8 January 2023 Abingdon News Agape, our partner charity in Moldova, has continued to make good use of the funds Abingdon pupils raised in 2021 through our sponsored walk. At the start of the new academic year, Agape offered school supplies to children from 25 families in the villages of Zîmbreni and Văsieni to ensure that they have all the equipment they need for their studies and has also donated 5 multifunctional printers to 3 schools in Ialoveni. The Headteacher of Petre Stefanuca School in Ialoveni has sent this message to the Abingdon community: “Thank you for all the support offered. We know that we can count on this help from you and this increases the confidence that we will succeed, and that we will face the challenges in this period of great crisis.” The ongoing conflict in Ukraine and very big increases in fuel costs mean that the winter months are going to be particularly challenging in Moldova this year, but Agape is committed to making a difference to as many poor families as possible. Food donations have been made to a primary school in Ialoveni to help them provide lunch for their students; whilst food, hygiene products and other consumables have been delivered to the “Victory” Centre in Chisinau, which offers social-educational services for children from Moldova and refugees from Ukraine. Lending a helping hand Marking Black History Month Four of our Lower School students worked together to research and create a colourful display to mark Black History Month. Each student chose a young black person who has brought about change in response to racism. They created colourful and informative biographies which are on display. Kwame Abayateye lent us some beautiful kente items from Ghana which have made our display additionally vibrant. The Classics annual dinner took place on 30 September with current Abingdon Classicists, 20 OA Classicists and 3 former members of the Classics department, coming together to hear a lecture by Dr Andrew Sillett of St Hilda’s, Oxford, and to enjoy supper together afterwards. Dr Sillett’s talk on how Cicero used humour to undermine Julius Caesar’s dictatorship was particularly well-received for his engaging descriptions of some of the more intellectual Classical authors like Quintillian and Macrobius, and for his great reveal of the funniest joke of the late Roman Republican period (by Cicero, who we learned was, in fact, a hilarious wit!). The ancient use of humour against a tyrant was brought into modern times, as Dr Sillett gave examples of comedy used currently in Russia and how this was posing a dilemma for Putin. Rarely has there been so much laughter during a lecture on the ancient world! The dinner afterwards provided OAs with the opportunity to catch-up - both with each other and with staff, and to offer their pearls of wisdom to current 6th Formers. It was also a chance to see 4 current or former Heads of Classics together (Munna Mitra, Jenny Fishpool, Chris Burnand and Hugh Price). Cicero and humour
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