Great Music

We had lots of compliments about the music played at Presentation Evening. The audience appreciated a bit of virtuosity and also real singer songwriting. One suggestion is that we use our minstrels' gallery potential next time. What do you think?

Callum Reaches the Heights

Callum Henderson has really reached the heights, winning the Foyle Film Festival Alternative Short Film Prize. This is a fantastic achievement - though his actors are claiming all the credit! My best friend was meant to come and see me this weekend but couldn't tear herself away from the aforementioned Foyle Film Festival. Her excuse was that the films were such a high standard and she could't tear herself away. Now I find she was right! We hear that Matt McComish also carried off a Highly Commended at the Festival. Noreen Doran Lahey certainly inspires people up in 207.

The Cabaret

On the evening of Friday 21st November, the Music Collective of Shimna Integrated College presented a Cabaret of Love. The evening showcased the musical talents of our students, and also raised funds in support of the Musical currently in rehearsal and scheduled for the Easter term.

The evening launched with massed voices and "You're the One that I Want" from "Grease". Jeannine Bradley then raised the tone with a beautiful rendition on piano of Einaudi's "L'Onde". Up went the tempo again when Jana Rodgers, Julia Martin, Roma Cunningham, Clare Smyth and Karen Malone launched into "Matchmaker". All change for a hilarious dramatic interlude, "Awkward Silence" as Stephen McVeigh and Caroline McCann sought to further their relationship! Grace Sergeant and Perrine Bonnargent gave us a well chosen "Flower Duet" from the opera "Lakme", Clare Smyth and Katriona Kirwan sang out "My Heart Will Go On" from "Titanic" before Jeannine Bradley and Niomi O'Rourke scandalised the audience with their hilarious "Chop Sticks" The two of them, in full evening dress and regalia, showed perfect comic timing along with perfect keyboard skills. More from "Grease'", "Summer Nights", brought us up to the interval.

Pure singing led off the second half with Cormac Nellis and "Bring Him Home" from "Les Miserables" followed by CarolAnne Magennis with "Memory" from "Cats" and Niomi O'Rourke accompanying herself on piano, with "Samson" by Regina Spektor. Danny White on guitar quietened us down with a beautiful, gentle "Angeli de Pietra Mistica" by Luc Turilli. Caroline McCann and Michael O'Brien gave a bravura performance of "Hero" by Enrique Iglesias. Back to drama with a sparkling "Last Man on the Moon" performed by Chris Wells and Kirsty McComish. The evening came to a classic close with the full choir and "Thank you for the Music", with soloists Cliona Rice, Anna Crawford and Fionnuala Nellis.

It was a fantastic night, and a real wholeschool performance, with Gerard McConkey and Felan Davidson on lights, Lee McMahon on sound and ultra-professional stage management. The Parents' Council ran the ticket office and the tuck shop and a well supported raffle. Stephen McVeigh was a blissfully calm, confident and humorous host.

All of the cast united to thank Orla McConville and Jo Rodgers for their inspiration, organisation and stamina. After the flowers, one more performance remained to be heard, and Kevin Lambe rounded off the evening with "Love the One You're With", the whole choir jigging along behind him.

It was great to see parents, friends and students across the year groups all out supporting the event. The whole evening was a pleasure, and tickets for "Joseph" are going to be worth getting.

Cabaret of Love

The best of our music goes on display on the evening of 21st, when our Cararet of Love takes to the stage as a fundraiser for our musical later in the year.

Nobody Lives Forever

We hosted a play about the ethics of stem cell research, called Nobody
Lives Forever, performed by the YTouring theatre Company who are
a small but perfectly formed professional drama group under the
auspices of the YMCA. The production is touring the UK and was in
Glasgow, Belfast, Newtownhamilton and Crossmaglen just before us.
Every performance is followed by a debate, using voting handsets
as a starting point, about the issues raised. The play was introduced
by the University of Ulster's Professor of Biomedical Sciences, Valerie
McKelvey-Martin, who heads their Science in Society section. She
explained that the tour is in partnership with NUU and sponsored
by the Bank of Ireland and The Honourable The Irish Society as a
contribution to the public understanding of the stem cell debate.

