Spring Assembly 2010

ASSEMBLYSPRING 2010 From the Headmaster

T

here are times (quite a few in fact) when it is hard to beat being the Headmaster of Arnold House.

In the course of the last week of the Spring term, for example, within the space of a few hours, I watched the 1st XV play the game of their lives against The Hall, narrowly losing 17 points to 10 but pleased and proud to have been part of something very special; received a letter from a current parent thanking the teaching staff for the exceptional care given to her son following an injury on the games field; and sat spellbound by the younger boys’ energy and confidence displayed at the Years 3 & 4 Arts Festival in the theatre at Canons

Park. On top of which, it was congratulations (and chocolates) all round to the Year 1 boys who lined up outside my study to give a demonstration of tie-tying skills!

In January, a number of our Year 8 boys sat entrance exams to London senior schools such as City of London, Haberdashers’ Aske’s, Highgate, Merchant Taylors’ and Mill Hill. (St Paul’s, UCS and Westminster use Common Entrance in June for their entrance tests.)

On the strength of their exam performance and interviews our boys gained places to Highgate, Merchant Taylors’ and Mill Hill.

Better still, Wilf Wheeler has been awarded

an Exhibition for English at Mill Hill; an accomplishment matched by Hugo Fry for his promise as a sportsman at St Edward’s, Oxford. Many congratulations to them and everyone who has had a part to play in their success!

Returning to that ‘thank you’ letter, the parents wrote: “To feel part of the Arnold House community is no small thing for boys of this age and something they will value for many years to come”. How true and how rewarding it is to see happy boys achieving so much.

Vivian Thomas Headmaster

A Snapshot of the Spring Term

Hats and wigs day, raising for St John’s Hospice money

c hoir at the The Chapeal Brosnan Centre Barbar ASSEMBLY

Y6 Imperial war Museum

First XV v Keble

Y2 Museum of London

Y4 West Stow, Anglo Saxon village

Y7 Stade de Fr ance in Pa

ris

Y6 Maths day at Canons Park

New impressions on Science at Arnold House

F

irst impressions are important. I made mine in the Undercroft. More precisely in the, until now, newly laid and pristinely smooth, concrete floor. During the Summer break 2009, a great deal of work was undertaken to improve the area around the Science Lab including the installation of modernistic glass doors thus creating an imaginative space for all kinds of activities. As a result of this I was lucky enough to inherit a newly painted department when I started at the School in September, the only downside being that everything was in boxes. As I pieced together the giant jigsaw that was the Science department, I realised that Edward Harrison must have spent an inordinate amount time organising and packing everything in such a way that would make sense to me. Thank you, Edward!

Why Science is important in everyday life Science is a very broad subject ranging from the smallest subatomic particles to the vastness of the Universe, and covering everything in between. I feel that science teaches many transferable skills and gives an understanding of the world around us. Practical science develops discipline, confidence and teamwork and scientists think critically, gather and weigh up evidence, problem solve and hypothesise. In the information rich world in which we live, these critical thinking skills are becoming increasingly important. Whilst we can never hope to keep up with the pace of every new technology, science can at least help us to weigh up those that are most useful to us.

Arnold House presents its first Science Week The boys at Arnold House have proved to be as passionate about science as I am and enthusiastically helped plan a programme of events for our first Science Week (12th - 21st March 2010). Activities included dissections, science based ‘pub’ quizzes, making silly putty and a series of Year 6 “Eggsperiments”, culminating in Year 6 hosting a Spaghetti Nest competition for Year 3. Well done, Year 6! Many of the Year 7 and Year 8 boys are still working on their entries for the Royal Society of Chemistry/Bill Bryson competition and the response from the rest of the school to the National Science and Engineering Week “Endangered Species” poster competition has been overwhelming.

On mentioning in passing to Ms Legan and Mrs Boyarin that it would be fun to have a Science Week, it seemed that overnight they had organised a plethora of events to be enjoyed by the Pre Prep boys. Explosions and excitement then ensued for the duration of Science Week , inspiring another generation of Arnold House scientists.

Typical of the co-operation experienced here at Arnold House, Miss Rawlinson kindly agreed to design a labcoat template for the “Geek Chic” competition and also dedicated some of her lesson time to science – thank you.

