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Sharing the

Winter 2019

Our Lady’s R.C. High School Magazine

IN THIS ISSUE: Langdale Life Celebrating a Record Number of Top Grades A Great Turnout for Open Evening Exploring the Vibrant City of Barcelona Our Young Entrepreneurs Impress the Dragons Doing Our Bit for Charity Sports News

Plus much more!

Our Lady’s R.C. High School Alworth Road, Higher Blackley, Manchester M9 0RP T: 0161 507 9640 E: admin@olsc.manchester.sch.uk

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Dear parents, carers and friends, Once again, I am delighted to introduce our latest version of the Vision magazine, which contains some of the activities, opportunities and achievements that our students have been involved with this term.

As I write this I am sat in a classroom supervising my year 11 class completing a mock exam, which I’m sure they will perform exceptionally well in. The pressure on young people today can be immense and I’m always amazed at how impressively they adapt to the challenges placed in front of them, including the high number of exams they have to sit. We recently welcomed back our former year 11 and celebrated their achievements during the five years they spent with us. In my brief introduction on the evening, I chose not to focus on the quantifiable exam outcomes, something society is obsessed with doing, but instead talked about those things that aren’t quantifiable but are just as important: their exceptional leadership, performances on the sports field, their contribution to school productions, and the joy they brought to this community. The opportunity to watch this group of young people develop has been an absolute privilege. This term has been full of those opportunities to celebrate the important things. Our school choir, ‘Voices of Our Lady’s’ travelled to St George’s Hall and met the ‘Good for You’ choir; a group of older adults who have experienced bereavement, loneliness or serious illness and now come together to find solidarity and great comfort in the therapeutic experience of choral singing. They were delighted to meet the students and perform a mixture of American spiritualist songs and uplifting popular tunes such as the Stevie Wonder classic ‘If’. The following day many of the ‘Good for You’ members contacted me personally to say what a pleasure it had been to meet and sing with such well-mannered and friendly young people. Year 10 history students were given the opportunity to make a WW1 inspired trip to see the location of some battle sites and war graves as Miss Day led an excursion. First

they travelled to the Peace Village Hostel, in rural Messines; this was their base for excursions to Flanders Fields and the Ypres Salient. From there they travelled over to Northern France and visited the Somme. Their visit coincided with remembrance weekend making it especially poignant and significant. Our annual Catholic retreat to Savio House went ahead in November with year 9 and year 10 children travelling to Bollington in Cheshire for a three-day residential stay. The focus of the retreat is to encourage the students to relax, reflect, reconcile, affirm, celebrate and resolve. It is a great opportunity for our young people to take some time away from school and home to build trust and strengthen friendships within their peer group and find solace and peace amongst the beautiful setting. The feedback from the students is always overwhelmingly positive

and they learn ways to keep the experience with them when they return. The pages that follow will give you more detail of all the fantastic things happening at Our Lady’s and will in part explain why we are, once again, oversubscribed for year 7 in September 2020. I would like to thank you all for your continued support and wish you all a happy and holy Christmas.

God Bless

L. Ormsby Headteacher

Editor’s Welcome Message That’s the first school term done and what a term! We’ve shared sporting success, exam success, trips to Langdale, Barcelona, Savio House and the World War One battlefields. Our transition programme has continued apace, our students have participated in various workshops and contributed to our fundraising efforts. Now it’s time to reflect on a busy year and spend with family and friends. Merry Christmas. See you in 2020!

SHARING THE VISION | WINTER 2019

Contents Editor’s Welcome Message

Overall Attainment Up Again as GSCE Results Revealed

Back to School for Class of 2019 Celebrations

What an Amazing Turnout at Open Evening

Preparing for the World of Work

The Future is in the Hands of our Entrepreneurs

Students Transported to the Rain Forest and Ancient Egypt Without Leaving the Classroom!

Watch This Space! Malachy’s Acting Skills are Out of This World!

Training the Future Student Council

Highly-Charged Electricity Workshop

Plenty of Laughs and Outdoor Adventures at Langdale

Barcelona, How Can We Forget!

Battlefields Visit: Researching Impact of War on the ‘Ordinary People’ 13-15 Two Minutes to Remember

Cupcakes and Coffee Raise Cash for Macmillan 16 Wear in Pink

Staff Profile: Miss Durbin

Staff Profile: Diane Spencer 18 What are they doing now? Faidat Ope

A Tasty Celebration of International Languages

Smashing Shakespeare at the Festival!

Religious Life of the School 22 Boys Athletics Team Do the Double! 23 Mission Prom 2020

Overall Attainment Up Again as GCSE Results Revealed GCSE Results Day in August is always an emotional day and this year was no exception. We’re pleased to say that the emotions were largely positive as the year 11s who left in July returned to discover the outcome of years of work and months of revision... There were smiles and happy tears as the brown envelopes were somewhat tentatively peeled open. Staff, students and parents were excited to discover that our overall attainment in all subjects, including English and Maths, is the best it’s ever been at Our Lady’s with many students achieving the sought-after top 9 grade. This is particularly impressive given that media reports referenced the fact the revised exam system was coming under-fire for being stressful and pressurised. Amid controversy about the challenges of the exam system we were so proud of the whole year group. Isobelle Cunniffe was one of Our Lady’s top performers this year with four grade 9s, two grade 8s, three grade 7s and a distinction in PE. She was overwhelmed on opening her results. She said: “I feel relieved. I’ve got two 9s in Combined Science which I’m really pleased about because I want to go into veterinary medicine.”

I am so pleased. I also got a distinction in Sports Science. I am going to Loretto College to study English Literature, Law and Maths. I definitely want to do something in law. Edith Agbaji, four grade 9s

And it’s not just our consistent academic performers who came out on top. Julia Rocznika was surprised by her amazing grades. She said; “I wasn’t expecting my results at all because I had a bit of a downfall and it’s thanks to the amazing teachers at Our Lady’s helping me through my struggles. I’d like to thank Mr Ormsby for helping me achieve a grade 7 in Maths. I’m so happy I got a 9 in Geography – that’s really helped me out right now. I’m going to Xaverian to study Maths, Economics and Geography.” Mr Ormsby said; “These are our best-ever results. Students have achieved a record number of top grades with a large number of students achieving top grades across all subjects. It has once again been a very successful year for Our Lady’s and these record results are reflective of the hard work of staff and students. Everyone involved should be very proud of what has been achieved.”

I got a 9 in history, I’m still in shock. I’m thinking of becoming an architect.

I’m over the moon. I’ve worked really hard. I’m heading to Loretto to study Biology, Chemistry and Maths.

