High News 9 March 2018

Think about Politics for a moment. A Conservative government struggling. Divisions in cabinet as plots swirl around Westminster and knives are sharpened as rivals jostle to satisfy long held ambitions. The issue of Europe is high on the agenda causing exasperation and confusion. The economy is still unable to generate anything remotely like a feel-good factor. We have the resignation of cabinet ministers for falling short of the required standards of professional, parliamentary behaviour. There are concerns amongst the general public that the NHS is on the verge of breakdown and that the privatisation of the public sector is serving to enrich the few and leaving the many to pick up the pieces. There exists a resurgent opposition with a populist leader allegedly more in tune with the common man and woman. There is a tangible sense of despair; a concern that society isn’t working and that something has to change.

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Mr Donaldson, Head of History

Events and activities

Monday 12 – Friday 16 March

L5 Tutorials
L4 Normandy Trip
U4 Open Homework Week

Monday 12 – Friday 23 March

U5 Tutorials

Tuesday 13 March

U5 Elevate Study Skills

Wednesday 14 March

6.1 Biology Trip to NGH Pathology Lab

Thursday 15 March

6.2 Film Studies Trip to Artem Studios

Whole School Production Rehearsal

Friday 16 March

6.2 Mock Examination Results on Firefly

Sports Fixtures

Tuesday 13 March

Quinton House School, Netball, (A)  U15A L5, U15B L5

Wednesday 14 March

Oundle School, Netball, (H) U12A U3, U12B U3, U12C U3

On International Women’s Day, Femsock gave a presentation in assembly about inspirational women and they created a board of inspirational women that is on display in the school foyer.

Pupils also raised money for the school’s charity, Plan UK, by taking part in a purple, green and white themed mufti day (the colours of the Suffragettes).

Throughout the week pupils, teachers and support staff posed with their #PressforProgress pledges to explain what they would be doing to mark International Women’s Day.

Students’ views were invited by Willy Gilder, a researcher from BBC Radio Northampton, on Wednesday this week when he came in to speak to girls about what International Women’s Day means to them.

Mr Gilder spoke to six Senior School students (Sarah, Beth, Jess, Amelia, Gemma and Lexy) and two Junior School girls (Jasmine and Ishika). The pupils spoke about the continuing fight to gain parity for all, and how International Women’s Day celebrates what women achieved in the past.

The clips were broadcast on Thursday 8 March during the news bulletins and will be broadcast again on Sunday 11 March.

The team at BBC Radio Northampton were very impressed with how eloquent and articulate the girls were, and that they shared their views with such passion.

Click to read the radio transcript from the Senior School interview.

From 16 – 23 March 2018, we will be taking part in the GDST Girls Run the World Challenge, which has been organised by Croydon High School.

Approximately 19,000 pupils, 3,500 staff and 75,000 alumnae from the GDST family have been invited to take part in the challenge. Between us all, we will be walking, or running around the globe, along a route that has been calculated as 25,046.7miles.

Every pupil will run or walk a distance during Sport Relief week in their timetabled PE lessons and will be asked to donate a minimum of £2.

The first ever Ministry of Silly Walks show was debuted at lunchtime on Wednesday.  The fun event, which was organised by girls from U4N and Mr Attwood, raised £65 for the RSPCA from entrance fees and selling snacks.

Highlights included Mr Viesel’s silly walk that Mr Attwood said “managed to encapsulate both Animal Farm as well as Jekyll and Hyde”.

On 28 February, Grace Gee and Kerryn Schilling travelled to Canary Wharf in  London, to take part in the Barclays Internal Audit Women’s outreach programme.
To start the day there was a talk from some of the interns that were working there and we learnt about the application process and what the internship entitled.

Following this, there was a talk from Sally Clark about how she had reached her current position and about Barclays as a company.

After lunch, there was a tour of the building and we got to visit the 30th floor, which was made even better by the sights of a snow covered London. We also got to have a look around the office where the interns worked and we saw how they stay motivated.

To end the day there was an opportunity to network with some of the people that worked at the company which was a great experience for the future.
Overall it was a very insightful trip which allowed us to gain a few more ideas of options for our future.

On Thursday evening, A Level Drama and Theatre Studies candidates had their Component 2: Text in Performance practical examination in the presence of a visiting examiner from Edexcel. They presented an outstanding portrayal of The Donahue Sister’s with a selected monologue to follow. Congratulations to Phoebe Abbott, Kathryn Mitchell and Amelia Simpson on their hard work and dedication to making the performances so convincing and such a success!

