Skylight - Autumn 2021

Skylight Autumn 2021

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Featured in this issue

Arkwright Engineering Scholarships Habs Adventure Days Remembrance Day Poppy Installation Habs in The Cricketer Schools Guide 2022 Christmas Carol Service 60 Years at Elstree

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The Headmaster’s

End of term letter

Dear Parents and Carers, It has been a brilliant term. Whilst ‘normality’ remains a mirage, this has felt like the busiest and most exciting term since the world changed almost two years ago. We reconvened in September with new branding and new values, and throughout the term those values of ambition, curiosity, courage and community have infused every aspect of school life.

Ambition is obvious everywhere at Habs. It was obvious this term in Design and Technology as three students received prestigious Arkwright Engineering Scholarships; in Modern Languages as the school became a National Hub for trainee teachers, and in the Careers department which was shortlisted for an Independent School of the Year Careers Programme award. It was equally obvious in the musical outpouring of the term, from the stellar Autumn and Winter Concerts to our weekly dose of Lunchtime Live performances.

The production of Romeo and Juliet was every bit as ambitious, performed in the round with a modernised script - a triumph!

The curiosity of Habs students underpins so much of what happens here; the drive to ask questions and explore ideas is central to any great education and we see it in every lesson and activity. We saw it in abundance this term in the F1 in Schools Competition or in our success in the North London French Debating Competition.

The plethora of lunchtime and after school talks has been a particularly memorable feature this term and I must make special mention of the Classical Society and the newly established Indian Society which have enjoyed a series of pupil- and staff-led talks on women in the ancient world and ancient Indian history respectively.

Another personal highlight was welcoming historian and broadcaster Dominic Sandbrook on Remembrance Day to speak about the Great War and its legacy. Our chess players showed the dividends of their curiosity and passion in the UK Chess Challenge, as they sought to follow in the

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footsteps of Ravi Haria (OH 2017) who became the first UK Chess Grandmaster since 2014.

Courage has been seen in abundance, demonstrated by our U13 tennis team to win the county final or by our two cross-country teams who battled their way through the regional rounds and into the national finals. Our footballers had probably their best season yet, with the 1st XI winning the vast majority of games and enjoying the longest ever cup run, only to go out to the current holders in the last 16. Not to be outdone, our rugby 1st XV showed their resolve to fight back to victory under lights at the StoneX Stadium, ending their season on a high. Perhaps the most inspiring lesson on courage was given

by Paralympian Lance Corporal Derek Derenalagi when he spoke to younger pupils about his remarkable journey.

Finally, however, it is that sense of community that makes me most proud to be a part of Habs.

We continue to broaden our curriculum to better celebrate our cultural diversity and this term’s Black History Month saw memorable talks from Mr Floyd Steadman and Mrs Victoria Gordon, as well as a brilliant assembly led by students from the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools. The inaugural Garba Night was great success too, with the Habs Hindu Society bringing hundreds of students together in celebration of Indian culture, dance and food. Remembrance was special this year, with a powerful communal installation of 900 red ceramic poppies, all made by our students, adorning the quad.

Habs is a community that looks outwards too, and we were delighted to welcome hundreds of pupils from local schools to enjoy ‘Adventure Days’, learning to climb or swim onsite and enjoy campfires in our Forest School. Perhaps the most memorable story of the term is the support the school has offered to the many dozens of Afghan refugees who, having fled their homes in the summer, have found themselves living nearby.

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Alongside many other recreational activities, Habs staff are currently providing all their education voluntarily. The whole school community has stepped up amazingly for those most in need.

Earlier in the term, we hosted former School Captains from as far back as 1961, the year we moved from Cricklewood to Elstree. It was apt that this took place against the backdrop of the most ambitious building project since that year, with the new academic hub set for completion in the summer and the Pre-Prep shortly thereafter.

Truth be told, the site has been jolly muddy and a bit noisy at times, but it will all be well worth it next year!

I wish you and your families a healthy, peaceful Christmas break and a prosperous new year.

Gus Lock Headmaster

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Success Stories Three students receive prestigious Engineering Scholarships

The school’s Design and Technology department is delighted to announce that Noah (L6S2), Joel (L6J1) and Roshan (L6R2) have all been awarded one of the prestigious Arkwright Scholarships.

Scholars are selected for their potential as future engineering leaders by evaluating their academic, practical and leadership skills in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths). These are assessed through a rigorous selection process of an application form, including their teacher’s supporting reference and an interview conducted by a panel of engineers. The in-depth interview asks candidates about their career aspirations and invites them to discuss an engineering project they had conducted.

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The Scholarships support future engineering students through their Sixth Form studies and encourage them into top universities or higher apprenticeships. They grant an annual financial award to each recipient and to the school, as well as a range of enrichment activities, such as mentoring and industry visits, all of which enhance their experience of engineering and technical design in a real-world context.

An Arkwright Engineering Scholarship is very highly regarded by universities and industry and is one of the most prestigious accolades that talented Sixth Form students pursuing a career in engineering can achieve.

Habs shortlisted for Independent School of the Year for Students Careers Programme Usually a major event for students in Years 10 and 11, the school’s biennial Careers Convention could not take place in person due to the pandemic. However, not wanting students to miss out, the school organised the convention online, recording video interviews with employers (mainly alumni) from across a range of different industries, with all the interviews carried out by members of the Lower Sixth. This enabled the students to access opportunities and to connect with our alumni and parent network in a unique way.

This hard work has been recognised by the Independent School Parent magazine and the school would like to congratulate all who were involved, particularly to the Careers department, as well as the Foundation and Marketing teams.

Habs becomes a National Modern Languages Hub

In September, the school became the new North London National Modern Languages Hub. The National Modern Languages programme offers the opportunity to take several routes into teaching French, Spanish or German.

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Success Stories F1 in Schools success All the hard work and collaboration (both online and in school) has resulted in many awards for the Habs teams at the F1 in Schools London North Regional Finals! Well done to the teams below for receiving the following awards: Best Pit Display: Team Phenomenon Future Stars Award: Team Cha0s Fastest Car in Development Class: Team Marl1n First Place Entry Class Award: Team Wyvern First Place Development Class Award: Team Marl1n Team Wyvern will be given a VIP ticket to the national finals to watch the show.

The win in the regional finals secured Team Marl1n a place in the national finals, which took place in October, against other winning teams from around the UK. They raced their model F1 car and met presenters (virtually) to answer questions about their team and the special aerodynamic features of the car.

Using the excellent reaction times submitted, the car performed well and beat its opponent in two of the four races.

In the awards ceremony, Team Marl1n were awarded 2nd place in the F1 in Schools UK National Finals. Hundreds of schools have taken part this year in order to get to the Finals, so this is an outstanding achievement.

Marl1n were also awarded the prestigious Research and Development Award by Alpine F1 based in Oxfordshire. As part of the award, they will receive a one-day VIP tour of the Alpine F1 centre in Oxfordshire, as well as a bespoke trophy made by the Alpine F1 Team.

Well done, Team Marl1n! We are very proud of your hard work, immense dedication and excellent teamwork.

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Sixth Formers selected for International European Youth Parliament event In February this year, Jatin (U6S2) and Zaver (U6J2) won their respective Regional Rounds of the European Youth Parliament (EYP) and were both selected for the EYP National Finals which took place in August.

Following their exceptional performance in the National Finals, they were selected for separate international EYP events which will take place in February 2022.

From Jatin: “The EYP National Finals were an enriching and intellectually stimulating experience for me. I was able to further my knowledge, debate and propose a resolution on the topic of Artificial Intelligence and algorithmic bias, something that I feel is so prevalent in today’s world. Throughout the five days, I was closely judged by a panel of three jury members, who assessed me during both committee and general assembly sessions.”

“Two weeks after the National Finals, I was thrilled to hear that I have been selected for an international event in February 2022 in Rotterdam in the Netherlands - I am very excited and looking forward to this international EYP event.”

Zaver had this to say about his experience: “Taking part in the Lempäälä European Youth Parliament session provided me with a great opportunity to discuss some of the most pressing issues of our time with students from an array of backgrounds. I was able to broaden my understanding of the world and meet fellow students from all over Europe. The chance to explore my opinions and ideas in a diverse and challenging environment was extremely valuable.

“Throughout the session, I was involved in meaningful debates focused on current socio-political issues.

Debating topics ranging from environmental and energy questions to the refugee crisis, border control, surveillance and so much more furthered my interest in worldwide issues. Collaborating with others in order to shape the debate about the future of our society allowed me to develop some great friendships along the way. This experience is one I will cherish.”

Congratulations to Jatin and Zaver on their successes!

