WILSON’S SCHOOL Issue 187 May 6, 2011 WEEKLY UPDATE IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR DIARY SPELLING BEE SUCCESS Monday 9 May - Business Studies IGCSE Exam 2pm Wednesday 11 May - Composers’ Evening 7pm Thursday 12 May - Wilson’s Got Talent 1.30pm The Year 7 Spelling Bee Team scored a decisive victory in the Friday 13 May - Y11/Y12 Study Leave begins local heat of the Times Spelling Bee competition. The team, Wednesday 25 May - Junior Musicians’ Evening 7pm consisting of Alec Walker, Robert Lander, Vishal Shah (all 7B) and Luke Shortland (7G) totalled an impressive score of 74 REMINDER - PUBLIC EXAMS BEGIN THIS MONTH points. The teams who came in joint second place scored 46 Please could all students who will be taking part in public points, which makes the score achieved by team “To Bee or exams during the next month or so please note the follow- Not To Bee” all the more impressive. We were told by an or- ing rules apply: ganiser that 74 points was the joint highest score achieved so far in a local heat, so we have high hopes for the semi- You MUST wear full school uniform when sitting an exam final, the date and location of which are yet to be confirmed. You MUST NOT wear trainers Special mention must be made of Alec Walker, who won the You MUST be at the venue 10 minutes before the start of Collins Medal – Alec was the last man standing in the first your exam. round of the Bee, and correctly spelled “reservoir” in order to No mobile phones or electronic equipment is allowed in claim the medal. Vishal Shah was just pipped to the post for the hall with you when you sit an exam. this prize by the tricky word “guillotine”! CLASSICS COMPETITIONS AND LECTURES There are a number of national competitions open to boys at all levels within the school. We had a number of boys commended for their entries in last year’s Jowett Sendelar Essay competition and are hoping to see an even better array of entries this year from Year 9 and below! Full details are given on the Classics Club page of the school website (Departments - Classics - Classics Club) along with informa- tion on forthcoming lectures that are open to all. FUNDRAISING QUIZ NIGHT FOR TANZANIA EXPEDITION The Quiz Night will take place on Friday 20 May at 7.15pm and the tickets will cost £10. A Fish and Chips meal will be provided (vegetarian option available if notified in advance) which is included in the ticket price. Please bring your own drinks (alocholic or non-alcoholic). You will need a team of between 5-7 people and we will organise teams on the night for those people who are not in a team already (please make your preference clear when you book). You can either e-mail [email protected] to book a ticket and pay on the night or tickets are on sale in the foyer on Friday lunchtimes. DR COOPER CHESS CHALLENGE 2011 FOUNDER’S DAY SERVICE On Friday 13th May 1.05pm in the hall Dr Cooper will be playing chess against up to 30 Wilson’s pupil’s in a ‘Simul- taneous Display’. The fee to take part will be £2, and you The annual Founders’ Day service provides a unique chal- can sign up at chess club, or turn up on the day if spaces lenge for the school’s musicians, who are tasked with per- are left. forming challenging music in front of the entire school – in an unfamiliar acoustic! The Choir’s first offering (with the WILSON’S GOT TALENT - THURSDAY 1.10PM Chamber Orchestra) of Bach’s Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring set This will take place at 1.10pm in the Main Hall. Entrance is a suitably solemn scene before the Brass Ensemble joined £1 and this really should not be missed! in John Rutter’s Gloria, an extremely rousing and effective piece that truly added to the atmosphere of celebration. COMPOSERS’ EVENING, 11 MAY AT 7PM IN THE HALL Wilson’s has the benefit of some extremely talented brass This is an exciting chance to hear some of this year’s GCSE players, but it is thanks to Mr Roger Willey (our experienced and A Level compositions performed live; we even have vis- brass teacher) that their performance of this extremely iting string, wind and brass quartets to make this possible! difficult music was such a success. There are very, very few There will also be an opportunity to hear Jack Chandler’s schools that could stage a performance of this piece with- Alto Madness, one of very few A2 compositions indeed out the additional support of professional players, and this to achieve full marks nationally last year! Tickets will be is thanks in part to Mr Willey’s ambition and determination! available on the door at £5 per adult; Wilson’s students and Thanks too to the Choir of 80 students