The Gleam

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The Gleam.

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BRUTON SCHOOL FOR GIRLS O N

BSG

S U N N Y

H I L L

WELCOME TO THE GLEAM Welcome everyone, to our unique edition of the Gleam, in what has been an extraordinary year – my final year at the school and for the Upper Sixth too.

I don’t want to use the overused word, unprecedented, for this period of time – but it is certainly unmatched with any other year in my 30-plus year career, and probably any of those in the (almost) 120 years of the school!

There are lots of silver linings. From locking down and moving the whole school fully on-line (a gargantuan feat, quite amazingly achieved with just a 45-minute staff briefing), to processing GCSE and A level Centre Assessed Grades, then easing lockdown and having ‘bubbles’ of no more than 15 back in school, we’ve achieved a lot together. We’ve also learned lots of new skills such as using iMovie to post assemblies onto YouTube with links in Teams, and new vocabulary, including social distancing, furlough, and ‘wipe-in, wipe-out’.

Who knew we were so adaptable… and, of course, so incredibly RESILIENT!?!?!

I’ve always known it of our community, but this has been a huge test of walking the walk, not just talking the talk; I believe we’ve all passed it with flying colours and should congratulate ourselves on working together, and not just maintaining our tight knit community, but ensuring it thrives. As I depart I still wonder though, to steal a line, ‘Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?’…!

Well done everyone.

Nicky Botterill Headmistress 2012–2020

A R T W O R K H O L LY S M I T H - B I N G H A M

ARTWORK PHOEBE FREEMAN THE GL E A M 2 019/2 0

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CONTENTS ARTS WEEK

Drama, animation, art, design and short stories.

AWARDS & COMPETITIONS

Celebrating the girls’ achievements.

14–21

BOARDING

A taste of boarding life.

22–25

HALLS

Inter-Hall competitions and activities.

26–31

LECTURES

From Arctic expeditions to the role of art in prisons.

32–39

SCIENCE

From soap-making to reducing food waste.

40–41

MUSIC

Vocal and instrumental delights.

42–43

DRAMA

The Scripted Shebang, GCSE Devised and The Grimm Tales.

44–51

NURSERY

Nurture, friendships and learning through play.

52–55

PREP

Blossoming at Bruton.

56–67

REMOTE LE ARNING

Examples of our incredible lockdown learning provision.

68–81

SPORT

Team reports.

82–89

TRIPS

Studland, Monkey World, London and many more.

90–99

DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD

Skill, endurance and teamwork.

100–103

GREEN WEEK

From beeswax wraps to litter-picking.

104–105

CHARITY

Fundraising activities.

106–109

CAREERS

Preparing for professional life.

110–111

SOCIALS

Welcoming others to our parties and events.

112–115

SCHOOL LIFE

PSA and staff interviews.

116–122

4–13

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ARTS WEEK

Beautiful Beach Art

ARTWORK KITT Y HILL On the last day of Arts Week, Senior 1 took part in a workshop to discover how beautiful art can be made from waste wood and driftwood from beaches. We discussed why we enjoy spending time near, in or on the sea and the girls’ explanations ranged from ‘going on the funfair,’ or ‘walking with my dog’ to ‘feeling peaceful’ and ‘knowing how small my problems are compared to how huge the ocean is.’

Everyone then chose their own piece of natural wood, to work out how the grain and marks in the wood can guide an image of the coast. Soon the girls were finding a horizon, seals’ faces, rocks, caves and cliffs, and applying soft washes of acrylic to work out their image. The next move was to raid the crate of real driftwood for irregular pieces, including the ones with dogs’ teethmarks in, to try out a more complex design.

Some beautiful images began to emerge: moonlit waves, rocks in a storm, calm, clear water over sand, a glowing sunrise behind some cliffs, a calming sunset behind land with the shadows of the land across the water.

This workshop was a pleasure to run and I am full of admiration for the talent and depth of thought this talented group put into their pieces.

MISS DONALDSON

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ARTS WEEK

THE EARTH I have the answer.

We never thought we would be here.

You must find the question.

Not in our wildest dreams.

Today the sun is shining,

We undid our actions,

The world is turning,

We paid the debt,

The birds are flying,

Now we must remember.

The trees are swaying.

Life is beautiful,

I cannot tell you,

Better than ever.

How to solve, All of the past mistakes.

We have had to fight.

You will survive,

The biggest ever war.

But only if you try.

If we lost,

You have to find out,

We would be no more.

What you must do.

Species had to fall.

I have the answer,

Many were left behind.

You must find the question.

They are stuck in the past.

No more than a picture.

They were the sacrifices, The ones who had to die, To show us all, That we were doing wrong.

BY ISABELL A PEACH SENIOR 3

Earth Poetry Competition Winners

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OUR PL ANET

Our vast blue planet, so exquisitely carved from time, is

Why do we hate this wonder?

Magically mysterious,

What has it done,

Tantalisingly unmapped,

To deserve this. Nothing.

Free

It’s an emergency.

From jewel green forests, to azure, tranquil seas,

All these beautiful things,

Blistering, windswept deserts, regally bleak mountains,

Yet nothing is good enough for us.

Nature can always impress us,

We just want

In the competition that is life.

more more more.

This is the unfair truth.

BY LOT TIE ALLEN SENIOR 1

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ARTS WEEK

Earth Poetry Competition Winners

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EARTH

OUR EARTH

The world is quiet here,

Our earth floating all alone

Unfortunate, but we hold it dear.

All the green is gone,

Caving in, the blue winds blow,

Dried to the bone.

And as they do, we allow new plants to grow.

Man killed it with coal We bury our thoughts in the white sand,

Intoxicating the air we breathe

As we watch the sea, and waves grow grand.

Killing the nature we stole.

They whip, and they splash against the shore, We have this blue-green jewel, let’s just open its door.

Moon looks down in shame, Its burning countries and brown oceans

We climb up to the top, hoping not to fall

But really it is man to blame

The giraffe neck height of the teak trees tall.

In the rainforest we lay, perhaps tired of today,

Plastic filled fish

The gift of a planet, you can’t let go grey.

Dolphins in nets Humans treated earth as if it’s elastic

In the deep blue and dark mysterious, We can’t go down depths too serious,

It doesn’t rain anymore

Our forever curious minds think, ‘What’s down there?’

Ask Australia, they’ll tell you

One day we will know, don’t let the curiosity tear.

And just to add to this we’re starting a war

Sandy, barely any water seen,

2085, our earth is dying

Although you can find a few cacti green.

We’re not going to survive.

The drought is fierce and fatal, but here We are like children – stuck in our own cradle.

BY SOPHIE GOGGS SENIOR 3

B Y A N N A B R AY S E N I O R 1

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ARTS WEEK

Karl Nova, a hip hop artist, author and poet, visited us on the final day of Arts Week and inspired everyone with his poetry performances.

Karl was born and raised in London and Lagos and shared work from his award winning collection, ‘Rhythm and Poetry,’ which reflects on his journey of growth from childhood to adulthood through the lens of hip hop culture. Karl spent the day working with groups of girls from Prep 5 through to Sixth Form, seeking to inspire them with a fresh approach to poetry.

Karl provided a great finale to a marvellous Arts Week, and his enthusiasm for the spoken word opened our eyes to a completely different style of poetry.

MRS BANCE

Hip Hop Performer Brings Poetry Alive

The girls thoroughly enjoyed working with Karl and exploring some hip hop for themselves; it was great for breaking down inhibitions and increasing confidence.

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Senior 2 Sculpting

Eco sculptor, Zac Greening, joined us on Tuesday, 11 February bringing with him 1,000 bottles. Students used heat guns and cutting tools to twist, form, shape and join these bottles together.

MRS LA TROBE B AT E M A N

ARTWORK POPPY PR ASERTRUNGRUANG

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ARTS WEEK

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Two Days of Dance On Wednesday, 13 and Thursday, 14 February we were lucky to have two days of dance workshops with choreographer, Anna Gifford. Anna trained at Laine Theatre Arts in London and danced professionally for 8 years, including in India where she appeared in Bollywood and on Dancing with the Stars.

Anna worked with all the dancers in the Halls to help them build confidence and strengthen their ideas. Both Anna and I are very proud of their determination and focus. ‘ It has been such a delight teaching the girls this week. I am genuinely overwhelmed by how conscientious they have been throughout the two days. There are many skills they learn during this process and it has been a joy watching them putting this into practice within their halls. It has been wonderful watching their confidence grow and their positive attitudes towards Arts week is a tribute to the school. This is such a great opportunity, I only wish we had this at school when I was young!’ Anna Gifford, Choreographer.

M R S L A T R O B E B AT E M A N

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AWARDS & COMPETITIONS

A R T W O R K P H I L I P PA J O H N S O N

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ARTWORK MAE L ARSEN

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ARTWORK SOPHIE GOGGS

Rotary Young Writers Rotary Young Photographer Competition Congratulations to Philippa Johnson, Sophie Goggs and Mae Larsen who achieved success in the Brue Valley section of The Rotary Young Photographer Competition.

Philippa (Upper Sixth) came first in the Senior Section, Sophie (Senior 3) came first in the intermediate section and Mae (Senior 1) came third in the intermediate section. Each student had to enter three images based on the theme ‘Through Your Eyes’.

Philippa’s photograph shows that against the vastness of the mountain, a person is minute and insignificant. However, it also captures a moment of motion and the exhilaration of the adventure. Sophie’s photo shows not only the beauty of the horse’s eye, but its mysterious nature.

Mae’s photo depicts a close up view of a cactus, emphasising its spiky features. Well done to all girls who entered. Philippa’s and Sophie’s entry will now go through to the District round.

MISS CHMIEL

Competition A big congratulations to Camilla Cotterell, who has placed second in the Rotary Young Writers competition with her story imagining the cracking of the enigma code. Emma Gompertz was put through to the regional round of the competition with her story recounting what it would be like to have dementia, told from the perspective of a sufferer. Well done on these achievements girls.

MRS LIFE

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AWARDS & COMPETITIONS ‘Connections’ by Camilla Cotterell Tick…tock…My fingernails dug into my forehead, where beads of sweat were rolling down. Tick…tock…My back was emitting a dull ache. Tick…tock…my heart was pounding as if desperate to burst from my chest, my hands were trembling uncontrollably as my fingers flew across the keyboard, clicking switches, pressing buttons, trying to crack the code. My eyes flicked again to the clock on the wall by the machines. 11pm. Squeezing my eyes shut, I pushed myself backwards into my chair, holding a glass to my head in an attempt to cool down. Taking a shuddering breath, I looked around at my fellow Bletchley Park code-breakers. I could feel the concentration and pressure in the air, smell the tobacco and sweat, hear the constant hum of machines; it was too much. “I’m going out.”

Nobody noticed, they were too intent upon breaking the intercepted code, trying to save the convoy out on the wild Atlantic.

We had been sent the message by HQ, told that it would reveal U-boat locations so that we could alarm the escort, and prevent yet another tragedy in this bloody war.

But I couldn’t see any flicker of hope, the Germans changed the code at 12pm every night. I had been sweating for 23 long hours, and with every hour that passed, a heaviness seemed to clamp around me, suffocating any inspiration or hope that had dared show itself.

All of this was filling my head, making it impossible to think or understand the final part of the code. We were one step away from shattering the Germans’ plans; the code was nearly cracked, yet one connection was left unmade.

ARTWORK OLIVIA ZHU

My hands closed around the cold brass handle of the back door. Turning it, I let the moonlight flood through the doorway and the cool breeze swished hair from my face. I felt the crunch of frost-covered grass beneath my feet as I stepped into the garden. The contrast was breathtaking; from the hot, frustrating room with flashing red lights to the cold, silent, peaceful, frozen winter night.

Dreamlike, I slumped onto a bench and gazed over the sugar-coated parkland. Tall, dark firs overshadowed the edges of a large, midnight blue lake at the bottom of the slope. I gazed into it, wishing for anything to inspire me.

I stared, exhausted, my eyes falling upon its perfectly smooth reflection of the night sky, the occasional ripple distorting the image with silk-like waves. My eyes found the mirrored moon. Bright white, every crater and imperfection visible. Suddenly, something stirred in my mind. I glanced up at the actual moon. Then back to its reflection. Then, back up. It was inverted. It was backwards. Here was the last missing connection, clear as day.

I jumped up, scalded by the realisation that hit me. Storming into the code room, I slammed open the door.

“It’s backwards! Inverted! I saw it in the lake, the code, I’ve found it, I’ve found the connection!” A coder stared at me as though I was mad, and turning to the machine, he tried the first few lines of the code, backwards.

He blinked, and whispered, “She’s got it.

It’s working!”

The hum of excited workers and clanking machines was drowned by my euphoria. The escorts were safe, the code broken. This could change the course of our war. Simply because I made a connection.

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‘Connections’ by Emma Gompertz

Born to Write Competition

Visual illusions and abstract features lay enclosed inside the plain frame. Waves of fascinating colours merged and entwined into each other. The vibrancy of the paints was awkwardly conspicuous in the bare and dull room that it lived in. I glanced down at my fragile notebook; the haven of all my memories since I was diagnosed. Diagnosed with dementia.

The Born to Write competition was organised

by St. Mary’s Shaftesbury and open to pupils in Prep 4 – Senior 3. All entrants had to write on the theme ‘Earth’ and judging of this competition was taken, in part, by the author and UK Patron of Reading, Joffre White. Cecily Jago-Briggs and Jasmine Jago-Briggs were both highly commended for their entries. Well done girls.

I jotted down the intricate details of the painting in my notebook. I jotted down everything I saw, ate and did (every day). They had advised me to, said it would help, but I had used it as a distraction from the boredom that had started to devour me when I had first arrived here. “Here” being Winderserly Dementia Care Home.

There was not enough space in the lounge for the people that occupied it. Men and women with sunken, creased faces wobbled around aimlessly, doing circles of the room without even noticing. A few of them had engaged the decaying sofas in the corner, which gave out a reluctant groan anytime someone sunk into their embrace. Occasionally, a wrinkle-free girl would enter the room. She was dressed in a neatly ironed, blue uniform, with a fake smile drawn across her face. She would leap around energetically, handing out teas and asking if anyone needed the loo, as if we were a bunch of three-year-olds. Placing down a cup of tea, I got a close-up of her smile. It was more of a grimace, full of pity. I didn’t drink the tea, I never really liked it. I had always preferred a cup of…a cup…of…what was it called? A cup of…coffee.

Dementia hurts, not physically but mentally.

It tricks and teases you and steals what’s yours. Still knowing that I am losing my memory is the worst part. Waking up every morning in a place I don’t call home reminds me that I am another day closer to when I will forget my own name. Names are disappearing, people are fading, and my memories are just evaporating. I used to view my past life through a clear window, look through and say, “Oh yes, I remember that!”

