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EVENTS Up and coming OB events and reunions.

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PROFILESWorld renowned ventriloquist Paul Zerdin and Box Hill School Head of Art, Mike Coleman.

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FROM THE ARCHIVEThe Box Hill School Flag

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ISSUE 03 | SPRING 2017

BOXOUTOF THE

Newsletter For Old Boxhillians

WHAT’S INSIDE

The Box Hill School FlagA familiar symbol through the ages

Y ou are all familiar with the Box Hill School flag that flies proudly outside

Dalewood House. But do you know the significance of the flag, its ‘rocket’ crest and the associated traditions?

On Friday 3rd June 1966 a service was held to dedicate the original Box Hill School Flag. In glorious sunshine and in front of Dalewood House a brand new school flag was hoisted high up the flag pole. Once that first flag dedication service had been completed, the Headmaster Roy McComish and his wife Barbara left for Salem in Germany with

the new flag to attend the 80th Birthday celebrations of Dr Kurt Hahn (Founder of the Round Square Association). The new Box Hill School flag was proudly hung throughout that weekend in Salem alongside the flags of the seven other founding Round Square schools.

It was at this service in 1966 that Roy McComish announced that, following the tradition at other Round Square schools, there would be a Box Hill School flag service at the start and end of every term. OB Edzard Grefe (1980 – 1984) remembers

“It is the tradition that the flag is stored in the church as a symbol of protection and safety for all the pupils travelling all over the world during the holidays.”

From that moment on, the flag would be carried into St Michael’s Church by the Guardians for each of the flag dedication services Continued over page...

at the beginning and end of each term. Our most recent OB Guardian Josh Barnett (2009 – 2106) like many Guardians before him, remembers his pride at representing the whole school as he carried the flag down the church aisle. We still continue to have Flag Services to this day although with the full school of 420 pupils we now struggle to fit everybody into the church.

It was at that original flag dedication service in 1966 that Roy asked and answered the question “What are these ideas and ideals to be enshrined in our School Flag?” His answer :-

Compassion and help to the weak, sick or injured.

Honesty of character and individual responsibility.

Good learning leading to independence in thought and action, self-reliance in mind, body and spirit.

Roy asked each pupil at that time to think about how they individually implemented these ideals in their everyday lives. The same ideals that today’s students are encouraged to embody and honour throughout their time at Box Hill School and beyond.

It is worth mentioning the Box Hill School ‘Rocket’ itself. Designed by Roy McComish it is open to individual interpretation but Roy himself saw it as a symbol of growth, describing it as “ a plant in which both the roots and the flowers are visible – it follows that good roots and good nourishment are the necessary prerequisites for the sturdy plant and the good flower – interpreting the

roots as the ideals and the best traditions of the past generations – which in turn reminds us of our indebtedness to the past and the flowers as our special ways and methods for achieving our aims for our own day and generation.”

What of the flag pole? Today the flag flies from a metal pole but the story surrounding the original flag pole is quirky in true Box Hill School style! Some of you will no doubt remember George Burt the school’s first caretaker. There are many tales about George, apocryphal and otherwise which describe his enormous strength. Told during his lifetime as well as after his death they amount almost to folklore. But one flag-related story is that at the time of the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953, the village of Mickleham decided, at quite short notice, to celebrate by holding a pageant on what is now the school's playing fields. Many local residents had recently finished building the Pavilion, which is now owned by the school, but for the great occasion a flag pole was also needed. On the day before the Coronation, George was commissioned to produce a flag pole, painted white and with a Union Jack flying from the masthead, by first light the next day. Nobody knows how George managed it, or where the tree came from (rumour has it that a tall pine was missing from Norbury Park about that time!) but sure enough as the sun rose on the great day there was a straight pole erected by the Pavilion, thirty-five feet high, painted white, the paint still sticky and wet — with the Union Jack

ARCHIVE The Box Hill School Flagcontinued from the front page...

