The Archbishop of Canterbury comes to MCS
On Thursday 12th January the whole school - including all the boys in the Junior School - gathered in a packed chapel to be part of an extraordinary morning assembly with a sermon given by Dr Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury. The following report was written by George Ramsay (Upper Sixth and Chapel Prefect).
"The Archbishop preached on Jesus' healings and his effort to re-integrate the sick back into society. Not only was Dr Williams's delivery lucid and eloquent, but it was done entirely without notes or references, a feat other regular chapel-speakers at the school could only marvel at. This was followed by an exchange of questions between Dr Williams and MCS's very own Rowan Williams, a member of the Second Form. The interview was relaxed and chatty yet also touched on pressing issues, such as why women can't be Bishops - at present at least. This allowed the school to see both the professional and personal side of the Archbishop. However, the interview soon ended and the majority of pupils returned to lessons as Dr Williams had a tour of the school. Those wise enough to choose Theology A-Level were able to enjoy Dr Williams's presence in a class discussion on 'The Problem of Evil'. Following presentations by pupils on Augustine, the Fall, Milton and Dostoevsky (the latter being one of Dr Williams's specialist subjects), the Archbishop gave a brief summary of the topic but unfortunately time ran for us to properly pick his brain on the matter. This ended a morning which is likely to stay in the hearts of the whole school for a considerable time. Meeting one of the most influential and inspirational men in the country isn't an opportunity that arises often, and we therefore must thank all those who contributed to the day, notably the Chaplain and of course Dr Williams himself."
Further information on the visit can be found on the LambethPalace website.
MCS in Regional Karting Finals
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| Geographers in the East End
Lower Sixth Geographers had a fantastic day collecting fieldwork in London on Friday 27th January. Pupils conducted interviews on the Isle of Dogs alongside questionnaires, Environmental Quality Surveys and place checks along urban transects to investigate how rebranding the London docklands had affected the area socially, economically and environmentally.
The afternoon was spent on the Olympic site to see another area that has been recently rebranded. Callum McCulloch starred in a random interview with a French Canadian television channel which proved he had learnt a great deal about the area in one afternoon! The iconic 'Mittal Orbit' sculpture provided an interesting backdrop - the group learnt that it cost 19 million, is a reflection of our globalised world containing a piece of steel from every steel-producing country, and was mostly funded by an Indian entrepreneur - again evidence of the emerging wealth of India (and growing disparity of wealth within the country) as a result of globalisation. |
And all that Jazz...
MCS Jazz Musicians enjoyed two days of workshops with two up and coming Jazz groups. The Jazz Combi 'World Service Project' had teamed up with a similar group from Dublin called 'Redivider' and together they are giving a series of workshops and concerts around Britain.
MCS was their first port of call and they worked with the Jazz Club, Jazz Band and GCSE musicians on improvisation skills and compositions. They finished by performing on Thursday night to a select but very appreciative audience. It was an incredible performance of virtuosic playing and Jazz improvisation of the highest quality. One piece even included MCS pupils improvising in true surround sound. The audience thoroughly enjoyed it, and it really was a unique experience for us all! |
University Offers for 2012
This year 34 Upper Sixth pupils have gained places at Oxford or Cambridge, this is the second highest number ever achieved at MCS. There are also a great number of offers at other top universities and medical schools. Out of the 677 applications made, there are already over 370 offers, an excellent situation for this time of year. |
Lower Fourth Geography Fieldwork on Cowley Road
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Playing his Cards Right
Fifth former Freddie Illingworth has been selected to play bridge for the England Under 20 team in the prestigous White House tournament taking place in the Netherlands this March. Having played for the team in the international Channel Trophy, Freddie will be playing in the upcoming Peggy Bayer (U20 competetion between the four home nations) and is gearing up in preparation for selection for England in the World U20 teams competition to be held in China this Summer. |
MCS Team at the Helen and Douglas House Santa Fun Run
Sunday 11th December saw a team of boys from MCS take part in the annual Santa Fun Run to raise money for Helen and Douglas House Children's Hospice, here in Oxford. They were joined by some parents and siblings, as well as Junior School staff - Mr Dyer, Mr Newbury and his son Ben, and Mrs Winstone and her one-year-old son Jimmy. Ben set off at a great pace, and managed to get to the end, while Jimmy somehow made it round the whole course asleep in his well-decorated chariot.
All the runners wore Santa suits, and struggled a little with troublesome trousers, which had very big waists, so it was a major problem trying to stop them from falling down. Some 1000 Santas and Santa dogs took part, including a number of old MCS boys, and pounded their way around the city centre and through the University Parks for 3.3 km. The JS team raised a splendid £750 towards the charity's goal of £50,000, whilst having a great time.
Our thanks to Robert Doorly for this report. |
Brodley to join Barbarians
Jordan Brodley (Upper Sixth) has been selected as a back row forward for the English Independent Schools Barbarians Team. They will play five matches, ending with an Easter tour to Italy where Jordan will have the opportunity to play against the Italian Under 18 side. |
Sir Stuart Rose | Sixth Form Talks at MCS
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Outstanding Oboe Performance
Thomas Edmiston (Second Form) has achieved the great honour of a Leverhulme Trust Scholarship for the U13 National Children's Orchestra. This goes to just four outstanding children in each of the NCO's orchestras, and the award will be presented at a ceremony at The Royal College of Music in February. |
Why History Matters
Adam Rebick (Lower Sixth) won the regional heat of the Historical Association's 'Great Debate' at Reading's Archives Office in November. Competitors had to speak for five minutes on the subject 'Why History Matters to Me' before taking questions from an exacting panel. The Association's historical debating competition is open to students aged between 16 and 19 from across the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Adam progresses to the grand final, which will be held at Merton College in the Spring. |
Second Form Take to the Ice
30 Second Formers took up the opportunity to ice-skate on Thursday with their tutors at the Oxford Ice Rink. Some boys had obviously skated before, others who were falling over every few seconds progressed quickly to manage extremely well by the end.
Mr 'I've never skated before' Rush wowed the crowd with his backward skating but was spotted bumping into a poor girl causing her to fall over.... Thank you to all the boys and staff who came on the trip! |
Sixth Form Historian in Print
James Bennington (Upper Sixth) has had an article published in the magazine Bugle and Sabre. Entitled 'Boy Soldiers in the Great War', it was a project run in conjunction with the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Trust and will form part of an exhibition at the Oxfordshire Museum in Woodstock. James undertook research over the summer under the watchful eye of Julie Summers, historian and MCS parent. |
Photo courtesy of Newsquest (Oxfordshire) Limited | MCS U14A XV are County Champions
The squad have come a long way this season, benefiting hugely from a half-term residential tour to Somerset. Two of the A team back line were unable to play and the boys who took their place really stepped up to the mark. This adds to the team's other excellent local wins against Abingdon and Cokethorpe.
On Saturday 3rd December MCS fielded A, B, C and D teams at U14 level against The Oratory, with victories for both the A and D teams. There have been several A, B and C team outings this season, and the squad are in buoyant mood. |
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
The last week in November saw the stage in Big School transformed into a balconied Roman street. No gloom and autumnal mists here, just pure uplifting comedy. And Stephen Sondheim's unparalleled music and lyrics, of course.
The cast of hugely talented pupils, under the direction of Mr Anthony, gave us a fabulous display of singing, dancing, humour and madcap farce. The twists and turns of the plots had the audience laughing out loud throughout the evening. The chief slaves Pseudolus (Tom Smith) and Hysterium (Conrad Palejowski) were a superb comic double act; the romantic leads Hero (Conor Diamond) and Philia (Margaux Wilson) splendidly innocent; the master of the house (Ollie Burrows) marvellously seedy while his neighbour the trader in courtesans (Will Nash) stood out perfectly with his flashy costume and knowing looks. Then of course there was elderly Erronius (Rory Parker) with his long-lost children kidnapped by pirates (shades of Shakespeare here?); the macho military captain (James Digby), the wronged - and formidable - lady of the house (Lizzie Reavley), the lovely courtesans... They were supported by a band of musicians from the Third form upwards - as good in their performances as many professional bands - conducted by the unflappable Mr Cullen.
The production rivalled many a West End show with its colour and choreography, its almost frenetic energy, the talent and stamina of its players (not least in the final high-farce chase sequence!) and the imagination of its director and producer. Definitely a case of "comedy tonight"!
Stir-up Monday
Photo: © Stephen Page, fatkoala images |
1st XV Rugby get into the winning habit
Since half term the MCS 1st XV have enjoyed a run of 5 out of 6 victories, claiming the notable scalps of Cokethorpe, KE Stratford and the 1st win in 40 years over local rivals St Edwards. The only loss came against the unbeaten Rugby School, played at Iffley road in front of a large crowd. The team subsequently proved too strong for Claire's Court, coming through 24-7 and progressing to the 5th Round of the Daily Mail Vase competition.
This season's preparations began back in May when the players followed a phased conditioning programme running throughout the summer. Head of Rugby Mr Grant Seely said "players have developed physically over the last few months, giving us a bigger Senior squad than previous years. Competition for places has increased, which has raised the overall standard throughout not only the 1sts but the 2nds and 3rds, who have all enjoyed regular competitive fixtures this season."
This term's focus on the rugby development programme included a "contact skills clinic" with specialist mixed martial arts expert Brett Sizeland. Brett has worked with Castleford Tigers rugby league, so his knowledge of the game meant there were several transferable skills he was able to demonstrate. The 1st XV were shown various techniques applicable to different contact areas of the game and we will be looking to develop these clinics in gaining an edge over our opposition. Mr Seely added "we often play against physically bigger teams, so we have to find the best method of competing and winning the contact areas in the game. This means thinking outside the box and the techniques Brett demonstrates enables us to have an advantage".
The 1st team have a much-needed weekend off this Saturday before heading to The Oratory on 3rd December where the school will put out no fewer than 13 teams in a block fixture. A victory in the next round of the Daily Mail Vase on December 7th would see the 1st XV play in the Hilary Term, another first for the School!
Junior Guitar Concert
On Friday 18th November, the MCS Junior guitarists enchanted their families, teachers and colleagues with a wonderful concert of wide-ranging repertoire. The MCS Junior Guitar Ensemble directed by Miss Bendy started the concert with a great trio of pieces. The ensemble guitarists - Karim Bakkali, James Black, Tudor Calinescu, Joe Defillion, Robert Doorly, Archie Licudi, Gregor McKenzie, Ewan Nightingale and Max Underwood - ended their suite festively, with a lovely interpretation of Joseph Gruber's Silent Night. This was followed by heartfelt individual performances by Archie Licudi, Jamie Rawal, Moiz Hasan, Robert Tomlin, Tudor Calinescu, Gregor McKenzie, James Black, Karim Bakkali, Max Underwood, Ewan Nightingale and Robert Doorly. | |
| Safe Driving Event On Wednesday 16th December the Lower Sixth year group attended a Thames Valley 'Safe Drive Stay Alive' event. The programme, supported by live presenters with various experience of road traffic collision, was a moving presentation that will certainly make a lasting impression. This event would benefit anyone but was particularly relevant to our pupils who are just starting to drive. Thank you to all pupils for their excellent behaviour and all staff for their support in running the trip. |
Inaugural Girls' House Swimming- Monday 14th November 2011
There was an excellent atmosphere at the University pool. Twenty four competitors took part, setting seven school records, whilst cheering their House and friends on.
