyVijay and Anvita Sharma

Vyna ShettyAndrew and Margot Simkin

Samuel and Dorcas SooAdam and Amanda Spielman, née Robinson (OP 1976 to 1978)

Standing FamilyRoman Tolchenov and Irina Tolchenova

Lin Tun and Thet MyintBrian Young and Katherine Ashton Young

VIII – Quiz evening and sports events2 Anonymous donors

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Anthony and Nicki

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Michael and Kata

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Phil and Sue EhrJohn FenwickIan and Alison Fishwick

Stuart and Joanne Harray

Louise Hopper (OP 1995 to 2002)

Tim and Stephanie Hunt

Bernie JackmanWilliam and Kristen Kennish

Stephen Kirkpatrick and Sarah Bowles

Michael and Helen Lehmann

Bryan Levine and Bea Malleson

Rebecca Malcolm (OP 1994 to 2001)

David Noades and Martina Lyons

Jonathan and Charlotte Peacock

Scheske FamilyRobert and Alyson Valt

Eric and Maralee Vezie

Michelle Vezie (OP 2000 to 2007)

David Zezza and Diane Stewart

1 Anonymous donor

Building works updateNew netball courts open

An intensive programme of work took place over the summer

holidays to install three new netball courts on the Field. The courts have a sports specific safety surface and the sunken posts mean they can double up as tennis courts in the summer term. A fourth court will be available when the sports pavilion is completed next year.


The InterviewRebecca Fabrizi An inspiring international career spanning three continents

Can you tell us about your time in China working for the Foreign Office?China was my first posting with the Foreign Office and it was wonderful to work in an Embassy representing the UK. I had first found out about diplomacy at St Paul’s, and I was really interested in becoming a diplomat. I found myself starting the difficult but exciting task of learning Mandarin Chinese, which became much easier when I got out of the classroom and into Beijing. I really enjoyed the different groups of people that China attracted when I lived there. Many of the expatriates were there because they were really interested in China and its development. Beijing was a lot less developed in 1996. There were very few coffee shops or large chains when I lived there, so it was a very exciting day when the first Starbucks opened! The first Ikea was a sort of tourist attraction for locals. I started my career as the Second Secretary for Commercial Affairs in Beijing, and this gave me a wonderful opportunity to travel to nearly all the provinces in China. I then became the First Secretary Political which was a great career promotion. I met my husband (an Italian diplomat) whilst in China, and I now speak Italian fluently too! I ended up spending six years in China at the British Embassy and I can now speak Mandarin Chinese with full professional proficiency.

Have you lived and worked in many other countries as a result of your international career?I moved to Switzerland after China and it was a real shock. It is a lovely country but it was really odd going from the chaos and bustle of China, to the perfectly manicured lawns of Switzerland. I continued travelling the world with my husband, living and working in Italy and Belgium, and we are in Australia at the moment. I am now Associate Director of the Australian Centre on China in the World at the Australian National University, Australia’s top research institution. I’m researching and teaching Chinese politics and foreign policy, and I particularly study China’s relations with the UK, EU and Russia. In Australia there are not many Russia experts, so I am one of the select few who actually work on the subject.

How important is learning a new language and would you encourage Paulinas to pursue languages in their studies and future careers?Languages have played a hugely important role in my personal and professional life. In my opinion, actually visiting a country, living and immersing yourself in the culture and talking to the locals is the most effective and fun way of developing true fluency in a language. The more languages you know, the easier it becomes to learn new ones. Learning a language is an important skill and I believe language learning and travel makes you more empathetic. My three children have lived in several different countries, and I can see that for children of their age, they are quite sophisticated in terms of the ways that they can interact with different people. They are able to hold conversations without preconceptions and they are quite open-minded. I would wholeheartedly encourage Paulinas to travel and to learn as many languages as possible. You never know which opportunities might come up in the future!Rebecca Fabrizi, née Chesman, OP 1983 to 1990Interview by Annabelle Grigg and Natalie Zezza, VI

Rebecca Fabrizi, née Chesman, attended St Paul’s Girls’ School from 1983 to 1990. She has an MA in Modern Languages (French and Russian) from the University of Oxford, and an MSc in Financial Economics from the University of London. Rebecca has lived in seven countries, she has

travelled the world with her international diplomatic career, and she now speaks French, Russian, Mandarin Chinese and Italian fluently, in addition to her native English. Rebecca has worked for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the European Union, and she is now the Associate Director of the Australian Centre on China in the World at the Australian National University.

