Events
News
Badminton Success
Yesterday evening the Years 7-10 Boys', 7/8 Girls' and 9/10 Girls' teams played badminton against QEHS (Gainsborough) at home. All students played a singles match and a doubles match to 21 points. The match results were outstanding. Please see the statistics below;
Games – 36 Total
Priory LSST 32 QEHS 4
Points – 756 Total
Priory LSST 740 QEHS 445
Such an amazing result! Well done to all the students who played
CyberCenturion Round 1 and 2
On Friday 16th November, a team of five cadets took part in the CyberCenturion competition, hosted by Northrop Grumman in partnership with Cyber Security Challenge UK. This is the second year in which the Priory Federation CCF has entered the competition. The competition focuses on cyber security across a variety of operating systems. This includes: Windows 7/8/8.1/10, Windows Server 2008/2016, Ubuntu 14/16, and Debian 8. The competition relies on the organisers sending us multiple images (in this context, also known as virtual machines) and a specification for each one. The specification includes a multitude of general policies which need to be enforced on the image, as well a few forensics questions. Quite simply, the more of those policies you enforce, the more points you receive.
With a difficult start, the cadets obtained a fantastic sum of 160 points out of 200 possible (Windows 10: 92 points, Ubuntu 14: 68 points). This places our team in 65th place out of almost 200 teams. A great well done for the team for their efforts!
On Friday 9th December, the Cyber Centurions team took part in the second round of the Cyber Centurions Competition.
The virtual machines had the following operating systems during this round:
- Ubuntu in which the team got 66 points:
- Windows 10 with 68 points;
- Windows 8.1 with 72 points;
They each came with a specification including a multitude of general policies which need to be enforced on the image, as well as two or three forensics questions. The more policies enforced based of the specification, the more points were awarded.
In total the team achieved an amazing 206 out of a possible 300 which placed them in 37th place out of almost 200 teams. I hope the cadets look forward to the 3rd round on the 11th of January.
British Champion at Tae Kwon Do
Following Kieran’s continuing success we can now report that on 4th November 2018 Kieran won the Gold Medal for Tae Kwon Do blue belt for boys at the British Championships held in Birmingham. This makes him the British Champion at blue belt.
Last year he won the same competition but that was at yellow belt.
Priory Association Quiz Night
Last Friday saw twelve teams pit their wits against each other to try and win first place at the Priory Association Quiz night, a now regular feature in their fundraising calendar. Teams enjoyed cheese, drinks and nibbles whilst wrestling with questions ranging across the entire curriculum, albeit very loosely based on school subjects. At the end of the evening the senior team managed a fifth place, narrowly beaten by Mr Perry and his family, who in turn conceded third place to the Maths team, not on their usual winning streak! The victors this time were visitors to the Academy, which of course the home teams would insist was the plan all along!
The evening raised over £300, a sum for example, which The Priory Association have donated in the past to pay for Rock Challenge transport, Bookbuzz author visits, athletics vests and final touches for the proms.
The Priory Association will always welcome support to assist in their fundraising endeavours and further information can be found on our website under the Parents tab. Meanwhile they will be in attendance at Senior Prizegiving later this module and have already started planning next year's Summer Ball provisionally scheduled for July 13th 2019 at the Hilton, building on last year's phenomenal success.
25th Anniversary Celebrations
After months of preparation and rehearsals, the day finally came for both staff and students to represent themselves at the Lincoln Drill Hall for the 25th Anniversary of the Priory Academy LSST. Staff and students met at the location in the early afternoon of Saturday 20th October and participated in a demanding session of rehearsals, choosing lighting and organising the formal entrances and exits. Students did an excellent job of representing the Academy and behaved in an exemplary manner throughout the day; they were a credit to themselves and the Academy.
As the concert drew closer, nervous and excited faces could be found across the venue. This concert succeeded in bringing together students, past and present. It succeeded in joining together children with a range of talents, including singing and dancing. It was not only a display of talent, but an exhibition of the Academy’s key values and the great way in which both students and staff can come together to celebrate the LSST family.
