Colaiste Cholmcille Girls Gaelic team are travelling north today to face Carndonagh Community School.

Third Years and Sixth Years breathed a collective sigh of relief this week as the finished their Junior and Leaving Cert Mock exams. The mocks are designed to give students a fair appraisal of their performance in all their subjects. The exams give them the chance to assess their own strengths and weaknesses, and to plan a study timetable for the remainder of the year based on their results.

CCBS are sending out envoys all over the country this week: the Girls Gaelic team head north to Carndonagh for a match, the Girls Basketball head for Dublin to play in the All-Ireland semi-final on Friday, and Transition Years travel to Macroom, Co. Cork, on Saturday to take part in the All-Ireland Transition Year Drama Competition. Best of luck to all involved!

The girls on the Senior Basketball team were dismayed on Friday last after putting up a great fight in the All-Ireland Semi Final in Tallaght. Although it was a tense match with both sides tying at 23-23 at half-time, the Ballyshannon team were eventually beaten by ten points. Despite their defeat, all here at Colaiste Cholmcille are immensely proud of the team and their coach Miss O’Malley for getting to the All-Ireland Semi-Final and for making life as difficult as possible for their opponents.

Well done to the students from TY2 (with a little help from TY1) for their success in the Briery Gap All-Ireland Transition Year Theatre Competition which was held in Macroom, Co. Cork on Saturday, March 3rd. The students performed a play written by Mr. Beattie entitled ‘All Apologies’ which won a Runner-Up prize as well as an award for Best Original Script.  The performance was recorded by Miss Daly who accompanied the group at the weekend, and is available to watch on the school YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/ccbstv. Although a number of students have performed different roles in the play throughout the year, the cast members in the final were Lorcan Feeney, Brid Roberts, Jessi Mc Govern, Megan Mc Sharry, Grainne Gillespie, Paul Hever, Patrick Gillespie, Joshua Mc Dermott, Megan Lawlor, Cian Brady, Ellen Kennedy and Kevin Warnock.

The CCBS Debate Team head to Enniskillen this evening, Thursday March 8th, to face Moyne College, Longford in the next round of the Final 16 Knockout Stage of the Concern Debate. This evening’s motion is ‘The Developed World is responsible for child slavery’. The students have been busy researching, writing and practicing their speeches with Miss Garvey, even though she is currently on maternity leave!

Parents of TY students who are travelling to London on the annual TY Tour are invited to attend an information evening in the school at 8.15pm this evening (Thursday March 8th). This will give them a chance to find out about the itinerary and meet the teachers who are going on the trip.

Medbh and Film Crew on location, Rossnowlagh

Today, Friday March 9th, is the final day of shooting for the ‘Tigerish Waters’ film crew. For the last week they have been shooting on location in Rossnowlagh, with Colaiste Cholmcille starlets Medbh Mc Closkey (3rd Year) and Maeve Liston (TY). It’s been a busy week for all involved, including the 20 TYs who hopped on Mc Cauley’s bus this morning as extras for the the bus scene, shot inside the coach as it drove around the loop road past The Smugglers. The crew head back for post-production in England but hope to return with the finished film in April or May. They were very happy with the talent and the cooperation of the students from Colaiste Cholmcille. Keep an eye on production news on the website, www.tigerishwaters.com.

Commiserations to the CCBS Concern Debate Team who were unfortunately knocked out of the competition by Moyne College, Longford at the heat in Enniskillen last night (Thursday, 8th March). The team put up a very strong argument and made some intelligent rebuttals. Well done for getting so far in the competition!

A speaker from Trocaire, Lawrence Mc Bride, is visiting the school today, Monday  March 12th,  giving a talk to 1st, 2nd and TY students of the work of Trocaire in Uganda. The presentation highlights the persecution and exploitation of Ugandans at the hands of Joseph Kony.

The U13 Boys Gaelic team face St. Mary’s, Belfast in Omagh on Tuesday, while the U13-1/2 are up against Castleblaney on Wednesday. Best of luck to both teams.

6th Year Agricultural Science students are travelling to Ballyhaise Agricultural College, Co. Cavan, with their teacher Miss A. Gallagher. The students will be informed of the various courses Ballyhaise offer, and will be taken on farm walk to learn of the different methods and technologies employed.

1st Year and Leaving Cert girls will get the next HSE injection on Friday.

Once again it’s the time of year to don the shamrock and support your local festival, but unfortunately that means the school also has to close on Monday the 19th of March. Mr. Keogh has made various appeals to the Board of Management and the Dept. of Education to overturn this decision, with the support of all staff, but it seems the school has to be closed. We’re open again on Tuesday.

5th Year Higher Level English students are reminded to bring in €17 for the trip to Letterkenny to see ‘Macbeth’ on Tuesday 27th. The play begins at 13.30 and is expected to end around 16.00. Students will need to arrange their own transport home from the school, at approximately 17.30.