International Women's Day by Year 6

This week, Year Six has taken over the Whitehouse! We will be diving into International Women’s Day and looking at how each year group have chosen to celebrate. The theme this year was #EmbraceEquity which, unlike ‘equality’, recognises that each individual person has different circumstances so should be allocated the corresponding resources and opportunities to give everyone a fair outcome.

Glendower has been focusing on the topic of empathy while our year interviewed specific classes and inspirational women throughout the school. International Women’s Day falls on the 8th March and celebrates the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women as well as marking the constant battle for equality throughout our lives.

We have had various workshops from some remarkable female parents articulating their passions and careers; a mother (from Year Three) moved us all while sharing her perspective of recent events in Iran and how brave her own family is. How would you feel to have your basic rights deprived of you?

Year Two have been looking at powerful female artists that have acted as heroines for the wider population. Freshwater Theatre Company put on a captivating play in honour of IWD commemorating very special women of the world, in all aspects, shapes and forms. Women’s Leaders Club presented an assembly this Wednesday for Year Five and Year Six to enjoy where each pupil shared their female role model.

As Head Girl and Deputy, we are proud that Glendower sculpts diverse and inquisitive girls that can stand for their rights and are the future phenomenal women. International Women’s Day is such a powerful milestone and an opportunity in our calendar to remind ourselves just how special we are.

‘Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.’ Oprah Winfrey.

By Serena and Adaobi.

Nursery

On Friday 10th March we visited the nursery to explore what they have been doing to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Nursery One had a few parent speakers to talk about inspirational women such as Malala Yousafzai and Marie Curie. The nursery told us what they had learned: they told us that Malala wanted to be a scientist when she was younger and achieved her goal, and Marie Curie made a very significant discovery.

Nursery Two made posters about the career that inspires them. Ela said her inspiration was a vet, Anya said her inspiration was a chef and Talia said her inspiration was a doctor, but these were only a few of the many posters that they made. Earlier on in the morning they joined a Zoom with Park Walk Primary to share the females that had inspired them.

Raahi C – Writer

Alexandra D – Writer

Anantika L – photographer

Natalie C – Photographer

Reception

On Wednesday the 8th of March, Reception did a show and tell with Park Walk’s Reception class over Zoom showing posters of women that inspired them. Glendower made detailed posters about many women such as Amelia Earhart, who was the first women pilot to fly across the Atlantic, Zara Hadid who was an architect, Princess Diana who was very sympathetic, Frida Kahlo who was a brave artist and Elizabeth Anderson who was the first women doctor. Park Walk pupils were inspired by women such as one of their ski teachers, Queen Elizabeth II and even their form teacher Miss Catherine! This is just one of the amazing things the Reception girls have done for International Women’s Day.

By: Raahi C – Writer

Alexandra D – Writer

Natalie C – Photographer/Editor

Anantika L - Photographer

Women at Glendower

Mrs Kingsmill Moore Headmistress

What does International Women’s Day mean to you?

Everyday we celebrate strong women, but International Women’s Day is the one day to give it all the attention it needs and celebrate all the amazing things women do every day. Today we take it for granted how far women have come over the last century. Looking back to the school’s first opening (1865), back then women had no voice and they fought ever so hard to give us the voice that we have now.

Who are your female role models?

My mother was a great role model as she believed in the empowerment of women and always taught me to believe that I could do anything. Also, my English secondary school teacher - she was very strong minded and taught me the importance of equality. In South Africa, she spoke openly about equality and she helped me understand the true meaning of it.

How do you celebrate this day?

Not on my own, but the things we do in school help me celebrate it with my Glendower family here and that is my way of celebrating it.

When someone talks about International Women’s Day, what’s the first things that come to mind?

Strength - women have so much to offer from their knowledge and their understanding of the world around them. Inspiration - women continue to push obstacles and boundaries in their way which inspires women every day to do the same.

Which woman impacted your life most?

My mother as she always believed in me and has known me all my life.

What do you think of the founders of Glendower?

I often wonder what Miss Lloyd and Miss Cornwall would think of Glendower now and how much it has changed. They wanted to empower women and girls when education and knowledge for women wasn’t seen as important. I think she would be so proud of where girls and women have come in this school and around the world.

