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Fountain
The
Spring 2019
Sawston Village College’s Termly Magazine Issue 59
The annual West Road Concert was as popular as ever. Read all about it on Page 16.
In this issue:
Year 7 Mosque Trip Page 5 Into Film Awards Page 13
World Book Day Page 6 Year 11 Scripted Performances Page 14
Berlin Trip Page 11 Intermediate Maths Challenge Page 18
Reworking Wordsworth Script Two
Last night started as every summer evening does; the meadows were
The pieces of creative writing below by Year 10s are inspired by 44
lines called ‘Stealing the Boat’ from Wordsworth’s great basking in the final warm rays of the sun and the lake by the rocky
autobiographical poem The Prelude. cove glimmered in the re-orange light. Approaching a little boat tied
to a willow tree, I gently unloosed its rusty steel chain and stealthily
Script One pushed the boat away from shore. At first, I found myself quite a
The little fishing boat I had been watching was still there when I natural at rowing and grinned proudly at my confidence. As glittering
checked this morning. At the point the boat itself was begging to stars began to emerge in the grey sky, I set my eyes determinedly on
reach the waters, I was simply helping it. The winds swirling through the far horizon. My boat glided like a swan, effortlessly ploughing
the trees’ thoughts and setting sun urged me forward, calling me through the silent water.
along until the knot entangling my small escape to land was undone, Despite my endeavours, as I approached the looming horizon, a black
and the boat was there, finally. mass arose from the water with tremendous power and looked down
Grabbing the oars at either side, I began my journey. The cooling upon me. I felt fear. Fear I could not control or understand so, in
depths were a mystery no more and were now my kingdom. And like peril, I swerved the boat around and used my oars to strike and strike
a king, I soared through the waters effortlessly. How could it not come again at the water. I fled the mountains and their echoes and finally
so naturally to everyone else? The water shaped my boat and it glided arrived back to the safety of the swaying willow tree.
forward, welcoming the glorious displays of nature either side. The Relieved, I went home through the dark meadows in solitude,
grey sky comforted my doubts, the swirling wind emptied my thoughts contemplating the events I had just experienced. My dreams are
and the smoothened rocks sheltered my fears. Never had I felt so disturbed by this nightmarish occurrence. My mind keeps replaying
alive, the world was at the tip of my oars, the only thing stopping me the image of the sudden appearance of the huge mass in the water.
was the endless horizon. So, like the undefeated champion I was, I set What was it? Did I imagine it? Was it just the night playing tricks on
my finish line as the ridge furthest from me; the horizon itself seemed my eyes? I cannot remember the beauty of the landscape that night.
closer than this seemingly impossible goal. Yet I was unstoppable, the I feel forever changed by this experience.
unsinkable. Matt Galloway, Year 10
As I rowed, nature darkened around me yet brought new senses of
comfort and adventure. The stars guided my way, the moon fuelled
my gradually aching arms and the dark sky blanketed me from cold.
Despite the darkness, I was free and reaching the horizon.
I looked up once more to regain my focus when my horizon was
shattered. A looming monster and stomped forward, crushing the
ridge and all beyond it, and now it had turned on me. Where had it
come from? I had seen the endless horizon but not this. I spun the
boat around and suddenly the stars mocked my navigation, the moon
pulled down the little energy I had, and the dark sky sent chills to
torment me. Had the vicious mountain overtaken nature?
I raced to reach back to the cove and the willow tree that had offered
comfort to me before, yet the mountain shadowed my vision. I could
not move forward. How I would ever reach safety I did not know. The
monster breathing down my neck, I heaved up all the energy I could
muster and powered, with little power, back to land.
Somehow I reached my willow tree. My boat had survived and
surprisingly, I had too. Yet the swirling winds chased me home and
tormented me with the trees’ thoughts, the sun having long ago set.
The meadow back home was no longer my playground but now a new
fortress of fear. For that evening, nature had shown me its true
nature. And now I knew. Lucy Fallon,
Alice Sausman, Year 10 Year 10
2
Welcome
A very warm welcome to the spring edition of The
Fountain magazine, so ably edited by our Pupil
Senate. We are enormously grateful to the work of
the Senate, and indeed to all our pupils who take on
leadership roles, whether in sports, the arts or in
other areas. As the Year 11s turn their focus to
their exams, we wish them the very best of luck and
hope that the next group of aspiring leaders will do
just as good a job.
In the pages of this edition, you can find so many Principal Mr Russell, dressed appropriately
pupils leading the way, whether through in character, read from Shakespeare’s
photography, painting, music, maths, poetry or Hamlet to a group of keen readers in the
adventure further afield. As John Quincy Adams library in Book Week.
said, ‘If your actions inspire others to dream more,
learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.’ There are clearly so many young people that seize every opportunity,
embrace the broad curriculum we offer them and give back to our community through their actions. They are the true leaders
of tomorrow and we are proud to call them Sawston Village College pupils.
Mr Russell, Principal
Welcome from the Senate Heads and Deputies
and also Farewell
Amelia Perry We would like to welcome you to this, our final Fountain magazine, and,
Senate Head at the same time, also say our farewells.
It is indeed strange to think that our time as Heads and Deputies of the
Senate is almost up as we have had such a wonderful time learning
about and organising many of the activities here in school. We would
Rowan Mather like to take a moment to thank everyone who got involved in the past
Senate Deputy year, by either attending the forums, running an event or buying a piece
of cake for a fundraiser! It truly would not have been possible to raise
money or to improve the school as we have without you. The forums
always need as much pupil support as possible, so we urge everyone to
come along in Forum Week to have your say!
We would also like to wish the Year 10s currently applying for the Senate
the best of luck. We are confident that whoever is selected will make a
fantastic team and will work hard on behalf of both pupils and the
school.
