Spring Newsletter 2016

ST EDMUND ARROWMSITH CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL WWW.ARROWSMITH.WIGAN .SCH.UK

SPECIAL POINTS OF INTEREST: 

Year 9 rugby

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Options Market Place

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Spook Workshop

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Big Book Quiz

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Meet the new chaplain

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

S E A News S P R I N G

A Message from the Headteacher We have had an especially busy term since we returned to school from our Christmas holiday - I think it is because we have most of our parents’ and guidance evenings and also our Year 11 pupils completed all of their important controlled assessments well before February half term. They also have their ‘trial’ exam week, which serves as excellent preparation for their GCSE examinations in May. Add these to the many sporting and varied extracurricular opportunities for all year groups and it makes for lots of hard work and late nights!

We are delighted with our ongoing collaboration with the BBC. Two years ago the school featured quite prominently in ‘Songs of Praise’, last year our pupils presented a school report on BBC1 North West Tonight, and this year we are working again with the corporation on pupils creating and producing a radio item which will be broadcast later in the year.

Senior broadcast journalists from the BBC regularly work with our pupils on a whole host of literacy-based topics. We are gaining so much from this wonderful collaboration and the pupils’ work has been

fantastic - please see the website for further details. I would like to recommend the school website as a great source of information for everything you would like to know about the school - it is updated every week and contains all the latest news and school events. If you are bored, you can even read my weekly blog!

We have had significant success in a number of areas this term. Our Year 9 boys’ rugby team beat local rivals St Peter’s, 15-10 in the North West final on Saturday 16th January. I was extremely proud of the way the boys conducted themselves throughout the whole competition; they were a credit to the school. I also had the pleasure of attending the Ashton/Wigan ‘Big Book Quiz’ which we hosted on Thursday 28th January and at which one of our Year 7 teams, ‘The Reading Rockets’ won. Our pupils were again fantastic and represented the school superbly. However, the highlight of the term for me was our Music Showcase on Wednesday 3rd February.

This event showed all the great things about our school: fantastically talented pupils working hard and excelling and staff tirelessly giving up their time to support them.

Along with the wonderful

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support from families on the night, we raised £850 for CAFOD - a very worthy cause.

It was simply superb!

As we proceed into Holy Week we are all looking forward to our Lenten Masses at St Oswald’s Church, where each year group and their teachers celebrate Mass together. I can think of no better way to prepare for the highlight of the liturgical year Easter.

I cannot believe that as I finish this report I have completed my second year as Headteacher. May I take this opportunity to thank all members of the school community for their continued support and generosity; it is by working together that we make St Edmund Arrowsmith such a special place. On behalf of the governors, staff and pupils can I wish you all a wonderful Easter.

M J Dumican Headteacher

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Outstanding Victory Our Year 9 boys became the sixth St Edmund Arrowsmith team to be crowned NW Champions by beating our local rivals St Peter's 15-10 in the final at Widnes on Saturday 16th January. It was a tremendous performance and an outstanding achievement for this team. We are so proud of them all.

This team has made big improvements this season and thoroughly deserved a place in their first cup final. In Year 7 and Year 8 they lost in the North West quarter-finals, so it was a massive step forward to reach the North West final, which also earned them a place in the draw for the National Champion School Cup. Their improvement has come as a result of working hard at their basic skills in PE lessons and training sessions, and through a lot of hard work, effort and determination. They knew they had a very tough assignment in the final against our local rivals St Peter's, the current National Champions, but they showed a very positive attitude in their preparation for the match and were determined to give it their best shot on Saturday.

“...they showed a very positive attitude in their preparation for the match and were determined to give it their best shot on Saturday”

In the earlier rounds of this season's NW Counties Cup they beat St Peter's (Manchester) 48-0, Wade Deacon (Widnes) 46-10, Haydock (St Helens) 22-14, and in the semi-final beat Saddleworth (Oldham) 30-4.

Try scorers in the final were Connor Law, Kieron Swannick and Warren Paladino, with Owen Birch kicking a conversion and a drop goal. Man of the Match was Adam Lavin.

