From the Headmaster Dear Parents,
On Tuesday evening I attended the annual Harrow Prep School Heads’ Dinner. This is always a fun event and a great opportunity to meet up with past Wetherby boys. Some I admit I struggle to recognise nowadays, with their ever-changing height, voices and facial hair. It is also an opportunity to chat about all things prep school and education in the round with the always easy company of Harrow staff and colleagues from other Schools, many of whom have become firm friends over the years. A lot of schools host events such as these; indeed, we had a similar one at the Senior School last autumn, which we will repeat next term, but one of the quirks of the Harrow evening is that Head, Jim Hawkins, likes to give out his own ‘Prep School Awards’ every year. The categories are simple : (1) Which Prep School has the most boys that currently attend Harrow? (Cothill won this with 38); (2) Which Prep School was most successful in terms of offers from the Autumn Year 7 Assessment? I was adding up on the way there and, whilst we can’t get that near to 38, our regular feeds in recent years will surely make us a contender in the near future. I was proved right in a way, as with 6 this year, Wetherby Prep (tied with Lockers Park) won the second category. Bottle of champagne and a hearty handshake for Mr Baker then. What an achievement! Well done and thank you Harrow School and the Year 7 boys who gained entry to Harrow for facilitating this ‘win’!
A great night on Tuesday then but the highlight of the last seven days has to go to the brilliant Dominic Buxton. Mr Goodman eulogises beautifully below but may I also add my admiration for Dominic, who has worked so hard and given so much to this School over the past five years. His scholarship to St. Paul’s School is a worthy award, reward and perfect end to his time here at Wetherby. Every year, we say goodbye to families with whom we have had a long association and the whole Buxton family, along with brother James who left in 2010, are already, and will remain, a part of the foundations upon which this school has been able to build its reputation and distinct character. I offer my congratulations and thanks.
Have a good weekend…
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DIARY Monday 15th
Tuesday 16th Cricket U15 WSS A/B/C vs St Benedict’s (A) Drama trip to Alice’s Adventures Underground
16:00-22:00
Wednesday 17th Cricket U13 WSS B/C vs Falcon’s Prep C/D (H)
14:30
Cricket U13 WSS A/D vs Falcon’s Prep A/B (A)
Thursday 18th Cricket U14 WSS A/B vs UCS (H) CANCELLED
14:30
Cricket U15 WSS A vs Harrodian (A) CANCELLED
14:30
Friday 19th HM Assembly at Hinde St Methodist Church
15:00
Saatchi Art Exhibition Year 7 & Year 8
16:00-1800
Saturday 20th Year 10 Duke of Edinburgh Practice Expedition
Sunday 12st Year 10 Duke of Edinburgh Practice Expedition The Barometer | week 29 | 12/05/2017
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NOTICEBOARD Duke of Edinburgh Practice Expedition Information:
The Practice Expedition takes place next weekend on 20/21 May
All boys to meet at London Victoria at 0740 hrs for a 0801 hrs train
Boys will need their expedition kit (except stoves/cookers) and food for 2 days: https://www.dofeshopping.org/dofe-expedition-kitlist/
The expedition will be conducted in the Dorking/Surrey Hills area
Boys will return to London Victoria for 1718 hrs on Sunday, at which point they will be dismissed
If you have any questions then please contact: tom.dawson@wetherbysenior.co.uk
Further details will be emailed home over the weekend
Trip to Alice’s Adventures Underground
Last
pair
of ti cket s sti
ll av ailab le on
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Pare nt P ay
Clubs & Food Clubs & Activities this week: Monday
Tuesday
Film Review Club
Art and Design
Music Tech
Wednesday
Thursday Fun Run
Bridge Club
Actor Training & Physical Theatre
Philosophy
Climbing Club
Choir
YAD Fitness
Fencing
MFL Cinema Club
Junior Geographical Society
Basketball
Football
Biology in the News
Rock School
Barre Fitness
Parkour
Table Tennis
Book Club
Quiz Club
Duke of Edinburgh Award
Cricket
YAD Fitness
Classics Club
Community Service
Food Chemistry Football GCSE Art & Design GCSE Drama GCSE Graphic Design Quiz Club
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Votes for Schools Mr Hartley writes‌
This week’s Votes for Schools topic has been: Is enough being done to make arts and culture accessible to everyone?
