KGS Newsletter February 2015

KGS’s Newest National Champion

Cameron Spurling of the Fourth Year has been crowned Year 10 National Indoor Rowing Champion after recording a personal best distance in the fi ve minutes allotted to competitors at the British Rowing Indoor Championships held at the London Olympic Velodrome earlier this month. For the full story please turn to page 17.

VEX ROBOT ICS PAGE 8 JANE EYRE PAGES 1 2 - 1 3

NEWSLETTER

FEBRUARY 2015 www.kgs.org.uk

TR IPS PAGES 1 4 - 1 6

2

FROM THE HEAD MASTERIt is diffi cult to decide which piece of wonderful KGS news I should direct you to fi rst. Cameron Spurling’s achievement in becoming National Indoor Rowing Champion, the wonderful Middle School performance of Jane Eyre, the boys’ 1st XI’s 5-1 win over RGS High Wycombe in the National Hockey Cup or Charlotte Smith’s magnifi cent performance in the Intermediate Mathematic Challenge that has seen her become the latest recipient of a Head Master’s Commendation. I do know, however, that I wish to thank the hundreds of KGS parents and pupils who responded to our online survey regarding the shape of the school day from next year. I was delighted to read the many comments that accompanied the responses, which are too extensive to reproduce here, but you will see on these pages the results of the survey that will inform our next stage of planning and some words from our Director of Studies, Mr Cooper, regarding the change of lesson timing. There will, in due course, be more surveys and consultations that assist us in taking the School forward. You will already be aware of the parents’ evening questionnaires but we will also be seeking your views on issues such as technology in schools, learning, communication and, as we reach the end of the transition from old uniform to new, we will be asking how satisfi ed parents and pupils are with the uniform and if there are any areas where we can still improve it. I do hope that you enjoy reading the important information and great news in the pages that follow.

Why 50 Minute Lessons?

The principal reason for making any changes in education should always be to deliver improved outcomes for students. So it was that at the start of 2013 a group of KGS staff was tasked with the process of evaluating the number and duration of lessons to ensure that we provide the most appropriate working environment for our students. This gave rise to the obvious questions: what is the ideal length of a lesson; what is the optimum number of lessons per day?Interestingly enough, there has not been any study conducted that answers either of these questions. In the UK, variations in the number and duration of lessons range from nine thirty-fi ve minute lessons per day to three of a hundred minutes. Nevertheless, in recent years there has been a discernible move away from ‘short, sharp’ lessons which lend themselves to more directed teacher input towards longer lessons which allow for increased student engagement and participation. This is combined with a greater understanding of concentration spans in students. While there is some consensus that students have diffi culty taking in continuous spoken information for more than twenty minutes, the most interesting fi ndings relate to variation rather than cumulative time. It was found that lessons which provide a range of different activities and allow pupils to collaborate, participate and actively engage will sustain their concentration well beyond the traditional thirty-fi ve or forty minute lesson.Following an extensive consultation involving discussion with KGS staff as well as Deputy Heads from several local schools, we came to the decision that six lessons of fi fty minutes per day would provide the best balance for our students. Firstly, this would create fewer lesson transitions during the day and so reduce the rather frenetic pace. Secondly, it would enable us to create a more consistent lesson allocation across the school. Students may currently experience lessons ranging in length from thirty-fi ve to eighty-fi ve minutes. On the new timetable, all lessons in the First to Fifth Years would be fi fty minutes, with double lessons still being provided for practical subjects in the Sixth Form. Finally, we are confi dent that these changes will enable students to enjoy depth, breadth and variety of teaching in all of their subjects.WC

Follow Mr Lehec @kgsheadmaster

KGS Newsletter SPRING 2015 3

4

and continual feeling of someone lurking in the d

Library News

Pupil Librarian of the monthZac Procter in the Fourth Year is this month’s Pupil Librarian of the month. Zac has impressed the librarians over the past year with his enthusiasm for the library and is a motivated and hard worker, as well as a valued member of the team. In September Zac helped recruit and train the new fi rst years in the duties of a pupil librarian. This past month Zac has been really helpful in co-ordinating and training two teams for the Kingston Kids’ Lit Quiz. Zac is also known amongst the library team as ‘head coverer of books’ as no one else can cover a new book with the same speed and skill as he can.

Kingston Kids’ Lit QuizOn Thursday 12th Feb KGS entered two teams into the Kingston Kids’ Lit Quiz held at Tolworth Girls’ School. First up was the team consisting of fi rst and second years. There were three rounds - a general knowledge round, a picture round, and a round about some set books students had been reading. Representing KGS were Erin Shrimsley, Frances Chorley, Isla Flett, Joshua Stainer, Izzie Hepburn and Portia Katzauer. They did really well, with Isla Flett winning a special on-the-spot prize of a book token for naming the horse in Greek mythology who had wings. Overall the team came an impressive fourth, missing out on third place by only two points. After patiently waiting, the team consisting of third and fourth

years were raring to go. As before, there were three rounds and questions on books students had been challenged to read prior to the competition. The team consisted of Ellena Eley, Freya King, Izzie Jones, Zac Procter, Ye Ji Hwang and Kate Scott- Taylor. The team fought really hard and did especially well in the general knowledge buzzer round. At the end the team were in joint fi rst place with Tiffi n Boys but unfortunately lost out on the cup after a tie-break question where they were challenged to guess how many pages were in a book. The team now go through to the Inter-Borough Grand Final on Thursday 13th March.

