Welcome Craig

We were very pleased to welcome author Craig Bradley to our school on Friday. He worked away all day with two year 9 classes, and we will be publishing some of the writing outcomes on this very blog very soon.

Why Steven McVeigh?

Why did Steve McVeigh get to see "Mutter Courage" at the National Theatre in London at the weekend instead of me. I love Brecht, I love Deborah Warner, I love Fiona Shaw and I love Duke Special. It just isn't fair.

Congratulations and Good Luck

Congratulations and good luck to CarolAnne Maginnis who is through to the public vote for this year's CityBeat YoungStar competition. See her performance in Lisburn on the CityBeat site. See her and VOTE!

Framed

Those of you who visited this year's GCSE, A level and AS art exhibitions will have been hugely impressed by the quality of the work.  In celebration, we have launched our 'Sponsor a Frame' project.  Parents and friends have been sponsoring frames through our Give Now button on the college website, or by sending sponsorship in to the college office.  We really appreciate every frame, and will invite everyone in very soon to see the resulting exhibition.  It's great, at long last, having walls worth exhibiting on.  Congratulations to everyone who has exhibited and thank you to everyone who has already donated.

Welcome Back Peterson

Peterson Toscano returned to lead drama and discussion sessions with two lucky year 10 and a year 11 group.  Peterson brings up topics we sometimes shy away from, and creates a space for everyone to speak their mind.

Outstanding Performances

Audience response to the three productions performed by our A level drama students indicated an outstanding theatre event. Family, friends and the A level moderator laughed till they cried, almost cried some more and were sent away challenged, entertained and moved. Catherine Kelly departed with a well deserved and huge bunch of flowers, and Deborah and Rose Marie gave their traditional sterling support front of house. Watch this space for a slide show. Seek out the DVD!

Local History Winners

LOCAL HISTORY COMPETITION WINNERS

Ken Ward of the Parents' Council came in to assembly today to present the Awards in the annual Local History Competition. Overall winner was Martin Fitzpatrick for his research on his great uncle Tom Lennon.

Sponsor Shimna Artwork

Now we have walls worthy of exhibiting the best of Shimna Artwork, we are taking parents and friends up on their offers of support, and launching our Sponsor a Frame scheme.  You are invited to make a contribution to the fund either by paying in on the college website, or by leaving the money in to the finance office, marked Sponsor a Frame

Dramatic Events

Our A level Drama students presented a great evening of monologues, with some really chilling performances.  Work continues on their group performances, to be presented to family and friends on Thursday 28th May - be there!

Stop Press Piera

We are delighted to hear that Piera Cirefice has achieved a Merit in the Texaco Children's Art Competition. This is a fantastic achievement in a competition which attracts a huge number of entries. Well done you!

Hawk

Wings flapping

Silently slapping the air

Build its lair

Fiona in Beijing

Bente Elsholtz was in at 'Joseph' and passed on wonderful news that Fiona is exhibiting her art work in Beijing next month.  Fabulous

Truly Amazing and Truly Technicolour

The Michael Joseph, in two strange anklesocks, finally took to the stage and gave a terrific performance through the pain.  Cormac reverted to a being a brother, but he looked a lot more like the Phantom of the Opera by the time he was leaving for the after-party.  Everything came together for this final performance: singers; musicians; choir; dancers; technical team; stae managers, all under the direction of Orla Fitzpatrick and Jo Rodgers.  You gave us all a great night.  Well done, well done, well done.

Artists Too

Our GCSE artists were in action too, and work progressed very well indeed on the first day of controlled conditions art work.  The atmosphere was purposeful and calm, and our artists are well ahead of themselves, leaving them their second day to really polish their work.

Rising to the Occasion

Our GSCE students of drama really rose to the occasion as they performed for the Chief Examiner and an audience of drama students across the year groups.  The audience was riveted by both plays, and the Chief Examiner was delighted to confirm the students' grades.  Very well done to all concerned.  

Too much Drama?

When people tell actors to 'break a leg' as a way of saying good luck before a performance, they don't mean it!  The entire cast of 'Joseph' was devastated when Joseph himself injured his leg, and had to be taken off to hospital.  However, undeterred, everyone got behind Cormac Nellis who stepped in as understudy and did a fantastic job.  The icing on the cake was that Joseph, alias Michael O'Brien, was at his post back stage, playing bass in support of the band.  But who was the bearded mystery brother who took on Cormac's original role?

JosephDanceDramaMusic

It's all cast on deck now for the final weeks of rehearsal of our production of "Joseph". We are delighted that the cast includes a choir from All Children's, who come in each Thursday to rehearse. Most afternoons somebody is rehearsing, every day the building of the set continues and Saturday mornings see even more rehearsal. Gerard McConkey is the business manager and tickets go on sale this week. Get yours!

Kirsten in the Wings

First Day Out

The heat of the sun
flushes my skin
until a night breeze blows in.

The sea rolls in and out,
a dog sent away in disgrace
that keeps on returning.

Over the barbecue,
the fish scorch
with all-seeing eyes.



by Kirsten

Tom Nolan Award

We are delighted to receive a Certificate of Commendation in the Tom Nolan poetry award section of the SEELB Outstanding Achievement Awards. Nathan Mullan is the star of our entry, and many congratulations go to him and to our other poets. Well done.