Leweston Life
Summer 2014
Contents
Front Cover: A2 Level Coursework by Isabella Holroyd
Head’s Welcome
3
Academic News
4
Creative Pursuits
6
Art and Design Exhibition
10
Charity
12
Senior Sport
14
Junior Department
18
Spiritual Life
36
Overseas Trips
38
Boarding Trips and Visits
40
Duke of Edinburgh Award
42
Leavers
43
Dates for your Diary
44
www.leweston.co.uk
Welcome from the Head With the summer term completed, we find ourselves reflecting upon another exceptional academic year at Leweston. Once again, the outstanding public examination results achieved by Sixth Form pupils have been recognised in the DfE School Performance Tables. For the second consecutive year, Leweston has been placed as the top school in Dorset and Somerset for its A Level performance as measured by the average UCAS points scored per pupil. The School has also been placed in the top 5% for Value Added up to GCSE and we are delighted with the offers our Sixth Form have received from the Russell Group Universities. This year has seen great change across the campus, with the Prep School becoming Leweston’s Junior Department. This positive move has seen both schools benefiting from a fuller integration with one another. The Junior pupils will now take advantage of the specialist teaching in Languages, (including Spanish), Art, Maths, Domestic Science, Music and Sport that is provided by the Senior School. There will also be a further ‘twinning’ of Houses across both schools, so that we can implement some cross-campus activities. We look forward to September and to welcoming Victoria Bridgeman-Sutton to her new role as Head Teacher of the Junior Department. Creatively, one of this year’s highlights was the Choral Society Concert, ‘A Mozart Celebration by Candlelight’, featuring a professional orchestra playing on period instruments dating from the C18th, and professional soloists. The choir, made up of girls, parents, staff, governors and adults from the local community, was over 100 strong and the concert raised the roof, especially during the ‘Requiem’. Dramatically, the production of The Tempest was performed to great acclaim; the acting was outstanding and we would like to especially congratulate Sarah Warham, the Drama Prefect who enchanted audiences as Prospero. We were thrilled with the Junior Department’s allsinging, all-dancing production of The Little
Mermaid; everyone in attendance enjoyed this spectacular display of enthusiasm and young talent! Congratulations also go to those girls who performed so well at the Bath Festival of Speech and Drama, bringing home top prizes in a number of divisions. 2013-2014 has witnessed some incredible sporting achievements by Leweston pupils. As I write we have five girls in Germany representing GB at the Biathle World Tour, for which I wish them luck. Congratulations to all those girls who partake in team sports representing the school, the region or the country. It has truly been a terrific year for Leweston’s sporting stars, with successes across all disciplines - from fencing and rowing, to football, swimming and everything in between. A marked improvement in performance has been evident, thanks in no small part to the excellent coaching and training programmes available and the dedication of the pupils themselves. Duke of Edinburgh participation has gone from strength to strength in all categories and at this very moment we have a team in Peru undertaking their final assessment for the Gold DofE award. I wish them well. With this being the end of a full and pleasing academic year, we say goodbye to our leavers but remain safe in the knowledge that they depart Leweston well prepared for the next stage in their lives. ‘Gaudere et Bene Facere!’ Rejoice and do well.
Adrian Aylward Headmaster
3
Pupils Win Places at Cambridge Leweston is delighted that two of its Upper Sixth pupils have been successful in obtaining offers from Cambridge. Congratulations to Ciara McCarthy who has received an offer to study Natural Sciences and to Harriet Woodland who has received an offer to study Modern Languages. Leweston has a strong history of enabling Sixth Formers to win places at the most selective universities and specialist colleges and these offers serve to highlight the school’s reputation for preparing pupils for further success.
Leiths Success for the Upper Sixth Seven Year 13 girls achieved their Leiths Basic Certificate in Food and Wine having passed all elements of the 5 term course. The girls’ excellent knowledge of theory and ability to work under pressure in the timed practical exam, led to excellent theory and practical examination results. Congratulations go to Olivia Gregory, Isabella Holroyd, Daria Korznikova, Isabelle Mcgowan, Isabella Thompson, Zoe To and Jaime Lao. Olivia achieved a distinction and the Leiths prize closely followed by Isabella Holroyd achieving a merit, with the other girls achieving first class passes. Leiths teacher, Susan Larkin, is delighted that the girls’ hard work has paid off, with them achieving our best ever results.
4
Sixth Formers Compete in the UK Chemistry Olympiad Congratulations to the three Year 13 girls who were awarded certificates at this year’s UK Chemistry Olympiad. This annual event is designed to select students for the UK team at the International Chemistry Olympiad and is open to all UK Year 13 students. Round 1 is a challenging written test of chemical knowledge and Gold, Silver and Bronze certificates are awarded. This year a total of 5682 students entered the competition with four from Leweston. Ciara McCarthy was awarded a Gold certificate, joining the 7.4% of candidates who entered the competition and were awarded top honours. Annie Trevis and Justyna Ekert were awarded Bronze certificates.
PUPIL WINS PUBLIC SPEAKING COMPETITION FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS Congratulations to Marielle Camara (Year 12) who fought off strong competition from 11 other finalists from five schools to win this year’s Public Speaking competition for International Students held at Sherborne International College. Marielle spoke about why she had chosen to study in England despite the lure of the climate and lifestyle in her home country of Mexico. She went on to adeptly answer a range of questions from the audience.
The chairman of judges, local businessman and magistrate Peter Crinks, commended Marielle in particular on her mastering of English idiom and nuance despite having only been in England for five months. Congratulations must also go to our second representative Ashley Ma (Year 12), who spoke with much humour and enthusiasm about why Chinese is such a difficult language to master.
Leweston was delighted to welcome British politician and novelist Ann Widdecombe to the school. Miss Widdecombe delivered a fascinating talk on ‘Politics’ to Leweston pupils from years 10, 11, 12 and 13 and two groups of Sixth Formers from The Gryphon and Sherborne School. She spoke about the role of the EU and that if the referendum occurred in 2017 she would vote for our withdrawal. She then went on to speak about the Scottish referendum and the future of the ‘Health Service’ – believing that it is becoming a 3 tiered service, the bottom tier being left to receive the poorest care and ever increasing waiting lists. Miss Widdecombe was engaging and gave comprehensive answers to the questions asked – it was an exciting opportunity not only for the Leweston Politics students but for everyone who attended.
LEWESTON PLACED IN THE TOP 5% FOR VALUE ADDED The Value Added feedback produced by Durham University has placed Leweston in the top 5% of schools nationally for the second consecutive year!
Pupils have performed exceptionally well in this year’s IFS Student Investor Challenge placing in the top 9% of the UK, pitted against nearly 9,000 other teams. The IFS Challenge is run by the Institute for Financial Services University College and is the UK’s premier investment competition. It is an annual national competition where schools can put forward teams of four. The teams then invest £100,000 of virtual money in the stock market. Students are tasked with keeping portfolios healthy by reading and forecasting market information provided online to identify shares and make judgements of when to buy and sell in order to make a profit. The girls’ aim was to make as much money as possible buying and selling with one eye on the news to pick up indicators of which companies would rise and which would fall. This was particularly challenging this year due to the volatility of the markets.
