DIARY OF THE 2010-11 ACADMIC YEAR

SEPTEMBER 2010
COMMUNITY PROJECT A meeting took place earlier this week with Mr Salter Sterling, representing the Irish School of Ecumenics, Mrs B Gallagher and the Principal regarding the possibility of Methodist College being a key partner in the development and delivery of a local community project. The ISE has had some success in working through street projects in Dublin to promote confidence and self-esteem. Under the leadership of Dr Martin McAleese and Salter Sterling, they want to develop a model of confidence building in a Belfast Loyalist community (Sandy Row) that, if successful, could be transferred to other communities throughout the island. The project is likely to target primary schools with the aim of removing barriers to learning and raising the aspirations and achievements of the next generation. It also hope to reduce the likelihood of retaliatory attacks by members of the Loyalist community at a time when the activities of dissident terrorist Republicans is becoming increasingly provocative. It is hoped that external funding will be found (Atlantic Philanthropies) to support the project. BOARDING Two events were held to commemorate the closure of the Boarding Department. These were well attended and provided a suitable opportunity for former boarders and staff to congregate, reminisce and commiserate. It is important to record our thanks to Mrs Denise Lowry and Alison Weir for their work in ensuring that the events ran smoothly and were a success. CHEMISTRY SUCCESS Anandagopal Srinivasan won a bronze medal at the International Chemistry Olympiad in Japan in the summer ROWING SUCCESS Simon Hewitt and Roderigo Prodohl compere in the coupe de la Jeunesse (Junior European Championships) Belgium coming 1st in the B final (7th in

Europe) rowing as Ireland. As a consequence they received Special Awards in assembly on Thursday 9th September The girls crew Junior 8 crew (known as the Lionesses !) won the bronze medal at the Irish championships are; Zoe Gray, Lucie Litvack, Maria Gregson, Rebecca Shorten, Bridget Jacques, Claire Harrison, Megan Holywood-Harry, Samantha Gallaher, Rhianna Craig. Sophie Murphy, who is very much a member of the squad, was unavailable because she was sailing at the Youth Olympics in Singapore. Clare Harrison, Bridget Jaques and Lucy Litvak have been selected by Rowing Ireland for their elite athlete training programme. SAILING Once again, our sailors have won the NI sailing trophy. Robbie Gilmore (Form 5) was First Youth overall and Laura Gilmore (Form 3) was First Lady. It was good that three new pupils were involved this year....Nicola Eames (Form 1), Tim Brow (Form 3) and Tara McClay (L6) Sophie Murphy, L6, represented Ireland at the Youth Olympics in Singapore which is a really tremendous achievement. RUGBY Craig Gilroy scored the first competitive try in the new Aviva stadium. He has also received his first cap for Ulster along with Adam Macklin. Paddy Jackson also excelled in the inaugural match. CRICKET Gary Wilson scored 113 runs playing cricket for Ireland against the Netherlands. MONEYBOX The total sum raised for charity in the last academic year was 25,204.91.

GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS MCB was involved in the largest interactive weather report which involved 261 temperature reading submissions from schools across the United Kingdom and was broadcast as part of the BBCs annual School Report on 11 March 2010. OPTIONS XVIII The annual careers convention took place in the College over the 9th and 10th of September, with visitors from numerous schools and colleges throughout Ireland and a range of exhibitors and seminars to help students to make their choices of courses and universities in this current difficult economic climate. The event was extremely well attended as usual, and thanks are due to all who helped to make the event such a success. AUTHOR VISIT Leading Irish author Derek Landy (the Skulduggery Pleasant series of bestselling children's books) visited the College on Monday 13th September to meet Form 1 pupils and sign copies of his books. CRICKET Adam Berry received a Special Award in assembly on Thursday 16th September for representing Ireland in the U17 and U19 categories in the recent European Championships. Adam achieved a score of 133 off 90 balls against Denmark. CLUBS AND SOCITIES FAIR The annual fair for all pupils took place on Friday the 24th of September, allowing students to gather information about the huge range of extracurricular activities available in the College! PTA The PTA held a very successful Heritage Tour and Supper event on Friday 24th September 2010. Held in the school canteen, the MCB Canteen Staff served a wonderful meal including spicy chicken curry and refreshing fruit kebabs! Around 100 parents enjoyed the evening which allowed them to view part of the school as well as meeting the Principal, members of the teaching staff and other new parents.

ROYAL MARINES MOTIVATIONAL TEAM VISIT On Tuesday 27th September, members of the RMMT visited the College to work with some Form 5 pupils on improving their teamwork skills; it was hard work but much appreciated! A CASE OF IDENTITY As part of the University of Strathclyde's Forensic Science outreach programme, a Crime Scene Investigator from the New York Police Department visited the College on Wednesday 28th September to present a murder mystery scenario to all Form 2 pupils. The pupils had to use clues such as crime scene photographs and DNA profiles to re-solve the case of a murder of a teenager. The presenter was truly compelling and the pupils enjoyed the activity very much. CREATIVE WRITING SUCCESS Charlotte Higgins won 1st place in the Museum of London Latin poetry competition. She was invited to the Museum to read her poem at the award ceremony on 28th September. Charlotte has also been awarded a Commendation in the 2010 Foyle Young Poet of the Year (placed in the top 100 out of nearly 21,000 entries.)

