blackheath high school - summer term 2012
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Blackheath High School - Summer Term 2012TRANSCRIPT
Summer Term 2012
EMBRACING THE OLYMPIC GAMES
CELEBRATING SIXTH FORM
SUCCESS
EXCITING RESIDENTIAL
TRIPS
Another year of excellent exam results
HIGHLIGHTS
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2 Blackheath High School Summer 2012
welcome
Julian is Director of the
World City Links, a dynamic
and exciting organisation
which shares education, skills
and government expertise
between London and other
cities throughout the world.
Julian has led many UK
delegations to countries such
as China, Brazil, Thailand and
Canada where professionals
can share expertise and build
networks of good practice.
Being an expert on international professional development
for teachers, Julian has established joint curriculums and the
transnational delivery of courses.
Under Julian’s leadership, World City Links has developed
hundreds of curriculum partnerships between London and
other world cities and has supported inter-government forums,
Introducing Julian Vennis – Chairman of Blackheath High School’s Governing Board
including ministerial delegations. He has also established
leadership programmes for education leaders in London and
abroad. Julian is also involved in knowledge transfer of mega
events such as the Olympics between Beijing to London and
now between London and Rio De Janeiro, particularly around
the areas of skills and workforce preparation.
Prior to this, Julian was the ICT Manager in an inner
London Education Department for 6 years and has held
other senior positions within London Local Authorities. He
was also previously a teacher and Head of Department in a
comprehensive school and is currently also the Director of a
schools Education ICT Company.
“It is a great honour to work with the staff and students of
Blackheath : the school has a real positive dynamism. The
Governors are always impressed with the commitment and
dedication the staff show. My hope for the school is that we can
maintain high academic standards and rigour, whilst developing
new and exciting curriculum innovations and continuing to
emphasise the holistic development of our students.“
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Summer 2012 Blackheath High School 3
farewell
Fond Farewells - Sandra Clements, Deputy Head
“It was September 1993 that I joined Blackheath High School, at Wemyss Road, as a biology teacher. This followed a short break with my young family and several part time teaching posts. I arrived amidst much upheaval because the senior school was due to move to the VP site in December, and so the labs were ripped out ready for transfer to the new building and the school was preoccupied with ‘the move’. The science department had to be inventive about teaching science on dining room tables, with no equipment, as this too had been packed for transit. To our horror – the move to VP was delayed until September 1994 as a result of building problems and so my first year at the school can best be described as ‘different’.
It was not long after our move to VP that I was promoted to be Head of Sixth Form by Miss Musgrave (Head at the time); this was a post that I had held at Hayes School in Bromley before my brief career break. I still believe that being a Head of Sixth Form is one of the best posts in a school. I love working with the older students, guiding them through the transition from GCSE and preparing them for successful entrance to University. We see the girls transform from pupils to confident and outgoing young women set to face the future. It remains a joy for me to follow the careers of the girls I have come to know. The OGA Pimms Party this summer was such a great opportunity for staff past and present to catch up with Blackheath students and share their success stories.
Miss Musgrave’s parting gift to me was promotion to the post of Assistant Head (then termed Senior Mistress) and this was the start of my time working with Mrs Laws when she became Head in 2000. I know that we became a formidable team and, with our colleagues, saw a great transformation of the school to the exciting and sought after establishment that it has become. I
was delighted to be appointed Deputy Head in 2005. The tasks I have tackled, and the teams I have led, since I have been at Blackheath have encompassed just about every aspect of school life, and there have been many proud moments of achievement for the school – too many to name. The Senior Leadership Team, and the staff of both the Junior and Senior Schools, are extremely proud that Blackheath High is often held up as a beacon of excellence in the GDST. Of course this is to the benefit of the children – who are the centre of all we do.
It was with much heart searching that I came to the decision to retire this year. After 38 years in the classroom, and having been both a GCSE and A level examiner in Biology, I thought I would see what life is like outside academia – and see if I could survive in a life that is not ruled by school bells and timetables. It has of course been necessary to think about my future so that I am able to answer the perpetual question ‘What will you do?’
So here is my plan. I have already begun as a volunteer at Kids Company (google it) in London. I am about to rediscover my creative talents ( I really am a scientist by accident) – Art classes and History of Art lectures begin next week. Then there is the annual resolution to get fit, so I can be found doing laps in the swimming pool. I also have time to spend with my husband Graham, who retired last year. We like to travel and intend to do more trips to ‘far flung’ places. Finally there will be more time for our children, Stephen, Anne and Peter; to follow their very different careers as an engineer, a teacher (it is in the genes) and a Vet.
