On Sunday 24th March, selected members of our UIV (Year 9) took part in two thrilling performances of Flesh by Rob Drummond, and directed by our fantastic LAMDA teacher, Rebecca Cochran-Patrick. The play is our entry for the National Theatre Connections Festival, and our 7pm performance was visited by a director from the NT themselves.
Many congratulations to Senior Teacher and Head of Science, Alexandra Haydon, who has won the i25 Award, which celebrates innovators and influencers in the independent sector.
We have been informed by the Royal Academy YOUNG ART competition organisers that the judging is now completed, the Exhibition is mounted and being professionally photographed, the catalogue is finalised with student interviews and the curation of the Exhibition at the Royal College of Art is underway.
On Friday 8th March Mrs Foreman, in liaison with Harriet (Year 13) and the student Wellbeing Committee, hosted a Wellbeing Evening for the whole school. Pupils learnt how to meditate to avoid exam stress and how to produce a healthy meal using raw ingredients and a spiraliser. The girls also had a range of activities to choose from including Yoga, Pilates, Capture the Flag and Strictly Dancing.
On Thursday of Science Week, before the live performance of the school's 'Ada Ada Ada' event, the LIV (Year 7) students were involved in a really exciting workshop which combined STEM with textiles. The group had to create a circuit using a battery pack, wiring and LED lighting, but weaved through felt.
On Tuesday 12th March, we were delighted to welcome Libby Jackson as our Keynote speaker for British Science Week 2019. She was also our final guest for this academic year’s Lecture Programme, and what a wonderful way to bring it to a close. Libby came to our attention during the lead-up to Tim Peake's trip to the International Space Station - she was in charge of the education programme for his flight but it was not until I picked up a copy of her book, A Galaxy of Her Own did I realise the extraordinary career that she has had.
On Wednesday 13th March, a group of excited students and staff set out for Crete to see the Minoan palaces and industrial towns of 2,000 BC whose foundation walls and cobbled streets still exist today.
Science Week culminated in our annual Great Science Bake Off. The cooking session was held on Wednesday evening; each Company had two enthusiastic volunteers who were tasked with turning biscuit dough into an edible creation on the theme of 'Journey'.
On Thursday of Science Week we were joined by over 50 students from local schools and treated to a fantastic live performance of 'Ada Ada Ada'. The show has been created to inspire girls and women to enter the STEM subjects. It revolves around the life and legacy of Ada Lovelace, the woman who developed the first computer program, and her interaction with Charles Babbage and the development of the analytical engine.
On Friday 15th March, the U14 and U15 Netball Teams set off for the annual Netball Tour at Condover Hall in Shropshire. We stopped in Shrewsbury en route for some sight seeing and shopping, before eventually arriving at the magnificent Condover Hall.
The theme for this year's British Science Week is Journeys. With 13 events for students, staff, parents and the Calne community over the course of the week, there has certainly been something for everyone. In Chapel, we have journeyed through our evolutionary past and explored some personal journeys in Science. The Sixth Form have journeyed into the brain on Brain Day and the Fourth Form have journeyed back to the dawn of computing with the AdaAdaAda show and so much more.
On Sunday 10th March 42 girls, teachers and parents gathered in the fantastic new Sports Centre to compete in the school's first ever indoor sprint triathlon. Girls from all years competed alongside their families and teachers in order to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Competitors and their supporters have thus far raised £1,900 for this wonderful charity, and the mood at the event was electric.