At the end of the individual events, Chavasse House were in first place, four points ahead of Maltby House. Only two events remained; the freestyle and medley relays. The freestyle relay saw Leicester House rise from fourth place to first. Only five points separated first from last. However, Maltby won the medley relay in style to win the competition by a two-point margin.
Thanks to all the girls and staff for making this an excellent event!
The final scores were: | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Music at Magdalen
On Friday 11th November a quarter of the school - some 200 boys and their families - gathered at the Church of St John the Evangelist on the Iffley Road to hear the results of this term's work in the Music Department. The venue was a new initiative, and seemed to meet with general approval - not least for the comfortable seats.
The evening opened with drinks in the Dining Hall and an open-air performance by the Samba band who led the audience across to the church. The programme was broad and varied in terms of the ensembles performing and the works they offered. We heard both first and second orchestras, cello and wind ensembles, string quartets, choral society, parents' choir, jazz club and band and close harmony. Performers ranged from the Second Form to the Upper Sixth, and all were poised and polished. They had prepared works by composers as diverse as Haydn, Shostakovich and Lady Gaga. Something for everyone...
It was a hugely enjoyable evening in a lovely setting and a great display of musical talent. Congratulations and thanks to all involved.
| Magdalen Boys at the Albert Hall Wednesday 9th November saw six MCS boys heading for London with the Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra (OCYO) to perform in the Schools' Prom at the Albert Hall as part of the Music for Youth initiative. Dom Henry (upper 6th, viola), James Baker (upper 6th, cello), Daniel Radford (lower 6th, trumpet), Jamie McIntyre (5th form, French horn), David Reavley (5th form, tuba) and Alex Gunasekera (upper 4th, violin) all took part. The performance marked the end of a year-long competitive festival of music-making throughout the country. The orchestra played the specially commissioned and newly written Oxonia by Dr John Traill - regular conductor of the orchestra - with a massed choir of 530 Primary School children from across Oxfordshire. The Orchestra also concluded the concert, with Pomp and Circumstance March No 1 - better known as Land of Hope and Glory - and received with a standing ovation. | |
| More information about the Schools' Proms, an interview with Dr Traill, and photos of the evening can be found on the Classic FM website. | |
November 11th 2011
MCS lost many of its boys in both the First and the Second World Wars, 46 in the First out of 228 who served in the forces and 65 in the Second, out of around 300 who served. Bear in mind that the school was much smaller than today, under 200 in the First World War and under 400 in the Second, and you can see what an impact it must have had.
| Noel Chavasse organised stretcher bearers during the First World War |
Charles Maltby |
Boys went off cheerfully enough to war: "It is the duty of youth to put into practice ' wild dreams' which are right and just. That is why I am glad to live in the twentieth century. I have before me an ideal for which I can work," said Bruce Dunn, one of those who lost his life in the Second World War. "The wonderful years during which we ceased to be individuals pursuing the ordinary vocations of life and became indeed a band of brothers linked together in a common cause," said John Callender during his training months when he had just left school in 1916, marching through the streets of Oxford and billeted in one of the colleges. By Christmas of the same year, however, he was writing very different things about life in the trenches: "I seriously doubt whether the average man or woman has the least intelligence of what really happened out there."
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MCS Houses are named after boys who lost their lives in both wars, six from the First and two from the Second. The school was quickly arranged to accommodate this after 1918. Out of the 46 boys who lost their lives only Prefects were chosen and Prefects did tend to be boys who were very good at sports, Captains of rugby, cricket, football and the like, though Donovan Leicester and Charles Maltby bucked this trend - they were slight and artistic, not obvious soldiers - but both died bravely, leading and caring for their men in the face of terrible enemy fire. Indeed two boys won VCs, in the First World War, the highest possible accolade - Noel Chavasse and John Fox Russell (who was not a prefect and so therefore we do not have a house named after him) - for rescuing and saving men in the face of enemy fire and losing their lives as they worked for others, well beyond the call of duty.
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Spanish Study
Over the October half term a group of students from MCS spent a week in Spain improving their language skills and exploring Madrid.
Our thanks to Sixth formers Cristóbal (aka Krishan) Patel, Alejandro (aka Alexander) Todd and Guillermo (aka Will) Gittins who wrote the following report.
Every day from 9.30 to 1.30 we attended classes at the AIL language school in the Goya district of Madrid. The lessons were enjoyable and effective, giving us an excellent opportunity to practise our Spanish in an authentic setting. Most afternoons we had seminars which gave us the chance to learn more about Spanish culture. These were on Spanish songs (ie Waka Waka), bull fighting, flamenco and the works of Lorca. | |
| | After working hard in the mornings, we set off into the centre of Madrid in the afternoons to visit some of its most famous landmarks, museums and restaurants. We visited both the Prado and the Reina Sofía to appreciate works of art in both modern and classical styles, and we benefitted from Senora Gago's extensive cultural knowledge. Furthermore, were allowed to explore the centre of Madrid, where we enjoyed a huge selection of sights and shops - most notably El Corte Inglés. On Thursday, we visited the world-famous Santiago Bernabéu football ground, and we were even allowed to enjoy the view of the pitch usually held by José Mourinho himself! On the final day, we were again delighted to be taken to a genuine Madrilean chocolatería, right in the heart of the city.
As part of the trip, we all stayed in pairs with Spanish families who lived near the language centre. Most of us would catch the metro to and from school, which was greatly convenient when returning from the city centre after the afternoon excursions. Living with a Spanish family was ideal as it allowed us to experience the true Spanish culture: a banquet dinner always involving fish, served no earlier than 10 pm. It also helped our spoken Spanish as most of the families weren't able to speak English, so we couldn't simply revert to English after the lessons. |
Mountain Bike Club
On Sunday 6th November five boys, accompanied by Mr Weir and Mr Skipwith, went mountain biking. Starting in Watlington they took in part of the Ridgeway, climbing 'Bald Hill' which certainly got the heart rates up, ducked behind the crash barrier down on to the Wormsley estate, past the big house and cricket field, back up the 'gully' to Christmas Common, a massive downhill section through the woods to Pishill, up to Russells Water, through the woods over the 2-foot drop off (over the handlebars for someone) to Park Corner and back to Watlington via the main road.
Very autumnal, very muddy, very tired... |
St Thomas More Society
Over half term, boys from the St Thomas More Society spent three days at Alton Castle, the Catholic retreat centre in Staffordshire, where they studied the Pope's message from the last World Youth Day: "Planted and built up in Jesus Christ, firm in the faith." Apart from the castle and church at Alton, they visited two other Pugin creations: St Giles church at Cheadle (his masterpiece) and Alton Towers, now the famous theme park, where they experienced rides on, inter alia, Oblivion, Thirteen, Nemesis and Air.
On the way back to Oxford they attended the weekly pilgrim Mass at the Birmingham Oratory, then visited the shrine of Blessed John Henry Newman for prayers and a blessing with a relic of his (by Fr Paul Chavasse, a relative of Noel Chavasse) and an exhibition on Newman and education. Other stops en route took in Baddesley Clinton and Coughton Court, two recusant houses with priest holes and plenty of Catholic history.
See also the Catholic Herald. |
Lower Fourth Social
The Lower Fourth enjoyed an evening of karaoke at Oxford High School on Tuesday 18 October. A record turnout from the year group and enthusiastic singing all round contributed to the success of the evening.
A similar event is already planned for next year's Lower Fourth. |
Our thanks to 2Lt Lemoine for this report | CCF on Manoeuvres
On discovering that an unfriendly force had begun a shocking uprising in Longmoor Training Camp, Hampshire, MCS CCF Contingent could do nothing less than proceed immediately to the location and undertake tactical exercises to secure the area, and dispel the enemy threat. On 10 October over 100 brave souls from the joint force of MCS and OHS students from the U4th, 5th and 6th Forms departed to the theatre of operations to put into practice the skills they had learnt during the term in weekly CCF sessions at school; including Combat Camping, Tactical First Aid, Night Recce Patrols, Camouflage and Concealment and Section Attacks. Luckily the weather was gloriously clear and uncharacteristically warm and the sections of U4th students, admirably led by 6th Form commanders, obtained valuable information on the rebel threat.
The following day saw the contingent continue their campaign against this enemy force and hone their skills with resident experts Mr Spowart, Mr Pahl, Mr Hunter, Sgt Weir and 2Lt Thomas, as well as outside helpers Lt Ryan and staff from OHS. The field day was a fantastic success and all can be very proud with a job well done. Thanks go to the 6th form for all their help in running the event, and to the staff who endured a night in the woods to make sure that the cadets could enjoy such a fantastic time. |
MINI comes to MCS
MINI certainly came to MCS in style on the evening of Thursday 3rd November. Dr Juergen Hedrich, Managing Director of the three BMW Groups UK Plants, roared down Cowley Place coming to a halt inside the Dining Hall. He leapt out of a sparkling MINI Coupe JCW to leave a hoard of young, and not so young, (mainly) men buzzing around the car.
Juergen gave us a whistle stop tour into the MINI Production system, including the underlying BMW Production strategy. After some excellent questions, the Master - in thanking Dr Hedrich for coming - worked in a cunning reference to the Mini Minor parked on Cowley Place.
This was the first of a series of evening talks which the Parents' Association are organising.
| U14s Rugby Tour to Somerset
On Wednesday 19 October, the U14 Rugby squad set off for the West Country. The first match was at Millfield School, complete with Olympic-length swimming pool, 18-hole golf course, and dozens of rugby pitches. The boys went into the match somewhat in awe of the facilities, and took about 15 minutes to find their rhythm. They were soon showing some promise, and a try by Theo Dale was the cause of much joy and delight. That was the only Magdalen score of the game, however, and the final score of 38-7 was somewhat unreflective of their efforts. The evening at the youth hostel involved unwinding by watching the footage of the match, which included lots of laughter at the top moments of the match.
On day two, after a quick training session in a nearby park, the squad headed for the town of Cheddar, where they played their own 18 holes... of minigolf. Touch rugby on the beach at Weston-super-Mare followed, along with bowling and even air hockey. On the last day of the tour, the boys played their final match - against Bristol Cathedral School. This was a comprehensive victory. Try scorers included Kanhai Dalal, Ed Owen, Dan Wilson and Lucas Michaelis. Congratulations to all. |
Master Class Inspiration
On Monday 31st October, the Coull Quartet - Quartet-in-Residence at the University of Warwick since 1977 - came in to school to give a workshop with three of the school string quartets. They spent an hour giving individual coaching and then each quartet showed what they have been working on to an audience of staff and parents.
As a finale the Coull performed a movement from Dvorak's American Quartet which was a real inspiration to all those present. The school quartets will be performing on November 11th at the Music at Magdalen. |
Geographers are Dorset-bound
Lower Sixth Geographers undertook fieldwork in Dorset over half term. The weather was fantastic - cold sunny days - perfect for spending most of the days outside. They stayed in Lulworth Cove Youth Hostel where pupils worked hard every evening writing up their findings from the day.
