The Week Ahead
Tuesday 15th April until Sunday 20th April
General Events
Firstly can I take the opportunity to welcome everyone back and hope that you managed a break at some stage over the school holidays? In probably the most important term of the academic year, we hope your sons and daughters have come back refreshed and ready for the demands of the term.
In the Master's End of Term letter he referred to three newspaper articles that I would be sending on to you. There can be found here, here and here. It is also worth reminding parents of the exciting Wellington Initiative set up by the WCA, details of which went out at the end with the end of term material. This is an opportunity for your son or daughter to gain sponsorship to support a student project that benefits a community or a charity.
On Friday 18th April there is a fantastic opportunity to see one of the UK's brightest young musical stars in the Old Gym at Wellington College. Since he first appeared on the scene as a young boy, Julian Bliss has achieved world renown as a clarinettist at the age of just 18. Accompanied on the piano by Robert Bottriell, Julian will play a programme of music by Finzi, Poulenc, Messager and Debussy. Tickets cost £15 (students £5) and the cost will include interval refreshments. All proceeds of this concert will go to the Hill Scholarship Fund for Poor Children in India so please come and support if you can - not only is it a great opportunity to see a superb young musician at Wellington, but also an opportunity to help a most worthwhile cause. Tickets can be obtained from Reception or the Music School.
Also on Friday 18th April in the Driver Lecture Room at 7:30 p.m. for 8:00 p.m. we have pleasure in welcoming Geoff Dyer, Author of 'The Missing of the Somme' to speak at the College. The Missing of the Somme was adapted for BBC Radio 3 and broadcast on the eve of the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme. He is a renowned author and also a regular contributor of articles to newspapers and magazines. A "must attend" talk for those interested in the Battle of the Somme or for those planning to go on the WCA Parents Trenches Trip (9th - 11th May 2008 see below). His books will be on sale - cash sales only.
On Saturday 19th April, events are organised for the evening for the 3rd, 4th and 5th form and so it is a closed Saturday night for them and with the Grandparents Day on Sunday (see below), the Sunday is closed too for the 3rd Form.
Sunday 20th April sees a morning Eucharist at 10:30 a.m. for 3rd, 4th and 5th Form to which all parents are invited. The preacher is the Master.
Also on Sunday 20th April we are planning a 3rd Form Grandparents Day. We look forward to welcoming grandparents of our 3rd Formers to visit Wellington College. Any queries please contact Tarla Woolhouse, 01344 444085 or email tw@wellingtoncollege.org.uk
On Sunday 20th and 27th April, the College is running voluntary mocks. Pupils in the 5th, Lower Sixth and Upper Sixth will be able to sit mock papers in a number of their subjects. It is hoped that pupils will take advantage of this chance to practise but it is not compulsory. The mocks will start at 1:00 p.m. and pupils should talk to their teachers in advance to find out which papers will be available.
Please could we have all returns in for the Third Form French Trip? This trip is in the last week of term from Sunday 22nd June to Thursday 26th June. If you have any questions do please email Sam Gutteridge.
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
We are in the process of switching databases and for next term we will be using the new database to produce our mailing list. If you stop receiving the Week Ahead next term then please do contact me and I'll will try to sort it out. Apologies if this does happen - the whole process is quite a complex one!
You should have got a copy of the term's calendar in the post. If not the current information on the dates can be found here.
Sport
The cricket 1st XI start early with a match against Christchurch on Tuesday 15th April.
Thursday 17th April sees our sailing team travelling to take on Bradfield.
On Saturday 19th April the first block season of the cricket season is against Bradfield whilst the tennis teams take on Charterhouse
Cricket results are on the internet, all other results can be found on the internet.
Further Ahead
On Tuesday 22nd April in the Driver Lecture Room at 7:30 p.m. for 8:00 p.m. we welcome Dennis Silk talking on "Siegfried Sassoon and the Great War." Dennis, former warden of Radley and President of the MCC, will be talking in particular about the literary aspects of the First World War. Dennis was an old friend of Seigfried Sassoon, and knows much about the poetry and prose of the war, and where it was written. Dennis will be also accompanying the WCA Trenches Trip for parents (9th to 11th May).
