Pupils shine in festival to celebrate their talents

Jul 4 2008 The Journal

SCHOOLS have been celebrating the talent of their pupils this week, to mark the first annual Shine Week.

The national festival has involved around 40,000 young people throughout the North East, whose schools have held assemblies, trips and competitions to commemorate their skills and achievements.

Yesterday, St Thomas More RC High School in North Shields held a sports day at a sports stadium which was a great success. Karen Gammack, assistant headteacher said: “It’s been held at Monkton Stadium so the students could get a real feel for it being a professional event. But it hasn’t all been about sport and fitness. We had a contest to design the front cover of the programme for the day, and have had performances throughout as well.

“The week has also coincided with our own arts festival, and we feel that Shine Week very much fits in with the school’s own principles.

“Many of the activities have been aimed at Year 7 students and are the types of things the pupils will really remember as they go on with their school careers, and they’ve been really fired up about it.

“It’s been very exciting and has created a talking point for everyone in the local community.”

The Shine activities have been popular with many pupils giving up their own time at lunch break and after school to take part.

Mrs Gammack added: “We have involved everyone. There has been poetry and music recitals, painting with the art department, photography and the history department has also made up a time capsule to show people in the future what it was like to be a student here.

“I think Shine Week is a brilliant initiative and we are already looking forward to taking part next year.”