Field Trip to Rochester for Year 7

Thursday 19 November witnessed Year 7’s departure from the School on a trip that combined venues for the departments of History, Religious Studies and Philosophy. Our destination was the ancient city of Rochester, strategically placed on the crossing of the River Medway in northern Kent. The Romans first recognised the value of Rochester, but it was the continued investment in the city during the Middle Ages that made it a convenient destination for our students: located side by side in the city centre are the cathedral and castle. Our boys were given a detailed tour of the cathedral, viewing the Romanesque nave and choir (mostly built in the late 11th century). Religious symbolism and items associated with Christian worship formed our primary focus of interest. Descending into the crypt from the cloisters, the students were encouraged to don the black habits of the medieval monks - a novel experience for many! Having taken a vow of silence, our Year 7 novices were instructed in the life and work of Franciscan monks. A quick lunch followed and then our group walked across the road to the castle.... After a brief overview from teachers the boys fanned out to explore the bailey and fortification walls, before climbing the impressive central tower of the castle—the tallest Norman keep surviving in England. Although it is largely a ruin, exploring the battlements and galleries of this impressive monument certainly gave our medieval scholars a vivid sense of life in a castle setting, rounding off a most enjoyable day in the late autumn sunshine!

Mr Paul Cowie, History Department

A2 Geography Conference

On 24 November, the A2 geographers went to a geography conference in London at the Dominion Theatre on Tottenham Court Road. The conference included a wide range of speakers, each respected in their field, who gave us talks on topics which were pertinent to our A2 course. The most notable speakers were Iain Stewart, a well known TV presenter, and Sue Warn, the Chief Examiner for AQA, who both gave interesting and useful talks on plate tectonics and good examination technique respectively. As well as being given an informative and concise summary of work done so far this term, we were provided with a useful booklet containing a more in-depth look at the talk contents which gave us many case study examples. Thank you to Mr Orme for organising this trip on our behalf.

Lawrence de Leeuw, Year 13

Macbeth

Macbeth is one of Shakespeare’s most well known plays and was chosen as the major production in the John Lyon autumn drama programme largely due to the huge number of exciting roles for males. It soon became known here as “The Scottish Play” as the cast heard the terrible bad-luck stories which have often befallen productions in the past. This production was updated and given a modern twist. Set during the current economic crisis, it cleverly featured Macbeth fighting to take over as head of a bank. The witches became street people embroiled in card playing and drinking. Birnam Wood became one of the major shareholders in the battle for power. The production was ably accompanied with excellent lighting and an atmospheric soundtrack, and the whole audience were captivated by the tension. Highlight performances were from George Pearcy, who starred as the tyrannical Macbeth, and Jessica Summer, Heathfield School, who convincingly captured the many sides of Lady Macbeth. Thomas Stevenson as Macduff also confirmed what an accomplished actor he has become. The play, spread over three performance nights, was a great success and the cast would like to thank Miss Gibbs and the entire Drama Department for their commitment and hard work.

To see more photographs from the evening, please click here. Photography by Graham Ryder.

Nandesh Patel, 11V

A2 Physics Presentation

On Monday 30 November Mr Howard Dodd, the Principal Examiner of OCR A Level Physics, came to JLS to give the Upper Sixth a talk on the new A2 syllabus and advised on examination technique for our modules in January. This talk benefited us in a multitude of ways (especially as he wrote the examination paper we will be sitting in January 2010), as it gave us a different perspective of the new course we have embarked upon. This year’s A2 physics students are the first to sit the new examination that allows pupils to access the new A* grade at A Level. Mr Dodd’s presentation helped us to understand this new examination style. The session lasted for just over two hours and consisted of many different types of group activities. He used a lot of visual aids such as PowerPoint and video clips to help us engage and interact with his lecture. Each and everyone of the students who attended the conference found it to be a fantastic experience as the January examinations are getting ever closer, so we would like to thank the Physics Department for organising this wonderful opportunity on our behalf.

Oliver Roberts and Luke Rao, Year 13

Christmas Art Show and Sale

The John Lyon School Art Department and the Parents’ and Friends’ Association organised the Christmas Show to raise money for the School’s current charity, Great Ormond Street Hospital, and a new seating area for boys. The show had an open theme and over 300 boys submitted work for exhibition, which was excellent. Year 7 boys had produced some outstanding colour pastel still life studies; Year 8 had collage letters and Year 9 created some amazing animal human metamorphic pieces. Students in Years 10-13 submitted a variety of paintings, drawings and sculptures, all of which were of a high quality.

The event was judged by two artists: David Jarvis, a tutor at The London College of Communication, and James Laycock, a final-year student at Chelsea College of Art. The judges commented on the high standard of work, and after much deliberation decided on the following winners:- Oldfield & Lower School : 1st Prize - Louis Halpenny, Year 9 (pictured above); 2nd Prize - Max Seymour, Year 7; 3rd Prize - Jonathan Amar, Year 7. Upper School : 1st Prize - Navraj Suri, Year 11; 2nd Prize - Michael Duncan, Year 11; 3rd Prize - Jake Bahari-Modaresi, Year 10. Sixth Form : 1st Prize - Philip Bunyan, Year 12; 2nd Prize - Daniel Cordas,Year 12; 3rd Prize - Kavan Singh, Year 12.

The show was a huge success with £520 being raised on the night from the sale of work; after prize money was accounted for we raised £370 for the charities. All parents and boys should collect work if they have not done so already. The Art Department would like to thank everyone for their support, especially our Technician Ms Daniela Tizzoni, who did an amazing job framing and hanging the show, which looked fantastic.

