News

"Messiah"

A packed church acclaimed the 105 singers - current and former members of the Senior Choir, parents and staff - who gathered to sing Handel's Messiah in the Memorial Chapel on Saturday 5 December, conducted by our Director of Music, Mrs Lucy Kitchener. We were delighted to welcome back two former pupils, Octavia McGlashan (08) and Kathy Tang (04) as two of our soloists. Both girls went on from Mount St Mary's to study music. Kathy has sung with several choirs including the BBC National Choir of Wales, Welsh National Opera and Bath Camerata, while Octavia, in her second year at Trinity College, is exploring new repertoire as a mezzo soprano. To see further pictures from the concert, click here.

Our Feast Day

The whole school community joined to celebrate our patronal feast day, The Feast of the Immaculate Conception. After Mass, concelebrated by two former pupils Fr Michael Beattie SJ and Fr Frank Hull SJ, it was time for the outings. The Lower School went to the Doncaster Dome, while the Middle and Upper Schools set off for Meadowhall. During their trip, the pupils bought gifts for those less fortunate themselves, which were then presented to Mr Kevin Bradley from the St Wilfrid's Centre in Sheffield, which helps homeless people. Pupils have been collecting goods for the centre for several weeks, and also handed over a cheque for £500, the money raised during our recent charity week.

Oxford Experience

Some of our top pupils spent a day in Oxford as guests of the Catholic Chaplaincy. The pupils, mostly from Year 12, had a tour round Christchurch College by a current student, and a lightning trip round some of Oxford’s famous landmarks. The highlight of the day, however, was a session led by Fr John Moffat SJ. Using a powerpoint, a cricket bat and the Chair of Doom, he introduced the pupils to the concept of the Oxford tutorial. Along with pupils from Wimbledon College (another Jesuit school) and the Ursuline High School, our keen students were asked to consider the nature of rules – then sit in the Chair to defend their points. All agreed it was an inspiring introduction to what life at a top university could be like.

Charities Week

Our annual charities week gave our pupils lots of opportunities to show how good they are at being “men and women for others”. They raised hundreds of pounds for the St Wilfrid’s Centre, a charity which helps the homeless and vulnerable in Sheffield. Activities, suggested and organised by pupils and teachers, included the X-Box Challenge, the ever-popular Karaoke, a staff/pupil rowing competition and a sixth-form cake bake. Over the last few weeks pupils have also been collecting toiletries to be presented to the centre on 8 December, our matronal feast day, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception.

Question Time for Debaters and an MP

The Debating Society welcomed our local MP, Natascha Engel, to school to question her on her politics and her experience of life in Parliament. Ms Engel enthusiastically supports the right of young people to have a vote and was impressed by our pupils’ awareness of political issues.

The new Art Department officially opens

Our three creative arts departments joined for a wonderful evening showcasing the wealth of talent at Mount St Mary's. Three members of our Senior Drama Society performed Jasmina Reza’s award-winning play “Art” to a large audience. The play, a West End hit, was a challenging choice for a school production but ably performed by Richard Duggan, Edward Massarella and Alex Allt. Beforehand, the new art department was officially opened by the headmaster Mr McKell, with music provided by members of the Strings group. To see further pictures of the art department opening, visit the Arts page.

Take a bow at the Bellarmine Concert

This month’s concert showcased strings players in the school. With some highly talented musicians including scholars Harry Castle, Chloe Gaskell and Phoebe Lui, the standard of the music was exceptional. Harry, a Figures (Year 8) pupil who attends the Royal Northern College every Saturday, impressed the audience with his virtuosity in playing De Beriot’s “Allegro” from Concerto No. 7. The concert combined solo performances with two pieces by the String Orchestra, Pachelbel’s “Canon” and Jenkins’ “Palladio – Allegro”. The next Bellarmine Concert will be held on Monday 18 January. To find out more about concerts open to the public, please emailinfo@msmcollege.com

Spend your gap year in Australia

Our Sixth Formers now have the opportunity to spend a gap year in Australia, thanks to our Jesuit connections. Each year, two of our leavers will be able to work at St Aloysius’ College, a Jesuit grammar school in Sydney, where former Head Boy Daniel Westmoreland spent his gap year (see story below). Mr Murray Happ, Director of Development at the school, visited us recently to meet and answer questions from some of the hopeful candidates. We will be welcoming gap students from St Aloysius as part of the exchange programme. Mr McKell the Headmaster said: “We are delighted to be able to formalise this arrangement, as the Australia gap year experience is a wonderful way for our pupils to take a worthwhile year out between school and university.”

