Scissorum-In-Memoriam

Scissorum Merchant Taylors’ School

Issue 341

In Memoriam

Weekly Newsletter 09 September 2022

This Week Merchant Taylors’

From the Head Master

to the nation. It is important at times such as these for the school to come together and stand as one. And so this morning all the staff and boys assembled in the Great Hall as Reverend Fields, our school Chaplain, paid a most moving tribute to the Queen. Of course, school life must carry on but we do so in a tone of deference

Today we are united in sadness as we pay tribute to a most extraordinary figure: Queen Elizabeth II sat on the throne for over 70 years, overseeing life in the United Kingdom with great calm, elegance and wisdom. While it is hard to believe that she has now left us, we must show gratitude for her sense of duty and lifetime of service

and respect as we enter a period of national mourning that will last several days. We will inform you as soon as possible should there be any changes to the school calendar.

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Queen Elizabeth II: A Tribute

the resignation of one British Prime Minister and inviting a 15th to take up those reigns of office. Her first PM, Sir Winston Churchill. She has given wise counsel to Prime Ministers, but let us not forget that when it came to horse racing, she would give you wise counsel on where to place your bets! And who can forget her star turn at the opening of the London 2012 Olympics with James Bond and her Corgi dogs on the red carpets of Buckingham Palace! Or her more recent tea party with Paddington Bear. She was fun, there was a wry wit and a lovely ability to reach through the crowd to touch its very heart. And I sense today, her reach is no less … perhaps for some of us, it is deeper now than it has ever been. We feel our loss. True faith in our Creator leads us not to want to lord it over others, but to seek them out and heal. To serve. True faith in our Creator does not fuel our ambitions to subjugate and manipulate, but rather invites us to ask who is my brother, who is my sister; who is my neighbour? And what can I do, to help? It is these insights that furnish our understanding of a Commonwealth. It is these same insights and principles that were the foundation of her reign and service. At the age of 21, she made a promise: I declare before you all that my whole life whether it be long or short shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great imperial family to which we all belong. Her life, it turns out was a long one. And she served us to the very end. We are humbled and we are grateful that she was our Queen. The world has wobbled upon its axis in these last 24 hours. But love will seek us out through the crowd; it will reach out and touch us, and it will help us find our way. God’s Love. May God’s love rest with her soul, her family, and with you all. Goodnight Ma’am. Goodnight. AMEN Reverend James Fields

The story is told of a kind man; in a crowd he senses that someone has touched the hem of his tunic. But he cannot see the face, her face as it turns out. He determines against all the odds to find the person and, as she has reached out to him, so he will reach out to her, which he does. The common denominator is faith, one in the other. It is a story of pilgrims together, people finding their way. A way of faith and faithfulness. Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II knew this story. And over the years as she found herself both physically and proverbially at the centre of great crowds. I can only wonder how she reinterpreted this story over the 70 decades of her remarkable reign. How many people have reached out to touch her. And in turn, how many has she touched, in heart and soul no less. She lived in such a manner that it has been observed, she shaped a century, helping her people to navigate through times of extraordinary change. Days of glory, but some of those days riven by fear or sadness. Her presence, in the crowd, always reassuring. But moments of intense solitude too, in churches and of course in her beloved Highlands. She was contemplative, but never a recluse. I read recently that the great souls in our world move slowly, they never run! In their very measured step, we sense an authority in which we may place our trust. We don’t have to catch up … they walk with us, at our pace … if needs be, through the crowd. The story of the man and woman in the crowd comes from the Christian Gospels. Elizabeth was a person of faith. With a remarkable candour and gentleness she would talk about her faith, in her Christmas broadcasts. You had the sense that she allowed her faith to inform her daily life without fuss. Perhaps when those government red boxes landed on her desk she would open them with a prayer, knowing the reach of her influence and authority. Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s! She would know that line from the Gospel too, but I believe Elizabeth more likely to have prayed for the gift of wisdom, than brute force. Time of course lends perspective and as we try to chart a course through days of quite unparalleled worry we might draw comfort in the knowledge that she had, as they say, seen it all! As recently as this week receiving

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This is a moment of national importance – indeed, you will remember it for the rest of your life. You may feel slightly unsettled by events so please bear in mind that you are part of a strong community that - as always - stands together. Today we pay tribute to Queen Elizabeth II who led a life marked by constancy and duty. Hers was a lifetime of service in which she kept her promise that she would give herself and her life to the nation. Of course, there will be an impact on school activities and events - we will share more information as soon as we can. Whilst this is a time of sadness and mourning, let us also feel gratitude for the Queen's long life in which she achieved so much. On behalf of the whole Merchant Taylors’ community, I conclude this assembly with these words: GOD SAVE THE KING. Head Master's Closing Address