Jake Dann Sullivan Bishop Amelia Perry and Sullivan Bishop, Senate Heads
Senate Deputy Senate Head Jake Dann and Rowan Mather, Senate Deputies
3
Duty
Update His eyes used to be bright like emerald diamonds and
Red Nose Day, International Women’s Day, an International Quiz, meeting other yet now they were darker, like the vast deep blue sea,
schools, compiling the Fountain... lines on his face that were originally made from
laughing now caught his tears…
In our final term of office, the Senate has been busy organising various events, As the glowing, golden sun stretched its way up the
such as Comic Relief and International Women’s Day awareness. Comic relief early morning sky, sun rays shone through the flags
was a huge success, and banners that decorated the skies. It was an
with £1,000 being unforgettable day - I remember it well. Colourful paper
raised through many bunting hung precariously between the houses.
activities. Mothers crying with pride and children cheering with
For the glee as the troops marched their way through the
second streets, moving in a swift, smooth movement like a flag
time, in the wind. It was an honourable day. A proud
members momentous event as the Kamikaze were called for
of the their duty.
Senate put When the parade was finished, families rushed for
themselves their final goodbyes. I remember desperately crying
forward for and seeing his familiar face. Shining bright blue eyes
‘Splat the showered me with love and glory as the sun-flares
Senate’. beamed behind him, making him seem like some sort
of angelic figure. He stood tall, reaching the stars in his
Senate blood red kamikaze uniform. My heart flooded with
Heads and pride as I hugged him tight.
Deputies
“Go and dedicate your life to our country,” mother
yelled, kissing him hastily. “You will never be
Farewell from the Forum Chairs and Sports Captains. We hope pupils coming into
forgotten.” Clapping, confetti and congratulations
these roles will continue the good work and we wish them all the very best.
cascaded down town as the soldiers marched into the
Georgina Wrigley, Rosie Oliver plane.
and Hannah Gillott As the sun began to sink slowly into the horizon,
golden, glorious rays melted into the darkness. Confetti
Isabel Weston, Flora Bett scattered the streets, flags hung onto the post and
and Maya Pilkington bunting crawled back into families’ homes, as if waiting
for another occasion. Contentedly, sitting around the
Bea Henderson, Tiago Conceicao table, a pang of desperation and loss pricked me.
and Annika Kainth
Looking at the flag resting on his chair, I knew he had
gone.
Annabelle Hoare, Harvey Skellern
and Amber Merry A knock at the door.
Cautiously, I peaked around it.
Lena van Dongen, Phoebe Poulter-Kerry
Emerald blue eyes drenched by tears met mine. His
and Emily Rose
eyes drenched me.
Jess Murray and Alex Jones
Mayah Ramachandran, Year 11
4
Suddenly, she heard a sucking sound from behind; it was only faint
The Lady Next Door and she turned around to see where it was coming from. There was
A short story in the style of Roald Dahl nothing there. Her sister lay quietly but she was very pale, as if the
colour had just drained out of her face. Claire thought nothing of it.
On an ordinary street, in an ordinary town, there were ordinary She turned back towards her bed. She got back into bed and
houses. They were the type that have quaint front gardens with snuggled under the covers; the house colder than usual because the
emerald green grass and trees that are pruned so they are almost heating had broken last week. Claire lay down and stared at the
circular. The kind of street that has a pathway by the side of the blue-grey patch on the wall - it was where they had run out of
road. pale-pink paint.
A street just like yours and mine. Claire drifted off to sleep.
It was a normal day, two sisters had just got home from school and The sun had not yet risen. So Claire tip-toed over to the window
they had finished their tea. The sun was setting over the houses as where she looked over at the old lady from next door; she was still
the two sisters were being put to bed. Once their mother had left sitting on the bench, yet her hair was not quite the same as it was
the room they lay there in silence. The older sister’s name was last night. It seemed to have more colour and more of a shine to it.
Claire. Claire had short brown hair, unlike her sister’s long golden
Suddenly, a beam of moonlight hit the old lady’s window. Inside the
hair, and her eyes were a soft shade of hazel, yet her sister’s were house were pictures; they seemed to fill the whole room, covering
bright blue with tiny flecks of white; they glistened like snowflakes.
every wall and table. Claire could see familiar faces and they seemed
Once her sister had drifted off to sleep, Claire got out of her bed and to be smiling at her.
tip-toed over to the window. She had lived there all her life so she
In fact they looked just like her and her sister.
knew that the old lady who lived next door went and sat on the
bench at the end of her garden every night, until the crack of dawn, They looked like the picture that they had taken the day before.
when the smallest streak of light danced its way back across the sky. In that moment, the old lady got up. She looked younger, more alive.
She knew that the old man that lived across the road had a new lady Once she had got half way across the garden, she seemed to change,
round every Friday for dinner. She knew that the couple that lived at seemed frailer and older again. Then the same sucking sound began
the end of her road had four children (two babies, one teenage boy again but this time it only lasted for a short moment. Again, she
and a twenty-one year-old girl who was training to be a doctor). turned to see what was going on and, as she did so, the colour
Claire was correct. It was Friday and the old man had a new lady seemed to run back into her sister’s face.
round, and the old lady next door was sitting at the end of her Charlotte Stafferton, Year 8
garden on the bench.
they pray and what preparations they have
Year 7 Mosque Trip to do for prayer (wash).
On 22 January my classmates and I went on Our female teachers with us had to cover
our first school trip of Year 7 - to the their hair as a sign of respect, but the Year 7
mosque in pupils did not have to do this. After a quick
Cambridge. We break, the Imam spoke to us about the
had the chance to different areas in the mosque and what the
listen to the Imam purposes of these were. We then got to
of the mosque, look around the different rooms before
and he explained heading back to school. I found the trip very
what the five informative and having the opportunity to
pillars of Islam ask our questions to the Imam was great. I
are. We got to feel I have learnt a lot about the Muslim
see where people way of life.
pray in the Ellen Arthur, Year 7
mosque, how Pupils made their own mosques for homework.
5
World Book Day
On Thursday 7 March, World Book Day was celebrated internationally and as a school, we
held many events through the week leading up to this.
During lunch and break times, some teachers read extracts from their favourite books. Mr
Phoenix Holland read from Hello World by Hannah Fry. Throughout the day on Thursday,
we heard parts of a short story by Anthony Horowitz from his collection, Horowitz Horror.
