St Mary'S Shaftesbury

The Middle School Production of Pony Club will take place on Friday 28th and Saturday 29th June 2019. The performance will start at 7pm in the Drama Studio. Please follow the link to book your place: bit.ly/middleschoolproduction

On Tuesday UIII and LIV Historians had the opportunity to work with some experienced archaeologists and members of Shaftesbury Abbey. Throughout the morning we learnt about the fascinating history of our local site of Shaftesbury Abbey followed by an exhilarating ‘indoor dig’. Following this training day, we are looking forward to visiting the Abbey in July to take part in our very own dig.

Parents, teachers and local visitors have been visiting the Art department to see this year's spectacular GCSE art work. There has been fantastic feedback on the talented work displayed which is testament to the hard work the girls put in. Our pupils have so much flair and creativity and we are extremely proud of them.
*Please note that we have had to postpone the A Level Art and Photography Private View due to a later than expected GCSE moderator visit, but will notify you of the rearranged date as soon as possible.*

Last Sunday saw our annual Parent-Daughter tennis tournament and yet another fantastic turn out. As ever, there was an incredible amount of talent on the courts from both the girls and their parents, with many travelling from afar to play on this special occasion. Click here to read more: bit.ly/parent-daughter-tennis

On June 7th pupils, staff and visitors undertook something remarkably ancient. Many thousands of years ago in Greece, at the Great Panathenaia festival (which took place around June 7th), the whole of Homer was read aloud. Last week, the challenge at St Mary’s was to do the same thing; choosing the great epic, The Iliad, to be read non-stop from start to finish. Click here to read more: http://bit.ly/homerathon7619

UV enjoyed a 'Gastronomic Get Together' on their last Saturday night in school before GCSEs finish. It was a lovely opportunity for them to celebrate their time together before some move on and others join. A great opportunity also to preview the new ‘St Thomas More’ Boarding House, as Newby Common Room was transformed into a grand dining room with as much of the new house colour – GOLD - as possible: gold table cloths, gold napkins, gold balloons, gold ribbons and gold candles! For those girls leaving us, they do so with much love and we wish them every blessing for the future. For those returning in September, we can’t wait to welcome you all back into St Thomas More. A golden future awaits you all!

Upper Sixth girls enjoyed a beautiful Leavers’ Mass, followed by a buffet supper in Mary Ward house. The evening was a celebration of staff, parents and girls joining together for the first of many gatherings to say farewell.

The May concert presented a beautiful evening of music, striking not only for its high quality but also its diversity. We enjoyed fun percussion ensembles and some stunning vocal solos. The UVI band stepped up and gave us a beautifully blended version of Vance Joy's 'Georgia'. Finally, the Chapel Choir, in particularly fine voice, took to the stage to sing us out with Rutter’s ‘The Lord bless you and keep you’, a touching and warm account of the spiritual ‘Goin’ up a-yonder’ and the evening closed with Fauré’s much-loved ‘Cantique de Jean Racine’.
Congratulations to all the performers: this was an outstanding concert.

Our Artist of the month is Ella in LV (Year 10). Working with natural form and inspired by Natalie Rymer (Artist), Ella has created a design and cut a stencil suitable for screen-printing.

Last Friday, a selection of LV (Year 10) students attended the 2019 Women and Careers in Medicine Conference at Redmaids' High School in Bristol. The annual event encourages girls during their GCSE studies to consider their ongoing education by exploring career options in fields such medicine and STEM – Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.

Saturday night was an opportunity for the girls to let their hair down, kick off their pre-exam nerves and dance the night away at St Mary’s first ever Party on the Lawn. The festival-style event opened with a performance from the impressive LVI band made up of Aggie, Mima, Ollie and Anastasia. Next on was the return of the much-loved Galaxy Thief, a fantastic band who rocked the night away, much to the delight of the girls who threw their hands in the air, linked arms and da...nced with friends on the lawn as the sun went down. As darkness fell, glitter painted faces beamed with smiles beneath the festoon and funky tree lighting. The girls enjoyed drinks and hot dogs before heading back onto the dance floor to enjoy the Wheelbarrow Disco. It was a fantastic opportunity for girls across year groups to come and party together. Click here to see all the photographs from the evening: bit.ly/partyonthelawn
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On Friday June 7th, we are going to do something remarkably Greek! We are bringing Homer’s Iliad to life for our school and our extended community, and we would like as many people as possible to join us.
Thousands of years ago, in Ancient Greece, at the Great Panathenaia festival, the whole of Homer was read aloud, starting on June 7th. The challenge has been set for St Mary's Shaftesbury to do the same this year, reading the whole of Homer’s first great epic, The Iliad, non...-stop until the last page, just like they would have done all those years ago.
The reading will start at 8:00am and finish some time before 3:00am (approx. 19 hours later). There are a total of 113 slots that need to be filled. Click here to sign up: bit.ly/homerathon-signup
A limited edition sweatshirt is being printed with the below image to commemorate the event. To make a donation and/or to purchase a sweatshirt, click here: bit.ly/GoFundMe-Homerathon
All profits will go to the Combat Stress #AtEaseAppeal.
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Don't forget that you can also keep up to date on St Mary’s news, featuring some lovely photos, on the school’s Instagram page.
www.instagram.com/stmarysshaftesbury/

We are delighted to be sponsoring Charlie Higson's ‘Young Churchill’ talk at the Chalke Valley History Festival on Saturday 29th June. Some of our historians will be attending and introducing the speaker alongside Mrs Young. Please click here to view the full programme and to purchase tickets: cvhf.org.uk

Last Saturday evening’s Confirmation service at Salisbury Cathedral, led by Bishop Nicholas, was a truly uplifting and spiritual experience. This year’s candidate, Agatha, had been prepared by our catechists, and a local priest. Agatha’s Confirmation concluded with a procession in which all candidates carried a lighted candle. Like the earlier Confirmation service at St Mary’s, this was a very symbolic event, completing a wonderful day which extolled solidness and meaningfulness.

Last week A Level pupils completed their A Level Fine Art & Photography Exams. They worked exceptionally hard on some amazing outcomes. Thank you to parents and staff for their support and encouragement. Here are a few of their amazing portfolio pieces for you to admire.