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Prep School Alumni
When I came to Hillstone (v) I was only seven, and I can hardly remember anything, but there are a few amazing things that have happened during my time here, and I am going to try and remember as much of them as possible. Going back in time, to September 1997 . . .
I can remember going into the Year 3 classroom on my first day, everyone was busy milling around, rushing to get a desk at the front (don’t ask me why!) and showing off new hair cuts and shoes. I can remember that particular year in immense detail: the petty arguments, the childish games of pink ponies and perhaps the most vivid of my seven-year-old memories, the annual play ‘The Tempest’ directed by Mr Scutt, of course. Our costumes were blue, we were little fairy-type sea spirits dressed in leotards and with huge papier maché masks, painted blue and green with markings on and bits of material around the edge like hair. We were only on for a bit, and we had to drag the Year 8s on stage after the shipwreck. I can remember that at the end of the year Mr Mellor wanted to take photos of the costumes, so Meg, Jane, Charn and I had to dress up in them while he took pictures. Only a few weeks ago, I came across a couple of them in one of the school picture albums and I laughed at how different I looked, and how we were all sticking our hands out at the camera, making ‘peace’ signs with our fingers.
Year 4 was less memorable, but what I do remember was many people started to split into little groups or pairs to go around with at break, and ‘best friends’ came into fashion. That was a difficult time for me because I didn’t really get on with anyone in my class and way preferred just to spend break time on my own, reading and just tagging on to others occasionally when I felt like a loner. We did different work that year, mostly English story-writing which was good for me because that was what I enjoyed most. There was one particular lesson of science that people still talk about today, when Mrs Orgill started to talk about diseases, and Lucie began to turn noticeably pale. When she heard all about the details of ‘jabs to prevent infection’, Lucie asked to go to the toilet to be sick, and ran towards the door. When she was halfway there however, she fainted by the lockers and Mrs Orgill ran through all the perfect rows of desks and flung Lucie over so she wouldn’t be sick lying on her back. It was like a rescue mission watching her go on, trying to get Lucie up and the whole class watching, crowding round and whispering. That still makes Lucie and everyone smile, even today!
I’m not going to write much about Year 5, because for one I don’t remember much, and two, it wasn’t very interesting, except for the fact that we started having different teachers for all the different lessons. We were in the middle of the school, we were old enough to be ‘in charge’ and for the first time we were old enough to walk around knowing that no Year Sixes would come along and make us join in their complicated games and teach us pig latin without us asking. It was a fairly relaxing Year, no important exams, no lines to learn, because the play this Year was ‘Joseph’ and it was a musical. We all got to wear bright t-shirts and jeans, singing ‘Any Dream Will Do’ standing on the staging in the Assembly Hall. It wasn’t the best play I’ve ever been in, but it was nice and colourful.
My favorite year, Year 6. This year TOTALLY rocked. The first term was my favourite, because of Emily. Everyone who was here in the year 2000 knows Emily. She was funny, REALLY loud and American. She was my friend from the start, ever since we raced each other in cross-country. We were jogging next to each other and I asked her ALL about her. That’s how to make a friend, its really simple.
Year 7 was EXHAUSTING! It took all my energy just to get my prep in on time, let alone revise, learn lines, try and stay on ‘best behaviour’ because of the positions next year, make friends and keep them, try not to kill little animals in pet corner, and so on . . . but it was hard nonetheless. Some people say it was the best year because you got all the privileges but no responsibility, but it was tough moving from the simpleness and safety of Year 6 to double prep EVERY night, being treated as grown-ups so suddenly, and coping with more criticism and advice from teachers and other people about everything.
I was glad to get into Year 8. I was made Junior Leader at the end of Year 7, and I had NO idea what that was going to be like until it hit me full in the face on the first day of term the next year.... I went down to Year 3 on the first day, with Laura who had also been given the delightful responsibility of looking after the small people. They were all a bit quiet, and they were quite willing to do what we told them to do, which was to sit down and read. A few were new and shy, but once they were settled down they were great. That year was very successful, and I enjoyed looking after them in the end because it reminded me what it felt like to be in Year 3 again. Year 8 was still very stressful itself though, because of the scholarships and the play, both of which went EXTREMELY well for me, and I enjoyed staying at the College throughout the scholarships, it made me feel more relaxed. In the end I achieved a scholarship, and I was so happy about that, it gave me a sense of satisfaction to know all the work I had done had paid off. The trip to Cwm Llwch was really fun too, especially helping with the barbecue! We stayed up late every night and we had really good weather for most of the time, which was great.
Hillstone, Malvern College Preparatory School, gave me a wonderful education but not just that, the clubs and games it has to offer are also an important part of Hillstone life: it’s the only school I know where NO-ONE is bullied, no-one is left out and everyone feels part of a team. Thank you, Hillstone, for being so great!
[Sophia was at Hillstone, Malvern College Preparatory School, from 1997-2003 and is now at Malvern College.]
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