The Chronicle 2021
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Welcome to The Chronicle 2021 CONTENTS
From the Head .....................................................................................2
Activities & Extra-curricular
From the Staffroom...........................................................................4
Junior....................................................................................64
Retirements.............................................................................................6
Senior................................................................................... 76
In Memoriam........................................................................................10
Summer Activities...........................................................................84
Reports Nursery ...............................................................................12 Junior ....................................................................................16 After School Care & Holiday Club..................18 Senior ..................................................................................20
Charity Events....................................................................................22 Careers & Work Experience...................................................26 In The News.........................................................................................30 Whole School Events....................................................................44 The Music Department...............................................................56 Sports Review....................................................................................60
Art Gallery Junior ...................................................................................92 Senior ..................................................................................96
Drama......................................................................................................110 Silver Awards.....................................................................................112 Awards & Certificates.................................................................114 Parent Teacher Association...................................................115 Former Pupils’ Club......................................................................116 Development Office......................................................................118 Former Pupils’ Reply Slip........................................................120
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The Chronicle 2021
From the Head
From The Head The re-opening of school to pupils in August 2020 after lockdown was a joyous occasion! After weeks of careful planning and risk assessment over the summer holiday, it was wonderful to see the corridors and classrooms of St Margaret’s alive again with children and young people learning and playing together.
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here were, of course, changes to the way in which school could run, with the nursery, junior school and senior school operating entirely separately. Sanitising, desk wiping, mask wearing and one way systems were just some of the mitigations which quickly became commonplace. The temporary addition of 3-5 Albyn Place, fondly known as ‘the Annexe’, was well received by pupils and staff alike. Over the summer holiday the school wi-fi had been replaced and on the first day of term each pupil in the senior school was issued with her own Chromebook, which matched the devices issued to the staff just ahead of school closure in March 2020. New devices were also in place in the junior school for day to day use and in the event of further home learning. One of the hardest things for pupils was the limit put on social interaction beyond their immediate class. It was to the credit of
girls of all ages that they willingly complied with the necessary rules and were clearly so pleased just to be able to attend school in person once more! Throughout the session, as Government guidance changed and procedures were updated, we were grateful to our parents, staff and pupils for their ongoing support and forbearance. The appointment of the first St Margaret’s school nurse ahead of the pandemic proved to be very fortuitous and, although Miss Rodger’s start date was delayed until preparations for the new school session were underway, the presence of a medical professional on the staff during this time was invaluable. As we had done during lockdown, we were determined to continue to draw our school community together virtually when it was not possible in person and the innovation which had begun at our kitchen tables continued. I was humbled by the
The Chronicle 2021
From the Head
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For me the fact that St Margaret’s has reached this milestone of 175 years is not in and of itself the reason for celebration. What we celebrate is the way in which the school has evolved to provide a rich and varied experience to successive generations of pupils. Anna Tomlinson
efforts of staff to seek alternative ways to provide a whole host of events, such as clubs, concerts and careers talks, to name but a few. Yet again it was necessary to pivot quickly and my colleagues once more rose to the challenge with gusto. The sudden announcement of a further school closure in January 2021 was disappointing for us all. Of course, the cancellation of exams sent shock waves round the senior school and the development of the Alternative Certification Model was an intensive process for staff and pupils alike. I challenge the readers of this Chronicle to find a school in the country where the teachers took the process more seriously than the St Margaret’s staff: their professionalism was second to none. For the girls, continued uncertainty was unwelcome, but they worked hard and performed very well in their assessments. As you will see from the colourful pages which follow, the summer term brought brighter days and more fun in the form of some local school trips, an outdoor cinema festival at Summerhill, sports days, Duke of Edinburgh expeditions and the surprise arrival of an ice cream van into the playground on the last day of term! Unable to have our usual end of term events, we had a succession of end of year assemblies after which pupils and staff enjoyed their ‘99s’. Even for a school as old as ours there is room for a new tradition! 2021 marks the 175th Anniversary of St Margaret’s and has given us reason to delve into past editions of The Chronicle to learn more about earlier periods in the school’s long history. For me the fact that St Margaret’s has reached this milestone of 175
years is not in and of itself the reason for celebration. What we celebrate is the way in which the school has evolved to provide a rich and varied experience to successive generations of pupils. Girls’ schools were founded to address inequality in education for women and we still live in a world where women are underrepresented in many professions. The pandemic continues to offer challenges but the St Margaret’s of today is firmly focused on the future. As St Margaret’s staff, we are privileged to work with a pupil body who rightly challenge us to work for a more sustainable future and to build a school community where there is greater understanding, respect and celebration of diversity in all its forms. That focus on a vibrant future is only possible because of the support and involvement of our wider community to whom we are indebted: our School Council, the PTA, the Parent Forum and Former Pupils’ Association all cherish the history of the school but support us on a daily basis to continue to develop in order that we meet the needs of our pupils in 2021 and beyond. We thank you all!
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The Chronicle 2021
From the Staffroom
From the Staffroom The start of session 2020-21 was like no other; although this article is entitled “from the Staffroom”, the concept of the staffroom as we know it did not exist as we returned to new daily routines and practices shaped by government guidelines, Covid-secure measures and 2m distancing. However, this did not prevent us being able to extend a very hearty welcome to the new colleagues joining us in August, namely Miss Sarah Wood who succeeded Mrs Scott as head of Art and Design; and Mr Terry Ward who joined the history department to cover the maternity leave of Mrs Stirton, whose baby girl was also born in August – great news to herald the new school year.
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e were exceptionally pleased that even despite all the restrictions around travel, girls in the French and German classrooms were still able to benefit from their weekly sessions with our French and German assistant, Amelie Reyser, who by virtue of being completely bi-lingual - was able to fulfil the roles normally occupied by two assistants. We were grateful to Amelie for the interesting and engaging activities she devised for pupils at all levels, and delivering these either in person or remotely (during the spring term from her home in Germany!) as circumstances dictated. We wish her every success as she continues her studies. In October, Miss Joan Aitken retired from her post as a parttime teacher of PE; a stalwart and highly respected member of that busy department, we thank Joan for all of her work in all weathers over the years and are delighted that she will retain her position as our Summerhill Facilities Manager. We were equally delighted to welcome Miss Amanda Pirie as a member of the teaching staff in the PE department and to see her embrace her new role with such enthusiasm. In November we were sorry to have to say goodbye to Miss Ashley Fulton, teacher of modern studies, who left us to take up a position much closer to her home area; we thank her for all of her work during the time she was with us since the start of the previous sessions and wish her well in her future career. In her place, we were very pleased to appoint Mrs Becky Milne, who slotted very easily into her role in our social sciences team and brought with her a wealth of experience as a subject specialist in modern studies. In November we were thrilled also to be able to congratulate Ms Victoria Ellis on the birth of her baby girl. At the end of the autumn term, we were sorry to say goodbye to Mrs Jane Richardson who retired after sixteen years as a part-time teacher of art and design. Jane’s talents and creativity
in her field of expertise knew no bounds, and over the years she inspired so many girls in both the junior and senior school with her interesting and engaging lessons. We wish Jane good health and every happiness as she embarks on her thoroughly well-deserved retirement. By the start of January, the country was in lockdown again and therefore for much of the spring term, learning and teaching were conducted once more on a now-familiar online platform. It was unfortunate that we had to bid a virtual rather than a personal welcome to our new colleague of art and design, Mrs Susan Bedford, who, despite the unusual circumstances of her first weeks at St Margaret’s, settled into the routines of her classes very quickly and easily. We also welcomed Miss Grace Gray who returned from maternity leave to her position as a classroom assistant in the junior school and we were thrilled to hear of the safe arrival of baby Sophie Reid, second child to Mrs Jen Reid and her husband. Around the time of the February half-term, we were sorry to have to say goodbye to Mrs Elaine Gibb who resigned from her position as teacher of 5 Junior to pursue a new opportunity elsewhere; we thank her for her work in the junior school since she joined us in 2017 and wish her every success in her new post. In her place, we were pleased to appoint Mrs Vanessa Gerbrandy who was already familiar to the girls in the junior department and who was still able to combine her role as a junior classroom teacher with her part-time food technology commitments in the senior school. As a school year draws to a close, it is almost inevitable that we will be bidding farewell to colleagues who are either retiring or moving on to pursue new ventures. Session 2020-21 was no exception: Mr Anthony Mountain left his office as Bursar at the end of the session in June 2021. Tony has held office since
The Chronicle 2021
From the Staffroom
October 2013 and the Board of Governors extended thanks to him for his contributions to school life and development of the school’s administration and estate over that period, including the Science Building Project and the arrangements to support continuity during COVID 19 restrictions. We wish Tony well for the future. Mrs Rachel Appleton concluded her maternity cover in modern languages and headed off to her family to their new home in Oxfordshire. Rachel’s earlier career in marketing proved to be very useful as she led the school’s charity work for the year in addition to her teaching commitment. Two members of our junior school team, Mrs Gail Wyatt and Miss Kirstie Maddison left us for new adventures at the end of the summer term. One of Mrs Wyatt’s major contributions across the junior school was her role in Conservation Club and under her guidance the junior girls thrived and many wonderful initiatives were introduced and are now embedded into the life of the school. Miss Kirstie Maddison’s 4 Junior classes benefitted from the wonderful teaching she provided and the kind, caring and positive environment she created for the girls. We thank both of these staff members for all they contributed to the life of St Margaret’s and wish them every success in their future adventures. The end of session also marked the end of a long teaching career for three of the longest-serving members of staff, who, together had been employed at St Margaret’s for a combined total of 74 years. Mrs June Slater retired from her post as Head of Guidance and teacher of business management after 27 years at St Margaret’s: June will be so fondly remembered by countless girls who have benefitted from her patience, her encouragement, her words of wisdom and her kindness over the years, in both her guidance and teaching roles. June’s camaraderie and good humour will be missed in the staffroom, but her retirement is well-deserved and we wish her every happiness as she embarks on this next chapter of her life, with more time to spend with her family and to realise her dreams of travel. Also retiring after a distinguished teaching career both in the UK and overseas was Mrs Sue Smith, my colleague on the Senior Leadership team since 2018 and formerly Head of Maths from
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2004-2018. Sue is a true professional: a subject specialist second to none who instilled her own love of mathematics in so many St Margaret’s girls and inspired them to pursue STEMrelated pathways. As our school timetabler, Sue had immense capacity for seeing the bigger picture whilst also being a stickler for detail, qualities that were so much admired by those of us who had the pleasure and privilege of working closely with her. We wish Sue all the very best as she moves into her retirement, with time to spend as she pleases with her husband and family, and hope that she will spend many relaxing and enjoyable days on her beloved west coast of Scotland. As I write this, my final “from the Staffroom” article for this publication, it is with very mixed emotions that I approach my retirement after 29 years at St Margaret’s. However, any sadness I may feel is also tempered with the joy I have derived in having spent my entire teaching career in this wonderful establishment; it has truly been a privilege to have been associated with the name of St Margaret’s and to have played a part in the formative years of so many young women in the last three decades. It has also been a pleasure also to have worked with so many dedicated and committed staff over the years, both in teaching and in support roles, and I feel honoured to be able to call them my colleagues and friends. I joined St Margaret’s in August 1992 as a probationer teacher of French and German; I was fortunate to be appointed to a variety of promoted posts over my career at the school, culminating in my appointment as deputy head in 2010, but I am a linguist first and foremost with a genuine love of being in the classroom, and I thank all St Margaret’s girls, past and present, who have been part of my journey at the school. The time is right now, for me to bid “au revoir” and “auf Wiedersehen” to my career as a full-time member of the teaching profession, but I am certain that I will continue to have a long association with the school in the years to come. As session 2020-21 ends, we thank all colleagues throughout the school who have worked tirelessly throughout the last twelve difficult months, and wish continued good health, happiness and success to everyone in the new academic year. Susan Lynch
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The Chronicle 2021
Retirements
Retirements
SUSAN LYNCH, SUE SMITH
JUNE SLATER
Susan Lynch, June Slater and Sue Smith
The academic year 2020 – 2021 was not just a difficult year due to the pandemic, but also because it was the year that we knew we would have to say goodbye to three of our longest serving members of staff: Mrs Susan Lynch, Mrs Sue Smith, and Mrs June Slater.
Susan Lynch
A graduate of Aberdeen University, Susan Lynch joined St Margaret’s in August 1992 and has given an incredible 29 years of devoted service to St Margaret’s; her entire teaching career has been given to this school. Miss Ogilvie was the head who appointed Mrs Lynch and she remembers that she came into the staffroom like a breath of fresh air; from the outset she demonstrated her intelligence and commitment to St Margaret’s and its pupils. Mrs Lynch’s career at St Margaret’s began as a teacher of German and French, but it was not long before she enthusiastically took on other responsibilities. Her warmth and empathy made her a natural choice as one of the new Heads of House and Guidance, and she later became Head of Modern Languages. Mrs Lynch was the first Head of Sixth Year and this was a role that she enjoyed very much. Her ability to write fluently and lucidly was an asset in this role as in so many others, not least in her preparation of UCAS references.
Few teachers manage to achieve the balance between academic and pastoral strengths that Susan Lynch epitomised throughout her career. As Deputy Head since 2010, she continued to lead by example: calm and dignified, she is the consummate professional who can navigate any situation with discretion and compassion, and always to the highest of standards. Her relationships with colleagues, parents and pupils are characterised by charm, kindness and a willingness to listen. While none of us could have predicted the level of volatility which the world has experienced during the pandemic, we could have predicted that Susan Lynch would give her all to making sure that school continued as smoothly as possible for St Margaret’s pupils and staff. We have been incredibly fortunate to have Mrs Lynch as a champion of St Margaret’s for so long, and thousands of girls owe her a debt of gratitude for all that she has done to support them. We wish Mrs Lynch much happiness and good health for her retirement in the years ahead.
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Retirements
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Sue Smith
A talented maths teacher, Head of Department and latterly a Deputy Head, Mrs Sue Smith’s intelligent and insightful approach has undoubtedly benefited hundreds of St Margaret’s girls. Sue attended a girls’ school herself before studying mathematics at Oxford and she joined St Margaret’s in 2003 as an experienced teacher who had taught in a number of prestigious schools both in the UK and overseas. Mrs Smith’s considerable abilities as a mathematician meant that she inspired confidence in the most able pupils, whilst a genuine interest in the subject and enthusiasm for it at every level made lessons rewarding for all of her students. Mrs Smith demonstrated endless patience and creativity in her teaching of those pupils for whom maths was a real challenge. Mrs Smith also dedicated much of herself to learning beyond the curriculum, supporting pupils with the The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and countless competitions, trips and extra-curricular opportunities. She has also been a wise counsellor to girls about their day to day challenges and in their choices of subjects and courses both in and beyond school. Mrs Smith’s patience and attention to detail and desire to meet the needs of all have been a feature of her timetabling. Of course those timetabling skills have never been tested so much as during the pandemic; but, every time a new scenario was presented she was steadfast in her willingness to reflect, adapt and put in the hours to make things work for the school.
Joan Aitken
Miss Aitken is hanging up her trainers as she retires from teaching at St Margaret’s. Since starting with us in 2009 she has been a hard working, highly organised and motivating teacher to the girls, as well as a wonderful colleague to work with. Miss Aitken took over the responsibility of promoting cross-country running and has encouraged many girls to challenge themselves and succeed in a variety of school, club and national competitions over the years. She has also been hockey coach to many different age groups, determined in her aim to inspire and develop the potential of players to club, district and national level. Although she is leaving teaching, Miss Aitken will continue in her role as facilities manager at Summerhill. We wish her a long and happy retirement enjoying hobbies such as golf and photography to name but a few. Karen Norval
It was with heartfelt thanks that we bade Mrs Smith farewell, to embark upon a long and enjoyable retirement.
June Slater
Mrs Slater was appointed in 1994 at St Margaret’s as teacher of office and information studies and word processing. It was not long before she became Head of Department with the introduction of Higher Business Management a few years later. It was clear from the start of her career that Mrs Slater was interested in the pastoral care of her pupils, becoming a dedicated form tutor, and in 2005, Mrs Slater was appointed as Head of Guidance, a role in which she was also responsible for the content and teaching of the Personal and Social Education curriculum. Empathy was a word often associated with Mrs Slater, and she provided her students with sound advice, guidance and support over the years. Generous with her time, there are generations of girls and their parents who will remember Mrs Slater with fondness and gratitude for the pastoral care given over the years. Mrs Slater was also involved in many other aspects of school life – from The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award to school shows, trips near and far, she has always been a willing participant and has embraced every opportunity to get to know her pupils. A highlight for many girls has been the Youth Philanthropy Initiative and Mrs Slater led this project at school since it began. It was with much fondness and affection that we said goodbye to Mrs Slater, to enjoy a healthy and fulfilling retirement. Anna Tomlinson
Jane Richardson
This year we said thank you and goodbye to Mrs Jane Richardson, teacher of art and design who retired from St Margaret’s after 15 years. Jane’s talents and creativity in her field of expertise knew no bounds, and over the years she inspired so many girls in both the junior and senior school with her interesting and engaging lessons. Having postponed her retirement, I particularly appreciated Jane’s support during my first term at St Margaret’s. During that last term’s teaching she still had the enthusiasm of a teacher new to the profession, embracing new ideas and techniques and generating exciting projects. Her commitment to the girls, the school and wider school community will be greatly missed. We wish Jane good health and every happiness as she embarks on her thoroughly well-deserved retirement. Sarah Wood
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The Chronicle 2021
Retirements
‘Susan Lynch is a consummate professional and it has been a privilege to work with her for the last seven years. She combines outstanding skills in administration and organisation with a genuine commitment to and care of all pupils and staff at St Margaret’s. Nothing is ever too much trouble for Susan: she embodies all that is good about St Margaret’s and has had a positive impact on thousands of young women over her twenty-nine years of service to the school.’ Miss Tomlinson
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Retirements
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III SENIOR INTERVIEW
MRS LYNCH Mrs Lynch has been working at St Margaret’s for twenty-nine years and first arrived in August 1992. This was her first and only teaching position as a teacher of French and German. She came to the school for a job interview straight after her teacher training and immediately felt at home. “Very soon after arriving here, there was just something tangible about being in this building. You could feel the warmth and a sense of community” said Mrs Lynch. Over the years the school has seen many physical changes such as new buildings, however the family-like atmosphere to St Margaret’s has remained unchanged. Q: What is your favourite event during the school year?
