The History of BSM in 50 Objects by The British School of Milan

Letter from HRH The Duchess of Cornwall

Photo by ©M

ario Testino

The History of BSM in 50 Objects This publication complements the events we undertook to celebrate the school’s 50th anniversary, such as the special Family Day and the Heritage Exhibition. The idea here was to choose objects that individually and collectively represent the school’s history over its first 50 years. Each of these objects has its own micro-history, of course, but taken together we hope they weave a narrative and tell our story. Objects we have chosen include a coat peg, each with a child’s name written above; a Bunsen burner; the oldest library book in the school; Mr Biggs’s conducting baton; old microscope slides; the sculpture of shoes from a student who went on to design for Jimmy Choo, and many more. We very much hope that you enjoy seeing the objects and reading a little bit about them. Thank you for being part of our first half century, and we look forward to a new generation leading our development in the next fifty years of growing together.

Chris Greenhalgh Principal & CEO The British School of Milan

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1. Coat Peg The coat peg is something that every infant upon entering the school soon becomes familiar with. Almost the first act each day upon arriving is to hang up the bag and coat. It is the start of each child becoming independent within the school, and a source of pride as each child’s name is lovingly written above the peg.

50 Years of Growing Together

2. Bell Schools are regulated by bells. Over the years, other methods have been tried - softer and more subtle - but the clarity of a bell is effective in signalling change of lessons. Most bells now, of course, work electronically on a timer, but many will remember the hand-held bell and the call to lessons, or the call to assemble. It is an ancient symbol of gathering together.

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3. Bunsen Burner You might remember the first time you went into a science laboratory and the excitement of being allowed to turn on a Bunsen burner, usually accompanied, of course, with the gauze and the tripod. The play of a blueyellow flame heating a beaker of liquid above will be an abiding first scientific memory for many.

50 Years of Growing Together

4. Library Book The library is the gateway to an imaginative world. The first time a child withdraws a book from the library is a moment of excitement at the fresh possibilities afforded by stories and the way new worlds open up as the pages are turned. This edition of Robinson Crusoe is the oldest book that still exists in the library.

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5. Microscope Slide Another gateway to a new world is the slide that is placed under a microscope, offering a fresh perspective on a world that normally lies beyond our ability to perceive. The weird sense of focus and the strange magnifications, the colours and stain of dyes are all things that will flash in recollection upon our inward as well as our outward eyes.

50 Years of Growing Together

6. Music Stand and Folder The school has always punched above its weight musically, and elicited an outstanding level of creativity from the students. Barely a lunchtime or lesson goes by when there is not some choir rehearsing or music lesson being conducted, and the music stand is a ubiquitous and much-cherished feature of the school day, with the music folder open upon it.

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7. Photocopier (out of order) In the not-too-distant past, there were only two or three photocopiers available for use and they broke down frequently, leading often to a wave of panic amongst staff. They also represent the huge amount of paper that we use daily which links to the sustainability goals we have now. Of course, with advances in technology, perhaps in 50 years’ time, the photocopier will no longer be with us.

50 Years of Growing Together

8. Art work - Shoes The artwork of the school was picked out in the most recent Inspection as ‘exceptional’, and looking at the displays along the top corridor and the quality of art produced in the annual IB Exhibition brochure, it’s not hard to see why. Some alumni have gone on to do great things, including Emilia Wickstead, and Angelica Di Gaeta, who made this piece and has gone on to work as a designer of Jimmy Choo shoes.

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9. Athletics Marker Flag This plastic scalene triangle is part of the story of athletic performance over the years at BSM, and has been a regular marker for events, not only at competitive fixtures but also on Sports Days and practices throughout the year. It has been twisted into soil that is sometimes wet and soft, sometimes hard and dry, but it always humbly does its job.

50 Years of Growing Together

10. ISST Patches and Medal The International School Sports Tournament patches are shown for all the tournaments that the school has entered and hosted. There is also a bronze medal for the very competitive football tournament, which in terms of our sporting success, is the most prestigious item in the P.E. office.

