Message from the Headmaster
Dear Parents
We have now entered the season for public examinations, with the 5th Year having embarked upon their study leave on Tuesday and the Upper Sixth entering their last week of lessons in school. After two years of Centre and Teacher Assessed Grades, the return of exams is quite a novelty. I am sure you will join me in wishing our candidates all the very best over the coming weeks. We are of course here to support them all and don’t hesitate to get in touch with your child’s tutor or Housemaster if you have any queries or concerns.
We are always keen to encourage our students to balance their revision with exercise and the chance to enjoy some fresh air, so I am delighted that we are fielding five senior cricket teams against Stowe tomorrow after a successful set of fixtures against Warwick last week. I am indeed looking forward to making my debut as a cricket umpire tomorrow as I will be ‘leading’ the 5th XI in their away fixture. I have been perfecting my understanding of the laws of cricket and rehearsing my umpire gestures in the mirror. It should be an entertaining afternoon…
Best wishes, Mike Windsor
UPPER SCHOOL
MIDDLE SCHOOL
LOWER SCHOOL
WHOLE SCHOOL
- Parent Webinars: We have two parent webinars coming up in June, which are available to all families in our OX14 Learning Partnership schools. Please note that due to the nature of the topics, neither are being recorded. If we have significant interest in these events, we will look to host further ones next year. For the drugs webinar, please be aware that booking is offered on a first come first serve basis as numbers will be capped at 150.
- Talking to our teens about drugs and substances – Wednesday 8 June 7.30pm. Zoe Shuttleworth, from ‘It Happens’, will explore the teenage brain, look at the difference between a habit and addiction and harm reduction. The session will look at potential protective factors and where to get reliable, evidence-based information and help if needed. Attached is the poster with a hyperlink to the booking form. You can also access the booking form here. You can see more information on It Happens here.
- Supporting our LGBTQ+ children with FFLAG – Wednesday 15 June 7.30pm. As part of Pride month, members of the charity FFLAG will discuss ways in which parents/families can support our LGBTQ+ children and how to navigate the challenges we may face. FFLAG offer support to parents groups and contacts in their efforts to help parents and families understand, accept and support their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender members with love and pride. FFLAG volunteers are parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual or trans children supported by other volunteers. You can find more information on their work here. Attached is the poster with the expression of interest form, which can also be accessed here. Please note that we are inviting families to attend this anonymously; the form is to get an idea of numbers and to submit any questions to the panel before the event. We are not collecting any names or email addresses. A direct link to the webinar will be shared the week before.
- Please email Natalie Hunt at [email protected] if you have any questions about these events.
- Annual Data Check. Forms will be sent to parents on Friday 20 May via isams email. Please complete and submit by Friday 10 June. The Data Check is an online process that takes a few minutes to complete.
- Abingdon News. Please follow this link to the latest edition of Abingdon News which features some fascinating articles, as well as plenty of stories from the Lent term.
- Music: Junior Instrumental Solo Competition – Wednesday 18 May at 6pm in the CMR (admission free). We are looking forward to hearing some of our younger pupils in competition next week. All are most welcome to attend. Our Adjudicator is Anna Leon, Director of Music at Ashfold School, one of Abingdon’s feeder prep schools. Admission is free.
- Music: Music Tour to France and Belgium – Monday 4 – Wednesday 13 July 2023. We are now collating responses to the invitations sent out to members of First Orchestra and Big Band to determine the viability of embarking on a tour next year. If you have not yet responded to the invitation sent out at the end of last term on isams, please would you do so by opening this form.
- See other upcoming Music events.
- OX14 Learning Partnership Upcoming Events – no new additions.
- News from the week
- Food menu for the coming week – Week 1
- School calendar
- Weekly mailing archive
- Box Office: Soveida Ensemble presents Concert in Support of Ukrainian Refugees – Saturday 11 June at 7pm. The Soveida Ensemble was first established in 2014. Based on a long since forgotten form of Classical Persian music, the Soveida Ensemble performs on some of the oldest instruments created by man, including the Tanbour, Setar, Tar, Daf, Tombak and Ney. The songs are especially selected and composed based on poems by Rumi, Hafez and Saadi, around the message of humanity and unity. All proceeds made will be supporting Ukrainian Refugees.
- See other upcoming Box Office events.
- Stevensons uniform suppliers. Please see this link with information for parents about recommended appointment weeks and their trading hours over the summer.