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Success Stories Habs students’ success in the Intermediate Maths Challenge 2021 All Middle School students took part in the Intermediate Maths Challenge (IMC) 2021.

Across the UK, 8,000 students qualified to take part. The top 1,500 of the very highest performers were invited to the final Olympiad. Out of these 1,500, 20 students from Habs were selected to take part.

Habs is delighted to announce that Evan (10M2) was awarded a distinction certificate and Oliver (10M2) was awarded a medal for being in the top 100 in the Cayley Mathematics Olympiad! There was also success in Year 11, as Sai (11R1) and

Thomas (11M1) received a medal and book prize for being in the top 50 of the Hamilton Mathematics Olympiad.

Well done to all those who participated!

Habs pupils earn Bronze and Silver in the 2021 Junior Maths Challenge Last academic year, all Lower School students took part in the 2021 Junior Maths Challenge (JMC). Out of 10,000 students across Britain who qualified to participate in the Junior Kangaroo (after earning Gold in the JMC), 89 of them were Habs pupils.

Among those same 10,000 students, the top 2,000 of the highest performers were invited to take part in the Junior Maths Olympiad. From that group, 20 were Habs pupils.

Congratulations to Richard (8R1) and Saaj (9R2), who earned bronze and silver medals respectively in the Junior Maths Challenge!

Richard placed in the top 120 in the JMC, while Saaj placed in the top 60.

Well done, Richard and Saaj!

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UK Chess Challenge success for Savin and Alex Congratulations to Savin (10H2) and Alex (11M1) who achieved a 5th place finish in their respective age groups during the finals of the UK Chess Challenge! The tournament, which is the UK’s national junior chess championships, has 12 participants per age group who have to qualify through multiple rounds featuring several thousand students.

Well done, Savin and Alex!

North London French Debating Competition success Habs held the North London round of the national inter school French debating competition on Thursday 18 November and the school is delighted to report that in an all-Habs Boys final, Jonathan (U6H2) and Ameya (U6M1) beat Param (L6H2) and Ozair (L6S1).

Our students really were outstanding - both in the preparation sessions and on the night, as hosts and as competitors, and they garnered many compliments from visiting judges and peers from other schools. The other schools taking part part were: Habs Girls, NLCS, Henrietta Barnet, Wycombe Abbey, UCS, Harrow and Highgate.

Congratulations to Jonathan and Ameya who have now qualified for the national final in March at the French Institute in Kensington.

Well done to all involved!

Occasional Papers reaches number 50 The school’s Occasional Papers series reached an important milestone. We officially published our 50th paper! We would like to thank all those who have contributed over the years.

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Events

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Black History Month Black History Month at Habs is about celebration, education and taking to heart the message, ‘Dig Deeper, Look Closer, Think Bigger’. Across the school, there was a range of activities delivered by pupils, staff, and external speakers. We learnt about the influence of black academics, black heroism and activism, mercurial sports people like footballer Lawrie Cunningham, political and historical debate around race and racism, and the importance of identity in our community. We thank the pupils of the African Caribbean Society for their excellent joint assemblies on black culture, history, and their experiences as young people.

We were delighted to welcome several guest speakers to the school. Mrs Victoria Gordon, a museum education specialist, spoke to all pupils in Years 7 to 9 about ‘London, Sugar and Slavery’. Mrs Gordon provided an objective and thoroughly engaging presentation. Her recent work at Kenwood House informed us about the family of abolitionist, Lord Mansfield, and the famous portrait of Dido Belle.

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Our speaker on Diversity and Inclusion was Mr Floyd Steadman who addressed the whole school on his own story and gave advice on approaches to dealing with racism. His talk comprised a fascinating life history, from growing up in care to succeeding as a teacher, headmaster and elite sportsperson. Mr Steadman gave us powerful anecdotes from what he experienced in his illustrious rugby career as captain of Saracens in the amateur era. The message was clear: we must begin more conversations about attitudes and be brave and dignified about moving forward as actively anti-racist, and not simply non-racist or silent. We thank Mr Steadman for his powerful visit to the school, moving between classes, speaking with numerous individuals, meeting with pupils of the African Caribbean Society, and addressing the Joint Senior Leadership Team.

We ended the half term with a non-uniform day, wearing red in support of the school charities, as well as Show Racism the Red Card, which promotes anti-racism through football. It was appropriate that we welcomed the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Lead from Watford FC, Ms Karen Stephanou, to talk about the Premiership club’s approach to tackling racism in the game. Ms Stephanou gave a great talk that referenced exstriker Troy Deeney, discussed women’s team shirt numbers, and explored the club’s reporting app.

It has been a very busy programme, with great reach across both the schools, and we must continue this work across the whole year.

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Events

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Habs Adventure Days

During the autumn term, students from both the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools were given an amazing opportunity to spend time volunteering on a fun-filled day of activities for around 120 local primary school pupils. By utilising our schools’ resources, we organised a day of sports, science experiments and swimming for Year 6 pupils. This gave us the chance to show the pupils a well-deserved day of fun. The activities included water polo, tchoukball, hockey, Forest School, rock climbing and a series of experimental STEM lessons. From the friendly yet competitive atmosphere during sports to the palpable excitement and intrigue during chemistry experiments, all activities provided different opportunities for the pupils to find their interests.

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The STEM lessons consisted of a series of impressive experiments, including the creation of a red cabbage indicator used to test whether common household items were acidic or alkaline.

Whilst the students mustered all their strength trying to crush and blend small strips of cabbage into a solution, the volunteers desperately did their best to ensure that no one ended up with purple stains all over their face and clothes. Testing the acidity of commonplace solutions like washing up liquid and lemonade but ending up with myriad of colours truly piqued the interest of pupils, and volunteers and teachers were blown away by the level of insightful questions they asked.

Many enjoyed the experiment so much that they took down the instructions in order to demonstrate their new experimental skills to their parents later.

The confidence of the pupils was duly noted as they recounted their own amusing experiences and mishaps in their favourite chemistry lessons to the volunteers. The highlight for the pupils was apparently the hilarious yet effective demonstration of the use of safety goggles where the pupils were told to throw water at the chemistry teacher.

Towards the end, they also had fun exploring their artistic side by trying to fill their palette dishes with as many colours as possible.

The sportier activities brought out a wonderfully competitive side as even the closest of friends

found themselves racing to bring back hockey balls or to the top of the climbing wall. With simple lessons on the basics of the sports, each team found a way to add their own little spin, coming up with their own tactics.

The teamwork and passion needed meant that every pupil threw themselves into the sports, even asking the volunteers for little tips to help them improve. A few loved the miniature hockey matches so much that they were even inspired to pursue the sport outside of the Adventure Day in clubs. By the end, the Sixth Form volunteers were definitely given a run for their money and had their athletic abilities challenged.

The Forest School allowed the pupils to take time so that they could be at one with nature and gain many of the skills they would need to survive in the wild. From naming and gathering plants to learning about the delicious treats they could put together, it was definitely a wilderness experience.

All participants in the Habs Adventure Day, including Sixth Form volunteers, teachers and pupils, had an amazing time and most definitely learnt some new skills. Despite the difference in year groups, the range of skill sets and experiences shared allowed new and unlikely friendships to flourish. It is fair to say that all learnt a great deal from one another.

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Anti-Bullying Week 2021 As always, Habs supported the national focus of Anti-Bullying Week from 15 to 19 November. The theme this year is ‘One Kind Word’, emphasising the power of empathy and forethought in all we say, post or do as members of a wider school community.

Forms and Sections held assemblies and used resources to explore the issues associated with bullying. We discussed where to seek help - and how we can prevent bullying happening in the first place. Pupils also signed a class ‘Pledge’ to display in form rooms as a powerful visual reminder of their commitment to kindness towards one another.

Tooled Up On Monday 20 September, both Habs Boys and Habs Girls launched a partnership with Tooled Up Education. Tooled Up Education provides a collection of online resources curated by one of the UK’s leading experts on parental engagement in children’s lives and learning, Dr Kathy Weston. It aims to provide holistic support to everyone in our school community, in all areas of family life. This gives our families access to a regularly updated digital library covering matters relating to parenting and family life.

The library is full of evidence-based tips, simple activities, advice-packed videos and enlightening podcasts.

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Habs Garba 2021 On Thursday 11 November, the Habs Hindu Society from both schools organised a Garba evening for all years and all faiths to come together and experience a traditional Gujarati folk dance, traditionally done during the festival of Nine Nights called Navaratri, dedicated to the Divine Feminine.

It also takes place during the festival of Sharad Purnima, which celebrates the God Krishna, who we worshipped on the night of the Habs Garba.

