The Week Ahead

Tuesday 4th November until Sunday 16th November

In a bumper Week Ahead I try to cover  both the remainder of this week and the next week too! I do hope that you managed to enjoy the company of your children over the Exeat and trust they have come back refreshed and enthused for the second half of this very important term.

Just before the Exeat, on Saturday 11th October saw Wellington hosting an important conference on forging educational  partnerships abroad. The day has a host of influential speakers and finishes with addresses from HRH Prince Andrew, Duke of York. It proved to be a thought-provoking day.

Letters Home

To try and cut down on the amount of paper we send out and to try and not bombard parents with large numbers of posting, e-mails and information generally, we plan to use this section of the Week Ahead to include letters we would normally send out - either electronically or by post. If there are parents who would still rather receive everything on paper, please e-mail the College Secretary. We still anticipate sending out paper copies  of reports, bills and the Master's letters. To open some of these letters you will need to log on to the intranet as the page they are saved on is only viewable to those in the Wellington community. Do contact me if you need the password - details are lower down  in this Week Ahead. all letters home of this sort are stored here .

The Wellington College Association has produced the November monthly newsletter - click here for it. Any questions about it to Denise Cook.

The Master wrote to all parents before the Exeat. You can find a copy here.

General Events

The week after half term sees this year's Remembrance Readings in Great School. Pupils from each year are invited to share in an act of Remembrance through a series of prose readings, poetry and music. The event gives our community the chance to reflect on the sacrifice of the Fallen, and particular those Old Wellingtonians, Masters and College servants who gave their lives in the two World Wars. There are some seats available for parents, and these are allocated on a strict first come-first served basis. If you would like a ticket, please email the Head of History, Julian Jeffrey, specifying the performance you would like to attend and the number of tickets required. The performances should last about 40 minutes and the dates and times are listed below:

• (Third Form: Monday 3rd November 6:00 p.m. )
• (Fourth Form: Tuesday 4th November 6:00 p.m. )
• Fifth Form: Wednesday 5th November 6:00 p.m. (N.B. this is a change from the calendar entry)
• Lower VIth Form: Sunday 9th November 7:30 p.m.
• Upper VIth Form: Sunday 9th November 9:00 p.m.
• Fiona Thornewill MBE, is Britain's most accomplished female Polar explorer. In 2000 she became the first British woman to walk to the South Pole, and in 2001 became the first British lady to walk to the North Pole. In 2004 she became the first British woman to ski solo and unsupported 700 miles to South Pole - breaking the world record for being the fastest man or woman to ever make the journey. Fiona is a passionate speaker who describes how she developed a 'will to win' - enabling her to overcome personal tragedy, failure, and self-doubt - to win through and achieve something extremely difficult. Fiona dubbed "The Ice Queen" by the press, is a source of inspiration to all who meet her. You have the opportunity to hear her truly amazing story at Wellington College on Tuesday 4th November  at 7:30 p.m. for 8:00 p.m. in the Driver Lecture Room.  If you wish to attend this lecture please email Tarla Woolhouse on tw@wellingtoncollege.org.uk and apologies for the short notice!

On Thursday 6th November and Thursday 27th November we will be holding information evenings for Fifth Form parents to provide insight to academic life in the Sixth Form.  The events will focus on the International Baccalaureate, the new A Levels and university applications.  Both will be held in the Theatre commencing at 6:00 p.m. and will be followed by refreshments in the V&A.  For catering purposes please advise Mrs Sally Yarnton of your attendance (Tel: 01344 444142 or sey@wellingtoncollege.org.uk) by Monday 3rd November.  (Please note that the first event is on 6 November as in the College Calendar, not 7 November as in the letter accompanying interim reports.)

The date for the second meeting of the networking group The Business Forum will be on Thursday 6 November at 7.15am in the Wellesley Dining Room. The November event will have "Success is a mind game - especially in challenging times" as it's theme and the talk will be led by Steve Sharpley Director of Xcell Dynamics. His talk will be about how to develop mental resilience for an improved experience and sustainable results. Steve has worked for over twelve years around the world with teams and leaders in business and sport, getting them to challenge the way they understand and use their minds to help them get better results with less effort and less stress. He will then lead a discussion around this theme, challenging you to think differently and put your life more in your own control. I have heard Steve talking and his talk will be challenging and stimulating. As with the launch event in October, we will be meeting at 7.15am in the Wellesley dining room and will finish by 9.15am. At the meeting, you will have an opportunity to network, introduce yourself and participate in the forum.  If you would like to attend please complete the booking form on the web site at www.thebusinessforum.biz. The cost for the meeting is £18 including a full English breakfast. Please contact Sue Heddon on sue@heddoncommunications.co.uk or 07774 267280 for more information.

"Music and Myth" appears in the calendar  on Friday 7 November at 7:30 p.m. in the Old Gym.  This is an exciting collaboration between the English and Music departments focussing on "Tales from Ovid" by Ted Hughes.  All Third  Form parents are warmly invited to come and see their sons and daughters acting in plays and performing songs which have been created within class lessons.

