Abingdonian 2020

48 The Abingdonian Lower School Assistants I still remember my first session with Lower School pupils when I had to step up, be more assertive, and organise an innovative game of table-tennis. Not a particularly creative person, I resorted to a simple tournament and managed to pump up their excitement through my ‘bribery’ of sweets every once in a while. The Lent Term saw me being in charge of organising debates for a group of 12 pupils. Items of confectionery once again became a highlight of the activity, but the boys were kept busy with a different set of debating questions each week that I had come up with after researching on the internet. It was great to see most, if not all, of the students being very enthusiastic during the sessions. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown in March, the activity sessions were cut short and it was not possible to see the boys in school for the whole of the Summer Term. In order for us to keep up some kind of relationship with the Lower School students, Mr Jenkins organised us to Zoom the respective tutor groups which we were assigned to at the beginning of the year each week. Quizzes became the new activity during Tuesday lunchtimes, but we also just had the chance to chat with the boys about how they were getting on with virtual schooling. Over the year it was rewarding to see most of the students adapt to their new school environment quickly, making friends and actively participating in the wide array of activities we organised. The switch to a new activity every six weeks meant that Lower School pupils could try out something new every once in a while, from debating to sports, from guitar playing to being an IT detective. I hope that our team of 24 Lower School Assistants have brought some excitement for first and second year students during their Tuesday lunchtimes and in their tutor periods. Finally, I would like to thank Mr Jenkins and Mr Price for giving me the opportunity to step up and become a leading figure and hopefully, a helping hand for the Lower School pupils. I wish all of the boys the very best as they progress through their years at Abingdon. Andreas Lo, 6BDS Being a Lower School Assistant was without a doubt one of the most formative experiences I have been able to undertake during my time at Abingdon School. To start, the opportunity to write your own application and then have an interview was incredibly helpful and instructive, particularly when it comes to applying for university or entering the world of work later on in life. Helping out in the Lower School is also the first time that many of us are ever put in a position of real responsibility and are looked up to by other members of the student body. Though perhaps daunting at first, one quickly learns the vital skill of effective organisation and soon comes to grips with running activities and programmes that keep others engaged and interested. I myself have found that the lessons learnt during my time as a Lower School Assistant have helped in several