The Beech Tree summer 2016

Summer 2016

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From the head It was wonderful to connect with so many parents and families at Parents’ Day on the last day of term. Everyone present took great pleasure in celebrating the achievements of our UVI girls, and we all look forward to hearing more from them as they start their adventures beyond St Mary’s.

Professor Moritz, our guest speaker, injected humour and humility into his speech, and though his anecdotes were fascinating simply to listen to, the strong message behind them will resonate, I hope, for all our girls for many years to come. Be brave when you’re making choices, he said; don’t always follow the expected path, and find your way to success through hard work.

Professor Moritz’s words on the importance of diversity combined with team-work were also significant. Our school is made of many different people, each bringing their own attributes, and we all work hard to celebrate our differences while we focus on our common thread: the school community as a productive, happy learning environment.

I was delighted to reflect on both our new beginnings (the reintroduction of Years 5 and 6 to the school) and the successes of old-girls who have long since flown the St Mary’s nest. The work we all, students and staff, do at the school truly does lay the foundations for individuals to flourish now, and into the future.

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Parents’ Day

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F

Angela Eddy - Chaplain

resh aces

Louise and Ian Phillips Head of Mathematics and part-time Maths teacher Mr and Mrs Phillips are our new husband and wife Maths team and we are very pleased that they are able to come and join us here at St Mary’s. They will be living on-site and they look forward to being fully integrated into school life.

Mrs Phillips is our Head of Mathematics and comes with over 34 years of teaching experience in the state and independent sectors. As well as being Head of Maths at three different schools, Mrs Phillips comes from the role of Acting Deputy Head at an independent school.

In her spare time Mrs Phillips enjoys boating on the Norfolk Broads, walking Henry, her Labradoodle, and has seven grandchildren!

Mr Phillips will be teaching Maths part-time at St Mary’s. He comes to us with over 40 years teaching experience, his most recent role as Head of Mathematics at a local independent school.

Mr Phillips loves watching football and playing golf and shares his wife’s passion for the Norfolk Broads.

We are delighted to welcome our new chaplain, Angela Eddy, to St Mary’s from September 2016.

Angela is steeped in diocesan outreach knowledge and experience. She has a huge amount of expertise that is relevant to us here at St Mary’s, from working within independent girls Catholic boarding schools to teaching general Religious Education.

Angela plays the piano and organ and is very musical, she speaks German and loves reading.

Angela will be living on-site with her dog called Pip, a spaniel, who is very house trained!

She will be an enormous asset to the school and as well as being able to offer the girls appropriate spiritual support and guidance, Angela is also a trained counsellor.

Swimming Pool Opening

Next term we will be welcoming not only new students to St Mary’s, but also a new look. The perfect combination of traditional yet modern, formal but practical; the updated uniform launches in September and we are all looking forward to seeing the girls looking stylish and sophisticated in their kilts and blazers.

Please remember that,

if you need any further information on the uniform changes, there is a detailed booklet available on the school website.

Success at the Mid Somerset Music Festival

N E W S

Uniform

We will be making a real splash this September when the St Mary’s Swimming Pool will become available for public membership sessions and swimming lessons. The pool is of an exceptionally high standard and so it’s exciting to be able to open it up for others to enjoy. Lessons will be starting next term and are available to swimmers of all ages and abilities. At the moment there are spaces in all of our classes so sign-up now to avoid waiting lists. A new timetable of members’ swimming sessions will be published at the beginning term and we would encourage you to consider joining in order to make use of this outstanding facility.

Please contact us on pool@stmarys.eu or 01747 440343 for more information.

Congratulations to our talented Chapel Choir who took part in the Mid Somerset Music Festival in March, coming second overall in the U19 class for Female Voices. They beat a number of other schools from the South West region with their performances of Howard Goodall’s ‘Love Divine’ and Britten’s ‘This Little Babe’.

The competition judge, Jeffrey Wynn Davies, described the St Mary’s choir as ‘full voiced and beautifully blended and balanced’, praise indeed and a well-deserved result.

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Louisa Cowan and Melanie Tibbs Marketing Managers Daisy Evans Geography It is very exciting to have Miss Evans joining our Geography team. Having taught at King Edward VI Camp Hill School for Girls, Miss Evans went on to become Head of Geography at South Wilts Grammar School for Girls in Salisbury. Currently she is working on her MA in Geography Education and brings great experience and enthusiasm for her subject to St Mary’s.

Melanie and Louisa have joined us in a job share arrangement for the role of Marketing Manager - with two heads naturally being better than one!

Melanie has worked in marketing and communications for over ten years, freelancing for award winning content marketing agency, Sunday, in London on accounts with multinationals including De Beers and Serco.

Melanie was also editor of the membership magazine at The Country Gentlemen’s Association for nearly five years and finds that, surprisingly, working at the CGA has several parallels with St Mary’s; protecting a muchloved ‘brand’ while making sure it is fit for the challenges of the twenty-first century.

Melanie lives just outside Shaftesbury and has three children of her own.

Louisa has worked in marketing and communications teams in the charity sector for

Mel

Louisa

nearly 20 years. She has worked for well-known charities such as British Heart Foundation, Whizz-Kidz and, most recently, Hope and Homes for Children. Louisa has also worked as a freelance journalist writing for a number of national and international magazines.

Louisa has three young children and loves travelling with her family. They have been lucky enough to live in several different countries over the last seven years, including America and Antigua.

Duke of Edinburgh Awards Round Up

Classics Reading Competition St Mary’s performed impressively in this year’s Classics Reading Competition at Godolphin School, Salisbury. A group of our girls entered five categories in total, taking first (Cassia Thackray) and second (Agnes Perry-Robinson) places in the Junior B (i) Latin class. Their dramatic delivery of an extract taken from Virgil’s Aeneid, with good metre and pronunciation, won them the two top positions in their group.

In the Junior B (ii) Latin Class, Alexa Gibb took third place and Molly Lumsden was highly commended. Olivia Owen bravely entered the Intermediate Latin A Class, competing against pupils significantly older than herself. She held her own and displayed some impressive powers of memory.

Some outstanding achievements from our St Mary’s girls; congratulations to you all.

We have had quite a year of D of E Expeditions. St Mary’s girls have been trudging across the Brecon Beacons, rambling over the ridges and valleys of the Black Mountains, heaving their backpacks through the Forest of Dean and hiking along the undulating coastal path of Purbeck.

Girls striving for their Silver Award were camping out (with the Forest of Dean pigs for company!) during a chilly February and discovered first-hand the importance of keeping warm overnight.

They didn’t have much luck with the weather in their qualifying expedition either, where they ended up cooking in driving rain.