Hail and Farewell, Mrs Murphy At half term we said a sad goodbye to Sally Murphy, who had been with us since May as maternity cover for our librarian Mrs Cleaves.Highlights of Mrs Murphy’s time at KGS include the successful visit by author Michelle Paver and the recent Harry Potter Quiz (see below). She also introduced a collection of Manga and Graphic Novels which have been hugely popular.We will miss her and wish her luck with her next project, her own baby due in April.SR and the Pupil Librarians


Pupil Librarian AwardsThe pupil librarians have been working towards different levels of awards using the SLA Pupil Librarian Scheme. Max Cairney-Leeming in the Third Year and Zac Procter in the Fourth Year are currently working towards their bronze award. Izzy Pleasence and Tomos Morgan-Young have just completed the fi rst award. The award scheme challenges students to learn about different aspects of the library, how to serve fellow students and keep the library tidy. Each award includes a special library project. For the fi rst award, students are asked to design a poster advertising the library and create a display of recommended books. To complete the bronze award students create a recommended reading list and a book of the week display. All of the First Year pupil librarians have just started on the fi rst level award.

First Year Shooting StarReading challengeThis term the fi rst years started the Shooting Star Reading Challenge. Students are asked to read eight books from different genres including an historical fi ction and a book set in a different culture. Out of the eight books students are asked to review at least four of the books they’ve read.We have been very impressed with two fi rst year students who have already completed the challenge. Joshua Stainer in 1SC and Charlotte Higham in 1LJ read their eight books in an astonishing three weeks and are the fi rst students to fi nish. As the fi rst students in their year, Joshua and Charlotte both won a bundle of new fi ction books to get them started on their next reading adventure.

Harry Potter NightOn Thursday 5th February KGS Library celebrated Harry Potter Book Night by having a Potter themed party at lunch time. As soon as the bell went over sixty students (and quite a few staff!) formed a queue stretching from the library all the way down the hallway, all waiting to be sorted into Hogwarts houses. One by one students sat in the special chair and were sorted by the sorting hat, and rewarded with their very own chocolate frog. When everyone was sorted the Harry Potter quiz began. The four house teams were represented by a mix of First to Fourth Years. It was a close call between Slytherin and Huffl epuff but after many gruelling questions Huffl epuff emerged as the winners.Staff and students dressed up in their best Hogwarts costumes and several tried a lucky-dip tasting of Every Flavour Beans. The grass fl avoured bean was surprising popular, whereas the earwax fl avour was deemed the worst. It was a great event which was much enjoyed by all.

Welcome backWe welcome back to the Library Mrs Cleaves, after maternity leave. While she was away Mrs Cleaves kept herself

even busier than most new mothers. As well as coping with young Alice she successfully submitted a portfolio based on her work at KGS to complete the fi nal stage of her professional

qualifi cation and become a fully chartered librarian, or MCLIP.

Mrs Cleaves was also invited to speak at a Westminster Education Forum seminar on improving literacy following the publication of a report by the Libraries All-Party Parliamentary Group, which called for school libraries to be made statutory. She outlined how she uses technology to engage pupils in reading activities such as the annual book trailer competition and how marketing can transform library usage. It is worth noting that libraries are statutory in prisons but not schools.

portfolio b

MMsstthlibttoccono

6

All through the talk the speaker used the props and it was obvious how much he knew about them all. It was also really good because everybody got to take part in one bit or another. He talked about the slaves and how they would be lined up and auctioned off at the forum by bringing up volunteers and giving them all wooden plaques describing their specialities. He also talked about how slave girls would cut off their hair and sell it. He showed us the scissors and proved they worked by cutting pieces of paper and then brought a volunteer or two (I was one!) and showed us how they would do it, luckily without the actual cutting part!The speaker also talked about the army showing all the different parts of the armour and letting people try it on to see how heavy it was. He also showed us the weapons the gladiators would use and all about the fi ghting. One of the last topics he showed us was the abacus and I was lucky enough to go up and try it. It was a really interesting talk and we all learned so much more than I can write down.Giulia Duggan, 2MW

Legio XIIII

On 14th January the Second Year had a talk from Legio XIIII about the Romans as we are all studying Latin at the moment. As we walked into the Theatre there was an amazing display of Roman and Celtic shields, armour and all sorts of objects used in everyday life.


French Debating CompetitionOn the 4th February, we represented Kingston Grammar School for the fi rst time ever in the Regional French Debating Competition held at St Paul’s Girls’ School. The format was very clear: 32 teams, 8 groups, 4 teams per group. Only the winning team from each group would advance to the second round, meaning that 24 of the 32 competing schools were to go home after the fi rst round: the stakes were high!

