Greenhouse - Senior 2019/2020

MAGAZINE 2019/20

Welcome

Welcome From the Headmistress

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t is a privilege to sit in my office here at Habs as the eleventh Headmistress of such a wonderful school. The School has changed hugely as the years have unfolded not least in its locations; moving from Hoxton to Acton and then here to Elstree in 1974.

And the journey that the School has been on in that time is one of which to be proud. On 5th June we celebrated the School’s 145th birthday and in what unexpected circumstances!

None of us would have anticipated that we would only have Reception, Year 1 and Year 6 in school due to the Coronavirus and subsequent lockdown. Like all schools nationally we have been delivering a programme of remote learning and I have been amazed and delighted by the inventiveness of both my staff and students in what they have been doing in their lessons and beyond them. Remote teaching and learning has become exceptionally normal. Teachers and students adapted quickly to their new way of working, which was aided by their pre-existing day-to-day usage of Microsoft Teams and OneNote. The students have been fortunate enough to continue following the curriculum with a range of virtual lessons and have even managed to sit end of year exams. Teachers have used a variety of strategies with their classes, both synchronous and asynchronous.

We have seen live lessons, voiced-over powerpoints, Kahoot sessions, interactive Sway presentations, and collaboration on OneNote. Students have engaged in truly interdisciplinary work, including a sustainable cities project led virtually by Physics, Art, DT and Geography,

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and pre-university courses on gender, led by Psychology, Philosophy and Geography. Students have also been set daily PE challenges, received wonderful assemblies and been able to join virtual extra-curricular clubs. Heads of Houses continued to motivate students with competitive projects, including a Bake-Off challenge, and practical subjects encouraged students to use their imagination to turn household items into learning opportunities.

Welcome

Welcome from the Head Girl

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always find the Greenhouse a sentimental forum that celebrates every school year we share together. Hastily flicking through the pages to see if we feature in the magazine and grinning (or potentially wincing) at the sight of our photos.

It is a privilege to be a part of this magazine and play a role in bringing this successful (although short) school year to a close. Despite the circumstances, we managed to have a jam-packed and exuberant year including some of my favourite highlights: house competitions, debating, charity work and concerts. However, more importantly, our defiant Habs spirit has consistently shone through the clouds that have, at times, shaded this school year.

It is testament to the commitment and loyalty of the whole Habs family that we have all pulled together and kept the School not just running but thriving.

This academic year has, as ever, seen a wealth of activities outside the classroom including our traditional St Catherine’s Day celebration and the stunning Carol Service at St Martin-in-the-Fields. The School has continued to support not just the work of St Martin-in-the-Fields with the homeless but also strengthened our commitment and work with The Islington Migrant Centre. In lockdown some of our Sixth Form have been doing remote English-speaking sessions with the clients And to finish with a personal story about my very first visit to Habs when I was a young, not yet qualified teacher of History. I applied for a job in the History department and was called for interview by the then Headmistress, Mrs Penney. I was rung up to be told by her that I had not got the job on this occasion but that she really hoped that one day I would be back at Habs. How pleased I am that this hope turned into reality!

Mrs Hardy

Being your Head Girl has been a gift, and I feel incredibly lucky to have had such an encouraging and spirited student body by my side. You inspire me every day, from the way you all threw yourselves into Wellbeing week, to your cheerful smiles on the way to assembly and your commitment to singing the school Carmen. With the help of the prefect body, and the support of the Senior Team, we have achieved so much together. We improved the accessibility of Student Voice, elevated strong female figures in our virtual assembly and made you all laugh with our rather humiliating end-of-term videos.

Upon reflection, I realise how fortunate we are to have a consistently nurturing school environment – both teaching and non-teaching staff alike. Amidst these unprecedented times, they ensure we continue to learn, improve and excel. Our school has always encouraged us to find our own feet and discover our inner strength before stepping outside the Habs bubble.

Furthermore, an inevitable thank you to Mrs Hardy for bringing a refreshing and infectiously vibrant presence to Habs. You have been a role-model for us all, from your avid talks on equality to the positivity you emit and share every day – thank you.

On to the Class of 2020, we have watched each other grow and have become a powerful, unified and supportive family. It has been a slightly abnormal final year at Habs, but we continue to pick ourselves up and dust ourselves off, overcoming the obstacles that have stood in our way. Regrettably, all good things must come to an end, but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that whatever the future may bring, it is going to be even more exceptional than what has passed. Thank you Upper 6 for seven years of magic!

Kalila Smith Head Girl

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Welcome

Events

Expressive Arts

Old Girls’ Reunion M5 Team Building Day Languages Week Politics Dinner St Catherine’s Day Harry Baker Visits Habs EYP Whole School Read Day The Lord Mayor’s Show Senior Citizens’ Tea Party Edna Judd Science Week ESU Debating Robot Rumble The 26 Challenge

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ARTiculation Artist in Residence GCSE and A Level Art Design and Technology House Poetry Novel Writing Drama Wendy and Peter Pan I am No Bird Backstage at I Am No Bird Music Autumn Concert Carol Service is Fifty Years Old Chamber Concert Habs Young Musician Jazz Concert Songwriting Club

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Magazine Committee Editor Sharanie Pankayachelvan Deputy Editor Eliza Copland Events Editors Tabitha Dresden Grace Farmer Educational Visits Editors Maryam Mazhar Isabel Oliver

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Expressive Arts Editors Kate Austin Valerie Zakharov

Features Editors Anisha Pick Tamzin Wolfson

Habs Life Editors Temi Erinle Ella-Asha Mudhar

Staff Editor Louise Jeffcock

Sports Editor Katerina Sooby

Educational Visits Parikrma Partnership Trip Cornwall Art Trip Valencia Whitby and Haworth The Battlefields The Tate Modern Physics At Work The World of Theatre

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MAGAZINE 2019/20 Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls Aldenham Road Elstree Hertfordshire WD6 3BT www.habsgirls.org.uk Tel. 020 8266 2300 @habsgirlsSchool Follow us on:

Designed by Barley House Agency www.barleyhouse.agency

Welcome

School Swap

Sport

Habs Life

Captains 44 Sports Colours 44 Talented Athlete Programme 45 Lockdown Fitness 45 Lacrosse 46 Netball 46 Dance 47 Swimming 47 Badminton 48 Gymnastics 48 Trampolining 49 Cross Country 49

House Reports Leaving Staff New Teaching Staff New Support Staff A level Prizes - Class of 2019 GCSE Awards School Positions Destinations Charity report

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Habs Welcomes Mrs Hardy 34 52 64 65 68 69 70 71 72 73

Going Quackers for Habs Wildlife

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If Walls Could Talk

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Life in Lockdown

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From the Editor Welcome to the 2019-20 edition of The Greenhouse! he Greenhouse has been a long-standing tradition at Habs, documenting and showcasing the events of the year past, reminding the whole school of everything we have experienced and achieved.

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Due to these unprecedented times, this year’s edition of The Greenhouse has been slimmed down as some of our summer trips and events have been cancelled. This makes this edition especially unique as we have included how the school has adapted to and embraced the current circumstances we have found ourselves in, from the introduction of online classes at home to fun activities in lockdown.

This year has been a whirlwind, to say the least, with the magazine perfectly encapsulating all the excitement, hard-work and dedication the student body has brought to this academic year, from annual traditions such as St Catherine’s Day and the Carol Service to new ventures beyond the bubble, as we embark on new events, collaborations and charity work.

It has been a privilege to be the editor of this year’s edition, and it has been even better to work with the amazing editorial team, who I would like to thank for all their efforts and enthusiasm. Lastly, I would like to thank Mrs Jeffcock for all her help and guidance throughout the year, bringing us all together to perfect this edition.

Sharanie Pankayachelvan Editor

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Events

Old Girls’ Reunion On Sunday 8th September 2019, Upper Six prefects, teachers and 150 alumnae came to school for the Old Girls’ Reunion.

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ld Girls flocked to the school, from the class of 1947 to the class of 2015, and as a result had varying knowledge of the school. Whilst some knew the school inside and out, others had only been to the site in Acton.

The Old Girls’ lacrosse match kick-started the day’s events, with the Old Girls’ team, of university and international players, winning against the current school team. Returning alumnae were greeted by their old teachers and then enjoyed a delicious lunch, which many said had improved greatly since their time at the school!

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The highlight was giving tours to the returning students, who all said how much the school had changed. They marvelled at the new STEM building and Sixth Form common room, while appreciating the constant features, like the Prevett Hall. It was amazing to listen to their stories, and the similarities between their experiences and my own enabled me to connect with them.

The event was extremely successful and all who attended thoroughly enjoyed the day.

Millie Flaum U6 AT

Events

Middle 5 Team Building Day A stimulating day of activities to help the Middle 5 bond in their new forms.

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hen you are to spend the next two years together as a class, you want to ensure that you are not just fair-weather friends. So it was, on a blustery, rainy October day, that 120 Middle 5 students made their way to the field for a day of team bonding.

We were split into our new forms, and together we tackled various tasks. Some tested our mental ability, others our physical ability.

The tasks ranged from using planks to get the whole group over a ‘chasm’ to guiding blind folded players into a pen. Once we’d gelled as a form, we moved on to playing games with the whole year group, competing in our classes. With running, jumping, catching and shouting, everyone had to participate.

Not only was the day great fun (and a greatly welcomed opportunity to miss lessons!), but we bonded as forms and created new friendships. It is fair so say that the rain definitely did not dampen our spirits.

Madison Sinclair M5 Alpha

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Events

Languages Week A stimulating week of language activities took place in November.

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n November, Habs Languages Week took place, coordinated by the MFL department. The week had a thought-provoking start, with an assembly by Señora Fanning and students in Upper 5 and Lower 6 demonstrating how the languages we speak can shape our identity.

Throughout the week, students took part in fun language-themed activities.

These included a treasure hunt, cake decorating, a debating competition and a spelling bee. Many of these were held jointly with the Boys’ School and gave students the chance to improve their language skills (especially during the highly competitive Upper 4 spelling bee), or to try something new (through Arabic, Japanese and Russian taster lessons). One of the many highlights of the week was the talent show, organised by Señor Salvatierra, with an impressive variety of acts, such as a Spanish play by the Lower 6 and singing in French and Russian.

As always, Languages Week proved to be both educational and really good fun.

Many thanks to CH&CO for serving a delicious global menu during the week and to the MFL department for organising such a great range of activities.

Jennifer Hayes L6 AED

Politics Dinner In December the Girls’ School hosted the annual politics dinner.

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tudents from the Boys’ and Girls’ School, as well as some guests from other schools, gathered in the dining hall to enjoy an evening of good food and political discussion.

The speaker for the evening was Luisa Porritt, a Liberal Democrat MEP who gave an inspirational and insightful talk on her career in politics. Luisa became politically involved in 2016 when she joined the Liberal Democrats and became a London MEP in 2019. Her speech was very informative, explaining how to pursue a career in politics

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– although she advised us to work in other areas first, in order to bring experience to politics. Luisa encouraged all of us to ‘engage in politics in any way’, even if we can’t vote yet, and to nurture an interest in current affairs.

During the meal, we attempted to complete a political quiz, which challenged our knowledge and was good fun. All in all, the evening was a great success, we learnt a lot from Luisa and are very thankful for the opportunity to ask her some of our pressing questions.

Grace Farmer L6 AED

Events

The New St Catherine’s Day St Catherine’s Day 2019 saw the Houses take on a whole activity each to raise as much money as possible for charity.

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t Catherine’s Day is a significant event in the Habs calendar. This year, we changed our normal St Catherine’s Day to improve our environmental impact and ensure that we could raise the largest sum of money possible for charity. Keeping to tradition however, our St Catherine’s Day service took place in the morning, including hymns, readings and taking a deeper look at the history of St Catherine and her strong belief in women’s education.

During the afternoon, we moved onto the usual celebrations of the day but this year with a difference. Back by popular demand were the food trucks, which served everybody a diverse range of lunch options, from burritos to burgers, but the activities were altered from previous years.

Instead of our normal stalls, we had multiple activities in different areas of the school with each one run by a House. Activities included Zumba, silent disco, capture the flag and many more. There was something for everyone, and a system of festival style wristbands were used to give admission to the activities. The day was a huge success as always and never fails to bring the school community together.

Tabitha Dresden L6 PH

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Events

Harry Baker Visits Habs Harry Baker, a previous World Poetry Slam champion, came to visit on National Poetry Day.

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n September, the World Poetry Slam champion, Harry Baker, came in to read a few of his poems in order to celebrate National Poetry Day. One of the poems he read was called Paper People, which won him the title of World Poetry Slam champion, where he had to write and perform his own poetry. He also talked to us about what inspired him to write poetry, and where he got the ideas for each of the poems he read us.

I found his poems very interesting to listen to as they were both clever and amusing and it was fantastic to showcase poetry writing on this special day.

Maya Smythe L4 A

European Youth Parliament The Habs team were in Hamburg after being chosen to represent the UK at the 2019 international session.

