This has been an amazing year for Habs. We have come back together as a community, and it has been so wonderful to be able to do all the things that we did before the pandemic and more!
I am so proud of all our students and the way that they have embraced all the opportunities that Habs has to offer. The fantastic Rainbows have been so impressive in their
enthusiastic approach to all that they have tackled this year; what a great start to their Habs journey! Watching them from my office in their outdoor space on trikes and bikes learning how to work as a team is a daily pleasure. The Junior School has been so busy and positive, and I am immensely proud of what they have accomplished. Their Jubilee wall display is quite outstanding, and I want it to stay there for ever. A highlight for me is the portrait of Sir Chris Whitty!
In the Senior School there has been equal enthusiasm for everything
that is on offer. Sport is central to the student experience, and I could not be more proud of our amazing PE department who manage to give such a rich sporting experience to the students. The Music and Drama departments have put on some amazing concerts and performances and the Art department has enriched our School. Other co-curricular activities have been myriad, and I am particularly pleased by the significant academic speakers that we have welcomed to Habs. I am always telling the students that we all need to be Renaissance learners making sure that we are open to
knowledge and wisdom that spans the curriculum.
Above all we need to be, like Mrs Brown from Paddington Bear, decent human beings who are kind and caring to our fellow humans and indeed animals. The world is currently a challenging place, but I am inspired by the response of our students and staff here at Habs. I know that we are rising to that challenge and can make a positive contribution to the present and the future.
Mrs Hardy HeadmistressI have always viewed the Greenhouse as an exuberant celebration of life at Habs, showcasing the sheer amount of talent Habs students have to offer, and the multitude of ways Habs nurtures that talent. Every year, I look forward to receiving my freshly printed copy, and seven years after joining Habs, that excitement has not diminished. In Lower 4 I longed to feature in this magazine, it therefore fills me with unimaginable pride and joy to introduce this year’s Greenhouse.
Being the first Head Prefect of a new prefect system has been exciting and nerve-wracking but the perfect way to end my journey at Habs. Alongside an enthusiastic and highly dedicated Senior Prefect Team, I have been able to give back to a school that has given so much to me.
This year has truly encapsulated the work hard, play hard mentality of Habs. The return of many pre-COVID events has brought the school together once again, and I have gained a newfound appreciation of how lucky I am to be a student at Habs, with a resilient and high-spirited student body and supported by staff who truly care. The way Habs has managed to bounce back and thrive amid the uncertainty of the last few years is testament to the strength of our community, one that I feel so proud to be a part of.
I would like to thank the Headmistress, Mrs Hardy, who has taught us to take change in our stride and embrace the unknown. She has helped us understand the complex history of Habs, encouraged us to care for the wider society outside the Habs bubble and has promoted a culture of kindness and a feeling of unity within the school. It has been a privilege to work with Mrs Hardy, and the Senior Leadership Team.
The last two lines of The Carmen, sung proudly by students at all end of term assemblies, succinctly sum up my feelings about leaving Habs. These are: ‘patiendum, peragendum, mater tibi gratias ’(whatever we must endure elsewhere, whatever we must carry through, Habs we give you our thanks). For the Class of 2022, the future may be uncertain, but the invaluable opportunities and strong moral compass Habs has provided will stay with us. For this I am forever thankful.
For the remaining students, I’d like you to use this magazine as a reminder of how far the discipline, drive and determination of Habs Girls can take us.
Hannah Moshal Head Prefect
Old Haberdashers’ Lacrosse Match 6
Ambulance Visit 6 Aztec Talk 7
Uyghurs in China Talk 7 Navratri Garba 8 Steam Day 9 Lower 4 Quiz 10 Spelling Bee 10 British Science Week 11 Netball Visit 11 St Catherine’s Day 12 MUN 14 EYP 14 Cultural Society Evening 15 Lord Pannick 15 Carol Service 16 Carol Competition 16 UKSDC 17 Dragons’ Den 17 The Platinum Jubilee 18-19
ARTiculation 22
Art Private Viewing 22
A Level and GCSE Art 23-28
Art Week 29 Design and Technology 30-31 House Poetry 32-33 Novel Writing 34 Edna Judd 35 Dance and Drama Showcase 36 Drama Introduction 37 Shakespeare Schools Festival 37 Emilia 38-39 The Glove Thief 40-41 Music Introduction 42 Autum Concert 42 Sinatra Jazz Concert 43 Jazz Concert 43 Spring Concert 44 Chamber Concert 44 Summer Concert 45
Bushcraft 46
Canary Wharf Geography Trip 47
Kings Cross and Camden 48
Margate Art Trip 48 Maths Trip 49 Physics in Action 49 Finance Trip 50 Julius Caesar 51 Poetry 51
Sports Introduction 54 Sports Captains 54 Sports Colours 54 Badminton 55 Cross Country 55 Dance 56 Football 56 Gymnastics 57 Lacrosse 57 Netball 58 Swimming 58 Trampolining 58 Athletics 59 Tennis 59
Individual Achivements 60-61
House - Gillett 62-63 House - Gilliland 64-65 House - Harold 66-67 House - Millar 68-69 House - Powell 70-71 House - Sprules 72-73 Leaving Staff 74-79 New Teaching Staff 80-82 New Support Staff 83 School Positions 84 Memorial Service 85 Obitury 85 Charity Report 86-87
Who Do You Think You Are? 20-21 and 52-53
From
Welcome to the 2021-22 edition of the Greenhouse!
This year has been one of the most challenging yet, and if one word were to describe it, it would be resilience. The start of the academic year in September 2021 marked Habs return to normal school life after emerging from the disruptive haze of COVID-19, and we have since welcomed back the familiar Habs atmosphere of inter-year activities, our competitive house events, and our close-knit community.
The year has shown true Habs spirit, with the students, staff members and wider Habs community taking such changes in their stride, and the result has been an incredible school year packed with vibrancy, risk-taking and excellence. From the buzzing House Dance contest to the Carol Service and
wider volunteering and charity events, this year has truly been one of seizing opportunities and it has been amazing to reflect on the incredible achievements of the student body, both within and outside the Habs bubble.
It has been my pleasure to work with the talented Greenhouse team this year, and to have the input of such a diverse and inquisitive student body, and I have been so grateful to be a part this long-standing and beloved Habs tradition. I would lastly like to thank Ms Maister for being the supportive and creative mastermind of the Magazine and for making this edition possible. Sia Editor
The hotly contested 1st Team vs Alumnae Lacrosse Match was played under a sky of grey clouds, but on a pitch packed with big smiles.
Habs Girls, old and new stared into the face of the opponent: this was the big game. The Old Haberdashers were fighting to seal their reputation, while the 1 Team were fighting to forge a reputation.
It was a fierce match, but the sportsmanship and skills made it an event to remember. And the game was not just confined to inside the white lines. Everyone, from parents, to headmistress Mrs Hardy, from teachers to former students, coaches, and of course the players, were all involved, all enjoying the friendly competitive spirit that only lacrosse can bring.
It was it a day of celebration, not just for the former students (with a win of 7 to 4) but for us all. We were able to play against some of the best players Habs has ever seen! The laughter and friendship created by this day of lacrosse will be remembered as a fond memory for Habs students, old and new.
As part of the form topic ‘Helping in your Community and First Aid’, Habs welcomed the London Ambulance Service to the school.
One of our teachers, Mr Davies, is a volunteer First Responder, who are
typically the first at an emergency.
Mr Davies, and his colleague, showed us the equipment they carry to aid casualties. Two students volunteered to demonstrate the ‘scoop’ (used to safely lift people after car crashes),
and special chair to move people into the ambulance. We saw pumps and vacuums, a defibrillator.
Mr Davies explained how hard it is to move casualties on stairs, particularly in flats to basements.
The volunteer programme is only for the London Ambulance Service, and there are currently around 150 volunteers in the Emergency Responder team. In 2020, they completed 2,422 12-hour shifts or 28,868 volunteer hours and attended nearly 9,000 emergency calls.
The visit gave us a deeper understanding of the London Ambulance service; a glance at careers; and a new appreciation for the work that the Ambulance Service and First Responders undertake.
U4 Aleph
In March, Habs students had the pleasure of listening to guest speakers Ian and Graciela Mursell, and their granddaughter Joanna, who presented a talk on the Aztecs to us.
The talk was informative and riveting as the family highlighted the traditions of their ancestors, shedding a new light on the relationship between the Aztecs and
the Mayans, and illustrating their cultural practices. These included their preparation of food, weapons used in warfare, dress, religion, medicine and more. A highlight was the live demonstration of traditional musical instruments identifying crucial links between Aztec music and nature, one of the most fundamental aspects of Aztec culture. Some of these instruments included vertical war drums, ocarinas and even turtle shells.
We were also shown pictures of one of the most vital pieces of their culture, the sunstone, with Joanna standing beside it, truly capturing the size and impressive detail of this piece of art.
Overall, the talk was eye-opening to cultures beyond our own to investigate how they have become subtly implemented in our own lives today, through elements such as linguistics and food.
Anna Fuge L6DT
Habs Politics Society welcomed Rahima Mahmut, director of the World Uyghur Congress (UK) and Adviser to the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance in China.
Rahima spoke about the current situation of the Uyghurs in China.
As an Uyghur Muslim herself, Rahima moved to the UK in 2000 from Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China. However, her family members are among the hundreds of thousands with an unknown fate in Xinjiang Province.
Rahima is a prominent voice against the human rights violations that have been imposed on the Uyghur Muslims by the Chinese government.
Rahima explained the history of the Uyghurs is China, the impact of the Cultural Revolution of 1976 and the Tiananmen Square protest in 1989. We were also told about so called ‘re-education’ camps that allegedly detain up to 3 million people.
It was an informative and engaging talk about an important issue which must not be overlooked.
PolSoc learns about the history and current treatment of the Uyghurs in China
Mahmut
Habs Hindu Society, from both schools, organised a Garba evening for all years and all faiths, to experience ‘garba’ – a traditional Gujarati folk dance, traditionally enjoyed during the festival of Nine Nights called Navaratri, dedicated to the Divine Feminine. Garba is also danced during the festival of Sharad Purnima which celebrates the God, Krishna, who we worshipped on the night of the Habs Garba.
Volunteers decorated Habs with fairy lights and Saris, and the main statue of Krishna was placed in the centre. After opening prayers, the night began with the three-clap dance called Tran Tali, which lasted around half an hour!
This was followed by an explanation of the meaning behind the evening and then the main committee (students
from both Habs schools) performed the Aarti on behalf of all present. After the Aarti, we served food and had a break for everyone to socialise.
After the break, Dylan Shah played the dhol accompanied by Yash Shah on the the tabla which everyone danced to, followed by dandiya raas which went on for 15 minutes, which everyone learnt quite quickly. Then we had Ramjaniyu to the dhol which everyone energetically danced to. Ramjaniyu was the highlight of everyone’s night with the entire hall dancing for a long time. The dhol player then played some bhangra which was the perfect end to the night.
To close the night off, we announced the winners of the best dressed competition, one from the Boys’ School and one from the Girls’ School.
Overall, the night was a huge success. Everyone had fun with their friends, and we can’t wait to hold the event again.
Nikisha Patel U6 AT and Krish Gadhia L6 C1
Garba - Circular folk dance involving specific steps and clapping (popular in Gujarat)
Tran tali - As above but with three rhythmic claps instead of one Dhol - Large Indian drum played with special beaters
Tabla - Two drums (one larger, one smaller) that are played with the hands to create different sounds and rhythms
Dandiya raas - Folk dance involving pairs of dancers who all use sticks and steps rhythmically
Ramjaniyu - Folk dance involving linked groups of dancers moving backwards and forwards across the floor rhythmically
Bhangra - Traditionally Punjabi dancing that is popular across India involving repeated arm and foot movements
In June Habs held a STEAM STEAM Day, for Lower 5 students, with seven workshops promoting the ways STEM and the arts are interlinked.
The day focused on two themes: space and forensics. There was a mix of workshops run by school teachers and outside organisations. The groups participated in three of the following workshops: space dome, stage combat, CSI, photography, medical art, graffiti and special effects makeup. It was an enlightening day filled with fun and a valuable insight into what careers in STEAM can look like.
53 respondents (50%) answered fun for this question. makeup because it was fun graffiti workshop makeup workshop
I really enjoyed STEAM Day.
The first activity was stage combat, where we learnt how to fake a fight like actors on stage or in films. We covered a range of moves then performed our routine.
In makeup, we learnt how to create realistic looking cuts and bruises, and how make up is used, on stage and in films, to create fake injuries.
team
Next was CSI, where working in groups, and using clues and evidence, we set about solving a murder. We had access to labs and were able to perform blood tests using similar equipment to that used professionally. This session taught us how to think and work like a detective, and promoted teamwork, working under pressure and focus.
super fun
CSI workshop new space dome
interesting and fun
CSI because it was fun different and fun makeup and CSI
fun fun day stage combat Workshop as it was fun skill and very fun workshop was my favourite stage makeup lot of fun
STEAM Day was organised by the Sixth Form Gold Arts Award students. We were placed in random groups, which meant working with Lower 5 students we hadn’t really worked with before. Each group did three activities.
Raiya Chandaria L5 A
In the Spring Term, Lower 4 students at Habs Girls and Habs Boys came together for a general knowledge quiz in the conference room of Habs Girls.
The teams were made up of groups of six, three students from each school forming a team and working together in Houses.
It was great fun to collaborate with our peers at the Boys’ School and make some new friends as part of the competitive event!
Thank you to Mr Harper for putting the quiz together – we really enjoyed it!
Jura Ahmad L4 AA chance for the Upper 4 to try something new
Despite hearing a lot about spelling bees, I had never actually competed in one until the Modern Foreign Languages event. I must admit I was quite nervous. I was the representative from my class for Spanish, and I went against other students from different classes.
I spent a lot of time revising and preparing. When I finally came to the Lecture Theatre to compete, I found myself more at ease and less nervous. All my friends had come to support me, and I ended up enjoying the experience.
We were asked to spell out the words verbally that were dictated to us, and fortunately I performed to my best. I was thrilled when I won it, and so glad that I had signed up. In the end, the three winners for German, French
and Spanish (Emily, Freya, and me) were prized with a heap of chocolate and a certificate. I think it was a great experience for anyone to take part in,
and with enthusiasm and hard work it could be a very rewarding one too.
Sanjana Vijay U4 AlephAs part of British Science Week, the Lower 4 took part in a rocket design and build workshop.
In the morning, we gathered in the Lecture Theatre to hear a briefing led by Miss Percy about NASA’s Launch Vehicle, known as the Mars Rover, and its mission to Mars. She explained that the project would be to craft a rocket! We were then put into teams for the day, and we soon began our journey of making durable, aerodynamic and innovative rockets.
After paying close attention to the construction, we began the first testing stage, where we launched our rockets to
either test the distance travelled of the rocket or how long it could stay in the air.
After many tests we proceeded to go into different rooms to finally see if all our hard work paid off. The results were amazing! Many groups ended up having the rocket stay in the air for a large amount of time or even getting the maximum distance the rockets could have travelled. Overall, it was a great experience!
Tiffany Adeeyinwo L4 A
In the Autumn Eboni Usoro-Brown, an England netball player and part of the gold-medal winning team at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 came to visit Habs.
As well as being a Super League and England netball player, Eboni is also a mum and a solicitor. At lunchtime the whole school was able to hear her talk about her journey to elite sport, achievements and managing a balance between work and commitments. This was extremely beneficial as it really showed us how useful time management is and that you can do
it all if you plan correctly. There were various sessions and talks held throughout the day targeted at different year groups. The Upper 4 benefited from her leading their netball PE lessons.
