LIFEISSUE 60 |SUmmEr 2017CIty

InSI

dE ■ natIonal gymnaStICS ChampIonS

■ a joUrnEy to thE CapItal of ChIna ■ prEp takEovEr day ■ SphErES: thE world prEmIEr

As I write these lines, it is clear that the long awaited summer is finally upon us. There is always a special buzz to CLSG in sunny weather: the girls make greater use of the outside space in the breaks and their cheerful chatter brings light to the otherwise sober silence of the Barbican.

The following pages will give you an insight into some of the many activities that took place in the Spring and early Summer term in school. From our joint concerts with CLS and CLSF, our translation workshops for Y10 French to our many trips abroad, we have kept as busy as usual. You will also be able to read about the successes of the girls in a wide range of fields, both collective and individual.

We are particularly proud of our Gymnastics team’s first ever victory at National Championships and we are delighted that Year 13 student Tin-Tin Ho has rached number one in the U21 women’s table tennis ranking in her time with us. Both examples show the strength of sport at CLSG and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the PE department, so ably led by Miss Castell, for all their hard work.

The summer term is also the time to say goodbye to some members of the CLSG community. We wish all of our school leavers the very best in their future endeavours, and we hope that the independence and resilience that CLSG has sought to foster in them will serve them well in years to come. To all the staff who are moving on from CLSG, we wish them also the very best of luck with their plans.

I wish you all a restful summer with your families and I look forward to seeing you back in September.

Mrs Ena Harrop, Headmistress

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BEHINd THE SCENES

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YEAr 13 LEAvErS’ CELEBrATIoNS

forEnSIC SCIEnCE workShop

mathS olympIad wIn

tranSlatIon workShop

talkS & EvEntS

ProF. STEPHEN HAWkING

Colton mEmorIal lECtUrE

Q&a wIth glEnda jaCkSon

talk on aIr pollUtIon

FoUNdEr’S dAY CELEBrATIoNS

norma pErCy

yoUng EntErprISE tEam

WorLd Book dAY

CIty artS

SphErES: thE world prEmIEr

drama fEStIval wInnEr

SprIng mUSIC ConCErt wIth ClS

mUSIC ConCErt wIth ClfS

LEAvErS’ CoNCErT

CIty pUllS oUt all thE StopS

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gIrlS In thE CIty day

margatE art StUdy trIp

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prEp takEovEr day

BALLET AT roYAL oPErA HoUSE

EaStEr Egg hUnt

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natIonal gymnaStICS fInalS

hoUSE marathon

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Prep Sports day

Junior House debating

citySponsored Walk

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Working with Jas has given me an interesting opportunity to learn some Australian slang and I’ve taught her all she needs to know to make it in Essex . Although I am sad to see her go I wish her all the best in her new career and I’m sure we will stay in touch. Vicky Pyke, Senior Administrative Officer

As well as being a very supportive colleague, Jas is also a trusted friend. It takes guts and determination to change career path and I am proud of her for following her dreams of becoming an ICT & Maths teacher. I am sad to see her leave City but am excited to see what the future holds for Miss Athwal. Kerry Dignan, Deputy Heads’ PA

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jaS athwal, admInIStratIvE offICEr - joInEd ClSg: marCh 2006

When Miss Boll joined CLSG, she brought with her an immense love of Ultimate Frisbee and for anything related to the maple tree. during her time here she has taught Physics throughout the school, Science in the Prep School and has been known to even dabble in some Chemistry. She has had a great impact on the robotics club, taking some successful teams to competitions in the U.k. and to kentucky.

Miss Boll is leaving us to move back to the land of the maple leaf and ice hockey. Her ‘can do’ attitude and inspirational lessons will be greatly missed in the Physics department and we wish her all the best for this exciting next stage in her career. Mark Wilkinson, Head of Physics

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ASHLEY BoLL, PHYSICS TEACHEr - JoINEd CLSG: SEPTEMBEr 2015

Mrs Harrison has been an asset to the PE team. She has taken on new ventures such as setting up the City Allstars Cheerleading team, helping to get the GCSE PE course off the ground and producing fabulous, lyrical (Year 11) and humorous (Year 6 oompa Loompas’) dance for the Gym and dance display and Prep Sports day. This year Mrs Harrison has continued her good work with both the Prep and Senior swim squad and helped with Year 11 netball - all of whom have benefitted from her interesting drills and technique teaching the during sessions.

We wish Mrs Harrison the very best in the hopefully sunnier and more appropriate PE weather in dubai. She will be missed by us all. Caroline Castell, Head of PE

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CaItlIn harrISon, pE tEaChEr - JoINEd CLSG: SEPTEMBEr 2014

Claire Harris was an excellent replacement for Jas, she was very efficient and professional and it was an absolute pleasure to share an office with her. She will be missed. Vicky Pyke, Senior Administrative Officer“ ”ClaIrE harrIS, admInIStratIvE offICEr

rob has worked at the school for nearly 14 years. He is a very lovable character who made the girls feel welcome and helped and he supported many through the years. rob has made many friends while working here, is a hard worker and is always willing to go the extra mile.

We wish him all the best in his new position and will miss him (but not the “Shhhhhhh!” or his terrible jokes). Jason Valentine, Premises Manager

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roB BAkEr, PrEMISES ASSISTANT - JoINEd CLSG: oCToBEr 2003

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Mr. Stylianou has led the Chemistry department with much care, skill and dedication. Well known for being approachable, generous with his time and supportive, he helped many students who needed a little extra assistance to fulfil their potential. Under his leadership the Chemistry department developed a strong and supportive bond for the benefit of all the Chemistry students. He will be sorely missed by his colleagues and all those many students who benefitted from the time he put into promoting their love and understanding of Chemistry. Neil Codd, Deputy Head (Academic)

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adam StylIanoU, hEad of ChEmIStry- joInEd ClSg: janUary 2014

Ms Thane-Woodhams came to City with an awesome reputation having been recommended by her professor as one of the best teachers of drama in the country! It was soon obvious that this praise was much deserved. She brings an admirable rigour and thoroughness to all her classes. She is incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about her subject, something that shone through in the plays she directed in the short time she was here, The Mobile Phone Show with Years 8 & 9 and daffodil Scissors with Year 7. Ms Thane-Woodhams worked at City part-time and leaves us to take up a full-time post as Head of drama at Streatham & Clapham High School.Steve Morley, Director of Drama

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pEnny thanE-woodhamS, drama tEaChEr - joInEd ClSg: aprIl 2016

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Emily has made a terrific contribution to the Study Centre and will be much missed. When she first arrived, her aim was to offer new ideas and strategies to reach all students and to change the perception of SEN within the school. Five years on, the department now sees a steady run of students from all years, coming to talk about their individual study needs, accompanying friends who are concerned about their learning, receiving advice on how to be an organised ‘City Learner’ or to simply stock up on flash cards.

The ‘open door’ policy of the department and Emily’s friendly and open manner with the girls has ensured that her initial aims have seen fruition and the Study Centre is now firmly established as a ‘go-to’ place for any student who feels they might possibly need an extra boost. At the end of sessions, Emily could often be heard telling students about her share in racehorses. If City girls soon become well known in racing circles, you know where their passion started! Good Luck Emily; St Paul’s will benefit hugely from your commitment, care and diligent approach to all you do.

Carolyn Cole, Assistant SEN Coordinator

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EMILY HErBErT - JoINEd CLSG: SEPTEMBEr 2012

rachel has been a key member of staff at CLSG. She has been the first point of contact for all the girls and their parents in their run up to their time here at City. She has been widely recognised both within and outside the school community for the exemplary way in which she deals with the often fraught process of admissions. She has made every prospective parent and pupil feel valued as individuals and all have tremendously appreciated the warmth and personalised tone of her communications.

rachel genuinely cares about the pupils that she met in her role and this was shown in her willingness to get involved in the Sayers Croft trip at the start of Year 7. rachel is also the font of all knowledge on all things beer related but at least we won’t have to fight her for the cake anymore. rachel will be missed by all at City but we wish her all the best in her new position at the Blue Coat School in Birmingham. Alan Bubbear, Bursar

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raChEl kEarnEy, rEgIStrar - joInEd ClSg: jUnE 2013

With wit, wisdom and musicality, Miss Luddington has become an enthusiastic and valued member of the team. Forever upbeat and enthusiastic: her positive outlook, thoughtful teaching and pastoral insights have been the hallmarks of her four years at CLSG. This was especially true when out ‘in the field’ assisting with residential field trips (she holds an unverified speed record for taking an entire class through washroom-routines).