LEWESTON TOPS SCHOOL PERFORMANCE TABLES FOR DORSET AND SOMERSET AT A-LEVEL
Ann Widdecombe comes to Leweston
Sixth Form Team Place in Top 9% of the UK in National Stock Market Competition
This year’s outstanding public examination results achieved by Leweston’s Sixth Form pupils have been recognised in the School Performance Tables. The performance tables place Leweston as the TOP school in Dorset and Somerset for the second consecutive year for its A Level performance as measured by the average UCAS points scored per pupil. Leweston’s Sixth Formers produced an average UCAS points score of 929.2, the equivalent of well over three A grades per pupil. On another performance measure 37% (the highest percentage) of pupils achieved grades of AAB or above including at least two of the facilitating subjects recognised by the Russell Group Universities as being the most academically demanding. 5
Creative Pursuits
Leweston’s Choral Society Concert Raises the Roof! Early March saw the Leweston Choral Society performing ‘A Mozart Celebration by Candlelight’, featuring a professional orchestra playing on period instruments dating from the 18th century and professional soloists. The choir, made up of girls, parents, staff, governors and local adults in the 6
community, was over 100 strong and the concert raised the roof, especially during the ‘Requiem’. The first two songs, ‘Laudate Dominum’ with soloist Rachel Milestone, singing teacher at Leweston, and ‘Ave Verum Corpus’, were sung entirely by candlelight which lent an authentic feel to the
evening. Claire Hawkes, Director of Music, conducted the performance. Claire is a specialist in historical performance, having studied for her Master’s Degree in Historical Performance in France and London and has travelled across Europe playing historical clarinets and basset horns.
Schola Cantorum Debut ‘Songs of Songs’ at the Sherborne Abbey Festival
Leweston’s Schola Cantorum gave a fantastic performance in front of a packed audience at Sherborne Abbey, as part of the Sherborne Abbey Festival. Here Schola Cantorum debuted their special commission for upper voices: ‘Song of Songs’. ‘Song of Songs’ by Patrick Hawes, with text by Andrew Hawes, was originally written for SATB and was then dedicated to Leweston’s Schola Cantorum. Accompanied by a string quartet and harp, the piece is a sequence of six poems derived from the Old Testament ‘Song of Solomon’ which explores the nature of love. The performance was rapturously received by all in attendance.
LEWESTON TAKES PART IN THE SHERBORNE SCHOOLS’ SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT AT ST GEORGE’S, BRISTOL In March Leweston took part in the Sherborne Schools’ Symphony Orchestra Concert at St George’s Bristol. The Leweston musicians joined performers from Sherborne Girls, Sherborne School, Sherborne International College and The Gryphon. This followed their successful joint schools’ concert in St John’s, Smith Square last year. Participating students were of a very high standard and entry was by audition. The orchestra was led by Leweston’s Clara Hewitt (Year 12).
7
The concert was a great success with guests astounded by Fiona’s immense talent. Leweston would like to thank Fiona for giving her time to play for us so beautifully and would also like to thank the Sisters of the Religious of Christian Instruction for their kind donation of the incredible new Yamaha grand piano. 8
Unveiling of the New Grand Piano
Guests were welcomed to a special concert to mark the unveiling of the school’s new grand piano. The concert was led by renowned concert pianist and Old Antonian, Fiona Dalzell (nee Ward). A previous Leweston Music Scholar, Fiona went on to study at the Royal College of Music, l’Academie de Maurice Ravel in St. Jean de Luz and the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique Paris, where she was the recipient of numerous prestigious accolades. Fiona has appeared in major venues and festivals throughout the UK and abroad, both as a soloist and chamber musician and has recorded for both television and film.
Success at the Mid Somerset Festival of Speech and Drama Leweston’s pupils enjoyed a successful time at the 2014 Mid Somerset Speech and Drama Festival, bringing home the top prizes in a number of divisions. In the solo acting division, Sarah Warham gave a winning performance in the 17-18 age group to clinch the Bath Community Theatre Cup. Amy Baker and Amelia Bailey were runners up in the Under 17 duos. In the category for acting duos aged Under 21, Lila Chillingworth & Ellie Mules performed exceptionally to win the Norah Ball Cups. Leweston pupils then dominated the Under 16 Shakespeare duos; Jemima Dempsey and Lexsis Nyeko impressed the judges to win the Westonbirt School Cup. In the Under 13 duo acting competition, Portia Manson and Fleur Crittall placed second. Anthony Irvine, Head of Drama commented: “Leweston took the 113th Mid Somerset festival of Speech & Drama by storm. Five prestigious cups were won and the number of high placements in other classes was also particularly impressive.”
PUPIL AWARDED BY ASSOCIATED BOARD OF THE ROYAL SCHOOLS OF MUSIC FOR TOP MARKS IN VIOLIN ASSESSMENT Clara Hewitt (Year 12) has been awarded the ‘Vicar’s Close’ prize by the ABRSM (Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music) for achieving the highest Grade 8 Distinction on the violin. The ‘Vicar’s Close’ is a cash prize endowed by the generosity of an anonymous donor who died in 1979. It is offered to promote education in music in the former County of Somerset and is annually awarded to candidates gaining the highest marks in Violin and Pianoforte.
Pupils Impress with Music and Drama Showcase, ‘All the World’s a Stage!’ Years 7-9 were involved in the Music and Drama Showcase ‘All the World’s a Stage’. The showcase provided the girls with the opportunity to demonstrate what they had been working on in their private music and drama lessons, as well as during lunchtime clubs and in the classroom. The performance got off to an impressive start with girls from Year 9 performing the monologue ‘All the World’s a Stage’ from William Shakespeare’s play As You Like It. The girls rose magnificently to the challenge of performing a complex monologue and spoke eloquently.
The standard of music was very high and the audience listened to a variety of solo and ensemble performances as well as the girls’ own compositions. The Drama department contributed a variety of dramatic pieces including a profound performance by Year 7 of scenes from the script Private Peaceful. To bring the show to a close, all girls in Years 7-9 performed the gospel medley ‘Feel the Spirit’. It made a wonderful ending to a brilliant occasion!
• A Level Textile Design
Summer GCSE and A Level Art and Design Exhibition
• Jasmina Tims GCSE
• Hollie Clarkson GCSE This year saw another exciting Art and Design Exhibition of GCSE and A Level work which included Fine Art, Textile Design, Graphic Design and Costume Design. The wonderfully diverse collection of work included installations by Sarah Warham (Year 13) and Jasmina Tims (Year 10) and a paper sculpture which adorned the staircase in Black Hall by Eleanor Evason (Year 12). Year 10 showcased some impressive work based on their trip to Cornwall last October.
• Hannah O’Toole-Thrower A2 Level
• Kasey Chiu A2 Level
• Alice Hague A2 Level
10
Leweston. • Amelia Bailey GCSE
• Kate Zibrova AS Level
Once again the exhibition highlighted the wealth of creative talent at
• Hannah O’Toole-Thrower A2 Level
Pupil Places in the ARTiculation Prize Regional Heat
• Natasha Lau GCSE
• Isabella Humphreys GCSE
Eleanor Evason (Year 12) took part in the ARTiculation Prize regional heat at Roche Court, Salisbury and gained second place. The ARTiculation Prize is an annual event designed to promote the appreciation and discussion of art. Sixth Form students are invited to deliver a ten minute presentation to an audience about a work of art, artefact or architecture of their choice.
• Isabella Holyroyd A2 Level 11
Mad Hatters on World Book Day!
Charity Leweston celebrated World Book Day with a Mad Hatters theme. Staff and pupils were encouraged to come into school sporting a hat or headgear representing a book or failing that just show their support for the cause by wearing any hat, the madder the better! The chosen cause this year was the Alzheimer's Society Memory Cafe in Sherborne. We had some fantastic entries with Mr Messy, Life on the Refrigerator Door, Rainbow Fish and a complete Teddy Bears’ Picnic as a staff entry. We are pleased to have raised £180 for this very worthwhile group.
