Week 32 Barometer

2 The Barometer - 10/5/2016

From the Headmaster Dear Parents,

The residentials at the Senior School to Somerset and Geneva have been so successful and not a moment went

by without me getting a message and photo regarding the boys’ progress. I’m, by my own admission, a laid back

Head but Mr Dawson telling me that the boys would be ‘coasteering’ - something I had only ever done previously

(quite scared too) on a stag do - did test my level of anxiety. Sure enough though, the boys had a great time,

perfectly safely, having enjoyed a wholly worthwhile and thrilling experience. Maybe I’m just a wimp!

Common Entrance Week for the Prep School Year 8 boys and, my, have they done Miss Hart proud with their

application. Miss Olney cc’d me in on an email to her ‘old’ 4O parents (now in Year 8) yesterday. That was her first

class as a teacher here and she has seen them grow and mature over the past 5 years at Wetherby Prep - an

emotional time for sure and every single one of those boys has been on an educational and social journey, with

Miss Olney looking over them every step of the way. All of those Year 8 boys have given their best this week. We

look forward to the results next week and announcing the exit list in the coming weeks (whisper it, but it could be

our best ever…)

When I became the Head of this School in January 2008, a significant part of the role was that of promoting public

relations with the residents of Bryanston Square. At that time, the Prep School was at 19 Pembridge Villas and we

had been turned down for planning permission to secure our current premises at Bryanston Square. The

opposition was intense. Even though the building had been derelict for many years and would otherwise be

converted into a hotel, the local residents were almost unanimously opposed to changing the building to ‘D1 -

Educational Use’.

With the not insignificant help of the Governing Body, Jenny Aviss and I went on the campaign trail and held

meeting after meeting, attended drinks party after party, consultation after consultation, to spread the good word

of Wetherby. And, against all the odds, at an incredible evening at Westminster Council Offices in October 2008,

we were awarded planning consent for Bryanston Square on a split decision.

That seems a long time ago now but our place, role and sense of social responsibility at both schools in the wider

Marylebone community are central to everything we do here. It was therefore an absolute pleasure to facilitate an

evening on Wednesday for local residents of Bryanston Square to celebrate the Queen’s 90th Birthday. Lisa Giles

(“That lady is amazing!” in the words of one high-profile local resident) and her brilliant team of Wetherby mums

produced the most outstanding event, praised by everyone who attended. As a representation of ‘us’, it just could

not have been better. I was inundated with praise, both for the event and our boys, who sang and served canapés

to guests. As another resident commented, “I know the boys go to a prep school, but yours just seem to have

extra polish.” I might put that on the new website…

And then, as Miss Bailey, Miss Hart, Miss Olney (and Wetherby dad Mauricio Noe) and I left that event, leaving our

intrepid PTA team to clear up, for which many thanks, we travelled west to the ‘Dads’ Night Out’ at Paddington

Basin. What a turnout! Too many of us for the pub so we happily spilled out onto the courtyard and what an

excellent evening of conviviality, comradeship, excellent humour and just simply getting to know each other

better. Today, all I heard from the dads was, “Can we do it next term, not just once a year?” and all I heard from

the mums was , “Why just dads; can’t we have a mums’ night out, but at a wine bar not a pub?” We’ll see what we

can do…

I always say that a good school is constantly ‘in development’ and, at Wetherby, we embrace this completely,

trying always to do things bigger and better every year. I bring you then the Wetherby Prep Fete, 2016. I defy any

school to put on something similar. It was absolutely incredible. It’s not the stalls; it’s not the activities; it’s not

the food; it’s all about what we know our people will appreciate - we, as a community, embrace everything and

create such a wave of positivity, enthusiasm and commitment to having a good time that is just not found

The Barometer - 10/5/2016 3

From the Headmaster to (and had a hand in many) hundreds of school and village fetes. I’ve never seen anyone above the age of 7 trying

to ‘hook a duck’ but, at Wetherby, the ‘pond’ was surrounded by Years 3-8 - amazing to see. Our boys are

brilliant. Chair of PTA, Jo Brown, ‘Fete Guru’ Lisa Giles, Elena Tsoka and all of our incredible helpers - thank you so

much.

The Fete also saw the launch of the Cook Book. We don’t mess about at Wetherby and it’s no surprise that our

Cook Book is of such a standard that it would easily rival those of more established chefs. Flicking through today,

there are so many gems in there and it encapsulates the skill, expertise, professionalism but, above all else, humour

of our parent and staff body. Heather Rudd, you have done an outstanding job with that book - an incredible

achievement. I can’t wait to give one to my mum and sister... and everyone else whom I can show off to. And, of

course, to our very own Miss Bailey, a self-confessed ‘foodie’ who co-ordinated, liaised and managed the whole

process from the school’s perspective, with such insight and enthusiasm, a huge thank you.

