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Summer 2022

Our Lady’s R.C. High School Magazine

Prom is Back... ...in style!

IN THIS ISSUE: 2022 Prom Night Celebrations Little Shop of Horrors Year 10 Boys Handball Champions Michaelangelo Exhibition

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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Contents

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.

The school production, Year 11 prom, Year 7 information evening and many more events are back on the Our Lady’s school calendar. For the first time in three years, we have been able to host and celebrate public events including those named above, and it has been fantastic! Our school production of Little Shop of Horrors was a sell out for all three nights – and the performance of the children certainly justified it. The show was a big ensemble production with a huge cast of talented actors, musicians, back-stage technicians, and front of house supporters. Everyone involved worked tirelessly to bring us a fun show that made us laugh and brought so much joy to the audience. Welcoming the new parents into our school for the Year 7 Information Evening is always a significant juncture in the summer term as it starts the beginning of a five-year partnership and further builds the Our Lady’s community. It was good to see so many families and to meet the new children who will be joining us September. I write these words on the morning of the Year 11 prom. Our Year 11 students deserve a great send off, and we have lots of nice surprises waiting for them including a prize winner who will travel to prom in a stylish limousine,

a fantastic DJ who will be accompanied by a saxophonist, a photo booth with fun props and lots of staff attending to join in with the celebrations. Fr Joel and Fr Nicholas joined our school community in April, and their presence in school has had a significant impact on both students and staff. They have already been involved in supporting the sacrament of Reconciliation at Easter time, celebrating Mass in our school chapel every week, supporting the RE department with their lessons and joining in with a staff versus students football tournament. I also believe they will be on the dance floor at tonight’s Year 11 prom showing the children how it’s done. We are all delighted to have them as part of Our Lady’s. The new build is moving at a pace now and I expect that by the time we reach the summer break it will look, from the outside at least, like the project we had originally envisioned. I had hoped that it might be fully completed by the end of August, but it looks increasing likely

that it will be the end of September – but I am sure it will be worth the wait. It has been three years since we made it through an academic year without significant disruption, so it really does feel like a cause for celebration. To that end we have planned a big excursion to Blackpool as a rewards trip for the students, the end of term will also see the return of our summer concert which will hopefully be an outdoor event, weather permitting, and each year group will compete in their very own sports day which promises to be a lot of fun. Thank you for your commitment to, and support of, Our Lady’s.

Headteacher’s Welcome

Editor’s Welcome

Diana Award Ambassadors

2022 Prom Night Celebrations

4-5

Easter Transition

Thank you BMCS!

Slavery Museum

Leaving a Legacy for Year 11! 8-9 Little Shop of Horrors

Michaelangelo Exhibition

Live Action Theatre

Science Live!

Sports News

Staff vs Students Football 14-15

God Bless

L. Ormsby Headteacher

Religious Life of the School

16-17

Meet the Priests

Our Lady’s Alumni

New Build Update

Diana Award Ambassadors The Diana Award is a fundraising initiative founded in the name of the late Princess of Wales. The charity seeks to honour Diana’s mission to empower young people by unlocking their potential. Some of our year 8 students participated in an online training session, delivered by the charity. The session looked at different types of bullying and how it impacts those targeted. After this, the children developed initiatives aimed at recognising bullying and supporting those in need, they were then appointed Anti Bullying Ambassadors. Well done! We look forward to seeing all the good work you do in the future. You can find out more about the Diana Award here: https://diana-award.org.uk/

Editor’s Welcome Message It has been a fantastic year in school, particularly during this summer term, full of events and celebrations! A huge well done to our class of 2022 who celebrated 5 years of life at Our Lady’s with a hugely deserved prom night. We hope you enjoy this summer edition of the Vision magazine and wish everyone a wonderful summer break!