I will of course follow the fortunes of Blackheath High School and remain truly grateful for the colleagues, students and friends that have become part of my life since joining the school 19 years ago.”
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4 Blackheath High School Summer 2012
oth years 12 and 13 celebrated the
end of their examinations at the
Sixth Form Ball in July. Students
and staff enjoyed a fantastic three
course meal together and then proceeded to
boogie the night away, at Devonport House
in Greenwich.
All of the students looked radiant, relaxed
and sophisticated in accordance with the
”Black Tie” dress code and enjoyed feasting
on delicious delights that included smoked
chicken kebabs and chocolate puddings.
The girls had booked a DJ;” DJRugged”,
who pitched the music brilliantly, managing to
please the sprightly youngsters and staff alike!
We were all still dancing at midnight, although
most of us had discarded the perilously high
heels!
Happily, former teacher, Mr Denton, was
able to attend as offi cial photographer and he
managed to capture many charming images
that showed the spirit of the evening.
The next Sixth Form student group is now
chomping at the bit to organise something
even more special for next year!
sixth form
Celebrating Sixth Form Success!B
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Summer 2012 Blackheath High School 5
sixth form
ell done to all our girls on
their excellent achievement
at A Level, AS Level and GCSE
level this year.
The morning of A level results day tends
to involve feelings of trepidation across
the country. However, here at Blackheath
High School, we enjoyed a morning of
celebration, with the majority of students
gaining a place at their first choice university.
Our students’ results defied the decline in
top grades as we attained 100% pass rate at
A level with 67% being graded A*, A or B. At
GCSE the results were equally pleasing with
99% of grades at A* to C and 62% of grades
at A*/A. Nearly half the girls gained at least
8 GCSEs all at grade A* or A.
Once again this year, the range of
courses applied for was indeed diverse;
from English to Chemical Engineering.
This wide range of university courses is
something that we are very proud of and
reflects the breadth of our students’ ability
across a diverse range of subjects. Our
students are also very successful when
W
BHS Bucks the Downward Trend in High Grades Attained!
applying for traditionally male dominated
areas such as Economics, Chemical
Engineering and Mathematics.
Our girls are bucking the trend, fulfilling
their dreams and I am sure will go on to
enjoy successful careers.
Anna Edgar achieved 3 A* and is going
to Cambridge to read Psychology and
Behavioural Sciences. Lauren Benson
attained a very impressive 2A* and an A and
has achieved her much longed for place
at Oxford to read English. Freya Miller is
off to Manchester to study Medicine after
amazingly gaining three offers, which is
almost unheard of for Medicine, and so
was spoilt for choice!
Some examples of the diverse pathways
our girls are following include: Abby Lee
going to Bristol to study Economics;
Lourdes Anton, joining Kings to read
Neuroscience; Ifiemi Kemenanabo going to
Manchester to study Chemical Engineering;
Maria Lulu Kinunda reading Financial
Mathematics at Sheffield and Connie Wroe
gaining a place at York to read Sociology.
“Although my long standing career plan
is to become a political journalist, I see
myself embarking on a postgraduate
course, having completed my degree.
Aside from my academic studies,
involvement in clubs has meant I can
build upon certain skills, such as being
self-motivated, and can widen my
awareness of other topics. I have taken
part in a range of reading discussion
groups, and I regularly attend Senior
Debating, which is an ideal platform for
me to debate current affairs and develop
my public speaking skills. My need to
keep up to date with world affairs is
one reason for my joining the Amnesty
International Club. I play an active part
in school life through my roles as Peer
Mentor and Pastoral Prefect and through
helping to run Creativity Club; all of
which have given me a greater role in
shaping the school’s development and
improving the pastoral care available.
Above all, Blackheath High has given
me the skills and increased confidence
to pursue independent study and achieve
my aspirations.” Lauren Benson
Sally Lardner celebrating her superb set of 11 A* GCSE grades plus one A grade.Sade Kalsi who achieved 10 A* GCSEs plus a B
Grace Englefield Anna Edgar
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Y6 ‘Moving-Up’ Party – Hollywood Style
6 Blackheath High School Summer 2012
“I really enjoyed the party, it was amazing
and everything was perfect – from the food to the
decorations!” Emilia Hughes
“I really loved the Hollywood
themed party. It was really good fun dressing up as
different characters.” Nadia Cooper
“The decorations were amazing and the DJ
played just the right music. Everyone had a fantastic
time.” Ellie Hillier
year 6 leavers party
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Summer 2012 Blackheath High School 7
talking heads
I have very much enjoyed my first term as Head
of EYFS, particularly because of the charm,
politeness and individuality of our lovely girls.