Angela Agbaji

Adebayo Adedeji, four grade 7s and a grade 9 in History

Editor: Anna Barker

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CERTIFICATE EVENING

Back to School for Class of 2019 Celebrations It is always a pleasure to see the previous year’s leavers return to collect their GCSE certificates. And it was time to do so again on Thursday 7 November when we welcomed our former students back for a celebratory Certificate Evening. Miss Morgan and Miss Eavers had laid on a ‘champagne reception’ in the foyer so guests were greeted with a drink, an acoustic band performance and enjoyed the chance to circulate, catching up on everyone’s news before the students were formally welcomed into the school hall. Mr Ormsby opened the presentations by greeting the students and their families and saying that as a collective they had “outperformed everything that’s gone before” but reminding the youngsters that just because they were “up there with the top grammar schools with lots of top grades”, it’s not the numbers that define them but the way they have developed as individuals and the contributions they have all made to school life. He reminisced about how those contributions had made him smile; involvement in school productions, on the sports field, their leadership qualities and their fun and energy. Mr Ormsby ended by saying; “Thank you for what you brought to Our Lady’s that made this community so vibrant.” Mr Campbell, Chair of Governors then addressed the hall. He spoke of the students’ contributions both to our school and the wider community and told them they should be proud of all they have achieved.

They are a shining example of catholic education in action. Mr Campbell, Chair of Governors

Form by form, the students were then applauded onto the stage to be presented with their GCSE certificates in recognition of five years of hard work and commitment. The Voices of Our Lady’s performed a beautiful rendition of Rhianna’s ‘Diamonds’ before Mr Mottershead, the students’ head of year, presented some special awards. The first award to be presented was for Best Effort. Madonna Omoike came to Our Lady’s as an EAL student (English is not their first language) and before arriving here had endured some negative experiences due to her race and culture. Mr Mottershead said: “Madonna inspired me each day by putting all the negativity behind her and focussing on her future. She saw the lessons in the problems she faced, taught herself a new language as a hobby and took part in every aspect of school life, successfully securing some of the best grades in the school; grades achieved through pure determination and effort.”

The final award of the evening went to Isobelle Cunniffe; recipient of the Headteacher’s Award. Isobelle was one of Our Lady’s top performers with four grade 9s, two grade 8s, three grade 7s and a distinction in PE, so it was a well-deserved recognition for all her hard work.

The Contribution to School Life Award was presented to Ibere Barumire. Ibere made an exceptional contribution to sport during his time at Our Lady’s and Mr Mottershead remembered his inspirational performance. He said; “To score one of the best free kicks I’ve ever witnessed and then go on to tell me it was practised from that position every day for three weeks solid on the lead up to the final, showed me this guy is committed to the cause, he is committed to Our Lady’s.” Mr Mottershead praised Ibere for that unswerving commitment; “When confronted with a challenge the committed heart will always find a solution, whereas the undecided heart will look for an escape. This guy never wanted to escape but just to stay committed and achieve all he could here at Our Lady’s.” Mr Ormsby had another couple of awards to present, the first being ‘The Bethany Riley Award for Five Year’s 100% attendance’ which went to Robert Oseh. Ironically, Robert couldn’t attend the presentation to collect

his attendance award! But he was forgiven as this was due to him being such a talented sportsman which meant he had a prior commitment. Luckily, his good friend Adebayo was happy to accept the award on Robert’s behalf.

With the certificates and awards all distributed it was time to end the evening in the canteen. Miss Ashworth and her catering team once again laid on a deliciously tempting buffet which gave everyone the chance to relax, enjoy the refreshments and catch up with each other to find out what’s been happening since they left Our Lady’s in July. Thank you to all who attended to celebrate. In the words of Mr Ormsby we hope our Class of 2019 go on to be “happy and fulfilled after a good grounding at Our Lady’s.”

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OPEN EVENING

What an Amazing Turnout at Open Evening On 19 September the sun shone and children and their families arrived at Our Lady’s for our Open Evening. With information stands set up in the foyer, parents and children had the opportunity to ask questions to help them make an informed choice about their child’s high school education. We also handed out school prospectuses. It was such a brilliant turnout that Mr Ormsby addressed a packed school hall. His introduction was followed by inspirational speeches from our Head Girl Deborah and Head Boy Leander. The Voices of Our Lady’s also performed. As usual, the children were encouraged to complete a school tour card getting a subject stamp from each department. This allowed them to participate in various activities around the school which included heat transferring the school logo onto a tote bag and decorating it in tech, playing number games and challenges for prizes in the maths department, watching Shakespeare dialogue rehearsals in the drama studio and taking part in an interactive smartphone/tablet based quiz. There were science experiments to watch and get interactive with, the English department (or should we say Harry Potter characters) were playing dress up in the library and down in the canteen the ‘Taste of the World’ Menu set everyone’s mouths watering.

At the end of the evening we had plenty of completed school tour cards entered into our prize draw. Our lucky prize draw winner was Sarah from year 6 at St Chad’s. Her class visited Our Lady’s the following week for an Electricity Workshop and Sarah was delighted to discover she had won an IPad which was presented to her by Mr Cope.

The lovely weather provided the chance for our visitors to enjoy our relatively new Forest School where they found Mr Cope lost in the bushes!

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CAREERS

Preparing for the World of Work On Friday 1 November our annual Careers Fair took place for all students from year 7 to year 11. Careers Fairs can provide a great source of inspiration for youngsters because with so much post-16 choice available to them it helps focus their mind to identify their own strengths and find out how to develop their passions. Our careers fair offers the students a chance to speak to colleges and employers about the options available to them when they leave school. The students enjoyed speaking to the different representatives from companies including Engaging Safety Ltd, Network Rail and the RAF to get career development advice and find out about work experience opportunities. There was also brilliant representation from local colleges. Year 11 student Lyra said: “The fair made a big impact on me as I got to talk to a lot of people from colleges all over Manchester. I was really interested in what Pendleton and Loreto had to say, in particular about the grades I need to get onto the course I want to do. In addition I was interested in what they had to say about their facilities and the specific courses I want to do. I asked them about their OFSED ratings. I also asked what their attendance figures were like. This will all help me make the correct decision, as I leave school”.

Our career fair is not only a great place to gather information but also an ideal opportunity to get noticed by employers for the right reasons. Mock interviews also ran through the course of the morning for our year 11 students. This was a chance for them to

impress potential employers so they dressed for an interview to ensure they were in the right mind-set for the process. Recruiters need to be confident that clientfacing employees would turn up to meet clients looking presentable, so looking business-like before you join creates the right impression and gave our students an insight of expectations in the workplace. This invaluable mock interview experience not only helps our students develop their employability skills by preparing for future interviews in the world of work, but is also a great general confidence booster.