So, next week… Whole school photographs on Monday, then Tuesday night bowls and drinks party with Senior

School parents in Hyde Park. This is always my favourite term with so much going on!

On Thursday, I fly to New York to attend the launch event of 'Wetherby Pembridge New York’. It’s a brief visit but I

am very much looking forward to seeing the new premises and old Wetherby Prep friend Christina Rossi at the

event. I’m obviously not expecting the same sort of numbers as Wednesday’s ‘Dads’ Night Out’ but if any of our

Wetherby community are in the neighbourhood on Thursday, please do attend. Similarly, if you know of anyone in

New York who may be interested in the project, please encourage them to come along. The official invite is below

and attached. Please feel free to send on to whomever you feel is appropriate and encourage them to get in touch if

they need any further information regarding the school.

See you next week (with an affected American accent…)

Have a good weekend…


Monday 13th

Whole School Photograph - Bryanston Square WSS All Stars

11:15 13:30

Monday Clubs

Basketball Videography Future Writers Art and Design

Tuesday 14th

Summer drinks and barbeque in Hyde Park

18:00-20:30

Tuesday Clubs

Chess & Backgammon Fencing Football Grub Club Wetherby Science

Wednesday 15th

Cricket Year 7 U12 WSS A/B vs WPS A/B (A)

14:30

Wednesday Clubs

Rock Band Quiz Soc History Film Club Table Tennis

Thursday 16th

Cricket Year 9 Inter-Trib @ Regent’s Park

‘Wetherby Pembridge New York’ Open Event, 7 E 96th St, New York, NY 10128

14:30

18:30-20:30

Thursday Clubs

Lego Table Tennis Samba Percussion

Friday 17th

School Choir

HM Assembly

13:30

15:00

Saturday 18th & Sunday 19

th

DIARY & LUNCH MENU

Menu for Week 32 Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday French Friday

Soup/Soupe Pea and

Tarragon

Carrot and

Orange

Vegetable

Consommé

Spicy Bean

Broth

Tomate et

Basilic

Meat main /

Plat principal

Jamaican Jerk

Quorn fillet

Lamb Curry

cooked in a

Creamy Coconut

Sauce

Chicken and leek

pie

Grilled Pork Steak

served with a

Mango Salsa

Poisson pané avec de la sauce

tartare

Meat free main /

Plat végétarien

Mexican Vegetable

Wrap with Salsa

Chick Pea and

Herb

Casserole

Ratatouille

Crumble

Falafel Patty

served with a

Cucumber and

Mint Dip

Frittata aux poivrons rotis

To go with / pour

aller avec

Sweet Potato and

Lime Mash Pilaf Rice

Crushed New

Potatoes

Parsley

Potatoes Grosses frites au four

Served with /

servis avec

Roasted Roots

Green Salad Cumin Carrots Broccoli Sweetcorn

Petits pois écrasés

Salade verte

Puddings /

Dessert

Pineapple

Fool

Toffee and

Cranberry

Cheesecake

Apple and

Sultana

Compote

Chocolate and

Orange Brownie

Salade de fruits frais à la

menthe

Always available Fresh Fruit, Salad Bar, Homemade yogurt and Dressings / Toujours disponible Fruits frais, Bar à salades, Yahourt frais et

assaisonements


ON THE NOTICEBOARD

WSS School Photo

On Monday we have the first whole school photo taking place. This means that ALL boys must

come to school in full uniform (blazer and tie) and there will be no Year 9 games.

9 Fleet Charity Raffle

Mrs Deedat writes...

This week 9 Fleet will be selling raffle tickets in school and at the summer

party on Tuesday. Prizes include a case of wine, afternoon tea at Brasserie

108, dinner at Burger & Lobster, burgers at Tommi's, 3rd Space Gym passes

and massage and Chelsea tickets. The money raised will be going towards

the Walkabout Foundation.

There ain’t no party like a WSS summer party…

We are looking forward to seeing you at Hyde

Park for the evening of celebration with drinks and

barbecue .

Early birds can look forward to a game of bare

feet lawn bowl with teachers (weather permitting)

in true spirit of summer.

Look out for our enterprising year 9 boys who

have collected a treasure trove of prizes for our

charity raffle and will be selling the tickets at the

party.

If you are confused on what to wear for the

evening you will just fine in smart casuals.

