At the Cenotaph

Tamara O'Rourke, Claire Gould and Jessica Sharpe laid our wreath at the Cenotaph in Newcastle, supported by year 8 students Lucy Lakin, Sarah Louise Duffy, Emma Baker and Sinead Murray. We then all warmed up with hot chocolate and buns before joining the congregation at Newcastle Methodist Church for their Remembrance Service, led by a certain Christopher Skillen. The sermon included detail from his trip to Krakow during half term. The congregation was very welcoming and our students were able to contribute by giving the readings. Then it was off to the Strand for more sustenance in the shape of toasties, scones and ice cream. Many more of our students were in evidence in the Scouts and Boys' and Girls' Brigades, and Wills McNeilly lowered and raised the flag.

Remembrance Day Assembly

Grainne Tobin presented our annual Remembrance Day assembly, ably supported by Niamh Lindsay, Helen Crane, Tanya Murray and Rachel Cleary. The girls read beautifully. Sunday, 11.11.1914 sees Jessica Sharpe and Stuart Hanna lay our wreath at the Cenotaph and take part in the Remembrance Day service at Newcastle Methodist Church, where Chris Skillen will be preaching. A Remembrance Day assembly will follow for our senior students on Monday. Our Rembrance Day efforts are mirrored by our activities for St Patrick's Day. In each case we challenge the historical appropriation of the event by one community or the other within Northern Ireland.

Krakow Trip

Three of our staff are in Krakow during the Hallow E'en half term, Chris Skillen, Rose Murray and Deborah McDowell. Part of their purpose is to follow up some of the work Chris has undertaken as part of his Holocaust Foundation Fellowship. One possibility is a future trip for some of our students.