But now the window is misting up, algae and dirt is growing in between the panes. I am slowly, slowly, slowly losing the connection to the other side. When will I no longer be able to see through?

A young lady pulled out a chair opposite me and tenderly sat down. She was wrapped tightly in a bright pink puffer jacket and bright purple bobble hat. Obviously, she didn’t come from here, she didn’t belong here. She smiled at me, her lips tremoring ever so slightly as they curved. She blinked, allowing a tiny bead of water to glide down her face and onto her chin where it dropped onto the carpet, and disappeared. The silence was suffocating, and I felt the need to break it.

“I have a daughter,” I said randomly, I had started to do that; say something for no reason. “I know, Mum,” Another droplet of water escaped. I gazed around the unfamiliar room. My eyes landed on a wonderful painting, full of abstract colours and visual illusions. I wrote it down in my notebook. Again.

MRS LIFE

Bruton Writing Competition Winners The award-giving for the Bruton Writers’ Competition was held in January at Sexey’s school. The competition was open to all the schools in Bruton and prizes were available for entrants in Key Stage 2, 3 and 4. Sophie Goggs came second in the Key Stage 3 prize, with her story about a family divided by the Berlin War. In the Key Stage 4 category Milly Cotterell came second with her story that imagined the moment the enigma code was broken. Mischa Gerrard came first with her tale about marrying into The Mob. Well done to these girls and to all the girls who entered this community competition.

MRS LIFE

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AWARDS & COMPETITIONS ‘Connections’ by Mischa Gerrard

Chocks away!

Jessica Brain passed her Private Pilot Licence in November at the young age of 18.

Jessica is hoping to become a commercial pilot in the future, so this should serve her in good stead. We are all very proud of Jessica’s achievements.

MRS HARVEY

The streets of Manhattan, New York City, were cleansed of their sins by the water pouring down from the heavens above.

Rain trickled down tiled roofs and onto the pavement, gathering in pools below the curb and dirtying in the polished black and brown shoes of hurrying businessmen and passersby, shoulders hunched as umbrellas were opened to shield them from the abominable weather. This rainfall appeared to purge the city of its crimes and clear the air: specks of dirt inhalation replaced by a fresh Innocence that is experienced after a new beginning.

The man was in his late 60s, hair greying already and slicked back by teardrops falling from the sky. The man turned to me, drooping dead flower tucked into his lapel; he spoke in a drawl, making no effort to be articulate; he didn’t have to; he had unconditional respect.

“Long time no see. What is it you want?” He had cut to the chase. There was no necessity to prolong any small talk. “I need a favour,” I responded grimly. “I got dignity. I’m a proud man, but I’m willing to admit fear, to you that is, I trust you, we ought to trust each other shouldn’t we?”

I was what they would call an associate of the “waste management business;” this was a euphemism for organised crime, the likes of which ran rampant in the 1920s prohibition era in the United States of America. I pulled the collar of my coat up to protect my neck from the icy tendrils of wind and lowered my chin to the safety of my scarf, my peripheral vision somewhat sacrificed for this small gain of comfort.

The Caporegime bobbed his balding head up and down in agreement to acknowledge my words yet remained fixated on the bride, his eyes resting to make contact with my own.

Church bells in the distance were slightly muffled by the rumbling storm clouds and I winced in anticipation of my family’s mood; after all, a wedding atmosphere is readily ruined by a soaking bride. I mixed with ease into the crowd gathering by the chapel stairs; the doors had been thrown open prior to my arrival and I could hear the shrill whines of the bride as her mother fussed to shelter her from the rain. Ignoring this unfolding drama I cautiously approached the “Capo Dei Capi.”

I continued, “I’m afraid, I don’t want to be taken for a one-way ride; you know what I’m saying? I need protection, guaranteed that is.

I’ll pay tribute and I’ll work double.” He turned his head towards me and my eyes met him pleadingly, he drew the corners of his mouth upward and contorted them into a smile.

“Of course,” he responded, relief washing over me in addition to the weight this unspoken transaction carried. “We’re family at the end of the day, ain’t it lucky you got yourself some helpful connections.”

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Chemistry Olympiad

Art at the Embassy

Katie Wincott and Phoebe David both achieved Bronze awards and Anna Li achieved Silver at this year’s Chemistry Olympiad. This puts Anna in the top 30% nationally!

I entered an Art competition for Earth Day at the British Embassy in Washington D.C. I submitted a painting of Great Falls Park, a small national park about 10 minutes away from our house with beautiful waterfalls. I used gouache paint, and it was similar to the painting I did for my mock examination.

The picture I used for the painting I took in October when my family and I visited the falls. I won the competition for my age category (13–17), and there were some amazing entries for the other age categories.

As ever, the papers were very challenging and really took the girls out of their comfort zone.

I am so proud of their achievements.

MRS MOORES

Last week I found out that the UK Ambassador for the USA, Dame Karen Pierce, had seen my painting and contacted my father offering to buy it as she wants to put it in the Residence.

I did not want the Ambassador to pay for the painting and am giving it to her instead.

However, she has offered to make a donation to a charity of my choice and I chose ‘One Tree Planted,’ who plant a tree for every dollar donated.

BELL A CHURCHWARD SENIOR 5

Agility Success!

Tumbling her way to success On the first weekend of September Jessica Brain competed in the English national tumbling championships, where she came away as the English Champion, congratulations Jess!

MRS DIKE AND MRS PORTINGALE-COWPER

My trip to the UK Agility National Championships at on Sunday, 27 October went very well. I ran Buddy, Sprocket and Moley in many classes that I had qualified for throughout the weekend, mainly against adults, and then on the Sunday afternoon Charlotte and Moley won the Agility round of the Junior Championship class and finished top of the podium as agility champions!

In March I took my dogs, Buddy and Widget, to Crufts where we went on to finish 2nd in the Crossbreed Competition and 3rd in the Pairs.

CHARLOT TE BAKER LOWER SIX TH

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AWARDS & COMPETITIONS Youthbridge Award for Excellence in German Youthbridge is the British German Associations’s (BGA) primary charitable endeavour, providing support and finance to promote the teaching of German in UK schools.

The BGA’s annual Youthbridge Award Scheme gives cash prizes and certificates for the best projects submitted by students in each participating school. The winners are chosen by the Head of German of each school, taking into account: a) T he pupil’s enthusiasm for and ability in the German language b) The ability to motivate others to take up German and develop an interest in Germany c) The quality of their project Each project should be in German and on a topic concerning Germany. It might, for instance, explain a student’s interest in or relationship to Germany, its culture or language. But it could equally be about one aspect; for instance, an artist, German music, history, sport, or travel.

First Prize: Tara Crook, Senior 4: Deutschlands Modeentwicklung 1900–1960 wardrobe model

The winners selected from BSG were as follows: Fantastic work girls!

MRS ORAM

Second prize: Isabella Reese, Senior 4 : Marlene Dietrich poster

Third prize: Camilla Cotterell, Senior 4: Deutsche Schlösser Poster

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ART WORK JASMINE JAGO-BRIGGS

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BOARDING

Boarding Summary Boarding Report Boarding life was cut unexpectedly short this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic, but that didn’t stop our boarders having a fantastic time together in the first half of the school year.

Shopping trips, sports activities both at school and elsewhere such as the Mendip Ski Centre and Yeovil climbing wall, gardening, takeaways, baking, trips to Bath and Stourhead to name a few, cinema outings, fireworks, Chinese New Year celebrations, even lastertag around the school, a midnight feast and a visit from an owl were all enjoyed by the girls.

Our boarders are given the opportunity to strike the right balance between academic work and leisure and relaxation with friends.

Here are some of the photographs from our boarding community this year.

BOARDING@BRUTON

Stourhead

Hauser & Wirth

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Paper Chain making

A Day in the Life

Cookie Monsters

Face Painting

Having a Natter

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BOARDING

Midnight Feast

Laser Tag

Feeling Hungry…

Climbing National Trust Trees

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World’s Strongest Women

Fun in the Sun

Thumbs Up

Walking the Dog

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HALLS Following the success of the inaugural literature quiz last year, we repeated the experience this year with equal success.

Each Hall was represented by a member from each year group who answered questions on quotations, naming the character, general knowledge, televised books and missing title words. Mrs Bance ran the quiz ably assisted by Mr Witt and Mrs Johnson who were the judges.

Mrs Johnson gave a round-up of the points after each round but even this kept us guessing as some teams had yet to play their joker round.

All the teams displayed good book knowledge with the scores ranging from 17 points to the winning score of 20 points which was attained

by Montacute.

As well as winning points for their Hall, the girls each won a copy of The Bone Sparrow.

Keep reading everyone in preparation for next year’s event!

MRS BANCE

Inter-Hall Football The girls from all houses put in a tremendous amount of effort for this year’s InterHall football tournament. This effort was applauded by copious amounts of students, teachers and all members of staff on the sideline, acting as cheerleaders for the girls that were putting their all into the game.

Longleat came first, followed by Stourhead, Montacute and Hadspen.

The competition was followed by a staff vs students match proposed by the Sixth Form girls; this was an interesting game resulting in a 0–0 draw. The efforts of all staff and students were rewarded with hot chocolate and biscuits that were kindly provided by the catering staff.

MRS PORTINGALE-COWPER

The Inter-Hall Kids’ Lit Quiz

Inter-Hall Languages Quiz Congratulations to Longleat for winning the December 2019 MFL quiz. The girls demonstrated knowledge of etymology and were able to decipher the meaning of some compound nouns such as ‘kummerspeck’.

Even some obscure words such as the French ‘yaourter’ did not phase them.

MRS ORAM

‘kummerspeck’ ‘yaourter’

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Hall Food Bank Competition Christmas Tree Decorating Competition The Halls excelled once again in this year’s Christmas tree decorating competition, each tree complete with its own ‘Hall style’ and colour. Montacute and Longleat were joint winners.

First

Montacute

41

First

Longleat

41

Third

Hadspen

37

Fourth

Stourhead

35

MRS JAMES

During November the Senior School collected items of food as part of a Hall competition. The aim for each Hall was to collect as many items as possible to win points for their Hall. The end result was to gather all the food collected and donate to the food bank in Wells. Each Hall had a different tactic and it’s safe to say they all worked, as over 1,100 individual items of food were collected – that’s around half a ton!

On Tuesday, 3 December I collected all the items, loaded the car and delivered them to the food bank in Wells. They were really grateful for the items we had collected, not to mention astonished by the amount.

Many of the items were used to create Christmas hampers to be given out in December to those who may not be able to afford the Christmas luxuries we indulge in.

Thank you to everyone who collected food, you did a fantastic job!

ELOISE NOBLE UPPER SIX TH

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HALLS

Remote Hall Competitions Every week after returning from the Easter holidays the girls had the opportunity to take part in competitions to win Honourables for their Halls from the comfort of their own homes! Categories were varied and included: – Creating a BSG logo – Creating a BSG promotional video – Best image of a life-sized augmented reality animal – ‘Creative’ slow motion video – Making the tallest tower out of recycling – Upcycling challenge The competitions culminated in our very own Bruton’s Got Talent before May half term, in which girls were tasked with submitting a recording of no more than five minutes showcasing a talent in any field such as music, dance, art or sport. Well done to Ashley Gan and Mr Dury in third place, Mrs Marsh in second place, and Eva Larsen and Rubi Cook who came first.

MRS JAMES

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BSG Logo Competition

Google Animals at Home

LOT TIE ALLEN – WINNING ENTRY

HANNAH MAUDE

I S A B E L L E F I N L AY

LUCY ROBBINS – WINNING ENTRY

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HALLS

Fantastic Photos

ELLIE BRADFIELD

ALISHA FONG – WINNING ENTRY We had an enormous amount of entries for the Easter photograph competition.

The girls were tasked with the challenge of producing a photograph that represents ‘Out of Darkness Comes Light’. Several members of staff, including Mrs Botterill and Mrs Robbins, were involved in judging the competition. The Senior 1–3 winner was Alisha Fong and the upper school winner was Lola Barber.

Every girl who entered won an extracurricular honourable for her Hall and the winners earned two. Well done girls for your enormous efforts here.

MRS JAMES

CELESTINE HARVEY

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C E C I LY J A G O - B R I G G S

LOL A BARBER – WINNING ENTRY

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LECTURES

The Long Haul

4.09.19: ALEX HIBBERT

Lectures of 2019/2020

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A SOLO WALK ACROSS AFRICA

11.09.19: FRAN SANDHAM

RED VIBRATIONS – THE STORY OF RED IN ART

18.09.19: ALEXANDRA DRYSDALE

SACRED GEOMETRY OF CHANCE

25.09.19: BEN SPARKS

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LECTURES ELEPHANT CONSERVATION

DRIVING AWARENESS

This lecture was poignant and informative, and although the alcohol simulation goggles were fun, it definitely made us all realise how dangerous it is to drink and drive.

ELOISE NOBLE UPPER SIX TH

2.10.19: CHARLIE ELLIS

9.10.19: DAVID WALSH

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Climbing the Lost World

Ben left us with the inspiring message to never give up and make the most of new opportunities.

I S A B E L L E F I N L AY U P P E R S I X T H

6.11.19: BEN HEASON

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LECTURES The Middle East in Bruton

The engaging lecture provoked many profound questions from the audience that explored topics such as religion, climate change and the discussion of other global influences and international relations. A huge amount gratitude must be expressed to John Levy giving us this fascinating and though provoking lecture.

JEMMA LEWIS LOWER SIX TH

13.11.19: JOHN LEVY

22.01.20: GABY DOHERTY

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Having Courage, Taking Risks & Learning from Mistakes

29.01.20: SARAH TYLEY

5.02.20: JOHN BRADSHAW

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LECTURES

The role of art in prisons 12.02.20: ANGELA FINDLAY

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Women’s Rights & Reproductive Health in SubSaharan Africa & South Asia 26.02.20: ROLLA KHADDURI

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SCIENCE Ditch the Dirt On Wednesday, 11 March during Science Week Senior 2 created water filters that countries in Africa and other poorer areas of the world could use to provide water that would be a lot cleaner than that currently available.

Senior 2 did not have a wide range of material from which to choose and yet were able to come up with a variety of really interesting and innovative ideas.

As a class we rated the colour of the pond water after it had been put through a filter and found it to be much cleaner. By the end of the activity we had each created an inexpensive filter that could easily be produced and used in remote locations where there isn’t access to clean water.

SAMIRA PORTER SENIOR 2

Girls in Science We were very lucky to welcome nearly 50 budding scientists to our annual Girls in Science day on Tuesday, 8 October. We welcomed girls from the following Primary schools; Bruton, Castle Cary, Thornford, Bourton and Paulton Junior School. The girls had a fantastic day taking part in Biology, Chemistry and Physics activities, including extracting DNA from a banana!