An accomplished musician, Miss Luddington’s contribution to school concerts, orchestras and musical events has been exemplary, encouraging even the most reticent performers to attain new heights. As she moves on to Alleyn’s School, dulwich we wish her well and know that the spirit of Edward Alleyn (1566-1626) must have played some part in her move to the suburbs; on the north wall of St Giles’ Cripplegate church is a memorial window to Edward Alleyn, the parish’s generous benefactor. Ludders, “Utinam fortuna!” Laura Hall, Acting Head of Prep Department

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CharlottE lUddIngton, prEp tEaChEr - joInEd ClSg: janUary 2014

Frau Marett has made a tremendous contribution to the teaching and leadership of the German curriculum at City. Her students have developed a love for German and made excellent progress thanks to her dedication and expertise.

The German department’s exam results have been some of the best in the whole school under her stewardship and the numbers choosing German A-level are at the highest they have been for a long time. We are very sad to see her go. She is moving abroad so she will make full use of her linguistic skills and perhaps she will also get the chance to show off her footballing prowess. Neil Codd, Deputy Head (Academic)

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alExa marEtt, hEad of gErman - JoINEd CLSG: SEPTEMBEr 2013

Miss ‘robbo’ robertson has been an integral part of the Lower School Pastoral team. Calm, unfailingly cheerful, efficient and always ready to listen she has been a huge support to the students in her care, her tutor team and me. Miss robertson has been instrumental in setting up and running the Year 8 Building Futures project and has helped out at countless Lower School events, doing whatever is required to ensure things run smoothly. Her talent as lead dJ at the Sayers Croft Fashion Show is legendary and we will miss her ‘Nah Lass’ reply to questions. We wish her every success in her next adventure, teaching English in russia, До свидания и удачи (goodbye and good luck)!Jennifer Singleton, Head of Lower School

rachel has been a stalwart member of the History department for six years and it seems inconceivable that we’ll be coming back in September without her cheerful and wry presence. Nothing fazes rachel, whether it was me calling her rebecca all day on her interview or dealing with a vomiting bug striking the tour party on the eve of a six hour coach journey to Gallipoli on a memorable trip to Istanbul.

She has enjoyed towering success leading our brilliant Year 13 students to the Model United Nations in Switzerland and has travelled with the department from Washington to Moscow across the years. She has also somehow managed to find the time to serve as Assistant Head of Lower School where her calm common sense has dampened many crises before they burst into flames. It seems entirely appropriate then that the travel bug has bitten her and she is off to Moscow to teach and deepen her understanding of russian culture and language. We wish her the very best on her latest adventure and hope to see her mediating between Trump and Putin before too long! Julian Murray, Head of History

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rACHEL roBErTSoN - JoINEd CLSG: SEPTEMBEr 2011

When Sanjay joined the school, his love for all branches of Classical Studies: the language, the history and the diverse literature quickly became apparent to his classes, but his passion for archaeology really stood out. The preps will particularly remember the vase-paintings they inscribed on cards and year 9s the curse tablets that they pinned to the back of the Classics teaching room.

In the short time he has been here, Sanjay has been an inspirational teacher, always trying out highly innovative ideas in the classroom, and his technical wizardry has come to the fore with his setting up of the Classics department Twitter account, tweeting live pictures of Mr Holland from the top of vesuvius on the junior Pompeii trip (twitter.com/CLSGclassics). He has been a fantastic colleague. We will miss him very much and we wish him well as he moves to a new post in Surbiton High School. Dominic Themistocleous, Head of Classics

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Sanjay Sharma, ClaSSICS tEaChEr - JoINEd CLSG: SEPTEMBEr 2015

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hEnry nIyonSEngaIt tEChnICIanHow long have you been at city for and what are your main responsibilities?I have worked at City for nearly 10 years. My main responsibilities include providing support to staff and girls who are having hardware and software problems and setting up new user accounts and email addresses. I also install workstations and connect them to the network, deploy windows, diagnose and solve hardware or software faults.

What is the best part of your job and why? I like the variety and the challenges that each day brings. I also find it rewarding when a fix I have implemented resolves a call.

If you could have invented any existing piece of IT equipment or software, what would it be and why? I would say vPN (virtual private network). vPN is the way to go if you are ever concerned about online privacy. It creates a private tunnel over the internet, allowing you to securely access local network resources even when you are on the other side of the world.

BEHINd THE SCENES: MEET oUr IT TEAM

Clockwise from top left: Henry Niyonsenga, david Libby, dev Palokkaran, Sam Hill, Justine Allen, Stephen McPartland

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Sam hIllSErvICE dESk tEChnICIan

dEv palokkaranSyStEmS EngInEErWhat is a typical day at City like for you?A typical day is spent making sure all systems are running correctly, interacting with students and staff to come up with solutions to any problems that they encounter.

What is the best part of your job and why? The best part of my job is using different types of technology. This helps our students to fulfil their academic potential.

If you could have invented any piece of IT equipment or software, what would it be and why? Microsoft Windows. It is the most widely used piece of software in the world and helps people collaborate. I’d probably be a billionaire too which would be nice!

If you had the opportunity to travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?I would love to go to Bora Bora, French Polynesia.

dAvId LIBBYdIrECtor of ICt

jUStInE allEnSyStEmS managErHow long have you worked at City for? I joined in September 2014 so I’ve been here nearly 3 years! Wow – time flies…

What is a typical day at City like for you? There isn’t a typical day really. In any given day I could be sorting out a problem with email, then the next minute fixing a failed piece of hardware in the server room, or installing and testing new software while managing the job queues of the team and trying my best to be a responsive manager. It’s hugely varied and it keeps things interesting.

If you could do any other job in the school for one day, which would it be? kelly’s (our dT Technician) - she gets to play with all the interesting machines, saws, drills, 3d printing, etc. I like things like that; the closest I get is when I install new kit in the server room, it’s like playing with giant Meccano.

If you had the opportunity to travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?If I had to pick just one type of place, it would have to be the Mayan temples in Mexico, Belize and other countries.

How long have you worked at City for and what are your main responsibilities?I’ve worked at City for five years and am responsible for the school Intranet and associated databases, developing new features and reports.

What is the best part of your job? I enjoy the creative aspect and challenge of translating requests into code and the satisfaction of rolling out the finished product.

If you could have invented any piece of IT equipment or software, what would it be? I often have Wikipedia open as it’s such a brilliant resource. I like the collaborative nature of it, the fact that it’s kept fairly up to date and that it’s free.

What was your favourite subject at school?I really enjoyed Biology – looking at slides under the microscope, dissection and all the biochemical processes. I remember finding dNA replication particularly fascinating.

If you could visit anywhere, where would you go?I trekked the Annapurna circuit in Nepal in my youth and it would be great to do something similar.

StEphEn mCpartlanddata SyStEmS managEr

How long have you worked at City for and what are your main responsibilities? I have worked here for two and a half years and I am responsible for assisting with general enquiries and management of the service desk. I also work with the IT technician to help with adding students onto the Wi-Fi, and making sure they can charge their devices.

What is a typical day at City like for you?A typical day would involve answering different questions from students and staff, and helping with any problems that occur.

What is the best part of your job and why? It’s probably being able to help the students get their coursework back when they have panicked about losing it.

If you could do any other job in the school for one day, which would it be and why? Probably media technician because I like taking photos.

How long have you worked at City for and what are your main responsibilities?I have worked at City for 10 years. I am responsible for whole school IT and the Computer Science curriculum.

What is a typical day at City like for you?Busy! I’m involved in many meetings discussing ideas for exciting new IT projects. I also spend my time teaching GCSE and A Level Computer Science.

If you could have invented any piece of IT equipment or software, what would it be? I would have liked to have come up with the idea of using Boolean logic with electrical circuits as this was the start of the digital age. Unfortunately, Claude Shannon did this in 1937.

If you could do any other job in the school for one day, which would it be and why? I would like to be the Bursar so that I could give IT a bigger budget.

year 12 student naomi wei returned home victorious after competing in the European Girls’ Mathematical olympiad (EGMo) in Zurich during the Easter holidays. Naomi finished 50th among the 168 contestants from 43 countries. The Uk team did well again this year, coming equal 6th out of 33 official European teams.

Naomi has just been accepted into a two-week European Summer Program on rationality, for mathematically talented students from around the world.