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countries, 259 delegates and 10 days spent in Hamburg debating current political issues. The EYP joint Habs Boys and Girls trip was a roaring success. Seven students from across the two schools were sent as UK representatives to the international European Youth Parliament Session in late September.

Although collaborating with such a diverse mix of delegates brought new perspectives to the discussions, it was also the evening cultural programmes which helped to create international bonds. All the students returned with renewed ideas about inter-European cooperation, renewed perceptions about other nations and strengthened resolve to continue political engagement at home.

Alexandra Hart U6 IEF

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Events

Whole School Read Day The whole school had lots of fun with a variety of activities related to Where The World Ends, the school summer read.

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n Friday 20th September, everyone at Habs participated in a variety of offtimetable activities that were based on Geraldine McCaughrean’s book, Where The World Ends.

In the morning, each House discussed questions on different themes of the book. Later, classes and year groups were mixed up and spread out around the school.

Each student had two different activities to participate in from a ceilidh in Music; to painting Warrior Stac in Art; to making fire in Chemistry. We were roving reporters, writing a newspaper, the Habs Chronicle, on events of the day, and as we went around school reporting, it was clear everyone was really enjoying themselves.

During the afternoon, the author, Geraldine McCaughrean, did a Q&A session in the Prevett Hall. All in all, Summer Read Day was a wonderful experience for everybody involved, demonstrating how many ideas can come from one book.

Section of an article from the Habs Chronicle As I watch, students spill into the English classroom in a steady flow. They look at the board, which displays the cover of the book which today is based on, eagerly awaiting the start of their lesson. Tables are scattered around the room, and students sit with others from their house.

Miss Bowie reminds the students that Where The World Ends is based on a true story and students discuss why this might make the novel more appealing for readers, and why it would make it seem interesting. We are reminded which parts of the story are real and which are the author’s imagination...The students discuss the appeal of writing fiction based on truth, and of writing books set in the past...

Sophie Graham L5 Aesc

Imogen Mawdsley and Natasha Wahab L5 A

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Events

The Lord Mayor’s Show In November, students were invited to attend the parade for the 692nd Lord Mayor, who is a Master of the Haberdashers’ company.

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n the 9th November, 45 excited Habs students and six teachers gathered together at Haberdashers’ Hall ready for a day of marching, drumming, cheering, waving and hopeful for a feature on live television. To start the day, we had breakfast with the other Haberdasher schools.

After getting into our Habs ‘This Girl Can’ leggings or our other amazing, intricate costumes, we walked to our place in line, behind The Royal Air Force and The Worshipful Company of Framework Knitters. When the time came for us to start moving, our rhythmic gymnasts were leading us, closely followed by artists and lacrosse players who were followed by an uplifting group of percussionists. Behind them, were nine students holding placards with a range of phrases beginning with ‘This Girl Can’. When held up in a grid the placards created a Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls logo. Last, but not least, were four students and a teacher walking with Habs flags.

As we proceeded through the streets of the city, we passed crowds of people waving and cheering us on.

The day was a day we will never forget and was an amazing opportunity to immerse ourselves into the bright, joyfulness of London life.

Jessica Curtis U5 Alpha

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Events

Senior Citizens’ Tea Party Guests from the local community were entertained at Habs for a fun afternoon.

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n Sunday 15th December, the Girls’ School hosted one of our much-loved charity events, the annual Senior Citizens’ Tea Party. This year we welcomed guests from the local community to enjoy an afternoon of fun and relaxation at our 1920’s Great Gatsby themed tea party. The Prevett Hall was decked out with glamorous black and gold decorations, with everything from gold shimmer curtains to champagne balloons. Once the scene was set, our eager volunteers greeted our guests as they travelled back in time to the Roaring 20’s. Accompanied by some classical piano music, an angelic harpist and some very talented singers, the guests enjoyed their delightful afternoon tea as they laughed and shared stories. The room was filled with festive cheer as we did some Christmas karaoke, followed by a game of bingo and a raffle, where everyone was a winner.

However, the fun wasn’t over yet. To close the afternoon, we invited everyone to the dance floor as volunteers and guests showed off their moves while some true classics played through the speakers. We ended the afternoon in style by forming a giant conga

line which weaved through the tables in the Prevett Hall, getting everybody out of their seats. Goody bags in hand, our guests were brought back to the present.

With smiles on our faces, we said our goodbyes after a special and heart-warming afternoon.

Sharanie Pankayachelvan L6 AED

Edna Judd Being part of the Edna Judd Poetry Recital competition was a challenging and enjoyable experience.

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he first round of the competition involved choosing, learning and reciting a poem to my class. Five people were chosen from each class to then recite their poem to the Head of their House, who chose two people from Lower 4 and two from Upper 4 to represent their House in the final.

In the final, there were 24 competitors, we recited our poems to the judges and all of the parents. This year I was very pleased to be the overall winner of

the competition. I chose a war poem, that was written around 1918, called The Road by Siegfried Sassoon.

I really enjoyed the whole experience and found it very rewarding to learn a new poem off by heart and recite it to everyone. I would encourage everyone in Lower 4 and Upper 4 to take part as it was an extremely gratifying and fun competition to take part in.

Belinda Mendes Da Costa U4 Alpha

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Events

Science Week

Each year the Science Department holds a science week, helped by the Sixth Form, to involve the whole school in STEM subjects.

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his year’s Science Week revolved around the theme ‘Our Diverse Planet’. Over the week, a range of activities, spanning all of the sciences, took place to help both Juniors and Seniors understand the great differences in our world in the hope that we can take more action to save them.

The biological activities were based around diverse peoples, with crime-scene investigations and extracting DNA experiments. In Chemistry, we focused on efforts to preserve natural diversity, with the make your own bath bomb proving to be a massive hit. The activities in Physics were based on the many opportunities available through the study of this subject. This included a hovercraft experiment to learn more about aeronautical careers. The week was rounded off by fierce competition with ‘The Big Science Quiz’, which all forms took part in. This year’s Science Week was a great success and enjoyed by all year groups!

Erica Shuker L6 RG

ESU Debating Competition This year our Habs students excelled at the ESU public speaking competition.

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n the evening of 21st January, six eager Habs students set off to the second round of the English Speaking Union’s public speaking competition. We were all very excited to perform again because winning the previous round was a gratifying experience and we wanted to improve our speaking skills further. When we got there, the nerves kicked in, although we knew we had practised enough.

The competition was fierce, everyone spoke excellently and managed to teach the audience so much about their given topic. Luckily, we did not crack under the pressure and all performed to the best of our ability. The judges then deliberated and in the end one of our Habs teams won the competition and the personal feedback from the judges was inspiring and has helped us to improve since. Overall, we learned a great amount from our experience and really enjoyed taking part.

Claudia Caisley M5 A

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Events

Robot Rumble Competition Lower 5 students designed, built and programmed a robot to take part in the MBDA Robot Rumble Competition against other robots.

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n Saturday 25th January, a group of Lower 5 students eagerly arrived at the University of Hertfordshire, awaiting the action-packed day ahead. We had been working on the robot since the beginning of the year, taking it apart and putting it back together multiple times. We started the day with the heats, where we competed against many different schools. As a result of this, we ended up in a good position from which we paired up with another school to fight it out to the finals. After a lot of tough

stacking of cubes, due to excellent driving from the main driver and outstanding programming from the chief programmer, we got into the finals. The other two schools were worthy opponents; however, we were determined to beat them. We didn’t manage to win this next round and as a result became runners up. Although disappointed, we congratulated the other team and continue to be proud of how far we reached. Thank you to all the teachers for making this possible.

Margi Barot L5 Aesc

The 26 Challenge Students and teachers do their bit to help those in need.

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n 26th April, the weekend due to be the London Marathon, we were encouraged to participate in the 26 Challenge. The cancellation of the London Marathon has lost many charities valuable donations; so Habs girls set about trying to raise money for Parikrma and the Islington Migrant Centre, two charities

which we support closely. The Islington Migrant Centre has had to close its doors for the first time in 23 years due to the current crisis, leaving refugees and migrants in London vulnerable.

The money raised by us is vital to allow the Migrant Centre to keep helping those in need. The lockdown in India has also forced Parikrma students to return home, leaving them without the essentials that school supplies them daily. Parikrma staff have been working flat out to deliver food, textbooks, and other resources to students, to help them in this difficult time.

Students in the Middle School also wrote to Parikrma and the Migrant Centre, to help lift spirits. The 26 Challenge was a great success, with the PE department doing challenges such as 26 squats or burpees, and even baking 26 cakes. Mr Turner cycled an impressive 26 miles for his challenge. Students set themselves challenges, and generously donated to our JustGiving page. The challenge was a fun way to raise money for those who need our help in this difficult time.

Grace Farmer L6 AED

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Feature

Daniel Goldstone, The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School I arrived at the Girls’ School on a rainy morning and was greeted by a cheerful receptionist before heading to an Economics lesson. The lesson was collaborative as we discussed questions as a class. During break I had toast, a nice change from the hash browns we have in the Boys’ School! Afterwards, I joined a Chemistry lesson which was very similar to the those at the Boys’ School. After lunch I attended an academic skills session where I was taught how to reference sources in essays, an important life skill. My overall impressions from the day were that the girls have more free time in school, meaning they can reduce their workload at home.

Soham Kanabar, The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School The style of teaching in the schools can be different but both have catered to their respective classes; in the Girls’ school lessons were more collaborative. During English we studied and analysed poetry as a class, meaning we could improve together. Afterwards, I visited a Chemistry lesson which was mainly discussion based as students answered questions orally. The afternoon brought an academic skills lesson where we discussed current affairs. After that I attended a Politics lesson which was enjoyable as there were only five students meaning everyone could contribute to group discussions. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and I feel the school has established an excellent learning environment.

School Sixth formers from the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools venture across the wall.

As part of both Schools’ new joint strategy there is a larger focus on enhancing co-curricular programmes and collaborative activities. So, in the spirit of this, four Lower 6 students from each school participated in a ‘school swap for a day’. We wanted to immerse ourselves in the other school to experience the different teaching styles and environment of the schools. Here are accounts from some of the students that took part in the swap.

Sharanie Pankayachelvan L6 AED

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Feature

Anisha Pick L6 GXM The first lesson of the day was Maths and although I don’t study it at A Level, I soon managed to grasp the concept and answer some of the questions. It was fascinating to see the boys tackling maths with so much enthusiasm. Following break, we attended an Economics lesson, an entirely new subject to me, where I was taught formulas which I could use later in life. After lunch I arrived at Chemistry where the boys opted to work individually rather than in groups as we do in the Girls’ School. Overall, the experience was a valuable one as I spent my time noticing some differences between the schools. However, despite some differences, the school felt the same as ours overall, a welcoming environment full of students eager to learn.

Sharanie Pankayachelvan L6 AED

Haberdashers’ Aske’s School for Girls

Upon arrival I was taken to the Boys’ School denominational assembly, like we have every Thursday at the Girls’ School. After listening to an engaging assembly by the Muslim assembly committee, it was time for Maths. While we tackled some tricky trig problems, I embraced the air of concentration and perseverance in the classroom while the teacher supported everyone, as work was mostly completed individually. In contrast, after break, I visited an Economics lesson, where work was much more collaborative as we went through theory and answered exam questions as a class, with lots of interesting discussions. Overall, it was fascinating to spend a day in the Boys’ School, to not only find comfort in our similarities, but appreciate our differences.

Tamzin Wolfson L6 GXM After a warm welcome at Aldenham House, the day began with a Further Maths lesson, a far cry from my usual Humanities subjects. However, I found that the excited atmosphere in the classroom soon engaged me. After break I attended a Politics lesson, which I thoroughly enjoyed as the students gave engaging presentations.

After lunch I visited an Economics lesson where I drew diagrams I’d already learnt about, so I found this to be great revision. Throughout the day I had noticed that the schools share both similarities and differences. Still, these differences were small compared to the positive qualities and enthusiastic environment that the schools share.

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Expressive Arts

ARTiculation The regional heat of this year’s ARTiculation competition was held at the V&A Museum in January.

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n November, three other Habs students and I gave a ten minute talk on an artwork of our choice. All the talks were extremely interesting, with artwork ranging from antiquities, to sculpture, to paintings. Fortunately, I was selected to advance on to the regional heat of the competition.

My presentation was on an Ancient Greek black figure storage jar entitled Ajax and Achilles Play Dice.

After much editing and improving of my speech, with help from Miss Shaw and Mrs Saunders, I was ready to go when the day arrived. I saw it as a chance to spread my love of Classics to others and encourage them to appreciate ancient art.

I met some fantastic people on the day, and everyone spoke very passionately and with exceptional skill. It was an amazing experience, and although I was a little disheartened when I didn’t make it through to the national heat, I was quickly cheered up when I was met with several compliments from audience members. ARTiculation, for me, was an unforgettable experience, and I strongly encourage everyone to take part.

Temi Erinle L6 GXM

Artist in Residence Mark Spray visited Habs for two weeks, sharing his passion for creating large 3D canvases.

