Welcome to Sherborne Girls for International Pupils by Sherborne Girls

WELCOME TO SHERBORNE GIRLS

The international community of Sherborne Girls warmly welcomes you to the School. I hope that these letters from some of our international pupils offer helpful advice and give you an insight into some of the international events that happen throughout the school year.

Mrs Rosemarie Middlehurst

Letter from Rosemarie Middlehurst

Head of EAL

Hello and a very warm welcome to Sherborne Girls! I am delighted to be part of your next big adventure. Whether this is your first time studying in the UK or you’ve experienced British education before, starting at a new school in a new country is a big step and we are here to support you every step of the way.

It is normal to be excited and nervous as you prepare to join, and your mind will be on things like making friends, cultural differences, the weather, and the food. There are many things to look forward to, too, like ancient school traditions, new clubs and sports, beautiful grounds, passionate and supportive teachers, and the life-changing experience of boarding.

At Sherborne Girls, we celebrate the rich diversity that international pupils benefit our community with. You’ll find that your classmates and teachers are curious, kind, and eager to learn about your culture, language, and experiences. In return, you’ll have the chance to immerse yourself in British life, make international friends, and focus on your studies with lots of opportunities for fun, too!

Our EAL programme is designed to help you feel confident and capable in your English, both in and out of the classroom. You’ll have lessons tailored to your needs, and everyone here

understands that learning in a second language can be challenging at times. The English you hear here will be different – natural and fast and casual. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, repeat things, or take your time. We’re here to help.

As you prepare to join us, my advice is to use your voice, even when you’re feeling shy or uncertain. Speak up, be heard, make yourself known. Joining Sherborne Girls is an incredible opportunity, so give every sport or club or trip or new experience a try. Throw yourself into everything, talk to everyone, and you will soon find your place. You may experience some culture shock, the first two weeks may feel overwhelming at times; give it time, relax into it, don’t give up, ask for help. You will have prepared for this, and we are experts in helping students just like you feel comfortable and settle in.

Sherborne Girls is a place where friendships grow quickly, laughter is shared often, and support is always close by. I look forward to meeting you soon and hearing all about your journey to Sherborne Girls.

Mrs Rosemarie Middlehurst Head of EAL

Letter from Weiting in U4

Dear new girls,

I am Weiting from U4, I am from China and I joined SG last September. I am sure you are all very excited to join us, but also a little bit nervous. When I first came here, I was also very nervous about many things such as the language, prep and sports because I have never played the sports that we play here. However, when I came, I soon realised that you don’t need to worry about anything here. The teachers will explain everything to you and you can ask them anything. It’s normal if you are a bit homesick at first, but you can always call home and the teachers are always there to help you too.

Here are some top tips from me. First of all, bring loads of stickers and photos to decorate your dorm area to make it feel like home. Secondly, don’t worry if you think you can’t really understand what the teachers are talking about in lessons, you can always ask your teacher afterwards or your tutors. Again, the teachers will always be there to answer any questions you have. Lastly, always remember to have lots and lots of fun with your friends!

Looking forward to meeting you!

Weiting Yin

Letter from Mia in U4

Dear new international girls,

My name is Mia and I am from Spain. Settling into life at school was surprisingly easy, because everybody is so nice and welcoming, but a piece of advice I would give is that you shouldn’t be shy. Put yourself out there, and then it will be much easier to make friends and for people to get to know you. It might be difficult at first, but I promise you that by the third day you are going to have so many new friends if you do this.

Also, remember that here it is completely OK to feel a bit sad or homesick, and since everybody here is always so caring, they’ll look after you for the whole time.

I only stayed for a year, but I was surprised about how much fun and

how many good memories I created here at Sherborne Girls in that short time. Personally I loved doing speech and drama lessons, so if you love drama I really recommend it. Also, all the trips we went on at the weekends were amazing, including surfing, Christmas markets, ice skating, camping trips as well as all sorts of fun activities in House too.

I hope all of you have a wonderful time here at this marvellous school and that you make new friends and learn lots like I did!

Yours, Mia

Letter from Charlotte Finch in U6

I’m Charlotte and I am this years international and global prefect. This means that I’m in charge of all activities put on by students for international girls. I know it may seem daunting going to a brand new school especially in a new country away from your parents. However, living in a boarding house means you make instant connections with the girls around you and they quickly start to feel like a second family.

My advice would be to throw yourself into all the activities and remember that for many of the girls this is also

their first experience boarding so will be feeling the same as you! Don’t be afraid to ask for support from house staff or older girls in house who are also international and will know exactly how you’re feeling! Sherborne Girls is a diverse school with girls coming from all over the world, so you will never be alone in how you’re feeling. If you ever need support or comfort, please come find me around school!

