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WETHERBY SENIOR SCHOOL WEEKLY MAY 12th 2019 | WEEK 4 WETHERBY BOYS VISIT CASTLES, GALLERIES, UNIVERITY AND THE BEACH!

FROM THE HEADMASTER

Dear Parents, This week’s newsletter is coming to you from the seaside town of Eastbourne where I am attending the annual Independent Schools Association conference. The two-day event has sessions ranging from the need to understand the role genetics plays in educational achievement to debates with the authors of recent books on the inequities of the British public school system.

In many ways the most interesting and, of course, entertaining talk came from the actor, Brian Blessed, who has conquered Everest three times, runs an animal sanctuary at his home, has visited the North Pole and defended himself against a polar bear that ripped open his tent as well as completing cosmonaut training in preparation for going into space. He, of course, also shouted ‘Gordon’s Alive’ for us and told us about his life in film and television and on the stage. Whilst my daughter doesn’t know who he is, she will be thrilled to hear when I get home that I have met the voice of

Grampy Rabbit from Peppa Pig. There were several threads running through his wide ranging talk: the importance of getting out, seeing and doing new things, not only when you are young, but also when you are 82 (he is clearly a man always in a state of forward motion); the need to take care of our environment; our place in the universe and recent discoveries in space (anyone who has heard Brian on Radio 4’s Infinite Monkey Cage will know of his fascination with space) and the importance of education

in his own life, even though it was cut short by the need to work when his father, a miner, was injured. When asked what was most important to him and his secret to achieving such a wide variety of things, his answer was simple: “curiosity and love”.

I hope that you all have a good weekend and good luck to Mr Baker’s beloved Watford as they take on Manchester City tomorrow evening.

WEEK A MONDAY

WEEKLY DIARY 20.05.19

Year 10 Open Sketchbook Event (Lunchtime), WSS Live Lounge, Drama Studio 18:00-19:00

TUESDAY

21.05.19

Tennis U14/15 WSS vs Northbridge House (H) 14:30 Year 7 Parents’ Evening, Drama Studio 17:30-19:30

WEDNESDAY

22.05.19 Cricket U12/13 WSS vs Northbridge House (H) 14:30 Cricket U12/13 WSS vs Notting Hill Prep (H) 14:30

THURSDAY

23.06.19

Tennis Nationals at Queenswood School (A) 14:30 Year 8 Parents’ Evening, Drama Studio 17:30-19:30

FRIDAY

24.06.19

SATURDAY

25.06.19

SUNDAY

26.06.19

Art and Drama Trip to LA (returns Wednesday 29th May) Friday Lunchtime Clubs Programme HM Whole School Assembly at Hinde Street Methodist Church 15:15-15:45 GCSE PE Boys Table Tennis, Drama Studio 16:00-17:00

Follow the Wetherby Senior Twitter and Instagram accounts to stay up to date with the latest news...

SECOND HAND UNIFORM SALE! The next PTA second hand uniform sale will be: Friday 21 June 0800-0900 WSS Bulstrode Street -Reception All proceeds go towards the PTA and nominated school charities.

2019 charities are: Marcos, Will and Maria Bursary, The Walkabout Foundation and The West London Mission - more details please check Wetherby Senior School website.

IMPORTANT NOTICES

Twitter: @WSSHead @WetherbySenior @WetherbySSports @Mrmeyerart @WSSGeography Instagram: Wssmusic Wetherbysixthform Wsssports

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

Main: Grilled chicken breast with tarragon and mushroom cream sauce

Main: Spaghetti Bolognese

Main: Beef rice bowls

Meat Free: Summer vegetable casserole To Go With: Creamed polenta, steamed carrot rounds, herbed dumplings Dessert: Strawberry mousse

Meat Free: Falafel pittas With tzatziki and pickled cabbage To Go With: Herbed couscous, carrots and peas, onion bhaji Dessert: Banana chocolate custard

