I n s p i r i n g L o n d o n ’ s W o m e n o f t h e F u t u r e

December 2014

sChristmas Edition

Holy Innocents Church ConcertThursday 4th December at HolyInnocents Church, Tottenham Lane,Crouch End, N8 7EL6.30 - 8.30pm.Come and support our students’performing as well as raise money for theHilcrest charity supporting orphanedchildren in Africa.

PSA Quiz NightThursday 4th December6.30 - 8.30pm£2 entry per person, there will be a barselling snacks and drinks.Come along for a fun evening and pityour wits against other parents, carers,teachers, staff and governors, whilstraising funds for the school.

Our GCSE Results for 2014 putHornsey School in the top 6%of schools in the country!

Dear Parents/Carers

We have had an amazing Autumn Termat Hornsey which started with our bestever exam results! This term weparticipated in some big eventsincluding the incredible ‘Malala Concert’ at the Barbican,where our school choir took part in a celebration of theyoungest ever Nobel Peace Prize winner. Our Key Stage 4students also attended the International Day of the Girlconference in Westminster, where they heard about thepower and achievements of inspirational women.

Other notable events included:● Elections for our Head Girl, Deputy Head Girl and

Senior Prefect Team● An incredible performance by our A level Drama

group● Students in 9L visited West Green Care Home

where they gave a presentation on Black HistoryMonth

● Last week 150 talented local primary schoolchildren came to compete in our annual PrimaryDance Competition.

Winter ConcertTuesday 16th December7 - 9pm (doors at 6.30pm)A chance to see our amazing musicstudents’ perform a Winter themedconcert.

Year 7 Parents’ EveningThursday 18th December,4.30 -7pmA chance for Year 7 parents/carers tomeet subject teachers and discuss theirdaughter’s progress.

End of TermFriday 19th DecemberArrangements to be decided - a letter willbe sent home nearer the time.

Start of Spring Term5th January 2015.The school day will start as normal for allstudents, from 08.35am.

Year 9 Preference EveningThursday 8th January5 - 8pmParents/Carers will hear more about thePreferences process and will receive theirdaughter’s pathway allocation.

Year 11 Parents’ EveningThursday 15th January,4.30 -7pmA chance for Year 11 parents/carers tomeet subject teachers and discuss theirdaughter’s progress.

Thank you to everyone who donated your old mobilephones and ink toners to our Gambia Project, once wehave confirmation of how much we have raised we willpublish the final amount on our website. Before the endof term we will be holding a Christmas Raffle with somegreat prizes including: a digital camera, a meal voucherfor a local restaurant, a hamper and a turkey crown.With more prizes to be added – tickets will be on salenext week.

Please check dates for your diary below and come alongto: our charity concert at Holy Innocents Church, our PSAQuiz Night, which is always lots of fun or our MusicWinter Concert in the Community Theatre and get intothe Christmas spirit.

Our last day of term is on Friday 19th December and yourdaughter starts back at school on Monday 5th January2015 at 8.35am. End of term arrangements will be senthome in a separate letter with your daughter.

I would like to wish you all seasonal greetings and a verypeaceful holiday.

Della GibbinsActing Headteacher

Barbican Concert for MalalaCrouch End Choirs take part in a special celebratory concert to honour youngest ever Nobel Peace Prize Winner

On Tuesday 28th October students fromHornsey School for Girls performed a worldpremiere composition as part of a celebratoryconcert for 2014 Nobel Peace Prize winnerMalala Yousafzai.

Members of the school senior choir sang at theBarbican Hall with the Crouch End FestivalChorus. Conducted by musical director DavidTemple, the performance of ‘Malala’ had beencomposed by renowned composer JamesMcCarthy as a tribute to her bravery andcourage in the face of adversity. The choirs alsoperformed Michael Tippett’s ‘A Child of OurTime'.

Mr Austin, Assistant Headteacher of PerformingArts, said “Participating in such a prestigiousevent as this truly challenged the choirmusicians to supersede their own aspirations.The ‘Malala’ composition was nearly thirtyminutes long without any breaks, so to havestudents as young as 11 years old performing tothese demands is outstanding. The interactionbetween the Hornsey Senior Choir and theCrouch End Festival Chorus provided studentswith the wonderful opportunity to experiencechoral singing to a truly professional standard.”