Best wishes Charlotte

Letter from Fumino in U5

Dear new girls,

Welcome to Sherborne Girls! My name is Fumi. I think you might be anxious about friendships, studying in a different country and in a different language, being homesick and a new life in England. I understand these emotions because I came here from Japan.

Let me tell you about my first day at Sherborne Girls. Before I came to school, I was nervous because I was the only Japanese girl in my House and my English was not fluent. However, all the girls in my year group were there to welcome me and at dinner on the first night we talked about ourselves, and we immediately got on. At Sherborne Girls, everyone gets on regardless of where we are from. Everyone is so easy to talk to, and if you feel homesick, you can talk to your friends because maybe they are feeling the same as well.

Here’s some advice. Go on school trips because it is a good way to make even more friends. In April I went to Greece

with my friends, and I had an amazing week! We went to many museums to learn about the history and had lots of fun too. If you’re keen on trips, don’t miss these opportunities.

Before I came to Sherborne Girls, I only hung out with my friends from my school in Tokyo. Now I have friends from all over the world and they encourage me to try new things. In less than one month I made quite a few new friends that I could share my feelings with. I can depend on them.

Before I came to SG, I was not open to new ideas, and I did a lot of gaming in my free time but since I came to SG, I have discovered so many new activities. I am now much more adventurous. I play badminton, I play the drums and I love my art lessons. Now I am more active, and my days are super full.

I hope you will love it here like I do!

Fumi

Letter from Ashley U4

Welcome to Sherborne Girls! I'm Ashley.

Being a new girl, you might feel anxious about making friends, just like I was. However, please, don't worry. Just try not to be too shy and then you will find that making friends is a piece of cake. Find out about your dorm mates by asking them about themselves, and soon you will have a lovely homey dorm.

Being an international girl, you might feel homesick, but again don’t worry, you can talk to the Chaplain in the Ark, which is a cosy place in main school; she is so kind and understanding. Also, at Sherborne Girls, we’ve got lots of international clubs, such as the Japanese club, and we hold different international events like the Japanese school trip,

the Chinese New Year dinner … so, it might help you guys settle in and not feel so far from home.

As a boarder your days will always be full as the School puts on different events every weekend, such as socials with other schools, trips to the cinema, and even camping trips. The housemistress will also give you surprises, such as bringing an ice cream truck to School!

Finally, I am really looking forward to meeting you, and I hope you have a great time at Sherborne Girls. Wishing you all the best!

Ashley

Letter from Ayako L5

Dear new girls,

Welcome to Sherborne Girls. My name is Ayako.

How are you feeling about coming to Sherborne Girls? Excited? Nervous? I felt nervous when I arrived, and I thought everyone would have at least one best friend and I would not be able to talk to them. Anyway, I WAS able to talk to my room mates easily. If you are not an outgoing person, here is a tip how to make friends with your roommates. First, ask them loads of questions to get to know them, and also talk about the things that you have in common with them.

Also, if you are coming to West the teachers and the staff are friendly too.

When I came here, they helped me settle in, and it was much faster than I expected. They can help you answer any questions you have about prep, your schedule, and anything else you might be worried about.

The food is delicious!! There are some international foods. I especially like the Chinese bao buns and the Katsu curry. They are yummy!

Make sure you are ready to have fun as well as study at Sherborne Girls!! Have a super first term.

Ayako

Introduction from the International Co-ordinator

I am the International Co-ordinator at Sherborne Girls and I also teach Chinese. Every year before the new school year begins, I look forward to meeting all of you from around the world and spending time getting to know you.

I think this may be your first experience at a boarding school, or perhaps your first time living in another country. You must be excited yet a bit nervous. I understand your feelings very well because I have had similar experiences. I can tell you that the excitement will outweigh the nervousness, as you will discover many things that are different from what you are used to, such as different schedules, different languages, different learning methods, different eating habits, different customs and cultures, and

many more differences waiting for you to discover and explore. After some time, you will soon realise that this experience will become a treasured memory in your life!

In our school, you will not feel lonely, teachers and older pupils will provide you with a lot of help, both academically and in daily life. Besides academics, there are a variety of extracurricular activities and a diverse cultural life at the school, and we also celebrate many traditional festivals from different countries to help pupils understand various cultures. For example, Diwali from India, the Mid-Autumn Festival from China, Eid al-Fitr from the Muslim community, and so on. I believe that life at Sherborne Girls will make you feel welcome and part of a happy community.

Mrs Liuli Liu-Plant Head of Asian Studies and International Co-ordinator