SENIORS DAY
Welcome to The Dove newsletter, bringing you recent news from our community.
To learn more about what current pupils are up to, please click on the links at the end of the newsletter to read the latest news from your House.
The next issue will be emailed in the Autumn Term. Please let us know if you have a story that you would like to share.
Enjoy reading and I hope you have a wonderful summer!
Niki Kilminster, Seniors Officer
On Saturday 8 June, we were joined by Seniors, Wycombe Abbey staff, past and present, and current pupils for the annual Seniors Day event.
Guests had plenty of opportunity throughout the day to share memories from their school days, such as the break buns, walking up to Daws Hill with a buddy, and reminiscing about Pitt and Rubens being situated in the Abbey before they moved up the hill. It was also wonderful to see former staff enjoy the company of pupils they once taught.
But Seniors Day is not just about the past. Guests toured the School grounds to see how they have changed over the years (the new golf simulator being a highlight for many!) as well as hearing from Headmistress, Jo Duncan, about the School’s strategic plans for remaining world class.
The Head Girl team were in attendance to offer an insight into current School life, and also four pupils who are daughters of Seniors, including Charlotte (LIV), who is a fourth generation pupil. Charlotte said, ‘It was wonderful to meet many people who had previously come to the School and to learn about their own experiences of Wycombe Abbey. It was amazing to hear their memories and about their lives ever since.’
The Class of 2004 celebrated their 20th Reunion with a special reception. Tracy Bjelland (C235, Campbell, 2004) organised the gathering and said, ‘It was such a lovely occasion and you made it so special for my year, which was much appreciated! The teddies and the cupcakes were a fun touch too!’
Events like Seniors Day and reunions offer our alumnae community the opportunity to engage with the School and make new connections through their shared experience of Wycombe Abbey. We hope to extend our reunion programme to include formal dinners and sports reunions in the coming years. We welcome your input as to how we might enhance our Seniors programmes so please click here to let us know your suggestions.
Photos from Seniors Day are now available to view via an online gallery. To access the gallery enter the password SD24
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE PHOTOS
As the School says farewell to the Upper Sixth cohort, we are delighted that they will join our global network of Seniors and remain part of the Wycombe Abbey community. To mark this momentous occasion, the girls celebrated in style at their Clarence Leavers Ceremony in May.
The poignant Chapel service focused on memories from their time at school and included some surprise video messages from current staff. The Clarence Leavers received a Wycombe Abbey pendant and then enjoyed a night of dinner and dancing in Big School.
As Poppy and Anoushka (UVI) described, ‘The Chapel service was a lovely ceremony: a testament to all
We’ve lived like a family for the last seven years.
our wonderful memories from the past seven years and recognition of all the staff who have made our school journey so special. We are sure that
we will all look back at our time here with great fondness and appreciation.’
Laila, Head of School 2023 – 2024, said in her speech, ‘We’ve lived like a family for the last seven years, and the fact that we all share the same thread of Wycombe Abbey means that, in a way, we are connected like one for the rest of our lives. No matter how you feel about leaving next month, I hope we can all look back upon our time at Wycombe Abbey with fondness and appreciation.’
Welcome to the Seniors community Class of 2024!
The Development and Seniors Office hosted a number of visits to School by Seniors over the spring and summer. It was a pleasure to meet with them and hear their memories of School as they walked around the grounds.
Here is a snapshot of recent visits:
‘On a cold and windy afternoon during Easter, we visited Wycombe Abbey with our daughters. They had visited daddy’s boarding school and wanted to see mummy’s school. The girls enjoyed having tea and biscuits in Red Parlour and loved their teddy bears. Being back at School brought back lots of nostalgic memories.
After Wycombe Abbey, I studied medicine at Imperial College London. Despite my initial certainty about becoming a doctor, after starting clinical placements, I realised I was more interested in medicolegal issues. We relocated to Hong Kong and I qualified as a solicitor, initially
defending doctors and hospitals and now advocating for claimants in clinical negligence claims, including birth injury claims.
