Issue 58 Feb 2021

Belfast Youth Forum

Congratulations to Leah Browne who has been selected as a member of Belfast Youth Forum.

Young people make up a third of the population of Belfast, making it one of the youngest in Europe. Belfast Youth Forum was set up to give young people a say in how the city is run. The forum is made up of 40 young people from communities across Belfast.

Members are aged between 13-18 and are a Forum member for two years. The forum focuses on campaigns such as poverty, mental health, relationship education and racism and diversity.

Rotary Young Writer Competition Congratulations to Sarah Nichol and Rachel O’Hara, intermediate and senior winners of the Rotary Club of Newtownabbey Young Writer Competition. The judge was very impressed with all entries received but with the two winners in particular, describing Sarah’s script as a ‘remarkably accomplished piece of work’ and Rachel’s as a ‘lively and engrossing read’.

Duke of Edinburgh Awards Congratulations to our latest recipients of bronze Duke of Edinburgh Awards: J Bell, A Close, J Cruickshank, H Diamond, M Duff, K Finlay, J Glass, M Jardine, G Komath, S Laughlin, K Lyness, F Martin, P Nowok, J Poirier, M Rock and R Whittley.

QUB Pathway Opportunity Programme 2021 Congratulations to Sophie Crumlin who has been accepted onto the QUB Pathway Opportunity Programme 2021 for Law. The Pathway Opportunity Programme has been supporting students since it began in 2017. Since then, it has seen over 600 students pass through its Pathways, receiving support in study and academic skills, university applications and confidence building activities. The Pathway Opportunity Programme gives students the chance to study a little of their chosen subject on campus at Queen’s University Belfast in order to prepare them for the transition to university life. By participating in the Pathway Opportunity Programme, students have the chance to:

Receive a bursary to help with their studies at QUB; Meet like-minded students and get to know a range of

Academics and staff; Attend a Summer School; Improve and build a range of skills such as study skills,

confidence and knowledge; Get support and help with applications and transitioning

into University life.

Northern Ireland Science Festival - Tim Peake in Conversation Fifty of our Year 8 and Year 9 pupils attended this virtual event on 12 February. Many of our pupils submitted questions and hoped they would be answered by Major Tim!

BBC NI School Soloist of the Year 2021 This year BBC NI School Choir of the Year became School Soloist of the Year as school pupils, once again, demonstrate their incredible vocal talents. Due to restrictions surrounding choral singing and the mixing of large groups, BBC NI asked schools to enter their best vocalists in the search for BBC NI’s School Soloist of the Year. Congratulations to Eoin, Beth and Maeve (junior) and Charys, Neve and Lucy (senior) who represented Belfast High School in the competition this year. Each submitted a recording of 2 contrasting pieces which will be judged on intonation, tone, quality, diction, interpretation of music and text, dynamics, phrasing and communication. Special congratulations to Lucy who has been shortlisted to compete in the first stage heats of the competition. Lucy’s entries were When She Loved Me (Toy Story 2) and I’d Give My Life For You (Miss Saigon).

Congratulations to:

Charys O’Rourke on passing her grade 8 singing with distinction. Charys is pictured with her music tutor Melanie Topley.

Zak McConaghy on passing his grade 7 drums with distinction.

Sophie Hueston who successfully auditioned for the National Youth Choir of Northern Ireland.

Friends of Belfast High School

Christmas Trees

The Friends sold Lodgepole Pine Christmas trees supplied by Glenwherry Trees in December.

Trees were pre-ordered and collected from the school bus park on Friday 4 December between 5.00pm and 6.30pm.

The Friends would like to thank everyone who supported the Christmas Tree sale which raised just over £400.

Bake Off Winners Congratulations to Holly (Winter Wonderland), Katelyn (Mud Track) and Lara (Harry Potter), winners of our Class 8GW January Bake Off competition. Fabulous baking girls!

