Easter Aspire 2016

India 2016….P.03

Spring clean at All Hallows….p.06 Reconciliation Service…. p.07 All Hallows makes a pledge….P.09 Local Career Fair….P.09 “Question Time” With Mr David Rutley Local MP….p.11 James Musgrave….p.13 Science Week….p.14

Upcycling Competition….P.15 Easter Market….P.16 Time 2 Change….P.17 PTA Ice Skating….P.19 The University Life....P.20 Paris Trip….P.21 Edge Hill University...P.22 German Exchange Part 2….P.23 Performing Arts Showcase…P.25 Halle for Youth….P.26 Music Workshop….P.26 Blood Brothers….P.27 All Hallows Against Bullying...P.29 Pi Day….p.30 Creator of Wereworld inspires young readers…p.31

BBC Reports live from All Hallows….P.33 All Hallows staff show real character—Again!….P.34 Recommended Reads….P.35 All Hallows success has the Gift of the Gab….p.37 AHLC Sports tournament….p.39 Cheshire Winter Games….p.41 Prayer...p.42

INDIA 2016

In February 2016 I was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel to South India with staff and students of All Hallows College. It was a wonderful journey, both emotional and inspiring.

My Aunty Peggy, Margaret Frost, otherwise known as Sister Marie Louise, died last year aged 95. She had spent most of her working life in South India and the trip was presented to me as an opportunity to see some of the good work my Aunt was involved in.

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She had left Ireland when she finished her schooling to join the Presentation Sisters and within 12 months, she was sailing to India. She spent two and a half years at Kodaikanal as a noviciate before moving to Madras (now Chennai) to train as a nurse for 4 years at the Government General Hospital. At this time India was still under British rule and it remained so until 1947. After qualifying as a nurse she did 6 months midwifery, which at this time required Papal dispensation. Finally she arrived in Theni, then a small town on the western plains of Tamil Nadu, below the Kodaikanal hills. Theni was her vocation. A Convent, a school and a small ‘mission’ hospital, the Holy Redeemer Hospital, had been opened there by the Presentation Sisters in 1937, with the addition of a maternity unit in 1939. When Marie Louise arrived in 1944, the maternity numbers were rapidly growing. The Sisters also treated the lepers and the most neglected Kahalar, Irula and Dalits tribes who were considered ‘untouchable’ by other institutions.

Marie Louise eventually became the Administrator of the growing hospital and secured funding for a new twostorey wing that opened in 1974. By 1971 Marie Louise had recruited the young Dr Rajapushpam to work at Theni and she assisted her in the first Caesarean in the same year. This was groundbreaking work; before this, expectant mothers had to travel 50 miles to Madurai for the operation, a journey that could be and sometimes was fatal. Dr Rajapushpam later entered the Convent and is still a

very popular full-time doctor at Theni.

We all had the pleasure of meeting her and I think of her as ‘Marie Louise 2’!

Today Dr Sr Rajapushpam also has a weekly clinic at Manalathu Kudisai, near Varasanadu, the clinic that has been transformed by the enthusiasm, fundraising and generosity of time of staff and students at All Hallows College.

It’s less than a year since I heard of All Hallows College and I was amazed then at what had already been achieved at this village by the College. Travelling with the staff and students further increased my respect for their commitment to help people to improve their lives. I consider myself so fortunate to have had the opportunity to visit Theni but also very privileged to share my Aunt’s story with such easy travelling companions. I have seen Theni and Tamil Nadu not just through my eyes but through young people’s eyes. We have met so many wonderful people along the way.

We have been overwhelmed by the hospitality of the Presentation Sisters at Chennai, Theni and Kodaikanal and what a pleasure it has been to spend time with them. We have been equally overwhelmed by all the good work they are doing in these communities. We have been welcomed by Tamil Nadu schools and English speaking schools, watched the concerts put on in our honour and seen the pleasure on the children’s faces.

We visited the community centres established to provide education and skills-based training to members of the community, especially women, and the tailor’s shop at Church Park, Chennai, where the men are employed to make the school uniforms. We have struggled emotionally with visits to orphanages, the Jeevan Jyothi HIV Hospice also run by the Presentation Sisters, and Brother James’ orphanage village. All these places do tremendous good work. I have been so impressed at the maturity of the students 04 when faced with

these heart wrenching situations.

I’ve witnessed the girls’ enthusiasm for shopping and bargaining together with the boys’ enthusiasm for mobile phone shops! It has been a pleasure to see the students socialising with the Sisters at the convents and the children and young adults we have met at various schools and institutions.

I couldn’t have chosen better travelling companions! I thank you all.

I don’t think it would be possible to travel through Tamil Nadu and just consider it a holiday.

South India affects you and, several weeks on, my head is still full of it. I think about the kindness of the Sisters and the changes they have made. I see smiling Indian faces, even those who are suffering and deprived.

