Alumni Newsletter June 2017

Alumni Newsletter June 2017 For more school news and to read The Owl Magazine, The Academy Newsletter, the Old Boys’ Association Newsletter and past copies of the Alumni Newsletter, please visit the school website at belfastroyalacademy.com belfastroyalacademy

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ALUMNI NEWS CLASS OF 2017

A very warm welcome to the Class of 2017 to the Belfast Royal Academy Alumni!

We wish you all a fulfilling and happy future and hope that you will stay connected with Belfast Royal Academy and your fellow alumni.

A Class of 2017 Reunion will be held in School in December – further information will be provided in the Autumn term.

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Annual Form MVI Culloden Ball, Tuesday 2nd May 2017

Form MVI Leavers Lunch, Friday 12th May 2017

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REUNIONS 2018 ‘Class of’ Anniversaries There are plenty of opportunities for celebrations in the upcoming year!

If you are thinking of planning a formal reunion or just a casual get together for your ‘Class of’ anniversary, please do get in touch. The Alumni Office can help to connect you with former classmates & teachers, promote your event, organise a tour of the school or an event in the school.

2008 2003 1988 1993 1983 1978 1973

10 years!

15 years!

20 years!

25 years!

35 years!

40 years!

45 years!

1968 1963 1959 1953 1949 1943 1938

50 years!

55 years!

60 years!

65 years!

70 years!

75 years!

80 years!

Class of 1977 Reunion – Saturday 27th May 2017 40 years ago I left BRA. On 27th May this year 24 of my classmates returned to the school for a tour. In the evening some 60 joined together for a dinner at the Malone Lodge Hotel. Former pupils travelled from New Zealand, Hong Kong, the US, Canada and numerous parts of the UK specifically to attend the reunion. During the evening, we heard from many who were not able to attend and even had a live link up with a former pupil living on Ascension Island in the middle of the Atlantic.

Our Head ‘Boy’ and ‘Girl’ spoke briefly and we rolled back the years whilst looking at various items of memorabilia. The Neo Adage, “Academy ‘Til I Die”, could not have been better demonstrated than by the warmth of reception and the lateness that people stayed to. There was a general request not to wait another 20 years until we meet again.

Roly Jamison 1967 1st XI Cricket Reunion and BRA Cricket Celebration – Friday 16th June 2017 June 2017 marked the 50th anniversary of the 1967 1st XI cricket team, arguably one of the greatest teams ever to play for the school. The team famously bowled out Campbell College for 5. The team captain, Ian Johnston, scored a record 152 in the schools’ international v. Wales at Swansea.

Five of the team played for Irish Schools (R.I. Johnston, J.G. Crothers, M.L. Blake, A. McCully and W.A.R. McCarey) and Messrs Johnston, Crothers and C.C.J. Harte subsequently secured full international caps for Ireland.

Coach Robin Reid and master in charge of sport, Arthur Thompson, joined the team for a celebration lunch in the school library on Friday, June 16, 2017, hosted by the Headmaster, Moore Dickson.

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The team then attended the School’s 1st XI cricket match against an Old Boys XI at The Castle Grounds. The match was played on a beautiful, sunny afternoon with the pitch and outfield in immaculate condition. Memories were stirred by the attendance of a number of distinguished cricketers including Sir Donald Murray (1940), Tony Cole (1960) and Stephen Warke (1977).

On the evening of June 16, a dinner to celebrate the history of Academy cricket was held at Royal Belfast Golf Club, Craigavad. Dr. Graham Crothers was master of ceremonies and current Captain of Royal Belfast and former BRA cricketer, Norman Beggs, welcomed 25 attendees whose history spanned 50 years of Academy cricket. A toast to Academy cricket was made by former Headmaster and off spin bowler, William Sillery. An enjoyable evening including anecdotes from guests was had by all.

Martin Blake Class of 1988 Reunion – Friday 13th October 2017 A reunion for Alumni who left BRA in 1988, or who left at the end of Form V in 1986, will take place on Friday 13th October 2017 in Ten Square, Belfast City Centre. Amanda Charlwood (nee Graham) and Stephen Fuller visited the School Alumni Office last term for a reunion planning meeting and also enjoyed a tour of both the new facilities and their old haunts! Keep in touch with news of the reunion on Facebook: BRA Class of ‘88 & (‘86) reunion, or contact Dr Louis Campbell at doc_malone2004@yahoo.co.uk.

