The Sionian is now produced in digital-only format for you to print off as a pdf document, or just read it on our brand new website as a ‘flip-book’!

Page 2 If you are doing (or have done) something AMAZING, tell The Sionian!

Whole School Photo

Many families will have ordered copies of the whole school photo, which was taken in early October on what proved to be a lovely day of ‘Indian Summer’ weather.

Turn to page 26 to find out how it all came together… Meanwhile, our front cover shows some of the Junior School stars of the show - and here are a few more!

The Sionian is undergoing a transformation! In our increasingly high-tech, digital age, we strive to become more streamlined in our communications. Plus, moving away from ‘hard copy’ is more environmentally friendly and also keeps costs to a minimum. That aside, our determination to provide a termly snapshot of all that is best at Sion remains undiminished!

We hope parents agree with this view and we welcome any feedback… see the contact e-mail address on the bottom of page 3.

A New School Year...

It’s always a challenge starting school and so we asked Year 7 pupils to sum up the experience of the first term in their own words…

Alex Brazier: “I’m enjoying Sion, but it’s a lot bigger than my old school and it took me a while to get used to it.”

Daisy Edmonds: “I love it here. I‘ve made loads of friends and lessons are really fun, too!”

Jason Handley: “I liked the Junior School, but the Senior School is even better!”

Tom Herbert: “Once you get to know everyone, it just becomes fun!”

James Kennard: “I’m really enjoying school. I’ve made lots of new friends and the work isn’t too hard.”

Jack Martin: “It is much harder compared to junior school and there is a lot more homework to do.”

Kristina Moody: “I feel excited at Sion, because it’s a new adventure.”

Leo Nind: “It was scary at first, but as I got to know pupils and teachers better, things have become much more comfortable.”

Indigo Steele: “I felt excited and scared at the same time. At first, the school seemed so big, but every minute since has been great!”

Anna Tuck: “Starting a new school without knowing anyone apart from my brother was difficult, but in the end it’s really nice.”

Welcome to our Christmas edition!

Comment on the Sionian: Sionian@sionschool.org.uk Page 3

Remembrance

The focus of this year’s support for the Royal British Legion’s ‘Poppy Appeal’ was a special assembly to commemorate the 70th anniversary of ‘Operation Market Garden’ - the battle for the bridges across the Rhine and of Arnhem, in particular.

We also became aware of how, every year, Dutch children still lay flowers on the 1,680 graves of the allied soldiers buried in Oosterbeek Cemetery. This powerful and very moving act of remembrance, helps keep alive their memory.

Junior School Sport Pages 4-5

Senior School Sport & D of E Award Pages 6-7

Introducing… Dr. Eleanor Starkey Pages 8-9

Years 1 & 2 Arundel Wetlands Page 10

Year 2 Build A Bear Page 10

Year 4 Visit The Mary Rose Page 11

‘People Who Help Us’ Page 11

The Hallowe’en Disco Pages 12-13

The German Exchange Pages 14-15

Farewell Mrs Starkey!

Pages 16-17

Year 3 at Butser Farm Pages 18-19

Hope Spalding: The Compass Group Page 20

Anna Wheatley at Lourdes Page 21

The Young Enterprise Scheme & ‘Floor Spots’ Page 22

Camelia Botnar Concert Page 23

Geography Trips Feature Page 24

Joshua Davies & Worthing Youth Council Page 25

Whole School Photo (behind the scenes!) Page 26

The Boulogne Trip Page 27

The French Exchange Pages 28-29

Ella Daniels in Ghana Pages 30-31

Talented artist Sarphia Stratford, Year 12, was inspired by this year’s Remembrance theme to produce more striking work, see the back page!

Two pupils in Year 7 took part in the assembly.

Leo Day: “I learned a lot about what happened at Arnhem. It was a very special occasion and I was glad that I volunteered.”

Harleigh Broughton: “I read ‘The Exhortation’. I felt very proud and wanted to take part because my granddad works for the military. He was very proud of me, too.”

Junior School Sport

Page 4 “A trophy carries dust. Memories last forever.” (Mary-Lou Retton)

Year 5 and 6 Netball

Katie Dicker, Year 6: “We played netball against the Towers. We won 7-1. I played GA and GS. I enjoyed playing the match and just having fun with my friends. I thought the team played very well. Although there were a few accidents, overall it was a very exciting match.”

Emily Johnston, Year 6: “We played netball against the Towers. The A team won 7-1 and the B team lost 6-1. I enjoyed it because I like playing and I’m with my friends. I thought that both teams played really well and tried their best. I hope everyone else enjoyed it as much as I did. The other game I enjoyed was when we played against Great Ballard and we won 16-6. I played C and GA. I enjoyed winning and playing with my friends. I thought the team played really well and passed to everyone. I can’t wait to play again!”

Grace Light, Year 5: “On Wednesday 24

th September

the U11 A and B team played against the Towers. I was in the B team and I played WA and WD. The B team lost but we played very well. My next match was on Wednesday 1

st

October.

We played against Great Ballard and it was my first away match. We won and we played very well. I played WA and WD.

On Wednesday 8th October we

played in the Westbourne House tournament. We came 8

th out of 10 schools. We

played really well. We were all very tired after that!”

Cara McCully, Year 6: “I played in 3 netball games so far this term as centre. My favourite one was against the Towers which was at home. It was fun because both the A and B team were playing.”

Sofia Manco, Year 6: “The games I have played were against Towers, Great Ballard, U11 Burgess Hill tournament and U11 Westbourne House tournament.

My favourite matches were at the U11 Westbourne House tournament. We were beaten by most of the other teams but we played our best and tried our hardest. We came 6

th out of

10 schools. I played GA and GS in most of the games.”

Scarlet Margaroli, Year 6: “I loved being in the netball match against Towers. Everyone played so well, I’m really pleased I got to be in the match it was lots of fun.”

Lucy Message, Year 6: “We played against the Towers and the score was 6-1 to them. I played Wing Defence I enjoyed playing in the match and, of course, I also enjoyed the food at the end!”

Junior School pupils have enjoyed another busy term of sports’ fixtures, clubs and practices. Here is a snapshot of some of their thoughts and experiences.

Junior School Sport

“The more difficult the victory, the greater the happiness in winning.” (Pele) Page 5

Henry Nevill, Year 5: “I thought the team played really well against Windlesham House. I scored 7 goals and I was proud of the team. When we played Shoreham the team played brilliantly I thought Oscar was amazing in goal.”

