Easter Newsletter 2016 - Guildford County School

Easter 2016
Newsletter
The Art of Communication
We spend a lot of our time
in this world talking and
communicating with other
people in many different
ways: both verbally and
non-verbally, with our
body language and the
way we look at people.
Many times our intended
communication can be
taken the wrong way. A
classic example of this is
when we get annoyed and
fire off an email to
someone who interprets it
in a completely different
way. We all receive
emails and text messages
from people and when we
question them, the author
often says ‘Oh I didn’t
really mean to say it like
that’ or ‘I didn’t mean it to
be rude’.
Several years ago I came
across an article about
house hunting which, at
this time of year, is very
popular.
With a view to buying a
country cottage, a young
married couple went to
see the Vicar of a small
rural parish in Somerset;
Senior Public Speakers 2016
they asked him if he knew
of any cottages available.
The vicar showed them
round one, and asked if
they would let him know
their decision. Later,
however, they
remembered that they had
not seen a WC in the
cottage, so the young man
wrote to the vicar and
asked where it might be.
The vicar, however, was
not familiar with the term
WC and wrote them the
following letter, taking it
that they were meaning a
Wesleyan Church.
Dear Sir,
I was very pleased to receive your
letter, but regret to inform you that
the nearest WC in your area is
fifty miles away. This is most
unfortunate if you are in the habit
of going regularly. The nearest
one is a lovely little place, situated
in a beautiful valley amongst pine
trees, and it may interest you to
know that many people make a
day of it, setting off early in the
morning and taking meals with
them. Some travel by car or by
bus; others walk and arrive just in
time! A bell rings twenty minutes
before the WC opens and there is
plenty of standing room for those
who arrive late. Inside,
everything is most appropriate
with eighty plush seats and beautiful
carvings on the walls. The children sit
and sing during the procedure, hymn
sheets are found hanging behind the
door and there is an organ
accompaniment.
I hope this information has been
useful to you and that you will make it
your business to attend often.
Yours faithfully
The Vicar
P.S. I have not been for five months
and you can imagine this pains me
very much.
I hope you had a little
chuckle to yourselves over
this article. I do wish you and
your families a very restful
and enjoyable Easter break.
Make the most of the
sunshine when it’s available
and remember, when you
communicate with others, be
aware that you are always
open to mis-interpretation.
John Lewis, Head of KS3
Olivia Kirby, Head of House
Adam Daniels, Assistant Head of House
Lancaster’s Yr8 Girls clinch House Basketball victory
Lancaster’s victorious House Quiz team
Lancaster
Spotlight on …
Approaching the end of the official House Year at Easter, we thought it a good time to reflect on Lancaster’s overall
achievements and development. We are particularly delighted with the way the House is gelling within and across years.
This has been achieved through the variety of House Assembly activities, including mixed-year team activities: building a
tower from straws and a scrabble-based team game. Year 7 and 8 have enjoyed paired assemblies together and had the
opportunity to discuss issues from the view point of new students, such as making friends and dealing with the pressures of
secondary school. Year 9 and 10 had an Options discussion, where the Year 9s had prepared questions about GCSE
subjects and, in small groups, the Year 10s discussed their responses with them. We have had individual Year groups
leading assemblies; most recently 8L took on the topic of ‘Healthy Lifestyles’—covering diet, motivation, music, sleep and
exercise. In each case the other years have been supportive and attentive audiences
7L have been an excellent addition to the House, contributing to House activities with enthusiasm and a competitive spirit.
We have enjoyed great success all year, beginning with 7L triumphing in the Junior House Public Speaking. This was then
followed up with victory in House Cross-Country (especially noteworthy as every student in the school took part and their
position counted) and a third place in House Rowing. This term, we also gained victories in Year 7 and 8 Basketball, second
in House Winter Sports and, most recently, we won the House Quiz competition.
We would like to thank our House Captains, Robbie and Georgia, as without their energy, chasing students to encourage
them to take part, we would not have had the successes we have. We wish them good luck and best wishes as they step
down to focus on up-coming exams.