BroNZE WIN AT mathS olympIad

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Year 13 celebrated their final day in school on Wednesday 17th May, arriving dressed as mermaids, scuba divers and even jellyfish! They decorated the corridors with beach scenes and pictures of underwater creatures, to go with the theme of the day: Under the Sea.

The group attended lessons in the morning, before being treated to a farewell lunch by CLoGA (the school’s alumni association). CLoGA committee member Elizabeth Lewzey, who attended CLSG from 1966, encouraged the students to keep in touch

and presented each member of the Head Girl Team with a CLoGA badge. Every girl in the year group received a CLoGA gift pack, welcoming them as the newest members of the alumni association.

The day ended with the annual paint fight off the high grass, where students were covered from head to toe in brightly coloured powdered paint. The hard work now continues as the year group prepares for their A Level exams. We wish them every success for the future.

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YEAr 13 LEAvErS’ CELEBrATIoNS

on Wednesday 22nd March, Year 8 were lucky enough to take part in a Forensics Workshop, exploring the importance of cyber safety with social networks, the dangers of drink spiking and the consequences of taking risks. It took place in the New Hall, where several different work stations were set up to help us solve the mystery surrounding the death of Sally kerr, a 17-year-old living in Sydney.

The evidence surrounding this case was based on true events so we were getting a real taste of the work done by detectives and forensic scientists. We went around the different work stations gathering evidence which included finger printing, dNA tests,

hair analysis and an autopsy report. We even had to consider mobile phone data. After collecting our evidence we gathered our results together and were able to solve the crime, after which we re-enacted the crime scene!

We all had an incredibly fun experience and some us even expressed an interest in choosing a career in Forensics in the future. We thank Alison Leck for running the workshop for us, and all the teachers in the Chemistry department who helped to organise and run this great event.

Julia Glowacka & Rebecca Palmer, Year 8

a CaSE of IdEntIty: yEar 8 forEnSIC SCIEnCE workShop

roBoTICS CLUB rEACHES NEW HEIGHTSgEnEral nEwS

It has been a very successful year for the CLSG robotics Club. The club has grown in size and now competes at the vex Edr level for students in Years 10-13, and CLSG hosted its first regional competition.

Ashley Boll, Physics Teacher, said: “the teams performed very well at regional and national competitions. They should be very pleased with their achievements. This year also saw another first for the club – a team travelled to kentucky to compete at the vex IQ World robotics Competition. The robotics club should be very proud of the success they’ve had this year and I hope that they continue to strive for excellence next year!”

vEx IQ Uk CompEtItIonS

on 15th March, we went to Birmingham to compete in the vEx IQ Uk Nationals. our team, CLSGr, consisting of Mimi Takahashi, Artemis Ffytche, Shakthi Sasitharan and Anne Li, were very excited despite having woken at 5am! We had spent the last five weeks, since the regionals, getting the robot redesigned, built and tested for this competition.

Throughout the process, we changed our design three times. At the first competition we even started reconstructing our robot at the competition. At the second competition we won the design award for our engineering notebook. The third competition, the Nationals was hosted in the Big Bang Fair. We really enjoyed this experience and we are all looking forward to next year’s season, and we are even more determined to do better!

Anne Li, Year 7, Michelle Takahashi, Year 9, & Marina Michelli-Marsden, Year 7

vEx IQ world ChampIonShIpS

From 22nd to 29th April, Jacinda Collins (8B), Eleanor Bevan (8B), kobika dilipkumar (7F) and I went to

Louisville, kentucky for the vex IQ Crossover 2017 World Championship. The exposition centre where it took place was filled with robots and people - there were teams from all over the world, including others from the Uk.

Eleanor and Jacinda were the main drivers with kobika and I helping to fix any problems and talking to teams whom we would be working with to score as many points as possible. At the beginning, and end, we went to an opening/closing ceremony in the centre’s Freedom Hall. We were very pleased with our final rank as the level of competition was very high and it was our first time at Worlds.

Apart from robotics, we also went to a ‘Girl-powered’ social, where women working in science and technology talked to girls from the competition about their careers. It was very inspirational to hear other women achieving their goals. After the competition we stayed in kentucky and visited the kentucky Science Centre, Thomas Edison’s house, the Louisville Slugger Museum followed by a baseball game and a walk around Louisville. overall, it was an educational and extremely fun experience. Thank you to Miss Boll and Ms Singleton for taking us.

Nishka Mathur, Year 7

yEar 10 tranSlatIon workShopS

This year, a few lucky CLSG Year 10s and some students from City Academy Hackney were given the opportunity to participate in a series of six translation workshops run by Shadow Heroes. The aims of these were to further explore language through translation and understand what it means to work in this field.

Attending courses run over several weeks, we developed a sound understanding of what translation means, both literally referring to language and also between art forms or within languages - an idea not many of us had considered before. It was from this new thinking that we developed an appreciation for how much of everyday life includes translation, and we all are now much better at analysing and interpreting finer details aided by the knowledge we gained on the course.

The workshops consisted of a variety of fun and interactive activities for us to try and put our translation skills to the test. At the very first session, we discussed what translation actually is. We started by trying to read body language, a translation of thought and emotion, and of course did some meaty language work which suited the keen linguists on the course. We also analysed parts of dangerous Liaisons and looked at how different movie adaptations portray slightly different interpretations.

our interpreting master class, led by guest collaborator Jaciara Topley Lira, an experienced interpreter at the UN, provided an introduction to the skills needed for professional interpreting at an international level. The key skills of memory and sight translation were discussed and then practised through exercises modelled on those used for training professional interpreters.

The last session, which was probably the most fun of all, was hosted at UCS and, with a mixed element of language work and competition, we competed in teams to be the best translators. Each team had three different language specialists and at least one representative of each school. This gave us the opportunity to put all of the material and knowledge we had learnt over the course to the test. The language side to this last day was challenging to say for the least, but being City girls, nothing daunts us and so we loved the challenge.

Year 10 student, Ashley Agbontalor, said: “I thoroughly enjoyed myself and learnt an amazing variety of translation forms including language, body language and techniques to simplify comprehension during conversations in foreign languages. I feel that the workshop has aided and equipped me with skills that will definitely be useful in the future.”

Zoë Balroop & Ashley Agbontalor, Year 10

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on Wednesday 17th May, we were given an informative talk on Air Pollution and Health by dr Ian Mudway, Lecturer in respiratory Toxicology at king’s College London.

dr Mudway explained how air pollution can affect your life span and is one of the major killers of people in modern day society. We also learnt about the different amounts of air pollution in London. It was very surprising to see the amount of air pollution in Hillingdon, near Heathrow, where Tito lives, and Belsize Square, where Lara lives. We are definitely more aware of Air Pollution nowadays. It kills almost 600,000 children a year prematurely.

air pollution causes more than three million deaths a year. It is why so many people and children wear face masks. The country where pollution is deadliest is China. India is the second, with 600,000 people dying each year. Low income countries are the worst affected and in America, over 38,000 deaths per year are caused by pollution.

In conclusion, we recognise that air pollution is a serious problem. We need clean transport and efficient energy production.

Lara Harris & Tito Oshewa, Year 7

yEar 7 & 8 pShCE talk on aIr pollUtIon

mEEtIng profESSor StEphEn hawkIngon 6th march, 10 year 11 students had an amazing opportunity to meet Professor Stephen Hawking when he was presented with the Honorary Freedom of the City of London. This is the highest honour the City of London can bestow on someone and took place at Guildhall in the presence of the Common Council, Lord Mayor, Sheriffs and Aldermen, along with invited guests.

Stephen Hawking was awarded the Freedom of the City for his outstanding work on cosmology and theoretical physics, all of which have been nationally and internationally recognised. Professor Hawking gave a speech and answered a few pre-selected questions through his computer-based communication system, which worked remarkably well. It was so

inspiring to see that his limited physical capabilities had not hindered his ability to discover new theories, after being affected with motor neuron disease at the age of 21.

To add to the incredible experience, we also took part in a Q&A session with dr kate Lancaster, the York Plasma Institute research Fellow for Innovation. She left us in awe of her work trying to create a new renewable energy source through plasma and nuclear fission. overall, this was an extremely exciting experience for all of us, including Ms Pratt and Mrs Harrop, and we are really grateful for the opportunity.