Group 6 contained Kingston Grammar School, Westminster School, Francis Holland School and Blackheath Girls’ School. We got off to a fl ying start in a crushing 8-4 win over the girls representing Francis Holland, who were no match for our forceful debating backed up with facts and fi gures using complex French, arguing that research into three-parent embryos should continue. High on confi dence we headed to face our next opponents. Against Blackheath, who had just upset group favourites Westminster, we truly started to believe that the trophy was ours. In a debate on integration into the EU, we were fi rmly Eurosceptic. We lost narrowly in a 6-5 decision. While we felt somewhat outraged by this outcome, we understood that it was a close debate and that any victory was going to be a slim one. So it meant that we needed to beat Westminster. It was simple. Win and we were through. They had lost to a team we felt we had beaten and we had our strongest motion to come – ‘The best religion is the absence of religion’. Westminster, being the opposition to this motion, put forward their intricate, well written, well revised and well researched point of view. Paeony responded strongly with facts and fi gures that left the opposition frankly baffl ed. With Matt’s rebuttals rendering one of the opposition speechless, KGS were clearly on top. Their second speaker delivered a slightly more passionate, and equally well read and revised speech, to which Paeony retorted well. After conclusions, we knew it could go either way but were nonetheless surprised when the judges deemed this “another close debate” and awarded Westminster the victory 7-6. We were disappointed by this verdict as we knew we had performed well. Westminster went through and we came second in our group, unfortunately not advancing to the second round. However, this experience was a learning curve where we improved our French and researched three interesting motions. Thank you to Miss Bruce and Miss Sharp for taking us and giving us the opportunity.Matt Maginnis and Paeony De La Garde Tingay, U6

Community Service On Friday 6 February we were delighted to welcome back our friends from Rosclare Care Home, who joined members of Miss Butler’s Second Year class for afternoon tea in Hawkes. Students provided a beautiful spread of home-baked cakes, including some particularly delicious brownies, and chatted with our guests over tea and coffee before a few games of bingo. We were delighted to be able to wish one of our guests, Dolly, many happy returns a few days before her 100th birthday! She eagerly awaits her special telegram from the Queen, which we hope she will show us next time she visits.

Huge thanks to all involved in making this tea party a success. The next tea party will be held on Friday 20 March, hosted by Miss Naismith’s form.

KDP

8

Technology Challenge students were in action again on the 10th February at Heathside School at the annual Surrey Schools’ Problem Solving Competition. This year, the challenge was to build a merry-go-round device that could carry four polo mints. The energy used to rotate this device could only be provided by the weight of the sweets left in the polo packet. As usual, there was a time limit of one and a half hours for students to design and build their ingenious contraptions.

We had three teams participating across three age categories: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4 and Sixth Form. In total over 1000 students

compete across fi ve regional heats held in January and February with the best teams

invited to the fi nals at Charterhouse School.

Although we did not win, the students had fun allowing their creative talents to fl ourish. Well done to all our teams of problem solvers.

DF

In Technology Club, students have been designing and building a robot to compete in the VEX Robotics Challenge, an international competition attracting over 9,000 teams worldwide. This year’s challenge was to construct a robot to build towers called ‘Skyrise’ sections and load coloured cubes onto them to gain as many points as possible in a series of ‘face-off’ rounds against other teams.

At the end of January, the KGS team made their debut in the Regional Competition at the Birmingham Think Tank Science Museum, competing against 14 other teams. The team and robot performed fantastically, and the students were very excited to win the ‘Best Robot Design’ award, an impressive achievement as all the other teams were experienced competitors..

The next round was the North London ‘Skyrise’ Regional competition held at Highgate School on the Wednesday of half term, with students from First, Second and Fourth Years ready to do battle. Valuable lessons on tactics and robot reliability had been learnt in the previous round, and these were mercilessly applied during this round with devastating effect. The KGS team came third in the qualifying heats, and then made it through to the semi-fi nal in the knock-out stage. Whilst disappointed not to win, this performance won them the Judges’ Award for best newcomer to the competition, and a place in the National Finals at the Birmingham NEC in March. Very well done to Nathan Farr, Joshua Lee, Alex Gavrilescu, Callum Farr, Thomas Gibson and Thomas Skeates..Good luck to the team in the Finals.

JS

Inbubannwwotoocuubseer

AAt tReegiMMuserooboexexcitacchiecoomp

Th d h N h L d ‘Sk i ’