How did you become interested in languages and travel?I had always really wanted to travel and discover new places. During my time at St Paul’s, I studied French and Latin which I absolutely loved. I then had the opportunity to study an additional language in the VII, so I chose Russian because it had a different alphabet and it offered the most exciting travel opportunities. The linguistic skills I learnt at St Paul’s gave me an excellent grounding and I went on to study French and Russian at the University of Oxford, completing my third year abroad at Odessa University in Ukraine. My passion for travelling overseas and learning new languages definitely stemmed from St Paul’s.

What was your experience of going to university in Ukraine?I was in Ukraine in 1992, when the former Soviet Union was in disarray. There was an atmosphere of excitement and change, entwined with a real sense of shock that people had gone from being part of a big superpower, to suddenly experiencing uncertainty and economic crisis. I tried very hard to speak perfect Russian and pass for a local, as there were such different prices for foreigners at that time. Paying the equivalent of only 10p for a train to Moscow was wonderful when I was a poor student! I never felt threatened in the country and I truly experienced the warmth and kindness of locals, despite differences in language and culture. I loved my time in Ukraine and I took the opportunity whilst I was there to travel, including around Siberia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Belarus.

Did your degree in French and Russian help prepare you for the world of work?I chose my language degree because of my strong affection for international environments. My degree has been great for my career and helped me join the Foreign Office. I was posted to the UK Mission to the United Nations in Geneva in 2002, and being able to speak French fluently was really valuable, as it is one of the official languages of the UN and it is used as the lingua franca by many of the member countries. You can join the Foreign Office with a variety of different qualifications, and they will teach you languages that they need, although they are becoming more interested in looking for people who already have language expertise.

My passion for travelling overseas

and learning new languages

definitely stemmed from St Paul’s

Rebecca with a Chinese official during the negotiation of the EU-China Summit documents in 2013

Visiting a country, living and immersing yourself in the culture and talking to the locals is the most effective and fun way of developing true fluency in a language

Rebecca at the Australian Centre on China in the World with the British Ambassador to China, Dame Barbara Woodward

Our interviewers, Natalie and Annabelle

Rebecca having her boots fixed in a Tibetan village


From the Modern Languages department

BilingualismLearning multiple languages

When I came to St Paul’s, I spoke both English and Russian at

home. I also spoke a little Polish, but I was not exposed to it on a daily basis, so I was only familiar with basic phrases. I started learning German in the MIV, which I had never studied before. At first, I found it difficult, but after a while I began to feel more comfortable with the language. Knowing how to speak Russian was definitely useful when learning German, because it really helped me with the grammar aspect, which was easier to understand with the knowledge of Russian grammar rules. In the UIV I decided to study Russian, as even though I could already speak the language, I could barely read or write it, and I wanted to learn. I thought Russian would be easy for me once I learned the alphabet and how to write properly, but I was surprised to realise that I was on the same level as some others on various topics. Because I

had only really learned Russian by ear, there were many things that I had not learned properly, such as endings, genders, spelling, and various phrases that I would not usually use. Overall, I realised that learning a language at home and studying it in depth at school can be very different,

and being able to do both can make you very familiar with both the technical and colloquial aspects of the language. Being able to speak multiple languages has many rewarding advantages, and being bilingual is really fun!Alexandra Hladio, VI

Discovering LanguagesThe new MIV linguistics course

One of the most exciting things about working at St Paul’s is that I am constantly inspired intellectually along with

the students. Over the last few years of national discourse about primary language-learning and explicit grammar teaching, I have also reframed our approach to language acquisition as a process, rather than simply an accumulation of vocabulary. Our new

languages course not only taps into the field of linguistics, but also looks holistically at what languages are, how we learn them, and how we can draw the different strands of our learning together.

