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Winter Newsletter 2016

THE MARIST NEWS

Harvest Festival

Fire Safety for Early Years

Nativity

Children dressed as farmers, farmer’s wives, scarecrows, animals and various fruit and vegetables greeted our eyes at the Harvest Festival Assembly on the 14 October. The girls in Early Years, Year 1 and Year 2 had obviously worked very hard to learn all the words and actions to the Harvest Festival hymns and poems. A generous display of donated foods was the focal point of the Assembly. Thank you to all parents who sent in donations, in support of Emmaus House Action Homeless Concern.

Our Early Years Nativity was a heart-warming joy to behold. The girls were magnificent and the event was the perfect herald to the season of Advent.

WINTER 2016

Science at Close Quarters

Science ChampionshipFour pupils from Year 5 and 6 visited St John’s Beaumont to participate in the area heats for the Quiz Club Science

Championship. Lucy, Zara, Mariska and Shaya competed against 11 other teams from various local prep schools. They thoroughly

relished the challenge.

German Treasure HuntYear 5 had a taste of German on Friday 23

September. With the help of Mrs Fernandes and Mrs Aldous, the girls learned the names of

school subjects in German. They then moved außerhalb (outside!) and used the beautiful grounds for a treasure hunt, which involved looking for picture clues about subjects and

completing a crossword. They all worked hard to find the hidden mystery word. Everyone had

great fun. Viel Spaß!

This term, girls at Prep learnt about the work of the research vessel ‘Joides Resolution’. The girls were given a virtual tour of the ship and saw the laboratories and equipment used for testing the chemical and physical properties of rocks. The girls gained a better understanding of earthquakes and the real life of a research scientist.

Marist music is certainly alive, vibrant and growing. In November, ninety two girls took to the stage for a fantastic musical afternoon. They opened the concert with their version of ‘In the Jungle’. We were then treated to Violin Ensemble, Guitar Trios, Swing Band, Recorder Consorts, Orchestra, Cellists and String Ensembles as well as the Choirs. Well done to all performers and thank you to all staff and parents for their support and generous donations towards the Music Department.

PE ReportHockey SuccessWell done to four of our Prep girls who participated in the St Bernard’s Quick Stick Hockey Tournament in October. We played six games in total; winning three and drawing three – a proud unbeaten record.

Netball TriumphsOur Year 6 netball team came 2nd in The Senior Netball Tournament with our Year 5 team claiming 3rd place.

Our IAPS training squads have also been participating in tournaments for older girls to help develop their exposure to more challenging games with taller competitors. The girls performed incredibly well and were placed 3rd in the Downe House, St Mary’s and St George’s Tournaments.

Year 6 donned mop caps and aprons in order to learn more about the role domestic servants played in Victorian Britain. At Preston Manor, the girls were “put through their paces” by the stern housekeeper, Mrs Storey, and the head housemaid, Miss Rose, who helped the girls learn how to wash and sweep, lay the table correctly and make jam tarts. At Hove Museum, the girls used their detective skills to explore a variety of Victorian artefacts and determine their uses.

Year 6 Trip

Musical Afternoon

Carol ServiceA spectacular and moving Carol Service took place on Friday 2 December. Key Stage 2 girls

delighted the audience with a mixture of carols and readings all beautifully performed. It’s memories of school day occasions such as

this that we treasure throughout our lives.

RAF VisitAs part of a focus on British values, The Marist Prep hosted visitors from the RAF. They gave a short talk explaining the role of the RAF and we had the privilege of being the first school to see a video they have produced on the different stages of getting a pilot in the air. A female flight lieutenant told the girls about her role as an Aerospace Battle Manager and her life in the forces as a female officer.

We then headed outside to the playground, where a 10-man lifeboat was set up. The girls had the opportunity to look through night vision binoculars, try on fighter pilot helmets, and feel the weight of the heavy protective vests.

