Headmaster’s Extra

November 4, 2008 will be a date always remembered. However, while the United States was electing Barack Obama, the Governors were making a momentous decision of their own. I am delighted that Katherine Haynes will be the next Head of JLS and the first female Head of an all boys HMC school. I have worked with her while inspecting other schools and know she will strengthen and develop the school. For the boys though, the victory of the U15s over Westminster (3-2 in extra time) in the ISFA cup to progress to the last 8 was probably the highlight of the week.

Kevin Riley

An Adventure in Sound

On Friday 17 October there was a performance of Musical Squares – An Adventure in Sound in the Boyd Campbell Hall for Years 7 and 8. The lecture was very exciting and used many great sound and visual effects. The afternoon enthralled the boys and they came away with a deeper understanding of the joys of Physics.
 

Tom Mahon, Head of Physics

Geography Field Trip to Somerset

Yet another successful Nettlecombe Geography field trip under our belts. This year’s trip saw the Department take 44 boys to Somerset to undertake the fieldwork element of their coursework which comprises 25% of their final GCSE grade. Students departed school on the Friday before half-term to be whisked down to Somerset in four minibuses. We arrived about midday and set straight to work practising how to use various pieces of equipment and perfecting the correct techniques needed for data collection. The next two days were spent at Porlock Bay on the coast looking at longshore drift and also at the River Holford where a number of studies were undertaken by students with regards to river hydrology. The final day saw us nip over to Lynmouth to show the boys where the Lynmouth flood happened in 1952. This proved to be particularly useful as the boys need to know this as a case study for their GCSE. The trip went smoothly until the very last afternoon when Mr Orme became a hero by controlling a clutchless minibus and bringing the beasty to halt amid dark, wet conditions on the top of Exmoor. Interestingly, it was S Caplan and J Cohen who used GPS on their watches to give the AA recovery crew the exact location of the stranded bus over the phone - hi-tech geography in action! Nevertheless, it was I who drew the short straw and remained with the bus and a skeletal crew of four students. We waited patiently for two hours for the AA to arrive but we were thoroughly disappointed not to see hoards of torch-tooting, orange-jacket-clad AA rescuers marching and singing their way towards us. The wait was not too boring however, as Gianni O’Connor entertained the group in his usual manner. I would like to express my thanks to Mr Parker and Mr Jones who assisted yet again in making the trip possible. It has now transpired that Mr Orme is the worst card player in the school.

Phil Matthews, Head of Geography

Field Trip for Year 13 Biologists

The trip to Orielton Field Centre, Pembrokeshire began at 7:00am on Saturday 18 October. Everyone slept on the journey due to the early start and slight exhaustion from the Gym & Swim charity event that had taken place over the previous 24 hours. Work began with freshwater ecology almost immediately after our arrival in Wales. We studied the water purity in two different sites in the grounds of the centre. By sampling the species and numbers of organisms that the water contains, we were able to estimate pollution levels of the water. Abiotic factors such as oxygen concentration and pH of the water were also measured. On the second day we were on a sheltered rocky shore at Sawdern. Our task was to identify some of the organisms present and make a note of how high up the shore they were found. This involved using quadrats at 0.6m intervals and we found a significant difference in the species of organisms found further up the shore to the ones found closer to the sea. Day 3 started in the grounds of the centre learning about woodland management techniques. After supper, we were back in the lab analysing data collected during the day. Then we were free to socialise with pupils from other schools and try and beat Mr Rana at table tennis! On our final evening we enjoyed a very amusing presentation of the trip’s highlights prepared by Ms Seymour and we thanked our excellent course tutor, Tim Wort. He treated us as friends as well as students, creating a fun environment in which we learnt a lot and got all the necessary work done. Thanks go to the Biology staff for making our trip so interesting and rewarding. We enjoyed it perhaps more than we had expected to and the food wasn’t bad either!

Year 7 Bring History to Life

Somewhat appropriately, Guy Fawkes’ Day, November 5th witnessed an exciting visit by Year 7 to the Tower of London. The Tower, of course, was the scene of Fawkes’ imprisonment and torture, Fawkes having been apprehended in an attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament on that day in 1605. Students were regaled with tales of “Imprisonment, Escape and Execution” by a guide dressed in clothes typical of the age. Several blood-curdling stories were told, and our boys were encouraged – by means of simulated torture (!) – to imagine being stretched on the rack, or submitting to the embrace of the Scavenger’s Daughter. Bringing history lessons to life, students were later guided by staff on a tour of the White Tower. This, the central keep of London’s castle, formed the centerpiece of William the Conqueror’s strategy for protecting (and controlling!) the city of London. The boys were suitably impressed with the strength of the fortifications and the display of armour and weapons within. The second part of the day’s activities turned to more spiritual matters, with a visit to nearby St Paul’s Cathedral. Students were able to explore the crypt in which Nelson and Wellington are buried, before touring the main floor of this great church. Christian symbolism and worship formed the main interest for our boys, as these topics have also done this term in Religious Studies classes. Studying the wall mosaics, examining Holman Hunt’s painting “The Light of the World” and peering up at stained glass windows, students were able to gain a powerful insight into this concrete expression of Christian beliefs. One group experienced a rare treat: Seated below the awe-inspiring dome of St Paul’s, our boys were privileged to listen to the London Philharmonic rehearse for the Lord Mayor’s Benefit that evening. Perfect preparation for the coach trip home through the busy streets of London! All in all, an interesting and instructive day for our youngest boys, and a successful first excursion in their JLS careers.

