Hilary Term 2017 Newsletter April 2017

HILARY TERM NEWS FROM RMS APRIL 2017

ACADEMIC

CREATIVE ARTS

SPORT

SCHOOL TRIPS

PERFORMING ARTS CHARITY

AND SO MUCH MORE...

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SPORTS NEWS It has been another successful term for RMS PE Department with a whole host of team and individual success stories. From Hockey and Netball to swimming, trampolining and gymnastics, PE at RMS involves a huge number of girls from across all age groups.

Australia Sports Tour 2017 At time of writing, our Australia Sports tour is in Sydney, enjoying some match play at Gordon North Sydney Hockey Club. They have also had a chance to experience some Aboriginal culture at the Waradah Aboriginal Centre, and have got up close and personal; with some indigenous wildlife at the Featherdale Wildlife Park.

The trip so far has included stays and matches on the Gold Coast, and in Cairns, where the girls were also able to enjoy some snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef.

Luckily they managed to escape the worst of Cyclone Debbie, and despite some rain in Sydney, have been very fortunate with the weather!

We are sure that the girls and staff are having an amazing time, and will of course bring you a full right up of the trip once they are safely back!

In the meantime, you can view some photos of the trip to date at http://bit.ly/RMSOz2017

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HOCKEY Year 7 Team This season the A and B team have performed extremely well in hockey. Our very first match the A team were playing against Queenswood and we conquered them with a final score of 2-0. The B team sadly lost 13-0, but put up a brave fight.

We have all done so well and whilst I won't mention every single result it is worth highlighting that the best score for the A team was 4-0 against Parmiters, and for the B's was 5-0 against St Michael's.

Next came the District tournament, where every player put in a 110% effort which showed in the results. Both the A and B team came first and were rewarded with a shield for each team. I look forward to an even better performance next season!

Livvy R Year 7 Hockey Captain

Year 8 Team This term in Year 8 hockey we have started playing on a full pitch which is 11 a side, instead of 7 a side. We have used all our skills we have learnt from last year and we have been developing them to be able to play on a full sized pitch.

We have had a very successful term and we have won most of our matches. In addition to this we have made it through to the county semi-finals as we came 4th in the county tournament.

Team 1 was also placed 2nd in the District tournament and Team 2 was placed 3rd with difficult matches.

We have come across many new good teams, for example Queenswood School, who we unfortunately lost to. After this match we have worked on all of the skills we need to improve and develop. Next year I think are going to be even better with all of the new skills and tactics we have learnt. Finally, we wouldn't of been able to do any of this without Mrs Booth, as she has kept us going when we were struggling and has taught us lots of new skills.

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HOCKEY Year 9 Team We started the term ready to develop our skills and were challenged in our first match against Queenswood which we unfortunately lost 4-0. An away match against a well prepared team. Next we faced Watford Girls and this time we were the better prepared and more skilful team winning 7-0. We showed how well we could play as a team. Simon Balle proved another tough match and we lost 5-0, but followed this with a brilliant win 4-0 against Tring, showing excellent dribbling past defenders and strong attacking. Our team has been working really well, with good communication. Our toughest match was against a very talented Presdales team who were fast and determined and we lost 16-1. Parmiters and JFK were our other opponents. We tied against Parmiters 2-2, right up until the final minutes when they scored to win 3-2. It was enjoyable and a battle up and down the pitch and a shame to just miss a win. In the District league, we finished 2nd overall where we missed out on 1st by losing to Parmiters. In the County tournament we came 4th so this meant we didn’t qualify for the semi’s. Overall the performance of the team has greatly improved over the term and it was always fun to take part. A huge thank you to Mrs Booth for her coaching and to the whole team for making it an enjoyable season.

Senior Team The Senior Team had a fantastic year of hockey. We managed to overcome some serious hurdles (such as the communication difficulty of there being 3 Jess's and 2 Emily's on the same team!), with the result of some excellent wins against old rivals.

The highlight has to be beating Parmiters during the District Cup, enabling us to claim the title of "District Champions". For Hannah and me, it was a particularly special moment, to finally come home with the gold after six years of silver.

Thank you very much to Mrs Spendiff for leading us to success. We wish her all the best with her new baby and look forward to soon hearing the pitter patter of some tiny astros on our beloved pitch.

