This week's mailing is:
Notices:
Traffic Disruption in Park Road: Victoria Road gate
The essential gas mains replacement by S.G.N. continues. The Victoria Road gate (near the west end of Park Road) is now due to be closed for the next five weeks. Access will be via the Conduit Road gate. Apologies for the inconvenience.
Third Year PSHCE lessons
Wednesday 23 May sees the annual Sex and Relationship Education morning for boys in the Third Year. This year we have a visit from Loudmouth Theatre Company who will present their acclaimed project “Working for Marcus”. Sexual exploitation and sexual grooming are serious and important issues for schools to address. “Working for Marcus” has been used in schools to raise awareness of child sexual exploitation and to train professionals since 1998. Due to a recent rise in interest in this work and growing concerns about the issues from schools particularly in online safety, Loudmouth have updated this powerful programme to include new research into exploitation through social media, gangs and violence against women and girls and boys. The new version builds on the detailed research and consultation of the original to help young people to gain a deeper understanding of the grooming process and potential risks. In addition, the boys will attend workshops on STIs and contraception and men's health issues from registered healthcare practitioners. If you have any questions about the morning, please email Ben Phillips, Head of Personal Development Education at [email protected].
Sixth Form Subject Choices
Many sets for next year’s lower sixth are now at levels that we would consider to be ‘full’. Any boy who wishes to apply for a change in his subject choice should contact the Curriculum Director, Oliver Lomax, as soon as possible by email. Although we will always do our best to be accommodating, we do have to stress that changes may not be possible at this stage in particular subjects and it is certainly the case that the earlier we receive a request the greater likelihood there is of us being able to satisfy it.
U6th Form Revision Leave
The Upper Sixth go on revision leave on Friday 18 May. Revision leave arrangements for U6th boys before Half Term are as follows:
Boys with a public examination in an afternoon may take the whole morning of that day as revision leave. They do not have to come into school until the time of their exam but if they choose to be on school premises during morning lesson times they should be in the Westridge Room/Library or, if a boarder, in their House. Boys with a public examination in the morning of a particular day are expected to attend all of the previous day’s lessons & Other Half activities (i.e. no additional revision leave is granted for morning exams). It is always our advice that boys should think very carefully about taking additional revision leave outside of the designated periods – you may be missing important revision in the lessons you do not attend. Good manners should always prompt you to let the teacher(s) whose lesson(s) you are missing know of your planned absence. Any boy who wishes to withdraw from a unit he no longer wants to sit should let Rebecca Cottam, the Exams Officer, know immediately. Simply not turning up causes unnecessary alarm and ties up staff time trying to track you down.
Career Myth Busters Needed!
Abingdon's Career Guidance Office is hosting a 'Career Truths and Myths' event 6 -7.30pm on Wednesday 20 June at Abingdon. Parent volunteers are needed to affirm some truths and bust some myths for 4th Year students before they choose A Levels next year. If you work in Engineering, Financial Services, Government, Healthcare, IT, Law, Marketing, Media & Entertainment, Property, or Scientific Research, and would like to volunteer, email Michael Triff, Head of Career Guidance, at [email protected].
Music
Solo Concert Platform No 5 – Wednesday 16 May at 6pm in the CMR. Please do come and hear our young soloists in the last concert platform of the academic year. Admission is free!
Parking on Saturdays
Parents are asked to avoid parking across the cycle lanes on Faringdon Road by the coach park. Please use the main School car park on Park Road and walk to the relevant pitch, if there is not space in the coach park.
Book Collection
As previously advertised, the final deadline for 5th and U6th book returns will be Saturday 30 June. Books not returned by that date will be charged to bills. Many departments will already have made clear to the boys the occasions on which they can return books and it would be sensible for boys 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. Much unnecessary chasing and unwanted charging of extras to bills can be avoided by boys being properly organised. It is often not possible to waive charges for books returned after the deadline as Heads of Department will spend part of the week of term ordering the necessary texts for the new school year.
