From the Headmaster Dear Parents, The end of another momentous term for Wetherby Prep and Wetherby Senior, capped with what have to be the most memorable end of term assemblies ever for both schools. Ok, I admit, I do like fancy dress and, whilst I will try to destroy this month’s bank statement before the family sees how much I spent on the Christmas Grinch outfit I wore at this morning’s Prep School assembly, I hope the boys and parents enjoyed what I thought was my best costume ever. Well done, Prep School Pupil Council! Then, wearing said outfit, I cycled over to the Senior School, getting called every name imaginable by bemused London taxi drivers, to take not just the Assembly but also my role as ‘King’ in our Senior School Panto. What a hoot that was, with so many, far more brilliant performances than my own but what great fun! The true spirit of Wetherby Prep and Senior Schools was right there and, as we de-robe and I write this, we have to get cracking to send the term off in style at our respective staff parties. You won’t find better camaraderie, good humour and team spirit than in these Staff Common Rooms; they are special places and such a joy to be a part of. Our staff are so talented, professional, enthusiastic, entertaining, good natured but above all, they love working for the School, you and, most of all, your sons: #teamwetherby. Thank you for the kind gifts and letters that many of you have sent to staff this week they are truly appreciated. And some of you have extremely creative minds in terms of gifts. Patrick, in particular, loved this offering. Have a great holiday and we look forward to seeing everyone in 2017.
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DIARY Monday 2nd
Monday
Monday Clubs
….
Tuesday Clubs
No School
Tuesday 3rd STAFF INSET
Wednesday 4th
Wednesday Clubs
STAFF INSET
Thursday 5th Start of Spring Term No activities this week - boys dismissed after prep.
Friday 6th HM Assembly - Hinde Street Methodist Church
Thursday Clubs 08.30 16:35
15:00
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NOTICEBOARD Work of the Christmas Holiday From Mr Morris: The school policy on work done over the Christmas break is that Years 7-9 should not do any written work but may be expected to do some reading or learning. Year 10 should expect to do 90 minutes of written work for each subject. They may also be expected to do some reading or learning. They have been given their holiday work booklets which contain everything they need. Boys who have missed days of school should aim to catch up, regardless of their year group.
Start of Spring Term From Mr Lawrence: Please note that there are no activities on Thursday 5th January. Boys will be dismissed following Prep at 16:35. Activities will resume as normal from Monday 9th January. Year 9 and 10 will have Games on the first Thursday back; this will be football and the boys are reminded to bring the correct kit, including shin pads.
Duke of Edinburgh A reminder to all Year 10 boys doing the Duke of Edinburgh Award this year that they must spend some time over the Christmas break sorting out their physical activities, volunteering and skill options. This is essential to the successful completion of the Award.
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CHRISTMAS APPEAL Mrs Deedat writes... Thanks to everyone who brought in a shoebox for the homeless shelter. We delivered over 30 boxes!
