Habs Girls End of Term Newsletter - Spring Term 2023

Newsletter End of Term

Headmistress’ End of Term Message

Dear Parents and Guardians,

As the Spring Term comes to an end, it feels almost impossible to keep track of all the amazing things our school community has achieved. In three months, success – within and outside the classroom - is as abundant as the daffodils that have been popping up across campus, a sure sign that Spring is finally with us (even if the weather seems to disagree). It has been a pleasure to see all our students continue to progress and embody our values as the academic year continues. Their sense of community never wavers; an important feeling for us at Habs since that is one of the bases our foundation is laid upon.

Our community starts with all the hard work that Mrs Rana and her team put into our admissions process. The Spring Term is always an incredibly busy time for our Admissions team, who organise, and execute smoothly, 294 interviews. They reach out to our teaching and administrative staff who also commit their time and effort, as well as our prefect team – who are our best ambassadors for the school.

Then, visible to all our Habs community, is the further dedication and diligence of staff and student alike who put so much into the events that

we hope you, as parents, can thoroughly enjoy.

I mentioned earlier that sense of community, and it was so clear to see this across all the members of the Habs family this term. Our second-ever Giving Day, organised by our fantastic Development team, was a great success. So much so that a new record was set by all those who ran in one of the Dashes and donated. The schools’ are also delighted to announce that our Partnerships team have been recognised with a Herts Civic Award for all their fantastic work.

It always makes me so proud to see our Habs community thrive as it does. Whether it be with dedicating time and effort to philanthropy or those within our community. From the Mencap Talent Show to the phenomenal amount of money raised over the last 10 years for St Martin in the Fields, to celebrating each other’s differences during Neurodiversity Celebration Week. It is always touching to see just how much care and consideration that is within the school.

Beyond this, there has been much to cover in this end of term newsletter! Our departments have all been incredibly busy putting on productions,

preparing for fixtures, readying for events or welcoming speakers.

We had a wonderful production of Matilda the Musical which involved over 90 students from Years 7 to 9 and we were treated to multiple music events over the Spring Term alone: Haberdashers’ Young Musician of the Year, the Jazz Concert, Chamber Concert, Spring Concert to name but a few. We also had a successful Drama and Dance showcase along with a packed programme for our Junior Performing Arts Evening.

The success and level of achievement did not stop there. In the sports section of the school, our 1st Team for Lacrosse finished 7th out of 53 schools in the U19A National Schools Lacrosse tournament. During the tournament, they played 2nd in their pool and earned themselves a spot in the Championship division – this is the highest ranking for them since 2014. Meanwhile, our 2nd Team placed 11th out of 28 schools in the U19B National Schools tournament.

Our trampolining teams did fantastically this term, with an U13, U15 and U18 team competing at a regional competition. Our U15 team secured themselves a place at Nationals later in the year. We saw multiple Personal Bests achieved in swimming and we hosted our annual Haberdashers’ Netball Tournament for all schools in the Haberdashers’ family of schools.

Our GCSE Presentation ceremony was a fantastic opportunity to celebrate all the achievements of our students, now in Lower Sixth, and welcome Naomi Sesay as our keynote speaker. Naomi is currently the Head of Creative Diversity at Channel 4 but has dedicated her career to the advocacy of diversity and inclusion over two decades in television and media. Other speakers this term included Professor Figes for our students and Dr Hope Virgo for a parent information evening, joint with the Boys’ School.

After such a purposeful and productive Spring Term, the next promises to be even more fulfilling. Our students only continue to display their curiosity, ambition and courage and I am excited to see what awaits us all next term.

I wish you and your families a restful and happy Easter holiday and look forward to welcoming you all back to Habs for the Summer Term.

Mrs Rose Hardy

Ambition

We set our sights high in terms of what we want to achieve as individuals and as a community, in and outside the classroom, aspiring to achieve our full potential in whatever we put our minds to.

Art

Student participates in regional heats of ARTiculation

Earlier this term, Head Prefect Aparna (L6 RY) took part in the regional heats of ARTiculation, an Art public speaking competition which this year was hosted by The Courtauld Institute of Art. Aparna has shared her experience about entering the ARTiculation competition:

I immediately thought of all the architecture I’d seen on my recent trip to India. It was difficult choosing, but I decided to talk about the Brihadeeswarar Temple in Thanjavur. It’s a place which I’m very familiar with, but never thought to stop and truly think about. I only took it at face value and doing this talk allowed me to delve into the temple’s history and the stories behind its art, which I am really very grateful for. On the day, we travelled to the Courtauld Institute of Education, and I presented my 10-minute talk alongside nine other Year 12s. All-in-all, it was a beautifully enriching experience, where I not only learnt more about my own culture, and the art surrounding it, but also of a diverse variety of other artists and their work.

Politics

HabsMUN 2023

From Friday 10 to Sunday 12 March, HabsMUN was back at Habs! Over the weekend, students engaged in thoughtful and meaningful discussions, delving into some of the world’s most pressing issues.

The event started with a brilliant opening ceremony, including a flag race – a fantastic display of the flags and countries associated with the UN. The rest of the evening included significant speeches from the Secretary Generals and Head Chairs. Delegates also had the opportunity to listen to a thought-provoking talk from a journalist from the BBC who provided a non-politicised insight into the everyday struggles in Afghanistan for the citizens, leading up to and after the Taliban takeover.

