The Ian Robinson Sports Centre had the pleasure of hosting the Model Railway Exhibition in April 2016. The exhibition showcased some of the highest model railway standards, as well as providing the opportunity for everyone to learn from established model railway enthusiasts from around the North West.
This week 12 boys from Year 8 were selected to represent MTBS in the Merseyside Science and Technology Challenge Day at Liverpool John Moores University.
They were required to work on four practical applied science and technology related challenges, and faced strong competition from other regional schools.
During the day, our students were able to experience working in a university setting and proved themselves highly adept at fostering teamwork when required to work with students from other schools.
Our students took part in a robotics coding task, where they had to program a robot to navigate an obstacle course. They also attempted an E-fit task, using advanced software to recreate a suspects’ image after a simulated crime. They were required to engage with a highly technical medical diagnosis task, and later charged with designing and constructing their own vehicles to take part in a race.
We are proud to announce that an MTBS team came first in the robotics coding challenge!
In the last edition of Merchants’ Tales, Stuart Macdonald shared some information about his career path since leaving school which has culminated in him becoming a qualified International Mountain Guide. He lives in France but on a recent trip back to the UK, he included a visit to school. As well as taking a look around and sharing some of his memories with staff, he addressed the pupils in an assembly and then joined in teaching sessions on the basic techniques of climbing with small groups of boys using the climbing wall attached to the Schools’ Sports Centre.
The focus of Stuart’s talk in assembly was ‘What to do with the rest of your life’ and he made reference to some of the decisions he had made about his career. Very early on he realised how much he enjoyed outdoor life, travel and adventure. His involvement with CCF gave opportunities for him to explore these and, when it came to him making a decision about a career, the army seemed to give him the chance to pursue them further. He took the step to move on from the army when his responsibilities were taking him away from the things that he loved most and being replaced by desk duties involving more paperwork! This was the time to rethink, get out and do something different. He emphasised that it is never too late to change direction.
He chose to redirect his career towards mountain climbing having enjoyed doing this in the past. To gain the qualifications to be an International Mountain Guide meant personal sacrifice for three years, living very simply and using his savings, but he now has a job that he loves and a lifestyle that gives him a lot of space for other priorities in his life.
In summary, he referred to the illustration of the Jar of Life given by motivational speakers. By filling a jar with firstly large pebbles (representing the most important things in your life – such as happiness, health, family), then medium sized pebbles (the additional things that carry significance for you – your work, hobbies) and then sand (the extras that carry least importance – social media, video games, etc) which will fill all the tiny spaces that are left, your life can be well balanced and fulfilled. If you fill your life with large amounts of the extras first, then there will not be enough room to include all the more important things in life.
People are motivated by different things. Life is finite, just like the capacity of the jar. Stuart asked ‘What are your priorities in life?’
This term Junior classes have visited the Physics department to extend their learning on the topics of Light, Forces and Electricity.
Both Year 3 classes spent an afternoon at MTGS for a ‘light and shadows’ lesson. The girls had a great a time comparing and describing different materials and their reflectiveness. They then observed how mirrors worked and had a go at mirror writing. Finally, they learned about the reverse images created by concave surfaces such as table spoons, completing complex diagrams and labeling them with scientific vocabulary. They learned a lot and enjoyed the experience too.
Year 5 enhanced their work this term on Forces. They carried out a range of different investigations learning about simple machines and using levers, pulleys, cogs and gears. The girls also rose to the challenge to create posters about the forces at work in a machine and had lots of fun comparing the effect of pushing doors near the hinges then near the handles.
Year 6 classes enjoyed an electricity lesson where they learned the scientific symbols for components in a circuit. They constructed various challenging circuits containing bulbs and switches and observed the effect on the light of a bulb when more were added to the circuit; the girls discovered the light grew dimmer. Their challenge then was to keep the number of batteries the same but add extra bulbs without the light from each bulb dimming. After mastering a simple circuit they progressed to constructing parallel circuits and successfully completed the challenge. The session ended with a lively game of electric bingo, giving the girls the chance to show off their new scientific vocabulary and knowledge of the topic and symbols.
Year 6 – Electricity
Year 5 – Forces
Year 4 – Shadow and Light
Years 6 & 7 joined together to learn about Olympic traditions and celebrate this year’s Olympic Games taking place in Rio. Throughout the day the girls have experienced a variety of activities aimed at integrating the new Year 7 into the Senior School.
The Geography Department worked with the girls highlighting the stark contrast between rich and poor communities within Rio de Janeiro. By watching video clips comparing life in the Rochinha favela, which is one of the poorest and largest shanty towns, with the lives of those living in the rich area of Barra di Tijuca, they were able to appreciate how Rio is a city of two halves. They discussed the sourcing of materials for shanty houses and got creative by designing then constructing their own shanty homes. Once completed, the models were combined to form a favela.
