Whitsun, Trinity and Michaelmas Term Reviews 2014

Dear Friends, As I write this forward to this review, I’m f inding it hard not to mention a very significant event which has just happened in the life of our College; an OfSTED inspection on 4-5 December 2014. I’m not allowed to reveal the result by grade just yet but the phrase we are using is ‘we are not disappointed’ and anyone who knows how high we set our standards will know what we mean! I am so proud to be Principal of such a faithful, caring, dynamic and hard-working learning community. There are many words which are still ringing in my ears following verbal feedback from the inspection team which reflect what we are about: ‘The climate for learning is extremely positive, students love learning…’

‘Students attitudes to learning help learning positively and strongly.’

‘Students are well cared for and show respect. This is a real strength.’

‘Students are very clear they feel safe and secure.’

‘Conduct is exceptional’ ‘There are high expectations and an aspirational culture.’

‘Spiritual, social, moral and cultural education is a real strength’ ‘A very inclusive school’ Leadership which is: ‘Honest, has integrity and high ambition, focused on teaching and learning as well as care and provision.’

In addition to this was the whole atmosphere of the College during inspection which revealed just how deep our values have gone into our community life. It was especially great to see compassion in action as I saw real quality support being given to one another.

For now we’ll just have to wait for the written report to share more but – WELL DONE EVERYONE! Let’s carry on aspiring not to have more but to be more,

Tony Billings—Principal & National Leader of Education 02

All Hallows finishes the year with a flourish of awards…...p. 02 A truly inclusive school…….p. 03 Nothing but the best of “Nil Satis Nisi Optimum at All Hallows…...p. 05 Talented Business Students from All Hallows graduate from Career Academy..…P. 07

All Hallows Students spend Easter in Naples..…….p. 09 Something is buzzing around All Hallows..…….p. 11 Q&A with the Bee keepers…….p. 13 Year 13 Leavers Day……..p. 15 We will Rock You…….p. 17 Audience with St Paul Dame…….p, 19 Students West-End Weekend..…….p. 21 Year 7 Giant inflatable reward Day…….p. 23 Year 11 Leavers Mass…...p. 24

All Hallows Learning Community Learning Conference..…….p. 25 Mother tongue other tongue..…….p. 27 The ups and downs of farming..…….p. 29 Boys in motion…...p. 31 Art Success at All Hallows…...p. 33 Our day out…...p. 34 Recommended Reads..…….p. 35 Sports News: Macclesfield District Athletics Competition..…….p. 38 Sports News: Gymnastic Commonwealth Games Success..…….p. 39 Sports News: New Fitness Centre Now Open…….p. 40 Sports News: St John Paul II Centre For Sport and Fitness……..p. 41 Prayer..…….p. 42

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All Hallows finishes the year with a flourish of awards

All Hallows Catholic College is celebrating the end of another very successful academic year, with a sextuple of awards, which flow from the heart of the College mission to ‘aspire not to have more but to be more’ and its Christian values. In as many months, the College has attained six major awards. The first was the International Schools Award which was followed by the Inclusion Quality Mark, Arts Mark Gold, the Green Flag, (the highest award for environmental sustainability ) and then an E Safety Award.

And just when the college thought it couldn’t get any better, and in the last week of the summer term, the College heard it had got the coveted Dyslexia Friendly Status accreditation.

Principal, Tony Billings, says ‘The values we hold as a Church school influence who we are and what we do and we are delighted to have received the recognition in these in awards. Well done to all students and staff for the work that underpins these external assessments and accreditations’

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“A truly inclusive school” Recently All Hallows has once again been awarded the National Inclusion Quality Mark. This is the second time All Hallows has received the award and it recognises the inclusive nature of the College. The verification visit involved a number of meetings with a number of different sections of our community including students, parents, Governors and of course staff.

Students from the College council made it clear why they found All Hallows inclusive, as they said “the teachers are very supportive and treat you as equals and individuals”. One pupil commented on one of his teachers who is regularly heard to say “We have 30 teachers in this class not 1!”. Students also commented “You get a lot of help from teachers, one also said “There is always someone you can go to if you have a problem”.

The comments made by students were a key part of the report and the assessor was very impressed by their honesty and confidence.

Another section of the report commented on the quality of teaching and learning at the College stating ‘Teaching and Learning is a strength at All Hallows. The individual learning needs of each student are at the centre of everything the school does and a raft of strategies are in place to support this. A holistic learning cycle which includes reflective practice, peer evaluation, and a curriculum which meets the needs of the whole child is firmly embedded at All Hallows. The curriculum is innovative and always under review to meet the needs of all students. e.g. Year 8 Pathways Provision’.

The teaching staff were also highly praised and with the report stating ‘The teaching staff at All Hallows are highly skilled and committed professionals.’

The overall review and summary of the day at All Hallows was exceptionally positive. The assessor was bowled away by the palpable ethos and values she could feel from all who she met, the standards of teaching and learning, the impact and support provided by Cornerstone, the development of facilities that we have had in the last three years, and most of all the capabilities and insight of our students.

The report can best be summed up with a comment shared by one student who said “Everyone is accepted here for who they are” – as the assessor said this was a typical 05 comment on the day.

