Airlie Spring Term Newsletter – Part 2
23 March 2023 - Airlie
Airlie House Glass Piece
In our School community, every member of staff is linked to a Boarding House. Mrs Phipps is a member of the Airlie community, Teacher of Art and Artist in Residence. This term, the Airlie pupils and Mrs Phipps set out to create a glass piece for our Boarding House. After some discussion and idea sharing, the image of a butterfly was selected for the piece. The symbolic meanings associated with butterflies are transformation, change, growth, grace, freedom, and lightness. The Airlie pupils reflected on the transformational change they also make during their time in their Senior Boarding House and felt it was a fitting symbol and image they wanted to focus on.
The finished glass piece was achieved by using a combination of fusing, painting, and engraving of the glass. It was fired twice, meaning it spent overnight in the kiln. The Airlie pupils and staff are very grateful to Mrs Phipps for the time and energy she spent creating a bespoke piece for Airlie that we will cherish for years to come.
Highlights of Spring Term from members of our community
Sasha SM, LV: I’m looking forward to going on the ski trip!
Miss Shabbir: The UIV Biology trip to the zoo, we got to see giraffes from a balcony platform which was really cool!
Linda, LV: The Cultures Fair was the definitely the highlight of the term for me! It was really fun showing our stall and learning about other cultures.
Serena, LVI: Dorm Feast! I missed it last term, and this term we make a charcuterie board and made the salami into flower shapes. We are together and watched hunger games which was fun!
Dr Tsaknaki: EDI Week! Especially learning more about the girls’ cultural background.
Isabelle, UIV: The Highlights Show was the highlight! It was fun watching the performance, and seeing how talented everyone is! The music selection was really good too!
Elaine, UIV: The Zoo trip! Although it was raining, it was a fun trip seeing the animals!
Sophia, LIV: Winning the U13 Lacrosse County Tournament!
Helen, UIV: World book day! It was fun to dress up as a character from my favourite book.
Alice, UV: Dorm Feast! I loved it because we made a meal together and had a wonderful chat as a dorm!
Ameera, LIV: The counties lacrosse tournament! It was really fun, and we won!
Mrs Styles: The House Outing to Bills restaurant was a lovely occasion for us to celebrate the end of the Spring Term together.
Cultures Fair
In the second half of the Spring Term, the School celebrated EDI Week (Equality, Diversity and Inclusion). Dr Tsaknaki and the Diversity Representatives hosted several events throughout the week; however, the Cultures Fair was the pinnacle of the week for many pupils and staff members!
The Cultures Fair was a great way for pupils and staff alike to learn about different customs and traditions from member of our school community. Big School was adorned with flags, with many pupils hosting stalls to share their customs, traditions, food, and languages. It was a wonderful opportunity for pupils to share their own cultural heritage with others and take pride in their traditions. The Cultures Fair created a platform for the school to celebrate diversity, promote cultural understanding, inclusivity, education, and appreciation.
Airlie House Outing
After much deliberating, the Airlie pupils had decided on their House Outing destination, Bills! To celebrate the end of the Spring Term, the Airlie pupils and staff members enjoyed a meal together as a community.
As soon as we arrived at the restaurant, we were greeted by a warm and inviting atmosphere that made us feel right at home. Pupils sat in their family tree clusters and enjoyed a great selection of delicious food, which everyone enjoyed. The favourite dish of the evening was without doubt the mouth-watering cinnamon doughnuts with chocolate sauce! The House Outing provided us with an opportunity to relax and enjoy each other’s company after a busy and exciting term. It gave pupils and staff members time to reminisce and reflect on the triumphs and achievements of the term over a delicious meal.
Our Head of House, Megan, led on thanking the Bills staff for a wonderful meal and lovely experience, and the Tutors and House staff for making it a memorable trip. A special thank you went to Dr Tsaknaki for organising the end-of-term celebration. As the evening came to a close, we left the restaurant feeling satisfied and content. We all agreed that it was a wonderful experience and a perfect way to end the term!
