Autumn Newsletter 2015

ST EDMUND ARROWSMITH CATHOLIC HIGH

S E A News

SCHOOL WWW.ARROWSMITH.WIGAN .SCH.UK

SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST: 

Y11 Welcome Mass

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Liam Disley Award

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Extreme Reading Competition

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Wizard of Oz

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...and much more!

For regular news and events from St. Edmund Arrowsmith, visit our website.

A Message from the Headteacher A U T U M N

Results day on 20th August seems like a very long time ago, but yet again the class of 2015 gave the school ‘another outstanding year’. I was absolutely delighted for the pupils who had worked so hard to achieve their success, but as I stated at the Certificate Presentation Evening a few weeks ago, I am even prouder of the young adults they have developed into; the type of people who will make our world a better place.

It has been a very busy term: we have welcomed our new Year 7 pupils to the school; had an extremely well attended Open Evening; held three, new style Guidance Evenings which were met with overwhelming parental approval; plus one Parents’ Evening and a memorable Certificate Presentation Evening. Special note must be made of our school production at the end of October, ‘The Wizard of Oz’, which was simply amazing!

The quality of performances, costumes, stage setting, music, lighting, organisation and support was magnificent and witnessing pupils, staff and parents all working together to make the show such a resounding success shows our school community at its very best.

Plans have been in full swing for a while, as we enter the last week before the Christmas holiday and prepare to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas.

Our IMPACT group have been doing a fantastic job in leading by example and revealing who they are by living their faith.

On Saturday 21st November, they attended the EMBRACE conference at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King in Liverpool and represented the school superbly well.

On Sunday 29th November, over fifty members of IMPACT celebrated mass with the congregation at Our Lady Immaculate in Bryn. Along with other Year 11 pupils, they assisted at our annual Advent Service at St Oswald’s Church on Wednesday 9th December.

On Friday 11th December, they also helped our senior citizen guests celebrate our annual Christmas party in the school hall.

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fundraising action where we will have a ‘Sweater for Soweto’ day, where staff and pupils will be invited to wear a festive jumper for the day.

A day later, pupils will dance for one hour in the school hall for ‘Dance for Soweto’.

Both activities raise money for the neediest pupils in our partner school in South Africa, to help with the basics like school equipment and meals. We also raised money and donated food to ‘The Brick’ homeless charity in Wigan.

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year and it is fantastic that the school makes such preparations for the celebration of Christ’s birth.

May I take this opportunity to thank all members of the school community for their tremendous and continued support; it is what makes our school so special. On behalf of the governors, staff and pupils can I wish you all a very happy and holy Christmas.

M J Dumican With Christmas only a few Headteacher days away, we now have our carol services to look forward to, as we pause to think about and to pray for those who are much less fortunate than we are. The school springs into practical

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Another Outstanding Year Once again, the pupils of St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School did themselves, their parents and their teachers proud in their GCSE examinations.

Their hard work, commitment, drive and determination paid off today as they collected their long-awaited results. Nervous faces turned to smiles of joy as they opened the large white envelope containing the ‘scores on the doors’.

With an overall score of 74% A*-C including English and Maths and 32% of A*/A grades, this year group have certainly gone out in style from Eddie’s.

A couple of pupils who have a clean sweep of the top A* grades were Tom Judge and Gemma Lamb, who amassed an amazing 10A*s each. Modest Tom is on his way to Winstanley College where he will study Maths, Further Maths, Physics and either Statistics or Economics. With grades such as these we are sure he will do really well there. Gemma, who is naturally delighted, but also reticent with her bag full of amazing A*s, is also on her way to Winstanley where, like Tom, she will also take Maths, Further Maths, along with Physics and English Literature. She confessed that she was relieved when she opened her envelope and is a very modest, well-rounded young lady who now has the world at her feet.

Head Girl, Carlota D’Souza collected her amazing 9A* and 1A surrounded by her family, who have supported and encouraged her all the way through school and her GCSEs. She didn’t sleep much last night, but all of the nerves were unwarranted as she will take these fabulous results with her to Winstanley College where she will study Maths, Chemistry, Biology and Dance. Gaining 100% in both Spanish and French, amazingly she also has her sights set on the Medics Course, with future dreams of becoming a doctor. Head Boy, Callum Salmon, though off to Winstanley College in September, has only settled on Economics as a definite, with the other subjects still open for discussion. His top grades of 4A* and 6A are proving to be something of a headache as to which subjects to choose for further study. What a lovely position to be in!

Other success stories include Daniel Eaves, with 6A* and 3A to his credit. Beaming from ear to ear and off to Winstanley to study Maths, Further Maths, Chemistry and Physics, Daniel confessed to being “made up” with his results.

Admitting that she had done better than she thought, Gabrielle Westhead is keeping her options open, but has enough points to get her on the Oxbridge programme at Winstanley where she will study Maths, I.T., Psychology and Philosophy & R.E. Her fantastic grades of 4A*, 4A and 1B will ensure that she does well in wherever her future takes her.

Jessica Pottage revealed that she had gained 2A*, 4A and 4B and was heading for Runshaw College where her chosen subjects of Maths, Physics, 3D Design and Classics would ultimately lead her to a career in architecture or civil engineering.

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Emily Parsons was “very happy” with her grades of 6A*, 3A and 1B, as was her mum who accompanied her to collect the results. Maths, English, Psychology and Business Studies are Emily’s chosen A- levels at John Rigby College. Again, we are certain that she will do really well.

Another pupil who has set his sights on the Medics Course is Matthew Donnelly, who came away with 2A*, 4A, 3B and 1C today, His mum revealed that since the age of 5, Matthew has wanted to become a doctor. With these great results under his belt and his decision to study Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Computers at Winstanley, his dream of becoming a doctor is now one step closer. Matthew has been attending the NCS (National Citizenship Service) course at Newcastle, UCLAN and Leigh Sports Village this summer, with four weekends of volunteering to come. The course, which costs £1200, has been all but funded by St Edmund Arrowsmith.

Beth Fairhurst, who only joined us in Year 11, was absolutely ecstatic with her results and joined her mum in thanking Mr Dumican and the school for all that they had done for her. Mr Dumican stated that this was his favourite day of the year, not just to see pupils get their results, but to witness what wellrounded young people they had grown into. Beth’s mum echoed his words, as she said one word to sum up how she felt Beth had thrived during her time at Eddie’s: “blossomed”.

