From the Second Master
WEEKEND ARRANGEMENTS FOR BOARDERS (13 & 14 May 2023)
Details for this weekend can be found here. Please access the Parent Portal via the link below to inform us of your child’s plans for this weekend by 2300 on Thursday 11 May. Log in, select 'Interactive Forms' and 'Weekend Sign-out' to complete the form.
Academic
Prose and Poetry Competitions
Each year the school runs two internal writing competitions: The King's Gold Medal for an English essay (short story and non-fiction), and the Warden and Fellows’ Prize for English verse.
Both competitions are open to all pupils and the judges submit the King’s Gold Medal prize for ratification to the Palace.
This year, Shloak (A) won the King's Gold Medal, and Constantin (C) was awarded the Warden and Fellow's Prize.
You can read Shloak and Constantin's entries, as well as the full results, via the link below.
Academic
Extended Project Qualification
At Winchester, all pupils in VIBk2 (Year 12) undertake an EPQ alongside their A-level choices. This year-long independent research project gives them the freedom to pursue their own interests, with the support of an academic mentor, alongside dedicated teaching in the development of research skills (which can be applied to other extended writing both at Winchester and beyond).
Pupils value the opportunity to delve deeply into primary literature and have found it allows them to speak from a position of real knowledge at university interview. You can read more about Oscar's recent experience of the EPQ, via the link below.
STEM
Raspberry PI Computer Science Competition Finals
On Wednesday 3 May, TeamEV, comprised of Martin (I), Victor (I), Aaron (K), Lucas (A) , Henry (E) and Ethan (I), travelled to the City of London for the finals of the Rasperry Pi Competition, where they had to pitch their idea to industry leaders .
The theme of this year’s competition was 'accelerating energy transition', and the team was grilled by judges on their solution to help determinine the optimal placement of EV chargers. The team had written a machine learning algorithm that simulated traffic based on government data. They then calculated the profit for each charger and found the optimal configuration of chargers to maximise profitability.
Coming up against some stiff competition, reaching the finals of this national competition is an impressive achievement. The team stood up well to the judges' questions and gave an excellent account of themselves and their idea.
2023-2024
Pupil Trips
A reminder to register your child's interest in any overseas trips for the 2023-24 academic year. You can view all the trips via the link below.
There will be some additional UK-based day and residential visits, which could be subject-specific, sporting, or cultural, and complement this overseas programme. More details to follow.
Once you have booked your child's place, no further action is needed at this stage. Trip leaders will contact you directly in due course to confirm places and request desposits.
Sport
It was a busy week in the sports calendar as College teams in cricket, golf, tennis and athletics were all in action.
Golf
Taanvir (X) and Isaac (I), Sebastian (G) and Arthur (B), and Sander (A) and James (A) took to the course against Eton, winning 2 out of 3 games.
Tennis
On a day that saw rain and sunshine in equal measure, the First VI, the 2s and the JC A, B and C tennis teams met Canford School for a series of games. The First VI, rapidly closing in on a streak of four years unbeaten, beat their Canford opposition by an impressive 8-1. The 2s also performed well, securing a 7-2 win over their counterparts. The As and Bs took their games with 6-3 and 8-1 victories respectively, and the Cs played admirably, just falling short 4-5 to some more experienced Canford pairs.
Social
Domum Dinner
Parents of 2023 Leavers (current top year pupils) are invited to join us for their children's Domum celebration on Saturday 1 July.
For more details and to sign up, please follow the link below.
Careers
Wykeham Links
Wykeham Links, the College’s Careers and Mentoring platform, will go live next week. We are asking for parents' support in the following ways:
- If you are a VIth Book parent, please give permission for your child to register on Wykeham Links. Separate emails have already been sent.
VIth Book 1 (Leavers) Permission Form
VIth Book 2 Permission Form - If you are happy to offer career advice to either current pupils or Old Wykehamists, please sign up to be a Tégé (mentor) on Wykeham Links. Connections between Tégés and Protégés will be made after the site goes live.
Open Garden Weekend
We are taking part in the National Garden Scheme’s 'Open Garden' weekend again this year. On 3 - 4 June, visitors will be invited to explore Moberly Garden, War Cloister, Bethesda Garden and the Warden’s Garden. Our gardeners, Alan and Hayden, will be on-hand to share their knowledge of these beautiful spaces. This year’s event will focus on recent efforts by the team to enhance biodiversity and support the College’s broader commitment to sustainability.
Last year, the event raised almost £4,500 for NGS charities, with over 450 visitors to the College, which we hope to build upon this year. You can book in advance, via the link below, or turn up on the day. Tickets are £10 for adults (children are free). The gardens are open from 11am – 4pm each day.
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