South newsletter summer 2014

South House Newsletter Summer 2014

As always, the Southies have had an incredibly eventful Summer term; among other activities, we have danced around the Emms Centre, scaled the bouldering wall and decorated crazy cupcakes! Because we have been so busy it is easy to forget that we will have to say goodbye to not only the end of another school year, but also to the Upper Sixth, a year who have given us some incredibly memorable times in South. Despite this sadness we are always excited to see what next year brings!

Head of House Again we come to the end of another busy term. Of course we've had the U5th working through their GCSEs, the 6th form stressing about their A levels and the other year groups worrying about internal exams.

The whole house has been extremely supportive through this tiring time, and now we've come to the end of it all. It feels like such a short amount of time that I've been lucky enough to be Head of South but, of course, all good things have to come to an end. I know the Upper Sixth are extremely excited for what is to come for them in the future though. We shall definitely miss all of the girls and the staff that are part of South! We look at all the other year groups as if you were our little sisters and it will be so sad to leave such an amazing community.

We hope that we will be missed a little, and I'm sure some wish they were leaving with us, but I promise you have so much more to look forward to at Cranleigh School. Your time here will fly by and before you know it you'll be saying goodbye as well. Keep yourselves busy and make the most of the time you have left, appreciate the amazing friends you have and the community you’re a part of. Good luck to all of you, especially the Upper Sixth to be - I have no doubt you'll do a fantastic job as leaders next year; just make the most of it. Have a great summer. Lots of love, Jess.

Frodo and Bertie Hi, it’s Frodo and Bertie again. This summer term has flown by, we can’t believe how quickly it has gone.

It has been so busy with exams and activities, girls coming and going and working and playing very hard!

It’s been so nice to finally get some sunny weather here in Cranleigh: Bertie and I have both been sunbathing and playing games in South garden with the girls! We’re both very sad to see the Upper 6th girls leave alongside a few of the Upper 5th - we are going to miss all their friendly hugs. Good luck to you all and have a great summer. See most of you again in September for some more doggy banter!

House Tennis This term, South girls competed in House Tennis against West. Unfortunately for the Seniors, the courts were far from the sunny, strawberry-eating scenes of Wimbledon, instead being drenched in rain! Every pair played very well despite the miserable conditions, and the score was incredibly close (however West narrowly claimed victory on this occasion)! South had a huge win in Junior House Tennis, involving sixteen of the L5th and 4th form. Everyone really enjoyed it and the house spirit was amazing! The weather was a great and there were some outstanding tennis all around. It was a good win for South and well done to everyone who played.

House Athletics This year South had another extraordinary victory! The weather was much better than the previous rainy years and turned out to be a lovely English summer day; unfortunately this meant the girls couldn’t use the ‘slippery surface’ as an excuse for their losses! Luckily, South mainly achieved victories: Katie Hauger won the 200m, Kimi Zoet won the 1500m (even though it is her first year doing athletics!), Phoebe Street won both the 100m and 200m, Tash Gerrard ran in the sprint events, Katy Robinson ran in the 200m and participated in the triple jump, Eva Solt won the javelin with ease, Lily Hibbert ran long distance and Clare Marsh won the senior long jump. Well done to the many other girls who contributed to our victories across the board! The Juniors and the Seniors won against West, which made South the overall winner with 226 points compared to 183 from West. Well done South, great victory!

House Cricket House cricket was a much anticipated event this term. West put out a strong and experienced team, lowering our confidence going into the match. However the South Team, consisting of two Sixth Form and the rest lower school, put up a strong fight. Strong batting performances from the team, especially Eva Solt who managed to stay in for the whole innings, gave West a reasonable target to chase.

Good bowling from Katie Bowser and a number of Fourth Form new to cricket this year limited the run rate of West. However, eventually they managed to push past our score with just two overs remaining. Overall it was a very close and enjoyable match with a large amount of good cricket played - or so it seemed, with several cries of ‘cricket’ during the match!

House Rounders

House Badminton

House Rounders this year was a hotly fought over title—and one that every South girl thoroughly deserved to win. Sadly West won Senior House Rounders but the Juniors managed to win their section. The Seniors played in incredibly stormy conditions and the game consisted of a huge amount of chanting and screaming of ‘long barrier’. Special mention to Livi Walliker who has such a big hit she must have a chance at professionalism!

The Junior team played incredibly well and kept the spectators hanging a on a knife edge—they managed to fend off West and get the title.

Senior House Badminton was very competitive this year: there were 3 South pairs who played 6 matches each. Despite the high level of enthusiasm, we only managed to win one match and overall we lost to West, however we did so with dignity and grace (of course). Well done to all the Southies who played!

Helen Wareham Encore Concert The winners of the Junior and Senior Helen Wareham competition for singing in South House were Fayruz Megdiche (Junior) and Phoebe Bagge (Senior). As well as the singing competition Fayruz won the Junior Woodwind section. Both girls took part in the Encore Concert, which was a superb evening of all the winning talented musicians; it was a joyous occasion and one to remember. Well done to everyone who took part in the competition.

