Private School News

GREASE IS THE WORD FOR NEWCASTLE STUDENTS

A theatrical group of students at Newcastle Church High School have wowed audiences at Newcastle College theatre with their energetic production of the hit Broadway musical Grease.

Strutting their stuff as T-birds and Pink Ladies, the girls received a standing ovation from the packed auditorium on their opening night, following several months of rehearsals.

The production included all the songs from the original stage show, as well as many complex dance routines. The show even featured a real car known as ‘Greased Lightning’ which was pushed on stage every night.

Rachael Kandola, 16, of Cleadon, starred as one of the leads, Sandy, played by Olivia Newton-John in the 1979 film. She said; “I loved playing the character and I watched the film lots in preparation. My favourite number from the musical is Summer Nights as I performed a duet with Abi, who played Danny, as well as the rest of the cast who provided backing vocals.

“The dancing I found very intense as there are lots of high energy, upbeat routines and obviously you have to sing at the same time. Many of the dances were really ambitious especially The Hand Jive dance which involved the whole cast dancing in time with each other and meant everyone had to really focus.”

Abi Buchan, 16, of Gosforth, has worked backstage on a number of productions but this year decided to take the plunge and audition for an acting role. Abi landed the role as Danny, she said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed starring in this year’s production of Grease, it has been a fantastic way to kick start the school term. Everyone really enjoyed The Hand Jive dance as the whole cast was involved and you could see the audience tapping their feet and trying to stop their hands from moving throughout our performance.”

Some of the girls in the production, like Laura Rea, 16, of Gateshead, who played the male role of T-bird Kenikie would like to continue her musical foray with a career in acting. She said; “I found playing a male character a real challenge and I tried to really get into the part by watching Kenikie in the film, observing my male friends and generally trying to get into the male psyche.

“I want to go to drama school after sixth form and Grease has given me a great opportunity to show my versatility by playing a man. It’s been a fantastic experience.”

In fact many of the students, like 16-year-old Charlotte Ryder, of South Gosforth, took getting into character very seriously. She said; “My character Frenchy is famed for her whacky hair, so I had my hairdresser dye mine bright pink. I thought it was going to fade over the week, but it seems to be here to stay!

Charlotte is interested in the production side of performing arts. “Working at the Newcastle College theatre meant I’ve had a real insight into how theatre works from a technical perspective, particularly getting the car on and off the stage every night. I also learnt a lot about lighting and stage sets. I’d like to go into film or theatre production eventually and our performance of Grease has made me think more about the direction I’d like to take.”

Phil Noble is director of music at the school. He praised the students, saying: “The girls have been tremendous. From a musical perspective Grease has a very distinct musical style, so it was a challenge to help them master that, as well as for the girls playing male roles to sing in the right key. They were also singing to music played by a small, professional, live band so they had to raise their game to compete with the music. They did a fantastic job.”

Head of dance, Katherine Brett choreographed the show, which was full of energetic, high tempo numbers. She commented: “Not everyone at school studies dance and there was a broad mix of abilities in the production, so it was a challenge to pitch the choreography at the right level for everyone to master.

“The romantic numbers were also quite hard as the cast were all girls, so we couldn’t put in many of the big lifts that are in Grease. The girls really rose to the challenge though and my favourite number is the Hand Jive, which involves the whole cast and some fairly complex, high energy movements where everyone must be co-ordinated. The students did a brilliant job.”

Ruchelle Everton, head of drama, directed the musical. She said: “Grease is a musical that really appeals to young people, but it is quite difficult to stage. We had to contend with a fairly huge character – the car – and getting that on stage was a challenge in its own right.

“I’m really glad we decided to do Grease though. Revisiting it made me remember what a fantastic, funny show it is and I’m delighted with the outcome. I didn’t think we could top Guys and Dolls last year, but we have done.”

To find out more about Church High you can log onto their website at www.churchhigh.com or contact them on 0191 281 4306.

MINISTER FOR NORTH EAST LAUNCHES SCHOOL COUNCIL

The Rt. Hon Nick Brown visited Newcastle Church High School, in Jesmond, today (6th November) to announce the elected candidates for the Junior School’s first council.

The independent girls’ school set up its polling booths, rolled out the bunting and handed out rosettes and ballot papers for the first time for this year’s council elections.

Nine pupils, aged between five and 11 years old, have been elected to represent their classmates on the first junior school council and to celebrate the occasion MP for Newcastle East and Wallsend, Nick Brown, joined the school as a Returning Officer.

The girls have been learning at varying levels about the English political system since September in preparation for the launch of the school’s very own council.

Competition was tough for the elected candidate places, with nearly 90 per cent of one class of five year olds producing their very own manifestos in a bid to win the much coveted positions. The manifestos focused on why the school was special to them, what they would change along with a promise of what they would do if they were selected.

The Minister for the North East and Government Chief Whip, Nick Brown, took a break from parliament to announce the girls who has been successful. He said: “The enthusiasm and commitment to the Church High Junior School Council is really impressive.

“I think it’s great that young people are being encouraged to debate issues that matter to the school and to learn how a democracy works through an election process. Every election campaign requires thought and planning, encouragement and persuasion. I have nothing but praise for this exciting initiative.”

Dianne Colwell, Year Six Class Teacher and the driving force behind the Junior School council witnessed the extremely inspiring and emotional manifestos that the girls delivered.