Saturday saw the beginnings of the discussions and debating. Each committee debated at least five astute and considerate resolutions and each delegate represented their respective country with passion, dedication and integrity. The Chairs were fantastic in their roles, guiding the conference with professionalism and impartiality and ensuring a fair, constructive debate.

This continued through to Sunday, prior to General Assembly, when all the delegations came together to discuss the best resolutions from each committee. This developed the sense of change; the scale of the meeting helped settle the importance and impact of the hard work that had prevailed over the weekend.

The conference was brought to an end by the closing ceremony. Prizes were distributed to the most distinguished delegates, which was an incredibly difficult task when the event had so many deserving individuals.

Well done to all those involved with making the weekend a success!

STEM

VEX Robotics Nationals Championships

Our VEX VRC teams The Nutty Bolts - comprised of Hannah (M5 Aib), Misha (M5 Aib), Feeza (M5 A), Anaya (M5 A) and Sarika (M5 Alpha) - competed at the National championships in Telford over the course of two days between the Friday 3 to Saturday 4 March. They were joined by the Boys’ School Sixth Form and Year 10 teams.

The team had been building and programming their robot since September and, at the championships, took part in qualification matches that determined final rankings. During the matches, the team took it in turns to drive the robots, trying to score the most points using foam discs.

The final results meant that the team did not make it past the first round, but all valued the experience.

Sport

Netball District Tournaments

Well done to all our Netball teams who participated in multiple competitions this year. Our U12 to U15 teams took part in the District Netball League this term, competing against local District Schools. Congratulations to the U12A, U12B, U13A, U13B, U14A, U14B and U15B teams who, at the time of writing, are currently undefeated.

Our U16 and U19 teams competed in the St Albans High School Invitational League and had a fantastic run; current points, at the time of writing, suggest they will finish in 3rd place overall.

Lacrosse National Schools Lacrosse Tournament

On Sunday 12 March, our Lacrosse 1st and 2nd teams participated in the National Schools Lacrosse Tournament, in the U19A and the U19B sections. Both teams were brilliant in their efforts, finishing 7th nationally out of 53 schools and 11th out of 28 schools respectively.

Their journey saw the 1st team placing 2nd in their pool, earning a spot in the Championship division –the highest since 2014. After playing five matches on Sunday morning, they secured a place in the quarter finals and narrowly missed out on the semi-finals. The 2nd team were fantastic and qualified for Division 1 which included the final 16 teams in the UK for the U19B competition. They were tenacious and excellent on the fields. After their morning pools, they were knocked out in the first round of playoffs by St Helen and St Katharine.

The U13 Lacrosse team finished in the quarter finals in the Division 1 tournament narrowly losing to Bedford 2-3 in playoffs. It was their first appearance at Nationals, and they played superbly.

Sport

Swimming

It has been a highly successful season for the Habs Swim Squads. The students have shown commitment to training and competed to a high level at the Herts League galas each week since October.

The Junior and Senior swim squads placed in the Top 8 which took them to League Finals, where the squads placed 6th and 3rd respectively. This is a huge achievement for everyone.

Congratulations to all those who took part in Herts League Galas and thank you to those individuals who swam up an age group when the teams required. Well done to the numerous swimmers who improved their sprint times and gained Habs PB’s over the season. It has been amazing to see our students at training and recreational swimming. We look forward to swim trials next academic year!

Cross Country

On Saturday 4 February, students took part in the Hertfordshire Cross Country Schools Championships. Well done to all who competed over the tough course. Some stand out performances included: Aimee (L4 A) who finished 4th in the Pre-Junior Girls race, Anna (L5 A) who finished 7th in the Junior Girls race, Dina (M5 Alpha) who finished 8th in the Inter Girls race and Rachel (U6 PS) who finished 10th in the Senior Girls race. From their success some of these students have the chance to be selected to represent Hertfordshire in the English Schools Cross Country Championships at the end of March.

Sport

Gymnastics

On Saturday 11 March our U16 Gymnastics team - Jessica (M5 Ansuz), Mia (M5 Ansuz), Emilie (U5 Alpha) and Sophie (U5 Alpha) who competed in the Milano Trio National Gymnastics Competition at Stoke on Trent. The gymnasts performed individual floor routines, vaults and a group floor. Excellent performances from all the team contributed to a final position of 8th. This competition is the final for all the winners from each region of the country.

Congratulations to all the team for holding their nerve and producing great gymnastics in a high-level competition

Trampolining

Our U13, U15 and U19 teams competed at a regional competition earlier this term and all did extremely well. Our U13 team came 8th in a very tough category, our U15 team placed 3rd and our U19 team achieved 2nd place. Both the U15 and U19 team qualified for the Zonal round and, at that round, our U15 team achieved an even higher result and placed 2nd, earning themselves a place at Nationals.

Well done to all!

Since we were founded, we have had an inherent responsibility to our diverse internal and wider community and continue to dedicate ourselves to nurturing it and supporting each other to be our best selves.