Emily B & Hannah C (Captains)

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NETBALL Year 7 Team

It has been a privilege to be part of the netball squad this year. It has not just been two teams but a sporting family who always work hard for each other and cheers everyone on. Our coach always supports us, no matter what, and teaches us a lot of new skills and tactics. We have had a lot of fun playing netball after school, both at practices and matches. The teams have had a mixed season in terms of results although the B team has done well in the district league.

Montana G A team Captain

Year 8 Team Being netball captain for the Year 8 A team has been an amazing honour and experience. This season we have been unbeatable except one match against Berkhamsted.

It was extremely close but our team learnt from our mistakes and now we have improved massively.

We won our District League easily and were a close second in the County League. Our teamwork throughout the season has grown stronger and stronger by every match we played. Everyone in the A team has been outstanding but I have to give a special mention to Stephanie Bryer and Nia M-J as they have been picked as ‘Player of the Match’ several times which is an amazing achievement for these two girls.

I have had a brilliant time helping the team to victory and I hope that we can keep up the amazing teamwork for years to come.

Freya W A Team Captain

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NETBALL Year 8 B Team This netball season has been great. We all have had such a good experience each step of the way and have learnt how to cooperate with each other. This team has shown me that by ourselves, we aren't perfect at playing, but working as a team we can really push ourselves further and we can work as one - and our successes prove this! There have been so many great matches this season - one of my favourites was our match against Northwood College, which we won 21-1! There have also been some close, tough matches, like the one against Godstowe, which we narrowly lost 18-15, but as a result of this, we improved bother our match tactics and our skills.

At the end of each match, one player is named 'Player of the Match' and I know from experience that this such a rewarding feeling when you hear your name called, because it shows that you've gone that extra mile. Congratulations to Jennifer, Charlotte C, Taylor and many other players who have been awarded this title!.

Recently we won the league and just come first in our District Tournament, so on behalf of the team I would just like to say that we would not have been able to do this without the help of our coach, Mrs Joyce, and the A team supporting and helping us along the way. I hope that in Year 9 the netball team will be able to achieve even more and play even better than this year!

Amy F, Captain

Year 10 A Team The Year 10 A team had a great season, we had some great wins and managed to come third in the District Tournament.

Although we've had some tough matches we have always tried our best and never given up. We had an especially tough game against St Helen’s where we played with only six players and managed to win.

Overall it's been an amazing season and I have no doubt that next season will be even better!

Neneh G Captain

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NETBALL Year 10 B Team This season was a great season for the Year 10 netball B team. We were unbeaten, so therefore were crowned District Champions! We had two very tough matches; one against Haberdashers and one against St Albans High School. In both games all the girls played very well and we managed to beat Habs by one goal and we drew with St Albans High.

We played in the district tournament which was held at Parmiters and came joint first with Hab's.

Let's hope next year's season is as successful as this one.

Year 11 Team This season the Year 11 team have had a fantastic season, losing only two matches.

At the beginning of the season the team played in a competitive District Tournament held at Parmiters. The team finished in an excellent 2nd place by beating teams such as Parmiters, Queens and Watford Girls and only losing a very tight game to eventual winners Haberdashers.

Some of the team's best results this season include an 15-6 winning against local rivals St Clement Danes, an 18-7 win vs Parmiters and, in the last match of the season, a fantastic 2211 win against great rivals Haberdashers.

Well done to all the girls for an excellent season and a massive thank you to Mrs Rafter for being a superb coach and mentor throughout the season.

Becca W Captain

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NETBALL Senior Team This season has been characterised by a sense of enthusiasm and commitment which has resulted in a very successful season. This year’s combination of Year 12s and Year 13s has enabled us to have play a high standard of netball, with results to reflect this. The players' dedication to netball has allowed us to have two strong Senior teams competing at District level, with the Senior A also competing at County level. The talent amongst the Year 12s has led to adjustment of positions that has allowed us to improve our set plays and develop into a strong Senior A team, achieving some great result along the way.

A personal highlight was the RMS Tournament where the team played at an outstanding level, winning a very close match with North London Collegiate, allowing us to win the tournament.

The team’s determination was also apparent in the District Tournament where we fought to win four out of five games, losing out in an incredibly close match to Haberdashers, allowing us to babe runners up.

Overall, my last netball season at RMS has been a memorable, enjoyable and fulfilling one, with both teams working hard in order to achieve success. I would like to give a special thanks to Ms Stanley for organising our fixtures and to both Mrs Pooley and Mrs Rafter, who’ve have provided fantastic support and encouragement, whom without we wouldn’t have been able to have such a successful season.

