The Week Ahead
Saturday 26th January until Sunday 3rd February
General Events
Can I start with two messages from the Master? The first is for parents about Positive Psychology. "A further point mentioned by Tal Ben-Shahar at Wellington last week (there was an article incidentally about him in The Times a few days ago), concerned relationships. He advocated having one and ideally two "dates" a week, and proudly announced he and his wife go out on two each and every week as a ritual. Joanna seized avidly on this suggestion, and I am coming under some pressure in the Seldon household....."
The second message concerns standing up for independent schools. "I have written many articles supporting independent schools in the media, and enclose a recent one from the Daily Telegraph from last term which sets out what I believe. I attach it here because some people misunderstood what I was saying last week. I argued that the sector needs to 'reform that it may preserve' (as Macaulay said), and forming academies and other kinds of partnerships and relationships with state schools, which Wellington is actively doing, is one of the right ways forward. The schools, and the secotr, will be stronger and better for doing so. But I also believe that government should do far more to be supportive of the sector, as I argued last week and in the article attached. One policy change I argue for is that government give back to schools the money that parents are paying in taxes for others to attend state schools and by so doing reduce the fees burden on parents."
All parents should have received a questionnaire with the Master's Beginning of Term letter. This questionnaire is part of the School Inspection process. The more the inspector gets, the more helpful it is so if you haven't already done so could you fill it in and send it back to Roger Auger ( clearly marked School Questionnaire). Many thanks to the 150 parents who have already returned them. A copy can be found on the intranet if you have lost your original.
Regular meetings to pray for the College,staff and pupils are starting. Are you interested? The first meeting is on Saturday 26th January from 3:00 to 4:00 p.m. in the Blucher Sitting Room (to the left after entering through the Porter's Lodge). If you are interested in attending please contact either Tim and Lorna Lawson-Cruttenden (phone: 020 7352 9262 Gilly Wilcox (phone: 020 7603 3079).
The weekend of the 26th and 27th January is a Weekeend Leave. Pupils may leave after their fixtures. We welcome them back by 9:15 p.m. on Sunday 27th Janaury.
On Sunday 27th January Apsley will be hosting their annual Music evening at 7:30 p.m. in the Old Gym. They would love to see parents and friends who can help celebrate the wide range of talents we have in the house.
Tuesday 29th January at 6:00 p.m gives the pupils, and parents if they wish, the chance to hear from Alastair Eykyn talking about careers in Sports Journalism He is an esteemed Radio 5 Live presenter, fresh from covering the Australian Open Tennis championships in Melbourne. If parents are interested in attending they are asked to contact Elaine Hood. Over the week, pupils in the Lower Sixth will be receiving information and advice about "What next after Wellington" from Dr Elaine Hood, our Careers Adviser. Parents will also be getting information and we hope this will help inform conversations at home as well as at school.
On Wednesday 30th January the Chapel Choir will be singing Evensong at 5:30 p.m. in Chichester Cathedral. They would love to see parents and friends who can make the journey to Chichester.
Also on Wednesday 30th January in Great School, 7:30 for 8:00 p.m. , we welcome parents and the whole community to hear Sir Donald Sinden. A jovial leading man, noted for his rich, plummy voice, he has been on stage since 1941 with Stratford and Bristol Old Vic season and made his film debut in 1948. His versatility has meant a huge variety of roles and some of his credits include The Cruel Sea, Doctor in the House, An Alligator Name Daisy and many more. His latest television appearances include Judge John Deed and Midsomer Murders.
On Sunday 3rd February some of our music scholars will be performing in the Recital Room at South Hill Park at 3 p.m. - there will be solo items from Claire Sledd (violin), Sabina Virtosu (violin), Steph Tress (cello), Nick Jupp (piano), Katie Jillings (violin), Richard Bignall (voice) and also the Mozart Clarinet Quintet with Emma Parkhouse (clarinet), Claire, Sabina, Katie and Dongsu Kim (cello). Information about South Hill Park can be found on their website or by phoning the Box office on 01344 484123.
Later on Sunday 3rd February, at 8:00 p.m. there is a full school Eucharist at which the preacher is Denise Cook from the Comon Room. Parents of the Hardinge are cordially invited.