Yr 9 and 10 students having a Q&A about Options
‘How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye hard’
Winnie the Pooh
This year has gone by way too quickly, but I will remember each and every moment with
happiness and pride. Senior teams before us have often said that the responsibility of the role
can sometimes feel like a weight, but, by working with 3 of my best friends, I have rarely felt the
pressure. I will miss County a great deal when I leave at the end of this year and being a part of
the Senior Team has made up some of my fondest memories of this school. A massive thank
you is owed to Mrs Baker for keeping us sane and to the prefects and house officers who were
always willing to help. I wish all the luck in the world to the next Senior Team. Libby
Senior team has allowed me one the best experiences to grow and prove my ability. I would
like to say thank you to every teacher, friend, classmate and schoolmate who has joined us this
year to achieve all we have. Having been able to raise over £4,500 for charity has been
astounding and I would like to say a huge thank you, especially, to Mrs Baker, every Student
Council member, the prefects and my wonderful other Senior Team members, for such a
memorable year. May next year’s Senior Team succeed in their every endeavour. Zoe
So long, farewell
…
Being a part of this academic year’s Senior Team has been taxing, stressful and intense, but I
have thoroughly enjoyed every second of it. It has developed me as a person and I am grateful
to have been given this opportunity. I have loved every aspect of the role- from organising events such as Battle of the Bands and the Year 7 Disco,
to liaising between students and the Leadership Team. County is a community in which everyone is heard, and I feel privileged to have helped keep
this community going strong. I fully appreciate the direction we received from Mrs Baker, and the assistance that the House Officers and Prefects
provided throughout this year; our achievements as a school would not have been possible without these people. Thank you, and good luck, to the
next Senior Team- I hope they have as good a time as I did. Sam
Getting to be Head Boy has been the best thing that's ever happened to me. From the very first time I put on the medal, to the last time I took it off,
it's been an immeasurable honour and privilege to represent Guildford County School. I cannot adequately express the sense of pride that I feel with
regards to the last year; every speech, meeting, and stressful lunchtime brought forth new and interesting challenges for the four of us to tackle, and I
couldn't have asked for three more lively and capable individuals to have shared the time with. I am, and always will be, filled with adoration for
County; filled with the essence of warmth and belonging and the sense that the spirit of this school will always remain a part of me.
Thus, it is with a heavy heart that I pass on the mantle of Head Boy—but with the sadness of progression comes a ray of happiness, as I find
pleasure and comfort in the knowledge that another will get to experience what has been one of the best years of my life. I will never forget County.
The lessons I've learned and the experiences I've had will stay with me forever. For each and every one of the seven years I've spent here, I am truly
grateful. Thank you. Alfie
Page 2
That may well have been the
mantra of the Geography
Department staff last week, as they gave the whole
of Yr8 a guided tour of the River Wey, in and
around Guildford Town Centre.
Aspects of both human and physical geography
were discussed, as students not only contemplated
the role of the Town Wharf , where much of the
business in Guildford took place 300 years ago, but
also had a geographical debate about the purpose
of the locks, flood plain and sluice gates.
Mrs Smith explains the use of the sluice gates
Merengue Trip to the RGS
Recently, a group of Yr9 & 10 girls were
given the opportunity to visit the RGS
and participate in a salsa and
merengue workshop.
The workshop lasted an hour and
during the time, we developed new
dance skills and also friendships with
the boys
A big thank you to the staff that
organised the transport and the
workshop itself. The girls thoroughly
enjoyed themselves as it offered a
completely different experience !
Bea And Chloe
Shaun Attwood shares his story ……..
Weyside Meanders
‘Life Lesson’
‘If you take my
advice, there’s
nothing so nice, as
messin’ about on the
river’.
Sixth Form students recently gathered in
the school’s Main Hall to listen to a talk
given by Shaun Attwood. Attwood was a
convicted drug dealer who spent six
years in a prison in Arizona; whilst
serving time he helped uncover the
prison’s human rights violations.
Witnessing murders performed by both
prisoners and guards, tolerating
unbearable heat, eating mouldy food,
living with cockroaches, spiders and over
flowing sewage; Attwood risked his own
life by sending out information, via his
Aunt, which held the truth about the
conditions inside.
His blog, Jon’s Jail Journal, had 850 000
views and drew awareness to the
situation within what was deemed to be
one of America’s toughest prisons.
Following his release, Shaun returned to
England, where he began to make his
recovery; eventually he was ready to
speak about his experiences. Attwood
now spends his time touring schools,
sharing his story and answering letters
from young people who have faced
similar problems.
It was an inspiring and eye opening
afternoon for everyone involved, learning
the factual truth behind the glamorised
Hollywood stories that we normally see
in film and the media.
Sophie Balchin, Nick Brown and Izzy Flynn Yr12
The resulting wisdom from his traumatising
life lesson was affecting.
‘Make slow and steady progress’
This interesting take on
a recent Art ILT, proves
that GCS pupils can not
only adapt well, but are
willing to literally ‘bend’
to best fit the task!