The night started with our amazing team of volunteers helping to set up the hall with fairy lights and Saris and the main statue of Krishna. After the opening prayers, we started the night with the threeclap dance called Tran Tali, which lasted around half an hour. It was really enjoyable, and everyone got involved.

After the first dance we had a quick explanation of the meaning behind the night and then we did the aarti ceremony which everyone respectfully observed. This was performed on behalf of all present by the main committee, consisting of Krish (L6C1), Rohan (L6R1), Kairav (L6C2) from the Boys’ School and Simran (U6SN) and Nikisha (U6AT) from the Girls’ School. After the aarti, we served food and had a break for everyone to socialise.

After the break Dylan (11S1) played the dhol, accompanied with the tabla by Yash (L6R2) which everyone danced to. This was followed by dandiya raas which went on for 15 minutes and everyone learnt quite quickly. Then we had Ramjaniyu to

the dhol, which everyone energetically danced to.

Ramjaniyu was the highlight of everyone’s night, with the entire hall dancing for a long time. The dhol musician then played some bhangra which was the perfect end to the night.

To close, we announced the winners of the best dressed competition, one from the Boys’ School and one from the Girls’ School.

Overall, the night was a huge success with everyone having fun with their friends and putting their best effort in to learn all the dances.

Written by Krish (L6C1) and Nikisha (U6AT).

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Performance Poet Harry Baker visits Habs A year later than expected, Habs was delighted to welcome performance poet Mr Harry Baker on National Poetry Day, Thursday 7 October. Mr Baker was the youngest winner of the World Poetry Slam in 2012 and has worked as a full-time poet since graduating from Bristol University in 2015.

During the morning, Mr Baker worked with Years 7 to 10, encouraging them to express themselves through writing and performing their own poetry.

Then, during lunch time, he entertained a large group of students and staff in the library with a dynamic performance, talking about his love of words.

He performed several of his original works with much audience participation. From the hilarious ‘59’ to the deeply moving ‘Maybe…’, he kept

his audience glued to his every word. It was an amazing visit and one we hope to repeat very soon.

Habs welcomes Simon Lewis (OH 1999) On the evening of Monday 11 October, 110 students from both Habs schools joined a Zoom call to hear Simon Lewis (OH 1999) give a talk about applying to study at an American university. We are delighted to work with Mr Lewis, who is a Director of UES, an organisation that supports applicants from the UK who wish to apply to study in America.

This wide-ranging talk included an overview of the different universities across America, as well as the way that application differs from a UK application.

American universities look for intellectual curiosity, community mindedness, demonstrated interest and emotional intelligence in their applicants.

Most critical of all is the concept of ‘fit’: will your skills and abilities suit that particular university?

We look forward to continuing our partnership with UES and supporting current Haberdashers in their applications to America.

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Habs welcomes Historian and Broadcaster Dominic Sandbrook The Junior History Club was delighted to welcome historian and broadcaster, Dominic Sandbrook to speak on Thursday 11 November. He spoke about his new series of history books for children: Adventures in Time. Speaking via Zoom, Mr Sandbrook’s talk focused on his most recent book covering World War II. He explained how the war has been reinterpreted as a global conflict. He also discussed how he sought to bring the story of the First World War to life using memoirs and accounts of those who lived through the war.

One of the individuals who features prominently is a Hungarian artist called Bela Moldovan, the greatgrandfather of a current Habs student. Another

person who appears, Walter Tull, had played football for Tottenham Hotspur. There is also a dramatic account of the sinking of the Lusitania and the stories of Flora Sandes, a young woman who served in the Serbian army and became a national hero.

During the discussion after the talk, we examined why the World War I broke out, whether Germany could have won, the role that troops from outside Europe played in the war, why the war ended in the way it did, as well as the differences in writing history for adults and history for children.

We would like to thank Mr Sandbrook for taking the time to speak to our students about his work.

Habs welcomes Lance Corporal Derek Derenalagi The Pre-Prep, Prep and Lower School were proud to invite Lance Corporal Derek Derenalagi on Wednesday 24 November to talk to the pupils about his remarkable story.

During his time in the military in Afghanistan Lance Corporal Derenalagi was in a bomb explosion, leaving him paraplegic. After his recovery, he became a para-athlete, where he won Gold in the European Para Athletics and represented Great Britain in the 2012 Paralympics, participating in discus and shotput.

feeling extremely humble and in admiration of this remarkable role model.

One Prep pupil said: “It really touched me how strong a person’s heart and soul can be if you never give up and it’s amazing what you can achieve with pure commitment and never giving up, and so when I’m having trouble, I’ll think of him and his commitment to his life and never giving up and I can push through anything no matter how tough.”

Another commented: “Although I may never face what he faced, I still can take his advice to never give up. To hear this from someone who faced this makes this stay in my mind forever. He knew the challenges of being in Afghanistan, yet he continued pushing and aiming to be the best.”

The pupils, as well as the staff, were truly inspired and moved by his bravery, courage and his great belief in hope. His positive outlook on life, despite the daily challenges he faces, left his audience all

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Events

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Royal Russell MUN Conference

On Saturday 16 October, a group of students set off from Elstree and Borehamwood station for the annual Royal Russell International MUN Conference.

Zuhair (L6M1) and Kazim (U6C2) were chairs in the committees of SPECPOL and SOCHUM, whilst Keshav (L6H2) was in the prestigious Security Council. Burhan (11C2) and Aaryan (11M2) debated in SOCHUM, Prashant (L6J2) and Sachein (11R2) were in SPECPOL, Anant (L6J2) and Fola (11M2) in DISEC and Yuvi (L6J2) and Francisco (L6M2) were in their own committees of ECOFIN and Environment.

Lucas (U6H1) and Aarush (L6M2) had the major task of being advocates in the mock International Court of Justice (ICJ), representing Guatemala

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in their border dispute with Belize. This was a major role, with Aarush and Lucas preparing for weeks, before presenting their case to a panel of 12 student judges. The case was presided over by a retired New York attorney, who pushed all involved to make it as realistic as possible. Aarush and Lucas were delighted they won the case on a judgement of seven to five.

As the conference came to an end, Keshav, Prashant and Francisco won Distinguished Delegate awards and the delegation of France won a Highly Commended Delegation award.

The school would like to thank Mr Cooper, Mr Gauntlett, Mr Llewellyn and Mr Ovia, who made this trip possible and memorable for everyone involved.

Habs CCF Army Cadets visit Bramley Training Area

For October Field Day, 127 Habs CCF Army cadets from across the Middle School and Sixth Form were deployed to Bramley Training Area, Hampshire, for their first field training exercise since the beginning of the pandemic.

Cadet preparation for the deployment began earlier in the term, when our outstanding RSM, Stefano (U6C1), gave the Lower Sixth their orders to produce plans for training of the younger cadets.

Year 10 cadets, under acting platoon commanders Cpls Alain (L6S2) and Noah (L6S2), learned to construct improvised ‘Basha’ shelters for tactical use, experienced cooking and living in the field, and had outstanding lessons in basic tactical skills.

These included target indication, judging distance, camouflage and concealment, casualty first aid, and field signals and patrol formations.

they established a tactical, defensible arbour, from which they conducted patrols, cooked, cleaned equipment and slept in their bashas.

Thanks must go to our SSI, Cpl Maj Sandercock, Contingent Commander SqnLdr Pearson, incoming section head UO McEwan-Cox, and army section officers Lt Geering and Lt McLarin (RN), as well as visiting instructors Capt Hamlett and Sgt Ganesh.

Very special thanks go to Mr Taberner, without whose support this trip could not have happened, and to Mr Lunn for the amazing photographs!

Year 11 cadets were in a tactical exercise context throughout. Led by their acting platoon commanders Cpls Rohan (L6C2) and Ollie (L6H1),

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Year 9 pupils visit Bury Lake Young Mariners Centre

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80 Year 9 pupils went to Bury Lake Young Mariners Centre in Rickmansworth for October Field Day. There were four activities: kayaking, canoeing, stand-up paddle boarding on individual paddle boards, and group paddle boarding on the larger paddle boards.

set challenges by their instructors. One challenge included leapfrogging over one another on the giant paddle boards. Another involved passing a hula hoop from one end of a row of students to the other, whilst holding hands and standing on paddle boards!

The activities proved very popular, both among seasoned watersports enthusiasts and pupils who had not had a chance to try any of these activities before coming on the trip. Their teamwork skills and ingenuity were certainly put to the test, as they were

Many thanks to accompanying staff Mrs Bardou, Dr Randall, Mr Bass, Mr Franks, Mrs Gomez, Ms Peris Reig, Mr Roncarati, Mr Vrionides and Mr Knight, as well as to Miss Drake for leading the trip.

