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Latest News
Do let Joy Saunders
have any news contributions email them to
East Anglian Branch The East Anglia Branch met for lunch and tea at Wimpole Hall during October. Our numbers were small but swelled by a very small member of the next generation, but we had great fun. Some of us explored the grounds with a member of the gardening staff, and were fascinated by the work of the team recreating the garden as it was in the 18th century. Others went round the house, or visited the animals in the Home Farm. Many thanks to all who came – and I hope that others may join us next time. Joy Saunders
Julie Lodrick writes in September:
A
message
Creative Writing Anthologies College 2 students, Ellen Howells, Lottie Tempest-Mountford and Hannah Lee have compiled an anthology of pupils’ creative writing to sell to raise funds for this year’s nominated school charities and contribute towards the cost of publishing ‘Tramlines’, The Mount’s student- led annual publication. These are on sale at reception, price £2.50.
Lydia Rous Awards Many congratulations to headgirl Pip Harland for being awarded the Lydia Rous Scholarship for a combination of academic excellence and outstanding service to the school. Congratulations too to Hannah Lee and Sophie Reed who received single awards.
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
i Highlights from Susan Hartshorne’s Report to the AGM 2008 Susan noted that many changes had taken place in the School, and were about to take place. Sadly, we will say goodbye to Diana Gant as she retires in the summer. We wish her well in her retirement. Next September we shall be welcoming her successor, Julie Lodrick. The School now has a new clerk – Danielle Palmour. Danielle has a daughter at The Mount and she works in York as Director of the Friends Provident Charitable Foundation. Although she is now firmly based in York, she originally came from across the Atlantic and received her education in Quaker schools in Pennsylvania. She brings new ideas and energy to the committee. This time last year we saw plans for the new College Study Centre. This has now been completed and MOSA members were most impressed when recently given a conducted tour. The changes made there will greatly enhance the working conditions of College students and should certainly benefit the school. There now is a new editor for the MOSA section of Portico. She will now take over this job from Dinah Wainwright. We’re grateful to Dinah for the year she gave to this job. MOSA is always glad to receive donations and/or legacies to fund bursaries for girls who would otherwise be prevented from coming to The Mount for financial reasons. Many who have already contributed have said how much they benefited from their education here and how have therefore felt they would like to give others that same opportunity. Contributing to this fund also helps us to maintain our important charitable status as it is considered a public benefit. We are discussing with the school whether it would be useful to appoint an Alumnae Officer, one of whose jobs would be helping to raise funds for these bursaries. Susan concluded by mentioning that MOSA also has a bursary scheme to give grants to Old Scholars who need help to embark on further education later in their lives – so, if you are thinking of making a change of career, remember this fund. We have been glad to hear from some Old Scholars who have benefited from this scheme, and you can read what they did in Portico, and elsewhere on the website..
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 joy@mosafriends.co.uk, and it will be forwarded to Kay.
Further Education Grant November 2007 - Helen Jardine writes......
I
Moving so far away was quite daunting, however
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 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
Rowntree connections
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
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.
Dame Jocelyn Bell Burnell
Many, many congratulations to our President on
becoming
.
FROM THE WEBSITE ARCHIVES :-
|
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 
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 
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.
for the
new sports hall, Old Scholars held a dinner, year groups met for lunch, Parents' Weekend events included an Auction of Promises and a bouncy castle (for future scholars !).