Proud to Be 4

Proud to Be

On the last day of term we hosted a culture day returning to the 2021 BHM theme ‘Proud to Be’. All staff and students were invited to wear something that represents them and or makes them feel proud. It was wonderful to see people in clothing that represents their heritage, favourite sports team, bands, musical theatre or just what they wear to feel good. As part of their PE lesson, some students took part in a carnival workshop and explored Brazilian and Latin dance. The students learnt a variety of choreography and listened to stories about the Brazilian culture and history. We firmly believe that the beauty of the world lies in the diversity of its people and celebrating black history month was a really joyful experience.

Loving Life at Langdale!

October at Our Lady’s always means one thing…an action-packed adventure to Langdale! After missing out last year, our year 8s as well as our year 7 students all packed up their rucksacks and set off for a fantastic residential trip in the Lake District. Miss Watkins and Miss Bramley led their year groups in team building activities and walks up the mountains and have shared their stories of a very busy fortnight!

Monday 4th October marked the start of year 7’s residential trip to Langdale in the Lake District. After a remarkable first month at Our Lady’s, the children were both excited and nervous to be going on their first residential as a member of the Our Lady’s community. For many of the children, this was their first residential due the cancellation of their usual year 6 trip at the end of their primary school journey. The year group was split into two with one group going to Cumbria MondayWednesday and the second going Wednesday-Friday. Miss Bramley accompanied the students for the full week with form teachers and class teachers also joining in on the fun. After a quick briefing and once the luggage was loaded onto the coach, the group set off on their way to Ambleside on a journey which would take under two hours. Unfortunately, the weather was not in our favour and the first spots of rain fell whilst we were on the motorway. As we neared Cumbria, the sky got darker but this did not dampen the spirits of students and staff. Both groups, upon arrival at the bottom of the hill, had the first task of walking up to Langdale Youth Hostel, taking in the sights of the valley and breathing in the beautiful, fresh air. Once we had established that it was in fact sheep and not cows who inhabited the steep hill and after students had grumbled and moaned about not being dropped off at the top of the hill, we soon arrived at the old, Victorian mansion which we would be calling home for three days.

“It was challenging but it was worth it”

Fahuz Amusat

After lunch, the students were allocated dorms and got to know their surroundings. There was then time for two activities before our evening meal. The activities on offer were archery, fire making, rocket building, team activities, shelter building and a long walk. All students would have the opportunity to take part in each activity over the course of the three days with archery being the activity students were most excited for. The rain continued to fall heavily all week but the children were fantastic and threw themselves into every activity and especially into the year 7 football match which was more of a mud bath! After each day of activities, the children would clean up and have an hour of social time to contact home and to practise for the talent show. Both groups exhibited fantastic talents with Israel Somorin and Kyle Kenny being notable stand out acts! The following evening saw students change into their pyjamas accompanied by their pillows for a movie night. After the film, staff gathered the students for an awards ceremony which saw students win prizes for notable achievements over the two days such as ‘Most Enthusiastic’, ‘Team Player’ and ‘Best Wellies’ to name a few.

“My favourite thing was being in the dorms and I loved archery and fire making”

Alpha Bangura

The final day was bittersweet as the children were sad to be leaving Langdale but were looking forward to seeing their loved ones and catching up on some much needed sleep! Before we made our way back down the hill to the coach, the children had to pack and tidy their rooms. The staff at Langdale also arranged one final activity for students to work together in their groups to find certain things around the centre. After lunch, the children made their way down to the awaiting coaches, taking in the scenic views one last time before embarking on the journey back to Manchester. Both groups were a pleasure to accompany with staff members commenting on what a lovely, well-mannered year group we have. It really was the perfect way to end the first half term and it was lovely to get to know the children on a different level. It is also important to remember that experiences and trips like this cannot take place without staff members giving up their time to support the children and so a big thank you on behalf of year 7 and Miss Bramley goes to every individual who supported with the trip. On the 18th October, Miss Watkins and the year 8s headed out on their Langdale residential. The 3-day long trip is an outdoor extravaganza and an opportunity for students and staff alike to unwind and reconnect with nature. Miss Watkins set the tone early, banning all technology from the trip, something the year 8s took in their stride. The journey up to Langdale was windy but scenic although the hike from the car park to the Youth Hostel where the group were staying, was initially met with a few grumbles. Once the teenagers had processed that the slight incline was child’s play, students enthusiastically took in views of mountains, lakes and sheep. The first day was organisational with students sorting themselves into their dorms and taking on the first of a range of activities including; archery, fire making, shelter building or a long walk. Miss Watkins opted to go on the walk with all groups which took everyone down to Grasmere Lake, a beautiful natural setting that was just calling out for stones to be skimmed and wellies to be wetted- something the students gladly obliged. Night one ended with a talent show- and what a talented bunch we have here at Our Lady’s! We saw comedy, gymnastics, singing and dancing although it was Tegra Tshako and Abigael Ngimbi that were crowned winners and earnt themselves a £10 amazon voucher each. Day 2 saw a day jam packed full of activities which students threw themselves in to, despite some sleepy eyelids from all - staff included! John Lugares and Fali Momodu’s manners shone through at dinner time, showing other students how to scrape and clear their dishes and day 2 ended with a film night. Day 3 and it was time to pack and tidy up to head back home but not before a bug hunt where students found frogs, spiders and many other little creatures. Some of the boys helped Miss Watkins load up the mini bus with bags before heading back (down) hill this time to the coaches. Year 8 did absolutely fantastically with the Langdale staff saying “you only get groups like this once every six months and they make it all worth it.” They were inquisitive and respectful and left Miss Watkins and all other accompanying staff incredibly proud to be team Our Lady’s. Well done guys!

“Even though the weather was rubbish, it was really good and I liked the views on our walks”

Laura Ciepluch