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ark is inspired by poetry and landscapes that he visits during his long nature walks through the countryside and he gave us the opportunity to create our own pieces based on photographs we have taken throughout this term. I created my piece based on an unusual picture of weathered bark and gravel. I used a plaster mixture to build up texture on my canvas and then worked into the base I had created with oil paints and natural resources, such as soil and sand. In this way, I produced a murky, organic scene that is abstract to the viewer, yet still depicts my original photo. I really enjoyed working with Mark, as his enthusiasm and textured paintings have motivated me to include the new techniques we have been taught in later pieces of my own.

Katie Swabel L6 RG

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Expressive Arts

Art A selection of the inspiring work produced by A Level and GCSE Art students this year.

Poppy Varley GCSE

Neeve Capaldo GCSE

Ria Bhojani GCSE

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Expressive Arts

Molly Jones A Level Shalina Sudhir GCSE

Sohni Malde A Level

Aybuke Beydilli GCSE

Viadehi Chauhan GCSE

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Yael Katz GCSE

Expressive Arts

Yathusia Asokanathan GCSE

Molly Jones A Level

Alex Busby GCSE

Esther Midgen A Level

Victoria Pellerani Concha GCSE

Isabella Brunskill GCSE

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Expressive Arts

DT GCSE Projects Upper 5 DT students used the iterative process, designing through experimentation, to create their GCSE projects.

Ria Tomar U5 Aleph My project started with sketching, developing and modelling. I particularly enjoyed going to a design convention with the other DT students and gaining inspiration. After going through many ideas, I decided to create an educational board game for children about sustainability in the ocean. The manufacturing process went by very quickly as once I had my ideas down, I was eager to keep going, even though there was a lot to get done. Some of these processes included laminating wood (creating a mould and shaping the wood to be curved), using CAD and the laser-cutter (computer aided design which can cut out very small and precise shapes) and the finishes (sanding everything down and adding a finish like Briwax to leave it feeling smooth). After the manufacturing process was done, the final step was the evaluation. I spoke to people to gain their thoughts on the game and whether they would purchase it, using this to consider what worked, and what I could do better next time. Overall, to sum up the process, it was fun, stressful at times but very rewarding!

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Expressive Arts Lydia Reid U5 Aleph Often people think of creativity and designing as a linear process. You think of an idea, you build it, and then you use it, but this only represents a tiny fraction of the design process. In DT, we are encouraged to follow a more cyclical approach called Iterative Design, which is based on a cycle of exploring, creating, evaluating and repeating.

At each stage of the design process, you first explore the area in which you are designing through research of existing products and think about the broad ways to approach the task. Next, using this research, you create with quick sketches. After this comes the evaluation. What are good features from this iteration? What could be improved for the next one? Having found the improvements you want to make, you then repeat this process, moving onto the next iteration, by exploring how you can apply what you learnt from the last one.

This process is fundamentally the way humans have always learnt and developed. Think of a toddler, learning to walk; they watch their parents walking around, then they attempt to apply this by copying. They fall over and then they try again. The iterative process focuses more on constantly improving and developing a design, rather than trying to begin with a perfect idea immediately. After all, practice makes perfect!

Amelia Scollen U5 Alpha For my DT project I made a flat pack gardening chair which looked like a toadstool for my grandma. My original design idea was very different to what it became. My first idea was not a flat pack, and to use aluminium rods as legs instead of wood, but throughout the iterative process my design had to change as the rods were weak. Another one of my ideas was to make a chair which also functioned as a wheelbarrow, but I realised this would be difficult to make due to the angles and the fact that my grandma has raised gardening beds. Creating and building the project was the most difficult part as I had to change my mind about the design mid-way through the process. Designing the legs on my chair on ‘2D design’ was very hard as the measurements had to be perfect for it to be able to fit into the base of the chair. In the design and creating process I was constantly evaluating materials, and once the chair was finished, I evaluated how well it functioned, the strengths and weaknesses of the product and how much my primary user and stakeholder liked it.

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Expressive Arts

House Poetry

lies

There were some excellent entries for the House Poetry Writing competition on ‘Truth’ this year.

First Place: The Symptoms of Noise Pollution First, like coral, all my piano keys bleached white, and a crotchety flute refused to lift its flaps.

I peered into the dark tunnel, and there was no light.

Then people’s voices began to cut out.

Neatly, square, like someone had taken fabric scissors and slid right through the felt.

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I dismissed the signs as fatigue, and when sound blinked I’d keep my eyes open, my ears damp, empty, a floor of rustling leaves.

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Pinpricks of noise perforated the velvet sheet, and interlocking fingers of soft spiked stitches wound a womb of silence; in all truthfulness, a welcome relief.

The only thing I heard was my mother’s ‘I love you’, spasmodic crackling over the radio when music played, but honesty atrophied, and eventually those faded too.

I stuck out my tongue for the doctor, a blushing petal pink, and she peered, detective-like, but could find no secrets curled in-between my taste buds – didn’t believe my link.

So I continued my slide into muteness, a gentle gradient, the slight curve of a parabolic smile, acceptant.

I found the world less weighty and softer, safer. Words plopped into my ear like swollen minims, and the leaking quiet rippled with solemnity, round as a singing bowl’s mouth. Now I hear

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only silent raindrops. A flower’s edges crumple in aged waves, sleepily unsticks with a sigh, blooms, breath hums sweet pollen notes on an invisible stave; my mouth has been stained with crumbled noise, soiled black.

And nestled in the expanding space of a smile, a budding truth: I hold the universe in a mouthful of silence and fact.

Anjali Mulcock Millar Congratulations to Anjali who has also been placed in the top 100 entries in the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award, an international competition with over 11,000 entries and the largest poetry competition in the world for under 18s.

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Expressive Arts

truth

lies

Second Place: Altered Truths

Third Place: Brulee Youth

Morals slaughtered Upon an altar For an altered ‘truth’ A truth in truth Now less a truth And rather, it seems, falsehood.

Lies - something new, something blue wrapped up in crisp white suit and an orange wig up-do.

There’s a strange man on the telly He spits them so fast his lips wobble like jelly.

Full of tips about the immigrants and the dissidents and - strangely silent about the Imminent Destruction of the planet or Global Corruption.

Lies sweet as a gingerbread house crumbling down around us while they ‘figure it all out’.

How to build a wall between ‘us’ and ‘them’.

How to grow the economy, like they’re dabbling in botany.

And they ignore, the things they need to grow: the friendship, the love but revolution’s ago!

The Youth are storming the Bastille of mass corruption; they’re chopping off the head of our planet’s destruction.

The Youth are refusing their cake and shoving it in evil’s face, because let us eat Equality and not global dishonesty.

Morals sacrificed And he is allowed To speak untruth aloud, see the Liar now lie.

To avoid a consequence He makes a void arrangement of phonetic phrases and he labels it as “my Word”.

The sinner sins again Simply stretches ‘the truth’, because More of that ‘truth’ is needed To satisfy the hunger Of the people’s curiosities, his doom.

A detail missed A puzzle piece doesn’t fit And the sinner is soon exposed And sent, condemned Tumbling down to Hell.

Yael Katz Sprules

Morals slaughtered Upon an altar For an altered ‘truth’.

Raesang Dalu Gillett

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truth 25

Expressive Arts

Novel Writing Both the Girls’ and Boys’ Schools were challenged to write the first ten pages of a novel for the competition.

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e calibre of writing was extremely high with entries ranging from science fiction to dystopian h universes and murder. After we each read our opening the winner was announced by guest judge, Luigi Bonomi, a literary agent and industry expert. Yael Katz and I were runner up and winner from the Girls’ School, and Luigi Bonomi gave us praise and advice, which inspired us to continue. I recommend the experience to anyone who wishes to share their creativity, whether you’re a seasoned author, or you have never picked up a pen.

Shalini Sellam U5 Aleph

1st Place: 404: Error Not Found

2nd Place: The Arctic Race

Take it from someone intimately familiar with walls: hit them in the right spot, and even the tallest ones come crumbling down.

Theodora fell into the grave.

It seems the two women in the centre of the room are thinking the same as they circle each other like lionesses, feeding off the thunder of the crowd around them. Both blood and sweat gleam on their skin, but their wild smiles don’t tell a story of injury or weakness.

The shorter one catches my eye and winks. For a moment, I turn away from my drink, waiting for one of them to pounce, and it’s as if I’ve blown a whistle — she swings with all the force of a hurricane and connects, sending the tall one to the floor.

“Hello papa,” she said. Thankfully there was no reply.

A strange urge - scratching at her, like a cat at a door - bloomed, to open the coffin and look at his face one last time. Theodora took a deep breath of stale air and heaved at the lid. Her muscles burned, and for one terrible moment it seemed it would fall back down and crush her hands, but at last the lid flopped open like a gutted fish.

Shalini Sellam U5 Aleph

Yael Katz U5 Alpha

She hit the coffin with a dull ‘thud’.

Her father lay inside.

The Middle School also produced some fantastic entries.

A Downfall of Death

I See the Sun

A man skulked covertly out of the shadows. He was an overcast figure – fairly tall with a cap covering the majority of his face. Beneath the cap was a pair of callous, sunken eyes. The man crept down the murky alleyway, passing a few people clustered together in doorways, speaking in hushed voices.

My world is dark. It is cold, and it is empty of life. It is filled with roads and streets, cities and villages, sea and sky.

Gavriella Epstein-Lightman U4 A

Somewhere, the light shines, but not here, never here, never in My World. Always there, just beyond the Veil.

Beyond the Veil, people live. Ordinary people. Lots of ordinary people, going about their business, no care in the world.

Jasmine Calder L5 Alpha

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Expressive Arts

Drama T

hroughout the year, original pieces have been created, such as the Senior Play in November, a Jane Eyre adaptation, written by Mrs Wallace, called I Am No Bird. This captivating production was followed by the Middle School play: Wendy And Peter Pan, a unique retelling of JM Barrie’s classic story. All students who took part in both school productions worked extremely hard, and the end results were incredible. However, drama did not stop at the yearly

school productions. The Upper 4 Drama Club performed their own version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Youth Drama Festival which they all thoroughly enjoyed.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Wallace, Ms Bridgeman-Williams, Mr Janes, Mrs Deamer and everyone else who puts so much effort into making these productions possible.

Millie Flaum Drama Prefect

Wendy and Peter Pan In March, students from the Middle School performed a fantastic production of Wendy and Peter Pan.

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word-fighting, fairy dust and three girls who are fed up with the boys - this year’s play was an enlightened Wendy and Peter Pan, written by Ella Hickson.

The nature of the play meant that the cast and crew had to master a range of complicated techniques: performing lifts to create the effect of flying; performing fight choreography and quickly setting complex scenes. The play included a range of comedic, serious and action-packed scenes which the actors had to learn to balance.

Being part of the cast also made teamwork vital; we all had to work together to create a seamless performance.

Many close friendships were made during the rehearsals, and we all got to meet people we may never have met otherwise. On the performance nights, the whole cast supported each other, calming nerves and running scenes, and this created a close bond. The performances were all a success, and we felt that the months of hard work that had gone into the production were truly worth it.

Abigail Sleep L5 Aske

The rehearsal photos show students hard at work

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Expressive Arts

I Am No Bird Middle 5 to the Upper 6 took on the challenge of preparing I am No Bird in just three weeks. am no Bird has been an experience like no other. It truly was a piece of collaborative theatre, and I have never worked so hard in such a short space of time. As a musician, character and member of the ensemble, it was amazing to see the whole cast pouring

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all our creative experience into a melting pot of ideas that became our production of Jane Eyre.

As our director, Mrs Wallace, reminded us many times – there really was no small role. Each member of the cast had opportunities to create massively heightened characters which made it a really engaging experience for us all. The theatrical adaptation was closely linked to the original novel but made Bertha a more influential character. The role of Jane was also split between five cast members who, alongside Bertha, were on stage for the whole production. This was very effective in creating a stylised performance as it portrayed Jane’s inner thoughts through multi-role, as well as Bertha’s character being linked to anger and built up rage.

Of course, none of this would have happened without Mrs Wallace and the whole stage management team cheering us on every step of the way. I couldn’t believe on our final night of performance, just three weeks after rehearsals properly began, that it was really over.

Kate Austin L6 CW

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Expressive Arts

Backstage at I Am No Bird A backstage crew of stage managers, lighting operators and musicians worked hard to bring the play to life.

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t’s hard enough putting a play together, let alone doing it in three weeks. It was all-hands-on-deck when rehearsals began, and little did we know how stressful the weeks ahead would be! Working both onstage and offstage as one of five stage managers, it’s safe to say there was little time to relax. Mrs Wallace’s amazing script had some very fiddly and complex sequences but, with support from Ms Bridgeman-Williams, Mr Janes and all the other team members, we were able to put different length fabrics in the correct crates, nightgowns in the right baskets, and make sure everything was in the right place at the right time. The combination of hardworking backstage crew and actors ensured that this play was a brilliant success.