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BADMINTON This season has been an astounding year for the RMS Badminton Teams across all age groups.

The Year 8 team have played exceptionally well.

During a friendly on the 28th of February, all three pairs won all their matches. There was an outstanding performance from Freya W and Holly T who consequently managed to reach the quarter finals in the League Tournament.

The Year 9 team have been particularly successful this season, winning themselves two league matches, with scores 8-1 against Watford Girls and 5-4 against Haberdashers. Year 9 pair one trained hard this term and managed to secure 3rd place in the Tournament. These well-deserved strong victories show the effort and dedication of the Year 9 team and the potential they have to keep winning during their time at RMS. The Year 10s and 11s had some tough competitions but nevertheless still managed to earn places in the tournament with the Year 10’s pairs 1 and 2 earning a place in the top 10 and the Year 11’s par one earning 3rd place overall. The Year 11s also won a league match against St Helens by a total of 5 points earlier in October this season.

This Senior team, together with the help of our coach Mr Adams, have managed to develop their skills and grow as a team. The competition this year was tough but the Senior team still managed to pull through by securing two top 10 positions in the Elite tournament as well as securing another top 10 place in the Tournament.

It’s been a delight to be Senior Captain for the Badminton team this year and has been incredibly rewarding to see success after success delivered across the age groups. I can only hope next year is even better with even more victories and medals.

Bhavini J School Badminton Captain

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SWIMMING Over the past six months, girls in the swimming team have been competing in both friendly and league swimming galas. Despite a busy revision schedule and looking at universities, the senior team got together and competed with good efforts. The team got off to an excellent start when we won a friendly gala against St Helens. This prepared us for the first of many league galas, which put us in a strong position to qualify for the finals.

This year the league is getting new trophies. The team with the highest number of points before the finals would receive the old trophy. I am proud to say that the junior team won this trophy after beating Berkhamsted by 10 points! With special mention to Cara O’T and Mirabelle W who won all their backstroke individual races throughout the league galas.

Our intermediate team which was comprised of exceptional swimmers lead to them coming first in their age category, along with the junior team coming in a close 2nd behind Berkhamsted.

Well done to all girls for a terrific swimming year.

Zayna H School Swimming Captain

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FOOTBALL Year 7 & 8 Team The Year 7 and 8 football team hasbdone really well this season. We were promoted to the A League as a result of last season's match results, and have had mixed fortunes so far this year. We have had some talented Year 7 players join the team which helped us to win our first match, against St Margaret's 10-1, and we continue to improve massively each and every training sessions. Despite some disappointing losses, we finished the season on a high with a very competitive 2-1 win over Queens School.

We have certainly learnt a lot this year, and have been benefiting from the Nuffield Health staff coaching.

I am looking forward to future matches, and would like to say well done to everyone who has played this season.

Arianna G Captain

Year 9 & 10 Team This year the Year 9 and 10 football team have played very well, we have trained every Friday at lunch with Mrs Joyce as our coach.

We have been successful against St Clement Danes but closely missed out on a win against St Margaret's and Watford Girls. I have thoroughly enjoyed captaining the team this year, Evie the vice-captain has helped me guide the team through tough times.

Hopefully next year’s season will prove even more successful!

Ella G Captain

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CROSS COUNTRY We have enjoyed a very successful cross country season this year. It began with the district championships, hosted at RMS on a new course in November. The Year 9, 10 and Senior teams all won the team event and we had a number of athletes qualify for the Herts Schools Championships.

This event took place at Westminster Lodge, St Albans and notable performance came from Carys A (Yr7), Ella P & Jane W (Yr9) and Caitlin J (Yr10). As a result of their performances both Caitlin, Jane and Grace Ingles qualified to compete at the National Final in Norfolk.

Running against the best athletes in England, Jane W finished an outstanding 7th place and has been selected to represent England in the Home Countries International taking place in Wales. This is an outstanding achievement and one that reflects the hard work and dedication that Jane has put into training over the years.

Congratulations to all our runners!

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GYMNASTICS There has been a lot of recent success within the Gymnastics team since the start of 2017, the hard work and time put in by all members of the squad has really paid off!

The Under 13 team consisting of Beatrice, Livvy, Thalia and Tara, came first in their Milano trio completion. The Under 19 team, which included Rachel, Miranda, Isabel and Amelia came 2nd in the Milano Trio, which meant that both teams qualified to compete at the National FInals.

