Gym duo’s top UK title
St Aidan’s third year student Emma McConville is also a local star gymnast and has shared her extraordinary journey to qualify to compete in the 2018 European championships.
At the tender age of 14 Emma has achieved her goal through hard work, determination and raw talent.
The young gymnast is undertaking intense training on a regular basis as a member of the prestigious Dynamic Gymnastic Academy.
The DGA Acro- girls train in the Ravenscraig weekly and their ability has taken them across the UK, and they are now venturing over the globe to Europe and beyond.
Emma is half of a duo alongside 11-yearold Caris Smith, the pair first competed in Ravenscraig, performing their complex routine that wowed the judges and audience alike. Not only did the Scotland team place first, the duo ranked first overall in their category. This win was the start to an amazing athletic adventure.
Emma and Caris travelled to Wales to compete in the Celtic Cup and again took first place in their category, and won the trophy for the Scottish team. Their success continued in the British finals in Liverpool, they were up against Britain’s elite acrobatic pairs and managed to rank fourth overall.
The pair’s rank in that competition is their ticket to bigger success in Portugal in the upcoming year.
Emma said: “I always dreamed of going abroad with my talents, but now it’s happening and everything feels so surreal. I feel like all my hard work is paying off”.
The young gymnasts’ incredible talent has made the school community, family and friends extremely proud.
Mrs Aileen Smith, principal teacher of PE is delighted with Emma’s success.
She said: “It is wonderful to see our students achieve at such a high level. Emma’s commitment to this demanding discipline is brilliant reflection of her talent and very real commitment to her sport.” Advanced Higher Biology Trip
Miss Katherine Catherwood led St Aidan’s students on a two day course that allowed the group to examine the advanced practical application of techniques in biological science. The students collaborated with their peers from other local high school and an intense atmosphere of detailed scientific research was the order of the day as students accessed advanced technology and research methods. St Aidan’s sixth year student Caitlin Borthwick and Victoria Drain are pictured as they were performing an analysis of enzymes. Bingo Night Success
A group of the senior students organised and ran a bingo night in the St Aidan’s Parish Hall in support of the school’s ongoing project with APD- the Association of People with Disabilities in Bangalore, India.
The group included Jennifer Murray, Lisa O’Brien, Niamh McKenna and Collette McStay and their efforts helped to raise £1220 for the project, which sees St Aidan’s students visit India to gain an experience of the work that this vital organisation does in Bangalore.
Ms Caroline McHenry, who coordinates the project within Saint Aidan’s praised the initiative and organisational skills of the students and thanked the community of St Aidan’s parish who supported the event with real generosity.