Year 10 and 11 SCS students volunteer at Friends of Croxley Common Moor

Year 10 and Year 11 School Community Service (SCS) students worked alongside Friends of Croxley Common Moor volunteers to clear part of the moor on Field Day. The students and staff were equipped with saws, loppers and rakes - and threw themselves into the activity with some impressive results. There was a great sense of spirit among the students, who worked well within their groups to clear a very large area.

A huge thank you to Mr Haring for leading the trip and to Mr Cooper, Mr Jovanovic, Miss Noble, Mr Mehta, Dr Krishnadasan and Mr Raatz for supporting.

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Queen Mary sailing and windsurfing Naval cadets attending the Queen Mary Sailing Club on Field Day experienced extremely windy conditions. This meant that cadets could fully utilise the wind to sail and surf much faster than usual. Overall, Field Day at the club was a highly enjoyable experience and really helped the cadets improve their skills, particularly two-person sailing and windsurfing.

Year 8 Tower of London Trip On Friday 1 October, a large group of students from Year 8 visited the Tower of London with the History department. Despite the heavy rain on the day, the students really enjoyed themselves while visiting several sites associated with Medieval and Tudor history. A highlight for many was seeing the Crown Jewels up close and walking through the Royal Armory in the White Tower. It was a delight to be able to take our students to a place of historic interest after being unable to do so during the height of the pandemic. We are very grateful to Historic Royal Palaces and their staff for being so welcoming and accommodating.

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Field Day trip to Willen Lake On Friday 1 October, the Royal Navy Field Day to Willen Lake started with kayaking. Instructors then demonstrated how to paddle efficiently, before a game of ‘kayak polo’ took place, which was a real highlight for some of the students. Knee-boarding was next on the agenda.

Everyone spent a great deal of time in the water, but in the unusually warm early-October sun, this was not a problem! The school would like to thank the instructors at Willen Lake, SLt Redfern, Mr Bartlett and Mr Ryan, who all made this Field Day such a great success.

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Art, Drama and Remembrance Day Poppy Installation

Many people choose to wear a poppy in November to commemorate those who have died in war. It is worn as a symbol of memory, reflection and hope for a peaceful future. Red poppies are worn as a show of support for the Armed Forces community. The white poppy represents a lasting commitment to peace.

We commemorated Remembrance Day 2021 with a meadow of ceramic poppies displayed across on the Quad. On Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 September, all year groups had a single lesson dedicated to making a poppy as a contribution to the Remembrance Day poppy installation.

Toby (11R2) said: “All the students at Habs Boys really enjoyed making poppies for Remembrance Day. I think there was a great sense of community and what was really nice about them was the individuality in style, and that every ability was welcome.” Mrs Nicholson, who led the

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project, commented: “Everyone across the Senior School has been involved in this project, so we are all collectively playing a part in this ambitious installation.”

From Thursday 30 September to Tuesday 9 November, Mrs Nicholson ran lunchtime sessions for teams of volunteers from all year groups, as well as after school sessions on a Friday evening, to help glaze the 1,200 bisque fired poppies.

Music

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Art, Drama and Autumn Concert

On Thursday 18 November, we held our rescheduled Autumn Concert, one of the biggest events in the school calendar, and one of the most far reaching in terms of our musical community here at Habs.

The concert featured the talents of over 300 students from both the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools, closing with 220 musicians on stage celebrating the 50th anniversary of the seminal Carole King album, Tapestry.

Giving us an inspired reimagining of two of the songs on this album, expertly rearranged by our Musician in Residence Matthew Herd, and accompanied by full orchestra and Big Band, the new Year 7 pupils (in their entirety!) let us hear their marvellous singing voices, moving the audience with their enthusiasm and togetherness.

Elsewhere in the concert we heard from the Symphony Orchestra, playing Mussorgsky’s A Night

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on the Bare Mountain, Big Band treating us to some classic Frank Sinatra, Concert Band taking us on a toe-tapping trip back to the 80s disco scene, and our impressively numbered Guitar Orchestra bringing together students from Year 7 to the Upper Sixth.

Our Junior and Senior Musicians of the Year 2021, Fraser (11J1) and Leandro (U6S2), dazzled audiences with their astonishing technical skill and musicianship, performing original compositions written especially for the event.

Composition and original writing was a theme of the evening, with over half of the programme written or arranged especially for the night – a great marker of the progressive and vibrant direction in which music and the arts at Habs are heading.

Photos by School Captain, Felix (U6M2).

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Art, Drama and Winter Concert

Our Winter Spotlight Concert was held on Tuesday 30 November and it was a fantastic opportunity for us to showcase the depth of young musical talent we have at the school.

The audience was treated to an incredibly broad programme, ranging from Dvorak to the Incredibles, with some festive treats snuck in as well. We heard from Philomusica, Wind Sinfonia, Jazz Orchestra, FT Band, Studio Strings, Soul Band, as well as the

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Trumpet and Flute Ensembles.

Watching these young musicians perform it is clear that the future is very bright in Habs music. It was wonderful to see the students so energised about their music making.

The Spotlight Concert Series features our younger musicians and will continue next term on the 15 March 2022.

Music Christmas Carol Service

After a year absent due to Covid, on Monday 6 December, the school made a return to St Albans Cathedral for the annual carol service; one of the most important events in the school calendar.

The building buzzed with anticipation as the choir lined up for the traditional opening solo of Once in Royal. This was the first opportunity the school choir had to sing in public since the Carol Service in 2019 and they did brilliantly. From the 7th century Advent canticle Creator of the Stars to the modern Tomorrow Shall be my Dancing Day (Gardner) the choir navigated all expertly and professionally performing almost 50 minutes of music interspersed with traditional readings and prayers. The customary brass ensemble sounded wonderful and the congregation sang enthusiastically throughout.

A wonderful start to the holiday season as ever.

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Art, Drama and Senior School Play – Romeo and Juliet This year’s Senior School Play was a new retelling of Shakespeare’s classic story Romeo and Juliet, adapted specially for the school by Olivier Award nominated writer Mr James Fritz. It is a daunting task to cut Shakespeare - his words hold a reverence that can sometimes be limiting - as Mr Fritz put it “I am effectively trying to rewrite one of the greatest writers of all times!” However the crew were adamant that they wanted to honour both the language while also creating a version that was accessible and relevant to both themselves and the audience.

Shakespeare is still popular today because the audience recognise themselves in the characters and experience things that they can relate to. As a cast, it was vital for all involved that they found the heart of the play and understood why it needed to be told. Alongside Mr Fritz, the discussions, reflections, improvisations and physical responses of the company all fed into the final version of the play and theatrical language that was developed.

The Bourne Hall was transformed into a disused warehouse space, an ongoing building project for the Capulets on land that had been the Montagues for generations. A cast of over 30 performers, inhabited available space, from on top of shipping containers, to scaffolding platforms, to a full-size caravan. The story was interspersed with moments of physical storytelling and contemporary language - from BBQ’s to raves and moments of joyous and honest meetings in which the actors played version of themselves.

This was a truly collaborative process working

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with students from both the Girls’ and Boys’ School, including an incredible group of some of the best musicians from the two schools who live underscored the piece, partly through improvisation.

From the actors to the musicians to the tech team, the whole company understood that everyone was responsible for telling the story of two young people in a honest and moving way.

Music Habs student starring in The School of Rock Musical The school is delighted to announce that David (8S) is starring in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s The School of Rock musical! The show opened in Hull and will tour different venues across the country. David said: “The School of Rock UK Tour has been a fantastic opportunity for me to improve my acting and piano skills. Throughout the eight-week rehearsals we had lots of fun while cramming as much of the show into our brain as possible! The whole cast is ready for the challenges that lie ahead… next stop: Wolverhampton!”

Habs Big Band recreate 1966 album, Sinatra at the Sands The Habs Big Band provided an unforgettable evening of music, recreating the classic 1966 album Sinatra at the Sands. The audience were blown away by the band and spellbound by our wonderful singers Abim (L6R1) and Jamila (U6CR).

Photos by School Captain, Felix (U6M2).

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Art, Drama and Senior Inter House Drama

This year, the Senior Inter House Drama Competition took on a new shape, with students transforming duologues and scenes from some of the countries most celebrated writers into one piece of theatre. A night of brave and exciting performances brought stories of grief, transitioning, and the power of male friendship to the fore.

The level of commitment, risk and creative agency invested by students allowed the quality of work to far transcend the limited rehearsal time they were given. The evening touched both head and heart in equal measure. This year also saw the exciting addition of a house band. This was a collaboration with fiercely talented music students, led by the wonderful Mr Herd, who through improvisation, livescored the performance.