I smile when I think of Sr Cecilia in Chennai, her liveliness and enthusiasm. I have fond memories of the overnight train and still wonder at the ability of people to eat curry for breakfast, dinner and tea!

interpreter and speak to her patients But most of all I think of my Aunty, first-hand. She left a huge legacy at leaving Ireland and making the long sea Theni and when Aunty Peggy voyage in 1938; arriving in a very hot eventually returned to the UK she left climate wearing warm weather clothing, Dr Sr Rajapushpam to continue that the thick black habits with scapular and legacy. The hospital couldn’t be in better cowl that the Sisters wore at this time. hands. I will return to Tamil Nadu and, How glad they must have been when because of this journey I am, like All white habits were introduced in the mid- Hallows College, committed to helping 1940s. She came as a missionary, never people there to change their lives. expecting to return to her family, and indeed she didn’t come back to Ireland Pat Frost until the mid-1950s. I think of how she learned Tamil Nadu so that she could dispense with an 05

SPRING CLEAN AT ALL HALLOWS

The College Council was pleased to put the value “Stewardship� into action and arrange the first of its Spring Clean Litter Picks on 1 March.

Students from the College Council joined with volunteers and picked up litter across the College site. We applied for new equipment through a national litter campaign and were delighted to receive packs of litter picks, hoops, bags and high visibility vests. We have enough volunteer names to repeat the litter pick several more times over the Spring. The students were a credit and worked very hard. They deserved their free hot chocolate drink after their efforts.

The College Council worked hard to organise this event and have helped promote the message to keep All Hallows tidy.

Mr M Blades Assistant Principal

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RECONCILIATION SERVICE We are very blessed at All Hallows to be able to offer the Sacrament of Reconciliation to every student and member of staff, thanks only to the support of our dedicated local Parish priests. On Maundy Thursday, just as we approached the evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper and the beginning of the Easter Triduum, Fathers Peter Burke and Paschal Ihesiaba of St. Alban’s, Fr Francis Mageean of St. Gregory’s and Fr Roman of the Salesian Community at Savio House were able to minister the Sacrament at all three services over the course of the day.

We were led at the beginning of each service by the angelic singing of the choir of ‘Father I have sinned’ by CJM, followed by the opportunity to consider why we need God’s grace and mercy. The Year 10 drama group, led by Ms Pridding, brought home the issue of how we can all too easily be drawn in to putting others down, and yet all it takes is for one person to stand up against the hurt to bring about reconciliation.

Following the opportunity to reflect on our actions and an examination of conscience, Sister Susan asked us to consider how we may have caused hurt to others, even to the point of tears. Recalling the story of Jesus at the Wedding of Cana, we were invited to write one thing on a paper teardrop

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which after receiving the Sacrament or a blessing, we dropped in to a stone jar, symbolically giving it to God. Whilst we focussed on the Stations of the Cross and prayers for those in need, the Choir, led by Mr Andrews, drew us in to a peaceful reflection which focused on the power of forgiveness to change lives and to bring about peace.

Finally, to the singing of ‘You raise me up’, Rev. Harrison invited everyone to enter out through the ‘Holy Door’, newly constructed for the Jubilee Year of Mercy, as we recalled Pope Francis’ words, “When we go through the Holy Door, it is good to remember that we must also open wide the door of our hearts, and ask, ‘Lord, help me to open the door of my heart and let Christ enter in!”

Rev D Harrison AHLC Chaplain

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ALL HALLOWS STUDENTS MAKE A "PLEDGE" This academic year students in Year 10 and Year 11 were given the opportunity to become involved in the Macclesfield Pledge. This initiative was set up by Macclesfield Chamber of Commerce and enabled students to develop employability related skills and personal qualities whilst in education that will help them with their choice of career, training or further education when they leave College. The Macclesfield Pledge is based on a very successful version in Crewe.

The Chamber of Commerce has worked with 22 students in total on a variety of activities this year. These included: - meeting providers of local apprenticeships

We were delighted to offer all students the opportunity to attend a local careers fair at Macclesfield Town Hall.

Local Career Fa

This careers fair was organised by the Macclesfield Chamber of Commerce.

All local secondary schools and colleges were invited to send students and here at All Hallows we allocated places for all of our Year 10. We felt they would benefit from this experience at this stage in their education.

We hope this will be a regular event across Macclesfield and students in future will be able to attend when they too are in Year 10.

The Chamber of Commerce also used the event to launch the Macclesfield Pledge, a scheme that will forge closer links between young people and employers. All Hallows Catholic College is already involved in this initiative and we have over 20 students in Years 10 and 11 taking part in the various activities. The careers fair and the pledge help to develop young peoples’ employability skills as well as providing businesses with enthusiastic and innovative employees of the future. Over 50 local and national businesses attended the event. Workshops were also held throughout the afternoon on various topics including: - Going to university - CV and letter writing - Applying for apprenticeships The photograph shows Year 10 students and College Council members, Jessica Townley and Joshua Mock, representing All Hallows at the launch of the event at Macclesfield Town Hall.

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Mr M Blades Assistant Principal

- working alongside local business people on business challenges - having tours of Macclesfield College and Manchester Metropolitan University Students still have two sessions remaining this year and will graduate at the end of the programme and be able to refer to this experience in the future.

Pledge student Julia Domanska (Year 10) said "It has been excellent and I have enjoyed it. It has taught me about life at university and what employers are looking for".

