Editorial 06.01.2022

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Dear Parents and Carers,

I hope that you all enjoyed the winter break and had time to rest and relax with your families.

It is wonderful to be returning, in spite of Covid, to face-to-face education. Mrs Lebrett and Mrs Brice have outlined, in their email to you earlier this week, the measures we are putting in place to ensure the schools environments are as safe as possible. I am pleased to say that the vast majority of staff are in school and the student Covid absence rates are not as high as we were expecting.

On the Multi-Academy Trust’s website, you will find (at the bottom of the welcome page) the Trust Board’s statement of our ethos, vision and values, our strategic aims for 2020-2023 and our operational objectives for 2020-2023: https://hasmoneanmat.org.uk/welcome/

The Board has now reviewed how the MAT performed against the operational objectives last year. A copy of that review can be found here: https://hasmoneanmat.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/MAT-Objectives-Review-2020-2023.pdf I hope that you find it an interesting read.

Our Chair of Trustees will be releasing a video over the next week or so which outlines some of our most significant achievements over the last 12 months and some of the plans that we have to drive forward improvements at both schools over the coming year.

With best wishes,

Mr A McClusky
CEO, Hasmonean MAT

Editorial 16.12.2021

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Dear Parents/Carers,

Just two weeks ago we were enjoying the excitement and light of Chanukah and now we are plunged into the darkness of rising infections and another year of disruption to travel plans and family celebrations to say nothing of burst water mains. Some of us were fortunate enough to experience the joy and energy of the production of Matilda at the Girls’ School which lifted our spirits and sent us out with a spring in our steps.

I thought I could not do better than quoting from the most poignant song in the show – When I Grow Up.

It reminds us of the innocent preoccupations of childhood (eating many sweets/ watching cartoons), as well as the importance of adults shouldering the burden of life and by implication, shielding their children from too heavy a burden too soon.

When I Grow Up
I will be tall enough to reach the branches
That I need to reach to climb the trees
You get to climb when you’re grown up

And when I grow up
I will be smart enough to answer all the questions
That you need to know the answers to
Before you’re grown up

And when I grow up
I will eat sweets every day on the way to work
And I will go to bed late every night
And I will wake up when the sun comes up
And I will watch cartoons until my eyes go square
And I won’t care ‘cos I’ll be all grown up

When I grow up
I will be strong enough to carry all the heavy things
You have to haul around with you
When you’re a grown up

And when I grow up
I will be brave enough to fight the creatures that you have to fight
Beneath the bed each night
To be a grown up

I hope you all have a wonderful winter break with no creatures below the bed.

Shabbat Shalom!

 

Mrs K Brice,
Headteacher
Hasmonean High School for Girls

Editorial – 09.12.2021

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Dear Parents/Carers,

This week’s parshah, Vayigash, is a profoundly moving one. After being estranged from his family, Yoseph never forgets his roots. When his brothers arrive in Egypt, he is able to both forgive them and be reconciled to his family. It is only then that they are able to move forward.

When students have disagreements between each other, we always look to provide them with a reconciliation meeting to discuss their behaviour and to release any anger and resentment. When this works, it can be transformative. The lessons which we can learn from this parshah for our own lives are profound: although the path towards forgiveness and reconciliation is difficult, we can reap many benefits.

Please may I also remind you to send your child with a reusable face mask to school – students are expected to wear masks in our corridors and communal spaces as well as on public transport. Although we have a supply of disposable masks, it would be much simpler and more eco-friendly if they could bring their own.

Have a wonderful Shabbos,

 

Mrs D Lebrett
Headteacher
Hasmonean High School for Boys

Editorial – 02.12.2021

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Dear Parents,

Imagine you were invited to an inauguration ceremony. A new shul, school or even just a friend’s housewarming. The invitation will call it a “Chanukas HaBayis” or similar.

When the Mishkan was inaugurated in the Midbar, we refer to it as the Chanukas HaMishkan.

And, of course, there is Chanuka – the festival that is upon us, where we commemorate the defeat of the mighty Greek army by a small band of faithful Jews and the re-dedication of the Beis HaMikdash.

All of these terms are based on the word “chinuch” meaning to dedicate or inaugurate.

Interestingly, here at Hasmonean, not only do we carry the name of this small band of faithful Jews, but our very raison d’être is chinuch – education. The same word. What is the connection between inaugurating a new building and education?

Rabbi Malcolm Herman, in his wonderful book “Everyday Parenting for Everyday Parents,” gives an insightful answer.

An inauguration ceremony marks when a building has been brought to the point where it is ready for the purpose for which it has been constructed. To inaugurate a building means to develop it to the point where it is completely ready and able to fulfil its designated purpose.

That is exactly what chinuch is. To raise a child so that it is completely ready and able to fulfil the lifelong purpose for which they were created.

That is really our goal at Hasmonean: to help each child achieve their potential. To make sure they are proud, practising and passionate Jews where Torah is central to their lives and, at the same time, are equipped to make their way in this world and contribute to the society in which they live.