Three years ago we introduced the school to the UK Linguistics Intermediate Olympiad. Both the V and the LV now participate in this competition and a select few even attempted the advanced option this year in which Petra Kofisam (VI) struck gold. The key benefit of the competition is that it gives students a heightened awareness of how language works, and they realise that they can apply the skills which they have already acquired in their lessons to learning new languages.

Our new MIV course is designed to awaken that interest from the very beginning of school life. All new MIVs will learn about what language is, from language families to basic phonetics, over a course of four weeks. Thereafter they will look at three discrete languages: Russian, German and Chinese, alongside their study of classical Latin, considering how these languages differ and learning skills such as pattern-spotting in German, attuning their ears to Chinese tones and mastering the Cyrillic alphabet. There have already been a number of murmurs from girls further up the school who would have loved to have tried this!Mary Wenham, Head of Modern Languages

The dropping value of the foreign languageDiffering perspectives

I ’ve often heard people say in conversation that learning a foreign

language isn’t necessary anymore, because ‘everyone already speaks English’. English can often be seen as a kind of standardised, universal language - the language of science, business, global politics and popular music. It can also be seen as the reason why the UK has such a disproportionately massive influence on global culture: from Shakespeare, to James Bond, to Harry Potter, to Harry Styles. As the official language of more countries than any other language, English has become the ‘default language’, spoken by 85% of Europeans as a second language, and by more than 359 million people worldwide. From this perspective, it becomes easier to see why people may think it unnecessary for their children to learn a foreign language, when English appears to be the only requisite.

I strongly disagree with this opinion. As someone from a mixed background, I grew up speaking French with my family, in an environment where I also heard German, Arabic and Spanish being spoken around me on a regular basis, whilst attending an English school. I don’t think it fair that people who aren’t native English

speakers should feel they have to learn English, if they want to successfully work in international relations, business or commerce, whilst native English speakers feel they don’t need to make the same effort. I believe that languages are more than just a means of communication.

Although languages do have functional applications, there is also a certain element of wonder and infatuation in the discovery of something as rich and complex as a new language. Languages are as much a part of a country’s culture as its cuisine, history and architecture; a reflection of the ways a people evolves through time. When one studies languages, it becomes possible to gain access to this rich source of vibrant culture.

Some of the greatest literature and films and music in the Western world have in fact been translated from other languages, by people who are experts at converting information accurately from one language

to another, always respecting the meanings and subtle nuances of each spoken word or written character. I always wonder what the differences would be if I were reading a book in its original tongue. How would the characters seem different when their dialogue was no longer translated? How would ideas or places or metaphors in well-known stories change?

There are so many languages I’d like to learn to speak fluently, and when people ask me why I want to learn them, I often don’t have a particular reason. I don’t want to learn Chinese because of China’s rapidly growing economy or population, or for its status as a rising global superpower, nor would I like to learn Japanese to study abroad in Japan, though these are perfectly reasonable motives for learning languages. I learn languages purely for the pleasure of learning languages. One of my favourite quotes, once said by Nelson Mandela, goes as follows: ‘If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart’. Mandela’s first language wasn’t English, it was Xhosa.Ilyana Benjelloun, VI

Paulinas on a recent school trip to Bordeaux

I believe that languages are more than just a means of communication

12 | THE REVIEW THE REVIEW | 13

School news

Five minutes with…Sarmite KociMeet the school’s Catering Manager

What does your role involve?I oversee the lunch service every day at school. We also run a daily café offering breakfast and snacks to girls and staff. I manage the lunch service team, the café assistant and the dishwasher team. A key aspect of my role involves organising the catering for the evening functions, events and reunions held at St Paul’s. I need to ensure that everything is prepared in

advance and that the events run smoothly. There are catering requests every week during term time – for meetings, school events, dinners, etc.

