E LEGE UPDAT LAGAN COL JANUARY 2006 Inside This Issue Inside this issue: David Cameron Visit 2 Senior Prize Day 3 Palestinian Visit 4 Young Writers 4 Prospectus Launch 5 Staff Concert 6 Eco Update 6 Language Club 6 Public Speaking 7 Business Studies 8&9 Investors In People 9 Sr. Anne Returns 10 Music / HE Update 11 David Cameron (MP) visits Lagan College Sports Update 12 Editorial Team • Mrs R. Harbinson (Vice Principal) • Mr A. Harper (Reprographics) Copy Date Please ensure that all material for the February issue is Official launch of the Lagan College BPW Public Speaking submitted by Thursday 23rd Interactive Prospectus Competition February 2006 LAGAN COLLEGE UPDATE P AGE 2 David Cameron (MP) Visit Lagan College was delighted to welcome the Conservative Party Leader, Mr David Cameron, to the College in December 2005 It was Mr Cameron’s first visit to Northern Ireland and he was thrilled with the reception he received from Lagan College Students. David Cameron meeting the Board of David Cameron joins in with the school choir Governors on his arrival who sang “When The Sun Comes Up” David Cameron overlooking a Technology & David Cameron answering students Design class at work questions in a Politics class David Cameron engaged in a debate with the David Cameron with staff and Board of Justice Group Governors LAGAN COLLEGE UPDATE P AGE 3 Senior Prize Day Lagan College was delighted to welcome back past students to Senior Prize Giving on 19th December 2005. Ciara Murray was awarded the President’s Plate and Bursary Award. This is a new Bursary Award for the College and was kindly bestowed and presented by Dr Jill McIvor, wife of the late Rt. Hon. Basil McIvor OBE, an original founder of the College. Basil donated a huge part of his life to the integrated education movement and in particular to Lagan College. The Award goes to the past pupil who has best developed the integrated ethos within and beyond the College. Dr. Gill McIvor presents Ciara Murray with the first ever President’s Plate and Bursary Award Excellence in Effort: Year 13, Lynsay Brown and Gareth Taggart Aaron Flanagan, Year 11, received the Roinn Na Gaeilge Cup for Irish, Best Academic Performance in Year 11 and was awarded an Award for Service Awards for Creativity: Lara McIvor, Year 11, Hannah Carnegie, Year 12, Sarah Hughes, Year 11 and Jamie McMaster, Year 11 Awards for Major Sporting Achievement: Arnaud Dos Santos, Luke Dick, Shireen Nichol and Hollie Congratulations to all Prize Winners! Corbin LAGAN COLLEGE UPDATE P AGE 4 Palestinian Visit On Friday 13th January 2006 a group of Palestinians who work in the field of Human Rights and Education in Ramallah in the Gaza Strip visited the College. They met with M7 Group and shared ideas about integrated education and conflict resolution. Mrs H. Killick New Competitions For Young Writers 8I entered a nationwide poetry competition in which they wrote a poem of either dedication or gratitude to their mums. The best poems were chosen by the team of editors to be published in an anthology for Mother’s Day. The following members of 8I had there poems selected to be published. Each individual received a certificate for their effort: Sarah Bingham, Andrew Flack, Andrew Clarke, Heather Agnew, Niamh O’Connor, Julia Hinds, Michael Morrow, David McGibbon, Gavin Ludlow, Jonny Neill, Andrew Bradley, Niamh Blackburn, Jemima Brown, Ella McEwen, Rachel Braniff, Shannon Russell, Hannah Brennan, Taylor Pollock, Ryan McNaney. Congratulations! LAGAN COLLEGE UPDATE P AGE 5 Interactive Prospectus Launch On Tuesday 24 January 2006, Lagan College officially launched the Interactive On- line Prospectus at Loughview Integrated Primary School. The Primary 7 children were delighted to be the first group of students to view the many different activities that go on in Lagan College. Congratulations to Mr P. Burch and Mr C. Matchett - the hard work most certainly paid off! The unofficial launch clearly illustrates that Mr Burch, Mr Matchett and Mr McNally were euphoric to see the project complete. LAGAN COLLEGE UPDATE P AGE 6 Staff Concert Congratulations to our talented staff who performed at the Staff Concert on the last day of term. Not only did they provide a great morning of entertainment but they also raised a total of £1,146.60 which was equally divided between St. Vin- cent de Paul, The Salvation Army and the school trip to Peru. ECO Update Phones For Schools Would all pupils who have been collecting mobile phones for recycling, please bring their phones to Mr Patton in M23. Poster & Leaflet Competition All entries have been received and the winners will be announced soon, following the decision of the ECO Committee Judges. Mr J.P. Patton Language Club Students who attend the Language Club were recently given a Salsa lesson by Miss Helen Farley, a student teacher from Queens. 