Issue Number 45 - January 2016
Official STEM opening by Professor Robert Winston Last Thursday we were delighted to welcome Professor Robert Winston to Heathfield to officially open the new STEM building. Prior to cutting the ribbon and revealing the memorial plaque with Mrs Heywood, the world-renowned fertility expert spoke to a packed audience of girls, parents and staff about his work and thoughts on genetics. In particular, he singled out the outstanding work of female scientists. Discussing the background to his work in embryology and how it started with a desire to help a young woman whose first child had died of a genetic disorder, he told the girls about the exemplary work of three women in his current team, saying: ‘They are typical of what you can do. Young women should not feel they are less able than young men. In many areas of science, there are more women than men and all of those three women have raised happy and healthy families alongside their work. I am not half as good a role model for you than any one of those women. What I find is that women work in wonderful collaboration and what we do collectively is very important.’ He added: ‘The young woman I was able to help in my early career went on to have healthy twins who I had tea with the other day – they are now young women. It was an amazing experience to be able to help and that is why science is so wonderful.’ Professor Winston warned that it was sometimes easy for scientists ‘to be seduced by a sense of their own infallibility’ and advised that girls considering science as a career should remember their responsibility was ‘always to the individual not to society’. Touring around the STEM building, Professor Winston met and talked with the girls carrying out experiments and demonstrating their work. After the book signing, Professor Winston hosted a Q&A session in the library for a selection of girls on his life and career and gave his thoughts on recent advances in genetics. Mrs Heywood said ‘It was a huge honour to have him here and for him to take so much time to talk to the girls, engage with them and answer their questions. I am sure he has inspired many of them to think about a career in the sciences.’
Key dates for your diary Exeat: Friday 22 January – Sunday 24 January Thoroughly Modern Millie: Thursday 4 & Friday 5 February Founder’s Day: Friday 5 February Half Term: Friday 12 February – Sunday 21 February Exeat: Friday 4 March – Sunday 6 March Closed Weekend: Saturday 19 March – Sunday 20 March Open Morning: Saturday 19 March 10am – 12.30pm End of Term: Wednesday 23 March Please see school calendar for details of other events