Max Weber, Year 5: “When we played against Windlesham the first half was hard because Windlesham were 2-0 up. At the beginning of the 2

nd half

Sahil scored, his second goal was amazing! We then scored 4 more goals. I too had chances but didn’t succeed. I played midfield. Overall we did much better against Windlesham than against Shoreham.”

Zach Huzinga, Year 6: “Our first match of the season was on 24

th September. The B team

were quite nervous but we played very well against Windlesham. We won 6-3 with Sahil scoring the majority of the goals and me helping in midfield. For the first match of the season we worked well as a team. Next time we look to improve even more.”

Guy Mimpriss, Year 6: “On the 24

th September I played in

my first match against Windlesham Brighton. This match was really good as we won 6-3. I played as midfield in the 2

nd half. It was a good

game because we played very well as a team.”

Year 5 and 6 Football

Sahil Ahmad, Year 5: “We played our first game of the season against Windlesham School . It was a home game and I was striker for the B team. I enjoyed the chances we had to score goals. I scored 4 of the goals. Isaac was in goal and he made some good saves. I think we played very well against the opposition and we can still improve further.”

George Dagg, Year 6: “I played right midfield. I enjoyed the competition that we were up against and the game it generated. The team played very well towards the end to level the score. Henry scored 7 and I scored 3 in our 11-10 defeat.”

Rohan Diwakar, Year 6: “Our first match against Windlesham Brighton was my favourite match because it was such a close game. Although we lost 11-10 I think we all played very well because we managed to catch up from the half time score of 7-4. In our second match against Shoreham College it was a lot more challenging. I was a defender playing in the A team. I can’t wait until our next match.”

Senior School Sport

Page 6 STOP PRESS: Well done to MR MARSDEN, voted COACH OF THE YEAR

The netballs teams have had a very successful start to the year across all age groups. Despite this being the first time the girls had played together, Year 7 won their first tournament at Steyning Grammar school. Since then the girls have started to compete in the Southern Area Schools League at Durrington and so far remain undefeated!

The Year 8 team took part in the U13 Southern Area Schools netball tournament at Durrington. The girls worked well together in the initial stages of the tournament, resulting in them being winners in their pool and advancing to the final. Despite Durrington proving a very tough opposition, in the final the Sion girls never gave up and were worthy winners. Well done to all girls who played! [photo left]

During the first half term, Year 10 and 11 girls took part in the Schools Southern Area Netball League at Durrington. Over the course of the four weeks the Year 10 team remained undefeated, and the Year 11 team only lost one game. This meant both teams went through to the finals. The Year 11 team faced tough opposition in the semis against Durrington and were not able to win. However, the team picked themselves up and fought back well in the final game, placing them third in the league overall. The Year 10 team never faulted in the final rounds of the league, still keeping up their undefeated record, and were placed first overall. Well done to both teams.

On the basketball court the girls have also played well. The Year 9 and Year 8 teams both competed in the U14 Southern Schools Area League. Despite a shaky start against Angmering school, both teams got better each week, developing their skills

and learning to work together well as a team.

The Year 9 team finished 3rd with only two defeats in the league, and the Year 8 girls were placed 8th.

Well done to both teams for their effort and commitment.

During the first half term the football teams worked hard in the Autumn leagues. The Year 7/8 team played some quality matches against club standard sides and showed improvement across the season. Although wins were challenging to come by, the performances got better game by game.

The final match of the season against Worthing High proved to be the best game of the league. In an exciting, end to end game, the boys didn’t stop running and goals from Max Warner, William Standen and Eddie Kemp-Potter nearly eclipsed those of the opposition. Despite Worthing winning the game, Sion showed their true spirit and never gave up and this sums up the rest of the season. Well done to all the boys.

The Year 8/9 team has also played good football against strong sides. Elliot Collett was the team’s top scorer with Gab Craven close behind.

Sport cont’d...

at the SUSSEX SPORTS AWARDS, after two consecutive years as runner-up! Page 7

The team played matches against SRWA, Shoreham Academy, Steyning, St Andrews and Shoreham College.

Their best match was against Sir Robert Woodard Academy which resulted in a 3-3 draw.

The Sion side had opportunities to go 4-2 up, but a missed penalty allowed the opposition to get back into the game. Harrison Adams and Zac Sefton were excellent in defence, supporting some top class saves from Goal Keeper Ben Hawkes.

The Year 11 football team start their league in February and have played a few training matches against Shoreham College. The first match resulted in a 2-1 win to Shoreham, after Sion conceded a last minute goal.

However, in the return match, Sion worked hard to reverse the score and did just that! Two excellent goals from Charlie Knapman, including a last minute score sealed the Sion victory, winning the fixture 2-1.

Year 7 pupils competed in an intra-school table tennis tournament this term and the winners went through to play in the U12 district tournament. The team included Harleigh Broughton, Laura Stephens, William Standen and Jason Handley.

Sion won three matches, drew two matches and lost one. This placed the team in third place overall. Well done, guys!

Congratulations to top swimmer Oscar Silk (right) in Year 8 who came first in the Sussex Winter County Swimming Championships for his age group. Oscar won four events: 200m freestyle, 200m Breaststroke, 100m Breaststroke and the 200m IM.

D of E Award

The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award embarks on its sixth year since its re-launch at the school.

In the five previous years we have seen 250 pupils start one of the three Awards, Bronze, Silver and Gold, which is a truly remarkable achievement, given the size of the school. Indeed, more than 90% of Year 10s start their Bronze Award. This is more than any other provider in the West Sussex Area.

This year to date, there are 48 pupils who have signed up for Bronze, 10 for the Silver Award and three for Gold so far. The Expeditions for Gold will be provided and completed with the West Sussex Open Centre.

Some of the pupils will have started on their awards by now, working on the Volunteering, Physical and Skill Sections, before starting their training for the Expeditions.

Huge thanks, as always to Mr Marsden for the huge amount of work and preparation that ensures the smooth-running and continued success of this fantastic opportunity.

Introducing… Dr. Eleanor Starkey!

How do you feel about your school days at Sion? “On the whole, I was very happy at Sion and feel I got an excellent education, which are not always two things that go hand in hand. It was a great school where I made a lot of good friends.”

How well do you think Sion prepared you for life after school? “Very well. Crucially, it taught me that I needed to be hard-working in order to earn success.”

Why did you choose to study Medicine? “I enjoyed Science and wanted to do something where I would never be bored and would have a different and new challenge every day, whilst contributing significantly to society.”

Why did you go to Birmingham? “The Medical School made me an offer I could not refuse!”

What was the best thing about university? “Graduation! It was a happy, almost dream-like day, where everyone was celebrating. It was also absolutely boiling in July underneath that gown and mortar-board.”

