27th June -1st July

A busy week for the School as the end of term approaches fast. On Monday, Holocaust Survivor Iby Knill visited the School to tell her story of how she survived a Nazi concentration camp and the effect it had on her life. Her visit was an invaluable opportunity for Year 9 pupils in the Boys' Division to hear a first hand account from one of three survivors of Auschwitz still alive in the UK. Iby's is a powerful message about never labelling groups and always having the courage to address individuals and their actions.
Pupils from twenty two primary schools from across the region took part in our Sports Festival this week. The annual event, now in its eighth year, saw pupils taking part in a wide range of events to test their sporting skills, including a rugby challenge and penalty shoot-out as well as having their golf, hockey, tennis, athletics and cricket skills tested. This year the overall winner was St Matthew's Primary with the runner up places going to St Peter's in Farnworth and Markland Hill CPS.
The Boys' Division rocked the great hall on Thursday evening with a sensational Summer Concert, culminating in a rock medley involving the whole of Year 7.The dramatic finale saw the Year 7’s join forces with soloists from Years 8 to 13 to belt out a series of classic rock anthems including 'These are Crazy, Crazy, Crazy Nights' from Kiss, Whitesnake's 'Here I Go Again', Guns and Roses' 'Sweet Child O Mine', Pink Floyd's 'We Don't Need No Education' and Bon Jovi's 'Living On A Prayer'.
Year 8 girls were delighted to welcome author Annabel Pitcher to their reading circle, who just seen her debut novel, My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, nominated for The Guardian's Children's Book of the Year prize. Twenty nine year old Annabel ran a wonderful creative writing session with the girls, helping them create a character's voice.
And our Junior Boys presented a cheque for £3, 000 to the Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal, raised through their Annual Charity Fun Run and a Dress in Red Day. Jackie Pickersgill, Community Fundraiser for the Red Cross, came to collect the cheque and gave a presentation in assembly, showing the boys how their money will be used to benefit those affected by the disaster. Also at Park Road the Year 6 boys have been entertaining family and friends with their annual drama production which this year is 'Hoodwinked' -a modern and witty take on the 'Robin Hood' story.