Lyra said “As I was waiting for my interview I had mixed emotions – I was anxious as I had not had an interview before but had some confidence as I knew I had prepared my Progress File well before the event. As I met my interviewer from Oldham 6th Form College, she put me at my ease and made me feel comfortable with this new experience. The questions came and I used my Progress File as a tool to help me. At the end of the interview I was told that had it been real, I would have been appointed which made me really happy! I also learnt from her how to improve, in that I should try to use a bit more expression and showcase my other skills. This will all help me in my real college interviews later in the year.” Following its success last year, years 7 to 10 were encouraged to complete a careers trail in which they collect diamonds from the stand visitors. Each stand representative was issued with card diamonds to give out when a student asked a quality question. Diamonds were handed to form tutors the following day. Forms from each year group were rewarded with a breakfast for collecting the most diamonds and all year 11 forms were rewarded with hot chocolate.

Year 11 student Mario said: “It was really fantastic because “they were just there ready to tell you everything and anything about their colleges and companies. The mock interviews were very good too because the employer was personable. She gave good advice and told me to “Keep my head down in school”. We got to reflect on what I was good at and it gave me great opportunity to practise my interview skills. I was really nervous before the interview but I sat, took a deep breath and really got into it! I feel much better prepared for future college and employment interviews.”

It was good practise in how to pose questions to potential employees using positive language such as ‘Would there be the opportunity to’ rather than ‘Would I have to’. It also highlighted the importance of doing your research so the students feel comfortable and knowledgeable when talking to high education institutions and companies. The Careers Fair was a huge success giving the students the chance to reflect on how their strengths and interests could link to potential career pathways. We hope they have gained confidence communicating with employers to obtain work and thrive in their chosen workplace.

SHARING THE VISION | WINTER 2019

CAREERS

The Future is in the Hands of our Entrepreneurs Congratulations to all three teams who participated in our annual Dragon’s Den challenge. All the students did a magnificent job on the day with well-rehearsed pitches that demonstrated the time and commitment involved to develop their business ideas:

and entertaining pitch. This was their first enterprising experience and they all worked with enthusiasm and energy. I was really impressed with their team effort. Well done Kinetic Energy!”

Kinetic Energy: Their business plan: To install a wind turbine and solar panel in the Forest School Bio Hub: Their business plan: To install a flower and vegetable plot and pond in the Forest School Bank of Our Lady’s: Their business plan: To run a bank for students in our school There was brilliant support from the crowd which added to the exhilarating atmosphere in the school hall as the teams pitched to our team of Dragons. Thanks to our Mini Dragons from St Malachy’s primary school who had some challenging questions so our teams had to prove they had researched their business proposals thoroughly. The Dragons had a tough job in choosing a winning team with students showing their expertise in creating posters, business plans, video adverts and delivering such professional and engaging presentations. Marie Mitton, Secondary Consultant at Randstad Education kindly joined us on the Dragon panel for the event. She said; “Thank you for the invite. Coming from an outside body I would like to say how impressed I was with year 8 students and the event as a whole. All three teams came across as very confident, well briefed and really passionate regarding their ideas.” In the end it was Kinetic Energy who triumphed, although it was a close call…

Kinetic Energy’s Proposal Kinetic Energy’s Renewable Energy idea will provide a power source in the Forest School and a resource that can be used in science and PSHCE for all year groups. Mr Schofield, Partnership Manager at Our Lady’s, led the group. He said “the Kinetic Energy team worked with tight deadlines to produce a sound business plan, marketing plan, logo, slogan and advert, source the equipment and produce a realistic

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company, I thought their ‘Looking Ahead Vision’ of creating a Leadership team who would be responsible for recruiting only the most caring students who were committed to the Bio Hub was excellent. Overall, all three teams were fantastic; who would have thought year 8 students would be so confident. This is clearly a testament to the school and how happy and secure they are made to feel by all the staff that care and support them. The interaction from the audience made sure that everyone was part of the whole event. Congratulations Our Lady’s on a thoroughly enjoyable day.” Marie Mitto, Secondary Consultant, Randstad Education

What our Dragon’s said: “It was a great experience being a Dragon for the first time. I was so impressed by all three of the proposals and the confidence of our students to deliver such great pitches on stage!” Mrs Stewart, Director of Learning “As the Dragon focussing on marketing, pitch delivery and packaging I was incredibly impressed by all the students and staff who worked tirelessly to produce three fantastic ideas. From presenters to managers to designers, they all really got stuck into the project and did our school proud! I look forward to seeing and using the solar/wind power turbine in lessons in the forest school. Well done all.” Mr Banham, Head of Drama “Being a Dragon for the first time was such a fantastic experience; having the opportunity to read the groups’ business plans and then see them deliver such strong pitches was amazing! All three groups had potential with such a wide range of ideas, branding and marketing. They really covered everything! It was clear to see the amount of work that had gone into their proposals and I am only disappointed that we didn’t have enough money for all three!” Mrs Torr, School Business Manager “The Kinetic Energy Team were worthy winners! Their experience of working on a business plan and the subject matter will stand them in good stead for future employment. It was refreshing to see how the Banking for School Team recognised how important learning about money management is and how that can have a positive effect on their mental health as they build their future and realise their aspirations. Bio Hub had fantastic presenting skills, particularly their main presenters and their advert was also very impressive. Coming from a recruitment

What the Winning Team Said: “We decided on a wind turbine and solar panel for the Forest school because it will provide free electricity, it is a renewable energy source and fits with our Eco School initiative.” Aliyah, Team Event Manager “Our Lady’s is committed to providing an education that ensures that all of us are ready for the jobs of the future, renewable energy is the future.” Vanessa, Team Production Manager “I researched the wind turbine and solar panel. I didn’t realise how easy they were to buy. This equipment will give us hands-on experience of solar and wind turbine technology.” Joban, Production Manager “We asked the Dragons to invest £500 for the equipment, that’s only 20p per student over three years.” Ryan, Team Business Manager “Kinetic Energy have a slogan, it is THE FUTURE IS IN OUR HANDS.” Deborah, Marketing Manager With the future in your hands Kinetic Energy, it’s set to be a promising one! Well done and thank you to this year’s incredible teams. You left us all feeling inspired.