Charlotte Hooker L6 AED

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Expressive Arts

Music T

he first concert of the year was a smashing success, featuring two soloists perform with the orchestras. We saw a record number of open mic performances, including some original works as well as much-loved chart toppers. The standard of performance was very high, and we were blown away by the talent displayed. We also saw a group of students march through London for the Lord Mayor’s Show, performing on a wide variety of West African percussion, they brought a unique vibrancy and colour to the parade. Although we were unable to hold the Spring Concert due to the COVID-19 outbreak, a special mention must be made to Emike Akagbosu, who was set to perform the second movement of Dvořák’s Cello Concerto.

For the first time, we also saw choirs from both the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools preparing to perform a choral piece together. All the ensembles worked hard throughout the year to achieve some very powerful performances.

Emike Akagbosu and Simran Vyas Music Prefects

Autumn Concert The Autumn Concert was a perfect representation of the musical life of school.

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he concert was opened by the Symphony Orchestra, playing two movements of a concerto for orchestra and solo trombone, played by Risha Alimchandani, who delivered a masterful performance. Following this, the Chamber Orchestra played two pieces, joined

by Simran Vyas, who sang a beautiful rendition of Berlioz’s Villanelle.

Next came some contemporary music; Repertoire Strings played an arrangement from Disney’s Frozen, followed by the Wind Band who played Camila Cabello’s Havana.

Wind Orchestra then performed two pieces by the famous composers, Vaughan-Williams and Holst, and they played their celebrated compositions wonderfully.

Three of the school’s choirs performed in this concert and here we saw the enormous number of keen singers in the school, willing to perform in any style.

Jazz Band finished the evening with the Theme from Mission Impossible. Energy and suspense were the main features of this performance, captivating the audience with this famous film classic.

We really enjoyed taking part in this concert, and we hope the audience enjoyed the concert as much as we did.

Lydia Reid U5 Aleph

Scan to listen

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Expressive Arts

Carol Service is Fifty Years Old The 50th Carol Service at St Martin-in-the-Fields was once again a highlight of the year.

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ver the last fifty years many things have changed at the school, from changing headmistresses to changing the school’s location.

However, the Carol Service at St Martin-in-the-Fields has been a constant and a momentous tradition.

Long gone are the days of hiring a private tube train to transport the girls from Acton to the service. Instead, you see masses of green in every restaurant near Trafalgar Square.

The service featured prominent similarities to the first service in 1969, both of which included the beloved congregational carols: Wake O Wake, It Came Upon The Midnight Clear and Silent Night. Highlights included a rousing accompaniment from the Brass Group as well as a beautiful performance by the St Catherine’s Singers of the

winning entry to the Haberdashers’ Christmas Carol Competition. The day is so important not only for the life of the school, but also because we were able to raise money for the worthy St Martin-in-the-Fields’ Christmas Appeal, that helps homeless and vulnerable people.

The service was a wonderful culmination to the end of a busy term and, as always, all who attended enjoyed the opportunity to both sing carols, and listen to the compelling arrangements organised by the staff. We are very grateful for the commitment of the Music department, which allowed the day to once again be a success and to St. Martin-in-the-Fields for allowing one of the most significant and favoured school traditions to continue.

Eliza Copland L6 PH

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Expressive Arts

Chamber Concert In March, the music department put on their biannual chamber concert.

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t was a great evening filled with a variety of performances from across the whole school. Many of the students performed solo pieces for the first time, and the high standard of the concert was a testament to their hard work. The brass section was particularly strong and we hope that their talent will continue to grow and inspire their peers.

The concert featured a wonderful mix of genres and instruments, from Handel and Beethoven to Bernstein and Brubeck, and from guitar ensemble to a piano duet and a trombone trio. It took place in the newly refurbished Sime Hall, where we can hope to see many more successful concerts in the years to come. Thanks goes to all of the Music staff and visiting Music teachers who helped to put on such an enjoyable concert.

Scan to listen

Risha Alimchandani U6 TXD

Habs Young Musician This February, Lauren represented the school at the inaugural Habs Young Musician competition.

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was honoured to be a part of this competition which aims to celebrate music throughout all the schools in the Habs family, by selecting one musician from each to perform at the final event at Haberdashers’ Hall in London. This year’s other finalists included four pianists, a trumpeter, a singer, and a euphonium player. I played two pieces on the clarinet: Fantasiestüke No. 3 by Schumann and the

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third movement, Furioso, of the Sonatina for Clarinet and Piano by Malcolm Arnold. Although I didn’t win, it was a great experience from which I gained a lot of useful feedback from the judges – Jane Glover, Adrian Bradbury and Alessandro Fisher. I’d like to thank Miss Turner, Mr Phillips and Mrs Phillips for their fantastic support throughout.

Lauren Parsons L6 RG

Expressive Arts

The Jazz Concert In February, students from Lower 4 to Upper 6 participated in the wonderful jazz concert.

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eaturing groups such as Jazz Band and Percussion Ensemble, it was a truly entertaining evening for all involved.

Tunes by musicians such as the great alto sax player, Charlie Parker, and classics like Take on Me were played brilliantly. Middle School Jazz Band showcased some of the younger musicians in the school, who performed with confidence and maturity.

The Jazz Ensemble, a student led collective, was made up of students from the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools and explored elements of improvisation which were creative and fresh.

The night was an opportunity for pupils to show off all the hard work, practice and determination they’ve put into their playing this year. Thanks to everybody involved and to the wonderful music teachers for putting together such amazing ensembles.

Scan to listen

Mali Sheard U5 Aske

Songwriting Club Students continue to enjoy lockdown clubs.

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n these strange times, music has been more important than ever, both as a method of raising spirits and as a skill to develop in the abundant free time many of us now have. As we cannot meet face-to-face, Ms Lavelle has led a Zoom session every Wednesday, in which a group of students have shared ideas and worked on collaborative projects.

So far, we have written songs and experimented with basslines and lyrics, looking at both the technical and creative aspects of music. It has been a great way to continue connecting with other students and to share our passion for songwriting.

Abigail Sleep L5 Aske

Scan to listen Lyrics by Sophie Graham L5 Aesc and music by Abigail Sleep L5 Aske

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Feature

y d r a H s Mr

Mrs Hardy joined us as our new Headmistress in September 2019 and since her arrival she has created a welcoming community at Habs and has been eager to get to know all of us. Although this wasn’t a typical first year, Mrs Hardy never once failed to provide reassuring and positive messages to all of us. At the beginning of the year, we interviewed Mrs Hardy to discover a bit more about her.

Anisha Pick L6GXM

What is your favourite thing about Habs?

Definitely the friendliness of the Habs community, it’s very upbeat and there’s a real feeling of positivity. I think that the most positive thing about the school is the feel and tone of the corridors. You can tell a lot about a school from the way it feels and how the students behave. It’s also lovely how students and staff engage and smile at each other when passing in the corridors. The kindness is the thing which I am most struck by.

What do you think is the biggest challenge you 've had to overcome when coming to Habs and starting at a new school?

I think it’s the scale of the place; Habs is very large, as is the Boys’ School. The sheer scale of two major schools which operate from the ages of four to eighteen on one site, with all academic and support staff is incredible. I believe the support staff are often overlooked, so much work has to go in to keep this place running. It’s my responsibility to make sure all of that is running like clockwork, so definitely the scale of the place, it’s been a challenge to get my head around it. Also, the fact that everybody knows me because there is just one of me, and everyone expects me to know them and I can’t. I do try really hard though!

What advice would you give to a student at Habs?

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Make the most of the opportunities that are on offer at the school.

They are fantastic and it’s not often that you get such great opportunities handed to you, later in life you have to actively go out and find them. I would also say don’t worry, be happy! I say this because most of the time it is going to be okay, and mostly there is a plan B. My philosophy is that there is always something to be grateful for.

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How would you say Habs has differed from any other school you' ve worked at?

I think it’s the Habs identity and Habs culture, which I think is very strong. Some describe it as the Habs bubble and I think that’s great, but I would describe it more as the Habs identity.

In your opinion, what do you think has been your biggest achievement in your career?

I have to say that I was rather proud when I became the first female Second Master of St Albans school.

They had never had a woman in that post before. I think shattering the glass ceiling at that school and blazing a trail for other women to succeed at that high level and doing all of that whilst being a working mother. However, I am of course most proud of being Headmistress at Habs!

What ' s your favourite thing about working in education?

All of you. I love working with young people. I have particularly loved working in schools which operate from four through to eighteen. I think it’s a privilege to work with young people and help contribute to their education. Everyone talks about how important education is, but I still don’t think we invest enough in young people and education in this country. I think your generation is the most switched-on, hardworking, caring and kind that we’ve had for many generations.

Where do you see yourself in five years, and where do you see Habs in five years?

I very much hope that I’m still going to be here. I think that Habs in five years is going to be fantastic, in that our strategy of working with the Boys’ School will really be tangible. We will be seeing that in action.

There will still be a separate Girls’ School, and a Girls’ School identity, but there will be more opportunities for our students to do so much more in conjunction with the Boys’ School.

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Educational Visits

Parikrma Partnership Trip Students had a fantastic experience visiting our partner school in India.

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he Parikrma Humanity Foundation runs four schools and a college around Bangalore, India and is in a partnership with our school.

This Summer, I travelled there and worked alongside those children.

Students with under-privileged backgrounds, from slums and orphanages across Bangalore are aided from age five by PHF, whilst support is given to their parents.

The central aspect of the trip was working with some college girls on a dance, which we performed at

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the different schools. One of the most incredible moments was when the girls told us their stories. One girl, Prianca, couldn’t play football because girls weren’t allowed.

Parikrma taught her to rise above that and now she is an international player for the school.

We then moved onto Mysore, travelling by train. We spent two days exploring the gorgeous, captivating city and on the last night, we drove up the mountain and saw Mysore lit-up at night. To many, this was a highlight. From Mysore, we visited the rainforest

where we stayed in a coffee plantation. We spent the day bumping along in backless jeeps, feeling every stone we rolled over with excitement.

India was a great opportunity of seeing first-hand a different way of life and making new friends.

Fortunately, I am still in contact with two girls via WhatsApp and although at times it was hard hearing some of the girls’ stories, it was such a rewarding experience.

So, to those of you interested, go!

Phoebe Sleeman U6TDX

Educational Visits

Cornwall Art Trip Middle Five students visited Cornwall in order to work on their GCSE theme of reflections.

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n Friday 12th July, GCSE Art students were up bright and early at Paddington Station, ready for four days of sketching and painting in Cornwall.

We were fortunate enough to visit some of the best galleries in Cornwall such as the Penlee Gallery in Penzance, which holds beautiful modern art, with paintings by the Newlyn artists; the Barbara Hepworth gallery; the Tate in St Ives and lastly Tremenheere Sculpture garden, which is an outdoor park in the hills, with sculptures dotted around and amazing views of the coast at the top. We were also fortunate enough to have a workshop with the fantastic landscape artist, Mark Spray, and even had a sneak peek of one of his new paintings.

We all really loved this trip and can say it was a deďŹ nite highlight of Habs for us. Not only did we learn so much and draw even more, we all got so much closer as friends and are very grateful to have had this experience.

Evie Pereira-Mendoza U5 Aesc

Valencia

Last July, Lower 6 Spanish A-level students travelled to Valencia to enrich their study of the language.

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pon arriving in Valencia for our Spanish study trip, we were lucky enough to receive the warmest of welcomes from our Spanish host families, with whom we would be staying for the week. They taught us new things, immersed us in Spanish cuisine with homemade meals and helped us gain confidence when speaking Spanish throughout our stay. We are all so grateful to them welcoming us into their households, taking us out to the beach, and giving us a home away from home. Every morning we attended a Spanish school with incredible teachers, who not only helped us solidify our current understanding of the language, but also taught us about interesting topics within Spanish culture. We explored Valencia through a variety of activities, including a scavenger hunt around the city, a tour around the infamous Arts and Sciences Museum and an evening of learning how to cook paella. This has definitely been my favourite trip to Spain and has given me memories that will last a lifetime.

Riah Italia U6 AT

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Educational Visits

Whitby and Haworth A-Level Drama and English students journeyed to Whitby and Haworth to discover the history behind several famous novels.

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t 7am sharp on Thursday 17th October, eight A-Level Drama and English students arrived at school, buzzing with excitement for the days ahead. We rushed into the minibus, dumping our bags, grabbing our seats and instantly falling asleep, already tired from the very early start. Four hours later, after a good nap, a bit of singing and a lot of chocolate, we arrived in Haworth – home to the Brontë sisters.

Gazing out the windows at the picturesque scenery (and watching Miss Bowie drive the bus down a road that definitely shouldn’t be driven down), we hopped off the bus and explored the beautiful town. Haworth certainly lived up to our high expectations. It was both a useful and enjoyable day for us all!

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On the second day, we travelled to Whitby, the setting for some of Bram Stoker’s novel Dracula. It was such an interesting experience that we all thoroughly enjoyed, especially the creepy Dracula walk we went on in the evening!

Mrs Wallace, Miss Bowie and Mr Turner – thank you so much for organising and running the trip. If you do get the opportunity to go, we highly recommend it, as the experience was an exciting and enjoyable way of ending our Autumn Half Term.

Charlotte Hooker L6 AED

Educational Visits

The Battlefields On 4th November, the whole of the Lower 5 met at 5.30am, in order to start our journey to the Battlefields to learn more about the First World War.