As you can see from the words above, and there are many other wonderful stories to tell, pupils at St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School have great aspirations for the future. We feel that, with the unstinting support of their families and friends and the commitment and dedication of our staff, we have given them wings to fly onto the next stage in their lives. We are extremely proud of each and every one of them and wish them well in all that they do.

Having the last word on today’s fantastic achievements, Headteacher, Mr Dumican had this to say. “The year group have done really well and we are delighted for the pupils who have reached their potential. The results reflect the hard work and effort put in not only by the pupils, but also by the staff who have worked tirelessly on their behalf. As always, we are proud of what all our pupils have achieved, in a variety of ways and on different levels, and we wish them all well as they enter the next phase of their lives as independent young people.”

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Getting in the Right Frame of Mind...

On Friday 4th September, Year 11 gathered together in Mass to celebrate the start our final year together. In the religious setting of St Oswald’s Church, the Mass gave us the opportunity to reflect upon the important year that we are looking forward to, albeit with some trepidation.

Starting the academic year in the calm serenity of the church, Year 11 could focus on the time ahead and how it may prove difficult for some of us. Pupils considered the chance to enter God’s House and pray for guidance to help us develop to our full potential. Father Gorman reassured us that Jesus would be with us throughout our journey, every step of the way.

Head Girl and Head Boy read to the congregation

Many members of our Senior Prefect Team engaged in delivering Mass as they spoke the readings, responsorial psalm and the bidding prayers. This personal involvement in Mass connected our year group together, creating a special and reflective time.

Overall, the thoughtful service was an excellent way to start off our year so we could focus on the important coming months ahead of us at St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School.

By Niamh Atkinson, 11L

Year 11 Choir rehearse for the Mass S

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Liam Disley Award

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Very worthy winner of the Liam Disley Award, Niamh Atkinson

This year the trophy was presented by our much-loved retiring Deputy Headteacher, Mr Eyes, who started off proceedings by talking about why the school decided to award this trophy annually and the criteria for choosing the deserved recipient.

Firstly he spoke of Liam’s enthusiasm for school. How he was always the first to volunteer for anything that was asked in school, particularly when it was sports related. He would organise the teams for training, always giving 100% effort when he was representing St Edmund Arrowsmith. Liam would do anything that was asked of him to the best of his ability – always. Tragically, ten years ago he was killed on a road whilst returning home from school. Therefore, in honour of Liam we decided to create the 'Liam Disley School Achievement Award,' which is presented at our annual achievements ceremony at the end of the summer term. The trophy is presented to a pupil who goes 'above and beyond' what can reasonably be expected, just as Liam always did. Someone who really puts themselves out to help teachers and fellow pupils and generally gives total commitment to the school.

The pupils do not know who will be presented with the award, so some clues are given before the announcement is made. Mr Eyes told the gathered staff and pupils that this year the award would go to someone who: always gives her very best in everything she does; has always got a warm greeting for everyone she meets; who is helpful and kind, particularly to the younger pupils; who helps out at assemblies and extra-curricular activities as a member of the 'Geek Squad'; who is leading our IMPACT group in school; who has taken part in all of our school productions, this year being the lion in the Wizard of Oz; who is going to Lourdes as part of the Liverpool Archdiocese Pilgrimage and someone who lives her faith every day of her life. This long list of remarkable qualities belong to a pupil in Year 11 who we are very proud of here at St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School. From Year 7, we have watched her grow and develop into a truly outstanding young person, who we are sure will continue to mature and go on to make her mark on the world in a very positive way. Such is her popularity, not just amongst her peers, but also with the staff, a deafening round of applause ensued when Mr Eyes named her as the winner. We are delighted to announce that the worthy winner this year of the Liam Disley School Achievement Award is Niamh Atkinson, 11L. Congratulations to Niamh!

We asked Niamh how she felt about receiving this award and she had this to say: "It's a great privilege to receive an award dedicated to such a highly regarded member of our school community. I am extremely grateful for the many opportunities that St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School has given me to allow me to develop as a person worthy of receiving such a prestigious award. Liam lived school life to the full and set an inspiring example for others to follow. During the past four years, I too have been able to grow, contribute to school life and enjoy valuable experiences that have rounded me as a person and that I am truly grateful for.

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Our Thoughts about Retreat Day On 8th September, Forms 7A and 7B went to our Lady’s Church in Bryn.

On this day we enjoyed getting to know each other and God better and reflecting on our lives and how we can make a better life for ourselves by following God in his three forms (The Father, the Son and The Holy Spirit).

As we arrived on the bus, everyone was wondering what was going to happen. Little did we know that this was surprisingly going to be an epic day for us! Once we found a seat, we all sang our opening prayer, He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands’, and then we did an activity where we had to walk around the room asking people questions. If they replied with a ‘Yes’, you would write their name next to the question on our sheet.

Whoever filled their sheet in first got a sweet as a prize.

Next, we had to complete a sheet, with drawings and words about what had happened in our lives so far. Then we said what we would like for our futures. After a short break we had to design a shield which explained our personalities. Time flew by so fast and then it was lunch!

After lunch we practised for our Year 7 Mass next week and the parts we would all play. Then came the best part: praying to Jesus and reflecting on the day, before going home and reflecting on God and what he means to us. By Kate Walmsley, 7A On the Retreat Day we learned about the ethos of the school and how to make it a better place. We also learned about making new friends and we got to know each other better. I really liked it because I got to know people and made some new friends. By Ben Mannion, 7A The Year 7 Retreat Day, held at Our Lady’s Church, was such a great opportunity to meet new friends and also to get to know more about our old ones.

Personally I thought the day was amazing! There were so many activities to take part in: our journey in life so far; completing a questionnaire about ourselves; drawing a coat of arms about our hobbies, and much more. I found the day really encouraged us to talk to lots of different people, who we had never spoken to before, so that we could make new friends. From this, I have already found five more friends because the day gave me confidence and also encouraged me to talk to new people.

The retreat day is also about character building and I feel that is has definitely helped me to build my confidence and now I feel that I can do anything, just like other people. I also learned how to overcome my shyness and to always say what I think.