Thank you to all parents, families, pupils, staff and supporters for your backing at Widnes on Saturday. It was a great lift for the team to hear you cheering them to a 15-10 victory after being 10-0 down at half-time. A special thanks to Mike Hughes of Hughes Bros Builders who generously provided and sponsored a new kit for the final.

To win the final was a brilliant performance from the team. Well done lads! We are all very proud of you.

Team photo before the action started—proud to wear the new kit S

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Outstanding Victory Please see our school rugby website for further reports and pictures from the final and for news of all our rugby teams past and present: http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/stedmundarrowsmith Match action videos: https://vimeopro.com/terryg/nw-champion-school-boys-finals-201516 Team pics and action photos: http://www.dephoto.biz/Search/Search.aspx?Path=Rugby%5CNW%20Schools%20Rugby%20League% 5C2016%5CNW%20Champion%20School%20Finals%20Widnes%2016th%20Jan#.Vp87uLsgGc1 Team celebration on YouTube https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fXmsNE94KHM&feature=youtu.be

by Mr J Griffin, PE teacher

Victorious as they lift the cup

Despite tired legs, they still managed a smile

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The Market Place was very

informative and factual and overall we learned lots about the many subjects which were on offer

A hair-raising experience!

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Decisions, Decisions...

On Monday 18th January and Tuesday 19th January, all of Year 9 went into the sports hall to take part in an options Market Place.

This was the first time the school had given pupils in Year 9 the opportunity to speak informally to pupils from Year 10 who were already well into the courses and who are studying for their GCSEs. Before we went into the hall, we went into our English classrooms to receive the options booklet. Along with lots of relevant information on each subject, it contained a map of where all of the stands were and what subject each stand was representing. Also inside the book were different questions from each subject which we could select from. The questions were very varied and

covered things such as: the different topics which you would study in your chosen subject, or how many exams you take if you pick that subject. You either had to find out the answer yourself, or ask the Year 10 pupils who were assisting. The Year 10 pupils had picked that particular subject to study at GCSE and were obviously well informed about what the subject had to offer. They were easily able to answer our questions and alleviate any concerns we had.

Amalea Grundy in 9L1 really enjoyed the day and had this to say: “I feel that it was very beneficial and it helped me lots because I had some questions for the different subjects and when I asked, I got the answers that I needed to help me make this important decision.�

The Market Place was very informative and factual and overall we learned lots about the many subjects which were on offer and what topics we will study in Key Stage 4 and towards our GCSEs The science department at St Edmund Arrowsmith showed many different High School. experiments involving physics. PE gave out by Emily Grimshawdifferent things to scan on Brown, 9L1 & Georgia a QR reader and gave us Hardman, 9B2 free videos to watch which gave us useful and handy information on their subject.

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Decisions, Decisions...

Making those difficult decisions, with help from Year 10 pupils

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Spook, the Return Monday, 25th January saw the return of Spook Johnson to St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School, where he worked with a selection of Year 7 pupils in two creative writing workshops. The day had been booked once again, due to the unquestionable success of the workshops last year.

From the beginning, pupils were engrossed in the stories of witches with pointy toes from Pendle Hill, before embarking on the creative writing aspect of the workshop. Spook took the pupils on a journey with their writing, through a creaking, dusty door and down the steps into the cellar of 13 Watery Lane, where who-knows-what was waiting for them in the forbidding and gloomy darkness. It was a delight to see the pupils all engaged in the writing and getting the most from this fabulous opportunity.

The prize, a signed book by Joseph Delaney, spurred the pupils on even more to create their best atmospheric and unique stories.

However, the most amazing part of the day was yet to come …the making of the bloodcakes, a witch’s delicacy and one which delighted pupils and turned their stomachs in equal measure. Some pupils passed on this, but the majority rolled up their sleeves and ‘got stuck in’ to create their own unique bloodcake from the squirming worms, witch’s hearts and goblin vomit (in reality - spaghetti in tomato sauce, jam and custard.)

Hands washed and dried, though retaining a distinct aroma of mushy peas, the day was declared by all another resounding success. However, there was one last thing to do before Spook returned to the shadows once again…remind everyone to look out for girls with pointy shoes!

