summer 2010

newsletter

A Specialist College for the Arts & Applied Learning

Summer 2010

S T M A R Y ’ S C AT H O L I C C O L L E G E

Arts Council gives top gong to St Mary’sArts Council gives top gong to St Mary’s

S T MARY’S is truly filled with ‘Arts of gold’! We have just been awarded the much sought-after accolade of Artsmark Gold

by the Arts Council of England. The education award is a testament to the dedication, commitment and exceptional talent of students and staff in bringing to St Mary’s Theatre impressive productions like our We Will Rock You dance spectacular and our all-singing, all-dancing musical The Wiz. It is also in recognition of our very own Arts4U programme of extracurricular activities and community Arts, and the positive impact they have had in the life of St Mary’s.

GOLDEN MOMENTGOLDEN MOMENT SeanThompson-Hepworth has been named Wirral Young Achiever of the Year by Wirral Met College. See Page 3

A great summer A great summer to all our readers!to all our readers!

GOLDEN MOMENT GOLDEN MOMENT St Mary’s former students and teachers leading the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award training weekend for Gold candidates at Glyder Fach, Snowdonia, pictured at the famous Cantilever rock.

GoldGold standardstandard

GOLDEN MOMENTS Pictured below, clockwise, this year’s performances of We Will Rock You and The Wiz which played to sell-out audiences over four nights

Photo courtesy of Matthew Davies, Year 10

Wirral Wirral Young Young Achiever Achiever of the Yearof the Year

ARTS SHOWCASE SPECIAL PAGE 13

Happy retirement, sirs!Happy retirement, sirs! W E would like to wish five well known members of staff a fond farewell this term as they retire

from teaching. In their many years at St Mary’s they have each witnessed great changes in education, from the chalky blackboard era to today’s interactive whiteboards! Sadly we are to lose Mr John Duffy after 30 dedicated years. Mr Duffy’s positions have included Head of History, Head of Sixth Form and more latterly, School Manager. We will miss his great eloquence and pin-sharp memory for events, times and places (particularly with regard to rock music!) Also leaving us is Mr Malcolm Charles, who has taught Chemistry to generations of St Mary’s students. He joined us in 1982. For many years the gifted and talented Mr Charles has organised the Gifted and Talented Cohort in St Mary’s and also across Wallasey. We will miss his encyclopaedic general knowledge (thanks for all the quizzes!), his wry sense of humour and his much-loved Year 8 Normandy trips. Our Physics Department will be much

impoverished with the loss of Dr Chris Brankin, PhD, (a title he has modestly never insisted upon). Dr Brankin joined St Mary’s in 1989. Mr Paul Sherrard’s early retirement is a double blow to the Chemistry

Department. Mr Sherrard is a comparative ‘newcomer’, having been at St Mary’s for a mere 14 years! He has made a great contribution to our Duke of Edinburgh’s Award projects. We will also miss the familiar face of Mr Graham McCue, Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator, who came to us in 1985. He taught ICT before moving to Special Needs, a department he has been in charge of since its infancy and has worked passionately to develop. We thank them all for their hard work and

contribution to the life of St Mary’s and wish each one of them a long and happy retirement. Good luck, sirs!

Sixth Form History and Politics students with Wallasey MP Angela Eagle at Westminster Hall where Charles I was tried and sentenced to death, and Oliver Cromwell’s head was displayed on a spike for 20 years

Dr Brankin

S IXTH Form History and Politics students enjoyed a particular

Parliamentary privilege of their own during a day trip to London...they met Wallasey MP Angela Eagle for special talks in the House of Commons! A full and frank exchange of views took place. Ms Eagle fielded questions on the future of Trident, female representation in Parliament and university tuition fees. The students also had a guided tour of the Palace of Westminster, followed by a visit to Westminster Abbey to see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Poets’ Corner and the final resting places of Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots and Edward the Confessor. They concluded their whistlestop tour of the capital in the National Portrait Gallery which houses (among many other things!) the famous Holbein painting of Henry VIII.

Mr Charles Mr MCue Mr Sherrard Mr Duffy

Students’ Parliamentary privilegeStudents’ Parliamentary privilege

J UST a few short months ago, G r e n a d i e r G u a r d s m a n J o e

Dicastiglione was fighting for Queen and country in the Afghan Desert. But last month, in full regimental uniform, the St Mary’s former student from West Kirby marched with his battle comrades at The Trooping The Colour ceremony in London for the Queen’s official birthday. His mum Paula, stepdad John and sister Hollie were all at Horse Guards’ Parade for the family’s proud moment. Joe, aged 21, is a member of Number 2 Company, 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards, and was part of the march past in the presence of Her Majesty the Queen and members of the Royal Family, including Prince Charles and Prince William. The annual ceremony, which is televised and beamed around the world, has been performed by the Guards since the accession of George III in 1760 and is meant to celebrate the monarch’s official birthday (the Queen’s real birthday is April 21). During his recent six-month tour of duty in Afghanistan, Joe’s unit was caught up in some of the worst fighting in Helmand Province when members of his platoon were attacked by Taliban snipers,

and one fellow soldier was killed by an IED (improvised explosive device). As a career soldier, Joe will be sent to Afghanistan again in 2012, and in between there will be other postings, including guarding the Queen at Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castle. His mum, Paula, said: ‘We’re really proud of Joe’s achievements. It was very worrying for us when he was in Afghanistan, but he is absolutely committed to his career in the Army’.

Sean is Wirral’s ‘Young Achiever Sean is Wirral’s ‘Young Achiever of the Year’of the Year’

Lance Corporal Joe Dicastglionen full regimental uniform

Joe in desert battledress in Afghanistan

Joe’s journey from Joe’s journey from war zone to Queen’s war zone to Queen’s birthday paradebirthday parade

I T was a truly glittering occasion at Liverpool’s Hilton Hotel, and Wirral’s Young

Achiever of the Year arrived by stretch limo with fellow nominees to receive his award. Year 11’s Sean Thompson-Hepworth had been nominated with two other St Mary’s students in Motor Vehicle Studies. Sean carried off the first prize of a laptop and a two-day placement in Milton Keynes with the Volkswagen Formula One training team, while Shaun Walsh and Lee Wellens, both in Year 10, won £50 worth of vouchers. The award and their course is provided by Wirral Met College.

Above: Winner Sean with stylish mode of transport Left: Runners-up Shaun Walsh and Lee Wellens outside the Hilton Hotel, Liverpool, with Year 10 Year Head Mr Paul McColgan (second from right) and Deputy Year Head Mr Rob Corrigan (left).