On the same day, there is a chance to join the W.C.A. for champagne and canapés at a private viewing  between 6:00  p.m. and 8:00 p.m. of an exhibition entitled 'Coast to Coast'  by Christopher Miers, RBA (OW) . The show is at the Rafael Valls Gallery in London. Numbers are limited; please apply to Philippa Orton, for more details.

Tickets are on sale for the Fireworks Spectacular on Saturday 8th November. They can be purchased from Reception. This event is a spectacular way for you to help the Round Square Charities we support and we hope to see many of you there. With Remembrance Sunday the next day, the Saturday evening is a closed evening for the whole school

Sunday 9th November sees our Remembrance Service. Unfortunately there is no space in the Chapel for parents at the 10:15 a.m. service but you are most welcome to the ceremony in Front Quad starting at 10:50 a.m.

On Tuesday 11th November at 7:00 p.m. in the Theatre, we have a lecture from Tal Ben Shahar from Harvard University on how to improve happiness, well being and success. Tal Ben Shahar is 'Mr. Happiness'. He runs the world-famous course at Harvard University on 'learning how to be happy'.  Grounded in the revolutionary "positive psychology" movement, Ben-Shahar ingeniously combines scientific studies, scholarly research, self-help advice, and spiritual enlightenment. He weaves them together into a set of principles that you can apply to your daily life. Once you open your heart and mind to happier thoughts, you will feel more fulfilled, more connected and, yes, HAPPIER. Positive psychology has grown since the late 1980s to become a serious field of study, shifting the focus from mental illnesses and repairing damage to a psychology that focuses on cultivating an individual's strength and constructive traits. Positive emotions, therefore, are key elements in the development of a resilient psychological immune system based  on optimism and self esteem. The goal of positive psychology is not only to overcome depression and negativity, but  to ensure that every person has the tools to continue strengthening themselves in positive ways throughout their lives and be able to access happiness from within. Tickets booked in advance before the 4th November are at a concession of  £20  for Wellington Parents and Old Wellingtonians. After that date they will be £25 for Wellington Parents and Old Wellingtonians. Reservations should be made with Tarla Woolhouse and payment to Reception.   His book 'Happier' will be available to purchase at a discounted price of £10.00 which he would be happy to sign.

The Conference for parents of pupils in the Lower Sixth will be held on Thursday 13th November, starting at 5:30pm in the Chapel, where The Master and Head of Year will address pupils and parents. From 6:00 p.m. teachers of all IB and AS classes will be available to discuss the academic progress of the pupils, in a series of centralised locations. Details of these will be provided on the day. Appointment times will be arranged by pupils in between now and then. Tea and coffee will be served on the balcony of the Old Gym throughout, and food will be available in the new V&A social centre once your appointments have finished. Please direct any queries about this event to Murray Fowler, the Head of Lower Sixth. For catering purposes please send numbers attending to Sally Yarnton  by Monday 10th November.

There is a change to dates in the calendar for the visit of Frank Field. He was due to visit us on Thursday 16th October but his visit has been postponed is now on Thursday 13th November.

On Saturday 15th November, we are taking the Fifth form to the West End and so the Saturday evening is closed for them.

Sunday 16th November at 10:30 a.m. sees our Confirmation Service to which we welcome the family and friends of the confirmands.

Parents of day pupils should have received a letter last week, asking for their kind co-operation in a research exercise we are undertaking. As part of the exercise, we have commissioned mtmconsulting ltd, a leading educational consultancy, to canvass the views of Wellington day parents about a variety of issues, in order to help us plan future developments at the College. You may already have responded and, if so, many thanks for doing so. You may, however, have been away at half term and have therefore not yet had time to give it your attention. If so, I hope you won't mind this reminder; it will help us enormously to hear from as many of you as possible. The survey is being conducted on-line.  You can access the questionnaire form by opening your internet browser, going to http://www.surveyserver.net/?f=4960 and entering the password (salamanca).  This will give you access to the secure page. Completing the survey will take very little of your time, about 10-15 minutes at the most, and all the information you give will be in strict confidence.  None of your responses will be disclosed individually to us at the College. We need to start to draw conclusions from this exercise in the near future, so if you could respond before the end of this week (ie by Friday 7th November), we should be very grateful.

The Bursar writes that there has been a change in the law regarding Childcare Vouchers and Fees.  Parents who have younger children and who are, in terms of taxable status, employees, will be aware of the Childcare Voucher Scheme that most employers offer. This is a salary - sacrifice scheme whereby an employee taking vouchers to the maximum value free of tax and National Insurance can save up to £1,196 pa. The saving is open to both parents if both are remunerated under PAYE, bringing the family saving to almost £2,400pa.  From 1 September of this year,  there has been an extension of the definition of qualifying child care; its effect is that parents can now use vouchers in payment or part payment of either a school's charges for boarding for any pupil up to and including the summer term of the academic year in which the child celebrates his or her 15th birthday ( 16th birthday if disabled)  or a school's ordinary tuition fees for any child aged three (or rising three) up to and including the summer term of the academic year in which the child celebrates his or her 5th birthday. If any parent would like to pay part of a boarding fee with Childcare vouchers, please contact the College Accounts office first as we will have to re-issue the fee invoice with a slightly different presentation. If they do not do so already, you may like to encourage your employer to offer Childcare vouchers.