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e travelled by coach and then by ferry, at the beginning of a very eventful first day. We visited: Passchendaele Museum, Tyne Cot (the British cemetery), Langemark (the German cemetery) and saw the Last Post Ceremony at Menin Gate, where two Habs girls laid wreaths on behalf of the school. It was a very memorable evening for us all.

On the second day, we visited Vimy Reservoir Park, La Boisselle and Thiepval, and had an incredibly thought-provoking tour of Beaumont Hamel. I enjoyed seeing the underground tunnels and it was very interesting to see trenches in real life and how they were planned out. We finished the trip on the third day by visiting the In Flanders Fields Museum and shopping in Ypres, which was a lot of fun, before we returned to Calais to take the ferry home.

Katie Pollock L5 Aleph

The Tate Modern On 10th February, GCSE Art students visited the Tate Modern to develop ideas relating to the exam theme: Event.

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e started the day by heading to the Artist and Society galleries. We made a few quick sketches and one longer, sustained drawing of the artworks that inspired us. There were many different forms of art displayed in the gallery including paintings, photos, screen-prints, videos and sculptures, meaning we were able to produce lots of exciting drawings.

After our initial exploration as a group, we visited different exhibitions. My interests revolve around everyday events, and so, I headed to the Living Cities exhibition. Here, I was drawn to a series of seven black and white photographs depicting a crowded train in Shinjuku Station, Tokyo, by the artist Yasuhiro Wakabayashi. He is known for his commercial photography and used unique compositions and bold colours which broke the typical photography standards of the time. The photos have inspired me to investigate the event of travelling to work using public transport.

Overall, the trip was very interesting, and we were able to form ideas for our work and get some good drawings for our sketchbooks.

Shalina Sudhir U5 Aske

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Educational Visits

Physics at Work How many physicists does it take to change a lightbulb?

On a beautiful day in late September, a group of excited Middle Fifth students set off to Cambridge to learn more about Physics at work.

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ith an option of eighteen workshops, not even Schrödinger’s cat could have visited them all. Therefore, we were all split up into groups, each visiting six different workshops. A favourite was the Quantum materials, where using a combination of superconducting blocks at -196 degrees Celsius, magnets and liquid nitrogen, we were able to see real life levitation. Closely following was a workshop led by Rolls-Royce. Here, we learnt about jet-engines, nuclear power (particularly for submarines), and what the future holds for Rolls-Royce. We even got to make our own models of the jet engines.

Overall, it was a very enjoyable and fascinating day, taking theoretical concepts from our studies and seeing how they’re applied in the real world. It turns out you only need one applied physicist to change a light bulb.

But zero theoretical physicists. They’d just change the room. Everything’s relative. Apparently.

Madison Sinclair M5 Alpha

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Educational Visits

The World of Theatre Throughout the year Habs students attend many fantastic productions. Here is a selection:

The Classic Story of Oedipus In October, Classics students went to a production of Sophocles’ Oedipus at Colonus in Cambridge.

The play was set in modern times, but was spoken in Ancient Greek, giving power to this dark story.

The Chorus provided chilling musical interludes, which linked the play to the original context, in which it would have been performed.

Matilda Jackson-Long L6 PH

A Re-imagined Midsummer Night’s Dream On 19th September, the Drama department travelled to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre to see Sean Holmes’ re-envisioned production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It featured the most creative costumes, all containing modern day fashion with a Shakespearean edge. Many contemporary techniques were also seen, in which even a member of the audience got to play the part of Starveling.

Neeve Capaldo U5 Aleph

On the Other Side of the Wardrobe On 5th December, Drama students entered the Bridge Theatre mesmerised by a giant, colourful lion puppet and eager to see The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe. It was a marvellous production with elements of comedy and adventure and full to the brim with uplifting songs, that immersed us in the magical world of Narnia.

Isabel Farmer L6 KH

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Feature

Going

Quackers for Habs

Wildlife

Habs is situated across from Aldenham Country Park and is far from any major cities meaning that we’re lucky enough to have lots of wildlife right on our doorstep.

Surrounded by various trees such as Turkey Oaks (otherwise known as Quercus Cerris), Habs makes an ideal place for many animals to live. If you’re lucky you may see a wild rabbit hop along your path or even a fox slink into the foliage late at night. Not to mention the ducks waddling up and down the coach park whenever it rains enough to leave puddles; or the ducklings who now inhabit the school grounds; or the numerous other birds who fill up the sky and the school field, often preventing us from finishing our game of rounders. We’re visited by a range of wonderful birds, including the glorious red kites who can ‘hover’ high in the air using thermal winds in order to more accurately hunt their prey; great tits who are easily identifiable with a black stripe running through their bright yellow bellies or nut hatches who can be commonly seen eating upside down. We even have non native species such as the ring-necked parakeets who are colourful visitors to the school.

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With so many animals around us it is not surprising that the maintenance team has had many an unusual encounter with wildlife, such as a bird trapped in the sports hall and a peculiar incident involving some rather inconveniently placed fox poo. On one occasion, a squirrel climbed up one of the brick pillars outside the lunch hall and refused to get down, resulting in maintenance being called in order to fetch it down so we could resume eating our lunch. One particular squirrel created a power cut across the whole school by gnawing through some electric cables and another time a bat lost its way near the lost property cupboard and had to be quickly rescued.

Wildlife is so important and must be protected in order to maintain a high level of biodiversity and variety, not only within our school grounds, but also in the wider community; it is important for both nature itself and the people who utilise the space. A walk around the field can provide an enriching and relaxing effect, having a positive impact on our mental health because of the natural beauty it entails, and the wonderful wildlife surrounding it.

Feature

The school’s desire to preserve the wildlife we have can be seen by the numerous methods that Habs has put into place to ensure our practices are as green as our uniform. The introduction of HABSTV as well as compulsory school iPads for younger years has lessened the need for posters around the school as well as worksheets in class, which has limited the amount of paper the school wastes each term. Meat Free Mondays help limit methane emissions by limiting the amount of beef eaten as well as creating a healthier, more varied diet. Many of the lights around school are controlled by motion sensors meaning that no electricity is unnecessarily wasted.

Middle School Photographic Competition The Greenhouse editors organised a Middle School Photographic Competition of the natural world at Habs. Here are the photographs of the three worthy winners: Sofia Lavelle U4 Aesc, Tallulah England U4 Aleph and Ellie Gergel L4 Aleph.

Wildlife can help us see beauty in our everyday lives which we would not otherwise experience.

Sophie Simons L6 PH

Scan to watch a video of Habs in Spring

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Sport

Sport A

t Habs we are so lucky to be part of an ever-increasing sporting community, with a huge variety of sports available for us to participate in both recreationally and competitively. It has been great to see what a significant transformation our school sport has made this year, in both attitude and mindset as well as results. I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing first-hand the commitment and determination that girls across all the age groups have shown this year in training, which has undoubtedly paid off in matches. Our most significant achievements have been the U12 lacrosse team winning their county tournament for the first time in seven years as well as the U19 netball team winning the county plate at the end of the season.

I know that all the captains have loved working with their teams this year and I feel so grateful to have been part of this incredible sporting community for the past seven years.

I am so proud of everything we have achieved, and I have no doubt that all Habs sports teams will continue to go from strength to strength in the coming years!

Daisy Gershon School Sports Captain

Captains School Sports Daisy Gershon Athletics Ava Dench Badminton Alexandra Rosenthal Cross Country Fleur Sawday Dance Co: Alex Hart & Anya Myers Gymnastics Chloe Leigh Vice: Camille White & Emma Bevis

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Lacrosse Co: Daisy Gershon & Lara Hugh Netball Georgia Koopman Rounders Co: Maya Jagpal & Helena Loan Swimming Co: Talia Swillman & Sophia Kershaw Tennis Kalila Smith Trampolining Emma Bevis Vice: Camille White

Sports Colours 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.

Badminton Junior: Keshni Shah, Lakshmi Linkeshwaran, Avanti Weerasinghe, Saaya Galaiya Cross Country Senior: Fleur Sawday. Junior: Rachel Pearlman Dance Senior: Alex Hart, Anya Myers Junior: Emily Einhorn, Tabitha Penn Football Junior: Anushka Halai, Uma Tugnait, Leia Weiler, Ella Aharony Gymnastics Senior: Chloe Leigh Junior: Alexandra Delaney, Annabel Gringras Lacrosse Senior: Daisy Gershon, Georgia Koopman, Lara Hugh, Roselle Twum-Barima, Fleur Sawday, Georgia Cox Junior: Maya Brockie, Isabella Paraskeva, Hannah Noordin, Rachel Wald, Sia Kulkarni Netball Senior: Georgia Koopman, Georgia Cox, Daisy Gershon, Helena Loan Junior: Isabella Paraskeva, Alexandra Paraskeva, Nikita Haria, Sia Kulkarni, Hannah Noordin Swimming Senior: Talia Swillman, Sophia Kershaw Junior: Sofia Peccei, Emily O’Carroll, Helena McConnell, Saira Glazer, Uma Shah, Aarushi Dubey Tennis Senior: Lucy Blyth, Katie Darbari, Katya Israel, Alexandra Kagan, Natasha Pittal, Sarina Thandi, Maya Tricot Trampolining Senior: Chloe Leigh, Alex Hart Junior: Madison Sinclair, Grace Curtis

Sport

Talented Athlete Program Two students from the Habs sports’ programme, which encourages talented sportspeople, tell us about their sport achievements.

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crobatic gymnastics is a competitive gymnastic discipline where partnerships of gymnasts perform routines consisting of balances, throws, dance and tumbling.

I have been doing acro for almost three years and I started gymnastics when I was five years old. I have competed in County, Regional, National and International competitions. My biggest competitions so far being the NDP Acrobatic National finals and The Turin International Acro Cup, representing Great Britain.

My goals for the future are competing officially for Great Britain and taking part in the European and World Championships.

I have been playing netball for almost a decade now; so, this year being accepted into both the U17 and U19 competition squads for the netball team, Saracens Mavericks, at age 15 was both a shock and an honour. It allows me to be scouted and trialled for England netball, which would give me the opportunity to represent England internationally. Undoubtedly, I wouldn’t be where I am now, without the many other netball teams I’m in and all the different techniques and experience I’ve gained from still playing at school, county, district and regional levels.

Tianna Ubesio U5 Aleph

Katrin Hesse M5 Aleph

Lockdown Fitness Habs still exercising in lockdown.

During the long weeks of quarantine, Habs girls have not forgotten to keep fit. With help and motivation from the PE department, Habs girls have been able to participate in many sporting activities from home.

The growing use of social media has allowed everyone to keep fit with an activity of their choice.

On Teams there have been daily workouts targeting different parts of the body such as arms and legs which have been put together by the inspirational PE staff. Other activities include different sports such as netball and yoga, ensuring

that everyone can have fun. The home workouts and collaborative online sports have allowed the students to gain independence and develop their sporting abilities not only by themselves but with members of their household.

As well as this, thanks to technology, sports clubs have been able to meet up online to make working out more fun. The atmosphere in the clubs encourages everyone to work a little harder!

Katerina Sooby L6 KH

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Sport

Lacrosse W

e have thoroughly enjoyed our time as lacrosse captains this year. Every team has gone from strength to strength, for example the U12A team winning their county tournament for the first time in 10 years. There has been such a clear shift in mindset, no matter the result, each and every team always gives everything they have. With the creation of ‘Breaktime Stickwork’ along with ‘Tactical Thursday’ the motivation and determination is clear to see.

It has been such a privilege to help and encourage the younger years and see first-hand the strength of the school’s lacrosse culture and the ‘Habs Lax Family’ that we have come together to create. We are sad to leave Habs lacrosse behind but judging by this year’s achievements we know this is only the start of a great journey and we can’t wait to hear about more successes in the years to come.

Daisy Gershon and Lara Hugh Co-Captains

Netball T

he netball season of 2019-2020 has been a pivotal one, showing a lot of success.

Not only did the senior A and B team win and become runner ups, respectively, at the Netball District Tournament, but the A team also won the County Cup Plate final, which is a huge achievement. The year has been packed with wins from all year groups ranging from the U16 coming joint first at a St Albans invitation netball league, to all U14 and U13 teams becoming District netball champions.

Habs netball is made up from talented players across all

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age groups, all of whom have contributed to the success of their season. Teamwork is a vital aspect of netball, and one of the reasons Habs netball continues to be so successful is due to the family-like bond between players and coaches. We have both enjoyed seeing how our teams have progressed this season and are sad to leave Habs netball behind. We know that as it continues to grow and improve, it will have many more successes.

Georgia Koopman and Georgia Cox Co-Captains

Sport

Dance T

his year, the Habs Dance Company has just got bigger and better. With Miss Nelson leading the ranks, we entered the Great Big Dance Off competition. The Upper School based our piece on The Hunger Games, and the Middle School, a composition of dances through the decades. Both groups entertained empowering melodies and a mix of styles to stretch out our skill sets.