It was a chilling tale with an
unexpected twist and, as we
heard it at intervals, the
tension remained high. On
Friday we had a non-uniform
day and had the opportunity
to dress up as a book
character. I dressed up as the
Junior Doctor from This is
Going to Hurt by Adam Kay!
Amber Dixon-Allsopp, Year 8
Sawston Book Week saw pupils and staff participating in a wide range of engaging activities.
6
You may expect for triumph I shall never disembark, I’ll Fight
With your sceptical and searing remark, Poem about climate change (to government)
You may disregard my determined drive,
Deem me to be stabbing in the dark, You may tell me I’m a liar,
But still, like an athlete, I strive. And preach that I’m not right.
You may ignore my angered cries
Does my hunger to rise upset you? But still, constant, I’ll fight
Why should I matter if you don't approve?
As I am a physicist, Does my voice not matter to you?
Always with things to prove. As with my support you will not gain
Votes for your election
Just like stars and galaxies,
To win your childish game.
I gaze deeper to the future,
Similar to a miner's relentless will to survive, Just like dodos and like bees
I discover not just right or wrong, like literature Our world will blight,
Because I strive. Just as waves will crash
Do you want to see my failure? But still, I’ll fight.
Three Heads of House as Three Blind Bowed head and lowered eyes? Do you want to destroy our home?
Like a declining entrepreneur, To cause the irreversible, smite?
Mice in Book Week
In reality your motivating madness is a blessing in disguise. Destroy all future lives
You may plague me with your green-eyed jealousy, Does that feel right?
Of my ambition you try to deprive,
Poetry You may barrage me with your words,
Yet still, like a warrior. I strive.
Is your power what’s important?
And gaining money of your own
Here you can find some poems inspired To own piles of riches,
I strive, And a fancy home.
by Maya Angelou's I Rise. The poems
Into a landscape wondrously open for opportunity, You may ignore my cries again,
were written by a Year 9 English group. I strive, You may refuse to be contrite
And still at the grand, old age of seventy-five, You may resent my actions
You can push me to the ground
Sniggering oh so surreptitiously in a sprightly jive, But still, hopeful, I’ll fight.
You can hit me with your words
I strive,
You can hurt me all you want
I strive, Does my rising support annoy you?
But you will never see me cry
And still -- Does it come as a shock?
And still -- That in the young community
Do you think I’m weak?
I STRIVE. Global neglection ‘aint hot!
Do you think I have no fight in me?
Well you can say what you want George Nelson, Year 9 Although I’m losing a battle,
But you will never see me cry I’ll fight
You can cast your icy glance at me, For future humans and cattle,
I may feel hurt inside Beat me and tear me with your sadistic hand. I’ll fight
I may feel all alone Calculate your manipulation, I will cause change as I will never lose sight,
But I won’t let your little insults drag me down But still, as strong as titanium, I stand. Never will I compromise, on what I know is right.
And you will never see me cry Have I offended you with my courage? Leaving behind the naïve behaviour
That I can see through your bitter, poisoned fist? I’ll fight
Is it hard to feel happy? Drowned in your lies and torture, To do the world a serious favour
When you know how much you hurt me But not blinded by the dense, malicious mist. I’ll fight
When you know the harm you’ve caused
Just like roaring waves, Infinite hope we must ignite
Now you know how it feels
And the vastness of gilded sand, To do what we all know is right!
Like a spark among battered oak, We’ll fight
No matter how hard you try
I am strong, We’ll fight
No matter how sad I feel
I am courageous, We’ll fight
No matter how many emotions run through me
You will never see me cry I stand.
Elena Hughes, Year 9 Grace Taylor, Year 9 Ella Vaughan, Year 9
7
CEIAG Little Princess Trust Haircut
Eyes on the Prize Last half term, one of my pupils wrote a speech in order to
persuade people that there was something that could be done
In January, all Year 9 pupils visited to help children and young people who had lost their hair
Anglia Ruskin University for the ‘Eyes through chemotherapy feel better: that
on the Prize’ event. The aim of the was, to donate hair to be made into a
day is to increase motivation, wig, so that they could feel like
aspiration and knowledge in the run themselves again. The speech, with its
up to the options process. Pupils emotive personal anecdote, was so
were given a guided tour of the persuasive that I felt compelled to do as
university from current students and she had suggested. So, I decided that I
also had an opportunity to visit the trade fair and explore the potential would donate my hair to The Little
careers and higher educational paths that they may wish to follow. One of Princess Trust in order to help someone
the highlights of the day was visiting the new Science building and seeing the feel more like themselves in the midst
level of technical resources available to a university. of their suffering. I have had very long
Mr Burgess, Assistant Principal hair for 10 years, so this was not an Before
easy decision but I knew it would make
Careers Fair Year 11 somebody feel happy and help them to
cope with the challenges they were
Year 11s all have the subject CEIAG
facing, so I was determined to make the
(Careers, Education, Information,
most of it. I immediately set about
Advice and Guidance). As part of
fundraising to increase the benefit that
this, we had a Careers Fair with
would be created through the donation
representatives from local
of my hair. I am very pleased to say
businesses, as well as two
that, through the generous support of
universities. Each person was very
colleagues and friends, I managed to
approachable, but I was particularly
raise over £300 for The Little Princess
fascinated by the photographer as she had had a complete change in career.
Trust. It will take some getting used to
She talked about the benefits and limitations of being self-employed,
my short hair, but I feel incredibly lucky
including the variance in availability of work. Overall, I found the event
to have had so much to share.
helpful for my own career path, and it was interesting to learn about others. After
Miss Eve, English Teacher
Isabel Overton, Year 11
Invitation to Year 11s
to join the Alumni Network
The photograph on the left shows Year 11 pupils getting ready
for their final photograph together as a year group and is a
reminder that they will be leaving us shortly.
We wish everyone in the year group all the best for the
forthcoming exams and for the future.
Please keep in touch by joining our Alumni Network at
www.sawstonvc.org/alumni
Please use a personal email address, not your school address,
when you register.