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Thoughts from the Upper Third Form

“I felt the Queen was a good leader with a big impact and we should celebrate this” Khayal “Although I didn’t know the Queen, everybody across the globe has been struck. I think that we should remember her long and meaningful life that has build the very foundation of this country” Sehaj “She’s always just been there; it feels like she’s on a trip and will be back soon” Jack “I appreciate this is a very sad time for the country as the Queen had served us so well for so long ” Shyal “I felt a bit emotional and know that this occasion will mark the end of an era and will be remembered for years in the future” Joshua “I feel slightly sad that she has passed away, but I am also relieved that she isn’t suffering anymore” Darsh “I’m not sure how to feel, she’s been a leader figure my entire life, and now for her to suddenly be gone, it’s shocking more than anything” Noah

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Merchant Taylors’ School Calendar Update Parents Merchant Taylors’

In the period of national mourning that will follow, the school will continue to communicate with you regarding essential information, but we will not be using social media. All celebrations and receptions at school have been cancelled. School trips that are planned for this period will not take place; if you and your sons are affected we will contact you directly. We do not yet know the day on which the State Funeral will take place; that day will be declared a national holiday and the school will not open. Events that are essential for the continued smooth running of the school, such as the Sixth Form Information Evening for the Lower Sixth, will go ahead as planned. The school's public calendar may be viewed here: https://www.mtsncalendar.org.uk/ Month.aspx Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood Calendar Option 1. Synchronize the current calendar view based on the selected filters with your personal calendar. No calendar filters have been selected so the filtered sync

will not return any events. www.mtsncalendar.org.uk

Tomorrow, school sport fixtures and training sessions will also go ahead as planned, but preceded by a minute’s silence. The school will open a Book of Condolence for staff and pupils, which will be located in the Chapel. Parents, OMTs and friends of the school are invited to come into school to sign another Book of Condolence in Reception. Both will then be placed in the school archive as a permanent record of this momentous occasion for our nation.

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Cambridge Chemistry Challenge On 9th June, 30 Lower Sixth chemists sat the Cambridge Chemistry Challenge, otherwise known as the C3L6. This was a challenging 90-minute paper which required the application of A Level concepts in a logical way to solve complex problems. The results for these were awarded at the end of last term. Matthew Lurie, Moses Ng, Aran Sasitharan and George Wilkinson received a Gold Award – placing them in the top 10% of chemistry students nationally. writes Matthew Lurie (U6th): However, it became clear on progressing through the second question that the first was really designed to lull the participant into a false sense of security. It focused on a range of chemistry associated with the element aluminium, which displays a number of unexpected properties. Here the paper took a very mathematical turn. Submerged in a mixture of bond enthalpies, moles and equilibria, this question demanded an amalgamation of all the inorganic chemistry we had learned over the year. In doing this we could explore how aluminium chemistry has cropped up in outlandish places such as astronomy, highlighting the bizarre nature of the element.

Sitting this year's C3L6 was truly an emotional rollercoaster condensed into the space of ninety minutes. The paper was split into two questions, one for each of organic and inorganic chemistry, with the first question on organic providing a smooth transition into the paper. This question focused primarily on the identification of different compound structures using various data provided. The compounds included: digitalis, a poison associated with foxglove; croconic acid, a dye used in biological research; and the aptly-named cubane, a key component in some complex syntheses. It was a challenging yet enjoyable task, requiring us to marry our prior knowledge of analytical chemistry with our logic and spatial visualization.

Although some parts of the paper made me question everything I thought I knew about chemistry, it was a thoroughly enjoyable challenge. The questions were designed to not only test our foundations in the subject, but also educate us about fascinating areas within it. The preparation provided by the department was, as always, exceptionable. Our extension lessons played an integral part in the success throughout the year group, as well as providing a great deal of fun and discussion. Thank you very much to the department, and I wish this year's Year 12 the best of luck with the 2023 challenge.