MRS SNOW

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Waste Not Want Not

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Sublime Soap On Tuesday, 10 March Senior 4 had a great time in Chemistry making soap as part of Science Week.

The girls had to follow the instructions to make their soap, which is quite a tricky practical. They also had to plan a marketing poster for their finished product, thinking about a shape, colour and scent for their product. At the end of the afternoon all the groups had made a successful bar of soap and a poster to advertise it, some even made a box to hold the soap. They all worked very well in their groups and a good time was had by all!

MRS MARSH

During Science Week Senior 3 spent the afternoon learning about the science behind bread making and looking at the implications of food waste and how to prevent it.

Mrs Laing and Mrs Stonehouse emptied their fridges, freezers and store cupboards producing an array of ingredients and we were then asked to use them in a bread recipe. We discussed lots of different ideas and were then let loose to come up with our own creations, both sweet and savoury.

Some examples of the breads were mozzarella and pesto, banana and cinnamon, bacon and cheese and even sweet potato and curry! The aim of this was to use up spare ingredients that might otherwise go to waste and learn how easy it is to adapt a recipe to use them.

The breads were all shaped in different ways producing a really interesting and appetising selection.

We learnt a lot of shocking facts about food waste, such as one third of the food produced goes to waste, and there was a competition to see who could come up with the most ideas for ways to prevent food waste, which was won by Tamika Tacon and Jasmine Grant, who thought of 17 different ideas.

Thanks to Mrs Stonehouse and Mrs Laing for organising the afternoon, it was a great experience enjoyed by all.

CELESTINE HARVEY SENIOR 3

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MUSIC

Winter Concert Many congratulations to all of the students who performed in the annual Winter Concert on Wednesday, 27 November. It was fantastic to hear all of the main school groups give a performance of the repertoire they worked on this term.

The Amazing Acoustic Evening The annual Acoustic Evening took place on the evening of Friday, 7 February in the school’s Hobhouse Theatre.

As usual, the auditorium was packed with parents, staff and students for this more informal musical offering. The girls performed for well over an hour, with 18 separate items featuring a range of different song and instrumental styles. The school choir also performed two items in the middle of the programme. The overall level of performance was very high this year, and all performers should be congratulated for the preparation and poise demonstrated in their offerings. It was particularly pleasing to see girls accompanying each other on various instruments throughout the evening.

MR DURY

The orchestra, school choir, chamber choir and string ensembles all gave good performances of a range of music, from classical items to show tunes through to contemporary popular items. There were also some lovely solo moments featuring school drummers Anna Li and Rosie Harvey; as well as some wellrehearsed and well-executed small ensemble items featuring Senior 10 musicians Emma Gompertz, Eva Larsen, Candy Lee, Lucy Robbins and Olivia Zhu. Mr Serna concluded the concert with a lovely seasonal rendering of O Come, O Come Emmanuel, beautifully accompanied by Ashley Gan; and The Swan, accompanied by one of the school’s brilliant piano tutors, Mr Willis. Many thanks to all performers for participating in the concert, and to all staff who helped prepare the girls.

MR DURY

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Sensational Scholars’ Concert

The annual Scholars’ Concert took place on the evening of Wednesday, 4 March. Mr Willis gave his traditional pre-concert lecture, with advice about dealing with performance nerves and audience interaction.

The music began with Lola Davies from Senior 1 performing a rock song from the Trinity music syllabus. Her performance was excellent, completely in time and very much in the style of the backing track that accompanied her. Next came Sixth Form vocal scholar Cynthia Choi, who performed Les Berceaux by Faure, written in the 19 th Century Melodie tradition. She then followed this item with a rendering of If God be for us, from Handel’s Messiah. Cynthia has grown immensely as a vocalist in her time at BSG under the tutelage of Mr Rice, and is currently

planning several more solo performances in the near future. The third item on the programme was Philippa Johnson’s performance of a Chopin miniature. This was a harmonically complex composition, which Philippa had clearly spent a good deal of time preparing. Her efforts were very much appreciated by the full audience. Emma Gompertz, a scholar from Senior 4, then took to the stage to perform music by Hahn.

Emma is another vocalist who is growing in skill and confidence, and this was very much apparent in her presentation. Next, Ashley Gan took her turn at the Steinway B Model, performing a second miniature by Chopin.

Ashley has provided audiences with a number of memorable performances during her time in the Sixth Form, and this was no exception.

Finally, Eva Larsen performed two items on classical guitar, the first a solo by Wanders, the second a duet with Miss Hansford, composed

by Montreux. Eva is becoming increasingly accomplished in formal performance situations, and her two offerings in this slot were highly engaging and enjoyable. The final item was a duet between Eva and Emma: Leonard Cohen’s famous Hallelujah. This was another captivating item, which was a fitting finale to this wonderful event. Many thanks to Mr Willis, Miss Hansford, Mr Rice, and all the performers and audience members who came together to enjoy perhaps the finest Scholars’ Concert BSG has witnessed in recent years.

MR DURY

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DRAMA

Dazzling Devised Drama The GCSE drama students performed in an incredible evening of devised theatre.

The performances were the result of a lot of enthusiastic work from the outset when they came up with ideas. They then wrote scripts, organised costumes, lighting and props and practised ready for show time. The evening revealed the skill and talent of our girls.

MISS HUGHES

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Our performance of The Engine Room for our 2019 Drama GCSE devised piece was a memorable and thrilling experience.

We worked together as a team to create something we were proud to perform and learned many valuable skills along the way!

Although there were times when the stress was high and we wanted to give up, we were resilient and persevered. Our piece was a comical take on 60s astronauts and alien life, combining several integral themes of the era: sexism, space-travel, and unity.

Despite their differences, our characters Gordon, Maria and Ava overcame the challenges that faced them, and the applause was well worth it in the end. We’d all like to thank Miss Hughes for supporting and encouraging us, and working incredibly hard to ensure our success.

C AT H E R I N E J O H N S O N S E N I O R 5

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DRAMA Grimm Tales Our Christmas production this year for Senior 1 – 4 was the retelling of The Grimm Tales. Not your most obvious choice for Christmas but great to get your teeth into!

October saw the first round of auditions and the roles were cast. There were no chorus or extras; everyone had a speaking / lead role.

Rehearsals ramped up and stress levels increased as daylight hours shortened and rehearsals lengthened. Would we ever get to the first night with everyone knowing their lines?! The pressure was on but our mascot, Winston, kept us going with plenty of cuddles (and the odd lick)!

Miss Hughes and her crew took it all in their stride and before we knew it, it was opening night. It all went without a hitch and the audience was amazed and totally in awe of what we had achieved! The cast, the crew, the set and the effectiveness of the whole production were complimented on.

All cast were dressed in black and just pulled props of the central tree to help bring their character to life. It was a truly inspirational production to be involved in and massive compliments must go to Miss Hughes and her crew for bringing these fairly horrific stories to life!

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DRAMA

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DRAMA Scripted Shebang The Senior 5 GCSE girls’ ‘Scripted Shebang’ took place on Monday, 9 March. This spanned an evening of performances from published playwrights including The Importance of Being Ernest by Oscar Wilde and People, Places and Things by Duncan Macmillan to name a few. The plays explored a wide range of social and moral issues and exhibited the huge talent here at BSG. MISS HUGHES

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NURSERY

Nursery Overview

Sunny Hill Nursery opened in September 2019, taking boys and girls from age 2 – 4. It is open 51 weeks a year from 7.45am to 6pm, providing three meals a day. Some children attend term-time only, but most attend all year round as childcare for working parents. Within four months of opening the Nursery was looking after 28 children with a team of six incredibly gifted staff.

The children help to prepare and cook their own tea each afternoon, ensuring a strong approach to healthy eating.

The children have a range of pets to care for as part of their learning. Binky and Buttercup the rabbits, African Land snails, three tortoises and some fish. Children build strong relationships with pets; caring for them and showing them kindness, taking responsibility for feeding them and learning how to keep them safe in different types of habitat increases self esteem as well as knowledge of the world. The animals give comfort and affection to children who feel a little wobbly.

The children have access to the BSG grounds and we use them daily. A 10 hour day in the Nursery requires a lot of moving about and being outside in all weathers. Staff make sure every activity outside is fun and exciting whatever the weather, for example meatball stew cooked on the camp fire in December, rolling down the banks, mud sliding, freezing bubbles in the frost, teddy bears’ picnics and trick or treating to the Bursary.

Perhaps uniquely, Forest School is not restricted to the outdoors – nature is brought inside with woodland role play created with ivy, branches of leaves, pussy willow and logs. Bushcraft tools are used in adult-led learning to create resources, such as drilling holes in wood ready to thread.

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Nursery Overview We always plan our learning and activities around a theme, for example in January we enjoyed a whole host of fun educational experiences about The Arctic. Children made an igloo from recycled milk bottles, played ice fishing games for phonic sounds, learned about endangered animals, Inuits and the properties of ice.

They developed their vocabulary by thinking of some fabulous language to describe the frost under their feet, such as ‘crunchy, hard, cold,’ and noticing that the water had frozen on the grass. We engaged in multiple sensory experiences by plunging the Pre-School room into darkness and using coloured light projectors on the ceiling to demonstrate the Aurora Borealis, and we imagined what it would be like to spend the day in the dark.

Children used pastels and white silhouette shapes to recreate on paper the videos they watched and the light show we enjoyed in the classroom.

The Nursery also provides learning experiences beyond that of the children who attend. Duke of Edinburgh volunteers read stories to and play with the children.

Senior 5 girls who are interested in pursuing childcare qualifications volunteer weekly and can start to learn the Early Years Curriculum, observational skills and plan and deliver their own activities to the children. The Nursery supports them in creating their own portfolios for future college interviews.

Sunny Hill Nursery is a safe, nurturing setting with an adventurous outdoor spirit, staffed by a team with a wealth of knowledge and experience who provide incredible learning experiences to young children with confidence.

We look forward to moving from strength to strength next year!

MRS FIELD

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PREP

Children in Need

Grandparents’ Afternoon

There was great excitement in the Prep School during the annual fund-raising activities for Children in Need. In particular, the Teacher’s Duck Race Sweepstake had much cheering along the course. Mrs Snow’s Duck Beakwell Tart won the race, hotly pursued by Marilyn’s Claudia Sinkleman and Mrs Sturdy’s Hugh Quackman.

It was so good to be able to welcome over 30 Grandparents and other special guests on the afternoon of Friday, 29 November.

We had a show and tell assembly and an enthusiastic rendition of Yellow Submarine.

This was followed by activities in the different classrooms and a delicious afternoon tea.

It was a wonderful afternoon, the children so enjoyed showing off all they did in school during the Autumn Term to their grandparents and special people in their lives.

Hanami Pavling and Veronica Keen were delighted to be successful in the Teddy Bear Hunt and lots of delicious cakes were enjoyed by all. Thank you to all the bakers who helped us. We raised a grand total of £110.72.

MRS SNOW

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Descriptive Writing

The Beach Scene

ARTWORK CAITLIN BROOKES A Beautiful Sight The river glistened as it calmly meandered through the valley next to the mountains that were peeking through the clouds. The water was like a mirror, reflecting the thick, blue and white sky, with a blinding light, peering over the valley.

I could hear the wind whistle from all directions, swiftly moving the stream along. There was a small and quiet crashing sound, as the water lapped over the foot of the mountains and slowly trickled back down, with a little splash that rippled away. The tall evergreen trees strongly stood in circles around the hills, as If they were guards protecting the valley.

The clouds were as fluffy as candy floss, getting bigger as they were spinning. I could see the light dimming, as it sank down behind the mountain peak.

Like a diamond dazzling in the cloudless and clear sky, the scorching sun shone down onto the picturesque beach. The vast, azure sea gently lapped at my toes, like a playful dog with its bone. Tranquil waves were a rhythmic shaker, swaying in and out of the beautiful bay. Like a rainbow the eye catching coral glowed all sorts of vivid, neon colours, it was a painter’s pallet. Its exquisite huge plates and flowing arms stretched out, weaving in between all the crooks and crannies they could find. Glamorous fish darted in and out of their underwater homes. Their multicoloured scales flash and glimmer in the shining sunlight. Slowly, turtles glide through the vast reef, they are slow moving boats.

As if they were playful children, sea horses bounced off the most colourful sponges ever imagined. Fun loving, lively dolphins leap out of the sea, splashing and clicking merrily. I wondered if I was imagining this paradise, but then I realized I could smell the sharp saltiness of the ocean and could feel the blazing sun beating down onto my tanned shoulders.

Feeling the pure sand sink between my toes, I knew I wasn’t dreaming. Soft as a kitten’s fur, the warm white sand lay there, spread out like a path. Gracefully, the tropical palm trees sway gently in the soft breeze, their broad emerald like leaves stretch out, making them as tall as a giant.

ISABELL A GUNDRY PREP 6 POPPY WEBBER PREP 6

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PREP Musical Instrument Inside a Cow’s Heart In one of their science lessons Prep 5 and 6 saw a dissection of a cow’s heart as part of their topic on Healthy Lifestyles. They learned about the effects of diet and exercise on the heart and it was an excellent opportunity to see a real specimen and find out how it works. Afterwards the girls were able to put on gloves and touch the heart themselves, to see how different tissues feel.

They were very well behaved throughout the session and all showed good knowledge and interest in the lesson.

MRS MARSH

‘Speed Dating’ It was lovely to see the girls and parents enjoying the instrumental experience provided by the visiting instrumental teachers on Monday, 25 November.

We are very lucky to be able to offer tuition on a range of instruments in school, and encourage the children to learn an instrument when they are ready to do so. There are three aspects to learning an instrument: firstly the children have to learn basic musicianship, how to listen to and copy musical patterns; secondly they have to learn music notation; and finally they have to learn the specific skills for their chosen instrument. Many of these skills are transferable, so when a child is proficient on one instrument it is much easier for them to move onto a second or even a third! However, because of the complexity of using both hands independently the piano is not always the best instrument for a child to learn first. They are usually better off with something like the recorder or violin. The music staff are always happy to answer any questions you might have about instrumental provision at the school.

MRS MCCORMICK

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Mud Sliding

Railway Trip

Prep 3 and 4 got lucky with the filthiest and wettest forest school session of the year back in January, which meant only one thing… mud sliding! The teamwork that took place to keep the slide straight, the encouragement of those cautious ones at the beginning, the resilience of the girls as they coped with a muddy jacket and cold hands was an experience that will bind them. Being physically in and around nature connects us with the natural world and I hope they take with this fun afternoon the confidence not to fear the unknown.

Prep 5 and 6 had an exciting trip to East Somerset Railway. They enjoyed travelling on a steam train just like the children in The Railway Children, the class text they studied in English.