Mahika Gautam, Year 11

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talkS & EvEntS talkS & EvEntS

the school hosted a Q&a session with seasoned actress and politician Glenda Jackson (CBE) on Wednesday 25th January. The session was organised by Head of English, Mr Ward, following an A Level English Literature trip to see Glenda perform as king Lear at The old vic last year. Editors of the school magazine quizzed the actress on both her acting and political career.

one of the editors of the magazine, Anya reeve, said: “Glenda was as spirited as we had hoped she

would be. Her critiques of contemporary society were incandescent, characterised by a sharp sense of wit. She eloquently and extensively discussed her interpretation of one of Shakespeare’s grandest parts; provoked laughter with her quips; and even offered some stirring advice. It was a privilege and a pleasure to meet her.”

You can read a full account of Glenda’s visit in the 2017 School Magazine, which will be published later in the year.

Q&A SESSIoN WITH GLENdA JACkSoN, CBE

Colton mEmorIal lECtUrEon Wednesday 22nd March, Years 9 to 13 attended a lecture with guest speaker Julie Bentley, the CEo of Girlguiding.

Julie, who has dedicated her career to working in the not-for-profit sector, gave a fascinating talk about her career and the relevance of Girlguiding in the 21st century.

norma pErCyAward-winning documentary film maker and producer Norma Percy came to talk to the girls on Wednesday 29th March. Norma has produced documentaries covering many of the crises of the last 40 years, including “Watergate”, “The death of Yugoslavia”, “The Iraq War”, “Putin, russia and the West”, and most recently, “Inside obama’s White House”.

Norma spoke about her career highlights, her interview method, and shared some fascinating insights into her work, interspersed with some of her most memorable documentary clips. Norma also very kindly donated copies of all her documentaries to the school library, for girls to borrow if they would like to find out more about the pivotal events of recent times.

on Wednesday 26th April, we celebrated Founder’s day in honour of William Ward, thanks to whose generous donation CLSG was set up in 1894. Mr Ward was a successful businessman who made a considerable fortune by his early thirties. He passed away in 1881, leaving most of his money to a range of charities and deserving causes. The biggest chunk of his fortune (the equivalent of £16 million) was left to the Mayor and Commonalty of the City of London to set up a “High School for girls to be called by the name and known forever as CLSG founded by William Ward”.

We wanted the day to have a triple purpose: to commemorate William Ward’s legacy, to thank our current benefactors and to highlight the issues that still surround the access of women and girls to education across the world.

during PSHCE, students listened to a lecture by Professor Louise Archer, the first female to hold the post of karl Mannheim Professor of Sociology of Education at UCL Institute of Education. Louise has conducted research on a wide range of topics, all focusing on educational identities and inequalities, particularly in relation to ethnicity, gender and social class. Some of our current benefactors joined staff for lunch, along with members of the Ward family, who continue to have active links with the school. After school, students organised a screening of ‘A Girl in the river’, a documentary about honour killings in Pakistan.

talkS & EvEntS talkS & EvEntS

FoUNdEr’S dAY CELEBrATIoNS

Young Enterprise is a programme which allows Sixth Form students to set up and run a business for one year. our team was made up of fourteen people along with business advisor, Suzie. After finally settling on the name ‘Evolve’ for our ever-evolving company, we started to think of ideas for a product. We wanted our product to be relevant, inexpensive and useful so decided on a phone accessory that attaches to the back of a phone and can be used to hold oyster or credit cards, with a stand which snaps up once pressed. We called it the Stick and Stand.

We purchased a stock of 500 from a Chinese manufacturer and began to sell. We made over £1,453 at school with a profit margin of 88%. We then went on to sell at trade fairs and our brother school, City of London School, where the product also enjoyed great success. We decided to branch out and pitch the product at a corporate level. Puma Investments placed an order for 300 units at £3.50 each, making revenue of £1,050.

We attended our first competition against other schools on 19th April, where we had to give a detailed report about the product and our sales so far. The five of us practised our presentation repeatedly and went on to win best company in the inner city of London. We later progressed onto the East London Final, held at Citi Bank in Canary Wharf on 4th May. once again, we handed in our report, made our presentation and attended a group interview where the judges grilled us about the future of our company. The competition was much harder at this event and although we did not get through to the London finals, we won a trophy for best report in the whole of East London.

despite not progressing any further in the competition, we continue to sell our product and have just received an order from Carphone Warehouse for 1,000 Stick and Stands to be distributed in 100 of their London stores.

Isabella Finkler, Year 12

YoUNG ENTErPrISE TEAM NAMEd ‘BEST CoMPANY IN INNEr LoNdoN’

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Professor Louise Archer

William Ward, Founder of CLSG

The school was transformed into Hogwarts for one week this spring, in the build up to World Book day on Thursday 2nd March.

Each house in the senior school arranged a Harry Potter themed event, including Engorgio Chess matches, the Maze of riddles, and a very popular bake off. The Prep school joined in with the fun, creating some amazing Harry Potter vegetables. With a parade of characters, including a parsnip dressed as Professor dumbledore and Harry the butternut squash, the creativity of the girls shone through.

WorLd Book dAY

SphErES: thE world prEmIErCIty artS CIty artS

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joInt SprIng ConCErt wIth ClS

on Tuesday 21st March, we had a wonderful Joint Concert with City of London School. The girls and boys had worked very hard over the term to prepare the challenging repertoire of vierne’s Messe Sollenelle and Saint-Saëns’ Third Symphony. What made the venture so special was the inclusion

of Aine kennedy, Year 13 and organ scholar at St. Giles’, who was the organist for the symphony.Congratulations to all involved for a fantastic concert.

Dr Steven Berryman, Director of Music

In March, the Drama Department presented the world premier of SPHERES, a play written by Joyce Lee, who attended City from 1999 to 2006, and directed by Steve Morley, Director of Drama.

Having loved studying drama while being a student myself at CLSG, I was so honoured and grateful to be invited back to school to write a play for the Sixth Form drama Scholars. Mr Morley was encouraging and open-minded about the project and, inspired by his past work with Amnesty International, we lighted on the topic of abortion and miscarriage.

Even though it is a sensitive and challenging topic, drama Scholars, ruby Ashbourne Serkis and Elspeth Wilson, embarked on a series of workshops with me to interrogate the themes and issues of what would become SPHErES. We created a mood board with images, read articles, looked at poems, and carried out a range of improvisations and character building exercises, as well as testing out sections of the script as it was being written! Both Elspeth and ruby threw themselves fearlessly into the exercises, and gradually we found that their characters and the story began to develop. I then went away, armed with what we came up with, and wrote the script.

It was such a privilege to work with two fantastic young actors under the auspices of Mr Morley’s drama department. I learnt a lot from the experience, relishing the chance to experiment with ways of developing new plays, as well as having a lot of fun and I hope that the students did too.

Seeing the finished production of SPHErES in the Black Box earlier this year was amazing, brought to life with the support of Nina Jurkovic as Stage

Manager, the backdrop of Andy Hill’s impressive lighting, and Mr Morley’s masterful direction.

Following the success of the project this year, Mr Morley and I are hoping to run another one next academic year, to develop a new play for another set of young actors, this time about ‘War and Conflict’. It will be another challenge, but if there are any CLSG actors wanting to take part do get in touch. Joyce Lee, Playwright and former CLSG student

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Pardis Ajala, Year 7, competed in the Senior Prizewinners Finale at the drama Section of the Watford Festival of Music, Speech and drama in March. Not only did Pardis win her own section, but she was also crowned overall winner of the entire drama Section (Years 7-13). The Watford Festival is one of the biggest festivals in the Uk and receives over 1,800 entrants each year, so this is a fantastic achievement.

drama wInnEr

our inaugural Joint Chamber Music Concert with the City of London Freemen’s School, held in March, was a real triumph. St. John’s Smith Square was the ideal venue, and for many of the performers it was their first time performing there.

Miss Helen Cox put together a varied programme of items bringing chamber groups from the two schools alongside joint items (a cello ensemble, brass ensemble and string orchestra). There were some notable highlights including the Trout Quintet, some Borodin and a dynamic performance of Piazzolla. It was enjoyed by all and we hope this to become a new tradition in the music calendar.

mUSIC ConCErt wIth ClfS We were treated to a fantastic and ambitious

Leavers’ Concert by Year 13 Musicians on Thursday 4 May. It was truly remarkable to hear four concerto movements in one concert prepared with such care and maturity. The other soloists were also excellent and the audience loved the Swing Band providing lively entertainment before and during the interval, and the Jazz Band starting the evening off with energy. The finale of Year 13 singing ‘Thank you for the Music’ was fitting and beautifully sung.

Everyone in the Music department will miss the Year 13s immensely, and we look forward to hearing about their future musical endeavours as they move on from City.

