WEEK AHEAD 3 MARCH 2014

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1 WEEK AHEAD 3 MARCH 2014 Prayer Important Dates You never fail to forgive me, Lord... You forgive me when others refuse... You forgive when I can't forgive myself... Your never withhold your mercy... Your pardon awaits me before I sin... Your mercy and pardon are gifts of grace... Have mercy on me, forgiving Lord, and cleanse me of all my sins... Wednesday 5 March Ash Wednesday Thursday 6 March S3 Parents Information Evening Thursday 13 March S1 Choice Evening Tuesday 20 March Got to Dance Evening Saturday 22 March Afternoon Tea for Life Friday 4 April End of Term (2:30pm) Monday 7 April Easter Sports Camps Ash Wednesday Prayer For Ash Wednesday Father, we gather in your presence on this Ash Wednesday, to seek your forgiveness and to ask your help in living our lives better. For the times when we have failed to love. Have mercy, Lord. For the times when we have not noticed the needs of others. Have mercy, Lord. For the times when we have refused to forgive. Have mercy, Lord. These ashes are a sign of our repentance. Bless them, Lord, and make them a sign to the world of our desire to change, and to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ, your Son. Amen. Ash Wednesday is on 5 March The date for Ash Wednesday is set, of course forty weekdays before our celebration of Easter Sunday and this year Easter is about as late a date as it can be therefore Ash Wednesday is also about as late in the year as it can be. The six Sundays in Lent are often not regarded as being part of the observance of Lent (being termed Sundays in, rather than of, Lent), because each one represents a "mini- Easter," a celebration of Jesus' victory over sin and death. We have made arrangements for all pupils to attend an Ash Wednesday Service and to receive their ashes. We are very grateful to our Chaplain, Fr Jim, for making himself available for this on what is a busy day for a priest.

2 Lent 2014 During Lent, we will have Mass each day at 8.25am in the Oratory. We are very grateful to Fr Jim and local priests for providing this for us. We hope that our pupils will respond as well as in previous years and show their commitment to Lent by starting the School Day with Mass. Parents, friends, Primary Children have been a feature of our Lenten Masses and we are happy to invite them to join our Masses During Lent, we are encouraged to prepare for Easter through three traditional practices : prayer, fasting and almsgiving. In basic terms, Lent is the season before Easter, in the West lasting liturgically from Ash Wednesday until the Mass of Holy Thursday exclusive (see General Norms for the Liturgical Year and Calendar) The evening of Holy Thursday begins the The Easter Triduum, which lasts from Holy Thursday to the Evening Prayer of Easter Day. However, Lenten fasting and penance continue until the end of Holy Week, and all of Holy Week is included in the traditional 40 day Lenten fast, despite Lent ending liturgically on Holy Thursday The purpose of Lent is to be a season of fasting, self-denial, spiritual growth, conversion, and simplicity. Lent, which comes from the Germanic word for springtime, can be viewed as a spiritual spring cleaning: a time for taking spiritual inventory and then cleaning out those things which hinder our relationship with Jesus Christ and our service to him. Thus it is fitting that the season of Lent begin with a symbol of repentance: placing ashes mixed with oil on one's head or forehead. However, we must remember that our Lenten disciplines are supposed to ultimately transform our entire person: body, soul, and spirit, and help us become more like Christ. Fasting: The Catholic Church expects its members age 18 to 59 to fast on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, unless a physical condition prevents it. This means only one full meal is permitted in a fast day. Abstinence from meat is required of those age 14 and older. In this way, Lent represents a spiritual training time to overcome temptation. Some give up things they have a strong desire for, e.g. sweets, caffeine, etc. By giving these up, the person fasting learns to control a particular part of his or her life, which leads to greater self-discipline even when Lent is over. As such in Lent we are able to learn, examine, and get under control our material excesses. Prayer: Lent is a perfect time to develop or strengthen a discipline of regular prayer. Almsgiving (Charity): While Lent is about giving something up (i.e. fasting), it is also about putting something positive in its place. Lent has been a traditional time of helping the poor and doing acts of charity and mercy. While as Christians this is a year round calling, Lent is a good time to examine ways to get involved and to make resolutions to actually do them SCIAF. As part of Lenten Almsgiving, pupils will be encouraged to give a small donation to SCIAF each time they come to RE. SCIAF Boxes will be used for this and spare boxes are available for any member of Staff who would like to offer their classes the same opportunity.