A picture taken by the family on Joe’s special day

Keen cyclist: Mr Colin Archer

M R Archer will have a ‘holiday’ like no other this year...he is planning a solo bike ride to take him the

length and breadth of Britain! It will mean a thousand miles of pedal power from Land’s End in Cornwall to John O’Groats at the northernmost tip of Scotland...all

to raise money for one of his favourite charities, Hope & Homes for Children. Mr Archer is a keen cyclist who regularly covers long distances, but he has never attempted an odyssey like this before. He will carry all his own kit, including tent, food and cooker, and reckons the trip, following the scenic routes, rather than the fast route, will take him three weeks at a leisurely pace. Said Mr Archer: ‘I think I will need to take a good book or two, but space will be quite limited with all the kit I will have to carry on the bike! The trip will be entirely self-financed, so any donations will go straight to the charity.’ He plans to cover the distance by doing 50 miles a day, avoiding A roads as far as possible. He did a 140 mile practice ride over Easter with his family, crossing the country from Whitehaven to Tynemouth (known as the C2C route to cyclists). His family will see him off at Land’s End and his sister will meet him at John O’Groats to cycle back while he rests his weary legs and takes the car! Mr Archer, who teaches ICT and is St Mary’s Duke of Edinburgh’s Award co-ordinator, added: ’The charity I have chosen works in Africa and Eastern Europe to close down orphanages and find families for orphans and children in need. It changes lives. I hope people will be able to support me in my fundraising effort.’

Y OU can help Mr Archer in his major fund raising effort by making your pledge to Mrs Sheila Moyes, St Mary’s Bursar (reach her on 639 7531) or speak to Mr Archer personally.

Follow his blog at: www.colarcher.wordpress.com

Sponsor and followSponsor and follow Mr Archer’s odysseyMr Archer’s odyssey

Brittany lands lead role at the FringeBrittany lands lead role at the Fringe S IXTH former Brittany Taylor (right) will play the

leading lady in a new play at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival later this month. Brittany, 18, who hopes to make a career in the performance industry, landed the role after attending an open audition in London for Work in Progress, by young playwright Ross Howard. She will play Cecilia, a young actress who must fight her way out of an abusive relationship to ultimately find out who she is. ‘It’s very funny, in spite of how it sounds’ said Brittany, who has won a place at the East 15 Acting School at the University of Essex. She added: ‘I’m really looking forward to the Fringe. It’s an amazing opportunity.’ Six performances of Work In Progress will entertain and amuse some of the many thousands of visitors at the famous festival of the arts held in Edinburgh each year.

Pedal power from Pedal power from Land’s End to John Land’s End to John O’GroatsO’Groats

Land’s End

John O’Groats

Mr Archer gets in training for the 1,000 mile journey

Brittany as the Wicked Witch in The Wiz earlier this year

‘Thank you for ‘Thank you for my life’my life’

A WOMAN whose life was saved by a St Mary’s student has made a special visit

to say thank you. Mrs Jane Crawley met Alice Bower for the second time in our college foyer...but on this occasion it was in much happier circumstances! Year 10’s Alice and a friend, Nicola Knowles, had been simply taking an early evening walk along the riverbank, past the Burton’s food factory in Moreton, when they heard someone screaming. When Alice investigated, she came across Mrs Crawley, who had fallen from her mobility scooter down the 15 foot embankment of the River Birket. But to make matters worse, Mrs Crawley was trapped beneath the scooter, lying in the rising tidal water. Suddenly Alice was faced with making life-or-death decisions. Many people might have panicked ~ but not Alice, who is a trained First Aider. She quickly prevented another passerby from moving and possibly further injuring Mrs Crawley and then rang 999. She then comforted her and kept her in a stable position for more than half an hour until the emergency services arrived to start the complex rescue operation. The incident, which took place earlier this term, involved specialist equipment to free Mrs Crawley and winch her to safety as the river water kept rising. But as she slipped in and out of consciousness, she clearly remembered waking several times to see Alice’s face. ‘Without Alice, I could have drowned.’ she said. ‘What she did was exceptional, and I thank her from the bottom of my heart.’ Mrs Crawley, 44, suffers from epilepsy and mobility problems. She had been travelling between Upton and Moreton on her scooter. She said: ‘As I went through Moreton, I felt a bit dizzy. But I carried on to the path by the Birket. The next thing I was lying in the water with the scooter on top of me. The tide was coming in, and I know that if it wasn’t for Alice and her friend Nicola, I wouldn’t be alive today.’ Alice and Nicola stayed with Mrs Crawley for the entire duration of the rescue. Mrs Crawley, who lives in Egremont, Wallasey, may have suffered an epileptic seizure before falling down the embankment. Alice is used to dealing with such medical emergencies, since a family member also suffers from epilepsy. Mrs Crawley visited St Mary’s

with her daughter, Lisa, to bring flowers and a certificate for Alice. She described her rescue in detail to Headteacher Mr Tony Boyle and Year 10 Deputy Year Head Mr Rob Corrigan. Mrs Crawley also visited The Wallasey School to personally thank Nicola.

‘Without ‘Without Alice, Alice, I could I could have have drowned’drowned’

Year 10 girl gives first Year 10 girl gives first aid in riverbank rescueaid in riverbank rescue

Below: Mrs Crawley with Alice (front right) and (back left to right) Headteacher Mr Tony Boyle, Lisa Crawley and Deputy Year Head Mr Rob Corrigan

Left: A mobility scooter similar to Mrs Crawley’s. Right: A hug for Alice from Mrs Crawley

Left: With the replica FA Cup at Anfield Below left: On hallowed ground at Everton

M USICIANS Matty Jones and Joe McDowell have been voted Young Players of the Year by the Port Sunlight Lyceum Brass Band. They were presented with

their trophy by Musical Director Mr Cyril Dare LVCM at a recent concert in Vale Park, New Brighton. The boys, both in Year 11, are accomplished members of the band, having performed on BBC1’s Songs of Praise in May as well as in many other concerts and a stage production of Brassed Off. Band Secretary Karen Fox said: ‘Matty and Joe are not only excellent musicians, but they are mature, enthusiastic, committed and contribute greatly to the life and working of the band.’ The Eva Smith Memorial Cup was donated by Mr Noel Smith in memory of his wife. Matty plays Assistant Principal Cornet and Joe BBb Bass.

T HIS was Anfield, and it was Goodison Park, too!

Year 9 Geographers went on a fact-finding tour of the two famous Liverpool soccer grounds in order to study football as a business. They had special behind-the-scenes access to discover all aspects of how football clubs are run, and how they affect communities on both local and international levels.