She said: “It has been incredibly moving to see the girls talk about the school so passionately and make heartfelt promises to make a real difference to school life.

“Although we have had a Senior School council for some time we felt it was important to give the junior girls the same sense of ownership and citizenship within school, as well as introducing them at an early age to the political system.

“When we found out that Nick Brown would be coming along to the school to present the winning candidates with their badges we couldn’t believe it. It is an honour to have such a figurehead from the political world to launch our council.”

Although the Kindergarten and Nursery children, at under four years old, were unable to be voted into the council each class has been given a Year Six pupil who will represent their views and keep them up to date with council news.

Judith Cunningham, Head Teacher of Newcastle Church High Junior School said: “This year seemed a fitting time for the school to launch their Junior school council, with a general election set to take place next year we thought it was important that the girls understood what was going on around them.

“We felt that by having a school council it would enable pupils to become involved in school life and feel more motivated as well as allowing them to play an active, responsible part in their community.

“It is going to be incredibly interesting to see what changes the school council makes in its first year, as the girls are already bursting with ideas!”

Hannah Olukoga, 10, of Gosforth, couldn’t believe it when she was announced as an elected councillor. She said: “I never thought that I would win so it was such a nice surprise when Mr Brown read out my name.

“I am really looking forward to taking my classmates ideas to the council meetings and helping improve school life for the rest of the girls.”

Charlotte Cowell, 10, of Cullercoats, was really pleased to secure her position as a school councillor. She said: “Although I would have been happy if any of the other candidates had of won, it was such a nice feeling when they read out my name.

“I can’t wait for our first council meeting later this month.”

Olivia Dungait, 9, of Hebon near Morpeth, was one of the nine successful candidates who was elected as a councillor. She said: “I want to give the girls in my class the chance to get their ideas across to the rest of the school.

“I am really looking forward to seeing the changes that the council makes to the Junior School and be part of those changes.”

“When we found out that Nick Brown would be coming along to the school to present the winning candidates with their badges we couldn’t believe it. It is an honour to have such a figurehead from the political world to launch our council.”

Although the Kindergarten and Nursery children, at under four years old, were unable to be voted into the council each class has been given a Year Six pupil who will represent their views and keep them up to date with council news.

Judith Cunningham, Head Teacher of Newcastle Church High Junior School said: “This year seemed a fitting time for the school to launch their Junior school council, with a general election set to take place next year we thought it was important that the girls understood what was going on around them.

“We felt that by having a school council it would enable pupils to become involved in school life and feel more motivated as well as allowing them to play an active, responsible part in their community.

“It is going to be incredibly interesting to see what changes the school council makes in its first year, as the girls are already bursting with ideas!”

Hannah Olukoga, 10, of Gosforth, couldn’t believe it when she was announced as an elected councillor. She said: “I never thought that I would win so it was such a nice surprise when Mr Brown read out my name.

“I am really looking forward to taking my classmates ideas to the council meetings and helping improve school life for the rest of the girls.”

Charlotte Cowell, 10, of Cullercoats, was really pleased to secure her position as a school councillor. She said: “Although I would have been happy if any of the other candidates had of won, it was such a nice feeling when they read out my name.

“I can’t wait for our first council meeting later this month.”

Olivia Dungait, 9, of Hebon near Morpeth, was one of the nine successful candidates who was elected as a councillor. She said: “I want to give the girls in my class the chance to get their ideas across to the rest of the school.

“I am really looking forward to seeing the changes that the council makes to the Junior School and be part of those changes.”

Lara Brown, 5, of Cramlington was the youngest person to be elected onto the school council and received many heartfelt hugs from the older girls. Lara said: “It is really nice that the other girls have picked me to help make sure we get our ideas across.

“I really want the Junior School to get some monkey bars for us to play on during break, so I will pushing this idea forward.”

Lucy Benn, 6, of Ponteland, was one of the successful elected councillors. She has her eyes firmly fixed on improving the dining room. She said: “I really want to see some changes in the dining hall as it is often so noisy. I want to look at how we can make things quieter in there as it would make it much more pleasant for the teachers and other

WORD PERFECT

Girls from Newcastle Church High School in Jesmond were invited to Europe’s leading pen store, The Pen Shop in Eldon Gardens as a reward for excelling in their formal letter writing class.

The six girls managed to generate some exceptional responses from a range of celebrities including Twiggy, Torvill & Dean and Niall Quinn, all of which the pupils were delighted to receive.

The school was so impressed with the letters and responses the Year Eight girls received that they arranged for a trip to The Pen Shop, to learn more about the different types of pens that can be used as well as having the chance to try a fountain pen worth over £400.

Every year, the Year Eight girls complete a formal letter writing lesson which covers everything from the page layout to how to address the recipient and each year the pupils get some impressive responses.

Kay Thew, Head of Year 7 and teacher of English at Newcastle Church High School, said: “The girls were asked to write to a person who they really wanted to establish a dialogue with, whether it was to find out how they excelled in their field or to make a complaint.

“Some of the responses we have received have been fantastic and a couple of girls are now in regular dialogue with their recipients including one of our girls, Grace Dixon, of Whickham, who represents Great Britain at tennis.

“Grace is now receiving regular training and diet advice from Middlesbrough born tennis player, Sarah Borwell who is ranked 6th in Britain.”