SHARED EXPERIENCE PROGRAMME The Shared Experience Programme is co-ordinated by former teacher, Eddie McCamley, who is very grateful to former pupils who give so generously of their time to encourage ambition and aspiration among our pupils, by sharing their knowledge, experience and expertise. Please contact Eddie at edward.mccamley@googlemail.com if you are interested in participating in the Shared Experience Programme.

If you are interested in offering a one week Work Experience placement to a Lower Sixth pupil, please contact Mr Murphy in the School’s Careers Department at smurphy534@bfsra.belfast.ni.sch.uk.

ALUMNI UPDATES Judith Bennett (Pupil 1991 – 1998) After graduating from the University of Dundee with a degree in Fine Arts, Judith worked as a curator in a number of private and public art galleries and took an MA in Gallery Curation.

Judith gave up this career in order to become involved in the rescue of refugees in the Mediterranean. She is now based in Copenhagen where she is studying for a post graduate degree in this charitable work, and is Co-Founder and Managing Director of refugee charity, ‘Refugee Rescue’ (www.refugeerescue.co.uk).

Judith visited the Academy on Thursday 8th June and hopes to return next year to speak to our pupils through the Shared Experience Programme.

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Iain Henderson (Pupil 2003 – 2010) Former pupil Iain Henderson has been selected for the British & Irish Lions squad who tour New Zealand this summer. Iain is one of 11 Ireland players named in the 41-man squad, which will take on the All Blacks in June and July.

Sarah Gordon (Pupil 2000 – 2007) Sarah's play ‘A Sinkhole in Guatemala’ has been shortlisted for 2016 Stewart Park Trust Awards.

Phil Harrison (Pupil 1986 – 1993) Congratulations to Phil on his debut novel ‘The First Day’, published on 15th June 2017 and which can be purchased through Amazon. ‘In true Belfast style, Phil Harrison has planted a flag. The First Day is not just a novel, it's a declaration, full worthy of salute.’ (Glenn Patterson) OLD BOYS’ ASSOCIATION The Annual General Meeting of the Old Boys’ Association was held on Tuesday 25th April 2017 at 6.30 p.m. in the Staff Room at School; Mr Martin Blake was elected President, Prof. Robert McIlhagger elected as Senior Vice President and Mr Moore Dickson as Junior VicePresident. A cheque for £2,500 was handed over to the Headmaster at the AGM; this money is to be used to help fund the purchase of the portrait of Sir Henry Pottinger.

The monthly lunches continue to attract between 40 and 50, mainly retired, members of the Association. The April lunch was held at Malone Golf Club; the May lunch at Rockmount Golf Club; the June lunch will be held at Bangor GC on Thursday 15th. Robin Reid coordinates these lunches and the Association is grateful to him for doing this.

Following the success of the Former Pupils’ London Dinner, the Old Boys’ Committee organised a similar dinner, for Alumni who live in Scotland, on Friday 28th April in the New Club on Princes Street. This dinner attracted 42 alumni and was much enjoyed by all who attended.

The toast to the School was made by Mr David McDowell (1988 leaver) who is Head of Government and Politics at Fettes College, Edinburgh. The Headmaster replied and showed a DVD of the highlights of the last school year.

In June and September, the Association will hold two golf outings.

The first will take place at Malone Golf Club on 22nd June; the second will be held at Royal Belfast Golf Club on 8th September.

Any Old Boys interested in playing in these competitions should contact Ken Knox at ken@cd-group.com L Campbell, Hon. Secretary

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OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION The Old Girls’ are delighted to announce another legacy gift to the school, made possible by funds raised prior to the relaunch in 2015. We have worked closely with the school in the design and production of the House Flags. The flags were presented at Sports Day on 19th June. This brand new idea accompanies the revival of the House competitions. We look forward to the first win, to see which House flag earns pride of place flying on the Crombie Tower.

Since our re-launch, the Old Girls’ Association are continually trying to recruit new members. With this in mind, we contacted all ‘old’ Old Girls’ asking if they would like to re-register and add to the already increasing numbers of new members paying our annual £5 subscription. The response was very encouraging, and we would like to invite anyone wishing to register or re-register, to contact us by emailing braoldgirls@outlook.com or contacting Andrea Kerns at the school Alumni office.

If you are outside the UK and would like to subscribe, this can be done on the Alumni page of the school website. In the Old Girls’ section, there is a button to enter your name and year of leaving with the subscription being paid via Paypal.

The Old Girls’ would like to take this opportunity to thank Mr Dickson for all of his support and help since our re-launch in 2015 and wish him well in his retirement. We would also like to welcome Mrs Woods to the school and look forward to her long and happy career at the Academy.

Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and feel free to email us with any questions you may have.

You can also keep in contact through the Alumni section of the school website.

Upcoming events 2nd September 2017 – Annual Dinner at Ten Square Hotel, Belfast, 7.30pm – tickets £35pp.

We are now taking bookings for the Annual Dinner. Please contact us by email if you would like to attend.

March / April 2018 – Annual hockey match OG XI v 1st XI. Date TBA Claire McGovern, Membership Officer FRIENDS OF THE ACADEMY (FOTA) – ANNUAL REVIEW Fundraising This year, 2016/17, has been a great year for the Friends of the Academy. At the start of the summer of 2016, we handed a cheque for £3,000 to the school; a culmination of fundraising for the previous year, 2015/16. The Drama Department gained a new sofa and the Form MVI Physics students enjoyed a boat trip on Lake Geneva during their visit to CERN in early 2017, both courtesy of FOTA fundraising.

Pre-Loved Uniform Sales Sales have certainly stepped up a gear since space for storage was found within school. Coupled with the donation of rails and hangers, items have become much easier to locate, much to the relief of the School Office staff and particularly when trying to locate a piece of emergency uniform. We are now able to run three sales a year and, as always, good quality pre-loved uniform items, particularly sportswear, are most appreciated, with donations to the School Office most welcome.

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Wine Tasting The Wine Tasting evening hosted by the affable Peter McBride certainly provided an education for the palate. A taster of six wines, red and white and suitable for drivers, all washed down with a truly delicious continental supper of olives, meats, cheese and breads. Together with excellent company, the evening was very informative for those who now know their Malbec from their Sancerre …

Refreshments The annual Carol Services for both Ben Madigan and the Academy were finished with festive refreshments. Superb baking, along with teas, coffees and hot chocolate, also flowed at the school open events for prospective pupils in January and May. Spring Fever – The Annual Supper Dance The annual supper dance was marked by ‘Spring Fever’ at the Dunadry - a superb night of fun, food and certainly frolics, with the photo booth proving a real hit and the disco providing great music.

Great craic - a brilliant night’s entertainment, enjoyed by former pupils, friends, staff and parents alike.

New Form I Parents’ Welcome Breakfast The start of the year saw the inaugural new Form I Parents’ Welcome Breakfast; an opportunity to meet other new parents on that daunting first day at the Academy. The lure of bacon sandwiches, washed down with copious amounts of coffee, proved to be a real success, particularly with staff, who have begged and cajoled a repeat for the 2017 intake.

Carolyn Rhodes, FOTA Secretary MEMBER OF THE ACADEMY – MEMBERSHIP INVITATION Becoming a Member of the Academy offers former pupils the opportunity to contribute to the governance of the School. Members are invited to an Annual Meeting, usually held in November, where they are given a brief overview of the year by the Board of Governors and the Principal. They can elect, from its members, Governors to sit on the Board.

All past pupils aged 18 and over and who have been in attendance for at least three full academic years may be eligible for Membership. Prospective Members are asked to complete a brief application form and return this with a £1 registration fee. All applications are submitted to the Board of Governors for approval. Please email the Bursar’s Office at gboyd707@bfsra.belfast.ni.sch.uk for more information.

SCHOOL ARCHIVES A number of books have been published on the history of Belfast Royal Academy, available to purchase from the school.

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In each edition of the Alumni Newsletter we will feature an aspect of school history, excerpted from these books. If there is a theme or an era you would be particularly interested in reading about, please do tell us!

SIR HENRY POTTINGER The school has acquired an impressive portrait of a distinguished former pupil, after whom one of our Houses is named, Sir Henry Pottinger.

The subject of this work was born on 25th December 1789 at Mount Pottinger, County Down. He and his two brothers attended the Academy, but Henry left at the age of thirteen, when Lord Castlereagh obtained for him a cadetship in the East India Company.

Pottinger quickly learned the main languages of East Asia and established a reputation as an exceptionally experienced soldier and traveller. In consequence, he was rapidly promoted, and in 1840, Lord Palmerston, then foreign secretary, had him appointed Envoy and Plenipotentiary to the Emperor of China.

After the Chinese defeat by British forces in the first Opium War, Pottinger, in 1842, obliged the Emperor to sign the Treaty of Nanking, in which Hong Kong was ceded to Britain. Pottinger became its first Governor.

After serving in other colonial posts, Pottinger, his health failing, decided to return to the United Kingdom, but he died in Malta in 1856 and was buried in Valetta.

