School_Matters_Issue_35

PVI AND UVI SUMMER SCHOOL 15

INTRODUCTION TO FEMINIST THEORY Dr Cairns’ whistle-stop tour through feminist theory began in the C14th with Christine de Pizan’s complaint that ‘so many men’ write ‘falsely’ about women. Parallels were found in Mary Wollstonecraft’s assertion that male writers have typically represented women according to their own desires rather than ‘rational creatures’ capable of ‘standing alone’. Via C18th poet Phillis Wheatley and C20th author Virginia Woolf, attention turned to contemporary Black poet Amanda Gorman; now in the vanguard of fighting oppression and marginalisation.

INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF SCIENCE

KEW GARDENS Pupils accompanying Mrs McBride on a hot day in Kew visited the Hive, a steel art structure on a slope of wildflowers with their attendant bees and dragonflies. The work highlights the importance of pollinators to the environment and food production. It hums with the music of Kew’s beehives, in the key of C, like an orchestra of double basses, cellos and harmonicas! They spent time in the Princess of Wales’s Conservatory, with its cacti and orchids and enjoyed a picnic overlooking the Palm House.

Mr Kerr’s session began with Enlightenment thinkers and Logical Positivists. Pupils considered Hume’s Problem of Induction, Bertrand Russell’s Inductivist Turkey, and speculated as to why inductivist and empiricist views are so attractive. They then moved on to Popper and Falsificationism; Thomas Kuhn’s Structure of Scientific Revolutions and Paul Feyerabend’s Epistemological Anarchy. The conclusion? They started confused and ended confused – but on higher plane.

KNITTING Gathering at tables under the ‘Henry VIIIs’ on the Orchard under the skilful direction of Miss O’Connor, pupils embraced an exciting new hobby: knitting. They cast on and learned the basic knit stitch, with some even incorporating purl stitch as well. They made an excellent start on their scarves, which while perhaps not entirely seasonally appropriate given the hot weather, looked very impressive and should come in handy come winter.

LA DOLCE VITA! Seekers of Italian culinary expertise joined Mrs Farnum-Ford for this tasteful cookery class. Pupils made Insalata Caprese, combining fresh mozzarella, tomatoes and sweet basil, seasoned with salt, olive oil and balsamic vinegar; Zucchini alla Scapece, a tangy side dish with an intense minty dressing; and the “pick me up” dessert favourite Tiramisu comprising whipped cream, mascarpone and biscuit fingers soaked in fragrant, steaming coffee. Buon appetito!

LEARNING TO SAIL If wind conditions weren’t perfect on a still, scorching day at Queen Mary Reservoir for Dr Evans’ group hoping to make Laser Pico dinghies travel at more than walking pace, this didn’t seem to bother the pupils too much! They raced the dinghies around a course in the rather unconventional way of paddling and then embarked on a whole series of capsizes. The day finished with some stand-up paddle boarding.

MAGIC THE GATHERING Goblins, pirates, dragons and vampires were among a handful of creatures who turned up for Mr Smith’s introduction to the card game Magic The Gathering. Over the course of two sessions, participants learnt the basics of the game, from how to tap lands for mana and cast a spell to how to attack and defend with your creatures. Everyone got to grips with the basic plays and was able to face one another in one-on-one games. Impressive.

PADEL In an activity organised by Mrs Campione, ten pupils took their first steps into the world of padel, instructed by two enthusiastic and energetic Spanish padel coaches. Padel is the fastest growing racket sport in the world. It is only played in doubles format and it is so much fun! The pupils with tennis experience brought racket skills and aggression, whilst others learnt that consistency and patience have equal merit in this game.

MALAYSIA Mr Prestwich led this session, drawing from his own experiences living in Malaysia. Pupils were thrown into a crash course in Malaysian language, history, culture and geography. Attendees were intrigued by how the lives of pupils their own age there differed considerably from their own. The highlight was the food, described as “class” by Lorcan Hunter, PVI or “sedap” by those who had been paying attention to the language segment of the session.