3 The Worship Group by Cathy Holmes (6a4) The Worship Group meets every Thursday after school in the Oratory. In the group we read as short piece of scripture, reflect on it and discuss what is means for our lives today. At the end we pray for any intentions we have and for our school. I personally enjoy the group because you don t have to feel embarrassed about your faith as everyone there is looking to know God more. One important feature of the group is fellowship when we grow together as children of the Lord. Castlerigg Manor Retreat Centre A group of Third Years will join with a group of pupils of the same age from St Bede s School in Blackburn for a residential retreat from Friday 28 March to Sunday 30 March 2014 at Castlerigg Manor in Keswick. S3 Retreats The URSpace Team led by Salesians Sisters will lead a three period mini-retreat for each S3 Pupil on Monday, Tuesday or Thursday of next week. The theme will be Lent Preparing for Easter. Pupils have been given details of what promises to be a very thoughtful time of reflection for them. Caritas News Archbishop Tartaglia has invited all Caritas Candidates in Glasgow Archdiocese to an afternoon of faith learning, reflection and witness on Monday 24th March 2.00pm pm at St Andrew's Cathedral. Any pupil that wants to attend this event should inform Miss Jamieson before Friday 7th March. Pupils will make their own way to and from the event. For a number of years, we have had a link with St Bede s which has allowed pupils and staff to share their experiences of their time in a Catholic School. Scavi Question Time Miss Duncan will take a group of Senior Pupils to represent the school at a Question Time Evening being organised by Giffnock Parish Church at 7.00pm on Sunday 16 March The panel will consist of local politicians who will answer questions on social, religious and political issues. Thanks to the efforts of a relative of one of our pupils we have the privilege of tour of the excavations under St Peter s Basilica in Rome. The highlight of this much sought after tour is the Tomb of St Peter. Our Rome 2014 Pupils will be standing just a few feet away from the actual tomb of Peter. Tradition has always said that the High Altar of St Peter s was built directly above St Peter s Tomb. Archaeological evidence in mid Twentieth Century confirmed this tradition. We are investigating the possibility of a tour of the Headquarters of The Vatican Observatory at Castel Gandolfo outside Rome.

4 Careers Convention 2014 The Careers Convention on Thursday 27 February was a great success again this year with over 1700 pupils and parents attending the 40 seminars and discussions at 80 stalls during the evening.

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7 French Trip to Le Bistro S3 National 4 and S6 Advanced Higher French pupils had a great trip on Wednesday to Le Bistro Beaumartin in Glasgow. They had an opportunity to speak in French with Andrew the chef and tried lots of tasty French dishes. Lots of the pupils even tried 'les escargots' and 'les genouilles' for the first time. Miam miam!

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9 S6 Advanced Higher Rock and Pop Concert The annual S6 Advanced Higher Music Concert took place on Tuesday 25 and Wednesday 26 February. The S6 class worked hard to produce an exciting and varied programme of popular songs with covers by Gerry Rafferty, Paolo Nutini, Tracey Chapman, The Animals, U2 and Of Monsters and Men to name a few.

