Working together
From the Headmaster’s Desk: 27 January 2023
Mr Hammond
Headmaster
Challenging days and important days are not always the same thing.
Singing happy birthday to the children in assembly is important, but is only challenging if one is not confident musically. International Day of Commemoration (today) in memory of the victims of the Holocaust, is an important day for a number of reasons (lest we forget), and will be challenging for some families. If a pupil cannot remember the dates in a History examination or the correct spelling of accommodation, it is a challenge but of little import – we must all learn from our mistakes.
A fire that makes the national news must be important, and it has certainly been a challenging day for Reverend Harrison and her team at St Mark’s church in St. John’s Wood. The indirect impact of the fire on Abercorn’s operation was a relatively simple matter to sort, and our parents, staff and pupils have all been amazing in both terms of flexibility and understanding – thank you. However, what is more telling is the extent to which the community has already come together. Offers of help and support have flooded in, and Mthr Kate is very appreciative of the Abercorn community’s support. Sometimes, someone to talk to and a mug of hot chocolate is just what is needed. The smallest acts of kindness go a long way; for both children and adults.
St Mark’s has always supported Abercorn, and I was delighted that our Christmas Carol Concert was able to return to the church in December. The nineteenth-century building has also hosted our Spring Fayre in the past, and the School and APA were just putting in place initial plans for future events. By chance, I was the best man at St Mark’s when my very good friend and his wife married there several years ago and am aware of the importance it has had in the local area since it was built in 1847. I am confident that the church will be back stronger and Abercorn will do what we can to help.
As I said in my earlier letter to you all, although our immediate focus is on the welfare of Reverend Harrison and her team, alongside the Abercorn pupils, I have already been in discussions with the APA and Mrs Murray about how we can provide charitable support for St Mark’s in the future, and we will update you in due course. We are also very grateful for the work of the London Fire Brigade and the Police in making the area around the church and Lower School safe overnight and for their ongoing efforts today – it was amazing to witness how much we can achieve when we work together.
All the best for a relaxing weekend, Mr Hammond
To see how busy a place our wonderful School is and for a more detailed look into all things Abercorn, follow us on social media; Twitter, Instagram and Facebook offer a wide range of updates. My personal thoughts on educational life can be found @hammondteacher.
