The Portal Has Arrived... Almost

Academy Confidential is finally here, ready for you to explore and share your opinions with us! Watch this space, because we'll be uploading new stories every week on issues ranging from sports. to scones! Intrigued? You should be!

• Since we first found out about the possibility of having our own school website, the Academy Confidential team have been keeping their keyboards tapping, covering any and every story we could think of! 
  
  The portal wasn't handed to us on a plate, either; the team had to come up with a pitch that would impress successful businessman Mark Garner and his team. A lot of effort went into this, but it all paid off because we got the portal, as you probably noticed!
  
  There really is no rest for the wicked, because for the past few months our team of journalists have been hot on the trail of good material for stories, interviewing students on their opinions on issues that affect them, such as the government's proposal for metal detectors in schools. 

• Like in a real journalistic setting, the team have been having board meetings every Tuesday and Thursday to assign stories to journalists and discuss ideas on trips that the board can go on.
  
  So far, we've had some of the team report on the Zion Centre after a visit, and others report on a trip to Cobbett's law firm. We've also planned a trip to the snow dome in Trafford, so watch out for our verdict on the indoor ski slope.
  
  Our first year of the board has been an amazing experience, and everyone on the team would like to give a massive thanks to Mark Garner and his team for giving us all this opportunity to broadcast our school and develop our journalistic skills through this fantastic website.

• The portal exists. It is hovering in hyperspace waiting to be populated with stories. Your stories. All articles from you are welcome - that also means you Manchester Academy staff! Photographs from all the events you attend are also vital so if teachers and staff are attending events etc. 
  
  Please remember to take a camera or use the camera on your mobiles and send us your photographs as well as your stories - what is it they say about a picture being worth a thousand words.? 
  
  Also send your pics and stories promptly as old news is not worth the electronic screen it is typed onto!  

• Look out for competitions, prizes and of course FUN! Presently we're awaiting training on this new-fangled, cutting edge technology so we can operate all the bells and whistles it comes with. We've been patient enough so I suppose a couple more days waiting won't kill us. We hope!
  
  Remember - this is your portal and it will carry your stories, views and any work whether written or created by you including art-work, music and film. So get cracking and make the portal cracking. Look out for more updates on the portal. As they say, "Watch this space!"

The Academy Confidential Team