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Curriculum News From the Art & Graphic Design Department Mr Meyer writes... Year 10 closed the experimental phase of their current unit, ‘Cityscapes’, by creating a mixed media piece looking at pop artist, Richard Hamilton; they viewed his work at a private view in the Spring Term. As well as developing their technical drawing skills, they also developed a range of other techniques such as cutting into glass and exploring a number of painting methods using both watercolour and acrylic paints.
Alan A.
Nelson T.
Jack H-G. 8
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JP C.
Manuel C.
Curriculum News
Lachlan W.
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Curriculum News
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Curriculum News From the Biology Department Mrs Skinner writes... The Year 8 biologists have been investigating the best method of food preservation for peas. It turns out freezing them works pretty well...
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Sporting News Mr Sullivan writes...
extra slice.
Here are the latest updates from the Sports Department at Wetherby Senior...
Becoming the athlete you want to be takes a lot more than practising your passing technique or hitting every rep in the gym. Your development depends upon every choice you make, both on and off the field.
To keep your mind and body alert in the classroom and outside on the games field, you must have the right nutritional balance. GETTING THE BASICS RIGHT You are right, that extra slice of chocolate cake or pizza is not going to kill you. However, will it help you reach your goal? The answer to this question, of course, depends on your goal. If your aim is to achieve the pinnacle of your athletic potential, you may consider skipping that
Year 7/8 Cricket WSS A vs. WPS A Mr Underwood writes‌ Our third game of the season saw the local derby as Wetherby Senior played host to Wetherby Prep. With WPS choosing to bat first, we opened the bowling and started to use our training of line and length in each delivery. The batsman were equal to the bowling and played some fine shots. With fielding errors and dropped catches a plenty, we were unable to take advantage and ensure a low run rate for WPS. Despite superb fielding from Alex PT. and Max H., the batsman continued to find the spaces in the field. WPS concluded their innings with a score of 143-1. We approached our batting knowing that we had a great deal of work to do. We started promisingly with Finlay W. and Akshay B. surpassing the required run rate, reaching a 12
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Helpful facts A food first approach is best. Fresh, quality foods provide essential nutrients for health and performance. A range of colourful fruits and vegetables should be consumed throughout the day. Each colour contains an array of vitamins and minerals essential for health and wellbeing, and optimal performance. Hydration helps regulate and facilitate key bodily functions. Dehydration can negatively affect both health and performance.
quick-fire 26-0 from 4 overs. With WPS raising the tempo of the bowling, our wickets began to fall. Oscar C., Nico S. and Rafael H. batted superbly to regain some stability in the innings, but the overs continued to tick by. A good game played by WPS and a deserved victory, with WSS having work to do on the training pitch.
A Man of the Match award goes to Alex PT. for a fine display in the field, leading by example and putting his body in front of the ball to save valuable runs. A fantastic performance and we go on to next week against Falcons Prep School.
Sporting News again. Well done to all the boys in the fixture. WSS C/D’s vs. Hill House Mr Sullivan writes… For the second time this term, Beau B was made captain for his hard working attitude and his willingness to learn and apply new techniques. Wetherby fielded first and Ishaan B. opened the bowling finding a consistent line and length throughout. He was rewarded with a wicket for his efforts as was Matteus S.. WSS B vs. WPS B Mr Betts writes.... On Wednesday, the U13B team played in the local derby against Wetherby Prep School at Regent’s Park. It was a lovely afternoon, with the sun shining and not a cloud in the sky. Having lost the toss and been put into bat, the boys were looking to use their experience in last week’s fixture today. After some impressive batting, particularly from Daniel S. and Billy M., WSS set a competitive target for WPS to chase.
Elsewhere, there were signs of progress in the field, with William P., Devan S. and Vasco de N. stopping the ball on a number of occasions using the long barrier. In bat, Mischa D., Beau B. and Robert B. batted resolutely, all displaying solid forward defensive technique. Alessandro G. was more expansive, playing a range of cover and leg drive shots. Overall a great victory and lots of individuals improving, both with bat and ball. Well done, Boys! Man of Match for two weeks running :Ishaan!
