Middle School Bulletin May 24

Alex (9H)

Middle School Bulletin May 2024

Head of Middle School’s message This half term has been a time of celebration and community spirit.

The Middle School play last week was a fantastic display of ambitious theatre. Congratulations to all involved in those performances.

We celebrated with Year 11 students as they had their last lessons in the Middle School before beginning Study Leave for their GCSE examinations. Year 11’s final day in school was a joyous occasion, spending time together in tutor groups and houses with a tutor group breakfast and BBQ lunch together with an annual visit from the ice cream van. We wish all Year 11 students' success in the coming weeks.

Celebrations continued with Year 9 receiving feedback on their Dawson projects which culminated in a prize giving assembly. Every student has received a certificate marking the completion of their research projects which again have been a magnificent display of ambitious curiosity – well done to all Year 9 students for their hard work with this. I am incredibly grateful to Ms Hooker for her outstanding leadership of this project for the benefit of our students, both their outcomes and developing a culture of ambition and academic curiosity in the Middle School.

Year 9 have worked hard this week on their internal exams and Year 10 continue to prepare for their exams. We wish them well and remind everyone that these are a milestone in the preparation towards GCSEs and part of a process to practice and prepare for what is to come. Perspective and positivity are key.

I hope you enjoy seeing the photos in this bulletin of some highlights from this half term and as I share with our students, increasingly in life I find the measure of a person can be found in their happiness celebrating the success of others. We have seen real community spirit as a highlight and all credit is due to our students who have worked with such commitment and infectious enthusiasm inspiring others.

Thank you to Alex (9H) for the superb summer front cover edition of this bulletin.

Wishing you and your families a restful half term break and a purposeful period ahead to all our students revising.

With best wishes,

Mr Adam Lawrence Head of Middle School

A M iddle school student strives to be: DETERMINED To stand up for what is right, always growing from their strengths and weaknesses, constantly developing a thirst for knowledge.

Notices Students on site after 4pm Please note that when school finishes at 4pm, students should either be in a supervised activity or studying in the library before catching the late coach home. There should be no occasion when students are left on campus after 4pm unsupervised.

Year 11 blazers Please note that when students are in school for public examinations, they must be in full school uniform which includes blazers. We would prefer to avoid speaking with students about uniform issues before their exams begin but must insist on the correct uniform. Thank you for your support with ensuring Year 11 students always attend school in full uniform this term.

Keeping valuables safe • • • •

• •

Any valuable items brought to school must be locked in a locker Do not bring personal items of value to school that you would be upset if they went missing Do not leave any valuables in blazer pockets Everything should be labelled in the hope that it can be returned if it goes missing (this includes a label on mobile phones/cases/ headphones) Do not bring cash into school unless essential and there should be no occasion for bringing more than £20 If any students have an exceptional reason for bringing a valuable item into school and it does not fit in a locker, they are welcome to speak with Mr Lawrence who can store it in a locked office for the day

MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAY

Middle School play Congratulations to all students involved in the spectacular Middle School play performed on 14, 16 and 18 May. Shenul (9R) Ishaan (9S) Tobiloba (9R) Daniel (9C) Victor (9J) Daniel (9H) Rishi (10M) Kian (10M) Murilo (10S) Obafemi (10M) Harrison (9S) Aryan (10R) Rafi (9R) Max (9J) Lucas (9S) Danyal (9S) Josh (10H) William (10J) Maks (8M) Noel (9H) How can you learn how to swim before you get in?

With scenes from BLANK by Alice Birch, directed by Harry Gould And then I looked towards you.

Sitting like a little word on a page, a blue mark against a bluer sky, not moving.

Constant and steady and there.

An honest, funny and moving exploration of what life is like when adults feel absent from it and the pressure this puts on young people to grow up faster.

This is somewhere better I keep having this dream where I’m out in public somewhere and everything is normal and then I look down and I’m not wearing any shoes.

