It's not often that the pupils enjoy bragging rights after the TY-Staff soccer match...in fact, it's never actually happened before...but it finally happened on Friday, 11th May as the kids managed to stifle a staff comeback to win 3-1. The scoreline doesn't really tell the truth about the game; it was a 50-50 affair, with little to separate the sides (apart from about 300 years...). The eventual outcome pivoted on a missed staff penalty in the first half that would have squared things up; the pupils taking the lead early on. By the time the pupils were two up, the staff (sponsored by Deep Heat) were on a damage limitation exercise. Or so it seemed. But old heads don't drop easily and the staff were back in the game following a cool finish from Shaun McGeoghan. The staff dominated the last fifteen minutes of the contest, pushing forward in numbers to force the equaliser. Mr. John Farren, along with "ringers" John Gibbons and Fergal Doherty, bossed proceedings. But it was the pupils who got the rub of the green and were gifted a penalty with minutes left on the clock. There are only fifteen school days left for the Transition Years to exercise their bragging rights...it's going to be a long three weeks!

Transition Year v Staff soccer match photo album (photos by John Doherty, TY)

Fifth & Sixth Years and their parents attended presentations this week on the new system for applying for student grants, known as SUSI. SUSI stands for Student Universal Support Ireland. More information on student grants can be found on SUSI's Facebook page - http://www.facebook.com/susisupport. The grant application form will be available from 28th May on http://www.studentfinance.ie.

Class 2A, under the guidance of Ms. Lorna Simkins, recently concluded their creative writing workshop with author in residence, Malachy Doyle. The second last instalment of Malachy Doyle's creative writing workshop took place on Tuesday, 17th April in the library. Malachy began by reading from one of his books, 'Long Live Paddy the Cope.' In it he told the story of how Paddy the Cope at the age of ten went off to the Lagan for a hiring fair. The students then wrote two pieces.

Read more: Class 2A Completes "Author in Residence" Initiative

Pictured with the Mayor of Derry City, Maurice Devenney are our friends from St. Charles West High School during their visit to CCS in March. Also in photo is their tour guide, local historian and retired CCS teacher, Seán Beattie. (Photo by Tom Heaney)

The Pupil Gardeners (Michael McDaid, Matthew McLaughlin, Conor McCormick and Mark Doherty) took time out from Tidy Town business on Wednesday to replant the CCS garden outside the office. And with sunshine and showers in equal measure this week, the flowers are already in bloom. The boys will be back outside next week to continue their Tidy Town duties.

It turned out to be "AWESOME!"...the Transition Year Grand Tour of the Áras finished up on Friday, 28th April with "Dancing to the Musicals", a memorable sound-and-lights extravaganza coordinated by Ms. Elaine Farren. Three TY groups competed in the dance-off. No musical was safe, as Grease, The Rocky Horror Show, High School Musical and Thriller among others got the TY interpretation. Cearly, there's an exhibitionist trying to get out of every TY pupil...In the end, Group Three reigned supreme. For those of you unlucky enough to miss it, there's always the photo album (reliably compiled by John Doherty, TY). And yes...that WAS ten members of staff dancing to Boogie Nights!

"Dancing to the Musicals" photo album