I would like to take the opportunity of thanking the HIPE teams for the extraordinary efforts in making Chanuka so special in school. All students are enjoying a range of formal and informal Chanuka programmes; I am enormously grateful to all the HIPE educators, the Kodesh department, the site team and all members of staff for making this happen.

I hope that HIPE’s remit – to inject excitement and passion for Yiddishkeit in the corridors of Hasmonean and supplement the formal kodesh provision – bear much fruit and help us achieve our goal to give outstanding chinuch to every child, so that in time they will be ready and able to fulfil the lifelong purpose for which they were created.

With warm Chanuka wishes,

Rabbi J Golker
Menahel

Editorial 25.11.2021

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eNews has been reissued to include all students who have reached the National Chidon Hatanach.  Sincere apologies to Tsofia for not including her in the first publication.

Dear Parents and Carers,

We are delighted to announce that out of 93 students from 13 UK Jewish schools, the following students were successful in getting through to the National Chidon Hatanach from Hasmonean:

Beginner Stream

Yehuda Leib G.– Year 7

Junior Stream

Shira S. – Year 9

Noa S. – Year 9

Tsofia K. – Year 9

Mazel tov to all of those who competed and especially well done to those who will progress to the next round.

The National Chidon will take place in London at 1pm on Sunday 9 January 2022 in the presence of Rabbis, teachers, parents and dignitaries.

In other news, we were delighted to welcome Jonathan Hellewell LVO, the Prime Minister’s Special Adviser for Faith, and Rory Gribbell, his Special Adviser for Education, to the Boys’ School today on a visit arranged by Rabbi Meyer OBE, Executive Director of PaJeS. It was a pleasure to take them around the school, hear their warm words of praise about what they saw and discuss issues relating to educational policy and faith schools in general.

With best wishes,

 

Mr A McClusky
CEO, Hasmonean MAT

 

Editorial – 17.11.2021

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Dear Parents and Carers,

The absence of the Queen at this year’s Remembrance Sunday event hit all of the headlines earlier this week. At the age of 95, it is incredible that is her temporary absence from royal duties that is causing comment rather than the fact that she is still committed to carrying them out.

G-d willing, the country and indeed the wider world will celebrate her Platinum Jubilee to commemorate the 70th anniversary of her accession later this year; it will be the first time any British monarch has celebrated a platinum jubilee.

To celebrate the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, we are encouraging all students to create short videos of no more than two minutes, artworks, articles or events to encapsulate and celebrate aspects of it.

Students can work on their entries individually or in groups. There will be prizes for the winning entries and a montage of the best entries will be displayed on the school’s website and around the two schools. Please encourage your children to enter this competition. All entries should be handed in to Mrs Fine at the Boys’ School and Mrs Palmer at the Girls’ School by 6th February 2022 (the date the Queen ascended the throne in 1952). Entries should be clearly labelled with the student(s) names and year groups on them.

Best wishes,

Mr A McClusky
CEO, Hasmonean MAT

Editorial 11.11.2021

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Dear Parent,

How do we know if we are doing something well? It helps to be self-reflective and to look with an open mind at our actions but it is easy to spin a false narrative, either that we are doing really well, or, if we lack confidence, that things are terrible and we are hopeless. You may have noticed the latter in your children. As a school, we like to think that we are constantly evaluating how we are doing and governor meetings certainly help with that process. However, it is important for us to hear from the wider parent and student body as well.

We sent out surveys to parents and students last week. Thanks to those who have already completed them but it would be great to have more responses. This is the only way we can find out whether you think we are doing a good job or if there are areas we should be working on. Otherwise we rely on anecdotal evidence from casual comments be they compliments or complaints. This can lead us to make changes when they are not warranted or we can be unduly complacent that all is well.

We intend to send a survey out each year so we can track if we are making progress on areas of concern. We will share the results with you in a few weeks together with our plan of action when necessary. I hope that everyone will take the few minutes needed to complete the surveys so we have as complete a picture as possible.

The links are below:
• GIRLS’ SCHOOL: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/

• BOYS’ SCHOOL: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1N

Wishing you all a good Shabbos.

Mrs K Brice
Headteacher
Hasmonean High School for Girls

Editorial 04.11.2021

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Dear Parents,

Rabbi Lord Sacks z’’l, in his commentary on this week’s parsha, Toldos, quotes the Netziv who wrote about the relationship between Yitzchak and Rivka. He explained that they sometimes found it difficult to communicate with each other during critical moments and, as a result, there were times when there were unforeseen consequences as a result.

Communication is the key to ensuring that a society works and, as a famous Chinese proverb states, ‘a lot of problems in the world would be solved if we talked to each other instead of about each other.’