Here, the Under 13 team came 11th, and the Under 19 team came 3rd overall in the entire country, and 1st in the Eastern region. This really was a fantastic result as the school has not placed for the Milano competition at national finals before! Well done to all the girls who took part In the Sports Acro competitions, in the pairs category, the Over 14 pair (Rachel and Gabi) came 2nd. In the tumbling category, Amelia came 1st and Tara 3rd in the U14 category, with Amelia Qualifying for National Finals in May. There was also great success with the Over 14 Acro team, when Serena, Manaalee, Isabel, Miranda, Ella and Beatrice came first and also qualified for nationals in May. The most recent competition was ISGA, where there was yet more success. Both the Under 15, and Over 15 groups came 1st in their group sequences, and 2nd overall. Special mention should also go to Amelia D who came 5th overall, a fantastic result.

It is clear that the RMS gym team has been doing extremely well this year, and this is not only due to their own hard work, but the work of their coaches; Miss Lusted and Mrs Charefeddine, without whom they would not be able to enter these competitions, and progress so far in them .

The girls are now working hard in order to be www.royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk

prepared for Sports Acro National Finals next

SPORTS PARTNERSHIP The Watford and Three Rivers School Sports Partnership provides a huge range of different sporting opportunities for our pupils from Cadogan House girls all the way through to senior girls. Not only are our pupils able to participate in a competitive nature, RMS have also hosted various events enabling our Sports Leaders to gain valuable experience in leading and officiating.

Several of the Year 10 girls, as well as Miss Bench and Mrs Marsh, undertook and passed the England Hockey Level 1 Hockey umpiring course run by the partnership earlier this year and have been using their skills to help officiate at tournaments and matches.

Competitions that Cadogan House pupils have competed in include for Year 4 Dance, Golf (where one team reached the district finals) and Indoor Athletics in which the team won the district finals. Year 5 have taken part in the Cross Country after which some girls were invited to compete in the district Competition and Hockey while the Year 6 girls have competed in Indoor Athletics and the Netball High 5’s league and finals.

In addition Year 2 and Year 3 pupils have enjoyed a morning each of some IntraSchool sports led by Sport Partnership staff. They learnt to observe rules and the value of working together in teams within a competitive situation while developing their skills at the same time.

The Year 7s and 8s have again enjoyed competing in the Multi Sports event in table tennis, football, cricket, trampolining, and dance. We also had a team competing in the Indoor Athletics for both year groups where each team finished a close second place.

The Badminton Under 14 team won our district competition and proceeded to the County Finals with the same success achieved by our trampolining squad.

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PERFORMING ARTS Spectrum Dance Show On Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th March, many girls from Years 7-13 took part in Spectrum Dance Show. As the name suggests, it was themed around colours, which gave us many ideas for new dances such as 'Girls Just Want To Have Fun' (pink) and 'One' (silver). We had the chance to work independently to choreograph solos or group dances, as well as Fusion taking part in whole company dances choreographed by Mrs Isherwood and Serena (Year 13 Fusion choreographer).

Spectrum was a brilliant opportunity for all girls in the school to get involved with school dance and contribute to an incredible performance. We all worked extremely hard to put on the best show possible, so were thrilled to hear all the wonderful compliments we were given after the shows.

Spectrum gave us the chance to develop our choreography and difficult dance skills, but most importantly, it hugely improved our ability to perform and engage with the audience.

The dance show was proof of the impressive dance community we have at RMS, and was a very rewarding way of showcasing our talents.

On behalf of all the girls involved in Spectrum, thank you to Serena, Shona, Sophie, Sarah, Mrs McCarthy and Mrs Isherwood for helping us to put on such a great performance.

A special thank you also goes to Sophie Stewart in Year 12 who took all the wonderful photographs you can see here.

Miranda, Year 9

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PERFORMING ARTS Disney Magic

On the 21st-23rd March, the Faculty of Performing Arts staged its annual Lower School Production, featuring many girls from Years 7 to 9. This year, the production was "Disney Magic", a show full of all our favourite songs, from ‘Let it Go’ to ‘The Bare Necessities" and plenty more!

The cast, who have been rehearsing since late November, performed their Disney extravaganza in The Space. Mrs Whitbread and Ms Heaffey worked extremely hard to help the girls to put on the production. The play couldn’t have happened without them or the makeup & costume, sound, lighting and props crew. And of course, the spectacular band.

