"Remember, remember the fifth of November, Gunpowder, Treason and Plot!" 

"At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them." 

As much as it calls us to remember the past, a week marked by fireworks and poppies is certainly one we're unlikely to forget. Pimlico girls, alongside many others in the Durham School community, celebrated their return to school on Monday with the Friends' firework display, but as they 'ooh-ed' and 'ah-ed' their way through the sparkles, I hope they called to mind the darker side of the fun. School House's chapel on Wednesday certainly explained what this is, recalling the precarity of stability, democracy and the institutions we take for granted. Peace, they reminded us, is far more powerful an agent for change than violence. 

Equally, through the graceful symbol of a poppy, we are led to reflect on the horrors of war and the tragedy of senseless loss. Along with the whole school, Pimlico girls filed up to chapel and back in silence this afternoon to commemorate those lost in war. The photographs of Old Dunelmians killed in the two 'great' wars acted as a sombre reminder that each loss was a person; a young man from this school, just like so many here today.

In the hope that we don't repeat the mistakes of history, this memorable week has called us to remember them. Yet in my more pessimistic moments, I see few distinctions between the bleaker 'then' and the better 'now': Recent, turbulent, global events sometimes blur my vision. 

However, my role in school, amongst other things, reminds me that there is a lot of hope. Repeatedly heartened by the voices of Pimlico House, I see intelligence, perception, imagination, determination and kindness in so many of our girls. Political activism is also strong, particularly in older girls, and it was for this precise reason that Danielle D, year 12, deserved our Friday Fun award this week. Her participation in Youth Parliament UK is truly commendable. 

The positive spirit of so many of our girls can only be a force for good and this is worth remembering. 

Separately, and looking ahead, please note two important time changes: 

1. School buses will leave on 14th November at 16.30 because of Lumière. 

2. House music will take place after school on 19th November. School will finish that day at 20.30. Rest assured that all pupils will be fed in school before the event starts. 

Thank you for planning around these changes.

Danielle meets the Speaker of the House of Commons

Year 11 social time!