Junior Play Everyone who took part in the Junior Play this year made it a great success, somehow managing to pull off an amazing Hitchcock comedy: ‘The 39 Steps’. We all had so much fun putting it on, and were sad to say the least after the last performance. South House contributed hugely to the play with Jemima Stephenson, Abi Lord, Ellie Williamson, Laura Pollard, Caroline Zoet, Poppy Wilks and Flossy Livingstone all involved. Miss Hyett, also an esteemed Southie, was our incredible director and anyone who went to see the play would know what a superb job she did, so she will be missed dearly when she leaves at the end of this term. Many thanks to Miss Hyett and best of luck with your future ventures!

Gold D of E Expedition D of E started very positively at the beginning of the year, but as the 4 day expedition drew closer anxiety and nerves began to escalate. D of E was a very unique experience, it obviously included a lot of walking (one group walking about 100km due to a lack of ability to use a compass) and camping, but also things such as massage circles after long days of walking, rugby games in the evenings and a lot of singing of songs from the likes of Frozen and Les Miserables. I encourage anyone to do Gold D of E because it means you get to know people in the year that you may not have spoken to before. In South there were only 3 girls who decided to take part in Gold D of E this year: Poppy Bathurst, Soyoung Choi and Imogen Terry, but we all agreed that it was an experience worth undertaking.

Devizes to Westminster

House Golf Round 1 of House Golf started on a warm June day and the golf course was in fantastic shape for South to compete against West. The battle was on as South and West girls took to the tee boxes, all gearep up ready to make their Houses proud. Everyone played exceptionally well and I think we all enjoyed ourselves with a few laughs along the way. A few of those funnier moments were when Iola Andrew, Becca Taylor and Emma Grainger were struggling to interpret the rules on the back of the card, so we had a nice (friendly I assure you) debate! In addition, someone was hitting a shot and accidently let go of their club in the process so we had to duck, not the ball but the club!

Over Easter weekend Charlie Norton, Allegra Clark and Lucy Yeeles participated in the annual Devizes to Westminster kayak race, a paddle of 125 miles along the Thames, which they had trained for during the Michaelmas and Lent terms. It was an grueling but amazing experience and the whole team were really supportive of one another throughout the four day race.

Many tears were shed, but the most prominent memories are those of laughter and teamwork. Thank you to the teachers and coaches who supported us throughout the adventure, and congratulations to each member, especially Charlie and Abi Dahl (a West girl) who were the fastest female pair in the Junior division.

South Charity Music Evening South’s House Charity Concert this term was a brilliant success, featuring group song-and-dances from each year, a daring act from the South tutors, solo performances and, last but definitely not least, the whole House ‘showstopper’! Everyone took part and had a great time performing routines choreographed by the South girls themselves. Each act was memorable in its own right and portrayed the individual spirit and character of each year perfectly, such as the cheeky and enthusiastic ‘Shrek’ themed dance from the 4th Form! The evening was, however, also tinged with sadness as we witnessed the last Music Evening performance from the U6th, a hilarious rendition of a song from ‘Sister Act 2’, and we had to say goodbye to Miss Greenwood… though not without a bang! Mrs Frett organised a brilliant farewell in her traditional style, by adapting an ABBA song. It was difficult hiding the evidence from Greenie G but we managed, somehow, to pull it off and it was a great surprise for her. A special mention must also go to Phoebe Bagge who brought much of the audience to tears through her beautiful rendition of ‘Un Bel Di Vidremo’ from ‘Madame Butterfly’ (look it up on YouTube!), best of luck with your singing Phoebe.

Thank you very much to Mrs Frett and the House staff who, as always, put so much effort into giving everyone a night to remember! We all look forward to the next House Performance.

As for the proceeds of the Charity Concert, South did very well! We are so excited to announce that the FINAL totals for South’s charity event of 2014 are: £3,131.69 (including Gift Aid) through Virgin Money Giving (split between the 3 charities) £493.40 Total cash from selling charity T-shirts and donations for refreshments (split between the 3 charities) £545 for Kawama Krafts Grand Total =£4170.09 !!

Congratulations to those who participated and thank you very much to everyone who donated! We could not have achieved this without you!

House Swimming Unfortunately, South were robbed in this year’s House Swimming, due to the very high competition from West. Our Juniors deserve a special mention, who won the Junior competition, with outstanding performances from Emma Grainger, PJ Cunningham and Tash Gerrard.

Emma and PJ then went on to represent South in the ‘Skins’ finale, with Emma winning overall after three exhausting but highly impressive races against a West 6th former. The person with the best house spirit was definitely Maisie La Costa, in her dashing crab outfit. Well done South!

Matron’s Corner As June slips quietly away and we say our farewells to you all, we wait, with baited breath, to hear the last clunk of heavy suitcases as they are dragged down South’s stairs and the gentle click of the lock on South’s doors then….? Ahhh! You’ve all gone and we feel a sense of passing, another year gone by. To South’s 2014 Leavers – we hope you enjoyed your last Speech Day, Leavers’ service and Ball. You all looked stunning in your various outfits (that take so long to choose). There will be laughter and tears as you say your goodbyes and so many memories.

