Written by Nashid, Year 11

This week, we had the pleasure of hosting members from Norwood, a local Jewish charity supporting members of our community.

We spent the first few hours of the day perfecting Main hall for our guests, the whole year group getting stuck in with their separate roles. Many honed their artistic abilities whilst creating handmade cards to welcome each guest, or decorating baubles as small gifts for them to take away. Others spent time crafting decorations to bring the hall to life, making paper chains, gingerbread man bunting, paper snowflakes, and more. Musicians rehearsed their festive tunes, even playing whilst everyone set up, adding to the cheery atmosphere. Meanwhile, chefs and bakers worked hard in the kitchen, preparing sandwiches, chopping fruit and salad, bringing in baked goods, and setting up the food station.

And after a few slightly chaotic but equally fun hours, we had managed to set up the Main hall to feel as festive as possible, just in time for our wonderful guests. Students welcomed them in with their cards, helped seat them, and chatted whilst they did some colouring in and drawing. What started out as a calm and relaxed atmosphere, with our talented ensemble playing instrumental music, quickly turned bright and energetic with another student band taking song requests, which got everyone up and dancing. Many of our guests joined students on the dance floor, two of them even performing an impromptu duet for ‘defying gravity’. We then enjoyed a few Just Dance songs, until everyone’s feet were sore and water breaks were much needed.

The day was all in all, a wonderful experience- for us, and hopefully for our guests too. All the preparations were fun, and doing them all together got us in the holiday spirit. We all learnt a skill or two, from figuring out how to use a peeler, to channelling our inner electricians and fixing the fairy lights. And the best part was of course, the feeling of community, and getting to spend time with the lovely members of Norwood.