Miss Flannery, Deputy House Mistress of Senior House, Completes the London Marathon for Whizz-Kidz Miss Flannery ran as part of a family team with her sister and father and together they managed to raise over £5,000 for Whizz-Kidz. Whizz-Kidz is a charity which provides disabled children with the essential wheelchairs and other mobility equipment they need to lead fun and active childhoods. Senior girls at Leweston made a fantastic contribution to help Miss Flannery's London Marathon fundraising efforts by purchasing an array of cakes and sweet treats from a cake sale, raising almost £100 in 15 minutes!
12
‘Crazy Shoe Day’ for Parkinson’s UK
Pupils Raise Money for Sport Relief The PE department would like to say a big thank you to everyone who helped raise money for Sport Relief. Many girls took part and there were excellent efforts in the fancy dress and originality section. Prizes were given for the Best Sports Group, which went to the swimmers Polly James and Olivia Manson, and the Best Overall Group, which was awarded to the Year 9 Crawlers. The prize for raising the most money for the event was presented to Kate Bickerton, for raising £37. The total raised on the day was a magnificent £500!
This day was organised to assist the fundraising efforts of Charlotte Hyslop, a former teacher of Maths at Leweston, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease more than 10 years ago. Charlotte is an avid fundraiser for Parkinson’s and even took on a sponsored tandem skydive in September of last year, raising more than £4,000 for the cause. The ‘Crazy Shoe Day’, which was kicked off by an inspirational assembly led by Charlotte, was well received by the girls, who embraced the chance to wear their brightest and wackiest footwear. The day raised over £80 for Parkinson’s.
13
Senior Sport
Congratulations to the five pupils who represented Great Britain at the Biathle World Tour in Germany this summer The team of Daisy Liddle (Year 11), Olivia Manson (Year 10), Portia Manson, Poppy Boyden (both Year 8) and Elektra Covell (Year 6) travelled to Erding to compete at this illustrious international event. The girls performed superbly on the day, generating some fantastic results and proving themselves against the best biathletes from across Europe. Olivia even graced the podium to collect a silver medal in the 16 and under girls division! Leweston would also like to congratulate Elizabeth Tolley for her outstanding win in the 14 and under category. Elizabeth will be joining Leweston’s Year 9 in
September. Congratulations to all those girls representing GB! These results topped off a sensational year of sporting achievements for Leweston’s biathletes.
Currently 10% of Leweston girls are either competing Internationally for Team GB or are on the pathway to National selection, working regularly with International coaches.
In March, Leweston hosted the Dorset Schools Relays for the Dorset Pentathletes, winning three golds, three silvers and a bronze medal across nine different age categories. In June the school hosted the National Schools’ Biahtle Championships, with the Year 8 team winning a bronze medal in their event and the older team consisting of girls from years 11 and 12 producing outstanding performances to be crowned team champions. Keep up the good work!
Leweston is a leading school in the region for aspiring pentathletes, biathletes and triathletes.
Record Number of Leweston Biathletes Qualify for National Schools Finals Nine Senior girls and three Junior Department girls qualified for the National Schools Biathlon Finals which were held at the Olympic Park, London.
14
Leweston Equestriennes Selected for the First Stage of the Rider Developement Pathway Congratulations to Immie Jones (Year 11) and Tillie Newman (Year 11), who have been selected for the first stage of the Rider Development Pathway, a new national Equestrian training scheme which aims to find the stars of tomorrow in the disciplines of Dressage, Show Jumping and Eventing.
Rugby Masterclass for Two Year 12s Two of Leweston’s aspiring rugby players in the Sixth Form were given the opportunity to receive a master class in front row play from Alex Brown from the Exeter Chiefs. Both girls were put through their paces and were given a few excellent tips which they will no doubt put in to action in their next game. Both Phillipa Graham and Maddie Kirby play for North Dorset RFC and Maddie also represents Dorset and Wilts U18s.
Pupils Continue to Excel on the Cross Country Field County Championships at King’s Park, Bournemouth: All three teams performed exceptionally well against the best runners from the county and were delighted with the strong results achieved. The minor team came third out of 30 teams, the intermediates were county runners up and the senior team finished in third place. The Ken Baily Meet at Bryanston School had some excellent performances in a very competitive field of over 200 runners. Kingswood Meet: The team performed outstandingly well at Kingswood, resulting in victory by a large margin to bring the Kingswood Trophy back to Leweston.
Downside Meet: Leweston showed great resilience and strength in depth to retain the Downside Trophy. Sherborne Cross Country Trophy: The team performed exceptionally well against strong opposition with a point score of 35, placing them joint 1st with Bryanston.
Congratulations to the Manson Sisters
Pupil Competes at the Henley Women’s Regatta
Pupil Competes in The National Schools’ Fencing Championships Natalie Tam (Year 10) enjoyed a successful day at the 2014 Public Schools’ Fencing Championships held at the Crystal Palace National Sports Centre, London. Natalie was competing against pupils from schools across the country and put in a fantastic performance to secure third place in the Girls’ Junior Foil.
Congratulations to Beth Bailey (Year 10), who had a fantastic weekend at the Henley Women’s Regatta. More than 1,600 competitors travelled from all around the world to race over the famous Henley Regatta course, making the it a truly international event. Beth’s crew completed five races over two days, qualifying for the two boat final. Here they were up against the more experienced Henley crew who all regularly compete in an older age group. They finished in second place but felt it was a good result to lose to a team who are a year older!
Junior Victrix Ludorum 2013/2014 was awarded to Portia Manson (left) and the Senior Victrix Ludorum 2013/2014 was awarded to Olivia Manson pictured right.
After a fantastic spring term on the hockey pitch that saw a number of girls representing Dorset, Leweston would like to especially congratulate Charlotte Edwards (Year 12) and Lizzie Davis (Year 10) who were selected to join the Junior Regional Performance Centre (JRPC) at Exeter for training. Charlotte was selected for the U17 category and Lizzie for the U15s. Both girls play as Goalkeepers.
16
Netball
Hockey
Leweston hosted a Netball League with more than 100 girls in attendance from local Primary Schools, Guide groups and Netball Clubs. The annual league is dedicated to girls in the U11 and U13 categories, with weekly sessions held over four weeks here at the school. The U11 league was won by Leweston School.
Swimming Successes
Leweston’s swimming teams continued their run of fantastic form in the pool by dominating events across the fixtures calendar. Many school records have been broken, personal bests achieved and the overall standard of swimming has been consistently high. The girls have put considerable amounts of time and effort into their training this year, with these incredible results a testament to their dedication and hard work.
Victory at Home Swimming Gala Leweston’s swimming teams pulled off a remarkable feat by winning all the events at the home gala against St Mary’s, Shaftesbury. This marked the first time that Leweston had won the team events across all three categories and was a fantastic achievement.
Athletics News!
Stonar ISODE
Pupils excelled at the North Dorset Athletics meet this summer. Congratulations to the Year 10 girls who were crowned the U15 North Dorset Team Champions out of nine schools!
Three girls from the Senior School took part in the Stonar ISODE (Independent Schools One day Event) at Stonar School in Wiltshire.
SENIOR WESSEX ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS - Leweston pupils travelled to King’s Park, Bournemouth for the Senior Wessex Athletics Championships. Poppy Boyden (Year 8) won a Bronze medal in the U14 Girls’ Javelin and Portia Manson won a Bronze medal in the U14 Girls’ 300m and a Silver medal in the U14 Girls’ 200m.