The friendships I made at Wycombe Abbey have made these life changes less daunting and I’m grateful we finally managed to get together again during this trip. I was also very touched that my Housemistress, Ms Morrissey, drove over to where I was attending a conference to catch up over supper. We spent an evening reminiscing and I’m glad we have kept in touch over the years.’
Angela Chow (C240, Butler, 2005)
‘Living abroad, far away from England, I feel nostalgia for the important places I experienced growing up as a young girl in rural Buckinghamshire. Coming to the UK for a family wedding, and accompanied by all my immediate family, I thought it would be fun to take a trip down memory lane and introduce them to an important part of my educational upbringing. I was not disappointed with the decision! A beautiful tour and afternoon complete with tea and biscuits had
been arranged and I felt so welcomed and genuinely happy to be back. The buildings looked the same, with some new additions, but all felt very familiar even after almost 50 years. The walk to Shelburne House also brought back memories. I’m so glad I was able to take this opportunity to visit the School again and hope it will be one of many planned for the future.’
Joanna Guinan (Wood, Shelburne, 1976)
Inspired by the launch of Wycombe Abbey’s new uniform, Senior Liz Carey (Farrant, C140, Wendover, 1978) visited us to donate her School uniform, including a fabulous, very smart straw boater. It was wonderful to hear from Liz that she was still in touch with a close-knit group of School friends.
Gloria and Caterina (LVI) attend a weekly work experience placement at Shelburne Lodge Care Home as they both hope to study medicine at university. They soon discovered that one resident is a Wycombe Abbey Senior, Kristine Rose (C85, Airlie, 1955). Through conversations, Kristine expressed an interest in visiting the School, which the girls were happy to facilitate for her.
On Monday 3 June, Kristine and her carer, Helen, came to visit the School. Gloria said ‘We eagerly anticipated our visits to see Kristine each week, captivated by the stories of her adventures at Wycombe Abbey. We invited her back to School for a tour, guiding her through the new buildings,
‘My husband and I had the opportunity to meet with the Seniors Office in my quest to learn more about my family’s history with Wycombe Abbey. In particular, my mother Helen Valentine, who attended the School in the early 1930s, following in the steps of her two older sisters, Carol Valentine (C38, Campbell, 1921) and Margaret Valentine (C51, Campbell, 1932). My mother always spoke very fondly of Wycombe Abbey –it was clearly a special place for her. I have been re-tracing some of her life and it was wonderful that I could see the School, where she lived and learned, and was so happy. It’s a beautiful environment for young girls and women to discover themselves – and I can now take great pleasure in envisioning my mother there.’
Leslie Nickell, daughter of Senior Helen Valentine (C56, Campbell, 1935)
such as Pitt and Rubens, and through Airlie, where she shared stories of the engaging activities and the lifelong friendships she forged in her old House. To conclude, we looked at old photographs and articles from
Kristine’s School years, where she reconnected with her personal history. It was a heartwarming experience, bridging the past with the new, and we were thrilled to share this special moment with her.’
Should you wish to visit the School, please contact the Development and Seniors Office to arrange a visit: seniors@wycombeabbey.com
In April 2024, at the Singapore Island Country Club, 13 Seniors gathered for an evening of delectable Chinese food, fantastic drinks and fabulous company.
This was my first time attending the annual Seniors gathering in Singapore, and the energy in the room was unmistakably Wycombe Abbey. Everyone understood the dress code, coming in a splash of their House colour. Spirited conversations flowed throughout the room, as newcomers exchanged tips on navigating Singapore
and familiar faces caught up on the year’s updates.
Heartiest congratulations to Jennifer Hung (C259, Pitt, 2008) and Devika Diouri (C253, Campbell, 2007) who both had their second child in December, and welcome to Elena Kan (C233, Pitt, 2003), who moved to Singapore from Hong Kong last July. We were also delighted to see two generations at the reunion for the first time. Yasmin Marshall (Cloister, 2019) is graduating from Durham University in the summer,
The Development and Seniors Office have offered an internship to a Wycombe Abbey Senior over the summer. Charlotte Gowers (C353, Rubens, 2022) will reach out to our Seniors to gather new email addresses, update university and career information and help us to increase engagement with our community. We hope that this internship will continue in subsequent summers.
and we are all looking forward to Michèle Marshall’s (C162, Pitt, 1986) screening of her latest film, UNMOORED.
