Michealmas Aspire 2016

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EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES…...P.03 THE HOLY DOOR IS MOVING…...P.04 ASTRA ZENECA ASSISTS ALL HALLOWS…….P.05 YEAR 12 COASTLINE…….P.07 “THERES NO BUSINESS LIKE ZOO BUSINESS”…….P.09 LONDON ART TRIP…….P.11 TEACHERS NEVER STOP LEARNING…….P.13 MACMILLIAN COFFEE MORNING…….P.15 SUMMER INTERNSHIPS…….P.17

CADBURY WORLD…….P.19 YEAR 7 SERVICE OF WELCOME…….P.20 GROWING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH…….P.21 ALL HALLOWS STUDENTS MAKE FAITH COMMITMENT…….P.22 YEAR 12 LEARNING CONFERENCE…….P.23 A PEDAL OF AN IDEA…….P.25 “LAUDATO SI”…….P.26 STEPHEN HUGHES…….P.27 MINI DASH OF THE YEAR…….P.29 HARVEST…….P.31

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO TIE A TIE?…….P.32 RECOMMENDED READS…….P.33 ALL HALLOWS LEARNING COMMUNITY…….P.35 TAG RUGBY…….P.37 PRAYER…….P.38

Did You Know?

This academic term in the Christian tradition is called Michaelmas. It is the term, which comes before the October break and is named after the Feast of St Michael and All Angels which falls in the 29th September. All of our terms are named after special Christian times or seasons. Michaelmas is followed

by Terms; Christmas, Epiphany, Easter, Whitsun, Trinity.

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EUROPEAN DAY OF LANGUAGES

Monday 26 September 2016 was European Day Of Languages; a European day to celebrate world languages.

To mark the day staff wore a badge letting students know which languages they speak and displaying their favourite words from other languages. “Ennuyeux” from Miss Davies and “pamplemousse” from Mr Scott are two fine examples! During Form time and throughout the day language diversity was celebrated through quizzes, prayer and challenges shared by the languages department.

In the afternoon Mr Deay, Miss Crepel, and Miss Emmett took all the 6th Form languages students to Parkroyal where they taught French and Spanish classes to years 4, 5, and 6. Amanda Murphy, Languages Coordinator at Parkroyal said “it was wonderful for younger students to have MFL role models”. All Hallows staff were very proud to see students modelling teaching methods used by their own class teachers and displaying such confident language skills.

Mr P Deay 03

THE HOLY DOOR IS MOVING!

All over the Community, the Holy Door is moving!

In response to the launch of the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy in 2015 by Pope Francis, All Hallows created its own version of the Vatican Holy Door in time for its blessing during the College-wide Faith Day last February. Pope Francis said that “When we go through the Holy Door, it is good to remember that we must also open wide the door of our heart and ask, ‘Lord, help me to open the door of my heart’….and let Christ enter in!” “The door we enter through is Jesus”.

Following the Lenten Reconciliation Services in March when All Hallows students were invited to enter through the door and experience the mercy of God, the door journeyed around the All Hallows Learning Community to each of the Feeder Primary Schools.

At each school, the students participated in a special liturgy, during which the Holy Door received a further blessing, followed by the placing on it of symbols representing the Corporal and Spiritual Works of Mercy. At the end of the liturgy students were invited to leave their assembly hall via the opened door.

Feedback from each school suggests that the children had a very positive experience. For example, these comments were from Year 6 students at St. Benedict’s RC Primary School, Handforth: Walking through the door of Mercy made me feel like I could make new friends and started to make me feel better about myself.

After walking through the door I felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.

I didn't think that walking through the door would make me feel any different but as I did I felt as if all my sins had been washed away.

As this edition of ‘Aspire’ goes out for distribution, the door will be making its circuitous journey back to All Hallows in time for the close of this extraordinary year on November 20. Our gratitude goes out to all our priests, members of staff and students across the AHLC who took an active part in providing the opportunity for children to experience walking through the Holy Door, but most of all our thanks go to the All Hallows Caretaking team for its creation and the team at John Potts Electrical Contractors, without whom the Holy Door would have journeyed nowhere!

Deacon D Harrison

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ASTRA ZENECA ASSIST ALL HALLOWS Before Astra Zeneca Came to All Hallows to do a day of volunteering I was struggling to try and get the garden to look nice and presentable and also ready to grow all of our herbs and vegetables. There was weeds everywhere, the raised beds that we grow the vegetables and fruits in had been taken over by a horrible weed that is called mares tail, there was heaps of over grown weeds, nettles and plants that stood at least 6ft tall. There was a pony shelter that was just nearly falling down and looked a mess and the area that it was in was a mess as well there was nails sticking out of places and also it was to dangerous for me to put any animals in to. Finally is the Orchids this is an area of the school that not many people know about and if you were to look at it before AZ came in then you would just think that it was an overgrown bed of weeds, but in fact there was 6 Apple trees 2 Pear trees 3 Damson trees and then at least 6 different berry bushes.