What message do you have for the current and future generations of women?

Be brave, be bold and don’t be afraid to stride into the unknown. You can only break boundaries if you push against them.

By Marisa and Madeleine

Pre Prep Assembly

This week we were celebrating International Women’s Day. Mrs Lal and Mrs Chhatwal spoke to the girls about sustainability and global warming. The girls were encouraged to think about the small actions that they can do to help live more sustainably. We were all inspired by what Mrs Lal and Mrs Chhatwal presented to us and look forward to putting their suggestions into action

Over this week, Year One have been up to many interesting and exciting things from engaging mathematical activities to a fascinating workshop about the wonderful Helen Keller, an inspirational woman who sadly went deaf and blind at the age of one year and 7 months old. Even though she had a disability, she persevered and worked hard as an author, political activist and an advocate for the rights of people with disabilities.

Here are some quotes mentioned by the Year One girls about their lessons this week and what they thought about International Women’s Day:

‘Frida Kahlo was an artist who had polio. She had a car accident - she went to the hospital and her mum gave her a paintbrush. I like the flowers on her head. My mum is a fantastic mum and she works in sustainability.’ (Rhea)

‘Gertrude Ederle swam for 14 and a half hours and was the first woman to complete this. I like her as she didn’t give up. My mum helps companies raise money for charity.’ (Tara)

‘Amelia Earheart was the first woman to fly a plane.’ (Sky)

‘My mum is a very good dentist and cooks good food.’ (Mia)

‘My mum works very hard and never gives up.’ (Ceclila)

‘We are painting a sea and the sky - it is linked to a story with Jesus calming the sea in a storm.’ (Celeste and Aymila)

‘The more water you add the lighter the colour. When using watercolours, we shouldn’t add too much water as it may make a puddle.’ (Margot and Louise)

‘Helen Keller is an inspirational woman as when she was a baby she could see and talk but then she had an illness that made her not see or talk. She went to the doctor who said to leave her but the parents said no, she was then sent to school.’ (Carolina)

‘We are writing poems about our five senses.’ (Isla)

‘Amelia Earhart is an inspirational woman.’ (Celeste)

‘Masai Amini is an amazing woman.’ (Isla)

‘My mum is an inspirational woman.’ (Chloe)

By Andrea and Julia 6C

Female Leaders Book Club

In this book club, we read books about inspiring women such as Wangari Maathai. We are going to start reading a book about Emma Raducanu.

While reading about Wangari Maathai, we found out that as a young child she planted green beans so we decided we wanted to experience what she did by growing green beans.

Wangari Maathai was a woman who grew up in Kenya and then became a professor, however when she came home she saw her hometown completely changed because of the new president (President Moi). She started the greenbelt movement to make Kenya, Nairobi the place she once lived again. She was successful and managed to save her home.

During International Women’s Day, we presented our inspirational women to Year Five and Year Six. We had fun telling the girls all about his special club. I really enjoy this club because we learn so much about inspiring women and I love learning about how they went through the ups and down and never gave up, no matter what everyone said.

By Leticia and Madison

Year 2

In Year Two the girls have done some very exciting things for International Woman’s Day this weekcome and see what they got up to!

In art, both classes have been focusing on inspirational artists (who were woman, of course!) and are focusing on Brigette Riley. She painted and drew optical illusions and they re-created her style of painting, in their own way!

This week they have also done their homework beautifully, which was to create a poster or write up on a woman who is famous for their story (below).

On top of this great work, they have learnt about Emeline Pankhurst and the Suffragettes, then they made their own rosettes. Below is a photo of Alessandra with her ‘Women are Fierce’ rosette in the colours of the suffragettes.

Written By: Sophia, Kaila and Madeleine.

Ms Sinclair Assistant Head (Educational Operations)

Can you tell us about yourself?

My role is Assistant Head and my job is make sure things run as smoothly as possible. I look after all your school trips, clubs, communication, policies, marketing, the calendar and inspection preparation. But personally, I am a mum. I have three children, a daughter who is 19, a son who is 17 and another daughter who is 15.

What can you tell us about your dog?

She is a strong female called Lacy and she is a Border Terrier. She is just over one so in human years that makes her just over seven. She is very popular here at Glendower!