What was the course like and how difficult was it? “The first two years in particular were extremely hard work. It was approximately A-level content, multiplied by six, per year. I also found it hard to adjust to self-directed learning. However, I loved clinical years and found it much easier to learn - having seen cases of medical conditions in real life with real people, instead of forever reading about them in a textbook.”

Mr & Mrs Starkey’s daughter, Eleanor, recently qualified as a doctor. Eleanor went right through Sion from Year 2 to Year 13, leaving in 2008 on the successful completion of her A-levels.

Dr. Starkey paused to reflect on her school days, why she chose to study medicine and what advice she would offer to anyone at Sion thinking of following in her footsteps.

Meanwhile, thank you very much, Eleanor - best wishes and the very best of luck in your future career!

Page 8 “If the wind will not serve, take to the oars.” (Latin Proverb)

Top tips for any aspiring doctors at Sion!

“If you’re going through hell, keep going!” (Sir Winston Churchill) Page 9

What would be your best advice to any Sion students interested in becoming a doctor? “Be aware that GCSEs matter a lot in applications to Medical Schools. Also, get as much work experience as you can. The whole thing requires a sustained amount of hard work: a marathon rather than sprint.”

What are you doing now? “I am working as a Junior Doctor in my first of two Foundation Years’ training.”

What type of Medicine do you intend to specialise in and what are your future plans? “I have not decided yet. Apart from sheer indecision, I think it essential to work in areas of potential specialisation first, before committing to anything. There are so many different specialties and I want to make the right decision!”

What would be your best advice to Sion students about facing the future? “Try your best in everything you do. Find what you enjoy and work your hardest at it.”

Finally, is a ‘Jaffa Cake’ a cake or a biscuit? [We always ask this question] “A friend actually wrote to the company asking them this very subjective question when we were in Year 8 at Sion. The manufacturers did not respond. This convinces me that they themselves do not know the answer. Neither do I.”

The QUICK-FIRE ROUND:

Flowers or chocolates? “Freesias.”

Favourite film? “Two: ‘A Man for All Seasons’ and ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’.”

Your hero? “I don’t really have a hero/ine. However, there are lots of people I admire, particularly at present the dynamic Head of A+E at a hospital where I have worked.”

Best wishes to everyone at Sion and Happy Christmas!

Junior School News Roundup

Page 10 “One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.” (William Shakespeare)

Years 1 & 2 Arundel Wetlands

Year 2 ‘Build A Bear’

On Thursday 16th

October Year 2 went to ‘Build a Bear’ in Brighton. As part of a geography topic pupils felt it would be nice to have Cookie bear as their holiday bear. This way he could go on holiday with them!

Year 2 were introduced to Marie, the build a bear assistant who explained about Cookie’s ‘birth’!

Everyone had a great time and Cookie spent his first holiday in Egypt with the Miles family!

“What is history, but a fable agreed upon?” (Napoleon) Page 11

Year 4 ‘Mary Rose’ Year 4 visited the Mary Rose Museum on 15th October and had the opportunity to participate in a Tudor gun drill and to handle many replicas of the artefacts belonging to all the members of the crew who perished in 1545. The whole class also dressed up in crew’s costumes!

‘People who Help Us’ As part of their topic ‘People who help us’, Early Years organised a visit from a guide dog called ‘Vinnie’. Pupils learnt about what guide dogs do and who they help, which was very interesting.

There was also a visit from a Fire-fighter called Carol. Pupils learnt all about what fire-fighters wear, their job, what to do in the event of a fire and firework safety. Pupils also learned a very useful rhyme:

‘Matches and lighters, never touch, They could hurt us very much!’

The Hallowe’en Disco!

Page 12 It was too scary for words, but Years 7 & 8 really enjoyed themselves!

Teachers and Year 13 also joined in the fun - a truly HORRIBLE evening! Page 13

Page 14 “If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head...

The German Exchange Our visit to Waldkirch, 18th-21st September 2014 Mrs Coe and Mrs Nicholas accompanied 11 Year 11 students to Waldkirch in Germany as part of the seventh annual German exchange with the Realschule in Kollnau/Waldkirch. The group flew to Basil airport and then, after a short minibus drive, arrived at the school in Waldkirch to a warm welcome from their exchange partners and the Headmaster. The school had organised a delicious lunch in the newly constructed school canteen. In the afternoon both German and English students went on a town visit of Waldkirch and were invited to a reception at the town hall with the Mayor and members of the youth council. The generosity of the twin town was, as always, overwhelming. Our students were given souvenirs of Waldkirch and free tickets to Europa Park (the largest theme park in Europe) conveniently situated near Waldkirch.

The second day was spent participating in the various events at the school sports morning. True to form our students were enthusiastic and took part in many of the events with Toby Wynne-Mellor Year 11 Sigma winning the high jump competition. A friendly football match was also played and our team had a successful outcome winning the match on penalties. In the early afternoon, the exchange groups went to Freiburg, a picturesque and historic university town near Waldkirch and went on a guided tour of the town.

The students enjoyed some free time with their exchange partners before returning to school. Saturday and most of Sunday were spent with the German host families and both exchange groups went to Europa park and had a brilliant time on the rides and watching the shows.

Everyone had a great time and the students saw their trip to the Black Forest as a great opportunity to put into practice what they have been learning in class. A big thank you as always to Frau Hesse and the twin town of Waldkirch for their hospitality and generosity from Mrs Coe and her students!

Year 11 students visit Germany and German students visit us!

...If you talk to him in his own language, that goes to his heart.” (Nelson Mandela) Page 15

Harry Goodall: “Germany was fantastic! It was great to learn about the German culture and how they live differently to us. I enjoyed every day, especially the day we went to Freiburg and Europa Park. I’m glad that my German has improved.”

Gabriel Martin: “The exchange was a great experience and I would recommend it to all students! When I came back I felt much more confident with my German. A German school sports day was extremely entertaining and fun. Freiburg is a great city but best of all was Europa Park. I made many German friends and not just the students who took part in the exchange!”

Patrick Speer: “I really enjoyed the exchange as Germany is somewhere I’ve always wanted to visit! My favourite part was the day with the family as we visited a typical German festival where teams were competing in unusual sports. The exchange is worth doing, if you don’t you’ll miss out!”

Tom Jarman: “There wasn’t a single day I did not really enjoy, however the best aspect for me was being able to practice and improve my German! I learnt a lot.”

German students come to Worthing, 9th-13th October 2014 It was the turn of the German exchange partners and their teachers, Frau Hess and her colleague to visit us in Worthing. On arrival at school they were given breakfast and taken on a visit of Arundel. The group returned in time for a lovely lunch with their exchange partners and a welcome from Mr Scullion.