Our Term In Pictures

Simplicity • Presence • Family • Spirit • Love of Work • In A Marist Way

Year 9 County Netball

Infant Nativity

Year 4 Trip

Mr McCloskeymeets Santa’s helpers

Gunpowder Plot Treasure Hunt

Fire Day

Marist Values Competition

Senior Christmas Lunch

Poetry Competition

Mr McCloskey at the Bazaar

Out and about for Early Years pupils

HouseArt Competition

Christmas Bazaar

Prep MusiciansPerform at Open Morning

ChristmasCarols

ArtClub

Recorder Club

Early Years Nature Trail

German Festival

Jumping for joy at Condover Hall

Year 1s Outdoor Learning

PresentationEvening

A musical afternoon

A storytelling afternoon

Reception First Day

Harvest Festival

Harvest Festival

Our Term In Pictures

Simplicity • Presence • Family • Spirit • Love of Work • In A Marist Way

Lynwood

Year 7 in Geography

Marist girls in the Sports Hall

Early Years Nativity

Year 6 Preston Manor Trip

Year 4Outdoor Learning

Author Visit

Welcome to our new Year 7

Our new Prep IAPS Captains

ChristmasLunch

Bob’s Spacecraft

Year 5 German Treasure Hunt

TES Awards Nominations

Year 12 Retreat

Busy HouseMeetings

Sports Hall Day 1

Oxbridge Talks

Cutinghair forcharity

Calamity Jane

Lourdes Concert

LAMDA certificates presentation

Remembrance Day

Year 1 Sunninghill Trip

MaristFriendsEvent

On Monday 19 September, members of the Ascot Rotary Club visited The Marist to present awards to girls who submitted winning entries in the summer photography competition, based on the theme ‘Our World is Beautiful’.

Millie, Year 13, came first in the local and regional categories and was put forward for the national category, a huge achievement. Isabella, Year 12, came runner-up in the senior local category.

In the intermediate category, Mia, Year 8, was the winner at the local level and was highly commended at regional, Alex, Year 10, came runner-up in the local category and Charlotte, Year 10, was highly commended in the local category.

Such a great achievement and against strong competition.

Rotary Club Photography Winners

On 11 October, Year 10 Art students visited the National Gallery in London to expand their knowledge of the projects they are studying, focusing on the theme of food. There were numerous paintings to view on this topic, with one particular painting of Joachim Beuckelaer’s, ‘The Four Elements’, providing an original perspective and food for future thought.

National GalleryTrip

This term, we have been lucky to see two fantastic productions in the West End. Year 9 loved watching ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’ and have been inspired by many of the techniques which they have used in their own practical work. The GCSE and A Level students were mesmerised by the stunning set design and moving performances in ‘Things I know to be true’.

We also welcomed ‘The Watermill’ to Bligh Hall with their adaptation of ‘Frankenstein’, and ‘Multi-Story’ brought us two performances for Years 7 and 8. In addition to this, Year 11 had the opportunity to work with acclaimed devising company ‘Scene Productions’ at an after school workshop where they all produced superb original physical theatre.

Drama Club has been as popular as ever and our Drama Captains have created a brilliant programme of activities for Years 7 and 8 which has included improvisation games, script-work and skill development.

Drama Report

Calamity JaneThe girls delighted audiences with a timeless tale of love, friendship and identity in their 2016 production of ‘Calamity Jane’. The Senior Hall was transformed into the late 19th Century Wild West, with the large cast, consisting of girls from Year 7 to Year 13, recreating the exploits of hard-riding, gun toting, boastful tomboy ‘Calam’ and her friends.

Condover Hall Tour 2016In September, we took 20 Year 8 and 9 girls to Condover Hall for the annual GSA Netball Tournament. Girls were fortunate enough to meet and be coached by current and former England Netball Captains, Sara Bayman and Pamela Cookey. The girls did so well: our Year 8s were awarded Plate Runners-Up and our Year 9s were placed in the Trophy competition.

Berkshire Netball Schools County ChampionshipsIn October, we entered two teams into the Berkshire Netball Schools County Championships. Our U14 and U16 teams were dominant in their pool games with the U14s undefeated throughout. Both teams progressed to the Semi-Finals where the U16s narrowly lost in a thrilling final game. The U14s beat Maiden Erlegh and progressed to the Final; they now advance on to the South Regional Tournament in late January.

Downe House Netball TournamentCongratulations to our Year 7 netball team who were the overall winners at the Downe House Netball Tournament in November. The girls won every match.

Berkshire Hockey ChampionshipsAt the recent Berkshire Hockey Championships, both our U14 and U16 teams made it through to the Cup elements of the competition. The girls played superbly with our U14 team finishing 4th in the Cup and our U16 team finishing 5th in the Cup.