In the 6 hours that they were here between them they managed to: Clear the huge pile of weeds in the garden, Clear the front of the garden so that it looked clean and presentable, Stacked all of the fences that were dotted around in one neat place, Clear away all of the mares tail out of the beds and also all of the other weeds, Prune all of the trees and plants so that next year they will grow nicely, Re plant some of the trees and plants that were dying where they was before hand, Level of all of the ground where the mess was, Put the electric fence back up properly, Fix the pony shed with old pallets and clear all of that area, Cleared the orchids so that we can actually get to the trees.

Working in these areas now is such a breeze they have made everything so much more fun not just for me but for the students who no longer have to climb over weeds to get to plants and they no longer have to work in a messy environment out side and they can now make it there own and how they want it.

AZ were amazing and we cant thank them enough all of the student that do out door learning and me couldn't do half of the things that we have done without there help.

Miss Caffery 05

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YEAR 12 COASTLINE On the 13 and 14 of October, Year 12 Geography students headed out to the Holderness Coastline in East Yorkshire lead by Miss Sandler, Mr Benbow and Miss Friend. When we arrived, we first headed out to do the physical half of our fieldwork at Flamborough Head with the class splitting into angle at their section (after spending a lot of time photographing the seal spotted just off the shore) but with the tide coming in fast Morgan got soaked by the sea, and Miss Sandler lead us back to the coach. The second site (Bridlington sea front) was much more successful and most groups collected all their data pretty fast. With the physical part of the fieldwork done the teachers led the students further inland to the ‘drop off point’ to start the human fieldwork. This consisted of everyone navigating to different survey recording sites (and various food shops) in the stereotypical British weather. Everyone then headed back to the coach (Megan’s group now reunited with once lost equipment) so we could head back to the hostel for the night.

Perhaps everyone’s favourite part of the trip came after dinner. Using Katie’s phone the whole group competed in various rounds of the game ‘Heads up’ – teachers and bus driver Martin included. This was followed by drinks made by Douglas and Lauren and ghost stories told by Mr Benbow and Martin (as well as the two reminiscing of their own high school years). Douglas then took to the stage with an endless supply of hilarious stories, anecdotes and impressions which created a lot of laughter and a few raised eyebrows. When it finally started to get late Miss Sandler took charge of telling everyone to get to bed, and not keep any of the teachers awake during the night!

It was a fairly early start to the following morning for day 2 but everyone made in down to a full cooked breakfast in time. We left the hostel and set out to continue with the human parts of the fieldwork. The first site we went to was Scarborough in which there were several points to record data. Everyone made their way back to the coach, narrowly avoiding a torrential downpour of rain, and then headed to Robin Hood bay. Once again each group recorded their data, as well as drawing field sketches of the waves refracting. Some of the group went onto the beach – Georgia managing to fall over spectacularly and caught on camera – and some of the boys, plus Mr Benbow, headed to one of the village shops to buy some thank you presents for Martin with the change collected together. Once everyone was finished we headed back go the coach for the final time and started the long journey home. With everyone tired out, a lot of people slept through Martin’s spiderman DVD and Douglas’ spontaneous bursts of knowledge, but no one slept through the various commentaries on the speakers run by the teachers at the front of the coach.

All in all everyone enjoyed the trip a lot – even the teachers – despite the cold and the rain. There were many funny memories and jokes which the classes will continue to laugh about for the rest of the course. Hopefully the Year 12 Geography stidents have all got to know each other better. The only downside for some people was that the trip didn’t last longer.

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Lauren West – Year 12 Geography student

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'THERE'S NO BUSINESS LIKE ZOO BUSINESS' On the 22 of September 2016, Year 12 BTEC Business Studies along with Year 13 Geography and Psychology students went to CHESTER ZOO. We arrived early, where we were allowed to have some free time to explore the zoo, before having an educational talk in the afternoon. The purpose of the trip was to gain an insight in to the daily operations of CHESTER ZOO and the how the business is organised.

We first had a look around the zoo and saw the new attraction named ‘The Islands’. It included a new boat ride and tiger enclosures. The trip included a boat ride around the islands which was a nice break from all the walking, some of us took the opportunity to eat our lunch whilst admiring the lions. The boat ride was also a great opportunity to bond with some of new class mates. We were also able to take monorail ride around the whole zoo which meant we could a lot more animals in a shorter space of time. In total Chester Zoo have 20,000 individual animals and 4,000 species. We really enjoyed the look around the zoo as it was a sunny day but we wish we had longer as we didn’t see all the animals (like the two sloths that they have).

The talk was given by a member of educational team who showed us various things throughout the talk such as a rhino horn and a snake skin. The talk focused on business side of the Zoo and included Chester Zoo’s mission, vision and values. They also showed us statistics of their income, visiting numbers and expenditure. These included us learning that the organisation is a not for profit organisation. Things that we learnt included the income forecast of Chester Zoo which included facts about all of the income of Chester Zoo in the year of 2015 these included a total income of £35,626,000. The talk was very interesting and informative and gave us a very good idea about what we needed to know for the business course with lots of interesting facts and figures. The talk was essential to our coursework as it covered the key information we needed in order to complete our assignment, a lot of which is not available on the internet. Other parts of the talk included the six strategic objectives of Chester Zoo, the organisation structure of Chester Zoo and how it is laid out, visitor statistics for the last 15 years, the marketing mix of Chester Zoo (Including the place, price promotion and publicity), how special events are used to try and maximise the overall profit including the use of a Pokémon Go themed night at Chester Zoo which was a huge success.

