2 The Barometer - 24/6/2016
From the Headmaster Dear Parents,
As we had the Alpha Plus Celebration Evening at the Prep School last night and the trains back
from Marylebone were re-routed as a result of flooding, causing chaos, I had to take a taxi all
the way back to Buckinghamshire and had the opportunity to see the first few results coming
in regarding the Referendum. At the start of the taxi journey, it looked overwhelmingly that
‘Remain’ would sweep to victory but, by the time the taxi dropped me off half an hour later,
‘Leave’ were ahead by over 30,000. Even so, as I turned on the television this morning to see
that ‘Leave’ had won, I must admit I didn’t quite believe it at first. An uncertain future ahead for
the UK, one would think, but I am sure things will settle down in the coming weeks as the UK
and the rest of world come to terms with the consequences. It will very much be business as
usual though at both Schools, with secure ownership and the popularity of our schools as high
as ever. Probably inappropriate in this period of instability but I did smile, when told by Miss
Hodgson this morning, that a parent on the Waiting List had called the Prep School asking
whether, due to Brexit, any parents had dropped off the list so that we might now
accommodate her son!
The end of an era for the UK and Europe
then and the end of an era at the Prep School
too. After seven years of outstanding
service, becoming very much the face of our
School from the outset, I am sorry to
announce that Helen Hodgson will be leaving
us at the end of this term. Helen has been
instrumental in the growth and success of
Wetherby Prep since we moved to Bryanston
Square in 2009. Her warmth, cheerfulness
and personable nature have endeared her to
all members of our community and she set
the high standards of parental relations that
permeate the School. Her qualities are recognised and appreciated by all who come into
contact with her. After her fantastic contribution to the Prep School, Helen is taking her
considerable talents to that of a PA position in the entertainment industry. Whilst we will all
miss her, we are so proud of Helen; we congratulate her warmly and wish her all the very best
in her new position. I am sure there will always be a part of Wetherby Prep with Helen and she
knows that she is welcome to come and visit at any time, as she will remain one of the School’s
dearest friends. Helen, we salute you…
Have a good weekend.
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Monday 27th
Cross Curricular Learning Week French Film Workshop
15:00-17:10
Monday Clubs
Basketball
Videography
Future Writers
Art and Design
Tuesday 28th
Cross Curricular Learning Week
Year 9 Parents’ Evening (surnames A-K)
17:30-19:00
Tuesday Clubs
Chess & Backgammon
Fencing
Football
Grub Club
Wetherby Science
Wednesday 29th
Cross Curricular Learning Week
Wednesday Clubs
Rock Band
Quiz Soc
History Film Club
Table Tennis
Thursday 30th
Cross Curricular Learning Week
Year 9 Parents’ Evening (surnames L-Z)
14:15
17:30-19:00
Thursday Clubs
Lego
Table Tennis
Samba Percussion
Friday 1st
Cross Curricular Learning Week
New Boys’ Induction Morning
School Choir
Prize Giving Assembly
10:00-13:00
13:30
15:00-16:00
Saturday 2nd & Sunday 3rd
DIARY & LUNCH MENU
Menu for Week Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
Soup/Soupe French Onion
Served with Bread
Cannellini Bean and
Thyme Tuscan Tomato
Carrot and
Coriander
Barbecue
Meat main /
Plat principal
Mexican Quorn
Nachos
Sri Lankan Sate
Chicken Breast
Sage Crusted
Roast Pork
Noodle pot with
Asian style
chicken
Meat free main /
Plat végétarien
Smokey Barbecue
Qourn Spanish tortilla
Grilled Grits with
Cheese and
Roasted
Vegetables
Vegetarian noodles
with a Asian twist
To go with / pour
aller avec
Spiced
Wedges
Flat
Bread
Roast
Potatoes
Served with /
servis avec
Mixed Salad
Courgettes
Roasted glazed
carrots Roasted Carrots Stir-fried Vegetables
Puddings /
Dessert
Chocolate and
Cranberry Crispy
Cake
Pear and Apple
Crumble with
Custard
Passion Fruit
Salad
Lemon Jelly and
Cream
Always available Fresh Fruit, Salad Bar, Homemade yogurt and Dressings
4 The Barometer - 24/6/2016
ON THE NOTICEBOARD
FROM THE HEADMASTER
Prize Giving Assembly Friday 1st July 2016 2:30pm at Hinde Street
Methodist Church
We welcome all parents to attend our inaugural Prize Giving Assembly next Friday at 2:30pm. We have a few musical items, I will give a speech reviewing the year and we have a number of prizes to give out for academic progress, study habits, effort and sport. The service will last until approximately 3:30pm at which point all boys can go home.