TeTechnFFebruPProbbbuildTThe thhe wwasand

WWeppaaagKKeInn

comhheats held in January and Feb

i i d h fi l Ch h S h l

eams were experienced

Vex Robotics Regional Competition

Surrey Schools’ Problem Solving Challenge


Careers in Finance Dinner

On Tuesday 9th February, some twenty-fi ve students from the Fifth Year and Sixth Form attended a dinner to discuss potential careers in fi nance with seasoned professionals. The venue was the Waterloo Bar & Kitchen, which had reserved the entire restaurant for the event and provided a splendid three-course meal with wine included for all but the youngest students. Of course none of this mattered to me, as I was there to learn about the fi nancial industry, and it was soon clear that I was in for a treat. Owing to transport issues, most of the students were late, and for the fi rst ten minutes or so of the ‘meet and greet’ I was alone with the experts.After grabbing a glass of the red, I decided to get to work. At once I struck up conversation with the formidable Thor Askeland, who is currently working for Citibank’s family offi ces. Mr Askeland is a parent at the School, and has worked in investment banking for over twenty years. As more people began to arrive, I made my way around the room in an attempt to hear as many points of view as I could, before we were eventually asked to take our seats. Once we were seated we heard a few introductory words from the two people hosting the event, Guy Whittle and Elizabeth Dymond, who thanked us for our participation and urged us to make the most of this opportunity to gain valuable insights into a desirable career. Mrs Dymond also raised the important point that it was necessary for more women to see fi nance as a viable career option, as young girls may be put off by the perceived masculine culture of the City, and hence be denied a great opportunity to succeed. With these words said, the dinner could begin and the conversation could sparkle. The plan was for the students to switch tables between courses so that they could talk to as many experts as possible, and I believe that this was intrinsic to the success of the evening. In my time there I met many interesting people, and I believe that the most important lesson I learnt was that there is no orthodox route into the industry, as evidenced by the fact most of the people there had come to it apparently by chance. That being said, the value of adaptability and intelligence in fi nding a job in fi nance cannot be overstated, as I was constantly reminded throughout my various discussions. In the aftermath of the event I asked my fellow sixth formers for their opinions, and the consensus was that the evening was ‘very worthwhile’. I hope that the School’s future such events will be just as successful as this one.Connor Holt U6JMD

David Buchanan, L6SRM, adds: “Everyone was very interesting and they addressed all the questions I had. I gained lots of information, all of which will prove very useful in helping me decide my future choices. It was also extremely reassuring and alleviated some of the pressure of degree and career choices.”

fiaAcMbwptibWsiiittfia

rk. At once I struck up currently working for Citibank’s family offi ces.

Meine Neue Schwester Onatti Theatre Co

On the 27th January the Second and Third Year German students watched a play by Onatti Productions called ‘Meine Neue Schwester’ or ‘My New Sister’. The play was very funny and interesting with the German speaking being very clear and understandable, so we had a very good idea of what was happening. I really enjoyed the play, as I am sure everybody who watched it did, and I hope they come back soon with another play for us to watch and enjoy.Thomas Ewart-Ellison 2KC/2B

The story followed a girl whose mother had invited her new boyfriend and his daughter round for dinner and expected the girls to get along together. However, the

‘new sister’ was not quite what our heroine was expecting and turned out to have electric blue hair and rather interesting taste in fashion and music! She even dressed one of the Third Years up in a matching blue wig, and invited several Third Years to an impromptu party on stage! It was great fun and we look forward to the next Onatti Production at KGS.AB

10

Lunchtime of Love

In readiness for St Valentine’s Day, the English Department once again held their ‘Lunchtime of Love’, a celebration of poetry exploring the diversity of this enduring theme.

Mr Bond kicked off proceedings with a new poem of his own, ‘Love is Not Minding’, which he dismissed as ‘just a bit of doggerel really’ but which turned out to be a poignant and superbly crafted piece on love, from ‘not minding sharing a toothbrush’ to that which survives the ravages of old age and physical decline.

We had several other memorable contributions: Alex Smolenski with a poem in Latin, Alfi e Style with ‘Sally, Serena, Erin, Sophie with Ross’, Michael Moran with ‘Rain’, and readings from Eva Gray, Jemima Baker, Fiona Kennedy and Will Lloyd. But the winner of the title ‘Love Poet of the Year’ was James Adshead (4DB) for his clever compilation of song lyrics that formed a witty new piece of verse: ‘Untitled Song 4 – Lost Love’.

Thank you to everyone involved, including English Department staff who helped with staging the event.

JSS

THE ARTS Sixth Form D

Opera WorkshopFirst Year students were treated to an exciting opera worKingston on Tuesday 24 February. The workshops were lesinging teachers at KGS and a professional opera singer hiThe sessions included learning about vocal warm-ups, moand various songs, including Papageno’s Bird Catcher ariaFlute”. The day culminated in the First Year classes performing tduring the workshops. MVF


In this, the second year of the Sixth Form Drama Festival, the evening opened with a monologue from ‘The Lights’ by Howard Korder performed by Lara Horin (U6). In this bleak tirade on modern urban life, Lara portrayed Rose’s angst with her usual aptitude and coped well with the demands of constantly suggesting more than meets the eye. In a short period of time, she intrigued the audience, giving insight into a compelling character.This was followed by ‘Matilda Liar’ by Debbie Isitt, with Laura Marcus in the title role. This dramatic, though at times comical, short play explores the premise of a compulsive liar who is suddenly compelled to tell the truth and the consequences which follow. Laura Marcus brilliantly captured the diverse role of Matilda as she manically revealed the secrets of her clearly dysfunctional family at the climax of the piece. James Gawn, George Parrott, Ismay Bickerton and Josie Palmer all gave convincing performances as the troubled family members. ‘Abduction’ was the fi rst of the A2 Level pieces which both explored verbatim theatre through the use of physical theatre. A chilling atmosphere was created by the use of simple and stark lighting and staging, as the cast of Peter Alvey, Amelia Cashman, Rishi Manuel and Sophie Smith portrayed the tumultuous emotions associated with abduction.This excellent cast made this a compelling and unique performance.