The audience of students was really enthusiastic about the play.
Some reported unexpected tears at the characters' dilemma.

Theatre Fantastique

And fantastique it was too. The theatre company performed to an audience of our year 12 and year 10 French speakers and our visitors from Blackwater Integrated College and St Mary's High School. The performance was electrifying and inspired our French learners and French learners in our partner schools.

Spooks at Shepherd's Lodge

It's fantastic to see Matt McComish's latest film project come to fruition with the screenng of "Final Cut" up at Shepherd's Lodge on Hallow E'en night. Matt has already taken his film making career one step further as he is now studying film making at Edge Hill University in Liverpool. He is getting great publicity too. Have a look at this week's Mourne Observer, and I was woken this morning by Marie McStay announcing on the BBC about the Hallow E'en screening.

Just in Case You Missed It

If you aren't studying Moving Image Arts you might not call in to that blog. Just in case you missed it, Callum Henderson's AS film from last year was shown to teachers throughout Northern Ireland during last week'c agreement trials as an example of outstanding level 5 work - that's as good as it gets.

Creatively European

On European Day of Languages, four of our feeder primaries gave wonderful dramatisations of international stories. Their masks and props were perfect, and it was excellent to hear the French, German, Spanish and Irish, all learnt through our Sharing Education Programme.

Dreamcoat Revs Up

Rehearsals are underway for this year's production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat". Everyone is welcome along to the rehearsals on Thursdays in the music room. Get yourselves in gear too for the fundraising talent contest in November. You'd better be good!

More Success for Felan

Felan has been engaged to provide the interlude entertainment for Down District Council. His fame spreads.

High Drama

Impressive or what! Steven McVeigh of our 6th form was chosen from hundreds of hopefuls to take part in a prestigious theatre summer school. He successfully auditioned for a place in the Bruiser Summer School for physical theatre, winning out to stiff competition from across NI. The theatre school ended in a spectacular show where the students performed before a packed audience at the Old Museum Arts Centre in Belfast. the young hopefuls trained with some of Ireland's most experienced producers and directors, including Lisa May, artistic director of Bruiser Theatre Company and Ross Anderson, artistic director of 'Nor Nothin'". Said Lisa, "The summer school is an amazing opportunity for young people to get professional, practical experience in the arts, giving them a real flavour of the demands on a professional actor".

Vote for Felan

Go to www.citybeat.co.uk/youngstar to vote for our Felan in the final of the YoungStar competition. You will be able to watch his performance again from the website and maybe rope in a few more votes. Thanks everybody.

A Letter From America

Some of our year 8 students wanted to write to Peterson Toscano to thank him for his recent performance at Shimna (see previous blog post!). Here is an extract from his (very long!) reply.


Peterson Toscano Hartford, CT, USA 20 July 2008

Dear Year Eights,

Wow! Thank you so much for your wonderful letters. I finally got home after six weeks of travel to find a packet with your work in it. I’ve read through them several times and shared them with some of my actor friends here who all say that you sound like a very special bunch of students. I told them that you are. I wish I had time to respond to each and every one of you, but I go on the road again in a few days and have much to prepare. Several of you did ask me specific questions, and I want to answer these.

Timothy Annett asked,

What movies have you been in lately and what were you in the movies?
Currently I am in two movies that are being shown at film festivals in the US and Canada. Cure For Love premiered on Canadian national TV in April and Chasing the Devil premiered in the US at a film festival the same month. In both of these films I play myself and talk about my life experiences. I was also in the Be Real TV program on the Logo network here in the States. Again I play myself and talk about my life but they also show some of my performance work. I just released a DVD of my play Doin’ Time in the Homo No Mo Halfway House in which I play seven different characters.