Our Bronze Award participants learnt route planning and navigation skills, as well has being able to cook up a storm on a Trangia stove, whilst

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on a two-day training expedition on Cranborne Chase. They had to put their new-found skills to the test during their qualifying expedition on the Isle of Purbeck, where they trekked up some serious hills, with backpacks, for the first time.

The LVI girls’ Gold Award qualifying expedition took place in the Black Mountains and, despite it taking place in June, the girls were very glad of their hats and gloves when the weather closed in on day three: a valuable lesson in always ‘being prepared’. However, they all enjoyed some stunning views while eating lunch, despite also sporting some equally stunning blisters!

A special mention should go to Zara Whiteside, Freya Prigent and Anna Baxter who managed to complete their Silver qualifying and Gold practice expedition back-to-back over eight days, walking an estimated 140km! A truly excellent effort.

In total, 18 girls gained their Bronze Award, 19 girls completed their Silver Award and 10 girls completed their Gold Award this academic year.

What a fantastic achievement!

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Archery

Confirmation

2016

Highlights

Duke of Edinburgh Award A Play in a Day

Artist’s Workshop with Richard Hoare

Pets

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Scuba Diving

History Trip to The Imperial War Museum

n

ay

A Play in a Day

Tashi Monks

World Book Day

Naval Air Squadron World Book Day

Swimming 5

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For the last few years, Head of Religious Education and Critical Thinking, Jacintha Bowe has coordinated the sourcing of some incredible personalities to come and talk to the girls about subjects ranging from physics to social responsibility. We have welcomed sports personalities and academics, religious leaders and politicians, all of whom have offered our students an opportunity to broaden their horizons and expand their thinking, further enhancing their education.

The opportunity for discussion on subjects which are often not part of the everyday curriculum is something which Mrs Bowe believes has a significant impact on the academic development of the girls. She says, “Speakers provide valuable enrichment, which ensures the girls are adequately prepared to take their place in the world outside St Mary’s. Many of our speakers also act as witnesses, demonstrating how faith and belief is lived out in the 21st century.”

During this academic year the girls have had the privilege of welcoming some truly inspirational speakers to the school.

Dr Melanie Windridge gave a fabulous lecture to our UVI and UV girls

on the wonders of the Aurora Borealis.

Being a plasma physicist, mountaineer, adventurer, writer and model, Dr Windridge ticks all boxes as far as being the ultimate inspiration to most young girls.

Her talk took the audience on a spectacular journey through Scandinavia and Canada, explaining the science behind solar physics and the scientific process that causes the polar lights.

As well as the science, Dr Windridge brought the experience to life describing the effects of being subjected to -40°C temperatures and photographers trying to capture the aurora while battling with volcanic dust, cloud and frozen eyelashes.

It would seem that achieving stunning photographs of the Northern Lights isn’t as easy as one might imagine!

One of Mrs Bowe’s challenges is to keep the speakers’ programme fresh and varied; “I consult with the students about where they consider they have gaps in their general education and knowledge, as well as keeping an eye on current affairs, and try to engage speakers who are able to give a balanced perspective on daily events,” she says.

Dr Rowan Williams

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St Mary’s encourages its students to think big, be ambitious and aim for the stars by bringing them face-to-face with some truly inspirational individuals.

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Lord Price

Dr Maria Donapetry 7

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e-commerce is having on trade, particularly in the highly competitive supermarket industry. Mr Hoare was introduced to the whole school at an assembly, where he prompted interesting debate about faith and politics.

As well as some of the country’s best thinkers and politicians, the girls have enjoyed book signings with famous authors, such as Marcus Sedgwick and Sue Yockney, and the opportunity to meet Olympic gold medallist, Megan Fletcher. We are incredibly lucky to have a constant stream of inspirational individuals coming through the doors of St Mary’s and feel that the impact of these visits is invaluable when encouraging the girls to achieve their ambitions.

The speaker programme is dynamic and is added to throughout the year. If parents, friends, or past students have any contacts or suggestions of potential inspirational speakers, or if they would like to attend any of our events, then please do contact the school.

Marcus Sedgwick

Not only do the students have the chance to listen to the inspirational lectures given by our visiting speakers, but we also try and offer the girls the opportunity to be involved in an active discussion with them. In April the girls had the opportunity to spend the day with the academic Dr Maria Donapetry.

A senior lecturer in Spanish at Oxford University, Dr Donapetry also specialises in Literature, Cinema and Women’s Studies. The girls took part in a lively question and answer session with Dr Donapetry, with discussions including subjects such as the visual, oral and musical analysis of Argentinian film; a real opportunity for those students who wish to study subjects such as language, literature or media studies at university.

For those with an interest in politics, we have been honoured to have had visits from the Minister of Trade and Investment, Lord Price, and our local MP, Simon Hoare. Lord Price gave the girls some invaluable information about the influence that

Simon Hoare

From physics to theology, St Mary’s was very excited to welcome Dr Rowan Williams to the school in March. The former Archbishop of Canterbury is a world-renowned theologian, philosopher and poet, who talked to the Sixth Form, LV and members of the local community about the nature of faith and belief in the 21st century. Having the opportunity to debate matters such as materialism and the worship of consumer goods with one of the country’s greatest minds is a truly priceless experience for our students.

With our very own varied alumni, where better to look for inspirational speakers? In May, we were honoured to have a visit from Sister Gemma Simmonds CJ who talked to the girls about her role as volunteer chaplain at Holloway Prison. Being able to share her experiences from the prison system was a real eye-opener for the girls and a valuable insight into a reality which they had never previously encountered.

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Events Parent and Daughter Tennis Tournament In May we held our annual ParentDaughter Tennis Tournament.

Despite the threat of bad weather there was an excellent turn-out and the heavy rain, thankfully, never materialised.

The standard of play was excellent in both the Junior (UIII and LIV) and Senior (UIV – UVI) sections of the tournament. We saw parents, grandparents and staff all taking part, ensuring that all the girls who wanted to be involved had the opportunity to play.

Thank you to everyone who entered, we hope you enjoyed the atmosphere of the day and special congratulations to the medalists.

Junior Results

1st B & A Meyrick 2nd O & J Owen 3rd M & C Ingram

Senior Results

1st E & A Potts 2nd A & J Jardine Paterson 3rd O Willis & M Hill

May Concert The May Concert took place on Saturday 7th May. The evening was designed to showcase the school’s music ensembles and our talented UVI pupils, giving them the opportunity to shine.

And shine they did, with some very moving performances from all who took part.

The repertoire ranged from ‘songs from the musicals’ to Schubert. We heard performances of music written by English choral composers and enjoyed a quick stopover in France, with the orchestra serenading the audience with the can-can. Finally, a trip to the Southern Hemisphere, with a medley of melodies from Pirates of the Caribbean, made us all feel like we had been part of a whistlestop circumnavigation.