In the fi nal complex performance, ‘Confl ict’, a wide range of different types of confl ict was explored. The cast of Lydia Cozens, Tom Currey, Alice Reid and Milly Stell began by discussing large scale confl icts such as war and terrorism, moving on to disputes in domestic situations and fi nally showing internal confl icts - excellently conveyed by Milly as she took on the persona of someone with a mental illness. This experienced cast seamlessly switched not only between these aspects of the production but also between roles.Overall I was hugely impressed by the way in which the Upper Sixth worked together on these A2 pieces, tackling these challenging subjects with intricate physical dynamics, and congratulate all the performers on a very thought-provoking and enjoyable evening.Fergal Dunn, U6

rama Festival

Photos: Chris Edwards

rkshop from Riverside Opera in d by Sam Evans, who is one of our imself.

oving on stage like an opera singer a from Mozart’s opera “The Magic

to each other what they had learned

12

Middle School Play

Middle School Play

Jane Eyre

Although there is only one ‘Jane’ in the script, in this enchanting take on the classic we were presented with two Janes, or rather two halves of one person: Jane had a double in Bertha. Mrs. Packer’s clever direction saw that the actors playing Jane and Bertha switched continuously, heightening the sense of a dual identity – a feat which the actors dealt with marvellously; their swift and crisp change in voice, movement and expression made it appear that they were donning a new personality as one would a costume.


This approach to the story could not have been achieved without the conviction of the actors, and en masse they were very convincing. From the bold Katie Crawford to the shy Daisy Kakkar, everyone gave their all. Their fantastic performances played out against a looming and bleak red set – a malleable space, fi t for all scenes – to make a dark and dramatic piece of theatre. As some left our Performing Arts venue slightly bemused, I walked out feeling suitably moved and disturbed, having just watched a fi ne telling of the story of ‘Jane Eyre’.

Sam Kan, U6

On top of these changes, these parts were shared between actors of different ages to try and convey the effect of a person ageing with experience; this was another technique that established the sense of these roles being get-ups that each actor adopted - in rather Brechtian style. The staging enabled Bertha to be positioned upstage left in a raised room, with her presence always felt as she fi dgeted and twitched, watching over her other half. Miranda Worth was a particularly maddened Bertha as she achieved very convincing spasms and convulsions - the dangerous and hidden alter ego to Jenny Schepter, who was herself a most powerful Jane/Bertha; both wild and woeful. But of course, to match the traumatized female lead there must be a commanding Mr Rochester. In suite with the style, this role was also shared between Teddy Coward - especially authoritative and suitably unnerving, which was a great balance with his nervous Jane, played by Lucy Tait - and the excellent Jack Bowman.

With these constant changes some audience members may have felt that they were suffering from some mild confusion, but in fact they created a quite dramatic sense of uncertainty and shadowiness as the actors endlessly moved on and off stage and the roles were recreated - each time with great confi dence. The presence of a looming Bertha and some smart direction of dream and memory sequences developed this shadowiness and continual feeling of someone lurking in the darkness- a nice way to channel the secrecy that is key to the plot.

Photos: Chris Edwards

14

The Senior Christian Union spent the fi rst weekend of half term in the New Forest enjoying a well-earned break. There were plenty of activities to entertain: trips to Laser Quest and Splashdown, beautiful walks in the countryside and the chance to relax by the open fi res. The boys managed to fi t in three games of football worthy of the Champions’ League, with the epic fi nale played under fl oodlights on the last night! On our way home we all took a trip to some Formula One simulators, a fantastic experience where teachers and students were pitted against each other in a series of qualifying heats and races. Josh Hill was the deserving victor, giving a masterclass in smooth driving and winning all his races by a country mile!

Over the course of the weekend, our speaker also gave four talks on the book of Jonah. Listening to these we spent some good time thinking about Jonah’s message to the people of Ninevah, and considering what he learnt about God through his whole being-eaten-by-a-fi sh ordeal! With Ninevah in modern-day Iraq we also remembered people we hear about in the news who are currently suffering for their faith and we had an opportunity to refl ect on what we could do in response to such harrowing stories.

All in all, it was a great weekend – a lot of fun, and a really positive way to begin the half term. My thanks to the Old Kingstonians who made the trip possible, and we are already looking forward to JCU Houseparty (28th – 31st March) and Camp (15th – 22nd August) – make sure those dates are in your diaries!

