Scissorum Merchant Taylors’ School From the Head Master 1561 Issue 90 Voyages of Discovery Today is Field Day, when boys take part in a range of stimulating trips and activities. The CCF and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award boys are busily engaged preparing for Inspection Day and Award Expeditions, whilst other boys have been out and about at the London Eye, Tower Bridge and the Science and Natural History Museums among others. At Sandy Lodge, we have hosted local junior and preparatory schools for sporting, Maths, Music, and Modern Languages activities. Last night, I very much enjoyed listening to Shami Chakrabarti, the Director of Liberty, who spoke passionately about the case for safeguarding civil liberties; I would also like to thank her for taking the time to be interviewed by Sixth Former Maneet Patel. Hockey has had a wonderful season and I would like to again pay tribute to our 1st XI. They managed to win their third game in four days, which demonstrates not only their sheer technical acumen against some excellent opposition, but an impressive level of stamina - my congratulations to them all. Finally, it has been a busy week in the Music Department. There was a superb Chamber Music Concert on Wednesday night and the String Quartet competed with distinction at St John’s Smith Square in the final of the South East Schools’ Chamber Music Competition. It is now not long at all until the Joint Concert with St Helen’s — I do hope to see you all there! 01 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSThis Week Welcome aboard Merchant Taylors’ has welcomed over 140 new boys and their parents to the school community after what, for them, will have seemed like a marathon of interviews, examinations, and offer letters. We are delighted that so many have chosen to entrust MTS with the development of their sons and we look forward to welcoming them in September. The demand for places remains as high as ever: those boys lucky enough to have gained a place can be confident that they have earned it. We will now start the process of allocating our newest pupils to houses so that they can meet their Head of House next term and be given the “treasured tie”. In the meantime, we wish all of them an enjoyable final term at their current Schools. Mr J G Taylor, Registrar 02 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSThis Week Shami Chakrabarti On Thursday evening, a crowd of over 300 guests were treated to a talk by Shami Chakrabarti, Director of Liberty. Her softly-spoken, eloquent presentation concerned the importance of human rights and how these rights can protect citizens against three major patterns, which she sees as emerging in the world today. First, she discussed the legitimacy of the assumption that the innocent have nothing to fear in a world where we have no privacy. She addressed 03 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter the undermining of legal aid and the presumption of innocence; and finally, she discussed more generally, the increasing hatred of “others” that has become so characteristic of today’s societies. After a question and answer session, Ms Chakrabarti signed copies of her book and posed for photos. A great, thought-provoking event, and thanks must go to all those involved in organizing another inspirational lecture at MTS. March 13 2015 MTSThis Week 04 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSThis Week 05 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSThis Week Fill The Gap! This term, a small group of UVI has been following the Lego for Learning programme during Extension and Enrichment classes. This week, this took the form of participating in Lego’s ‘Fill The Gap’ competition, an opportunity to create forms that improve existing architectural space. Below are some of the boys’ efforts. Any other pupils out there who want to show they can do better? 06 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSThis Week 07 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSThis Week Staying safe In the last two weeks, many of the 4ths and 5ths have listened to current medical students provide extremely interesting and informative presentations on safe sexual relationships and sexual health. The presentations included interactive quizzes, the chance to examine different types of contraception. The boys were extremely grateful for the opportunity to hear from some experts and asked some rather challenging questions. We thank the Sexpression Charity for their services and will certainly be calling upon their services again in the future. 08 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSThis Week Seminar on Greek Tragedy Dr Richard Rutherford, tutor in Classical languages and literature at Christ Church, Oxford led a seminar on Greek tragedy entitled Greek myth and tragedy: the case of Iphigenia. Dr Rutherford has been tutor in Classical languages and literature at Christ Church, Oxford, for the past thirty years, and addressed our Classicists on Iphigenia this Tuesday. He has published widely on a range of Greek literature, and is currently working on a commentary on Iliad Book 18. His topic on Tuesday was the use of the myth in Greek tragedy, and he used the figure of Iphigenia as an examples. Euripides’ Iphigenia at 09 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter Aulis is this year’s set text, and tells of the beginnings of the Trojan War, when the gods order the Greek leader Agamemnon to sacrifice his own daughter to ensure safe passage to Troy. Dr Rutherford spoke of the twists and changes in the plot, questioned how seriously we should take those sentiments in the play that strike a modern audience as racist, sexist, and nationalistic. He was impressed by the intelligent questions posed by the pupils in discussion, and his ability to pluck lines from Hesiod a and the like made clear the vast knowledge that he has gathered through his Classical studies. March 13 2015 MTSThis Week Electric Umbrella On Thursday evening, 7 Phab team members and 3 staff went to see Electric Umbrella perform at the Watersmeet Theatre in Rickmansworth. The night saw people of all abilities performing on stage to a packed out room of family, friends and fans. The highlight had to be their rendition of ‘Mmmmmmmmm’ sung by Ben who was very excited to be able to perform. The boys tried to start a conga but the crowd was too enthralled in 10 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter the stage action to join in! Electric Umbrella tries to get people of all abilities participating in music, and it seems to be working extremely well. The musicians who run Electric Umbrella will be doing a workshop during this year’s Phab Week, where our guests will partake in a music-making experience involving everyone, culminating in a gala final performance. We very much look forward to welcoming them back to Merchant Taylors’. March 13 2015 MTSThis Week Hilles bakes for Comic Relief On Wednesday, Tom Shannon shared a delicious Comic-Relief themed cake with Hilles House. Admired for its presentation and taste, the cake helped Hilles House to raise money for our Indian Education Charity, which supports the Raphael Centre in Dehradun, an excellent school for intellectually disabled teenagers and PYDS outside Dehradun, which educates economically disadvantaged rural children from ages 2 to 16. Thank you, Tom! 11 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSThis Week Design Centre The Design Centre’s construction is progressing smoothly - the walls are now taking shape and the roof is on! 12 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSCreative Writing Notting Hill The wind was strong and biting, typical London weather really. Small puddles filled the streets as we ventured around Notting Hill. While at Notting