The Year 8 boys had a great Wellbeing Immersive Experience at Stone X Stadium. The focus was on positive relationships and friendships.
The boys heard from BICS, Jteens, JWA, Hope not Hate, and Gift. They were also treated to a delicious lunch of burgers and chips!
We look forward to offering this experience to more students in the near future.
Dear Parents and Carers,
Re: Communication Guidelines
We would like to remind you that Hasmonean has guidelines to provide a platform for effective and positive communications between staff and parents/carers. Parents/carers are entitled to expect courteous and timely communications from school staff just as staff are entitled to expect courtesy and respect from them.
This extract from the guidelines outlines the rationale behind them:
Research consistently finds that children achieve more when schools and parents/carers work together. However, the unique relationship that a parent/carer or teacher has with a child might at times lead to differences of opinion as to what is best for the child. Both parties need to appreciate and respect the special skills and insights that each brings to their relationships with a child and understand and appreciate each other’s perspective.
Tension in the parent/staff relationship can arise when both parties are strongly motivated to do the best for the child but occupy fixed positions about how to achieve this. The ability to voice differences of opinion, respectfully and with understanding, is key to a successful relationship and to minimising conflict.
It would be very much appreciated if parents and careers could avoid cc-ing a staff member’s line manager or superior (or a governor) into emails unless there is a specific and valid reason to do so. For routine queries or concerns it would also be helpful if you contacted the relevant member of staff to deal with it rather than starting further up the school’s organisational chain. This not only gives the staff member closest to the matter the opportunity to resolve it but it also prevents bottlenecks further up. However, if the matter relates to a serious concern or requires a middle manager, senior or executive leader to deal with it, then by all means address the query or concern to them. If the Executive Leadership have not managed to resolve your query or concern, then please contact a member of the relevant governing body via l.oskis@hasmonean.co.uk
A link to the guidelines, which are also shared with staff, can be found here: https://hasmoneanmat.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/Communication-Guidelines-March-2022.pdf
The contact details for staff can be found on the individual schools’ websites:
https://hasmoneanboys.org.uk/contact/
https://hasmoneangirls.org.uk/contact/
We hope that all members of the Hasmonean community will find the guidelines helpful.
With kind regards,
Mr A McClusky, CEO, Hasmonean MAT
Mr Y Halberstadt, Chair of Local Governing Body Committee – Boys, Trustee of Hasmonean MAT
Mr S Blumgart, Chair of Local Governing Body Committee – Girls, Trustee of Hasmonean MAT
On Wednesday, our GCSE music students enjoyed a really perfect day out to the Southbank centre to hear the London Philharmonic Orchestra in a GCSE Specialist concert called Bright Sparks. It was a beautiful sunny day and they walked across the Hungerford Bridge, with the iconic London Eye behind them.
The Royal Festival Hall was filled with GCSE students from across London and it was exciting for our students to feel part of a bigger musical “community.” The concert was led by Rachel Leach, who explained and analysed all the different items of music and created an excellent context and language for learning for the students. It opened with a 20th century Minimalist piece by John Adams called “The Chairman Dances.”
There was even an audience and student interaction performance with the orchestra which was both fun and musically interesting.
The favourite piece, according to our students, was Vivaldi’s 4 seasons depicting the cold atmosphere of winter. We then heard Haydn’s Trumpet concerto and a movement from Beethoven’s 7th Symphony. A rather interesting contemporary piece followed called “Forty Heartbeats” by Kaija Saariaho, where the players explored a range of unusual sounds from their instruments.
The concert ended with the music from JAWS by John Williams in which that famous 2 note motif dominated the entire piece and set the pervasive, ominous mood.
The students behaved impeccably and it was a pleasure to be with them!
Thanks to Miss Connery for accompanying Mrs Algranati with the Girls and to Mr Shebson and Mr Sharpe for keeping the boys in tow!
Purim at the Boys’ School consisted of fun, fun, fun! From a dunk tank to t-shirts to dancing and the performers, it was a busy, fun-packed two days!
A huge thanks to the amazing teachers who took part in the Dunk Tank. Thanks to their participation, the students raised over £800 for charities in Ukraine.
On Purim Day, the HIPE team took to the streets with a HIPE van. The van played all the most recent videos to the streets and caused a big spectacle on Golders Green Road. The HIPE spirit was definitely there with lots of dancing and singing taking place too!
After a two year gap, the staff spiel was back. There was a new twist on the tale of ‘Matilda’ – Mrs Jacobson delighted as the adorable Miss Honey, while Mrs Brice gave an enchanting performance as Matilda! There were skits from the Sixth Form and lots of general jollification!
On a more sensible note, Rabbi Weissman came in to speak to the girls about how to behave on Purim, including some sage advice about the dangers of drinking.
Wednesday night saw the very welcome return of the magnificent Purim party. The girls enjoyed a fantastic evening full of fancy dress, a DJ, UV lighting, confetti fun, glow activities, inflatable glow photobooth, slush, ice cream, and frivolous dancing!
It was so special to see the students dancing and singing together as a school again after the difficult few years we have experienced.
Thanks must go to the incredible HIPE department and also to those teachers who attended in the evening to ensure the smooth running of the party. Thank you also to Kevin and the site team.
