Sold on e-pray!

On Monday 12th February, a new initiative is starting at St Wilfrid’s Catholic High School, to ensure that all classes are able to start the day with prayer. The initiative, entitled ‘E-pray’, will mean that all staff will receive a daily e-mail with a prayer relating to the prayer theme of the week. The prayers will be incorporated into the regular start of day routine that takes place during the first lesson of the day.

Mrs Gilroy, Assistant Headteacher with responsibility for Chaplaincy, said that following research among staff and students aimed at ensuring that regular collective worship was taking place at school, it was clear that having a morning focus based around the theme of the week would enable prayer to take place more regularly and more effectively.

E-pray follows on from the School prayer book, which is produced on a half-termly basis to assist Form Tutors and Heads of Year in organising collective worship during afternoon tutorials and assemblies.


Phil Russell
Lay Chaplian

FAME! I want to live forever!

It is that time of year again – when the school hall gets transformed into somewhere new, and the distant (or sometimes quite close) sound of singing and dancing can be heard throughout the school. That’s right – it’s school production time. This year we are taking you back to the 1980s, with its garishly coloured leg-warmers and it's very dodgy perms, to bring you FAME – The Musical.

The production is being performed by a cast of 25 students ranging from Year 8 to Year 12, and involves the usual array of acting, singing, dancing and gymnastics – with even a bit of rap. This is all done to the fantastic music created by the band of 15, made up of students and staff.

The story of FAME shows the journey of a group of young people as they embark on a four-year course at the School of Performing Arts in New York. It follows them through auditions, classes, love scenes, knock backs and much more.

The show is running for 4 nights, from Tuesday 13th to Friday 16th February. The last 2 nights are already sold out, so hurry if you want to get a seat. NEW!! Special offer on Wednesday tickets 2 adults bring a child free! and Buy 2 child tickets get one free!

Click here to see the Catholic Post Photos of our 'Fame' production.

Sarah Page February 2007

Same, but different

The events of the Holocaust, where the Nazis killed 6 million Jewish people during the Second World War, were once again commemorated at St Wilfrid’s Catholic High School this year. During assemblies throughout the week leading up to Holocaust Memorial Day on Saturday January 27th, the students were told about how racial discrimination by the Nazis led to them believing that all those considered inferior should be killed.

During the services, students read poems from Holocaust survivors, and listened to the stories of those who kept the Jewish faith alive during those dark days. They were challenged to think about injustice in our society today, and about how the differences between people should be celebrated. Pictured right Michael and Jake White in Year 11 who are identical twins to reflect the idea of same but different.
The services, which featured images provided by the Holocaust Memorial Trust, and appropriate contemporary music, were held in a respectful silence, as students reflected thoughtfully on the events of the Holocaust, and the actions they should take to make sure it never happens again.

After the services, students created a display of their fingerprints in the R.E. Department, to symbolise their diversity and their unity.

Phil Russell
Lay Chaplain

Brave Scott rescues neighbour

At the end of last year Scott Bennett in Year 9 saved his neighbour from her burning house, he's now been put forward for an award by firefighters for this brave rescue!

Scott was on his way home from school when he saw smoke billowing from a neighbouring house. He said: "I was on the field behind the house and saw a load of smoke so I went to look and there was a fire in the kitchen. I went around to the front of the house and banged on the window and saw Mrs Bennett in her front room. I didn't really think about it – I just wanted to get her out of the house." Grateful Sue Bennett, 54, said: "If it wasn't for him I would be dead. I was having an asthma attack because of the fumes from the smoke – when I opened the front room door the flames had just whooshed up in my face. But he got me out of the house and then he rescued Molly, my West Highland terrier, who was trapped in the kitchen where the fire was." Scott called 999 and Wakefield firefighters attended the blaze. Mrs Bennett was taken to Pinderfields Hospital.Crew manager Pete Hemsworth said: "An electric deep-fat fryer had been left on one of the hob rings and it seems as though that caused the fire. "Scott's swift actions were excellent. He managed to get Mrs Bennett out of the house and call the fire brigade. He didn't try to tackle the fire, which was the right thing to do. We are hoping to present him with a commendation award." Mrs Bennett added: "I would not have got out of the house without him. I would like to thank him and the fire brigade for saving my life."

Vocational Specialist Blog

NEW!! DECEMBER 2006 Damian Ward, Assistant Headteacher (Vocational) launches an exciting blog to chart our first year as a Vocational Specialist School.

http://vocationalspecialismschool.blogspot.com/

St Wilfrid’s Day Mass 2006

The St Wilfrid’s Day Mass is our greatest opportunity to come together in prayer and worship as a school community. This year, our theme was “Back to the Father.” This theme focuses our thoughts on the Christian ideas of repentance and reconciliation.
During the entrance of students to Mass, the “Paradise Steel Band”, a steel drum band played a number of Gospel based hymns. Before Mass began, Miss Birkett’s dance group performed an interpretation to two songs which related to the theme of our Mass. The Mass was lead by Fr Simon Lodge who during his homily on the Gospel of the Prodigal Son spoke with knowledge and humour about the difficulties of living out the Christian life, and also the life of St Wilfrid. During Mass, the orchestra and choir, conducted by Mr Clarke and Miss Herrington, led the congregation in a number of contemporary hymns based around our theme. During the Our Father, students from Years 8 and 9 performed a piece of liturgical movement to the words of the prayer. The Liturgy was prepared by members of the school Chaplaincy team, and it is a testimony to their hard work and dedication that the Mass was such a success.
The St Wilfrid’s Day Mass is a way of both celebrating our school achievements, but also and most importantly, a time to come together and to remember our purpose as a school. As our Mission Statement says, “At the heart of our life is a desire to encourage students to lead a Christian life and be of service to others.” We hope that our St Wilfrid’s Day Mass inspires them to do this.

Phil Russell Nov 2006

Year 5 Art Day

In November ’06 as part of St Joseph's Primary Schools Arts week St Wilfrid’s Art Department had the pleasure of working with 30 year 5 pupils for a day. Using Celtic Art as a starting point we ran two workshops – Mr Walsh and 6th form Art students provided a challenging experience manipulating day and providing the pupils with new skills and techniques. Mrs Beach and 6th form Art Students introduced Batik and textiles – a new experience to all of the pupils and something they all found very rewarding. Ideas were based on Celtic Animal Imagery and the pupils used hot wax to make a resist pattern then brushed on strong colour to make excellent individual vibrant designs.
Pupils from St Joseph's Primary School Pontefract working with Mrs Beach and 6th form Art Students. Using Celtic designs as their starting point the year 5 pupils used the strong pattern and images as inspiration to produce their own Batik Artwork.
Pupils from St Joseph's Primary School Pontefract working in collaboration with Mr Walsh and 6th form Art Students. The morning was spent on a collaborative project where pupils produced individual tiles to make a large FRIEZE. The afternoon was used to produce their own Gargoyle heads to ward off evil spirits. It worked – Mr Horodczuk was nowhere to be seen.

Paul Horodczuk Nov 2006