LEAvErS’ CoNCErT

SPHErES cast: ruby Ashbourne Serkis & Elspeth Wilson, Year 13

Joyce Lee, 3rd from left

VCM Young Leaders at CLSGSeptember 2017 to February 2018Suitable for any student in Year 9 or above, who is keen to work on their leading skills.

GSMD Audiences Project at CLSGSeptember to December 2017A fantastic way for students to develop an understanding of how to put a concert together, whilst gaining a deeper understanding of chamber music.

String Orchestra Workshop at CLSG15 September 2017For advanced players of Grade 6+, from any City School. The workshop will end with an informal performance.

The Schubert Ensemble Performance & Talk at CLSG2 November 2017Ideal for older students but any age are welcome to attend. There is no charge for tickets.

LSO Orchestral Day at CLSG28 April 2018For Years 6 and 7 students from City Schools (Grade 2/3+)

For more information and to register for a place, email karen Brown: brownk@clsg.org.uk

over the past year we have seen an increased interest in learning the organ by City girls. We are fortunate to be next door to St. Giles’ Cripplegate, where the director of Music Anne Marsden Thomas, MBE is internationally renowned for her education work, most notably in founding an organ School that is now part of the royal College of organists. Currently four girls are learning the organ at City, and most notable is Aine kennedy in Year 13 who is the first City girl to be awarded an organ Scholarship (to keble College, oxford) for September 2017.

Aine has been learning the organ since Year 7. despite the busy life of a City girl, Aine achieved distinctions for every exam, and is currently organ Scholar at St. Giles’ Cripplegate. City has a strong musical tradition and many girls have gone on to forge professional music careers, including more recently raphaela Papadakis, the soprano. When asked why she plays the organ, Aine said: “I really like playing at St. Giles’, and playing music that fits into a service and has a clear purpose. It is satisfying, being part of the drama of the service. Also understanding the motivation behind the music and its history.”

on learning the organ, Anne says the reason the organ attracts academically bright students is because of “the discipline that learning the organ requires – a good number of professional conductors have been organ scholars at universities. As well as playing the organ, so many skills are involved: managing the choir, the clergy team, tours. There are six centuries of repertoire for the organ, much more than other instruments as well as the possibility of playing orchestral transcriptions”.

to encourage girls to consider the organ, and to facilitate the ability to practise, the Larkin Trust kindly supported the acquisition of a practice organ for the Music department. The organ, from viscount organs, who also supply instruments to the Guildhall, replicates the physical layout of a church organ to ensure practice can be meaningful for students. The Larkin Trust was started as the result of an American student, who visited Anne Marsden Thomas for lessons and left a legacy to the organ School, and this legacy was used to start the trust that would promote organ learning. St. Giles’ also boasts two instruments so girls who learn at City have access to these unique instruments, and the chance to learn with Anne.

We have an ongoing relationship with St. Giles’ with our regular lunchtime concert series and Carol Services. It has been a centre for organ education since 1992 when Anne founded The International organ School, and it continues to be the headquarters of an extraordinary summer school that regularly attracts over seventy organists, and uses some twenty organs in the City of London. More information can be found at www.rco.org.uk

There are bursaries available to support tuition and girls should not be dissuaded from learning by cost. In the first instance, they should speak to dr Berryman if they are interested in a taster lesson.

Dr Steven Berryman, Director of Music

CIty pUllS oUt all thE StopSCIty artS CIty artS

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once again, House Music raised the roof on the last day of Spring Term. We were treated to a spectrum of delights from talented musicians across all four houses. repertoire was varied and ensemble performances ranged from Tudor’s Skyfall to Ward’s atmospheric performance of Moon river for strings and clarinets. House of the rising Sun was arranged by a student for the St Bride ensemble and Fleet performed a sophisticated Cry Me a river.

vocal ensembles were polished and showcased the excellent singing at City. Glee-inspired arrangements included Tudor’s rendition of Birdy, Beyonce’s End of Time from Fleet, a barbershop rendition of Blue Moon from Ward with a fantastic medley from St Bride that really brought the ‘house’ down!

A virtuosic range of soloists included a flute solo from Jemima Currie and an expressive performance by Fiore o’Sullivan on cello. Shan Tan-Ya wowed with a virtuosic Ballad by Brahms for Ward with Cristina Prieto, Year 7, taking the soloist prize for her sparky piano solo, Spanish dance by Granados. The House Songs involved all students with a rather more subdued choreography this year. different decades were represented, from the 1990s Spice Girls’ hit, Wannabe, Beiber’s Baby, Can’t Stop this Feeling by Justin Timberlake and The Bare Necessities from The Jungle Book, bringing the musical items from each house to a rousing end!

Ward were worthy winners, with points spread evenly across all houses. Well done to Anna Wheeler and Lara Johnson-Perkins for putting this together for Ward.

Una Murphy, Music Teacher & Head of Tudor House

Follow @CLSGmusic on Twitter to stay up to date with music news.

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Aine kennedy, Year 13, plays our new practice organ

Emilie Pelling, Year 8, takes an organ lesson with Anne Marsden Thomas, MBE

hoUSE mUSIC 2017

CIty SChoolS mUSIC opportUnItIES

YEAr 8 TrIP To BArCELoNA

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In mid-March, approximately 55 of us went on a four day trip to Barcelona. This trip was filled with exciting outings which displayed the incredible architecture found in the city. We learnt a lot about the culture and the history of Barcelona (some of it in Spanish). The trip was a great opportunity for us to practise our Spanish skills and to test the extent of our understanding.

La Boqueria was a wonderful start to our trip. We explored the small but packed market, buying different foods as we went along. We were also given the task of noting down new food vocabulary. one of the most memorable visits we made in Barcelona was La Sagrada Familia, a beautiful roman Catholic church originally designed by antoni gaudí in 1882, and still under construction today. The exterior of the church was covered in detailed carvings related to Jesus and the Bible. We were given audio guides for further information about La Sagrada Familia, before freely touring the building. The ceilings are arched and high, giving the sense of being in a much larger space than in reality, and the columns supporting the ceiling are shaped like trees, with branches extending from the trunks near the top. All of this resulted in a natural atmosphere, and the intricate, rainbow coloured stained glass windows gave an impression that we were in a different world. La Sagrada Familia was definitely a favourite to many of us.

We visited Casa Mila on the third day. Casa Mila, or La Pedrera, is another one of Gaudí’s designs, this building also clearly demonstrates Gaudí’s unique styles of architecture. This building was constructed as a small apartment building, with few elevators to encourage neighbours to greet each other on the stairs, however now it has become a museum. The highlight of this visit was walking on the roof, which was devised to be the main feature of the building. Intricate, curved and colourful sculptures were cleverly constructed covering the antennas

and chimneys on the rooftop. We were given an audio tour of Casa Mila, before being granted time to take pictures on the roof. In the afternoon of day three we had a two hour tour in the older area of Barcelona, which was almost completely in Spanish. This put our Spanish understanding to the test and was quite challenging, however we found ourselves surprised by how much we understood.

on day four we went to Parc Guël. It was, like La Sagrada Familia and Casa Mila, designed by Gaudí. This was the final attraction we explored before leaving Barcelona, and was certainly impressive. It was a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the amazing weather and experience the beauty and structure of the park. This was not a guided tour, so allowed us to travel in small groups more freely, and chat about the colours and architecture in the park.

overall, the Barcelona trip was a unique and fascinating experience, which we enjoyed immensely. It was very educational and we really feel as if our Spanish has improved. By talking to native Spanish speakers, our understanding of the language and the culture developed greatly.

Kayla Spurlock, Year 8

from 2nd to 9th march, our year 10 german students hosted their German exchange partners from the Auguste viktoria Gymnasium in Trier. They welcomed 21 students, who made the most of London whilst they were here, visiting Camden, the Natural History Museum and Buckingham Palace. The group also took a day trip to Greenwich, where they enjoyed a show at the Planetarium.

Year 10 student Anoushka Maru said: “on 2nd March we met our German exchanges who were going to stay with us for the next week. It was a really exciting

experience and we visited many sites together. The German girls were able to experience typical British life and I think they thoroughly enjoyed the trips they went on.

“At the weekend I was able to show my exchange partner many other places in London and she also met my big Indian family! For me it was a good experience as I got to know my exchange really well so when we visit Germany in June, which we are all looking forward to, the whole trip will be even more enjoyable.”

