The Marist School Summer 2018 Newsletter

THE MARIST

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Introducing Hillview

Summer 2018

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THE MARIST NEWS

Year 13 Leavers Ball

Year 6 Kitty Whittington Production

Early Years Early Years Sports Day

The Early Years Sports Day was a huge success with all the girls participating with such enthusiasm. Two of the races were linked to the recent Royal Wedding; ‘A Right Royal Wedding’ and ‘Honeymoon at the Beach’. The girls loved showing off the skills they have acquired to their families and friends. We think we have quite a number of future Olympic athletes in the making!

Friendship Assembly The Reception class put together a thought-provoking assembly about friendship, giving and service to others.

As this was our school value for the half term, their class topic was sea creatures and they tied it seamlessly with the value by their tremendous performance of ‘The Rainbow Fish’. They also sang Jack Johnson’s ‘Sharing Song’ to rapturous applause from the school and parents alike. Well done Butterflies!

We have all learnt how to be more caring, giving and thoughtful people.

Woodland Fairies Tinkerbell was certainly the main attraction at this year’s Woodland Fairies event in May as our Early Years pupils enjoyed a morning of craft and drawing in the sun!

Nursery Class Trip To celebrate Royal Ascot Week, our girls enjoyed a picnic in Windsor Great Park to watch the royal processions.

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Prep Phase KS1 Sports Day Our Year 1 and 2 pupils, ably assisted by older pupils, were the stars of the show as they engaged in an action-packed Sports morning as part of the Celebration of Work Prep Family Day.

Fire of London with Year 2 Year 2 have been studying the Fire of London this term and after building their amazing houses, it was time to spectacularly set them alight!

World Book Day For this year’s World Book Day, and to celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday, pupils showcased their creativity by dressing up as a Shakespearean character. As well as showing off their wonderful outfits throughout the day, girls in all years studied an aspect or theme of a Shakespearean play during lessons.

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THE MARIST NEWS

Prep Phase

Music News This term, we have all had great fun working towards the Celebration of Work Prep Family Day in June. Our Junior Choir sang an African song, whilst playing glockenspiels (very versatile!), and the intrepid Maristers performed ‘This Is Me’ from The Greatest Showman in a three part harmony. Our guitars and ukuleles were in fine form and our Junior Orchestra and string ensembles played ‘Ode to Joy’, ‘America’, ‘Supercalifragalistic’ and Katy Perry’s ‘Roar’– you don’t get a much more contrasting repertoire than that!

Our ‘pièce de résistance’ was the outdoor ‘Greatest Showman’ finale in the Sisters’ amphitheatre. This brought together every Prep girl from Years 1 to 6 who entertained parents, relatives and friends with their amazing performance featuring singing, dancing, playing violins, a drum kit and African drums. Even the teachers had their moment!

Enchanted Woodland Library Opened by Visiting Author On Thursday 3 May, the newly refurbished Preparatory Library was officially opened by visiting children’s author, Jason Beresford.

Pupils and staff were delighted to welcome Mr Beresford, who has written several books for children including ‘The Fabulous Four Fish Fingers’ and ‘Frozen Fish Fingers’. During the morning, Jason led an engaging and animated talk in which he introduced his superhero gang, Morris, Gary, Ruby and Bel, before officially opening the school library. Following the opening, Jason then took the time to talk to pupils about his writing and encouraged girls to follow their ambitions to be writers in the future themselves.

The Preparatory Library has been re-designed and created as an ‘Enchanted Woodland’, to inspire the imagination and raise the profile of reading through the ages.

The library is well stocked with a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books that can be easily accessed by the students through the school’s new online library system.

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THE MARIST NEWS

FASBAT Production of Matilda

Congratulations to our FASBAT group members who performed brilliantly in this term’s production of ‘Matilda’ at the Cordes Hall in Sunninghill.

Prep Phase Money Matters with Year 5 On Friday 25 May, Year 5 participated in an interactive financial education programme designed for primary school students.

Three representatives from RedSTART (Redington’s Charity) visited The Marist to teach girls on how to handle their finances through the programme ‘Money Matters’.

During the day, pupils had the opportunity to participate in a variety of games to help develop financial acumen by creating bank statements, budgeting and looking at financial risk. Year 5 thoroughly enjoyed learning key financial behaviours in a fun, engaging, game-based environment.

KS2 Sports Day Girls in Years 3-6 once again excelled in their Sports Day in July. The morning showcased the many sporting talents of our pupils and congratulations to all who took part as well as our winners.

