The Autumn Term is a tough one, as the calendar is so busy.  Additionally, the nights draw in and the weather gets colder.  The prospect of dragging your tracksuit on and getting active after a long day in class is not always an attractive one.  However, this has not stopped a good number of students from taking every opportunity to participate in sport.  A special mention goes to the girls in Years 7 & 8 who played football every Thursday come wind, rain or shine (and who would probably still be playing in the event of a nuclear attack) and to the swimming team for their dedicated approach to Friday training.

On the subject of the swim team, I wonder how many of you really appreciate the extraordinary lengths they went to in order to raise money for the Terri Calvesbert Trust.  For teenage children, experts recommend an hour of vigorous physical activity every day. How many of us contents ourselves with a half hour of volleyball or with walking around the shopping centre to fulfil our exercise needs?  In contrast, the swimming team averaged over 100 lengths of the Maladaire pool each, with our top swimmer, Juliet Pearce, completing an incredible 4 km in the water.  Inspiration for us all.  Many thanks to Mrs Bosshart for all the time she has put in with the team and for helping to organise the charity swim.

In Inter-House competitions, the future looks yellow.  Last year, Diana crumbled whenever they found themselves as favourites, but the role of the underdog seems to suit them.  This term they ran away with the football, badminton and basketball titles.  The standard of play remains as high as ever and the PE dept would like to congratulate the students on the enthusiasm they bring to these events.  Only Atalanta's victory in the cross-country competition kept Diana from a clean sweep. 

Outside of school, our sports' teams have been involved in a number of tournaments and friendly matches, all of which provide an opportunity to enhance confidence. Self-belief is certainly something that our junior boys' football team has learned over the last two years and in November they made Georgentian history by becoming the first boys' team ever to win a trophy when they finished top of the Riviera Football League. 

The senior girls maintained their reputation by winning bronze medals at the SGIS Basketball Championships and the swim team finished an outstanding second place overall in the SGIS Swimming Championships with Juliet Pearce, Sara Bosshart, Chris Hutton and Libby Urquhart leading the medal haul.

J. Hill