Posts in category: News

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.

The Senior cadets enjoyed a sunny Tuesday training session learning about Expeditions both for the CCF and the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme as Laurelhill CCF do both.

The cadets studied in the Youth Center how to pack a Rucksack, what types of footwear are suitable for expeditions etc, before going outside after break to look at Triangia Stoves, practice putting them together as well as being shown how to light one in preparation for next weeks “Expeditions Food Prepping.” The also had a go at erecting a Force Ten Classic Standard Mk 4  – 2 Person Tent – the original canvas type A frame….

brought back memories for the CFAV of their own DofE expeditions ahem a few years ago….

If you are interested in doing something similar why not join the Cadets and do your own DofE Award Scheme.

Get an application form from Adele, Colin, or David in school or call on a Tuesday after school 3:15 – 5:30 to see what it is all about.

Junior Cadets attended their Weapon Handling course on Saturday in school. Whilst many pupils were laying in bed or playing video games etc,    
Cdt Francey, 

Cdt Pressley, 

Cdt Kavolynas 

and

Cdt Gowdy 

were attending lessons on the Air Rifle, the safe practices for handling and firing the Air Rifle. All 4 cadets then did their Weapon Handling Test, which they all passed. This was followed by a few hours shooting on the range in the afternoon before heading home.

They were presented in their relevant school assemblies with their badges for shooting on the range with the Air Rifle, which can now be worn proudly on their arm when in uniform.

This week several cadets achieved awards which were recognised in the relevant school assemblies.

Dominikos Afangsenkov

2 Star ACS,

Ethan Fleming

2 Star ACS and Shooting Marksman,

Lilly Cree

2 Star ACS and Shooting Marksman,

Nikodem Cytryna

2 Star ACS and Shooting Pass,

Chloe Boyd

2 Star ACS and Shooting Pass,

Ethan Robinson

2 Star ACS and Shooting Pass and

Chloe Morgan

4 Star ACS and Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award – these are the highest the CCF can award and Chloe is in the top 5% of CCF Nationally, who achieve both of these awards.

The CCF offers life changing experiences that no other extra-curricular activity can match. Joining the CCF provides so many opportunities to challenge yourself, develop your skills and work as part of a team.

The DofE is run by Laurelhill CCF.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme is open to any young person aged 14-24. Each young person builds their own DofE programmes – picking their own activities and choosing which cause to volunteer for – in order to achieve a Bronze, Silver, or Gold DofE Award.

Achieving a Gold Award is a big deal so, its only right you get a proper celebration of your outstanding achievements.

Every young person who achieves their Gold Award is invited to attend a Gold Award celebration event at a Royal Palace attended by a Member of The Royal Family. Chloe heads to London next week for her Celebration Event.

Practice Makes Perfect…

Today the cadets at Laurelhill CCF got some more shooting practice in and some completed “Classification Shoots” to go towards their badges and awards through the CCF Syllabus. Everyone had a chance to shoot, brushing up on their skills in preparation for “summer camp” in July. 

Adele ran the Range assisted by Linda and Colin, whilst David provided First Aid cover (which thankfully wasn’t needed).

There was a shoot off for “best shot” which was won by Ethan Fleming.  Nikodem Cytryna shot a grouping of 9 shots almost all in the one hole.

The cadets enjoyed tuck-shop, some pool and table tennis in the Youth Centre, before the end of the session. The Easter break will see no cadet meeting for 2 weeks, returning on Tuesday  29th April at 3:15.

If you would be interested in joining cadets, come along on a Tuesday afternoon to have a taste, get an application form and experience the fun for yourself.

On Target…CCF volunteers, Adele, Linda and David attended an Archery GB Instructor Award course over the weekend. All three passed with flying colours. This means the CCF will be able to run Archery sessions more often with qualified instructors to teach the cadets and put them through their paces, helping the cadets attain their badges and qualifications.
David also attended his First Aid at Work Level 3 Award (RQF) the weekend before.
Congratulations to all three and we look forward to seeing their skills put to good use in Laurelhill CCF.

Our Year 8 netball team put in a fantastic performance in their first competitive fixture of the season, finishing 4th in a highly competitive Netball Blitz tournament.

The girls showed great determination and teamwork throughout the tournament, demonstrating strong defensive play and quick attacking movement. Each match was a hard-fought contest, with the players improving their communication and team tactics as the tournament progressed.

