St Aidan’s Dancers step to success
St Aidan’s has been celebrating the success of its students who have been competing at a very high level in competition recently.
Caragh McKay, a third year student, was competing in the world Irish Dancing championships and secured a highly impressive eighth place in her age group.
She was dancing in the Belfast- based World Championships against nearly 300 competitors from across the globe. She has shown a huge level of commitment, self-discipline and talent to secure this coveted top- ten finish, dancing with the Stephanie Duff Academy four times a week in sessions that lasted up to three hours.
Caragh’s teacher was confident that she would secure a top- ten spot however, she spoke modestly about her great achievement saying, “I really didn’t think that I would place so highly and when the results came in it was a totally amazing feeling.”
Miss O’Neill, third year Principal Teacher of Pupil Support, was delighted with Caragh’s success and commented, “It is great when the hard work and dedication of our students gains such a great level of recognition. Well done Caragh!”
First year student Niamh Donnelly has also achieved well in recent competitions. Niamh is a skilled Highland dancer and has been participating in dance since she was three years old. While competing at Highland dance championships in Glenboig she achieved first place in the hornpipe competition. Niamh said: “I have been with the Gillian Chapman dance school for 10 years and train three nights a week there. I was the youngest in the group that I was competing in so when the results came in and I realised that I had won a medal it was an amazing feeling.” Modern Languages Primary Liaison
As part of the PrimarySecondary liaison programme, the Modern Languages Department of St Aidan’s High School once again had the opportunity to celebrate Mass in Spanish with the Primary 6 pupils from the associated primary schools of St Aidan’s, St Ignatius, St Thomas, St Patrick’s, Shotts, St Athanasius, Carluke, and St Mary’s, Lanark. The school were fortunate this year as school chaplain Father McGuinness conducted the mass in flawless Spanish in the beautiful setting of St Ignatius church. The St Aidan’s High School S3 students of Spanish supported the Primary pupils in their morning workshops in St Aidan’s High School and then accompanied them to the Mass in St Ignatius church in the afternoon. The S3 pupils were a credit to themselves and to the school. Father Gerry recounted the history of St Ignatius Church in Wishaw and its connection with the Basque Country in the north of Spain.
Special thanks are due to many other people in the school who supported the event including the R. E. department, the Music department, the librarian and senior pupils who gave freely of their time and who enjoyed the event. The school described the day as an enriching experience.