What are the main challenges?There were lots of challenges when I first started at St Paul’s as I was new to the role. Now that I have been here for five years, I feel very in control of all the events as they are all a similar format. When we hold large-scale events at school, I need to organise extra agency staff to come and help. Sometimes they don’t turn up which can be challenging, but I always have a plan B. The lunch service is constantly busy as we serve 900 people every day in one and a half hours, so I have to make sure my team and I are very efficient.

Which country are you from and when did you move to the UK?I am from Latvia and I moved to London in 2005. I didn’t speak any English at all so the move was quite daunting. I learnt English with the help of my first boss who insisted that I learnt ten new words every day at work. I lived with English speakers, so I was speaking English at work and also at home. This really consolidated my language learning. I now speak Latvian (my native language), Russian (my second language) and English fluently.

What is your favourite thing about working at St Paul’s?I love my job and the people here! I really like working on operations; preparing and running the events. I really love my job and hope it lasts forever!Sarmite KociCatering Manager

Career MentoringOld Paulinas sharing expertise

As part of our work-related learning ‘Futureworks’ programme, we were delighted to welcome Old Paulinas into school in June,

to share their experience of the working world and their career paths so far. Girls in the V met with healthcare professionals; those in the world of advertising and entrepreneurship, and learned more about careers in media, finance, management consultancy, journalism and politics.

Martha de Lacey, OP 1994 to 2001, commented: ‘It was such a treat to be invited back to St Paul’s to speak to the V about my career, and I do hope it gave the girls a little bit of insight into what being a journalist entails. The day itself certainly helped me reflect on where I am in my own career, and on all the decisions I made that led me here! I was so impressed with the girls’ thoughtful, inquisitive questions, and found myself feeling quite envious of all the exciting adventures they have ahead of them, both during their final years of school and afterwards. I wish them the best of luck’.

As girls move into their final year of school, they become part of our online community, Paulina Connect, which allows them direct access to Old Paulina mentors keen to share their expertise. We would love to encourage more OPs to sign up as university and/or career mentors to help senior girls acquire the confidence, imagination and resources they will need as they head out into the world of work. Please visit the careers section of www.opconnect.org.uk to sign up.Jo Moriarty, Director of Careers and Higher Education

Welcome to the new Head Girl TeamOrganising events and implementing positive changes

This year’s Head Girl Team is comprised of 12 girls: Head Girl,

Deputy Head Girl and ten Year Representatives. The girls that have been chosen for these roles are Megan Morgan (myself), Helen Leung, Erika Price and Issy Jones (assigned to the MIV), Asta Lewis and Ticiana Alencar (UIV), Kiran Khanom and Mathilde Boecker (LV), Alex Dhome-Casanova and Saya Taneja (V) and Lara Schull and Alexa Stanger (VI).

Year Reps will be working with their respective Heads of Year to interact with girls from their assigned year, as well as helping with their pastoral experience, often opting to run drop-in discussion groups to get to know the girls informally. As a team, we will be involved in public events at school, as well as aiding the wider running of St Paul’s, by providing student insight and feedback to Senior Management. It is also the responsibility of the Year Reps to organise School Council,

made up of two reps from each of the years MIV-VI, which meets once a term.

The vast majority of charity work at the school is carried out by the Charities Committee (made up of girls in the VI and led by a member of staff) but we will also be arranging events to raise money for the school’s bursary fund.

For me, this is a very exciting, if at times daunting, role to have taken on. The support of my peers and teachers has been humbling and I look forward to seeing what positive changes we can support and implement in the coming year.Megan Morgan, Head Girl, VIII

School languages tripsThe benefits of language-learning abroad

One of the advantages of studying languages at St Paul’s has to be all

the trips on offer. Trips are run to Northlands, Argentina; Hangzhou and Beijing in China; Siena and Venice in Italy; Bonn, Munich and Dresden in Germany;

Marseille, Montpellier and Bordeaux in France; Barcelona and Gredos in Spain; and St Petersburg, Moscow and the Orion Project in Russia. But what actually makes a successful languages trip?