Page 3
York
Over the last year as House Captains we have faced a number of challenges, from having to
meticulously organise House Music over a period of months, to putting together Public
Speaking in a week, but we have enjoyed almost every second of the experience. It seems
like only yesterday that we were standing nervously in front of the whole house to make our
introductory speeches, in the hope of getting elected. Since then, we have had a year of
fulfilling the ambitions we've had since we were in lower school; everything from sitting on
the stage for dismissal assemblies, to being able to conduct the opening number in House
Music.
We’d like to extend a massive thank you to the students who are always wanting to
participate and have been amazing in everything they've done, as seen with winning Winter
House Sports only a few weeks ago. We also need to thank our fellow Sixth Formers who
can always be relied upon to step up to the plate whenever necessary and have been a great
help in making our lives a lot easier over the past year! Furthermore, we would never have
managed to put so much as a quiz team together without the incredible support of all the
staff; with the help of these two groups of people we feel that this process has helped us
mature as people and can now go to university knowing that nothing can ever be as stressful
as managing early House Drama rehearsals!
Goodbye from Jasmyn & Alistair
As it comes to the end of my appointment as
House Captain, I'd like to strongly congratulate
everyone who has represented Lancaster this
year. You have been part of one of the most
successful years for this House and should be
proud of the progress we have made. Our
accomplishments include winning Public
Speaking, Cross Country and House Quiz but
also coming second in Winter Sports. I think we
have shown passion, dedication and character
whilst also demonstrated our desire to win.
Despite it being a busy year, it has been one of
the most fulfilling years for me and I could not
be more proud of Lancaster.
Goodbye from Robbie & Georgina
Lancaster
Windsor
This year has been a successful one for Windsor
House and it has been our privilege to be at the helm.
Starting our time in office with 1st place in Summer
Sports and 2nd place in House Music, the tone was set
for the year and the standard of performance by every
pupil, whether musical or sporting, was extremely high.
However the most important thing to take away from
this year is what a great house Windsor is, and we
don’t mean only in terms of success; a familiar theme
to our time as captains has been to see team sheets
overflowing, the loudest chants from the stands and a
house play with the biggest cast of all. This great atmosphere and desire to get involved is what really
matters. The team spirit seen in Windsor House is
unrivalled and I’m sure that this atmosphere,
enthusiasm and success will continue as we make way
for the next set of captains moving through; we wish
them all the best.
Goodbye from Dan & Ben
Page 4
Tudor
My reign as Tudor house Captain is coming to an end.
This time as a house captain has brought nothing but
good memories. I have loved every house competition and
have learnt to embrace the stress that comes with
organizing them. It is a unique experience that is like
nothing else at school, as you are able to immerse
yourself into the schooling experience once again. You are
given certain powers and responsibilities, giving the role
the real importance; this is something that becomes
apparent as soon as you start. You are obliged to commit
outside of house competitions as well. You have
obligations, such as leading assemblies and motivating
and helping the lower school with any issues they have in
school.
The role was made ten times easier by my partner, Will.
Will is one of the most passionate people I know! His
enthusiasm never wavers! I was also blessed with the best
Head of House I could have asked for! Mr Ayres has been
an unbelievable support to us. He was always the first
person to lend a helping hand whenever we needed it. So
… Thank you to both Will and Mr Ayres.
I am going to miss all the love that my house has shown
me over my reign! It has created so many memories that I
will never forget! It has been such a pleasure to be the
House Captain for Tudor House! Love and Goodbye from Vijay x
Stuart
It has been the greatest of pleasures to be house captain of
Stuart this past year. The House has been so enthusiastic and full
of passion and this has been clearly shown in victories such as
House Basketball and especially House Music-which I know to
many was an incredible day. It's been amazing to work with
everyone in the House and I thank all for their commitment. I hope
everyone has had as happy a year as they could!
Goodbye from Jess
Onwards and upwards Stuart!
This year, we have all seen and experienced Stuart House grow
in strength and achieve pure greatness. The successes, and the
hard work prior to them, have enabled us all to develop both as
individuals and as a team. It has been a true honour representing
Stuart through the highs and the lows of this House year, and I
haven’t a doubt that Stuart will continue to progress and thrive in
all the aspects it has shown extreme strength in so far. I’d like to
take this opportunity to thank everybody, especially the students,
for making this period one that will forever be truly unforgettable.
When I was asked to write this article, I was asked about what it
“was” like to “have been” a House Captain.
You may note that it is all in past tense - but to me nothing
could be further from the truth.
Being a House Captain is a unique platform, one where you can
look at the students you are charged with, and have a bizarre
blend of authority and empathy meet you. I had a feeling of
pride and profound honour, that I has been given the ability to
help people with this much potential. It’s a feeling like nothing
else, and if I ever had one defining philosophy while performing
this role, it would be to always give them as much as I could
wherever I was needed. It also motivated me to do things I had
never dreamed of before.