Hopefully I will make more than just an impression on the Undercroft during my time here at Arnold House, and, along with the sterling assistance of Mrs Rudha, help impress upon the boys the value of science as a way of understanding the day-to-day phenomena we experience in our lives.....and have some fun as well!

Jenny Lyons Head of Science

The world of Science opens up for Year 1 Year 1 enjoyed an introduction to science during a week which saw them exploding coke bottles, toppling dominoes and learning about the famous scientists who have made an impact on our lives today!

“I enjoyed the domino toppling but we had to be very careful not to shake the table. We did 233 dominoes.”

“I learnt about lots of scientists. It was good fun. I know lots more things about them now. Newton was my favourite.”

“We squashed lots of Play-doh and made different shapes. It was hard to make a perfect ball.”

“It was cool when the teacher put mints in Coke. The Coke exploded everywhere!”

“I won blow football; it was easier with a straw and not a floppy paper fan.”

Patricia Legan 1L Form Teacher

“I like science because when we do practicals we usually end up setting something on fire or blowing something up!” Year 7 ASSEMBLY

“What I like about science is that there are so many different aspects to explore.”

Year 7

Eruptions in Year 4 It seems to be, as the years have passed by, that the highlight of Year 4 is erupting volcanoes in science.

This takes place in the Spring Term as part of our ‘Materials’ topic. This year, the time came round quickly and much excitement and enjoyment was had by all. The boys’ creations were outstanding and yet again exceeded our expectations.

Each boy, in turn, added their three ingredients; bicarbonate of soda, red food colouring and lastly vinegar, and watched the chemical reaction with baited breath!

A week of experiments in Year 2 Science Week brought lots things for Year 2 to learn and have fun with. On the Monday, we carried out an interesting experiment with diet coke and mints. We put a few mints into a big bottle of diet coke and the mixture burst out 20 cm into the air. It looked like a coke fountain!

work the first time but the second time the rocket flew up into the air!

On the Tuesday we had a rocket experiment.

Our teacher put some water inside a film canister, then some stomach settler powder, quickly covered the film canister with a lid and put it inside a paper rocket. It didn’t

On Thursday morning we played with a new set of magnets and shaving foam. We loved tidying up the mess afterwards.

On the Wednesday we made perfume using real blossom, lemon juice, mint, rosemary, vanilla scent, glycerol and some food colouring. It was good fun!

Science week was amazing!

Junior Scientists of 2B

Annabel Batty 4B Form Teacher

The ‘42 Club Dinner 2010 The ‘42 Club will be holding a reunion dinner for all Old Boys aged 18 and over.

The dinner will be held on Monday 24th May at The Naval & Military Club (the ‘In & Out’) St. James’ Square. Further information about the Club and its activities can be obtained from its website www.The42Club.com or from its Honorary Secretary David Burr (email David.Burr@The42Club.com, telephone 07952 86 79 75).

The Annual Fund 2010

Dates for the Diary

Due to the generosity of our parents, we are pleased to announce that to date, a total of £18,423 has been raised for the Annual Fund. Donations have been given towards the purchase of the following items which will be installed prior to the beginning of the Summer Term:

Friday 14 May Grandparents Open Afternoon (Y1-6)

Library • New book shelves, folding chairs and window seats • A wireless hands free scanner ICT • Installation of 10 Apple iMac computers in the music suite Music • Violins • New headphones and splitter cables Canons Park • A new rugby scrummage machine • 2 cricket covers There are still a small number of items left on the Annual Fund, please contact Stephanie Miller on 020 7266 6989 or e-mail smiller@arnoldhouse.co.uk if you would like further information.

Thank you for your continued support of the Arnold House Annual Fund.

Stephanie Miller Director of Development

Thursday 20 May Twenty/20 Cricket at Lord’s Nursery Ground Monday 24th May ’42 Club Dinner at the Naval & Military Club (In & Out) Tuesday 25 May Senior Summer Concert Friday 18 June Sports Day & Athletics Championships Thursday 24 June Junior Summer Concert Thursday 1 July Prize Giving (Y1-4) Monday 5 July Prize Giving (Y5-8)

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Interview with Arnold House old boy James Roxburgh, Cardiothoracic Surgeon

W

hat education and career path did you take after leaving Arnold House?