Why do you think companies would benefit from having more women at the top?

As a country, where half the population are women, we need equality. Any company will only do well if they treat both women and men equally, and in all parts of the company. I believe that it’s vitally important that women’s voices are heard.

Why do you think that it’s important to celebrate International Women’s Day?

I think that there are lots of stories of amazing women that don’t get told and by having one special day in the year we are reminded of all these inspiring women We need to celebrate women who are still with us and those who have passed away for their incredible contributions to society and we need to keep on telling their stories.

If you could have dinner with three inspirational women, dead or alive, who would they be?

That’s really hard question. Firstly, Michelle Obama, because I think that she is really strong and compassionate and she makes being a woman look like a lot of fun. I would also choose Taylor Swift because she inspires young girls to be feisty and independent. I would also choose Rosa Parks. I love that she was a leader by being very quiet but very strong, and she had very strong values and she refused to be suppressed.

Is there anyone who has inspired your life?

My children inspire me. I love watching them grow up in a different world from the one that I grew up in and it reminds me that I can do things differently from how it was when I was younger. I am really inspired by young people and that’s why I work in schools. Glendower girls impress me so much and always come up with brilliant ideas.

What do you think helped you the most to have a career as a woman?

I think that my time in the Army was the most incredible experience. At University I had wanted to be a Physicist but I felt really inspired to join the British Army as an Officer. My job was to support tanks and armoured vehicles so I was an Engineering Officer. I think that that this experience helped me understand that strong women can do anything.

What advice would you give to the next generation of leaders?

I use this advice with my daughters, You should never ever think that something isn’t an option for you as a woman. If someone says that you can’t, that is even more of a reason to do it.

Have you ever faced any barriers in your female career and if so how did you overcome them?

Yes I have. The Army was quite a male dominant environment so there weren’t very many women and particularly in the part of the army that I joined, there were almost no women. I was the first woman to be posted in the front line and when I arrived, the men weren’t sure how to respond to a woman doing that job. So it took a long time to prove that I was capable of doing my job.

Is there a quote or a piece of advice that you live by?

It is possible to be both strong and to show love. I try to live by that every day.

Just one fun question. Have you watched Wednesday?

I haven’t, no, but I definitely will in the near future.

By Cara, Emma and Arabella

‘Sylvia’ Review

On the 4th of March 2023, Lily N, Kaila N, Anantika L and Nancy W went to watch an inspirational musical about the suffragette movement called Sylvia. It showed Emmeline Pankhurst’s actions from the point of view of her daughter, Sylvia. Sylvia believed in equality for all, not just women, and wanted to earn the vote peacefully and without violence.

Sylvia was passionate about art but she gave it up for women’s rights. She was a supporter of Keir Hardie of the Labour Party and believed in equality for all, but still helped her mother who wanted equality for only women.

In the second half, Sylvia starts to realise that the suffragette’s violent actions are not the right thing to do. She has an argument with her mother, resulting in her setting off with Hardie. She now believes in pacifism and rights for all. The end is a happy one: everyone gets the rights they deserve, but Hardie passes away.

The message at the end is a hopeful one, telling all young women there is hope in dark days. Sylvia is also very inspiring, seeing that her non-violent protest helped women win the vote. It also tells us about equality and about how we all deserve to be treated equally no matter what gender you are. We also saw that Sylvia’s sister was hiding her true self, but we should all know there is nothing wrong with liking somebody of the same gender.

The production was rated 12, so we wouldn’t recommend it to younger years, yet the musical is one with a powerful message.

By Lily N, Kaila N, Nancy W and Anantika L

Year 3

During the week, a few Year Six pupils went to some Year Three lessons to check out what they were doing during International Women’s Week.

On Tuesday 7th March, we saw 3C in an English lesson writing a plan for a leaflet. They were using imperative verbs. Some of them did it from the viewpoint of Mr Wormwood and some did it from the viewpoint of other characters from “Matilda”.

We also saw 3L in an art lesson. Their topic was “Recycled Art”. They had a lot of fun drawing and making animals using bits of recycled materials. They were very creative. While they were having fun, Ms. Jones was making something for the Year Four play, “Seussical”.