We were entertained by the amazing video of our trip, made by Tomas Heasman. In the afternoon the group had an interesting guided tour of the council chambers and the mayor’s parlour at Worthing town hall and were warmly received by the deputy Mayor and his consort. They also went on a trail of Worthing and visited the museum.

The following day was spent shadowing their exchange partners in their lessons and they ended the school day with a variety of sporting activities kindly organised by the sports department. On Saturday both groups spent the day in Brighton visiting the sights, shopping and going on the Brighton eye. Sunday was spent with the host families and on Monday it was time to say goodbye as they left for London to continue their trip.

The German group had an amazing time and Mrs Coe would like to thank the deputy Mayor and the town hall staff for the interesting tour, as well as the host families and teachers who gave them such a warm welcome.

Farewell, Mrs Starkey!

Page 16 “A teacher is a compass that activates the magnets of curiosity, knowledge, and wisdom in the pupils.”

.

“It is, of course, impossible to sum up my 35 years’ teaching and administration at Our Lady of Sion. The best I can do is to offer a few flashbacks and impressions: perhaps as confused and confusing as Frodo’s glimpses in the Mirror of Galadriel, except mine are in retrospect. So here goes.

First, some excerpts from Paula’s Sion Minor Disasters Diary, all I hope funny now, some less so at the time. At Prizegivings, long ago in that girls-only enclave, musical/dramatic performances were a central feature, but did not always turn out quite as well as expected. My husband Jim arrived at our very first Prizegiving, unavoidably late from work. He was relieved to hear that the School Orchestra, with its inevitable sprinkling of debutante violinists, were evidently still in the early stages of tuning up. Only when the rest of the audience began applauding with parental enthusiasm did he realise the first piece had in fact just been completed, more or less.

Then there was a Prizegiving adorned with excerpts from Madama Butterfly, where costume and make-up preliminaries had taken perhaps three hours for a three-minute performance. Clearly, many girls had responded zealously to the call for them to bring in Grandma’s longest knitting needles to adorn their Japanese coiffure. The resultant very brief Humming Chorus left one rather sympathising with Lieutenant Pinkerton, whose desertion of Butterfly is normally considered so despicable.

I recall also the year when all the lights fused in the newly converted Chapel Block, just as refreshments were about to be served there following the Carol Service. An atmospheric Victorian candle-lit school was somehow conjured from the past within minutes. Such potential disasters could indeed be transformed to triumph, as when the very tall Head of Music of the day brought the house down in the Christmas Show one year, dressed as and miming to Boy George .

Other fragments of nostalgia? Long before I too became a crotchety old-timer, of entering a staff-room filled with the fug of cigarette smoke, where seasoned campaigners commanded their reserved armchair at break and lunch. Of a Science Teacher complimented by colleagues on his sun-tan after the holidays, only for it to be leaked by “reliable sources” that he had been spotted as a Deck-Chair Attendant on Worthing promenade.

At the end of term, we said goodbye to Mrs Starkey who has given Our Lady of Sion School 35 years of outstanding service, the last 16 of which were in the role of Deputy Head. Prior to that she also held the role of Head of Science, in which capacity she helped establish one of the strongest areas of the school.

Mrs Starkey is truly one of the Sion ‘greats’. We salute her many achievements and acknowledge her unswerving loyalty and commitment to our school. Thank you, Mrs Starkey and we all wish you a long, happy and peaceful retirement!

“I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.” (Socrates) Page 17

He apparently had the franchise for that pitch, and had been busily punching tickets the entire Summer long. Of another Science Teacher having the all-time record of 16 clamps attached to her lab-coat during a double-lesson, without her noticing.

During school holidays, Jim and I found pleasure in taking the elderly Sisters Una (suprema of the sugar-laden tuck-shop of the day) and Eileen to and from the airport, when Religious Orders became freer to visit their families, hearing with fascination their reminiscences of Sion in earlier decades.

All this risks giving the impression that no academic work or achievement ever graced the classrooms of Sion. This, as the record indisputably shows, is far from the case. Small as our School has always been, its intellectual prowess has always been and ought always to remain a key feature.

Even in the days of my first Head, Sister Brenda St Lawrence, herself a Chemistry Graduate, considerable emphasis was put on girls succeeding in Science, an approach I have striven to uphold throughout my career.

Then, of course, came “The Revolution”, under the Headmastership of Brian Sexton, of Sion’s rebirth as a co-educational school. Having early in my career taught in mixed Comprehensives, and a Boys’ Grammar, the change fazed me less perhaps than some of my colleagues of those days. The transition was achieved, with the inevitable alarms and excursions of course, and now fewer and fewer even vaguely remember Sion as ever being any other way.

The grass near the tennis courts quickly and predictably turned, under adolescent male footballers’ feet, to bare earth in the dry, and mud in the rain. Soon enough, it became obvious that most boys tend to wear their “environment” out rather more quickly than girls. Perhaps in light of this, investment in a new all-weather area has been just one of many significant infrastructural improvements and modernisations marking Mike Scullion’s years to date as Headmaster.

So many other changes too in my decades at Sion: in the classroom - from chalk and blackboard, to felt-tip pen and white-board, to computer and projector, and the vastness of knowledge nearly instantly available via the internet, with all the opportunities and dangers the IT age entails.

35 years of outstanding service to Sion! We have also seen the recent return (nothing wholly new under the sun?) to fewer exam modules and the abolition of multiple re-sits, which had had the (doubtless unforeseen) consequence of making teaching new parts of the syllabus to full groups alarmingly difficult to maintain, and had removed the opportunity for a regular Founders’ Day celebration.

Yet, inside this maelstrom of change, for me one constant has remained: only a genuine meeting of minds between teacher, and student, and parent, as true partners in our educational endeavour will deliver the continuing miracle of learning, development and high attainment of which Sion is capable. In my experience, providing they believe a teacher truly longs for their success, most students will take any amount of chivvying, of cutting remarks (sometimes thought politically incorrect, but leading to constructive repartee in many cases) and strident demands for redoubled efforts. Sometimes, students can think they loathe it all, but actually they realise they thrived on it and will deeply miss it, when it ends. As will I, so much.

And so, Farewell. All Good Fortune, Happiness and Deserved Success to those who, unlike me, will be returning to Sion after the New Year. It is, at times, so hard to believe I will not be there. To all those remarkable students, parents, Sisters of the Sion Community, teachers and support staff whom I have known, thanks for the memories. It was truly a privilege, which I hope my contribution to our cherished School has in some measure earned me.”

