ejournal | 16

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THE NEWSLETTER OF AQUINAS COLLEGE STOCKPORT – ISSUE 16 – JUNE 2014

Words from Adam’s teachers and a pictorial tribute by his peers

ADAM PICKUP May 28,1996 Dec 28, 2013

Also in this issue...

Les Mis Incredible India

And much more...

Band Night

The Eddie-torialThis edition of the e-journal carries the saddest news - news by now well known at college. During the Christmas holidays on 28 December Adam Pickup tragically died in Manchester. Tributes to Adam by three of his teachers as well as examples of his Design work are included at the start of the journal. On Saturday 22 February in half term Tracey Ellis, one of our Psychology teachers passed away after a long illness. Staff and students attended her funeral and a Memorial Service was held in the Theatre at the end of March. Just as we went to press we learned of the tragic death of Jack Holmes, another of our upper sixth students. Jack passed away during the night of 17 May.

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord and let perpetual light shine upon them. May they rest in peace. Amen.

Please keep them and their families in your prayers.

In this edition we showcase just a glimpse of the fantastic opportunities and achievements enjoyed by our students. We introduce our apprentices and feature Jake Mairs Student President 2012 in our ‘Where are they now’ feature.

Useful information on ParentPay can be found which should simplify paying for trips and visits. Our annual Careers event, After Aquinas is recorded as well as the achievements of some of our Business students. You will read about two famous visitors, Professor Iain and Dr Phil, talking about Earth Science matters.

There are a host of pictures of the work of our Performance Department productions as well as our sporting news. Particular mention must be made of netballers Gabi Marshall and Beccy Hoult who have been selected as captains of England U19 and U17 teams respectively. Well done girls!

As always our students enjoy fantastic opportunities to travel. This edition records trips to Andernos les Bains, Mumbai and New York, life changing experiences all three. Closer to home we record achievements of running the Manchester 10K and raising funds for CAFOD, the India Project and Teenage Cancer Trust. And finally we record Volunteering at the Wellspring and Catharine Oldfield’s success in being selected for CAFOD’s ‘Step into the Gap’ programme. Two notable Student Council events: Aquinas Day and Take me Out complete the picture.

Thank you to all, students and colleagues, for taking the time to contribute to our e-journal. They certainly have something to be proud about! And particular thanks to our Graphic Designer, Lucy, without whose enthusiasm and expertise, this would never have seen the light!

Please let us have your feedback, news, stories, photos and for our next issue. These can be emailed to me at eddie@aquinas.ac.uk.

With every good wish

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E.Moore

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A dam was an exceptionally talented designer – a lot of his skills being self-taught. He was on the brink of

applying for an art foundation course which we believe he would have thrived on. This course would have led him on to a graphic design degree which is where we feel he would have shone.

As Adam’s Graphic Communication teachers it is fair to say we had some challenges during the time we taught him. Adam never met a deadline, was never up to date with his coursework, we couldn’t keep him quiet or could reign in his (somewhat) controversial opinions on life. But with all this said he was an extremely competent designer with a big personality, lots of charisma, a strong mind and a sharp sense of humour.There is an Adam shaped space in the classroom where he spent so much of his time – mainly catching up with work he was behind on or distracting others with his humour and banter. Adam was a highly prolific student who formed strong friendships with his fellow Graphics students.

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He was often at the centre of any form of discussion and didn’t shy away from expressing his views. Over the last two weeks a number of his friends and peers have been involved in the creation of the digital image of Adam. It has been a pleasure being a part of the process and to see how his friends have responded and reflected on Adam’s life. Through using Adam’s design work they have produced a fitting visual that he would have been proud of.

At the start of his A level year he revealed to us that his future plans may have involved becoming a graphic design teacher, when asked how he would teach a student like himself he seemed to ponder this and was slightly alarmed..! With this said we believe that he would have had all the attributes to become a fantastic teacher.

Adams loss will be felt in every sense; he will be remembered and missed by us all. We both feel proud that we have been a part of Adam’s education and offer our deepest condolences to his family.

By Vicki Crolla and Sally Payne

A tribute to AdamTributes taken from Adam’s funeral service, written by his tutors

I was one of the teachers who had the privilege of working with Adam at Aquinas College. There have been many

reflections over the past few weeks about what made Adam stand out and a few things kept coming up. One was his sense of humour. Playful, irreverent sometimes quite dark and infused in every piece of work he did from his Graphics to his practical and written Film work, this was Adams nature. It would be safe to say that he had a permanent twinkle in his eye.

His film making obviously offered free rein to this and was most evident in the projects he made with friends, dressing up, literally clowning around there was a very real sense of fun about him you only have to ask any of his friends, here today about the impact he made on them to realise this. Adam made college a good place for his friends. The short film our department have been working on in the last couple of days, that you are about to see, was punctuated with laughter and the warmest of memories, his presence still in a very real way lighting up the room.