By: Imane, Christina, Inna and Camille

Year 3

Phenomenal Women Poems

In Year Six, we have been learning about the poem ‘Phenomenal Woman’ by Maya Angelou. We were inspired by the strength and power Maya put in her poems. We were asked to either add another stanza to the poem, or write our own poem inspired by Maya’s message in the poem. The message was that we are all beautiful, whatever background you are from, no matter what skin colour you are.

By Sophia B and Lily N

Phenomenal Me

I am powerful and capable, And sometimes people don’t see, That my awesomeness is inescapable, And I can be what I want to be. I can dance and sing, Skydive and speak French, I am always working hard, And I can use a wrench. I am me, Perfect, but not, Just me, Phenomenal Me. Perfect, but not.

By Emma 6C

Wonderful Women

Wonderful women, that’s what we all are, The gust of hateful words pull us apart. The door to justice is left ajar, It left a hole in our faithful hearts.

Phenomenal Me

Phenomenal me, phenomenal me, Tell me who I have to be, It’s me who chooses what to do, What to wear and when to move.

Phenomenal me, phenomenal me, Tell me who I have to be, I am great and I am graceful, Proud and successful.

Phenomenal me, phenomenal me, Tell me who I have to be.

By Natalie 6C

Wonderful women, we speak loud and clear, Our heads are held high, with a radiant beam.

Equality for us is near, We come together, as a team.

Wonderful women, that’s what we all are.

By Aarika 6L

Poems (cont)

Woman’s Day

Woman are superior, always fighting for the best,

Woman never stop to take the smallest rest, They never ever stop standing up to insults, They are never going to give up, and they never sulk.

We will achieve.

Woman many many years ago, Never any mercy had been shown, Our rights now have simply increased, And will now never cease!

We will achieve.

Woman will always become stronger, Men will never stop being bolder, We are women, We are strong.

We will achieve.

By Melanie 6L

We Are All Phenomenal

People give me compliments, Ask me how I do it, How I’m so confident, How I’m so calm and happy. I look them in the eye, I smile and sigh, And say, it’s my confidence, It’s my calmness and happiness. But I cannot draw as well as you, I cannot make jokes as funny as you. We all have phenomenal qualities. We are all phenomenal!

By Nancy W 6C

Phenomenal Me

People ask me, From far and from near, They enquire and question, Why are you here?

And with that I simply respond with, That I’m here to tell you, It’s that fire waiting to be kindled, It’s that passion in your veins, That, my friends, is the truth.

It’s in me, It’s in you. That pure joy, That my friends, is the truth.

It’s your gracefulness in your stride, It’s your funny jokes, It’s your smile and The fact that you don’t ever gloat.

It’s in me, it’s in you. It’s how you are so phenomenal. That, my friends, is the utter truth.

By Kaila 6C

Making KinMaking kindness gifts for a special woman in our lives

Phenomenal Me

People wonder how I am me. Well, it is because I have a speciality. I am kind, People will agree. I care about people’s feelings.

Phenomenal Me.

People wonder how I am me. Well, it is because I have a speciality.

I am confident, People will agree. I can rise back up when you put me down.

Phenomenal Me.

Poems (cont)

People wonder how I am me. Well, it is because I have a certain speciality. I am me.

But really it is in my personalityThe way I spring back up in difficulties. I have an inside fire. That inside fire is me. I have that and it makes me phenomenally me.

Phenomenal Me.

Anantika 6C

Making kindness gifts for a special woman in our lives

Q. Can you tell us about your journey as a woman?

A. My passion has always been working with children and education, especially disadvantaged children. Looking after social and emotional well-being is really important as well as well as academics. I have worked in a pastoral role, very much like my current position (Deputy Head Pastoral) before.

Q. What do you think helped you the most to make a career as a woman?

A. I have a lot of inspirational family members who lifted me on their shoulders and inspired me to achieve. They gave me a lot of support which has helped me.

Q. What kind of protest would you do for women equality?

A. I am for protests because I am upstander, so I would definitely take part. I am truly a feminist. I would do peaceful and non-violent protests so people do not get hurt.

Q. Are you a Suffragette or Suffragist?

A. I am a Suffragist because I believe that there is power in continuous protests. Their protests are peaceful and do not become very violent.