Art Challenge Day In June we were delighted to invite eight local Primary and Preparatory schools to The Marist to host our first-ever Art Challenge Day, run by Mrs Rachel Ellwood, Head of Art. Over eighty-five Year 5 girls, including our own Marist pupils, enjoyed a full itinerary of exciting activities that began with a woodland gallery walk. Pupils devised a cloughtie inspired tree design binding fabrics, ribbons and wool to trees which have been inspired by the four seasons. We were thrilled by the genuine enjoyment and creative ideas which the girls produced on the day.

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THE MARIST NEWS

Prep Phase Year 5 and 6 Lego Workshop Year 5 and 6 pupils put their coding and programming skills to the test this term as they took part in a Lego Mindstorm workshop. Working with Lego Mindstorm robots, girls devised their own challenges for the robots to overcome.

New Head Girls for Prep

We are delighted to announce that Orla is our new Prep Head Girl and Isla is the Deputy Head Girl for 2018/19. We congratulate them both on their election.

Year 6 PGL Trip On Monday 21 May, Year 6 went on their week long residential trip to Osmington Bay in Dorset. They had an unforgettable experience, enjoyed by all.

They took part in many activities including Jacobs Ladder, Zip Wire, Abseiling, Problem Solving, Archery and the big swing. They also spent time on the beach learning about fossils and rockpooling.

Every evening, the girls took part in activities around the centre, from learning about facts around the world to singing around the camp fire on the last night.

The girls all showed great determination to overcome their fear of heights and work as teams to help each other through different tasks and activities throughout the week.

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THE MARIST NEWS

Prep Phase

High Maths Scores for Emily and Lucy Well done to Year 6 pupils Emily and Lucy for their mathematical success in this year’s Primary Maths Challenge, run by The Mathematical Association.

Both girls worked hard, resulting in scores that reflect their high ability and their good work ethic.

Due to her high score, Emily was presented with a bronze award, demonstrating her achievement as one of the best young mathematicians in the UK.

Year 6 Production of ‘Kitty Whittington’ Year 6 have been hard at work this term planning and rehearsing their end of year production ‘Kitty Whittington’. The play is a re-imagining of the timeless ‘rags to riches’ story with powerful songs and lots of opportunities for ensemble performances.

Pupils have relished the opportunity to perform in this brand new musical and have been thrilled to have been supported in this endeavour by musicians in the band from four other schools in the local area. It has been wonderful to see the girls building confidence and developing their characterisation skills. Some of them were unrecognisable once they were on stage and in role and there are several girls who we wouldn’t be surprised to see pursuing a career in acting in the future! They have all enjoyed working as a collaborative group and Mr McAllister and Miss White are already looking forward to the next show!

With set, costumes and props designed and donated by parents and staff, it truly was a team effort. This production has been a learning experience involving concentration, memory work, team-work, acting, singing and dancing and we are extremely proud of all the girls.

Art Success for Aiqi Congratulations to Year 6 pupil Aiqi who was awarded Runner-Up in her age category in the ‘Celebration of Royal Ascot’ Art competition, launched by Ascot Racecourse.

A special mention must also go to Isla, Year 2, and Chloe, Year 5, who both received ‘Commended’ awards from the judges. All three girls’ artwork will be displayed in the Ascot Heath tunnel, providing a colourful walkway for visitors to Royal Ascot in June.

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THE MARIST NEWS

Introducing Hillview

Following the recent installation of the school’s new outdoor learning classroom in June 2018, we are delighted to announce that the building has officially been named as Hillview.

This is in acknowledgement of pupils’ fond memories of the hill at Prep.

Situated at Preparatory, the new Outdoor Learning Classroom is a self-contained building with bi-folding doors which face out into the woodlands. The decking area provides a multi-purpose stage for outdoor learning, drama and music productions and so much more.

Hillview will benefit the whole school and we wholeheartedly thank everyone involved in the project, especially The Marist Friends who donated £16,000 towards the cost of the build.

Here at The Marist, we are fortunate to have an abundance of woodland as part of our school grounds. Hillview will enable Marist pupils of every age to embrace the outdoors in all aspects of their learning.

“ ...Studies have shown that incorporating outdoor learning provides positive health benefits as well as allowing children to develop self-awareness, confidence and self-esteem and develop an appreciation and respect for nature...”

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THE MARIST NEWS

The Marist Friends – supporting The Marist School since 1997 The Marist Friends were established by parents and teachers at The Marist School to help foster a community spirit whilst raising funds for the school through a range of social events.

There are many ways to get involved with The Marist Friends from attending and volunteering at events to joining the committee.

The Marist Friends offers opportunities for parents to make ‘Friends for Life’.

For more information about The Marist Friends, please email maristfriends@themarist.com or follow The Marist Friends on Twitter. @Marist_MF

“ Hillview will benefit the whole school and we wholeheartedly thank everyone involved in the project, especially The Marist Friends who donated £16,000 towards the cost of the build.”