Year 3 at Butser Farm

Page 18 “If we knew what it was we were doing, it would not be called research, would it?” (Einstein)

Butser Ancient Farm is a unique experimental archaeological site and a fascinating day out for people of all ages. Nestled into the rolling South Downs National Park, this ancient farm displays ongoing constructions of Iron Age buildings based on real sites, crops from prehistory and rare breeds of animals. Year 3 really enjoyed their day out, as can be seen in this display of words and pictures!

Ella Clark: “After we had seen the Roman villa we carved pictures onto chalk. It was fun. It was a really fun school trip.”

Sophie Hobbs: “At the Roman villa I learnt that they had windows and after we made a mosaic.”

Finn Jewitt: “I bought a Roman sword in the shop.”

Selina Kinas-Kirk: “It was boiling in the Celtic hut because there was a fire inside!”

Eddie Ruffer: “I had a really good day.”

Mimi Weber: “It was the best school trip ever!”

Real hands-on learning outside the classroom...

“Learning never exhausts the mind.” (Leonardo da Vinci) Page 19

and... a great time was had by all!

Page 20 Two excellent and inspirational reports!

Hope Spalding: ‘Compass’ “This half term Compass has been filled with many exciting things! After the summer holidays, the Compass Group was more than ready to make it another great and successful year.

In Compass we initially started focusing on the idea of ‘selfies’ and how some people are forever looking inwards whereas what we need to do is look outwards and see how we can benefit others and the world around us. From this idea we decided that we would get various students from different year groups to come in and talk to us about something they have a particular interest in.

We started off with Jamie Cundy in year 9, who spoke to us about the natural world. Over the years he has taken many pictures of animals and landscapes or unique flowers. His passion for animals and the natural world in general was remarkable. I think it is safe to say that many of us who attended that Compass session came away knowing a great deal more about what is around us and now have a better understanding of the natural world. Jamie’s talk supported our idea that we need to open our eyes to our environment and appreciate it.

We also heard from Jasmine Fabes in Year 10 who spoke about ‘dog psychology’. George Clutterbuck, in Year 13, said: “Jasmine did amazingly and was a really confident speaker, she talked about dog behaviour and mannerisms and how you can tell so much from their body language and expressions.”

I think it changed the attitude that I have toward my two dogs because I can better understand their behaviour and have now come to notice the subtle signs that tell you how they are feeling or what they might want. I think after the talk everyone felt more aware of the possibility of communicating between species.’

To finish off this half term, the compass group held another ‘big lunch’, which involved the regular members of the compass group inviting their friends along to share in a lunchtime of fun, food and friendship.

Once again, it was a huge success, with a great turn out of people. The amazing thing about the ‘big lunch’ is that everyone wants to contribute, the sixth-formers bring the pizzas and then everyone else brings cakes, biscuits, sweets, crisps and much more!

Compass can be mistaken as a place where all we do is talk about religion and how it is involved in our lives, when actually it is not like that at all. It’s a place where we all come together as friends, enjoy the time we spend with each other, laugh and just relax.

There is of course aspects of faith throughout, but it is not being preached, it is just there if you want it.

This half term has shown that it’s going to be another great year for Compass, with many things to look forward to. If anyone is interested in joining Compass this year, don’t be afraid, just come along!”

Anna Wheatley at Lourdes

Many thanks to Hope and Anna, both in Year 13 Page 21

“Each year the Diocese of Arundel and Brighton organise a pilgrimage to the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in the South of France.

About 700 people join the pilgrimage, including doctors, nurses, chaplains and about 250 helpers. We all assist the 250 sick and disabled pilgrims who visit the Grotto to express their faith and their hope to be given strength and peace for the future. Before we arrive, we are separated into Hotel groups of roughly 60 in each - I was in Padoue, situated in the centre of the old town.

This year I went as a helper, which was at times challenging, both physically and mentally, since you are interacting with many people of all ages who are often very unwell and sadly, in some cases, terminally ill. As the week progressed I eased into my role and saw the people less as a responsibility, but more as friends, sharing this life changing experience with me.

A typical day would start the night before, at dinner when we would be assigned our pilgrims for the next day. Here, we would introduce ourselves and sit with them during the meal, before asking if they would like to be woken up, dressed or washed before breakfast the next day. Many of the pilgrims were reluctant to ask for help. However we encouraged them to consider this week as a holiday and a break from the constraints of everyday life. After making plans for the morning, many of the helpers went down to a cafe, known as Les Petit Fleurs where we would relax alongside the pilgrims, sharing stories of previous years and the events of the day.

When we woke in the morning, at anytime ranging from 5-8 am, depending on your pilgrims wishes, we would meet for a morning prayer before breakfast and to be told of the days plans. Everyday the whole Diocese would share mass, either in one of the basilicas, or in the grotto itself, before splitting up into our hotel groups for adoration, stations of the cross or a tour of the town. We were also given time to get to know our pilgrim, accompanying them wherever they wished to go, which helped me personally let go of my fears of responsibility and listen to their story, be it of faith, life or health. In the end we had the opportunity to take part in some of the processions, my favourite of which was the Candle Light Procession, whereby thousands process through the domain, holding candles and singing Ave Maria in English, Italian and French.

Lourdes is known for its baths, which in itself is an act of faith, to be clad only in a wet towel and submerged to your shoulders into freezing water fresh from the Spring. Another is the High Stations, built upon the mountainside, which many begin at the crack of dawn, in remembrance of Jesus' journey on Good Friday. Lourdes is a place like no other; you grow, meet incredible people and I can't wait to return next year!”

Young Enterprise

Page 22 “The secret of business is to know something that nobody else knows.” (Aristotle Onassis)

The Sion YE team this year may only be six members strong, but they have made a very good start.

The team from Year 10 has already organised a sweet sale to raise capital for their company and used the school Open Evening to present some of their ideas. Called ‘Personalize’, the idea is to produce a range of products that can be personalised including cards, phone cases and bags. The idea behind this is the current craze for ‘selfies’.

Uniquely, the team has joint managing directors with Frances Mendes and Gus Bailey sharing the role. Other team members are Rebecca Caruana, Georgia Martin, Isobel Walton and Ella Younson.

Their first launch event was the Junior School Christmas Fair and the following week they were in Worthing town centre at the Young Enterprise Trade Fair.

‘Floor Spots’ The hall was packed with excited pupils and parents as the latest ‘Floor Spots’ got under way on 9

th October.

