The boarders recently engaged in an on-site hockey session with our coach Miss Arnold. First, they engaged in several strength related hockey skills and it was the girls that outshone the boys with their power and strength. After mastering several drills, the students then went on to play a mixed match. This provided much entertainment and plenty of goals. Eventually, the match ended 3-2.
Mrs Latham (Head of Boarding) and Mr Cook (Director of Sport)
We are all facing a challenging time with COVID19 and for many of us the announcement of a second national lockdown is unsettling. For many people it will also be a very lonely time, especially for our elders.
Y7 Brook’s and I put our minds to work and came up with a great idea to try and put a smile on our elders faces by writing letters to a local care home. During the first half of the Michaelmas term the pupils worked on creating positive and inspiring letters writing about themselves, settling in to Liverpool College secondary school and a meaningful message to put a smile on the reader’s face. The care home chosen is very close to my heart as my grandad spent the last year of his battle with Alzheimer’s at Moss View care home in Huyton from June 2017 to August 2018. When I contacted the care home they were ecstatic and said anything to help their residents during this difficult time is more than welcome and they are really grateful for our help. Delivering the letters and some chocolates off at the care home, I could see the joy and appreciation on the nurse’s face and she shared how much this means to both the staff and the residents. That was very heart warming.
What I have learnt from this experience, in particular from the pupils, is the saying ‘in a world where you can be anything, be kind’ is more important now than ever before. The pupils showed true kindness in their letters and have made this difficult time easier for the residents at Moss View care home. Thank you Y7 Brook’s!
Miss Pye (Y7 Brook’s House Mentor)
Mrs Latham (Head of Boarding) and Mr Cook (Director of Sport) organised a fitness related circuit class on Wednesday night to help our boarders beat some of the lockdown boredom. Students focused on their strength training and cardiovascular health. This is the first of many activities planned to beat any lockdown boredom!
We have just learnt that we have seven Liverpool College pupils who were selected as winners for the Merseyside and Cheshire region in the 'If you were an Engineer' Competition.
The competition was organised through Engineering Leaders and every child in KS1, KS2 and KS3 was given an opportunity to participate, with Wilton Scholars and those attending Enterprise activities in KS4 also asked to submit an entry. To participate, pupils had to identify a problem they had observed in real life, invent a solution to that problem, illustrate and annotate their creation, promote their product through a descriptive ‘Pitch Letter’ and meet a real engineer.
We have winners in every category, from every part of the school. This is a phenomenal achievement!
As their entries were submitted last academic year, the key stage awards are as follows:
As well as receiving medals and prizes, their work will be displayed through the Merseyside and Cheshire Gallery, which will be going live on Tuesday 27 October. Details to follow.
Well done to all our winners and to all those who entered. The standard from Liverpool College was described as superb!
Mrs Doran
Prep pupils tuned into a live broadcast with NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center this week, listening to experts from the Space Camp. Space Camp is an educational camp in Alabama, on the grounds of the U.S. Space & Rocket Center museum which provides educational programs for children and adults on themes such as space exploration, aviation and robotics.
In the broadcast, pupils explored astronaut training, careers in space and how the organisation has helped past students to become astronauts. Hosted by Liverpool’s own astronaut trainee Dr Jacyln Bell, the show featured NASA’s Planetarium Director and Space Camp’s senior director of communications.
Mrs Doran
On Thursday, all Prep school classes were invited to a live author talk with award winning author AJ Hartley. AJ first read an extract from the start of his new book, Monsters in the Mirror and then answered questions set by the children tuning into the live broadcast. AJ Hartley has written over 23 novels and has written books for both children and adults including mystery/thriller, fantasy and historical fiction. His first book was published at 19yrs old and he is originally from the North West in Preston!
His new book, Monsters in the Mirror, focuses on a small boy from the UK who is struggling to fit in at school, Darwen seeks solace in a mysterious shop full of mirrors. It’s there that he discovers the ability to step through mirrors into different worlds – worlds beyond his wildest imagination. The problem with doors is that they open both ways. There are monsters inside, and some of them are trying to get out.
AJ Hartley explained his tips for writing a great story and the process of writing a short story. He recommended thinking first of a ‘hook’ for the story – an idea that you can summarise in just one or two sentences. He said not to wait for a perfect idea as most of his best ideas have come to him whilst he’s been writing. He also recommended writing with no distractions so you can fully focus on the language you are using to tell your story and finally, to never judge a book by its cover!
Mrs Doran
Mrs Latham (Head of Boarding) and Mr Cook (Director of Sport) organised an evening of socially distanced Handball for boarding students within their bubble. The active evening enabled the students to show off their individual sporting talents and when needed play as a team by supporting one another and scoring lots of goals where every team player was involved. This will be the first of many weekend team building sporting opportunities for the boarders.
