The 2022 Commonwealth Fencing Championships will take place in London this August and will include Senior, U20 and U17 championship competitions. Five SU fencers have been selected to represent N Ireland at the CFCs: Alex Atkinson, Alexander Penny, Keir Murray, Izzy Evans and Victoria Morris. Selections Alex Atkinson: NI U17 and U20 Women’s Foil Individual and Teams. Alexander Penny: NI U17 Men’s Foil Individual and Team. Keir Murray: NI U17 Men’s Foil Individual and Team. Izzy Evans: NI U20 Women’s Foil Individual and Team. Victoria Morris: NI U20 Women’s Foil Individual and Team and Senior Women’s Foil Individual and Team. Congratulations to all five. Excalibur Cup Well done Amelia Penny who won a silver medal after making the final in the Girls’ U14 age group of the Excalibur Cup, held in Dublin back on Sunday 13th February. This was a strong performance from Amelia, a lone NI fencer competing against the best fencers of the RoI. Scottish Open Amelia’s brother Alexander also set out to compete in foreign fields this month, travelling to Scotland’s National Sports Centre in North Ayrshire to take part in the Scottish Open last Sunday 27th February. After doing well in the poule stage he was knocked out in a very close fight 14-15 in the last 32. This was a fencing step-up for Alexander and valuable experience of UK level competition. David White SUFC Coach 28 Feb 2022

The Junior Girls team finished 2nd in the Ulster Cross country Championships and then went on to win the All-Ireland Cross Country competition. The following girls were in the team: Erin Bond, Ellie Dines, Katie McKittrick, Tara Spence, Elsa Montgomery and Monica Stuart. Ava Downey had an impressive season placing 2nd in Districts, 8th in Ulster and 30th in Ireland for the Inter-Girls cross Country. The Mini Girls team placed 1st in Districts and 2nd in Ulster. The following girls were in the team: Erin Playfair, Isabella Wray, Eva Cupitt, Lucy Steele, Cora Hayes and Hannah Monaghan. Other notable achievements: Matthew Lockington - 4th in Districts, Emily Ridout - 9th in Districts, Oliver Playfair - 21st in Ulster. Katie McKittrick finished 10th in Ireland and has been selected to represent Ireland in the mixed cross country relay team at the British Championships in Swansea at the end of March 2022.

Eighteen Sullivan fencers took part in the 4th and penultimate round of the 2021/2022 N Ireland Junior Foil Series held last Saturday 12th March in the Sullivan Upper Sports Hall. U12s Mia Morrow was the lone SU fencer in the Girls’ U12s. After winning half of her 6 poule fights, Mia then fought her way through to the final where she lost to the No.1 seed to take the silver medal. There were 2 SU fencers in the Boys’ U12s: Ben Wilson, who was seeded 3rd after the poule stage and Sam Snoddy, who was seeded 4th. Ben fell at the quarter-finals, finishing 5th,while Sam battled his way through to the final to defeat the No.2 seed 10-8 and take the gold medal. U14s After the poule stage in the U14 Girls’ age group, Amelia Penny was top seed, having won all of her poule fights, while Cassidy Ogle, Victoria Meharg and Phoebe Henderson finished the poule stage with seedings of 4th, 5th and 6th. In the quarter-finals Phoebe went out, while Cassidy met Victoria, defeating her in a close fight 15-14. Cassidy was then knocked out by Amelia in the semis, earning Cassidy a bronze medal and Amelia a place in the final. Amelia then lost in the final to her constant Dublin based rival to take silver. The Boys’ U14s was very much a Sullivan affair, with 9 of the 13 entrants coming from SU. Myles Wilkinson was the highest placed of the 9 taking the silver medal, with Noah Currie right behind him with a bronze medal win. The other SU placings were: Fionnbharr McCracken 5th, Lennox Brown 6th, Rohan Nair 8th, Tom Woolsey-Jensen 9th, Theo Beggs 10th, Joshua Walker 12th and Rory Lowry 13th. U16s Charlie and Alexandra again met in the U16 Girls’semi-finals, with Charlie going through to the final and Alexandra taking a bronze medal. Charlie then lost 14-15 in a nail biting final to end up with the silver medal. SUFC had no entrants to the U16 Boys competition. Only one more round remains in this year’s series and will take place on 3rd April in the SU Sports Hall. In the current points rankings going into the last round, SUFC fencers lead 4 of the 7 NIJFS age groups. Sam Snoddy leads the U12 Boys age group, Mia Morrow the U12 Girls, Amelia Penny the U14 Girls and Alexandra Ong the U16 Girls (SU has no U10 entrants). Round 4 saw a great turn-out from SUFC and another excellent set of results. Well done to all 18 SU fencers, and thanks again to senior fencers Izzy Evans, Alexander Penny and Victoria Morris, who attended the event as fight referees. David White SUFC Coach 09 Feb 2022