SHARING THE VISION | SUMMER 2022

2022 PROM NIGHT CELEBRATIONS

‘The students are a credit to Our Lady’s; they have been very well behaved and polite around the hotel.’ Member of the Public

Class of 2022 Prom Night Celebrations! It is that time of year again when we say goodbye to our Year 11s, but we do so with huge smiles on our faces as we send them off in style at the Our Lady’s prom. It is safe to say that the Class of 2022 leavers have been on quite a rollercoaster throughout their time at Our Lady’s. Together, we made it through three lockdowns, leadership changes within the year group, and the first set of GCSE exams in 3 years. We kicked off our MASK-erade theme with sophisticated mocktails and a red carpet arrival, and guests were welcomed in to the smooth sounds of our saxophone player. In an Our Lady’s first, we wanted to make sure the students had an unforgettable experience, which was made possible by our special guest DJ Kemoy B. He brought great energy and enthusiasm to the dance floor, which was packed with both students and staff for the entirety of the night.

We would like to thank the staff of the Village Hotel in Bury for hosting such a fabulous event; no request was too much for them. They made sure that our students, and staff, felt at ease throughout the night and had a wonderful time. It was a pleasure to see our students looking so grown up, and they made us so proud. We wish them all the best in their future endeavours and hope that they carry the ethos of Our Lady’s with them for the rest of their lives. Best dressed male: Courag

e Umunnakwe

Good Luck Class of 2022! Miss Brophy & Miss Power (Best Double Act) ‘The conduct of the students has made this the best prom we’ve ever hosted.’

With an array of awards given out, the highlight of the night was awarding our Prom King, Zacharia Menesrahoui and Prom Queen Jessica Gilbert as recognition of the hard-work and dedication of the staff of Our Lady’s, our students took time to vote for their most inspirational members of staff. These awards deservedly went to Mr Bell and Mrs Burke.

Village Hotel

s of staf f: Most inspirational member ke Bur Mrs & Bell Mr

Best dressed female: Taj Prom King & Queen: Jessica Gilbert Zacharia Menesrahoui and

Othman Best double -act: Andrea

and Kenlin

SHARING THE VISION | SUMMER 2022

EASTER TRANSITION

Let’s Get Active for Easter! Student quotes

The Our Lady’s Easter Holiday Activity and Food (HAF) Scheme involved a week of sport, activity, drama, art, dance, nutritious food, health & wellbeing for 60 pupils from the local community during the 2022 Easter holidays. It was a great introduction to life in a secondary school. The programme has helped to boost the activity levels, skills and confidence of all those attending.

• I really loved the week, the teachers were so nice and I especially enjoyed playing dodgeball. • Great sports club with a range of activities. My favourite activity was football! Generous lunches! • Really good and enjoyable • We loved the scheme and enjoyed ourselves. We were upset it ended too quickly! • So much fun! I loved the multisport and enjoyed receiving the certificate at the end.

Structured and planned sessions helped staff and student sports leaders support the young people in developing their: • resilience • confidence • cooperation skills • team building • social skills • healthy activity levels The broad range of activities helped to provide a fun and exciting environment for the young people to get to know the school and make new friends. Sports leaders developed their skills and confidence, supporting and taking the lead during lessons and activities. The sports leaders took pride in their roles and took their responsibilities seriously, both of which were key factors in the success of the project. Well done on a brilliant job!

Parent quotes A brilliant holiday scheme to keep children active during the half term breaks. My daughter enjoyed herself and it really increased her confidence to meet new people and play games that she hasn’t before. Really pleased to have this activity option for my son, who has spent so much extra time on screens in lockdown. He was very apprehensive on the first day as he didn’t know anyone else going (and can be very stubborn about resisting new things in such circumstances), so I was delighted that he enjoyed it so much and was happy to continue to join in on the subsequent days. This says a lot for how good it was. Thank you!