You can see more photos of the production here Eva O

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PERFORMING ARTS Spring Concert On Tuesday 28th March, the Performing Arts held their annual Easter Concert. As it was Mr Carson’s first RMS concert the theme had to be spectacular, hence the theme of "A Night at the Movies". The music ranged from famous movies such as Titanic, Star Wars, James Bond, Chicago and many others.

The whole concert began with a dramatic medley of well-known themes such as Star Wars, Jurassic Park and ET from The Royal Masonic Symphony Orchestra (RMSO). Our love with "The Lion King" also continued with "Can You Feel the Love Tonight". The Titanic medley from Wind Band was outstanding, and Mr Robb did an excellent job of arranging the parts to create an emotive piece of music. All we needed was Jack and Rose to act out the famous scenes!

A highlight of the night was the performance of the Upper Sixth choristers singing Over the Rainbow. This was an emotional piece for the Sixth Formers as it was the last time they were going to perform together and their last concert. However, the Faculty of Performing Arts made sure to thank them for their hard work and we all wish them best in the future.

The whole concert was finished with a 007: Through the Years Medley by Sinfonia, which ensured that the evening ended on a high!

I would just like to say a huge thank you to all of the Performing Arts teachers for helping us achieve the standard we did, as well as organising an opportunity for all of us to perform!

Layla CA

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PERFORMING ARTS Portrait of our Event Photographer

Sophie Stewart is currently studying Art, Photography and Production Arts in the Sixth Form.

Sophie's love of photography began when she was on holiday in South Africa as a small girl.

Her brother had taken a camera and she became fascinated by all his photographs of the wild animals.

Sophie is hoping to develop her artistic skills further by going on to study Fine Art at university and then possibly move into Special Effects Make Up for stage and film.

Sophie has been the official photographer for Spectrum Dance Show and Disney Magic and here are some of the wonderful photographs that she took.

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VISUAL ARTS Congratulations to Turaya in Year 12 who has been shortlisted for the Regent's International Fashion Competition. The subject of the competition was "Sustainability" and Turaya used pre-worn denim and elements of RMS school uniform including shirts and a Cadogan House pinafore. Her design, modelled by fellow Sixth Former Megan, and her design board were both entered in the competition and are both pictured.

Entries into the competition came from around the world, with the other two finalists coming from Turkey and the Czech Republic. The shortlisted entries will be shown at a static exhibition prior to the Graduate Fashion Show and the winner and runners up will be announced by our panel of fashion industry judges.

The winning student and their school will both receive a first prize package in the form of beautiful fashion books from Bloomsbury, including Stuart McKenzie’s Creative Fashion Illustration. Two runners up will each receive a fantastic fashion book.

The show itself promises to be an exciting event. with fashion press and industry in attendance, and there will be a substantial amount of publicity around the event. The show will be produced by international fashion show producer, John Walford, who started Graduate Fashion Week with Jeff Banks and who has produced shows for designers such as Vivienne Westwood, Hussein Chalayan and Margaret Howell, for London Fashion Week, the Paris Couture Shows and Shanghai Fashion Week. Prize-winning London Fashion Week photographer Simon Armstrong will be shooting the fashion show.

We are hugely proud of Turaya's achievement so far, and wish her well for the next stage of the competition - the winner will be announced by a panel of fashion industry judges and we look forward to sharing this news with you! Congratulations Turaya!

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SCIENCE NEWS Bang Goes RMS - Thursday 27th April 2017 The Senior School Science Department, with the support of FORMS, would like to invite you and your family & friends for a fun and exciting evening featuring two Science Ambassadors from STEM NET and a series of science demonstrations carried out by current RMS pupils and science staff.

STEM ambassadors use their enthusiasm and commitment to encourage young people to enjoy STEM subjects. They open the doors to a world of opportunities and possibilities which come from pursuing STEM subjects and careers. STEM Ambassadors not only inspire young people, they also support communities by explaining current applications of STEM in industry or research.

Our visiting STEM ambassadors for this event are: Jerry Stone, Fellow of the British Interplanetary Society, who will deliver an interactive presentation called "Space Is Big!�, which provides an introduction to the Earth, Moon and the planets. Dr Stone is a freelance presenter on Astronomy and Space Exploration, author of "One Small Step", commemorating the first men on the Moon, founder of The Sir Arthur Clarke Awards President of The Mars Society UK Prof. George Tuckwell PhD FGS CGeol CSci, Honorary Professor in Engineering Geophysics, University of Birmingham, will give an interactive talk on geophysics. Specifically he will talk about how we use seismic waves to understand the interior of the earth (and soon other planets), the monitoring of nuclear weapons tests, and the safety of fracking for shale gas. The audience will create some waves and be some waves to understand how they work.

