West newsletter m15

Dear West Parents, I cannot believe I have just had my last Christmas House Prayers and I was really quite emotional on the night itself; as an evening, it is such a big deal to all of us and it was such a delight to see all the girls curled up in their duvets and embracing the atmosphere. It was so lovely to see them mixed together in age groups, something that is a feature of West and something I am so proud of. This has been an amazing term, and the prefects set the tone from the start ensuring that the new fourth form settled in well and that they embraced the ethos of West being their ‘sanctuary.’ I was particularly pleased that when I asked my prefects to write a set of ‘West Commandments’, they wrote 15 rules that were the embodiment of life in West, and the inspectors commented on this during the recent inspection. The inspection took up a bigger part of West life than I would have liked this term, but it really did clarify for me what is so good about both West and Cranleigh in equal measures. Watching my prefects sitting around with small groups, checking they knew everything about the school, and watching their excitement at knowing the answer when they shouted out ‘Doc Sax’ to the question ‘Who would you go to in the night if you had a problem?’ made me so proud of my house, my prefects and all the girls who simply want to know the right answer to any questions about the house and want to do their house and their prefects proud at all times! My prefects also had to put up with some intense questioning from inspectors and they were so impressive in answering their questions. At this point I should also thank you for your prompt responses to the questionnaire; judging from the overall results, you were really supportive of what we are trying to achieve at Cranleigh!

We have welcomed Mrs Worsley (and her delightful family) into the fold this year, and she has made such a positive impression. The girls embraced her right from the start and there is no doubt that she is now a fully- fledged part of the West family! I am handing the house over to a very safe (but exciting) pair of hands.

I just want to finish by saying thank you to all of you for your support, to Mrs Worsley and Miss Webb for more reasons than I could ever go into, to all my very hard-working tutors, my ever-patient matrons, the house cleaners, who are saints given what they put up with at times, and to your delightful daughters who make my days so fun, exciting and often very unexpected!

Merry Christmas to all of you!

Andrea x

At the start of September, prefects welcomed in what was thought to be a rather shy and nervous bunch of fourth formers to West. How wrong we were! A few days before the rest of the school came back to school, they took part in rehearsals for their house performance dance; a rather amusing occasion whereby we discovered just how well coordinated West girls were in comparison to the boys (most of whom boasted two left feet and the memory span of a goldfish!). They also took part in team building events where they were in mixed groups with North and Loveday boys. The competitive nature of the 6th form soon rubbed off on and they began to truly understand what house spirit was all about!

Almost immediately the girls integrated well with the older year groups and have proven to be a highly entertaining bunch!

- CHANTELLE PHILLIPS

Within recent years Junior House Public speaking has become a riveting event attended by a large and supportive number of our peers as well as several Common Room members. This year was no exception and by providing well-researched and thoughtprovoking arguments we captivated our diverse audience with our emotive speech entitled: ‘Are Islamic extremists the true face of Islam’.

As chairwoman I introduced this controversial topic, and introduced my fellow speakers, Sophie Howard and Maya Magee.

Sophie expertly presented the main speech, managing to hold the audiences attention despite several interruptions as a number of boys arrived late to the auditorium. Her arguments were both compelling and persuasive, and her articulate and powerful delivery made quite an impact!

Maya also performed superbly, providing a succinct and effective summary of the speech and communicating well with the judges. Sadly it soon became evident that the judges had been bribed by our rival houses and we were therefor robbed of our rightful victor’s crown. Nevertheless we did win the award of ‘Best Chairman’ so didn’t go home empty handed.—TONI TAOR

Cranleigh was recently turned into its own ‘Wonderland.’ This is the first time Cranleigh has put on an immersive theatre production, and certainly not the last.. Audience members were guided round 16 rooms to experience Alice’s Wonderland; there were four Alice’s played by two West girls, Molly La Fosse and Honor Meadows, who captured the character of Alice in different ways, despite looking the same with platinum blonde wig (worn for 14 shows!). Tess Lenselink put on an unforgettable performance, really embracing her crazy side as the Duchess and taking a good 20 minutes to backcomb her hair every night. Amelia Holden and Ellie Cox played the Parrot and Dodo in the Caucus race, startling the audience with their characterised roles, especially with the number of feathers stuck in Amelia’s hair. Bee Hardcastle’s performance as the Hare in the Mad Hatters tea party, left audience members crying wither her constant mad laughter and wackiness. Gracie Escolme was key in introducing the crazy Wonderland from the minute the audience entered with her bright blue wig and showed her sporty side in the Croquet Match. Throughout the 14 shows, it was clear every performance was different from the other; the range of audiences that attended this crazy play all responded to interaction in different ways, a challenge for the actors who as a result had to improvise throughout every performance according to the audiences reactions. It was certainly an unforgettable experience and we’re sure the craziness of the play and also the set (special thanks to Jenks for his masterpiece) will not be forgotten at Cranleigh for many years to come.— HONOR

MEADOWS & TESS LENSELINK

We recently saw Wests’ finest in our house play "Shakers". It was the “best house play Cranleigh has ever seen" quote everyone who watched it. It was described as "hilarious" by Mr Reader himself. The talent of West shone like the stars we are, and the constant hard work and sheer determination really payed off, as demonstrated by the applause that the actors received every night. Liv, Tabs, Toni and Eliza showed their ability through their monologues which often moved the audience to tears. The party girls (Helly, Amelia, Ella and Millie) really demonstrated the party atmosphere of the 80s.

