U14 boys hockey team qualified  for the All Ireland John Waring trophy following their earlier success in getting to the final of the Ferris Cup. They came away with Bronze Medals. Photo is the presentation with the team in background.

Krakow Tour Thursday 26 – Sunday 30 March 2015 We set off from Belfast International Airport and flew direct to Krakow. There were twenty five pupils (only four girls) with three members of staff Mr Armstrong, Mrs Hollywood and Mr Robb. This was the first time our school has had a trip to Poland. We had good flight and a coach took us from the airport straight into Krakow city centre. There we had a guided city tour and enjoyed some of the historic sights that Krakow has to offer. We had lunch and a bit of free time in the old town square and then met our tour guide who was called Marta and enjoyed seeing the architecture in the city and the Universaity District. The tour included entrance to St Mary’s Church and Wawel Catherdral. Later that afternoon we booked into our hotel, enjoyed an evening meal and took part in a Quiz, Mr Robb was our Quizmaster. The next morning on the way to Auschwitz-Birkenau we watched a documentary on the liberation of Auschwitz. Our trip coincided with the 70th Anniversary of the liberation and there was a lot media coverage leading up to our trip. We were all a little apprehensive as we weren’t sure how we would feel walking round the camp. We were given head sets so that we could hear our tour guide clearly and the first glimpse of Auschwitz was when we walked through the iconic Arch which reads ARBEIT MACHT FREI, meaning WORK MAKES YOU FREE. The arch has been made infamous through new reports, documentaries and film. It drizzled with rain while we were walking round the camp so it felt like a ‘pathic fallacy’. At the beginning of the tour were the red brick buildings which are now museums which house records, photos and belongings of prisoners. The images of the people’s faces were haunting, it was very sad and we were very quite as walked around. There were lists of names, individual records, piles of hairbrushes, glasses and suitcases which we realized would have once belonged to an actual person. There were very large piles of hair and shoes and there were children’s shoes included in the pile and I found this very emotional. You really got a sense that people had just packed their belongings and would not have imaged what was ahead. This first part of the Auschwitz tour included one of the remaining original Gas Chambers. We walked inside it and found it disturbing. I know that none of us will ever forget that experience. After our tour we had an opportunity for lunch. That afternoon we spent in the Galicja Jewish Museum which was a photo exhibition showing the remnants of Jewish culture. There was a lot to process that day and we were glad to have an evening of fun at the Aqua Park that night. A visit to the Gestapo’s Headquarters at the Pomorksa Street Museum was next on the agenda and we were able to read official documents and visit cells of prisoners. In the afternoon we went to visit Wleliczka Salt Mine. It was a very long way down a small lift shaft. A few of us weren’t comfortable with the lift but we all managed to get down. Down the salt mine you can see statues carved by the miners from the rock salt. They have also carved out a huge ballroom with high chandeliers all made from rock salt. This room can be hired for weddings and concerts. We were all amazed at the size of it. After this we had some shopping time and in the evening enjoyed tenpin bowling. The next day we met up with out tour guide Marta again and she took us round the Jewish Quarter, which was called Kazimierz. We visited the Remuh Synagugue and Eagle Pharmacy, which is beside the square that featured in the Schindler’s List film. We then visited the Schindler Museum, which is dedicated to the wartime experience in Krakow under the Nazi occupation. We saw real items which were from that time including some pots from the factory and Schindler’s own desk, which appeared in the film. Lots of us had watched the film before coming away. To end the trip we had a bit of free time and enjoyed some lunch and retail therapy back in Krakow city center. It was six o’clock in the evening when the coach collected us and took us to the airport and we arrived home in the early hours of Monday morning ready for our beds. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the teachers for a great trip. All our travel arrangements went very smoothly and we all go on very well and thoroughly enjoyed our experience, it will be a trip I will never forget. Aimee Finlay 12B

After a successful winter training with the Northern Ireland Junior Topper Squad, Sam Rutherford 8C, has been selected as part of a team of six to represent Northern Ireland at the Eric Twiname Championships 2015 at Rutland Water UK. As one of the youngest sailors on the NI squad this is a great achievement. Eric Twiname Championship is the pinnacle of the Royal Yachting Association’s Junior racing calendar, is now in its 29th year and will see young competitors in over 285 boats and windsurfers pit their sailing skills againstthe best young talents from each of the six English Zones, and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, in a bid to help their Zone or Home Country team clinch the coveted Eric Twiname Shield at the end of the weekend.

