Winter 2020

Sharing the

Winter 2020

Our Lady’s R.C. High School Magazine

IN THIS ISSUE:

Christmas Edition

Results Day Success Black History Month Year 7 Awards

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.

What a unique start to the year we have experienced. Amid all the new Covid language and the challenges we have faced individually and collectively, I have found great solace in seeing all the staff and children back here at Our Lady’s.

I’d like to begin by thanking all the parents and carers in our community for trusting us with the care of your children. I know it must have been a difficult decision to send your children back to school in the middle of a pandemic, and I hope you can see the significant benefits it brings.

Despite the restrictions that are in place, we’ve still managed to offer a holistic educational experience for our students.

Walking around the school every day gives me the opportunity to see this in action. Watching the children laugh, learn, play sport and engage socially, has been incredibly uplifting and even more rewarding than normal. Where the weather has allowed, many teachers have moved their lessons outdoors to the forest school and this has offered the children a unique opportunity to learn in nature. One of the silver linings of the March lockdown was that it focussed our attention on our IT/remote learning

provision. Since then we have been working hard to develop better ways of connecting with you and your child by utilising Google classroom. We have invested in new Chromebooks and all of the staff and the students have received training in this area.

At this time of year our focus shifts toward Christmas and celebrating with our families, and at the time of writing we don’t yet know if that will be possible this year. We will be certainly doing everything we can in school to celebrate the birth of our Lord, and whilst there are a number of things we can’t do, there are still plenty of things we can – we’ve just got to be a little bit more creative.

Charity is always central to our school’s mission and despite the uncertain times I have been heartened by the generosity shown for all of our initiatives.

In October the staff and students wore pink to show support for breast cancer care, they baked and auctioned cakes

for Macmillan and they donated tinned goods to the local food bank. During lockdown donations of warm clothing were received for rough sleepers as were Christmas gifts for local children in poverty. All of these acts of kindness at a time of bleak uncertainty make me feel very proud of the caring Catholic community of Our Lady’s and I thank you all for your support.

I don’t know what the New Year will bring or when we might get closer to normal but I hope, like me, you take comfort from your faith.

God Bless

L. Ormsby Headteacher

Editor’s Welcome Message As we move towards the Christmas season, it is a good opportunity to reflect on the year and all we have achieved and persevered through, despite the challenges that have been thrown our way. Our year 7 students have settled into their new school routine marvellously and our year 11 leavers have left a lasting impact upon our school community. The students here have overcome so many challenges this term, so I hope this Christmas season can also be a celebration of everything our school community has achieved. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas.

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SHARING THE VISION | WINTER 2020

Contents Head’s Welcome Letter

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Editor’s Welcome Letter

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Feast Day Competition & Theatre at Our Lady’s

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Year 7 Awards

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Homework Hub

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Black History Month

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Results day

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Languages Day

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Open Evening

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Staff Profile: Miss Nicholson 12 Staff Profile: Mr Edge

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Teacher’s Pet: Miss Woosey 13 National burns Day

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Transition

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Makaton & Sophie Lancaster

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Religious Life of the school

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Charities

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Sports roundup & Picnic at a music festival

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Culture Club

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Health for Teens

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Editor: Kirsty McCarten

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Walsingham Fest Day Winners To help celebrate the Our Lady of Walsingham feast day on Thursday 24 September, a competition was held for year 11 students to give them a chance to win a set of cakes. We would like to congratulate form

W4 who were undeniable winners, getting all 10 questions in the competition correct and enjoyed their cakes on a Friday morning.

The Theatre Comes to Our Lady’s With theatre performances coming to a halt in March, the Drama department had to get creative with ways to carry on enjoying the theatre with students this term.

The Royal Shakespeare Company have very generously uploaded their performance of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet online, meaning that on November 18 year 11 students were able to gather in the Drama studio for a make-shift theatre night, complete with popcorn, drinks, sweets and snacks. Just like the real theatre!