Q: What was your greatest challenge during your time at the school?
A: That’s a difficult one to pinpoint because I have a few that I could probably name. I think what is most special to me are the events where the whole school comes together, so that would be St Margaret’s day, the carol service and speech day.
A: I think the greatest challenge without a doubt has been this past year and that has been a challenge for everybody because we all had to adapt to new ways of working and adapt to operating in circumstances that we are really not used to. There have been all sorts of complicated logistics to bear in mind at every point this year and I think it has been a challenge to come to terms with the fact that for a whole calendar year many aspects of the St Margaret’s that we know have not been able to happen within the restrictions.
Q: What will you miss most about our school? A: I don’t think there is one single answer; I am going to miss so many things. Probably most of all I am going to miss this contact with you, the girls even though I am not in the teaching classroom all day everyday now. One of the things about my job as deputy head is that every day is different and every day is so varied and busy; I am going to miss being able to be involved with so many different aspects of school life; being able to speak to girls of all ages; still being able to teach in the German classroom, not just dealing with administration and management. First and foremost, I will miss the contact with the pupils, with my colleagues and I’m going to miss my busy day-to-day routine.
Q: Would you have any advice for any girls coming up through the school A: That’s a tricky one! I would say: be true to yourself, be true to your values, be the best version of yourself that you can be, always, and aim high. To know that you are doing your best is all that can be asked of you; this will mean different things for every individual, as everyone has strengths in different areas. I would also advise that you should never be afraid to ask for help. If you do your best, ask for help if you need it, and take advantage of all the opportunities that come your way, then you will have a bright future ahead of you. Q: What are you most proud of from your time at St Margaret’s? A: Probably just having played a part in shaping the lives of so many pupils over the years; I think that has been the most rewarding aspect of my career. Q: What are your hobbies? A: Visiting Switzerland is one of my major hobbies! I hope that I will be able
to go there again in the not-too-distant future when Covid restrictions have eased. I do love to travel, especially to German speaking countries. I love walking, especially in the hills and in the mountains. I also play golf; I definitely love being outside in the fresh air. I very much enjoy gardening, reading, listening to music, playing the piano and the clarinet, although I have not had as many opportunities to play clarinet in recent years. I also enjoy cooking very much and I hope to do all of these things a lot more when I retire. Q: What’s the naughtiest thing anyone has ever done? A: What would be the naughtiest thing? I do remember someone once putting a dead bird in one of the lockers which wasn’t a very pleasant find for the person who discovered it. There is no doubt, we will all miss Mrs Lynch very much, but we are very grateful for her service to St Margaret’s for the past 29 years. We all wish her a happy and healthy retirement. Interview by Rebecca, Rachael, Divinewill and Joy III Senior, June 2021
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The Chronicle 2021
In Memoriam
In Memoriam Anna Bibby It is with great sadness that we share the news that Anna Bibby, former junior school teacher at St Margaret’s, passed away in December 2020. Anna Bibby - or Miss Bibby as she was known to her pupils – began her career in teaching at Crossmichael Primary School,
Castle Douglas, where she taught for 1 year before deciding that Aberdeen had more to offer, both socially and professionally. Anna joined St Margaret’s School for Girls in 1975 and for the next 39 years became an important and highly-respected member of the junior department team.
Anna Bibby (centre)
“Anna graduated from Aberdeen College of Education in 1972. Apart from a year at a school in the Borders her entire teaching career was spent at St Margaret’s. She taught 5 Junior for many years and her science experiments were legendary. On Friday afternoons the 5 -7 junior classes had craft and Anna made gorgeous rag dolls with the girls. In the summer term she did cycling proficiency up at Summerhill. She was talented at art and her classes produced fantastic work including
wonderful origami creations. She was also an expert in the art of calligraphy. Her hobbies included classes in jewellery making and photography. Her other interests were lapidary, bird watching, plants and much more. She loved animals and her poodle, Sophie, was a constant companion. She enjoyed travelling especially with the caravan to the north of Scotland. Sadly Anna’s health deteriorated in her last 2 years but she will be remembered as a dear friend and colleague”. Edna Findlay Former Teacher at St Margaret’s
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In Memoriam
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Dr Lori Houlihan Lori Houlihan (nee Manders) sadly passed away in April 2021. Lori Manders was a governing Council Member of St Margaret’s School during the whole period of my headship there, from 2007 to 2010. She was there when I was interviewed for the post in 2006 and made an immediate impression: she was busy, vibrant, full of energy and relentlessly positive. She sent her daughter, Poppy, to St Margaret’s and she was always a great advocate for the school. Working full-time at the University of Aberdeen in a leadership post, she still, miraculously, found time to devote to St Margaret’s, and was an energetic supporter of new ideas. If her own ideas did not find acceptance, she moved on, bearing no grudge and ready to work on the next new thing that might emerge to the school’s advantage. As chair of the marketing committee, she encouraged the school to punch above its weight and, with a vast experience of fund-raising and with contacts throughout Aberdeen, she was able to advise us
intelligently and effectively. She missed no opportunity to raise the profile of our school whenever she could. She had just offered to nominate me as a Burgess of the City of Aberdeen when I dropped the bombshell that I was moving on to another headship, this time in Edinburgh. While some were unimpressed by this news, Lori turned the whole thing on its head and announced to Council how thrilled they should be for me and that it was “a feather in the cap of St Margaret’s” that I had been appointed to lead a bigger school elsewhere. I shall never forget that generosity of spirit, which was so typical of Lori. If she could help someone, she would. The world was a better and sunnier place for having her in it, and I shall always remember the dash she cut as she rushed along the school corridor. And the warmth of her smile. Anne Everest Former St Margaret’s Head
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The Chronicle 2021
Nursery Report
nursery REPORT
We were delighted to be back in nursery in person in August, ready to start a new school year, even if things were a little bit different. Despite how abnormal the world outside has been, we were keen for nursery to be a place of familiarity, routine and somewhere the children knew they could explore and be creative whilst continuing to promote hand washing practices and good hygiene.
The Chronicle 2021
Nursery Report
Whilst the staff remained consistent, the nursery had use of
an adjacent classroom to aid social distancing. Having the extra room enabled the children and staff to spread out and engage in a variety of activities. Adapting The children adapted well to the drop-off and pick-up arrangements and quickly became accustomed to the new routines, where, for example, additional handwashing was an integral part of nursery life. The children started having packed lunch in the nursery, soon demonstrating how independent they could be, especially at opening their own tubs and flasks and how well they sat for mealtimes. As well as helping the children settle in and adjust to routines, there was a focus on kindness, with staff sharing social stories about kindness and the children being made aware of the many kind things that happen in a day. The children engaged well and made a kindness tree to demonstrate all the acts of kindness they do. Rhymes To support early literacy, there were plenty of opportunities to work on rhyme, with the children finding rhyming words and rhyming objects as well as playing rhyming games. Although we touched on this early in the nursery year, it was a theme we kept returning to and the children even looked for rhyming objects when they went out for walks. Autumn The children were very interested in the changes in the environment as autumn approached and had fun out in the school grounds playing with and collecting leaves. This led on to early maths, sorting through colour, shape and size as well as imaginative and sensory play with the leaves. Conkers are a popular ‘loose part’ that the children utilise in all sorts
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of ways, sometimes they are a counting tool, at other times they are being cooked up in the kitchen. Autumnal vegetables were also a great tool to facilitate learning as the children measured, weighed, sorted, smelled, chopped and hammered them. This was a great opportunity for the children to develop their hand-eye coordination as well as learning about safety for themselves and others when using tools. Although there was not the traditional Harvest Service, the children enjoyed learning about Harvest and about how farms play an important part in providing us with the food we eat. The children embraced the opportunity to explore some barley and to use it in their play. Autumn and the dark days naturally lead on to some Bonfire Night celebrations with the children really engaging in some colourful and fun firework art and craft. Nativity The traditional Nativity was presented to the children and parents in a different way this year, with the children recording their parts individually or in groups. In preparation for this there was lots of storytelling, songs and crafts taking place in the nursery. There were costumes for everyone and once the recording was completed the children really enjoyed watching themselves and their friends in the Nativity on the ‘big screen’. New Year We were disappointed not to be returning to in-person nursery after the Christmas holiday but the children (and parents) embraced online learning once again. We celebrated Burns Night with a week of Scottish crafts, poems, dancing and recipes. The children had fun weighing and mixing ingredients as well as tasting some new foods. This moved swiftly on to celebrating Chinese New Year, with yet more cooking and crafts as well as some Chinese writing. Although the children were set specific activities each day, we were so impressed with the effort and variations of work that the children took part in. As well as these special events, we engaged the children with nursery rhymes and activities to go along with them.
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The Chronicle 2021
Nursery Report
Feelings When the children returned to nursery in-person towards the end of February, we embarked on some work related to ‘The Colour Monster’ to help the children identify and name their feelings. This led to some great discussions, teamwork and craft opportunities. The children enjoyed acting out some of the emotions and talking about ways to support themselves and others when their emotions became a bit overwhelming. Outdoor Learning Throughout the year, outdoor learning remained a key focus for the children. Being outdoors allowed the children to explore their environment, move their bodies, develop communication, cooperation, maths, problem-solving and science skills. By providing the children with loose parts, child-led learning was facilitated and supported. Building obstacle courses was a favoured activity. There was a great deal of trial and error involved in creating these courses, with each child having their own opinion on what was ‘too easy’ or ‘too hard’. It was always a pleasure to watch the children support and encourage each other to have a go at the courses. There was a lot of interest in mini-beasts and the children had a great time using tools to chip at a large piece of wood and go minibeast hunting, as well as looking under logs and in the flowers. We were delighted to restart Wee Green Spaces, during which the children are encouraged to be as independent as possible. They packed their own bags and put on their own waterproofs before each outing. The walk to Bon Accord Terrace Gardens is quite lengthy for little legs and the children are encouraged to use this time to take in the environment around them. Looking for letters, numbers, shop signs and rhyming objects, the children are
developing their early literacy and numeracy skills along the way. Looking in shop windows and identifying the different work places and items for sale also supported the children to be aware of the world around them. When at Bon Accord Terrace Gardens, the children are encouraged to be adventurous and investigate the environment. Before they set off, they are involved in safety chats and learn to set their own ‘boundaries’ for the time there. The children are encouraged to challenge themselves and are supported to go up and down steep hills - rolling, sliding and running are popular ways to come down. Much fun is had when using the swing and the bothy bag. The children embrace opportunities to develop their gross motor skills, balance and coordination when walking along walls, negotiating obstacles and climbing, all the while supporting their friends. The children are experts at washing their hands outdoors and this is done before snack. Even when out and about they enjoy sitting together and eating. Despite this year being far from normal and not without its challenges, it has been an incredibly productive and rewarding time in nursery which was only possible due to our wonderful children, parents and staff. We thank them for their hard work and enthusiasm to keep things running so smoothly and for carrying on in such spectacular style. One is not possible without the other and that is what makes St Margaret’s such a special place. Jennifer Minett Nursery Manager
Laura Simpson Nursery Teacher
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Nursery Report
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The Chronicle 2021
Junior Report
Junior SCHOOL REPORT
As I share with you a review of the last school year I begin by reflecting on the previous year, which I described as a year of two halves. This year, with Covid 19 very much affecting all of our lives, I feel the fraction motif can be revisited and used to good effect again.
Looking at the year itself, it splits into thirds. We started the year
in our school building, went back to online learning for most of the spring term and then in the summer term were once again in our school building. The three thirds made for a very successful year albeit another unusual one. When we returned to school in August, it was fortunate that within the junior school classes the pupils did not need to distance from each other. Staff were able to maintain 2 metre distancing from pupils and other staff and with some rearranging of our classrooms we were able to teach all of the girls in their usual rooms. There were additional measure in place to reduce the effects of the virus and we all very quickly became used to sanitising our hands regularly, adopting one way systems moving around school and the slight timetable changes necessary to keep us safe. The girls also adapted well to having their own area in the playground and this is where another fraction came into play as we split our playground area into quarters so each class had their own space and there was no mixing among classes. The colourful bunting was a reminder of where the girls could play and a cheery addition to our playground. We are indeed fortunate to have such a great outdoor green space within our grounds and throughout this unusual session we used it to even greater effect than normal, holding a number of whole
junior school events out of doors. The nursery children and all of the junior pupils came together and clapped our celebration of harvest. Each group had also prepared a harvest craft and we were able to display these in the gym and each class visited to see the wonderful creations of everyone else. It was a fabulous feeling to be working together and sharing even when we were unable to meet together in the usual way. Our food collection for the Cyrenians was also displayed in the gym and I was humbled by the generosity of all of our families as we collected more food items than ever before. The Cyrenians collected the parcels and were really pleased to have so much to share with those who were in real need at this time. We were also able to come together in the playground to observe Remembrance and the images of the poppy created by all of the girls will stay with me for a very long time. It was a moving and reflective way to mark the event and I am proud we were able to do this in such a special way when we were unable to meet together indoors. For the first time, we placed the junior school Christmas tree in the playground rather than indoors and it was such fun seeing each class add their decorations to the tree and I can see this event becoming a regular in the school calendar - especially when we can gather together and sing around the tree. Covid mitigations made some aspects of life a challenge but it was good to see new ideas spring from the restrictions and adding to the life of the school.
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Junior Report
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This was certainly the case for our St Margaret’s Day celebration. Unable to go to St Machar’s and celebrate together, Mrs Twigg and Mrs Smith, our 7 Junior teachers, came up with a fabulous way for the junior pupils to mark the event. We had recently received all of the textbooks for our new maths scheme and inside each was an A4 piece of card. Mrs Twigg had the amazing idea of using these to create a giant jigsaw of the stained glass window image of St Margaret. Each girl was given one piece to paint and then the image was created - all without the girls knowing what they were creating. The girls were delighted when, during the St Margaret’s Day video service, they were able to see the finished amazing image. This was testimony to Mrs Smith’s scale drawing techniques and it was a great way to recycle the packaging from the new books. We left school for Christmas all expecting to be back in January, but, as we all know, there were changes afoot and January inservice day saw the class teachers organising resources for online learning once again. This time we sent home ‘school in a box’, making use of the large boxes the girls usually use at school to hold their bags. These corridor boxes were sent home, containing textbooks, jotters and also each girl’s Chromebook and everyone was able to begin online learning at the start of the term. We were all experts now and having learnt from the experience of the previous session, teachers and pupils quickly settled back into the usual online routines using the Google classrooms to access their work and live lessons via Googlemeets became the norm. Teachers and pupils were in regular communication with each other throughout each school day and I am pleased to say learning progressed well and our pupils enjoyed the learning opportunities created by their teachers. We also provided a hub school for key workers in the building and Mrs Gregory and Mrs Duncan, two of our classroom assistants, provided excellent support to our in school pupils so they could continue their learning in school, joining their teachers and peers online. During our time of online learning we were sad to say goodbye to Mrs Gibb, our 5 Junior teacher but pleased to welcome Mrs Gerbrandy onto the junior staff as she took over the teaching of that class. Online learning was a great success and the Chromebooks were a big help in delivering the teaching effectively, but we were all delighted when in March we were able to welcome all of the junior pupils back into school and begin to work together in person once again. Many of the usual school events were obviously put on hold but we were pleased that during the summer term, with some alterations, we were still able to take part in sports days, small music events, mini junior celebrations and end of year assemblies as well as trips to the beach. Our 7 Junior pupils were also able to enjoy the usual World War II workshops, delivered remotely by Mr Paterson from the Urban Studies Centre, and take part in the street trail as well as enjoying the workshops delivered by the Royal Navy. Everyone enjoyed the outdoor cinema events up at Summerhill and the other junior classes also enjoyed their trip to the beach. It was good to be out of doors, enjoying the local environment once more and in the sunshine. The weather is the one thing you can’t plan for but once again the sun shone on us all as we went to the beach on three separate days and all enjoyed good weather. During the summer term we were able to run limited extra curricular activities, limited to one year at each group and the girls enjoyed a variety of clubs, including drawing club,
construction, games club and book club. Mrs Wyatt and the 6 Junior Conservation club raised funds to continue the support of a dolphin, through the Whale and Dolphin Conservation group. The girls raised seedlings and plants which all of the other year groups purchased and enough money was raised to finance the support of our dolphin for the next three years. It was sad that we were not able to invite parents into school to support our charity events and girls were not able to mix in the usual way but at Christmas we were able to donate food items to Instant Neighbour, toiletries to the Cyrenians and through class events raise money for the Aberdeen Air Ambulance charity and Cancer Research. During the summer term we were once again really pleased that we were able to use our own green space to good effect and many of our lessons during this term took place outside. The playground was often a very busy place, full of different learning experiences and with a buzz of real excitement - no more so than on the final day when, as a great surprise to the pupils, an ice cream van drove into school and every pupil and member of staff was treated to an ice cream. I have it on good authority from numerous sources that it really was the best icecream ever and I for one think we should consider making this a new tradition which should remain in place long after all of the Covid mitigations have been removed. It was a wonderful ending to another unusual year. So to return to our fractions theme. This year we have had thirds and quarters to consider and all we can hope going forward is that the next session is a whole one with no need for any fractions. I do not know if that will be the case, but I do know for certain that whatever we all experience next session I can rely on wonderful colleagues to do their best to make the learning experiences the very best for our pupils. My experience of this last session also confirms for me that I will be able to rely on the support and encouragement of our parents as we work together to support the learning of all of our girls and lastly, I know that all of our girls will continue to bring enthusiasm and eagerness to all that they do. It has been a real privilege to be part of the St Margaret’s community during these very unusual times and I would like to use this opportunity to say a very big thank you to all staff, parents and pupils for their resilience, enthusiasm and hard work throughout the last session. There were no fractions involved in all of your efforts - you always all gave it your whole attention and effort and I thank you all very much for that. Norma Murray Head of Junior School
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After School Care & Holiday Club
Our ASC has been getting busier so Mrs Moleda joined our team. She is a parent in the school and has been a huge asset to the team.
