BAROMETER THE
WETHERBY SENIOR SCHOOL WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 10th 2018 | WEEK 2
MAKING MATERIALS MATTER... AND MORE!
FROM THE HEADMASTER
Dear Parents, I have been very impressed with the speed with which the boys have adapted to the two week timetable. The transition can sometimes be difficult with pupils turning up in the wrong places with the wrong books but it all seems to be running well. Indeed, the School has got up to full speed very quickly and it has been good hearing from boys over lunch and as I move between the two buildings how much they have enjoyed the start of term but also that they feel they are being challenged academically, particularly the Sixth Form who are noticing the difference between Year 11 and Year 12 in approach and workload. Whilst the priority for Year 11 will be their GCSE work, it is already time for them to start thinking about the next step. On Tuesday all Year 11 and their parents are warmly invited to the Sixth Form
Information Evening to see the new facilities and hear about Sixth Form life from Mrs Deedat and a few Sixth Formers. The evening begins at 6.30pm in the Drama Studio and I look forward to seeing you there. In the coming weeks we have a series of talks aimed at parents in support of sessions that the boys are having during the days. Many of you spoke to me last year regarding teenage parties and how to make sure your sons are staying safe and making good choices as they start to socialise with larger, possibly unsupervised, groups. On Thursday this week, we are joined by Julia Johnson who has a broad range of experience working with young people as well as supporting parents and she will be sharing her ideas on managing the peer pressure that affects all teenagers. In the following week, there is a talk for Sixth Form parents on anxiety and stress as well as a
talk for all parents on illegal drugs. More details will be sent on all these in due course. I am also looking forward to the new Parents’ drinks on Wednesday evening at The Marylebone Hotel. This will be a good opportunity for those of you who are new to the community to meet the staff that are working with your son, particularly their tutor, and also to meet other parents from your son’s class and year. I look forward to seeing you then. Enjoy the weekend,
WEEK A MONDAY
WEEKLY DIARY 17.09.18
Talk for Sixth Form boys - NHS Blood Donation and Transplant at Francis Holland School, Regents Park 15:00 Artist in Residence Event (Afternoon Club) Prep Schools Heads’ Dinner (11+), The Marylebone Hotel 19:00
TUESDAY
18.09.18
Sixth Form Information Evening, Bulstrode Street 18:30-19:30
WEDNESDAY
19.09.18
Gillman & Soame (Portrait Photos) 10:00-13:00 Football WSS U12/13 vs Falcons Prep (A) 14:30 Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Information Evening for Parents New Parents’ Reception, The Marylebone Hotel 19:00-20:30
THURSDAY
20.09.18
Julie Johnson, Managing peer pressure and the party scene - pupil talks throughout the day Julie Johnson, Managing peer pressure and the party scene - parent seminar, Hannah House 18:15-19:45
FRIDAY
21.09.18
SATURDAY
22.09.17
SUNDAY
23.09.17
Year Group Assemblies 15:15-15:45 Staff INSET, Hannah House - 16:00-16:45
WETHERBY SENIOR SCHOOL WATER BOTTLE
Please ensure all uniform, games kit and equipment is clearly named.
UNIFORM SALE We are currently collecting uniform for resale at second hand uniform sale. Please deliver any clean, unwanted uniform and/or football boots to reception, clearly marked for second hand uniform. Please contact: michelle.byrnes2@ gmail.com with any queries.
