BAROMETER THE
WETHERBY SENIOR SCHOOL WEEKLY MARCH 11th 2019 | WEEK 9
WORLD BOOK WEEK AT WETHERBY!
FROM THE HEADMASTER
Dear Parents, This week’s Barometer reflects on last week’s World Book Week events at Wetherby Senior School. The week culminated in a fantastic assembly in which boys and staff shared some of their favourite books with the School community. Mr Warner told the boys about his love for PG Wodehouse books and Mr Kyles-Brown read from Fantastic Mr Fox, but the surprise of the assembly was Mr Morris talking to us in Elvish based on his love of the Lord of the Rings trilogy: Ni aeg -esse mel as endya cemen, he told us, I fell in love with Middle Earth. Another highlight of the week was the Sixth Form going to share their love of reading with the boys at Wetherby Prep School. The older boys enjoyed the opportunity to go and share their favourite books and I
know from Mr Baker that the prep boys enjoyed the experience too. The Sixth Form have also penned two articles for this edition: a play review by Sean and an account of a lecture by Jack. I am pleased that the older boys are taking advantage of the opportunities that London provides, but there are opportunities for the younger students also: Year 9, accompanied by Mr Dawson, have been attending the Royal Institution Engineering Masterclasses on a Saturday and I hope we will hear more about it in a future edition. There are a number of Trib events on the horizon in the form of football, rugby and table tennis next week, but also the much anticipated ‘Alvin in Wonderland’ intertrib drama competition. Miss Twomey has moved away from the monologue competition that she ran for the first few years to
something altogether more adventurous with the boys responsible for casting, producing and directing their scene of the play. It is a testament to the work Miss Twomey has done with the boys that Years 7 and 8, as well as the older boys, feel confident taking on this challenge. I look forward to seeing you on the touchline and in the drama studio in the coming weeks. Enjoy the weekend.
WEEK A MONDAY
WEEKLY DIARY 18.13.19
Talk for Sixth Form boys - Abi Oyepitan, Athlete- Francis Holland, Regents Park 15:00
TUESDAY
19.03.19 UKMT Team Challenge (4 boys, 2 Year 8s, 2 Year 9s tbc) Pimlico Academy 10:00-15:00 U14 InterTrib Football Year 9 14:30 Football WSS U15 A/B vs Hampton (A) 14:50
WEDNESDAY
20.03.19 Field Day (all except Year 11) Year 11 No Field Day - GCSE preparation in School Year 12 Independently Organised University Tours Year 10 Community Service Volunteering Project/Duke of Edinburgh Navigation Training Year 9 Natural History Museum and Kew Gardens for Marcos Burnett Memorial Photography Competition Year 8 Geography Department to Stratford for Regeneration Studies Year 7 Theatre Trip and Workshop
THURSDAY
21.03.19
U15 InterTrib Football Year 10 14:30 Football WSS U14 A/B vs Hampton (A) 14:50 InterTrib Table Tennis Year 9 and 10, Hannah House Hall 14:00
FRIDAY
22.03.19
SATURDAY
23.03.19
SUNDAY
24.03.19
Lunchtime clubs and societies 13:40-14:25 Whole School Assembly at Hinde Street Methodist Church 16:15-16:45 InterTrib Table Tennis Year 7 & 8, Hannah House Hall 14:00 InterTrib Rugby Year 7 & 8 14:30 Trib Assemblies 15:45 - 15:45
School Play Rehearsal - Trib Drama - Alvin in Wonderland - Drama Studio
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 aClean 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
On Friday 26th April, there will be a staff vs parents football match. If you are interested in taking part, please contact Mr Serkan Bektas who will be organising the team of parents.
IMPORTANT NOTICES
There are a number of unnamed hoodies at Hannah House reception. Please check there if you have lost one and name all your uniform and equipment.
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
Main: Spaghetti and meatballs
Main: Steak and mushroom pie
Main: Chicken curry
Meat Free: Totellini 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 boconchini salad, 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 vegetable burgers
To Go With: Pilau rice, French beans Provencale tomatoes, garlic and parsley pasta Dessert: Orange jelly bowls
To Go With: Chips, roasted Mediterranean vegetables, Calabrese with garlic and chilli
Dessert: Chilled Spanish style rice pudding
EVERY DAY
Homemade Bread Freshly made yogurt pots Fresh Fruit
Dessert: Baked jam roll and custard
MENU
HAPPY WORLD BOOK DAY (WEEK!) ONE AND ALL! World Book Day provides schools across the world with the opportunity to celebrate all that literature contributes to our lives. From transporting an individual to another country, world, culture or time period, to providing insight into the minds of the most extraordinary characters, to developing one’s understanding of their identity, and that of others: books have the power to enrich lives, and to entertain and enlighten readers. With the significance of this day in mind, the English Department planned no mere World Book Day but a fullblown week of activities! This Barometer edition should give you a flavour of how the boys have marked the occasion, both in and out of the classroom.