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variety of activities are offered to the children at ASC using their ideas, such as playing outside, going to the ICT suite, taking part in craft projects, role play and board games. The favourite activities indoors are crafts, role-play kitchen and dressing up. Outdoors, ‘loose parts’ are very popular and the children come up with wonderful ideas on how to use items that would otherwise be considered as junk. Leftover plastic piping was used to make a horse jumping arena, and various dens were built using tarpaulin and the tyres. In the darker months, the children enjoy playing outside with torches and light up batons. Sometimes we tidy up early inside so we can turn the dining room into a light show. The children who attend ASC receive a healthy snack which includes either fruit or vegetables every day. The favourite snacks at the moment are toasted bagels and popcorn.
We haven’t been able to do our usual activities of holding a Pupil Conference and charity sale because of the Covid restrictions but we are hoping that these can recommence next year. The school holiday clubs run in the October, Easter and summer holidays and the children have lots of fun. Covid restrictions meant we couldn’t run all clubs but we were delighted to run one in the summer holidays of 2021. We had external visitors running events such as a Slime Fest, foam party, Nerf Wars and a dinosaur day. We went on trips to Hazlehead and Crathes Castle. Everyone had a lot of fun and we all look forward to planning the next club. Sandra Thomson After School Care Manager
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After School Care & Holiday Club
Everyone had a lot of fun and we all look forward to planning the next club. Sandra Thomson
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Senior Report
SCHOOL REPORT Due to Covid-19, it was clear at the beginning of session 2020 – 2021 that we needed to operate the school as three physically distinct entities of nursery, junior and senior school, keeping year groups separate. The necessary acquisition of premises at 3 – 5 Albyn Place in time for the start of the new school year proved to be a very welcome addition; we had not imagined spaces so generous for our senior pupils and staff. It was a tentative and uncertain start to session 2020 – 2021, however, our senior girls were able to embark upon their autumn term in a comfortable and secure learning environment.
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espite the ongoing Covid-19 restrictions last session, senior school was as busy as ever. Girls found new ways to retain and build upon the community spirit which they hold so precious. Circumstances meant that our older and younger year groups were not able to interact in person as they would normally do in school, so our prefect body in V and VI Senior were determined that they would still be able to build a relationship with, and support younger girls who are just setting out on their senior school journey in I Senior. The prefects set up a Buddy scheme with our I Senior girls just before the October holiday, writing a personal letter by hand to their nominated Buddy. The delight on the part of the IS girls upon receipt of their letters was tangible. Later in the term the I Senior girls met with their buddies in the playground during form time, when they had the chance to chat to each other about their experiences in the Senior School and their extra-curricular interests. They all really enjoyed the chance to meet with each other. Later in the term, the Head Girl team
devised the ‘Colour the World with Kindness’ Competition’. The competition encouraged girls across the school to design a poster to celebrate and spread kindness; a reminder to look out for and be kind to one another, despite distance and separation. Senior girls had sorely missed the usual variety of extra-curricular clubs which we usually enjoy, so it was with much delight that many sporting clubs resumed at the beginning of the autumn term with athletics, cross-country and tennis clubs on offer. September saw us once again running a full programme of instrumental and singing lessons and the re-introduction of music ensembles and choirs was another return to ‘normality’ much welcomed by our senior girls, later the same month. Our commitment to charity and community continued despite the pandemic. Some of our fifth and sixth year girls volunteered virtually at Rosewell House Care Home during lockdown for their work experience, shared pictures of art work, and filmed
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Senior Report
themselves singing and playing instruments for the elderly residents. The girls were also delighted to have live chats over Skype and this continued throughout the autumn term and beyond! IVM supported ‘The Lighthouse’, a local charity based in Tillydrone, by asking the wider St Margaret’s community to gather food supplies to ensure that ‘The Lighthouse’ could help provide local families with nutritious meals during the difficult festive season, and the girls were most glad to be able to provide the charity with a generous donation.
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European Day of Languages - Design a stone competition entries
Our ‘Movember’ initiative raised money for charities Plan International and Mental Health Aberdeen. As a thank you to the girls and to tie in with our New Year focus on Winter Wellbeing, Mental Health Aberdeen created a set of 10 tips to help raise morale in the cold winter months. With PTA support, we were able to make these into a set of 10 cards, for distribution to all our senior girls. The simple, yet effective tips on these cards, hopefully provided the girls with another useful resource to help remain resilient during the year’s challenges. Events taking place in the wider world inspired our senior pupils to lead a celebration of Black History Month through assemblies and projects for junior and senior pupils. The girls’ work inspired us to run a series of ‘Inspirational Women Talks’, through which we aimed to celebrate and promote understanding of diversity throughout the school year. We were delighted that during November, Professor Olivette Otele, the UK’s first black female professor of history, launched this series. International themes were celebrated during the autumn term during the European Day of Languages which saw IVS and VS Language Ambassadors preparing assemblies for both Junior and Senior School. Creativity was on a high, and the term saw us celebrating the success of a pupil in VS who won a partial scholarship for the Immerse English programme at Cambridge University during summer 2021. Prospective English students had to write an essay on the question ‘Is Literature Elitist?’ and Emily Barker’s winning essay certainly offered much food for thought! Maths success also featured this term when we finally received the results for the Scottish Maths challenge from 2019 – 2020 which were released later than planned due to the pandemic. During November we were delighted to have Professor Rebecca Wallace give our potential law students mock interviews, and later in the month, all girls applying for medicine, vet medicine or dentistry had their mock MMI’s (Multiple Mini Interviews), and we were most grateful to so many in our community for giving up their time to give our potential medics, dentists and vets this wonderful opportunity. December saw our Higher and Advanced Higher Biology pupils participating in the virtual University of Aberdeen’s Annual Microbiology Lecture, with a talk by Professor Robin May who spoke about how microbiology relates to evolution and how our microorganisms can affect the impact that COVID-19 could have on us; quite a thought to end the term on. The spring term started with the uncertainties of the winter term, with stringent Covid-19 restrictions still in place, but the beginning of the spring term also saw us look forward to many of the annual competitions and events we enjoy so much at St Margaret’s. Wellbeing initiatives continued, and girls enjoyed ‘Transform your Thursday’ where they and took part in lots of creative activities to express themselves including photography, art, cooking, improvisation, dance and outdoor fun in aid of children’s mental health charity Place2Be. We also enjoyed biology success, with four of our IIIS girls being awarded a High Commendation for
Design in the 2020 MiSAC Annual Competition ‘VaccAid: fighting infections’. We congratulated our IIIS teams who took part in the final of the Youth and Philanthropy Initiative (YPI). The final was held virtually with six teams representing different charities. The group representing Home-Start Aberdeen successfully managed to secure £3,000 for the charity. March saw our senior pupils invited to enter a competition to redesign the Parent Teacher Association (PTA) logo, and in April a team comprising of IIS pupils represented Scotland in the UK Grand Final of the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) CyberFirst Girls code-breaking competition. After beating 6,500 girls in the qualifying stages, the second year pupils secured third place in the Grand Final, placing them as the top aspiring codebreakers of their age group in the country. The summer term did not see a slowing down of the girls’ endeavours; we were delighted to learn that Iona Adams in VI Senior achieved a coveted Bronze Award in the British Biology Olympiad. II and IIIS girls enjoyed team building events and dance resilience programmes, and geographers were once again able to embark on field and day trips. We were delighted that girls in senior school could once again embark upon a fun-filled and busy activities week at the end of term. Our annual music competitions, the Murray and Lamont prizes and the Betty Wyness Rosebowl Competition took place online, and we were treated to exceptional performances from all competing, as we have been over so many years previous. Set in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, this was a most difficult year for many people, but particularly our senior girls, and we commend them for all that they have accomplished and the way in which they have adapted to changing circumstances. Karen Schmitz PA to the Head
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Charity Events
Rose, Arabella and Yasmin in 5J organised a ‘name the bear’ competition to raise money for Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance.
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Charity Events
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Charity Events 2020-21
Charitable giving is central to the St Margaret’s ethos. The girls are passionate about raising money for different charities, both international and causes closer to home. The year 2020/2021 has been a year like no other, and although the pandemic had a huge influence on what we were able to do, the pupils and staff have still thrown themselves into a wide range of fundraising events with the dedication and imagination of any year.
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he safety measures in place, around year groups mixing and no large gatherings, meant that some of our most successful annual events like the Winter Wonderland, St Margaret’s Day service and the Carol Service were not able to take place. However, this just meant we had to be more creative in our fundraising.
IVM organised a foodbank collection for the Lighthouse Support Centre in Tillydrone, which provides practical help and emotional support to people coping with daily living challenges.
The impact of lockdown on our local community also encouraged the girls to think more about how they can help people closer to home and many of the form charity events that took place during the autumn term, focused on donations of time, help, food or gifts instead of direct fundraising. Senior School Both the events run by the IV Senior girls this term concentrated on helping out the local North East community. IVA delivered a sackful of toys and Christmas gifts to Northsound 1’s Mission Christmas appeal.
As part of the English department’s Letters of Kindness Project, I-III Senior wrote to relatives, friends, residents of local care homes, patients in Aberdeen Children’s Hospital and NHS staff.
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Charity Events
Little Princess Trust Donations
During full national lockdown earlier in the year, Amy in IV Senior realised that charities such as Guide Dogs UK would not be able to fundraise like they usually do. Amy came up with the idea to make washable face-covering masks in a wide variety of patterns and asked local businesses, Refillosophy, Decidedly Dogs, and Parx Café to help sell them. These dog-loving businesses were hugely supportive in helping Amy’s fundraising and Guide Dogs UK were also very grateful for the impressive £685 raised. As well as raising vital funds for Guide Dogs UK, Amy’s efforts will also contributed towards the volunteering section of her Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Well done to Yasmin in 5J and Libby in 7J who donated a huge amount of their hair to the Little Princess Trust Charity this session. The girls raised an amazing amount of money for the charity, who rely on donations of real hair to make wigs for children and young people who have lost their hair through cancer treatment and other illnesses.
Junior School The Junior School supported a range of charities this year. The Conservation Club held their annual ‘Plant for a Pound’ sale and raised an impressive £170; which will ensure that the Club can continue to adopt their dolphin Indigo for the next 3 years.
Arabella, Yasmin and Rose in 5 Junior organised a ‘name the bear’ competition to raise money for Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance. The girls raised an impressive £132.25 which was gratefully received by the SCAA, which, as the country’s only charity-funded air ambulance, relies entirely on public donations to deliver expert paramedic care to the scene of time-critical emergencies, in every corner of Scotland, 365 days a year. Whole School 4 Junior used their enterprise project to raise money for Cancer Research. They created a range of products around sunflowers and raised over £255 by selling them to family and friends. Products available for sale were home grown sunflowers in beautifully decorated terracotta pots, home baked sunflower seed biscuits, packaged up with brightly coloured ribbons and sunflower seed bird feeders.
Despite the restrictions, we managed to support a range of national and local charities through our whole school events. Our Non-Uniform Day in October raised £381 for Home-Start and its work with local families. Our Poppy Scotland appeal raised £164 to help provide support for current and former members of the Armed Forces as well as their families. Their focus this year was particularly pertinent to
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Charity Events
St Margaret’s, as they were looking to remember military, NHS and Scottish women medics across history. (4J poppy images) November was the month for our Movember Millions initiative, which raised an amazing £800 for our two chosen charities; Plan International, which helps girls worldwide combat inequality and MHA, which helps young people closer to home facing mental health challenges. Movember was all about getting up and about with a whole school target of 30 million steps. As well as focusing on our physical health we also worked with MHA to create some mental health tip cards for the senior girls.
The final event of 2020, our Christmas Jumper Day, supported Barnado’s and their work with young people in the North East and raised just under £300.
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Our hopes of a return to normality in 2021 did not happen, so again our fundraising moved online. February saw the launch of our Winter Wellbeing Week: Express Yourself. The girls were encouraged to use the Mental Health Cards from our Movember initiative to try a new, positive, activity to express their feelings. Alongside this we managed to raise over £700 for Place2Be, a charity who work in schools to promote and support positive mental health. The summer term saw the launch of our 175 Challenge to coincide with our celebration of 175 years of educating and inspiring women. We wanted to use our last charity event of the year to help those outside of our St Margaret’s community in an inspiring way. Pupils and staff were asked to take on their own 175 Challenge, anything they wanted to complete, and the challenges ranged from learning 175 new jokes to riding 175m on a unicycle to making 175 cupcakes for neighbours, picking up 175 pieces of litter at the beach, to writing a story of 175 lines and telling 175 jokes. The pupils chose two charities to support in this final fundraising of the year (a local one - Befriend a Child and a global one - UNICEF’s Vaccinaid). In total we raised over £600. Rachel Appleton Charities Coordinator
Thank You Befriend a Child My name is Tara and I work for Befriend a Child, I’m getting in touch today to say thank you so much for choosing to fundraise for us with your 175 challenge! Place2Be Firstly, I wanted to personally get in touch to say a huge thank you for taking part in this years’ Children’s Mental Health Week and for raising vital funds to support children’s mental health. We’re thrilled to say we’ve raised over £80,000 in total – we can’t thank you enough for being a part of this. Best wishes, Jade Home-Start We are delighted your Committee have chosen Home-Start Aberdeen as your chosen charity to receive the funds from your non-uniform day. This amount will certainly help to support our local families. Thank you for your donation. Best regards, Nicola
Plan International To the students and staff of St Margaret’s School for Girls, We think you’re amazing! On behalf of everyone at Plan International UK, I would like to say a big thank you for fundraising for us with your Movember Millions event. £345 is a fantastic amount to have raised – enough to help girls avoid exploitation & gain the skills they need to earn a living safely! We hope you feel really proud of the positive impact your hard work will have on the lives of children worldwide. MHA (Mental Health Aberdeen) Firstly, thank you and the school so much for the monies raised which is a fabulous result for all concerned. It’s great that you will be carrying on with the winter wellbeing programme, everyone can take part and the benefits are many including helping to build individual resilience, which is so important, especially at the moment. Best Regards, Graeme
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Careers & Work Experience
CAREERS SUSAN BROWN HEAD OF CAREERS
Rosewell House Care Home
VS UCAS Days
Some of our fifth and sixth year pupils volunteered virtually at Rosewell House Care Home during lockdown for their work experience. The girls shared pictures of art work and filmed themselves singing and playing instruments for the elderly residents. The girls and residents have also been delighted to have live chats over Skype and all are keen for this to continue throughout this term and beyond! Many thanks to Pamela at Rosewell House Care Home for her help in setting up this joint venture.
On Wednesday 9th and the morning of Thursday 10th June, the current VS girls had UCAS Days. During this time all of the girls learned about the resources and help that is available to them to allow them to make well informed career choices. Their first virtual guest speaker, Georgina Guest from RGU, taught them how to choose a university and how to write a personal statement. After break they learnt all about apprenticeships from Michelle Goldpenny, and then Lauren MacAskill from North East Scotland College gave them a talk about HND and HNC courses as well as 2+2 degrees. In the afternoon the girls took part in a workshop run by the British Army about money matters and to round off the first of our two careers days, Emma Hunter from Thorpe Malloy gave them some top tips on CV writing and interview skills.
II and IIIS Team Building Event On Monday 21st June, IIS and some IIIS girls embarked on a jewellery making/enterprise day. The day began with Miss Wood and Mrs Bedford from the art department giving a demonstration of six different techniques that the girls could use to make different types of jewellery. They showed us how to work with different materials such as wood, stones, glass and even fabric to make necklaces, bracelets, earrings and brooches. The sky was the limit after this informative introduction! After this the girls then had the morning to create a fictional company and create a business plan to sell their creative produce as well as the opportunity to design and create stunning jewellery that they could potentially sell. The girls were asked to give consideration to how their company could benefit others and this could be anything from a school driven initiative, to something in the wider community, or even a global cause. The girls were able to choose a theme for their jewellery design and each of the groups came up with wonderful ideas. After much creating and designing, the girls came together again at the end of the day and we were joined by our judges, Mrs Torrie, our Head of English, and Mrs Slater, our Head of Guidance, who were both impressed by the high standard of jewellery and each group’s business pitch. In the end there could be only one winner and after so much deliberation, our judges declared the company “Save the 70’s” as the winners - congratulations to Hiba, Noemi, Maisie, Olivia and Iris in IIA. Thank you to the art department, judges and to all the girls who took part. It really was a very enjoyable day.