Our debaters in action

The school’s Debating Society was pleased to welcome Mr Dilwyn Scott to its weekly session. Mr Scott, who has trained Members of Parliament in the art of public speaking, was in school to help Rhetoric pupils prepare for university interviews. He spoke to the Society last year and was delighted to participate in a debate. The motion, “This house would privatise the National Health Service” was roundly carried, thanks to the spirited speeches given by Richard Duggan and George Freeman.

We remembered them

The BBC came to film our traditional Remembrance Day commemoration, using footage of the service and of the corps marching to the village graveyard in that day's bulletins. The whole school community, together with pupils from the top year at our Preparatory School, Barlborough Hall, gathered in the Memorial Chapel, built to remember fallen Old Mountaineers after the First World War. The members of the CCF were present in full uniform, and the commanders of the army and RAF contingents laid wreathes at the altar. Following the Last Post and two minute silence, the congregation heard readings and an extract from a letter written by an OM who died in WWI. The CCF then laid wreathes and crosses at the graves of war dead in the village graveyard.

Well done to our exam students

Exam season seems a long time ago, but we were delighted to welcome back some of our recent leavers, now at university, for our Awards Ceremony. Pupils from Syntax (Year 11) upwards were present for the occasion, when Mr McKell the headmaster officially handed out the certificates recording achievement in GCSEs and A levels. Some of our current Syntax pupils sat their Maths GCSE a year early and were able to join older pupils in receiving their certificates in front of a proud audience of parents and relatives.

Chattering Boxes from the Drama Society

The Senior Drama Society took its audience on a tour around school in their latest production. "Chattering Boxes" was a promenade production, featuring several of our most talented actors delivering a series of monologues that put the school's architecture to stunning use to provide a variety of stages. Pupils were involved in writing, directing,producing and acting the various pieces that included well-loved humorous monologues by such experts as Joyce Grenfell, as well as more modern thought-provoking monologues. The Senior Drama Society's next production is "Art" by Yasmina Reva, on Friday 20 November. For further information, visit our events page.

Fr Grumitt SJ RIP

Staff, former pupils and parents were sad to hear of the death of Father John Grumitt SJ, the last Jesuit Head of Mount St Mary's College. Fr Grumitt was the headmaster between 1976 and 1990, and is fondly remembered for his great love of the school, his passion for technology and his eccentricity. The current lay headmaster, Mr Laurence McKell, paid tribute to him during the Mount Association centenary dinner this weekend, attended by many of Fr Grumitt's former pupils. His funeral takes place on Tuesday 27th October at 11.00 am in Farm Street, London. Fr Grumitt will be remembered at the Mass for the Feast of All Souls on Monday 2nd November and at a Memorial Mass at the school at a later date to be confirmed. All OMs are invited to attend the various services.

Old Mountaineer to win Presidential award

Dr Craig Brown, who attended the Mount in the Eighties, will be visiting the White House soon - to receive an award for his contribution to furthering science in the United States. Craig, a Cambridge graduate, will be receiving a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers in the prestigious ceremony in Washington in the next few weeks. He is an instrument scientist for the Disk Chopper Spectrometer at the NIST Center for Neutron Research in Maryland, where his research centres on science underlying future energy technologies, especially those involving hydrogen storage. Mr McKell the headmaster said: " His success is inspirational to our budding scientists and we look forward to him visiting school in the coming year.

October Bellarmine Concert

This month's concert was provided by various choirs and soloists showing off Mount St Mary's strong choral tradition, including the newly-formed Madrigal Group and the Male Voice Choir. The girls' Chamber Choir sang "Cantique de Jean Racine" and "Amazing Grace" which they hope will lead them to success in this year's Songs of Praise competition - last year the Senior Choir, comprising 55 members, was awarded an honourable mention on the programme. The Junior Choir, winners of a special award at the 2009 National Festival of Music for Youth, performed a lively rendition of "Sing, sing, sing". The next concert, on 16th November, will be a string recital. Bellarmine Concerts are open to the public - ring 01246 433388 for details.

Meet our new Head Boy and Head Girl

Head Boy James Proudfoot and Head Girl Vicky Coe are pictured with their deputies Naseem Sharif, Richard Duggan and Frances Oliver. All five were elected following interviews with the Headmaster Mr McKell and other senior staff, where they spoke about their suitability for the role and their ideas for the coming year. Also pictured is Mrs Forbes-Jones, our new Head of Sixth Form. Mrs Forbes-Jones, who has worked in the RE department for several years, will be assisted by Mr McMillan, also a member of the RE department. This is an exciting year for our older pupils, as they will shortly be moving into the new Sixth Form centre, featuring a purpose-built study area and common room.