WORLD BOOK DAY ASSEMBLY All boys at Wetherby are told time and time again, just how vital reading is. Not only has it been proven to significantly improve a student’s exam results across all subjects, but it provides an individual with an emotional and social understanding which helps them to develop as a person, whilst enriching their experience of life. In assembly, a mixture of teachers from all departments and boys from Year 7-12 stood up and shared the title of a book which they have enjoyed and which has had a positive impact on them, briefly explaining why. I hope that every Wetherby boy left feeling a bit more inspired to pick up a book over the weekend…
DROP EVERYTHING AND READ! On World Book Day itself, Wetherby joined many other communities across the world in a ‘DEAR’ initiative, which involves stopping everything that you’re doing and escaping to perhaps another reality, time period and/or country by reading your extra-curricular book for ten minutes at the start of each lesson. In English, Years 7-9 read for five minutes at the start of every lesson but today we took the opportunity to introduce our Year 10s to the novel, A Separate Peace (John Knowles), which they will be studying in Year 11 for their Literature GCSE; it was wonderful to see the boys so animated in their discussions regarding the seemingly disconcerting friendship between Gene and Finny. I look forward to seeing their reaction once they’ve reached the novel’s conclusion…
YEAR 10 READING SEMINARS As part of our Year 10 Extra-curricular Reading Programme, all boys select at least one text from a choice of four to read each half-term. They then all attend a seminar which discusses their chosen book, exploring its themes and characters further. This half-term, the boys have been reading Dystopian texts: A Brave New Word (Aldous Huxley), 1984 (George Orwell), A Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood) and Pure (Julianna Baggott). The English Department are thrilled to hear that many of the boys have read at least two of these books and are eager for further recommendations as we approach our seminar next Monday. Recently, there has been a significant resurgence of Dystopian Teenage Fiction, particularly by fantastic female authors, so the boys are spoilt for choice! After next week’s seminar, the boys will have to choose from a range of texts by female authors: To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee; Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry – Mildred D. Taylor; Rebecca – Daphne Du Maurier; Becoming – Michelle Obama and Normal People – Sally Rooney. Please do feel free to get stuck in too and join us all in our May seminar!
BOOK SWAP AND DONATIONS Miss Murray writes...
“A book is not only a friend, it makes friends for you. When you have possessed a book with mind and spirit, you are enriched. But when you pass it on you are enriched threefold.” – Henry Miller The School took the opportunity this week to not only celebrate literature amongst staff and students, but to share and spread a love of books beyond the School community. In the run-up to the day, boys and staff were asked to bring in a loved book that they were happy to part with, wrap it up and exchange it in the World Book Day Book Swap for a brand new, anonymous read (no judging a book by its cover!) It was wonderful to see everyone’s
excitement as they opened their book to discover new genres and authors that they may not have picked up from a bookshelf otherwise. I overheard so many lovely conversations as boys shared the reasons why they loved the book they had donated. As ever, boys and parents were also particularly generous with their book donations: giving over 100 books away to The London Children’s Book Project which will now redistribute the books to primary schools and hospitals in communities that do not have the benefit of access to such books. This was a humbling reminder of how lucky the boys are to spend their days at school surrounded by such a wide range of engaging texts in their classrooms and library.
YEAR 12 PEER READING AT THE PREP SCHOOL Recently, Miss Murray and I have been in discussion with Mr Thorne and Ms Kroiter from the Prep School as to how we can work more closely together and strengthen the relationship between the boys within our wide school community. We thought that a promising start would be for some of our Year 12 boys to visit a Year 3 class on World Book Day morning to listen to them read and to share with them extracts from their own favourite childhood stories. Roald Dahl, Tolkein and Morpurgo all proved popular choices for the boys (and teachers!) but it was lovely to hear new book recommendations being given to the younger boys and to feel the palpable excitement in the room as literature was discussed. Miss Murray and I thoroughly enjoyed observing what excellent role models our boys were and we all travelled from one red door to another, just ten minutes away, with a significant skip in our step.
KS3 WRITING COMPETITION Francesco R, Year 8: “The Ultimate Evasion”
Over the last few weeks, boys of Key Stage 3 have been fervently writing away in their own time; creating new worlds, narratives and characters in the hope of winning the BBC 500 Word Competition or the Wicked Writing Competition. Here are a few snippets from a handful of wonderful stories that have been submitted – the winners will be announced in early May so keep your fingers and toes crossed for our Wetherby writers!
