Airlie in the Autumn

17 October 2025 - Airlie

The first half of term has started with the usual busyness of learning and activities. We have certainly transitioned from Summer to Autumn over the last seven weeks! The trees are looking as beautiful as ever, and I am particularly fond of the autumnal colours at this time of year. The new Airlie girls have been settling in well and are already feeling like part of the family. LIV are enjoying the new freedoms of being in a Senior House and are also learning about the responsibilities that come with it. The LVI are equally enjoying the ‘Mons’ area, and we often find them enjoying a movie night with their Campbell neighbours.

We started the Term by welcoming our youngest ever Airlie girl, Ismene. Dr Tsaknaki gave birth to beautiful Ismene just a few days before we were planning her baby shower! Everyone in House is looking forward to meeting her in person and celebrating the newest addition. Dr Tsaknaki has already got aspirations for her to be a Wycombe Abbey student in the future – We think she will fit in perfectly!

I am delighted to introduce Chloe and Izzy as Head of House and Deputy. Here is what they had to say about their new roles:

Chloe:
Hey everyone! I’m Chloe, and I am so excited about being Head of Airlie House this year. My love for Airlie is like that of a family, where every member of the House feels like a sister. For that reason, I am so happy to be able to help create the same sense of community for my peers that I felt growing up in Airlie. I believe the key to this is making sure everyone feels welcome, especially the youngest girls of the house. Having been in AirIie since LIV, I acknowledge the importance of older pupils’ friendship and aim to promote the dynamic that House family trees offer through all the activities we have organised. I will miss boarding in Airlie so much after this year, so we are going to make this the best year for the best House!

Isabella:
Hi everyone! I’m Izzy, and I’m excited to be Airlie’s Deputy Head of House this year. It’s been a pleasure to work with Chloe to help build our House community, and I’m looking forwards for all the fun activities to follow. Our iconic Greek Salad Tuesday and Toastie Thursday have continued to thrive, alongside our newest addition: Foosball Friday, thanks to our brand new table! I cannot believe it’s already my final year in Airlie; I’ve loved every second of my time here and I will never forget the countless memories I’ve made. I hope that I can help keep the Airlie spirit stronger than ever this year! #AirlieOnTop

LIV have been working on this years ‘Guy’ for Bonfire Night. We all think it could be an excellent contender for first prize – though we will have to let Mrs Duncan be the judge of that! Leading our charity stall is Elaine, who has come up with some fresh ideas to go accompany our bottle tombola. Bonfire night is one of my favourite events in the Wycombe Abbey calendar, and I am sure this year will be no exception.

UIV are also working hard in the evenings to rehearse their dance for the House Dance competition in November. Iselda has been taking the lead in choreography and has managed to coordinate this brilliantly. We cannot wait to see the final performance – photos to follow in our next newsletter!

LV had an amazing time during their D of E excursion. They were waved off confidently by the LVI girls, who know only too well what was laying ahead! One of the Airlie teams did lose their way a little. However, the reports from staff were that they were cheery all the way. We welcomed them back to House with hot chocolate, hot showers and a movie night. We all felt so proud – not just of their perseverance but their ability to have a great sense of humour throughout and to stick together as a team.

During the evenings, we have plenty of activities running in House. Miss Calder has taken on the mantle of running Greek Salad Night while Dr Tsaknaki is on maternity leave. We think she is doing an amazing job of this, and the girls continue to assemble in the kitchen as soon as they smell the oregano and olive oil wafting through the corridors. Speaking of lovely smells, the new tradition of Waffle Wednesday has been a great hit! Miss Caldwell makes the most delicious waffles and Airlie girls love eating these topped with bananas and perhaps the occasional dollop of chocolate spread.

Another new tradition has been the foosball tournament. Izzy leads this on a Friday night and even the House staff and tutors are working their way through the group stages into the semi-finals. There will be medals to win at the end of the term, and it has certainly been one of the best new additions to the House this year.

The weekends have also bee filled with fun and relaxing activities such as dog walks in the meadow, crafting and baking. We are so excited about the next half term and all the fantastic events that are planned!