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trIpS trIpS

yEar 10 gErman ExChangE

on 31st April, 22 keen CLSG French GCSE students finally departed on the much anticipated Antibes trip to the South of France. After a short flight and coach journey we all left with our host families to travel to where we’d be staying for the rest of the week. For many, the locations were very practical being located about 10-15 minutes from the school, and close to the main square, Place de Gaulle, giving us an ideal central location in Antibes.

our first full day was spent in Monaco, at the Musée océanographique. We also passed by the palace of Prince Albert and saw the changing of the guard ceremony. on every morning of our trip, we had four hours of French lessons - and needless to say we had all learnt a lot by the end of our week. We also had the chance to develop our oral skills by talking to our host families in French and the teachers who encouraged us to converse only in French. I found it very useful to be able to practise the structures we’d learnt in such depth and having to explain everything in French helped my fluency and I definitely think my speaking skills have improved.

Luckily for us, it wasn’t all school and learning though! our animatrice Lucie took us to the Picasso museum, the museum of modern art (le MAMAC) and the villa Ephrussi.

Thank you very much to Madame Campos for organising such an amazing trip for the Year 10 French students, we all really enjoyed it.

Zoe Balroop, Year 10

GCSE FrENCH TrIP To ANTIBES

on the Saturday of half term, I travelled to Southampton to participate in a sailing training voyage with the rona Sailing Project, one of the oldest Sail training organisations in the Uk, which is almost entirely volunteer based. They have helped more than 20,000 people learn how to sail, with the aim of helping young people acquire the attributes of a seaman/woman: a sense of responsibility, resourcefulness and teamwork.

The Guild of Scholars offered City students funding for a full scholarship and I was very fortunate to secure a place. despite not knowing quite what to expect and having no previous experience of sailing larger yachts, I was quickly made to feel welcome and given a tour of ‘Merrilyn’, my home for the next few days. What struck me first was the extraordinary layout of the boat. Food was packed into every available space and anything that looked like a seat was in fact a cupboard in disguise. I put my bag on my bunk - which was literally a shelf with a thick blanket but actually surprisingly comfortable - and after a briefing, the crew got split into teams, called ‘watches’ and got to work learning the ropes.

Throughout the week we sailed to various ports including Portsmouth, Weymouth (where I slipped whilst tying up and had an unwelcome swim in Weymouth harbour), Poole, and harbours in the Isle of Wight. At any stage of the day there was always one ‘watch’ on deck sailing and one down in the galley cooking and cleaning. This amounted to an incredibly efficient team effort and throughout the voyage we had wholesome and plentiful food. one evening we did a night sail from Weymouth to the Isle of Wight and passed the Needles just as the sun was setting. It was truly an incredible part of the trip to be surrounded by the pink sky and calm sea, in complete isolation apart from us 12. It wasn’t just sailing, there were social events organised and a few challenges too, for example when I was hoisted up the mast for the egg drop competition (ours survived) and we got lots of free time in the ports which we spent playing beach volleyball, shopping and using proper flushing toilets.

Some of the most memorable moments were the sailing, especially when there were big waves and you could hear the odd yell from the galley as the pots and pans slid around, the barbecue on Weymouth beach, the visit to Cowes Yacht club and lying on the deck sunbathing during the day and gazing up at the stars in the evening. I came home able to cook, clean and wash up flawlessly - much to the delight of my family, but more importantly learnt valuable life lessons which I will use again and again in the future.

At the end of the five days I was thrilled to learn that I had received the ‘Scott’ award from the Project and also been awarded my ‘Competent Crew’ rYA certificate. I will be returning in the near future to continue racing with the rona Trust, and would eagerly recommend participating in a sailing training voyage to anyone interested.

www.ronasailingproject.org.uk

Fiore O’Sullivan, Year 10

rona SaIlIng projECt

At the start of the spring Easter break, Year 13 students Eileen Maguire, Alice Blaney and rania ramli and I flew to Tallinn, via Helsinki, to visit the British Embassy in Tallinn, Estonia.

We are very fortunate to have a contact with the British Ambassador to Estonia through our Bursar, Mr Alan Bubbear. Mrs Theresa Bubbear took up her post as the British Ambassador to Estonia in September

2016 and does so at an interesting time in Estonia’s history, as next year they celebrate 100 years of independence from russia.

In the week prior to our visit 800 British troops were positioned in Estonia to support the NATo alliance and with Estonia being part of the EU since 2004 – and with the current Uk Brexit negotiations, it was fascinating to see the inside work that happens in a British Embassy. Amongst other activities, the girls summarised the main points from Prime Minister Theresa May’s 14 page letter to the ambassador written on the day Article 50 was signed; worked out the seating plan for a diplomatic dinner; visited a high school in Tallinn and spoke to Estonian pupils; attended a lunch of all female diplomats and spent an afternoon walking around the old Town of Tallinn and visiting the Museum of the occupation.

It was three days of culture, history and diplomatic relations that will stay with us all for some time. We are very grateful to Mr Bubbear and his wife, Theresa, for their time and generosity.

Heather Lambert, English Teacher & Second in Department

right before the Easter Holidays, the Year 10 Chinese students flew from London to Frankfurt and finally to Beijing. our trip to the capital of China lasted eight days and I’m sure everyone can agree it was a lot of fun.

on arrival at Beijing Capital Airport, we were taken on a guided walk through one of Beijing’s hutong areas – Beijing’s traditional alleyways, filled with the hustle and bustle of everyday life. on the second day we took a calligraphy lesson from a master painter, before heading to Lama Temple, one of Beijing’s most influential Buddhist sites.

over the course of the trip, our guide took us to visit more of the capital’s tourist sights: the Forbidden City, the Summer Palace (which was very nice in the hot weather) and the Great Wall of China. Climbing the Great Wall at 5 in the morning meant surprisingly cold weather but we saw a beautiful sunrise. We were also able to wander around the city - its bustling markets being very popular for buying gifts (you are never going to find a cheaper fake bag than here!).

We learned a lot about Chinese culture: from the architecture to the food (we seemed to have

a banquet every day!) and even the schooling system (thank you to our exchange school, TianJin Experimental School). It was also a nice way to learn Chinese if you’re willing to insist a bit with the locals - most do try to speak to you in English. I now know the words for fan, parcel and fire for example.

We all returned home content but tired from our trip. A massive thank you to Ms. xiong and Ms. Garner for organising it!

Zoe Lambert, Year 10

yEar 10 trIp to thE CapItal of ChIna

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vISITING THE BrITISH EMBASSY IN TALLINN

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yEar 10 CIty gIrlS In thE CIty day

margatE art StUdy trIpon Tuesday 25th April, Year 10 art students went on a study trip to Margate. The visit revolved mainly around the Turner Contemporary Art Gallery on the seafront, which is devoted to showing the links between the historical works of JMW Turner and contemporary artists. It is located on the very spot he would have stayed when studying and painting the famous Margate seascapes.

We visited an exhibition named ‘entangled’ (contemporary textile art) from which we made on-the-spot drawings which we will continue to develop throughout the year. We also had time to look around and record the town and the beach, making paintings and drawings. There were a few other ‘hidden gems’ that a few of us found, such as the shell grotto (an underground cave area where the walls were covered in shells). Lots of us

made it to the beach to paint some watercolours of the landscape. This was an inspiring trip which will continue to influence our work throughout the rest of the year.

Violet Savage, Year 10

On Wednesday 15th March, Year 10 went out to explore various careers and different working environments within the City. Students were given five different options; Banking, Technology, Publishing, Law and the Arts. Many thanks to everyone who helped us to organise the day, with special mention to those who hosted students; Anthony Roberts, Jo Rickards, Alex Knight, Emma McAvinchey-Roberts, Jenny Noon, Anna Perera, and Joanna Tran. A huge amount of thought and effort was put into making it a memorable experience.

A dAY IN PUBLISHING

our day started bright and early in the rather impressive Time Publishing Building in Southwark, right next door to the Tate Modern. After only a few people got lost on the way there, we were able to make our way into the building (which I must admit had higher ceilings than it knew what to do with) for a talk with some important members of Time Publishing about their stories and technology in the world of magazines and such, which was very fascinating to hear. We then got a tour of the building, going up to the roofs to look out over London and seeing the Fashion Closet, which had all of the clothes for upcoming photo shoots in it.