Year 10 Drama students also had the privilege of watching a live-streamed performance of Dennis Kelly’s DNA by theatre company

Quirky Bird Theatre, which was thoroughly enjoyed by all in attendance and definitely a unique opportunity.

These make-shift theatre showing will continue throughout the year with performances available to all year groups, regardless of whether they have chosen GCSE Drama. We can’t wait to see what more showings the Drama department will treat us to!

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YEAR 7 AWARDS

Year 7 Brilliant Beginnings This term year 7 have excelled and many students received awards for Outstanding Attendance & Most Improved across the board.

As we come to the end of our winter term, students in year 7 who have been the highest attenders have received recognition awards from Mrs Newey our CTG coordinator. Mrs Newey said;

I am proud, so you should feel proud year 7, you have well and truly delivered! Continue to be your best selves and the strongest of role models amongst Our Lady’s community. You persisted, you never quit and endured on your learning journey this term. You stayed on course and prevailed and for that I feel immensely proud.

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Mrs Newey and Miss Watkins, head of year 7, asked form tutors to nominate their most improved and most outstanding attenders and some clear winners shone through. The pupils have shown an incredible amount of commitment and determination in school so far this year and Miss Watkins expressed that she was incredibly proud of all of them.

Davina Larsson was also awarded the Head of Year Award by Miss Watkins for being a brilliant all-round pupil. Davina is hard working and conscientious in lessons who always tries her best and acts upon all feedback given by her teachers. During social times she is a kind and responsible member of the year group who has made an excellent start to year 7 and we are very excited to see where she goes on her Our Lady’s journey.

I am proud, so you should feel proud – Mrs Newey

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HOMEWORK HUB

Homework Hub; here to help.

Our dedicated development team is always looking for ways to improve our standards of homework and the support that they can offer in school. Last year, the Homework Hub was launched to support each student and their parents or carers. This term, the Homework Hub is reprioritising and pushing towards having a live feed for parental support and advice that will be beneficial to both students and their families.

One of the newest features is a live chat feature in order to keep communication lines between parents and teachers. Teachers can talk with parents in a forum setting or individually to seek help with student’s school work and homework when needed. The Homework Hub lets parents take control and guide student support, with teachers still supporting during school hours. These new features ensures that students can have consistent access to their learning through the next few months.

simple too, just following the process and contacting the support team through the live chat feature if they encounter any issues.

If you have any questions about the Homework Hub or accessing support, please e-mail either v.newey@olsc. manchester.sch.uk or e.watkins@olsc. manchester.sch.uk

The Homework Hub will also help bridge the learning gap between school learning and studying at home. Teachers can continue setting homework tasks for their classes and both students and parents can access this set work by downloading the homework as a document. Uploading the completed work is The Homework Hub will provide the opportunity for the development of skills by allowing access to face to face assistance.

The most improved students by the end of the winter term will also receive a recognition award from Mrs Newey and Mrs Gill.

Academic progress is paramount to our staff here at Our Lady’s and we wish to maximise the amount of progress made by all students in these trying times.

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BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Black History Month October saw the celebration of Black History Month at Our Lady’s.

Black History Month provides a fantastic opportunity for us to recognise the outstanding contributions people of African and Caribbean descent have made. It has been celebrated in Britain for more than 30 years, and this year’s theme was ‘African Americans and the Vote’.

The stories celebrated in Black History Month have made a huge difference to our national and cultural life and it was so pleasing to see so many students partake in our whole school celebrations.

We celebrated this significant month in many ways. Students were encouraged to take part in a whole school celebration competition.

They were able to create either a piece of writing or a poster displaying a significant individual from black/Caribbean history. Miss Warwick received some outstanding pieces of work and found it hard to select a winner - picking 10 in the end! These pupils are to receive an amazon voucher to recognise their excellent work.

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Forms also took part in a competition quiz with the best form winning a prize. Around school, posters displayed significant individuals from black history, past and present, and some pupils created a video to explain why Black History Month was important to them and the individuals they find truly inspirational.