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11. Air Pump The number of sports balls in the school is always high, and the number that need fixing or regularly replacing correspondingly high, such is the use they get. A feature of the P.E. Department is then the instrument to inflate the balls. You will notice in this model that the pressure gauge is measured in pounds and square inches, the metric system still being alien to some British products.

50 Years of Growing Together

12. Conductor’s Baton Mr Biggs used to use a baton, but in time this was replaced by a special white pencil, which subsequently gave way to the more direct use of his hands. The two batons in the photo are each related to the performance of Mozart’s Requiem in 2001. The lighter baton was the one used; the darker, silver-plated one was a gift by the SJHS community after the performance.

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13. School Report Everyone will remember the nervousness with which they received their school report, recording achievement during a term or year, commenting on the effort made and identifying what a student needed to do in order to improve. These days, the system is electronic, but when they were handwritten, woe to the teacher who made a mistake on the long scroll report, meaning it had to be rewritten by all.

50 Years of Growing Together

14. Overhead Projector Technology has changed a lot in teaching over the years, from chalk, to ink-stained waxy paper from the ‘Banda’ machine, to the ability to project images on a board and now to touch-screen, interactive TVs. In the history of the school, the OHP or Over-Head Projector was a mainstay, with its slightly alien antenna, and the way that images and text would magically scroll across a teacher’s body as he or she got in the way of the beam of light.

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15. Staff Photo Once a year, a whole school staff photograph is taken, usually in the summer term. Laid side by side, the photographs tell a story of the slowly shifting nature of colleagues, as some retire, others leave for promotion or personal reasons, and those who remain in photo after photo, gracefully age, lending stability and continuity to the educational provision of the school.

50 Years of Growing Together

16. Barnaby the Bear A recent survey asked, ‘What object would you save from your burning home?’. Many respondents answered by choosing a favourite teddy bear. While we do not have an official mascot for the school, the closest object that approaches it is Barnaby the Bear. The soft toy is regularly taken on holiday by Primary pupils as a comforter and by now BB has travelled all over the world.

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17. Board Wiper Gone are the days when we used chalk to write on the board. Modern white boards, even electronic boards, play host to felt pens. Sadly it is not uncommon for teachers to use by mistake an indelible marker, whose print cannot be erased. But mostly the humble board wiper or board rubber is pressed into service leaving a ghostly stain of the lesson before.

50 Years of Growing Together

18. School Tie The uniform at the school is not as formal as that in traditional British schools, where the weather is much colder, so there has never been a requirement for students to wear a tie. But we do have a tie that members of the choir and orchestra often wear in concerts. Predominantly blue, with diagonal red stripes, the tie exploits the school colours to represent the BSM with restrained elegance.

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19. Tannoy The electronic bing-bong sound of the tannoy usually signals an announcement, such as the declaration of the new Head Student or the request to observe a minute’s silence on 11 November. It can also be used to announce a Lockdown practice. Located in the Principal’s office, it requires three buttons to be pressed and the microphone to be switched on before it goes live.

50 Years of Growing Together

20. Friendship Bench The Friendship Bench was an initiative in the Primary School to allow those pupils who felt a little bit lonely or sad to sit on the bench. This would alert other pupils, who would then sit with them, reassuring them that they are valued and that they have friends in the school. The bench has seen many beautiful moments of companionship and human friendship develop over the years.

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21. The Lady Henderson Cup The name of the school originally fell on the businessman and founder of the BCCI in Italy, Sir James Henderson, but this was in recognition of the generous 5 million Lire donation by his widow Lady Henderson. So it was really Lady Henderson who supported the foundation of the school and was instrumental in its financing. Her contribution is justly recorded with this splendid cup.

50 Years of Growing Together

22. MUN Certificate The Model United Nations or M.U.N. is a long-standing club within the school that allows students to become delegates representing different countries at conferences. They then deliver speeches on their behalf in response to proposed motions. The international values and the aspirations for peace and leadership this society represents reflect our core beliefs as a school.