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

Main: Coastal fish pie

Main: Beef or chicken burgers

Meat Free: Tomato, mozzarella, basil, pasta bake

Meat Free: Beetroot and feta burgers

To Go With: Ratatouille tian, French beans, cauliflower and broccoli florets Dessert: Raspberry mirror

To Go With: String potato fries, burger garnish, corn on the cob, Boston baked beans, burger buns

Meat Free: Vegetable and edamame bean noodle stir-fry To Go With: Vegetable nuggets, miso aubergine, steamed pak choi Dessert: Carrot cake

EVERY DAY

Homemade Bread Freshly made yogurt pots Fresh Fruit

Dessert: Chocolate sweet potato brownie

MENU

YEAR 7 VISIT THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY Julius V, Year 7 writes…

On 7th May 2019, Year 7 visited the National Portrait Gallery.

When we arrived we had a lecture from Gisela Torres, who is a photographer, about different portraits in the gallery and we discussed the ways in which they could be interpreted.

The lecture was interesting and fun because we got to interact with the lecturer and each other when giving our opinions.

After the lecture we had a walk around the gallery and looked at the different portraits – paintings, photographs and sculptures, before going for lunch! After lunch we split up into groups and went into different rooms to do activities where we had to imagine the emotions and thoughts of the people and objects in the paintings. Overall, the day was really fun and I think everyone enjoyed it.

Vangelis F, Year 7 writes…

Last Tuesday we went to the National Portrait Gallery. We started the day by having a very interesting lecture about the different types of portraits in different media, from photography to painting. The lecturer was an artist and I enjoyed learning about aspects

of portraiture I had not thought about before and the different emotions that can be depicted.

Following the lecture we walked around the gallery to see if we could spot the artwork from the lectures. In the afternoon, we had to complete activities created by the Art and English departments that focused on analyzing the emotions and interactions taking place in the portraits and imagining what the people were thinking.

I really enjoyed looking at all the different portraits of people, but also all the dogs that are included in many of the artworks. My favourite portrait was of Doris Lessing, painted

by Leonard William McComb.

I like this portrait because I like the inclusion of the interesting aardvark sculpture which makes me wonder if the sitter has travelled. I also like the colourful eye-catching patterns in the background.

YEAR 9 BRIGHTON Miss Maroudi writes‌ Year 9 visited Brighton beach on Field day where they completed their GCSE physical geography field work.

The boys were investigating whether the beach was being effectively protected from the effects of longshore drift.

They worked really hard to complete their measurements as accurately as possible before going to enjoy some free time on Brighton pier. All around a productive and fun day!

Mrs Deedat writes...

The whole of Year 9 went to Brighton to complete the first part of their GCSE Geography fieldwork. The aim was to investigate the effectiveness of hard engineering in Brighton so we focused on whether groynes reduce the movement of beach sediments by restricting longshore drift. In their five classes, boys worked effectively in small groups to measure sediment height on

either side of groynes. The sites were chosen through stratified sampling and the positions on the groyne through systematic sampling which the boys have studied in class. On returning to the classroom after the exams, the boys will present and analyse their data which will help them to draw conclusions. Â The boys worked really hard hard to complete their

field work in just over two hours. We also enjoyed a visit to the famous Brighton Pier where boys played on the penny falls and ate ice cream. Â Thank you to all the staff who assisted on this trip including Miss Smith (Geography), Miss Tooze, Mr Wingrove, Miss Smith (Maths), Mr Viatkevicius, Miss Eaves, Ms Ataii, Mr Martin and Miss Maroudi.

YEAR 10 VISIT HMS BELFAST Mr Dawson writes...

On Tuesday the Year 10 physicists visited HMS Belfast and the Imperial War Museum (IWM). At HMS Belfast they used their knowledge of pressure differences in fluids to calculate how much of the ship must be submerged in order to support the weight of the ship. The boys then

took a self guided tour of this fascinating historic ship. After a quick lunch in Borough Market we headed to the IWM where the boys used their knowledge of the conservation of momentum to work out the impact that firing naval guns (located at the front of the museum) had on a battleship before then taking a tour of the museum itself.