The talk was useful because it massively benefited us with our coursework by giving us all the information we needed. This improved our reports by giving us statistics to add to make our work more solid by adding examples of how the organisation is running and how much profit they make and what they reinvest into the business.

‘We learnt about all aspects of the business from someone on the inside’ ‘The day out to the Zoo was an amazing experience. Very educational and got to know more about the charity.’

‘The new island was amazing and enjoyed the beautiful calm boat ride.’

‘I got to hold a Rhino Horn’ ‘It provided an insight into the charity’ Year 12 Students 09

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The Photo taken by Anna Moncur, Year 12.

Year 12 and 13 Art students recently visited London for a day of research and recording from observation. We travelled by train in the morning and arrived in London to a warm, sunny day.

Year 13 students had planned their day and destinations in advance, visiting Galleries and Museums of personal choice to collect visual research to support and enrich their personal study projects. These are in depth practical projects, accompanied by a 1000-300 work essay. Students choose a theme or aspect of Art history to develop their own work, within the wider context of the work of others.

Year 12 visited 2 major galleries in the capital, The Saatchi Gallery in South Kensington and The Tate Modern on the south back of the river Thames, opposite St Pauls Cathedral. The Saatchi contained exciting paintings and sculptures by a range of contemporary artists in the exhibition 'Champagne life'. We then viewed the extensive collection of 20th Century and contemporary international Art. The students are now using the information gathered to produce sketchbook work, trying the skills and techniques viewed to inform the development of their own projects. The work will be exhibited at our end of year exhibition next summer!

Mr P McSwity

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It could be said that those who are drawn to the vocation of teaching do so because they have a love of learning - not just helping and inspiring others to learn, but continuing to learn and develop themselves. This is a philosophy we share at All Hallows, and the start of this new academic year has brought with it fresh opportunities for new and existing staff alike to develop as practitioners.

Before the holidays were even over we welcomed our new staff into college for two days of TEEP training; this hands-on style of delivery 'models the model' and shows teachers and support staff alike how to plan engaging, dynamic and challenging lessons. Once they had got beyond the ice breaker of the 'ball toss', our colleagues had no reservations about dressing up in boiler suits and labelling where they thought human organs were positioned in the body! Mr R Jones, Science teacher and Year 7 form tutor, said: "having us take on the role of the students when 'modelling the model' was a great way to delve into the stages of the TEEP cycle in more detail and get to know some of our new colleagues meaning it was not only incredibly useful but also very enjoyable. I have used many of the techniques from the days already this year and the students have really enjoyed getting involved in some of the activities we were introduced to!"

Once our new colleagues had had the chance to get to know each other and plan some lessons using TEEP, they couldn't wait to get started with the new school year and meet the students. However, as we all know, starting a new role in any profession can be challenging at times and support is needed along the way.

At All Hallows we have a 'professional friend' system whereby new teachers are paired with a more experienced member of staff, usually in another department.

Their mentor is then on hand for regular chats over a coffee, offering practical and emotional support along the way. An RE teacher - aptly named Ms Friend! - is a professional friend for Ms Turvey this year. ''It is a pleasure to support Ms Turvey this year. I was new to All Hallows last year and found the support of my professional friend invaluable, as there were so many questions to ask! I found taking time out with my professional friend over coffee or breakfast really help me settle into the community of All Hallows.''

And it's not just new staff who are getting the opportunity to develop either. In Wednesday training, all our staff are continuing to focus on a variety of themes, including embedding growth mindset strategies into our practice, developing literacy skills with students and also planning ahead for the new GCSE & A-Level curriculum with 'life after levels'.

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Mrs C Buhac

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On Friday 30 September, the Leadership Team, Associate Staff and members of Sixth Form hosted another successful coffee morning in aid of Macmillan Cancer Support.

There was a magnificent array of scrumptious cakes on offer, many of which were homemade by members of staff. It was a lovely opportunity for staff to sit down, chat, relax and of course, enjoy sampling the cake.

A grand total of £356.72 (not including Gift Aid) was raised, £20 of which was donated by Sixth Form Business students who were given a 12hr fundraising challenge by Mrs Lynch.

Thanks to everyone for their support and donations.

Mrs S West—Examinations Officer

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Summer Internships Patrick Bescoby at Astra Zeneca - Macclesfield Through The Career Ready Programme I was given the opportunity to gain an insight into one of the largest businesses and employers of the North West, AstraZeneca. I was placed for four weeks in The Regulation Department and was given the opportunity to speak to and shadow professionals working in their relevant fields. I got to understand the details about their particular job roles and was also given my own jobs to do such as updating contact lists and collecting and sending off mail on a daily basis to countries such as India and Hungary. It gave me a really good insight into one of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies as well as the chance to talk to professionals about my future career plans.

