Head’s blog
Standing on Top Terrace and looking across a scene of pupils enjoying the spring sunshine, I was struck by the uplifting feeling that comes from these happy moments which seem to be bursting out all around us. I could not resist asking a group of boys to pose for a photo for this blog, and it was agreed that I could break the ‘invisible phone’ rule under the circumstances.
Amongst the successes which have been brightening up our days have been the Teen Tech award achieved by Old Millhillians Tyler C and Micah L and the announcement that Keon K, Fifth Form (Murray), has earned a prestigious Arkwright Scholarship for Design, the sixth year of success for Mill Hill. Also demonstrating impressive creativity was Ruby A, Upper Sixth (Atkinson), whose ART-iculation presentation on the painting Rolla by Henri Gervex was much admired for its passionate and confident delivery.
Our recent musical Bugsy Malone filled the stage with the colour of pink silk-clad molls, live music from the band, feuding gangsters and dull-witted law enforcers; an upbeat and highly entertaining production for which great credit goes to the cast, comprising Fourth to Sixth Formers, and the Directors, Mr Proudlock (Dramatic) and Mr Kyle (Musical). The Belmont play School of Rock was no less exuberant, playing to two packed Houses in Mill Hill’s Patrick Troughton Theatre; the whole cast gave it their all – their characters finding themselves through rock music and ‘sticking it to the man’.
Max M is part of the Finchley Steel Orchestra who participated in the regional competition for the National Music for Youth Festival and have qualified for the National Competition which takes place this summer; a great achievement.
The One Foundation approach, which is increasingly in evidence, also applied to the Parents’ Association Quiz Night at Mill Hill School in which the home staff team pitted its wits against the Belmont teachers and the many parents who came along to compete and who ultimately carried off the trophy.
On the sporting front congratulations go to the Dickin family, with the selection of Lauren and Chloe, Fourth Form (Murray), for the Middlesex U14 Hockey team and Liberty, Fifth Form (Murray) for the U16s. Hattie S, Remove (School), and Liberty have progressed beyond this to join regional training squads. Nathan W, Lower Sixth (Priestley), has achieved further success in the world of bouldering, winning the Blokfest competition; an adult event covering the whole of the south of England with 350 entrants. The Basketball team, under the guidance of Mr Mansilla, has also gone from strength to strength and remains unbeaten this year. George T, Fourth Form (Atkinson), has done us proud by being selected for the Surrey U14 County Squad and recently went on an Emerging Player Programme tour to Sri Lanka with London Schools. He looks forward to a successful season with the Mill Hill U14 team this summer. Congratulations also go to Cedars Fourth Form pupils Josie B and Amelia M who have been selected as part of the Middlesex and Hertfordshire U14 Girls’ Rugby squads respectively. Both Josie (a winger or outside centre) and Amelia (a full-back or flyhalf) play for Old Albanians RUFC.
I was delighted that at our full School assembly at the beginning of this half of term we were able to congratulate Major Anthony Norrington on being justly recognised for his outstanding leadership of our Combined Cadet Force, having been awarded Contingent Commander of the year for 2018.
With so many aspects of Mill Hill life to celebrate we are finding our recently launched social media channels buzzing with exciting School news and now with close to a thousand followers; what better medium for capturing and sharing magic moments at Mill Hill.
