The Barometer Week 8

BAROMETER THE

WETHERBY SENIOR SCHOOL WEEKLY NOVEMBER 6th 2017 | WEEK 8

Fun, games and flame tests in Chemistry!

FROM THE HEADMASTER

Dear Parents, I start with a thank you to Mrs Gillingwater and the Year 10 PTA representatives for hosting myself, Mr Lawrence and the Year 10 tutors on Wednesday evening at a fantastic drinks reception. It provided a great opportunity for staff and parents to mix and all the staff that went along thoroughly enjoyed themselves. The PTA are in the process of putting together some socials for the Spring and Summer terms with details to come in due course.

The GCSEs grow ever nearer; a fact that was clear again this week with the Year 11 drama students performing their devised pieces, first on Wednesday evening for an audience of parents, staff and friends and again before recording their plays for the examiners on Thursday

afternoon. The first group took on Brechtian theatre, making use of the unexpected and challenging the audience to think about the relationship between the leaders of the United States and North Korea. In contrast, the other group created a Victorian melodrama designed to appeal to the heart rather than the head with a tale of true love and dastardly plots. The effort that the boys had put into their pieces, which they had created themselves, was clear to see. Wednesday evening was enjoyable for all, and the boys went away with with valuable notes to help them improve before their final performances on Thursday.

For those of you keen to be at the School’s next dramatic performance, remember that tickets go on sale on Monday morning for the Christmas Cabaret!

The focus this week is on the chemistry department and the work they have been doing this term, developing key scientific skills and techniques but also engaging the boys’ creativity with the creation of board games to support their understanding of the subject. The science department have also been challenging our students by taking them to lectures at the Institute of Physics.

This, alongside the graphic design trip to the House of Illustration and the first talk in the Agora series demonstrate the excellent opportunities being provided for the boys to stretch themselves.

With best wishes,

WEEKLY DIARY MONDAY

13.11.17

Football U15A Trial 2:30pm Rugby U16A Trial 2:30pm

TUESDAY

14.11.17 Sexual Health and Relationships Talk from Roz Bicen for Year 10 and 11 Year 10: 3-4pm Year 11: 4:15-5:15pm

WEDNESDAY

15.11.17

Football U12 WSS A/B vs WPS (A) 2:30pm Rugby U15/16 WSS A/B vs KCS (H) 2:30pm Astrobiology lecture at the Institute of Physics 18:30-19:30pm

THURSDAY

16.11.17

FRIDAY

17.11.17

Rugby U14 WSS A vs Latymer Upper School (A) 2:30pm

Year 11 Science in Action (GCSE trip) HM Assembly at Hinde Street Methodist Church 3:00pm

SATURDAY

18.11.17

SUNDAY

19.11.17

IMPORTANT NOTICES

Christmas Cabaret tickets will go on sale on Parent Pay on Monday.

Make sure you get yours before they sell out!

The next Agora talk has moved from the advertised 24th November slot to Thursday 30th November at 4:35pm in the Year 10/11 common room.

New water bottle filling stations have been installed to give boys ready access to drinking water which will allow us to phase out the existing bottled watercooler systems in use at the moment and reduce our environmental impact.

It is highly recommended that boys add a reusable water bottle to their school bags so that they can have drinking water throughout the school day and stay hydrated!

MONDAY Soup: Leek & Potato Main: Lemon & Asparagus Risotto Meat Free: Baked Potatoes Served With: Baked Beans or Tuna & Sweetcorn or Bacon & Sour Cream or Mixed Grated Cheese To Go With: Sugar Snap Peas, Warm Chickpea, Tomato & Onion Cassoulet, Dessert: Apple & Forest Berry Crumble

MENU

TUESDAY Soup: Cream of Broccoli Main: Bacon, Tomato & Basil Gnocchi

To Go With: Vegetable Kebabs, Roasted Vine Cherry Tomatoes, Vegetable Rice Dessert: Mango & Passion Fruit Yogurt Pots

Main: Beef Stir Fry Meat Free: Mixed Vegetable Stir Fry

Dessert: Black Cherry Fool

Main: Pepperoni & Bacon Pitta Bread Pizza Meat Free: Tomato, Mozzarella & Basil Pitta Bread Pizza

To Go With: Sautéed Potatoes With Thyme & Cumin, Roasted Carrots & Parsnip Sticks, Steamed Peas

Freshly Made Bread To Go With: Vegetable Frittata, Chips, Grilled Courgettes Dessert: Apple Pie

Homemade Salads Vegetable Crudités With Hummus Sandwich & Wrap Selection Meat & Cheese Platters Fresh Fruit Yogurt Pots

EVERY DAY

Soup: Roasted Pepper & Tomato

Meat Free: Stuffed Portobello Mushrooms

Dessert: Chocolate and Raspberry Roulade To Go With: Egg Fried Rice, Grilled Bok Choi, Steamed Bean Sprouts, Spiced Savoy Cabbage

FRIDAY

Soup: Roasted Cauliflower Main: Chicken & Leek Pie

Meat Free: Pesto, Rocket & Goat’s Cheese Gnocchi

THURSDAY Soup: Roasted Butternut Squash

WEDNESDAY

CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT: CHEMISTRY GAMES

Year 7 & 9 were set the task of creating a chemistry based game over the half term break. Everything from Uno, Dominoes and Chem-opoly to quiz games and group interactive video games were produced, each with their own flavour of Chemistry. Some of our more recent lessons have involved playing these games and discussing what they have helped us to revise or the new things we have learned.

