BGS View Issue 20

View The Bristol Grammar School Newsletter Spring 2012 Issue 20

All around the world Infants explore

Sixth Form show the way

Leading by example

The Bristol Olympics

Olympiathlon at BGS

Talent shines through House Concerts

OB Dinner • World Book Day • Partners in Crime • New York, New York

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From the Headmaster S electing which of our students’ many and varied achievements to highlight in this brief foreword each term is always a challenge but, on this occasion, I think there is something we can all agree is worthy of praise.

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he exam league tables published at the end of January showed that every single one of our GCSE candidates in 2011 achieved at least five grades A*– C, including English and Maths. Furthermore, half the candidates went the extra mile and achieved at least eight A or A* grades. This clean sheet, together with similarly impressive ‘A’ level results, puts us at the top of the table among Bristol schools. This is a testament to the combined effort and determination of students and staff alike and I congratulate them all.

Exam results are not the only measure of our success, though, and I have been delighted to see many examples this term of students’ expanding their horizons beyond the classroom and engaging with the wider world in which we live. One particularly thoughtful

News Congratulations to the Class of 2011

The Upper Sixth leavers of 2011 were invited to return to BGS on Friday 6 January to receive their ‘A’ level certificates, presented by former Head of Sixth Form Derek Nott. The presentation ceremony was followed by a reception in the JCR, offering the opportunity not only to congratulate the class of 2011 on their fantastic ‘A’ level performances but also to catch up on who had been doing what since leaving BGS.

endeavour was the Charity Committee’s Valentine’s Day campaign in support of the British Heart Foundation, a typically imaginative idea by our students: it was wonderful to see them applying themselves with commitment and compassion to the needs of others.

Half-term is always seized upon as an opportunity for travel, and there were no fewer than six school trips and tours on offer this time ranging from drama, art and history experiences to action-packed sports and ski trips in Europe and the USA. Thank you to all those who gave their energy and time to organise and supervise these trips which so enrich the education of our students.

As I write this, I am looking forward to our annual Charter Day weekend which, this year, marks two important milestones: the 480th anniversary of

the granting of the School’s charter in 1532 by Henry VIII and also the hundredth annual dinner of the Old Bristolians’ Society. As we call to mind at these events all those who have enriched the collective story of our school community over the years, I’d like to think they would approve of the opportunities BGS is still providing today, and of the students who are grabbing hold of them with such enthusiasm!

My best wishes for a Happy Easter.

Roderick MacKinnon

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News Olympiathlon at BGS

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or five days, lunchtimes at Bristol Grammar School saw the Sports Hall transformed into an (ancient) Olympic Stadium as all year-groups competed in an interHouse competition featuring events from the ancient Greek Olympics. After processing in to the sound of trumpets, the athletes prayed to Zeus (can you recognise the cunningly-disguised members of staff or students?), before hearing an address from an eminent member of the community. And then the Games began!

Move over London!

On Monday Year 10 competed in the Javelin. Tuesday saw Year 8 compete in a 192m run (the distance being a stadion, the length of the ancient Greek Olympic stadium). On Wednesday Year 7 tackled the standing long jump (actually five jumps) and Thursday saw Year 9 try their hands at the discus. The week’s finale was Wrestling, contested by the Senior Boys at Friday lunchtime.

Congratulations to the winners, who were crowned with a wreath and showered with (paper) leaves before enjoying a feast of fruit and water.

WINNERS Year 10 javelin: Will

& Maddie

Year 8 192m run: George Year 7 long jump: Magnus Year 9 discus: Max

– Diamond’s

Catchpole’s & Ada’ora Edwards’s & Ella Scott’s & Amy

Senior wrestling: Charlie The overall winning Houses: Games of Zeus (boys): Edwards’s Games of Hera (girls): Diamond’s

Edwards’s

Diamond’s

Diamond’s Diamond’s

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News The BGS Charity Committee and the Friends of BGS took their partners by the hand to present the Spring Term social event of dancing and supper in the Great Hall.

Cider with Ceilidh

With music from the superb band, Strings Attached, Miss Glenn organised a hall-full of spirited parents into twos and eights and steered us with a light touch through moves that increased in complexity and risk as the cider flowed.

The BGS Ceilidh Band entertained us as we ate a delicious supper of sausages and apple crumble. Then Rob talked about the British Heart Foundation, which the evening raised money for.

All events have a magic moment.

Cider with Ceilidh’s was an astonishingly ambitious, literally breathtaking Strip the Willow down the entire length of the Great Hall!

Rugby Honour for Roger Cox Roger Cox, one of Bristol Grammar School’s longestserving members of staff, has been recognised by the England Rugby Football Schools' Union as a ‘Real Rugby Hero’ in recognition of over forty years’ dedication to Rugby coaching for young people. He will be presented with his award on the pitch at Twickenham, the home of English Rugby, on Schools’ Day, 4 April.

In nominating Mr Cox for this national award the President of the Gloucestershire Schools’ Rugby Union, Eric Blackman, said: “Roger Cox is an outstanding schoolmaster, whose attitude to every fixture has ensured that generations of BGS pupils have been brought up in

the very best traditions of the game.

There can be few schoolmasters who have given so much time to the game during a career of nearly forty years at one school.”

Roger sacrificed his own playing career to devote his time and energy to coaching at BGS, where he has been teaching since 1973. He ran Rugby at BGS between 1977 and 1986, coaching the School’s First XV as well as being an active member of the Bristol Schools’ Rugby Union. He has accompanied tours around the world, including trips to South Africa, Canada and Australia, and now takes responsibility for the Second XV at the School, giving just as much even though he is now a parttime member of staff.

Headmaster Rod MacKinnon said: “It goes without saying that we are immensely proud – though not in the least surprised – that Roger has been nominated for this award. Generations of students at BGS and elsewhere have

benefited from his dedication and commitment over many years.