The Leweston team of Kitty Godman-Dorrington (Year 9), Ellie Guy (Year 10) and Eve Southcombe (Year 9) rode fantastically well across all three disciplines (dressage, show jumping and cross country) to place 4th out of 26 teams. This was a wonderful achievement as most schools were represented by teams of four (three best scores count) and it was even more impressive as it was the first one day event for both Eve and Kitty. 17
Junior Department
First Holy Communion At a special Mass in June, four young people from Leweston’s Junior Department and a pupil from Year 7 with her brother made their First Holy Communion. The School Chapel was filled for this important moment in their lives and those of their families. Leweston’s Visiting Chaplain, Father Peter Clarke, was the celebrant who joined us for this special occasion.
Year 3 Mass Year 3 were given the opportunity to celebrate their very own Mass. The children read the Reading and the Bidding Prayers extremely well and were praised by Father Jean-Patrice for the clarity of their delivery. Flora Pilkington (Year 3) was a server for the first time and Alban Godard (Year 4) was a candle bearer. They were supported by the more experienced Tillie Baker (Year 4) and Isabelle Bridge (Year 6) and all were guided by Sixth Former, Chloe Salisbury.
ASH WEDNESDAY
Leweston marked the start of Lent with a special Ash Wednesday Mass celebrated by Bishop Crispian Hollis.
Year 5 Sample Senior School Life
International Day Reception took part in an ‘International Day’ where parents were invited to join the children to learn about other countries, with some parents giving talks about the countries they were from.
Year 5 spent the day at the Senior School trialling different lessons and activities. They made the most fantastic pictures in Art; in Maths they learnt which whole numbers can be written as the sum of 2 or more consecutive whole numbers; and in Science they made rockets and even launched one of these, which went so high it was not able to be traced again!
The afternoon was spent cooking with Mrs Larkin and the girls were proud to present their cakes and biscuits to their parents at tea. The girls all had a fantastic day and thoroughly enjoyed their taste of what to expect in Year 7!
Reception Venture into the Enchanted Wood Reception spent a wonderful activity-filled morning in the Enchanted Wood. Adrian Wood from FACE (Farming and Countryside Education) spent the morning with the class hunting for mini-beasts, listening to the sounds of the wood, playing music and making clay heads decorated with twigs and leaves. The morning was brought to a close by a fabulous picnic lunch at the log circle.
The children were taught to count to 10 in Spanish and ate hot Churros with chocolate sauce from one set of parents. Another parent talked about Italy, taught the children some Italian words and then demonstrated how to make fresh pasta with pesto.
Year 3 Get Creative The pupils in Year 3 learnt a great deal in their Art Workshop with Finn Bush from the Senior School Art Department. The pupils spent the session creating colourful model fish for their production of The Little Mermaid. 19
World Book Day 2014
Pupils enjoyed a Mad Hatters themed World Book Day to raise funds for the Alzheimer’s Society Memory CafÊ in Sherborne. This year, the children were encouraged to come to school wearing hats, wigs, headgear or face-paint to
Sport Relief 2014 The pupils of the Junior Department wheeled their way around a mile-long course to raise money for Sport Relief 2014. Some cycled, some scooted and one pair had a go-kart which they pushed the mile length. 20
represent a book or a character from a book, with the madder the hats, the better! The Junior Department fully embraced the theme of the day and everyone had a wonderful time recreating their favourite books and characters.
High Flyers The children in the ‘Gliders (and Other Things that Fly) Club’ thoroughly enjoyed testing out their Dart model aeroplanes. The maiden flights were all hugely successful, with some planes climbing high in the sky and staying airborne for a remarkably long time.
Cake Sale for Mosaic
To mark the end of the spring term the Junior Department enjoyed a wonderful Easter Egg Hunt. With spring well and truly sprung at Leweston, the pupils ventured out into the grounds to search for Easter eggs hidden amongst the blooming flowers. Older pupils gave a helping hand to the younger ones and with their help and expert knowledge of the school’s terrain the eggs were found in no time.
EGGSTRAVAGANZA!
Mosaic is a Dorset based charity offering a pathway of support to bereaved children, young
people and their families. The pupils, their families and members of staff all generously donated cakes for the sale and the Year 6 team did a fantastic job of manning the stall, with all proceeds going to Mosaic. The final amount raised was £123.
EASTER
Pupils took part in ‘Bake a Cake and Support Mosaic’, an annual Dorset-wide bake sale, to raise funds for the charity Mosaic.
Year 3 & 4 Boarding Taster
With such a high demand for the boarding taster nights in Junior House from both Years 3 and 4, we decided to host two separate tasters. Six boarders were welcomed into Junior House for the Year 4 Boarding Taster just before half term. The girls enjoyed an action-packed evening, playing in the beautiful grounds and then sampling the delights of junior boarding at Leweston.
The Friends of Leweston Summer Fayre 2014 The sun shone for the annual Friends of Leweston Summer Fayre. The attendees enjoyed a vast array of activities including a chocolate and bottle tombola, a bouncy castle, a toy and book sale, the stocks and face painting. The afternoon was thoroughly enjoyed by all; thank you to the Friends Committee for organising such a fantastic event. 22
After a restful half term break Year 3 had their turn to board. This was a great success, with a lot of fun and chat being had in the dormitories! We look forward to welcoming the girls back next term with their free one night boarding voucher. Lorraine Roberts, Head of Junior House looks forward to welcoming three new recruits on the back of these taster nights in September.
The Junior Department Dazzles Audiences with The Little Mermaid
The Summer Production of The Little Mermaid was performed to great acclaim. Children from years 3 to 6 took to the stage to bring Hans Christian Andersen’s magical fairy tale to life. The colourful spectacle, which boasted the original songs by Alan Menken, enchanted audiences over three days with acting, music, singing, dancing, costumes and set design of the highest standards. The cast was supported excellently by Mrs Robotham and Ms Pankhurst from the Drama and Performing Arts Department and a fantastic crew working back stage!
St Antony’s Retain the Inter-House Music Cup
Pupils Perform at a Charity Concert for Julia’s House The Year 3 and 4 Performing Arts group represented the school at a Charity Concert in the Digby Hall, Sherborne. Their singing and dancing in the song ‘Pieces of Eight’ was greatly appreciated by the audience. A special thank you to all of the parents who came to support their children and the event. We hope the concert managed to raise plenty of funds for Julia’s House (The Dorset Children’s Hospice).
Spring Term Ends on a High Note The spring term was brought to a fantastic close by the Spring Concert. Family and friends of those performing were impressed by the abundance of singing, acting, presenting and musical talent on display. Two of the highlights of the concert were the Reception class solos and a play written and performed by Years 1 and 2.
24
All of the children from Reception to Year 6 thoroughly enjoyed their music making during this year’s Inter-House Music Competition. All houses performed their own song and various soloists performed for their house. Music Captain, Alice Southcombe, who organised the competition with Mrs Robotham, ensured that the event ran smoothly. Miss Hawkes, Director of Music at the Senior School, who adjudicated the competition, praised each child involved with her encouraging comments. There were only five points between fourth and first place, but St Antony’s managed to retain the cup for a second year.