Help reduce our school's plastic consumption by using this personalised Active Bottle, emblazoned with the Wetherby Senior School logo and your own name. Made from highly durable materials, your Active Bottle is easy to open and close, won't leak and will keep your drinks hot or cold throughout the school day. Active Bottle company supports our planet by donating 10% of all their proceeds to Clean Ocean and what's more, all remaining profits from selling the bottle will go straight to support your school's PTA and their selective charities. Can't get better! You can order online at: https://activebottle.co.uk/collections/ wetherby
WETHERBY SENIOR SCHOOL PTA CHARITY EVENING Save the date for the Headmaster's Inaugural Fundraiser on Friday 2nd November - details to follow shortly! If you'd like to be involved in the organisation, have any auction items to donate or would like to sponsor any part of the event, please get in touch with the PTA at pta@wetherbysenior. co.uk
IMPORTANT NOTICES
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
Soup: Tomato and vegetable
Soup: Carrot
Soup: Pea and Ham
Main: Beef tacos
Main: Thai chicken curry
Main: Roasted British chicken
Meat Free: Bean burritos
Meat Free: Potato, cauliflower & chickpea curry
Meat Free: Mushroom wellington
To Go With: Cajun spiced potato wedges,vegetable rice, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, steamed broccoli Dessert: Carrot cake
To Go With: Lemon Rice, garlic & coriander naan, creamed spinach with paneer, raita yogurt Dessert: Pineapple coconut dream
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Soup: Beetroot
Soup: Sweet Potato
Main: Steamed fish fillets or fish cakes
Main: Beef or chicken burgers with a choice of cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onion, jalapenos & gherkins
Meat Free: Macaroni with fresh tomato sauce & basil To Go With: Oven baked vegetables, curried fried potatoes, roasted tomatoes with chimichurri sauce Dessert: Strawberry cream jelly bowls
Meat Free: Falafel and spinach veggie burgers To Go With: Ratatouille,chips, steamed mixed vegetables Dessert: Vanilla sponge cake
To Go With: Roasted Potatoes, cauliflower cheese, yorkshire Pudding, spring greens, gravy Dessert: Rice Krispie squares
EVERY DAY Freshly Made Bread Homemade Salads Vegetable CruditĂŠs With Hummus Sandwich & Wrap Selection Meat & Cheese Platters Fresh Fruit
MENU
BIOCHEMISTRY FAIR At the end of the last academic year, boys in Year 7 (who are now in Year 8) organised a Biochemistry Fair. This involved lots of research into the science behind their project, carrying out practical work, collecting results, analysing them and working as a team to collate their findings into a presentation. Each group set out to answer the following questions: • What affects the shape and size of crystals as they grow? • What is luminescence and can it be found in nature? • Are there microbes living in Wetherby Senior School and what effects could these have on us? • Does the pH of food and drink affect the human body? • What are sports drinks and why do athletes drink them? • What is DNA and can we extract it from a strawberry? Each group presented their findings to Mr Bolderow, Miss Smith, Dr Lindsay and Mrs Bennet. The boys worked extremely hard and we were impressed with their findings. We decided on two project winners. Congratulations to Ramzi, Andrew, Francesco, Michael and Pedro (What is DNA and can we extract it from a strawberry?) and Oscar, Nima, Max, Zach and Ben (Are there microbes living in Wetherby Senior School and what effects could these on us?). Please come and see Mrs. Bennet to claim your prize!
NEW SCIENTIST LIVE New Scientist Live is an award-winning, mind-blowing festival of ideas and discoveries for everyone curious about science and why it matters. For four days in September it transforms London, the world’s most exciting capital city, into the most exciting place in the universe. More than 120 speakers and 100 exhibitors come together in one venue to create an unrivalled atmosphere and energy, packed with thought-provoking talks, ground-breaking discoveries, interactive experiences, workshops and performances. Fun, entertaining, informative and inspirational, New Scientist Live stimulates the mind and senses like no other event. A great opportunity to experience some really exciting science. Opening Times: Thursday 20 September: 10.00 - 17.00 Friday 21 September: 10.00 17.00 Saturday 22 September: 10.00 - 17.00 Sunday 23 September: 10.00 17.00 Venue: ExCeL London Royal Victoria Dock 1 Western Gateway London E16 1XL
BARCELONA FOOTBALL TOUR 2018
MAKING MATERIALS MATTER: Dr Lindsay writes... First things first, let’s discuss why material science and engineering are so influential in shaping civilizations. In ancient Egypt, glass was only used for decoration and ornamentation, no one could have known that this material would provide the platform for the inventions of modern physics, chemistry and biology, and much more. Even when the Romans, who were great innovators in glass, invented the glass window they did not predict how important the material would be. It was ultimately the invention of the glass lens that turned out to be crucial for the birth of science, leading to the development of astrophysics and biology through the invention of the telescope and microscope, respectively. Other innovations in glass had huge impacts, such as the development of borosilicate glass (e.g., Pyrex) and the test tube, without which the subject of chemistry would essentially not exist. In modern times, the glass optical fibre has revolutionized telecommunications and is the backbone of the Internet, which would grind to a halt without it. Glass is just one of many influential materials that have played decisive roles in our history. Materials are not just the stuff we make things from; they are expressions of our needs and desires. A number of drivers of future material needs have been identified by analysts and