“Roger believes, as do I, that what young people learn outside the classroom is just as important as their academic studies when it comes to developing the values that will set them up for life in the wider world – and he has lived out that belief in the many hours he has spent on the touchline coaching and supporting young people to give of their best and achieve their full potential.”

Commenting on the award himself, Mr Cox added: “This award has come as a complete surprise but I am very grateful to have been nominated and will be honoured to receive it at Twickenham in early April. It has been a real pleasure to have played a small part in encouraging the development of so many young Rugby players over the years in what is such a great game.”

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News

2011

Competition

BGS was delighted to launch this competition last term, thanks to sponsorship from Renishaw, a world-class engineering company based in Wotton-under-Edge.

The Renishaw Competition is an exciting new initiative and we are grateful to Renishaw for their ongoing support for science and engineering at BGS. Competition entrants, from Years 9 to Lower Sixth, had to research and write an article of fifteen hundred words on an area of science or engineering that interested them. The focus was on technologies or scientific advances that have shown exciting applications for the future, offering those interested in careers in science, engineering, computing or medicine a fantastic opportunity to extend their learning and undertake their own research.

Nearly forty students took part and, under the guidance and support of Dr Rosser and the Library Staff, articles were presented on a wide range of subjects including Designer Babies, Smart Buildings and 3D Organ Printing.

At the end of last term nearly 150 students, parents, academic staff from BGS and Bristol University, governors, Old Bristolians and guests from

Renishaw assembled in the JCR to a dazzling display of all the articles. As well as applauding the prize-winners we must also celebrate the enormous achievement of all the entrants, who produced some outstanding work.

Dr Ian Carpenter from Renishaw presented the prizes and commented on the exceptionally high quality and individual style with which each student had approached their subjects. The prize-winners for the 2011 Renishaw Competition were: Oscar who received a Kindle for his article An Investigation into Safe Nuclear Power in the UK Holly who received an iPod for her article on Equine Prosthetic Limbs Jonathan who received a digital camera for his article on Metamaterials Alice who received an iPad for her article The Future of Solar Technology.

Competition Winners with Dr Ian Carpenter of Renishaw

WOW! Amazing Art In the last week before halfterm Old Bristolian Jojo Townsend, now in her second year at Central St Martins, brought her latest work ‘The Wow Project’ to a room in the Art Department for a week.

There were ten different tasks, from creating art with rice to writing a list of things that you believe in, and the students and staff could respond to them in any way they wanted to. All contributions were kept anonymous, as the tasks were deliberately revealing.

The project wasn’t really about what was created, it was about the thought process behind it. The tasks were created to seem easy, but when you tried to do them you really had to think.

That was the objective, to take time out of people’s busy lives to make them think. It also provoked unexpected conversations and artwork. ‘I am so pleased with the way that the week went,’ said Jojo. ‘I had lots of people returning again and again: it was really amazing to see the work that people made. Some are so artistic, others are quick scribbles, but that all adds to the project as a whole. I’m really humbled that people were able to be so open and honest in the space.’ You can still see all the artwork made at BGS as well as online participants at <thewowproject.co.uk> or submit your own response to any of the ten tasks.

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Infants & Juniors Mr Huckle writes …

I spend a good deal of time every week welcoming visitors to BGS Infants and Juniors. I thoroughly enjoy this since I am so proud of our children and the provision we make for them.

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ne thing that visitors invariably comment on is the confidence of the children. Confidence and self-esteem are vital ingredients in success, and develop in various ways.

In particular, all the opportunities the children get to perform to audiences of various types play a significant part. This term the Infants have worked towards the special Mothers’ Day Assembly, and our choir took part in a special concert

in the Great Hall with children from other local schools celebrating National Sing Up Day. The Juniors showcased their talents in music, dance and drama at our Performing Arts Day and MADD evening and Year 3 and Year 4 dancers performed at the Colston Hall in Stages.

I hope that you will enjoy reading about some of these events and all the other good things the children enjoy and benefit from in this edition of View

and, if you haven’t visited the Infants and Juniors recently, we look forward to welcoming you soon.

Peter Huckle Headmaster, BGS Infants & Juniors Photo courtesy of the Bristol Evening Post

Fun in the forest

Brrrrr-illiant trip to the Zoo

Cold weather might not be top of everyone’s list for a day out, but it all added to the ‘Polar Experience’ when our Reception classes visited Bristol Zoo this term. As well as spotting all the zoo animals, the children enjoyed an education session, learning about the Polar regions and the animals who live there. The visit was a great success and inspired Mrs Edwards’s class to write an acrostic poem about the Polar bear:

Polar Bear Polar Regions are where I live On Ice I play

Long claws I have

And I eat a fish a day Run, run really fast

Be warned wolves nearby Everyone is scared of me Amazing a polar bear

Rescue me. I am in danger and may die

Our infants have been enjoying exploring Failand again this term, finding plenty of interest and excitement even in the depths of winter. Reception children had a great time, hunting for different textures to make collages. Now spring has sprung, we look forward to more learning in our fabulous outdoor ‘classroom’.

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Help!

Children in Year 1 have been learning all about people who help us, from the emergency services to the staff at the Post Office. An exciting trip to Temple fire station was a real highlight, when children were given a tour of the station, learning all about the equipment, vehicles and routines of the very important ‘people who help us’. They loved trying on the helmets, sitting in the fire engines and trying their hardest to climb up and slide down the poles.

They also thought about all the other people who help us, a discussion which raised a laugh from Miss Durkin when she heard the statement ‘My mum doesn’t help anybody… she’s only a teacher.’!

Growing every day This term Reception have been finding out more about how living things, from plants to people, grow.

The children took it in turns to be flower monitor, whose job was to check on the cress, and water the Venus fly-trap, which they take great pride in doing. They also planted their very own magic beans and hid them around the School – some in dark places, some with no water, others with no air – to see which ones grew the best. The children even correctly predicted that the one on the classroom window-sill would win as it had light and water.

