Information for teachers
If you want to get involved in the *Art of Reading* a member of staff from the College’s Art or English Departments will be available to come and talk to your children about ideas for this project. *We will collect all artwork from your school*.  Please contact Margaret Duff on 0161 226 3323 to arrange.

St Bede’s College & The Preparatory School Parent Associations are holding a Quiz Night on Friday 12th March 2010 at 7.30pm in the Academic Hall.  There is a licensed bar available from 7.00 – 11.00 pm and tickets are just £5.00 each which includes a Hot Pot Supper.

Don’t worry if you do not have a team, any number can enter and teams of four can be made up on the night. The quiz will be hosted by Terry and Denise Jones and Lesley and Ged Cavanagh.

St Bede’s host Annual Irish Football Tournament

St Bede’s College in Manchester has just hosted the annual Football International with the renowned Blackrock College from Dublin.  The College is one of Ireland’s premier Independent Catholic Schools whose former pupils include Eamon De Valera, Sir Bob Geldolf and the current Irish Rugby captain – Brian O’Driscoll.
The special sporting weekend, part of the 150^th anniversary celebrations for the famous Dublin College, was first established in 2002.  The fixture is hosted alternately by each of the Colleges and the aim is to develop strong and lasting friendships between the two famous Catholic institutions.  The visiting students spend the weekend with host families from each establishment.
This year’s weekend took place from Friday 5 February until Sunday 7 February.  Head of Football, Steve Fallon, said: “It was another very enjoyable weekend with some excellent football played by all the teams involved.  After the fixture we were able to take the two Blackrock teams to watch Manchester United beat Portsmouth 5-0.  The match tickets for all the players and staff had been kindly donated by the parents at the College.  The teams even got a mention at half time by the on the pitch announcer, Alan Keegan, from Manchester United.  I am sure that this experience in the Theatre of Dreams alone will stay with our Irish visitors forever.”
Both Blackrock’s 1st X1 and 2^nd X1 Football squads came over to play the hotly contested fixture which is usually a very evenly matched competition.  The fixture was played on Saturday 6 February at the College playing fields.  St Bede’s won the Ist XI  Blackrock sponsored  Waterford Crystal Trophy by beating Blackrock on penalties, 5-4, the game having finished 2-2 in extra time.  The two goals were scored for St Bede’s by midfielder Michael Keane who is currently a member of Manchester’s United’s Junior Academy. Blackrock did not go home empty handed as they won the Rowlands sponsored 2^nd X1 Trophy by beating St Bede’s 3-2.
The weekend culminated with Mass in the College Chapel celebrated by Monsignor Quinlan with all players, staff and parents present. This was followed by a breakfast brunch in the Dining Room and the presentation of trophies by Chairman of Governors, Monsignor Quinlan, and Headmaster, Michael Barber.

Bullies;actor Tommy Russell, Ben and a bewigged Matt

Students and the school were given a 70s makeover as the cameras rolled on the follow-up to the award-winning film East Is East.
Over 40 students worked as extras when the school was transformed into a Salford comprehensive, the setting for West Is West, and four students were chosen to play the school bullies who make the life of the film’s star a misery.
“It was great fun being encouraged to behave contrary to everything we are expected to do at St Bede’s”, said  “bully” Phillippe Lopeman, St Bede’s Head Boy.  “They gave us free rein to run shouting along the corridors and we were  directed to egg-on other bullies and laugh at the main character while he got kicked and had his head flushed down the loo, something I have never witnessed at the College!”

“Joe McMylor who had to put the lead character’s head down the toilet said, “It was really exciting doing the recording, meeting all the stars and being treated like Hollywood royalty. We even had our own changing rooms, although mine did not have my name on it.  It was amazing to be in a proper movie, when each frame was gone over and over until it was perfect.  It felt a bit strange and alien playing a bully, but I enjoyed it.  My role is quite a crucial part to the story so I am really looking forward to seeing it at the cinema.”

“Mrs Nicki Alderson, Head of Drama and chaperone to the students, knew this would be an invaluable experience. “The students were treated very well by the crew,’ she said, ‘and they responded by being incredibly patient, even when they had to do 15 takes for the same scene outside on a freezing cold January day!  It was fascinating to see the College transported back to the 70s. Some of the students had never seen a copy of Jackie and they loved the vintage buses.”

Patrick Cavanagh from Whitefield has a place to read Physics at Jesus College, Oxford and Kirsty Flanagan (Blackley) hopes to read French and Ancient Greek at St Hugh’s, Oxford.

Michael Olayinka, (Didsbury), who achieved straight A grades  in his A Levels last summer, will also take up his place to read Economics at Peterhouse, Cambridge this September.

Zoe, who gained an A-level in Chinese two years ago and is a multi-lingual student said, ‘I am really amazed that I have received an offer and feel very happy and excited about the opportunity this represents’.

Headmaster, Michael Barber said, ‘Many of our students are holding four or five offers from Russell Group universities and this level of success at Oxbridge is no mean achievement.’

BULLIES: Joe , Phil , actor Tommy Russell, Ben and a bewigged Matt

Students and the school were given a 70s makeover as the cameras rolled on the follow-up to the award-winning film East Is East.

Over 40 students worked as extras when the school was transformed into a Salford comprehensive, the setting for West Is West, and four students were chosen to play the school bullies who make the life of the film’s star a misery.

“It was great fun being encouraged to behave contrary to everything we are expected to do at St Bede’s”, said  “bully” Phillippe Lopeman, St Bede’s Head Boy.  “They gave us free rein to run shouting along the corridors and we were  directed to egg-on other bullies and laugh at the main character whilst he was kicked and had his head flushed down the loo, something I have never witnessed at the College!”

“Joe McMylor who had to put the lead character’s head down the toilet said, “It was really exciting doing the recording, meeting all the stars and being treated like Hollywood royalty. We even had our own changing rooms, although mine did not have my name on it.  It was amazing to be in a proper movie, when each frame was gone over and over until it was perfect.  It felt a bit strange and alien playing a bully, but I enjoyed it.  My role is quite a crucial part to the story so I am really looking forward to seeing it at the cinema.”

“Mrs Nicki Alderson, Head of Drama and chaperone to the students, knew this would be an invaluable experience. “The students were treated very well by the crew,’ she said, ‘and they responded by being incredibly patient, even when they had to do 15 takes for the same scene outside on a freezing cold January day!  It was fascinating to see the College transported back to the 70s. Some of the students had never seen a copy of Jackie and they loved the vintage buses.”