I took the opportunity to revisit Adams work from last year and it was a perfect reflection of his eloquence and creativity. The film he made with his friends Jake and Rob a psychological thriller perfectly showcased his filmmaking skills as well as his acting. He made a great leading man.His favourite film maker was Danny Boyle and his coursework, an analysis of Trainspotting was littered with artistic references and colourful interpretations. It was a typically Adam piece of work written with flair, style and a love of the visual image. I get the impression he could do things like that in his sleep. He of course got full marks.

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Omar who worked with Adam this year recalled a conversation recently discussing his progress in Film Studies. He was trying to encourage Adam to speak up more in class. He immediately countered with the response,

‘Omar, I’m actually quite shy’. There was indeed a shy side to Adam, a gentleness which spoke volumes about his sensitivity and emotional intelligence.

He loved films and both myself and Omar feel it was an interest he could have easily pursued at University. He was so excited to be going to New York in February with college, something which he had been looking forward to for a while. The staff and students are determined to make Adams presence felt in this trip, indeed we have been inundated with ideas about how to properly do this, some simple and beautiful tributes, some reflective of his irreverent and playful nature.

Aquinas was a genuinely moving sight to behold this new year. Students, staff and the wider community instinctively coming together to reach out and offer what support they could give. Some lit candles, laid down flowers, wrote letters or just quietly reflected to pay their respects, something that was both moving and very beautiful to behold.

This outpouring of emotion and remembrance for Adam was in effect the greatest tribute anyone of us could have paid to such a sweet kid. Adams laughter, kindness, wit and intelligence will be fondly remembered by Aquinas and everyone who ever met him.

Adam, you will always be with us and never forgotten.

Tom Dixon Ð Media and Film Studies Teacher

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Examples of Adam’s Design Work

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Quiz night and poster design organised by Aquinas students and friends, in memory of Adam Pickup

Introducing...Apprenticeship Interview in 60 seconds!

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A first for Aquinas! We have welcomed two level 2 Apprentices to College. Both Apprentices work with teams who are based in the College’s Learning Centre but also offer cross-college services and support. Mo Yousaf, 19, is employed as an IT Apprentice working on technical support and user skills development. Ryan Tilley, 16, is focusing on business administration, currently supporting Student Information Services, particularly reception provision, college groups, as well as general Learning Centre activities. Both have Skills Solutions as their training providers. We caught up with them recently for a quick 60 second interview!

Do you think young people should do an Apprenticeship?R: Yes, it’s a good start to working, gives you good experience.M: I would recommend you do an Apprenticeship, but definitely do ‘A’ levels first!

Do you have any favourite sports or any hobbies?M: Biking and travelling.R: Playing and watching football.

Football? Favourite team Ryan?R: Southampton, like my line manager! No, honestly it’s United.

Best place you’ve been to when travelling?M: I love riding around Wales and have a European trip planned for the summer.R: For holidays it’s a tie between Cyprus and Turkey. Maybe it would have to be Turkey, Antalya. We stayed in a hotel that was the shape of Concorde. (Ryan revealed it was the Concorde De Luxe Resort, if you care to look on Trip Adviser!)

Favourite music / groupM: Anything that sounds good. I will buy any track from anyone!R: I don’t listen to one thing, though I’m not that keen on the charts. It depends on the mood. I do like indie stuff, I listen to Oasis, Stone Roses and The Smiths but I also like Eminem.

If I say ‘orange’ what’s your first thought?M: Fruit, orangesR: Oranges, fake tan

Future plans and ambitions?M: I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Don’t look that far ahead.R: I just take each day as it comes but I admire people who grew up with nothing and made something of their lives.

Ever met a famous person?R: Does the Man Utd team walking past me count?

Where would you live if it wasn’t the UK?M: I’d like to just travel the world.R: I would live in America, LA.

Best thing about living in the North-West? R: The Premier League is the best but the worst is the England Team.

Mo Yousafthat keen on the charts. It depends on the mood.

Ryan Tilley

Accounting - BASE

Accounting students take part in BASE....

O On April 2nd 2014 a team of six accounting students entered the regional heat of the Business, Accounting and Skills Education

(BASE) competition ran by The Institute of Chartered Accountants. The competition, now in its fifth year, was held at Edgeley Park the home of Stockport County. There were fourteen teams from different schools and colleges around the area including teams from Poynton High School, Withington Girl’s School and Wilmslow High School.

What is BASE?

BASE, is a national business/accounting competition for sixth form students. In their teams they address activities and provide recommendations on a business scenario. Assuming the role of an ACA chartered accountant they analyse, debate, conclude and present their case to a panel of highly regarded judges from national accounting organisations. The activity develops crucial employability skills including communication, consideration, decision making, team working, problem solving and technical competence.

This year 257 teams entered the competition from across the country. The winning team from each regional heat go on to compete in the prestigious national final held in Birmingham, in June. Although this year the Aquinas Team did not win they performed brilliantly on the day and narrowly missed out to the team from Withington School for Girls.

During the day students had a chance to network and speak to local accountants as well as representatives from national firms including PWC and KPMG. Local universities also attended the event explaining the finance related courses they offer.