‘Nothing But The best or ‘Nil Satis Nisi Optimum’ at All Hallows in Examinations It’s ‘nil satis nisi optimum’ or ‘nothing but the best’ in the A Level results at All Hallows. Students and staff are celebrating excellent A level results in this years examinations with a 100% pass rate (A*-E) with 65% of all grades at A*-B%. A fifth of all grades were A*, the highest grade at A Level. Principal Tony Billings said ‘We are delighted with these results which reflect the hard work of our students and the staff. We are confident that we have provided our young people with an education in character and values, that together with their academic results, will help them live happy and fulfilling lives.’ The highest performing female student was Stella White [with 5 A levels at A*AAAA] and Matthew McFahn [with 4 A Levels at A*AAC and an Extended Project Qualification]. Stella will be reading Natural Sciences at Lancaster University and Matthew will be reading Mathematics at Jesus College, Oxford University. Matthew said ‘I’m really glad I’ve got the grades to go to Oxford. All Hallows has been a great place for me and I want to thank all my teachers for their support and encouragement.’ Cath Wise, Head of Maths said ‘Matthew is now our highest performing Mathematician ever with 595 marks out of a possible 600!’

Head Boy, Ben Mock [5 A levels at ABBAA and an EPQ] and Head Girl Caitlin Shasby [4 A Levels at AABA] have performed superbly well alongside making an excellent contribution to the College in their leadership roles. Ben will be reading Psychology at Lancaster University and Caitlin will be reading Law at Newcastle University. Ben said ‘It’s really uplifting that my hard work has paid off, I’m really looking forward to studying Psychology. I’ve had a great time at All Hallows.’ Caitlin said ‘I’m positively shocked, suffering from a lack of sleep and really looking to studying Law at University. If I was to study at school again I would choose All Hallows!’ Michelle Garvey, Assistant Principal and Head of Sixth Form said ‘These students have served All Hallows admirably in their roles of Head Boy and Girl and have set the highest possible standards for leading others and representing the College at all events.’

International Schools Status and a global world-view have also influenced student choices for University. Katie O’Gara will be studying Sport Psychology (Soccer) at Lubbock Christian University in Texas and Emily Hewland will be studying International Business (Tennis) at the University of Tampa in Florida.

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All Hallows Catholic College staff and students are delighted with excellent results in the GCSE 2014 examination year. These results add to the excellent A Level results which placed All Hallows in the top 400 schools nationally and the highest in Cheshire and surrounding areas.

Despite changing ‘goal-posts’ in government accountability measures and national volatility in GCSE results, All Hallows has secured significant rises in point scores for best eight GCSE’s and in grades at individual student level. As a result, the voluntary academy in Macclesfield is expecting largest ever intake into the Sixth Form with more students than ever getting the required grades for A level study. 76% of students gained five or more GCSEs at A*-C with 95.5% gaining five or more passes. Special congratulations are due to students of all abilities and especially to the following high flyers who gained 8 or more A*-A passes: Jessica Bailey, Thomas Bowers, Hannah Bristow, Suzanne Cantillon, John Ceuppens, Kayleigh Chadwick, Niza Chilufa, Joshua Coward, Mollie Etherton, Isobel Glen, Elizabeth Harkins, Elena Howard, Dominic Langer, Hannah Lobo, Amy Murgatroyd, Abigail Percival, Alessandro Pinto, Eleanor Powell, Natasha Raymund Jayadev , Emily Robinson, Erin Sharrocks, Emma Smith, Robyn Tyldesley, Charles Waller, Alice Waterhouse, Roisin Weaver, Jake Wedge, Aidan West and Siobhan Wright. One of these students, Natasha Raymund Jayadev , has achieved 9 A grades whilst also being selected for the Commonwealth Games and representing Malaysia at Gymnastics. Natasha was understandably ‘over the moon’ with her results saying ‘ On top of spending hours and hours perfecting my Gymnastic skills I made sure that I kept up with all of my GCSE work and achieved A grades, I’m really happy, as are my teachers and mum and dad, who have supported me throughout’.

Another student, Tom Bowers, who attended a high flyers UK Challenge Mathematics summer school at Oxford University, said ‘I’m really pleased with my results and I’m looking forward to doing Maths and Further Maths in All Hallows Sixth Form.’ Hannah Bristow who is also UK National Sailing Champion is also amongst our highest A*-A achievers also proving that a combination of sports and academic achievement go hand in hand. Congratulations are also to be given to a group of students who did exceedingly well despite having to cope with health or other issues during their studies. We are very proud of them all.

Mr Billings, Principal.

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Students graduate from CAUK Academy!

Talented Business Students from All Hallows Catholic College graduate from the Career Academy Six young people from All Hallows Catholic College attended a graduation ceremony at The Town Hall in Manchester.

The Business students from the Marketing and Communication Career Academy of All Hallows Catholic College graduated on 14 May 2014 after a two-year business education programme, which aims to raise the aspirations of 16 to 19-year-olds and boost their employability skills by giving them real life experiences of the workplace. Completing the Career Academy programme greatly improves the students’ chances of progressing on to higher education or straight into a job.