Mencap’s Got Talent Charity

Mencap’s Got Talent is a long-standing tradition at Habs and one of the most enjoyable events of the year. Habs Girls and Habs Boys come together as a community to share in the fun, dress up in the Mencap colours of red and pink and provide some fantastic entertainment during the talent show.

Sienna (L6 JEP) said: “As well as giving incredibly talented people a chance to showcase their abilities and bringing the school together, Mencap’s Got Talent raises the awareness of the charity Mencap. It helps raise the funds necessary to put on the Mencap Funday attractions which is run by the two schools each June for children with learning disabilities.”

The talent show was held on Friday 24 March and, after months of preparation and hard work by the committee, the event ran smoothly and was a huge success! The Mencap committee would like to thank everyone who kindly helped with the event and they hope everyone enjoyed the event. Congratulations to Diya (L6 JHB) who won the show with a display of traditional Bollywood dance.

Since Friday 24 March, we can confirm that, between the Talent Show, donut sales and non-uniform day, the school community has raised £5,000! Well done to all involved.

If any students would like to volunteer for for the Funday on Sunday 25 June, or if you know anyone who has a child who would like to attend, they can emaill

mencap@habsboys.org.uk for more details.

St Martin in the Fields Charity fundraising

We are delighted to announce that, following a recent communication from St Martin in the Fields charity, we were able to successfully donate £1,509.02 towards their 2022 Christmas Appeal! This donation will help support people experiencing homelessness across the UK.

St Martin in the Fields Charity also informed the school that, over the last 10 years, Habs has raised and donated a phenomenal £18,484! This is a wonderful testament to the fantastic community we have here at Habs. Thank you to all who have made this possible.

A Record-Setting Habs Giving Day 2023

Giving Day on Tuesday 7 March was a huge celebration of the Habs values of community and philanthropy, upon which both schools were founded. It was also a chance to see lots of silly hats!

It was brilliant to welcome nearly 300 Prep and Junior School parents and guardians to campus. They joined their children for the TinyDash and MiniDash. The lunchtime GivingDash and we had a record 589 senior school students and staff from running (or walking) the full 3.5 km course. The atmosphere for all the Dashes was just sensational with all participants embracing the silly spirit of the ‘Habs Hats and Headgear’ theme by sporting an extraordinary array of head decorations.

By the end of the day, 1,529 members of the Habs community had participated in one of the dashes. That’s about 10 times the turnout for a typical Tuesday HabsDash. The overwhelming show of support on Giving Day smashed all the challenge targets set by generous donors, unlocking nearly £60,000 in additional funding for the Bursary Fund, as well as for student travel bursaries for those with financial need (the latter an initiative conceived and championed by senior school students themselves).

The Foundation has so far received £179,000 from 590 generous donors, and gifts are still coming in. 250 donors made their first-ever gift to Habs on the day. The total raised is enough to fund seven existing bursary places for a year, or to award an additional bursary next

year to a family who never dreamed a Habs education would be possible for their child.

Even though Habs Giving Day 2023 is officially over, gifts are still coming in so we are keeping the website live for a few more weeks. If you had intended to make a gift but hadn’t had time to, it’s not too late to make it count by going onto our Habs Giving Day website (https://habs.givingday.co.uk)

We are so grateful to staff, parents, Old Haberdashers and volunteer helpers for their generosity and time in making this Giving Day a success. Thank you!

The First Five Years’ Old Haberdashers Reunion

Not even a national rail strike could keep members of the Classes of 2018 to 2022 from meeting up in January for a special ‘First Five Years’ London gathering. More than 100 young alumni from both schools found a way to make the event, which was hosted by the Habs Elstree Schools Foundation team at the Fable Bar in Holborn, just around the corner from Haberdashers’ Hall.

It was a chance to catch up with each other as well as a few of their former teachers. For many, it was the first time they had seen each other since pre-Covid times.

The next First Five Years Reunion will take place on Wednesday 4 January 2024, again at the Fable, this time for the Classes of 2019 to 2023.

Year 13 Breakfast and Introduction to The Habs Foundation

An innovation in the school calendar this year has been the Introduction to the Habs Foundation breakfast for current Year 13 students and the future Class of 2023.

The team hosted Upper Sixth students from both schools in the Bourne Hall on the morning of Wednesday 25 January, treating them to pastries, teas and coffees. Bill Friar, Director of Development, gave a very brief overview of the Foundation’s role in connecting Old Haberdashers with each other and the schools, as well as its fundraising work.

While recognising it may be years before they become interested in reunions and other Old Haberdasher activity, he explained that the team has begun hosting events specifically for young alumni, including an A Level certificate celebration event in December and a drinks reception in early January for the most recent graduating class years.

The Habs Partnerships Programme wins the Herts Civic Award

We are excited to announce that the Habs Partnerships Programme has won the Hertsmere Civic Award, for work undertaken to benefit residents of the borough.

Mr Josh Plotkin, the Director of Partnerships, will receive the award at a ceremony on Sunday 16 April, alongside two of the key members of staff on the Partnerships Programme, Miss Loren Hooker and Mrs Nina Harte. Many staff and students both at Habs Elstree and at partner schools and organisations have been involved in the Partnerships Programme, and they will be accepting the award on behalf of everyone who has contributed their time and expertise to the programme.