In your show you spoke some languages, what was that you were speaking and what else can you speak?
In the show I spoke Spanish. After I left Northern Ireland, I went down to Spain to give a speech in Spanish and was interviewed five different times for variuos TV programs. It was hard work but lots of fun. I can speak some French, Swedish and Italian, but not as well as I speak Spanish.


Steven Power asked:
What inspired you to become an actor?
At first it was the fun of it. Later in life though I realized it serves as a wonderful tool to reach out to people in creative ways. Sometimes we cannot talk about certain issues that we can learn about through a play, and especially a comedy.

Samantha Parke asks:
I hope you enjoyed it here and you mentioned it was your first time in Northern Ireland. Did you like it?
Yes! I only stayed a week and most of that in Belfast, but I really enjoyed myself. I especially liked the people I met. Very friendly, very interesting, and very intelligent.

Why do you always wear a hat?
Hahaha. I get this question a lot. I wear a hat as part of my religion. I am a Christian and have been all my life, but in 2001 I began to attend a Quaker meeting (also known as the Religious Society of Friends). The faith started in England in the 1650s. At that time men were expected to take off their hats and bow down to other people of a higher social class. The people in the higher class did not have to bow. It made it seem like some people were more important and special than other people. The Quakers said that everyone is equal—men, women, rich and poor. They decided they would not remove their hats for anyone except God when they prayed. Most Quakers do not follow this practice today, but I like it a lot because it reminds me that all people are equal.

Rachel Robinson asks:
Do you like our accents?
Oh yes! VERY much!!! But I can’t do it yet :( I have to practice :)


Orlaigh Magennis writes,
I heard that you are a vegan and I would like to know what that is like because I’m a vegetarian and I think that it is great but you do get bullied a lot by the way you are .Do you get teased by being a vegan?
A vegan is someone who doesn’t eat any animal products at all—no meat, dairy, eggs, fish or honey. I strict vegan won’t use any animal products for clothes or in life—no leather, wool, etc. I am almost a strict vegan. I won’t use leather belts or wallets, but I do use some leather shoes because I think plastic ones are worse for the environment than leather ones. Yes, I do get “teased” for being a vegan, well in the way that adults tease each other. Sometimes they are just being funny like friends do to each other, but other times I know some people are doing it to be mean or because they don’t understand why I choose to be “so different!”

Thank you again to all of you there at Shimna Integrated! I enjoyed meeting all of you and believe that you will work hard together to create and maintain a school where people can be themselves. That is good for everyone.

Have a wonderful summer holiday! I hope everyone is safe, has a lot a fun, and reads some books!

Peterson Toscano

Peterson Toscano

Year 8 recently had a visit from American actor, Peterson Toscano. Peterson came in to share some humorous one-man performance pieces (in English and Spanish!) on issues surrounding self-acceptance. Year 8 had the opportunity to ask him about his story and share some of their own experiences and we were all very impressed with his range of accents and voices, not to mention wigs! You can visit Peterson's website here.

SuperFelan Through to Final

After a nervous two hour wait for the count to come through, news arrived that Felan has won the regional heat in Wallace Park and is through to the final. This is fantastic news and Felan wishes to thank everyone who voted for him.

Good Luck Chico

Felan Davidson at age 14 is the UK's youngest radio dj and works at downfm 105.0fm. He is also the lead singer with Chicosingers who are competing in Citybeat Youngstar on Saturday 10th May in Wallace Park in Lisburn. Chicosingers are a tribute music band, singing tributes to Chico, Britney Spears and other comedy acts. The Chico dancers are Rachel, Orla, Ciara, Karla, Nichola and Coral. Chico website: www.chicosingers.co.nr Everyone at Shimna wishes Felan and the dancers all the very best of luck.

