ABERDEEN
As another school year comes to an end, we wanted to take the opportunity to look back on everything Aberdeen has achieved this year. It’s been a year full of competitions, socials, challenges, successes and, most importantly, plenty of Aberdeen spirit! Looking through everything that’s happened, we’re incredibly proud of all the girls who have represented the House, supported our events and got involved along the way.
The year started with Steepo in which Veronica Egbe, Heather Church and Sophie Thompson all excelled in their age categories. Aberdeen won the Endeavour Cup for participation within the Senior age categories; our first piece of silverware for the year. House Hockey was next, a competition the boarding houses tend to struggle with. With some excellent performances from Lotta Tewes, Luise Bohn and Sophie Thompson we held Burgess to a draw but sadly lost to Neal. The Junior team put up a similarly valiant fight.
Not long afterwards, we enjoyed our fantastic Christmas Social and Secret Santa, which was one of the highlights of the first term. It was lovely seeing girls from different year groups spending time together, exchanging gifts and getting into the festive spirit with churros and karaoke.
Throughout the year, Daria Hess and Naelle Ghesquiere organised and ran bake sales to raise money for blood cancer charities. These events were a great success and showed how willing people are to give up their time to support important causes. Of course, they also gave everyone an excuse to buy some amazing homemade treats.
Music has been another huge part of Aberdeen life this year. Our House Song ensemble worked incredibly hard and represented the House brilliantly. Thank you to Andrea Darnaud, Sabrina Sun, Anna Jungbeck, Esther Gimeno, Sophie Thompson, Lottie Casdagli and Ruby Brown! A special mention also goes to Esther Gimeno, who was recognised as ‘Leader of the Year’. This was a fantastic achievement and one that was thoroughly deserved after all the effort, commitment and enthusiasm she has put into house life.
In House Badminton, Joyce Li and Sarah Chen represented the House brilliantly in badminton, winning the competition. Ruby Brown and Rosie Brundle had an especially impressive year in table tennis, competing at a national level and achieving something that very few students ever get the opportunity to do. We were also excited to receive a new outdoor table tennis table in the house, which quickly became a popular addition and encouraged even more girls to get involved.
Another major highlight was the House Debate competition. Aberdeen entered two teams, both of which performed amazingly. Esther Gimeno, Anna Jungbeck and Sophie Thompson went on to reach the semi-finals, which was a fantastic achievement and reflected all the hard work, preparation and confidence shown by everyone involved. It was great to see so many girls willing to step up, speak in front of an audience and represent the House so well.
Beyond sport and debating, Aberdeen girls have continued to take part in a wide range of activities, including dance and academic competitions. A big shout out to Bibiana Pang for her amazing title as the Dancer of the Year! One of the things we love most about Aberdeen is how many people are willing to get involved, whether that’s trying something completely new or building on talents they already have. There is always someone willing to put themselves forward and represent the House.
Of course, House life isn’t only about competitions. Some of our favourite memories this year have come from the socials we organised. We held quizzes, bedazzling sessions and a pasta-making event run by Anna Jungbeck and Josephine Knauf, all of which brought girls together and created lots of laughs. These events are always a reminder that one of the best things about Aberdeen is the sense of community within the House. Even when our Summer Social was disrupted by the weather, people still turned up with enthusiasm and made the most of it.
Finally, we want to give a special mention to Heather Church and Sophie Thompson, who took part in the school’s bike trip to Paris at the end of the year. Cycling all the way to Paris is an incredible achievement and required a huge amount of determination, resilience and commitment. It was an amazing challenge to take on, and we are incredibly proud of both of them.
Looking back, this year has been packed with achievements, memorable moments and plenty of House spirit. Whether it was through sport, music, debating, fundraising or simply supporting friends at events, so many girls have contributed to making Aberdeen such a positive and welcoming House. Thank you to everyone who got involved and helped make this year so special. We can’t wait to see what Aberdeen achieves next year.
Esther Gimeno, Head of House & Anna Jungbeck, Deputy Head of House