Carol Mayall − Business and Accounting Teacher and Careers Coordinator

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Incredible India!Tabitha McAlpine – Aquinas Student

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Nothing I’ve ever experienced can compare to it. From the moment we set foot in the airport the sights, sounds and smells were overwhelming. Everywhere we went there was something interesting going on. The roads alone left us in awe, they were mental; how people get around without crashing every five seconds is unreal. Everything was so different! What really opened my eyes though, aside from the gorgeous colours and cows casually strutting through the traffic, was the contrasts. You’d be walking past people sleeping in the street with babies in their arms one second and then past beautiful hotels with pools and buffets the next. Everywhere you look there’s poverty clashing with modern luxury. It’s a really strange thing to witness.

There aren’t enough words to describe how absolutely amazing and inspiring the children we worked with are. It was a little awkward at first, as they were quite shy and didn’t speak English, but it didn’t take long (once the trunks with goodies were open they warmed to us quite dramatically for some reason) before everyone was running around playing games or making things together. Their energy was infectious, everyone was so happy around them. What was really rewarding though was that they remembered you when you came back the next day.

Everyone formed bonds with the children they worked with. Over the course of the week I became friends with three amazing little boys (excuse my spelling here) Roweet, Aayush and Max. Roweet was so timid when I first met him, he didn’t want to play with anyone and was just sat out on his own.

So I opened a pack of PlayDoh and sat with him; pretty soon he was giggling and making ‘eggs and chickens’. Max too didn’t speak much at first but by the end of the week he was naming all the colours of the crayons. (Everything was either blue or green, but it’s a start). Aayush wasn’t shy at all, he had the best smile and liked having his picture taken. It broke my heart to leave them all on the last day, but I now sponsor Roweet so I hope we will keep in contact some way. Being around the children made you realise how bless-ed we are in England. They appreciate everything they have, even though it’s so little. Everything about India makes you reflect on how much you take for granted at home.

I’ll never forget my time in India, I’ve made great friends and we all share so many inside jokes and memories together. The trip was worth every penny spent and will stay with me for a loooong time. However I never want to see a plate of curry again. ......Ever.

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To put it simply: India was incredible....“

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W hen I went to India I was very nervous, I only knew around 6 people on the trip, but I soon met some great, funny,

silly kind sweet people. It was a life changing experience. It was a big culture shock, Mumbai is a loud place and crossing the road is a nightmare, but everyone is really happy and interested in us. We were waved at wherever we went andsometimes videoed! The first thing that I noticed when I went to the orphanage was how happy, welcoming and confident the girls were. I was told by one of the girls...

“Next time you come you don’t stay for a dayyou stay for a week!”

My favourite memory from the trip, is going to the garden school and seeing the children that you’ve made a bond with. Seeing the smiles on their faces, their enthusiasm for their education was great. The children know basic English which is their ticket out of poverty and knowing that you can sponsor a child and make a difference to their life means even more when you’ve met them. By the end of the trip I came home with the desire to go back, I have so many great memories and new friends. I advise people to go next year because you will not regret it, it has been the best experience of my life, I no long take everything for granted in the way I used to. Seeing first hand what the slums are like, getting glimpse into people lives and managing to help then is the mot rewarding thing ever.

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By Jasmin Brooke

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Watch this years India Trip videos,by visiting our Youtube channel at,www.youtube.com/user/AquinasCollegeSK2

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After Aquinas - What Next?Carol Mayall − Business and Accounting Teacher and Careers Coordinator

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. O n Thursday 3rd April 2014 Aquinas College held their annual After Aquinas Event which was bigger than ever.

The event, planned by the careers team, is to help inform students about the options open to them upon leaving Aquinas. Universities, training providers and employers offering school leaver programmes started arriving from 3pm to set up their stalls. In total there were over sixty institutions represented, including all the local and most popular Universities our students traditionally attend - University of Manchester, Manchester Metropolitan University, University of Sheffield and Leeds as well as Salford, Liverpool, Derby, Chester, Newcastle and some from as far afield as Aberdeen and Lincoln. Local apprenticeship training providers also attended to support students who are thinking about apprenticeships when they leave college. These included Skills Solutions, The Apprentice Academy, Damar Training, SETA, QA and ESG Group. Representing employers were ex-students working for the accounting firms, PWC and KPMG as well as Sainsbury’s plc and the Army.

The event enabled students to build on the information which they have already received during their tutorial programme about their Post Aquinas options. Students had the opportunity to find out about University courses, entry criteria and admission processes.

The training providers explained about the types of apprenticeships available especially in the Manchester area. Students can now plan their open day visits to Universities or start researching further the opportunities available down the apprenticeship route. During the first part of the evening college staff delivered information sessions on applying to Oxbridge and Medicine. The Sports Hall was full for the presentation to parents at 7.30pm. Skills Solution gave a very informative talk about apprenticeships and an ex-student Rebecca Mlota, explained her experience as a current Financial Services apprentice. Although she had places at Russell Group Universities she made the conscious decision that she wanted to gain valuable work experience whilst gaining qualifications. The final presentation covered student finance and was delivered by Jon Legg Ð The North West Adviser from The Student Loans Company.