I gave speeches on fear, and shared stories of pride.
I was sponged in the face, and had my hair dyed.
I was afraid the whole time, but I couldn't possibly mind.
So I want to thank every single one of them now, from my fellow
House Captain Vijay, who to this day I have never seen without
a smile, to the most marvellously energetic Head of House we
could have possibly had in Mr Ayers. However my deepest and
most profound gratitude is for the students within Tudor House,
for pouring everything they had into everything that they did.
There are few things so inspiring as that simple act of
commitment, and that is something I will carry with me all my
life. I will never stop being House Captain of Tudor, it will
always be part of me – and I would not have it any other way.
Goodbye from Will
The past year has been an amazing opportunity for us to get to know a
great deal of students from our House and enjoy leading a fanatically
enthusiastic and talented group of pupils. The time has shot by and since
Hanover 6th form / Yr11 boys clinched the House Basketball title at the end
last half term, we have had Charity Week and the last few House events of
the calendar. Winter Sports got off to a foggy start but was capped off with
a win from the 6th form / Yr11 girls football team, and House Quiz also saw
some victorious performances as we came 3rd. Hanover dominated
Intermediate Chess, with 1st and 2nd place secured by Kieran B and Anna
P, and Mr Houghton is confident of securing his 3rd win on the trott in the
6th form/staff competition. We're also looking forward to our last
competition, House Public Speaking. We feel that this year many have
managed to get really involved in all events and are grateful for the
immense contribution, not just of the new Yr7s, but across the year groups;
thank you to all who made our lives easier by being willing to try something
new. House Music and House Winter Sports both stand out in particular to
us as amazing displays of teamwork and mutual cooperation, no matter
your age or gender. This is a theme which we find has embodied our
experience with the students as House Captains
Goodbye from Ewan & Adam
Hanover
Goodbye and good luck from Amra
Page 5
In this annual event of frantic research and writing of stories, there was only
one simple task – file your report before the deadline. With the help of BBC
journalists and experienced Sixth Formers, it was all hands on deck for 9gc
on this tenth anniversary News Day.
With around 30,000 School Reporters at more than 1,000 schools around
the UK taking part, BBC School Report has become a national event. In our
own newsroom at Guildford County, students had the chance to experience
life as a journalist and, as they always do, they rose to the challenge in style.
As part of BBC School Report Newsday, Elodie,
Cameron and Shahaab were interviewed by
BBC Surrey about the project. Shahaab and Mrs
Gibbs went live on the Breakfast Show, talking
about why School Report is so important to
young people. Shahaab said, “it gives us an
insight into how stressful it is to be a journalist”.
Despite this, he also said that he was
considering a career in journalism.
Next up were Cameron and Elodie who
pre-recorded an interview for the evening show.
They discussed their opinions on BBC School
Report and explained the concept of it in more
detail. They both enjoyed the experience at the
local radio station. Elodie said, “It was really
interesting to see how everything worked in the
studio with the recording equipment and the
timings between one interview and the next”.
Cameron added, “Everyone at the studio was
very welcoming and made us feel comfortable,
even though we were nervous to speak live”.
Soon after finishing their morning of interviews,
the County students headed back to school to
write up their reports. Who knows, maybe
School Report will be the start of exciting
careers for them.
The day started at 8.30 am with a live radio interview with BBC Radio Surrey. Elodie, Cameron and Shahaab were questioned on their role in the
day’s events, with one interview going out live on the station’s Breakfast
Show, and a second being pre-recorded and then broadcast during the
evening’s Drive Time slot. Our day ended with the successful broadcasting
of a range of reports on the school website by the 4 pm deadline. The fruits
of the day’s labours can be found on the dedicated BBC School Report page
on the school website. (http://www.guildfordcounty.co.uk/98/bbc-schoolreport)
Of course, no School Report would be complete without the expertise of Rob
King and Alistair McShee (U6) – thank you both for your years of devoted
service, what will we do without you next year?
Congratulations to everyone that took part – you did yourselves proud.
The Yr9 Language Leader Club
meets every Tuesday, where,
with the help of Mrs Bushby,
we learn how to teach
languages. Since September,
we have been preparing and
learning the skills needed to
help Yr5 at Queen Eleanor’s
Junior School learn French. We
have had to think back to when
we were in Yr5 and decide
what strategies were effective.
We then made different games
and resources which we tested
and practiced with Yr7 to make
sure they worked and were
enjoyable. Once convinced we had a good plan, we made our way to QE where we
worked with two Yr5 classes and taught them in small groups of 2-3. We covered
colours, clothes, food and other topics. We all used slightly different teaching ideas
and the pupils and language leaders alike really enjoyed themselves. Overall it was
a great success as well as an insightful experience.