Key historical icons were also explored and discussed in form time along with an assembly that was delivered to all year groups.

Miss Warwick would like to thank all pupils who got involved - there were some outstanding pieces of work and contributions. Well done to everyone involved.

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School BLACK HISTORY Trips MONTH

From the speech in 1963 Delivered by Martin Luther King To Muhammad Ali Changing the stereotype in the ring And Rosa Parks resisting the orders and its sting Mary Secole’s role as a nurse Fredrick Douglass’ heroic verse in the paper And Carter G. Woodson the creator of this month Let’s give thanks to all including Mae Jemison Inspiring woman to believe and achieve.

And to present day Whose legacy still reigns today?

Is George Floyd Killed cruelly in modern day We have to reflect no we MUST reflect On our mistake So they don’t happen again.

How much longer can we go with people suffering?

Wondering when the world will stop spitting insults On our face When the world will treat us equal Don’t treat us different because of our skin Treat us because of the content of our character As Martin Luther King said “I hope I would live in a nation Where we won’t be judged by our skin” Let’s make that happen in this modern day WE can make this happen If we join hands together And Say

WE END RACISM TODAY! SHARING THE VISION | WINTER 2020

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SchoolDAY RESULTS Trips

Results Day There was an overwhelming feeling of joy at Our Lady’s RC High school as many students opened their results packets to find pleasing results inside.

In these unusual times, many found that their continued hard work throughout their five years at the high school had paid off and their success stories could continue on into higher education and prospective careers.

Ria Bhuiyan, after opening her results, stated: “I was nervous to get my results at first but when I opened them I was really surprised.

I’m extremely happy with my grades and can’t wait to go to college, but I’ll definitely miss high school and all my teachers and friends here.”

Leander McPherson, Head Boy at Our Lady’s RC High School said: “Opening results feels like buying a new car. You can get a good car or a bad car, but it always brings you to new places. I’m extremely happy with my results”.

Leander is headed to Xaverian College to study music and when asked what he hopes for the future, he answered: “Stardom and fame.”

We usually welcome the previous year’s leavers back to collect their GCSE certificates on a celebratory Certificate Evening. Although this cannot take place this year, awards and certificates are still available for collection from the school.

This year, the Headteacher’s Award was awarded to Charlie O’Brien and Ria Bhuiyan.

Mr Ormsby said; “The Headteacher’s Award is awarded to students who have displayed excellence during their time here at Our Lady’s R.C High School. The two pupils receiving this award have shown an incredible commitment to both the school and their studies. Staff and students alike are full of admiration for both Charlie and Ria and I’m sure their dedication at Our Lady’s will set them up for success in the next steps of their lives. I would like to thank them for their contribution to Our Lady’s and I wish them both all the very best for the future.”

The Award for Best Effort has gone to Francesca Ojimo and the Contribution to School Life award has gone to Andreja Bielskyte. Miss Woosey has sent in a letter for the leavers; “Dear Year 11.

Although our time was brief and ended very abruptly our time together was nothing short of colourful. Together you are an endearing bunch, with so many wonderful qualities that I know you will take into the wide world to make such a positive difference. I am

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comforted by the fact although we didn’t get to our expected destination together (the scary exam hall in the summer sweltering heat) but OLHS was part of your journey.

The journey was filled with so many emotions all part of 160 plus teenagers growing up together over 5 years- but a journey I am sure you will never forget.

I wish you all the best of luck, you only deserve the best.

Miss Woosey.”

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SchoolDAY RESULTS Trips Mr Haughton has also sent in a message; “Hello all, as most of you know, I am no longer at Our Lady’s, but I think that it is safe to say that I have gone out on the most memorable year ever - not just because of COVID, but because of you guys. Year on year I have worked with year 11 to ensure that they have left school with the qualifications that they are capable of, so that they can achieve everything that they are capable of. We didn’t get the full year, but oh boy, we crammed a lot in the first half - working, laughing, crying, you name it. However, the most memorable moment etched into my brain was having to deal with a ‘small’ disagreement on the top corridor whilst wearing Santa Claus/Elf Slippers on my feet.

