BAROMETER THE
WETHERBY SENIOR SCHOOL WEEKLY JANUARY 14th 2018 | WEEK 2
UPDATES AND NEWS FROM THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT!
FROM THE HEADMASTER
Dear Parents, I was very lucky to finish the first week of term with a fantastic evening on Saturday at the Playhouse Theatre where Mark Mwangi in Year 7 is currently appearing in Caroline, or Change and I highly recommend it. The story of a family’s maid and the struggles of her family at a time of great change may not be the most obvious choice of subject matter for a musical, but the examination of the small ways in which real change comes about made for a memorable piece of theatre. Mark and the other children in the show were outstanding and it was a privilege to be given a glimpse of life backstage and to meet some of Mark’s fellow cast members. The week began with a meeting of all the PTA reps. The support of the PTA in reaching out to the parent body, supporting the School in its fundraising and also looking for ways in which they can enrich the life of the School was demonstrated last term with
their great fundraising evening. The start of this meeting was a change from the normal function of the PTA as I answered questions that came from the parent body. It was useful to hear many of the comments and also to be able to clarify some matters, but it was also clear that the PTA is not the correct channel for the issues that were being raised and, indeed, in the constitution agreed last year, it is stated that the PTA is not an alternative to the normal means of communication with the School regarding concerns or questions. Your son’s tutor should be the first port of call for any questions you may have, but you can also contact your son’s Head of Section (Miss Eaves – Years 7 to 9; Miss Ridley – Years 10 & 11; Mrs Deedat – Sixth Form), either of the Deputies, Mr Morris and Mr Lawrence, and, of course, me. The volunteers on the PTA are there to support the WSS Community in fundraising and social events so please contact WSS directly for issues regarding the function of the School.
There was a very wellattended talk by Dick Moore last week following a wellreceived lecture to the Sixth Form earlier in the day and in the coming week the ‘Great Men’ group, who visited the School last year, will be visiting again to talk to the Year 9. The parents’ session held in the evening last year was felt to be very useful to the parents who attended as they gained a valuable insight into the boys’ views on masculinity. Finally, congratulations to the Year 11 who finish their mocks today. Whilst we all wait to see how they got on, there can be no doubt that this has been a useful experience for them, preparing them for the routines of the actual exams, giving them a chance to answer GCSE questions under exam conditions as well as an opportunity to make mistakes before the pressure of the real thing. I hope the Year 11 and all of you have a restful and enjoyable weekend,
WEEK B MONDAY
WEEKLY DIARY 21.01.18
Sixth Form Lecture - Protein, Rory Larkin - Hannah House 15:00
TUESDAY
22.01.18
WEDNESDAY
23.01.18
Football WSS U16A vs Radnor House (H) 14:30 Rugby WSS 1st XV vs Tiffin (A) 14:30 Rugby WSS Yrs 7/8 vs Durston House (H) 14:30 GCSE Drama trip to see ‘The Cane’ at The Royal Court 17:30
THURSDAY
24.01.18
‘The Great Men’ - Workshops on Modern Masculinity (Year 9) Hannah House 09:00-12:30 ‘The Great Men’ - Modern Masculinity Parents’ Seminar - Hannah House 18:00
FRIDAY
25.01.18
SATURDAY
26.01.17
SUNDAY
27.01.17
Friday Lunchtime Clubs and Societies 13:40-14:25 Rugby U14/15 WSS vs Radnor House (A) 14:30 Trib & Pool Assemblies 15:15-15:45 Sixth Form Model United Nations Conference - Manchester High School for Girls 16:30-18:00
WETHERBY SENIOR SCHOOL WATER BOTTLE 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 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.
UPCOMING MUSIC EVENTS ROCKSCHOOL 11th February 6-6:30pm Solo/recital evening 26th March 6-6:30pm BRASS BASH 2nd April 6:307:30pm SPRING CONCERT 3rd April 6:30-7:30pm BRASS BAND TOUR 17-19th May
Can’t get better! You can order online at: https://activebottle.co.uk/ collections/wetherby
IMPORTANT NOTICES
Please ensure all uniform, games kit and equipment is clearly named.
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
Main: Spaghetti and Meatballs
Main: Steak and Mushroom Pie
Main: Chicken curry
Meat Free: Tortellini fromaggio with tomatoes, mushroom and spinach
Meat Free: Leek and Gruyere tart
Meat Free: Lentil Dhal
To Go With: Mashed swede, steamed florettes, parsley potatoes
To Go With: Chana masala, fennel seed rice, Kachumba salad, mini naan bread, rhaita yoghurt
To Go With: Tomato, red onion and boconcini salad, peas and beans, herbed diced potatoes
Dessert: Chocolate Brownie
Dessert: Orange Tart
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
Main: Beef Stroganoff
Main: Beef or chicken burgers
Meat Free: Vegetarian pizzas
Meat Free: Falafel and spinach veggie burgers
To Go With: Pilau rice, French beans, Provencale tomatoes, garlic and parsley pasta Dessert: Orange jelly bowls
To Go With: Chips, oven roasted Mediterranean vegetables, calabrese with garlic and chili
Dessert: Chilled Spanish style rice pudding
EVERY DAY
Homemade Bread Freshly made yogurt pots Fresh Fruit
Dessert: Baked jam roll and custard sauce
MENU
COUTTS CHRISTMAS MUSIC FESTIVAL The Wetherby Senior Brass Band (WSBB) had the privilege of performing for the 2018 Music Festival at Coutts Bank. Equipped with Trumpets, Baritones, Tenor Horns, Trombones and a Tuba the band performed upbeat arrangements of the classic Christmas carols, including ‘Jingle Bells’, ‘Good King Wenceslas’ & other brass band classics. The evening kicked off with an outstanding performance from Rayan Ghafar on the piano. We are very grateful for the opportunity to perform to such an appreciative audience in the prestigious surroundings and we look forward to returning in the future. Thank you to Coutts for looking after us so well!