Our bowling was as impressive as the batting, with some excellent line and length bowling on display from the openers. Manu Dixit bowled extremely and earned himself a few wickets before WPS managed to hit the winning runs to end the game. It was a great afternoon with both sides showing superb cricketing etiquette. A win for the WPS this time, but I know the boys can't wait to play The Barometer | week 29 | 12/05/2017
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Sporting News Year 9 Cricket WSS A vs. Harrow Mr Underwood writes... Our third game of the season saw the U14A team travel to Harrow a Thursday afternoon. We began the game in bat and Monty C. and Sacha R. established a good opening partnership. After losing these wickets, Yuvraj C. and Antonio DB. began to find the spaces in the field, striking the ball sweetly and hitting the boundaries with ease. However, Harrow raised the tempo with the ball and dismantled our middle order, with Nour H. remaining at the crease to score valuable runs towards the end of the innings. We finished on 57 runs and began the second half with the ball. Opening the bowling with pace, we ensured that the run rate remained low, bowling with good line and length. As the weather began to turn and rain began to fall, the bowling conditions were severely affected and Harrow took advantage. Edging towards the required run rate, Harrow continued to score as the ball skidded off the surface. With a few overs remaining, Harrow scored the winning runs with a well-hit boundary. A Man of the Match award goes to Nour H. for a fine display with the bat, leading by example and ensuring that communication at the crease was in constant supply; a fantastic performance. WSS B vs. Harrow Mr Betts writes... On Thursday the U14B team travelled to Harrow to take part in the second match of the term. With Harrow's strong cricketing tradition, we knew it was going to be a tough afternoon. Wetherby batted first, with Alejandro S., Abdul F. and Henri J. showing some very patient batting against a well trained Harrow bowling attack.
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With such consistent bowling, Wetherby struggled to set a competitive target and left the wicket slightly under par target, leaving a fairly simple job to tie up the game. Harrow batted extremely well despite some excellent bowling from Jonathan G. and Antonio M. and went on to win the game. Despite the defeat, the boys were absolutely fantastic on the day and they are all clearly improving week by week.
Sporting News WSS C vs. Harrow Mr Montgomery writes… Wetherby U14 Cs played Harrow at Regent’s park on Wednesday 11th May on a cloudy but humid afternoon. Harrow opened the batting. Team captain, Tobi A., picked the bowling order and the game began with Younis A-S. bowling. Harrow’s batsman was not in for long as Younis struck after just five balls. with him only scoring two runs. A promising start! As Harrow worked
their way down the batting order, a number of ‘wides’ were given away by the Wetherby bowlers who were trying to go for power rather than placement. Ignacio bowled out Harrow’s next batsman as they were approaching fifty, with Fabien taking another wicket soon after. Wetherby looked to be taking advantage of the stumble in confidence Harrow were having as our captain caught a good throw from Miron to run out another Harrow batsman. The wide balls were having a heavy impact the score though as Harrow retired after scoring 140 runs. Wetherby came out to bat with Miron and Younis leading proceedings. Miron started confidently hitting a four off the first ball to shock Harrow’s bowler. This filled our boys with confidence but, much to the dismay of the crowd, Miron was caught out after trying to get a ball over the fielder standing at square leg. Younis was also caught out soon after as his shot edged to fine leg. Leo and Alexander both came out to bat but, despite some valiant attempts, couldn’t increase our score by very much as they were both caught out for two runs. Ignacio put on our biggest score of the day with eight runs before he was also caught out at point. Final score – Harrow – 140 Wetherby – 62
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Sporting News Year 10 Cricket WSS A vs. Harrow Mr Fraser writes‌ There were fantastic cricket conditions at Harrow, with the weather slightly overcast. We won the toss and decided to bat first. Conditions meant the ball was going to swing in the air and be much harder to play than usual. Taking this into consideration we got off to a great start, with Ollie L. and Pip E. running lots of quick singles. Unfortunately their bowlers got on top of us early with 5 out of the 6 balls pitching on the stumps. They rattled through our top and middle order batsmen bringing the lower order in early. Matthew M. showed great mental strength to battle through and be there at the end of the innings. He was our top scorer with 15 not out. The boys knew at the midway point of the game we had to step it up, which we did. The second innings started well, with Pip and Luke K. both bowling a consistent line and
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length. Matthew was brought on and continued his good form from the previous innings with the ball. A few wickets fell, but a couple of their batsmen were experienced players and knew how to finish a game. The final score finished WSS 90 runs, 8 wickets off 15 overs and Harrow 91 runs, 6 wickets off 10.5 overs. Stand out performance from Matthew M. with a score of 15 not out and bowling figures of 2 overs, 2 wickets for 15 runs. WSS B vs. Harrow Mr. Meyer Writes... For the first time this cricketing season, the weather was very pleasant; there were a few clouds in the sky which allowed for swing bowling and this was highlighted with Seb finding late movement with the seam facing up. Harrow's opening pair settled into their innings and scored 50 before declaring. Will B. (captain for the day) came on second change and bowled economically and in the third over picked up two vital wickets. Other highlights in the bowling saw Tom get two wickets for just six runs. In the field, Nick S. did superbly, preventing a number of boundaries with some sharp movement. However, a number of dropped catches saw us allow vital wickets slip by, unfortunately. In bat, we struggled, with Harrow getting a number of quick wickets. Our middle order steadied the ship with Jack, William and Nick playing resolutely. Many highlights can be taken away from this game: boys bowling with a more consistent line & length and evidence of some fine ground fielding, also. Well done, boys, a fine effort!