To the far side of the world…

BGS Infants travelled the world this term, paying ‘visits’ to India (Year 2), China (Reception) and Australia (Year 1).

Reception learnt all about Chinese New Year and welcomed in the Year of the Dragon, as well as getting some chopstick practice. Year 1 enjoyed a flight to Sydney, complete with a stopover in Bangkok, to find out all about the land down under, before celebrating Australia Day with Anzac biscuits and Australian art.

Meanwhile Year 2 made passports for a trip to India, learning about traditional Indian dress and music, creating colourful tie-dye and fantastic art, and enjoying some delicious Indian snacks.

…and beyond!

10,9,8,7… the countdown was on in the second half of term as Year 2 blasted off for a ‘Journey into Space’.

With the whole universe to explore there was plenty for the children to discover; highlights included a trip to the Planetarium and astronauttraining in the garden. The topic inspired some fantastic writing, the children thinking about how they would have felt watching Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon for the first time, and imagining they were Neil Armstrong and writing about his experiences.

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Infants & Juniors

All in a good cause (or three)

We had cats, squirrels, rabbits, Polar bears, mice, monkeys, crocodiles and a horse. Staff got into the spirit of the day too: particularly notable were Mrs Rookes, resplendent with udders as a dairy cow, and Mr Salisbury, a spectacular cockroach.

Thank you to all our pupils who chose to wear mufti to help raise money for our school charities. A really special big thank you to those who came in animal costumes: a lot of hard work had gone into many of these and it was appreciated by the whole School. We raised a magnificent £170.05 from our mufti day, adding to the year’s total so far which now stands at an impressive

Friday 27 January saw creatures of all descriptions arrive in the Infant and Junior school for an animal-themed mufti day in aid of our three charities this year – WWF, Wallace and Gromit’s Grand Appeal and Help for Heroes.

£1,300. This is thanks in no small part to our regular Fairy Cake Fridays, so a big thank you to all our families who bake and donate cakes, and help out to make these such a success.

Year 3 Trip to St Fagans

Dressed as fierce, intrepid warriors, the youngest members of the Bristolii tribe (Year 3) travelled back in time to Celtic Wales at the National Museum of Wales, St Fagans.

They helped another local druid to construct a new wall for a roundhouse using the traditional techniques of wattle and daub (although not much daubing took place, the mud being frozen!).

The warriors listened to a story from the druid and were allowed to depict it using red, yellow and brown paints on the walls of the roundhouse belonging to the chief.

The tribe returned via their time machine (aka a coach) to their BGS homeland with an appreciation of how much easier life for children is today. Amazingly some of the children would like to have remained there, as then they would not have had to go to school! However, they decided that they would miss having a hot bath and a loo!

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World Book Day

On Thursday 1 March visitors to BGS Infants and Juniors could have been forgiven for thinking they’d stumbled into a library come to life.

Fantastic Mr Fox, Cruella de Vil, and The Queen of Hearts, were all on show for World Book Day (and that was just the staff!). Our children did themselves proud with some fabulous costumes and sharing of their favourite books.

Making a song and dance There was plenty to sing (and dance) about in BGS Juniors this term, when both Performing Arts Day and MADD Evening took place. Thanks to a new House singing category (won by Boulton’s), as well as class singing and individual performances of music, dance and drama, everyone got involved in Performing Arts Day. With so many great acts to choose from it was a tough job choosing the winners and the acts to perform at MADD (Music, Art, Drama and Dance) Evening on 15 March. We are sure those of you who joined us at MADD Evening will agree that the standard was incredibly high and a credit to the children.

Sing Up!

A big thank you to all our parents who supported with costumes and with story-telling.

We were delighted to welcome five other local schools to BGS to celebrate National Sing Up Day in the Great Hall on Friday 2 March. The animals went in two by two was sung with great energy and enthusiasm by the BGS Infants’ Choir and a fabulous morning of music ended with them joining with the other schools to sing a fantastic song, Jellyfish.

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Sixth Form What makes BGS such a special place? In no small part it is thanks to the real sense of community that exists throughout the School, built on the House system but brought to life by the Sixth-formers who are the leaders of our school community.

Leading by example From House Prefects to Peer Mentors, working with Infants to coaching sports, running House Plays to Maths mentoring, the rôles our Sixth-formers play are many and varied. But why do they choose to get involved and why do they think it matters? We talked to nine Sixth-formers to find out how they help make BGS into more than just a school.

One thing they all agreed on, when asked what they got out of their work with younger pupils, was enjoyment.

Senior House Prefect Duncan summed up his rôle, saying “It’s a lot of fun, first of all; but it’s also a great way to get to know pupils from lower down the School.”

This was particularly important to Jess who joined BGS in the Sixth Form and quickly threw herself into directing a House Play. “As a newcomer, it was a really great way to get involved and get to know a lot of people,” she said.

“When I joined BGS I was really surprised by the level of involvement of the Sixth Form and how much it is encouraged. I feel the Sixth Form really is part of the School, rather than being like a college, and the interaction with other Year-groups is what brings us together.”

Of course, our Sixth-formers also gain practical skills and experience; for James working as a Maths Mentor with students in Years 9–11 allowed him to develop his communication skills and practise explaining complex ideas in uncomplicated language

– great preparation for his chosen career in medicine. Likewise Tessa who volunteers to work with BGS Infants, knows she is gaining invaluable experience as she hopes to become a teacher. And challenges such as organising a team of twenty students to run a Model United Nations Conference at the School, as Craig did, allows both people and project management skills to be tested.

The variety of ways in which our Sixthformers can and do get involved is extraordinary. As well as being a House Prefect and Peer Mentor, Ellie is also organising reading sessions with members of the Junior School. As an English scholar she has helped teach in a Year 8 class, and has done similarly in History lessons, which she enjoys, commenting, “It's rewarding to see the level of trust and respect that the students have for you as a Sixth-former in a position of responsibility.”