Hill you’re most likely to see a celebrity. I’ve seen Noel Gallagher and Sienna Miller there. “Look,” my mum shouted excitedly, “This stall has old records and record players!” “Can I get a picture with them,” I asked my mum but she refused because she is a big fan of both and was embarrassed to ask. We went in, only to find MILLIONS of musicrelated items. We even saw an Elvis Presley lamp, which we just had to buy. The rain was unpredictable as it pelted down, then drizzled… and then pelted down again. The weather forecast said it was going to be cloudy, so I was unprepared. I got soaked to the bone! My clothes were stuck to my body as if someone glued it there. They were heavy. I dragged my shoes through puddles. The sound of water whooshing in my shoe was constant. The people walking around Notting Hill with umbrellas taunted me as I watched them stay dry. How would you feel if you were saturated while everyone else was trotting around with umbrellas and staying dry? A piece of advice: always bring umbrellas or a jacket with a hood when the weather says it’s going to be cloudy because the weathermen are wrong. The Notting Hill markets were bustling with people. The sound of rain pattering against the pavements was loud. But most of all, l heard lots of conversations, but maybe I’m just nosy! The people there are very friendly. Notting hill is very social and friendly (lots of friends go there for a coffee or just to see the markets). The smell of freshly made cakes made me dreamy as it wafted out of the Hummingbird. The Hummingbird is THE BEST cake shop ever! My favourite is Black Bottom (chocolate cake with icing and chunks of cheesecake.) Around the corner from Notting Hill is Portobello Road. If you’re feeling a little hungry, there is sometimes street food. If that doesn’t appeal to you, around the other corner (Golborne Road) there are many restaurants and cafés. There is a pizza restaurant called Pizza East, a Portuguese café called Lisboa and the Golborne Café. I got quite excited when I saw Virgin EMI records, which have The Libertines signed to their record. There are one or two shops with really nice, old furniture. They also put dead butterflies in glass to display. The Notting Hill markets were a lot of fun. I would definitely go again! Dylan Williams (Form III/Year 7) 13 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSLooking Forward EPQ Presentation evening Monday 16th March in the Great Hall 6.30-8.30pm Come along to the Great Hall on March 16th to quiz this year’s candidates about the EPQ projects they have been working on for the past 18 months. For those of you unfamiliar with the name , the Extended Project Qualification is an A Level course where students plan, research and develop a piece of work completely independently (and outside of the classroom). This can be either an academic report of about 5000 words, or the production of an artefact or a performance accompanied by a critical commentary, Students are responsible for every stage of the project, from initial planning, selection and evaluation of sources through to producing the final piece and presenting their work to a 14 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter non -specialist audience. A successful EPQ involves at least 90 hours of independent study, and the qualification is extremely well regarded by universities. This year we have 38 candidates, and are delighted to be hosting 12 from Harefield Academy, which makes it our biggest evening yet! Subjects include Putin and the oligarchs; the Psychology Of Colour; Singapore; the Video Simulation of Reality; Chess and IQ; the Hubble telescope; Bitcoin currency; and the Two-state Solution for the Palestine/Israeli conflict. Artefacts include an off-road tricycle, models of the Large Hadron Collider, original magic tricks inspired by the history of the craft and an oboe duet with a classical take on “All Blues” from Miles’ Davis jazz classic ‘Kind of Blue’. March 13 2015 MTSField Day Field Day At MTS, the real voyage of discovery – to quote Marcel Proust, “consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes”. With all respect to Proust, there is no doubt that a day devoted to educational visits and adventures helps each student imagine the world in new ways and today was “Field Day”, a day when the whole school goes off-timetable. Already, this week, the boys have been out in Oxford and at Westminster and today the Third Form were at the British Museum, the Upper III at the Cutty Sark, and the IVth Form at the Natural History and the Science Museums. Sixth Formers have visited the London Eye, Tower Bridge and Wembley Stadium. In the CCF, Army cadets have been on Army training camp at Longmoor, Navy cadets will spend the night on HMS Bristol and at the naval base at Portsmouth and RAF cadets are visiting RAF Northolt. There have also been watersports activities at Datchet. London Eye London Eye 15 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSField Day London Natural History and Science Museum 16 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSField Day London Tower Bridge London Tower Bridge Tower of London Wembley 17 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSField Day Wembley Wembley 18 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter Wembley March 13 2015 MTSField Day Boys at Datchet reservoir Sailing Josh Walker with a Gopro webcam 19 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter Sailing Duncan Birkenshaw March 13 2015 MTSField Day Primary Schools’ Liaison Day Merchant Taylors’ welcomed pupils from Christchurch, Chorleywood and Eastbury Farm to the school for a day of activities in the Gymnasium and Modern Foreign Languages. The day was largely organised and led by our own pupils, who ensured that our guests had an exciting and enjoyable time, whilst learning many new skills. 60 Year 5 children from two local primary schools enjoyed French, German and Spanish taster lessons, planned and 20 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter delivered by 5th and 6th Formers, who taught the pupils numbers, parts of the body, and colours. The primary school pupils really enjoyed themselves and – just as importantly – it gave our senior linguists the opportunity to see what it is like being teacher for a day! In addition, later on we welcomed local prep school children for the Prep Schools Maths Afternoon and into the Music Department. March 13 2015 MTSField Day 21 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSField Day 22 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSField Day 23 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 Corporal RJC Jerome, Yorkshire Regiment died this day, March 13th 1915 In 1915, as the weather improved, the Allies launched a major attack around Neuve Chapelle, France, in an attempt to break the stalemate of the Western Front. The battle was initially successful, with the British breaking through, but a German counter attack nullified this early success and the pattern of stalemate, which was to last until 1918, was established. 40,000 Allied troops took part during the battle and suffered 7,000 British and 4,200 Indian casualties. 