OCTOBER
MIDDLE SCHOOL PLAY The Middle School production of The Importance of Being Earnest took place from 11th 13th October in the Drama Studio. The play was greatly enjoyed by audience and cast alike, and thanks are due to all involved! CRICKET James McCollum (Form 4) received a Special Award for cricket in assembly on Thursday 14th October. James represented Ireland U15s in the European Championships in Holland in August. Ireland came 2nd overall and James was the second-highest scorer in the tournament, scoring 137 in 4 innings.

FORM ONE EMPLOYABILITY DAYS First Form recently enjoyed a day learning about careers with a visit from representatives of the Young Enterprise organisation. They also had the chance to interview some members of the school staff about their career choices. The pupils enjoyed the sessions very much, as can be seen in an article written by Shannon McCormick, 1D, on the College website. HOCKEY At the U16 and U18 Interprovincial tournament held over the weekend of 16th and 17th October, MCB fielded two players; Zara Thom (Form 5) captained the Ulster U16 team and Katie Morris (L6) played a vital role in the midfield of the U18 team. Both teams won all of their matches convincingly. Katie also played for the Irish U18 team in August in the Youth Olympics in Singapore and then in the UK School Games in Newcastle in September, where the squad won the International tournament. ROWING Congratulations to the J18 Girls Quad (Maria Gregson, Claire Harrison, Bridget Jacques and Lucie Litvak) who won the Portadown RC Marascull on Saturday 16th October over a course of 17km on the River Bann. In fact they were the fastest crew over the distance (including the men!) MCB Rowing Coach Mr Marron also won his class, as did the Boys J18 double of Filip Zawislak and Benji Wilson. SWIMMING Six swimmers from the MCB swimming club were selected to represent Ulster in the recent 2010 Interprovincial gala held on Saturday 2nd October at Lagan Valley, Lisburn. The swimmers all performed extremely well on behalf of their province against the best swimming talent in the country. Swimmers included Robbie Dougan, Christian Bennison, Kourosh Abelehkoob, John Coulter, Cameron McAteer and Keelan Logan. Members of the MCB swim team also competed in the Ulster Schools Championships age group 4 & 5 held at Ballymena on Saturday 9th October. The boys were very successful winning double gold in the 200 Freestyle & 200

Medley relays. In the individual competition, Cameron McAteer, Form 2, won gold in the 50m Freestyle and finished second in the 100m Individual Medley events. LEADERSHIP Charlotte Murphy (5th Form) has been excepted onto the YMCA Friends Forever Good Relations Programme chose because of her unusually high degree of responsibility, maturity and leadership skills. 16 day experiential learning programme in the USA. CREATIVE WRITING Sheena Wilkinson launched her first childrens novel, Taking Flight, at an event held in the Heritage Centre. Ian Samson delivered the 15th Sheila Smyth Memorial lecture. NSPCCs Childs Voice (Child line NI) held an awareness raising event at the College. INDIA SOCIETY Members of the India Society visited the various ASHA projects supported by the College. They posted a daily blog on the India Society section of the Schools website to keep us up-to-date with their activities.

NOVEMBER
ART SUCCESSES Shane Donaldson of U6 and Lucy McIlwaine, who left the College last year, have had work selected for CCEAs True Colours exhibition, a showcase of the best work from the previous years Art and Design examinations. The exhibition will be launched on Wednesday 8th December and will be open to the public from Thursday 9th- Wed 17th December and from Tues 4th Jan-Tues 18th Jan in CCEAs building at Clarendon Dock in Belfast. After this date, the exhibition moves to Omagh.

Naomi Sander of L6 also had her work selected but was double-booked as her work is already being showcased in another exhibition at the F.E. McWilliam gallery in Banbridge. Lucy McIlwaine also achieved 100% at A Level in Art and Design, coming joint first in Northern Ireland with CCEA. Shane Donaldson achieved 100% in his AS Art and Design. Five students achieved 100% in their GCSE Art and Design. They are Katie Maxwell, Libby Rose, Naomi Sander, Alistair Johnston and Jennifer Zheng. COOKERY Home Economic pupils Clemmie Davies (Form 2) and Ollie Snape (Form 4) helped the Dairy Council for Northern Ireland launch this years Young Cook of the Year Competition.

BASKETBALL Congratulations to the Senior Girls basketball team who have qualified for the quarter final of the U19B All Ireland Schools Cup, where they will play Loreto College Dublin. CHILDREN IN NEED The recent crazy tights and tie day raised over 1500 for Children in Need, as well as brightening the corridors and classrooms on Friday 19th November! HOCKEY - BOYS Connor Montgomery (U6) and Gavin Adams (Form 5) have been selected for Ulster Interprovincials. Gavin was selected as number 1 goalkeeper for Ulster Under 16s, while Connor was in the Ulster U18 squad who were attempting to defend their title. The matches took place on Friday 19th - Sunday 21st November 2010 at Newpark School, Blackrock, Dublin. Connor and the rest of the Ulster U18 squad retained their Interprovincial title with a dramatic comeback against Leinster. After being 2 0 down, Ulster fought back to win 3 2 in the dying moments of the match. Well done also to

