Welcome to the Second Year Blog!
Welcome back after half term, I hope you all enjoyed a lovely break. With one week down already, it is unbelievable that we only have 3 weeks left until the end of another year! We’ve all been enjoying the very welcome sunshine, especially our Summer Rowers, and this week you all had great fun in your Samba Workshops.
HEAD OF YEAR INTERVIEW
An opportunity for you to learn a little bit more about your Head of Year, Mrs Owen! Thank you to Avi (2H) for conducting the interview.
What is the difference between being a Head of Year and just a normal teacher?
One of the biggest differences is that there is no fixed timetable, as random things can come up every day which you need to attend to. You never quite know what’s going to happen, meaning every day is a surprise.
What responsibilities do you have as the head of year?
As Head of Year, you need to not just take care of your form, but have an overview of your entire year group. This includes making sure everyone is happy, and working as hard as they should be.
What do you enjoy most about being Head of Year?
I love being able to get to know so many people. You get to interact with every pupil in your year group as well as their parents, which I find very rewarding.
Pineapple on pizza, yes or no?
I wouldn’t necessarily pick it if given a choice, but if someone gave it to me I would still be happy to eat it.
If you were an animal, what would you be and why?
I would probably be an octopus. I think they’re very clever creatures and have many tricks up their sleeves.
If you had to live in any country other than England, what would it be and why?
When I lived in Russia I had a great time, although it is not the easiest place to live because of how cold it is. The culture and people are amazing, but I would like to live somewhere warmer.
What is special about Second Year compared to other years?
Second Years are the perfect balance of already knowing the School quite well and being independent, yet not too independent that they don’t want to ask for help as seen with older years.
What is the main challenge you have to face when picking Third Year classes?
You want to make sure everyone is happy, making it almost like the world’s most difficult jigsaw puzzle.
Why do you like teaching French and Russian?
I think that speaking another language and understanding their culture is one of the best things that anyone can ever do. It just gives you such a wonderful feeling of personal fulfilment that you can connect with someone fully, and not through something like a translator. It is just a very rewarding experience, and I am lucky that it can form part of my job as well.
What is your favourite book and why?
My favourite writer is Anton Chekhov and my favourite of his plays is ‘Uncle Vanya’. I have seen this play performed many times, including in Russian in Saint Petersburg. I enjoy the comedy in the play, although the subject matter itself is actually quite dark. I think Chekhov was a unique, forward-thinking writer and I would recommend his short stories to anyone who wants to sample a bit of Russian literature.
Super Samba
On Wednesday, Second Year got to participate in a samba drumming workshop, in place of some of their normal lessons, which lasted one hour, and each Form had its own slot. At the start, we were taught about the history of samba music and its origins. We then got to use different types of drums, and use various drumming patterns which are used in samba music, and put them together at the same time, resulting in music which you would expect to hear in Brazil or other areas of South and Central America. The workshop was really fun and a good opportunity to try something different. By Eddie (2J)
Take a look at our Second Years learning all about the art of Samba drumming:
SUMMER Rowing
Having finally secured some good weather (no howling winds or thunder!) we managed to get 52 second year rowers out on the river during games on Monday.
Most were in the octuple sculls (eight rowers and a cox who steers the boat).
Whilst it may look a bit ragged at present, for only the second time on the water this is actually really good rowing.
Some boys had a go at single sculling, which is a lot more tricky to balance, with mixed success.
A very competent first go here:
And a very common result of a first go at single sculling
All of the coaches were impressed with the rapid improvements shown by the whole squad and we are looking forward to competing in some side by side racing on the last games session of the term.
Team colours day!
Wear your team colours to School on Friday 18 June for Form Charity!
Form Charity wants you to show your true colours and wear something related to your favourite sport. Love Brentford? You could wear your Brentford strip, or wear something red and white. Prefer tennis? You could wear blue and white for everyone’s favourite Scot, Andy Murray, or yellow and red for Nadal. If chess is the sport for you, you could wear black and white. The possibilities are endless!
Get involved, have some fun, and make sure you don’t miss an opportunity to wear shorts for a good cause!
£2 will be added to your School fees, at your parents’ discretion. Speak to your Form Tutor for more details. All funds raised will go to our Four form charity partners: Water aid, ZSL London Zoo, FC Not Alone X C.A.L.M and Shooting Star Chase Children’s Hospice.
THANK YOU!!!
TRIVIA
Have a go at our weekly trivia questions and send in your answers for a merit!
- The summer lasts from June to September in the northern hemisphere. When is the summertime in the southern hemisphere?
- The Summer Time in Britain starts and ends on the last Sundays of which two months?
- Which three zodiac signs are summer signs of the Zodiac?
- Which term is used for a period of unseasonable dry, warm weather in autumn from September to November?
- Which ingredient can be used as the filling for a summer pudding?
- “Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day” is the opening line in which sonnet by Williams Shakespeare?
- The British Summer Time was first introduced in Britain in what year?
- What is the most popular Summer fruit in the UK?
Answers to the previous set of trivia questions!
Guess the close-up was: A Tea Bag!
- Which boxer was known as “The Greatest” and “The People’s Champion”? Answer: Muhammad Ali
- What is the name of the man who launched eBay back in 1995? Answer: Pierre Omidyar
- Which planet is the hottest in the solar system? Answer: Venus
- Which animal can be seen on the Porsche logo? Answer: Horse
- Which country invented tea? Answer: China
- What is your body’s largest organ? Answer: The skin
- About how many taste buds does the average human tongue have? Answer: 10, 000
- What is the name of the thin, but a long country that spans more than half of the western coast of South America? Answer: Chile
- What is celebrated on the 2nd Saturday in June in the United Kingdom? Answer: The Queen’s Official Birthday
- What author became famous for his six-volume biography of Lincoln? Answer: Carl Sandburg