So a big thank you boys, just when I thought that I had nothing else to learn, you taught me how to keep a straight/annoyed face, while wearing the most comical footwear ever. So, with that in mind, here is my advice to you.

Life may sometimes be tough, and it may seem like the seriousness is never going to end. Remember, there is always something to laugh about, somewhere in your life. So keep working hard, but still find time to smile.”

Mike Campbell, Chair of Governors, has delivered a message also; “On behalf of the Governors of Our Lady’s I wish to congratulate you on your welldeserved success. You have worked hard, and that hard work has certainly paid off.

This has been a very different, difficult and challenging time for you and Our Lady’s school community. But you have risen to that challenge and you should be extremely proud of what you have achieved and look forward to the future with confidence.

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I would like to thank you individually for the part you have played in making Our Lady’s a shining example of a successful Catholic school where each students God given talents are nurtured and developed.

On your behalf I would also like to thank two particular groups of people: Your teachers and all those staff at Our Lady’s who have guided you and encouraged you to be the best that you can be; and your families and friends who have supported you and the school in your time at Our Lady’s.

Congratulations again to you all and our very best wishes for your continued success in the future.”

Our Lady’s RC High School are happy to be celebrating the success of their year 11 leaver students and all the teachers and staff members are extremely proud of the hard work they have dedicated to their studies. We would like to wish all year 11 leavers the very best for their future.

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LANGUAGES

European day of Languages On Wednesday 23 September the MFL department celebrated Languages Day across the school. It was a great celebration of our diverse school community.

Students in year 8 enjoyed learning about different countries and cultures across a range of subjects, even tasting Spanish food in Technology and competing in a world cup competition in PE. In RE, students chose a quote from the Canticle of the Sun and made posters based around the quote. Some of them were really creative! Over in Music, year 10 students enjoyed listening to Viennese Waltz pieces and Art students got creative with pot designs from Italy.

Form groups also took part in a languages quiz and many students shared items and presentations about their home countries with the rest of their classes.

Languages day is celebrated annually in school and across Europe as a means of promoting awareness among the general public of the importance of language learning. Learning a new language can prove useful in many aspects of life and everybody deserves the chance to benefit from the cultural and economic advantages language skills can bring. Learning another language can also provide a competitive edge when applying for future careers, and it can also improve listening skills and memory!

Overall it was a brilliant day and great fun was had by all. Well done to everybody involved.

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SHARING THE VISION  |  WINTER 2020

OPENING EVENING

Open Evening On 24 September, the Our Lady’s website went live for our first ever Virtual Open Evening. In previous years we have been able to welcome children and their families to the school for an Open Evening in person, but this year parents had the opportunity to book a tour that was given by our fantastic Senior Leadership Team. As well as this, Miss Morgan prepared a virtual tour through our school that was available for children and their families to access and interact with.

The interactive map featured videos, photos and information about all subjects that we offer here at the school, as well as the extracurricular activities that we usually facilitate and all other opportunities and support that children can access during their time here at Our Lady’s.

Staff and students worked together to create informative videos about each subject, complete with examples of the facilities we have here at the school. Over in science, year 11 students demonstrated amazing electricity and chemistry experiments and some snippets of a few drama performances could also be seen over in Expressive Arts.

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The Virtual Tour also included a welcome from our Head Teacher, Mr Ormsby, who answered many questions that parents usually have when it comes to picking a school for their child’s secondary education.

The Virtual Tour will be available all year round through our website for parents and families to access if they would like to see what Our Lady’s has to offer. Visit the ‘Join our school’ section of the website to have a look.

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STAFF PROFILE

Staff Profile: Miss Nicholson Miss Nicholson has been a member of Our Lady’s for 12 years and her tremendous work with staff and students here will leave a big impact on our school. Congratulations Miss Nicholson and thank you for your dedicated service and commitment to our school.