Stella Abraham, Siobhan Arkema, Isabelle Newenham Yr9 linguists
Thursday 3rd March was World Book Day
2016. To celebrate this special occasion,
we were given a quiz and competed in
teams. The questions varied from
completing quotes, to working out book
titles from picture clues. The quiz also
tested our estimating skills in the tiebreaker
question, which asked us to guess how
many books are in GCS Library.
It was a nail biting two weeks to find out the
results - I was on the edge of my seat.
Hannah Belsey 7S
World Book Day 2016
Language Leaders
Elodie, Cameron and Shahaab
Yr9 Reporters
Mrs Annabel Gibbs
Guildford County Goes Live
Another year of manic scrambling and typing to produce the perfect report,
with students running from room to room finding the best interviews and
uncovering all the facts for their stories. This year they range from teenager’s
mental health to developments in technology, dancing boys and the doctor’s
strike.
Page 6
Sports Dinner Dance
The inaugural
Sports Dinner
Dance took place
in the Main Hall of
GCS and a
splendid occasion
it was too. This
black tie and red
carpet event was
the first of what is
to become an
annual
celebration of all
that is good about
sport at GCS.
Female Sports Personality
Sofia Mashanovic
Lifetime Achievement
Keone Pillay
Male Sports Personality
Jimmy Turner
Team of the Year
Yr11 Boys Rugby XV
‘Sport got me where I am today. It’s not just physical fitness, it’s mental
Student of the Year
Kiam Pillay
as well. If you achieve in sport, as you do in life or business, it gives you
confidence and makes you feel good about yourself’
Peter Hall
The guest speaker for the evening was British Paralympic gold medallist, Peter Hall; his story of courage and persistence, along an incredible
pathway into professional sport, inspired all.
The ensuing speech from Mr James Felgate, Head of Physical Education at GCS, was holistic in nature, stressing the many life skills which can be
taught through sport. Fundamentally ‘Sport teaches you to give it your all’ ‘
Then, before the disco lights took over and the music was turned up, applause was given to the wealth of team successes throughout the season,
Sporting Images
Winter
House
Sports
Page 7
Focus on
funky fundraising
Get down to the Funk Night this May!
It’s back! Due to popular demand, our fantastic Funk Night dinner dance is taking place
in the Main Hall on Saturday, 7th May. For those who were lucky enough to come to the
last one in 2014, you will know how much fun was had by all.
There will be a delicious two-course supper from ‘Cook’, then a wonderful extended set
from our very own GCS Funk Band, with a disco to follow. The evening will conclude at
11pm.
All profits raised will go towards the improvement of our sports facilities for students.
The tempting ‘Cook’ menu for the evening is:
Award-winning Beef Bourguignon made with top rump steak, smoked bacon, chestnut
mushrooms and caramelised shallots in Merlot
or
Red lentil and mixed bean casserole with roasted vegetables in a tomato and basil sauce
(suitable for vegetarians; gluten-free)
both served with rice, salad and French bread
Followed by Chocolate Truffle Torte or Apple Crumble Tart
Why not get a table of friends together for a great evening out? Tables seat 10. If you
wish to sit with a particular group, please agree this with friends and indicate your table
name (the surname of the co-ordinator) on your reply slip.
Funk Night
An ‘early bird’ discount is applicable to all tickets purchased before Monday 11th April at
£30 each; after this date the tickets will be £35 each. Ticket price includes live music,
a 2-course supper and a disco ‘til 11pm. There will be a licensed bar. Please make your
cheque payable to ‘Guildford County School’.
If you would like to volunteer on the night, we are offering a limited number of tickets at £20 each for those volunteering to help for
at least an hour (serving food, drink or helping with set-up/tidy-up).
Tickets are already selling well, so please book your tickets as soon as possible to avoid disappointment – thank you!
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Please fill out the form below
Name: ………………………………………………………. No of Tickets @£30: ……………………………
Menu choices (please indicate number in box):
Beef Bourguignon
Chocolate Torte
Red Lentil Casserole
Apple Crumble Tart
Student’s Name and Tutor ……………………………………………….…..
Email address: ……………………………………………….………………..
Dates for the Diary:
Group table name: ……………………………………………….……………
Mar 24 Easter Holidays begin
Apr 11 Summer Term begins
Please remember to enclose your cheque – thank you
Apr 14 Foreign Film Society ‘Tsotsi’
May 07 Funk Night
Hand in envelope marked ‘Funk Night 2016’ to the School Office
Page 8