Newsletter 18.12.2023

Message from Headteacher Mr C Burns

Dear Parents and Carers,

It has been another exciting and enjoyable term at St Nicholas Catholic High School. Your children continue to impress me with their hard work, enthusiasm and commitment, not only in the classroom but with the way in which they represent us in many arenas beyond the school.

The majority of our students arrive to school dressed for learning and visitors to the school often comment on how smart our students look and how welcoming they are. I certainly agree. There are, however, a minority of students who aren’t in the correct uniform – it is rare to see this here, but can I remind you to ensure that your child is sent into school in the correct uniform when we return in January. You can find our uniform policy here.

This term, we have spent some time reviewing our pastoral system and when we return after the break, we are looking forward to moving one step closer to putting together our final proposals. The aim is to enhance the wellbeing of all students and ensure they have everything they need to thrive and be successful. I am so pleased that many of our students in the 6th form have already completed their Mental Health Aid course and have plans to develop this work further next term.

Our School Improvement Adviser has visited several times this term and I am pleased to share some of his feedback with you following his walk around school:

Students are proud members of the school community.
Consistently good learner behaviour was observed across the school.
Pupils were well engaged in a range of activities.
Uniform standards are high.
Learners show very high levels of respect for the school environment.
No examples of deliberate damage or graffiti were observed.
Displays fully reflect and enhance the Catholic ethos of the school and the work of pupils is well used.
Pupil movement around the school is calm and orderly.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support and for the positive feedback you send into us on a regular basis.

I wish you and your families a safe and happy Christmas.

Best wishes,

Craig Burns

Headteacher

Message from our Chaplain Mairie

No stopping St Nicholas as we move towards the end of term! On Tuesday we welcomed sixty guests from our local parishes for an afternoon of entertainment by our orchestra and choir, followed by a lovely Christmas lunch and mince pie cooked up by our catering staff. Sixth form students prepared the afternoon by decorating and setting up the canteen in true Advent spirit, welcoming our guests and serving teas and coffees as well as waiting on for the main courses. It was a lovely afternoon for everyone concerned.

On Thursday, we welcomed Fr Paul and Deacon David from St John Vianney Parish, to celebrate our Whole School Advent Masses. These celebrations give us time to pause and reflect on our year and to appreciate all that we have done as a school. Our beautiful artwork painted by our lunchtime Art Club created a lovely Advent mood in the hall. The music was excellent as ever, with many students volunteering to sing and play for the Mass. The readers, from across all year groups, shared the message of scripture and our prayers for the community and the world. Thanks to all the school staff, especially those behind the scenes, who make these events go so smoothly.

At the same time, we have been welcoming students into the chapel over the past few weeks for their Advent service which reflected on the positive powers of the Advent candles. Traditionally, these stand for Hope, Peace, Joy and Love. We considered that the world certainly needs more of these powers and that we should take the opportunity to be Advent agents whenever we can.

Over the past few weeks, the chapel has also started to fill up with our hamper donations. Thank you to everyone who has contributed. The hampers will be going out next week, when we finish. We will also arrange for any remaining items to go to the Foodbank in the new year, when they will be welcomed to replenish the stocks.

Thank you for all you r support with the various charity initiatives that we hold in school, It is very much part of our Catholic Ethos that we encourage our students to grown in mindful kindness and generosity, as well as their academic, sporting and creative gifts.

The St Nicholas Award

Once again we have ended the term by handing out the prestigious St Nicholas Award. This was done in year assemblies over the past week and we are extremely proud of all the deserved winners.

AIM

To continue to build a sense of community around the Gospel Values and to encourage all students to act in the ‘spirit’ of St Nicholas. In doing this, positive behaviour that has previously gone un-noticed will be celebrated around school.

THE AWARD

A permanent badge that can be worn on your blazer. You will be able to earn this badge only once.
Your name will be displayed on a board in our main reception area for the following term.
We will write home to your parents to celebrate your success with them.