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Lower Sixth Geographers' Oxbridge Essay Submissions Towards the end of last year, many Lower Sixth geographers were working on extending their knowledge surrounding sustainable development, helped build a sophisticated, clear and well-developed argument.

writes Isaac Taylor-Cummings (U6th): I entered into an essay competition hosted by Homerton College at the University of Cambridge to get a taster of what university-level writing would be like. After finishing and reviewing what I had gained from this experience, I did not see the most improvement in my ability to write at a higher level; instead, it was my ability to conduct in-depth research that I feel has undergone the most development. This level of academic rigour is encouraged in the Geography Department and all students are supported by department staff. It is great to see that our students are identifying areas of their own interest beyond the set curriculum and that they are exploring them at a highly academic level. Isaac’s essay here

and understanding by completing independent reading and entering a variety of essay competitions run by universities. The topics our students have been exploring include Climate Change, Urbanisation, Geopolitics, International Relations and Hazard Management. Over the summer, we have heard of success in such

Furthermore, the acknowledgment of additional factors and discussion of a range of potential solutions shows that Dayan understands that sustainable development needs to be addressed via a holistic lens.” writes Dayan Pindora (U6th): During the course of my Lower Sixth year, I began some wider reading which was particularly focussed on economic history and development. I found my interest in the development of countries to be strong and looked to explore this through a broader lens. I quickly realised that entering Warwick’s GSD Competition would provide a unique opportunity for me to explore development and began my research for my essay. Overall, the research process helped me develop new knowledge regarding the extent of the sustainability issue across the globe and the prominent role that inequality plays in it. I was praised by Warwick for my inclusion of statistics and data, as well as references to relevant theorems and concepts surrounding sustainable development. Dayan's essay here Isaac’s prizewinning essay asked if ‘Sustainable Development’ was an oxymoron and was submitted to Homerton College, Cambridge. Isaac wrote fluently and his argument were informed by wide reading which he engaged in critically and maturely. Isaac will be attending an award ceremony at Homerton later this year.

competitions from Dayan Pindoria and Isaac Taylor-Cummings. Dayan’s essay explored the greatest challenge facing sustainable development and was submitted to the University of Warwick’s Global Sustainable Develop Department and was highly commended. The assessors said the following about Dayan’s submission: “Dayan should be extremely proud of the work that they have produced. The inclusion of statistics and data in Dayan's essay, as well as references to relevant theorems and concepts

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Mace Design Contest writes Azlan Latif (Divisions): During the Easter Holidays, Mr Duffey

She also talked us through how Mace hires contractors and sub-contractors at building sites. Each team produces their materials and documents for the project, which are centralised on BIM. For the Stratford Waterfront, there were approximately 52 subcontracted teams. After that, we were asked to get ready to go to the building site. The importance of health and safety at the site was explained to us and we were given 5 pieces of PPE to wear: A helmet, high-vis jacket, boots, glasses, and gloves. On the way to the site, Mike, the lead site project manager, informed us about the planning and processes needed before and during the building process. Apart from health and safety, the most important thing for Mike was communication – whether with the various teams at the build site or teams external to the project. Mike described the extensive planning that was required when installing the new bridge over the train lines. Throughout the process they had to speak with TFL and coordinate with many teams to install the bridge during Christmas break. Once on the site, Mike gave us a tour of the floors where construction was in process. We saw various teams in their PPE gear working around each other in a coordinated manner. Mike explained to us how the builders get together at the start of the day to plan their work, because there are many different teams and efficiency is key on large-scale projects such as the Stratford Waterfront. Throughout the site, there were posters and signs at every corner reminding workers of health and safety and alerting them of any hazards.

sent out an email from an OMT at UCL regarding the Mace Design Contest 2022. The competition required you to design a community centre either by hand or using Google Sketchup. Contestants were judged on Practicality of design, Aesthetics, Skills demonstrated, Creativity and Sustainability. I won the competition in the SketchUp category and was invited to visit the Mace site on the Stratford Waterfront. The Mace group has worked on iconic projects such as The Shard, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in Stratford and the Dubai Expo. The construction site we were visiting was the Stratford Waterfront. This is a £1.1 billion development at the Queen Elizabeth Olympics Park will be a combination of 5 buildings: BBC Recording Studio, Sadler’s Wells Theatre, London College of Fashion, UCL East London Campus, and the Victoria and Albert Museum. My dad and I went for the tour where we first met Ms Imogen Hawksbee, an assistant project manager. She introduced us to Building Information Modelling (BIM), which is a cloud based advanced building information modelling and structural engineering platform. BIM is used to centralise all parts used in designing and planning the project – including layered 3D models, project plans, and cost. BIM is revolutionary as it digitises the build process making it easier to maintain and reference. Ms Hawksbee explained that BIM can be used to quickly find faults such as leaks or equipment failures in the building, so that the building management team can fix or replace it.

