18 October 2024
Happy Diwali!
A message from Mrs Fowler 🪔
Diwali, also known as Deepavali, is the Hindu festival of lights, with variations celebrated in other Indian religions. It symbolises the spiritual 'victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance'.
The festival of Diwali always falls some time between October and November, however the exact date varies each year as the Hindu calendar is based on the Moon. In 2024, Diwali is on Friday 1 November, towards the end of our Half Term holiday.
To all of our readers - of all faiths and none - we hope that this sparkling festival of lights brings you joy, prosperity and happiness.
Above and below: Diwali celebrations started early in Years 3 and 5, where special thanks go to Mrs Gadhia who visited each class with beautiful saris, sacred ornaments and pictures, retelling the story of Rama and Sita with its theme of good overcoming evil. Everyone enjoyed trying on spectacular outfits and learning about the family traditions and customs celebrated at this time of year, capped off with generous gifts for the girls that will hold special memories. We also thank Mrs Pandya who spent time in Nursery, captivating our youngest pupils with bangles, bindis, decorations and traditional clothing - all topped off with a story.
Above: A Diwali book display, curated by our Librarians earlier this week
You heard it here first ...
We are thrilled to announce that the Music Department at Nottingham Girls' High School has been shortlisted for the prestigious Outstanding Music Department of the Year award, set to take place in London in January 2025. This is a remarkable achievement, marking the third time we have received this accolade—one of the highest recognitions for music departments in the country.
This accomplishment would be possible without the incredible talent and dedication of our students, parents and staff. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has invested their time and energy in our music program - your unwavering support truly makes the school what it is.
THANK YOU 🙏
On Thursday, we welcomed Ben Talbot - CEO of The Friary - to our annual harvest celebration assembly, where he thanked our families for their generous donations of food and toiletries for local people who are homeless or living in supported accommodation.
Thank you to Olivia, Evie, Daphne and Jovana from Years 3-6, who stood up to ask Ben probing questions from their year groups, and to Mrs Keys and Mrs Bailey for arranging such great singing!
My Windblowers Cup overfloweth! 🎻
Mr Rolfe
On Tuesday, we held our 11th annual Windblowers Cup, an inter-house music competition for Years 5-6 in which students demonstrate both their musical skills and love of performing. Our guest judges - Nick Millburn (General Manager, Windblowers) and Emily Lawson (Year 7-13 music tutor) - enjoyed a wonderful 90 minutes listening to the pupils' carefully selected and well practised items.
There were prizes for 1st and 2nd place in each main musical category, as well as trophies for the most promising Year 5 and 6 students. Alongside the trophy for the best composition, the judges also totalled the house points of each performer and are pleased to announce the results as follows ...
Runners up
Zara Lindsay * Isobel Dewar * Lottie Buxey * Maia Knopp * Ellaria Deacon
Leah Watson * Ida Corbett * Pippa Winter * Olivia Kumar
Dina El Sharkaway * Aaminah Sheikh * Gabi Hayes * Alana Pritchard
Evie Myatt * Liliana Burt-Cox * Sophia Chen * Aleesha Gadhia
Prize winners who will perform on 11 November
1st in voice: Olivia Day (Y6)
2nd in voice: Elsie Plant (Y6)
1st in Percussion: Mimi Gould (Y6)
2nd in Percussion: Emily Bloch (Y5)
1st in Piano: Si-Rae Jiang (Y5)
2nd in Piano: Aathira Sivasanger (Y6)
1st in Woodwind and Brass: Anveesha Mahida (Y6)
2nd in Woodwind and Brass: Jasmine Chen-Mehta (Y5)
1st in Strings: Florence Danielson (Y6)
2nd in Strings: Charlotte Chen (Y5)
Composition Trophy: Tala Alnaimi (Y6)
Gillian Roddis award for most promising Year 5 student: Jaime Edmonds
Peter Beaumont award for most promising Year 6 student: Alice Danielson
House Music Cup totals thus far:
Luxton 45 * Hastings 60 * Skeel 70 * Bolton 75
*** Judges will announce the overall winner of the competition on the evening of 11 November ***
Mr Rolfe praised the students, stating, “They prepared exceptionally well and were a tremendous credit to themselves, and the atmosphere was wonderful with girls cheering each other on. Regardless of who advances to the next round, every participant embarked on an important journey; they demonstrated our school values of Resilience, Creativity and Excellence, and left the competition with valuable insights that will help them grow as musicians.”
Mr Millburn - who has judged the event for eleven years - remarked, “It was lovely to come to such a welcoming school and to hear the early sparks of music excellence. The pupils did an excellent job, and it was clear how much effort had been applied.” When asked for constructive feedback, he emphasised the importance of choosing repertoire that is neither too easy nor too difficult, and ensuring it is well-practised.
Mrs Lawson (who will oversee music tuition for the girls from Year 7) was excited to witness the next generation of musical talent. She added, “Putting your character and emotion into performance is the key to moving forward. Whilst every delivery was impressive, those who clearly enjoyed their music and conveyed the emotion behind it truly elevated their performances.”
Runners-up will receive medals and trophies during an assembly following the final on 11 November, for which further details will be shared in the coming days.
BBC Children in Need
Our annual sponsored walk will take place on Friday 15 November, at Attenborough Nature Reserve - full details will follow straight after Half Term. Once again, transport to and from the start and finish points for most girls and staff will be generously provided by NET.
ACRO WORKSHOP
This exciting new opportunity for boys and girls aged 6+ is being run by our new Cheer coach, Miss Georgia!