1.2 miles of ground was captured. Many OMT’s served at Neuve Chapelle and sadly some lost their lives. The first was Corporal Ralph Jerome who attended Merchant Taylors’ from 1899 - 1901 before Captain Eric James This week has seen the weather improve and thoughts turn to the onset of spring. A hundred years ago, in 1915, the soldiers of the newly formed Western Front were also enjoying a respite from the grim conditions of the previous winter. Sadly, the improvement in conditions also meant an escalation in the conflict and this marks the anniversary of the death of no less than four members of the Merchant Taylors’ community, including its first teacher - Captain E S P K James, MA., of the King’s Royal Rifle Corps. Eric James was born in September 1887, the son of two teachers. Educated at St Paul’s School, he won an Exhibition to read Classics at Corpus Christi Collge, Cambridge where he graduated with 2nd class honours. He took up a teaching post at Oundle before arriving at Merchant Taylors’ in 1913 as an Assistant Master on the ‘Modern Side’. The Taylorian paid tribute to his time at the School: “Captain James had identified himself in every way with the interests of the School. In the classroom he obtained excellent results; in particular the success of his original methods of teaching history had attracted considerable notice. He 24 going to Dulwich College. He was born in in 1888 in Surrey and lived in Clapham. Another professional soldier, he had served in Egypt with the Yorkshire Regiment for 8 years before leaving the army in February 1914. When war broke out the following August he rejoined. The toll of the war was starting to mount and it is interesting to note that the Taylorian tributes grew shorter in 1915, so our knowledge of Corporal Jerome is very limited. Mr Taylor writes, “I’m delighted to that we have been able to trace this picture of him, as none was printed in the Taylorian 100 years ago. He is commemorated on the memorial at Le Touquet, signifying that his body was lost in the battle and has no known grave”. also took a keen interest in the games...” As a member of the OTC (now known as the CCF) Captain James was admired by those he worked with. It is poignant to note that he returned from holiday early in August to help drill OMTs who wanted to practise prior to joining up. His membership of the OTC made him eligible for being called up, and at the end of September he joined the King’s Royal Rifle Corps. He went to France in January 1915. Sadly, he was to be another Merchant Taylor to fall victim to a sniper’s bullet whilst supervising work on the trenches at midnight on March 17th, south of Ypres at a town called Dikkebus (current spelling) where many Merchant Taylors’ boys have stayed on their visits to the battlefields. Captain Hugo Watson, then temporarily in command of the 4th K.R.R.C. wrote: “He was shot in the head last night, about 11.45, while standing behind a breastwork, while superintending his men at work filling sandbags. He was killed instantly. We buried him to-day in the Military Cemetery at Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 Dickebusch, four miles from Ypres and 2½ miles from where he was killed. . . . I cannot tell you what a great loss he is. I was Adjutant of the 6th K.R.R.C., til recently when I came out here. . . . I know what splendid work he did at Sheerness and how Colonel Brownlow depended on him. I was with him last Sunday, when we had a very nasty time; he was very cool, and did admirably” ; and Lieut.-Col. Brownlow, commanding the 6th Battalion, wrote: “He did excellent work for me down here, and I heard he was doing real well in France. He was most popular and looked up to by everybody, and was a very smart and efficient soldier.” The losses of spring 1915 had a profound effect on the School. The June edition of the Taylorian was framed in black to mark the loss of two esteemed teachers. The scale of the war was becoming apparent. Captain John Henry Lyle Haller, d. 12/3/1915 As the weather starts to presage the arrival of spring, so it was a hundred years ago that events started to accelerate on the Western Front. As a result, in the next few days we will commemorate the loss of a number of members of the Merchant Taylors’ community. A hundred years ago today, Captain John Haller of the East Surrey regiment lost his life. He attended Merchant Taylors from 1907-1910, before moving to Lancing. This obituary is taken from their archive: John Henry Lyle Haller was born at Regent’s Park in London on the 21st of December 1894 the elder son of John George Haller, a chemical merchant, and Agnes Mary (nee Watts) Haller of Langham House, 197 Albany St., Regent’s Park in London. He was christened on the 16th of January 1895 at St Mark’s Church, Regent’s Park. He was educated at Merchant Taylors School from April 1907 to April 1910 and at Lancing College where he was in News House from May 1910 to July 1911. He was a member of the Officer Training Corps and while he was at the school he achieved a certificate for proficiency in life saving. On leaving school he continued his education, studying science in France and Germany. He intended a career in applied science and to that end he worked for some time at the laboratory of Dr Danysz at the Pasteur Institute, attending lectures as well as doing practical work in a manufacturing laboratory. While he was there he was awarded the Certificate of the Pasteur Institute. 25 Instead of pursuing a career in science he joined the army and was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion East Surrey Regiment on the 11th of May 1912 and served for six months in Ireland with the 1st Battalion. He was promoted to Lieutenant on the 3rd of May 1913 and joined the Special Reserve of Officers. He was recalled to the army on the outbreak of war and went to France on the 11th of September 1914 where he was posted to the 1st Battalion of his regiment, later transferring to the 2nd Battalion. On the 12th of March 1915 he was at Lindenhoek and was firing over the parapet at the enemy, in support of an attack by units of 7th Brigade, when he was shot through the head and killed instantly. He had only recently been recommended by his Commanding Officer for promotion to Captain. Captain S.P. White of the East Surreys wrote:“I had known Lyle before the war and for a time he was my subaltern out here. I never had a better officer serving with me or a braver comrade. Soon after our 2nd Battalion came out, they had great losses in officers, and needing experienced officers to help them tide over their temporary difficulties, Lyle was ordered by name by the Corps Headquarters to be transferred. This Battalion lost a good officer then, and one of the cheeriest and best of companions, and now the regiment is the poorer.” Captain J.L. Le Fleming wrote:- Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter “Lieutenant Haller was shot through the head by a German bullet, whilst himself firing over the parapet at the Germans. His death was instantaneous. Lieutenant Haller had just been recommended by me for promotion to the rank of Captain and the letter was in my pocket book when he was shot. I valued his services immensely and in him I have lost a most gallant and competent officer. He was also my subaltern in the 1st Battalion in October last year. Lieutenant Haller was buried at Kemmel Churchyard in Belgium.” Lieutenant Gudon of the 2nd Battalion wrote, “I was within a few yards of our son when he died. He was killed about 4.20pm on March 12th whilst actually firing at a German from over the parapet. The exact place was about 120 yards south of Lindenhoek and about 150 yards N.E. of a hamlet called Sparnbrook.” The regimental history records that, “He was a very good officer and a man of talent”. He was gazetted as a Captain after his death on the 9th of April 1915 to rank from the 2nd of February. He was mentioned in Sir John French’s despatches of the 31st of May 1915 for gallantry in the field March 13 2015 MTSSocieties Einstein’s Universe On Tuesday 10th February, it was my great privilege to introduce Professor Brian Foster and Jack Liebeck to give a joint talk at Merchant Taylors’, entitled: “Einstein’s Universe”. Professor Foster is an experimental physicist at Balliol College, Oxford and he has had tremendous experience in particle physics and is one of the world leading experts in the field, currently holding the post of