• Atypicaldayformeinvolves... a wide range
of activities with both children and parents of
Reception and Nursery classes.
• WhatmakesBlackheathHighSchooldifferent
is...the cosmopolitan and international feel that is
has, so many of our tiny girls are multilingual, it’s
quite amazing!
• Wetrytoinstill... in even our very young pupils
a sense of resilience and we use a mantra, -“be
brave and strong when little things go wrong.”
• IwasattractedtoBHJSbecause...of the school
ethos of a high achieving all girls’ school which
is stated so clearly by the Leadership team and
followed through by a committed staff.
• IwouldlikeBHJStobeknownfor... innovations
in education combined with traditional values.
• Imostenjoyaboutmynewrole...being a part
of each girl’s development, right from being tiny
Nursery girls, right through to the confident and so
capable young women we have in our Sixth Form.
TALKING HEADS: Sandra Eastaugh, Head of Early Years Foundation Stage
“I have been very happy at Blackheath
High School ever since my very first day, having been made to feel welcome
by the whole school community: children, parents and colleagues. Ours is a lovely
school to be involved with and the Foundation Stage classes are filled with
delightful, thriving, busy girls who are getting a really
good start to their school life.”
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8 Blackheath High School Summer 2012
junior music
lthough every term
at BHJS is full of
music making, the
summer term was
brimming with
spectacular musical events! The
music department waltzed from
one concert straight into the next
and the girls were astonished us
time and again with their ability to
learn repertoire at top speed and
give of their all in rehearsals and
concerts alike.
Years 1 and 2 proved to be a very
talented group of musicians in their
Tea Time Concert. The girls performed
maturely and seemingly without
nerves - quite a feat at such a young
age! We were also delighted to hear
from every girl in Year 2 who had all
taken part in the string instrument
Junior Music taster scheme. This runs as part of
Year 2’s curriculum, so that each girl
has the opportunity to learn the violin,
viola or cello. All the girls showed how
much they had learned and played
their group pieces beautifully.
We were grateful to the BHJS
Quintet who performed at both the
opening of our Art Exhibition and the
Year 6 Leavers’ Reception. We have to
remind ourselves that these girls were
only in Year 5, as they play with the
confidence of professionals!
Following the sparkling performance
of Year 5/6’s play, “Alice in
Wonderland,” the very next morning
Mrs Dudley, Miss Syrad and I began
rehearsing for the annual concert at
the Old Royal Naval College Chapel.
We were amazed by how quickly the
girls in Years 4, 5 and 6 learned the
repertoire for Carnival!: a fun and
engaging arrangement of Saint-Saens
“Carnival of the Animals” for voice.
Originally written for KS3, we were
very proud of how the girls rose to
the challenge of learning difficult
harmonies and rhythms and
quickly mastered the pieces in
order to sing them brilliantly
in concert. The evening, at
the Old Royal Naval College,
was certainly one to
remember. Not many girls of
8-11 years old can say they
have performed choral
pieces by Handel at such a
prestigious venue.
The music department remains
as busy as ever as we enter into
the academic year 2012-2013, with
fourteen peripatetic staff working
tremendously hard to fit in as many
individual lessons as possible into the
school week. I am delighted that Ms.
Lisete da Silva, who has been part of
our music staff for some time, has
now taken over tuition in flute as well
as recorder. We have also recently
welcomed Mr David Grubb, a familiar
face from the Senior School, to our
team as he takes on teaching in cello
and piano, and Mr Todor Nikolaev who
is also teaching violin from September.
“I am very thankful to have a
career that allows me to play and sing every day. Music is a gift that is
given to you, to be cared for, nurtured and shared. It is not simply about learning an
instrument. All my memories, happy and sad, are accompanied by music and it continues to enrich
my life every day. If I can pass on the smallest degree of this understanding of what music is
about to children, I will feel I have done my
job well.” Mrs Coles
A
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Summer 2012 Blackheath High School 9
junior drama
Junior Drama rama is an integral part
of learning at Blackheath
High School, bringing
to life many areas of the
curriculum. This term, Y4
took part in an exciting Humanities-based
drama workshop at the Senior School in
which they used sound, movement and
freeze frames to act out the rainforest at
different stages. An imaginative Roman
workshop for Y3 culminated in a lively
and interactive pantomime version of
‘Pyramus and Thisbee’ which involved lots
of audience participation. Earlier this term
the whole of Reception and Key Stage 1
were treated to a ‘Pirates and Mermaids’
workshop in which they were taken on a
journey through a story of a sea-sick
lady Pirate!