After a jam-packed Wednesday, on Thursday the day started with another workshop, this time from Careers Sense which was run by employees of NatWest bank. This allowed the girls to try and solve different financial problems given to them by experts in three different fields. After this, three of our current VIS girls, Iona Adams, Konyinsola Abari and Jewel Jacob came and chatted to them about their experiences of UCAS and the university application process. After break the girls then got themselves registered on UCAS and began to explore the vast array of resources available to them on the St Margaret’s Careers website and their UCAS Google Classroom. This contains recorded talks from previous guests and former pupils, details about how to gather work experience, links to useful websites, and much more. To round off UCAS Days, Mrs Goodwin came and talked to the girls about the procedure for their references and our Early Bird club. It was a very busy day but I am sure that our V Senior girls will feel even more confident to carve out whatever career path is right for them, knowing that their teachers will be right behind them offering support and advice.
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Careers & Work Experience
Law and Medic Talks On Thursday 10th June we were delighted to welcome three lawyers to chat to our aspiring lawyers in IV and VS. First we welcomed former pupil Kate Bradbury onto the screen. She spoke of her experiences as a housing solicitor at Brodies and how she now currently works as a family lawyer. The girls found it extremely interesting to learn about these two, quite different aspects of law. After this we were joined on screen by Mrs Susan Dickson. Mrs Dickson works in the Government's Foreign and Commonwealth Office and she had a wealth of information to share about her personal career journey and the work and projects she is currently involved in. Finally, to conclude our law event, we were joined on screen by Anna Strong who works for Stronachs. Mrs Strong started her law career in employment law and, after starting a family, moved into the area of recruitment and human resource law. It has been so interesting learning about each of these career paths and I have no doubt that the girls are in a much stronger position to make a decision about pursuing a law degree and also what areas they think they might be interested in.
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After break the girls in IVS and VS who are interested in pursuing a career in medicine were given the chance to attend our mini medic event. We were delighted to be joined virtually by two current medical students at Aberdeen University and former pupil Sam White. We started off with second year Aberdeen University students Tara Robbie and Abby McCabe. They had created a very informative presentation for the girls to show and speak about all the things that need to be prepared for the medical application process. This included UCAS deadlines, the UCAT test, test dates, costs, the MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) and personal statements. They also talked about a day in the life of a medical student and gave good insight to the girls of what it is really like to be a medical student - the highs and the lows! We are very grateful to Tara and Abby for giving up their time to talk to the girls. After this we were joined by former pupil, Sam White. Sam has just graduated with a first class honours degree in Biomedical Science and is due to start her medical degree this September, also at Aberdeen University. Sam was able to tell the girls about this alternative route into medicine and shared lots of information about her biomedical degree, including the modules
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Careers & Work Experience
Doctors at Work that she studied and career prospects. For Sam, however, her ambition has always been to be a doctor and so we wish her every success with her medical degree and thank her very much for sharing her experiences and knowledge with us. IVS Careers Days On Friday 11th June it was the IV Senior girls turn as they embarked on their careers day. The day began with my introduction to the support available to them via the St Margaret’s Careers Website and their new careers’ Google Classroom. Both are extremely useful places to start when looking for reliable websites and information. After this we were joined virtually by Mr Ian Carry from IC Executive Coaching. He conducted a workshop about teamwork. The girls had to analyse how to work in teams and to discover if the number of people in their group made a difference to their decision-making and the group dynamic and how they would deal with it. After break we were joined virtually by Lee Mair from RGU who talked about how to choose a university. It made the girls think about not just the course they want to apply to, but the facilities and resources in the campus and also in the city that they might consider moving to. After this Craig Peoples from Skills Development Scotland gave the girls a talk about the different apprenticeship routes available to them. In the afternoon IVS had two workshops to participate in. The first was from Careers Sense run by NatWest Bank staff. The girls were given different financial problems and had to choose the best way to solve them. This also made the girls think about different roles within finance such as Sustainability Officer, Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst and a Relationship Manager. To round off the day the British Army gave a virtual workshop about money matters and the girls had to complete various tasks, one of which was to work out how much it would cost to deploy a platoon on an overseas exercise! The girls had to consider the cost of flights, rooms, rations and ammunition for the 3-week exercise. (And in case you are wondering, the answer was £1,148,700 for 1050 troops!) I would like to take this opportunity to extend my sincerest thanks to all of our virtual visiting speakers, current pupils, former pupils and staff for coming together to inform the girls about their personal career paths and showing the numerous possibilities that lie before them. I do hope the girls in IV and VS enjoyed their careers days and managed to learn more about the support that is available to them in school as well as the wider community. I also hope that they learnt more about themselves and their own transferable skills, strengths and weaknesses, which will allow them to reflect on their careers journey so far and think of ways to proceed with confidence in the future to be the best they can be.
On Thursday the 10th of June, aspiring medics from IVS and VS were joined virtually by medical students, Tara Robbie and Abby McCabe, who had given up their limited free time to share their experiences and advice for our application to medicine. The girls first discussed the UCAT exam in great detail with us. Their personal hints and tips about each individual section of the exam from Verbal Reasoning to Situational Judgement were very well received and allowed us to tailor our revision effectively. What many of us also found to be very helpful was the students’ emphasis on the common pitfalls associated with each section of the exam and how to avoid them. The girls then moved on to inform us about open days for university and highlighted their importance in helping us to become more familiar with the campus and its individual approach to the medical curriculum. The students discussed the most important qualities of a doctor and advised us to research more about them and discuss how we demonstrate those qualities in our personal statements as well as in our interviews. What we thought was very interesting was their detailed insight into life as a medical student and the impact COVID-19 has had on access to resources and curriculum; for example, the girls mentioned that they were unable to use the anatomy rooms and go on ward rounds which impacted their ability to learn some necessary aspects of the course. They also reassured us about medical students being able to have part-time jobs and be members of societies despite the high workload and pressure they face. All in all, It was a really good opportunity for us to ask questions about the daunting application process from successful candidates. Abby and Tara were very informative and their eagerness to answer all of our questions was greatly appreciated. Katie and Maria, VS Sam White On the 10th of June aspiring medics received a talk from Sam White who was a former pupil at St. Margaret’s. She studied at Robert Gordon University (RGU) and now has a first class honours in Biomedical Sciences. She spoke about her journey to university and how she pursued alternate pathways in order to fulfil her dream of studying medicine. Initially she spoke about how there are other ways to get into medicine, even if you don’t get the grades as well as the support she received from the staff of St. Margaret's throughout her journey. She then continued to discuss her time at RGU as a Biomedical Sciences student. Additionally, she discussed how the course developed her understanding of the human body and allowed her to conduct medical research. She gave the students the opportunity to pose any questions they had and thus relieved them of the anxieties they were struggling with regarding their career choices and provided clarity on their potential medical futures. Ana, Meriam and Marria, VS
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In The News
PITCH PERFECT PUPILS TUNE IN FOR
Pupils at St Margaret’s School for Girls in Aberdeen fine-
tuned their singing voices for the annual Barnardo’s Christmas Concert on Tuesday, 1st December. Traditionally, the charity hosts an annual concert at the Royal Albert Hall in London; however due to the pandemic this year’s concert was held virtually and was broadcast live to audiences across the UK. St Margaret’s was the only Scottish school to take part in the musical extravaganza, with a performance of Away in a Manger by the girls in the junior school. The singers were accompanied by musicians from both the junior and senior schools. Headteacher Anna Tomlinson said the event was ‘joyful and uplifting’. She said: “The past few months have been exceptionally hard for everyone, not least the children and their families supported by Barnardo’s. “Everyone at St Margaret’s was delighted to take part in one of the charity’s biggest fundraising events, and helping to spread some Christmas cheer across the country.” Barnardo’s Event Manager for Scotland Jordyn Armstrong is responsible for fundraising for the work the charity does with children and young adults in Aberdeen.
She said: “We are absolutely delighted that St Margaret’s agreed to take part in our Kidsmas Live event. “With many fundraising events cancelled this year, we rely on virtual alternatives to generate much-needed funds, which will allow us to continue our vital work with children, young people and their families across Aberdeen and the Shire, as well as the rest of the country. “For many people, Christmas is a time for family, fun and presents, but for vulnerable children across the country this time of year is just as challenging as any other. This is why we need to come together, spread a little sparkle and raise as much money as we can to support those who need us most.”
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ST MARGARET’S LAUNCHES
Innovative Partnership
TO BOOST MENTAL HEALTH DURING PANDEMIC St. Margaret’s School for Girls in Aberdeen teamed up with a local charity, Mental Health Aberdeen, to boost pupils’ mental health and wellbeing as part of Children’s Mental Health Week (1st - 7th February).
In what has been recognised as a massive challenge in the wake
of the pandemic, the Scottish Government released evidence that there is a “fairly consistent finding in Scottish surveys that the mental wellbeing of girls, particularly older girls has fared worse than that of boys during the pandemic.” St. Margaret’s have proactively offered a range of wellbeing activities and support for girls at the school since the start of the pandemic to support mental health as well as attainment. This latest wellbeing initiative was designed to support girls through ten challenges that helped to improve resilience and mental wellbeing through a series of flashcards distributed to pupils across the senior school which provided hints and tips about how to maintain and improve mental wellbeing, especially during lockdown. Pupils were able to access challenges, support and dedicated wellbeing assemblies through their newly launched wellbeing hub online. Each week young people were set two challenges to complete, with teachers
hoping these would give the girls a much needed daily boost. It was been co-designed by Mental Health Aberdeen and the school’s wellbeing committee, following on from a successful Movember Millions campaign, which saw pupils, parents, staff and former pupils from St. Margaret’s work together to complete one million steps a day in November. A total of 2165 entries were recorded, with a total of 37,729,746 steps throughout November. The Movember campaign also raised £800 for Mental Health Aberdeen and Plan International. Head of PE, Karen Norval, who led the Winter Wellbeing initiative said: “Even outside of a pandemic, January and February are often referred to as ‘blue months, so we knew we had to do something creative and fun that the girls could get involved with to maintain and improve their wellbeing and resilience. “Throughout the last year we have gone the extra mile to ensure wellbeing is at the forefront of all of our learning activities at St. Margaret’s - and Children’s Mental Health Week provides an important focus to ensure every young person has access to the support they need to navigate such unprecedented times. “It has been great to work with Mental Health Aberdeen, not only to support our girls’ wellbeing and education, but to also help raise funds for the charity’s important work.” Sophie Cordiner, senior prefect at St. Margaret’s, said: “During lockdown when we are away from friends and our normal routine, it is more important than ever to look after our mental health. The St Margaret’s wellbeing website offers an accessible resource for pupils with easy to understand tips and fun challenges to help us look after ourselves.” Graeme Kinghorn, Trustee & Treasurer at Mental Health Aberdeen said: “The restrictions over the past months have further highlighted the importance of maintaining good mental health and wellbeing. We already know that we all have different ways of coping through challenging times and were delighted to help and provide handy tips and hints for the girls. MHA are very grateful for the support from the pupils and staff at St. Margaret’s.”
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Aberdeen’s independent schools join forces to deliver a series of wellbeing seminars in a city first initiative.
Aberdeen’s four independent schools have come together to deliver a series of free online seminars focused on mental health and wellbeing. The virtual Wellbeing in Difficult Times series was the first of its kind in the city and saw St Margaret’s School for Girls, along with International School Aberdeen (ISA), Robert Gordon’s College and Albyn School – collectively known as Aberdeen Independent Schools (AIS) – come together to deliver four online conferences featuring a variety of expert speakers. The first seminar was hosted by ISA and welcomed Dr Bruce Lawrie, Consultant Psychologist, whose focus was on the importance of physical activity for mental health and wellbeing. The virtual session was entitled “The ‘Power of Mind’ to Enhance Your Mental & Physical Wellbeing”. Robert Gordon’s College welcomed guest speakers Jane Lunnon, Lena Carter and Graham Goulden, on Tuesday, March 2nd, who delivered an online seminar focused on ‘Impact and Opportunity relating to the Covid-19 pandemic’. St Margaret’s School for Girls welcomed Dr Tharaka Gunarathne, known as ‘Dr T’, on Wednesday, March 17th, in a webinar entitled ‘Look after your SWANS: Dr T’s 5 Key Areas to Better Resilience.’ Dr T joined Anna Tomlinson for a fascinating and engaging discussion on wellbeing and resilience. Dr T shared his insights into how to develop greater resilience, a topic which we know resonates with so many, one year into this pandemic. Dr T talked passionately about the importance of sleep and how making simple changes to your routine can have a positive impact on your mental health. With his extensive background
Dr Tharaka Gunarathne
in the area, he spoke about the benefits of scheduling your sleep and shared useful tips to help improve sleeping patterns. Further thought-provoking insights were discussed including keeping hydrated and how important it is to ‘drink before you feel thirsty’. Staying active and looking after your nutrition were other key areas discussed and how these small steps can positively impact your general wellbeing and health. Anna Tomlinson said “Thank you to everyone who joined the webinar last night. We have received some wonderful feedback following the event. Dr T’s honest and fun approach to such an important topic has been refreshing. The audience was engaged throughout and we enjoyed their active participation through questions and comments. We hope his practical advice has been invaluable to many.” Albyn School hosted the last in the series of seminars on Tuesday, March 30th, where they welcomed Astrid Whyte, CEO, Mental Health Aberdeen, who will discussed the important topic of ‘Family Wellbeing’.
“At a time when the teachers and pupils have gone the extra mile to maintain the high standards of education and inclusiveness during the pandemic the least we former pupils can do is support it with whatever we can afford.”
“St Margaret’s gave me so much, both in terms of education and community, and I am happy to donate in the hope that I can play a part in providing that experience for someone else.” Sarah Kershaw (Bibby), donor, Class of 1992
Donor, December 2020
“We are so grateful that our daughter has received so many amazing opportunities through St Margaret’s. We have been delighted to watch her grow up in a secure, enriching school environment, in which she has flourished.” Parents of bursary recipient, 2021
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In The News
Save the Children ART COMPETITION
T
o celebrate the founding of the charity Save The Children in 1919, the Aberdeen shop on Union Street arranged an Art Competition for local primary schools. We were delighted to learn that three of our pupils were successful. Congratulations to Jessica Gunn (1st prize), Abigail Onyeakazi (2nd prize) and Evelyn Siju (3rd prize). These girls are now in I Senior but took part while they were still in 7 Junior. The girls have all won individual art kits Kits and £100 for the art department to spend in Gray’s Art Shop. All the work was displayed in the Save the Children shop window on Union Street. Evelyn Siju
Jessica Gunn
Abigail Onyeakazi
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NATIONAL GALLERIES OF SCOTLAND ART COMPETITION
Many congratulations to Jewel Ifezulike in IIM who has won Special Merit in Category D, age group S1-3.
All entries will be added to their online gallery too. We really hope that the winners and their families will be able to visit.
This is a well-established competition which had over 1500 entries from all over Scotland, so to be amongst the winners is a major achievement.
The exhibition may also tour to other venues across Scotland. A selection of works will feature on postcards which will be for sale in the National Galleries of Scotland shops.
The winning entries will be displayed at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art – Modern ONE, this autumn/spring.
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Success AT
MISAC 2020 Annual Competition
Microbiology competition success We were delighted to learn that Iona Adams in VI Senior achieved a coveted Bronze Award in the British Biology Olympiad. Iona chose to enter the Olympiad, despite this year’s competition occurring during lockdown, and achieved within the top 25% of entries from 622 schools. This is no mean feat, and we share our hearty congratulations with her.
Congratulations to our III Senior team of Marcy Bryce, Jane Curry, Shaneka Hapuarachchi and Rebecca Jennings who have been awarded a High Commendation for Design in the Key Stage 3, Secondary 1/2 group in the 32nd MiSAC Annual Competition ‘VaccAid: fighting infections’ which was sponsored by MiSAC. We would like to celebrate the girls’ success in achieving a High Commendation in such a prestigious competition. This year’s competition attracted 330 entries and involved participation by 583 students. Pupils involved enjoyed the experience as well as learning more about vaccination.
PLEASE VIEW ENTRY TO THE RIGHT
Scottish Maths Challenge Success St Margaret’s senior pupils excel at Scottish Maths Challenge Competition.
The results for last year’s (2019-20)
Scottish Maths Challenge were very late in being released due to the current COVID-19 crisis but we are delighted to share the success of our pupils who undertook the challenge. Middle Division: The girls competed in the middle division of the Scottish Maths Challenge competition which is for pupils from IIIS
and IVS. They had to submit answers to 10 mathematical problems. Samaira Jena and Weronika Rukat gained silver awards and Sekemi Adenuga, Samly Koshy, Folami Olawuyi and Joanne Sharples gained bronze awards. The girls are pictured here with their certificates on the steps of 3-5 Albyn Place. They have done especially well to gain these awards as they were the younger year group in the division.
All Results of Scottish Maths Challenge 2019-2020 Congratulations to all the girls who took part in the competition. Linden Tapper Junior Division
Middle Division
IS - Session 2019-2020 Sophia Vincely-Paul - Gold Award Alina Imran - Bronze Award Ellie Ong - Bronze Award
IIIS - Session 2019 - 2020 Samaira Jena - Silver Award Weronika Rukat - Silver Award Sekemi Adenuga - Bronze Award Samly Koshy - Bronze Award Folami Olawuyi - Bronze Award Joanne Sharples - Bronze Award
IIS - Session 2019 - 2020 Marcy Bryce - Gold Award Laura Duringer - Bronze Award Marion Ikuenobe - Bronze Award
IVS - Session 2019 - 2020 Liberty Mountain - Gold Award Kasia Bain - Silver Award Emma Simpson - Silver Award Marria Jobi - Silver Award Senior Division VIS Session 2019 - 2020 Katyayeni Singh - Silver Award
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Write Up From the Girls:
ST MARGARET’S GIRLS
REPRESENT SCOTLAND IN UK CYBERFIRST GRAND FINAL On Monday 26th April, a team of pupils from St Margaret’s
School for Girls represented Scotland in the UK Grand Final of the National Cyber Security Centre’s (NCSC) CyberFirst Girls code-breaking competition. After beating 6,500 girls in the qualifying stages, the second year pupils secured third place in the Grand Final, placing them as the top aspiring codebreakers of their age group in the country. Pupils Ellie Ong, Rachel Murray, Celine Muir, and Iris Emembolu, were among nine other teams who put their cyber security know-how to the test in the CyberFirst Girls final, a competition run by the NCSC to inspire the next generation of young women to consider a career in cyber security. The final competition saw ten teams simultaneously take on a series of cyber security challenges covering cryptography, logic and networking. Now in its fifth year, the CyberFirst Girls Competition aims to inspire girls to pursue their interests in technology and consider a career in cyber security – a field where women are still under-represented in the UK, making up an estimated 15% of the sector workforce.