The Lower 6 listened to a talk from Eboni about future careers and goal setting. She shared valuable tips on how to balance sport with a career.
Finally, the U16 and U19 netball squads received a fun, high intensity afterschool training session.
It was an extremely successful and insightful day.
For the first time in Habs history our Patron Saint’s day is marked with a cathedral service
Thursday 25 November 2021 was a special day at Habs. The school held its St Catherine’s Day Service at St Albans Cathedral for the very first time.
For the first time in Habs history, the entire school was included, with students from Year 5 to Upper 6 inside the cathedral and Rainbow to Year 4 watching online.
St Catherine Singers opened the service with Grace Williams’ setting of Psalm 150 The service itself included a variety of hymns, readings and prayers, from traditional hymns such as Jerusalem, For all the Saints
and the School Carmen, to readings of the Bhagavad Gita
One of the most spectacular performances of the day was given by singers from the Year 5 and 6 Choir, who sang the hymn of All Things Pass by Bob Chilcott.
The magnificence of the cathedral, coupled with the harmonies of the choir and the presence of the students, made the event one of the most momentous and memorable of the year and one of the most beautiful St Catherine’s Days yet.
Sia Kulkarni L6 KXO
On St Catherine’s Day, Bash Street Theatre Bash Street brought a playful musical adventure to life through a mix somewhere between film noir and slapstick physical comedy.
The Cameraman is a tale by a detective recounting his time as a young crime-fighter, set around the seedy ‘Café du Pont’ in the roaring 20s. The tale was told through music, acrobatics and silent comedy, on top of the well-choreographed physicality of the play, making for an entertaining piece of slapstick.
The audience enjoyed the chase and fight scenes in front of the little ‘Café du Pont’. The vaudeville style comedy made the audience laugh but there was also the tangible suspense of the mystery itself.
The production was interactive, and the inclusion of the audience members on stage added to the pandemonium.
Students felt the playfulness and versatility of the performers in addition to the impressive acrobatic and fire features was the highlight of the show.
The Cameraman is an entertaining play combining mystery, music and feather boas into an extravaganza of film noir, vaudeville and slapstick, making for a unique and enjoyable afternoon at Habs.
Herts Young Homeless is an organisation local to Habs that focuses on preventing homelessness via education in schools and family mediation. The hope is to help solve family issues before it is too late.
In addition, the charity supports 16-24 year olds deal with housing issues and difficult situations - such as mental health problems. The service helps young people build confidence and find stability.
On St Catherine’s Day, Habs was privileged to welcome Herts Young Homeless. The talk given helped educate students on the difficulties of homelessness and what we can do to help. Hearing from someone who has been
homeless helped us understand what some people go through in their lives at such a young age. It made us all think about how difficult it is for young people who have to leave their home to escape issues of safety or because they have been kicked out.
It left us understanding how fortunate many of us are.
We are very grateful to Herts Young Homeless for teaching us about the serious matter of homelessness within Hertfordshire.
AnvitaMaloo L5 A
Between Friday 11 and Sunday 13 of March around 20 students took part in the 13th annual HABSMUN conference.
All the delegates were extremely excited to as this was the first in-person conference for two years.
There were nine committees each debating relevant and topical questions such as, preparing for future pandemics, and the how to resolve the conflict in Ukraine.
This was a great opportunity for students to improve teamwork as they had to collaborate with delegates from other schools when constructing resolutions.
Furthermore, everyone was able to develop their debating skills and confidence when speaking in front of larger audiences. Indeed, all delegates argued eloquently to pass logical solutions to the questions posed, with Habs student Lana Momin, winning the award for Highly Commended Delegate.
Overall, HABSMUN 2022 was a unique and rewarding experience and all delegates look forward to taking part again next year.
Two co-educational Habs teams attended the European Youth Parliament regional competition at St Paul’s School, Barnes. The day was comprised of six debates, on topics relevant to those currently being discussed by the EU.
Two of these topics were discussed by our teams; ITRE (industry research and energy) with a resolution on sustainability in the fashion industry, and ENVI (environment, public health and food safety) with a resolution on tackling vaccine hesitancy.
The level of debate across all teams was phenomenal, with each resolution being defended and attacked from various angles whist looking for solutions. One resolution sought to solve issues of immigration, and the well-being of refugees, whilst another looked the European repatriation of African artifacts.
Habs ITRE was one of two teams to go through to nationals!
The day was fun and full of intellectual discussion. It was an opportunity to make friends and improve teamwork, and everyone was able to express ideas and opinions in a thoughtful and constructive way, leading to a series of compelling debates.
In February more than 120 members of the Habs community came together to recognise and celebrate the wide range of cultures in our school.
Organised and led by Sixth Formers, Cultural Society Social, joint with Habs Boys was the perfect opportunity for individuals to further their understanding of other cultures in an exciting and engaging way.
From getting Henna to Chopstick Races and Origami making, there was something new for everyone to try. My highlight of the evening was the dancing: both teaching and leading the song “Mashiach,” – a popular Jewish party song and learning the dance “Ranjaniyu,” led by the Dhol (Indian drum) player.
The option of wearing traditional clothing from your own culture was another special element that really enhanced the atmosphere. It was wonderful to see students from all years getting involved and trying something new. I can’t wait for next year, where hopefully the event will only grow and develop.
Lara Bassalian L6 TDLord Pannick QC came to Habs to answer to the question many barristers are confronted with: ‘How can you act for such terrible people?’
As an extremely respected barrister, he has had a career mainly focused on Public Law and Human Rights, arguing cases before the Supreme Court, Appellate Committee of the House of Lords, European Court of Justice and European Court of Human Rights.
Speaking with character and incorporating humorous anecdotes, he argued that no defence barrister should refuse a case based on personal values - this would mean they should be judged on those they did not choose to defend.
Lord Pannick taught students about strategy in criminal law, explaining that the objective is not always to convince the court that the accused is innocent but sometimes to
prove the prosecution’s case is weak by arguing that there is not enough evidence to prove the guilt of the defendant ‘without reasonable doubt’.
Lord Pannick had a real interaction with the audience, with everyone actively considering their own moral standpoints, which made for an exciting event.
Victoria Pellerani Concha U6 CR‘How can you act for such terrible people?’
Lord Pannick QC visits Habs Girls
and fun
Solace in a bleak midwinter
Last December, we tasted a little of the old norm.
The carol service, with a small congregation, was held in the majestic St Martin-in-the-Fields, and although students could not attend in the same numbers as previously an overwhelming sense of community was still felt by the gathered Sixth Form, former students and members of the Haberdashers’ company.
The whole congregation sang Habs favourites, including Hark the Herald Angels Sing and O Come All Ye Faithful
We also listened to powerful renditions of Lift Up Your Voice, Alleluia, The Colours of Christmas and In the Bleak Midwinter by the Fourth Form and Senior Choir, St Catherine’s Singers, and Cantabile. One highlight was hearing Christ Be Our Light by Estelle Qin, winner of this year’s Carol Competition.
The service provided a festive and joyful start to the Christmas holidays. The exciting and explosive organ voluntary, which finished the service, left us feeling inspired and enlightened.
We left with the resounding sense of community and celebration, which I greatly look forward to experiencing again next year.
Avital Cohen L6 GAM
The annual festive Habs Girls School Christmas Carol Competition, now in its fourth year, encourages musicians from Habs and other schools to broaden their musical understanding through the challenge of composing a Christmas Carol.
After much preparation, the finalists’ pieces are then performed, by a professional trio, at the Chamber Concert. A winner is then declared. It was wonderful to hear the carols along with other performances at the concert. The entries were to a very high standard and showcased the various strengths of the entrants.
The winning piece Christ Be Our Light was composed by Estelle Qin, from Godolphin and Latymer School.
Habs Lower 6 musician Kira Lee was runner-up, with her piece ‘What Child is This?’.
Congratulations to everyone who took part, it was an incredibly high standard, and thank you also to our wonderful performers.
Stephanie Chau L6 RJA
The UKSDC consists of multiple ‘companies’ (teams) given a brief to design a detailed space settlement, set years into the future.
Our team divided into four main sections: Structural, Operations, Human and Automation, each displaying a huge relevance across a wide range of academic subjects. By working efficiently as a united team and considering how to distribute roles for each person to complete based on their abilities and strengths, we progressed past the regional round in December, meaning we were successfully through to Nationals.
As part of a larger six schools’ team and over a 24hour period, the national round had the requirements of constant research in order to make informed decisions about the settlement and create a comprehensive presentation set before a panel of judges.
The competition brought together a diverse group of communication, leadership, problem solving and technical skills, and after intense work and collaboration, the results were a well-thought-out presentation, and an overall national win for our Habs team!
Shah L6 DT and Shyan Shah (BS)
Middle 5 and Upper 5 students from Habs Elstree Schools pitch business ideas to dragons
We were instructed come up with an idea that would solve a societal problem and present it ‘The Dragons’.
This year’s panel was Emma Woods, Former CEO of Wagamama, Tim Campbell MBE, currently Lord Sugar’s right hand on The Apprentice 2022, Shobi Khan, CEO of Canary Wharf Group and Nica Burns OBE, CEO of Nimax Theatre Group.
First, we showed a digital version, and drafts of expected profits. In the next round we presented our idea of ‘NodPods’ to businesspeople, and then we were through to the finals!
Trembling with excitement and apprehension we presented our idea. There was fierce competition. All the teams displayed superb ideas with persuasive delivery. It was a challenging task, but the judges
announced their final decision – we had won!
Dragons’ Den was an amazing experience, we developed our public speaking and feedback from the ‘Dragons’ was invaluable. It has helped us to grow in confidence to hopefully become entrepreneurs .
But it is one thing to read about dragons and another to meet them.
Ursula K. Le Guin, A Wizard of Earthsea
The school’s celebration of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee was a truly joyful event. From the moment we arrived at Habs and entering the building caught a glimpse of the magnificent red and white helter-skelter, that towered over the Junior School playground, everyone was buzzing with excitement.
However, when the time finally came to let the celebrations begin, we were astounded. Everyone loved the bright and cleverly designed stalls (including temporary tattoos, ring toss and pin the tail on the corgi).
The afternoon also led to a lot of healthy competition between the Houses. We were given cards with the various activities on them, and we all raced to tick off our cards and return them to the Heads of House to gain some well-deserved House points.
After all that fun we were more than ready for some afternoon tea in the form of exquisite cakes and ice cream.
Re-energised we then all scrambled onto the rides. After waiting in some extremely long queues, we experienced the thrill of the carousels, rocking boats and helter-skelter!
The whole event was extremely successful, and everyone thoroughly enjoyed it.
Mr Doe, “I thought it was a marvellous opportunity for the whole school come together to celebrate a unique event in the life of our nation. The funfair rides, the cake and the ice creams were the perfect way to capture the joyful mood as we all celebrated Her Majesty’s 70 years as our Queen.”
I could talk to the animals
Many of us have heard of the company MediVet, but the name Asher Teper is unknown.
The Medivet Veterinary Group was founded in 1987 by Asher Teper –my grandpa.
He was born in Cape Town, South Africa, and originally denied attendance to study at university, due to his poor grades. However, later, the university recognised his talent and accepted him to study veterinary medicine at
Onderstepoort, the South African Veterinary training school.
Having established a successful veterinary practise in Cape Town, in 1986 he and his family, emigrated to the UK where he established the Medivet Veterinary Group. He was instrumental in developing Medivet into a fast growing and successful veterinary partnership.
My grandpa was a highly intelligent man and someone I aspire to be like.
Ashleigh Teper M5 AskeMy interesting family relatives come from the Mendoza side of my family tree, which can be traced back to the 15th century.
My great grandfather many times removed was Daniel Mendoza who was a famous boxer who became the 18th boxing champion of England from 1792–1795. He also won the English championship in 1792. He was of Sephardic or Portuguese Jewish descent, becoming the first Jew to ever meet with an English king.
Evie Sultman L6 GAM
Aurelio Peccei is my great grandfather; he was born on in 1908, in Turin, Italy, and died in 1984 in Rome, Italy.
During World War II, he joined the anti-fascist movement, this led to him being arrested and tortured for 11 months until he was eventually freed in 1945.
After the war, as an Italian industrialist he was involved in the rebuilding of Fiat as well as founding Alitalia Airlines. He was also a philanthropist but is perhaps best known as co-founder in 1968 and first president of the Club of Rome, with 100 members including heads of state and government, UN administrators and highlevel politicians from around the globe.
Sofia Peccei Lower 6 KXO
I’ve always known who I am, but it was not until I had to go up on stage in Year 10 to get my O Level certificates that my friends discovered who I was.
With great glee the headmistress read out my full name, Sarah-Anne Genesta Plantagenet de Brotherton much to the amusement of the whole school.
I am a direct descendent of Edward the First, a Plantagenet King, also known as Edward Longshanks and
the Hammer of the Scots, through his son Thomas of Brotherton, first Earl of Norfolk.
This means I am also related to Richard the Third, the King whose remains were found under a carpark, and attended his reinternment as a member of the Plantagenet Family. Sadly, apart from an official coat of arms being a Plantagenet comes with no wealth or status.
Mrs Deamer
Every champion was once a contender who refused to give up.
Rocky Balboa
“
“
He was so handsome and great, so powerful in arms, that of him may one speak as long as the world lasts.
Peter Langtoft
“ “
There are internal school heats, regional heats and a national final. The task is to deliver a 10-minute speech and answer questions from the audience and judges, on a chosen piece of art.
It was out of my comfort zone, but I decided to take part in the Habs heat and talk about the architecture of the Sydney Opera House. This was a great introduction to speaking publicly and a fascinating chance to listen to other students’ speeches.
delivered my speech during a sixth form section assembly.
Then, in February, I went to a regional heat at the MK Gallery in Milton Keynes. The other competitors and I were nervous, but the atmosphere was supportive. Ultimately, we grew in confidence and achieved a sense of accomplishment from the experience.
ARTiculation is a national and international public speaking competition that encourages young people to consider, think and speak about art.
After this, I improved and practised my speech, the historical detail and its importance to Australia. I then
ARTiculation taught me self-belief and the value of perseverance.
Amy Clark L6 JRA
Friends and family were invited to admire the sensational display which summarised two years’ worth of art projects.
Those lucky enough to receive VIP passes were impressed by the quality, skill, and diversity of the work. The atmosphere during the evening was electric, with any proud moments shared between family and friends.
Diverse ranges of media featured in each students’ project, ranging from the traditional pencil, pen, and acrylic paint to more complex mixed media including stitch, plastic, ceramics, textiles, charcoal, and photography.
Over the two-year long course our teachers encouraged us to push ourselves and express our
individualism and I overheard many visitors commenting that each students’ projects were so different and unique.
It was also a fantastic opportunity for the GCSE students to visit the A
Level exhibition, and those taking A Level Art next year left enthused by the work of Habs A Level students, and excited to start the course in September.
Tanya Gupta U5 Aleph
During the first week of February, Habs had the honour of welcoming five artists into the Art department.
Many workshops that spanned across the week with artists: Paul Brandsford, Paul Regan, Jeanette Barnes, Lucy Brown, and Wendy Jacobs, introducing a new stance on creativity to and prompting some wildly ingenious artistic creations from the students across the board.
Some of the art styles we experimented with included portraiture, urban landscape, illustrations, life drawing and sculpture. The workshops included riveting talks
from the artists about their skills, the process of their work and how they built up their careers.