What is your role at our lady’s?

I have a very varied role, I am a teacher in the Expressive Arts faculty and the Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I love working with all the students and helping them to overcome difficulties and achieve their potential, it’s a very rewarding role to have in a school and I feel very fortunate to have done it for so many years.

I also enjoy working with my amazing team of teaching assistants who are an incredibly patient and hardworking team.

What will you miss most about Our Lady’s?

Everything! It has been a very difficult decision to leave Our Lady’s, I have loved my time at this school and I know I will miss all the students, staff and families from this community. I will definitely miss the school shows and the sense of achievement that comes with it. I’m not sure Mr Banham will allow me to escape from the pit orchestra so I may get to see them in the future. My next school has a lot to live up to if it is to compare to Our Lady’s!

Funniest moment in school?

There have been several funny moments over the previous 11 years especially within the SEND and Expressive Arts teams, I think the moment others would pick is when I broke my ankle at the summer concert turning pages for Mrs Prince on Piano. I have now retired as a page turner due to it being an extreme sport.

There have also been several funny moments with the students especially when away on residential trips.

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I know you have performed in a lot of the school shows, what has been your favourite and why?

I think I would have to choose Les Miserables, it was such a great achievement for all the students to put on such a difficult show and the talent on stage was evident for all to see.

It was also a very talented pit orchestra and great privilege to play alongside such talented musicians. I also really enjoyed playing the Music for Sister Act, I think the pit orchestra had as much fun as the students.

What has been your favourite trip with school?

I am very fortunate to have been on so many during my time here, Langdale will always have a special place in my heart as it’s a great way to get to know the new year 7 students and I have really grown to enjoy both archery and shelter building. The Paris trips were great but I think my true favourite would have to be the Barcelona trip last year with year 11. A massive thank you has to go to Miss Power for all her efforts organising these trips and asking me to join the team.

What are some of your favourite memories?

There are so many it would be unfair to try and mention them all. I have so many great memories to take with me and I sense that Our Lady’s will always have a special place in my heart, this is a great community to be a part of and I am incredibly proud of the students and their achievements over my time here.

I find it incredibly difficult to do nothing so my lockdown hobbies have recently moved towards hiking and improving my fitness. I have loved exploring many different places, it’s amazing what interesting things you find when exploring such as caves and bomber crash sites.

Plans for the future: I am moving to a senior leadership role at a school in Oldham, continuing as a Special Educational Co-Ordinator. This is to gain more experience at another school in a different authority while I decide which career route I would like to follow. I would like to either continue in school educational leadership or complete a masters in Psychology and train as an Educational Psychologist.

Any unfulfilled ambitions?

I discovered too late that I would like to be a sea lion trainer… I think this will be remaining unfulfilled!

What do you enjoy doing outside of school?

When the world was a little more normal a lot of my free time was taken up with Music, I play Trombone in a band and perform at several concerts and competitions, including the National finals.

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STAFF PROFILE

Staff Profile: Mr Edge Mr Edge is one of our new History teachers this year who started in September. I managed to sit down with him to talk about his first few months at Our Lady’s.

What is your role at Our Lady’s?

What are your hobbies outside of school?

Teacher of History and Year 9 Closing the Gap Coordinator

I play guitar (badly). I enjoy spending time with my friends and family. I’m passionate about music and enjoy going to gigs precovid.

Where did you work before you started this role?

I most recently worked at a school in Slough but taught in South Korea before this.

What were your first impressions of Our Lady’s?

That both the pupils and staff were incredibly welcoming. It felt good to be back in Manchester.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Sharing my knowledge about my favourite subject (History) with students.

What does a typical day for Mr Edge look like?

Lessons, planning, marking, bit of TV, repeat.

Favourite film or show?

Goodfellas Favourite song?

Modest Mouse - Bukowski What is your greatest achievement?

Travelling the world.

Person you would most like to meet and why?