Sporting News WSS C vs. Harrow Mr Sullivan writes‌ On Thursday the 3rd XI had their first fixture of the season against Harrow School. Having worked extremely hard in the last few training sessions, the boys were excited to get the game
performance as the boys continued to keep the ball straight. They had a few good batsmen who were able to capitalise on the bad balls, but we managed to restrict Harrow to 155 runs. After a quick turnaround Vadim M. and Lachlan W. walked out to see what response Wetherby could give. An impressive first shot by Lachlan got us off to a great start, but unfortunately he was beaten later in the over by a very well bowled ball that had spot on line and length. Luca, the captain for the day, came in at number 3 and built a good partnership with Vadim, scoring 25 from their 22 balls. Luca and Manuel then managed to generate 23 runs from their 13 balls, a very impressive total. Unfortunately, Wetherby only managed a score of 64/4 but they must be very proud of the way they played today. The opposition were a good team with lots of experience and to keep the game as close as it was was fantastic. Man of the match: Hamoud-Al Busaidi
Sports Quote of the Week:
underway. Wetherby chose to field and Ben D was the man to take the first over of the day. He bowled with a good line and length and kept the batsmen under control, showing the way for the other Wetherby Boys, some of which were taking part in their first ever game of cricket. The team had clearly watched Hammoud's tight bowling
"The vision of a champion is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when nobody else is looking� Follow us for results and updates on Twitter via @WetherbySSports #teamwetherby
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Performing Arts Workshop Miss Twomey writes... This week, Wetherby Senior School has been getting to know more boys in our local area, and offered an invitation to all local schools to attend Performing Arts Workshops in Drama, Dance and Music. In Drama, boys were exploring Shaun Tan's story The Lost Thing and acting out key stages of the book. We looked at the world the book was set in: a drab, dreary and uniform society. We staged a large, whole group scene of this monotone world and then met 'The Lost Thing', a creature which did not belong in this monotone environment. We spent time creating our own 'Things', adding narration to the creatures staged through body positioning, inventing where they might have come from and imagining how they might have travelled. The workshop culminated by devising an advert for 'The Department of Odds and Ends' an institution created in the story to dispose of anything which did not fit with the uniform society. The scenes and ideas created by the Year 5 boys were excellent! In Music, boys had the chance to learn new skills working with our Director of Music, Mr Martin. They took on the challenge of learning the ukulele and many new chords were beautifully strummed. Furthermore, boys were grouped and formed a band, with different members playing a variety of instruments and singing. They managed to stage an excellent performance of 'Knockin' on Heaven's Door' at the end of the session, accompanied by Mr Martin on ukulele, of course. 18
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Performing Arts Workshop In Dance, boys had a very special opportunity to work with Miss Webb. Whilst many of us know her as a historian, she is also a very talented dancer and used to work as a Dance Teacher! In her session, boys were put through their paces in a very stretching warm up and then learnt a routine. The dance itself was cleverly choreographed by Miss Webb; the boys were hunters stalking their prey and the moves were based around creeping up on the prey, watching it closely, drawing it in and capturing itwhich allowed them to show off their aforementioned acting skills! At the end of the day, many boys commented on how much they had enjoyed their first ever dance lesson! It was a pleasure getting to know the young Year 5s and 6s, and we hope to see them arriving here as Year 7s in 2019.