Staff quotes “This has been a well organised and thoroughly enjoyable week for children and coaches alike. The children enjoyed all of the activities, with healthy food for lunch. Children made new friends, socialised and had an active time in their new secondary school.” Miss Tkaczuk “It’s been a great week. The atmosphere was relaxed with an emphasis on enjoyment. This really helped the students to develop in confidence. It was still a learning environment and children benefitted mentally, physically and socially from the experience.” Mr Derrig

I felt happy sending my boys. I found the scheme safe and my boys loved it. Can’t wait for another club to start.

SHARING THE VISION | SUMMER 2022

THANK YOU BMCS!

LEGACIES EVENT

Thank you BMCS! The Biological and Medicinal Chemistry Sector (BMCS) awarded Our Lady’s High School a grant of £1000. This allowed us to purchase chemistry equipment including handheld pH probes and atomic structure kits. The first students to test out this new apparatus were year 5 children from our feeder primary schools. They took part in an acid and alkali lesson using the new equipment; they were given different household substances and were asked to decide if the substance was an acid or alkali, using litmus paper. They then used the pH probe to get a more accurate measure. The students were very engaged in the lesson and enjoyed using our new equipment. During transition week in the summer, we will be using the atomic structure modelling kit to get students to consider what makes up the wider world in terms of chemistry and the pH probe in our Forest School. We can’t wait to make use of this fantastic equipment!

Leaving a Legacy for Year 11!

Slavery Museum Back in October we celebrated Black History Month and as many of you will remember part of that involved decorating our classroom doors and turning them into monuments to black excellence. The students who designed the best BLM doors were rewarded with a trip to the international slavery museum in Liverpool.

Mrs Gallagher led the trip along with 25 students from Year 10. The museum is located on the Albert Dock and houses a vast array of exhibitions that shine a light on the hidden lives of enslaved people from the past. It also

looks at the insidious nature of contemporary slavery and how racism and discrimination continue to affect the lives of the descendants of enslaved people today. The museum has many artefacts and displays including audio walk in’s, photographs, visual displays and relics from the past. They each bring the information to life, although the horrors of slavery are in plain sight, the museum also has an uplifting message of triumph and the Black Achievers Wall and the Freedom Wall are a testimony to this.

Written by Destiny Osaghe, Year 11 This term, three wonderful students who attended Our Lady’s RC High School in the past, gave the year 11 students a preview into what the future awaits for us. The ex-students were asked questions which were answered very considerately. They helped us understand what it is like to be in their position and what we will have to do in order to get there. They worked very hard to be in the position they currently are and tried adding and advising us to be successful just like they are. They told us what it is like to be in college, the challenges they have faced and how they overcame them. They also kindly gave us tips on how to keep our social and study time balanced, and gave us tips on how to keep motivated as they know how hard school can get to us.

Faye Southern: I thought the slavery museum was great. The tour was very interesting and the guide was knowledgeable and engaging with the group. Taylor Smith: The trip was a really eye opening experience and it was very interesting to see parts of history in person as opposed to just hearing about it.

have said they would like to come in again as we hope to offer more sessions like this to support year 11 students in their preparation for exams and transition to college. A huge thank you to the students that came in: Jessica Taylor (2020) Holy CrossSuccessfully applied to Edge Hill University to study Creative Writing for September 2022 Alessia Ebohon (2021) Loreto CollegeStudying Chemistry, Biology and Maths Esther Boyede (2021) Loreto College Studying Chemistry, Biology and Maths

Overall, I had a pleasant time with these kindhearted, hardworking, supportive students and how they cooperated with sensibly answering these questions during this interview. The girls

The students had a wonderful day exploring the lives of enslaved people in history. The tour was fascinating and the pupils had a brilliant day.

SHARING THE VISION | SUMMER 2022

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS

LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS The star of the show was without doubt Paolo Bagunu who played loveable but hapless Seymour with a perfect mix of comedy and charisma, his duet of ‘Suddenly Seymour’ with Rhianna was really sweet and his goofy antics as Mushnik’s underappreciated employee made everyone chuckle. His performance was only rivalled by carnivorous plant Audrey II who danced as a tiny pot plant and bellowed as the monster they become. Audrey II was wonderfully voiced by Mr Banham, who also directed the production with Mr Grenier.