Despite his remarkable achievements, Pottinger was never really accepted by Britain’s ruling elite. Although knighted in 1839, his County Down accent was often mocked by some aristocratic English politicians, and such financial rewards as he received were grudgingly conceded. It was for this reason, that after his death, his brother William had a plaque erected in St George’s Church, Belfast on which he bitterly lamented the ungracious treatment of Henry, which he attributed to, “Hostile Influence” in governing circles. Pottinger’s real memorial however, is Hong Kong (the name translates as Fragrant Harbour).

With a skyline as recognisable as that of New York, the territory, handed back to China in 1997, is one of the most economically dynamic areas in Asia. Whether it would have reached such a position without Henry Pottinger’s action in 1842 is perhaps questionable.

Samuel Lawrence, 1812-1884, who painted the portrait now in the possession of the Academy, was a distinguished 19th century English artist. His work may be seen in the National Portrait Gallery, the Scottish National Portrait Gallery and Trinity College, Cambridge.

Kim Mawhinney (Pupil 1979 – 1986), Head of Art, National Museums Northern Ireland, came in to school to discuss the framing of the Sir Henry Pottinger portrait with the Headmaster on Thursday 18th May. Please contact the Alumni Office if you would like to organise a visit to the school to view the portrait, which hangs in the school Heritage Room.

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FUND FOR SPORTING EXCELLENCE Last year the School embarked on a fundraising campaign, led by Iain Knox (Pupil 1982 – 1996), to develop the sporting prowess of our pupils.

This fund is to enable us to provide the first class rugby coaching services of Brian McLaughlin to our pupils and to improve sports facilities, including the construction of the new Weights and Conditioning Suite. We would also like to be able to provide funds for hockey and other sports in the school.

We are very appreciative of alumni who have already made or pledged donations. If you would like to be part of this ambitious development, please contact Iain Knox (iainknox@cd-group.com | 07590 734 061). And don’t forget, with Gift Aid the value of your donation is increased by 25% at no extra cost to you.

We look forward to your support!

THE OWL

THE ACADEMY NEWSLETTER ‘The Owl’ is published each December and ‘The Academy Newsletter’ each June.

Both publications are available on the School website under ‘Our School’.

The Owl can be purchased from the School Office for £5.00. It can also be posted and the total cost including postal charge is currently £8.50 for United Kingdom addresses; other charges apply to ROI, Europe and overseas. If you would like to receive a postal copy of The Owl, please contact the Alumni Office.

CURRENT SCHOOL NEWS

RETIREMENT OF HEADMASTER, MR MOORE DICKSON Mr Dickson will retire at the end of this School year. He joined Belfast Royal Academy in August 1980 by way of Campbell College, Belfast and Pembroke College, Cambridge. He quickly acquired a reputation as an inspirational teacher of English, measured in his dealings with pupils and not readily given to displays of anger or frustration when dealing with even the most recalcitrant of pupils. His qualities were quickly recognised and he was to hold many important positions in the school hierarchy: Form Master, Senior Teacher, Vice Principal and Deputy Headmaster, culminating in his appointment as the thirteenth Headmaster of the school in January, 2009.

As Headmaster, Moore Dickson set out to maintain the vibrancy of the Academy and its reputation as a school very much to the fore in educational developments. His leadership saw the opening of a state of the art music centre, a fitness suite, a modern home economics department, a learning support suite and additional dining facilities. Being a Headmaster who was very much aware of the value of physical activity in the development of young people, sport was not neglected. A much needed AstroTurf hockey itch added to the already impressive facilities on offer at the Roughfort playing

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fields and improvements were made to the drainage of the rugby pitches. At the time of writing, work is under way to improve the facilities at the J C Picken cricket pavilion.

His interest in school games was not confined to enhancing the provision available. Following the progress of the First XV in the depths of winter was never the fulfilment of a headmasterial obligation, but was rather a source of enduring pleasure, if occasional frustration, while one of his proudest moments came when he, in tandem with A R Creighton, coached the Third XV, one of whose members was the future British and Irish Lion, Iain Henderson, to victory in their cup competition in 2008.

Moore Dickson leaves behind a school well placed to meet the ever-changing expectations, vagaries and vicissitudes that are an ongoing part of modern education. His achievements were recognised by the school inspectorate who, in 2013, rated his leadership as “outstanding”. He embarks on a wellearned retirement with the best wishes of governors, staff and pupils, both past and present.