The 2021 CyberFirst competition was a great learning opportunity for 6,500 girls all across the UK and our whole team was excited to have a project to focus on over the online learning period. The first stage of the competition lasted 10 days and was filled with puzzling challenges to test our knowledge of cybersecurity, logic and coding, networking and cryptography. After a nerve-racking wait we were delighted to hear that we were within the 8% of girls who qualified for the semi-finals which would take place on March 19th 2021. The semi-finals ran from 9:40am until 3:30pm and then we had a day filled with challenges that we worked as a team to solve. After a wait of two days we found out that we would represent Scotland in the grand finals on April 26th. These are the various categories we each worked on and enjoyed the most: Cryptography: The cryptography category was about using problem-solving to decipher text to discover hidden messages. It included a variety of different techniques and required the use of a site called Cyberchef on many questions. A large aspect of cryptography is problem-solving to identify the method used and then to find a way to reverse it. I learnt a large variety of ways to solve and recreate encrypted messages. Rachel IIA Logic and Coding: The logic and coding category was about figuring out what to do with the information you were faced with, and finding ways to reveal the answer and problem-solve. It included different software programming languages such as Java, Python and Linux to crack various problems, binary logic to extract data, decoding hashes and much more. Each question was unique and required its own approach to find the key, improving my logical thinking skills and knowledge on various techniques, tricks and tactics along the way. Ellie IIA
The Chronicle 2021
In The News
FORMER PUPIL AWARDED PRESTIGIOUS SCHOLASTIC AWARD FOR
Academi c Performance AT STANFORD UNIVERSITY
Cyber Security: The cybersecurity category was all about using logic and knowledge to work out how to solve challenges. The category covered a wide array of topics such as hidden messages, stolen data, IP tracking and recognising cybercrime. The topic also taught me how to prevent cybercrime and how to protect online data. I learnt much about extracting data from multimedia files and how to edit the stylesheets on a website. Celine IIA Networking: The networking category used knowledge about the internet and how information was communicated. It was about how websites worked and had a lot about IP addresses and website domains. The networking category had a lot less problem solving than the other categories and was more based on knowledge or being able to find information that is not always easily found. Iris IIA The semi–final round gave us a compelling chance to develop our skills and knowledge across a wide range of computing fields. Throughout the day we worked closely as a team, learning from each other, communicating frequently and solving problems together. It was a fantastic experience, and we can’t wait to represent Scotland in the Grand Finals! Rachel, Iris, Celine and Ellie
Former pupil, Ayesha Pasha, has been selected as a recipient of the prestigious J. E. Wallace Sterling Scholastic Award for distinguished academic performance at Stanford University.
T
he Sterling Award is one of the university’s most selective academic awards. It is based on overall academic performance as determined by Grade Point Average and is presented to the top 25 students in the graduating senior class in the School of Humanities and Sciences. Recipients of the award are invited to name a secondary school teacher who has been the most influential in guiding them through the formative stages of their academic career. Ayesha identified Mr Gavin Cunningham, our Head of History, Modern Studies and Economics, as that person. In non-Covid times Mr Cunningham would have been invited to a celebratory event at Stanford! Ayesha was a pupil at St Margaret’s from her early junior years until completion of her VI Senior year. We congratulate her most warmly on her success.
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SCOTTISH SCHOOLGIRL SCOOPS UP
BBC Young Composer OF THE YEAR AWARD 2021
St Margaret’s School for Girls is celebrating the accomplishment of recent school leaver, Jenna Stewart, who has won the prestigious BBC Young Composer of The Year Award 2021.
The annual competition invites 12 to 18 year old students who create their own original music to submit their composition for the chance to work with a mentor composer on a project with the BBC Concert Orchestra, culminating in a performance or broadcast opportunity. From an incredible 529 entrants to six winners, Jenna was one of two to win in her category. Judged by a panel of leading composers and music industry professionals who are passionate about finding and developing young talent, this year's panel included the likes of Becky Hill, Benbrick and Sarah Freestone. Inspired by her musical family, Jenna started playing the violin and guitar aged seven and remembers writing her first piece of music at the age of eight alongside her Dad. Jenna knew from an early age she wanted to pursue a life of creativity and as well as having a passion for composition, has also performed on violin, piano, voice and guitar. The music which won her the award is a piece for two sopranos with her own spoken voice and electronic effects, called “Lost Times” which explores the theme of the changing landscape in the Scottish Highlands, one of her many works she wrote in the midst of the pandemic. Jenna Stewart, former St Margaret’s School For Girls pupil and BBC Young Composer of The Year, said: “I consider myself to be extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to work on my music with full support from St Margaret’s. I’m not sure I could have won this award if it were not for St Margaret’s constant encouragement from the very start of my musical journey. “When I found out I was one of this year’s winners, I was truly stunned. When I entered the competition I did not expect to win, I entered it more for the experience of ‘putting music out there’. After I processed it, I was so ecstatic, it felt amazing to know that such an esteemed panel of judges could really appreciate my composition.”
Anna Tomlinson, Headteacher of St Margaret’s School for Girls, said: “We are so proud of Jenna and all that she has achieved, both in school and now with her BBC Young Composer of The Year Award. Here at St Margaret’s we want nothing more than for our pupils to find something they are passionate about and succeed. Jenna is a wonderful example of how hard work, dedication and enjoying what you do can reap rich rewards. As a school, it is important to us that we nurture these attributes from an early age to enable our pupils to flourish and thrive on the path of their choice.” Jenna Stewart graduated from St Margaret’s School for Girls in the summer of 2021 and is currently on a gap year and has been accepted to study Music at Edinburgh Napier University next year.
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UNIQUE EXPERIENCES AND ITEMS AUCTIONED FOR SCHOOL BURSARY PROGRAMME Unique experiences and luxury items from exclusive brands were auctioned to raise funds for St Margaret’s School for Girls’ Bursary Programme. From luxury fast car experiences and exclusive whisky tastings to a weekend stay at the beautiful Tomdhu Lodge in Boat of Garten, there was a prize to suit everyone. The online auction raised an incredible £11,000. There were 361 entries to the Prize Draws which together raised a total of £3,305! The funds will go towards the school’s Bursary Programme, which ensures that a St Margaret’s education is accessible to the wider community in the North East of Scotland. The school, which is celebrating its 175th anniversary, partnered with award-winning fundraising technology company, Givergy, to run the online auction using their bespoke platform. The auction included a prize draw featuring a stunning Malcolm Appleby Primrose bangle worth over £950. The ‘Primrose’ is one of his most iconic designs, featuring 13 flower heads, known in the north-east as the ‘Spinkie’, and is a delightful harbinger of spring. Designed like a flower-daisy chain, the bangle is solid silver embellished with 18ct gold beads in the centre of each flower. This is the latest in a series of innovative online events from St Margaret’s School for Girls, including a series of intimate and engaging webinars with the country’s top inspirational women and wellbeing activities highlighting the importance of mental health. Despite the restrictions, the school has embraced the challenge of engaging with pupils, parents, and the wider community online in the past year. Anna Tomlinson, Head Teacher at St Margaret’s School for Girls, said: “At a time when we are acutely aware of the inequalities affecting educational opportunities and demand for our bursary places is rising, we are delighted to have raised over £11,000 for our school’s Bursary Programme. As a charity, our Bursary Programme enables us to fund places at St Margaret’s for girls from all backgrounds. This opportunity will provide them with the foundation for their future successes and support social mobility within the local community.
We would like to thank all the local, UK-wide and international individuals and businesses who kindly provided the fantastic prizes lined up generously donated by local, UK-wide and international individuals and businesses.” The auction went live on 28 May 2021 with final bids placed on 17 June 2021.
Auction highlights included: Drive an Audi TT for a weekend donated by Aberdeen Audi Exclusive Sherry Masterclass with The GlenDronach donated by The GlenDronach with transport by chauffeur-driven car provided by VChauffeur Fishing trip for two on the River North Esk donated by Integrated Marine Solutions Aberdeen Football Club match tickets and dining for four people for the 2021/22 season donated by Aberdeen Football Club Majestic Wine tasting for 10 people donated by Majestic Wine Aberdeen Entier Dine at Home for four people donated by Entier Exclusive lunch for 6 at Turin Castle donated by Turin Castle with transport by executive minibus donated by Peace Coaches Prize draw featuring Malcolm Appleby Primrose Bangle
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ST MARGARET’S SCHOOL
CELEBRATES 175TH ANNIVERSARY WITH
Inspirational Women Series St. Margaret’s School for Girls is celebrating their 175th Anniversary and International Women’s Day with the launch of a new Inspirational Women series that they hope will inspire girls across the world.
The online series which was free and open to the public -
featured stories and insights from women in all walks of life including sport, science, business, journalism, social enterprise and politics. The series, supported by Aberdeen Standard Capital, is set to inspire and encourage girls from across the globe to be the best they can be. Launched on International Women’s Day on 8th March, the school presented a special event in the series featuring the launch of their “Choose to Inspire” video campaign featuring staff and pupils from St. Margaret’s, video messages from special guests such as TV star Lorraine Kelly, sporting icon Judy Murray and a Q&A with Dr Nicola Steedman, Deputy Chief Medical Officer at the Scottish Government, who discussed her career path to becoming one of the most senior women supporting Scotland’s COVID-19 response. With messages of courage and confidence to step outside your comfort zone from Dr Nicola Steedman and positivity and resilience from award-winning journalist and disability campaigner Melanie Reid to name but a few, the webinar series has delved into each of the inspirational women’s stories about how they have reached where they are today. Anna Tomlinson, Head of St Margaret’s School for Girls said: "The Inspirational Women Webinar series has been an incredible experience. Not only have we had the privilege of meeting some of the UK’s most inspirational women, but learning from their insights and reflections after years of experience and expertise as leaders in their respective fields has been fascinating. At a time when in-person events were not possible, the online webinar series was an uplifting way to engage with pupils and the wider community to share messages of resilience, confidence and integrity. We hope that these messages will stick with girls of all ages across the country and encourage them to be the best that they can be.” Judy Murray added: “I'm delighted to help St. Margaret's School for Girls celebrate their 175th Anniversary of inspiring women by taking part in this exciting series. I'm honoured to be considered as an inspirational woman and hope that the whole programme will motivate girls and young women to aim high and be the best they can be in whatever they choose to do."
Miranda Richards, Education and Schools Specialist at Aberdeen Standard Capital, said: “International Women’s Day is a good moment to encourage others with inspirational stories and Aberdeen Standard Capital is delighted to be supporting this webinar series, which will animate the career aspirations of girls and young women.” Videos from the Inspirational Women Webinar series are available to watch on St Margaret’s website: www.st-margaret. aberdeen.sch.uk/inspirational-women-webinar-series.
Participants in St Margaret’s Inspirational Women Webinar Series Professor Olivette Otele, a Professor of History of Slavery and Memory of enslavement at the University of Bristol. The UK’s first black female Professor of History. Commander Campbell, AB Salmond and LH Dorset from The Royal Navy. Jude Ower, MBE, founder and CEO of Playmob Dr Nicola Steedman, Interim Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Scottish Government. Lorraine Kelly, TV presenter (video message). Theresa May, Former Prime Minister (video message). Mary Contini, OBE, bestselling author, food writer, one of Scotland’s top chefs. Melanie Reid, The Times writer & disability campaigner. Jordan Brooks, former Deputy Director of the Council on Women & Girls in the Obama Administration, and currently the Executive Director at the United State of Women. Judy Murray, Scottish tennis coach. Louise MacDonald, National Director of IoD Scotland and former Chief Executive of YoungScot. Briana Pegado, Creative Director for Fringe of Colour, and Chair of YWCA Scotland. Miranda Richards, Senior Charity Portfolio Manager and Julie Hutchison, Charities Specialist from Aberdeen Standard Capital.
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Whole School Events
Whole School EVENTS
Whole School
Han ds
PROJECT In Pupil Council, we received an amazing idea from I Senior to celebrate the amazing diversity and uniqueness of all the St Margaret’s pupils. We asked everyone to draw around their hand and decorate it. The Head Girl team then put it all together to be displayed around school.
Thank you so much to all the pupils who contributed their hand designs - it looks amazing! Bethany Riach Head Girl
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ST MARGARET’S COMMUNITY KEEP MOVING WITH MOVEMBER MILLIONS CHALLENGE Pupils, staff and the wider St Margaret’s community have hit their target by walking over 30 million steps during the month of November raising £800 for charity.
The “St Margaret’s Movember Millions” initiative was launched on the 1st November and was a walking challenge in which every member of the school community was encouraged to participate. The aim of the initiative was to walk a collective total of one million steps per day for the month of November, enhancing wellbeing by the commitment to daily exercise and raising money for two worthy causes, nominated by St Margaret’s sixth year pupils, in the process.
The challenge has collectively raised £800 for the nominated charities - Mental Health Aberdeen and Plan International. “Now that the challenge is over, of course we encourage everyone to keep up those healthy habits and daily walks as we move forward into the festive season. We look forward to launching other fun health and wellbeing initiatives in the New Year”.
During the month of November the PE department used the core PE and games lessons to incorporate opportunities for pupils to increase their daily step total. Pupils and staff were encouraged throughout the month to continue to submit their daily step counts and the participation from across the school community was wonderful. Head of PE Karen Norval said: “A huge thank you to everyone who participated in the Movember Millions Challenge. As a result of teamwork across the St Margaret’s community an amazing total of 37,729,746 million steps was reached, far exceeding the 30 million target, a great example of the #StMargaretstogether spirit.”
A huge thank you to everyone who participated in the Movember Millions Challenge. Karen Norval
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Whole School Events
Transform your Thursday 4TH FEBRUARY 2021
These are a variety of the examples of the work that senior pupils created during ‘Transform your Thursday’ using the Place2Be charities theme of ‘Express Yourself’. This was our third virtual wellbeing day where we found all our pupils really enjoyed the break from the school timetable. They relaxed and enjoyed some creative activities such as baking, drawing and a chance to be away from the computer screen. This time around we also offered live improvisation drama sessions, a disco and some Minecraft with Mrs Goodwin, Miss Pirie and Mr Garioch. St Margaret’s is continually looking at ways to support our pupils with the winter wellbeing challenge that started in January. We also had a dress as you please day with an optional donation to the mental health charity Place2Be who offer mental health support in schools. I am delighted to say we raised nearly £700 which is an amazing amount, and one that will help many children. Karen Norval Head of PE
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Whole School Events
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Whole School Events
In 2021 St Margaret’s celebrated 175 years of educating and inspiring women and in a year like no other we wanted to use our last charity event of the term to help those outside of our St Margaret’s community in an inspiring way. We asked pupils and staff to take on their own 175 Challenge before the end of term. They could choose any challenge they liked such as cycling 175kms, baking 175 cupcakes, writing a story of 175 lines etc, working individually or as a group!
As you will see pupils and staff alike got involved and took on all sorts of fantastic challenges! The pupils selected two charities to support, a local one Befriend a Child and UNICEF UK Vaccinaid and raised over £600.