Biathle Bulletin
JUNIOR PUPILS HAVE ENJOYED A TREMENDOUS SEASON COMPETING IN THE SPORTS OF BIATHLE AND BIATHLON AND HAVE GENERATED SOME EXCELLENT RESULTS. Well done to the Biathletes who competed at the Dorset and Open Schools’ Biathle Relays in March. Leweston’s junior teams defied strong competition from schools across the region to win two gold medals (Year 5 girls and Year 6 girls) and a silver (Year 4 boys). In April, Anya Evans and Erin Cassingham (both Year 5) took part in the British Schools’ Modern Biathlon Championships at London’s Olympic Park. The girls represented the school in the U11 and U10 categories. In May Leweston hosted the South West Schools’ Biathle. Leweston pupils excelled on the day, with Anya Evans and Lily
Amor (Year 4) producing winning performances in their respective girls’ divisions. The Year 6s and Year 5s also finished 1st in the team competitions and both the girls and boys in Year 4 took home much deserved 3rd place team medals. The inaugural National Schools’ Biathle Championships hosted by Leweston in June proved to be a popular event attracting over 300 competitors. The Junior Department had another great day with Lily Amor and Anya Evans producing two more fantastic performances to be crowned National Champions!
Elektra performed superbly this season across all ‘athlon’ sports to win her place on the team for this illustrious event. Elektra competed in the 12 and under group and produced a strong performance against the best biathletes from across Europe . Elektra joined four other girls from the Senior School who all brought home top ten placings and even an individual silver medal! Congratulations Team GB! Such fabulous results at the highest level of competition have rounded off a wonderful year for the school across all ‘athlon’ sports and we look forward to more successes next year.
Elektra Covell (Year 6) travelled to Germany to represent Great Britain at the Biathle World Tour. 25
Junior Wessex Athletics Championships Congratulations to the team of pupils who competed at the Junior Wessex Athletics Championships. The team performed well against strong competition.
Athletics at Clayesmore Athletes from Years 5 and 6 participated in the Clayesmore athletics event. The weather was very wet and windy but despite the conditions the pupils put in some incredible individual performances.
PUPILS SHINE AT THE JUNIOR DEPARTMENT SPORTS DAY
and the sporting potential of the pupils.
Results were: ANYA EVANS (Year 5) 1st place U11 800m PERDI DIGBY (Year 6) 2nd place U12 Long Jump (by 1cm) and 2nd in U12 100m (by 2 tenths of a second) ALICE SOUTHCOMBE (Year 6) 3rd Place U12 200m ELEKTRA COVELL (Year 6) 3rd Place U12 1500m
The sun shone, the picnic hampers were bursting and the athletes performed jubilant jumps, terrific throws and tremendous track events at the Junior Department Sports Day. From Nursery to Year 6 the athletes took centre stage with displays of sporting excellence that thrilled the audience of family and friends. Many comments were made about the amount of talent on display
St Anne’s were crowned this year’s champions with St Antony, St Margaret and St Francis following closely behind. The athletes were presented with their medals on the rostrum by Charlotte Edwards and Hattie Trollope-Bellew, the Senior School’s newly appointed Head Girl and Sports Captain.
Canford Cross Country
Junior Netball League is a Huge Success!
The Junior Department team had a successful day at the Canford Cross Country event. With eight strong teams forward, the girls from Years 5 and 6 performed superbly to finish as overall runners up.
County Cross Country Championships Four girls from Year 6 travelled to King’s Park in Bournemouth for the County Cross Country Championships. Here they joined three Year 7 girls from the Senior School to make up the Minor Team. The girls performed exceptionally well, helping the team to finish third in a field of over thirty of the best teams from across Dorset.
More than a hundred girls from across the region enjoyed competitive netball at Leweston School over the summer term. The inaugural Leweston Junior Summer League saw nine teams take part in a series of fun league matches as well as mini tournaments.
Dorset County Netball Championships Two girls from Year 6 joined the Leweston U12 netball squad for the U12 County Championships in Bournemouth. They had qualified for the tournament by finishing as runners-up in the North Dorset Tournament. They played seven matches in total, against qualifiers from the other four districts in Dorset. Some competitive games saw the squad win two of their matches, and lose one of their games by just 2 goals to 1. Overall they finished in 6th position; a fantastic achievement and a great springboard for future performances.
The league organiser Sara Guy, Head of Netball at Leweston commented
“We felt that there was a need to provide more competitive netball for girls in the area and it was fantastic to see so many players getting involved.” The U11 league was won by Leweston School, whilst Yeovil Netball club took the honours in the U13 category.
27
Pupils Make a Splash on the North Dorset Swimming Scene National Pentathlon Championships Elektra Covell (Year 6) participated in the National Pentathlon Championships at Solihull. She competed in all five disciplines for the first time, placing 3rd in the ride, 4th in the swim and finishing 5th overall out of 10. The standard was incredibly high with Elektra performing superbly to earn such a strong placing. Leweston would like to congratulate Elektra on a fantastic achievement.
Pupils Jump to Victory In April, three teams took part in the regional qualifier for the National Schools’ Equestrian Association Championships in Show Jumping. The Mini team of Sacha Godman-Dorrington (Year 7), Perdi Digby (Year 6) and Mimi Digby (Year 3) jumped to victory in the 70cm class qualifying for the Championships. Individually Perdi was 2nd, Mimi 3rd and Sacha 4th showing their strength at this level. Perdi and her ponies were on top form, qualifying individually in all three classes.
28
Leweston hosted one of two galas held in the area for the North Dorset trials. Results from both events were then assessed to select swimmers for the North Dorset team. The first event was held at home, and saw Leweston girls dominating the proceedings with wins in 11 out of the 13 races. The second event was then held at Clayesmore, after which five girls from years 5 and 6 were selected for the North Dorset team. Notable successes at the trials included: Anya Evans 1st 50m Backstroke, Erin Cassingham and Isabelle Bridge 1st in their respective 25m Butterfly events and a 1st place for the Year 5 Medley relay team of Anya, Erin, Esme Clifford and Sophie Worrall. These results ensured their places on the North Dorset team! Congratulations also go to the rest of the Year 5 and 6 swimmers and to the six pupils from Year 4 who competed at the trials. There were some fantastic performances all round, with many swimmers just missing out on the chance to represent North Dorset. The five girls from Leweston travelled to Bournemouth to represent North Dorset at the Dorset Youth Games. Congratulations go to Anya, who finished in 3rd place and graced the podium for the 50m Backstroke; to Erin for placing 5th in the 25m Butterfly and to the Freestyle and Medley relay teams who finished in 7th place in their respective events.
Two reception children swam 25m unaided and Eleanor Crozier, as the youngest swimmer, was awarded the Cockeram Cup. Year 6 trophies were shared between Elektra Covell (Breaststroke and Front Crawl) and Alice Southcombe (Butterfly and Backstroke). Anya Evans in Year 5 was awarded the Reynolds Shield and the Open Individual Medley Cup. These fantastic results are a testament to the pupils and teachers who have worked tirelessly in training sometimes up to three times a week - starting at 06:45. Well done to everyone, it was a fantastic occasion!
Inter-House Swimming Gala
The Inter-House Swimming Gala showed the pool in all its glory and the children performed superbly with an unprecedented 13 swimming records broken.
29
Junior Triathletes Take the Season by Storm Junior pupils have excelled at Triathlon events this year, with successes at Pony Club and Regional competitions.
Congratulations to Alice Southcombe and Elektra Covell (both Year 6) who had a fantastic day at the Cattistock Pony Club Triathlon held at Leweston. In the Mini Girls event, Alice was 5th and Elektra was 3rd. The girls were both representing the Cattistock Pony Club and their great results helped Cattistock to 3rd place in the team competition.