As Dance Captains in our fourth and final year in the company, we want to wish all our dancers the very best of luck in their futures, and to thank Miss Nelson

for all her tireless work. We hope that dance at Habs has brought the same joy to everyone involved in the company that it has delivered to us year after year, and we want to express how grateful we are for all the opportunities it has given us to perform so creatively and passionately throughout our time at Habs. Finally, we want to emphasise the importance of dancing, not just as a form of exercise but a way to express oneself and reflect on inner emotions. Thank you for letting us be your dance captains and don’t stop dancing.

Alex Hart and Anya Myers Co-Captains

Swimming T

he Habs swimming team competes in weekly galas against other teams in the Herts League.

Swimming powerfully this year, the team made it through to the Herts League finals. Overall, the squad improved from last year with the Seniors and Intermediates finishing 3rd out of 12 schools and the Juniors coming in 4th place. The

U12 team also participated in the District competition with the U12A team placing 5th and the U12B team swimming exceptionally well, resulting in a 1st place win. These impressive results reflect our hard work and determination, with the team swimming about 80 lengths per training session.

The Habs swimming team always has a fun atmosphere, allowing for

strong friendships to form between year groups, so we are very sad to be leaving the Habs swimming team behind. However, we know that the team will continue to go from strength to strength, and we have loved being the swimming captains this year!

Talia Swillman and Sophia Kershaw Co-Captains

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Sport

Badminton T

his year, the badminton teams have accomplished some amazing achievements. The U14s came 5th in their league and U15s came 4th in their league which is the best result that Habs has had in the past two years. As well as this, badminton has become very popular in the middle school where the students have been attending squad

training with our external coach, Phil, every Wednesday, and during lunch times with Miss Watts. For the second year in a row, friendly matches have been arranged against Habs Boys and newly introduced training collaboration on a Thursday at Habs Boys has been very successful amongst the older years.

Habs, resulting in more exciting opportunities on offer, not only for participating competitively but also for anyone who wants to play recreationally and get involved. Trials for the new badminton season happen at the beginning of the school year and there will be many more brilliant opportunities to get involved.

Over the past few years Badminton has become more popular within

Alexandra Rosenthal Captain

Gymnastics H

abs gymnastics teams have had many successes at competitions this year. Many medals were won at both regional and national competitions. We started brilliantly at the ISGA two-piece championships: 1st place for U15 and O13 teams as well some outstanding individual results: Camille White 1st, and a clean sweep in the U15 category Alicia Downey 1st, Rachel Gittleson 2nd and Alexandra Delaney 3rd. To top off a terrific year, both the U16 and U19 teams placed 1st at the East regional round at the BSGA Trio competition and our first ever U13 Trio team came 2nd. All three teams qualified for the national final in March. Everyone performed brilliantly at the final with the U16 and U19 East region teams both winning silver. Special mention should go to the Development Squad who entered two teams in a district competition with both teams coming 3rd. We are all proud of every member of the squads and would like to thank Miss Burman and Miss Nelson for their support and encouragement. Despite one of the biggest national competitions being cancelled, all teams had an excellent year.

Chloe Leigh Captain, Emma Bevis and Camille White Vice Captains

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Sport

Trampolining T

The trampoline team has had a very exciting year both in training and competitions. At the BSGA East Regional competition in November all teams worked hard and performed beautifully, with the U15 and U19 novice teams placing 3rd overall and U14 novice team placing 6th. Well done to the U19 teams, with the Intermediate team coming 2nd and the Elite team placing 1st. Special congratulations to Emma Bevis who placed 1st and Tilly Weston who placed 3rd in the U19 Elite category. The Zonal round in January also brought success as the U19 Elite team placed 1st, qualifying for the National Finals.

Special thanks to Madison Sinclair for stepping in at the last minute and competing with Evie Tew in the Intermediate category. Both girls performed brilliantly.

At the National finals the Elite team performed superbly and came 2nd. This is an exceptional accomplishment and we have to thank our coach Cheryl for all of her help. This year was also very exciting for the trampoline team as we bought a new trampoline, which has allowed our standard of training to increase and have lots of fun as well!

Emma Bevis Captain, Camille White Vice Captain

Cross Country T

his year’s season has been extremely successful. The club has grown in numbers, with pupils from all years running around Aldenham Country Park in all weathers! The preliminary round of the Cross Country Cup saw Lily Myers cross the finish line as a first scorer for Habs, closely followed by Eden Dell and Ayza Affan. In the same competition,

the Intermediate team secured 4th place, with notable performances from Clara Livingston (7th) and Rachel Pearlman (13th). These performances enabled them to qualify for the Regional Cross Country Cup in early November: all girls tackled a tough course with skill and perseverance, with Clara becoming the first finisher for the team in the strong position of 23rd place. The District Cross Country Championships saw the

Lower and Upper 4 teams finishing 3rd and 2nd respectively, with notable performances from Maelie Bouvier, Lena Bouvier, and Katie Welply. The success did not stop there: in their somewhat emotional last race for the School, Alice Craig finished in 1st place, with Sarah Butler right behind her in 2nd.

Alice Craig Captain

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Feature

If Walls Could Talk

One of our feature editors delves into Habs past by taking a fascinating walk around the school with our Archivist.

Even though Habs is a forever changing place, many pieces of its past are located around the school, both on and in its walls, which you may have passed without even realising. Along with the help of the school’s Archivist, Mrs Curati, I was able to learn more about the stories that have made Habs into the school that it is today.

Sime Music Sundial: Donated by her family in memory of Sarah Carvosso, a pupil at the school between 1997 and 2003, who fell ill whilst on holiday and unfortunately passed away not long after.

Above the sundial the words ‘Carpe Diem’ are written meaning ‘Seize the day’.

Swimming Pool: The swimming pool we use today was opened in April 2009 by Master Haberdasher, Mark Powell. However, prior to this there have been two other swimming pools, the first of which was open air at Acton, and the next opened in the summer of 1976 after fundraising to finance it, including a fete opened by pop singer, Lulu!

LRC photo of first library: The contrast between old and new is clearly seen between the current LRC and the photo of the first school library displayed inside it.

It opened in February 1926 and was named the Prosser Library after a long-time chairman of the school governors.

Old Boy’s WWI Memorial: Despite the wall that separates us now, for many years when Habs was at Acton, boys were admitted into the school along with girls, although they usually had a family connection. This memorial in the Multi-Faith room is dedicated to three boys from the school who lost their lives during WWI. Cocksedge Tapestries: These are located along the entrance to the Lecture Theatre, displaying the past creative endeavours of Habs students.

This project was organised by Miss Cocksedge (who was a

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former Head of Art). Every member of the school and teacher put a stitch into it, including the Headmistress at the time, who contributed a small violet.

St Catherine’s Stained Glass Windows: These stained glass windows reflect the prominence of St Catherine as a part of Habs life around the school. They were purchased by Old Girls who raised money to replace the library, which was bombed, but former headmistress, Miss Harold, asked if the money could be used for a stained glass window dedicated to St Catherine instead.

Hymn board: Perhaps one of the oldest pieces of history at Habs is the hymn board dating back to the late 1800s when the school was first built in Acton. It was used daily in assemblies to help girls keep track of the hymns being sung along with the use of hymn books.

Bostock Centre: In order to encompass the ever growing Habs community, as extra space was required for a new Lower Four class, the Bostock Centre was added as a third floor and is now where English and Drama are taught. This extension was opened by HRH Princess Margaret in 1984.

Escher Prints: The prints on the walls of the Maths corridor, were designed by Escher, a graphic artist, whose work was inspired from geometry. These prints are in memory of Mrs Dear, who was both a student and teacher at Habs and was described as ‘a very publicspirited and generous lady’.

Gillett Sixth Form Centre: Built to commemorate Miss Gillett, who was the last Headmistress at Acton. She famously allowed the Sixth Form to wear mufti every day to school (Sixth Form you now know who to thank) although uniform was still worn for celebratory days such as St Catherine’s Day and the Carol Service.

Tamzin Wolfson L6 GXM

Feature

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Habs Life

in House Lacrosse Gillett raring to go

House Report: Gillett

G

illett has always enga ged exceptionally we ll in various aspects of school life and this ye ar was no different. Our winning streak continu ed as shown by our first-p lace win in number of House points at the end of the Autumn Term. We did well in House Art, House Da nce and the House Trolley competition as well as coming secon d in the incredible House Debating even t. However, as proud as I am of our achievements, what ma de this year stand ou t for me was the enthusiasm and sup port shown by the ex traordinary students from all year groups in Gillett who have impressed me over and over ag ain with their kindness an d commitment to the House. I’ve see n so many people ge t inv olved in the House events that ha ve taken place and we owe it to all the students’ hard work tha t these events, St Ca therine’s Day in particular, were such a tremendous succes s.

I was also lucky enough this year to ha ve an excellent Lowe r 6 team of House Reps who rose to the occasion every step of the way. I think I speak also on behalf of Miss Frankel, when I say that we could not be prouder of Gillett this year an d I can safely say that Gillett has made my final year an unfor gettable one.

Grace Mabilat House Prefect

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y WALL.E would be proud of this year’s trolle

Habs Life

Gillett on the at tack in House Ne tball

e board!

Gillett reaching for the stars with their Hous

e Debate ir say in the Hous Gillett having the

Toilet roll mascot s for Gillett in loc kdown

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Habs Life

Gilliland ready an d waiting before Inter-House Lacro sse

House Report: Gilliland gone as planned – not o, this year hasn’t exactly t for Gilliland either. But tha globally and maybe not ys wa e som in ed efit en’t ben doesn’t mean that we hav I’ve g, thin one For s. stance from these unusual circum ger as House Prefect for lon e tinu con to nce had the cha ich wh re ctu stru being part of a school than is usual. I have loved y competition, nts, house events, friendl eve rity cha in – fun on s focuse bs in my opinion nity. It’s the best bit of Ha and on building a commu entity, the bit ic re than just an academ – the bit that makes us mo hlight of the hig My and a shared identity. that gives us personality papier-mâché our h wit trolley competition year has been winning the attitude, and o’ n-d ‘ca so proud of Gilliland’s ‘Habs Girl’. I have been se, it would be hou the ure development of fut the for h wis one had if I enormous thank ent of our house spirit. An to continue the developm ight, who has Wr s Mis way from lockdown to you must be sent all the per school pro hat ew enthusiasm to our som brought American-style rs all the nde lila Gil h the better for it! I wis – and made our house all enie Gre a as f sel will always think of my best for their futures and ! our col se both uniform and hou through and through – in

S

Alex Hart House Prefect

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Gilliland’s

lockdown

mascot

Habs Life

rvest Trolley Gilliland won the Ha ir green fingers Competition with the

Gilliland making their egg holder

Gilliland waiting for their moment in the House Debate

land e to Gilli all escap n a c ard e W oticebo house n on their

t going Gilliland’s contestan e! rac g eg for gold in the

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Habs Life

Harold aiming high in the House Lacrosse

House Report: Harold

H

arold House has ha d yet another succes sful year.

We started on a hig h when the Reps wo rke d to turn our Harvest trolley into a fabulo us boat made entirely of rec ycled materials. As always, the highlight of the Au tumn term for Haro our amazing House ld was Dance, inspired by icons such as Shakira and Beyoncé. Whilst we may not domina te the court in spor Harold certainly wi ts, ns for our spirit and enthusiasm. Throug the year it’s been a hout joy to see so many members of the ho trying new things, fro use m our art competitio n based on selfies, the Lower 4 taking to an integral role in Ho use Debating. Sadly our time in school wa , s cut short whilst wo rking on a promising medley of television theme tunes. Howe ver, I know Harold’s rendition of the Frien d’s theme would ha ve shone in House Singing! Overall, it has been an honour to work with such a positive house whos e members give ev erything a go and do so with good humo ur and enthusiasm.

Th is year would not have been possible without Miss Millns, and all her hard wo keeping the house rk running. I know tha t Harold will be back year better than ev next er, and I hope to se e the blue flag return to the school’s flagp ing ole soon!

Lily Varley House Pr efect

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e Netball! run in the Hous Harold on the

Habs Life

Harold lo oking

ready to fight it o ut in the House D ance!

nners this year s they are all wi ow sh rd oa eb Harold’s notic

Harold’s egg race preparations

the House Debate It’s Harold’s turn in

Toilet roll mascots for Harold in lockd own

We could sail away on Harold’s trolley!

e ready!

Cross country rac

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Habs Life

se Lacrosse Millar at the ready for Hou

House Report: Millar ar! Starting s been for Mill ha it ar ye a t ha ted by Katie ng trolley crea ni un st r ou ith w w time is highlighted ho h Swabel, which nment throug ro vi save the en to t ou ge g hu in nn ed ru has show gn. Everyone its genius desi be prouder to ’t dn and I coul e id pr e ar us ho d light of the ye commitment an particular high A t. ec , ef ce Pr an ’s ar ouse D have been Mill rformance in H aga-themed pe G dy r amazing La ou r by ou was d directed an d he rce ap gr eo up against fie which was chor second place us ng ni in r w la el a, ah r st Dance Rep, M could forget ou of course, who nd ol being A ho n! sc io tit ith pe w com ating. Sadly, eb D se of ou H in m our mashup performance able to perfor un e er t w bu e , w se Music moved online, t Songs in Hou er dv A tting as pu tm is Kate, from John Lewis Chr rful music rep, de on ts w is r lo ou so aturing that didn’t stop autiful song fe be a g in ve rd ha co I re ps. together and many year grou tal band from en m e amazing ru th st l in al an ith and end time w sp to hat ity un rt t wait to see w loved the oppo illar, and I can’ M in rs hy he w ac te r reason students and There is a clea in the future. h is pl m co ac we with winner!

