Clifford
S eptember brought with it a renewed sense of optimism and laughter ringing through the corridors and the usual beating heart of the school with the return of our students. In Clifford, we also welcomed our new third formers into the fold and in spite of restrictions, we managed some team building in the sunshine and even an ice lolly or two! We also began our mentoring program this year, with the Lower Sixth each taking on a mentee to help the new additions transition from Kirby into the senior school. This was all the more important without our usual sleepover at school (although Ms Humphrys’ sleep patterns were certainly all the better for it!) to maintain the sense of community and togetherness upon which Clifford prides itself. The girls continued to show their remarkable resolve in spite of having to endure what has been one of the toughest years on record and I couldn’t be more proud of their efforts or of our little team. The fifth form, in particular, have shown unparalleled resilience, determination and hard work, which will undoubtedly be reflected in their summer results. My admiration and thanks extends to the Clifford tutors and parents whose support and kindness throughout the pandemic has been invaluable. House Drama made a welcome return this year and although the girls didn’t have the usual buzz of a live audience to carry them through, it was a pleasure to see different year groups coming together and distracting themselves from the wider global situation. This year, Ms Young aptly chose the theme of ‘hope’ and Clifford chose to perform their rendition of J K Rowling’s ‘ Harry Potter .’ Under the careful guidance of Carys Hamill and Pratigya Peshen, the cast largely consisted of our junior students, who did an excellent job, in spite of being up against older peers in many of the other Houses. There were some fabulous performances from Anais Hamill, Hannah Crottie and Tabby Durrant, to name but a few. In the words of J.K Rowling’s Dumbledore: “Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” I look forward to watching some of our rising stars coming through the ranks.
Sadly, the end of the Christmas holidays began with another period of national lockdown, but this time around, we were old pros at using virtual learning platforms. The Clifford girls competed in photography competitions, nature inspired contests, Strava challenges and our old favourite, ‘The Great Clifford Fake Off.’ On this occasion, the girls were asked to design a ‘showstopper’ piece. All of the entries were fantastic and reconfirmed the plethora of star bakers we have in the House. Our panel of guest judges chose winning entries from Poppy Heming, Sarah Smith, Marianne Robinson and Amelia Ellis, whose NHS inspired rainbow cake brought a smile to us all. The girls all continued to meet in their tutor groups, check in with me and one another, as well as adapting to their lessons in the new ‘normal.’ I know that for some, virtual learning proved to be a positive experience, whilst for others, it presented new challenges and hurdles which seemed almost mountainous. It goes without saying that whichever of these scenarios was the case, all of our pupils deserve our sincerest congratulations and praise for the way in which they have coped with unprecedented situations. I was
LAWRENTIAN 2021 18
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