CGW

TRIPS

SAINT PAULSUNDAY 15th MARCHSAINT PAUL

BY MENDELSSOHNSUNDAY 15TH MARCH, 7PM

ROSE THEATRE BOX OFFICE: 020 8174 0090 Tickets £17 - £20

KGS CHORAL SOCIETYSCHOOL CHOIR & CHAMBER CHOIRKINGSTON SINFONIETTA

SCU Houseparty


At 1100 hours on the 14th of February, fi fteen cadets set off to the Pirbright Range in order to improve their skill and overall effi ciency with the L98A2 rifl e. We were having a joint exercise with St Benedict’s School as an endeavour to help co-operation between the schools and the development of working together with people who we didn’t know. Upon arriving we were sorted out into three Details, which would allow us to progress easily through both the use of the live fi re range and the DCCT.

Lessons were given by Captain Beggs on the four marksmanship principles which would allow us to get a more accurate shot and a better chance of passing our classifi cation shoot. The lesson was very informative and proved useful in the live fi re shoot the next day. Sergeant Major Radford, who was with St Benedict’s School, gave the more senior cadets a refresher in weapon prep for fi ring; the younger cadets were taught how to set the iron sight to the correct distance for shooting and were given the full measurements on how to pull-through and oil the weapon. After these lessons, we headed to the DCCT for a practice shoot. I was part of the 1st Detail and so had the enjoyment of going the DCCT fi rst. The range itself was indoors and had lanes which pointed to a large screen which could tell where the rifl es were fi ring; the system itself told the range warden how hard the shooter was gripping the rifl e, whether they were using the correct stoppage drills and an array of other important information. By using the DCCT we were able to get an insight as to what the recoil of the Cadet Rifl es and the two pressure trigger felt like. The next day, after an early wake-up, we headed off the live-fi ring range. Once at the range, four regular soldiers from The Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment came and were helping those who were thinking of joining the Army in the future. They offered helpful and insightful advice as to what requirements we would need to meet, and also what life was like serving for the Armed Forces. When on the live range, we fi red from a 100m distance so as to group and zero our rifl es for our shooting pattern. We adjusted our sights so that our line of fi re was hitting high to the centre of the target. Therefore, as we moved back to 200m, our shots would fall right in the middle of the centre of the target. The wind played a factor in our shooting as well, as it would cause the round to fall to the right of the target. At 200m we fi red our classifi cation shoot, which meant we had to score 35 hits in order to pass. 50 hits and above was considered 1st Class Shot, and anything higher than 60 would have been a Marksman Class Shot. The camp in all was thoroughly enjoyable for both schools and a lot of friendships were made that would be helpful for future joint exercises between the schools. All the skills that I learnt from that camp will be taken forward and used on Summer Camp.

Cdt Corporal Rohan Winder

CCF Range Camp

16

presence always felt as she fi dgeted and twitched, of

On Sunday 15th February, forty-one KGS pupils and fi ve intrepid staff set out for Salt Lake City, Utah on the annual KGS Ski Trip. Following a ten and a half hour fl ight to Seattle and then a short two hour hop to Salt Lake City, we arrived tired but excited in our Hampton Inns hotel in Layton, a town just north of the city.The skiing began in earnest on the Monday morning. The jet lag helped the pupils be up early for the 7am buffet-style American breakfast, the main draw being the “make-your-own” waffl es. Following a thirty-fi ve minute bus ride, we turned up at the Snowbasin resort, ready and raring to go for fi ve days of skiing. Pupils skied in groups ranging in size from fi ve to twelve, receiving instruction from home-grown American ski instructors. Having not skied much before, Mr Benson also took advantage of the tuition to hone his skills, and he quickly graduated from the beginner to the intermediate group and was skiing with rest of the staff by day four. The snow was a bit patchy by Utah standards but was very similar to conditions normally experienced in the Alps at this time of year. The base layer of snow allowed a good week of skiing to be had by all and it is fair to say that everyone had signifi cantly improved their level of skiing by the end of the week, whether they were absolute beginners or advanced level.The trip was not just about skiing. Each evening was packed with exciting events, always starting with a hearty American-style meal either in a local restaurant or in the hotel. The dining highlight was surely the all-you-can-eat buffet at Golden Corral on our last night. The pupils experienced an American college basketball game and many picked up some free branded clothing from the Weber State Wildcats mascot. There was a trip to the local “movie theater” (sic) and shopping mall along with a night of indoor ice skating.The trip home, again via Seattle, was broken up by a visit to the Westfi eld Southcentre shopping mall, the biggest shopping centre in all of Washington State. It provided the pupils with the opportunity to spend the last of their holiday money. We arrived home, just about in one piece, on Sunday 22nd February having enjoyed a memorable week away. Throughout the trip, everyone we met commented on how polite, well-mannered and well-behaved the KGS pupils were; they were indeed a credit to the School and themselves. Thanks must also go the “ski team” for their unwavering support – Mr Farr, Miss Adolphus, Miss Postgate and Mr Benson.The 2016 KGS Ski Trip will be returning to Colorado during the next February half term. Details can be obtained from Mr Rodgers.MJR

Westfi eld Southcentre shopping vided

.

