Message from our Chaplain Mairie
My thanks and prayers for all your support over this first term. We have just delivered several hampers to parishes and schools as well as supporting the local Foodbank. We have also completed hundreds of Christmas Cards for a local charity – Snow Angels – to send to people living alone or without family. Here is a reflection by Pope Francis from one of his Advent homilies –
The Lord comes; we know that over and above every favourable or adverse event, the Lord does not leave us on our own. He came 2,000 years ago and he will come again at the end of time, but he also comes today into my life and into yours. Yes, this life of ours, with all its problems, anxiety and uncertainty, is visited by the Lord. This is the source of our joy: the Lord has never tired and will never tire of us, he wants to come, he wants to visit us. Let us welcome him.
A Blessing for Christmas
The light of the Christmas star to you,
The warmth of home and hearth to you,
The cheer and good will of friends to you,
The hope of a childlike heart to you,
The joy of a thousand angels to you,
The love of the Son,
And God’s peace to you.
Amen
Christmas Eve: Mass at St Mary’s 6.30pm, preceded by carols from 6.00, 10.00pm
We have lots of wonderful prizes that will be making their way to our lucky winners.
We would like to give a special mention to the Grainge, Lomas, Price, Whitton, Bickerton and Deakin families for their kind contributions. Thank you also to Tracey Sandbach, our Catering Manager, for her kind contribution.
PTFA Chair
We politely request that any outstanding bus or catering balances be settled on or before Monday 20th December.
All Year 11 students have been handed their reports either Thursday or Friday this week. Any students who have been absent will receive their reports in the post. Reports can also be viewed in the Sims Parent App.
Any queries, please email the subject teacher in the first instance.
Following the success of our Interform Languages and Interform Bake Off, the next competition is now on!
Merci and Gracias to everyone who entered the MFL Christmas Card Competition.
Harry Dutton – 7V
Naomi Kirwin – 7R
Esmie Roberts – 7K
Oscar Daly – 8T
Victoria Morek – 8T
Phoebe Brown – 8R
Naomi Kilshaw – 8R
Sara Gasparini – 8W
Thank you to our hardworking and talented kitchen team who served hundreds of delicious Christmas lunches this week.
Well done to the students who have been working on their short stories this half term. Some fantastic stories are emerging! Hopefully, we will be able to share them with you in the New Year.For your information, CWAC council has allocated funded to the following third-party organisations within the borough to assist families who may benefit from some financial support for food, fuel or other essentials through the winter
Weaver Vale Housing Trust has a wide range of employment support services available to both its tenants and also the wider community. Please click here for more information on the free, friendly support services they have to offer.
We had a wonderful evening at the Christmas Concert on Wednesday night. The vast display of talent was showcased in a friendly and festive evening of music and readings.
It was great to be able to invite a limited number of parents in – we hope it will not be too long before we are able to do that again.
Well done to all the students and staff taking part. A special thank you to Mr Rushworth, Mrs Smalley, Mrs Gelling and our Director of Music, Mrs H. McKenna who planned the evening and have rehearsed tirelessly over the past few months.
On Friday 10th December St Nicholas Catholic Choir performed at Tatton Park alongside the Northern Chamber Orchestra. It was a fantastic performance and we had amazing feedback from the audience as well as the orchestra.
Yeahlifestyle wrote the following:
“After a second piece from the Orchestra, they were joined on stage by the immaculately presented Choir of St. Nicholas Catholic High School and conductor Helen McKenna. Their wonderfully harmonised rendition of ‘It’s the most wonderful time of the year’ filled the room with joy. Two sensitive, quieter pieces, including ‘Do you hear what I hear’ by Noel Regney and Gloria Swayne, followed, demonstrating some of the range of the Choir”
Click here to read the full review
honorarymancblog wrote:
“More beautiful a sound was the St Nicholas Catholic High School choir, conducted by the School’s Director of Music, Helen McKenna, who together filled the room with their beautiful voices and melodies and complimented the orchestra wonderfully, forming a marvelous, musical partnership.”
Click here to read the full review
We are very proud of the choir – the effort, time and dedication they have put into this performance has been commendable and the final result spoke for itself.
Library and Literacy
Give the gift of Reading for Pleasure this Christmas
The benefits of reading for pleasure for the emotional and intellectual development of children and teenagers have been widely researched and reported. Matar (2017) noted that literature, specifically, books “develop our emotional, psychological and intellectual life, and, by doing so, show us how and to what extent we are connected.” Far from being a passive activity, La Marca and Macintyre (2006) argue that rich reading of literary texts is “imaginatively, intellectually, emotionally challenging, demanding, comforting and consoling”.
With this in mind, what could be a better stocking filler this Christmas than a good book? See below for some great new titles for younger and older readers.
Music Department Congratulations…
Eve Gavin Grade 8 Saxophone Distinction
Jefferson Jones Grade 3 Piano Distinction
Jefferson Jones Grade 3 Guitar Merit
Wonderful achievements – well done to both students!
Instrumental lessons will resume in school from 10th January 2022. Timetables will be issued on Thursday 6th January.
During this term we have restored our focus on recall and retrieval
– one of our key foundations for learning. The activities we have
been delivering in the classroom and during the Learn 2 Learn
sessions I have delivered to each Year group are to encourage the
act of ‘practicing remembering.’
Please click here for further information as well as hints and suggestions.
There will be no co-curricular clubs on the first week back.
Sessions will resume week commencing 10th January.
BANK HOLIDAY – SCHOOL CLOSED TO PUPILS – Monday 3rd January 2022
INSET DAY – SCHOOL CLOSED TO PUPILS – Tuesday 4th January 2022
SCHOOL REOPENS – Wednesday 5th January 2022
Year 12 & 13 Exams commence – Wednesday 5th January 2022
Year 10 Parents’ Evening Virtual – Thursday 6th January 2022 (4.15 – 7.30pm)
PTFA Meeting – Monday 10th January 2022 (6.15 – 7.15pm)
St Wilfrid’s Presentation Evening for Year 6 – Thursday 13th January 2022 (6.30pm)
Year 12 Exams finish – Friday 14th January 2022
Year 13 Exams finish – Monday 17th January 2022
Year 12 Work Experience – Monday 17th – Friday 21st January 2022
St Vincent’s Presentation Evening for Year 6 – Tuesday 18th January 2022 (6.30pm)
Year 7 Residential – Wednesday 19th – Friday 21st January 2022 (2pm)
For future dates click here
“Everyone matters, so attendance matters”
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