The highlight of drama activities this term
was the Y5 and Y6 Production, a magical
retelling of the ‘Alice In Wonderland’
story. The stage at the Junior School was
transformed into a beautiful garden and
great talent was displayed as ‘Alice’ sang
and danced her way through the garden,
encountering many strange creatures:
animals popping unexpectedly out of her
pool of tears; a blue caterpillar with a quiff
appearing suddenly on a toadstool; lobsters
who could dance and many other colourful
characters; before she finally realising that
they were “nothing but a pack of
cards”. The audience was amazed
by the quality of the dance numbers,
including a line dance and a tap
dance, performed by everyone in
Y5 and 6. The girls had been busy in
their DT lessons as well, producing
two stunning animations which
blended seamlessly into the live
story to give the show a truly dream-
like feel.
D
“When the girl said ‘seashells’ we had to
stand straight, with no noise coming out of our mouths, and put our hands above our heads - it was
great fun.” (Martina, 1NG)
“When the girl sang a song we copied her actions.” (Annabel, 1NG)
“She was always feeling seasick, which is funny because
she is a pirate!” (Alice, 1NG)
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10 Blackheath High School Summer 2012
Residential trips allow more time for in depth
learning and bring many other benefits including
the development of independence and confidence.
During the Summer term our girls visited many places,
practiced foreign languages, learned new skills and
conquered some fears!
Notre Voyage à Rambouillet by Yasmeen Cooper (Y10)Le dimanche 1 juillet, nous nous sommes rencontrés
à Ebbsfleet International Station. Nous avons pris
l’Eurostar, le métro et le train pour aller à L’Institut
International de Rambouillet. Quand nous y sommes
arrivés, un prof de l’Institut, Mathilde, nous a montré
le site. Nous avons vu la cafeteria, nos chambres,
la salle d’Internet et la salle de recréation, avec un
babyfoot. Après le diner, nous sommes restés dans
nos chambres.
Le lundi, nous avons fait beaucoup de cours de
français – pendant la matinée et l’après-midi. Le
soir, un groupe des étudiants d’années 9,10 et 11 ont
regardé un film, L’Italien, avec des étudiants chypriotes.
Chaque jour pendant le reste de la semaine, nous
Exciting Residentials!residential trips
faisions les cours de français, et nous faisions les
activités à Paris ou Rambouillet chaque après-midi.
Le mardi, nous sommes allés au Musée d’Orsay. Ma
peinture préférée était ‘Un Bouée rouge’ par Paul
Signac. La vue depuis le dernier étage, derrière la
pendule, était très belle.
Seulement une vue pendant toute la semaine était
meilleure que la vue du Musée d’Orsay, et c’était la vue
panoramique – 360 degrés, au sommet de la Tour
Montparnasse. Nous avons visité la Tour Montparnasse
le mercredi. Aussi, nous avons fait un tour de Paris en
bateau. Nous sommes passés sous un petit pont, avec
une histoire très romantique. Apparemment, si vous dites
un désir sous le pont, puis vous fermez les yeux et vous
embrassez la personne assise à côté de vous, le désir
va se réaliser! Aussi, je pensais que c’était très mignon
quand j’ai vu beaucoup de cadenas, avec le prénom des
amoureux, qui ont jeté les clefs dans la Seine!
Le jeudi, tout le monde sauf moi a fait du vélo à
Rambouillet, mais je ne sais pas comment faire du
vélo, donc au lieu de partir avec les autres, j’ai assisté
à un cours avec les étudiants âgés de 19-30 ans. J’ai
retrouvé mes amies plus tard, et nous avons fait du
shopping!
Le vendredi, après le dernier cours de français, nous
sommes rentrés, et quand nous avons dû dire ‘au
revoir’ c’était un moment triste!
Je voudrais dire merci beaucoup à Jessie et
Madame Newman, mais surtout à Monsieur Baker, car
c’était un voyage super!
Terrific TrierBack in 2010 we were delighted to set up
a school exchange with the ‘Bischöfliches-
Angela-Merici Gymnasium’, a grammar
school for girls in Trier in the beautiful
Moselle region of Germany. This Summer
we enjoyed a return visit which was a great
success, with several girls visiting their
exchange partners for the second time.
Our girls were very warmly welcomed
by the German families they were staying
with and the Headteacher, Herr Dr. Zeck,
greeted us in a full school assembly to
introduce us to their staff and students.
Our girls were able to experience German
family life and to visit Trier, with its Roman
heritage, and Cochem, with its fairytale
castle overlooking the Moselle. We had
an interesting visit to a vineyard and wine
cellar (owned by a member of staff at the
school) to understand the process of wine-
making from the vine to the bottle, which
ended with a barbeque for the whole group.