Day 1 was spent investigating coastal processes responsible for the formation of Lulworth Cove and Durdle Door; the afternoon was spent with farmer George Hosford where all pupils asked intelligent and impressive questions during the tour to investigate how George has diversified as a farmer to keep competitive in a post-productivist time.
On Day 2 pupils conducted extensive quantitative and qualitative research in Weymouth to give presentations to one another later that day on their findings. Research found that most locals had negative associations with preparations for the 2012 Olympic sailing events.
Day 3 was spent investigating coastal management at Barton on Sea, where pupils took measurements after creating a field sketch map of two contrasting regions. Teachers commented that the group were a real pleasure to take away and worked hard alongside having an enjoyable time together. Thank you to the Geography Department for all their hard work to ensure the trip was a success!
In Search of Nature in Art
On Thursday 6th October Upper Fourth artists spent the day in London hunting down organic motifs in the artworks of the Tate Britain and the ceramic patterns of the Victoria & Albert Museum. |
Surf's Up
On the morning of Saturday 8th October 18 boys from the Middle School set off for a weekend of surfing and climbing in the Gower. After a breathless supermarket sweep for supplies en route, they surfed in glorious sunshine on Llangenith beach in some pretty hostile waves before returning to the Rhossili bunkhouse for the night.
The boys helped prepare a hearty banquet and watched in bemusement as the teachers cheered on their favourite X Factor wannabees. Sunday morning saw each boy (and member of staff) abseil off the Rhossili cliffs before an afternoon of surfing off the more sheltered Horton beach. Here they had perfect sets of clean two- to three-foot waves, which saw the boys make striking progress in the water. The weekend was simply great fun - many thanks to the three Fifth formers who helped to marshall the younger boys, and to Mr Lemoine, Miss Liddiard and Mr Skipwith for giving up a weekend to run the trip. |
Bromsgrove Songfest
On Tuesday 18th October, the Junior School Choir travelled to Bromsgrove School in Worcestershire to take part in the SATIPS Songfest. From the outset the boys were made to feel welcome. The day was led by composer and choir director Lin Marsh and singer, composer, arranger and bass player Alexander L'Estrange. They consistently inspired all the participants in very varied repertoire throughout the day, which culminated in a concert interspersed with prepared performances of pieces by schools taking part in the workshop.
Warm ups included work on posture and use of the mouth, and Alex taught the round To Stop the Train complete with actions, engaging children from eight different schools right from the start of the day. Lin encouraged pupils to explore the story line, moods and facial expressions and to find focus points in different locations in the hall when they looked at The Snowman and My Lord. They also learned the importance of eyebrows in the latter song! |
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| Alex introduced some African songs and Beat Boxing and Lin rounded off the day's repertoire with Would you Like to Travel in a Spaceship with some sound effects offered by the children to enhance the words.
During the concert presentation at the end of the day the group was treated to some lovely performances, including great favourites From A Distance (Bromsgrove Prep School) and Rutter's All Things Bright and Beautiful (Hallfield School), We Thank You (Eversfield Prep), Polish Carol (Milton Keynes Prep School), The Caucus Race from Alice in Wonderland (Grantham Prep School) and some stunning voices were in evidence in Chilcott's Can You Hear Me (Winterfold House).
The children were all very attentive during the day and went home singing snippets of the songs learned and very inspired by the whole event. | |
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Waynflete Project Prizes
Waynflete Studies in its second year has proved a tremendous success. It is an exciting aspect of life in the sixth form at MCS, named for our fifteenth-century founder, Bishop William Waynflete, whose ideals of intellectual excellence inspired the programme. Fulfilling his founding vision, we have sought to bring school and university ever closer together.
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| Every member of the Lower Sixth participates in the programme, choosing their own research topic. Over the course of the year students produce a dissertation with the guidance of both internal and external tutors and significantly broaden their intellectual horizons in the process. An independent research project of this nature is the best possible preparation for life at university.
Waynflete Studies this year has produced some exceptional pieces of work, in an array of impressive subjects, and we are very proud of our students' achievements. Our congratulations go to them, and to the many people who have supported them.
President's Prize
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Commendations
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Parents' Association: Call my Wine Bluff
On Friday 30th September parents and staff had the opportunity to relax together over a wine tasting with a difference. They tasted seven wines in all, along with a delicious selection of antipasti with the white wines and a cheese platter with the red wines.
Four wine buffs shared their expertise with parents and colleagues. They did a brilliant job and imparted their knowledge in a wonderfully funny and stylish way, making it extremely difficult - even for the real wine connoisseurs amongst the guests - to tell truth from fiction on the subject of the wines being tasted. Who were these master vintners? None other than James Hodgson, Dr Kathrine Richards, Ben White and Alan Cooper. Clearly their knowledge and talents extend far beyond Classics, Physics and Maths. | |
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Everyone stayed on long after the last wine was tasted. A big thank you to the organising parents Laurie Cooper-Kosobucki and Clare Simpson, to all other parents who helped with the preparations and of course to the wine experts. | |
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Children's Bookshow and Creative Writing Workshop
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Leicester Triumphs
"Comprehensive victories against Callender, Wilkinson and Walker sides along with a crucial draw against a strong Chavasse secured the title with four goals from Spittles and one a piece for Hamill, Lund and Hibble... Big up the purples." |
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Harvest Festival
On Tuesday 27th September, we held our inaugural celebrated Harvest Festival. The idea came from one of the Upper Sixth and was enthusiastically organised by the Prefects, who researched the best Charity to give the food to, phoned to see whether they could take fresh and non-perishable goods and then planted the boxes in all the houserooms.
Chapel was heavy under the weight of the most wonderful collection of home-grown vegetables and a lot of very useful food. Later that afternoon, we drove the food over to the Oxford FoodBank, where they boxed it up to send to local organisations such as the Gatehouse and Emmaus. Thank you to everyone who sent in food. |
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Marlowe at the Globe
Tuesday 27th September saw a group of sixth formers travel to Shakespeare's Globe on to see one of the A-level set texts, Christopher Marlowe's Dr Faustus. Forty sixth formers and four staff enjoyed an energetic performance of this tale of Renaissance hubris and damnation, liberally interspersed with bawdy Elizabethan humour. |
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Well done to the Oxford Half Marathoners
A big congratulations to our staff members (Mr Eve, Mr Cousineau, Dr Richard and Mrs Parry) who completed the Oxford Half Marathon on Sunday 25 September. An extra special mention goes to Eugene Takahashi-Johnson (pictured) from the Upper 4th who also completed the run and in a very respectable time of 1:58.31. Mr Eve, our Head of Cross Country (who jogged around the course in 1:25.56), was delighted to see Eugene not only finish the 13.1 mile course but also break the two hour barrier.
And more congratulations to Ely Sandler and Adam Smith who ran the race in support of Parkinson's UK and who were helped along with encouragement and donations from MCS staff and students. |
Round Europe on a Plate
To celebrate European day of languages on Monday 26th September the catering department devised a round Europe Menu: Bratwurst Sausages from Germany, Paella from Spain, a vegetarian Pasta from Italy and finally a traditional English pudding of Steamed Jam sponge. The aim was to enthuse pupils with the different cultures, so bunting and flags were used to decorate the servery.
Our second Chef Christian Cucu demonstrated cooking the Paella - outside the dining hall - and gave pupils taster pots so they could try before they went in to lunch. Tasters of the Bratwurst sausages were also on offer, again to persuade pupils to try something a bit different. Everyone seemed to enjoy the experience, so in Trinity Term the catering department will once again be cooking in front of the boys - we eagerly await the menu.
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Army Cadet Expedition Instructor Course in Canda
This summer Fifth Former Dominic Bourke was fortunate enough to go on an Army Cadet Exchange to Canada for seven weeks where he learnt how to be an Expedition Instructor. High up in the Yukon, Dominic's experiences included a trip to Skagway in Alaska; the opportunity to take the controls in a float plane; a three-day expedition where he practised his skills in biking, hiking and canoeing; an 18-day trip with canoeing, a 250-km bike ride up and down the mountains over four days and hiking - where the trainees met up with the Canadian Minister of Defense.
A nervous moment came when an adult black bear came within 6 metres of the camp's porta-loo. The final element of the course was a 30-hour solo survival exercise - where trainees were equipped only with a knife and a food package containing one meal. Dominic says: "This was challenging as we had to make our own shelters out of trees and the moss from the ground. I also made a golf club and ball to kill time as 30 hours felt like 3 days. At night on the exercise I saw the northern lights, which was an amazing experience." |
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Resounding Win at Rugby
The first team continued their unbeaten start to the season with an emphatic 64-21 win over Dean Close School on Thursday 22nd September. This was an 11-try win, with Corne Vermaak (L6) scoring 19 points. The team was watched by an enthusiastic crowd who were entertained by the free-flowing rugby on display. Fifth former Giles White got his first try for the 1st team. The match also saw successful returns from injury by Pete Howard and Ed Watkins who have followed an effective rehabilitation programme over the summer.
The second team also remain unbeaten in their first three matches. |
Serving the Community - Tea, Cake and Chess Anyone?
MCS has a long tradition of working in the local community and helping its students to develop a sense of responsibility to the world beyond. Afternoon Tea is the latest in a number of new Community Service activities taking place at school. Head of the Community Service, Dr Richard, explains: "It was born from the realisation that there was a section of the local community that we were just not involved with, namely retired local residents who perhaps live on their own or whose families do not live nearby. We decided to create a weekly afternoon meeting point for local residents where they can come along for a cup of tea, plenty of company and some fun activities including film screenings, musical performances, a craft corner and board games galore!"
A really pleasant afternoon was had by all who attended the first week of this venture. Hayley Parry, activity coordinator, commented, "It was great seeing the students interacting with our guests. They have so many wonderful stories to share and what a challenge for our students to play scrabble against someone with 40 years more practice!"
Welcome to our new Pupils
There was a Service of Welcome for the new Second Form pupils at Magdalen College Chapel on Tuesday, followed by another for new pupils in the Lower Fourth and Sixth Forms on Thursday. All students were also presented with their own copy of the New Testament and Psalms.
At the end of the service they left by the West Door, shaking the Master and Chaplain's hand as they processed out. A reception in the Dining Hall followed.
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Touching the Future of Teaching Technology
MCS is showcasing some leading-edge classroom technology thanks to the vision and generosity of a parent. Pupils returned to a state-of-the-art IT suite in September. The project was the brainchild of IT specialist, and parent, Gareth Phillips whose energy, vision, drive and eye for good design saw the project through from start to finish, working closely with Dr Peter Othen, the school's Director of IT.
"Redesign" is hardly the word for such a comprehensive re-imagining of how IT should be used for teaching and learning. From the beginning, Gareth was adamant that technology in the classroom should always be employed with the quality of pupils' education at the top of agenda and that it should be integral to all aspects of school life; not just tucked away in IT suites. He was committed to the idea that these classrooms should be inspirational and should feel like a place that pupils and teachers would want to spend time.
