The Lisburn school have raised over £90,000 for the local charity over the years and have established a close affinity through their fund raising efforts. Senior teacher, Miss Heather Gracey, has been instrumental in much of this fund raising and commented: “Our association with the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children goes back to the late eighties when our first Read-On was held in memory of a student who had died. Within school we like to think that the funds raised have been a living legacy of Stephen’s life.”

The pupils of 11W met Cool FM DJ Mairead Campbell and also the Cash for Kids mascot, as well as presenting a cheque for £500 to NICFC representative Ruth Hobson. These young people have a special commitment to the charity and have raised significant amounts of money over the past few years in memory of their class mate Briagh Hull who died almost two years ago. From bun sales to jewellery sales, fun runs to collections they have worked tirelessly to help other children and their families.

Charity co ordinators at the school, Miss Laura Topley and Mrs Liz McClenagahn, also got into the spirit of the occasion by coming to school in their onesies and “having funsie in their onesie”, a key part of the Cash for Kids Day throughout Northern Ireland. Pupils and staff were also interviewed by Mairead, whilst the pupils of 11W produced a noisy link to promote the event.

In all, the Cool FM Cash for Kids Day raised over £100,000 for this great cause and all in the Wallace community were delighted to be involved in such a great day for a great charity and wish to pass on their congratulations to Cool FM for their superb fund raising effort.

Jenny Johnston from 11W has been one of the driving forces behind the effort with her class mates and explains why the charity is so important to her: “NICFC will always hold a special place in my heart because of the support they gave to my best friend when she was terminally ill. It makes me so happy that the Cash for Kids Day has thrust NICFC into the limelight and helped them raise an outstanding £100,000 because I know that the money raised is going to a great charity.”

The Charity Committee at Wallace have been busy throughout the past few weeks and months with regular Monday collections recently held for Action Medical Cancer and the Alzheimer’s Society, as well as a bun sale for Year 14 pupil Priscilla Moore who is travelling to South Africa with the United Field Mission this coming summer. Year 10 pupils raised over £500 for Comic Relief with their now annual fancy dress mile of the school. Each individual Year 10 class also donated money to their own selected charity, decided on amongst class members.

Preparations for the Habitat to Humanity trip to Malawi in June are nearing completion for the 12 pupils from Years 13 and 14, accompanied by staff Matthew Glenn, Laura Topley and Steven Alexander. They have undertaken a rigorous fund raising campaign involving quizzes, bag packing, coffee mornings and fashion shows for their two week trip where they will be building houses for orphaned children and also visiting and helping children in the local schools.

As part of the Habitat for Humanity trip and also to continue their support for the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children, over 60 pupils and five staff are running in the Lisburn 10k and fun run in June, an event that they also supported last year. Training is well underway and everyone is looking forward to being part of this local event.

On behalf of the Wallace community I should like to express how immensely proud we all feel of these young players and their coaches. The Campbell College side was a formidable opponent. I congratulate them, on behalf of our school, on their victory.

From charitable face painting to singing school anthems the experience of being in another final has been enjoyed by the whole school community.

Mrs D. O’Hare
Principal

Staff leaders Laura Topley, Steven Alexander and Matthew Glenn were thrilled to secure the opportunities of bag-packing at local stores on two of their busiest trading days. Team members manned the checkouts at Tesco and Sainsbury’s raising a grand total of almost £4,000. Commenting on the traditional “food shop” by families stocking up for Christmas Laura observed “It was really busy in both stores but we are so grateful to the staff for making us so welcome and to all the people who gave generously. It was really encouraging that many people even took the time to wish us luck with the project. We would also like to thank other members of the Wallace staff who came along and helped us make the most of the opportunity.”

Head Girl Kate Millar, who is studying “A”level Home Economics, also gained valuable insights into eating habits. It would appear that for many people Christmas isn’t Christmas without a certain chocolate orange promoted by the Vicar of Dibley!

Other recent successful fundraising events run by the team and its supporters include a quiz and carol singing. Details of forthcoming events will appear on the school website.

“Christmas Pie” is a long standing Wallace tradition, with the end of term charity show being enjoyed in the Clonevin Park School for thirty five years.

One of the scriptwriters, Jack McComisky explained, “This year we took the very topical issue of the Mayan predictions and wrote an hour long show based on the theme.

We filmed vox pop interviews on the streets of Lisburn and even recorded footage up the Mournes! Pie is a real highlight of the school year here in Wallace and we have thoroughly enjoyed scripting and rehearsing this year’s show. ”

Presenter Rebecca McClements went on, “The breadth of talent displayed by our form was outstanding. From choreography to film making, acting to singing, Christmas Pie showed off the many talents of the Class of 2013.

We had such fun during rehearsals and it was great fun working creatively together. Our year group worked collaboratively with set design, stage-management and lighting all being looked after by pupils.”

Head Boy Tony Gordon paid tribute to the support offered by staff, “Thanks must go to several teachers including Miss Stevenson, Miss Forsythe and Mr Maltman who gave of their time so readily, attending rehearsals and supporting us in so many ways.