policy makers from around the world, these include: (1) sustainable cities, (2) energy security, (3) food and water security, and (4) health care. But there are other important influences too, such as aesthetics. Walk around many science and engineering departments in 2018 and you can easily convince yourself that there is no need for new fabrics now that jeans and t-shirts have been invented—but this would be to ignore the importance of fashion as a driver of materials technologies. What makes us human is not just the physical materiality of our bodies; we are immaterial too and have interior and emotional lives. The material world, although separate, is not divorced from these worlds but rather strongly influences them, as anyone knows: Sitting on a couch affects our emotional state in a very different way than sitting on a metal stool. This is because, for humans, materials are not just functional; early archaeological evidence shows that, as soon as we developed tools, we were also creating decorative jewellery, pigments, art, and clothing. The materials used for these purposes were developed for aesthetic and cultural reasons, and this has been a strong driver of materials technology throughout history (and has had unexpected impacts, as already mentioned for the example of glass). Because of this strong connection between materials and their
social roles, the materials that we favour, the materials with which we surround ourselves, are significant to us: They mean something; they embody our ideals; they give us part of our identity. Authors, artists, photographers, and filmmakers imagine new futures, and in doing so, they change our views of both current and future technology. Thus, there is a constant reflection, absorption, and expression going on in the material world that remaps the meanings of materials around us. This mapping, though, is not a one-way street: The desire for stronger, more comfortable, waterproof, breathable materials creates a need for the understanding of the internal material nanostructures
WHAT WILL WE DREAM UP NEXT? and microstructures that are required to create them. This drives the scientific understanding and, so, drives materials science. In a very real way, then, materials science and engineering represent a reflection of our human dreams. We live in the dream world of past generations, literally a world they imagined into existence through the materials technology they engineered. So what dream world will the materials engineers of 2018 bequeath to our children and grandchildren in 2050? Will bionic people with synthetic organs, bones, and even brains become the norm? As we become more synthetic, will our humanmade environment change to become more lifelike, so that
living buildings and objects that heal themselves become the norm in 2050? The role of the imagination in determining the direction of human technology should not be underestimated. Authors, artists, architects, and filmmakers all envision futures that influence the direction of materials research. They do this by influencing the imaginations of materials scientists and engineers. The invisibility shields that H.G. Wells wrote about are now becoming a reality through the development of metamatierals; Star Trek ’s replicators are manifested in 3D printers; the self-cleaning materials from the 1951 film The Man in the White Suit are here today. All of these once-fanciful applications are now reality, and so are the social and economic implications that come along with them: It is not impossible that the replicants from the film Blade Runner will yet find their way into our lives. By 2050, our world might feel like a dystopian novel by J.G. Ballard or a more optimistic film like Back to the Future II, and the outcome depends, to some extent, on those who want to transform those types of fiction into existence. We have the knowledge to do this. Nanotechnology is one of the fastest growing areas of research in materials science. The number of possibilities is limitless, but what is more interesting is that many of the
structures at this scale selfassemble. This means that the materials are able to organize themselves using electrostatic and surface tension forces (and heal themselves in the same way). The development of nanostructures to collect sunlight to produce a new generation of solar cells that are self-assembling and selfhealing is one example. At the microscale, materials science is starting to design structures that are able to control light. These metamaterials can be formed with variable refractive indices, which means that they can bend light in any desired direction. This has yielded the first, primitive generation of invisibility shields, which, when surrounding an object, bend light around it so that, from whichever direction you try to observe the object, it appears to vanish. These metamaterials might also make possible a new generation of optical computers that use light and not electrons—and make existing computers look very slow and power hungry, especially if the new computers use quantum logic. Although designing structures at different scales provides the possibility of extraordinary smart materials, the real challenge is linking up the scales of such structures into a macroscopic human-sized object. Smart phones are an example of the integration of a touch-sensitive screen and clever electronics. The idea that whole objects might be so wired, like an electronic nerve
system and thus sensitive to touch, is now becoming possible through plastic electronics. Indeed, by 2050, whole rooms, buildings, and even bridges might generate their own energy, funnel it to where it is needed, detect damage, and self-heal. If this seems like science fiction, it is what living materials already do. Whatever people think about the rapid pace of change in the past, the fundamental arrangement of materials on the planet has not changed. There are living things that
we call life, and there are non-living things that we call rocks, tools, buildings, and so on. As a result of our greater understanding of matter, this distinction is likely to become blurred. By 2050, bionic people, augmented with synthetic organs, bones, and even brains, could become normal. Just as we become more synthetic, so our engineered environment might change to become more life like, with living buildings and self-healing bridges. Perhaps, we will succeed in developing wearable exoskeleton underwear that will allow us to
live and play tennis even when we are 100 years of age. Whatever happens, it seems certain that humanity’s love affair with ‘stuff ’ is not going to end any time soon. Materials are, quite literally, a physical reflection of who we are, and as long as we are changing, so will our material world. The day we stop evolving will be the day we stop inventing new materials.