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There are no actual computers in the room - desktop "experience" is merely a simulation. The environmental benefits are obvious as the amount of power used and heat generated has been greatly reduced. Touchscreen monitors, which can be angled for a particular task, rest at each station. Even the chairs are ergonomically designed and easily moveable, chosen by Gareth's 10-year-old son, David. In getting to grips with this hardware, you are holding the future of computing in your hands. Each monitor can be used just like a large iPad. The pupils can't get enough of it: "The touchscreens are brilliant," says Gus Rae, an Upper Sixth pupil. Teachers are just as excited.
The really clever part is the desktop virtualisation, giving the full computer experience but without a physical computer being present. All the processing for these virtual images is performed remotely on a separate server, itself no bigger than a single desktop. This has many benefits, not least that multiple operating systems are supported. But the exciting news is that your desktop can be delivered to any device and anywhere - a traditional desktop PC, laptop, tablet or even a smartphone. Peter Othen explains that you could leave a document mid-sentence, pick up a different device, and carry on - and your desktop would remain exactly as you left it. Pupils and staff could roam the school and take their desktop - including open Word files, emails, web pages - with them. Secure remote access from outside school will mean access to content whenever and wherever we want.
Gareth is keen that these spaces should no longer be thought of as "IT rooms": "This is how a normal classroom should look," he stresses. Now that the Virtual Infrastructure has been set up, it can be rolled out across the school. Looking around the rooms, it is striking how even the traditional marker-pen whiteboards are cutting-edge - made of whiteboard "wallpaper", they cover whole walls and even go round corners. This is a simple concept that underlines the sense which pervades the whole classroom, of technology quietly setting minds free. The school is hugely grateful to Gareth and Satomi Phillips (and to David for those chairs) for spearheading a complete sea-change in how the school thinks and feels about information technology. | |
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Rugby Training Camp
MCS lost the first two games - against RGS Colchester and Felsted, in spite of good play in both matches. The last group game was against Campion School. The boys displayed a much-improved performance in which they were able to show some attacking flair; however they failed to convert their chances, and Campion slotted a last minute penalty. The final game was against the highly rated Framlingham College, who had the benefit of being on home turf. Giles White (fifth form) excelled himself and helped the team on to a fine 12-0 victory. The tour had ended on a high. |
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Geographers Brave the Elements
On Thursday 8th September 57 fifth form Geographers travelled to the heart of Snowdonia. Over the next two days they worked incredibly hard in some occasionally very bleak conditions to collect data for their GCSE coursework on rivers - you would never know just how many things you can measure about one stretch of a stream!
On the day they weren't splashing around in a river they went on a glacial environments trek up Mount Snowdon or Tryfan getting to experience many of the glacial landforms they had learnt about in the classroom.
A fantastic time was had by all, laying the foundation for some excellent coursework. Many thanks to the intrepid staff who joined us in the hills and for the reliably good sense of humour from the boys. |
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Top tuition at MCS Hockey Clinics
With the redevelopment of the Oxford Hawks Hockey Club now completed, MCS has been able to begin an exciting program of hockey clinics with Mr Williams, our Head of Hockey and former Australian international. The sessions take place at the Banbury Road club on a Monday afternoon after school and on Saturday mornings. The focus of these sessions is on learning and developing basic and advanced level skills as an ideal preparation for the hockey season in the Hilary term.
Mr Williams is delighted to be able to run these clinics on the new pitches at Oxford Hawks. "This is one of the great benefits of MCS's investment into this facility. It's fantastic to have the time and the new pitch to develop the skills of our hockey players which will give us a great head start before team training and fixtures next term." |
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J3 Icebreaker
All of J3 headed to Youlbury Scout Camp to take part in three activities designed to foster team spirit and camaraderie. Team Building exercises tested group cooperation; Crate Stacking brought pairs very close together whilst archery proved to be a hit!
Afterwards it was back to Camp MCS and a chance to play on the Spit with new found friends and classmates. |
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Superb Inspection Report
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Biologists in the Savannah
Over the summer holidays some of our lucky biologists travelled to South Africa for the trip of a lifetime. They stayed at a lodge, where they were able to combine relaxing by the pool or on a nearby rock where they could watch the setting sun with time in the "farm" surrounding the lodge where giraffes, kudu, elund, wildebeest, impala and ostriches roamed free. Food was generous and varied, ranging from ostrich leg to giraffe-tail soup and impala chilli. Activities included learning to shoot, an orienteering race across the Savannah and dissecting animals the group had shot. Our intrepid biologists learned to skin and cut up the animals, felt their organs and even stretched out the 20-metre-long intestines.
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| On a more sobering note, the group also visited an orphanage where they saw what AIDS/HIV has done to the country and especially to the children. A vast majority of the children had lost their parents to the virus, and the remains of the Apartheid were still visible. They took a large quantity of soft toys generously donated before the trip and enjoyed creating a football field for the orphanage which was christened minutes after being finished. | |
Dramatic Collaboration with Oxford Playhouse
From Blenheim Palace to the Edinburgh Fringe, MCS has enjoyed a packed dramatic year. But it's about to get busier: the school has recently announced a partnership with the Oxford Playhouse, involving a Drama Academy and two new appointments, and allowing the school three shows a year in the Burton Taylor Studios and one on the Playhouse's main stage.
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| Joanne Pearce Noble, an associate artist of the Royal Shakespeare Company, is the Drama Academy's Artistic Director. Working with Ellen, Sam and school staff, she will help stage two Academy shows this year. It won't be all about acting, she explains: "there will be workshops on writing, stage management, sound, and things they've never touched - the sort of things they'd see if they went to see War Horse." MCS is "the only school in the country offering that kind of thing to kids".
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Record Exam Results for Magdalen College School Pupils
2011 has seen yet another year of record results both at A-Level and at GCSE for MCS students. This year MCS pupils have achieved the best ever results for both sets of exams, and all our students and staff are to be congratulated on such a splendid achievement.
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Old Waynflete's Work on Display at Oxford Castle
OW James Lomax (2002-09) was one of four students of the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art to win a week's stay in the Cornish harbour of Porthleven this summer, using a former lifeboat house as a studio.
James said: "After researching the history of the harbour I became fascinated with Porthleven's stories that related to real people and explored the nature of these against the idyllic setting of this beautiful place."
James' work can be seen at the O3 Gallery in Oxford Castle until 25th September. |
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Venezuela Expedition
The jungle is pretty unpleasant. There is no other way to describe it. It's hot, humid and there are insects everywhere, not to mention traversing the sweltering savannah, climbing sheer rock faces and wading through rivers. Yet it was an experience that, while it may not have been physically enjoyable, was certainly one from which we gained a huge amount. The middle part of the trip was largely defined by full-day canoe journeys and sleeping in hammocks. The sight of the cascading waters of Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall in the world at just under 1000m was extraordinary.
A visit to the Shirian tribe lands followed. The tribe was welcoming, cordial and above all keen for us to reinforce their football team in the annual match against a local, rival tribe. Two legs were played with MCS boys comprising around half the team. The first game was nothing short of a massacre, and it was clear there was much work to be done. In the second the Shirian-MCS hybrid team came out on top after a tense penalty shoot out. The resulting celebration, upon our return to the Shirian village, reinforced what all of us had been acutely aware of since our arrival into the community just days earlier. The disparity between our world and theirs, more of a void in some ways, was immense. Just as in much of the third world, the tribe exists without electricity, running water or easy access to healthcare, but it is the immense isolation from the rest of the world that is most striking. It is sobering to think that, despite only being 'discovered' a decade ago, the Shirians have lived in these same areas, these same villages for, 12,000 years.
Ultimately, there was so much more to this trip than could ever be written here, and for such an amazing adventure thanks have to go Mr Hewlett for organizing what for many of us will be the experience of a lifetime.
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Under 12 Cricketers Win County Cup
In 2011 the U12 Cricket team won the county cup for the third time in seven seasons. After beating Abingdon on the last ball in the semi final, MCS went on to beat Marlborough School in the final played at Cumnor CC.
The team progress in to the National Cup competition next year. |
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MCS at the Edinburgh Fringe
This year, for the third consecutive summer, the cream of MCS dramatic talent travelled north to perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Having impressed audiences with their razor-sharp and deliciously black interpretation of Harold Pinter'’s final stage play Celebration at the Oxford Playhouse's Burton Taylor Studio in the MCS Arts Festival in June, the cast of ten performed at Edinburgh'’s prestigious Surgeons Hall in the last week of this year’s Fringe.
The production, directed by Head of Drama Christian Anthony, played to sell-out audiences for a six-night run – a huge achievement for this young cast in the saturated Fringe market. They were praised by Professor Stanley Wells CBE: “These talented young players bring wit and aplomb to this sparkling production of Pinter’s rarely performed final play”.
As well as performing nightly, the cast threw themselves into promoting the show, involving lengthy flyering sessions on the famous Royal Mile, as well as attending several other performances each day, ranging from Ovid and Strindberg to cabaret and physical theatre. The cast are to be praised for their maturity, professionalism and stamina over the course of the week and have set a new standard for MCS achievement at the Fringe. |
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Chess: Term of great success...
..from the youngest (U9 county champions; U11 county champions and third in the national team semi-finals) to the oldest (U18s reached the national semi-finals of the British Schools Championships; Matthew Daggitt won the UK Chess Challenge 'Challengers' Terafinal). Three boys - Liam McKnight, Henry Phillips and Daniel d'Souza-Eva - were selected for Southwest England teams.
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Tennis Triumph
The end of Trinity term saw MCS boys taking part in the ISTA (Independent Schools Tennis Association) tennis tornament. The team beat Haberdashers, Shrewsbury and Ampleforth, culminating in a final against Merchant Taylors', which they won 2-0, earning them the Clarke Trophy (the plate trophy for the senior boys).
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Old Wayneflete Cricket Blue
OW Gus Kennedy (left MCS in 2008) represented Cambridge in the four-day Varsity cricket match this summer. He scored 20 in the first innings, 61 in the second (the highest individual score of the Cambridge team); he took a catch in the first innings and a slendid five catches in the second. Cambridge beat Oxford by 56 runs.
Further information can be found on the CUCC website. |
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MCS Boy wins Shooting Championships
Charles Davidmann, who has just completed his A Levels at MCS, won the UK Championship title in Olympic Skeet Shotgun at the South Wales 2000 shooting ground in July. Charles was looking to win a medal in the junior category and felt he had a shot in the senior competition too.
His competition season has been going well, having recently won the senior and junior gold medals at the Britannia Grand Prix in April, winning a place in the GB Junior team at the selection shoot in June, and winning the junior gold medal at the Belgrade Grand Prix in Serbia in July - his first real international.
Charles' score for the competition was 184/200 which won him the junior gold medal. He also won the senior competition making him 'UK Champion 2011'. Previous winners of the title include the 2010 Commonwealth Games Gold medallist, 3 Olympians, as well as two of the potential GB competitors at next year's Olympic Games in London. Moreover, this is only the second time that the competition has been won by a junior.
