BAROMETER THE
WETHERBY SENIOR SCHOOL WEEKLY JANUARY 29th 2018 | WEEK 4
Turn up the volume for the Music issue!
HEADMASTER’S NEWSLETTER NEXT WEEK’S DIARY IMPORTANT NOTICES SPORTS NEWS
FROM THE HEADMASTER
Dear Parents, Aristotle said that music should be included in the education of the young as it had the “power of forming the character” and this edition is given over to the Music department and the range of opportunities for the boys to make music at Wetherby Senior School. The School comes together and sings at the beginning of each assembly but in recent weeks I have been taken back to my youth by the boys who attend Rock School playing Nirvana, heard a piece of electronic music composed by a Year 10 and seen two boys who had just taken up the French horn and the tuba trying to teach themselves the James Bond theme after only a few weeks of playing. I am looking forward to seeing the boys learn to DJ when that activity starts after half term. One of the highlights of last term’s concert was the Year 7 groups who had been learning to play their plastic ‘brass’ instruments. The benefits of playing in an ensemble are clear – the need to work together, the sense of
achievement that can come from mastering a piece of music as a group and the increased confidence that can come from playing on the stage but even relatively short periods of music instruction have been shown to have positive effects on young people improving their ability to problem solve, enhancing their memory and helping them to develop greater attention to detail. Mr Martin is keen to continue expanding the range of opportunities on offer to the boys and I hope that those who start on a plastic trumpet or trombone will graduate to a real instrument and join one of the School’s ensembles. The week before half term is a busy one. The Year 11 parents’ evening provides an opportunity to get feedback on the boys’ performance in the different mock exams and get detailed advice on how they can improve in the run up to the examinations. We also have a talk for the parents of Years 9-11 on Tuesday evening about drugs and alcohol and, finally, the dad’s drinks is taking place at the Marylebone pub on Thursday
evening and I hope to see many of you there. At the beginning of this week, I listened to the latest episode of Radio 4’s The Infinite Monkey Cage which focussed on the workings of the adolescent brain and, unsurprisingly, there is more going on than the usual explanation of hormones. The episode can be found here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/ programmes/b09pl662 Best wishes,
WEEKLY DIARY MONDAY
05.02.18
Artist in Residence Event 16:35-17:20 Games Years 7, 10 & 11 14:00-16:00 Year 11 Parents’ evening surnames A-K 17:30-19:30
TUESDAY
06.02.18 Games Year 8 & 9 14:00-16:00 Rugby U13 WSS vs CWCS (H) 14:30 Drugs and Alcohol Talk from the McLellan Practice (Year 10) 15:00 Drugs and Alcohol Talk from the McLellan Practice (Year 11) 16:15 Drugs and Alcohol Talk from the McLellan Practice (Year 10 & 11 Parents) 18:30
WEDNESDAY
07.02.18
Games Years 7, 10 & 11 14:00-16:00 Football U16 WSS vs Kew House (A) 14:40 Year 11 Parents’ evening surnames L-Z 17:30-19:30
THURSDAY
08.02.18
FRIDAY
09.02.18
Games Year 8 & 9 Football U14 WSS A/B vs City of London Boys (H) 14:30 Year 10 and 11 Classics Theatre Trip 18:20 ‘Dads’ Drinks’, The Marylebone 19:00
HM Assembly at Hinde Street Methodist Church Half Term: Monday 12th - Friday 16th February
SATURDAY
10.02.17
SUNDAY
11.02.17
15:00-15:30
IMPORTANT NOTICES
Next Thurday the kitchen will be celebrating Chinese New Year!
‘Dads’ Drinks’ will take place at 7pm on Thursday 8th February at The Marylebone, 93 Marylebone High Street.
MENU
MONDAY
TUESDAY
Soup: Courgette Soup
Soup: Tomato
Main: Prawn and Vegetable Curry
Main: Spaghetti Bolognese
Meat Free: Macaroni and cheese
Meat Free: Tomato and Basil Pasta Bake
To Go With: Herbed Potato Wedges Steamed Rice Raita Naan Bread Sautéed Spinach Dessert: Vanilla Sponge Cake
Soup: Roasted Pepper And Tomato
WEDNESDAY Soup: Chicken Noodle Main: Fish Fingers Meat Free: Rocket Pesto Pasta with Sundried Tomatoes
To Go With: Aubergine Parmesan Garlic Bread Baby Carrots
To Go With: Sweet Potato Wedges Steamed Garden Peas Traditional Mushy Peas Tartare Sauce
Dessert: Jelly Pots
THURSDAY
Main: Baked Chicken breast and Vegetables
To Go With: Egg fried rice Balsamic Roasted Vine Tomatoes Grilled Yellow Courgette Baby Spinach
Meat Free: Vegetable stir fry with noodles
Dessert: Chocolate brownie
Soup: Mushroom and Tarragon Main: Meat Feast Pitta Bread Pizza Meat Free: Roasted Vegetable and Feta Pitta Bread Pizza
Freshly Made Bread To Go With: Oven Roasted Chips Mixed Garden Vegetables Green Salad Dessert: Chocolate Mousse
Homemade Salads Vegetable Crudités With Hummus Sandwich & Wrap Selection Meat & Cheese Platters Fresh Fruit Yogurt Pots
EVERY DAY
FRIDAY
Dessert: Winter Berry Eton Mess
MUSIC IN LESSONS: YEAR 7 The Music Department is an inclusive environment and very busy one. We have ten visiting instrumental teachers who provide outstanding quality
teaching to all boys over 150 boys take part in music activities each week and have twelve rehearsal sessions a week. The ensembles we run are wide and varied, catering for all boys of all standards.
