Cloister Spring Half Term

9 February 2024 - Cloister

It has been a busy Half Term in Cloister – we have seen success in several school events, and continued to support each other and foster the warm House Spirit which makes Cloister a special place to live.

We loved welcoming girls, families and loved ones to our House Dinner in January. The Dining Room looked great, and it was such a joy to see everyone having a good time. We enjoyed entertainment from several of our most accomplished pianists, and a recitation from one of our budding poets, Izzy Z. A quiz brought out our competitive sides, with rounds ranging from Harry Potter to General Knowledge and Only Connect. Miss Millwood may have made the questions a little too difficult, but we got there in the end! Our Head of House, Issy, spoke winsomely and graciously on the highlights of the term, and looking to the future – we are glad to have so much to celebrate as a house!

In February, it was our turn to lead the school for Chapel, considering the theme of honesty. Our Lower 6 worked hard choosing a Bible passage and drawing out the message on being honest with oneself, and seeking to encourage others.. For our House Anthem, we decided to sing ‘Man in the Mirror’ by Michael Jackson. This well-known song emphasises that, in order to make a change in the world, you must first take an honest look at your own self. The Cloister girls were fabulous – singing with great energy and even adding some well-received harmonies and choreography. We would also be remiss not to mention the ‘Hee Hee’s’ and Michael Jackson hats which accompanied the performance! A fantastic end to the Head Girl Team’s ‘Spirit Week’ – our hope is that everyone left the Chapel with a renewed desire for showing kindness to those around them. 

We enjoyed success in House Cross-Country, with nearly all girls taking part in at least one race round the school grounds – many doing the course twice! Issy F took first place in the Intermediate race, with notable contributions also from Eleanor, Alice C, Christabel and Issy B. Cloister also placed excellently in the Poetry Declamation competition, where all Lower School pupils choose a poem to memorise and perform. The Final Showcase was a wonderful demonstration of a range of poetry; between the UIII, LIV and UIV class winners, six of them were Cloister girls!

For Cloister, special moments don’t just include winning events or prizes – they also happen in the smaller or seemingly ordinary times we share every day in House. For instance, time spent eating together, inventing new card games round the kitchen table and singing in the bathroom while getting ready for bed. This term, Miss Nel has faithfully made hot chocolate every week and opened up the surgery for girls to relax, chat and enjoy each others’ company. We have particularly enjoyed seeing older and younger girls laughing and joking with each other, sharing advice and help with prep.

There is much to look forward to after Long Leave, with our House Outing, World Book Day and House Singing all featuring in the calendar. We will also see the return of ‘Tuesday Treats’ – Baking with Miss Nel and Miss Millwood on Tuesday evenings. We will also continue playing rounds of Cluedo and our new favourite game, Taco Cat Goat Cheese Pizza (TCGCP)!

We hope you have a restful and regenerative Long Leave and look forward to welcoming you back for the second half of the Spring term.

Warmly,

The Cloister House Team