In a tight competition, Meadows took home Best Production for their work on Duncan Macmillan’s Every Brilliant Thing, with Strout’s Isaac (U6S1) and Calvert’s Aryan (11C2) winning the Best Actor awards. It was a great evening celebrating the playfulness, creativity, and talent of our students.

Thank you to everyone who supported.

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Music A Level Drama students perform devised piece, The Red Ball

Earlier in the term, an A Level Drama group performed their devised piece, an adaptation of Ismith Khan’s short story, The Red Ball. Set in Port of Spain, Trinidad, it is a story covering the themes of family tension, cricket, and the struggle to fit in. Om (U6S2), Kyle (U6H2), Demi (U6M2) and Manish (U6C1) created their piece of theatre by exploring the style and methodology of their chosen practitioner, Complicité. This required them to use a dynamic, playful and physical approach to their storytelling, with the focus on playful, striking

stage pictures, choral movement, playing games, fluid transitions between characters and settings, celebrating theatricality (creating their own sound effects on stage and in front of the audience for example) and exploring the notion that the space (and the objects within it) have infinite possibilities.

In addition to their examined performance on Tuesday evening, around 400 Year 7 to 13 students, teachers and support staff were treated to further performances of this delightful show, which took place during assemblies and after school.

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Art, Drama and GCSE Art and Design Exhibition

After the half term break, students and staff had the pleasure of viewing the GCSE Art and Design Exhibition, displayed in the Bourne Foyer. In this year’s exhibition, alongside our established GCSE Fine Art, we have proudly presented coursework from our first cohort of GCSE Graphic Communication candidates.

Each pupil has exhibited both their outcomes

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and their sketchbooks, in which they record their observations, track their development and refine their ideas.

A range of physical and digital media was used to create the pieces, including Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Paint, Lino Printing, Mixed Media and more. The students worked exceptionally hard to produce a magnificent display.

Music Year 9 Art Graphics Trip

On Monday 4 October, Year 9 Graphic Art students went on a trip to East London. They split into two groups, each with excellent tour guides, who took the students on a walk around the neighbourhood to see street art. This included work from notable artists, such as Banksy and Invader.

Students learned about the story of the artists and the story behind the pieces of art. Among other notable artworks, they saw the largest piece of street art in London, which stretches around a building between King John Court and New Inn Yard. It is made of many different images and styles from over a dozen artists. Another interesting piece was a portrait on Whitby Street: small dots of colour

combined to make patterns, similar to pixels, which resolved into a portrait of a woman.

After walking the streets of London, the students made some art of their own. They went to an indoor spray-painting workshop, where students designed their own stencils by drawing their design on paper and cutting out the shapes.

Once finished, students were taught how to spray properly using stencils. They then had a chance to apply their knowledge and spray on the wall. The students produced many amazing pieces of art, including a bird, a silhouette of a cricket player in action and a fish. They also used the same stencils to create an A4 piece of work, which they took home.

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Sport Student selected for England U17 Water Polo Team

Congratulations to Arish (L6S1) who was selected to play in the EU Nations tournament with the England U17 water polo team! This is a fantastic achievement by Arish, who also trains and plays outside school for Watford Water Polo club. Arish said: “Representing England gives me great pride and satisfaction, especially as I have spent many

years working towards it. I am very thankful for the great deal of support and encouragement from my coach at Habs, Mr Brkovic, as well as my parents.”

England came 7th overall in the tournament, having played highly competitive matches against South Africa, Czech Republic and Scotland, to name but a few.

Student invited to Great Britain ice hockey selection camp Daniel (10R2) took part in the selection camp at Sheffield Ice Arena for the Great Britain U16 Ice Hockey Team earlier in the term. He is awaiting the outcome of the selection process and we are very proud of his achievements. Good luck, Daniel!

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Habs in The Cricketer Schools Guide 2022 Habs is excited to announce that the school has, once again, been selected as one of the Top 100 Cricketing Schools listed in The Cricketer Schools Guide 2022.

Huw Turbervill, Editor at The Cricketer: “It has been incredibly heartening to see schools cricket making such a comeback after a very different 2020. Of course, not all schools’ programmes have been the same due to varying restrictions, facilities, and many other understandable reasons but what has been consistent across the spectrum is that the dedication to the game in schools has, not only remained unaffected, but increased.

As a parent myself, I would like to place on record my thanks to all the teachers, coaches and volunteers who have worked so hard, in the most difficult of circumstances, to ensure the next generation are given opportunities to grow within, and love the game, that we cherish so deeply.

Congratulations to all the schools included and we

look forward to hearing about all your future successes.”

There have been so many positives to take here at Habs as sport returns to some relative normalcy. The school is continuing to support all levels of play and all teams from A to E, as well as increasing the level of rigour for our more elite players. It is encouraging that we have more players than ever representing Middlesex, Berkshire and Hertfordshire at county, regional, borough and district level.

Mr Lock, Headmaster, commented: “I am delighted that The Cricketer Magazine has again placed Habs in the Top 100 Cricketing Schools. We pride ourselves on excellence not only inside the classroom but beyond it as well. It is encouraging to see the continuing development, and success, of cricket at the school. Congratulations to our pupils, teachers and coaches for making this year another outstanding one at Habs.”

U13 Tennis Team wins County Final Earlier this term, our U13 tennis team won the county final against Berkhamsted! Led superbly by Sam (8S), the team rose to the challenge to win all singles and doubles matches. There were fantastic performances

by David (8S) and Kaaviyan (8J), backed up with excellent wins for Saaj (9R2) and Kian (8H).

Cross Country Cup Regional Round Congratulations to our Inter (Years 9 and 10) and Junior (Years 7 and 8) cross-country teams, who finished in the top three of the regional finals at St Albans and have therefore qualified for the national finals!

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Sport Regional and County swimming gala

Congratulations to Felix (7M), Joe (8R1), Luke (8S) and Dinil (8S) who came 3rd in the team relay for 4x50m Front Crawl and 4x50m Medley in their regional competition! Their podium position took

Squash success for Year 10 student Congratulations to Daniel (10R2) who has recently become the Buckinghamshire County Champion and competed in the English National Championships. Daniel’s ranking for the U15 section has risen to 55th in the country and he is now due to compete in the Pontefract Gold Open.

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the school to a 3rd place standing for U13s in the region. It also won them a county cup, shared with St Albans School.

HabsDash

HabsDash has flourished through the autumn term as we have embarked upon Season Four of our regular community run. We are now seeing upwards of 200 runners taking part every Tuesday lunchtime, running 3.5km around the school grounds, in fair weather and foul. We see members of staff alongside pupils from both Boys’ and Girls’ Schools enjoying their running and working towards the regular achievements that mark their progress.

These numbers are swelled further by the contribution of efforts from Mrs Adat’s Prep School running club. As well as personal best times, runners can contribute towards Marathon awards, Double Marathon awards and eventually the coveted HabsDash rainbow hat awarded when you reach 100 miles.

With over 85 events having been held, the total distance run by the school community has now exceeded 40000km or one whole lap of the earth!

HabsDash is also a House Competition and each week any House that manages to complete 100km or more qualifies for a House Party.

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Sport Rugby Report

An ambitious five-day pre-season programme, featuring our new Year 7 cohort for the very first time, created an ideal platform for our rugby teams to compete effectively from the start of the season.

Over 60 Year 7 students have continued to train and play rugby regularly since our pre-season camps.

The U12 A and B teams are showing genuine promise and we look forward to seeing them mature in the years ahead.

At the senior end of the school, the 1st XV has enjoyed a good run in the U18 National Bowl Competition, reaching Round 3 at the time of writing.

Under the captaincy of Ben (U6R1), the majority of the team are either Year 11 or Lower Sixth students, which bodes well for the future.

The U14 squad has enough players to create two teams (the first time this has occurred in five years) and the U15 squad has continued to work well as a unit, containing some very talented youngsters. One of these students, Lucas (10J1), has been selected as a member of the London Irish Academy Pathway.

Across the school, we have many players who are enjoying the sport, both in school and at local clubs, and we hope that these students will continue to enjoy a lifelong love of the game.

Participation Report We have been delighted to return to our full sports programme this term. The sporting term began with 350+ students taking part in pre-season sports.

This year, as well as focusing on our priority sports (football and rugby), the programme was opened out to include swimming and water polo. The sessions included testing, athletic development, and rehab and recovery sessions, all designed to help ease our students back into school sport. 80+ co-curricular sport activities have run before school, at lunch time

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and after school for all age groups. 801 students have registered for co-curricular sport activities so far this term and we look forward to increasing these numbers over the duration of the autumn term.

