The Wether Eye Week: 15
8 January 2016
Dear Parents, Happy New Year! I hope everyone has had a restful and enjoyable time over the festive period. As my father used to say, “I don’t mind who I see at Christmas, as long as they come to me!” We concurred and didn’t stray far from home. Lots of excellent football of course, with Watford competitive in all four of our tough Christmas fixtures, including a memorable 3-0 against Liverpool and a thrilling 2-2 (with missed penalty “he-he”) against Chelsea. I had a great night at the Roundhouse in Camden, watching one of the favourite bands of my youth, Shed Seven. It is an excellent music venue that has been significantly done up since I last visited in the early ’90s, when it then formed part of Camden Market and seemed ripe for demolition rather than development. Now, it’s a good example of what can be done with a bit of love, care, enterprise, imagination and, no doubt, plenty of financial investment. I sat in the stands with an old college friend, as we looked down on a sea of bald, conservatively dressed, 40-something men, dancing and singing away to the hits of their youth. Oh how we laughed at them… choosing not to look at each other as balding, conservatively dressed, 40 something men ourselves… The highlight of our holiday though was, undoubtedly, attending the Star Wars premiere an amazing occasion in its own right, with so much excitement around Leicester Square and on the red carpet but, more so, the atmosphere in the cinema where there were hearty cheers, applause and standing ovations for recognisable characters, the soundtrack and even the opening credits of what is a truly brilliant film. Being so close to and a part of an occasion such as this, with familiar faces and personalities from one’s own childhood, was thrilling. Great to attend as a guest of course, although the trip has cost me a small fortune in new Lego Star Wars toys for the boys (and yes, me)… Amazing though that Star Wars, a film so revolutionary and ground-breaking when I was growing up, and a 3-0 victory over Liverpool, a team so dominant in my school days, did not seem to have the same impact or effect on Patrick and Joseph. They are growing up with other influences
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and other experiences, wondering quizzically why their father gets so animated over certain things that they just take in their stride. Another term then and lots to look forward to. Don’t forget to email Miss Hodgson if you would like to attend the ‘Wetherby Celebration’ Party on 11th February. The invite and ticket are free of charge; we just ask for a donation of any kind, on the night, for our School charities. As ever, it will be a fun and memorable occasion and we’ll have a red carpet of a different, Wetherby kind but just as special! Have a great weekend… Nick Baker
Congratulations Mr Sullivan!
On the 22nd December Mr Sullivan married his long term partner Scarlet Guest at The Leys School Chapel, Cambridge. The minister for the ceremony was retired headmaster of the school, Dr John Barrett.
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The 90 guests went on to continue celebrations at The Granary Estates, Woodditton where the venue was decorated with white roses, hydrangeas, candles and touches of silver sparkle. Guests enjoyed mulled wine, roasting marshmallows on the fire and the beautiful voice of Frank Sinatra bringing all into the festive spirit in preparation for Christmas Day.
Wetherby Kitchen given 5 Stars It is always great to hear the boys enthusing about the food at Wetherby Senior. As a staff we wholeheartedly agree with the boys and together we thank Alan Savage for the brilliant work he and his team do on a daily basis. On Thursday, we were visited for an on the spot inspection by the Food Standards Agency. The inspectors were delighted with what they found and awarded the School the maximum ‘5 Stars’ and descriptor, ‘Very Good’. Congratulations to Alan and his team!
Alan with his star team Azieb and Lydia
8 January 2016
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Wetherby: A Learning Community Mr Hartley writes… This year a number of staff at Wetherby Senior School have decided to join the boys in learning something new. At Wetherby we’re very interested in the work of Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, whose research centres on motivation and development. Her research led her to develop an influential theory about motivation and ability: for people of all ages to really make the most of the opportunities available to them it’s important that they believe that they have the capacity to grow and develop. She calls this belief a ‘growth mindset’ and she contrasts this with what she calls a ‘fixed mindset’, a state of mind in which a person believes their intelligence and their natural abilities are fixed permanently and cannot change. Carol Dweck believes that those of us with a growth mindset are more likely to make the most of what is available to us and really flourish. We hope that by seeing their teachers go about the process of learning something new the boys will see the growth mindset in action and be more likely to adopt it in their own lives. The growth mindset is something we want to help develop in all the boys at the school. We’re also very interested in the many different aspects of successful learning. Boys who have received Gold Notes for excellent learning so far this year have received them for demonstrating excellence in specific aspects of the learning process. They might have demonstrated commendable tenacity when working on a topic, or they may have shown that by working together with someone they have succeeded in making great progress. As the teachers go about the process of learning something new they’ll be thinking about the learning process using the same language with which they communicate with the boys. As the teachers go about learning their new skill, whether it’s learning to play the ukulele or portrait photography, they’ll be keeping you up to date with their progress via the newsletter. Feel free to offer them any advice your own experience might have taught you – they’ll appreciate it!