Winter Wonderland

Harry Potter

Mud Track

Offshore Presented with 2020 Awards Education Minister Peter Weir visited Belfast High School on 15 October to present members of our Young Enterprise company Offshore with their NI Company of the Year and UK Company of the Year Runner-Up 2020 awards. Pictured with the team were: Mr Peter Weir, Minister of Education, Department of Education Mrs Charlotte Weir, Principal, Belfast High School Mr Tim Brundle, Young Enterprise Chair and Director of Research and Impact, Ulster University Ms Carol Fitzsimons, MBE, Chief Executive, Young Enterprise NI Ms Jane Hanna, Development Manager, Young Enterprise NI

8G Lara and Callum 8C Katy and Lauren 8R Tania and Ailsa 8D Lydia and Evan 8BW Holly and Alex

9E Jessica and Ethan 9M Leah and David 9P Emma and Jack 9T Lauren and Evan 9W Beth and Jack

Form Captains Our Year 8 and Year 9 Form Captains for 2020-21:

Staff Health and Wellbeing/Staff Association In November our Staff Association organised a ‘Step up to Christmas’ challenge and treat day for staff. Thirteen teams of 3 competed in our challenge and walked a total of 16,310,804 steps in just under 6 weeks – AMAZING! All teams walked over one million steps but congratulations go to the Red Hot Chilli Steppers (Mrs Cosgrove, Mrs Millar and Mrs Bell) who won the challenge with their team total of 1,638,240 steps. All staff also received a little treat from the Staff Association during the last week of the Christmas term which was enjoyed by all!

Anti-Bullying Week It was great to see so many odd socks on display to celebrate Anti-Bullying Week in November!

Accelerated Reader Congratulations to our Year 8 and 9 millionaire and multi-millionaire readers from term 1. The pupils have read in excess of one or two million words and completed and passed quizzes on each of the books they have read.

Multi-Millionaire: I Kirkland (2,096,698 words – 23 quizzes taken / 23 passes)

Millionaires: S Greer, A Elliot, O Delaney, E Hamilton, L McCoy, A Green, S Nichol, E Dorman, G Higginson.

Foodbank Donation Thank you to all of our KS3 pupils who contributed to our Newtownabbey Foodbank donation which was delivered to the Foodbank in December. A letter was received on 4 February thanking the school for the 301.6 kgs of food which had been donated. Life at the Foodbank was extremely busy in December, with 421 Christmas hampers being delivered. From April to December the Foodbank fed 4699 people (including 2068 children), which exceeded the previous full year by 1333 and it is expected that this need will continue due to high unemployment as we live through this difficult time.

1st XI Kit Sponsor We were delighted to welcome Mrs Joanne Mahood of Decor Interiors NI to the school on 26 November to present our 1st XI with their new kit. Captain Dara Devine and the 1st XI team would like to thank Mrs Mahood and Decor Interiors for their sponsorship this year and hope it won’t be long until competitive fixtures can begin once again. Decor Interiors, 324 Antrim Road, Glengormley, is a family-run business, offering the best furniture, home accessories, wallpapers and paints at great prices.

Former Pupil Success Congratulations to Paul Stirling, Ireland Vice Captain, who has become Ireland’s all-time leading run-scorer across all formats and most ODI 100s (12).

Netball News Congratulations to Year 13 pupil Jill Smiley on her selection for the Netball NI inaugural Emerging Warriors training group 2020-21.

IFA UEFA Elite Youth Academy Congratulations to Year 12 pupils Alex Henderson, Billy McDowell and Josh Roney who were presented with their U16 School Boy International Caps by Academy Elite Performance Director Mr Jim Magilton at the end of term awards held on 15 December. This is a first cap for Alex and Billy and second cap for Josh. The boys attend Northern Ireland’s only full-time residential academy for elite young footballers. Twenty-nine students from across the country are currently signed up to the Irish Football Association-run academy, based at Ulster University’s Jordanstown campus.

PE Department - Lockdown Challenge Winners Congratulations to all of our KS3 challenge winners. Pupils are taking part in weekly challenges involving wall-sits, press-ups, timed activities, daily steps, throwing and strength activities and escape room, burpee and teabag challenges. Well done Abby, Archie C, Archie M, Beth, Caleb, Cameron, Ethan, Gabrielle, Leah, Lily, Madison, Matthew H, Matthew F, Rebecca and Sophie.