APS News No. 17

2 April 2018 Abingdon Prep News From the Headmaster Charities This term we have continued raising funds for Springfield School with the total now standing at over £5,000. We have had two main events, the annual quiz (see p16) and the return of the APS Bake Off competition. The Bake Off involved boys bringing to school a variety of cakes and biscuits which were judged and then sold to hungry boys at breaktimes. Each section had six finalists who, in a very short amount of time, whisked, blended, mixed and stirred to produce a plate of cakes, scones or gingerbread. All the boys showed great enthusiasm, impressive culinary skills and imagination in their decorating. Earlier in the term a group of boys went to the children’s unit at the JR Hospital to present the interactive floor projector which we were able to purchase from our fundraising last year. The projector allows patients at the hospital to play interactive games on the floor, or on their bed if they are not mobile. The nurses explained that this will not only provide a welcome distraction for children but will also be used for physiotherapy. Anne Parker Young Entrepreneurs - Middle Section Business Challenge The development of entrepreneurial and teamwork skills has been very much on the agenda recently in the Middle Section. In March, pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 were divided up into eleven teams and were given little longer than an hour to design a new chocolate Easter product that could potentially survive in a crowded Easter egg market. Then, teams had to give a pitch of only two minutes, where they had to convince a panel of judges on the marketability of their product. The judges on this occasion were Mr Deasy and Mr Hepworth, both teachers at Abingdon School, and Cassandra Cardiff, a representative of the Oxfordshire branch of the Young Enterprise organisation. Well done to the winning team from Phoenix House, who are pictured with their prizes and the judges. Prior to this event, Nathaniel, Adam, Xavier and Alex from Year 6, and Toby and Lochie from Year 5 formed a team to compete in an inter-school ‘business challenge’ held at Abingdon School in which they competed against other schools to design an ice lolly. Many thanks to our team for representing the School at this annual event. Rob Shaw What a wonderful and busy term we have had at Abingdon Prep, with many highlights to share. Drama has taken centre stage with our outstanding senior production of Smike and our Junior Section’s splendid performance of Daniel and the Lions’ Den . We are lucky to have so many boys who clearly love taking to the stage to act, sing and dance. In Art, our Year 6s were invited to exhibit their Picasso themed artwork at the Aidan Meller Gallery in Oxford, alongside works by Henry Moore and Picasso himself. Inspiration is a crucial part of any child’s education, and this was in abundance at this lovely event. Opportunities for learning do not always take place in the classroom, as exciting trips to venues such as Warwick Castle and Sulgrave Manor have shown. In sport we have achieved great success in swimming, cross country, biathlon, football and hockey, with all boys representing the school in matches on numerous occasions. We are extremely proud of all our scholarship candidates. We gained an impressive number of awards which are hard-won, requiring enormous commitment and effort from the boys and staff. On the back page, you will see that our dedicated parents’ association, the JPA, has been very busy too. All their events were very popular, enjoyed by boys and parents alike, showing the wonderful community spirit that is alive at Abingdon Prep. We can now look forward to the summer term and the climax of our school year. With best wishes. Craig Williams