The sensational live pit orchestra give Our Lady’s productions the wow factor; directed by Chris Addington they played beautifully and really brought the songs of the show to life.

Little Shop of Horrors

And whilst everything ran smoothly on stage, it was all go behind the scenes with back stage managers Miss Magill and Mr Keogh making sure, make-up, lighting, special effects and set changes all ran as planned whilst taking care of the cast and crew members and sharing Audrey II duties!

Well after a two and a half year hiatus and several delays and setbacks the Expressive & Performing Arts faculty made a triumphant return to live theatre and put on a spectacular production of “Little Shop of Horrors.” The local community as ever were very supportive and the show played to a packed out hall every night. girls dazzle in gold dresses and narrate the story throughout in stylish 1960’s motown girl group personas. They all have lovely voices and perform with great stage presence as a trio.

It takes many people, many months of hard work to put on a full scale production but we couldn’t be more appreciative of all they do, it was wonderful to welcome back to live performance to Our Lady’s and what a stylish way to return. The show closed with the final song ‘Don’t feed the plants’ and all the cast and chorus were on stage to belt out the final number and close the show in spectacular fashion.

Seymour’s boss at the florist shop is big meanie Mushnik, played to great comic effect by Hannah Owoseni, Mushnik is a snarly character who exploits Seymour’s good nature and comes to a sticky end when they get too close to a hungry Audrey II. The show is a darkly comic, musical delight that tells the story of Seymour Krelborn, a meek and dejected assistant in a flower shop who happens upon an unusual plant, which he affectionately names ‘Audrey II’ after his crush. Audrey II grows into a big mean carnivorous plant with an unquenchable thirst for human blood and a sassy line in back chat, they promise Seymour fame and fortune but it comes at a high price! The show opens with the signature song ‘little shop of horrors’ led by Elizabeth Osifo, Mariana Binga and Deborah Oladapo, the

Audrey, the girl who Seymour adores, was played to perfection by Rhianna Lock who captured her sweet-hearted nature to perfection, singing all her songs with real emotion. As everyone knows, the path to true love doesn’t always run smoothly and Audrey is involved with dastardly dentist Orin Scrivello when we first meet her. Newcomer Zachery Attwood in Year 7 played the villain to gasps of delight from the audience, it was an amazing start from a young performer who really captured the audience playing the baddy to great effect.

SHARING THE VISION | SUMMER 2022

MICHAELANGELO EXHIBITION

LIVE ACTION THEATRE

Michelangelo Exhibition A group of RE students led by Miss White took a trip to Trafford in March to visit an exhibition of Michelangelo’s famous Sistine Chapel artwork. The ceiling of the Sistine Chapel is one of the most iconic painted interiors in the world and remains a must–see attraction for people lucky enough to visit Vatican City. It was designed and painted by Renaissance Master, Michelangelo over a four-year period between 1508-1512. The original ceiling was commissioned by Pope Julius II and depicts Old Testament scenes, starting with the Creation of the World and ending with Noah and the Flood. The students and Miss White really enjoyed their visit! Vanessa Sivakova “I really enjoyed taking a tour through each section of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. It was amazing to see it with my own eyes in person so I could really appreciate it”

Live Action Theatre

Jaiden Carrington “Each section came with a short description of the scene which meant we could focus on the sections and gain more understanding”

Here are the reviews from the staff and students who attended. ‘I absolutely loved the whole performance. I have never seen anything like it! I would definitely recommend it to anyone. I went home and told all my friends and family about it’ – Tobi Lawal (Year 11)

This exhibition brings the famous art works to a wider audience by displaying life-size photographic copies of the masterpieces including the Creation of Adam and the Last Judgement. Each piece of art comes with an accompanying audio so the students could listen to learn more interesting details about the work. The pieces are fascinating from both a theological and an artistic perspective. They bring many of the stories of the Old Testament to life and show off the anatomic mastery of Michelangelo.