Molly Rigby, 7M obviously thought it was a great day and had this to say: “I really enjoyed Monday. I thought it was fantastic; the part I really enjoyed was making the bloodcakes.” Equally as enthusiastic was Jack Steele, 7C who commented: “I thought the workshop was interesting and I never thought you could do so much in a day! I really enjoyed the writing and where we got to make the bloodcakes.”

Just look at their faces!

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Spook, the Return

Spook Johnson prepares to eat a bloodcake

Writing the spooky story

Pupils writing their gory recipes and making their bloodcakes

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What a fant

tastic term!

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Reading Rockets Blast to Victory On Thursday, 28th January, The Big Book Quiz was held at St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School. Kindly sponsored by the Rotary Club of Ashton, ten teams from Byrchall, West Leigh, Bedford and Eddie’s were trying to bag their chance to be in the finals in July.

The five teams from Eddie’s had been preparing busily and eagerly with the school librarian, Mrs Taylor in anticipation of the heat. For several weeks we had been reading the books, meeting at break and lunch in the library, quizzing each other and discussing the plot and storyline of the books. It had all come down to this one night… Our classmates had also shown their support by making countless posters and banners which decorated every corner of the hall. The pressure was on as, after posting impressive places of first and second in last year’s heat, Edmund Arrowsmith were the team to beat - especially as they were this years’ hosts.

Musical interlude from Year 11 pupils

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A buzz filled the room, with the teams trying to settle their nerves as Mrs Hollins opened the event. Then it was time for eyes down as Mr Webster began to read the questions to the anxious pupils. Pens flew across pages as he continued through the rounds. To break up the tension, there were musical performances by a Year 11 group performing ‘Viva La Vida’ by Coldplay, and Jess and Joe singing 'Roar' by Katy Perry. A truly magnificent display of the talent of St Edmund Arrowsmith’s pupils.

The next two rounds passed rapidly, and before we knew it, it was time to add up the scores and determine who were to be the champions tonight. We waited nervously, sipping our juice and

Winning smiles!

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Reading Rockets Blast to Victory

The Big Book Quiz was tons of fun!

nibbling our biscuits, whilst Mrs Payne took to the stage to explain the importance of reading and the positive impact it has not only on a child’s education but also on their brain function.

This was it… the scores were checked and verified and Headteacher, Mr Dumican, stepped forward to announce the results in reverse order. We all took a deep breath in, hoping and praying that our name would be read out against the fierce competition from the other teams. In true tension-building style, Mr Dumican made us wait, with baited breath, before he made the results known. In joint 4th place was Five Children and It, a Year 8 team consisting of: Ella Vernon, Isabelle Farrimond, Megan Whittle and James Gaskell. Robyn Lind was unable to attend due to illness, so the team performed extremely well by playing with one man down. The Potter Heads were both shocked and delighted to finish in 3rd place, as they thought that they had lost all hope after the first two rounds where they didn’t feature in the top three places. The team consisted of: Holly Bowden, Caitlin Taylor, Aaron Brown, Amber Pimblett and Isobel Hegarty. Second spot was claimed by the current champions, Chris’ Angels, whose team included Chris Bache, Lucinda Sykes, Kiera Quinn and Maisie McLoughlin.

Unfortunately Eleanor Williams was poorly on the day so couldn’t make it, but the team certainly did her proud!

We are delighted to say that one of our Year 7 teams, The Reading Rockets, claimed that top spot and were crowned the Ashton and Wigan heat winners for 2016. They will now progress through to the North West finals to be held at Wigan Youth Zone in July. Eddie’s had successfully defended their title and Mrs Taylor could put the coveted trophy back on display in the library trophy cabinet.

As the crowds started to leave and proud parents took photos, we asked people what they thought of the night.

Aaron Brown had this to say: “I can’t believe our team came 3rd! Good luck to the Reading Rockets as they read a new set of books and prepare for the finals.”