The students received their certificates from Anne Spackman, Executive Director of Career Academies UK in an impressive ceremony in the majestic08

Town Hall in Albert Square. David Harrison, Management Consultant with Accenture, Sarah Fanthorpe, Head of Customer Service in Leeds for British Gas and motivational speaker ‘Action Jackson’, offered words of encouragement and top tips on how young people can fulfil their ambitions and achieve future career success.

Jane Lynch, Co-ordinator of the Career Academy at All Hallows said ‘this is one of the strongest cohorts of students we have had on the Career Academy Programme - all have done exceptionally well and are expected to achieve excellent results for their BTEC Business course in the Summer.’

Andrew Loxham who was one of the students to graduate, said: “I chose the Career Academy programme because it offers a unique opportunity to experience a true working environment in major companies. I did my internship at Peaks and Plains Housing Trust, which really opened my eyes to the working world. I would definitely recommend the programme to others. I have learnt vital new skills, which I know have improved my employment prospects, and I’ve had a fantastic time along the way.”

Other graduating students had internships with Barclays Bank and The Co-operative College. Congratulations to all six students!

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All Hallows Students spend Easter in Naples Over the Easter holidays, a group of GCSE geographers visited the Bay of Naples.

The focus of the visit was to study the physical geography of Naples.

Before arriving at our hotel we stopped at the site of the Battle of Monte Cassino so that students could look at the memorials and view the monastery at the top of the hill. On the second day we were up early and eager to visit the natural wonders of both Mount Vesuvius and Pompeii and spent the evening at the bowling alley where students got to see the competitive side of Mr Ebbrell!

On day three we were lucky enough to take the hydrofoil ferry to spend the day on the beautiful island of Capri. This was truly an island of tremendous beauty and scenery. Ryan and Ethan seemed particularly excited to experience the tram ride on the island and some of our students (Jessica and Louisa) were thrilled to meet some students from an American school on the journey back down. The only downside to this day was the price of the drinks in the cafés in Capri – which came as a particular shock to Tom and Sam. Our last full day was ‘jam-packed’ with visits! We toured a Flavian Ampitheatre in Pozzuoli, Area archeologica di Cuma 10

(the most ancient Greek colony in the World) and the Solfatara Volcano. Charlie who had by this point taken at least 500 photographs since we arrived on the first day decided not to take his camera to this visit, needless to say we had another really good tour and other students were able to take photographs to pass on to Charlie – who assured us he would be setting up a weebly website to publish the hundreds of photos he had taken (as well as sharing them with his 13,000 instagram followers).

On our final day we were truly exhausted. We had experienced so much of Naples and the surrounding areas and eaten enough pizza to last a lifetime. It was a pleasure to experience such a beautiful place and be in the company of a really lovely group of students and a great team of staff.

Mr A Ebbrell — Head of Geography

“

”

It was a pleasure to experience such a beautiful place

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Something’s buzzing around All Hallows

ASPIRE NOT TO HAVE MORE BUT TO ‘BEE’ MORE! How are the bees? This is a question beekeepers hear quite a bit. Although most beekeepers do not talk to their bees, it is easy to see that the honey bee had a very good year. All Hallows College had a bumper crop of honey and the students assisted with the collection and preparation of the honey from the hive. This year twenty jars of honey will be raffled to raise funds for ‘Plan Bee’ the school’s beekeeping club.

It has been an exciting year for beekeepers who received national news coverage after collecting swarms of bees in the centre of London and around the country! A swarm of bees is a dramatic sight but they are normally very docile and will not bother you if they are left alone.

Our Beekeepers set fire to twigs and card with a blow torch and use the smoke to pacify the bees. It is essential that beekeepers wear protective clothing especially around the face and hands.

12 The bees work together to create the honey comb to protect their young and also their honey reserves.

To fill a jar of honey the bees have to travel thousands of miles.

The jars of All Hallows honey are from a single hive and have not been heated which means the honey retains a distinctive flavour.

This year our College beekeeping team were called out three times to collect swarms in the local area but most of the calls turned out to be about bumble bees and wasps!

All Hallows Catholic College will be the first school in Cheshire to have its own beekeeping academy. Students will have the chance to train for the Junior BBKA certificate in beekeeping with Graham Royal who is a leading figure in the beekeeping world. Graham is an expert in bee-microbiology and has obtained the NDB, the National Diploma in Beekeeping which is the highest beekeeping qualification there is.

All Hallows will be offering a British Beekeeping Association qualification to students this year. If you are interested in learning about bees or helping with the beehives, please speak to Mr Aspinal or Mr Power.

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Aspire not to have more, but to bee more

Q&Beekeepers A the with

Students have asked our resident beekeepers some interesting questions over the past few weeks...

I’m scared of bees; are they dangerous?

Our bees are bred to be gentle and will not sting unless they perceive an immediate threat to themselves or their hive. People often confuse wasps with bees which is a shame as wasps are normally more aggressive and likely to sting 'without reason'.

Wasps can sting repeatedly and are not harmed in the process. If you are stung and NO STING REMAINS behind, the insect is 99% likely to be a wasp, not a honey bee.

Anyone involved in beekeeping soon gets used to wearing the famous bee suit, veil and gloves. The beekeeping suits provide excellent protection and gives extra confidence when you are opening up a beehive.

