Abingdonian 2018

81 www.abingdon.org.uk House Reports Mr Jackson’s fish finger sandwiches, steadily becoming a highlight of the boarding experience. Meanwhile, our other new duty tutor, Miss Milarksi, never fails to lift our spirits with her caring qualities and the baking activities that she frequently organises. Mr Evans, Mr Hallinan, Mr Johnson, Mr Simmons, Ms Widdern and Mrs Yarker have tirelessly supported all the boys in School House as tutors, providing a stable platform from which we were able to excel in all our endeavours. Sadly, Mr Hallinan has left Abingdon School after his outstanding contributions during his time here as a history teacher, and the EPQ and Oxbridge coordinator. We sincerely wish him all the best at his new job as the Head of History at Winchester College. Last but certainly not least, this year sadly marks the departure of Di, our matron, who has been an ever-present part of the School House family for fifteen years. The use of the word family is particularly suitable, as Di has acted as a mother to all of those who have had the pleasure to pass through School House, whether as visitors, day boys or boarders. The patience, kindness and diligence she displayed during her tenure as our matron transformed School House into a home away from home for us boarders. It is certainly not an overstatement to say that Di is an irreplaceable part of School House. Despite that, I’m sure that Storm, our new matron, will do an exceptional job, as she has already established an excellent rapport with the boys whilst covering as the matron for some of last year, displaying the same degree of compassion that made Di such a popular figure amongst the boys. Weihan Huang, 7JFH With another great year covered and nostalgia already kicking in, I would like to say a few words on my time at School House. When I first arrived in school I had come straight out of prep school only to be separated by school or house from my very limited pool of friends. It was probably because of this alienation that I was able to break through the ironically deafening study room and reclusive boarder population to really find a home away from home in School House. The free time I have spent in the houseroom has made up a lot of my time in school and they were by no means wasted hours. The community formed by YouTube and silly stunts in a room barely 30 feet long have kept me sane throughout the years by providing both friends to talk to and a get-away from the web of clubs and work I formed around myself. In this way my time at School House has been an integral part of school life and, although smart reforms by Mr Litchfield have safely returned the study room to its original purpose, I am sure School House will continue to be a safe harbour from the tides of school life for others, as it has for me and my fellow Head of House Weihan. We wish the best of luck to Ilya Korzinkin and Marc Tuazon in running the house next year. Patrick Gwillim-Thomas, 7JFH