Strike up the band for Matty and JoeStrike up the band for Matty and Joe

Long service awardsLong service awards

Grounds for Grounds for investigationinvestigation

World Cup web factsWorld Cup web facts I NTERESTING...and true. Of the 32 countries taking part in the

World Cup, websurfers in 20 of them have visited St Mary’s website! These include: Algeria, Australia, Denmark, England (no surprises there!), France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Mexico, Nigeria, Portugal, South Africa, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and USA. Like the people there, you will find a wealth of information and fascinating things, including flick-through versions of this and previous Newsletters at

www.stmaryscollege.wirral.sch.uk

ALSO on the website: Check out our Fantasy League World Cup Winners! And see page 25

F IVE St Mary’s Governors have received official recognition of their long service at a special

reception in Wallasey Town Hall. They were invited to a celebration evening in the presence of the Mayor and Mayoress of Wirral, Councillor Andrew Hodson and his wife, Kathryn. Wirral schools were asked to nominate 250 governors who were then thanked for their ‘invaluable’ contribution. Mark Parkinson, Wirral’s Head of Learning and Achievement, said: ‘This event involved people from all walks of life coming together to celebrate the invaluable contribution they have made over the years’. St Mary’s long-serving Governors: (left to right) Mrs Miriam Bridson, Mrs Janine Unwin,

Mr Charles Donnelly, Chair of Governors Canon Brendan Hoban and Mrs Christine Taylor

From Kosovo with loveFrom Kosovo with love W HEN Emily Hanley filled a shoebox with toys and treats, it was added to the huge pile which left

St Mary’s just before last Christmas. As part of Operation Christmas Child, the special cargo was bound for needy children in different parts of the world. But little did she know that she was soon to see the face of the 12-year-old girl who received her gifts. A personal thank you letter from Kosovo arrived at her primary school in Liscard, complete with a picture of Arta Imami (pictured right). Now the two girls are regular correspondents. Emily’s teacher, Mrs Marie Wolfe, helps organise the shoebox appeal in St Alban’s and the Kosovan letters and gifts have been a lively topic of class discussion. Arta also sent a special message for the Year 3 student’s birthday, enclosing two small dolls for Emily and her sister and home-made crochet gifts for their mum. She wrote: ‘Happy Birthday to you and may God bless you and your family, and may all your wishes become true, and also my wish is for you to come to Kosovo some day’. Emily has now decided to save 50p a week until next Christmas so she can send an extra special gift to her Kosovan friend. Arta’s father works for the local council in the town of Deçane, and her mother stays at home to look after Arta and her older sister and brother. Emily’s sister Jennifer

is in St Mary’s Year 7.

K OSOVO is a breakaway region of the former Yugoslavia and

has suffered greatly for many years from civil unrest, but particularly in the last 10 years. The population is divided into two groups ~ mostly ethnic Albanians with a small number of Serbs. The Kosovan government declared independence from Serbia in February 2008.

Arta ( right) wrote to St Alban’s student Emily (below) to thank her for the Christmas shoebox

How a shoebox sparked friendship across EuropeHow a shoebox sparked friendship across Europe

M ore than a thousand shoeboxes leave St Mary’s

every year, in a joint effort by St Mary’s and our partner primary schools: St Alban’s, St Joseph’s (Wallasey), SS Peter and Paul (New Brighton), Sacred Heart, (Moreton) St Joseph’s (Upton), St Paul’s (Beechwood) and Holy Cross (Birkenhead.) If you want to send a shoebox yourself, look out early next term for details of how to join our Annual Christmas Shoebox Appeal.

WarWar--torn region torn region of Central Europeof Central Europe

Emily Hanley (above) has pledged 50p a week to buy a special Christmas gift for her Kosovan friend Arta

Join the appealJoin the appeal

Above: The small country of Kosovo

Right: Year 7 students with some of last year’s shoeboxes

Seat of Seat of learning learning (Or how a chair became (Or how a chair became the focus for young the focus for young artists at the Lady Lever)artists at the Lady Lever)

In fond memory of JaneIn fond memory of Jane I T is with great sadness that we have learned of the death of Mrs Jane Hurst,

former St Mary’s teaching assistant. Jane, aged 57, had been suffering from Motor Neurone Disease, a progressive illness of the nervous system. She leaves a husband, Paul, and four children, Caroline, Suzanna and twins Katherine and Timothy. Born in Bournemouth, Jane (pictured left) gained a degree from Leeds University in Textile Chemistry. She worked for Cadbury Schweppes in Birmingham as a Principal Analyst Programmer for a number of years before becoming a full time parent. She joined St Mary’s in 2001. A memorial service for Jane was held in St Mary’s College Chapel earlier this term, and a special website in her memory has been set up by her family at www.jane.hurst.muchloved.com

St Mary’s artists on the steps of the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight

S T MARY’S artists drew inspiration from the Lady Lever Gallery in Port Sunlight to design fabric for its new learning

centre. Professional artist Mandy Tolley worked with them to print their designs digitally onto lengths of fabric. The students then embellished the fabric (inset left) with free machine embroidery and screen printing in St Mary’s Art Department. The final result was then used to upholster a chair and made into floor cushions.

Welcome Welcome Year 5s!Year 5s!

N EARLY 400 Year 5 students from our partner primary schools came to St Mary’s for a fun-filled day of art,

drama, dance and music activities...and to learn all about ‘big school’ first hand. You can see here just what a good time they had...

G ORDON Brown and the Labour Government need not have worried if

St Mary’s students had been the only voters in the last election! We held our very own school-based version of the General Election, mirroring the scene at polling stations up and down the country on May 6. More than 1700 students were given the chance to take part in a secret ballot, and the votes were counted under strict conditions of secrecy. And the result? A ‘Labour’ landslide. Well, less of a landslide, more of an avalanche, almost completely obliterating the ‘Conservatives’! In the run-up to polling day, Year 12 Politics student candidates, representing the three main parties, took part in a St Mary’s-style ‘leaders’ debate’, addressing each of the year groups from Year 7 to Year 11. Connor McKenna, Tom Hall and Daniel Platt (pictured above right) put forward the key policies of the Conservatives, Labour and the Liberal Democrats. Then, on the day itself, every classroom became a polling station and a secret ballot was taken. The results (not at all representative of the hung Parliament elected in reality) were startling. The turnout of 75.2% would have satisfied any seasoned election campaigner, and the process of producing the final figures would have impressed any election scrutineer. 1,261 votes were cast, of which 60.19% were for the winning ‘Labour’ candidate, Tom Hall The Lib Dems came in second with 31.07% and the Tories third with 8.74%. This translated into a 37 seat majority for Labour in a Parliament of 61 seats.

