A Message from
Mrs R Elkin
Acting Principal
I extend a warm welcome back to all our pupils and staff at the start of this new year and a very special welcome to all our Year 8 pupils and new pupils transferring from other schools. Our Year 8 pupils started on Thursday 31 August and finished with lunch which was enjoyed by all. Thank you to all the staff who made this such a success.
Friday 1 September gave the Year 8 pupils time to settle in, navigate around the school and to and from the bus depot. Again thanks to staff for the guidance and support given.
At the start of this new academic year it is vital that we all approach the hard work which lies ahead with determination and enthusiasm. If we do so, then success lies ahead and if not, we cannot expect success to arrive by chance.
The ingredients for success are already in place in Omagh High School such as expert teaching and extra after-school tuition. We will be encouraging all our pupils and parents, throughout this year to believe that, if they are prepared to put in the effort and dedication required, then tremendous success is not just possible, but likely.
Auchinleck House was the deserving winner of the House Cup and enjoyed a very successful trip to the Brunswick Centre at the end of June. The House competition was very competitive and rewarding and it is hoped that this year pupils will serve their respective Houses to the best of their ability. We are all looking forward to the FOHS Fashion Show on 28 September in the School Assembly Hall and our production of Alice in Wonderland at the Strule Arts Centre on 24 and 25 October. We wish everyone involved in these events every success and hope that it will be a memorable experience for everyone.
For the incoming academic year, I wish everyone, pupils and staff a very successful and fulfilling year.
Mrs. R. Elkin
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Auditions are now well underway for our upcoming production of Alice in Wonderland on the 24 and 25 October 2017.
Show tickets are available from the Strule Arts Centre box office.
Here is a sneak preview from rehearsals showing some of the excitement and energy our show has to offer.
Leavers’ Lunch
A special Leavers’ Assembly and Lunch was held on Thursday 29 June when all Year 14 pupils were invited back to say one last goodbye. Pupils had the opportunity to express their thanks and share their memories with staff and their year group. This was followed by an enjoyable celebration lunch for both staff and pupils in the school canteen.
Many thanks to the canteen staff who provided such a delicious meal and spent a lot of time preparing for the event.
House Trip
The end of the summer term saw the return of Auchinleck as winners of the house competition. This is the second time Auchinleck has been successful in the inter-house competition, after being the first house ever to be awarded the trophy.
As a reward for their hard work, gaining the most house points and winning the house trophy, pupils and staff from the wining house went to the Brunswick Movie Bowl in Londonderry. A great day was had by all, as the group enjoyed a film, followed by bowling and then a great lunch. Everyone who attended had a brilliant day and now the competition is back on to maintain the Auchinleck red ribbons on that trophy again this year!
Competition will be fierce, but there will be many more opportunities throughout the year for all the houses to earn valuable house points. Good luck everyone!
Welcome to
our New Year 8
On 31 August our new Year 8 pupils embarked upon the next stage of their school career at Omagh High School. In Year 8 there are 70 pupils. The day was filled with opportunities to meet house teachers and familiarise themselves with the school, topped off with a delicious lunch. We would all like to extend a warm welcome to them and hope their post primary school career gets off to a great start.
8A with House Teacher Mrs McLoughlin
8B with House Teacher Mrs Gwynne
8C with House Teacher Mrs Patton
AS & A2 – Examination Results 2017
The AS and A2 level pupils at Omagh High School have once again excelled in their examinations. Both pupils and staff are delighted with these results which reflect the high quality of sixth form provision at the school.
The high percentage of pupils achieving 3 or more A*-C grades are attributed to the effort and commitment of the hard working students, the expertise and dedication of the staff and the support of parents and families.