MRS FIELD

Science Trips Reception to Prep 6 spent a wonderful day at We the Curious being curious and trying out all the ‘hands-on’ exhibits.

Prep 3–6 also enjoyed a visit from a Hinkley Point manager, testing their team spirit and problem-solving skills to build a bridge they could walk across!

MRS SNOW

MRS SNOW

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PREP

Poetry Festival The Prep girls spent an afternoon entertaining each other with their class performance poetry and also reciting poems they had learnt.

MRS SNOW

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Wood

The Autumn Waterfall

My Secret Wood

The sun is shining though the trees,

The wonderful water gliding down the stream,

Water gently falling,

And landing on the soft leaves.

High across the rocks,

Flowing over stones,

The sunlight on the warm grass ,

Ending in the crystal clear pool.

The sun glinting through the trees, Leaves gently rustling,

Shining like glass.

The grasshopper hopping though the grass,

Autumn rusty leaves, crunchy

Small animals snuffling,

Trying to dodge the children’s grasp.

Under foot.

Bees buzzing through the wood,

The sun is shining like a spotlight on a hole,

The bright twinkling sun shining through the trees.

The smell of spring time bluebells,

Inside lives a little mole.

Under logs, little creatures sleep.

The damp smell of moss,

The badger looking at the sky ,

Magpies circle in the air,

Tempting wild garlic scent,

Watching the birds go by.

Nature smells so fresh and wispy.

Dipping toes in the cool water, Smooth shiny pebbles,

The little frog sitting on a little log, Watching water gushing into a large bog.

Wonderful water down the stream,

As the sun goes down,

Autumn has begun like a dream come true.

The animals don’t make a sound.

The birds’ song so happy,

The wood is still, most animals are asleep,

Ending with the blustery wind.

While the mice creep.

Relaxing smells of Fire smoke, travel from the distance.

NELL A PEARY PREP 4

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After all, the moonlit sky will rise, Leaving a magnificent new season, Lasting memories from a wonderful walk.

I S A B E L L A C L AY TO N P R E P 4

How lovely is this secret place?

B E AT R I C E H A S K E T T P R E P 4

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PREP

Prep Hockey Report Team: Isabella Gundry, Emilie Harvey, Mia Johnson, Philippa Keen, Martha KimberHolloway, Amber Moon, Hanami Pavling, Molly Turner, Poppy Webber, Kya Scone Most Improved: Emilie Harvey, Kya Scone, Isabella Gundry U10 Colours: Mia Johnson Prep Full Colours: Poppy Webber, Martha Kimber-Holloway, Hanami Pavling

Our U11 team had a great season culminating in success at their last match, showing that hard work and determination always pay off.

The team was a mix of new and old faces and have worked hard throughout the term to work together and coordinate their play. As well as communication the team have worked hard on their ball skills and positioning.

Through this hard work our girls learnt to hold strong, trust their team mates and never give up. As the term went on the girls grew more goal hungry and it was a pleasure to watch the girls grow in determination and confidence and end the season on the attacking front, always pushing for more.

The girls should all be truly proud of the progress and commitment they showed so early in the school year.

MISS KIRKMAN

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Prep Netball Report Team: Molly Turner, Poppy Webber, Philippa Keen, Martha Kimber-Holloway, Isabella Gundry, Amber Moon, Emilie Harvey, Hanami Pavling Most Improved Players: Molly Turner (U10), Poppy Webber (U11) Prep Full Colours: Amber Moon (U10), Hanami Pavling (U11)

These girls have gone from strength to strength, showing great improvement in skill and confidence week by week. They have had the opportunity to play a plethora of 7-a-side matches against several teams throughout the county. They have shown fantastic sportsmanship and teamwork qualities by staying optimistic and not afraid of failure.

They have learnt to turn their failure into lessons and thus have worked hard with commendable behaviour.

As the term has progressed so has their ability to pass the ball reliably and accurately as well as their movement on court, using full space on the court to pass the ball well between them. All the girls have worked to improve their shooting by practicing in their own free time at lunchtimes, showing dedication and commitment to their team and the sport which they love. This has resulted in the girls being able to shoot accurately and able to shoot a lot more goals by the end of the season.

During this term they took part in an U11 Netball Festival at All Hallows School which gave them valuable experience at playing back-to-back games.

They showed versatility as they changed positions for each game in order to gain further experience and help each other out and give each other a break.

A lovely group of close-knit girls to teach who always give nothing short of their best.

Congratulations girls on a fun and busy season and we look forward to seeing U11s in the Senior School and working with the U10s to have a fabulous season next year!

M I S S B A S TA B L E

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PREP The Princess and the Sprout, and the Nativity Students, staff and parents were charmed by the dazzling performances in The Princess and the Sprout and the Nativity.

MRS SNOW

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Sunny Hill Shrove Tuesday On the morning of Tuesday, 25 February, all the children in the Nursery and Prep celebrated Shrove Tuesday, Sunny Hill style!

Children in the Nursery enjoyed pancakes cooked on the open fire in the forest school meadow, while Prep children got to grips with a pancake flipping race. Everyone had great fun and the rain even stayed away while we were outside!

MISS FROST

World Book Day On Thursday, 5 March students and staff got into the spirit of World Book Day with some fabulous costumes. The real star of the show had to be Miss Hughes’ dog, who looked fantastic as Aslan the Lion.

MRS BAKER

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PREP Spring Challenges During and before the Easter holidays, Mrs Snow set us three Easter challenges.

The first challenge consisted of making a garden sculpture out in the garden. We were to use as many natural resources as we could, including flowers, sticks and leaves.

Next, Mrs Snow and Mrs Sturdy set us an Easter bake-off (although it wasn’t a competition, just a fun challenge) and we had to make a cake/s, biscuits or any other sweet treat. If someone didn’t have the baking ingredients and couldn’t go out to the shops, we could draw and design the cake, biscuits, chocolate etc. The challenge was to make your baking associate with Easter! For example, Mrs Sturdy put chocolate eggs on her chocolate cake.

Finally, the last challenge was to create an Andy Goldsworthy inspired piece of art. Andy Goldsworthy is a photographer and sculptor who works with nature. He uses the natural materials around him like leaves, stones, sticks and soil. The art that he creates sometimes looks like an optical illusion as he uses the colours of the leaves to fade to create an incredible effect! All these challenges have been great fun and I hope we get some more!

POPPY WEBBER PREP 6

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REMOTE LEARNING

Double double, toil and trouble!

Prep 5 and 6 studied Macbeth during the remote learning programme. They researched The Globe theatre and made models, as well as writing their own witches’ potions modelled on Macbeth.

MRS SNOW

Prep 5 Witches’ Potion Tail of rat,

All it takes is stale bread

Tongue of bat,

And some more here is the rest,

Boil and brew

Horse’s hoof, waxy slime

Squash and stew,

Nose of human not mine,

Add mane of horse,

A year-old cheese

Stir and mix until course

And lemonade please, Broken glass, dead grass.

Snap and burn, stir and turn Make it bubble double trouble

Snap and burn, stir and turn

Use this spell, unleash hell!

Make it bubble double trouble, Use this spell, unleash hell!

Squash a brain of a bat Grab a rag from a rat,

Knees of wolves and liver of horse

Crush a shell of a snail

Mix until it is course,

Add whiskers from a whale,

Fingers of babies and body of pets

Pull a tongue off a toad

Heat until no longer wet,

Mix and swirl like a road

Eyeballs of ants and heart of man Now no one can get in our plan,

Snap and burn, stir and turn

At the dead of night we rise!

Make it bubble double trouble Use this spell, unleash hell!

Snap and burn, stir and turn Make it bubble double trouble

ART WORK BELL A CHURCHWARD

Use this spell, unleash hell!

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Propaganda Posters In History, Prep 5 and 6 learned about the role of the Ministry of Information and propaganda during WW2 in helping to keep Britain safe. We examined similarities between the posters produced during the war and the messages we are seeing today about Covid-19. The girls were asked to produce their own propaganda posters to ensure that people don’t become complacent, especially as the restrictions were being relaxed.

MRS ROOT

Bluebell Class Butterflies Bluebell Class have been busy this week looking at the life cycle of butterflies and all created some beautiful drawings at home during their art lesson. We loved this one using natural objects such as a walnut, grains of rice and a chilli!

M R S PA L M ER

Thank You Key Workers Prep pupils created some beautiful rainbow mobiles as a thank you to our key workers during the Corona Virus pandemic. They certainly put a smile on our faces.

MISS FROST

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REMOTE LEARNING

Household Vocabulary Learning Isabella Reese in Senior 4 made good use of her time whilst keeping screen time to a minimum through memorable German vocabulary learning exercises during lockdown.

MRS ORAM

Under the Sea

Density of Liquids

In Bluebell class we had an ‘Under the Sea’ week before May half term. We thought about plastic pollution in our oceans and labelled the five oceans of the world.

The children were challenged to make their own boats using materials of their choice and were asked to test them to see if they float.

They were also given the task of creating their own under the sea diorama.

The children were fantastic during their group sessions and engaged in some really important and thoughtful discussions about helping to protect our planet.

M R S PA L M ER

‘I know the oil is least dense as it floats on the water.’

Perdita Powell Senior 4 Senior 4 Physics had the chance to try out a simple experiment on the density of different liquids, using some basic kitchen equipment and foods.

They could then say which liquid was the least dense and also went on to see what objects floated on these liquids and how that related to their densities!

DR NIBLOCK

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Senior 5 and Upper Sixth Bridging and Enrichment Programme

When Senior 5 and Upper Sixth found themselves stripped of summer examinations this year we nevertheless wanted to give the girls a solid academic foundation for their next stage. We looked at what skills we needed to develop in each cohort so they could begin their next chapter well prepared and confident, despite the unique challenges their year groups faced this year.

In Senior 5 an hour a week per chosen A Level subject was dedicated to some introductory teaching. Additionally, linguists had sessions with our language assistant, scientists spent time with specialists developing skills necessary for success at A Level, and statistics was timetabled for all girls aiming to pursue A Levels in subjects such as geography and psychology. For those not going on to A Level we tailored things further, with students keen to pursue courses in childcare attending training with our Nursery Manager.

In Upper Sixth, each student was set a bespoke research project linked to the Covid-19 pandemic through the lense of their chosen degree courses. Students were assigned a mentor with expertise in the relevant academic area. Topics were as diverse as public health planning, care homes in distress or life in lockdown, to name but a few, and enabled girls to develop skills such as complex data handling, scientific reporting, coding, sketching and scriptwriting, amongst others.

The project was supported by a range of skills useful for undergraduate study delivered both in-house and via MOOCs hosted by UK universities and tailored to the needs of each student. In addition to this, a module of life skills such as first-aid, teamwork and leadership was on offer, as well as a chance to improve mastery of various software packages and more specific skills such as teaching English as a foreign language or web design, sign language and even driving theory. If that wasn’t enough, girls were able to take part in sessions on cooking for life, finance, tax, and psychology, and benefitted from tutorials in CV-writing, interview skills, and transitioning to university life.

Despite being robbed of the opportunity to prove their worth in the examinations they had been expecting, we feel confident that our students had a relevant, interesting and stimulating term. Good things do come out of what may, at first glance, seem like the depths of despair. Our Summer Term 2020 offer may just have been just the silver lining our students needed.

MRS PEACH AND MRS HARVEY

Remote River Landscapes In their first remote lesson on Monday, 23 March Senior 1 were asked in Geography to create a river landscape, explaining the processes involved in shaping it. They had 45 minutes to create a model or poster; they were encouraged to use recycled material.

Here is an example of what they produced!

M R S TAY LO R

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Recreate a Famous Artwork

The students were asked to recreate a famous artwork in any way they wish. Staff even took part too! There were some fantastic entries and it was extremely difficult to select the best ones in each category. Well done to all who took part and for the effort that went in to creating your pieces.

MISS CHMIEL

We had two winners of the prize for a beautiful composition – Lottie Allen in Senior 1 for her portrait

by Christus Petrus and Eden Cooke in Senior 2 for the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci.

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The prize for attention to detail and effort went to Célestine Harvey in Senior 3 for her portrait

by Frida Kahlo.

The prize for the speediness in sending a successful entry (only 20 minutes) went to Molly Edwards in Senior 3 with her recreation by American Gothic painter, Grant Wood.

Jasmine Jago-Briggs in Senior 3 took the prize for creativity by recreating a portrait by Guiseppe Arcimboldo.

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There were many pets involved in the entries.

The pet prize went to Eva Larsen in Senior 4 for her dog’s portrayal of Van Gogh’s Self-Portrait.

As for staff, prizes went to Mrs Crook for her very own Statue of Liberty, and Mrs Fosh for her recreation of Girl Sewing by Renoir.

The prize for the most Bizarre entry went to Tamica Tacon in Senior 3 for her recreation of The Son of Man

by Rene Magritte.

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Virtual Choir

Kitchen Chemistry

The incredibly talented students and staff came together in this beautiful rendition of Amazing Grace in our virtual choir. Each performer recorded their section at home during lockdown. The singing is led by Rubi Cook in Senior 3. The piece is dedicated to Mrs Botterill to mark her last term as Headmistress.

Who says you cannot do practical chemistry when at home? On Tuesday, 28 April Senior 1 had a lesson on neutralisation reactions and they performed their own experiment in their kitchens or in front of their computers, using vinegar/lemon juice and bicarbonate of soda.

Some, like Lottie Allen, even added food colouring. This is a really easy experiment that any of you could carry out at home, and it is good fun.

Mrs Robbins and Lucy Robbins in Senior 4 appeared on BBC Somerset on Wednesday, 20 May to discuss what it was like taking part in the virtual choir and what we miss most about school (school dinners!).

MRS MARSH

As we have adapted, and continue to adapt, to what will be a ‘new normal’ we are grateful for the strong family that is the BSG community.

The prize for a successful recreation including the whole family went to Sacha Markusdottir in Senior 1 with her/their recreation of The Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci.

MR DURY

Tie Dying at Home Senior 2 continued with their learning about tie dying from home to help them design their shirts for our next catwalk event.

Having researched how to make dye online, Senior 2 discovered that all we need is a kitchen store cupboard, vegetables and herbs. Some materials are even growing in our gardens!

All the girls emailed me their lists and the kitchen dye bath experiments commenced using berries, turmeric, copper coins, coffee, beetroot, rosemary and spinach.

M R S L A T R O B E B AT E M A N

Virtual Fieldtrip Ordinarily at this time of year Lower Sixth Geographers begin to research and collect data for their non-examined assessment. In the absence of being able to get out in the field, on Tuesday, 28 April the class took part in an excellent virtual fieldtrip organised by the Field Studies Council. Over 3,000 took part in the ‘fieldtrip,’ investigating how to collect data on place perception. It was an insightful and useful fieldtrip; we look forward to putting the skills covered into practice when we return to school.