They were nominated for the award by Hertsmere Councillor, Meenal Sachdev, who wrote:

“The work of the partnerships programme has quickly evolved from community outreach activities to true partnerships: fundamental to the schools’ partnership ethos is a conviction that Habs students and staff have as much to gain from partnership work as their partners do. Habs enter into agreements with other organisations in a spirit of equality and mutual trust and respect.

The programme has quickly grown to include hundreds of volunteers putting in thousands of hours of work to make a difference in communities throughout Hertsmere and beyond.”

The Partnerships Programme at Habs aims to build long-term, mutually beneficial community partnerships, widen access and address disadvantage. Here is a quick summary of its achievements over the past 18 months:

• 20 hours per week of academic and co-curricular sessions for students from local state schools, led by dedicated Habs students and staff

• 19 Habs staff are currently devoting at least one hour per week to the programme

• Around 200 Habs students are currently devoting at least one hour per week to the programme

• 72 free places at Habs Summer School are targeted for disadvantaged children each year, with many staff involved in supporting roles here too

• 64 members of staff have devoted at least one hour per week to the Refugee Learning Hub we ran in throughout 2021/22 and continue supporting this year

• Around 80 applicants from partner schools supported through the university application, exam, and interview process, with some becoming the first in the history of their schools to get into Oxbridge.

Neurodiversity Celebration Week

Part of Neurodiversity Celebration Week, the Individual Needs department, together with the Neurodiversity Society in the Girls Senior School, set up a pop-up sensory space in the new drama studio and opened it to all senior students before school and during the lunchbreaks. Over 200 students used the space, which was open from Monday 13 to Wednesday 15 March, some staying for all available sessions, some popping in for a short time then moving on with their day, hopefully feeling relaxed and re-energised. To a calming background soundscape of forest streams or ocean waves, students could play with sensory snow, kinetic sand, rest under weighted blankets, experience a wide range of sensory toys and tactile objects, relax on a wobble stool or spend some calming time in a sensory tent.

The event was a huge success and was enthusiastically used by students in all year groups. Ms Baker, Mrs Khimasia and Mrs Turnbull look forward to running the sensory room again in the Summer Term.

Music

Spring 2023 report

Spring Term in the Music department got off to a swinging start with a superb Jazz Evening, which saw a cabaret-style setting in the Prevett Hall play host to an enthusiastic audience of parents, families and friends. The evening line-up featured several solo jazz performers on piano, saxophone and voice alongside the smooth, expertly blended sounds of the Middle School Jazz Ensemble and Senior School Jazz Band.

A brand-new initiative then came to Habs Elstree in the shape of the Habs Company Music Festival. This inaugural event, hosted by the Boys’ School, brought together over 150 students from five of the Habs Company of Schools for a festival-styled afternoon of music-making and samba drum workshops. Seeing the students making new friends, singing and playing together was a powerful demonstration of the musical community we share, culminating in the uplifting sound and energetic choreography of the massed finale number, Stevie Wonder’s Another Star. We look forward to an even bigger event next year, which will hopefully bring together all 10 of the Habs’ schools.

Our Spring Chamber Concert offered another opportunity for showcasing the musical talents of soloist performers, in a programme of musical theatre, Classical, Romantic and modern music. The Senior Trombone Ensemble, Percussion Ensemble, Senior Flute Ensemble and Guitar Ensemble also featured in the programme, performing with great musicianship and panache.

Open Mic concerts continue to be a popular Friday feature of the Music department calendar, with the opportunity for pupils to put themselves forward to share their own musical interests and passions to an audience of staff and pupils. The Spring Term Open Mic Concert proved a highly enjoyable way to spend lunchtime, with performances from many different instrumentalists, singers and chamber ensembles.

With chamber music in mind, we were delighted that our Piano Trio and two String Quartets were invited to represent Habs’ Girls in the qualifying rounds of this

year’s South East School’s Chamber Music Competition, held at North London Collegiate School at the beginning of March.

Along with performances from each ensemble, each group also received a coaching session from the adjudicator, Michael Dussek, who offered expert guidance and feedback. The standard of playing was incredible and we were very proud of our Habs’ Girls’ musicians, who all worked extremely hard in preparation for the event. Congratulations to the Piano Trio, comprised of Nyla (L4 Ansuz), Isabella (L4 Ansuz), Bella (U4 Aesc) and the De Silva String Quartet, made up of Eliza (U4 A), Fran (U5 Ansuz), Xiao (U4 Aesc) and Eunice (U5 A) who were then selected from over 70 ensembles to go through to the Final Concert.

The Final Concert saw 15 ensembles in three categories performing in the beautiful setting of St George’s Church, Hanover Square. The standard was exceptionally high and we were thrilled with how well our ensembles performed.

The Spring Concert then brought the term to a very special close, albeit with a farewell to our brilliant Upper Sixth musicians taking part in their very last performance at Habs. Senior Choir, Wind Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra, St Catherine Singers and Symphony Orchestra all featured in the programme, which included a dazzling performance by Amelie (U6 MSQ), playing the second movement of Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto.

We wish our departing Upper Sixth musicians all the very best for the future and hope that they continue to share the wonder of their music-making, which has been at the heart of the Music department this last year.