Well done and thank you to all who were involved in such a terrific evening.

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Medley of Creative Arts Events

Our first ever Medley of Creative Arts was held on Saturday 12th March. This spectacular event brought together a variety of talents from many different art forms which were displayed in two delightful performances.

The afternoon performance took place as the audience enjoyed a delicious cream tea. While they ate, audience members could sit back and absorb the snippets of fashion, music, drama and dance that were taking place around them.

During the evening performance, the atmosphere changed slightly from ‘tea dance’ to ‘cabaret’. The audience were served drinks and nibbles at tables, while girls across several year groups paraded their own amazing textile creations: felt hats, tie-dyed t-shirts, batik decorated skirts and dresses and evening wear.

Other acts during the evening included a most delightful vocal solo, musical ensembles, phenomenal speech and drama performances and a wonderful range of dance acts, including the most sublime ballet duet by two of our most talented dancers.

A wonderful event that was enjoyed by parents, friends and staff. We are very grateful to all who came and incredibly proud of our talented and creative students.

French Lessons in Montpellier In February, 13 girls from LV and UV spent an exciting six days in the lively university city of Montpellier in the sunny South of France.

They had the wonderful opportunity to attend language lessons in the mornings; such a treat to learn a language in its native environment.

During the afternoons, the students went on excursions and then returned to their host families in the evenings.

Towards the end of their course,

the girls felt confident enough to approach and interview passers-by on the streets of Montpellier… in French!

Wherever they went during their time in France, people commented on the girls’ politeness, interest and enthusiasm; they really were a credit to themselves and to the school.

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Larmer Tree and Young Gallery Exhibitions

Events

The UVI held a wonderful exhibition of their final pieces of photography and art at The Larmer Tree in March. The exhibition was a huge success, showcasing the amazing talent of the young artists we have here at St Mary’s. The girls held their own private view, where guests could enjoy a glass of bubbles whilst perusing the work.

In February, budding young artists from further down the school were involved

in a schools’ exhibition in the Young Gallery, Salisbury. Students from UIV were able to exhibit their wonderful pieces, which were personal responses to a piece of work by photographer, Mat Collishaw, and a reflection of the theme ‘Self’. It has been a great opportunity for them to explore a mature and thought-provoking theme and experience the thrill of seeing their hard work on public display.

Art Trip to Oxford and Hauser and Wirth Gallery Visit In February, LIV and UIV students enjoyed an amazing Art trip to Oxford. Girls visited the Ashmolean Museum, the Natural History Museum and the Pitt Rivers Museum where they were able to observe and draw many wonderful pieces of art, sculpture and ceramics. From a triceratops skeleton at the Natural History Museum to the bizarre artifacts at the Pitt Rivers Museum, there were many sketches to be drawn and photographs to be taken.

LIV also had the opportunity to visit the Andy Warhol Exhibition, being shown at the Ashmolean Museum. They were able to sit and sketch from his original artworks which were both stimulating and very inspiring.

Then, in April LV had a GCSE Art trip to the Hauser and Wirth Gallery in Somerset. They saw the incredible works of Subodh Gupta from New Delhi, India. All of his pieces have a unique link to the life and culture in India.

Our young artists at St Mary’s have used these experiences to really develop their own creative skills and will continue to do so.

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?

BREXIT OR BREMAIN

57%

REMAIN

43%

LEAVE

It is safe to say, none us of knew what extraordinary ramifications the EU referendum would have immediately after it was held. Before the nation voted, St Mary’s students took part in their own debate and ballot.

We began the week with a short talk from two members of staff in assembly on Monday morning, Suzie Cochrane Dyet (for Brexit) and Alexis Pavlou (for Bremain). Each spoke for a short while, with Mrs Cochrane Dyet giving the Vote Leave arguments, and Mr Pavlou outlining the Remain position by using the analogy of driving a car, suggesting that if we all co-operate and sacrifice some freedoms, we are safe on the roads and, if we go it alone, it would be chaos. Many left the assembly wondering if Brexit meant the end of speed limits, traffic lights and driving on the left; it remains to be seen if they are right or wrong!

The following day, Mr Pavlou chaired an evening debate on the subject of European Union membership. Rosie Harbottle, Tessa Mayhew and Freya Prigent spoke for Remain, while Marta Mora, Lucinda G-K and Millie Davies spoke for Leave.

“All the girls spoke clearly and eloquently and, with a little guidance from me, were all very respectful of each other’s views,” said Mr Pavlou.

“The aim of the debate was to

use some of the girls’ taught economic knowledge to explain the arguments for the EU and against, using language all could understand, and they did well; the girls on the ‘floor’ who asked questions seemed engaged and informed,” said Mr Pavlou.

With all that knowledge absorbed, the girls were ready when the St Mary’s polls opened on Thursday morning.

While voting was underway there was a steady stream of the enfranchised coming to cast their ballots, and when the polling station (like so many around the country, it was in the library) closed, excitement began to mount.

Just as in a real election, results trickled in at first, and our IT team revealed the count as it took shape on

the digital notice boards throughout the school.

Ultimately 57% of St Mary’s girls voted to remain in the EU, and 43% to leave which, although it did not reflect the national outcome, is in line with choices made by younger voters all over the country.

We were delighted to make the most of this unique opportunity to engage the girls in a real once-in-alifetime occurrence. Mrs Cochrane Dyet emphasised how very impressed she was with the respectful way the girls talked about both viewpoints before and after votes were cast, and we hope that all of them enjoyed what was, for some, their first taste of democracy.

Taking my leave by Suzie Cochrane Dyet, English Teacher On the night after the UK’s EU referendum vote, a British Ambassador met up with his European Union colleagues for a midsummer party around a swimming pool in the capital of a country in Southern Africa.

The other ambassadors represented a crosssection of Europe, from Italy in the south to Finland in the far north. All were worried by the UK’s decision to leave the European Union. They knew that the referendum decision was taking the UK and Europe into uncharted waters and that no one could anticipate the consequences.

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Yet the spirit of the occasion was one of bonhomie.

The host handed round glasses of Scotch whisky to honour the millions of British voters. One ambassador proposed a toast: “To British democracy.” The British ambassador - my husband - reciprocated with a toast to “Europe and the European Union.” And, under the gleaming stars of an African night, everyone clinked glasses with fulsome good wishes for the future of us all.

If the UK and Europe can manage their future relationships in the same spirit of mutual respect and affection, the prospects for us all look promising.

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UVI Art and Photography

A

PRIVATE V I E W The standard of work produced by our UVI Art and Photography A’ Level students is always exceptional.