If you would like to attend, please email Pippa Hopkins on phopkins@royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk to book your place

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SIXTH FORM Young Enterprise On Wednesday 28th March, Baggle was invited to KPMG in Watford for the South West Hertfordshire Young Enterprise Final.

Baggle is an innovative, up-cycled, handmade bag handle, which enables you to carry multiple bags at once with comfort. Five members from our team of 10 travelled to this event where it would be decided if we proceeded through to the next round of the competition.

At KPMG, we set up our trade stands and four judges interviewed us asking us various questions about our product, finances and Company Report. After we performed our presentation to all the judges, teachers as well as the other 12 teams there, we had to talk about our business for four minutes after which, the judges were open to ask us questions.

Once all the teams had completed their presentations, awards were handed out. We won the award for ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship’ and the ‘Company of the Year 2017’.

Consequently, we have been selected to go through to the next round of the competition.

On the 25th April, we will attend the County Finals at Hatfield Business Park where we will present once again. We would like to thank everyone who has supported us on our journey so far and in particular our Business Adviser, Mr Bannister. This has been an amazing experience for our team and we are beyond thrilled by how far we have come.

Anna, Managing Director

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SIXTH FORM Model United Nations With weeks' worth of notes ready for discussion and 80s outfits chosen for Saturdays 'shack night', twenty six Year 12s headed to the Haileybury Model United Nations conference for a weekend of fruitful, insightful and enjoyable debate.

Having previously been put into committees dedicated to a particular topic, such as Human Rights or Disarmament, we spent the first half of the weekend in our particular groups lobbying and debating to pass what we believed to be the most successful resolution.

These resolutions had been produced in an attempt to tackle a specific global issue, for example the governance of refugee camps in the Middle East.

The successful resolutions were then taken to the General Assembly at which over 600 delegates, representing over a hundred countries and having travelled from a multitude of different places, thoughtfully and intensely scrutinised each proposal.

It was a successful weekend for many of the RMS delegates with a proposed amendment

by Issie being included in one of the successful resolutions! The entire experience was highly useful in challenging ideas, improving speaking and listening skills and communicating complex and potentially contentious ideas. An undoubtedly big thank you must go to Mr Grogan for organising the trip and also to Nurse Burrows for accompanying us.

Emily F, Year 12

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SCHOOL TRIPS Harrow International School Beijing Persephone: Beijing was a great experience and i would recommend it to Year 8 because you learn a lot about the Chinese way of living. The highlight of the trip was that i made a lot of new friends and i really miss them. I learnt about the Chinese culture and what people do. I had the time of my life. I even thought it was worth waking up at 6:00 in the morning!!! I would totally recommend this trip this has been a life time opportunity.

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SCHOOL TRIPS Rosie: My trip Bangkok has really helped to become more independent and also to spend more time learning about different culture. We sent two weeks without our parents in a foreign country and found out that we need them more than we think! I learnt to be more organised with my belongings and to make sure that I had an alarm set every morning. I also learnt to open myself up to learn about new and different cultures. We visited many temples and palaces in Bangkok and it was nothing like I have ever seen. I have learnt to spend more time learning about different cultures from around the world Bisola: During the two whole weeks, I have enjoyed the different activities of each day. I have loved getting to know Bangkok and getting to socialise with the students from both Harrow International School and John Lyon School. My favourite bit of the whole trip was getting to live the Bangkok experience. I have really enjoyed the trip, I'm already planning on going back to see my friends again. It has been an experience I will never forget.

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SCHOOL TRIPS Emma: During my time in Bangkok, I experienced a whole new culture and way of life, that I didn't know existed. We started our trip with a visit to Koh Samet, which was an amazing and beautiful spot. Here, we got used to the new climate and overcame our jet lag, as well as getting to know everyone and having fun in the sea. My highlight was snorkelling where we were taken by boat to some breathtaking places and left to explore the sea life.

I also learnt new things about myself and became more independent as the trip unfolded. I really enjoyed seeing the sights of Bangkok, from going to the 83rd floor of the tallest building in Thailand, to cycling around the Ancient City and travelling by boat and Skytrain.