Charles is taking a gap year to focus on his shooting before taking up a place at university in September 2012. Charles is a recipient of a T.A.S.S. funding award to assist talented athletes. |
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Sports Day 2011
At this year's Sports Day, two school records were broken: Ben Wierszycki in the Second Form 800 metres and Tom Scriven in the Second Form 400 metres. For Chavasse there was a new House record in the 4 x 100 metres relay. Kim Williams won the shot put, long jump, and 100 metres to lift the inaugural Victrix Ludorum. The other Victor Ludorum awards went to Tim Stephens, Ted Pullin, Charlie Pullin and Alexander Burden. Walker-Dunn was victorious overall, beating Chavasse by five points.
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Primary Schools Summer School: 5-8 July 2011
In July 2011, MCS welcomed children from seven local primary schools for an intensive four-day course. The course aimed to stimulate the students and extend their academic interests, broadening their understanding in already familiar subjects as well as introducing them to some new areas of learning. The pupils enjoyed a varied programme of activities, designed to be both fun and academically challenging. Sessions included science experiments in our laboratories, taster courses in Latin and German, an introduction to the Greek alphabet, and Maths sessions with a code-breaking theme. In the afternoon there were drama workshops, in which students worked towards their own mini-drama, developing characters, thinking about how movement expresses character, and generating dramatic situations based on their characters' personalities. Classroom sessions were interspersed with informal quizzes and library activities.
The course offered seven MCS sixth formers the opportunity to develop their own teaching and leadership skills in subject areas of particular interest to them. The sixth formers worked with staff in developing and leading their sessions, which they did with enthusiasm and creativity. Five second-form boys were superb guides for the primary school children, ensuring they felt welcome and at home around the school site. |
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The final week of Trinity term saw the third year of Magdalen College School’s Arts Festival. MCS put on a huge range of events hosted both within school and at major venues throughout Oxford, encompassing drama, art, music, literature, politics and more.
Click on the following links for reviews and pictures. | |
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Confirmation Service
In June, 15 pupils (from 2nd form to U6th) were confirmed by Bishop Peter Nott in Magdalen College Chapel. This followed five months of classes (and cake!) with the Chaplain where they learned more about the history and relevance of Christianity in the modern world. A retreat at Cuddesdon gave pupils the chance to prepare themselves beforehand. Discussions focussed on 'the impossibility of being perfect', 'the inevitability of sin' and 'the difficulties of explaining faith to friends'. They obviously didn't do too badly, however, as the College Chapel was full of a large number of their fellow pupils from school who came to support them. One of the U6th was also baptised. He said that it had been the most amazing way to end his school career and that he felt he was laying strong foundations for his time at Oxford. |
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MCS Musicians Hit the Road
After the end of the term 56 musicians boarded a coach bound for Slovenia. The Choral Society, String Ensemble, Wind quartet and Close harmony group performed in five concerts in total in a variety of churches around the country.
They were extremely well received with packed houses and even a standing ovation. Much fun was had by all, and in addition to all the music making, there was time to visit caves, swim in the lake, see the sights and relax by the pool. The pupils were great fun and superb ambassadors and have developed enormously as people and musicians. |
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CCF Summer Camp
CCF summer camp this year was situated at Longmoor training camp and was crammed full of activities from start to finish. MCS cadets had the opportunity to learn new weapons skills, improve their leadership qualities and work on their fitness. Kayaking, mountain biking, clay pigeon shooting, section attacks and techniques in field craft and map reading were all mastered. On the rifle ranges they excelled, and they hope to form a school shooting squad in the near future. | |
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Whilst the real-life soldiers leading the group looked ostentatiously and continually unimpressed, by the end of the week the group was performing excellently as a section, and even mastered the elusive 'double-time march' - effectively a regimented sprint. The camp was a steep learning curve (who knew how to do rifle straps?!) but also a really fun week. |
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Yoyo Phenomenon
Francesco Salvi (Fifth Form) has an unusual claim to fame - he is a yoyo champion. He won the Northern Regional Yoyo Contest in April; he also won two National titles at the Nationals in Reading in July - the Single A Champion as well as the first ever 5A Division Champion. Francesco only took up yoyoing two years ago; yet his yoyo skills have already taken him to Prague and to Italy, where he has taken part in competitions.
Francesco was seen in action at our very own 'MCS's Got Talent' alongside some of our other gifted pupils and staff - and congratulations are due. He was fantastic and won the competition. For those of you who were unable to join us, he can be seen on YouTube here. |
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MCS Triumphs at Sailing Championships
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A-level Art Award
We are delighted to have been informed that Magdalen College School has won the Good Schools Guide A-level Award for Art for the second year running. The outstanding quality of the teaching by the art department staff has enabled our pupils to achieve the best point score at an English Independent School for Boys taking Art & Design at AS level.
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Brilliant Biologists
Congratulations to three boys in our Upper Fourth who were invited to attend the Biology Olympiad and Biology Challenge Award Ceremony at the Royal Society on 30th June. Oskar Bukolt, Michael Cui and Stephen Jones were among the top 40 scorers (out of some 20,000 14 and 15 year olds) who took part in the Annual Biology Challenge. This is the junior version of the British Biology Olympiad and consists of two 30-minute papers in which pupils can display their knowledge of the school biology curriculum as well as their wider reading and interest.
It was a great occasion, and the boys and their families were treated to an excellent talk by Stephen's namesake, the President of the UK Biology Competitions (UKBC) Professor Steve Jones FRS FSB. They also enjoyed a presentation by one of last year's UK team, at the Biology Olympiad competition in Korea.
Click here for more information about the ceremony. |
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Victorian Day and Vaudeville
On Thursday 30th June the Junior School headed back to the year 1884 when Harmon Chaloner Ogle was Master of the school. Activities included copywriting, arithmetic using slates, plenty of chanting from the special edition catechism and learning to swim on the concrete (yes, really - and apparently this was authentic Victorian swimming teaching!).
In the evening this was fed back to family and friends in a series of skits, parodies, songs and talents during our Victorian Vaudeville - part of this year's Arts Festival. |
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From First to Last - Magdalen waves farewell to its first J1s
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| U4 Blenheim Trip
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We had beat-boxing witches, a host of... interesting Lady Macbeths, a Jedi Banquo, and even a very well-played horse. When the performances were finally over, every boy, spectator and teacher walked away with some intensely warm and satirical memories. Even the weather was timed to perfection. From our arrival at Blenheim and all through rehearsals the clouds were gathering menacingly, yet it wasn't until the very end that it started to pour... although, for those of us tangled up in the maze at that point, that still wasn't a very good thing...
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Primary Schools Liaison Day
On 10th June, MCS hosted around 200 children from local primary schools for teaching programmes in Languages, Science, Music and Sport. Designed to be both fun and informative, the activities gave the children an insight into subjects they might not have studied before, as well as extending their knowledge further in already-familiar areas. |
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Ivor and I: A New Musical Celebrates the Life of Old Boy Ivor Novello
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| Shooting Star to Represent GB
Following recent successes, Charles Davidmann (in the Upper Sixth at MCS) has been selected to represent Great Britain as part of the Olympic Skeet Shotgun Team at the European Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, in August 2011. This will be his first 'cap' for Great Britain and is a fantastic achievement. He will be a member of the three-person junior (under 21) men's team.
He has also been selected to represent GB as part of the Olympic Skeet Shotgun Team at the World Championships, also in Belgrade in September 2011.
We wish him our warmest congratulations. |
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MCS Mathematicians Excell
The UKMT National Final took place in June in the Royal Horticultural Halls in London. Around 1500 school participated nationwide in the regional finals, with a record 96 making it though to the National Final.
Our team (Stephen Jones, Alex Gunasekera, Tim Stephens and Jacob Coxon) did remarkable well; we came in second place overall, beaten narrowly by St. Paul' Girls.
This is a quite remarkable achievement, especially given that we won the competition outright last year and had lost our top two boys (Illingworth, Grogan). Jacob Coxon can also be described as a year young for the competition. Once again, we are the best boys’ school nationally - beating some big local and national names. |
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Junior School Sports Day
The 2011 Junior School Sports Day went ahead on 17th June under cloudy skies but without a drop of rain. For the last eight years Holt have won the title, but all the other houses entered the competition with high hopes of knocking them off their top spot.
The final and most exciting event - the mixed house relay, in which each year group has one competitor running a single leg of the 4 by 100m relay - was won by Wolsey to rapturous applause from parents and boys alike. Records were broken by Matthew Black (More) in the J1 75m, by Matthew Harris (Millard) in the J2 200m and by Charlie Moss (Wolsey) in the J3 800m.
The new overall winners were Wolsey, and Rohan Sekhon lifted the cup to cheers from his delighted house. |
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Second Form are Outward Bound
On 10th and 11th June, the Second Form spent an activity-packed two days at PGL Liddington following their week of school exams. Entertaining and challenging, the activities included archery, abseiling, mountain biking, climbing and raft building. The weather was not entirely on their side on Friday, but the boys’ enthusiasm was not dampened, and, refreshed by an evening movie and an early night, on Saturday they embraced the programme of activities with even greater energy. |
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Old Waynflete wins prestigious innovation award
Old boy Dr Jamie Shotton was one of five engineers from Microsoft Research Cambridge to win the Royal Academy of Engineering's highest innovation award - the £50,000 MacRobert Award - presented in London by Vince Cable on 6th June. Jamie is a key member of the team that developed Microsoft's motion-capture games controller, Kinect, which has sold more than 8 million units in its first two months, making it the fastest-selling consumer electronics device in history.
The team's work on Kinect solved a major problem with its system of tracking users' body movements to control software on the Xbox 360 console. They created a training programme so that the device could learn to follow even the most random movements and recognise people no matter what their body size or shape. |
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Howzat? DeFreitas comes to MCS
Boys and parents at MCS are delighted to welcome England International cricketer Philip DeFreitas into the Magdalen fold. He joins the school’s ever-growing team of professional sportspeople who are coaching the pupils at the school.
With experience of 44 test matches and 103 One Day Internationals, DeFreitas combines a first-class pedigree with his knowledge and involvement in some of the leading county programs. DeFreitas’s arrival at MCS marks a return to Oxford, where he played his first ever first-class game and took 3/3 against the University as they were dismissed for 24. Needless to say that we hope his impact with MCS will be just as significant. The Oxford Mail came to interview him about his move to MCS and their article can be read here.
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Surfing and Climbing in the Gower
Bright sunshine greeted a group of L4 and U4 boys as they assembled at MCS on a Saturday in June for what promised to be an action packed weekend of surfing and climbing in the Gower Peninsula, Wales. The original intention had been to spend a day surfing on the Saturday, followed by rock climbing on the Sunday. Unfortunately the weather forecast of extreme conditions scheduled for Sunday forced Mr Skipwith to arrange a contingency plan.
On arrival the group made straight for the beach for surfing. They were equipped with wetsuits and surfboards and instructed in the rudiments of surfing by two instructors. Brilliant sunshine, gentle winds, a beautiful setting and perfect beginner's waves provided excellent conditions for an enjoyable afternoon of surfing. The group returned tired and exhilarated to the minibuses to continue the journey to Rhossili Bunkhouse, their final destination. |
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Sunday morning brought with it the promised severe weather conditions, horizontal rain, gale force winds and grey skies. The more hard-core members of the team ventured out to engage in the contingency plan of bouldering and caving. They were guided by two Welsh instructors who shared their knowledge and enthusiasm with the boys. Challenging weather conditions made the experience even more memorable. Invigorated and refreshed but decidedly damp they returned from the morning's endeavors to a hearty lunch created by those who had remained at the bunkhouse.