Miriam Rabey, of Ponteland, is keen to pursue a career as a fashion buyer for leading retailers so decided to contact Harrods Director of Fashion and Beauty, Marigay McGee to find out how she made it to the top.

Miriam said: “I could never have imagined a couple of months ago that I would now be in regular contact with Marigay and have the chance to ask her all my burning questions.”

“It’s been fantastic to learn how she has progressed in the industry and I have already picked up some great tips from her which I hope will help me make it in the fashion world.”

Ken Gibson, manager of The Pen Shop, Newcastle talked to the Church High pupils about the different types of pens available as well as letting the girls test one of the stores most expensive pens.

He said: “It has been wonderful having the girls to visit the shop and learn more about the art of writing as the younger generation often favour sending emails to handwriting letters.

“I was amazed by how many of the girls used fountain pens everyday and they seemed genuinely interested in the different types of pens available.

“I think some of the girls are planning on bringing their parents into the store over the holidays to pick up a pen for the new school year.”

To find out more about Church High you can log onto their website at www.churchhigh.com or contact them on 0191 281 4306.

NEWCASTLE SCHOOL HELPS ROMANIAN APPEAL

The pupils at Newcastle Church High School have been busily collecting pens and pencils to fill over 250 pencil cases to send over to Romania.

The pencil case appeal aims to enable school children in a poverty stricken area to get an education, by providing essential school items such as pencil cases and exercise books.

The pencil cases will be shipped off to Garcin in Romania next month as without basic items, the children are not allowed to go to school. The Garcin area has a particularly high level of poverty and most families struggle to buy food, let alone school equipment.

The Junior School collected pens, pencils, rulers, maths sets, rubbers and pencil sharpner’s to send over to Romania and the girls took real pleasure in counting all the filled pencil cases.

Olivia Old, 10, of Newcastle, was so touched by the appeal she filled 10 pencil cases. Olivia said: “When I got the letter from school about the pencil case appeal I took it home to show my mum and she cried when she read it.

“It is so sad that the Romanian children do not have the same access to education and have to rely on donations to enable them to go to school. I cannot imagine not being able to go to school.”

Olivia Platt, 3, from Gosforth helped her mum put together the pencil cases to bring into school. She said: “I love drawing and I hope the children enjoy drawing with their new pencils.”

Seven-year-old Annie Ord, of Morpeth, has seen the heartbreaking images of the Garcin children in their community, as her dad, Mr Kevin Ord, works closely with the charity.

She said: “The pencil case appeal is so important and it feels fantastic to be able to help some of the Romanian children go to school. It is sad to think that they do not get to choose their own pens, pencils, rulers and books and have to rely on donations.”

Eight-year-old Raha Dashti, of Gosforth, cannot imagine life without school. She said: “I enjoy going to school so much and spending time with my friends and learning new things every day.

“I hope that the school equipment we send over will help the children to go to school and allow them to have the same opportunity to learn as we do.”

Megan Kelly, 8, from Morpeth, brought in a whole host of pencils, pens, and rulers to send across to Garcin. She said: “I think the appeal is such a good idea and I hope we can take part next year. It is so sad to think that the children in Romania can’t go to school just because they don’t have a pencil case.”

Emma Parr, 8, from Tynemouth, and her mum were so touched by the appeal they sourced specialist A4 exercise books which will be accompanying the pencil cases on their journey to Romania. Emma said: “When I told my mum about the appeal she couldn’t believe that the children were unable to go to school just because they couldn’t afford basic school items.

“My mum trawled the internet to find A4 exercise books so we could send them with all the pencil cases the Junior School had collected.”

Four-year-old Katie Atkinson, of Ovingham, couldn’t believe that the children in Romania were unable to go to school. She said: “I can’t imagine not being able to go to school to see all my friends.”

The girls at the award winning independent school became aware of the pencil case appeal after one of the pupils parents, Mr Kevin Ord contacted the Junior School’s charity organiser and year four class teacher, Ros Fairless.

Mrs Fairless said: “I have looked after the charity side of things at the Junior School for nearly six years and it is something I feel is an incredibly important part of learning for the girls.

“By taking part in charity work it helps the girl to learn to appreciate what they have and help those who are less fortunate.

“We are always keen to work with local and children’s charities so when I heard about the pencil case appeal from Mr Ord, it seemed like such a good opportunity for the school to take part in. It has allowed the girls to learn about other countries and their education system.”

Kevin Ord, from Morpeth, who is a property developer, learnt about the appeal from a neighbour and felt compelled to help the charity.

He said: “It is incredibly sad that the children of Garcin are unable to get an education because they cannot afford basic items.

“I think the appeal has really brought home to the girls how fortunate they are whilst allowing them to understand how other children across the globe are living.

“The pencil cases I have collected today will help some of the children of Garcin to either start or continue their education, where they will learn skills that will enable them to gain employment in later in life.”

SMILES ALL ROUND AS HALF OF ALL GRADES AT A LEVEL ARE STRAIGHT As

The girls at Newcastle Church High have great cause to celebrate today as a phenomenal 50 per cent of all marks achieved are A grades, which is double the national average.

The award winning Newcastle school has even more reason to celebrate this year as three quarters (75 per cent) of the results gained are A&B grades and 88 per cent of the grades are A-C passes.