In congratulating all pupils on their achievements, Mrs Elkin made a special mention of some outstanding individual pupils:-
AS Level
Jill Alderdice
Samuel Alexander
Lucy-Ella Beattie
Megan Burt
Jack Crawford
Jade Elliott
Romy Kerrigan
Hollea Lavelle
Morgan Millar
Joanne Thompson
Adam Short
A2 Level
Jason Adams
Nicole Breen
Bonita Clarke
Jeanna Colhoun
Lauryn Connell
Laura Donaldson
Daryl Elkin
Philip Ewing
Rhoda Fleming
Julie-Anne Giles
Chelsea Gillis
Jonathan Hall
Tristan Harpur
Danielle Hetherington
Aaron Jeffrey
Jordan McNulty
Denise Rainey
Leah Roxborough
Nathan Sayers
Daniel Smyth
Laura-Ann Stewart
Luke Stockdale
Jonnie Woods
Mrs Elkin emphasised the importance of the inherent ethos of the school in nurturing all pupils and celebrating their individual talents and abilities, given the ever-changing educational and employment environment that these young adults will enter in the future. “With varying interests and career aspirations, I am confident that our pupils have been well prepared for the future paths they choose, be it university degree courses within Northern Ireland, further afield or indeed locally at South West College, or be it directly into employment. All of these options are valid and important for our economy.”
The Staff and Board of Governors wish all their pupils every happiness and success in their future paths.
GCSE Examinations 2017
Once again Omagh High School staff and pupils are exceptionally pleased with their outstanding results, maintaining the high standards set in previous years at GCSE level.
Mrs Elkin congratulated all the pupils on their exceptional results and success. “I wish to pay tribute to all the staff and parents who supported and encouraged them in their studies. It is extremely rewarding to see the progress made by all our pupils in fulfilling their true potential. Our staff have nurtured, encouraged, guided and supported these pupils throughout their education here and this outstanding set of results bears the hallmark of staff and pupils who have worked very hard and a staff who care for their pupils.”
As a result of their achievements many of the pupils will be returning to Omagh High School to continue their studies in the very successful and thriving sixth form which provides a vast array of opportunities including AS/A2 levels, BTEC awards, vocational qualifications and enrichment activities. Others will opt to continue their studies elsewhere and some will move directly into apprenticeships and employment. All are congratulated on their success and are extended best wishes for the future.
Not only have these pupils excelled academically whilst at Omagh High School, but they have also developed personally in terms of their attitudes and respect for all members of society and have made a valuable contribution to the local community. This continues to be a vital component of Omagh High School’s educational ethos as is the provision of quality education – enabling its young people to successfully meet the challenges of future career pathways, whether locally or further afield. Developing and enhancing the pupils’ skills have been a real team effort by everyone involved with Omagh High School.
The outstanding achievements of some individual students merit a special mention including (alphabetically):
Graham Carson Rebecca Lavelle
Aaron Chambers Lisa McFarland
Vladimir Dat-Ay Davey Park
Erica Faulkner Rebecca Scott
Lyndsey Fleming Anna Shaw
Henry Flood Ella Small
Natalia Gawonicz Benjamin Thompson
Jenna Gibson Izabella Vegh
Rebekah Hewitt William Warnock
Richard Kerr
Key Stage 3 Success in CCEA OLA exams in French and Spanish
In June this year, Key Stage 3 pupils were entered for CCEA OLA exams in French at levels Entry 2, Entry 3 or Level 1. The overall results were tremendous with 97% of pupils passing their exam.
The top achievers in each level were:
Entry 2: Joelle Sharkey– 99%
Entry 3: Kirsty Clarke – 87%
Level 1: Nicola Moore – 95%
Entry 2 Spanish: Nathan Moore – 92%
Congratulations to all pupils who passed and no doubt we will have continued success this coming year.
Support for Little Princess Trust
On 20 June 2017 Sarah Pinkerton braved the daunting experience of getting twelve inches cut off her hair for a very worthwhile cause. Sarah donated her hair to the Little Princess Trust, a charity which specialises in making wigs for children going through cancer treatment.
In order to support Sarah’s fundraising our school held a non-school uniform day and everyone paid £1. The Little Princess Trust was delighted with the total of over £500 raised by the event.
