A huge congratulations to all the St Edmund’s pupils who took part in the Wolverhampton Year 7 & 8 Schools Dodgeball Championships on November 8th! Every participant represented the academy with great pride and demonstrated incredible resilience throughout the competition. Well done to all!
Last Saturday, two teams of our talented pupils from Years 9â11 represented our school with pride in the preliminary round of the Royal Society of Chemistryâs Top of the Bench competition. Facing strong contenders from across the region, our teams tackled a series of challenging written questions with determination and skill.
The event, hosted at Coventry University, also provided an exciting opportunity for the students to tour the universityâs impressive labs and facilities, gaining insight into a range of courses on offer.
Both teams performed brilliantly, and we are incredibly proud of their hard work and commitmentâespecially on a weekend! Every participant received a certificate and a goody bag as a token of appreciation for their efforts.
We are thrilled to announce that at least one of our teams has progressed to the regional final, which will take place at the University of Birmingham in January. We wish them every success as they prepare for this next exciting challenge!
Exploring Careers Through Curiosity and Fun
Yesterday, our Year 7 students participated in an exciting “Guess My Job” careers event. Students were challenged to guess the professions of visiting employers based on appearances alone!
Careers Represented:
The professionals who joined us spanned a diverse range of industries, including:
- Animal Care Officer
- Chartered Architect
- Police Careers Advisor
- Manufacturing Engineer
- Residential Officer
- Doctor
- Cybersecurity Specialist
- Civil Engineer
- Paramedic
- Lawyer
Breaking Stereotypes and Inspiring Futures
Students were highly engaged in the activity, which encouraged them to rethink stereotypes about various sectors. The interactive format fostered curiosity and allowed students to ask questions about:
- the responsibilities of each job
- the qualifications required
- the skills needed to succeed
This hands-on experience provided valuable insights into different career paths, leaving students inspired and informed.
A Takeaway for Everyone
The eventâs key message? Never judge a book by its cover.
Thank you to all the employers who shared their time and stories with our students. Together, we made this event a great success!
Thereâs an old Christmas song that says âitâs the most wonderful time of the yearâ. In many ways this is true, after all, we are getting to celebrate the most amazing gift humanity has ever been given, Jesus Christ. However, for many in our communities and in our world, Christmas can be a very difficult, challenging and sad time of the year due to the difficult circumstances they find themselves in. To help with this, and to truly live out the mission of our school, this Advent, we at St Edmundâs will be working extra hard to support as many local charities as we can, through a variety of fundraising initiatives.Â
Wolves Foundation Shoebox Appeal
The shoebox appeal is run by the Wolves Foundation every December, collecting new essential items and toys to be distributed to families in need. Local organisations they support include; The Good Shepherd, the Women & Families Resource Centre, the Haven, Jericho House and Strengthening Families Hubs.
Fr Hudsonâs Caritas – Reverse Advent Calendar
If youâve not heard of them before, a âreverseâ Advent Calendar is the opposite of those filled with treats that we see for sale in the shops. Instead of taking something for yourself out of the calendar, the reverse calendar encourages people to put something in. Fr Hudsonâs Caritas, the Social Action branch of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, are asking Catholic school students and their families to donate toiletries, which will be distributed to the homeless, as well as refugees and asylum seekers.
Christmas Hampers
We are very proud of the tradition in our school of reaching out to our most vulnerable families. We have done this at the end of each term for many years now, but since the beginning of the âSt Edâs Larder,â we have been able to extend this support through the year. This year we hope to put together as many Christmas Hampers as we can to support our families, for whom Christmas will be a challenging time.
What Can You Do?
Please be as generous as you can with donations and contributions to our charities. The old saying that âevery little bit helpsâ is absolutely true – it really does! Wishing you all a Happy and Holy Advent.
Rev
On Friday afternoon, the Georgian Room at Wolverhampton Art Gallery played host to a wonderful and vibrant performance by 12 of our talented music students, who came together to showcase their skills in a free concert that was met with enthusiastic applause. This event was organised in collaboration with Wolverhampton Music Service, who provide instrumental tuition to students at our academy, supporting and nurturing their musical growth.
