Year 10 Young Leaders Shine at the
Annual Mount St Mary’s Senior Citizens’ Christmas Party

Our school’s annual Senior Citizens’ Party was a resounding success this year, thanks in no small part to the outstanding efforts of our Year 10 students. From start to finish, they truly embodied the spirit of community and care, ensuring that our guests had a memorable and enjoyable time.

Throughout the event, the Year 10 Young Leaders demonstrated exceptional hospitality, enthusiasm, and maturity. They worked tirelessly behind the scenes to prepare the venue, organise entertainment, and assist with serving food and drinks. Their attention to detail and warm, welcoming attitudes made a significant impact, ensuring that every guest felt valued and appreciated.

Many of our senior citizens remarked on how impressed they were by the kindness and thoughtfulness of the students. Whether it was engaging in lively conversation, helping guests find seats, or offering a helping hand where needed, the Year 10 students went above and beyond to create a joyful atmosphere.

Not only did the students display excellent teamwork, but they also showed incredible responsibility and initiative. They coordinated with staff, planned the event activities, and worked collaboratively to ensure that everything ran smoothly. Their dedication and effort were evident in every aspect of the event, and they truly proved to be a credit to our school.

We are incredibly proud of the Year 10 cohort for their hard work, commitment, and enthusiasm. They have set a high standard for future events, and their contribution to this annual celebration is something we will always remember. Well done Year 10 — your compassion and dedication to our community truly made this year’s Senior Citizens’ Party a day to remember!

For more photos of the event please click here to go to our photo gallery

Retribuam Leaders

This academic year, Year 9 Retribuam Leaders have been providing additional support for daily routines in Year 7 forms. They have been excellent role models to our younger students who are still at the beginning of their journey with us at Mount St Mary’s. Volunteers jumped at the chance to share their knowledge and impart their wisdom to their peers and have had a profound impact on the progress and development of individuals.

Retribuam Leaders have also helped to keep our Remarkable Readers initiative live in school, through their support for students who wish to develop their literacy skills and enjoyment of reading in the hope of establishing positive habits. They have also helped the Year 7s to reflect on their progress and respond to these reflections through the consideration of purposeful next steps.

Undoubtedly, key leadership skills have been on display each week and, through their efforts, have encouraged the progress and the personal development of our Year 7 cohort. Our Year 9 Retribuam Leaders have clearly demonstrated the positive contributions that they will make in Year 10 as Young Leaders. The growing confidence and broadening skill set these individuals have shown is a pleasure to witness. We cannot wait to see the further impact that our leaders of the future can have on their peers, school and wider community!

Retribuam Day

Year 9 students gathered in the main hall with their peers from Year 7 and Year 8 to celebrate our annual Retribuam Day.

Students, guided by their form tutors, worked collaboratively to facilitate a form stall at social times throughout the day to raise money for local charities. Our Year 9 charity, Zest Leeds, run events and schemes including craft clubs and cookery courses, to enhance the lives of those who are less fortunate in Leeds. Before the event, representatives from the charity visited the school and delivered an assembly to make students aware of the impact that their work can have and to express their appreciation for the efforts being made by students at Mount St Mary’s to support their mission and help them to achieve their vision. These stalls were perused by students from all year groups, who took part in activities to win prizes. We are so proud of our Year 9 students and the way that they continue to live our school’s motto – Quid Retribuam – truly giving back to their communities in every way they can.

Mr Hawkins

The whole of Year 7 showed their generosity and savvy business sense to devise, create and manage a small stall to raise money for a local charity in Leeds. Students worked with their forms to sell baked goods or enticed fellow students with quirky challenges such as plank competitions and snowman coconut shy’s. All forms raised vital funds that will help others in our community. We greatly appreciate their Retribuam and applaud them all on their willingness to get involved!

Ms Kay

Senior Citizens’ Party

December saw Year 10 get out the bingo books and get on their dancing shoes as they welcomed around 60 Senior Citizens into school for a Christmas party for the ages. Over 80 students were involved in bringing the event to life and ensuring everyone had the greatest time. The morning started with teams of students decorating the hall and the minibuses ready to collect our guests. From snow spray to tinsel and Christmas lights to baubles, the buses were ready to go. Their hard work complemented our amazing cooking team who worked all morning to prepare delicious food including Christmas cake, homemade samosas and mince pies. Once our guests started to arrive, students did a great job of looking after them, helping with Christmas quizzes, delivering drinks and handing out raffle prizes.

The next part of the afternoon saw the entertainment arrive; our amazing choir treated us to Christmas songs followed by some exceptional Irish dancing from the amazing Sinead in Year 8. Guests were amazed by the talent on display and complimented all the performers. The afternoon culminated with a highly competitive game of bingo hosted by the wonderful compare

Mr Coluccio and some community dancing as students, guests and staff got on their feet to celebrate.

In the build up to the event the students had spent months wrapping gifts, collecting food donations from our school community and setting up prizes to ensure everybody left with their hands full and something extra to help spread the Christmas cheer out beyond the afternoon.

Mr Flynn could not have been prouder of his year group for their efforts and is incredibly grateful to everyone who donated towards the event and to all staff who helped set up, prepared food, transported guests, designed invitations and supported on the day. It really was the entire school community working together to give back and we look forward to welcoming all our guests back again next year.