Miss Stevenson directed an amazing film which starred over half of the Wallace teachers which we incorporated into our show. This fifteen minute film captured our teachers’ sense of fun and a highlight for us all was seeing our Principal Mrs O’Hare and our Vice Principals Mr Craig and Mr Cleland, take part.”

Head Girl Kate Miller added, “A special mention must go to the Directors Mrs Dumigan and Miss McGarry whose patience and support every step of the way made our experience amazing. Pie simply wouldn’t have taken place without them.”

Directors Julie Dumigan and Gillian McGarry concluded, “It was a pleasure to work with such talented young people. Christmas Pie raised and incredible £1700 for The Northern Ireland Children’s Hospice and thanks must go to the generosity displayed by the entire school community in raising such a fantastic sum, as well as the Upper Sixth pupils for their hours of extra curricular commitment.

The show clearly demonstrated the sense of community spirit which is so much a part of life here in The Wallace High School. We were thrilled that former pupil, Chris Henry, took time from his busy schedule playing rugby for Ulster and Ireland to film a segment for the show.”

Heats took place throughout the week with the budding staff “space hoppers” being whittled down to Biology teacher Matthew Glenn, Geography teacher Laura Topley and English teacher Nick Maltman who contested the final. It was Mr Maltman who emerged victorious in front of a large crowd of pupils who certainly got into the spirit of the event.

Fifteen male members of staff have given their top lips to Movember, a charity which aims to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and testicular cancer in the United Kingdom. The response to this campaign within the school has been amazing so far although the final total will not be known until the beginning of December.

As ever, the Charity Committee under the stewardship of Mrs Elizabeth McClenaghan and Miss Laura Topley has been extremely busy with their weekly collections. Thousands of pounds have been raised already for a variety of good causes including the Oscar Knox Appeal, The Gary Wilson and William Porterfield Charity Cycle around Ireland for Cancer Research, ABF The Soldiers’ Charity and the Children’s Heartbeat Trust.

Dr Liam Halferty followed in the footsteps of other staff members Bill Wilson, Jonny Reid, Ian Latham and Neil Armstrong by completing his first ever marathon in Dublin in October. He has already collected hundreds of pounds for “Warchild”, a charity which helps children whose lives have been affected in some of the world’s most dangerous countries.

Speaking on behalf of the Charity Committee, Elizabeth McClenaghan said: “It never ceases to amaze us how generous the Wallace school community is. From our weekly collections to the bigger events like Children in Need we are continually delighted with the response from everyone. I would like to thank publicly all the teachers who took part in the Children in Need event last week and also the pupils who generated such a fantastic atmosphere in the Assembly Hall.”

Wallace has a long association with the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children. Teacher Paul McCabe began his journey of support for the charity as a 17 year old pupil; his fundraising over many years has seen him replicate Houdini’s stunts most notably escaping from a straitjacket!  This year, under his stage name Paul Ormonde , he performed to a packed venue raising almost £2,000 for the charity and Briagh’s Memorial Fund.

In the 20 plus years that Wallace has been involved in Read On the school has raised an amazing £91,000. In her presentation Ruth told her attentive audience of the very real benefits sick children and their families will experience because of the generous donation from the school.

The top fundraisers in Year 8 and 9 were Nikhita Dowie and Jamie Dowie and in Year 10 Bethany Henry, Jenny Johnston and Rachel Noble represented the Year group. The girls, along with Ruth Hanna, have played a key role in fundraising in Briagh’s memory. Currently the school is working with renowned local artist Ross Wilson to create a piece celebrating Briagh’s life and are looking forward to its unveiling during the next school year.

Principal Deborah O’Hare said ” Wallace students are well known for their commitment to charitable causes. We know from experience the marvellous work the charity does and we look forward to continuing our association with the charity.”

The top fundraising class 8V will visit the charity’s facilities in Newcastle in the Autumn term to see for themselves the results of their giving.

The charitable spirit of school was very evident at the resent Lisburn fun run, with over forty staff and pupils participating to raise money for the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children and the Briagh Hull Memorial Fund.

Paul wowed his audience with a combination of large scale illusions and traditional sleight of hand tricks. Particular highlights of the evening were the zig zag lady and the head chopper with Year 14 pupil Tom Haggan bravely stepping up to the stage to put his head on the block!

The evening was in aid of the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children and The Briagh Hull Memorial Fund. Friends of Briagh have been making and selling jewellery for the Memorial Fund and sales were brisk on Saturday evening.

To date over £1,800 has been raised and the show’s organisers are hopeful that they may be able to cover all the show’s costs by gifts donated to the cause. Star of the show Paul Ormonde McCabe paid tribute to his long time assistant Lisa Whitcroft , “Without Lisa there would be no illusion show, she is a very skilled stage performer”.  A long time supporter of the cancer fund Paul pronounced himself delighted with the capacity
crowd and the warmth of their participation.

