Lauda Sion Latin Competition
Last Thursday afternoon, pupils from Years 7, 8 and 9 were taken out of lessons to watch the annual Lauda Sion spoken Latin competition.

Despite some extreme temperatures in the Senior Hall, pupils avidly watched dramatic readings from stories in their textbooks. They enjoyed spectacles such as baby dolls being thrown across the stage, enormous scrolls being unfurled, and villainous characters being stabbed to death.

The quality of performance from all year groups was very impressive, and reflects the hard work that these pupils have been putting into their Latin lessons this half term. This year was the first time that our Sixth Form Latinists also joined the party, reading dramatically from their prose literature A Level set text, a section from Tacitus’ Annals which details the political intrigue that encompassed the reign of the emperor Tiberius.

Ms Bhatti, Mr Hayward and Dr Hayes were joined by two colleagues from FHS Regent’s Park, Miss Young and Miss Willis, to judge the results of the competition. Each year group had a chance to win a prize of Suburani stickers and stationery, and sets 7Y, 8Z and 9V all covered themselves with glory as year group winners.

The ultimate Lauda Sion prize, however, can only be won by one individual whose dramatic performance and quality of spoken Latin stood out to the judges. This year, the overall Lauda Sion Champion was Katie D in Year 8, whose depiction of the enslaved boy Currax was very empathetic and vivid.

Congratulations to all of our winners for triumphing amongst a field of very capable and dramatic Latinists.

Dr Hayes, Head of Latin

MFL Poetry Competition
The annual Margaret Bowden MFL Poetry Competition took place on Wednesday afternoon, and it showcased the extraordinary talents of our students, who left us awestruck with their linguistic prowess and captivating performances.

The stage was set on a Wednesday, where girls from Year 7-9 took the spotlight, not only to exhibit their linguistic skills but also to showcase their acting abilities. The three main languages taught at FHS, Spanish, French, and German, filled the air with lyrical beauty as the girls recited their poems. We later embraced the languages of the world beyond our usual trio. This year, we welcomed a language that had never graced our competition before: Lithuanian, thanks to the remarkable Eve from Year 9.

Adding an extra layer of significance to this exhilarating event, we were honoured to welcome back Mrs Carr, a beloved teacher from our department who had dedicated two decades to teaching at FHS, as the esteemed judge of the competition. Her expertise and passion for languages made her the perfect judge for this celebration of poetry.

We are thrilled to extend our congratulations to Rania in Year 9. Her performances and dedication have earned her the well-deserved title of the overall winner of the competition. Alongside Rania, we would like to give a special mention to Anais from Year 8, who received the esteemed accolade of ‘highly commended.’

Mr Confino, Head of Spanish