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NEWSLETTER – 8 November 2024
Dear Parents and Guardians,
It feels like a long time since I last wrote, and I have much to share with you, starting with the Halloween celebrations which took place before half term. For the Junior School this took the form of a Halloween Disco and we thank the Friends of Windermere School for putting on yet another amazing event for the children. At the Senior School our Business BTEC students took the lead, organising a dress up day complete with spooky activities, my favourite of which was the apple bobbing…. although I have discovered it is perhaps not my greatest talent! Apple bobbing, for those who are perhaps less familiar with some of our quaint British traditions, consists of trying to catch an apple floating in a tub of water without using your hands. It’s cold, wet and fun, though mainly for those watching!
Half term itself has seen many exciting updates. The Sixth Form Study Centre has been fully re-designed and I thoroughly enjoyed watching the reactions of the students when it was unveiled to them on Monday morning. I know it will be a well-used and well-loved space for many Sixth Form cohorts to come. We are very grateful to everyone who contributed to the space including parent Ms Charlotte Poole, Mrs Murphy, Mr Jeffrey, Mrs Holmes and our ever-hardworking maintenance team. We are also excited to see the opening of a new social space for the Middle School (Years 10-11) this coming Monday, which will provide a pleasant seating area as well as table tennis and table football for use at lunchtimes. The Lower School (Years 7-9) will also see a few changes to their social space, located in Langdale Common Room.
One of our flagship Adventure events of the year, the sport climbing trip to Spain also took place over the holiday, which saw ten adventurous pupils from Years 8 to 13 set out for an exhilarating experience, accompanied by Mr Platt and Mrs Roberts. The group spent six full days scaling breath-taking routes and pushing their limits. Over the course of the week, the pupils completed somewhere around 40 impressive climbs, each one testing their endurance, resilience and teamwork.
Moving forward, pupils have shown huge enthusiasm for the upcoming Sports Tour to Holland in April, with 40 pupils currently signed up. Ms Ellery and PE team have made a number of key updates to our PE programme, with participation and excellence both flourishing. Last half term saw an impressive 27 fixtures, tournaments and competitions take place resulting in a sporting buzz around the school which I am thrilled to see.
I look forward to sharing many more of our adventures with you soon.
Wishing you a restful weekend,
Frank Thompson,
Head of Windermere School
LATEST NEWS
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
Monday 11 November – Remembrance
Wednesday 13 November – Year 12 Residential begins
Friday 15 November – Friends of Windermere School Film Night, Elleray Campus, 5pm – 6.30pm
Friday 15 November – Year 12 Residential ends
Saturday 16 November – Stannite Open Morning, Elleray Campus
Friday 22 November – Kendal Mountain Festival trip, Year 7
Tuesday 28 November – Single Site Parent Forum, 5:30pm & 7pm
Tuesday 28 November – Parents Evening for Years 7, 11 & 13, 4:30pm – 7pm
STANNITE NEWS
Stannite Spotlight: Bee’s Inspiring Story
I had always felt a pull in my heart that Norway was “home” and “my people”, since quite an early age. Out of curiosity I did some DNA & family history research and found out I did indeed have family originating from Norway in the 1850’s. Life works in mysterious ways to pull me back home! The IB at St Anne’s was therefore a brilliant choice for me because of its internationally transferable nature which enabled me to apply for a university in Northern Norway above the Arctic circle, for which I was accepted. I moved to Norway with one suitcase and a one-way ticket.
I studied a Bachelor of Biology for two and a half years at the Norwegian University and then was offered the opportunity to take more specialised Arctic courses even further north on a remote Arctic Archipelago called Svalbard, just 1000km south of the North Pole, at a place called UNIS – the University Centre in Svalbard. For the following year, I studied Arctic Marine Biology and also Arctic Terrestrial Ecology, which at the time was what I had always envisioned my future career was going to be centred around. As a child, whenever I was asked what I wanted to be, I always pictured myself in an extreme environment with minus temperatures and snow, doing research for something meaningful in nature. I knew an office job wasn’t going to challenge me in the way a good arctic storm would. Mr Lavender was Headmaster at the time I was enrolled at St Anne’s and he had always driven pupils to say yes to challenges and do anything and everything which was outside of your comfort zone. Safe to say I followed his words of wisdom and couldn’t be happier with where it led me in life!
On one particularly cold day in March, I found myself standing at the bow of the Helmer Hansen (a Norwegian Research Vessel) at 80°N, surrounded by nothing but sea ice as far as the eye could see and wonderful silence. I was doing research on Calanus Glacialis and Calanus Finmarchicus lipid levels during the Arctic spring bloom and in that wonderful silence of the sea ice, I had a quiet change of life-direction in my mind. There was no question that I loved the extreme environment that I was in, but I was no longer in love with the idea of being an Arctic Marine Biologist as a career.
I stayed in Svalbard and had a total career change from Biology to Firearms dealer in an Expedition/sports shop. My new hobby of Longrange shooting with targets at 1km-3km is a surprisingly great way to relax both mind and body and put mathematics and physics to use. Perhaps I should have paid more attention in those classes instead of Biology! Who knew!
Currently in Svalbard, the Dark Season, or “Long Night” has just started; as of October 25th, the sun dipped below the horizon and will not come up again until mid-February next year. The Polar Night is a great time for reflection. If St Anne’s and the IB hadn’t led me to going to University in Norway and that hadn’t led me to Svalbard, I would never have met my soon-to-be Husband, Henrik. We just bought a farm together in Tinn, Norway and will move there within the next few years.
I would encourage any student to not feel pressure to stick with a career path just because they’ve said that’s what they wanted to become to their parents or teachers when young, if it is no longer the right thing for them when they’re older. Sometimes it takes trying something to find out what is and isn’t right for you. Life works in mysterious ways and as Mr Lavender said “Say yes to opportunities – try it – learn from it”. Who knows what else the future will hold, but I’ll always be sure to say yes and step out of my comfort zone when opportunities present themselves, as that advice has continuously led me to the best decisions and experiences of my life.
Elleray Campus Open Morning: A Heart-warming Reunion of Memories and Milestones
On a beautiful morning in October, Elleray welcomed back a wonderful group of Stannites, spanning several generations, for an open morning filled with laughter, nostalgia, and camaraderie. Alumni from ages 18 to 85 attended, sharing stories that highlighted the school’s long-standing traditions, as well as the ways in which Windermere School has evolved over the years.
Stannites toured the campus, recalling adventures, friendships and favourite memories from their days at Elleray. It was a remarkable reminder of the lasting impact our school has had on so many lives, and a testament to the enduring connections that bring our alumni back to Windermere.
The next open morning at Elleray is scheduled for 16 November, and we are delighted to share that registration is already at full capacity! For those who were unable to attend this time, there will be future opportunities to reconnect with the Elleray campus and fellow Stannites. If you are interested in being a part of any runions or know someone who might be, please do reach out to us.
Thank you to all the Stannites who joined us. Your passion and connection to Windermere School enrich our community, and we look forward to seeing you at many more events to come.