The concert featured a varied and engaging programme, highlighting the diversity of musical styles and talents of our students. From classical to contemporary, each performance demonstrated not only technical proficiency but also the passion and dedication these young musicians bring to their craft. The students had clearly put in a great deal of effort, and their hard work paid off in a series of captivating performances that had the audience spellbound.
The Georgian Room, with its stunning architecture and acoustics, provided the perfect setting for this special event. It was wonderful to see so many people in attendance, with the venue filled to capacity by an appreciative audience. The energy in the room was electric, and the students clearly thrived on the positive atmosphere, with many feeding off the enthusiasm of the crowd.
Events like this are a testament to the power of music education and the incredible talent that is fostered within our academy.
We are so proud of our students for their exceptional performances and the dedication they show to their musical studies. It was a real pleasure to see them shine in such an inspiring setting, and we look forward to more events like this in the future.
A big thank you to Wolverhampton Music Service for their continued support in providing high-quality instrumental tuition and for helping to make this concert possible. And of course, a heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended â your support means the world to our students and helps them grow as artists.
Stay tuned for more updates and performances from our talented young musicians!
Pope Francis has designated 2025 as a Jubilee Year with the theme, ‘Pilgrims of Hope’.
What is a Jubilee?
The Jubilee Years, also known as Holy Years, started in 1300 AD and recall the great jubilee of Israel: a time for land to be rested and debts to be cancelled, when God called people to be reconciled with one another and with Him. They now occur every 25 years, although the next will be 2033 â the anniversary of Christâs death and resurrection and the descent of the Holy Spirit.
These Years, the Church explains, are years âof reconciliation between adversaries, of conversion and receiving the Sacrament of Reconciliation, ââŚand consequently of solidarity, hope, justice, commitment to serve God with joy and in peace with our brothers and sistersââ
The Holy Year is an opportunity to offer âsigns of hopeâ to our world: hope for peace, hope for the transmission of life, hope for those who are in prison, hope for the sick, for the young, for migrants, for the elderly, for those who are poor. The goods of the earth âare not destined for a privileged few, but for everyone.â No one should go without what they need for a dignified life, no one should live without hope.
When is the Jubilee?
The Jubilee Year will run from the opening of the Holy Door in St Peterâs Basilica in Rome, on Tuesday 24 December 2024 to the Feast of Epiphany 2026.
Archbishop Bernard Longley (Archbishop of Birmingham), is set to celebrate Mass for the Solemn Opening of the Year, at St Chadâs Cathedral on Sunday 29 December 2024.
Since the Jubilee begins when schools will be closed for their Christmas break, there will be a Jubilee launch for schools and colleges on 24th January 2025.
Watch this space for more information, ideas and resources on how to celebrate this joyful year of jubilee.
On Monday, November 11th, Year 7 students attended a special careers assembly led by Mr Boland. The assembly focused on two significant topics: the importance of Remembrance Day and an introduction to careers in the army.
Mr Boland spoke about why we observe Remembrance Day, honoring the sacrifices of the men and women who served in the armed forces. He highlighted how values such as dedication, courage, and service connect to the many roles within a military career.
Students learned about different career paths in the army, including technical, medical, and leadership roles, gaining insights into the skills and opportunities the armed forces offer. The assembly encouraged students to reflect on the significance of Remembrance Day and consider the unique possibilities of a career in service.
This meaningful event left students with a deeper understanding of both the importance of remembrance and the diverse opportunities within the army.
Congratulations to Year 11 student Megan Grove for her impressive performance at the English Schools Race Walking Competition!
Megan took on the challenging 3KM course, completing it in an impressive 20 minutes and 23 seconds. She placed 4th overall, a fantastic achievement against top students from across the country.
Weâre incredibly proud of her hard work and dedication. Well done, Megan!