CHRISTMAS CONCERT
Henry B, Year 10 writes... Before the holidays, Wetherby’s Christmas Concert took place at Hinde Street Methodist Church. It was wonderful to see so many new boys taking part in musical activity at the School, both in ensembles and/or as soloists. The concert was profoundly entertaining and many Christmas classics were brought to life with
invigorating originality. A special mention goes to Mr Lawrence for his mellifluous and melodic singing along with the Senior Choir; their fabulous renditions of “The 12 Days of Christmas” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” were indeed very festive. They even sang an encore outside the church at the end of the evening, a testament to their enthusiasm! The
marvellous music was, of course, complemented by some excellent readings. We were also treated to some dynamic and fluent playing from soloists, including some very high notes that were, no doubt, very difficult to reach. The hard work of all the boys and music teachers was evident throughout. Everybody enjoyed it; even the parents that arrived with a somewhat dutiful expression left with a smile!
Mr Martin writes... A confident and authoritative performance of ‘In the Hall of the Mountain King – Grieg’ kicked off the Orchestra’s musical performances at our annual Christmas Concert at Hinde Street Methodist Church. With a commanding lower string section and the new addition of an entire Brass cohort, the boys have gelled well together and are continuing to work on a new and exciting repertoire to showcase at the 2019 Spring concert.
GRADE V THEORY This year the Year 11 GCSE Music boys sat, for the very first time in Wetherby Senior history, the ABRSM Grade V Theory Exam. They began this journey in Year 10 to strengthen their musical awareness. We are really pleased with the results and effort of all the hard work from Luca, Jonathan, Anselm, Alastair and Gabriel. We hope that they use their newfound knowledge of music analysis to aid them in the revision for the GCSE exam in the summer.
WETHERBY SENIOR SCHOOL SPRING CONCERT Wednesday 3rd April 2019 6:30pm-7:30pm
BRASS BAND TOUR The WSBB are preparing for their first concert overseas. An exciting new ensemble in the heart of London, Wetherby Senior Brass Band is a rapidly expanding group of enthusiastic and talented students. Founded in 2017, when many of the current members had no experience of brass playing at all, the band has already enjoyed a wide variety of exciting performance opportunities including charity performances and a slot at the prestigious Coutts Bank Christmas Music Festival. While Wetherby Brass Band may possibly be the only school-based brass band in Central London at present, the Brass Bash concert series featuring WSBB is a serious attempt to encourage collaboration with other schools, helping to ensure future generations of outstanding brass players. Aided by a team of professional brass players who regularly perform with Europe's finest orchestras and bands, London's West End and various international festivals, the band is well versed in a range of popular and traditional styles with a varied repertoire.
BRASS BAND TOUR 17th - 19th May 2019
BRASS MASTERCLASS WITH MR PIPPEN Raphael Le B, Year 8 writes... I have now been playing the trombone for a year and in that time, Mr Pippen has joined the School. Mr Pippen is a great teacher who has played in bands and can tell us the little tricks that can make us become better trombone or brass players in general. His experience in bands also means he can help us gain confidence in front of an audience. Just before the break, Mr Pippen assembled all the trombones players in the Wetherby Senior Brass Band and taught us to play well in unison and concentrate on getting our breathing correct. These lessons have had a huge impact on our progress and this really showed during our performance at Coutts Bank.
MORE FROM THE MUSIC DEPARTMENT Francesco R. on the guitar
Ed P. plays a solo. Christmas Recital
The Orchestra practising hard!
A guitar lesson.
The trombone section
Year 8 practising keyboard skills Year 9 performance
YEAR 12 WORK EXPERIENCE Manuel C, Year 12 writes... During the first week of the Christmas holidays Massi M, Luca L, William B and I worked together at Intersection, a company my father co-founded. We had to develop a business model in one week and present it to the board of the company who usually come up with all the ideas. We were told straight off that this wasn’t going to be ordinary ‘work experience’: we didn’t collect coffees or papers from the printer but instead had to work as a team to produce our own business model. Our company proposal was to develop a platform in which you could import food from other countries in a simpler way to the current processes that businesses go through. Before this trip I didn’t think the people I travelled with could actually focus, however I was proved wrong! We also had time to enjoy Lisbon, the most beautiful city in the world.