The concert began with Mr Crocker proving to be a fantastic compere who got the audience thoroughly involved in the fundraising evening. The stage was set and a range of acts began to flood on stage. The night saw a diverse range of talent, with solo artists and groups performing on a professional level to the impressed audience. Those in attendance were taken through various genres of musicals, performed by students in previous academic years. As well as this, the onlookers were told Hannah Brown’s compelling story through the dynamic dancing of last year’s Rock Challenge Team. Their captivating movement brought a tear to the eye of many in attendance. Their work, along with the effort made by others participating in the concert, was recognised by Lincoln City Manager, Danny Cowley, who recorded an empowering video on the importance of the arts in education.
As the evening drew to a close, all students returned on stage to sing the final song, Do You Hear the People Sing. It was an excellent way to round up a fantastic night of performance and this was recognised by a standing ovation.
Congratulations to all those who took part in the event. You helped to make it a great success which was enjoyed by staff, students, parents and carers alike. As well as this, a massive thank you must go to the staff involved in making the event possible, as well as the sponsors who supported the concert. We look forward to another 25 prosperous years of the Academy!
Master Diver at just 13!
Having started scuba diving as an extra curricular club here at the Academy, Alex recently completed his confined pool skills in the academy pool and then progressed to an open water course at Girton sailing club. This now means that he has qualified as a PADI open water diver. Alex is one of only a few of his age in the country about to obtain a master scuba diving certificate which is the highest recreational level available, achieving master level at just 13 years old. The youngest anyone can achieve this qualification is 12, so this is an exceptional achievement. In total Alex has completed over forty five open water dives, as well as his advanced water course, alongside his rescue and first emergency responder courses. Well done Alex and we look forward to hearing more of your successes.
Netball County Champions!
On Wednesday the Academy’s Under 19 netball team travelled to Stamford High School for the County Netball Championships. The team should have been full of confidence, but we had two last minute changes to the team due to injury which meant we were playing with the bare seven required. In a tournament with only one break for rest, playing seven matches on the bounce would be extremely demanding for a team with no substitutions to make.
We started the tournament with a rematch against Dean's College (aka Lincoln College) who we had played in the district tournament. The team took the first four minutes to settle their nerves but by the start of second half they broke the college team’s attack turning over possession and taking the lead. From that point they forced errors on the opposition and scored at every opportunity. By the final whistle the score was 15-9.
The team were so impressive to watch. They dominated every match they played except one. Winning six from seven matches. They only lost to Carres Grammar, a match towards the end of the tournament where our lack of substitutes really had an effect. Carres finished the tournament as runners up and had a squad of 12. We finished this game 6-8.
Despite an awful day of weather and a team of just seven players to play an incredible amount of netball, we are pleased to say that the team returned to the Academy victorious. They are county champions once again and are heading to the regional championships in January. They were an absolute joy to watch, coach and spend the day with. They are a group of students who represent our Academy with pride and determination.
Duke of Edinburgh - Gold Award
It was a cold and windy morning but spirits were high. Nineteen Year 13 students embarked on the final chapter of their Duke of Edinburgh journey: an expedition that would last for four days and three nights, covering a total of eighty two kilometres across the North Yorkshire Moors. The journey was long, and many of us took the opportunity to catch up on some sleep on the minibus before starting our expedition in the pouring rain around midday.
The first day of the expedition began in Robin Hood’s Bay and ended in Goathland, nineteen kilometres later. It was a tough day, with extremely high winds and driving rain meaning it was difficult to walk in a straight line! The wind on the moor was particularly vicious – there were many casualties including a map case, map and three rucksack covers blown across the moor, yet thankfully saved by some quick action from Elsie, Fiona and Mr Ackland.
An early start on Saturday morning meant that our group was able to attack the eighteen kilometre second day with incredible pace; we awoke to persistent rain and set off as the sun rose over the moors. Though the rain died down as the day progressed, the wind continued and as we arrived at the campsite in Rosedale at 1700 hrs we were able to get most of our kit dry. The facilities were lovely and we were all able to enjoy a hot shower and a hot meal before settling down for the night.