Having been on both a German

exchange and a French study trip, I now know what I found more useful and enjoyable. Of the two, I would say that I preferred the study trip to Montpellier. Although part of the reason for this may have been the perfect weather and innumerable ice-cream parlours, I really gained a lot in terms of my French. Attending lessons on the trip and being taught a language by someone with a fairly limited understanding of English really stretched us all and, for me at least, helped my fluency. Whether I was ordering sorbet, or trying to ask if a product was tested on animals, I had to think on my feet, discovering new vocabulary along the way. What I’ve learned from my languages trips is that lessons are surprisingly fun and exceedingly useful and that, although it may seem stressful at the time, being obliged to speak a foreign language abroad is just as valuable as classroom learning.Tallulah Guard, VI

French Debating CompetitionSchool success through foreign languages

Congratulations to Sophie Benbelaid, Hannah Poole,

Anjali Perumalpillai and Ella Boot, all in the VI, for volunteering to debate in French at Westminster School in June against the boys there and King’s College Wimbledon. The girls successfully debated on Brexit and the dangers of the internet, leading Sophie and Hannah to gain third place out of seven teams. Ella and Anjali went through to the final and debated a surprise motion: ‘We have to learn a foreign language to be successful in life’, and won the competition, thus proving their point!Emilie Eymin, Lead Teacher of French

Paulinas on a school trip in Hangzhou, China


Archive cornerSt Paul’s Girls’ School and the First World WarThe effect of war on Paulinas

A s we commemorate the Great War’s sombre roll call of battles, it is worth considering its effect upon St Paul’s Girls’ School. This was indeed a world war, fought not only on the Western and

Eastern fronts but in the Balkans, the Near East, Italy, Africa and across the Atlantic and Pacific. A war of such magnitude naturally broadened the Paulinas’ social and political horizons.

For the school, there was a distinct contrast between the effects of the two world wars. The declaration of war upon Germany in September, 1939, had an immediate impact upon the pupils: many were whisked away to the country, a few sent abroad, while those remaining went to Wycombe Abbey. A tiny band (92 in January, 1941) returned in 1940 to face the Blitz. By contrast, effects of the First World War on St Paul’s were more gradual. We have some response to reports from the front. An Old Paulina, moved by news from Louvain, where its ancient university library had been burnt, described life in that city before 1914. Katherine Shuffrey, OP 1912 to 1919, recalled that ‘we had formidable weeks when we spoke only French as a gesture of sympathy for our allies…’; though one wonders whether this can literally have been so. One Mlle Biarmé visited in order to ‘nous faire l’histoire de l’héroique people belge’ (sic).

As far as the pattern of school life was concerned, changes were modest. Speech and sports days continued as normal. Cookery lessons were abandoned, surely as a patriotic gesture rather than through real need, as rationing was not introduced until 1918. Mr von Holst dropped the particle in his name, but only in late 1918 and for his visit to Salonica. ‘We all have to give up something’, Miss Gray told the girls, ‘and Mr Holst has given up his ‘von’’. The German teacher, Miss Warschauer, was dismissed but, again, not until 1918 and because so few girls were taking the subject; Miss Gray insisted that ‘I never allowed a girl to give up German because of the war’. All forms volunteered to dispense with their

weekly fresh flowers in the classroom. For the Red Cross, the girls made clothes, about which the first wartime edition of Paulina was painstakingly particular (’65

pairs of socks; 1 belt…52 bed socks’ etc.). This issue also listed what no fewer than 129 Paulinas were doing for the war; mostly needlework, at that stage.