PilatesFollowing the arrival of Mrs Bailey in September, pupils have been enjoying Pilates as part of their curriculum. We are delighted to be able to offer this activity to our girls and they are appreciating the opportunity to develop a new set of skills.

PE Report

To honour Remembrance Day this year, pupils were asked to create their own individual poppy cross. The girls created a beautiful array of crosses, each composed of handcrafted poppies, made using a variety of media such as buttons, paint, crochet, knitting and fabric.

The crosses were arranged into the shape of a large cross outside the Senior school to signify the sacrifice made by so many. It formed a focus for the Remembrance Service, where pupils gathered to hear a poem read by the current Head Girl and a poignant performance of “The Last Post” by Year 11 pupil Rebecca, before observing a dignified two minute silence.

Remembrance at The Marist

Girls in Years 7-13 showcased their language skills by participating in the ‘Fiesta Poetica.’ The competition involved girls reading poetry in different languages; some girls even wrote their own poems. We heard French, Italian, German and Flemish and Mr McCloskey was even persuaded to present an Irish poem!

Fiesta Poetica

Senior girls participated in the annual Christmas Carol Service at the Sacred Heart Church, Sunningdale. This was a reflective and moving end to the Autumn Term, which really showcased the high standard of musicality that we are blessed with here at The Marist.

Senior Carol Service

Top performers were recognised at our annual presentation evening. Guest of honour at the event was Jenny Scott, a former Marist Pupil. Jenny went on to study economics at Cambridge University and worked at the Bank of England as an economist, before joining BBC News as Economics Correspondent. She is currently Executive Director, Communications at the Bank of England.

A truly inspirational speaker who engaged parents and inspired girls. Her candour and her fond memories of The Marist were interspersed with sound advice and practical career guidance, which was genuinely appreciated. Jenny’s inspirational speech from the evening can be found by visiting the Latest News section on our website www.themarist.com

Presentation Evening

In September, we welcomed back one of our former Marist pupils, Olivia Bertram. Olivia is in her second year at Keble College, Oxford, reading Geography. In true Marist spirit, Olivia shared her experiences in a bid to help inspire and inform younger girls in our Marist family. Olivia spoke about the infamous Oxbridge interview, how to choose between Oxbridge and Cambridge, and how to discern between colleges at the application stage.

Annabel’s ArtworkTo celebrate The Marist’s bicentenary, Year 13 Art student Annabel was commissioned by the Governors to create a unique piece of artwork for the school.

Taking 65 hours in total to complete, Annabel’s ceramic masterpiece was inspired by her Extended Project Qualification piece, based on the work of Spanish Catalan architect, Antoni Gaudi. The piece features a variety of patterns, symbols and colours, portraying the character values and identity of the school. It will be displayed in the Sports Hall in due course.

To read more about the creation of Annabel’s ceramic artwork, visit the school website www.themarist.com

Maristine Oxbridge Talk

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Friday 21 October 2016 marked a day of celebration for The Marist as the school’s new £2.5m multi-purpose Sports Hall was unveiled. Marist Sisters, Governors, senior management,

staff, and pupils came together to attend a low-key reception to mark the formal handover of the keys from Mr Paul Bath, Site Manager for Claude Fenton Construction, to the Marist Trustees.Since half term, there has been a real buzz in the new building, with all year groups across the school enjoying regular sessions in the hall. Key Stage 4 and 5 pupils have been actively using the fitness suite alongside discovering their new-found passion for playing badminton.

It has been wonderful to see the girls engaging in a variety of new sports and we look forward to offering further sporting opportunities and activities during the academic year.

Sports Hall Doors Open

TES AwardsOut of 2500 independent

schools in the UK, we were delighted to be

shortlisted for two TES Independent School

Awards at The Grosvenor House Hotel, in London.

We were finalists for Best Independent-Maintained

School Collaboration and Marketing/

Communications Campaign of the Year.

While we may not have won this year, be assured…we

intend to be back again.

70 Years inSunninghill

As we look ahead to the New Year, 2017 marks a special anniversary for the school as The Marist celebrates 70

years at our current site in Sunninghill.

Throughout the course of the year, we will be holding events

and activities to help commemorate this

important milestone as we celebrate both the

past and present at The Marist.

Watch this space for details.

This fun-filled festive evening sold out in record time and forged closer bonds of friendship and community across the school.

Marist FriendsChristmas Gathering