The 2022 Belfast Open was held on the 13th March in the Sports Centre of the Ulster University Magee Campus in Londonderry. Due to school Covid safety precautions, the event was temporarily moved this year from the Sullivan Upper Sports Hall to the Derry venue. Five Sullivan fencers entered the women’s foil event: Izzy Evans, Rachel McKillen, Angharad King, Alex Atkinson and Alexandra Ong, while three entered the men’s foil: Alexander Penny, Keir Murray and Finn Neely. In the men’s foil the poule stage saw Finn win 7 from 12, Alexander 6 from 11 and Keir 4 from 11, seeding them 10th, 11th and 12th respectively. All 3 made the last 16 but progressed no further, all going out to higher ranked fencers. Finn finished 10th, Alexander 11th and Keir 12th. After the poule stage in the women’s foil, Alex was seeded 3rd and Izzy 4th, Alex with 9 wins from 11 and Izzy 8 from 10. Angharad was seeded 6th, Rachel 7th and Alexandra (at 15 the youngest in the event) 12th. In the knock-out stage Alexandra went out in the last 16 to the no.5 seed while the other 4 SU fencers all went through to the quarter-finals. Angharad and Rachel went out at this stage while Izzy and Alex won and progressed to the semi-finals. Both were beaten in the semis, losing to 2 Dublin rivals, but earning themselves bronze medals for joint 3rd. Angharad finished 6th, Rachel 7th and Alexandra 12th. This was another excellent turn-out of senior SU fencers, with all 8 putting in superb effort and gaining more valuable senior open competition experience. Well done to Alex and Izzy on their medal wins and to all 8 on their 2022 Belfast Open performances The next event for senior SUFC fencers will be at the East of Ireland Open in Dublin on the 26th March. And for U12s, U14s and U16s, it will be Round 5 of the NI Junior Foil Series on 3rd April in the Sullivan Upper Sports Hall. David White SUFC Coach 18 Mar 2022

The 5th and final round of the 2021/2022 N Ireland Junior Foil Series was held last Sunday 3rd April in the Sullivan Upper Sports Hall. Fifteen SU fencers took part across 6 of the 7 age group categories. U12s Mia Morrow was again the lone girl SU representative the U12s. This time she didn't drop a fight all day, winning all her poule fights, all her direct elimination fights and finishing with a 10-6 win in the final. Sam Snoddy had a similar winning run through to the Boys’ U12 final where he met SU teammate Ben Wilson, Ben having just won a close-run semi-final 10-9. In the final Sam took gold, Ben silver, while Adam Sugar finished 6th. U14s Amelia Penny was another SU fencer to progress through both poule and knock-out stages without losing a fight, taking gold in the final with a 15-9 win over one of her Dublin rivals. There were in total 3 SU fencers in the Girls’ U14s, but unfortunately they were all in the same half of the knock-out tableau. This led to Lois Donald knocking out Phoebe Henderson in the quarter-finals and then Amelia beating Lois in the semis. Lois’s progression to the semis won her a bronze medal, while Phoebe finished 5th. In the Boys’ U14s Noah Currie won all his poule fights to take the No.1 seed position for the knock-out stage, with Lennox Brown making 3rd seed after dropping only one fight. Noah however fell in the quarters in a nail-biting 14-15 defeat. Meanwhile Lennox had a convincing 15-3 quarter-final win to go into the semis, though lost there to the No.1 seed, taking a bronze medal. Noah finished 5th, Tom Woolsey-Jensen 8th, Theo Beggs 9th, Myles Wilkinson 10th and Finnbharr McCracken 11th. U16s After the poules in the Boys’ U16 event Edward Lilley, the only SU entrant in the category, made 5th seed. He then had a hard fought 13-11 win in the quarter-finals but went out to the No.1 seed in the semis, winning a bronze. Meanwhile Alexandra Ong made the final in the Girls’U16s, but lost, coming away with the silver medal. Sullivan Overall Series Results After totalling of points from all 5 NIJFS rounds, Sullivan fencers finished in the following series positions. This was a record year in terms of junior competition results for SUFC, finishing with 4 SU fencers taking N Ireland fencing championship wins: Mia Morrow (U12F), Samuel Snoddy (U12M), Amelia Penny (U14F) and Alexandra Ong (U16F). Also, another 3 SU fencers won 2nd and 3rd place championship trophies Noah Currie (2nd U14M), Myles Wilkinson (3rd U14M) and Charlie Beimers (3rd U16F). David White SUFC Coach 05 Apr 2022