Miss White “This was a wonderful opportunity for some of our pupils, and myself, to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of an abstract topic which we look at for GCSE. It was lovely to be able to observe the pupils engaging with the artwork, asking questions and experiencing something which many won’t be lucky enough to be able to see in real life on our doorstep”

SHARING THE VISION | SUMMER 2022

“I am Heathcliff! Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same.” Emily Bronte’s dramatic tale of life on the moors has been turned into a modern stage production at the Lowry theatre in Media City. The Year 11 GCSE Drama students went to watch so that they could gain an insight into what a professional stage productions looks like and how they use theatrical devices and tools to bring the production to life for the audience. Emma Rice has adapted Bronte’s novel for this production, she utilises music and dance to add energy and expression into the performances.

SHARING THE VISION | SUMMER 2022

‘I really enjoyed the play Wuthering Heights because as a member of the audience the atmosphere felt so real with the lighting and all of the props. I particularly like the sound effects used throughout the show’ – Troy Malunda (Year 11)

Mr Grenier - Star of The Producers! Mr Grenier recently appeared in the criticallyacclaimed comedy musical ‘The Producers’ which was staged at Champness Hall Theatre in Rochdale. The Producers is a musical with music and lyrics by Mel Brooks, and a book by Brooks and Thomas Meehan. It is adapted from Brooks’s 1967 film of the same. Mr Grenier played the role of ‘Leo Bloom’. The story concerns two theatrical producers who scheme to get rich by fraudulently overselling interests in a Broadway flop. As a reward trip Mr Grenier’s Year 11 class had the pleasure of going to see the production and loved it.

‘I enjoyed Wuthering Heights, especially the atmosphere that was created in the audience. It was a true eye opener and I hope to one day work in a theatre myself’ Kadyn Farnhill (Year 11)

School SPORT NEWS Trips

Sports News been too much to ask for another victory. But the team battled hard and got the luck when they needed it and eventually ran out winners and became Manchester Champions.

Congratulations to our year 7 boys athletics team who won the Manchester Athletics Championships.

First up in the Handball Championships were our year 10 boys who were defending champions having won it in 2020. They looked good in training and this translated to an all out success winning all their games and becoming Manchester Champions again even though there were a couple of different players that helped.

Staff Versus Students 6-A-SideFootball

In athletics, our year 9 girls were glad to get back into competitions and finished an excellent 2nd in the Manchester Athletics league. There were winners of their individual events in the Hurdles, 100 metres, Discus and the Javelin, a 2nd in the relay and a 3rd in the long jump.

Next were the year 8 girls who were entering the competition for the first time but had some very effective athletes and Basketball players on the team who we were hoping could influence the rest of the players in a very positive way. Their training went very well and their influence was clear to see and after drawing one game and winning the rest they became Manchester Handball champions as well.

This term, Mr Burke arranged his annual staff versus students football match. They played 6-a-side and a great crowd gathered to enjoy watching a brilliant game! The year 11 team relished the challenge of taking on the staff team with Father Joel getting a fantastic reaction from the crowd! Well done to everyone who took part! All athletes finished in the top 3 in their event meaning everyone got a medal. This is the first time this has happened in the history of Our Lady’s and it’s a fantastic achievement for them.

Finally, it was the turn of the year 8 boys who like the girls were new to the competition. Their training had also gone well but it might have

Our year 8/9 boys were going for a clean sweep in the Athletics competitions having won the Manchester and Greater Manchester indoor championships and they duly obliged winning gold medals in 7 out of the 13 events to be crowned Manchester outdoor athletics Champions.