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CHRISTMAS CONCERT
Miss Valentine writes... Firstly, I would like to thank all parents and staff for their support on Wednesday evening. It was lovely to see so many friendly faces in the church – the boys really come alive with an audience. We had some absolutely cracking solo performances throughout the evening from Harrison Phillips, Josh George-Oppong (who did a lot of practice to play a really tricky passage in Let it Snow), Sebastian Burckle, Jude Brazier, Faisal Alyami and Ben Wieselmann. I would particularly like to mention Alex Le Marchant and Jonathon Gabra – those vocal solos were incredibly exposed and to do them without using a microphone takes a lot of projection and a lot of nerve! Well done to you both. Then, of course, there’s Frejvid. Fresh out of his grade 8 guitar exam that morning, he played absolutely superbly. At only 12 years old, he is proof of what is possible when talent is mixed with LOTS of practice! 6 The Barometer - 09/12/2016
CHRISTMAS CONCERT With approximately 100 boys performing, there was a lot of time spent learning words (not a lyric sheet in sight!), practising harmonies and teamwork to create the show that you experienced – thank you boys for your patience and enthusiasm. We had some wonderful readings from Talal Hangari, Alex Gabran, Max Hashem and Atticus Cobb. They read with expression and maturity beyond their years. The All Stars boys in particular have come a very long way since last year – improvising solos and learning to accompany a singer are very important skills. The guitar club under the direction of Mr Quintarelli were also superb. However, I have to say that many of the staff have commented on how hilarious Year 9 were with their 12 Pains of Christmas. Such a promising year group of musicians and actors! I would like to apologise to Mrs Phillips for the crocodile which attacked her during the Year 7 performance of I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas. Please be assured that it was thrown with enthusiasm and not malice! And my Senior Choir – again, your best performance to date. Well done to you all. The Barometer - 09/12/2016 7
CHRISTMAS CONCERT Goodbyeeeeee! And so that leads me to say goodbye! The concert was the perfect way to end my time at Wetherby, which will always be incredibly special to me. I’m sad that I couldn’t be with you longer, but Hong Kong calls and new challenges lie ahead. I leave the Performing Arts Department in the incredibly capable hands of Miss Twomey and Mr Martin, and will be sure to update the Barometer in the New Year to let you know how I’m getting on. Thank you all so much – it has been a pleasure.
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CHRISTMAS CONCERT
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CHRISTMAS LUNCH
Mr Warner writes… After joining us only two weeks ago we are delighted to have Sam Menke taking up the reins of the WSS kitchen. Before coming to us she worked in a number of top kitchens including Soho House and Café Monico so we feel very lucky to have her behind the counter here at Wetherby. On Wednesday she put on a sublime Christmas lunch with succulent Turkey, crispy potatoes, al-dente sprouts, trimmings galore, slices of delicious Christmas pudding, mini-mince pies, some festive shortbread and even a hot chocolate station! She informs me that we consumed a whopping 41kg of turkey! The mind boggles. As I’m trying to get better at using my camera I felt I should wander round and try to capture something of the essence of Wetherby Senior School Christmas spirit. I think you’ll agree with me that the boys were treated to an excellent opening gambit for the festive gourmet season.
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CHRISTMAS LUNCH
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CHRISTMAS LUNCH
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CHRISTMAS LUNCH
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CURRICULUM NEWS
From the Chemistry Department Miss Hoskins writes... This week in Chemistry the Year 10 boys looked ahead to their next topic of Organic Chemistry and saw how polymers such as polyvinyl alcohol (aka PVA glue) can crosslink with each other to change their physical state. In order words, the boys mixed a borax solution with diluted PVA glue and made slime. We also added some fluorescent dye so it glowed brightly under the UV torches.
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CURRICULUM NEWS
Miss Hoskins writes... This week in Chemistry the Year 7, 8 and 9 boys have been investigating the solubility of potassium aluminium sulphate, also known as alum. The solubility gradient of alum allows us to dissolve in excess of 100g of it per 200ml of boiling water. The boys made up a saturated solution of alum in a beaker and then suspended a shape made from pipe cleaners inside it. As the solution cooled, the crystals were unable to stay dissolved in the solution and so it crashed out and crystallised on the pipe cleaner shapes. Some of these grew to be huge and the shape almost resembles diamonds. We added a ribbon to each shape so they can be hung up to enjoy over Christmas. The boys have been allowed to take these shapes home as they really are very safe (it is an ingredient in many pickled foods). However, although alum has no safety regulations in the lab, the crystals should still be kept away from mouths and, after touching them, hands should be washed. Please keep away from small children/animals.
