Mandarin Lessons live from Beijing

There was great excitement this week as a selection of our Senior House girls embraced technology to commence their lessons in Mandarin. Using Skype the girls linked directly to Beijing and their Chinese teacher May. This first lesson covered greetings and additionally gave a flavour of life in China and Beijing, with videos and pictures of the country as well as a real-time view of the city outside May’s office. The Chinese Han characters were also covered and more specifically the point of them, they are the oldest continuously used system of writing in the world and are among the most widely adopted writing systems in the world.

Freya, Year 8, joins UK Gymnastics team

Our Year 8 pupil, Freya, has qualified to represent UK Gymnastics in the International Association of Independent Gymnastics Clubs World Championships. Having gained top scores she has qualified to compete on Bars, Floor, Vault and Beam. She is joined by former St Mary’s pupil Abbie.

The competition will take place in Orlando, Florida at the end of June.

Freya, congratulations on being chosen to represent the UK in the World Championships in Florida!

Thank you!!

At what age did you start gymnastics?

I started when I was four, living in Holland. We moved to the UK when I was seven and I joined Chiltern Gymnastics Club in Beaconsfield then.

What do you most like about gymnastics?

I love the atmosphere and I love competing. My coaches are so friendly and so encouraging.

What are you most looking forward to about competing in Florida?

I am looking forward to seeing how different it is competing in a different country, and seeing how the other nations perform.

Do you have an idea of which nation you think will be the best?

USA, definitely!

How often do you practice?

I practise around 4 hours a day, 3 days a week. I practise at St Mary’s after school on a Monday, then on to Chiltern Gymnastics Club. I do 3 to 4 hours on a Wednesday evening and then on a Saturday from 8.30am to 2pm.

Wow, how do you find the time to do anything else?

I love gymnastics but I don’t let it rule my life, I still always make time for my friends and of course my homework!

Do you have any advice for other girls who are hoping to get to your level?

Go for it, even when you think you may not be ready, your coaches won’t choose you to represent the team if they don’t believe you’re ready, so trust them and trust in your own ability. I have had to do that a lot and it’s what has got me this far!

Stunning Success at the Model United Nations

Many, many congratulations to our six Year 10 girls (Annicke, Lucy, Orlaith, Alicia, Chloe and Grace) who swept the boards at the Model United Nations conference on Friday. Annicke received the award for outstanding diplomacy and advocacy, Orlaith for best position paper and Lucy the overall Model United Nations award. Orlaith was lauded for her ability to handle questions from the floor with such aplomb that she left the opposition totally quashed!