8
Cambridgeshire Young
Artists Exhibition
During half term week, Sawston Village College was host
to the Cambridgeshire Area Young Artists Competition
(CAYAC). This is an annual event, now in its fifth year,
and is sponsored by the Arts Society. Schools in the
county can submit a selection of their pupils’ work for
the exhibition. The submitted work showcases the
creativity and diversity of the visual arts in education
from pre-school to A level, and the standard of work
entered is always very high. This year 47 schools took
part, submitting 167 pieces of work, and more than 400
people visited the exhibition. We were delighted to
have Graziella Wratten's landscape painting win the KS3
category. Congratulations to all who took part!
Mrs Day, Head of Art
Lucy Fallon, Year 10 adds:
The exhibition aims to offer young artists the experience
of showing their work to members of the public, in
addition to gaining recognition and prizes for their work.
There was no specific theme or medium, which gave
everyone lots of freedom and meant there was a wide
range of work, ranging from watercolour landscapes to
acrylic portraits and collages. I found it really interesting
to see such a range of artwork in one exhibition and I
liked the fact that the younger artists’ work was valued
as much as A level pieces. They had also made cards out
of some of the artworks, giving people the opportunity
to take some of the pieces home, which was a really
nice addition to it all. I feel that anyone who came to
see the exhibition would have been as inspired as I was.
#Techognition
From 4-8 March, schools across the UK took part in
#TECHOGNITION week to celebrate the work that school science
technicians do on a daily basis. We would like to say thank you to
our wonderful Science Technicians and thank them for the often
unseen but essential work they do to keep the Science department
running smoothly and to allow us to do Science practicals.
Thank you to our Science Technicians Senate Heads and Deputies - on behalf of all pupils
9
FemSoc Meeting
In the Feminist Society we have been
participating in the Politics Project, an
initiative to introduce young people to
politics and political issues. As part of this,
we were able to have a video call with our
MP, Heidi Allen. We discussed her views
on Brexit, her experience as a woman in
parliament and her new political party, the
Independent Group. We were fortunate
to talk with Heidi Allen immediately after
John Bercow ruled out another vote on the
EU withdrawal agreement, so we
received the breaking news straight from
the House of Commons. The experience Pupils at iconic sites in Berlin
has given me an insight into what it is like to be an MP, and I feel
inspired by Heidi Allen’s determination and drive.
Hannah Gillott, Year 11
Trip to Hunstanton
A few weeks ago, we went on our Geography field trip to
Hunstanton to collect data for our exam. We investigated
whether the coastal management is effective at Hunstanton and
the impacts of tourism on the town also. Overall, it was a cold
but fun experience and was invaluable for our understanding of
the use of data collection and presentation techniques in
Geography.
Alex Keller, Year 11 Holocaust Memorial Day
On Holocaust Memorial Day, we had the pleasure of welcoming back
History Professor Tom Lawson, a former Sawston pupil, to give a
lecture and hold a Q+A session. In both, he spoke passionately about
the importance of remembering the Holocaust today and applying
what we have learnt to
modern politics. He also
shared a few incredibly
moving stories of people
who had survived the
Holocaust and gone on
to tell of their
experiences, relating
this to the 2019 theme,
‘Torn From Home’.
Senate Heads
and Deputies
10Day 3 - Holocaust Day
Berlin Trip We started off the day by visiting a memorial to all of
the Sinti and Roma who were murdered during the
Pallid face,
dead eyes,
Day 1 cold lips.
Holocaust, around 60,000 people. It was a really Silence.
Quickly changing clothes after Thursday’s lessons, we departed at beautiful memorial, with a still pond reflecting trees
4.00 pm. We had supper on the ferry and stayed up most of the night in A broken heart
above and was encircled by the poem, shown here. without breath,
anticipation of what awaited us. It was really sobering to see, and very important that
After the tiring coach journey, we arrived at Hotel Transit Loft around without words,
we got to learn about all of these amazing people who no tears.
midday. We checked in, left our luggage in the hotel and set out for are normally forgotten. We then walked a short
lunch. A tram strike disrupted our plans. However, many of us were more
distance to a memorial to the murdered gays. It was large and blocky and
than happy to stretch our legs after the 18-hour coach journey. We
unapologetically in the way, and worked to show that being gay is not a
briskly made our way to Alexanderplatz and separated into groups to buy choice and so cannot simply be ignored or pushed to the side.
lunch. Excited, we began the sightseeing of Berlin, discovering the World After this we visited the memorial to the murdered Jews for an audio
Clock and the Fernsehturm during our lunch break. tour, and it was so saddening to read the stories and see the pictures of
We then had an opportunity to test our memories during a guided tour so many lives that were ended far too soon. I feel I learned a lot,
around the German Historisches Museum; where we found out about the
especially about individual people and how they were personally affected,
power of Nazi propaganda. Afterwards, we visited the famous and I only wish we had had more time to listen to and read everything the
Bebelplatz and, after an informative talk from Mr Reed, we headed memorial had to offer, as I think that the small stories are just as
towards the Brandenburg Gate. The famous monument was a much important as the big ones.
anticipated opportunity for pictures and a good moment to take a break We then had a short visit to Wannsee House, the place where the
after an exciting afternoon. Once we finished our promised hot decision to ‘end the Jewish problem’ was made. This was really
chocolates on Pariser Platz, we headed back to our hotel for supper and interesting but we really needed far more time to read everything, as it
some well deserved rest. felt as if I had barely begun before we were off again.
Piotr Brys Year 11 Ensuing this, we went to Sachsenhausen, a concentration camp built in
Day 2 1936 and used as a model for other camps, before it later became a
On Day 2 we visited the German Resistance museum which told the death camp in 1943. Seeing the places where prisoners were murdered,
stories of many resistance groups who opposed Nazi rule. One of the sometimes painfully, sometimes mercifully, was truly awful and also
most notable groups was the White Rose group, who illegally printed and made me so angry at the way in which humanity has acted towards so
distributed leaflets shining a light on Nazi propaganda. It was interesting many people simply because of hate. And learning about the horrible,
to see the different ways in which people resisted the Nazis, from inhumane experiments that were forcefully done on prisoners really
listening to banned swing music to the two attempts to murder Hitler. We made me ashamed to be human.
found that it was important to recognise the different opposition groups As the day had been very heavy, we ended with a couple hours of
for what they did and acknowledge the danger that they put themselves bowling. This was loads of fun and reminded us that, as important as the
in, trying to create a more just Germany for all. past is, we must always look forwards to a better future.
