Volume 6 - Issue 18 Tammuz 5775 - Early July 2015

Dear ParentsIn this week’s Newsletter we are sharing the activities of our annual Music Week. This was a truly inspiring week of music and all involved are to be commended for their participation. I hope that over the course of the week everyone was able to find something that struck a chord with them. Aside from the events held at JFS (see page 9) our students also went ‘on the road’ delivering Music sessions to a number of primary schools. So many of our students and staff have such stunning musical talents. It is magnificent to have an opportunity to showcase them. Equally wonderful was the feedback we have received from the Freeflow evening of Dance (see page 10). Dance has grown in popularity in recent years and the annual performances are always a great example of the hard work put in by both students and staff. We have a number of particularly talented gymnasts within the student body who have helped us to take the quality of Dance at JFS to a new level.This Friday we will host our first Sports Day of the year. Sports Days are opportunities for everyone to participate for their House team and they are always very enjoyable. I hope

קיוהרוא

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MESSAGE FROM THE HEADTEACHER

Inside thisIssue:

Unique OpportunityThe Velodrome Expeience.

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Dazzling ExhibitionStudents’ Artwork Celebrated.

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A Week Of MusicStudent music and song wows audiences.

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that as many parents as possible will join us to cheer on their children. I remind parents, please, to email in advance to inform us if you are coming in for Sports Day.I would also remind any parents who are relocating over the summer holidays to inform us as soon as possible. It is testament to the high regard that our school is held that we have very healthy waiting lists for all Year Groups. There are people who are anxiously waiting to see if their child will be given a place at JFS for next term. We know that each summer a small number of students leave us, often due to relocation linked to work, Aliyah to Israel or other family reasons. If you know your child/ren will not be returning to JFS in September, please do let our Admissions Department know at your earliest convenience so that the place can be given out prior to the holidays. Whilst we are always sad to say farewell to existing students, those hoping to join the School will appreciate knowing there is a place available. Yours sincerelyJonathan MillerHeadteacher

JFS students reflecting on the beauty of the Land of Israel in Ein Bokek during their Taste of Israel (ATOI) trip.

A GIFT From Our StudentsEvery year, the Year 9 students of JFS School embark on their Hand-in-Hand programme. This year, the Jewish Informal Education Programmes (JiEP) coordinated the programme alongside GIFT, with the focus on active volunteering. Held over a number of days, Hand-in-Hand seeks to engage the students and cultivates a sense of giving.

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Students participated in activities that focussed on four specific charities: Zaka, GIFT, Shaarei Zedek Hospital and the Michael Levin Lone Soldier Centre.

Playing the ‘Game of Life’ students learnt that whilst we need money to survive we should also engage in charitable endeavours.

Students made balloons for children of Camp Simcha to bring cheer to patients suffering from cancer and other terminal diseases.

More balloons for Camp Simcha.

The winning team of the ‘Game of Life’.

Louise White, who became blind at the age of 15 and in spite of her diability was not prevented from living out her dreams.

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Students Barter in an Israeli ShukIvrit students in Year 7 participated in an authentic Israeli ‘JFS Shuk’ (market) in the Theatre to mark the end of an exciting module on the subject of ‘Shopping’. Students created goods, such as clothes, school stationery, falafel & shwarma, and then went on to sell their wares in their shuk stalls. The stalls were then manned by different groups of students in Year 7. A range of competitive group tasks were set in order to challenge students to use their excellent bargaining skills in the Shuk. The ‘JFS Mishtara’ (Israeli police) was also present to ensure students only spoke in Ivrit, using the vocabulary learnt in previous Ivrit lessons. The shuk experience ended with a tasty falafel for each student. It was a fun and engaging opportunity for all students to communicate and gain confidence in their Ivrit speaking skills.

Olympic Velodrome ExperienceAwards winners and nominees at our recent Sports Awards Evening were treated to a visit to the famous Velodrome in London which was generously sponsored by Maccabi GB.This sponsorship has now ended and we are seeking a new partner to continue offering our most talented and hardworking sporting students the opportunity to experience world class venues, in recognition of all of their achievements. If you are in a position to help with sponsorship, please contact our PE Department. 120 students attended over four trips taking part in track cycling in the Olympic Velodrome (soon to host the 2016 World Championships) as well as the Olympic BMX track, complete with jumps and tricks.