Mr M Blades Assistant Principal

Fair

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“QUESTION TIME ” WITH MR DAVID RUTLEY MP Recently All Hallows Sixth Form students had the privilege of meeting with Macclesfield MP, David Rutley. As teenagers, with a genuine interest in politics and ethics, we were eager to question David’s political views and investigate whether or not his own religious views influenced his politics. The burning topic was of course the European referendum and how he intended to vote. However the process in which this was achieved was obviously very ‘democratic’ as students raised their hands to say whether or not they wished for Britain to stay in the European Union, leave or if they were undecided. Furthermore, David was bombarded with questions including: ‘How can we tackle the housing crisis?’ from Eddie Meehan to ‘Why are tuition fees so cripplingly high?’ from Niamh O’ Sullivan. ‘Why had he voted against Same Sex Marriage?’ Charlie Fox. This led to a robust discussion between the students, Mr Billings and our MP. At times when David was speaking, it felt as if we had been transported from All Hallows Catholic College to the House of Commons - especially since he spoke with such emotional conviction about his journey which took him from humble beginnings, to Harvard, to eventually becoming an MP. We questioned Mr Rutley about his position on faith schools in the light of the government agenda on Radicalisation and Extremism and at the end of the Q & A session, as students we were given the chance to inform David of the benefits of attending a faith school and the positive implications this has such as a sense of belonging- and in the words of Aidan Hughes: ‘Faith schools play a major role in moral and spiritual growth’.

To conclude however, we hope our 11

MP learnt as much about the political and ethical views of those in All Hallows as we did about the pressing political issues of the 21st century!

Emily Rafferty Year 12

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JAMES MUSGRAVE

Well done to James Musgrave from All Hallows Catholic College for achieving this prestigious award from the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG).

James Musgrave was amongst the students who are the highest scoring candidates in the GCSE Geography examinations.

The Society’s Excellence Awards recognise and celebrate the hard work and success of the students who achieve the highest marks in the GCSE, IGCSE, Level 1/Level 2 Certificate, A Level, International Baccalaureate and Pre-U geography examinations each year. Students from schools across England, Northern Ireland and Wales are eligible for the awards.

Steve Brace, the Society’s Head of Education and Outdoor Learning, said: “The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) is delighted to recognise the hard work and success of those students who achieved the highest marks nationally in the 2015 geography examinations.

The students who received these awards all demonstrated their excellent understanding of geography as a subject and how it can inform us about the world we live in. Their exceptional marks reflect both their ability as geographers and the high quality teaching that takes place in their schools.”

James Musgrave received a cash prize and certificate from the Society. for his GCSE exam taken last year.

Mrs M Garvey Assistant Principal

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Science Week

British Science Week is a celebration of science, technology, engineering and maths - featuring fascinating, entertaining and engaging events and activities across the UK for people of all ages. At All Hallows we wanted to celebrate the event by setting up our own Science Week, where all our students had an opportunity to get involved and see science from a different perspective.

Our Science Week celebrations ran from Mon 14th to Friday 18th March 2016, with other activities planned for the Summer term. We planned a whole host of activities for all our students both during, and after Science Week 2016.

Special lessons were introduced during Science Week for all year groups to allow students an opportunity to look at Science from a different perspectives as well as finding out about careers in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths).  Year 9 Triple Science students visited the Big Bang Fair

in Birmingham on Friday 18th March.  Triple Year 10 students attended a presentation from a

scientist from Astra Zeneca on Wednesday 16th March.  Year 8 students visited Vauxhall plant at Ellesmere

Port on a project called “Inside Manufacturing” on Thursday March 17th. * Our Year 7 & 8 Science club celebrated Science Week with “Demo Day” Science activities where they fully supported a campaign to encourage practical demonstrations carried out in schools. Year 7 will be getting ready for a demonstration from

Spark in the Summer term, where they will experience a thrilling fire display. * A selection of Year 9 students will be preparing for a visit from HS2 later on in the year, where they will get to be involved in a hands on workshop putting engineering skills into practice.  Our Year 7-9 groups all took part in designing a poster

competition on the theme of Space for Science: Science in Spaces.

Science is fully alive and in action at All Hallows Catholic College!

Ms C McVeigh Head of Science Faculty 14

UPCYCLING COMPETITION

All of Year 7 were asked to create something from recycled materials. I made a metal butterfly for the College competition and won first place out of the year. My metal butterfly was made from tin cans, a rusty spring, a wooden chair leg and some bits of old scrap metal that I found in the garage.

My inspiration came from scrap metal ornaments that I had bought in Cuba because making them provides the artists with money to live, as they are so poor, they cannot afford to buy new materials and so use recycled materials.

After that I was entered into another competition, that is run by Lucinda Hodges, with other Year 7 students which was about upcycling which is something out of used items. We went to an exhibition and prize giving ceremony at Congleton Town Hall. Myself and two other people from All Hallows won an award each. From this competition a website called Preloved chose four pieces of work to be judged by the public. Three out of the four places were taken up by All Hallows. I won the final Competition with around 222 votes. Thank you to all voted for me and the other amazing All Hallows entries.

Elizabeth Summers - Student 15

THE OTHER ENTRIES

EASTER MARKET

Business and Enterprise students in Years 7 and 8 have again celebrated the conclusion of 'The Stalls Project' with an Easter Fair selling batches of 'Easter themed items '. Students started their projects soon after Christmas, first conducting primary research to determine their target group and then setting to work designing products suitable for batch production. Products included egg candles, decorative balls, hand-made Easter gifts, a whole range of 'chocolate based products' and many more. In the classroom students worked out their material and equipment costs before determining the best pricing strategy for their products. This was followed by them developing marketing strategies based on elements of the promotional mix. The eagerly awaited Easter Fair finally took place on 21 and 22 March with students queuing up in spring sunshine to buy from The Stalls. Some students had carefully selected 'direct selling' techniques to attract customers to their stalls, whilst others had promoted their businesses in the lead up to Easter. With 50% of all profits going to The India Clinic Appeal, The College's second Easter Fair turned out to be a great success!