A new play, devised by the company, about shoes. But not really. A genuine, playful and surreal exploration of what it means to be a young person stood on the brink of something - whether it be stepping forward, stepping back, or perhaps not stepping at all.

Year 9 Keith Dawson Independent Research Project celebration…

DAWSON PROJECT CELEBRATION

Year 9 Keith Dawson Independent Research Project Celebrations 2024 On Friday 10 May we celebrated the completion of Year 9’s Independent Research projects with a special prize giving assembly. All Year 9 students have been presented with a certificate of completion and we were pleased to celebrate the whole year group’s success and learning journey on this project. The skills developed will serve them well in future academic study. Shared in the next few pages are Distinction winning titles and photographs from the awards ceremony. Well done to all students for completing high levels of research and writing.

Distinction Prize Winners, Distinction and Special Mention Prize Winners and Certificates of Distinction Prize Winners

DAWSON PROJECT CELEBRATION

Distinction Prize Winners

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Lucas (9C) - Under the Welfare principle, how can it be in a child's best interests to die?

•

Isaac (9R (– Cryptography: Friend or Foe?​

•

Danny (9H) - The Architecture of Our Lives: How does Architecture Affect and Reflect Our Lives?

•

Lani (9R) - How does the intersection of black Atlantic historical and cultural influences, as well as

socio-psychological and scientific factors, impact sports performances and achievements?

•

Joseph (9R) - How do we use mathematical models to maximise the efficiency of wind turbines and wind farms?

•

Alex (9M) – Optimising the propeller.

•

Hamza (9C) - What Role Will Humans Play in an AI-Dominated World?​

•

Drew (9S) - How did the European Colonisation of the USA Affect the Natives and how have they Developed from it?

•

Louis (9C) - Will There Ever Be A Cure For Autoimmunity?

•

Zachary (9J)- Why was socialism so prevalent in post war South East Asia?

•

David (9H) - Could the matrix be real?​

•

Advait (9M) - The Future of Autonomous Vehicles​.

DAWSON PROJECT CELEBRATION

Certificates of Distinction

•

Roshan (9M) - Is The Theory Of The Multiverse Proven, And If So, What Are The Philosophical

Implications Of This? ​ •

James (9H) - What are the similarities between the skills and strategies utilised in Bridge and Chess?

•

Ethan (9J) - To what extent can the results of universe 25 be seen in society today?

•

Christian (9M)- How does the Integration of Artificial Intelligence reshape employment, and how can we proactively ensure favourable workforce outcomes?

•

James (9J) – Is AI better or worse for humanity?​

•

Arthur (9J) - How has mathematics developed throughout history?

•

Ryan (9R) - Why did the Islamic Revolution occur and how has it affected Iran?​

•

Ayaan (9J) – What is the future of aerospace propulsion?

•

Danyal (9S) - Which factor arising from the Ottoman conquest of Cyprus is the mostsignificant in creating a lasting impact on the island’s later history?

•

Sanhith (9R) - Do we control our DNA or does our DNA control us?

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Tobey (9J) - How did Ancient Civilisations’ perspective on death and the afterlife contribute to their prosperity?

•

Max (9J) - What links are there between psychology and music and to what extent can it influence our day-to-day activities?

DAWSON PROJECT CELEBRATION

Distinction and Special Mention

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Chu (9C) - How does music influence sporting performance?​

•

Max (9S) – Is cryptocurrency money?​

•

Alex (9H) - Exploring the impact of framing on Nocebo Effects: Unravelling the interplay between positive framing and negative thinking​.

•

Suraj (9M) - What causes allergies to develop and is there a permanent cure?

DAWSON PROJECT CELEBRATION ASSEMBLY

DAWSON PROJECT CELEBRATION

DAWSON PROJECT CELEBRATION

We celebrated the hard work of each student in Year 9 with a form time certificate presentation. Their efforts were clear this year and it was wonderful to mark this with their tutors.

Well done Year 9.