Johnny Marr. The man is a legend and was in three of my favourite bands (The Smiths, Modest Mouse and The Cribs) Best bit of advice?

Keep reading.

Teacher’s Pet: Miss Woosey Name: Maisie Breed: British Bulldog Age: 6 Favourite thing to do: Sleep and cuddle Funniest memory: Maisie went through a funny phase of not liking it when I was reading my book, she would just sit and stare until I put it down. I often used to see this sight…. It was very funny (but maybe you had to be there).

Thankfully she grew out of it !

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NATIONAL BURNS DAY

National Burn Awareness Day On Wednesday 14 October, Mrs Gill and students were helping to support National Burns Awareness Day. In forms, students learned about the ongoing problem of burns and scalds injuries which often occur in homes and can result in long and life changing injuries.

Some of the ways you can keep yourself safe from burns are; - Installing smoke alarms on each floor that are tested regularly

- Storing matches and lighters out of reach

- Keeping hot drinks out of reach of babies and young children

- Avoid putting a baby or a child into a bath or sink until the water has been tested

- Keeping saucepans at the back of the stove rather than the front, as well as turning the handles towards the back.

- Keeping secure fire screens in front of open fires, heaters and radiators.

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- Avoid warming baby bottles in microwaves

The most important thing to do if you receive a burn is to treat it with cool running water for 20 minutes. Prevention and good first aid are key to reducing the number of burns and scalds occurring in the UK every single day. The scars can be both physical and psychological but burns can easily be prevented.

Always remember to keep yourself safe from any possible burn injuries and #BeBurnsAware.

- Don’t leave hair straighteners unattended - Never carry a hot drink whilst also carrying a baby or child

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TRANSITION

Transition This term, Mrs Tkaczuk, Transition Coordinator, has put together a team of year 7 students to help and support year 6 pupils through their journey through the last months of primary school into high school. The year 7 students had to write letters explaining the reasons why they should be a part of the transition team, and 9 students were selected in total.

These 9 students previously attended primary schools such as; St Margaret Mary’s RC Primary School, St Chad’s RC Primary School, St Anne’s RC Primary School, Lily Lane Primary School, Oasis Harpur Mount Primary School and St Dunstan’s RC Primary School.

The students have made an exceptional start in year 7 and will be well equipped to help anybody with their worries about starting high school.

As well as the new transition team, year 7’s have also been writing letters to their former primary school teachers to let them know how well they have settled into high school.

Over in science, Mr Cope has been busy delivering electricity sessions to primary schools in our area. The pupils involved have been learning all about electricity, even making their own circuits! The pupils worked in groups to investigate how different materials act as conductors and insulators.

Although the transition events that we normally facilitate within school cannot continue as normal, we look forward to working with our new team of year 7 students throughout the year and welcoming year 6 pupils through their journey to high school.

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MAKATON WORKSHOP

Makaton workshops and The Sophie Lancaster Program Throughout the summer and winter term, we have been working with Kitty Short from Creative Confidence, who has wrote two blogs about her time here at Our Lady’s. The first explains the collaboration with the Sophie Lancaster Foundation program; “Over the past 7 weeks, the year 7s, have been on an incredible journey of discovery not only about themselves but also about the people that surround them.

They became part of the Sophie Lancaster Foundation Program which was developed after the horrific attack on Sophie and her boyfriend in 2007 which sadly led to Sophie’s tragic death. The year 7’s explored how they can often make judgements about someone solely from what they look like and how they dress. They discovered how we can’t always

judge a book by its cover and I admired how open and honest they were about their feelings.

They had a mature attitude to learning about alternative sub cultures such as Goths and Emo’s and were excited to explore the individuality of each one by dressing as them.

They developed an understanding and respect for alternative sub cultures in our community and appeared more open minded about everyone having the right to express their uniqueness.

I am exceptionally proud at how the students embraced the program, and I hope that they continue to challenge the prejudice and intolerance that alternative subcultures face as they would make perfect ambassadors for The Sophie Lancaster Foundation.”