M R S TAY LO R

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REMOTE LEARNING Sport With A Difference Throughout the summer term the PE department continuously thought up new challenges and active ways to keep the girls busy, fit and healthy. The girls were put through their paces with numerous HIIT, power yoga, cardio-dance sessions, boxercise, and even barre exercise sessions, which they wrote about in the fitness diaries they kept online. The girls enjoyed trying out a huge variety of different activities.

Senior 3, who will be starting GCSE next year, were given a head-start and were able to attend extra theory lessons put on for them. All year groups from Prep 5 and 6 up to Senior 3 had the amazing opportunity to work with three coaches from Exeter City Football Trust. These coaches began what will hopefully be the start of a new leadership course the girls will be able to participate in or continue working towards when they are fully back in school. There were also hoolahoop challenges, dance videos, toilet roll challenges, weekly swim fitness challenges and an on-going Sports Star Of The Week competition. The girls compiled their own HIIT sessions, designed their own post-work out snacks and played the personalised PE department Monopoly.

Sports Day 2020 even took part virtually!

The students were able to enter a timed 1km, 2km, 5km or 10km race, a one minute push up, burpee and squats challenge and enter a team relay video. The whole event took place on one afternoon and despite being apart the whole school was brought together through this wonderful inter-Hall event!

MRS DIKE

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REMOTE LEARNING My Time at BSG My time at BSG has been...long! Having started here when I was only 2 and leaving when I’m 18, that’s 16 years of my life. But I wouldn’t change a thing. I’ve been incredibly privileged to be able to spend my school life at BSG and I’ll never forget what I’ve learnt, both academically and about myself.

I’ve been so fortunate to grow up with such kind and supportive teachers, and I’ve made friends that I will never forget.

I have to be honest, I can’t remember an awful lot about the Prep School – how life has changed since then! However, I’ll always remember the fun that we had with Sports Day, Swimming Gala and Pet Day, of course!

Being in the Prep School set me up perfectly for the Senior School, so I managed to settle into Senior 1 really quickly.

The Senior School is obviously much fresher in my memory. This is clearly when things got a bit more serious but I still had so much fun!

Being in small classes helped me so much with my learning, especially when it came to GCSEs, and the support I had with these is something that I’ll always be grateful for. We were so lucky to be able to have so much fun whilst also working really hard for the exams, and I firmly believe this is part of what helps BSG get such amazing results. I remember checking my results on Results Day and being so incredibly proud of what I achieved, and I would not have been able to do this without the support of all my teachers.

Moving into the Sixth Form was so exciting! The prospect of more freedom and individuality was enticing, and you always have opportunities to grow as people. When I look back on us, the wonderful Upper Sixth, in September of Lower Sixth, I can’t believe how much we’ve all matured and come into our own.

ARTWORK ELL A SHORE It’s not all about fitting in and following the crowd anymore, it’s about being happy, having fun, and working hard. Working towards A-Levels has undoubtedly been a stressful experience, but we all know that we have never been alone; after school sessions with Mrs James working through the hardest parts of the Biology course really stick in my memory! Every single teacher is willing to spend time with you one-to-one, working through whatever you’re struggling with, and I know that I would have been much more stressed without this help. Obviously, it is slightly disappointing not being able to do the exams and see how well I could have done, but the opportunities we’ve been given in the meantime have been so valuable.

Everyone will say it, but we really aren’t ever going to have this much time again, so being supported through projects, online courses and enrichment opportunities has been really fulfilling.

Although my time at BSG is sadly coming to an end, I will never forget how wonderful the school is. I want to send my very best wishes to every other student in the school; one day you will all realise how incredibly lucky you are, if you haven’t already! And to all the teachers, a massive thank you from all of us; we couldn’t have done it without you. Follow the Gleam and I’ll see you all soon; it’s not that easy to get rid of me!

REBECCA LIGHT UPPER SIXTH

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My Lockdown My lockdown has been a somewhat transformative experience. Fully aware that it was highly unlikely I would ever have this much free time again, I wanted to use every moment to my advantage and really make the most of the situation (apart from a few lazy days in the sun, of course). So, I decided that my key focusses in lockdown would be to focus on my fitness, my baking and cooking skills (preparing myself for university) and to catch up on some much-needed reading.

My lockdown fitness regime was not formed instantly and, in all honesty, it has changed every week and most likely will continue to change for the foreseeable future. At the beginning of lockdown, my main goal was to find a good walking route which would help me in becoming more fit. I started on smaller walks – roughly 40–50 minutes long, then I began pushing myself further, taking different routes until I found one which was challenging, but not so long that it took up a majority of my day. As I got used to my new route, I wanted to push myself even more, so I started running certain parts of the course, to help me continue progressing. In the last few weeks, I have added in things like HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) workouts in the morning and evening walks to keep me even more active (weather permitting). The key in maintaining this regime has been down to keeping a strict routine which is realistic for the amount of time I have on my hands (as of current, a lot!) and doing things that I actually enjoy. Although many may find this as a chore, seeing the results of this activity in my physical and mental wellbeing have been incredibly motivating and doing these activities is often the highlight of my day.

However, there are some days where all you want to do is sit down with something nice to eat and read a book. So that’s exactly what I did (or at least tried to do). I have experimented with different recipes and styles of cooking and baking, some have been successful, many have not! I can proudly say I have harnessed my skills in making pesto pasta and brownies, but I think there’s a little more practise to be done before university.

My lockdown has also consisted preparing myself for university academically, working my way through various books. My current favourites are Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics by Tim Marshall, and hopefully I will have some new favourites in the weeks to come.

If you had told me this time last year that I would be spending my summer in a nationwide lockdown, I would’ve been less than impressed. However, it has given me the time to not only rest, but more importantly better myself as both a student and a person.

Although it may prove difficult, I hope to at least carry on some of these new habits when lockdown ends, as I think they have made me a much healthier, happier person.

AMELIA BLOOMFIELD UPPER SIXTH

ARTWORK SOPHIE RHODES

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About Myself Doing a Term of School Online The end of the summer term is an exciting one for the Upper 6. As exams draw to a close, we usually look forward to the final assemblies and of course Speech Day, which marks the end of our time at BSG. We soon realised that in the current circumstances these events would not be possible. This was certainly challenging to comprehend, but the incredible staff at BSG managed to keep the school community together, despite us now being all over the world. Although strange at first this became the new norm. We soon had to learn to be adaptable in the circumstances as plans changed, and we were not able to have everything as fixed as we would like.

Being isolated at home it is easy to shy away from things and not get involved, but I found immersing myself in all the activities and competitions the school put on for us really helped me feel like I was not alone and we were all in the same situation. In difficult and confusing times, I have learnt how important it is to talk to people; shying away from the problem will only make it worse. I also took the time to reach out and speak to people I did not continually see during our virtual school day, and I have learnt not to hold back from approaching someone as BSG is such a caring environment and we are all there to support each other when the future is uncertain.

I thought that by being at home it would be hard to keep a fixed routine and find the motivation to power on through the day, but I was surprised that I was able to utilise my time and complete everything I set myself to do.

I have learnt that it is good to have goals, but also that some days it is ok to take a step back and take time for yourself. Even if you do not complete everything you had set out to do, don’t be hard on yourself as there is always another opportunity.

As we reached the end of the term, unable to have the big events at school closing my time at Bruton, I was worried that I would not get the closure I needed before I moved on to my next stage. But what is so special about the school is that even though your time as a pupil may be coming to an end, you are always a Sunny Hill girl. Leaving the school, I have so many incredible friends and have met such wonderful teachers who have given me the most amazing opportunities.

I S A B E L L E F I N L AY U P P E R S I X T H

ARTWORK POPPY PR ASERTRUNGRUANG

What I Have Learnt

Even though I will be moving on, and it is a sad time, I am leaving with memories I will cherish forever, and the school will always welcome you back to make more.

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My Unique Summer Term I’m not afraid to admit that I’ve found many parts of this term absolutely terrifying.

I’m scared because my family’s finances have been affected by the pandemic. I’m scared about whether or not I’ll be able to go to university. I’m scared for my friends and family, especially my dad who has diabetes and my grandmother who’s never recovered from a stroke. I don’t know if by the time the pandemic is over I’ll still have all of my friends and family, and that scares me a lot more than I want to admit. I don’t know when and where I’m going to university, and I don’t know what degree will give me good job prospects in a post-Covid world. I’m scared because my grandmother is disabled, and her caretaker can’t come into the city, and whenever we interact with her we risk infecting her.

I’m scared because I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow, and I don’t know how much longer the pandemic will last and I don’t know how we’re all going to cope.

When Boris Johnson announced the decision to shut down schools in March, my mum immediately arranged for me to fly back home to Indonesia. Unfortunately, she lives in China, which means I haven’t been able to see her since December. I miss her. I miss my boyfriend too. He lives in England, and we don’t know when we’ll next see each other.

I’ve never been so grateful for technology and video calling.

Without school and exams, I’ve found myself with a startlingly empty schedule. Most of that time, I spend with my dad and stepmum.

Over the last two years I’ve only seen them during the holidays, so I’m really enjoying the opportunity to annoy them 24/7. Being at home means I get a chance to see my two year old brother grow up. He’s very loud and he likes to jump on me but I love him.

ARTWORK CAITLIN BROOKES This time has also given me the opportunity to explore the interests I put asides while I was busy with school. When I was younger, I loved snakes, and now I have as much time to read about snakes and watch as many educational reptile videos I want.

Having a secure school community has never been so important to me before. Talking to my school friends reminds me I’m not alone.

It’s not the same as living with them, but I can still call them at crazy hours of the day and say, “hey, I’m scared”. They’re going through the same things as me – the shock of leaving school so quickly, the confusion Covid-19 brings. Having other people who know how I feel, because that’s how they feel too, is invaluable. I know I can contact Mrs WG and my tutor if something goes wrong. It’s comforting to know that even though I’m half a world away from Bruton, the school is always there for me.

The work school has provided me during this time has been calming, giving me something to do. Writing my academic challenge gave me something to focus on, and kept me from boredom. Our skills sessions this term have been useful, but more importantly they gave me the feeling that I was still part of the school community.

I’m definitely never going to forget about this term. It’s been scary and it’s been tiring. It’s nothing like I thought my last term at school would be like. My friends and I had plans for this term; we knew what we wanted to wear for Speech Day, what we would do for MuckUp Day, how some of us living in different countries would meet up in Indonesia.

My boyfriend and I were planning to travel Southeast Asia in mid-July, and meet some of our friends in Malaysia and Vietnam. It feels so very wrong for all of that to be gone.

In spite of all that, I think in twenty years when I look back though, I won’t be remembering how scared or confused I was. What I will remember is how everyone reacted to it.

I’ll remember having online farewells with my classes. I’ll remember having the opportunity to take some time off and be with my family.

While I would have much preferred for Covid-19 to never be a thing, I can’t say I’m dissatisfied with my final summer term.

PHOEBE DAVID UPPER SIX TH

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U12 Netball Team: Lottie Allen, Lola Davies, Kitty Hill, Mae Larsen (Vice-Captain), Lilly Marshall-Hudson, Elspeth Little, Madeleine Bradfield, Sacha Markusdottir, Isabella York, Cecily Jago-Briggs (Captain) Most Improved: Madeleine Bradfield Team Colours: Kitty Hill, Lottie Allen What a fantastic netball season this team have had. They played eight matches, winning six of them, which demonstrates their commitment, teamwork and resilience.

They trained very hard both in and out of the curriculum; their improvement on the court was clear to see. It was lovely to have so many dedicated girls who were happy to play out of their preferred positions if needed, which gave us great flexibility and allowed the girls to build and develop their knowledge and understanding of the game.

‘ They made strong interceptions and created great scoring opportunities.

This was a match for the girls to feel really proud of.

The highlight of the season came on a rather windy and wet afternoon at Kings Hall. The girls played through rain, hail and snow which made for a very exciting game. The girls remained focused and worked together, realising that they needed to play with different tactics to allow for the cross winds.

They made strong interceptions and created great scoring opportunities. This was a match for the girls to feel really proud of.

Well done girls, we are really looking forward to the netball season in 2021.

MRS PORTINGALE-COWPER

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U13 Netball U13A Team: Eden Cooke, Choetsho Dorji, Tessa Garrett, Alisha Fong, Josephine Granger, Florence Kay (Captain), Edith Kimber-Holloway, Hannah Maude (ViceCaptain), Samira Porter, Leah Mendoza-Wilson U13B Team: Jill Chen, Summer Johnston, Ava Jopson, Amelia Stean, Rachel Xu, Isabella Xu Most Improved: Jill Chen, Summer Johnston Junior Half colours: Tessa Garrett, Flo Kay

It will be lovely to see the girls from both teams playing netball next season and using the skills learnt this year to help them improve further.

Well done girls!

U13A

U13B

The U13A team improved considerably this netball season. Despite the challenging circumstances the girls faced in their matches, they learned from this and used these experiences to help them progress.

It was lovely to see the girls focusing with a positive mindset with a few of the girls commenting on how they scored in every match and how this was a positive thing to focus on. This definitely demonstrates their resilience and highlights how much they have come on as a team, not just in terms of their sporting ability but other sporting attributes such as their teamwork skills and determination.

The U13B team had quite a few new faces join this term and were excited to play together as a team. They played three matches this season, in which they learnt to communicate effectively with each other, and how to move in their new positions.

A highlight of the season was at Stonar. The girls were drawing at half time and had lots of energy and positivity. It was great to see them working as a team, and keeping their heads up, using the tactics they had learnt in school and in extracurricular clubs. There were lots of really good goals scored, and the girls performed well not only in attack but defence also. Despite the loss, they kept their positivity and resilience right to the end. The girls should be proud of how well they came together as a team and supported each other in a good game of netball.

There was excellent play from all girls during these matches. It was lovely to see the girls working hard with their attacking play, opening up our scoring opportunities, whilst also strengthening our defence, and gaining possession of the ball. There was great play and sportsmanship from all the girls.

MISS CHAPLEO

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U15 Netball Team: Alice Forrester (Captain), Emma Gompertz (Vice-Captain), Lucy Robbins, Tara Crook, Eva Larsen, Phoebe Lennard, Lola Barber, Violet Little, Grace Kay Most Improved: Shakira Davies, Phoebe Lennard Intermediate Half Colours: Lola Barber, Lucy Robbins, Tara Crook Intermediate Full Colours: Alice Forrester, Emma Gompertz

U14 Netball Team: Rubi Cook, Molly Edwards, Daisy Grant, Sophie Meeker, Sophie Rhodes, Ella Shore, Tamika Tacon, Phoebe Freeman (Captain), Jasmine Grant (Vice-Captain) What a great season for this team. They had eight games in total and a couple of cracking wins! Throughout the term, the girls became tighter and tighter as a team, learning how and where each other played and predicting where the ball needed to be placed next.