Year 11 celebrations…

YEAR 11 FINAL DAY

Year 11 final day celebrations We had a wonderful day celebrating with our Year 11 students before they began their Study Leave ahead of their GCSEs. Breakfast with Form Tutors and Heads of Houses in the Bates Dining Room followed by a BBQ lunch and ice cream van. The last day for Year 11 was a wonderful celebration and final hurrah.

YEAR 11 FINAL DAY – TUTOR GROUP BREAKFAST

YEAR 11 FINAL DAY BEFORE STUDY LEAVE BEGINS

YEAR 11 FINAL DAY – AWARD OF ASKE TIES

Award of Aske ties to Year 11 students Aske ties are awarded annually at the end of Year 11 to students who have consistently demonstrated service to their House, the School and to communities beyond the School gates. We know that all our students have contributed in many different ways and it was a real joy to see everyone celebrating together with these recipients. Congratulations to all those who received a tie and there will be plenty of opportunities in the Sixth Form for further involvement and recognition.

AWARD OF ASKE TIES

Recipients of Aske Tie Awards Calverts

Joblings

Russells

Albie Sahil Neel Gautham Madhav Tasir Ibrahim Toby Jonathan Arjan

Charlie Alex Zishaan Tom Ore Freddie Jamie Noah

Saaj Amar Mark Nathan Dean Millan Rocco Theo Josh Jeet

Hendersons

Meadows

Strouts

Dilan A Ishan Thomas Yunfei Tony Jamie Neerav Mohammed Aryan Deveshu Koray

Saul Alex Tom Toby Theo Leo Rian Harman Euan Saahil

Dev Isaac Raees Zeeshan Dylan Ayaan Dan Neel Nikhil Saul

AWARD OF ASKE TIES – HOUSE PHOTOS

A celebration of credits We have been so pleased to recognise, celebrate and reward students for a wide array of efforts and achievements using our new rewards system of credits, alongside our Middle School Commendations.

The following students have received 10 or more credits and have been enjoying their Joe’s café voucher rewards! A full list of Credit recipients is on the next four pages.

60+ Hugh (9H) Holden (10J)

40+ Ankush (9H) Noel (9H) Ryan (9C) Daniel (9H) Samuel (9J)

50+ Saanidh (9R) Suraj (9M) Maanav (10S)

Rugved (9H) Chukwuma (9C) Benjamin (9J) Zaki (9M)

30+ Charlie (9C) Yash (9J) Atharv (9R) Alexander (9H) Harry (9M) Joseph (9R) Lucas (9S) Kean (9H) Sharanjan (9J) Ishan (9C) Thushanth (9H)

Veer (9H) Vivek (9M) Zac (9M) Arnav (9H) Naftali (9H) Maximillian (9J) Oliver (9M) Aarav (9H) Sanhith (9R) Eshaan (9S) Rayan (9C)

20+ Ayaan (9J) Aarav (9J) Harrison (9S) Jaiden (9S) Jonathan (9H) Christian (9M) Kiyan-Raj (9S) Mirzan (9S) Victor (9J) Avighnan (9M) Shaurya (9C) Avyukt (9M) Xuehan (9M) Andrew (9M) James (9S) Aarav (9C) Ayan (9C) Charlatantony (9H) Risvithan (9J) Samuel (9M)

Isaac (9R) Rohan (9R) Christopher (9C) Theodoros (9H) Ariel (9H) Oscar (9J) Ludwig (9R) Adhith (9S) Aamir (9S) Jay (9S) Hayyan (9C) Ethan (9J) Aran (9J) Yuxiao (9R) Gabriel (9R) Rohaan (9S) Joshua (9S) Zachary (9C) James (9H) Kyle (9J)

Aarav (10H) Richard (10R) Reuben (10H) Kian (10H)

Ishan (11H) Rian (11M) Alexander (11J) Oleksandr (11H)

Shayan (9H) David (9H) Kyan (9J) Advait (9M) Nithushan (10M) Joshua (10H) Zach (10H) Arav (10H) Joseph (10H) Aaryan (10H) Dinil (10S)

