Portadown College - Latest News

MaxiPortal

Home

Information

Curriculum

Extra Curricular

Information for parents

Hall of Fame

Results

Gallery

Search Site

News

You are here: Latest News

Feb 2010

PORTADOWN COLLEGE STUDENTS’ GENEROUS REACTION TO HAITIAN EARTHQUAKE FUND

The students and staff of PortadownCollege raised a staggering £2,780.55 in one Assembly collection after being inspired by the testimony of a member of staff who has personal links with the aid effort in Haiti following the recent earthquake. The overwhelming generosity of the College community was galvanized by Mr David Spence who spoke in Assembly about what his sister-in-law and her husband are experiencing as relief workers in Haiti.

Mr Spence’s brother-in-law, Gavin, was inspired to return to Haiti a week after the earthquake after having spent three years there as a missionary doctor with One Mission Society (OMS) International. He and his wife Julie, a nurse, were moved by their strong Christian faith to bring their medical expertise and hope to the people of Haiti and they were fully aware of the hardships and dangers of aftershocks which they would be exposed to in order to be part of the relief effort.

College students were very moved when Mr Spence gave an inspirational speech in Assembly a few days before the collection and told his audience of the desperate conditions on the ground. Even the medics and relief workers have to sleep rough but it is the plight of the Haitian people themselves which is utterly desolate. Food is so scarce that many of the three hundred or so people who come for medical relief each day haven’t eaten much since the quake. Conditions are dangerous as gun violence is common.

The money raised by the College pupils will be used by OMS to buy urgent food, clothing and medical supplies but it is envisaged that the relief effort will have to continue for years to come.

Further information about the work of OMS can be found at omsinternational.org.

20 January 2010

Portadown College student has role in short film nominated for Best Comedy Award at the 2010 First Light Film Awards

A premiere screening of Flukey Finn, a short film produced by a group of talented young deaf people from Northern Ireland, took place at the Storm Cinemas in Belfast on Saturday 3^rd October 2009.

Flukey Finn was made during Film Project, now in its fifth year, organised last summer by the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS), and funded by First Light Movies. 13 deaf teenagers between the ages of 13-19 worked together with BBC Blast(NI) and learnt filmmaking skills, including directing, script writing, acting for the camera, and costume and make-up design.

Storyboards were sent to applicants who were then chosen on the strength of their explanations about why they were passionate about film and what particular interests they have in the industry. One of the young people involved in an acting role in Flukey Finn was Nicola Agnew, a Year 14 student at PortadownCollege.

Stacey Kilpatrick, (a former Portadown College student), Arts Officer at the National Deaf Children’s Society (NDCS) explains: “The deaf teenagers working with BBC Blast(NI) were involved at every stage including acting, directing, making camera shots and editing material from the week. The exciting project allowed them to come together and gain hands-on experience in a specialised industry, giving participants a taster in film production and maybe a foot in the door to their desired career.”

“Access to the arts is extremely important for deaf children. Deaf children are at risk of developing low expectations of what they can achieve in life and many think their deafness excludes them from participating in activities at school and at local clubs. The deaf teenagers had a chance to meet their deaf peers, share their interests in film and, most importantly, grow in confidence.”

The annual FIRSTLIGHTAWARDS showcases the creative talents of young people across the UK. It is an inspirational event that celebrates the next generation of British filmmakers. This year’s event will take place at ODEON, Leicester Square, London on the afternoon of Tuesday 2^nd March.

Young people from across the country, many from disadvantaged and minority ethnic backgrounds, have received nominations for a prestigious FIRSTLIGHTAWARD for their short digital films and media projects.

Each category is being judged by names such as director/producer Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road, American Beauty), Joseph Fiennes (Shakespeare In Love), Jason Isaacs (Harry Potter, Good), Kwame Kwei-Armah (Hotel Babylon/Casualty), Maxine Peake (Shameless, Dinner Ladies) and producer Hilary Bevan-Jones (The Boat That Rocked), and the winning films will be announced at the glittering awards ceremony on 2nd March at the ODEON Leicester Square, London.