When exam board moderators come to look through the girls’ work, we always make sure it is beautifully presented in the art rooms, we then share this magnificent display with as many people as we can.

We held a Private View of the work, this year, inviting parents, local professionals involved in the arts, and representatives from other schools to come and see the exhibition one summer’s evening.

We were also very fortunate to be able to welcome two special guests, professional photographer James McMillan, who has worked on a huge number of fascinating projects over his thirty years in the business, and gallery-owner Kelly Ross, who runs the very well-known Art Stable in Child Okeford, a few miles from St Mary’s.

We invited James and Kelly to review our students’ work and award a prize to the one they felt was the most outstanding. “I was so impressed by what I saw,” said James. “It’s a misconception that photography can be done by ‘anyone’, these days.

The fundamentals of lighting and composition still require a great deal of skill and I could see the girls had these in abundance.” James was particularly struck by the way students grow to truly understand photography from the ‘bottom up’, by learning about the history of techniques, starting with pin-hole cameras.

Kelly was equally complimentary about the A’ Level art she reviewed, saying it was clear that the girls had put a huge amount of work into their final pieces and there was a great deal of talent on display.

The culmination of the evening was the presentation of the prizes, which went to Bea Bassett for her ‘Pathways’ film and Emma Liao for her ‘Falling’ installation; both were very well deserved.

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UVI Art and Photography

“

It’s a misconception that photography can be done by ‘anyone’, these days.

The fundamentals of lighting and composition still require a great deal of skill and I could see the girls had these in abundance.

”

Kelly Ross

About the Judges

James McMillan

Pathways by Bea Bassett

Kelly Ross founded The Art Stable in 2006 in Child Okeford, Dorset. She has worked in the fine art market for nearly 30 years since her first job after university with the European Print dealer, William Weston in Albemarle Street, London. After four years with Austin/Desmond Fine Art in Bloomsbury, she co-ran the Gallery at John Jones before opening the Coram Gallery in Bloomsbury in 1993.

After moving to Dorset in 1999, Kelly ran the Summerleaze Gallery in Wiltshire before opening The Art Stable ten years ago. www.theartstable.co.uk

James McMillan James has been a professional photographer for over 30 years working in London and, since moving to Dorset, locally. His main area of work is people and portraiture and includes album covers, live shoots, film posters, book covers, magazines and corporate clients. www.jamesmcmillanphotographer.co.uk

Falling by Emma Liao

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E N T ERP RISE INITIATI VE One Percent Inspiration, Ninety Nine Percent Perspiration According to Voltaire, ‘Business

20 1 6

We have been very fortunate to welcome Emma Wimhurst to the teaching team at the school. Emma brings real-world understanding of business to her role as Head of Business Studies, and at the beginning of the academic year she came up with the idea of an Enterprise Initiative in which the whole of LVI took part. “I firmly believe that no matter what career path our girls might see before them, an understanding of the world of business is crucial,” says Emma. “Whether they go on to become GPs, broadcasters, artists, research scientists, teachers….they will all benefit from having good presentation skills, the ability to negotiate and an understanding of the economic and commercial culture in which we live.”

is the salt of life’; that is to say, an essential ingredient. At St Mary’s we endeavour to turn out wellrounded young women, prepared for all aspects of life after school, and understanding business and how it works is a key element of this.

A Taste of Success The girls’ enterprise adventure began with an exciting launch day; they discovered they were to work in teams and create a new restaurant concept during the weeks ahead. They listened to a talk by owner of the prosperous Duke Street Capital private equity house, Peter Taylor, who focussed minds on what it takes to make a restaurant thrive in twenty-first century Britain.

Hugely successful restaurant chain Wagamama is part of the Duke Street stable, and there’s nothing like a site visit to bring theory to life, so the girls went from school to the Trowbridge branch of Wagamama to see first-hand how the restaurant was run.

“Iain, the Area Manager of the South West, gave us an overview of the history of Wagamama, its origins and its philosophy, which celebrates diversity, tradition and simplicity,” said Zara Whiteside. “Our visit comprised three activities: an introduction to the unexpected complexity of the ordering system, the finance of produce and the fresh juices, of which we all invented our own, the most popular being the ‘Ginger Ninja’.

After digesting the information about the logistics which go into running a restaurant, we had our complimentary lunch, which was very much appreciated by every girl; in true St Mary’s spirit, there was not a plate which wasn’t empty.”

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From Idea to Implementation After this visit, it was down to the girls to start work on their concepts. During the ensuing couple of weeks, Emma had organised a combination of workshops, group work times and support clinics to take place as each team developed their ideas and prepared their presentations.

Learning new skills and using selfdiscipline to fit enterprise work in around study, lessons and other responsibilities was key to the whole initiative. “As the girls approach their final year at St Mary’s, we have been asking them to really develop independence, proactive thinking and teamwork,” explains Emma.

“It might seem like a tall order, but without exception the girls have impressed me, and more importantly themselves, with their ability to try out new things, pursue

a project through to completion and work fruitfully with their fellow team members.”

Mr Derek Harris, Head of Music, gave the girls an entertaining and extremely valuable workshop on presentation skills. “We learned to master speaking slowly, articulately, cohesively and professionally, and also what makes a clear, punchy presentation,” said Isabel Gibb. “Every girl spoke for at least 30 seconds on a chosen topic to practise speaking in front of a large group and perfected our clarity and body language. It was a lively session, perfect for eradicating our jitters and helping us feel confident in anticipation of our final presentation.”

They also received instruction from marketing expert Liz Burt who founded

the food marketing consultancy ‘Ideas on Food’. Liz spoke about the kind of measures a new company or restaurant would take in order to get the word out about their brand, gave instruction on how to write a press release and set up a Facebook page for a restaurant, and got the girls thinking about branding and how to improve it. “It was a wonderful opportunity to pick the brains of a professional, and she was enormously helpful to all the groups,” said Isabel.

Presentation Evening

“

The positive outcomes of this Enterprise Initiative have been immeasurable Mary Arnal

”

The enterprise event culminated just days before the end of term. After two weeks and two days of hard work, each team presented their restaurant concept to a team of top-flight judges.

As well as Peter Taylor, restauranteur and old-girl Emily Watkins and co-founder of True Grace candles (and St Mary’s parent) Philippa Biles listened to the pitches and quizzed the teams on their ideas.

The audience of parents, staff, siblings and local business people were, without exception, bowled over by the standard of all the girls’ presentations. Every one of them spoke confidently, knew their subject inside out and answered the judges’ questions without skipping a beat, and each team had clearly tried to go the extra mile in their concept

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and delivery. Ultimately, the winning team of Zara Whiteside, Rosie Harbottle, Willis Lau, Tessa Mayhew and Ada Lui triumphed with their ‘Greenhouse’ concept - a vegan restaurant in central London. These girls will now experience a fabulous VIP day in London with an exclusive selection of business owners and managers who the girls will interview, discovering the keys to success and building on all the enterprise event taught them.