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A Taste Of Home‘A Taste of Israel’ (ATOI) trip was easily one of the best experiences of my life so far as well as those of my group. This article will summarise the two week trip to Israel where we explored ‘The Land’ while developing a spiritual relationship with it.We arrived at school with our giant bags anxious that our luggage would not exceed the 20 kilogram limit. Sitting on the coach travelling to Heathrow Airport, we were still close to our families and homes but already the feeling of distance and independence creeped in. Getting through the Airport was long and tiring and this was followed by a long five hour flight. However, once we all saw the lights of Tel-Aviv, as the aircraft began to land, all our faces lit up with excitement. After we exited the plane, we had a light supper of cold drinks and cakes. Without delay, we boarded our coach and met our Madrichim and Tour Guides. We each received a large 1.5 litre water bottle with a special blue JFS carrier bag, which many of the students in the group decided to keep all the way to the end. At midnight we were on our way from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem, where our first hostel would be. On arrival we were told that we would have to wake up at 6:30am, but being in Israel on ATOI kept everyone awake and excited.

The first day of ATOI involved cooperation in teams to pack as many food packages as possible. We were helping Pantry Packers, a food distribution project that sends food to families who need financial assistance. Afterwards, we travelled to the Old City where we had activities to help us bond as a group. We explored the Old City, had our first falafel and went to the Kotel (Western Wall). Going to the Kotel was a highly spiritual moment especially as we davened with a Minyan. After several incredible hiking experiences in the Negev, we moved hostel to the Arad Youth Hostel. We stayed there for Shabbat and it was a highly unified and spiritual weekend. We prayed, played games and chanted as loudly as possible at the Shabbat dining table. Gabriella, one of our Madrichim said, “During ATOI, especially on Shabbat, the sense of unity amongst the group made me feel like the proud mother of 47 children.”After Shabbat was out, we spent our last night in the Negev desert. We woke up at 3 a.m., ready to travel to Masada. We were incredibly worried that we would miss the sunrise as we watched the sky become lighter while we were still on the coach. Once we arrived we sprinted up Masada incredibly quickly reaching the top in about eight minutes. Luckily, everything was in our favour and we

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all arrived just in time to see the most beautiful and grandiose view we would see in our lives; the sun rising from the Dead Sea lighting up the whole mountain range ahead of us.We put on Tefillin, prayed at the ancient ruins of the fortress and then walked around while Talia, our incredible tour guide, spoke to us about the historical events that happened there. Very hungry by now, we descended Masada and went to the Masada Youth Hostel for breakfast. After a delicious and refreshing breakfast we were all ready to continue the adventure. We swapped our hiking shoes for water shoes and went on the bus to the water hike location. Walking through the watery, sandy trail we found a large spring where everyone jumped into the warm water. We splashed about, wrestled and spent many minutes yelping with joy. After a long day we headed back to the beautiful Kibbutz Ashdot Yaakov, where we would be for the following five nights. As ATOI began to come to an end, we had done so many incredible activities. We hiked up several mountains, walked through rivers, went rafting down the fast rapids of the Jordan River, and swam in the Dead Sea. The feeling of unity was incredibly strong within the group. Regan, a student on the trip said, “There was an undeniable sense of unity between all of

us and Israel. We all experienced the beauty and culture of our Homeland in an interesting and thought-provoking way.”For the final Shabbat in Israel, all four groups were together. We had an incredibly spiritual and Divine moment as we prayed Kabbalat Shabbat at the Kotel, danced with other Jews we did not even know and felt a sense of unity as the Jewish Nation. This was followed by a lovely dinner, where every group chanted their own songs and we felt a special finale to the incredible trip. The following day was spent as a day to remember all the lives we have lost in wars. We went to Yad Vashem, where everyone felt sadness for the tragedy of the Holocaust and then walked up Mount Herzl, where we remembered the many fallen soldiers. The conclusion of ATOI came the next day. After we were let loose in Jaffa Market, to buy souvenirs, we had an amazing farewell buffet at a local Kebab restaurant in Jerusalem. The following morning we said goodbye to the most incredible tour guides ever and departed to the United Kingdom.Jacob Schapira 9W2 Student Journalist