A full fixture card for rugby, football, cross country, water polo, basketball, tennis and table tennis has also been reinstated, with 100+ rugby fixtures and 90+ football fixtures scheduled to be played this term from U12 to U18.

Football Report

The 1st XI Football team has enjoyed a very successful season. The highlight of the season has been their journey through the Independent Schools National Cup, where the team has progressed to the fourth round for the very first time.

After winning a tough physical battle early in the season away at Bedford Modern School in the first round, Habs played Culford School at home in the next round and came out 6-0 victors. This meant Habs were in the round of 32 and were drawn against Bede’s - a boarding school with an established football programme and the current holders of the prestigious Hudl League.

For much of the second half, Habs were on the defensive, with the opposition dominating the ball, but some immense last-ditch tackles and heroic defending saw the game go into extra time. Habs scored early on, courtesy of a great turn and strike from Jesse (L6R1), but ultimately couldn’t hold out, conceding before the referee whistled for full time, meaning the game went to penalties.

A 100% success rate from the spot, with Dan

(U6R1), Nathan (U6R2), Hugo (U6R1), Remy (U6M2) and Zack (L6H2), combined with a superb save from Kazim (U6C2), meant Habs won the game and progressed onto the next round to play Millfield School, who were current holders of the ISFA cup.

After a fantastic effort from the 1st XI team, their journey in the ISFA cup ended with a 2-0 loss to Millfield. The team performed brilliantly, raising their level of performance and creating numerous chances in the attempt to bring the score level, even hitting the woodwork twice.

The team have also progressed to the next round of the Herts County cup after a 5-0 win over local rivals St Albans School.

Our U14A team also progressed in the cup after a penalty shoot-out victory at Samuel Ryder Academy and are due to play Roundwood Park School in the next round. Both U15 teams had a good week recently beating both Chigwell School and Eton College.

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Prep and Pre-Prep Donkin Cup

It was great to have the parents back in for the Donkin Cup this year! They truly helped to generate a fantastic atmosphere around the course. All the pupils really gave the very best of themselves in what was an exciting morning of cross-country racing.

The Donkin Cup is a special event, as it is the only interhouse competition where the whole of the Pre-Prep and Prep Schools come together. It was a pleasure to see the pupils cheering each other on. Well done to Patricks who were this year’s winners!

Individual Results:

Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Year 6

1st Gabriel (1SS) Marc (2JP) Harry (3NG) Luca (4DS) Raphael (5EF) Xander (6RP)

2nd Coby (1SS) Luca (2JP) Lucas (3MJ) Pranay (4DS) Lucas (5SB) Léon (6SA)

House Placings: 1st Patricks, 2nd Davids, 3rd Georges, 4th Andrews.

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3rd Harry (1NP) Felix (2NY) Keaton (3NG) Seth (4DS) Taha (5NB) Francis (6MN) and Paul (6SA)

Prep pupils qualify for London Junior Chess Championship Finals Congratulations to Sayam (3NG), Shivam (3BG), Mylo (3BG) Asher (2JP) and Krish (5SB). After participating in the London Junior Chess Championship qualifiers, they have all made the London Junior Chess Championship finals!

Students need four points out of six for qualification with the U8s, and 4.5 out of six points for qualification with the U10s. Sayam came 1st in the U8s section, with six from six, while Shivam came 2nd, with five from six. Mylo and Asher placed in the top five to earn themselves a place in the finals. In the U10s section, Krish finished 2nd, securing his place in the U10 finals with five points from six.

Well done to all!

Pre-Prep pupil performs in children’s concert Congratulations to Louis (1NP) who performed a fantastic piano piece in his first formal concert, a children’s concert, at the Royal Academy of Music!

Moor Park charity fun run Well done Neil (2JP), who ran the Moor Park charity fun run on Sunday 19 September and raised £1,200 for his chosen charity!

Year 2 Ancient Egypt Day Year 2 had a great start this half term as they took part in Ancient Egypt Day. The pupils looked fantastic in their costumes and were immersed into life as Ancient Egyptians. Their history topic was brought to life as they participated in workshops and activities to enhance their understanding of Egyptian society, culture and everyday life. A fun and inspirational day of learning was had by all!

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Prep and Pre-Prep Martin Impey visit On Monday 8 November, the Prep School was delighted to welcome illustrator Martin Impey to mark Remembrance Week. Mr Impey began his visit by delivering a moving assembly on his personal connection to the World War I, in which he spoke about two of his great uncles, one of whom had tragically lost his life as a result of the conflict.

He encouraged the pupils to speak to their families about their own connection with this part of history, which is still very much “within our grasp”.

Mr Impey then went on to deliver an inspiring and thought-provoking talk about Wilfred Owen’s masterpiece ‘Dulce et Decorum Est’, which Year 6 are studying as part of their English unit on the poetry of World War I. All students were absolutely enthralled by the talk. Mr Impey’s in-depth study of Wilfred Owen’s background and life has truly helped their understanding of him.

Harvest Festival The singers in Junior and Senior Chamber choir, as well as the Year 3 and 4 singers, did us all proud with their beautiful performances of songs by Tracey Redhead, John Rutter and Tom Grennan. These renditions were complete with Miss Mair’s stunning accompaniment, impressive solos, choreography organised by Mrs Bruce-Green and a Prep band.

The pupils learned about the importance of truly understanding and empathising with the meaning of the lyrics in order to perform an engaging interpretation.

They sang so well that they were asked to perform again at the Girls’ School St Catharine’s Day assembly. It was brilliant to have parents and family back in the audience, providing the encouragement, appreciation and support which brings true meaning to these occasions.

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Year 6 were also lucky enough to have an illustrating session with Mr Impey, whose beautiful artwork really helped them connect with the poem and to better understand it. We know that this enriching experience will remain with the pupils for a very long time.

Prep Mini London Marathon At the end of September, the Prep School took part in the Mini London Marathon. This challenge involved pupils attempting to run, walk, or cycle 2.6 miles.

By taking part, the Prep pupils have joined a community of over 100,000 runners, who completed the London Marathon, and another 500,000 children, who took part in the Mini London Marathon.

Participants were able to print off their runner’s bib number, submit photos of their effort, and receive pin badges and certificates as a reward.

Pupils commented on how much fun they had being outside and pushing themselves physically and mentally, whilst also enjoying spending time with family and friends.

Congratulations to all those who undertook the challenge: we’re already excited for next year’s race.

World War II Day On Wednesday 11 November, Year 6 enjoyed an exciting workshop delivered by Time Travel Education. Mr Richie Parsons, their history enthusiast, took the pupils back to the battlefields of World War I through the use of virtual reality headsets.

present!

The pupils found themselves immersed in the trenches, managed to get up close to weapons and even got a sense of the hygiene levels of the soldiers!

Furthermore, combined with incredible costumes and a range of artefacts, Mr Parsons helped the pupils understand the road to war, the recruitment process and the soldier’s training, kit and equipment.

It was an amazing experience for all, a wonderful link into the start of our English unit and a brilliant way to spark a passion for history. We are grateful for all the modern technology that brings the past into the

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Prep and Pre-Prep Year 3 Roman Day

Year 3 travelled back in time to experience what life would have been like in Roman Britain.

They took part in a wide range of different activities, including battle formations, smelling and tasting Roman food, as well as pretending to be archaeologists digging for artefacts. It was a wonderful learning experience bringing the Roman period to life and enhanced the classroom teaching of the topic.

Year 1 Florence Nightingale Day History Off the Page provided Year 1 with a funfilled day learning about Florence Nightingale.

Using their imagination, they travelled from her house in Kensington, all the way to Paris, before boarding a ship to Scutari!

The pupils enjoyed making items such as candle holders, lockets and medals to take with them on their journey. Once they reached Paris, they became detectives, inspecting the contents of lost suitcases. These suitcases belonged to various individuals on their way to Scutari, with the students deciding who they belonged to.

Finally, they set to work improving the conditions

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of the hospital in Scutari. They roleplayed being nurses, gardeners and laundry workers, using many of the artefacts from the time.

Peter Rabbit Nutritional Afternoon Years 1 and 2 had so much fun on their nutritional afternoon. Peter Rabbit guided the pupils through a selection of new flavours as they tried new foods and delicious smoothies. They learnt about the importance of eating a healthy diet and how to include as many different fruits and vegetables in their diet as they can.

NSPCC Art Exhibition Well done to all our Prep School pupils who took part in the NSPCC Art exhibition.

Congratulations should go to our joint first place winners, Drishaan (4SL) and Hayden (6SA), as well as to those students finishing in joint second place, Abbas (6MN), Kian (6SA) and Jacob (4HP)!