The highlight of the programme, however, was the full day on Saturday in which students selected a workshop of their choice. This entertaining day enabled us to hone our skills, essential to creative subjects within the school community. Not only was this a fantastic opportunity for the development of imaginative dexterity, but it also gave students ranging from Lower 4 to Lower 6 an opportunity to mingle and share ideas, furthermore, cultivating a palpable sense of friendship.
Anna Fuge L6 DTI designed and produced my Bluetooth speaker with the Art Deco style in mind. Using the centre lathe, I turned down pins which allow it to spin and rotate to project the sound in any direction whilst also being able to be wall mounted. Learning how to make a functioning speaker with the electronics has been very interesting and has brought a new angle into DT for A Level.
Alexandra Delaney L6 RDDMy Bluetooth speaker is a modern take on the geometry and repeating patterns of the Art Deco era. To create this design, I looked at different ways a hexagon could be overlapped and tessellated, as well as exploring the absorption and patterns of marble inks on the surfaces of different materials. My final prototype is a wall mounted, portable Bluetooth speaker, with an open structure and architectural design aesthetic.
Nikita Haria L6 JRA
This is my Bluetooth speaker made of plywood and polypropylene. It is inspired by the Memphis design movement, in particular the artist Camille Walala.
Phoebe Grankin L6
ADL
While researching art from the Art Deco era, I stumbled across various images of sunflowers, the colourful images prompted me to design a product that were inspired by the images. I played around with forming acrylic to produce a colourful sunflower with a Bluetooth speaker.
Beatrice Pavitt L6 GAM
My Bluetooth speaker incorporated the old designs of record players that were used during the Art Deco era. I explored the idea of the phonograph further which led me to creating a speaker resembling a flower as the petals in the phonograph and the petals of a flower looked the same. Additionally, in the Art Deco era, metallic and bold colours were very prominent, so I chose to use planished copper and walnut wood.
Jeeya Solanki L6 RDDI think I’ll just sit here a little while The birds’ cool voices tumble from the tree I never found a way to make him smile.
The kitchen’s unforgiving, death-white tile Lies silent, cold, an unforgetting sea. I think I’ll just sit here a little while.
I filled my words with brine, I let them pile Over my eyes and now I cannot see. I never found a way to make him smile.
We stumbled on, mile after mile My promises exhale, relenting, free. I think I’ll just sit here a little while
And feel his shadowed, folding hand, reconcile His closing eyes with those once fixed on me. I never found a way to make him smile.
I stayed, he splintered, sank beneath the trial; My choices fall and I must let them be. I think I’ll just sit here a little while. I never found a way to make him smile.
the world turns again and it’s a mellow dawn, the sky a pale yellow, today, I’m a small girl caring only for little things I can hide away, shiny pennies, polished conkers, tall daisies, all pressed together in the pockets of my dress, I lay them in a storage drawer amid plastic toys and the world turns over once morethis time it’s standard british weather, that constant steady patter against the window, I’m an old man with a flat cap, dark matted hair and wrinkled fingers, clinging onto the bus handrail, wondering about how I’m still alive, while half chewing on a blackcurrant cough sweetthe day ends as soon as it began then the world turns over again, cold winter sunset this time and I’m a worn-out teenage boy with calloused hands and a need for sunlight, lying under the same gaudy shade of lamplight he’d been brought up under some time ago, no time passes though, and the world turns over againnow an explorer’s ghost, weary, watchful, lingering at the hinges on the door, fitting myself into the spaces between brick and concreteyet, the world turns over and I’m flowing like blood through the heart, I’m a vessel, redemption’s carrier, cutting through air, steadily moving through city smokeI don’t even get a chance to breathe before the world turns over again-we’re back where we started sitting on your bedroom floor waiting to be reborn you whisper, “your bones are only hostels” and the world turns over once more.
Anjali Mistry MillarChoice as a story of lives lived and a quote with forgotten context
The Queen of Hearts resides in my chest. She is clinging to my innards like an infant to a mother Her desperate fists squeeze the breath from my lungs Her feet stamp on my heart as it thumps.
Tugging at its strings, she is my puppeteer.
Yet she flails her fists as a blubbering child. With the leer of her cardinal lips, And the serrated edge of her hips And there she goes - she slips
She tumbles down now, dodging ribs
She falls as Alice once did, down the rabbit holes of arteries
‘EAT ME’ the insides of my stomach will scream as she cascades.
She complies, with greedy helpings of my insides. I twist and squirm from the fray within me. Yet no one even knows she is there.
With every question, consideration, and interrogation She once again plummets till she reaches my very toes Inevitable and yet there will never be change. That is the battle of choice, for the Queen of Hearts who resides in my chest.
The Queen of Hearts, characterised within Alice in Wonderland as symbolic of Alice’s internal conflict, is presented as a metaphor for the irreconcilability of when a choice is given and the inducement of anxiety that may be caused. This is depicted by the descent of the Queen of Hearts down the human body, mimetic of the saying ‘my heart dropped’ when nervous or uncertain. There is a tone of irony within the poem I have created, with the presentation of the Queen using a lexical field connoting to childhood despite being placed in such a fundamental position of power. In addition to this, the mise-en-page is reflective of the fall of the Queen, creating fragmentation through the separation of stanzas and the isolation of lines, contrasting the fluidity illustrated by the use of enjambement throughout. Furthermore, it is with the use of these language techniques and literary allusion that I present the struggle of choice within my poem.
Anna Fuge SprulesStudents from the Girls’ and Boys’ Schools submitted the first 10 pages of their novel to be judged by Luigi Bonomi, a literary agent and friend of Habs
For the Novel Writing Competition 2022 students from both schools were invited to write the opening ten pages of a novel catering to a young adult audience. Luigi Bonomi of LBA Books has continued to support the school by judging this competition. He was unable to attend in person but sent these words for the finalists.
“I think the standard of entries is particularly high this year and I’d like to congratulate you all for making the effort to
Driving out of Dublin, on the last week of the summer holidays, I lower the window beside me and free my head from the confines of the car allowing my hair to blow in the breeze. I breathe in the damp wilderness, feeling I could willingly melt into its boggy softness. Burnt shades of peaty brown, rough coated with scraggy yellow and green, peppered with the pink and purple of late flowering heather stretching out, slip past. We speed over and down passes, the Dublin Mountains rising and falling in rhythm with our small car’s motion.
In the distance behind you can see the whole of the city, and way beyond the ferry ports. Occasionally cyclists pass us on the narrow roads, their lycraclad, sleek bodies speeding around bends, colourful helmets glistening like exotic insects. It begins raining heavily again.
take part. But there have to be winners, and this year when discussing the outstanding entries, I find myself talking about “confidence” a lot. This is something that agents and editors say all the time, but which is really hard to explain - you could be confident in your writing, after all, but be completely wrong. It definitely doesn’t mean arrogance or excessive belief in your skills - to me it’s something that could be compared to musical expertise; it means the ability to choose just the perfect word in the perfect situation, with nothing out of place.”
The definition of love is ‘an intense feeling of deep affection’. In movies they make love seem so easy. They make feelings so easy. You meet your soulmate, fall in love and live happily ever after. But in real life it’s not like that. A lot of people can agree that feelings are difficult, but they are much harder when you don’t really understand them. For the longest time I could never imagine myself feeling this feeling of ‘deep affection’.
Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by the subclinical inability to identify and describe emotions experienced by oneself. So basically, meaning you struggle to understand emotions and feelings. Living with Alexithymia isn’t difficult but annoying. Not being able to understand or relate to people feelings is honestly irritating. But not be able to speak about or understand my own is a whole other story. That’s why love has always been a difficult topic for me. There’s a difference between loving your family and romantic love. Reading helps me understand what love is meant to feel like. The detailed description of what love is meant to be like can help me imagine what I should be feeling.
Dharanie Pankayachelvan M5 AskeI stepped towards a bookshelf, searching the array of books before me, the many genres blurred my gaze. My eyes focused on an intriguing yellow spotted spine, that held a poem for every day of the year.
After searching through, I found a poem called “Unfinished poem” by Barrie Wade. It describes the journey of a plant. A seed grows into a blooming flower helped by water, shelter, care and love. The flower eventually dies, but produces more seeds, which creates an endless life cycle.
Everyone begins as a seed, and as you grow, your interactions and experiences give you nourishment. With support and love you will bloom into a beautiful flower. The poem shows that the meaning of life is not the blooming at the end point but the growing and journey.
During the different stages of the competition, I improved my reciting, slowing down certain words and emphasising phrases. I found that listening to other students recite improved my recital. This experience helped me grow in my performing and public speaking skills.
Aerin Russell L4 AlphaFor Edna Judd, everyone in Lower 4 and Upper 4 had to select a poem, to recite in front of their form.
I chose the poem ‘See It Through’ by Edgar Albert Guest because it is empowering. Every performance was unique, and the teachers had to choose five people, from each form, to go to the next round.
The second round was in Houses, and two students, one from each from year, were selected for the final round.
The competition was an opportunity to explore poems and how to present them. I had to think about my pace, my volume, whether my tone of voice suited the meaning of the poem and many more aspects.
Gabriella Willman U4 Aske
Habs Dance and Drama Showcase was a wonderful display of creative pieces performed by mixed year group dance companies, dance and drama soloists and drama groups ranging across all senior years. Some of these pieces were invented by dance and drama teachers and others devised and choreographed by students alone.
The show opened with a devised modern interpretation on Little Red Riding Hood by an Upper 4 drama group. The inspired work incorporated multiple Brechtian techniques, such as comedy and breaking the fourth wall, and was a light-hearted watch for the audience. Other drama pieces featured multiple passages from Sharman Macdonald’s
play After Juliet, such as Rosaline’s monologue; and, a snippet of a 30-minute Romeo and Juliet piece.
There was a large array of dance pieces: ranging from a Lower 4 Open Dance Club’s Dancing Through the Ages piece - exploring different styles - to an emotional contemporary group piece from the Upper 6 dancers titled Recovery. It was wonderful to see a fusion of younger dancers being encouraged to just enjoy dancing and Company dancers displaying developed dancing maturity.
The Upper School Dance Company closed the show with Machine. The piece had moments of effective machinerylike unity and moments of breaking out of the static norm.
Overall, the evening was thoroughly enjoyed by audience and performers, and was a delightful celebration of these performing arts.
Naomi Gershlick U6 AT
Waiting in the wings of the stage, adrenaline rushing through our veins, there was only one thought in our minds: we had to do this play – Romeo and Juliet –justice. After months of effort and rehearsals, all that mattered was this one moment. We channelled our nerves and excitement into giving it our all.
We had already performed a snippet of our play to an audience, but this performance was entirely different. This was a professional theatre – the Watersmeet Theatre, Rickmansworth – with a massive stage and unmatched light and sound technology. All of this made our experience much more daunting, but in hindsight much more enjoyable too!
However, it was not just the acting that brought this play to life, the costumes played a major role in giving our characters some colour. We had two themes that correlated with the two warring households and the whole look from hair to make up really helped us step into the shoes of our characters.
This was truly an amazing opportunity that proved to be a highlight of the year. All our hard work paid off and we were able blow our performance through the roof! The sixth formers, Ms Bridgeman-Williams and Mr Janes were fabulous mentors, we couldn’t have done it without you.
Middle School students stage an incredible production exploring the life of a 17th century poet and feminist
At the beginning of the Emilia process, we were nervous because this was our first school play. However, as time went on, we felt like a community and were able to express our skills whilst feeling supported.
During the rehearsal period, students who were needed in certain scenes would be asked to practise and block
scenes during lunch times and after school. We found the rehearsal period tricky in some places but useful and necessary. As time went on, we began to do longer full days and longer after school rehearsals. In these time spaces we would block larger scenes and rehearse bigger blocks of action and dialogue.
Our beautiful costumes were made and sourced by Mrs Deamer and the set was made Mr Janes and Mr Baum, with lighting by Mr Janes, and it was directed by Mrs Wallace, with Ms Bridgeman-Williams as the assistant director, choreographed by Mr Shorey with extra support from Mr Thakerar and of course the makeup, hair and backstage crew helped bring the show to life.
“
It was rewarding working with different year groups, and it was a fantastic opportunity and experience to speak to and make friends with people in different years and classes. There was an intense sense of community.
It was an incredibly rewarding and exciting project to be a part of and we were all grateful for the memories, friendships, and overall experience.
Lower 5 students
From the moment I was seated in the audience, for The Glove Thief, I was enthralled.
We were plunged into Elizabethan England, bound by the voices of strong female characters. I was overwhelmed by the hard work of the cast and crew who masterfully created an emotive, and spell-binding environment on stage.
The retelling of this historical story expertly wove together the fascinating dynamic of Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots, and the tension of their reigns. This captivating performance brought to life a centuries old story through a new feminist lens, where a queen is no longer defined by her body, but instead by the brilliance of her mind.
From the genius of the intricate costumes and makeup to the individuality each actor brought to their character, the space was brought to life.
The inclusion of live music performed by the students, and the meticulous use of props and set, further impressed upon me the immersion into the world that had been curated and enforced a lively atmosphere. The dedication and professionalism of the cast and crew was palpable and overall illustrated a highly impressive performance.
Anna Fuge L6DT
This Autumn Term I was lucky enough to take part in the Upper School play. The rehearsal process took place over just a few short weeks, it was intense but enjoyable.
We began with historical context, to gain a better understanding of the characters. The lead roles, Mary Queen of Scots and Elizabeth I, were played by multiple students. There were three of us playing Elizabeth which meant working closely together to ensure our performances were cohesive. We had to coordinate our movements, so we were mirroring each other with the thoughts and feelings of the character.
Part of the process was moving in our costumes. Mrs Deamer handmade hundreds of Elizabethan dresses. We also wore boots or heeled shoes, to walk as Elizabethans! The dresses, shaped like corsets, aided our postures, which added an authentic feel, and to see it come to live as we donned the costumes for the first-time during dress rehearsal was remarkable. The performances were hugely successful. The whole cast was buzzing with excitement for the fantastic show we had worked so hard to produce.
Avital Cohen L6 DT
Ten minutes before our first performance of The Glove Thief, by Beth Flintoff, we were all waiting nervously behind the curtains, adrenaline pulsing through us.
It had been a crazily busy six weeks of learning lines, practising queues, blocking scenes, and understanding characters backstories and motives. At times, six weeks felt far too short a time to rehearse for a play. However, the perseverance of everyone – notably Mrs Wallace and the other teachers involved – made it possible.
The costumes, painstakingly made by Mrs Deamer and Mrs Wallace, brought the Elizabethan characters, many
Being part of The Glove Thief as a musician and actor was an experience I will never forget.
The talent, leadership, organisation, and teamwork, that was showcased was remarkable. From the actors to the backstage crew, and of course the directors, everyone contributed to the creation of an amazing production that lifted off the page in a surprisingly brief rehearsal period.
actual historical figures, to life. The makeup and hair team transformed 21st century locks into Elizabethan tresses and wigs.
The backstage crew ensured that every scene change happened, promptly and efficiently.
As we stepped onto the boards, set to perform to our first audience, weeks of hard work was about to spring to life. It was brilliant to feel part of a huge team bringing the story alive.
Within weeks, we managed a fully functioning, musically inclined, and funny, show that went extremely smoothly, improving with each performance.
The costumes, each dress, waistcoat, and jacket, had an astonishing amount of detail and time put into them, and I think I speak for everyone when I say that no one really wanted to take their costumes off, because of how incredible they looked.