Dance groups from Year 7, Year 8 and Year 10 performed beautifully; each year group performing an exciting and creative dance, involving costumes and projections! The Year 7s worked very hard to produce a fun tribute to Mary Berry and her Victoria Sponge recipe, wearing aprons and wooden spoons in their hair! The Year 8 group created a piece based on the London skyline and decided to characterize themselves as tourists, complete with backpacks and disposable cameras! The Year 10 GCSE dance group created a complex piece based on machinery and with the use of great contact work, atmospheric lighting and costume created a very effective piece

Amongst the musical items, GCSE student Fari Chiketa got the evening off to a great start with an accomplished solo song, accompanying herself on guitar. Jamie Gallagher (Year 7) made an impressive debut playing Coldplay’s Paradise on piano, Ella Boswell and Darcy Kenna joined forces to sing a duet and Felicia Zappulo performed a delightful Minuet on the flute. From the Sixth Form, Caroline Birch and Hal Darling contributed a convincing version of Radiohead’s Creep, while Laura Reed and Georgina Clutterbuck drew their inspiration from Fleetwood Mac to perform the timeless Landslide. There was great acclaim for the pianistic skills of the Wakeling family; both Verity and Oliver played outstanding pieces that they are working on for their Grade 8 exams.

“So if you think you’ve got what it takes, see Ms. Shea for further details! But, remember, if you aren’t good enough — YOU’RE FIRED!”

The Camelia Botnar Concert

“One good thing about music is that when it hits you, you feel no pain.” (Bob Marley) Page 23

On Friday 14th

November, the Junior Choir and Festival Choir joined up with the Salvation Army to try to raise money for Camelia Botnar, which is a Children’s charity based in Worthing in Wellesley Avenue.

Camelia Botnar is a support centre for pre-school children with special needs. Families are not charged for their children to attend this centre and for many, it is a valuable support network as well as being a place for their children to attend.

In 2009 their main funding was cut and the charity has therefore been trying to find alternative ways to remain open. Sion and the Salvation Army decided that we needed to do something to help this cause and we therefore came up with the idea of a musical night.

The Festival Choir and Junior Choir took part along with ‘The Songsters’ (the Salvation Army adult choir), and the Salvation Army worship group. There was also a flute solo, a vocal solo (Hope Spalding) and a very funny sketch!

Katie Dicker: “We sang lots of songs and it was so much fun. I think the audience enjoyed it too. Everyone sang really well and it was good to support the centre. It was also a brilliant night.”

Rohan Diwakar: “At the Camelia Botnar concert, I really enjoyed singing. I am very happy that we raised money for the charity. My Favourite act was the sketch because it was very funny. I think we sang well and the Junior Choir did too. Hopefully Camelia Botnar will stay open.”

Zach Huzinga: “The concert on Friday 14th

November was really memorable as I enjoyed raising all that money and would love to do it again. My favourite song was probably the film medley because the audience joined in as well. Overall it was a great night.”

Sofia Manco: “The other night I loved singing. Everyone sang well. My favourite song was the School Rules Song. I thought the Junior Choir sang really well and they had smiles on their faces the whole time.”

Ayesha Potts: “I loved singing for the Camelia Botnar concert. It was very fun and we raised £2750.

Caitlin Silk: “I enjoyed the concert. My favourite song was ‘If I Were A Rich Man’ in the film medley. I also liked the sketch as it was really funny. It was about four radio stations with a Gardener, Priest, Cook and Doctor. It all merged into one so there were some really funny sentences.”

Victoria Sparkes: “I really enjoyed the charity concert because I liked all the songs we sung. My favourite songs were from the film medley, because it was really groovy and bouncy! I can’t believe that we raised so much money . I really enjoyed the night and it was lots of fun.”

Unfortunately, at the time of going to press, no photos of the concert were available, but here are some pictures of Junior School pupils at Camelia Botnar.

Well done everyone and many thanks also to Mrs Richards (left, below) and Mrs Carmody (right, below) for making it all possible!!!

Page 24 “Geography has made us neighbours.” (J.F. Kennedy)

SNOWDONIA SIXTH FORM FIELD TRIP by Amy Harris & Megan Church (Year 12)

“We went to Snowdonia to complete field work for our A-level skills exam. We studied the Afon Conwy, sand dunes at Harlech and rural settlements along the Conwy valley. The best thing about the trip was being able to create strong friendships with people we wouldn’t usually spend time with.

The food was fabulous, and also the unlimited cake and tea was great! We enjoyed the tram up The Great Orme where we saw the mouth of the river Conwy and went geo-caching (Mr Salmon’s Idea). We found treasure in a fissure in the limestone rock. Amy crawled in wearing her brand new white jeans, LOL.

We found there were definitely more sheep than people in Wales. This created a lot of BAAAAAnter.”

URBAN REGENERATION IN BRIGHTON Mr Salmon’s debut report!

“On September 10th the Geography

department visited Brighton with over 30 students as part of Year 10s Controlled Assessment Fieldwork. Mrs Hoarty’s and Mr Salmon’s classes travelled by train with Mrs Martin and Ms Holloway joining us for the day, to help.

Straight from the train station we saw the New England Quarter and completed scoring sheets to judge the quality of the environment. This new area of housing and services has been regenerated from what was once derelict land.

We then toured more areas such as the twittern off Trafalgar Street, the shops and services near to Gloucester Street, the Jubilee Library and Pavilion Gardens making notes and recording pedestrian flows.

Our investigation was focussed on the ‘Core and Frame’ model of Brighton. The main department stores and some banking services located in the Core were found as we crossed into the East Street arcade of shops where the Harrington’s Department Store once used to be. After some more observations we arrived at Churchill Square for lunch and then we looked at our final area, the Queens Road where we recorded land use.

It was a successful day out, all students were a credit to the school and got a good sense of place visiting all the areas. The trip has been written up as a Controlled Assessment as part of the GCSE coursework. The next GCSE trip will be to the Seven Sisters at the end of the summer term, looking at coastal issues.”

A Geography ‘Trips Special’!

A FANTASTIC page from Josh, still only in Year 9! Page 25

On 29th October 2014 Worthing Youth Council

hosted the Positive for Youth Awards ceremony in the House of Commons. At this ceremony, young people’s projects from all over the country were judged by Worthing Youth Council and prizes were awarded for the best ones. This was a wonderful opportunity for me as I had never been to the House of Commons before. I found it heart-warming to see young people with disabilities and without, working together to destroy negative stereotypes of young people.

We also had another day at Lodge Hill where members of the Youth Council helped children with autism and their families enjoy a day out with things for both adults and children to enjoy. Worthing Youth Council is also linked with ‘Go! Youth Activities’, a charity for giving young people opportunities in a safe environment.