MAX HASTINGS: VIETNAM Sean M, Year 12 writes... I went to a talk about Vietnam given by British Journalist Sir Max Hastings. Since I studied Vietnam for my History GCSE and have continued the great subject onto A-level, this talk was hugely tempting and further stimulated my interest for the subject. From a personal aspect, the infamous and controversial Vietnam War has always fascinated me on both a political and moral topic, so understandably I was thrilled to be able to attend his talk. Max Hastings has ben intrigued, ever since he was a kid about the military and war and he has been able to turn his passion into a commendable career as a journalist, and later as a historical author. Max Hastings, was a foreign correspondent for the BBC and reported eleven conflicts throughout his life; notably including Vietnam and the 1982 South Atlantic War. His career progressed and led him to become editor-inchief of the Daily Telegraph from 1986-1995, and of the Evening Standard from 1996-2002. Hastings excelled as a writer, leading to him winning multiple awards and even being knighted in 2002 for his laudable work as a journalist. His vast knowledge and personal experiences observing the war in Vietnam, meant that I could not skip out on this rare opportunity,
even if it meant that I was going to miss Tottenham vs Barcelona in the Champions League. Max Hastings has also recently wrote a book on Vietnam, titled Vietnam. An Epic Tragedy, which has been commended by the Sunday Times as ‘A masterful performance’. Lastly, it is worth me mentioning that the talk was organised by the, How
to: Academy. This company organises multiple talks, stemming from: leading scientists, business theorists, Nobel Prize laureates, philosophers and authors. It was ‘created to offer innovative educational experiences to adults and teenagers’ and as a result it is an accessible tool to broaden your horizons and even spark new interests. It can also be used as a highly useful revision source.
EGGS ARE BEING SERVED AT GLOUCESTER ROAD Tommaso S, Year 10 writes... EGGS FROM HEAVEN... Oops sorry... I meant... Gloucester Road Station. This time I want to share with you just a simple consideration on how it is exciting to live in a city like London, where you can unexpectedly literally ‘meet’ art around every corner. In this case, a very modern version of art that is very common nowadays: an installation. It happens that I was taking the Tube from Gloucester Road Station. Usually, I just pass through the station on my usual commute. Most of the time, I read or listen to music, not paying much attention to what is going on outside the carriage. This time, arriving down stairs I was surprised to see a huge colourful installation with... eggs! The commendable ‘Art of the Underground’ is in fact back with this new eyecatching installation created by the British artist Heather Phillipson. It extends the full 80 metres of the furthest platform of the station which is no longer used by the public. The effect is scenographic: in the dim of the unused platform, giant colourful sculptures of eggs inhabit the space, with printed
panels and screens. Although I found it quite hard to figure out what exactly the message the artist is trying to imply. The title really doesn’t help ‘My name is lettie eggsyrub’). The eggs may have lots of meanings, resembling symbolic images from different cultures and backgrounds, even linking with the origin of life. There is a great deal about that from both professional art critics and common people. Looking forward to hearing from the Art and Design department about their interpretation...
Miss Bradley writes... In celebration of 100 years since the Representation of the People Act, Art on the Underground has commissioned work by an international selection of women artists. Alongside Heather Phillipson’s ‘my name is lettie eggsyrub’ which Tommaso discovered at Gloucester Road, look out for a billboard by British artist Linder at Southwark station, new Tube map cover designs by Romanian artist Geta Brătescu, French artist Marie Jacotey and British artist Jade Montserrat, and work at Brixton station by Nigerianborn artist Njideka Akunyili Crosby. Keep your eyes open next time you are on the tube!
ACTIVITIES BULLETIN: YOUNG ENTERPRISE Young Enterprise is a long running charity and every year 6th formers around the country including WSS take part in the ‘Company Programme’ they run. The Year 12 boys that have signed up have been entered into their Company Programme. Due to a high sign up the boys have split themselves into four companies. The Company Programme gives 6th form students the opportunity to form a company, fundraise, sell a product and hopefully end the year with a profit (which they get to keep minus a 20% tax). The companies meet weekly on a Tuesday afternoon, supported fortnightly by their business advisor, who is a local business person and has been trained by Young Enterprise. The four WSS Young Enterprise companies have been hard at work through the autumn term developing product ideas and fundraising so they can bring their product idea to life. There have been a number of sweet sales and bake sales in School, and one company took advantage of the Christmas season, selling at the Carol Concert. The capital that they’ve generated can now be put into purchasing their products. This term the boys will begin to market their products. So watch this space for their adverts and the opportunity to purchase their products.
SIXTH FORM LECTURE As part of the Sixth Form Lecture Programme, Dick Moore visited the School to speak about emotional wellbeing. He is passionate about adolescent metal health and wellbeing ad he explored how young people think, why adolescence is an especially vulnerable time and very well attended
parent talk. If you would like to access the slides, they can be found on Firefly/Pastoral/PSHE/ Parents Dick supports The Charlie Waller Memorial Trust who will be hsting a concert, The BEst of ROck Musicals’, on 12th May. Please see the poster for more details.
http://www.wetherbysenior.co.uk