Zoya Mankhand M5 AThe first large-scale musical event of the academic year was held in Prevett Hall in November 2021.
The Autumn Concert opened with the Symphony Orchestra, performing the 3rd movement of Florence Price’s Symphony No 1, entitled Juba Dance, conducted by Miss Turner. Complete with African drums and exciting rhythms, this was a lively way to open the concert. It was
followed by Sammartini’s Recorder Concerto in F major Soloist Elena Cormican on the descant recorder produced a lyrical interpretation ably, supported by the Chamber Orchestra under the baton of Ms Jenkins.
The audience was also treated to a vibrant rendition of Tue Tue by Cantabile. Other highlights included Holst’s First Suite in E flat played by Wind Orchestra and a string arrangement of Happy played by Repertoire Strings.
The concert concluded with our two choirs: the Fourth Form Choir who sang The Longest Time and Senior Choir who performed Hold Back the River. The evening was deemed a huge success. It was indeed a powerful display of enthusiasm and commitment shown by students towards the musical life at Habs.
Musicians from Habs Girls and Habs Boys came together for the first time in history to perform in the Habs Big Band, marking the concert as a landmark for music at Habs.
The set included mostly band arrangements from Sinatra’s popular album, interspersed with small jazz groups playing standards such as I’ve Got a Crush on You
A jaw-dropping imitation of Frank Sinatra was given, and we were also lucky to be joined by the professionals George Hogg on trumpet, and Kieran McLeod on trombone, who lifted the performance still further.
Just before February half term students and parents gathered for the annual Girls’ School Jazz Concert, and it was a great success.
With a wide variety of group performances from the Senior Jazz Band, Trombone Ensemble, Middle School Jazz Band, Percussion Ensemble and Saxophone Quartet, the evening was packed with excitement and musical interest. Additionally, four students from the Boys’ School joined several performances and it was wonderful to hear and see this musical collaboration.
The superb support from the audience for all the performers made for a supportive and positive atmosphere.
The small groups featured incredible improvised solos, showcasing the immense talent and dedication of these students.
A highlight of the evening was the audience demanding an encore, resulting in one final tune and a standing ovation. The night was a great success and will be an amazing memory for all involved.
Sheard U6 CRThe fantastic mood lighting, refreshments and brilliant playing made it a very special night. Many thanks to Miss Turner, Ms Jenkins and the rest of the Music department for organizing and executing such an incredible evening.
Wald L6 RDDScan to listen to the concert
musical collaboration including student musicians in all year groupsMali Habs presents ‘Sinatra Live at The Sands’
Before the concert, we were all excited. We were eager to show our pieces to the audience –this was a big thing for us, since we and the teachers had poured so much time and effort into these works.
The atmosphere is tense before the start of each concert, as every performer and conductor is concentrating hard: everybody has put so much effort into the organisation and smooth running of this night. Performing in the concert is exciting and special as it gives
us the opportunity to come together and share our love for music.
After the concert, we feel proud and happy, having worked towards the repertoire throughout the whole year,
in
In March the Music department hosted an intimate evening of music with a Chamber Concert, providing a supportive but formal place environment for musicians of all standards and musical experience.
The audience was treated to a wide variety of music from several soloists, chamber ensembles and musical groups.
The Flute Ensemble played Piazzolla’s Libertango, while Senior Guitar Ensemble performed the anonymous composition A Merry Mood, followed by Carson Parks’ Somethin’ Stupid
There were a number of duets, including Shostakovich’s Prelude and Gavotte for two violins and a piano duet version of Brahms’ animating Hungarian Dance No 5
Solos included a vocal performance of On My Own from the musical Les Misérables, some Enescu for solo violin and piano works by Chopin and Brahms. It was great to hear instruments that are not traditionally played by many students such as trombone, harp and sitar.
Amelie Jones L6 LC
week. Students rush to meet their parents and there is an overwhelming feeling of pride radiating from everyone, whether it’s the audience who are proud of the performers or the performers who are proud of themselves and even the teachers, who worked harder than everyone to ensure a flawless evening.
Scan to listen to the concert
Scan to listen to the concert
The Summer Concert was a very memorable experience with performances from the whole of Lower 4, plus the Trombone Ensemble, Symphony Orchestra, Cantabile Choir, the Forth Form Choir and much more.
The roaring of the crowd sent a shiver down my spine, as it felt amazing to be standing up on the stage with
so many other students all coming together to perform.
Listening to so many different kinds of music, instruments and talented musicians was breathtaking, and the audience seemed to be captivated.
It was inspirational to see so many people, students and parents, joining together to listen to music and to create this brilliant atmosphere.
If I were given the opportunity to perform in a concert like that again I would take it in a heartbeat as it was such a fascinating experience.
The concert demonstrated Habs music at its finest and it was such an incredible night for both the performers and audience.
Amelie Ison L4 AskeLower 4 students trekked into the depths of the Elstree wilderness, also known as Cuffley Camp, to meet our camp and tribe leaders.
Some of the best parts of our stay, were the games we played, and the songs sung around the fire. My personal favourite was when our
tribe leader would drop a stick, and we would compete to catch it before it hit the ground; it never failed to entertain us!
With charcoal smothered faces and an adventurous attitude, we were ready to learn a variety of survival skills, from carving tent pegs with sharp outdoor knives, making
shelters (which we could sleep in!) to learning that mud and dirt isn’t disgusting. The teachers were certainly in for a treat when we lured them into our ‘teacher traps’; we found that chocolate brownies and bourbon biscuits were the perfect bait.
We enjoyed incredible hot meals that tasted delicious, with vegetarian, vegan and kosher meals available, and everyone enjoyed sitting with friends and eating!
And the part we were all secretly dreading – the night. After hot brownies we headed to our d tents. Although some of us were scared, we made it through the night, and well rested, we were ready to conquer the next day.
Our stay at Cuffley Camp was one to remember and we all took away some vital survival skills.
Lower 6 Geography students visited Canary Wharf and Poplar, two London-based locations they have been studying for A Level. Today, Canary Wharf is a financial hub, London’s central business district and home to numerous headquarters, shopping centres and international offices.
The students met outside Canary Wharf station and were mesmerised by the towering office buildings, luxurious residential properties that overlook the river Thames and many of the city’s most notable landmarks, such as One Canada Square. It really was a concrete jungle!
We then walked to Poplar, a short distance from Canary Wharf. Poplar was home to many docks and is still undergoing regeneration. The district now
mainly consists of council flats and houses with many rundown buildings. We were able to see a prominent difference between Poplar and Canary Wharf and felt as though Poplar had a much livelier atmosphere and stronger sense of community.
Finally, we visited the Museum of London Docklands to learn about the history of trade and the regeneration of the area. We were able to see the growth of the Port of London and the historical link the docks had to the Atlantic slave trade.
Overall, the trip was really engaging, and it was great to see these places in real life after studying them in class. We were all able to understand the benefits of regeneration and the success it can bring to an area.
Ananya Dhadphale L6 TDConcrete jungle where dreams are made of...
The Upper 6 A Level Geography students set out on a trip into central London to explore Camden and Kings Cross.
The aim of the trip was to learn how to conduct practical fieldwork research, which would help us conduct our individual research projects later in the academic year.
It was fascinating to observe how the two areas contrasted. We investigated the regeneration of the Kings Cross area, for example Coal Drop Yards, and we were even able to see the new Google building currently under construction.
We also carried out research into whether Camden is a clone town through questionnaires - a skill that will be useful for our coursework.
Additionally, the themes of regeneration and clone towns are particularly relevant to the work we will undertake later as part of our course.
Overall, it was a very successful and enjoyable trip, and it was refreshing to be outside collecting practical data again after many weeks of online school.
Capaldo U6 RS and Emily Delaney U6 NP
Margate is of the coolest places to be if you are an artist and so Upper 6 students visited the seaside town to gain vital inspiration for their final coursework.
We explored the Turner Contemporary Gallery, showcasing some of the biggest names in art, such as Tracey Emin. Then worked with a range of artists including painter Joanna Hyslop, Dawn Cole, Graham Ward and several contemporary photographers. We enjoyed a private view at the Pie-Factory Gallery with lectures from the artists, giving us fuel for our critical studies back at Habs.
Kirsty Kennedy inspired us with a sketching tour of the town, giving us an insight into the history and heritage of Margate.
After a trip to the fascinating Margate Caves, we spent some hours on the beach barefoot, drawing with chalks from the cliffs and driftwood dipped in ink. We washed our paintings in the sea and allowed sand deposits to grip to our painted surfaces. you can clearly see the impact it had on some of our students in their final A Level show this summer.
As the first frost formed, 40 Habs Sixth Formers set off to the Emmanuel Centre, in the heart of Westminster, for a day of spirals, stats, surds and maths genius Dr Frost
The conference kicked off with an out of this world introduction to aerospace engineering, with engineer and aerodynamicist, Sophie Hacker, detailing how fundamental maths has been in her career.
This was followed by Prof Karen Page, introducing Game Theory and making a link between statistic manipulation and human behaviour.
During the much-deserved lunch break, Habs students asked Dr Jamie Frost to sign our graphical calculators and join a few group photos.
Dr Frost then gave a speech advising us against common exam mistakes, followed by writer and broadcaster Alex Bellos who stretched our brains with maths puzzles and conundrums which proved to be a useful and interactive experience.
To finish the day, presenter and writer, Kyle Evans closed with some riveting viral maths problems, reiterating how practical maths can be in daily life.
Overall, this was an eye-opening experience and Habs students went home with a new insight towards a maths-based career.
Shiri Doctors L6 SP Rachel Wald L6 JRANot even a tube strike could deter Habs indefatigable physicists who braved industrial action to make it to Westminster, for the Physics in Action Day.
Once there, Lower 6 students were privileged to enjoy a day of inspiration, challenge and experimentation across the breadth of physics. There was lots of interaction with polls, quizzes and questions to the scientists.
The day was spilt into five sessions of phenomenal physics, with each demonstration being presented by a different bright light in their respective field.
Sessions ranged from observing levitation while getting to know the cutting edge of superconductors, through discovering the relationship between thrill and G-force on an amusement ride, to witnessing an onstage brain scan.
This event vent did an incredible job of demonstrating how physics is improving and innovating our world today. There were also tips on exams.
All the students in attendance thoroughly enjoyed themselves and were inspired to become staggering, stunning scientists!
Phoebe Grankin L6 ADLLower 6 students attended the Monmouth Enterprise Financial Careers Trip at Haberdashers’ Hall. The day began with an introduction from Simon Hills, Director of UK Finance, discussing the key roles of financial institutions and London’s role on the international stage.
We then split into breakout sessions. The first, by Josh Rosen, Chief Operating Officer at Just Wears, explained the process behind equity trading. He created a model of the selling side of the market, consisting of sales, research analysts and trading and the buying side, consisting of financial institutions and hedge funds.
NatWest delivered a session on the importance of diversity, inclusion and safety in the workplace. This was followed by Fidelity International who helped
us identify our own strengths and weaknesses and provided tips on building our CVs.
Bob Wigley, a former government advisor and chair of the UK Green Investment Bank Commission for the Chancellor of the Exchequer 2009-10, shared key lessons that he has learnt throughout his career, including the importance of standing out of the crowd by taking risks and seizing opportunities.
The day was an insight into the world of banking and interestingly international banking, and the various paths into finance. It also gave us networking skills and useful contacts for our future. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a career in the world of finance.
Dewan L6 LCAfter studying Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar in English, we were taken to the great Shakespearean Globe Theatre in London.
After a quick supper at Habs, we travelled to the theatre and with anticipation took our seats. The play was absolutely amazing, and it was easy to follow the words and action as we had learned the text and so understood what was happening on stage.
Watching the play really helped with my understanding of the play and seeing all the characters and events in real life aided in visualising the play and what it would have looked like on a real Shakespearean stage when it was just written.
The talent of the actors could be seen in the dramatic facial expressions, gestures and exclamations which accentuated their emotions and feelings, helping the audience to understand what was happening and how the characters developed. It was also interesting to see how the modern production of Julius Caesar included comedy and other compelling techniques for example, when Brutus was killed, this was represented by the character simply walking off the stage.
Anastasia Veremeeva L5 AescEnglish Literature students join the literati at a poetry conference
Sixth Form English Literature students attended a thrilling (and exam assisting!) day of poetry at the ‘Poems of the Decade’ conference in Central London.
The day began with an engaging lecture from former Habs student Dr Sarah Howe, on storytelling. This teased us with a university style English Literature lecture, where we were encouraged to pick apart the narrative layers of poems to discover how a poet may set about evoking specific characters and atmospheres.
We were then awed as the Poet Laureate Simon Armitage to centre stage, followed by poets Daljit Nagra and Julia Copus, discussing their poems within the set anthology for the English Literature course. This broadened our knowledge, as students, deepening both our contextual knowledge and analytical skills.
We also we heard from the speaker Barbara Bleiman, codirector of the English and Media Centre (EMC) on exam technique and leading us through comparisons between seen and unseen poems through a guided activity
Finally, came Habs’ favourite World Slam Poetry Champion, Harry Baker performing a variety of his poems.
Eliyeh Iqbal L6RDD & Anna Fuge L6 DT
We all know the story of Thomas Beckett, also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury and Thomas à Becket, who was Archbishop of Canterbury from 1162 until his murder in 1170. He argued with King Henry II of England, over the rights and privileges of the Church and was murdered by followers of the king in Canterbury Cathedral.
Sir Reginald FitzUrse was one of the four knights who carried out the assassination. In shame his brother Robert changed his surname from FitzUrse (which means son of the bear) to De Berham (which means village of the bear).
My great grandpa’s cousin was Peter Sellers, the internationally famous English actor and comedian.
He came to prominence performing in the BBC Radio comedy series The Goon Show, featured on several hit comic songs.
He then became known to a worldwide audience through his many film roles, among them Chief Inspector Clouseau in The Pink Panther series. Although I admit I have never watched it!
Evie Sultman L6 GAM
Over time, it became Barham and has been passed down as a last or middle name. My father’s middle name is Barham and we now know the truth of my family tree thanks to Reverend Richard Barham who, in the 1800s, laid out his genealogy in his memoirs.
Chiara Mabilat L6 ADL
My relation is Leon Trotsky who was a renowned revolutionary communist, political theorist and politician, who developed his own form of Marxism, which is known as Trotskyism.
Lev Davidovich Bronstein, better known as Leon Trotsky, was born in 1879 in Bereslavka, Ukraine and was assassinated in Mexico in 1940.
Leon Trotsky’s uncle (Simon de Jong) was my great-great-great grandpa, and when Trotsky fled Stalin and Russia, in 1902 he stayed with him and his wife in London.
Ayelet Polak M5 Alpha
“This IZ Chief Inspector Clouseau speaking on the pheaun”
My famous relative is Sirimavo Bandaranaike, who the world’s first female prime minister, when she became prime minister of Sri Lanka in 1960.
She is my maternal grandfather’s first cousin. Her husband was the prime minister of Sri Lanka before her, and after his assassination she was put forward by his party to become the next prime minister. On 21st July 1960 she officially became the Sri Lankan prime minister.
She went on to win several elections and become prime minister by her own right.
After a year without matches, because of COVID restrictions, it has been incredible to see how quickly school sports has switched back on. The enthusiasm and determination of students, during matches and practise, has been unmatched. This year there have been increasing sporting opportunities available with more recreational and development clubs and the introduction of mixed lacrosse.