Mrs Care, Director of Theatre

Imagine a world in which the Suffragettes failed and 100 years later women have yet to achieve the vote…
• Make an original short film of 2-3 minutes in length
• Prizes for KS2 (Years 5 & 6), KS3 (U3, L4 & U4), KS4 (L5 & U5) and KS5 (Sixth Form) entries
• Deadline: 20 April 2018

For more information see https://northamptonhigh.fireflycloud.net/film/nhs-film-competition or email l.heimfeld@nhs.gdst.net see Ms Heimfeld in C2.

A reminder about our clothing recycling facility at school. We have teamed up with Starlight Children’s Foundation, a charity that brightens the lives of seriously and terminally ill children, so that for every kilo of clothing and other items recycled, Starlight receives 10p and FoNHS receives 40p.

Through our recycling efforts over the last three or so years, we have raised over £2,000 for FoNHS so a huge thank you to everyone who uses the facility – over 5 tonnes of items going to good use (and possibly saved from landfill) and a huge boost to FoNHS funds at the same time, and we are also supporting Starlight’s incredible work with every kilo of items we recycle.

So if you can, please do consider using the recycling facility whenever you have a clear out. The collection “bank” is bright yellow and is situated on the pathway alongside the Junior School car park. The recycling company accepts all men’s, ladies’ and children’s clothing, paired shoes (tied together please), handbags, bags, ties, belts, towels and bedlinen. Any uniform carrying school or team logos is not accepted. Please put all items in a plastic bag before depositing them in case the bank is not watertight.

Thank you very much for your support.

FoNHS

The 50-50 winner is Rebecca James, with number 23.

Things a Bright Girl Can Do by Sally Nicholls – recommended for L4 and above

Through rallies and marches, in polite drawing rooms and freezing prison cells and the poverty-stricken slums of the East End, three courageous young women join the fight for the vote.

Evelyn is seventeen, and though she is rich and clever, she may never be allowed to follow her older brother to university. Enraged that she is expected to marry her childhood sweetheart rather than be educated, she joins the Suffragettes, and vows to pay the ultimate price for women’s freedom.

May is fifteen, and already sworn to the cause, though she and her fellow Suffragists refuse violence. When she meets Nell, a girl who’s grown up in hardship, she sees a kindred spirit. Together and in love, the two girls start to dream of a world where all kinds of women have their place.

But the fight for freedom will challenge Evelyn, May and Nell more than they ever could believe. As war looms, just how much are they willing to sacrifice?

Miss Buxton, School Librarian

It has been wonderful to get back to Sport this week after the snow break last week. Our girls were ready for the challenge. The U13 netball team played well finishing 3rd in their pool on Monday, and the U12 team went one better finishing as runners up at the County Tournament on the same day. The U15 team, never wanting to be outdone,  went one better finishing the County Tournament on Tuesday undefeated and as County Champions. On Thursday, we had a very long journey to Bromley.  All teams performed well but the highlight was the U18 netball team finishing their GDST Rallies as Winners of the Plate.

Mrs Hackett, Director of Sport

Netball

On 5 March, the U12A team travelled to Oundle school for the county cup tournament. All the team played tremendously well with everyone doing their part. In the first match we played NSG and we got off to a storming start winning 0-12. Next Pitsford were beaten 0-18 and the final game of the pool matched us against Spratton. Continuing to play well we won 14-2.

Winning all of the pool stage matches meant that we were in the semi-finals. We were pitted against Sponne who we defeated 10-5. The final against Wellingborough was an anti-climax. Despite playing some excellent netball we lost in the final and finished runners up. The players’ player of the tournament was Janice Huang who played fantastically throughout. Well done to all the girls who played!

Phoebe Haynes, U12A

Cross Country

On 8 March, a number of girls competed in a cross country rally at Bromley High. We had an early start to the day and had some great performances; a special mention goes to Ella from Year 5, who gave an outstanding performance and managed to come second in her age group. Huge congratulations go to Pheobe who managed to complete a difficult course and was placed 22nd. Millie also did very well finishing 30th, closely followed by Lucy Shepherd. In the group Year 10+, a special mention goes to Chloe who finished 31st with Elysia and Amelia following behind. All the girls performed exceptionally well despite the huge amount of mud!

Elysia Lay