St Mary’s St Mary’s decidesdecides

The final countdownThe final countdown

Sixth Formers with some of the 61 ballot boxes

Your vote was counted: Mrs Louise Moonan and SixthFormer Myles Hunter volunteered for the job

The candidates’ debate: Conor McKenna, Tom Hall and Daniel Platt

And the And the result:result: S T MARY’S ‘Parliament’ would have been

made up as follows: 49 Labour MPs, 12 Liberal Democrat MPs and no Conservative MPs at all. However, using the rules of proportional representation, the votes cast by St Mary’s electorate would have returned 37 Labour MPs, 19 Lib Dems and 5 seats for the Tories.

S IXTH form leaver Jimmy Murray has completed his first year at Trinity Hall, Cambridge, reading Geography. Here he gives us a taste of the great university city.

‘TO sum up Cambridge In five words: beautiful, competitive, exhilarating, stressful and exciting! It’s best not to blink in case you miss out on something. Every week there is another famous celebrity, politician or activist to listen to. Not to mention the plays, gigs, comedians

and events every night across the 31 colleges. Every Thursday and Sunday you can dust off your gown and go to formal dinners...the pace of life is just crazy. Just stepping outside your door, you’re met with an army of tourists carrying rucksacks and cameras, snapping away at every wall, window, arch, door, tree, duck, anything! You know who the tourists are because they are walking. No one who lives in Cambridge walks. We’d cycle to the shower if we could. ‘I was elected First Year Rep of Trinity Hall, taking a seat on the Junior Common Room Committee, and was then invited onto the college

pool team. Conveniently, the pool table in the bar, so we all get a lot of practice. As a committee member, I was invited to the Master’s Lodge for dinner. It was surreal. We were greeted with champagne and drinks were served in silver goblets more than a century old. Peering over the candles, glancing at the medieval art work, having six forks around my plate, chatting with the Master, it hit me that I was at Cambridge. Academically, however, it’s very tough, and exams nerve-wracking. Taking a seat amongst some of the brightest minds in the country, the tutors lined up in their gowns and hats, seeing the Cambridge University crest on the exam paper (just in case you’d forgotten where you were) and waiting to hear ‘begin’, is gruelling. After five three-hour exams, you don’t want to hold another pen again, ever! But then it was on to the fun and fireworks of the May Balls. ‘In the Easter holiday, I worked with the Trinity Hall Development Office, calling up alumni, updating them and trying to raise funds. Luckily I got the hang of it very fast and was promoted to the high prospect alumni list. I spoke to judges, lawyers, politicans, engineers and chief executives all over the world. The conversations were priceless. One alumnus had helped design Concorde, the Anglo-French aeroplane. I raised £7,000 from one phone call, and was awarded top performer overall, which was excellent. I’m sure it was all down to the accent, really though!’

Best not to blink in Cambridge, you Best not to blink in Cambridge, you might miss something!might miss something!

This way to the poll. Students were politically motivated on General Election day...although their choice did not agree with the country’s real voters

Jimmy at the entrance to Trinity Hall

‘We’d ‘We’d cycle cycle to the to the shower if shower if we could’we could’

Left: Miss Cross’s Year 11 Child Care students present their donation to Mr Jarvis

The Ark’s covenant to The Ark’s covenant to help the homelesshelp the homeless

W E all do it. We take our homes for granted. We cannot imagine what it’s like not to have a home to go to.

But for too many people in Wirral, that just isn’t the case...but thankfully Mr Bob Jarvis and the staff of The Ark hostel in Birkenhead are daily tackling the sad problem of homelessness. They provide beds for 37 people who have nowhere else to go. Year 11 Child Care students learned all about the project when they invited Mr Jarvis, who is The Ark’s Financial and Development Manager, to come to their class for a lively discussion about his work. Mr Jarvis explained the definition of homelessness: ‘It means not having the right to sleep where you are sleeping’ and he described the great variety of problems and challenges faced daily by the staff, most of whom are volunteers. Many homeless people are forced to seek help from The Ark because of drug or alcohol abuse. He said: ‘We try to befriend the people who stay with us, get alongside them and not judge or condemn. We regard and respect, but we also challenge, to get them to understand that they need to change things about their lives. You can’t force anyone, they have to be prepared to change.’ He told the students about ‘Joe’, a 35-year-old man he had been speaking to only that morning, who decided after 20 years of drug taking that he had had enough and just stopped. ‘Like other remarkable cases we have had at The Ark, he had seen the light’ said Mr Jarvis, who worked in a High Street bank for 34 years before joining The Ark. Later he commented: ‘Thank you for the opportunity to meet this charming and engaging class. I truly enjoyed my time with them .’

Y EAR 9 History students had a taste of what it was like to be an

19th Century slave during a special visit to the International Slavery Museum, Liverpool. They learned about the Slave Trade and examined brutal objects of the period like whips and neck rings but also had the chance to try on African costumes and sit on a tribal throne (above).

Ssh! Their Ssh! Their sponsored sponsored silence silence raised cashraised cash

M ISS Cross’s students held a two-hour

sponsored silence, a cake sale and also persuaded Child Care teacher Mr McCarthy to have his legs waxed (ouch!) in order to raise £50 which they presented to Mr Bob Jarvis of The Ark.

The purpose-built Ark Hostel, near Hamilton Square, Birkenhead, was set up in 1992 by six people in a disused church with mattresses on the floor.

It costs £25 a day to offer a homeless person a small bedroom in The Ark. The friendship is free!

The project is entirely funded by Wirral Churches and other charitable donations.

ARKANGEL is a spin-off organisation which provides ‘move-on’ supported accommodation in two-bedroom houses in Wallasey and Birkenhead.

DID YOU DID YOU KNOW?KNOW?

Find out more at: www.wirralark.org.uk

ST MARY’S ST MARY’S fashionistas fashionistas showcased showcased their talent their talent at our annual at our annual Art Art & Fashion & Fashion Show in Show in English English Martyrs’ Martyrs’ Church. Church. As you can As you can see here, see here, Chanel, Dior Chanel, Dior and Gaultier and Gaultier need look o need look o further further for the for the designers of designers of the future...the future...

S T Mary’s Showcase 2010 was made

possible by the boundless talent and enthusiasm of students and members of our Arts4U Community Arts Programme.

St Alban’s Drama Company

St Mary’s Key Stage 3 Theatre Company

St Mary’s Dance Company

Move It Community Dance Company, which is run by former students Danielle Moore and Hayley Stewart

St Mary’s Key Stage 4 Theatre Company

Community Arts Programme

Gifts galore bring Gifts galore bring joy to our partner joy to our partner schoolschool

S T MARY’s Art students made 450 colourful cotton bags (one for each student of Maryland School), and many

fundraising events in school paid for them to be filled with art materials of pens, crayons, paints, brushes and art books similar to those we use here in school, personalised for the Chito village school. Head Boy Atooshi Samuel and Head Girl Okoh Anthonia are using the bags in the picture above. So it really is a case of ‘Made in Wallasey Village, used in Chito Village’!