Such enthusiasm for detail did not last, partly because the nature of war work changed rapidly. In 1914, Joan Ridpath, OP 1906 to 1913, made jam, ‘much appreciated’, for convalescent soldiers. She was cooking for thousands 18 months later, up at 6am and hoping for a kettle ‘so that we might be spared the agony

of a cold wash at dawn’. Soon after she wrote this and on the first day of the Somme, her brother Geoffrey, aged 19, was killed. By late 1915, eight Old Paulinas were in the Ministry of Munitions, including Mary Mackenzie, OP 1904 to 1908, who, suitably enough for a former Head Girl, took charge of the Ministry’s files and indexes. We learn of work which had hitherto been only for men: Joan Bateson, OP 1907 to 1914, as a chauffeur, for instance, or Aileen Geddes Smith, OP 1910 to 1914, taking a master’s place at Denstone College. ‘The human boy’ she wrote, ‘was a revelation to me… I think I would very much rather work with boys than with girls, as they are much less complex’. Dorothy Brady, OP

We all have to give up something, Miss Gray told

the girls, and Mr Holst has given up his ‘von’

1909 to 1911, described the Ambulance Corps and riding down Regent Street on ‘top of thirty-eight … sacks of dressings and necessaries …’. Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD) nurses wrote in with lively but patently selective comments, as there was no mention of distressing sights and all their soldiers were plucky or quaint: ‘Sure, Fritz gave me a Blighty one all right…. The leg is dandy this morning, Sister…’ (Gladys Manning, OP 1910 to 1914, from Woodcote). Sybil Medley (OP 1908 to 1910) at Woolwich refused to sneak in brandy for ‘an old reprobate’. ‘Oh, you’re a bad ‘un’, he observed, mournfully.

Some Paulinas saw the war at first hand. Dorothy Harrison, OP 1910 to 1916, on the City of Marseilles from Liverpool, witnessed the sinking of the P & O Arabia on 6 November, 1916, torpedoed off Cape Matapan. ‘We saw … the ‘Arabia’ … gradually rear her bows into the air and disappear from sight…’. Others observed the war from the Dominions. Living in Cape Town, Muriel Marks, OP 1912 to 1915, mentioned the daily three-minute pause, when prayers were read and the Last Post sounded. University life changed too. Two Somerville Paulinas in 1916 marvelled at the way the cricket ground was now a place ‘where infuriated regiments charge hanging sandbags’. They watched men in riding boots and khaki striding up to take their degrees. At Cambridge, Elizabeth Macleod, OP 1911 to 1914, worked as a VAD nurse in the open-air hospital spread across the lawns of King’s and Clare.

With casualties came the most direct and personal shock of war. Paulina’s Roll of Honour was published in March, 1915 and in every issue thereafter, bar one, until the end of 1918. All citations were of officers save three: a gunner, a private and a sergeant. Personal tragedies lie behind a few words. On 16 August, 1915, Kathleen Fearnside-Speed, OP 1904 to 1908, married Lieutenant

Arthur Bagley of the Royal Dublin Fusiliers. The following month her brother Ronald was killed during the battle of Loos. Captain Bagley, aged 27, died of wounds received in action 12 days before the Armistice, leaving Kathleen with their baby son.

The Armistice was greeted at school with hoisting of the Standard and prolonged peals on the school bell. The next day, 12 November, 1918, a Thanksgiving service was held, with the lesson from Psalm 68: ‘May God arise, may his enemies be scattered’. Miss Gray spoke at length. ‘Very, very seldom that any thought of vengeance came to our soldiers in the war’, she said. Niall Ferguson’s The Pity of War (page 368) shows otherwise, alas; ‘surrender on the Western Front was dangerous’. Looking to the future, the High Mistress expressed the belief of a generation, that this had been the first and last Great War for civilisation: ‘The Governments of the Allies and of the United States must … ensure that no smouldering fires of wrong, of treachery … should break forth into a conflagration and again plunge Europe into the furnace’.Howard Bailes, Archivist

The first Roll of Honour published in issue 32 of The Paulina, March 1915

St Paul’s Girls’ School before the First World WarThe VIII in 1916 defying wartime gloom


Notices

BirthsAmanda Nercessian, OP 1993 to 1995, and husband Duncan Keysell, are delighted to announce the birth of Raphael Max Nercessian Keysell, born on 8 January 2016, weighing 3.54kg at Queen Charlotte’s and Chelsea Hospital, London. A brother for Aneirin who was born on 11 August 2009.