European Director of the International Linear Collider. Jack Liebeck is Professor of Violin at the Royal Academy of Music and he has performed in a plethora of national orchestras around Europe. Amongst his most widely acclaimed work, he wrote and performed the soundtrack for the award-winning Anna Karenina and Jane Eyre. Together they delivered a masterpiece performance which made clear the synergies between physics and music. The talk revolved around Einstein and his legacy, and being one of the most famous physicists of all time, these legacies were numerous; from our Global Positioning System to synchronised world time, from Quantum physics to Black holes and Particle accelerators. One of the reasons I found the talk particularly appealing, was their expansive coverage of both the study of the very small and the very big and how Einstein influenced both ends of the spectrum. Given Prof. 26 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter Foster’s insight into Particle Accelerators, they lingered upon the different types of accelerator, how each of them work and how CERN had analysed their data to give a positive confirmation of the existence of the Higgs Boson. All in all, I would like to thank both Mrs Mayadeen and Mrs Rashid for their invaluable help in organising what was a superb talk. We are indeed, very lucky to have both Professor Foster and Mr Liebeck at Merchant Taylors’ this year. As an afterthought, I would like to warmly welcome all boys to engage in science as much as possible this year (2015 being the International Year of Light) but in particular this half term, in the run-up to Science Week (16th March - 20th March). There will be talks researched and given by Lower Sixth scientists each Friday and I would urge you all to attend. Moreover, this year also showcases “MTS Science Challenge - a Battle of the Beasts” as a mighty Biology team take on an invincible Physics team, in a University Challenge style quiz. There will be a whole host of scientific activities on show and I look forward to seeing as many of you as possible this half term. Athishan Vettivetpillai LVI Chair of Science Society March 13 2015 MTSSocieties Panglossia Panglossia welcomed a native Peruvian speaker this week. Mr Oscar Morales spoke passionately about his native land going into details of its fascinating geography and history. A particular point was made about the enigma surrounding drawings from the pre-Inca times found at heights previously deemed to be unreachable. He went on to inform the boys 27 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter about the peculiarities of the climate at different heights and how it is taken into consideration when it comes to farming and storage of agricultural produce. He gave advice on what to eat, drink and chew so as to cope with respiration when at high altitude. He also touched upon Spanish colonisation and concluded his talk by taking questions from the floor. March 13 2015 MTSSocieties Junior Geographers investigate Pakistan Third Former, Zain Lodhi, led a Junior Geography Society session this week on Pakistan. As well as enjoying some Pakistani culinary treats, boys gained a better understanding of Pakistani culture and society. There was particular interest in the country’s education system and inequality levels, as well as their favourite sports (cricket and hockey). 28 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSSocieties Senior Geography Society Dr Vanessa Lawrence Dr Vanessa Lawrence visited MTS on Tuesday to give a talk to our Senior Geography Society. This was well attended by over 40 boys from Divisions up to Upper Sixth. Vanessa spoke to boys about her astonishing career which started with a change from Medicine to Geography within four weeks of starting university. She said this was “a change from which she never looked back”. She discussed her work as Director General and Chief Executive of Ordinance Survey stating that over 90% of all data collected is now location based. Dr Lawrence has recently returned from China where there is a huge government push toward building their knowledge of geospatial data and there is even a geospatial science park under construction. Geospatial data is any information which has a location and has seen a huge increase in importance since smartphones which often locate their user’s geographical position have become common. For example, whenever you use Google Maps you are creating geospatial data or if you send a message on Facebook and it states your location. This ties in fantastically with the Geography department’s new ArcGIS software in coordination with the Geography tablets. during the games. This data was also used to advise travellers to the Games about routes which may be overcrowded. This live data was imperative in ensuring the safety of visitors and smooth transport systems. - Development: The UK Aid Agency is assisting Rwanda map their land ownership, which means that Rwandans can apply for loans and access microfinance. Accurate mapping is also vital in Dubai for their construction industry and Tuvalu to map climate change predictions. - World Bank: Dr Lawrence has also been working with the World Bank to produce a map called the Billion Dollar Map to aid African countries with their mining industries to reduce reliance on TNCs and thus facilitate economic development. Dr Lawrence answered various questions from boys. In terms of careers advice she said to follow the subjects you are passionate for whilst also highlighting that Geography is the fastest moving and most contemporary academic subject in the world. She also stressed that Geography is the most employable degree subject. Geospatial data has multiple uses and is increasingly important from an economic perspective, here are some examples: - Geospatial data is used to increase patient registration with doctors. An unregistered patient costs the NHS up to 9 times as much as a registered patient as unregistered patients tend to have much more severe health problems by the time they attend a doctor’s practice or hospital. - Dr Lawrence has recently returned from advising leaders in Abu Dhabi and Dubai on their use of geographic data. They are investing in ‘Smart Cities’ which are based around the use of geospatial data. The global market of ‘Smarts Cities’ is estimated to be £275 billion. Masdar city in the UAE is the world’s first sustainable city. - Taxis: The Uber taxi app is now worldwide and uses geospatial data to function. However they all sell their data to city authorities such as Boston in the USA to show where people are going, services which are being used, congestion hotspots etc. - Olympics: Dr Lawrence Head of Geospatial technology for the whole of the London Olympics. She used smart data in the Olympic Park to ensure the protection of senior dignitaries 29 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSTrips Lower Sixth at Oxford A group of Lower Sixth students spent the day at Oxford University on Monday. The morning was spent in Balliol, where students were able to hear more about admissions, the Oxbridge system and the criteria for entry. The afternoon gave students the opportunity to visit other famous Oxford colleges and ask questions, pick up important documentation and generally get a feel for the place they might be spending three years as an undergraduate at. A most useful and enjoyable day was had by all. Physicists at Berkhamsted Whilst others danced in the Studio Theatre during the Phab Revue, a team of expert physicists was invited to Berkhamsted, to take part in the annual ‘Physics Evening’. Josh Murphy, Parin Vaghjiani, Gaurav Dewan and myself, accompanied by Mrs Mayadeen, arrived at Berkhamsted, and were soon enthralled by a fantastic lecture on particle physics by Prof. Fred Loebinger. Professor