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CURRICULUM NEWS
From the Art and Graphic Design Department Mr Meyer writes‌ Glass is a new medium that has been introduced to the curriculum this year. This allows the boys to use the kiln in a completely different way from what they are used to with their ceramic work. Through this, they were able to cut and stick pieces of glass together. During the course of the last two weeks, Art & Design club boys have created a glass coaster. The work is both colourful and visually very striking as you can see. Clockwise from the top left: Antonio de Brunner, Eli Al-Baho, Manu Dixit, Harrison Gillingwater, Arthur Chung, Gabriel Tobin
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CURRICULUM NEWS From the English Department
Miss Bradley writes... This term Graphic Design Club have been writing and illustrating their own ABC books based on topics ranging from sports to video games. This week we finished our layouts on InDesign, importing our Illustrator drawings and adding text. The boys worked impressively well in their groups, organising themselves so that all the components could be assembled in time for printing, and they have produced some extremely professional outcomes! The Barometer - 09/12/2016 17
CURRICULUM NEWS From the Spanish Department Señor McFaul writes... ¡Feliz Navidad!
Atticus! This week in Spanish, we have been exceptionally excited for Christmas. For many weeks now, boys have been entering their lessons singing ‘Feliz Navidad’ at the top of their lungs thanks to the wonderful Music Department. This week we finally focused our attention on learning about Christmas and how it is celebrated in Spain and other Spanish-speaking countries. Year 7 got into the Christmas spirit by singing some Christmas songs and having a Christmas card making competition. The standard was extremely high, however our very well deserved winner was Atticus Cobb with his beautiful, popup Christmas card for Miss Valentine – well done
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Year 8 and 9 have been learning about how the Spanish celebrate Christmas and competed in a very heated Christmas quiz! Amongst many things, they learnt about ‘la lotería nacional’ the Spanish Christmas lottery, also known as ‘el gordo’ (the fat one!) and how on New Year’s Eve you must wear red underwear to bring you good luck and eat 12 whole grapes when the clock strikes midnight! Sounds like a challenge, right boys? On a final note, the Spanish department would like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year! Looking forward to seeing you all in January!
CURRICULUM NEWS From the Spanish Department Señor McFaul writes... On Monday night, some boys and Mr McFaul headed to the Cervantes Theatre to see a production of Bodas de Sangre (Blood Weddings). The play, written by Federico García Lorca, is one of the most iconic plays in Spanish literature and theatre and forms part of the rural tragedies of Andalucía (the other plays being Yerma and La Casa de Bernarda Alba). This version of Bodas de Sangre is directed by the Spanish Theatre Company’s artistic director, Jorge de Juan, and follows the tale of two families as they prepare with anticipation for a wedding, unaware that this event, combined with their suppressed past, will forever mark their destinies... Well worth a watch!
Hitting The Nail On The Head: Language Idioms of the Week Estar más sano que una pera Literal translation: to be healthier than a pear Translation: to be fit as a fiddle jdm. die Daumen drücken Literal translation: to squeeze your thumbs (for someone) Translation: to keep your fingers crossed for someone Sauter du coq à l’âne Literal translation: to jump from the rooster to the donkey Translation: to jump from topic to topic in conversation The Barometer - 09/12/2016 19
CURRICULUM NEWS From the German Department Miss Eaves writes... After some excellent results in their recent End of Unit test, I decided it was time to up the level of challenge in Year 9 German. Over the last two weeks these very willing Germanists have been wallowing through the quagmire that is verbs in the present tense. It all seemed so straight forward to
begin with – just take the infinitive, knock of the – en and add the correct endings… There’s even a “rap” to remember those! Then we had to introduce irregular verbs and the world suddenly went dark. Nevertheless, they held their heads high and toiled on through “fahren”, “lesen” and “sehen”. Promising a “fun, yet linguistically valid” activity at the end helped to spur them on somewhat (along with the odd bag of Haribo/Kinder bar chucked their way) and I have to say, I have been impressed with the progress made. We then put our knowledge of the present tense into the production of our very own Mannequin Challenge video and we hope you enjoy it. Well done boys – a great term’s work! Have a lovely holiday and FROHE WEIHNACHTEN! I would once again recommend the QR code reader i-nigma to watch the video. Please note, no pupils were harmed in the making of this mannequin challenge. 20 The Barometer - 09/12/2016
CURRICULUM NEWS From the French Department Madame Diamond writes‌ Here you can see the boys in Year 7 and 8 singing the classic Christmas song: Vive le Vent. You can also see Year 9 boys getting involved in a new online resource: The thisislanguage.com Nutty Tiles French vocab competition is on. Year 9.1 are feeling the pressure to level up to level 15 by Saturday morning to qualify for the final. Great work, boys. #Frenchteamwetherby.