The Board of Governors is pleased to announce that Mr Craig Mairs has been appointed to succeed Mr Chris Peel as Principal of Sullivan Upper School. Mr Peel is retiring on 31 August 2022. Mr Mairs was born in Coleraine and educated at Limavady Grammar School. He completed his degree in 1995, gaining an MA (Hons) in English Literature and History from the University of Edinburgh. He undertook his teacher training in the North West of England, receiving his PGCE from Manchester University in 1996. Mr Mairs has taught English, Religious Studies and Physical Education during his teaching career and for the last eight years has been Principal of Oldham Hulme Grammar School, in Greater Manchester. His career has seen him gain both academic and pastoral experience having held the posts of: Head of Year, Head of English and Deputy Principal (Head of Sixth Form). He has a keen interest in sport and drama, has coached school football and cricket teams and was the director of twelve school musicals. Oldham Hulme Grammar School is an independent, co-educational school with 800 pupils in the age range 2-18. Under Mr Mairs’ leadership it achieved a ‘double excellent’ outcome in its 2019 Independent Schools Inspectorate inspection. In 2021 the school was shortlisted as a finalist in the Independent Schools of the Year Awards in the ‘Outstanding Response to Covid 19’ category. Outside of school, Mr Mairs is active in his local church and enjoys cycling and reading. He is married to Kirsty and has two children (Alexandra 16 and Samuel 10). Commenting on his appointment as Principal, Mr Mairs said: “During the interview process I was struck by the commitment of Sullivan Upper’s Governors and Management to academic excellence and a holistic approach to education which prizes the personal qualities developed through extra-curricular activities. The values of the school summed up in its motto of ‘the Gentle Hand Foremost’ resonated with me and I am very proud to be appointed Principal of Sullivan Upper School. I have been very happy at Oldham Hulme Grammar School, but my family and I are excited about the move to Northern Ireland. I look forward to playing my part in leading the school community and ensuring the success of future generations of its pupils.” In accordance with the notice requirements of his existing post, Mr Mairs will take up his new appointment on 1 January 2023. Following consultation, the school’s two current Vice-Principals (Mrs Moore – Pastoral, and Mr Thompson – Teaching & Learning) have agreed to fulfil the responsibilities of Sullivan Principal on an ‘acting-up’ basis in the interim period.