Another thing I felt about the day is that the staff really do want you to belong to the school. I think that everyone in Year 7 who experiences the retreat day will definitely feel that they belong to the family of St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School. By Aimee Styles, 7A

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Year 7 Welcome Mass

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In preparation We held the Mass because St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School wanted all Year 7 pupils to feel welcomed into the school and to feel secure. In preparation for this event, we had a retreat day at Our Lady’s Church Hall. On the retreat day, we learned how to show respect at all times in church. We also made shields and paths about ourselves and our lives. As well as that, we also had the opportunity to volunteer to be part of the Mass, such as: reading scripture/ bidding prayers and carrying down the shields and paths we had designed.

What happened at church?

At church, we sang various songs, such as: 'Here I am Lord', 'All that I Am', 'Bind us Together' and 'Follow Me'.

Some people in our Year 7 group joined in with various activities within the Mass. It was really well attended; there were lots of parents to support the Year 7s in their new beginning at St Edmund Arrowsmith. Father John did a lovely service with help from our Year 7 Head of Year, (Mr Halliwell) and Head of the Chaplaincy in school, (Mr Whitlow).

How we felt…

“When I started school, I felt slightly nervous, but also happy and excited to start a new chapter in my life. During the Mass, I felt a sense of real belonging from everyone in the church. After the Mass, I felt happy to be a part of this school and more excited to begin my journey.” Mary-Jane McLaughlin, 7W

“When I first started at St Edmund Arrowsmith, I felt a bit nervous and scared, but as I went on in my new journey I felt that I really belonged. During the Mass I felt more secure and welcomed into this wonderful school. I’m now really looking forward to start a new beginning in my journey at St Edmund Arrowsmith.” Aimee Styles, 7A Article written by Mary-Jane McLaughlin & Aimee Styles

Pupils really get involved in all aspects of the Mass

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Taking it to the Extreme! reading to the extreme. Every year that we have run this competition, pupils continue to excel themselves, whilst also having fun into the bargain.

There were over 300 entries from pupils and staff, who all used their fantastic imaginations and came up with some superb ‘Extreme Reading’ ideas to compete for the top prizes of cinema gift vouchers (and wine for the staff). There were also prizes for the books which travelled the furthest from school, but more about that later…

Now, on to the winners.

Amalea Grundy was an early entry to the competition, presenting me with her photo taken in front of the ‘Big Buddha’ on Lantau Island in Hong Kong, meaning that her book travelled an amazing 5992 miles across the globe. A last-minute entry however from Devesh Patel, who took his book all the way to the Macau Tower in the People’s Republic of China, had me Googling to see which book actually got the furthest from Wigan. Google told me that it was…5983 miles, just a mere eight miles less than Amalea.

Absolutely incredible!

As you can see from the photos, pupils and their families had lots of fun devising wacky, humorous and sometimes downright unbelievable ways of taking

Not far behind these two was Jack Roberts, taking his book 5183 miles to the world famous Alcatraz Island, off the coast of San Francisco Bay in America.

What a brilliant response to the library’s latest competition!

First prize for the most ‘extreme’ photo went to Anabel D’Souza, who was photographed in front of the smouldering, but not, she assured me, smelly, Volcano Poas in Costa Rica, Central America. In second place was James Gaskell, who planned his competition entry exceedingly well, having the forethought to borrow Skulduggery Pleasant from the school library, knowing that he was going to a book signing in Manchester during the holidays. He was captured reading the book with author Derek Landy, who also was kind enough to sign the book for the school library. Any fans of Coronation Street couldn’t fail to recognise the scene where Bethany Richardson, the third-placed pupil, was photographed. She went on the Corrie tour in the summer, and very cleverly, re-enacted the scene where Tina ‘fell’ from the scaffolding…all this whilst lying on those famous cobbles, book in hand.

A huge thank-you to everyone who entered the competition! All of the entries are exhibited in the English corridor, and always seem to have a group of pupils viewing them and commenting on the fabulous entries.

What will next competition bring?

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“The day was packed full of inspiration and ideas for our roles as Better Reading Mentors and we are all eager to get started.”

Mrs Holden observes a role-play

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My Better Reading Experience On Tuesday, 27th September, a group of Year 10 students joined together in the library to take part in a training session to become a Better Reading Mentor. Each pupil that volunteered for the programme was interviewed and selected for the experience.

The chosen Year 10 pupils were off timetable for the day and received professional training from Mrs Holden, who taught us a range of techniques and skills that would help us to become a successful

mentor. Throughout the day we took part in a range of activities that helped us to understand and empathise with students who have a lack of confidence when it comes to reading.

Our first activity included a number of worksheets and booklets that were designed to practice and strengthen our ability to gain our mentee’s trust and improve their confidence in reading.

Both the booklets and Mrs Holden taught us a variety of tips and advice on how to be the ideal mentor. Many of the tips that we learned were simple.

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example, Mrs Holden proved to us that having a bottle of water on the table made a huge difference for both the mentor and mentee. Not only does the bottle of water keep the mentor and mentee hydrated, it also helps the mentee become more relaxed and comfortable during the Better Reading sessions.

At several points throughout the day Mrs Holden showed us a PowerPoint Presentation.

As Better Reading Mentors, we had each been given a notepad to copy down important pieces of information that would help us

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My Better Reading Experience

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Pupils putting their newly-

learned skills into action

perfect our roles and give us inspiration on how to create unique bonds with our mentees. As well as including advice, the presentation also provided us with interesting facts and figures that surprised many members of the group. Such as: 5% of Year 7 students enter secondary school with a level 2 reading skill, whereas the expected level is 4. As a group we started to empathise more with the mentees and understand how difficult it must have been for them to start secondary school with the fear of not being able to read in front of the other students.

Later on in the day, Mrs Holden provided us with an informative 15-minute video that showed her and an expupil demonstrating a typical Better Reading Session. From this video we learned how to praise the mentee and the different types of questions we should include when reading a book with them. As a group we discussed the many techniques that Mrs Holden had used during the video and we thought about how we could include them in our own Better Reading sessions.

After a well-earned break and a quick bite to eat we finally got to put the skills that we had learned throughout the day into action. We did this by dividing ourselves into groups of three to perform in a role-play situation. Once we were arranged into our groups we each took turns in becoming a mentor, mentee and a scribe. By practising our role as a mentee we were able to realise how we would want to be treated if we were in their situation and by taking the role of mentor we were able to conduct our first practice at being a Better Reading Mentor. The person who played the scribe would sit down quietly watching the practice session and write down what the mentor did well and how they could have improved. These notes were later shared with the other pupils, ensuring that we had another helpful group discussion.