The Year 10 boys were involved in a day of communication last week when they went to Saracens Rugby Club for the day for a Wellbeing Immersive Experience. It was an inspirational day when the students were able to interact with a range of speakers about a number of important topics relevant to their lives, both currently and in the future. My thanks go to Ms Benarroch and the HIPE team for organising this event and ensuring that it was a truly successful day. We hope to offer more of these days to other year groups over the course of the academic year.

Wishing you all a safe and relaxing Shabbat,

 

Mrs D Lebrett
Headteacher
Hasmonean High School for Boys

 

Dear Parents,

Re: Chomesh L’Chinuch (CLC)

We are delighted to announce that we have received another very generous grant from Chomesh L’Chinuch (CLC) in their sixth allocation of funds to North West London schools to help towards our annual funding shortfall. This continues to be an incredible initiative within the community and we are hugely grateful to everyone involved.

Chomesh l’Chinuch is a shul based programme set up with a long term goal to cover the annual shortfall faced by NW London Jewish Schools. If you are a member of one of the CLC shuls (click here to see the list) please do join the scheme and encourage your family members to join. You may also join as an individual prior to your shul signing up. Details can be found here.

We would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to make your Chiyuv Chinuch contribution a priority in order that we hit the target of £4.1 million this year. Sincere thanks to those parents who have already paid or have set up regular payments.

Yours sincerely,

 

Mr A McClusky                          Mr G Swabel
CEO, Hasmonean MAT          Chair of Trustees, Hasmonean MAT

(Rabbi Bixenspanner presenting Gary Swabel with the cheque)

Editorial 28.10.2021

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Dear Parents,

Rabbi Akiva was once giving a shiur when he noticed his students were struggling to stay awake (some things never change!). In order to re-engage and revitalise them, he asked his students a question:

Why did Queen Esther merit to rule over 127 kingdoms?

Rabbi Akiva answered that it was because Sarah Imeinu lived for 127 years.

So says the Midrash at the beginning of this week’s sedrah. The Midrash is clearly puzzling. What do Sarah’s 127 years have to do with the number of kingdoms Queen Esther ruled over?

The Chiddushei Harim gives a wonderful explanation. Rabbi Akiva was trying to teach his students the importance of time.

Imagine, said Rabbi Akiva, if each year of your life was like a whole country. A month would be like a huge city. A week like a big town. A day like a large village. An hour like a whole street. And a minute like a house. If we truly appreciated that we were being rewarded with vast wealth for every moment of serving Hashem, we wouldn’t waste time.

Rabbi Akiva therefore used a comparison of material value to convey to his talmidim the tragedy of wasting time. Sarah’s 127 years were lived to the full and every moment reaped eternal benefit.

In a way, the objective of the successful vaccination programmes at both schools, is to try to help as many students as possible stay in school, be educated and inspired, and use their time fully and productively.

Thank you to everyone involved in this project.

Wishing everyone good health as well as happy and productive use of their time.

Good Shabbos,

Rabbi J Golker
Menahel

Editorial 21.10.2021

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Dear Parents and Carers,

I want to make you aware of some very exciting developments that we will be bringing to fruition during this academic year and the next:

– To affirm Kodesh at the heart of everything we do, we are working on how best to organise the school day to integrate our JS, Key Stage 3, 4 and 5 formal, informal and enrichment curricula at both schools
– We have created a new role, Director of Personal Development, the purpose of which is to ensure pupils feel safe, understand risks and dangers and that they have the skills and knowledge to confidently navigate the modern world. Mr Marcus, who has been appointed to this role, comes with a wealth of experience in these areas having worked in a number of senior leadership positions in a variety of Jewish schools
– We will be re-evaluating the key stage three curriculum at each school to enliven and rejuvenate it in a way that fully engages and inspires students. We’re looking into the very best practice across the country to enable us to create our own 21st Century dynamic curriculum for our youngest students
– To ensure that student feedback is taken into account in all areas of the school we are investigating new ways to elicit this important information to enable us to direct our attention and resources where they are needed most
– And finally, to support our staff to be the best they can be, there will be a renewed focus on their continuing professional development. The opportunities to improve subject knowledge, the understanding of pedagogy and pastoral care and leadership and management are all being mapped for all new and existing staff. We will invest in our team to increase the quality of teaching, strengthen succession planning, and improve recruitment and retention.

As you can see there’s a lot happening to ensure that Hasmonean is the very best place for all Jewish students (in the 21st century). I will provide you with updates on this exciting and dynamic agenda as things progress through the course of the year.

With kind regards,

Mr Andrew McClusky
CEO, Hasmonean MAT

 

 

 

Dear Parents and Carers,

Re: Communication Guidelines

Please be aware – if you are not already – that the MAT’s schools have 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.

A link to the guidelines, which have been shared with staff, can be found here: https://hasmoneanmat.org.uk/multi/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Communication-Guidelines-Oct-2019.pdf

Staff have been asked to only contact you by their school email address or phone and to address you formally about school matters (even if they know you socially) and we would appreciate if you would do this same to maintain a clear division between the social and professional spheres.

We hope that all members of the Hasmonean community will find these 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