Gavin, who had a superb tournament in goal for the Ulster U16s who narrowly lost out to Leinster. HOCKEY - GIRLS Congratulations to Katie Morris (L6) and Zara Thom (Form 5) who have been invited to U18 and U16 hockey trials. Congratulations also to many of the senior teams who are making excellent progress in their relevant cup matches. The 1st XI beat Enniskillen Collegiate 12 0 to reach the 3rd round where they wil play Sullivan Upper on 4th December at Deramore. The 2nd XI will play the winners of Lurgan College vs Rainey in their 3rd round after beating Regent House 2 0. KID LIT QUIZ Congratulations to Ellen Tully, Georgia Corbett, James Picton and Jack ODwyer Henry (Forms 1 and 2) who came 3rd in the Northern Ireland heat of the international Kid Lit Quiz. CHOIR The Chapel and Girls Choirs had a very successful trip to the Washington and New York. PTA The PTA held an event with a difference, in the form of a musical and literary evening at the "No Alibis" bookshop on Botanic Avenue. Everyone attending enjoyed the new and diverse range of music and literary offerings. STORMONT The Principal addressed a meeting of the Stormont Education Committee as part of a joint ASCL/NAHT delegation. The presentation and question session addressed the issue of impending cuts to the Education Budget and the challenges facing schools. This included: Schools estate; delegation of school budgets; Area Learning Communities; current action by NASUWT; areas which require review to ensure that money is being allocated/spent fairly and effectively (GTCNI, EMA, Transport). A useful meeting during which there was ..an outbreak of commonsense and harmony.

Principal attended ASCL conference - chaired presentation on educational matters with DUP (Jonathan Craig) and SDLP (Declan OLoan) MLAs. The Principal gave a separate presentation to conference on educational finance matters.

DECEMBER 2010 JANUARY 2011

ART NEWS The Art department recently received official confirmation of Shane Donaldsons award as most promising AS student by the AADE (Association for Art and Design Education), from his exhibition at True Colours. This is the second year that a student from Methody has received recognition at this level, with Anna Coburn chosen as most promising A Level candidate last year. Two AS Moving Image Arts students (Clare Collins and Ruairi Fallon McGuigan) had their films short listed for the final of the Foyle film festival. Their work was shown at the QFT on Thursday 25th November. During the summer 2010 season, an unprecedented 33 students achieved full marks in CCEAs A Level Art and Design examinations. One of these students is Lucy McIlwaine, whose work has already been profiled on the College website. In response, CCEA hosted a special reception on Monday 20th December to mark the remarkable achievement of each of these students. BASKETBALL Congratulations to the Senior Basketball team who won the Ulster Schools League in December, having defeated Rathmore GS by 3 points. The girls are to be congratulated on making it through to the All-Ireland finals which was held in Dublin on January 27th. The girls were valiant runners-up. BAR MOCK TRIAL Congratulations to the Bar Mock Trial team from L6 and U6 who came top of their league at the Bar Mock Trial competition finals in the Royal Courts of

Justice on 20th November. They beat both of last years finalists but unfortunately were narrowly beaten themselves by Dalriada GS.

HOME ECONOMICS SUCCESS Each year, the British Nutrition Foundation awards two prizes to students who have completed CCEA courses in Home Economics one at AS level and one at GCSE level. This year Chloe Gilkes (L6) was awarded the top GCSE prize for 2010. Chloe travelled to London to receive her award at the BNF annual conference, held at the Royal College of Physicians. The prize was presented to Chloe by the Princess Royal and Chloe received 100 for herself and 200 for the school. METHODYS GOT TALENT A great nights entertainment was provided by students (and staff!) on the evening of 10th December. A considerable sum was raised for the Romania Society and the competition was won by Lalana Songra, Form 5. MONEYBOX So far this academic year, Moneybox has raised a total of 4,500 which has gone to support a number of different charities. Donations of 1500, 2000 and 1000 were given to Children in Need, Great Ormond Street and the NI Children's Hospice respectively. This money was raised through a number of non-uniform days and even a Crazy Tights and Ties day. At Christmas, the annual Hamper Run delivered dozens of hampers of seasonal fare brought in by pupils and staff to disadvantaged members of the local community. POPPY APPEAL A card of thanks was received from the Royal British legion acknowledging the receipt of just under 850 from the Colleges Remembrance collection, which will assist the Legion in continuing its vital welfare and benevolent work. ROTARY YOUTH LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT Peter Erskine (L6) is to be congratulated for winning the Belfast Schools stage of the Rotary Youth Development competition. As one of three

representatives from Ireland, he will represent the province at the European Parliament in Strasbourg in March. ROWING At an event held in at Dublin City University on Saturday 18th December, members of the Rowing Club had considerable success: Womens Junior 16 - 1st Bridget Jacques, Womens Junior 18 Lightweight 1st Lucie Litvak Womens Junior 18 - 1st Rebecca Shorten (Rebecca has left school but was entered as part of the Club); 2nd Claire Harrison (0.7 seconds behind Rebecca), and 5th Maria Gregson. SWIMMING At the Ulster Secondary Schools swimming gala held recently, the club met with considerable team and individual success. Senior: Luke Campbell (2 individual golds), Emma Sharkey (individual silver), Girls relay Sophie Adams, Emma Sharkey, Jemma Griffiths, Ellen Mooney, Jodie Kee, Chloe Hampton (2nd and 3rd in this and the Ulster Grammar Schools gala), Boys relay Luke Campbell, John Coulter, Kourosh Abelehkoob, Alastair Johnston, Christian Bennison (gold and silver in this and the Ulster Grammar Schools gala).

Intermediate:Christian Bennison (gold in Butterfly and Bronze in Freestyle) Junior: Scott Hartness (individual bronze), Boys relay Scott Hartness, Camerson McAteer, Johnny Jordan, Keelan Logan (2 x silver).