All Year 7 boys take part in the Brass Instrument program. This is a very successful program which gives ALL boys the chance to learn a Brass instrument: Trumpet, Trombone, Euphonium, Tenor Horn, French Horn and Tuba. This program has gone from strength to strength over the last year and the boys have an outstanding opportunity to learn an instrument and gain real life skills from this experience. New research suggests that regularly playing an instrument changes the shape and power of the brain and may be used in therapy to improve cognitive skills. Experts said there is growing evidence that musicians have structurally and functionally different brains compared with non-musicians - in particular, the areas of the brain used in processing and playing music. These parts of the brain that control motor skills, hearing, storing audio information and memory become larger and more active when a person learns how to play an instrument, and can improve day to day actions, such as being alert, planning and emotional perception. Lutz Jäncke, a psychologist at the University of Zurich, said: "Learning to play a musical instrument has definite benefits and can increase IQ by seven points, in both children and adults.�
MUSIC IN LESSONS: YEAR 8 & 9
Year 8 boys are currently learning to play “Stand by Me” and “ Love is All Around” forming their own groups in the lessons.
Boys in Year 9 are currently completing an extended project on Film Music: composing and creating film underscores and soundscapes for short film.
MUSIC IN LESSONS: GCSE
SWING BAND Swing Band had a successful outing at this year’s Christmas concert, performing an arrangement of ‘The Christmas Song’. Members range from Year 8 to Year 11, and they are currently working on two jazz standards, “I’m Beginning to See the Light” and “My Little Suede Shoes” in preparation for the upcoming Spring Concert. This band is directed by Mr Vaitkevicius.
DJ
A new club for this year is DJ Club. Students will be working with an industry standard professional and using newly purchased pioneer decks to learn the basics of DJ’ing. This club is taught by a professional DJ from London Sound Academy.
JAZZ ENSEMBLE Jazz Ensemble is led by Mr Ezzard and they have been performing some classic Hverbie Hancock grooves and some more modern repertoire.
PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE
Students are working on performing ‘street groove style’ music based on 20th Century techniques, pioneered by Steve Reich.
STRING QUARTET This ensemble rehearses every Friday lunch time. They play in range of styles from Classical to Modern. This group is lead my Mr Jenkinson.
BRASS ROOTS Brass Roots is an ensemble for Year 7 and Year 8 boys who enjoy learning brass instruments in their lessons and want to play in an ensemble. These students who rehearse each week have been learning some basic repertoire to improve their ensemble, skills and instrumental dexterity. This club is run by Mr Martin and Mr Lewis.
BRASS ACADEMY
This brass group is for brass players that have been playing longer and perhaps have more experience in performing. It is our intermediate brass group that allows students to show progression in their playing. This club is run Mr Martin and Mr Lewis.
SENIOR BRASS As the name suggests, this ensemble is for the more advanced players. This group is often out and about performing for local charities and in concerts. We play in a wide variety of styles from Jazz to Classical. This ensemble is directed by Mr Martin.
WIND ENSEMBLE Wind ensemble is a new group this year and consists of all the wind players in the school, regardless of grade or ability. At the moment the ensemble is working on “Up town Funk� by Bruno Mars. This club is directed by Mr Viatkevicius.
CELLO ENSEMBLE Cello Ensemble is directed by Mr Jenkinson and works on Classic and Modern repertoire. They rehearse on Monday after school.
GUITAR ENSEMBLE Guitar Ensemble is a group for students to perform with other guitarist in a wide range of styles. Recently, they have been working on the pop classic “Albatross� by Fleetwood Mac.
CHAMBER ORCHESTRA The school chamber orchestra rehearse every Wednesday afterschool. They play a wide range of music from Bach to Berstein. This term, we have a guest student conductor Frejvid G who is directing the ensemble for a performance in the Spring Concert.
ROCK SCHOOL
RockSchool is a opportunity for boys to develop their Pop and Rock music skills. At the moment we have two RockSchool bands who are preparing for their performances in the Live Lounge concert. The ensemble allows boys to learn instruments such as electric guitar, drums, and bass, as well as vocal techniques and band craft skills. It is taught by Mr McKean who has extensive experience and has performed on many of the worlds best stages!