Day three was definitely the most challenging of the four: a twenty-four kilometre route paired with yet more rain was a killing combination. Temperatures dropped, meaning our group only had one stop throughout the eight hour day, and we arrived at Low Farm Campsite soaked to the skin. Thankfully, the lovely lady who ran the campsite took in our clothes, boots and maps and dried them out for us overnight. Another hot shower and some food left us feeling much better, and we went to sleep with the end of the expedition in sight.
It’s fair to say everyone left the campsite on Monday morning ready to finish the expedition on a high. The last day was a long slog, twenty one kilometres, but by this point we were so wet that we didn’t notice the persistent, continuous rain. It took lots of singing, laughing and crying to get us through the last day, but our group ran the last hundred metres to the sound of applause coming from the staff waiting for us at the end. A quick stop at McDonalds for some 150 chicken nuggets gave us the energy we needed for the long drive back to pack the kit away.
We learnt a lot about ourselves over the four days. Teamwork, communication and supporting one another were imperative as everybody had times when they felt as though they couldn’t carry on. It was undoubtedly an unforgettable experience, albeit one of the hardest accomplishments we have ever achieved. We are so proud of one another and of ourselves for having come through the other side.
Business Language Champions
‘Hey, I’m Egness Moeufy! Two teams of Year 10 linguists and I worked together in a competition in Waddington, Flying High! Both groups showed creativity in all the challenges, impressing the judges with their survival bag packing skills, presentations, parachute designs and, though it took a while, they saved Mrs Erskine from a teacher kidnap! Thankfully, I, and many other eggs, survived the parachute drop. I am egg-static to say that we had a winning team and multiple individual award winners; reigning Business Language Champions!
Well-done guys! You were egg-cellent representations for the Academy!
Félicitations! Ich bin ein glückliches Ei!‘
Year 11 History visit to Germany
The Year 11 History visit to Germany took place between Thursday 18th and Tuesday 23rd October. Departing from Lincoln Academy at 3am, the group of 54 students managed to catch some sleep on the long drive to Munich, arriving very late due to traffic delays ready for a busy day on Friday.
On Friday we walked the path of the Munich Putsch, from the city gates to the Felderenhalle via Marienplatz before heading for the documentation centre to be given a guided tour of the artefacts and displays there. The day ended with some traditional German food in the Lowenbraukeller before we headed back to the hostel for some well needed R & R!
Saturday began with a guided tour of Dachau Konzentrationslager (Concentration Camp) - the first such camp opened by the Nazis as soon as they took power in 1933. This was a highly emotional and moving experience, as the group heard personal stories of how individuals were affected by the Nazi regime.
The group then headed back to the coach to make the short journey to Nuremberg, where a fantastic walking tour took in the Congresshalle, the Zeppelinfeld, the Luitpoldfeld and Silbersee - the site of what would have a 410,000 capacity sports arena! Nuremberg was a fascinating experience to fully immerse oneself in the egocentricity and megalomania that surrounded Adolf Hitler in the early 1930s. On Saturday night after yet another busy day we headed to our wonderful accommodation in the heart of Nuremberg - a youth hostel in the medieval Nuremberg Castle.
On Sunday we got back on the coach (we were becoming accustomed to "coach life" by this point) and headed for our final stop - Berlin. After visiting the Wannsee Conference venue and the ever evocative Gleis 17 we headed to the heart of Berlin to visit a memorial the Sinti-Roma. After some currywurst in the Pavilion restaurant in the shadow of the Reichstag we finally went up to the top of the current seat of european power - the German Reichstag - for fantastic night time views over the city. After yet another action packed day we made for our final hostel - Amstelhouse in the heart of Berlin's working class district.
The last day was another packed day, visiting the home of the SS during the 1930s, Berlin Olympic stadium and various memorials around the city before ending the tour at the place (it is believed) where Adolf Hitler's body was burned - the "Fuhrer Bunker" - now a car park at the bottom of a block of flats.
We headed back to the coach once more to start the 16 hour journey home.
The Year 11 students were an absolute credit to themselves and the Academy and all of them got a lot out of what was a thoroughly worthwhile visit.