Feedback from parents, students and guests from Universities, training providers and employers all said that they could not believe how busy the event was.

The event is well supported by Universities as they enjoy coming to Aquinas, a number commented on how well informed the students were and they asked relevant questions.

We hope that the After Aquinas event has helped motivate students with their career planning as it is a very exciting time for them.

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Aquinas SportDave Conlon − PE Teacher

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Sport TeamsThe two football and netball team have finished their league fixtures. All three teams have qualified for the knockout stages and will now play in the knockout competition after Easter. The netball team were crowned League Winners after having unbelievable record – played 10, won 10!

The basketball team has entered a new league with IM basketball this season. The games have been played in round robin tournaments across the North West. The team have played 10, won 6 and lost 4. The final round of fixtures is played as a final 4 tournament at the Velodrome Manchester which the team has qualified for.

Well done and thank you to everyone who has represented the college this year.

FA Level 1 Coaching AwardA massive WELL DONE to the 16 students who have successfully complete the FA Level 1 ran in conjunction with Cheshire FA and Greater Sport. The students attended weekly workshops where they completed numerous tasks and delivered practical coaching sessions. They also completed a Emergency Aid and Child Protection workshop. The students are now looking to do some volunteering to enhance the skills they have gained an to continue developing their coaching skills.The students who gained the qualification were:

Josh CoopGeorge DragonovDaniel BrazierRobbie FallenFelix MossDomenico O'ReillyLewis MasonLuke KenneallyJoe WoollamChristopher CarrollHolly HughesCharlotte PrattTom WhartonNathan PalmerRick Nutall

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Disability Sports EventU6 Sport As part of our U6 Sport course our students had to ‘Organise a Sporting Event’. The students wrote to local schools to invite them to Aquinas for a Disability Sports event. They organised numerous sporting events and challenges and were responsible for the smooth running of the activities on the day. The U6 Sport students were fantastic both before in the preparation and during the event.

Kingsway The event venue was excellent and very well organised. Plenty of enthusiastic young people to demonstrate and control each game station. The games were varied enough to cater for all abilities and all the children appeared to enjoy taking part. There was no hanging around and the pace was just right. One of the best events if this type I have been to.

HeatonsA big thank-you for organising the day last Wednesday- all our students loved it and the staff were all impressed with the organisation and how helpful your Leaders where especially with our students!! Thanks again.A big thank you to you and your U6 students for organising such a great day. Our Heaton students had a great time and the range of activities on offer was perfectly matched to suit the varying abilities presenting on the day. The students you allocated to each visiting group took time to assess the individuals in each group and were really supportive and enthusiastic. The format of the event was great too, and the organisational side of things was exceptional. So, a big well done to you all and we’d definitely attend the event next year if you manage to get it sorted!

Cheadle Hulme High School I thought the day went extremely well all students were a credit to your college. If you were to make it an annual event we would be our pleasure to attend again. Our pupils really enjoyed the day. I was particularly impressed with how the students differentiated each activity for the wheelchair users and how the students encouraged and supported our pupils throughout the day.

Hazel Grove High SchoolWe had a brilliant time, our students really loved it and making it an annual event would be a great idea that we would certainly be interested in attending. The sports students were great Will worked with us and had a very positive and friendly approach with the students, definitely taking the lead with them.

KingswayThe students were buzzing with excitement. They did say it was very well orgainised and really good fun so well done to your students. Thank you very much for organising it

Cheadle and MarpleWe had a really great time and would love to come again next year. We thought the event was very well organised and the staff were fantastic. It is always great to get together with other schools and colleges for things like this. Thank you very much for inviting us!

Aquinas PathwaysOur Pathways students really enjoyed themselves and said they would love to take part next year. Your students have the right approach and it was really appreciated. Well done to the leaders on organising a fantastic event. Thank you!

F urther Education students from all over the UK have been competing in Bath recently as the University staged the 36th

British Colleges Sports Championships. The event involves young athletes aged 16 to 19 and The BCS National Championships is the largest event of its kind in the UK. The winners of each regional competition (Scotland, Wales, North East, North West, East Midlands, West Midlands, South East, South West, East, Yorkshire & Humberside and London) qualified for the Championships. Aquinas College has a fantastic track record at the regional events and this year the netball team, a swimmer (Lousie Fielding) and a golfer (Fiona Biggin) qualified and attended the event.

The Aquinas sports starts competed all weekend and showed just why they were competing against the best teams in Britain. The students were fantastic and a credit to the college both on and off the pitch/pool.

Netball Team: Top left to right Robyn Neale, Niamh Elstone, Cashia Knowles, Catherine Rafferty, Hannah Shaw, Fariba Ghazizadeh, Emily Newbold, Georiga Quinn, Nicole Brocklehurstand Nicole Pearson

A massive well done to all the students involved.