Drawings of the Box Hill Crest in various publications

Smaller flag 1973

Cartoons 1970

Box Hill School 1967

Out of The Box | Issue 0302

flying from the top, and no sign of George anywhere. Headmaster Roy McComish wrote that “the enormity of the task can be seen by us any day by taking a look at this flag pole which nowadays stands outside our main building and from which flies the school flag. To lower this for annual maintenance purposes usually engages the full energies and concentration of at least four but preferably six men, or senior boys.”

And what of the original flag that flew from that flag pole? It was made of a green cotton material with the white ribbon design of the rocket hand stitched in the middle. The design, we know was created by our founding Headmaster Roy McComish, but who made the physical flag? We were informed recently by Mrs Jane Seymour, (Box Hill School Housekeeper, 1959 – 1987) who many of you will remember fondly, that it was the long serving Matron of Dalewood House, Rosa Doce (1962 – 1993) who made that original school flag. Rosa now lives in Spain, but during her time at Box Hill School she was said to have had “boundless energy, and roused generations

of reluctant girls to go out on their morning runs”. She was also noted as being a “most brilliant needlewoman”, the obvious choice to make the first Box Hill School Flag.

Today the original Box Hill School flag is not as resplendent as it once was, as you can see from the photograph on the front cover of ‘Out of the Box’. Years of outside wear and tear eventually took its toll and after its great service to the school it has been rolled up and kept safe for a number of years, stored in the Headmaster’s office. The flag is in desperate need of some preservation work and the hope is that funds can be found to have it restored, framed and once again hung in a prominent place in Dalewood House – to remind us all of the Box Hill School Flag ideals of Compassion, Honesty, Independence and Self-reliance.

To see the drawings of the crest in more detail please do visit the OB website www.oldboxhillians.com, Archives & History.

A t the end of January four Year 10 students made their way to Romania for

the European Round Square Conference.

Louis, Adam, Thomas and Ewan had a wonderful weekend with students from Transylvania College and other Round Square schools. Whilst there they

attended seminars that helped them develop their leadership skills and visited a mountain community in Baisoara to assist with an ongoing service project to improve the educational opportunities of the children attending school there.

This is not the first time that our students have visited Romania,

20 years ago pupils from Box Hill School made their fourth visit to a Romanian orphanage in Namaesti to offer help and assistance to the children there.

If you have any further questions about Round Square, please contact Emma at the Round Square Worldwide Team.

[email protected]

WANT TO KNOW MORE

Round Square

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03Archive

PROFILE Paul Zerdin (1986 - 1989) Comedian and Ventriloquist

P aul is arguably the UK’s number one ventriloquist and made his TV debut in

1993 as the host of GMTV’s Rise and Shine. He then went on to win ITV’s The Big Big Talent Show, hosted by Jonathan Ross. Since then he has appeared on countless TV shows including The World Stands Up (Comedy Central), The Stand Up Show BBC1, Just for Laughs Montreal Comedy Festival, Comedy Rocks with Jason Manford (ITV1), Tonight at The London Palladium (ITV1), Michael McIntyre’s Big Christmas Show (BBC1) and three appearances at The Royal Variety Performance. Winning Series 10 of America’s Got Talent in September 2015, Zerdin and his sidekicks soon went viral on YouTube, receiving millions of views from around the world.

He is currently touring America with his new show but took time out to speak to the Old Boxhillian Office about his ‘magical’ school days.

What are your abiding memories of Box Hill School? My first memory is of the beautiful countryside that surrounds Box Hill School and the fun I had with my old school mates. I remember being a boarder for the first year I don’t remember doing much work but I do remember having a good time!