(look for black silver and white balloons at

gate for the venue )


YEAR 7 SOMERSET RESIDENTIAL

Leadership Challenges

When we arrived at the campsite, we sorted out our tents and

then went out to complete some team building activities. In

total, we did eight team building tasks which included both

mental and physical challenges. For each task, we were rated

out of ten for team work, behaviour and progress. The Trib

with the highest overall score won a prize. The winner was

Tyburn, with 1 more point than the runners up, Fleet.

George and Leo, Tyburn

I liked the team challenges. My favourite task was when

we had to cross a pond using crates and planks of wood. It

was harder than it looked and I found it especially funny

when some people fell into the ‘swamp’. The second best

challenge was the assault course when we had to carry a

tyre across all the obstacles as a team. A highlight for me

was seeing John conquer his fear of spiders and crawl

through the tunnel at the end.

Lucas, Fleet Briefings around the fire pit

Washing up duty for all

Teamwork

Mr Warner writes…

This week Year 7 headed west for three days of camping and rugged

outdoor activities. They were encouraged to develop as a team,

kayaked, coasteered, lit fires, foraged, melted marshmallows and even

washed up their own dishes. But rather than me waffling on about what

they did, why not read about life in Somerset from their perspective….



Briefings around the fire pit Melting mashmallows by the fire

Finessing the angle of drop

Camp Life

We slept in Trib tents which was really fun and we had an opportunity to speak and reinforce our friendships. We played

cards, shared sweets, swapped jokes and enjoyed the experience of sleeping outside. We spent the whole three days

working as a team and sharing our knowledge to accomplish the tasks.

Being together in our tent helped us learn about our life at home and

appreciate its comforts!

Bohemond, Fleet

“If we work together as a team…”

Stretching for victory



Foraging and

Lighting fires

On Wednesday, we built fires

in the wood. We learnt how to

build fires using two different

methods: using flint and steel

and using a battery and iron

wool to create the spark. We

learnt all about the fire

triangle, which are the three

basic elements that are

needed to make a fire in equal

proportions, These are

oxygen, fuel and heat.

Overall, we had a great time

and learnt some really useful

skills.

Beau and Adam, Tyburn

On the last day in Taunton,

we also went foraging. We did

some exciting things including

tasting some of the plants that

you can eat in the Forest, e.g.

woodland sorrel, nettles and

wild garlic. To eat the nettles,

we had to crush the spines

carefully with our hands to

stop our mouths getting stung.

It was an entertaining

adventure in the woods and

we were able to try things we

have never tried before!

Ali and Lucas, Tyburn.

Using a steel to light some

Wild Sorrel was tastier than anticipated



Jacques directs from above

Fires starting

They first taught us to use steel fire starters

and making sparks to light cotton wool. They

then taught us that when a battery has contact

with wire wool you would make fire. We were

shown how to make a basket out of dried

grass and then how to light a fire.

Alex, Fleet


Coasteering and

Kayaking

What a day! On the second day of

our amazing trip we went from our

camp in Somerset to the coast of

Torquay in Devon. Tyburn’s first

activity was Coasteering! Our

instructors, Pete and Pete (no, not

the same people!) took us around

the rocks on the edge of the cliff

and then showed us where we

could jump into the water. After a

few jumps, we swam from the cliffs

to the beach in the form of

caterpillars!

Maxime and Frejvid, Tyburn

In the afternoon on the

second day, we went

kayaking. It started off very

easy, with some paddling

exercises to help us learn how

to move and turn. The

kayaking got much harder

when we played games, e.g.

Polo. Polo was very fun. We

had a tennis ball and there

were two teams who were

trying to score points by

throwing the ball at the

instructors boat. At the end,

we had a competition to see

who would win a race of

paddling whilst standing which

was great fun and involved a

lot of falling off!

William P.N, Tyburn

Scaling the wall as a team


We had so much fun swimming and letting currents pull us into tight

gaps in the rocks. I really enjoyed jumping off cliffs, swimming long

distances and being sucked by the currents. I also enjoyed team

building exercises like the bridge challenge where we built a bridge

across a small swamp using crates and wood. We also learnt that you

van use wire wool and a battery to light a fire, or a flint and steel.

Luca, Fleet

Blind communication



We had so much fun swimming and letting currents pull us into tight

gaps in the rocks. I really enjoyed jumping off cliffs, swimming long

distances and being sucked by the currents. I also enjoyed team

building exercises like the bridge challenge where we built a bridge

across a small swamp using crates and wood. We also learnt that you

van use wire wool and a battery to light a fire, or a flint and steel.