Amongst this year’s science success stories is Aimi Thompson, 18, of Jesmond, who has achieved four A grades in chemistry, maths, physics and music and is going to take up her place at Imperial College London to study physics.

Aimi said: “I cannot wait to move to London and meet so many new people. Today marks the beginning of a new and very exciting chapter of my life and I couldn’t be happier.”

Francesca Henzell, 18, of Heaton, has gained four A grades, despite breaking her leg just before going on study leave.

Francesca achieved outstanding grades in biology, chemistry, maths and physics and has been offered an intensively competitive place at Edinburgh University to study veterinary science.

Francesca said: “I am stunned with my results as I didn’t expect to get four A’s and all of my friends have done exceptionally well too.

“I am sad to be leaving Church High but excited for the future as it has been my dream to study veterinary science at university.”

Straight A student Rachel Hunter of Gosforth, added: “I am just so thrilled – I couldn’t have hoped for better results. My A’s in religious studies, politics and economics mean that I can go on to study law at Nottingham University so today really has made my dreams come true.

“The only sad part is that I have to say goodbye to Church High. I have made some fantastic friends throughout my schooling and the staff have been so supportive, it really is like one big family.”

Joy Gatenby, head at Newcastle Church High School, said: “I am thrilled at this year’s outstanding results! With 50% of all grades achieved being A grades, we have doubled the national average and furthermore, one third of our A Level students each achieved 3 or more grade As.

“The majority of the 18 straight A students are going on to take much coveted places at several of the UK’s most prestigious universities to study courses with a clear career path.

“At Church High we know that academic excellence is essential but we also equip all our girls to succeed in life, university and the world of work, whatever their strengths.

“Our impressive results are testament to the commitment and hard work of the students, combined with the high level of motivation and support provided by their teachers.

“This year, the girls have excelled across a wide range of subjects and I congratulate them for their well deserved success and wish them the best of luck for the bright future ahead of them.”

For further information about Church High School you can log onto their website at www.churchhigh.com or call them on 0191 281 4306

A QUARTER OF GIRLS SECURE ALL A* OR A GRADES AT GCSE

Newcastle Church High School has cause for celebration as a quarter of students have gained A* and A grades in all 10 or more GCSE subjects taken, up five per cent from last year’s results.

Over 60 per cent of the Newcastle Church High GCSE results were at A* and A grade and 85 per cent of grades were A*–B grades, a five per cent increase on the 2008 results.

Best friends Rachel Gourley, of Killingworth, and Amy Woodruff, of Ponteland, each received A* grades in 12 subjects, they have been through the journey together taking the same subjects and studying together.

Rachel said: “It is so nice to be able to celebrate today with my best friend. We’ve both worked extremely hard and helped each other out throughout.”

Amy enthused: “I don’t think either of us was expecting to get all A* grades. I feel absolutely ecstatic that all of the hard work that we’ve put into our coursework and exams has made a difference.

“The feeling I have today is amazing and it just tops off the fantastic time I have had at Church High with all my friends.”

Amongst the successful candidates were twins, Olivia and Lucy Topham, both 16, of Gosforth, who achieved 19 A* and 1 A grades between them. They are looking forward to staying on at the School’s Sixth Form.

Olivia said: “I am so happy today and it’s wonderful to be celebrating with my sister. We have worked together which I think has really helped as we have been able to ask each other questions and push each other to keep going.”

Lucy said: “I was so nervous this morning but now I can’t stop smiling. I really want to join the RAF and become a pilot so I know I’ve got to keep up the hard work during my A Levels and at university in order to secure a place.

“Collecting my results today has made me realise that with hard work I can achieve anything, it’s incredibly satisfying.”

Debbie Topham, mother of Olivia and Lucy who between them achieved 19A* and one A grade, said: “I am truly overwhelmed. This is just the most fantastic news and I am so, so proud of the girls.

“They have both worked very hard and I am delighted that all their studying has paid off. The staff at Church High have also been a great source of support to both of them and I feel they have really benefitted from the advice they received from their teachers.

“They are both looking forward to staying on at the school to do their A levels but we will make time for a bit of celebrating before they start the new term!”

The Oswald family of Gosforth are continuing their exam celebrations from last week as 16-year-old Rachael has picked up 7A*, 2A and 1B.

Sisters Anna and Sarah picked up their A Level results last week; 18-year-old, Anna, who gained three A’s, is going on to study Geography at Durham University and 19 year old Sarah, who returned to Church High this year to take a further A level in PE, was thrilled to achieve an ‘A’ grade after only one year of study. Sarah, a talented sportswoman, will be going on to study sports science at Northumbria University.

Rachael Oswald, 16, of Gosforth said: “I am shocked but absolutely thrilled with my results. I really wasn’t expecting this and when I opened the envelope I just got such a lovely surprise!

“I am now looking forward to starting sixth form at Church High. I am fairly sure that I am going to take A levels in maths, P.E., geography and chemistry.

“I am most surprised with my A* in history – I don’t know how I got it as I thought the exam was quite difficult and hadn’t gone very well. I really couldn’t be happier and it’s lovely to see my mum so proud.”

Mrs Oswald, mum of four, said: “It’s strange to be back at the school just a week later collecting more exam results! The last couple of weeks have been incredibly stressful and I am so relieved that all of my girls have done so well, I am exceptionally proud of them.