The second blog post explores the Makaton Sing and Sign group that began to take place online and allowed several of our students to explore new skills that will benefit them throughout their school lives and future careers; “Over the first half term, I have had the privilege of teaching a small group of Year 7 girls Makaton Sing and Sign. This was a new venture for Our Lady’s that was developed during lockdown for students to access online. Due to its success, it continued over the summer holidays and now it is back in school face to face with all social distancing measure put into place.

Each of the girls have embraced this new project bringing their own sense of style and expression to each session. They have developed the skills to use Makaton in a

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variety of songs and are able to compare the similarities of the vocabulary in each one.

Every week the girls have become more engaged and are now setting myself the challenge of learning new songs and how to communicate them in Makaton.

Throughout the sessions I have watched the girls grow in confidence and selfesteem which is really rewarding and I am extremely proud of what they have achieved.”

These sessions have been well received by all students involved, and the poetry workshops have also continued through this term. We would like to thank Kitty Short for her hard work, and all the students a big well done for their hard work and dedication to all the activities that have taken place.

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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 an assembly where each student received a pin cross to wear with pride on their blazers, to show that they are all members of our Catholic community.

During Form time, all students have started each Monday with a theme for prayer and worship for the week, following the liturgical calendar. Each day the prayers said relate to the theme. Students also on an allocated day reflect on their spiritual, moral, social and cultural experiences.

Throughout November we will be remembering our friends and loved ones who have passed away. Students will be encouraged to pray and fill in a book of remembrance.

The Student Chaplains are flourishing in school. They have begun to lead form time reflections on the theme of New Beginnings and students have been asked to write prayers. They are busy writing reflections for our other year groups. Our year 7 team

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have been involved in Praying the Rosary in October and remembering Our Lady.

Each week staff have been welcomed into the chapel for ‘A moment for Wellbeing’.

Staff have been able to access wellbeing resources, and listen to quiet and reflective music to support quiet moments of reflection.

There have even been lots of lovely sweet treats to enjoy.

Mrs Burke and her team have been busy fundraising for Macmillan (£160) and Cancer Research (£100)and Breast Cancer Awareness with £187 being raised, as well as supporting Cafod Fast Day by donating tins and cans. Students and staff were as usual, very generous and some beautiful cakes were made for the events. A huge thanks to our school community.

Throughout Advent, Year groups will be involved in a number of fundraising activities, from making food hampers for the Lalley Centre, collecting food Hampers for St Clare’s Food Bank and supporting the Hits Radio Christmas Toy Appeal, Coffee for

Craig supporting and collecting items for the homeless and Christmas Jumper Day for Save the Children.

During Advent prayers and reflections will be focused on the birth of Jesus Christ, with the Advent liturgies incorporating this theme.

This year, Liturgies and reflections will be socially distanced and virtual. Students will be using and reflecting 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. They are a great team and have some great ideas to enhance the school moving forward, with teaching and learning, buildings etc. Students represented the school at a virtual meeting of Voicebox, and discussed World Burns Awareness Day, and Anti Bullying Week.

Follow our Chaplaincy twitter page – OurLadysChaplains@OLChaplains

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CHARITY

Fun times fundraising across the school…

This term staff and students have once again made tremendous efforts in raising money for charity. On September 25 we received submissions for a charity cake auction that took place in order to raise money for both Macmillan Cancer Support and Cancer Research.

Bids were places on cakes ranging from an Oreo Organza to a Fruity Carrot Cake and people were able to pick up a quarter, half or full cake if they won the auction. Students also sold cupcakes and brownies throughout the course of the day. In total, £260 was raised to be split between the two charities.

Friday 16th October was Breast Cancer Now’s wear it pink day and students donated 50p in order to wear something pink alongside their school uniform.

Some students also sold pink ribbons for 20p each. Staff and students across the school wore pink shoes, shirts, jumpers, headbands and pink ribbons all in support of the charity who aims to raise money to make life-saving breast cancer research happen. In the end, £187 was raised, and we would like to thank all the staff and students who were involved.