Q. Why should we celebrate International Women’s Day?

A. This day represents who we are and how far we’ve come! It lets us celebrate our achievements that have already happened, and it inspires the next generation of strong women, like you!

Q. Who is your inspirational woman?

A. Jacinda Ardern (the former Prime Minister of New Zealand). She stood up for the original people of New Zealand. She also looked after herself so she knew when it was time for her to stop. That is something I really admire. She helped others and herself.

Q. Why should we have more women at the top in companies?

A. Women and men (together) offer a balance of different qualities and experiences. Having people from all walks of life (diversity) is really important.

Q. Do you have a quote do you live by?

A. Yes, there is quote that inspires me by Jacinda Ardern. It is ‘Leadership is not about necessarily being the loudest in the room, but instead being the bridge, or the thing that is missing in the discussion and trying to build a consensus from there’. It shows that you do not have to shout to be strong and be a good leader, but it is instead about collaborating and being kind to everyone.

By Lily, Nancy and Madeleine (6C)

The Interviews in process

Mrs Pennick Office Manager and Head’s PA

Q. Can you please tell us about yourself?

I am mum of three grown up children and live in Fulham. I have worked in banking, senior level recruitment and for private individuals including a former Minister in the House of Commons. I have a longhaired miniature daschund called Isla who I occasionally bring into school. I used to have a black Labrador called Bramble and as a child had budgies, cats, and gerbils! I come from the West Coast of Scotland, have five brothers and a sister, was born in East Africa and lived in several other countries when I was growing up. As a result, I cannot remember how many different schools I attended (too many) and ended up at an amazing boarding school.

Q. What do you think helped you the most to make a career as a woman?

Living life to the full, being a seeker and meeting and working with many interesting and different people learning from them and developing important life skills along the way.

Q. What is the biggest factor that has helped you be successful?

Most definitely having some amazing bosses, forming good relationships, and understanding people and their characters and moods – being flexible is key.

Q. Why do you think companies would benefit from having more women at the top?

Any company would benefit by having more women at the top because generally they are hardworking, committed, determined individuals who want to succeed.

Q. What advice would you give to the next generation of female leaders?

Believe in yourself and stick to your convictions; do not be deterred. Always listen before acting, be positive and assertive. Never think that you are better or worse than anyone else and people will travel with you on your journey.

Q. Do you have a woman leader as a mentor that inspires you?

Margret Thatcher because she was determined, inspired many and was the first female Prime Minister and my current ‘boss’ - Mrs Kingsmill Moore!

Q. What is your favourite quote or phrase that you live by?

‘Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass; it’s about learning to dance in the rain.’

Interviewed by Christina, Noor and Inès.

Year 4

In art, Year Four drew their dream costumes for ‘Seussical’ and made their props such as eggs made of clay and bathtubs. They used useful skills like cooperation, perseverance and teamwork. They also practised their play Seussical for the performance on the 24th March. They all seemed very excited to show the school their hard work.

In English, the girls were working on top secret alien research and were discussing questions such as: ‘Why do we keep alien research secret?’ They used their whiteboards to write the answers down.

Later in the week, the girls had a sponsored swim to raise money for our house charities funded by parents and guardians. They had 30 minutes to swim as many laps as possible. The highest number of lengths in 4L was 52 by Sarah L and the highest number of lengths in 4C (and the whole year group) was 54 by Katherine M.

In the morning of International Women’s Day, a woman came in dressed as a Greek goddess and explained to the girls that she has been looking down on woman for years and has realised that times have not always been easy. She told them stories about woman who changed the world. Then at the end she told them all that they have the power to change the world and they can all be wonderful women.

By Annabelle, Madeleine and Kimberley in 6L

Parent Talks - Career Insights

Miss Marhova talked about the diversity in her company, how they value equality and their understanding and kindness. She works in advertising and has advertised Innocent smoothies and many other well-known businesses. She has worked for 15 years, learnt 2 languages to pursue her aspirations, never felt less accomplished than men and raised 2 children. She was extremely interesting and I am sure that she has inspired many children to pursue their dreams, no matter their gender.