Overall, each Year 10 student who took part in the experience found it informative and educational, yet at the same time, enjoyable and fun. The day was packed full of inspiration and ideas for our roles as Better Reading Mentors and we are all eager to get started.

by Bethany Dixon, 10S1

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The Careers Fair was held to tackle the many questions and worries that we pupils may have as we leave high school.

Careers Fair 2015 Last Tuesday, 22nd September, we held a Careers Fair in school, during which we had the opportunity to explore different paths that we could take for our future careers.

There were many different colleges represented, offering us information on academic pathways or via the apprenticeship route. Whether it be the military or childcare, academic or athletic; there were many opportunities for us all and it was very helpful for us as we approach the next stage of our education.

For some pupils, a future after high school seems years away, whilst for others it is a matter of months. With such a range of opportunities available, making the right choice is very difficult. The

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Careers Fair was held to tackle the many questions and worries that we pupils may have as we leave high school.

Colleges represented included: Winstanley College, Wigan and Leigh College, and Carmel College. There was an Armed Forces stand in the sports hall, advertising what futures they could provide to us if we were to choose that route. Leaflets and posters were available, explaining the courses and the subjects, plus the requirements needed for each one.

Representatives from the colleges and companies were present at their stands, and pupils were allowed to ask questions, such as: what courses should we take for our dream job; our results; what help they can offer; and other questions, which

gave us very insightful information. Pupils were also given the opportunity to opt for apprenticeships of their choice, and were allowed to take home booklets and brochures from the colleges.

We think that the Careers Fair was a valuable experience as we learned a lot from it.

Through speaking to the colleges we learned more about how we could apply and the transport available if we decided to go - all very helpful information when faced with so many options. We also got to see what courses were on offer, what they consist of and hear a little bit about the facilities available. We were also given the dates of Open Days so we could have a firsthand look at the colleges, which

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personally, we are looking forward to. Alongside receiving plenty of information from the colleges, we could speak to people offering apprenticeships which really helped us to learn more about apprenticeships and all the different fields which you could go into if you follow that route.

All in all, the Careers Fair was a brilliant chance for the pupils to take the opportunity to have a glance at what options were available to them. Some of the best colleges in the country attended, and luckily, are on our doorstep. Hopefully the hour spent talking to the colleges and apprenticeships helped many of us decide our future career paths.

By Tony Kemp, 10M1

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Oh, What a Night...

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On Wednesday, 23rd September, we closed early to prepare for our annual Open Evening, welcoming prospective Year 7 pupils and their families and to show what we have to offer at St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School.

When I arrived back at school in the evening, I felt the atmosphere was quite different from the hustle and bustle of our day-to-day activities. But as usual, the air was warm, welcoming, and full of excitement and energy, as we waited for our guests to arrive! When I reached the English department, I was issued my reporter’s lanyard, along with a lovely clipboard bearing the BBC School Report logo. With pen in hand, I set off to start my journey…

Firstly, the English Department had various displays: a quiz in English 6 where you could win lollipops; English 1 had a large range of pictures and videos about the BBC School Report Club, complete with an enormous green Caption describing screen, where visitors could read from brief cue cards to picture or graphic. describe how the weather was in the north and south of England – all the while being filmed by the school camera crew. An added bonus was that those who accepted this challenge would receive a certificate! A number of volunteers including myself, were given a set of questions to ask the visitors - such as: On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about coming to high school? There were many ‘10s’ amongst the answers, with even an 11 and a 100 thrown in for good measure. “Would you be interested in having a go at reading the weather?” was another question we asked these prospective pupils. About 60% said yes, so maybe some of these pupils could be a part of our BBC School Report Club next year…

“To catch the reader's attention, place an

interesting sentence or quote from the story here.”

Secondly, the Library had a neat display of the Bookbuzz books, The Big Book Quiz trophy in all its glory, quizzes, with, as usual, lots of sweets and chocolate to win, plus much more. Our lovely librarian, Mrs Taylor and her pupil librarians were very helpful and friendly to everyone who came in to chat!

Room R.E.5 had tea, coffee, scones, and calming, relaxing music in the background – which some people commented was, “The best room in the school”. R.E.1 had a religious artefact treasure hunt, which at some points got very intense. You could also meet members of the IMPACT group and find out more about IMPACT and its work both inside and outside of the school gates.

Next on my journey I came to the MFL Department, who had a delicious range of French and Spanish foods, with juice and wine on offer, all accompanied by relaxing French music. There was also a French and Spanish Bingo set up and some interesting photographs from their school trips abroad!

The Drama Department rehearsed the witch’s scene from the upcoming school production of the Wizard of Oz and pupils entertained everyone as they performed a general and a comedy scene from the play.

In the Music Department, the Year 7 choir performed several songs and had soloists going through a few numbers in classrooms, along with a showcase of instruments in the practice rooms. Plus, at the end of the night, our visitors were treated to a sneak preview of The Wizard of Oz!

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In the Art Department, there was a ‘post-it’ wall for visitors to draw their favourite piece of artwork, as well as a showcase of pupils’ GCSE art entries, an extremely exciting treasure hunt, and a display of doodles and creative drawings using different techniques, plus lots of interesting and unique pottery.

The P.E. Department dancers performed flawlessly as usual, and you could see that they also had quite a lot of other things going on, such as: trampolining; football; volleyball; badminton and table tennis.

In the Technology Department, you could decorate, AND EAT, shortbread biscuits, make a marbled creature using different coloured inks and make S.E.A. tags on opaque glass using the laser-cutting machine. So, much to There was everyone’s delight, you could take something different home from each tech room! an exciting The History Department had a vibrant range of displays. The WW2 themed area was where you could try biscuits baked with rationed ingredients, try on an ARP helmet, and listen to music. The buzz about “Change over Time” displays, models, and a Battle of Hastings performance all added up to a the place as stimulating area to visit.

There was an “exciting buzz” (as quoted by Mrs Ainsworth) in the Geography Department, which staff and included a large range of exciting models of natural disasters and a Guess the Country game. You pupils made could also colour-in flags; play the Snakes and Ladders development game; watch a “What is Geography?” PowerPoint, and win Cadburys prizes - which unfortunately I missed out on! the evening The Maths Department had lots of fun jigsaws, board games, and Smart Board activities, along one to with a Bingo game every 15 minutes where you could win prizes, such as a bar of Galaxy – which unfortunately I missed out on...AGAIN!!! Plus, the Maths rooms also showed instances of the way remember! that ICT is used in this subject.