FEBRUARY
SENIOR DRAMA PRODUCTION - Allo Allo The relocated senior drama production took place in the Belvoir Players studios at the beginning of February. The play had the capacity crowd in stitches over the two nights and resulted in many a Good moaning echoing down the corridors in subsequent days! Sincere thanks to everyone who made this possible. A full report will appear in the next edition of the College magazine. CHOIR 24 pupils performed at the Carnegie Hall in New York following an invitation from the Composer Karl Jenkins. The response to their performance is evident in the letter below. Dear Ruth, Congratulations to you & your fine singers on a great performance Monday evening! What a great way to kick off the 2011 DCINY Concert Season. I was so thrilled to have the chance to sing with you, as well. Your singers represented the Methodist College with the greatest professionalism. Please know you have an open invitation to sing on the DCINY Concert Series! We have some very exciting programming planned for this fall and next year. Whenever you are ready to come back, please let me know. Sincerely, -Jeffery Thyer __________ Mr. Jeffery R. Thyer, Program Development Coordinator Distinguished Concerts International New York "The Art of Performance - The Power of Education" L6 WORK EXPERIENCE Peter Erskine completed a very successful work experience placement with the UK ambassador to the Vatican. Had it not been for the delay in his flight from America this would have included an audience with the Pope.

BBC WORLD CLASS INITIATIVE Methody is the only secondary school in Northern Ireland to have become involved in the BBC World Class initiative, which is a collaboration between the BBC and the British Council. The initiative has grown out of the BBC World Dreams series, presented by Sir Matthew Pinsett, which has been following 46 athletes from around the world as they prepare to compete at the highest level in the London 2012 Olympics. The ultimate aim of the initiative is to: enhance young peoples learning right across the curriculum through sport, culture and education support and drive existing initiatives in schools involve as many young people as possible in the excitement of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games support children and young people in the development of their leadership, personal thinking and life skills encourage young people to consider how the 2012 athletes live the Olympic values of o Respect fair play; knowing your own limits; taking care of your health and the environment o Excellence how to give your best on the field of play or in life; taking part; progressing according to your own objectives o Friendship how, through sport, to understand each other despite any differences in their work together and to live the values in their schools as well as the Paralympic values of o courage o determination o inspiration o equality SCHOOL SUCCESS AT IRISH SENIOR SCIENCE OLYMPIAD The Northern Ireland Physics and Chemistry heats of Irish Senior Science Olympiad were held in Queens at the weekend. Congratulations to MCB students who received awards at the event, Shajeth Srigengan (Physics Silver Award), Ravinda Gunaratne (Chemistry Silver Award) and Swpnil Patra (Physics Bronze Award) Shajeth and Ravinda were placed in the top six in their subject and will return for final tests later this term to select two students from Northern Ireland to

represent Ireland in the International Olympiad competitions in the Summer (Physics Thailand (Bangkok) and Chemistry Turkey (Ankara)). CONNECTING CLASSROOMS The Principal, Mr Jennings and Ms Slevin (Principal of Victoria College) visited our Tanzanian partner schools on a very successful visit to Mwanza Tanzania. Meetings were held with a number of regional and educational officials and they visited four schools (Mirongo Primary School with special school attached, Nyakahoja Primary (RC Private), Bugalika Primary School, Pamba Secondary School). Ingenuity, determination and resilience were very much in evidence in the schools visited, and the structural, health and economic barriers that the pupils and staff were endeavouring to overcome in order to learn and teach certainly put the Colleges immediate challenges into perspective. It is noted with sadness that Mr. Rashid Swedi Kimimbila, principal of Bugalika PS, who visited the College in March of 2010 and attended our Easter concert, died from malaria shortly after his return to Tanzania. A report of the visit appears in the online edition of Methody Matters. CROSS COUNTRY Methody athletes have met with considerable success in recent events. At the District Championships, held on Tuesday 1st February at Ormeau Park, the following individual medals were won: Madison Bowyer, 1st (Form 1 (Mini) Girls), Saorse McClean, 3rd (Intermediate Girls), Ryan Sharkey, 3rd (Intermediate Boys) and Ryan Holt, 2nd (Senior Boys). Team Medals were won by: Mini Girls (Form 1) -Team 1st, Mini Boys (Form 1) Team 3rd, Minor Girls (Form 2) - Team 3rd, Minor Boys (Form 2) - Team 2nd, Junior Girls (Form 3) - Team 2nd, Inter Boys (Form 4 & 5) - Team 3rd, Senior Girls (L6/U6) - Team 2nd This success led to many runners participating in the Ulster Championships on Wednesday 23rd February at Mallusk, where Madison Bowyer again came 1st in the Mini (Form 1) Girls event, and team medals were won by the Mini Girls Team 2nd and the Minor Boys Team 3rd

