Girls' Rowing continues to grow and it’s fantastic to see so many of them down at the boat club.  If their new found interest is maintained then I’m sure there will be a healthy competition for seats in the near future.  The newcomers are typically spending time learning technique and boatmanship and I hope their enthusiasm remains as the darker and colder afternoons settle in.

ICT at the College

 

LETTER FROM THE HEADMASTER

Dear Parents,
Over the past few years, our ICT network has undergone rapid change in almost every area as we move towards implementing our strategy of fully integrating ICT into the classroom. We have invested heavily in ensuring that our network, especially the wireless network, is as fast as it can be and capable of supporting the many hundreds of devices that are brought into the College every day.
Many of our pupils already bring laptops or tablets in to school and we now feel that the infrastructure is in place to recommend that every pupil at Shiplake has some form of mobile device to bring to lessons.
Having a laptop or tablet is not an absolute requirement in order to attend the College, but we feel that the benefits are very clear. More and more prep. is being set online, many of our teachers are using ICT interactively in the classroom or distributing resources electronically. Pupils are using their devices to work collaboratively, to produce work using video and audio or to access our online library. ICT no longer takes place once a week in a room full of desktop computers, but should be fully integrated into teaching and learning at Shiplake. We feel that goal can be achieved most effectively by recommending that all pupils have a mobile device from September 2013.
In order to give parents the widest possible choice, we have deliberately designed our network so that virtually any type of device can be used. Mobile phones, Windows laptops, Apple Macbooks, iPads and Android tablets are all currently being used on site.  Mr Balderson has put together a guide for parents considering buying a device. He can be contacted on sbalderson@shiplake.org.uk if you have any further questions.
Gregg Davies
Headmaster

With further guidance from the Head of ICT:

As far as the College is concerned, our only requirement is that it can connect to our wireless network (which all modern devices can) and that it has a web browser, in order to give parents and pupils the widest choice possible. A basic laptop would be entirely sufficient, but our current pupils have a wide variety of devices, including iPads, MacBooks, Windows laptops, Android tablets and many others. The only real constraints are personal preference and budget!
If you are considering buying an iPad, we would strongly recommend using an external keyboard as well, in order to be able to complete longer, written preps more easily.
Simon Balderson
Head of ICT

Congratulations!

I'm delighted that Katy Ward and Maddie Newman won Silver medals in the Women’s J18 doubles in the Ball Cup at Dorney Lake last weekend.   Maddie and Katy had been keen rowers before they joined Shiplake and proximity to the river has given them the opportunity to train on four or five occasions each week, coached by Rebecca McKellar.  It is particularly pleasing to see their hard work and commitment being rewarded.

With the races taking place over a 750 metre course the competitors had windy conditions to contend with in the heats. Drawn against Ardingly RC and Kings College School the Shiplake girls made a slow start and were trailing after ten lengths. Finding their rhythm they pushed through the other crews and held the lead at the 500 metres mark. They continued to increase their lead and finished with a winning margin of around one and a half lengths.

The weather had calmed slightly for the final and the girls were able to have a much smoother race but in the final it was Cambridge City RC who made the better start. The Shiplake girls pushed them all the way to the line but still trailed by a length and a half at the finish to take the silver medals. Well done girls!

Another amazing cake!

Happy belated birthday Rose!  

Rose was thoroughly spoiled  on Saturday and quite rightly so as it was her 18th birthday.  It has become a Gilson House tradition to have the cakes baked by our in house baker, Katy Ward.  However, this time she was also helped by Jo Unsworth and between them they baked this marvelous cake, which was even more impressive when you cut into it.  I can confirm that it tasted as good as it looked and did its job in lining some stomachs before the celebrations took place on Saturday night.  I hope you all enjoyed your last splurge before the exam season begins.

Another homemade cake!

Multi-layered Rainbow cake!

The birthday girl!

Feast of the Ascension

 There are a number of customs associated with Ascension day but the traditional Shiplake one is to have a game of rounders for the year 13 leavers' followed by some healthy, and some sweet treats!  The head chapel wardens each have a team and due to the early start the dress code tends to be PJ's and hoodies.  They all start the day by blowing bubbles to represent the fact that they too are about to have the opportunity to fly the nest.

I'm forever blowing bubbles!

The healthy option.

A good game of rounders was had although Emily Holland had to intervene on a number of occasions when it was quite apparent that the Headmaster and Mr Brown had very little clue about the rules of the game.  The other tradition that appears to be occurring is for one of the girls to get injured.  Fortunately it was not as bad as last year when Zoe was hit in the face with a propelled bat but Annabelle did receive a blow to her stomach with the ball.  However, there were smiles all round and a good morning had by all who attended.