Some of the groups had the opportunity to explore Brazilian food. They also tasted ‘Brigadeiro’ which are traditional Brazilian chocolate truffles. The girls then baked their own delicious fairy cakes and decorated them with an Olympic theme made up of coloured rings and flags.
Acknowledging the symbols of the ancient Olympics, laurel wreath crowns were created by some groups to the sound of Rio carnival music. The girls had great fun modelling their finished pieces. Colourful Olympic rings were also cleverly constructed using the challenging art of origami.
The artist and sculptor Alberto Giacometti’s distinctive style was the inspiration for creating sculptured figures representing various athletic poses. The girls worked in groups, looking at the human form, movement and balance. Garden wire and foil materials were used to great effect.
The Classics Department explored the origins of the Olympic Games and studied the images portrayed on ancient Greek vases. They used these images depicting various sporting events from the ancient Olympics, such as: running, chariot racing, discus throwing, pentathlon, wrestling, boxing and pankration, in order to produce eye-catching bunting and intricate mosaic designs.
To unite all the activities and bring the amazing and busy day to a close the iconic Olympic rings were formed using a fingerprint from each pupil.
Staff Sergeant Sarah Ford was awarded Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant’s Certificate of Merit, recognised as a laudatory honour throughout the Armed Services, in recognition of her exceptional service with Merseyside-based Army Reserve unit 156 Regiment Royal Logistic Corps. The presentations were made by Dame Lorna Muirhead, Her Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant for Merseyside, during a ceremony held at Liverpool Town Hall.
Staff Sergeant Sarah Ford, a Catering Manager at Merchant Taylor’s School for Girls in her civilian job, joined Bootle-based 238 (Sefton) Supply Squadron Royal Logistic Corps in 1995. As sub-unit chef, she has completed two operational tours, to the former Yugoslavia and to Iraq, participated in numerous exercises in the UK and overseas and continually supports Regimental functions as a talented chef. In addition to her duties she has also single-handedly delivered the Squadron’s annual children’s Christmas party for the past five years. She dedicates much of her free time to carrying out charity work for military and non-military organisations.
Sarah said: ‘I’m truly honoured to have been awarded this prestigious award, and I’
d like to thank my family and my unit for all their support and encouragement.’
The Year 4 girls were lucky enough to travel through time to attend the Aztec Calmecac school this week, to learn how to become an Aztec priestess!
A fun day was arranged for the pupils to learn all about Aztec schooling, taste Aztec food, preform Aztec dances as well as two Aztec sacrifices to please the Gods.
Luckily, the Gods looked favourable on our two sacrifices (Olivia Davidson and Kaitlyn Hodges) who were reborn!
My Aztec Journey
Arabrab (Mrs Richardson) and Enaj (Mrs Owen) hosted an awesome Aztec day for all of year 4!
We came into school dressed the part. We all wore a toga with clothes underneath.
To start our Aztec day off, we learnt about Aztec schools, so we could feel the part. Arabrab had set up a fake fire with chilli powder in the classroom for the Aztec punishment.
We then had an Aztec feast with tortillas, nachos, chocolate and dips. They tasted amazing!
After lunch we made gods eyes! They’re two twigs stuck together (like a cross) with wool. There are four points and they represent earth, fire, water and air. When a baby was born a father would weave one layer of wool and so on throughout the years. They are so pretty!
After that Enaj taught us an Aztec dance! We put it together with 4N.
At the end of the day, Arabrab and Enaj made some sacrifices! They chose Kaitlyn and Olivia to be sacrificed to heaven!
That was our Aztec day!
By Charlotte Corner’s
Traveling to the Amazing Aztecs
On Wednesday 29th of June Year 4 had their amazing Aztec Day to get the feeling of being an Aztec child and to learn about their culture.The Aztecs were a fantastic tribe who settled in the north of Mexico.I had fun on Aztec Day and the teachers had worked very hard.
Firstly,we talked about Aztec schools.We talked about what boys and girls learnt.Boys learned from their fathers to be an Aztec warrior as well as harvesting the food.Girls learned from their mothers who taught them how to cook and prepare the meals.Aztec punishments were very cruel.If you are under the age of ten your punishment would be pricked with the sharp spines of a maguey cactus.Boys sadly would be held directly over the fumes of the smoking chillies.