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Cambridge Chemistry ChallengeThe Cambridge Chemistry Challenge for Lower Sixth students attracted 15 JFS students who gave up two hours of their time during Future’s Week, in order to sit the challenge. Amongst 8,500 of the brightest Chemistry students in the country, JFS students won 13 certificates, including our second ever Gold Award (top 9%), two Silver Awards (top 25%) and ten Copper Awards (top 60%).Congratulations to all concerned.

Observing the Stages of DevelopmentYear 10 GCSE students studying the

Child Development course, enjoyed a hands-on session with some small visitors to the School. The Students received practical experince to

enhance their course, by playing with babies and toddlers whilst assessing the factors in their developmental stages, such as fine motor skills.

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Impressive ExhibitsParents, staff and students were delighted to be able to view student works of art, as part of our annual Art Exhibition.The exhibits highlighted the talents of our ‘A’ Level and GCSE students, whom we wish success in their exams.

Historical TheatricsAs part of the Year 12 Futures Week at JFS, students were able to enrich their extra-curricular academic lives with trips across London. These trips were organised in direct correlation to subjects being studied and therefore resulted in a group of Theatre Studies students having the privilege of visiting the Globe Theatre in South London. Students were invited to a museum exhibition before going into the

theatre itself. The Globe Theatre, hugely influential nowadays due to its historical connection with Shakespeare and his works, was rebuilt in the 1990s. Displayed in the exhibition were the magnificent costumes that were used in performances, as were miniature buildings of the surrounding area, to reflect the wider context of the Globe. After this, a tour guide from the Globe, who was also an actress and practitioner, invited the Theatre

Studies students into the theatre itself while a technical rehearsal for a performance was going on. “It was wonderful to be granted the opportunity to see how a professional performance was organised in rehearsals, especially in a theatre with such a unique space as the Globe,” summarised Hannah, a Theatre Studies student. Whilst in the Globe, we learnt more about the performance history of the theatre and how the design was particularly relevant to Shakespearean times, in which the theatre was used as a place primarily for the upper-class to show off. We were then taken to the rehearsal space that actors performing at the Globe use, and were taken through a variety of exercises in a workshop. From using only vocal skills to convey emotion to expanding our spatial awareness through an exercise, the session revealed what important skills actors are expected to hone. Exercises were also done to focus primarily on Twelfth Night, the Shakespeare play that the Drama Department will be creating at the end of the Summer Term. Good luck to everybody auditioning for a part!Ruth Parsons 12WB Student Journalist

Workings of A Pit OrchestraYear 10 GCSE Music students had the opportunity to see the musical ‘Bugsy Malone’ at the Lyric Theatre in Hammersmith.

Musicals are a part of the GCSE syllabus. This is achieved through the study of the set work ‘Something’s Coming’ by Leonard Bernstein. Students were very fortunate to enjoy front-row seats where they were able to experience the action up close,

whilst also gaining further insight into the workings of a Pit-Orchestra. The show was thoroughly enjoyed by all, whilst also developing their understanding of this genre.

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JFS Music FestivalIt was a week of several exciting musical events that took place in school, organised by the Music Department. It began with the Summer Concert after months of challenging auditions and practice sessions. The concert consisted of many spectacular performances that provided students with the opportunity to showcase and express their musical talents. The next brilliant event, the Year 7 ‘Sing-off’, took place the following day. The singing spectacle is an annual event in which the students of Year 7 sing a song in the theatre (normally from a film or musical that is allocated to their ITAM class). All 300 students began the event in unison and expressed their vocal talents singing ‘Donna, Donna’. This was then followed by the class song. The event was the fruition of many months of effort, lessons of practice, tweaking and improving the class performance, as well as choreography. This ensured the atmosphere was captivating and drew much applause as everyone understood the level of hard work that was put into delivering each performance. As voted by the panel of expert judges, the 2015 annual ‘Sing-Off’ was won by Year 7AB3 who performed the song ‘Any Dream Will Do’ from the production ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’. All students