Pentathlon updates
Miss Abbott
This week saw us round off the half term with some amazing inter-house events, including the Year 3-4 pentathlon which showcased some excellent examples of running, jumping and throwing. Congratulations go to Bolton on their overall victory, and to Mckendra who claimed top spot in Year 3, followed by Holly as runner up and Helia in 3rd position. In Year 4, we congratulated Katarina as individual champion, with Rosie and Iostina in 2nd and 3rd places respectively. We will repeat this event in the summer term, awarding our top three certificates to those that have made the most improvement over the course of the year.
We also have delayed results to announce for our Y5-Y6 inter-house pentathlon, thanks to a pesky computer malfunction last week! Well done, Luxton! You edged out Bolton by 2 points to be crowned champions! Individually, Emily was victorious in the Y5 event, with Junli as runner up and Sophia in 3rd position. In the Year 6 competition, Maya M the winner, with Elsie in 2nd place and Amelie S in 3rd. Well done, girls!
Excellence Cup
Handwriting
Congratulations to everyone who was shortlisted for this half term's Excellence Cup, and especially to the overall winner!
Joy (Y1) * Tali (Y2) * Isabelle (Y3)
Iostina and Aziza (Y4) * Sophia (Y5)
Elif and Tilly (Y6)
We will remember them
Well done to Isabella (6C), Maia (6B), Alana (6B) and Maya (6C) who have been chosen to be this year's Sisters of Charity. Straight after Half Term, they will be giving up their spare time to run the annual NGHS pop-up Poppy Appeal shop at breaktimes and lunchtimes, where girls who purchase a poppy will also be able to buy small items of Royal British Legion merchandise ranging from 50p to £2.
Poppy £1 minimum
Wristband £2
Ruler £2
Reflector £1.50
Zip pull £0.50
This is just one example of the sterling work that Royal British Legion does to assist wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans - helping them to compete at the seventh Invictus Games in Canada which will feature winter sports for the first time:
NGHS alumna at war 🎖️
Nottingham Women’s History Group was formed in 2010 with the aim of celebrating, promoting and researching the contributions of women to our local and national story.
The group has recently published Nottingham Herstory, a celebration of fifty remarkable women who were born, lived or achieved in our city - four of whom were NGHS alumnae.
One such example is Margaret Reid MBE (1912-1974) who was educated first at Nottingham Girls' High School and then at Girton College, Cambridge where she studied modern languages before joining the Civil Service.
In 1938, Margaret was posted to the British Embassy in Berlin where she worked as a cypher expert and helped to process applications from German Jews hoping to escape to the UK. She was then sent to Norway, assisting with the operation of an MI6 station that ran agents into Nazi Germany and handling communications between the British government and Norwegian forces. Evacuated back to Britain by the Royal Navy, Margaret continued her work as an intelligence officer for the duration of the Second World War and was eventually decorated with both an MBE and Norway's Krigsmedaljen for her 'extreme devotion to duty'. Posthumously, she was also honoured with a British Hero of the Holocaust award.
Mr Rolfe says ...
Best wishes to all pupils and families for a safe and happy Half Term holiday! Once we return to school, it'll be full speed ahead into our busiest and most enjoyable time of year in the Music Department. Here are some important diary dates, for which full details will be sent out nearer the time:
Wednesday 3 December
Year 3/4, Year5/6 Choirs and The Ukuladies charity concert at the Quaker Meeting House, 5pm
Tuesday 10 December
All of Year 3-6 - Winter Lights concert in The Space, 5.30pm
Saturday 14 December
Busking for PASIC in the Victoria Centre
(Open to all Year 4-6 pupils)
PRE-LOVED UNIFORM POP-UP SHOP
** Monday 18 - Friday 22 November **
(or until stock lasts)
08:00-08:30 and 16:00-16:30
in the Rainbow Room
£££ HUGE SAVINGS TO BE MADE! £££
CASH ONLY Items are 'sold as seen' on a first come, first served basis. Some items are brand new.
For those handy with a needle and thread or a dab hand with stain remover - visit our popular BARGAIN BUCKET !
We welcome donations for these sales, which help to raise funds for very worthwhile school projects.
C'est l'Halloween! 🎃
Mrs Crawshaw
It was a little spooky in Year 5's French lesson this week. We had fun learning Halloween words and creating a Macbeth-inspired magic potion. Merci beaucoup to Madame Quehen from the Senior School's Modern Languages Department who supported us in pronouncing such delectable French ingredients as l'ongle d'un ogre! 🤢
FUN ON THE FOREST 🏃🏿♀️
Miss Abbott
On Friday, we held our Forest Fun Run for girls in Years 3 to 6 and for once, the autumn sun came out! This was an energetic, positive way to end the first half term of the year, with girls combining their efforts to earn points for their houses.
Luxton were victorious in Years 5-6, and Bolton took the title for Years 3-4. Additionally, we celebrated the achievements of the top three runners from each age group:
Y3-Y4
1st Katharina R * 2nd Penelope F * 3rd Mckendra M
Y5-Y6
1st Elsie P * 2nd Anveesha * 3rd Maya M
Chess coaching opportunities ♟️
The Nottinghamshire County Chess Association coaches are holding courses again for primary school pupils. All are welcome, from beginners to experienced players aspiring to join a county team. Course dates are as follows:
Saturday 19th October
Saturday 2nd November
Nottingham High School, Forest Road East, NG1 4HH
09:00 to 12:00
Players should be signed in and collected by an adult, and should bring their own nut-free snacks and drinks.
£10 per session
All coaches are DBS checked