Blake (10M) Joe (10R) Samit (10R) Rahul (10J) Clement (10J) Vivaan (10M) Shaunak (10S) Nathan (11R) Koray (11H) Amar (11R)

Zachary (9J) Aaron (9M) Adetayo (9M) Maximilian (9S) David (10H) Zakir (10H) Utkarsh (10H) Kush (10J) Noaz (10S) Ravi (10R) Moksh (10H) Aaron (10H) Daniel (10J) Oliver (10R) Francesco (10H) Lucas (10C) Ravjoth (10M) Thakshveen (10M) Cormack (10J) Yash (10J)

Matthews (10M) Adam (10C) Philip (10C) Gabriel (10H) Ashish (10J) Oliver (10S) Zhenxuan (10H) Harry (10J) Marcus (10M) Shay (10C) Joshua (11J) Kyle (11J) Nathan (11H) Frederick (11J) Toby (11C) Rudra (11M) Charlie (11J) Albert (11C) Oliver (11M) Aarone (11H)

A celebration of credits Year 9 Recipients of 10+ Credits Calverts Daniel Lucas Hamza Joseph Louis Jie Joseph Zyad Shay Jai

Joblings Amar Arkansh Jacob Chengwen Luke Ahren Daniel Joel James Arthur Kaspar Vivaan

Russells Oluwatobiloba Oscar Rex Ryan Noah Ethan Ogoyimika Daivik Arun Tarun Shenul Aaron Raphael Krish

Hendersons Oliver Alexander Felix James

Meadows Nikhil Noah Eesa Alexander Alexander Felix Abhirath Roshan

Strouts Drew Ronny Danyal Zach Alexander Ishaan Kyrill

A celebration of credits Year 10 Recipients of 10+ Credits Calverts Khai Rishi Hugo Shiven Keshav Rian Viroop Alex Hari Vivaan Arya Felix Joshua

Joblings Jai David Shakir Kalum Danyal Cheran Aaryan Noah Ayush Aaryan Sachin

Russells Rohan Aryan Arthur Zac Leo Chester Keaton Rahil Julian

Hendersons Aarav Joseph Patrick Arav Arie

Meadows Daniel Shreyas Ansor James Jacob Rishi Kian Joshua Shrey Yash

Strouts Jonathan Luke Shayan Milan Rishi Yajna Krish-Vir Jack Louis Nazim Murilo Ajai Aydin Daniel Samuel

A celebration of Credits Year 11 Recipients of 10+ Credits Calverts Jonathan Arjan Nitish Theo Amogh Lorenzo Niam Madhav Neel Sahil Balkrishan Tasir

Joblings Thomas Oreoluwa Jincheng Edward Doron Noah Joe Alexander Arda Lakshya Arun Vikas Roshan Aaryan Alexander Aaditya Shae

Russells Aaron Millan Theo Aqueel Kian Ryan Dean

Hendersons Joshua Joshua Aaron Deveshu Thomas Rhys Neerav

Meadows Freddie Leonidas Benjamin Theodore Tharnan Reuben Euan Toby

Strouts Aun-Mohamed Sujeevan Neel Raman Syun

PHYSICS AWARDS

BPHO Practical competition winners Mike, Aaryan (11H1) and Ryan (11R2) produced a sophisticated report into the motion of a falling slinky during the recent, national, BPHO practical competition. They were awarded a Gold Award with the marking commenting on impressive evaluative skills and a thoughtful discussion of the factors effecting the rate of which different sections of a slinky fall when released. Data collection was painstaking so the team should be commended for the meticulous nature in which they collected the results that allowed them to carry out such thorough analysis.

Trips…

SPANISH LANGUAGE TRIP

Year 10 Valencia trip Ravjoth (10M) writes:

On 7 April, Señora Gómez, Mrs Shooter and Mr Lawrence accompanied a group of Year 10 students to Valencia on a journey of enrichment and learning. Arriving late at the Valencian airport we half-asleep crawled to our welcoming host families. After a much-needed night of sleep, we journeyed to the international school of Espanolé with our host families. The first day, we had a quiz tour with Matías, our guide throughout the trip. Then had a quick merienda of chocolate con churros (Spanish snack) in the famous Valor cafeteria.