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23. IB Authorisation Document It was a proud and decisive moment for the academic progress of the school to adopt the International Baccalaureate qualification in 2008. The IB is more than an examination board - it is a philosophy of education, and its status as the gold standard of world education has been maintained, as has its liberal and civilising values. We hope our students embody these values as they take up positions of leadership in the world.

50 Years of Growing Together

24. Sir James Henderson Portrait The provenance of the portrait remains a mystery at the time we go to press. What we know is that the drawing was sketched in pencil and completed in 1959. The portrait shows a good likeness of a distinguishedlooking Sir James in three-quarter profile, formally dressed in a wide-lapelled jacket and tie. The sketch is signed ‘Paoletti’, and we will continue our search to trace the artist soon.

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25. Fire Drill Button We conduct a fire drill at least once a term, when the whole school leaves the premises to assemble safely on the grounds outside. The persistent sounding of the school bell is the signal, and is triggered by the device in the photograph. If it is not a drill or practice, then the alarm is usually the result of smoke billowing from an experiment in the Chemistry labs!

50 Years of Growing Together

26. Security Memo This security memo from the then British Consul General in Milan to the school’s Principal at the time follows two years after the events of 9/11 in America. The Consulate has been incredibly helpful ever since in advising on security, ensuring we have regular patrols from the army to keep us safe, and to this day the Consul General is a permanent member of our Board of Governors.

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27. Guidelines for Governors The school is an Association, and is owned by the parents, with a not-for-profit ethic, so that any surplus goes back into the school rather than being paid as a dividend to shareholders. Governors work without pay for the school, and adhere to strict guidelines in being ‘critical friends’. This document dating from 1980 outlines the key responsibilities of this important role.

50 Years of Growing Together

28. Presentation Evening Brochure The school holds an annual Presentation Evening at which the Principal and the Chair of the Board, together with a Guest Speaker, deliver addresses. Here, prizes are handed out to Senior School students in recognition of their achievements throughout the year. There is always some music. Recent ceremonies have been held at the Michelangelo Hotel, close to Milan’s Central Station.

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29. Scarf One of the most common reasons given for pupil illness in the school is ‘cervicale’ which you will not find in any conventional medical textbook, but seems a peculiarly Italian ailment related to a chill on the neck. To combat this terrible affliction that can assail students at any time of the year, the BSM has its own scarf, helping to protect the necks of our pupils in the most inclement weather.

50 Years of Growing Together

30. Tea Towel This was an initiative by Friends to help raise funds for the school. The idea was that cartoons of the pupils in particular classes would be represented on a good-quality tea towel. Many BSM families may still have one of these in their kitchen and daily dry their dishes with the caricatures of our students grinning back at them.

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31. Faustus Production There have been many splendid theatrical productions at the school over the years. Perhaps the most ambitious involved staging Christopher Marlowe’s Doctor Faustus, the tale of the man who sold his soul to the Devil in exchange for power on earth. The pyrotechnics required by the play, and the difficulty of the verse made this a memorable performance, setting the bar high for future pupils.

50 Years of Growing Together

32. Polo Shirt It is often said that in school the chief source of anguish revolves around the trinity of uniform, lunches and lockers. The school polo shirt is the key element of the uniform from Nursery to Year 11. Its twin stripe on the collar means it needs to be specially produced. It is currently available in two colours - blue and white, and in two fabrics, involving a greater or lesser percentage of cotton.

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33. School Pen At the Leavers’ Dinner for Year 13 students, following the end of their final examinations, it is customary for our newest alumni to receive a scarf (for the girls), a tie (for the boys) and a specially designed school pen. We hope these gifts endure as lasting mementoes of their time here, and that the students practise their new adult signatures with a flourish of their school pens.

50 Years of Growing Together

34. Mug The teacher’s mug or cup is a much-treasured object within any school. Staff might lose or misplace things during the year, but when a personal mug goes missing, this can generate unprecedented levels of anxiety and alarm, leading to notices and emails pleading for its safe return. A teacher and his/her mug are only separated at one’s peril.