Loebinger works at the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Manchester. A member of the University’s Particle Physics Group, the Professor has been at the University for almost 50 years. He is currently the leader of the Manchester team working on the ATLAS experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider and is also the Admissions tutor for the Department of Physics. What made his talk so stimulating was that it was pitched at the perfect level for AS students, as well as being filled with some very humorous one-liners (and sound effects!) which made the lecture really good value. The evening culminated in a competition, in which we were tasked with creating a wind-powered vehicle, in a competition against Berkhamsted boys and girls to see whose vehicle could 30 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter travel the furthest. Team MTS, created a futuristic concept vehicle, which took 10 minutes fully to construct. Initially this appeared to be a disappointing product, given that the other teams from Berkhamsted were creating cars/ships (hard to discern) reminiscent of the Black Pearl from the Pirates of the Caribbean. Although our device did not look the part, it did come with a supreme ramp. Therefore whilst we had forgotten about the wind power criterion, our vehicle had managed to roll twice as far as any other team at a whopping 14m. Needless to say, we were disqualified but awarded packets of jelly babies for “thinking outside the box”. It would be appropriate to give thanks to the physics teachers at Berkhamsted who were extremely accommodating and very funny, without whom the evening would have been much less entertaining. I think that we were all very grateful towards Mrs Mayadeen for persistently ensuring the trip would go ahead, we really did enjoy ourselves. Finally, a thank you to Mr Spikings because admittedly, we had in effect, “ripped off his idea”. Athishan Vettivetpillai LVI March 13 2015 MTSTrips Classics in Westminster Ten MTS Classicists joined some of London’s finest young Classicists at Westminster, for the annual Joint Association of Classics Teachers’ GCSE conference. They heard lectures on the GCSE set texts, which allowed them to explore beyond the usual limits of the GCSE. Prof Matthew Leigh, Fellow of St Anne’s College, Oxford addressed issues of youth and heroism in Book 9 of Virgil’s Aeneid, while Dr Jonathan Prag of Merton College, Oxford gave insights into Cicero’s Verrines, and discussed his latest research into the role of Sicily during the Roman Republic. 31 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSMusic Chamber Music Concert On Wednesday this week a full Recital Hall was treated to a showcase concert featuring many of the School’s smaller ensembles. Several of these groups had just competed in the South East Schools’ Chamber Music Competition, so the performances throughout were both polished and confident. The Percussion Ensemble started things off with a stylish medley of Michael Jackson numbers fit for the ‘King of Pop’ himself, before the Guitar Ensemble (the largest group to perform) played a mellow tango in the Spanish style. The Clarinet Quartet then evoked The Bridge over the River Kwai with variations based on ‘Colonel Bogey’, before the first of the evening’s String Quartets performed a movement from ‘The Lark’ quartet by Haydn. 32 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter After refreshments from the Serenaders were enjoyed, the other String Quartet (fresh from the South East competition final the night before) performed a different Haydn movement, followed up by the Piano Trio playing an evocative piece of Schubert. The Vocal Quartet – singing amongst other things a song by King Henry VIII – then led into the final item, the Piano Quartet, who challenged and entertained the audience with a modernist WW1 commemorative commission by Edward Rushton. The concert was a great success, and thanks must go to the ensembles’ coaches: Mr Couldridge, Mr Lawrence, Ms Hawkins, Mr Francis, Mr Cracknell, Mrs Tait and Mr Saunderson. March 13 2015 MTSMusic 33 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSMusic South-East Schools’ Chamber Music Competition On Tuesday 10th March (for the second year in succession) the Senior String Quartet, coached by Head of Instrumental Studies Mr Couldridge, participated in the Final of the prestigious South-East School’s Chamber Music Competition at St John’s, Smith Square in Westminster. The finalists’ concert began at 7pm with four ensembles performing in the Junior Age Category, before the five Intermediate Age Category finalists performed - including the MTS quartet. The only surviving member of last year’s victorious group, Christopher Savage (1st Violin) led the players onto the stage to perform the famous ‘Theme and Variations’ movement from Haydn’s String Quartet Opus 76, 34 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter No. 3, nicknamed the ‘Emperor’ Quartet (as the theme from this movement was written for the Kaiser, and is now familiar to us all as the melody of the German National Anthem). As Nicolas Alvanis (‘cello) followed Yasar Cohen-Shah (2nd Violin) and Matthew Cooper (Viola) on to the stage, there was an expectant hush from the audience. St John’s is one of London’s major concert venues, and the Quartet performed gave a sensitive performance of this masterpiece, undaunted by the occasion. Chris should be pleased with his three new colleagues, none of whom had previously played chamber music before this year, and the Quartet, one of a number of chamber groups at MTS, can only go from strength to strength. March 13 2015 MTSMusic The Merchant Taylors’ St Helen’s Choral Society and Orchestra Concert – Monday 23rd March Tickets are now available from Tim Winward [email protected] £10 or £5 concessions 35 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSMusic Spring Term Music at MTS TONIGHT! Friday 13th March Prep Schools’ Instrumental Day Concert Great Hall, 6:00pm Monday 23rd March Merchant Taylors’ St. Helen’s Choral Society and Orchestra Concert Great Hall, 7:30pm Tuesday 31st March Duet Philharmonic Orchestra Concert Royal Festival Hall, 7:30pm (tickets required) 36 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSSport Support the boys tomorrow! 14th March Rugby Match with Regiment marks OMTs who fell in The Great War Hockey v Magdalen College Home: 3rd, 14A KO 9.30 1st, 2nd KO 11.00 4th, 5th KO12.30 Away: 14B KO 10.30 15C KO 2.00 15A, 14C, D KO 12.30 15B KO 2.45 Soccer v Magdalen College Away: 1st, 2nd, 3rd KO 10.30 37 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSSport Hockey v Felsted 1st XI Win – 4-1 Scorers: Savraj Lotta x 2, George Smith x 2 MOM: George Smith With many of the first team playing their 3rd game in 4 days, it was always going to be a tall order to perform against a very strong Felsted side. With a slight delay to the start of the match it would have been very easy for the tired bodies of the MTS 1st team to start slowly. However, MTS flew out of the blocks applying instant pressure to the Felsted back 4. It was this pressure that led to a corner within 3 minutes and as Savraj Lotta strode up from the back line there was only ever going to be one result. With the net almost being ripped from the goal Savraj delivered yet another rocket to take the MTS 1’s into the lead. 1-0 Felsted were ignited into action and went all out for the next 10 minutes to try and recover. They were rewarded for this by a well taken finish to equalise just 3 minutes before half time. 1-1 It was not to last however as MTS replied almost immediately with a well taken goal from George Smith who made it 2-1 on the stroke of half time. 2-1 The second half saw both teams trading blows as MTS soaked up good pressure from Felsted and sprung into attacks exploiting the space. A cracking through ball saw Ed Richards one on one with the last defender; he then ompletely outdid him for pace, leaving him one on one with the keeper, whereupon he dropped his shoulder, faked to the left and the keeper fell for it hook, line and sinker! The keeper was completely wrong footed had no choice but to bring Ed down and give away a penalty stroke. Savraj Lotta stepped up and calmly converted the stroke to take MTS into a 3-1 lead. With the game almost over there was to be icing on the cake for MTS as George Smith scored his second and put the game beyond any doubt. 