Latest News

Do let Ali Baldwin have any news contributions 
(with pictures if possible)
for inclusion in this part of our website.
email them to

ali@mosafriends.co.uk

North West Branch

Michael and Rosemary Crook arranged a very nice lunch on Friday 21st October 2011 for MOSA and BOSA
- a very good turn out of over 60 people at
The Heaves Hotel Kendal.

Michael and Rosemary are retiring as joint branch secretaries.
Hester Willink has offered to help and would appreciate support
-any volunteers please?

Kate Bellingham,(1974-81)

Congratulations to Kate Bellingham,(1974-81)former BBC Tomorrow World presenter for her contribution to Science communication at the Woman of Outstanding Achievement Awards. she was presented with the accolade at The Academy of Engineering for Science and Technology to Science. Kate has an MSc in Electronics and is qualified Maths teacher and President of  Young Engineers and recently completed two years as the Nation STEM careers Co-coordinator.

Phyllis Brook

Phyllis Brook died in May. Phyllis was Art teacher at The Mount for many years.she was in her 96th year. She was quite an institution I remember being her Head of Studio in the time when we all did offices before school! Washing paint pots and sharpening pencils. Her funeral was held at Goathland, where she had lived for many years. Several members of the York Branch attended

 

April 2011 The School has recently announced that it is to become Girls only - 4 -18 years. Tregelles will be fully incorporated and the whole school become known as The Mount. Click here for the York Press Article

Diana (Muir)Greener

Congratulations to Diana (Muir)Greener who celebrated her 100th birthday in the summer of 2010.Her sister,Margaret(Muir)Greener is 97 years old both fit and well and live in Moreton-in-the-Marsh,Gloucestershire

  Diana's  school dates 1924-1928
Margaret school dates1927-1931

a photograph will be printed in our new OS magazine later in the year and here on our website when it is available.

I thought you might like to see a photograph taken at my mother’s 100th birthday celebration on 26 October this year (2010)
My mother is Catherine Dickie (Tulloch) and I believe her school dates are somewhere around 1925-28.   I was also at the Mount – Lena Gaw (Dickie) 1950-57.   
This photograph shows my mother reading the book  “Among Friends – the story of The Mount School, York” which she was delighted to receive from Julie Lodrick, staff and girls for her birthday.   I am looking on.

Lena Gaw

The Lydia Rous and Lucy Harrison Trust Award for 2010 has been given to Rebecca Springett (3 years) and to Anna Webster (1 year)

    The Scarnell Memorial Prize ( Service to the school) has been awarded to Felicity Knowles, Carmen Harland, Ella Safri and Christa Sze-To

    The Helen Doncaster Hoyland award (for Languages)to Carmen Harland

Here follows some older News
which you may find interesting

 

Barbara M Wilson 1927-2010 We are sad to report that Barbara died on 14th August at York District Hospital after a short illness. She was at various times Librarian, Head of History and Senior Mistress and much loved by pupils and and colleagues. Barbara had great breadth of knowledge and was an inspiring teacher. After retirement she developed her scholarly interest and co -wrote a series of books about York's historic buildings. She was embarking on a new venture shortly before she died.  She will be greatly missed by all who knew her. Donations in her memory can be made to the Lydia Rous and Lucy Harrison Trust

Attention all golfing Old Scholars

You have the opportunity to represent the Mount in the annual golf event for ex-pupils if independent girls’ schools. This has been held almost every year, since the early nineteen sixties. The competition is for the “Silver Tassie”.

Many schools compete in this popular and enjoyable day, each having a team of four players.

Please contact Jean (O’Dell) Morkill on jean.morkill@btinternet.com

Further Education Grants

Some years ago a fund was set up to support Old Scholars who are looking for a change of career to retrain. One-off grants are made, typically for about £500. Scholars are asked to get in touch with by writing to 
MOSA fao Alison Baldwin at The Mount

ii

A new Head for The Mount!

MOSA is delighted to welcome a new Head to the School in 2009, on the retirement of Diana Gant. The School Committee has announced the appointment of Julie Lodrick. Julie has a wide experience in education and educational management and is currently Deputy Head at Farlington School, West Sussex.  She is an active member of the Boarding Schools’ Association where she is a tutor and lecturer.  Prior to her appointment at Farlington, Julie held the post of Housemistress at Queenswood School, Hertfordshire where she was fortunate to have as her head Clarissa Farr, The High Mistress St Paul’s Girls’ School.  Originally Julie qualified as a Music teacher and was Head of Music at St Margaret’s Senior School, West Sussex for five years.

Julie has an honours degree in Music and Related Arts from Chichester University and completed her PGCE at Kingston University, Surrey.  She holds a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership and Management from the Open University and gained her Certificate of Professional Practice in Boarding Management from the University of Roehampton.  Julie recently completed her National Professional Qualification for HeadshipJulie is married to Andrew Witherspoon who is a Housemaster at Stewart’s Melville College in Edinburgh and who will be joining Julie in York next year.  A keen runner, Julie competed in the London Marathon this year raising over £3,000 for JET, the Joint Educational Trust, which helps children who have suffered a tragedy or trauma to continue their education in state and independent boarding schools. 

Further Education Grant

November 2007 - Fay Konrad writes......

It’s never too late to realise your dreams!  Finding a career path that suits you doesn’t always happen when you leave school.

It has taken me until I’m nearly thirty to realise my dream career, Physiotherapy.