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35. IB Art Catalogues The IB Art catalogues have become an annual record of the outstanding artwork our students produce. The exhibitions in years past were held at the Sotheby’s Gallery in town, before the ownership changed. Since then, shows have been hosted in a series of prestigious gallery spaces, and the quality of the artwork is truly remarkable in its sophistication and maturity.

50 Years of Growing Together

36. Carmine Concert Programme and Candle The annual Carmine Christmas Carol concert has become a real tradition within the school. Held each December in Santa Maria del Carmine Church, the service is based upon the renowned King’s College Service, featuring readings from the Gospels, hearty renderings of carols such as Good King Wenceslas and Come All Ye Faithful, all begun with a beautiful candle-lit procession into the church.

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37. Prospectus from the 1970s Marketing is a relatively new addition to the operation of most schools, and it is now normal for educational institutions to have their own dedicated websites and social media presence. But the school prospectus has a long tradition, articulating the aims, values and Mission Statement of a school. Our own values have focused on educational excellence, pastoral care and creativity.

50 Years of Growing Together

38. Student Planners The need for students to become organised in an increasingly information-rich age, twinned with the need to juggle multiple deadlines and prioritise work, is a requirement of the modern work place. We try to introduce students to these disciplines early, and the School Planner is a key organising principle in this.

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39. Mozart Requiem CD There have been many splendid concerts and musical performances over the years at the SJHS/BSM, but one particular piece surfaces every 10 years, and that is Mozart’s Requiem - the last piece he ever wrote, and whose sublime composition remained unfinished at his death. The next performance of this masterpiece is due in 2021.

50 Years of Growing Together

40. Primary Head Sticker MI

SS BEZZA

The award of a circular gold sticker from the Head of Primary is a special accolade, and much-prized by the pupils. It can be given for exceptional academic work, particularly kind acts of behaviour, or for students who have made a special effort and exemplified the values of the school. While the sticker itself may be perishable, the impact on pupils receiving it should endure a long time.

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41. Lanyard It’s not long ago that lanyards with security badges became a regular feature of corporate and organisational life, including schools. All staff have worn them for some years now, and visitors are required to wear them on the premises. Only the science staff, when conducting experiments (we don’t want them dangling over a Bunsen burner) and P.E. staff (who wear school livery anyway) are exempt from wearing these identifying tags.

50 Years of Growing Together

42. Alumni Magazines Now all alumni communications are digital, including a regular emailed newsletter, but in the past there existed only irregular printed communications for former students. It has only been in the last three years that we have made a concerted attempt to reach out to alumni from the last 50 years, encouraging them to register on bsmsirjamesconnect.com, where they can share memories, receive updates, and offer to mentor current students.

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43. Family Day Invitation The Family Day was inaugurated by our Development Office as a way for the whole school community to come together, celebrate its collective identity, play games, eat food prepared by parents, and generally have fun. The funds raised from the last two days have gone towards the Bursary Fund, allowing students to attend the school, who ordinarily could not afford to pay the fees.

50 Years of Growing Together

44. 40th Anniversary Booklet Just ten years ago now, the 40th anniversary of the school was celebrated in style at the Fondazione Arnaldo Pomodoro with a Gala Dinner. The catalogue included a message from Camilla, the wife of Prince Charles. Auction items included a Versace dress, a gown by Emilia Wickstead, a signed Inter shirt, a week’s stay in a New York apartment, and the then-novelty of an iPhone.

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45. afPE Award The Association for Physical Education (afPE) Award was gained by the Physical Education department at the school as a mark of quality and distinction for the work they perform. There are only three British Schools outside the UK that have received this award; one of them is our very own P.E. department. To commemorate this, we were given this rather splendid glass trophy.