The standard of sports has gone from strength to strength, with students competing at the district, county, regional and national levels. There have been events such as inter-house sporting competitions, Teacher v Students Netball and Boys v Girls Lacrosse, that have enabled the whole school to get involved, whether competing or cheering from the side.
Throughout my time at Habs I have thoroughly enjoyed competing for the school on many teams. This has given me the opportunity to pursue mu passion and meet and play alongside students all year groups.
All the captains are extremely grateful to have been able to give back to Habs sport and be a part of the ever-growing community. I know that Habs sporting success and ethos will continue to grow in the future, and I cannot wait to watch!!
Sports Colours are awarded to students who have gone above and beyond in their contribution to a sport. They are recognised for their achievement and dedication.
Senior: Khiloni Dodhia
Junior: Ganga Nair, Subi Acharya, Parthavi Chauchan, Diya Sodha, Gauri Kotecha, Shriya Bhatt
Senior: Naomi Gershlick, Tilly Weston, Jamila Salim, Lizzie Roxburgh Football
Junior: Abigail Hobbs, Naadiya Mirza, Gemma Peters
Senior: Emily Delaney, Amelia Delaney, Tilly Weston, Lizzie Roxburgh
Junior: Sara Cohen, Kayla Tapnack, Sophie Sanders, Emilie Holden
Lacrosse
Senior: Jaden Adu, Maya Tricot, Misi Subair, Katie Darbari
Junior: Bea Caisley, Rachel Zinkin, Nikita Jobanputra
Senior: Misi Subair, Arianna Sultan, Katie Darbari, Maya Tricot, Jaden Adu
Junior: Bea Caisley, Mia Greenfield, Omi Moneke, Isabella Burr, Maddy Aziz, Sophie Sanders, Rachel Zinkin, Savidya Dharmawardene
Senior: Sofia Peccei, Temi Elsin, Nicola Marrett
Junior: Amelie Bruce, Amanda Costello Cortes
Senior: Nella Hoogeboom
Badminton this year at Habs has been growing in popularity and we have had some great matches played across all year groups. The U14s had great success against Queenswood School, winning overall, whilst the U15s just narrowly missed out on the win. The U12s and U13s had their first ever friendly match against NLCS, where they learnt how to score and work with their partners in doubles.
These matches have provided invaluable experience for the players, alongside the coaching provided by Phil Adams, which has enabled them to develop their skill set. In addition to this, we have been running lunchtime clubs open to anyone wanting extra practice, or just to enjoy playing with friends. This season, training was also introduced for the Sixth Form alongside the Boys’ School, and it was great fun playing matches, as well as learning new skills. We finished the season with the Staff vs Students Badminton match, where the students came away with the victory! This was thoroughly enjoyed by all and a lovely way to end the season. I really hope to see Badminton continue to flourish at Habs in the future!
This year has been a great year for running at Habs. Competitions have started again, and there has been enthusiastic participation in a wide range of events.
The team performed excellently at the Herts Schools Cross Country Championships; special mention goes to Dina Silverman finishing in 2nd place, Anna Metcalfe in 4th and Issy Brockie in 9th. Dina and Anna were then selected for Hertfordshire in the English Schools Cross Country Championships with Issy acting as a reserve for the team. In the pre-junior race, Eleni Limond finished in 13th place. In the ESAA Cross Country Cup, the intermediate team finished in first place overall and qualified for the regional round where they came 9th as a team.
As well as cross country, students from all years as well as staff have been running in Habs Dash, an event held jointly with the Boys’ School which takes place every Tuesday lunchtime. Everyone completes a 3500-metre course, and there are Marathon awards given to those who complete many of these events. There have been PBs achieved, records set, and even bobble hats awarded to those who complete a total of over 100 miles.
Livingston CaptainHabs Dance has so much to offer. There are two main companies: Upper School Dance Company (Middle 5 to Upper 6) and Middle School Dance Company (Upper 4 to Lower 5); as well as some open companies for enjoying the sport and developing skills: Lower 4 Open Dance, Development Dance and Open Barre.
This year, we hosted our Dance and Drama Showcase, which displayed a wide variety of dance styles from all age groups. It ranged from the Lower 4 piece, Dancing Through the Ages to the Upper 6 Captain’s piece Recovery, to a GCSE dance solo. No matter the skill level, it was an evening to enjoy performing and watching dance by everyone.
In upcoming years, those in the main companies will compete at competitions and all dancers will perform in the annual showcase. Habs Dance offers so much, whether for fun, competition, performance, skill development, or picking up a new skill or hobby, keeping fit, making friends across year groups, or learning choreography. I hope dance continues to have such a plethora of opportunities for many more years to come.
Gershlick Captain
Middle School Football Club has continued to grow and progress throughout this year. With the introduction of an U15 Football League and a Watford Football coach, participation levels have increased to include all year groups. This season the U15 squad played for the first time in the Football League and made improvements in each match. Meanwhile the U12s and U13s enjoyed coaching sessions led by Miss Watts and Ruby from Watford FC. Exciting to see the developments being made in Girls’ Football here at Habs.
Abigail Hobbs CaptainHabs gymnasts have enjoyed the opportunity to compete again post COVID. There has been a great atmosphere at every competition, with experience gained and friendships deepened.
Congratulations to the Development Squad for competing at the Development Squad Competition against Royal Masonic School, especially 2nd place Nkasi Oji and 3rd place Tiffany Adeeyino.
At the at the ISGA Nationals the Gymnastics Squad O13s achieved the best result for 10 years, finishing 2nd as a team and 5th in group routine. Congratulations to Jessica Hill and Emily Delaney who finished 2nd and 5th individually. Strong performances also from the U13s taking 3rd on group floor, and the U15s and the U13s finishing 7th as a team.
Three trio teams represented Habs at the Trio Regional Competition. All three teams qualified for the national competition, however special mention to Mia Sherman who stepped in with half an hour to go, for an injured
This year lacrosse has been a huge success, with countless records broken, medals won, and goals scored.
The First team have stayed undefeated in all their Saturday matches, with the Second team making the top eight teams in the country at Nationals. Other successes were seen at Nationals, such as the U14s finishing 3rd in the country, the furthest a Habs team achieved in many years! After the disruption of last year, it has been amazing having everyone able to mix again and have regular matches. We had all really missed the extent of Habs lax.
gymnast, successfully learning the group routine. The National Finals were competitive, but the U19s team placed 3rd as a region and 7th as a school, with the U16s placing 3rd as a region and 5th as a school, and the U13s placing 5th as a region.
An U19s and an U16s team represented Habs at the ISGA floor and vault competitions. The U19s placed first and qualified for nationals.
Lacrosse got even broader this year with the Boys’ School rugby team wanting to get involved, showcasing that this sport is for everyone.
We strongly recommend getting involved with one of the lacrosse teams. We have all made our best friends, both in and out of our own year group, through lacrosse. It has been a highlight of our time at Habs, especially since the team spirit is unmatched.
After a year without netball fixtures the standard of play this year has been incredible. Habs netball has demonstrated commitment and outstanding teamwork across all years, in Interhouse Netball, development netball and competing against other schools. All players have shown dedication and continued hard work.
This season we had the privilege of welcoming England player Eboni Usoro-Brown to Habs. She gave an inspirational talk about worklife balance and how to achieve a successful career while being a professional athlete. Students were also lucky enough to participate in a training session by Eboni focussing on her specialist area defence.
This year it was Habs turn to host the Habs Seven tournament, where all the different Haberdashers’ schools
across the country come together to play in competitive but friendly matches. Our U16 A placed 2nd. There have been plenty of county netball tournament medals won, across the year groups, and there have been great personal achievements outside the Habs bubble, with some players making County teams, Mavericks and England Netball. We know that netball
will continue to grow at Habs and we’re so grateful for the opportunity to have been netball captains.
Maya Tricot and Misi Subair Co-captainsAfter some time away from the pool, Habs swim squad was back and ready to compete again. There were multiple training sessions each week to prepare for the galas ahead. Our team showed great determination and collaborative working, which we saw in the districts when all age groups came in first place!
We also competed in many Herts League galas throughout the year, which swimmers committed to regularly after school. There was never a dull moment, with our enthusiastic swimmers showing their support to teammates during competitions and swimming and working together in relays. This includes the squadron, which sees swimmers from all the different age groups from the squad racing together, showing the true teamwork and competitive spirit that Habs has had this year. All our hard work paid off, after every age group made it to the finals to swim for the last meet of the year in March 2022. Well done to all swimmers for their hard work this year!
Habs trampolinists have enjoyed an exciting year for trampolining, with the team successfully competing at regionals, zonals and nationals.
Three teams qualified for nationals, in which everyone competed at their best with impressive routines. The Year 7 to 8 team placed 7th in the country, and the Year 11 to 13 team placed 9th. This is testimony the hard work of both Cheryl and the team, and it clear the team have really enjoyed getting back into the swing of things.
This summer has been an exciting and successful athletics season with many students competing in competitions. We have had amazing results with many athletes placing highly.
In the Herts League Athletics competition, the U14 team achieved 2nd place, progressing into the League final. The U16 team narrowly missed out on a place in the top 4 teams. Both teams competed in the 1st round of the Track and Field Cup, with the U14 team finishing a close 5th place and the U16 team finishing in 2nd place. Therefore, the U16 qualified to compete in the regional A finals.
At the East Area Prep Schools’ Competition, we came out with some fantastic results, with Eniola Opaleye finishing 2nd in the U13 70m hurdles and 1st in the high jump. Additionally, Sedona De Silva finished 2nd in the U14 100m and Shammah St John finished 1st place in the U14 200m. Anna Metcalfe was placed 2nd in the U14 1500m. All these students have all been selected to compete for the East Area in the National Prep Schools’ Competition, and we are extremely proud of all of them for this.
At the Habs Seven competition, we competed against six other schools from the Haberdasher’s company. Overall, the U14 team finished 2nd and the U16 team finished 1st place. Not only were we extremely successful as a team, but there were many records broken on this day.
It is really great to see the tennis courts filled with students of all abilities and age groups every lunch time, in what has been a term of dynamic serves, groundstrokes and volleys.
Our team tennis players have translated this enthusiasm into several competitive wins over schools such as St Margaret’s, Parmiters and RMS.
There has also been high levels of tennis at Habs in the ‘Play Your Way to Wimbledon Competition.’
With the players continually improving tactics, shot selection and technique, we hope to maintain our reputation for being a tough team to beat over the next few seasons.
Competing at either county, national or international level, these students have been outstanding ambassadors for both the School and their sport. Here, some of our sports ambassadors give an insight to their passion:
Omaserichi Moneke – National ‘It means everything to me and has consumed my whole life and I don’t know what I would do without it.’
Tiffany Adeeyinwo – Regional ‘Athletics is a passion of mine because I can use it as a platform to reach out to other people in the Hertfordshire community and because it is something that I really exceed in.’
Dina Silverman – County
Eunice Chau – County
Abby Hobbs – County ‘Although I haven’t been playing cricket for years, I have grown to love it immensely and I am so glad I have been given the opportunity to partake in a previously male dominated sport that I love so much.’
Kheya Shah – County ‘I love playing cricket as I have played it since I was young. My whole family plays it, and it is something to get us all together.’
Neeya Patel – County ‘I really enjoy cricket as it has been part of my life for a very long time. From a young age cricket has always been the sport I enjoy by far.’
Elin Fielden – County ‘I started cricket at a young age outside of school at my local club. It then progressed to hard ball cricket, and I started to enjoy it even more. Even though it’s quite different to other sports, it has its own side which I especially like’
Raameen Affan – County ‘I had played cricket when I was young for fun with family, and it has always been the main sport from where my family is from. It’s been so fun to progress and now play competitively with pride and I can’t wait to continue in the future’
Arushi Shah – County
Emily Steven-Jennings – County
Dillan Spooner – County
Dina Silverman – County/ Regional
Anna Metcalfe – County
Tilly Weston – International - ‘Sport is a way to balance the academic pressures of sixth form, whilst teaching vital life lessons such as commitment, determination and resilience.’
Rahni Spaul – National - ‘To me, trampolining is a sport where I can clear my head and focus. It helps me to be in the moment and makes me forget all the stresses of my day.’
Ella Hazell – National / County
Anahi Patel – County/ Regional Izzy Patel – County
Tilly Weston – International ‘Sport is a way to balance the academic pressures of sixth form, whilst teaching vital life lessons such as commitment, determination and resilience.’
Emily Delaney – National ‘Growing up into gymnastics, it was something I could participate in at nearly any time. This built a love for the sport through many happy memories that will continue to grow in number.’
Alexandra Delaney – National ‘Having done it since four years old it is a big part of my life which balances my academic work and extracurricular which I thoroughly enjoy.’
Alicia Downey – Regional
Isabella Peccei – Regional
Mia Sherman – Regional
Elizabeth Roxburgh – County/ Regional Alexia Brooks – County ‘I like doing gymnastics because it’s something I’ve stuck with for a long time, and I enjoy doing it with my friends and improving every day.’
Arianna Sultan – National ‘Tennis is important as you can play for most of your life, no matter where you are. It’s sociable and brings people together as everyone is always up for a game of tennis!’
Tanya Broetz – County ‘It is important because you learn to work in a team even though tennis is an individual sport. It means a lot to me and is what I am really passionate about.’
Eliyeh Iqbal – County
Katie Darbari – International/National ‘Sport is a great way to relieve stress and meet new people. It has opened so many opportunities for me and I encourage everyone to get involved when possible!’
Maya Tricot – International, ‘Community, teamwork’
Kayla Tapnak – National ‘I was selected to compete in the Maccabiah Games held in Israel and this was very exciting for me as all members of my family had done this previously and I feel a huge sense of pride to have been selected to represent my country in such an incredible tournament.’
Madison Sinclair – National ‘For me, playing in a team and working together is one of the most special parts of lacrosse (and of course #winthedrawruletheworld).’
Lily Myers – National/Regional/County ‘Playing lacrosse at regional level challenges me and pushes me to perform at my highest potential. I really enjoy meeting new people there who share the same love of lacrosse as me.’
Ashley Fawn – National ‘#livelovelax.’
Maya Tricot – National
Eden Chesler – National
Arianna Sultan – National
Claudia Caisley – National
Rachel Zinkin – National/Regional/County
Isabel Brockie – National/ Regional, Arya Singh – Regional ‘I’ve always loved the team spirit and camaraderie and look forward to playing whatever the weather.’
Bella Paraskeva – Regional ‘I love being able to see the sport being played at a higher level by others who also love the sport.’
Hannah Noordin – Regional ‘I really enjoy playing lacrosse as it is such an enjoyable sport, and I look forward to playing with my team every week. Lacrosse builds on so many life skills and I am lucky to be part of the school and regional teams. Playing at a county and regional level gives me the opportunity to meet new people and build up my lacrosse skill.’
Elin Fielden – Regional ‘I started lacrosse in Year 5, back then it was only pop lacrosse, but I love the lacrosse now. The competitiveness involved in the game really keeps me carrying on with the sport. The experience of the England lacrosse helped me improve my skills a lot more and is a great way to make new friends and play more lacrosse.’
Raameen Affan – Regional ‘I first played lacrosse at Habs in Lower 4, and I’ve grown to love it. The competitiveness and atmosphere at tournaments and matches are great experiences as it gives you the drive to win and succeed. I’m happy with how far I’ve progressed so far with England Lacrosse and can’t wait for the future.’