What skills did Box Hill School teach you that you have taken forward in life? I think I was strangely a little shy when I came to Box Hill School but by the end of it I had come out of my shell. Doing all the activities made it a much more fun experience than just sitting in classrooms for hours on end, particularly when I wasn’t really interested in academic studies. I remember doing orienteering in the Lake District with Mr Brown, using a compass and having to get our group down from the top of Mount Skiddaw in the middle of a sudden fog. Playing war games at night

around the countryside near Mickleham with our deputy house manager Mr Heusch, who was an ex-Marine, was great fun. Getting stuck halfway up whilst rock climbing at Harrison’s Rock in Tunbridge Wells and managing to get myself out of a tricky position. All these activities helped shape me as a kid and I’m very grateful my parents could afford to send me there!

“I think a turning point was winning the school talent competition by doing my magic and levitating my sister.

After that day I remember some of the other kids pointing at me in the dining hall and saying things like “That’s Zerdin, he can do magic!” It gave me a huge confidence boost.

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What were your impressions of Box Hill School on your first day? I was a boarder for the first year and I remember being very homesick and feeling really cut off the first part of the term especially having to share a dormitory with five other people. I can remember queuing to use the phone to call home every Sunday, I guess things are a bit different now with mobile phones. Within a few weeks I felt right at home and realised we were all in it together, then it was full steam ahead with life at boarding school.

Do you still keep in touch with friends from your time at Box Hill School?I keep in touch with a couple of friends from Box Hill School thanks to Facebook but we all went our different ways when we left and it was harder keeping in touch especially as half of my friends lived in different countries.

What has been the personal highlight of your career up to now? Being asked to perform at the Royal Variety Show for Her

Majesty the Queen a number of times has been a major career thrill as has performing for the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Appearing as Buttons this last Christmas in Cinderella at The London Palladium was a bit of a career moment! Oh yes and winning America's Got Talent and headlining at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas for 6 months last year was quite good!

Do you have any advice for pupils today who want to turn their loves and hobbies into a career as you did? It’s a funny one because I remember sitting with dear Mr Wright our head of academic studies and career adviser and me telling him I wanted to be a professional entertainer and he was quite honest and said “I can’t really help you with that!” I said “don’t worry I think I know how to do it!” I didn’t really, but I had a strange inner confidence that has carried me through, probably from being at Box Hill School! (What a creep!). I think it’s important to try and get as many exams

Leaving a LegacyYour gift to future generations

The generosity of parents, alumni, governors and friends, providing the opportunity to unlock potential.

Your SupportYou can make a gift to Box Hill School in your will. www.boxhillschool.com/ A-Gift-in-your-Will

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as you can under your belt just in case following your hobby doesn’t work out and then you have something to fall back on. Life is quite different these days and I do believe that almost anything is possible, you just have to believe in yourself and not be put off. I remember when I was first starting out I was doing working men’s clubs and gigging in some dumps, having people throw things at me, and people already in the business trying to dissuade me but somehow I learnt to cope with it and carried on.

What does the future hold for Paul Zerdin the performer? I am touring the US for the first few months of this year on the back of the exposure America's Got Talent has given me and then looking to tour the UK this autumn with a brand new show which I’m writing as I tour America now. I have created and am co-writing a TV show for the UK that is in development, which I really want to get off the ground and I have a couple of other projects that I’m developing. So life is very hectic but good hectic!

“I do believe that almost anything is possible, you just have to believe in yourself and not be put off.

Paul is returning to the UK in the autumn of 2017, with a 45-date tour of ‘All Mouth’, with tickets going on sale via Ticketmaster.

Kicking off in September, this brand new tour will see Zerdin’s critically lauded act grace venues across the UK, finishing up with a three-night residency at London’s Leicester Square Theatre, from 24th-26th November. For a full list of tour dates please check www.paulzerdin.com

05Profile

06

London

REUNIONS

A huge thank you to everybody who came to OB drinks in London in November - it was fantastic to see so many of you, a great time was had by all. Memories shared of early morning runs, former teachers, exciting adventures, and chat about future plans and life since Box Hill School.