After leaving Arnold House I went to Stowe which is not only a public school but also happens to be the former seat of the Duke of Buckingham and one of the finest examples of English architecture and garden design. It was a great privilege to spend five years there but it was also very easy to take one’s eye off the academic ball!

Luckily for me 3 Cs at A level was the usual entry requirement for medical school in those days and I started at the Middlesex Hospital Medical School in 1976. I really enjoyed my time at medical school, it was certainly a case of work hard and play hard, but eventually one has to enter the real world and earn a living! I had decided on a career in surgery, partly I suppose because my father was a surgeon but also I had found the mental and technical aspects of surgery much more rewarding than other branches of medicine during my training.

I had spent much of my childhood making models and so I suppose it was natural that I ended up in a specialty that required manual dexterity and spatial awareness. I trained in general surgery and then specialised in cardiothoracic surgery (surgery of the heart and lungs) and became a Consultant Surgeon at St Thomas’ Hospital London some 15 years ago.

much a part of education at Arnold House as were lessons and exams.

and the NHS is very good at producing paperwork!

How has being an Arnold House pupil impacted your life?

What advice would you give someone who would like to follow in your footsteps and pursue a career in medicine?

Arnold House taught me how to work and how to think in an ordered and logical manner but perhaps most importantly I still remember George Smart saying “work hard and always do your best”.

Have you stayed in touch with any of your fellow pupils?

My parents moved out of London once I had finished at Arnold House and none of the boys at Stowe had been there so very quickly I lost touch with my London friends.

These days texting, e-mail, Facebook and so on makes it really easy for my children to keep in touch with friends from their previous schools. However just to show how small a world it is, when I moved into a small village in Buckinghamshire, some 18 years ago, one of the first people I met was somebody who was also at Arnold House when George Smart was the Headmaster!

What has been your greatest achievement?

The competition to get a place at medical school is intense and I am certain that the five years of medical school are now much harder then when I started in 1976.

It is therefore vitally important that any prospective medical student understands what they are letting themselves in for. It is always a good idea to talk to friends and family who have medical connections to get an idea of what’s involved. Increasingly medical schools and professional organisations, such as the Royal Society of Medicine and the various Royal Colleges, arrange open days where those interested in medicine can meet medical students as well as junior and senior doctors to get a better idea of all the careers that are available in medicine. Our own Society is setting up links with medical schools and eventually schools to provide this sort of information.

I was recently elected President of the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgeons in Great Britain and Ireland and I am extremely honoured that my colleagues have chosen me to represent them.

Describe an average day as a Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon?

Above: James (left) and his brother Charles circa 1966 What are your abiding memories of Arnold House?

Walking to swimming lessons at Swiss Cottage, cricket at Canons Park, prizegiving at the Seymour Hall, seven “preps” at weekends, Saturday morning lessons but above all George Smart. I remember him as a kind man with great presence; he knew all his pupils and regarded every boy as an individual. He believed passionately that good manners and behaviour were as

I suppose the easy answer to this question is that there is no average day and that is the beauty of the job! However as a surgeon I operate two to three days a week and this means I’m usually in the hospital by 7 a.m. and hopefully by late afternoon we will have completed two cardiac operations, such as replacing a faulty heart valve or bypassing any diseased coronary artery, and by 7 p.m. I would hope to be on my way home. On other days I will do ward rounds, see patients in clinics and do my research, but as with any other job there is lots of tedious paperwork to be done

Above: James Roxburgh getting ready for surgery

Trivia Surgeons are called Mr rather than Dr as they came from the non-medical background of surgeon-barbers. Barbers had very sharp razors for shaving and haircutting and it was natural that they were asked to do minor surgery! The doctors of the day were very protective of their medical training and kept the “surgeons” in place by calling them Mr! Surgeons remain very proud of their heritage and unlike surgeons in most other countries, are still called Mr rather than Dr.

Arnold House School 1 Loudoun Road St.John’s Wood, London NW8 0LH Telephone: 020 7266 4840 Facsimile: 020 7266 6994 Email: office@arnoldhouse.co.uk Website: www.arnoldhouse.co.uk Arnold House School Ltd (Limited by Guarantee). Registered in London Number 889424. Educational Charitable Trust Number 312725

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