Congratulations and thanks to all the students who have performed this term and who continue to make such a wonderful contribution to the musical life of the school. Thanks also to all the Music department staff and Visiting Music Teachers for their ongoing support, encouragement and musical expertise.

Sport

Inter House Badminton, Lacrosse and Swimming

Upper 4 and Lower 5 students have completed the first combination Inter House competition of Badminton, Lacrosse and Swimming. All participants from the six Houses completed Lacrosse matches, doubles Badminton matches and a variety of different Swimming races.

All students thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to sign up to a different sport and represent their house. The PE department is very much looking forward to this Inter House competition being a part of the House competition schedule.

Netball - Haberdashers’ Netball Tournament

On Thursday 16 March, Habs Elstree hosted the annual Haberdashers’ Netball Tournament for all schools in the Haberdashers’ foundation. It was a great day of Netball and we were so impressed by the standard of Netball from all teams. Congratulations to Habs Monmouth who won the U19 tournament with Habs Elstree finishing in a close 2nd. Our younger teams also had a very successful day with the U15A’s and U13A’s finishing in 1st place.

Junior School Update

There have been so many highlights this term!

Our pupils have engaged in so many workshops, trips, quizzes and talks this term, such the Year 4 Viking experience, a visit from Miles Brown who spoke about his expedition to the base camp at Mount Everest, a trip to Capel Manor Gardens for Year 1 and so much more!

One of the most exciting points of the term, though, must be our new Tipi! The outdoor classroom, kindly donated by the St Catherine Parents’ Guild, is equipped with a blackboard and firepit, encouraging pupils to learn more outdoors. The opportunity to combine learning with movement is a fantastic one; one that the Junior School will make the most off as the weather turns warmer during the Summer Term.

We have also had the opportunity to come together as a community for Mental Health Week and our Inside Out Day plus, most recently Neurodiversity Celebration Week which helped our pupils understand how everyone processes the world differently. Pupils explored different textures and smells as part of the Sensory Lab, playtimes saw a variety of different activities to wake them up or calm them down and during lessons, they engaged in visual puzzles that really highlighted how differently others can view things.

As part of the Habs community, we came together with the Prep on a few occasions this term too. Our Easter Egg hunt was of great excitement and it was brilliant to see the pupils working together. We also had a collaborative Netball and Football day which saw the children getting involved, perhaps even trying a new sport for the first time!

A lot of the children also stepped out of their comfort zones on multiple occasions this term, whether it be through participating in sports fixtures in netball, swimming, athletics or footbal, by being a part of the Performing Arts Evening or performing with with the Habs Choristers who sang at St John the Baptist Church.

All our pupils are involved in one way or another and their enthusiasm and excitement to share all their hard work and creativity with friends and family is bursting at the seams!

We believe in the courage to face challenge, embrace opportunity and step out of our comfort zones to grow and become our best selves, whilst also having courage in our conviction, remaining true to our moral compass and what we believe is the right thing to do.

Debate

Regional final of the ESU Churchill Public Speaking Competition

On Monday 13 March, three students from Habs Girls competed in the regional final of the ESU Churchill Public Speaking Competition at Dartmouth House in London. The students had successfully competed in two previous rounds and were excited for the regional final. Tamara (M5 A) gave a thoughtful and thoughtprovoking speech on the topic of ‘Should we be afraid of Amazon?’, whilst Aaska (M5 A) chaired a discussion on whether tactics used against fascism work against the alt-right, and Eva (M5 Alpha) followed up with some challenging questions to the speaker. The standard of speakers was extremely high, and while the team didn’t progress to the final round, they had a stimulating and rewarding evening.

English

Inter House Final of the Edna Judd Poetry Recital competition

The House Final of the Edna Judd Poetry Recital competition took place, showcasing our students courage in learning and performing as well as their curiosity and ambition in their choice of poems. Congratulations to Tasnim (L4 A), the winning Lower 4 entry and Sophie (U4 Aleph), the winning U4 entry. The Upper Sixth literature students enjoyed taking part in Shakespeare masterclasses on Othello and Hamlet, making the most of the opportunity to ask Shakespeare experts their burning questions about the plays they’ve studied. The Lower 5 were excited to celebrate the end of term in style by travelling to Stratford on Avon to see Julius Caesar on the evening before the end of term.

Coran Shakespeare Schools Festival

Habs Girls have taken part in the Coram Shakespeare Schools Festival for some years now and enjoy visiting a professional theatre each year with a shortened version of a Shakespeare play. The festival involves Junior and Senior Schools, and special schools who all share their work and experience working in a professional theatre venue.

This year we performed The Tempest, directed by Maya (L6 SEB), working with Abigail (L6 RVP) who composed music for the show. Both students are working towards the Gold Arts Award project and the planning and delivery of this event comprises half the award.

Auditions were carried out and 13 students performed at the Watersmeet Theatre, Rickmansworth, receiving praise from the Festival staff for the delivery of the text, their ensemble performances and, importantly, for the generous way they interacted with the three other schools who also performed on the day.

This was a rewarding and enjoyable experience for all involved and we were proud of all of the students.

Student News

Lauren Press (L6JEP - XRAI Glass)

On Friday 17 March, Lauren (L6JEP) presented a whole school assembly discussing a piece of emerging technology called XRAI Glass.

