Snowdon Training for our 2010 Expedition

Five boys from the team going to Vietnam on the JLS ‘True Adventure Expedition’ in July 2010 have completed a successful sponsorship challenge by climbing a difficult ascent of Mount Snowdon, 1,085 metres on Saturday 19 September. Our team made good use of the experience which culminated in further team organisation including a fitness programme so that we can better enjoy the jungle trekking experience in Vietnam. There are four sections to the Vietnam Expedition: acclimatisation; trekking; community project and rest and relaxation. We were able to gain a better understanding of expedition including the need to budget effectively and team planning. We purchased our food and cooked it at our Cae Du Campsite in Beddgelert, North Wales to gain the experience of cooking and eating as a team. However, we also ate at a local café and experienced the Welsh culture. We have now organised roles of responsibility within the team which should provide us with improved planning and accountability. We all enjoyed the weekend despite heavy and slow traffic and we all had a good laugh at one team member’s challenges set - by a relation - to gain good sponsorship. The weekend has motivated us to see through the further fund-raising challenges to make this expedition successful. We will finalise our Vietnam itinerary in the next week and set about planning our community and School based project.

The Snowdon Team pictured left to right: Dominic Dichen, Daniel Itcovitz, Jeyam Emmanuel, Rahul Gandhi and Oscar Crehan.

Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

Old Lyonian Mitesh Hathiramani who is due to commence higher education at Loughborough University, is seen here being awarded his Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award Badge by Deputy Headmaster Mr Stuart Miles. Mitesh has shown determination, strength of character and reliability to complete all four sections of this Award. He completed his 80 kilometre foot expedition in the Scottish Mammore Mountains, his volunteering section as Library Assistant, his skill playing Clarinet, his physical recreation assessed at swimming and his residential course at Headstart, Liverpool. Mitesh is now waiting for a date to attend St James’ Palace, London where he will receive his Certificate from either Prince Philip or Prince Edward.

Sport Report

The U13B football team kicked off to a flying start this season, with three wins out of three games. Starting with a 6-1 victory over Orley Farm School, followed by a 2-1 victory over Berkhamsted School, and then a 6-0 victory over Park High School. The U13B team has been very successful due to their spirit and love for the game, organising themselves and turning up to training frequently. The training sessions and success would not have been possible without Adam Jones’s dedication and hard work with the boys. Our U13A football team came very close to achieving a cup title in a tournament hosted by Orley Farm School. The U13A’s made it to the final and were narrowly defeated by a single goal losing 1-0 to Orley Farm.

It was the perfect end to a memorable season for the current Year 11 cricket squad with a victory against Enfield Grammar in the final of the Middlesex cup. After a shaky start some sensible batting mixed in with some explosive hitting allowed John Lyon to post a total of 137 in their 30 overs. With the ball we responded with 4 early wickets but Enfield soon started to take the game back into their favour. A run out straight after drinks proved to be the turning point in the match as soon after, regular wickets began to fall allowing JLS to retain the trophy for the third year in a row, winning by 30 runs. In view of their efforts, the squad have been awarded sports ties for their dedication and commitment they have displayed throughout the whole of the summer term.

Asantha De-Alwis, PE Department

Headmaster's Extra

What a great final two weeks of term we have had! A wonderful production of Oliver Twist, a marvellous Sports Day and an enthralling West End Workshop have been just three of many exciting events. I’ve had a terrific time at JLS and I shall miss it greatly. See you in Bangkok!

Kevin Riley
 

Head of School Team 2009/10

L-R: Daniel Orchard, Oliver Roberts, Freddie Herman, Akhil Patel

Head of School: Freddie Herman
Deputy Head Boy, Communications: Oliver Roberts
Deputy Head Boy, Oldfield: Daniel Orchard
Deputy Head Boy, Links: Akhil Patel

Carnegie Medal Presentation

Whipsnade Zoo

On Wednesday 24 June Year 7 students visited ZSL Whipsnade Zoo, near Dunstable. Pupils listened to a talk from the Education Officer about the role of the modern zoo in conservation and captive breeding programmes. The boys also examined animal skulls, a rhino horn and a python skin. After this the boys visited the animals and were also able to see a flying display by the exotic birds and watch the penguins being fed. Back at School, the pupils will vote for the animal they would most like the Year group to ‘adopt’. This sponsorship programme helps fund the Zoo’s vital research.

Louise Clayton, Head of Biology
 

Science Museum

Frog–tastic Dissection

Frogs - who would have thought they would provide such an amazing and unique opportunity to understand aspects such as digestion? Who would have ever imagined that discovering three and a half beetles in the stomach of one could incite such enthusiasm amongst boys?

Whilst not the most attractive subject in the Biology curriculum, our recent chance to dissect frogs in the name of science was actually fascinating. Pinning these little green hoppers down and rooting about inside them gave us all a unique insight into their digestive system; oesophagus, stomach, lungs, liver, small and large intestine and the rectum. It’s simply amazing what these frogs will eat – their greed propels them to consume tempting beetle like delicacies with some particularly painful looking pincers!

We also studied the liver, lungs, heart, kidneys, fatty tissue and those things that the French love so much…frogs legs! In a slideshow we saw the bone structure of a frog and learnt facts like how frogs jump so high (due to the relative size of their legs) and their reasons for calling (for mating purposes). All in all this was a very interesting opportunity for Biologists and non-Biologists alike. Many thanks Mr Rana and Mrs Drake for this ‘Frog-tastic’ opportunity; we hope the frogs don’t hold it against us either!
 

Freddie Herman, Lower Sixth

Young Brits at Art Final