PARENTS’ EVENING NEXT WEEK
Parents’ evening start times on Tuesday 28th and Thursday 30th (Year 9) and Monday 4th (Year 7) have been brought forward so that the evening will run from 1730 to 1930 with the boys in attendance.
From Miss Valentine: Extra Rehearsals
Please note that the following additional rehearsals will be taking place this week to allow the boys time to perfect their performances:
Monday lunch and period 7 – All Stars
Wednesday period 7 – Choir Band
Thursday periods 1-3 – Choir
Friday periods 1-2 – All Stars
Friday period 3 – Choir
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CROSS CURRICULAR WEEK Mrs Deedat writes…
The Pioneers of Wetherby Senior School showed incredible stamina and determination in October when they summited all 1,085m of Wales’ highest mountain- Snowdon (see below for evidence).
Inspired by this, next week’s co-curricular theme is:
“Exploration and Aspiration: Mountains” By and large, boys will follow their usual timetable but lessons will the themed. There are some
special events which boys will be involved with during the week as follows:
To kick-start the week we have an inspirational speaker who is addressing all boys, followed by a workshop. Mollie Hughes became one of the youngest British climbers to summit Mount Everest at the age of 21. In spring 2017 she is returning to Everest aiming to become the first British woman to climb the
mountain from both sides.
On Monday afternoon boys will have a French film workshop in the theatre exploring the vocab and themes of the film ‘Belle et Sébastien’, an iconic adventure film set in
the Alps during World War II, before watching it together.
Excitingly, Year 7 & 9 will go to Primrose Hill to carry out a cityscape drawing exercise. Year 7 will use soft pastels and Year 9 watercolour. Year 9 boys need to bring their
Oyster cards.
Rock climbing. All boys will go rock climbing during the
week. Please wear games kit on this day.
Year 7- Tuesday OR Thursday
Year 9 – Wednesday OR Friday
(tutors will let the boys know which one)
Tutor group competition
BBQ on Friday to finish off the week!
6 The Barometer - 24/6/2016
CURRICULUM NEWS
Miss Lillington writes...
This week in Philosophy, the Year 7 boys have started to think about the concept of Utopia, or the perfect society. The boys were given the task of creating a collage to illustrate their own ideas of Utopia, by using cuttings from magazines and newspapers. By comparing their different visions of Utopia, they were able to understand why a Utopia cannot
ever truly exist.
Mr Hartley writes…
The answer to last week’s logic quiz: they
are all invalid arguments! For further details about the answers, get in touch with Mr Hartley
From the Philosophy Department
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PARENT ART ACTIVITY WORKSHOP Mr Meyer writes...
The inaugural 'Parent Art Activity Workshop' took place on Wednesday. This was a fun filled evening where the parents were able to let their hair down after this week's exams, creating a range of fine looking dry point
prints.
Mrs
Bekta
s
Mr C
aira
schi
Mrs
Caira
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Mrs
Burn
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Mr B
urn
ett
8 The Barometer - 24/6/2016
From the Art and Design Department
CURRICULUM NEWS
Mr Meyer writes...
Year 7 drew closure on their Art & Design curriculum by designing and constructing their very own bedside light. This was a highly ambitious unit of work, but one in which they
developed a number of life skills: from the art of perseverance to overcoming problems. As well as this, they also established a firm understanding of how best to use the band saw to
using dowel joint.