WETHERBY SENIOR SCHOOL
SPRING CONCERT 2018 Free entry: no tickets required Monday 26th March 2018 6:30pm‐8:00pm Hinde Street Methodist Church Featuring: Swing Band, Jazz Trio, Guitar Ensemble Brass Ensemble & Academy + Solos
Please join us back in school after the concert for refreshments Please show your support and follow us on Instagram: @WSSMusic
WEDNESDAY 9TH MAY 2018 DRAMA STUDIO 6PM - 7PM Featuring: Guitar Ensemble Jazz Ensemble Rock School, Year 7 & 8
FRANTIC ASSEMBLY IN THE DRAMA DEPARTMENT
On Tuesday 23rd January, the GCSE Drama students had an exciting trip to see ‘Things I Know to be True’ at the Hammersmith Lyric. The show was produced by Physical Theatre company, ‘Frantic Assembly’ who are most famous for their choreography in ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time’. It was an extremely emotional play about the changing dynamics and ongoing dramas of a grown-up family, with an ending which got all of the audience (especially the teachers on the trip) feeling very emotional! Physical Theatre is a style of theatre in which movement is also used to communicate the storyline, it does not mean ‘instead of words’ and is not to be confused with dance. Physical Theatre often involves lifts (where actors are literally raised into the air), choreography, running, balancing of weight and ensemble skills. This is the first time the boys have seen a Physical
Theatre play and were amazed by how the movement sequences were integrated into the dialogue. To further support the boys’ understanding of this theatre style, three days later on Friday 29th, the GCSE Year 10 boys were joined by other cast members in the Upper School Play for a Frantic Assembly workshop. The school were honoured to have such a prestigious theatre company come in and work with us- how exciting for the boys at Wetherby Senior! The boys loved learning how to lift each other dramatically as well as choreography from the Frantic Assembly play ‘Beautiful Burnout’ and are devising their own movement sequences. Thank you to Frantic Assembly for such a theatrical week- the boys loved being able to view such an interesting style of theatre and experience it first-hand.
Tuesday saw a Mexican inspired menu at lunchtime!
The results are in and the winner is Year 7! After the half term break everyone will be able to try out the new Wetherby Senior burger!
Mr Underwood writes‌ On Saturday, two of our Year 9 fencers, Yermek A. and Marco C., entered the U15 ISA National Championships to represent Wetherby. After the thrilling action in the pools stage, Yermek finished in 1st place of his group as he gained a bye into the semi-finals. Marco, finishing 3rd in his group, easily won his play-off to join Yermek in the final four. During two intense semifinals against two Year 10 Team GB fencers, the boys gave absolutely everything in their bid to reach the final. Yermek began on the front foot, taking the bout to his well-skilled opponent. However, the time was against Yermek and he lost his match 6-7 as the time expired. Marco was involved in a mammoth duel, fencing intelligently but losing out to his opponent as the match ended 13-15. Our Wetherby boys had to settle for third place in the competition, showing endurance, control and concentration for every point and bring home a medal!
SPORTS NEWS
MATCH REPORT Football U14 WSS A v Kingston Grammar School U15 A 1-3 Man of the Match: Faris B U15 A WSS vs The Priory 6-2 Man of the Match: Harrison S U14 A WSS vs Highgate School 2-2 Man of the Match: Sebastian L U14 B WSS vs Highgate School 2-5 Man of the Match: Himat S-V & Federico B Rugby U12 WSS A v The Falcons School for Boys 10-10 Man of the Match: Andrew H YAD Trainer of the Week: Rocco C (One10 WATT Champion)
SIX NATIONS FANTASY RUGBY Mr Sullivan writes… We are trying to encourage as many boys as possible to watch the upcoming Six Nations. The competition starts this weekend with all fixtures shaping up to be fiercely contested matches. All of the boys have had an impressive start to the rugby term and keeping up with this tournament is a great way to maintain their passion for the sport. Starting today, we are running a Wetherby Senior Fantasy Six Nations competition. We will be using the official Fantasy Rugby system by ESPN (http://fantasyrugby. espn.co.uk/ESPN/en/2/ clienthome.do) and the code to join the league is:1328576-58714 Watching the high standard of rugby within the Six Nations, will give the boys a
greater understanding of the game and the roles within the sport. The boys should pay close attention to the key tactics used and tweak their team to maximise points per week. There is no obligation to enter, but the Games Department would like as many boys possible joining in, as there will be a prize for the ‘top 'manager' at the end of the tournament. Any help and encouragement you can give them would be greatly appreciated. The final entry date for the competition is Saturday 3rd February at midday. Pick your team name, pick your team and watch some quality rugby! Maybe even see if you can beat a few of the teachers.... Good luck boys!
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