After a fulfilling 7 years at The Mount, my A-level choices (History, English Language and French) led me to take a degree in International Relations and French.  Then after working for many years in retail and sales, I gained qualifications in my favourite past-time, sailing. Completing the RYA Yachtmaster and Cruising Instructor certificates (gaining qualifications in engine maintenance, sea-survival, VHF radio licence to name a few aspects), an area of sailing rarely pursued by women!  As a successful Instructor I taught children and adults of all ages and some with disabilities, a truly rewarding job, but it is a job for young people and not a financially stable one! As an Sailing Instructor, my employment led me to see the world and meet people from all walks of life and question what it really was that I really wanted to be….. a Physiotherapist.

My lack of science-based qualifications led me to complete an intensive Access to Medicine course, one year and a UCAS form later I found myself with 6 offers to study for a degree in Physiotherapy.  I took up a place at King’s College London and I am loving every minute of it!

As a mature student, an education grant from MOSA has made this dream a reality.  If you have ever thought about studying for a career change, I can whole heartedly recommend it!

(If you want to contact Fay, she is very willing for you to approach her for support and advice. E-mail ali@mosafriends.co.uk, and it will be forwarded to Kay.)

Further Education Grant

November 2007 - Helen Jardine writes......

I have been studying in Townsville, Australia for a year now, and what an interesting time it has been.  Having worked in social housing for several years, I was hankering to return to science (although the thought of writing essays and reports, and sitting exams had me quivering in my boots).  The opportunity arose after a stint as a conservation volunteer in Townsville.  Having fallen in love with Northern Queensland twelve years ago when, as a sixth former, I was involved in a science research project in the Daintree rainforest, I was delighted to be offered a place at James Cook University on the Master of Applied Science course, majoring in Zoology and Tropical Ecology.

Moving so far away was quite daunting, however Australian culture is so similar to that of the UK that I really needn’t have worried about settling in, the main differences being the temperature and the size of the spiders!  The university has a flourishing international community with 1,100 overseas students, and with two intakes a year there is a regular flow of new faces.  As such, there are frequent culture fests and international food events that provide the opportunity to show off culinary delights from home.  So far the English contingent has managed to stun the rest of the world with a vast array of trifles, which whilst going down a storm (especially with our German friends), has led many to believe that this is all we eat!

Townsville is located in a beautiful part of Australia and is ideal for studying terrestrial tropical ecosystems owing to the broad range of habitats within its vicinity, including tropical rain forest, wet and dry sclerophyll forest, mangrove swamps, grasslands, and desert.   This part of the Queensland coast is largely sheltered from the roughest of seas by the Great Barrier Reef and Magnetic Island, both of which provide invaluable study grounds for Marine Biologists. 

 The course has enabled us to get to grips with the local wildlife, not least leaches, fire ants and jumping spiders!  Some of the larger projects have involved investigating the links between urban sprawl and declining indigenous bird populations, the roll of Chytrid fungus in amphibian declines, and more general effects of climate change on ecosystems.  There have also been plenty of opportunities to volunteer to help with other projects, which have enabled me to explore a bit further afield.

This is a useful course if like me you’ve taken time out of science and are keen to return and forge a career in the field.  The wide variety of coursework units available to postgraduate students offer practical training in the use of geographical information systems, environmental impact assessment and monitoring methods, whilst the field studies lead neatly into research.  This has been a fantastic experience – being able to return to science and continue my studies after so long away has been dream come true and I look forward to using this as a springboard into research.

I would like to take this chance to thank MOSA for their most generous support which has helped make it possible for me to grab this extraordinary opportunity. 

 Helen Jardine (left 1996)

Rowntree connections

The Folk Hall New Earswick

Many of us remember with pleasure the Strawberry Dances organised at Rowntrees for girls in College at the end of the summer term.    Many also will remember visits to Rowntrees factory in Civics Week – especially welcome in days of sweets rationing were the mis-shapes we took home.    Some of us, on dispersed Sundays, may even have visited New Earswick Quaker Meeting which was then held in the Folk Hall Joseph Rowntree built 100 years ago.   

This year we have been celebrating the Folk Hall’s centenary with a concert and exhibitions.    Joseph Rowntree started to build his garden village in 1902 and only a few years afterwards built the Folk Hall.   His idea that his residents – mostly, though not entirely, workers in his factory – should have some community facilities and have a say in the governance of their village, were thought to be revolutionary at that time though now we take this as entirely normal.   This year the Joseph Rowntree Foundation is finalising the detailed planning of a new village on the other side of York with building due to start in 2008.    It will incorporate as many new environmentally and eco-friendly ideas as possible.   Hopefully these, too, will be regarded as entirely normal in the future.

This year also has seen the continuing development of The Rowntree Society which will prevent the achievements of Joseph Rowntree and his family from being forgotten.    A pamphlet has been produced detailing a walk that can be followed around York which takes in many of the places which have Rowntree memories – including the schools.    The Society intends to develop its website (www.rowntreewalks.org) as an interactive educational resource as well as giving information about the walk.   The pamphlet will be available at the Reunion and the walk would be a delightful way to spend any available spare time.  

Susan V Hartshorne

MOSA chairman, Susan Hartshorne, talking to Tony Blair at the Folk Hall.

Both of the pictures in this article are from the Annual Review of the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust taken by Kippa Matthews. . We acknowledge their copyright and thank them for permission to reproduce them here.
Susan is chair of the Housing Operations Committee of the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust.

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Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell

Many, many congratulations to our President on becoming
Dame Jocelyn in the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours List for service to science.

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