SEE ’All kitted out for Nigeria, page 25

Made in Wallasey VillageMade in Wallasey Village …used in Chito Village…used in Chito Village

A CONSIGNMENT of books, art materials and

c o t t o n b a g s h a v e transformed the education of hundreds of Nigerian students. The 25 large boxes, sent by air freight from St Mary’s, have been received with joy by the students and teachers of Maryland School, our partner school in Chito Village, Benue State, central Nigeria. And now, because of the new textbooks and materials, their school has been rated as the number one school in the Ukum local government area. Some of the books were donated by students and teachers, and others were nearly new textbooks which are no longer used because of changing exam specifications.

Below: Father Immanuel Kor (second from left) with Head Girl Okoh Anthonia, Head Boy Atooshi Samuel and Maryland School Principal Mr Ajiiji Simon

Thank you: Students and staff with some of the gifts.

All in the bag: St Mary’s students with some of the 450 bags made in our Art Department

Maryland School badge

S TAFF and students of Maryland School have written to thank St

Mary’s College for the gifts and fundraising of the last three years. Money raised in school events in Wallasey Village has paid for the construction of a fourth classroom in Chito Village. Father Immanuel Kor, in overall charge of Maryland School, sends a message of appreciation from his home in St Mary’s Catholic Parish, Chito, Ukum in Benue State, central Nigeria. He writes: ‘I wish to express on behalf of parents, teachers, students and parishioners my sincere appreciation of your partnership with us. We thank you very much for the textbooks and writing materials sent. The school is fast developing and new structures have been put into place.’ He added that Maryland School is now approved to enter students for British external examinations’. School Principal Ajiiji Simon writes: ‘I also wish, on behalf of the entire school, to express my profound appreciation for the hundreds of bags, Bibles and other stationery which has really helped in transforming our school for effective teaching and learning in general.’

Special thanks from Special thanks from Maryland SchoolMaryland School

When clean, fresh When clean, fresh water flowed for water flowed for the first timethe first time T HANKS to parishioners at St Alban’s, Liscard, Chito

Village now has a plentiful supply of fresh, clean water. The parish raised £5,000 to pay for the drilling of a well close to the village centre in 2007. The villagers, including women and children, no longer have to trek three miles to carry water from the nearest river. Pictured left: the scene when the first water flowed through a series of standpipes. The partnership between St Mary’s and Maryland began after the visit of local priest Fr Moses to St Alban’s. Then Head of RE Mr Stan Webster spent a week in the village, receiving the honorary tile of Chief of the Tiv people.

‘The entire members of the Press and Debating

Society of Maryland Catholic School, Chito, wish to

thank the staff and students of St Mary’s, England,

for their enormous contribution towards our academic

excellence. The gifts have really enhanced our teaching and

learning processes. We are very happy indeed for your

partnership with us. May the good Lord bless you all.

We Love St Mary’s, Chito.

We Love St Mary’s College, England!’

‘You have made our school

the best in the whole of

Benue State, Nigeria.’

Samuel Atooshi, Head Boy

Students outside the school with Fr Imman-uel Kor and Principal Ajiiji Simon

Maryland School, Chito and (inset) Fr Immanuel Kor

Right: Nigeria’s national flag

Right and below: GCSE students make the framework for their Mexican-style lanterns, which are part of the Day of the Dead festival

Y EAR 10 students learned about Mexican art by

creating lanterns and shrines to celebrate the Latin American ‘Day of the Dead’ festival, similar to our Halloween. Their project, part of GCSE coursework, began with a visit to the Bluecoat Gallery, Liverpool, where students drew inspiration from the Under the Volcano exhibition, based on the book by Wirral-born author Malcolm Lowry. Then they worked in conjunction with professional artists of the Liverpool Lantern Company , who have provided spectacular displays for the city’s Halloween processions.

Above: Liverpool Lantern Company’s Halloween procession

The GCSE project is inspired by Under The Volcano, by Wirral born author Malcom Lowry

B OMBS were about to fall on Merseyside 70 years ago,

and every family had to make a life-or-death decision. Mums and dads in Wallasey, Birkenhead and Liverpool had to decide whether or not to evacuate their children to the relative safety of the countryside, or let them face the terrors of the Blitz. German Luftwaffe bombers were soon to target the ports, shipyards and factories of Liverpool and Birkenhead, and it must have been an agonising choice. But for at least two of the thousands of evacuees, Les Jones and Arthur Hardy, getting on a train to Wales with a label on their coats and a gas mask over their shoulders was the start of a big adventure. Les and Arthur, now in their 80s, came to St Mary’s to give their personal memories of World War II to Year 10 History students. Arthur, who later became a worker at Lever Brothers’ soap factory, Port Sunlight, said the official advice to parents was to entrust their children to complete strangers many miles away. It was daunting and even scary for some children

but for him, and for fellow Lever Brothers’ employee Les, it was a largely happy experience. Between 1940 and 1941 11-year-old Arthur was sent to stay with a family in Newtown, Powys, and 10-year-old Les to a nearby farm where he sampled life as a country boy, working the land and helping to rear animals. A rare picture from the time (right) shows him holding a lamb. He said: ‘I remember pulling hay from haystacks to make bundles to feed to the animals. It was hard work, but I enjoyed my time on the farm. My sister, though, who was a year older than me, was very homesick.’ Arthur loved the Welsh mountains, too and said the people he stayed with were ‘really homely’. He remembers happy trips with them to the beach at Porthmadog. He said: 'To go on a train in those days was an adventure. It was like going to the other side of the world. But I had tinges of sadness at bedtime, thinking of my mum back home. She came to see me twice. It was a long way.’ He added: ‘There was no TV then and hardly any radio. We used to go to the cinema to see news about the war, but it was always from the previous week. It was history, not news!’

This was the damage caused by a German air raid on Wallasey in March 1941. The house, called Darley Dene, stood in Breck Road, near the crossroads with Poulton Road and Mill Lane.

At the start of World War II, posters like these advised parents to send children to the countryside

Boys of the BlitzBoys of the Blitz

Les Jones was evacuated to a farm in Wales

Les Jones and Arthur Hardy (centre) with Clarinda Fidler of Port Sunlight Museum with Year 10 History students

Above: The conference delegates outside English Martyrs’ Church.

Other pictures: viewing the impressive range of facilities in St Mary’s Hair and Beauty Academy.

Learning with styleLearning with style

Hair Hair deal deal for for PE girlsPE girls

S T MARY’S leads the field in Applied Learning courses, so no surprise that we were chosen to host

a conference to discuss recent developments within the specialism. Twenty delegates from schools across the region came to the full day event in English Martyrs’ Church and were able to see Applied Learning in action at our Hair and Beauty Academy in Wallasey Village.