Up in the Air at the Science Challenge

100 years after Bleriot's flight across the Channel, Years 7 and 8 scientists explored the finer details of aeronautical design. Equipped with paper, sellotape, paper straws, glue and paper clips, the contestants set to work, aided by their parents. The annual Lower School Science Challenge aims to encourage a love of science and discovery. The findings? Paper aeroplanes are best for speed, but creative designs for wing span win for length of time in the air. The science department encourages a hands-on approach, with an emphasis on experiments that many schools have moved away from. Pupils in Year 10 (Grammar) have started work on their science IGCSEs, more traditional exams favoured by many independent schools for their rigour.

Our Captains for 2009 - 2010

Congratulations to Mount St Mary's new school captains for 2009 -10. The captains, equivalent to prefects in other schools, are all in Rhetoric, and were elected by fellow pupils and staff for the contribution they have made to school life and the way in which they exemplify "Mount Spirit". We wish them well in their final year at school.

Coached for success

Pupils at Mount St Mary's are benefitting from some top coaching this season. New history teacher Andrew Axelby is a Level 3 RFU coach, and until recently was coaching at county and School of Rugby level in Northumberland. Fencing is a popular activity throughout the school and a games option in the sixth form and new coach Adam Blight is well-known on the fencing circuit. Adam has coached 9 British Champions in various age groups and the world number 3. The school's fencers are looking forward to the chance to compete in national competitions under Adam's direction. Finally, Mr Wareham, our Head of Boys' Games, has been appointed as the Forwards Coach for the U16 England rugby team, which he will be able to combine with his duties on the pitch here.

Notice to parents re. swine flu

As stated in a letter that your child should have brought home on Tuesday 29 September, we have been informed that one of the children in school has been diagnosed with Swine Flu. The child is being treated with Tamiflu. The advice to parents is to be vigilant and should your child display any symptoms, they should be kept at home and your GP or NHS Direct (0845 4647), contacted for advice. Please also inform the school if this is the case with your child. We have contacted the appropriate personnel in the local authority and they have agreed that we have acted correctly and taken all the necessary precautions.

New music initiative thrills audience

A talented group of staff and sixth formers delighted their audience with a rousing musical performance at Monday morning assembly. The Madrigal Group comprising talented student singers and teachers from across the board won rapturous applause for its rendition of Fair Phyllis I Saw by John Farmer. The group, led by Director of Music, Lucy Kitchener, was formed spontaneously at the end of the last academic year to give pupils and staff the chance to perform together on a regular basis.

Debating Society elects its President(s)

The Debating Society met to elect the President and Secretary for this academic year. All the candidates had to give a speech explaining why they should be voted in to post. Congratulations to Toby Leverett in Upper Elements (Year 7) who was appointed secretary. There were several compelling speeches from the hopeful candidates for President but power was snatched in a coup staged by Naseem Sharif in Rhetoric (Year 13) and Alex Treece in Syntax (Year 11). In a witty and dramatic speech, they persuaded their audience that presidential power was best controlled by a duumvirate. Debates are held regularly - watch this space!

Boarders go to Mass at Barlborough

On a beautiful Autumn morning, the entire boarding community walked the mile and a half across the fields to Barlborough for Mass. Every half-term Father Knott SJ celebrates a family mass at Barlborough Hall School, our preparatory school, and the boarders are invited to participate in the Sunday celebration. Old boys at Mass were pleased to hear about the walk - when there were boarders at Barlborough, the route was known as "Brothers' Walk" because pupils at the Mount would walk over on Sunday afternoons to visit their younger siblings. Now, of course, we have girls as well, and all our boarders live at Mount St Mary's.

Mountaineers head for Hong Kong...

Last year's Head Boy Adam Gaskell experienced high-flying work experience this summer, working in Hong Kong for OM Geoffrey Chan, a lawyer in a major Hong Kong firm. Adam stayed with the Watts family, parents of two of our boarders. Adam also met up with Mr Dan Westmoreland, President of the Mount Association, in Hong Kong on his way to Australia. Adam said: "The work placement was the experience of a life time and I am very grateful to Mr Chan for giving me this opportunity." We can look forward to more trips East, when Lucy Potts, the Head Girl, travels to Hong Kong next summer for a similar placement. Headmaster Mr McKell said: "Adam's placement is a wonderful example of how beneficial our international connections are to our pupils."