“The positive outcomes of this Enterprise Initiative have been immeasurable,” said Mary Arnal. “The work of taking something from original idea to functioning plan has seeped into the consciousness of the girls and it will benefit them in all subjects, indeed in all aspects of life, as they continue at St Mary’s and beyond.”

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arvellous orocco What could be more inspiring and instructive than seeing aspects of Geography, familiar from textbooks, brought alive in North Africa?

During the Easter break, five LV and five UV GCSE students, two parents and two teachers (Miss Bridger and Mrs Bramble) took an action-packed trip to Morocco to study a vast array of geographical topics. The trip began in Marrakesh, with local guide Sidi Mohammed. The group stayed in a riad within the walled city and were able to take a stroll through the labyrinthine streets of the medina to Djemaa el Fna Square on their first day; a total ‘culture shock’ from life back at St Mary’s.

That night the first tagine supper (of many) was enjoyed by all in a rooftop restaurant.

The following day, the girls visited the newly-built, planned city of Tamensourt, looking at how MICs (Medium Income Countries) create solutions to overcrowded urban areas, to try and clear slums and improve life for their inhabitants. From there,

they went to the village of Imlil; a hike involving mules transporting the girls’ bags along a snowy footpath. The following two nights were spent in one of the world’s top 10 ecohotels, Kasbah du Toubkal, where everyone enjoyed fantastic local food, experienced the hammam, met with local women at their cooperative project in the village and had an impromptu lesson about symbolism in Berber rugs from a friendly, informative shop owner.

Local guide Ali called the village children together at one point for the girls to hold an outdoor class for them, using the colouring books and pencils they had brought with them, and paper aeroplanes for the older boys to make and fly. Any language barrier instantly evaporated as paper, books and crayons were given out. As well as this fun, rewarding engagement with the local children, star-filled,

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pitch black skies and the call to prayer echoing around the valleys were some of the other memories created in the Atlas Mountains.

The following day, the group and their mules set off for a walking tour to the head of the valley through the mountain village of Amend, before heading to the town of Asni for the weekly Saturday market; a bustling collection of food, household items, clothing, fish stalls and butchery, with live chickens, turkeys and rabbits. A bus transported the girls to the fringes of the Agafay Desert, where Sidi handed them to their cameleers and their trusty camels.

Each of the group had their own camel which led them through deserted villages to a camp in a dry river bed. All ten girls slept in the one large Berber tent and enjoyed being horizontal for a few hours in the Agafay Desert.

After their night under canvas, the geographers walked out of the desert towards the bus which took them back to Marrakech. Next on the itinerary was a caleche (horse drawn carriage) tour of the city and walking tour of the souks, beginning with the odorous leather tanneries. After supper at the hotel they ventured out for a final walk round Djemaa el Fna Square to see the snake charmers, street food stalls and candle lanterns lighting up the night.

Possessions gathered, carts loaded for the final time, the group departed from the heart of Marrakesh, walking through the medina. The afternoon was spent in the surreal environment of the Jardin Majorelle – Yves Saint Laurent’s former home, studio and calming garden. With hugs, thanks and farewells to Sidi they entered the airport, boarded the three hour flight to the UK and mini-bused it back to St Mary’s to arrive at 4.30am. Geography teacher, Sarah Bramble, summed the trip up as, “A fantastic Geographical tour with wonderfully excited and enthusiastic students, and parents who had been delightful company.”

“

A fantastic Geographical tour with wonderfully excited and enthusiastic students, and parents who had been delightful company

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Charity Begins at… School In the fast-moving world that we live in it is important not to forget, both at school and at home, that there are many out there who need our support.

It is deeply ingrained within the St Mary’s ethos that our girls need to be aware of their social responsibilities. From the time they start at the school they are introduced to both local and international charities which they are encouraged to support.

We have charity prefects who meet regularly to coordinate all of our bigger events, like the charity ball. This year’s prefects, Gabriella Baglietto, Lily Mitchell and Izzy Hindle, worked alongside staff to organise the ball in October, which raised an outstanding £3800 for The Survivors Trust. The prefects have carried on with the same gusto with which they began and have been involved in numerous events which have raised money for RETTS Gibraltar, Syria Relief, Medecins Sans Frontiers and Sarah Bramble’s toilet twinning charity!

Most recently, £385 was donated to a local school, St Andrew’s Primary in Fontmell Magna, for them to buy a bench for the playground. Fundraising like this is a lovely way for St Mary’s to engage with the local community.

Each of the St Mary’s Houses chooses at least one charity to which they make a commitment for the year and undertake to raise

funds in all sorts of imaginative ways.

Hewarth House, where the youngest girls are based, chose to support Julia’s House this year. This local charity runs a hospice for children with lifelimiting illnesses and their families.

It is the only dedicated children’s hospice charity in Dorset. Because it is close to home and supports young people and children, it is something that the girls can relate to, making it easier to feel empathetic towards the cause and inspiring them to raise money.

After a visit from a Julia’s House volunteer, the girls were motivated to make items to sell at their Christmas Fair and, more recently, they grew their own plants which they then sold at a cream tea afternoon.

In September, they will make a donation of over £700 to the charity, the result of all the fundraising the girls have undertaken throughout the past year. The girls have also produced a beautiful piece of Jurassic Coast inspired artwork, which they have created to hang on the wall at Julia’s House.

In contrast, Harewell House have looked further afield for the beneficiary of their fundraising

efforts. For the last four years Harewell has supported the Gairatpurbaas Panchayat School situated at the far end of the village of Tikli near Delhi, India. It is therefore better known as the Tiklibottom School, a much easier name to remember!

Martin Howard, a retired Naval Commander, and his wife Annie became aware of the desperate need for education in this very deprived region of India. The local state school was dysfunctional, corrupt and offered a very poor standard of schooling, plus, it was too far away for most of the children to attend. So, Martin and Annie were determined to create a school for everyone, where no child was ever turned away.

They wanted a school that taught the core subjects with sensitivity and commitment, aiming to produce well-balanced and confident youngsters who know their worth and are ready to face the world!

Martin and Annie’s hard work and sheer strength of will turned this idea into a reality and, since 2010, the school has grown annually and now teaches children aged between 3 – 16. They also have two fantastic gap student

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flats, which St Mary’s girls are very privileged to have priority to use as a thank you for our ongoing support.

Tiklibottom School is a very successful project and we will endeavor to help its continued growth.