KGS Ski Trip February 2015

Photos: Sam Shapley


2015 British Rowing Indoor Championships

Sunday 8th February 2015 saw the fi rst British Rowing Indoor Championships take place at the London Olympic Velodrome. The centre of the arena was covered by a sea of Concept Two rowing machines ready for rowers of all ages – from 11 to 89 – and of all abilities, from novice rowers to GB squad members. It was a popular event and, at one point, British Rowing’s event #BRIC2015 was trending in the top 7 in the UK.A group of fi fteen KGS students from Third and Fourth Years were competing, arriving in East London around lunchtime so we could take in the atmosphere and try to calm our nerves. Our events took place around 3pm with the Year 9 girls rowing fi rst, and boys shortly after, then the Year 10 boys and girls. We had a set time (Year 9 – four minutes and Year 10 – fi ve minutes) and had to row as far as we could within that, the winner being the person who rowed the furthest. As we rowed, the audience could see the progress of the race on a large screen and the rowers were able to see their position on their individual screens - seeing that made us push even harder to get ahead. It was a tough event but across the fi eld of KGS rowers we achieved good results, beating personal bests and had many top 20 fi nishes, with Zoe Barnard coming 15th out of 68 competitors in the Girls’ Year 10 category whilst in the Girls’ Year 9 category Charlotte Smith fi nished 8th and

Stacey Kozhevnikova 10th from 52 competitors. The best performances came from the Year 10 boys, however, with all four entrants in the top half of the competition.I was lucky enough not only to beat my personal best by 27 metres, but also to come 1st out of 74 entries in the Year 10 boys’ category and thus become the Indoor Rowing National Champion for my age group! It was a fantastic reward for all the work that has been put in to get this far. Training almost every day, waking up early, working on fi tness and strength, pushing yourself, being out in the cold on winter weekend mornings for training or competing in head races. I am very proud to win the medal and title, especially as a GB rower presented it to me and I got to meet the GB squad. However, although the title is wonderful, rowing is an addiction - we do it because we love it.Cameron Spurling, 4SC

SPORTS

ROWING

Cox Will Burden joined the duo in Boston to further familiarise himself with the team set-up and leading athletes. He helped out with timing and measuring at the event, which included the best male and female rowers from around the country.The top rowers and coxes will be selected for the World Rowing Junior Championships, which take place this year in Rio de Janeiro, as an Olympic test event. The next tier of athletes will compete in the Coupe de la Jeunesse, a European team event in Szeged, Hungary earlier in August.MWG

GB Trials

Luke Hillier and Stefan Hales reached the selection criteria needed to move on to the next level of selection for the Great Britain junior team during long-distance trials in Boston, Lincolnshire on a chily weekend in half-term.The two members of the Lower Sixth raced together on successive days over the 5km course on the River Witham, fi nishing 30th in a 50-strong fi eld on the fi rst day in a time of 18 minutes 4 seconds. They took a step on in their approach and went out harder on the second day, fi nishing 26th.The top 36 fi nishers are now eligible for a day of 2km racing at the National Watersports Centre in Nottingham at the end of April, with 21 pairs going on to fi nal trials at the end of the Summer Term.

18

Fab Four Through to Final England Assessment

A quartet of KGS pupils have made it through to fi nal assessment for international honours this summer. KGS’s very own Fantastic Four are Holly Munro at U18 and Ellie de Heer, Zach Wallace and Owen Williamson at U16.Training weekends will continue over the months ahead, and it will be a tough few months for the four, but they can all be assured of at least one outing in an England shirt in the summer at either the home-based Four Nations tournament (England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales) or the more continental Six Nations (England, Belgium, Spain, Germany Netherlands, France).KGS coach Mr Daly said: ‘This is a tremendous achievement for them as individuals, but also the School – it is unusual and very impressive to have four players in the fi nal assessment where there are only 24 in each age group.’Our congratulations to all of them, and we look forward to following their international exploits in the summer and, we hope, for many years to come.

U18 National Cup

This year the KGS 1st XI has many new faces but there was no doubt that it would be a strong team. This was proven when they went into their fi rst competitive match, at home, against Windsor in the fi rst round of Nationals. With 8 fi rst half goals coming from a range of players in different positions the game was cut short at half time and everyone went away full of confi dence after a very strong performance.Reed’s were the team KGS faced next. Playing on a pitch that was hard to adjust to and with a team full of quality players, they presented a whole new challenge. Kingston struggled to get hold of the ball and frustration began to kick in. Reed’s piled on the pressure and from a penalty corner they were able to open the scoring. The second half continued in the same fashion and with some heated moments Kington went down to eight men. The players who remained on the pitch fought hard and Reed’s failed to capitalise on their three-man advantage. With every player who returned to the fi eld of play the game went more into Kingston’s control. They grabbed hold of the game and were the dominant side in the closing stages. In the last moments a penalty corner was won by Kingston. From it the ball struck a Reed’s player on the head but the drag fl ick was on target, meaning another corner was given. By this time the fi nal whistle had blown but treatment had to be given to the injured player, all adding to the suspense.