The History boys and girls invade old YorkThe History boys and girls invade old York

W ORKING hard in PE lessons paid off for these Year 10 girls who all had a

complimentary hairdo, courtesy of our Hair and Beauty Academy. Head of Girls’ PE Ms Nicola Lam said: ‘They have put great effort into their PE lessons this term and I thought this would be a fitting reward!’.

G ETTING ready for a modern invasion of York were these Year 7 students, pictured here at the Leeds Armouries watching a jousting tournament and falconry displays. To further build on their classroom learning about the medieval period they donned genuine pieces of

armour, sorted through real archaeological artefacts at Dig, sampled the delights of the Jorvik Viking Centre and learned how to scream at the York Dungeon! Then our keen history students went to investigate 20th Century events at the Eden Camp Second World War Museum.

E VERY child matters at St Mary’s College! That is why we have made sure that an efficient, caring network

of support and guidance is in place for the use of all students, parents and staff. St Mary’s is totally committed to the Government’s Every Child Matters initiative which brings together schools, hospitals, social services, police and voluntary organisations in a joint effort to protect children everywhere. In St Mary’s our Pastoral Team is led by Assistant Head Mr John Lally and Mrs Janet Mills, so if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact them on 0151 639 7531 Pictured right: One of the special display boards on St Mary’s corridors.

Suspected Suspected (f)owl play!(f)owl play!

What matters? What matters? We all do!We all do!

T HERE was a bit of a flap on when Year 8 students met Wallasey’s own

Birdman, Terry Gurr. Mr Gurr brought along a barn owl, a tawny owl and the enormous Western European eagle owl (pictured left) as part of our regular extended curriculum sessions. Mr Gurr runs the Moonlight Owl Sanctuary in Seacombe.

INTERESTING FACTS: Eagle owls have a wingspan of nearly seven feet and can hunt and kill prey as large as a hare!

Knock me down with a feather! A Western European Eagle Owl, keeper Terry Gurr and Year 8 students

Strictly ballroomStrictly ballroom O UR Sixth Form leavers had a real ball when they celebrated

the end of their exams and their time at St Mary’s. More than 120 students danced the night away at the Holiday Inn, Liverpool.

Just up their Just up their (Victorian) street (Victorian) street

A SIMPLE rugby ball has helped in the fight against breast cancer. A

special relay Pass-a-thon between Wallasey schools raised more than £100 for breast cancer research. The first team started

passing the ball at The Wallasey School and headed for St Mary’s where our players took over and took the second leg to Oldershaw. Then it was on to Weatherhead and Mosslands Schools before arriving back at the starting point.

N O you’re not seeing things! A wedding really did take place in St Mary’s

College Chapel. In fact, several of them did! The ‘nuptials’ were all part of the Year 11 Religious Education course, part of which focuses on Marriage and Family. Each class staged mock weddings with a ‘priest’, ‘bride’, ‘groom’ and all the usual guests. They even cut and shared wedding cake!

Classy weddingClassy wedding

O UR Literacy Room is streets ahead of any other...as you can tell from the picture above. This stunning display of

a Victorian street was designed and made by students and staff in a mammoth joint effort of artistic creativity. If you’re passing, please feel free to pop in and have a closer look!

PassPass--aa--thon thon charity cash charity cash

Rhineland,Rhineland, sunshineland sunshineland I T was all sun and fun in the Rhineland

for Year 8 students (right) who also got the chance to practise their German language skills! They visited the town of Boppard, took a chairlift up a mountain, cruised along the Rhine, went bowling in Koblenz and souvenir shopped in picturesque towns before spending an action-packed day at Phantasialand theme park. Das war gut!

A RE you sitting comfortably?

Then we will begin! Well, as all would-be scribes know, imagination plays a large part in writing, whether it’s a novel, an essay or even just a newsy email. But good storytelling is actually a lot more difficult than anyone imagines. That is why the three short stories written by this year’s Opening Lines competition winners are so remarkable. The winning stories, which you can read at length on St Mary’s website, show great skill and flair, and not a little creativity and inventiveness. The first prize of £20 went to Year 7’s Katharine Quinn for her unsettling tale of a schoolgirl who grows wings, Hybrid of an Angel. Joint runners up, winning £10 each, were Year 10’s Shimal Nemat for Dark, the story of a blind girl who remembers being sighted, and Year 13’s Jack Murray for Hell’s Heaven, the ascerbic reflections of an award-winning writer. They received their awards from Deputy Headteacher Ms Patricia McDonough. The competition was organised by St Mary’s l i b r a r i a n s M r s S u e S i m p s o n a n d M r s K a t h y S c o t t . Read the stories in full by going to www.stmaryscollege.wirral.sch.uk and clicking on the links. But here are tasters to whet your appetite…

Winning Winning lines of lines of budding budding authorsauthors

The storytellersThe storytellers

‘All my stupid ‘All my stupid parents’ fault’parents’ fault’

‘Technicolor ‘Technicolor into darkness’into darkness’

‘Piranha‘Piranha in my in my bath…’bath…’ I T wasn’t my fault I was

different. I didn’t choose to be the way I am. Wherever I go, whoever I talk to, the same look

is always in their eyes, the same look

Mum is wearing now. Suspicion. Fear.

Mistrust. The problem was all my stupid

parents’ fault. That, and the fact that my father

was an angel. Yes, you heard me correctly. Angel.

From ‘Hybrid of an Angel ‘ by Katharine Quinn

I F you close your eyes, for at least a minute, let alone a

day, month, year or lifetime, you may just maybe feel a glimpse of what I feel. Maybe not. Because you know that whenever you want, you can open your eyes. I can’t. My eyelids are permanently shut, turning my Technicolor life into darkness.

From ‘Dark’ by Shimal Nemat

I T was a Peruvian blue-finned piranha, one of the

rarest and most dangerous fish in the world. But what was it doing in my bath? As the quip left my mouth for the third time that evening, to rapturous laughter, I might add, I knew it would have to be the last time I would say it on a chat-show, mention it in my autobiography and perhaps even have a reference to it carved on my headstone.

From ‘Hell’s Heaven ‘ by Jack Murray

Ms McDonough presents the awards to winners Katharine Quinn (right) , Jack Murray (back) and Shimal Nemat.

I T’S not every day you bump into a legendary

Olympic athlete! But that’s what happened to PE teacher Mrs Lisa Snelson during a swim coaching course at a Manchester sports centre. She left the changing rooms and bumped into none other than Olympic gold medallist Dame Kelly Holmes. When Mrs Snelson had recovered from the shock, they had a chat and posed for this picture. Said Mrs Snelson: ‘Kelly Holmes has long been an idol of mine and I was really impressed by how friendly she was. She’s also very tiny!’ Dame Kelly won gold medals in the Athens Olympics for the 800m and 1500m track events.