Millar rhymes

W

ouse Prefect Nancy Stitt H

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Millar making their point in the House Debate

Habs Life

Millar con centrati

ng in the House eg g race!

g! board is buzzin Millar’s notice

Millar practise their Hou se Dance

Ready, go!

e moment Millar in a tens e Netball. us Ho g rin du

Millar’s trolle y highlights an importan t issue

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Habs Life

match e lacrosse to begin th t ai w t n’ Powell ca

House Report: Powell

W

hat an incredible year Powell has had! I think winning the House Cu p last year really helpe d us get off to a great start, filling everyone with an overwhelming sen se of positivity which helped carry us throu gh all of the events thi year. One of my highli s ghts was being able to show off the amazing trolley that the Lower 6 reps and I designed for the Harvest assembly. I ha d an overwhelming fee ling of pride whilst walking down the middle of the Pre vett Hall, a feeling that stayed with me the whole year. Altho ugh we may not have won every even t this year, we turned up and put our all into everything. Every single person, teachers and students alike, helped make thi s year incredible. Ho wever, it would not have been possible if it weren’t for Miss Hargreaves, who worked incredibl y hard to ensure that everything ran as smoothly as it could , to the highest stand ard possible. I have absolutely loved every minute of being Powell’s House Prefect and I am really going to miss it. I can ’t wait to hear about the continued success in the upcomi ng years and I can say, without a shado w of a doubt, that Po well has made my final year one never to forget.

Emily Harte House Pre fect

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Powell listening carefully in the House Debate

Habs Life

Powell preparing carefully for the egg race

Powell having fun in the egg race

Powell’s trolley was out of this world!

Powell’s

notice bo ard

Powell on the attack

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Habs Life

Sprules ready to go in House Lacro sse

House Report: Sprules W

What a year it’s been! Although the year was cut short due to some unforeseen circumstances, Sprules have done brilliantly this year, coming 2nd in the Autumn Term Term. I can only imagine how Spring in and 1st would have gone! Along with Term r the Summe as winning House Debating, such s other triumph ely proud, especially since immens are we of which in Lower 4, we can only were ants the particip tic for the final results. optimis were we safely say unity to perform opport the had have not We may but everyone Singing House in skills ble our incredi such been has It . excited super was in Sprules .

Sprules for Prefect House the be to e a pleasur Rules Sprules that show to ed continu We have in events and without a doubt we are the most fun and lively house with overflowing amounts of house spirit that I hope will stay ingrained within the house for years to come.

Shreya Singh House Prefect

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Sprules caused an eruption with their trolley this year

Habs Life

in ring to go Sprules ra ! ce ra g g e the

Sprules have the ball in the House Ne tball Sprule’s notice board

Carefully designing for the egg race

Sprules’ lectern lecture in the House Deba te

re cross country g cheerful befo Sprules lookin

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Habs Life

Leaving Staff

Mrs Ashton

Mr Shaw

Mrs Winton

What was your favourite memory at Habs?

Teaching all of my lovely Lower 4 and Middle 5 students!

What was your favourite memory at Habs?

There have been so many. I still remember reading the Leaver’s Year Book profiles from my first Upper 6 tutor group. Almost all commented that the one thing they would miss most about Habs was spending form time together. Such warmth, camaraderie and loyalty, it still brings a tear to my eye today.

What was your favourite memory at Habs?

Too many to mention all of them but highlights would have to be staff pantos, directing Middle School plays way back, watching so many talented students in plays, matches, concerts and being in awe of their wide ranging talents, school trips including the infamous portaloos at the very first Bushcraft trip.

What one piece of advice would you give to students?

Try, try, try again, and if you still don’t get it, keep smiling and move on.

What one piece of advice would you give students?

Be kind to each other and yourselves which includes having the confidence to like and believe in yourself.

What one piece of advice would you give students?

Always do your best and never give up.

What are your plans for the future?

Director of Studies, Quinton House School.

If you weren’t a teacher what would you be?

As a child I wanted to be a singer/dancer.

What has been the best thing about being a teacher at Habs?

My lovely staff friends and teaching all of my lovely Lower 4 and Middle 5 students!

We would also like to thank…

Mrs Assoni (French Oral Assistant) Mrs Carter (Health Care Assistant), Mr Doherty (Maths), Mme Fanning (Head of Modern Languages) Ms Fenn (Head of French), Mr Gainey (Head of Estates) Miss Goldman (Psychology), Mrs Howarth (Registrar and PA), Mrs Malik (Maths), Mme Lock (French), Mrs Tong (IS Administrator) for all their contributions to the school community.

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What are your plans for the future?

Plans! What plans? I’ll just go with the ebb and flow and see where life-events take me. Hopefully, it will be somewhere where my movements aren’t governed by the sound of a bell.

If you weren’t a teacher what would you be?

An environmentalist or nature photographer or carrot farmer … don’t ask! Some may say comedian, or should it be clown?

What has been the best thing about being a teacher at Habs?

I have loved the banter with both the students and staff. Oh how, at times, I wish I had had control over my inner-monologue. Then again, witnessing the shocked faces, followed by smiles, and then the outbursts of raucous laughter has been priceless.

What are your plans for the future?

Having a complete break from teaching and exploring other pathways wherever they may take me.

If you weren’t a teacher what would you be?

A speech therapist or a famous Mathematician (I have kept that talent extremely well hidden).

What has been the best thing about being a teacher at Habs?

Can’t limit myself to one thing, I’m afraid. The staff (especially the fantastic English Department), the students (it has been an absolute pleasure and privilege watching them progress over the years), the fast pace and intellectual buzz of the classrooms and the joy of walking into the building every day and not knowing quite what the day will bring!

Habs Life

New Teaching Staff Miss Mellor Miss Mellor has had a long and significant service to the school over the past 20 years which have included the very important roles of Director of Wellbeing, Deputy Head Pastoral, Head of Upper School and, of course, throughout, as an inspirational teacher of Spanish and French.

In all these roles, Miss Mellor has always put the best interests of the students first. It is certainly thanks to her that the school has invested so much in wellbeing and mindfulness in the last few years.

The high profile of a more proactive and holistic approach to the wellbeing of the Habs community is now deeply embedded in the school’s culture and ethos.

Miss Mellor has made a huge contribution to the extra-curricular life of the school, from D of E training weekends to countless residential trips abroad, especially language exchanges of course, and Music tours.

Miss Mellor has left Habs to begin new ventures where she can use her expertise and experience to educate a much wider audience both in and beyond the educational world.

This year we welcomed a number of new teachers to the School. Our editors took the opportunity to catch up with them and see how they were settling in.

Miss Arlington

Mrs Cohen

What makes Habs unique?

The surprising amount of food my form can eat on food Friday!

What makes Habs unique?

The community in the school.

Your best experience at Habs so far?

The Cornwall Art trip: eating ice cream and ducking seagulls.

Which extra House event would you include if you had the chance?

Cake eating!

Your best experience at Habs so far?

House Dance! It was so much fun to work with the teachers and students in a different way – the type of thing you don’t get to do in other schools.

Which extra House event would you include if you had the chance?

House bake off!

Mr James-Robbins

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Habs Life

Mrs D’Arcy

Mrs Hall

Ms Lavelle

What makes Habs unique?

The students at Habs have made me welcome and are very friendly. I haven’t had this experience in all of my previous workplaces!

Your best experience at Habs so far?

The Whole School Summer Read day was fantastic.

Best event at Habs?

St Catherine’s Day was an unforgettable experience and it says so much about Habs as a community.

Sum up Habs in three words.

Fun, friendly and family.

What inspired you to become a teacher?

I found that helping my friends with homework when we were in school was really fascinating and I loved coming up with ways of explaining things.

What inspired you to become a teacher?

I enjoy working with young people and love Economics as a subject.

Tell us about a hidden talent.

I know the Tik Tok dance to Say So.

Tell us about a hidden talent.

I teach my dog new tricks all the time. She can give me a high five and a hug now!

Tell us about a hidden talent.

There’s no limit to the amount of sushi that I can eat.

Ms Durmus-Ergul

Ms Hodgkiss

Mr Moore

Your best experience at Habs so far?

Getting to the semi-finals in CyberFirst Girls’ Competition!

What makes Habs unique?

The combination of academic excellence, extra-curricular breadth and a nurturing pastoral environment makes Habs unique.

Staff and students alike strive to do their very best.

Your best experience at Habs so far?

The Carol Service was a real treat.

Sum up Habs in three words.

Benevolent, prestigious and intellectual.

Which extra House event would you include if you had the chance?

STEM competition.

Your best experience at Habs so far?

Too many to choose from. I loved the House Dance competition.

Tell us about a hidden talent.

I am a not-so-secret crafter. I can repair a chair, make mosaics and forge metal into strange shapes.

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Sum up Habs in three words.

Modest. Ambitious. Busy!

Tell us about a hidden talent.

A long time ago I used to be a children’s party entertainer. I can just about make a passable balloon dog.

Other than that, I’m still working on my Renegade Dance …

Habs Life

Mr Morris

Miss Nelson

Ms Sorohan

What makes Habs unique?

The students - who are ambitious, bright, caring and lots of fun.

Sum up Habs in three words.

Community. Excellence. Acceptance

Best experience at Habs so far?

St Catherine’s Day – I loved the way that everyone was fully committed to the day.

Best event at Habs?

St Catherine’s Day, for the mixture of pageantry and sheer fun.

Which extra House event would you include if you had the chance?

Halloween Pumpkin Carving Competition!

Tell us about a hidden talent.

I am an epee fencer - currently ranked 111th in the UK!

What inspired you to become a teacher?

To inspire and educate children and young adults about sport and the importance of exercise.

Ms Maister

Ms Parravano

Which extra House event would you include if you had the chance?

I would like to see an inter-House ‘Unplugged’ event.

Best experience at Habs so far?

When the students told me that Classical Civilisation is their favourite GCSE subject.

What inspired you to become a teacher?

One of the reasons I was inspired to become a teacher was that for the past 26 years my home has frequently been filled with children and teenagers, but as my own children grew older I looked ahead and thought how sad it would be to have a life limited to adults only!

Sum up Habs in a sentence.

An outstanding school, with lovely students and excellent staff.

What is your idea for a new House event?

I think a House Enterprise Competition would be thoroughly worthwhile.

What makes Habs unique?

Universally ambitious and respectful students combined with wellinformed staff and a culture of care and inclusion.

Best ever event at Habs?

Wellbeing week.

Tell us about a hidden talent.

My hidden talent is that I am level 2 at kayaking – not much call for this at Habs.

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Habs Life

New Support Staff Mrs Sabine Brenot French Oral Assistant

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 Boys’ and Girls’ schools.

Mrs Annette Barrett

Miss Karen Driver

Mrs Neska Kauders

Mr Damian Berry

Mr Yabesera Dereje

Mrs Martha Carslake

Deputy Exams Officer

Reporting and Data Analyst

Mrs Hannah Bond School Nurse

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Health Centre Administration Assistant

ICT Support Audio Visual Technician

Ms Natalie Leon

Director of Finance and Resources

Art Technician

Registrar

Miss Zahra Balal Lab Technician

Habs Life

A Level Prizes The A Level Prizes are a celebration of the hard work and achievement of the Class of 2019.

Amy Allman The Mary Plummer Award for the study of Physical Education Suganya Arnold The Daphne Ridgeon Prize for Mathematics and Physics & The Sheila Dodson Mathematics Prize Eleanor Bayfield The Jean Berriff Prize for German Lucy Bentall The Susan Gillett Prize for Biology Anna Bonomi The Mary Plummer Award for the study of Art Zoe Buchalter The Prize for Modern Languages Catrina Choy The Winifred Berry Prize for Chemistry Isabelle Clark The Design Technology Prize

Alice Craig The Williams Prize for English

Neetha Naveendra Dr Roth’s Prize for Biology

Yasmine Cramer The Emmity Klein Cup for Spanish

Agatha Rowold The Mark Powell Philosophy Prize

Harry Derbyshire The Durrant Classics Prize

Bernice Ruan The Dr Luena Hatcher Prize for Medicine

Elizabeth Dray The Buckmaster Memorial Geography Prize Josie Francis The Veronica Castang Prize for Drama Stephanie Frank The Sylvia Wood Geography Prize Varssha Kumaraverl The Nisadha Bandara Prize for 16th Century History Talia Marchant The Charterhouse Economics Prize & The Haberdashers’ Divinity Prize

Liberty Saunders Miss Oyler’s Prize for 20th Century History Hannah Scollen The Charlotte Green Prize for Government and Politics Amy Silverbeck The Hilary Morrish Prize for French Vaisaaly Varatharajan The Malcolm Gough Physics Prize & The Mackenzie Memorial Prize for Science

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Habs Life

GCSE Awards The Governors’ Prize is awarded to students who achieved at least nine A* grades at GCSE.

