As we draw to the end of another very busy year I want to say huge thank you to pupils, parents and staff who have made this year so enjoyable from August 2016 through to June 2017.

On Wednesday 20th June about 45 pupils and teachers competed in the Lisburn Run. I congratulate all who finished their respective races. Our own Mrs Logue was 2nd in the 10K – well done.

Dates for your Diary

• The Freshers’ BBQ, Thursday 22 June 2017, is an opportunity to welcome our New Year 8 pupils. We look forward to a really good evening.

• Friday 23 June 2017 Laurelhill is hosting the interschool primary sports day. We look forward to another great year.

• The College finishes on Friday 30 June at 12 noon. It is a non-uniform day for pupils, parents should note that there will be no lunches and no buses in the afternoon. Form Tutors are to collect £1 from students.

• Results Day A level Thursday 17 August 2017

• Results Day GCSE Thursday 24 August 2017

Back to School

UNIFORM – When you purchasing uniform for next year please ensure you purchase a proper pair of leather school shoes and not a sports’ shoe. There has been some confusion this year. If in doubt please check with our uniform supplier, McCalls Lisburn.

Finally

We would appreciate all school leavers to return textbooks and your tie if you wish.

The Parent Teacher and Friends Association of Laurelhill will be meeting again on Thursday 7 September in the library at 7.30pm. All new parents and friends will be made very welcome.

Have a safe and restful holiday.

Every blessing.

Mr JG Martin

As we come to the end of another term it is an appropriate moment to say thank you to you, for the enormous support you give to the school. I am pleased that the guiding values of our College: Respect, Enjoyment, Achievement Care and Honesty are displayed by our pupils. In the past weeks they have once again excelled in sport, music, public speaking, drama and so much more. Our Year 12, 13 and 14 pupils have public examinations coming up next term. The other year groups will sit their internal examinations in April/May. I encourage you to help your child prepare for their examinations.

ICT Update

Laurelhill Community College supports and promotes e-safety for all students in school. We ask all parents/carers to encourage responsible behaviour from their children especially on all social media platforms. In the past week the College has been alerted to an app named simsimi. Laurelhill warns against the use of this app and advises that it is deleted from devices immediately. Please be aware that the use of this app may lead to incidences of cyber bullying. All such incidences will be investigated and will be dealt with in line with the College’s ‘mobile phone policy’. Parents, please be vigilant and warn your children of the dangers of this app. Supervise the removal of this app from your children’s device.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/newsbeat/article/39453778/anti-bullying-campaigners-call-for-a-ban-on-chatbot-app-simsimi

Dates for your diary:

1.Year 8 Parent Consultation, Thursday 6 April 10.30am – 12.30pm

2.Year 11 Parent Consultation, Thursday 6 April 1.00pm – 3.00pm

4.Easter holidays, school finishes Thursday 6 April 2017, 12 noon

5.Return to school, Monday 24 April 2017

6.Year 11 Mock Exams, Monday 24 April – Wednesday 3 May

7.May Day, Monday 1 May 2017

8.Year 8, 9 & 10 Exams, Thursday 25 May – Wednesday 31 May

9.Bank Holiday, Monday 29 May 2017

10.Term ends, Friday 30 June 2017, 12 noon

School holidays 2017/18 are on Facebook and the College website.

Have a very happy and safe Easter

J G Martin

Principal

The Music Department presented their Annual Spring Concert which was a fantastic evening, showcasing the full range of musical talents here at Laurelhill Community College. Our two hosts Dylan Leathem and Matthew Lowry did a great job of keeping the audience entertained and performing themselves in a number of the acts! The college band had perfected a number of tunes and impressed us with their rendition of the James Bond theme. There was a unique performance in the form of our Ukulele group and a selection of our Musical Theatre pupils showcased their exam pieces in front of the live audience. The Staff Band made their debut performance this year with Mr Sykes singing “My Way” in true swing style! A particular favourite for everyone was “Lost Boy” performed by the Senior choir. The audience were mesmerized and it was a truly magical performance. Miss Collins and Mrs Rea were extremely proud of all the music students involved. Well done to all our talented musicians who took part.

Sentinus visited Laurelhill Community College to deliver a Robotics workshop to year 8 pupils. Sentinus delivers a wide range of programmes for young people of all ages to give them exciting and rewarding experiences in the STEM subjects and inspire them to consider careers in these areas. The programmes, which encourage the development of links with business and industry and enrich the learning experience for pupils, are designed to support the delivery of the curriculum, engage students in practical problem solving activities, research and development and investigative projects. Although focusing on Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths they also give significant opportunity to enhance employability and personal development through problem solving, team working, target setting, mentoring, working with adults and independent learning. All year 8 pupils really enjoyed the robotics workshop.

Year 11 GCSE Geography students thoroughly enjoyed a 2 day visit to Ardnabannon Outdoor Centre on 13th and 14th March.

On day 1 They were given the experience to put their class notes into practice by undertaking a study of the River Shimna, identifying its main features, processes and uses, whilst also being given the opportunity to use specialised equipment to allow them to gather the data they needed to complete their controlled assessment.

Day 2 saw the pupils developing their team work skills by taking part in the High Wires Course. At times they were suspended over 20 feet in the air testing their endurance and nerve to complete a ‘trapezium jump’. They were also given the opportunity to go bouldering which saw the students scale large boulders in the face of oncoming river water and finishing the day with several jumps into the river depths below.

The students thoroughly enjoyed themselves, with many taking the opportunity to rest/sleep on the bus after 2 fun filled days.