There were a lot of tears when we left, but
we knew it would not be long before they
would be coming to England.
The educational value of such a trip is
evident in many areas. The girls’ language
learning has greatly benefited from the
experience, as they had the opportunity to
be immersed in the language, to practise
and improve their German vocabulary,
especially in areas of mutual interest, such
as music and fashion. It has enabled them to
broaden their understanding of a different
culture, and perhaps most importantly,
it has rekindled their desire to study the
language further.
The German exchange partners were
equally enthusiastic about their very recent
visit to Blackheath High School. They loved
Blackheath and the trips we organised for
them to see the sights of London. Just as
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Summer 2012 Blackheath High School 11
Exciting Residentials!residential trips
we had done, they enjoyed experiencing a
different school environment and routine.
We are confident that this second
exchange trip has firmly cemented a
long and successful partnership between
our two schools and that the friendships
we have formed will continue to grow.
Mrs Bond
“When I first went to Germany, the first thing
that struck me was the many differences
between my exchange partner’s life and my
own. There was a real sense of ‘family’ that I
found very comforting. All meals were eaten
together and in the evenings we played a
board game or watched a movie together
(with subtitles for me!).
Meal times were very different – dinner
consisted of one course, usually something
plain, followed by a selection of meat
(sausages and ham), cheese and bread.
There were also many snacks and cakes;
throughout the whole day I was offered
almond cake from the delicious Konditorei
(bakery) and biscuits, along with apple juice.
It was lovely, although I was mystified about
how everyone seemed to stay so slim!
The school day was also significantly
different to ours. Lessons began earlier and,
as school finished at one o’clock, I didn’t
need lunch. Instead, I was given a bread
roll and a bottle of water for my break time
snack. Lessons were shorter, 45 minutes,
and consisted mostly of dictation and
worksheets. I much prefer our school, in
many ways but not least because here I can
understand everything!
I really enjoyed the German exchange
and would encourage anyone learning
German to go. My German speaking greatly
improved and my confidence increased, I
made lots of new friends and learnt a lot
about Germany in the process. Overall the
trip was fantastic!”
Jessica Cox Y10
Lovely Liddington by Matilda Marcus 5SD
This Summer Year 5 went to our long
awaited trip to Liddington! It took
about 2 hours to arrive but the wait
was worth it!
When we arrived, we played some
very peculiar games including a red
oval-shaped squishy thing being
thrown backwards!
Next we had our safety talk and
found our dorms. With a range of
people in dorms from 3 to 5 the
pressure was on to win point to go
towards a prize for our dorm.
Then we had our evening activity-
wacky races! Team 1, 2, 3, and 4
battled it out to see which team was
the loudest and, most importantly, the
wackiest! Soon enough it was time
for bed.
The next morning we enjoyed lots
of activities then in the afternoon we
went to visit HMS Great Britain, the
ship that brought Brunel to fame and
followed our first term’s humanities
topic of ‘The Victorians.’
On Wednesday we went to Sailsbury
Cathedral. We had a tour of the famous
cathedral and then had a treasure hunt
getting jigsaw pieces and the overall
picture was the Queen!
After Thursday morning’s outdoor
activities, we went off to the place
we’d all been waiting to visit...Birdland!
The aquarium was great - the fish and
amphibians ranged from a beautiful,
calm clown fish to a funny, cheeky
turtle that had, we were told, escaped
and ran away previously!
This experience was very exciting and
I don’t think we’ll forget it in a hurry!
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12 Blackheath High School Summer 2012
ince Easter, students worked
towards a World Record
Attempt as part of this year’s
‘Big Dance 2012.’ This year’s
dance was themed on the
summer Olympics. Key olympic sports
were incorporated in small phrases into the
dance, along with the vibrant colours of the
Olympic Rings which fitted beautifully with
our girls’ dance kit. During Dance lessons,
with extra practice time, our Key Stage 3
pupils learnt and perfected the dance for
the big challenge that ran on Friday 18th
May. It all went smoothly with over 150
students taking part on the day.
We have really progressed in Athletics
this year, which was evident in our packed
Senior Sports Day during National Sports
Week. We set BHS records in Long Jump,
High Jump and Shot Put and smashed
12 existing records. With Paragon and
Vanbrugh vying for the lead throughout the
day, Paragon were the eventual winners, for
the first time in 12 years, by three points!
We joined in the 140th GDST Athletics and
Dance rally held at Bath University Centre of
Excellence where many of our GB Athletics
team were training. With a squad of some
of the successful winners from our Sports
Day we were very lucky to be able to meet
one of our most successful swimmer ever,
senior sport
“Lets Play Netball launched the Blackheath Academy in May with sessions taking place on a Sunday
between 10-11.30am. The girls are split into three groupings (Years 3-4; Years 5-6 & Year 7-8).