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THE MARIST NEWS

Senior Phase

Year 8 Curiosity Week In response to popular demand, this year we tweaked the annual Year 8 Curiosity Week to allow pupils to come up with their own projects. Pupils rose to the challenge and the results were astounding! From living as a Viking for the weekend to overcoming a fear of heights, their ideas were creative, ambitious and diverse. Well done Year 8!

Sports Awards Evening In July, the school’s annual Sports Awards Evening was held in ‘Fourvière’. The evening was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate the girls’ sporting participation and successes throughout the academic year with over seventy pupils from Key Stages 2 up to 5 receiving an award on the night.

sMARteas Talk

Our guest speaker for the evening was Olympic athlete and 800m indoor world medallist, Shelayna Oskan Clark who gave an inspirational speech about her journey from local club athlete to Team GB Indoor Athletics Captain and the Olympic Games.

World-renowned art restorer Rachel Barker visited The Marist to talk about her restoration of Roy Lichenstein’s ‘Wow’ painting. Using recently discovered nanotechnology, Rachel painstakingly removed more than 50 years worth of dirt and grime to restore this iconic piece of artwork.

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THE MARIST NEWS

Senior Phase Writing Success For Anya Congratulations to Year 8 pupil Anya who was announced as the Regional Winner in this year’s Explore Learning National Young Writers Competition. Anya was praised for her story, which was “full of great structure and thoughtful language”. Below, Anya shares more on the inspiration behind her story: “My story was about a fireman who ventures into a burning building with his friend and saves a young boy. However, as soon as he remembers to go back and retrieve his friend, the building collapses and the friend is trapped. My story will be going through to the National Round with more than thirty other stories, each being read by David Walliams.”

Sport Headlines U15 County Championships

Year 7 District Championships

• 300m Bronze for Imogen

• District Champions in the team competition for 15th year in a row

• 4th place for Guilia and Claudia

English Schools Track and Field Cup

U17 County Championships • 3rd place in the Steeplechase for Madison • 4th place in the Hurdles for Amy

• Qualified for Regional A Finals and placed 2nd in the South West for Juniors and 4th place for Inters. Overall, The Marist place 11th in the country for Juniors and 22nd place for Inters.

Art Exhibition On Thursday 7 June, the Art department held their annual Art and Photography exhibition which showcased a range of the breadth and talent that students have worked to develop this year. Students exhibited a wide-range of exciting paintings; themes included water reflection, landscapes and detailed observations of food products. Concrete, wooden sculptures and ceramic pebbles were also key components in the exhibition. The stunning range of photography from the GCSE and A Level pupils was also a true highlight of the evening.

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THE MARIST NEWS

Senior Phase STEM Careers Workshop #YearofEngineering In May, senior pupils were invited to attend a STEM Careers Showcase at The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Girls had the opportunity to meet industry leaders in science, technology, engineering and maths and to see the Army’s own capabilities in those areas.

As well as meeting specialists in cyber security and tunnel engineering, pupils participated in a variety of interactive activities which included virtual reality helicopters and car engineering. Alongside the physical activities, there were also many fascinating talks focusing on STEM career paths of the future.

A highlight for the pupils who attended – trying on the bomb disposal kit and learning about life at war in the early half of the 20th century.

Year 9 Sushi Workshop Friday 15 June heralded our first-ever sushi making workshops for Year 9, delivered by our school caterers, Thomas Franks. Belinda, who led the sessions, works in schools around the country.

The girls thoroughly enjoyed selecting prawns, smoked salmon, avocado, red peppers, courgettes, cucumber, nori, mirin, wasabi paste and black sesame seeds which they added to their sushi creations.

Not to be outdone by the girls, several parents enjoyed the experience at the end of the day. It was super to have three generations from the same family making sushi with us. A parting comment from one parent was, “what’s the next workshop?”

Satisfied creators indeed.

The Business of Creativity As you visit Legoland over the next few years, look out for Marist creativity!

In June, our Year 10 Business students took part in a Lego business workshop where they designed a new attraction for the Lego theme park. One of the best ideas was an escape room - perhaps we’ll see this at Lego in years to come. As they learnt about Lego’s global brand portfolio, the girls were exemplary representatives of the school, combining learning, fun and friendship, all in one morning.

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Senior Phase Inter-House Sports Day

Drama Report Early on in the term, GCSE and A Level students travelled to see a modern adaptation of ‘Macbeth’ at the National Theatre. It was a clever reimagining of Shakespeare’s original text and was set in an eerie dystopian world where society has been shattered and morals are cast aside.

Year 12 then enjoyed a return visit to the National Theatre to participate in a very special backstage tour. Girls enjoyed touring the production archives where they were able to see costume and set designs from many of their highly acclaimed shows.