Across the School, Sixth-formers work with younger students to provide encouragement or enrich their learning.

Having recently been through similar experiences themselves, Sixth-formers are perfectly placed to provide this support. James explained “We offer younger pupils an alternative rôle model to teachers, one they may find easier to engage with because we have more of a shared experience.”

Outside the classroom, plays, concerts, debating and sport are all supported by Sixth-formers, passing on their experience to younger Yeargroups. Peer Mentors provide an

invaluable source of advice and support too. Ollie followed two older brothers to BGS and really appreciated knowing them and having their friends to say ‘hello’ to. Now a Peer Mentor and House Prefect, he fills the “big brother” rôle for pupils coming into the School.

For many of the Sixth Form taking on a position of responsibility or working with younger Year-groups is something they aspired to from their own early days at BGS. Dan , who is a Peer Mentor, remembers “House Captains were very important in my life when I was younger: they were great rôle models to look up to.

“Although they looked very big, they never acted as if they were more important than me and never patronised me. It was great to have them to aim to be like, and it was a great positive influence.”

Fellow Peer Mentor and Senior House Prefect Alex agrees that the positive influence Sixth-formers have is important “Year 7s do look up to us and model their behaviour on ours,” she said. “They aspire to be Prefects one day and know that they need to behave if they are going to achieve it.”

Ellie summed up many people’s feelings perfectly when she said, “I remember really looking up to the Sixth-formers I came into contact with and being genuinely affected by what they did and how they presented themselves. I hope that the younger years will say similar things about us when we leave!”

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Duncan

Senior House Prefect & Peer Mentor

Jess

Prefect and directed House Play

BGS boasts a leading lecturer

“The family system of Houses is very important at BGS and it is held together

by Sixth-formers.”

Alex

Senior House Prefect & Peer Mentor

“When I joined BGS I was really surprised by the level of involvement of the Sixth Form and how much it is encouraged.”

Ellie

Peer Mentor and House Prefect

“We are there for them to talk to, to offer informal support, like having a big sister.”

Craig

Senior Prefect “It's rewarding to see the level of trust and respect that the students have for you as a Sixth-former in a position of responsibility.”

Ollie

Senior House Prefect & Peer Mentor

“We can draw on our own experiences and pass them on, be it debating or university entrance.”

James

Maths Mentor and Prefect “It was great having two older brothers here when I started, friendly faces to say ‘hello’ to. Now as a Peer Mentor and House Prefect, it’s my chance to be a friendly face for someone else.”

“Sixth-formers offer an alternative rôle model, one with a shared experience.”

Dan

Peer Mentor, Junior School volunteer, member of Greenpower team

Tess

Prefect and volunteer in BGS Infants

“I think it shows how much we care about the School, that we give something back; it’s not just about our lessons.”

“It gives me experience communicating effectively and problem solving with them as well as gaining friendships and often having a laugh!”

Congratulations to Connor (Lower Sixth) on winning the undergraduate category and being placed second overall in the Institute of Physics (IOP) Young Persons’ Physics Lecture Competition.

The competition, organised by the Manchester branch of the IOP, was open to anyone under the age of 26, and six finalists were selected from entrants who had submitted a 150-word abstract of their proposed lecture.

A bout of tonsillitis meant Connor finished his presentation only just before departing for the final at Manchester Metropolitan University, so he had little time to practise. His ten-minute presentation, titled Deadly Attraction – New frontiers in the Physics of Antimatter, had to strike the right balance between content and accessibility, after which Connor faced two minutes of questions from the judges, including a former employee of CERN! Connor was placed first in the undergraduate category and second overall, beating two postgraduate entries. This achievement is all the more impressive when you consider that the topic on which he spoke is not part of his ‘A’ level syllabus, simply an area of personal interest. The Manchester event having gone so well, Connor is hoping the Institute of Physics will run a series of regional events, leading to a national final. Watch this space if they do!

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View Spring ‘12 Issue 20 © Josie Pearson

Performing Arts Starring rôles for students past AND present

Catchpole’s House Concert This year the Catchpole’s Concert saw a spectacular array of talents showcased on the Mackay stage. The evening started in quite a conventional way with a song from Maddie and Izzy, however this was particularly impressive as the girls composed the music and wrote the lyrics themselves.

As well as an array of other musical acts (from Elisabeth, Imi, Jenny, Rachel and “Daddy Nacho”) the first half of the show also comprised a very entertaining sketch about Science Class, a karaoke style performance

by Jamie and Perran, and Tej’s mindboggling magic skills.

After refreshments were served the concert continued with a number of excellent musical performances, ranging from a full band (with Tom, Lawrence, Jed and George) to quality duets (with Jasmine, Griff, Sushmita and Jess) as well as atmospheric solo performances (from Leonard, Alice and Dan). The second half also saw some less traditional acts: another short sketch from some of the younger members of the House, exceptionally brave and successful stand-up from Jack and a dazzling performance of a traditional dance from Ramya.

It’s not often that a concert features such a variety of acts: hearty congratulations go to all who took part and did themselves proud.

If you were lucky enough to catch the Bristol Old Vic’s outstanding production of Coram Boy at the Colston Hall over the Christmas period you may well have been watching no fewer than three BGS students on the stage! Old Bristolian Fionn Gill, who left the School in 2003 and went on to study acting at Leeds University’s Bretton Hall, took on the rôle of the damaged outcast Meshak and received praise for his acting in several reviews.

Alongside him in seven of the fifteen performances (doubles filled the rôles on the remaining days) were Year 7 students Max and Cameron Max won his rôle in the play (that of young Thomas Ledbury – a leading part in the first act) at an open audition last summer. As part of the production he also had to perform solo and in duet, both on his violin and singing, at a standard that gave credibility to his character’s rôle as a musical prodigy, and he did this with aplomb.