Governors’ Prize Winners Abinaya Arulalagan Kate Austin Nikhita Bhatt Sanchi Chakraborty Eliza Copland Alix Danis Katie Dimson Elizabeth Drobyshev Jessica Folwell Cristina Fray Catarina Goncalves Jennifer Hayes

Priya Kalairajah Maya Nair Hannah Newman Sharanie Pankayachelvan Lauren Parsons Shreya Patel Amy Shaw Erica Shuker Rachel Simmonds-Rosten Nikki Varma Camille White

The following students were awarded named prizes: Ayman Asaria The Gilliland Scholarship Ashleigh Lin Miss Zelensky’s Prize for Mathematics

a successful licitor and now nitah, former so Be ra leg Al rl, Gi Old to our speaker, Grateful thanks TV Chef.

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Habs Life

School Positions Form Captains Autumn Term

L4 A Olivia Martin Ella Van Reeuwijk L4 Aesc Cara O’Sullivan Ruby Goldstein L4 Aleph Larissa Cowley Nayantara Hogg L4 Alpha Ella Lyons Kathryn Ward L4 Ansuz Bessie Teper Emily Grant L4 Aske Raphaella Christofedou Eva Davies U4A Mia Moshal Gavriella EpsteinLightman U4 Aesc Anaya Patel Amber Gehani U4 Aleph Sofia Allen Seher Baweja U4 Alpha Amelia Howie Chianu Kachikwu U4 Aske Anaya Jess Simran Chavda L5A Natasha Wahab Ashka Vora L5 Aesc Mary-Elizabeth Asse Sophia Nanthakumar L5 Aleph Ariella Greenfield Abigail Chiu L5 Alpha Lainey Waxman Talia Michaels L5 Aske Diya Kedia Edith Rendell M5A Aiyana Gordon Tamara Teper

M5 Aesc Alexandra Delaney Hannah Noordin M5 Aleph Angelica Ashley Amaara Wadhwani M5 Alpha Madison Sinclair Madeleine Teper M5 Aske Grace Curtis Uma Tugnait U5A Amelia Delaney Zoe St John U5 Aesc Beatrice Leviton Maya Tricot U5 Aleph Sarannia Ragulan Omika Sharma U5 Aesc Beatrice Leviton Maya Tricot U5 Alpha Katie Darbari Maya Shah U5 Aske Nikisha Patel Neha Narayan

Spring Term

L4 A Olivia Martin Ella Van Reeuwijk L4 Aesc Cara O’Sullivan Ruby Goldstein L4 Aleph Larissa Cowley Nayantara Hogg L4 Alpha Ella Lyons Kathryn Ward L4 Ansuz Bessie Teper Emily Grant L4 Aske Raphaella Christofedou Eva Davies U4A Ruby Weissbart Audrey Newman U4 Aesc Pearl Castleton Nicole Karunanithy

U4 Aleph Lily Coppel Houria Lebied U4 Alpha Neysa Coutinho Rudrani Bhattacharyya U4 Aske Mahi Soneji Gemma Peters L5A Tia Boulton Georgia Higgs L5 Aesc Josie Brownstone Amelia Willoughby L5 Aleph Ayza Affan Karen Kou L5 Alpha Sareena Shah Zara Ghazi L5 Aske Amelia Chenga-Reddy Ashna Kapur M5A Heather Giam Aarya Shetye M5 Aesc Sarah Wald Sia Kulkarni M5 Aleph Rachel Wald Joystna Kumar M5 Alpha Chiara Mabilat Anji Suri M5 Aske Dorsa Aram Elyssa Varma U5A Olivia Tsang Oluwamisimininu Subair U5 Aesc Divija Joshi Maisara Malhi U5 Aleph Elena Cormican Tilly Weston U5 Alpha Maddy Smith Simran Sidhu U5 Aske Temilayo Elesin Mia Wright

Summer Term

L4 A Olivia Martin Ella Van Reeuwijk L4 Aesc Cara O’Sullivan Ruby Goldstein L4 Aleph Larissa Cowley Nayantara Hogg L4 Alpha Ella Lyons Kathryn Ward L4 Ansuz Bessie Teper Emily Grant L4 Aske Raphaella Christofedou Eva Davies U4A Ruby Weissbart Audrey Newman U4 Aesc Pearl Castleton Nicole Karunanithy U4 Aleph Lily Coppel Houria Lebied U4 Aesc Pearl Castleton Nicole Karunanithy U4 Alpha Neysa Coutinho Rudrani Bhattacharyya U4 Aske Mahi Soneji Gemma Peters L5A Tia Boulton Georgia Higgs L5 Aesc Josie Brownstone Amelia Willoughby

L5 Aleph Ayza Affan Karen Kou L5 Alpha Sareena Shah Zara Ghazi L5 Aske Amelia Chenga-Reddy Ashna Kapur M5A Heather Giam Aarya Shetye M5 Aesc Sarah Wald Sia Kulkarni M5 Aleph Rachel Wald Joystna Kumar M5 Alpha Chiara Mabilat Anji Suri M5 Aske Dorsa Aram Elyssa Varma U5A Olivia Tsang Oluwamisimininu Subair U5 Aesc Divija Joshi Maisara Malhi U5 Aleph Elena Cormican Tilly Weston U5 Alpha Maddy Smith Simran Sidhu U5 Aske Temilayo Elesin Mia Wright

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Habs Life

Destinations

School Prefects

Funmilayo Adelaja Joyce Ajisafe Emike Akagbosu Risha Alimchandani Jessie Bloom Sophie Cohn Georgia Cox Lottie Cynamon Ella Denton Hannah Ezekiel Mille Flaum Daisy Gershon Zoe Goldwater Talia Hammell Alex Hart Emily Harte Riah Italia Maya Jagpal Molly Jones Kacey Keary Georgie Koopman Ruby Levy Hannah Loveless Grace Mabilat Cynthia Manimaran Menaka Maruthainar Esther Midgeon Safia Mukri Anjali Mulcock Mira Panicker Hannah Panni Bridget Parris Ilana Petrook Ariana Phillips Anushka Rajani Kiana Rezakhanlou Luxmi Sathiyalingam Fleur Sawday Amba Sharma Shreya Singh Phoebe Sleeman Deborah Smith Ellie Soteriou Nancy Stitt Shreya Suri Olivia Sutton Talia Swillman Kaya Thakkar Cristiana Toma Roselle Twum-Barima Lily Varley Simran Vyas Lucy Weiniger Tare Youdeowei

Senior Team

Kalila Smith Head Girl Hannah Haskel Deputy Head Girl Elisa Earle Sixth Form Prefect Lara Hugh Upper School Prefect Anya Myers Middle School Prefect

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The Class of 2019: Where are they now?

Birmingham (17) – Biochemistry – Business Management – Economics – English Language – French and Spanish – History – Materials Science – Medicine – MFL – Pharmacy – Philosophy, Religion and Ethics – Politics, Religion and Philosophy – Social Policy and Criminology – Sports Science Bristol (9) – Biology – Civil Engineering – Classics – Dentistry – Economics – Economics and Accounting – Liberal Arts Cambridge (6) – Classics – French and Russian – Medicine – Natural Sciences Cardiff (1) – Chemistry Durham (5) – French and Beginner’s Italian – French and Spanish – Geography – International Relations Exeter (1) – English and Film studies Gap year (9)

Imperial (6) – Mechanical Engineering – Medicine – Physics KCL (7) – Chemistry – Classical Studies – Dentistry – History – Medicine – Philosophy Leeds (5) – Graphic Design – Law – Social Policy Loughborough (1) LSE (3) – Maths and Economics

Oxford (3) – Law with French law – PPE Sheffield (2) – Medicine Southampton (1) – Medicine UCL (11) – Anthropology – Chemistry with Management – Geography – History and Spanish – Medicine – Physics – Politics and International Relations

Manchester (1) – History and Film Studies

Warwick (10) – Biochemistry – Economics – Engineering – English and Hispanic Studies – Hispanic Studies and History – Law – Liberal Arts – Philosophy – Politics and International Relations

Newcastle (1) – Architecture

York (1) – Philosophy

Liverpool (3) – Biomedical Science – Law – Medicine Leicester (1) – Medical Biochemistry

NCH (1) – Politics and International Relations Nottingham (9) – Criminology and Sociology – English – Industrial Economics – Modern languages with Business – Politics and Economics – Psychology – Product Design

Habs Life

Charity Report Read about just a few of the events from this year to raise money for various charities.

Christmas fair

In December, the whole school got involved in the two hour long fair for charity. Complete with countless Krispy Kremes; a card-decorating stall; jewellery and fluffy socks stalls; an icecream bike (a Habs favourite); a card sale and flowerpots made by the Parikrma girls, and of course a Christmas sing-along, there was sure to be something for everyone. Japanese Club helped out immensely by selling homemade origami cards, snacks, iced tea (and more), and those profits went to Aid for Japan, a charity working with orphans from the 2011 tsunami and earthquake in Japan.

A range of the lovely items made by Japanese club

India’s Daughter

In January, an important talk on the documentary India’s Daughter by Leslee Udwin, was shared to students and parents. Together with the Boys’ Sixth Form and parents, the event created a safe space for a much-needed discussion about rape culture in India.

We raised money for Think Equal which calls for a change in the education system to end the global discriminatory mindset. The event ensured that the conversation about this topic was at the forefront of people’s minds.

Whole School Mufti Day

On 20th March all students and teachers came together for the last mufti day before schools were closed. The abrupt end of school shocked everyone but nevertheless we went out in true Habs Girls’ style: with a mufti day! It was especially emotional for the Upper 6 as it was their last day. They, and the Upper 5 were in school uniform whilst the rest of the school were in their own clothes. We managed to raise money for Parikrma whilst also temporarily saying our goodbyes to Habs.

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Feature

T

Lockdown

he past few months have seen a pronounced change in school life and life in general as a result of the world-wide coronavirus outbreak. Despite the first cases appearing in late January school was able to stay open until March. During this time a number of precautions were taken, in order to make sure that whilst Habs stayed open it remained Coronafree. Hand sanitizers and posters were introduced around the school to encourage cleanliness and good hygiene, as well as the extension of

Life in

How has Habs adapted?

breaktimes in order to ensure that social distancing could be enforced around school as much as possible.

Although eventually Habs did have to close, school life has still continued to be busy and in action, since activities have now become online based. Lessons have resumed on Microsoft Teams, through which teachers are able to set work and host live video lessons, ensuring learning stays as interactive as possible. This has also allowed for the continuation of form activities

and assemblies, including house events for which competitions continue to run, keeping the House spirit going. Clubs and extra-curricular activities have also continued to run using Zoom, including art classes and even live cookery demonstrations!

Editors of the Greenhouse have given an insight through short diary entries into what a week in the life of a Habs student has been like under these new circumstances.

Tamzin Wolfson L6 GXM

Monday

Thursday

Maryam Mazhar L6 JJM

Eliza Copland L6 PH

Tuesday

Friday

In periods three and four, our usual Enrichment session has been replaced by two lessons where we can begin to make progress in our UCAS university applications. Through the wonders of technology (namely audio notes on PowerPoint!), we are receiving guidance on personal statements.

This morning I began working on my music composition coursework after a video call lesson to help us generate ideas. I enjoyed my piano lesson at lunchtime, and then in English I wrote a review of the National Theatre’s Frankenstein.

Kate Austin L6 CW

Wednesday

The highlight of my Wednesday this week has been my Zoom call with the lacrosse team where we completed an online fitness session.

While the fitness itself was perhaps not the highlight, seeing the team and spending time outdoors was very refreshing after so long in lockdown.

Tabitha Dresden L6 PH

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In the afternoon, I video called my Biology class so we could do the work that our teacher had set together.

Even though we were not all in the same laboratory, there was still the same enjoyment, fun and hilarity that always happens in our lessons.

On Fridays we have extension lessons where we work on our personal statements and university applications in small groups. Having to do this remotely has been challenging, but we are still able to have video calls with our teachers, as well as watch virtual presentations on a whole year group Teams chat.

Anisha Pick L6 GXM

Feature

Lockdown Art

A Level Art students expressed themselves through lockdown art while at home.

One of the Art students explains her inspiration: My drawing has been inspired by artist Pat Perry whose work includes fantastical, intricate biro drawings of ‘everyday’ landscapes - depicting houses, pathways, trees, and more - intertwined with the human figure.

This drawing depicts two scenes of my brother intertwined within each other, in the style of Pat Perry. He can be seen playing a video game, something that he had a lot more time to do since lockdown. The other scene is him walking to school, which is what he would be doing if schools were open. I think that the subtle feature of him wearing earphones in both scenes, in a way, connects them more.

Temi Otulana U6 DHH

Teni Otulana

Alex Busby

Aya Miller

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