Paul Cowie, History Department

Half-Term in Rome

This half-term, 22 students and three teachers visited the stunning Italian capital, Rome. We spent three days seeing all the sites (and eating all the ice-cream) that the city has to offer, from the Trevi Fountain and Coliseum to the Sistine Chapel and St. Peter’s Basilica. Though it was the buildings that we visited, it was, as ever, the people who made the memories and I would like to thank the Religious Studies department, particularly Mr Westlake, for arranging such a fantastic trip for us all.

Chris Duncan, Upper Sixth

News from the Art Department

Year 10 has been on their first GCSE Art gallery visit to the National Portrait Gallery, where they explored the work of many artists from the Tudor period through history to our contemporary times. Each student selected three pieces from which they produced observational drawings that will be used to support their coursework. The project they are working on is based on “Identity and the Figure”. Students have produced a variety of portraits of friends, family and themselves, exploring the work of Jenny Saville and Lucian Freud in order to produce a self-portrait inspired by their artist. Prior to half-term, Year 13 Art students went on two visits. The first was to the London College of Communication where they toured the college and its facilities, with the opportunity to meet tutors and become involved in extra-curricular activities in the future. They then visited the “Frieze Art Fair” in Regents Park, allowing them to see first-hand the world of contemporary fine art at its commercial best. These visits allow the students to explore the world of art and gain direct experience of the many trends out there. Year 12 also had an Art trip this term, not to a gallery but a site visit to Hampstead Heath and surrounding areas, exploring the landscape and urban environment through a series of direct observational studies and photography. Students worked with a variety of media and produced an exciting range of studies to help support their AS coursework.

Lorna Hope, Head of Art & Design

24 Hour Charity Gym & Swim

On 24 October the entire Sixth Form took part in the annual 24 hour Charity Gym and Swim event. The Sixth Form managed to keep the event going, even in the bleakest hours of the night, relentlessly pumping iron, swimming and doing cardio, lasting from 9:00am to the following day. I can vouch for raising money between the hours of two in the morning till eight as being extraordinary fun for everyone there. Despite it being the start of their well deserved half-term break, everyone managed to contribute towards raising money. This year the Sixth Form has chosen to donate the money to Northwick Park Hospital for the refurbishment of a family room and we are hoping to have raised a considerable amount of money as in previous years. The lower years of the school were undoubtedly inspired by the sight of the unified Sixth Form all working together and lifting several heavy weights in the process, all in the name of charity, and we hope it has served as an example for what the JLS boys can achieve when they all work as a team.

Dylan Liew, Upper Sixth

Sport Report

The second half of the term has started with a great deal of success both on and off the sports field. The Cross Country team had a number of noticeable successes at the Ealing AC trophy meeting. In the U14 race Bhavesh Soneji finished an impressive 6th overall while new boy Anand Sheth was second home for JLS in 10th. The U16 race saw four JLS boys in the top 10. Vishal Parmer just missed out on the medals finishing 4th, while Sanjiv Pandya (7th) Merlin McCormack (9th) and Kinsgley Alleyne (10th) helped the team to a comfortable win. The U15 football team’s impressive session has continued with a thrilling 3-2 victory (after extra-time) against Westminster in the Independent Schools FA Cup. Two goals by Antony Jeffrey and one by Babatundae Adelekan now mean the team are in the draw for the quarter-finals of this prestigious national competition. After going 1-0 down in the first half from a penalty, JLS hit back with a fine solo goal from Antony. No more goals meant another 20 minutes of extra- time. This time JLS score first from Babatundae although the lead was short lived as Westminster equalised straight from the restart. However, with 3 minutes before penalty kicks, Antony was brought down by the opponents goalkeeper for a penalty kick which he stepped up to score. After a few nervous last minutes, JLS held on for a famous victory. The team have now won their last 4 games in a row and are relishing the chance of going even further in this competition. Off the sports field, Antony Jeffrey should be congratulated on having his contract with Arsenal FC extended for the next 12 months. The half-standings in the House Cup are as follows; 4th Moore 18pts, 3rd Butler 20pts, 2nd Norwood 22pts and 1st Vaughan 25pts.

Adam Jones, PE Department