www.abingdon.org.uk 5 Abingdon News Crowning glory Ahead of the Coronation day celebrations, Abingdon art students designed and built their own crowns which were displayed for a special one day exhibition at School on 3 May. Whilst many of the designs were inspired by King Charles himself, others were influenced by celebrities or the personal heroes of the students. This resulted in the use of a wide variety of exciting material including wire, card and upcycled objects, many of which were then spray painted or embellished further with metallic colours and jewels. Mr Williamson, Head of Art, was particularly impressed by the students’ work and creativity. Well done to everyone who took part and particular congratulations to the overall winners Kwame in 2nd Year and 1st Year Akram. Three RAF cadets from the CCF had the opportunity to go gliding at RAF Little Rissington in April. Though perhaps a little nervous before launch, all had a fantastic time and are looking forward to the next opportunity. On 27 April, the Classics Department welcomed bestselling author Ben Kane to deliver 3 talks enjoyed by 300 students. Well-researched historical fiction is a good place to inspire a love of a civilization, and for the Roman army, Ben Kane is one of the leading names; having published 14 historical novels set in the Roman world and travelled the Mediterranean (and beyond) to walk in the footsteps of the Roman army. An authority on replica Roman equipment with an impressive collection, including armour, swords, pendants, water flasks and purses, which he brought along and displayed on the day bringing his talks to life. Some students were even lucky enough to try on the heavy chain mail (weighing nearly 10kg) and helmet, heightening their admiration for the daily marching distances recorded by the Roman troops. GCSE Ancient Historians learned about the Roman army during the Punic Wars, 3rd Year Ancient Historians discovered the harsh realities of serving in the Roman army during their occupation of Britain; and Lower School realised just how much the Roman army changed over the centuries. The number of questions (and book sales) at the end of each of Ben’s talks testify to the enthusiasm he was able to generate in the students. Ben Kane visits school How to argue Lower School pupils benefited from a public speaking workshop in June, thanks to a donation from SUS. Run by oracy trainers from the English Speaking Union, the workshop began with confidence building sessions; an understanding of how to formulate a structured argument; and how to use verbal and non-verbal techniques. Then, the pupils worked in groups to create a pitch to sell a summer holiday; as well as having to use persuasive language to convince someone to try a new food. The day culminated in everyone writing a speech to get themselves elected to the School Council in which they had to develop a powerful and convincing argument for the changes that they would bring about. The sky’s the limit!
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