Well done to the following students:

Kingsley Davenport – Year 7
Seth Eden – Year 7
Riley Hickson – Year 7
Bianca Onutu – Year 8
Melvin Kimuli – Year 8
Annabelle Hartley – Year 8
Jonah Ashworth – Year 9
Oleksandr Bilyi – Year 9
Elliot Lloyd – Year 9
Norrie Powell – Year 10
Sinead Garrard – Year 10
Chloe Yip – Year 10
Matthew Hitchen – Year 11
Imogen Cooke – Year 11
Marco Azakli – Year 11

Tatton Park Christmas Concert - message from the Chair of Governors

Here is a taste of the beautiful sound from the choir and orchestra at the concert.

Chamber Choir at Tatton – message from the Chair of Governors

One of the lovely side benefits of being Chair of Governors at St Nicholas is to attend events where our fabulous choir are singing. Last Friday’s performance with the Northern Chamber Orchestra was one of their best yet with them performing a lovely selection of Christmas pieces.

Looking forward to hearing them again. Well done Mrs McKenna and Choir.

Mr C Mottram

Christmas Carol Concert in school tonight

Christmas Carol Concert

Join us for our annual Christmas Carol Concert tonight, Monday 18th December at 6.30pm.

Coffee and tea available from 6pm.

Sixth Form Alumni Social Event

Sixth Form Alumni Social Event

On Friday St Nicholas held our first ever Alumni Social event. The evening was a huge success as we welcomed around 160 past Sixth Form students to Winnington Park Rugby Club. It was amazing to see so many students who still feel that pull towards being a part of the special St Nicholas family. They all spoke so highly of their time at school and especially in Sixth Form, and an endless list of teachers who would always go above and beyond for them.

Click here for more photos

Christmas Disco

Christmas Disco

On Tuesday night Year 7s and Year 8s had a great time at the disco. It was a great success – thank you to our amazing Sixth Formers for running it. Even Santa turned up, showing off some groovy dance moves.

Christmas Lunch

Christmas Lunch
On Wednesday our talented catering team worked extra hard to serve Christmas lunch to us all. Both staff and students agreed that is was delicious! Year 7 were first in the canteen for an extended lunch break. Over the course of an hour over 400 roast turkey dinners were served.

Message from our Year Leaders

Year 7
Year 7 have made a fantastic start in their first term at St Nicholas Catholic High School! They have settled into new routines and life in secondary school with ease, and regularly demonstrate what it means to be a student at St Nicholas in their actions and behaviour around school.

They have been actively involved in a wide variety of clubs and activities, of which there’s been lots of success in competitions and fixtures against other schools!

I wish them all a very merry and restful Christmas and look forward to welcoming them back in January where we will be getting to know each other even more on the Year 7 Residential.

Mrs L Forsey

Year 8

What a super start we have had to the academic year. A few highlights for me so far;

Year 8 have an appetite for reading and have been school reading champions .

Christmas card competition has been won by 3 year 8, showing off their amazing art talent.

Many students are in the school choir and band showcasing their many talents during the various music nights and Tatton Park.

I am immensely proud of the year group and what they are achieving in and outside of school. They are a pleasure to spend time with and I hope that they all have a restful Christmas break.

Mrs N Azakli

Year 9

Well done to everyone who has worked hard this term and to all of your who have contributed to whole school achievements including sports, student voice, choir, supporting masses and volunteering. It was fantastic to see so many of you being celebrated in our rewards assembly both in Subjects and in wider school life. I am also proud that we hold the “official” title as the best year group for singing during hymn practises!

Mrs C Rexha

Year 10
The pupils in Year 10 have made a fantastic start to their GCSE courses and they have shown an ever growing maturity and a dedicated approach to their studies. This has been shown through their results from their latest assessments show that they are on target to make excellent progress! They are setting an excellent example for the rest of the school! The rewards assembly was a lovely opportunity to celebrate the many achievements of the pupils this year and it was great to see so many different pupils nominated for so many awards showing how much they are thriving!

In the new year they can look forward to many exciting opportunities starting with careers speakers coming into school as part of their Mission Day as they look towards their futures. There is also the Year 10 retreat later in the year to Savio House in Macclesfield and Soli near Stoke on Trent. This experience aims to expand students’ understanding of themselves, their relationships with others and to aid their spiritual growth. In keeping with our school’s Catholic Ethos, the retreat’s themes will be explored through prayer and collective worship and a variety of fun activities. I would encourage as many pupils as possible to secure a place on this trip as every year the pupils have such a great experience!

