Clifton College Website

Hallward's House Newsletter

Summer Term – 2007

A very busy term comes quite abruptly to an end, or so our Leavers feel. No sooner have they started at Clifton than the time swiftly brings their time here to an end and there are tears, hugs and promises of keeping in touch with one another. It has been a special few years for those girls in Hallward’s who are now leaving us and moving on to greater things, but years which I hope they will remember and hold closely to their hearts in years to come.

The term has held many an event, even though the external examinations have demanded the girls’ time and efforts in abundance. We took quite a few girls with us to Chitty Chitty Bang Bang in May and took up the entire front row of the Grand Circle where we enjoyed the very best view of the show. There have been suppers and film nights and other events which have proved successful.

House Music Evening

Jeremy and I were very pleased indeed with the organisation and success of the joint Music Evening with North Town. It was lovely to hear Katie King and Damaris Dresser playing their guitars and Emily Shalash sing so beautifully. Zoe Holbrook and Charlotte Pierce performed beautifully too as did all those participating. The music was very good and impressed even the most critical of the audience, but along with that was the camaraderie of working towards a joint goal. The Upper Sixth of both Houses worked as a team to raise £200 from the sale of cakes and refreshments to purchase fruit trees for the Children’s Hospice’s new orchard in Wraxhall, Somerset.

LAMDA Examinations

The numbers taking LAMDA exams this year doubled and in our second session of the year we had more than fifty candidates taking their Grade 5 and Bronze medal examinations in Acting. I was very pleased indeed with the results and those in Hallward’s who worked so hard should be very proud of their results: Katie Laycock with Distinction, Aimee Freeland and Eloise Ladkin with Merits.

Junior Play

The Junior Play this year was written by Simon Miller (Director of Drama). We were very proud to see so many of our girls involved and particular note should be made of Katie Laycock’s and Damaris Dresser’s performances. It is one traditional piece of Commem which sometimes can be overlooked as there is so much else on offer, but I would recommend that if you have not been to one of these performances that you give it a try next year - bearing in mind that this play encompasses the younger members of the school, it is exceptionally well performed and definitely worth a relaxing hour of time.

Rowing

I have been very proud indeed of Polly Le Vaillant and Emily Shalash who came first in the House Rowing Competition for the first time - another trophy for our honours board! Mention too must go to Polly who has been awarded the Bladeswoman of the Year award too. The girls have really worked hard and enjoyed this sport and I wish them every success in it next year.

Commemoration Day

Commem for Hallward’s became very quickly known as "Hallward’s Hog" and seemed to be a popular change from the usual salmon. The weather helped of course and it was so lovely to see the new back garden being used. My thanks go to the Lower Sixth who helped with this event so very well and gave the Upper Sixth a chance to relax and be pampered. The Tug-o-war event was, of course, very popular with the girls and the girls in the Upper Sixth are still discussing the rights and wrongs of the decision-making!

Leavers

As always this is a time to say goodbye to a number of girls in the House:

5th form: Stephanie Herbert and Emma Dauban both leave for pastures new and we wish both of them every happiness and success in their futures and we will certainly miss their enthusiasm greatly.

Lower 6th: Vera Naumann who returns to Germany and Bianca Buzancic who returns to Austria both leave to continue their studies in order to be accepted by their own universities in a year’s time. They have been great fun this year and we wish them all the very best in their futures.

Upper 6th: Laura Crombe, Anna Frolova, Christiane Gackenholz, Antonia Glanfield, Zoe Holbrook, Harriet Jones, Sophie Midgley, Sophie Noott, Ushma Patel, Georgina Whicher and Leila Yan are all leaving to begin their new step on the ladder either at university or on their gap years. The university choices this year span Pharmacy, Business Studies, Philosophy and Languages. They have planned exciting summers and I do wish them all the success when the results come in as they really do deserve to achieve - they have worked very hard indeed for their A levels and my fingers are tightly crossed. It will be very sad to have to say goodbye to the girls and Jeremy and I will, as always, find this quite difficult, but we wish them well and hope that they will stay in contact in the future.

As promised, I have organised a reunion for the Old Hallwardians on the first Sunday of the term in September and invitations will be going out for this very soon. I do hope that many of the girls will be able to make it and meet up with old friends who perhaps left the year before.

Prefects and House Sixths

Sophie Noott has been tremendous as a Head of House in all she has achieved this term and has studied hard for her A levels too and I thank her tremendously for her enthusiasm and loyalty through the year. She has been ably assisted by Harriet Jones, Zoe Holbrook, Ushma Patel, Anna Frolova, Christiane Gackenholz and Sophie Midgley.

I would like to say a particular thank you to Harriet and Ushma at this point as they have been remarkable in encouraging loyalty and house spirit throughout the year and as such have both been awarded (jointly) the House Cup. This is an award only given once a year and it was impossible to choose between the two girls and so they share it and their names will go on the House Cup Board.

Next term, the role of Head of House will go to Sarah Moody, who has also been made a School Prefect this term. She has proved to be reliable and trustworthy in all respects and I know will take on the role with enthusiasm and passion.

Other news

Miss Sarah Allton will be leaving us to take on her new role as Head of Department for Classics at Taunton - it will certainly be our loss and their gain and I shall miss her very much as she has given me such wonderful support since we opened the House in 2004. We wish her every happiness in her new future which will begin with her marriage to Dr. Paul Hearn on 14th July at Clifton College Chapel.

We also say goodbye to Mrs Janet McDermott who has only been with us for one year, but who has been such support to her tutor group and has been so willing to help out in every way possible. We shall certainly miss her enthusiasm and wish her success and happiness in the future.

Of course, as people leave, others come in to take their places and the new Assistant Housemistress will be Miss Charlotte Graveney who is very keen to get started and to get to know the girls. I know that this will be a popular appointment and that the girls will really enjoy having her here. The new tutor will be Mrs. Gillian Donald who will be taking a Sixth form group and we will welcome both her and Miss Graveney properly in September. All the other tutors remain the same and will be keen to get to know their new tutor groups in September.

The annual house trip has had to be postponed this year as the date we always use (14th October) has been booked by the school for the Girls’ Fun Run in aid of an African charity which helps women set up businesses in their countries. The girls will be encouraged to invite their mothers, grandmothers, aunties and sisters to the Fun Run Day at Ashton Court where you can choose to run or walk around the circuit to celebrate 20 years of girls at Clifton College. It should be a very entertaining day and we shall take the girls there with picnics (hoping for good weather!).

We will certainly organise another day to take the girls out and we are hoping that this will be to Wookey Hole and Cheddar for cream teas - more information about this next term!

Of course, we also have the new dance studio to look forward to in September and this, I hope, will be something the girls will want to try out and experience - whether it be rock n roll, salsa, ballet or tap! Don’t forget that this is an opportunity open to parents too so please do contact me if you are keen to be involved. It is never too late to enrol!

As I write this the girls are preparing to go on their Away Days to various parts of the country and, indeed the world it seems! I sincerely hope that the girls all have a wonderful holiday with their families and friends when term breaks up, and that they enjoy a jolly good rest after the examination season. Jeremy and I look forward to welcoming them back, along with the large contingent of new girls to Hallward’s, in September, whom I am sure will very soon find their feet and make new friends.

With very best wishes to you all,

Karen and Jeremy Pickles

© 2006-8 Clifton College