Osca
r Rasm
usse
n, 7
A
Willia
m P
iccio
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s, 7
A
Sherif K
otb
, 7A
Beau B
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, 7B
H
imat-V
ir Sin
gh
Vird
ee, 7
B
Jacq
ues O
’Co
nn
or, 7
B
Ale
xan
de
r Pig
gott T
esta
, 7B
Ma
x H
ashem
, 7B
Ale
ssan
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Guglie
lmi, 7
B
The Barometer - 24/6/2016 9
CURRICULUM NEWS
Mr Meyer writes...
Kean Hughes from Hauser & Wirth came to Wetherby Senior School on Friday of this week as part of the Art Festival Week. I have known Kean, along with Ivan, the gallery owner, for a number of years. Kean was able to come in and talk, at length, about his experiences of working at such a prestigious gallery, and maybe inspire one or two of the boys to work in this, or a similar industry, in years
to come.
Talk on working in the Art business
10 The Barometer - 24/6/2016
From the History Department
Mr Warner writes…
Historical Fiction Competition
I would like to say well done to all the boys who submitted entries and I was really impressed by the level of research and thought that had clearly gone into these pieces of writing. The results are
as follows:
Year 9 Winner: Salem Nusseibeh
Year 9 Highly Commended: Joshua George-
Oppong & Pip Evans
Year 7 Winner: Manu Dixit
Year 7 Highly Commended: Dylan Auerbach
Cross Curricular Week
In History Lessons next week we will be weaving the theme of mountains into lessons. Over the weekend I would like the boys to think about how
mountains have shaped our past.
There is an extraordinary amount of crossover between History and Geography as we study the experience of humanity and the Earth through time and space. Within that time mountains have been an ever present phenomenon as barriers (see right as Napoleon crosses the Alps) and natural borders, as the homes of gods, as safe refuges and hideaways, as challenges to be named and conquered and as inspiration for the
arts and so much more.
Book Amnesty
Please could you encourage your sons to have an extensive hunt for history textbooks over the weekend. I would like them to ensure that they return all the one’s they may currently have
during their first History lesson next week.
CURRICULUM NEWS
The Barometer - 24/6/2016 11
What a lovely water spout
CURRICULUM NEWS
Mr Hasthorpe writes...
On Wednesday 22nd Wetherby Senior School combined forces with the Institute of Physics to run a free day of activities for local state school teachers in London. The day was attended by representatives from 20 different schools. After a lecture explaining how to use Isaac Physics (a free sixth form resource) the delegates had hands-on activity training in how to use liquid nitrogen safely in schools, and then participated in a "make and take" to build a modulated laser, capable of transmitting music using a beam of light. Many thanks to all who
attended.
From the Physics Department
12 The Barometer - 24/6/2016
FUN WITH LIQUID NITROGEN Miss Lillington writes...
To celebrate the end of assessments in Science, Mr Hasthorpe delivered a wonderful liquid Nitrogen show to the boys, demonstrating all the weird and wonderful ways certain materials behave at very low temperatures. The boys thoroughly enjoyed watching Mr Hasthorpe smash various items (including fruit and flowers) with a hammer as
they become more brittle at low temperatures. However a few boys had to close their eyes as he showed them how he could pour the -196oC liquid over his arm
safely!
The boys also learnt about some of the applications of liquid nitrogen in the real world, including its use in running Maglev Trains, which levitate above the track to eliminate friction. He
demonstrated the Meissner effect, which is the principle behind how Maglev Trains work, whereby if you cool a superconductor to a low enough temperature, it will levitate above a magnet because it will have zero
electromagnetic resistance.
It was a “cool” treat for the end of a challenging week of
exams!
14 The Barometer - 24/6/2016
Mr Hasthorpe writes...
Six Year 9 boys volunteered for the WSS EU Referendum Debate this week, held on the same day as the referendum. At time of writing the result of the real referendum is unknown, but at Wetherby we held a preliminary vote before the debate and by a fairly large majority voted in favour of remaining. All of Year 9 attended the debate in the theatre and asked some superb
questions during the exchanges!
Pip spoke first for remaining, with an excellent historical review of the formation of the EU. His speech had a strong finish, appealing to the
floor.