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CURRICULUM NEWS From the Geography Department Mrs Deedat writes...
Junior and Senior Geography Prizes This year, boys are invited to write a 5 minute speech on something geographical which they are passionate about or very interested in. Boys will present to the Senior (Years 9 & 10) or Junior (Years 7 & 8) Geography Forums which will take place once per half term, during a convenient lunchtime until July. They will present in front of Mrs Deedat and the other competitors, plus anyone else who would like to come along. Here are some examples: My travels in Mongolia and the lives of indigenous people The future of China’s one child policy The physical landscape of Iceland Have we reached peak oil? The formation of glaciers Are we saying goodbye to coral reefs? Why does Cuba have such a high life expectancy and how was this achieved? Photography of geographical landscapes using my drone To enter please email the title of your speech and at least three bullet points outlining the geographical themes it will cover. You will then be allocated a slot for presentation in due course. Email dena.deedat@wetherbysenior.co.uk
Geographer of the week! Congratulations to the following boys who have all been Geographer of the Week this term: Talal Hangari Nelson Tobin Himat Virdee Elis Mosaku Alessandro Guglielmi Jack Connolly Stepan Malyshev
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CURRICULUM NEWS From the Biology Department Miss Bennet writes... To get into the festive spirit, boys have been making ice cream. They used dry ice, which is -80°C, to cool down a mixture of cream and condensed milk to make ice cream. Here are photos of boys tucking into their creations!
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CURRICULUM NEWS From the Classics Department Miss Nash writes... Frejvid and Maxime in Year 8 decided to spread some Christmas cheer during their Latin lesson this week by embarking on a bit of guerrilla carol singing around school. First stop was the staff room, where Mr Warner, Mr Atkinson, Ms Bradley and Mr Hartley were the first to be serenaded with our rendition of Rudolf the RedNosed Reindeer (in Latin, of course). Next, we moved onto the modern foreign language classrooms and sang for the boys studying German, Spanish, and French. We even managed to get some of the boys to join in with us! Thank you to Frau Eaves, Señor McFaul and Rudolf Madame Diamond for allowing us to interrupt their
the RedNosed Reindeer in Latin
Rufe, nasute cerve, nasus tuus ruber stat. immo, si vera dicam, nasus tuus conflagrat. omnes ad unum cervi eum risu lacerant. misero Rufo numquam lascivire secum dant. lessons with no notice! If you fancy having a go at singing an old Christmas favourite with a Latin twist, please see the lyrics below. (Pronunciation tips: c = always a hard “c” sound (as in “cat”); v = w)
nebuloso vesperi venit Iuppiter: "Rufe, nitido vultu, nonne Iovem trahes tu?' illum nunc amant omnes. audi quam clamaverint; "Rufe, nasute cerve, omnes te meminerint!"
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CURRICULUM NEWS From the English Department
Miss Ridley writes… 8B consolidated their understanding of Shakespeare’s ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ by enjoying their very own Masquerade Ball. Through role play, improvisation and quotations from the text, all boys were involved in bringing Shakespeare’s comedy to life!