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Clubs & Activities Fun Run Club
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Clubs & Activities Physical Theatre Club Miss Twomey writes... This week in Physical Theatre Club, boys have learnt the Frantic Assembly technique called 'Minders'. In order to achieve this, the boys had to learn to trust each other, including being guided with their eyes closed and falling with their team mates behind them. By the end of the session, boys were able to 'drop' anywhere in the studio and be caught immediately in an impressive display of teamwork.
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Clubs & Activities Food Chemistry Club Miss Hoskins writes... This week in Food Chemistry the boys discovered their inner ‘Heston’ and investigated some molecular gastronomy. We mixed together fruit juice and sodium alginate and then placed spoonfuls into a calcium lactate solution. This caused the juice to gelify on the outside and the boys were able to pick up the balls of fruit juice and eat them.
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Clubs & Activities
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Clubs & Activities Parkour!
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Clubs & Activities
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Clubs & Activities Senior Quiz Club Mr Hasthorpe writes... Senior Quiz this week saw some serious point loss through interruptions but also some excellent general knowledge, particularly from year nine teams. Year 10 however had a lot more fortune in the bonus questions and, as a result, emerged victorious. Pictured are Tom B., Tom Z., Niclas S., and Tom T..
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On the Hot Seat Hello and welcome to Week 22 of “On the Hot Seat”. It’s been a pretty grey few weeks, but the sun is finally poking its smiling face through the clouds and the deck chairs are out in Green Park. This can only mean one thing, our twoweek long British Summer Time has begun! Enjoy it while it lasts. On that cheery note, it was with a spring in our step that we made our way down the corridor to Mr Hartley’s office. Boys, it doesn’t matter how old you get, the sense of impending doom you feel when stood outside a Deputy
“banya” (sauna). Apparently alternating between the searing heat of the steam room and the icy cold of the plunge pool is, and we quote, “an amazing out-of-body experience”. Readers, some people prefer a deep tissue or a hot stone massage, others prefer shocking their bodies by exposing themselves to extreme changes in temperature! We know which side of the wall we are on! So, on that bombshell let us begin… 1) Rugby or cricket? Cricket 2) Oxford Cambridge?
or
Cambridge 3) Winter or summer? Summer 4) Azerbaijan Turkmenistan?
or
Azerbaijan 5) Wine or beer? Head’s office never goes away…
Beer
This year our work for The Barometer has given us some great insight into the sporting lives of WSS staff. Our Deputy Head Pastoral is certainly no exception. He boxed in four matches for the University of Cambridge, the first of which was an intimidating fight in front of 600 recruits at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. #wewishwehadbeenthere #weneedasoldier #destinyschild. Readers, feel assured that you are in safe hands as Mr Hartley is also an excellent cricketer and used to play wicket keeper for Kent 2nd XI, wearing an old pair of Alec Stewart’s keeping gloves no less!
6) Cinema or DVD?
His favourite cuisine in Georgian, (boys ask Mrs Deedat if you are not sure where Georgia is) and he is currently trying to perfect the ultimate Georgian cheesy bread, “Khachpuri” #cheeeeese #breeeead #mmmmmm. If any of you international minded readers out there hear of any recipes for this floating around, we hear Mr Hartley will pay well!
10) Classic or modern?
When he is not exploring hidden corners of London, or hitch-hiking to Berlin, (yes readers, this really happened) he is exploring hidden corners of Eastern Europe. Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, and Abkhazia are just the tip of the iceberg, but we are guessing Moscow is one of his favourite capital cities as he has been there over ten times. It was there that he discovered the joys of the Russian
DVD 7) Fiction or non-fiction? Fiction 8) German or Spanish? German (Señor McFaul rolls his eyes) 9) Asking questions or answering questions? Asking questions
Modern 11) What three items would you want if you were stranded on a desert island? Well I assume I get the complete works of Shakespeare and the Bible? Yes, ok… I would want a musical instrument, perhaps a guitar… and a comprehensive guide on how to play it. I would also want a water desalinating device. 12) Which pet hate would you consign to Room 101? Plastic double glazed windows, (when installed in old buildings). They are essentially aesthetic vandalism to the public realm! The Barometer | week 29 | 12/05/2017
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From the Editor On this week’s front cover: Year 9 boys relax in the courtyard On the back: Food Chemistry Club try the gel balls they created For all comments and feedback please email: henry.warner@wetherbysenior.co.uk
http://www.wetherbysenior.co.uk/