A new initiative in the Girls’ School has been the introduction of a weekly Dvar Torah in Friday’s assembly by a student. This has been met with a great deal of enthusiasm and, so far, the calibre of Divrei Torah has been incredible.

Last Friday, Sara B and Libby L shared some inspirational words comparing the loss of Nadav and Avihu with the passing of Rav Chaim Kanievsky. They explained how both ‘awakened Klal Yisrael … we should elevate ourselves and take a meaningful lesson from his life … we should take the opportunity to spiritually grow.’

The school was then privileged to hear from Maya and Ariella G who went with their father to help refugees in Poland. They shared a number of moments with the girls, including how they took their coats off their backs to give to those who had fled their homes without their own coats. They spoke eloquently about what we can do here in England to help and how much the experience has impacted them. Read their account here: The Account

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!

 

 

 

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.

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.

The Hebrew month of Adar kicked off with a bang at the Boys’ School!

The festival of Purim falls in Adar and is all about excitement and giving. It was very appropriate then that the Boys’ School held a small charity fundraiser which raised over £300 for various different charities in Ukraine.

To celebrate the month of Adar, HIPE had some fun and challenged the students to ‘Anything But a Backpack’ day. The boys’ imaginations ran riot as they brought in shopping trolleys, wheelie cars, pet cages, and even a paddling pool!