The Netball Academy proved very popular during the summer term and was well supported by
Blackheath High and students and we would like to take this opportunity to say a big ‘thank you’ to everyone who has been part of this
project. LPN will continue to deliver sessions in the Autumn term.
The head of the Netball Academy is ex-England International and current Surrey Storm player Natalie Seaton. The academy is open to
girls of all abilities with our primary focus being individual development and, of course, having fun! Lets Play Netball is looking forward
to building a long lasting relationship with Blackheath High and our coaches are excited about the future prospects at this academy.
For more information please go to www.letsplaynetball.co.uk Natalie Seaton, Head Coach
S
Karen Pickering, who gave the girls some
words of wisdom on how to
approach their events. Quite
a few of our girls went on to
further extend their skills and
gain PBs, notable successes
were in Year 9 200m, Year 9
Relay team, Year 9 Shot Put,
Year 8 High Jump and Year 7
Shot Putt.
It was also a busy term for
Rounders fixtures with our
Year 7, 8 and 9 teams hosting
teams at our sports field and
attending tournaments; the
U12 and U13 teams have been particularly
successful throughout the term and very
competitive. We extended our Summer
Watersports Programme and had students
working towards their RYA Level 1 Sailing
and both BCU Level 1&2 Canoeing Awards.
Our Sixth Formers visited the Wimbledon
Tennis Tournament and we were fortunate
to be able to get Centre Court tickets,
watching some of the quarter finals in
between showers of rain.
Finally, as you would expect, many of our
girls went to watch many of the Olympic
sporting events which you can read all
about on pages 16 and 17!
Senior Sport
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Summer 2012 Blackheath High School 13
he Summer Term saw Junior PE fixtures and lessons
hampered by the weather. But the girls still worked
hard to maintain their skills and fitness in both
Rounders and Athletics.
On May the 2nd there was the very successful Mini Marathon
with girls from year 3 to 7 competing on the heath.
IndividualResults
Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6 Year 7
1st
Freya Burton Franklin
Megan Aljian(4.56min)
Quinn Ready
(4.45min)
Julie Makki(4.42min)
Georgina Elliot
(4.30min)
2nd Elizabeth Reczek
Tilly EvansValeriya Orlova
Lara Atkinson
Ellie Brannigan
3rdAnna
HadinghamEmmanuelle
DumontMatilda Jarvis
Emelia Hughes Tegan Paku
We also hosted the first of a local Mini Olympic Event for Year 4
with teams from schools including Colfe’s, Farringtons, Babington
House, West Lodge and Merton Court attending. The beautiful
weather, and competitive Olympic activities, resulted in a very
exciting and enjoyable afternoon. Year 3 and Year 4 also visited
other schools for further Mini Olympic competitions.
junior sport
TJunior Sport
BHS_5_rev2.indd 13 16/10/2012 11:41
This year’s GCSE and
A Level Art exhibition
was a huge success
and saw the girls
achieving superb results. The
GCSE girls produced fantastic
garments based on fairy tales and
folklore using processes such as
screen-printing, hand and machine
embroidery and applique. These
were accompanied by lino prints
that explored their own identities
and heritage. Their exam pieces
demonstrated a wide range of
processes and illustrated how
well the girls are able to work
independently, exploring their own
ideas and concepts.
The A Level students this year
produced some really exciting and
ambitious work with outcomes
ranging from short films and
digital work to textile collections
and installations. They received
wonderful feedback from both the
visitors to the exhibition as well
as from the moderator from the
exam board.
Many congratulations to all the
girls on their excellent examination
results!
14 Blackheath High School Spring 2012
senior art
TSenior Art
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Summer 2012 Blackheath High School 15
junior art
TJunior Art
he ‘Olympic Games’ was the theme
of the Junior School Art Exhibition
this year, which took place in
June 2012. Every year group
chose different techniques to represent the
Olympics, and the Olympic values.
Nursery chose the theme of bicycles, and
used line painting and drawing, as well as
creating tyre pattern on polystyrene tiles in
order to make block prints of bicycle wheels.
Reception created work in the style of David
Hockney, using the paint programme on the
iPad. They began by making sketches using
pencils and experimented with charcoal.
Year 1 worked with digital photography,
and took photos of their friends doing
various sporting activities. Their two favourite
photos were cut into strips and positioned
alternatively to create a sense of movement.
Year 2 created a wonderful Olympic Collage
on a piece of hessian. They each chose and
researched a specific country, designed a
team kit, and made its flag out of felt.