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SPORTING NEWS From the Games Department Mr Sullivan writes… The winners of the Inter-Trib Rugby are…..? Read the match reports to find out! As we approach the end of term I would like to take the opportunity to thank you all for your help, support and interest this term. We have had a very busy and successful term in school and you, as partners in the education of your son, deserve much of the credit for that. We have begun many new proud traditions this term, including introducing the new school grounds, establishing Inter-Trib competitions, running many activities most weeks and developing the boys’ environment. I am delighted with the way our boys have worn their new Games kit with confidence and respect this term. I have had many positive comments from the community who feel that this has lifted our boys and given them a greater sense of pride. They have been a credit to you and our wonderful school.
Christmas Conditioning plans Throughout the season, it is imperative that you continue to work on your conditioning. This can mean that if you do not keep topping up your aerobic and anaerobic systems with some of the workouts attached (Development Tier/Conditioning plan) then you will actually de-train and become less fit as the school year goes on! Try some of these sessions to keep your fitness going through the season! Please remember the Development Tier is for Year 9/10s only and no weights will be used. The main focus is on developing your core stretch, using body weight to increase stretch and creating a strong base before starting weight training. Please read the technique points or use YouTube to explain them. If you are not sure about the exercises or they are causing pain STOP! I look forward to hearing all about your progression.
Congratulations to our players of the term Players’ Player (boy’s votes) Year 7/8 – Football 2016 (Sept – Dec 2016) – Alessandro Guglielmi Year 9 – Rugby 2016 (Sept – Dec 2016) – Antonio Mendes Esteves Year 10 – Rugby 2016 (Sept – Dec 2016) – Oli Lind
Player of the Term Year 7/8 – Football 2016 (Sept – Dec 2016) - Joao Correia da Silva Year 9 – Rugby 2016 (Sept – Dec 2016) – Jock Saeger Year 10 – Rugby 2016 (Sept – Dec 2016) – Nelson Tobin
Most improved Player Year 7/8 – Football 2016 (Sept – Dec 2016) - Faisal Abaalkhail Year 9 – Rugby 2016 (Sept – Dec 2016) – Eduardo Usai Year 10 – Rugby 2016 (Sept – Dec 2016) – Jack Connolly 26 The Barometer - 09/12/2016
SPORTING NEWS Year 9/10 Inter-Trib Rugby – Tier 1 Mr Montgomery writes… Fleet 9 points – 44 points scored Walbrook 7 points – 35 points scored Tyburn 5 points – 20 points scored Effra 3 points – 0 points scored The annual Inter-Trib tier one matches took place on the fantastic first team pitch at Twyford Avenue with the boys excited to be against their peers for this year’s bragging rights. Fleet 15 vs Tyburn 5 Inter-Trib rugby started with Fleet taking on Tyburn in a closely contested match with some excellent rugby on show. The boys worked hard in the Tyburn team with an excellent example being set from Pip, their captain, who made a series of excellent tackles preventing Fleet from getting any ground. The deadlock was broken with some excellent ball carrying from Antonio Mendes and Jack Henniker-Gotley which provided space for JP Cairaschi to score. At half time Tyburn were down by two scores, but all was not lost when they were able to steal the ball in a ruck and register some points. The final blow came towards the end of the game though with
Fleet scoring again to secure their first three points of the competition. Effra 0 vs Walbrook 25 A very strong Walbrook team looked full of confidence as they came out to play a depleted Effra team. Walbrook scored early as they asserted their dominance, with Oliver Lind sidestepping and gliding through tackles. Harrison Sotir was a constant force for Walbrook, stealing the ball from Effra on a number of occasions which starved them of possession. Effra came close to scoring a few times, with great runs from Anthony Abrahams and Evangelos Megaritis, but despite their best efforts they could not register any points. Fleet 15 vs Effra 0 Effra stayed on and were kindly lent some players from Tyburn to try and strengthen their team against a well-structured Fleet team. Effra kicked off and Fleet immediately responded with a try after some immense running from Nelson Tobin. Effra struggled to get in the game as wave after wave of attacking threat came from Fleet with Fabien Cairaschi, Nour Hammad and Nelson Tobin leading the charge. Effra continued to battle on the second half but the strength and depth that Fleet had on their team was too much.