The 1970s sleepover reunion

It was fantastic to have some of the 1970s OBs to school the weekend before Christmas. Dinner at the 'Running Horses' and then coffee around the fireplace in Dalewood in front of the Christmas Tree, with a few staying in the boarding houses overnight - a great night and way to start the Christmas Holidays.

Box Hill School

HAVING A REUNION?Please send us news and pictures of your Box Hill reunions. We would be delighted to help you organise any of your reunions here at school or internationally - [email protected] The Box Hill School Alumni office invites you to

Old Boxhillian Drinksat

The Gherkin, London, EC3A 8BFon

Tuesday 25th April 2017Please feel free to drop in anytime

between 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Please do come and join old friends for a drink and a catch up

Let us know if you're able to drop in by contacting the Alumni office

tel. 01372 384258 email. [email protected]

Saturday 13th MayBURFORD BRIDGE HOTEL

Foot of Box Hill, Old London Road, Mickleham, Dorking RH5 6BX

Drinks and Canapé Reception at 7.30pm Carriages at Midnight

T H E B OX H I L L S C H O O L A S S O C I AT I O N ‘ B H S A’

presents

TICKETS £60 PER PERSON

TABLES OF 8 - 10 Dresscode Black Tie


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W e are busy developing a series of Old Boxhillian events and reunions where we hope you will be able to join us, as well as giving you the opportunity to come and share school events.

You are always welcome to visit us at Box Hill, please just get in touch.

EVENTS SCHOOL OPEN DAYS

Please do pop in on our Open Days and say hello!

SCHOOL AT WORK DAYThursday 11th May 2017

10:45am – 12.00pm

OPEN EVENING Tuesday 13th June 20176:15pm - 8:00pm

OB LONDON DRINKS

Tuesday 25th April 6pm - 8pmThe Sterling Bar, The Gherkin, London EC3A 8BF

Please do drop in and let the Old Boxhillian office buy you a drink. Come and join OB friends for a catch up - make new friends with OBs from other eras. Spread the word - we would love to see as many OBs as possible.

‘THERE ARE NO LIMITS’ – A TALK BY KAREN DARKE MBE

British Paralympic cyclist, adventurer and author

Thursday 4th May 7pm - 9:30pm Box Hill School

Tickets £6.00 (including refreshment)

Book online : www.boxhillschool.com/events

Karen Darke was paralysed from the chest down at the age of 21 following an accident, whilst sea cliff climbing.

Karen‘s inspirational story is framed by her belief that ‘Disability is a state of mind not a state of body’. She believes that our own minds are our biggest obstacles to living and achieving our wildest aspirations, and if we set our heart and mind to it then ‘there are no limits’.

To have the most impact in life we should challenge our constraints, adopt a positive mental attitude and support each other to become the best we possibly can. Karen has crossed Greenland’s ice cap on skis, scaled El Capitan, hand-cycled the length of Japan and sea kayaked a 1200 mile length of the Canada-Alaska coastline.She is currently a full-time athlete with the British Para-Cycling Team and won Gold at the 2016 Rio Paralympics to add to her Silver from London 2012.We extend a very warm invitation to join us, at Box Hill School to share Karen’s remarkable journey.

BOX HILL SCHOOL BALL

Saturday 13th May 7:30pm to Midnight

This year the annual ‘BHSA’ ball is going to be held at the Burford Bridge Hotel, at the foot of Box Hill. Why not organise a table of your Box Hill School classmates to join the fun.

SPEECH DAY

Saturday 20th May 10.30am

Please do let us know if you would like to join us for Speech Day this year. We would love to see you.

BOX HILL SCHOOL SUMMER PRODUCTION 'CATS TALES'

Wednesday 21st and Thursday 22nd June 7.30pm - 9.00pm

Do join us for our Junior School Production. Tickets will be available on the main school website.

BOX HILL SCHOOL CAROL SERVICE

Sunday 10th December 3pmSt Martin’s Church in Dorking

Come and help us celebrate this special time of year and the end of term.