Hosted by Dick and Dom, the ceremony will be attended by a mix of film industry luminaries and celebrities who will present the awards across a range of categories including Best Animation, Best Drama, Best Screenplay, Best Comedy and Best Original Music.

Dick and Dom said: “We’re really looking forward to presenting the First Light Awards in March – it will be a lot of fun; all of the nominated films are fantastic and the awards will be a great celebration for everyone involved.”

Flukey Finn has been nominated for the category of Best Comedy. Nicola Agnew has been selected as one of two of the young people involved in the film who will attend the Awards Ceremony on behalf of NDCS, and this will be fully funded by First Light Films. Congratulations to Nicola and all involved in the film. Best wishes for the Awards Ceremony, and hopefully we will hear good news. More information on the FirstLight Awards can be found athttp://www.firstlightonline.co.uk/fl-awards/the-first-light-awards-2010.

9th November, 2009

HISTORY AND POLITICS ROME TRIP AUTUMN 09

A group of twenty-two students and three teachers from PortadownCollege recently set off on the History/Politics trip to the beautiful city of Rome, fully bedecked in “Tudor T-shirts” depicting their favourite characters from their study of Tudor history. The trip was a real opportunity for the pupils not only to immerse themselves in Italian culture but also to indulge in, and get first hand experience of, a real mixture of ancient and modern history.

The itinerary was busy and intensive, with visits to the Colosseum, the Vatican City, the Catacombs, the Spanish Steps, the Cistine Chapel and the Trevi Fountain being a few of the many highlights. To see these celebrated, historical monuments was an amazing and humbling experience for the students and they were particularly interested in Michelangelo’s masterpiece on the ceiling of the Cistine Chapel. The Colosseum invoked images of Russell Crowe in Gladiatorand the Catacombs brought home how difficult life would have been for the early Christians in Rome. Apart from visiting these main tourist sites, the group also dipped into other parts of Italian culture, attending an extremely entertaining opera dinner evening and having the opportunity to taste a wide range of Italian cuisine, particularly the countless flavours of ice-cream.

The trip was a very enjoyable and educational experience, with many highlights and memorable moments including the awards given out to pupils on the last night. Examples of these were Laura Stevenson’s award for ‘blonde’ of the trip and Michael Abraham’s achievements in the field of international relations. There were also many amusing and memorable quotations such as Matthew Hewitt asking if the Colosseum was inside or outside!

Thanks must go to the three teachers who organised the trip and made it a once in a lifetime experience. The students are also to be commended for their excellent behaviour. Hopefully, having thrown coins into the Trevi fountain, the pupils and teachers of the Portadown College History/Politics Trip ’09 will one day return to the “EternalCity” and relive this unforgettable trip.

Victoria Biscomb

Portadown College 1st XI v Cookstown High 1st XI

Last Saturday, PC played a very impressive game against Cookstown High 1st XI away, resulting a 1-1 draw. Portadown began strong, with many chances at goal and Ally Coulter providing several great runs. However a break from the Cookstown side resulted in a goal, but PC stayed focus and didn't let their heads drop. Lucy Joyce was a strong component in the forward line, accompanied by her sister Penny, who pocketed an excellent goal for the team in the second half. The girls worked together brilliantly, and great tackles from the defence applied pressure on the Cookstown side. PC maintained possession for most of the game and the girls came away with their standards raised. Emma Kenny

Portadown College 2A's played a fantastic match against Cookstown on Saturday and were unlucky not to score. Each individual player was in excellent form which meant that the team played brilliantly together. With lots of drive and energy Portadown College dominated the match with plenty of chances at goal and the defence proved to be like a brick wall against the Cookstown attacking side. An exceptional team effort.

Lauren Buckley

5th November 2009

PC PUPILS AT PISA!

29 Year 11 & 12 students took part in the PISA 2009 survey on 4^th November. PISA stands for Programme for International Student Assessment and involves more than 60 participating countries. Among its aims is a comparison of student performance and the learning environment in different countries. All participating students received a certificate.