On the second day, we had our usual lessons in the morning followed by a beautiful boat tour in the Albufera touring rice fields and learning about the carefully structured water system in Valencia. After this, we went to the beach to relax as a group in the 29-degree heat.

The third day was easily the most anticipated with a trip to the Valencia C.F. Football Stadium. The lessons this morning involved role-play scenarios speaking Spanish in the Central Valencian market, Mercado Central, I personally relished the prospect of being able to use the Spanish skills I had learnt in a practical and useful manner. After lunch, we walked through the Turia park to the Mestalla football stadium. The tour clearly showcased the intense meticulous care needed to preserve such a pristine stadium. Walking back to the school we now had a paella cooking show combined with a Latin dance class!

SPANISH LANGUAGE TRIP

Finally, we had a last block of lessons with a final test, demonstrating whether or not we had actually paid attention, luckily everyone did well we said a last thank you to our hardworking teachers at Espanolé for the helpful lessons and all boarded the coach to the city of arts and sciences. The aquarium buildings were phenomenal with sharks, stingrays and beluga whales. After this, we walked over to the massive science museum demonstrating the stunning architecture of Valencia.

With the blazing weather reaching above 24 degrees, we were lucky enough to be treated to an ice cream in Lucianos in the Plaza del Ayuntamiento. After the long day, we made our way to our host families for the final night walking one last time through the futuristic architecture of Valencia.

The final day we woke up at around 5.30am and crawled out of our host families’ apartments, half-asleep. Boarding the coach for the last time in Spain, the coach was the quietest it has ever been with most people trying to catch up on some sleep. Thankfully, our flight had no delays and we managed to arrive back at Habs in the afternoon with no lost bags.

Thank you to Mr Lawrence and Mrs Shooter for accompanying us on this trip, and a special thanks to Señora Gomez for spending so much time making this such an outstanding experience for us all.

STUTTGART EXCHANGE YEARS 9 - 10

Year 9 to 10 Stuttgart exchange trip The Stuttgart exchange visit to the Hegel Gymnasium in the second week of the Easter holiday (8 to 15 April) was a roaring success. The 18 Germanists we took to Baden-Württemberg were exemplary and thoroughly enjoyed their experience. We had some lovely sunshine throughout almost all days of the week. The host families were equally pleased with the visit and were praising our students and the program (now running for almost 30 years). The return leg is running from 17 to 24 June and we are eagerly awaiting their stay with us.

STUTTGART EXCHANGE YEARS 9 - 10

SKI TRIP 2024

Ski trip 2024 Written by Mr Gauntlett.

I had the pleasure of taking 39 Year 7, 8 and 9 students on the Junior Ski trip in the first week of the Easter break. Despite a very early departure from Habs in the early hours of the morning, spirits were high from the start and remained so throughout our trip. We had a fantastic week staying at the resort of Les Menuires in the French Alps. Despite a rather sparse offering of snow on the mountainsides upon arrival, we were thankfully treated to a couple of days of snowfall that made for some great skiing and the snow just about held out until the end of the week. It was especially pleasing to see the students improve over the course of the week, with even the absolute beginner group mastering their parallel turns by the end.

Off the piste, we occupied ourselves with games nights, visits into the town for hot chocolates and crepes, writing postcards home, a trip to the luge and an excellent quiz night organised by the Year 9 students. Students were fantastic throughout the trip; impeccably behaved and very good company indeed. The trip would not have been possible without the support of my wonderful colleagues Mr Ryan, Ms Hooker, Miss Noble and Miss Barron.

SKI TRIP 2024

Leadership opportunity…

LEADERSHIP OPPORTUNITY

House Mentors House Mentor applications are now open for Year 11 students transitioning into Sixth Form! This exciting opportunity seeks six students per House who possess a genuine desire to support others, demonstrate empathy and aim to foster connections within the broader Habs community.