At the end of the spring term the PE department held a sports event for our year 11s to help take their minds off their exams and for a chance to display their talents for one last time. The girls had an indoor Volleyball competition that was well attended and went very well and the boys had an outdoor 6-a-side football competition on our 3G with a surprise entry from the staff. Both tournaments were brilliant spectacles. Deo Gratias

SHARING THE VISION | SUMMER 2022

RELIGIOUS LIFE

Religious Life of the School Welcome to Father Joel and Father Nicholas. We are in the very fortunate position whereby we have welcomed Fr. Joel and Fr. Nicholas to our school community. Both priests have made a profound impact on our school community and are positively welcomed by our students and staff. It has been wonderful to have the presence of two priests in our school allowing us to develop and strengthen our spirituality as a Catholic community. Fr Joel has been working alongside our lovely Year 7’s to plan weekly masses to celebrate the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and Fr Nicholas has spent time with many pupils leading ‘Rosary Walks’ during the month of May. Both Fr. Joel and Fr. Nicholas delivering ‘Meet your Priest’ lessons in RE where they are talking to the pupils about their lives and vocation, as well as getting to know us better! Guardians of Creation A group of children from years 7, 8 and 9 dedicated some time to becoming ‘guardians of creation’. School was approached by Ruth Walbank from St Mary’s University to take part in her research project centered around the Laudato Si, an encyclical written by Pope Francis encouraging us to “care for our common home”.

The Sacrament of Reconciliation In early April all staff and students were invited to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation, This is where we can talk to a Priest about the things we have done wrong and ask for God’s forgiveness. It is a very important ‘healing’ sacrament in the Catholic Church, that allows us to fix and strengthen our relationship with God. An overwhelming number of pupils participated and it was a very reflective and spiritual opportunity. All those who took part were presented with Rosary Beads that had been blessed by our Priests.

Our students spent some time in after school sessions learning about the Laudato Si before working in small groups to research, plan and present a mini-sustainability project on a topic of their choice. The groups were asked to focus on how they could improve an area of our school community, such as paper source, food waste and recycling. The students presented to Miss White and Ruth, who will use their projects to inform her research paper.

Youth SVP The ethos of the Youth SVP is turning concern into action. SVP is a society which encourages children to learn and grow in their faith, to develop their vocation and transform their faith into active forms of charity. This half term the SVP has had an overwhelming number of new members from all year groups, all wanting to put Jesus’ teachings of ‘love thy neighbour’ into action.

These pupils have since been invited to the Laudato Si Summit in July where they will have the opportunity to meet with children from other schools and discuss some of the actions they have taken since starting the project. The RE Department are very proud of these pupils for giving up their time to focus on developing their faith and applying it to a passion of theirs, with the hopes of creating change in our community. Lord, grant us the wisdom to care for the earth. Help us to act now for the good of the future and all your creatures. Help us to become instruments of a new creation, Founded on the covenant of your love.

Last half term we took a small group litter-picking in and around our local area. Students were encouraged to think about their faith and the impact humanity has on God’s creation. The children were thanked by a local resident who was grateful for their hard work and dedication to cleaning up the local area.

We joined together to thank God for our times together, for the friends made, for all the things learned and for their happiness.

Members of the SVP group are working hard towards planning the Our Lady’s grandparents picnic during the summer term, and coming up with fresh ideas to this student-led group to make our community a better place.

Most recently the Chaplains have worked closely with the Priest Chaplains of our school, Mrs Burke and the RE team, joining in with Rosary Walks during the month of May. Chaplains were able to engage with the monthly celebration of our Mother Mary. This enabled Chaplains to encourage students within our school community to participate with the Chaplaincy team, learning how to say the Rosary and the meaning behind why the Rosary is practiced.

We look forward to working with some of our wonderfully dedicated pupils in September as we continue to put our faith into action.

What have the Our Lady’s chaplaincy team been up to?

Year 11 Leavers Mass In June we said our final goodbye to our wonderful Year 11 students. Fr Joel and Fr Nicholas celebrated a beautiful Mass which was attended by staff, pupils and parents, uniting us as one Catholic community.

SHARING THE VISION | SUMMER 2022

As we prayed, we looked back at their time here and looked forward in hope to their future.