Beautiful Music

Niomi O'Rourke, Carol-Anne Magennis and the Band performed beautifully at the regional finals of 'Stars' and came within a whisker of winning. We are very proud of all our musicians.

Local History Success

LOCAL HISTORY COMPETITION WINNERS - we are delighted to announce the winners of this year's competition. The standard was very high, and we are very proud that our sponsors have again donated the prizes, but most of all, also been involved in judging our students entries. Congratulations to all.

2008
Name Local History Study
WINNERS
Overall winner H. F Law Plaque Rebekah Boardman 8B Italian Leather from Shrigley
Year 8 winner First Trust Cup Samantha Parke 8C Clough Primary School
Year 9 winner Northern Bank Cup Daniel Stanfield 8C My Great Uncle Henry – A World War 2 prisoner of war.
Year 10 winner Essence Cup Andrew Skillen 10D Swastika over Ulster!

RUNNERS UP
Year 8 Hollie Martin 8B Betsy Grey
Year 9 Karen Malone 9M Castlewellan Castle
Jana Rodgers 9M The history of the Glees
Year 10 Jane McEvoy 10C The Irish Famine

Highly Commended
Certificate and medal and money
Mark McClean 9B The history of my garden.
Conor McKay 9B Burke and Hare
Mitchell Britton 9M My family history
Carrie McAlinden 9B The history of John Rooney
Sian Ogle 8C Sir Hans Sloane
Sinead Murray 8M My Great Granny
Commended
Tamara O’Rourke 9M Percy French
Conor Cuthbertson 9D The life and story of South Africa’s first black President.
Tyne Rogan 9B Newcastle railway
Claire Smyth 9B The Silent Valley
Julia Martin 9B Salvaging the SS Great Britain
Conor Kenwell 9C Slieve Donard Hotel
Christopher Leneghan 9 Christ Church and Massforth

Creative Parents

Our current Parents' Council committee happens to have a high proportion of artists among them. Tonight's meeting hosted a visit from Martin McParland, Shimna's artist in residence. Martin talked through the ways in which he contributes to the work of the A level students, and about his own background and practice as an artist. Great ideas flowed, and the Parents' Council now plan a student art show for 25th June, as a showcase for A level and GCSE art students' work. The event will include wine and cheese and some student musicians. The other great idea was to use art as the focus for the barbecue for our incoming year 8s, which will be held on 21st June. Martin has been booked to lead a creative workshop with the students, and all the artistic parents will have an opportunity to help. Plans were also suggested for more extensive show casing of art work on a more regular basis.

and the Winners Were

Niomi O'Rourke as a fantastic first; Johnny, Tom, Barry and Danny as spectacular second; Carol-Anne Magennis as throughly great third.

Shimna Stars

Shimna Stars

Shimna students revealed a huge range of talent in bands and solo performers at the college heats “Stars in Yer Eyes”. Previous NI champion Lee McMahon took on a different role this year serving up the teas, while fellow students took their chance in the limelight. Performing this year were: Niomi O’Rourke as Feist; Anna Crawford as Maria Carey; Carol-Anne Magennis as Natasha BeddingfieldLaura Mae O’Neile as Dusty Springfield; Caroline McCann as Amy Winehouse; Felan Davidson as Chico; Cahal O’Hir as Counting Crows; Karen Malone and Jana Rodgers as Aly and Aj; Danny, Johnny, Barry and Tom as Tenacious D. A fabulous night was had by all.

Personal Writers

While Matthew Martin is with us to work on the year 9 Eco project, he got dragged in to help 12 Donard with the personal writing section of their coursework. Already he has been pushing the boundaries of the definition of personal writing, and will show the class how to take advantage the techniques used in the Writing Centre he runs in the university. It's a fantastic opportunity, and perfectly timed to fit in a great piece of coursework as we head for the deadline.

Doctor Who?

The first meeting of the Bad Wolf club will take place on Wednesday at 3.30pm in Mrs McMillan's room. Everyone welcome!