4-1. 38 A great game and one that showed the resilience of this team. 3 victories in 4 days and a tremendous achievement by all the boys. 2nd XI Win – 3-2 Scorers: Joe Oakton, Nikhil Rawal, Will Porter MOM: Kiran Mistry A superb team performance saw the Taylors’ 2nd XI sneak home to victory past a strong visiting Felsted team. The tempo and structure of the fixture was certainly the strongest of the season so far, with both sides looking to transfer the ball round the back and use the width of the pitch to open up opportunities. Patience from the Taylors’ back line was crucial in opening Felsted up for the first goal, with Joe Oakton squeezing a half opportunity past the flailing keeper to give the home team the lead. Felsted fought back for the remainder of the first half, snatching a goal shortly before half time to tie the scoreline at half time. Felsted’s attacking continued in the second half, with Taylors’ GK Nathan Stephenson helpless to prevent a miracle goal from the visitors with an upright reverse stick shot a mere centimetres off the baseline. Despite briefly going down to nine men, the 2nd XI showed superb bounce-backability to overturn the visitors’ lead, with a great team goal converted by Nikhil Rawal tying the scores with ten minutes Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter to go. Taylors’ victory was clinched with under three minutes to go, with Will Porter scoring another fantastic goal, ever strengthening his bid for a spot in 1st XI. The 3-2 result was just reward for a superb team performance, with all 15 players meriting consideration for Man of the Match, though this was grabbed by Kiran Mistry who used his experience and athleticism to give a dominant performance in centre midfield. 3rd XI Win – 2-1 Scorers: Alessandro Arnaldi, Bharat Shah MOM: G Grewal/H Siddiqi The 3rd XI made the long journey to Felsted to play a very good team mixed up of senior and U16A players. The MTS team did not disappoint and a new look midfield including G Grewal, H Siddiqi and B Shah gave us the possession we lacked in our last game. Well taken goals by Arnaldi and Shah meant that we came back from a one goal deficit at the interval. A superb team performance. 4th XV Lost – 3–0 MOM: N Muller, M Saunders and J Dotting MTS 4th XI once again did themselves proud, though this is not reflected in the scoreline. In a game that could have gone either way, Felsted’s superior finishing March 13 2015 MTSSport was main the difference between the two teams. In spite of creating a number of opportunities, the 4ths simply couldn’t hit the target. Then, after falling behind late in the first half and having to chase the game, Felsted were allowed a little bit more space and took their chances. A special mention must go to Joshua Murphy for making a world class save, even though he’s a defender. both sides playing some exciting hockey and producing a lot of chances. MTS took first blood with a short corner from Bryn Jones, however Felsted replied quickly with a very well taken short corner of their own. The game could have been stolen by either side with heroic performances in defence. There were also superb individual performances from Aaron Amin and the ever solid Ben Gould. 5th XI Lost – 0-4 MOM: Sachin Patel U15B Draw – 1-1 Scorer: Dom Cherry MOM: Selvan Senthilkumaran A long coach ride, some unexpectedly hot weather and a sand-based astro combined to sap the 5ths energy levels and see them beaten by a stronger and fitter Felsted U16B side. We started off well, and at 1-0 down at half-time it was anyone’s game. But the lack of a sub to rest tired legs, and a dispiriting early second goal meant we couldn’t mount a comeback. U15A Draw – 1–1 Scorer: Bryn Jones MOM: Aaron Amin Felsted were a tough team to play with an excellent hockey reputation and after a hard fought game MTS were unlucky to only come away with a draw. It is fantastic to get a school like Felsted on our circuit. They come with an excellent reputation and are strong competitors. The game was very even with After 2 hours in the coach, MTS needed to go from 0-100 mph in the space of the first few passes in the game - which they almost achieved. The first half was a little bit of a clumsy performance. Players’ hits skidded over the turf like Bambi on ice, and many hit the ground hard enough to record tremors on the Richter scale. Despite being under the cosh for the majority of the half, there were some fluent counter attacks orchestrated by the front 3, one of which resulted in a lovely goal for Dom Cherry. The scoreline at half-time was not reflective of the other match statistics and Senthilkumaran was having a blinder in goal keeping the chance of a victory alive. The second half was much like the first, but Felsted had renewed confidence in their abilities and pretty much camped in MTS territory for the half. It wasn’t until the last play of the game, after time was dead, that Felsted got an equaliser. A penalty corner was awarded as the last play. A cracking diving save from Selvan kept the first shot out, then the second, followed by a goal line scramble with Felsted flicking the ball into the goall to draw the game. The efforts of the MTS defence were evident in the strewn bodies across the astro turf. It was a cracking game overall. U15C Lost – 0-1 MOM: Will Stubbs This week’s game was tightly fought and allowed the U15Cs the opportunity to demonstrate the best hockey they have played so far this season. MTS dominated 39 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter the first half with fast movement of the ball creating some excellent opportunities that they were unlucky not to finish. The MTS pressure relented somewhat at the start of the first half with tired legs allowing Felsted more space to carry the ball and opportunities on goal. In spite of some fine goalkeeping Felsted scored an excellent goal which sparked the MTS side into action, picking the tempo back up to that seen in the first half. Unfortunately time ran out before they could make the pressure tell but overall there were a lot of positives to take from a highly competitive game of hockey. U14A Draw – 1–1 Scorer: Karan Sofat MOM: Brij Kantaria The MTS side started strongly and distributed the ball around the back 4 with conviction. The early high amount of possession was then followed by a spell of pressure. The Felsted side took the U14A side by surprise and the game became scrappy. The Felsted side have qualified out of the East section and were competent in many areas. The teams were evenly matched, however it was the MTS side who struck first from a mazy run and well finished chance by Karan Sofat, striking the ball into the bottom left corner of the goal. The Felsted team soon got one back and despite the extremely good March 13 2015 MTSSport chances in the second half the MTS side failed to capitalise on the opportunities. Much still to work on. U14B Lost – 2–3 Scorers: Louis Duggan, Zak Sheikh MOM: Ben Carter A warm spring day saw the U14B team head to Felsted in Essex for a very close contest. The match began with some rapid play and a good work rate from the whole team as the ball moved quickly between both ends of the pitch. Taylors’ pushed for dominance towards half-time but were unable to convert this into goals. Everything was still to play for at the beginning of the second half and Talyors’ quickly took the lead with a goal from Louis Duggan. Unfortunately Felsted then equalised with a goal from a short corner, followed shortly by another. Neither side let up in the final minutes of the game, Zak Sheikh getting an excellent touch to score from the post. This was not enough, however, as Felsted were able to slip through our defence and slot another goal. The whole team should be commended for their determination against a tough opposition. v Harrow 2nd XI Won – 3-2 Scorers: Archie Vaughan, Adam Barnard, Michael Brown MOM: Archie Vaughan A determined 2nd XI performance was enough to ensure a comfortable win against Harrow on Thursday evening. On the front foot from the outset, Taylors’ set the tempo at a high pace but struggled in the final third, with the Harrow keeper making several great saves to keep them in the game. The second half saw pure domination from the 2nd XI, with Taylors’ dominant in possession. With 20 minutes to go, the boys were they able to break down the Harrow defence and convert good team goals from Michael Brown and Adam Barnard. The match highlight came from Taylors’ skipper Archie Vaughan who crashed home the final goal, a superb half volley strike on the turn which was accompanied by a jubilant celebration as Vaughan netted for the first time this season. U14C Won – 6-0 Scorers: Jenson Harris, Esher Bains x 2, Louise Cahn-Brown, Rafique Ossman, Nick Gillyon MOM: Esher Bains A tremendous team spirit meant that we were determined to play well. Jenson Harris hit a well place shot to score our first goal. After that we dominated the match. James Haywood Ben Salkeld, Haris Zuberi, Matthew Hine and Harry O’Sullivan dominated in our defence, and they also looked to move the ball wide which spread the game out. The midfield ran strongly all match. Zachary Gordon, Mathew Ryley and Matthew Melly added some skilful touches. All the forwards played well, Esher Bains ran well and scored twice. Marcus Chaplain was close to scoring a number of times and Jake Lewis had another good game. Nicholas Gillyon had an excellent game both in midfield and as captain. 40 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSSport Rugby v UCS Junior 1st XV Lost – 5–17 Scorer: Toby Wickham MOM: Burt Edwards UCS proved to be a stern test for the U13As with their aggressive line-speed and powerful tackling making it difficult for MTS to get on the front foot. The defence was brave throughout and right until the end the squad sought opportunities to attack. There were fine performances across the pitch but the MOTM award was picked up by Bert Edwards returning to action after a no doubt painful dislocated finger last weekend. Junior 2nd XV Lost – 5-65 Scorer: Sachin Shah MOM: Josh Burdall The fixture against UCS was definitely a learning experience. It was a test of the boys’ character and reaction against a team that thoroughly outclassed them. Credit to the boys, they stuck through the game and on the other side were fully aware of areas that needed to be worked on, while not letting their heads dip. Junior 3rd XV Lost – 0-50 MOM: Michael Darbyshire The U13Cs demonstrated that they had learned a lot from their previous fixture and were much more organised than previously. However, UCS has some powerful players who ran riot in the first half. MTS managed to steady the ship somewhat in the second half when UCS substituted their larger boys but unfortunately could not manage a score. Each player contributed to the game and team captain Luca Dora tackled bravely, but Man of the Match went to Michael Darbyshire who was often putting down players that were literally three times his size! Junior 4th XV Lost – 0–49 MOM: Yaseen Zaman A difficult match against strong opponents. The Junior D team fought hard to stay in the game and tackled bravely. The team struggled to protect the ball at the breakdown which enabled the opposition to steal the ball. Overall, plenty to work on in training in preparation for the next game. v St Martin’s Junior 2nd XV Won – 55-31 Scorers: Tom Szostak x 3 tries, Aaron Florestein x 2 tries, Sean Duggan x 2 tries, Ruaridh Nicholls, Sean Duggan, Conversions: Toby Wickham x 2, Oliver Lavelle, James Savage, Finn Edwards MOM: Tom Szostak With fixtures coming thick and fast at the moment, an opportunity to rotate personnel and positions was seized when the squad made the short trip to St Martin’s. Though our defensive organisation was compromised this was more than cancelled out by our attacking potency which saw 5 players score 9 tries and secure a 55-31 win. Tom Steene Congratulations to Tom Steene (Form IV/Year 9) who made his debut for Middlesex U14 on Sunday 8th March at Old Cranleighans RFC, where Middlesex lost a tight game 12-5 Tom Steene makes his debut for Middlesex 41 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSSport Tom Szostak Thomas Szostak represented the U13 SE Lambs at Rugby last Sunday in their victorious campaign for the ISRFC Regional Championship. Thomas Szostak ISRFC Regional Championship medal 2015 Thomas Szostak posing on the hallowed turf of The Close where rugby was born Thomas Szostak by the Webb Ellis ‘Wall’ Thomas Szostak Rugby tackle No 45 Thomas Szostak, one of the South East Regional Squad Winners 42 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSSport Cricket Boys train with Middlesex 1st XI at MTS Middlesex 1st XI has been preparing for the 2015 season on our outdoor grass nets in a marquee. Middlesex Head coach Richard Scott has called the facility first-class, and he goes on to mention how fantastic our Groundstaff has been in preparing such high quality grass nets. Watch the video at http://www.middlesexccc.com/articles/2015-03-08/pre-season-trainingvideo-from-merchant-taylors-school The School XI has of course also been practising hard on the grass nets, enjoying a pre-season that should provide them with a real edge over any school in the country. The facility has further strengthened our link with Middlesex which can only benefit our talented cricketers in the future. 43 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSSport 44 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSSport Soccer Rugby Fives 1st IV v St Columba’s College v Whitgift 2nd XI Draw – 2-2 Lost – 70-79 MOM: Ethan Taberham Wednesday saw MTS host three home fixtures against St. Columba’s College. The 2nd XI produced a battling performance and emerged with a 2-2 draw but really should have won the game after spurning a few excellent opportunities. However, the team acquitted themselves well throughout and put in a gutsy, hardworking display across the field. Robbie Metzger was rightly awarded man of the match for his dogged performance in a striking and wing role; he was unlucky not to get on the score. A very youthful First Four just lacked the experience to edge out a Whitgift team whom they could have beaten. The first three seeds were all Form V boys who played well, but going into the doubles all square meant that the eventual outcome was a slight disappointment. There were, however, some great individual games with Alex Hopkins continuing to improve, and Ethan Taberham winning all of his games. Taylors’ took the lead halfway through the first period as Nikhil Shah (top scorer for the term) raced clear and clinically rounded the opposition goalkeeper before calmly slotting home. Somehow, MTS found themselves losing and chasing the game with minutes remaining following a quick-fire opposition double out of nothing. Thankfully, a creditable draw was rescued in the dying moments of the game as a James Murphy corner was nodded in by Aaron Francis. Well done to all involved; maybe not the result we wanted but a strong performance nonetheless. Rugby Colts IV v Whitgift Lost – 28-115 MOM: Sarthak Garella A number of late withdrawals meant the Colts side were somewhat weaker than they would normally be and contained two U15 boys plus a Colt making his debut for the school. The boys improved throughout the match and learnt a lot from a strong Whitgift side. Basketball MTS beats Harrow! 