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Barbara’s a Winner

6th February 2018Mrs D Curtis

Congratulations to Barbara Poczatek, our year 11 student, for winning the June feature in the Sandwell College Calendar Competition.

Barbara’s design is featured on the desktop calendar that has been distributed far and wide throughout the West Midlands.

Jas Uppal, School Liaison and Events Officer, presented Barbara with copies of the calendar and £50 worth of Amazon vouchers.

Barbara’s winning entry:

Barbara receiving her prize from Jas Uppal, Schools Liaison and Events Officer, Sandwell College.

The PE department led a thought provoking and compelling Holocaust Assembly on Monday morning (29th, January) to the whole school with help from Amelia Beet and Gjovani Cinari (Year 8), Ruby Cochrane (Year 10) and Will Tudor (Year 13).

Topics addressed included;

What is the Holocaust?
Why the Jews?
The killing fields of Germany
The horrors and hopes of Auschwitz
Sporting stars who lost their lives

The presentation was reinforced with a clip from the movie, “Band of Brothers”. Students attention was excellent, a fitting school memorial for those who lost their lives.

Family Engineering Days for Year 7, 8 & 9 Students

25th January 2018Mrs D Curtis

At The Smallpeice Trust, they believe anything is possible when you know how. That’s why they’re here to give young people everything they need to fuel their passion for engineering, helping to make their big ideas a reality.

The Smallpeice Trust is running a series of Family Engineering Days at five locations across the West Midlands, during Spring half term as part of a Royal Academy of Engineering Ingenious project.

Thinktank, Birmingham	19 February 2018	10:00 – 12:30
		13:30 – 16:00
Soho House, Birmingham	20 February 2018	10:00 – 12:30
		13:30 – 16:00
Aston Hall, Birmingham	21 February 2018	10:00 – 12:30
		13:30 – 16:00
Grand Station, Wolverhampton	22 February 2018	10:00 – 12:30
		13:30 – 16:00
Coventry Transport Museum	3 March 2018	10:00 – 12:30
		13:30 – 16:00

To allow students from as many schools as possible to participate, The Smallpeice Trust is offering FREE places to Year 7, 8 & 9 students from our school to attend these Family Engineering Days with a parent/guardian.

Family Engineering Days are a free half-day event aimed at students and a parent/guardian to show how studying STEM subjects could potentially enhance their career prospects.

Held at locations around the West Midlands, graduate engineers and apprentices from automotive companies such as Aston Martin and Jaguar Land Rover will hold a Family Engineering Day for up to 60 Year 9 students and a parent/guardian. Each Family Engineering Day will last approximately two and a half hours and be run during either the morning or afternoon.

With the aim of bringing the STEM experience to families, parents/guardians are invited to take part and help their children with an automotive based challenge that is designed to be fun and educational for all involved. These activities are designed to complement the National Curriculum in science, technology, engineering and maths by demonstrating the link between what’s taught in the classroom with the wider world. They are especially beneficial for students in the process of choosing their CGSE options.

Family Engineering Days are supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering under the Ingenious Award scheme, an awards scheme that supports and funds the most creative and impactful projects that engage the public with engineers and engineering.

Further details for these Family Engineering Days and how to apply can be found at: https://www.smallpeicetrust.org.uk/free-family-engineering-days-book-now/

Collection for Haven

21st December 2017Mrs D Ferris

Christmas Charity Collection
St. Edmund’s staff recently raised £81.70 in a collection for the Haven Women’s Refuge. The Haven Wolverhampton, one of the largest refuge providers in the UK, supports women and dependent children who are at risk of domestic violence, homelessness and abuse. It provides emotional and practical support to some of the most vulnerable members of our local community.
An important aspect of our work at St. Edmund’s is to teach our pupils to reach out and contribute to the wider community, especially those in need. As a staff, it is essential that we also actively demonstrate this ethos.
Through using In Kind Direct, we were able to donate six hampers which contained essential toiletries, a few “luxury” items and some sweet treats to The Haven. We hope that this small gesture will help to brighten the day for those seeking refuge this Christmas.

Collection for the Brothers of the Good Shepherd Appeal

15th December 2017Mrs D Curtis

Mr Selvey, teacher of PE, decided to encourage purchases for the Good Shepherd instead of Christmas presents for his sons this year.

Mr Selvey said, “I encouraged those people who feel obliged to buy a £5 toy, just because it is Christmas, to purchase some things for the homeless. Our boys get enough and we wanted to give something to those who are less fortunate, especially at this time of year”.

Mr Selvey would like to thank all the people who have donated items for the appeal. Mr Katumba, Curriculum Leader RE, and two year students will be delivering the items on Thursday 21st December.