SHARING THE VISION | SUMMER 2022

The chaplaincy team is made up of students from all year groups who aim to spread the message of God around our school community. During the run up to Easter, the Chaplains created an Easter liturgy which was led by the Chaplains themselves and delivered to all year groups and members of staff. Our Lady’s Chaplains worked alongside gifted students who through the use of a drama production were able to visibly display the Passion, Suffering and Resurrection of Christ. Through their hard work, the Chaplaincy team delivered the real message and meaning of Easter.

RELIGIOUS LIFE

OUR LADY’S ALUMNI

Meet the Priests! What were your first impressions of Our Lady’s?

I have enjoyed my Priestly Ministry, especially working with young people in schools.

Our Lady’s is a very welcoming school which is friendly and amazing. Everybody has made me feel appreciated and welcomed. I see Our Lady’s as a family.

What is your favourite food?

What is your favourite thing about working with the Our Lady’s community? The students are very respectful and friendly, as well as the staff. The staff are simply amazing so this makes me love working at Our Lady’s. The support and encouragement I receive from Our Lady’s is much appreciated. Fr Joel: What is your role at Our Lady’s? I am one of the Priest Chaplains of Our Lady’s. My role involves supporting both pupils and staff in their spiritual life in the school and I also ensure that the Catholic life is fully offered to all. I offer both spiritual and pastoral care to the pupils and staff of Our Lady’s. Which countries have you worked in before? I have lived in a number of countries throughout my Seminary Training. I have worked in Ghana and the UK, which was my first major appointment after my Priestly.

Do you have any goals for the next academic year? Yes, in the coming year I am looking forward to having a very strong Chaplaincy Gift team and encouraging as many as possible to appreciate through actively being involved in aspects of life in a Catholic school. I want to continue to support Catholic life, potentially through planning retreats. Do you have any hobbies outside of working at Our Lady’s? Yes, I like listening to music, dancing and playing football.

What is your favourite thing about working with the Our Lady’s community? I have enjoyed going into classes across the school and being able to communicate with a variety of people. I have also loved being someone some people feel they can confide in.

I am an Ambassador of Christ at Our Lady’s, I represent the figure of Christ and the life of Our Lady’s. Which countries have you worked in before? I have worked in Nigeria, where I studied and carried out Pastoral work as a Teacher and Head Teacher. The UK is the only place I have done any Priest work.

Rome would be a dream. I am hoping to visit Rome next year. This is an important part of my religion and the centre of the Catholic Church. I would love to visit the Vatican on my visit. What is your best piece of advice for a pupil from Our Lady’s? That they must try to be the best versions of themselves to represent Our Lady’s wherever they are. What is your favourite Bible quote? Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Miss Olivia Owen, Medical Student at the University of Manchester, 2016 Leaver My Career Journey from leaving school: After leaving Our Lady’s, I went to Loreto college to do my A-levels where I got 4 A*s in Biology, Chemistry, Maths and my EPQ. I then spent three years studying Medicine at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland where I graduated last year with a first-class honours bachelor’s degree. In September, I moved back to the north-west to finish off my training in Preston and I am on track to qualify as a doctor in 2024.

What is your favourite thing about being a Priest?

Do you have any goals for the next academic year? I wish to continue to build close relationships with both pupils and staff. It is through strong relationships that I can give the best guidance and support. I want to encourage everyone to understand the deeper ethos of the Catholic faith. Do you have any hobbies outside of working at Our Lady’s? I love singing and writing at every opportunity. What is your greatest achievements to date?

school I worked at in Ghana. This was through the JustYouth Foundation. Academically, I am proud of achieving my Masters in Theology. What is your favourite food? In Ghana I love Rice Balls and Peanut Soup, in the UK I love fish and chips with mushy peas. Where in the world would you most like to visit that you haven’t been to yet, and why? I would like to visit Rome because of its attachment to the history of the Catholic Church. What is your best piece of advice for a pupil from Our Lady’s? Dedication, commitment and perseverance are the core values of life and success. What is your favourite Bible quote? Isaiah 41:10 “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.” What is your favourite thing about being a Priest? Celebrating the Mass completely lifts my mood, making me feel very excited and happy.