For more photos of the event please click here to go to our photo gallery

Leeds Baby Bank

Wellington
Place

A group of Year 9 & 10 students performed a collection of Christmas favourites at Wellington Place on Thursday 7th December, raising money for Leeds Baby Bank.

The enthusiasm and Christmas spirit shared through the wintry weather is testament to our students’ embodiment of ‘Quid Retribuam’.

Good Shepherd Coffee Morning

As part of Good Shepherd, Year 11 wanted to find a way to make a difference and give back. Students worked with staff to design a morning cafe that would be ready for business. Starting with the help of Mrs Chadwick and donations from the Year 11 form tutor team we stacked our tables high with croissants and coffee cups.

Ketsia Diabiza and Carol Chantelle in Year 11 volunteered to staff the café, arriving at 7:30am to set up before school. The event was so successful we even opened the doors again for a second day of business. This time supported with the beautiful music of Lars in Year 10. Staff sat and socialised and donated their money to a great cause. Overall £100 was raised for Good Shepherd. Thanks again to all involved for your amazing efforts and generosity.

Celebration and Memorial Service for Trust Gangata

Over the past few months, members of our Mount St Mary’s Community who are now in Year 12 at a number of destinations, led by Paris and Humberto, have been meeting with Mrs Heather West and
Mr Sam Cooper, in order to put on an evening for those within Trust’s Year Group.

Trust was always keen to play East Band V West Band and the students thought it fitting to play a football match to celebrate his life. Wearing specially designed T-shirts in school colours, showing an image of Trust, they played an eventful game, cheered on by more than 70 Year 12’s. During the game, some of the girls in the Year Group had made cakes to sell that had tributes to Trust on them.

Following the match, a candlelit service, designed and delivered by students, took place in the Main Hall in the presence of Emma, Trust’s sister.

T-shirts, a message board and money raised will be delivered to Trust’s family in the coming days and we thank everyone for their contributions

MSM Staff Ethos & Culture Day

On Tuesday 4 July, the whole MSM staff gathered for a day of self and community reflection. The day challenged us on a personal level but served to bond us in our shared considerations of what makes us “Who We Are”. It should not surprise our readers that the word which featured most frequently was “Family”, something each one of us contributes to and works hard to strengthen and protect at every turn.

Our individual contributions were formed into a vibrant patchwork of skills, emotions and passions which were visually displayed for all to see. The day ended with the opportunity to work together as diverse teams before our patchwork quilt was reformed into a patchwork cross symbolising the faith which is at the centre of all we do. We look forward to continuing to bring our work to life.

Healthy Me Week at St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School

We were extremely proud to be invited by St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School to support them with their Healthy Me week.

Our fantastic Art, Music and PE departments jumped at the opportunity and delivered a number of workshops to all students from Year 1 through to Year 6. The activities were a mini sports day, learning the Yukele, chair drumming and finally creating a large piece of art using glass painting techniques which is now displayed in
St Patrick’s walled garden.

Our Young Leaders were once again magnificent in working with younger students and supporting them through the activities. It was a fantastic idea from the staff at St Patrick’s and we are grateful for the opportunity to support them.

St Gemma’s Collection

In the lead up to the festive period, students in Year 8 were encouraged to fully immerse themselves in the community spirit of Mount St Mary’s and offer their support for those less fortunate than themselves at Christmas time. In collaboration with the charity spokesperson, students further explored the history of St Gemma’s Hospice and the valued work that they carry out daily in the local community.

Students from each Year 8 form group were selected to develop and deliver an assembly to their peers and raise awareness around some of the hardships faced by families and the care and comfort that is offered by this foundation to cater for their needs and enrich lives. They explored the impact of the counselling sessions and palliative care that is offered alongside the research that is being carried out to inform teaching that will serve to improve and ensure the longevity of the services available.

This year we have endeavoured to strengthen the link between the school and St Gemma’s Hospice and are extremely grateful for the time that has been dedicated by our link representative from the charity. Her visit to our school gave her the opportunity to experience the ethos of Mount St Mary’s in action and witness the appreciation that our young people have for our shared vision. We would like to thank Stephanie for her active support. Working with such a visible and extremely positive external representative is invaluable when trying to encourage students to invest in a cause and actively contribute.

On 15th December, a select cohort of students went into Leeds City Centre to collect money on behalf of St Gemma’s Hospice in a display of Retribuam that warmed the hearts of many passers-by in the local community. Many individuals stopped to share their personal stories related to their own experiences of the care provided to loved ones by St Gemma’s Hospice, giving our students a real-life insight into the motivation behind the event. Their work was recognised by the local Krispy Kreme Donut store who saw our students collecting near their shop and came outside to give each individual a free donut as a thanks for their efforts to support such a worthy cause. This further helped our students to appreciate the impact that their acts of kindness and efforts to seize opportunities to give back can have on others.

By the end of the day, Year 8 students had managed to raise a total of £1355 on behalf of the charity, which can now be used to fund vital care in our community. We could not be prouder of the enthusiasm, maturity and passion shown by the students involved and look forward to working closely with St Gemma’s Hospice in the near future.