Jim Carolan APPOINTMENT OF NEW PRINCIPAL, MRS HILARY WOODS The Board of Governors are delighted to announce the appointment of Mrs Hilary Woods as Principal of Belfast Royal Academy. Mrs Woods will take up this position in the next academic year, following the retirement of Mr Moore Dickson.

Mrs Woods brings a wealth of experience to the school, having been Principal at Antrim Grammar School since September 2014 and Associate Principal of Craigavon Senior High School since December 2016. Prior to this, she was Vice-Principal of Victoria College for 13 years.

We welcome her to the school and congratulate her on her appointment.

Jacqueline Weir, Chair BEN MADIGAN This has been an exceptionally busy and productive term. Our external and teacher led After School’s Clubs have operated smoothly and there are several choices each day available to pupils. A new club, Kookin Kids, started this term and operates two sessions throughout the school.

A very enjoyable Prep 6 and Prep 7 residential trip took place to York from 23rd to 26th May and the 40 children were accompanied by Mr Patterson, Mr Wilson and Mrs Pyper.

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Two members from the Education and Training Inspectorate visited us on the 8th and 9th May as part of a Sustaining Improvement inspection.

They were very pleased with what they saw and gave us a glowing report.

Sports’ Day eventually took place on 15th June when we were able to take advantage of a break in the weather.

We will be very sad to say farewell to both Mr Simon Patterson (VicePrincipal) and Mrs Alice Pyper (Prep 2) as they move to pastures new.

Mr Patterson has been appointed Head of Friends’ Preparatory School, Lisburn and Mrs Pyper has been appointed to the teaching staff of Greenwood Primary School on the Upper Newtownards Road in Belfast.

We wish them well for the future.

Timothy Wilson, Principal MEET CROMBIE THE OWL, OUR NEW SCHOOL MASCOT! Crombie is pictured here with Lucy and Ryan, who choose the winning name ‘Crombie’ in tribute to Belfast Royal Academy founder, the Rev Dr James Crombie and the building which now bears his name.

Crombie the Owl will be meeting and greeting visitors to our open events, cheering on our sporting teams and getting involved in school life! #MeetCrombieTheOwl BELFAST ROYAL ACADEMY HOSTS MINIVERSITY SUMMER CAMP Belfast Royal Academy will be hosting a careers-themed Miniversity Computer Club for primary school children from Monday 3rd – Friday 7th July 2017. The camp runs from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. with early drop off at 8.30 a.m. to 9.30 a.m. and extended hours 3.00 p.m. to 4.00 p.m. available. The cost is £22 per day or £100 per week; sibling discounts are available when booking the full week.

Monday 3th July Tuesday 4th July Wednesday 5th July Thursday 6th July Friday 7th July

Architect for a day (Art & Maths) Vet for a day (Science) Business Tycoon for a day (EduFun) Coder for a day (ICT) Movie Director (EduFun)

Availability is limited so please contact Miniversity now to register your place.

0771 204 2222 / study@miniversity.com / www.miniversity.com SUMMER SERENADE On Friday 16th June, pupils from Form I-IV presented their annual Summer Serenade. Various soloists performed on the evening and the Brass, Flute, Saxophone and Clarinet Quartets all performed admirably. The Junior Chamber Choir, Junior Trad and Junior Wind Band were the backbone of the Concert.

Well done to all involved. It was a lovely evening of music and a perfect way to round off the academic year!!

Mary McMullan

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ART EXHIBITION The Annual Art Exhibition, showcasing Junior, GCSE, AS and A2 Level disciplines and crafts, was held on Saturday 24th June.

FULL MARKS FOR ART & DESIGN PUPILS Congratulations to Art & Design students, Juanita O’Kane and Anna McClurg, who achieved full marks in A Level and GCSE Art & Design, respectively, in the summer of 2016. Juanita O’Kane recently attended the CCEA A Level Awards ceremony in Stormont, along with Mrs Kerr and Mrs O’Donnell.

EUROPEAN HERITAGE OPEN DAY

Along with about three hundred other historic buildings in Northern Ireland, the Crombie Building will be open to the public on the morning of Saturday 9th September.

SPORTING NEWS RUGBY Congratulations to the U13 A XV who won the Blitz at Roughfort on Saturday 18th March, defeating Campbell College, Ballyclare High School and Ballymena Academy.

Congratulations to Shaw House who won the House Rugby 7s competition at Roughfort on Thursday 30th March. It was a very closely contested tournament and Shaw were only crowned champions on points difference after some complex mathematical computation.