The Learning Zone showed examples of lunchtime activities, board games, and you were told that this was the place to be for support during school, as sometimes, the transition to high school can get a bit overwhelming to our new pupils.

Finally, The Science Department had absolutely LOADS of fun things to do – including: burning foods to find out what they contain; holding the cute, yet boisterous baby chicks; looking at sting treatments; solving puzzles; taking part in experiments about sound, light, and electricity; slime-making; magnesium and iron powder experiments; methane bubbles; EXTREMELY LOUD methane rockets and painting paper fish! Phew! A few of our visitors were overheard describing the Science Department as “AMAZING!” The evening passed by very quickly, although I think my tired and aching feet would disagree after the miles I had walked around school! But all in all, I think we can all agree that Open Evening was a massive success; all our fabulous, hardworking teachers, Year 11 prefects and everyone who stayed behind to help, were very friendly and obliging to our visitors. I felt extremely proud of our school on Wednesday evening. We now have some very excited Year 6 pupils and pleased parents and grandparents, who will all be looking forward to moving up to St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School in the coming September.

By Robyn Lind, 8L1

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“Even if people think that they don't have a gift or a talent, God answers our prayers by making us, us.”

Coming Together as One An Ecumenical Service is where lots of people, of diverse Christian religions, come together to celebrate and worship one God in Church. This particular service we shared with Byrchall High School at St Thomas’s Church in Ashton and the theme was 'Gifts and Talents'. Praising our own gifts and talents reminds us that we are all special and individual in our own way. Even if people think that they don't have a gift or a talent, God answers our prayers by making us, us. By singing hymns and saying prayers, we have our own way of connecting to God. We had opening prayers led by the students of both schools. After praying we sang a hymn together, 'Seek ye first

the Kingdom of God'.

Then, we had a reading shared by two students; one from each school.

This reading from the Corinthians told us that this one Spirit gave each and every one of us a gift or a talent. The most important part of the Mass was next: the presentation of the talents and gifts. Eight people came from each school and presented something to represent a gift or a talent. Then, Byrchall sang their very loud and catchy song, 'Our God is a Great Big God', followed by everyone singing the lovely hymn, 'Make me a Channel of your Peace'. The next part of the Mass was time for St Edmund Arrowsmith to show off their talents as they sang, 'With Roots to Grow'. All of the congregation listened in

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silence as prayers, led by two teachers and four students, were read to them. The Mass concluded with everyone saying the Lord's Prayer before we sang the joyous, ‘One More Step around the World I Go'.

Feeling uplifted and happy and before we left the church, a blessing was said by the priest which I felt really connected to the students of both schools: "You are called and loved by God the Father and kept safe by Jesus Christ. Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance and may the blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son and Holy Spirit be among you and remain with you always. Amen.

By Megan Gregory, 7O

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In Awe of the Portico

The Portico Library welcomed us for the second time in a year and I feel that last week’s visit helped Rebekah, Anna, Jordan and I with our bid to become successful in this year’s Portico writing competition.

with us what they thought good writers had in common: they all read. We discussed what makes a good reader too, which is, taking in all the detail and being able to explain the story fully afterwards.

Geoff and his trustworthy minibus picked us up at 11am and provided us with drinks and a good chat about himself. The journey took around one hour and we all kept ourselves preoccupied by revising our French GCSE work or listening to music.

The Portico’s workshop started at 12:15pm for ourselves and four other schools. We were given a writing mentor, who we are allowed to speak to when we go back on a Saturday.

They began by talking to us about their experience as a writer. The heads of the Portico then split up with one going into each group.

Our task was to create a character for our writing piece by answering all of the questions we were provided with, in any way we could. This activity allowed us to think ‘outside the box’, due to the amount of time we were given and I have to say that some of us came up with great ideas.

The Portico is a small building compared to its surroundings, but once you get inside you see its real beauty. The stairs are like some from Wembley, as they try to tire you out before you have even reached the library. The first thing you notice about the Portico is the architecture on the ceiling.

Its gold rimmed windows let your eyes wander and be free. Next to the ceiling there is a compass, also with a gold rim. We were told the Portico gained this item because they wanted to be like Manchester, who used theirs for the timekeeping at the docks.

Before our workshop started, we were provided with a selection of sandwiches and pizza, which we gratefully accepted.

The Portico leader for the day came over and talked to us about the writing prize and shared

Our piece of work to enter into the competition has to be based in the north-west of England, so our next task was to write an intro with our character doing something in Manchester.

After about fifteen minutes, everyone shared their ideas with the rest of the group.

Some of the intros were amazing, so we have some strong competition to face if we want to win this lucrative prize.

All of this took around three hours and by this time our heads were bursting with ideas to take into our piece of writing. We have all agreed that we will go back to the library on a Saturday very soon to speak to the mentors about our work.

Hopefully we can go far in the competition, maybe even win it!

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The Portico is a small building compared to its surroundings, but once you get

inside you see its real beauty.

by Adam Smith, 10C2 Anna Darcy, Jordan Cleary, Rebekah Hall, Adam Smith

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Off to see the Wizard...

Back in June, a small piece of photocopied paper was distributed to every form in each eligible year. That piece of paper would lead to months of preparation, work and effort. It would result in excitement, nerves and a competitive spirit that could only have had one cause. And that piece of paper? An announcement.

“Auditions for the school production after school.”

And so it began, and though at first some were dismayed when they heard that the play would be ‘The Wizard of Oz’, everyone soon warmed to the idea and discussions began in earnest on who would go for the lead roles, with people slowly beginning to think of the roles that they themselves might like to play. And, of course, not forgetting those who were eager to help, but preferred to do so from the side wings; props are also a necessary part of any show.

On the day of the auditions, the nervous and excited pupils filed into the drama studio. After a short talk from Mr Bateman, we were all considering roles that we hadn’t even known existed. The munchkins were the obvious choice, but many thought, wouldn’t it be great to be one of the witches? Or perhaps a lady of Oz? Caption describing Eventually, after watching all of the scenes performed by all of the potential candidates, the drama staff picture or graphic. came to a decision, and the roles where hung up outside the door, along with a schedule. There were some surprises, and not all of them were pleasant, but everyone had a role.