Increasingly we are putting infor for parents on the school intranet set. In particular the handbook for pupils with information for both pupils and parents is now electronic and can be found under the section of the intranet called info@community. Some parents have had problems logging on to the intranet. You do need to click on the log -in link at the top right of the page. The general parents' username is COLLEGE\victoria (if you are offered three boxes COLLEGE is the domain and victoria is the username). The general parents' password is the name of the O.W. on the plaque by the Round Square noticeboard at Queen's Court and must be entered in capitals. Hopefully your son or daughter can supply that information. If not, then ask me! There is information on the intranet to help you and this can be found at http://intranet.wellingtoncollege.org.uk/login_help.htm
Sport
On Saturday 26th January, the hockey fixture is against Whitgift (Please note that the Colts 3rd XI and yearlings 5th XI fixtures are cancelled as Whitgift cannot raise a team), the netball fixture is with Hurstpierpoint, the football teams play Haileybury. The calendared cross-country team in the Charterhouse Cup has been postponed to later in the term.
Sunday 27th January continues the busy theme with the U14 English Hockey Association competition starting.
On Tuesday 29th January, the squash team travel to Cranleigh. Thursday 31st January sees a lot of fixtures with our senior netball teams playing Charterhouse, our rackets team travel to St. Paul's, our squash team travel to Eton, the shooting team take on Marlborough, the A and B polo teams play Harrow at the West Wycombe arena and finally, in a calendar addition, there is a lacrosse fixture at Stowe.
Saturday 2nd February sees the netball and basketball teams taking on Pangbourne, the hockey teams playing Eton, the cross country team running in the Wellington Relays and the badminton team travelling to Harrow.
To start the next sporting week on Sunday 3rd February, the polo A team play Cheltenham College at 2:30pm at the Longdole Polo Club.
All results can be found on the internet: Hockey; Netball; Football.
Further Ahead
Petit, renowned French saxophonist, will be conducting a master class with saxophone pupils on Friday 8th February from 5:00 - 7:00 p.m. At 8:00 p.m. the Trio Klezele (saxophone, accordion and double bass) will be performing Klezmer music in the Concert Room. Admission is free. Klezmer is the traditional, instrumental celebratory music of Eastern European Jews.This is a unique opportunity to hear Klezmer music and highly recommended.
The Hollywood Ball on Saturday 9th February is "a must not miss event" or you will be very sorry! A few tickets are still available so act NOW and send in your completed form with your full payment. It is not far away! If you have lost the letter, an application form can be found here and full details can be found on the website. Alternatively contact Reena Price , Ludford House, Canon Hill Drive, Bray, Berks SL6 2EU. Tel: 01628 622355 Fax: 01628 632948. Mobile: 07778 205 112.
On Monday 25th February in Great School, 7:30 for 8:00 p.m., we welcome Johnson Beharry, VC of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment Johnson Beharry is a British soldier who, on 18th March 2005, was awarded the highest military decoration for valour in the British and Commonwealth armed forces, for twice saving members of his unit from ambushes on 1st May and 11th June 2004 at Al-Amarah, Iraq. He sustained serious head injuries in the latter engagement. His book, Barefoot Soldier, is in the School library.
On Monday 3rd March at 7:30 p. m.for 8:00 p.m. in the Driver Leacture Room there is a chance to hear a lecture from Moazzam Begg. The title is hopefully self-explanatory - "Enemy Combatant: My Imprisonment at Guantánamo, Bagram, and Kandahar. The searing story of one man's years inside the notorious American prison - and his Kafkaesque struggle to clear his name."
The school musical Les Miserables school edition is on the 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th March at 7:30 p.m. in the Theatre. Tickets for this performance cost £2.50 for students and £5.00 for adults and can be purchased in person at the Theatre office between 8: 00a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Monday to Friday. Tickets for adults and those outside Wellington can be reserved by an email to jwb@wellingtoncollege.org.uk and then paid for by cheque. Please note that tickets must be paid for before the date of the performance.
Nick Diver would like to remind parents that places for the Third Form trip to the First World War Battlefields from 20th to 22nd March 2008 are going very quickly and are nearly over-subscribed. Anybody who would like their son or daughter to go on the trip, or who would simply like more information, should email him as soon as possible.
There will be a Roman Catholic Confirmation in Crowthorne on Friday 6th June 2008 at 8:00 p.m. and classes will start in March. If you wish your child to be confirmed please e mail Dr Boscher. Bishop Crispian, the Roman Catholic Bishop of Portsmouth has agreed to celebrate Confirmation here at Wellington.
The Geography Department is running its 15th annual LVIth Field Trip to Serre Chevalier in the French Alps in the summer, from the 29th June to the 4th July. Please could parents of LVIth Geographers send back the relevant forms to Murray Fowler as soon as possible.