Private School News

Marist School raises £1846.89 for the NSPCC

Marist School raises £1846.89 for the NSPCC in a ‘Number Day’ Challenge
Students pit their wits to raise money for charity

Sunninghill, Ascot, Berkshire, February 9, 2009: The Marist Senior School has raised £1846.89 for the NSPCC’s Childline charity from sponsoring a maths challenge ‘Number Day’ which took place in December. Mrs Annabel Hill from the NSPCC visited the school today to collect the donation and to speak to students about the current work of the NSPCC during a special assembly.
The NSPCC runs a Number Day challenge for schools every two years. The Marist Senior School has been participating for quite a few years but this is the highest amount of money the school has ever raised for the charity which has delighted its students and teachers. 240 girls participated altogether in raising the donation.
During the challenge, students in years 7-10 worked in teams on maths puzzles and games. The Number Day ran in place of normal lessons with teams aiming to get as many questions right as possible in 50 minutes as their correct answers were sponsored. Puzzles covered all areas of the academic curriculum and included number, algebra and spatial topics. Basic number work and problem solving were included posing questions such as ‘The Tardis disappears at 9:00am Monday morning and reappears a million seconds later. On which day of the week does it reappear?’ Questions were graded for each age group including easy to more challenging questions which made the Number Day accessible for all students and provided a fun way to learn. The girls were sponsored by friends and family.

The work of the NSPCC is discussed during school assemblies and PSHE (Personal, Social and Health Education) at the Marist enabling students to understand the charity and the essential support it provides for children at risk. This year, the collection was for ‘ChildLine’ part of the NSPCC charity the students and teachers were very keen to support.

Mrs Annabel Hill from the NSPCC said “The impact of the recession means that the NSPCC’s work relies on the kindness and generosity of supporters more than ever. The money raised by The Marist Senior School will help the NSPCC keep its vital services open, so we can reach as many children as possible in 2009, by being there for them when they desperately need help.”

Mrs Sheila Heard who is Head of Mathematics at the Marist Senior School said “Working with the NSPCC cements what the girls learn in PSHE lessons and enables them to extend their knowledge of the supportive charities that exist. We are very proud to support the NSPCC. The Marist Maths Department is always delighted to enable charitable giving and it supports the ways in which the NSPCC brings the subject to life for children. The girls enjoy competitions and a lot of maths takes place in a vibrant and engaging manner. The atmosphere in the classroom just buzzes and the girls not only learn about maths but teamwork and social responsibility as well.”

Photo: Olivia Chilton and Victoria Palmer, Marist students who helped raise the donation, with Mrs Annabel Hill (NSPCC) and Mrs Sheila Heard, Head of Mathematics at the Marist Senior School.