Luca, Fleet

fire lighting

Walking the line


Meanwhile in Geneva... Some tantalising images fresh from Geneva where Year 9

have been exploring the particle accelerator and learning

about the League of Nations and the UN. You can look forward

to a more detailed write up in next week’s Barometer.


From the Games Department

SPORTING NEWS

Mr Sullivan writes...

5 ways exercise makes you mentally

smarter

If you think fitness,

muscles and strength

are just for the gym,

think again. Did you

know that as little as 15 minutes of exercise a

day can enhance your intellect?

Boosts decision-making skills

The brain needs oxygen to function throughout

the day, and people who exercise have more

oxygen flowing through their brains’ anterior

frontal regions — the region involved with both

decision making and memory retention.

Research suggests that people who exercise

outperform their peers on difficult cognitive tasks

and make more coherent decisions.

Sharpens focus

Be it fitness training, yoga or a set of push ups

— they all require a lot of focus. You have to be

watchful of your form. Working out allows one to

focus on what to do while blocking out

distractions and in addition, provides the

confidence to take on new challenges.

Helps you stick with your plans

When you hit the local park for a long run, you’re

not just improving your body’s ability to sustain

long, demanding tasks at work but also training

your mind. After all, when you’re jogging or

biking for an hour or

more, you’re not so

much fighting physical

fatigue as you’re

fighting your mind

saying, “Hey, let’s just

stick with this run a

little while longer.” The

ability to stick to your decision to keep going is

critical to multitasking at the workplace and

sticking with long-term plans and goals.

Increases productivity

Exercise amplifies work performance, improves

time management, and aids in prioritisation.

Boys who exercise before/during/after a school

day get more accomplished throughout the day.

When one’s productive and efficient, it boosts

motivation to succeed further.

Increases energy

It’s a direct correlation — the more you move,

the more energised you will feel. Regular

physical activity improves muscle strength and

boosts endurance, thus giving you the energy

and capacity to think clearer and come up with

new ideas more logically. A good 15 minutes of

moving around, even just

around your lounge or going

up and down the stairs, makes

your body produce more

energy on a cellular level and

enhances your mind skills.


SPORTING NEWS Mr Sullivan’s 10 minute challenge:

Complete as many rounds as possible in 10

minutes of:

5 Burpees

+ 10 Squats

+ 20m Bear Crawl

Perform each exercise for 1 min. and complete 3

rounds of:

High Lunge Hold (left)

+ High Lunge Hold (right)

+ Burpees

As many burpees in 10 min as possible

outdoors.

Aim for 100

Thank you so much for your

support and donations!

I completed the Reebok Spartan Midlands Super

UK - 10 Miles, 29 Obstacles on Saturday 28th

May 2016 in 89.27

minutes

If you are still

interested in

sponsoring me.

Please click on this link: http://

uk.virginmoneygiving.com/

JamesSullivanDoS

My charities are Whiz Kidz and

CALM – Two amazing charities that

help people in need.

If you would like further information

on both charities which I am a

volunteer for please visit: www.whizz-kidz.org.uk

& www.thecalmzone.net

What should I do next boys?

Players of the week:

Nelson Tobin, Armand

Sharda and Vadim Mandel

for their great batting and

fielding display against Mill

Hill School. Well done,

boys!

http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/JamesSullivanDoS



http://www.whizz-kidz.org.uk

http://www.thecalmzone.net


SPORTING NEWS Year Inter-Trib Cricket

Our first ever Year 9 Inter-Trib Cricket is on

Thursday 16th June 2016 and starts at 2:15pm.

Come down and support your TRIB! Will Fleet

win the treble? Come on Walbrook & Tyburn!

Venue: Regents Park – Sports Hub. All the RED

circled numbers are Regents Park Cricket pitches

we will be using. If you intend to watch please be

aware that there is no parking onsite and please

use the pre-paid parking bays outside the park.

Euro 2016 Fantasy Football

We are trying to encourage as many boys as

possible to

watch the

upcoming

Euro 2016

tournament. The competition starts THIS

WEEKEND with France vs Romania on Friday

night. Having had such a successful football term

we want the boys to retain their passion for the

sport over the Summer term.

Starting today, we have decided to commence a

Wetherby Senior Fantasy Football Competition

for the Euros. We will be using the fantasy

football league generator by UEFA (http://

eurofantasy.uefa.com/en/fantasy16) and the code

to join the league is: 61949ZFG.

We would like to encourage as many boys as

possible to enter and we will be giving a prize to

the top 5 managers at the end of the competition.

Any help and encouragement you can give the

boys would be greatly appreciated. We

understand that it may be difficult to watch the

majority of the matches due to other

commitments. However, the will strengthen their

knowledge of the sport from watching just a few

games.

