Sullivan Upper Medallion A’s vs Bangor Grammar Medallion A’s: 19-15 On Wednesday 17 September 2013 the Sullivan Upper Medallion A and B team travelled to Bangor Grammar School to play Bangor Grammar. We had high hopes of a victory because we had beaten them last year, but we were well aware they would have improved and thought they could beat us. We arrived at the school, got changed into our kit and each team went out to do their warm up. This report focuses on the A team game. After that we got in a huddle and talked to each other to get us psyched up and to focus on the game. We ended with our “squeeze” and we were ready for the game. The game started off well for us. Bangor were applying early pressure but our defence was good and held strong. With the forwards putting in some good work we managed to regain the ball. The ball was then spread out by the backs to the wing and then some good running and continuity managed to get us into their 22 for the first time. We took full advantage of this. Good, quick rucking from the forwards allowed the ball to be spread out quickly to the backs by our scrum-half, Ruari Meharg, to Jonny McCrossan. He then passed to Stephen Brush, our number 8, who ran through a weak Bangor defensive line to score under the posts. Ruari scored the conversion to make it 7-0 to Sullivan. Straight from the Bangor kick off we kept the pressure on, but the Bangor defence was strong. The game became quite open but we were still on top. Close to half time the ball was given to Stephen on the right wing. He was able to evade the Bangor players’ tackles to race down the wing and score under the posts again. Ruari, again, converted the kick. 14-0 to Sullivan at half-time. Mr Armstrong gave us the half-time team talk and then we went out for the second half, fully aware of what was needed to win the game. However Bangor were up for this and started the second half, the same way they started the first. They were piling on the pressure and we gave away some silly penalties. Our defence was excellent at first and we held up a few of what would have been tries. This pressure, though, finally paid off for Bangor. From a ruck on our 5 metre line, their scrum half passed the ball out to their prop who managed to barge over. The conversion was scored- 14-7. Straight from the kick off Bangor were right back at us. They kicked into touch into our 22  after   yet another penalty was  given away at a  ruck. Their forwards kept hammering away at our defence which was weakening. Our ill-discipline was costing us and penalty after penalty was being awarded to Bangor, and they were getting closer and closer to scoring. They finally did score – a penalty was given, yet again, and the Bangor forwards barged through some weak defending by our forwards. The conversion was missed so it was 14-12 to us. From the kick off, after a few phases Bangor managed to get to the edge of our 22 where they were awarded a penalty. Our ill-discipline in the ruck had cost us dearly. Their kicker converted the kick and Bangor were in the lead- 15-14. There was under five minutes left. Jonny kicked it in to Bangor’s half and it nearly went out on the full but thankfully for us it did not. The forwards did some good work to regain possession after the Bangor lineout went astray. Good rucking from the forwards and good running from the backs allowed us to go forward. We were in the Bangor 22 and the ball went wide to the backs. It went all the way to Connor Scollan on the left wing. He used his blistering speed to run past the evading tackles of the Bangor players to score! Jonny missed the conversion so it was 19-15 with one minute left! After they kicked it back in to us, the forwards took the ball on, to run down the clock. They did so successfully. The ball was put into touch. We had won! The whole team was very pleased with the win. We had performed well but we knew we could step it up a gear for our next match. To make the afternoon even better, the B team had also won 27-12. So both teams were delighted with their results and we went back to Sullivan very happy!

Congratulations to Laura McCaw of Year 10 who was selected for the Ulster U18 golf team which triumphed during the summer in the Inter-Provincial Championship.

Congratulations to Marcus Graham and Catherine Kitchen of Year 14 who have been selected to represent Northern Ireland on the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health’s Youth Advisory Panel.

Congratulations to Ben Martin (Year 12) and Lucy Martin (Year 10). Ben has been selected for the Irish Sailing Squad and represented Ireland at the World Championships in Loctudy, France at the end of July 2013.  He then competed in the British Nationals in August 2013 at the National Sailing Academy in Weymouth. Lucy, through her competitions with North Down Athletics Club, qualified to compete in the Irish Youth Track and Field Championships at Tullamore, Ireland in July 2013.

Six Sullivan Upper Pupils play in Ulster U19 Rugby Match against Italy U20  Ulster won 10 v 7 Scott Finlay, Michael Cartmill, Dave Cave, David McMaster, Ross Todd (Captain), Josh Davidson

ESULTS – AUGUST 2013 Sullivan Upper pupils are celebrating another excellent year of examination results at GCSE and A level. At GCSE, 99.4% of pupils obtained at least 5 grades A*-C (including English and Mathematics); a quarter of the year group obtained 10 A* or A grades and half the year group obtained at least 7 A* or A grades.  23% of grades were A* which compares very favourably with the national average of 8% – with the girls (34% A*) outdoing the boys.  Headmaster, Mr Chris Peel, commented: “These results are tremendous – our pupils perform extremely well every year but these are our best GCSE results in recent years by 1%.  I am so pleased for the pupils, their parents and their teachers”. At A level, 93% of entries were awarded grades A*-C and 81% of pupils obtained 3 grades A*-C – indeed, more than half of the year group obtained at least 3 grades A*-B.  30 pupils obtained at least 3 grades A* or A and 11% of all entries were awarded A*.  Josh Bambrick, Sophie Tapper and Clare Wood gained a place at Cambridge or Oxford. Mr Peel commented: “I congratulate the pupils and their teachers on these excellent results.  As always, gaining entry to the course of their choice is ultimately more important for pupils than the actual grades and I am happy to report that the vast majority of pupils are moving on from Sullivan with their future career path secured, whatever that may be.” NB  All statistics provided are provisional. C J W Peel  Headmaster August 2013

Jonathan Brattle and Hope Gibson receiving medals for their work on Inspire/Aspire from London Paralympic Gold Medallist Michael McKillop, Stormont, June 2013.

MASTERCHEF FINAL 2013  The final of the Year 9 Sullivan Upper Masterchef cookery competition took place on Thursday 6 June 2013.  Congratulations to all of the finalists who produced a sophisticated range of dishes.  The judging was carried out by past pupil Ben Arnold, Head Chef of Home Restaurant in Belfast.

GCSE ART & DESIGN MONDAY 20 MAY 2013 4.00 pm – 6.00 pm ART 3

These girls – Nia McNally, Lucy Martin, Erin Davidson, Isabel Meharg, Laura McCaw, Maggie Gillies,  Rachel Gowdy was missing from photo. were runners up in the Down District year 9 athletics competition and have qualified for the Ulster Finals on Monday 3 June 2013.

160 year 9 pupils entered this competition earlier in the year hoping to be crowned Sullivan Masterchef 2013. 18 finalists will now battle it out for the prestigious title on Thursday 16 June 2013. The competition will be judged by Ben Arnold head chef from Home Restaurant, Wellington Place, Belfast. Ben is a past pupil who studied at Westminster Kingsway College and then worked as a chef in London. Ben won the Robbie Millar Scholarship Young Chef of the Year  in 2008. In the same year he was also chosen to represent Great Britain in the World Culinary Olympics.  Ben returned to Belfast last year to take up the head chef position at Home Restaurant. The Home Economics Department are pleased to welcome Ben back to Sullivan and hope he will be impressed by the high standard of culinary skills on show from year 9 pupils.

Congratulations to Thomas Anderson (Year 11) who has been selected for the NCU (Northern Cricket Union) U15 team to particpate in the inter-provincial squad in June 2013.