Elektra also enjoyed further success at the Mendip Pony Club Triathlon where she was placed 1st as an individual and 1st as part of the 30
Cattistock team. Hector Digby was also entered in the 9 & Under Class and was placed 2nd in his run and swim and 5th overall as an individual. Elektra capped a wonderful first season of Pony Club Triathlon by qualifying for the Pony Club National Championships at Milton Keynes for Mini Girls (Under 11) and by finishing in 2nd place in the Area 14 Winter Triathlon Pony Club Accumulator. Elektra also took part in the South West Modern Triathlon Championships. This regional championship was held at Leweston and saw Elektra competing as the only Junior girl entered. She came 4th in her division, helping the Dorset Pentathletes team to a gold medal in the Youth D Girls’ category. This result then qualified her for the National Triathlon Championships in Solihull where she was placed 5th overall. A fantastic show of results and more to come.
Reduce, Re-use, Recycle! Junior pupils enjoyed a day at the Carymoor Environmental Centre. “At Carymoor Environmental Centre we learnt that we should not be producing too much rubbish and that we need to be careful what we throw away. If we are throwing away something we should try to make sure that it can be recycled so that it can start again as something new. It is even better to reduce our rubbish or to reuse something if we can. The three R words are Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.” Ginny Bruce “In the energy workshop we learned to make circuits using wind power and the sun. We made a buzzer work, first by using the wind to turn a propeller and then by letting the sun shine on a solar panel. We need to start using more solar panels because the sun will not run out for billions of years and solar power does not cause pollution.” Mimi Digby
“It was a really interesting day. There were slow worms in the nature reserve that has been made from the old rubbish dump. They were ace!” Fiennes Harris
Years 2 and 3 Step Back in Time Years 2 and 3 enjoyed a history trip to the Ancient Technology Centre. The children had a fantastic day experiencing how life was lived between a thousand and two thousand years ago. They created a Viking bracelet in the Roman forge, twisted twine into rope, ground wheat using quern stones and then ate bread baked on a fire that they had personally made using a variety of ancient methods.
Cheddar Gorge Year 6 enjoyed an extreme altitude and depth challenge during their Geography field trip to Cheddar Gorge. In the morning they found themselves crawling through narrow underground passageways and tight crevices deep within the limestone rock formations. In the afternoon, the pupils all reached new heights, climbing the 274 rocky steps cut into the gorge to reach the ‘Jacob’s Ladder’ lookout tower. Here they were rewarded with amazing panoramic views from Glastonbury Tor across to the Quantock hills and the Bristol Channel.
Braeside 2014
Years 5 and 6 spent an action-packed three days at the Braeside Residential Centre in Devizes. They participated enthusiastically in activities ranging from team building and problem solving, to habitat surveys and mini beast hunts. All the activities enriched the Science and Geography curriculum and encouraged the girls to develop their leadership and investigative skills. 31
Sevington Victorian School
Fossil Festival Fever Years 2 and 3 had a fantastic day absorbing science at the Fossil Festival in Lyme Regis. They began by sorting shark egg cases and were amazed to find out how many types can be found on the beaches around the UK. The British Antarctic Survey allowed the children to try on the specialist clothing and then they explored the fossils and strange animals found in the hostile Antartic environment. Other activities included fossil polishing, dinosaur designing and fossil sorting.
Year 5 enjoyed a fantastic day at Sevington Victorian School in Wiltshire, learning about Victorian life and education in an authentic setting. The pupils spent the day as Victorian school pupils. They dressed in authentic costume and experienced lessons and activities that were part of everyday life for children from the era.
Glorious Greens Reception visited Waitrose as part of their topic ‘All About Me’ so that they could look at fruit and vegetables and their place in a healthy diet. They were given a guided tour of the fruit and vegetable section and even went behind the scenes to visit the cold store rooms and the freezer.
different locations, to compare and contrast its changing features along its course. The keen junior Geographers set about taking field sketches and measuring a wide range of the river’s parameters using metre sticks, tape measures, stop watches and even oranges! This year the river was a little faster flowing and slightly deeper than usual. The pupils remained completely safe at all times by following the ‘River Safety Code’ and wearing the correct clothing.
Everyone bought something to try and when they got back to school they enjoyed a fruit feast, looking inside all of the different fruits and vegetables and tasting them.
Year 1 Make Three Wishes Romans for a Day The Year 3 pupils enjoyed an exciting day learning all about Roman life. The children were captivated by the artefacts that they were able to handle and were interested to hear that many of them originated from the Yeovil area. 32
Wriggle Rangers Year 5 pupils enjoyed the delights of the River Wriggle to conclude their Geography topic on rivers. The children visited the river at two
Year 1 went on a special trip to The Three Wishes in Sherborne. The children had been learning about Fairy Tales in their lessons and particularly enjoyed the story entitled, The Three Wishes, so they all ventured to the café, to see if it was as magical as its namesake. The pupils wished for hot chocolate, and were delighted when their wishes came true!
Speech Day At the end of this academic year the Junior Department held their Speech Day incorporating a Mass of Thanksgiving, the Headmaster’s
address and the presentation of prizes, to mark the culmination of a fantastic school year. With another year now over, we wish all
the pupils and members of staff a wonderful holiday and look forward to seeing them again in September.
SO LONG, FAREWELL, AUF WIEDERSEHEN, GOODBYE… YEAR 6 THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THEIR FINAL WEEK OF ‘LEAVERS’ ACTIVITIES IN THE JUNIOR DEPARTMENT, MAKING THE MOST OF THE WARM WEATHER THAT GREETED THE END OF THE SUMMER TERM 2014. The week began with Year 6 leading a thoughtful final assembly performed in front of the rest of the school. ‘Quest for the Golden Rules’ saw the pupils in character as their alter ego selves and featured various characters from the recent Little Mermaid show. The assembly’s message to the younger pupils was to understand and follow Leweston’s Junior Department’s ‘Golden Rules’. The pupils were subsequently presented with their Leavers’
hooded tops that they wore with pride for the rest of the school week. Finally, pupils were treated to their very own Pool Party on Monday afternoon! Special mix and match ice cream sundaes with firework candles in the dining hall completed a wonderful, sunny afternoon – providing the 2014 cohort of Year 6 leavers with special memories of their final days in the Junior Department.
Nursery Activity Mornings are a Roaring Success! Water Babies at Leweston The Leweston Aquatots are once again making use of the school pool on a weekly basis. The ‘splashingly’ fun sessions have seen lots of parents and their toddlers taking to the warm and inviting water and playing with the wonderful toys on offer.
The Nursery Activity Mornings have remained as popular as ever this year, with the Nursery continuing to welcome parents, grandparents and their toddlers to Leweston twice each term. These fun-filled mornings have included the jungle-themed ‘On Safari’,
34
Easter’s celebratory ‘Spring Along’, circus antics at ‘Roll Up’ and the perennially popular ‘Teddy Bears Picnic‘. These exciting and free Activity mornings are always jampacked with arts, crafts, games, toys and music and are open to all.
The interactive Aquatots group runs every Wednesday from10.30-11.30 and is specifically designed for children aged from 3 months to 3 years with an accompanying adult. Activities are led by dynamic and experienced preschool swim teacher Carol Herbert and include a different set of activities each week. £3.50 per session, everyone is welcome so please feel free to come along to our next session.
The Nursery has gone from strength to strength since welcoming Sally Turner as the new Childcare Manager in September 2013. The decision to remain open for 50 weeks of the year has proved immensely popular and we are excited about furthering our reach by welcoming babies from newborn upwards from September. Children in the Nursery are benefiting significantly from the expertise of Sally and her team and from the wonderful facilities available to them here at the school. All pupils have flourished this year and we are delighted with their progress.
