Message from the Head
Dear Parents
The weather finally got warm enough this week for us to move to summer dress and students and staff alike have enjoyed dispensing with their tie. More and more of our Fifth Year and Upper Sixth students are coming to the end of their public exams and it’s good to see them looking forward to their summer break. This Saturday we will be holding our Leavers’ Service and Ceremony, as well as Prize Giving, when we will celebrate the Leavers of 2024 and wish them well for the future.
All our students have now completed their internal end-of-year examinations and I’d like to congratulate them on their disciplined and serious approach to these assessments. I hope they will pay careful attention to the feedback offered to them by their teachers so that they can learn from their experiences this summer and put these lessons into practice in the future.
The end of the exam season also provides further opportunities for students to be out of school on trips. Bronze and Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Award expeditions have already taken place, as has the Lower Sixth Geography Field Trip. Lower School pupils will be out on educational visits next week too.
Today in school we hosted SupportEd, jointly organised with colleagues from John Mason School, which gave an opportunity for Third Year pupils from across the six schools of the OX14 Learning Partnership to learn more about ways to improve their wellbeing. It was great to see these students engaging confidently and positively with these themes.
Musical events continue to come thick and fast and I hope many of you will want to come to school between 5.30 and 9pm next Wednesday (26 June) to hear bands from Abingdon and other local schools performing in the open air on a stage in front of Big School. It should be a great night – our very own Glastonbury-style experience – and I hope you’ll be able to join us.
Best wishes, Mike Windsor
WHOLE SCHOOL
- Music:
- Reminder – Letter from Richard Stafford re Joint Choral Society’s Production of Handel’s Messiah
- Friday 21 June – Chapel Choir Practice. There will be a chapel choir rehearsal in St Michael’s Church from 4-6pm in preparation for the Leavers’ Service taking place on Saturday 22 June. Following this, there will be the Chapel Choir BBQ back at school.
- Wednesday 26 June – ABC – ‘Anything But Classical’. Do join us from 5.30pm on Wednesday 26 June as the finest of Abingdon’s bands will be performing throughout the course of the evening. The weather will be stunning, the refreshments sublime and the music, scintillating. Not one to be missed!
- Friday 28 June – Summer Concert. Our final concert of the year brings together all the larger ensembles in a celebration of Film Music. With accompanying cinematic footage as all ensembles play, this will be an audio-visual concert for all. Tickets can be booked at the usual place: https://www.abingdon.org.uk/sports-and-leisure/performance/summer-concert-a-night-at-the-movies/
- See other upcoming Music Events
- ASMS – The Abingdon School Music Society are a parental body who support the events and continued development of the Music Department. Any parent who might be interested in joining the committee is very welcome to get in touch with either Director of Music, Richard Stafford (richard.stafford@abingdon.
org.uk) or Tamsin Keene (Chair) to discuss the various roles. The committee meets once a term whilst members support an array of events throughout the year. On Thursday 12 September at 7pm, the AGM for ASMS will take place and all are invited to join in person in the Music School or via zoom at 7pm. A link will be sent out at the start of next term.
- Reminder: Henley Royal Regatta – Friday 5 July 2024
- Current and former parents, staff, and governors, are invited to join OAs for the OA Club’s strawberries and Pimm’s event at the Friends of Abingdon School Boat Club marquee in Henley Cricket Club car park during the afternoon tea interval (usually between 4pm and 5pm) on Friday 5 July 2024. No RSVP required.
- Reminder – ASPA AGM: Monday 24 June 7.30pm in the Pavilion
- The ASPA AGM is being held on Monday evening in the new Pavilion dining facility and all parents are welcome to attend. The Association needs volunteers for the roles of Chair and Treasurer. If anyone would like to put themselves forward for these roles please e-mail [email protected]
- OX14 Learning Partnership Upcoming Events
- News from the week
- Food menu for the following week – Week 1
- School calendar
- Second Hand Uniform Shop (SUS) opening dates for the following week: Saturday 22 & Wednesday 26 June
- Weekly mailing archive
- Box Office:
- Mostly Books are kindly offering the Abingdon School community a 10% discount on their upcoming events. Please use the following discounts when booking online:
- See other upcoming Box Office events