We are also delighted to announce news of next year’s whole school production which will be ‘Oliver’. We can’t wait to start work on this classic musical and the familiar tunes of ‘Food Glorious Food’ and ‘Consider Yourself At Home’ will be heard over the summer while the girls practice their lines ready for September.

The annual Inter-House Sports Day took place on Monday 25 June. Always one of our favourite days in the House Competition calendar year, it was great to see all our senior girls taking part and enjoying their athletics. Congratulations to the overall winners Chanel House.

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Expeditions This year, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award has seen two Year 11 groups totalling thirty-four girls going out on their Bronze final expedition in the Wiltshire Downs. They walked from Savernake Forest in Marlborough to Avebury, camping overnight near Pewsey, where they cooked their own dinner and breakfast. Each group carried with them everything they needed for the two-day expedition to be self-sufficient.

In Year 10, twenty-nine girls have taken up the challenge of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

So far, they have completed a training weekend in Marlow and a practice two-day expedition walking from Silchester to Horseshoe Lake in Sandhurst.

They will then complete their final expedition in September in the Chilterns.

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Sixth Form

A Level Geography/Classics Trip to Naples In March 2018, A Level Geography and Classics students travelled to the Bay of Naples.

The first day included a visit to the Virtual Archaeology Museum in Ercalano, right next to the ruins of the ancient town of Herculaneum. The ancient theme continued the next day as students explored the outstanding ruins of Pompeii, with a snow-topped Mount Vesuvius in the background. In the afternoon, we headed off on a bus tour around the stunning Amalfi Coast and visited the beautiful sea side town of Positano for ice cream and coffee.

Our final day was spent on the amazing island of Capri, an island for the rich and famous since ancient times. The day started with a boat tour around the island and concluded with a visit to see geographical formations along the rocky, southern coastline, with a spot of shopping and gelato in between. A fantastic time was had by all.

European Marist Youth Forum 2018 In March, Abigail K, Isabella A and Eilidh Q boarded a plane from London Gatwick to the south of France, namely the small coastal town of Toulon. We were acting as representatives of The Marist, Sunninghill in the European Marist Forum. The Forum takes place every four years and Marist Schools from across Europe are invited. This year, there were pupils from the seven French Marist schools (three of which are in Toulon), one German Marist School and three Irish Marist Schools along with the three of us.

The emphasis of the 2018 European Marist Forum was to establish a Marist Orchestra so every pupil who attended played a musical instrument and we rehearsed for two full days.

On the Tuesday evening, we performed pieces which included Beethoven’s 7th Symphony and an anthology of famous French songs, to our teachers as well as a paying audience.

In addition, we attended workshops that focussed on making links between the schools.

As a group we worked on a charter that each Marist School will aim to follow and embody.

It was a fantastic experience and we particularly enjoyed meeting all the other pupils and learning about the differences between The Marist Schools across Europe. We are very grateful to Mrs Gow who accompanied us on our trip and we feel very privileged to have represented The Marist School in this way. We would encourage others to take up any opportunities like this in the future.

Written by Eilidh Quinn, Year 12

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Sixth Form Year 13 Leavers Leaving The Marist Sixth Form is always an emotional time for our Year 13 students as they prepare for their upcoming exams and say their goodbyes. This year, our 2018 Leavers greeted arriving staff and parents’ cars on their Disney Princesses themed last day, raising over £630 for Mindful Minds and the Thames Valley Hospice in Sunninghill.

In keeping with tradition, the girls attended an emotional mass held in the chapel with parents and staff, a picnic in the school grounds and the obligatory cavalcade of cars ‘tooting’ them goodbye.

The girls take with them our fondest wishes for their results and their future lives as Maristines.

Year 13 Leavers Ball

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Royal Wedding Celebrations A sea of red, white and blue adorned the school on Friday 18 May as pupils and staff came together to mark the Royal Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Our Early Years and Reception pupils had the opportunity to showcase their fascinators alongside a spectacular wedding dress and cake, which were specially created for the celebrations.

The whole school then came together for a BBQ lunch on the convent lawn in the sunshine.

Marist Friends Family Picnic To celebrate the end of the school year, The Marist Friends held a wonderful family picnic on the sports field, attended by Marist families and friends.

Attendees enjoyed an afternoon of fun, food and festivities including music, games, a Pimms tent and a summer prize draw.

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During the morning, girls from Reception to Year 6 took part in a ceramics workshop to create their own unique souvenir plate. The children used their artistic skills to design their own masterpieces, with the school receiving special permission from Buckingham Palace to use the full Coat of Arms of HRH Prince Henry of Wales.

Summer 2018