By Isobel Hegarty, 8B2 & Chris Bache, 8A2

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Let’s Meet our New Chaplain Many of you will know that we have recently appointed a new chaplain in school. The role of the chaplain is a very important one, as they underpin and are at the very core of all of the values that we speak about in our Mission Statement: Dignity; Mission; Understanding; Nurture and Discipleship. We strive, through our Faith, to help our pupils to grow as followers of Christ, not only during their time with us, but when they head off into the big wide world.

We thought that it would be a good idea to interview Maria Johnson, known as Maria to all pupils and staff, to see why she had applied to work in the very special place that is St Edmund Arrowsmith Catholic High School.

INTERVIEWERS: NIAMH ATKINSON & JOE HAYWARD – HEAD OF IMPACT & RYAN KERSHAW – HEAD OF Y10 CHAPLAINCY INTERVIEWEE: MARIA JOHNSON – NEW CHAPLAIN 1) So Maria, what did you do before you started working at St Edmund Arrowsmith?

Well, I’m 23 years old and studied Theology at University after wanting to be a chaplain for a number of years. Prior to coming to work at St Edmund Arrowsmith, I worked at a school in Warrington called St Gregory’s as a chaplain and before that, I worked as an administrator for Matalan for nearly 7 years!

2) What made you decide to become a chaplain in the first place?

It’s very difficult for me to pinpoint one exact reason because there are so many! I’ve always had a firm faith and have been brought up in a strong practising Catholic family. I attended Catholic schools and studied Religion and Philosophy at college and then Theology at university, so my religion has always been at the forefront. However, in high school, we didn’t have access to a chaplain and I was going through a difficult time with my spiritual life. I was experiencing doubts about my faith that all Catholics experience at some point in their journeys and I didn’t feel that I had anyone that I could turn to who would relate to how I was feeling. It became apparent that I needed a chaplain; someone to guide me through my issues, concerns and doubts; someone to encourage my knowledge and nurture the seeds of my faith. That was when I first began thinking that I would like the opportunity to give to someone else what I didn’t have when I was in school.

Niamh Atkinson poses the questions everyone want to know the answers to

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Let’s Meet our New Chaplain

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Year 11 IMPACT get to know Maria 3) You’re very young to be a school chaplain; do you think that this could have a negative effect on your role?

Not at all! I see my age as a positive thing! I’m young enough to relate to the pupils at school and understand what it is they are going through both in their spiritual and personal lives. I have the energy, connections and resources to put into the Catholic life of the school and I have a lot of enthusiasm and fresh ideas to get young people involved and inspired by their faith. On the other hand, I have studied my faith in great detail both in an educational setting and in a personal way. I am therefore confident enough to discuss matters of faith and life in an adult situation as well. I am currently studying for a diploma in Pastoral Leadership as part of Adult Faith Formation which focuses on a much more in-depth and mature way of understanding Catholic life.

4) Can you describe a typical day in the life of a chaplain?

The short answer is no! Every day is different and that is the beauty of the job! But some of the things I get up to include: leading staff and students in morning prayer in the chapel; going to and leading collective worship; planning Masses and liturgies for special events; working on ideas for the new chaplaincy blog which will be launched very soon; leading chaplaincy group meetings at break and dinner where we discuss upcoming events and charity work we are involved in; and quite often I will be found making cups of tea for those students (or staff members) who are going through a hard or sad time for whatever reason. My main role is to be a listening ear to those who need help and to guide them in the right direction for further help and encouragement if needed, and to pray for them so that they might find peace in the love of God. 5) Is there more to you than just being a chaplain?

Oh yes, in my spare time I get up to all sorts of activities. I’m a bit of a social butterfly and love spending time with my friends at the weekend. I’m big into my music and am partial to a bit of heavy metal! I can play the piano and sing (although probably not as good as I think) and I love to knit and crochet and sew like the 90-year old lady that I am deep down! I am always, always busy! If not with school or my hobbies, my parish priest keeps me on a strict schedule of parish council meetings, safeguarding officer training, charity and event organiser and youth catechist to my youth group! It’s a wonder I wake up in the mornings, I’m so exhausted! But I have a very blessed and fulfilled life and I am grateful for every part of it.