Harrow International school also played a huge part in our trip. I really enjoyed going to a mixed international school for the first time. It was very different to RMS and the hot climate made the mood all the more jolly and everyone more relaxed. The school also looked very different as it was a lot more modern than RMS, it was also a lot larger. Although Thailand felt like a whole new world there was still the familiar sights of Mac Donald’s and Starbucks.

Being able to keep in contact with friends in family meant that I didn't get homesick Nishka: My trip Bangkok has really helped to become more independent, self security and also to spend more time learning about different culture. We sent two weeks without our parents in a foreign country and found out that we need them more than we think. I learnt to be more organised with my belongings in and make sure that I had an alarm set every morning. When we went to the shopping centres I learnt to make sure we got back to our meeting place on time as well as making sure I knew how to get back. Security is also something that I learnt because I had to make sure I was safe as well as my money that I was carrying when we out to markets on the street. We were privileged enough to be allowed to shop as well as sight see by ourself and I had to make sure that I was safe.

Independence and security was not all I learnt from this trip. I also learnt to open myself up to learn about new and different cultures. We visited many temples and palaces in Bangkok and it was nothing like I have ever seen. I have learnt to spend more time learning about different cultures from around the world because if I had not come on this trip I would not have learnt and seen what I did.

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SCHOOL TRIPS Harrow International School Bangkok Hopefully, lots of you were able to keep up with the girls adventure in Bangkok via the trip blog - if not, you can still read it here: https://rmsforgirlsblog.wordpress.com/ Since returning to RMS, we have asked the girls about their experience, the high points and what they think they learnt from it... Here are their thoughts: Ella: When we went to Bangkok we had a range of experiences. Some new, some not. My personal favourite was going to Koh Samet for the weekend. It was nice just to chill out and relax after our long flight. There we spent most of our day in the water whether it was was the sea or the pool, snorkelling or just swimming. This suited me just fine as the temperatures made it hard to stay out for too long. After the beach my second favourite was the Baiyoke Tower. We went here on our second night in Bangkok and ate at the restaurant on the 82nd floor which had an amazing view (and amazing food!!!). After dinner we went up to the top where we revolved and got a full view of the beautiful Bangkok. It made our heads spin but was well worth it. Overall I loved the trip and would say yes if someone invited me again in a second. Thank you to Mrs Adamson for taking us all.

Eleanor: I really enjoyed the Bangkok HIS exchange trip. I have never stayed away from family for that long before, but I soon got used to it!.We didn't get much time to stop and miss home as the days were so busy! I found the trip very interesting, especially seeing how the international school functions, and how it is both similar to and different from RMS. I also enjoyed seeing all of the temples and cultural sites such as the Grand Palace. My favourite aspect of the trip was actually the school days, as I loved seeing how the school worked and meeting all of the students. The school grounds were huge, like a campus, and included an Olympic size swimming pool! The school day went from 7.30 to 2.40, so an earlier start and finish than at RMS. Activities were from 3.00-5.00pm, and they were a big thing at the school. Everyone has to do at least two per week, and most people do something most days. The main big difference was that rather than doing activities out of school the pupils do them in school. Overall the trip really showed me what life is like for the Thai students, and opened my eyes to the wonderful culture of Thailand. I really enjoyed it.

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SCHOOL TRIPS Other recent school trips have included a Sixth Form Geography trip to Devon, a History trip to Berlin, and a Spanish language trip to Alicante. We will bring you write-ups of these trips early next term, but in the meantime, here are some photos to enjoy....

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SCHOOL TRIPS

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SCHOOL TRIPS

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SCHOOL CHARITY UPDATE This term has certainly been packed to the brim with fundraising events!

With the valued help from our Year 7-11 and Year 12 Committees, we have pushed ourselves to the limit, to ensure that we raise as much money as we can during the short amount of time left at our disposal.

Examples of events we have done include a cake sale and a staff bleep test, and Pet Photo Competition, all of which were a success. Congratulations must go to Mr Grogan, who has been the reigning champion of the staff bleep test, ever since it was first started! Special thanks must also go to all of the teachers that took part, including Miss Cook, Miss Walker, Mr Piqueiras, Mrs Joyce, Mrs Roberts, Mrs Brockie and Mrs Beedell, all of whom gave up their lunch time to support the charity. In addition, a group of dedicated Year 12 Committee members launched and carried out RMS’ fiercest competition to date; RMS’ Cutest Pet Competition. This received a great deal of attention and support from all years of the Senior School, including staff members, and everyone enjoyed seeing the entries, which were displayed on boards at Centre Doors.

