Well Done Matt

Grainne bumped into Matt Davis who is justifiably pleased with himself because he has just completed a BTEC National in Media at South Eastern Regional College. He says he and Zac Mallon were together on the course and are planning to visit us soon. Matt is currently looking into trainee posts and is especially keen on video editing.

Off to Dubai

Janine Johnston breezed in today. She is completing a year's teaching in London after her PGCE there, and has now got herself a two year contract in Dubai and is going to be rich! It's wonderful to see her, and she will be helping track down some of the rest of you to get you signed up to WebAlumnus so that our OldScholar system will run forever,and will be able to have ten, twenty, thirty year reunions. On the day she came, Paul Swail was taking out Rebecca Murphy's first Duke of Edinburgh Bronze group and James Magee was down on the pitch training the year 8 soccer squad. We do produce a great class of student - and Clare Murphy, All Child and Lagan, was there to photograph them.

Sophie goes to Chile Too

Everybody seems to be heading to Chile. First Kevin headed over for a week and will be returning next year. Then a group of Chilean school principals came to stay with us. Then Laura O'Hare decided to travel to Chile for six months from next January. Now Sophie Astruc, Shimna old scholar and teacher of French in our evening class programme, has chosen Chile for her year out as part of the degree in Spanish she is doing at Queens. I want to go too.

Getting Laura Back

We are delighted that Laura O'Hare will be back with us volunteering on our Sharing Education Programme teaching languages in our partner primary schools. Laura graduated last year, and has been working in Spain ever since. She hopes to build up experience teaching German and Spanish, both in primary schools and as evening classes before she heads off to spend time in Chile, and then completes her PGCE.

The Oldest of Scholars

Great to see Barry Maginn in for possibly his fifth or sixth A level? this time in maths. Barry graduated from Manchester University, now works as a high flying accountant and is planning a PhD in political economy. He'll be giving Chris Skillen a run for him money soon on sheer numbers of academic qualifications.

Yo Mark Laird

Alicia ran into, literally, Mark Laird the other night. He has graduated in town planning from Manchester, is home for the summer and intends to start consulting in Manchester in the Autumn time. Terrific news, and we told you so!

Siun and Shane

News from Siun Carden who wants to give a plug for Stitch 'n' Bitch, where she is to be found knitting every Wednesday from about 4:30 in Starbucks in Castlecourt. She also learning to spin, with a view to becoming a proper spinster, and enjoying her PhD research on the Gaeltacht Quarter, even venturing back to the Donegal Gaeltacht which she hated so much when she was fourteen.



She met Shane Clendenning in a bar recently - he's just bought a house!