Next to speak was Vadim, against the EU. He spoke authoritatively and passionately, showing his depth of understanding of the complex
issues.
Gulliver followed with a thoughtful and numerically-researched speech, debating for the remain side. He looked at the possible impact of
Brexit on the NHS and its financial costs.
Next up for the "leave" side was Talal, who spoke extempore with a few notes in front of him. He discussed his personal experience of the debate in the media, and his audience listened carefully. Talal spoke clearly and maturely, showing a very good grasp of the
facts.
Questions from the floor were about employment, austerity measures, economy... These added a lot of material for the final two
speakers to cover.
WSS EU REFERENDUM
The Barometer - 24/6/2016 15
WSS EU REFERENDUM The first summator was Jack Henniker-Gotley, who discussed the cost of staying in the EU. His speech included some marvellous moments, for example describing the EU as "a monster that is hungry for money" - whichever side you are on, you've got to admire the
writing style!
Tom Zundel spoke last, arguing to stay in the EU. His mature speaking style was a credit to him, and he crammed a lot into his 3 minutes. He looked at finance, migration, and market forces, arguing passionately
for the UK to remain.
The final vote was taken and the Remain campaign had it by a slightly reduced majority. Well done to
all boys taking part!
16 The Barometer - 24/6/2016
SPORTING NEWS
Mr Sullivan writes...
Well done, boys, the exams are over! Did you use any of my advice and did it work? I
would like to know.
Summer Camps - Focus on fun and
honing skills
The Summer Camps are focused on intense training to take young athletes to the next level, but the majority of sports-themed summer camps focus on fun. Sports are a great way for boys to enjoy getting much needed exercise; they can teach boys valuable life skills as they play. Many of the skills necessary to be successful in sports are the same skills needed to be successful in life. Participating in sports can teach boys the importance of teamwork, self-discipline, concentration, patience, self-reliance and personal responsibility, among a myriad of
other desirable skills.
Important dates:
Year 9 Inter-Trib: Final fixture - Walbrook
vs. Tyburn – Monday 27th June
Sports Day: Wednesday 6th July
Summer camps:
Youth Athletic Development - Monday 11th,
Tuesday 12th & Wednesday 13th July
Pre-season Rugby Camp – Monday 29th,
Tuesday 30th & Wednesday 31st August
Please see attached for more information
From the Games Department
Mr Meyer writes…
Match 1: Fleet 48 for 0 vs
Walbrook 31 for 5
In the first innings Fleet batted superbly with Finley Waters (c) 17 (not out) and Alex Piggott-Testa 15 (not out). Alex showed what a versatile cricketer he is by not only bowling with a consistent line and length but playing a number of fine pull shots, two of which, went to the
boundary.
In the second innings, the middle order pairing of Robert Bektas, 5 (bowled) and Jacques O’Connor, 4 (run out) tried in vain to chase the 48 scored by Fleet but it was too little too late with Walbrook
falling just 17 short.
Walbrook bonus points: 2
Fleet bonus points: 3
Year 7 Cricket
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SPORTING NEWS Match 2 Tyburn 34 for 1 vs
Walbrook 35 for 3
This was the closest match of the Inter-Trib Tournament with both sides batting and bowling with conviction. Particular highlights came from George Gerson (Walbrook) who got two wickets for no runs; one of which was given leg before wicket. Tyburn lost by just 1 run, but Adam 6 (not out) and Max 12 (run out) showed how
well the top order played.
Tyburn bonus points: 3
Walbrook bonus points: 5
Match 3: Fleet 15 for 5 vs
Tyburn 28 for 2
The third and final game of the inaugural inter-trib cricket tournament saw Fleet face Tyburn. Frejvid and Leo batted superbly getting a number of quick fire singles. This helped Tyburn score 28 for 2. This proved to be an unassailable lead and although the tail end partnership of Alex, 7 n.o. and Finlay 3 (run out) played an array of shots it was all in vain
as they came up 13 short.
Tyburn bonus points: 3
Fleet bonus points: 6
This was an outstanding Inter-Trib tournament with the game played in the right spirit from
start to finish.