Meghan Iveson at Astra Zeneca – Alderley Park During my summer holidays I took part in a four week internship in the Opportunities Centre at AstraZeneca where I assisted with general administrative tasks as well as events that were hosted in The Centre. The Opportunities Centre works closely with employees within the organisation who are going through the displacement process.

Whilst I was on my internship one of the main projects that I was asked to complete by my supervisor was to analyse their attendance and feedback data from workshops held within the Opportunities Centre for employees. The tasks that I was assigned during the internship helped me to develop my interpersonal skills and gave me more confidence to be in the workplace. Career Ready and AstraZeneca gave me the opportunity to improve my transferable skills set to make me more employable whilst allowing me to create a network of contacts that will benefit me in the future.

Patrick Jennings - Bank of New York Mellon I secured myself an interview within the Bank of New York Mellon which is a global investment bank that has two branches within the UK. My placement was based in OPG (One Piccadilly Gardens) where I visited in June of 2016 to have my interview. A week later I received confirmation of my acceptance on to 6 week summer internship. Whilst on the internship I learnt many systems and processes which worked on electing stock on the London Stock Exchange.

On this internship I developed many skills, one of which was working with a team. I was involved with the MSG team that worked within the GCE department. We all worked together supporting each other’s work to come to an end goal. I took away a lot of experience from this placement and would recommend it to everyone who has the opportunity to do it.

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Kurt Evans at Peaks and Plains Housing Trust

My name is Kurt Evans and I am 1 of 9 students who took part in The Career Ready Programme this year. During the course of this programme, I have learned all about the ‘world of work’ and how to present myself more professionally in interviews. My four week paid internship was with Peaks and Plains Housing Trust which is a non-profit housing organisation that provides affordable homes in the Cheshire area. My particular placement saw me observing, engaging with and learning all about the job role of product development.

During my four weeks there I learned how to file documents effectively and I observed how The Trust advertises its houses. I came to understand exactly what the job role entailed and I also came to understood more about different university courses based on discussions with staff who gave me an insight into their own career pathways.

Cian Walkington-Ellis at Kings College University For my internship I went to the Waterloo Campus of Kings College University, London. I worked in The Franklin Wilkins Building opposite the James Clerk Maxwell Building in The Department of Management doing a myriad of tasks such as filing and organising student revision schedule packs. Other tasks included basic administrative work such as copying documents. The most time consuming task was sorting out the storage room and putting folders in storage boxes in chronological order using candidate numbers (lowest number to highest number). I found it useful as not only was I able to work in one of the best universities worldwide, currently ranked 27th, but I also found it useful as I was working on organisation skills which will be crucial for me in higher education. This benefitted me as it taught me to be more careful about where I put things and how I keep things together. So far it has helped me become more organised and prepared me better for my continued studies at All Hallows Catholic College.

Victoria Rogers at The Royal Bank of Scotland Before my internship I was a bit curious and a little scared about starting a new job and working in a ‘real work’ environment, but eager to work in a business setting knowing that it might help confirm my subject choice for university. The best part of my internship was finding out that working and having a job isn’t as scary as it seems as you always have someone to ask if you are not sure about something and I was not just thrown in the deep end. I loved being able to find out new things about the banking industry and really enjoyed working with a range of different people. I developed my own skills and knowledge and learned how the outside world can have a massive impact on a business such as The Royal Bank of Scotland and the future Williams and Glyn.

Internships are important because they give you a taste of what to expect after you leave school. I believe internships also help shape people and develop their understanding of the working world. I would thoroughly recommend Career Ready to other students because it helped me understand more about the working world and how to develop key skills that will help me in the future including networking skills, presentation skills and many more.

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CADBURY WORLD

The Business Studies department took 48 students to Cadbury World to support the marketing and promotion units of work students are currently completing. Along with a tour and a 4D cinema experience, students attended a 60minute marketing session which was not only interesting but highly informative and relevant to the students work. We came away from the trip loaded with chocolate and promotional knowledge. It was an excellent trip. Two students give their insight into the visit.

‘On Thursday 13 October Business Students from Year 10 and 13 visited Cadbury World for a marketing trip. Whilst there we took part in a 4D cinema experience, in which the cinema seats moved and at one point it felt like we were on a big rollacoster in a chocolate land. We then went on a tour around Cadbury world and the factory, where we learnt about the history of how the business developed and the standards

and ethics they pride themselves on. Then we attended a marketing talk after lunch. The talk covered Cadbury’s 4P’s but focused on Place and Promotion. Interesting facts learnt included: * ‘Modelez’ which is Cadburys’ parent company means ‘delicious world’ in Latin. * Cadbury are the UK market leaders with 29% of the confectionary market. * Men eat chocolate if hungry whilst women eat chocolate as a treat. * The Crème Egg for Halloween 2016 will be Ghooost Egg, which will have just a white centre. * Whilst traditional methods of advertising are used social media is the biggest form of promotion. Crème Egg became the best FMCG using Facebook.

Another highlight of the day was receiving free chocolate bars upon entry as well as visiting the extensive gift shop.’