Keep an eye out for some displays around the school in the coming weeks and see which of the games you would like to play!

CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT: ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES

Over the past few weeks, the Year 11 boys have been learning about testing for ions in chemical compounds.

By doing a flame test or adding chemicals such as sodium hydroxide, silver nitrate or barium chloride, the boys were able to detect the presence of ions such as calcium, potassium and suphate and chloride.

They were also able to test for gases such as hydrogen, oxygen, chlorine and ammonia.

This is the basis of more complex analytical techniques used by forensic scientists in crime scenes. At the end of the topic the boys were given six unknown solids (A-F) and were able to use these different tests to correctly identify all six.

CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT: CHEMICAL REACTIONS

This term the Year 8 boys have been investigating different types of reaction. We began by looking at chemical vs physical changes and, more recently, have been looking at combustion reactions, oxidation and thermal decomposition. The boys have also been researching different chemical elements from the periodic table and you can see some of the work they have produced below!

PHYSICS DEPARTMENT: LECTURES AT THE IOP

Last Tuesday evening the Physics Department headed to the Institute of Physics for a lecture titled, ‘They’re just not making atoms smaller anymore!’.

The lecture focused on how the development of transistor technology in integrated circuits has developed over the last 60 years and the challenges engineers face now that transistors are approaching the size of a single atom.

On Wednesday 15th November the Physics Department is again heading to the Institute of Physics for a lecture on Astrobiology.

This is a brand new field of science, encompassing research into the origins and limits of life on our own planet, and where life might exist beyond the Earth. But what actually is 'life' and how did it emerge on our own world? What are the most extreme conditions terrestrial

life can tolerate? And what would an alien actually look like - how realistic are the life-forms envisaged by science fiction novels and films over the years? We will be taken on tour of the other planets and moons in our solar system which may harbour life, and even further afield to alien worlds orbiting distant stars, to explore one of the greatest questions asked: are we alone?

ART & GRAPHIC DESIGN: HOUSE OF ILLUSTRATION TRIP

On Tuesday afternoon the Year 10 Graphic Communication boys visited the House of Illustration in Kings Cross.

House of Illustration is the UK’s only public gallery dedicated to illustration and the graphic arts and was founded by Sir Quentin Blake, who famously produced illustrations for Roald Dahl books.

The boys visited the three current exhibitions and saw the work of contemporary illustrator Lucinda Rogers, the little-known production designs by celebrated political cartoonist Gerald Scarfe and some illustrations by Quentin Blake himself.

The boys then took part in an illustration workshop with a professional illustrator. They were challenged to create their own surreal scenes using collage, before illustrating them using a range of inks and watercolours.

The boys’ willingness to experiment with new media and techniques led to the creation of some evocative pieces which showed off their individual drawing styles. I can’t wait to see what they produce in their upcoming book illustration project!

AGORA LECTURE SERIES

On Thursday 12th October, Agora met for the very first time to hear Mr Atkinson talk about ‘Harry Potter and the Message of Christ’. The ‘Agora’ in ancient Greek city states was a meeting place where any citizen could go and hear ideas about a range of intellectual and entertaining topics. At Wetherby, Agora is a staff led lecture series offering interesting, challenging and passionately delivered talks on a variety of academic subjects.

So, what did Mr Atkinson talk about? Well, to get right to the (hor) crux of the issue, Mr

Atkinson outlined the idea that the Harry Potter novels offer a similar message to what is found in certain areas of Christian theology.

He suggested that the themes of love, death and redemption in Harry Potter are far closer to the themes within the Gospels than many realise and that the idea of ‘loving-faith’ is mirrored by J.K. Rowling’s ideas of ‘loving-magic’.

Comparisons between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of magic were made and the characters of Harry and Voldemort were explored in relation to their feelings about death, love and life.

It certainly provoked a reaction in the audience who asked excellent questions in response and they, most importantly, were left with something to ponder over the evening and beyond.

Next up is Mr Hasthorpe who will be talking about Time Travel on Thursday 30th November. Fire up the DeLorean!

MATCH REPORT Football U12 A v Eaton Square Prep 1-2 Man of the Match: Max K U12 B v Eaton Square Prep 0-2 Man of the Match: Michael F U13 A v Sacred Heart 1-5 Man of the Match: Danny S

Rugby U16 A v Latymer Upper School U18 B 7-15 Men of the Match: Josh G-O and Armand S

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