GIRLS' SPORTS DINNER

A beautiful evening was had by all to celebrate the girls' sporting achievements.  All of the guests made a real effort and a great deal of time and effort was spent by all to ensure that they were preened from head to toe!  Their time spent doing so can clearly be seen as everyone looked beautiful and very elegant.  Even the boys scrubbed up well and were the perfect dates!

YEAR 12 GLAMOROUS LADIES

Everyone who achieved colours, trophies or commendations should be extremely proud of their achievements and it is delightful to hear about the progress the girls have made this year.  They have all worked well as a team and this has been evident on the netball court, hockey pitch and on the river. Good teamwork is based on trust and the girls have grown to know that they can depend on each other.  Their enthusiasm has also held the teams together this year and a great deal of fun and enjoyment has been had. 

Well done girls and keep up the good work next year! 

YEAR 13 GLAMOUROUS LADIES

Tropics V's Gilson Netball

On Friday 26^th April, the Girls netball team headed down for their final match of the season, against none other than the boys Basketball team the Shiplake ‘Tropics’. As the game began, the girls made sure they did not become overconfident; having heard the boys had been training for the match. The ball began to move up and down the court very fast due to quick and slightly panic-driven play. However, the girls soon gained control of the court and despite loosing possession to the ‘Tropics’ ended the first quarter 5-1.



A good telling off requires a straight face!



As the second quarter started the Tropics began to pick up on the rules and the play became a little more equally based, with the Tropics taking advantage of the fast play and scored another goal thanks to Will Lewis and George Davis in attack. However, the girls were able to keep up with the boys and a further two goals were scored by Anna Proctor and Sophie Arnold, leaving the half time score at 7-2.

This fast pace and high competitive level continued on for the third quarter and the boys despite being constantly called up for footwork and contact managed to work their way around Molly Thorp and Alice’s White tight defence to score three more goals. However, Molly and Alice soon too back control and through good centre play from Rose Parker, Sammy Hildred and myself, the ball was passed back to the attack at the quarter ended 9-5 to the girls.

As the fourth and final quarter began, the play became messy and panicked as both teams strove to score. However, only one goal was scored by the girls and none from the boys, leaving the score at 10-5.

However, after high demand from the Tropics for one last quarter to redeem themselves, play stated again and the Tropics with a match-worth of experience took the girls, who had become over-confident, by surprise and scored a quick four goals. However, this was not quite enough to beat the netball team who stole back the boys victory and ended the match, finally at 13-9.

Well done to all the players, especially the boys who took their loss well. Thanks to Lou Porter for refereeing and to Sammy and Anna for organising the match.



Smiles all round - sign of a good game!

 Written by Trudi Lister

THE LONDON MARATHON

On Sunday the 21^st of April, Daisy and I completed the Virgin London Marathon.  The times achieved were 4:13 and 4:36, which we were both very pleased with. The weather was warm and sunny which made the run slightly more challenging but cold showers were sprayed at runners along the course to cool us down! Spectators were also offering sugary treats and fruit throughout the race to keep our energy levels up. The amount of spectators and support along the course was overwhelming and made the Marathon a great event to be a part of.  It was amazing to see such a wonderful turnout, despite the tragic events of the Boston bombings a week prior to the event. All runners wore a black ribbon to show support for the people affected by the bombings.

We have almost reached our fundraising target of £3400 for our charity SportsAid which we may even exceed if people continue to donate.

We both agree that this will be an experience we will never forget and loved being a part of.

Thankyou to all that have donated and supported us throughout our training :-)


(Written by Jo Unsworth)

One day until the London Marathon

Hopefully they will be smiling like this when the finish!

Gilson House would like to wish Daisy Gresswell and Jo Unsworth the best of luck for the London Marathon this weekend. All that training will be worth it and I am sure they will achieve the times they desire. They have been doing a fantastic job at raising £2704 but their target is £3400. Any last minute donations will be welcomed and you can donate via their JustGiving page http://www.justgiving.com/DaisyGresswell-JoUnsworth or to save time they have set up a quick method for sponsorship:

Just send a text to 70070 and in the message type the code: DGJU99 and on the next line put the amount you wish to sponsor in £s

· DGJU99

· With the amount £????

· To

· 70070

You will also be able to add Gift Aid at no extra cost


Once again - GOOD LUCK AND WE ARE ALL PROUD OF YOU!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATRON!