Other creditable performances (and Irish qualifiers) were as follows: Form 1 Boys - Paul Kerr 7th, Form 2 Boys - Scott Hartness 7th, Jakob Robb 12th, Inter Boys - Ryan Sharkey 13th Senior girls - Emma Sharkey 12th All of the above individuals and teams qualify for the Irish Cross Country Championships to be held in Dublin on Saturday 12th March. We wish them all the best! MY VISION FOR EUROPE Inspired by the success of last years 4B German, who, as Northern Ireland winners of the inaugural My Vision for Europe video competition, won an all expenses paid trip to Strasbourg, this years 4B German have submitted their entry into the same competition. Participating teams were asked to create and record a short video based on one of three challenges and load them on to www.myvisionforeurope.com. This year's challenges were: to present a new MEP candidate and his/her vision for Europe; to present the story of Captain Europe and his/her powers; to create a vision of what the EU will be like in 2050. Rory McDowell and Claire McGregor wrote a very entertaining short play outlining a day in the life of Captain Europe, which was performed by all members of the class and filmed by Danielle Swindells and Megan Kealey of the AS Moving Image Arts class. The group have recently found out that they have, once again, made it through to the regional final! The 3 minute video can be viewed by going to www.teachertube.com and typing Methody Vision for Europe into the search engine. SCIENCE OLYMPIADS The NI heats of the Irish Senior Science Olympiad were held in Queens over the weekend of 29th January. Congratulations to MCB students who received awards at the event; Shajeth Srigengan (Physics Silver Award), Ravinda Gunaratne (Chemistry Silver Award) and Swapnil Patra (Physics Bronze Award). Shajeth and Ravinda were placed in the top six in their subject and will return for final tests later this term to select two students from Northern

Ireland to represent Ireland in the International Olympiad competitions in the Summer. Ravinda, along with Rory Hopkins, Karl Hudson, David Bennett, Hong Jie Wen, Muhammad Ali Yousaf, Suhayb Ali, Katherine Maxwell, Stephen Rudd, Chloe Gilkes, Caroline Lavery and Xiao Lin sat the UK Round One paper for the 43rd International Chemistry Olympiad.results will be received soon. Furthermore, four U6 Biology students recently took part in the British Biology Olympiad. Over 2800 students from all across the UK entered for the Olympiad, which involved them attempting a two-hour multiple choice paper. The results obtained were: Karl Hudson and Hongjie Wen Silver awards, Lee Sharkey Bronze award, Yixi Bi Commended Certificate. Congratulations to all four! SWIMMING The Swimming Clubs most recent competition was the Irish Schools Championships held in Galway on 28th and 29th of January. The trip was very successful, with fantastic performances from all the swimmers who attended. The most notable performances of the weekend were the Senior Boys Relays. The team consisted of Chris Coulter, Christian Bennison, Kourosh Abelehkoob and Luke Campbell, who swam both the Medley and Freestyle relays. They were placed 2nd in the Medley relay by a narrow margin of 0.09 seconds. This may have fueled the desire to come home with a Gold, as later in the day, they swam a spectacular Freestyle Relay. They took the gold medal spot by over half a second. The races in Galway that weekend were very closely contested and the Methody Senior Boys Relay title of Irish Champions was certainly hard earned and well deserved. Luke Campbell also swam incredibly well, receiving medals and a trophy. He was 1st in Freestyle and 2nd in Backstroke. PTA The annual PTA Quiz Night was attended by a small but highly competitive crowd in February 2011. New parents in particularly found this a great way of meeting others in a relaxed and informal setting.

MARCH
PREP INSPECTION The draft report on the Prep Inspection was received this week. The overall assessment of the Prep Department is good and the inspection team recorded that the core values of Opportunity Diversity Excellence are, Clearly reflected in the strengths of the schools. The strengths of the school include: The very good pastoral care; The very good standards attained by the children in literacy and numeracy; The confident, articulate and well motivated children; The good integration of children from a diverse range of cultural backgrounds Wide range of educational visits and opportunities for developing high standards in music and sport; and The hard working, committed Principal and dedicated staff. SWIMMING The Senior Boys Team competed at the Irish School Senior Championships in Galway 28th-29th January and achieved outstanding results. They won gold in the Freestyle Relay and Silver in the Medley. The boys brought home the trophy for becoming Irish Champions in the Freestyle Relay. Luke Campbell also swam incredibly well in his individual events, taking Gold in Freestyle and Silver in Backstroke. GIRLS AND CHAPEL CHOIRS The Girls and Chapel Choirs performed a programme of Secular and Sacred Music in concert with Neil Martin (composer & cellist) in the Wolfson Centre (Belfast Synagogue, Somerton Road) on Sunday 27th February. This was an inter-faith initiative by the Peace III Programme administered by Belfast City Council.

SPORT While the 1st XV may have departed heroically from this years schools cup after a third quarter final replay, other teams remain in their respective competitions. BOYS 1ST XI HOCKEY are in the quarter final of the Burney Cup replay v Regent on Saturday morning. The under 13s won are through to the quarter finals of their competition. The SENIOR NETBALL SQUAD is playing in the quarter final of the netball schools cup on Friday 4 March. ACTING TALENT Head Boy, Dean Johnston has been offered a place at the Guildford School of Acting. OXFORD UNIVERSITY Dr. Waller the Principal of Harris Manchester College in the University of Oxford and Director of the Farmington Institute and Pro-Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford met with the Principal to discuss various educational issues. AUTHOR VISITS Form 1 pupils have been lucky enough to benefit from the visits of two famous authors this month. Colin Bateman visited the library to discuss his writing with four tutor groups and sign copies of his books, and Alex Scarrow entertained the whole year group in the Chapel a week later. Both visits were very much enjoyed by all who attended! CHESS On Saturday 5th March the MCB U16 chess team won the Ulster Schools team tournament, while the U1`4 team were runners-up in their section. Both teams will now participate in the Irish Colleges Team Championship in April.