For any Seniors who would like to hear about future events in Singapore, please reach out to Jennifer Hung (C259, Pitt, 2008) at jennifir@gmail.com or Stephanie Cheah (Demierre, C170, Campbell, 1989) at scheah@waypointsasia.com We would love to hear from you!
Catherine Lee (C278, Airlie, 2011)
Jo Duncan and Robin Sharp will be visiting Singapore in October and will host a gathering of the Wycombe Abbey community on Thursday 17 October. There will also be a reception for Seniors in Hong Kong the week prior to this. Please look out for information in due course as details are being finalised.
Hello, we’re Izzy, Frances and Lara, the new Head Girl team for 2024 – 2025! We have thoroughly enjoyed the first few weeks in our new positions, including meeting Seniors at Seniors Day where we exchanged memories about the School.
It has been great contributing to School life and working with pupils and staff to make things happen. Our vision for the year ahead is to focus on community and maintain the strength amongst all members. We want to build on our relationships within and outside of School, as we believe this is a crucial part of Wycombe Abbey and links to our School values of service and mutual respect. We feel passionate about girls celebrating individuality and focusing on character development throughout their teenage years. We also want to strengthen our
The official opening of our new golf simulator took place in April and it was a pleasure to welcome back Honorary Senior Rachel Keens, former Director of Sport and Deputy Head, to cut the ceremonial ribbon.
Rachel, a passionate golfer, left Wycombe Abbey after 24 happy years. While teaching in the PE Department, she offered golf as an option in Upper Fifth and Sixth Form Games. In the early 2000s, Rachel was incredibly proud of the newly formed Wycombe Abbey golf team, which won the Independent Girls’ Schools Championships at Sunningdale Ladies’ Golf Club.
England Golf, the sport’s governing body, is working to make golf more inclusive and accessible, especially to girls. This was one of the motivations to build a golf simulator, funded in part by a donation from a parent and with the remaining financial support provided by the School.
relationships with local schools by working with respective prefect teams and pupil bodies to gain new perspectives and ideas. We are aware of the great responsibility our positions hold and are keen to represent the whole pupil voice and the School’s values. We are excited to start working on our chosen initiatives with the new prefect team.
Frances (Head of School), Lara (Deputy Head of School) and Izzy (Deputy Head of School)
Rachel said, ‘What an incredible new facility for the School. Fantastic practice for existing golfers, especially when the weather and dark winter evenings restrict practice times, but also what an opportunity for all pupils to experience golf amongst friends.’
The golf simulator is being used by pupils as part of their Games options,
and our top golfers have enjoyed access to train in preparation for international competitions. We look forward to incorporating the simulator into many of our activity programmes.
Mr Nick Woods Deputy Head (Strategy and Operations)
Travel is one of the great joys of life and Wycombe Abbey is delighted to have relaunched its International Exchange Programme with two partner schools in Australia – St Mary’s Anglican School in Perth and Tara Anglican School in Sydney. In March, five Lower Fifth girls embarked on an incredible three-week journey as they met their host families, participated in lessons and fully immersed themselves in the Australian lifestyle.
The girls returned to Wycombe Abbey having made new friends from different backgrounds and all agree it was an unforgettable experience. As one pupil observed, ‘One of my primary motivations for taking part in this exchange was my desire to gain a unique, diverse and enriching educational experience, but also to achieve a greater sense of cultural fluency. The Exchange Programme has undoubtedly equipped me with a more global outlook and broadened my horizons in the most transformative way. I have cultivated lifelong friendships and memories that I will cherish forever.’
During the Summer Term, five Australian girls immersed themselves in the busy life at Wycombe Abbey. The next academic year will see a third school – St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School in Brisbane – added to the exchange opportunities on offer.
If Seniors living in any of these locations would be interested in meeting future exchange pupils from Wycombe Abbey during their time in Australia, please contact seniors@wycombeabbey.com
Mrs Margot Woods Teacher of Geography Deputy Head of Upper School
We invite you to read the latest InSci Scoop science magazine, produced by pupils. This edition was created in conjunction with the Computer Science Society and focuses on AI. There are some fascinating articles, including ‘Can artificial intelligence reduce maternal mortality rates?’