British Colleges Sport National Championships

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F or the first time, and perhaps the only time, we are home to not one, but two current England International netball

Captains. Gabi Marshall has recently been selected to captain the U.19 England team with Beccy Hoult taking the lead with the U.17 side. Both girls manage to juggle their A level study with the huge commitment required to play sport at that level. Early morning training, weekends away, daily training and countless fixtures are everyday life for these two who still manage to turn out for the college team and sport their Aquinas kit with pride. Well done girls and good luck to Gabi who travels to Africa this summer on International duty.

Aquinas Netball take leadership roles for Englandleadership roles for England

Good luck Gabi!

Well Done Beccy!

Manchester School Games

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O n Tuesday 1st April, Aquinas students of the Pathways Department took part in the Manchester School Games 2014,

a sports day that we have attended for a few years now. Students from as far as Manchester, Stockport, Wigan, Rochdale, Oldham and many more took part in a multi games tournament. Sports ranging from Tag Rugby all the way to Water Polo and La Crosse took place all over the borough. With coverage appearing live on Radios Key103, The whole tournament kicked off with live music from Sports City, courtesy of the 4 piece boy band ‘The Mend’ (as seen on Britain’s got talent), before all schools parted ways to attend their sport.

5 Aquinas students teamed up with 3 students from the Heatons School to come away with a Bronze medal in Tag Rugby. With fierce competition coming from areas and schools that specialise in Tag Rugby, with extra tag rugby sessions delivered by professionals, third was some mighty achievement!

Go Pathways!Go Aquinas

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Thom Greensill − Pathways Teacher

Aquinas does Manchester 10k!

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O n Sunday 18th May, team Aquinas hit Europe’s largest 10K running event in Manchester. Anna Snape, Narinder Mann,

Catharine Oldfield, Katie Thompson, Mike Lofthouse, Anna Mackenzie and Josh Pearson all braced the 26 degree heat to run for CAFOD. The focus of the fundraising this year was ‘food’ and we looked at how a cow can change the lives of a struggling family. A cow is 4 gifts in one, its manure can help grow crops, its milk can supplement a family’s diet, plus any extra milk can be sold at market. What’s more, any calves can be passed on to help another family. It was fantastic to see so many students text in to donate during assembly, and some even donated as much as £20!

The run itself was certainly not easy, although Mike Lofthouse made it look like a breeze coming in at 45mins. Anna Mackenzie wasn’t far behind with 50mins making her the fastest female in team Aquinas. The heat was unbearable at points and with little breeze the rest of us were really happy to cross the finishing line. After the run we joined other people who had run for CAFOD from around the North West; it was great to see people who were likewise supporting some of the world’s poorest people. CAFOD remind us that we should all be ‘hungry for change’ and we hope that the run has raised awareness as well as money. It isn’t right that as a nation we waste so much food when many families go to bed starving. We hope that by raising the money to buy 5 cows we can make a real difference to 5 families in developing countries. For anyone who still wants to donate – it isn’t too late. You can visit our justgiving page at

www.justgiving.com/aquinas,

Or you can text AQAQ50 2 to 70070 to donate £2.

Anna Snape − Religious Education Teacher

We assembled with 40,000 other runners in the sunny streets of Manchester

Catharine Oldfield, Anna Snape and Katie Thompson (from left to right) displaying their ‘finishers’ t-shirts.

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Student and Staff 10k stories

“ “Thomas Redhead ran the Manchester 10K and raised over £100.00 for the Aquinas India project. Tom has been in training for the last 6 months or so and ran the race in 51 minutes, 41 seconds which put him in the top eighth of finishers on what was a blazing hot day in the city centre. As you can imagine Tom is really pleased with this result and even more so as he was able to raise money for such a worthy cause.

“ “Well I did it, the 10K that is, and I have never been hotter in my life (and that includes the Mojave desert in California!) I have raised £280 for Teenage Cancer Trust so I will be collecting over the next couple of days. Thanks to all those who have donated or promised money, but if anyone else wants to contribute than it would be nice to see the final amount nudge up to £300. I would also like to dedicate the race yesterday to Jack Holmes, who sadly died early Sunday morning. The good do die young don’t they. Cheers Kevin (Head of Law)

Thomas Redhead

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Performing ArtsThe Revenger’s Tragedy

T he Upper Sixth BTEC Acting students presented The Revengers Tragedy as part of their Classical Theatre module in March.

The play was performed in the intimate studio theatre to full audiences at the matinee and evening performances.The Revengers Tragedy is a Jacobean drama set in Italy and written in 1606. The plot included seduction, lies, murder and deceit. The students worked together with the director to create a visually interesting and entertaining performance. Highlights of the performance included the murder of the duke, the golden masked Vindici deception and the finale and the demise of the characters.

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T he college production of Les Miserables was an outstanding success. The students, acted, sang and danced to

packed audiences on all three nights and at the matinee performance. Staff, students and other audience members fed back that the performance was the best they had seen. They added that the department and the students did the musical justice. A particular crowd pleaser was “Master of the House” which was the song by Sarah Kutiwa and Harrison Brocklehurst (who are both Upper Sixth Acting BTEC students) at the close of the first act.