‘We learnt so much about the Cadbury’s techniques in marketing, details on how to create and market certain products to certain people. Also how the company will monitor sales to ensure that demand is met in the future. For example, there will be a shortage of Coco beans in 2020. They have invested millions of pounds in planting new tress and education of farmers to allow more availability in the future.’

Ms P Lockwood

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Year 7 Service of welcome Year 7 Welcome Service 2016 – ‘an authentic expression of faith’ ‘The best yet!’ was how some described what was a wonderful Welcome Service in which we were able to witness a multi-talented presentation by Year 7 students to mark their new life at All Hallows Catholic College. One parent described it as, ‘an authentic expression of faith … I was moved by the presentations and the choice of prayers and songs. I felt a great sense of hope for these children just starting out at high school.’

Family and visitors alike, in a packed College Assembly Hall, were treated to an evening of joy and aspirations by talented Year 7 students who put in to words, drama, dance and song what it means to be a part of the All Hallows community.

After a warm welcome from 7 Francis Xavier, and a rousing rendition by all those gathered of the opening hymn, the Year 7 Dance Company delighted us with a beautiful piece around the theme of new friendships. 7 Pedro de San Jose Betancur went on to present the College values and how they impact our lives, followed by 7 Marianne Cope who reminded us as to how we can put our Faith and College values in to action through a modern adaption of the parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’. A moving adaptation of the Creed for children was presented by 7 Maria Faustina and 7 Rose Philippine Duchesne brought us in to a quiet reflective time in their intercessory prayer. 7 Ignatius of Loyla gave an interesting presentation of the life and times of the inspirational Blessed Oscar Romero, and the evening was brought to a great close by 7 Emily de Viliar who recalled memories of their Liverpool Hope University experience.

Each form presented to Sister Susan a decorated figure representing their form and were displayed at the front to show how each is holding hands in friendship to form one community.

Our thanks go to all the hard work by the Year 7 students and their tutors, to the Y7 Dance Company, the beautiful music from the College Choir led by Mr Andrews and to all other students and members of staff who gave of their time to help make the evening such a great success.

Deacon D Harrison

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GROWING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH AHLC GIFT Chaplaincy growing from strength to strength Representatives from the All Hallows GIFT (Growing in Faith Together) Chaplaincy team joined together at St. Benedict’s Church, Handforth, with students from GIFT teams across the All Hallows Learning Community teams to share what each had been doing in their schools towards the Year of Mercy.

There were many great ideas and students worked well together in mixed teams to present a piece of drama on one of the Corporal or Spiritual works of mercy, for the others to guess.

The day concluded with a peaceful time of reflection in the church and the opportunity to give thanks for our many blessings.

Thanks go to Mrs Nixon and Mrs Gornell for arranging the day and to Leah Rose Steen, Samantha Rock, Amelia Moore and Ellen Mellor of Year 8, who were great ambassadors of All Hallows and an inspiration to the younger members in the Learning Community.

Deacon D Harrison 21 11

ALL HALLOWS STUDENTS MAKE FAITH COMMITMENT All Hallows Catholic College wishes to congratulate over 30 of its students from seven feeder parishes who made a formal commitment to their Christian faith in the Sacrament of Confirmation on June 9th at St. Alban’s RC Parish Macclesfield.

A thanksgiving Mass was celebrated in the All Hallows Chapel by Fr Peter Burke, Parish Priest of St. Alban’s Macclesfield and St. Paul’s Poynton. All Hallows is delighted to be part of these young people’s journey in faith and we celebrate with them the importance of faith in life and their response to this Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy.

We pray that these young people will always sense the guiding presence of the Holy Spirit as, urged on by the Bishop of Shrewsbury, the Rt. Rev. Mark Davies, they ‘go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News’.

Deacon D Harrison

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YEAR 12 LEARNING CONFERENCE On Wednesday 12October Year 12 spent an afternoon taking part in a Learning Conference. This interactive session (led by the Teaching and Learning team) was delivered in the style of a teacher training session, giving students a taster of what it was like to work in a professional environment.

The focus was developing a growth mindset, with tips on how to approach independent study work, solve problems and prepare for end of term examinations. Year 12 worked collaboratively to explore a range of scenarios and offer advice to students in these situations. They then put what they had learned into practice, by writing a motivational message and taking photos of each other to be displayed in their study room. They finished the conference by writing three promises to themselves - three small changes they were going to make in the way they thought about work and challenges that would keep them inspired throughout the year. English Language student Morgan Hadfield commented that 'I will approach challenges with an open mind and learn from mistakes I have made.' Angus Barton agreed, and felt the benefits would extend even further: 'A growth mindset is a really useful skill for me to have in the future.'

Mrs Garvey, Head of Sixth form, thought that the afternoon was a great success. 'Even though our students have enjoyed considerable success at GCSE, it is difficult to thoroughly prepare them for the steep learning curve that comes with Sixth Form studies. The Learning Conference was aimed at helping students learn to love the challenges A levels provide, to enjoy effort, to be resilient and to adopt a 'can do' attitude, an attitude which leads not only to short term achievement but also long term success.'

