No . 138 The Trusty Servant are a number of things about Tom ’ s character that made him the perfect person to steer the school through such a rough and testing time .
Tom ’ s capacity for hard work , combined with his technical expertise , helped to establish an online school that in a matter of days was at the top of the game . He was almost never away from his desk , helping others to solve problems , and having to make brave decisions . He had the unenviable task of being in charge of the process that would calculate grades for pupils who were not able to sit their exams . This process required professionalism , fairness , honesty , compassion , and rigour . Tom was the embodiment of all those qualities .
It is true that the nature of Tom ’ s role means that it is not always possible to agree with everyone all of the time . But in Tom we know that his heart is always in the right place , and there is no questioning his integrity . He is an extremely kind and generous man , and genuinely funny , sometimes intentionally so .
To summarise the qualities of Tom , one might look to the portrait of “ The Trusty Servant ” for a fitting analogy .
Let ’ s start with the problematic issue of the porker ’ s snout . This , I feel , indicates that he is not fussy and is adaptable in all situations , never shirking from any duty . The padlocked mouth signifies his discretion ; you can trust him with your deepest confidences . Just as the patient ass bears his master ’ s wrath , Tom endures challenges with grace and unwavering patience . His swift and efficient nature is akin to the stag ’ s fleet feet , always quick to run errands or complete tasks with impressive speed .
Tom ’ s left hand , always ready to labour , signifies his unyielding dedication to hard work . The neatness of the vest ( clearly a metaphor ) mirrors Tom ’ s meticulous attention to detail and personal pride in all he undertakes . His open hand represents his unwavering generosity , always ready to extend help to those in need . Armed with a metaphorical sword and shield , Tom stands prepared to protect and defend both himself and those he serves , embodying loyalty and courage in every action . In Tom , the Trusty Servant has lived on .
Howard Ionascu ( CoRo , 19-24 ; Director of Chapel Music )
Ben Cunningham writes :
The work Howard has done with and for the choir has been central to his time at Winchester College .
Arriving after a period of uncertainty , Howard quickly steadied the ship and began to plan exciting ventures for the choir . Under his leadership the choir has sung in Paris , Durham , Westminster Abbey , and , most memorably , Latvia and Estonia , where , at the Arvo Pärt Centre , the composer himself astonished us by suddenly appearing at the back of his own concert hall .
The choir has also recorded two CDs , one with Onyx Brass and the other with the London Mozart Players , and we have twice sung Evensong live on the BBC . I have much for which to thank Howard , but the boys ’ interest at lights out in my Spotify account as “ a verified artist ” is almost entirely thanks to the success of these CDs .
One of the unique things about Winchester is that we maintain our treble line in the Quiristers . I think that all Howard ’ s predecessors have had to work to keep them ; Howard has helped make them essential .
He is a superb colleague and boss . He is sensitive , kind , understanding , and brilliantly gifted .
Howard retires from school musicmaking to focus more on conducting big-scale pieces of the choral repertoire with various choral societies , and to pursue his other passion – gardening .
Nick Thorpe ( CoRo , 19-24 ; Head of Mathmã )
Luke Ronaldson ( CoRo , 13- ) writes :
It is sometimes hard to see whether the Maths Department sits in a state of stable or unstable equilibrium . Sometimes it is both . Nick joined as Head of Department in 2019 and steered us through the potentially destabilising effects of Covid , a triple retirement , online teaching , movement back from Pre-U to A Level , and the introduction of the Large Data Set , in a calm and caring manner . The fact that we have bounced back from all of this ( except the Large Data Set ), is testament to the quality of his leadership and vision for the department .
Nick did a huge amount to update and upskill the department and its members as we adapted to the changes and he was a great moderniser . His abilities with a spreadsheet would have made his predecessors ’ heads spin and his efforts to centralise many of the departments ’ routine tasks did much to increase efficiency : humdrum stuff , perhaps , but important and a lasting legacy .
The role of Head of Department is undoubtedly all-absorbing , especially when knee deep in the gruelling business of calculated grades during and after Covid , but Nick was also busy across the school helping out with squash , fencing and table tennis . He was also a much appreciated Cook ’ s tutor , willing to help out at socials and immerse himself in house events . He was more than just a safe pair of hands , as he was known for his pastoral sensitivity and willingness to give time to his tutees , although Dr Savory notes that tutor chats over a game of pool during toytime sent a bit of a mixed message . Perhaps Nick will be remembered best by his students as being a backgammon fanatic and
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