PRIMARY TRANSITION

Students Transported to the Rain Forest and Ancient Egypt Without Leaving the Classroom! Virtual Reality (VR) is having a positive impact on education as it is a form of technology that allows students to become fully immersed in their surroundings to experience the topics they are learning about. Oliver Stringer, The North Lead for Prime VR visited Our Lady’s to run some VR sessions to bring learning to life. Oliver said “I visited Our Lady’s to deliver some educational VR workshops to year 7 children and year 5 from St Clare’s. The children were absolutely fantastic and welcoming. They thoroughly enjoyed their workshops and I look forward to visiting again.” Our year 7s got to follow in the footsteps of David Attenborough and Jane Goodall by exploring the depths of the rainforest floor. In their VR session the children encountered a range of animals and insects including deadly reticulated pythons, green praying mantis and rhinoceros beetles and discovered how they have adapted to their environments. Using the VR kits they were transported to the highest layer of the rainforest to see a pristine, emerald canopy in all its glory and then taken through time to the present day rainforest to see the effects of slash and burn deforestation and housing developments and to meet the animal inhabitants of Borneo face-to-face. Looking at deforestation and animal habitats, ‘Rainforest Rambler’ is a fully immersive way to bring these topics to life. St Clare’s have been studying Ancient Egypt so it was amazing for them to get the chance be transported to Cairo to get a bird’s-eye view of the Pyramids of Giza which have been standing for around 4,500 years. How

they came to be is still a mystery today so the children marvelled at these incredible structures. They also witnessed the magnitude and magnificence of Egypt’s most famous landmarks such as The Great Pyramid of Khufu, which was built using over two million stone blocks, and The Great Sphinx, said to represent the divinity of the Egyptian king Khafre. These homages to gods and pharaohs are truly incredible to see from the air! As if that wasn’t enough, the children were then introduced to the Temples of Abu Simbel. Located in Nubia, Southern Egypt, these temples were built to honour the Pharaoh Ramesses the 2nd.

We want to enhance the children’s learning with a variety of experiences. Miss Tkaczuk, Transition Manager This workshop really helps to show pupils human engineering on a grand scale. Shrouded in mystery, these ancient structures are a great way of encouraging

investigations, discussions and creative writing! That’s what’s so valuable about the VR workshops. They bring the curriculum to life by making it an engaging and immersive experience. By youngsters becoming part of the subject they are studying it has a meaningful impact on the learning process. Transition Manager Miss Tkaczuk said: “As part of our transition programme at Our Lady’s, we want to enhance the children’s learning with a variety of experiences. Prime VR has given them a chance to bring places and people that they study to life a chance to explore places that they might never have a chance to visit. In our session, we explored the Borneo Rainforest, went on a trip around the world, looking at famous landmarks and had a chance to see what life was like in Egyptian times.” These workshops the year 7s and 5s enjoyed are just an example of the wonderful array of virtual reality subjects on offer from Prime VR. Other workshops include The Americas, Outer Space, The Tudors, The Respiratory System, Under the Sea and many more. Thanks Oliver for expanding the imaginations of the children. We are very much looking forward to your next visit to Our Lady’s. To find out more about Prime VR visit: primevr.co.uk

SHARING THE VISION | WINTER 2019

PRIMARY TRANSITION

Watch This Space! St Malachy’s Acting Skills are Out of This World! Pupils from year 5, St Malachy’s joined Rob Beckett from Konflux Theatre in Education at Our Lady’s in September for a Play in a Day workshop which took them on a theatrical tour to the stars and back – yes, really, in a day! They flexed their acting muscles to rehearse and perform the Planet Rock play in one day.

the moon with Aldrin and Armstrong? Why is space exploration so important? So, while our year 5 visitors were having fun they were also absorbing new facts about the whole universe! The exciting, lively and thought-provoking day-long rehearsal culminated in a performance to their teachers and a small Our Lady’s audience at the end of the day. Miss Tkaczuk, Head of Transition has worked closely with Konflux Theatre for several years now. She said; “Topics such as space can be hard to learn but with Play in a Day the topic comes to life and without realising it, the children are able to learn facts and figures they would find difficult if it was something they were just reading. We are looking forward to many more workshops in 2020.” For more information about Konflux and their Play in a Day workshops visit www.konfluxtheatre.co.uk

These Konflux workshops are always wellreceived by our visitors and the children thoroughly enjoyed acting out a voyage into the vastness of outer space to discover what’s out there and what makes our own planet so special. Not only did they experience funfilled exploration of the solar system, they also worked hard – under Rob’s expert guidance – to remember lines for an interactive performance to end the session. Their workshop adventure took them on a trip around the Milky Way, to check out the planets, the stars and the sun and the Moon. What’s brilliant about these workshops (based on many different educational themes) is that

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the children engage in the learning process because the session allowed them to go on an exploration of the solar system complete with flying saucers and astronauts, using the power of their imaginations. The Konflux Play in a Day workshops are a fantastic way to encourage team building, build confidence, develop acting abilities and also increase memory skills as each child has to remember their cue and their lines. This is all achieved whilst answering questions such as; why do astronauts have to be so fit? Why do stars shine at night? Can you name the planets in order from the sun? Who was Galileo? Why did his theories frighten people? Who went to

PRIMARY TRANSITION

Training the Future Student Council We are immensely proud of the Our Lady’s Student Council who play a positive part in the life of our school community by implementing changes that they believe will benefit all students. It was therefore rewarding for them to have the opportunity to pass these skills on when we were visited by the Junior Leadership Team from St Patrick’s R.C. Primary School. Representatives from year 3, 4, 5 and 6 and head boy and head girl joined us for Student Council Training in our chapel. The training was led by our very capable Student Council member and year 11 student Charlie. He was assisted by year 7 Sky, who used to attend St Patrick’s and year 7 Kaymond. During the session the children discussed what being a member of the Student Council means and thought about the leadership skills required to make a benefical impact. They also made plans for fundraising and future projects. With so many inspirational ideas being tabled, we hope many of them will one day join the Student Council here at Our Lady’s.

Highly-Charged Electricity Workshop At the end of October year 6 pupils from St Thomas of Canterbury enjoyed an electricity workshop in our school hall. They worked in groups to investigate how different materials act as conductors and insulators. Emma and Nicky who run these transition sessions for us make sure it’s a fully-interactive experience for the children. To highlight the power of electrical charges, Emma and Nicky demonstrated the popular Van De Graaff Generator which conducts

electricity through your arm to make your hair stand on end! The children particularly enjoyed this display of static electricity!

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Expressive SCHOOL TRIP Arts

Plenty of Laughs and Outdoor Adventures at Langdale ‘Huge, labyrinthine and with a National Trust arboretum on the doorstep, YHA Langdale makes any group visit feel magical.’ That’s what the Langdale website says and that’s exactly how our year 7 visitors felt when they embarked on our annual school trip in October. The Langdale trip takes place in the first term of year 7 to ease the transition from primary school to high school and to help reinforce budding friendships by taking the children away from a classroom setting to experience adventures and tackle challenges together.

The perfect base for outside adventures, Langdale is an atmospheric Victorian mansion standing in picturesque grounds between Elterwater and Grasmere. From 7 to 11 October over 160 of our year 7 students experienced the beauty of the Lake District when they spent a couple of days at a residential at Langdale. The first group went Monday to Wednesday, switching over with the second group on Wednesday lunchtime. The second group then stayed until Friday. Both groups participated in lots of adventurous activities giving everyone memorable experiences of bush craft, walking and many team-bonding exercises. Mr Schofield, Partnership Development Manager at Our Lady’s organises this year 7 trip each year. He said; “This was our biggest year so far! Our aim wasn’t just to create a better appreciation of the outdoors, or simply to have fun – although we loved the mountains, the woodland and the rain – but also to have a positive effect on everyone’s health and fitness. A visit to Langdale encourages a physically active lifestyle. And we all had plenty of laughs too.”