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Whole School Events
Kindness Poster Competition Winners 2020
Charlotte McIntyre 1J
Dani McAdam 3J
Julia Bamford 2J
Mya Kelly 7J
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Whole School Events
‘Coming Through The Storm’ BY THE STAFF OF ST MARGARET’S
Staff were asked to submit two lines to be used in the creation of a communal poem to capture our experiences during the pandemic. One line had to focus on the challenges we have faced while the second line was to deal with how we might have been changed by our recent experiences. We wanted to create a wonderful creative record of our experiences. Many thanks to all staff who contributed their thoughts and experiences. We hope you enjoy reading our St Margaret’s staff poem. Shirley Torrie
Normal changed in March 2020. The pandemic pointed its finger at inequality demanding we pay attention. This cunning virus seeped into every part of our lives forcing us to reflect on what really matters. At first, there was no light, only a desperate struggle for air in the darkness. (Mrs Torrie) Feeling caged, unable to relax and unable to sleep. (Ms Schmitz) Being locked up stole my freedom. (Mrs Norval) It's quiet. (Miss Pirie) The great untethering - withdrawal from the clatter of the everyday that secures us in this world. (Ms Kennedy) Distance: from those in need, those who grieve, those who soothe; the requirement to move, aches. (Mrs Miller) Time passing: weeks, months, too many months without seeing and hugging ageing parents. (Mrs Oldham) It's been a challenge to start a new life in Aberdeen. (Mrs Bedford) Distance from family has never been more. (Mrs Goodwin)
The pandemic has challenged my resilience to the point of being exhausted by simple things. (Mrs Howitt) Dread of the screen: what obstacles today? (Mrs Wiedermann) Challenged to persevere and embrace technology when it was not possible to avoid it; no option to work around it. (Mrs Murray) Countless challenges in many shapes and forms: personal and professional. (Mrs Lynch) Assessing the risks so much of the time. (Miss Tomlinson) Today is yet another Groundhog Day! (Anonymous) It's sometimes hard to be bright as the sun. (Anonymous) Battered by a perfect storm of conflicting responsibilities. (Mr Ward) Trying to be as kind to myself as I am to my friends. (Anonymous) How I missed that smile, that wave, that said “I know you, I see you, you are.” (Mrs Crabb) But now the sun burns brighter, The air begins to fill our lungs with hope. We stand together stronger, braver full of promise. (Mrs Torrie)
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Each moment is precious, looking inside and out: a shared sense of community, people, close and far about. Mrs Wiedermann
A wonderful opportunity to be ‘reset’; To see clearly what is really important and what you no longer want or need in life. (Ms Schmitz) A deep longing for a fairer, more caring, and less materialistic world. (Mr Ward) Each moment is precious, looking inside and out: a shared sense of community, people, close and far about. (Mrs Wiedermann) My world contracted but the joy of it has grown as I engaged much more with the natural world around me. (Mrs N Murray) Noticing: the birds' song, the starling throng, the frost glisten, the chance to listen, makes the days worthwhile. (Mrs Miller) Finding nature’s voice in birdsong, burn and bud - the anchorite’s blessing. (Ms Kennedy) When I am released I won't take it for granted ever again. (Mrs Norval) Influenced by a desire to be near family and the sea. (Mrs Bedford) The pandemic has changed my family’s dynamic and influences the fun or stress that it brings. (Mrs Howitt) Time to laugh, share and comfort one another in our home filled again with grown-up children. (Mrs Oldham)
Today is another chance to do some kindness. (Anonymous) Finding new ways to love is what time is for. (Mrs Goodwin) With hope in my heart I am soaring so high. (Anonymous) I love life much more as this pandemic ends. (Anonymous) Without the noise to distract me, I feel like I'm getting to know you better. (Miss Pirie) Opportunity for change, reflection, and greater appreciation of the things we take for granted. (Mrs Lynch) Now I know that there are bigger plans afoot, I want to be a part of them, I want to be there. (Mrs Crabb) So proud of us all as we continue the climb. (Miss A Tomlinson)
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Whole School Events
SPORTS DAY 1-4J - 11th June
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Whole School Events
Nursery & 5-7J SPORTS DAY 15th June
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I-IIIS SPORTS DAY 9th June
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IV-VIS SPORTS DAY 10th June
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The Music Department
music THE
DEPARTMENT
As the term began in August, it was a huge relief to be back in school with the additional space at the annexe. Things were not completely back to normal in the music department, however, with IS and IIS music classes being taught in their form rooms, rather than the well-resourced music room, no extra-curricular music activities, and limited instrumental teaching in school; whilst it was lovely to have piano and string lessons back in the music department, face-to-face, singing, woodwind and brass remained online, and out of school hours, and I thank Mrs Gurney, Mrs Cooper, Mrs Scott and Miss Flett for their patience and perseverance with this onerous task.
In January, Mrs Scott stood down from her long involvement at St Margaret’s as a singing teacher, class music teacher, and teacher of music to the Nursery, to focus on looking after her family and to concentrate on her own business. We thank her for her many years of excellent service and enthusiasm. Her place has been taken by Caron Flett, herself a former pupil of St Margaret’s, and indeed of Mrs Scott. Caron left St Margaret’s in 2016 to read music at Aberdeen University and is currently combining singing and piano teaching with completing her master’s degree before taking a post-graduate diploma in education. The first of our major musical activities in the year under normal circumstances is St Margaret’s Day. This was planned as a much scaled-down event this year, rather than the lovely autumn Friday morning service at St Machar’s Cathedral. Held for members of VIS in the gym, and pre-recorded for all others to enjoy, the video opened with Hebe Carter playing her bagpipes beside the statue of St Margaret. Niamh Dreelan and Alesha Cowling multi-tracked themselves both singing and playing an arrangement by PP of the song Caledonia by Dougie Maclean and Olivia Douglas was video-recorded singing a version of The Lord’s Prayer set by Willie Phillips to the American folk song melody Shenandoah, which was recorded out of doors.
Jenna Stewart arranged Count on Me by Bruno Mars for girls in VIS to sing, and also did the audio and video editing. A string quartet consisting of Jenna Stewart, Niamh Dreelan, Bethany Riach and Mrs MacDonald played a movement from a Mozart String Quartet – this was played live in the gym. In the October break Jenna Stewart (VIS) attended a composition course in London and composed what was later to become the winning entry for the senior category of the 2021 BBC Young Composer of the Year competition – a tremendous achievement for Jenna. Her piece, for two unaccompanied sopranos with electronic effects and spoken voice, is called Lost Times and atmospherically explores a lost and ancient Scottish Landscape. As Christmas approached we began to plan for various online events. Girls from the junior school were featured as representatives of St Margaret’s, the only school in Scotland to feature, singing Away in a Manger on a video released nationally by Barnardos. There were two informal concerts, which featured girls from both junior and senior schools, mostly recorded in their homes and edited into a concert released online. The main Christmas carol service was also replaced by an online event. Ten girls from VIS sang their traditional Once in Royal David’s City. The Chamber Choir also featured, singing O Come
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The Music Department
All Ye Faithful and Silent Night. Mr Parfitt had recorded himself playing the organ for this in a church in Stonehaven, and the girls sang along to it in their homes. They also performed The Candlelight Carol by Rutter. Girls from the Concert Band played an arrangement of Deck the Hall and Good King Wenceslas, again with all parts recorded separately by girls at home to a click track and edited together by PP. The traditional ending of a whole school item was replaced by a medley in which many girls from across the school participated as follows: Nursery – 4J; Jingle Bells. 5J – 7J; Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer. IS – IIIS; Frosty the Snowman. IVS – VIS; I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas. We are well aware that the whole business of recording oneself singing or playing an instrument in the solitude of your bedroom or dining room or wherever, with headphones and a metronome click, is not a skill that any of us had prepared for, or had ever needed before. It was also, for many girls and indeed parents, a highly stressful experience, with girls trying so very hard to give of their best – often playing on instruments which hadn’t been properly tuned for some time, and without the friendship of peers and the support of teachers around them. I thank them all for their Herculean efforts to make Christmas as normal as possible, and to support the Music Department and the ethos of the spirit of St Margaret’s. After Christmas came the second lockdown, with all music teaching going back online. I imagine that some subjects are better suited to online learning than others. For the expressive arts, it was not at all easy, and called for tremendous efforts of creativity, preparation and endurance. Again I thank my colleagues for all they did to deliver as normal an education, and as much of the curriculum as possible, without the access to live music making and many of the resources that we take for granted in our everyday teaching and learning. If I report that Mrs MacDonald, on several occasions, drove to meet parents in park & ride car parks in various parts of the city, on dark and wet evenings, in order to replace cello strings and tune instruments in the back of her car (instruments which had gone so far out of tune as to be unplayable) whilst meanwhile Mrs Wiedermann was picking up tiny violins from parents’ garden sheds and front porches in order to tune them, and then put them back, you may get some idea of what was fast becoming the ‘new normal’. For Mrs Gurney and Mrs Cooper, their working days had for some months been starting at 3:30 and ending at
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I thank them all for their Herculean efforts to make Christmas as normal as possible, and to support the Music Department and the ethos of the Spirit of St Margaret’s. Peter Parfitt
8:30, with them frequently dealing with issues of wi-fi connectivity and instruments which were not functioning properly. A couple more informal concerts were put together through the spring term and also the Spring Concert – the main musical event in the school year. For this (again – all parts recorded in solitude and uploaded to Google classrooms, clouds and shared drives for editing and compiling) there were solo performances from Emily Smith playing Tico-Tico on the clarinet, Niamh Dreelan singing When I Look at You from The Scarlet Pimpernel by Knighton, Bethany Riach playing Allemande, Sarabande and Gigue by Bach, Alesha Cowling singing Ständchen by Schubert, Jenna Stewart playing the first movement of Mozart’s Violin Concerto no. 3 and Olivia Douglas singing If I Loved You from Carousel by Rodgers and Hammerstein. We managed to put together the following group performances: Jesu, Joy of Man’s Desiring by Bach, played by the String Ensemble, Summer Sketches played by a Wind Quartet of Lucy Cruickshank and Ellen Smith (flutes) and Marcy Bryce and Grace Scott (clarinets). There was also music from the TV
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The Music Department
Senior school musicians series Bridgerton arranged for String Quartet by Jenna Stewart, and played by Jenna Stewart, Niamh Dreelan, Bethany Riach and Rebecca Jennings, and the Concert Band played a medley of highlights from The Wizard of Oz. Girls from the Senior Choir sang a sequence of Beatles songs arranged by Ms Brown, and girls from the Chamber Choir sang an a cappella arrangement of Loch Lomond by PP. Again we recognise and thank all those who participated, provided recorded piano accompaniments and backing tracks, arranged bespoke music specifically for individual groups of girls and did the massive amount of audio and video editing required. The return to school in March was very welcome, and bringing string and piano teaching back into school, face-to-face, was lovely. Again, every 40 minutes the bell was drowned out by the sound of numerous sets of piano keys being sanitised in various rooms – this has become a very familiar sound! Even better was the return of woodwind, singing and brass later in the summer term and finally, after many months of silence, the music department began to sound like a music department again. At Speech Day, as well as a recording of the school songs old and new, a string quintet played an arrangement of The Hills are Alive and Climb Every Mountain, and the ceremony ended, as always with the Radetzky March. As is widely known, the SQA exams were teacher assessed, and all girls at all levels had, through the course of the year, presented more than enough evidence (including many performance recitals made at home to pre-recorded rather than live accompaniments) to be included in their mandatory course assessment requirements. The number of instrumental and singing exams taken by girls during the course of the year dropped by well over 100 compared to the previous year – due
in part to the fact that exam boards cancelled whole examining sessions, and the newly-established online way of taking a graded exam was not fully rolled out until the spring term. Niamh Dreelan and Jenna Stewart, both of whom have been at St Margaret’s since early in the Junior School, have places to read music at university; Niamh at the University of Durham, and Jenna at Edinburgh Napier. I thank, very sincerely, and congratulate everybody who has played a part in keeping music at St Margaret’s going this year. We look forward to a much increased level of live music making in the 2021-2022 session. Peter Parfitt Director of Music
The music department began to sound like a music department again. Peter Parfitt
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The Music Department
Music Awards
The following girls have been awarded scholarships at NESMS (North East of Scotland, Music School): Emily Smith Piano
Isla MacFadyen Double Bass
Freya Corry Voice
Rose Veitch Saxophone & Clarinet
Tiana Mudkavi Voice
Jenna Stewart Violin
Emily
Freya
Isla
Jenna
Rose
Tiana
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Sports Review
SP ORTS
If ever there was a time for our resilience, perseverance and creative thinking to be tested then it was at the start of a new school year with Covid restrictions to adhere to.
Staff and pupils learnt how to use areas and equipment outside for fitness circuits and seeing how many laps they could run round the playground in an allotted time. The juniors especially became quite competitive. We were able to really concentrate on ball and tennis skills and looked at activities to develop our team work and cooperative skills. After October we were able to move indoors and it is when you have something taken away that you appreciate it even more. The senior girls really enjoyed being able to play badminton and the juniors loved participating in gymnastics and creating matching routines with their partner.
We were delighted to be able to offer some extra-curricular activities with Saturday hockey practice, cross-country, athletics, tennis all being offered for the girls to enjoy. During lockdown one of my colleagues set up the first ever live streamed weekly fitness class. They also set up a running Google classroom where staff and pupils could share their run. It was especially important in these times to encourage physical activity for health and wellbeing as well as connecting with others.
During lockdown the PE department sought ways to encourage the girls to keep moving and it offered opportunities to look at other aspects of wellbeing that we usually find hard to fit in. We had the nurse join us on Google meets where we looked at topics such as sleep, healthy eating, mindfulness and goal setting. To keep everyone motivated we set up a few challenges throughout the year. One of the first ones was the ‘Movember Millions’ challenge which was set up to encourage the whole school community to walk a million steps a day. It was wonderful seeing so many getting involved with former pupils, parents and staff joining in with the current school community. Together we reached 37,729,746 steps with Kildrummy just making the most contribution with Dunnottar and then Crathes close behind. As well as moving for our own health we also could donate money to either Aberdeen Mental Health or Plan International charities so we were helping others at the same time. Of course one of the main aims was to encourage us all to keep moving as a life habit as the health benefits of this are well
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Sports Review
documented. For the new year we set up the Winter Wellbeing challenge which developed the links we had started with Mental Health Aberdeen; they had suggested ten changes that you can make to your life to help maintain a healthy mental, emotional and physical state of mind. At Easter, III Senior participated in an in-school wellbeing day. One of the coaches from Aberdeen Football club came to give them a taster session and the girls also played rounders and participated in an orienteering challenge around our playing fields and then had to use their brains to solve two puzzles. In the afternoon the girls then had some mindfulness, art work and team puzzles. This was the ideal opportunity to offer something completely different and it was much enjoyed by all. In the last week of term, I Senior and Interview with Judy Murray
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II Senior participated in a dance resilience programme led by a former pupil who went on to study dance. It was lovely to see Rosie and so nice that she could teach the girls whilst giving them ideas on how to face and overcome challenges through the medium of dance. It can be highly motivating hearing from someone famous and two girls from school had the wonderful opportunity of interviewing Judy Murray. It was an extremely informative interview with the girls finding out so many useful tips and advice. This was then shared with the rest of the school. Judy inspired us to be all we can be and to take pride in the value and benefits of women in sport.
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Sports Review
Weather and lockdown has prevented sports day from happening since 2018 but this year we were determined to give the girls something to look forward to so we had five sports days planned! This meant that all pupils from nursery to sixth year participated in a sports day for the first time in three years. It was such a joy seeing everyone run, skip, jump or compete in races like the egg and spoon and having so much fun. Life felt almost normal after a hard year. We retained our annual tradition of the ‘March Past’ where our fourth year pupil Hebe Carter, kindly offered to pipe at each separate event. It really sets the scene and all the houses enjoy marching together and then finishing with a rousing rendition of their house chant to kick start the action. One of my fondest memories is of the nursery pupils who all started dancing when they heard the pipes and an impromptu Scottish ceilidh began! Amongst all the fun this was also an occasion for our athletes to shine. Sophie Jennings, our athletics captain, set new records in the 100m with a time of 13.37 (held since 1991) and the hurdles with a time of 12.06 (held since 2013). April Campbell (5J) set a new record in the
100m with a time of 16.31 (held since 2016). These are amazing achievements. As usual the girls compete for individual medals as well as earning house points. Kildrummy edged it on overall points and won the sports day house trophy with Crathes second and Dunnottar third. This year I felt we were all winners because despite the adversity we faced during the school year one of our long standing school traditions had been able to go ahead. Karen Norval Head of PE
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Sports Review
SPORTS CAPTAINS Athletics
Rowing Emily Smith (C) Justine Arndt (VC)
Gymnastics Konyi Abari (C)
Sophie Jennings (C) Sekemi Adenuga (VC)
Hockey Martha Sheal (C) Sarah Anderson (VC)
Badminton Eabha O’Sullivan (C) Jane Somerset (VC)
Swimming Ellen MacDonald (C) Jessica Rhodes (VC)
Horse-riding Natasha Hamilton (C) Hilary Cowie (VC)
Basketball Lyona Munyoro (C) Aliyah Muhammed (VC)
Tennis Lyona Munyoro (C) Marria Jobi (VC)
Martial Arts Kasia Bain (C)
Cross-country Portia Clarke (C) Sophie Jennings (VC)
Volleyball Jane Somerset (C) Kasia Bain (VC)
Netball Laura Hampton (C)
Yoga Natasha Morgan (C) Alexa Odell (VC)
Dance Sara Yorsten (C) Olivia Douglas (VC)
HOUSE CAPTAINS JUNIOR
SENIOR
CRATHES: (VC) Ruth (C) Barbara
CRATHES: (VC) Kezia (C) Rylee
DUNNOTTAR: (VCs) Yashila & Eva (C) Emilie
DUNNOTTAR: (VC) Katherina (C) Emily
KILDRUMMY: (VC) Sylvie (C) Freya
KILDRUMMY: (VC) Natalie (C) Lyona
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Activities & Extra-curricular
JUNIOR
Activities & Extra-curricular Cardboard Box Day Junior School Cardboard box day was a little different this year. The girls worked independently rather than with their buddy class and were challenged with creating a game using a ‘mini’ box. The girls planned their games in technology, prepared some of their props at home, then spent a wonderful day making and sharing their creations.
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Activities & Extra-curricular
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Activities & Extra-curricular
Junior School Harvest Part of our tradition at St Margaret’s is to hold a harvest celebration in nursery and junior school. We like to use the time to reflect on how thankful we are for all the good things we have and to focus on the needs of others. We were delighted to support local charity the Cyrenians by collecting food items. The charity provide food parcels for those in our local area who are finding things difficult just now. Norma Murray
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Activities & Extra-curricular
Remembrance Assembly 11th November 2020
Remembrance Day On 10th November, St Margaret’s held a virtual Remembrance Assembly. As a school we normally conduct the school’s act of remembrance with a whole school assembly together, where classes arrive and depart in silence and stand for the minute’s silence. This year, pupils from the junior and senior school came together to recognise this important day and to remember those who sacrificed their lives for us. The assembly was shared with girls in their form classes via a video format.
