Our Lady of Lourdes Feast Day

11th February 2024Rhiannon Watts-Robinson

Our Lady of Lourdes holds a special place in our hearts as a manifestation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In 1858, in the small town of Lourdes, France, the Virgin Mary appeared to a young girl named Bernadette Soubirous. The messages conveyed during these apparitions centred on repentance, prayer and the sanctity of the Immaculate Conception.

The Blessed Mother also revealed a spring with healing properties. Lourdes has since become a significant pilgrimage site, drawing millions seeking physical and spiritual healing.

We honour Our lady of Lourdes as a symbol of grace, intercession and maternal love. The feast day of Our Lady of Lourdes serves as a poignant reminder of the power of faith and the compassionate presence of the Virgin Mary in our lives.

Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice greatly with her, all you who mourn over her. – Isaiah 66:10

Chinese New Year

10th February 2024Rhiannon Watts-Robinson

Chinese New Year is an occasion to celebrate cultural diversity and the importance of family, community and renewal. The festival, marked by vibrant traditions, serves as an opportunity for us to appreciate and respect the rich heritage of the Chinese people.

Embracing the teachings of Christ, we recognise the significance of unity, love and understanding among different cultures. As we engage in the festivities, we reflect on the values of gratitude, generosity and reconciliation, seeking to build bridges of friendship and harmony with our Chinese brothers and sisters.

Chinese New Year becomes a moment of shared joy and mutual enrichment, emphasising the universal themes of hope, renewal and the pursuit of a more just and compassionate world.

You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. – Psalm 65:11

Saint Jose Luis Sanchez del Rio Feast Day

10th February 2024Rhiannon Watts-Robinson

Saint Jose Luis Sanchez del Rio is a remarkable example of youthful courage and unwavering faith.

A Cristero martyr in Mexico, her faced persecution during the Cristero War for refusing to renounce his Catholic beliefs. Even in the face of torture and death, Jose Luis Sanchez del Rio remained steadfast, declaring “Viva Cristo Rey” (Long live Christ the King) as his final words.

Canonised as a saint by the Catholic Church, her serves as an inspiration for us, particularly the youth, to stand firm in our faith and remain committed to Christ’s teachings, even in challenging circumstances.

His life reflects the resilience of the Catholic spirit and the enduring power of faith in the face of adversity, motivating us to emulate his courage and dedication to Christ.

Saint Jose Luis Sanchez del Rio’s feast day is a reminder to us of the profound sacrifice made for the faith and the call to live authentically as witnesses to Christ’s love.

Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. – 1 Timothy 4:12

Mental Health and the Mercians

9th February 2024Rhiannon Watts-Robinson

This afternoon Year 10 had a talk about mental health. Following this was a performance from the band The Mercians.

The band discussed how mental health can have an impact on a person’s life. The students asked questions such as “how do you have the confidence to perform in front of people?” which the band answered throughout the afternoon between their songs.

The Mercians are “bringing Indie back to the Midlands” with their 5 piece band. Playing a mixture of their own tracks and a cover or two they showed the students what you can achieve when you feel great in yourself.

It’s fair to say the students loved it!

Geography A2 Level Fieldwork

9th February 2024Rhiannon Watts-Robinson

This term the A-Level Geography students participated in Geography Fieldwork with Mrs Hill and Mr Petrie.

This involved them touring the city of Birmingham observing the spectacular sights of Corporation Street, The Bull Ring, the new HS2 Curzon Street Station, Millennium Point, China Town, The Mailbox and Symphony Hall.

To top it all off they finished with a visit to Birmingham Library and got the opportunity to get a panoramic view of this amazing city right from the top!

The aim of this fieldwork was to practise A level fieldwork techniques in preparation for their NEA.

This included completing questionnaires on perceptions of the Bullring redevelopment scheme and the HS2 link investment. This included studying its popularity when counting pedestrian number in both geographical areas.

Students also completed environmental quality index surveys in Grand Central and the Mailbox.

They compared places through photographic analysis over time and completed retail surveys throughout the city, to investigate shopping trends in 2024.

Careers in Geography

Many of our geography students may see this as an opportunity to discover the many career opportunities that studying Geography can bring. This can include careers in urban design and architecture; civil engineering; and construction.

Geography is the only subject where you can complete fieldwork in which a range of transferable skills are developed. This is something that employers find valuable.

Whilst studying processes and systems, you select research questions, apply relevant techniques and find appropriate ways to analyse and communicate your findings.

This makes the subject truly relevant and brings many issues on an ever evolving landscape to light.

Well done to all those Geographers in attendance who excelled in their studies on the day!