“Church High has been incredibly caring and supportive to all of my daughters and I cannot thank them enough for helping my girls to excel not only academically but in sports and music.

“It will be a very sad day for me and family when my youngest daughter leaves the school.”

Year 9 pupil Sofia Moghal, 14, of Gosforth, is celebrating today as she picked up an A* in German two academic years early.

Sofia commented: “I have always loved languages so this news has just made my day. I really enjoy studying at Church High and the staff in the language department have really helped me progress this year.

“I hope to carry on my studies at the school and in two years time I will be here with all the other girls collecting the rest of my results. I am looking forward to starting back at school next week.”

Sofia’s mother, Gertrude Moghal, spoke of her delight at her daughters result: “Sofia has always had a real flair for languages. Our family is bi-lingual but Sofia has always been the most fluent. She has worked very hard for this and is naturally very conscientious so it is fantastic to know that her efforts have been recognised.

“I am extremely proud of her and grateful to the staff at the school who encouraged Sofia to sit the exam so early. It has been a great morning and I wouldn’t have missed it for anything!.”

Francesca Thornton of Ponteland was amongst this year’s high achievers as she scooped 11 A* grades.

Francesca said: “I am on top of the world right now! I am so glad that all the hard work over the last two years has paid off and my mum and dad are so proud.

“All through school I have been aiming for A* grades and working extra hard to do my best to achieve them – today’s news is a massive relief.”

Imogen Atkinson of Whitley Bay is celebrating today as she has secured four A* and 7 A grades.

Imogen said: “I’m so pleased right now. I worked really hard and I’m delighted with what I’ve got. I was hoping for A’s and B’s but I never expected this.

“This morning I was so nervous – I went and sat in a little room on my own just to calm my nerves but I was so happy when I opened the envelope and saw my results!

“My favourite subject is Drama and I’m excited to study that in the sixth form, along with English, History and Religious Studies.”

Holly Cuthbert, 16, of Corbridge, was thrilled with her 6A* and 4 A grades. Holly said: “I was terribly nervous when I arrived at school this morning but I am over the moon with my results.

“The grades I achieved mean that I can stay on at Church High to do A levels in biology, chemistry, psychology and maths. I am very keen on studying science related subjects and think psychology will be really interesting.

“It is lovely to meet with all my friends and find out what they got – we have all done so well that my nerves have well and truly gone!”

Joy Gatenby, head at Newcastle Church High School, said: “We could not have been happier with our A Level results and now we have further cause to celebrate with these superb GCSE results. The girls have done outstandingly well, with a quarter of our students achieving all A* and A grades in 10 or more subjects.”

“Over 60 per cent of all the grades achieved are A* and A grades and that is a most impressive achievement.”

“The girls did particularly well at religious studies, which is a compulsory subject, with 88 per cent of grades being an A* or A.

“Our students now have a very strong basis for further academic study and I know they will build on today’s success and go on to achieve even greater success in the future. I wish them all well.”

GIRLS STRIKE THE RIGHT NOTE

The girls from Church High Senior School choir in Newcastle hit all the right notes on their Choir Tour to Italy where they sang in one of the most famous churches in the world.

The 38 pupils aged between 12 -18 years sang at St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice on Valentine’s Day and performed at the Verona Love Festival as well as impromptu performances in the Verona Arena and in Venice.

The girls performed as part of Valentine’s Mass at St Marks and sang sacred songs including Ave Verum by Mozart and Ave Maria by Saint-Saëns. The pupils also learnt a selection of secular music including songs by Coldplay, Elton John and Billy Joel which formed part of their repertoire during a special concert at St. George’s Anglican Church in Venice.

Renate Rothe, director of music, has trained the girls and led this year’s choir tour. She said: “When the choir performed for the first time all together in St Lukes in Verona, the sound was simply stunning. The church was simply beautiful, and the girls’ angelic voices seemed to hang ethereally in the air after each piece finished. Some of the audience members were moved to tears, and we received a standing ovation.

Other highlights were performing an impromptu outdoor concert at the 2000 year old arena in Verona, and in a town square in Venice in the beautiful sunshine. Many passers-by stopped in their tracks, awe-struck, to listen to the girls sing. Performing in San Marks was an amazing experience, and the girl’s final concert showed what talented and professional musicians they are, singing with incredible skill in multiple parts and with such vibrant enthusiasm they drew in crowds from the street. It was an unforgettable day.”

The girls began rehearsing back in November spending up to XXX hours per week in preparation for their three-day tour. The girls have come on tremendously and are now singing in four-part harmonies which sounded incredible in the acoustically perfect venues and churches.

Rachel Kandola, 16 of Cleadon has already visited Prague, Paris and Barcelona during previous school choir tours. Rachel said: “I have really enjoyed singing in such prestigious cathedrals across the world as it really is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
“It has been a great experience to spend time with girls of all ages from the Senior School whilst visiting such outstanding places. I particularly enjoyed this year’s tour as Saint Mark’s was wonderful by night, which is when we performed.”

Daisy Abraham, 15 from Cleadon enjoyed her first choir tour after joining the school from La Sagesse. Daisy said: “I really wanted to be in a choir and I was excited to discover earlier this year that the school takes part in an annual choir tour.
“I have made a lot of friends since joining the school in September and couldn’t wait to visit Venice and Verona with them, whilst singing in such outstanding buildings.”