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For details of these events and to join us please book your place on the Old Boxhillian website – www.oldboxhillians.com (events) or contact us [email protected]

Personalised BricksGift a permanent reminder of your association with Box Hill School. Name a brick on our dedication wall.

Building BlocksFor Future Generations

www.boxhillschool.com/ Box-Hill-School-Bricks

07Reunions and Events

Box Hill DayReturn of the first Guardian

World Book DayJames Hartley (1986 – 1990)

A s we celebrated Box Hill Day this year we were delighted to welcome back the first ever Guardian,

Jeremy Taylor, to the school, to listen to his reminiscences about school life all those years ago, including the building of 'Taylor's Way', as the picture shows.

Please do visit the Old Boxhillian website for a full report of his visit and to see archive pictures - www.oldboxhillians.com

W orld book day was the perfect time for Old Boxhillian author

James Hartley to visit our English Department and to share with current pupils his new book – The Invisible Hand. Eagle eyed students found the description of the school in the book somewhat familiar!

Since leaving Box Hill School James, in his own words “drifted about the world for a few years. I didn t really know what I wanted but I knew what I didn t want to do. I lived in London and worked in Covent Garden. I lived in Galway in Ireland and worked in a cake shop. I lived in a tent in France for eight months and unzipped it every morning to a view of Mont St Victoire, Cezanne s mountain, while people told me I should start thinking about doing something serious ….. it wasn t until I landed in Madrid that I felt I wanted to actually spend the rest of my

life in one place. Now I live and work as a teacher and have two young kids who are slowly turning me grey. I ve always written, before, during and after Box Hill School, and it s something I couldn t stop doing if I tried. Writing The Invisible Hand has been a good way to revisit my time at school and I think anyone who s been there would get a kick out of some of the descriptions of St Francis, the school in the book.”

“Sometimes I feel as if I ve never really left Box Hill. If I close my eyes I can go back there as if it were happening again. A part of me, I guess, is always going to be there.”

www.jameshartleybooks.com

Read James’ full memories of being at school on the Old Boxhillian website.

NEWS Old Boxhillians Community Survey 2016 Thank you to all of you who took the time on-line and in writing to reply to our 2016 Old Boxhillian survey, it is very much appreciated.

of you want to stay in touch with Box Hill School to meet up with former class mates.

of you use Facebook to stay in touch with us here at school.

would like news and historical features included in ‘Out of the Box’.

are willing to help our current pupils with careers advice.

Thank you for your comments.

For more news do go onto the new alumni website www.oldboxhillians.com, where you can book into events, find lost friends, update your details, take a trip down memory lane with the school archive and catch up on Old Boxhillian news.

WANT TO KNOW MORE

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Jenny Burn (nee Forde). Former Matron Box Hill School (1941 – 2017)

We were very sad to hear of the death of much loved former member of staff Jenny Burn in January of this year. Her funeral and memorial service at St Michael's Church were well attended by Old Boxhillians. Her former husband Colin Burn, also a former member of staff remembers her.

“For ten years from 1971 to 1981 Jenny was a much appreciated matron in Old Cottage, then Ralph House, and then St. Nic’s.

Her qualifications were secretarial rather than nursing but meticulous organisation and good humour

quickly established her as a person to be trusted over health and domestic matters, well able to get senior boys to do her bidding and realise that excuses to get out of this or that activity, lesson, would not succeed!

She grew up in Dublin, retaining the distinctive accent throughout, particularly apparent when chortling over something which had amused her. One remembers boys emerging from the linen room laughing to themselves though a little nonplussed as to why! She was married in Ireland and had David, then Caroline, now in their fifties.

In 1973 when the senior boys moved into the newly built Ralph House Jenny was able to get involved in the planning of the ‘medical wing’ with its sick bay, a new concept in Box Hill School. Her efficient organisation and care over the next three years was regularly complimented by the School Doctor at his weekly surgeries.

