APS News 16

abingdon.org.uk/prep 7 Abingdon Prep In School and Out Autumn Performing and Creative Arts Colours MUSIC - Senior half: Ruairidh, Foon Foon, Finnian, Harvey. Junior half: William. In theMiddle Section Public Speaking competition, pupils were invited to give a five minute speech with the title “Has 2017 been a good year?” Well done to Tommy from 6S. The Senior Section competition comprised two debates, one on the legal status of gambling and another on the relative merits of football and rugby. Congratulations go to winner Alex from 7A, who proposed that all forms of gambling Public Speaking and Debating Competitions should remain legal. Many thanks go to Jon Gabbitas, former Governor and long-time friend of the School, Glynne Butt, current Abingdon Foundation Governor, and Jonah Walker, an Abingdon Prep Old Boy and currently an undergraduate at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, for giving up their afternoons to form the judging panel for the competitions. Rob Shaw. The Judges Firestorm Spectacular The weather was perfect for our annual Firestorm evening's entertainments. Events started off school-side with our traditional hog roast and other stalls. The children had time to let off steam on the playground with their light sabres. This was Headmaster Craig’s first experience of this annual event and he found it astounding seeing the glowing colours charging about in the near darkness. Then we moved over to the sports field for the fireworks display. Parent pyrotechnicist Paul Wentworth and his team treated us to some flaming cyclists as a warm-up to the Battle of the Houses. The four huge flaming metal effigies of the Dragon, Griffin, Phoenix and Unicorn (right, after the event), shot fireworks at each other and spouted flames to the delighted cheers of the boys. This was followed by the whizzes, fizzes and bangs of the firework display to bring the evening to a close. It takes a lot of people to make this event such a success, all the JPA volunteers and school staff who helped, but particularly Paul and his team for the fireworks. This will be Paul's last for the school after several years of spectacular displays. Thank you. Year 4 visited Christ Church, Abingdon to support our RE topic learning about features and events that happen in Christian churches. We were met by the children's minister who explained what people do in church through a really fun memory pairs game. Next we learnt about holy communion and the boys got to experience what happens during the service. We thought about how, why and what we remember during communion through the use of different sweets! We then read through a baby christening service and chose some godparents from the boys who took their responsibilities very maturely which was fascinating. The boys managed to work out what special features the church had through some good investigation skills as they explored the church after a local expert talked about its unusual building. It was interesting to find out the wider history of the church in Abingdon too, such as the role of the Abbey. The boys behaved exceptionally well throughout, asking sensible and interesting questions. Pip Usher Y4 visit Christ Church Warhammer Schools League Our team acquited themselves well against older Y11 boys in the local heat. They’ll get a second chance to reach the semis soon.