Newsletter 19.12.2025 – St Nicholas Catholic High School

A prayer to share

Advent Prayer

Loving God,
As we come to the end of this school term,
we thank You for the gifts we have received—
for learning, friendships, challenges, and growth.

During this season of Advent,
Help us to live with generosity,
to give freely of our time, our talents, and our compassion,
especially to those who feel forgotten or in need.

As we prepare for Christmas,
may our words and actions reflect Your love.
Guide us during the holidays ahead,
and bring us back renewed, grateful, and ready to serve.

We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

A Message from our Chaplain, Mairie

Reflection and Prayer

As we come to the end of this school term and begin the season of Advent, we pause to reflect on our journey so far.

Advent is a time of waiting—but not passive waiting. It is a season of hopeful expectation. We remember a world that waited for the coming of Christ, and we remember that we, too, are called to prepare our hearts for Him today.

This term has likely brought moments of joy and success, but also challenges, disappointments, and tiredness. Through it all, God has been present—quietly inviting us to grow.

Generosity is one of the clearest ways hope becomes visible. When we have given our time, our patience, our kindness, or our forgiveness, we have made ourselves part of the Kingdom that brings light into our world. In a world that often encourages us to focus on ourselves, Advent calls us to look outward: to notice those who feel left out, overwhelmed, or in need of encouragement.

As we prepare for the celebration of Christ’s birth, may we carry with us the lessons of this term and all the people who have supported us.

Hamper Thanks

Over the past few days we have been delighted to be able to send over fifty hampers out to families across the local area. We do have some late deliveries which will go to the Foodbank in the new term and help to re-stock their supplies after Christmas. Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the collection; we have had donations left in the chapel, the staffroom and at reception. Please do be assured that every item will be welcomed by the families we support.

New Year

In the new year we may do a ‘check your cupboards’ collection for anything not used over the holidays that you may be able to spare.

Also, if there are new coats and warm clothes on the Santa list, we would be glad to find a new home for any older items in good condition. Please send them in for the Chaplain or to the chapel. Thanks again.

Parish Advent Meal celebrating our 60 year Jubilee

On Tuesday we were delighted to welcome some of our governors, parish priests and parish communities for an afternoon of entertainment by our very talented orchestra and choir. Mr Burns welcomed our guests with a reference to the exhibition of news items from the 1960s and 70s regarding the first years of St Nicholas and invited guests to leave any memories of their own about the school. This was 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, which ended with a goody bag of cards and gifts and an offer of Christmas cactus plants grown by our students. Many thanks to all the staff and students who helped to make the day very special – also Mrs Smalley and Mrs Leigh from the music team.

Christmas Carol Concert

Thank you to everyone who attended our Christmas Carol Concert on Wednesday evening. It was a truly special and memorable event, filled with wonderful singing and festive spirit. A huge thank you to everyone who helped organise and support the evening — from setting up to running refreshments, and not to mention all the performers who have spent weeks and months practising. Your hard work and dedication helped create such a beautiful evening for our school community, and it was enjoyed by all who attended.

The collection came to £72.50 for CARITAS Winter Support.

A special mention to Mrs McKenna and all the wonderful music staff who make it all happen.

Library and Literacy

Spooky Stories

Last Thursday’s Spooky Stories event was a spooktacular success. In true Dickensian fashion, we gathered around some (battery powered) candles and shared some wonderful ghost stories penned by our talented students. Inspired by the mini saga competition, we heard terrifying tales of haunted AI and pumpkin heads. Mrs Davenport is planning to collect our students’ work to develop an exclusive anthology so please remind your child to take their stories to Mrs Davenport if they want their stories to be included.

Young Writers Poetry Competition

The English department are absolutely delighted to celebrate the success of a number of our students in the Young Writers ‘I have a Dream’ Poetry competition. The students were asked to write a poem on the themes of hopes and dreams and they produced some incredible and creative work.

We are very proud of our winners across Year 7 to Year 11. Well done to Penny Lee, Alex Bilyi,, Zachary Dean, Grace Baker, Seth Eden, Scarlett Furmedge, Ava Caffrey, Patrick Fearnley, Daisie Warren and Rita Hall.

Here are some of our winners pictured with their certificates

ARC Christmas Dinner

Students in the ARC celebrated Christmas by enjoying a full Christmas dinner.

Students were all involved in the preparation of the meal, from peeling potatoes, to making pigs in blankets. They also had to consider the logistics and ensure everyone had a seat.

Students invited their form tutors, Mairie and Mr Burns to join in the celebrations.

Music

Christmas at Tatton Park

Last Friday St Nicholas Choir joined the Northern Chamber Orchestra for their annual concert at Tatton Park.

They were two truly magical concerts where music, fun and Christmas were celebrated in equal measure.

Mrs McKenna said she couldn’t be prouder of the choir. “All the hard work paid off….they were exceptional. You know they’ve excelled themselves when the professional orchestra who are accompanying them turn to applaud them!!!”