Why do beekeepers use smoke?

The smoker is used to calm the bees as it triggers a response in them which makes the bees eat extra honey. Scientists believe this goes back to the time when bees lived in hollow trees and the smell of smoke indicated a potential forest fire and time to move.

After a big meal the bees are normally calm and easy to manage. The smoke also disrupts the signals the bees can smell which indicate danger.

If bees are so friendly why do you wear a protective suit?

It is rare for bees to sting but if for example a frame of bees is dropped or some bees are trapped bees communicate this distress and could see the beekeeper as a threat to their hive. Beekeepers normally wear a veil and suit to avoid stings to the face which can swell up and cause discomfort I have seen bee swarms in the news paper, why does this happen?

Bees swarm in order to reproduce and it is perfectly natural. A swarm is not a sign the bees are going to attack anyone but the bees

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will be buzzing loudly to communicate to each other as they decide where their new home will be.

I saw a family with a ‘beard of bees’ all over their faces, are they mad?

Possibly yes! We do not advise having a ‘beard of bees’ at All Hallows, but it does show how docile bees can be when they swarm. The bees are attracted to a special smell or pheromone and wish to stay close to the queen bee. If you see a swarm of bees, contact a beekeeper who will collect the bees for you.

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Year 13 Leavers 2014 Year 13 Leavers’ Day came round as quickly as ever this year. Teachers reminiscing about children with oversized back packs and noses buried in planners, whilst before them stand young adults ready to make their way in the world.

The day was met by the usual mixture of sadness, excitement, relief, joy and most importantly, concern about it being dry so that students could go on the inflatables!

Students were welcomed with a relaxed breakfast in the Common Room and an opportunity to spend some time with Form Tutors and friends alike. This was followed by the hotly anticipated award ceremony where students achieved prestigious awards such as ‘Most likely to be Prime Minister’, ‘Most likely to win a Nobel Prize’ and the coveted ‘Most desperate to win an Award’.

This then gave way to the more serious and reflective Leavers Mass, prepared by the Year 13 students. The Mass was wonderfully led by Father Francis accompanied by beautiful music from our Liturgy Form Group, along with Mr Cunningham. Students acted out parts of the Gospel and gave thanks for their time at All Hallows. The Mass was followed by some messages of thanks from Mrs Garvey, Mr Nickson and Mrs Connor as well as Ben and Caitlin our hugely impressive Head Boy and Girl.

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Finally students were presented with two items to commemorate the day and the last seven years. Firstly, with an olive wood comfort cross from Bethlehem to remember the College by and to use in times of need or meditation. Secondly, with a leaver’s card featuring a picture of the year group and a signed by the Sixth Form Tutor Team.

The day concluded with the regression of those young adults into the excitement of the inflatables and a barbecue. Highlights included Mr Woodward on the bucking bronco, Joe Harper sliding into a puddle and the very near collapse of a large inflatable slide due to Year 13’s over enthusiasm.

The leaver’s dinner was held at the Palace Hotel in Manchester a few days later ,where the last days were celebrated with a lovely roast dinner and music to dance the night away.

Many of the class mates said their final goodbyes and enjoyed their evening with each other taking photos, talking about future plans and reminiscing about old jokes and funny moments. The end result was a very special evening, with a fantastic year group to whom we wish every success in the future.

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We Will Rock you The Performing Arts department have worked hard since September to produce what has been described as "The Best Musical All Hallows Has Ever Seen" We Will Rock You, the smash hit west end musical written by Queen and Ben Elton was performed this term to over 700 members of the public including several of our feeder primary schools.

Although the immense scale of this musical nearly put Mr Richardson into an early grave and despite the fact the dancers lost their choreographer half way through- all was well that ended well! Ms Mellor stepped in during her first ever week at All Hallows and finished off the choreography marvellously even adding dances in places we didn't realise there could be dances! Thrown straight in at the deep end she swam gracefully to the finish line and the result was a credit to her.

The cast have said the show challenged them due to the nature of the songs, Freddie Mercury was after all an opera singer and Sean McGuiness certainly made Mr Richardson earn his money by making him change the key to pretty much every song he was given. For Erin Sharrocks, one can only be in awe of her voice, talent and characterisation of 'Scaramouche', the witty, sarcastic heroine of the piece.

Who ever knew Dan Hulme was such a marvellous dancer and that Dominic Cook would look so good as a 1970's hippy?

Wonders will never cease.

With classic tracks such as 'Under Pressure' 'Bohemian Rhapsody' and 'We Will Rock You' it's no wonder the reviews and comments for this were outstanding.

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When the curtain closed and the cast had stopped crying the first words out of their mouths were "what are we doing next year?" (cue Mr Richardson's break down) Well staff and students, the answer to that is....

You'll just have to wait and see.