Mrs J Lynch—BITE Faculty Leader

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TIME 2 CHANGE The final round of The Time 2 Change Competition 2016 was celebrated in The Romero Centre at All Hallows on 3 March 2016 with 6 local primary schools sending their own winning teams to compete for The Overall Winner 2016, Runner Up 2016 and Best Folder 2016.

The challenge set was to create and design a 'Robot' to support Fairtrade farmers for a named foreign country that was fit for purpose taking into account terrain, climate etc. Teams had to purchase resources and materials using the appropriate foreign language, design a logo for The Robot incorporating The FAIRTRADE sign and create a 'catch phrase' for The Robot to help promote Fairtrade. With each team working on a different country, pupils came up with some fantastic designs. Judge Aimee Baker had a difficult job choosing a winner as the standard was so high across all the schools that took part. Aimee is a Freelance Project Manager with seven years experience in large scale events. She judged the competition as part of a 3 day visit to All Hallows.

In the end, after presentations from each team, The 'Overall Winner Award' for 2016 went to St Gregory's, with Hollinhey, coming in as 'Runners Up' and The 'Best Team Folder Award' went to St Mary's, Congleton. The Awards were presented by Hannah Bristow (Y13 student at All Hallows), now Double World Champion Yacht Sailor and 'top female sailor' nationally. She is currently preparing for the next Olympic Games. As an added bonus, the competition, which started back in September 2015 raised almost ÂŁ1,000 for more than 10 different charities. This year fourteen Year 12 BTEC Business students from All Hallows who judged the first round of the competition out in primary schools acted as event organisers for the Final Celebration Day. The whole process of planning the event is integrated into their Level BTEC Business course to allow them to achieve a unit called 'Organising a Business Event'.

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They did a fantastic job throughout the planning stages and on the day itself, gaining excellent feedback from the competitors and visiting Primary Headteachers and staff who turned up to the event to watch the final presentations. Their roles included choosing a venue, health and safety checks, catering, resource management and marketing. Congratulations to all students involved. Now an annual feature of the schools' calendars, staff and students alike are already looking forward to next years event.

Mrs J Lynch Head of Businesses, IT and Enterprise.

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PTA ice skating "All Hallows Students get their skates on!!"

Staff and students in Years 7-10 enjoyed a reward trip to Blades Ice Rink in Altrincham.

The trip had been organised by Mrs Heaton who runs the PTA, so that children can take part in fun activities with their school friends. The trip was a real success and the children were brilliant, some even perfecting skating backwards!!

Mrs Heaton and the PTA are planning lots more exciting trips with another one to follow on Saturday 25th June. Details to be released soon.

The PTA work hard to raise funds for our College and to subsidise the price of our reward trips so that they are more accessible for families. If you would like to join the PTA or make any suggestions about future events please email Mrs Heaton on a.heaton@allhallows.org.uk Mrs A Heaton

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Paris ParisTrip Trip

Pendant les vacances, nous sommes allés à Paris pendant six jours.

Le premier jour, nous sommes voyagé en ferry et en car. Après être arrivé, nous avons visité Notre Dame.

C'était très belle.

Le deuxième jour, nous avons visité le château de Versailles et on a voyagé sur la Seine. Les vues étaient fantastiques.

Le troisième jour, nous avons visité Le Louvre. Les œuvres d'art étaient intéressantes. Ensuite, nous avons mangé des macarons. Ils étaient délicieux.

Le quatrième jour, nous avons visité Disneyland. Ce que nous avons aimé le plus était monter les montagnes russes parce qu'elles sont amusantes.

Le cinquième jour, nous avons visité le Musée d’Orsay et le Sacré Cœur. Cependant, la meilleure partie était visiter un bar à karaoké. Tout le monde, y compris les profs, a chanté très fort !

Le sixième jour, nous avons traversé la Manche pour retourner chez nous. Paris était géniale, et elle nous manquera !

Josh Mock

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THE UNIVERSITY LIFE

During Deep Learning Week, the Maths department took all of Year 7 to the University of Manchester for a day of Mathematical activities focussed on literacy.

We wanted the students to experience some maths that they had not seen before and to be able to make cross-curricula links with other subjects, especially English.

On Friday 18th March Year 7 went on a trip to the University of Manchester along with some of the maths teachers. The students got split into groups of 40-50 into 4 different rooms where there were 4 different activities for the groups to complete. The activities were hosted by the current Mathematics PGCE students from the University.

The tasks varied from solving real life problems to murder mystery maths where students utilised their investigative skills. The main aim of the tasks were for students to use Maths with English and to be able to articulate their answers and to use good English when answering questions. The activities were Mathematical in nature but had a fun aspect to them. The students were engaged with the tasks and really enjoyed themselves.

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Dr Rosa Archer, Team Leader for the Post Graduate teacher training course, also

commented on the day the Year 7 students spent at the University: 'The day was a big success and I am writing to congratulate the children (and their teachers) for their impeccable behaviour. They all got stuck into the activities with enthusiasm and I feel they gained a lot from the day. It was refreshing to see how many potentially good mathematicians you have at All Hallows.' Thanks were also expressed to Mr Slobodian for 'organising such a big and impressive event.'