Cameron’s main part was that of Edward Ashbrook, the son of Lord Ashbrook and brother of Alexander Ashbrook, one of the leading characters in the play. As well as acting in many key scenes in the rôle of Edward, Cameron also played the part of a young boy who is sold into slavery.

Both Max and Cameron worked incredibly hard in rehearsal from September onwards to prepare for the production. We are incredibly proud of them both for their fantastic achievement, more than holding their own alongside professional actors in a major production, and all this at the end of their first term in BGS Senior School. Well done Max and Cameron!

arson

© Josie Pe

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EDWARDS’S HOUSE CONCERT

Musical Magic

To prove that true comedy genius never fails, Mr Levy and Cara got proceedings off to a side-splitting start with a BGS-based version of the classic Abbot and Costello vaudevillian sketch Who’s on First. Having been treated to such a classic, it was a shame that due to a throat infection we could not hear Cara’s performance of the wonderful musical classic On My Own from Les Miserables. Despite this, the audience was certainly not short on musical treats, from Year 7 through to the Upper Sixth, from pianos to ukuleles, and Beethoven to Bruno

On Friday 16 March staff, parents, and students past and present gathered for the Senior School Concert. This year, thanks to the generous support of the Old Bristolians’ Society, the concert took place in the inspiring surroundings of Clifton Cathedral, moving to a Friday night so as to provide a fitting curtainraiser for the OBs’ 100th Annual Dinner the next day.

The varied programme opened with a medley of the film scores of Danny Elfman from the Wind Orchestra before Alex (L6) performed Asturias by Isaac Albeniz on the guitar.

Next up was a lively performance from the saxophone group Sax Ed, followed by the BGS Choir singing Benjamin Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, accompanied by Gary Desmond on the organ.

After a short interval, the Senior Orchestra played two pieces from Swan Lake, Scene and Dance of the Swans, followed by Fauré’s Pavane; then Ben U6) gave a beautiful performance of Rachmaninov’s Prelude in C sharp minor on the piano. The combined voices of Cantata were uplifting as they filled the Cathedral with Cantique de Jean Racine, again by Fauré, and then the more contemporary Adiemus from Songs of Sanctuary by Karl Jenkins before the Ceilidh Band brought what had been a most enjoyable evening to a close.

Mars. The evening was knitted together by the wit and panache (okay, perhaps more accurately, flamboyance and bad jokes) of Oliver and Joe who, in the second half, joined by Bea and Charlie showed their witty style to perfection with a peak into the Edwards's State of Mind.

A final performance from Bea, showing off her song writing and singing skills brought us to the climax of a rousing whole House rendition of Edwards’s winning number from the House Music Competition, Take a Chance on Me.

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Exploration With trips to America, Italy, France and the UK, this term has seen BGS students heading off in all directions in pursuit of their passions.

Viva Italia!

Sixth Form History and Art trip to Florence

During February half-term twenty students travelled to Florence to explore its marvellous Renaissance treasures. Accompanied by Miss Humphrey, Mr Lever and Dr Massey, they explored the winding streets of the city; the photographs taken must number in the thousands! Audible gasps punctuated the days as the group visited places as varied as the Boboli Gardens, Santa Felicita and San

Got to be a part of it … Drama in New York

During their stay the group saw two Broadway shows, a musical How to Succeed in Business without Trying and a comedy set in a summer house, Stick Fly. The songs from the musical were very catchy; Rosemary and The Brotherhood of Man could be heard being sung by BGS students throughout the streets of New York!

Stick Fly was “amazing”: the students were particularly fascinated by how the audience reacted, shouting out comments and cheering spontaneously.

Other highlights included a visit to the

The destination may have lacked the glamour of New York, but Manchester held plenty of attractions for a group of squash players from Years 9 and 11.

Their trip took them to the National Squash Centre in Manchester to attend the Semi-Finals of the British National Championships. They watched three matches, one featuring the current men’s world No 2, James Wilstrop, and other matches involving top seeds in the Ladies’ and Masters’ tournaments. The students also toured Manchester City’s “Ethiad” stadium and enjoyed hearing how this venue was converted from the 2002 Commonwealth Games arena.

A Maltese adventure

Marco. Tearing the students away from Michelangelo’s David proved quite a challenge. Overall it was a wonderful trip, which ran very smoothly and enriched the studies of both historians and artists alike.

On 17 February thirteen Drama students and two intrepid teachers met at BGS at 3am to begin their travels to New York City.

Smashing Squash

top floor of the Empire State building at night and so becoming members of the exclusive 102 Club, ice-skating in Central Park, the R train on the subway, the drama workshops, staying in the heart of Manhattan on Times Square, seeing Mr Levy reporting the weather at the NBC studios, and making new friends.

Even arriving to pouring rain and Malta’s worst winter in forty years was not enough to dampen the enthusiasm of the Year 9 and 10 students on the Malta sports tour. Our hockey and netball teams put together some strong performances, most matches ending in a resounding victory for BGS. The U14 netball team was unbeaten, Megan being player of the tour. The U15s lost just one match, when playing the Maltese U17 national squad.

Congratulations to Emma on being named the U15 player of the tour. The hockey teams were similarly successful, the U14s unbeaten and the U15s losing only their last match, against a team with three senior players from the island’s top men’s league.

Off the pitch our students had plenty of time to explore the island during visits to Valletta and Gozo. They saw a lot of churches and enjoyed learning about Malta’s rich history. Back at the hotel, our students were a hit with the residents and the lounge singer providing the dinner entertainment.

Their enthusiasm was infectious and their behaviour and attitude did the School proud.

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Exploration New Hampshire Ski

Off the beaten track

In the February half-term holiday Mr Clark, Miss Conboy and Mr Thackray took 28 students, from Year 8 to the Lower Sixth, skiing in New Hampshire, USA.

The third Summit Club off-piste ski and winter skills course took place from 14 to 20 February. After two trips to the Zinal area in Switzerland it was time to try somewhere new and just a little less expensive!