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Cricket Update
Other boys to score hundreds so far this term are: Kieran Ratcliffe 112 v St Edwards (3rdXI)
Ben Hambidge 5 for 4 v Abingdon (2ndXI) |
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Ted Pullin and Ben Wierszycki both finished second in the County Athletics Championships in June. Despite the challenging conditions, Ted finished a close second in the 100 metres and also went on to finish third in the Long Jump. Ben's result in the 800 metres was also very commendable against a far more experienced field.
On Thursday 16th June, 22 MCS boys competed in the Radley Multi-event match. Each athlete was asked to complete a sprint, a jump, a middle distance event and a throw. Jez Alleyn produced a particularly noteworthy overall performance as well as a number of pleasing overall results. The field was particularly strong, including competitors from Radley, Bedford, Harrow and St Edwards. Well done to all those who competed as there were a number of personal bests recorded.
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Junior Drummers
On Friday 10th June the percussion workshop for the Junior school took place. Every class took part, and they were shown some inspirational playing and learned the names and many interesting facts about the instruments such as the vibraphone, the marimba and even the timpani! We ended with the class playing a large "Percussion Orchestra" piece, which was great fun.
Many thanks to our kind instructor, Felix Higginbottom, and to Miss Ellis for organizing such an amazing event.
Text by Charles Shan |
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Sailing - Trinity 2011
It has been a busy term for MCS's sailors. Three and a half Magdalen teams converged on Oxford Sailing Club in pouring rain back in May to compete in (and help to run) the Schools Midlands Championships. The half team sailed with Radley and Merchant Taylors' in a combined side, alongside 20 other school teams from around the Midlands and South. MCS 1, winners for the last four years, had a tough draw, and losses to Oakham and RGS Guildford left them in 6th and ruled out qualification for the semis. MCS 2 showed huge promise with flair and effective teamwork propelling them to 5th overall, while MCS 3 were unlucky to miss out on a slot in the bronze league final and finished 20th, one place behind the MCS / Radley / MTS team in 19th.
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Cricket Tour to St Kitts and Nevis - April 2011
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Acclaim for The Critic
The Orangery at Blenheim Palace was transformed at the end of term by a spectacular MCS production of Sheridan’s The Critic. In an open letter to the audience, the Duke of Marlborough noted that his forebear, the 4th Duke of Marlborough, had enjoyed the very same play at Blenheim in the 18th century.
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Maths successes
Maths Olympiad results
The Intermediate Maths Olympiad has been a resounding success for our boys. A record 17 boys qualified for the Olympiad competition. Of these, 9 boys were awarded certificates of merit and 7 certificates of distinction.
Freddie Illingworth and Eddy Grogan (Year 10) lead the way; Freddie was one of only 4 pupils in the country to achieve full marks and Eddy secured an impressive 12th place nationally. Given that over 1600 pupils sat the Olympiad across the country, Freddie and Eddy have distinguished themselves in a tough and wide-reaching competition. Edmund Yu won a book prize, which places him in the top 50 students in the country. |
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Stephen Jones scored an impressive 56/60 in the Year 9 version of the competition and won a top 10 place nationally in his age group; Alex Gunasekera won a medal for his performance.
Freddie Illingworth's performance has won him a place in the UKMT Summer Mathematics training camp from which the national maths team squad will be chosen. Freddie also excelled in the U18 version of the competition earlier in the year; both he and Michael Cui in Year 10 qualified for the BMO2, as well as Matthew Colbrook in the L6th form. Freddie and Matthew's scores were the best that the school has ever had in the BMO2 competition.
Not only have the boys succeeded in their own age range, but Illingworth, Grogan, Cui, Jones and Gunasekera managed to impress in the British Maths Olympiad which is a competition open to sixth form students. | |
| Team Challenges
Freddie Illingworth, Eddy Grogan, Michael Cui and Edmund Yu won the regional final of the Year 10 team challenge in Oxfordshire in some style; our "B" team of Barney Shekelton, Harry Potts, Jason Yun and Fred Breese finished in a creditable 4th place.
The year 9 version of the competition saw our team of Alex Gunasekera, Stephen Jones, Jacob Coxon and Tim Stephens scored a superb 224/240 in a tightly contested regional final which was good enough to win second place overall, and a place in the National Final as one of the top scoring runners up in the country.
MCS have since gone on to take part in the national UKMT final, in which they came second overall. This is a fantastic achievement against the very best schools in the country. It is even more remarkable, given that we won last year, evidence of our great strength in maths. | |
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Junior Cricket Tour 2011
14 boys from J3 and J4 went on the U11 Cricket Tour to Sussex, Dorset and Somerset. They were due to play four matches, but one had to be cancelled due to the weather. Of the remaining three matches they won two, with the 20Twenty match v Christ Hospital School U12s being the pick of the bunch thanks to some excellent stubborn batting by man of the match John Black.
It wasn't all work. The boys also visited Splashdown - an exciting and terrifying waterpark - the Haynes Motor Museum and Cheddar Gorge during the trip and all returned tired but with many a tale to tell of how much they enjoyed the four days away. |
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Official Graffiti?
Lower Sixth Geographers prepared for the Globalisation section of their Unit 1 exam by covering the windows of Miss Liddiard's classroom with facts and figures to help them produce higher level answers! Reports so far indicate that the exam was a great success - we cross our fingers for results day!
This year's Lower Sixth is the first mixed year group of geographers and have really impressed the Geography Department with their commitment to the subject and the many field trips. We look forward to welcoming them back for the last three weeks of term! |
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New Minibus joins the MCS Fleet
We are delighted to announce the arrival of a new minibus. This is in large part thanks to the assistance of the Parents' Association, who contributed the sum of 14,000 pounds towards its purchase. The PA provides funds for a huge variety of specific items to benefit MCS pupils - not to mention the numerous events and activities they organise that draw the MCS parents, staff, pupils and friends together. However, the minibus is the largest single item they assist with. There is an enormous appetite for minibus travel, and the buses are used constantly for trips, sporting fixtures and more. We are hugely grateful to the PA for their support. |
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Sixth-form Tug of War
Our thanks go to Piers Lemoine, teacher in charge of this event, for the following report.
The sweet smell of freshly mowed grass and the melody of birdsong that the advent of Trinity Term brings was once again superseded by the sounds and smells of male exertion on the battle field that is the sixth-form Tug of War. Always a highlight of the year, a casual observer could well have been a little confused as to the destination of the scantily clad sixth-form boys as they strolled across Christchurch on Friday lunchtime; the now (unfortunately) classic outfits of the Chavasse team were dusted off from their last outing, to be used once again in a challenge of brute strength, teamwork and skill. The first round passed much as expected with Leicester and Wilkinson (having had an underage Paul Childs ejected from the team) ending up at the bottom of the ranking. The surprises came from a formidable battle between Walker and Callender; going to all three pulls; which saw Callender enter into the first and second playoff with Chavasse, leaving Walker to face the surprise force of Maltby, who, led by the tank-like Tim Ross, had found a strength unbeknown to the Maltby forefathers. |
| The finals saw much excitement; fantastic matches all round which required all three pulls to uncover a winner in both the fifth/sixth playoff and the third/fourth. The coming of the final was too much for some, and as Wilf Bagnall's final battle orders were conveyed with such gusto that the Callender boys could barely contain their excitement, sixth-form girls and second-form boys were fainting from the excitement. Callender put up a valiant effort but in the end the superior strength of Chavasse was too much and they pulled to victory in two clear pulls. Many thanks to Mr "John Anderson" Weir and Mr Penton for their help organising. |
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MCS Boys Selected for West of England Chess Team
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Athletics Cup Winners
The Second Form team consisting of Ted Pullin, Ben Wierszycki, Gabriel Harkin and Tom Scriven won the Year 7 Area Athletics Cup held at the Horspath Athletics Centre. The boys performed tremendously well to win two out of four events and finish second in the relay, an event they had never run together. Ted Pullin won the 100m and Ben Wierszycki comfortably beat a strong field in the 800m. Gabriel Harkin and Tom Scriven completed a strong relay team, with Gabriel also competing admirably in the shot putt. Other notable performances were Dominic Kam, who won the Intermediate discus, and Charlie Pullin who judged his finish superbly to win the 200m. A number of other boys contributed to a strong team performance with the Inter Boys finishing thirrd and the Junior Boys finishing fourth overall. |
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Shakespeare Experts Share Pearls of Wisdom
On Thursday 5th and Friday 6th May MCS was visited by two leading Shakespeareans, Prof Stanley Wells and Dr Paul Edmondson. Dr Edmondson is Head of Research at the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, which tends to the range of properties associated with Shakespeare in Stratford-upon-Avon. Prof Wells is the world's foremost Shakespeare scholar, with a record of publication on every aspect of Shakespeare including the first critical edition of the Complete Works since the seventeenth century. |
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Jazz and Blues Evening On the evening of Friday 6th May, the school dining hall became the venue for the Jazz and Blues evening. The Parents' Association organised the event, and the audience enjoyed a barbecue before a thoroughly entertaining evening with outstanding performances from the school Jazz Bands, Close Harmony group and a variety of jazz combos, including a parents' band. |
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Hockey Shines at MCS
The Head of the Sports Academy here has also had success with his own hockey club. They have qualified for the semi-finals of the European Cup and are the first English team to do so in the current format of the tournament. They play on the 11 and 12 June in The Hague, Netherlands. |
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Jazz Band at Dorchester Abbey
The MCS Jazz band were invited to take part in this year's Dorchester Festival, so on Sunday 8th May, the band made their way to the Abbey for a wonderful afternoon of music. The Jazz Band were the finale for the concert and performedthree numbers – Swing Happens, Thieves in the Temple and Sing, Sing, Sing. The audience were hugely appreciative and enormously enjoyed hearing them perform. |
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Now is the Month of Maying
Sunday 1st May saw the extravaganza that is May morning. Crowds of up to 18,000 revellers turned out on the High Street and across Magdalen Bridge (open this year for the first time in five years). Sixteen MCS boys (and one former MCS boy, now a bass in the College choir) sang madrigals from the top of Magdalen's Great Tower at 6am, a tradition that dates back to the 17th century. The singing opened (as tradition dictates) with the Hymnus Eucharisticus, which was composed in the 17th century by a Fellow of Magdalen and has been sung every year from the Great Tower on May Morning. The choir could be heard loud and clear on a glorious sunny morning, and both boys and audience enjoyed themselves hugely. As ever, each hymn was greeted by cheers and clapping, and the party continued for the crowd with Morris dancing, breakfast and more. |
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The Joys of the Musical
In early March, Big School was transformed for this year's musical spectacular, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Directed by Head of Drama, Mr Christian Anthony and produced by Mr Nicholas Hewlett, this was an ambitious, multi-media staging of the show which included pre-filmed video sequences shot by the National Theatre's resident film maker, an 8-foot pyramid on wheels and the most complex lighting design ever undertaken in Big School. A house band comprised entirely of home-grown MCS talent took on Andrew Lloyd Webber's score, under the able direction of Mr Jon Cullen. Slick, witty and hugely colourful, the event played to packed houses and delighted all who attended - setting the bar even higher for next year! |
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U6th Philosophy Magical Mystery Tour
On one fateful day in March, the Upper Sixth were taken away from the trappings of Western intellectualism on a walk up the Magdalen Bridge. Shrouded in mystery and advertised only as a "Walking Tour", we found what few expectations we had of the trip quickly confounded when a right turn saw us wandering the abandoned halls of Magdalen College. We shortly emerged from the rabbit hole in none other than Oscar Wilde's private rooms for an hour and a half session of yoga. Though the obnoxiously large portrait of a reclining Oscar mocked our exertion throughout, the afternoon proved to be a sensual christening in eucalyptus oil, Eastern cleansing and the soothing tones of a bendy woman.