The maths department were extremely pleased with how the day went and were very impressed with how involved the students were. They are a credit to All Hallows Catholic College.

Well done year 7!

Ms S Akhtar Trainee Maths Teacher

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GERMAN EXCHANGE German Exchange part 2: ab nach Köln!

In February half-term 8 German students, accompanied by Miss Easter and Mrs Marshall, boarded a plane to Cologne to spend a week with their exchange partners. Here’s how they described their experiences:

Zuzanna Kowalczyk: The exchange was a great experience which enabled me to see how native German speakers use the German language in daily life. It was great to see how what we are taught in schools comes alive and being immersed in the language, while being very challenging, helped me to speak German more comfortably and helped to improve my pronunciation.

Emily Hutchinson: My time in Cologne was amazing! We had so much fun with our exchange partners. I got on like a house on fire with my partner, Lynn. I was so nervous going over there but I decided to make the most out of it. I tried to speak the best German I could. More often than not there was the odd ‘eh’ from Lynn’s parents, especially when I said that Macclesfield had 2000 inhabitants! But mistakes didn’t matter and I enjoyed the 23 experience so, so much.

Toby Kalnins: The German exchange to Köln was the best experience ever! I had a great time: we went into the centre of Cologne, saw the cathedral, and we went into a museum which used to be the Gestapo headquarters.

The whole experience was great fun and my exchange family were lovely. The best bit was the food, especially the chocolate!

Sean Campbell: I wasn’t sure what to expect but Cologne is one of the best places I’ve ever been. Some of the highlights included going to watch Köln play Frankfurt and visiting the cathedral. I also feel more confident in my spoken German now.

Alec Terry: I had a fantastic time in Germany.

My host family were amazing.

Highlights were watching Star Wars in German and going sledging in the Eifel national park. We climbed the Cologne Cathedral and came back down; that was tiring. We had some good times in the evenings; it was good to experience how similar and different life was like for my German exchange partner.

Aidan Arch: One of the main things I will remember about the exchange is how great it was to explore the Cologne and experience a different culture, especially with the tram and bus systems, which of course were very efficient!

Sophie Gilham: Cologne was amazing! I was really scared at first but then I thought to myself ‘you’re only going to do this once’ and so I went for it. I haven’t regretted it at all! I did feel really self-conscious about my German but Sophia (my exchange partner) and her family were so nice and understanding.

Isabel Skidmore: My time in Cologne was a life changing experience. Having been to Germany before, I thought I knew what to expect, however I was mistaken. Firstly, living with a German family was a completely new experience for me. I could no longer hide in a hotel room if I didn't feel like speaking the language – communication was important, so my German skills were put to the test. Fortunately, Sophia and her family made me feel welcome from the start. During our first weekend together, they introduced me to a new board game (Germans love their board games), took me to a family party on the border of Holland and took me shopping for a massive balloon for the party. I was also immersed in the school life over the course of the week – English lessons were my favourite as it was inspiring to see how good the Germans were at speaking our language. We did so much and learned so much in the week that it would take too long to write it all down, so here are some of the highlights: Climbing the Cologne Cathedral, going to a climbing wall, exploring the city, Currywurst, roasted chestnuts, pretzels, doing yoga at home and viewing a 2000 year old mosaic. The trip made me certain that I want to move to Germany next year and I am very glad that I went.

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PERFORMING ARTS SHOWCASE On Wednesday 9th March the Performing Arts Department showcased AS and A2 exam pieces.

The Theatre Studies students produced an extremely high calibre of work which explored themes ranging from human experimentation, to the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. Representing Music, Dan Hulme faultlessly performed some huge numbers from West End musicals, including ‘Stars’ From Les Miserable and ‘Along The Way’ from Edges. The AS Level Dancers showed off their technical and choreographic ability,

performing in a number of pieces, one of which was based on the glorification of war.

Well done to all of our AS and A2 students, you are a credit to our subjects and we wish you the best of luck in your Summer examinations.

Ms S Mellor—Dance Subject Leader 25

HALLE FOR YOUTH

On 1st March, the whole of Year 7 went to the Bridgewater Hall to watch a live performance by the Halle orchestra.

The concert featured a programme of music based on science and revolution. Highlights included Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries, Elgar’s Enigma Variations and even the Angry Birds video game music. The response for students and staff was extremely encouraging and behaviour was exemplary. Students were also treated to a stratch n’ sniff card featuring science and revolution themed smells such as ‘fresh breeze’, Kryptonite and strawberries! We look forward to what the Halle has in store for us next year!

Miss V Elliott—Music Subject Leader

On 26th February, a group of trainee teachers from Edge Hill University came in to lead a workshop with our Year 9 and 10 Music GCSE students.

Throughout the day students were treated to workshops which covered key elements of the course; Music Technology, Vocal Skills and Group Performance skills. The Music staff were really impressed with the quality of music produced by our students and the inspirational environment created by our student teachers.

With performances of ‘Living on a Prayer’ through to ‘Happy’ all of our students were able to explore new areas of music, and approached this with confidence and pride. Dr Susan Weir from Edge Hill University was really impressed with the positive attitude of our students and commented on how much they enjoy working in partnership with All Hallows.