“The story of Malala Yousafzai is hearteningand pertinent to the girls at Hornsey. She hasdisplayed such conviction in her beliefs,courage to do what is right, and utterdetermination to change the lives of womenand girls across the world. She is an inspirationand a positive role model to all of our youngwomen. Having recently been awarded theNobel Peace Prize (the youngest ever person toreceive this prize), Hornsey School Senior Choirwas utterly committed to sing their hearts outat this ‘world premiere’ concert on Tuesdayevening.”

A huge thank you and well done to all studentswho took part, representing Hornsey School forGirls impeccably at such a prestigious event.

INTERNATIONAL

DAY OFTHE

GIRLOctober 11

2014

At the conference, we had the opportunity to hearpersonal accounts of women’s experiences in theirworking lives. Even in the 21st Century many stillfaced great struggles to get where they are todayincluding theatre directors, dance choreographersand women working in computer sciences. Eachdescribed the obstacles they faced in getting to thetop of their professions.

The panels discussed and debated how women’srights in the workplace have reformed and whetherthey had improved enough. Some of the obstaclesdescribed included being paid less than malecolleagues, despite being in the same role, beingoverlooked for promotions as well as how thespeakers had overcame them.

The conference was for girls like us who are thenext generation of working females and who mayalso face these issues of inequality in the workplaceunless there is real change. The most importantlesson we learnt from the conference is that yourgender should not be a hindrance and we can showthat women are just as capable as men.

A really inspiring quote I took back from theconference was from poet Hollie McNish who said:“Do not go where the path leads. Go where there isno path and lead a trail.” This means that is is for usto decide our own fate. If we do not know whatcareer we wish to pursue, in the future, or how wewill get there, we cannot let our gender dictatethis.

By Mabel - 11A

On Friday 10th October students from HornseySchool for Girls attended the Educating TwentyFirst Century Women: Passion, Possibilities andPower Conference in Westminster.

The conference, as part of the International Day ofthe Girl celebrations, focused on the importance ofan education tailored to the needs of twenty firstcentury women. Spotlight was placed on youngwomen’s passion to make positive social changeand the possibilities that lie ahead for them. Thestudents heard of the power and achievements ofpositive female role models from a range ofbackgrounds.

The audience heard from 18 female speakersdivided into three panels. Each discussed anddebated on one of the conference’s 3 focuses:Passion, Possibilities or Power. Panellists included:Andrea Sullivan Executive at Bank of AmericaMerrill Lynch, Deborah Bull, CBE, Director at King’sCollege London, Phyllida Lloyd, CBE, Film andTheatre Director, Emma Barnett, Editor at TheTelegraph and Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkin,Speakers Chaplin at the House of Commons.

Andrea Sullivan, speaking on Passion, said: “takingrisks brings great opportunities”. On the focus ofPossibilities, Belinda Parmar, OBE, said: “ask forforgiveness, not for permission” to encouragewomen to make use of all possibilities. Whilstdiscussing Power Reverend Rose Hudson-Wilkinsaid: “Stand up for what you genuinely believe indeep inside you. Ask what do I want? How am Igoing to get where I need to go? Only keep peoplearound yourself that are positive andencouraging.”

The conference was both empowering andinspiring and we hope to bring this message backinto school to encourage all of our studentsand young girls to aim high.

This year Hornsey School for Girls have found a great way to raise money for free, simply byshopping online through a website called www.easyfundraising.org.uk.

Whenever you buy anything online (e.g. Christmas presents, groceries, clothes, books, traintickets, hotel rooms, etc.) you can raise a free donation for Hornsey School for Girls . There areover 2,700 retailers registered with the site, including Amazon, John Lewis, eBay and Tesco whowill donate a percentage of what you spend to Hornsey School for Girls to say thank you forshopping with them.

Here’s how it works:

1. Sign up – go to http://www.easyfundraising.org.uk/causes/hornseyschoolforgirls and clickon the button to sign up.

2. Shop – from the easyfundraising website, search for the retailer you’d like to shop with andclick through to the retailer to make your purchase. This tells the retailer you came fromeasyfundraising. The price is exactly the same as if you’d visited the retailer directly.

3. Get a donation – after you’ve made your purchase, the retailer will give you a cash rewardthat easyfundraising turn into a donation for Hornsey School for Girls.

No cost, no catch!

Please be assured that using the easyfundraising website will not cost you a penny. There are nocatches or hidden charges and Hornsey School for Girls  benefit from any donations you makeonce registered.