Successful applicants will be assigned to either a Year 7 or Year 8 Form within their respective Houses. House Mentors will lead regular Form time sessions on topics of their or their Form's choosing, cultivate rapport through engaging activities, provide support and mentorship and serve as role models throughout the 2024-25 academic year. Work with the Form will include large group activities and one-to-one mentoring.

The House Mentor role offers significant opportunities for personal development.

It hones leadership, organisational, presentation, and communication skills, while also challenging individuals to actively listen, empathise, and support others.

Mentors will likely experience increased self-awareness, opportunities for personal growth, and meaningful connections with younger peers.

Success as a mentor doesn't hinge on being the best or having all the answers.

Some of the most effective mentors have overcome their own challenges throughout their school journey. You might not even realise how far you’ve come or how much you’ve grown until you start sharing your experiences with someone else. We hope by harnessing this will allow you to uncover a deeper appreciation for the value you have to offer.

House Mentors will receive training in September to enhance their skills and support. Throughout the year, mentors will regroup periodically to reflect on successes, challenges and receive feedback for improvement from students and Form Tutors. If you have any questions about the role, please reach out to your Head of House, Head of Section or Mr. Grufferty. To be considered for this exciting opportunity, please submit your application on the form provided by Miss Barron by 4pm on Wednesday 5 June 2024, where your application will then go through a selection process. We look forward to hearing from you!

Currently reading

CURRENTLY READING

What are your teachers currently reading?

Mr Lawrence (Head of Middle School)

With thanks to Mr Dunne for the recommendation, I am currently reading Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. The story follows two timelines of a young girl growing up isolated in the marshes of North Carolina and the other follows an investigation into the apparent murder of a local celebrity of a fictional coastal town of North Carolina.

“Go as far as you can – way out yonder where the crawdads sing”.

Ms Hooker (Deputy Head of Middle School) I have just read Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. This short story explores the concept of being complicit through silence and follows Bill Furlong's individual act of heroism. It is beautifully written, a masterpiece of how to craft a novel and how to handle a challenging topic with care. Bill Furlong encourages us to challenge problems in society and to be courageous. This is a book that will stay with me for a very long time.

Mr Walters (Deputy Head of Meadows House) Wool (Book 1 of the bestselling dystopian ‘Silo’ series

Wem die Kuckucksuhr schlägt (Whom the cuckoo clock strikes) - A murder mystery novel set in Germany’s Black Forest region

CURRENTLY READING

We all know how important reading is and we hope that students are reading widely. Every Middle School student should be reading a book a month, one every other week would be even better! Being well-read is one of our Middle School Aims and we hope that all students want to read widely to develop a better sense of the world around us and to learn about the lives and journeys of others through literature. If you are stuck on what to read, then please look at our reading lists on Firefly. Summer reading lists are accessible and are frequently updated.

Happy reading: Reading Lists:Haberdashers'ElstreeSchools(fireflycloud.net)

CURRENTLY READING

From the Bourne Library – sub of the month and Mental Health Awareness Week Dear All,

SUB of the Month is a monthly highlight that focuses on a particular online resource subscribed by The Bourne Library. This month we are promoting The Day. The Day is a multidisciplinary resource that is rich and engaging bringing big global issues into the classroom through daily news, videos and daily themes.

HOW TO ACCESS THE DAY AT HABS? There are several ways you can access The Day (no passwords or usernames are required): 1) Go to the Boy’s Library Firefly Page and click The Day logo – This will CURRENTLY READING automatically take you to The Day landing page.

2) Click on this link and you are in: www.theday.co.uk/?id=1C9FCED3-D4F247FE-9B4A-64660E4EB552 3) QR code – scan this code on your device.