Jenny Shell, 17 of Alnwick took part in her sixth choir tour this year, she has previously visited Rome, Budapest and Paris with the school. Jenny said: “I have had so much fun in previous years and really enjoy singing as part of a choir.
“It’s a great chance to meet new people and visit some amazing places and this year was no different.”

Phoebe Elliott, 13 of Gosforth was looking forward to seeing such an outstanding building. She said: “I was really excited about visiting Italy and singing to an audience of up to 100 people in St Mark’s cathedral. It was an amazing experience performing with all my school friends in such a breathtaking place, it really was the opportunity of a lifetime.”

Rachel Allan, 13 of Cramlington was looking forward to travelling to Italy. She said: “It was a great experience to spend time with girls of all ages from the Senior School whilst visiting such an outstanding place. The rehearsing for the tour was tough and we have had to put a lot of practice in, but it was well worth it when we performed at St Mark’s.”

Charlotte Lowden, 14 from Morpeth was particularly excited about visiting Verona during the Love Festival. Charlotte said: “It was an amazing opportunity to travel to such an iconic city and sing within one of the most famous religious buildings in the world at such a romantic time of the year.”

Megan Taylor, 13 from Newcastle couldn’t wait to reach Venice. She said: “I was really looking forward to getting to Italy but was nervous about performing in front of the Italian public in St Mark’s.
“We had put a lot of practice in and the hard work paid off when we sang in the cathedral, my nerves quickly disappeared as we began to sing.”

THE SOUND OF MUSIC

Kathleen Brady, a former peripatetic music teacher from Newcastle Church High School in Jesmond was treated to a special surprise on her 104th birthday.

Kathleen who moved from South Africa at just five years old, lived in Tynemouth until 2006 when she moved into the residential part of Wordsworth House, Jesmond.

The girls and teachers from Church High Junior School went along to Wordsworth House to form part of the birthday celebrations that had been organised by the home’s diversional therapist, Kevin Richardson.

Kevin was keen to do something for such a ‘genuinely nice lady’ and felt that along with the tea party that had been arranged a musical performance would be a great way to mark such a momentous birthday.

Kevin who has worked at Wordsworth House for over ten years was touched to be celebrating such a special birthday with such a remarkable lady. He said: “It is lovely to be able to celebrate such an extraordinary day with Kathleen, she is well liked by the staff and other residents and we felt a party to mark the occasion was in order.

“We wanted to do something special to celebrate and getting some of the girls from Church High Junior School’s choir to perform especially for Kathleen has been wonderful.”

The girls, aged between 8 and 9 opened their performance by singing Happy Birthday followed a selection of songs including ‘Dreamer’ and ‘Lord of the Dance.’ The pupils presented a card and bouquet to Kathleen, although they struggled to find a 104th birthday card!

Jill Brown, head of music at Newcastle Church High Junior School arranged the performance. She said: “When we told the girls that they would be performing as part of 104th birthday party there were a few gasps around the room.

“Time is quite a hard concept for children to understand, they know that 100 years is a long time and reaching beyond that is quite an achievement.”

The girls thoroughly enjoyed performing to Miss Brady and were overwhelmed by what a wonderful birthday she was celebrating.

Charlotte Cowell, 9 of Tynemouth loves singing and was only too happy to go along and sing to Miss Brady. She said: “We sing around three times a week at school and its lovely when we are able to perform to an audience.

“It is incredible that Miss Brady has reached such a great age, she is certainly the oldest person I have ever met!”

Holly Nelson, 9 of Blyth could not imagine the changes that Miss Brady has seen in her lifetime. She said: “It must be amazing to witness such substantial changes in technology, fashion and even cars. I would like to live a long life so I can see and experience all the different things.”

Kathleen thoroughly enjoyed her surprise party and loved hearing the girls sing. She said:
“I had a wonderful day and it was lovely to hear the girls sing such beautiful songs. I don’t feel a day over a 100.”

GIRLS BRING MEMORIES TO LIFE

Newcastle Church High School is celebrating its history and heritage this month by performing an opera about the school’s evacuation to Alnwick Castle during the Second World War.

The 28 girls aged between nine and 10 have combined singing, performing, learning and sharing for the past six weeks to pull together their own opera which will be performed to nearly 300 people over the next week.

The girls had the chance to meet four former Church High pupils who were evacuated to Alnwick Castle over bread, butter and wartime treat carrot jam at the Junior School last month.

Olivia O’Sullivan, 10 from Tynemouth said: “It was great to meet the ladies and their stories really helped in putting together the script and songs for the opera.”

Kathleen Dales who now lives in Whitley Bay joined Church High in 1944 aged 11. She visited the girls and talked about wartime Britain and where she was when they announced the War had started.

Kathleen said: “I’m now a grandmother to children of the same age so I was honoured to come back to Church High and speak to the girls about my school time experiences.

“It was lovely to meet the girls and I couldn’t believe how interested they were. It was wonderful to discover that the school has maintained their traditions and they still sing the same end of school song, The Church High Song.

“The girls were fascinated to discover that we wore gas masks and I even managed to find one of my own, which is to be used in the performance. I can’t wait to see how they have translated our tales into their own opera.”

The talented pupils at Church High have learnt about art, history, education and music in a bid to impress their teachers, friends and family.