COLLECTION FOR JAPAN DISASTER A collection was held in school on Friday 25th March to raise money to support relief efforts in Japan after the recent earthquake and tsunami. Staff and pupils raised over 1150. GERMAN DEBATING The MCB German debating team of Syamala Roberts, Rachel Watters, Sylvia Rose and Jessica Jacques was narrowly defeated in the recent NI Post 16 German Debating competition held at Belfast High School. Pitted against old adversaries Ballyclare High School, the girls gave their opposition plenty to think about as they spoke very ably against the motion that new technologies pose the greatest threat to young people today. Syamala won the prize for best speaker on the Methody team. INTERNATIONAL PHYSICS OLYMPIAD Congratulations to Shajeth Srigengan (U6) who recently received notification that he has been selected as one of the two NI representatives on the Ireland team of four to compete in the International Physics Olympiad in Bangkok in July. This followed a final selection process at QUB at the end of February. LINGUISTICS OLYMPIAD SUCCESS The All Ireland Linguistics Olympiad took place over 2 rounds in February and March. Twenty-eight 5th and 6th form pupils sat the preliminary test on Wednesday 9th February and as a result of that test, 19 pupils travelled to Dublin on Wednesday 9th March to sit the 2nd test. 299 students from all over Ireland sat the first round test and 100 pupils were invited to participate in Dublin; that MCB had 19 pupils in the second round was an excellent achievement. The results of the 2nd round have now come through and MCBs success in this competition continues. Medbh Campbell (U6) finished 2nd in Ireland and Alec Fair (Form 5) finished 4th. As a result, both pupils have been invited to represent Ireland at the International Linguistics Olympiad in Pittsburgh between 24th 31st July.

4 pupils achieved a Bronze medal Alice Ojha, Xiao Lin, Chloe Gilkes and Ellen White and 7 pupils got commendations Charlotte Higgins, Lalana Songra, Aimee Duffy, Jennifer Zheng, Oliver Donnelly, Becky Creighton and Jessica Higgins. In addition Medbh, along with Charlotte Higgins, Becky Creighton and Chaoyang Wang won the All Ireland team event. Congratulations to everyone involved! MY VISION FOR EUROPE 2010/11 Congratulations to 4B German who, together with Danielle Swindells and Megan Kealey of L6th, are delighted to be the NI winners of this year's My Vision for Europe competition. As Methody won this competition last year, its inaugural year, it is a significant achievement for the school to have won for a 2nd year in a row. The first prize is an all expenses paid trip to the European Parliament in Strasbourg. NATIONAL SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING WEEK To celebrate NSEW from 14th 18th March, a series of Lunchbox Talks were organized by the Science department covering a range of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) themes, such as the use of lasers in surveying and the danger posed by asteroids hitting the Earth! RUGBY Congratulations to the 2nd XV rugby team who won the 2nd XV cup on Wednesday 30th March, beating RBAI by 17 7.

APRIL
WATERFRONT CONCERT The annual concert was a Sell-out and the audiences were entertained, enthralled and delighted by the variety and quality of the pieces performed. RUGBY The Medallion Team had a convincing victory over Ballymena to win the Medallion Plate. Congratulations to the 2nd XV, captained by Peter McCluggage, who defeated RS Armagh in the final of the 2nd XV Cup competition. The final score, after a hard fought match, was 8-7. SWIMMING Luke Campbell in U6 swam for Ireland at the recent home internationals and achieved an impressive medals haul. BELFAST MARATHON An impressive 32 teams of staff and sixth form pupils entered this years Belfast marathon, raising a significant amount of money for the charity Crohns and Colitis. The first MCB team to complete the course finished in an excellent time of 3 hours and 13 minutes; they were 39th out of over two thousand relay teams! NON-UNIFORM DAY The non uniform day held at the end of the spring term raised 2279.84 for the India Society and Tiny Life Charity. ROTARY INTERNATIONAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARD Congratulations to Peter Erskine (Lower 6th) who recently won the Rotary International Youth Leadership Award. The prize included a week-long trip to Belfast and Dublin, where he met the Irish Taoiseach, Enda Kenny. The trip finished in Strasbourg where Peter - along with 23 others from across Ireland -

competed in Euroscola in the European Parliament. This also gave Peter the honour of addressing the European Parliament. ROWING Congratulations to Katherine McCurdy (L6), Hayley Close, Orlaith MacIntyre, Marie-Jo Camara (all Form 5), Jasmine English, Julia Boyle, Rachel Thompson and Rosie Kelly (all Form 4.) The girls acquitted themselves admirably at the recent Ghent International Regatta, doing very well in the Womens Junior Quad and winning a silver medal in the Womens Junior VIIIs. The rowing club has had other notable recent successes. At Carrick Head of the River (HOR), MCB won the Senior Womens Quad Sculls, Junior Mens Pairs and Junior 16 Womens Singles. At the Lagan HOR, the boys 8+ took the silver medal, and at the UK Schools HOR, the MCB girls 8+ were 9th overall out of over 250 crews. Most impressively, the Form 4 boys won the national title in the Mens Junior 16 8+ at the Lagan HOR. WOOLF ESSAY PRIZE Congratulations to Charlotte Higgins (U6) who has won First Place in the Newnham College Woolf Essay Prize. Charlotte impressed the panel with her original ideas and clear, engaging writing style. She was invited to a prize giving ceremony at Newnham College, Cambridge where she received her prize, worth 400. YOUNG COOK OF THE YEAR Form 3 Home Economics pupil Lucy McIlwaine got through to the final of the Northern Ireland Dairy Councils Young Cook of the Year competition. This year budding chefs across Northern Ireland were challenged to celebrate the best of local produce. With over 60 schools competing and a total of 260 pupils Lucy successfully won the regional heat and was named as the Belfast Education and Library board regional winner in the Key Stage 3 category.

