Inside Heathfield Issue 1

Issue Number 1, w/c 11th February 2013 What is Up in Chapel?

The school held its usual service of ashing on Wednesday to mark the beginning of Lent. There was, however, something highly unusual in the chapel - a giant bunch of brightly coloured balloons and suspended from the bottom a cross. This bizarre addition to the chapel is intended to remind us of the Pixar film Up where, by tying balloons to a house, Carl and Russell go on an iconic journey, floating Up into the atmosphere. Lent and Easter are also a journey; it is not just about giving something Up but a spiritual journey, where we travel with Christ through his passion, death and resurrection, learning and growing in Hope, Faith and Love as we go.

Up was the key theme for our Lenten reflections for this year with titles including: 'What is Up?', encouraging self-reflection, 'Making Up' fostering good relationships and 'Stepping Up', being more proactive about our faith. So back to our original question: What is Up in Chapel? The answer would have to be plenty!

Fr Tim, Chaplain

House Drama and Music There was romance in the air on 14th February, with our Combined House Drama and Music competition having a love theme. Each house was given a famous love film to adapt and perform, with live music to set the scene.

Somerville was up first with their adaptation of Moulin Rouge, based on an LA street dance scene. Their highly amusing play had excellent dance moves and the best actress of the night was awarded to Alexis (Form LVI), who played the main character of Charlie Crumble.

Evensong at Salisbury Cathedral

On a cold winter’s evening on 11th February 2013, Heathfield’s school choir performed a choral Next up was Austen, who bravely adapted Romeo and Juliet evensong at Salisbury Cathedral one of the finest medieval to Rupert and Julie. Set at an Heathfield/Eton social, the cathedrals in Britain. After an story was well transposed onto the modern theme. With the hour’s journey, we were warmly whole auditorium dancing to a remix of Taylor Swift’s ‘Love welcomed with a guided tour of the cathedral where we had the Story’, Austen were commended on their use of the whole opportunity to view the world's space, with Phoebe (Form III), playing Julie, clambering up oldest working clock and one of through the audience searching for her Rupert. the most celebrated documents in English history, the Magna Carta. de Valois entertained us with their version of Love Actually, with Seacole closing the night with Titanic. Each House had a At 5.30pm, the girls processed elegantly to the choir stalls and, cast made up of girls from Forms I to LVI, with musicians when they began to sing, their playing live to accompany the action. A selection of girls angelic voices were coloured by performed to the audience whilst adjudicator Miss Emma the echoes produced by the Munro-Wilson (Heathfield 1994 – 1997) decided on the structure of the tall building. The music department was very overall winning House – Seacole. thankful to all the parents who Janet (Form LVI) came along to support the girls during this magnificent occasion.

Miss Kong, Musician in Residence

Issue Number 1, w/c 11th February 2013 Heathfield Literary Conference 2013 The inaugural Heathfield Literary Conference was challenging and uplifting. Despite their contrasting styles and approaches, both of our guest authors, Lawrence Kormornick and Tessa Harris, pursued common themes: the constraints of working within a fiercely competitive world, where publishers might promise much, but deliver nothing, counterbalanced by the boundless rewards of the imagination when, finally, and, often unexpectedly, success arrived.

The pleasure the girls experienced throughout both talks was rapidly reflected in their enthusiasm to purchase books from both authors. A number of Form V and LVI students stayed for supper with Lawrence and Tessa where conversation flourished.

Mr Grey, Subject Leader—English

A Level Drama & Theatre Studies LVI and UVI drama students have been working hard since the Michaelmas Term on their examined performances for A Level Drama & Theatre Studies, with the LVI rehearsing an extract from Night, Mother by Marsha Norman.

Using a short extract from the final moments of the play, the students focused on the emotional build-up and devastating consequences faced by the characters. The girls have also been influenced by theatrical practitioner Konstantin Stanislavski, who demands both realism and in-depth characterisation on stage. The girls have applied a range of Stanislavski’s techniques to develop their acting skills and deepen their performances.