Mike also explained how cranes are delivered in parts and built on the site. A lot of this process is manual – for example the ropes are attached by people climbing up the tall cranes. Towards the end, we were taken to the top floor of the Victoria and Albert Museum where we could see the entire building site. It gave us a sense of scale of the project. To finish it off, we said our goodbyes and left the site, just as the next group of winners and runners up were starting their tour. All in all, this tour was an eye opening experience into the world of Engineering, Design, and Technology. It has inspired me to explore a career path like this and work on projects of this scale. As a follow up to the visit, I was sent an email by Ms Laura Hampson, Senior Social Value Manager, about how I can find more about a career in this field. I found that the tour was well-presented, and my questions were answered freely. This was a great experience and I hope others also pursue venues to get opportunities like these. I was particularly impressed by the BIM technology and how it has improved the process around building large scale complex structures.

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writes Samay Kachalia (4ths): I was excited to see an opportunity in the Easter holidays to design a community centre, organised by the Mace group, whom I knew had constructed the Shard in London. I got to work planning different designs until I found one that worked for me. I interviewed a number of library users in Greenhill Library, Harrow, to gain an understanding of what people would expect a community centre to look like and to provide for them. This helped me to adapt my original design so it was back to the drawing board! I

sent the final design off to Mace and found out around the end of April that I was the runner up, which I felt very proud of as this was a national competition. I was invited to the Mace site in Stratford where the BBC Music studios are being constructed and the new Victoria and Albert Museum – it was inspirational to see a typical day on a construction site with many sub-contractors working together managed by Mace to achieve a goal. After my experience, I was interviewed by the Harrow Times newspaper and Northwood news magazine, and I appeared in both!

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This Week Merchant Taylors’ Twisted Tales Writing Competition

Azlan Latif entered the Twisted Tales writing competition 2022 for 11–18 year olds. The competition required participants to flip the narrative and tell a story from a different perspective in 100 words. Azlan’s entry was chosen for publication in a book called ‘Twisted Tales 2022-Enchanted Tales’ – please see below letter and submission attached. This book will be kept in the archives of the British Library.

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Cancer Research UK - Relay for Life writes Samay Kachalia (4ths):

At 3.00pm, peak time, there were bands playing with dancers, drummers, and many other talented musical artists keeping up the spirit. Food and drink kept us cool under the burning sun that shone directly onto the asphalt below. A highlight was the survivors’ fashion show at 4.00pm that really portrayed the confidence and happiness of those who had and beaten cancer! I was selected and felt honoured to escort one of my neighbours, Kunji Patel. At 8.30pm came the most important of all, the Candle of Hope ceremony lit with sandbags glowing brightly at dusk. Many religious leaders took to the stage to educate us about the benefits of optimism and its power towards finding a cure for cancer. Although they were speeches that mentioned different elements of optimism, they all had one key message – that when hope is present, so will be a cure. We ended with a silent lap to commemorate all the people who are enduring the cancer journey but also those who unfortunately lost the battle, to celebrate our fundraising in their names and hopes. Overall, it was an enlightening experience, not just as a means to raise funds for further research, but also to be able to empathise with and support those who have battled cancer and developed a deeper understanding of this life-changing disease. I would recommend this event to anyone in the MTS community to participate or volunteer in next year, and experience the sheer optimism required to beat cancer.

From an optimistic lens, we have emerged successful with many viruses and diseases in the past, but cancer has still proved a formidable foe. On Saturday 16th July, Cancer Research UK’s ‘Relay for Life’ took place. Many participants progressed around the running track, in large groups together, at Harrow School whilst they honoured cancer survivors and helped fundraise large sums towards extensive cancer research. The event began at 9.30am, where I helped other volunteers construct gazebos and secured them with iron hooks and ratchet clamps. Together, we began furnishing each gazebo with tables, chairs, and posts – where fundraising equipment and consumables were to be sold. After finishing with the structures, we dangled Cancer Research (CRUK) banners along the ceilings of the tents along with ribbons until, at 11.00am, everything was ready to go. Soon after, at 1.00pm, I volunteered to steward a stall where, when people walked along the track, they placed a sandbag with a tea-light inside at a designated point along the track. They would first customise or use a pre customised bag to do this, and once the sun had set, the running track would be lit up with hundreds of bags dedicated to someone with cancer or had written on them inspirational messages. My message was, ‘The hardest walk is the one on your own, but that is the walk that makes you strongest.’