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From the Art & Design Department Mr. Meyer writes... In what was a first for the department, and the larger Wetherby community from pre-prep to prep, the boys have completed their first ever kiln fired ceramic project. As I began life at senior school almost twenty years ago at the tender age of thirteen, I was immediately struck by an A Level student’s Barbara Hepworth sculpture; the sweeping curves and the voids had been painstakingly carved out of wood. Not forgetting this amazing piece of work, as soon as the department got sign off to acquire a kiln, Mr. Murphy and I conceived the idea of a Barbara Hepworth inspired unit and he began planning thereafter. Carving into St. Ives white clay, the boys really took to the malleable nature and the glaze gives the work the finish it so deserves.
Harrison Phillips
Tom Zundel
Marcos Burnett
Paul Schell
Zack Zachariou
Niclas Stick
Adin DeCarlucci
Lachlan Walker
Louis Jegou
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From the Geography Department Miss Vanstone writes‌ There have been some fantastic entries for the Geography essay prize so far. A reminder is below: SENIOR AND JUNIOR GEOGRAPHY COMPETITION ENTRIES DEADLINE IS MONDAY 11th JANUARY Senior Title: Should the UK increase its use of renewable energy? Junior Title: How can geography help you?
From the History Department Mr Warner writes‌ The press are gearing themselves up for another round of big anniversaries this year. With such big hitters as Agincourt, Magna Carta and Waterloo making headlines in 2015 it looks like 2016 will be dominated by the Battle of the Somme, the Irish Easter Rising and more besides. Year 9 began looking at World War I before Christmas through the eyes of soldier poet Ivor Gurney (right). This term we have started looking at the Somme and how far it deserves to be remembered above other battles. Meanwhile in Year 7 the boys are investigating what happened to the thousands of Londoners whose graves were discovered in Charterhouse Square by Crossrail workers (below) in 2013 and what can these remains tell us about the lives of medieval Londoners in the fourteenth century.
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From the IT Department Miss Vanstone writes… In IT this week, Year 7 have been learning how to use Excel spreadsheets to manage money. Using fictional, annual, financial scenarios including pocket money, earnings, gifts and sales, boys practised using formulae to calculate incoming and outgoing income. In theory, by the end of next week, they should be able to manage their own finances on a basic level.
From the Latin Department Mrs Gray writes: Salvete! As part of our recent Latin topic work on theatre in ancient Pompeii, Year 7 boys wrote descriptions to capture the experience of being in the ancient theatre. The boys below captured a historical perspective with thoughtfulness and originality – good effort, boys! I was rushing through the streets to be able to get a seat at the huge theatre. I was lucky to find a seat and then the play started. I was so amazed to see all the famous actors. Grumio, the wealthy man, was organising this play. He paid for the actors and the producer – basically everything. It was very hot. Some people were sprinkling scented water around to keep everybody cool. -
John Tucker Hi, my name is Felix. I am a merchant and today I am sponsoring the festival. I even ordered special roses to scent the theatre. I will be running for council. I hope everybody likes the festival and votes for me this year. But now it’s time to go out onto the stage so I can be cheered by the crowd. -
Valete!
George Gerson
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From the Games Department Mr Sullivan writes… Happy New Year to you all! I hope you had a lovely break. I certainly did! In-between Christmas shopping, training, refereeing, stag nights and school work, I got married in Cambridge to my amazing wife Scarlet on December 22nd 2015. It was a lovely day which, I will remember forever. Thank you all for your advice, gifts and kind messages. New Sports Arrangements From the beginning of term, boys will be allowed to go home from the Wetherby Sports Ground at the end of the session or home fixture and do not need to return to school, with written consent from parents. If they do return to school as normal (around 4:30pm), they do not need to stay for prep, they can leave the premises at this time. We feel that just coming back from sport is not conducive to effective work time and the boys would be better served going home to wash, change and then get on with their prep. If your son is a bus boy, he can remain at school and do his prep while waiting for the school bus. To clarify: this would be on Wednesday afternoon for Year 7 and Thursday afternoon for Year 9. If you are picking up your boy please arrive around 3:35pm and wait in Wetherby Sports Ground car park. If you are late we will take all boys back to school. Address is below: Wetherby Sports Ground, Beechwood Grove Entrance, (Off East Acton Lane), London, W3 7HB If your boy is leaving from Wetherby Sports Ground could you inform me via my email: james.sullivan@wetherbysenior.co.uk Games this term
In Games all boys in Year 7 will be doing Rugby this term and Year 9 Football which will take place at Wetherby Sports Ground. Games lessons for Year 7 are on Tuesday mornings and Wednesday afternoons and Year 9 Monday mornings and Thursday afternoons. All boys should wear games kit to school on Games lesson days (see below). There are often matches in the afternoons and parents are welcome to come and support. Everyone who is not involved in a match will participate in a sports activity and therefore need to be in kit.