XRAI Glass is a software brand creating solutions powered by Augmented Reality. The glasses convert audio into visuals, allowing a pair of smart glasses to turn speech into subtitles – in real-time. They give people tools to engage with the world in new ways and transcend labels or disabilities. The technology enriches and empowers lives, giving people the tools to be themselves, not just for the deaf and hard of hearing communities, but also others –like those with neurodiversity conditions such as ADHD, who may need help focusing their attention through combined reading and listening learning techniques, or individuals with auditory processing disorder (APD), with which people can hear sound but have trouble processing it.

Lauren said:

I was born profoundly deaf and wear cochlear implants in both ears. With XRAI Glass, deaf and hard of hearing users can enjoy rich conversations with multiple people in the room, remotely, or nearby - that means having a conversation and continuing to make dinner, or the simple pleasure of going for a walk and keeping an interaction going without the need for sign language or lipreading.

It’s important for everyone to be able to have access to a piece of technology that breaks down barriers between the deaf and hearing communities.

Lauren’s parent, Jacqui, has played an important role in the development of the technology and is the chief brand ambassador, acting as an

insight into the minds and lives of millions of deaf individuals XRAI are trying to reach. The technology enables the translation of over 70 different languages, including English, French, German, Chinese, Japanese and Korean. They also provide subtitles in real time and voice recognition. XRAI has grown an incredible amount since the launch and in a relatively short time and have also been noticed by Meta –experts in the tech world. As a result of all the hard work put in to making peoples dreams a reality, XRAI glass has been shortlisted for the National Technology awards.

We are very proud of Lauren and all she has achieved this year. She added: I am extremely excited to be a small part of XRAIs journey; working towards huge advancements in the future.

In a diverse world, we believe that growth comes from not standing still. We are driven by an unending desire to learn and improve, not standing still and having an open and enquiring mind to anything we face.

Sixth Formers residential trip to Liverpool 2023 Art

In February, Upper Sixth A Level Art students were taken by the Art department on a two-night residential to Liverpool.

The students visited many exciting galleries and exhibitions which helped inform their own personal projects. The highlight for many was the visit to the Tate Museum to see the Turner Prize winners, who the students are looking to explore within their study theme of Simple or Complex.

Betsy (U6 DYV) said:

It was a very interesting exhibition as it showcased four new artists, Heather Philipson, Ingrid Pollard, Veronica Ryan and Sin Wai Kin, who all have very distinctive styles and explore a range of themes. A favourite of mine was Sin Wai Kin who is a visual artist who creates striking work, based in performance and print.

The following day, the students visited the Open Eye photography gallery to see the work of Craig Easton, who explored identity in his series of portrait photography on people living in Bank Top. The group also saw Craig Easton’s exhibition Thatcher’s Children, a poignant reflection on the effects of growing up in poverty. The students later visited An Encirclement of Space, an exhibition of the work of Michael BrennandWood. The trip finished with the statues by Anthony Gormley on Crosby beach.

The residential trip was a fantastic experience for our Art students and inspired plenty of new projects and ideas for the future!

Art

GCSE students visit the Tate Modern and Courtauld Gallery

Earlier in the term, GCSE Upper 5 students were taken by the Art department into London to visit the Tate Modern and The Courtauld Gallery.

Zoya (U5 A) said:

We began exploring the Tate in search of different connections and messages that would aid us in the progression of how we perceived our new theme of ‘Lock’. Walking from room to room, we noticed details that could relate to our theme that we never typically would have, showing just how much more aware and analytical we became when directed to a certain idea.

The art in The Courtauld was very contrasting to that of in the Tate, more traditional work dominating. Our newly learned skill of seeing the theme quickly and relatively effortlessly, especially helped us interpret the renaissance paintings that hung there, causing a prompt build-up in the stack of sketches.

The Salters’ 2023 Chemistry Changemakers Award Chemistry

Congratulations to Amy (L6 JEP) who has won a Salters’ Chemistry Changemaker Award! Amy was presented with the award at the Institute Awards Ceremony, held in December at Salters’ Hall in London. The judges said:

Your young person was able to demonstrate excellent intellectual ability, a deep interest in chemistry and how chemistry can make a positive difference in society. Through their poster and interview they showed the skills, attributes, and potential to be a future change maker.

Well done, Amy!

The Visit of Professor Orlando Figes History

On Monday 6 March, the school welcomed Professor Orlando Figes who spoke to our History students.

Professor Figes’ talk examined the links between the Russia/Ukraine conflict and the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the conquests of the Russian emperors before the Russian Revolution. His thought-provoking discussion began with an introduction into Putin’s admiration of past Russian leaders who successfully took territory and went on to explain the parallels between Putin’s rule and policies, and those of past leaders. This displayed Putin’s attempts to emulate those past successes.

Rafaela (U6 PC) said:

It was a fascinating indication of how Putin is so actively trying to repeat history in the modern day for his benefit and showed us how essential the study of history is as we learn and utilise lessons of the past .

The students broadened their understanding during a question-and-answer session, where Professor Figes commented on Russia’s use of propaganda and censorship, which has altered the nature of how historians can use sources and the care that they must take when piecing together a narrative.