Ruslan B, Year 7: “Accident In The Pub” Like a flash of the lightning bolt, the coin like golden ballerina bent helpless on to the wooden stage. But then as if she got taken away by satisfaction, her feet rose and spun around one spot. Her gold outlining like a gold wooden wheel made a shearlike shape. Her silk dress steadily dissolved in the eyes of the carnivorous waiter. His red daemon eyes as if studying carefully the final weakness of the pray searched for clues of the outsider, through his cloves. Then suddenly, when understood, the predator released his large oleaginous hands to finish of the ballerina. Slowly but surely his hand clenched as if preparing, like a kitten with its meal, to keep the most precious, the most marvellous creatures in the world…
An evasion was said to be vimpossible: dogs equipped with dagger-like canines, gates possessed by electric forces and walls the height of one thousand mountain chains. “This may be my first, but it will be my last” claimed Prisoner 157, incarcerated for detinue. 157 rarely spoke with his fellow prisoners, instead of staying outside in the courtyard and wasting his energy on throwing balls around, he would stay locked inside his cell, concocting the most extraordinary of evasions the world was ever to see. Everything was planned out: rope, stolen key for the air vents, tainted meat to make the guard dogs fall asleep and a hammer stolen from the prison’s handyman. It was all ready, it just had to be placed in action…
Ramzi K, Year 8 : “Whisp, the silent musician” Many grandparents ago, there was a boy gifted by the gods not only with power but with their profound trust. His eyes held the power. If he lost them he would lose his power. His name was Whisp. Like a mummy, he was wrapped in a myriad of bandages and had long violet hair. Scarred, the cold cruel wind cautiously stroked against his ancient wounds. Memories of his tragic past still haunt him as the long tedious days walk by in no rush at all. “Remember to be back before sunset little one,” requested Leila, Whisp’s mother, and the only family member he could salvage from the greed of Aunt Malica and Alraune. Let’s just say they badly wanted to be chosen by the gods. Silence was the normal response. From the cave up on the mountain he inhabited, and with the one glowing eye Whisp had left, he took in the picturesque masterpiece of a view. It was oozing with beauty and sheer nature…
Daniel S, Year 9: The Attack As I trudged over to my rock hard mattress, the spotted patterns on the wall stared monotonously at me. They were the only company I ever had. That’s it. The murky, brown spots with crumbling eyelids and cracked pupils. That’s all I had. I threw myself into bed and flung the sandpaper-like covers over my head- hoping to fall into a never-ending sleep. That’s all I ever hoped for. The stench of damp attacked my nose. My body ached. Every single bone felt as if it would snap from even the tiniest of forces. I lay there breathing heavily staring straight back at the wall, with my inky, black button eyes. Suddenly, I felt sick. I felt more than sick. I was in pain, but more pain than I had ever felt before. It felt like a mighty horse was kicking me all over. I shot up. Panting like a dog, I desperately lunged for the phone. It felt as if thousands of knives were plunging into my left arm until I gave into death.
YEAR 10 BOOK REVIEWS Mr Chidell writes... As part of the English department’s wider reading programme, boys in Year 10 read a non-curriculum novel every half term. One lesson every six weeks is then devoted to a ‘Reading Seminar’; during these sessions, teachers lead discussions and activities based on the book choices. Here is a short selection of reviews of some of the books Year 10 boys have been reading.
Into the Wild Book Review, by Aidan U Into the Wild is a book, based on a true story, about a young man and his early life experiences as an adult. He struggles to get to grips with people and especially his family as well as having an unexpected way of thinking. It is an interesting book with positives to admire but multiple negatives in the protagonist’s life; I found it quite a sad and memorable book. In April 1992 a young man
from a well off family hitchhiked to Alaska and walked alone into the wilderness of Denali National Park, just south of Fairbanks. His name was Christopher Johnson McCandless. He had given $25,000 in savings to charity, abandoned his car and most of his possessions, burned all the cash in his wallet, and invented a new life for himself. Four months later, a party of moose hunters found his decomposed body. How McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of Into the Wild. Christopher McCandless is an unusual character who has a unique mind. Some young people admire what he does which I do, but to an extent. He is a charitable and natural person who appreciates the purity of nature, but at the same time is a little naive towards the wilderness. He struggles to bond with people and especially his family who he does not have a very good relationship with, although he is very close with his sister. He wasn’t so admirable for his naivety and the way he handled family situations is nothing to look up to. In conclusion, I believe that the book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer is a powerful and sometimes dark book but is very beautiful and interesting. Christopher McCandless is an intellectual young man and it is a fascinating story of his adventures in early adulthood. I highly recommend this book.
