A Portrait of the Head Girl as a Young Sister – Holly Folkard-Smith
Name: Georgia Ruthie Folkard-Smith
DoB: 18.01.00
Height: V. Tall
Hair: V. Big
Position: Head of School
Pressure on me: extremely high
Many people may be wondering what Georgia is like behind the scenes, behind the bad cop, behind the hair. But truthfully it’s not all that exciting; her true personality is carried through into her studies, relationships and duties- well apart from a few exceptions. So before we delve into the details of her hidden exterior I will give you some background knowledge.
Georgia has always had a strong passion for reading books, unlike me, and can spend hours engulfed in a series of fiction, crime, fantasy – well, basically anything. This always put her a step ahead of me and when I was asked what I am reading at the moment I embarrassingly say “nothing, I’m just not a books person I prefer to…” and I try to think of something really philosophical to try and put reading to shame: sadly I never think of anything. Also to my advantage Georgia never gets up early, unless forced, and could sleep for the rest of her life if I, her early-rise little sister, didn’t blare music from my stereo at around 9am every morning and ‘accidentally’ slam my wardrobe shut a thousand plus times before going downstairs. But in my opinion, as much as you may say you dislike or hate your sibling, I’ve realised that they are actually smarter and more useful than you think. I’m saying this because Georgia has a unique talent of being able to talk and guide people when they’re lost without sounding patronising or arrogant (a proper peer-supporter) and through hard times, for me, exam seasons, she made me realise that we’ve all made the same mistakes before and that life still goes on, even if you’ve had the worst day or a bad exam. So if you have a sibling, older and/or younger, talk to them: you might enjoy it more than you think, or maybe not; but at least you’ve made the effort of contemplating it for a fraction of a second.
Now for some “facts”. We are both born in the year 2000 so we have the rare title of being Irish twins– when you’re born in the same year but on different days (Georgia in January and myself in December). This also means that once a year, for just under a month, we are the same age. For many of you, you might be thinking “yeah that’s pretty weird” to have a ‘twin like’ characteristic without being actual twins. But Georgia does not. She hates it, probably more than anything else. Having to share your age with your younger sibling!!!??? No it’s just so “not cool” and so unorthodox- siblings that share? Unheard of. This neatly leads me on to my second point: she doesn’t share. EVER. NEVER. NADA. Ever since I can remember Georgia has never been one to believe in the saying ‘Sharing is caring’, well at least not with me. Things ranging from her food, homework, gossip, pillows; nothing is released from her clutches. Her knife usually aids as a weapon against countervailing cutlery or hands and her door as a blockade against an oncoming invasion of her younger sister. In this respect she is the polar opposite of me. However, in spite of all the ‘loving’ things I’ve just said, the fact that we’re so close in age and the issue that what I think is ‘cool’ she thinks is annoying, we couldn’t be more different or more the same.
At the moment this may seem like a page in my diary or a whiny outburst of anger to my mum because Georgia wouldn’t let me in her room. But really the truth is it is all true and really a big softy (behind those glaring looks you get if you’re talking or being disrespecting in the watertight) Anyone who is friends with her or probably only even acquaintances with her can tell you that she gives the most amazing hugs and can make you feel better about anything. Now I don’t encourage you to just walk up to her in the corridor and start to hug her and tell her about your problems, but even then she would hug you back- maybe with a slightly weird look- but she would. She has the most unbelievable talent to have people’s respect and attention and yet balance it out with being funny, comforting and smart. I don’t know how she does it and I admire her everyday for it, she really is my inspiration. But… to quickly divert from this becoming a soppy monologue about how I love her so dearly, I shall move on. Move on to the bit everyone’s been waiting for… the interview. My interview with the Head Girl.
What has changed since you’ve been Head Girl?
‘I’ve gained much more respect from teachers because they now seem to treat me like an actual adult. They didn’t completely before but I’ve learnt that it’s a thing you gain over time, so I wouldn’t exploit it… The interaction with the juniors has increased which has been really nice because I can see that they become more comfortable with talking to the older years. They come up to me in the corridor and it’s really sweet to know that they are confident talking with me… I believe it’s important to start to break down the barriers between the years’.
What subject do you wish you had taken for A-level?
‘R.S- because I took it for GCSE and I love all the debates in lessons where you could be really interactive with the subject and understand both current and historic issues. Also in RS you can develop a real passion for certain areas, as well as become more educated in them… Also there aren’t any wrong answers, as long as you have evidence to back it up, so you never feel like your doing badly.’
If you could do/be anything what would it be?
‘I wish I could speak any language in the world: there would be no barriers or misunderstandings which would not only mean that I could interact with all cultures without relying on them having to speak my language, but also it removes the frustration of not being able to communicate anything to anyone. We’re becoming so lazy’ (Bit rich coming from you Georgia- see the next question).
What do you always look forward to when you go home?
‘My bed. Sleeping in. Having mum make me sandwiches. Mums food in general. Getting away from work. Anything but leaving the vicinity of my room or the neighbouring room’- which is the lounge (so basically being lazy, Georgia?).
Which teacher has impacted on you the most?
‘Mrs. Du Toit definitely. She really created a house that felt like a home away from home which meant that I could talk to her about anything or anyone… We would chat every time she was on duty and she taught me about the importance of introspective” (Holly stares confused at Georgia) “… when you critique yourself, your actions or doings, reflecting on what went well or badly and teaching yourself to think before you speak. This has been a huge help that I now rely on in most situations’.
What annoys you the most at school?
‘Slow walkers, everything at RHS is done is fast, except walking to lessons; like how is that possible? Not only that but people who just stop randomly in front of you, in the corridor, or when groups of people are waiting outside a lesson and they disperse themselves across the width of the corridor… god it’s infuriating- just get off your iPad!!!!’
When you’ve had a really bad day what do you do?
‘Normally my first point of call is to cry’ (same, literally me in every situation) ‘… then I write a list of all the things that have gone wrong or made me upset in the day, tear it up and put it’ (violently) ‘in the bin. Obviously the issues don’t literally go away but it’s very satisfying to do haha’ (After all the crying and tearing) ‘I occupy myself with socialising or reading so that I don’t focus on the bad things… also I hug matron. Matron makes everything better.’
Where do you see yourself in 5 years? (Classic Heady)
‘Probably with an anthropology degree and exploring the world, putting my new found knowledge into practice- as well as having fun’ (for any of you wondering what anthropology is, it’s the study of human societies and cultures and their development: now that can be your “philosophical”, smart come back to reading).
So to close I would like to aid you with another “thought for the week” with some advice for you all, from our Head Girl:
‘Build up relationships with your teachers not so that you can get away from handing in prep late or being allowed to talk a bit during lessons, even though that is a perk; the main reason is because they will be the ones that get you through your exams and when you need extra help and guidance after school times they will be your go-to. If you mess around and treat your teachers like they mean nothing you’ll regret it because you’ll miss out on the bonds that you can build with them through your time here. Ultimately they impact on your life at RHS more than you can imagine… you’ll see how much you rely on them when you leave, trust me I think I’ll miss them the most when I leave hahaha.’
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