In 1974 she changed from being Mrs Forde to Mrs Burn and as such moved to be in charge of St.Nic’s in 1976. Jenny was a keen gardener and soon had colourful flower beds on the slope fronting the Housemaster’s flat. Her third child, Alistair (Box Hill School Guardian in 1998) was born in February 1980 and spent his early times propped up in the

surgery watching all of the ‘goings on’! With the birth of Andrew in October 1981 Jenny’s days as matron had to end though she remained ‘in residence’ in St.Nic’s. The family moved to Ralph House in 1983 then circumstances resulted in Jenny moving out of BHS ten years later.

In later years living in the south of Dorking she was subjected to a variety of illnesses but ‘battled on’. She had been making quite a full recovery from a stroke in November 2015 but to add to her trials cancer of the colon was diagnosed for which she was due to start treatment beginning a week after her death at home on January 16th. A brain haemorrhage quickly and we hope peacefully ended her life. So many great memories, particularly of her days helping to establish Box Hill School in its earliest decades.

She was always ready for a laugh, even against herself and told one story of speaking with the mother of a young lad in St. Nic's, one with whom she had regular contact, both making sure the boy’s hearing aid was always in and batteries charged. On this occasion mother was informing Jenny of the lad’s forthcoming small operation, not an unusual one for boys of that age. She referred to his scrotum. ‘Oh’, said Jenny, ’Will that improve his hearing?!’”

Obituaries

Jane Seymour, Ann Roegg, Jenny Burn

09News and Obituaries

PROFILE

Instagramboxhillschool_visualarts

The visual art department here at Box Hill School goes from strength to strength and they have decided to share their work by building a Box Hill School art community digitally on Instagram, please do take a look and get involved by sharing your own art work.


C an you tell us a bit about your artistic background and influences and what

made you want to become an art teacher?When I left Art college I did lots of unskilled manual work and was prepared to do any job if it paid the rent. The hours were long and the money was poor but I didn’t care because I wanted to be the next Picasso! I had this romantic notion that if you wanted to be an artist you have to suffer and that great Art only comes out of adversity. This was nonsense but I carried it around with me because I was determined to live the dream. Being an artist means you have to believe in your own infallibility because nobody else will and of course you must never stop painting. They were crazy times but I did meet lots of interesting people and learnt that actually Art comes out of an experience of life.

I did my first Master’s degree at Nottingham Trent University and after that I started to enjoy a degree of success. I exhibited at the Royal Academy twice and then at the Mall galleries in London. I showed work at the Camden Arts Centre and with the ‘London

Group’ at the Royal College of Art and the Barbican. I even started to sell work but not enough to pay the rent and certainly not enough to give up paid employment. I was still working on building sites in my late twenties when I saw a poster which said ‘Be a Teacher’. I had no way of knowing at the time that this was a pivotal moment and that my life was about to change forever! I did a ‘Certificate in Education’ at the University of Greenwich and my teaching practice at Wimbledon School of Art and never looked back.

How has the art teaching environment at Box Hill School changed since you joined? Quite a bit! In 1997 I started in room 15 which is up the steps in the old Jubilee Block. Because the room is small we were restricted by the scale of work produced and in those early days none of our students used an easel or painted anything on canvas. Having said this, I have always believed that good art can be produced anywhere and some very impressive work came out of room 15. Art grew in popularity and after two years the Art department, which was just me, moved to its present location and Fashion and Textiles was added to the curriculum. Two more Art teachers were employed, and things started to buzz. GCSE and A level Art groups grew in numbers and Art activities became oversubscribed.

The Art department's present location was once a row of garages used by the ground staff for the maintenance of their equipment. The conversion into an

Art block was an instant hit and is still popular with our students because of its studio atmosphere and just enough space to produce large painting and sculpture. Interesting to note that a student working on a six- foot square canvas is now considered normal.

