Duke of Edinburgh Award Success

27th September 2019Mrs D Curtis

Over the last few weeks 33 year 10 students have taken on the Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) Award at Bronze level.  The award consists of 4 sections; physical, skill, volunteering and expedition. Students have come up with their own physical, skill and volunteering activities. They have either developed skills they already have like dancing or art skills or they have taken up something completely new such as marksmanship or photography.

The expedition section consists of two expedition’s one practice one assessed.  Students have to plan an expedition from start to finish and walk their route as a group 4-7 students.  Each group should be self-sufficient and carry everything they need and be able to navigate themselves to their planned campsite and spend a night camping before setting off on their next day of walking.

On Friday 14th June – students set off from High gate common in their groups and made their way to their campsite. The weather was awful and students realised very quickly that preparation is vital when out on expeditions. The rain was constant and very heavy at times. Students quickly put on waterproofs and some realised how important it is to have these to hand to quickly put them on.  The students battled through the very tough conditions and made it to school where they camped overnight.

They woke up very early, made breakfast, packed away and got started on their 2nd day of travelling.   The weather was a little better for them this time round and students where using the dryer weather to make up some time and get finished earlier.

Students started to arrive back to the end check point around 3pm. A whole hour ahead of schedule.

I am really impressed with the level of determination and resilience the students showed over the weekend. The conditions were extremely tough and all students battled through it and completed the expedition.  I am very proud of them all.

We are looking forward to the next expedition this academic year.

Mr Deeming

Duke of Edinburgh Organiser

Vacancy For Staff Governor

27th September 2019Mrs D Curtis

We are excited to announce that we have a vacancy for a staff governor.

The Articles of Association and Scheme of Delegation of the St Francis & St Clare Catholic Multi Academy Company requires that the local governing body must include one staff governor who has been elected by the staff at the school.

Eligible members of staff are now invited to take part in the election of this staff governor. Official nomination forms are available from Wendy Harding or from the School Website. Forms should be returned to Margaret Gallagher, Chair of Governors, no later than 12 noon, on Tuesday 1st October 2019.

For more information please see click on the links below.

Notice of Election – Staff Governor – Google Docs

Nomination form – Google Docs

Chaplaincy Commissioning Mass

27th September 2019Mrs D Ferris

On Tuesday 24th October, two members of St. Edmund’s Catholic Sixth Form represented our Chaplaincy team by attending Mass at St Chad’s in Birmingham. Students from schools across the Diocese came together to say their Chaplaincy promise, together with all the Lay Chaplains.

The journey was a difficult one due to the rain and road conditions, but we all came together to celebrate with Bishop Kenny who preceded the Mass, along with Fr Paul Whieldon the new Chaplain for the Kenelm Trust, Fr Michael Doleman the Priest for Vocations and Fr Tim Menzies the Cathedral Dean of St Chad’s. We raised the roof in song, while St. Edmund’s students, Sophie Tudor and Seren Young, carried our school banner (fresh from our pilgrimage to  Lourdes) with pride.

Bishop Kenny explained that Pope John Paul was asked by a reporter what the best event he had been to was. He responded twice ‘My Baptism’, because that was the day I became a member of the Church. He continued to speak about what we could do to follow our baptismal promises – even the act of smiling, is following what Jesus would like us to do and be.

Mrs Ferris along with other Lay Chaplains were presented with a certificate from Bishop Kenny on behalf of the Kenelm Trust for completing her qualification on Liturgy and Collective Worship.

May we continue to pray for all the Chaplaincy Teams in our schools and the invaluable work that they do.

 

Vacancy for General Catering Assistant

17th September 2019Mrs D Curtis

We have a fixed term vacancy for a General Catering Assistant, up to July 2020, for 20 hours a week.

The successful applicant will be joining St Edmunds Catholic Academy at an exciting time as we are part of the new St Francis and St Clare Catholic Multi Academy Company launching in September 2019.

We are an 11 – 18 Catholic Academy with 915 pupils on role including 112 in the Sixth Form. Situated in Compton Park, a quiet and leafy suburb of Wolverhampton, adjoining St Peter’s Collegiate School and Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Academy.

Working under the direction of the Catering Team Leader assisting with the preparation, cooking, cleaning, washing up and serving of meals to pupils and staff.

This post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service check.

For more information, please contact Reception at St Edmund’s Catholic Academy; Compton Park, Compton Road West, Wolverhampton, WV3 9DU or call 01902 558888.  Application forms can be accessed via our Academy website:  www.stedmunds.org

 Closing Date:  Thursday 19th September 2019

Interview Date: to be confirmed

For more information please visit our vacancies page.

https://www.stedmundscloud.co.uk/jobs/

Free Breakfast For All Students

9th September 2019Mrs D Curtis

As part of the National Schools Breakfast Programme (NSBP), we now have an incredible opportunity to ensure that no child at St Edmund’s starts the school day hungry.

Free bagels are available from the dining room 8.00 – 8.30am every school day.