Wishing you all a happy Christmas and some well-deserved rest and relaxation! Thank you for your daily dedication to your work and each other. Looking forward to the new challenges that await us next year!

Mr A Noone

Year 11

Wow. What an exciting and tiring first term Advent term has been, time flies in y11!!!

We have enjoyed being in the crypt at break and lunch and have enjoyed some games of scrabble and more activities are to come…

Sadly the Y11 football team were unable to defend the Cheshire cup that we won last year, a great game form all involved. Never mind boys, onwards and upwards.

Our students have been working hard towards their mock exams and we have had some brilliant results that bode well for next summer. Mocks are the practise that help us all identify the areas that students need to work on to ensure the best possible results next year. Lots to do but one thing is clear, we need to be in every day to maximise our learning.

We have been working hard in tutor time preparing for college applications and interviews as well as supporting the Christmas hamper appeal.

We celebrated some fantastic effort and achievements in our rewards assembly, congratulations to all who received a reward and smarties (because you are smart!)

We are looking forward to celebrating our last Christmas mass together as we think about and reflect on Christmas and how it will be for different for many of us this year, in school, in our community and throughout the world.

The next year will be a challenge and we are all hoping to strive and thrive as we ‘dig deep’ and live our Gospel values, trying to be the best version of ourselves through our studies and in our lives.

Have a happy and peaceful Christmas.

Mrs S Fish

Year 12 & 13

Students within St Nicholas Sixth Form have had a great start to the academic year during this term. Our year 12 students have settled extremely well and have made an impressive start to their A Levels and all the demands that come with studying the subjects they are passionate about at this level. Our Year 13 students have been making their applications to Universities and Apprenticeships, many of whom have received offers from all over the country. Thier focus will now begin to shift towards preparing themselves for their external exams in the summer, starting with their Mock Exams in January.

The Sixth Form community has also had a brilliant term raising money for through their Character Day for Make a Wish Foundation and more recently for Save The Children with our Christmas Jumper Day. There’s no doubt both year groups will enjoy a well deserved rest over Christmas and we look forward to welcoming them all back on the 3^rd January to begin 2024 with the same level of enthusiasm they have shown in 2023.

Mr T Bradley

MFL News

MFL Christmas Card Competition

Thank you to all linguists who took part in our Christmas Card competition. The winners are Joshua Birch (8T), Chloe Chui (8J) and Klara Krzyzanowska (8T)

Well done!

Joyeux Noël and Feliz Navidad to all!

MFL Rewards
This Term, the MFL Department have been rewarding good work and effort in class with raffle tickets. We are pleased to announce that the winners were Phoebe Brown (10R), Luca Carter (7V) and James Thorpe (7B.).

Congratulations to these students and all those that were rewarded in class this Term. Please see Mrs McAleenan for your prizes.

Science Success

British Science Association Awards

Over the course of 10 hours, a team of 8 Students from Science Club chose their area of interest, designed their own investigation into plant nutrition and recorded their findings. This gave them a taste of what it is like to be a scientist in the real-world. We are proud of the work these Year 8’s put into this and their ongoing commitment to be leaders in Science. This Bronze Crest Award from the British Science Association has real significance and is highly respected. We hope they may choose, in future, to complete a Silver or Gold Award. Thank you to the PTFA for funding this project, we appreciate the support.

4 students pictured with their certificates: Ka Lai Fong, Sophia Cahill, Lillianna Lorys and Fflur Pidsley

Others who received the Bronze Crest Award: Ratifah Namatovu, Chloe Chui, Anna Mulliner, Annabelle Hartley

Sporting Success

Year 7 Boys and Girls Football

On Monday evening, both the Year 7 boys and girls’ football teams travelled to Rudheath Senior Academy to represent the school in the Vale Royal Schools’ 5 a-side competition. Both teams played some fantastic football on the night, the boys remaining unbeaten in the competition and not conceding the entire evening. They beat Hartford High School 2-0 in the final to be crowned champions! They will now go on to represent the district in the Cheshire Schools’ 5 a-side competition in the New Year. The girl came away with a very respectable 4th place after some tough matches

Christmas Raffle

PTFA Christmas Raffle

A huge thank you to everyone who bought a ticket for the Christmas raffle. We raised £1244 which is one of our best results in recent years.
So a big thank you to our lovely community for your support and to the generous donations of prizes from local businesses and parents.