They caught the attention of all the boys in the audience by their amazing dancing. There was an unmissable performance from Liz (Mrs untrendy) and Elsa who left the audience laughing. We were astounded by the dedication and talent of Cranleigh actors who were the reason for the show selling out and people getting turned away at the door. We have had the best time with this rowdy but charming cast of 30. Special thanks also to Miss Leach and Miss Seville who dedicated their time to help put the production together. There were tears, laughter, and top quality banter. This was undoubtedly a highlight of our time at Cranleigh- good luck trying to beat this in future years. - Maddie Jarvis, Tessa Lenselink, Honor Meadows

On the second Sunday of this term 500 walkers set out to embark on a 35km walk to raise money for Beyond Ourselves. Among these walkers were many who represented us, the charitable West House. We were fortunate that the weather was on our side and it was sunny. Thank you to all those who sponsored us, the school have raised over an incredible £22, 000! It’s still not to late to give money if you go to Cranleigh homepage->community work>sponsored walk to make a donation. Well done West on showing your support and being charitable.– Abby Frett

This year West broke a record on the amount of shoeboxes made. We managed to make 105 between us all, which is incredible and it will put a smile on 105 children’s faces :) these shoeboxes went out to Romania to children who have nothing, who are orphans and who are disabled. Thank you to all who made one-please never underestimate the difference these shoeboxes make. When Christmas comes these children won’t have anything to open but because of you, they now have one. Thank you - Abby Frett

Once again West came together to support Syrian refugees who have to get through winter with nothing. Thank you to everyone who brought in clothes, you have provided warmth to many refugees. Thank you!

All these charity events makes me even prouder to be charity prefect in West because I know I can count on you all for your support. We have supported so many charities this term, which include Beyond Ourselves, Macmillan, Save the Children, Care and Task Force Romania. The difference we have made together as a house is huge!! One final charity request for 2015 is please spare a thought for all those who will have a tough Christmas, such as those who have nothing, who are alone, etc. Thanks again for everything you have all done! - Abby Frett

At the start of the term some upper sixth formers were thrown into stress as we prepared for the famous House Performance evening. This evening included the 4th form doing a dance and some of the senior girls doing a partsong, both with their affiliated houses (North or Loveday).

Special mention to Megan Batchelor who wrote the Loveday part-song with Loveday, which came 2nd. The 4th form dance unfortunately didn’t place but it was an incredible dance, choreographed by Helly Crosthwaite, Rosy Kilty, Mandy Vickers and some of the Loveday boys. Sadly North didn’t place but we still did really well with the dance choreographed by Olivia Camsey, Poppy Couling, Bee Hardcastle, Tess Lenselink and some North boys and the part-song was written by me. It was certainly a challenge to teach boys how to sing 1) in tune and 2) in time, but both houses did so well! Well done to all the 4th form. They had a lot of courage to perform a dance in front of the whole school and they were all amazing. Neither house may have won but we definitely won in spirit and West certainly showed house spirit standing on that stage. Well Done to all those involved - Abby Frett

This year Ellie McAleese, Millie Chesterman, Ella Job and Fran represented West in the House Challenge. We were drawn for the first time against South. We were faced with hard questions, on all forms of general knowledge.

We were slow off the mark with South way ahead of us but we eventually got into it and started to catch up with them. However, the game was not long enough for us to catch up with them enough to win. So South won and went through, but we were close behind. - Francesca Goudie

There have been many socials in West throughout the year, with each year having a “Matrons Night” which involves drinking hot chocolate and bonding with each other—occasionally learning a little too much about one another.

All years have had Christmas socials in the last week.

Whilst UVI and UV had a civilised movie nights, the LVI decided to take full advantage of the rare night that isn’t a quiet night. A huge thank you to the Matrons for providing everyone with mountains of delicious food! - Sophie House & Maddie Jarvis

Monday the 30th November was a day no West upper 6th girl will ever forget, arguably the proudest moments of our school careers.

Being crowned champions in a 2-1 victory over South house was not only a testament to the raw talent within the group but the outstanding level of commitment and perseverance from every single player from start to finish. Despite star players like Jerv, Batch and Sheen all missing out for injury – it was up to the rest of the house to step up and face the music. Tessa took centre this time not in Alice and wonderland but with a cracking left boot past souths goalie that just didn’t see it coming!