After a lovely tea and walk by St. Paul’s to get back to school, Anna Perera, author of Guantanamo Boy, gave us an interesting and inspiring talk on what made her write her highly controversial book. We did a short course on screen writing, and it is entirely plausible we will never look at a film the same way again! We learned lots about what really goes on in the world of publishing now, and all the thought and effort that goes into getting a book published or magazine up and running. It was a great day and who knows, maybe some of us will go into publishing.

Amanda Bullock

A dAY IN BANkING

We arrived at Blackrock and were pleasantly surprised by the large office building. After the introduction, where they promised to change our rather set views of banking, we were bribed with cookies, tea, doughnuts in an attempt to persuade us the banking life wasn’t all dull. It was a great start to a day and we learnt about different types of banking, from small scale retail banking to asset managers like those at Blackrock, and as the day progressed slowly realised how important Blackrock is as a firm in the world of finance. We played a game to demonstrate how investment banking works and surprisingly every student team managed to beat the teachers!

After lunch we went to visit the Bank of England Museum, where we were taught about what they do at the Bank of England: controlling inflation rates by aiming for the 2% target set by the Chancellor and controlling the amount of money in circulation. We also learned a little bit about the head, Mark Carney, and gained substantial knowledge on how our money is produced and why the design of our notes are constantly being renewed. Following a short video on inflation and deflation and their effects on our economy, we were given quiz sheets to fill in as we looked around the museum itself. Being City girls, we strived for top marks in order to collect our prize: a Bank of England pen. We also got to attempt to lift a gold bar which was on display, however actually raising it proved to be quite a challenge.

By the end of the day we had learnt some useful tips regarding Spring Week in university, and for those of us who weren’t considering banking as a career before, it definitely interested us, meaning we can’t rule banking out as a career.

Zoë Balroop

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a day In tEChnology

our day was spent listening to the personal career journeys and job requirements of some of the workers at Unruly, a video advertising technology company. Like City, the company is based on three main values: Inspiring Change, delivering Well and Sharing The Love - all three were clearly seen throughout the day. one thing that stood out for me, was how everyone at the company looked genuinely happy doing what they enjoyed. There was a vibrant feel throughout the offices.

It was interesting to learn that most people at the company have little to no ‘typical’ technology qualifications, but in fact have degrees in areas such as history and psychology! After our talks with various company representatives, we were given a tour of the building and discovered some amazing rooms, including Star wars themed meeting rooms, a Nerf Gun wall and a room filled with fake snow!

The trip was an amazing experience, giving us insight into what a future career in technology looks like. A special ‘thank you’ to Miss Boll, Miss Pym and the careers department for organising the day!

Lola Adegbesan

a day In law

First on the agenda was a visit to Mishcon de reya, the law firm which handled Princess diana’s divorce. We were shown around the very luxurious offices and three lawyers spoke about their jobs in the different areas of law, namely: family disputes, financial fraud and how investigations sometimes involve bugging cars and buildings - much to our excitement! After these inspiring introductions, we walked to The old Bailey which is the central criminal court of England and Wales.

We were given a tour by the head of security, who had many amusing (and terrifying) stories to share. Passing stern-looking people in grey wigs really set the atmosphere, and as we tiptoed into a murder trial everyone was looking extremely nervous. Upon entry, we were directed to the public stand where we had a fantastic view of a modern day courtroom. We heard two witnesses speak and two barristers question them, and it was interesting to hear the tactics they used to get as much information as possible. To the dismay of the group, we didn’t hear the alleged murderer speak, but we could see her at the back of the room behind a glass screen.

In the afternoon, we visited another law firm called Hill dickinson. We were given inspirational talks by several barristers and solicitors, working in areas such as marine insurance and healthcare. We also heard two trainees speak about their experiences and had the opportunity to ask questions. All in all it was a fantastic and motivating day, and I speak for all of us when I say an enormous thanks to the staff involved and Mr Leaker and Ms Garner for taking us.

Fiore O’Sullivan

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prEp pUpIlS aChIEvE oUtStandIng lamda ExamInatIon rESUltS

on 29th March, Upper one visited the Bank of England with Mrs Hall, Mrs Latimer and Mrs Leek. After a 20 minute walk, we arrived at the Bank. It was so beautiful, there were sculptures dotted all around the walls. It was totally amazing!

As we walked in, everyone had to get security checked. After, we were given some fun activity packs and were allowed to partner up, so I partnered up with my friend Alice. Soon we started wandering around the grand museum and answering the questions in the activity pack.

The activity pack was like a map to finding all the fun things in the Bank of England, like trying to hold a bar of gold that weighed 13kg and playing games. All of us learnt something new: that the value of gold changes every day! Upper one also found out that the Bank of England wasn’t originally built in Threadneedle Street. We also found out that there are many protections on notes including holograms, raised prints, watermarks, and lots more!

Flavia Berendsen, Upper One

An article in The Sunday Times (07/05/17) highlighted the benefits of learning and performing poetry. Supported by Amanda Spielman, HM Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills, poetry is seen as a key element of cultural knowledge that pupils should have in order to be successful.

At CLSG we have been performing and presenting poetry for a number of years, continuing to gain outstanding results in the examinations conducted by the London Academy of Museum and dramatic

Art; the latest batch is no exception.

Lower Two pupils have achieved a 100% Pass rate with 87% gaining distinction and 13% Merit. What is even more remarkable, and in keeping with past results, this has been happened through the pupils’ commitment and hard work during their break times and for homework. We offer them our congratulations and a big well done.

Matthew Breslin, Prep Teacher

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UPPEr oNE vISIT THE BANk oF ENGLANd

vISIt to Chatham hIStorIC doCkyardIn May, Lower Two pupils signed up for an overnight adventure on the high seas. The group visited Chatham Historic Dockyard, where they had the opportunity to take a tour of a submarine and several ships before spending the night on board HMS Cavalier.

HMS Cavalier is a surface ship, made in 1944. Sincethe men were all at war, women made HMS Cavalier. It took the men 3-4 years to build a ship, but it only took the women 18 months to build HMS Cavalier. At the top of the ship is all of the navigational equipment. The wheel is not at the top but in an armoured room downstairs with no windows. The captain would shout down the directions for the person steering the ship through talking pipes. Talking pipes were very handy because if you were in a room and you needed to talk to a friend who was in a faraway room, you could talk through the pipes.

If the captain needed more sailors on board, he and the officers would go around town looking for drunk people in the pubs or homeless people asleep on the ground. They would pick them up and put them in a wheelbarrow, then wheel them back to the ship. When they woke up, they found themselves on a bunk bed and dressed in sailors’ suits!

Staying on the HMS Cavalier was really fun and we enjoyed it a lot.

Pippy Pritchard, Lower Two

whEn U2 wErE In ChargE: mathS dayon Friday 5th May, Prep had a brilliant Maths day run by Upper Two. There were lots of activities, including: maths maze, potion making, musical hoops and even icing making.

We were split into groups of nine girls with a teacher working with every group. The teachers didn’t teach us on this special day as it was the turn of the oldest class in Prep to teach. In the maths maze activity we had a paper car that we moved around a maze by answering complicated maths and logic questions. If we got the answer wrong then we would go the incorrect way, but the Upper Twos didn’t tell us if we were on the right route!

The theme of the potion making was Harry Potter. Each group in the class made a different solution. We worked out calculations for what ingredient we had to use. Afterwards we played mental maths games on the low grass.

Later, we did musical hoops, when the Upper Twos played music and we danced around the hoops.

When they called out a BodMAS calculation, we had to stand in the hoop without the correct answer. We also played a maths mystery where we had to solve who committed a crime. We also used our knowledge of ratio and proportion to make icing for cupcakes. It was a really fun day and we learnt lots. Thank you Upper Two for working so hard to make the day a success!

Raiza Wali & Matilda Zanollo, Upper One

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on Tuesday 21st March, Upper Two went on a trip to the royal Ballet at the royal opera House to see a matinee performance of two ballets. After The rain was an abstract piece, displaying passionate love, and Flight Pattern was slightly more structured piece depicting one of the largest problems the world faces today: migration.

We left for Covent Garden at eleven o’clock, accompanied by Miss Yuen, Mrs Hall, Mrs Leek and some of our classmates’ parents who kindly volunteered to join us. We ate packed lunches in Covent Garden, which allowed us to get a good idea of the setting of this year’s Prep opera, olivia. When we had finished our lunch, we walked to the royal opera House.

The theatre was absolutely gorgeous and most of us were quite shocked when we first saw it because

of the amount of gold leaf there was, adorning everything.