MAY
TIMES SPELLING BEE The Form 1 Times Spelling Bee team, the MCBees, has qualified for the national semi-final in Manchester later this month. The team was made up of Benjamin Okane (12), Anna Lyons (11), Tanvi Roberts (12) with Rebecca Jones (12) as a reserve. PTA The final PTA event of the year, the May Ball, was held in the beautiful setting of the Ulster Museum. The museum was filled to capacity and parents and staff enjoyed a very special evening indeed! ROYAL COMMAND PERFORMANCE BY CHAPEL CHOIR The Chapel Choir ended their outstanding year by performing for Her Majesty the Queen on the last evening of her state visit to Ireland. They took the stage at a reception which was attended by the Royal couple and some 2000 invited guests. Unfortunately some of the Choir members were not able to participate because of exam commitments. However, it presented a unique opportunity for those Senior Pupils who were unable to travel to the Carnegie Hall in January. ECO Club The ECO club has had a very busy month now that Spring has sprung! They hatched out 14 chicks in N2 which are proving quite a draw with junior classes! have begun planting the butterfly garden in the conservation area, and were visited by the RSPB on Tuesday 6th June to participate in a workshop on marine biology and the threats to marine habitats. ROWING CLUB Congratulations to MCB Rowing Club members who were recently selected for the Irish Junior International to participate in the Home International Regatta

in Strathclyde Park in Glasgow in July. Simon Hewitt (Club Captain) and Patrick Boomer will row in the Under 18 VIII and IV, while Zoe Gray will be the cox of the Girls Under 18 VIII. TIMES SPELLING BEE UPDATE Congratulations to Miss Rountree and her team of Form 1 super spellers who were runners-up at the Regional semi-final of the Times Spelling Bee Competition! Ben O'Kane, Anna Lyons, Tanvi Roberts and Rebecca Jones did a fantastic job in Manchester, being narrowly beaten by Abbey CBS from Newry. The team was accompanied by Mr Watson and Miss Patterson. VELLACOTT HISTORY COMPETITION Congratulations to Joe Doyle, L6, who reached the final short list of 20 entrants (out of 200) in the prestigious Peterhouse Vellacott History Competition. Joe has received a commendation for his essay on colonialism.

SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT PLAN CONSULTATION OUTCOMES Key Themes arising from the consultation: Overarching vision: moving from good to outstanding Strengths The overall quality of the learning and teaching provision. Academic standards and levels of achievement. Preparation of the pupils to contribute to society beyond school: academia, workplace, community. Opportunities for pupils to develop through the extensive extra-curricular programme. The range of subjects on offer. The standing of the school in the community. Pastoral care: pupils settled, cared for, safe and secure in school.

AREAS FOR DEVELOPMENT Ethos Accessibility to resources and activities Sport and Extra-curricular provision Health and Wellbeing of pupils Promoting Positive behaviour Assemblies Teaching and Learning Promoting independent learning Promoting creativity Differentiated learning Purpose and quality of homework Assessment for Learning Providing feedback on progress Target Setting Literacy, Numeracy and ICT at KS3 STEM provision CEIAG (careers education information and guidance) Learning support and SEN provision Entitlement/Collaboration/SBALC Safe use of the internet/Acceptable use policy Learning environment, accommodation and facilities Leadership and Management Internal communication Use of website and use of e-mailing/text messaging Home school communication Staff development PRSD Health and well-being of staff Investors in People Induction and staff development

JUNE
STAFFING Jenny Stewart, Biology teacher and careers tutor has been appointed as head of Science at Strathearn and will leaving the College after 17 years of service. EDUCATION AND TRAINING INSPECTORATE The District Inspector, Mr P Shevlin, spent a day in the College observing lessons, meeting with leaders and managers and discussing self evaluation and development planning. He was supportive of the work being done by the College in these areas. Mathematics and SEN inspectors have also visited the school to discuss developments in these areas with the relevant Heads of Department. Our approach to Learning Support was described as refreshing. The Principal will meet with the new Chief Inspector of Schools, Noel le Buick, as part of a three person ASCL delegation to discuss working with the Inspectorate to bring about school improvement across the post-primary sector. ROWING Rowing success at therecent Regatta held on the Lagan. 2 new boats were named: a 4 donated by Mr Montgomerry and an 8 joint funded by donations from Mr Cheung, the MCB FPA and money raised by the Friends of MCB Rowing. Their crews then rowed them to victory. The J16 Boys beat Inst and the Girls Senior 8 beat Trinity Ladies. The race against Inst has been rescheduled for Wednesday evening (Methodist College subsequently won by a convincing margin). DRAMA The Junior School Production of the Sound of Music achieved and exceptionally high standard of acting and musicianship from our young performers.