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Our year 7 cohort had a wonderful time at Langdale. As soon as they get off the coach the healthy regime begins as they tackle the hilly mile walk to the hostel. We do let them enjoy some relaxation time when they get back in from their exertions in the fresh air! Both groups put on a fantastic ‘Langdale’s Got Talent’ show, entertaining each other with dancing, comedy and sketches. Through these shared experiences strong friendships begin to form and happy memories are made.

their formative experiences at Our Lady’s. We know it has a lasting impact on our students”. So thank you year 7 for making another year at Langdale so special.

We really wanted to boost and build the students’ personal qualities, creating resilience, determination and teamwork. Mr Mottershead, Head of Year 7 We also wanted students to really get to know each other, make new friends and build relationships between staff and students. Miss Nicholson Special Educational Needs Coordinator said; “For many children this is their first trip away from home without parents. For some it is their first trip away from Manchester. For all the experience is one that creates friendships and memories that last. Students in year 11 still talk about this as one of

SCHOOL TRIP

Barcelona, How Can We Forget! During October half term year 11 visited Barcelona with some of our staff. Here Mr Rutledge shares his account of the trip... “Political tensions didn’t dampen year 11s’ spirits during our (somewhat) sunny half-term trip to Barcelona. This was the first time many of these tired faces had seen 1am; however, droopy eyes soon awoke and were filled with excitement once the coach departed Our Lady’s. We arrived at Barcelona at around lunch time, evidenced by the sudden influx of heat we felt after stepping out of the airport. Ah, that’s what sunshine is! After another short coach ride, we arrived at the hostel, but didn’t stop long as we were eager to explore.” After dumping our bags, we set off. North Manchester explorers, full of zest and enthusiasm. We walked – a mass of mustard hoodies – appreciating the views this vibrant city had to offer. Our attention was instantly grabbed by the architecture. Barcelona is famous for buildings designed by Gaudi and the splendour of his work was not wasted on us. Eventually, after a short walk we reached our destination, Cathedral De Barcelona. Its intricate design truly took our breath away. The sun was now at its highest point so it was a perfect time to rest our weary feet and enjoy some ice-cream. These did not last long and were soon replaced by fans, provided by grateful street vendors.

After freshening up at the hostel, it was time for our first formal sit down meal as a group. The Hard-Rock café, famous for its memorabilia and cheeseburgers, did a fantastic job at catering for our hungry bellies. After pudding our walk back to the hostel was more a slow bimble. It was time for bed and we were grateful for it. Good night Barcelona.

Day two began with a continental breakfast. Salami for breakfast? We had an exciting day planned – it was time to turn our knuckles white. We were heading to PortAventura, a thrilling theme park which houses the Shambhala rollercoaster. This jaw-dropping rollercoaster has the longest drop in the park. If you happen to see Mr Schofield on your travels around school, ask him how he enjoyed it! The evening was dedicated to another formal meal as well as an evening stroll down Ramblas, where we had an opportunity to visit some stalls and take in the night air.

It has to be the best trip to date. The students were fantastic, they were a huge credit to this school. It was filled with fun, laughter and lots of culture. OLE!!

destination. The shopping mall was situated on the harbour and was extremely pleasant on the eyes. Here, staff and students had an opportunity to spend some of their euros as well as enjoy some local cuisine. Our last evening was all about dancing! We visited a Flamenco dance theatre which provided us with some fantastic entertainment and food throughout the evening. We were even given the opportunity to try some of the dance moves for ourselves. Probably best we weren’t on stage!

The time had come to go home.Barcelona proved to be as spectacular as expected with both students and staff having a great time. Many long lasting memories were formed. Thank you Barcelona for a fantastic and unforgettable time.”

Miss Power

It was a fantastic four days, it was great that year 11 had the opportunity to take time out from the pressures of school and we all had a great time. The students were an absolute delight to spend time with. Miss Nicholson

Our last day had arrived, and what a day we had planned. The morning was dedicated to the largest football stadium in Europe, Nou Camp. We had the opportunity to explore the stadium with a tour guide. The tour included many interesting aspects of the stadium such as the dressing rooms, media rooms and even the tunnel, where legends such as Lionel Messi await their game. After our tour, we then ventured on to the subway to our next

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REMEMBRANCE

Battlefields Visit: Researching Impact of War on the ‘Ordinary People’ On Friday 8 November Miss Day took five students on a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the World War One Battlefields. They spent four days and three nights exploring the Western Front and engaging with interesting historical research. The group wanted to concentrate on how ordinary people were affected by the First World War, to decide whether the Battle of the Somme really was a disaster and to focus on how the war came to an end. Here’s Miss Day’s account of their thought-provoking and emotional trip: “We began our trip by meeting our leaders and some soldiers who would be travelling with us. Our soldier was called Patrick and was part of the Army Medical Corps who fought in Basra and Iraq. We then had an evening session with our coach leader , Tim, who showed us a range of artefacts from WW1 including a Lee Enfield rifle, a spoon, ammunition, barbed wire, the dead man’s penny and much more. The students enjoyed trying on the WW1 soldier’s helmet, the Brodie. On day two our enquiry focused on the experience of ordinary people during the war. We visited the memorial museum of Passchendaele where we walked through

a dugout system and then into the British and German trench systems. We saw the differences between the systems including the use of corrugated iron and raised flooring in the allied trenches to increase protection and avoid trench foot! From there we travelled to Tynecot Commonwealth military ceremony. We had previously researched a soldier from Blackley, William Leverington, who died aged 19 on 6 September 1917 and had previously lived at 14 Domett Street, Blackley. We located his headstone and paid our respects. We also visited a German memorial called Langemark. This was a stark contrast to the British memorial as it was shaded by oak trees to symbolise strength, had headstones laid on the ground and had a mass grave of over 20,000 German soldiers.

