SUMMER 2010
Well done to all students for their tremendous efforts and achievements throughout the Summer Term. We hope you enjoy your Summer Break and return to school in September ready and focussed for a productive Autumn Term.
Mr P. Smart - Headmaster
DRAMA
Who Killed The Headmaster?
PTFA Murder Mystery - Friday 14 May 2010
The answer to the question is that Ms Cooke and Mr Eynon did – but only in their roles as Helen Richmond, the sexy secretary and James Richardson, the stupid caretaker. They were joined on stage by Mr Bean as the incredibly intelligent Detective Inspector Spence; Mr Jones as the soon-to-be-murdered Headmaster, Bartholomew Rex; Ms Tovey, trying to act the part of the Head of English, Barbara Forbes-Marshall; Mr Boothroyd as the devilishly handsome Brian Hammond, Deputy Head and “badminton partner” of Mrs Ferguson, the Headmaster’s wife, Judy; and, finally, Dr Schiavo as Harry Smith, the Science teacher who, like everyone else, has something to hide.
As you can tell, the characters bore no relation whatsoever to the real life of Wallington County Grammar School, but that didn’t stop actors and audience trying to find all sorts of parallels with the life and times of our school! Almost a hundred people came along to enjoy watching the cast of teachers presenting their Murder Mystery play on behalf of the PTFA. Wendy Colpus and Axel Rudolph for the PTFA organised the event, ensuring that the audience and cast had access to a well-stocked bar throughout the evening and the much-needed supper of chicken or fish and chips at the end of Act Two, to provide real food for thought as the audience tried to work out “whodunit”. The cast had managed to make some of the clues obvious and skillfully(?) hid several others, so that it was no easy task to find the guilty pair. But whether teams worked it out or were so hopelessly wrong that they seemed to have been watching a different play, didn’t matter because everyone undoubtedly enjoyed themselves. It was particularly pleasing to see teams from both the Sixth Form and from Year 8 competing against parents and there were a number of students from other year groups too, supporting their parents. So, next time we have a Murder Mystery evening, come along and see the darker side of your teachers!
Mr C. Williams
Assistant Head
ENGLISH
Year 10 Macbeth at the Globe - 10th June
To help with our English coursework, the year 10’s went to see Macbeth at the Globe Theatre - the home of Shakespeare. At the Globe the crowds were huge, a writhing mixture of students, couples, and school children, all eager and excited about the play. “Macbeth was a five star play, “ the critics said- what could be better? We weren’t to be disappointed.
After hiring some cushions we sat down in the magnificent stalls of the theatre. The play began with the medieval like flutes and bagpipes playing a reedy, spooky tune then all of a sudden men covered with blood, rose out of holes in the floor and thrashed about on stage. This was one of the many special effects that were employed when a scene of particular violence, witchcraft or cruelty was carried out, and it more than made up for the lack of technology which is usually employed in a modern day play.
The character of Macbeth was suitably tragic. He seemed to switch between emotions within scenes, going from very happy, to murderous, to distraught with guilt. One of the most gruesome scenes was when Banquo climbed out of the fruit bowl covered in blood and gradually walked towards Macbeth.
Despite being considered a tragedy, there were particularly humorous moments including ‘urine’ being showered over the underlings, which spoke to a group of teenagers hundreds of years after the play was written. This is the magic of Shakespeare.
After three and a half hours of nail biting, on the edge acting, the play was finished. For those who went it was considered to be a great help in the coursework which was to follow.
Primarily, the trip was designed to teach us about dramatization and the production of a tragedy like Macbeth. However what was more important was that everyone thoroughly enjoyed it. But, finishing at 11:00 meant that there were a few bleary eyed faces at school the next day-and that was just the teachers!
Matt Royle - 10T
SCIENCE
Salters Festival of Chemistry - 12th May 2010
On 12th May, myself, Daniel Sepahie, Kishan Anusheelan and Harry Spring went to the Salters Festival of Chemistry at University College in London. We left school at 8.00am and got a train from Hackbridge to London Victoria and then another to Euston.
When we arrived we were given stickers to identify ourselves and were then given an introduction. After that we went to the Turner Laboratory and started the first challenge: The Salter's Challenge. We had to use ink samples and metals to work out who had killed General Salter. This was, I thought, the easiest part of the two challenges.
After lunch we did the University Challenge where we were given samples of four liquids and we had to work out what they were. As Miss Inman wasn't there to help us this was the hardest part of the day. However, it was still great fun! After this there was a demonstration in the afternoon where the demonstrator made ice-cream out of liquid hydrogen and blew up rubber gloves with frozen carbon dioxide (better known as dry ice). After a lovely day out we returned to school.
Marcus Hickman 7RU
More from Science Week (15-19 March 2010)
During Science Week Year 7 boys took part in a "Name that Scientist" Chemistry Quiz. The winner was Thomas James in 7MA. He correctly gave the name of all 20 scientists and has been awarded a £10 gift voucher.