Ms V Elliott - Music Subject Leader

MUSIC WORKSHOP

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BLOOD BROTHERS

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Willy Russell’s ‘Blood Brothers’ at the Buxton Opera House On Monday 7th March, the GCSE, BTEC and A-level drama students travelled to the Buxton Opera House to watch a performance of ‘Blood Brothers’. Many of the students have been studying the play and so this was a brilliant chance for them to observe the play come to life, from page to stage. Not only this, but the company performing had previously toured the West End with their version of ‘Blood Brothers’ meaning our students were able to see a professional production, providing them with the opportunity to improve as performers.

We arrived at the Buxton Opera House and students were amazed by the beautiful Edwardian style of the building. This amazement continued on throughout the night, with students thoroughly enjoying the performance, commenting on how the performance has provided inspiration for their own practical work. One year 12 student said ‘the performance was spectacular! We were so engaged with the piece that we found ourselves forgetting to write notes for our exam!’ Michael Hope.

The trip was a complete success and we look forward to providing students with more opportunities to join us on them. The Drama department would like to thank all of the hard working students and members of staff who were involved with the trip.

Miss J Ackers Trainee teacher 28

ALL HALLOWS AGAINST BULLYING All students and staff were pleased to support the College Council in their annual bullying prevention initiative. Each year students get involved in an activity that promotes All Hallows being against bullying of any type. In recent years students have got involved in varied activities that include signing epledges to make a stand against bullying, producing an anti bullying video and having an airplane fly over the College at the same time as the whole College was standing on the field spelling out the words "All Hallows is against Bullying". The photograph of this can still be found in reception and on the internet.

This year the College Council decided that all students and staff should add their fingerprint to a large mural that took the shape of a teardrop. This was a powerful message that our community is united against all forms of bullying. The mural will then take pride of place on display in a central location for all students and staff to see. The completed mural had over 1200 fingerprints and was completed throughout late February and early March.

Katie Wilson, Head Girl, said "The College Council came together to produce a mural in the shape of a teardrop, giving each student and member of staff the chance to add their own fingerprint to unite and stand up to bullying of all types".

Mr M Blades Assistant Principal

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PI DAY 3.1415926535897932384...

On March 14th (3.14) the Maths Department celebrated Pi day. The Maths teachers all wore Pi T-shirts and baked Pi cakes and pies to sell, raising over ÂŁ70 for the India clinic.

They also started to write a piem (a poem whose letters match the digits of Pi) and are looking for someone to complete it. They are offering a prize for the longest piem handed to a Maths teacher by half term.

Eat a cake,

I shall celebrate pi.

Choose Maths and learn geometry, functions, algebra ....

Mrs C Wise Maths Faculty Leader

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Creator of Wereworld Inspires Young Readers

As part of our World Book Day celebrations, we were visited by best-selling author, illustrator and animator Curtis Jobling, for a day of inspirational talks and a writing workshop. Students were also able to ask questions about what it is like to be a writer and get signed copies of Curtis’ books.

In the morning Curtis spoke to all Year 8 students about his journey to becoming a writer. He began by describing how his favourite childhood books, Where the Wild Things Are and The Hobbit, had inspired him to both write and draw. He then went on to illustrate (literally!) how his most famous creation, Bob the Builder led on to the writing of the fantasy Wereworld series. Curtis also talked about Haunt, a comic ghost story, was semi-autobiographical, loosely based on life at his secondary school. Curtis also delivered a writing workshop to a selected group of students about planning and plotting a short story. The focus was how to create an exciting and suspenseful story. Students then had fun creating some very weird and wonderful stories about the contents of a mysterious box. According to the students it could have been anything from a tuna sandwich to a severed human heart!

Our students’ reaction to Curtis’ talks was overwhelmingly positive. Judging by the size of the crowd that came to get signed books at lunchtime it seemed that many reluctant readers were also inspired to buy or borrow one of Curtis’ books. In fact, we sold out of all the titles we had for sale!

Ms Sinclair, our librarian, felt the author event was inspirational: ‘Curtis’ enthusiasm for both writing and illustrating seems to have motivated many of our Year 8 students in both their reading and writing. Our students seem to really enjoy meeting an author and hearing how they came to do what they do. This is exactly the conclusion we want from an entertaining, informative and enjoyable day!”

Ms S Sinclair, Librarian 31

"It's always a special pleasure to visit schools close to home. It came as a surprise to many students that my work in the animation industry all took place on their doorstep, as well as the fact that I'm a novelist who only lives down the road in Warrington. Hopefully the message of reading for pleasure and keeping one's hobbies has got through to the students of All Hallows - judging by the chaotic scenes in the library with Mrs Sinclair handing out hundreds of books, that certainly seems to have been the case!" Curtis Jobling 32

BBC SCHOOL REPORT LIVE FROM ALL HALLOWS

On Thursday March 10th the library was transformed into a buzzing newsroom, as a group of budding journalists from Year 9 set about reporting the All Hallows news for BBC School Report! There were five groups of students who all chose a different focus for their stories: World Book Day, a day in the life of All Hallows, the College farm, the trip to Italy and current world events.

The day required students to work cooperatively, to a tight deadline, in teams and manage the technology to script, film and edit their segments. The overwhelming feeling at the end of the day was one of achievement. Students said they liked enjoyed the experience and it was better than they expected!

Mrs Williams, the teacher who led the day felt it was a complete success. She said, ‘This is the first time I have ran the event and I was so impressed with the students’ collaboration and professionalism in producing the final reports. They should be very proud of what they have achieved.’