Two-minutes silence in school on Remembrance Day SHARING THE VISION | WINTER 2019

REMEMBRANCE In the afternoon we visited the Belgian town of Popperinge and saw the shooting post where deserters would be shot. We also visited Talbot House, an officer’s club to understand what life was like behind the front lines. In the evening we attended a performance of RC Sheriff’s “Journeys End” by the mesh theatre company. This was performed in a tiny officers club and tells the story of British army officers set in the trenches during 1918. It was a fantastic opportunity for the students to see such magnificent acting talent. To end the evening one of our group, Ciaran Lockwood, was chosen to lay a wreath of Remembrance at the Menin Gate during the 34,584th ceremony of remembrance. After the ceremony we even snuck a visit to Ypres’ best chocolate shop, Leonadis to stock up on Belgian chocolates!

battlefield positions such as: in thick woods, fighting from high ground, being part of the cavalry. Thiepval was our final stop which is a memorial which holds the names of 72316 British and South African soldiers who have no known grave and fought in the battle of the Somme, dying before March 1918. One of those names was George Herbert Gorton, a Blackley lad who was killed in action on 10 July 1916 at just 19 years old. We signed and laid a cross of remembrance on behalf of Our Lady’s as a sign of respect to him for giving his life for our today. After tea we had a session with our soldiers and guides who compared the British Army from 1914 to the British Army today. We saw advances in medicine, food and uniform! We also debated whether the Somme really was a disaster for the British Army with OLHS concluding that although it was disastrous in loss of life (400,000), the aims of the battle were achieved and so it cannot be classed as a total disaster.

memorial has 2,100 graves, 600 of which are unknown. We had a two-minutes silence, laid a wreath and heard the poem ‘Perhaps’ by Vera Brittain and ‘For the Fallen’ by Laurence Binyon. Overall we had a fantastic time. We learned so much about the First World War, engaged with lots of historical artefacts and had an unforgettable experience. “

The favourite thing was seeing the differences between the 1914 armies and the modern Army. I found the difference between the medical kits the biggest because of the advancements in bandages and infusions. Liam Moloney, Year 10

Day three began with a visit to Neuve Chapelle, a memorial to the British Indian Army where we laid Muslim symbols of remembrance and learnt the story of Eric Hanham whose life was saved when a bullet struck him, but got lodged in his tobacco tin. From there we followed the front line trenches of the Battle of the Somme on 1 July 1916; usually known as the darkest day for the British Army due to the 20,000 injured/killed on the first day alone. We visited Beaumont Hamel Newfoundland Park and learnt the fate of the Canadian members of the Allied forces who lost over 700 of their regiment in the first day of the Somme battle. After lunch we traced the trenches to Sunken Hill and Hawthorn Crater where war photographers captured famous images of the Lancashire Fusileers before they began their assault on the Germans. We ended the day at Caterpillar Valley where we discussed the benefits and drawbacks of

The fact that every soldier had their own unique story, was the most interesting part for me. Ciaran Lockwood, Year 10 Our final day was 11 November, the Armistice. It was the 101st anniversary of the ceasefire. We commemorated this at the Sir John Monash centre in Villers Bretonneux Military Cemetary. Villers-Bretonneux became famous on 23 April 1918, when the German advance on Amiens ended in the capture of the village by their tanks and infantry. On the following day, the 4th and 5th Australian Divisions, with units of the 8th and 18th British Divisions, recaptured the village, and some say turned the tide on the First World War. The

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REMEMBRANCE My favourite thing was Langemark, the German cemetery because it was a proper cemetery that was dark and somewhere you could pay your respects with no distraction. Adam Akhtar, Year 10

Seeing all the memorials and cemeteries and knowing and learning how soldiers died, especially those from our local area were the best bit for me. Oh, also the chocolate shop!

Visiting the Battlefields really brings to life the loss, sacrifice and horror seen on the First World War Battlefields by ordinary people. We are so lucky to have visited during such a poignant time. I have wanted to visit the Battlefields since I was at school so it was a hugely rewarding experience and I’m sure the boys felt the same way. We must learn from the mistakes of the past to ensure that they are not repeated in the future. They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them. Miss Day

Mikey Lockett, Year 10

My favourite thing about the trip was exploring the cemeteries and learning about the soldiers and how they lived through the war in the trenches. Noah Jitoboh, Year 10

Two Minutes to Remember On 11am on Monday 11 November, staff and students gathered together to pay our respect to all those who contributed to the war effort. Standing outside the chapel with the artistic poppy tributes that the students have produced we observed the two-minute silence to commemorate the end of World War One. Special thanks to our bugler Adam Galloway who performed in remembrance of all who fought and lost their lives in the conflict.

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Anti-Bullying CHARITY

Cupcakes and Coffee Raise Cash for Macmillan On 14 October we played our part towards ‘The World’s Biggest Coffee Morning’ for Macmillan. We have been supporting this event for several years and it is rewarding to be able to make a contribution each year as so many of us have been affected by cancer in some way. The stark reality is that one in two of us will face cancer. Our coffee morning raised over £200 for Macmillan which will go towards the vital services and support the charity provide to help everyone with cancer to live life as fully as they can. To add a tasty twist to our usual ‘Bake Off’ we ran a ‘Cupcake Off’ so we had some imaginative Halloween-themed cupcakes to sell to staff and students. Local fundraising manager for Macmillan, Sarah Peet, once again joined us for a lovely morning of cupcakes and coffee and judged the cupcake competition with catering manager Miss Ashworth.

come along and support on the day and meet so many of you. The cupcake competition was a great idea and there were some great entries. The money you raise will go towards helping Macmillan deliver more services locally and to be there for everyone living with cancer. Thank you so much!” With Cookie Monster cupcakes, spiders and Macmillan-themed cakes it was a tough call! Well done to sisters Olivia and Toni from year 8 and 7 for winning the Slattery’s afternoon tea voucher. We were very impressed with all those who baked and helped to raise muchneeded funds to support all those families affected by cancer. To find out how you can boost Macmillan’s fundraising, visit: www.macmillan.org.uk

She said; “Thank you once again to everyone at Our Lady’s RC High School for supporting Macmillan Cancer Support with a World’s Biggest Coffee Morning. It was my pleasure to

Wear it Pink On Friday 18 October plenty of pink items were spotted around school as we supported ‘Wear it Pink’ for Breast Cancer Now. In return for a charitable donation, students were invited to wear a pink item with their uniform. Miss Ashworth and her catering team got on-board going fully pink for the day! Thank you to everyone who supported the fundraising effort to make life-saving breast cancer research happen.

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STAFF PROFILE Anti-Bullying

Staff Profile: Miss Durbin What is your role at Our Lady’s?

What are your hobbies outside of school?

Head of Music

I play a lot of games, in particular The Witcher 3, Fallout 4, and Assasin’s Creed. I like anything that is open world and role playing, so my most recent purchase is The Outer Worlds. I also love make up and watch a lot of YouTube, in particular Tati Westbrook who I’ve watched for years (before the James Charles saga).