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If the weather is likely to be inclement then please could boys bring showering equipment (towels, shampoo etc.) to wash before changing into clean Games kit.
Games Kit: For Football the boys will require the following:
Wetherby black shirt, shorts and socks Wetherby hoodie, tracksuit top and bottoms Wetherby wet top, base layer and leggings Shin-pads, soccer boots and trainers Spare pants, swimming trunks and towel
For Rugby the boys will require the following: Wetherby black shirt, shorts and socks Wetherby hoodie, tracksuit top and bottoms Wetherby wet top, base layer and leggings Mouthguard, rugby boots and trainers Spare pants, swimming trunks and towel Attire before, during and after Games It is essential that during the coming winter months the boys continue looking smart in full school tracksuit top/hoodie and bottoms when arriving to school. When participating in Games lessons they will wear the Wetherby sports kit: black shirt, shorts, socks, base layer, wet top and leggings. That means at the end of the session the boys can put on their warm and clean tracksuits for the rest of the day. Please be aware in school fixtures the boys cannot wear leggings or a wet top. Sports Quote of the Week ‘Making mistakes is something everyone does. Learning from them is not’. Follow us for results and updates on Twitter via @WetherbySSports #teamwetherby
From the Maths Department Mr Bray writes… Congratulations to Joshua George-Oppong and Michael Dimech De Bono who have been successful in their applications to attend the Year 9 Spring 2016 Mathematics Master classes at the Royal Institution on Saturday mornings. http://www.rigb.org/education/masterclasses
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“This is a fantastic opportunity for a select group of Year 9 boys to experience an in-depth introduction to the wonders and applications of mathematics. The classes are led by mathematicians who are experts in their fields, from both industry and academia. They will combine theory with practical hands-on activities. We aim to challenge the brightest of the bright, open their eyes to the world of mathematics and encourage them to pursue STEM subjects beyond their GCSE years.”
From the French Department Mrs Diamond writes The whole school is having a French Charity Breakfast on Tuesday, to raise money to build a wheelchair for the Walkabout foundation. We ask you to give money to your boys to purchase a £5 ticket on Monday at morning break. Extra donations are welcome. The Breakfast (a warm Pain au chocolat and hot chocolate) will be between 8.15am and 8.40am, and there will not be a registration period that day). Thank you in advance for your support for this very worthy cause.
Family History Club Mr Warner writes… The inaugural WSS Family History club got off to a good start on Wednesday. The hope is that boys will be able to construct their own family trees and, for those who already have fairly comprehensive versions, start to find out more about the individuals in their family history. This week boys have gone home to start researching how much family history they already have access to and think about what their objective for the term will be by talking to their own families. We have access to the Ancestry.co.uk archive and a number of handy books (see right) to get the boys started in their research.
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Grub Club Miss Lillington writes… This week in Grub Club, the Year 7 Boys were practising their pastry and piping skills. They made delicious mini mango and chocolate mousse tarts for all the other boys to enjoy on Friday lunchtime. This week, the star bakers were Frejvid Gislev and Alex Piggot-Testa for their steady piping and attention to detail!
Mufti Day for The Walkabout Foundation Miss Lillington writes… Thank you to all the boys who wore Christmas Jumpers and donated money to The Walkabout Foundation on the last day of the autumn term! The Walkabout Foundation are a charity whose mission is to restore dignity, freedom and independence to those living with paralysis in the developing world, by providing wheelchairs and funding research to find a cure. It is estimated that around 100 million people worldwide need a wheel chair, and more than half of these people do not have access to one. The Walkabout Foundation have so far delivered over 7000 wheelchairs to children and adults in 16 countries across the world. Each wheelchair they deliver is tailor made and fitted personally to the recipients specialised needs by their team of experts. In total we raised £231.52 which is roughly the cost of one wheelchair (£200). With this money, the foundation can deliver a wheelchair to dramatically improve their freedom and independence of someone in desperate need. Thank you!