Apprentices at St Edmund’s – Miss Martin

9th February 2024Rhiannon Watts-Robinson

On the final day of National Apprenticeship Week we are focusing on our final apprentice – Miss Martin.

Miss Martin has successfully completed her apprenticeship as a science technician and now works for the Academy as part of our Science Department.

As well as achieving her apprenticeship, she achieved a National Diploma in Applied Science and a certificate in Laboratory Technicians Standards.

Over the two years of study Miss Martin successfully gained three qualifications from her training as an apprentice.

Her course was predominantly online but the practical aspects were assessed in Sutton Coalfield. For the Laboratory Technicians Standards, Miss Martin was monitored for the day on how she conducted her work and her knowledge about how the Academy functions. This included how to assist in a first aid incident and how to respond in a fire alarm.

Over the course of her apprenticeship at St Edmund’s, Miss Martin has grown in confidence and become an integral and very well-liked member of the team. She has taken part in school events such as open evening and covered while the senior technician has been away.

The Science Department has greatly benefitted from Miss Martin. Her skills and knowledge which she has developed while completing her apprenticeship have allowed for more laboratory based work.

Her work ethic and commitment are truly inspirational.

Music School Brilliance!

8th February 2024Rhiannon Watts-Robinson

Three of our students – Martha B (Y12), Letty Z (Y11) and Kylah J (Y11) – performed on violin, percussion and clarinet with a 107 piece orchestra made up of Wolverhampton Music Service and Wolverhampton Symphony Orchestra.

They delivered a concert to nearly 3000 pupils from the Wolverhampton area performing Symphony No 5, Movement I, II and V; Carmen Suite No 1; Super Mario Bros Overworld Theme; and How To Train Your Dragon to name but a few!

Congratulations to them on their amazing achievement!

Apprentices at St Edmund’s – Miss Watts-Robinson

8th February 2024Rhiannon Watts-Robinson

As we continue through National Apprenticeship Week, we’re focusing on the second apprentice from St Edmund’s.

Our second apprentice has completed their apprenticeship and now works for us as Creative and Technical Support Administrator. Miss Watts-Robinson completed their education at 18 and went on to university to study Ancient Civilisations. They then continued studying to Masters level where they achieved a degree in Antiquity.

Miss Watts-Robinson decided that after completing this study it would be useful to gain some more work-based skills to help enter the world of work after being part of the student body for such a long time.

“My apprenticeship was really helpful, it gave me the knowledge on how office-based jobs function and the skills needed to be successful in these roles. I loved studying my degree, and I still love the subject, but the jobs roles that go with it are few and far between. Having the apprenticeship gives me an extra edge to get employers interested.”

Applying to the City of Wolverhampton College, Miss Watts-Robinson secured an apprenticeship at St Edmund’s working in the Student Support office. This provided many useful skills such as communication, adaptability and first aid. Mentoring from the apprenticeship supervisor helped them to quickly adapt to working of office life and allowed them to flourish.

During the course of their training, Miss Watts-Robinson began to take up more design based work for the Academy. It was from this that they were offered a job at St Edmund’s to continue this design work as well as other administration tasks.

Maha Shivratri

8th February 2024Rhiannon Watts-Robinson

Maha Shivaratri, a significant Hindu festival dedicated to Lord Shiva, holds a unique place in the rich tapestry of religious observances.

For us, while recognising the diverse ways people express their faith, Maha Shivaratri is an occasion to appreciate the spiritual devotion of Hindus and their commitment to divine worship.

We value the pursuit of connection with the divine and respect the various religious traditions that contribute to the rich mosaic of global spirituality.

During Maha Shivaratri, we extend our prayers for peace, understanding and mutual respect among people of all faiths, recognising the shared aspiration for a world where love and compassion prevail, guided by the teachings of Christ and the universal call to seek God’s presence in our lives.

But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but those who have faith and are saved. – Hebrews 10:39

Saint Josephine Bakhita Feast Day

8th February 2024Rhiannon Watts-Robinson

Saint Josephine Bakhita stands as a beacon of faith, resilience and the transformative power of God’s love.

Born in Sudan and enslaved as a child, she endured unspeakable suffering, yet her encounter with the Catholic faith led her to freedom and a profound relationship with Christ. Baptised and named Josephine, she embraced the Christian faith with unwavering devotion.

Her life exemplifies the triumph of the human spirit over adversity and the capacity for forgiveness and healing even in the face of profound injustice.

Canonised as a saint in 2000, Saint Josephine Bakhita is venerated as a symbol of hope and an inspiration to importance of compassion, mercy and the universal call to defend the dignity of every human being.

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. – Philippians 4:4-5