- Cookstown High School
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Coordinates: 54°38′35″N 6°44′13″W / 54.643°N 6.737°W
Cookstown High School Principal Mrs Adele Sloan Students 1900 (approx.) Location Cookstown, Northern Ireland Website http://www.cookstownhighschool.org Cookstown High School is a combined High School and Grammar School in Northern Ireland. It is one of the largest in the area, falling within the Southern Education and Library Board area.
Contents
Site
The school is situated on the Coolnafranky site on the outskirts of Cookstown. This site is one of the largest in Northern Ireland[citation needed] and contains the two artificial turf pitch of Cookstown Hockey Club and Cookstown High . It is the only school in Northern Ireland to have two full sized hockey pitches one Sand based, One water based
The school has 5 main buildings:
Block 1: The 'Upper' Building, housing the Technology, ICT, Art, English, History, RE, PE, Home Economics, Geography, Business Studies and Health and Social Care Departments.
Block 2: The Morrison (Middle) Building - General Office, Principal's and Vice-Principals' offices, 2 school restaurants, the Music Department and the Sixth Form Centre, comprising a common room and study areas.
Block 3: The 'Lower' Building - Modern Languages (French, German, Spanish), Maths, and Science departments.
Block 4: The Learning Support Unit and changing rooms for the pitches
Block 5: New Science Building (Chemistry Block)
Motto
Cookstown High School's motto is 'Virtus Cum Scientia' which means 'Character through knowledge'.
Cookstown High also has its own School Anthem. It is as follows:
"Lead me Lord, lead me in Thy righteousness,
Make Thy way plain before my face;
For it is Thou, Lord; Thou, Lord, only,
That makest me dwell in safety."
Principals
- Canon Wilfred Young O.B.E. (1971–1991)[1]
- Dr Samuel McGuinness (1991–1997)
- Mr Keith Hamilton (Acting Principal) (1997–1998)
- Mr Barry Freestone (1998–2006)
- Mrs Adele Sloan (2007-).[2]
Magazine
Every year Cookstown High releases a publication chronicling the successes of the school, changes within the teaching staff and any significant achievements by the school's pupils. The Editorial Team is led by Miss Nicola Parker, who is assisted by a number of pupils. Traditionally, the Principal of the school writes an introduction to the magazine, however this year an article was included acknowledging the installation of the new Principal, Mrs Adele Sloan. Reports and pictures are included of the Year 8 pupils, Year 13+14 pupils and of all pupils' academic, social and sporting achievements in the school, including the concert band and choirs.
For the school year 2006-2007, the style of the magazine was reverted back to its original A4 size, which had been abandoned in 2003.
Sport
Sports offered at the school include football, netball, hockey, rugby union, cross-country running and athletics.
The school is known for its success in Hockey. In the current season (2008–09), the 1st XI have won the McCullough Cup and Burney Cup, both for the second year running, beating Sullivan Upper and Banbridge Academy in the finals respectively. However the boys lost their Irish Schools crown after losing 3-2 to St. Andrews College, Dublin. They were to avenge this defeat at the end of season inaugural John Waring All Ireland Schoolboys Championships, when they defeated St. Andrews College in the final by 2 goals to nil.[citation needed]
In 2007-08, the boy's first team won the All Ireland Schoolboys Hockey Championship when they defeated the holders Banbridge Academy by four goals to two in the final.[3][4] This was followed six weeks later by a penalty shoot-out victory over the same opponents in the Final of the McCullough Cup.[5] The boys capped a terrific season by completing the treble by winning the Burney Cup against Royal & Prior. This marked the first season the school had achieved this feat.
In the 2006-2007 season, the boys first team reached the semi-final of both the McCullough Cup and the All Ireland Schoolboys Hockey Championship, and the final of the Burney Cup.
Prize Day
Prize Day is a tradition within the school, where those pupils who have excelled in their studies, are formally congratulated and rewarded on their successes.
Typically held in the third or fourth week of the new school year, it celebrates those who have excelled in their Year 8, Year 9, Year 10, Year 11, GCSE, AS and A-Level studies, along with those who have surpassed themselves when it comes to sporting achievements and contributions to school life.
Notable former pupils
See also: Category:People educated at Cookstown High School- Fulham FC and Northern Ireland central defender and captain Aaron Hughes.
- The Rev. William McCrea Member of Parliament, Democratic Unionist Party politician.
- Martin Sloan, Director of Northern Health Board and former most-capped Irish hockey international (149 caps).
- Alan Turkington, RADA trained actor, specialising in theatre.
- William McKeown, painter, who exhibited at the 51st Venice Biennale)[6] in 2005.
- Nick Laird, novelist.
- Ernest Walton (1903–1995); Nobel Prize in Physics (1951); known for his part in "splitting the atom"
- Jimmy Kennedy, OBE (1902–1984); songwriter & lyricist;
- Oliver A Harkness, Modern Art and Antique dealer New York City
Sources
- ^ "Church of Ireland Press Release citing Mr Young's educational record". http://www.ireland.anglican.org/archives/pressreleases/prarchive2003/thcolcoun.html. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
- ^ "Mid Ulster Today report of appointment". http://www.midulstertoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=2609&ArticleID=2183414. Retrieved 2007-04-09.
- ^ "Belfast Newsletter Report on 2007-08 All Ireland Schoolboys hockey final". http://www.newsletter.co.uk/2586/BREAKING-NEWS-FINAL-HEARTBREAK-FOR.3421125.jp. Retrieved 2007-10-27.
- ^ "Irish Hockey Association News Report on 2007-08 final". http://www.hockey.ie/fb41/index.cfm?fuseaction=newsreel.showArticle&article_id=692. Retrieved 2007-10-27.
- ^ "BBC Sport 2007-08 McCullough Cup Final Report". BBC News. 2007-12-12. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/7141291.stm. Retrieved 2007-12-19.
- ^ "Northern Ireland Arts Council press release about The Nature of Things, an exhibition of painters from Northern Ireland". Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. http://web.archive.org/web/20070929201435/http://www.irelandvenice.ie/content/northern+ireland+info.pdf. Retrieved 2007-07-09.
Categories:- Secondary schools in County Tyrone
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