45 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSSport OMT Hockey Cup Sunday 22nd March OMT 1st XI v MTS 1st XI KO 2:30 OMT 2nd XI v MTS 2nd and staff team KO 12:45 On the 22nd March 2015 the OMT Hockey Club will be hosting the Merchant Taylors’ 1st and 2nd team. There will be two matches that promise to be competitive and high paced, so please do come down and watch this epic battle. First up will be the hotly anticipated OMT 2nd team vs the MTS 2nd team (plus staff). This match will set the tone for the day and get the juices flowing for the 1st team clash that will take place at 14:30. The clubhouse will be open before each match, so please feel free to come down early before the hockey begins, to soak up the atmosphere. The main event promises to a high level game with the MTS 1st team looking strong throughout the year. The OMT 1st team will be bringing back past players to bolster the squad for this big clash. Mr Alexander will be playing for the MTS 1st team side to add some experience to the strong looking outfit. OMT clinched the win last year against an MTS 1st team, which narrowly missed out on an unbeaten season, losing just one game out of their 11 matches. This year’s team sees in-form flicker Savraj Lotta currently on 14 goals this season and is one of the MTS players to watch at the event. For OMT Rhodri Jones, last year’s MTS captain will make a return and as a strong mid-field presence be the key OMT player to watch. The post-match reception will be held in the OMT Clubhouse after the event. Hot Drinks and nibbles will be provided pitch side, by the ever present Strikers during the matches. 3.45-6.00 PM. Post match reception (food and drinks) and awards ceremony in The OMT Society War Memorial Club House. ALL ARE MOST WELCOME TO ATTEND – DO BRING FAMILY & FRIENDS. PLEASE CONFIRM YOUR ATTENDANCE & NUMBERS TO, JO AMIN, CHAIR of THE STRIKERS, BY EMAIL – [email protected] – BY NO LATER THAN 14th March. 46 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSSport OMT Colts Cricket Club Elite Academy training Dates Every Thursday 1700-1830 Location MTS Sports hall For more details; Email [email protected] 47 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSSport 48 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSOMTs Merchant Taylors’ and St. Helen’s City Network Wed, 3 Jun, 2015 18:30 - 21:00 You are invited to join us for our third annual City Network event on Wednesday 3rd June 2015. This is the first City Network event, however, that is joint with St. Helen’s School. OMTs, St. Helen’s Old Girls, parents and parents of OMTs and St Helen’s Old Girls are all welcome to join us for drinks and canapés at the Oriental Club, for an evening of networking and catching up with old friends. Tickets are £10 each, which is a contribution to the cost of the event. Book tickets here: https://development.mtsn.org.uk/pages/MTS_Event_registration 49 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSParent 2 Parent Phab’s Casino Royale – Closed Auction Prize You can win a fabulous VIP day out for four people (minimum age 11) at HM Naval Base Portsmouth as the guest of the Base Commander. The day includes a boat tour of the harbour and a visit to a warship, alongside, lunch and guided tour of HMS Victory. Take your day out on any mutually convenient date and make your own way to Portsmouth. We are inviting the wider school community to put in closed bids for this fantastic prize by Thursday 19th March at 5pm. The winning bid will be announced during the Casino Night, and notified via email shortly after if they are not in attendance. Please email any offers to [email protected]. Used Uniform Shop Open! 9.30-11.30 tomorrow. Go to Reception and follow the signs (new location)! Parents and existing Choral Society members We Choir are always grateful for contributions to the shop, just drop off school jackets, trousers, and Kukri sportswear at Reception. Uniform is sold exclusively for charity (currently Watford New Hope, who work with the local This year’s Joint Concert is on Monday 23 March, why don’t you join The Choral Society this term? homeless) although we can return 50% to the original owner. See the Ladies Association page at www.mtsn.org.uk for detailed guidelines. 50 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSLooking Forward Merchant Taylors’ School in conjunction with Chorleywood Bookshop and Hodder & Stoughton present: A night on how to get ‘Calmer, Easier, Happier Boys’ With Noel Janis-Norton Thursday19th March 7.30pm Chorleywood Library, WD3 5LB Event book vouchers are £5.00, book £10.00 (RRP £14.99) Chorleywood Bookshop is thrilled to be hosting an evening with Noel Janis- Norton. Parenting is never easy particularly when raising boys. Many parents struggle with boyish behaviour, sons who are fidgety, rowdy, easily distracted, at times aggressive and socially awkward. Come and meet Noel Janis-Norton a renowned authority on the learning behavior of children and adolescents. She is the director of the Calmer, Easier, Happier Parenting center in London where she works with both parents and teachers. Her new book focuses on helping parents with boys aged 3 to 13 years of age to change the way they behave, using simple strategies. She tackles the unique challenge of raising motivated, cooperative and confident individuals and to bring out the best in our boys. With the primary aim of making family life calmer, easier and happier, for all involved. Ideal for fans of Raising Boys by Steve Biddulph Calmer, Easier, Happier Boys is a must read and a must meet for such a remarkable author. Come and meet likeminded parents to discuss, share stories and ask advice from the expert herself. For further information please do not hesitate to contact Sheryl at the Chorleywood Bookshop: [email protected], 01923 283566 51 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSLooking Forward 52 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSLooking Forward 53 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSLooking Forward Phab’s Casino Royale – Closed Auction Prize You can win a fabulous VIP day out for four people (minimum age 11) at HM Naval Base Portsmouth as the guest of the Base Commander. The day includes a boat tour of the harbour and a visit to a warship, alongside, lunch and guided tour of HMS Victory. Take your day out on any mutually convenient date and make your own way to Portsmouth.We are inviting the wider school community to put in closed bids for this fantastic prize by Thursday 19th March at 5pm. The winning bid will be announced during the Casino Night, and notified via email shortly after if they are not in attendance. Please email any offers to [email protected]. 54 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSLooking Forward MTS & Jetstream Tri Club Triathlon Event Merchant Taylors’ School Enterprises is delighted to be working in partnership with Jet Stream Tri Club in order to host a Triathlon event on June 14th 2015. Full information and booking details for the event can be found at http://jetstreamtri.com/MTS%20TRI%202015.html 55 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSLooking Forward 56 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 MTSLooking Forward 57 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015 58 Merchant Taylors’ School Weekly Newsletter March 13 2015
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