Chamonix is famous for mountain adventure and, with world-class skiing and the advantage of easy access from Geneva airport, it is ideal for a trip of this nature. Thirteen students and three staff formed two ski groups who, led by two very experienced guides, Olly Allen and Hannah Burrows-Smith, spent an exhilarating and exhausting week exploring the off-piste runs in the region.

BGS is one of very few UK schools to offer this type of trip and, under the guidance of Olly and Hannah – who gave the group a lot of information about off-piste techniques and an introduction to the skills required for safe travel off-piste – the excellent piste skiers learnt much from the experience.

Highlights of the week included exploring the back country bowls of La Tour – with lots of skiing through trees and, in a couple of cases, not quite through the trees! Also truly memorable was skiing on the Argentière glacier and the amazing off-piste journey of over 20km from the lifts of Courmayeur in Italy (accessed via the Mont Blanc tunnel) down the world famous Vallée Blanche all the way to Chamonix, possibly the first time a UK school trip had taken on this journey.

There was a bit of history as well as skiing, as the group was based first on the steep slopes of Cannon Mountain before moving to the long cruises of Bretton Woods – with views of Mount Washington and the Mount Washington Hotel, the site of the establishment of the IMF and the World Bank in 1944.

Despite being met with temperatures of -20o, on arrival the group found that New Hampshire had received less snow than usual. However, the skiing was still good; well-maintained pistes meant the beginners in particular made outstanding progress. Since it was not a US school holiday week they often had the pistes and lifts to themselves – a strong contrast to the busy European slopes at this time of year.

Après-ski activities included the opportunity to watch a high school basketball match – complete with choreographed warm-ups, music and cheerleaders in true High School Musical fashion. This was not quite matched by the quality of the basketball, sadly, and the BGS boys definitely fancied their chances after their recent coaching from Mr Thackray.

An evening of riding rubber rings down the lower slopes (‘tubing’) was another highlight, and particularly the subsequent descent into a full-scale snowball battle. And, of course, a trip to America wouldn’t be complete without shopping, and the culinary delights of Dunkin’ Donuts.

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View Spring ‘12 Issue 20

Sport Climbing to the top Congratulations to James (Year 10), who won the bouldering event, the speed event and the individual lead climbing event in the Bristol Schools’ Competition.

NETBALL NOTES The Senior School netball teams have played a grand total of seventy matches so far this season, recording 36 wins, 31 loses and 3 draws. Congratulations to the U16 team, who qualified for the regional tournament, played in Bournemouth, and, in a strong field, finished a creditable ninth. The teams have made significant improvements since last year and the girls are working extremely hard to raise the standard of netball in the School. You can read more about the U14 and U15s’ hugely successful tour to Malta at half-term on page 15.

Junior netball

It has been a good season for all the Junior netball teams. The U11 'A' team came third in the Badminton tournament, while the U11 'B's showed much skill and determination against KES Bath, even if the scoreline did not reflect their efforts. In the younger age-groups, the U9 'A' and 'B' teams played very well against Colstons, with the 'B' team winning a close match.

The U8 team also played brilliantly against Colstons, winning 3–0, giving them great confidence for the High 5 Tournament in March.

Riding High In only their second school event, and their first team competition, the BGS equestrian team claimed an impressive sixth-place finish. The team of Agatha , Zoë Holly Emma and Anya travelled to Millfield Prep School to compete in a Jumping with Style competition, tackling a course of seventeen show jump and cross-country style fences. In the first class Emma and Anya competed, Emma rode well with only one stop but unfortunately Anya had to retire owing to an injury to her

pony. Holly finished a notable fifth place out of sixty-six competitors, setting a high standard for the others to follow. Well done to all the girls for their first team competition.

Lead climbing is the usual format for advanced competition climbing and sees competitors clip their rope into fixed bolts in the wall as they climb up.

For James, who is usually a boulderer (low-level, rope-free climbing) the first challenge to overcome was clipping on during the climb! With no real chances to rest until the final hold on the 7c rated route, it was a tough climb but James was able to hold on and claim first place.

James’s climbing prowess has also attracted wider attention and he has recently been featured in a UK Climbing News article after he climbed a very hard (8a) boulder problem in South Wales. This is the hardest boulder problem a student at BGS has ever climbed and it puts him in a very small group of fifteen-year-olds in the UK.

Success runs in the family Freezing weather didn’t deter Olivia (U6) and Hugh (Y7) from competing in the South West Schools’ Cross Country in Exeter in February.

In a strong field, Olivia finished a very comfortable first in the senior girls’ event, helping lead Avon to victory in the team shield. Younger brother Hugh finished a very creditable seventh in the minor boys’. This followed a very successful January which saw him claim victory in the minor boys’ race at the Avon Schools’ Championships and then lead the Bristol & West AC U13 boys’ squad to the team silver medals at the Midland Championships, earning himself a nomination for the January Evening Post Easy Runner ‘athlete of the month’ award in the process.

View Spring ‘12 Issue 20

Sport Boys’ Hockey

Rugby

With no fewer than twelve teams taking to the field each Saturday, hockey at BGS is in great health. Our First XI is a young team and has had a tough season, coming up against some excellent opposition. The results may not always have been in our favour but they have given invaluable experience and, as the First XI boasts seven county U16 players, and we have had some particularly impressive results in the younger age-groups, the future is looking very bright. In particular, the U11 team have qualified for the Regional finals. In the qualifying tournament, they drew with Monkton Coombe, beat the Paragon School and Kingswood, and lost to KES Bath, finishing runners-up. They will now play in the finals on 28 April.

And Final-ly…

IAPS Badminton Tournament Congratulations to doubles pairs Sujan and Sam and Siddharth and Henry (all Year 6), who competed in the annual IAPS Badminton tournament at Colet Court Prep School.