On Remembrance Sunday the Youth Mayor, and Deputy Mayor represented all the young people in Worthing when they laid a wreath and a poppy cross at the War Memorial by the Town Hall. Between them they attend around 140 engagements throughout their year of office which is a big commitment so well done to them!

Before I finish, I would also like to mention that we will be asking for nominations for the Youth Council elections in March 2015 and I can thoroughly recommend being part of this group. If you would like more information or have any questions, please speak to me, or to Magda Gradzka, or Matteo Miele, all fellow Youth Councillors.

I wish you all a very happy Christmas and a happy and healthy 2015!” You, too, Josh!

Joshua Davies: Worthing Youth Council

“You may remember in the last edition of the Sionian I mentioned that we had applied to Young Roots Heritage Lottery for funding for our Worthing Pier Past, Present & Future project.

I am really pleased to be able to tell you that we were successful in our application and our project is now up and running after a very successful launch on 31

st August. Also, as I

am now Treasurer and responsible for the finances for this project, I am practising my maths in my spare time too!

This project will enable all young people to find out about the history of our pier as in recent years it has struggled to find its identity with our age group.

The project has a website which is www.worthingpier.org.uk where we will focus on capturing the past, recording the present and discovering the future. All schools can get involved and we are encouraging people of all ages to contribute any memories or photos they have of the pier as well as submitting any creative writing or poetry. As a group we hope to produce a DVD, a book for all schools and to have displays in Worthing Library and Worthing Museum.

To enable us to put all this together we have been lucky enough to have had training in interview techniques and photography as well as attending talks on the history of seaside piers and seafronts. At the end of the training session we were able to go to the seafront and experiment with our newly learnt skills by taking photos of the pier and sea.

Page 26 “There are no bad pictures; that’s just how your face looks sometimes.” (Abraham Lincoln)

“Flash, Bang, Wallop! What a Picture!”

It was all about queuing, and getting into height order, and being patient, and standing still…

…and looking beautiful...

...but we got there in the end!

"The first condition of understanding another country is to smell it.” (Rudyard Kipling) Page 27

Year 7 and the Boulogne Trip! In September, the Modern Languages Department took 56 year 7 students and six staff members to Boulogne for a long but very enjoyable day trip.

Despite a very busy ferry crossing, the party arrived safely in France. In Boulogne, after a walk on the city walls, the party enjoyed their visit to the Château-Musée, with its many interesting artefacts, and bought some souvenirs in the old town before writing and posting their postcards home.

Next, it was off to a nearby hypermarket where the students tested their French, doing some shopping and buying their dinner. In addition to the linguistic and cultural aspect, the trip was also a great opportunity for the new year group to get to know each other better and everyone came back home tired, but delighted.

Finnbar 7S: “The Boulogne trip was really nice. I really liked seeing the year as a whole , that was my favourite part. We were allowed to be more independent as well. It was FUN and EPIC. Highly recommended for all year 7. ”

Jack 7D: “I really enjoyed the trip to France. The best bit for me was when we walked around the castle museum, also it was nice to see what everyone had got. We all talked on the ferry how great the trip was. 10/10.”

Hattie 7S: “My favourite part of the trip was the market, there was so many shops and stalls…It was a great day.”

James 7D: “I really enjoyed the trip to France even the journey. My favourite part was going to the hypermarket and buying lots of cool things. I rate this trip 10/10…..”

Overall, the trip was fantastic and everyone had a great time! This trip is now a real Sion tradition!

Page 28 “The quality of life is so different in France.” (Johnny Depp)

The 17 Year 9 pupils who took part in the Annual French Exchange 2014, hosted their correspondents from our sister school in Saint-Omer, the ‘Collège Notre Dame de Sion’ in early June, just too late to be reported in the summer Sionian.

The French group arrived in brilliant warm sunshine and were able to meet their partners for the first time. During the visit, the French group enjoyed accompanying their partners to a variety of lessons including Geography, P.E. and a class concert in music to name a few examples. The Maths department organised a Maths World Cup event for the whole year group in the hall and the England team won!

The French students spent an afternoon in Worthing and then the whole Exchange party met for a game of bowling on Friday evening. An enjoyable time was had by all and the two winners were presented with trophies by Madame Tarbet. Our host families planned a variety of activities for their guests with outings to London, Brighton, a BBQ, outings to the beach and one partner was treated to fish and chips on the beach! Everyone really enjoyed the experience and it was a pleasure to host the French students. Thank you, also, to all the host families.

Meanwhile, our students enjoyed a warm and sunny stay in Northern France a few weeks later. Everyone was looking forward to seeing their partners again and experiencing French family life. For the second year running, the trip coincided with the Fête de la musique so there were many cultural events on offer in the region.

Ella Boswell: “It was a very good experience. I would tell people to go. I saw French culture and it helped me learn useful things in the language…”

Callum Church: “One of the best weekends I’ve ever had! I love France.”

Laine Deeming: “The Exchange was excellent. The family was very welcoming and I have made new friends for life. C’était bien!”

Imogen Lower: “The French Exchange is a great thing to do. You learn a lot and meet nice people. I went to the beach and it was beautiful. C’était genial!”

Saskia Lower: “The French Exchange is amazing! I went to the Fête de la musique, karting, swimming, shopping and boating. I recommend to go!”

Georgia Martin: “French Exchange was an amazing experience. I went swimming, skating and to a French museum. I recommend this trip to everyone!”

Rudi McPherson: “The Exchange is definitely worth doing and I have learnt a lot.”

Tasmyn Ong: “It was very interesting to see the cultural differences.”

Sophie Poxon: “It is definitely the best way to visit France! I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It is a really good way to learn the language and was so much fun.”

Chris Price: “I enjoyed staying with a French family, even though they all were fluent in English!”

Aidan Smithers: “I enjoyed the experience because we did so many activities that I would have never done, like fencing and sailing. My French improved greatly. Highly recommended!”

Lucy Standen: “I loved the French Exchange. It was great to get to know a new culture. C’était super!”

Jake Thompson Copsey: “A diverse experience worth doing again!”

Isobel Walton: “I enjoyed making a new friend. The family really made me feel welcome.”

Ella Younson: “The French Exchange was great! Everyone was extremely nice and really made me feel welcome and comfortable in their household. I highly recommend this trip!”

Thank you to Miss McPherson for organising it!

The French Exchange

Here’s what the French students thought about it all, but can you translate what they said???

“France cannot be France without greatness.” (Charles de Gaulle) Page 29

Laura: " J'ai passé un séjour génial à Worthing; j'ai été très bien reçue que ce soit à l'école ou chez ma correspondante. J'adore l'idée de porter un uniforme à l'école et j'ai eu l'expérience d'en porter un. Toutes les personnes à Worthing sont géniales et très accueillantes. J'ai passé un séjour génial avec ma correspondante."