The scripts were handed out, the lines read and re-read, memorised and repeated. The first few rehearsals were slow and a few smaller, individual roles were handed out, but soon, once the general shape of the show was established, the scenes were acted and re-enacted until everyone knew their part, their cue, their lines and their songs. The summer holidays were an obvious pause in the proceedings, but they gave everyone a chance to thoroughly memorise every detail so when everyone came back, they were rested, refreshed and ready to get going again. With a few slight hiccups, Act One could be rehearsed without pauses or prompts and the rehearsing of Act Two could begin. All of the pupils involved showed great dedication, even coming in over the weekend to practice.

“To catch the reader's attention, place an

interesting sentence or quote from the story here.”

The arrival of the costumes was a major point that many of the cast were most excited about, parading their new outfits in front of friends, cameras and mirrors. Photographs of each ‘group’ of the cast were taken (witches together, generals, ladies etc.). Soon, all of the minor details were ironed out (although, as most stage directors will tell you, the play is almost never ready until it is first performed before an audience). The first dress rehearsal was a definite success and when the play was first performed for its first large audience, the primary schools, it was met with great enthusiasm and was considered a real triumph.

The amazing cast!

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2015

Off to see the Wizard...

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Then, the night so many had been waiting for. Nerves soared as the sun set over the day that was to be the first performance of the show in front of friends and families. The cast began to arrive, some as earlier as an hour before the show. In fact, the pupils who played the main roles didn’t even go home! Bits and bobs, props, make-up and hats were all checked and double-checked so when the audience began to pour in, first in trickles then in floods, everyone was ready and waiting. The debut went exactly as intended, and the audience really enjoyed the show. One of the viewers, Hannah Sutcliffe, 9S1, said: “It was really good. It definitely could have been put on stage in London. It was the best school production I have seen… yet!” On the second night, even the slightest technical blip or fudged line was sorted and by the third performance - the finale- it was perfection. Everyone gave their last, sang their hearts out and screamed their throats off (all metaphorically of course and varying according to roles).

As the curtains closed for the final time, everybody cheered and laughed and whooped. Everyone left with smiles on their faces, and even though most were exhausted, not one person complained. Georgia Hardman, 9B2, who had two roles in the play, said: “Being part of the show was amazing. The atmosphere was great, everyone was lovely, and it’s just an overall great experience. I’m definitely making sure more of my friends join in next year!”

By Krystyna Szczerba, 9C1.

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UKMT Team Challenge On 8th October 2015, we took part in the UKMT Team Challenge along with many others, including pupils in Year 6 from all of our feeder primary schools.

Pupils work together to find the correct answer

Year 10 pupils supported the teams during the day, ensuring that the event ran smoothly. The first challenge we did was to test our general maths knowledge and get

ready for the day ahead.

Then, Miss Wilson introduced us to the Year 6 pupils who we were going to help.

Next, we answered various questions about our teachers, which I thought was lots of fun since we were allowed to talk and discuss our ideas. Once we had finished that, we did another general knowledge quiz, only this time it was much harder and we had to work in pairs.

At break time all of the Year 7s had to look after

a Year 6 pupil and make sure that they were OK. When the bell went at the end of break, we took the Year 6 pupils back to the hall so that we could finish off the maths competition. The next task we did was a quick fire round which had four different sections to it. The final challenge was really fun because we answered questions in pairs and then ran to the next pair with a new question.

The aim was to answer all of the questions in a very short space in time.

...it was a well organised day run by the maths department, which was enjoyed by all taking part, proving that learning can be fun!

Team work is the key

I think that everyone in the room thought this was definitely the best part of the day.

At the end of the competition, we took the Year 6 pupils to the dining hall and found out who had won. The winners were very

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excited as they didn’t have any Year 7s on their team!

Finally the Year 6 pupils were taken to the entrance to go home and we went back to our last lesson for the final 10 minutes of the day.

Overall, it was a well organised day run by the maths department, which was enjoyed by all taking part, proving that learning can be fun!

By Lily Webster, 7S & Isobel Banks, 7C

AUTUMN

2015

Halloween Competition

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A packed library at lunchtime, as pupils wait to see if they are one of the lucky winners

It’s that time of the year again – the library’s annual Halloween competition!

Pupils had to borrow a book (and read it!) in order to get an entry form to be in with a chance to win some fantastic Halloween goodies. Questions such as: ‘Is a pumpkin a fruit or a vegetable’; ‘Who wrote the novel, Frankenstein’ and ‘What is a barmbrack’ were just some of the questions which were set in order to puzzle the many pupils who entered.

A horde of inquisitive pupils packed into the library at lunch on the last day of school before Halloween, to see if they were one of the lucky winners to be drawn from the hat. The seventy pupils who entered, including twenty pupils who all had the correct answers, clamoured around Mrs Taylor’s desk, to see if they would walk away with one of the coveted prizes.

As you can see from the photo, below, there were delighted smiles all around!

Answers: Fruit; Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley; a soft, yeasted bread with added sultanas and raisins

First lucky name to be drawn from the hat was Mary-Jane McLaughlin, 7W, with the other prizes being claimed by Lucy Lever, 7A; Alison Travis, 7M; Isabelle Asquith, 7C; Tyler Jones, 7H and Matthew Hill, 8M2.

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A Buzzy Day for Eddie’s Spellers The Year 8 Spelling Bee Final was held on Friday October 22nd, 2015 and, yet again, this year group proved themselves to be accurate and enthusiastic spellers.

The competition got underway at the end of September when form tutors began practising spellings with their forms before holding the knock out rounds in registration time. These heats selected the final four students who would represent forms at the semi-finals.

Audience support their forms with poster, cheers and smiles

The twenty-four semi-finalists were tested to the limits during Period 4 on Friday and the atmosphere in the library crackled with tension and trepidation. There were some familiar faces amongst the competitors, including Aluoch (last year’s individual winner), however, at least half of the contenders were newcomers to this stage of the competition – well done to them for improving their spelling skills and earning a semi-final place!

The huge clock at the back of the stage whiled away the time...

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Just look at the concentration on their faces!

Mrs Taylor, the quiz mistress, hurled a stream of words at the contestants who rose admirably to the challenge, but pressure affected one or two and when the level of difficulty increased, so too did the number of mistakes being made, until finally, Mrs Taylor had whittled down to the final four contestants in the individual competition. At this point she took out her level three words for the first time ever and joked to the competitors that even the English teachers would have trouble spelling the difficult words. Fortunately for the teachers, she did not put them to the test!

