11 Dec 2020

WEEKLY MAILING

This week’s mailing is:

Letters:

Notices:

From the Headmaster to all parents:

 

Covid-19 update  – arrangements for the Lent Term 2021

As long as there are no changes to the current situation, there are no plans to alter the existing arrangements at school for the beginning of the Lent Term. We will continue to organise the school into year group bubbles, and boarders into boarding households, and to keep the bubbles separate on the school campus.

Arrangements for uniform, wearing of face coverings, music lessons and using the JBS will remain the same. The Second Hand Uniform shop will be open and opening times can be found here.

We regret that sports fixtures will not be happening during the first half of term although we are keeping this decision under review. We have been fortunate in not having to send whole year groups home as yet and with important academic exams next term we have decided that we do not want to mix large groups of students from different schools until we have a better understanding of the virus situation in January. We are hoping to be able to hold fixtures in the second half of term. We will continue to have an internal Saturday morning sporting programme for the boys.

Although no trips are planned for the first half of term we will be assessing the possibility of suitable visits after half term and we are already looking at trip planning for later in the year.

If there are any changes to government guidance that affect our current arrangements then we will email parents before the beginning of term to let them know.

Covid-19 – Information from the Department for Education – Christmas school holidays

Notice from the DfE: We recommend all schools ensure staff, parents and carers are aware of the following information and relevant arrangements regarding positive cases in the school holidays:

Where a pupil or staff member tests positive for coronavirus (COVID-19), having developed symptoms more than 48 hours since being in school, the school should not be contacted. Parents and carers should follow contact tracing instructions provided by NHS Test and Trace.

For Abingdon, this means that if pupils or staff develop symptoms during the period up to and including Sunday 13 December and are tested and receive a positive result by Thursday 17 December then please notify the Second Master, [email protected]. He does not need to be informed if symptoms develop after Sunday 13 December even if a positive test result is received.

If pupils or staff are asymptomatic but receive a positive result from a test taken before Monday 14 December and were in school on Friday 11 December then please notify the Second Master, [email protected].

Trips 2021

Please click here to view the latest trips cost matrix for Lent and Summer Terms 2021 which is also available to view on the School website at > Information > Trips > Residential trips 2021.

Holiday Reading

The Library and English Department would like to encourage all pupils to use the holiday as an opportunity to read for pleasure, thereby enhancing their skills, knowledge and more importantly appreciation of the subject. The following Christmas cards suggest books for every pupil to sit back and enjoy this Christmas.

Last Week’s Middle School Scholars’ Newsletter – Amendment

Due to a pdf formatting issue in last week’s Middle School Scholars’ newsletter, Mark Taylor’s article on ‘Ancient Egyptian Influences on the English Language’ did not display the symbols and hieroglyphs it should have done. Please find his article here with the correct symbols.

Music:

It’s been a busy and successful term for our musicians – please read here a summary of the term’s music making.

  • Please see the Lent Term 2021 Music Calendar here and note the main musical events – the Annual Chamber Music Concert, the Solo Concerts, the Singers Platform, School Choirs concert and the Workshop and Masterclass from composer, Edmund Finnis OA, who has a distinguished career as a composer and composition professorship at the Royal Academy of Music.
  • We are delighted to share with you our End of Term Carol Service. This will be the last of our many concert recordings this term and I hope it will convey something of the magic of Christmas. Mr Treadaway and Mr Fletcher-Campbell have kept our Chapel Choir singing wonderfully this term and you will see some contributions, too, from our new friends from Brass in Africa.
  • Music Technology Lessons offered at Abingdon School.  Although we do not offer a Music Technology A Level qualification at Abingdon, it is a popular activity which our Music tech teacher, Alex Hehir, offers to pupils at all levels of the school from 1st year to Upper Sixth. Further information is available on this link. If any parents would like to consider their children taking advantage of a few slots which have become available next term, please write to Michael Stinton at [email protected]

Athletic Development Update

Please click here for an update from the Head of Athletic Development, Mike Davies.

Abingdon Box Office:

The Amey Theatre will be re-opening for a number of Encore Screenings during the festive season! Tickets must be booked in advance.

The Term in Pictures

We hope you will enjoy taking a few minutes to watch the last three months at Abingdon in pictures. It certainly seems a while ago that we came back to School after nearly six months away. It has been fantastic to be back. Many thanks for all your support.

Next Term

Term begins on Tuesday 5 January 2021 at 8.35am with tutor time, followed by lessons from 9am.  It will be week A timetable.

Ultimate Activity Camps

Ultimate Activity Camps are really looking forward to running our fantastic Easter and Summer Camps for children of 4-14yrs at Abingdon School in 2021 and as a festive gift to all of our host school parents & existing customers we have a Christmas Offer! which is live to book from Wednesday 9 December.

  • £172 per week – £50 off the standard rate of £222
  • £41 per day – £8 off the standard daily rate of £49

This offer ends at midnight on Tuesday 5 January 2021.  Bookings can be changed free of charge up to 14 days before your first day of attendance & places on this offer are limited. Our days run from 8:30am until 5:15pm and if needed we offer Extended Hours of 8am to 6pm at an extra cost of £7/day.  Please visit our website www.ultimateactivity.co.uk for more information or call one of us at 0330 111 7077

News from the Week:

School Calendar

Any amendments to Lent Term 2021 events made after today will be indicated clearly on the School Calendar.  Parents may wish to consult the term dates page to remind themselves of the beginnings and ends of terms and half-terms.

Here is the link to previous weekly mailings.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year