The 2022 British Youth Fencing Championships were held over the weekend May 1st to May 3rd in the English Institute of Sport arena in Sheffield. Eight SU fencers had qualified for the event and took part across 2 age groups: U18s Victoria Morris, Izzy Evans, Angharad King, Alexander Penny and Keir Murray, and U14s Amelia Penny, Noah Currie and Myles Wilkinson. The BYCs is the biggest UK youth fencing competition of the year with all of the UK’s best young fencers competing. All 8 put in strong performances, including one L16, two L32s, four L64s and one L128. SUFC BYC Results U16 girls: Victoria 15th, Angharad 29th, Izzy 32nd. U16 boys: Alexander 37th, Keir 52nd. U14 girls: Amelia 49th. U14 boys: Myles 59th, Noah 69th. David White SUFC Coach 07 May 2022

On Tuesday 21 June 2022, 10 finalists from Years 8-11 took part in the final of the Sullivan Upper Great Jubilee Bake Off, supported by The Department of Education. Pupils were given the task of planning, preparing and making a baked good inspired by the traditional Victoria Sponge. All finalists produced outstanding bakes and the standard was exceptionally high. Robert Ainley, a food blogger (@DownthehatchNI) and past pupil of Sullivan Upper was invited into school to judge the bakes. First place was awarded to Tamsin Morrow (Year 10) – Strawberry Tartlets – Sablée pastry tarts filled with layers of strawberry coulis; raspberry mousse; white chocolate ganache and Swiss meringue buttercream. Second place was awarded to Joshua McLaughlin (Year 9) – Elderflower Sponge with Blueberry Jam and Cream. Third place was awarded to Sophia-Rose Beaumont (Year 10) – Victoria Sponge Panna Cotta. On Monday 27 June 2022, all ten finalists enjoyed a trip to Forestside Cookery School. Pupils made a selection of sweet treats taught by Chef Jeffers: chocolate roulade, red velvet muffins, vanilla seed buttercream and meringue kisses. Both Robert Ainley and Chef Jeffers were very impressed at the technical knowledge and practical skill of all the bakers. We are very proud of everyone who took part.

To: Parents/Guardians of pupils in Year 8-10 Dear Parent/Guardian As confirmed by the Minister of Education yesterday, schools are closed to pupils from Monday 23 March. However, the Minister also indicated that schools will remain open for those pupils in Years 8, 9 and 10 whose parents are considered key workers (outlined below). It is vitally important that we are aware how many children of key workers will be attending school on Monday in order to ensure that appropriate supervision is in place. To that end I ask that you inform school by 3.30 pm today if your son/daughter will be attending – either by telephone 90428780 or by email info@sullivanupper.holywood.ni.sch.uk The aim is to keep the number of pupils coming into schools to a minimum. For children attending in this circumstance supervision will be in place 8.30-3.30 and full school uniform should be worn. School meal will be available. Normal timetable will not be followed and we will endeavour to consider appropriate distancing. I fully appreciate the need to support parents in their vital role and your children will be cared for in school. Yours sincerely C J W Peel Headmaster Key Workers: “Key workers are those who are maintaining essential public services during the Covid-19 response. The definition of key worker will be flexible and dependant on the circumstance and requirements over the course of this critical period. There will be flexibility shown on the definition of key workers to ensure all those who need support receive it. The list is not prescriptive. However, to give some guidance the following outlines the broad categories of what would be defined as a key worker: • Health and Social Care. This includes doctors, nurses, midwives, paramedics, social workers, home carers and staff required to maintain our health and social care sector • Education and childcare. This includes nursery and teaching staff, social workers and those specialist education professionals who will remain active during the Covid-19 response • Public safety and national security. This includes civilians and officers in the police (including key contractors), Fire and Rescue Service, prison service and other national security roles • Transport. This will include those keeping air, water, road and rail transport modes operating during the Covid-19 response • Utilities and Communication. This includes staff needed for oil, gas, electricity and water (including sewage) and primary industry supplies, to continue during the Covid-19 response, as well as key staff in telecommunications, post and delivery, services and waste disposal • Food and other necessary goods. This includes those involved in food production, processing, distribution and sale, as well as those essential to the provision of other key goods (e.g hygiene, medical etc) • Other workers essential to delivering key public services • Key national and local government including those administrative occupations essential to the effective delivery of the Covid-19 response.”