Year 3 used the Olympic Rings as inspiration
for their artwork. Each Olympic Ring
contained a small piece of artwork, which was
relevant to the games being hosted in our
capital city.
Year 4 chose their favourite sport and used
a printing technique called mono printing to
create bespoke sporty bunting.
Year 5 created work related to the 7
Olympic and Paralympic values; Friendship,
Respect, Excellence, Determination, Courage,
Equality and Inspiration.
Year 6 took the chance to celebrate the
wonderful city of London, the host of the
Olympics 2012. They developed a brand and
marketing products for Lewisham market
and, using a combination of art making skills,
such as mark making, concept drawing,
typography, mono printing, relief printing
and embroidery, they created fantastic
canvas bags.
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16 Blackheath High School Summer 2012
london 2012
W
Our Olympic Experience
e really were struck by ‘Olympic Fever,’ having
been looking forward to the games as part of the
‘Get Set Network’ which linked Blackheath High
School to the London Organising Committee of
the Olympic Games. In the Summer term, each department across
the whole school, added aspects of the Olympics to schemes of
work and, at Seniors, each form adopted a country participating
in the 2012 games to support. This came to a head at Sports Day
when girls painted their faces in their team colours and waived their
team flags (as well as cheering on their own House of course).
We strive to live by the Olympic values of Friendship, Respect
and Trust; and the Paralympic values of Courage, Determination,
Inspiration and Equality and these values have been discussed
regularly both in assemblies and within Form times.
We were very lucky to receive a number of tickets through
the Get Set Network and many of our staff gave up their time to
escort the girls to many, different events across the Olympics and
Paralympic Games;; sports included basketball, football, shooting,
wrestling, boxing and Paralympic athletics.
PARALYmPIC ATHLETICSWe took our seats as the stadium was nearly full and you could
feel the ‘buzz’ of the crowd. We watched many events on the
track – for visually impaired, amputees, wheelchairs – and in the
field – discus, javelin, shot and, to my amazaement, long jump for
blind competitors; these athletes were inspiring, using their coach’s
clapping as a guide to keep them on the track to the take off board
and relying on technique to land safely in the pit.
The crowd showed support for all athletes but the noise was
deafening when a British competitor was introduced; we saw some
incredible sporting, competitive performances.
Afterwards, another highlight: three pupils, Yasmeen Cooper,
Ella Jollands and Lera Wood, were interviewed on Radio 5 Live by
Paralympic gold medallist swimmer Marc Woods, talking about
their experience at the Paralympics. Following the interview we
were shown up to the studio -Tanni Grey-Thompson had just
finished her interview – what a wonderful experince to end an
incredible day.
WOmEN’S BASKETBALLOn the 30th July 6 students ventured into the Olympic Park
accompanied by Miss Johnson, Mrs Stevens and Mrs Hrebien. We
headed to the Basketball Arena to watch two exciting matches
as part of the Women’s Basketball Heats. Team GB stepped up
against Canada and the crowd burst into a frenzy of cheers and
Union Jacks. After a very close match, Canada won 73-65. We then
watched the USA, who went on to win Gold, beat Angola 90-38. By
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Summer 2012 Blackheath High School 17
london 2012
“During the school’s Olympic ticket ballot there were 3 tickets for the women’s shooting and I was one of the lucky winners. We were accompanied by Mrs Hibberd and Mrs Elliot. On arrival at the Woolwich artillery barracks we were given schedules for the day’s events so we decided to start off with women’s target shooting but then we wanted to see something a bit more engaging and exciting so opted for ‘skeet shooting.’ Skeet shooting is an incredibly hard sport, one ball roughly the size of a golf ball is fired at top speed into the air and the person on the ground is meant to shoot it. Then two balls are fired opposite sides of the pitch within a few seconds of each other, the aim is obviously to shoot as many skeets as possible. We saw Kimberly Rode win a Gold medal and set a new Olympic record. “ Ella Jollands
Our Olympic Experience
the time we left the arena, the sun had set and we had a magical
walk back through the glowing Olympic Park.
WOmEN’S FOOTBALLThe following day, 18 girls went to see the women of Team GB
against Brazil at Wembley Stadium. At over 70,000, the crowd was
by far the largest that the British women’s team had ever played in
front of. It was a thrilling evening with some excellent football….
and it was fantastic to watch GB score an early goal and go on to
win the match!
