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.