Many Lower Sixth students also had leading roles; Francesca Sivori, Ciara McAllister and Ella Sivori gave enchanting performances as Eponine, Cosette and Fantine. Francesca’s performance of the song ‘On My Own’ was incredibly emotional, Ella’s performance of ‘I Dreamed a Dream’ was captivating and Ciara sang ‘Castle on a Cloud’ like an angel.

Other outstanding performances came from Daniel Barratt, James Barrett and Mark Livingstone who are all L6 BTEC Acting and Music students.

Les MisérablesCarly Horan − Drama Teacher

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I n April there were two Music BTEC Band Nights. The atmosphere was electric as 70 students formed 13 bands that played

to a packed theatre. Each band chose their favourite songs, rehearsed carefully, and attended professional level sound checks. There was music to suit all tastes from the Artic Monkeys to Dolly Parton! The students played to an exceptional level and the audience had a great time!

Music BTEC BandClaire Dixon − Music Teacher

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Performance Studies

T he Lower Sixth Performance Studies were out of college during February performing their Community Project element of their

AS level. The groups performed at Spay house in Reddish Vale and in Romiley day Centre to veterans. The pieces have the stimulus of World War Two and had a target audience of War veterans and are musical theatre pieces devised solely by the students, including lyrics and melodies to songs. The student’s pieces lasted up to thirty minutes per group of five students.

The last audience consisted of actively singing along to WW2 songs and engaged fully in the highs and the lows and the hope and despair the students of WW2. One gentleman was brought to tears by a couple’s duet which showed the accuracy of the student’s representation of the lovers being separated by war.

Summary.Showcases are taking place for BTEC Acting, Performance Studies and Dance which gives parents the opportunity to see the work their children are doing. The students also watch each other’s work which enhances their sense of community as a department here at Aquinas.

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Steel Pan Workshop

I n March Music A level Students took part in a Steel Pan workshop. A complete steel band was set up in college and 20 students learnt

note positions and playing techniques on a variety of different pitched drums. This culminated in a performance of the 3 pieces they had learnt to play on the day. The experience was great fun and really valuable in helping students learn about music from other cultures.

French Exchange

O n This year in March 17 Aquinas students took part in the College French exchange to Andernos les

Bains. They had a fantastic time and learnt a huge amount about the language, French, schools and French society generally. During their packed week they went to the Unesco world heritage city of Bordeaux, climbed the highest dune in western Europe (114 metres high!) and did work experience in primary or secondary schools. For some it has been a career changing experience and will mean that they pursue their languages on to degree level. All had a great and really memorable time that will be a highlight of their time at Aquinas.

Patrick Onwochei − Head of Modern and Foreign Languages

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All had a great and really memorable time that will be a highlight of their time at Aquinas..“

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Professor Iain Stewart

T he Earth Science Department for Aquinas College set up a Twitter to communicate with students and develop links with

Universities and Industry experts. One day the renowned Professor Iain Stewart MBE of Plymouth University and BBC presenter tweeted that he liked what we were doing and that he would like to visit us. We were absolutely delighted to accept his kind offer and on December 16th 2013 we were honoured to host a Geology lecture on Continental Drift. The lecture theatre was filled to capacity with college students as well as visitors from other schools including: Kingsway Park High School, Rochdale and St Bede’s College, Manchester. Adding to the community atmosphere parents, grandparents and members of the Manchester Geological Society also attended. The excitement before the lecture was palpable and Professor Stewart gave an extremely entertaining and educational talk. Students learnt about Pangaea and how the position of the continents has impacted on the development and diversity of life on the planet. The lecture was interspersed with video clips of Iain’s BBC trips across the globe, most notable probably being the sequence where Iain wrestled with a rather large and grumpy alligator. Students were able to ask questions and pose for photos with Iain during his visit. Aquinas College has been attracting a wide range of high calibre university speakers to present to students on a wide variety of interesting topics as part of the College Summa Programme.

Angela Bentley – Head of Earth Sciences

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This lecture was a great end of term treat for all involved and a fantastic opportunity for students to experience university level education delivered by a world esteemed scientist.

Dr Phil Manning

T he Earth Science Department was delighted to welcome Dr Phil Manning to Aquinas College on Thursday 30th January

2014. Dr Phil Manning is a leading world expert in dinosaur excavation. He travels around the world: Argentina, China, Utah, The Caribbean to name a few exotic destinations to dig up and preserve inosaur bones. Phil explained how he uses the latest technology to record the exact lay out of each dig site and how he preserves the bones in plaster casts before taking them for close examination. Dr Manning uses computer programmes to explore the gait and posture of dinosaurs and also studies the pigmentation of dinosaur skin. His research is often used by media and film companies as well as the nuclear industry. Dinosaur coprolites trap toxic minerals preventing their leaching into the wider environment;

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the nuclear industry is most interested in this preservation over millions of years and how it could be applied to nuclear waste. The students asked insightful questions at the end of the lecture impressing Dr Manning greatly. Students from Kingsway Park high School in Rochdale and Bramhall High also attended the lecture along with students from St James’ Catholic High School. The talk was extremely entertaining and informative. Phil has promised to come back at Christmas to give a lecture on ‘The Dinosaur you eat for Christmas Dinner’ – we will definitely hold him to that and look forward to him coming to Aquinas College again. Both lectures were recorded by our Media department and there are copies on DVD in the Learning Resource Centre. Iain and Phil were much impressed by our new building, our lecturing facilities and of course our wonderful students.