This year Harewell have also supported the Salisbury Hospital Stars Appeal, as the hospital has been invaluable, not only to people within school, but to their friends and families and those who live locally.

We are so fortunate to have such a fantastic hospital nearby. Harewell have raised a fantastic £1100 this academic year for these two very deserving causes.

Givendale had a change this year and opted to support Macmillan Cancer Support, as they wanted to be helping local people. They have raised money through House concerts and their popular shakeaway sales.

Mulwith continues to support Amakuru Trust as their House charity. Links with this local organisation are strong and offer wonderful personal development opportunities for our girls, whilst supporting victims of the Rwandan genocide. Amakuru was set up to prevent or relieve poverty or financial hardship in Rwanda, by providing or assisting in the provision of education, training, healthcare and humanitarian projects and all the necessary support designed to enable individuals or families to generate a sustainable income and be self-sufficient.

The trust also advances the education of the young people in Rwandan schools and skills centres, by providing and assisting in the provision of facilities and resources to enable a more effective education for all.

Although the students take their fundraising seriously, they have also had a lot of fun with the activities they choose to raise the money. With a Dog Show, sponsored walk and Christmas Fair all happening in the Autumn Term, it’s a wonder they had any energy left to put on the Mulwith Music concert and a swimathon in the Spring Term. One last push was a staff car wash during a lunchtime, and that brought the Mulwith fundraising year to a close.

As well as their chosen House charities, St Mary’s students also opt to support their own charities, as and when the opportunity arises. We have seen events such as sponsored haircuts happening throughout the year.

This is all testament to how important the girls take their social responsibility and how proud we are at St Mary’s that our students and staff work tirelessly to make a difference, both locally, nationally and internationally, to those who are vulnerable and who need our support.

“

This is all testament to how important the girls take their social responsibility

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NE WS H O U S E

Mary Ward Wednesday Cake Night has been one of the highlights of the girls’ year. Every Wednesday our marvellous house assistants, Mrs Boote and Mrs Richards, bake a delicious cake for the girls and at 9:30pm sharp, they appear from their bedrooms, plates in hand, and much like Oliver Twist we hear a resounding “Please Miss, can we have some CAKE!” Another popular event has been our Come Dine with Me evenings. Each corridor invites the girls from another corridor to join them for dinner. There’s much discussion and menu planning and we organise all the ingredients the girls need to cook their chosen suppers. One of the most interesting things is to work out how much each meal costs per head and the girls quickly learn that home cooking makes economic sense; a good lesson before they embark on university life.

House Captain Emily Lissack and her deputies Sophia Hedley and Jemima Mitchell have done a fantastic job this year. They have been leaders in

initiating house activities and have fulfilled their roles terrifically well.

Mary Ward is like any other teen-filled house.

The girls go on plenty of social outings and somehow manage to balance work, rest and play.

They have had an abundance of fun and worked incredibly hard this year. Mary Arnal told us she was “blown away by the talent in the year”, when she watched the Leavers’ Concert and we’re extremely proud of all our girls.

Dee Webb Mary Ward House Mistress

Newby Newby has had another very busy and successful year. The House has been superbly led by Ellie Lawson, Cheski Morrissey, Rosie Beckford and their supportive LVI Team; the girls and staff of Newby thank them for all their efforts, support and friendship.

Newby girls have participated in all the Inter-House events with their trademark enthusiasm. We were victorious once again in the Book Quiz and the girls have given their all in hockey, netball, tennis and swimming. The Jigsaw Challenge saw the LVI staying up until 2am, determined to finish a difficult 1000-piece puzzle!

We have enjoyed a variety of activities and fundraising events this year: pancakes, parties and puzzles, candles and Christmas decorations, a sponsored walk and a swimathon, knitting and crocheting, singing and dancing, acting and costume making and much, much more.

The Newby staff have been wonderful and, as always, are involved in all that we do as a House. A special thank you to our lovely House Assistants, Mrs Healey and Mrs Sanger, for their constant care and support. This year we say a sad farewell and a huge thank you to Mrs Hall and Mr Davies who are leaving this term. The Christmas parties won’t be the same without Mr D! Debbie Whitehead Newby House Mistress

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NE WS They’ve had an abundance of fun and worked incredibly hard this year.

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H O U S E

“ Mulwith Mulwith girls have had a fabulous year. We have won the House shield three times in a row, have enjoyed some wonderful outings to the theatre and partied the night away at my home in Shaftesbury. In Inter-House competitions we have shone, coming first in the hockey, swimming and the Jigsaw Challenge.

In September we welcomed Mrs Bent to the House team. She has embraced her new role as Mulwith House Assistant with kindness and generosity. Mrs Bull, AKA Mary Poppins, enables the girls to enjoy some great House activities: card making, mobile and pizza making to name a few. The girls and I thank them both for all they do.

The Summer Term has sped by, with a lot of girls working hard in preparation for exams. However, there has also been plenty of opportunity to enjoy the good weather, to play tennis,

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rounders and athletics. We have come together to enjoy year group suppers in my flat and a BBQ in the courtyard for Happy Hour. This has been a great year, with great girls.

Now we say ‘goodbye’ to Mulwith and ‘hello’ to York House. Mulwith girls are excited to join forces with Givendale while our House is being refurbished.

The combined Houses are looking forward to a rosy future together.

Beverley Roberts Mulwith House Mistress

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We welcomed 13 new Harewellians into the house this year and what happy girls they are!

H O U S E

NE WS

Harewell We started the year with ‘Speed Dating’- an unusual idea for a school full of girls but a great way to break the ice and get everyone talking. That set the tone for the year ahead, with Happy Hours, pamper evenings, House quiz nights and lots of pancakes and hot chocolate, made by Mrs Shutler, Mrs Whyte and Mrs Marsh, our indefatigable House Assistants.

The sun shone again on the Annual Dog Show and our cake stall was a huge success, as was the Christmas Fair, two very-well supported events. The highlight of the year was definitely the Festival of the Arts – 12 hours of continuous creativity, culminating in a brilliant concert of everything that had been developed

Givendale Life in Givendale is extremely varied and lively and we have had lots of fun during our house activities, such as our whole house meals.

A new activity which has proved popular this year has been yoga; a wonderfully relaxing start to the weekend at our Friday night Happy Hour after a busy week in school!

We decided to change our house charity this year, as we wanted to support a charity which works locally, and so all the proceeds from our fundraising events have gone to Macmillan Cancer Support.

Events have ranged from our entertaining House concerts to our ever-popular shakeaway sales.

We are keen competitors in InterHouse events and our utter determination to win the Jigsaw Challenge was a sight to behold; the teamwork was really excellent!

