National Poetry Day 2020
Creativity continues to flourish in the Rainey in 2020. With National Poetry Day coming up on Thursday 1st October, judging of Year 8 haiku is underway. Sixth Form Literature students have been inspired by the vision of our Year 8 poets.
World Book Day 2020
Well done to all our contestants in Rainey’s special edition of First to Last. Congratulations to our winner, Eunan Doyle, who proved our most average participant today.
Thank you so much to our Year 13 Literature students for helping us in the middle of their mock examinations. Books First and Last!
NI Final Soroptimist Public Speaking Competition
On Saturday 8th February Catherine Turkington in Lower Sixth took place in the Northern Ireland Final of the Soroptimist Public Speaking Competition. Catherine qualified for the final after winning the Ballymoney and District heat back in November 2019.
Amazing Brains
Our Year 11 Amazing Brains ‘Drive for Results’ was a most useful and interesting workshop. Pupils engaged in a wide variety of activities, all of which very effectively supported our school focus on ‘Learning to Learn’. Memory strategies, time management techniques and practical guidance on creating effective revision notes all provided timely support for imminent mock and GCSE examinations. Well done to our Year 11 pupils who worked hard and participated fully in all aspects of the programme – you were ‘amazing’!
Gallery of images from the event
English Literature Workshops
The English Department was pleased to welcome lecturers from University of Ulster, Coleraine to deliver workshops in December to our English Literature students on their AS exam modules. The sessions, which proved engaging and useful, were enjoyed by both students and teachers.
Our thanks to Professor Jan Jedrzejewski for generously offering the workshop facility and also to Dr James Ward and Dr Frank Ferguson for visiting. The English Department looks forward to building on this link in the future.
National Poetry Day 2019
National Poetry Day 2019 was celebrated in a very special way at lunchtime today with our friends from Milesian Manor joining our Year 14 English Literature students in an engaging reading of W.B Yeats’ ‘The Lake Isle of Innisfree’.
Soroptimist Success for Rainey Pupils!
On Thursday 8th November 2018, three Rainey pupils took part in the annual Soroptimist International Public Speaking Competition – Ballymoney and District Local Area Competition. Ellen Henderson (year 12,) Catherine Turkington (year 12,) and Holly Weir (year 12,) all volunteered to take part in the competition this year. The competition is open to girls in year 12 and year 13. The aims of the competition include “encouraging girls to develop the skills to speak effectively and to articulate with clarity” and “to develop self-confidence.”
National Poetry Day 2017
Fly to freedom on National Poetry Day with a poem from the National Poetry Day ebook.
Follow the link to freedom:
https://nationalpoetryday.co.uk/national-poetry-day-ebook/
Rainey Pupils Perform For Royal Visitors #RoyalVisitNI
Rainey A level English Literature students were special guests today at an event hosted for the visit of Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall to the Seamus Heaney HomePlace. Our pupils were specially invited to perform an excerpt inspired by Heaney’s ‘Burial at Thebes’ for the royal party and invited guests.
English Literature visit @SHHomePlace
A2 English Literature pupils enjoyed a workshop focusing on Heaney’s use of the chorus in their A-Level text ‘The Burial at Thebes’. Before the workshop they had the opportunity to view the excellent exhibition at HomePlace. Thanks to Sheila Fullerton for another hugely successful event at this wonderful local resource. @SHHomePlace
Congratulations, Courtney!
Courtney Weir – Second Place in Northern Ireland Final of Soroptimist Competition
On Saturday 4th February 2017, Courtney Weir (year twelve) took part in the Northern Ireland Final of the Soroptimist Public Speaking Competition, which was held in Hillsborough Village Centre. Courtney won the local heat (Ballymoney and District) which was held in Ballymoney, back in November 2016 and involved nineteen competitors.
Soroptimist International Ballymoney and District Public Speaking Competition
On Thursday 17th November 2016 five Rainey pupils took part in the Soroptimist Annual Youth Award Public Speaking Competition. The Ballymoney Regional round of the competition had eighteen pupils taking part from six different local schools. Emma Payne (Year 12,) Courtney Weir (Year 12,) Ellie Beattie (Year 12,) Emily Ussher (Year 12,) and Megan Henson (L6th) represented Rainey Endowed. The competition requires competitors to deliver a six minute speech on a topic chosen from the Soroptimist list of options, in front of an audience and a panel of judges.
Year 10 literature enthusiasts meet @lemnsissay
On May 17th, Year 10 literature enthusiasts attended an author event organised by Mid Ulster District Council as part of their Seamus Heaney Education Programme.
The Poet and the Poem
On Tuesday 1st March the Rainey library played host to poet Deirdre Cartmill, who ran a workshop with GCSE English Literature students. A published poet, Deirdre has been running a series of sessions entitled the Poet and the Poem in the local area. This programme is part of a pre-opening education programme for the Seamus Heaney Centre in Bellaghy.
Amyzing Success!
Look where our reading takes us!
Have a look at our school library video entry for the World Book Day Award 2016, to see Rainey readers transported!
Soroptimist Sucess For Rainey Endowed
On Thursday 5th November 2015 four pupils from the Rainey took part in the Soroptimist Annual Youth Award Public Speaking Competition – Ballymoney Regional Heat.
National Poetry Day Photographic Competition
Feeling the light of inspiration? This year we will be running a photographic competition as part of our celebrations for National Poetry Day. Simply upload your photographs on the theme of Light to the school’s facebook page by Wednesday 7th October at 9.15 am. You can respond to the theme in any way you choose. Maybe you have a picture of this week’s lunar eclipse or beautiful sunsets or perhaps you prefer to respond to the theme less literally. It’s up to you. So come on, all you bright sparks! Help us to celebrate the lighter side of life next Thursday.
BPW Public Speaking Competition
On Thursday 20th November 2014, three form five pupils took part in the BPW Northern Ireland Public Speaking Competition-Ballymena Heat. The team was comprised of Courtney Rose Crilly (Chair,) Roseanna Hunter (Speaker) and Amy Parke (Expresser of Thanks.)
Throughout the evening the main speaker was introduced to a new team and faced the challenge of answering questions put to them by members of the judging panel and pupils from the team who introduced them. Read the rest of this entry »
Meeting Eoin Colfer!
As part of the events of the ‘On Home Ground’ festival, some Year 9 and 10 English pupils had the honour of meeting the famous author of teenage books, Eoin Colfer. Eoin Colfer is best known for being the author of the Artemis Fowl series. The author currently holds the laureateship for Laureate na nÓg – a project established by the Arts Council which recognises the role and importance of literature for children. Eoin Colfer regaled the group with stories from his childhood which influenced his writing as well as answering questions relating to his books and the writing process. Books were available for purchase and Eoin Colfer readily obliged with book signings.