My professional or personal hopes/ aspirations/goals for the future: My aim is to keep exploring the opportunities that are available to me and to keep learning as much as I can. I am still exploring my career options but so far, my favourite areas of medicine are surgery, cardiology and obstetrics and gynaecology. I am excited to explore these further over the next couple of years! Medicine is very demanding, so I am also working on ensuring that I have a good work-life balance and looking after my wellbeing alongside all the studying! In the future, I am hoping to continue to be involved in teaching and research alongside my clinical work. Any values or messages which have served you well from school?

The joy of being there for all and several others.

I have just been ordained as a new Priest about 3 years ago and so far I have enjoyed it very much.

The hospitality and welcoming spirit were the first things I noticed, I did not feel like a stranger. I felt welcomed as a member of the community which I feel is most inspiring.

What is your role at Our Lady’s?

Where in the world would you most like to visit that you haven’t been to yet, and why?

What are your greatest achievements to date?

What were your first impressions of Our Lady’s?

Fr Nicholas:

Jollof rice and salad.

Our Lady’s Alumni

What do you do now and who do you do it for? Currently, I am in my fourth year at medical school. There is a lot of variety in what I do and it is a very busy world! I spend a lot of time in the hospital seeing patients, observing clinics and I have also been lucky enough to be able to scrub in and assist in theatre. There are lots of opportunities to get involved in research in medical school and this year I had my first piece of research published in a medical journal! I really enjoy teaching, so I also spend some of my time running teaching sessions for younger medical students. I am doing medicine for myself, as it is very fulfilling and rewarding. However, I am also doing it for others – it is an amazing thing to be able to improve (and sometimes even save) someone else’s life!

I owe a lot of my success to the amazing teachers that I had at Our Lady’s and I am very grateful to have gone to this school! I learned that your teachers are on your side and that they are one of your most valuable resources for your exams. If you need a little extra help with revision on a difficult topic, they are always more than happy if you politely ask. Also, at 22 I am still using the same revision techniques that my teachers from high school taught me! Other than the academic side of things, I also got some valuable life lessons from my time at school. Mrs Gallagher used to always say “Reach for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars”, and it is true! Our Lady’s also taught me to offer help to others, to be kind and to do small things that make other people smile. One bible verse that was read to us on our last day of year 11 has stuck with me for the past six years: “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters.” This was also the moment that made me realise I wanted to become a doctor!

Anything you would have changed whilst you were at school? I certainly was not the perfect student throughout all my time at Our Lady’s and looking back, it is not nice to think about how disruptive I was in some of my classes! However, I got my head down in year 10 and 11 and focussed on my GCSEs and that’s what is important. I am grateful to my past-self for being so driven and hardworking as this opened so many doors for me when I left school. If I could go back, I wouldn’t change anything at all because it is all of my past experiences that have shaped me into the person that I am today.

My greatest achievement is making a link between a school I work with in the UK and the

SHARING THE VISION | SUMMER 2022

NEW BUILD UPDATE

New Build Update The new building project is coming along in leaps and bounds, the walls and staircases have now been installed so the layout is in place. The Headteacher and School Business Manager have been making regular visits to the site and are really pleased with the progress. The upstairs classrooms and offices are going to be big bright spaces and we plan to relocate our SEND and languages departments over there. The new library will have some lovely views and a balcony that will add to the tranquillity of this new school space. We are currently picking out the colour schemes and flooring for the new chapel and canteen and both are going to look fantastic. The new building will have a really positive impact on the daily lives of the students and expanding the site is much need due to our popularity with local families. The construction team are working really hard to get everything ready for us as soon as possible, we can’t wait to move in!

Have a great Summer break See you all in September!

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SHARING THE VISION | SUMMER 2022