School_Matters_Issue_35

8

CHINGLISH AUTHOR VISITS IPS Empathy Lab author and illustrator Sue Cheung visited School during ‘Empathy Week’ to inspire some summer reading, writing and art. Senior 8 and 9 pupils heard about Sue’s eye-opening childhood growing up above a Chinese takeaway in the 1980s, which is fictionalised in her award-winning book and Trinity Plus title Chinglish . While the story is told via a series of comic journal entries, many of which feature escapades with Sue’s family pets, darker themes are touched on such as mental health and domestic violence. Sue spoke honestly about her experiences and the challenge of re-living traumatic events in order to write the book as well as how she found refuge and comfort in her passion: art and design. Pupils were intrigued to find out more about her family’s reaction to the book given the not-entirely positive portrayal and to ascertain what

OXFORD AZ VACCINE PROJECT LEADER INTERVIEWED BY SENIOR 9 TRIO Senior 9 pupils Oliver Visram, Finley Naughton, Stacy Eremeeva and Oscar Lovell showed exemplary initiative through the course of 2020-21 to produce a series of podcasts with a focus on Science. ‘The Slightly Scientific Podcast’, in which these young IPS scientists interviewed a special guest to understand more about their area of specialism, featured guests and topics including Imogen McCurley (Fungal Vaccines); Rob O’Connor (Geophysics); Amina Memon (Psychology) and Sophie Stephenson-Wright (Filming Documentaries). However, their fifth episode represented a tremendous coup for The Slightly Scientific Podcast team. The subject this time was none other than Professor Sarah Gilbert, Project Leader on the Oxford Astrazeneca coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine development team. Oliver Visram’s persistence paid off as Professor Gilbert, who is Professor of Vaccinology in the Nuffield Department of Medicine at the University of Oxford (and recipient of the RSA Albert Medal for “services to collaborative innovation for the global common good”), agreed to his emailed request. We congratulate Oliver, Finley and Oscar who were the trio asking the questions in this instance with all the aplomb of seasoned professional interviewers and we highly recommend their podcast. Well done to the team and many thanks to Professor Gilbert!

had happened next to key characters. There was much excitement when, asked about future projects, Sue revealed that she is in talks regarding a sequel and in the process of adapting Chinglish for TV. Beyond Chinglish , pupils are encouraged to try one of the new TSBA selection now available in the Library or another diary-style read such as Spud by John van de Ruit, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend, I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith or Georgia Nicolson by Louise Rennison. Happy reading!

Author Sue Cheung

CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION WINNERS: ROTARY YOUNG WRITER & FEARLESS STORY TELLING Three pupils enjoyed success in creative

writing competitions. Lorenza Rees, S8 and Alex Mortimer, LVI both won in their respective age groups first in the local heat, then in the Rotary in London District Final, of the Rotary Young Writer Competition. Their poems on the theme of ‘my happiest day’ were selected to go forward to the national final of the competition. Meanwhile, Emma Cortinovis, S10 earned 2nd place in the Martin James Network’s ‘Fearless’ Story Telling Competition for her short story, ‘A Boy at War’. The judges praised her creativity and character development. Congratulations, Emma!

Lorenza Rees, S8

Emma Cortinovis, S10