World War One History Trip

Transcription

1 Windsor Girls School 10 June 2016 World War One History Trip On Thursday 26 May, 66 Year 9 History students and seven Year 10 Ethics students gathered at WGS at 4.10am for a one day dash to the battlefields of World War One. After an uneventful trip through the Eurotunnel and across Northern France, we arrived at Essex Farm Cemetery. The students saw the grave of Trooper Strudwick, killed in action exactly a month before his 16th birthday and experienced the field hospital where John McCrae, author of the poem "In Flanders Fields", operated as an army surgeon. Next we visited Langemark, where German soldiers were laid to rest before arriving in Wipers (as the British soldiers nicknamed Ypres) town centre in glorious sunshine. We visited Hans and Stephanie at one of the many chocolate shops in the town, who hadn't welcomed WGS since 2012 and were very pleased to see us, before a short break in the sun to eat lunch and buy more chocolate. In Flanders the Fields Museum was next, where we were treated to state of the art displays on how Ypres was affected by the Great War. Story continued on page 4.

2 Dear Parents and Carers, Welcome back to Term 6 and I hope you all enjoyed the bank holiday and the week off, despite the weather. Term 6 is traditionally one of the busiest in terms of events and activities. Examinations are continuing and students are still very focused on their preparations and will continue to do so for the next two weeks. However, other events coming up include 180 students from Windsor Girls and Boys schools performing at Windsor Castle on 18 June as part of the Queen s 90 th birthday celebrations. We were honoured to be asked and we look forward to this special event. We also welcome Baroness Ruby McGregor Smith on 22 June who will be sharing information about her career progression and her role in the House of Lords. This is part of the Peers into Schools programme and I am sure this will inspire our students to look into a range of careers. We will also be holding our annual Sports Day, Women in Engineering event, taking a group to Adobe as well as Activities Week, the Work Ready Conference and the Enrichment UCAS Conference. Meanwhile, rehearsals are in full swing for the school production of Peter Pan and we look forward to seeing the performance come together on 6, 7 and 8 July. On 30 June we celebrate the achievements of our students at Prize Evening. This is a highlight of the school calendar and nominees will shortly be receiving their invitations for the event. Congratulations to those students who have been nominated. Mrs G Labrum National Schools Regatta Six Year 9 students from Windsor Girls School formed the core of the Eton Excelsior Under 14 Girls coxed sculling eight crew which finished tenth in the UK at the National Schools Regatta on Friday 27 May at Dorney Lake. The brand new crew included Cara Barclay, Eve Lombardo, Tara Brogan, Daisy Horler, Lucy Tomalin and Ava Lyons. A long day began with time trials at 11:15a.m. and finished with the B Final at 6:45p.m. Well done to all! Who competed!

3 Sixth Form Year Information Year 9 There will be a Year 9 assembly on Monday 13 June. Mrs Labrum will be presenting certificates and celebrating recent achievement. Year 9 will start using Show My Homework next week. This trial period will allow staff, students and parents to set and track homework online. Mr Griffiths will be meeting with Year 9 students to explain how it works. Remaining Activities Week money should be paid to the Cashier in the hall at break one. Year 10 There will be a Year 10 assembly on Wednesday 15 June. Miss Liao will be going through the examination timetable and sharing expectations with the year group. Year 10 examinations take place from June. Students will be in normal lessons when they are not sitting an examination. They are asked to bring the necessary equipment and resources to support their revision in those lessons. Forty-five Year 12 students will be completing a week long Work Experience placement June. Students have been placed in a range of local businesses and institutions to gain experience of the work place. Formal lessons begin for Year 12 on Monday 20 June. However, if students are not completing Work Experience or sitting the Mathematics examination they will be expected to be in school from 13 June. Year 13 examinations continue for the next two weeks. Banana Schedule revision sessions will continue to support the students in their examination preparations. Thirty-five Year 10 students will be attending the Festival of Education at Wellington College on Friday 24 June. They will complete missed examinations upon their return to school. Year 11 Year 11 examinations are continuing for the next two weeks. Students who are following BTEC programmes have the next few weeks to complete their portfolio work. The Year 11 Prom will take place on Tuesday 5 July at the Legoland Hotel.

4 World War One History Trip Continued We picked up the coach at the Menin Gate, where the names of British and Commonwealth soldiers whose bodies were never recovered are inscribed, and travelled to Hill 62, where the students very much enjoyed experiencing the actual trenches that Canadian soldiers fought in and visited the Sanctuary Wood Museum. Our last port of call was Tyne Cot, the resting place for Commonwealth troops, where the students were able to quietly reflect on the futility of so many young men dying, before a trip across Northern Europe, to Coquelles, where Eurotunnel were able to put us on an earlier train, to the relief of a lot of tired students (and staff!). We arrived back at WGS, tired, sun-kissed and full of history at 9pm. I would like to thank the students, who were an absolute pleasure to take, and the staff, who were brilliant, for a long, but incredibly enjoyable (and educational) day. - Mr RJ Mignot Subject Leader, History

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