Ms Lorna Hope, Head of Art and Joint Head of Expressive Arts

Science in Action

On Monday 30 November we took the train to the Institute of Education, University of London, for a series of lectures. The first presentation by Wendy Sadler was about Weird Waves and how we as humans don’t really see the other two ends of the spectrum. We learnt about Radio, Microwave and Infrared which are the first set of waves that we cannot see. The second set of waves might be more conspicuous than the first - Ultraviolet, X-Rays and Gamma Rays.

Our second presenters were the Punk Science pair who expounded scientific questions asked today by enlisting the audience to join in too. I personally think this presentation was a lot more enjoyable. One of their questions was: “Do you become happier by eating, eating and exercising, exercising, or doing nothing?” The third presentation was by Professor David Smith, illustrating that polymers are all around us - everything that we see is a polymer. We saw a deluge of liquid nitrogen (-196 degrees) as he literally threw it upon the floor. Then the most exciting presentation which was given by Dr Marty Jopson portraying body tricks, eye tricks and stunts which the human body physically cannot do. His body trick was to break several boards of wood - I’m not quipping. He actually broke all the boards, emitting a cataclysmic sound. You might think carrots are not dangerous - but when placed in a ‘carrot cannon’ they are pernicious; it actually produced a hole in the board of wood!

The final presentation was about extremes and how skydiving and many skateboard tricks require a lot of science behind them even though we never notice it. The presenter taught us about the conservation of energy, gravity and friction. I certainly learnt a lot during this day.

Mateen Mirza, 9B

Our Day Out

Two full houses greeted the cast of Our Day Out for the first-of-a-kind production by the JLS Drama Department. With a cast member from every year of the School, it was a new and exciting experience for everyone. The play is based around a day trip to Sussex for a class of children. This gave our younger students the chance to put all their energy and mischief to good use as well and our older students the opportunity to act as teachers trying to control all the chaos! Working with many different age groups proved to be a challenging yet fruitful experience for the whole cast. Ms Levinge’s idea of having such a varied cast was the perfect way to portray the pandemonium and madness that an adult could experience when taking children on a school trip like this. The characters played by the older members of the cast, especially Mr Briggs (David Deltchinov) and Mrs Kay (Sevan Keoshgerian), portrayed the authority and personalities that we see in teachers every day. Another innovative scheme was the way we changed location between the two Drama Studios for different scenes in the play. This promenade style allowed everyone, including the audience, to move from where the play began, to Studio Two for the bus, back for the café and back again for the zoo. So not only were the audience entertained but also they were exercised and part of the journey. The play was very stylishly directed with appropriate music, to enhance the mood of each scene.

I would like to particularly thank Miss Levinge for all her hard work, as well as Mrs Wickson and Miss Gibbs for their time and effort.

Zaid Hamid, Year 12

Book Launch

Jane Simister, from John Lyon's partner school, Northwood College, celebrated the launch of her new book, The Bright Stuff at Waterstone’s in Harrow on Saturday 12th December. Published by Pearson, The Bright Stuff shows parents how to make sure their children learn those vital life skills that will help them stand out from the crowd and give them the brightest possible future. It offers lots of practical advice about how to help your children grow up as independent thinkers and learners - ready to flourish and shine in an exciting but unpredictable and very competitive world. Each chapter focuses on one of 16 secrets to a successful life - qualities such as persistence, independent thinking, initiative, risk-taking, an innovative spirit, a willingness to solve problems and the ability to learn from failure as well as success. It’s packed full of tips and easy-to-use games, activities and exercises that parents can use with children aged 4-14, to invigorate, engage and encourage them to achieve their full potential.

Further information about the book may be found at http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bright-Stuff-Playful-Nurture-Extraordinary/dp/0273728172/
 

Sport Report

On Monday 7 December, inter-house basketball commenced for the Sixth Form. The atmosphere between the boys was tense. Bilal Khan gave an outstanding performance by scoring three pointers on a regular basis – leading his team to victory. The final positions were Moore house in first place, Butler second, Norwood in third and then Vaughan in fourth place.

Our U12B football team played against Highgate on 28 November. During this term the boys have been struggling to find their feet as a team. However, despite their defeats they have bounced back with high spirits, determined to improve their game each week. As a result, their hard work in training paid off and led them to a 1-0 victory over Highgate School.

Asantha De-Alwis, PE Department

Geography Trip to Blencathra, Lake District

For the AS Geography field trip, we went to the Blencathra Field Centre in the Lake District. Our trip began on the Tuesday morning of the second week of half-term. We left the School at around 9.30 and arrived at around 4 o’clock. We had a short lesson with an introduction to the Lake District and the geology of the area, before going to dinner. The food wasn’t exactly amazing, but after the long drive, we appreciated a warm meal. After dinner, we had another lesson in preparation for the river study we would carry out the following day. The next day, we sorted out all the equipment and began to walk to the source of the river. Mr Matthews set off at a furious pace as we walked from the source all the way down the valley, stopping at various sites to take measurements. We didn’t get back to the centre till after dark, so stumbling back in the pitch black was an experience of its own! We had a shorter lesson after dinner and then gratefully returned to our rooms. The plan for the next day was to walk up to Stickle Tarn and complete a field sketch. In the morning, after breakfast we drove for about 40 minutes, and then began to climb up to the spot where we would do the sketch. We spent around 20 minutes doing the sketch, with Kavan taking a more artistic approach than the rest of us, but we all completed something that looked vaguely right. I would like to thank Mr Orme and especially Mr Matthews for organising the trip. It was a fun and educational experience.

Gareth Bek, Year 12