Sporting & Music Success

Piano and Cheerleading

Jamie Kay has been very busy this December.

On Friday, Jamie (7K) took her ABRSM Grade 3 piano exam and on Saturday 13th December Jamie took part the Incredibly Cool Events ‘Christmas ICE Breaker’ competition in Stoke on Trent.

Her team ‘Apex Cheer Ultimacy’ came 1st place in the under 14’s level 1 cheerleading category.

Well done Jamie for all your hard work!

Clarinet Exam result

Congratulations to Isabel Hardman (7J) who passed Grade 1 Clarinet with Merit.

That is a great result – well done!

Business Trip

Last week, our Year 11 Business students visited the Etihad Stadium — home of Manchester City — for an eye-opening look at the business behind world-class football.

The day began with a guided tour that took students from pitch-side to the players’ tunnel, and even into both dressing rooms. The contrast between the away team’s simple facilities and the home team’s state-of-the-art, luxury environment offered a real insight into psychology in sport and how environment can influence performance. Students learned about some of the subtle mind-game strategies clubs use to gain a competitive edge.

After the tour, students took part in a workshop exploring the business operations of a Premier League club. They learned how Manchester City manages its revenue streams, including ticket sales, broadcasting rights, sponsorships, merchandising and hospitality. They also discussed key expenses such as player wages, stadium maintenance and investment in training facilities.

The session tied in perfectly with topics studied in class — such as profit and loss, cash flow, and the importance of branding and the marketing mix in maintaining a global fanbase. Students also explored how a top club functions in a competitive market structure, and how strategic decisions can impact long-term success.

Overall, it was an engaging and inspiring trip that brought classroom theory to life and showcased the scale and complexity of running a major sports organisation.

PTFA

Christmas Raffle

We are delighted to share the results of this year’s Christmas Raffle, which was a fantastic success. The winners have been announced and contacted. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our school community, we raised over £2,000 in total. A huge thank you to everyone who bought a ticket and supported the raffle. We are also extremely grateful to our sponsors for donating such amazing prizes, which helped make the raffle so popular. Your continued support makes a real difference and is truly appreciated by us all.

We would also like to extend a sincere thank you to all the PTFA members who helped at the Carol Concert on Wednesday evening. It was another spectacular event and such a beautiful evening for everyone involved.

The PTFA wish you all a wonderful Christmas.

Christmas Raffle Prize Winners

Panto tickets, Storyhouse, – Matthew Rice
Abbeywood Voucher – Erin Pidsley

Beats headphones – Macy Bebbington

Fortnum & Mason hamper – Zac Butterton

2x £100 Amazon vouchers. – Jaden Parton & Sophia Dunning

D C Lomas, Winsford, Full car service voucher. – Charlotte Daniels

DC Lomas Winsford, MOT voucher – Charlie McCarthy
JD Sports Vouchers – Amy Strong

Odeon Cinema Voucher – Maisie Sharman

Currys Voucher – Aidan Redmond
Brio Leisure Voucher – Kai Lomas & George Bunby
Voucher for The Coachman Pub- Fiona O’Hanlon

Playstation 5 – Seren Hodge

Alcoholic Hamper – Parents of Oliver Rich

2 Bottles of wine – Alicia Marney

Wax melts & burner – Evangeline Grainge

Santa’s Helper

On Friday night Thomas Burston changed from being a regular St Nicholas student to being a fully fledged elf.

He regularly volunteers at St Wilfrid’s Primary School’s after school club and when they asked him to help father Christmas he jumped at the chance. Thomas had a great afternoon making sure Santa and all the Primary school children were happy.

Careers

Apprenticeship Opportunities in Banking & Finance

Click here

Apprenticeship webinar with Dunelm – January 2026

Click here

Community Notices

Tuesday Art club for 11 to 16 year olds

At Hartford Village Hall

Dream Big Art Club

Mondays at Sandiway Library

www.facefamilyadvice.co.uk

Christmas Holiday Club

Christmas Holiday Club

CWaC Parent and Carer Forum

Newsletter

Attendance

Everyone matters – so attendance matters

Upcoming dates

Monday 5th January INSET DAY
Tuesday 6th January SCHOOL REOPENS
Thursday 8th January Year 10 Parents’ Evening 4.15 – 7.30pm
Monday 12th January Year 10 & 12 Work Experience / Year 13 Exams commence
Tuesday 13th January Year 8 Retreat Day
Wednesday 14th- 16th January Year 7 Residential
Friday 16th January Year 10 & 12 Work Experience finish/ Year 7 Residential returns at 2pm
Wednesday 21st January Drama trip to London departs
Thursday 22nd January Drama trip to London returns
Friday 23rd January Year 13 Exams finish
Wednesday 28th January Whole School Photo / Intermediate Maths Challenge Years 9, 10 & 11

Click here for future dates

Click here to download 2025-26 Holiday Dates

Click here to download 2026-27 Holiday Dates