Maria Vlotides, OP 1988 to 1995, and husband Robert Clough, are thrilled to announce the birth of Penelope Bay Vlotides-Clough, born in London on 15 July 2016.

Karen Rowe, née Mecz, OP 1996 to 2003, is thrilled to announce the birth of Jessica Zelma Rowe, born on 1 April 2016. Karen is convinced that Jessica is a future Paulina in the making!

Marriages

Tara Finegan, née Moross, OP 1998 to 2005, married Sean Finegan on 28 May 2016 in London.

Sarah-Jane Liddington, née Bailey, OP 1997 to 2004, married Charlie Liddington on 4 June 2016. The wedding was attended by Old Paulinas from Sarah-Jane’s year: Felicity Mozakka (née Marsden), Caroline Thompson, Susie Nathan (née Alaghband-Zadeh), Maid of Honour Olivia Keetch, Jia Mao, Emily Bunning (née Anderson), and Ramsay Warland (née Bowden).

.

DeathsWe fondly remember

Doreen Chatterton, née Sayer, OP 1934 to 1941, died on 2 March 2016.

Flora Fischer, OP 1975 to 1982, died on 27 March 2016.

Elizabeth Ahlers, née Simpson, OP 1942 to 1946, died on 5 June 2016.

Nicola Thorold, OP 1976 to 1983, died on 28 June 2016.

Beatrice de Cardi, OP 1924 to 1931, died on 5 July 2016.

Margaret Rigal, née Lazarus, OP 1946 to 1950, died on 18 September 2016.

From the Development OfficeWelcome to the new team

The Development Office has recently welcomed two new members of the team.

Maxime Sabatini is our new Alumnae Relations Manager. Maxime has a BA (Combined Hons) in French & Spanish from the University of Exeter and her background is in events management at a variety of different charities. Alex Hearnden joins us as the new Database Coordinator. Alex has a BSc (Hons) in Biology from the University of Bath. She has extensive knowledge of using databases and has spent the last five years working for a disability charity in Surrey. Maxime is the main contact for all Old Paulina correspondence; she organises the alumnae events and reunions, and produces The Review magazine. Alex manages the alumnae database and provides administrative support for the whole Development Office. Please do continue to contact me with any fundraising queries. We all look forward to meeting you at the next alumnae event!Rosemary Torrington, Foundation Director

From the Old Paulina LeagueThe biennial Christmas Fair

Saturday 19 November 2016 will see another spectacular Christmas Fair organised by the

Parents’ Guild. The Old Paulina League is to have a stall on the Marble selling merchandise with all proceeds going directly to the Rowan Education Trust. You will be able to purchase the ever popular mugs, tea towels and key rings, along with other festive items that are always welcome in Christmas stockings. The Christmas Fair is an excellent occasion for the school and the local community to come together and celebrate the festive season.

The Rowan Education Trust was established in 1980 to assist students at St Paul’s Girls’ School who are in need of financial support. Not only do we now provide support by way of music lessons, rowing lessons and laptops, but we also assist with educational trips, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions, and of course, bursaries. We are extremely grateful to all those who have supported the Rowan Education Trust.Alison Palmer, née Lam, OP 1981 to 1988Chair, Old Paulina League

Highlights from our 2016 events programme

Private Tour of Burton Agnes Hall & Luncheon Old Paulinas with Olivia Cunliffe-Lister, née Bolton, OP 1988 to 1995, and husband Simon Cunliffe-Lister at Burton Agnes Hall on 22 JulyLondon Lunch with Baroness

Valentine, OP 1970 to 1977, hosted at Dentons Alumnae networking at Dentons law firm on 12 May

Valediction 2016 Emilia Clark, OP 2009 to 2016, with Faith Ponsonby, née Glover, OP 1952 to 1959, at Valediction on 29 June. Emilia received the Faith Glover Ponsonby Prize for Politics

2016 Photoboard

The Development Team (L to R): Alex Hearnden, Maxime Sabatini & Rosemary Torrington


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