Gone Girl book review, by Faisal B-H Macbeth and Lady Macbeth, the toxic married couple from Macbeth, have nothing on Nick and Amy Dunne, the co–narrators of Gillian Flynn’s dazzling dark, searingly intelligent new thriller. The novel is set in swamp lands of Carthage, Missouri, where Nick and Amy have just moved in after the release of ‘Amazing Amy’. Gone girl switches between Nick’s narrative, as the hunt for the gorgeous and intellectual Amy consumes the attention of America’s media. The switch between the narratives bringing the story alive and exceeds the hatred between the couple. As the days and nights continue will Amy ever be found as the search continues. The story ends as the couple return through a bond made by money and hatred, they meet and confront each other of the horrible past they have had together. The way that Amy manipulated the American media showed her true colours and the anger that she had inside her. Nonetheless, Nick was not so kind himself as he used Amy and cheated on her which ended up driving Amy to do what she did. I can conclude that Gone Girl is a book for those looking for a mystery and interested in the physiological mind of ourselves.
using intense flashbacks or depressing comments to interrupt Charlie’s moments of optimal happiness. Despite this problem, Charlie is very selfless and always tries his best to lighten the mood, which towards the end of the book backfires on him making him feel depressed once again. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys emotional thrillers as well as narrative voicing to keep you company throughout the book.
‘The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ Review, by Luca H The Perks of Being a Wallflower was written by Stephen Chbosky and is quite a jaw dropping, emotionally heart-breaking, and totally gripping representation of the reality in which teenagers live. The book is based around the main character, Charlie, who is your average freshman with brown hair, a slim physique, and plain baggy clothes. Our thoughts of Charlie quickly change as he is quite socially awkward and therefore struggles to make friends. Soon enough, however, Charlie is introduced to a new friendship group of seniors, who care for him and give him hospitality as a ‘new boy’. Charlie makes a strange impression on his friends by telling them his best and only friend killed himself last summer, making the atmosphere around him quite sombre. Stephen Chbosky makes Charlie this way by
“Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky is a novel written in a first-person diary entry layout from the perspective of the protagonist, Charlie. The book covers many issues and circumstances faced throughout teenage years. The Perks of Being a Wallflower’ Review, by Lorenzo C Charlie is a freshman in high school; he is introverted and doesn’t connect with many people. After the death of his best friend, Michael, Charlie has started to feel even more alone and finds it hard to make friends again. However, during the book’s events he manages to become friends with two seniors called Patrick and Samantha. Charlie is a kind and gentle person, but finds social gatherings stressful as he’s very shy and doesn’t know quite how to behave. The two seniors help him feel less lonely and make him believe in himself again. There is a low point in their friendship and Charlie goes
back to feeling anxiety and regret and all these intense emotions. He feels alone again. Things get back on track and they find out more feelings that the friends kept secret from each other. They all depart their own way and it teaches the reader how you should surround yourself with people that make you happy and that you shouldn’t take certain things for granted as it can all go in a blink of an eye. I found this book very intriguing and a good read as I appreciated the way Stephen Chbosky successfully intertwined each negative aspect of a teenager’s life into one story and each character. I personally enjoyed it as I could relate to it on a certain level, being a teenager. I’m able to vividly picture the different types of pain depicted in the novel. It is able to make the reader feel less alone, not only Charlie. I would recommend this book to my friends and other people who enjoy short but very touching novels.
MACBETH POEMS To celebrate World Book Day, Year 10 boys in Mr Chidell’s class were asked to write poems based on Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the story of a once brave and loyal soldier turned murderer and tyrannical king.
Once pathetic Malcolm gathered his English army and marched No host stood in their way and finally he stood starched.
Here is a selection of some of the poems:
The forest of great Birnam wood moved to topple the tyrant As the enemies of evil became cheery and vibrant.
Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth a man of dignity and nobility A soldier, brave and honourable, a man opposed to all heredity.
Macduff, the thane of fife, and nemesis of Macbeth Finally and gloriously brought about the tyrants death.
Yet Lady Macbeth’s poison seeped through his mind And made Macbeth betray his royal bind.
- Charles R.
Duncan his mighty king had ruled the prosperous Scotland And yet with one fell swoop he fell to Macbeth’s bloody hand. Maybeth has yet more blood to spill whilst Banquo still lived His enemies fell one by one til they had all fled or hid. Once dignified and honourable men were poisoned by Macbeth’s hate And in Macbeth’s name sealed the betrayed Banquo’s fate. The witches once more cats their dark light upon the future And made Macbeth’s arrogance go beyond the point of cure.
Macbeth Macbeth, worthy of thy name Macbeth Macbeth, king and double thane. He was greeted by the witches, three Told what the future would hold for thee. First go Duncan and then two other. Second goes Banquo but Fleance fled for cover. Macbeth Macbeth drove himself to madness Macbeth Macbeth only surrounded by badness For him fear no longer able But Lady Macbeth fears she’s no longer stable. Too hungry for power he summons the witches They call upon the apparitions which tell him words of stitches. Heartless is thee who kills the Macduffs out cold Little did he know he started something he could not withhold. Hereafter comes Macduff seeking bloodshed. Onto the battlefield Macbeth strutted to his last bed. Macbeth Macbeth, tyrant is thy name. Stripped of his life and now Malcom remain. Joshua A
Brave Macbeth, deserving of that name Fought off Cawdor, and became doubly noble thane Gained the trust and love of his king, Only to then murder him, as the bell doth ring.
