Easter 2017 Issue 1
Stimulating Science Week During British Science Week in March we hosted and attended a series of talks on ethics in science, the last of which was given by Katherine Wright, from Nuffield Council for Bioethics, who gave a thoughtprovoking talk on ethics and cosmetic surgery. Girls across the school enjoyed a huge variety of activities during the week including coding, Molcraft (Minecraft, but with molecules!), the Bath Science Festival, the National Science Poster competition and a lecture by the Young People’s Trust for the Environment on climate change. Hands-on activities during lessons included wiring plugs and making bouncy balls.
One highlight for the department was the excellent DNA technology workshop at Bristol University attended by our UVI Biologists. It gave the girls an insight into working in a university laboratory with professional teacher-lecturers, using specialist technical tools as well as revising aspects of their genetics course in a novel way. They predicted their phenotypes for a ‘taste’ gene and then analysed their DNA to identify their genotype using a series of complex processes. St Mary’s students shared the workshop with pupils from Clayesmore and Kings Bruton.
Mini Messiah 100 voices in tuneful accord: one Tuesday evening in February, the Chapel rang out to the sound of the combined Chapel Choirs of St Mary’s, Sandroyd School and Knighton House School in a performance of Handel’s eternal masterpiece Messiah. Ranging in age from 8 to 18, the singers sang the choruses with tremendous confidence, delivering the biblical messages home to a warm and enthusiastic audience. The whole was accompanied by an orchestra of nine (including trumpet and drums for the barnstorming Hallelujah Chorus) and the solos were sung beautifully by the pupils of St Mary’s. This was an evening of sensational music-making and one that will linger in the pupils’ memories for a very long time. We’re looking forward to developing the next chapter of this project next year!
The design brief was to take a book or a story as an inspiration and produce a three-dimensional illustration using old recycled books. Scenes from classics such as ‘Treasure Island’, ‘Peter Pan’ and ‘Oliver Twist’ sprung up from the pages of the old books, as well as contemporary fantasy novels featuring dragon caves and the streets of London. The entire display of St Mary’s work was presented in the form of an installation – a reading corner where each book appeared as if it had stories spilling out of its pages with the books lit with (nonflammable!) tea-lights. It was wonderful to see our girls’ work displayed alongside creative pieces by students from 11 other schools in the South West.
Library of Ideas
We were thrilled to be awarded Best in Show at the Salisbury library ‘Library of Ideas’ exhibition where LIV Design students displayed their projects during February and March.