Baltic States Trip 2024
The school trip to the Baltic States was phenomenal. It was a great opportunity to experience the cultures of the Baltic States, and gain an insight into their fascinating history. It was also a great opportunity to practice my Russian - I purchased so many Russian books on the trip, my suitcase burst open at Gatwick Airport! We visited various museums in Tallinn and Riga, and went on guided tours of both cities, from which we learnt some fascinating stories about their past. One interesting story we heard from our guide in Riga was about a man who would not be allowed into a guild, which prompted him to purchase the building opposite the guild house, and place statues of cats on the roof out of spite, with their backsides facing the guild house. One of the highlights of the trip was a cooking class in Tallinn, in which we were taught to make Пельмени (Russian dumplings), which were served with borscht and black bread - all delectable Russian foods. Thrilling, enriching, and packed with unforgettable experiences, the entire trip was an absolute blast!
Malin Karasimov, 13 KSK
During the first part of the Easter holidays, we visited Riga in Latvia and Tallinn in Estonia. I really enjoyed it! We went to local museums and restaurants, and had guided tours of the two cities' old towns, which are truly beautiful. We had opportunities to explore the cities for ourselves, buy souvenirs, take hundreds of photos, and find out about local culture. For me, it was not just a welcome break from preparing for GCSEs, but one of the best weeks of my life :)
Here are some of my favourite memories (the full list would be way too long):
- The tour of Riga old town - we had a legendary tour guide.
- Swinging on the swings, a Latvian Easter tradition (apparently it stops mosquitoes from attacking you during summer!).
- Listening to street musicians on a pretty lit-up evening in Riga.
- Seeing the old Soviet radio equipment in the Viru hotel & KGB museum in Tallinn.
- Making traditional pelmeni and vareniki dumplings at the Troika restaurant (and eating them).
- Malin, doing maths from a textbook at 7 am in the hotel lobby.
- Countless friends group in-jokes.
Winter Smythe, 11AMM
At 5am on the first day of the Easter holidays, a group of sleepy Russian-speaking students from Year 9 up to Year 13 embarked on a six-day adventure in Latvia and Estonia. Between balmy, sunny Riga at 17°C and rainy, snowy, windy Tallinn at 0°C, we had it all - culture and history, VR games, a cooking workshop, a walk in the woods and a visit to an Estonian Russian-speaking school. For many students, it was the first residential secondary school trip, a chance to spend time with their friends in a new environment. Not just the students, the members of staff who went on the trip had an amazing time too!
Ms Zotova, MFL Department
Click here to view the Baltic States Trip 2024 Photo Gallery
On behalf of your peers as well as the staff in this school, thank you, James and well-done!
Bexley Grammar Students Win Big!
Five representatives from this year's Young Enterprise team, Illumina, competed against other school teams in the East London Finals of the Company Programme competition on Monday 22nd April. Students travelled to the BNY Mellon offices in London where they showcased their company. Students had already completed a detailed business report for the competition and needed to set up a trade stand to demonstrate and give information on their product - multisensory candles. The judges interviewed the five representatives at their stand where students explained their inspiration to improve mental health and how they came up with such a fantastic idea. They were then taken off to a separate interview room where judges more formally questioned them on the Company Programme process, their finances, experiences and next steps. After that, the team were greeted by other members of the team and parents who had travelled to London to show their support. Finally, the team needed to give a presentation to everyone at the event. They were the last to present but soon had the audience participating in finding hidden leaflets stuck to the bottom of their chairs to demonstrate the sheer number of people affected by a mental health problem. They did an excellent job of keeping their cool throughout the day. The most prestigious award - Best Company - was given to Illumina! The team were commended on their performance in all aspects of the competition and judges felt that this was a high-quality, professional product that could be a real success in the future.
On Saturday 20th April, the Chamber Choir performed at the inaugural Spring Song Choir Festival at Christchurch Bexleyheath, organised by ZigZag Performing Arts and Greenwich Academy for Music and Dance. Comprised of Year 12 and 13 students and led expertly by Mrs Casling, the Choir performed Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell, Glow by Eric Whitacre and Grace Kelly by Mika. Their performance was wonderful to watch, with smiles of enjoyment clearly visible throughout their performance. The audience were treated to a high quality performance, and the choir enjoyed performing alongside other local community choirs. Well done to members of the Chamber Choir - and good luck to our Year 13 members as you embark on study leave and exams!