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SPORTING NEWS Tyburn 5 vs Walbrook 10 One of the most closely contested matches of the day kicked off with both teams fancying their chances against each other. The ball spent most of the time in the middle of the pitch, with some hard work from the forwards of both teams. Tyburn scored first but this was soon matched by Walbrook, making the scores even at half time. Walbrook soon took dominance in the game, with Jock Saeger putting in some crunching tackles, stopping Tyburn in their tracks. Tyburn were unlucky not to score, but Ethan Elliott jumped on the kick that was put through making a great run, and giving Walbrook position to score their final try. Tyburn 10 vs Effra 0 Effra borrowed some players from Walbrook and both really wanted to beat Tyburn as alliances were formed after the competitive game that had just taken place. Tyburn, however, proved too strong, with Sean Masri running the ball hard in contact, beating a number of players before scoring. Despite excellent efforts from Effra, and some impressive performances from their key players, they could not match the physicality Tyburn brought to the game, and eventually let in another score. Walbrook 0 vs Fleet 14 The crowd were ready for the final game of the Inter-Trib competition and, despite the light fading, the boys kicked off with Fleet hoping to keep their 100% record intact. Walbrook took possession of the ball early and played some great rugby with Oliver Lind and Jock Saegar playing starring roles. Fleet had to up their game, so captain Nelson Tobin rallied his troops with Armand Sharda making some great breaks. Fleet soon took possession back from Walbrook and started to run in the scores, despite strong defence from Fleet.
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SPORTING NEWS Year 9/10 Inter-Trib Rugby – Tier 2 Mr Meyer writes‌ Walbrook 4 points + 38 Fleet 4 points + 31 Tyburn 0 points + 29 The second annual Inter-Trib rugby tournament took place at Wetherby Sports Ground on Thursday of this week. It was the first time we held the Senior Tournament at Twyford and the ground staff had worked tirelessly in preparing the pitches for the day. The weather was overcast but not too cold and the ground soft and forgiving - perfect rugby conditions. The tournament was played over two tier groups with matches consisting of 2 x 7 minute halves. 3 points were awarded for a win and 1 for a draw. Fleet 14 vs Tyburn 10 This was a wonderful example of running rugby where the game ebbed and flowed during the first five minutes. The deadlock was broken when Louis scored the first of his two scores. Manuel brought Fleet back into the game with a try under the sticks. The second half saw a similar brand of rugby as the first, though as the match wore on, so the gaps in both defences started to widen. Louis scored his second, though it was Rory who sealed the win for Fleet with a try and a conversion. Above all, this was a captivating first game that was enjoyed by both player and spectator alike. Try scorers: Fleet: Manuel Carmo Costa & Rory Lawless Tyburn: Louis Jegou
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SPORTING NEWS Tyburn 19 vs Walbrook 21 From start to finish, this was an extremely close game of rugby. This was also a match that displayed how best to tackle. Leo Khasis shone on the wing by scoring a brace. However, it was Younis Al-Saffar who once again showed what a wonderful runner he is with ball in hand weaving in and out of tackles and finding holes in the defensive line. Well done to Younis for his Man of the Match performance. Try scorers: Tyburn: Leo Khasis x 2 & Louis Jegou Walbrook: Younis hat-trick Fleet 17 vs Walbrook 17 The two previous games were of a very high standard, you would think it would be hard to surpass what had gone before...well it did. Alan Azeaz put in a captain's performance by not only cajoling his team mates but running directly at the defensive line and scoring the try that made the score honours even. Try scorers: Fleet: Manuel Carmo Costa, Adin DeCarlucci & Arthur Aldridge Walbrook: Younis Al-Saffar, Alan Azeaz & Talal Hangari Final Scores: 1st Fleet 2nd Walbrook 3rd Tyburn 4th Effra A wonderful day of Rugby with much talent on show. Thank you to the entire PTA for an amazing spread afterwards #teamwetherby