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Maths Challenge The Mathematics Department is pleased to introduce a new weekly activity. Every week students will be invited to answer a question aimed at their year group (Year 7-11). This should help them to develop reasoning and problem solving skills, and explore maths outside the classroom. We would also encourage Sixth Form students to attempt the Year 11 questions. A link to a Microsoft Forms page will be attached every week. Students should enter an answer for the question and include an image of their work. Answers should be submitted before the following Friday. Mr Prashar will be reviewing the answers each week and there will be prizes awarded at the end of each term. Parents are also welcome to try the questions but only students will be able to submit answers. If you have any questions please contact Mr Prashar (kkp@mtsn.org.uk). Please find the form here: Week 1 This Week Merchant Taylors’

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Pre-season rugby camp at Cardiff Met University Sport Merchant Taylors’

On Monday 29th August, 116 boys departed from school to head to their preseason rugby camp at Cardiff Met University, becoming the largest trip the school has undertaken. A quick stop for sandwiches at Membury Services ensured everyone was well fed ahead of training that afternoon with Mr Bruce leading one of the biggest warm-ups ever with typical calm assurance! We then split into a skills circuit for all pupils addressing some of the core components of rugby – passing, small sided games, tackle technique and more. The boys were delighted to have their own rooms for a small sample of university life and before we knew it we were getting ready for dinner. Mr Davies kicked things off with the first edition of “Davies Diaries” featuring some of the highlights of the day and some fun challenges for late comers. James Hely-Hammond stole the show with a Hawaiian shirt, pink sunglasses and pink scrumhat for the evening. 63 boys and staff headed to Nandos for some chicken platters whilst the other 63 enjoyed the delights of a very filling rodizio dinner at Viva Brazil.

Tuesday was an early start for breakfast, before the U15 and U16 trained whilst the Seniors had a session in the lecture theatre to discuss out team shapes and calls for the year. They then had the opportunity to apply some of these in a training session of their own before down time through to lunch. A second training session for all groups took place in the afternoon before each group undertook a tough conditioning session with the Cardiff Met Strength and Conditioning staff. Everyone worked hard but the U16s stood out for their outstanding effort, meaning everyone was delighted to have a big dinner again that evening at Nandos and Viva Brazil. Wednesday featured a final training session with all groups training at the same time, before departing for London. It was a fantastic trip and the boys were superb throughout. A huge thanks to the staff – Mr Simpson, Mr Waterhouse, Mr Davies, Mr Roots, Mr Evans-Evans, Mr de Weymarn, Mr Bruce, Mr Hale and Mr Samuel. Mr E Conway

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Taylors’ Tens and Club Day Sport Merchant Taylors’

It was a busy day for MTS Rugby on Saturday 3rd September, starting with Taylors’ Tens at U14 and U15. In glorious sunshine and on excellent pitches, the boys played some superb rugby. The U14s were on Flagstaff, ably supported by many parents who were enjoying the splendid Scrummers’ Brunch taking place at the same time. It was wonderful to welcome so many new parents and boys to the school, with this their first official activity as MTS pupils. The U14s saw a number of impressive moments and performances, with Huseyin Ozer and Ravin Abhayawickrama being awarded the “OMT Player of the Tournament” awards. A special mention must also go to Eliel Elliott who took full advantage of the Bonus Point system in Taylors’ Tens to score multiple 9-point tries, showing excellent skill and awareness. This is a very exciting group and we look forward to them testing themselves against opposition next weekend. The U15 tournament took place on Oval, and it was Rio Waddington and Adi Shah who collected the ‘OMT Player of the Tournament’ awards for them, showing great skills and footwork to make the most of the space

available to them. It was a fantastic morning and a huge thanks to Mr Simpson, Mr Davies, Mr Waterhouse, Mr Samuel, Mr Roots, Mr O’Connor and Mr Greenaway for the time. In the afternoon the U16 and Seniors had a really productive session, building towards the start of the season on Saturday 10th September against St George’s. Their effort was especially impressive given the mid-afternoon downpour that drenched everyone in sight! It was also the OMT Touch Tournament, so it was fun to take some of our senior boys over to play against them. It was superb to see Harry Bridgewater, Daniel Odejinmi, Jordan Hui, Hayden Waller, Jacek Krynski, Alex Jones playing for a Recent Leavers side as well as numerous other fondly-remembered OMTs. Credit to our boys for sticking around to play, using their last drop of energy to provide good opposition for their more experienced opposition! Mr E Conway

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Anthony Poole (Upper Sixth) had an excellent experience over the summer, continuing his involvement with London Irish Academy. This involved training twice a week at the London Irish Hazelwood training ground and culminated with a fixture against Northampton Saints Academy U16s on 19th August. London Irish managed to win a close encounter and now the Academy group will continue to train weekly through the season. London Irish Academy Sport Merchant Taylors’

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Merchant Taylors' Social Networking

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