Much charitable work emerges out of tragedy and Wallace’s commitment to NICFC was a result of the death of a pupil in his GCSE year. As a tribute to his memory and in an attempt to support others experiencing similar hardships the English Department organised their first sponsored event which raised over £5,000. This year’s event is sadly reminiscent of that first event as it too commemorates a pupil who left her mark upon the lives of her fellow students. Year 10 students made a magnificent contribution to the school’s overall total and also designed and sold bracelets in memory of their former classmate and friend Briagh Hull. Read on organizer Heather Gracey noted ” Briagh was an inspiration to us. During our last Read on she was a Year 8 student and despite her illness she managed to be the top fundraiser in Year 8. We, as a school family, are proud to donate this money in her name and in her memory”.

The teaching staff also took the opportunity to support the fund by holding “hug in a mug”, an event best described as calorie laden. Teachers, both male and female, donned their aprons, got out their mixing bowls and produced an array of mouthwatering treats for others to eat. The event raised £270 and generated lots of recipe swapping, promises to repeat the event next year and a new title for Biology teacher Dr Liam Halferty…King of the Cupcake!

A special assembly will be held in the near future to hand over the presentation cheque and to give NICFC’s representative an opportunity to outline the exciting plans for new facilities at the charity’s holiday home and residential facilities in Newcastle.

Enthusiastic Harry Potter fans may have found their hero Daniel Ratcliffe’s recent foray into Gothic horror a little too frightening for comfort. Lisburn’s own weaver of spells and magic, Paul Ormonde will deliver a less sinister but equally compelling evening when he performs his illusion show at Wallace High school on Saturday 17th March.

A long time member of the Magic Circle Paul will be partnered on stage by the magician’s essential accessory, the assistant with Lisa Whitcroft acting as the second half of this stage pairing. Paul performs a wide range of tricks and illusions varying in nature and type. Paul and Lisa perform Houdini’s classic escape, Metamorphosis and they will also demonstrate the thrilling illusions of the music hall era with the Zig Zag (saw the lady in three!) and the Levante Sword Cabinet. Yet more gruesome is the Chung Ling Soo headchopper routine when a lucky member of the audience gets to take part!

In a nod to more recent spectaculars Paul also performs a Darren Brown style routine, focused on the mystery of the mind. There are, of course, many delightful traditional sleight of hand style tricks which to younger members of the audience will truly be magical.

Paul and Lisa pride themselves on providing an evening which genuinely deserves the title “family entertainment”. From 6 to 16 to 60 and beyond the show has something for all ages. Audience participation is a key element and supporting acts will provide music, song and dance. All proceeds from the show will be divided equally between the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children and The Briagh Hull Memorial Fund. Tickets cost £6 or £20 for a family ticket and can be purchased from Wallace High School. It is hoped that sponsorship of the event will maximise the benefits for the charities.

Alongside the usual weekly collections for local and national charities there have been several big events, with £1479.41 raised for Children in Need as teachers and pupils took part in Ant and Dec’s “Red or Black” in the Assembly Hall in November, whilst Physical Education teacher Gareth Kidd took part in “Movember”, growing a moustache and sending a cheque for £338.93 to the Prostate Cancer Charity.

The Year 14 pupils put on their traditional Christmas Pie show just before Christmas with pupils taking part in various sketches, as well as show casing their singing and dancing skills. Expertly hosted by Boyd Rodgers and Callum Scott and superbly written by Andrew McIntyre,
the show also featured some brilliant video footage taken by the talented Matthew Gamble.

As always, Christmas Pie not only provided great entertainment for teachers and pupils alike, but also raised over £2000 for worthy causes which was split between The Children’s Trust Tadsworth, Friends of the Cancer centre and Homeplus NI.

Commenting on the term, Matthew Glenn said: “It always amazes me how generous our pupils and staff are with their support of the weekly collections and also the events. The Children in Need Day and Christmas Pie were great fun for everyone involved and the money
donated to all the charities has been gratefully received.”

Mrs Deborah O’Hare, Principal, was delighted by the immense generosity of spirit exemplified by the students and staff of Wallace. She commented “One of the core values of Wallace is that of respect. Our young people give generously to their chosen charities; this is very much a decision taken by the student led Charity Committee. The rich variety of fun activities dispersed through the school calendar allows us to help those less fortunate than ourselves. It was a pleasure to
welcome back so many former students to join in with the Christmas Pie celebrations at the end of term.”

Wallace’s event was on Monday 12 th December and a large contingent of staff volunteered to bake. Much to the amazement of some of his male colleagues Dr Liam Halferty proved himself to be a whizz with the wooden spoon , producing a range of very attractive cupcakes. Pupils also had the opportunity to eat ,if not to bake , as the charity committee took charge of sales at lunchtime.

The event was much enjoyed by all and generated a swopping of recipes and musings about running a version of a bake off! Over £300 was raised and staff are already planning to repeat the event “bigger and better” next year.