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An Audience with Dame Pauline Green

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Seven students from All Hallows were privileged to be invited to attend a meeting with Dame Pauline Green on Tuesday, 8 July when she visited St Peter's RC School in Manchester. Dame Pauline Green is President of The International Co-operative Alliance and spends much of her time travelling the world, meeting Heads of State and lobbying officials in government in order to further the cause of The Co-operative Movement. As a firm advocate of the crucial role of cooperatives in developing economies, she was very interested to hear of the importance All Hallows places on developing co-operative values in business and enterprise education and of the work done by The College to raise funds for the Clinic in India. The student sasked the Dame Pauline Green an impressive array of questions which stimulated her to provide a fascinating insight into her life and work. At the end of the meeting Dame Pauline Green presented the students with a signed copy of a book based on co-operatives around the world and encouraged them to start networking with co-operative colleges across the country with a view to possibly gaining sponsored youth representation at an international conference in the future.

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Students West-End Weekend April 2014 was our first residential London Theatre trip; which involved 40 students across Years 7-11.

We stayed in a perfectly located hostel in Kensington and enjoyed an evening meal at the Hard Rock Cafe.

We also enjoyed shopping and lunch in Covent Garden walking past Buckingham Palace and 10 Downing Street whilst stopping for photos along the way!

We were fortunate to watch two fantastic West-end shows; Billy Elliot and Matilda.

Billy Elliot was an incredible experience for both staff and students; the whole production was mesmerising from start to finish. The students were overwhelmed with the performance quality of the professional actors; and they were truly inspired by the acting skills of young 12 year old Billy himself.

There was not a dry eye in the house by the final scene; which resulted in a standing ovation from all audience members.

Matilda was fascinating; from the moment we entered the Cambridge Theatre we were transformed into a magical world of literature, with props such as large books and old fashioned school equipment lining

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the entrance and stairway. The set was highly creative and the vibrant neon lighting made it come to life. The students enjoyed recognising key moments from the film and novel; the staff thoroughly enjoyed watching Miss Trunchball (or should I say Mr!) the actor playing this role was highly engaging and made the performance brilliantly funny.

The whole weekend was a wonderful experience for all; with a special thanks to Ms Pridding for organising the trip, Mr B Mercer's great problem solving skills and Mr Kelly's navigating talents!

Looking forward to planning 2015...!

Mrs L Michaels— Subject leader of Drama

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Year 7 Giant Inflatables Reward Day

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Year 11 Leavers Day

The Year 11’s last day began in their form groups, saying their last goodbye to teachers that have watched them develop from timid year 7’s to the confident students that they have become. The day was filled with laughter, the reminiscing of memories, of old jokes and embarrassing photos between class mates. Teachers joined their students in a leavers mass as they wished them luck in the future and on their results day. It was a wonderful day, with a brilliant year group to whom we wish every success in the future.

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All Hallows Learning Community Conference 23 May 2014 Teachers across the All Hallows Learning Community returned to school after the half term break with the memory of an amazing day. The All Hallows Learning Community Conference delivered yet another inspirational day with staff from across the learning community sharing their experiences and expertise to drive improvements across the partnership.

This year the format included the Teachmeet structure in which teachers shared their practice/research and ideas with colleagues in fast-paced interactive presentations. The introduction of the Teachmeet format was fantastically well received with staff sharing ideas to improve teaching and learning using a wide variety of methodologies all supporting our core structure of TEEP. The success of the Teachmeet was definitely down to the excellent compere we had on the day, Mr D Aspinall from All Hallows. As always the quality of the workshops on offer could rival any learning conference with the only complaint being that staff would have liked more time in their workshops.

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We were privileged to be joined this year by Mike Simpson from Kilgarth School, Birkenhead sharing with us his experiences of working with challenging students and offering straight forward and effective ideas of how to work with our students to get the most out of them in our lessons. The feedback from Mike's session was overwhelmingly positive and we thank him for the contribution he made to the day.

The buzz in the hall at the end of the day when staff shared their day with each other was fantastic. This was real tribute to the quality of the training that was provided by all staff on the day. This was a truly memorable and effective celebration of the work that is going on across the All Hallows Learning Community. This is a very important and effective exchange of ideas and reinvigorates teachers so that a positive impact will be experienced by our learners.

A more detailed account can be viewed on the PedEx magazine—http:// issuu.com/all_hallowscc/docs/pedex_issue5/1?e=6150835/8270442 All Hallows Learning Community All Hallows, Macclesfield St Alban’s, Macclesfield St Benedict’s, Handforth St Gregory’s, Bollington St Mary’s, Congleton St Paul’s, Poynton St John the Evangelist, Macclesfield Christ the King, Macclesfield

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Mother Tongue Other Tongue

‘If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.’

Mother Tongue Other Tongue is a national project, led by the Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy that was designed to encourage children to celebrate language, cultural differences and creativity. All Hallows College support Mother Tongue Other Tongue every year and several students have commented that they are happier to talk about the other languages they speak at home as a direct result of the creative writing they did during the Mother Tongue project.

This year, Chen Ji was given a special commendation for her ‘outstanding writing’ which was picked out from schools all over the country. The judges were impressed that the poem was written in both English, Mandarin and German! Chen was asked by the judges to read her inspiring words at the award ceremony and was supported by Alex Archer, Mia Sutcliffe, Alyana Rosete, Christoph Langer and Ignacio Murga who all made an exceptional contribution to the competition.

Students were treated to dancing lessons, a huge picnic and they also sang with musicians who travel the world teaching languages music.