To kill Duncan he thought. Death upon Scotland he brought. The witches played vile tricks on him He was made to look dim Killed by his own guilt Guilt which he built Accompanied he was by his wife Strangled by the strife Once he was quite brave But too much power he craved He went away with his throne On the head by Macduff he was blown.
Greedy for power and driven by his wife Forced to take away his valiant friend’s life Too far waded in blood to go back, Must continue on and face the attack. Drunk on evil, under the devils scythe Went on to murder the house of Fife. Enraged by this, Macduff did come Accompanied by Siward, Scotland overrun.
- Bijan S.
Macbeth Acrostics Murderer Avaricious Capricious Blood-curdling Evil Tyrant Hatred
Macbeth, approaching his death, Weakened by his wife’s last breath. Was beheaded by Macduff ’s armament And was stuck upon the battlement.
Mighty Avenging Condemning Determined Unassailable Fearless Feared
Sam J.
Betrayed Arrogant Nostalgic Qualm Undermined Optimistic Evan H.
Once loyal, faithful and trustworthy. Macbeth encountered three strange creatures. Where they gave him a prophecy or two. Setting him on a path of destruction Predicting that he shall become Thane of Cawdor. Predicting that he shalt be king hereafter. Predicting that Banquo’s descendants were to be king. But Banquo had his doubts Blinded by hope, Macbeth ignored him As predicted, the title Thane of Cawdor wast bestowed upon him He told Lady Macbeth everything Ruthless and masculine, thoughts infiltrated her mind dark and evil. Persuaded by his psychotic wife, King Duncan died at his hands Scotland plunged into chaos Banquo was quick to question Macbeth But was supressed without a moment’s hesitation Macbeth decided to hold a banquet Banquo’s ghost decided to attend Haunting Macbeth The banquet was ruined Concerned about his future, Macbeth approached the witches. ‘Beware Macduff, the Thane of Fife’, he was told. ‘None of woman born shall harm Macbeth’.
‘Macbeth shall never vanquished be until Great Birnam Wood to high Dunsinane Hill Shall come against him’.
Macduff and Macbeth faced off It was revealed that Macduff was not of woman born But, from his mother’s womb Untimely ripped
Ruthlessly, Macbeth ordered the killing of Macduff ’s family Fuming, Macduff took up arms with Malcolm. They used the trees of Birnam Wood as disguise Approaching the tyrant’s castle
Macbeth was slain. And Malcolm became king Macbeth. Once loyal, faithful and trustworthy Now a ruthless, tyrannical traitor, dead Aryav Lahiri
Macbeth, brave and bold Until those three sisters came One dry, one cracked, and one lame. They spoke of the future, Of how Macbeth would rule over all; “All hail” is what they would call. Now Macbeth the bold Turned vile and cold; Once told he would be king His blood would boil and sing. Do it, take the chance, don’t throw a fit For what is a sin If water could clear him of it So his king he slew And buried his friend and a few His kingdom, safe. But he knew he was a knave And so his calmness turned to rave. Pursued by shadows from shadows And haunted in his sleep Our ‘king’ went mad And waded too deep. He killed some more But still sweats from every pore. Thus he visits the sisters And asks them to tell him more. They give him three rules: To beware the man who ran To beware of man not of woman born And to beware of the Birnam wood once it uproots itself… Laughing, he proclaims that he has no need for fear Yet he still kills the man’s kin Never guessing that his end was near. And so, drowning in sin, he marches to war Doesn’t care for others, now evil to the core. Yet when his time comes,
He ignores the beating of those drums And takes on the vengeance that is Macduff ’s. Everything was pure as gold For Macbeth the bold Then the witches came. One dry, one cracked, and one lame They spoke of the future, Of how Macbeth rule over all And so Macbeth was no longer tame. His passion turned to obsession His ambition to greed. He killed for the crown He killed his people He killed for peace He killed those dear to him Yet in the end He never got either And was brought to his knees. Ahmad A
CULTURE CLUB Miss Tooze writes… As part of the A-Level+ option, some Year 12 Arts students have been taking part in Culture Club, where we discuss and explore a variety of supercurricular topics. We are working our way through the European ‘literary canon’ and I have been impressed with how engaged and curious the boys are to discover more about the development of literature and culture – it will be extremely lucrative for their A-Level studies and for university applications. A few of the boys have written short analyses of their discoveries for the Barometer this week and I hope it inspires others to look beyond their texts in class too! Alongside the super-curricular English and culture classes, all English A-Level students recently attended a private screening of their coursework text, ‘Jerusalem’ by Jez Butterworth, at the V&A Theatre Archives. Filmed in 2009 and starring Mark Rylance, it is certainly a very different play to those studied at GCSE. Ollie and Pip give their thoughts in this issue of the Barometer. Just this week Year 12 English students have also seen Arthur Miller’s ‘The American Clock’ at the Old Vic Theatre. Set in the round with a lively jazz band, grand piano and a revolve, the play covers the period from the Great Depression to the pre-war Roosevelt presidency - it was as if Miller had Year 12’s A-Level course in mind! The play follows the Baum family and, using
