Monthly Archives: June 2025

🏸 Smashing Year at Badminton Club! 🏸

What a fantastic year it’s been at Badminton Club! Every Thursday afternoon brought energy, laughter, and lots of skill-building as both staff and pupils sharpened their racquet skills in the sports hall. The buzz was brilliant, and the enjoyment clear to see!

A huge thank you to everyone who took part – we’re already looking forward to picking up our racquets again in September! 💪🏽🏸

Ms Muldrew, Mrs Dougan, Mr Browne, Lydia & Joanie 

***CHAMPIONS***

For the 6th year running, Laurelhill were crowned Lisburn and Castlereagh District Athletics Champions. The Athletics squad from Year 8 & 9 competed against Lisnagarvey High School, Forthill Integrated College, Breda Academy, St Patrick’s Academy, Lagan College and Dundonald High School on Monday. 

The Best Boy’s Team winners were Laurelhill. 

Well done to Lagan who won the Best Girl’s Team, with our girls losing out by just 2 points. 

Laurelhill were victorious winning the Overall School Champions. 

A huge congratulations to all of the pupils who participated, who raced, jumped and threw to victory. Pictured are the Athletics Team and Athletics Captains Tilly C and Oliver G. 

Laurelhill Community College –  342 Points

Forthill Integrated College – 250 Points

Breda Academy – 211 Points

St Patricks Academy – 250 Points

Lisnagarvey High School – 203 Points

Dundonald High School– 134 Points

Lagan College – 325 Points 

The PE Department

London Day 1 

After a VERY early start at Belfast International Airport we arrived in Westminster for a tour of the Houses of Parliament. We got to see the House of Lords and The Great Hall where Queen Elizabeth lay in state and Henry VIII held banquets and the occasional tennis match! In the afternoon we visited Leicester Square, China Town and Covent Garden to soak up the atmosphere and enjoy dinner. Then it was time for ‘the hottest show in town,’ Hadestown at the Lyric Theatre! It was an amazing show and for some of our pupils the first musical they had ever seen. A wonderful bunch of pupils who showed resilience and great spirits on a very long hot day! 

Day 2 in London! 

A glorious sunny day in London and we started with a walk over the Millennium Bridge for a photo at St Paul’s cathedral. Shakespeare’s Globe theatre was our next stop and we had a fascinating tour and got to watch the actors conducting vocal and movement warm ups as they prepared for the matinee performance of ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ The actors ‘fight call’ was great to watch as we saw Romeo and Tybalt’s choreographed fight sequence in action! We made our way to the Tower of London to explore and Yeoman Warder Ryan Brown, a past pupil of Laurelhill, kindly met us to give us an insight into his role at the Tower and the pupils asked lots of questions. After viewing the Crown Jewels we made our way to Covent Garden for dinner and shopping! ‘Great Scott!’ it was show time again…Back to the Future at the Adelphi Theatre. It was a spectacular show, some pupils said it was the best thing they had ever seen! Magical! Another action-packed day with the best bunch 😊 

London Day 3 

We started at the London Dungeon on Thursday morning for some bone chilling stories and jump scares! The actors did a convincing job as they guided us through some of London’s more gruesome historical time periods! We managed to squeeze in a visit to Buckingham Palace where a brass band were playing behind the gates. Sadly, it was time to head back home, we all had an amazing trip with wonderful memories made. The pupils were great ambassadors for Laurelhill and did us proud 😊 have a wonderful summer everyone! 

A record-breaking day in personal bests across track and field events, sunshine and great effort from all our pupils.

A huge thank you to everyone for making the day a great success

The PE Department

Huge congratulations to our Year 10 netball team who have come out on top of the Lisburn League this year. Very well deserved after a great season! Well done girls! 

Also, a special mention to the Year 9 team who came runners up in their league. Well done! 

Mrs McCready. 

We were delighted to attend the Gala Awards Ceremony for the  Lisburn Schools’ Arts Competition last Thursday to collect our prizes! We had top winning entries in the Poetry and Short Story categories and we won 1^st prize for our school production of ‘Popstars the 90s Musical.’ Well done to all the pupils involved we are so proud of your achievements! 

Lieutenant Newman was confirmed as the new Contingent Commander today by 38 (Irish) Brigade Cadet Training Team. The CCF has been without its own CC since Lt. Daniels retired in June last year. Commander Gordon stood in from 38X CTT in the interim. Lt Newman brings many years experience to the CCF having a wealth of experience with ACF etc. We look forward to the passion and energy Lt Newman will bring to the Army Cadet Syllabus, badges, awards and promotions.

Today several Cadets earned their Basic Award which Lt Newman duly presented to them:

Cadet Pressley
Cadet Gowdy
Cadet Kavalynas
Cadet Francey

Also earning their stripes today was

Corporal Fleming and
Lance Corporal Afangsenkov
Corporal Cytryna

We look forward to camp in July and return in September on a changed day, Monday for Parade. This change will mean a great opportunity for Laurelhill CCF to carry out the syllabus and have more opportunities to have fun and not be so weather dependent. This will allow us to use the school assembly hall for activities.

If you are 12 years old and would like to join the CCF speak to David or Adele in school or collect a registration form from your Form Tutor.

On the 31st of May, cadets attended the Commemoration of the

BATTLE OF THE HITLER LINE:

The Hitler Line was a German defensive line in central Italy during the Second World War.

The North Irish Horse Regimental Association and Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry commemorated the Battle of the Hitler Line in May 1944 when they paraded through Carrickfergus on Saturday 31 May.

Soldiers of the North Irish Horse, supporting Canadian infantry, played a prominent part in the Battle of the Hitler Line and many members of what is now B (North Irish Horse) Squadron of The Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry died in action during the battle, on 23 May 1944.

The Battle for the Hitler Line was a pivotal event, which breached Nazi defences and paved the way for ultimate victory, but at a terrible cost, with over 1,000 Canadians killed or missing and 34 officers and men of the North Irish Horse Regiment killed, 36 injured and 25 tanks destroyed.

“The unit’s Churchill tanks were integral to the success of Operation Chesterfield by breaching the  Hitler Line during the closing months of World War Two.

The North Irish Horse commemorate the battle each year in Carrickfergus, close to the Churchill IV tank which was built in the town during the Second World War. The Churchill tanks were used by the regiment in Europe and often had the names of Ulster towns displayed on their livery.

Laurelhill CCF sponsoring unit is the Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry, so it was fitting for the Cadets to be able to attend and take part in the SNIY parade, as an act of remembrance but also living history.