....and come back from Australia

Daniel Westmoreland, Head Boy 2007-8, has just returned from a gap year at St Aloysius School in Sydney, Australia. It's the first time that one of our pupils has been able to take advantage of our links with other Jesuit schools in this way, but plans are now afoot to make this a regular gap student opportunity for our pupils. Daniel is pictured with his father, Dan Westmoreland, President of the Mount Association which celebrates its hundredth anniversary this year, and Murray Happ, Director of Development at the Australian school. We are looking forward to welcoming Murray to Mount St Mary's later this year.

GCSE results show our pupils' success rate

Year 11 and Year 10 pupils achieved some excellent results in their GCSEs. With a pass rate of 99% and over 80% graded A* to C, our results showed that our pupils are performing way above national averages. As well as our top achievers in Year 11, where several pupils gained all A* and A, there were fantastic results for our Year 10 (Grammar) pupils - the top maths set sat Maths a year early, with several managing to gain A* in the exam. Some of our best mathematicians now have two GCSE qualifications, having sat GCSE statistics in Year 8 or 9. Mr McKell said: "Well done to all our pupils on such commendable results that pay tribute to their work and the staff's expertise and commitment. Grammar's results are gratifying, showing that we tailor the curriculum to stretch our pupils appropriately."

A Level results

Our Rhetoricians - Upper Sixth students- returned to school to collect their exam results. Well done to them all, and to their teachers and supportive parents: a 100% pass rate, with 30% of exams awarded A grades, is testament to their hard work. As a non-selective school, these results compare very impressively with the national average. Among the top achievers were Chloe Howard, who gained 4 As - in biology, chemistry, maths and physics - and is going to study natural sciences at University College, London. Rahul Ravi, this year's deputy head boy, also gained 4 As - in accountancy, biology, chemistry and maths; he is going to study Economics and Maths at Bristol. Adam Gaskell, our Head Boy, gained 3 As and is about to embark on a gap year before applying to Oxford. Tom Ward is off to study medicine at Queen Mary in London.

Murrayfield at the Mount

Boarder Brandon Hannam was back at school this week, even though it's the summer holidays. Brandon (18) is one of 30 members of the Scottish Exiles U20 squad, players from outwith Scotland eligible to play for the national side. The squad was training prior to selecting the side who will go to Belgium for an international rugby festival later this month. The players had some top-class coaching, including input from Hugh Campbell, a former Scotland coach and Stevie Scott. Stevie, a former Scotland hooker, is now the national throw-in coach for the current team. Mr McKell, himself a Scot, was delighted to welcome the squad to use our top facilities and boarding accommodation.

National Festival of Music for Youth

The Junior Choir travelled to Birmingham's Symphony Hall to participate in the Festival, an annual event organised to encourage a love of music. They were invited to take part in the prestigious competition following their success in the Regional Festivals, entered by thousands of choirs, in March. The choir, members of Years 7 and 8, sang Ave Maria and Adiemus. It was their first experience of singing in a large venue, but they loved every minute of it and the adjudicators loved their performance too! We were one of only four choirs out of 22 to be awarded a special certificate,"The Voices Foundation Junior Choir Award". Congratulations on an exceptional achievement.

NEW: Parents' Area

As part of our development of communications with parents we will be placing copies of letters sent to all parents via ‘pupil mail’ on the college website from next term for a trial period. You can already view electronic copies (pdfs) of the parent and boarding handbooks by clicking here. Details of the school's procedures in place, should there be any cases of swine flu, are also available. If you are a college parent, the password is in the parents' circular for July 2009.

Fencing successes

It has been rapiers at the ready for our pupils over the last year, as more than 50 pupils have been learning this fast and challenging sport. Under the leadership of Mr Jenkins, three annual summer tournaments have been introduced. The winner of the senior fencing tournament was James Proudfoot, the fencing club secretary and Junior Fencing Coach. So many lower school pupils now fence that they participated in two different tournaments. Connor Williams scooped gold in the competition for Silver Award pupils, and Daniel Salt came top among the Bronze Award pupils. Christina Foster and Amy Hodkin have both now achieved the gold award for Senior Fencers. Congratulations to them all. Fencing can now be chosen as a sport option for senior pupils, and runs as an activity for junior pupils.

Autumn Term 2009