Studs Terkel’s ‘Oral History of the Great Depression’ for inspiration, we hear other voices from Americans of the period – from farmers in Ohio to wealthy presidents of General Electric in New York. The boys were able to make some compelling links between Steinbeck’s ‘The Grapes of Wrath’, Fitzgerald’s ‘The Great Gatsby’ and Hemingway’s war novel ‘A Farewell to Arms’ in a discussion back in the classroom and Miller’s ideas will hopefully prove fruitful for their upcoming essays on American Literature! Salem N writes… Culture club has been extremely invigorating for students like myself who have a particular interest in the history of Literature, Religious traditions and the effects of socioeconomic shifts in popular culture and politics. One topic that I particularly enjoyed was our study of Dante’s ‘The Divine Comedy’. As both an English Literature and History A-Level student, with an acute interest in Theology, I was curious about its profound impact on European culture. The snippets we read together in class were so interesting and engaging that it inspired me to read the entirety of the ‘Inferno’ on my own. Many of the themes Dante highlights that are of interest to a modern audience include: a geographical mapping of a supernatural location like Hell; a political challenge to the anarchy Dante experienced in Florence; and a take on religion that was not exclusionary. The context
beyond the text is extremely informative as we find Dante was exiled from his home due to a conflict between two warring factions (known at the time as the “Blacks” and the “Whites”), causing him to ponder about the causes of political conflict and existence as a whole. Dante challenges traditions of the 14th century; he portrays nonChristians as righteous and virtuous (such as Averroes and Aristotle) and has them residing in Purgatory free of punishment. Moreover, the text itself is in Tuscan dialect and not in Latin therefore, unlike most religious texts at the time, this poem was aimed at a large section of the population and not just an educated elite who had been used to dictating theology to the masses for many hundreds of years. As well as this, Dante is controversially sympathetic to people in Hell - an emotion fairly unthinkable for Europe at the time - as can be seen with Francesca Da Rimi who left her “ugly and cruel” husband for her lover, Paolo. She describes this love as “irresistible” and therefore Dante somewhat pities her. Finally, though perhaps most interestingly, is Dante’s ability to demonstrate the unique synthesis between Pagan and Abrahamic traditions that forms the basis for most of Western civilisation. Whether through his choice of Virgil as his underworld guide, or through Satan equally punishing Brutus as he punishes Judas, Dante’s ‘Inferno’ is a magnificent guide to the illustrious ideas and influences that were - and still are - apparent in European culture.
Lachlan W and Adin D write… Recently in Culture Club we have explored issues and literature surrounding dreams and visions in the lateMedieval period, particularly focusing on the changing depiction of Christ. We started by looking at “The Dream of the Rood”, an Anglo-Saxon poem in which the narrator receives a vision in which he speaks to the cross on which Jesus was crucified. Such a poem (with is personification of holy relics) would have been considered blasphemous at the time of writing which makes for interesting reading. The poem depicts Christ in a fashion that is unexpected: he was “bold in the sight of many watching men” and described as a “young warrior”, a presentation which is in conflict with the Gospel of Mathew (in which Jesus takes much more of a submissive role and is humiliated before his crucifixion). We also looked at the artistic presentation of Christ during this period to investigate how it relates to the literature. Of particular interest was the significance of the stigmata (wounds of Christ) and how manuscripts and other artistic works saw Christ as being solely his wounds with no body, in the most extreme cases. This depiction emphasised the suffering of Christ and he was often painted as bleeding excessively from areas all over his body. As well as this sympathetic and sorrowful portrayal of Christ, Miss Tooze surprised us with some late-Medieval artistic depictions of Christ