from the other ITAM classes received certificates, recognising the huge effort and contribution to the success of the day. Overall, this was a fantastic event with a brilliant atmosphere, especially as this is one of the only activities that involves the entire Year Group throughout the year.The following day the School Choir went on a trip to Hertsmere Jewish Primary School and Wolfson Hillel Primary School. In both schools the Choir performed the songs ‘The Circle of Life’ from the Lion King and ‘Adiemus’. In addition to performing for the school’s students, the Choir

were given the opportunity to teach the primary school children how to sing Tefillah (prayers). Choir member Hannah in 8B1, reports that, “It was a really fun day” and in particular, she felt privileged to perform at Wolfson Hillel, as this used to be her primary school. Choir members commented that JFS might want to consider a longer trip in years to come as this was a “truly fun day”. The final event of the week was the long awaited Staff Recital. This is an event in which students and staff flood the theatre, waiting expectantly for teaching and support staff to sing or play an instrument. This event is always extremely popular and the staff had a great amount of applause after each performance. Performances included ‘Shake it off’ by the PE Department and a Jazz performance by Geography Teacher, Mr Patel (on the Saxophone). Mr Marks also took an active part and accompanied the performers on the drums. All students were praising the recital which was thoroughly entertaining and successful. The fun activities of the week certainly ended on a high note!Mrs Bellinger, Head of the Music Department confirmed that she was extremely pleased with how Music Week went this year and I am sure that everyone else who helped to plan the week, or participated in any of the events, felt very proud.We are all eagerly awaiting Music Week to return next year.Gilad Fibeesh 8A1 Student Journalist

Our annual Year 7 ‘Sing-Off’ took place recently beginning with the whole of Year 7 singing ‘Donna, Donna’. It was wonderful to hear 300 voices all singing together in unison. The afternoon proceeded with each ITAM Music group performing a

class song, including solos, harmony and choreography. There was a great atmosphere in the Theatre as students encouraged and applauded each other, recognising the hard work that went into each performance.

7AB3 won the overall competition with their rendition of ‘Any Dream Will Do’.Our guest judges were Ivor Goldberg, founder of ‘Shir Music’ and Dana Kerstein, a former JFS student and professional singer/songwriter.

The annual Summer Concert took place last week with impressive performances by many musically talented students at JFS. This was an opportunity for the students to display their vast amount of musical talent and the hard work they have put into learning their pieces and instruments. There were many different types of performances that showed the amazing amount of areas that JFS students are

talented in. Some of the performances ranged from soloists to bands to Klezmer Music. Also many orchestras performed as well as instrumental performances such as Steelpans. All of these acts were excellent and the Summer Concert definitely remains one of the main highlights of the year.Jordan Ilan, 9Z1 Student Journalist

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Freeflow - An Evening of Dance and TalentDancers from all Year Groups came together in an evening of music and dance. Performing in our annual Freeflow production, they gave friends and family an insight into the hard work over the past year to produce such a high standard of dance performances. The dance teachers of the PE Department worked with students to make the best pieces they could, along with Sixth Form Club teachers, GCSE students, ‘AS’ Level students as well as ‘A’ Level students.All the performers dedicated many lunch times to learning all the dances choreographed by their dance teachers. The great amount of talent and hard work helped make all the ensembles perfect.This year, a record number of dancers participated in Freeflow due to the commitment of the many new groups formed by the Lower and Upper Sixth Form dancers. The teachers dealt with the diverse range of ability so well that all the dancers were catered for in such a way that they could all show their individual talent and ability.There were also solos, duets and trios organised either by the outstanding teachers, or the students themselves. Each performance held a bit of the character of the creator of the dance, giving a unique and individual emotion to each dance piece.Overall the audience were treated to a spectacular evening that will be long remembered.Ella Lastman 8W3 Student Journalist