CURRENTLY READING

As it is Mental Health Awareness Week, the librarians have selected a few news articles from The Day that you may be interested in reading below:

SOCIETY

Seven key steps to protect your mental health - The Day Top tip for mental health: become a magician - The Day Alarm over TikTok’s effect on mental health - The Day Wellbeing - The Day We must re-learn how to rest, author claims - The Day

POLITICS

The deeper causes of a mental health meltdown - The Day Managing stress - The Day

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Tennis star makes a stand for mental health - The Day Why is sport good for the brain? - The Day Lack of sleep is a health crisis says expert - The Day Why sleep matters (theday.co.uk)

CULTURE

New Van Gogh portrait found by X-ray - The Day Distilled! Jung’s keys to 'happierness' - The Day Reasons to be cheerful for all aged 12 to 27 - The Day The man with no phone, no email, no computer - The Day

Co-curricular successes

STUDENT SUCCESS

Royal Academy of Music Felix (9H) joined The Watford Festival 2024 on 24 March, he sang a song from Aladdin “Proud of Your Boy” and he won as champion singing “Song from a Music Theatre show “ under Year 8 and 9 age group. He also sang “The Time of Snow” to win third place of his age group for Classical Singing.

Congratulations to Felix on receiving an offer from the Junior Academy Musical Theatre in the Royal Academy of Music. He will become one of ten students admitted to attend Musical Theatre study every Saturday starting in September. Well done, Felix! .

DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S AWARD

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions Mr Dunlop writes: Over the Easter break we have run three DofE training expeditions (two Silver walking and one Gold canoeing). Totalling more than 100 students. These expeditions have extremely challenging, mainly due to the weather! Despite this our students have risen to the challenge. They took on board the wealth of knowledge their instructors have provided and whilst, for some, it has been a very steep learning curve, I’m confident we are ready for the qualifying expeditions in Wales during the summer break.

Special thanks to Dr Chapman, Mr Oldfield and Mr Fletcher for accompanying the trips.

AI AND ML CLUB

Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Modern Languages (ML) Club – student invitation Do you want to learn something that will become crucial in the coming years?

Come to our AI and ML Club. We have been looking at all sorts of topics surrounding LLMs (Large Language Models, such as ChatGPT) such as sentiment analysis, prompt engineering and prompt injections. AI and ML will only become more important as time goes on, thus it is vital that everyone attends this club! We hope you come to the club on Thursday lunchtimes in B11.

DEBATING COMPETITION

Durham Schools Debating Competition Over the weekend (23 to 24 March), Mr Brennan and Mis Kurjekar accompanied seven strong debating teams to Durham University for their prestigious annual Durham Schools Debating Competition. This is one of the pinnacles of the debating calendar, and we were lucky enough to witness speeches of a high calibre, from our teams and that of other schools.

The teams had a demanding first day, debating motions about the commercialisation of social movements and the ban on gambling. On the second day, the teams debated about flipped learning and social housing schemes.

Following five qualification rounds, we are delighted to announce that two of our teams broke for the open Quarter Finals: The first pair was William (L6S2) and Sohan (L6M1); and the second pair was Nazim (10S2) and Feeza (U5 A). We were delighted to include Feeza, from the Girls’ School, as part of the teams. This placed both pairs in the best 16 teams across 80 teams in total; this is already an amazing achievement.

The Quarter Finals were incredibly competitive, with the motion set as “This house will abolish awards in creative fields”. Both teams delivered excellent speeches; but unfortunately, they narrowly missed out on a place in the semi finals. It was such a joy getting to witness a fantastic display of debating from the Year 10s and Lower Sixth. We are very proud of all the teams that participated in the competition; and are keen to continue building on this success in subsequent competitions. Below is a list of all the Middle School students who took part in the competition.

Aarav (10H1), Samit (10R1), Richard (10R1), Lucas (10C2), Nazim (10S2), Danny (10J2) and Shakir (10J1).

CALENDAR DATES

Staff Inset Day – Monday 3 June

Year 10 School exams - Tuesday 4 – Friday 7 June Field Day – Friday 14 June

COP Conference – Thursday 20 June Sports Day – Thursday 27 June Summer Term ends – Friday 5 July

For further information, please refer to the school calendar on Firefly.