TRY THIS IONIC SUDOKU CHALLENGE!
In Ionic Su Doku you need to use logic to work out the compounds in the blank squares. Every row, column and 3x3 box contains a chloride, bromide, iodide, oxide, hydroxide, nitrate, carbonate, sulfate and phosphate. Each 3x3 box is based on compounds with the same positive ion – e.g. the top
left box contains sodium compounds and the middle left box contains copper(II) compounds. The top right hand 3x3 box contains compounds of hydrogen. They are not all ionic but the formulae will still be correct if we treat them as if they are. For example, the hydroxide of hydrogen (H2O), which we will have to treat as different
to the oxide (H2O), has to be in the top row of the right hand 3x3 box, since the other rows already have hydroxides in them. It cannot be in the top right square because that column already has a hydroxide in it, so it must be in the top middle square of the right hand 3x3 box. Make sure that you get the formulae right! Rating: Easy
SIXTH FORM LECTURE SERIES Mrs Deedat writes... The Sixth Form Lecture series 2018 has kicked start in the most auspicious way. FHS has open their door to the boys from Wetherby Senior school for a collaboration aimed at enriching and diversifying the lecture programme. To open this year’s series, we invited Tina Lond-Caulk. Tina is a degree qualified Clinical Nutritionist working for a Harley Street medical practice and she spoke about
how to maximize potential by making easy changes in our life and adopting the correct eating and sleeping
habits. The perfect lecture for a healthy start to this new academic year!
THEATRE REVIEW Sean Masri, Year 12 writes... On July 17th, I saw the play ‘Exit the King’ at the National Theatre. This absurdist comedy and drama was written by Eugène Ionesco and premiered in 1962. ‘Exit the King’ explores the thought provoking themes of mortality, life and love. Ionesco was a RomanianFrench playwright, who wrote the majority of his plays in French. His plays studied the solitude and insignificance of life, causing the audience to reflect emotionally upon the profound message of the play. After an incredible 483 years of existence, King Berenger I is informed of his fast approaching death. The King’s magical powers are no longer working, his physical ability is crumbling, the sun no longer rises and his once grand kingdom is experiencing apocalyptic ruin. Throughout much of the play, King Berenger refuses to acknowledge the possibility of death, causing the King’s two wives, soldier and servant to watch hopelessly as the King attempts to cling to life. Berenger’s first wife, Marguerite, attempts to make Berenger admit that death is possible and his reign has come to an end. Berenger’s second wife, Marie, is more sympathetic and supports Berenger in battling death. The huge contrast between both
characters creates humour and softens the sombre atmosphere. Rhys Ifans, who plays the role of King Berenger, excellently captures the essence of the fear of death. His wonderful acting is able to create both humour and pathos among the audience, the exactly Ionesco tried to achieve. Throughout
the play he battles against the dying of the light; he procrastinates, flees, does all that is possible to escape death that actors and audience alike know must come at the end of the play. The incredible stage design, imaginative costumes, atmospheric music, black humour and powerful acting worked together to create a fantastic and moving play.
BASKETBALL Mr Chidell writes... As part of their weekly activity allocation, a group of boys from Years 8 and 9 play basketball on Monday afternoons. This week we focused on the twin skills of marking attackers (while defending) and getting into space (while on the attack). The boys enjoyed the opportunity to run around and develop new skills in a newly-opened, state-of-the-art sporting facility just a short drive from the school.Â
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