Miss E Stebbings

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A PEBBLE OF AN IDEA Season of Creation – A Pebble of an Idea All Hallows was invited to join with others in the concluding celebration of the Season of Creation at St. Alban’s RC Church, Macclesfield on October 4. The theme of the evening was, "A pebble of an idea" - an ecumenical prayer evening to celebrate God's creation and the Feast of St Francis. Head Boy, Aidan Hughes and Head Girl, Emily Rafferty were excellent ambassadors and gave a talk during the service about what the College has been and is doing in response to Pope Francis’ encyclical, ‘Laudato Si’ and ‘Caring for our Common Home’.

Following the meeting Emily said, ‘The evening provided us with a valuable chance for thoughtful group reflection on God's Creation, in a setting where we could talk freely about the current issues surrounding our planet, addressing them from a religious standpoint. I was particularly interested by the discussion within the group on issues such as global warming and the production of palm oil, which I am deeply concerned about, and believe it is important to cooperate to solve these problems in our modern, fast moving world.’

Aidan added, ‘This was a fantastic opportunity to be able to prayerfully share our experiences during the Season of Creation with members of St. Alban's Parish. I enjoyed discussing different creative ways in which we can connect individually and as a community with God's Creation, and the different interpretations of what ‘a pebble of an idea’ means to us. For me, it is comforting to know that dropping just one small pebble of stewardship in the pond of life can cause a ripple effect which will have a positive effect on the whole of humanity.’

Bernadette Bailey of St. Alban’s who organised the event thanked the College and said, “It was wonderful to hear about the approach you have taken at All Hallows to the Season of Creation in the creation of the prayer stations in the chapel and how all students have had the opportunity to spend time experiencing the peace. The continued link between All Hallows and the parish is wonderful and I felt blessed to see and feel it in action last night.”

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Deacon D Harrison

“Laudato Si’ “Laudato Si’,” the title Pope Francis chose for his encyclical on the environment, comes from a hymn of praise by St. Francis of Assisi that emphasizes being in harmony with God, with other creatures and with other human beings. Over the past few weeks, students have been invited down to the Chapel in their RE classes to embark on a journey of exploration, learning and reflection on God’s wonderful creation and our role as stewards.

Around the Chapel are a number of prayer stations, each of which gives the student a different experience of multi-sensory prayer, ranging from the tasting of fruit, examining stones and leaves, thinking about dirty water, pollution and recycling, offering friendship and butterfly prayers, reflecting on the universe, exploring soil amongst others.

Each session has been beautifully prayerful and peaceful as students moved around the Chapel from station to station, recording their thoughts and experiences in a Prayer Journal which will serve as a living treasury of prayer for years to come. It is in the silence we hear the still, small, voice of God. Feedback from the students has been both positive and very moving. Some students commented that it had helped to make them feel at peace, whilst others spoke of how they enjoyed specific stations: Louis Fox, Year 8 said, ‘When we were in the Chapel it made me appreciate the world we live in. One of the stations had dirty water in a bottle and information about the dirty water in Africa, this made me not always want to complain about problems that are small and petty and think about how many people in the world have bigger problems than me.

It also made me want to be a better steward and care for our plants and trees and to savour the beautiful world we live in.’

Ruby Marlow, Year 7 said, ‘I enjoyed eating the fruit because it reminded me how lucky I am to have food and drink.’

Ruby Hamilton, Year 8 said, ‘The Soil station made me really think about how important soil is around the world for all the lovely food we have, and how we take it for granted.’

Ceelan Charlesworth-Simpson, Year 7 said, ‘It made me open my eyes to the real world, somethings amazing and some not.’

For more information about ‘Laudato Si’ and the Prayer Stations, please contact the Chaplaincy Team.

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Stephen Hughes Stephen Hughes, Year 11, was awarded runner-up in the age 14–16 category of the Nationwide EO Detective competition at an official ceremony at the National Space Centre in Leicester on Saturday 1st October. The nationwide EO Detective competition for children run by the National Centre of Earth Observation (NCEO) is the first time that UK children have been able to choose targets on the Earth for astronauts to photograph.

Stephen, and others were awarded their chosen photographs taken by astronauts at the ceremony.

Stephen gave us an account of the experience when he returned to school, and normal life, on Monday. “The Space Centre is a fantastic building, with many interesting exhibitions about everything from the weather to rockets; as part of my prize, I received free entry into the Space Centre on the night, and it really was a fabulous place to look around. The competition had been to ask for two images from space, one as a normal colour image, and one highlighting different wavelengths of radiation, in order to show factors such as moisture, temperature, vegetation etc. I asked for a picture of the Great Green Wall in Western Africa, an initiative with the aim of stopping the advance of the Sahara into more southerly areas of Africa. The competition was a fantastic experience and definitely something that I would want to do again.�

There were around a thousand entries coming from Inverness to Jersey, from Belfast to Norwich, and an extra category had to be added for younger children. Stephen has excelled yet again in his passion for Science and we are all very proud of his achievement.

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UK scientists use imagery taken from space, including astronaut photography, every day in their work to better understand aspects of the Earth’s changing environment – from weather and climate to animal migration. Tim Peake’s stay on the ISS provided a chance to celebrate the strength of space science research in the UK and inspire a new generation of scientists who will use Earth observation data.