Theatre TicketsHornsey School for Girls has once again teamed up with Tickets4Schools tosecure on-going fund-raising deals for West End theatres that offer greatticket offers to see shows at a greatly reduced price and raise funds for theschool at the same time.

Tickets4schools is an established and successful fund-raising schemedesigned to raise much needed funds for schools and their PTA's. Theatreand event tickets are sold directly to parents and staff of the school at adiscounted price but inclusive of a mandatory donation (usually £5.00 per ticket) to the school. The moretickets sold via the school, the more money is raised. It's as simple as that!

Schools that already participate have raised thousands of pounds this way; money that is then used toenhance the facilities for the teachers and pupils in the form of trips, materials and equipment.

Shop Online & Boost Our Fundraising!

This year our school Christmas tree has been provided byThe Christmas Forest who are opening a new shop inFinsbury Park on November 25th.

They will be selling a fabulous selection of sustainablygrown, freshly cut Christmas trees all handpicked fortheir quality. There will be five different varieties and ahuge range of sizes all displayed in a forest-like setting.Holly, wreaths, mistletoe and treats for the kids too!

For every tree sold, The Christmas Forest will donate toplant a tree in the African drylands through Tree Aid.128,144 trees have been planted to date, changing livesfor thousands of some of the poorest families in theworld.

Come and wander through and pick your perfectChristmas tree and enjoy an extra festive glow knowingyour trees means life, not just Christmas.  Carol singingand mince pies while you shop.

Prices start at £18.  Parking and delivery available. Youcan buy your tree online as well at:www.christmasforest.co.uk

Tel:  01865 427 067Address: The Christmas Forest, Finsbury Park,Endymion Road Entrance, N4 1EEOpening Times: 8am-10pm Monday to Sunday

NIGHT

Thursday 4th December6.30 - 8.30pm

Community Theatre

Come along for a fun evening

and pit your wits against

other parents, carers,

teachers, staff and

governors.

PRIZE WINNINGRAFFLE

HOMEMADE CARDS& DECORATIONS

ON SALE

Per person

MULLED WINE &MINCE PIES

Inspiring London’s Women of the Future

Meet the

Head GirlsNew

I plan to bevery active inschool lifeand so hopemany of youwill follow mylead and alsofeelencouragedto participate in the planning of themany exciting events and clubsHornsey offers.

I am dedicated to this role and willtry my utmost to be a responsibleand reliable figure that can bridgethe gap between members of staffand students. I will listen toconstructive criticism and alsopraise regarding Hornsey toultimately better Hornsey's schoolcommunity.

Elizabeth Peters Head Girl

I'm honoured andexcited to havebeen appointedDeputy Head Girl ofHornsey, and I hopeI can have apositive impact onthe school.

I'm always availableif anyone wants any

help with anything, and I hope peoplewill approach either Elizabeth, myself orthe SHLT if they have any queries orproblems. I'm looking forward toworking with everyone and I'm happy tohelp so you can always approach me inthe corridor, even if it's just to say hi!

Grace Ursel Deputy Head Girl

Hornsey School for Girls formed a new Student HouseLeadership Team for the school year. Led by the electedHead Girl and Deputy Head Girl the team is formed ofstudents from years 7 to 13, with representatives from eachcore learning group chosen by their class.

Students were nominated for election by their core learninggroups and had to present, to their class, a manifesto abouttheir plans if they were elected. Elections were then held andall students voted. After a very high turn out (almost everystudent!) and with all of the votes counted, the electedstudents were presented with Prefect and Deputy Prefectbadges at a special award assembly.

The Head Girl and Deputy Head Girl were nominated bystudents in their core learning groups and were thenshortlisted by a panel consisting of: teachers, directors oflearning and senior leadership members. Those selected hadto deliver a short presentation and were then interviewed bythe panel. The top two students were then selected by thepanel with Elizabeth Peters as our new Head Girl and GraceUrsel as our new Deputy Head Girl.

Congratulations to all students who took part and werevoted on to the Student House Leadership Team and thankyou to everyone who participated in the voting process.

Aliyah Osman Head Prefect

Hornsey Sixth Form College has launched a new SeniorPrefect Team. Students, who wished to be a member of theteam, submitted a one minute video as part of thenomination process. Each video was then shown to studentsand staff, who were asked to vote each member onto theteam.