Mrs Moore grew up believing in herself and pursued engineering, biochemistry and physics throughout her life. She went to university, graduate school and law school. She is an entertainment lawyer and worked in intellectual property. Patents are registrations that prevent people from using certain inventions for 20 years. She told us that Albert Einstein also used these when he designed a refrigerator. Copyrights protect work created by an author in fixable or tangible form, for example, movies, books, songs, televised speeches and TV shows. Martin Luther King wrote the speech “I have a dream” and if anyone would like to use it, they must pay royalties to the family.

She taught us about copyright issues in music. She played us two well known songs, and we found the similarities in both of these songs. 50% is going to one artist’s estate and 50% is going to the other artist’s estate, which is very interesting. Any major brand has a name, which is a trademark. This protects brand names or symbols associated with a product or service. It protects the goodwill or reputation of the company. She now works for a film company which looks for content or a license to use. Then they finalise the financing, secure the location and hire people (directors, producers etc). She was even working on Despicable Me, which is a massive franchise. I believe that she made a large impact on Year Five and Six girls and really inspired us. She taught us a lot about our favourite brands, companies and productions.

By Annabelle and Sophie 6L

Maria Marhova (Lily and Maya’s mother)

Amy Moore (Madeleine and Katherine’s mother)

Parent Talks - Women in Iran

Mrs Rezaie (Ava’s mum in 3C) came to visit us to explain how International Woman’s Day is celebrated in Iran, her home country. She talked about her king and queen and how they were wonderful; unfortunately, a revolution took place and destroyed the peace. She also talked about how the people of Iran are still dancing and having fun, despite the revolution – she wanted us to understand how resilient and strong the people are. They aren’t like what we see in the news - they are very loving and fun people.

Sadly, because of the revolution police, on the 16th September 2022 a girl called Mahsa Amini was killed for not wearing a proper hijab. Many women started protesting for their rights after this and they continue to do so today. It was a very touching story, and an amazing speech. Mrs Rezaie motivated us all to stand up for what we believe in.

By Melanie, Annabelle and Ahana

Years 5 & 6

Many of you might be wondering why you see unfamiliar names in this issue of the Whitehouse. That’s because Year Six has taken it over! We had two English lessons to work on this, which was as hard for the teachers as it was for us! So, from all of us, thank you so much Miss Strange and Mrs Cadenhead for organising this fun activity.

By Ahana and Melanie

Years 5 & 6

Years 5 & 6

Freshwater Theatre Company

On Wednesday the 8th March Years Five and Six took part in a fun workshop all about International Women’s Day with Freshwater Theatre Company. The instructor played the part of a Greek god who had been looking down on women and seeing how things haven’t been so easy for them. The instructor came up with a way for us to enter the gateways of Wonderful Women! We had to say: ‘Up and down the ages, in and out of time. Wonderful women speak to us, make your voices chime!’

We started off by entering the gateway of wonderful women from the arts, such as Josephine Baker, a lady who spoke up for black children and women. We met Frieda Kahlo – she got severely injured but that didn’t stop her from painting amazing and beautiful paintings. We helped Frieda compose some new paintings by using our bodies to re-create things like animals and trees.

Next, we entered the gateway of wonderful women from science and medicine. We met Rosalind Franklin who took x-rays of DNA and then realised it was a spiral shape. We then met Edith Cavell who helped soldiers in the war. She helped soldiers hide from the Germans and cured them; she then helped them escape.

After that we entered the gateway of wonderful women in politics. We met Jane Addams who worked to improve the lives of poor people - she received a Nobel Prize! We then met Rosa Parks who stood up against segregation and was influential in the Civil Rights Movement. She got arrested because she didn’t give up her seat for a white person on a bus.

Afterwards, we entered the gateway of wonderful women adventurers. We met Junko Tabei - the first women to climb Mount Everest. Then we met Amelia Earheart who broke the record for women flying the great flight. She became the first person to fly solo across the Pacific. Sadly, when she attempted to try and fly across the world she never made it but we know she was very determined and persevered through all the challenges she set herself. Amelia left us with a lovely quote: ‘The most effective way to do it, is to do it.’

Finally, we looked at wonderful women from the 21st century. We entered the gateway to find the wonderful women from the 21st century…us!

By Aarika and Madeleine 6L

Freshwater Theatre Company

Thank you for Wereading! hope you enjoyed WhitehouseourTakeover!