and staff, who per- other children are welcome to attend free of charge. formed this challenging music with aplomb. Issue 187 May 6, 2011 HOUSE MUSIC SPRING CHORAL AND ORCHES- TRAL CONCERT As well as making a huge impact on the House rank- ings (with Greencoat leapfrogging two places!), House Once again, we were joined by over 40 girls from Wal- Music was a fantastic opportunity to hear some of lington High School for Girls to form a full sized sym- the school’s finest musicians at work. After a week of phony orchestra for the Spring Choral and Orchestral ‘heats’, the very well-attended ‘Grand Final’, held on Concert. With Walton’s Crown Imperial (a foretaste of the Wednesday, 30 March was of a very high quality with magnificent Royal Wedding) and a James Bond Medley, the winning instrumentalist in each instrumental class the resources were truly exploited to the full! Further in attendance. Our adjudicator, violinist James Widden, highlights included Wind Band’s Eighties Flashback and was clearly impressed by all entrants in the Junior and Eine Kleine Yiddish Ragmusick (by Adam Gorb), Junior Senior classes, and awarded victories to Harry Perkin Orchestra’s March from Scipio, and the very atmospheric (violin, see picture below) for his extraordinarily vig- opening numbers from Ms Dennis’ two Wind Quintets! orous performance of Edmund Severn’s Polish Dance Thanks too to Miss Clare Taylor for her work with Junior and Sam Gee (alto saxophone) for a typically refined Strings, whose performances for The Entertainer and The rendition of Pedro Iturralde’s Pequeña Czarda; a fitting Can-Can were confident and well-prepared! We also had accolade for one of the school’s most loyal and ac- the benefit of around 40 girls who joined with the Senior complished musicians. The ensemble class was won by Choir in reprising Rutter’s Gloria and Bach’s Jesu Joy of Greencoat with George Gershwin’s Summertime. Man’s Desiring from the Founders’ Day service; many thanks to Mr Andrew Lamb for his accompaniment. Much of the programme was repeated on the subsequent evening at Wallington High School for Girls, where it was similarly warmly received! Many thanks to all who partici- pated, and to all those in the audience who packed out the Hall! HARRY PERKIN WILSON’S SCHOOL Issue 188 May 13, 2011 WEEKLY UPDATE IMPORTANT DATES FOR YOUR DIARY RAF Section triumph at National Monday 16 May - Public Exams begin Competition Wednesday 25 May - Junior Musicians’ Evening 7pm Friday 27 May - Y13 Exam leave begins Friday 10 June - Art Exhibition Congratulations go to the RAF Section who were placed Tuesday 14 June - Late start - 9.40 a.m. in the top three sections nationally after competing in the Monday 20 - Friday 24 June - Exams Week Air Squadron Trophy National Finals on Sunday. Having Monday 27 June - Cambridge Footlights reached this level for the first time, after qualifying with 1st Tuesday 28 June - Open Evening 4 p.m. - 9 p.m. place in the regional round in February, the team competed Friday 29 June - Book Return Day (Y11 and U6) against 12 of the best sections from across the country. The Monday 18 - Friday 22 July - Activities Week cadets performed consistently well in all 7 disciplines (RAF Knowledge, Aircraft Recognition, Shooting, First Aid, Fitness, REMINDER - PUBLIC EXAMS BEGIN THIS MONTH Command Task and Drill) and gained excellent positions Please could all students who will be taking part in public across the board. Particular successes came in RAF Knowl- exams during the next month or so please note the follow- edge, in which 1st place was achieved, and Drill where the ing rules apply: team came 2nd, just narrowly missing out on 1st. Overall the team was awarded 3rd place, losing out on 1st by just 3 You MUST wear full school uniform when sitting an exam points, a brilliant result. The team has now been invited to You MUST NOT wear trainers attend the prestigious Air Squadron Day in July as a reward You MUST be at the venue 10 minutes before the start of for all their hard work. Well done to the whole team for your exam. their hours of commitment and practice, and thank you to No mobile phones or electronic equipment are allowed in the CCF Staff, in particular Plt Off Beggs, Sqn Ldr Gardner the hall with you when you sit an exam. and C/Sgt Beggs, for their time, help and support. The team consisted of: FS Arscott, FS Morgan, Sgt Menon, GOOD LUCK TO ALL Y11 AND U6 STUDENTS WHO ARE Sgt Patel, Cpl Hogg, Cpl Leggett, Cpl Lowe, J/Cpl Thread- GOING ON STUDY LEAVE AND SITTING THEIR EXAMS IN gold, J/Cpl Sofocleous, J/Cpl Stanley, J/Cpl Anandakumar, THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.