The History students thoroughly enjoyed this informative talk which helped them to make links between their studies and to extend themselves beyond the school syllabus.

Spring Term 2023 report Maths

On Monday 27 February, 24 Lower Sixth students went to Maths Fest at the Royal Institution. They enjoyed talks from the following Maths speakers:

• Tom Crawford: Using Maths to Save the Planet

• Yolanda Ohene: Imaging our Insides

• Zoe Griffiths: Numbers in the News

• Rob Eastaway: A Stationery Talk

• Colin Wright: Patterns, Predictions, and Juggling

On Wednesday 8 March, Sophie Maclean (Maths graduate from Trinity College, Cambridge) came into school to give the following talks:

• Sixth Form: How to get Rich Quick and Careers with Maths

• Middle 5: Putting the Colour into Maths

• Upper 4: Discovering Pascal’s Triangle.

The students found the talks fascinating and inspiring.

On Tuesday 14 March (π day!), Larissa (M5 Aesc), Jody (M5 Aesc), Alisha (M5 Alpha) and Maya (M5 Aib) went to AMSP Maths Feast, a competition for Year 10 students. They competed against 18 other teams in five rounds of questions which included estimating π and learning about radians. They came in the top five of teams entered.

On Thursday 23 March, Upper 4 students went to Legoland to attend an interactive workshop where they built, coded, and debugged their own robots using robotics sets. They developed their problemsolving skills and this experience enabled students to learn more about algorithms, sequences, and inputs and outputs. They also had time in groups to explore Legoland at their own pace.

Earlier in the term, 82 students from Lower 5 to Upper 5 entered the Intermediate Mathematical Challenge. The following certificates were awarded: 17 gold, 27 silver and 30 bronze. Ellen (U5 A) qualified for the Maclaurin Olympiad, 10 students qualified for the Pink Kangaroo and five for the Grey Kangaroo.

Physics

Spring Term 2023 report

The Physics department are excited to announce that we have seen some fantastic successes this term. Three students have been selected as National STEAM Youth Directors, Amarleen (L6 RY), Aparna (L6 RY) and Zeph (M5 Aib). They will be advising on national strategies and involved in nationwide events. The department had Lower Sixth entries into the Institute of Civil Engineering Cityzen competition which placed in the top 20 or received highly commended for their projects. Well done to Amy (L6 JEP) and Amarleen (L6 RY) and to the Boys’ School team.

Students Ojal (L5 Aleph) and Amelie (L5 Aleph) have also been selected to participate in the BWT Alpine F1 mentoring scheme from over 4,000 applicants! The mentoring event launch will be during the Easter break and they are very excited to get started. Finally, our Lower Sixth Physicists took part in the BPHO Olympiad, an online competition in which our students achieved five Gold Awards, 13 Silver Awards and four Bronze Awards.

Dr Bridge has also been involved with consulting with the OECD and the DFE this term on: what is the education that enables human flourishing? The consultations are part of the work for the Foundation of Education Development who are trying to make long-term plans for education in the future. Dr Bridge was co-chair of the UK practitioners council for FED and the role facilitated the discussion of practitioners involved in all aspects of education.

Science

British Science Association CREST awards

This term, the school had some fabulous news from the British Science Association CREST awards. Amber (L5 Aesc) entered her Silver CREST project: How healthy is your spread? Earlier in the term and has since been given a Gold Award! This is a fantastic achievement for Amber as the Gold Awards are aimed at Sixth Form students. Well done, Amber!

Politics

Students from Habs Girls and HabsBoys participate in European Youth Parliament UK

On Friday 3 March, two combined Year 12 teams from Habs Girls and Habs Boys travelled to St Paul’s School in Barnes, London to take part in the South East Regional Forum of the European Youth Parliament UK (EYPUK). This is a team debating competition run by EYPUK, a youth-led charity, who aim to provide education for young people on a wide range of political issues facing the UK and Europe. They seek to build new skills in research, teamwork and public speaking, as well as confidence and friendships.

Our two teams, the Committee of Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Committee of Human Rights, have been meeting weekly this term in preparation for the forum, which saw them take part in a whole day of several debates on issues including: the digital skill gap, fuel poverty, mental health support for young refugees entering Europe and the reintegration of ex-prisoners.

Well done to the Human Rights Committee and congratulations to the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee, who were named co-winner of the forum and, as such, have been invited to the EYPUK Autumn National Session in Liverpool in September.

Politics

Lower Sixth Politics students from Habs Elstree visit Parliament

On Tuesday 17 January a group of Lower Sixth students from Habs Boys and Habs Girls visited the Houses of Parliament. They received a guided tour of this world-famous building from staff of the Parliamentary Education Unit. This included an opportunity to visit the House of Commons, a Commons voting lobby, the House of Lords and the Royal Gallery. After this the students took part in a workshop on laws and debating.

We were given two talks from individuals who serve currently in Parliament. A Labour peer, Baron Turnberg, spoke to the group about his work for over twenty years in the House of Lords and answered their questions on policy areas including constitutional reform and social care. A Conservative Member of Parliament, Matt Warman (OH 1999), spoke to our students in Westminster Hall about recent developments in UK politics, including his own experiences as a Minister in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport in the May and Johnson governments.