Our thanks go to our team of fantastic House Assistants for all they have done to make Givendale a happy home.

Givendale has had a successful and happy year and the Givendale girls are looking forward to joining their Mulwith friends as part of York House when they return in September.

Alison Rigby Givendale House Mistress

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NE WS H O U S E

over the day – painting, dance, drama and music. We were very fortunate to be joined by a local artist, Richard Hoare, who ran workshops during the day and exhibited his students’ and his own work during the evening.

With the swimathon, sponsored walks and cake sales, we have raised about £1,100 for our House Charities, Tiklibottom School and the Salisbury Hospital Stars Appeal, and have lots more fundraising schemes up our sleeves for the Autumn Term.

And the Book Quiz? Well, second place again, but next year……?

Susan Holman Harewell House Mistress

Hewarth We have enjoyed a busy and bustling year in Hewarth, with lots of fun along the way! The girls settled quickly into boarding life, making the most of our bright and welcoming house. We have loved having our own kitchen area this year and made the most of it, with countless baking sessions and pitta pizza nights, where the girls create their own pizza, including making the sauce and choosing from plenty of tasty toppings.

We have ventured out for various successful trips as well as enjoying events here in school. The Hewarth Festival of Music and Drama was a wonderful evening and it was great to watch the girls performing and sharing their talents.

The prefect team have done a sterling job this year, even introducing innovative new elements to our weekly meetings, like choosing an ‘Inspirational Woman of the Week’. They also have great organisational skills, which were demonstrated with the

superb Christmas Party and the fact they take on any jobs required of them with a cheerful and responsible manner.

The UIII have been a joy to get to know. They worked hard making things to sell at the Christmas Fair, as well as growing plants to sell at a cream tea fundraiser, all to benefit our chosen charity, Julia’s House. It is great to see them so engaged with all that we do in Hewarth.

As always, Hewarth has been a happy home away from home to all

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our girls this year. It is wonderful to see boarders, day girls and overseas students all sharing happy times together to create a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

Hewarth girls know how to have fun and we look forward to another busy and joyous year from September. We will miss our LIV girls, but wish them well as they join the main Houses.

Susannah Hill Hewarth House Mistress

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P.A.D.I Scuba Diving Open Water Course A group of eight girls from UIV and UV signed up to the PADI Open water course with “Flippas-n-fins” dive centre from Wimborne. The course began with several confined water sessions, where the skills and knowledge of kit use and management was practised, as well as learning the theory behind diving. After that, girls went to open water dives at Vobster Quay, Frome, where they had to put their skills into action and demonstrate safe and effective diving. Five girls were able to complete the four dives required, and the others can pick up the last dives, either at another centre on their travels, or continue with the course next year. Congratulations to Pilar, Georgia, Heidi, Miffy and Prae; they can now dive anywhere in the world!

A Summer Junior Sports Awards The Junior Sports Awards offered a superb evening of celebration for all the girls in UIII-UIV, in recognition of their enthusiasm, effort and excellence in sport this year.

Full- and half-colours were awarded, as well as Performer of the Year, Commitment and Support, Most Improved and Best Newcomer in each sport. We then all enjoyed a lovely buffet supper out on the Head’s Lawn, whilst girls showed off their sporting prowess in other areas such as ‘hill-rolling’ and ‘gymnastics’! Congratulations to all those girls who received awards and accolades but, more importantly, congratulations to everyone who has participated in a brilliant year of sport at St Mary’s!

of

Divers in action

Sport

Sports Leaders’ Team Challenge The St Mary’s Team Challenge was a great success, with over 50 pupils taking part from Sandroyd, The Cathedral School and UIII at St Mary’s. The pupils were immersed in team-building and leadership activities for the afternoon, led superbly by the LV Sports Leaders. Pool-based games encouraging problem solving and tactical ability, as well as great swimming, identified lots of ‘leadership potential’ amongst the groups of girls. Thank you to Sandroyd and The Cathedral School for joining us for a great afternoon.

UIV enjoying their buffet

Team Challenge participants

Netball Youth Umpire Award Thirteen girls from LV and UV embarked on the Netball Youth Umpiring Award in September, which meant weekly sessions learning the skills and knowledge to be confident enough to umpire netball games of the same age players or younger. As the course progressed, the girls tried out their skills on our U12/13 netball teams at practice sessions and then for a Primary High 5 Netball tournament we hosted in the spring. The culmination of the course was when the assessment day came and an England Netball development officer assessed the group. We’re delighted to announce that all the girls passed!

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t

North Dorset Tennis Tournaments at U12, U13, U14 and U15 An exciting tournament against the top teams in the area. An A and B pair play against their equivalent pair from the other schools in a round robin competition and the number of games won is added up from both pairs to give a final total. Well done for a very admirable 3rd place for the U13’s and U14’s in their respective competitions. Great tennis and superb sportsmanship.

The U12 and U15 competitions were extremely close, but St Mary’s kept their heads to play steady, tactical tennis. The quality of players ensured that enough games were won to crown both the U15 and U12 “IV’s” the North Dorset Champions! Congratulations to Pilar, Georgia, Amelia and Lourdes in the U15’s and Munashe, Ioana, Mercedes and Amelia in the U12’s.

U12 North Dorset Champions Amelia, Mercedes, Munashe and Ioana

U15 North Dorset Champions Pilar, Lourdes, Amelia and Georgia

Athletics The last few weeks of term saw a very busy period of athletics, with the UIII and LIV teams competing at Gillingham and the UIV team competing at Bryanston.

U12 Athletics Team Immy, Sophia,

Brilliant overall Lottie, Munashe, Mercedes, results for UIII, who came Alice and Leonor 2nd in the competition out of 10 schools. Some great individual results: Alice won her shot and came 2nd in her 200m, Lottie won her javelin, Sophia came 2nd in her discus, Munashe won her discus and Mercedes came 3rd in her 1500m.

The LIV’s came 3rd out of 10 teams – also another great result! Mollie came 3rd in her hurdles, Amy came 1st in her discus, Fran came 3rd in 800m, Olivia was 2nd in her javelin, as was Alexa in her shot, and some other solid performances securing points for the team from Bella and Lucy! The UIV LIV Athletics Team Molly, Amy, team came 4th overall with Lucy, Bella, Olivia, Alexa, Olivia and Francesca some good performances all round.

On Saturday, at the County Championships, we took 8 girls to compete. This was an amazing achievement for these girls and St Mary’s. All the girls demonstrated brilliant commitment and effort and showed real courage in putting themselves out there at a huge County event that features so many other top class county athletes. Munashe is now county champion for discus and Chism is county champion at the 200m!

Congratulations to all who competed.