Incensed in all the right ways, a stroll to Dr McCabe's very own Somerville College completed the day, where we were shown to the private library of John Stuart Mill. Among his more contemporary titles we happened to stumble across his copy of The Descent of Man, complete with scrawly and banterous inscription from the author, Charles.
Our thanks to Jacob Trefethen (Upper Sixth) for this report. |
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Magdalen College Choir Perform in Durham Cathedral
On Tuesday 15 March the men and boys of Magdalen College Choir boarded a train headed north. Having left the sunshine of Oxford for the low mist of Durham, an excited group of boys settled into their hotel ready for some hard work over the next couple of days. After a brief rehearsal on their own in the stunning cathedral setting, they were joined by the men and boys of Durham Cathedral Choir and their Director of Music, Mr James Lancelot. The joint Evensong was a calming and uplifting time for those members of the party lucky enough to be able to take part and was a unique experience for the Choristers and Clerks.
On Wednesday morning the choir was given an enlightening tour of the cathedral, and then were able to share lunch with the Choristers at the old school of the Informator Choristarum, Mr Hyde, before embarking on an afternoon of rehearsal. |
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It was strange to rehearse in a setting where the public were still able to come in and look around and a challenge for the boys to concentrate at all times on what they were singing. Nonetheless, when it came to the concert, a packed audience were treated to some wonderful music and inspirational singing - which just served to show why the Choir is thought of so highly. The concert was part of the Durham Festival Week featuring the exhibition of the Sir John Stainer archive and our invitation to sing came from the association that Daniel Hyde had with Durham when he was a chorister there quite a few years ago!
It was a thoroughly enjoyable trip and a fantastic opportunity to sing in another iconic setting. This term sees a number of exciting engagements coming up, including a service at Great Haseley Church on 26 June and a concert at the Thaxted Festival in Essex on 3 July before rounding off the school year with a tour to Cologne and Antwerp in July. |
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CCF Inspection
Magdalen College School's biennial inspection took place in March at Longmoor training camp, Hampshire. Lt Col Miller inspected both the Army and RAF, accompanied by our sixth form Army scholar and Under Officer, Sam Bourke. Despite the trials of challenging night exercises - incorporating a platoon Ambush and reconnaissance patrol - the Contingent of some 140 cadets were well turned out for the morning of activities and all the more cheered by the clear skies and glorious sunshine. Lt Col Miller commented on the enthusiasm of the cadets and the quality of the training, enjoying Section Attack demonstrations, a paintball 'jungle lane', command tasks, a sniper camouflage exercise and bushcraft training. |
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MCS boy takes Gold in national shotgun Grand Prix
MCS sixth former Charles Davidmann (18) became Junior and Senior Champion in Olympic Skeet shotgun at the National Britannia Grand Prix, 9-11 April. Having won the silver medal in the junior (under 21) competition at the English Grand Prix last month, Charles was looking to better his performance at the BGP. On Day one Charles shot well, and at the end of the day he was leading the juniors by one target, and was equal second in the seniors by one target. On Day two Charles started with a straight round of 25/25 followed by 24/25, qualifying him for the flash final in the lead by one target - having already won the gold in the junior competition by seven targets, and having exceeded his competition personal best. Charles said "Never having shot a flash final before, and starting in the lead by one target, I was somewhat nervous and apprehensive. The field was strong with international shooters from India, Canada, Scotland, England, and even an Olympian shooting to beat me - I was excited." Charles held his nerve and shot well - and won the gold by one target. This is Charles' first national win and positions him well for the selection shoots later in the year where he hopes to win a place in the GB junior team to shoot at the European and World Championships.
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Back to the Battlefields of the First World War Over the Easter holidays the History and English Departments took 19 Lower and Upper 4th boys to the WW1 Battlefields of France and Belgium. The boys visited the battlefields of the Somme and Ypres Salient as well as a number of Commonwealth and German war cemeteries and memorials. There was a poignant Last Post ceremony at the Menin Gate as well as visits to the graves of two old MCS boys - John Callender, whose name is inscribed at Tyne Cot, and Noel Chavasse VC, who is buried just outside Ypres. |
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Vive la France!
A tired but happy group returned to Oxford on the 7th April. |
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Desert Trek
A group of 43 pupils from the upper and lower fourth (ages 13 to 15) have just returned from a trekking adventure in the the Kingdom of Jordan. They spent two days in the desert at Wadi Rum - where T.E. Lawrence assisted King Fiesel with the the planning of the Arab revolt - followed by two days exploring the delights of ancient Petra. The trip culminated in a visit to the Dead Sea to float in the highly saline waters before enjoying an hour or two by the pool. The trip involved sleeping in Bedouin tents (and admiring the stars through any holes!), nightly talks and discussions on a variety of subjects, and the odd blister, but was hugely enjoyed by all. |
| Christchurch cross country biggest yet! The annual cross country race across Christchurch Meadow was its biggest ever this year, with almost the entire school taking part on the last day of term. Held on a sunny but slightly windy afternoon, the event opened with an extremely close Junior race, in which Charles Sweetenham pipped Ben Wierszycki to the title. Great excitement surrounded the girls' inaugural race, which saw almost all the girls running and was won by Kim Williams with a very fast finish. The senior boys' race was won by Joe Bowness, a fifth former, who caused an upset by outpacing all sixth form competition to take first place - a win that meant Maltby won the senior race by a single point! Congratulations to all concerned. |
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The Greats!
The Classical Reading Competition, hosted annually by the MCS Classics department, attracted a wide range of competitors from within the School this year. With some truly outstanding individual recitals, students competed in different categories, reading in both Latin and Greek. Congratulations to Sixth former Timothy Foot and Upper forth pupil Oskar Bukolt, who picked up first prize in Senior Latin Prose and Junior Latin Memoriter respectively. In second place, sharing the Senior Latin Dialogue prize was Lizzie Reavley and Tom Lodge. Also Highly Commended by Head of Department, Peter McDonald, were Adam Smith (Senior Greek Memoriter), Orestis Sherman (Junior Latin Verse), Nikola Stojanovic (Junior Latin Prose), and Edmund Garnett (Junior Latin Memoriter). Well done to all.
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Netball for Comic Relief!
MCS and the Oxford High School pitted forces last month for a one-off sporting spectacle: a charity netball match. Organised in support of Comic Relief, MCS sixth formers put forward two boys' teams, kitted out in red vests and skirts! Cheered on by the all-male MCS cheerleading squad (complete with crop-tops and lycra skirts), the boys took to the field with enthusiasm. It was a hard-fought battle, with Tim Ross, James Morgan and Jamie Wickham-Jones looking like naturals. The first two quarters were neck and neck before the girls made home advantage work and edged to victory 22-18. The Lower sixth squad found the girls too powerful, succumbing 21-6 in a one sided match-up. £500 pounds was raised and there's talk of a rematch... |
Fundraisers: The Magdalen boys and OHS girls |
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Victory!: The boys with Mr White |
A season of successes for U13 hockey
The U13 Hockey Team ended their season on a high by representing Oxfordshire at the Southern Mini Hockey Finals. Coached by former Australian international Todd Williams, the boys had stormed to victory in the Oxfordshire County Tournament, beating New College, Abingdon, and Dragon on the way. Ollie Wickens, team goalkeeper, was outstanding on the day ensuring that the school went forward to represent the County. The Finals were played in brilliant spring sunshine, and the boys battled tremendously against some very tough opposition, managing credible draws against St Andrews, Bedford, and Sutton Valance, Kent. Some truly outstanding goals were scored, with memorable pieces of individual play.
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Rugby VIIs win Cokethorpe Plate
The first VII's team excelled at the annual Cokethorpe Tournament this year. Mr Seely, the School's rugby professional, put together a strong team of sixth formers, with promising 5th formers Ollie Perkins and Kieran Ratcliffe adding depth to the squad. The boys secured two impressive victories in their first two games against Solihull and Warwick 'B', and were unlucky to lose to Cokethorpe and Aylesbury Grammar in the group stage. The boys then progressed to a semi-final, which was comfortably won against Akeley Wood. The final was a thrilling 26-17 victory, with a dramatic sudden death try from Pete Howard sealing a win against Hereford Cathedral School. The boys lifted the Cokethorpe Plate, and now look forward to the National Schools Tournament at Rosslyn Park in May.
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Champions: The boys with the Cokethorpe Plate |
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Music at Magdalen
A packed Sheldonian Theatre on Thursday 24th March was the venue for the School's latest musical extravaganza. The concert included the first movement of both the Grieg and the Schumann Piano concertos, with Nick Tollemache and Andrew Warwick from the Upper Sixth as soloists. Also featured were the entire Second Form singing Chilcott's City Songs; the Choral Society; Junior School choir; and Parents' Choir performing Parry's I was Glad. The String Orchestra joined Camarata, St Helen and St Katherine's string orchestra, in a new joint venture with an extraordinarily ambitious performance of Elgar's Introduction and Allegro. 'Inspirational' was the Master's verdict on the whole evening.
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Hockey season ends with thrilling draw
The 1st XI Hockey season finished with a thrilling 3-3 draw against rivals Abingdon on Tuesday. Played at the University's pitch, Iffley Road, and in front of a good crowd, MCS started well with Henry Anderson-Elliott opening the scoring (pictured) and James Lawton-Smith doubling the lead 10 minutes later. Abingdon came straight back with a converted penalty corner to trail 2-1 at half-time, and then in a see-saw second half took two more opportunities to go 3-2 ahead with the clock ticking down. That was until Anderson-Elliott, who had also scored the last minute winner the week before against Haberdasher Aske's, converted a half chance with seconds to go after an excellent diving effort from Will Fulwood. Congratulations to the boys, and Todd Williams their coach on a good season.
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Great Finish: Anderson-Elliott celebrates his opening goal |
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J4s on the river! |
J4 Outward Bound!
