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One
of the most pleasing aspects of the term was the approach of most
students towards that special part of our curriculum, the winter sports
programme. Whether it was using free-ski time; unloading ski equipment;
following emergency procedures; showing consideration to others on the
buses or in the hotel; your teachers were on the whole very proud of
your behaviour. Outdoor and adventurous activities provide plenty of
opportunity to develop such personal qualities, and this is partly what
going to Les Mosses and to Morzine is all about. So, if you feel you
demonstrated such qualities this winter, then whatever ski badge you
ended up with, congratulate yourself. Inter-House SportsOn
the Inter-House sports scene, sadly the skiing had to be cancelled. But
elsewhere, Atalanta retained their long-standing unbeaten record, taking
the Indoor football and Volleyball titles. With each tournament the
pressure to keep winning must surely be growing and yet Atalantans seem
to handle it so well. Diana, for their part, put up a good fight in the
volleyball, winning the senior competition and coming within half a
point of victory overall. Minerva fielded their biggest teams ever for
the Volleyball: it’s good to see support for your house growing at
these events. Keep up the good work. Inter-School CompetitionsA
number of students continue to fly the school flag high at inter-school
competitions. At the SGIS swimming championships in Basel, Chris Hutton
and Meriwether Beckwith both won bronze medals whilst Libby
Urquhart-Ducharme won a bronze and a silver medal. Isabel Edwards won
yet another silver medal at the ADISR badminton championships – her
fourth in row and a fitting testament to her enthusiasm for sport during
her time at St George's. At the same event Adelaide Wood placed third in
her category. At the SGIS ski championships too, Adelaide again won a
bronze medal, going one better at the ADISR event by winning both a
bronze medal and a silver medal. Adelaide, along with Clara Cavalli,
never missed an opportunity to practise through gates at Les Mosses. So
it should come as no surprise that these girls were two of our best and
most consistent racers. Practice doesn’t guarantee success but success
can’t happen without it. Ergo, Adelaide’s sporting achievements are
very well deserved. A special mention also goes to Dylan Pilarski, who
is now only one clinic away from completing the full set of ski badges,
and to André Sanchini, who leaves St George’s as our best Umpa Lumpa
on a snowboard ever. Sport and studyNot everyone can be a champion and not everyone wants to be. But participating in physical activity at any level is a very important part of physical, emotional and, yes believe it or not, academic growth. Studies show that an active child is usually one who can concentrate better in the classroom. We can all think of people in this room who manage to combine a heavy academic programme with commitment to tough, physical training. But you don’t have to be serious about sport to gain something from being active. Just playing football on the field at break-time, as some of the boys do, or shooting hoops in the sports hall, as some of the girls do, it all contributes to getting oxygen flowing to the brain. Next term we will put two outdoor volleyball nets up, which you can use whenever you wish. Add these to our seven outdoor tennis courts and a great sports field, and there will be no reason for anybody to say they don’t have opportunities to be active. So get out there, get your heart pumping and make the most of your youth. The chance to be young won’t come around a second time.Jan
Hill
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