Welcome from the Head
Dear Parents
Welcome to this week’s newsletter.
Despite the less than summery weather, the summer term activity programme is in full swing and it was a joy to hold our Sports Day yesterday morning. After a number of post-Covid years of splitting Sport Day into year groups, yesterday the whole Senior School gathered for a morning of fantastic athletic endeavours and competition. Well done to all competitors and to Desenfans who were the overall House winner.
It’s been a busy fortnight of collaboration with Dulwich College, with our social events for Years 8 and 9, brilliantly overseen by the JPA Committee, and our Year 7 Collaboration Day here at JAGS today. Students from both schools were engaged in a brilliant afternoon of sport and competition. Students have also travelled further afield, with the Geography, Japanese, Art, Drama and Biology departments leading students from across the year groups to destinations ranging from Brick Lane to Barcelona, Stratford to St Ives. We are very grateful to all staff for leading these trips that so enrich the education of our students. Memories abounded at the 20 and 30 Year Alumnae Reunion last week, and it was a pleasure to welcome our alumnae back to enjoy an evening here at JAGS. With years of life at JAGS ahead of them, we welcomed Year 5 to a Taster Session earlier this week; our thanks to the Science and Japanese departments for providing such exciting sessions for our new recruits.
We know that the weeks in the second half of the summer term fly past, and plans for Founder’s Day are progressing rapidly. I hope the information sent to you last week was helpful, and we are so looking forward to welcoming you all on Saturday 29 June.
With best wishes,
Mrs Alex Hutchinson
Head
Dates for your Diary
- Monday 17 June – Year 9 Geography trip to East London
- Tuesday 18 June – Year 10 Sixth Form Taster Day
- Tuesday 18 June to Thursday 20 June – The Little Mermaid Jnr (Prissian Theatre)
- Thursday 20 June – Sports trip to Advance Performance Lab
- Friday 28 June – Founder’s Day Half Day
- Saturday 29 June – Founder’s Day
- Tuesday 2 July – Founder’s Concert (VWA)
- Thursday 4 July – Term ends
Reporting Absences
A reminder to all parents to use this form to report absence in the Senior School due to illness or to request absence for appointments. This form can also be found on our Contact page.
Please complete this form by 8:30am on the morning that your daughter is absent.
Additionally, when informing a teacher of any health issues your daughter may be facing, please remember to cc or School Nurse team on Nurse@jags.org.uk.
Sixth Form Update
As our Year 13s continue to impress through the maturity, organisation and composure displayed when approaching their A Level exams, our Year 12 students have stepped up as leaders of the school community.
The House Captains – in particular Manon V on our playing fields and Rebekah C at the Pre-Prep – expertly organised a wonderful set of events for the Big House Bash just before Half Term. The whole school from ages four to 18, and way beyond in the case of the staff, had a super afternoon full of fun.
Well done to Year 12! (and the teachers that supported them).
Mat Weeks, Head of Sixth Form
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JAGS Talks
Our JAGS Talks series – informal lectures delivered to friends and staff by Year 12 students – continue to prove as popular as ever this Half Term.
The topics have been thought-provoking and wide-ranging, so far covering how geo-engineering can help us meet Net Zero targets, the importance of ‘restoring’ medieval women to History and Estonia’s e-democracy.
The experience of researching the topic and delivering the topic will be invaluable as Year 12s embark on the UCAS application process in earnest next week. By the end of the week they will all have completed a first draft of their personal statement, packed full of super co-curricular experiences.
We are looking forward to supporting them as they apply for the next stage of their journey.
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Sports Day
At the time of writing, Year 12s have signed up to volunteer and compete in the first whole Senior School sports day since Covid.
We are all looking forward to the fun and healthy competition, and above all, community spirit!
Our JAGS Talks series – informal lectures delivered to friends and staff by Year 12 students – continue to prove as popular as ever this Half Term.
The topics have been thought-provoking and wide-ranging, so far covering how geo-engineering can help us meet Net Zero targets, the importance of ‘restoring’ medieval women to History and Estonia’s e-democracy.