The Junior School boys enjoyed an action-packed week's stay at PGL's Boreatton Park, Shropshire. The J4 cohort enjoyed a wide range of activities, including kayaking, rafting, fencing, and the high-wire. Particular mention was made of the excellent food and comfortable accommodation, and the highlight of the week was widely considered to be the raft-building and kayaking. All returned very, very wet! |
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U13 VIIs success
The U13 Rugby VII side impressed on their debut in the Berkhamsted Tournament last week. With 64 schools from across the country, the competition represented a major challenge for the boys, ably coached by rugby professional Grant Seely. Two solid wins in the group stages and a narrow defeat to Warwick took the boys through to the knockout rounds, where hugely impressive wins against St Joseph’s, Ipswich, and Dulwich took them through to a semi-final. Despite great determination and effort the boys lost narrowly to Solihull 22-14, bringing an end to their long day. Well done to all involved, with particular mentions for Dan Wilson and Theo Dale for their powerful running and tries. |
Breakaway: Theo Dale in action |
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Explosive: The demonstration at its most dramatic |
2nd Form success at Salter's Festival of Chemistry
A team of four Second Form boys from MCS attended the Salter's Festival of Chemistry at Oxford University. The team pitted their practical chemistry skills against 25 other school teams in a day of experiments and challenges. Having tackled everything from a murder mystery to a challenge to make the longest length of nylon, the entrants were treated to an amazing chemistry show given by a Professor at the University. The boys were delighted that this involved all the standard school requests of deafening explosions, huge flames and hands on fun! As hearing returned, the boys awaited the announcements of the reuslts of the competition - huge congratulations go to the MCS team, who, despite being a year younger than all of the other participants, claimed a fantastic first place - winning prizes for both themselves and school. Very many congratulations to Jacob Coxon, Jerome Gasson, Harry Taylor and Fergus Wilkie. Many thanks also to Dr Bell, who accompanied the boys.
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Callendar triumph in House Singing!
House Singing this year was again the spectacular that staff and students at MCS have come to expect. With renowned composer Alex L'Estrange sitting as judge, competition was fierce as the six School Houses rehearsed once a week for all of Hilary Term. Each House was required to stage one 'small group' and one full House song, with musical accompaniment provided by House musicians. With the whole School in attendance, Big School was transformed into a 'battle of the bands' style arena with a fantastic atmosphere. Notable performances came from Chavasse ('Hit me baby one more time'), Maltby ('Back for Good'), with Leicester's 'Working 9 to 5' also an all-singing, all-dancing triumph. Callendar won the day in the judge's eyes with a strong House performance of 'Dreaming of You', and a bold small-group effort with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers' 'Under the Bridge'. Well done to all involved, and many thanks to Alex L'Estrange for offering his expert opinion. |
Chavasse in action |
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Music at Magdalen
Music at Magdalen is an ever popular date on the MCS calendar as it is a great chance for all to hear some of the fantastic music rehearsing this term. The programme featured some wonderful music making including L4th and U4th String quartets, the Second Orchestra, Close Harmony Group, Jazz Band and some excellent solos by L4th Scholars. Particularly impressive were the String Orchestra's performance of Avison's concerto in E minor and the Woodwind Ensemble performing an arrangement of Mozart's Horn Concerto - both groups performed without a conductor and were ably led by the pupils. |
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2nd former wins RAD Cam! Competition
2nd former Zachary Nairac has won a workshop for his class by StopMoGo, a local animation company specialising in photo-frame films. Zachary produced the winning entry for the RAD Cam! Competition, which required him to illustrate a mystical world beneath the Radcliffe Camera reading room, central Oxford. The competition was run as part of an exhibition at Oxford Castle's O3 Gallery by artist and founder of StopMoGo, Emma Dougherty. Zachary's fantastical and very detailed idea was judged to be outstanding, and his class will soon enjoy a three-hour workshop from StopMoGo. To see Zachary's winning entry, please click here. |
Fantastical world: A detail from Zachary's winning entry |
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National Preparatory Schools Rapidplay Team Championships
On Saturday, February 26th an MCS squad of players attended the National Preparatory Schools Rapidplay Team Championships at Aldro School, Surrey. The day started well with wins for several players in the first round and a promising draw from Jonathan Cassell against top seed, Gwilym Price. After the next few rounds, we still had four boys unbeaten. Matthew Harris continued this form to achieve a perfect five out of five, and six boys achieved four out of five. This gave us a score of 17 from the top four players to beat Aldro by two and a half points and become national champions, the sixth time we have won this event since its inception in 1996. Matthew Harris (U9), David Phillips (U10), James Graham (U12) and James Cole (U13) all won their respective sections to become age group champions. Many thanks go to Mr Place and Mr d'Souza-Eva for making the day possible. |
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An Arctic Cairngorms Trip
Wild weather made this year's Highlands trip all the more interesting for MCS staff and pupils...
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Geographers head for the Country!
Geographers in the Lower Sixth enjoyed a visit to the Plunkett Foundation this week. The organisation, dedicated to community business ventures, champions rural concerns and 'social enterprise'. Following this, the group moved on to undertake some fieldwork in the Oxfordshire town of Burford, where pupils interviewed local people about their experiences living in the area. Lower Sixth student Lizzie Reavley was able to give an interesting talk to her peers here, owing to her good knowledge of the town. Finally, students and staff enjoyed a visit to Foxbury Farm where they learned how farms could successfully diversify their produce and provide a real shopping experience to consumers who wanted the freshest produce. |
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Old Waynflete a World-Class jumper
Clark Glasgow, a former MCS pupil, continues to go from strength to strength on the world equestrian circuit. The 19-year-old Old Waynflete, who will take up a place at Cambridge University to read Natural Sciences in September, was the only rider to remain faultless in the U23 Team Murka/World-Class development programme last month. Jumping on Averal, a horse owned by his mother, Clark is trained by renowned showjumping coach Tim Stockdale. Our congratulations to Clark.
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High Jump: Clark in action on Averal recently |
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Award: Ben with Professor Norman McCubbin, Head of Particle Physics at the University |
Physicist of the Year
Sixth Form student Ben Thorne represented MCS at the Oxfordshire Physicist of the Year gathering. Ben, who has previously represented the School at a similar Chemist of the Year ceremony over Christmas, joined 19 other pupils from local state and private schools for an evening of stimulating talks, including one from our own Dr Richard. The awards, sponsored by the Oxfordshire Independent/State School Partnership and the Ogden Trust, invited regional Physics Departments to nominate their most promising A-Level student. Ben was chosen after producing an outstanding Waynflete Project on physical science. Very well done to Ben.
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Doctorate for MCS Chaplain
The Chaplain received her degree as Doctor of Philosophy during the half term break. When she came for interview to MCS three years go, she confessed to Dr Hands that she was in the last stages of researching a degree that had already taken nearly ten years! Working part-time, the University had granted her a suspension of studies as she had her two children, and also went through ordination training. Last Summer, after two years of teaching at MCS, she took advantage of Dr Hands' initiative of a sabbatical half term and spent her days at the library in Campion Hall. The title of her thesis is: 'Defender of Faith: Is there an Anglican theology of Religious Pluralism?', which covered a wide range of areas including Church history, a detailed analysis of contemporary case studies of interfaith marriage, interfaith liturgy, and the use of redundant church buildings. She argues that in the work of Hooker, the Church of England can be seen as one of the first examples of the burgeoning 21st century discipline of 'practical theology'. She was directed by Prof Gavin D'Costa and examined by Canon Prof Martyn Percy. Many congratulations. |
The Chaplain receiving her Doctorate |
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Success across the board!
The Junior School's U11 chess players enjoyed an excellent day at the EPSCA midlands and SW England team championships qualifier. The 'A' team came second in the tournament, only half a point behind the leaders, whom they had beaten earlier. Henry Phillips, U11A captain and top board, scored an impressive 5/5 to lead his team to the national semi-finals in May. And our 'C' team also played very good chess to qualify, too. Well done to all involved.
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Geographers in London
Lower Sixth Geographers enjoyed a field trip to London last Friday, complementing their AS course. Guided by Miss Liddiard, Mr Lemoine, Mr Pahl and Mr White, the group set about investigating re-generation and re-branding in the London Docklands and Brick Lane area. Although very chilly, the winter sun made for perfect conditions and a very good time was had by all. |
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Junior School student Highly Commended
Congratulations to the Junior School's James Black who was Highly Commended in the Possum's Children's Poetry Competition. James received his award from Liverpudlian poet and presenter of BBC Radio Four's Poerty Please programme Roger McGough. Very well done to James. |
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Junior School pupil wins in prestigious competition
Junior School pupil Angus White produced a winning entry for the Evans World Book Day Short Story Competition, and will see his work published later in the year. Best selling author Pauline Francis chose Angus' story from over 3,500 entries. Well done to Angus. |
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MCS on the Slopes
MCS hit the slopes just after Christmas, making the most of the excellent conditions at the resort of Obertauern, Austria. The trip was a great success, with all making good progress thanks to some first-rate tuition from the local instructors. For the more experienced skiers among the group, night-skiing under the resort's floodlights was a thrilling experience. Other evening entertainments were popular as well, including the nearby water park and bowling alley. A very good time was had by all!
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U16s' Triumph at Teddies Tournament
MCS' U16 side were triumphant at the County Hockey Tournament held at St Edwards School last Sunday. After a disappointing opening defeat to Radley, the boys rallied to win a thrilling game 3-2 against rivals Abingdon; a winning goal coming in the last 10 seconds from Guy Dixon. MCS then went into their final game having to win by three clear goals. The boys raced into a superb four goal lead against St Edwards, before the hosts fought back with two of their own. A late surge won the competition for MCS, however, with a further three goals sealing it. Very well done to all involved!
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Champions: The U16s' with coaches Andy Watts and Richard Gilbert |
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MCS Student leads Sustainable Development Conference
MCS Sixth Former Timothy Foot recently had the honour of chairing the latest Oxford Schools Sustainable Development Conference. The gathering, taking place at the University's Natural History Museum, celebrated the 'Ghost Forest' exhibition assembled by MCS parent Angela Palmer. The conference was the most popular to date and attracted over 100 pupils from various schools in the city, both primary and secondary. Along with three other MCS students, Timothy introduced fascinating talks by Jenny Davidson (Oxford City Council), Barbara Hammond (West Oxford Renewables), and Sarah Lloyd (Oxford University Natural History Museum). The final talk, given by Antarctic explorer Aaron Holdway, evoked a particularly strong response from the student audience for its pictures of baby seals! The afternoon, aimed at enthusing young people across Oxford about environmental action, was a great success. |
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MCS Sixth Former awarded prestigious scholarship
MCS Sixth Form student Charles Davidmann has been awarded a prestigious TASS prize (Trained Athlete Scholarship Scheme). The government funded programme is targeted at talented sportsmen in Higher Education who have been identified as being potentially world class. Previous recipients include Amy Williams and Tom Daley. Charles is currently ranked 3rd in the UK in his age-group, and will be attending the Cyprus Grand Prix shoot in February. Very well done!
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Taking aim: Charles hopes to represent Team GB |
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6th Form Geographers in Cuba
Cuba was the latest destination for the MCS Geography department as 13 Sixth Form students joined Mr Lemoine and Miss Liddiard on an exciting and ambitious visit to the Caribbean island. With a view to studying the country's communistic system of government, its biogeography and its ecotourism up-close the group enjoyed a wide variety of activities, from snorkelling to horse-back riding across the countryside. Particular thanks go to the excellent tour-guides who enabled the group to see Cuban life first-hand and draw their own conclusions. Evenings were spent with highly entertaining games of Articulate, and both Mr Lemoine and Miss Liddiard would like to thank the students for their exemplary behaviour.
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