All the stories are available to watch on the school website: http:// www.allhallows.org.uk/students/bbc-school-report-2016/ And, if you want to find out more about the BBC School Report project, log onto: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schoolreport.

Ms S Sinclair, Librarian 33

ALL HALLOWS STAFF SHOW REAL CHARACTER – AGAIN!

Last year on World Book Day only a select few members of staff dressed as their favourite book character. This year, an even more creative bunch took part in what is fast becoming an All Hallows tradition. Staff took their inspiration from a wide range of books and delighted students with their efforts. The Science Faculty even themed their costumes taking inspiration from a Roald Dahl favourite. Here’s to next year!

Can you guess who this year’s participants are?

Back row - Left to right: Mrs Denby, Mrs Lewis, Miss Stebbings, Ms Anderson, Miss Perrotta, Mr Shaikh, Mr Hart, Miss Fowler, Mr Scott, Miss Wakefield, Miss McKenna Front row, left to right: Mrs Williams, Ms McVeigh, Miss Corah, Mrs Badcock

Answers: The Teapot (Alice in Wonderland), Little Red Riding Hood, Lady Macbeth, Mr Twit, Moaning Myrtle (Harry Potter), Willy Wonka, Wally, Luna Lovegood (Harry Potter), Curley (Of Mice and Men), Liesel (The Book Thief), Katniss Everdeen, Oompa Loompas (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory).

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RECOMMENDED READS— MS SINCLAIR SAYS… We have a selection of new books in the library and are expecting more for the summer term – why not come in and browse. Spring is the perfect time to try something different. Just ask for a recommendation!

Key Stage 3 Readers The Boy in the Top of the Mountain

by John Boyne John Boyne’s much anticipated new novel is set before the start of the Second World War, close to the epicentre of power in Nazi Germany – the Berghof, Hitler’s mountain retreat. Pierrot is sent to live there with his aunt, unaware of implications of the new world he is about to be caught up in. This is a story of choosing the right path and loyalty. A must read for all John Boyne fans!

The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt ‘When sixteen year old Tiuri answers a desperate call for help, he finds himself on a perilous mission that could cost him his life. He must deliver a secret letter to the King who lives across the Great Mountains – a letter upon which the future of the entire realm depends.

It means abandoning his home, breaking all the rules and leaving everything behind – even the knighthood that he has dreamed of for so long.

A truly exceptional fantasy story, filled with drama and thrills!

Key Stage 5 Readers Room by Emma Donoghue Jack is five and Room, where he has been locked in with his Ma is all he has ever known. This novel is an amazingly emotive and gripping read. There are many layers to the story: survival, love, power and family bonds. From the first page you will be hooked…

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The Grimm Legacy by Polly Schulman ‘Elizabeth’s new after school job is very unusual. The building where she works might not look very interesting but behind this ordinary Manhattan façade lurks a very special place indeed. Because here you can borrow anything your heart desires… And in the basement is something so special, so secret that Elizabeth can’t believer her eyes. The Grimm Collection. Powerful mysterious items that must be kept safe and can’t be lent out to just anyone. So when these objects start disappearing Elizabeth must investigate.’

Full of adventure and anticipation, a really gripping story from start to finish!

Key Stage 4 Readers Tape by Steven Camden A quirky ten romance set between two years, 1193 and 2013. The link is a cassette tape that contains a diary. Ryan’s life is complicated and he’s dealing with a whole mix of emotions – loss of a loved one, a new family set up and first love. Ameliah finds the tape and listening to Ryan’s thoughts feels like he is speaking directly to her as she too is dealing with a life changing situation.

A fantastic debut novel that is filled with emotion.

Well written and believable.

Cheshire Schools’ Book Award The deadline for votes is Friday 20th May – if you want to vote you can collect a form from the library or email library@allhallows.org.uk. The winner will be announced in a ceremony in June at Winsford Academy, which students can attend and listen to a selection of the shortlisted authors talk about their work, as well as getting a signed copy of a favourite book! More details about this to follow.

There are two books leading the voting so far: ‘Finding Audrey’ and ‘One’.

Recommended for confident year 8 readers upwards.

One by Sarah Crossan Ms Sinclair says: ‘I have enjoyed all of Sarah Crossan’s novels so far and this book is no exception. Written as a poem, the unusual style and structure helps to strongly convey the bond between the twins, as well as how difficult yet joyous their lives are.’

Suitable for confident Year 7 readers upwards. (Please be aware that there is a very small amount of adult language in this story.)

Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella Ms Sinclair says: ‘Initially, I wasn’t keen to read this novel as I was put off by the author – I thought it would be too ‘girly’. However, I thought it was a fantastic read! I was drawn into Audrey’s world immediately and didn’t want to put the book down. I thought Sophie Kinsella dealt with Audrey’s anxiety and depression very skillfully and sympathetically.

Classic read: Northern Lights the first novel in His Dark Materials trilogy.

"Without this child, we shall all die." Lyra Belacqua and her animal daemon live half-wild and carefree among scholars of Jordan College, Oxford. The destiny that awaits her will take her to the frozen lands of the Arctic, where witch-clans reign and ice-bears fight. Her extraordinary journey will have immeasurable consequences far beyond her own world...’

This novel won the Carnegie Medal in 1995 and then the Carnegie of Carnegies in 2007! Deservedly so! It is a fantasy book of highest quality. If you haven’t read it yet, now is the time to do so!