Despite a cheeky own goal from Honor to keep things interesting we came up to half time both goals from West, just one in the wrong net. However a South handball in the D with 5 minutes left to play gave West one last chance to take the penalty and seal the deal – and that’s exactly what we did. All that training payed off and I couldn’t be prouder of the effort we put in. A true team performance showcasing just how much better West is than South. Special mention to man-of-the-match Tessa Lenselink.—CHARLOTTE CALNAN

Starting with the juniors, the Upper 5th sadly lost their match against South but everyone who watched can say that these girls definitely had the most fun after realising early on that they could not compete with South’s team made up of mostly the A team.

The Lower 5th also unfortunately lost their match 2-0 but the score does not reflect their play. Having Autumn leading the side, the squad showed their skills and mostly dominated until South slipped 2 in but of course, we won in house spirit as per usual.

A massive shout out has to go to the mighty 4th form who won their game 5-0!!! The amazing goal difference caused West to win in the juniors which is definitely something to celebrate. Goals from, Rosie Hope (2), Lulu Fulton (2) and Fabi Kholer (1) The toughest game was defiantly the Senior A team who dominated South throughout the first half. Using everyone in the team and not just the first team players showed our house spirit and how well we gelled as a SQUAD. However, the lack of goal scoring made it a tight game to the very end and South’s only shot at goal made the score 1-0 to them.

The Senior B team unfortunately lost their game, which concluded that the seniors lost overall but of course we won in house spirit. Everyone put in so much effort and did not stop trying right to the end which just

proves that West really is best.—Oliva Camsey

Stonesett was another really intense inter-house competition between West and South. At some points in the competition, the playing may not always have been fair, with West sides playing a couple of players down and South playing with a full team but that didn’t mean the girls were going to give up easily. West had the tenacity and the drive to try and win! However, in the end, it wasn’t enough, with South just winning. I would like to thank, on behalf of the whole house, Liv Camsey for organizing all the teams. Well played everyone ! - Natalie Gillott

On the 19th of October, all 21 West fourth form and South fourth form took part in the house cross country.

Everyone was nervous but spirits were high for West. The sixth from raised the spirts by teaching us West chants.

West came out strong after the 3k run coming consecutive places from second to eight. In the end West won overall for the girls. Katie St Johnston who came 1st in West and 2nd overall ended up running in the Waverley trails and came 14th. She is waiting to see if she has now through to the next round.– FREYA JOHNSON & HEBE BODMER

House Volleyball was a new inter-house competition this year, which happened on the 2nd November. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the greatest start for West with South winning 7 games and West winning just 3, meaning South won overall. However, Wests’ spirit was as enthusiastic as always with a very good turn out to support. We hope that volleyball continues and that West will be the future winners. I would like to thank Doc Saxel and Liv Camsey for all their hard work and their patience while trying to organize the event. Natalie Gillott

This year, four West girls (Tabs Bowden, Katie Harnby, Poppy Couling and myself) were privileged enough to have the opportunity to visit our partner school in Kawama, Zambia. The trip was truly amazing and one that we will all certainly never forget. After having several talks about what Zambia was like and having heard from friends who had previously been out there we thought that we had a pretty good idea of what we were getting ourselves into. How shocked we were! The pictures barely captured any of the fun and emotions which we experienced throughout the trip and it exceeded any expectations that we previously had. This year we tried a lot of new activities which had not been done previously in order to try and make every trip unique.

After surviving 3 flights and several hours of waiting we arrived in Zambia, a journey which was long and emotional for some (Poppy) and we stayed our first two nights in Nsobe Game Park where we slept in tents by

the lake in between the monkeys and impalas. Whilst there we visited the Snake Park, Fish Farms and Piggery and were also lucky enough to go on a Zambian style Game Drive, seeing animals such as giraffes, zebras, monkeys and many more. We also visited Nsobe Trust School and played football and volleyball with the children; who put us to shame will their amazing skills (boys and girls).

The next day was a long day as this was the day of the big bike ride; as a group we participated in a 70km bike ride through Zambia with the guidance of Stuart Block, a former Cranleigh teacher who is biking through Europe, Africa and China. This part of the trip was tiring but very rewarding and we all ended up with a nice dust tan.

That following day we arrived at the school, where we celebrated Independence Day with the Kawama Community which was something none of us had ever seen before; girls from as young as five were on stage staking their hips to the music. Whilst at the school we participated in a clothes sale, which was very tiring and long, but it was amazing to see all the people running around frantically trying to find the best items. We also interviewed the pupils and their families which was probably the most difficult moment of the trip, as it was very hard hitting to hear the children talking about problems which the majority of us have never had to encounter. The teaching was such an amazing experience and it was amazing to see the passion and enthusiasm of both the pupils and teachers and when the children finally got the answers right it was such a proud moment - the moment for Poppy and I was when they could finally differentiate between a giraffe and a zebra; something we will never forget. During the week we also did some work experience, such as washing clothes, selling vegetable and working in a shop. We were also lucky enough to do some home visits and it was really interesting to see the Zambian homes and jobs which they do.

The community in Zambia is something I wish we could bring to England, the children and staff were always so happy and smiley and everyone we met had such a big heart. I could go on for pages about how incredible it was, but to everyone who is considering applying- DO IT! You won’t regret it! - Tessa Lenselink & Poppy Couling