10 Football U13A Fixtures Cashback 7s Tuesday 4 March At Ferguslie Park 1:30pm KO St Mirren Cup Wednesday 5 March St Ninian s v Park Mains At Park Mains 4:30pm KO U14A Results and Fixtures Scottish Shield Round 5 St Ninian s v Cults Academy Goals scored by Lewis Smith (3), Matthew Reilly (2)and Mark MacBeth Scottish Shield Quarter Final Wednesday 12 March St Ninian s v Braidhurst At Braidhurst 4:00pm KO U15 Results and Fixtures League St Ninian s 1 2 Mearns Castle Goal scored by Luke McBeth League Monday 3 March St Ninian s v Williamwood At Williamwood 4:30pm KO

11 U16 Results and Fixtures U18 Results and Fixtures League Linwood 1 4 St Ninian s Goals scored by Conor McGee 2 Liam Runciman 1 Daniel McParland 1 League Tuesday 4 March Gryffe v St Ninian s At Gryffe 4:30KO Wednesday 5 March St Ninian s v Linwood At Linwood 4:00pm KO Match Report Linwood 1-4 St Ninian's On yet another cold, rain swept evening St. Ninian s tried to not only overcome the elements but also a good Linwood side. Both teams started brightly with the wind causing havoc for both teams. Liam Runciman gave St. Ninian s the lead after great work down the left hand side from Ewan Crombie. This seemed to spur the Linwood boys into life who quickly equalised from an unbelievable strike from their number 9 and captain. Once the ball left his right boot it sailed into the top of the St. Ninian s net. After this a period of pressure was applied by St. Ninian s. The cross bar and post were hit within seconds of each other, both coming from Martin MacDonald who played well throughout. Declan Kelly was a constant menace down the right hand side and he won St. Ninian s a penalty just before half time. Conor McGee took it and slotted the ball home. Into the second half and now St. Ninian s had the wind at their backs. Linwood were camped in their half for most of the second period and the St. Ninian s pressure paid off when Conor McGee grabbed his second of the night after great skill and composure from the on fire striker. Daniel McParland came off the bench to grab St. Ninian s final goal of the game after a well taken free kick slipped through the Linwood keepers hands and into the net. This finished off another good performance from the boys. St Mirren Cup Williamwood 1 1 St Ninian s (St Ninian s won 6-5 on penalties) Congratulations to the senior football team as they won 6 v 5 on penalties against Williamwood in the St Mirren Cup. The game finished 1-1 with the goal from Blair Lyons and was decided on penalties. Two great saves from Stephen McPhee and successful penalties from Joe Devine, Danny McBeth, Blair Lyons, Malcolm McDonald, Husnain Mansoor and debutant Ryan Higgins. League Monday 10 March Barrhead v St Ninian s At Barrhead 4:30pm KO Cashback 7s On Tuesday 4 March two boys U13 teams and one girls U15 team will compete in the Paisley and District round of the Scottish Schools Football Association Cashback 7 s tournament. U13 Boys Jack Johnston (1a2), Liam McGinlay (1a2), Victor McQuade (1a3), Sam Stewart (1a3), Reece Thomson (1a3), Andrew Conlan (1a4), Jamie Mair (1a4), Ciaran McAndrew (1a4), Thomas Leahy- Kelly (1a5), Daniel Connor (1a6), John Lynch (1a6), Leo McCaffery (1a6), Lewis McLuskie (1a6), Dominic McLaughlin (1a7), Michael Ward (1a7), Paul Kennedy (1a8), Bradley Wilkie (1a8), Euan Stirling (1a9), Max Gillies (1a10), Michael Preston (2a8) U15 Girls Katie Rice (3a5), Phoebe Roper (3a6), Maria Higgins (2a9), Shannon McLintock (2a7), Jade Baillie (2a8), Caitlyn Martin (2a7), Amy Smart (2a2), Anna McLaughlin (1a10), Francesca Crilley (1a3), and Jenny Dougall (1a10)

12 Easter Sports Camps The fantastic St Ninian s Easter Sports Camps are now available to book. There are camps for P1 to P3 Pupils and P4 to S1 Pupils. This is a great opportunity to try a wide variety of sports; improving and developing new skills as well as having lots of fun! It is also a fantastic induction for the pupils who will eventually attend St Ninian s High School as pupils. Though friends who attend other schools are also welcome. All coaching sessions are run by fully qualified coaches and Physical Education teachers who will provide the ideal environment for children to learn and enjoy themselves safely. Full details are on the school website. Easter Football Camp New! We are also delighted to offer a brand new football camp which will take place on the new synthetic pitch. These camps are open to pupils from P1 to S2. If you have any questions regarding these please contact Mr Fuchs. Please book early to avoid disappointment! You may also be interested in our Twilight Sports Club for P6 S2 pupils that takes place on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings.