Rise Theatre

8th December 2017Mrs D Ferris

Rise Theatre
As part of our Mission Week, we invited the group Rise Theatre to perform ‘Romero – Heartbeat of El Salvador’. They performed twice during the day to all students and staff, and again in the evening to parents, our academy committee and guests from our parishes.
The three actors were very talented and played many parts, switching from different accents and negotiating costume changes. They told the life story of Blessed Oscar Romero from when he was a boy and his desire to be a priest, to his assassination whilst celebrating Mass on the 24th March 1980.
Romero became an Archbishop in 1977 and was a vocal critic of the violent activities of government, armed forces, right wing groups and leftist guerrillas involved in El Salvador’s civil conflict.
The play asked the question ‘What do we live for? Is it for love or for something else?’ It taught us that love is not a warm fuzzy feeling – real love is vulnerable, broken; it dares to get messy. Love is unselfish, it cannot walk on while other people suffer; it cannot help but reach out. Love is a heartbeat and can never be silenced.
The performance brought many of us to tears – it was powerful and thought provoking.
Thank you to everyone who came and enjoyed a Blessed evening.

Christ the King Mass

5th December 2017Mrs D Ferris

hrist the King Mass

On Sunday 26th November the school choir took part in an event which, in recent years, has become a regular feature for the choir, namely attending the Mass for the Feast of Christ the King at St Thomas’ church in Tettenhall. This Feast marks the end of the Church’s liturgical year and celebrates the passing year, it also looks forward; the Gospel reading directs our attention towards our own end, about how we are living our own lives now and about the quality of our generosity towards God and neighbour. This aspect was particularly emphasised by Fr. Paul, the parish priest, paraphrasing part of his homily: Jesus, he said, “…does not just ask us to forgive those who do very little wrong, but to bear patiently with those who are guilty of more serious wrong and to still forgive them, to still be loving and generous towards them.”

The choir sang, what would be for many in the congregation, a new sung Mass, the Mass of St Jude by Mike Stanley, a suitable herald for the new Church year which begins next Sunday. Mr Bard, the Head of Music and Drama conducted the choir, accompanied by Ms Buzzing on the piano and the choir included Mr Garrity and myself, Mr White, among its melodious throng. Mr Bard and other members of staff received compliments from Fr. Paul and parishioners. Mrs Dickenson, an Academy Representative, Mrs Hughes, the Academy Principal and Mr Katumba, Assistant Principal and Head of Religious Education were in the congregation and congratulated and thanked the choir for attending.

A special thanks to all members of the choir who attended the Mass, to their parents and carers for supporting their children getting to and from St Thomas’ and finally for the refreshments provided by St. Thomas’ after Mass.

Mr White

Stars In Our Schools

27th November 2017Mrs D Curtis

On Friday 24 November St Edmund’s took part in the nationwide Unison Stars in Our Schools event to celebrate the wonderful work support staff do every day.

Members of the Senior Leadership Team and Governing Body served tea and cake to support staff to say thank you for all they do in helping St Edmund’s students reach their full potential.

Mrs Hughes, Principal, thanked each and every member for rising to the challenges they face every day and emphasised the vital role they play in education.

Mrs Gallagher, Chair of the Academy Committee, said, “I think the event was very well received and what beautiful cakes! The timing of the support staff “Stars in Our School” was very timely as we’re going to need everyone’s support to ensure the success of Mission Week. I’m sure it will be another great week for everyone”.

Special thanks to members of the Catering Team for helping to organise the event and a massive thank you to Sam Hamilton who made the beautiful cakes.

Left to right: Paula Jones (Catering Supervisor), Sam Hamilton (Baker) and Pam Dhaliwal (Head Chef)

Left to right: Mrs Raj (Business Director), Mrs Hughes (Principal), Mrs Gallagher (Chair of Academy Committee) and Mrs Shorthouse (Member of Academy Committee)

Member of the Support Team enjoying tea and cake.

Sam’s delicious cakes

Cleaner Required for Jan 2018

22nd November 2017Mrs D Curtis

We are an 11 – 18 Catholic Academy with 876 pupils on role including 137 in the Sixth Form. We are seeking to appoint to St Edmund’s Catholic Academy an Academy Cleaner to carry out under reasonable direction the appropriate duties in the case of buildings and the teaching environment, in matters of safety, cleanliness and comfort, conducive to the working needs of pupils, staff and other site users.

CLEANER – VACANCY Required for Jan 2018

Vacancy Ref. ES003

Rate of Pay £7.78 per hour

15 hours per week – 3.45 – 6.45pm Monday to Friday

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

For more information or for an application pack, please contact Reception, at the company registered office: (c/o: St Edmund’s Catholic Academy; Compton Park, Compton Road West, Wolverhampton, WV3 9DU or call 01902 558888). Application packs can be accessed via our Academy website: www.stedmunds.org

Completed applications can be returned by post to the registered office or via email to recruitment@stedmunds.org

St Edmunds is part of the Bishop Cleary Catholic Multi Academy Company. You can find out more about the Bishop Cleary Catholic Multi Academy Company at: bccmac.co.uk

Closing Date: Tuesday 5^th December 2017, 12.00 Noon.

Interview Date: Thursday 14^th December 2017

Children In Need

21st November 2017Mrs D Ferris

On Friday 7th November St Edmunds, along with many of the Nation, ‘did their bit’ for Children In Need. Apart from a mufti day, when students and staff donated a pound, members of the 6th form dressed up as Pudsey and went around the classroom collecting any loose change.
So far we have raised £849.67 but Parent Pal is still open for anyone who would still like to contribute.
Thank you to everyone for all your efforts to help those who need an extra helping hand. God Bless you all.