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‘I was so very pleased when I found out my poem had been commended by this national competition. I wrote the poem from my heart and I am irrevocably proud to represent the school by expressing my love of literature and languages.

Getting up to read my poem at the celebration event at Manchester Metropolitan University, I was shaking with nerves - but I tried my very best to do my poem justice by articulating a control of diction and feeling.

This has been a wonderfully fun and worthwhile experience; my gratitude to our school, MMU and the Routes into Languages programme.’ Chen Ji (Year 8).

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The Ups and Downs of farming It’s been a pretty mixed year. The weather during lambing couldn’t have been better, and all three ewes lambed without problems; a ram lamb and 2 ewe lambs. It was obvious from the onset that the ram lamb was maybe not quite as he should be; he was only about half the normal weight for a lamb of this breed at birth…I’ve never seen a tinier lamb! However, he was first born and although small he seemed to be feeding OK and there didn’t seem to be anything wrong with him apart from size. He didn’t grow though, and when the 2 ewe lambs were born a month later, he was still less than half their size! At this point we began to bottle feed him in addition to what he was getting from his mother…he wasn’t really very interested but he did take a little. He was also nibbling solid food now and STILL not growing or putting on weight. At this point we realised that he must have a pretty major birth defect…his teeth were very poor but as he wasn’t yet weaned I didn’t think this was causing problems at this point. My guess was that he had a heart defect and I explained to the students that care for the animals that his chance of survival wasn’t looking very good. Shortly after this, to everyone’s distress we did indeed find him dead.

I would like to make it VERY clear at this point that the poor llama had absolutely nothing to do with the lamb’s death. This was a natural and not unexpected loss of an animal that quite clearly had a problem at birth and Vinnie absolutely did not kick him, bite him, step on him or harm him in anyway at all.

True, Vinnie has been a little excitable recently and certainly he sat on one of the ewes during Sports day (without causing any harm) – but not because he wanted to hurt it! On the contrary, he was in fact getting a little “over friendly”! The temporary solution to this has been to fence off a larger section of the paddock to provide a bigger “escape” area for the sheep so they can avoid him if he gets over-amorous. They did already have a fenced off area but I can’t MAKE them use it and sheep are not always very bright!

In fact a piece in the Reaseheath Magazine describes sheep to a tee. “Yes, they’re a bit more open to the prospect of death than most animals and they’re not the brightest, but look past their suicidal tendencies and they’re a great first step into farming”. Indeed, as an old sheep farmer I knew used to say, “Most sheep are born looking for a way to die, and the most essential piece of equipment that a sheep farmer can have is a shovel (to bury them!)”

Despite that, hopefully they’ll have the sense to simply move out of Vinnie’s way when necessary, and we’ll put a permanent halt to his prospects of a love life in the autumn when we can get him castrated.

In the meantime, he is fulfilling a very important role as flock guardian. We have had a quite persistent fox problem this year and the lambs would have been at serious risk of predation. However, llamas are a tried and tested method of protecting sheep from predators. In America, llamas have been used as flock guards for well over 30yrs and there is ample evidence that they reduce sheep losses to predators (mainly coyote) from around 11% of the flock to less than 1%. In this country they are used to guard against foxes, badgers, dogs and crows. Some farmers even keep them with flocks of free range chickens and they guard the hens in the same 30

way.

The two lambs that we still have are doing very well and growing strongly. Before long we will be able to breathe a sigh of relief as they will no longer be at risk from the foxes. They have been named Silk and Minnie, and as they are ewe lambs they will be staying at All Hallows.

Also doing very well are the pigs. The 4 Saddleback weaners we bought in have turned out to be excellent, trouble free pigs – much better than the Berkshires we had last year. They have grown on really well and proven easy to handle, docile and are good examples of their breed. The Saddleback pig is a traditional rare breed big, renowned for the superb bacon that they produce. They are also said to be good mothers rearing large litters of piglets and producing plenty of milk.

Two of the saddleback weaners have now provided us with an ample quantity of what looks like truly delicious pork. This was sold to staff in freezer ready quarters, but hopefully in the future we will have the facility to offer pork, bacon and sausage in smaller quantities from a “Farm Shop” to parents as well as staff!

All the grazing animals are benefiting from their new paddock which is over on the far side of the playing field. It’s the only paddock we have that isn’t heavily overshadowed by trees, consequently the grass grows much better and it’s holding up well to grazing by the sheep, goats, llama and the ponies during the day time.

The new goat, Rossi, a Boer/Nubian cross wether, has settled in really well. He is very friendly, especially when there is food on offer, and is enjoying all the attention he gets from students and visitors. He is also a very handsome boy. His only real fault is that he pinches Vinnie’s feed whenever he gets the chance!

We’ve been busy in the poultry department too, with many chicks hatched either in the incubator or under broody hens. The majority of these are Pekin bantams and belong to a couple of the students who are developing a small but quite successful business rearing and selling fancy garden poultry!

Our call ducks are also sitting on a clutch of eggs, although this is a new drake so we don’t yet know whether they will hatch successfully.