A number of 6th formers took part in the 42nd Chemistry Olympiad and were awarded certificates as follows:
Commendations to: Seung Hee Kim, Lawrence Wild, Rebecca Coffin and Rowan Bennet.
Bronze Award to: Holly Davis, Dharshan Vadivelu, James Henderson and David Jones.
Silver Award (the highest scoring) to: Gogulan Karunanithy.
25th Imperial NASA Competition
Wallington pupils win trip to NASA centre after coming top in UK competition
Our sixth form students have won a trip to a NASA centre in Texas after coming first in a national competition.
Around 60 schools from across the UK fought for a place in the semi-finals of the International Space Settlement Design Competition which was held at Imperial College, London.
Our students working together with students from the City of London Academy, Southwark, and Pate’s Grammar School, Gloucestershire, beat all the other entrants with their design for a space station that would rotate between the Earth and Mars delivering supplies in the year 2055. Of the twelve pupils involved: Adam James, Sam Ackerman, Phil Perry, Joe Childs, Sam Chapman, Vincenzo Franco, Alex Hunt, Ben Scully, Sarangan Ragulan, Royzan Ahamadeen, Sammy El-Bahrawy and Nishit Goel, three will now go to Texas in July and battle it out with teams from across the world to gain internships at some of America’s most prestigious companies, including NASA.
Mr Hutchinson, Director of Science will be accompanying the boys and said: “Our team worked extremely hard for this competition - I am so proud that they will now be competing with the some of the best science students from across the world".
“The opportunity to go to Texas is brilliant but the internship they could win at the next stage could really be life changing”.
Ian Birnbaum, Strategic Director for Children, Young People and Learning Services, said: “I offer huge congratulations to Wallington County Grammar for their success in this competition and wish them all the best for the next stage".
“This proves once again that schools in Sutton really do provide some of the finest education in the country.”
The International Space Settlement Design competition, established first as a US competition in 1984, aims to combine a real insight into the pressures and needs of industry, combined with a brief to capture imaginations.
The competition is sponsored by NASA, Imperial College London, and the UK Space Agency the organisation YES (Youth Exploring Science).
Other News ....
Sainsburys and Tesco Vouchers
Thank you to all parents and staff who collected Sainsbury's and Tesco vouchers. We have so far received 12,000 Sainsburys and 5,000 Tesco vouchers which is fantastic. These will go towards sports equipment for the new Sports Hall.
School Captains
Our new School Captain for the academic year 2010-2011 is Callum George.
Vice Captains: Josh Heath, Muhammad Jaffer and Harry Wrightson.
Carew House Shield
James Bennet in Year 10 won the Carew House Shield for endeavour! Well done James!
Commendations
Congratulations to the following students who have excelled themselves and currently have the most commendations within their year groups. Well done!
Year 7
George James 142, Kishan Anusheelan 124, Jamal Ottun 116.
Year 8
Daniel Goodair 146, Tharshan Thavaharan 146, Muhammad Taibjee 146.
Year 9
Ashwin Vellore Suresh 80, Ajay Tirumalai Adisesh 74, Rahul Lall 73.
Year 10
Rawa Burhan 51, Faraz Bukhari 50, Khamiel Fletcher-Lord 46, Chris Wilkins 46.
Year 11
Ajay Rose 46, Nimesh Patel 44, Dominic Powell 37.
Lower Sixth
Tom Wainford 59, Edward Stedman 51, Gogulan Karunanithy 50.
Upper Sixth
Jonathon Pickett 24, Joshua Davies 22, Dominic Newman 17.
Mandeville House Charity Week
Mandeville's charity week was characterized by a tactically cautious beginning. No events on Monday or Tuesday succeeded in whipping the entire school into a state of expectant frenzy. Consequently, when the house, ably led by the 6th form girls, launched a coordinated series of events on Wednesday the impact was devastating. In all the house raised over £300 pounds and once again celebrated it's tactical acumen and edgy risk taking ability. I would like to thank all those who made it possible.
Mr D. Jones
Duke of Edinburgh Update
This year more students than ever have participated in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. After training in first aid, navigation, equipment, route planning, cooking and team building, eight groups of year 10 students completed a two-day Practice Expedition at the start of May in the South Downs National Park. This involved designing and following a route of over 25km with an overnight camp at Alfriston, whilst completing a mini project as they went. Highlights of the walks included Beachy Head, Firle Beacon, the Long Man of Wilmington, the Cliffs at Seaford and Cuckmere Haven.
The weather conditions deteriorated on the Sunday, with rain and strong winds, but this was good preparation for the Assessed Expedition which took place at the start of half term and began in similarly blustery and wet conditions! However, fortunately by the evening the skies were clear and we were able to experience the South Downs at its glorious best.