13 East Renfrewshire Schools Cross Country Very well done to all of our pupils who took part in the East Renfrewshire Schools Cross Country on Monday 24 February. Initial results are as follows: S1 Boys Bradley Wilkie (1a8) - Bronze S1 Boys won team Silver S1 Girls Jenny Dougall (1a10) 4th S1 Girls won team Bronze S2 Boys Michael Lowrie (2a8) Gold Joseph Lowrie (2a4) Silver Matthew Reilly (2a10) Bronze Nicholas Boyle (2a4) 4th S2 Boys won team Gold S2 Girls Sara Inglis (2a2) Bronze Emily Felth (2a7) 4th Senior Boys Stephen Rae (6a7) 4th Senior Girls Nicole Scott (5a9) Silver Marianne MacDonald (4a1) 4th Julie Lonergan (4a10) 6th Senior Girls won team Silver Full results including all pupils will follow.

14 S1 Winter Olympics Poster Competition Congratulations to Niamh Davidson (1a1), Diane Summers (1a4) and Holly Edgar (1a1) who came Gold, Silver and Bronze positions in the S1 Winter Olympics Poster Competition. All of their entries were creative and colourful. They were presented with PE Excellence badges at assembly and their entries are now displayed in the Sports Hall. Paralympic Pathways Good luck to the following pupils who will be attending a Paralympics Pathway Festival at Ravenscraig Sports Facility on Tuesday 11 March. Paul Eadie (3a3), Charlotte Taylor (1a9), Bethany Chrystal (3a5) and Matthew Wynne (1a8) Ski and Snowboard Club The next four week block of the Ski and Snowboard Club begins on Wednesday 5 March at Snowfactor in Braehead.

15 Netball S1 Congratulations to the S1 netball team who reached the Scottish Cup Semi Finals with a hard fought victory over Abroath. This is a fantastic achievement of the girls and coaches Mrs Gorman and Mrs Angelini. Fingers crossed they can go at least one better! Lucy Igoe (1a2), Scarlett Angelini (1a2), Sarah Greene (1a5), Zoe McFarlane (1a2), Siobhan Marshall (1a4), Ava Thomas (1a2), Megan McLaughlin (1a4), Cara Parker (1a10), Collette Smith (1a2) and Cara Reid (1a5) S2 Well done to the S2 netball team who performed courageously against Strathaven in their Quarter Final of the Scottish Cup on Wednesday 26 February. The girls lost the match though played admirably. Julia Convery (2a1), Lucy Dillon (2a6), Lucy Holmes (2a4), Sara Inglis (2a2), Cara Lockhart (2a2), Katrin McNee (2a6), Niamh Miller (2a1), Eve Reilly (2a1), Sophie Rook (2a2), Sarah Walsh (2a4).

16 Scottish Schools Squash Champions 2014 On Sunday 2 March St Ninian s High School were crowned Scottish Schools Squash Champions 2014 in historic fashion. St Ninian s Team 1 which included Patrick O Sullivan (4a10), Mark Coyle (5a7) and Jonathan Brady (4a8) got to the final. However for the first time in history, two teams from the same school contested the trophy after St Ninian s 2 who consisted of Christopher Murphy (2a8), Daniel O Sullivan (2a2) and Joseph O Sullivan (3a1). A massive well done to both teams and we hope for continued success in the coming years!