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SPORTING NEWS Coach’s Corner Mr Robin Montgomery Height: 2m (6ft 6inc) Weight: 110kg Favourite food: Thai Sports Coached: Football, Rugby, Swimming, Gymnastics, Trampoline, Cricket, Strength & Conditioning, Hobbies: Fitness training, football, rugby, walking, travelling If you could be one player: Patrick Vieira Achievements: Sussex County rugby U12 – U21, Scotland age groups and A team rugby. Most memorable moment working at WSS: U14 rugby B team coming back to beat Mill Hill School. Which fellow staff member would make the best James Bond and why: Mr Myer, cool calm and collected. What was the last film, book or TV show you cried at: Marley and Me. What would the title of your autobiography be: Monty’s Memoirs If you went on Mastermind what would your specialist subject be: AQA GCSE PE If you could witness any past, present or future moment what would it be: Jimmy Hendrix, Woodstock 1969 What three guests (dead or alive) would you invite to a dinner party and why: Robin Williams for his laugh of loud comments, Stephen Fry for his witty banter and Beyoncé…. Do I need to explain why? If you won the lottery what would be the first thing you’d buy: A
Sports Quote of the Week:
“You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.”
gym so I could run my own
Follow us for results and updates on Twitter via @WetherbySSports
business.
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CLUB NEWS Junior Geography & Classics Consortium Miss Maroudi writes‌ This week, Geographical Society, Classics Club and Food Chemistry Club joined forces to make our papier mâche volcanoes explode. We then progressed to decorating gingerbread. Much Christmas spirit all around!
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CLUB NEWS Food Chemistry Club (in association with the Junior Geography & Classics Consortium)
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CLUB NEWS Junior Quiz Club Mr Atkinson writes... We did a Christmas quiz this week. William Piccione Neiss and Haotong Xiong took the crown to become champions for the rest of 2016! Well done! Fancy yourself a quiz champion? Have a go at some of this week’s questions: 1) The character Jack Skellington appears in which 1993 Tim Burton film? 2) Which 3 dimensional puzzle was the most popular Christmas gift in 1980? 3) London's Trafalgar Square Christmas tree is traditionally given by which country?
Senior Quiz Club Mr Hasthorpe writes... In this week's senior quiz we saw a dramatic turnaround as the previously undefeated Vadim broke his run of good fortune and four others scooped the top prize! This week's winners are Michael, Talal, Armand, and Josh. Well done boys for a very well-deserved victory! Fancy yourself a quizzard? Three Christmas-themed questions this week: 1) On what date do children in Holland get presents from St Nicholas? 2) The 1952 song "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus" was condemned by which organisation in Boston, USA, on its release, until it was clarified that "Santa" was in fact Daddy in disguise? 3) The charity UNICEF was the first charity to produce which Christmas item in 1949?
The answers: Junior - The Nightmare before Christmas, Rubik's cube, Norway; Senior - 5th December, The Catholic Church, charity Christmas cards!
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WSS PUZZLES Christmas Cryptic Crossword 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
7
8
9
10
11
Across
Down
Across
1 Pudding ingredient, messed up ute with start of season (4)
1 Messed up Sultana sac gives gift giver (5,5)
2 Opposite of yes with the Spanish gives name (4)
5 The night before is a girl’s name (3)
3 Dave got chaotic before New Testament, period before Christmas (6)
6 Sack, shoot gun (4) 7 Name of Reindeer, arrive with start of time (5) 8 Type of game comes from actor’s bit and mountain feature (9) 11 End of banjo and Billy gives a happy state (5)
4 Prawn swimming with end of you opens present (6) 6 Iron, saint, Roman number 4 and start of end give Christmas feeling (7) 9 Has Troy lost its King? I suppose a wooden horse is an example (3) 10 At the end of oneself – he is a helper (3)
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LIFE BEYOND WSS News from the Walkabout Foundation Here is Betty, a seamstress and single mum of two small children aged 8 years and 9 months. Thanks to her trike, provided by the Walkabout Foundation, she can now go to the well and fetch water every day, saving her from paying someone to do that, and giving her much more independence to move around. With her you can see Luca Lobefalo and Manuel Carmo Costa from Year 10 (proudly sporting WSS shirts!) who recently spent a week out in Uganda with the Walkabout Foundation, helping them in their mission to provide people in developing countries with wheelchairs.
