St Anne's School, Solihull

Firstly, one of our Teaching Assistants, Mrs Joy Senanayake, won through to the National Finals of the Teaching Awards after winning her Regional West Midlands Final staged at the Heritage Motor Centre based at Gaydon in Warwickshire.  Joy is a very special character in that she is past retirement age and is still working full time with a class of Year 3 children.  She joins in all activities that go on in school.  This includes dancing around the classroom in the morning wake and shake session, taking part in extreme activities such as a class water fight we had recently and going on outward bound residential trips in North Staffordshire where she takes part in all outdoor activities.  She is an extremely creative person and our school is festooned with examples of her displays and artwork by children that she has inspired.  She was described at the Awards Ceremony as inspirational. Everyone in our school would agree that she is irreplaceable, unique, one of a kinz. She is extremely modest and although has been thrilled to receive the acolade she still carries on in her own calm and unruffled way.

The first LIFE Help Station in the Country has been set up in Walsall in the West Midlands.

The venue was chosen after an offer from Canon Peter Taylor of St Mary’s the Mount RC Church, who explained, ‘LIFE were looking for Counselling rooms, and they particularly wanted to come into this area. These premises of ours were becoming available, and I approached them to see if they would be interested’.

Archbishop Vincent Nichols ordained Fr Andrew McCann to the Sacred Priesthood, at St Augustine of England parish in Solihull, West Midlands, on Sunday, 6 July, writes Peter Jennings.

Fr McCann, aged 37 has been appointed to serve as Assistant Priest at St Augustine, where he has been working as a Deacon for the past ten months.