Yr 13 Forms from Alicia

Work Experience 9th – 13th February 2009

In form class this morning you will have been given information on work experience with a form to fill in. Please complete this as soon as possible. The deadline for completion is the 12th December. Return it to the box on Alicia's desk labelled work experience and she can get cracking on helping to arrange you a worthwhile placement.

Once she has deciphered the information you have supplied her on the form, she will arrange the placement with you via your school email account, so it is vital that you check your school email account every day. It only takes a minute. Just click on it from the start menu after you have logged on. I find it a really quick, easy and efficient way of communicating with everyone in the Shimna community. Once you get into the habit of doing it you will find that it makes life so much easier. Contact Peter if you have any difficulty accessing/using your email account. Also, you can access your email at home by logging on via the www.c2kni.net website and following the links. Thanks everybody!

Upwards and Onwards You Lot

Upwards and onwards, year 14, towards getting your UCAS application in. The sooner you do, the sooner you will hear back. Don't underestimate the time it takes to push references and personal statement drafts among all the people who need to read check them before your application is ready to go.

Upwards and onwards, year 13, in getting your work experience organised. Put together a list of ideas of placements you would consider. There is lots of help available from our experience of previous years and also from professional agencies which can help out in all sorts of career areas.

Remember that this blog is quite new. You should scroll back to the beginning and have a quick look at all the posts to make sure you have all the information you need. Also, click on the links.

Carson Bursary Opportunity

The Carson Bursary is open only to 6th Form students and the new deadline is 28th November. The Bursary is a good opportunity for a real achievement for your curriculum vitae, as well as an opportunity to make a statement about integration in a creative form. Have a look at the flier and application form to find out what to do. Time is short, but there is still time enough to do something really good. Several bursaries are available, and are worth £1,000 each. This could be a really valuable start to your college fund! (or a whole lot of other possibilities I'm sure you could think of!) Any creative medium is acceptable - art, drama, media, poetry...

Recommending Nottingham University

Stephen Lowry called in to see us today, sporting his Nottingham Law School sweatshirt. He asked me to pass on a high recommendation of Nottingham University. He says he is having a brilliant time, and would be happy to talk to or email any current sixth formers who might be considering Nottingham and would like to know more.

Apply for a Spirit of Enniskillen Bursary

Information has just come through about how to apply for a 'Spirit of Enniskillen' bursary. This scheme was set up after the Enniskillen Remembrance Day bomb, and offers great opportunities. To find out more, look up the website at www.soetrust.co.uk or ring 028 90 381500. The application process needs a bit of thought and the closing date is 22nd December 2008.

Interested in Law? Urgent.

University of Ulster is running a Pre-Law day on 15th November for students thinking about a degree and/or a career in law. See Alicia for details. The course costs £25.00, but if you would be unable to go just because of the cost, come and let me know.

Best Use of Study

The main use of study is of course to get your work done for your A level courses. Each A level course consists of five/six hours of class AND your study and homework hours. Other things you need to be doing in study are: year 14 - completing your UCAS research, personal statement and application' year 13 researching and organising your work experience; investing in enrichment activities to boost your life and your applications, eg. RSA keyboarding, volunteering with younger students, volunteering to plant bulbs for the Wildlife Group, volunteering for something else you see that needs to be done. If there is anything else you would like to take a short course in, ask. Reading, the library is full of books and the week's magazines are there to be used. Don't underestimate the power of expanding your mind through reading books, magazines and newspapers. Especially if you have a long stretch of study within one day, it is essential to plan how you will use it to give yourself some variety and added value.

RepeatsRepeats

This week sees the repeat examinations for GCSE English. Good luck to those taking the examination. Remember that Paper 1 requires a clear head, detailed answers and excellent expression. Make sure you have a text book to look over the night before to remind yourself of the kind of things the mark scheme is looking for. Next week's Paper 2 is the one you need to revise for, Poetry from Other Cultures. Make sure you read, read and read the poems again in your anthology, Cluster One OR Cluster Two. Good revision materials for both papers are available on BBC BiteSize. Anyone who needs to resit for June, MUST make a solid arrangement for revision work/repeat coursework with Grainne Tobin. Remember that success in repeats means that YOU have to commit the time to improve the grade.