Next, we went to the Olympic Stadium, which was key in Nazi Georgina Wrigley, Year 11
propaganda. Germany held the Olympics in 1936 to promote the image On the last day, we all got promptly woken up (yet again) and went
of a new, strong and united Germany, whilst hiding the unfair regime downstairs for breakfast. After half a hour or so of the usual worried
which targeted Jews and Roma.
packing, all the rooms were tidy and our cases were locked away for the
In the afternoon we visited Plotzensee Prison where the 1944 July Bomb day. We then took a brisk tram journey to the East Side Gallery. This
Plotters who attempted to murder Hitler were killed. It was a site where gallery is the remaining one mile stretch of the Berlin Wall, which has
thousands of people were executed in the years 1942-1945 for going been converted into an open air gallery for tourists. The art on the wall
against the Nazi regime. was certainly not your usual art, with political messages and other not so
Going back into the centre of Berlin we looked around the Topography of relevant pieces of art painted onto the wall. After thousands of photos
Terror museum, which had an exhibition about the SS and Gestapo, who
(where it was impossible not to look like your average English tourist) we
were responsible for enforcing terror throughout Germany. It was walked to the DDR museum which has an exhibition of Berlin during the
fascinating to see the progression throughout Hitler’s rule and how they Cold War period. Although not on our course, we were provided with two
crushed any resistance against the Nazi regime. local guides who provided extremely detailed and insightful information
In the evening we had an audio tour around the Reichstag, the German about this difficult time for Germany. Another tram to Alexanderplatz for
parliament building. We went round a dome at the very top of the some late lunch and a touch of last minute gift shopping followed.
building, which gave us a whole view of the city. It was beautiful to see
Eventually we arrived back at the hostel and turned straight back around
the city at night time and we could see many of the places we had visited to depart by coach. Another very long coach journey followed. However,
the day before.
this definitely did not overshadow a truly amazing trip.
Natalie Sheardown Year 11
Owen Armitage Year 11
11Staff in the Spotlight
Miss Evans, Mr Timms, Mrs LLoyd, Science Teacher
Acting Head of Geography ICT Systems Team Leader When you were younger, what did you want to
be when you grew up?
When you were younger, what did you want When you were younger, what did you want
Any career that involved Science appealed to
to be when you grew up? to be when you grew up? me, so I took A levels in Maths and three
I was very interested in being a How young are we talking? When I was in Sciences which have led to lots of
Radiographer, so someone who takes primary school I was very into my football opportunities in different directions. I never
X-Rays. I did some work experience at a and that was the only thing on my mind. imagined I would become a Physics teacher!
hospital to see what the job was like! What are your main hobbies/interests? What are your main hobbies or interests?
What are your main hobbies or interests? I really enjoy playing basketball. I play every I spend a lot of time looking after our pets
I am a keen reader and I enjoy spending week and hope to do so for a long time. (horse, dog and guinea pig) and enjoy
time with friends and family. I also like to Computer gaming is another main hobby, watching comedy shows and listening to
cook. who would have thought: man who works podcasts, such as "No Such Thing as a
with computers enjoys computer games. Fish". This is put together by some of the
What's your most embarrassing moment?
Another great passion for me is dogs. I have researchers from the QI TV show, who
I spent a good few months at university
grown up with dogs most of my life and present intriguing and amusing facts. My
calling a girl on my course by completely
have a great love and respect for them. favourite fact is that the Higgs boson
the wrong name! She never corrected me
What’s your most embarrassing moment? announcement was written in the (much
though!
I suppose it sounds like a cop out to say this hated) font Comic Sans.
What's your favourite part of your job? but I honestly can't think of a time when I What's your most embarrassing moment?
For my subject especially, I love seeing felt embarrassed. I have a very poor sense of direction and
pupils’ understanding and knowledge of often get lost, so have to set off in plenty of
the world develop through the different What's your favourite part of your job?
time if I'm going anywhere new. (I'm also not
topics they study. Another favourite part of It's hard to pick one as my job has lots of
very good at programming the Sat Nav.)
my job is getting to take pupils on field trips variety and lots of aspects I enjoy. If I had to
pick one though, I would say solving What's your favourite part of your job?
so they can see for real what they have I'm very proud of our Senior STEM Club,
learnt in the classroom. problems under pressure.
especially the resilience shown by pupils
If you didn’t have your current job, what
If you didn't have your current job, what working on our robotics project.
would you like to be doing?
would you like to be doing? If you didn't have your current job, what would
Dog walking/boarding, walking in the fields
If I wasn't working (and as a geographer!), I you like to be doing?
with a pack of dogs seems like bliss.
would love to travel the world and see I would probably be a Science tutor - anything
some of the amazing places I get to teach to encourage the next generation of
about! scientists.
12Whistler and Nature Into Film Awards
For part of my Silver Arts Award I visited the Sawston Village College runs a popular after
‘Whistler and Nature’ exhibition at the school filmmaking club with over 60 members
Fitzwilliam Museum on 20 February 2019. in three different groups. The groups meet on
This is quite a small exhibition as there are Thursdays in the Marven Centre in term time
only three rooms. My first impressions of and, as well as filmmaking, often get involved
Whistler’s work were that there was a high in supporting or attending the regular film
level of detail in every work, which meant screenings which take place in the Marven
there was always lots to look at. As I Centre for the local community.
travelled through the galleries, I started to This year, the Club was delighted to be one of
build a sense of which styles of Whistler’s three clubs shortlisted for the prestigious Into
work I liked the most. My favourite piece Film Awards in the ‘Secondary Club of the Year’
was ‘The Old Rag Gatherer’ from ‘the French category. Supported by the BFI and Cinema
set’. This was because his portraits were First, Into Film is an education charity which puts film at the heart of young people’s
always extremely detailed and gave me a educational, cultural and personal development, offering inspiring opportunities to learn with
sense of the action happening in front of me and about film, as well as providing resources and training for teachers.
