Beautiful People

A busload of our beautiful 6th form headed off on Thursday to the Hilton Hotel in Belfast for their formal. They all looked magnificent and though Alex Henderson won the fabulous dress award, Callie nearly pipped her at the post - if only he'd kept his dress on!

The Saddest News

So soon after Mick's retirement party last Wednesday, we heard the very sad news that Mick had died on Sunday. The party was great, and the lovely photos are displayed in the college and that's what we will be remembering. Peace and love from us all to Mick.

Irish Stars

A*s that is. Our wonderful year 9 students of Irish chalked up spectacular results in their GCSE Irish, and Meadbh in year 11 achieved a grade A in her AS Irish. Well done all. A real boost for all our Irish Medium students.

Celebrate

Education Minister Caitríona Ruane and Employment and Learning Minister Sir Reg Empey both came to Shimna on A level results day to help us celebrate our most fantastic results yet. We celebrated our third year as NI's first Specialist Languages School with Tanya's place to study French at Oriel College, Oxford. Tanya leaves Shimna with her A level French, GCSE in French and Irish and today she collected a grade A* in German. Other fantastic results include Rachel Skillen winning her place to study Veterinary Science at Nottingham University, Callum Henderson off to Westminster to study television production, Lee McMahon off to study at Paul McCartney's LIPA, Niamh Lindsay off to study English and Spanish at Glasgow University - and so on and so on. Tanya, Callum and Lee were interviewed on Radio Ulster, and Orla O'Connor got to show off her four As on teatime TV.

InnoTaytorWinners

1. Luck of the Irish – Ruben Mills, Cade Douthwaite & Aaron Latus
2. Twist, turn, taste on your tongue - Ellie May Jennings, Faidhnait Brady & Jessica Lauren Taylor
3. Taco Sauce – Can you handle it? - Thomas Maguire, Eve McAnallen & Tighearnach Murphy Dawes
4. Smoked Salmon - Lisa McMillan, Katie Graham & Mary Jane Fitzsimons
5. Chilli Chicken – Can you handle it? - Chloe Park, Callum Stevens & Danny Needham
6. Salted Sea Food - Conor Wylie, Josh-Marshall Boyd & Michael Cooney
7. Beans on Toast - Claire Malone, Stephen McClean & Ryan McAnulty
8. Sweet Chilli Chicken Tubes - Ellen Dennison, Stephen Ward & Matthew Pringle-Rice
9. Ham & Cheese - Matthew O’Sullivan, Ryan McVeigh & Shannon Kennedy
10. Chicken & Chocolate/BLT Split pack - Jonathan Mills, Jamie Holmes & Jack Rogan
11. Popcorn Flavour - Alexander Crory, Josua Bartley & Aimee Forde
12. Spicy Chicken Kebab - Dieter Cunningham, Ryan Johnston & Ryan Maguire
13. Ribs in Peking Sauce - Emma Addis, Lauren Sloan, Hannah Croman & Kirsten Diamon

Well done all those winners. Good luck in the main competition!

Midgie Bites and a Tan

Our intrepid Gold Duke of Edinburgh Expeditioners arrived back this afternoon from their Trossachs five day hike. They did a great job, along with the Limavady High School group, with Shimna into the campsite first every day (well almost every day!). Campbell did a great job organising, watering and minding them all and deserves a gold award too. Very well done all. Look out for a very embarrassing slideshow soon!

InnoTaytor

During their Moving On day on Tuesday, year 8 were introduced to the exciting InnoTaytor Challenge. On Wednesday they all turned up back to the gym to work in teams on their innovative ideas for new Tayto products. Watch this space for the list of winners whose ideas will go forward to the main Tayto competition.

Sporting Fundraisers

Amnesty International raised £100.00 at their sponge throwing event, and huge thanks are due to the victims. The Students' Council are still counting their loot, and deserve to have raised a huge amount for the huge effort they put into organising a fantastic alternative element to our sports day. Thanks for: buns; egg and spoon races; sack races; face painting; nail designs; ice pops and all sorts of other things. Trojan effort.

Father Murray Comes Home to Shimna

Our wonderful Irish department are this year's winners of the Father O'Mhuirigh Cup for Irish.  It will be brilliant to have the huge babybath of a trophy back in Shimna.  Our winners will head off to Cookstown in June for the celebrations.  If you're inspired, have a go at Irish

Conor Honoured as Volunteer

Conor Poland was awarded second place at this week's presentation of awards to local volunteers. Conor was nominated for his great work with the Lifeboat crew.

Andreas' Chemistry Success

We have just heard that Andreas Bitter has won a place at the Sutton Trust Summer School in Oxford to study chemistry. Very well done.

Shimna's Oustanding Science Results

Shimna Integrated College students of A level biology have carried off outstanding results in the fourteenth British Biology Olympiad. Conor Poland won a Gold Medal, Orla O'Connor a Bronze Medal and Sait Can Ozdemir won High Commendation. The students will attend an award ceremony at Imperial College London. 1800 students entered this year's Olympiad from schools across the country and very high scores were recorded. The awards are the icing on the cake for students who are already achieving the highest grades in their A level modules. Biology teachers Joanne Poland and Anne French are very proud of them.

Some Italian Glamour

Our students of Italian posed for the cameras today in the cause of promoting the Open University YASS scheme through which our students are studying their Italian. V'Cenza and Piera were supported at the photoshoot by their father, and Shimna governor, Victor Cirefice, and by our languages support coordinator, Clare Murphy. That's why it was glamorous - I stayed well out of the photograph!

Happy Valentine's Day

The Sixth Form Council and Parents' Council did a great job running the Valentine's Disco for years 8-10. The parents did a wonderful job decorating the hall, and designing beautiful Valentine's card and stocking the tuck shop with jelly hearts and roses to buy. Michael O'Brien and the sixth form team ran the disco and kept everyone safe and happy. I got so tired by the end of the evening - it's all Gerard McConkey's fault for making the elderly dance - that I put a packet of biscuits into my bag and shut my mobile phone in the biscuit tin. Ryan McQuitty had to rescue me from my own daftness and I am very grateful. A good time was had by all and money raised towards the sixth form formal. Thanks to all involved.

Two MLAs and an MP

First thing on Friday morning Jim Wells, DUP MLA, was our first visitor. He came in to talk to our A level Travel and Tourism class about his views in support of the Mournes becoming a National Park. Then cam John Mcallister, OUP MLA, who brought with him Owen Patterson conservative MP, Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary, who headed up to talk to our A level politics class. Busy, busy, Busy. Jim Wells remembered his last visit to Shimna, many years ago, when Shimna student Thomas O'Rourke won a poetry competition organised by the National Trust, where Jim Wells worked at the time.

Home Economics at Last

We have just heard that the Department of Education has agreed the funds to provide us with rooms and equipment for home economics at last! Celebrations! That means the classes already doing home economics already with the microwaves will have the very best of facilities next year, and all our A level students will get the survival cookery classes they need for heading off to university! We are delighted.

Patrick's Gold

Patrick Poland called in to let us know that he has received his invitation to St James' Palace to be presented with his Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award. Very well done and well deserved.

Academic Achievement

We are absolutely delighted that Tanya Murray has been offered a place to study French at Oriel College, Oxford.