Parent and Toddler Group
Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park Reception and Nursery visited Farmer Palmer’s Farm Park and everyone had a fantastic day. The children were able to bottle feed young goats, groom Shetland ponies, have a bumpy ride in a tractor trailer and watch a cow being milked! There was time for playing in the hay barn too and the weather was even kind enough for a picnic lunch outside.
The Wind in the Leweston Wind Sticks Pupils in the Nursery were learning about weather patterns in their lessons and chose a particularly windy day to try out their creative and beautifully made wind sticks.
The Parent and Toddler Group have had a wonderful time, enjoying a plethora of activities including bubble play, fun with foam and clay and a springtime bluebell walk in the school grounds. The group meets every Thursday at the Leweston from 09.00-11.00. Come along and make new friends!
STOP PRESS - LEWESTON NURSERY WILL BE TAKING BABIES FROM NEWBORN IN SEPTEMBER 2014
Nursery News!
Spiritual Life
Dr Genevieve Cox appointed as Chaplaincy Coordinator from September.
Genevieve spent a few days at Leweston this term and reports: “I am delighted to be starting as the new chaplaincy coordinator at Leweston in September. Having visited the school last month, I can see that I am joining a kind, welcoming and exciting community. Christ’s presence in the two beautiful chapels is a real treasure, and it was clear to me that the life of Christ is also active in the boarding houses, in the health centre, in the academic pursuit of truth, in the beauty of the pupils’ art, in their drama and in their play. I have recently completed my doctorate in theology at Oxford and I am keen to promote a Catholic spirituality that engages the heart and the mind. The different nationalities represented at Leweston are a great advantage to the faith life of the school as they reflect the universality of the Church. Over the summer, I am helping as a youth worker at a
Catholic Summer Camp in Roncesvalles, Spain. Not only will I benefit from Spanish Catholicism but Roncesvalles is also a great meeting place for pilgrims from across the world as they set out on their journey to Santiago de Compestella. I hope that all the journeys that Leweston staff, students and family make this summer are blessed and I look forward to starting the new academic year together in September.”
First Holy Communion At a special Mass in June, four young people from Leweston’s Junior Department and a pupil from Year 7 with her brother made their First Holy Communion. Leweston’s Visiting Chaplain, Father Peter Clarke, was the celebrant who joined us for this special occasion.
Pupils Celebrate their Anglican Confirmation
Congratulations to the 11 Leweston girls who celebrated their Anglican Confirmation at Sherborne Abbey in March. The Leweston girls joined pupils from Sherborne School for the event, with Canon Eric Woods officiating the service. 36
Year 8 Retreat to Sway in the New Forest The retreat was held at the Dominican Sisters of St Joseph’s priory. Upon arrival we were met by Sister Mary Catherine and the other sisters with whom we spent our two days. The aim of the retreat was to allow for a moment of reflection in what was a very busy term. It also helped the girls to grow more spiritually and to get to know one another better. This was especially significant as we had a number of international students joining us for the summer term. Before departing the Sisters answered all the questions that had been put into the ‘Question box’ over the time we had been there. The Sisters were clear that any questions could be asked by the girls and so many topics were covered including, “How did you decide to become a Nun?”, “Do you miss your family?” and “Are habits uncomfortable to wear in the heat?” The retreat was a real time of reflection and consideration by the girls and gave them a wonderful opportunity to meet Sisters.
Year 11 visit St Gilda’s Country Manor House in Langport
Year 11 visited St Gilda’s Manor House for a day of self-reflection and some precious time together out of the busyness of life. They were greeted by two cheery sisters of the Domincan order based in the New Forest. Welcoming the
wide spectrum of Faiths in the group, Sr Maria lead the day using film clips of Les Misérables to pose thought provoking questions such as “Who am I?” and “How free am I in the decisions I make and motives I use?”
Year 12 Pilgrimage At the end of the summer term, the prefects in waiting and other members of Year 12 embarked on a two day Pilgrimage walk to Chideock. The walk started with a prayer at Melbury Bubb and finished on the first day at the wonderful Parnham House just outside Beaminster. The next morning, well rested and well fed, the group continued to Chideock where they finished their walk with a prayer in the beautiful surrounds of Chideock’s Chapel, attached to the Manor House. Once again, the group were welcomed with great hospitality and tea and cake were offered in abundance, as well as the opportunity for a much appreciated cooling swim in the beautiful outdoor pool. 37
Years 7 and 8 Visit Flanders Field Years 7 and 8 were taken on an excursion to Flanders Field to see where some of the First World War battles took place, particularly poignant in this commemorative year. The pupils visited the Tyne Cot Cemetery which is the resting place for 11,954 soldiers of the Commonwealth Forces. It is the largest Commonwealth military cemetery in the world. In contrast, Langemark cemetery is one of only four First World War German cemeteries in the Flander’s region and here the pupils could see for themselves the distinctive differences between the two sites. On the Friday evening they attended the daily ceremony to remember those who died in the war, it was a moving event for the girls to witness and while they listened to the buglers, they could read the many names carved into the stone walls.
Pupils Take Part in a Week-long Study Trip to Spain A group of Spanish GCSE pupils from Leweston and Sherborne School spent a week immersing themselves into the life and language of Córdoba in Spain, on a study tour to the city. The pupils attended lessons in the morning at Academia Hispanica and also participated in language workshops with Spanish 38
Paris Trip for Year 9 Year 9 enjoyed a fun and educational trip to Paris. This year the team stopped at Peronne in the Picardy area for one night to have a guided tour of a variety First World War sites, including Battle of the Somme trenches. Pupils and staff alike enjoyed this thought provoking and moving experience before travelling onto Paris the following day. The group were completely immersed in Parisian culture, staying in the Marais, the centre of the ‘City of Love’. Every morning started with a French patisserie and during their four days the girls went on to explore the beautiful sites of Paris, including a boat trip on the Seine, Notre Dame and the Sacre-Coeur de Montmartre. Year 9 also had the chance to see the incredible collections at the Louvre and the Pompidou Centre and some of the girls decided to fully embrace the culture by trying the delicious delicacy of French snails!
pupils from Colegio de la Inmaculada Pias. They were welcomed into the homes of their Spanish host families and enjoyed sampling the local food in restaurants, watching an evening of Flamenco dancing in El Cardenal, visiting the great Mezquita/Catedral and touring the beautiful old city of Medinat-Alzahara.
Trip to Nice 2014 A group of students from the Lower Sixth and Year 11 visited Nice for a week. The girls had the opportunity to be totally immersed in French culture as they stayed with families and had French lessons in the morning in a Language school. The afternoons were filled with excursions which enabled them to discover Nice with its surroundings and specialities. Places visited were the principality of Monaco and Cannes, as well as the Picasso and Matisse museums. Evening events included going to the cinema to watch a film made in the area and discovering local restaurants.
Flanders Field Spain
Flanders Field
Overseas Trips
Paris
Paris 39
Boarders Celebrate Australia Day
A Weekend of Fun in the Sun Boarders visited the historic market town of Bridport in West Dorset for a morning of browsing the Saturday market stalls and high street shops before heading East along the famous Jurassic Coast towards Abbotsbury. Tiny white dots were able to be seen on the edge of the lagoon which were the swans at the Swannery where they were heading. The group were extremely lucky to have the Swanherd guide with them all afternoon around the swannery.