The team of 12 members will be divided into sub committeesthat will hold responsiblities for:

● Charities & Fundraising● Media, Marketing & Recruitment● Social Events● Through-School Liaison● Sports Captains

Congratulations to the following students who were votedon to the team:Amy GarradFreya WilliamsLameez MaharajHannan Ahmed-ThabitLinda Nguyen Deputy Head PrefectLouise Wong (not pictured)Ayesha AbbasAneesa ShahidSweetney Ivy OjuleKarima MiladiAmina RotaAliyah Osman Head Prefect

If students, or members of staff, have any suggestions for theSenior Prefect Team e.g. events or articles for the Sixth Formmagazine, please do not hesitate to get in touch with amember of the team

Meet the

Senior Prefect TeamNew

Linda Nguyen Deputy Head Prefect

I’m delighted to be involved withthe Senior Prefect Team as it is agreat opportunity to make HornseySchool for Girls, and the Sixth FormCollege the best on the planet (I’mexaggerating!) well... close to that.This means that we want to get thelower school and sixth formstudents to be a part of a range ofexciting activities and events makingus a closer community.My hobbies are football, shopping,and socialising. So if any students dohave any exciting ideas please comeand find me for chat.“Let us make a difference!"

I've always foundthat gettinginvolved withcharities is a greatway of giving backinto the widercommunity andbeyond! I wouldreally appreciate itif the younger yeargroups also

become more active in fundraisingevents. However, it doesn't necessarilyhave to be about charities. If you haveany interesting ideas for any potentialevents this academic year, be it bizarreor the best idea ever; feel free to talk tomyself or a senior prefect member.“Take this opportunity because we allshape the school!”

ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE

On Friday the 17th of October 2014, my class (9L) and Iwere honoured to go to West Green Care Home, to showresidents our presentation on Black History Month, heldin October each year.

We were chosen to go on this trip because Ms Lambertthought that our assembly which we presented to Year 9students was superb and picked us to present it outside ofschool.

There are a lot of negative stereotypes about ourgeneration, especially teenagers, so we wanted theresidents to have a good perspective towards us and showthem that we are actually kind, gentle and friendly people.

When we arrived at the home, we were greeted withwarm smiles. There were friendly care workers who guidedus to the room where we would be presenting ourperformance. It was a nice change to see 15 differentelderly faces smiling and listening intently to us!

In the care home (because of the lack of a projector) wehad to all project our voices and use props instead of aPowerPoint presentation. This did not affect us at all andwe spoke clearly and loud during our performance makingsure everyone could hear why Black History Month isimportant.

Throughout the presentation we talked about somefamous black role models such as Oprah Winfrey andMartin Luther King, we explained some of the eventshappening in Haringey about this special month and tofinish off we also performed a wonderful play about RosaPark’s Montgomery Bus Strike.

We were applauded at the end and congratulated by acare worker who gave us a bag of chocolates and asked usto come again!

We all enjoyed ourselves and had a very pleasant time. Itwas also a new experience to present something to theelderly instead of just to other children in school. As thiswas my first experience of going to a care home I foundthe environment friendly and welcoming and I would liketo visit again in the future.

By Tanha Student Head Leader 9L

This term Year 10 Peer Mentors have created ice breakersessions for Year 7 students called the “Listening Room”.These sessions are aimed at making our new studentsfeel welcome, safe and supported at Hornsey School.After the first session students can choose whether theywould like to work further with peer mentors on specificissues such as friendship breakdowns, homework andnew ideas for the school.

One new Year 7 student said:“I think Peer Mentors are great. They are so nice andkind and make very good listeners. I am so glad to havemet them and now know where I can go if I need to talkto someone”.

Students who wish to attend a Listening Room meetingcan go to room C2 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays andThursdays in periods 4a and 4b.

ICE BREAKER

I was fortunate enough to beselected to attend the WOW

Day of the Girl event at theSouthbank Centre on Friday 10thOctober. It was a phenomenalexperience. Personally, I didn't knowwhat feminism meant to me exactlybut I knew it was something Isupported. The activities that we took part in, like thementoring sessions on the London Eye (picturedabove), and the question and answer session withGemma Cairney, proved to be a real eye opener for meand clarified how much I actually support feminism.This trip was greatly beneficial and really good fun,particularly the t-shirt printing workshop in theafternoon. It would be a good idea to have more tripslike this especially since we are a girls’ school. I wasable to understand my self-worth as a girl and howimportant girls are to the world.

Lameez Maharaj Year 12