She would also like to draw some of your attention to the Mitchell Bursaries. These are Sixth Form Bursaries offered by the Mitchell City of London Charity and Educational Foundation. Every applicant must have a definite connection with the City of London. To be more precise the applicant, or one of his or her parents, must have lived in the City of London for at least 5 years or one of his or her parents must have worked in the City for at least 5 years. The London Postal Districts EC3 and EC4 lie almost entirely within the City. The southern portion of the EC2 district, the south-eastern corner of EC1 district, a very small part of the E1 district and a small part of Chancery Lane and Bell Yard WC2 are also in the City. All other postal districts are entirely outside the City. A Mitchell Bursary is for two years of Sixth Form study at any fee paying secondary school. Applicants must be recommended as suitable for a bursary and be expected by the school to do well in the GCSE examinations; parents of applicants are asked by the Clerk to the Foundation for particulars of their financial circumstances. All applications for a bursary require recommendation by the applicant's Headteacher. Application forms are available from the Bursar ( sm@wellingtoncollege.org.uk /  Tel:  01344 444020) and will need to be completed and returned to the school by 5th December.

Some of the TV afficianados amongst you might recognise two of the characters on the right. Over the Exeat Wellington was used as the set for two TV programmes - Midsommer Murders and Lewis!

Shortly, in response to a request from the Parental Forum, we will be publishing a list of contact details for parents in your son's or daughter's year group. Clearly this is a sensitive area and  we will only be divulging the e-mail addresses, phone numbers and home town of those parents who agreed for those details to be shared via the data check form that was sent out at the end of last term. All of those who have agreed to this should already have received an e-mail from me - no response is required unless you do not want your details on the list. Alternatively if you did not get an e-mail from me and want your details to be shared then please do contact me and I'll add your details to the list.

Increasingly we are putting information 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

Thursday 6th November sees sporting battle recommence with rackets against Eton, golf against Radley and Bradfield at Bradfield, squash against Radley and Marlborough, the shooting team against Marlborugh and the fencing te against Bradfield. Also on this day, the 1st XV will be playing a Daily Mail Cup fixture vs. Licensed Victuallers' School. Kick off is  at 2:45 p.m. on Bigside.

On Saturday 8th November, the hockey block fixture is with Hurstpierpoint as well as 6-a-side tournaments for the U18 at Bradfield the U16 at Wellington and the U14 at Pangbourne. The rugby fixture on that day is with Harrow and the shooting team take on Gresham's, Epsom and Sevenoaks. To end a busy day, the golf team are taking on Oxford University at home - very much a first!

Tuesday 11th November sees more rugby action with the yearlings welcoming Whitgift whilst the hockey U15 team play Kingston Grammar School and the squash teams take on Cranleigh.

On Thursday 13th November the rackets team welcome Marlborough and the shooting team travel to Westminster.

Finally on Saturday 15th November the rugby fixture is against Epsom (with one fixture against Pangbourne) and the hockey fixture is with Canford with the county netball U16 and U18 tournaments also taking place at St. George's Ascot. The golf players compete in the  Independent Schools Matchplay Cup 2nd round at Canford.  The shooting team round off the day in a competition with RGS Guildford.

Rugby and Hockey fixtures and results can be found on the Wellington College Intranet and the rugby results are on the internet as are those of hockey.

Further Ahead

The ISSSC trip (Independent Ski and Snowboard Championships) is all set to go, departing on Monday 15th December and returning on Saturday 20th December.There are still places available on this trip and if your son/daughter is interested, please contact bct@wellingtoncollege.org.uk as soon as possible.The British Schoolboys' International Races will take place from the 25th to the 27th January 2009 in Meiringen, Switzerland. The British Schoolgirls' Races will take place on the same weekend in Flaine. The British Interschool's Ski Challenge, which is a mixed trip, is set for the 9th and 10th March 2009, in Chamonix, Les Houches, France. We are still awaiting booking details and prices for the British Schoolboys, British Schoolgirls and Interschool's Races. As soon as they become available we will contact pupils and parents and get the ball rolling. In each case, we will leave a couple of days before the races to allow for some coaching and training. The deadlines will be tight so put the dates in your diary and watch this space! We are also looking into pre-season race training on the dry slopes (possibly Aldershot and Milton Keynes) as well as fitness sessions. Trips to the dry ski slopes will be at extra cost and will also depend on the interest we generate. With your support and encouragement, we hope to really raise Wellington's profile in skiing. Further details regarding all the above, will follow on the intranet.

Parents of Fourth Form should please be aware that on Saturday 17th January we are planning to take all the Fourth form to the Theatre in London. This will be a closed weekend for all of the Fourth form. The trip will cost between £40 - £50. Your son or daughter will soon be making their choice of show. If your son or daughter is not able to attend this event, please let us know by Friday 14th November.