Images to inspire students and other updates are posted regularly on Twitter by @EODetective (https:// twitter.com/EODetective). For further information please contact EODetectivehelp@le.ac.uk.

Mrs C Buhac

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MINI DASH FOR THE YEAR OF MERCY

On Friday October 7, we travelled to Ellesmere Port Catholic High School to represent All Hallows at a ‘Mini-DASH’ meeting. What is Mini-DASH? Well, whilst Mr Billings and other members of the Diocesan Association of Secondary Heads (DASH) from Catholic high schools and colleges in Shrewsbury Diocese were meeting, we (the Minis) were taking part in multiple activities with students from the other schools. We were split up in to groups and were able to mix with the other students and make new friends. The theme of the day was on the Year of Mercy and caring for our creation. We enjoyed the scrabble game and an acrostic poem about mercy and we also enjoyed sharing ideas to create new Corporal and Spiritual works of Mercy and a Year of Mercy collage. Something we had never done before was to use the iPads to scan QR codes around the Hall to solve all the questions. We are looking forward to the next one.

Leah-Rose Steen, Amelia Moore, Ellen Mellor and Samantha Rock, Year 8 (GIFT team) Deacon D Harrison 29

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Last week saw the first series of House Assemblies at All Hallows where students were led in a reflection on the theme of Harvest by their House Leaders; Miss Lee (Pax), Mrs Lewis (Icthus), Mr Hamlin (Omega) and Miss Gowing (Alpha).

Each form group contributed food items to be donated to the Treehouse Food Bank in Macclesfield to celebrate the traditional theme of Harvest. Students were then encouraged to think about their own “Harvest� and reflect on what they aim to achieve by the end of this academic year; what did they intend to harvest in July? These reflections took the form of pledges written on autumnal leaves, which are now on display in the College hall, serving as a reminder for all students of their plans.

To further visualise this commitment, each form was invited to plant a daffodil bulb. This bulb is to be cared for by the form, just like their harvest pledges, and will be then sold in the spring to raise money for the India clinic.

Staff and students are looking forward to inter-House challenges and competitions after half term.

What does my house name mean?

Mr P Deay

Name Pax, meaning peace, uses a dove as its symbol. The dove is a recurring symbol of peace in the Bible and also has become such in modern culture. The name of this house reminds us of the peace that we share as brothers and sisters in Christ, peace always shared during Mass. White has been chosen for Pax house, as white is a traditional colour symbolising peace.

Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the New Testament Jesus refers to himself as the beginning and the end. The Alpha and the Omega symbolise our belief that God is eternal. Purple, the liturgical colour for Advent and Lent has been chosen for Alpha house, reminding us of beginnings.

Omega is the first letter of the Greek alphabet. In the New Testament Jesus refers to himself as the beginning and the end. The Alpha and the Omega symbolise our belief that God is eternal. Red, the liturgical colour symbolising the Passion of Christ has been chosen for Omega house, reminding us of endings.

Icthus is the Greek word for fish and was used by Christians as a secret sign of their allegiance to Christ during the early Church. Green is the colour used in liturgy during ordinary time, reminding us that Christ is ever present in our lives.

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Symbol

DO YOU KNOW HOW TO TIE A TIE? All Hallows Catholic College has a holistic view to education and Students are not only taught from a text book but are also taught key, valuable, life and employability lessons. One of these being how to tie your own tie! Not only is this practical lesson an employability advantage for the students but it also demonstrates one of the core values of the College which is respect. Presenting to the students how important the way they dress is in everyday life and making that first impression in such things like job interviews. The school also supports local businesses within the town by using a local supplier for the ties.

The students had fun in learning the skill and highlights to them that by taking pride within their appearance, they should aspire not to have more, but to be more.

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We have a selection of new books in the library and are expecting more next half term – why not come in and browse?

Autumn is the perfect time to try something different and curl up with a good book. Just ask for a recommendation!

Michael Morpurgo An Eagle in the Snow Michael Morpurgo is back with another gripping war story. This time the story is set in 1940, on a train that comes under attack from a German fighter. Barney, his mother and a stranger are trapped together in a carriage while the train shelters in a tunnel for protection. The stranger tells them a story to pass the time. It is the extraordinary story of a young soldier in the trenches in WW1 who makes a split second decision that could have changed the course of history.

Inspired by the true story of Henry Tandey, ‘An Eagle in the Snow’ is a fascinating story from a master story teller. https://www.michaelmorpurgo.com/

I Am Malala An inspiring account of schoolgirl Malala Yousafzai determination to complete her education in the face of brutal opposition.

‘Written by Malala in collaboration with critically acclaimed author, Patricia McCormick, this children's edition tells the remarkable story of a girl who knew from a young age that she wanted to change the world - and did. Her journey will open your eyes to another world and will make you believe in hope, truth, miracles, and the determination of one person to inspire change. Raised in a once-peaceful area of Pakistan transformed by terrorism, Malala was taught to stand up for what she believes. So she fought for her right to be educated. And on 9 October, 2012, she nearly lost her life for the cause. She was shot pointblank on her way home from school. No one expected her to survive. Now, she is an international symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize winner.