which used rather surrealist and yonic imagery, where Christ becomes a mother figure for many Christians. We completed our tour of late-Medieval literature and art by reading some extracts from Julian of Norwich’s ‘Revelations of Divine Love’ and researching the role of mystics and anchoresses. Oli L and Pip E write… ‘Jerusalem’ really struck a chord with our class as it is a play about Englishness that is bold, comedic, and truly endearing. It gives the audience an insight in rural England in all its mystic glory, or rather all its past glory, as modernity is ceaselessly presiding over Butterworth’s fictional village of Flintock in rural Wiltshire. We were very lucky to see this archived performance in the V&A because it has not been performed to such acclaim since its debut at the Royal Court in 2009. It was really interesting to see the play we had studied for our coursework brought to life and everybody really enjoyed seeing Mark Rylance’s famous portrayal of the protagonist, Johnny ‘Rooster’ Byron. Butterworth argues that, as humans, we possess this rather restricting trait of looking back at certain points in the past and making them out to be our very own “Golden Age”, where things appeared much better and simpler. Modernity and the rise of technology and social media, most recently, is receiving a bad press and this concept is something that Butterworth addresses intently
as the play evokes a longing and yearning for a bygone rural Britain – the play is fittingly set on St George’s Day. Johnny ‘Rooster’ Byron’s character is perhaps what makes the play so powerful: he describes rather nostalgically the carefree simple life of being a teenager in rural Wiltshire – experimenting and making mistakes. However, like being a reckless teenager, there comes a point where this audacious lifestyle must come to an end and it is through the dramatic fall of Johnny that Butterworth presents this letting go of a carefree past and, ultimately, growing up. Byron as a character is very much like J.M. Barrie’s literary creation Peter Pan, however Butterworth presents Byron as a much more controversial figure, seen in his blatant selling and abusing of drugs and his open defiance of authority. Despite this, he still has some redeemable qualities: he provides a safe place of teenagers to stay and protects them, in some cases, from abuse. This is what makes this play so compelling; Butterworth unashamedly celebrates the simplicity of life that is so often denied by modernity and worry. He asks the audience to recount memories of a carefree time in their past and asks if, in reality, everyone could be seen as an outcast - a Johnny ‘Rooster’ Byron. He implores us to be careful about judging outcasts in society and rather celebrate the fact that everyone is different and has a story of their own.
PLAY REVIEW: ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA Sean M, Year 12 writes... On January 9th, I saw the Shakespearean tragedy ‘Antony and Cleopatra’ at the National Theatre. The renowned play is said to have been written in 1604, and was first performed by the King’s Men in 1607. The key themes explored in the text are love, loyalty, and betrayal. Antony - one of three rulers of the Roman Empire - is in the midst of his affair with Cleopatra, Queen of Egypt. His prolonged absence and neglect of his duties have left Rome vulnerable to the escalating threat of war from Pompey. Events now intervene, forcing Antony to confront his need to return. His wife, Fulvia, suddenly dies, and Antony sees in this an opportunity to strengthen the alliance between Caesar and Antony. In defiance of his love for Cleopatra, Antony now remarries Caesar’s sister, Octavia. Alas, his strategy appears to have been in vain. While Antony is away in Athens, Caesar kills Pompey and takes his land, and declares war on Antony. Antony’s fleet surrenders to Caesar and, in what feels to Antony a betrayal by Cleopatra, her ships abandon him in his hour of need. Antony now threatens to kill Cleopatra who responds by retreating into hiding, and arranging for word to be put out that she has died. When the news reaches Antony he is
devastated. In an extreme of guilt and despair, he attempts to kill himself - only to find out that Cleopatra is, in fact, alive. He is carried to Cleopatra, and dies in her arms. In a consummation of tragedy, Cleopatra now hears word that Caesar is coming to capture her. She decides to kill herself by Antony’s side – a dramatic gesture, but also a metaphor of immortal love. Both characters are buried next to each other, but their story lives on. In addition to the phenomenal writing of the script, the acting in general vividly showcased the play’s great ideas. The play’s characters could be understood
for their humanity as well as for the greatness of the drama which unfolded at their hands. Whether through his endless energy or ease with the Shakespearean language Ralph Fiennes (who played Antony), excellently captured the essence of a man in thrall to Cleopatra (Sophie Okenedo), yet one also reluctantly alert to the moral obligation to tend to his country. For Fiennes, the Shakespearean language is deployed with the unselfconscious brilliance of a sixth sense. Elegantly designed, extravagant and impressive, the revolving stage’s modern design added to the intensity of the performance.