They listened well to advice, and when playing St. Mary’s Shaftesbury did not start as strongly as they could have, but instead of heads going down, the girls pulled together, listened to their first quarter time ‘pep talk’ and showed real grit and determination, coming away with an 11–6 win. Following on from this, with confidence boosted and their growing assertiveness, they continued on a winning streak with a clear win of 32–6 against Stonar.

They were led by Captain Phoebe and ViceCaptain Jasmine who, between them both, showed knowledge and commitment to the team. Towards the end of the season the girls were coming together really well as a team and encouraged each other both on and off the court, in true BSG style. Well done girls!

MRS DIKE

What a season the girls have had! They had nine fixtures throughout the term and an U15 County Cup Netball Tournament. They have come together as a team and are a lovely group of girls to work with, whether they win or lose they usually have a smile for you!

Even on her 15th birthday Eva Larsen played at the U15 County Cup Tournament, where they were put to the test, playing against some extremely strong teams. The girls held their own and managed four games with a close goal difference, finishing their fifth game with a great win against Wellington.

The team have been expertly led by Captain Alice Forrester and Vice-Captain Emma Gompertz, who are both exceptional and very hard-working players. Alice, usually in Goal Defence, works tirelessly to defend the ball, whilst Emma plays an agile and fast game out on centre court bringing the ball into attack, also moving it swiftly out of the D, aiding our defence.

They have had some fantastic wins this season against Sexeys, Wellington and St.Mary’s Shaftesbury and will go on to make a cracking team next season. I look forward to working with them on the court next year.

Well done all.

MRS DIKE

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1st VII Netball Team: Isabelle Finlay, Grace Freeman, Emily Goode, Emilia Gotto, Rosie Harvey, Lucy Hill, Philippa Johnson, Rosie Eckl (Captain), Holly Grant (Vice-Captain) With occasional support from Alice Forrester and Emma Gompertz in Senior 4.

The 1st VII netball squad had a great season, with nine games in total. Throughout the term their netball skills developed as did their commitment to training and fixtures. They grew as a team, learning where and how each other played, they began to communicate more effectively with each other and they began to time their set plays and drives to make successful interceptions.

Every player in the team, no matter if it was a win or a loss, kept each other’s spirits high and always remained positive, looking forward to the next match.

As Captain, Rosie played tirelessly in defence, making some clean interceptions from her decisive drives into the D. She also grew in confidence, making positive communication with her teammates, which was effective on court. Supporting her vocally on court was Holly, who also grew into the game as the season continued, showing great timing and keeping spirits high at all times. Assisting the team in their success were Emilia and Grace, both with greatly improved and accurate shooting skills.

Towards the end of the season you could see how much the players had progressed as a team; they were reading off each other’s movements to work the ball through the court to goal, and whether they won or not were generally up-beat and happy to just enjoy playing the game together. Well done girls!

MRS DIKE

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U12 Hockey Team: Lottie Allen (Captain), Lola Davies, Kitty Hill (Vice-Captain), Mae Larsen, Lilly MarshallHudson, Elspeth Little, Madeleine Bradfield, Sacha Markusdottir, Isabella York, Cecily Jago-Briggs, Anna O`Brien Most Improved: Lily Carey-Say, Poppy Grant, Olivia Grant Team Colours: Kitty Hill, Lottie Allen The U12s made fantastic progress in hockey this season. They worked hard as a team communicating well whilst working hard on their positional play. They listened in lessons, incorporating what they have learnt into game play. They have shown a positive and committed approach to hockey training both during school and in extra-curricular clubs.

With a rotational system in place, the girls have worked well adapting to different positions and putting on a good game.

This was evident in the results. They won 5 matches, drew 1 and lost 3 – great effort by all of them. The team was led by Captain, Lottie Allen, and Vice-Captain, Kitty Hill, who did a brilliant job motivating the team.

We are excited to see their hockey skills develop further next season in Senior 2. Well done girls!

MRS PORTINGALE-COWPER

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U13 Hockey

U14 Hockey

Team: Florence Kay, Solange Sang, Samira Porter, Eden Cooke, Hannah Maude, Alisha Fong, Sara Trapero-Nunez, Choetsho Dorji, Leah Mendosa-Wilson, Amelia Stean, Josephine Granger, Tessa Garrett (Captain), Edith Kimber-Holloway (Vice-Captain)

Team: Sophie Meeker (Captain), Daisy Grant (Vice-Captain), Rubi Cook, Isabel Diaz-Munio Perez, Molly Edwards, Phoebe Freeman, Jasmine Grant, Célestine Harvey, Jasmine Jago-Briggs, Isabella O’Brien, Isabella Peach, Sophie Rhodes, Ella Shore, Tamika Tacon

What a great season for the girls! This is their last season to play as a seven-a-side team, and some of them are definitely ready for the eleven-a-side pitch.

The girls had a large squad so were able to rotate on a positional basis, which enabled many of the girls to play. They started the season strong with a great win against Stonar, with Edith, Solange and Eden all proving a force to be reckoned with up front in the attacking D. Several games into the season they had a nail-biting fixture against Warminster, where they started out a little sleepy, but soon woke up in the second half, with Solange scoring a hat trick early on to be followed by two further goals from Florence and Sara, bringing the team to a happy 5–0 victory. I look forward to working with them as an eleven-a-side team next season, well done all!

MRS DIKE

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Most Improved: Isabel Diaz-Munio Perez, Molly Edwards Team Colours: Sophie Meeker, Daisy Grant, Jasmine Jago Briggs, Jasmine Grant

What a season! This was the first season for these girls playing eleven-a-side and they made a really good go of it.

It would appear that many of them are better suited to the larger game but will need to keep working on their fitness all year round. It was great to see so many of this team always at training or the fitness sessions that were put on in place of training when a match was taking place – great dedication girls, well done.

Although the results do not always portray the true sense of their game play, the team have had a very successful season, in that they have learnt so much and improved beyond measure. Many of them have now found new positions that they are settling into, with Sophie Meeker being a force to reckon with on the wing and Tamika Tacon taking on the ever-important role of goalie. Sophie as Captain and Daisy as Vice-Captain have led their team through a great season; they have been organised and encouraging and very committed.

The team had a couple of fantastic games against Stonar, where they came away with a 3–1 win, and Warminster, where they were 4–1 down at half time but stayed strong and ended on a real high and a great come-back, with the final score being 5–4 to Warminster – that was a well fought and gripping game. Well done to all, I look forward very much to next season with you all.

MRS DIKE

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SPORT U15 Hockey Team: Emma Gompertz (Captain), Phoebe Lennard (Vice-Captain), Jimena AlcazarSanchez, Lola Barber, Reanna Butts, Tara Crook, Alice Forrester, Grace Kay, Eva Larsen, Violet Little, Isabelle Reese, Lucy Robbins, Martha Womack Most Improved: Eva Larsen, Jimena Alcazar-Sanchez Intermediate Half Colours: Isabelle Reese, Phoebe Lennard Intermediate Full Colours: Alice Forrester, Emma Gompertz This was a tough term for the girls with some competitive games. All in all, they had seven games this season, in between weekends away on Duke of Edinburgh expeditions.

They have come together as a team and have learnt to make the ball do the work for them.

They are making good use of short corners and are starting to take their free hits, long corners and hit outs with more speed, giving them an advantage in attack.

Captain Emma Gompertz and Vice-Captain Phoebe Lennard have been instrumental in not only organising and encouraging their team to keep going, but should also be praised for their work with the Prep school, where they have been helping at a weekly hockey club to encourage and motivate the younger years into the game of hockey.

Sophie Meeker and Daisy Grant from the U14s should also be mentioned and thanked for occasionally playing up for this team and helping them out when needed.

MRS DIKE

It has been a positive season and we look forward to working with them next season as an even more accomplished side.

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1st XI Hockey Team: Emilia Gotto (Captain), Suzanna Reese (Vice-Captain), Rosie Eckl, Charlotte Ferris, Philippa Johnson, Emily Goode, Isabelle Finlay, Rosie Harvey, Lucy Hill, Holly Grant, Grace Freeman, Francesca Finlay Most Improved: Francesca Finlay, Lucy Hill Senior Half Colours: Charlotte Ferris, Emily Goode, Philippa Johnson, Isabelle Finlay Senior Full Colours: Suzanna Reese, Emilia Gotto, Rosie Eckl

This was a strong season for the 1st XI with very competitive games. The girls worked incredibly hard during their training sessions and this all paid off on the pitch. The season opened with a friendly against Warminster and we were unlucky not to come away with a draw after defending strongly whilst creating quick breaks on the attack. This was a great and exciting foundation that the girls built on from the start.

The defensive team worked well together, looking organised and working well as a team with encouraging and supportive communication. In our final game against Leweston it was great to top off the season with an immaculate short corner routine, and the girls were able to walk off the pitch feeling proud of all they had achieved. We are all excited for this team’s future.

As the season progressed the girls settled into their new formation with playing two central midfield players and this created a stronger unit going forward with great attacking runs and supportive play.

We also must thank Alice Forrester and Emma Gompertz in Senior 4 who have played a number of games this term and who were a strong addition to the squad.

MRS PORTINGALE-COWPER

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TRIPS

Surveys, Data and Mapping in Bristol On Tuesday, 17 September Senior 5 geographers travelled to Bristol to complete their final fieldwork requirement as part of their GCSE. After an early start, to make the train into Bristol, the group completed a busy day collecting data including land use surveys, GIS mapping and questionnaires. The day provided the opportunity to explore the regeneration schemes studied in class in action and investigate how successful they have been.

The girls were as ever a pleasure to take out as always.

M R S TAY LO R

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Senior 2’s trip to Carymoor

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Climate Change Conference

On Thursday, 12 March Senior 2 took a day trip to Carymoor Environmental Centre. The day started with an introduction to the site with our tour guide, Beth. Next we walked through ‘Waste through the ages,’ a very interesting look at what household waste has been produced between 1970–2000.

It included hands-on artefacts and lots of mobile phones, and even some king prawns!

Then we started the walk around the sight.

The two metres of clay above the 15 metres of old landfill meant it was very muddy after heavy rainfall. However, the mud helped us find animal footprints from badgers and deer.

On our walk around the site we managed to see composting in action, and far too much plastic unnecessarily thrown away. This has unfortunately caused Carymoor’s landfill site to be closed, as it is completely full.

This means that Carymoor now has plans to incinerate their waste and capture the energy.

After lunch, we explored the potential ecofootprint of a Kinder Egg. It is far too big for a small single-use plastic toy. We then looked at recycled products from around the world, including an old computer circuit board recycled into a folder (which Mrs Maude was very interested in!), and clothing made out of recycled plastic bottles.

Thank you so much to Mrs James who organised such a thought provoking and fascinating trip!

HANNAH MAUDE SENIOR 2

On Monday, 18 November, all Sixth Form Religious Studies and Geography students went to Wells Cathedral to attend the Climate Change Conference.

Although we are already an eco-friendly school, it still amazed us at how much rubbish we produce every year and how we can stop using so much. A truly amazing experience.

Upon arrival, we listened to short speeches given by six different speakers, communicating their expertise and the factors to consider surrounding the issue of climate change, and fundamental changes that must be made to combat the issue. Not only did we discuss what we, as young people, can do to reduce our environmental impact but also the importance of communicating the climate crisis to corporations and the government. As well as addressing the issue from a geographical stance, there were also discussions from a religious point of view that emphasised how we are stewards of the world and have a duty to protect the planet. We had a great day!

M R S TAY LO R

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TRIPS

Lyme Regis Field Trip On Wednesday, 4 March Senior 4 and Lower Sixth Geographers enjoyed a soggy trip to Lyme Regis to collect data for the fieldwork element of their GCSE and A Level courses.

Messums Gallery Senior 4 spent the day assessing the impact of humans on the physical environment carrying out beach profiles and sediment analysis to explore the role of coastal management strategies as well as recording environmental quality surveys along the High Street. Meanwhile, Lower Sixth spent the day exploring the impact of the seasonal economy on property, land use and the local demographic profile.

On Wednesday, 4 March Georgia Womack and I visited Messums Gallery in Wiltshire to see the Winter-Spring exhibition, ‘Beyond the vessel – narratives in contemporary ceramics.’ We aimed to hone in on the work of Kim Simonsson. We were blown away; it was like being in a fairy tale walking around the tactile, one-tone, green child figures, which unbelievably were made out of ceramics!

The girls coped incredibly well with some of the worst fieldwork conditions I have seen, they remained in great spirits lifted after their fish and chip lunch.

Many thanks to Miss Donaldson for her help.

MRS LA TROBE B AT E M A N

M R S TAY LO R

‘ The trip was hugely beneficial as it allowed me to focus my ideas going into Upper Sixth, while also exposing me to a wide variety of artists that are relevant to my thoughts and ideas.’

G E O R G I A W O M A C K LOWER SIX TH

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The Messiah As part of the school trip to London on Saturday, 7 December singers from across the school joined forces with over 3,000 vocalists in the Royal Albert Hall in a full rendering of Handel’s Messiah. Directed

by Brian Kay, who visited the school in October, the music was accompanied by a professional orchestra and featured four outstanding up-and-coming soloists from the classical music world.

The sound produced at the event was magnificent, and the girls played their part in contributing to the glorious sound resounding throughout the famous concert hall. Well done to all who participated, and many thanks to Mrs Botterill, Miss Donaldson and Miss Hansford for supporting the performance.

MR DURY

EPQ Visit to Southampton Monkeying Around

University

On Thursday, 12 March Senior 1 went with Mrs Marsh and Mrs Terry to Monkey World.

We had a really good trip and saw lots of different primates, most of whom have been rescued from across the world and are now living much better lives.

Lower Sixth had the opportunity to research their EPQs by going to the University of Southampton. There, we had access to over three million books and thousands more articles on the online collection and in the five storey library.

We took them a large box of treats such as nuts, honey, peanut butter and lemons.

We also had a talk from one of the members of staff all about the park and the vital conservation work it does. The picture shows us with one of the pair of gibbons from the park who we all particularly liked seeing!

We had the chance to see the main campus and explore during lunch – most of us treated ourselves to the homemade pizza available!

This trip gave us all a jumpstart on our chosen subjects, and this is only the beginning.

MRS MARSH

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TRIPS

Stunning Studland

Installation for Somerset Art Weeks BSG is delighted to continue its partnership with Somerset Art Works and was a host venue for this year’s SAW Festival, which ran during September and October 2019.