The experience of researching the topic and delivering the topic will be invaluable as Year 12s embark on the UCAS application process in earnest next week. By the end of the week they will all have completed a first draft of their personal statement, packed full of super co-curricular experiences.
We are looking forward to supporting them as they apply for the next stage of their journey.
At the time of writing, Year 12s have signed up to volunteer and compete in the first whole Senior School sports day since Covid.
We are all looking forward to the fun and healthy competition, and above all, community spirit!
Good Schools Guide
Following a visit earlier this year, we were delighted to receive our latest review from The Good Schools Guide.
“Forward-thinking and outward-looking, with boundless opportunities for clever girls who have the grit and determination to succeed. The gold standard of schools.”
Read the review in full HERE.
Tatler Awards
Elsewhere, voting has now opened for the 2024 Tatler School Awards.
To vote for JAGS in the Best Public School category, please follow the LINK.
Russian
Year 9 Russian students had fun putting their lexis and grammar knowledge to the test earlier this term.
The class split into two groups to write and film humorous short videos on topics such as the weather and fun hobbies outside of school.
Sport
Sports Day
For the first time since Covid, the entire Senior School came together for an incredible day of competition and camaraderie as Sports Day returned.
It was an incredible day of sport, with long-standing school records smashed and plenty of photo finishes. Not only did our athletes do themselves (and their houses) proud but the incredible support from spectators ensured there was never a dull moment.
The winning House was Desenfans but full details of all the winners and JAGS record breakers will be in the End of Term newsletter. Watch this space.
Careers
Daisy Dunn book launch
Before the Half Term break, two JAGS classicists, attended the book launch of The Missing Thread: A New history of the Ancient World through the Women Who Shaped It by Daisy Dunn.
Alayna (Y12) explains how the event unfolded: “It was a sunny afternoon on the roof terrace of Carmelite House overlooking the Thames as we met several inspirational classicists whose books we have read and lectures we have watched, including Tom Holland from the acclaimed The Rest Is History podcast.
“Daisy herself is a huge inspiration to me and many other budding classicists as “the next Mary Beard” (The Observer), whose works include Of Gods and Men, Catullus’ Bedspread and Not Far from Brideshead. The highlight of the night for me was Daisy’s witty speech which opened my eyes to some examples of underrated women in the ancient world such as the warrior queen Artemisia, the powerful Fulvia and of course the enigmatic poet Sappho.”
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Continued . . .
“This was such a brilliant opportunity for networking among the best classicists and historians in the industry. It also proved a forum for thought-provoking and important discussions both during and after the event, on topics such as; the importance of the female perspective when studying classics and the remodelling of the old through fresh eyes. One of most striking observations that Daisy made was that the male writer, although extensively writing about kings and emperors for centuries, have been more comfortable writing about mythical heroines rather than real ones.
“This event, Daisy’s speech, and this book seem to me to encapsulate the future of Classics with the female voice and perspective at the forefront, an idea that I am interested in analysing in my own studies and so I am incredibly grateful to have been able to go to this event!”
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JAGS Careers Committee Engineering Talk
Careers Committee member Rebecca (Y12) kindly volunteered to host a lunchtime session for younger students who are interested in engineering. Rebecca’s enthusiasm for the subject was clear as she outlined some of the different fields of engineering, what each involves, possible career options and which school subjects might be beneficial. The attendees, including students in Years 7 to 10, left with lots of ideas and advice about resources such as Unifrog which will help them develop their interests further. Thank you, Rebecca!
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Entrepreneurship Event
Amanda Duncan, Entrepreneur, Director and Founder of Scribeasy, led a workshop for JAGS students in Year 10.
Students heard of her journey from graduating at the Royal College of Arts to a career in visual effects, public art, product design, and education. From roles including advertising and post-production executive director, Amanda has embraced User Experience Design and incorporated her knowledge of digital Ed Tech and AI to create Scribeasy, an immersive creative writing platform that is empowering young storytellers to find their voice through technology and the arts.
