Page 100 - Herioter 2021

P. 100

Soﬁa Macchi Watts

Vice-Captain

Soﬁa recalls with great laughter the feedback unusually for an S1 pupil, she took part in House Theatre Studies and I know Soﬁa will continue to
from Iain Woolley in P5 when he told her parents Debating, competing with much older pupils; I challenge herself, discovering new authors and
that she needed to ‘show more initiative’. Ever remember her being the ﬁrst brave person to ask a playwrights and embracing new performances.
conscientious, 10-year-old Soﬁa heeded this question to the speaker and ultramarathon runner Although S6 has been different, Soﬁa has
advice and by the end of P6, Gary Cockburn Ben Smith when he came in to address the whole embraced being part of an excellent team of
was writing, ‘she is precisely the sort of pupil of S1 about his 401 Challenge; she has regularly captains during a pandemic.
in which the school takes pride: conscientious, put forward creative writing entries for school They might have missed out on many parts of
good-humoured and willing to try everything with competitions. And, showing yet more ‘initiative’, the usual captains’ experiences but she speaks
maximum effort.’ she found her way to the Castle Building and the instead of the fun they’ve had making ﬁlms
No surprise then that this talented young drama department where she has spent some of welcoming pupils back on to campus or for Open
woman has risen to the heights of vice-captain her very happiest hours. Morning; the chance to meet the new applicants
and now demonstrates ‘initiative’ in everything A highlight of Soﬁa’s time in P7 was being a for S1 virtually when she helped with their
she does. dancer in the Junior School production of Joseph, entrance assessments; and the strong bond the
And what a journey through school it’s been. but it has been in the Senior School that her four] captains have formed.
Ever modest, Soﬁa attributes her success to passion for drama has really ﬂourished. She’ll miss the school: walking to these
others: the strong friendships she’s maintained From Medea (‘one of the most terrifying familiar buildings across the Meadows each
over the last nine years; the teachers who have experiences of my life’) to her ﬁrst speaking day with Madeleine (who describes the stream
‘made me feel capable of achieving and made part in Animal Farm-ish (she still remembers the of conversation these walks generate as her
me believe in myself’; the amazing drama formative experience of being taught by Kelda daily podcast!); the times in the study room; the
productions where she’s worked with pupils from Henderson and the incredible experience of a fact that teachers have ‘made school feel like
across the school and continued to develop her cast devised show) to helping with the writing something you want to do rather than something
love of theatre. and directing of House Drama for the last three you have to do.’
Soﬁa really does embody the Heriot’s years, Soﬁa has made the Castle Hall a second She wants to tell others to make the most of
unofﬁcial motto ‘work hard, be kind, be happy’, home. every opportunity – ‘it feels like it’s a lifetime but
always giving her best and embracing the many Madeleine Berry speaks warmly of Soﬁa’s role it goes really quickly’ – and she knows the friends
opportunities on offer here. as the ‘mother’ of drama groups, bringing vision, she’s made here will be friends for life. I asked
She happily admits that she would never break energy and home baking to drive the rehearsal her friends for their thoughts about Soﬁa and
the school rules (‘why would you?!’) but this law- process. they were immediately effusive and full of stories
abiding pupil doesn’t take herself too seriously She makes directing a cast of 30 fellow pupils about the happy times they have spent together
and has also shown great resilience when things look easy and is indefatigable in her efforts to and the way she puts 110 percent effort into
have been tough (see the 2020 Herioter for ensure the creative process is rewarding for everything she does.
Soﬁa’s beautiful reﬂective writing about a major everyone. She has played the roles of Wendy Rory summed it up by describing her as
operation in the middle of her National 5 in Peter Pan, Pantaloon in Pinocchio, been part someone ‘who makes every day more energetic,
exams). of the technical crew of A Midsummer Night’s interesting and enjoyable’.
I didn’t have the pleasure of teaching Soﬁa Dream, and has loved her experiences of Higher So should we thank Iain Woolley for his tough
until S5 (when she was part of a very special and Advanced Higher Drama where each lesson advice? Heriot’s has been good for Soﬁa but Soﬁa
Higher English class), but from S1 she was one of is an intense creative experience but also a place has been even better for Heriot’s – we’ll miss this
those pupils I ‘knew’: some of that was probably where Soﬁa feels truly at home and able to cheerful, resilient, caring young woman; we thank
due to her being Charlotte’s younger sister (she share what a fellow pupil affectionately calls her her for all her service, ‘initiative’ and kindness, and
has always been kindly forgiving when staff called ‘daily blog’ of thoughts and reﬂections about wish her every success.
her by her elder sister’s name), but Soﬁa has never everything around her! Next year, she heads
been afraid to step up and, yes, show ‘initiative’: off to Glasgow University to study English and Mrs Gemma Hay

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