Artist, Fiona Campbell, worked with 50 students from across the school to produce 50 ethereal forms which interconnect with each other to create an installation in the school’s dedicated gallery space. The work is a response to the 50 year anniversary of the first manned moon landing and the structures are reminiscent of cellular to planetary forms emphasising the connectedness of nature.

We are proud of the school’s strong creative presence and to be part of Somerset Art Weeks. Our students are encouraged to express themselves artistically through a range of techniques including fine art and drawing, sculpture, photography and textiles.

The girls produce some outstanding work, much of which is on display throughout the school.

MISS CHMIEL

On Tuesday, 17 March the Sixth Form Biologists took a trip to Studland Bay. We spent a happy couple of hours outside in the fresh air performing a transect belt and also collecting data for out statistical T-test. The most difficult thing was avoiding the café and the many dogs that were playing on the beach.

MRS JAMES

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Knitting and Stitch Show

On Friday, 8 October the Senior 4 GCSE Design and Technology Textiles group went to the wonderful Knitting and Stitch Show at Alexandra Palace in London.

The event was a feast for the eyes with exhibitions on display by textile artists, embroidery guilds and recent graduate work focussing on textile design. The girls were inspired by the endless possibilities of stitching, dying and fabric manipulation to create beautiful works of art or more wearable garments.

MRS FOSH

‘ This was a really great opportunity to see artists and textile designers’ creations and gain lots of inspiration for our studies. Overall, the trip was amazing and definitely helped us think forward and help us with our textiles projects in class.’

MARTHA WOMACK SENIOR 4

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TRIPS STEM Careers Day at Sandhurst On Thursday, 25 September Mrs Harvey and Mrs Marsh accompanied 28 girls from Senior 3, 4 and 5 to Sandhurst Military Academy in Camberley, Surrey, to attend a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Careers Day. The departure time was rather early (6.30am), but the day provided the girls with a lot of good careers advice, not only about STEM careers in the military but also many civilian opportunities available. There were also many hands-on experiences, such as trying on heavy parachutes and riding a six-wheeled bike!

MRS HARVEY

‘ The Sandhurst STEM fair was a wonderful experience that allowed me to explore jobs outside of what I would normally look at, and gave me the chance to meet and talk to women working for the equality of younger women, like myself, in the workplace.’

C AT H E R I N E J O H N S O N S E N I O R 5

‘ I thoroughly enjoyed the day at Sandhurst STEM fair.

For me, learning about the different careers I could go into in the military was inspiring and insightful.

I went home feeling more confident about my future, as a lot of the participating companies and military personnel answered my many questions.’

BELL A CHURCHWARD SENIOR 5

‘ The Sandhurst trip was truly eye opening. Being able to ask questions to a panel of people who are involved in engineering jobs helped us to dive deeper and explore a variety of interesting careers that we may not have thought about.’

EMMA GOMPERTZ SENIOR 4

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Super Psychology Lower Sixth Psychology students travelled to Bath University’s Psychology Department to be research participants and learn about careers in psychology. On arrival, we were given a brief tour around the department, visiting the various research labs before taking part in the first experiment!

This was not only incredibly interesting, but also a great opportunity to put our knowledge of research methods to the test.

On completion of the first experiment, we met with another researcher to give our feedback on organising an event involving young people with chronic fatigue syndrome. This was fascinating as we were all aware that our thoughts and ideas would be used in a real life research situation. Once we had finished, we met with members of the Psychology Department who gave us a talk about clinical psychology introducing us to possible careers and opportunities for the future.

The Big Draw The theme for the Big Draw Event 2019 was ‘Drawn to Life.’ The Big Draw Festival is a worldwide celebration of drawing and its organisers promote the universal language of drawing as a tool for learning, expression and invention. Senior 1 had the pleasure of visiting the Hauser and Wirth gallery, where they took part in a workshop to explore a range of approaches to drawing in response to the Big Draw theme and the Exhibition ‘David Smith. Field Work.’

MISS CHMIEL

Both Rainbow and I found this very useful as we are both interested in possible careers in psychology sometime in the future, so it was great to get some expert advice. To end the day we took part in another research project before heading home.

GEORGIA WOMACK AND R AINBOW LIU LOWER SIX TH

We are all incredibly grateful to Bath University and Dr Larson for arranging this trip.

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TRIPS

Winter Wonderland On Saturday, 7 December staff and students from across the school spent the day in London, getting into the Christmas spirit!

We started the day Christmas shopping on Oxford Street and seeing the lights, which was highly enjoyed. We then spent the afternoon at Hyde Park’s Winter Wonderland, enjoying all the rides and delicious food stalls. Many girls also chose to explore the Ice Kingdom, which was themed ‘A Christmas Carol,’ where we saw many of the characters and scenes of Dickens’ famous story carved out of ice. Although many of us did not anticipate the -10 °C setting, we thoroughly enjoyed walking round and taking photos amongst the sculptures, with some even going down the ice slide at the end! As we left, we were all able to enjoy the beautiful lights of Winter Wonderland in the dark.

The day was finished by a meal at Pizza Express and we stopped off to admire Harrods all lit up on the way, which was a first for many girls!

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DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD

Duke of Edinburgh Bronze On Saturday, 12 October the girls started their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh adventures with a walk to Evercreech. The weather held off and the girls learnt many valuable navigational skills that will set them up for the years to come out in the countryside.

This was followed on Sunday, 15 March by a practice expedition in the hills of the Pitcombe and Cole area. The girls further honed their navigational skills, learnt how to pitch their tents correctly, cooked their lunch and developed their knowledge of emergency first aid, all whilst managing to return to a warm and dry classroom before heavy rain started!

MRS PORTINGALE-COWPER

Thank you very much to Mr Lugg, Mr Nathan, Miss Hughes and Mr Peach for helping make it such a successful day.

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Sunshine and Showers for Silver Duke of Edinburgh Girls

Girls from Senior 4 and 5 set out on their Silver Duke of Edinburgh practice expedition from soggy Cheddar.

The day featured many spectacular views across the Mendips when the mist and rain cleared. Despite the hammering rain, both groups made it to the newly refurbished minibus for lunch under cover! We all made it back to the campsite before dark even if that meant being chased by a herd of cows. We had dinner and exchanged stories of the day, comparing each blister, bump and bruise.

Thankfully, the bad weather held off the next day with blue skies and sunshine all around. We had lunch on Wells Cathedral Green before both groups found their way to the Forresters’ campsite where doughnuts were awaiting.

The last day was upon us, the foot ache was extreme, but, we all made it to West Bradley by lunch time! Overall, we all enjoyed our weekend despite the bad weather and large blisters!

ELEANOR BLOCK SENIOR 5

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DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD

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Going for Gold During October half term I went to the Brecon Beacons to complete my Gold Duke of Edinburgh qualifying four-day expedition.

I was in a group with people from around the country who hadn’t met before but quickly had to learn to work as a team.

We navigated around different terrain, which was challenging and rewarding and involved escaping charging cows! My sleeping bag froze one night but even so the experience was amazing.

I am really grateful to have had the opportunity to meet and work with fabulous people and explore new places and undertake new challenges.

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GREEN WEEK

Senior 3 Get Green Litter Picking

Week Wrapped-Up

Inspired by Green Week, some Senior 2s took the initiative to embark upon a student-led litter pick.

The textiles and food groups joined together to look at cling-film and the long-term damage caused to the environment by singleuse plastic. The girls discussed alternatives that could be used and made their own beeswax wrap using recycled cotton fabric and beeswax. These are great for wrapping sandwiches, covering food, can be cleaned and best of all are re-usable. A great solution that is easy to make.

The girls had fun, and we are very grateful to the grounds team, led by Mr Ball, for helping them to make this possible. This is a perfect example of girls having the resourcefulness to make a change. Well done Hannah Maude, Leah Mendoza-Wilson, Tessa Garrett, Millie Stean and Flo Kay for taking such pride in your school.

MRS JAMES

The girls really engaged in and enjoyed the activity and hopefully are now using their beeswax paper – with any luck to cover the food they make in Home Technology.

MRS STONEHOUSE

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Autumn Artwalk Meets Green Week Senior 2 combined their Autumn Artwalk project and Green Week. Over the previous month, the textiles group studied Shibori tie dye and gained a greater understanding of how much water is used in the dying process and the harm chemical dyes have on the planet.

First, the girls extracted the colour in the HT kitchen with Mrs Stonehouse and whilst the colours simmered away they tied and prepared the fabrics, which were all sourced from recycled bed linen from the boarding house.

Girls now know how they could apply this to old clothes.

Textiles and Home Technology students teamed up yet again and used blackberries, blueberries, rosemary, turmeric and beetroot to create beautiful colours.

The dyes cooled during breaktime and then the girls used all the dying techniques they had learnt.

MRS LA TROBE B AT E M A N

ART WORK OLIVIA JOHNSTON

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CHARITY

1,000 Shoe Boxes!

Cash for Koalas

Charlotte Baker once again put an enormous amount of effort into organising, packing and sending a fantastic amount of shoe boxes filled with goodies and essentials to children who need them most at Christmas time, via the charity Foundation for Social Change and Inclusion. Thank you to all the girls in Prep and Senior School who donated boxes to this special charity and helped Charlotte reach 1,000 boxes since starting her scheme in 2013.

Ava Jopson and Amelia Stean in Senior 2 decided to hold a cake sale in aid of the animals affected by Australia’s January bush fires. The sale took place on Friday, 17 January alongside a ‘Guess the Name of the Koala’ competition. The girls raised over £200 for the WWF’s Koala Protection Scheme.

DR L ARSEN

DR L ARSEN

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Marathon Walk for Macmillan Old Girl Florence Frost, who is a Marketing and Events Assistant and the Head of Prep’s Secretary at the school, took on the mammoth challenge of walking 26 miles in the Wye Valley on Saturday, 7 September for Macmillan cancer support. The charity is one that is very close to Florence, with both her Stepfather and Grandfather currently battling with cancer.

This was a huge challenge for Florence – but she did it! With the support of her mum and family friends they completed the challenge in just over 11 hours. We are so proud of you Florence and the money you have raised for this amazing charity, which currently stands at just under £7,000. We also wish your Stepfather and Grandfather the very best in beating this awful disease.

MRS CROOK

Sophie’s Photography Fundraising

Hockathon

Sophie Goggs was so touched by the news of family friends needing to raise £250,000 for an operation to give their one year old daughter the best chance of survival following the discovery of a brain tumour, that she desperately wanted to help and put together a photography exhibition in her local village hall on Sunday, 3 November.

It went very well and Sophie raised over £400 for Isabelle’s Fund.

On Thursday, 24 October the whole school took part in the Hockathon, raising money for The Women in Sport Charity. It was an early start for the Lower Sixth Hockathon committee, as we began our 12 hours of hockey at 8am in our fancy dress, ready for the day ahead. Throughout the day, each year group came out on to the astro to play hockey, and of course, buy lots of sweets and cakes we had on sale afterwards. At lunch time, the whole school came to watch the Teachers vs 1st team match. The teachers put up a good fight but we didn’t let them win! The game ended in a draw, and Mrs Portingale-Cowper won the prize for the best-dressed teacher.

DR L ARSEN

We continued playing into the evening and, with music playing, we all relished the BBQ and Parents vs 1st team match. The parents were strong competitors, but the first team came away with a 2–1 win after a really enjoyable match. We finished with some amazing fireworks at 8pm to celebrate the end of the 12 hours of hockey. We managed to raise a fantastic amount of money for charity and we all had a great day – even if we were exhausted by the end! Thank you so much to everyone who played hockey, baked cakes, came and supported and donated to The Women in Sport charity and helped make it such an amazing event!

E M I LY G O O D E L O W E R S I X T H

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CHARITY

Cakes for Charity

Christmas Jumper Day

On Friday, 27 September we hosted a cake sale in aid of Macmillan cancer support. It was an extremely successful event with a constant flow of girls wanting to buy cakes.

Girls and staff got into the festive spirit on Christmas jumper day, raising £122 for the charity, JUST ONE Tree.

This year it was decided to host two cake sales to try and raise as much money as possible.

We had one cake sale in morning break and one at lunch.

Macmillan was the first charity we supported as a school this year. They help to provide physical, emotional and financial support to those suffering with cancer. We raised an amazing £225, which can help to change the life of someone suffering from cancer. Thank you to all the girls who supported the sale.

ELOISE NOBLE UPPER SIX TH

122 seeds will be planted to support reforestation projects in Mozambique, Nepal, Haiti, Indonesia, Madagascar and Kenya.

DR L ARSEN

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Crazy Hair Day The whole school got into the spirit of Crazy Hair Day on Thursday, 7 May. There were some fun and fabulous creations from staff and students alike, and we raised an impressive £248 for St. Margaret’s Hospice.

DR L ARSEN

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CAREERS

Careers Carousel

The Publication Process

Afternoon

Careers Day

from Page to Print

We were delighted to welcome nine delegates on Friday, 13 March for our annual Careers Carousel Afternoon, among them some old girls, BSG parents, staff and governors.

A big thank you to all of our delegates, parents and Old Girls who gave up their valuable time to be a part of our Careers Day on Friday, 15 November. We welcomed students from Sexey’s, Ansford Academy and Honiton College to join our girls for a series of workshops from a diverse range of careers and a keynote speech from motivational speaker, Jillian Haslam. The day was a great success and we had lots of positive feedback from the girls.

The members of the Gleam Team 2018/19 were offered the opportunity to have a taste of work life with Ice House Design, the graphic designers for The Gleam.

Senior 1–4 girls had prepared questions for them all to find out about various aspects of their careers and went round the nine stations in small groups. The afternoon ran like clockwork, with the girls enjoying the diversity of the careers on offer, from the diplomatic service to the pharmaceutical industry, not forgetting Norland childcare and web design, to name but a few. Highlights of the afternoon included special freebies – who can forget the periodic table pens? – and how to go from a BSG education to tracking puppy smuggling in the UK. Thank you to all our guests for their input and to the girls for once again being a credit to the school.

MRS HARVEY

MRS HARVEY

On Tuesday, 12 November, Sophie Overd and I spent the day in Bath with the designers where we had a go at planning the layout for some of the pages and learnt how different tools are used to give special effects. We also met with a representative from the printing company who told us about all the different papers and finishes that are available and how they are used to create a particular effect and feel for the reader. We finished the day with a photo shoot and edited the pictures we took to design our own cover for The Gleam.

It was a very insightful day and we both really enjoyed learning about the process of making The Gleam a reality having done the editing in school over the past year.

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We are now very excited about receiving the finished product and distributing it to our readers.

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SOCIALS

Spooky Social Senior 4–5 welcomed a large party from Milton Abbey for their Halloween themed social on Saturday, 9 November. The event was really well attended and great fun was had. A big thank you to Mr Gerrard for the amazing skull!