Following a talk, Amanda led Year 10 students in a creative activity to help them consider different aspects of entrepreneurship, including the personality and skills required, identifying target markets, USP and more.
“It was very interesting discovering more about potential paths into Entrepreneurship and about how many different careers the future may hold.” Sophie (Y10)
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Curriculum Plus: Step into the Future
During the Curriculum Plus course this Summer Term, Year 9 students prepared for their employer encounter by researching roles and thinking about the skills, personality and qualifications required to be successful in the sector. They brainstormed questions to ask ahead of the interview.
Mrs Allan’s group were delighted to be joined (virtually) by JAGS Alumna, Emma Chalmers, Associate at J. P. Morgan in Investor Client Management. After a short introduction, students took it in turns to ask Emma questions about her career and how this has been influenced by her interests and personality. Students were curious to hear about how Emma’s degree in History held transferable skills which have helped her successfully navigate a career in Finance.
“This was such a brilliant opportunity for networking among the best classicists and historians in the industry. It also proved a forum for thought-provoking and important discussions both during and after the event, on topics such as; the importance of the female perspective when studying classics and the remodelling of the old through fresh eyes. One of most striking observations that Daisy made was that the male writer, although extensively writing about kings and emperors for centuries, have been more comfortable writing about mythical heroines rather than real ones.
“This event, Daisy’s speech, and this book seem to me to encapsulate the future of Classics with the female voice and perspective at the forefront, an idea that I am interested in analysing in my own studies and so I am incredibly grateful to have been able to go to this event!”
Careers Committee member Rebecca (Y12) kindly volunteered to host a lunchtime session for younger students who are interested in engineering. Rebecca’s enthusiasm for the subject was clear as she outlined some of the different fields of engineering, what each involves, possible career options and which school subjects might be beneficial. The attendees, including students in Years 7 to 10, left with lots of ideas and advice about resources such as Unifrog which will help them develop their interests further. Thank you, Rebecca!
Amanda Duncan, Entrepreneur, Director and Founder of Scribeasy, led a workshop for JAGS students in Year 10.
Students heard of her journey from graduating at the Royal College of Arts to a career in visual effects, public art, product design, and education. From roles including advertising and post-production executive director, Amanda has embraced User Experience Design and incorporated her knowledge of digital Ed Tech and AI to create Scribeasy, an immersive creative writing platform that is empowering young storytellers to find their voice through technology and the arts.
Following a talk, Amanda led Year 10 students in a creative activity to help them consider different aspects of entrepreneurship, including the personality and skills required, identifying target markets, USP and more.
“It was very interesting discovering more about potential paths into Entrepreneurship and about how many different careers the future may hold.” Sophie (Y10)
During the Curriculum Plus course this Summer Term, Year 9 students prepared for their employer encounter by researching roles and thinking about the skills, personality and qualifications required to be successful in the sector. They brainstormed questions to ask ahead of the interview.
Mrs Allan’s group were delighted to be joined (virtually) by JAGS Alumna, Emma Chalmers, Associate at J. P. Morgan in Investor Client Management. After a short introduction, students took it in turns to ask Emma questions about her career and how this has been influenced by her interests and personality. Students were curious to hear about how Emma’s degree in History held transferable skills which have helped her successfully navigate a career in Finance.
JAGS Alumnae
20 & 30 Year Class Reunion
Last Friday, Head Alex Hutchinson and the Alumnae Relations Team were delighted to welcome back 120 alumnae, former and current staff, including former Heads Marion Gibbs CBE and Brigid Gardner, for the 20 & 30 Year Class Reunion.
The occasion celebrated the Classes of 1993, 1994, 2003, 2004, and started with school tours for a trip down memory before enjoying drinks and nibbles in the Vaughan Williams Auditorium.
It was a truly joyous evening seeing alumnae reunite after so many years and hearing what our JAs have gone on to do since leaving JAGS.
We look forward to sharing alumnae event dates for 2024-25 in the coming weeks.