Johanna: "Echange très éducatif, éducatif et amusant. Heureuse d'avoir fait de nouvelles connaissances."

Noémie: "Ce voyage m'a apporté beaucoup. Je suis très heureuse d'avoir rencontré Imogen."

Alexia: "Ce voyage était super. J'ai perfectionné mon anglais avec ma correspondante. Elle était très gentille, toujours souriante et elle faisait des efforts pour parler français. Pendant les cours, les professeurs ont été très gentils."

Antoine: "J'ai passé un très bon séjour. Les collégiens étaient très sympas. C'était bénéfique de ne parler qu'anglais pendant trois jours avec mon correspondant et sa famille."

Robin: "C'était un super voyage où je me suis super bien amusé avec Georgia, Marie, Frances, Shanna, Ella et Sarah. Merci beaucoup pour l'accueil et la super journée de samedi. Le samedi soir était une super où on a bien rigolé! Merci!"

Marie: "Ce voyage était le plus cool, je me suis fait des amies: Ella, Frances, Georgia...Vous me manquez, vivement vendredi!"

Domitille: "Je suis super contente d'avoir pu et eu l'occasion de faire cet échange, car ça a été pour moi une vraie chance et je n'en suis pas du tout déçue. J'ai adoré parler, passer mon temps et être avec ma correspondante, Sophie, et ses parents. Ils étaient super sympas avec moi et j'ai plus qu'adoré ce séjour chez eux! Par contre, c'est dommage que le temps soit passé aussi vite!"

Shana: " Voyage super! On a été super bien accueillis. Les cours sont étonnants! Merci de nous avoir accueillis et de nous avoir fait un peu découvrir la manière de vivre en Angleterre."

Sarah: "On en gardera un très bon souvenir! Echange super avec les correspondants!"

Elsa: "Ma correspondante était super timide au premier abord mais super sympa! J'ai passé de très bonnes journées loin des devoirs et des cours, même si j'ai assisté aux cours intéressants de ma correspondante !"

Camille: "Ce voyage était super et très intéressant! L'accueil dans les familles était chaleureux."

Julien: "Très bon échange à Worthing! Mon correspondant était génial, les cours étaient supers! Bref un magnifique voyage!"

Martin: "Ce voyage était très enrichissant. Les professeurs étaient très gentils et très drôles quand ils essayaient de parler français. Mon correspondant était génial! On a beaucoup rigolé. Nous avons reçu un super accueil à l'école et dans les familles. Juste génial!"

Charles: "J'ai passé de superbes moments, instructifs et vraiment amusants! Si c'était à refaire, je recommencerais! Merci beaucoup! XXXX"

Page 30 Well done Ella and thank you so much – you are a natural communicator!

Why did you choose to volunteer abroad? “I have always enjoyed helping other people and participating in charity work through schemes such as the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. By the end of Year 12, I felt mature enough for a more adventurous challenge abroad. Furthermore, I had been inspired by my sister’s adventures in Asia and my brother’s planning for his World Challenge trip to Africa. As I was only 17, however, my parents were keen for me to work in a supervised environment and so, having learnt about different volunteer organisations in Mr Baker’s careers lessons(!), I did some further research and came across an organisation called ‘Projects Abroad’, which is conveniently based in Goring.”

What made you choose a teaching programme and why Ghana? “Projects Abroad offers lots of different programmes, such as teaching, sports, veterinary medicine and journalism, all in many different parts of the world. I was keen to spend as much time as possible with children in both a learning and caring environment. The Care Programme was perfect for me, as it offered the opportunity to teach children as well as play with them. I chose Ghana because I was keen to visit Africa, as its culture is so different from ours. I imagined Ghana to be a beautiful country with a rich culture and history, and I wasn’t disappointed!”

What did you do out there? “I chose to take part in one of Projects Abroad’s two-week specials. These are designed specifically for 16-19 year olds and provide a structured programme for people volunteering for the first time. I was part of an international group of 13 people. In the morning we would teach at a free summer school for children aged between 5-16. My work involved teaching Maths and English, but also organising lots of fun activities, such as finger painting and mask making. One of my funniest memories happened when I turned my back to get the string for the masks we had made, only to turn round and find a rather confused child had glued his mask directly onto his face! In the afternoons, we would walk to a local orphanage for children with AIDS to paint their newly built medical centre. At weekends Project Abroad organised trips to places of interest, which included Cape Coast Castle and an overnight stay on a beautiful deserted beach.”

What was memorable about it? “Being able to form relationships with the children and to fill a much needed gap. This was because the permanent staff were often too busy doing all the practical work to have time to sit and play with the children. Simple acts, such as blowing bubbles or singing the ‘hokey-cokey’ were really appreciated as the children loved the attention and interaction. I also really enjoyed staying with a local host family and experiencing how they lived, as well as meeting other teenagers from all over the world. In many instances, I was incredibly moved by how young children acted towards each other…

Ella Daniels in Ghana Back in October, Mr Ramasami arranged for Ella Daniels to come into the Senior School for a Friday Assembly and talk about her recent Gap Year experiences as a volunteer in Ghana. Ella left Year 13 last year, and is still undecided about her future plans. Her talk was inspirational and afterwards she wrote up some of her thoughts to share with us.

A Gap Year experience now shared with everyone!

One day I was walking back to the orphanage with an 11 year old boy called Prince with whom I had formed a close friendship. We walked past a small stall and I bought him a bottle of fizzy drink. He could have gulped the whole lot down straight away, but he didn't even take a sip. Instead, on arriving at the orphanage, he ran inside and encouraged all the younger children to follow him outside. He then proceeded to line them all up and poured them each one bottle cap size of the fizzy drink. He didn't leave any for himself. It was such an unselfish act and probably one of the most moving moments of my trip.”

Has it changed you as a person and, if so, how? “I would say that my trip to Ghana has opened my eyes to a completely different way of living and it has really taught me how lucky we are in our own society. We are offered so many opportunities which we should take less for granted. I also have a different perspective on life; in situations that might have stressed me out or annoyed me before, I now try to take a step back and really think: ‘Is this so important?’”

What advice would you give to other students thinking of doing something similar? “I would recommend taking part in a volunteering project such as the one I did. It’s an exciting experience, which takes you out of your comfort zone and helps build your character, Personally, it has clarified what is important in my life and has played a role in shaping my priorities for a future career.”

Ella will tell us more about her Gap Year experiences in the Summer Sionian! Page 31