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2015

A Buzzy Day for Eddie’s Spellers

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Winning Smiles from the Winning Team...Aaron

Brown, John DonachieAshcoft, Matthew Hill & Sam Johnson

Three more contenders fell at this point leaving only Aluoch – Super Speller – still standing. Once again her spelling talents had earned her the individual title of Best Speller in her year group.

Competitors had time to draw breath and get their lunch before the team finals took place in the packed school hall that afternoon. At the start of the competition, Mayne house had a lead of 8 points over Clitherow who had 20 points, but there was everything to play for because if a team chose more difficult spellings and did well, they could hugely improve their score. Each team had two minutes to spell as many words correctly as they could. The huge clock at the back of the stage whiled away the time and to make matters worse, a loud ticking sound counted down the last ten seconds making some competitors lose concentration under the added pressure.

After twelve rounds, the competition was over. All that remained was for the scores to be totted up. While that took place, the audience were challenged to make as long a word as they could out of the letters provided on the smart board, with many of them earning lollies for their nine-letter words. Mr Dumican took the stage to crown Aluoch Queen of the Individual Spelling Bee and to announce Mayne House as the team winner. Congratulations to the winning team and commiserations to Barlow House who were the runners up!

Just remember everyone – check your work carefully for spelling and errors. Every time you make a mistake the errorists win!

By Mrs L Payne, Head of English Aluoch Osindi—best speller in Year 8

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Lest we forget... remembrance cross to remember those who had died due to war.

Some of the sentiments expressed on the poppies were very moving; many forms had obviously put in a great deal of thought and work into this task.

Tom Kenning plays ‘The Last Post’

“Being involved in the remembrance service made me think more about how much the soldiers in all of the wars had sacrificed so that we could be free.”

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By Ellen Lunt-Travis 11W At the start of November, members of our chaplaincy group started cutting out poppies for each form in the school to make a poppy wreath. Everyone in the school wrote down the name of a person who had died and who they would like to be remembered on their poppy. Each form then assembled a wreath out of these poppies, which would then be used in our remembrance service.

We also received a

On Wednesday 11th September, at eleven o’clock, two representatives from each form came together to remember all of our families and friends who have died and whose names were written on the poppy wreaths. The second representative also brought a memorial cross to remember those who were victims of war.

After we had observed the two-minute silence,

Pupils lay the form wreath at the foot of the cross, whilst smaller crosses are placed in the ground to remember victims of war

the service began with a prayer and a reading from the scriptures. The poppy wreaths were then laid at the foot of the cross.

Bidding prayers were said and then a poem entitled, ‘The Crosses’ was read as the representatives fixed the crosses into the ground around the cross. Then the very emotive ‘Last Post’ was played, before a final prayer was said.

Being involved in the remembrance service made me think more about how much the soldiers in all of the wars had sacrificed so that we could be free.

By Rachel Lunt-Travis, 11M

AUTUMN

2015

Poetry Skills on Display

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Each student in 9E3 (Year 9 set 3 English) has written a poem based on the novel, 'Heroes'. Each poem is completely different. We wrote the poems after our assessment on unseen poetry so we could use the techniques which we had learned in class. All of the poems were typed up on the computer and then made into a booklet. The striking front cover was drawn by one of the girls in the set - talented, Nicole Billington. Three copies were made: one for our classroom, one for the library and one for the foyer at the front of school. I have to say that everyone enjoyed writing the poems.

Mrs Taylor, the school librarian really enjoyed reading this superb collection of poems written by Year 9 pupils and had this to say: “I am extremely impressed by the maturity of the pupils’ writing. They used a variety of techniques which they had covered in Mrs Lomiiko’s lessons. They should all be very proud of the work they have produced. I am pleased to say that the anthology is now on display in the library for all pupils in school to read.”

Headteacher, Mr Dumican said “The quality of the poems was superb and I really enjoyed reading them. Each one had a different interpretation of the “heroes” theme, but all had a richness in the language which was used.

As teachers, we love to see pupils enjoying their work and producing outstanding pieces of English Literature and this is clearly shown in their work.”

Our English teacher, Mrs Lomiiko said “After analysing poems for the unseen poetry assessment it was time to be creative and Year 9 English certainly have been! Their individual poems, based on the novel 'Heroes' by Robert Cormier, show a depth of understanding and skill which Year 11 would find hard to match. A superb collection of poems. They should be very proud of their achievement. Well done Year 9!”

by Matthew Hampson, 9B1

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Preparing for our Futures As our time at St Edmund Arrowsmith is sadly drawing to a close, Year 11 have recently been thinking about their future. Over the last few weeks, we have been writing our CVs and completing individual interviews so that we can prepare for life after school.

Caption describing picture or graphic.

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A few weeks ago, we spent a two-hour session working with Bernie (from Innovative Enterprise) who taught us many skills to help us during an interview situation. We learned many different techniques such as the ‘STAR model’ which gives us the confidence to celebrate our achievements without feeling like we are being arrogant. Working with Bernie really supported me, as I was given many tips to use during an interview. This reassured me that I was approaching interviews in the correct way, for not only the mock ones, but also for future, real-life situations.

During form time, Year 11s started to develop their CVs in preparation for our mock interview day. Writing our CVs really helped us to understand that the skills which we have learned through our life experiences can also benefit us in job situations in the future. We also collected our certificates and achievements and put them inside our ‘Personal Profiles’ along with our CVs so that we could start to gather the evidence needed for the actual mock interview. By working on these much-needed skills during school time, we gained support from different teachers in order that we could create a valuable and comprehensive document.

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Preparing for our Futures

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On Tuesday 10th November, forty-one interviewers from the world of work interviewed the whole year group throughout the morning. The scheduled thirty-minute period allowed us twenty minutes for an individual interview, plus ten minutes for essential feedback. This feedback was handed back to us for our future improvement.

Despite being quite nervous before starting, I knew that first impressions can be vitally important during interviews, so I tried to approach the situation with a confident persona. When sitting down with my interviewer, I became immediately relaxed as the interview felt quite similar to a conversation, rather than the stressful interrogation everyone seems to worry about. This led me to feel comfortable, especially when flicking through my achievement file and detailing the skills I have obtained and how they will benefit me in the future world of work. I actually really enjoyed the experience, as I feel that I have grown in confidence by using the many techniques I had learned and I am certain that they will benefit me in different interviews in the years ahead.