New York, New York!

E xcitement and apprehension were our travel mates as we left dark, gloomy Manchester for the city that never sleeps.

Tutors and students alike fed off each other’s nervous energy and bonds of friendship forged quickly fuelled by our immediate love for New York City. Five days later, I returned to Manchester as an official New Yorker. Fuelled by bagels and caffeine, the infectious buzz amongst the congested streets ignited me with the motive to explore and seek adventure. Partly, to confirm to myself all the hidden myths and legends that surrounded the big city itself, every activity was cherished and recognised for its eccentricity. Overwhelmed by the masses of people, towering buildings and artificial lights, sleep was no option. As the city of dreams presented to me the idea of endless

Parisa Nobahar – Reflections on the New York Trip

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The untold want by life and land never granted. Now, voyager, said thou forth, to seek and find - Walt Whitman.“

opportunities, seeming so real and tangible, the dark, analytical film student within me was also able to recognise New York’s less forgiving style that left me feeling like every doomed central character in every neo-noir film. The script that followed each unique individual I met suddenly revealed the cracks behind the smiles, “Well...I’m an actor”. The harsh realities of New York then became more apparent and allowed me to appreciate the extraordinary talent that permeates the city. Art and film museums showcased work that reflected the warped characters behind these displays as well as a remarkable history. Within the short time I spent in New York I quickly developed a love for every beautiful flaw that the city had to offer.

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This response was provoked by the trips sentimental value as it became evident that I wasn’t the only one affected by the city’s alluring smell of rubbish, petrol and coffee. The strength of our family unit alone fed off our state of ecstasy and managed, what was initially thought to be the unimaginable… it actually exceeded all of our expectations.

R eflections on New York Trip New York was one the best weeks of my life. I would definitely say one of my favourite

memories was standing on the Brooklyn Bridge at night and just looking over the bridge at New York all lit up in the dark. New York as a place is the most amazing city I have ever been to and I was so lucky to be able to spend it with the amazing group of people I was with. It’s going to take a lot to top this trip.

Caitlin Gale - Reflections

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A quinas day is a annual event when we celebrate St Thomas Aquinas day and give students and staff an opportunity to relax

and have fun for a day! This year, Aquinas day was organised by a collaboration of staff and student council members who met once or twice a week for months before the event. This year, we had decided to run with the theme of a ‘carnival’ so focused on candyfloss, sweets, popcorn and fairground type activities. We saw the return of some Aquinas day classics such as the rodeo bull and Sports day which went down, as usual, really well. What was different this year was the hub of activity on the main street (which was renamed market street for the occasion).

This was full of activities, food stalls, just dance and giant Jenga as well as stalls from charities and the teenage market selling clothes. An activity that went down especially well was University challenge which brought Aquinas student’s competitive streaks to the surface. With over 20 teams of four participating, this event was a lengthy process, concluding in an intense battle of the minds in the public final. In the feedback from students taken in period 7 the whole day was rated an 8/10 with the rodeo bull being rated the students’ favourite activity. Overall from a council perspective this day went off without a hitch, and from this feedback, we can conclude students loved it to!

Aquinas dayRachel Bircher Ð President of The Student Council

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Take Me Out

W ith the lecture theatre rammed full of people, the event went off with only minimal technical problems but lots of

laughs and fun. However, a successful event like this doesn’t happen by accident. Months before the event, the upper and lower sixth student councils were making videos, gathering contestants, publicising the event, printing tickets, and making all the necessary arrangements for such as big and technical show. And our hard work was definitely rewarded! With over 200 tickets bought before the event, we exceeded our maximum capacity of people and even had to turn some away.

Rachel Bircher Ð President of The Student Council

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Overall we had 8 boys participating with almost all of then getting a date with our lucky ladies. We hope they’ve all had a cracking time on their Nandos dates. From the feedback we had on twitter it seems like student really enjoyed this event. As well as it being just a great leisure activity for students, this event raised a considerable amount of money for the Student Council. This money replenished any money spent on council events and goes toward the Leavers Ball in May. We hope to be doing this event next year with similar success!