Congratulations to Cathryn Lynch after her recent success winning Northern Ireland Young Musician of the Year competition 2015.  Since winning he competition Cathryn has featured live on John Toal’s Saturday morning programme on  Radio Ulster. He also wants to record more of her at Sullivan for a future show. Cathryn also played at the Waterfront Hall on Friday 10 April 2015  for the Rotary UK and Ireland annual conference and is going to England on Saturday 16 May 2015 to take part in the  Rotary Final.

The Sullivan Singers have won the Regional heat of the BBC Radio Ulster School Choir of the year competition and now go forward to the live final to be broadcast on Sunday 26 April from the Ulster Hall.

The junior, inter and senior teams all won the Grammar Schools Netball League and the inter team finished runners up in the SEELB Netball League group stages.

2Bs girls hockey team won the Gibson Cup, defeating Ballyclare High School 1-0.

U14 Girls hockey team won the U14 Junior Plate, defeating Rainey Endowed 1-0.

Generation Innovation Night Two pupils were nominated to represent Sullivan at the Generation Innovation Event held this year at St. George’s Market on Wednesday 18th March. Michael Parr (Year 12) and Patrick Moorehead (Year 13) were nominated by their teachers for their expertise and innovation in digital photography and moving image animation. They enjoyed participating in a series of tasks, listening to entrepreneurial advice and, above all, watching a special screening of a message from will.i.am.

International Women’s Day To celebrate International Women’s Day, ten Year 13/14 girls attended a conference hosted by sports journalist, Denise Watson, in the luxurious setting of the Titanic Centre, Belfast. They were treated to a number of inspiring speeches by leading female figures, including Dr. Janet Gray MBE (champion water-skier), Suzanne Wylie (Chief Executive of the Belfast ‘Supercouncil’ and Sullivan parent) and Grace Davitt (Grand Slam winner of the Ireland women’s rugby team). There were also performances of drama and music- in which the Sullivan Singers participated beautifully- and an art exhibition.

Match report Boys U14 v Friends Tuesday 19 March 2015 Ferris Cup Semi Final Friends 2 v Sullivan 4 Sullivan U14’s travelled to friends on Thursday for their Ferris cup semi-final. We had done well to get this far coming through a tough draw with Banbridge in the first round who we dispatched 4-3 thanks to a hatrick from Matthew McRoberts who has since been sidelined ever since with a bad injury and the winner with the last touch from Matthew Willis. We then faced the tough task of an away trip to Cookstown but once we put the early nerves to rest we comfortably but nervously finished the match with a 4-1 victory with goals from Daniel Girvin, Paddy Crookshanks, Matthew Morris and Harry Morris seeing us into the semi-final. We now had the final in sight but first had to get past a good Friends side whom we had played twice already this season with both score lines a 2-1 win for home team in each instance. We started off on the back foot and seemed to be affected by the cup exits of the U15’s and U13’s earlier in the week both of which had players from our under 14 team playing on them. We conceded an early short corner which to their credit Friends dispatched well. This goal seemed to be our rallying call and we soon began to bombard the friends defence applying lots of pressure which would eventually lead to our first short corner of the match. We used our signature “NO. 3” short corner and it paid off with Matthew Morris’s shot being deflected across goal by Matthew Willis for the equaliser. We kept on applying pressure with Matthew Willis and Paddy Crookshanks having shots saved. We then went in for half time with the score locked at one a piece and after a team talk from Jason and Ozzy we lined out for the second half and immediately began to apply pressure to the Friends defence from as soon as the half started. The pressure soon payed off and Harry Morris  finished off a swift counter attack with a sublime reverse stick shot across the face of the goal. After this we lost Stefan to a sudden bout of illness and brought Isaac on at left back who to his credit did very well, soon after this we seemed to start to play within ourselves and Friends applied some pressure which rewarded them with their equaliser. This equaliser added the extra hunger needed to win the match. And our desire to win soon brought us a goal from Daniel Girvin which was brilliantly taken on the half volley by the U13 player who showed composure above his age to convert the difficult chance. Friends spurred on by this goal continued to attack with commitment but to no avail and we soon won a short corner after a well-worked counter attack which Harry Morris then converted after a rebound with a “scuffed” reverse stick shot into the top right corner. The final whistle then sounded and we ecstatically celebrated our success. A brilliant performance by all and a thoroughly deserved win. We just need to push on and win the final and bring the trophy back to Sullivan for the second year in a row. Thanks to all who supported us and to our coaches. Bring on Methody!!! Matthew Willis (Yr10)

Congratulations to Ross Hancock (Yr12) who has been selected for the Scottish U17s National Ice Hockey Team.  Ross recently met the Lord Mayor of Belfast. The following photographs show Ross playing for his team, the Belfast Giants U20s team.  Photographs are courtesy of Colin Nelis.