50 Years of Growing Together

46. Yearbooks The School Yearbook is a staple item for any school, but also particular and individual to the students who are represented in it. It is fascinating to look back and see the different type-faces, styles of presentation, the different hair styles and fashions evident in the photographs, and the record of student activities and achievements enshrined within its pages.

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47. School Bus There is no one way of arriving at or leaving school. Some choose to walk, others take the Metro to Lambrate or Udine, while others are driven to the gates and dropped off. Many students - between 150 and 200 in any year - take one of the many school buses that navigate a complex route from the centre of town or from the outskirts of the city, picking up BSM children along the way.

50 Years of Growing Together

48. Student Locker For students moving from the Primary to the Senior School nothing symbolises the change in status and responsibility quite like having your own locker. The lockers are home to books, of course, but also lunch boxes, posters, tennis rackets, balls, water bottles, and all kinds of memorabilia that invest the locker with a sense of personal space, in varying degrees of tidiness and order.

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49. Friends’ Folder Each month, the Principal meets with the Friends to discuss new initiatives and concerns. The Friends represent the parents, and remember the parents own the school in the form of an Association. Each time the Principal meets them, all the Friends’ papers and administration are held within this flowery folder, a sign of the grace and elegance as well as the efficiency of their work.

50 Years of Growing Together

50. Duomo Spire Following a Year 6 trip to the Duomo roof, we decided to use some of the bake-sale money to ‘adopt’ a spire. The money will be used to help in its restoration. The spire we adopted is the ‘Giovane Santo’ Young Saint, opposite the Rinascente store. We were also given a slab of marble from the Candoglia Quarry, where marble was extracted to build the Duomo until 1387.

Our Community Completes Our Story

This publication concludes the many initiatives set forth in celebration of the school’s 50th Anniversary. Some of the most ordinary objects listed in the publication may transport us back in time. 50 years, 50 objects and countless memories embodying the narrative of BSM. Nearly 5000 Alumni have come through the doors of Via Mancinelli, Viale Lombardia and now Pisani Dossi. Together, our community completes our story. It is what we celebrate the most, our members, with whom we share the same hopes and dreams for our students. We look forward to continuing to build a strong global community and the future of BSM.

Amie Louie Development Director The British School of Milan

Special Thanks To those who contributed significantly in celebrating our 50th Anniversary

The British Embassy Italy, The British Consulate General in Milan, The British Chamber of Commerce for Italy and the Comune di Milano Friends of BSM (50th Anniversary Committee): Elisa Barbieri, Maddalena Cappelino, Lisa Elash, Enrica Mangiarotti, Margaret O’Hana, Denise Paparoni, Alicia Romano, Alessandra Rosati, Francesca Seguiti Golden Jubilee Patrons Cynthia Russell Brennan and Patrick Brennan, Davide and Claudia De Giglio, Marco and Sharon Dubini Daccò, Corrado and Giovanna Passera, Andrea and Anya Recordati, Mr and Mrs Lorenzo Russo Golden Jubilee Donors Margaret Amati, The Bianchi Family, Mr and Mrs Boni, Mr and Mrs Bonsignore, Mr and Mrs Bracchi , The Contaldi Family, Alessandro Esposito, Mr and Mrs Fanciulli, Mr and Mrs Ferrando, Mr and Mrs Foglietta, The Francia Family, The Garilli - Wood Family (in memory of Chris Leech), The Gerli Family, Maria Golomidova, Mr and Mrs Lecciso, Federico Lupo Del Bono (in honour of Class of 2008), The Miccoli Family, The Migliarina Family, The Nola Family (in memory of Laura Nola), Mr and Mrs Pascarelli, Mr and Mrs Piantanida, The Pugliesi Family, The Rivolta Family, Mr and Mrs Rotta, The Rusconi Family, The Paolo Russo Family, Barbara Schmidt, Rita Sessions, Alessandro Severi, The Sitnikov Family

Thanks also to the many anonymous patrons and donors.

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Via Pisani Dossi 16 - Milan, Italy - Tel. +39 02 210941 info@bsm.school - www.britishschoolmilan.com