November 2013

Pupil pictured is Daniel Kraska who received a number of awards.

Hazelwood Integrated College’s Annual Upper and Senior School Prize Night was held on the 19th of November 2013. Hosted by the newly appointed Assistant Principals Mr Gary Brennan and Mrs Linda Drennan, the Assembly Hall was filled to capacity to celebrate another highly successful year in the College.

A Level and GSCE students celebrated their success along with VIPs and friends of the College, including Lady Elizabeth Bloomfield MBE, Dr Joanne Stuart OBE, Trevor Lunn MLA, Alban Maginness MLA, Danny Kinahan MLA, Cllr Gerard O’Reilly and Noreen Campbell CEO of NICIE, as well as College staff and parents. Hazelwood celebrated the best GSCE results to date with 86% 5 A* – C grades. Principal Kathleen Gormley recognised the determination of Hazelwood’s students and the outstanding teaching and learning environment created by all members of the College staff.

Guest speaker Dr Joanne Stuart commented on the excellent achievements of the GCSE and A Level students. Dr Stuart spoke of how the opening of Hazelwood’s Post-16 and STEM Centre this year is an exciting development that will provide pupils with even more opportunities to develop the skills and qualifications needed to succeed in what are the fastest growing industry sectors in NI.

Representatives from the Integrated Education Fund and the Belfast Trust for Integrated Education were also special guests on the night. Deputy Principal Maurice Fitzsimons thanked both organisations for their very generous donation of £75,000 each, which allowed the school to purchase their new Post 16 and STEM centre.

Mr Brennan and Dr Stuart presented 125 returning Lower Sixth students with their GCSE certificates, awarding both Amy Garner and Daniel Kraska ‘The Niblock Cup’ for outstanding achievement at GSCE.

Lady Elizabeth Bloomfield MBE, a devoted friend of the College, awarded the ‘Lady Bloomfield Cup’ for Outstanding Achievement to Gary Lindsay and Anthony Sheppard and former Principal, Eileen Lenehan, presented her ‘Leadership Award’ to the outgoing Head Girl Olivia Johnston.

Ryan Houston, Matthew Morgan and Daniel Kraska had the honour of Dr Joanne, who is the Northern Ireland Champion for STEM, presenting them with their awards for Achievement in Engineering, Achievement in Mathematics, Senior STEM, and the Senior Science Award.

Mrs Drennan celebrated the core ethos of the school by presenting the All Children Together Award to the Upper School Students for their determination to work together with a common purpose to overcome the challenges they faced with the postponed opening of the new Post 16 and STEM centre.

Special recognition went to Emma Rose Collins who recently travelled to London to receive the very distinguished ‘Diana Award’ for Courageous Young Citizen

Creativity was also celebrated with Dominic O’Hagan receiving the ‘Senior Drama Award’ and Nael Quarishi and Ashley Law receiving ‘Senior Art Awards’. The Hazelwood Rock Challenge team were celebrating again, receiving the ‘Noreen Campbell Award for Creativity’.

Numerous students returned from University to receive their A Level Certificates from Mr Brennan and Dr Stuart. The list of Post-16 destinations was impressive, including Razel Santos studying a BSc Honours degree course in Computer Science at Queen’s University Belfast, James Cluney studying a CAFRE degree course in Food Marketing in Loughry College and Curtis Hutchison studying a BSc Honours degree course in Business and Marketing at the University of Ulster, Jordanstown.

The night was a true celebration of achievement in Hazelwood Integrated College.

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