St Edmund’s Open Evening – 10th October

9th September 2019Mrs D Curtis

St Edmund’s Catholic Academy will be holding an Open Evening 6.00 – 8.00pm Thursday 10th October.  There will be an opportunity to look around our facilities, meet staff and students, engage in classroom activities and ask those all important questions.

If you are unable to attend our Open Evening there will be tours of the academy during Open Mornings:

  • 9.00am Thursday 19 September 2019
  • 9.00am Tuesday 1 October 2019
  • 9.00am Wednesday 16 October 2019

For more information contact our Admissions Team on 01902 558888 or email [email protected]

 

 

Year 7 Sports Day

21st August 2019Miss A Kane

Friday the 5th July 2019 was a day full of friendly competition between year 7 tutor groups, however only one tutor group could win!  A range of activities took place from football to track events.  The results are as follows:

In the rounders games SS played against NS.  In total NS got 3 rounders and SS got ½ a rounder.The next game was  between CW and SI, the winner was CW. Finally SI won against SO. 

In the football match RP won 2/1 against SS,  OP lost 0/1 to SI and  CW won 3/2 against  MT.   

The team activities were followed by the track events.  In the boys A race SI came first. In the girls A race OP won. In the boys B race LF won while the girls B race was won by SI. The mixed A race was won by SI while the mixed B race was won by OP. In 7th place was CW then in 6th place was SS, in 5th place was MT, in 4th place was RP, there was no 3rd place because LF and SI drew. Congratulations to NS, the winner of the Year Seven Sports day!

 

By Abigail Mahoney

St Edmunds Battlefield Trip

21st August 2019Miss A Kane

The first day of our Battlefields trip began very early as we had to be at school at around 5.30am to then get on the coach at 6am! We stayed on the coach until we got to the Eurotunnel. When we got there we have about 20 minutes to go and buy some food and drink and then we had to get back on the coach where we continued our journey to France.We were on the Eurotunnel for about half an hour before we saw daylight again and when we did, it was very hot! From the coach we travelled to the Commonwealth War Graves. After this we visited the German trench system and looked at the use of ground, the trench construction and the problems with the trenches whilst they were fighting. We then went and dropped our bags off at our hostel and went for dinner. After dinner we went to the Menin gate and watched a last post ceremony.

On the second day, we woke up and ate breakfast; there was a variety of cereal, fruit and pastries. They also served chocolate milk, orange juice and hot drinks.  After breakfast we went on the coach and began our journey to the Somme. At the Somme, we went to the Sunken Lane, and learned about a soldier who fought there. Then we went to visit some of the graves by the Sunken Lane and saw the grave of the soldier we had learnt about.   After lunch, we went to visit the trenches and we walked across the battlefields and  went to visit a mine crater. Later we went to the Ocean Villas tea room to have dinner, which was lasagne and chips with a side of bread. Once we finished our dinner, we went back to our accommodation. When we arrived, we were given the opportunity to go on a walk, which some of us did.

On the last day, Wednesday 19th of June, we  departed our accommodation and visited the first German Cemetery called Langemarck and the tour guides taught us about how Hitler changed part of the cemetery and accidentally buried some English men.  Outside of the cemetery there was a structure made from metal that was formed into poppies.  One of the flowers was painted white and it signified that one special person in someone’s life that was in the war. We went to the St. Julien Memorial site and learned about how gas masks evolved throughout time, we then listened a reading of Wilfred Owen’s “Dulce et Decorum Est.” After this we went to the Passchendaele Museum where we went into the British and German trenches and compared the better ones. We judged that the Germans had better trenches as they were more spacious and was dug deeper which meant shells wouldn’t be able to go into the trench.  After lunch we had fifteen minutes of free time in Ypres, Belgium to buy whatever we wanted. Our trip ended went we returned to the coach to begin our return trip to England.  We arrived at school at 12pm.

 

Rowan Ridley, Maegan Rose and Grace Chihowa

Lourdes 2019: the first of many

21st August 2019Miss A Kane

The first Saint Edmunds trip to Lourdes has been deemed a success by all who participated and, according to the Principal, Mrs Hazeldine, this trip will not be the last.  She has already confirmed that she wants this to become another tradition for the school and for all who want to go. She has said she is considering increasing the amount of students who attend all future trips.

The lucky individuals who went on the one week trip joined Mrs Hazeldine and Mrs Letheren in a moving experience which included visiting the Basilica, taking part in mass, helping other pilgrims as well as many other activities which culminated in a great trip for all who went.

By Austin Jijo

Visit To Aston University Medical School

18th July 2019Mrs D Curtis
Alyssa, a member of Sixth Form, recently had the opportunity to visit  Aston Medical School, Aston University and take part in a taster session.
This event included talks from Aston Medical School academics about studying medicine and how the admissions process works.  There was an opportunity to ask questions and see more of what the university has to offer.
Alyssa really enjoyed the day.