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Habs Community 60 Years at Elstree: A Celebration

Monday 11 October 2021 marked the 60th anniversary of the school’s move from Hampstead to Elstree. To celebrate this landmark event, the HABS Foundation was delighted to host a celebratory lunch for the School Captains who had been in office during this time in Aldenham House.

Further to this, the photographs (below) show the opening ceremony which was held on Wednesday 11 October 1961 in the Bourne Hall with 400 special guests on the stage. There were also over 2,000 parents and Old Haberdashers sitting in a vast marquee beside the front drive, who were watching this opening ceremony on televisions. After the

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ceremony and speeches, the 400 guests took tours of the campus to see the new buildings.

CCF Annual Act of Remembrance and Parade 2021

On Friday 5 November, the CCF at Habs held its Annual Act of Remembrance and Parade on the Aldenham House Croquet Lawn, attended by current staff and students, parents and other members of the Haberdashers’ community. We remember those Old Haberdashers and staff who gave their lives in the service of their country.

Current CCF students stood to attention, awaiting the arrival of the CCF Contingent Commander Squadron Leader Pearson and Reverend Brandon who began the service.

Students from the Navy, Army and RAF read the names of Old Haberdashers who had died in the service of their country prior to the sounding of The Last Post. A respectful hush fell across the parade ground for a moment of silence, with members of the school community standing to attention in unity with the CCF.

The next week, on Thursday 11 November, our Prep School pupils lined up along croquet lawn path to listen to Senior School pupils, as well as Head of Prep, Mr Rossetti. They reflected on the lives of those who had fallen during war. Cadets from the Navy, Army and RAF stood to attention as the Prep pupils remained in respectful silence. A wreath was laid by Mr Rossetti and a Prep pupil at the school War Memorial.

Wreaths were laid at the school War Memorial by Headmaster, Mr Lock, and President of the Old Haberdashers’ Association, Mr Blessley.

Following the service, staff and pupils from the CCF joined members of the school community in the Old Refectory for afternoon tea, where memories and experiences were shared.

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Habs Community Boundless Broadwith breaks Edinburgh to London record

Mr Michael Broadwith, Mathematics teacher, Head of Russells House and Old Haberdasher, has set yet another cycling record!

On Thursday 21 October, during the half-term break, Mr Broadwith set off from Edinburgh to London – from one old post office to another. He covered 386 miles in 17 hours, 42 minutes and 47 seconds, breaking the previous record set back in 1989 by Pete Wells of 17 hours, 48 minutes and 4 seconds.

Along with this record, Mr Broadwith currently holds the Land’s End to John O’Groats cycling record, which he set in June 2018. He won the silver medal in the 24-Hour World Time Trial Championship (WTTC) in Borrego Springs, California in 2019 and he is also three-time National 24-hour Time Trial Champion.

Huge congratulations to Mr Broadwith, who continues to work hard, break records and inspire all in the Habs community! We are extremely proud of you.

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Old Haberdasher makes senior debut for Premier League team Huge congratulations to our very own Old Haberdasher, Dilan Markanday, who made his senior debut for Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League on 21 October 2021! We are extremely proud of you, Dilan!

Ravi Haria (OH 2017) becomes Chess Grandmaster Congratulations to Ravi Haria who has recently become a chess Grandmaster!

The school is delighted to learn that Ravi, who joined Habs at the age of seven, has become a Grandmaster after his recent win in Slovenia where he is part of the national team in the European Team Championship.

Ravi was as an avid member of the chess team during his time at Habs, both within the Prep and Senior School teams. He proudly represented Habs as part of the England team, playing chess at every possible opportunity in the UK and abroad. He became an International Master in 2016 while still at school and has gone on to win a huge number of events and championship titles.

Well done, Ravi!

Old Haberdasher awarded the William Marsden Scholarship from UCL Congratulations to Niraj Doshi (OH 2017) who has been awarded The William Marsden Scholarship from UCL Medical School for ranking first in the year overall in the MBBS Year 4 exams!

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Habs Community Habs Foundation Telephone Campaign

This year at Habs, we ran another successful a telephone campaign from 16 to 30 August. Our team of student callers were employed during this time to talk to members of the Habs community about the school and what Old Haberdashers have gone on to do since leaving. They also explained some of the current funding priorities, which will help enhance the academic experience of current and future Habs students.

We hope, through these calls, members of the wider Habs community not only enjoyed chatting

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about their own experiences at Habs but also found out more about life and developments at the school.

We also hope that those members learned new ways in which they could become more involved by supporting current and future students along with supporting the work of the school.

The student callers greatly benefitted from the experience and advice from those they spoke to.

We are so grateful for the time our Habs community offered in taking the calls.

Golf Day 2021

During the half term holiday, the annual Golf Day made a comeback at Mill Hill Golf Club with a record number of entrants from students, parents, staff and Old Haberdashers drawn from the Boys’ and Girls’ School communities.

Benjy (U6J1) and Sayan (11R1) won the student handicap and scratch prizes respectively, whilst Logan (8J1) and Kevin Simpson won the student and parent prize. A number of prizes were also awarded for nearest the pins on par 3 holes and the longest drive on the 18th hole, but the overall winner was Liang Fang who came out top on the shortened stableford competition.

It was great to see the whole Habs community come together to restart some golfing activity, and we hope to restart trips in the next calendar year with a UK based trip at some point during the summer term.

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Staff News

LEAVERS LEAVERS

Dr Jack Alvarez, Exams Analyst retires at the end of this term after completing over 41 years of service at Haberdashers’. Jack taught and then led our Physics department for more than 26 years, guiding and inspiring generations of pupils with his immense depth of knowledge and love of science. Jack then moved to the Exams Office where, for 15 more years, his eye for detail and precision helped to make perfect sense of another very complicated subject. Outside the classroom, Jack’s contribution has included leading Jewish Assembly for 16 years and our Lifesaving Club for 20 years. Jack stands out not just for these aspects of his career or his academic brilliance, but also for his outstanding gentlemanly qualities; Jack’s time at Haberdashers’ has been focused entirely on serving others with boundless humility, integrity and courage. We wish Jack a long and happy retirement.

Russell Bloch, Head of English and Drama, Prep School joined the Prep School as Head of English in 2016 and was Phase Leader in Years 5 and 6 between 2018 and 2020. Since joining, he has reinvigorated the English curriculum in the Prep, by placing literary analysis at the heart of lessons. Russell shared with the pupils his love of words and of reading, often arranging visits by inspiring and renowned authors, including Sir Michael Morpurgo and even organising a Prep Festival of English. Russell directed several Prep School productions, including memorable performances of the Keymaster, Goodbye My Friend, and Oliver, experiences that for many pupils have been the highlight of their time at the Prep. A caring and incredibly dedicated teacher, Russell crosses the black gates to become Haberdashers’ Girls’ Junior School’s Deputy Head Academic. We send him our best wishes and look forward to continuing to work together in the years to come.

James Carville, Sports Facilities Manager first joined the Boys’ School in August 2013 on a temporary basis working with the caretaking team. Two years later he moved into the Medburn Centre as a swimming pool assistant and, as the activities increased and more assistants were employed, he took on the role of Sports Centre Supervisor in 2017. Following a review of the support staff structure and assuming further responsibility for the Girls’ School sports facilities, he was appointed Sports Facilities Manager in 2019.

James leaves Habs for a newly created role at Future Academies as their Commercial and Facilities Manager for several of their schools across London and Hertfordshire. We thank James for everything that he has done at Habs over the last 8 years and wish him all the very best in this next step in his career.

Brannan Cooper, Junior IT & AV Support Officer was a member of the ICT support team delivering an excellent level of user support across the Boys’ School. Brannan epitomised great customer service with his enthusiasm, can-do attitude and a strong desire to resolve fully user IT issues. Brannan has now joined the IT team at Clear Score and we wish him well with his future career.

Patsy Headlam, Compliance Officer leaves Habs after just over a year in post. During that time, Patsy took on the task of building on the framework of health and safety compliance in all areas of the school and dealt with an unusually large number of Subject Access Requests across the two schools. Compliance is not the most exciting subject for many, but critical in the successful running of the schools. Patsy leaves with all of our best wishes as she embarks on a new chapter of her life which will enable her to spend more time with her family.

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Maggie Lewin, Exams Administrator, joined the school in the HR Department in August 2010. She said herself that she never stayed in one place too long. Thus, getting itchy feet after three years in HR, she decided to apply for the newly created Exams Administrator position here at Habs. After a gruelling excel test, set by Jack Alvarez, and an interview with Senior Management, she was offered the job. During her time as Exams Administrator, she was instrumental in so many new processes – having our own debit card machine so we could take various exam fees; adding colour to seating plans which helped our external invigilators; designing our exam banners; designing our exam certificate folders with branded envelopes; helping with production of a booklet for invigilators; helping with the first ever LIDS National Exams Officers Conference hosted here, and so much more. She excelled at designing and planned exactly how our new exams office opposite the McGowan Sports Hall should look. We are very grateful that she stayed for nearly eight years – the longest she had ever been in one job! She is now enjoying semi-retirement in a place near Wisbech.