IRISH SCHOOLS’ RELAY SWIMMING GALA The Academy’s top swimmers travelled to the National Aquatics Centre, Dublin to compete in the Irish Schools’ Relay Gala, and returned having won medals in 3 events. The Junior Girls’ team finished in 3rd place, with the Senior Boys finishing 2nd in the Freestyle and 3rd in the Medley Relays. The rest of the team performed really well – the Intermediate Boys had two 6th places, with the Intermediate Girls finishing 5th & 6th and the Senior Girls 4th & 5th.

WATERPOLO BOYS’ WIN CANADA TROPHY Congratulations to the Senior Boys’ Waterpolo team, who have won the Ulster Schools’ Cup (Canada Trophy).

This is only the second time in the 80 year history of the competition that the Academy has won this prestigious award. The boys have had an outstanding season, winning all their league and cup matches in 2016/17.

Four members of the team, were selected to represent U19 Ulster Schools’ and the U17 Ulster teams.

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ULSTER MINOR SCHOOLS’ SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS The Junior Swim team won a total of 34 medals. Congratulations to all these talented swimmers.

ULSTER SCHOOLS’ ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS Our top 3 placing were: Senior Girls – 1st hammer, 2nd pole vault Senior Boys – 1st overall, 1st pole vault, 1st hammer, 3rd 800m, 3rd discus, 3rd 4 x 100m relay Intermediate Girls – 1st pole vault Intermediate Boys – 1st pole vault Junior Girls – 1st pole vault, 1st relay, 2nd pole vault IRISH SCHOOLS’ ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS Junior - 4th girls relay, 5th & 6th pole vault Intermediate – 2nd & 3rd pole vault Senior – 2nd pole vault, 8th 800m ULSTER SCHOOLS’ JUNIOR GOLF CHAMPIONSHIP The Ulster Schools Junior Golf Championship was hosted

by Fortwilliam Golf Club on Thursday 25th May. The Belfast Royal Academy team consisted of Tom McKibben, Keaton Morrison, Ryan Armstrong and Andrew Greer. In beautiful conditions, the boys scored an extremely competitive 109 points, and had to wait until late in the day to see if any other school could top their score.

CBS Omagh tied with us but we were declared Ulster Schools’ Junior champions after a countback.

EXTRA CURRICULAR ACHIEVEMENTS DEBATING Congratulations (and hard luck) to Jack Golden and Conor Callaghan who lost in the final of NI Schools' Debating Champs on Friday 28th April SUCCESS AT ALL-IRELAND LINGUISTICS OLYMPIAD FINAL On Friday 24th March, three Academy students attended the final of the All-Ireland Linguistics Olympiad (AILO) in Dublin, in order to see if any of them would be eligible to represent Ireland in the International Linguistics Olympiad which will be held at the end of July. After an early start Jasmine Ross, Conor Foster and Daniel Quigley completed a two-hour examination in St. Laurence’s, Grangegorman, followed by a group round in the afternoon. AILO have contacted the Academy to announce that the students came 6th in Ireland in the group stage, furthermore, all students received commendation for their scores. In addition to these excellent results, Daniel Quigley was asked to join the Ireland Linguistics Olympiad team, who will train and compete in Dublin. We wish Daniel well for the next stage of the competition.

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KEEPING IN TOUCH The aim of the Alumni Office is to engage with our past pupils. We can help you to remain connected to the School and to your former classmates. We can help to put you back in touch with old school friends and to assist with the organisation of reunions, visits to the School and other events. The Alumni Office also administers the Old Girls’ and Old Boys’ Associations membership and email communications. An Alumni Calendar of Events is available in the Alumni section of the school website.

Your contribution, feedback and suggestions to this Newsletter are always welcomed. If you have a piece of news that you think others would be interested in, please email us with an accompanying photo. The Alumni Newsletter is published 3 times a year in December, March/April and June.

We appreciate your help to ensure that your contact details are up to date and to actively encourage friends, colleagues, siblings and other family members who were pupils at Belfast Royal Academy to join the Alumni register. An online sign up form is available in the Alumni section of the school website; alternatively please use the email address given below. All alumni data is held securely in the School in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.

The Alumni Office will be closed from Thursday 29th June to mid-September.

Thank you for your continued interest in and support of Belfast Royal Academy; we wish you a lovely summer!

Alumni Office Belfast Royal Academy 3 – 17 Cliftonville Road BELFAST BT14 6JL 028 9074 0423 akerns246@bfsra.belfast.ni.sch.uk

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