rather than just on a page. I also really liked Members from the different groups attended the Awards Ceremony in London and, below, two
his etchings. This is because I found them of them write about this memorable experience.
interesting to look at and enjoyed studying
the amount of detail in each one. On Monday 4 March, a few other Cinema Club Hugh
I would definitely recommend this exhibition members and I went to the Into Film Awards in Bonneville,
to people, especially those who enjoy the the Odeon in London, Leicester Square. The Bill Nighy, Lily
techniques of etchings, lithographs, Japanese first thing we did was get a minibus to the train James, and
art and drawings, but it is definitely not station. Once we were at London Liverpool quite a few
limited to just people with those interests. Street, we headed to the underground and got from Harry
two trains to Leicester Square. We arrived Potter and
Amelia McKenna, Year 9 around lunch time so we went to a cafe to eat. more. After
At that point I was very excited and a bit the show
nervous. Then, we went to take a group photo there was an
outside the Odeon; it looked amazing! Then After Party
we waited in the queue to go in. While we were and we took a
waiting, we saw a number of celebrities like few photos.
Andy Serkis (who was in The Lord of the Rings And then it
film series as Gollum) and David Walliams. was time to
When we went in, it was awesome; the cinema go home.
looked amazing! At our seats there was a goody It was amazing and a once in a lifetime
bag and a poster for each of us, which was cool. experience. It has definitely inspired me about
The show was incredible. There were loads of the films we make. If I had the chance to go
celebrities like: Radzi Chinyanganya, Eddie again, I would definitely go. I loved it!
Redmayne, Jason Isaacs, Brendan Gleeson, Rachel Staines, Year 7
The awards were held in the newly-refurbished award: Lily James, David Walliams, Eddie
ODEON Luxe in Leciester Square, London. The Redmayne and many more! Unfortunately, our
venue was superb and had very comfortable club did not win in our category, but everyone
reclining seats! At the event, many popular came home happy after a brilliant day out.
celebrities appeared on stage to present each William Thomas, Year 8
13Year 11 Scripted Performances
On 6 and 7 March, each Year 11 Drama group gave their Scripted Performances. For
these, we had to pick two extracts from any play, and then rehearse and perform them
live to an examiner.
I played the role of Queenie from Be My Baby by Amanda Whittingham. The play is
about four unmarried, pregnant women from 1964 who are all living in a Church of
England-run mother and baby home. My character had many lines, but thanks to our
group’s dedication to the after school and lunchtime rehearsals, as well as Miss
Cracknell’s help, we were ready to perform on the Wednesday night. Before the show,
the examiner told us all to do our best and that she wanted to award us as many marks
as possible, which assured me greatly. Although, I missed a few lines, I am confident
that our performance went very well, and I would definitely do it again.
The other groups were also fantastic! Each actor encouraged considerable empathy
from the audience - you could almost feel the emotions of the characters. There was a
large variety in the genres of the performances, but I really enjoyed watching each one
of them.
I wish the Year 11s all the best of luck when we receive our results. Congratulations to
everyone!
Stephanie Cooper, Year 11
The Curious Throughout the first half, Christopher inspects several houses in
desperation to find out who the dog’s murderer is. He finds several
Incident of the Dog suspects, and Christopher's father becomes very angered with him and it
ends up with Christopher travelling on his own, something he has not done
in the Night-time before and which is a particular challenge for him, to his mother in London.
On 28 March, both GCSE Drama classes, and some others from the College, Then the separated parents come together to help Christopher but, due to
went to see 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time'. In my the mother's circumstances with another man, this is very difficult. There
opinion, it was incredible! It was about a fifteen year-old boy named was a lot of physicality in the play, which is key for current drama pupils to
Christopher who has Asperger's Syndrome. This character was played by understand and develop into their pieces. The play was simply fantastic
Sam Newton, the understudy, and he was still utterly enjoyable. The and I am sure everyone who saw it thought exactly the same! Definitely
overall production was about Christopher’s neighbour’s dead dog, one to watch.
Wellington, and Christopher’s journey of finding out who murdered him. Josie Rainsford, Year 10
14Awards from the Henry the scores I chose to study. I will also write a piece of music inspired
by my project.
Morris Memorial Trust I strongly recommend applying to the Trust to any pupil at Sawston
Village College - the application process is great preparation for later
The Henry Morris Memorial Trust is an exciting life, and the project can be on anything - any place or topic that
opportunity for young people between 13 and 19 interests and excites you!
in the Cambridge area, and is particularly relevant Jacob Fitzgerald, Year 11
to pupils of this school, which was founded by Henry Morris in 1930,
Alex Barrett, Year 9 , also writes:
as the first Village College.
I applied to the Henry Morris Memorial Trust because I wanted to
When Henry Morris died in 1961, a group of his friends decided to
build my confidence when speaking French (having chosen the
remember him in a way that would have been dear to his heart.
subject for my GCSEs), and thought going to France would be a good
They established a fund that could be used to enable young people
way to do this. The Trust was suggested to me by my sister and so I
to experience the joy and excitement of independent travel and
submitted a form. The idea was that I would travel to Viens, a small
study, and thereby be refreshed and inspired.
village in the south of France near Marseille, to learn the language
In the past, the Trust has funded a variety of projects including a
with a private teacher for a week, who I would be staying with for
comparison between Coventry’s and Dresden’s old cathedrals, a
the duration of the trip alongside her family. Despite my doubts, I
journey to learn about the Romans in Britain at Hadrian’s Wall, a
went to an interview on 4 March. They asked me about things like
visit to a famous harpist in Dresden to listen and learn, and the
the independence of my research and whether I would use French
production of a photographic account of New Forest ponies, among
after school. It was not a scary experience, though over 60 other
others.
people were attending. I felt the attitude was positive there, and the
My project is to investigate the development of composition and
trustees supported and respected my ideas. The interview took
notation in 20th Century Classical music, by studying some of the
place in Queens’ College, Cambridge. Even though I knew the
most influential composers and pieces of this period. I have received
interview went well, I was unaware of how tight the competition
£150 from the Trust, and aim to use this to buy original scores to
would be, and so left hopeful but unsure if I would receive funding.
study for my project. At the end of my project, I also aim to write an
However, I was excited to hear that I won a award of £600 to fund
account of my research, and what was particularly influential about
my French immersion experience.