To other Southies – School’s Out Until The Harvest – (if you know what Harvest is!?) so make the most of it and come back in September ready to enjoy another marvellous year in the best boarding house … “in the world!” and everyone remember…South ROCKS! With love, CLAIRE AND KIM

Mrs Frett’s Column The old adage that times flies (tempus fugit!) has certainly been true of this year. In fact it has positively galloped! It seems only yesterday that I welcomed into South the new reserved (seriously, I promise you, very quiet!) 4th form, squeaky clean in their new uniforms; that I stood back and watched the new leadership team of the U6th as they tentatively took control of the house; that I wandered down the famous L5th corridor and heard the screams of excitement as they clearly loved the smaller dorms and greeted old friends, confident they 'were no longer the bottom of the pile'; that I watched the new L6th strut into the MCR (middle common room for the non Southies) looking so smart in their new suits and anxious to show to the South world they were now in the 6th Form; that I encountered the excited squeals of the U5th trying to navigate through friendships on two floors! What a whirlwind of a year it has been. It also seems incredible to think that just under a year my brand new Head of House, Jess Worpole, coined the phrase in House Prayers that South is a family, and it really is. I see evidence of this every day when the Southies walk through the South doors and I see visible signs of them relaxing and putting on their metaphorical slippers, knowing that here they are accepted, their troubles are heard and tissues, hugs and hot chocolate are handed out with equal measure. This is a special House and as you can see from the huge array of activities, sports, music, drama, art and major successes that the girls are involved with, we are also incredibly busy, but I've let them tell you about that here. I just want to remark on what a proud HM I am of each and every one of them and what a privilege it has been to be part of such a vibrant and caring house. Whether you are leaving us or staying, once a Southie always a Southie, and our doors will always be open. God bless and have a safe and fabulous summer holiday. Mrs Frett x

Thank Yous Firstly, we would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who’ve made South such a cohesive, welcoming and fun environment for all the girls. The cleaning staff, Val, Lana, Mel, Molly and Lynne, are undeniably important in providing the homely environment that we all so love. Thank you very much to them all for their hard work, dedication and House Spirit; without them none of us would be able to enjoy Matrons’ nights, chills in the common rooms or making toast in the ‘MOABs’.

Secondly, we would like to say a big thank you to Miss Sturdee (who hopefully won’t edit our thanks out when she proof reads this!). We are so grateful to have you as part of our House: you truly embody the South ethos by promoting community, hard work and also hard play! Thank you very much.

Of course the Matrons, Kim and Claire, also deserve COPIOUS thanks for their ‘second-mothering’ of all the girls, the staff and even our Housemistress! There is not one Southie who hasn’t been helped in some way by these two equally fabulous ladies; they are the centre of the House, the ones who we can chat to about anything and, at many times, the people that know when we need to sit down and chill (in fact Mrs Frett can often only be persuaded to relax by Kim and Claire). We love having Matrons’ treats with you and are so thankful for the constant efforts you make towards making our time in South memorable - thank you!

And last but, of course, not least - Mrs Frett. There are just too many things to thank you for. The changes that have happened this term because of you are insurmountable; the role of girls in Cranleigh has completely changed, and is still doing so, because of the strong ethos of solidarity that you have instilled in us. We are very proud to have you as our Housemistress and can only begin to express this by asking you to accept our most sincere thanks! All the Southies are so excited for another great year in South!

Love from Poppy Bathurst, Charlie Norton and Holly Gluning (this term’s Newsletter editors)

Farewell Miss Greenwood Unfortunately, we Southies are losing our Deputy Housemistress, Miss Greenwood (aka Greenie G), to West at the end of this term. Miss Greenwood has been a respected and much loved figure in Cranleigh for her 15 years, and will be missed by all around the house; though luckily we know it’s not a final goodbye as she will still be teaching and tutoring a few Southies. Miss Greenwood has formed a large part of the South ethos, always demonstrating House Spirit (especially at sports events!), kindness, dedication and good humour. The success of South in House sport competitions is also largely due to Miss Greenwood’s amazing contribution: many a girl will remember her frantically cheering and chanting from the side line!

Her tutees have all felt strongly supported in all aspects of their lives at Cranleigh with her bursts of enthusiasm and encouragement during reports and exams, and for that they have all asked to express their thanks in this article. Greenie G’s ‘banterous’ charm in Callover and inventive nicknames for people will be much missed, but we wish her well on her move to West! Wherever you go, you bring laughter, ‘banter’ and spirit; West are lucky to have gained such a great contribution to their House. Thank you so much to our zany, brilliant, fun-loving friend; we will always keep you in our hearts as our Greenie G. Farewell quote to all of South House from Greenie G! ‘Its nice to be important, but its more important to be nice!’ SOUTH ROCKS!