Spring Term Highlights
23 March 2023 - Barry
In this short and busy Spring Term, there have been plenty of highlights. As always Barry pupils have been fully engaged in School life. They have been adding new layers to their profile, working collaboratively, building resilience, enjoying and taking every opportunity that has come their way.
The House came together to support the House Bake Sale which raised money to support the victims of the recent earthquake disaster in Turkey. Sophie encouraged the girls to bake over Long Leave and to bring back their creations. Flora made some amazing cookies which sold within minutes and Annika brought in some exciting tins of baked goodies.
On the sports field many girls were recently involved in lacrosse and netball nationals. Flo, Tess E, Evie C, Anna, Cosima , Addison, Anisiya, Issy, Clelia participated in Lax Nationals. Cosima, Flo, Tess, Evie, Flora and Anna received medals for their efforts.
Academically Barry girls are flourishing with many receiving academic accolades both inside and outside of the classroom. I hope you enjoy reading more about these accolades and the impact that it has made on them.
Beyond the classroom
Ms Hurribunce encourages us to add layers to our profile – many of us have entered internal and external competitions, applied for summer courses, work experience and community service. I perceive courses and competitions as a deliberate and resourceful learning process, where I can extend my knowledge outside of the typical school curriculum and dive deeper and more systematically into the fields I am passionate about. Moreover, it grants me the opportunity to hone my communication skills and befriend like-minded peers for mutual growth. Personally, I think that courses and competitions are crucial in contributing to personal development, by helping individuals acquire new skills, expand their knowledge, and gain recognition for their abilities. These experiences will be reminisced and looked back upon and I am extremely grateful for all the opportunities available to gain a deeper and more meaningful understanding of my passions and possible future career paths. I will be undertaking the Pioneer Research Programme and UPenn Medicine Summer Programme course.
Gloria
House Shout
Every year at the end of Spring Term, all Houses compete against each other in House shout – an exciting singing competition and the true test for House spirit. I vividly remember playing ‘Angel Eyes’ on the piano last year in a Chapel filled with energetic Barry pupils dressed in sparkling blue tinsels. Everyone belted their hearts out to the classic tune, and it was certainly a day to remember. I am extremely excited this year to lead House shout as the House conductor, rehearsing diligently every day to perfect Taylor swift’s ‘Love story’. It has been a truly Barry ‘Love Story’ for me. We were robbed!
Yau Yau
Battle of the Bands
Crisis Averted – is the Band that I play in. We reached the much-coveted Buckinghamshire Music Trust Battle of the Bands finals – where 10 bands competed for the opportunity to record an album. Preparing our songs for the competition took a lot of practise sessions, collaboration, patience and hard work. We were elated when we heard that we were in the top 3. We took to stage and played our final song – which we did not practice much due to our commitments. – overall we were placed 3rd and both our drummer and bassist were highly commended. We cannot wait to play at GlastonAbbey and we look forward to hearing the other 3 Barry House bands.
Tess
Cultural Day
On 9th of March, Arolape and I (Heads of African Society) and many other members of African society helped run a stall in the culture fair for Nigeria. There were many delicious snacks such as puff puff, a popular Nigerian dessert, and many displays of fashion such as Ankara dresses and headbands. I was very grateful to be able to take part in this beautiful display of culture!
Morade
I helped to showcase my Turkish roots with the help of two fellow pupils. The stall had involved multiple fact sheets as well as traditional food. The fact sheets included topics such as traditional clothing , food and architecture. We had played Turkish music and danced along whilst sharing interesting facts about Turkey and sharing a few famous foods which originated in Turkey. Kunefe was given as prizes for the top quizzers. I am looking forward to contributing towards the Barry House recipe book in the Summer Term.
Sophie
Fencing
On February 26, Daisy, Abila, and I attended the Southern Region Qualifiers for the 2023 British Youth Championships. It was Abila and Daisy’s first competition and we were all super nervous! Prepped with our champion packed lunches (thank you Ms H for organising) and equipment, we set off bright and early. Abila’s epee match was first and after several intense bouts, she achieved a remarkable ranking of 9, missing qualification for nationals by 1 spot! Then we had lunch and it was sabre matches in the afternoon. Daisy and I had a fantastic round of fights. Daisy took silver and I won Gold. It was a fun yet strenuous day and we look forward to future competitions together!
Leanna
MUN and Debating
Research, reasoning, and public speaking skills are just a few of the many benefits that accrue from MUN and Debating. Whilst within MUN, those involved must be well-versed in politics and current affairs, conferences place important issues as the forefront, including regional conflicts the rights of women, children, and human rights in general. The reinforced focus on peacekeeping provides those involves with the opportunity to learn more about the world through communication and collaboration, building skills of diplomacy, compromise and decision making all relevant to student life and beyond. Debating, whilst seemingly similar to MUN, with participants often not able to choose their standing, reminds us of the importance of persuasion which can spark to our emotional and rational prats of the brain. Allowing one to become less narrow-minded, it forces one to provide scope and structure to one’s work and hone one’s poise in public speaking. Involvements in either MUN or debate equips one with an essential confidence and cornerstone to essays, speeches, and an open-minded outlook on the world.
This term, Issy and I were both highly commended at Bath MUN, with over 300 other delegates, and I was able to break into regional finals of ESU Churchill competition. The Bath MUN was an incredible experience, but more recently in the Haileybury MUN, with Daisy, Scarlett, Kate, Wei and France all returned with high praise.
Abila and Issy
Growth Mindset
Keeping with my theme of Growth mindset – at the final House order – just before the House Shout Competition, I left the girls with these words, ‘I want you to embrace challenges, use feedback and learn from your failures and mistakes rather than dwell on them.
Enjoy your learning, be curious, read, be driven in everything that you do, enjoy learning new things. Accept the challenges and be driven to achieve your goals.
Focus on bettering yourself not just in the classroom but also outside of School – build your relationships and do not feel threatened by the intelligence and success of others. Admire , learn and find inspiration.’ As the girls spend time away from School this Easter, I hope that they are able to reflect and take these words to heart.
As ever I am incredibly grateful to our team of boarding staff, from Matrons to Visiting Tutors, our Resident Tutor and of course Miss Clarke. The support they offer to your daughters is superb and I am lucky to have them all. We look forward to a busy and studious Summer Term, with various trips and activities, and of course, our House Dinner on June 4 which is particularly a highlight for Barry and something which I look forward to.
I would like to take this opportunity of wishing you and your family a blessed and happy Easter.