30 very enthusiastic dancers participated. Miss A. Bell LAGAN COLLEGE UPDATE P AGE 7 Business And Professional Women’s Public Speaking Competition – Northern Ireland Grand Final Lagan College won their way through to the BPW Northern Ireland Final for the second consecutive year. The BT Tower provided a fitting backdrop for the occasion during which five teams competed for a variety of coveted titles and silverware. Lagan College gave a polished and impressive performance, led by the main speaker Sarah Martin, Year 13 and chaired by Rosie Hughes, Year 12. Special congratulations go to Lagan College pupil, Ciara O’Neill, who won the Roberta Gray Cup for Best Expresser of Thanks for the second year in a row. Teacher, Miss Michelle Clohessy said afterwards, “This was another great experience for the girls. I am extremely proud of their hard work, dedication and energy.” Judith Parr, BPW N.I President pictured with Ciara O’Neill, Rosie Hughes, Sarah Martin, Miss Michelle Clohessy and Mrs Carmel O’Connor, BT Representative and judge Ciara O’Neill, who won Best Expresser of Thanks at the 2006 Northern Ireland Final and was awarded the Roberta Gray Cup for her performance BT Education Schools Award Miss Michelle Clohessy applied for the BT Education Schools Award based on the success of the Public Speaking and Debating teams as well as the work within the English department and the college in general in promoting communication. Out of 800 schools in the U.K, Miss Clohessy and her team were shortlisted and on January 16th came the official announcement that they had won an award. Only four secondary schools from Northern Ireland were awarded prizes, but Lagan is the only secondary-level school in Belfast in win. The team have won £1000 cheque and £2000 worth of DVD resources and communication equipment to promote education as well as a Roadshow that BT will bring to the college later in the year. BT plan to publish a case study of the team on their website soon. For the full list of U.K winners and more information please log on to: www.bteducation.org/awards and click on Northern Ireland Winners LAGAN COLLEGE UPDATE P AGE 8 GCSE Business Studies Awards Following on from good performance in the Business Studies Christmas exams, the following Business Studies students received Gift Vouchers from the Business Studies Department, as recognition of their effort in Term 1. Year 11 Miss Atkinson’s class Top Boy Ciaran Conlon Top Girl Leigh Dickson Year 12 Miss Atkinson’s class Higher Level Foundation Top Boy Simon McGaffin Matthew Dowds Top Girl Lauren Baird Charlotte Smyth Most Improved student: Aaron Weir Year 12 Mrs Anderson’s class Higher Level Foundation Top Boy Conor Platt Paul Toner Top Girl Susan Whitla Kerry Anderson Most Improved student: Aaron Docherty Congratulations to all students Mrs A. Anderson Lagan College What’s On Post 16 Information Evening Will be held on Thursday 2 February 2006 at 7.00pm Stars In Yer Eyes Auditions will be held during the second week of February. If you are interested please give your name to Mrs O. Donnelly. LAGAN COLLEGE UPDATE P AGE 9 Bombardier Visitor The AVCE Business Group were delighted to gain a valuable insight to the characteristics, skills and abilities of an enterprising manager, when Ms. Fiona McVicker, Training Manager, Bombardier, visited the College. The AVCE Group are now preparing an article entitled “The Enterprising Manager” outlining how people, finance and resources in Bombardier are managed. Investors In People Mrs. Margaret Jellett and Mrs. Fiona O’Toole were delighted to attend an event at the Armagh City Hotel on 23 January 2006, organised to celebrate 100 schools in Northern Ireland achieving the Investors in People standard. The event was organised by the Regional Training Unit and guest speakers included Ms Ruth Spellman from Investors in People UK and Miss Marion Matchett, Chief Inspector, Department of Education. The schools were all presented with an award in recognition of their commitment to and investment in staff development to improve pupil performance. Entertainment was provided by Kilkeel High School Senior Group and St. Anne’s Primary School Choir. LAGAN COLLEGE UPDATE P AGE 10 Sr. Anne Returns! It’s hard to believe that this day week, I was in the air on my way back to Belfast, after 26 days in India: 18 in Calcutta, 5 in Darjeeling and the last three in Delhi. I am still in between two totally different worlds. The sights, sounds and smells of the crowded streets of Calcutta (an estimated 18 million live there) are still vivid- the crazy traffic with its orchestra of honking horns; the people sitting, lying (sometimes dying?), washing, selling, hammering, begging on the broken pavements; stray emaciated dogs and the proverbial ‘holy Cow’ wandering in and out of traffic; the black dust of Calcutta’s dry season hanging like a heavy pall over the city, getting under nails and into lungs, turning white into grey; splashes of colour lifting the heart, the bright saris of its beautiful women, the multicoloured flowers, scarves, shawls on sale in the market.