Throughout November and December, forms in year 10 and 11 gathered food items in order to make up food hampers for families that may be struggling, particularly during this difficult time. Year 9 also collected warm items to support the homeless during these winter months. Years 7 and 8 have also began to collect presents that can be presented to the ‘Young At Heart’ in the community, and in December staff and students celebrated Christmas Jumper Day, an annual event we take part in every year where a donation of 50p is made and anybody could wear their Christmas jumper into school to help raise money for the Save The Children charity.

On Friday 9 October we celebrated the CAFOD Family Fast Day, where schools and parishes across England unite to raise money for CAFOD through a range of fundraising activities. Along with this, we asked people from our school community to donate any canned foods to be donated to the charity ‘Mustard Tree’, a charity that creates and provides practical support, connections into work and improvements to health and wellbeing to people all across Manchester.

November 2 was All Souls Day, a time where we remember those who have died and say prayers for their souls. Remembrance Day on the 11 of November is a day where we remember those affected by war, both past and present. Students in the lead up to Remembrance Day sold poppies, wristbands, keyrings and rulers and the money raised from these sales was donated to The Royal British Legion, a charity that is at the heart of a national network supporting the Armed Forces community and has operated since 1921.

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Supporting and raising money for charities around our community is one of our Values as a school, and we look forward to all the exciting fundraising events that will take place throughout spring.

SHARING THE VISION | WINTER 2020

SPORTS NEWS

Sports Roundup Although recent events have limited the possibility of extracurricular sporting events, students were still able to play and celebrate this term in collaboration with the year 8 Languages Day. Students took part in Football and Badminton matches, playing for a chance to win the ‘World Cup’ in their respective sports.

be held in the spring term. We wish all of the students the best of luck and will be watching with anticipation on their progress.

This term we have also seen some of our year 9 and 10 students being nominated to play in the Manchester Boys Football trials. To be nominated for the trails is a great achievement and Terry Bondo, Nimble Agho, Destin Vika, Hermann Dahaa, Byron Haughton and Fortune Ogbontaen were all successful in reaching the next phase of the trials which will

Next term we will be looking forward to news about our inter-year competitions and even a modified version of Handball!

Picnics for a music festival During October, GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition students in year 11 have been getting ready to cook and present a two course meal focused around the theme ‘Picnics at a music festival’. Students enjoyed preparing various types of meals and presenting them up in the style of a picnic, even taking a trip out to our Forest School to enjoy some of their classmates creations and experiencing a picnic for themselves.

SHARING THE VISION | WINTER 2020

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CULTURE CLUB

Culture Club Towards the end of the term, Miss Thompson started the Culture Club that is available to students in all year groups. The group allows students to engage with creative and cultural activities from across the globe and take part in events such as: Arts & Crafts, Nature & Adventure, Music & Performance, Culture & Community and History & Heritage. Together, students will celebrate independence days, multicultural days, try traditional food, clothes and hairstyles from other cultures. Upon re-opening,

the group also plans to arrange trips to museums, ballets and students will organise events themselves to support one another in celebrating the diverse range of cultural heritage that we have within our student body. The interest was so large that the Club began to take applications for Ambassadors to assist in the running of the club, and applications for ambassadors closed on November 30. Watch this space to see what the Culture Club gets up to next term!

Health for Teens Health for Teens introduces a new and different way for young people aged 11-19 to learn about their health. The site covers a range of topics that teenagers typically worry about, such as; Good Relationships, Body Image, Online Safety, Bullying, Exercise, Confidence and Growing Up. It features

bite-sized information that is engaging and interactive and the site can also direct teenagers to more specialist information as well as finding out about accessing support from local services. The content on the site has all been produced by nurses and health and

wellbeing experts to deliver the most up to date and useful information possible.

To access the site, visit www healthforteens.co.uk

We wish you a merry Christmas

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