YEAR 10 HISTORIANS AT KENILWORTH CASTLE Mr Warner writes…

I always look forward to the History department’s annual sally into the Warwickshire countryside. Not only does a 200 mile round trip allow me a little quiet time to do a bit of reading (something my daughters rarely allow for at home) but I just love Kenilworth castle.

This year we had our largest ever contingent of 42 Year 10 historians along with Miss Webb, Mr Atkinson and Mr Nockels.

The Norman keep still dominates the site with its exaggerated chunky corner towers (each 30 metres tall) and

walls that are five metres thick, it makes a statement of power that rings down the centuries.

For Year 10 the castle forms the centre of their independent research project and will occupy 20 marks of their GCSE Paper 3 next summer. We wandered round looking at some of the highlights, with groups taking turns to explore Leicester’s gatehouse and I attempted to do my best Dan Snow impression in my capacity as guide. This was followed by lunch and a photo scavenger hunt in which the boys were encouraged to explore the castle and take photos to include in their projects.

Kenilworth is a prefect site for studying the evolving form and function of a British Castle. The ruins still contain the formidable Norman era fortifications (that in 1266 withstood the longest siege in English history) alongside the fourteenth century hall added by John of Gaunt and luxury accommodation built

by Robert Leicester to impress Elizabeth I, all wrapped in the old medieval ring wall.

I hope the Year 10s found the day instructive and it should really help them to visualise the object of their studies in the months to come.

YEAR 12 AT THE UNIVERSITY OF READING Oliver L, Year 12 writes...

For Tuesday’s Field Day the Year 12s went to visit Reading University to get a flavour of campus life and get a better understanding of the application process.

The day started off with an introduction as to what to expect at university, particularly learning how to live independently cooking, laundry and managing money. The day was then followed by a tour from the university’s student ambassadors, who were very helpful at answering questions as to what goes on at “uni” as well as sharing some handy tips and tricks. During our tour we witnessed all the inspiring activities there are

to get involved in alongside labouring away in the library and attending tutorials and lectures. The most exciting of all activities were all the societies there are to take part in and definitely not the night club with a capacity of 2600 people that opens every Wednesday and Saturday night. We then had lunch and proceeded to finish our day off with a workshop on perfecting personal statements, a task that will soon be cast upon us as university applications are approaching. Overall, the day was very motivating, and I feel that myself and many of the other boys became enticed by the idea of beginning a new chapter in our lives, even if it means doing our own laundry!

YEAR 12 VISIT ST ANDREW’S UNIVERSITY Giacomo D, Year 12 writes...

On the 7th May 2019, Year 12 were given the opportunity to take a field day to visit a University. I chose to visit the University of St Andrews, which is located on the east coast of Scotland in Fife, just one hour north of Edinburgh.

The University was founded in 1413 making it Scotland’s first university. The town itself has a population of just over 20,000 people, half of which are students and university staff; there is a strong sense of community and tradition. St Andrews is a small town and the university is spread across it, almost on a grid system, which gives it a campus feel.

Since it wasn’t an official open day, the day’s itinerary was rather more personal similar to that of a prep/ senior school tour. First we were given an hour long tour of the university by a student ambassador followed by a presentation from a member of the Admissions Department.

The university itself is kept in good condition, with a mix of old buildings, interspersed with new modern ones, such as the Union building and the library. There is also a new sports facility open to all students and of course endless golf facilities scattered around the town!

The thing I found most attractive about studying at

St Andrew’s is the obligatory need to study two further subjects in the first year on top of your intended degree.

This can then be continued as an option in the remaining 3 years as well as the possibility of switching

your degree altogether to a ‘joint-honours’ in these two extra subjects if you prefer.

In conclusion I enjoyed my visit to St Andrews and the 12-hour train ride, round trip was worth it!

WETHERBY SENIOR SCHOOL

SPORTS NEWS Cricket WSS U13A vs King’s House School - postponed WSS U12A vs King’s House School - postponed

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