Sarah wishes to express her thanks to all those who donated money and to those who helped to collect money.
Ulster Project
During the summer, Zara Preston took part in the Ulster project where teenagers have the opportunity to go to America with other teenagers from both Protestant and Catholic backgrounds. Below Zara shares her positive memories of the trip.
“The journey to Texas took over 16 hours and was very tiring but also exciting. When we got there we met the host families we would stay with for the month of July.
Since we were out in a desert the heat was at times overwhelming and I felt like I was about to melt. The highest temperature was around 50 degrees Celsius!
During the middle of the four week trip we went to Disneyland Florida which was a fabulous experience.
Another memorable activity from our trip was repelling down a building which was 80ft tall with Tucson fire team.
The food in America was good but the one thing that shocked me was the portion sizes. For example the “chicken-ful-a”. Everything was gigantic!
The Ulster Project experience for me was amazing. I made new friends and have many happy memories of our adventures in America.
Piping and Drumming at Omagh High School
Any pupils interested in starting, or continuing with, piping or drumming lessons should register with Miss Smyth as soon as possible.
Debating Club
The Debating Club will continue this term, building on the progress we made last year. We are a small but busy group, but would like to increase the numbers which attend to inject some new blood, particularly from Years 10 and 11, although of course, all are welcome.
If you have an interest in discussing topical issues, would like to improve your speaking and listening skills and develop the ability to think more constructively, and at the same time improve your learning ability; then come along on Monday or Thursday lunchtime at
1.10 pm in the Library. In the meantime, pupils might like to look more closely at the information board displayed on the first floor corridor, or speak to Mr Arnold.
Angling Club
The activities of the Angling Club continue into the Winter Term with a variety of skills on offer; some new, some not so new but in need of practice. For example, ‘Build your own Lure’ and ‘Make your own Rig.’ Additionally, we intend to run two school trips this year to The Lough’s Agency and to Drumquin Trout Lake.
The Club is open to any pupil, any year group, and free of charge, and takes place in Room 15 at 1.10 pm on Tuesday lunchtime (lunch passes available). So if you would like to know more, speak to Mr Arnold.
Maths Club
The school intends to run an all year group, ‘Fun Maths Club’ this year; for those whose Maths Skills could be improved, and for those who like to have fun with numbers (or both). Details to follow.
Omagh High Pupils enjoy annual Golf outing
On Wednesday 21 June 2017 a group of 16 pupils from Omagh High School enjoyed a day trip to Omagh Golf Club for their annual outing with teachers
Mr Duffy and Mr Rennie.
All those involved had a really enjoyable day and shot some very promising scores, with many of the players playing the Omagh course for the very first time.
A big thank you to Omagh Golf Club for allowing us the opportunity to use their facilities and who made us feel extremely welcome from the moment we arrived.
Mr Duffy and Mr Rennie with a group of Omagh High School pupils enjoying their round at Omagh Golf club.
University Open Days And Events
Open Day visits and events will take place throughout the year for our Year 14 students. The following events have been arranged for September:
Date / EventWed 6 Sept / University of Ulster
Jordanstown Campus
Open Day - Year 14
Bus leaves at 8.45 am
Thurs 7 Sept / Queen’s University Belfast
Open Day – Year 14
Bus leaves at 8.45 am
Mon 25 Sept / Years 13 and 14
University Roadshow – School Assembly Hall
1.30 pm - 3.30 pm
Universities attending are not NI universities, but instead they represent universities which are very difficult for our pupils to attend Open Days as they are on mainland UK, so this is a very valuable opportunity for pupils to discuss courses, entry requirements etc.
Details have been provided to students of how to register individually online to attend Ulster University and how to download the Open Day App for Queen’s University Belfast.
The visit will give all students the opportunity to see, first hand, the facilities and courses available to them and they will have the possibility of asking questions. Students are encouraged to take part in this visit and use it as an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the campus, to understand the entrance requirements and course structures and to be able to make informed choices when applying to University through the UCAS system.
Thought for the month