FESTIVE SCHOOL BAKERS COOK UP IMPRESSIVE CAKES FOR CHRISTMAS COMPETITION
09 Jan 2014
Home Economic students from Jesmond based Church High School have created a magnificent array of festive cakes as part of a Christmas competition hosted at the school.
Year nine pupils, aged 13 to 14 years, from Church High spent time this term learning how to bake the cakes, before taking part in creative decorating classes where they were shown how to transform their cakes with marzipan and icing. The girls were then set a special challenge to design their own Christmas cake, based around either a traditional or novelty theme.
Cakes are judged on a wide range of criteria from theme to effort and professionalism. The overall winner of the competition was announced today as Macie Ghahari, who created an exceptional cake based on the theme of Church High complete with the ivy cross of the school’s logo – a tribute to the school in this, its final year. Two first prizes were handed out including an award for best traditional cake which went to Skye Logan and a prize for best novelty cake, which went to Samantha Lithgow. Second and third prizes were awarded to Eleanor Pearson and Georgia Tribe respectively.
The judging panel consisted of Church High head and deputy, Joy Gatenby and Alison Roe, alongside headmistress of Central High, Hilary French, who will become head of Newcastle High School for Girls when the two schools merge in September 2014. Mrs. French was also given the opportunity to hand out her own special award, which was given to Ashleigh Alden for her amusing design featuring Pingu characters.
Head of Home Economics at Church High, Linda Kitto, said: “The girls have had lots of fun baking and designing their cakes in time for the competition judging, I’m so proud of each and every one of them – they have put so much effort and enthusiasm into the competition. It never ceases to amaze me the range of designs that the girls come up with – we have seen everything from a design recreating the Church High school building to novelty penguin designs!”
Hilary French, Central High headmistress who was part of the judging panel, said: “I was overwhelmed by the creativity and skill of the girls, their cakes looked so amazing. They are real works of art and I wouldn’t be surprised if many of the girls are reluctant to cut into them.”
Mrs. Batchelor, who also teaches in the Home Economics department, said: “The girls should be commended for the painstaking work and level of detail that has gone into creating them. It’s always great to see their imaginations at work, every cake is representative of the personality of each individual girl and I’m always fascinated by their creativity.”
Macie Ghahari, from Newcastle, was the winner of the exceptional overall award based on her replica of Church High School including a miniature Church High sign. She said: “As it’s the last year we will be Church High girls, I wanted to create something which would be a celebration of this – recreating the school building seemed like the most fitting idea. My cake took quite a long time to create but I really enjoyed it – I love Home Economics and all subjects which allow you to be creative!”
Mrs. Kitto has been running the competition for the past 12 years and notes that this is one of the highlights in the year nine calendar, forming some of the many memories the girls make at the school. It is a tradition she hopes will continue when the school joins together with fellow Jesmond girls’ school, Central High, to form Newcastle High School for Girls, in September 2014.
Mrs. Kitto continued: “Home Economics is a popular subject here in school – I believe it teaches our pupils many important and practical life skills, such as vital lessons in nutrition and health, food hygiene and safety in the kitchen. I feel very privileged to have worked with so many wonderful pupils and I’m delighted that once again, this year’s competition has been a big success.”
Church High School will join together with Central Newcastle High School in September 2014 to form the region’s new leading independent girls’ school, Newcastle High School for Girls. For more information about everything the school will have to offer pupils, visitwww.newcastlehigh.gdst.net
Photo: Church High winners l-r Georgia Tribe, Ashley Alden, Samantha Lithgow and Eleanor Pearson