THE BIRTHDAY GIRL!

What a lovely surprise matron received when she arrived at work this morning.  The girls spent a considerable amount of time decorating her office and gave her the fright of her life by hiding and awaiting her arrival.  I'm not sure who was more scared, matron or Boris.  A total of 75 balloons had been blown up and attached to streamers from the ceiling.  They obviously know her well as matron loves decorating the house at every opportunity, whether it be for Halloween  Christmas or even Red Nose day.  She loves it so much that she has been given permission to keep up her decorations until the balloons deflate. Matron was absolutely over the moon with her birthday gifts and homemade cake (baked by the talented Katy Ward)  and said it was her best birthday ever - albeit a day early!  A big thanks goes out to the Gilson girls for being such a bunch of kind and considerate young ladies who help to inject a great deal of fun when it is required.  An even bigger thanks goes out to matron for rubbing off on the girls.  Never a dull day - especially in matrons office!

Many common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet.  A poor diet can have an injurious impact on health, causing deficiency diseases, health-threatening conditions and common chronic systematic diseases. Today the girls were informed about the importance of a well balanced and healthy diet whilst also being able to enjoy samples of food that fulfill these criteria.

Janet Johnston, a nutritionist, enlightened the girls about why the teenagers’ diet should sustain growth and promote good health.  This is the time when they have begun to develop real independence and are making decisions about the food they eat. Worryingly, the rate of type 2 diabetes is on the rise in adolescents. Fortunately there are plenty of healthy options available at school and home for healthy meals and snacks.



A VARIETY OF THE DELICIOUS SAMPLES OF FOOD PROVIDED FOR LUNCH.



Eating healthy can sometimes be tough. After all, teens are busier and busier with school, part-time jobs and other activities. What a teen eats is not always high on the priority list. While the ill effects may not show now, eventually poor nutrition habits will catch up with teens. In fact, many teens show the effects of less than desirable nutrition practices now, even though they may not know it.

Specific nutrients are especially important during the teen years. Lack of iron can lead to anaemia, and sluggish feelings during the day, negatively affecting alertness in school, at work and even during sporting activities. Iron intake is especially important for teenage girls, as menstruation depletes iron whilst calcium is important for future health. The teen years are ideal for building bone mass with the help of calcium. Brittle bones in the future (osteoporosis) and other health problems can result from a lack of calcium during the teen years. 

Here’s hoping a lesson is learned today and a healthy and happy future is in store for all!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOPHIE!

Happy Birthday Sophie and once again, Katy's homemade cakes have been appreciated and enjoyed by all who have consumed them, including myself!  Having an inhouse baker ensures that the cakes are as fresh as can be.  I even got a chance to ice some of them myself but Miss Ward did the majority of the hard work.



Homemade cakes - yum!



The Birthday Girl!



The girls have their first race at the National Sculling Head at Dorney Lake today.  Here's hoping the cupcakes  have a big impact on their energy levels and overall performance.  Good luck to Maddie, Katie, Chloe and Ellaoisa!

Victory for Shiplake Netball team!

On Wednesday 6^th March, Shiplake travelled to Pangbourne College for our last netball match of the season. Shiplake started the match confidently with the first centre pass, fluid movement down the court and strong possession, ending the first quarter 5-1 to Shiplake.

Shiplake’s lead meant the girls became overly confident and paid the price as Pangbourne took advantage, scoring 4 more goals. However, despite notably messy play, Shiplake managed to hold their lead 8-5 by half time.

As the third quarter started, Shiplake began to play stronger and thanks to Anna Proctor and Sophie Arnold’s shooting skills, we almost doubled our score 14-7, with Pangbourne only managing to get in 2 goals due to brilliant defence from Sammy Hildred and our own Player of the Match, Molly Thorp as Goal Keeper.

The fourth and final quarter of the game was by far the hardest, Pangbourne began to match us goal for goal and as each team became desperate for the win, the play became noticeably rough. The substitution of Libby Harman to play Wing Attack paid off as the centre-court play became dominated by the Shiplake girls, with Trudi Lister and Libby Harman channeling the ball easily past the Pangbourne opposition to the awaiting shooters, Proctor and Arnold. Thanks to the strong determination and fast fluid movement from the Shiplake girls, we overcame Pangbourne for a second consecutive match and won 21-15. Well done to all the girls and thanks to our coach Lou Porter for a brilliant season. 

Written by Trudi Lister.

Marathon training update!