After The rain was the first ballet we saw and it was just incredible. All of the dancers were so talented and made the performance look effortless. The music was fabulous and really suited the mood of the performance. After an brief interval, we saw Flight Pattern which was a complete contrast to the ballet we had seen previously. It was dark and eerie but also amazingly powerful and interesting. This was my personal favourite out of the two because it really showcased the dancers as a whole group rather than just one or two dancers on their own.

We had a great time and I would certainly be tempted to go back one day.

Macy Merrens, Upper Two

Thursday 27th May saw the entire Prep department swarm the Guildhall Art Gallery in the fourth annual CLSG Prep Takeover day, our third at the GAG. The Prep girls were full of energy as they gave tours of the galleries, lectured on victorian art works, performed poems in the WW1 exhibition and presented world premieres of their own Latin plays against the backdrop of the roman amphitheatre.

The girls represented the school with aplomb and many of the visitors, including Mrs Harrop and some of our school Governors, commented on their knowledge, enthusiasm and exemplary manners on the day. I would like to thank the Prep team, especially Mr Breslin, for making this year’s Takeover an extraordinary experience for all involved. In 2018, the Prep department will takeover the Charterhouse for the first time and I am reliably informed that this will be another Prep event not to be missed!

Laura Hall, Acting Head of Prep

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BALLET AT THE roYAL oPErA HoUSE

on 29th March, Prep enjoyed their annual Easter egg hunt on High Grass at lunch. Each class had their own hunt, which started with instructions from the Easter bunny (who shall remain anonymous!) who told them they had five minutes to find one hundred eggs. Cue frantic running around on High grass!

The winners were Upper Two, who found all one hundred eggs in 3 minutes and 14 seconds. An outstanding achievement. The eggs were then divided up equally between the girls (and staff). Many thanks to the Prep Friends and the Easter bunny for organising this lovely event.

Charlotte Luddington, Preparatory Teacher

EaStEr Egg hUnt

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CIty Sport CIty Sport

natIonal gymnaStICS fInalS: CIty aChIEvES top 6 poSItIonS In EvEry natIonal CatEgory!

The Gymnastics Calendar comprises three opportunities to qualify for National School Finals. The British Schools Gymnastics Association host the ‘Milano trio’, the ‘Floor and vault Team Championships’ and the ‘Acrobatics and Tumbling Championships’. All three events are held as regional qualifiers, with the winning school from each region, including Scotland and Northern Ireland, qualifying to represent at National Finals.

For the first year ever, City qualified for the National Final in both the U13 and U16 Milano trio competition. The scores from three gymnasts competing on floor, vault and a group sequence are combined to give a team total. The National Final for this competition took place on 10th and 11th March. The U16 team ended in 2nd place overall for vault and 6th place for floor out of the 30 teams competing, but a minor fall in their group balance meant that they missed out on placing when all the scores were combined.

The U13 girls performed with style and flair. They were lying in 2nd position after the floor and vault scores were added together, meaning that their group sequence would determine their overall placing. A flawless group routine resulted in them moving up to 1st position and the U13 girls finished as National Champions. Their scores are then added to the 2nd qualifying school from London to give an overall total for the region. Great strength in both teams meant that the london region were also crowned gold

medallists. Congratulations to Eva Poliakova, Ana rogriguez – Algaba, Emily Hall and Giulia Laghezza.

The National Finals for the Floor and vault and Acrobatics Championships took place on 6th and 7th May. on the Saturday, a team of 6 six girls performed a group sequence. The routine was judged on the synchronisation, originality, artistry and execution. The team performed with great energy and timing. They ended in 5th position, only 0.15 from the bronze medal. Congratulations to Tabby Stoecker, Clara Salinas Mees, rosie Neaman, Catrin Morris, daisy Lancaster and Eva Poliakova. on the Sunday, the team competed in the floor and vault category. Five gymnasts performed an individual floor routine and vault and their scores were combined to give a team total. The girls represented the London region in the U19 category, which meant they were competing against girls up to seven years older! The team of Tabby Stoecker, daisy Lancaster, Eva Poliakova, Emily Hall and Catrin Morris managed to hold their nerves to execute some near perfect vaults and, after some composed floor routines, finished in 6th position. This means that City are now in the top six in the country for all three National categories. Congratulations to all the gymnasts.

Katie Khosla, PE Teacher

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o The Summer Term marks the start of a new year of house events at CLSG, when Tudor, St Bride, Ward and Fleet will compete in a range of events to become the top scoring house. The calendar of events started with the House Marathon, held on the high grass area, on 26th April.

There were some great runs from both girls and staff. The fastest mile by a student was run by Annie Thomas in 5.49. Between Mr Leaker and Mr Bateup there was a much closer run competition, with both clocking 5.55. Fantastic running!The final results of the day were:

4th: Tudor3rd: Ward2nd: Fleet1st: St. Bride

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CIty Sport CIty Sport

gIrlS lEad thE fIEld

on Thursday 27th April, ten Year 9 students went to Loughborough University for a day of leadership activities and inspirational talks. After taking the train from St Pancras and a short bus ride from Loughborough station, we arrived at the campus and our teachers gave us a mini tour and told us about their own experiences of studying there. We then headed to the main building where we were greeted by the youth sports trust who gave a few talks and then one of the first women to cross the Atlantic rowing the wrong way, Alex Holt, told us her story and how she used sport to boost her confidence. After seeing how tough it was for her and her crew I think we all left feeling very inspired.

Following this, we were split into groups and were assigned an athlete-mentor. Personally, our leaders were olympic medallist Heather Fell, and European Champion Gillian Mara. They explained their stories and all the challenges they faced to achieve what they did. We received a booklet that our mentors went through with us and we learnt all about what

skills were needed to be a great leader and then assessed ourselves to see how we could gain confidence personally to lead a team better.

After a short break we played some team communication games and then joined the rest of our friends for lunch. We were then set the challenge of creating an event for 100+ kids to encourage them to use sport to enjoy other things and gain confidence as a leader. We decided on the best idea, made a few changes and polished a presentation for judges that were coming round. We presented and then had to run back to the station to catch the train.

overall it was a great day and we really enjoyed everything, especially getting to see the university. It was a great opportunity to see how sport can feed into everything else in life and to really learn about confidence and the keys to leading a great team.

Connie Bellas and Caitlin Carlos, Year 10

We are delighted to report that Year 13 student Tin-Tin Ho is now ranked England’s number 1 Senior Women’s Table Tennis player.

This is an amazing achievement, particularly as Tin-Tin has been studying for her A Level examinations in between competitions and training. Tin-Tin also retains her ranking as the number 1 Under 21 woman in the country.

CongratUlatIonS to ENGLANd No.1 TABLE tEnnIS playEr, tIn-tIn

hImaaya IS mIddlESEx CoUnty Champ

Prep House Swimming took place on Monday 15th May. The girls demonstrated an exceptionally high standard of swimming and house spirit throughout the event.

Congratulations to all of the girls who swam and well done to St Bride for being this year’s House Swimming champions! yEar 34th place: Fleet (17 points)3rd place: Ward (27 points)Joint 1st Tudor & St Bride (28 points)

yEar 44th place: Tudor (17 points)3rd place: Fleet (18 points)2nd place: Ward (27 points)1st place: St Bride (39 points)

yEar 54th place: Ward (15 points)3rd place: Tudor (23 points)2nd place: St Bride (28 points)1st place: Fleet (34 points)yEar 64th place: Tudor (18 points)3rd place: St Bride (21 points)2nd place: Ward (27 points)1st place: Fleet (34 points)

SQUadron rESUltS4th place: Ward3rd place: St Bride2nd place: Fleet 1st place: Tudor

Combining the squadron results with the overall year group results, the final results were as follows.

4th place: Ward (100 points)3rd place: Tudor (102 points)2nd place: Fleet (115 points)1st place: St Bride (124 points)

Caitlin Harrison, PE Teacher

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Congratulations to Himaaya Peiris, Year 8, who won the Middlesex County Archery Championships, held at Brunel University in May.

Himaaya won the Junior Lady recurve category with a score of 1144 (almost 300 points more than her closest competitior). Her team went on to finish as the top Junior Bristol Team and Himaaya was also the highest junior scorer of the whole competition.

Himaaya was presented with the ryder dickinson Trophy, for the fifth time running, a cup for highest junior girl and a gold medal!

ST GILES’ TErrACEBArBICANlondonEC2Y 8BB

CLSG.orG.Uk

ISSUE 60 | SUmmEr 2017

LIFECItyEdited by Sam robson Photography by Ben Campbell-White