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The Many Worlds of Albie Bright by Christopher Edge When Albie’s mum dies, it’s natural he should ask where she’s gone. His parents are scientists and they usually have all the answers. Dad mutters something about quantum physics and parallel universes, so Albie gets a box, a lap top and a rotting banana, and sends himself through time and space in search of his mum. What he finds may or may not be what he is looking for, but he does learn the answers to some big questions. An unusual but powerful read, full of hope and humour.

To find out more about the author and his other books, log onto: http:// www.christopheredge.co.uk/

Gorilla Dawn by Gill Lewis Gill Lewis is the author of a series of exciting animal adventures that also deal with more human issues such as friendship and family. ‘Gorilla Dawn’ is set in the Democratic Republic of Congo where the main characters, Imara and Bobo are being held prisoner in a rebel camp. When their captives bring back a baby gorilla they plan to sell, the race is on to escape and return the gorilla to the wild. This is a real page turner of a story that grips you from the very beginning.

Log on to Gill’s website to find out more about her other books: http:// www.gilllewis.com/web/

Railhead by Philip Reeve For sci fi/fantasy fan, then why not try Railhead by the fantastic Philip Reeve?

The Great Network is a place of great dangers - especially for someone who rides the rails and rides his luck the way Zen Starling does.

Once Zen was just a petty thief, stealing to support his family and living by his wits. Now everything has changed. Zen is still a thief – but it could be that the key to the whole universe rests on finding out what else he is…’

This book is set in a richly imagined universe that draws the reader in from the beginning.

To find out more about the work of Philip Reeve, then log onto his website: http://www.philip-reeve.com/

Checkout your local library and see what books they have on offer. You can borrow up to 20 books which should see even the most avid bookworm through the half term holiday! http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/libraries/libraries.aspx

Why not click on the Booktrust link below and use their excellent Bookfinder feature? You can search by age range and genre. There are also recommended reads to explore. http://www.booktrust.org.uk/ 34

ALL HALLOWS LEARNING COMMUNITY On Wednesday 28th September, All Hallows played host to the first All Hallows Learning Community (AHLC) Cross Country event. Children from years 3, 4, 5 and 6 ran the course that led the children around the All Hallows' field and included a hill that was dumbed 'The Killer'. The years 3 and 4 covered a distance of 0.8 miles and years 5 and 6 ran a lap further, covering 1.2 miles. All the children pushed themselves to their limit and did their schools proud on a very tough course.

Mr B Mercer

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Year 3/4 Boys (school): 1st St. John's 2nd St. Alban's 3rd Saint Mary's

Year 3/4 Girls (school): 1st St. Alban's 2nd St. Paul's 3rd Saint Mary's

Year 3/4 Boys (individual): 1st Liam Donoghue (St. John's) 2nd Joe Beecroft (St. Alban's) 3rd James Ross (St. John's)

The results were as follows: Year 3/4 Girls (individual): 1st Francesca Losa (St. Alban's) 2nd Holly Naden (St. Paul's) 3rd Rose Cassidy (St. Paul's)

Year 5/6 Boys (school): 1st St. Alban's 2nd St. Paul's 3rd Christ the King

Year 5/6 Girls (school): 1st St. Alban's 2nd St. Paul's 3rd Saint Mary's

Year 5/6 Boys (individual): Year 5/6 Girls (individual): 1st Braydon Vervaet (Christ the 1st Freya Evans (St. John's) King) 2nd Charlotte Moran (St. Alban's) 2nd Thomas Marsh (St. Alban's) 3rd Sofia Whitehurst (St. Alban's) 3rd Edward Brown (St. Paul's) Overall: 1st St. Alban's | 2nd St. John's | 3rd St. Paul's

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TAG RUGBY

On Wednesday 26 October, children from the All Hallows Learning Community took part in the annual Tag Rugby Tournament on the College field. Teachers from all the primary schools were amazed at the ability of the children as they showed tremendous skill in being able to dodge opponents, carry and pass the ball and defend as a team. However, the most pleasing aspect of the tournament was seeing the acts of sportsmanship shown from each school. No matter what the result everyone congratulated each other on how well they had played and at times would even give advice on how to improve.

The results of the competition are below: 1st. St. Paul's A 2nd. St. John's A 3rd. St. Alban's A 4th. Saint Mary's A 5th. St. John's B 6th.St. Alban's B 7th.St. Gregory's A 8th.St. Paul's B 9th. St. Benedict's B 10th. St. Benedict's A 11th. St Benedict's C We must also say a massive thank you to the Sports Leaders who both refereed and coached the children.

Without their support the competition could not have taken place.

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Well done to everyone who took part!

Mr B Mercer

Prayer In times of difficulty, Lord, we appreciate the support and encouragement of others.

In better times we feel stronger and more secure.

Remind us then to co-operate with other people and look out for the needs of others, being ready to offer a smile, a word, and other support and encouragement.

Amen 42 38

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