We have had problems with the laying hens as the fox managed to get into their run…with a little help from people I think! The hens are currently “on holiday” and we are looking for someone who can build us a decent, walk in shed for a reasonable price…so far, without success. The PTA have kindly given us some money for this, so if you can help, or know anybody who might PLEASE let me know!

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Boys in Motion We welcomed “Boys in Motion” Boys’ a Dance Company from Reddish Vale Technology College to perform their latest piece of dance.

All Year 7 boys and a selected group of Year 8 boys were invited to watch the performance, which was choreographed to mark the First World War Centenary.

This athletic and bold, yet sometimes highly moving performance saw the boys jump, tumble and launch themselves across the stage to recreate events which took place during the war. There were a variety of dance style used within the piece, including Street Dance, breakdance and contemporary and the audience were stunned into ten minutes of silence as they watched in awe.

After the performance, the “Boys in Motion” held a short question and answer session, in which some sensitive questions were raised about the gender stereotyping that is associated with boys’ dance. The performers answered confidently, and one stated the following; “In the past, some people would come and say that dance is for girls.

But once they had seen us perform, they understood how

masculine dance can be.�

Here at All Hallows Catholic College, we are proud to promote equality within dance and to be a Stone Wall School against prejudice and homophobic intolerance of any kind. The Performing Arts Department strives to create opportunities for all to participate in regardless of gender.

This inspirational performance has motivated boys at All Hallows to participate in extra-curricular dance activities and we can confirm that an all-boys Dance Company will be in full force at All Hallows

Art Success for Students at All Hallows

All Hallows Art & Design A Level students secured prestigious places in The Young Artists in Tuscany residential visit for 2014. The event caters for the most talented Art & Design students in Cheshire. Initial applications are followed up by a full interview supported by a portfolio of work. Students are then short listed for selection.

Rochelle Ikin, Lauren Marshall and Orla Haigh all successfully gained places on the course and have take part in the visit to Tuscany. Rochelle and Lauren study the Fine Art Level and Orla is studying on the Art, Craft and Design A level, which caters for students with an interest in Textiles.

The Italian Art Education Tour has been a highly successful sixth-form project since 1984, with coverage on Italian and English television and exhibitions of the work in London, Florence and Montreal. With its glorious Renaissance capital, Florence is enclosed by soft hills of olive groves and cypress trees, dotted with splendid Medici Palaces and villas.

This year's course lasted 9 days, plus a Friday (evening) and Saturday preparation workshop at the Conway Centre prior to departure and one full weekend workshop back in England on return. The course takes in major galleries and churches, plus three days for practical work on location.

The practical work runs alongside organised visits to see the works of the Italian Renaissance. Visits to Sansepolcro, Siena, Florence, San Gimignano, etc. revealed the world's finest masterpieces by Giotto, Piero, Raphael, Duccio, Benozzo Gozzoli and others, some housed in the art galleries, others in beautiful churches and cathedrals.

Students used notebooks and sketchbooks to record, from first-hand experience, their personal responses to the Renaissance works of art, thus developing their critical appraisal skills and adding to their knowledge and understanding of the theory and practice of art.

We look forward to celebrating the work of our students in the new year with an exhibition of the 34 work produced.

Our day out!

During enrichment week, a group of us studying Psychology visited Chester Zoo having begun the topic of relationships. Visiting the zoo was a way for us to analyse animal behaviour to make comparisons with human behaviour.

The day allowed us to conduct our own observations: splitting off into small groups and observing the way in which animals behaved with one another.

Following our observations, we attended a talk where we discussed the behaviours of the animals we’d seen that day and found out the reason for such behaviours. It was amazing to see the animals habitats and behaviour and how they differed between species. The workshop allowed us to not only broaden our current knowledge on some of the Year 13 topics by looking at relevant animal survival strategies such as sexual selection and evolution of food preferences, but also to find out more about specific animal behaviours. Not only was it an interesting and different way to further our knowledge but it was also a great day out in the sunshine.

Rachel MacBryde—Year 13 Student

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Library Recommended Reads Year 7 and 8 students are enrolled on Accelerated Reader, which is a programme they can do a quiz to test their knowledge of the books they have read recently and earn points.

Mr Power, the English department assistant, has picked the brains of the English teachers and students and put together a list of great books to read that are on Accelerated Reader. Have you read them all?

Year 7 – The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman Book Level 5 ‘Harry Potter for people with big brains.’ Ms Carol What’s it about? This is the story of Lyra and Will, who find themselves at the centre of a battle between the forces of the Authority and those gathered by Lyra's father, Lord Asriel.

Year 7/8 – Boys Don’t Cry by Malorie Blackman Book Level 4 ‘This book is thought provoking and very smart’. Miss Anderson What’s it about? A young student finds out the baby his girlfriend has handed him is his problem; for the rest of his life.

Year 7- 8 – Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy Book level 5 ‘Skulduggery Pleasant is imaginative and full of suspense’. Mr Kelly What’s it about? The Necromancers don't need Valkyrie anymore, because they've found their Death Bringer already, the person who will dissolve the doors between life and death.

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Year 8 - Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins Book level 5 ‘Set in the future, this is the scary embodiment of what life could be like if the ordinary man or woman does not stand up for himself. Down with the Capitol!’ Mrs Ibison.