Initiated by the International Boarding Committee and fully supported by new Gappie Miss Higgins and the Catering Department, Leweston’s Junior House Boarders stayed inside, out of the stormy weather, to celebrate Australia Day in true ‘Aussie’ style.
The girls were invited to help with ringing and checking newly hatched cygnets and loved cuddling the fluffy bundles. Later they joined the mass feeding of the flock of mute swans.
Donning sunglasses and flip flops, with a scrumptious BBQ dinner and authentic Pavlova for dessert, all set to traditional ‘Australia Day’ music in the background, boarders recreated the traditional beach BBQ to bring a touch of sunshine and surf to Leweston! A great celebration embraced by all!
JUNIOR HOUSE VISIT KINGSTON MAURWARD
An Action Packed Weekend in Dorchester and the Moors Valley The sunshine was glorious as boarders from all houses boarded the bus and began their journey to Dorchester. Much fun was had shopping, but particular joy was found by playing in the fountains that are placed outside the shopping area. The following day, Junior House set off for Moors Valley, a beautiful natural park with lakes, a golf course, a visitor centre and most importantly, great cycle tracks! Lots of fun was had by all as the girls set off on their adventure following the trails. Whether by tandem or two-wheeled bikes, the cycling was excellent.
The girls had heard about the many good things to expect when visiting Kingston Maurward: lambs, calves, goats and alpacas, all set in the beautiful Dorset countryside. They were not disappointed! The animals were thoroughly entertaining including pigs, donkeys, swans and beautiful miniature Shetland ponies which all came up to the fence to speak to the girls as they walked by. They had a lovely walk around the lake and enjoyed a brief stop at the café, for a hot chocolate!
}
Boarding
Camp Leweston to End the Academic Year! Leweston boarders said goodbye to the comfort of their dorms and headed outside for a night of serious camping! The girls had a delicious BBQ, after which they built a huge campfire and sat around toasting marshmallows and generally feeling at one with nature. Some energetic games were played and some songs were sung around the fire directed by the Year 11 boarders. Sleeping under canvas altogether in the majestic Leweston grounds was the perfect end to a wonderful year at school!
A Sunny Day Out in Weymouth along with a Coastal walk for all Boarders in Junior and Middle House A coastal walk from Old Town to Nothe Fort gave stunning views of Portland Harbour and Chesil beach. The Fort is a Victorian harbour-side defence with a labyrinth of underground passageways and ramparts which the girls enjoyed exploring, and again had wonderful views of the Jurassic coast, Weymouth bay and the harbour. The girls enjoyed a brief sail as they were rowed across the harbour in the small ferry boats, before having their much awaited fish and chip lunch. The afternoon was spent shopping, enjoying the Bank Holiday fairground and a happy play on the famous soft sands. Some even braved the sea for a paddle or a pedalo ride. Ice creams and candy floss ended a lovely day out.
Boarders Spend a Day Exploring Portsmouth It was a bright and sunny morning as the boarders boarded the bus to Portsmouth. They soon arrived in the glorious sunshine to be met with bustling shops and a beautiful harbour. After having lunch at the harbour, they met at the bottom of the famous Spinnaker to brave its height. After a very short lift ride to the top, they walked onto the platform that looked over Portsmouth and stretched far off into the horizon. Some brave girls even walked across the glass floor! They then made their way up to the highest open air viewing platform where the great views were enjoyed by all! 41
DofE
Bronze Three DofE Bronze Expedition groups from years 9 and 10 met the assessor and set off to Cranborne Chase with the sun shining! All teams had a great first day and spirits were high. Once in camp, tents were erected and cooking supper commenced. The assessor was particularly impressed with the camp craft skills demonstrated by the girls. Day two saw an early start, with all groups setting off from camp at 08.00. Again navigation and teamwork proved successful for all teams, meaning that is was a big PASS for all participants! Well done to all those girls on the expedition!
Silver Over 20 girls divided into four groups performed their practice DofE expedition in the New Forest this summer. It was one of the largest groups to go out on DofE from Leweston. With this being one of the hottest weeks, the girls did incredibly well covering a large number miles and checking in at all the relevant check points on time. The New Forest is difficult to navigate but all teams did well, giving each other plenty of support and encouragment. The teams were very happy to settle in for their first experience of a ‘wild camp’ and enjoyed cooking for their groups. Everyone did extremely well and should be confident about their forthcoming assessment in September.
Gold SPONSORED CYCLE RIDE TO EARN FUNDS FOR THE GOLD DOFE TRIP TO PERU Seven Year 12 girls and Mr Whitehead (Coordinator of DofE) completed a 24hr sponsored cycle ride in the school reception to raise funds for their Gold DofE trip to Peru. The girls needed to raise £3,000 each for the trip, to allow them to complete their Gold DofE award, travel to some incredible places and live and work in a rural community in the Sacred Valley. The girls will be away for a total of three weeks teaching English in a school and helping redevelop some of the run-down buildings.
OA News
As we say goodbye to this year’s Upper Sixth and wish them well in the next stage of their lives.
OLD ANTONIAN QUALIFIES AS A VET AFTER A LONG, DEDICATED ROAD OF STUDYING! Georgie Varley (’09) has completed her final exams and is now a qualified vet gaining a First in her degree. Georgie studied Veterinary medicine and science at Nottingham University. She is delighted with this result and thanked Leweston for all
their teaching support and dedication throughout her years at school. She quotes:
“I regularly miss my school days, how lucky I was to be a pupil at Leweston and share my journey with such wonderful staff and girls. I would not be
here today with a ‘BVMedSci BVM BVS (hons)’ after my name if it was not for Leweston, who took a very determined and enthusiastic pupil straight to her goal which has now been achieved!”
We look forward to the new Upper Sixth starting in September and to Charlotte Edwards taking up the position as Leweston’s Head Girl of the Senior School. We wish all the prefects well in their duties.
Open Days 2014/15 Friday 3 October 2014 Joint Schools Open Day 09.45 Sixth Form Open Information Evening 17.00
Thursday 9 October 2014 Nursery Activity Open Morning 09.00 – 11.45
Bank Holiday Monday 4 May 2015 Joint Schools Open Day 09.45
Dates for your Diary… Saturday 27 September Leweston Inter-Schools’ Show Jumping Competition
Saturday 6 December Christmas Concert at the Sherborne Catholic Church
Friday 17 and Saturday 18 October Activity Day and Junior House Boarding Taster Weekend (for Prospective Senior School pupils)
Thursday 11 December Junior Department Carol Service 11.00, School Chapel Senior School Carol Service 16.00 in Sherborne Abbey
Wednesday 5 November 18.30 Bonfire Night and Hog Roast
Weekly Events: Aquatots: Every Wednesday from 10.30 - 11.30 in the School Pool. Parent and Toddler: Every Thursday from 9.00 -11.00 in the Nursery
Thursday 6 November 10.00 – 16.00 Leweston Christmas Fair Friday 7 November Sixth Form Taster experience (for girls in Year 11) Monday 17 and Tuesday 18 November Sixth Form Scholarships for 2015 entry Deadline for applications: Monday 10 November
For more information about any of these events, or to register your attendance, please call 01963 210783 or email office@leweston.dorset.sch.uk
Thursday 27 and Friday 28 November Drama Production in the School Theatre Monday 1 December Junior Department Scholarships for 2015 entry Deadline for applications: Monday 24 November
LEWESTON SCHOOL, SHERBORNE, DORSET DT9 6EN 01963 211010 ADMISSIONS@LEWESTON.DORSET.SCH.UK WWW.LEWESTON.CO.UK Leweston is a registered charity number 295175