There is no obligation for boys to enter but we

hope to see lots of entrants before the weekend!

The final entry date for the competition is Sunday

12th June.

Pick your team name, pick your team and enjoy

the football. I know the teachers will....

Sports Quote of the Week

‘You can’t let praise or criticism get to you. It’s a

weakness to get caught up in either one’

Follow us for results and updates on Twitter via

@WetherbySSports #teamwetherby


Mrs Diamond writes...

A new experience for Mrs Diamond this half term. The Dijon-Prenois, Burgundy, France racing track

was hosting the Age D'Or car racing this weekend and we saw some amazing old racing cars doing

laps on a loud fun filled day. No need to say Oscar and Anton my boys were in there elements. This

was a first for me but a really enjoyable one.

Notes from… The Dijon-Prenois

A Note from the Editor...

It would be amazing if Notes From… could become a regular column celebrating the news and

achievements of Wetherby Senior School pupils and staff beyond the bricks and mortar of 100

Marylebone Lane. If boys have been somewhere where they feel they saw or learned something

interesting, or if they have taken part in some sporting event, concert (or anything else that we can

celebrate or share) then please do write in with some pictures and they can go in the Barometer.


Notes from… The Edinburgh Marathon

Miss Lillington writes…

During half term, I took part in the Edinburgh Marathon with a good friend of mine. This was partly for

a personal challenge, but also to raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation UK - a charity which

grants the wishes of children with life threatening conditions so that they can make the best of the time

they have left. The route started near Holyrood Palace and then took us out of the city along the coast,

before finishing in Musselburgh. It was a beautiful sunny day and there were lots of supporters

cheering us on along the way and handing out jelly babies. It was pretty tough, but we had a great

time and managed to complete the 26.2 mile course in 4 hours 26 minutes. We also managed to raise

£800 for this great charity!

Thank you to all the staff and boys for their support!


CLUB NEWS

Week 6 Results

Alan vs Hamoud

Nicky vs Thomas

Josh vs Edourd

Rory vs Tom

Talal vs Armand

Seb vs Philip

Giacamo vs Zack

Michael vs Bennett

Thomas vs Hamoud

Alan vs Michael

Nicky vs Philip

Seb vs Bennett

Chess (& Battleships!) Club


Action shots from Basketball and Football Clubs

CLUB NEWS


Learning @ Wetherby

Mr Murphy writes…

My personal learning objective was to learn how to use glass to form sculpture in the kiln.

During the Spring Term, I enrolled on a course in the Art Academy, London Bridge on a 10 week 'Kiln

Formed Glass' class. The teaching was of the thinking that you should be given the tools, showed

some simple demonstrations and get on with it. Some others in the class struggled to deal with the lack

of direction but others like myself enjoyed the nature of playful experimentation and the challenge

involved in making errors to learn from. Examples of glass work included: glass slumping, glass

tacking, forming into moulds and metal inclusions.

From September, Wetherby students can also get the chance to experiment with this exciting medium.


Learning @ Wetherby

Mr Sullivan writes…

The image is more than the subject

My learning proposal is to develop on

photography skills to relate to my love for the

arts and sport.

As you are aware have enrolled myself on

photography and I am working on ‘Pay attention

to the frame edges - The image is more than the

subject’

Teaching point: Scrutinise the corners and the

sides and top and bottom of your frame. Is

everything working together well, or is something

completely out of place? Can you adjust to

remove the “noise” of a busy scene? Look at the

whole so the whole does not detract from your

subject.

What do you think of my attempt while in NYC -

The image is more than the subject?


Congratulations Mr Meyer! Mr. Meyer Writes…

Last summer, I asked Lara to marry me -

with the sun rising over the

Mediterranean, this was an idyllic setting

– thankfully she said yes. With her

parents having recently just moved to

Spain and the fine weather, we thought

that this would be the ideal place to get

married and so we set about looking for

an ideal venue. After various visits, we

fell in love with La Bobadilla Hotel in the

heart of Andalucía. Set within rolling

countryside and the snow-capped Sierra

Nevada in the distance, we both agreed

this would be a dream like setting. The

wedding was split over two days: a

paella welcome meal during the first

evening and then the wedding took place

in an oval garden and reception in the

courtyard of an old farm house.

From the Editor

On this week’s front cover: Jacques, Bohemond and Alex light their fires with steel and

flint. On the back: 7 Fleet negotiate one of the team challenges. For all comments and

feedback please email: [email protected]

http://www.wetherbysenior.co.uk/

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.wetherbysenior.co.uk/

Documents

Week 32 Barometer