A Dog ate Luca’s homework! Excitingly, Luca Obertelli will be on the CBBC show The Dog Ate My Homework on Friday 16th December at 5pm (providing they don't change the schedule). Tune in and support WSS on the small screen!
36 The Barometer - 09/12/2016
ON THE HOTSEAT Hello and welcome to Week 10 of “On the Hot Seat”. DOUBLE DIGITS! Perhaps we should consider having a celebration but since it’s so close to Christmas that seems a little over-indulgent. Our first birthday might be more appropriate… we’ll let you know gift ideas closer to the time. On to more important matters. This week, dear readers, we had to fight back tears as we traipsed down four whole flights of stairs to find our dear Head of Performing Arts, who is sadly leaving us this term. Miss Valentine has been here right from the start. Like a classic X-Factor judge, she coaxes and encourages the boys’ inner musicians and makes sure that they are always performance ready. She has founded various musical groups since she started here, including All Stars, Guitar Club and Choir and put on many a fantastic concert. In fact, one of her favourite memories from working at Wetherby is last year’s Year 9 performance of Gaudete! Rumour has it, that this was perhaps not one of your finest performances, despite your accurate Latin and excellent percussion playing, and both Señor McFaul and I are relieved, sorry, devastated that we missed it. Did you also know, dear readers, that before Miss Valentine went to University, to study Music, it was her dream to become a pilot in the Royal Navy? So much so, that she did a summer-long scholarship aged 17. She could have given Mr Dawson a run for his money. Sadly a deal she brokered with her parents backfired and that’s why we have been lucky enough to have her here with us at Wetherby. The next plane that Miss Valentine boards will be taking her to Hong Kong where she will be starting her new life. She took great pleasure in telling us that, whilst we will all be shivering at the start of the new term in January, she will be basking in 26°C temperatures… on her balcony… with a sea view… and a mojito… We, dear readers, are not jealous at all. So, on that bittersweet bombshell, let us begin… 1) Jazz or classical? Classical! 2) Pepsi or coca cola? Coca cola 3) Spotify or Apple Music? Spotify 4) Dim sum or sushi? Sushi 5) Hong Kong or Beijing? Honkers 6) Mani or pedi? Mani 7) Birthday or Christmas? Christmas 8) “Feliz Navidad” or “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas”? “I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” 9) Chips or mash? Chips 10) X-Factor or Strictly? Neither (again, dear readers, she only got away with this because she is leaving!) 11) Name 3 pieces of music you would talk about on Desert Island Discs and why In no particular order… Earth, Wind and Fire: September This reminds me of uni – it’s really old, I’m not that old but I still love it. Elgar: Sospiri It’s so beautiful – go and listen to it now. (dear readers, that’s exactly what we did) Bob Mintzer: Computer I’ve performed this piece with All Stars and occasionally play it with my own Big Band which I’m really going to miss when I leave. 12) If you could see any musician/band/composer, dead or alive, who would it be? Puccini conducting “la bohème”. He is very attractive but he is also very, very dead. (Yes Miss Valentine, he is) So on this sad note, we at The Hot Seat wish Miss Valentine the very best of luck for the future! We will miss her but look forward to welcoming her back when she is in the UK for a visit. The Barometer - 09/12/2016 37
From the Editor On this week’s front cover: Fabien Cairaschi deploys a second cracker-crown On the back: Year 9 put the sparkle into 12 Days of Christmas For all comments and feedback please email: henry.warner@wetherbysenior.co.uk
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