On Sunday Daisy completed the Eton Dorney 20k run in a time of 1:53:01 and is on target to complete the London Marathon in just under 4 hours.  Overall, Daisy was the 10th female and I'm pleased to say was in good shape at the end, which bodes well.  She also managed to “pull” a running partner on the day, Tony – 73 yrs old who has 23 marathons under his belt, the two of them paced each other the whole race.



The start of the race.

 Donations are most welcomed, anything from a £ or two will help Daisy and Jo reach the huge target they have set themselves to help young talented sports people less lucky than themselves.




"In youth we learn; in age we understand. " ~Marie Ebner-Eschenbach
Dasy and the lovely Tony!

 

You can donate via their JustGiving page http://www.justgiving.com/DaisyGresswell-JoUnsworth   OR  to save time they have set up a quick text method for sponsorship:

 

Just send a text to 70070 and in the message type the code: DGJU99 and on the next line put the amount you wish to sponsor in £s

        ·         DGJU99

·         With the amount £????

·         To

·         70070

You will also be able to add Gift Aid at no extra cost

 





Daisy looking remarkably well and Jo providing support.

 Many thanks to Daisy's supportive parents for providing the photographs and a great deal of the information.





Flute Exam

Gym/Practice Room

Prep duty usually entails checking in on the girls every so often to ensure that they are using this time productively.  However, tonight has been particularly pleasant as I have had the joy of listening to Annabelle McIntosh practice her flute in preparation for her grade eight exam tomorrow.  This is quite an achievement to get to this standard and I’m impressed by the way her fast moving fingers are able to create millions of notes from the highest to the lowest notes.  The music practice room would seem to be a logical place to begin her preparation but being in a place devoid of distractions will suffice.  Looks like the Gilson gym has proven to be useful in more ways than I initially anticipated.  All of Gilson wish Annabelle the best of luck tomorrow.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

LET THE BAKING BEGIN!

The London Marathon is the largest annual fundraising event on the planet – runners have raised over £500 million for good causes since the race began in 1981. Daisy Gresswell and Jo Unsworth are currently trying to add to this staggering amount. They have both been hard at work making, and selling Valentine cookies. They have a long way to go to reach their £4000 total, but the sales today have helped to increase the amount raised so far. A lot of money raised has been a result of various food sales, but they do say a way to a man's heart is through his stomach!

There are a lot of things to keep in mind when preparing for your first marathon—and I’m not talking about the months of training they already have completed and planned. Undertaking this task, whilst also focusing on their A levels, will be a massive achievement - and one they will never forget!

If you would like to donate then simply click on the link found below
http://www.justgiving.com/DaisyGresswell-JoUnsworth

THE FIRST BATCH!

THE LAST BATCH - OR SO THEY THOUGHT!

THE FINISHED PRODUCT!

THE DELIVERY CUPID'S
CUPID = THE GOD OF DESIRE, LOVE AND AFFECTION???

Go Jo and Daisy!

A marathon is a daunting prospect for anyone, let alone for 2 teenage girls running the London marathon! The training will of course be gruelling but for these two competitive rowers it should be a doddle. But this is what I admire the most about these girls. Their pure dedication and willingness to complete this marathon, and the least we can do for them is donating some money to their cause – Sports Aid. Jo and Daisy hope to raise money by conducting various events like Mufti days and regular cake sales and any support is much appreciated!

Sports Aid is an excellent charity that focuses on ‘helping the sports stars of tomorrow, today’. Their aim is to provide money for upcoming sports stars during the early parts of their careers. Sports Aid also helps disabled sportsmen to achieve their sporting dreams. This is a brilliant charity for Jo and Daisy to run for.

I think we can all take a leaf out of these two exceptional girls’ book and realise that we can make a difference in the world. We don’t have to go to extreme lengths; but we can change someone’s life so easily. These two girls are beyond admirable and I really look up to them.

Written by Olivia Peacock

Winning Streak

Buoyed by two successive wins the Shiplake girls’ netball team travelled to Pangbourne College with a sense of anticipation. Artic winds made playing conditions difficult, particularly for the shooters. Early panic meant that it looked more like a game of ‘Pass the Bomb’, than netball, resulting in a 2 – 2 score at the end of the first quarter. White, Rowbotham and McIntosh held off the opposition in defence with Lister as centre and Harman, Arnold and Holland in attack.

The second quarter saw a change in team, allowing the more novice players a chance to show off their newly learned skills. Despite some excellent play from the defence, Kozhemyakina and Pongratz, and great channelling from Lister, Harman and Malagueira, Shiplake ended the second quarter losing 4 – 5.