Moving forward with the preparation for our future, we will soon be writing our personal statements, so that we can also include this in our achievements file, as well as the separate statement written by our form tutors about us. This is building up the important evidence needed for our folders, so that we can demonstrate our successes and the skills we have acquired during our time at St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School.

Pupils obviously impressed the interviewers, as Karen O’Neill from DWP had this to say: “The pupils had been well prepared and are a credit to your school.” Paul Brown from Wigan & Leigh College was equally impressed: “It has been a pleasure to meet pupils with so many skills and achievements.” Additionally, Matthew Bird from the Lloyds Banking Group, added: “All of the pupils were polite, well mannered and took part fully in the interview. They are a credit to themselves, the school and their parents.”

By Niamh Atkinson, 11L

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Music Reward Trip to London This September, after showing commitment to the music department by participating in things such as choir, music lessons or playing in the school concert band, we were rewarded with a trip to London with the department, to go and see the world-famous musical, Wicked. But we also did lots of other things whilst we were in the capital…

After a long journey, we were all glad of an early night as we had to be up for breakfast at 8am the following morning.

Everyone set their alarms in anticipation of a great day ahead! We ate our breakfast eagerly World-famous Big before we got on the coach which was to take us into London, where we had been booked to Ben go on a river boat tour. We treated ourselves to some refreshments whilst we listened to the guide telling us about the history of some of the famous landmarks such as Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and the Tower of London.

“...it was a fantastic trip and also a gr ea t opportunity for the pupils and staff in the M u s i c Department to get to know each o t h e r better.”

Following lunch, we walked to the London Eye where we had to wait an awfully long time and just as we thought we were nearly there, there was a signpost saying we were approximately half an hour away in the queue!! However, we persevered and when we finally got on, we were all amazed. The views were absolutely stunning as we moved up higher and higher and everyone took lots of pictures to capture the wonderful scenery. The capsules were very spacious and could fit about 20 people in with still plenty of room. We were on it for a while and we all thoroughly enjoyed the experience; the view was breath-taking at the very top. We peered down at the people in the queue and they looked like tiny ants, making us appreciate how high up the London Eye really is.

We had tea at the Hard Rock café before watching the show we had so been looking forward to. It was absolutely brilliant and everyone really enjoyed it, however we were all so tired after the exciting day that some people even fell asleep on our way back to the hotel!

The following morning we went into Nickelodeon World, followed by M&M World and we were also lucky enough to see the Aston Martin being dropped off for the new James Bond film, Spectre!

However, at 11:30am we all met up in Piccadilly Circus as it was time to get on the coach to go home. Everyone was sad that the trip had come to an end as we all had such a good time going around London and having brilliant new experiences. We did lots of things we hadn’t done before such as going on the famous London Eye, the Thames river boat tour, going to see the hit musical, Wicked and eating in the legendary Hard Rock Café.

I’m sure everyone will agree with me when I say that it was a fantastic trip and also a great opportunity for the pupils and staff in the Music Department to get to know each other better.

By Joseph Murphy, 8M1

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Cross Country Success

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The annual Wigan Schools Cross Country competition took place at Leigh Sports Village on Tuesday, 17th November.

There were great individual and team efforts all round in some very poor conditions. But this did not deter our pupils and they gave it their all. With every school in the Wigan & Leigh area fielding teams, our pupils gave a very good account of themselves.

Our Year 7 boys came first in their group, with three pupils qualifying for the Wigan team: Jack Mullen 7A; Connor Malone 7S and Matthew Williamson 7O.

Our Year 7 girls won their group with three pupils qualifying for the Wigan team: Emma Haynes 7M, Olivia Williams 7A and Katie Chesworth 7C. A special mention to Emma Haynes who came first in her race against over 70 other girls; an absolutely fantastic achievement!

The Year 8/9 & 10/11 girls’ teams came second in each of their age categories, with five pupils qualifying: Katie Morley 8M1; Joanna Smith 9B1; Laura Hickey 9B1; William Hewitt 9A1 and Maria McPolin 11C. Overall the school came first and were crowned Wigan Schools Cross Country Champions 2015. We are naturally very proud of all of their efforts; they are a credit to the PE department and the school.

For the full article, including a report from Emma, please see the website

By Mr D Morgan, Head of P.E.

Year 7 boys and girls

Year 8 & 9 boys and girls

Year 10 & 11 boys and girls

The Year of Mercy Advent is a time of hope. It marks the beginning of the liturgical year, and as with all new beginnings, the season of Advent is intended to renew our faith and allow us to express our hopes, joys and love for others. It is a season of preparation, but it often gets ‘lost’ in the build-up and anticipation of celebrating Christmas.

This year, Pope Francis has called for an Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy to start on 8th December. Advent is an appropriate season for the launch of the Year of Mercy, as during this season, Christians are encouraged to do all they can to prepare for the coming of Jesus, and this involves ensuring that they are alert to the needs of others.

Pope Francis wrote, “It is my burning desire that during this Jubilee, the Christian people may reflect on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy.” Our IMPACT group decided that they would lead the school in following the Pope’s call and have incorporated five of the seven corporal works of mercy into their work for this year. Therefore:  Year 11 are focussing on clothing the naked through supporting the work of local charities, including Nugent Care.  Year 10 are continuing to develop their links with Wigan and Leigh Hospice in order to visit the sick.  Year 9 are continuing to work with The Brick to feed the hungry in our society.  Year 8 have chosen to support Water Aid and Save the Children in order to give water to the thirsty.  Year 7 have chosen to welcome the stranger and are working to assist CAFOD’s work with the refugee crisis.

The IMPACT group are also practising two spiritual works of mercy: prayer and forgiveness.

Advent is only the start of our journey through the Year of Mercy, however, it is an apt time for us to reflect upon our lives and to resolve to reach out to others with a generous spirit.

Year 8 pupils, Caitlin, Kelly and Megan feedback what they have been doing for the Year of Mercy, to the rest of the IMPACT group

Prayer for Advent During this season of love and mercy, give us O God: Thoughts which turn into prayer, Prayer which turns into love, Love which turns into deeds.

Amen.

By Mrs C Landor, Second in R.E. department

Advent is an apt time for us to reflect upon our lives and to resolve to

reach out to others with a generous spirit