Take me out – one of the biggest events of the college calendar, was back this year, bigger andbetter than ever!“

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Wellspring visit

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A few weeks ago, we spent an evening volunteering at The Wellspring, as our SVP duty. During our time

there, we helped prepare meals, helped to clean, and also spent time chatting with the visitors. We were given a tour by one of the staff, Abdul, who showed us the facilities and explained everything that they offer to the visitors, such as help with job-seeking, GCSE maths & Engish lessons, hospitality etc. It was interesting meeting the visitors and learning their stories. Some of us spoke to them about what they have done in the past, and also what they plan to do in the future, some of us did crosswords and puzzles with them and kept their company. What many people don’t realise is that the majority of the visitors are housed, but just need the extra support of the Wellspring and volunteers like us to help them. We hope to help them in the future in any way we can, and have discussed various ideas such as basic cookery classes, fundraising, help with looking for jobs, and raising awareness.

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ParentPay

We’re pleased to announce that we will be moving to online payments for items such as college trips and resources. Using a secure website called ParentPay you will be able to pay online using your credit or debit card. ParentPay will be our only method of making payments to college.

What are the benefits to parents and pupils?

• ParentPay is easy-to-use and will offer you the freedom to make online payments whenever and wherever you like, 24/7 –

• The technology used is of the highest internet security available ensuring that your money will reach college safely – offering you peace of mind

• Payments can be made by credit/debit card or also through PayPoint

• Full payment histories and statements are available to you securely online at anytime

What are the benefits to college?

A lot of time is presently spent collecting and banking cash. This new method will mean that teachers will be relieved of this to spend more time with students .

Using ParentPay ensures that all financial transactions are safe and secure Ð helping us to remove costs associated with us having to manage cash securely on the college premises.

Our new online payment service

How to get started with ParentPay…

We will shortly be sending you your account activation username and password, just follow the instructions in the letter we give you to get started with ParentPay. If you want to find out more about ParentPay go to: www.parentpay.com/Parents

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Step Into the Gap

I applied for CAFOD’s step into the gap program as I thought it would be a really valuable experience to work with children

who are less privileged than us. I’ve always wanted the chance to travel and help others so CAFOD’s gap year offered the perfect opportunity for me to go and provide positive influences helping children, not just at the placement in the UK but also the one abroad. So I sent off an application and was very happy when I received an email back telling me I had got an interview! You had to pick 1 or 2 places out of the 6 placements offered in Birmingham, Salford, Blackpool, Brighton, Burnley & Durham. I applied to work with Just Youth in Salford which is a charity whose aim is to explore justice for young people. I chose Just Youth because I wanted to work with young people, as part of a big team & it wasn’t too far from home!

Catharine Oldfield Ð Aquinas Student

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The interview was at Just Youth in Salford so I had to go there, which was a good opportunity to see where and who I would be working for if I was chosen for the placement. While I was there we did an icebreaker activity which involved a game where we had to basically make a fool of ourselves by dancing, acting and having fun. Then they set us an activity which they do in the schools they visit. For this we worked in pairs to prepare a speech and then gave it to the organisers. Then had my interview! A few days later they rang me up and told me that I had a place & I’m really lookingforward to starting at the end of August!

Good Luck Catherine!

Where are they now?

W ow, what a two years it has been... I think I can start by saying that I have never really “left” Aquinas, even today.

Although I finished my A Level exams around June 2012, I stayed around for a little while longer to work at the college until I moved to Nottingham, where I was going to study Business Management.Moving to university was always something I had prepared for, including looking at student accommodation that just had en-suite toilets!! I was also lucky enough to already get a job in the Students’ Union for when I moved, managing the promotions and marketing team within the Entertainments Department. I have always been one of those annoyingly determined people who some might describe as “slowly conquering the world”. Being at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) definitely helped this step up one level further.In addition to my employment, and during my first term at NTU, I had already somehow managed to become the lead academic representative for the Business School, representing some 5,000 students, and been elected Head of my Halls of Residence, representing over 200 students. Not only this, but before Christmas I was even stepping up to cover a Course Leader position at the university due to a staff illness; I did definitely not see this curve ball flying in my direction!!I think it is safe to say that I had settled into Nottingham and university life quite well, particularly the very fancy award do’s at the end of the academic year! My second year was soon upon me, as during the summer break I had moved roles within the Students’ Union to HR, in order to support a busy recruitment period. Then, in mid-August, I left the Students’ Union to take up my current post in the Information Systems department at the university, where I lead on their student engagement and relationship work, alongside managing internal communications across a department of over 170 staff. My first duty within this post was to fly out to Boston USA for a technology in education conference, so that gave me a strong idea that I was going to love this job!

Jake K. Mairs Ð “Once an Aquinas student, always an Aquinas student”

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A year later, and I am moving again... I have been fortunate enough to have been recruited onto a sponsorship programme with Barclays, in which I will work with them whilst studying the final remainder of my degree, with them taking on my student debt!! It’s an opportunity I am so excited to get started, from moving to another part of the UK, to take on an exciting new job, to continue to balance study and working, it’s a challenge Aquinas has prepared me well for.But part of me will always fly back to the nest, like we were always told:

“Once an Aquinas student, always an Aquinas student”.

Jake K. Mairs

We would like to thank our readers who support the ejournal and the writers who take the time to submit their articles. If you wish to send an article for the next issue, please email, eddie@aquinas.ac.uk, Thank you.

© 2014 AQUINAS COLLEGE