Once again the team changed, resulting in more fluid passing and excellent defence from McIntosh in the goal circle. Rowbotham and Holland worked well together, intercepting the ball and passing it down the court to the midfield where Harman, Lister and Arnold worked it into the goal circle enabling goals from White and Arnold. This resulted in an 8 - 6 lead to Shiplake.

In the final quarter Shiplake were determined to extend their lead. As the wind picked up, so did the volume of the side-line support. Excellent team work was evident in the last 10 minutes of the game scoring seven goals, and only conceding four to the opposition, making the final score 15-10 to Shiplake.

Joseph Production

This week has been a particularly busy week for those in the Joseph production and the four angels seen below have been fulfilling their roll on and off stage.  Miss Saker has been singing their praises as they have been guiding the Shiplake primary students and  also helping to organise behind the scenes.  Myself and matron had the pleasure of watching the performance on Thursday evening and it truly is a wonderful production.  The reputation and popularity of Joseph rests on an amalgamation of good story-telling and an unbelievably creative blend of popular musical styles from every conceivable genre. But it takes a talented cast and director/choreographer to fully attain the musical's inspirational and entertainment value.  Once again, the Shiplake drama department have outdone themselves.  A huge round of applause goes out to Ellaoisa, Bunty, Meg and Trudi.    

 



Netball Match V's Magdalen College

The Victorious Team

On Wednesday the 16^th of January, Shiplake girl’s netball team had their first match of the new year against Magdalen College. The match began with Sophie, Annabelle and Libby in attack, Bunty, Alice and Emily in defence and Trudi as centre. After Magdalen scored only one goal in the first fifth, Shiplake switched teams to try and vary the game play. Meg, Sammy and Stacie all began in defence, Rose, Anna and Mariana took over attack and Sissy became centre. There was some excellent interceptions from Stacie, Meg and Sammy with Sissy in her first ever match channelling the ball up and down court very well. Unfortunately Magdalen, took us by surprise with seven goals which led the score to eight-nil. Despite the goal difference, Shiplake girls were not yet defeated. With strong defence in the 3^rd fifth and excellent shooting from Anna and Sophie, Shiplake performed an outstanding comeback scoring 8 goals, one a minute. We carried on with this team for the fourth and final fifths, scoring an additional 6 goals with great defence from Bunty who was playing in a position out of her usual comfort zone. Alice and Sammy kept the goal circle tightly defended which meant Libby and Trudi were able to smoothly and quickly pass the ball down to their shooters, Anna and Sophie. After numerous injuries and some rough playing from the opposition, the final score was 14-9 to Shiplake. Well done to all the girls and to their Couch Lou for helping us to our first Win of the season.

Written by Trudi Lister

House Art

Congratulations to Rose Parker, Daisy Gresswell, Jo Unsworth, Bunty Rowbotham and Alice White for winning awards in House Art. I am delighted that so many girls have won, and obviously, I am even more proud of them considering that they were for Art.

It’s really thrilling and deeply satisfying to see the girls take risks and explore a variety of different mediums and techniques, but invariably they would often find themselves come up against at least one obstacle in their creative process that evoked fear or frustration. As you can see from the images below, their work clearly reflect the endless hours they have spent refining their work, well done girls!

Bunty Rowbotham - Paper Fashion Sculpture

Jo Unsworth - Oil on Canvas

                                                 

Daisy Gresswell - Ceramic Sculpture

Alice White - 3D Collographs

Rose Parker - Screen Printed Chair

GILSON GYM

Most of us would like to work out more. But going to the gym can be an uncomfortable experience – for some girls, joining the gentlemen in the school gym can be quite intimidating. So my belated Christmas present to the girls was their very own gym in Gilson.  It might not be the largest of gyms and the equipment is rather condensed but I’m glad to see that it is being used on a regular basis.  It’s an area where the girls can let off some steam, or simply use to improve their fitness levels - whilst also being social.  It appears that the tuck shop is reaping the benefits too, as some are often consuming what they have burned off!

Good things come in small packages!

Motivational  Posters

NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTION

Supposedly less than nine percent of people actually achieve their so-called resolutions but my resolution this year was to start a blog for Gilson House and it is one that I am not reluctant to share, as it is one that I intend to maintain!  Okay, it may well not be updated every day but you have it in writing that it will be done on a weekly basis.  

“A New Year's resolution is a commitment that a person makes to one or more personal goals, projects, or the reforming of a habit.”  So I am putting it in writing that I will be committed to this blog, with some help from the girls and matron. I hope you enjoy it and you look forward to any future updates regarding the goings-on in Gilson House.