Sia Kulkarni – Regional ‘Lacrosse teaches me about the importance of teamwork, resilience, and perseverance. Playing outdoors three times a week with friends has been an amazing for my physical and mental health.’
Misi Subair – Regional ‘I love lacrosse because it’s a friendly, competitive sport with a really good social aspect.’
Jaden Adu – Regional ‘Lacrosse has been an important part of my life and playing with my team is such a fun experience.’
Mimi Subair – Regional
Mimifunoluwa Subair – Regional
Alexandra Paraskeva – Regional Eden Dell – Regional
Emma Chopping – Regional Alicia Ho – Regional/County ‘Lacrosse is important because I enjoy being part of a team.’
Emily Grant – Regional/County
Beatrice Caisley – Regional/County Heather Giam – County Annabel Davis – County
Beatrice Caisley – International/Regional ‘I play netball at regional and international level. Sport for me is like a way to meet new people and have the most amazing life experiences. It is just a way for me to forget about all my worries and when I’m on the court and just get into the competitive mindset.’
Mia Greenfield – National
Tianna Ubesio – National/Regional/County
Ahria Ajanthan – Regional ‘I like netball because it is fun, and I enjoy doing it. I have done it for a just over a year now and it is important because I really enjoy doing it, and it is my favourite sport.’
Tsala Bernholt – International/ National/ Regional/County Eva Foster – Regional/County ‘Swimming is important to me because it has a positive impact on my mental health, it gives me goals to work towards and something to be proud of when I do well.’
Isabella Peccei – Regional/County Xiao Lu – Regional/County
Diya Kohli – County ‘I swim because I like it. I started swimming when I was 6 and it has always been a part of my life. Getting to counties was my goal and I finally achieved it after a long-time training. I am really proud of myself’
Amanda Castello-Cortes – County Maxine Chu – County Aaryaa Naique – County
Bella Paraskeva – County ‘I like to be able to share one of my favourite activities with other people that value the sport as well.’
This past year I can safely say that Gillet has put a strong foot forward for all the House competitions, each one requiring a different skillset, talent and mindset, but still we rose to the challenge. One of best things about Gillett is the range of talents we have from art and drama to dance, music and sport - I’m pretty sure we cover all the bases. The evidence of our multitalented and distinct House is clear from competitions throughout the year: 1st in House Art, 2nd in House Board, 2nd in Lower 5 Netball, 2nd House Singing, joint 2nd in House Dance and joint 1st in House Trolley.
What makes it such a joy to be a part of Gillet is not the incredible talent but the spirit we have - we definitely have the best and loudest House chant. The atmosphere created in the House by students coming to rehearsals and contributing ideas is so enjoyable, I can’t thank
everyone enough for supporting the House and being their phenomenal selves.
However, my favourite part of being House Prefect wasn’t the House competitions but rather being able meet the range of people in Gillett and working together as a team. Everyone brought something completely unique to the table, whether they cracked people up, contributed imaginative ideas or brought people together - every single person, simply being themselves, made this year even better. I also want to thank the Lower 6 for their imaginative ideas and hard work this year, you really elevated our game. I’ll miss the energy of our house so much - not to mention our competitive spirit. I’m proud to say I’m part of the best house. And Gillett – we gotta win it!
Salim House Prefect
Gillett House Debate
Gillett House Netball
Gillett House Dance
Gillett House Board
Gillett House Dance
It has been an exciting year for Gilliland, to say the least. The year started on a high, with Gilliland’s victory in the House Trolley, Giliberty, based on the theme of freedom. Despite the slight malfunction with the head of Giliberty falling off during the procession, the trolley managed to charm its way into first place. And Gilliland’s success did not stop there! Next, Gilliland saw triumphs in House Art, entertaining and passionate contribution to House Debating, and a lyrical masterpiece in House Singing. Of course, in true Gilliland fashion, our sporting achievements did not falter. Across the years Gilliland saw victories in House Netball, including the Lower 4 Gilliland A team winning the tournament. Another sporting, and theatrical,
achievement was in House Dance, where Gilliland’s women-empowerment montage wowed the crowd. We have really seen the house spirit come into action this year, with chanting and practices and inter-year merging, which is what makes Gilliland so special. We can’t wait to see what the rest of the year holds, including House Drama and Sports Day, and see Gilliland go from high-to-high next year. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the support from the teachers, with a special mention to Miss Wright, and the participation and active engagement of all the Gillilanders.
(#GoGilliland!)
Harold has shown great commitment and spirit this year. We have been very successful in house events with achievements in sports, art and academics.
Some highlights are inter-house Netball, where we achieved 1st place in the Lower 4, Lower 5, and Upper 5 teams. There were also some individual achievements in Interhouse Cross Country. We had some individual achievements with house points too, well done to all the house point achievers you have not gone unnoticed!
Harold have shown great dedication this year and have really shone in all aspects of school life. It has been a pleasure to be a part of Harold for the length of my Habs journey, it has always been such an enthusiastic and welcoming house and I know it will continue to be so.
We ended the year with a great performance in Habs Dance, where we ranked at 3rd which is an incredible achievement and gave a first-place worthy performance, well done to everyone who performed and all of you who supported.
I’m so proud to have been able to be the Harold Prefect this year, I wish you all the best of luck in the rest of your House journey, I will miss being a part of Harold so much and hope it continues to be the best house! Go Harold!
Misi Subair House Prefect
Since being crowned overall winners at the end of the
summer term last year, Millar’s success has only got
greater! We started the year by taking part in the harvest
trolley competition, where we designed a trolley that represented freedom and Millar’s bright mascot, a bumble
bee – which is a clear reflection of Millar’s bright spirit
throughout the school! There was no stopping Millar as the
trolley competition was followed by us singing our hearts
out to a spectacular mash up of Coldplay songs in the
House Singing competition which gained us another first
place victory. The Middle Sschool debaters also made us
proud this year, seeing them entertaining the whole school
up on stage, was very impressive to watch. Millar is clearly
multi-talented, as not only have we proved to be artistic,
great singers, and persuasive, we are also sporty, having
racked up the most kilometres this year for a Girls’ School
House in Habs Dash. The end of the Spring Term was
certainly a highlight of this year for Millar.After first being
crowned overall winners for the term, we put all our energy
into the House Dance competition, where we certainly
put on a show for the whole school, with a West End level
performance of all songs ‘rain-themed’.
– keep shining Millar!
Arianna Sultan House Prefectwatch and be a part of. Millar have really done themselves
proud this year and I’m sure it will continue for a long time
It was special to
From start to finish, Powell has been on a rollercoaster as we joined in House Competitions bringing us closer and stronger together. Coming out of lockdown has been great for the Houses this year as it has allowed us to hold many more competitions, with different year groups working together. From winning the House Trolley Competition, where we were environmentally friendly and used our tiger onesie from last year to creating an epic House Board that saw the House Prefects dressed as astronauts, has been incredible. We also finished in top positions in sports events such as cross country, where students achieved new personal bests. Powell also had the chance
to highlight its talent in an amazing performance of Black Eyed Peas for House Singing, where a band was even made; and in the Science Competition that put a test to everyone’s knowledge. Overall, I could not be prouder of how we have performed this year and it has been wonderful to see the enthusiasm and creativity from everyone. Working alongside Mrs Cohen has been truly inspiring – thank you for being such a strong house leader and always seeing us as winners. I wish everyone the best for the future and hope Powell continues to be victorious!
I absolutely loved being House Captain for Sprules this year. Whether it was creating the fire engine design for the House Board Competition or the phoenix for the House Trolley Competition, capturing our freedom in House Art, singing and dancing our hearts out in House Singing and House Dance or testing our knowledge in House Quizzes, I’ve enjoyed every single moment. Thank you to all the members of Sprules for all your hard work, enthusiasm and involvement in each of these events! One of my many highlights was last year’s Sports Day – I loved coming together as a house, cheering for anyone in a Sprules red top and the team spirit! I’m so grateful for having
this opportunity to represent Sprules. Good luck to the new House captain Tabby Penn and all Sprules for next year! I have also enjoyed working with the whole school community and getting to know the different year groups. I loved making videos for assembly and speaking to various forms throughout the year. I am so lucky to be part of such a vibrant and lively community! Thank you for being the best House. SPRULES RULES!
Lexi Kagan House Prefect
What will you miss most about Habs? My colleagues and pupils.
One life lesson Habs taught me? You can do it.
Plans after Habs? The world’s my oyster.
Fav school lunch? Apricot Lattice traybake from many years ago.
What advice would you give to your younger self? Just do it! Do not miss the opportunity.
What will you miss most about Habs? The students and, of course, all of the English department - they are fantastic.
One life lesson Habs taught me? Widen your horizons - we are capable of more than we think.
Plans after Habs? To make a dent in my long list of untouched jobs... oh.. and more reading time!
What advice would you give to your younger self? Keep trying - you will usually get there in the end.
Celebrity doppelgänger Apparently, my hair had a passing resemblance to Princess Diana’s when I was a teenager!
What will you miss most about Habs? The amazing grounds - all that beautiful green space!
Plans after Habs?
Moving back to my previous school in Cambridge and hopefully finding a nice cottage where I can have chickens and a veggie patch.
Coffee order at the mezz?
Winter: oat milk latte, Summer: blueberry smoothie (+ whatever vegan baked item they have).
What advice would you give to your younger self? Time spent on working out who you are and how your own unique brain works is invaluable.
Song recommendations?
Taylor Swift’s entire back catalogue + anything she ever releases in the future
What will you miss most about Habs?
Being amongst so many bright people with a genuine love of learning.
Most embarrassing moment at Habs? Being up on stage in the Prevett in a Dirndl for a staff dance competition.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Don’t sweat the small stuff - things usually turn out well in the end but do spend as much time as you possibly can with loved ones and let them know that they are loved.
What sparked your interest in teaching?
I spent a year as an English language assistant in Linz, Austria and having sworn I would never be a teacher, coming from a family of them, I found that I actually really enjoyed teaching.
What are your superstitions?
Whenever I see a magpie, I always look around for another one, even though I know that the old saying: One for sorrow, two for joy is complete nonsense.
What will you miss most about Habs?
The students, I have taught some wonderful classes.
Favourite moment at Habs? Pre parents evening listening to 80s music with Ms Wakefield.
One life lesson Habs taught me? Always listen to Ms Nanji about history.
Plans after Habs? Head of department at Brampton College.
Funniest moment with a student? All of my Middle 5 lessons this year have been funny, #dancemoms.
Most embarrassing moment? Confusing the names of staff members (my department know).
Teacher bestie? Ms Beesley
What will you miss most about Habs? The fun and laughter - in lessons, at events, on trips, and with my great colleagues!
Plans after Habs?
I will be moving to Dorset with my family to live in the countryside and near the sea.
Funniest moment with a student? It wasn’t funny in the moment but watching the train in Munich depart with two students still on board and the rest of us on the platform was very funny once we were all reunited!
Or the time when the door handle fell off and I got trapped inside room 127 with a very silly Lower 6 class. Maintenance had to kick the door down to get us out.
Coffee order at the mezz? Tea from Eve every day.
How do you define personal success?
You should always be challenging yourself. If you have put your best effort in your approach to a new challenge, then this is a success.
What will you miss most about Habs?
The witty, talented students who have been so rewarding to work with. All of my amazing colleagues who have shown the greatest of goodwill to make crazy and chaotic projects like plays, House events, PAW, the Lord Mayor’s Show etc. happen. None of it would have possible without them (they know who they are!)
One life lesson Habs taught me? Don’t compromise on your principles and be true to yourself. People notice if you are inauthentic!
Most embarrassing moment? Falling over backwards, in mud at the feet of Ms O’ Connor whilst wearing a white suit. It’s still a fever dream!
What advice would you give to your younger self?
If you could change it all, don’t- you are in the right place for where you were supposed to be!
Song recommendations? Who can say if I’ve been changed for the better? Because I knew you, I have been changed for good.
How do you define personal success?
Enjoying what you do and knowing you did the right thing.
What will you miss most about Habs? The sound of our students enjoying school life, particularly Rainbow Favourite moment at Habs?
I think the first ever joint Sports day. Plans after Habs?
Travel, improve my golf handicap and a winter season of skiing.
Coffee order at the mezz? Americano.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Do what you enjoy, not what you think you should do.
Song recommendations? It’s a Beautiful Day U2.
Favourite random fact? I have climbed Mount Fuji. Favourite zodiac sign It’s all about fish.
Celebrity doppelgänger Ron Burgundy..in Anchorman played by Will Ferrell...check out a photo!
What will you miss most about Habs? Getting up on a wet, cold, dark morning in the middle of winter at 6am so I can get to school on time! (Actually, I’ll miss all the wonderful, inspiring students and amazing staff that make up our community)
Plans after Habs?
Find time to do my own ceramics, make my own clothes and work in a zoo.
Fav school lunch?
Jacket potato, beans and cheese with Mrs Hobbs.
Most embarrassing moment?
At my first parents evening at Habs, I asked a parent if he had an interest in the Arts as his child was really engaged with the subject. It turned out he was one of our most famous contemporary artists with several portraits in the National Portrait Gallery.
Teacher bestie?
They are all besties. You have the best, most interesting, diverse, fabulous teachers anywhere so treasure them
What advice would you give to your younger self?
You can wear the colours blue and green together and its ok to wear thick black tights even in summer. (Don’t be afraid to fail. It teaches you how to succeed.)
What sparked your interest in teaching?
I wanted to be the teacher my own children never had. Someone who really cares for every student they teach and want them to achieve their very best.
What will you miss most about Habs? Being in the classroom with students who want to learn.
Plans after Habs?
Retirement from teaching - a short road trip through France and Spain in September and October and then who knows - I would love to work in a bookshop.
Teacher bestie?
Miss Nanji - she has been such a support and a source of inspiration for me in my six years here - I will really miss her.
Song recommendations?
Current stuff: George Ezra, MCR, Glass Animals, Caribou and First Aid Kit.
Old school: Leonard Cohen and Queen and for a country vibe Dolly Parton and Secret Sisters.
What will you miss most about Habs? Definitely the people. The friendly students and staff make Habs a very special place.
Favourite moment at Habs? There are so many, but I certainly really enjoyed the Summer Concert with everyone performing ‘Sing’, that is a moment I will remember for a very long time.
Fav school lunch? So many to choose from! Probably quesadillas with sour cream, delicious!
Coffee order at the mezz? Hot chocolate, preferably with a piece of cake to accompany!
What sparked your interest in teaching?
After university I worked in a school music office before travel to Costa Rica on a post-uni gap year. I got to teach some cover lessons and I really enjoyed it! So I applied to do teacher training and the rest is history!
What will you miss most about Habs? My colleagues and my students
Favourite moment at Habs? All of our school drama productions are up there as favourite moments
Teacher bestie?
I think Mrs Wallace and I make a good team.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Don’t take life or yourself too seriously!
What are your superstitions?
I’ve never been able to have a cue numbered 13 in my productionswe go from 12 to 14 and add 14aMr Janes has always humoured me...
Favourite random fact?
A spinster is, in fact, a woman who was so skilled at weaving that she could be financially independent!
What will you miss most about Habs?
Teaching universally talented and dedicated students.
Favourite moment at Habs?
There are a few! Freshers’ Fair. The Dragons’ Den Competition 2022. Various Platform assemblies (especially the one on genetics).
One life lesson Habs taught me? You CAN teach an old dog new tricks (well perhaps reinforced rather than taught!).
Teacher bestie? Mrs D’Arcy (we met whilst working at our first teaching job).
Song recommendations? She’s Got Her Ticket, by Tracy Chapman. It’s a great song to sing along to whatever your mood and I have great memories of singing along to this with my uni bestie.
Miss Adele TebbWhat will you miss most about Habs?
The people - my classes, the MFL department and my colleagues.
Song recommendations?
“If you have faith” by Labi Siffre, “I’ll find my way home” by Jon and Vangelis
How do you define personal success? Being happy and being there for friends and family when they need you. What sparked your interest in teaching?
My French teacher at school, Miss Lewis - she was amazing. She gave up time to tutor me on the novels of Mauriac and I then studied him as part of my degree. I also taught most of the grammar to the rest of my German class at A Level.
Favourite random fact? Both the first book printed, and the longest published word (Donaudampfschifffahrtselektrizitätenhauptbetriebswerkbauunterbeamtengesellschaft) are in German.
What will you miss most about Habs?
The students - it has been so wonderful teaching Habs for seven years!
Favourite moment at Habs?
Running around the sports field dressed as Willy Wonka with my lovely form group dressed as Oompa Loompas for a whole school charity event
Plans after Habs?
My family and I have relocated to the Peak District and I am still undecided what my career plans are. I love my subject so if I can continue sharing and applying Maths that would be fab, but I’m open and excited to try something new.
Teacher bestie
Mr Thakerar
What advice would you give to your younger self?
My pragmatic advice would beCompound interest - Start saving even sooner.
But the minx in me would also say - you can’t take it with you - live in the present!
One life lesson Habs has taught you?
Feeling valued at work, so your work life is satisfying is important. Money can’t buy you happiness - and nor will a job if that becomes your sole focus. So many of you have a fantastic balance of work (your school studies) and life (your family, friends and hobbies) at the moment - remember to maintain it when you finish your courses and begin your career!
First impression of Habs when you arrived?
It’s hard to remember back to over 10 years ago, but I remember thinking how green and leafy it looked. I also remember my interview day and having some great food at lunch!
Favourite Habs memory?
Not one particular memory but a few. There were many brilliant trips I was able to go on such as music tours to Tuscany and Austria, a ski trip to the USA with a visit to New York, the trenches trip and a history trip to Alabama. All of these were a brilliant experience.
Advice for students?
1: You are smarter than you think you.
2: You are learning when you don’t think you are.
3: Life throws you twists and turns which doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
Best Habs events?
Action week and teacher dance competitions. I won it one year with the PE department.
What made you become a teacher? I wanted to work with people and share my love of Geography!
What would you have been if not a teacher?
I thought about being a physiotherapist but I’m now not teaching and have turned my hand to my own business so maybe that.
Mr Simon Turner Director of Co-Curricular
What was your first experience of Habs?
I came for the very first time on the last day of Action Week. Everyone was in normal clothes and jeans and Mr Squire, Mrs Deamer and Mr Oliver were all dressed as hippies. I was really pleased as I’m not a fan of school uniform. The school had a friendly vibe. Imagine my disappointment when the next time I came in, everyone was back in green!
I had an inspirational teacher called Mr Wingate who let me make electric guitars in DT. This did impact on my A Level results (dreadful), but it instilled in me a love of teaching which continues to this day. If I hadn’t become a teacher, then I’d like to have had a guitar factory - maybe a bit unrealistic?
Favourite Habs memory?
I have so many good memories. The
school pantos were hilarious and a real treat for everyone, although occasionally a bit risqué! I loved taking groups of students to India and all the other school trips I was lucky enough to take part in - so many amazing memories for both teachers and students. My favourite events have been the fun parts of St. Catherine’s Day and working with so many amazing staff and students to make a brilliant day for all - even in lockdown. I was always happy to take one for the team by trying out and approving the food vans beforehand!
Advice for students?
Just get out there and do stuff! Go places and try new things as you only get one go at this. Don’t live life through your phone. Go on loads of school trips as that’s where memories are made, and friendships cemented. Oh, and keep a journal - they are brilliant to read through when you are older.
What is your favourite thing about Habs?
The friendly atmosphere, friendly pupils and friendly staff.
What inspired you to become a teacher?
Seeing how music can transform people’s lives.
Favourite school lunch? Vegan wellington and roast potatoes.
Favourite thing about your subject?
The feeling you get singing and playing music with other people.
Who’s your teacher bestie? Miss Turner.
What’s your favourite department other than your own? I love the Art department!
Any song recommendations?
Soul II Soul - Back to Life.
What is your favourite thing about Habs?
The new science labs.
What inspired you to become a teacher?
Getting to do science experiments every day and sharing them.
If not a teacher, then what? Architect.
What’s your hidden talent? Playing Roller Derby. Camping or glamping? I love both.
Who’s your teacher bestie? Mrs Press.
Any song recommendations? Carole King – Where you lead.
Miss Lucy Beesley Teacher of Geography Megan Findley Teacher of Mathematics
Mrs Nimisha Mistry Teacher of Mathematics
This year we welcomed several new teachers, the Habs Life Team took the opportunity to catch up with them and see how they were settling in.Mrs
What is your favourite thing about Habs?
I love working at Habs because of the wonderful, hard-working and ambitious students that I am greeted with every single day. They encourage my passion of teaching and help me bring the best out of them as well.
What inspired you to become a teacher?
Very cliché but my favourite book and film as a child was Matilda (still is!).
I was so inspired by Miss Honey’s kindness and eagerness to help Matilda as an inspirational Teacher (but also Matilda’s love of learning!).
If not a teacher, then what?
I do love testing out psychological theories. So, I would say I would be a Researcher/University Lecturer if I couldn’t do my dream job of teaching.
What’s your hidden talent?
I wake up at 6am every day without a need for an alarm clock. I seem to have trained my internal body clock too well, as this happens even on holiday or after a late night! Perhaps not a talent in the end.
Favourite school lunch?
Promoting veganism, I always love the aubergine and courgette salad or the big couscous!!
Who’s your teacher bestie?
Well, it is hard to beat my psychology colleague Mr Dinu for this nomination. He is another reason why I enjoy my time at Habs, due to his positivity and support!
What is your favourite thing about Habs?
The pleasant pupils.
What inspired you to become a teacher?
I just fell into teaching. In the 1980s there was such a shortage of Maths teachers. My headteacher from my boyhood days rang to ask if I wanted a job. I had just completed my degree in Dublin and was looking for work. I said “yes”, thinking I could do this as a stop gap. I came back to London and the rest is history
What’s your hidden talent?
I can sing a few Irish songs.
Camping or glamping?
Definitely “glamping”. I like my comforts.
Who’s your teacher bestie?
Mr Howlett. I have known him for 20 years. A great teacher and great colleague. He is someone you can always turn to for help.
Any song recommendations?
I love the music of the Irish singer/ song-writer Dermot Kennedy. I like his most recent hits Giants and Once Upon a Time. They remind me of youth and former loves.
This year we’ve been delighted to welcome new support staff in a variety of roles, including some colleagues who provide support to both the Girls’ and Boys’ Schools.
Autumn Term
L4A
Clemmie Evans Tiffany Adeeyinwo L4 Aesc
Ellie Mitchell
Ruby Braham
L4 Aleph
Sonya Gluzman Ishani Gadhia L4 Alpha Amie Yuan
Arya Ahuja L4 Aske
Aanya Mehta Tilly Lobb U4A
Sedona De Silva Isabel Barnwell U4 Aesc
Orla Scoggins Maxine Chu
U4 Aleph
Leila Hoch Ruby Giam U4 Alpha Harleen Dehiri Manyan Yao U4 Aske
Betsy Brown Jesse Geng
L5 A
Tamara Joseph Priya Pushparajasekaran L5 Aesc
Amanda Beligoda Elena Erceg
L5 Anzuz
Emily Harris
Lucy Ginsberg
L5 Aleph
Aryaa Mehta Saanvi Haria L5 Alpha Kheya Shah
Imara Popat
L5 Aske
Kate Cohen Hannah Boyask M5 A
Simran Chavda Anya Chotai
M5 Aesc
Anaya Jess Victoria Willott
M5 Aleph
Ruby Messulam Sara Cohen
M5 Alpha Sofia Allen Thalia Al-Madfai
M5 Aske
Siyena Ahmed Omaserichi Moneke
U5 A
Dara Afolabi Sienna Thakrar U5 Aesc
Sophia Nanthakumar Arya Singh U5 Aleph
Aimee Benjamin Eliya Gardiner U5 Alpha Rachel Becker Rachel Gittleson U5 Aske
Harini Shankar Sophie Graham
L4A
Clemmie Evans Tiffany Adeeyinwo L4 Aesc Ellie Mitchell Ruby Braham L4 Aleph Sonya Gluzman Ishani Gadhia L4 Alpha Amie Yuan Arya Ahuja L4 Aske Aanya Mehta Tilly Lobb U4A Sophia Lee Anna Metcalf U4 Aesc Rebecca Grossman Aurora Kaufmann U4 Aleph Sanjana Vijay Amelie Supran U4 Alpha Ishana Jogeesvaran Mahi Dhanani U4 Aske Yanxi Jin Jessie Lock L5 A
Celine Silverman Zayna Dawreeawoo L5 Aesc Ella Lyons Saskia Beveridge L5 Anzuz Ava Solomon Himidi Perera L5 Aleph Lana Momin Lara Prabhu-Desai L5 Alpha Cara O’Sullivan Emily Grant
L5 Aske Indiana Brown Aaska Bhattraj M5 A
Bijal Kapadia Nikita Jobanputra M5 Aesc Abigail Hobbs Anahid Vakani M5 Aleph
Savidya Dharmawardene Sophie Raymond M5 Alpha Sophie Sanders Beatrice Caisley M5 Aske
Amber Gehani Neysa Coutinho U5 A
Natasha Wahab Maya Fernandes U5 Aesc Sienna Patel Aparna Shankar U5 Aleph Ayza Affan Isabella Borgese U5 Alpha Ashna Kapur Katie Welply U5 Aske Taisia Kudimova-Campeanu Karen Kou
Summer Term L4A Jura Ahmad Issie Ridgway L4 Aesc Orly Hamburger Selvi Reddy L4 Aleph Kaya Kirschel Ira Kokate L4 Alpha Eva Shortt Roxy Clapper L4 Aske Kimi Shah Senali Benaragama U4A
Isabel Parker Grace Howie U4 Aesc
Tammy Gilmore Sahaana Wadhwani U4 Aleph Thiya Balasingham Allison Olima U4 Alpha Amara Fernandes Mia Zhu U4 Aske Naisha Mathur Maanya Bhavnani L5 A
Audrey Mortlock Alicia Bogard L5 Aesc Keshvi Shah Alisha Mehta L5 Anzuz Millie Isaacs Raphaella Christofedou
L5 Aleph
Angee Yao Rhea Sharma L5 Alpha Edie Chalk Aliya Wahid L5 Aske Ahria Ajanthan Feeza Prajapati M5 A Ayesha Wilkins Sabrina Mirza M5 Aesc Yuli Katz Mia Moshal M5 Aleph Simi Joshi Charlotte Saunderson M5 Alpha Milan Kadrok Emilie Holden M5 Aske Ashleigh Teper Eden Chesler U5 A Natasha Wahab Maya Fernandes U5 Aesc Sienna Patel Aparna Shankar U5 Aleph Ayza Affan Isabella Borgese U5 Alpha Ashna Kapur Katie Welply U5 Aske Taisia Kudimova-Campeanu Karen Kou
School Prefect Team 2021-2022
Jessica Alagaratnam D&I Temi Elesin Co-Curricular Abigail Cheong Public Occasions Neeve Capaldo Environment Sophie Ladha Academic Amie Shooter Charity Khiloni Dodha Junior School Maddy Smith Wellbeing
Senior Prefect Team 2021-2022
Hannah Moshal Head Prefect Jamila Salim Gillett, Deputy Head Prefect Lydia Reid Gilliland Misi Subair Harold Arianna Sultan Millar Zoe St John Powell Lexi Kagan Sprules
On Monday 23 May the school hosted a service of celebration for the life of Mrs Sheila Wiltshire OBE, Head Mistress at Habs from 1974 – 1991. Many of Mrs Wiltshire’s former teaching colleagues were in attendance as well as representatives of the Haberdashers’ Company. The Master gave a welcome and Mrs Hardy read the Bidding Prayer. Readings were made by the Head Prefect and Deputy Head Prefect and St Catherine Singers sang Elgar’s As Torrents in Summer and an arrangement of A Haberdashers’ Grace. The service concluded with the Carmen.
Both Roger Wiltshire, Mrs Wiltshire’s son, and Maxine West, Deputy Head 1981 – 1988, gave reflections that focused on
the visionary drive that Mrs Wiltshire had for the school and the way in which she recruited staff who shared these values.
Mrs Sheila Wiltshire was born in 1925 and died in 2021 and we thank her for everything she did for Habs at a time of great change as the school relocated from Acton to Elstree.
Mater tibi gratias!
Mr Tim Scott Deputy Head (Admissions, Co-Curricular and Events)
Mrs Veronica Mayer passed away on 25 May, just days before her 80th birthday.
Born in Bristol, she was Head Girl at St George Grammar School, then studied Mathematics at Royal Holloway, London.
She began teaching at Eliots Green Grammar School, Northolt, and after career break to raise her family, returned took a post at Northolt High School.
In 1977 she joined Habs and by 1979 was Acting Head of Department. Until retirement she led the department with enthusiasm. She shared her passion for mathematics through her visualisation technique –students could often be seen crashing into one another to demonstrate collisions.
Mrs Mayer took an active role in the school community, during Action Week the maths department gave an annual performance, most memorably their ‘Men in Black’ dance. She was also a Sixth Form Tutor. In retirement, Mrs Mayer, was on the Board of Trustees of the Thames Learning Trust and a local librarian at Farnham Common where she and her husband lived for more than 50 years. Both were keen gardeners.
Their daughter Karen belongs to the Class of 1989 and is also a mathematics teacher in Birmingham.
Judith Curati School ArchivistRead about some of the events students have been taking part in this year to raise money for charity
Children and families welcomed to Habs for the annual Mencap Fun Day
This June we welcomed 50 children to Habs. Having been unable to run this event for the last two years, it was a reminder of the importance of charity and community within Habs.
Children came from London, each with unique requirements. Activities ranged from bouncy castles, fairground rides to arts and crafts. With over 250
volunteers from Habs Girls and Boys, there was an atmosphere of pure joy as all got involved with the children and the fun filled activities and adventure.
The day, a Habs tradition, is organised by sixth formers from both schools. Much consideration went into the accommodation and care of all visitors. The sun shone, the day was a massive success, marked a triumphant return to this Habs tradition.
Evie Sultman L6 GAMAfter a 5.30am wake up, the Prefect Team’s “Walk to School” began in Barnet and took two hours.
The walk was filled with laughter, chatter, and lots of (questionable) singing! However, we did not lose sight of the reason behind our journey. Our theme of blue and yellow clothing was a statement of solidarity with Ukraine.
It has never been more apparent how lucky we are at Habs. Millions of Ukrainian teenagers are dealing with more than we could imagine.
Hope and unity were driving forces of this initiative that helped connect Habs to this important cause.
Avital Cohen Charity Prefect L6 DT
We are excited to announce the appointment of the school’s incoming Prefect Team for 2022/23.