French Connections This project will help pupils to understand and use a wider range
of French in a fun way and in a real context. ‘It helps us to improve
for Year 8 Pupils our French writing and to read how young French people say
things.’ Eliza Cansfield, Year 8.
This academic year our French Language Assistant has organised a
Sebastian Mansat-Bhattacharya, Year 8
letter exchange project between Sawston Village College pupils in
Year 8 and students of the Collège Jean Moulin, a secondary
school in the small town of Verrières-le-Buisson, just outside Paris.
Verrières-le Buisson is very close to Versailles – home to the
palace of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette.
More than 60 Year 8 pupils are participating in this project. In
January we each wrote a letter to a French student in the 5ème
(the equivalent of Year 8). We practised our French, writing about
our pets, our school and our interests. Each Sawston Year 8’s
letter was then posted to a student at Jean Moulin.
On 5 March, we received letters by post in reply. We were able to
read about the French students’ lives and interests. Now we are
drafting our next letters to be sent back to France.
15of high tempo string playing to the hall. The immense Junior Choir filled
West Road Concert the stage and sang two uplifting pieces beautifully supported by Alex
Another fantastic West Road concert this year, with the usual diverse, Coleman on piano. A characteristically loud and high energy
packed programme of talent, led by the dream team of Miss Irwin and performance from Samba closed the first half.
Mr Cragg for the first time. It was great to see Mrs MacLeod back in the Opening after the interval were the String Orchestra, keeping the
audience and with a guest role in Samba Band! The concert opened as audience on their toes with an entertaining medley of Mozart. This was
always with the Senior Concert Band playing a varied repertoire followed by the Year 11 GCSE group with an innovative remix of ‘Africa’
spanning Henry VIII to Paul McCartney. Next came Junior Band, playing by Toto. Next came performances from the Madriguys and Madrigals:
the classics: ‘Beethoven’s Ninth’ and ‘Latin Fire’, followed by a the Madriguys once again delivered a humorous yet tuneful
magnificent performance from the Brass Band. The Chamber Music performance based around the unusual prop of a French horn and the
section was a highlight once again, and an opportunity for smaller Madrigals performed an emotional rendition of two pieces in
ensemble groups to take the stage, with performances from the String contrasting styles. The Jazz Band closed the concert with a typically
Quartet, Flute Choir and Brass Quintet. Guitars and Ukuleles then rousing performance and encore. The West Road Concert is always a
captured the stage with their singing, strumming, and, most highlight of the music and school calendar and will be greatly missed by
importantly, their shades. Next, Folk Fiddles brought a dazzling display me and the rest of Year 11. Many thanks to everyone involved.
Isabel Weston, Year 11
What’s it about?
The Pelicantata The Duke of Hampshire has a problem: he
Pupils from Sawston Village College are delighted to be joining just can’t seem to keep the 677 windows
Cambridge Philharmonic on 19 May at West Road for of his mansion clean! Fortunately, Roald
performances of The Pelicantata, where they will be part of the Dahl’s trio of enterprising characters have
the answer! The Giraffe and the Pelly and
Children’s Chorus. Tickets are available from:
Me has been brought to life in inimitable
www.cambridgephilharmonic.com/concert/the-pelicantata. musical fashion by Dahl’s biographer,
The Pelicantata is based on a story by Roald Dahl. Donald Sturrock, and the brilliantly
imaginative composer Peter Ash.
16Coding Challenge
Recently, I had the opportunity to partake in
the Perse Coding Challenge, an annual
competition run by Perse School Computer
Science department. The first round of the
challenge consisted of ten problems. It required
us to code a solution to each and submit it,
SYD Seniors perform Annie. gaining points for the ones we completed
successfully. The challenge was open to
In February, I was delighted to be a part of Sawston Youth Drama’s most recent production of everyone and you could participate in a small
Annie. Annie is the story of an eleven year-old orphan who, through a series of adventures and team. Fortunately, my team got through to the
second round, which was significantly harder!
plot twists, eventually gets adopted by New York billionaire Oliver Warbucks. The run up to
There were twelve questions organised into
show week was very intense and involved a desperate struggle to learn lines and finalise dances. four levels, the first being the easiest, and you
However, all our hard work paid off as our final performances were a huge success and became had to solve as many as possible in an hour. We
thoroughly enjoyable. The whole cast was amazing and it was a pleasure to perform with them. do not yet know the results of the challenge,
but I hope we did well and I would recommend
Lucas Burr, Year 11
anyone who enjoys coding to take part next
SYD’s next production, Bugsy Malone, by SYD Juniors (Years 8 and 9) is on 9 - 11 May. Tickets year.
are available now: www.ticketsource.co.uk/sawstonyouthdrama Nanditha Kuravi, Year 11
drummers. We started by simply sorting out a drum beat and playing
Music Live 2019 and repeating simple tunes. The whole session seemed to go so
quickly. We sang a bit, played some more and had a fire drill. It took
The Brass Funkeys us a while to hear the alarm since we were all blasting.
On Thursday 21 March, several brass, saxophone and percussion
players had the brilliant opportunity to attend a workshop with two of
the eight-piece New Orleans brass band, the Brass Funkeys. We had a
great time, experiencing a very different form of music, playing
around with solo and group improvisation, different grooves and
funky rhythms, which are the building blocks of New Orleans Jazz. We
also got to listen to them performing their rendition of 'I want to be
like you', each playing about four instruments (though not at the
same time...). After the workshop, during Period 3, we got the chance
to perform with them on stage for some Year 7s, 9s, and some pupils
from local primary schools, in which there was singing, swaying,
The Grand Union Orchestra
clicking (and of course some playing!). It was an excellent event, and I On Friday 29 March, six members of the Grand Union Orchestra came
hope they come back in following years. to perform and lead workshops on music from around the world.