What is it about? Katniss has survived, District 13 is plotting to overthrow the Capitol, and the rebellion's success hinges on Katniss's willingness to change the course of the future of Panem.

Not for the faint hearted.

Year 8 - The Hive by Mark Walden Book level 6 ‘This book is superb! ‘ Mr Power What is it about? In a hidden academy for training evil geniuses, four friend plot to beat the odds and escape the prison known as H.I.V.E.

Year 8 - Evermore Alyson Noel Book Level 7 ‘This book is so much better than Twilight’. Miss Allan What is it about? Since the car accident that claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever sees auras and can hear people's thoughts. She goes out of her way to hide from other people until she meets Damen, another psychic teenager who is hiding even more.

“The college’s outstanding curriculum is continually renewed and developed to meet the needs of students” Ofsted 37

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All Hallows Sports Result All Hallows students were successful at the recent Macclesfield District Athletics Competition at Macclesfield Athletics Track. 

Year 8/9 team came 2nd out of 10 schools.

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100m Sean Santiago - 4th

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200m - George Greenwood - 3rd

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300m - George Parry - 6th

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Long Jump - Daniel Sherratt - 5th

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High Jump - Samuel Fereleto - CHAMPION

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High Jump - Jake Bendall - 3rd

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Shot - Conor Chalcroft - 6th

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1500m - George Tyldesley - 4th

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Discus - Alex Hart - CHAMPION

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Hurdles - Alex Hart - CHAMPION

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Hurdles - Ben Dawson - 2nd

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Javelin - George Croker - 5th

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4 x 100m Relay - 6th

Congratulations to the boys on an excellent effort. They did the College proud!

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Gymnastic Commonwealth Games Success for Natasha Raymund Jayadev!

Natasha Raymund Jayadev competed in Commonwealth Gymnastic qualification trials at the end of May 2014. Natasha came 2nd in the trials and was the youngest person at 15 years old to take part in the trials.

She was so successful in the trials, Natasha was selected by the Malaysian team and competed at the Commonwealth Games 2014 in Glasgow!

I started doing gymnastics when I was 5 years old at Royds Hall High School in Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. This is where I did my very first National competition at the age of 8. I then moved to Halifax where I attended Diamonds Gymnastics Club for a year where I competed at two national level competitions. At age 11 I moved to Macclesfield where I joined my current gymnastics club, the City of Manchester Institute of Gymnastics. Here I attend 6 days a week and train for 27 and a 1/2 hours per week. Over the years I have progressed from obtaining a few medals to getting an abundance of them including trophies. My ultimate success so far is even though I am only a first year senior, I qualified to compete in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. I could not have reached these heights without the support of my sister Lavinia, brother Dinesh and of course both my parents.

I hope I can motivate all the future gymnasts in the making by showing them that commitment and 40 dedication can lead to success. Sadly due to injury, Natasha wasn't able to wasn't able to compete in the games but make sure you watch out for Natasha in future international competitions.

ALL HALLOWS NEW FITNESS CENTRE NOW OPEN

As part of our St John Paul ll Centre for Sports and Fitness All Hallows has now opened a new fitness suite at the College.

The eagerly awaited gym is equipped with state of the art treadmills, rowing machines and cross trainers for available for staff and student use during the College day. The gym was put into place to not only offer wider fitness facilities; it is also designed to develop the intellectual, emotional and spiritual characteristics of the students. By understanding and following the beliefs of the foundation to honour the memory of John Paul II to turn his enthusiasm for the physical and spiritual benefits through our new sports campaign. Over the next few months the College will not only see a rise in number of student sport participation; but also the development of an artificial 3G sports pitch, new changing facilities and a wider sports curriculum. The new fitness suite will open to students during the college day at break and lunch times but also after College day. George Hodgkinson in Year 13 and College Sports Ambassador said that the suite is a ‘brilliant new facility for students’.

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John Paul ll Peace and Education Through Sport at All Hallows The John Paul II Foundation for Sport was launched in 2010 by Pope Benedict XVI during his visit to the UK. Inspired by John Paul II’s vision of sport as a means to building spiritual character, the foundation aims to give children and young people opportunities to develop their physical, intellectual, emotional and spiritual capacities.

Here at All Hallows we are looking at increasing knowledge through sport by implementing the12 virtues of the John Paul II Foundation into lessons. They are as follows:

Ambition and drive: aim high and never accept second best

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Application: stick with tasks, see things through.

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Care for others: work as a team; empathy; help all to achieve their potential.

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Curiosity: what makes a better performance? Diet, fitness and skills.

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Gratitude: never takes the present of the present for granted. All is a gift.

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Grit: to work hard and stick to the task whatever the weather or luck.

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Moral courage: dare to be different, stick by your principles; don't be misled by the crowd.

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Resilience: picking yourself up is more important than falling down.

We learn more in failure than in success

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Self-control: monitor and regulate emotions: controlling temper, talking, delayed

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Self-direction: see yourself as captain of your own ship; understand your own strengths and weaknesses.

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Sense of humour: never takes victory or defeat or indeed yourself too 42 seriously

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Zest, enthusiasm: hope, optimism and passion.

Prayer

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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

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