WILDFIRES Jack C, Year 12 writes... Last week I went to a lecture at the Royal Geographical Society (RGS) called “Chasing Fire” by Dr Thomas Smith from the London School of Economics. I have been interested in the chemistry of fire since I started my GCSE studies back in Year 10. Also, after studying a variety of environmental issues for my Extended Project Qualification, I decided to look out for some lectures on the RGS website. Wildfires was a topic that I had not really considered before, but it turned out to be fascinating. Dr Thomas Smith started his lecture by talking about the chemistry of fire in general, the breaking down of long chain molecules in wood to produce heat and carbon dioxide gas. In a natural cycle, regrowth occurs after the fire has passed and so photosynthesis effectively puts the carbon dioxide back into the earth. He then talked about the conditions needed for a wildfire to start. The weather, climate and vegetation type all affect the way in which the fire spreads and the temperature at which it burns at. In most places, a savannah environment is where the likelihood of a wildfire starting is the highest, with rainforests and deserts being the least likely. After this Dr Smith then showed us examples of the annual wildfire cycle. This was the most obvious in SubSaharan Africa, where the wet season brings rapid growth of vegetation along with the rains. The lush landscape then dries out in the dry season and the wildfires clear out all the dead vegetation. When looking at an
annual time-lapse as seen from a satellite, you can see the colour changing from green to brown, hence why this process can be referred to as the ‘heartbeat of Africa’. After this introduction, Dr Smith began discussing the ways in which wildfires affect climate change. In Malaysia, humans have been clearing forests to make space for development. This uncovers the peat soil layer, which consists of dead plants that have been compacted over many years. This peat soil is a rich source of carbon, and so acts as a fuel for wildfires. When peat burns it burns at very high temperatures and produces toxic gasses such as sulphur dioxide. Globally, humans are making wildfires more likely, and since wildfires account for 50% of carbon dioxide emissions (more than the transport sector), this is a serious issue that must be taken into account. The soot produced from the global wildfires can be carried all over the globe. It can also settle on the ice at the poles, increasing the rate of melting. We have also been getting into a positive feedback loop as wildfires contribute to global warming, and a warmer climate can cause more wildfires. He then began talking about the impacts of wildfires on the people and the environment. In Singapore, smoke from the Sumatra wildfires caused a new season to come about (dubbed the ‘haze season’) as the fires have led to the air becoming thick with smoke. This caused a variety of health problems to the residents of Singapore. Dr Smith
wanted to go and investigate the fires himself and flew to Sumatra. There he measured the composition of gasses in the air to see how the burning of peat affects the type and amount of different gasses produced and how external factors (such as the weather) can affect this. The heat from the fires was so intense that in some areas over a metre of soil had been lost, and all of the carbon stored in it would have been released into the atmosphere. All of his research helped to make wildfire predictions more accurate, which will help to reduce the impacts of these fires in the future. Finally, Dr Smith began talking about issues closer to home. In 2011, as a result of an intense heatwave in the UK, some wildfires were reported burning on the heather fields in the north. This was the first time wildfires were addressed as a natural hazard in the UK. Since not much research on heather fires existed, Dr Smith decided to investigate. Some of his research was done using a Helikite, a combination of a kite and a balloon. This provides a more stable image than a drone, especially in strong winds and is much cheaper than using a helicopter. As a result of his research, algorithms could help to predict the direction and intensity of fires in the UK and help keep people out of harms way. However, since wildfires are a new phenomenon in the UK, we are generally still underprepared, but as global temperatures rise, we could see wildfires becoming more common.
ROYAL INSTITUTION ENGINEERING MASTERCLASSES Mr Dawson writes... Some of our Year 9 Physicists have been selected to join the Royal Institution Engineering Masterclasses at King’s College London. Each session focusses on a different aspect of engineering and is led by an industry expert. Last week’s lecture was given by a lighting engineer from Arup who had led several impressive projects including the London Olympic Aquatic Centre. What was particularly interesting was for the boys to learn about was how the spectra of different light sources affected our circadian rhythm. Raphael M, Year 9 writes... My favourite lecture so far was the lecture about brain imaging. In this lecture I learned a lot about the importance of engineers in all surgeries, for example when surgeons insert an electrode in the patient's head. Engineers must create a program showing a virtual image of the patient's brain including the hippocampus (shown in yellow on the image shown above) and all of the brain’s blood vessels. This is important because if the electrode went through a blood vessel, especially a major one, often found in the centre of the brain going vertically, it could destroy neurons and cause dementia.
CONGRATULATIONS MATHS CHALLENGE WINNERS! 59 boys across Years 9, 10 & 11 were selected to enter the UKMT Intermediate Challenge in February, a national competition for Year 11 and below. 35 of these boys achieved scores in the top 40% of entrants (in a competitive field) and will be sent certificates in the next few weeks. The Gold Certificate winners have also progressed to an international competition, the Pink Kangaroo. The winners are:
GOLD
BRONZE
Year11 Leonid K Ethan E Fabien C Year 10 Patrick Q Yermek A Aryav L
Year11
SILVER Year 11 Ali R Edouardo U Rocco C Tobi A Alex L Gabriel T Year 10 Killian M Akshay B George B-R David T Sebastian L Max P Year 9 Maxime C Edward P
Miron B Henri J Montagu C Andrei M Eamon O Year10 Jacques O Nicolas S Pietro A Leo M Sam J Lukas S Henry B Year 9 Faisal A Jeremy B Christian M
SPORTS NEWS Football 1st XI WSS vs John Lyon 0-3 U18B WSS vs John Lyon 4-3 U18C WSS vs John Lyon 1-3 U15 A WSS vs Highgate 4-2 U15 B WSS vs Highgate 4-6
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