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On Saturday 18th January, Mr Michael Smyth, Deputy Head Academic, visited Sherborne Preparatory School to give a talk as part of the Powys Lecture series. Boys and girls in Years 7 and 8 and their parents were regaled with anecdotes of how cognitive biases influence our thinking.

On Monday 20th January, we were lucky enough to welcome Uri Winterstein to St Mary’s to give his incredibly moving testimony about his family’s experience living as Jews in, then, Czechoslovakia during the Second World War. 

Our Director of Tennis, Mr Jonathan Hayes, has given two presentations in Chapel this month, in which he has analysed the meaning of, and what it takes, to ‘adapt like a champion'.

Saturday, 18th January was a beautiful morning for the Wiltshire Schools' Athletic Association's (WSAA) Cross Country Championships, held at Sheldon School in Chippenham. A frosty, cold start but bright, sunny and little if any wind - perfect conditions for running.

The first weekend back at school was our Sustainable Travel Weekend, whereby our activities needed to involve zero transport as part of the School Travel Plan initiative. It therefore seemed fitting to make the environment the theme of the Bake-Off in School House (Year 7). 

On the evening of 14th January, Professor Christiana Payne from the History of Art Department at Oxford Brookes gave a captivating insight into the art of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood.

On Thursday 9th January, approximately 25 of the leavers from 2018 were treated to their first St Mary’s reunion, courtesy of the Calne Girls' Association. They were joined by four current members of staff and Mr Rothwell, previous Senior Master, who were all thrilled to see them and hear about their news of the past 17 months.

On the morning of Sunday 12th January, many of the LV (Year 10) girls spent the day training and planning for their Bronze DofE Practice Expedition.

On Sunday 12th January, we welcomed students from Bentley Wood High School in London, Bristol Grammar School, Pate's Grammar School in Cheltenham and South Wilts Grammar School in Salisbury to a Classical Symposium at St Mary's Calne.

Further to an impressive set of entries for our Literalily competition (for our creative writing magazine) last term, in December a number of girls were inspired to enter an external poetry competition. Young Writers’ 'Through Their Eyes' is a competition for young people aged 11-18 which requires a poem to be written on any subject matter, in response to the leading question: Whose point of view will you tell?

On 8th January, a number of girls were recognised in Chapel for their success in recent Modern Foreign Languages' (MFL) competitions, including a National French Translation Competition, run by The University of Sheffield.

Further progress has been made on the Lime Kiln Garden at St Mary's Calne and it is really starting to take shape.