After last year’s successful Seniors Social, please join us at Caravan, Covent Garden for a Seniors gathering on Thursday 19 September, 6:00pm – 8:00pm. This is a great opportunity to meet informally and tickets cost £15, to include drinks and cocktail snacks.
The Seniors Carol Service will take place on Sunday 8 December at Wycombe Abbey. Please look out for more information soon. We would also like to gauge interest from Seniors regarding a lacrosse match on the same day, therefore, if you would be keen to play, please email seniors@wycombeabbey.com
We are very excited that the next Seniors’ Supplement magazine will have a new look! As part of the refresh, we will be changing Circle News to Circle Notes, which will be grouped by class years and decades. We invite you to start sending us news of any recent exciting life events that you may wish to share with fellow Seniors.
Please keep in mind the following points when you are sharing your news with us:
• Notes should be brief (no more than 200 words) and relevant to the past year
• Images should be of a high resolution, at least 2MB.
Please send your Circle Notes to seniors@wycombeabbey.com by 15 September to be included in the 2024 Seniors’ Supplement
We are introducing a Seniors Book Club section in the magazine, which will feature books authored by Seniors. If you have written a book that you would like the Seniors community to know about, please send the details and an image of the front cover to seniors@wycombeabbey.com by 15 September.
We are looking for Seniors who are in the early stages of their career (around five years or fewer since graduating/leaving school) to come back to Wycombe Abbey for a networking evening with pupils on Thursday 17 October. Our Upper Sixth girls would welcome the opportunity to gain insight into internships, getting their first job, networking and navigating early career challenges. The format of the evening will likely be from 6:30pm – 8:00pm, with two 45 minute sessions over drinks and snacks. Please email seniors@wycombeabbey.com by 31 July if you are interested.
Ijoined Wycombe Abbey as Director of Development mid-February and it has been a whirlwind of activity. Summertime at Wycombe Abbey is quiet but we are busy in the Development and Seniors Office as we build on the most rewarding aspects of my role: facilitating connections between our Seniors and the School.
As a proud graduate of a girls’ boarding school myself, I am deeply committed to the transformative power of girls’ boarding education and the invaluable bond within the alumnae community. My own experience at the Emma Willard School, nearly 50 years ago, is a testament to this. The friendships I formed there are still my dearest and I’ve had the privilege of witnessing a similar affinity during Seniors Day. This shared experience of empowerment and belonging, which you all have been a part of, is what sets these alumnae communities apart. Our schools are where we find our voices, push boundaries and explore our identities. We grow from girls to young women in an environment that empowers us.
We take immense pride in celebrating our Seniors as they share this unique and wonderful experience despite being
scattered across the globe. My team is dedicated to fostering more connections between Seniors and pupils, enabling them to share their inspiring journeys and support each other. I am hoping that in the coming years, we can find a way to involve every Senior in our efforts.
or treasure, all of which underscores our aspirations.
Many of you will be familiar with philanthropy and alumni engagement at independent schools and universities. Still, you may not have realised that much of our philanthropic income comes from our parent and Seniors communities. The support we receive is instrumental in maintaining our diverse and inclusive family while broadening our perspectives. It reconnects us to our purpose and strengthens our future. There are so many ways to be philanthropic, whether with your time, expertise,
A crucial aspect of the Director of Development role, which is built on the solid foundations of Seniors and parents, is to lead the effort to garner this philanthropic investment. This support enhances the living and learning spaces at Wycombe Abbey, the student activities and the bursary provisions. I donate to Wycombe Abbey because I am committed to preserving girls’ boarding education and the many opportunities that it affords. I hope that I can inspire you to join me and many others in our community in making Wycombe Abbey a philanthropic priority. This will strengthen our future and foster a more profound sense of shared purpose and community.
Ms Robin Sharp Director of Development
If you would like to support Wycombe Abbey with a donation, please visit our website.
01494 896309
seniors@wycombeabbey.com
Registered Charity No. 310638