Founder’s Day 2017

Pipers Corner celebrated Founder’s Day on Friday 22 September - an occasion when the whole school community comes together to celebrate the life and work of the founder of Pipers Corner, Miss Jessie Cross.

Each year a different decade is chosen as the focus for the celebrations and this year marked the 1920s. From Pre-Prep to Upper Sixth, girls and staff came to school dressed in the fashion of the 20s and were given the opportunity to experience a range of themed activities, as well as learning about the history of Pipers Corner and what Jessie Cross set out to do for the school.

In the afternoon the whole school attended the Founder’s Day Assembly where the hymns and readings reflected the period. The service culminated with the cutting of a celebration cake by the Head Girl, Ruby B (Upper Sixth) and the youngest member of the school Satya B (Reception).

Throughout the day the teaching staff worked hard to include elements of the 20s in their lessons. In Pre-Prep the girls made bread and butter pudding, learnt how to do the Charleston, designed 1920s style outfits, and found out about silent movies. In the Prep Department the girls learnt about the 1924 British Empire Exhibition and the work of Albert Einstein. Girls in Year 3 also had the chance to make Waldorf Salads.

In the Senior School girls began their PE lessons by completing a 1920s warm-up routine, in Maths Year 7 girls completed tessellation work in recognition of the work of MC Escher, in ICT Year 8 focussed on the skill of typing, in Design Technology girls in Year 9 girls made mini mirrors in an Art Deco style, in Textiles Year 10 girls considered the fashion of the period, in Year 11 History the focus was on Germany in the 1920s, Year 12 Psychologists explored the suffragette movement and in Upper Sixth Physics the girls considered the changes in Science from the 1920s to the modern day.

At lunchtime the girls had the opportunity to take part in a group Charleston dance and also attend a showing of a 1920s film – “The Kid” starring Charlie Chaplain – in the Theatre.  

Headmistress, Mrs Ness-Gifford, said “Founder’s Day is always a highlight of the School’s calendar and the spirit of the 1920s really shone through at Pipers today. It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm of the girls for what is a really special day for the school as we remember our own history whilst also making the most of the opportunity to find out more about the social history of a decade.”