MRS PEACH

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Spring Blossom Charity Ball The Spring Blossom Charity Ball commenced on the evening of Saturday, 7 March that hosted a spectacular 2-course meal, dancing, music and an immaculately decorated hall, to approximately 100 guests in aid of the Children’s Hospice South West. It was the last social event before lockdown, which made it all the more special. In addition, this was the last social event that Melissa Atkins was serving at. We are all very grateful for the delicious meals that she makes and her extreme organisational skills to serve such a large number of guests.

On behalf of everyone who attended the event, gratitude must be expressed to everyone who organised it, in particular; Melissa Atkins, Mrs Harvey, Holly SmithBingham, The Charity Committee and all of the staff that made this incredibly enjoyable event run so smoothly.

JEMMA LEWIS LOWER SIX TH

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SOCIALS

Senior 1 & 2 Social Senior 1–2 enjoyed a fabulous social on Saturday, 29 February, complete with sumo wrestling and a disco.

MRS JAMES

Senior 3 & 4 Social Senior 3–4 had a fun social on Saturday, 29 February. It was great to see everyone enjoy themselves during the relaxed and informal evening. The pizza and brownies were a particular highlight! A huge thank you to Mrs Maude and Mrs Root who helped staff the event.

MRS PEACH

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Face to Face Fun It was wonderful to welcome girls back to the school site before the summer break for some fun sessions, including zorbing, archery and cooking marshmallows on fire pits. Huge thanks to Mrs James for doing so much organising and to Mr Ball and Ed for all the enormous amounts of behind the scenes work which enabled us to have fun safely.

MRS PEACH

On Friday, 26 June most of us in Senior 1 went to school for team building activities.

Obviously, we all kept to the social distancing guidance while we did these activities.

First, we played a knocking over game in the zorbs. These zorbs were pumped up with air, and there was a hole in the middle which you went through, so it didn’t hurt at all when you fell over, you kind of just bounced around in the zorb. We also got sorted into teams, I was on the blue team! If you got knocked over, you were out. Then we played zorb football. We all became very competitive and were all very willing to knock over each other. No one was that great at zorb football, but we tried our hardest to win. Overall, not many people got a goal. After a lot of persuasion from all of us in Senior 1, we were allowed to do a rolling race.

The way you rolled in the zorb was by running in the zorb then falling, then you would go around and around. It was so funny, and was even funnier to see everyone else rolling around.

We tried some archery as well. Most of us found this super hard, but Mrs Botterill was amazing at archery, her arrows were going so far. After some practice, we played archery tag where you would try and hit someone with the arrows, then they would be out. As I said, no one was that good at this, so most people were left on the pitch. Overall, it was so much fun, and it was also so nice to see everyone.

We had breaks in between each activity and we even had ice creams halfway through!

During these breaks, we all talked and caught up on what’s been happening. I am so glad I was able to go, as I enjoyed it so much!

OLIVIA GRANT SENIOR 1

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SCHOOL LIFE

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Cabaret Evening

PSA Summary

Just two days after the successful Winter Concert, the Main Hall was once again full on the evening of Friday, 29 November as the PSA hosted a Cabaret evening featuring a series of stunning solo and ensemble performances from across the Senior School.

The school’s Parent Staff Association (PSA) is made up of a jolly group of parents and staff alike. The PSA’s reason for meeting is to raise funds to provide the extras that the school would like to buy for the girls.

Musical items predominated, with some wellprepared solo vocals; though some girls also offered some dance items, which created some interesting variety for the occasion.

The school choirs also took to the stage to perform some contemporary pop items, with a house band composed of staff members filling in the breaks. There was a very lively and positive atmosphere for the event, which was wonderfully supported by students, staff and parents alike.

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Our focus is on encouraging the school’s families from nursery to sixth form to all join in – having fun and raising money.

We run a variety of fundraising activities that include our evening events, pre-school Christmas present sale and running the preloved uniform shop. We can often be found running the bars for the school performances.

The proceeds from our events are used to provide extra resources and additional curricular activities for the pupils.

MR DURY This year we have funded kit and activities that include: •

he science trips to Monkey World for T Senior 1 and a trip to Carymoor for Senior 2

•

he PE Department portable pace clocks T and a vertical mat trolley

•

he Prep and EYFS forest school T mud kitchen

•

hree iMac computers for the Music T Department

•

Pastoral 3 x manikins and kits

We are very grateful for all the parental support that has made all this possible; from allowing us to claim gift aid on your subscriptions, providing raffle prizes, sponsoring and running events, volunteering, or help providing or buying uniform from a pre-loved shop. All these activities help us raise the extra funds.

In collaboration with the staff, we are identifying exciting funding opportunities in the coming year that will further expand the rich education provided by the school.

CL ARE TURNER, PSA CHAIR

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SCHOOL LIFE

1) When were you happiest?

I am happiest when my mind is lost in something I enjoy, which more often than not involves trying to work things out. This is why enigmatic subjects like fishing, team sports, politics and Burgundian wine all fascinate me.

4) What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Impatience.

5) What is your most treasured possession?

A rather warped sense of humour.

Interview with Mr Harvey-Kelly

8) What is your favourite word?

This one is rather difficult as I collect words, so perhaps tulimuli. A family word of obscure derivation that means little bits and pieces, which was my first ever email address when it was fashionable to have obscure email addresses.

2) What is your greatest fear?

Snakes, especially the Sierra Leone cobra that nearly got me as a toddler and that was the origin of my phobia.

3) What is your earliest memory?

My father laughing, which was pretty normal.

6) What would your super power be?

9) What is your favourite smell?

Imperfect perfection.

I probably shouldn’t say tobacco, so will go for wet spaniels.

7) Who would play you in the film of your life?

I sense Richard E Grant would make a decent job of it but my wife, Mel, unkindly thinks Jack Black is more probable.

10) W hat did you want to be when you were growing up?

Still don’t know…

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Interview with Mrs Bance 2) What is your greatest fear?

6) What would your super power be?

Fear. Being afraid of taking opportunities can seriously diminish your life experiences. I also worry that should an emergency occur, fear that I would make the situation worse would stop me having a go at helping – hopefully I will never find out!

Superpowers are for magic realism and sci-fi.

We all have the ability to be the best we can and if we strive for that we are all supermen and superwomen.

3) What is your earliest memory?

Whoopi Goldberg – my husband thinks the resemblance is uncanny!

The brake on my sister’s pram (she is 20 months younger than me) gave way when she was sleeping in the porch. We had just arrived home and what I remember is while my mum was taking off my shoes there was an almighty crash. The pram had gone down a step and through the glass front door (no safety glass 50 years ago) and was lying in the front garden. What I recollect most vividly is the reaction of my normally composed mother who was hysterical. I felt shocked, scared and helpless.

4) What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Picking my nails and the skin around them.

1) When were you happiest?

5) What is your most treasured possession?

I am naturally a happy person but I do believe that as a mother you are only ever as happy as your unhappiest child – which means that in recent years my children’s achievements have determined my happiest moments e.g. graduation. Last summer, when both my girls were having a ball travelling, I went to South America and visited the Amazon and Inca Trail – with no means of communicating with the outside world, I truly enjoyed being completely focused on each moment and experience as it happened. Serendipity.

My engagement ring. It was bought for my lovely grandmother who lived in the UK, by my grandfather who chose to live in South Africa after WWII. She always kept it in a sugar jar (it was the only thing of any value she ever possessed and she didn’t want to lose it or for it to be stolen). She gave it to me and when I got engaged my husband had it cleaned and sized for me.

7) Who would play you in the film of your life?

8) What is your favourite word?

Idyll.

9) What is your favourite smell?

Roses in the sunshine, they make me feel strangely intoxicated! We should all ‘stop and smell the roses!’

10) W hat did you want to be when you were growing up?

I didn’t give it any thought, I just lived in a world of fiction. I went to a Convent where the assumption was we would become wives, secretaries, nurses or possibly nuns.

As I used to faint at the sight of blood and I enjoy parties far too much to work in holy orders and being a secretary didn’t inspire excitement, I went travelling to some of the places I had read about as soon as I could afford to. By the time I finished my English degree and realised I wanted to be a travel writer I was expecting my first daughter.

However, what I have learned is that you can have more than one dream and there are many routes to fulfilment.

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SCHOOL LIFE

Interview with Miss Donaldson

1) When were you happiest?

On my wedding day, on our favourite beach in our wedding finery, sipping champagne out of a plastic beaker and watching the waves.

2) What is your greatest fear?

Drowning. Everyone who loves the sea should fear it equally. Like great mountains, it eats people when it chooses.

3) What is your earliest memory?

Being in a big old pram in St Giles Street, Oxford, looking at the gargoyles with my mother. The obsession with mediaeval architecture was born!

4) What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Laziness. Not good if your veins also run with good old Scottish free Church work ethic and its worse bedfellow, guilt.

5) What is your most treasured possession?

My beloved great aunt’s wedding ring, only taken off twice since 1985. This has suddenly become a harder question because my unique, beautiful, delicate emerald flower engagement ring is my new greatest treasure.

7) Who would play you in the film of your life?

9) What is your favourite smell?

No question; my favourite actress Harriet Walter. Thin, posh, smart, classy, but with a better nose!

This is so hard; all those wonders evoked by scent. Philadelphus (mock orange); the smell of my childhood dens in the undergrowth in the grounds of Stowe School, where I grew up; the sweet smell of horses; fresh air in cat’s fur; the wild smell of the sea.

6) What would your super power be?

8) What is your favourite word?

Healing. There are ways of aspiring though; laughter is a start.

As anyone I’ve taught A level knows, it is a delicious, raw slice of Anglo-Saxon beginning with B and ending with S, which is unprintable in a school magazine. Words are, of course, my thing, so there is another favourite every day. Today’s is espera, Spanish, both for wait and hope: a command.

10) W hat did you want to be when you were growing up?

I had no ambitions, no dreams, just daydreams. What a wonderful life they have led me into.

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Interview with Mrs Stonehouse 1. When were you happiest?

6. What would your super power be?

I have been very lucky in life and have had so many happy times. If I had to narrow it down to an age I guess that it would be my twenties, when I was at my fittest, had the most energy and was still being carded when buying alcohol. If I have to give an example then watching Nile Rogers and Barry Gibbs on the Pyramid stage in beautiful sunshine with family and friends – I did not stop dancing or singing.

My super power would be that I could turn invisible when I wanted to and those I touched as well. Imagine the fun and places you could go if you could do that.

2. What is your greatest fear?

My greatest fear is probably drowning – which is not great when you own a boat and spend a fair amount of time on the water.

3. What is your earliest memory?

Standing up in my cot crying as I wanted to get out and was itchy as I had chicken pocks.

4. What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Whilst there is not much that I hate, there are things that I would change but probably my worst trait is that I can be ‘a glass is half empty person’. I try hard not to be but someone has to be the practical voice of reason in our family and bring everyone back to earth.

5. What is your most treasured possession?

My most treasured procession is probably my engagement ring. We did not have much when we got married but it is still beautiful and has only left my finger in the last 29 years when I make pastry.

7. Who would play you in the film of your life?

I think that I would like Julia Roberts to play me – she is a beautiful actress whom I greatly admire, can play many different roles and she has been in a couple of films that I love such as Pretty Woman and Notting Hill.

8. What is your favourite word?

My favourite word – family – This covers many different groups of people that I have been blessed to have in my life and that grows with me. I associate it with laughter, love and happy times.

9. What is your favourite smell?

My favourite smell has to be something citrusy – I love the smell of oranges, lemons and limes they are so invigorating and energizing – my perfumes are all based around these smells.

10. W hat did you want to be when you were growing up?

When I was very small I wanted to be a ballerina as I loved the tulle tutus they wore and the fact they could stand on their toes.

When I grew out of that I wanted to be an astronaut and go to space, as space travel has always fascinated me and I grew up with so much great sci-fi on TV.

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SCHOOL LIFE 1) When were you happiest?

5) What is your most treasured possession?

There have been lots of times I’ve been really very happy. I remember feeling most content while travelling in Burma, having met some wonderfully generous people who took me to some fascinating temples and alms-giving ceremonies. Top tip – they have amazing teashops with great cake there too! However, I’ve been the happiest in my career here at Sunny Hill – it has been a huge privilege to live and work here – this school is amazing, with great people to work alongside. Having once felt very lucky to have a shoebox of an office overlooking a tree on the busy and polluted A3 in London, I’ve felt overwhelmingly blessed to have the unbelievably beautiful view of the Tor. Every day I’ve pinched myself to ensure I don’t take it for granted – Somerset is the most stunning county – I’m sure I’ll be back.

Probably the sleep fairy I still have under my pillow having been given it when I was little and kept waking up in the night – I believe it works!

2) What is your greatest fear?

My greatest fear is probably of not being able to help other people.

3) What is your earliest memory?

Whether this is a memory or whether this is something I was told and have memories of therefore is a moot point. I was about 2 ½ and I remember taking jars of the very special lemon curd jam my Mum had just lovingly made, and putting it in my rigid green plastic shopping basket, escaping the house and walking to the village shop – being found there and repatriated home… always was adventurous.

4) What is the trait you most deplore in yourself?

Procrastination – I am a master at it. My house and the office are always truly tidy just before I have to do something big, like reports for example.

6) What would your super power be?

Right now, make sure all young people without access to tech had it immediately to continue their education seamlessly – instilling a lifelong love of learning is so important – or even better, to be able to make disease disappear so that wouldn’t be necessary.

7) Who would play you in the film of your life?

Gillian Anderson – the students at my first school used to call me ‘Scully’ from the X-files which was popular at the time. I think it was a complement…?

8) What is your favourite word?

– you all know that!! Resilience, of course!!

9) What is your favourite smell?

Cut or wet grass – and there’s a lot of that here at Sunny Hill (perhaps another reason for happiness above?!)

10) What did you want to be when you were growing up?

Flying or navigating planes, perhaps in the RAF, or teaching people to do so – the inner Geographer was definitely there!

Interview with Mrs Botterill

ARTWORK CAITLIN BROOKES

ARTWORK POPPY PR ASERTRUNGRUANG

ARTWORK TESSA GARRET

AR T WORK AVA JOPSON

THE GLEAM TEAM.

The Gleam Team 2019/20

Design: Ice House Design

Left to right: Jemma Lewis, Mrs Baker (Editor) and Rose Cotterell Cover artwork Selfies from the BSG girls and staff Designed by Ice House Design Head Girl: Isabelle Finlay Deputy Head Girls: Amelia Bloomfield and Katie Wincott

Bruton School for Girls Sunny Hill, Bruton Somerset, BA10 0NT +44 (0)1749 814 400 admissions@brutonschool.co.uk www.brutonschool.co.uk