In our Inter-house swimming, the races were exciting, the atmosphere was electric and the swimming was brilliant! A fantastic meet that showed the determination, but more importantly, the sense of loyalty to houses and the willingness to go the extra mile from the girls who actually got in the water and swam.

Races came down to finger-tip splits and no one race was predictable. Final result came down to relays, with Mulwith winning the UIV/LV competition, York winning the LIV competition and Team Ennis and Team Holmes drawing on 12 points each in the UIII competition.

Thank you to all those who made it such a special Inter-House gala! The house mistresses and assistants, the house support, the VI form House Captains and support who helped with lane marshalling…….and most importantly, the swimmers.

The overall results for all Inter-House competitions this year are:

Overall

U3

LIV

UIV - upwards

1. Holmes 2. Ennis

1. York 2. Harewell 3. Newby

1.Mulwith 2.Harewell 3.Newby 4.Givy

For a full breakdown of results in different competitions, please take a look at the July 1st Sports Report in the News section of the school website.

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Inter-house Competitions

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Ten Minutes With… Rebecca Dixon Which three people, living or dead, would you like to invite to a dinner party?

Muhammad Ali; a unique, principled and funny man. Pink; she’d ‘get this party started’. And Johnny Depp, before he upset the Aussies with his dog-smuggling.

What made you choose to come to St Mary’s?

What is your favourite thing about St Mary’s?

I wasn’t looking to change jobs, but saw an advertisement and thought I had the right skills for the role. When I came for my interview it quickly became clear that it would be a privilege to work here.

The supportive spirit; the girls and staff really do look after and care for each other.

What was your job before you came to St Mary’s?

If you were stranded on a desert island, what three items would you take with you?

I was a teacher in a men’s prison. I remember being left with my first class and thinking, “If I can do this, I can do anything.” It was tough at first, but if you respect your students – whoever they are – they will usually respect you. It’s no good expecting people to change their lifestyle choices if you don’t equip them with the skills to do it. Helping individuals helps society as a whole.

Chocolate, a cat (preferably mine but, in a dire situation, any cat will do) and a sleeping bag which I’d pull up over my head. I would not cope well.

What do you remember most from your own time at school?

So many things; I loved school! I remember enjoying the recorder group at Primary School, winning ‘dictionary search’ every week at Middle School (it didn’t make me popular) and playing some fabulous roles in the plays at Secondary School.

What are your plans for the next academic year?

An actress and a mum. Always. I achieved them both, so I’ve been lucky. I have a wonderful daughter and delightful son and I enjoyed a varied acting career, largely in the theatre but also a bit of telly.

I am really looking forward to September when I will be continuing my role in the Learning Support Department, but also teaching, and being tutor to, the new LIII. I am very much looking forward to spending time class teaching again and there is such a positive buzz about the new LIII. It’s always good to work with different year groups, as you become a more rounded and adaptable teacher. I have taught dance and drama to 3 year olds and literacy and employability skills to 63 year olds! I also hope to take over the popular Glee club, though Miss McGirr will be a very hard act to follow.

What advice would the ‘adult you’ give to the ‘teenage you’?

What are you most proud of having achieved?

For the young teen, Becky, I’d say ‘lighten up!’; I was very serious about work and having a life plan. For the older teen I’d say the exact opposite!

Without a moment’s hesitation I can say I am most proud of raising a happy, loving family with my husband, Nic.

When you were a child what did you want to be when you grew up?

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Farewell to retiring staff

Andrea Le Guevel

Phillip Davies

Jane Hall

School Chaplain

Head of Geography

Head of Maths

Now ending my ninth year at St Mary’s, I have been reflecting much on the joy that I have reaped through my work. There is such satisfaction in leading Retreats, organising the Sacrament of Confirmation, working with girls to prepare Night Prayers or Sunday Mass. There is the obvious sense of unity and co-operation surrounding such important occasions as the Rite of Welcome or Mary Ward Day. Yet the yearly cycle of events can never be taken for granted.

There is, for me, a sense of something deeper in their essence, which I understand to be the gift of friendship that underpins everything that is done in our school.

During the course of a year we have a lot of visitors to St Mary’s and their comments always seem to focus on the spirit of warmth that they find here.

I have felt immensely valued and supported by pupils and colleagues in this beautiful school. It has been a blessing in my life. I value all the times we have sought God together in prayer and reflection; I recall the laughter among staff; I value the guidance and expertise of sound leadership; I consider the selflessness of all who care for this place; I think of the way that burdens are shared and worries are dissipated in the warmth of support. It has been a great privilege to end my career in education at this amazing school. I would like to thank everyone at St Mary’s who has enriched my life. There are no words of thanks adequate, but I say to you: “Take off your shoes, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”

I arrived in 2005, having never set foot in a private school before. I wasn’t sure I would stay long, but I have loved every minute of it.

My tutor groups have been brilliant without exception. The girls’ company on fieldtrips has been fantastic; it’s not really like going with students, such is their behaviour, interest and enjoyment – it’s more like going with friends. We’ve also done so many other things together – football club, climbing, high ropes, swimming – the list goes on.

Everyone involved in running the school, maintenance and ground people, kitchen staff, cleaners, ICT staff, house staff and teaching staff (who have I forgotten?) have been superb; they make our all lives better!

As for the future – in no particular order, there are mountains to climb, countries to visit, pre-St Mary’s fitness levels to get back to, a list of books as long as your arm to read, and as many university courses (nice short ones) as I can fit in.

In early 2003 I needed to find a senior school for my daughter. I was invited to an open morning at St Mary’s and half way around my tour I decided that she would love the school and grounds.

Luckily she agreed, and that was the start of five very happy years for her.

I joined as a maths teacher two years later and was immediately struck by the care and concern the girls were given by the whole St Mary’s community. I had always believed that preparing children for adult life, where they are independent, self-assured and positive in attitude, is a vital part of being educated.

For the last 7 years I have been a weekly boarder, as my husband had retired and moved to Cornwall.

Although I have thoroughly, enjoyed my time at St Mary’s I’m looking forward to joining him, and spending more time skiing, sailing, walking and visiting our family.

It gives us great pleasure to introduce the refreshed Beech Tree Magazine which will be published each term, keeping you up to speed on the exciting developments and educational initiatives here in our beautiful school.

We hope you have enjoyed this first edition. We welcome your feedback and know that you are up to all sorts of interesting things in life outside school, so do let us know if you have an idea or suggestion for an article.

We look forward, now, to a relaxing summer, during which we can take time to reflect on what has been a vibrant year at St Mary’s.

With deepest thanks from the editorial team,

Mel and Louisa communications@stmarys.eu

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St Mary’s School Shaftesbury Dorset SP7 9LP enquiries@stmarys.eu +44 (0)1747 852416

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