Message from the Headmaster
Dear Parents
Our focus around school this week has been on the environment as we have marked our annual Eco Week with a variety of activities, such as presentations in tutor groups and assemblies and litter picks. I am delighted that this evening we will be welcoming David Johnston, MP for Wantage and Didcot, so that he can listen to and respond to a manifesto for sustainability that was drawn up by students from Abingdon and other schools in the OX14 Learning Partnership earlier this week. We will also welcome Marcus Gover, CEO of WRAP (the Waste and Resources Action Programme) and look forward to his input.
It has been fantastic to see our students engaging energetically and thoughtfully with the challenges of climate change and sustainability. I’m grateful to Mr Gray and to Ms Spurling-Holt for their leadership of the Eco Week initiative.
Best wishes, Mike Windsor
UPPER SCHOOL
- Lower Sixth letter to parents on advice on absence for (in person) university open days
- Mental health awareness week letter
- Book Collection. The final deadline for 5th and U6th book returns will be Saturday 25 June (Prize Giving). Books not returned by that date will be charged to bills. Many departments will already have made clear to their students how and when to return books and it would be sensible for pupils to plan to bring in any remaining loan texts on the day of their final public exam to save having to make a special trip. Books must be returned to the relevant departments and not, for example, simply left somewhere on site in the hope that someone else will get them back to their rightful homes. Much unnecessary chasing and unwanted charging of extras to bills can be avoided by students being properly organised. Please note in particular that it is usually not possible to waive charges for books returned after the deadline as Heads of Department will spend part of the final weeks of term ordering replacements for missing text books for the new school year and the money will therefore already have been committed.
MIDDLE SCHOOL
- Mental health awareness week letter
- Book Collection. The final deadline for 5th and U6th book returns will be Saturday 25 June (Prize Giving). Books not returned by that date will be charged to bills. Many departments will already have made clear to their students how and when to return books and it would be sensible for pupils to plan to bring in any remaining loan texts on the day of their final public exam to save having to make a special trip. Books must be returned to the relevant departments and not, for example, simply left somewhere on site in the hope that someone else will get them back to their rightful homes. Much unnecessary chasing and unwanted charging of extras to bills can be avoided by students being properly organised. Please note in particular that it is usually not possible to waive charges for books returned after the deadline as Heads of Department will spend part of the final weeks of term ordering replacements for missing text books for the new school year and the money will therefore already have been committed.
- 5th year subject clinics and supervised study. As in previous exam years, though formal lessons end for 5th year students when they go on Study Leave at 5.20pm on Tuesday 10 May, we offer them a programme of subject clinics and supervised silent study rooms (click link) for the three weeks up to half term. All 5th year students received this programme this week via email. Some notes for parents:
- The scheme is voluntary – pupils may spend all their study leave elsewhere if they choose.
- If they take advantage of the programme, they need to be in school uniform when on site and, during lesson times, in either a designated clinic or supervised study space. They may take lunch in school as usual.
- Though there are some specific Zoom clinic sessions offered, the majority of them are ‘in person’. Teachers will open up their Zoom Rooms so those who really cannot be in school in person but want to attend the clinic anyway will at least get something out of the session. However, this is likely to be much less satisfactory than actually being in school.
LOWER SCHOOL
WHOLE SCHOOL
- Music – no new additions. See other upcoming Music events.
- OX14 Learning Partnership Upcoming Events – new additions: Climate change talk at Radley – new date of Monday 9 May (postponed from February).
- News from the week
- Food menu for the coming week – Week 3
- School calendar
- Weekly mailing archive
- Box Office – no new additions. See other upcoming Box Office events.
- Summer courses and holiday camps are now available to book – 10% early bird discounts. We are pleased to inform parents and pupils that we are running a variety of high quality courses and holiday camps during the summer months that we hope will be of interest to you and your friends. This includes:
- Rugby Skills Camp (ages 12-16 years);
- Football Skills Camp (ages 11-14 years);
- Hockey Skills Camp (ages 11-14 years);
- Multi Sport Camp (ages 11-12 years);
- High Performance Rugby, Athletics and Wellness Camp (ages 8-15 years);
- Design and Technology Workshop (ages 11-12 years)
- We are offering a 10% early bird discount for select camps, which can be redeemed if booked before 30 June 2022. An information e-poster is linked to each camp. Please note, all of these holiday camps can be booked directly through the Abingdon Sports and Leisure website. Childcare vouchers are accepted as payment.