Judith Cunningham, head of the Junior School and drama teacher said: “The girls have had a fantastic time putting together the opera and they have shown an amazing sense of camaraderie.

“The opera has really engaged the girls and it has offered the chance to write, sing and dance. The play deals with wartime Britain in such depth and has allowed them to expand their art, drama and creativity skills.

“I am so proud to see the girls on stage performing the opera that they have written and starred in. It really gives me a sense of pride to see how receptive and creative these girls are at such an early age.”

CHURCH HIGH CELEBRATES 100% PASS RATE AT GCSE…

Following the news last week that students at Newcastle Church High in Jesmond achieved a 100 per cent pass rate at A Level, the independent school had cause for celebration again today (Thursday 21 August), after students achieved a 100 per cent pass rate in 5 GCSEs, grades A*-C.

Amongst the successful candidates were girls aged 13 and 14 celebrating A* grades in Chinese and Punjabi two academic years early and three students in Year 11 who achieved an outstanding A*s in all 10 or more subjects.

Nearly 60 per cent of the Newcastle Church High GCSE results were at an A* and A grade and nearly 80 per cent of grades were A*–B grades. One fifth of the candidates achieved A* and A grades in all 10 or more subjects taken, with nearly half achieving all grades at A*–B.

Lucy Matthewson, 16, of Jesmond was celebrating after gaining 10 A*s at GCSE. The results top off an outstanding year for the teenager, who was part of the Church High tennis team which won the coveted National Nestle Team Tennis Championships 2008 for girls aged 15 and under, beating over 3,000 school entrants.

Lucy said: “When I called my parents to tell them my results they didn’t believe me at first. I didn’t expect to do this well and I’ll be celebrating today!”

Meanwhile Rebecca Webb-Mitchell, 15, of Kingston Park, achieved an outstanding 11 A*s an academic year early, and will be staying on at Church High to complete A Levels in Biology, Chemistry, Maths and Physics. She said, “I’m very happy and looking forward to coming back to Church High in September.”

A third student, Emma Chisolm, 16, of Washington also achieved 10 A*s at GCSE, including full marks for English Literature. She said, “My results were a shock but it’s great that all my hard work has paid off.” Emma will be studying Biology, Chemistry, Maths and English next year.

Rachel Stein, 16, was celebrating after achieving 8A*s and 3As. She said, “I feel really good, it’s a great feeling. I worked really hard during the year and feel great that it’s now all paid off. I’m coming back to Church High next year to hopefully study A Levels English, Maths, History, Art and PE.”

Two other pupils, Phanne Yang, 13, of central Newcastle and Jaspreet Lally, 14, of Fenham, Newcastle, were delighted to achieve A*s in Chinese and Punjabi respectively, two academic years early. The girls are currently in Year 9. Jaspreet’s achievement rounds off a week of success for the Lally family, after her sister Manpreet, who also attends Church High, gained 3 A’s at A Level and one A at AS Level last Thursday. Jaspreet said: “I’m really excited, but it hasn’t sunk in yet!”

Meanwhile, 15 year-old Adeline Owen of Jesmond, achieved an A* in French a year ahead of schedule. She said: “I’m really pleased with my result, I worked really hard for this. The school was great and gave me a lot of support throughout my studies.”

Joy Gatenby, head at Newcastle Church High School, said: “Academically, the school and our pupils have had another outstanding year, with fantastic A Level and GCSE results. Our girls have excelled at all levels and abilities and I am very proud of them.

“As well as our academic successes, we have also seen great achievements in the sporting field with our girls winning national and regional competitions for swimming, squash, tennis and badminton.

“Our teachers and support staff do everything they can to encourage our students to do well both academically and through extra-curricular activities, and the girls are a credit to us.”

MORE A GRADES A YEAR EARLY WINS CHURCH HIGH PUPIL A PLACE AT CAMBRIDGE…

A 17–year-old pupil from Newcastle Church High School in Jesmond has proven to be top of her class after winning a place at Cambridge University, a year early.

Charlotte Squires-Parkin, from Gosforth in Newcastle, takes a place at Trinity College, Cambridge, a year ahead of her peer group after receiving two grade As in her physics and chemistry A Levels in one year.

Last Year, the then GCSE student Charlotte, received an A grade for her Further Maths A Level, as well as scooping an A grade in 2006 for her Maths A Level when she was just 15.

Now Charlotte has completed school a year early and will be taking a place at the University of Cambridge to study Maths in October.

Charlotte, who has been at Church High since she was 11, is no stranger to taking exams early, having completed two GCSEs in 2006 at the age of 15 and then being awarded nine further GCSEs last year.

Charlotte, said: “I found out first thing this morning and I’m very excited about going to Cambridge.

“Church High has been really supportive letting me sit exams early and I’m really happy with the school and probably would not have had the same opportunity elsewhere.

“My parents are really proud of me and have also been a great support.”

Overall the girls at Church High have achieved a 100 per cent pass rate at ‘A’ Level with nearly 40 per cent of the grades being awarded were A grades.

Two thirds of all grades were A and B grades and 86 per cent of all grades were A-C grades which is a 3.5 per cent increase on last year.

Just over one fifth of girls achieved three or more straight A grades and half of the year group achieved all A and B grades. The average number of A level entries per girl was three.