Siddharth and Henry came second in their group, losing their final game of the morning 15–13. They were eventually defeated in the semi-final by the winners from Milton Keynes Prep School. Sujan and Sam were unbeaten in the morning group stages, finishing top of their group. In the afternoon knockout they came up against a very strong pair from Buckinghamshire (who were eventual finalists) and lost 21–13 in the quarter-finals. This was by far our most successful appearance at the tournament, where only one school bettered our overall performance.

Well done boys.

This term the Junior Rugby teams have been training hard for the National Finals at Epsom College on 3 and 4 March. The hard work paid off and BGS Juniors enjoyed their most successful overall results in eight years of playing in the tournament.

The U8s, after three matches, missed out on playing in the main semi-final by just one bonus point. Highlights included an excellent victory against Chesham Prep and a draw against Reigate St Mary’s, having been five tries to two down at half-time.

The U9s played and lost to the eventual winners, Shrewsbury House, Surrey, in their group match. This put them into the Plate competition where they met Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar Wakefield in the semi-final. An exciting match saw BGS win 15–10 but, after three hours of standing around in wet muddy kit, the final proved to be one game too far and the boys lost out to The Croft, London.

The U10s did exceptionally well to qualify from their group, winning a close match against Northcote Lodge 10–5 which put them in the main quarter-final. In a hard-fought match, the BGS team lost out to eventual tournament winners, Warwick School.

The U11s also qualified for the quarter-final from their group, playing some outstanding Rugby with wins against Thomas’s School and Chesham Prep. The quarter-final was played on what looked like a mud field and the BGS team found the conditions difficult, losing out to The Beacon School.

Congratulations to all the teams who represented the School with credit.

Seven-a-side

The seven-a-side season is in full flow, all age-groups having the opportunity to play this shortened version of the game. The senior seven is most active, having now competed in tournaments at Brecon, Hereford and Wycliffe

in preparation for the challenge presented at Portsmouth, Taunton and finally the national sevens at Rosslyn Park where, along with the U13 and U16 teams, they will pit themselves against the best teams in the country.

Congratulations to: Freddie (Year 11), on his selection to represent the Avon U17 squad at squash.

Fencers Tayler (Year 10), who recently came third in the U16 girls’ foil at the Welsh Championships and qualified for the British Youth Championships to be held in Sheffield in May, and to Oli (Year 11) who won the South West competition in convincing fashion.

Milo (Year 8), who has been selected to join the RS Feva South West Sailing Squad and also for RYA race training in Weymouth and Torbay.

Ben (Lower Sixth), who has won the U18 South-West Power-lifting Championship; he will progress to the national championships.

Siddharth (Year 6), who won the silver medal in the U11 category at the All-England Badminton Tournament at Tees Valley, narrowly missing out at the final hurdle.

Ben (Year 8) and Sam (Year 6), on finishing fifteenth and fifth respectively in the British Schools’ Biathlon competition – a fantastic achievement.

Ada’ora (Year 8) who, competing for the Avon team, won the Sports Hall South West Regional finals high jump and was part of the winning 4x1 lap relay team. Overall the Avon U13 girls won their age group and will now compete in the UK Sports Hall finals in Birmingham in April.

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Literary events

Eleanor Updale Children’s author Eleanor Updale entranced the whole of Year 7 on the afternoon of 7 February when she came to talk about her series of Montmorency books, and the more recent Johnny Swanson.

She set the scene by immersing her audience in nineteenth-century London, including its sewer system. A carefully-selected slide show helped

us understand the world her characters inhabit, as well as allowing trivia enthusiasts to discover the connection between London’s sewerage system and the Big Brother House (the clue here is the Bazalgette family). As well as fleshing out her fictional characters she also spoke more generally about what has inspired her to be an author.

The quality and quantity of the questions from her Year 7 audience at the end of the session revealed how truly captivated they had been. At 3.55pm the ring of the bell, or, should I say, the pull of the flush, marked the finale to an inspirational afternoon, and all went home most satisfied.

“I really enjoyed it because it was interesting to hear about what she read when she was younger and what made her start writing.” Nick, Year 7 “I liked the bit when she talked about her books without giving away the plot so that you really wanted to go away and read them.” Cameron, Year 7

Partners in Crime

Crime theme tunes played by the forty-piece Longwell Green Orchestra greeted avid crime readers as they arrived in the Great Hall on Tuesday 13 March for a special evening with two of their favourite writers, Sophie Hannah and Erin Kelly.

So, what do two successful crime writers talk about, together with their editor in front of a crimeloving audience?

Answer: the essence of a crime novel, and the influence of their different literary backgrounds on their written style. Sophie, as a metrical poet and psychological crime writer, talked about how narrative arcs add tension to the novel. Erin, meanwhile, focused on the importance of place and time in direct relation to psychological suspense, particularly in The Sick Rose.

Prompted by questions from the audience the authors went on to explain the effects of technology on their writing, the danger of ‘dimwit’ agents, and the growing problem of self-publishing. On being asked what

she gained from talking at the event, Sophie Hannah said, “I love every opportunity to talk about the process of crime writing and to meet those who read my books.”

At the end of the event many queued to buy books from Blackwells and to have these signed by Sophie and Erin. Over the course of the evening, refreshments and the tombola were particularly successful in raising money for the charity Education for All. The last word on the evening’s success should perhaps come from a member of the audience: “Just wanted to say how very much I enjoyed last night's event – it was a triumph!”

OBs OBs help Emily towards Olympic Dream

After narrowly missing (by just 0.13 seconds) the sixth and final place in the Great Britain 4 x 400m team for the World Indoor Championships in Turkey next month, OB Emily Diamond is determined not to miss out again when it comes to the Olympics.

In her first season at 400m Emily has already improved her personal best from 55.14s to 53.67s, and is currently sixth in the UK rankings. Now the plan is to run the 400m at the Olympic trials to try and qualify for the GB relay squad, where there are six places up for grabs.