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Music Showcase for CAFOD On Wednesday 3rd February at 7pm, families, friends and staff gathered in the school hall, awaiting the start of the music showcase.

The showcase is a fairly new annual event, with the first taking place last year, but the efforts of the music department are ever increasing, and the quality of this year’s performance was astonishing.

Jessica Hollett on guitar

Year 7 choir

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The show began with the student choir’s performance of ‘Simply the Best’, before a brief introduction to the evening by Mr Dumican.

He outlined the efforts of all of the people involved, and also the cause we were raising money for. This year, our focus was the Catholic charity CAFOD, who work outside of the UK, aiding in natural disasters and crises around the world.

A CAFOD representative attended the showcase

to talk about the work CAFOD does and what the money we raised would go towards.

Throughout the event, there were a number of acts, including staff choir, concert band, and the school’s all-girl band Princess Charlotte and the Peasants, as well as a number of soloists. All of the performances were incredible and received copious applause from the audience.

In between these performances, our very own Mr Webster presented the acts and ran the raffle. Many prizes were won, and the second raffle even had audience participation! A tuck shop was set up in the canteen, where drinks and popcorn were readily available for a small donation, to put towards CAFOD.

CAFOD representative speaks to the audience about the great work it does around the world

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Music Showcase for CAFOD

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Just some of the excellent talent on display

The final song was preceded by a word from Mr Westhead, the school’s Chair of Governors, who complimented the efforts by the school and, particularly, all of the people involved in the showcase.

There was a well-deserved mention for the staff choir, which the school are incredibly proud of, as not many schools can boast such a brilliant choir with so many willing members of staff.

Overall, the evening was extremely successful, with approximately ÂŁ800 being raised through ticket sales, raffles and the tuck shop. All of the students thoroughly enjoyed the evening, and can only hope that next year could possibly be better.

by Jessica Hollett, Head Girl

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The Joy of Forgiveness

One of the most powerful spiritual experiences I have ever had was in my first year as a volunteer for the Liverpool Archdiocesan Youth Pilgrimage to Lourdes. It was 2008 and I was still in high school where I had always felt slightly out of place being one of the only few practising Catholic families in the school. Despite my personal struggles in accepting my faith in a relatively secular environment, I persevered and set out on my pilgrimage, not knowing a single person on the team that I was going to be living and working with for a week.

On the last day of the pilgrimage, the team got an opportunity to go out into the fields within the Domain and go to confession in the glorious mountains of the south of France on the banks of the river. It was my first experience of face-to-face confession in the great outdoors, having previously only ever been exposed to claustrophobic confessionals behind an imposing screen. The contrast between the two settings was stark and made me feel vulnerable.

I sat down with the priest and we prayed together. He heard my confessions and advised me on my next steps. He gave me my penance and absolved me from my sins. Up until that point, everything had gone smoothly, and then suddenly, as the absolution washed over me, I literally felt an enormous sense of relief and weightlessness. It was as though I had been carrying the physical weight of my own cross for an immeasurable amount of time. I couldn’t do anything else other than unashamedly cry.

As I walked back to the rest of my group after briefly composing myself, I realised that I was not the only one who had been moved by the sacrament we had just received. Thirty-two young people stood around me, each with tears in their eyes and each with a new sense of hope and gratitude. They weren’t tears of sadness; they were tears of joy and thankfulness to the Lord who died so that our sins may be forgiven.

In the season of Lent we are called to prepare ourselves for the Christ’s Passion. Repenting for our sins is a vital step in our preparations. The point of examining our consciences during this time is not in an effort to save ourselves, because Jesus has already done that for us.

But by thinking of what we have done wrong and confessing those wrong-doings to the Father, we are preparing ourselves to receive His light.

This Lent, regardless of when the last time you received the sacrament of reconciliation was, make a conscious effort to go to confession. The joy and feeling of weightlessness you will feel afterwards is an experience unlike any other, and with pure hearts we can accept the sacrifice that Jesus made for us by His death.

“How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How joyful is the man the Lord does not charge with sin and in whose spirit is no deceit!” (Psalm 32)

By Maria Johnson - Chaplain S

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