Bushcraft

I

t is surprising, really, how through lockdown many people have forgotten what true “connection with nature” is like, but this trip rekindled the adventurous spark in Lower 4 students.

From dealing with bugs in the tent to watching Miss Turner pull a salmon’s eye from its head, this trip helped ‘build character’, as one could call it. Camping out not only helped us face our fears but encouraged us to socialise and make new friends.

Being part of ‘tribe’ competitions, and songs in the yurt, Bushcraft supported our friendships and helped us get to

Lower 4 go wild in the country!

know even more people. Activities like trap building, shelter making and fire constructing developed our teamwork, and skills like wood whittling, forest first aid, camouflage games, and tree identification encouraged us to appreciate nature for what it can do to help us and the beauties (and potentially dangers) that lie within forests.

Nothing would stop the teachers joining in as well, pretending to be victims of a plane crash that we had to deal with (perhaps with a little assistance from the ‘invalids’) and a few were chosen to fillet a salmon for us to eat (although some people chose to eat the eyeballs raw- I think a few of them regretted it afterwards!). We also experienced ‘luxury’ with five star portaloos and an unforgettable brushing-your-teeth-spit-hole.

The whole trip was unique, fun, and very informative. No other camping trip in the future will be quite like it!

Freya Bruce L4 A

Una Vasta Gamma di Scelti

Exploring languages at Habs.

Languages are a very prominent part of life at Habs, from the different languages offered in time-tabled lessons to the exciting opportunities offered by clubs and extra-curricular activities. There is something for everyone to delve into and many students have got so much out of these incredible opportunities. There are lots of bespoke opportunities at Habs and we are incredibly fortunate to have these choices. The ability to speak and understand more than one language is a precious commodity in the wider world enabling you to communicate with countless people abroad and open different job opportunities as well as providing you with long lasting life skills. In ‘normal’ times, various language trips would be taking place throughout the year such as the Middle 5 Spanish trip to Benalmádena and the Lower 5 French study trips. These trips help students to open their horizons to cultures and allow them to really expand their studies. We look forward to being able to organise these trips soon.

Lauren Frankal L6 DHH We recently set up a brand-new Spanish club – Español Fantástico on Teams for Lower 4 to Lower 5. This includes cooking sessions, exploring Spanish music, culture competitions and more. This club has been a great success so far and every meeting has been so much fun! The students have got a lot out of it already and it has been a joy to spend time with them exploring new elements of Spanish culture. We are very excited to see where this club takes us next!

Emma Levy L6 SN

This year I had the exciting opportunity to take a ten-week introductory course in Mandarin as part of the Enrichment program. As someone who is passionate about learning languages, I really enjoyed this experience and felt that it benefitted me hugely. Mandarin is very different to other modern foreign languages, such as French or Spanish, and it was certainly more challenging. However, I discovered that I was able to transfer skills of logic and linguistics to help me on this course. We were able to gain an insight into not only the language, but also the cultural values of China, and it was interesting to see how this was reflected in the language itself. I would strongly recommend this course to anyone who has an interest in studying languages or wants to try a new experience and broaden their horizons.

Talia Ruben received a Bronze award in the UK Linguistics Olympiad

Talia Rubin L6 MMS

Les Joutes Oratoires, otherwise known as French Debating, is an amazing club I am fortunate enough to be involved in. If you are someone who loves languages, French debating is a great opportunity to extend your French vocabulary and expand your knowledge on topics surrounding the Francophone world. We have debated such interesting topics from ‘La Technologie’, where we discussed whether or not technology frees us, to ‘Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité’, whether this idea exists as a reality in France or if it is just a fictional promise. This has greatly improved my communication and public speaking skills, which are essential in life and we are looking forward to our debating competition which is soon approaching! Over the Autumn Term, I attended the Lower 4 Disney Film Club. Every week we watched a different Disney film in French (with much-needed subtitles!). I really enjoyed going to this club because with the big screen and the lights off, it feels like being in a cinema. It is the perfect club to do after school; you can sit back and relax whilst also learning French without even trying! It is really interesting to see how classic, well-loved films sound in a different language and some of the films – such as Beauty and the Beast (or should I say La Belle et la Bête) – sound even more enchanting. The club has given me a greater interest in learning another language and, as if I didn’t love Disney films enough already, now I’m even more obsessed!

Trying different French breads

Broadening the Bubble

At school we have created a warm, welcoming and friendly environment which offers safety, community and a sense of family for all students. However, recently both Girls’ and Boys’ Schools have been looking into expanding the horizons of this community.

Mr Bill Friar was appointed in January 2021 as the Director of Development for both schools. In this newly created role, Mr Friar oversees philanthropic fundraising and alumni relations for the school. He believes, “It’s so important to stay connected to the world and to other people, particularly those whose experience differs from our own; it helps keep us human.” The students at both schools have already been implementing these new connections. In the Girls’ School, groups of students were able to read stories, via a video call, to the young children in Bangalore as part of the school’s partnership with Parikrma Humanity Foundation.

Across the wall, the students at the Boys’ School have a pen-pal scheme to write to an Old Haberdasher who may be feeling lonely or isolated, and staff and alumni formed a group during lockdown that delivered groceries to local elderly residents.

The student experience can be even better with the joint partnerships that are forming between other schools. Mr Plotkin, a Boys’ and Girls’ School teacher who oversees Partnerships, believes that, “There are two very good reasons for our students to work with others outside the ‘Habs Bubble’. The first is the most obvious: our students are amazingly talented in all sorts of ways and can use those talents to improve the lives of other students who are right next to us. The second reason is more about the benefits to our school community. We know that our students have an enormous amount to offer the students that they work with. But there are also huge benefits for our students: partnership work will give them the chance to be socially responsible, exposed to the real world outside of Habs, and develop leadership and communication skills.” Mr Plotkin has been running a Reading Partner Programme for many years, which pairs members of the Sixth Form as reading mentors for primary school students. Mr Plotkin has ensured that this amazing scheme has continued even during Covid. Now, the students construct BookyBoxes, designed to support primary students in reading high-quality books.

Jess Alagaratnam L6 LWA and Lara Cohen L6 MMS

Mixing Things Up!

“In the Lower 6, there have been many more initiatives for our year group to take part in alongside the Boys’ School. Every week, we have Enrichment and our Aske Level sessions joint with the boys, and several students also share their A Level subjects with them. I’ve found the Enrichment sessions helpful as they are largely discussion based, and the Boys definitely don’t hold back their opinions, which has led to some extremely engaging debates. As for the Aske level and our A Level subjects, it is a real advantage to bounce ideas off each other and look at things from a different viewpoint.”

Arianna Sultan L6 SN

“Our Enrichment lessons make for a good opportunity to meet your counterparts that otherwise you rarely see. I’m taking part in Enrichment in the Girls’ School and

have found that it is one of the most enjoyable parts of my week. Co-Ed is such an important part of our school lives as allowing students to connect, express opinions and learn with the students from both schools is great preparation for your future life.”

Jake Piler L6 The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School

“Working with the Boys’ School forges friendships between people you wouldn’t normally spend time with during school hours and finding people that share your interests and subjects. It also allows students to experience the Habs community in a wider context by understanding a variety of teaching and learning techniques across both schools.”

Emily Delaney L6 NP “Co-Ed teaching has been incredibly enjoyable this year. Simply being in a different environment to the one we have been in for the past few years helps to enhance and broaden our views. It allows us to converse with people from both schools, who hold a similar passion for a subject. The ability to socialise and meet new people, especially during this time, has also been gratifying.”

Rian Shah L6 The Haberdashers’ Aske’s Boys’ School