From the last touches of the game the ball hit a foot on the line of the opposition and a stroke was awarded. Owen Williamson stepped up and although scuffi ng it he managed to direct the ball

through the keeper’s legs and the game went to strokes. Matt Newton proved to be the hero as he saved two and Owen slotted the fi nal stroke confi dently home to put Kingston through in a game that very nearly ended their hopes of getting further in the cup.Reed’s were followed up by yet again a strong team, RGS High Wycombe. Everyone knew that the performance had to be a massive step up from the last round. Kingston were on the front foot from the fi rst whistle but Wycombe managed to take a shock lead with one of their only chances of the game from a penalty corner. The response to this was very positive and the score was soon level. Once Kingston took the lead on the stroke of half time they never looked back and with the performance of the season the game was won comfortably 5-1.Mark Samuel, L6JJT

Owen Williamson stepped up and alththrough the

MsccaaggRRettethfroffootto toof ttto tlleveoof haperfcomfMMark

to fi nal

o

k s o comee

Hockey


U16 Boys’ London Finals

Kingston’s fi rst match at Ditton Field was against Trinity School. Since we had a bye into the London Finals, this was a must win match if we wished to continue into the South heats. Unfortunately, we had very little preparation going into the tournament due to numerous cancellations because of bad weather, meaning we had to apply ourselves well from the fi rst minute. The fi rst ten minutes were slightly uneventful and scrappy, with Trinity having a couple of notable chances saved well by Will Garside. However, ten minutes before half time Kingston fi nally got going and had a near miss from Michael Moran and a close one-on-one with Zach Wallace forcing a save from the Trinity keeper. At half-time it was 0-0. The pressure mounting, Kingston started off the second half fl ying, with a renewed energy. After successive short corners and close calls fi nally a well-worked corner routine broke the deadlock with a good fi nish from Zach Wallace. Soon after, Alfi e Style hit the post, but luckily Zach Wallace was positioned perfectly to tap home making it 2-0 to Kingston. Poor concentration allowed Trinity to pull a goal back to but soon after that an excellent solo goal from Zach Wallace momentarily calmed the nerves before Trinity again pulled a goal back to make the score line 3-2. Finally, Kingston managed to put the game to bed with a good fi nish from Will Freeman to make the fi nal score line 4-2. We were now through to the London fi nal and, regardless of who won, to the South heats. In the fi nal, Kingston met a very dominant Whitgift, with the score line ending up 8-0. This was an extremely disappointing result on Kingston’s behalf, and something we would hope to rectify, if we were to meet them again, further on in the tournament. Kingston are, however, now in the South heats. Ed Darwin 4DS

U14 Boys’ London Heats

Going into the London heats on 10th February 2015 we knew we had to win our group. Our group had us, Trinity School and Alleyn’s School. However, the major task was to avoid our arch rivals, Whitgift, in the semi-fi nal (presuming we got out of our group). They had beaten us twice this season, 1-0 and 4-0, so we knew that avoiding them would be very good.We started our matches against Alleyn’s School. We were fairly confi dent going into it but knew that they would have some good players and would not make it easy for us. We started well, having most of the possession and dictating play. However, we couldn’t make that clear cut pass that would put the pace machines, Min Seo and Ed Nicholas, through on goal. After half time we came out and continued to control play and could have scored a couple but we just lacked concentration at the fi nal moment. Will Mackintosh made a couple of good saves in goal and we were playing well. Finally Sam Langston provided the all-important break-through with a very good individual goal. The match fi nished 1-0.After a long break we went back onto the pitch to face Trinity, who had not been able to beat Alleyn’s and had drawn 1-1. We didn’t start as well; they had some good players and unfortunately went a goal up midway through the fi rst half. After half time we came back out and assaulted the Trinity goal. After some incredible pressing by Ed he fi nally cornered their centre back in their D, stole the ball and fi nished well. He then scored one more receiving a ball from Artie, lifting the ball over the keeper with his fi rst touch and slotting home. We then held out, our centre back pairing of James Thompson and Josh Askew defending well. We won 2-1. This meant we qualifi ed in fi rst place in our group and, because Whitgift won all their matches, so do they. We therefore play Dulwich College in the semi-fi nal, with the winner qualifying for the South Heats regardless of the outcome of the fi nal. Jonny Kerr, 3HL

tphTwM0TcSKZF4ImWlTdKsh

20

Football

Last term the 1st and 2nd XI football teams were narrowly beaten by Dulwich College in the London School’s Independent Cup, with the 1st XI losing out on penalties and the 2nd XI losing 1-0. The two schools were drawn together again in the Trinity Cup and fi xtures took place away at Dulwich College earlier this term. In what was always going to be a tough draw, the boys came up against two very resilient Dulwich teams and both were beaten on the day, with the 1st XI losing 5-0 and the 2nd XI losing 6-1. Both teams have since resurrected their seasons with very impressive victories away from home with the 1st XI beating Sutton Grammar School 1-0 and Royal Russell School 3-1, while the 2nd XI won 2-1 and 1-0 respectively. There have been some impressive Junior football results this term with the U14 and U15 boys beating C-teams from Hampton School 3-0 and 5-0 respectively. The U14 boys recorded victories against Thames Christian College and Hampton Court House School either side of their Hampton victory.

RAM

KGS Newsletter February 2015

Documents

Transcript of KGS Newsletter February 2015