Joy Gatenby, headmistress at Newcastle Church High School, said: “Another superb year group at Church High has seen some amazing A Level results. The superb standards are testimony to the consistent hard work of both girls and staff, and my congratulations go to all the girls who are now off to study their chosen courses at university.

“Charlotte has also done exceptionally well and we are very happy that she has won her place at Cambridge to read Maths.

“We are also delighted to have once again achieved a 100 per cent pass rate and that such a large number of girls have been awarded the highest possible grades.”

PEAK PERFORMANCE FROM NEWCASTLE CHURCH HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS

Girls at Newcastle Church High School swapped their school books for walking boots during the trip of a lifetime, trekking through Northern Peru.

The determined group of 15 pupils from one of Jesmond’s leading independent schools went on the trip to fulfil the requirements for their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award Exhibition. After trekking to the remote Peruvian village of Huaraz they all rose to the challenge of restoring a local school, helped build a drainage system and teaching English to local children.

The trip was organised as part of Church High’s challenging programme of extra curricular activities, aimed at nurturing and developing girl’s whole potential and preparing them for all aspects of life.

As part of the project the sixth formers spent 18 months planning and fundraising ahead of the month long expedition into the Andes, along with two Church High teachers.

Charlotte Raymond,17, from Morpeth was one of the sixth form students who took part in the expedition. She said: “The trip was fantastic. Peru is a fascinating country with incredible scenery. The highlight for me was the five day trek, an experience I’ll never forget. It was pretty tough at times and very tiring but so worthwhile when we reached the top – after this, I think I can do anything in life!”
And Alex Forth, 17, from Sunderland said she found the teaching aspect of the trip very rewarding. She said: “I couldn’t believe how little some of these children had and they spoke very little English so they found it hard to understand us. But over time, we began to build relationships with them and they could see that we were trying to help them – it was a really fulfilling experience.”
After successfully completing the project in Huaraz, the girl’s continued their challenge with a trek to Alpamayo base camp – high up in the Andes – where they set up a base camp for a five day climb up to the Punta Union Pass at 4,750 metres.

Jeanne Gordon is responsible for the Duke of Edinburgh Award at the school and led the expedition. She said: “Every other year we organise an overseas trip for pupils to experience different cultures, societies and traditions. Although we place great importance on academic success, at Church High we also believe it vital to develop our pupils through opportunities outside the curriculum like the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.

“This year the expedition to Peru presented the girls with some exciting and stimulating challenges, not only during the trip, but also in terms of planning and fundraising beforehand. I was really impressed to see that at each stage of the project all the girls remained really motivated and worked together to reach their goals. From a personal perspective I think the trip has helped develop the girl’s confidence and I am very proud of their achievements.

“The trip has given them a great insight into how other people live, many of whom own less than the girls were carrying in their rucksacks – their help has made a real difference to the people living in Huaraz.”

For many pupils the trip followed a year of hard work towards A Levels. Church High students received outstanding academic results in 2007 at all levels and abilities, with the most able girls achieving the best academic results and all candidates achieving grades well above those predicted by external benchmarking.

PEAK PERFORMANCE FROM NEWCASTLE CHURCH HIGH SCHOOL GIRLS

Girls at Newcastle Church High School swapped their school books for walking boots during the trip of a lifetime, trekking through Northern Peru

The determined group of 15 pupils from one of Jesmond’s leading independent schools went on the trip to fulfil the requirements for their Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award Exhibition. After trekking to the remote Peruvian village of Huaraz they all rose to the challenge of restoring a local school, helped build a drainage system and teaching English to local children.

The trip was organised as part of Church High’s challenging programme of extra curricular activities, aimed at nurturing and developing girl’s whole potential and preparing them for all aspects of life.

As part of the project the sixth formers spent 18 months planning and fundraising ahead of the month long expedition into the Andes, along with two Church High teachers.

Charlotte Raymond,17, from Morpeth was one of the sixth form students who took part in the expedition. She said: “The trip was fantastic. Peru is a fascinating country with incredible scenery. The highlight for me was the five day trek, an experience I’ll never forget. It was pretty tough at times and very tiring but so worthwhile when we reached the top – after this, I think I can do anything in life!”

And Alex Forth, 17, from Sunderland said she found the teaching aspect of the trip very rewarding. She said: “I couldn’t believe how little some of these children had and they spoke very little English so they found it hard to understand us. But over time, we began to build relationships with them and they could see that we were trying to help them – it was a really fulfilling experience.”

After successfully completing the project in Huaraz, the girl’s continued their challenge with a trek to Alpamayo base camp – high up in the Andes – where they set up a base camp for a five day climb up to the Punta Union Pass at 4,750 metres.

Jeanne Gordon is responsible for the Duke of Edinburgh Award at the school and led the expedition. She said: “Every other year we organise an overseas trip for pupils to experience different cultures, societies and traditions. Although we place great importance on academic success, at Church High we also believe it vital to develop our pupils through opportunities outside the curriculum like the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award.

“This year the expedition to Peru presented the girls with some exciting and stimulating challenges, not only during the trip, but also in terms of planning and fundraising beforehand. I was really impressed to see that at each stage of the project all the girls remained really motivated and worked together to reach their goals. From a personal perspective I think the trip has helped develop the girl’s confidence and I am very proud of their achievements.

“The trip has given them a great insight into how other people live, many of whom own less than the girls were carrying in their rucksacks ­­– their help has made a real difference to the people living in Huaraz.”