APS News 30

2 Abingdon Prep • April 2022 It is sometimes not until you are able to sit down after term has ended and reflect on the past few months that you realise quite how much has been accomplished. Simply by reading our APS News, I hope that you too will be able to see how much our children have been involved with at school and how much they have achieved. Two real highlights for me this term were our Junior and Senior section productions. These were the first full scale productions that we have been able to perform to live audiences for two years. Both ‘Eddie The Penguin Saves The World’ and ‘Aladdin’ were simply brilliant and hugely enjoyed by the children and parents alike. The sense of pride from the children at the end of the performances was palpable and I know that many of them are keen to take on larger roles next year. I was hugely impressed with the number of successful entries we had in the Young Art Oxford competition this year. Thirty-seven of our children have been selected to have their work displayed at the Ashmolean in May which is a record number for APS. On the sports field there has also been great success with our U10A and U11A football teams both having unbeaten seasons and our U11 cross country team have been crowned National Prep Schools Cross Country champions again. However, it is equally important to us that all of the boys in Years 3-8 have represented the school in matches this term too. At the end of term, our Pre-Prep got to go on their Easter Egg Hunt and despite the Easter Bunny not being able to stay for the hunt itself this year, there were still plenty of chocolate eggs hidden all around the playground for them to find. Our building project continues apace and the new facilities are really starting to take shape. By the time the children return for the Summer Term, the scaffolding may well be down and the new library space will be visible through the newly installed glass doors and windows. It is fascinating to see all the work coming together and I am incredibly excited about the further opportunities these facilities will bring to APS. Best wishes Craig FROM THE HEADMASTER The Headmaster, Craig Williams, reflects on a busy term at Abingdon Prep. NEWS UKRAINE APPEAL As the crisis in Ukraine unfolded, our School community was looking for ways in which we could help. Several of our parents set up a local initiative to collect and transport humanitarian aid to the Ukrainians. The response to a request for donations was overwhelming with pupils, parents and staff giving bedding, toiletries and medical equipment in abundance. Two 20 tonne lorries, loaded with our donations, have already been delivered to Lviv and to hospitals in Kharkiv and Kherson. Thank you. The pancake flipping competition put Shrove Tuesday into the Easter timeline in assembly. THE LIBRARY IN PROGRESS