The lucky winners have been drawn and notified.

We hope you have a truly wonderful Christmas & a very peaceful new year.

Your PTFA

PTFA – Your school lottery

This week’s jackpot winning number is:
784705

One of our supporters won £14.70 in the draw! 😀 🎉

Thank you to our supporter for your kind donation.

If you haven’t signed up yet visit our lottery here – https://www.yourschoollottery.co.uk/lottery/school/st-nicholas-catholic-high-school

Library and Literacy

Winter Mini Challenge for year 7s

Looking for a challenge over the Christmas holidays? Year 7s may be familiar with the Reading Agency’s Summer Challenge run in partnership with public libraries every year. This year, they’re also running a mini Winter Challenge from 1^st of December to the 19^th February. Students can take part via their local library or join through the following website https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/

Author Retweets

Congratulations to Grace Baker in year 7 who had S J Wills, author of Bite Back, retweet her fabulous alternative book cover. If you want the chance to get your work retweeted by your favourite authors, come and join in the activities, every Friday lunch time in Book Club. If we’re luckily, we might even get to meet S.J. Wills at the Cheshire Book Awards Finals next year.

Magazines on Sora

More Sora news this week. We now have access to over 400 magazines via the app. There are teen magazines, Match of the Day, Fortnight and Minecraft magazines, The Week, National Geographic and How it Works to name but a few. It’s the perfect resource for the Christmas period. There are food magazines full of Christmas recipes, fashion mags for those wanting to avoid the Christmas jumpers this year, gadget magazines for last minute gift inspo and alstrology magazines for anyone looking to the sky to spot Father Christmas making his way over Cheshire on Christmas Eve. Remember, the log on details are the same as the students use to log on to the laptops at school and the service is completely free of charge.

Travel Safety

Travel safety

As many of you are aware, the time of the Knutsford train at the end of the day was recently brought forward. As a school we have accommodated this by ensuring students are punctual in leaving the classroom at the end of the day and are dismissed on the bell. Please do remind students that they should be conscious of their own road safety following leaving school and should make their way home in a sensible and timely manner.

However, please do remember some key advice when travelling by train:

Community Notices

Free Winter Holiday activities for Children and Families with SEND.

Please click here for further details

Cheshire West and Chester Parent and Carers Forum help and support families with Leaning Difficulties and SEND.

Click here to read their Newsletter full of activities, advice and useful information

Useful Contacts

Live Well Cheshire West – https://www.livewell.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

Information Advice and Support Service (IASS) – Tel 0300 123 7001 https://www.livewell.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/Services/1279

SEN Team – Tel 0151 337 6505
senteam@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk

Starting Well – http://www.startingwell.org.uk/

West Cheshire 0-16 CAMHS Tel – 01244 393200
https://www.cwp.nhs.uk/services-and-locations/services/west-cheshire-0-16-camhs/

IPSEA- Call-in Helpline Tel- 0300 22 5899
https://www.ipsea.org.uk/Pages/Category/service-overview

CONTACT Advice Line -Tel-0808 808 3555
https://contact.org.uk/

Upcoming dates

Monday 18th December Christmas Carol Concert 6.30pm
Tuesday 19th December SCHOOL CLOSES – 12.30pm
Tuesday 2nd January – INSET day
Wednesday 3rd January – STUDENTS BACK IN SCHOOL
Monday 8th Jan PTFA Meeting 5.15-6.15pm
Tuesday 9th Jan Year 10 Parents’ Evening 4.15 – 7.30pm
Friday 12th Jan Year 13 Exams commence
Wednesday 17th Jan Year 7 Residential departs.

Click here for future dates

Attendance

“Everyone Matters – so attendance matters”

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