We are delighted to announce that our new Head Prefect is Madison (Upper 6 LC), and our Deputy Head Prefect is Sia (Upper 6 KXO). Our Senior Prefect team will also include House Captains Alexandra (Upper 6 RDD – Powell), Ella (Upper 6 JRA – Gilliland), Sophie (Upper 6 RDD – Harold), Charissa (Upper 6 ADL –Millar), Tabby (Upper 6 RDD – Sprules) and Eliyeh (Upper 6 RDD – Gillett).
They will play an active role in leading the School Prefect team, the Sixth Form and the wider school community. The Prefect Team, which totals 18 members, were elected by their year group and teachers and assumed their roles with immediate effect. A huge congratulations’ to each and every student who has been awarded the prestigious honour of becoming a Senior or School Prefect.
The Senior Prefect Team walk to Habs to raise money for the DEC Ukraine Appeal
To stop wasting so much food we can stop leaving whole pieces of food, you can always save it for later! You can also ask for large, medium or small portions so you receive the amount you think you are going to eat. 5353 53
By the Year 6 Eco-PrefectsFollowing the success of adopting an elephant last year, the Eco-Council decided it would be the perfect time to adopt an animal this year. To make it as fair as possible we made sure everyone got a vote on which animal they wanted to adopt, with large majorities throughout the classes. WWF are getting our support this year, but no spoilers here…!
The Eco-Council had a meeting with the head of our school catering team. We asked questions like, what does the school do with the waste? How much on average do we waste?
By the Year 6 Eco-Prefects
Each Eco-Council representative shows their dedication to the environment each week. We meet to discuss and share ways in which we can make a greener environment at Habs Girls. After all the debating, discussing and pondering at the meeting, we empty all of the recycling bins in the Junior School. We also recently started a programme with an outside company who recycle our used stationery, which is turning out to be a huge success. The main thing to highlight is that throughout the school, we raise awareness of the current environmental situation and we take steps to deal with it.
What do Eco-Council do?
Eco-Council ran an assembly to KS1 and KS2. All the Eco-Councillors spent lots of their time learning words and preparing the content for it. We presented it with engaging videos from Greta Thunberg and climate themed music on entry. At the end we asked each person, from Rainbow to Year 6 to pledge a planet promise on a leaf, something manageable. Just check out our Eco-Council board now!
By the Year 6 Eco-Prefects
Student Voice is an interesting and fun club with nominated members from Year 1 to Year 6, that help to make changes and to ensure every pupil’s voice is heard and listened to. Student Voice listen to everyone’s suggestions and try to implement as many as possible that would benefit the whole school community. A few successful things that we have done this year are; change homework so that it is more effective for everyone’s learning, we have also made lunchtime run smoothly by introducing two queues and lunch passes for clubs. Student Voice also developed an effective way to record house points to ensure the system was fair for everyone. We have had a great year as Student Voice reps and enjoyed working with different members of our school community to help introduce new ideas.
I like student voice because you get to help make changes that benefit the school and the pupils. We enjoy collecting suggestions from our classmates and trying to make them happen!
I like being in Student Voice because I have made new friends in different year groups.
like helping make people happy by listening to what they have to say.
fun and the ice-cream was delicious! Year 4 4949 49
I loved the helter- skelter because it went so fast!Rainbow enjoyedparticularlyI JubileeQueen’sthebecausefairgroundthe rides were so much Extra Curricular & Events
The Jubilee celebration was really fun! We had a carousel, swing boats, helter-skelter, stalls and a mini carousel.
Year 2
The funfair on Jubilee day was amazing!
Year 4
For the Queen’s Jubilee we had games to play such as Hook-a-Duck. I really enjoyed it.
I loved making my brochure about Spain. Year 2
Year 3
I loved doing the stunts in cheerleading because I’ve never done them before.
Year 1
We did the Haka dance in front of the whole school.
Year 6
I really loved playing table tennis as it’s one of my favourite sports.
Year 5
I really enjoyed doing the dancing because it was really fun and energetic!
I loved drawing anime- all the complicated lines & techniques to master were amazing! Year 6
I liked learning the continents song because I can sing it all the time and learn about the continents. I liked having my face painted. I liked learning how to spin plates and juggle when we had the circus skills workshop. Rainbow
I really enjoyed learning traditional Indian dance! Year 6
I loved this because I enjoy designing and making things. Year 6
I loved the DT workshops as we made cars for an egg race.
Art room. Year 6
Carnival dancing was so much fun! Year 2
Rainbow
I was able to be in the DayCatherine’sStperformance.quitewasIt webecauserackingnerve frontinperformingwere butpeople,manysoof greatawasitoverall me.forexperience
Year 6
I am in the choir and
I really liked Captain Safety who taught us how to cross the road safely because he was funny.
raceeggtheenjoyedI that we did, as it was thebuildingfunreally thetogoingandcarsSenior School
Year 5
We got to participate in multiple fun workshops, including singing ones, charity ones and more!
I will alwaysremember the time I sang a solo on St Catherine’s day in front of the whole Junior School.Year 3
Year 2
I like dressing up as our favourite characters from books and doing activities about our favourite books.
I loved stroking the animals at the live nativity. Rainbow
Year 4
I enjoyed taking part in the swimming galas and representing Habs.
Year 6
I enjoyed both of our Dashs because it was really fun to run as a whole community and just enjoy it.
Year 5
I loved the Habs Dash and Santa Dash. I feel this was a very good idea that brought the Boys’ and Girls’ schools together.
Year 1
The Santa Dash was fun because we got to wear Santa hats and it was funny.
Year 1
I enjoyed planting in science. We planted cornflowers, sunflowers and runner beans. My sunflower is still alive at home!
I liked our classification topic because it included lots of different animals. Year 6
Summer. Year 2
I loved writing the life cycles in science. I got to learn about different animals and their way of living. Year 5
I love going on walks to find signs of Spring and
I loved the volcano science experiment when we made the volcano explode!Rainbow
Rainbow
I enjoyed the caterpillar science experiment when we made tissue caterpillars grow using water.
Year 5
I participated in the performing arts evening. I loved performing in it because when we had finished, we felt a rush of happiness and excitement.
Year 5
Performing on my instrument in all the variety of concerts really helped get rid of my stage fright.
Year 4
I love participating in concerts and music events because I love playing in front of a crowd. It makes me feel like I deserve to be up there.
events. Year 4
Throughout the year, there have been many fun activities, but I loved the play and watching people shine. Year 6
I enjoyed being part of the Habs community and doingperformances to celebrate
My favourite bit of the Christmas show was that we felt so brave and not shy. Year 1
Year 6
I loved the year 6 play, Madagascar, because we all got to embrace each other’s talent and love for performing.
Year 2
I enjoyed learning my lines with my friends, finding out what character I was going to be and trying on my costume.
I really enjoyed participating in the Alice and Wonderland play because I found it fun to perform and I liked narrating with my friends.
I really enjoyed the inter-house rounders, swimming and netball as it was competitive.Year 6
I felt really proud to represent Habs at the swimming final in Sheffield because I met lots of great swimmers from around the country. It was amazing to parade and represent Habs Girls. Year 6
I loved doing cross country as I love running. I also loved taking part in swimming galas. Year 4
The best thing was when I got to participate in a swimming gala. Year 3
I felt proud to represent Habs at the gymnastics Nationals in Stoke-on- Trent with my good friends. It was a greatexperience! Year 6
I have been playing in the Habs football team all year. We played lots of fun matches and tournaments. Year 5
allhotelsbugmakeWe favouriteMytime.the becausesnailsarebugs steppedgetoftenthey hotelbuganeedandon safe.stayto Rainbow
It was really challenging to make a mini den and to get the sticks to stay in the ground. Year 1 School Subjects
Year 2
We have loved going to The Wild Wood Den in Forest School.
I loved Forest School day, we made pizza pockets.Year 4
Rainbow
The digital prefects helped us use our passwords so we could play games on our iPads.
Year 3 School Subjects
Year 5
In computing I enjoyed the LegoWeDo the most. What’s better than making efficient robots that you build, program and can make dance to music?!
I have most enjoyed touch typing because I
think it will really help me when I am older!
Year 4
I had fun programming a tiny bot called Sphero to travel through mazes.
I enjoyed giving my friends instructions to find a pencil and then using the instructions to programme a Bee-Bot. Year 1
It was really enjoyable when the artist came and taught us to make wire sculptures. Year 6
Year 4
I really enjoyed making pop art because you got to paint and trace pictures. It was AMAZING!
Year 5
I enjoyed doing a Picasso clay face in art. When I stepped back and took a look, it was like Picasso was really there.
Year 5
In art I loved learning about Picasso and I now know the key things you need to know about using clay because of this topic.
I liked potato printing penguins because it was fun! Rainbow
I enjoyed when we did the cave paintings, especially because we had been learning about the Stone Age in history. Year 3
Year 1
I liked learning about Kandinsky and making circle pictures like he did. I liked the bright and beautiful colours we could use!
Year 3
In art I enjoyed doing our canopic jars. Using clay was really fun!
Year 5
I loved making our bags out of old shirts, it was a lot of fun and it taught us how to sew and fix things!
I really enjoyed the Habs Dash and the Santa Dash!
I had so much fun when we were on the giant swing in Suffolk and we pulled the cord, not knowing what would happen - then we were flying in the air!
My favourite memory was when an instructor jumped on the paddle board on the school trip and pushed us all in.
I particularly enjoyed Norfolk as it had a lot of different activities that I would never even think of doing! But it made me step out of my comfort zone and I’m so glad I did.
My residential trip to Norfolk Lakes was my favourite memory because we did lots of fun filled activities and there was never a boring minute.
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I really enjoyed glamping out on the fields in Suntrap - it was a really great opportunity to
I loved the class assembly and all the sports tournaments. The teachers and my friends made each event so much fun.
This year my favourite memory from school was having fun with my friends visiting Skern Lodge.
I really enjoyed going to Skern Lodge and doing fun activities like rafting with all my friends.
I liked the Habs Dash because I got to run with my friends and I also got a cookie!
I really enjoyed going on the Victorian trip as we experienced life as a Victorian.
My favourite memory from this year is the day on our Norfolk Lakes residential when I jumped into the water for paddle boarding.
My favourite memory is when I fell into the water off my paddle board at Norfolk Lakes.
off timetable week when we learnt all about North America and even learnt to cheerlead! 1313 13 Year
Groups
favouriteMy
I really enjoyed running wearing Santa hats in the Santa Dash.
My favourite memory from school this year is when we went to Celtic Harmony because we learnt so much about the Stone Age.
Our trip to Cuffley Camp was fantastic.
Toasting crumpets in Forest School was fun, especially eating them!
We planted cornflowers, sunflowers and runner beans. My sunflower is still alive at home!
The Teddy Bears’ picnic was my favourite day and we met the boys again.
The Easter egg hunt was fun because we had to find the eggs around all of the trees.
The Jubilee Fair was the best because we had ice cream, cake and went on the helter-skelter.
My favourite memory is the rides we had for the Jubilee celebrations. I liked the helter-skelter the most because it started really high and then went lower and lower!
We made our own giraffes and they got smudgy.
I enjoyed it when we went on our school trip to Paradise Wildlife Park. It was interesting and we were all together.
My favourite memory is sewing the bears in art because I liked learning how to sew.
I want to be an actor or a doctor or a nurse or a teacher when I grow up.
I loved Christmas Jumper day because the Christmas activities were enjoyable and it was fun to see everyone in their different jumpers!
I love creating things because I can use my imagination.
I felt really excited when we went to Aldenham Country Park and the Hundred Aker Wood.
We had so much fun when we went to Aldenham Country Park and looked for the characters from Winnie the Pooh.
I can work as a team with different year groups and do fun activities with them, so we get to know each other. Year 4
cheer people on. Year 3
houses because you always
I enjoy having sports day in
Rainbow
I like being in the yellow house, Puffins because yellow is a colour of happiness, which means we are always happy. Year 3
What I enjoy most about being in a house is being able to participate in team sports and having support from people across the school, coming together in a large community. Year 5
I enjoyed making hot cross buns at Easter in our house families. Year 2
In particular, our favourite thing about being house captains is getting to know each and every one of our house members. Even though the year has gone by so quickly, we have enjoyed every second of it. We will never forget this amazing opportunity that has come our way and we would like to wish good luck to the house captains of the future.
It has been such an honour to be the House Captains this year. From collecting house points to running assemblies, it has been an absolute pleasure.
I like meeting new people from my house and then seeing them on the playground.
Year 6 Pupil
So, all I know is that when I am older, I want to be like Mr Hobley: a football coach? Maybe. A science teacher? Maybe. But whatever I do, Mr Hobley has inspired me to always be a kind, caring person.
His pep talks before a football match are admirable as he can turn everybody’s mood from incredibly nervous to incredibly excited, as his love for football shines through in his voice.
His calmness and efficiency are breathtaking as you see how he can get a whole class of excitable children to be quiet just by standing silently and then he can get them working quickly by saying only two sentences!
What are a few words to describe Mr Hobley? Kind, patient, calm, humble, fair, those are just a few words to sum up this amazing teacher. However, we all know that a few words can’t even come close to explaining how much we appreciate him and are inspired by him.
I’ve enjoyed being taught by Mr Hobley in his fun and engaging way.
I have loved seeing Mr Hobley every week and seeing his enthusiasm for teaching. “
I have enjoyed having Mr Hobley as a teacher. It was really fun having him as a teacher and I hope he has lots more adventures! “
I’ve just really enjoyed having Mr Hobley as a teacher. “
From the return to residential trips, author visits, our off timetable three days celebrating global diversity, Forest School, concerts, plays, sports days, inter-house events, sports fixtures, our Ace cocurricular program, the Platinum Jubilee events, this magazine celebrates all that the Junior School is about and the joy on your faces is clear to see. I often talk about the buzz of learning that is created by the junior school community and in looking through this magazine I am sure you will be able to feel that buzz emanating from the pages. The junior school community never fails to put a smile on my face and I would like to thank all of my colleagues for the amazing work they do, day in day out, to provide such inspiring and varied opportunities, which makes our community such a wonderful place to be.
What hasn’t changed this year are the remarkable attributes that I recognise in common with all pupils in the junior school; curiosity, ambition and courage, which have brought to life each of these longed for events.
As I sit down to write the introduction to this year’s greenhouse magazine, one of my first tasks is to reflect back upon the highlights of the year just gone, and what an action packed year it has been! This year has seen us able to return to a more familiar school year with many highlights of the school calendar returning once more. For many of you, this year marks your first year in two years spent back entirely in the school building. For pupils lower down the school this year was your first ever uninterrupted school year.
As I leaf through the pages of the magazine, looking upon the myriad of opportunities you have embraced this year, I could not be more proud to be the Head of the Junior School. With the reintroduction of a more normal school year, what has made me most proud is the way in which each of you has taken advantage of these opportunities, grabbing them with both hands and sharing in their value as a community.
www.habsgirls.org.uk Tel. 0208 266 2400
Aldenham Road, Elstree Hertfordshire WD6 3BT
Welcome from the Head 3 Farewell Mr Hobley 4 House Captains 5 Rainbow 6-7 earY 1 8-9 earY 2 110-1 Year 3 12-13 earY 4 14-15 earY 5 16-17 earY 6 18-19 Events 40-41 St. sCatherine’ Day 42-43 f-TimetableOf Week 44-47 Platinum Jubilee 48-49 ACE Programme 50 Student oiceV 51 Eco-Council 52-53 Art 20-23 Computing 24-25 Forest School 26-27 .E.P 28-29 Rainbow Sports Day 30-31 KS1 Sports Day 32-33 KS2 Sports Day 34-35 Performing Arts 36-37 Science 38-39