Then we talked about the Aztec food.We made a menu while children were invited up to taste the scrumptious food.We were allowed to drink some chocolate which was very popular for the Aztecs on a menu,a tortilla with salsa (the salsa was optional) and some Doritos with a choice of four dips,one of them was guacamole.The menu we made was an Aztec menu for a calmecac (calmecac means school).The menu was planned in our General Work Book,then copied onto a sheet with a border with detailed and coloured in pictures.
Next,we were taken down to the hall.We learnt how to play an Aztec game.The game was called Bench Ball.The way to play was;you start the game with the team on the one side but with one teammate on on the other side on the bench,you have to try and pass it with your elbow to a teammate,and if you pass it to your teammate on the bench you also go on the bench,the aim of the game is to get all of your team on the bench before the opposing team does.
After that,we danced to a lovely piece of music.The music really made me feel like an Aztec.Mrs Owen taught us the dance.We created a circle and danced in all different directions.In and out ,forwards and backwards and right and left.I loved the dance and it was fun dancing with my friends.
Finally,we made a God’s Eye.To make a God’s Eye you will need some thin plant holders and some different coloured thick wool.(Thin wool is ok but you will need a lot of it).I enjoyed making the God’s Eye.At first I thought it was very hard but now I think it is easy.
I loved Aztec Day.I think all the selected activities that were chosen were fantastic.The activities, if I were to number them, they would go in this specific order,1 God’s Eye,2 making the menu,3 discussion about Aztec schools,4 Aztec p e and 5 the Aztec dance.
by Mayukhi Mittal
My Aztec Day
On the 29th of June year 4 had an extremely outstanding Aztec day. Arabrab (Mrs Richardson) and Enaj (Mrs Owen) hosted are fantastic Aztec Day.
We all dressed up to school with a white sheet to set the scene. After that we all finished off are headdresses, then Enaj set a fake fire (red and orange tissue paper) then put some chilli powder, for punishment (in Aztec times) they took boys to the fire to inhale the smell whereas the girls where just threatened. The we went to the hall to show off our ‘beauty’.
This was my favourite part we finally ate some food. We ate nachos (doritos), tortillas, salsa, dips and some scrumptious chocolate. Then we did some work about a calmacac (an Aztec school) and about Aztec food witch made me hungry!
After lunch we did an energetic Aztec dance and sadly I couldn’t do the gods eye from wool, but loads of people told me that Olivia and Kaitlyn were sacrificed to Aztec heaven!
By Varshaa Premakantha
Last week 8 boys from Year 12, in two teams of four, were chosen to represent MTBS in the ‘Biology Olympiad’ at Edge Hill University.
Facing stiff competition from a total of 16 teams from schools and colleges in the region, they were given several undergraduate standard tasks on which they were assessed. These included cell biology, invertebrate ID, preparation of their own DNA samples and a challenging Bio-quiz.
During the day, the students were able to experience working in a university setting, and were given a demonstration of electron microscopy.
Our boys were complemented on their teamwork. We are proud to announce that one of our groups were awarded fourth place, and the other group won first place.
[leftbox]
Fourth placed group (certificates)
‘The Competitive Inhibitors’; (team names are biological terms!)
Chris Hagerty
Dominic Bacon
Tom Shorrocks
Alfie Baines [/leftbox] [rightbox]
Winning group (certificate and shield)
‘The Non-Competitive Inhibitors’;
Felix Martin
Ethan Byrne
Aidan Moloney
Giacomo Poli [/rightbox]
On Friday 24th June Adam Blagbrough, Harry Scott, Henry Syncer, Monty Barr and myself went to Old Trafford Cricket Ground for a coaching session with Ashley Giles.
We left school at 8:30am. After we arrived at Old Trafford we met Sandy Mitchell, who works for Lancashire County Cricket Club Charity Foundation and he told us they have a lot of school children who visit them.
Because it started to rain, Sandy took us indoors to the nets and we met Ashley Giles on the way. Ashley was really nice and friendly. Once we were inside Ashley made us warm up by doing sprints up and down the arena. Ashley said he could not join in because he had just eaten a full English breakfast pizza and he was too full!
After the warm up we went into the nets and played for 2 hours nonstop. We took it in turns to bat and bowl. Ashley coached us on our batting but mostly bowling. With bowling he filmed us individually and played it back explaining how we could improve and he put cones out so we had to run in a straight line to bowl.
We had a great time and once the session was over we then had a photograph taken with Ashley. Sandy and Ashley then took us on a tour of the players’ dressing rooms and the press centre and Ashley told us about winning the Ashes against Australia in 2005. Before we left Sandy gave each of us a new bat. We had a great day and on the way back to school stopped for lunch at McDonalds. We were really grateful to Sandy and Ashley for being so nice and making the day so enjoyable.
By James Green Y4H