Despite facing some tough opposition, the team secured some impressive results and worked tirelessly to earn their 4th place finish, narrowly missing out on 3rd place by 1 point! This was a great achievement for their first outing of the season, and the experience will only help them grow in confidence and skill. 

Player of the tournament for Laurelhill: Tegan C. 

Match results: 

Lagan: Won 2-0

Hunterhouse: Drew 0-0

Lisnagarvey: Lost 2-0

Friends: Lost 4-0

Fort Hill: Drew 0-0

St. Colm’s: Won 2-0

Wallace: Lost 4-1

Well done to all the players for their effort and sportsmanship. A promising start to the season – we look forward to seeing what they can achieve in the matches ahead! 

Mrs McCready. 

You can’t win them all.

Laurelhill U16s crashed out of the Belfast Cup Quarter Final in heartbreaking fashion to Rathmore.

Rathmore came flying out of the blocks and got off to the perfect start finding the back of the net in the first minute of the game. The goal did not serve as a wakeup call as Rathmore doubled their lead 10 minutes later.

It took a while for the boys to settle and get into a rhythm, on the 20 minute mark, Billy N finished off an excellent move down the left following brilliant link up play by Noah and Harry. Billy N confidently slotted the ball home to get Laurelhill back into the game.

Unfortunately a lapse in concentration, saw Rathmore add a third 2 minutes after Laurelhill scored.

Half time 3-1.

Again Rathmore started very brightly and ran into a 4-1 lead. However, Laurelhill finally started to raise their game. Shortly after the fourth Rathmore goal, Harry D got his first of the game with an excellent finish following great build up play by Jay B, Billy N and Max, 4-2. Five minutes later Laurelhill pulled another goal back, an excellent move that consisted of just five passes, resulted in Jay B playing a defence splitting ball through to Max, who smashed the ball across goal into the bottom corner, 4-3.

With the adrenaline following, Laurelhill were now first to every ball, the fight, passion and desire was clear to see. With 10 minutes left, Harry smashed the ball into the roof of the net after Rathmore failed to deal with an excellent delivery from winger James H.

Full time 4-4, a remarkable comeback!

Extra-time found the momentum with Laurelhill, chances for James H, Max and Jay all resulted in good saves from the Rathmore keeper. Rathmore had chances of their own and were constantly a threat from set pieces. A corner which was headed towards goal from two yards out seemed destined to find the net, somehow Laurelhill goalkeeper Charlie C pulled off an incredible save to push the ball round the post for another corner.

Injury to centre back Joel M, saw a delay in the corner, the delay caused some defensive confusion and with penalties just two minutes away, the corner was headed home from Rathmore. With 30 seconds left Laurelhill won a corner, with virtually everyone forward, Rathmore managed to clear the ball and counter with a sixth goal.

Unfortunately there will be no back to back Belfast Cup win for Laurelhill’s U16s but the effort, character and desire from the boys to come from 4-1 to bring the game to extra was remarkable and a fantastic example to all players at the college to never give up!

Thank you as always to all parents/guardians for their support.

We now focus our attention to our final competition of the year, the NI Plate, where we play Castlederg at the Bluebell on Wednesday 19^th Feb.

Final Score AET:

Rathmore 6-4 Laurelhill

Goal scorers:

Harry D x2,

Max

Billy N

MOTM: Harry D.

Mr Smyth

Laurelhill V Edmund Rice 

The winning streak continues for our U13 girls with a 5-1 win on Wednesday afternoon. 

A nervous team took to the pitch on Wednesday afternoon, the girls had already faced this team last year and knew what they were up against. The first half saw Laurelhill dominate the game with a 2-0 lead and Tilly C securing both goals.  Edmund Rice put pressure on the girls especially on the wing with some fast play keeping Miley Mc and Myliee M on their toes.

Edmund Rice attacked back with two great chances however Chloe M was on her toes and saved both from going into the back of the net. Our defence were the stars of the show Lacey S, Mia W, Niamh P and Lucia E making sure that our back line was strong.

Tilly C went on to score a third goal with Charley L  and Kaci M securing goals for a Laurelhill win.

Laurelhill are now into the quarter final of the NI Cup.

Goals

Tilly C x3

Charley L x1

Kaci M x1 

POM Niamh P

Well done girls!

Ms Beattie and Ellie