Oxford Aspirations

Edward, Bronagh and Tanya headed off with Alicia, Gerard and governor Isobel Jones to Oxford University open days. They were hosted in various colleges, attended a Bach recital, met tutors, watched presentations on interview skills, haunted Blackwell's bookshop and met lots of students currently studying at Oxford. A wonderful time was had by all, and all were very grateful to Isobel for giving her time and expertise.

Boasting

While Kevin was in Liverpool, Ellen took his place at the first conference of Specialist Schools, and gave a presentation for schools which might consider applying to become specialist. It was a real pleasure to get to boast about all the work our staff and students have done in our first two years as a Specialist School. The warm response is a tribute to everyone in Shimna.

Support from our Sponsors

We are very proud that our main sponsors as a Specialist School are the Communication Workers Union. Kevin was again invited over to their conference, in Liverpool this time, where he reminded the conference of the origins of the link between the college and the union through our joint response to the death of Newry postman Frank Kerr. The union has again been extremely generous, and the money raised will go directly into our new ICT facilities for languages.

Students at the Helm

If you had taken a wander round the college earlier on Wednesday evening, you would have been welcomed by Conor on reception. If you had gone upstairs you would have found Chris invigilating a room full of nervous adult students of Spanish, who were slaving over their hot examination papers. It is great to see so many complete the course and take their assessment. I hope that Una Cole was a well-behaved candidate, and that Chris didn't have to intervene to get her to concentrate!

Around Midnight

I was sitting in school at an unearthly hour of Wednesday night, when a great big coach drew up an hordes of our year 11s poured off. They were on their way home from their day out to Brussels, and full of frites, waffles and dames blanches. Moules anyone? After the students had sorted themselves out and met their parents, the two staff members and all their shopping tumbled off. No self-restraint those two - they claimed the bags were full of fathers' day presents. all the bags? It sounded like a fantastic trip, suggested by the students themselves, who had originally wanted a day trip to Paris, but were delighted with Brussels as a Francophone destination within reasonable reach. I am just consumed with envy!

Celebrity Shimna

They won't thank me for this blogtitle, but Mark, Rachel, Calum, Tanya and Kevin all had their celebrity moment this morning on Radio Ulster's Sunday Sequence discussing the nature of celebrity itself, and its influence on the current school age generation. They did a great job of putting across a reflective and personal response, distinguishing between celebrities they felt had earned their fame, for example Alan Sugar and Quentin Tarantino, and those who had become famous for being famous, for example, Jade Goody and Katie Price. Good to hear you on the airwaves.