Students from Loreto’s History Department were treated to their own ‘private open day’ with Manchester University’s School of History. The students were given introductory lectures by Dr Paul Oldfield showing them what life would be like if they were to study History at Manchester and they then experienced their own lecture on The Remembrance of War by Dr Max Jones.

Earlier this year students set off for the Pathways department’s annual residential week at Bendrigg Lodge in the Lake District.

Whilst there, students undertook a variety of exciting outdoor and indoor pursuits, such as climbing, canoeing, caving and abseiling. They worked in teams and independently to bravely take on challenges and overcome fears, as well as having a great deal of fun and making new friends.

The History Society recently welcomed Professor Oldfield from Manchester University to discuss “Beers, Books and Brawls” in relation to the Medieval University.

The talk described the positive influences Medieval culture has had on our society as several of the changes made during the 12th Century Renaissance movement are still in practice today.

Professor Oldfield highlighted the background, the issue of conflict, tensions, students and characteristics of Medieval universities in depth.

Twenty seven Loreto Students attended a Cambridge residential at the prestigious university as part of the Cambridge Consortium scheme, for which Loreto is the North West hub. This scheme aims to encourage state school applicants to the university and offers a variety of residential opportunities and guest speakers, in addition to master classes.

Loreto celebrated World Book Night by giving away copies of books from this year’s list. Seventy five students received special edition copies of the ‘The Reader’ by Bernhard Schlink,  ‘Me Before You’ by Jojo Moyes and ‘ Why be Happy When You Could be Normal?’ by Jeanette Winterson. 

Miss Smith, Ms Clancy and Ms Barker were among 20,000 World Book Night volunteers who, in total,  gave out 500,000 books to share the joy of reading and promote literacy.

Students from Loreto have achieved the college’s best ever performance in the Institute of Ideas Debating Matters competition.  Having previously won their qualifying round, they competed against the best schools and colleges from across the North West and North Wales.  The team won their first debate and went on to a nail-biting second debate, losing narrowly to the eventual champions, Withington Girls’ School.

The History Society was delighted to welcome back Richard Dashwood for yet another fascinating talk, this time on the topic of D-Day, one of the most important events of World War Two.

Richard took us through the different stages which made up the invasion: Operation Neptune (the naval cross channel phase), Operation Fortitude (the deception of the Germans, fooling them into thinking the invasion would be at Pas de Calais) and, finally, Operation Overlord, the codename famously given to the invasion in its entirety.

Drama students have completed their Presentation of an extract of a play for their examinations.

Performed in the Ellis and Kennedy Theatre, over three evenings, audiences witnessed a range of styles, plays and staging configurations.

Using the influence of a theatrical practitioner, students had the challenge of realising and interpreting a play with full set, costume and lighting. 

A group of dedicated geographers were delighted to meet up with BBC documentary star Professor Iain Stewart, at an event held at the University of Derby.

Professor Stewart has presented numerous documentaries on volcanoes, earthquakes, climate change and how the planet works, as well as being Chair in Science Communication in the School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences at the University of Plymouth.

Towards the end of April thirteen Upper 6th students headed to the Lakes to conquer the mountains and complete their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.  The students were confronted by every weather condition imaginable, including snow, hail and gale force winds but this did not deter the enthusiastic bunch.  The group walked for four days, taking on the peaks around Ullswater, navigating their way along some tricky routes and demonstrating their camp craft skills.

Growth in everything.

Within college Spring is everywhere: it shines through windows into our workplaces and as we move from one building to another we cannot fail to notice the flowering cherry blossom trees, the numerous flowers, shrubs and plants within our grounds and in our greenhouse.

So as we enter this Spring Bank Holiday week end, let us try to spend even a few minutes appreciating the “growth in everything” whether this is the dawn chorus of our many and various birds, the emerging  flowers  with their rich colours or the miracle of new life and new relationships  in all their forms.

We may find that in the midst of the challenges of daily living “The world is (still) charged with the grandeur of God.”    Gerard Manley Hopkins.

As part of National Apprenticeship Week the Key 103 apprenticeship bus visited Loreto College.

The aim was to promote the option of apprenticeships and to give students some ‘hands on’ experience in the activity bus.

Loreto was the venue for a high profile event organised jointly with the University of St Andrews.

The prestigious Scottish university, one of the oldest in the English speaking world, runs a series of regional events where students who have been lucky enough to be offered a conditional place are invited to attend and learn more about the venerable institution of St Andrews. Accompanied by their parents, students from all over the North West, including the Loreto contingent, attended the evening, held in the Ellis and Kennedy theatre.

Look to this day!
For it is life, the very life of life.
In its brief course
Lie all the verities and realities of your existence:
The bliss of growth;
The glory of action;
The splendor of achievement;
For yesterday is but a dream,
And tomorrow is only a vision;
But today, well lived, makes every yesterday
a dream of happiness,
And every tomorrow a vision of hope.
Look well, therefore, to this day.
Such is the salutation to the Dawn.

~ ancient Sanskrit poem ~

Berlin, a city thriving with history, where the scars of World War II and the Cold War are still visible was the destination of this year’s annual history trip. 34 Loreto history students enjoyed seeing the sights and learning for their exam at the same time. The group of students, currently studying the Cold War, headed underground to explore one of Berlin’s 1970’s nuclear bunkers and found out what it was like to live behind the Berlin Wall at the DDR museum.

The Debating Society is moving into a hectic period of frantic activity, with in-house and external debates coming thick and fast. Last week’s two debates were part of our in-house competition, which runs every spring. Students form their own teams of two with topics and sides chosen by lot.

For the first time in its two year existence the History Society has been addressed by one of its own students!

Over fifty members of the thriving Society crammed into one of the History department classrooms to hear Sam Moreton’s lecture on the crusades.

Sam focused on the many myths and misconceptions that surround this period in history and often lead to confusion and misunderstandings.

The Physics Department welcomed Professor Fred Loebinger from Manchester University on Wednesday 13^th March to present a lecture on The Story of Elementary Particle Physics.  The lunchtime lecture was open to all Loreto College students and staff with an interest in particle physics and was well attended by over one hundred students and staff.  Prof. Loebinger explained how physicists have long been attempting to find the basic building blocks which make up the Universe and reviewed the latest discoveries in the strange sub-nuclear world of quarks, gluons and leptons. 

Drama students were spellbound by the recent trip to Manchester's Royal Exchange theatre to see the sell-out production of Harper Lee's classic drama 'To Kill a Mockingbird.’

The production cleverly created the tensions and strains of 1930s deep south America, using innovative design and a strong ensemble of actors who, through live music and song, plunged the packed audience into the era, as well as creating an underscore of the creeping tensions in the story. The production was inspiring and well crafted, carefully depicting Maycomb County through the eyes of a child.

Two Loreto students are hoping to make the grade playing top level football in America. Full back Jake Williams will fly out to Nebraska in July, where he will play for the Bellevue University team, whilst continuing his studies in Media.

He is highly thought of by the University soccer coach who comments: “We couldn’t be happier to sign Jake. He has all the qualities that a modern day full back needs, such as an appetite to join in when going forward, whilst also remembering his defensive responsibilities. We are looking forward to having Jake join us for the 2013 season.”