On Wednesday 23 April we will welcome to Wellington two schools from Adelaide, St Peter's and Wilderness. They will bring their orchestra, Concert Band, choirs, and other ensembles and the programme sounds terrific - definitely something for all tastes, from Pomp and Circumstance No.1, Slavonic Dances, the lovely Molly on the Shore and Ashokan Farewell, Cantique de Jean Racine , to an Andrews Sisters Medley! It would be great if we could welcome the Australian visitors with a large and appreciative audience - they are only with us for one day so please make a special effort to support them. The concert will begin at 7.30 p.m. in the Old Gym.
Parents of pupils in the Lower Sixth should note that the Parents' Conference on Thursday 24th April will begin at 5:30 p.m. This will follow the new, more compact format adopted for these events, beginning with a central meeting in the Chapel at 5:30 p.m., followed by appointments with teachers, all of whom will be based in either the Old Gym or the Maths classrooms in Wellesley Quad. Please direct any queries to the Head of the LVIth, Murray Fowler.
There is an additional Master's Lecture on Monday 28th April. This is in the calendar, but did not make it into the publicity material about this term's other lectures. It is entitled "Return to Everest", and the speaker will be George Band, who was the youngest member of the late Sir Edmund Hillary's successful expedition to Everest in 1953 . The lecture covers the first ascent itself in 1953, and how in the intervening years it has affected the lives of the climbers and the Sherpas in their homeland of Sola Khumbu in East Nepal. Mr Band will also talk about a return visit to the Everest area by six of the original team in the 40th Anniversary year, as well as the work of the Himalayan Trust (of which he is president) founded by Hillary to provide schools, health centres and so on in the area. The talk is in Great School at 8:00 p.m., with a cash bar available from 7.30 p.m. On this occasion, please contact Murray Fowler, not Tarla Woolhouse, if you would like come.
The last few places are available for the WCA Parents' Trenches Trip to First World War sites from Friday 9th May to Sunday 11th May. Dennis Silk, former warden of Radley and President of the MCC, an old friend, will be accompanying the Master on this tour, and will be talking in particular about the literary aspects of the First World War. Dennis was an old friend of Siegfried Sassoon, and knows much about the poetry and prose of the war, and where it was written. Also accompanying him will be Gerry Long, Adjutant - Wellington College, who has done much research in OW soldiering in the First World War -and will be pointing out various battlefield cemeteries and memorials where Old Wellingtonians fought. Parents, staff, friends of Wellington and OWs are welcome to join this trip. Any parents interested should contact Tarla Woolhouse, Events Organiser for details: Tel: 01344 444085 or email: tw@wellingtoncollege.org.uk at the latest by FRIDAY 18TH APRIL.
On Friday 23rd May - the Eve of Speech Day - from 7:30pm - 1:00am is one of the social events of the year not to be missed - the WCA Summer Ball. Following the tremendous success of previous years' Summer Balls, the WCA is once again organising a Summer Ball This is a superb evening, an event not to be missed before Speech Day, for parents, friends and OWs to enjoy excellent food and wine, first class musical entertainment, guest speaker, a busy bar and vibrant DJ music until a late hour. Individual tickets cost £98.00. Tables of 10 or 12. Parents are invited to put a table together, if you are not able to get a table together, do not be put off. We can assure you of a warm welcome and a great night. Booking form and further details from: Reena Price, Tel: 01628 622355 Mobile: 07778 205 112 Email: reena_price@hotmail.com or Tarla Woolhouse at the College, Tel: 01344 444085 or tw@wellingtoncollege.org.uk
There is a proposed Art trip to Paris and Giverny from Friday 19th September to Monday 22nd September for parents. This is a fantastic chance to sample the cultural delights of Paris and Monet's stunning gardens in Giverny. The estimated price for this all inclusive trip will be around £600, depending on number of participants. For more information contact Mr Laurence Hedges Director of Art.