Amy Keller and Oscar Toogood, Year 10 There was a concert in the Henry Morris Hall for GCSE Music pupils,
half of Year 7 and pupils from Icknield and Shelford Primary Schools.
Sasha Laxton, Year 7 adds: As an avid trumpet player, when I The concert
received a note mid-maths lesson informing me that I would miss two was lively and
lessons on Thursday for a brass workshop and performance I was informative,
ecstatic. Not only did I remember being amazed by the pupils’ playing with a lot of
when I watched it in Year 6, but I was interested to expand my skills. I audience
went to the hall after my first lesson armed with a trumpet. It was a participation
high-speed session – what can you expect from two people trying to thoughout.
emulate an eight-piece brass band? There were ample trumpets, Amy Dunn,
saxophones and trombones with a lone euphonium, as well as four Year 11
17Intermediate Maths PE Update
We are in the middle of a very busy time of Netball
Challenge and Olympiad and Football fixtures and tournaments against many
The UKMT is an organisation that promotes Maths to young people and it of the schools in our district, with the highlights so far
frequently organises Maths Challenges for different age categories. I took part being the Year 8 boys taking 3rd place and the Year 9
in the Intermediate Maths Challenge on Thursday, 7 February. It included a Girls Netball finishing 4th in a very strong
range of questions, the first 15 of which were easier, with the final 10 then competition. At the older age group, all of the Year 9,
becoming increasingly more difficult. Personally, my favourite question was the
10 and 11 boys football teams have successfully
25th, which involved you finding the side length of an equilateral triangle which
contained three semicircles. Depending on your success in the initial
reached the quarter finals of their competitions,
challenge, you were awarded a Bronze, Silver or Gold certificate, as well as which are being played over the next few days to try
being invited to a follow-on round. I got through to the Maclaurin Olympiad, and reach the finals, to be held at Cambridge United's
which was specifically aimed at Year 11s. This took place on Thursday, 21 Abbey Stadium.
March, taking 2 hours. Here, the questions were less focused on your finding Mr Sutton, Head of PE
the answer, but more on your proving why your answer was correct and
showing the logic behind it. Both of these rounds were very enjoyable. Keep up to date with all fixtures and results on
Lena van Dongen, Year 11 Twitter: @SawstonVCPE and our Instagram
page - search for sawstonvcpe.
Question
A chessboard is formed from an 8 × 8 grid of alternating black
and white squares, as shown. The side of each small square is
1 cm. What is the largest possible radius of a circle that can be Picturing India
drawn on the board in such a way that the circumference is
entirely on white squares or corners?
Keen
This was the final question in the International Mathematical photographer,
Olympiad for Year 9 pupils (Cayley). Do you think you could solve the puzzle? Year 11 pupil
This year, I took part in the Intermediate Maths Challenge and managed to get Ella Barrett
through to the Maths Olympiad Cayley. This was a great challenge as it required recently
lateral thinking, and the route to the answer was not immediately obvious. You visited India.
had to write out full solutions to the questions, each worth 10 marks. There Here are
some of her
were 6 questions in total, and you were allotted 2 hours. Overall, it was a fun pictures.
challenge, and I would enjoy doing it again.
Robert Halliday, Year 9
Pupils deep in concentration
18Adult education courses have
always been very popular here
at Sawston Village College, and
as the first village college, we
are very proud of our history
and achievements.
We are now starting to prepare our programme for 2019/20 and
are looking for new courses to offer the community in and around
Sawston. These will be in addition to our usual popular courses.
The challenge is to find tutors! If you feel you could teach an adult
education course, please contact us. It could be a weekly evening
course or even a single Saturday or evening workshop. We are open
to ideas on any subject. Ideally you will have a teaching
qualification or extensive experience and will also be enthusiastic
and inspiring. The personal rewards of teaching are immense. Our
tutors often comment on the job satisfaction they get from seeing
their learners develop and learn new skills.
Alternatively, if there is a subject you would like us to offer, please
let us know and we will endeavour to find a tutor to teach it. Sawston Adult Education is starting to prepare the programme for
For more information on our courses please visit our 2019/20 and would like to offer some new courses.
website, www.sawstonadulted.org , telephone 01223 712424 or
email community@sawstonvc.org. We look forward to hearing from you.
Mrs King, Adult Learning Manager
Sawston Sports Centre is We have had a good a
delighted to have been variety of screenings
chosen as one of the this term, and have lots
beneficiaries of the 2019 more in store for the
Sawston Fun Run. The successful bid is for the part funding of a Pool summer term. We begin
Extraction Board (PXB). A PXB is used to immobilise a casualty in the with Ocean’s 8 on 25
water, helping to prevent secondary injury to the spinal cord prior to April (110mins, Cert 12A) and then Entebbe (107mins, Cert 12A)
recovery on to poolside. The design of the PXB allows faster rescue times on 2 May. We then look forward to two National Theatre Encores
and improved safety. - All My Sons and All About Eve. We still have more dates to
Sawston Fun Run entrants can choose to A PXB aids programme so check out www.sawstoncinema.org.uk to find out
contribute 50% of their sponsorship to a recovery more.
specific charity. If you would like to support from water. Ms Morgan, Arts Development Manager
Sawston Sports Centre, please specify this
on your sponsorship form.
If you would like further information on any Sawston Fun Run
of the activities offered at Sawston Sports Sawston Fun Run takes place Sunday 12 May 2019. Find out more
Centre, please contact Reception on 01223 information about it here: www.sawstonfunrun.co.uk.
712555, check our website
www.sawstonsports.com and like us on
Facebook and Twitter @SawstonSports.
Mrs Michelle Wilson,
Sports Centre Manager
19For information on our courses, please visit our
website www.sawstonadulted.org. You can also
email community@sawstonvc.org or telephone 01223
712424. We hope to see you next term.
20You can also read