The expedition groups' aims varied from research into the history of the area to it's wildlife, aspects of tourism, and artistic creativity. Camping overnight at Spring Barn Farm Park near Lewes. Areas groups explored included Mount Caburn, Beddington Hill, South Downs churches, Jack & Jill Windmills, Ditchling Beacon, the coast at Saltdean and the Kingston Ridge.
This time, the groups had to be totally self-suffficient and were being monitored by three external Assessors. For these roles we were priveleged to welcome back Nathan Jones, the London Ambassador for the D of E and two Old Boys of WCGS: Stuart Barfield and Elliot Cross. Stuart and Elliot, whilst pursuing careers in medicine and law respectively, also work voluntarily as outdoor instructors through the Kingston Open Award Centre and were more than happy to give their time to help the next generation of WCGS students!
To complete their Bronze Awards, boys have to complete not only their Expedition Section but three other Sections: Volunteering, Physical and Skill.
Thanks to all the staff who volunteered their time and energy to help me with the training and expeditions: Mr McKean, Mr Brewer, Dr. Whiting, Dr. Young, Dr. Spencer, Mr Moran, Mr Hegarty, Mrs Tutt, Mr Etherington and Mr Durham.
Mr J. Oldfield
WCGS Staff Achievements
WCGS Triathlon success! Most impressively, Mr Moran completed his THIRD Iron man in the New Forest on Sunday 27th June – congratulations! The race, known as the ‘Forest Man’, involved a 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike and 42 km run and was an all day affair, with a 6am start and finally crossing the finish line just after 9pm. Thank you to all staff and students who have supported our efforts and donated generously to the purchase of new equipment for the sports hall. If you would like to make a contribution, please forward any money to Amanda in the school office. We would officially like to welcome Mr. Wilden to the training squad and watch out for the WCGS triathlon team, as we plan our first competitive event together. Any suggestions, please let us know! Are you interested in getting competitive??? The South London Swimming Club based at Tooting Bec lido will be hosting a children’s aquathlon (swim and run) on Sunday 5th September. This is great way to try out a new event and get good competition experience – I know we have some talented swimmers and runners within the WCGS community! For more information, see Dr. Whiting or go to the SLSC website. Dr. S. Whiting
Old Boys Dinner - 2nd July Dr. K. Meek
New Intake BBQ Our Year 7's were also fantastic in raising money for the Make a Wish Foundation with numerous fun activities involving coins, balls, table cloths and crockery! Huge credit should go to the 6th form who helped shift all the furniture and led the treasure hunt and assault course so valiantly. Ruskin won the former and Radcliffe the latter, an exceptional achievement for both houses. Medals are on their way to the assault course victors.
All in all the new Year 7's had great fun and were well prepared for their four gruelling induction days which were their final preparation before they become true 'Walli-Boys' this September. Sports day was a great success as House members really got behind their team mates and supported the perfomances of their peers. There was a lovely atmosphere throughout the day and this was exemplified when everything came to a standstill as boys flocked to see the completion of the exciting Year 9 High Jump.
Dr. Whiting successfully completed her first triathlon - the Weymouth middle distance triathlon on Sunday 6th June. She completed the 1.9 km sea swim, 90 km bike and 21 km run sections in 5hrs 30 mins.
The Old Boys’ Dining Club annual meeting took place on Friday 2nd of July with its usual mixture of fine food and finer memories. Present were well over fifty former pupils, many of whom attended the school in the 1940s and 50s. Just as pleasing to see, however, were the six younger diners who graduated from the school in 2006; long may this new trend continue!
The new Chair of Governors, Mr Paul Huitson, and long-time supporter of the school, Mr Alec Monk, spoke about their experiences, both stressing the ongoing traditions of the school as well as its innovations. The evening was made hugely enjoyable listening to the various Old Boys reminiscing about their time at the school, the quirks and qualities of their former masters merely one of many topics. As the evening progressed so did our collective sense of history and of community develop; for those of us who attended we began to understand Newton’s adage that, if we could now see a little further, it was because we stood on the shoulders of giants.
Our new intake barbeque was a resounding success this year. The PTFA did a fantastic job of organising the field with raffle stalls and some wonderful food, including Mrs Jaffer's world famous curry.
Mr J. Bean
SPORT
Seniors and Juniors mixed well during the day and it was nice to see so many House flags being paraded around the field.
I would like to publicly thank all staff who performed their roles successfully to contribute to the smooth running and organisation of the event.
RESULTS:
Year 7 winners - Radcliffe
Year 8 winners - Carew
Overall Year7/8 combined winners - Radcliffe
Year 9 winners - Woodcote
Year 10 winners - Bridges
Overall Year 9-10 combined winners - Woodcote
Senior Winners - Woodcote
Further results/Cock House Cup ... reports to follow. At this stage we still do not know who will win the Cock House Cup, although Carew will take some catching now!
Mr R. Walden
Director of PE & Sport