What does a typical day for Miss Durbin look like? I’m not a morning person, so it starts with me pressing snooze usually around three times before getting up at 5:45am, then I’ll have a cup of tea and play with my hamster whilst I get ready for work. I arrive at school around 7:15am and print out what I need for all of my lessons, reply to emails, sort out the daily music lessons and attend any morning meetings. I spend most of the day teaching, and in between lessons I will also check in on the peripatetic music teachers and ensure they have what they need, make phone calls home to students’ parents, mark books, plan lessons and give any extra time to year 11 students who need it. My most productive time is after school when it is lovely and quiet on the second floor: I power through work until about 5pm and then go home. What do you enjoy most about your job? Interacting with lots of different people on a daily basis, and teaching the subject I’m the most passionate about. Seeing students gain a sense of pride when they’ve successfully finished a performance piece, and how excited they are to show me what they’ve achieved. I also enjoy getting to know the students and learning what we have in common, spending time with them. Any funny/embarrassing memories at Our Lady’s? One Christmas Carol concert I was playing the piano for orchestra. I was doing the carols by memory with no music, and when Miss Nicholson asked me to play ‘Oh Little Town of Bethlehem’ I began playing what I thought was the carol, but was in fact ‘Once in Royal David’s City’. I must have zoned out because it took a few moments for me to realise that I was wrong, and then I stopped and made some kind of typical awkward joke which just made the situation worse!

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What is your greatest achievement? I studied music at one of the world’s best conservatoires for music, the RNCM, and gained a full scholarship for my post graduate degree. What kind of music do you enjoy listening to? I have a very eclectic mix on my Spotify: Fleetwood Mac, Billie Eilish, Beyonce, RUSH, Demi Lovato, Metallica, Spice Girls, Depeche Mode, Cardi B… What’s your favourite song? I don’t have one; I’m fickle and change my mind all the time. Person you would most like to meet and why? “I’d like to meet Demi Lovato; I’ve seen her perform live and she’s an incredible singer and musician, plus she has overcome various difficulties with mental and physical health showing resilience and determination” If you weren’t a music teacher what would you be doing? I would be a piano accompanist, working at somewhere like the RNCM or Royal College of Music. Do you have any unfulfilled ambitions? I really want a dog, but my landlord says no, so get my own house and then a dog!

STAFF PROFILE

Staff Profile: Diane Spencer Diane Spencer, a member of our catering team has worked at Our Lady’s for 25 years. She also celebrated a milestone birthday this year. Congratulations Diane and thank you for your dedicated service and commitment to our school. What is your role at Our Lady’s?

What is your greatest achievement?

Catering Assistant

Donating blood, doing sponsored runs for charity including Wish upon a Star.

What does a typical day look like? It is very, very busy in the kitchen every day, so you have to be well organised.

What’s your favourite song? Wishing On A Star – Rolls Royce

How has your job changed since you started at the school?

Person you would most like to meet and why?

Over the past couple of years it has become a lot busier because of the variety of food we have on offer.

Cliff Richards and Elvis Presley (because I used to fancy them both).

What do you enjoy most about your job?

If you didn’t work in catering what would you be doing?

I really enjoy working with food and working on the pizza bar with Andrea.

I would have been a childminder. I’d also like to be a dancer.

Any funny/embarrassing memories at Our Lady’s?

Do you have any unfulfilled ambitions?

That would be telling

To do a sky dive.

What are your hobbies outside of school? Zumba, Keep Fit and Running.

It’s The Most Wonderful Time of The Year! As we go to print, staff and students will be tucking into a delicious Christmas dinner with all the trimmings prepared, cooked and served to them by our wonderful catering team. There is always a lovely cheerful festive

vibe and it’s a great way to finish the school term. Thanks to Miss Ashworth, Mrs Spencer and the rest of the team for keeping us so wellfed throughout the year!

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STUDENT PROFILE

What are they doing now? Faidat Ope Former Our Lady’s student Faidat Ope has founded a scheme called ‘EmpowHERR to encourage female participation in sport. She is also a boxer in the community of Moston. Anna Barker caught up with Faidat to find out why to achieve our goals we have to be the ‘Yes’… When did you attend Our Lady’s? I started at Our Lady’s half way through year 9 in 2014 and finished in 2016. Who was your favourite teacher? Mrs Akinpelu and Mr Edwards. What subject did you enjoy most and why? I enjoyed catering the most because I love to cook; it was a very laid-back lesson and that’s where I got the best grade. I also really liked ‘Prep for Life’ as I feel like it has become a very important lesson and should be taught more. I adored P.E because I am very sporty and it was just fun to be active and play against each other (hated the theory part though) so it’s between those three. What is your happiest memory of Our Lady’s? Summer was always a great time. I loved the water fights and playing rounders for PE or dodgeball. What did you do when you left school? When I left school I went to Loreto to study Psychology, Sociology, Politics and briefly Law. During college I started a sports campaign called EmpowHERR and I then went on to study Psychology at uni. When did you start boxing? I started Boxing during my first year at College Tell us about EmpowHERR and how it was founded? EmpowHERR was founded with a scheme called ‘The Agency’ that gives young people in North Manchester between the ages of 14 and 25 an opportunity to compete for a grant of £2000 to produce

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a project of their own. That’s where I built EmpowHERR. The aim of EmpowHERR is to get girls who are at ‘grass roots’ level into elite sport by raising awareness about the inequalities and coming to schools to do workshops and take over P.E. lessons and having sports day. They are led by professional or ex-professional sports women (one of them being the lovely Miss Power from Our Lady’s). What has been your biggest achievement so far? My biggest achievement so far is speaking in the Houses of Parliament about EmpowHERR and its work in October and also being interviewed by The Guardian about myself and EmpowHERR. Also being a main posse member on a BBC radio show called ‘The Dead Good Show’ – that’s quite cool! What have been your biggest professional challenges? I think just being taken seriously wherever I go. I have to carry myself a certain way because I always tend to be the youngest person in the room at all of the important places I go for events or talk and do speeches at and even on panels I have to sit on. Boxing has been quite tough as well but it is a different journey for everyone but the key is to not give up. But the biggest challenge in general is just trying to balance university, boxing, EmpowHERR and trying to keep a job or social life. What other hobbies do you have?

What advice would you give to young girls wanted to pursue a career in sport? Hopefully I won’t get a copywrite infringement from Nike for this (lol) but honestly just do it and don’t give up. A lot of people may say no but you have to be the ‘Yes’. It’s going to be hard but tunnel vision and focus is what is needed. No excuse. Just work harder. No one or the world cares. And fortunately things are getting better for us. What are your plans for the future? I want to carry on studying psychology and see where it takes me. I’d love to become a psychologist or therapist. I want to box until I can’t box anymore. And I’d love to have my own TV show one day helping ex-musicians and ex-athletes psychologically. How can people find out more about EmpowHERR and get involved? There are a lot of events coming up soon. I’m at Our Lady’s every year so look out for me and we have a lot of social media. It’s EmpowHERR_uk on all platforms so if there are any questions enquires or ideas just get in contact. We reply straight away. Our email address is also empowherr@gmail.com

I’m really into music; I always have been so I tend to spend my time going to concerts or just listening to music or even singing sometimes. I love make up too.