In Westminster Hall, the group saw Ray Kenton (OH 2019) who is currently working as an aide to Toby Perkins MP, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the plaque that has recently been unveiled to mark the spot of the lyingin-state in 2022 of Queen Elizabeth II. In the afternoon, we watched from the House of Commons public gallery Rt. Hon Alister Jack MP answer an urgent parliamentary question on the UK Government’s decision to use Section 35 of the Scotland Act (1997) to overturn legislation of the Scottish Parliament.

We would like to thank all those who helped our students witness the work of the UK Parliament up-close. Lower Sixth students at the Habs Elstree are having joint lessons as part of Habs Nexus.

Staff News

Leavers

MRS LAURA FLYNN

HEAD OF JUNIOR SCHOOL

MR JAMES FRANKLIN SENIOR GROUNDSPERSON

MRS FIONA HEREDIA LIBRARY ASSISTANT

MRS NESKA KAUDERS ART TECHNICIAN

MRS HARISAH KHALIQ TEACHER OF ENGLISH PART-TIME

MRS RUTH LEONARD SCHOOL NURSE

MRS DIONNE MORRISON HR PARTNER

MISS VICTORIA RUSSELL INVIGILATOR

MRS PRITY SHAH LIBRARY ASSISTANT

MISS JESSICA ZIMMERHANSL TEMPORARY ART TECHNICIAN

New starters

MISS AMANDA APPIAH JUNIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

MISS LAUREN BAXTER SCHOOL NURSE

MR JUSTIN BURKE GROUNDSPERSON

MR STUART CORMAN DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY TECHNICIAN

MISS JESSICA CURTIS HEAD OF SPANISH

MISS THYME JAMES GEORGE ART TECHNICIAN

MRS ELIZABETH KARFOOT DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

MR MIKE KEMMETT HEAD OF GROUNDS

MRS SUZY KENNEDY CLASSROOM TEACHER

MRS PARITA KHIMASIA SPECIALIST TEACHER/ASSESSOR

MS JOY LAMINA DESIGNATED SAFEGUARDING LEAD

MS JANE LEMON DIRECTOR OF ESTATES AND FACILITIES

MISS ANNA MILLS TEACHER OF PE (FIXED-TERM)

MR KEN YOUNG INTERIM DIRECTOR OF ESTATES AND FACILITIES

MRS SALLY YOUNG MARKETING MANAGER

Payment of school fees

As a reminder, all fees are payable on or before the first day of term.

Direct debit: As advised in the Fee letter sent on Friday 19 December 2022, from September 2023 all parents are required to pay their fees by direct debit unless otherwise agreed by the school. Such cases include parents experiencing cashflow problems and short-term hardship resulting from loss of main fee earner or unemployment. Also, where parents have signed for the School Fee Plan (SFP), our monthly payment option (please see below). For the Autumn 2023 term, please complete and return the mandate form to fees@habsgirls.org.uk no later than Monday 15 May 2023. The full amount of your invoice will be collected from your bank account on the first day of each term.

Monthly payment option: while the school is unable to accept monthly payments directly, if you would like to spread your payments you can find information on the School Fee Plan by logging into the Parent Portal under the Fees section.

Fees in advance scheme

We would like to remind parents that the school operates a Fees In Advance scheme which offers a competitive discount in return for payments made within the scheme rules.

This scheme allows you (or your family members) to make payment by means of a lump sum for all or part of your child’s fees for their time at school, including extras. The amount you deposit with the school is used towards paying your child’s fees as they fall due each term. In return for paying your fees in advance, the school pays a commutation rate of 2.50% p.a. which approximates to a return on investment of 4.16% p.a. for higher rate taxpayers. It should be noted that the scheme does not fix future school fees, however the rate of return you receive will be guaranteed at the time the money is received and for the duration it is held by the school.

If this scheme is of interest to you, then please contact the Fees Office, fees@habsgirls.org.uk, for further details.

School fees refund scheme

Parents who subscribe to this scheme are reminded of their right to make claims for absences from the school due to illness, accident or contact with infection for a continuous period of at least five days (including weekends). If you would like to join the scheme, the current rate is 0.82% on school fees per term. Please contact the Fees Office for further information. Please note claims must be submitted not later than 30 days after the close of the term to which they relate.

Personal effects insurance

Parents are reminded of their responsibility to insure their child’s personal property whilst at the school, on a schoolsponsored activity or on the way to and from school. The one exception is where school trips are covered by travel insurance and where the loss of some personal effects may be covered during that trip.

Student School Equipment

If the school issued a device to your child, such as Apple iPad or Microsoft Surface, you would have signed a Student Equipment Loan Agreement. The school recommends the device is covered by your personal insurance should it be damaged, lost or stolen.

Parentpay – lunch payments

Parents are reminded to add funds regularly to their child’s lunch account by logging on to their own accounts at www.parentpay.com. All payments for lunches and snacks are via ParentPay. Thisenables you to see what food and beverage purchases your child has made.

If you have misplaced or require a copy of your activation letter, or your personal circumstances mean that you would like to create a second payer account to make payments and access meal information, then please email Information Services at support@habsgirls.org.uk