Solar Panel Installation Pg 6
The Grandad Tree & The Wedding Pg 7
Dick Whittington Review Pg 8
An Unforgettable Performance
- Sparrow Schools’ Visit Pg 10-11
Two Great Nations One Glorious
Future Pg 23
Madrid 2015 Pg 25
Little Shop of Horrors Pg 9
Carols by Candlelight Pg12-13
Design & Technology
Pg18-19
WGGS Triumphs in Westminster
Debating Competition Pg 5
Food & Nutrition Pg 14-17
What is...The Magna Carta? Pg 26
Poets Laureate Pg 27
Diamond Awards Pg 28
PE Pg 20-23
Rwanda Pg 24
4
Contents
Spring
2016
student reports & aRTICLES
STAFF & STUDENT REPORTS
news
STAFF REPORT
5
O
n Thursday 10th December the English and History
& Politics Departments entered six of our best and
brightest students into the annual Watford debating
competition, hosted by Richard Harrington MP in the
committee rooms in Parliament. The format was that each
side got two minutes to set out their case, then one minute
to rebut the points made by the other. Several weeks of
meticulous preparation at lunchtimes and after school paid
off through a series of spectacular performances from
every member of the team, resulting in triumphant victories
over the formidable outfits entered by Parmiter’s, Bushey
School and Queens’. It was a real pleasure to watch the
girls in action, especially how they responded so quickly to
challenge and destroy the opposition’s arguments.
Every member of the team was marvellous, each contributing
their own specific skill set into what was a real team effort.
In addition to being fantastic debaters, Evie Brown and
Bethany Hermaszewska quickly developed a reputation as
the ‘questioners’ amongst the judges due to their unbounded
enthusiasm in challenging the opponent’s main arguments.
Whenever they scented blood they went in for the kill!
Kitty D’Almaine and Hannah Hosking were superb in an
extremely tight contest against the reigning champions,
Bushey. They had to argue in favour of using torture to
secure information from terror suspects, a proposition
abhorrent to the majority of society. Despite this, they rose
to the challenge magnificently and should be extremely
proud of their efforts. The final performance of Tife Adegun
and Eleanor Phillips, arguing that religion does more harm
than good, was a real pleasure to watch. Eleanor’s opening
statement was a thing of beauty - expressive, forceful,
factual and persuasive to its very core. It was, quite simply,
one of the most compelling arguments I have ever witnessed.
Tife was best described as a force of nature. Her rebuttal
and challenges to the other team were outstanding, the
highlight being when she drew a round of applause from
the whole audience for shutting down a key part of Queens’
school’s argument by stating ‘I am a Christian so therefore
your point is invalid!’.
It was a real pleasure for myself, Mrs Lewis and Mrs
Meerabux to take the girls to the debate and watch them
win a well-deserved trophy. As a prize, the girls attended
tea with the speaker of the house, John Bercow and got a
tour around the rest of Parliament. Now that we have got
that winning feeling, we are looking to regain the trophy
next time around. If you think you have got what it takes,
watch out for announcements in the near future about how
you can get involved. Congratulations to the six amazing
students on their achievement!
Mr A Thompson Head of History & Politics
WGGS Triumphs in Westminster Debating Competition
Round One
- ‘Communism is no longer relevant to today’s world’ v Parmiter’s
Evie Brown 13D and Bethany Hermaszewska 13G
Round Two
- ‘'It is acceptable to use torture to secure information from terror
suspects' v Bushey (reigning champions)
Kitty D’Almaine 13G and Hannah Hosking 13C
Final Round
- ‘Religion does more harm than good’ v Queens’ (winners in three
out of the past five years)
Tife Adegun 13B and Eleanor Phillips 12D
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