Thirty Hasmonean boys had a special cultural day out in the City of London. They visited the law firm of Holman Fenwick Willan where they received some great advice from the Managing Partner, Mr Jeremy Shebson, and the incoming Senior Partner, Mr Giles Kavanagh. The two partners discussed the importance of working hard, being a good team player, being true to yourself and proud of your identity.
Following this visit, the boys made their way down the Thames for an amazing Thames Rocker speedboat tour where they learned about the history of all the monuments, landmarks and bridges as they whizzed past.
H.I.P.E Girls ran a fabulous packathon during Thursday’s lunch break. The girls created beautiful Mishloach Manot in order to raise the spirits of the children in Moldova this Purim. They have been seriously affected by the situation in Ukraine, losing their homes and sense of security. Each parcel was accompanied with a personal note from a student.
Some of the food in the packages has been kindly donated by Kosher Kingdom, Kays and from the money raised by selling doughnuts for the cause.
It was wonderful to see so many of our girls giving up their time to ensure that other young people can enjoy a sweet pleasure this Purim- giving them a small respite from the danger and fighting that has surrounded them.
Dear Parent,
The Gemara in Megilah (16a) tells us that when Haman looks for Mordechai to carry out King Achashverosh’s reward of riding on the king’s horse, dressed in royal clothes, he finds Mordechai in the Beis Hamedrash teaching hilchos kemitzah. Hilchos kemitzah are technical laws involving flour offerings.
Why hilchos kemitzah now?
A well-known public speaker once told me that he tries to throw in the word “relevant” in the first 60 seconds of any of his talks as a means of engaging his audience.
Hilchos kemitzah? The first Beis Hamikdash has been destroyed and the second has yet to come. There is no Beis Hamkidash, no flour offerings and no kemitzah? Hardly relevant or pressing!?
The answer is that Mordechai is teaching a powerful message. Klal Yisrael are in deep trouble. The noose is tightening around their neck. A date for state sanctioned genocide has been set. Mordechai does his hishtadlus, he makes every effort to guide Esther and together with the rest of the Jewish people, he fasts and prays. And then he teaches hilchos kemitzah.
In so doing, he is telling Klal Yisrael the message of last week’s haftorah that we read before Purim every year – נצח ישראל לא ישקר. Mordechai is saying we may be in a precarious state, but we will get through this, we will prevail. There will yet be a Beis Hamikdash and Kohanim will once again perform the avodah and take a kemitzah.
A timely and timeless message for Purim 2022. Covid turned our world upside down and we slowly emerge to find a world at war.
But we should take comfort in the message of Purim. We may be in a precarious state, but we will get through this, we will prevail. And just like Purim follows Ta’anis Esther, we hope and pray that light will follow darkness.
Wishing you and your families an enjoyable, meaningful and safe Purim.
Rabbi J Golker
Menahel
On the morning of Wednesday 9th March, boys from Years 7-10 were gathered in the main hall for an assembly about the situation in Ukraine. Rabbi Golker began the proceedings with a stirring comparison about how the Brisker Rov ZT”L and Rebbetzin Kotler O”H, demonstrated their own grief, whilst showing solidarity for those who were actually experiencing hard times, be it in WW2, or surviving major fires in Brisk.
This was followed by Rabbi Fachler, who played a live report from Mr Jeremy Posen, one of the heads of the Tikva Orphanage in Odessa, who has been with the orphans and the community since the outbreak of the war. He gave the boys an up-to-date account of the plight of the orphans and the other families – their current whereabouts, how they all managed to cross the border and what the future looks like for them, now that they have nothing but the clothes on their backs.
The boys then watched the historical and moving speech given by Ukrainian President Zelensky to Parliament.
Mrs Lebrett gave the closing remarks, encouraging the boys to think of their own comfort when they go to bed in their own bedrooms and never take that for granted, especially after what we have witnessed with the all of the refugees from Ukraine.
The assembly concluded with Tehilim led by Rabbi Fachler.
Dear Parent,
כָל דְּבַשׁ לֹא תַקְטִירוּ מִמֶּנּוּ אִשֶּׁה לַה’ … עַל כָּל קָרְבָּנְךָ תַּקְרִיב מֶלַח
Our parsha tells us that we are not allowed to add honey to a korban (sacrifice) but must add salt. Why?
Even though honey and salt are both used to flavour foods, they each have a very different effect. Honey serves to sweeten and distort the natural flavour of the food whereas salt helps bring out the natural flavour.
Helping each child identify his strengths and weaknesses is a critical role of parenting and chinuch. So is helping the child have the confidence to become who he or she can become and not imitate another.
This is something we really strive for at Hasmonean.
The Gemara (Berachos 17a) tells us that when the Chachomim took leave of each other they would say: “Olomecho tireh bechayecho. May you see your world during your lifetime.” What exactly does that mean?
Rav Shimon Schwab, explained this Gemara as follows. The word Olomecho (your world) is connected to the word he’elomecha (the part of you which is concealed). A person’s world is the part of him which has not yet seen light of day, the part that is still potential. Realising that full potential is the work of a lifetime.
This was the blessing our Chachomim wished each other. May you see the world during your lifetime. May you achieve during your sojourn in this world the full realisation of all the potential Hashem has invested in you.
Realising that potential requires salt, not honey.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi J Golker
Menahel