LEAVERS LEAVERS Scott Lipscomb, Head of Mathematics, Prep School leaves following 17 years of service. He joined the school in 2004 and since then has taught Maths throughout the Prep and been a classroom and form teacher in Year 5 and recently in Year 4. Over the years, Scott took part in many school trips and ski trips and co-led the Prep’s running club. Since 2017, Scott has been the Prep School’s Head of Maths, leading many Prep pupils to perform highly in nationally recognised competitions. We wish him and his family well in the future.

Steven Melville, Senior Systems Administrator (IT) joined Habs in May 2005 and has been a mainstay of the IT Team for over 16 years. Steven was a valued and trusted colleague and was well liked by all he worked with. He was never someone to say “it’s not my job” and would always do everything he could to help. His immense technical knowledge was unrivalled and he has been behind many of the developments to IT systems we have seen over many years, including enabling everyone to work remotely throughout lockdown. We are all sorry to see Steven leave Habs – he will be missed by us all – and we wish him well for his future.

Ruju Nathwani, Music School Secretary leaves us after 25 years. Ruju has been at the heart of all musical activities through her time at the school. We thank her for her hard work, dedication, and generosity throughout her time at Habs. The Music School delivers over 400 instrumental lessons a week, all timetabled by Ruju. In addition to this, all queries regarding lessons, ensembles, instrument hire and ABRSM exams come to her as the first point of contact. She is a much liked (and depended on!) member of the music team and she will be greatly missed. We wish her all the luck in the future and hope to keep in touch.

Angela Oatham, Head of Libraries and Archives leaves Habs having joined us in July 2017. She is a friendly and approachable colleague whose leadership and effective management of the library has been instrumental in ensuring that it is a calm and productive place to work. We are grateful to Angela for her drive in expanding the stock of fiction that the school holds, as well as expanding the wider resources the library offers, and putting together displays and promotions to encourage students to read and to inspire them in their research. Her flexibility and imagination has stood up to the test in recent months, as Angela has reinvented the way that the library works, ensuring that even through Covid, students have had access to the materials they need and books to read. Angela leaves us to take up a position in the SEND department at Haileybury Turnford School and we wish her every success in this new challenge.

Timi Oladeji Olanrewaju, Teaching Assistant joined the Prep School in 2020, initially as a supply colleague, and was then offered a permanent position as a Learning Assistant in September 2021 while he began his Teaching Assistant apprenticeship. Timi’s ability to interact with and relate to the pupils has been particularly noticeable. He has run After School Care for Prep and Pre-Prep pupils seamlessly and transformed the provision into a fun, safe and relaxing space for pupils to be in at the end of each day. He has built an excellent rapport with pupils and the staff over the past year and we will all miss his calmness and positivity. Timi leaves us to take up a role in media production. We wish him and his wife all the very best for the future.

Barry Regelous, AV & ICT Technician (IT) joined the Boys’ School in 1998 working in the Modern Language department supporting the language labs and classrooms. In 2005, he moved into a role in the IT support team, focussing on the new computerised language lab. His passion for music meant he was soon involved in supporting the Music School Labs and school productions. He has supported many, many school events, from end of term assemblies to Battle of the Band, and has often played guitar on stage to full houses in school concerts. In his media work, no video edit has been too small or tweet of sound too big for him to tackle with enthusiasm and professionalism. Barry has been a popular member of the Hab’s staff, and his commitment to his colleagues and the school will be sadly missed. We wish him great enjoyment and fulfilment in his new-found freedom that is retirement.

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Staff News LEAVERS Julie Regelous, Facilities Assistant in the Estates department leaves us after 17 years of professional and dedicated service. Julie has been instrumental to the operation of the Estates department and has been involved in every aspect of the management of the school campus, whether dealing with maintenance faults or ordering furniture, to liaising with the various contractors that come on to the campus. Since 2018, when we joined the Estates department operation across both schools, she has been involved in constructing a single-minded approach to managing the joint facilities and has been key to how we have transformed the campus. Julie’s calm nature and sense of humour will be missed and we wish her well for whatever the future may bring.

James Smith, Second in Physics. James is a popular teacher of Physics, Jobling’s tutor and, as an accomplished skier, he has also led several school ski trips. He joined the school in 2017 and, very soon after, he was promoted to his role as second in the Physics department. In a relatively short space of time, he has introduced a wide range of excellent initiatives and opportunities for students to broaden their experience of Physics and to give them an appreciation of its role in all of our lives. His encouragement to enjoy the subject has also been extended beyond our own school community, through taster days for prospective Physics teachers and inviting visiting schools to take advantage of the resources and expertise within the Physics department. James will be taking up a new role closer to home at Berkhamstead School and we wish him every success.

Martin Smith, Caretaker leaves us after one year in the post. We would like to thank him for his hard work and dedicated service, and wish him every happiness and success for the future.

Jesal Suchak, Marketing and Communications Manager joined in 2015. Having had a tremendously successful career with us at Habs, he leaves to become Director of Marketing and Communications as part of the Senior Leadership Team at John Lyon School in Harrow. During his time at Habs, Jesal has overseen the development of the Marketing department and enhanced our use of social media. He saw us through Covid with a truly brilliant online Open Day and more recently has overseen the rebranding project, including rolling out our new signage and branding. He has worked tirelessly to digitise our publications, increasing their reach to thousands more members of the Habs community. Jesal has been a wonderful colleague to work with, not least for setting up the staff football team! He will be enormously missed but this is a very well-deserved promotion and timely just as he becomes a father for the first time.

Gerry Teague, Network Engineer (IT). Following a long and very varied career that included building radio masts in Africa and working on the Harry Potter movies, Gerry joined Habs in November 2007. Gerry’s commitment to his work is second to none – always willing to work anti-social hours and go the extra mile to get the job done. His thoroughness and attention to detail, combined with his knowledge of networks and his methodical approach, has been an asset to the team and to the school. We will all miss Gerry and wish him well for the future; but it’s with some confidence that we can be sure he will still be busy with his voluntary work and he will continue to dispense justice from the Magistrates’ Benches of North London.

Sally Thomas, Prep Librarian. Having been appointed as the first Prep librarian, Sally has had a transformative impact both upon the pupils’ experience of the library and also by playing a crucial part in helping to instil and inspire a love of reading. Under Sally’s watchful stewardship, the library has been transformed into a modern, colourful, comfortable and welcoming space, a sanctuary for pupils who wish to feed their imaginations and fire their minds with a love of reading. In her quiet, unassuming, yet dedicated way, Sally has been a passionate advocate of reading and literature, who has also helped to organise author visits, support World Book Day and National Poetry Day and build excellent relations with the Senior School librarians to afford a smooth transition for the pupils. She has been an absolute pleasure to work with and will be sorely missed. We wish her every success in her future career at Sandringham School.

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LEAVERS Theodorus Vrionides, Teacher of Physics has made a valuable contribution to the Physics education of his students during two consecutive periods of cover for absent colleagues over the course of the past year. His time at Habs has coincided with a particularly challenging period for teachers which he has met with calm professionalism and cheerfulness at every step. We wish him well for his next appointment.

APPOINTMENTS Saad Alvi, Senior Systems & Network Administrator Amina Choudhury, Compliance Manager Sonal Dhadphale, Alumni Relations, Events & Fundraising Officer James Dunlop, Head of Outdoor Education Karen Festa, Exams Administrator Kian Kinsella, Caretaker Georgina Lennon, Assistant Registrar Ali Lock, Teacher of Italian - Prep Tom McDonagh, Apprentice Teaching Assistant, Senior School James McLeod, Database Manager Kirtiben Mehta, Temporary Teacher of Chemistry Katharine O’Kane, Temporary Cello Teacher (VMT) Paul Pratt, Sports Centre Assistant and Lifeguard Charlotte Rice, Lifeguard Michael Robinson, IT Support Officer James Slimings, Temporary Singing Teacher (VMT) Maurice Castro, IT Support Officer

INTERNAL MOVEMENTS Ed Barnett, Head of Prep PE and Games – House Leader Maria Karaolou, Admissions Assistant, Habs’ Girls’ - Estates Administrator Nav Vig, Prep School Receptionist - Prep School Administrator Richard Weinman, Head of Performance Drama - Teacher of Drama Joe Coots, Caretaker - Residential Caretaker

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