Dame Kelly and Mrs SDame Kelly and Mrs S

T HE Y fly through the air with the greatest of ease… the dashing young athletes

of our school trampoline team! And their expert bouncing has brought some new silverware to St Mary’s trophy cabinet. The PE students, who practise regularly in English Martyrs’ Church, beat Weatherhead and Oldershaw Schools to carry off the Wirral Schools Novice Championship shield. Year 10’s Sean Carroll (pictured below) is now one grade below national level. Sean has been trampolining for just over a year and trains four times a week at school and with Birkenhead trampolining Club. If you want to join the trampolining club, please see Mrs Snelson.

Right: Year 10’s Sean Carroll is currently training at one grade below national competition level

Sean isSean is ‘close to ‘close to national national level’level’

O UR Year 8 girls’ rounders team were narrowly beaten by just two rounders in

the final of the Wirral Girls’ Rounders tournament against Wirral Grammar School. And our Year 7 girls’ soccer team made it to the semi-finals of the Merseyside League. Their last match, against Formby High, went to golden goal, then penalties.

F ORMER St Mary’s student Peter Dunning represented Great Britain by carrying the flame to open the 2010 Paralympics in Vancouver.

The 24-year-old Royal Marine, who lost both legs in a landmine explosion in Afghanistan, was among torch-bearers who took part in a 24-hour relay to deliver the flame to the opening ceremony. For the brave Lance Corporal, it was a fitting tribute to a long and arduous recovery from the devastating injuries he received two years ago when the Viking armoured vehicle on which he was travelling hit an improvised explosive device. Peter, who was awarded the coveted Green Beret in 2006, was thrown clear while one of his fellow Marines inside the vehicle was killed and the other received extensive burns. Since that defining moment, Peter’s life

has changed irrevocably...but he continues to be a shining example of dedication and courage. Battling back from the brink of death ~ his rescue from the site of the explosion by air ambulance in Helmand Province and subsequent life-saving surgery were filmed by an ITV documentary team ~ Peter has delighted his doctors and his family by learning to walk again on prosthetic limbs. He then joined Battle Back, the military initiative which uses adventure training and sport to help Army, Royal Navy and RAF personnel return to active life. As a prospective competitor in the 2014 Winter Paralympics in Sochi, Russia, Peter was invited to Vancouver with the Great Britain team. He then tried his hand at curling, sledge hockey and (pictured below left) skiing . The highlight of the trip, however, was carrying the iconic Paralympic torch. Peter, who now works for the Royal Marines in a clerical capacity, said: ‘I carried the flame for a few hundred metres as part of the 24-hour relay. All of our names were put into a hat and, luckily for me, mine was chosen. I couldn’t quite believe it when my name was announced.

‘Actually, I couldn’t really enjoy it properly as I was too busy concentrating on not falling over or messing it up! It was great to have the Battle Back boys there as well as my girlfriend, so I felt like there was a lot of support for me. I’m very proud to have carried the Paralympic flame. It’s definitely a story to tell the kids.’

Right: Peter’s proud day in 2006 when he was awarded his Green Beret

Below: After the explosion...a visit to see old friends, pictured here with Miss Alison Keen, Peter’s form tutor for five years

Proud moment Proud moment for Marine who for Marine who lost limbs in lost limbs in Afghan landmineAfghan landmine

Paralympics honour Paralympics honour for Petefor Peterr Left: Peter carries

the Paralympic torch through the streets of Vancouver

Peter practises his waterskiing Picture courtesy of the Ministry of Defence

Peter carrying the Paralympic flame in Vancouver Picture courtesy of the Ministry of Defence

Battled Battled backback from the from the ‘brink of ‘brink of death’death’

Oh, what Oh, what a relief!a relief!

I T was a beautiful Spring day and what a relief it was for St Mary’s students to get out in the sunshine, run around the gra’, and raise

some money for Sport Relief! The idea was to do as many circuits as humanly possible in various modes of locomotion: running, hopping, rolling....great fun! They raised £200.

Going through hoops to raise money for Sport Relief. Other indoor events included cricket at the nets and badminton.

Home School Association NewsHome School Association News N O question about it. It was a great

night for general knowledge fiends! Our HSA QUIZ NIGHT had no case to answer in terms of brilliant entertainment and superb prizes, kindly donated by local businesses. Many thanks to the following for supporting our HSA School Fund: The Lighthouse Inn, the Farmers’ Arms, Co-operative Food, Framing Point and the Wallasey Village Pharmacy. And our recent CAR BOOT SALE was a tremendous success, thanks to the weather and the many people who came to buy and sell! Just some of the brain power being exercised at our HSA Quiz Night.

St Mary’s HSA meets on the first Monday of each month during term time.

The teams of The teams of their dreams!their dreams!

O VERALL winner of St Mary’s League is Philip Makinson with his team Phil’s Fab 11, with runners up Mr Steve

Cotgrave (Dylanzach United) and Mr Paul Fitzgerald (Fitzy’s Flyers 2). The FA Cup went to John Perry (Bulldogs). Other results: Year 7: Daniel Walsh (Danster United), Year 8: Daniel Weir (Merseyside United), Year 9: James Jolly (Jolly’s Blue Army), Year 10: Luke Nuttall (The Allstars’ Legends), Year 11: Niall O’Donnell (The Usual Suspects), Sixth Form: Danny Bruce (Obey City), Parent winner: Mr Walsh (FC Tutter Town), Staff winner: Mrs Jones (Jonesy’s Ponies). The Staff Booby Prize went to Mr Andrew Davies (Davies FC). For more information and how to join, visit St Mary’s website!

I MAGINE it! You’re a football manager with a mission. You have to create a

winning team. It’s all down to you. St Mary’s Fantasy Leaguers take this all very seriously indeed. The competition, for students and staff, requires skill, patience and the courage to take risks. But it’s not only about daydreaming! The Schools’ Fantasy League is a valuable educational tool. It is run in school by ICT teacher Mr John Hanson

Left: This season’s winners proudly show off their trophies: (Left) Philip Makinson of Year 11 with runners-up Steve Cotgrave and Paul Fitzgerald, both teaching assistants. Below: League organiser Mr Hanson with Philip Makinson and FA Cup winner John Perry, who is in Year 8.

All kitted out All kitted out for Nigeriafor Nigeria

St Mary’s league winners St Mary’s league winners

F OOTBALL kits have been donated by Parkfield Liscard Under 16s Club to our partner school

in Nigeria. Team members (left) have outgrown their quality team strip and want it to get a second lease of life with the students of Maryland School. Team Coach Richie Gillham, father of Year 11 student Liam Gillham, works for Morgan Ashurst Ltd on the Airbus UK North Factory Project, and has previously worked in Nigeria. He said: ‘I’ve seen young Nigerian lads so keen on football that they play in their bare feet, so it’s good to think that our kit will be of use to them.’

