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SLT Aims for 2020 – Part 3

House Robotics

In this week’s edition of WimLearn, Anna, Charlotte, Millie, and Kate discuss their aims for this year as our house captains of the Student Leadership Team 2021.

 

Anna (Scott House Captain):

This year, more than ever, it is so important that everyone feels as though they are a part of a community outside academic lessons, or even co-curriculars. Houses are all about bringing a variety of people together who otherwise may not come across each other – whether that’s within one year or between the different academic years. Something that will be really important over the coming months is ensuring that out brilliant house communities continue, as well as the enthusiasm and fun that goes with it. We have been developing ideas for a new range of events and that will enable the house spirit and friendly competition to continue, whilst maintaining the zoning rules. So, although this year is and will be very different to previous years, I hope that everyone feels united and has a truly great year.

Above: WHS Sports Day 2019

Charlotte (Meredith House Captain):

Walking into school in my bright orange lanyard, I felt guilty not being able to approach and say hi to anyone in the years below. It feels impossible to feel connected to each other, to our friends, or to our school spirit, in a time when we are physically separated from one another. But I know that with the bright, fun, and caring minds of the students at Wimbledon High, we won’t let this time take away from our school experience, but rather accept it as a new challenge and format to our lives. My hopes for the houses this year is to continue nurturing that spirit. In the words of the Meredith song ‘like a spring flower, Meredith grows’, and I know that whether that is  a seed of enthusiasm in Year 7, to (let’s be honest) a probably equally small seed of enthusiasm in Year 11, or a full flower of commitment in Year 13, we continue to involve ourselves in coming events, even if they don’t occur as they would have in past years.

Millie (Arnold House Captain):

This year, I aim to make sure that everyone feels like they are a part of a house community, together even if we are apart. In these unprecedented times, the house values of kindness, respect, grit and resilience are more important than ever. I hope that we continue to support each other as we always have, taking all of the opportunities we can get. Although this year may be different, we can still feel like part of a house family and always have someone to reach out to, whether in person or virtually. My main aim is that we all enjoy ourselves, relishing the chance to be back in school. Houses are all about bringing people together and having fun, and a little competitive spirit never goes amiss. We will be working hard this year to ensure that the house spirit is still felt strongly throughout the school. Arnold’s house animal is the wolf, strong, loyal and brave, qualities which everyone has shown throughout this time. I really hope everyone has a brilliant year and that we can all feel united even when we are not together.

Above: Arnold House Poster, 2019

Kate (Hastings House Captain):

It is fantastic to be back together again even if it is slightly apart physically. Our recent challenging experiences during lockdown have certainly been unprecedented, not only in terms of this school’s history but also on a global level. Thanks to the hard work of our teachers, we were able to continue our academic studies, our social and personal interaction inevitably suffered. The house community is the perfect forum to seek to compensate for this loss. My main aim this year is to embrace life. Through the creation of smaller communities within a larger community it allows students to create resilient bonds and connections with shared values. It is critical for us to embrace the plentiful opportunities that arise from the house community. It provides advice or encouragement and motivation and – of course – some healthy competition

Above: WHS Sports Day 2019

 

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SLT Aims for 2020 – Part 2

In this week’s edition of WimLearn, Lizzie, Lucy, Annabel, Eleni, Robin and Eloise discuss their aims for the year in their roles on the 2020 Student Leadership Team.

Lizzie (Music Rep):

My biggest aim for music at WHS this year is simply to do as much music as possible, given the immense ongoing difficulties that coronavirus safety measures have created. Very excitingly, many music clubs are still running in small, socially distanced groups or within year group bubbles, so please get sign up to any music clubs that interest you as, from personal experience, they are very fun and rewarding!! However, music is so important to everybody in the school, not just those who are regularly involved in music clubs. The music department is working to make music made by students as widely available to enjoy as possible, for example by recording concerts to be viewed by staff and students online afterwards. My aim is for everyone to receive as much enjoyment from music this year as possible, whether it is through making music yourself in formal or informal settings, or through listening to others play.

Lucy (Environment Rep):

I have many aims for this year but one of the most important ones being leading the eco – committee in pursuit of our silver eco-schools award. At the end of last year, in spite of the virus and online learning, we managed to obtain our bronze award! In order to achieve this silver award, we now need to widen our environmental aims to the school community as well as this embedding environmental sustainability into the school curriculum. I also wish to raise more awareness around our schools’ environmental impact and get every single girl from Wimbledon High making changes to their everyday routine in order to make a difference.

All things environment is discussed and decided by the eco- committee which contains girls from all different years bringing their ideas together. The eco- committee contains 5 different teams; Biodiversity, Communications, Energy and Utilities, Healthy Living, Litter and Waste. Each of these teams has their own individual aims of what they want to improve in their own area. And these aims will often be updated on firefly. I am so excited for the coming year and making as much of a difference as I can in my role!

Annabel (Co-curricular Rep):

This year as Co-Curricular Rep I strive to emphasise the critical role that clubs play in school life. After the absence of any real presence of the co-curricular programme throughout our time during lockdown, I know that many keenly felt the impact of a lack of extensive socialisation that comes along with school life. This is something that clubs offer by virtue of their existence and our wide range of opportunities to get involved in at WHS prove there really is something for everyone regardless of your interests. I’m looking forward to making sure everyone feels their out of classroom time is spent enriching their passions and getting time to interact with other students, something that was certainly lacking during our time out of school. I encourage everyone to get as stuck in as possible with what we have to offer and the variety of virtual and in person clubs on offer means we are all spoilt for choice. I hope that this year will be one of the most diverse years for the co-curricular programme not only in location of our clubs but also in the opportunities they provide.

Eleni (Head of Senior Peer Counselling):

Above: Peer counselling training session with the Digi Sisters, 2019

After an isolating few months, the Senior Peer Counselling team will be putting a huge focus on communication this year. Having teamed up with the subject leaders, we want to encourage girls to ask difficult questions, discuss, debate and reach out. We hope to achieve this by encouraging girls to form stronger connections with their separate PC and SL teams so that, as a school, we can “own our space.”

 

 

Robin (Head of Junior Peer Counselling):

This year in the Junior school we will really be working on the presence of the Peer counsellors, with sessions focusing on topics relating to each year group to help them with any skills or queries about going through the Junior school such as; friendships, homework, and for Year 6 moving onto the secondary school. It’s such a great opportunity for the younger girls to gain a stronger connection with girls from the Senior school and means that the Juniors always have an older student that they can talk to should they have any problems.

Eloise (Academic Rep):

This year I am really excited for our newly introduced Peer Support Programme which combines both academic and pastoral support: instead of just a Peer Counsellor being responsible for a form, there will now be a Subject Leader too. I know all of the Peer Counsellors and Subject Leaders this year are briming with enthusiasm and will be willing to go above and beyond to support their forms so I can’t wait to watch this new program develop. I am also thrilled to be jointly responsible for WimLearn this year and have been so impressed by the calibre of articles I have already received. It would be great to see girls follow their passions and research topics that extend beyond the confines of the curriculum and I think WimLearn is a great vehicle through which they can do this.