Emily, who left BGS in 2009, is now a student at Loughborough University where she has access to world-class sporting facilities. But with extras such as travel and medical expenses to pay for, Emily knows that she needs all the support she can get to help her on her way to London.

One way she is searching for this help is through a website, <www. sponsorcraft.com>, created by former BGS students to help young people raise money to fulfil their dreams. OBs Julian and Jonathan May and Duncan Knox are all involved in the creation and running of Sponsorcraft, which they hope will allow people such as Emily access to funding which is normally difficult for individuals and small organisations to reach.

Anyone interested in helping to support Emily, or finding out more about Sponsorcraft, can visit <www.sponsorcraft.com>

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OB Dinner

An amazing expedition Former BGS student Alan Lock has become the first visually impaired person to trek to the South Pole.

Despite having severely limited vision, he completed the almost 1,000km journey in 39 days, dragging a 60kg sled and enduring temperatures as low as -35C. Alan lost all but his peripheral vision to macular degeneration nine years ago, forcing him to leave his career in the Royal Navy. Since then he has taken on a wide range of challenges, including ten marathons, and in 2008 became the first visually impaired person to row across the Atlantic Ocean. His efforts have raised around £100,000 for charities that help the blind or visually impaired.

The trek to the South Pole enabled

Alan, alongside sighted team-mates Andrew Jensen and Richard Smith and guide Hannah McKean, to raise £15,000 for the charity Sightsavers, which aids blind people in the developing world, and Guide Dogs for the Blind, based in San Francisco.

Speaking from the Pole after the team arrived there on Tuesday 3 January, Alan said "It feels amazing to have made it to the South Pole; what an adventure.

"The high point is having the opportunity to make this expedition in the first place.

"Reaching the pole, having been one of only a handful of people ever to have walked here, is a fantastic experience.

"There have been difficulties with the terrain but this has all been made possible for me by my great team members."

Our congratulations go to Alan, and his team-mates, on their amazing achievement. If you would like to read more about the polar trek and support Alan’s fundraising efforts, please visit <www.polar-vision.org>

On Saturday 18 March, the 480th Anniversary of the granting of the Charter to the School, the Old Bristolians' Society held its hundredth annual dinner in the Great Hall.

And what a fantastic evening it turned out to be! The Great Hall was filled to capacity with 380 guests, including The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress. Our Guest Speaker was The Honourable Sir Rabinder Singh, an OB himself, who was appointed as a High Court Judge in October last year. Guests had come from all over the world, and it was wonderful to see so many members of the OB community coming together for this event.

After an excellent meal, the Head of School Hannah opened the speeches followed by the Headmaster Roderick MacKinnon who proposed the Toast to the Society. The Society’s outgoing President, Nick Baldwin, then responded with the Toast to The School and Sir Rabinder Singh ended the speeches, speaking of his gratitude to the School, and to former Headmaster Roy Avery for the encouragement that he had been given and the opportunities that had opened up for him. Whilst he was the second OB to be appointed as a High Court Judge, he thought he was the first Bristol Rovers' fan to be appointed!

The formalities were completed with the installation of Godfrey Ratcliffe as the new President for the coming twelve months.

May I take the opportunity of thanking the OBs' community for their support of the hundredth dinner, its popularity, regrettably meant that we were unable to accommodate everyone who wanted to come, but I do hope that in future years we will see the Great Hall full to capacity again.

It was so, so special.

Phil Tottle Chairman Old Bristolians' Society Photo: Sir Rabinder Singh

Bristol Grammar School University Road Bristol BS8 1SR

Diary dates April Tuesday 17 April: Term Starts

Senior School 0117 973 6006 Junior School 0117 973 6109 www.bristolgrammarschool.co.uk

Forthcoming literary events

Saturday 21 April: OBs’ Cricket Lunch, Failand, 11.30am Bristol Grammar School and the Bristol Festival of Ideas in association with Penguin Books present

Thursday 26 April: Dance Showcase, Great Hall 7.30–9.30pm Friday 27 April: Scott’s House Concert, Mackay Theatre 7.30pm

May

talking to Andrew Kelly , Director of the Bristol Festival of Ideas about his new book

Friday 4 May: OBs’ Law Breakfast, Great Hall, 8.00–10.00am Monday 7 May: May Day Bank Holiday Friday 11 May: Whole School Open Morning, John James Room, 9.45am–12.30pm

21 June 2012, 7.00 for 7.30PM – tickets £7/£6

Thursday 17 May: Literary Event: royal biographer Penny Junor introducing her book on Prince William, Great Hall 6.00 for 6.30pm Friday 25 May: BGS Juniors Sports Day

and Hodder and Stoughton present Royal Biographer

June Friday 1 June: Senior School INSET Day (BGS Infants & Juniors open) Monday 4–Friday 10 June: Half-term Thursday 14 June: Year 7 new parents’ induction evening, JCR 6.30–7.00pm School Concert, Great Hall, 7.30pm Monday 18 June: Jazz BBQ, 6.00–9.00pm Tuesday 19 June: BGS Wildlife Photographer of the Year presentation evening, JCR 7.30pm

talking about her new book

Thursday 21 June: Literary Event, Robert Macfarlane, 7.00 for 7.30pm Friday 22 June: Year 6 Play Tuesday 26 June–Thursday 28 June: Middle School Play, Mackay Theatre / Amphitheatre 6.30pm

July Monday 2 July: BGS Juniors Prize Giving and Leavers Assembly Senior School Prize Giving, Great Hall 6.30pm Tuesday 3 July: Term Ends Design: adartdesign.co.uk Printed on 100% recycled stock using vegetable inks

in association with Foyles Bookshop 17 May 2012, 6.00 for 6.30pm – tickets £7/£5 Price includes light refreshments www.bristolgrammarschool.co.uk/Events/Literary-Events.aspx Bristol Grammar is a Registered Charity No. 1104425 riceSchool includes light refreshments