LANGUAGES

A Tasty Celebration of International Languages It’s been a busy term for Modern Foreign Languages at Our Lady’s. In particular, year 8 has been studying Latin America and wowed their teachers with their amazing research projects about different Spanish-speaking countries. On 27 September the Modern Foreign Languages Department celebrated European Day of Languages and it was a great success! Starting the day off, staff tucked into a continental breakfast in briefing with a staff prayer in different languages. Year 8 enjoyed an informative talk from the University of Manchester about the importance of studying languages in the modern world and got an insight into the different career paths open to those who choose to take languages to GCSE and beyond. Additionally, staff and our year 7 students enjoyed taking part in the Languages Day quiz, which tasked them with finding out facts about our diverse linguistic community here at Our Lady’s: well done to the winners of the quiz, Mr Burke and year 7 Aiwekhoe.

Finally, we were overwhelmed with submissions for our inaugural ‘Languages Day Bake Off’, in which students were invited to submit cakes and bakes on an international theme. The effort of many of the students was incredible. We had more entries than we could have dreamed of and the standard of entries was so high that choosing a winner was very difficult, but in the end a group effort by year 7s Amelia, Rozalia and Olivia won the overall prize. Their amazing USA cake (one of the most linguistically diverse countries in the world) had the flag on the outside and the inside! Well done to all involved. We cannot wait until next year! Ciao!

With over 15 languages spoken in our school, languages play a pivotal part in celebrating our diverse community at Our Lady’s. Miss Beard

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EXPRESSIVE ARTS

Smashing Shakespeare at the Festival! Our Expressive Arts students once again excelled themselves at this year’s MANCEP Shakespeare Festival at Loreto College on 6 November. They were joined by lots of talented Manchester students who all took part in creating engaging, interesting and relevant Shakespeare performances. They smashed their performance of ‘Taming of the Shrew’ and they loved watching all the other amazing schools and college in their polished Shakespeare performances. Head of Drama, Mr Banham said; “The quality was outstanding and our students of course surpassed themselves as always with their daring, dialogue-heavy, hilarious performances, their outstanding behaviour,

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kindness to others and politeness to all (which was commented upon) throughout what was a thoroughly exhausting day. We are so proud of them and all the students, staff and parents who contributed to a fantastic event for MANCEP. Special thanks to those staff from OLHS who managed to make it to the performances, your support was very much appreciated by the students and us!”

RELIGIOUS LIFE OF THE SCHOOL

Religious Life of the School As part of the religious life of the school, we take great pride in a number of extra -curricular activities which support our school mission:

“To know, Love and Serve God” The year began with us welcoming our year 7 students, with a family assembly and mass led by Father Ryder, who has kindly offered to be a link to year 7. Each student received a pin cross to wear with pride on their blazers to show they are all members of our Catholic community. Year 7 will continue to have masses throughout the year and visit St Clare’s Church. Year 7 and 8 students have begun to visit St Clare’s to be involved in mass led by Father Dariusz. Throughout November we remembered our friends and loved ones who have passed away. Students were encouraged to pray and fill in a book of remembrance. Some of our year 10 Student Chaplains led lessons for year 7 during Black History Month. In November year 9 and 10 visited Savio House in Bollington for reflection and to take part in a variety of activities. This trip always manages to combine fun activities with peaceful contemplation for the children so is well-timed before the often chaotic run up to Christmas. The Student Chaplains are flourishing in their roles at school. They have led assemblies and form-time reflections and have been busy discussing new ideas to further develop the religious life of our school. They will

be looking at including visits to the Prayer Garden to enhance prayer and worship. On 29 November some of our year 10 students were trained as Caritas Ambassadors. Our Student Chaplains have also been involved in training led by the Salford Diocese and were commissioned in the year 7 mass on 6 December. We hosted our annual Macmillan Coffee Morning with a themed ‘Cake Off’ competition and Mrs Burke and her team have also been busy fundraising for Breast Cancer Awareness with their ‘Wear it Pink’ campaign and also supported Cafod Fast Day. Students and staff were, as usual, very generous and some beautiful cakes were made for the events. A huge thanks to our school community.

Students used and reflected on the Cafod Advent calendar, looking at social justice around the world. The School Council will be further implementing ideas and suggestions on behalf of their peers. Students applied to the Council stating their manifestos and the successful candidates are a great addition, and had their first meeting with Mr Ormsby. We are confident that their ideas will further enhance our great school. Follow our Chaplaincy twitter page – OurLadysChaplains@OLChaplains

Throughout Advent, year groups have supported a number of fundraising activities, from making hampers for the Lalley Centre and supporting the Hits Radio Mission Christmas Toy appeal. To prepare for the Christmas celebrations students were also given the opportunity to attend the Sacrament of Reconciliation. During Advent prayers and reflections were focused on the birth of Jesus Christ, with the Advent liturgies incorporating this theme.

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SPORT NEWS

Boys Athletics Team Do the Double! Congratulations to our year 10/11 boys’ athletics team who became Manchester Champions on Friday 4 October. On the way to victory the team picked up three gold, two silver and two bronze medals. On Friday 11 October the boys then competed in the Greater Manchester indoor athletics Championships. What an incredible day and we’re delighted to report that following a tight run contest we returned triumphant. We were overall six points away in third position going into the final event – the relay. We won the relay; the team in overall second came fourth and the team in overall lead came seventh. So then we were tied for first place with Walkden High and St Matthew’s.

secured two wins it came down to the number of second places. Again, all teams had two. So then it comes down to the number of thirds. Our Lady’s had one third making us the Greater Manchester Champions! The academic years has got off to a great sporting start. Great results boys! We’re all very proud of you.

That meant the competition came down to the number of wins but with all teams having

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MERRY CHRISTMAS

Mission Prom 2020 – We Need You! The end of school prom is always a fantastic finale to five years at high school. Sadly for some families, it can be a source of stress as getting kitted out for this special night can be an expensive business. We want every student to be able to say ‘yes’ to the prom so at the beginning of November we launched ‘Mission Prom 2020’. Can you donate any prom dresses, suits, shoes or accessories? With your generosity

we can support those students who might otherwise miss their end of school prom due to the expense. Please ensure all items are clean and in good condition. Items can be dropped off at school. Thank you.

Shows at 7pm: Wednesday 5 February to Friday 7 February 2020 Alworth Road, Higher Blackley, Manchester, M9 0RP

Presents…

Tickets £4, £2 Concessions

A number of students have had the opportunity to plant fruit trees around the school. Mr Cope assisted the students in the planting. He said: “As part of our push to be sustainable we are planting trees given to us from our work with the woodland trust. More sustainable initiatives are on the way. Watch this space!”

Wishing you a happy and peaceful Christmas and New Year

Call 0161 507 9640 to book

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Tree Planting Project is Just the Beginning for Eco Council!