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SCHOOL CHARITY UPDATE We must also thank parents and guardians who have been consistently generous, when donating to our bucket collections at school events throughout the year. This term, Committee members have collected at the ‘Lion King’ performances in Prep, the Year 7 – 9 Disney Magic shows, and the annual Spring Concert. It is the support that we have received at these events that has really made a difference to our fundraising efforts, so thank you!

Although such fundraising has often required a great deal of organisation, preparation and thought, it has definitely been worthwhile; even within the last couple of weeks alone, we have managed to raise a staggering £1553.33, which we are so proud of! This has brought us even closer to our £10,000 goal, which is now so very near in sight; this is very exciting and quite honestly unbelievable!

A final vote of thanks must be given to our Charities Committees, without whom, none of this would have been possible. It has been lovely to hear, develop and implement their ideas, and it has been particularly lovely to see them undertake their own innovative fundraising ideas of their own accord.

They have shown a great deal of commitment to the fundraising process and we have loved seeing them evolve as the year has gone on.

As the date of our cheque hand-over fast approaches, on the 19th May, only a handful of fundraising events remain. These include our diverse Charity Quiz Night, run by Elizabeth W and Mia R in Year 12, our professional Make-up Masterclass, run by Rosie N and Nikki G in Year 12, and finally our innovative Year 7 – 9 £2 Challenge. More information about these fantastic events can be found below!

Thank you to the whole RMS Community, for your support and encouragement throughout this year; we really appreciate it!

EASTER £2 CHALLENGE!!!

For students in Years 7 to 9 have been given a chance to sign up to the £2 Challenge!

They have been given £2, and their job is to grow this money as much as they can, by undertaking fundraising and sponsorship events! Fun ideas that we have given the students include: Selling handmade items to friends, family and neighbours, doing some babysitting, holding a cake sale, carwashing, doing chores, doing a sponsored read or a sponsored silence...the list is endless! Basically we are encouraging students to do anything they can think of to make money for the School Charity!

The people who raise the most money will be rewarded with some fun prizes! Plus, the girls will know that the money you've made is going to a great cause, Sparks!!

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SCHOOL CHARITY UPDATE CHARITY QUIZ NIGHT FOR SPARKS! We would like to invite you to an entertaining evening of challenging questions to honour the school charity; Sparks. This event will be held in the New Mark Hall on Friday 5th May at 7:30pm. Tickets will cost £10 per head with a maximum team number of 8. You have the option to pay for your tickets on the door but please email one of the addresses on the poster so that there is enough room for your party to attend. On arrival, there will be a bar and nibbles.

Children are welcome to attend, however the questions are aimed at 16 year olds and over.

Please encourage parents, family and friends to come along to help raise money for such a worthwhile cause! For more information, please read the poster attached or email one of us.

We hope to see as many of you there as possible!

Elizabeth Whittaker 6R1 & Mia Robertson 6W1 MAKE-UP MASTERCLASS!!!

Come along to Alex Studio to be a part of an amazing make-up masterclass that we are offering.

Mrs Narden is a professional TV make-up artist, with a wealth of knowledge and experience, not only about make-up but also about the industry itself. She works mainly on TV, but has also worked on many short films and weddings too. Her work on TV includes ITV breakfast, such as ‘GMB’ and ‘This Morning’, as well as on comedy panel shows, like ‘Have I Got News for You’, ‘Mock the Week’, ‘Last Leg’ and ‘Room 101’.

This is a fantastic opportunity and would be great for anyone who is interested in entering the Make-Up or fashion industries as a career, or for anyone who is just interested in make-up!

Mrs Narden will cover a day look and a night-time look, which will be followed by a Q&A session.

Contact the emails below if you would like to come and then pay for your ticket on the door.

This promises to be a really fun and interesting event and all proceeds raised will be generously donated to our charity, Sparks.

Where: Alex studio.

When: 10th May Time: 4:15 – 5:30pm.

Open to: Years 7-13 and teachers are all welcome.

Tickets: £5.

Contact: rnarde18@royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk or ngreav18@royalmasonic.herts.sch.uk We hope to see lots of you there!

Katie and Hannah

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SCHOOL CHARITY UPDATE

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FORMS NEWS

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