Don’t forget that your local library will have a stock of the latest reads, so why not check it out what’s on offer? http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/libraries/libraries.aspx

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ALL HALLOWS’ SUCCESS HAS THE GIFT OF THE GAB It’s official: All Hallows is home to some excellent orators. A group of students have spent the past few months researching, writing, re-drafting, rehearsing and delivering speeches to audiences across the region, wowing judges, guests, and fellow competitors with their persuasive presentation skills and articulate arguments.

In February the school played host to the opening heats of Youth Speaks Public Speaking Competition, run by Rotary International. Our Intermediate team consisted of James Tomlinson (Chairperson), Aidan Feely (Speaker) and Archy Ashton (Vote of Thanks), all members of Year 8. They skilfully talked about ‘Why Intelligence is Cool,’ and convinced the audience that IQ is not the only measure of intellect.

In fact, it is a broad spectrum, with intelligence ranging from kinaesthetic and naturalist to interpersonal and existentialist. Meanwhile, our Senior team tackled the subject of Gender Equality.

Why are girls expected to wear pink and play with dolls? Why are boys not allowed to show their emotions? The team’s Chairperson Erin Prendergast (Year 8) was joined by Elizabeth Dalzell (Speaker) and Chen Ji (Vote of Thanks), both in Year 10, and together they spoke passionately about a problem that is very much common today and really gave the audience some food for thought. After much deliberation, it was announced that All Hallows’ Intermediate team were the winners in their age group and would go on to the next round. The Senior team were unfortunately beaten by an incredibly strong team from Loreto College and should be proud of the maturity and enthusiasm they showed, with judges commenting on their ‘balanced and developed’ speech. Special mentions must also go to James, Aidan and Chen who won individual prizes.

The next round of the competition, the District Final, took place in Frodsham, and saw the All Hallows Intermediate team battling it out for a place in the Regional final. Once again, their informative speech struck a chord with audience and judges alike, and they were runners up, meaning they would progress to the next round.

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The judges commented on the ‘great potential’ of the boys and praised their ‘open and natural’ presentation style.

After a week of last-minute practices and edits, the boys then travelled to Wrexham to take part in the Regional Final against teams from all over Cheshire, Manchester, Lancashire and North Wales. The standard was extremely high, which was to be expected at this stage in the competition. And so, despite giving their very all with a ‘humorous and enjoyable speech’, the team unfortunately did not make it through to the National Final. The boys should however be extremely proud of themselves; they worked excellently as a team, improving with every round of the competition, and impressing the audiences with their considered and thoughtful presentation.

Well done to both teams who took part in the competition.

Miss L Fowler

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AHLC SPORTS TOURNAMENT

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The 3rd annual Year 5/6 All Hallows Learning Community Netball tournament was played on the 23 March. Teams from St John's, St Alban’s, St Mary's, St Paul’s and Christ The King played in a round robin competition. All the teams involved demonstrated a high level of skill, commitment and embodied the 12 virtues of sport that the John Paul II Foundation for Sport looks to School Won Drew Lost Points develop in our pupils. After the very St Albans 5 0 0 15 competitive rounds, St Alban’s St Johns 4 0 1 12 emerged victorious with St John’s second and Christ The King third.

Christ the King 3 0 2 9 The Final Standings are as follows: St Albans B

2

0

3

6

St Marys

1

0

4

3

St Pauls

0

0

5

0

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On Monday 7th March at Ellesmere Port Sports Village All Hallows Catholic College represented Macclesfield in the Cheshire winter games.

We took two teams to compete in the Basketball and Volleyball competition after winning the District Level Competition. These games are attended by the winners of all the Cheshire districts and the standard of competition was extremely high.

In volleyball, the team represented by Harry King, Danny Sherratt, Ed Vitta, Liam Bennett, James Lisle and Jack Marshall Clack fought hard in every game and finished fourth overall in Cheshire. The Basketball team made up of Aiden McKillop, Charles Chilufya, Max Linton, Lucas Whitehurst, Aaron Stockton, Adrian Rozanski, George Wood and Alistair Knight played magnificently well losing only one game and finishing 3rd overall just 2pts off the winners in what was our best ever performance at Basketball at the school games. All the pupils represented All Hallows with determination and should be extremely proud of their achievements.

Year 9 Macclesfield and District Football cup The Year 9 football team played Fallibroome in the District Cup competition at Fallibroome. Despite conceding an early goal the team fought back well and manage to get their noses in front being 2-1 at half time with goals from Fin Hughes and Kanta Sibbett. In the second half the boys played with the same pace and determination and managed to add a third goal through Tyler Beck which made the score 3-1. The team now goes into the semi final against either Tytherington or Eaton Bank.

Mr S Lees

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Prayer Lord, inspire me to give of my best and make good use of the talents you have given me.

Show me how to be positive in attitude, appreciating and valuing others,

always being ready to encourage and give praise.

Sometimes I draw conclusions about people in terms of what I think is meant by “success” and “failure”, but the “failure” of one person might count as a great “success” of someone with other talents.

Lead me never to judge people but to accept others as they are, knowing that it is together, each with out differences, that we build up your kingdom.

Amen.

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All Are Welcome at All Hallows Catholic College Come in and visit our wonderful Church College

All Hallows Catholic College Brooklands Avenue Macclesfield Cheshire SK11 8LB www.allhallows.org.uk