Donating their kit: members of Parkfield Liscard FC

ALSO ONLINE: Check out the Fantasy League World Cup winners!

St Mary’s caretaker in epic St Mary’s caretaker in epic run over Spanish mountains run over Spanish mountains

W E are more used to seeing him painting the school railings, or attending to his usual caretaking duties. But there is

another side to Dave Grimes, St Mary’s school caretaker. Earlier this month keen runner Dave with friends

Steven Brownbill and Carl Joyce took the notoriously difficult Al Andalus Ultra trail in the Spanish Andalucian mountains. They battled through five gruelling days and 230km of rough terrain in temperatures up to 45 degrees to raise £1,000 for Claire House children’s hospice, Clatterbridge, Wirral. Former soldier Dave, aged 60, (pictured left) doesn’t use his bus pass very often. He keeps fit, cycles regularly and trained intensively on the cool fells of the Lake District for the heat and dust of Andalucia. He said: ‘It’s really important to keep the body’s minerals and electrolytes stable in those temperatures, otherwise you’re gone. I really wanted to do this just for the sense of achievement, and to

raise money for a good cause. I think you have to keep a purpose in life and, for me, doing something like this has been fantastic.’ Dave served for 10 years as a corporal in the Royal Green Jackets, and saw service in Cyprus, Libya, Malaya. Singapore and Northern Ireland before taking civilian jobs for the Ministry of Defence…and joining the caretaking staff of St Mary’s. Dave completed the epic journey with friends Steven Brownbill, a production worker for Unilever, and IT technician Carl Joyce.

When the going gets When the going gets tough...tough...

F ROM the full English breakfast to Colcannon, from Yorkshire pud to Irish stew… St Mary’s has celebrated our national

days with lots of mouthwatering dishes and flag-waving patriotic fervour. Sodexo catering manager Mr John Medway said: ‘We have had great fun making our usual tempting menus even more appealing! The dishes are authentic, made in the time-honoured way, and the students have really entered into the spirit by trying different national delicacies.’ Note to our Scots and Welsh compatriots: we’re working on haggis and fried Mars bars for next St Andrew’s Day (November 30) and leek casserole for St David’s on March 1. (Just joking about the Mars bars!)

Fine foods Fine foods of of St George St George andand St PatricSt Patrickk

St George’s Day: April 23

St Patrick’s Day: March 17

Right: Dave and running mates Steven Brownbill and Carl Joyce

L IFE is certainly sweet for students in our bang-up-to-date fitness suite above the Sports Hall since we

took delivery of six professional standard exercise bikes and five rowing machines. The impressive range of equipment (pictured right with Year 8 students) has been funded through our Extended Services budget and is in constant use!

Right: Both teams have won promotion in their leagues.

It’s a double promotion for netballersIt’s a double promotion for netballers

Life is suite in PELife is suite in PE

S T MARY’S netballers have won promotion in their leagues. As of September, our first team will

be playing in the Second Division of the Wallasey League and the second team will be in the Third Division. Coach (and PE teacher) Miss Nicola Lam said: ‘As a club we have a great community spirit. We have Sixth Formers, their mothers and their teachers all playing together. We’re always looking for new members, so please come and join us!’ The ladies meet in St Mary’s on Wednesdays 4.30pm to 5.30pm.

S T MARY’S Sports Leaders have helped organise sports days and tournaments in some of our partner primary schools (pictured above at Holy Cross, Birkenhead). All our leaders have passed their FA Junior Football Organiser Award and the

Heartstart UK First Aid Award and some of them will represent St Mary’s at the Wirral Sports Leadership Academy in September.

Year 7 netballers played in a 50-

team tournament at Hafan-y-Mor,

Pwhelli

CHECK OUT OUR VIRTUAL NEWSLETTER ARCHIVEVIRTUAL NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE GOING BACK TO 2004! Visit St Mary’s website: www.stmaryscollege.wirral.sch.uk

V ICTORY at Prenton Park for our Year 9 soccer stars as they blazed a trail of glory in

the Wirral Schools Football Competition...

Match Report by Rachel Robertson, Year 9

T HE atmosphere on the coach was electric as we travelled to Prenton Park, home of

Tranmere Rovers. The support from St Mary’s fans was almost seven times that of Park High School, Birkenhead, whose cheers paled into insignificance against our loud encouragement. St Mary’s team was led out by Brett Cotton, and friendly handshakes were exchanged. The whistle went and the game started at a blistering pace as both sides tried their luck

from a distance with Kevin Mulryan coming closest with a shot that just clipped the crossbar. It didn’t take long for our boys to get into their stride and it was clear who was in control throughout the first half. Few attempts on goal were made by Park High, and any shots on target that held potential were blocked with what seemed like little effort by our excellent goalkeeper Steven Scarisbrick. As the half time whistle went, the score was still 0-0 but this was soon to change as minutes into the second half, Kevin Mulryan put the ball in the back of the net. The crowd was ecstatic and minutes later Leon Pierce followed his lead and made it 2-0. His celebration was just as impressive as he rewarded his supporters with a well-rehearsed front somersault. As the final whistle went, the cheers were deafening, and the team celebrated by diving on the ground. Now the trophy holds pride of place in St Mary’s trophy cabinet. Well done lads! There were great performances from all our players, and it is certain they gave the Tranmere Rovers’ soccer scouts plenty of ‘food for thought’!

Remember, this copy of Newsletter is not just for you, it’s for your friends and family too!

St Mary’s Newsletter is published by St Mary’s Catholic College, Wallasey Village, Wallasey CH45 3LN. Tel: 0151 639 7531 Fax: 0151 201 4514 Email: [email protected]

Our Cup glory Our Cup glory

Year 7 rugby teamYear 7 rugby team enters a new leagueenters a new league

O UR Year 7s were runners-up in the Wirral Schools Rugby Championship,

beating many well-established rugby schools like Calday and St Anselm’s. The boys, who have been playing rugby only since September, came second to Bebington High School, a specialist sports technology college, in a six-match tournament held at the Old Anselmians Rugby Club, Eastham. They also won the Emerg ing Schoo ls Nor th West Championship earlier this year. They are coached by PE teacher Mr Adam Ritchie.

St Mary's 2 Park High 0

Our Year 9 soccer squad with Head of PE Mr Steve Henshall

We did it! Raising the silverware at Prenton Park

summer 2010

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st marysarts council

arts of gold

great summer

mr sherrard

talented mr charles

community arts