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Activities & Extra-curricular
Senses Topic (1J) 1 Junior completed their work on the senses by learning about their sense of taste. They learned about their tongue and how it helps us to taste. Some girls found that they could roll their tongues and some found that they could almost touch their nose with their tongues. They looked at their different teeth and learned about what is safe and unsafe to eat. We learned how to look after our teeth and talked about the tooth fairy and discussed lots of imaginative ideas of what the fairy does with the teeth: ‘I think she turns them to fairy dust and it gives her magical powers.’ - Hollie
Visit from the School Nurse (1J) In November, 1 Junior enjoyed a visit from our School Nurse Miss Rodger as part of their topic ‘People Who Help Us’. Miss Rodger told the girls about the different jobs a nurse does and some first aid tips on what to do if someone was choking or burnt themselves. She showed them how to put on a sling, bandage and plaster and took their blood pressure. This was a lovely way to round up our topic this term and the girls very much enjoyed the visit. Judith Garden
‘She builds a fairy castle with them.’ - Amelia Judith Garden
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Activities & Extra-curricular
Celebrating Roald Dahl Day (2J) 2 Junior had a lovely time celebrating Roald Dahl Day and enjoyed discussing some of his works. They were particularly taken with a quotation from ‘The Twits’. They used it as an inspiration for their art and health and wellbeing activities. They thought carefully about what good thoughts they could have and used oil pastels to create the sunbeams coming out of their faces. Sophie Hulme
Violin Project (2J) In the autumn term, 2J started a new violin project in their music lessons. The girls started to learn about the sounds the violin makes, they named and plucked the strings, and they played bowing games such as spider climbing, soup stirring, marching along and playing on the ‘air violin’! Lots of smiling faces could be seen and what fun the girls had! It was truly wonderful to have an entire class learning to play the violin together. Michaela Wiedermann
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Activities & Extra-curricular
K
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Science - Kites (3J) In the autumn term, 3 Junior enjoyed learning about forces in science. They made kites and had fun flying them in the wind. They learnt that it was better to run into the wind so that the kite flew out behind us. Alison Dressel
Viking Helmets (3J) In the spring term, 3 Junior enjoyed working on their Viking Helmets. The first step was to cover a balloon in papier-mâché and let it dry. Over the week the balloons shrank and we were left with lovely Viking Helmets. Silver paint was used and the final finishing touches, once the paint was dry, were silver tin foil balls. These made it look like the helmet has been put together with nails. Alison Dressel
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Enterprise Project (4J)
not come out. The bird food can be hung in a tree and enjoyed by the birds.
At the beginning of June, 4 Junior spent several weeks planning their enterprise project to raise money for Cancer Research. By mid-June the girls were ready to sell their goods.
They decided on the prices to charge and sent home order forms to their families. They packed up the sale items and sent them home. The girls were delighted to have raised a total of £255.40.
The girls grew sunflowers from seeds. They planted the seeds at the end of April and closely observed their subsequent growth. They had to report them three times as they grew so tall and they needed canes to support them. The girls planted them in beautifully decorated terracotta pots ready for sale.
Norma Murray
They baked sunflower seed biscuits and packaged them in bags with bright colourful ribbons. They also made sunflower seed bird food. They made the food by mixing vegetable suet and sunflower seeds together. They rolled them into a ball and coated them with more sunflower seeds. They threaded a long piece of green string through the ball and tied a large strong knot to secure it and ensure it would
Science (4J) In science, the girls in 4 Junior learnt about sound. They investigated how sound waves are made and how sound travels differently through solids, liquids and gases. The girls made amazing junk model musical instruments. Kirstie Maddison
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Activities & Extra-curricular
Ancient Greece Project (5J) The girls in 5 Junior enjoyed studying Ancient Greece in the spring term. They ended their topic with a Greek food tasting which was a great success. The girls tasted foods such as olives, pitta bread, flatbreads, tzatziki, stuffed vine leaves and fresh figs. Yasmin Wiseman said, “The pitta breads tasted so good and the tomatoes totally changed my taste buds”. Emily Dillon excitedly explained, “Ooooo the halloumi is just so good. It’s so salty and squidgy!” The girls then spent some time in the Food Technology department making their own Greek Salad using tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, feta, black Kalamata olives, oregano and Greek olive oil. Emily Littlejohn said it was, “Delicious and nutritious!” Vanessa Gerbrandy
Earthquakes (5J) 5 Junior spent a number of weeks in the autumn term learning about plate tectonics, earthquakes and tsunamis. Before being given their challenge the girls solved a real life maths problem, “How much jelly did they have to make to fill the container?”. It was quite tricky but fun to do! A recent challenge was to build an earthquake proof structure. Each pairing was given only 30 toothpicks and 30 mini marshmallows. The structure had to include at least one triangle, one square and be at least two toothpicks tall. Time was given time to plan, create, modify and improve the structures. All of the structures survived a minor quake. Most survived a moderate shake. Only one survived a severe tremor, well done Emily and Rose! Elaine Gibb
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Science (6J) In the summer term, the girls in 6 Junior learned about the process of digestion. They learned, first hand, how the large intestine functions. Their experiment was a messy affair, mixing banana with water, orange juice, and for good measure, some dry biscuits. Once mixed up in a plastic bag, to represent the stomach, the mixture was squeezed through one leg of a pair of tights to remove any liquid. The ensuing results can be seen in the photos. To consolidate their learning, the top junior corridor was alive with cartoon characters all displaying their annotated digestive systems. In pairs the girls drew the characters free-hand on large sheets of paper then, using their newly found knowledge, labelled and described each major organ and the role it plays in digestion. Gail Wyatt
6 Junior carried out STEM studies on air resistance. Gail Wyatt
STEM Studies (6J) In the autumn term, 6 Junior carried out STEM studies on air resistance. They made parachutes to test the relationship between the surface area of the parachute and the speed of its descent. Each girl was tasked to make three parachutes of varying sizes using area. This was the only variable the girls manipulated. Height of drop, weight of parachutist, number and length of strings all remained constant to ensure a fair test. The parachutes will be tested to see whether the girls’ predictions were correct. They enjoyed working with K’nex towers. The challenge was to build the highest self-supporting tower which could hold up one shoe. As you can see, some managed to support more than one! The girls needed to think about structures, using strong shapes and the compromise between design over function. Gail Wyatt
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Activities & Extra-curricular
Book Club (7J) There was great excitement among the members of our new 7 Junior book club when they met in December to discover what the first title would be. The girls had been given a number of options (along with sneak previews to help them decide) and then voted online for their favourite. While all titles were appealing in some way or another, the clear winner on this occasion was.... ‘A Pinch of Magic’ by Michelle Harrison. The beautiful front cover (illustrated by Melissa Castrillon) had caught everyone’s attention and with such an intriguing blurb, it was easy to see why this title came out on top.
The first ‘Homework’ was to read the Prologue and Chapter 1 - we could hardly wait to meet up again the Tuesday to share our thoughts! Monica Smith and Paula Twigg
“Three sisters trapped by an ancient curse. Three magical objects with the power to change their fate. Will they be enough to break the curse? Or will they lead the sisters even deeper into danger…?”
The first ‘Homework’ was to read the Prologue and Chapter 1 - we could hardly wait to meet up again the Tuesday to share our thoughts!
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Activities & Extra-curricular
Science (7J) During the biology topic in 7 Junior science, the girls learnt about the life cycle of flowering plants and butterflies. The girls were able to release some of the ‘Biology Butterflies’ before the start of their lessons. These are Painted Lady butterflies that we have watched grow from tiny caterpillars into beautiful orange and black butterflies. Some of the butterflies are still to emerge from their chrysalides and the girls are hoping to release the remaining butterflies soon. Laura Howitt
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Activities & Extra-curricular
SENIOR ACTIVI TIES & E X TRA -CURR ICUL AR
Our DofE Expedition
On the 21st and 22nd of June, IIIS were lucky enough to have the opportunity to complete our Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Expedition.
On the 21st, the participating girls hiked about 9km from
Potarch Bridge to Scolty car park. After our training day 2 weeks prior, we were all feeling prepared and excited for our journey to finally begin. Once we arrived in Potarch, the wonderful members of Gold Expeditions let us practise pitching our tents and ensured, one last time, that we had all our required equipment and knew how to use it properly. After that, we set off down the Deeside Way. During the beginning of our hike, we were all pleasantly surprised how easy the way was as everyone in our team had been expecting the worst. It was very warm and we were lucky enough not to experience any rain during the majority of our trip. There were definitely some difficulties we faced during the expedition, including the heat and exhaustion. However one of the key challenges we faced was just keeping up the willpower and team morale to continue hiking, but with some group encouragement and lots of snack breaks we managed our way up every hill and through every field. Many of us listened to music which also helped to keep the morale up. Our second day was much tougher. It involved walking about 15km from Knockburn Loch to Fetteresso Forest, most of which was uphill, but although it was harder we had more experience and knowledge of what to do. We all helped and encouraged
each other and even carried other team members' bags if they were struggling. Our map reading skills were put to the test as there were many forks in our path which we had to be exact with our time and distance measurements. Even though we faced a lot of challenges along the way, it was our good spirit and determination that ensured we finished the expedition. I’m sure we can all agree that it was a wonderful experience and gave us many very useful life skills and memories. Blessed McDonald, Kara Kelly, Ellie Lang IIIS
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Activities & Extra-curricular
IV Senior also had the opportunity to carry out their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh expedition
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Youth Philanthropy INITIATIVE
YPI is a project which teaches young people about philanthropy. My team - Momina, Pelumi, Marion, Joy, Adanna and Divinewill - all took part in the project. We were representing a small, local charity called ‘Home-Start Aberdeen’. Home-Start Aberdeen aims to prevent family crisis and breakdown in vulnerable, struggling families with young children (especially during Covid-19). We are all very grateful for this amazing opportunity, have learned a lot during our time working with the charity, and have thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Momina Shah When we were writing the poem, we wanted to write something that fits with our theme of helping. We also wanted something that would enable us to speak from the heart. We all got together and thought about what we wanted to get out of the project and what we wanted the audience to feel. It was also a good time to let the kids that Home-Start Aberdeen has helped, get involved and we really enjoyed working with them! The poem aspect of our presentation took an awful lot of brainstorming and planning but it was all worth it and we were all happy with the outcome! Divinewill Nwugo To learn more about Home-Start Aberdeen and how they help families, we had an interview with them on 2nd November. They shared how they have helped and are still helping families during the pandemic. They also shared how Covid-19 has affected the way they operate as a charity. For example, they had to run all their groups online and their income was also heavily affected because their shop was closed and the events that they usually hold couldn’t take place. It was a great experience speaking with the two representatives of HomeStart Aberdeen as they helped us to understand the work of the charity more. In our presentation, we decided to incorporate key points from our interview as they helped us convince the audience and judges why our charity should win the cash prize. Joy Olanrewaju
In order to understand and relate to our cause more, we interviewed a mother, Becca, who had been helped by HomeStart. Becca was more than happy to tell us how Home-Start had assisted her and her family through the years. As a young struggling widow soon to be mother, Home-Start helped her with everyday activities such as cooking and cleaning, and when her son arrived they offered her more support by encouraging her to go to clubs with other struggling families and mothers in similar situations. Becca and her son gained a lot from the help that the charity provided and are still very grateful for everything they have done for them. Becca even stated that in the near future she too would like to become a Home-Start volunteer. Using Becca’s experience we were able to portray her story through a ‘draw my life’ animation, drawn by Marion and narrated by Adanna. In this way we were able to showcase an inspiring story through a form of media that would grab the attention of the audience and the judges. We were fortunate enough to be able to show our creativity whilst relaying an important message of how much Home-Start really helps the community. Marion Ikuenobe This April, we were invited by Home-Start to take part in the 2021 Kiltwalk. Marion, Joy, Pelumi and myself happily agreed to participate to show our ongoing support for the charity. In order to complete this, we walked from Bieldside to Duthie park on the 24th of April using the Deeside Way path. We found this to be very pleasant and scenic. It took us approximately 2 hours to get to Duthie park from our starting point. I will admit that it was a leisurely walk as we took our time, bonding and stopping for photos. We even had enough time for an ice cream at the end. Although we did not walk the whole path, we would highly recommend this route in general as we enjoyed it greatly. Adanna Soronnadi Over the YPI period Home-Start gave us a list of food to donate to their foodbank for families who couldn’t afford proper meals for Christmas. We asked teachers, friends, neighbours and families to help donate both money and food, which most of them happily did. Along with this we also raised over 100 pounds to give to Home-Start for the other programmes they run for struggling families with young children, single parents and young parents. With Covid-19, donating food and money was very important as lots of families had been affected by Coronavirus losing jobs, or had maybe even lost a family member due to Covid 19. Home-Start were very grateful for the money donation and the amount of food we gave to them over the Christmas period. We hope we helped struggling families enjoy their Christmas. Pelumi Otitoju
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Leading family support charity, Home-Start Aberdeen praised the efforts, contribution and impact a group of senior girls at St Margaret’s School has had on the charity and local families it supports in the community. Throughout the academic year the six girls participated in the Youth Philanthropy Initiative (YPI) Scotland, which is run and sponsored by The Wood Foundation. YPI Scotland has been encouraging schools, students, charities and communities to celebrate the impact, contribution, passion and creativity young people have continued to demonstrate through the initiative, during a very challenging year. Representing Home-Start Aberdeen the girls researched, created and presented an innovative presentation about the charity and its work to a panel of judges, successfully securing the winning prize of £3,000 to donate towards the charity’s work. The funding award has assisted Home-Start Aberdeen with its cook and connect project giving families the support they needed to make healthy eating choices during lockdown. The £3,000 has directly helped the charity to supply families with weekly, fresh food boxes from local providers along with recipes to use with these ingredients. Staff and volunteers then created and delivered instructional videos for families to access, as well as delivering live video cooking tutorials. The project had previously been delivered through one-to-one cooking sessions in families’ homes and group sessions in communities across the city, but the Covid-19 pandemic meant that both home visiting and group work had to be suspended. Project Co-ordinator Fiona Cameron said, “Parents were sharing their experiences and telling us that they’re worried about being able to give their children tasty, healthy meals. It was clear that there was still a real need for the project so we developed a whole new range of ways to make sure we could continue to give families the support they needed around healthy eating.”
Eleanor McEwan, general manager commented, “The girls were so enthusiastic and passionate. They did a marvellous job with their research and presentation on Home-Start Aberdeen. It’s such a positive and empowering initiative to be involved in, for all parties, and a real privilege to watch young people grow, develop and make an impact, particularly through such a time of need.” The girls have continued their connection with Home-Start Aberdeen, organising their own food drives and raising money for the charity, most recently completing the virtual Kiltwalk, and raising over £200. On behalf of the group Divine Nwugo said: “This year has been particularly challenging with many already vulnerable families facing increased pressures from the pandemic.” “We can’t thank the girls enough for all their support in fundraising and championing who we are and what we do. They should be very proud of their achievements and contributions.” added Eleanor. Since YPI was introduced to Scotland in 2008 by The Wood Foundation, the programme has engaged more than 200,000 young people who have taken responsibility for stewarding £4.5m of charitable giving. For over 30 years, Home-Start Aberdeen has been providing lifechanging practical and emotional support to vulnerable families across the city with at least one child aged under five. Starting in the home its approach is as individual as the people it helps. There’s no judgement, just compassionate, confidential help from a network of trained volunteers, backed by expert staff.
Well done to the other groups for their presentations. They represented charities; Abernecessities, Calico, Forget Me Not, SensationAll and Shelter.
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Activities & Extra-curricular
IS Team Building I Senior girls enjoyed a very successful team building day at Summerhill on Monday 31st August. The sun shone brightly, the sky was blue and the girls made us proud by the way in which they all worked well together.
members to create the shape of a camel; solve particular puzzles such as ‘Animals in Hiding’, ‘What Comes Next’ and ‘Names of Musical Instruments.’ The afternoon finished with a very enthusiastic game of rounders.
The activities began by the girls having to organise themselves into height order as a year, followed by date of birth and then shoe size. This was followed by the girls working in teams to solve particular problems: turn the original triangle shape upside down but only move 3 hoops to achieve this; work as a team to move a ball through tubes whilst at the same time moving from one side of the field to the other; use team
The teachers who accompanied them – Mrs Stone, Mrs Williamson, Mrs Slater and myself - enjoyed the girls’ company and enthusiasm immensely. Well done girls! Hilary Nehring Guidance Teacher
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IIIS trip to Aberdeen Art Gallery In June, IIIS started preparing for their National 5 portfolios and theory work with a trip to the art gallery. The girls were tasked with analysing two paintings in preparation for their written work and looking for inspiration for their practical work. Sarah Wood
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SENIOR
GEOGRAPHY TRIPS
IV and VS Geography Trip
I, II and III Senior Geography Trips
In October, the National 5 and Higher geographers went to Hazlehead Park. They met with the park manager, completed environmental quality surveys, and assessed the facilities on offer. They were very lucky with the weather!
In May, following the easing of restrictions, pupils in I, II and III Senior were delighted to be able to venture out of school to carry out some practical field work.
The girls were extremely focused and hard working.
I Senior spent the morning at Hazlehead Park. They surveyed the quality of the environment at different locations and looked at how the park had changed over the years. We were lucky to avoid the showers, and there was even time for ice cream! The II Senior geographers had a morning at the beach. This was an opportunity to see the sea defences they had studied in the coasts unit in action. The girls also learned about the importance of retail and entertainment in this part of Aberdeen. Towards the end of the trip, they also visited the traditional fishing village of Footdee and saw some of the changes that had taken place there in recent years. It was lovely to be back out again and sample some of the ice cream on offer at the beach! The III Senior geographers completed a field work transect from the edge of the Central Business District out to the suburbs. They carried out pedestrian counts, environmental quality surveys and collected information on building characteristics and land use. The girls were extremely focused and hard working. By the time we arrived at Kingswells we even saw some sunshine (and ducks)!
