Game changer
From the Headmaster’s Desk: 29th September 2023
Mr Hammond
Headmaster
Change is good. It is healthy.
Who is the greatest basketball player of all time? Most will settle on (in chronological, and not talent, order) Jordan, Bryant or James. Steph Curry might get a mention in a top 10 perhaps, but the sportsman once described as “too skinny” and “lacking athletic ability” has changed the way the game is played. Since Curry was drafted into the NBA in 2009, the average basketball jump shot distance has increased from 19 feet to 24 feet. Nowadays, the team that scores the most three-pointers usually wins the game; something nobody would have predicted a few decades ago. Even when things look set, change is possible.
There is a changing of the guard each September at Abercorn, as we award new positions of responsibility and it was a privilege to be present at our Senior School Prefect, Head Boy and Head Girl hustings today. Simply putting one’s hat in the ring for an election and standing up to speak in front of your peers takes both courage and skill. The speeches were all distinctly different and reflected the personality of the candidates. The ballot box is safely locked in my office, awaiting the count – I look forward to working with whoever is successful, but would remind all Abercorn pupils (from Nursery up) that I will always respond to handwritten letters of suggestion – there is a chess set and tournament clock sitting in the Senior Library as proof.
Letters, words and sentences were in proliferation in the Senior Theatre earlier this week, as the Senior Book Fayre rolled into school. Always a tremendous success, the Lower School edition will follow next week. I have seen more trends come (be banned in schools) and go than I can count; mini flip boards, fidget spinners, various trading cards, but books and reading are a constant. We should all be reading a few pages a day, even if it is Peepo!, by Janet and Allan Ahlberg… I shall get to The Hobbit at some point.
Not that this letter is intended to be a Safeguarding noticeboard, but following my piece on the Online Safety Bill last week, the subject of the Roblox game Piggy has come to the fore (driven by a best-selling book at the Book Fayre). If your child plays Roblox, please could families check which subgames they are playing and any communities they are members of, to check they are suitable? Piggy, for example, is a horror game recommended for children of 9 and above only, where your character is beaten (to be frank) to death if they are caught by the titular porcine character:
To balance things up and prove the Internet is not always a concerning place – happy 25th birthday to Google. I remember when Yahoo! was the predominant search engine on the planet!
Next week will be as busy as usual, but please see my separate letter about the disruption caused by the rail and tube strikes on Wednesday 4th and Friday 6th October. Abercorn is committed to remaining open in all circumstances, so thank you for your understanding and flexibility on such days.
All the best for a wonderful weekend, Sukkot abounds this weekend, with the Prophet Muhammad’s birthday Wednesday past (a busy time for people of different faiths!)
If you would like to read the full article about Steph Curry’s impact on the NBA, you can find the full article here.
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.