1st Tyburn 34 points
2nd Fleet 25 points
3rd Walbrook 9 points
18 The Barometer - 24/6/2016
SPORTING NEWS Euro 2016 Fantasy Football
Well done to all the home nations – England, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland and Wales. This Saturday is going to be very interesting! What did I say last week… Miss Valentine is in the lead! I am catching you up. Where are you
boys?
Sports Quote of the Week
‘You’ll never accomplish anything if you don’t believe that
you can do it’
Follow us for results and updates on Twitter via
@WetherbySSports
#teamwetherby
The Barometer - 24/6/2016 19
CULTURAL BAROMETER
Miss Valentine writes...
London has an incomparable range of cultural experiences and every now and then I hear
from students, parents and other staff about the fantastic things that they have seen. I’m always looking for recommendations about what is worth catching and equally, what would be wise
to avoid…
So, if you or your son has been to a show, concert, museum exhibition or any kind of cultural event please write about it and give it a
rating from “Stormy” to “Sunny” on our Barometer of Culture. I’ll kick us off this week in the hopes that maybe Mr Morris might have a quick review of ENO’s incredible production of Tristan
und Isolde for us after he sees it this weekend.
Opera Holland Park – La bohème
Puccini’s La Bohème (composed 1895) may be my favourite opera of all time. It has the perfect mix of comedy and tragedy typical of the Verismo style and Holland Park’s (almost) open air theatre is a beautiful setting for it, right in the heart of Kensington. Cast were very good, staging was beautiful (although at times a little too cheesy for my taste), and the orchestra was small but incredibly well balanced. I recommend OHP as a brilliant, relaxed way to spend a summer evening with or without children. Book tickets for opera/ballet through to the end of the summer on their website and
take a picnic to enjoy in the grounds.
20 The Barometer - 24/6/2016
CLUB NEWS
Lego Club Maxime Hashem writes...
After three days of exams Year 7 were rather tired so this week we did not continue our Lego movie and instead we had a (not quite so quiet) free building session. The reason for this was definitely NOT because I forgot my characters and my camera. Special shout-out to Alex and Robert who have finished their
movie.
The Barometer - 24/6/2016 21
CLUB NEWS
Miss Valentine writes...
A small select group of
talented musicians have been
working on a range of music
skills related to Samba this
term. To start, we learnt a few
different samba pieces and
also had a go at working
together to compose our own
samba. After an interlude
where we transferred our skills
to the boomwhackers, the
boys are now composing their
own samba pieces on Cubase.
I hope to share some with you
when they are complete next
week!
Year 7 Samba Club
Mr Dawson writes...
This week saw
Michael host Quiz
Club. Victory was
only clinched on the
final question, well
done to Talal, Niclas,
Ben and Lachlan
who were the
winning team.
Quiz Club
22 The Barometer - 24/6/2016
CLUB NEWS Rock Band
Mr Bray writes...
Our resident rock band reformed this week, after some absences and school trips. Not only did they manage to play their version of ‘Smoke on the Water’ from the beginning to the end without stopping (for the first time), they also had chance to discuss the band name. My suggestion of ‘Liquid Nitrogen’, inspired by Mr Hasthorpe’s recent experiments, went down reasonably well until we searched Spotify and found the name was already taken. Jack suggested ‘Soap’, Louis came up with
(pronounced ‘pie vee’) and Rahul put forward various names, all beginning with ‘The Five Emperors of…’. The final name is yet to be determined. I would suggest an online poll, but fear a ‘Boaty McBoatface’. Watch this
space.
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SOME CELEBRATIONS
7 TYBURN7 TYBURN
INTERINTER--TRIB CRICKET WINNERSTRIB CRICKET WINNERS
Historical Fiction CompetitionHistorical Fiction Competition
From the Editor
On this week’s front cover: Mr Hasthorpe demonstrates the joys of liquid Nitrogen to Year
9. On the back: Year 7 Samba Club. For all comments and feedback please email:
http://www.wetherbysenior.co.uk/