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18 Blackheath High School Summer 2012
juBilee celeBrations
FJoyful Jubilee Celebrations!
riday 1st June saw the
senior school decked in
bunting as we prepared
for our very own ‘street
party’ to kick off the
jubilee weekend. Everyone came to
school in outfi ts from the 1950’s – and
the girls looked absolutely stunning in
their tea dresses and cropped jeans! At
Seniors we launched the celebrations
with an assembly that looked back
at the life of Queen Elizabeth II and
life for ordinary people in the 1950s…
In the days where few people had
televisions and the country was just
emerging from the austerity measures
of the Second World
War, this was a decade of
enormous optimism.
At Juniors, the
playground was set out
in a street party style
with long tables adorned
with red, white and blue
balloons, napkins and
fl ags.
Lunch was a traditional
fi sh and chips lunch
before ‘The Queen’
arrived at Juniors (Olivia Marsh, along
with her attentive Ladies in Waiting,
Eleanor Waring and Caitlin Cole).
Olivia made a wonderful speech
before receiving fl owers from girls in
Reception.
Seniors spent the afternoon,within
their house groups, enjoying many
diff erent traditional activities including
crown-making, learning to sing ‘Rock
Around the Clock’, learning to jive
dance, planting red, white and blue
fl owers into old plastic drink bottles
to decorate the area around the pond
– and they look stunning. We even
played traditional 1950’s games such
as marbles, throw and catch, hop
scotch, skipping and chess.
The Junior School Jubilee
Art Competition winners were
announced, with the overall prize
going to Sunanda Saxena
for her excellent portrait
of the Queen. Then
each year group made a
presentation relating to
a decade of the Queen’s
reign; starting at the
present day with Nursery
and ending with the
1950s from Year 6. The
fi nale was members of
staff dancing to Abba’s
Dancing Queen!
Everyone fi nished the celebration
with afternoon tea of cucumber
sandwiches and cupcakes (served in a
Union Jack lunchbox). It really was a
wonderful, memorable day.
BHS_5_rev2.indd 18 16/10/2012 11:42
Note from Blackheath High School Old Girls’ Association BHSOGA (www.bhsoga.org.uk)
Summer 2012 Blackheath High School 19
forthcoming events
Joyful Jubilee Celebrations!
NOVEmBER
BHSA DIWALI CELEBRATION EVENING
16th November, Junior School
JUNIOR CHAmBER CHOIR TO
BECKENHAm FESTIVAL
24th November
DECEmBER
CHAmBER CHOIR AND OUT OF THE
BLUE CHOIR SINGING AT LEWISHAm
SHOPPING CENTRE
5th December
NURSERY CHRISTmAS PERFORmANCE
13th December, 9:15am
Forthcoming Events
RECEPTION AND KEY STAGE 1 NATIVITY
14th December, 1:45pm
KS2 CAROL CONCERT
17th December, 6:00pm
SENIOR PRIZE GIVING
18th December, 7:00pm
mARCH 2013
THE TEmPEST
Greenwich Theatre
monday 25th march 2013
Tickets £10.00 for adults, £5.00 for
students and concessions
Tickets on sale from January 2013 from
Greenwich Theatre: in person, by phone
on 020 8858 7755 and online
www.greenwichtheatre.org.uk
“The inaugural Blackheath High School
Old Girls’ Association Pimms Party was
held in the Theatre of the Senior School
on Tuesday 3rd July. Nearly 100 girls and
staff , who had left the school within the
last ten years, attended the event. Mrs
Laws welcomed everyone to the evening
and Sarah Soulsby (nee Payne) (1980-
1993), Vice Chairman of the BHSOGA,
said a few words about the Old Girls
and showcased the new website (www.
bhsoga.org.uk). Harriet Jackson (2001),
talked about the new careers networking
scheme that is being set up between
the current sixth form and recent school
leavers. There are many events planned
for this and it is hoped that alumnae of
the school will attend career events,
off er email advice and help with work
experience. A group of sixth formers
at the school kindly volunteered to
take tours of the senior school, which
were thoroughly enjoyed by all. For the
remainder of the evening, the Theatre
was fi lled with chatter and laughter
between all those who attended, catching
up on news and old times, while enjoying
canapés and of course Pimms! There
was some wonderful feedback from the
evening including:
“Excellent evening, thoroughly enjoyed, would love more of the same in the future”
“Great night – lovely to see our teachers and catch up. Th ank you for putting it on”
“Great! Lovely to see so many old faces and have a chance to look around the school”
“Really well organised. Great tour. Nice canapés. Great atmosphere”
It is very much hoped that this will be one of many future events for the recent alumnae of the school. All school leavers are automatically members of the BHSOGA for 5 years and then aft er that, membership costs £10 for 4 years. For more information please email: [email protected]. For more information about the careers networking project, please email: [email protected].”Sarah Soulsby OGA
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20 Blackheath High School Spring 2012
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