UVI students have had the challenge of devising their own piece of theatre based on a style of theatre of their choice. After much research and exploration, the group decided upon Epic Theatre as their chosen style, thus allowing them to explore a social-political subject matter with thought-provoking material. The students opted to present the debate, ‘Do we have too much or too little freedom in society?’ Having made this choice, the girls worked tirelessly to continue developing their play and refine their performance.

On Tuesday 12th February, a small invited audience of students came to watch and give their opinion to the emerging work. This vital feedback and the encouraging comments gave the girls a real boost, as they continue to develop and polish their pieces for the examination performance on Tuesday 19 th March 2013.

Mrs Bamford, Director of Drama

Austen Weekend – Trip to Jane Austen’s House When we arrived at Jane Austen’s house it was much bigger than we had imagined. On arrival, we met our tour guide and then watched a documentary on Jane Austen’s life and we learnt a lot!

We then had a look around her house which consisted of a kitchen, three bedrooms, a family room, dining room and a very petite library/office. We had a go at quill writing, which turned out to be very hard! We also made lavender bags, using the lavender grown in the garden. The one thing that really stood out for us was the 200 year old piano, which was in the hall, and the best thing was that we were allowed to play on it. However, the tour guide wasn’t too pleased with us playing a bit of Coldplay!

We then went back to the learning centre and saw the type of clothes Jane Austen would have worn and Lizzy (Form III), Sophie (Form III) and our housemistress had the chance to dress up in them. We learnt a lot and enjoyed going there on the trip.

Atalanta and Lizzy (Form III)

Issue Number 1, w/c 11th February 2013 Cornwall Photography Trip 2013 The residential photography trip to gather photo-shoots and research for the examination unit was a great success. It seems that whilst organising accommodation and travel, we also ordered blue skies and fairly warm weather! Girls found primary research at The Tate, St Ives, gained cultural influences at the Barbara Hepworth Sculpture museum, completed three personal topic photo-shoots in Newquay, Truro and St Ives, learnt how to use camera filters at sunset and take pictures at night, experimenting with exposure at Perranporth beach where we were staying. The owners of our hotel were so impressed with the quality of work produced that they offered our girls a chance to publish images of Cornwall on their website. A competition was arranged and everyone entered. Watch this space for more news of this!

Miss White, Teacher in Charge: Photography

Form III Life Saving

Make a Wish UK Cheque Presentation During recent swimming lessons half of Form III have been Annabel Hill from Make a Wish UK learning important water safety skills and rescue techniques attended Seacole’s House meeting on th with Miss Kay and Liam Burke (Swimming Coach). Lessons Thursday 14 February. House captains Ellie and Bea (Form LVI) presented the charity with a giant have varied from the basics of entering the water whilst cheque for £2859.37 on behalf of the House. The maintaining visual techniques, different life saving strokes money came from Seacole’s fundraising efforts at and rescuing people by towing (with and without buoyancy St Nicholas’s Stalls in November 2012. aids). On 12th February the girls were challenged to draw Miss Kemp, Head of House—Seacole on all that they had learnt and demonstrated their water safety skills whilst being fully clothed in jeans, woolly jumpers or pyjamas. Miss Kay, Deputy Head—Seacole and Teacher of PE

Meat Labelling

Word of the Week – Hirsute (hairy) Earlier in the term, Miss Sass quietly and somewhat mysteriously introduced Word of the Day to the girls, which they have fully embraced and our new e-newsletter allows us to share these words with you. During the final week before half term, the girls were introduced to some great words which included: hirsute (hairy), disingenuous (insincere), hullabaloo (a loud, confused noise), grandiloquent (to use unnecessarily long and complicated language) and scrimmage (a disorderly struggle). Hirsute was a particular favourite amongst the girls.

Miss Sass, Subject Leader—RS

Heathfield’s catering manager has been in constant talks over the last couple of weeks with suppliers regarding the issues which have been raised in the press with regards to meat labelling. Heathfield can confirm that ALL meat coming into Heathfield School is Red Tractor Assured and Quality Standard Marked.

Mr Turner, Catering Manager

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