14 Dec 2023

WEEKLY MAILING

Message from the Head

Dear Parents

I write having just completed a tour of the Inter-House Sports events which have involved virtually every student in the Middle School and Sixth Form. There was a great variety of events on offer, from rugby to badminton, swimming to chess, and it was evident that students were enjoying the friendly rivalry of these events.

We’ll be wrapping up the term with the mainstays of the festive season including tonight’s carol service for boarders and parents, which is followed by the annual boarders’ dinner. The boarders will return to their houses after dinner for further games and revelry.

Tomorrow we conclude the term with a final assembly for the whole school where we’ll be celebrating the successes of the previous term. Many students will then head down to St Helen’s Church for our final carol service while the tutor groups of the Lower School will remain in school for their annual inter-tutor group quiz. Fifth Year students will have their own carol service in the Chapel.

As we reach the end of term, I’d like to express my thanks to you for your support over the last few months. The term has passed quickly – it seems like only yesterday that we were in shirt-sleeve order – and students and staff have achieved a great deal.

I wish all Abingdon families a restful break over Christmas and the New Year. We look forward to welcoming boarders back on Monday 8 January and the Lent term commences on Tuesday 9 January.

Best wishes, Mike Windsor

 

LOWER SCHOOL

WHOLE SCHOOL

  • Reports:
    • End of term reports will be posted on the parent portal for all year groups over the weekend.
  • Residential Trips for 2024
    Here is the link to the trips matrix for 2024.  As usual, regrettably, with a plethora of trips available, avoiding clashes between trips is not always possible for each student, as there are many constraints to work with.  Enquiries should be addressed to [email protected] please.
  • Late Collection of Students:
    • If students miss the JBS or their parents are delayed when collecting, please be advised that students should make their way to Park Lodge Reception. You should note that this reception closes at 6pm. The day houses are also unsupervised so will be closed to students. If parents arrive after this time, the student will be sent to the sports centre and will  require collection in person. Note that the gates across Roysse’s Alley are closed at this time so you will need to park in the coach park next to Faringdon Lodge and walk to the sports centre via the pedestrian gate.
  • School Uniform:
    • Parents are asked to ensure their children leave home in the correct School Uniform:
      • Coats, plain navy blue or black, and the same length of longer than the blazer, and should not carry conspicuous logos or colours
      • Jumpers, blue v-neck pullover, not roundneck, though sixth form may wear monochrome v-neck or quarter-zip pullover of sober colour
      • Black plain polishable shoes, not fabric trainers.  Sixth formers may wear brown shoes.
      • Shirts: need to be sufficiently large, so that top buttons are done up and ties worn correctly.
  • Music:
  • Holiday Reading
    • Christmas is an ideal time to rediscover the pleasure of a great story and all of the associated benefits that reading brings.  To help students (and parents!) work out what to choose from the blizzard of books on offer, the English Department and the Library have created twelve recommended reads for each year group, which you’ll find on the Christmas “cards” attached.  Do encourage your child to take a look; it’s unlikely they’ll fall in love with every title, but at least one of them should appeal!  Last but not least, we’ve created a Christmas card with book recommendations for adults; we hope it will inspire you to do some Christmas reading of your own.
  • Hockey Awards Dinner 2024 – Save the Date – Saturday 16 March 2024, 7.30pm
    • With the hockey term just around the corner the Hockey Griffens would like to warmly invite all hockey playing pupils (third year and above) and their parents to the annual Hockey Awards dinner to be held in the Dining Hall at School on Saturday 16 March. Tickets will go on sale early in the new year.
  • Message from Richard Stone, ASPA Chair:
    • I hope you have all had a good first term. It is always the longest and yet Christmas still seems to arrive more than quickly enough!
    • Classlist: This app, administered by ASPA, was introduced some years ago by the school. Following a review of the use of Classlist it has been decided to discontinue it and the system will be unavailable from September 2024. Usage by parents is very low principally due to the use of other widely adopted apps (eg WhatsApp) to set up groups and communicate with each other. The school plays no role in those.
    • ASPA events: Stuck for ideas for a Christmas present? Treat yourself (or your friends!) to tickets to the ASPA Burns Night Dinner and Ceilidh Dance on the 27th January 2024.  Experience the first event in the school’s new Pavilion and a live Ceilidh band. Tickets can be purchased through the box office: https://www.abingdon.org.uk/sports-and-leisure/performance/aspa-burns-night-dinner-and-ceilidh-dance/ 
    • Further details about the ASPA quiz in the summer term will follow in the New Year.
    • Finally, please do consider volunteering to help run ASPA. Contact me via [email protected] if you would like to find out more!   Have an enjoyable Christmas and all the very best for 2024.
  • OX14 Learning Partnership Upcoming Events
  • News from the week
  • School Calendar.  Any amendments to Lent Term 2024 events made after today will be indicated clearly on the entry in School Calendar.  Parents may wish to consult the term dates page to remind themselves of the beginnings and ends of terms and half-terms.
  • School calendar
  • Weekly mailing archive
  • Box Office:   
  • Next Term. Term begins on Tuesday 9 January 2024 at 8.35am with tutor time, followed by lessons from 9am.  It will be week B timetable.
  • Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.