Irish Cross Country Results Well done to all the athletes who took part in the Irish Cross Country finals at Santry Demesne, Dublin on Saturday 7 March 2020. Results: The Junior Girls team of Ava Downey, Rachel Anderson, Niamh Fenlon, Susan Gillespie, Madeline Haldene and Rachael McGinty came 6th. With Ava finishing an excellent 7th place and being selected for the Irish team. The Junior Boys of Jamie Gaw, Jacob McKittrick, Ryan Drain, Jamie Morris and Jake Thompsom came 5th with Jamie Gaw placing 11th overall. Finally, Tara McDonough ran in the intermediate girls event and came 14th. Great results from the Sullivan pupils and thanks to the parents for their support.

Ulster Schools Badminton Results Well done to the Year 8 Boys and Girls who were runners up in their Div 2 Ulster finals against Ballyclare and Bloomfield in two really close matches. Boys: Harrison Geddis , Harry Kee, Harry Thompson, Ethan Lee Girls: Erin Bond, Tara Spence, Katie McKittrick and Grace Jackson Congratulations to the Junior Boys who won both the Junior Cup against Bangor GS and the Division 2 league against Friends. Yashwin Shyam, Patrick Gemmell, Daniel Griffin, Luke Henderson and Jude Moran Also congratulations to the Senior Girls who won the Division 1 Senior League: Sarah Baker, Hannah Boyd, Lucy Cunningham and Emily Rose. The Junior Boys and Senior Girls now go on to represent Ulster in the All Ireland Finals.

Round 4 of the 2019/20 NI Junior Foil Series took place last Sunday in the Queen’s Leisure Complex in Holywood. Sixteen SU fencers took part, 9 of whom won medals: 1 gold, 2 silver and 6 bronze. U12s Amelia Penny won 4 from 6 of her poule fights, placing her 3rd in the seedings for the direct elimination stage. She then progressed as far as the semi-finals where she was knocked out by the eventual winner to finish joint 3rd. In the Boys’ U12s Noah Currie and Myles Wilkinson were 3rd and 5th seeds after the poules. Myles then made the quarter-finals but lost 7-10 to finish just outside the medals in 5th. Noah progressed one step further into the semi-finals where he put up a strong performance, but lost 8-10 to take a bronze medal. U14s Sophia Cahill gave an impressive performance on her first competitive appearance of the year by only dropping one fight in her poule to take the 2nd seed position, Charlie Biemers and Alexandra Ong filling positions 3 and 6. Unluckily, Charlie and Alexandra met at the quarter-final stage, with Charlie winning and going through to the semis. Here she met Sophia in a close fought fight, the score reaching 14-14 before Charlie took the winning point to go forward into the final; Sophia finishing 3rd and Alexandra 6th. In the final Charlie put up a good fight but lost to the no.1 seed to take the silver medal. In the U14 boy’s category Finn Neely and Lewis Currie emerged from the poule stage as 7th and 8th seeds. Both made it to the quarter-finals, Finn with a convincing 15-2 win in the last 16, while Lewis made it after a tough 15-13 win. Both were knocked out in the quarters, Finn finishing 7th and Lewis 8th. U16s Izzy Evans had a great start in the girls’ U16s, winning all her poule fights to take the no.1 seed position going into the direct eliminations. She was followed by Victoria Morris as 2nd seed, Rachel McKillen in 3rd, and Alex Atkinson and Angharad King joint 4th. The non-attendance of the usual Republic of Ireland U16 female fencers at this round allowed the Sullivan girls to totally dominate this age group. Of the 5 SU girls, it was Angharad who failed to make the semi-finals, finishing 5th. Izzy and Rachel were knocked out by Alex and Victoria in the semis, Victoria defeating Alex in the final to take her 3rd win of the year. The boy’s U16 poules saw Alexander Penny win 4 from 6 fights to take the 3rd seed position, with Adam Caldwell and Keir Murray 6th and 7th. Adam and Keir both fell at the quarter-final stage, finishing 7th and 6th respectively, while Alexander made it to the semis but lost to the no.2 seed to finish with a bronze medal. Round 5 takes place on Sat 7th March 2020 in the Sullivan Upper Sports Hall. {gallery}SUFencing13F{/gallery}