Burgess Hill School for Girls Golden Sponge stick Competition 2010 report.

February 2011 :

The 2010 Burgess Hill School for Girls Golden Sponge stick competition has travelled truly internationally attracting a record 324 entries, including some from USA and Australia. The youngest entrant of four years old has also entered the fray this year!

A very pleasing fifty colleges and schools from a great diversity of backgrounds and geographical locations participated with some very entertaining and varied writing. Many thanks to those schools who continue to support this project so enthusiastically and also of course to all new entrants!

This time, stories were originally crafted with a wide range of themes. As well as the typically popular tales of gladiators, slaves and love affairs there were some intriguing new twists and turns. Fishbourne Roman Palace inspired a wonderful set of stories from Oxford High School, while peacocks and bears dominated the animal front this year, figuring ingenuously in the murder mysteries. The Roman Fates, the Underworld, Roman Imperialism and Peace all brought a fascinating dimension to the competition with evidence of impressive, meticulous research.

It is hoped that some of the fruits of these labours can be published for everyone‘s delectation, subject to receiving sufficient financial support. Watch this space!

Here are the winners and placings :

Under age 9 category:

1. Matilda Sidel, North London Collegiate School

2. Emmanuelle Gelain-Sohn, North London Collegiate School

3. Madeleine Webster, St. Bede Church of England Primary, Winchester

Age 9-11:

1. Sarah Camilleri, Ipswich Senior School

2. Theodora Manson, Berkhamsted School

3. Charley Broomfield, George Abbot School

Age 11 - 13:

1. Mia Forbes, Nonsuch High School for Girls

2. Anastasia Maseychik, Sancton Wood School, Cambridge

3. Bryony Salter, The Red Maids’ School, Bristol

Age 14 and above:

1. Charlotte Robson , Sherborne Girls’ School

2. Lucie Meggitt, Sancton Wood School, Cambridge

3. Lataetia Mcevilly- Duncan, Oxford High School

Best International Entry :

Angela Choi, Pymble College, Australia

List of participating schools and colleges :

Beaconsfield High School, Berkhamsted School, Brentwood School, Burntwood School, Cambridge International School, Chelmsford County High School for Girls, Easton High School, Easton, USA, Ellesmere College, Emanuel School, Battersea, Fakenham College, George Abbot School, Hall Grove School, Hammond School, Henrietta Barnett School, Ipswich School, King Edward’s School, Witley, King Henry VIII, Coventry, Magdalen College School, Oxford, Monkton Combe Senior School, Moreton Hall Preparatory School, Mount Saint Mary Academy, West Watching, USA, Newcastle Royal Grammar School, Nonsuch High School for Girls, Northampton High School, North London Collegiate School, Norwich High School, Oxford High School, Pymble College, Australia, Queen’s Gate School, Roedean School, Rokeby School, Kingston, Royal Grammar School, High Wycombe, Sancton Wood School, Cambridge, Sherborne School for Girls, St Albans School for Girls, St Bede Church of England Primary, Winchester, St Edmund’s School, Canterbury, St James Senior Girls’ School, St Mary’s Senior School, Cambridge, St Paul’s Girls’ School, St Philip Howard RC School, Barnham, The King’s School, Gloucester, The Lady Eleanor Holles School, The Mall School, The Red Maids’ School Bristol, Wellington Senior School, Woodford County High School.

Special thanks :

To my family, Association for Latin Teaching, Barbara Johns, Burgess Hill School for Girls, Caroline Lawrence, Cambridge Latin Course project , Classical Association (for sponsoring the prizes), Friends of Classics, Joint Association of Classical Teachers, Lorna Robinson and the iris project, Mary Beard, Oxford University Classics Outreach, The Classics Library.

Here is to the 2011 competition !

Jerry Pine

Classics Department

Burgess Hill School for Girls