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Summer Activities
Summer Activities
As restrictions relaxed, we were delighted to be able to go ahead with the following activities:
I-IIIS Deeside Activ ity Park
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Summer Activities IV-VIS
ide Activity Park Dees
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Beach Trips 1 - 5J
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Summer Activities
END OF TERM
Summer Party Fun
Beach Trip
6J
6J
ROYAL NAVY 7J TEAM BUILDING
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Dance
Resilience Programme I & IIS I was interested to hear about a dance programme that a IIIS pupil was participating in out of school. Fortunately, it was through Gillian Stuart and Dance Street Academy; Gillian is our street dance instructor during the school year. I asked her if she could come in and give a shorter version to our I and II Senior pupils. At the end of term, both year groups participated
in a four-hour course learning some dance routines and reflecting on how to deal with challenges and thinking about how to overcome them. I would like to thank former pupil Rosie Mackley and Erin from Dance Street Academy for coming along to lead the course. Karen Norval
OUTDOOR
Cinema Festival
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Summer Activities IV & VIS TEAM BUILDING
ARMY
Wellbeing Day On the last day of the spring term, some of the senior school girls took part in a ‘Wellbeing Day’ where they enjoyed time off timetable and took part in wellbeing activities. III Senior spent the day at Summerhill and enjoyed a football session with coach Kevin from Aberdeen FC Community Trust, rounders and some fun Easter activities!
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Lochnagar After spending months stuck indoors during the dark, drizzly, dreich winter months, some of our VIS girls took the opportunity to tackle the annual ‘yomp’ up and down Lochnagar. This activity is renowned for its early morning gathering in the school carpark so that we can arrive at Glen Muick before 9am. After a quick shot of coffee from our flasks we quickly made up some ground on a pace setter pack that had started 10 minutes before us. However, it soon became clear to us that the front group of walkers were ‘pros’ according to our pupils and should be suitably allowed to advance at their own pace up the mountain. A suggestion that gained a consensus of nodding heads! The early start afforded us the benefit of various opportunities to gather and sit as a group and take in the splendour of the scenery. No bird of prey was spotted this year but there was a magnificent stag that ambled past us to the delight of the group. After a hearty lunch at the summit we made our way down the southeast path that follows the stream that tumbles down to make the Glas Allt falls. From there we sauntered back to the carpark via the track that follows the shore of Loch Muick.
VIS girls took the opportunity to tackle the annual ‘yomp’ up and down Lochnagar. Gavin Cunningham
On the minibus drive home we all considered our preferred dinner of choice after the hike, with a ‘fish supper’ gaining the most votes of approval. This writer truly obliged when said minibus was dropped off at the garage, opting for the ‘jumbo’ sized portion. Until next year. Gavin Cunningham
END OF TERM
ice cream
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Junior Art Gallery
JUNIOR A ART G LLERY
A selection of work from 5J
Fantasy flower designs inspired by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Greek pottery designs
Selection of Willy Wonka illustrations
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Junior Art Gallery
A selection of work from 6J
Rock art inspired by cave paintings
Observational drawings of shells
Rock art
Rock art
Rhona Nesbitt
Katy Mckee
Melody Mckenzie
Memory boxes inspired by Joseph Cornell
Lucy Burton
Amelia Blythe
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Junior Art Gallery
A selection of work from 7J
Mya Kelly
Barbara De Andres
Freya Campbell
Lena Van Niekerk
Iman Farooq
Isla Miller
Libby Butler
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Junior Art Gallery
Sylvie Muir
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Emilie Parkinson
Mary Quant Project Homework During the autumn term, 5J-7J were set the task to produce a mini project on the work of designer Mary Quant. The task coincided with an exhibition of her work at the Victoria & Albert museum in Dundee and several families took the opportunity to visit the museum. There was a real variety of projects completed, ranging from presentation boards to fashion designs to dressmaking.
Mary Kate Kennedy
7 Junior paper sculptures
Sophie Moir
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Senior Art Gallery
SENIOR A ART G LLERY
IS: A selection of work
Rylee Wood
Abigail Onyeakazi
Rishiga Srimayooran
Aanya Jerrard
Grace Scott
Emily Black
Shannon MacAngus
Isla Bricknell
Grace Barker
Grace Ann Obawole
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Senior Art Gallery
IIS: A selection of work
Iris Emembolu
Keanna Harris
Shafira Rahma
Laura Thorn
Milly Moyes
Jewel Ifezulike
Maria Nalda Ventura
Juliet Gaskell
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Senior Art Gallery
IIIS: A selection of work
Charlie Bricknell
Freya Miller
Katie Jamieson
IIIS bottle redesign
Milly Finnie
Marion Ikuenobe
Rose Main
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Senior Art Gallery
IVS National 5 - Art and Design
Hilary Cowie
Tessa MacArthur
Ayomide Atti
Leila McLeod
Kyla Almeida
Alexa Odell
Joanne Sharples
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Senior Art Gallery
IVS National 5 - Expressive Outcome
Amal Freigoun
Lucy Smith
Jamila Akchurina
Alexa Odell
Bethan Wood
Merrin Gallagher
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Senior Art Gallery
Joanne Sharples
Ella Moyes
Kyla Almeida
Olivia Bonandrini
Phoebe McCraith
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Senior Art Gallery
VS Higher - Design Outcome
Rose Jones
Mary Loudon
Leah McKean
Liberty Mountain
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Joanna Malikebu
Leah McKean
Mary Loudon
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Senior Art Gallery
VS Higher - Expressive Outcome
Rose Jones
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Senior Art Gallery
Liberty Mountain
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Senior Art Gallery
Joanna Malikebu
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Senior Art Gallery
VIS Advanced Higher Expressive
Bethany Riach The theme for Bethany’s Advanced Higher portfolio was ‘Movement’. She explored and experimented with the different ways of portraying movement on a static medium to create a sense of energy and action. The intention was to study the human form in motion, particularly through dance and everyday activities.
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Senior Art Gallery
VIS Advanced Higher Expressive (continued) Bethany Riach
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Drama
III SENIOR
DRAMA BOX SET DESIGN PROJECT
Orla Madden – My Fair Lady
Lucy Cruickshank – Chicago
Lucy Parfitt – Jekyll & Hyde
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Drama
Tiana Mudkavi - Wizard of Oz
Milly Finnie – An Afternoon at the Seaside (Agatha Christie)
Anna Byrne – Mary Poppins
Adanna Soronnadi - The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Charlie Bricknell – Aladdin
Rebecca Gillies - The Little Mermaid
Ellie Lang – Beauty and the Beast
Katie Jamieson - Oliver Twist
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Silver Awards
Silver AWARDS
Rylee, Natalie, Emily and Niamh
As silver girls Niamh, Natalie, Rylee and Emily have all been at St Margaret’s for 14+ years, this means that they have grown up together for their entire school lives.
Through this time a lot of memories have been created that
they still talk and laugh about today. Going all the way back to the Daffodil Nursery where the comfort of finger painting and the sandpit area lived, Niamh, Natalie, Rylee and Emily had already become friends despite Niamh and Rylee having a shared love interest within the mixed nursery. Leaving this and heading to 1 Junior was understandably a very sad but exciting event, where we were all able to put on penguin costumes, which were very adorable, to take part in the junior school show ‘Mary Poppins’. 1 Junior was also the year where music became an interest, with Niamh starting the violin and Rylee joining in the interest of singing. 4 Junior is where Niamh and Emily had created their own little lunchtime show where they showcased their acting abilities by playing old women. Their characters’ names were the names of the playground staff but altered slightly, which became a joke between them all. It was especially nice to see that they had signed their yearbooks using the names created for the show.
5 Junior was the year of the snack thief amongst the classroom, which led to everyone having to line up at the start of the day and put their snacks in a drawer supervised by the teacher. The victim of this crime was Natalie, and of course it was later discovered that it was in fact Rylee who had taken her snacks. Senior school came quickly and before anyone knew it, it was the last first day. Although the 6th year flat was something everyone was looking forward to having in their final year, the annexe has provided many great memories that made the last year of school even better. It will be strange not seeing each other everyday, since for the past 14+ years it is all we’ve known. From the Daffodil Nursery to 6th year we have memories that will last a lifetime and we are forever grateful for this. Niamh Dreelan, Natalie Wood, Rylee Thompson, Emily Coxon
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Silver Awards
From the Daffodil Nursery to VI Senior we have memories that will last a lifetime and we are forever grateful for this.
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Awards & Certificates
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20 - 2
1 2 0
HIGHER COMMENDATION CERTIFICATES Diya Bansal and Meriam El Behaderie, VS
OTHER AWARDS Allardyce Memorial Prize................................................Aliyah Muhammed Betty Wyness Rosebowl..................................................Jenna Stewart Caroline Davenport Quaich..........................................Sophie Moir Catherine Booker Prize (for Advanced Higher History)...................................Bethany Riach Drama – most outstanding supporting performance..................................................Eilidh Bisset
John Witte Memorial Prize (for Advanced Higher English)...................................Bethany Riach Lamont Shield for Music.................................................Niamh Dreelan Murray Shield for Music...................................................Isla MacFadyen The Thomas-Wright Crystal for Excellence in Advanced Higher Biology and Chemistry...................................Iona Adams
Fotheringham Cup for Advanced Higher Physics.........................................................................Oishani Dutta
SUBJECT CUPS Chemistry (shared)...............................................................Camille Narducci
Biology (shared), Chemistry (shared)..................Katie Crabb
Computing Science.............................................................Emily Smith
Biology (shared), Maths...................................................Kasia Bain
Geography...................................................................................Alannah Robertson
Business Management, PE...........................................Orla Dreelan
Music................................................................................................Olivia Douglas
Drama, English (shared), Latin...................................Emma Simpson
Philosophy...................................................................................Natasha Morgan
French, Spanish.......................................................................Jane Somerset
Physics............................................................................................Marria Jobi
German, Modern Studies................................................Emily Barker
RMPS...............................................................................................Sophie Cordiner Art and Design, Economics, English (shared)......................................................................Liberty Mountain
HEAD TEACHER AWARDS Justine Arndt, Sophie Cordiner, Oishani Dutta, Jewel Jacob, Bethany Riach, Sara Yorston
SCHOOL COUNCIL AWARDS Former Pupils’ Award (for all-round excellence) Oishani Dutta
ons i t a tul a gr n co
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Parent Teacher Association
Parent Teacher ASSOCIATION
The PTA raised funds over the school year thanks largely to uniform sales and the Christmas hamper raffle. Unfortunately these were the only two events that brought income to the PTA during the 2020-2021 financial year due to the ongoing Covid 19 restrictions. The Easyfundraising platform also generated income and is an easy way for the school community to contribute to PTA funds.
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uch thought was given to alternative socially distanced fund raising events; however, safety had to take priority. As the year progressed, restrictions changed and lockdowns at late notice meant that active fundraising had to take a back seat. In spite of a much restricted Christmas time, the PTA received wonderful support in the form of hamper donations and raffle ticket purchases. Indeed, less the cost of tickets, the funds raised were £1,219.70 higher than the previous year. Other PTA fundraising activity included the second-hand uniform sale. This was managed carefully at arm’s length by PTA volunteers, who liaised with parents directly and dedicated many hours to sorting and labelling uniform for our families. The PTA were delighted to reveal their new logo following the redesign competition for pupils which ran in the autumn term. We were so impressed by the quality of the entries and extend our thanks to all the pupils who submitted designs. The competition was judged by Peacock, the printmakers, who sent us the following message: “Thank you St Margaret’s for asking Peacock to choose the new design for the PTA logo. In many respects our job was made simple by the simplicity of the winning design - an elegant and stylish new logo - David McCracken, Arts Business Manager, Peacock The winning logo was designed by Alba in IS and was digitally recreated ready for use. The PTA are pleased to have such a bright and cheery new logo!
Pupils were treated to popcorn at our outdoor cinema in the summer term and ice-cream for pupils on Sports Days courtesy of the PTA, and our Support for Learning teaching space was enhanced by a delightful reading nook donated by the PTA. Chair - Sally McDonald Vice-Chair - Marie Harris Treasurer - Laura Ferrari Secretary - Rachel Paterson-Davies (pta@st-margaret.uk)
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Former Pupils’ Club
Former Pupils’ CLUB FP PRESIDENT’S REPORT Like all other organisations, the FP Club has had another very quiet year.
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ur first proper “get together” was the AGM held at the end of January. We had a very healthy turnout and, due to the fact that it was a Zoom meeting, we were joined by members from much further afield than usual. It was lovely to welcome old friends who would not normally be able to join us in person. Huge thanks to Rachel Paterson-Davies for looking after the technical side of things so efficiently, and to Miss Tomlinson for bringing us up to date with life in School during these challenging times. When an online, fundraising auction was arranged in June, the FP Committee was delighted to donate a hamper and case of wine to add to the wonderful array of prizes on offer. I hope the winner enjoyed them!
Our last contribution to the year involved funding a drinks reception for the 2021 leavers. Sadly, FP Committee representatives were unable to attend this year, but I wrote a letter to the girls, sending our very best wishes for the future, and encouraging them to keep in touch with School via Connect. At the time of writing, we are making tentative arrangements to meet together as a Committee, and hopefully start to arrange some social events for our members in the coming months. Lesley Robertson FP Club President
VIS pupils enjoying drinks and canapés kindly sponsored by the FP Club
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Former Pupils’ Club
END OF TERM LEAVERS’ CEREMONY Class of 2021
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Development Office
Development Office UPDATE
The Development Office looks after alumnae relations and fundraising for school priorities, coordinating events and reunions, sending out St Margaret’s Connect newsletters and keeping in touch with our wider school community. We have missed our in-person catch-up brunches and reunions with our school community and have instead learnt how to embrace all things virtual!
Events In April, the school worked with Hidden Aberdeen Tours to deliver an online event – the History of St Margaret’s. Using our archives and wider city resources, our host, Dr Fiona-Jane Brown, took us through the history of the school, looking back at its early days, its place in the city, and the women of St Margaret’s. Dr Brown has since returned to the school to work on the school archive, developing our inventory further and adding recently donated items. In May we held an online reunion, sending attendees a little treat box of “elevenses” in advance. It was lovely to see so many people sign in, from as a far afield as Australia, for a very quick two hours. We included an update from Miss Tomlinson followed by a chat with the Head Girl Team before breaking out into rooms for a good catch up. It was lovely to “see” people again and we hope to include a virtual element to our events going forward.
ONLINE REUNION PROGRAMME Saturday 29th May 2021, 10.30am - 12.30pm
It was lovely to see so many people sign in, from as a far afield as Australia Rachel Paterson-Davies Head of Development
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Fundraising for the Bursary Programme A key priority for the Development Office is raising support for our Bursary Programme, offering girls from all backgrounds the opportunity for an award-winning, independent education. Our Bursary Programme is funded through careful management of school finances and donations from our community but demand exceeds what the school is able to provide. It is only with the kind help of our donors that we are able to provide the bursary support we do and we are most grateful for their support. Last year gifts from the school community amounted to over £100,000 supporting not only bursaries, but hardship, music and the school archives.
Online auction With the absence of in-person events the school decided to hold an online auction in the summer term to raise funds for the Bursary Programme – and also have a bit of fun! We auctioned some amazing items and experiences, including family activities, jewellery and dining, and held a fantastic prize draw featuring a stunning Malcolm Appleby Primrose bangle. We partnered with Givergy, an award winning fundraising technology company, who supported us with a bespoke auction platform and their expert advice. Our consultant was Erin Cornwell, herself a former pupil of St Margaret’s! We are hugely grateful to our wonderful donors for their support of and donations to this exciting initiative which raised over £11,747 for our Bursary Programme. Thank you to everyone who took part and congratulations again to the successful winners.
We are acutely aware of the ongoing impact of the pandemic on educational opportunities and our Bursary Programme continues to be the focus for fundraising. If you would like to support the school and our pupils please make a gift online or contact the Development Office: stmargaretsconnect.com/donate Thank you! Development Office Rachel Paterson-Davies, Head of Development
How to Give We warmly thank all our donors for their support. If you would like to make a gift to the school to help our pupils flourish: Donate online Visit St Margaret’s Connect at stmargaretsconnect.com/donate Donate via your bank Transfer your donation to us using your bank’s phone or online service. Donate by post
The online auction raised over £11,700 for our Bursary Programme
Post a cheque made payable to ‘St Margaret’s School for Girls’ to: Development Office, St Margaret’s School for Girls, 17 Albyn Place, Aberdeen AB10 1RU
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Reply Slip
Former Pupils’ Reply Slip Request for 2022 Chronicle and/or change of address Rachel Paterson-Davies, St Margaret’s School for Girls, 17 Albyn Place, Aberdeen, AB10 1RU. Tel: 01224 584466 I wish to receive a copy of the St Margaret’s School for Girls Chronicle 2022 and enclose a cheque/PO for £7.50. (Cheques should be made payable to St Margaret’s School for Girls) Name: Maiden Name: Years at School:
to
New Address: Former Address: NB 2021 leavers must pay for the 2022 issue.
News for publication in the magazine or stmargaretsconnect.com Rachel Paterson-Davies, St Margaret’s School for Girls, 17 Albyn Place, Aberdeen, AB10 1RU. Tel: 01224 584466 Name: Maiden Name: Years at School:
to
News:
et’s r a g ar M t S
Online unity Comm
Online community for St Margaret’s – bringing together former pupils, former staff and other friends of St Margaret’s
What is St Margaret’s Connect? Events
Keeping in Touch
Sign up for reunions, school and Former Pupil Club events
Keep in touch with the school and former classmates
Networking Advertise your business, sign up as a mentor or contact fellow alumnae for career advice
Support our Pupils Make a donation to our bursary fund or volunteer for a careers talk
Archives Scroll through our online archive and submit your photos
News Keep up to date with interesting news and events from St Margaret’s
If you would like to be part of this online community please sign up at www.stmargaretsconnect.com or email r.patersondavies@st-margaret.uk
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