What are your views on the idea that the appreciation and application of art is a life skill that everybody should have the chance to experience?I have always agreed with the schools Round Square philosophy of educating the whole person and not just the mind. Kurt Hahn

Mike ColemanHead of Art at Box Hill School since 1997

11Profile

was absolutely right when he said ‘There is more in you than you think’ and until our students pick up a brush or a pencil they really don’t know how creative they are or what they have to offer. It is not unusual for a pupil in Year 7 to lack confidence and really struggle in the most basic and rudimentary elements of art but through instruction, motivation and constant nurturing they go on to achieve an A* at GCSE in Year 11. It’s a journey of self- discovery and yes, that acquired skill and experience will stay with them for life.

Box Hill School has a long tradition of producing accomplished artists. What has been some of your most rewarding moments of being an art teacher here at Box Hill School?There have been many moments over the years and in a way this links to the previous question. There is nothing more rewarding in this job than seeing a student develop and grow in confidence and ability and then achieve good exam results in your subject. When that happens you know you have made a difference and played a part in their development. Teaching is a privilege and has to

be earned but the rewards can be high, unlocking their potential and witnessing this process is exciting.

A few years ago we rented an empty shop space in Dorking Town centre and just filled it with GCSE, A level and IB Visual Art work. We displayed this work for a week and the response from the public was phenomenal! Last year Mary Kidd was accepted at St Martins on the strength of her portfolio having gained an A* in her GCSE Art and a ‘6’ in her IB Visual Art studies. After teaching Mary for so many years I was so pleased to see her join the long list of students who successfully gain entrance into Art College directly from their Art studies at Box Hill School. These are really the most rewarding moments and of course I remember all of my students that have done this but rather too many to mention here.

How do you juggle working as a full time teacher with being an artist with commissions and exhibitions of your own?You raise an important issue and something that I have given much thought to. In an ideal world art is produced in the privacy of an artist’s studio, it is essentially a private experience and not a

spectator sport. However, we do not live in an ideal world.

“if you want to be a painter then I think you must paint whenever and wherever you can.

Much of my work is produced in the classroom in the presence of the students and although this was daunting at first it has many advantages.

I did my second Master’s degree at Goldsmiths, University of London, on a course entitled ‘Art, Teaching and Contemporary Practices’. It was really about how to reconcile your practice as an artist with the demands of full-time teaching. I had been doing this for a while before I realised the university advocated this approach and actually their thinking was that this could become the next stage in the evolution of art teaching. I completely agree with this philosophy for a number of reasons. Firstly, I think a teacher should display a passion for their subject or specialism. Secondly you can use your painting as an effective teaching aid to illustrate problem solving issues that they will encounter. This reduces the ‘them and us’ syndrome and puts everyone on an equal footing, creating a good atmosphere and learning environment. Thirdly, as an artist you have got a captive audience which means constant feedback! Most of the time painters work in complete isolation owing to the nature of the activity and this self-imposed solitary confinement can deny the artist the critical reaction and response to their work which is so necessary. Children are naturally inquisitive and judgemental and they will not waste any time in telling you exactly what they think about your work!

WHAT’S INSIDE

SCHOOL

GET IN TOUCHPlease let us have your latest contact details via

[email protected]

CONNECT WITH USwww.oldboxhillians.com

Old Boxhillians

facebook.com/oldboxhillians

WHO TO CONTACTAlison Vernon Development Director

Sam Bushell Development & Alumni Relations Manager

New Sports HallCompletion due in 2018

W ork has started on the new Sports Hall – the tennis courts are no more!

Address: Box Hill School, Old London Road, Mickleham, Dorking, RH5 6EA 01372 384258 www.boxhillschool.com

Thursday 4th May 2017Drinks Reception 7.00pm Talk 7:30pm – 9.30pm

Box Hill School, Mickleham

TICKETS £6 (including refreshment)

BOOK ONLINE www.boxhillschool.com/events

OR CALL 01372 373382

A talk by KAREN DARKE, MBEBritish paralympic cyclist, adventurer and author

There are no limits


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