SEPTEMBER Staffing External Appointments Teacher of English Teacher of Chemistry P/T Teacher of Chemistry P/T Teacher of Physics Internal Appointments Assistant Principal Teacher Head of English Head of Worrall Centre Director of Rugby Junior Drama Acting Junior English Coordinator ICT Development ICT Academic Support 3 Deputy Head of Form

Mr Warren Latimer Miss Lynsey Hamilton Miss Aisling Crozier Mr Conor McLaughlin

Senior Careers Tutor 3 Careers Tutors

Personal Development Coordinator Acting Moneybox Coordinator Learning Support Mentor Learning Support Mentor (Autism & Access Arrangements) Acting Learning Support Mentor Fitness and Skills Coach Editor of School Magazine

Heather Collier Bridie Davey Hazel Glenn Nicholas Wells Jenefer Maguire Michelle Cooney Paddy Armstrong Jenni Richmond Paddy Armstrong Colin Finlay Alan Watson Olivia Moore Jenefer Maguire Paul Campton Colin Martin Laura Wright John Foster Katherine Bond Nicola GrantStevenson Michelle Cooney Stephen Lindsay Lauren Davidson

Senior Prefects Head Boy Peter Erskine

Head Girl Sophie Murphy

Deputy Head Boy Deputy Head Girl Christopher Greenwood Sophia McBride Senior Prefects Kourosh Abelehkoob Max Carberry Charles McAllister Matthew Parish David Rea

Maria Gregson Jodie Kee Siobhan MacDonald Zara McDonald Syamala Roberts

RESULTS The following tables show the percentage of presentations achieving each grade. A2 as % of presentations % A* A*A A-C A-E UK 8.2 27.0 76.2 97.8 NI 8.6 34.5 84.2 98.1 MCB 19.8 55.0 93.1 99.9 9 pupils achieved 4A* and 91 pupils (36.5% of the year group) achieved 3A*A+. CCEA Top Performers Economics Art & design Physics Further Maths Government & Politics Moving Image Arts Music

Mark Jamison 1st Shane Donaldson joint 1st David Bennett joint 1st David Bennett joint 2nd Patricia Stephenson 3rd Rory MacKenzie 3rd Malachy Frame joint 3rd

AS Level % UK NI MCB

A 19.3 31.6 38.0

A-C 59.4 76.5 77.2

A-E 88.2 94.3 94.9

37 Pupils achieved 4A passes =14.0% of the year group 68 pupil achieved 3A+ passes = 25.8% of the year group GCSE Level % UK NI MCB

A* 7.8 8.5 37.0

A*A 23.2 27.7 69.0

A*-B 44.9 52 89.3

A*-C 69.8 74.8 97.5

A*-D 84.7 87.9 99.4

A*-E 92.7 94 100

A*-G 98.8 97.1 100

Neely Alexander achieved 10A*2A and Samuel Ang achieved 9A* and 2A 12 achieved 11 A*, 16 x 10A*1A, 4 x 10A*, 1 x 9A*3A, 7 9A*2A and 2 9A*1A 81pupils achieved 10+ passes at A*A (30.7% of the year group) 159 pupils achieved 7+ passes at A*A (60.2% of the year group) 258 pupils achieved 7+ passes at A*-C (97.7% of the year group) 263 pupils achieved 5+ passes at A* - C (99.6% of the year group) 99.6% achieved 5 or more GCSEs at 5A*/C 97.6% achieved 5 or more GCSEs at A*/C including English and Maths 97.7% achieved 7 or more GCSEs at A*/C 96.5% %achieved 7 or more GCSEs at A*/C including English and Maths CCEA Religious Studies Economics Home Economics Additional Maths French

Saorse McClean was 1st Jessica Chen was 1st and Helen Dawson was 3rd Alexandra Duignan was 1st and Andrea Ong was 3rd, Aimee Duffy was joint 1st, John Finlay joint 2nd and Niamh MacPherson joint 3rd. Lalana Songra was joint 2nd and Rebekah Kerr was 3rd.

SAILING: ISAF Youth World Championships Sophie Murphy, U6, represented Ireland in the ISAF Youth World Championships in Zadar, Croatia, Summer 2011. Over 60 nations took part and Sophie finished 3rd in the under 18 group and 11th overall in the girls section. This was the best result that Ireland has ever had in the girls single handed dingy since the Championships began in 1971. Well done Sophie! INERNATIONAL SCHOOL AWARD The College has been has been successful in gaining the International School Award and is accredited for three years from 1 September 2011 to 31 August 2014. The awarding panel considered the quality of the schools international work to be outstanding. The panel also congratulated Olivia Moore on working so hard to co-ordinate such an impressive range of work in her role as the International Coordinator, You are a credit to the school and the wider community. CHAPEL CHOIR Congratulations to the Chapel Choir who featured in a recent edition of BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs with Kirsty Young. The programme featured Royal Photographer Arthur Edward's selection of songs, and his last chosen disc was Danny Boy. A recording of the Chapel Choir's performance from the Queens visit to Dublin was used for the programme.

VISIT TO BELFAST COOKERY SCHOOL The Form 5 GCSE Home Economics class recently visited the new Belfast Cookery School at the Mourne Seafood Restaurant. The course offered pupils the opportunity to improve their culinary skills in preparation for their GCSE practical examination which will take place later this year. The pupils visited the kitchen and watched demonstrations by the chef. After plenty of taste testing the budding chefs put the chefs demonstration into practice. VISITOR FROM JAPAN Professor Takashi Shimura, from Joetsu University of Education in Japan, visited the Geography and Geology departments on Wednesday 28th of September. Professor Shimura was observing methods of teaching and learning Geography in Northern Ireland, as well as delivering a first-hand account of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan.