St. Gerard's School Transition Year Newsletter 2018 - 2019

TY

St. Gerard’s School

Transition Year

2018-2019

TY Activ i t i e s

Three Peaks Challenge

On the 2nd of May the TY’s completed the Three Peaks Challenge. Our aim was to raise much needed funds for our Difference Day project with St Catherine’s Association. The day was much anticipated and we were all looking forward to it. Thankfully we were blessed with good weather as we began our hike at the foot of the big sugarloaf. We quickly climbed to the shoulder of the big sugarloaf, we were proud of how fast we were moving until we realised the downhill was actually tougher. Walking back down the big sugarloaf towards Kilmacanogue was difficult as the scree was loose and it was hard to find secure footing. With only a few trips and stumbles we made it safely to the bottom, where we took a much needed break. We had successfully completed the first peak, and we were all already tired and blissfully unaware of the challenge of the second peak. After a quick snack to refuel, we set off again for the summit of our second peak.

We soon learnt that the ‘small’ sugarloaf is rather deceptively named as it’s a steeper, harder climb than the ‘big’ one. The climb was tough with a lot of scrambling, but it was incredibly scenic so we were all fairly distracted and delighted when we finally reached the summit. We picnicked at the top and took in the beautiful surrounding scenery of county Wicklow. The wind on top of the mountain was strong but we were all so tired. and hot from our climb that we didn’t notice. We descended through the lovely grounds of Killruddery house where we took a stop near the gates to admire the pigs and to gather our breath before the final peak.

Our final hurdle was to scale the peak of Bray Head. We were all fairly exhausted, but still climbing as we were committed to completing the challenge. We trudged up the final peak where our hike culminated at the cross and we stopped for our final break of the day. From there, we walked down to Bray to get a much needed ice-cream. We were all super happy and proud to complete this challenge as it was one of the longest walks that most of us had ever done and definitely involved a lot of climbing. Overall, it was was a brilliant day, which we all enjoyed though we may be in some pain tomorrow. As a group we had succeeded in raising over 5500 Euro in sponsorship for completing our challenge. These funds will all go towards our Difference Day project with St Catherine’s school.

Pag e 02

St . Ge rard ’s S en i o r S c h o ol

T Y Ac tivities

Butlers Chocolate Factory On Friday 14th December the home economics class went on a trip to the Butlers Chocolate factory tour. We were gone for about half of the day and I really enjoyed it because I got to eat so much chocolate! First we took a tour of the factory floor which was unreal to see as it gave such an insight to what a factory really looks like. Unfortunately we couldn’t take any photos and we also had to wear these funny-looking hair nets, but it was still mesmerising watching the machines mold the chocolate and learn about the different types of chocolates. We also watched a video about the origins of chocolate and Butlers Chocolate, but my highlight of the trip was when we decorated our own chocolate Santas!

Eagle’s Flight Workshop On the 20th and 21st of September 2018, the whole year group participated in the Eagles Flight Workshop. This was one of the first events that the year did after camping, and many rumours were flying around about what it was going to be about, so nobody really knew what to expect. The year was split into three separate groups, and once the first group had gone, everybody was onto them wondering what they had done, but they weren’t giving anything away.

Eagles Flight workshop is in essence a boardgame, however there is a lot more to this ‘boardgame’ than meets the eye. It focused in on developing our planning, project management and team skills. These key skills are crucial to run a business and this was highlighted as we took part. We were put into groups and told that the aim of the workshop was to get our team from one end of the board to the other, where we could mine gold, and back within 20 ‘days’. Each day lasted three minutes and we were all given a limited amount of resources - food supplies and shelters - that we had to manage throughout the 20 days. The teams were groups of six and each and every person on the team was given a specific role that they had to fulfil to ensure the success of their team. The game was made to feel very realistic with daily forecasts that could hinder the progress of your team and bartering and trading between teams. There was a very high intensity atmosphere during the course of the game, and everyone was very competitive and wanted to mine as much gold as possible. Once the game had finished, all teams had made it back to base, and began to count up their gold. The ‘supplies manager’ had to analyse the final count of all the remaining supplies.

After the workshop was over, we all sat and discussed the game. We talked about how planning can actually make or break a team, and that in order to be successful, planning ahead is crucial. The skills we worked on during the workshop will be used in many different situations, not just when mining gold! I think that our year will reap the benefits of the workshop through the senior cycle and all the way to adulthood. While it was a very fun afternoon, it was also a great learning exercise.

Tra n s itio n Ye a r N e w s 2 0 1 9

Page 03

TY Activ i t i e s

St Gerard’s Day The 17th of October marked the annual St Gerard’s Day. We celebrated this day as usual, with the quiz, walk and mass, however due to the building work, the mass was held during the day, which ran very smoothly and provoked a great turnout from all the pupils. However before the mass was the quiz, and like previous years, all the pupils were packed tightly into the hall and put into teams of six. During the next hour and a half a singing competition, rugby and hockey showdown (with the hockey reigning victorious) and a, wait for it…. flossing competition took place… and all under the control of Mr Drummy who brought out his best jokes for the occasion.

Once the quiz was over and team 27 had won, we all walked down to the sports hall for the mass. At 1:30, we were herded onto the buses and on our way to the sugarloaf. It was a lovely crisp afternoon for a walk, and before we know it we were at the shoulder and looking down at the breathtaking views of County Wicklow. After a steep sloping walk back down, we were back at the school. To finish the day off everyone was given a large cup of hot chocolate and a chocolate treat to refuel us after the Sugarloaf walk.

ESB Milner Browne Radio Nova MVM Legal A & L Goodbody Ernst & Young BCP Asset Management Qualtrics AIB Andrew Doyle TD Virgin Media ATC UAE East Coast FM Brown Thomas Augustus Cullen Law MCD Productions

Work Experience & Community Service This year all of the transition year students had the opportunity to complete three weeks of Work Experience or Community Service. This was a great opportunity to see what life is like in the world of work. Many students chose to complete extra weeks as they were so interested in exploring future career options. We also learn the importance of being organised, punctual, independent and friendly in the workplace which will help us in the future when having a job.

Community service placements also featured heavily on the list of places students went to. Many students worked with the elderly or people with disabilities in places such as; Bray Lakers and Open Door Day Care Centre. By doing community service students learn how much charities depend on volunteers to help them as well as how to use their own initiative.

We faced many new challenges throughout the week, from navigating our journey to and from work, to dealing with our new responsibilities and mixing and working with all the staff in our work environments. We learnt a lot and now students have a better idea of what they want to do (or what they don’t want to do!). I think all of the students enjoyed their week of work and learning more about fields that they are interested in. We are all looking forward to our next placement.

Dargle Valley Nursing Home Seal Sanctuary Mealz on Wheelz Bray Lakers St. Columcille NS St. Saviors Community Service DSPCA St. Vincent De Paul Purple House Greystones Library Pa g e 04

St . Ge rard ’s S en i o r S c h o ol

T Y Ac tivities

Difference Days This year our TY Difference Days project was in aid of Haughton House, a respite home of St. Catherine’s Association. St. Catherine’s Association is a non-profit organisation that provides education, health care and respite to people with disabilities in Wicklow. They support over 280 children and we were helping to build a sensory playground, a sensory garden with swings, a zipline, and an outdoor cinema for the children who avail of respite in both Haughton House and Brambles.

To fundraise for our Difference Day we took on the Three Peaks Challenge the previous week. We succeeded in raising almost 6,000e in sponsorship for completing the walk which took us over the big sugarloaf, the small sugarloaf and Bray Head. The Parent Association had also fundraised for us through the Golf Classic - generously helping us to reach our target.

A group of students spent the week before Difference Day onsite in Haughton House preparing the groundwork and creating artwork to enhance the play areas.On Friday morning the rest of the TY group descended on the site to take on the project in earnest.

We were welcomed by the Difference Day team of professionals and the employees of St. Catherine’s. We already knew our work groupings and our tasks for the day so before long we were goggled, gloved and set to work.

Throughout the day we worked hard painting, digging, laying grass, raking, putting up swings or ziplines. Each and every student (and teacher)worked extremely hard to ensure the garden would be complete by the end of the day.

When we completed our task, despite being covered in mud, paint and dirt we were all so proud of the work we had completed. The highlight of the entire experience was when the children from St.Catherine’s saw their new sensory garden. Their faces were beaming with joy, delight and excitement. The staff and children at the centre were kind enough to throw us a party at the end of the day to thank us for the work and presented us with handmade gifts from the children.

Taking part in Difference Day was one of the proudest achievements of my TY year.

It was such a rewarding experience for everyone and we are so grateful we got the opportunity to be involved in such a beneficial project.

Tra n s itio n Ye a r N e w s 2 0 1 9

Page 05

TY Activ i t i e s

First Aid Course

Learnit Workshop

From Monday 25th to Wednesday 27th March, most of the TY students took part in the First Aid course. In our forms, the instructors spent the days teaching us about all things concerning first aid.

We had a jam packed 3 days, with lots of material to cover.

Monday was spent learning and practicing to make slings, bandages, and how to deal with and care for patients who are choking, suffer from diabetes, and unconscious casualties.

On Tuesday, we focused on heart related incidents. We covered angina, heart attacks, strokes and cardiac arrest.

Our instructor also showed us a number of educational videos to help us learn how to deal with each condition. That afternoon, we practiced CPR and learned the process of safely resuscitating unconscious patients who are not breathing.

We also learned about AED machines and how to use them correctly. We closed the day with learning about concussions, compressions and how to treat them.

For our last morning, we learned how to treat different types of burns and scalds. After break we spent an hour revising and then proceeded to have a practical assessment. We had a short written assessment, and we are all relieved that we passed.

Overall, the first-aid course was very informative and helpful for all that took part. It’s comforting to know that we all know how to perform first aid in the event of an emergency.

The whole TY year group participated in the Learn - it Lego workshop and it was an experience thoroughly enjoyed by everyone.

We were broken into 3 large groups and then into smaller groups of three. We were all slightly skeptical of what we would be doing as we knew very little about the task. Each group was given a box of lego parts and a computer with a list of instructions. Each team worked together carefully to properly construct their fully- operational robot.

Once each group had completed this task they were shown how to create programmes on the computers and also how to correctly programme these into their robot. They were then shown a road map and had to programme a robot to move down the road without moving off- course. It took a lot of trial and error but in the end everyone succeeded.

I believe that the whole year really enjoyed this workshop as we all got to work with people who they might not spend a lot of time with as well as being able to explore an area of technology none of us really had ever seen before.

Pa g e 06

St . Ge rard ’s S en i o r S c h o ol

T Y Ac tivities

Martial Arts On Monday the 19th and Tuesday the 20th of November we all took part in a 2 day Martial Arts course.The aim of the course was to teach us basic self defense as this is such an important life skill to learn. During the two days we learnt how to do the basic strikes, such as the hammer, hit, knee and kick. We practiced these until everyone was punching to perfection. Darragh and Cathy then showed us how to block someone from attack in an exercise called the haymaker drill.

This involves disabling the attacker before they hit you and throwing them on the ground. We had great fun with this one and thankfully no one was injured too badly. Once we had perfected the drill, plastic weapons such as knives, guns and pipes were introduced . We learnt how to disarm an attacker before ending the day with some ground fighting.

At the end of the second day, we had an assessment. Darragh explained how in a real attack, you would be tired and out of breath by the time you had to do the haymaker drill. This is why all had to do the four hits, run and then do exercises like squats, burpees etc. for the assessment. We were all tired by the time we had done this, and then had to do the haymaker drill five times on our partners. We were all scored on how well we performed in the assessment. Overall, this was a really enjoyable course that the whole year got the opportunity to do. We all learnt so much in such a short course and the skills we learnt are invaluable.

Careers Evening Recently we had our career evening in school. Many parents and past pupils who are now at university came in and talk to small groups of 4th, 5th and 6th year students about their job/college course. Each ‘session’ was 15 minutes long and at the end of each 15 minutes a bell was rung and everyone moved around to a different table. There were many different professions and throughout the night one could talk to people from a wide variety of career paths including: medicine, engineering, psychology, architecture, and many more. Everyone really enjoyed this evening as they got to find out what college courses people took to do their profession, what college was like, and the practical day to day responsibilities involved in their careers. This was a great opportunity for the students to be able to tap into the experience and expertise of parents and past pupils of the school.

Wellbeing Week Wellbeing week is always an event that the whole school looks forward to each year. This year it took place from the 24th - 28th of September. Transition years were very lucky to have a number of different workshops and activities throughout the week. Our first talk of the week was on Monday with Mary Byrne. Her talk focused mainly on anxiety and stress when it comes to school and exams, referring to her own struggles when she was in school. This was a very beneficial talk for us as learning how to cope with exam stress will be very important once we get to the leaving cert.

On Thursday we listened to George Fouche, a South African who used to be both a rugby player and a teacher. His motivational talk focused on a range of different things including coping with adversity and never giving up. George’s story was very inspiring and it was a perfect talk for Wellbeing Week. TY’s got the opportunity to go to George’s workshop later on that Thursday. His workshop involved teaching us the most important characteristics you need to have in life.

George went through each characteristic, showing and explaining them to us using games and activities. We were told to tick off which characteristics we thought we had, and which ones we didn’t have yet, on a sheet of paper. This was a very enjoyable workshop for the year to do.

Wellbeing Week 2018 was another amazing event. Transition years received so many opportunities throughout Wellbeing Week and it was a very positive start to the year.

Tra n s itio n Ye a r N e w s 2 0 1 9

Page 07

TY Activ i t i e s

TY Musical The TY musical has been one of the best experiences of the whole year. Before the Christmas break when we were told that our transition year musical was going to be “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” there were fairly mixed reactions. Many people were a bit sceptical about the production as we didn’t really know any of the music and there weren’t a lot of female roles in it. However it ended up being so much fun and we all loved the entire show so much.

Just before the Christmas break all the girls and boys had singing and dancing auditions, where we got to meet with our amazing musical director, Ms. Olohan and choreographer and producer Aisling Doyle.

After Aisling taught us the first dance we all knew that the show would be hard work, but we still couldn’t wait to learn more new dances. When all the principal roles were chosen we were given scripts and it was soon time to begin rehearsals.

When we returned after the break, we headed into rehearsals straight away, with only 5 weeks until the show. Our rehearsals were really intense in preparation for the show. Each form got to learn two dances for the show. About two weeks before the first show we got our first look at the amazing costumes we would be wearing. They were all so bright and colourful.

After weeks of practicing it was finally time for our first show. We performed in front of the standard six pupils. We were all nervous but knew the audience would be patient as it was our first performance. Our next performances were for the senior school and then the rest of the junior school. After these dress rehearsals we were more than ready for our nightly performances.

Our first night performance was on Tuesday the 12th of February. It was so much fun to perform for all our families and friends and we all really enjoyed it. We had another show on Wednesday and then our final performance was on the Thursday. We were all so excited, yet also sad to perform our last show of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” The last night of the show was full of mixed emotions.

We were all so happy and proud of ourselves for the show we had put on, but we were all also really sad that we wouldn’t be performing again.

The TY students had such an amazing time preparing and performing “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and will never forget the moments we shared with the year group. The musical exceeded all of our expectations and the memories, music and dances will stay with us forever. It really brought our year closer together as a group.

Pa g e 08

St . Ge rard ’s S en i o r S c h o ol

T Y Ac tivities

St. Vincent De Paul During transition year all of the students had the option to work with St. Vincent De Paul on two occasions :

Hamper Packing Âť

On the 17th of December, all of the fourth year students gathered in the Sports Hall for the annual Saint Vincent de Paul hamper packing. Each Christmas, St. Gerard’s School works in conjunction with SVP to pack and deliver hampers to local families in need of support around Christmas time. Early in the morning Supervalu delivered the items we would be putting into the hampers, and once everything was unpacked, there was over 10,000 products ready to be packed in the hall. Our target this year was 360 hampers - the most we had ever donated - so it was all hands on deck to get all the hampers packed.

360 hampers were packed and delivered to homes in need in our community. Each hamper had at least 20 items, all essential products that the families would need such as butter, sugar and soup, as well as some festive treats such as mince pies and a fruit cake. Some of the hampers also contained toys, for families with young children. Overall, I think that the day was a great success. All the students worked hard to get all the hampers packed, and some even got the opportunity to deliver them. It was a great experience and a real eye opener, as it showed us how lucky we are to be able to afford all the luxuries we have this Christmas. :

Letter Drop Âť

On the 29th of November, twenty volunteers from transition year headed out to help St Vincent de Paul with their annual Christmas letter drop in their locality. We were split into pairs and teamed with one SVP volunteer/member. We were given maps and a vast amount of letters. Our goal was to deliver them to each house in the locality. We all made it back within an hour or two, successfully handing out all of the letters and reaching our target. Overall, it was great to get to help with such a simple task and aid this important cause especially as it is so close to Christmas.

Public Access to Law On the 13th of November about 50 Transition Year students took part in the Public Access to Law course. To begin the day we watched a thirty minute video on two real- life murder cases. The videos focused on forensics and CSI and how the police departments solved the cases using this evidence. I believe that everyone found these videos interesting as we learned about how criminals try to commit their crimes but also by how they try to cover up their actions.

After break we had our first mock trial, this involved a defendant and a plaintiff. The accused had supposedly entered the plaintiffs shop with the intention of committing theft. This was an educational experience for all those involved as each individual got to act out a role in the case and understand the responsibilities associated with each role. After lunch we had a second mock trial, this was related to arson. An older man was accusing her daughters boyfriend of throwing a petrol bomb at their home.The roles in the case were assigned and after the trial it was put to the rest of the group who were acting as jurors as to whether the man was guilty or innocent. The jury decided, based on the evidence they had heard, that the defendant was innocent. Finally at the end of the day we learned about the types of courts in Ireland and also more about the day to day work of a barrister. Overall, I believe everyone really enjoyed this course and found it informative but also good fun.

Tra n s itio n Ye a r N e w s 2 0 1 9

Page 09

EXTRA C U R R ICU LAR

Ethiopia I was fortunate to be given the opportunity to do my week of community service in Ethiopia with a group of 16 girls and their mums. This was an absolutely eye opening experience that I feel very privileged to have been a part of.

In total we spent 9 days in Ethiopia, our time split among 3 different locations. This was a non-fund raising trip so instead of raising money, we each brought 3 23 kg cases with us filled with aid. The type of items we put in the cases varied from wool and knitting needles to musical instruments, and these items would be sent to various charities all over Ethiopia. A fond memory of the trip that I have is of the first day when we spent hours unpacking and sorting through all 60 of the cases we had with us. This was quite a laborious chore however everyone was in high spirits and so there was a great comradery between everyone.

Our first 2 days were spent in the capital, Addis Ababa, where we visited two projects, one in Mikadonia and one in Aleltou and spent an evening at the Ambassadors residence. I was very shocked to see the levels of poverty in the capital city, as this is generally a more prosperous area of the country.

We flew from Addis Ababa to Lalibella on the third day where we spent one night. We travelled to Lalibella with the sole purpose of visiting the UNESCO world heritage sites there, a series of 11 underground, rock hewn churches. This was a fascinating experience and also a chance to see the more beautiful side of a poverty stricken country. From Lalibella we travelled back to Addis to get a flight to Mkele, where we would be travelling to Adigrat. There in Adigrat is where we would be working in the Beserat Mother and Child Centre for 3 days. Adigrat is a town in Northern Ethiopia. It is a very poor region where there is high unemployment and very basic facilities, many homes do not have running water or indoor toilets.

We worked from 9 to 3 in the daycare centre. The centre was set up to help single mothers who are trying to start a business. The centre provides financial aid and business advice, as well as providing childcare for their children for up to one year to allow them to start their careers. The children are given three meals at the centre as well as being taught english and basic skills such as personal hygiene and manners. Our role at the daycare, was to assist the teachers with the English and music classes, help prepare the meals and to play with the children. This was an enlightening experience, because even though there was a strong language barrier between us volunteers and the children we were still able to play and have fun with them. I was surprised to see how fascinated they were about us, and it made me realise that they may have never seen people with different skin colours or hair to them. I really enjoyed my time working at the daycare.

We visited the Support Africa youth club one evening where we played basketball with the teenagers and helped out in the advanced english class. We also attended the graduation of the young girls from the HTTI training school. This is an intensive training course that educates young girls in everything they need to know about housekeeping, bartending, waitressing and cooking to allow them to get jobs in hotels. I thought that this was an excellent idea and a great way to decrease the unemployment rates and promote education. The members of SAF staff held a traditional Ethiopian evening for us on our second last night in Adigrat, where we swapped traditional dances and songs. This was an amazing evening and one of my fondest memories of the trip.

I was sad to be heading home, however I was ready as I was missing the comforts of home and feeling absolutely exhausted both mentally and physically.

It was an assault to the senses as we were thrown straight into a new culture, and it has most certainly taught me to be grateful to live the life I do. It has also shown me how little things that we don’t see value to can make someone’s life so much easier. It was a trip of a lifetime that I will never forget.

Steer Clear For 13 weeks, several of our Transition Year students partook in the ‘Steer Clear’ driving course, taught to us by Kevin Alright. As there were so many students eager to take part in this course, we were split into two groups. We began by learning about basic road safety and how essential it is to have the correct mindset when learning to drive. He also explained how personal safety margins vary depending on the individual and their self confidence regarding their driving skills. Medicines such as paracetamol, panadol, antibiotics and even throat lozenges can cloud your judgment when driving, therefore it is important you do not take any medication before driving.

Driving on a full stomach can also pose a threat, therefore it is important to avoid eating too much before a long haul drive.

We continued by learning about the two second rule, which means allocating two seconds between yourself and the driver in front of you on the motorway in order to avoid collisions in the case of an emergency halt. We also learned

that is it important for a driver to look at their mirrors every seven seconds to ensure there is no surrounding danger as all humans have blind spots. Kevin also taught us about the dangers of younger drivers driving with 3 or more peers in the car, as they can cause distractions and raise the probability of a crash. We were all shocked to see the road crash statistics, majority of them being caused by the absence of safety belts or poor weather conditions. Although weather is something out of a driver’s control, extra caution is needed when driving under the influence of icy road conditions or strong winds. At the beginning of the course, we were required to complete a written exam each week at the beginning of class on the module we had completed last week, however thanks to Kevin’s effort, these written exams turned into kahoots for the last few weeks, engaging our class even more.

To conclude, this driving course was certainly incredibly beneficial and something that will stick with us when learning to drive this coming summer

Music Festival This years Music Festival had an overwhelming turnout in contestants. With over 40 entries over all 6 year groups the judges certainly had their work cut out for them. As always, the standard of talent was amazing, and the TY’s were well represented with Orla Wilson, Amy McGrath, Louise Sweeney and Bernard Byrne who all had solo performances on the night.

The quality of the performances was outstanding and by the end of the night I think many in the audience were struck by the wealth of talent we have in our school. It was lovely to celebrate this talent, a wonderful night was had by all. Roll on Music Festival 2019!

Pa Paggee 10 02

St . Ge rard ’s S en i o r S c h o ol

EX T R A CURRICUL AR

Scuba Diving One of the best experiences I have had as a TY student this term has been the Introduction to Scuba Diving course held at the National Aquatic Centre. For this course, knowledge is key to safety for inexperienced divers, so a seasoned diving instructor came in to give us a theory session and go through Health and Safety aspects of diving two days prior to our pool session. He taught us the purpose of each piece of equipment and how to safely use them. He also talked through the dangers of scuba diving and what not to do while underwater to avoid serious injury.

On the day of the dive we were supervised by trained professionals at all times which calmed everyone’s nerves and made us more willing to try this new experience. After putting the air tank on our backs we soon realized it was extremely heavy and suddenly we were all a bit worried that we might sink! However, we were all pleasantly surprised to see how easy it was to float on the surface of the water.

We submerged ourselves and sank to the bottom of the pool. This experience was incredibly strange, there was a peaceful serenity along with a otherworldly sensation to being able to breath despite being more than a meter underwater.It was like being on another planet, a uniquely strange and wonderful experience. While under the water, our instructor taught us many tricks, such as taking your mouth piece out underwater and clearing your mask of water. While underwater we communicated using hand signals the instructor had taught us.

The instructors that we worked with were all incredibly patient and kind and reassured anyone who was mildly freaking out underwater. She checked up on us throughout the dive to ensure no one was struggling with anything, which really put my mind at ease.

Overall, I believe all the students that took part in this course thoroughly D’S enjoyed this experience.

T. GERAR

E

IN-HOUS

T S E F A M DRA S

-HOUSE

RD’S IN ST. GERA

Drama On the 12th and 13th of March The St Gerards Dramatic Society hosted an in-house drama festival for all of our thespians. A total of 6 groups entered the competition, ranging from 1st Year to 4th Year, in both Senior and Junior categories. The school hired an outside adjudicator to watch all of the plays and finally chose a winner, which I assume he found very difficult as all actors were incredible!

There was one Transition year production which was a comedy piece about driving called ‘Skid Marks: A Play About Driving’. Aimee Barron, Amy McGrath, Emilia Connolly, Genevieve Dineen, Harriet Bernon, Isabelle MacNeaney, Louise Sweeney, Roisin Farrell, Sarah Lily Lynch and Stephen O’Connor were the cast members of the short 20 minute play. The 10 students participated in the hilarious drama and spent weeks preparing their skits and directing the play themselves. Each actor had to play at least 2 roles each. We performed our play on Tuesday Night and helped out backstage on the Wednesday.

T S E F A DRAM 2019

We won the ‘Best Production’ in the Senior category, Stephen O’Connor won ‘Best Senior Supporting Actor Male’ for his hilarious role as ‘Carl’ and Isabelle MacNeaney snagging ‘Best Senior Actor Female’ for her incredibly moving soliloquy as ‘Meg’. We were very happy with our awards especially as we were up against such talented competition. We hope The St. Gerard’s Drama Festival will become an annual event in our school.

Tra n s i tio n Ye a r N e w s 2 0 1 9

Page 11

EXTRA C U R R ICU LAR

Photography Course On the 24th October, the TYs had an amazing time doing a photography course with the talented professional photographer Una Armstrong. In a world where people are taking more photos than ever, this was a very useful course.

There were only eight students within each group which was great because it meant we could learn more and that there was more one on one time with the camera.

The course lasted from 9-12:30 in the morning. The kitchen in the Sports Hall became our ‘studio’ for the day with various backdrops and lights. Una explained the basic operations of her cameras, as well as how to perfect our use of flashes, light reflectors, and light detectors.

Then we split into smaller groups and we started to shoot. Within the groups we took turns being the photographer, lighting assistant, and model. We had great fun experimenting with different positions, angles and lighting.

We focused on classical portraits inside and later moved outside to do environmental portraits. It was a beautiful day outside, and we had a great time messing around with the autumn leaves in our photos.

Overall, everyone had an amazing time and learnt so much about photography and a little about modeling too!

Model United Nations On Friday the 8th and Saturday the 9th of March multiple 4th and 5th year students attended Wesley College MUN. Mike Gleeson, Bernard Byrne, Emilia Connolly, Ilana Philips and I represented the TY’s. We were the delegation of Myanmar and I was on the Political Committee. We debated resolutions submitted by other members of my committee and tried to amend and pass the best resolution possible for the cause. The resolutions were written on ‘The Question of Transnistria’, ‘The Question of the Use of Private Military Companies and the Privatisation of War’ or ‘The Question of Chinese Neo-Colonialism in Angola’ The other committees the TY’s were involved in were; History, Environment and Ecology, Ecosoc and DITech. On Saturday morning we had our first General Assembly, where we were given a crisis that each delegation could write a clause for the resolution to. Later that day we returned to GA and debated those clauses. After this there was awards for delegates from each committee and for best teams before we finished for the night. Overall I really enjoyed the experience and learned a lot from it, as well as making lots of friends. A big congratulations to Mike Gleeson who won a Commended Delegate in his committee and also Jack Cummins in fifth year who was also awarded the same award from his Committee.

Model European Commission On the 1st of March four TY students including myself, took part in a Model European Parliament conference in Dublin Castle. It was the first year that St. Gerards had sent a team to participate, so it was a new experience. Each school attending was given a country prior to arrival, and the topic that we were debating was the new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) or the budget for the EU for the 2021-2026 period.

We were representing the Netherlands. To prepare, we did a lot of research about the political position of the Netherlands and how they like to spend their money. We also researched what countries we could possibly team up with and what countries we should avoid working with. On the morning of the conference, we met the Irish Ambassador for the Netherlands who spoke to us about the real debates taking place at the moment to decide on the MFF. It was very beneficial to talk to him as we got an idea of what the Netherlands are hoping to achieve during the debates.

The conference spanned over the whole day, and it consisted of opening speeches and open debate. I made the opening speech for our team. Networking was a very important part of the day, as it was important to talk to other countries about where they stand and how they feel about certain topics. It was a very well planned out and professional event, and it also was very interesting as we could learn about the EU in action. Unfortunately we didn’t win, however it was a great experience to be a part of as it improved both impromptu and planned public speaking skills and also helped to develop a greater level of self confidence.

Pag e 12

St . Ge rard ’s S en i o r S c h o ol

EX T R A CURRICUL AR

Barista Course NTRODUCTORY COURSE

On the 5th of November, some of our Transition Years took part in a ‘mini’ barista course run by the Dublin Barista School.

Our Sports Hall kitchen became a coffee shop and Luca & James began teaching us basic communication skills and service skills to ensure our customers would be recurring. We learned about all of the equipment, such as the Espresso Tamper and the Espresso machine, and about the origins of the coffee beans we were using. In each espresso shot, 18 grammes of grounded coffee beans was used, and each espresso shot should be roughly 44ml. We also learned how to texturise the milk, and how to alter the level of foam in each beverage to the consumers liking. We all made a beverage of our choice, with options ranging from mochas, espressos, cappuccinos and hot chocolates. We were also able to try out some latte art, turns out many of us are skilled coffee artists!.

Overall, all of the students who partook in this course have spoken highly of it and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

FULL COURSE Following our introduction to the world of coffee making many in our year took the chance to develop our skills by completing a one day barista course run by the Dublin Barista School, which aimed to teach us the basics of working as a barista in a busy coffee shop.

We spent the day learning how to operate the machines, how to make different drinks and how to clean the equipment once we were done. The Dublin Barista school provided professional coffee machines to give us an authentic experience of working in a coffee shop. We learnt the correct way to operate these expensive machines to ensure nothing was damaged. The morning was spent operating the machines with basic espresso shots, we then moved on to making lattes, cappuccinos, americanos and flat whites. Who knew making coffee would be so complicated!

A favourite amongst the students was latte art, as everyone was given the chance to create hearts on top of their coffees. After spending the day making and drinking coffee, we learnt the proper way to clean the machines and surrounding areas. We were taught the correct way a barista should greet and serve customers and with that our training was done. We all received qualifications showing we had participated in this course to put on our CVs. Let’s hope this pays off when we are looking for part time jobs in the Summer holidays!

Maths and Science Olympiad On the 3rd of November 2018 a group of 9 students were lucky enough to be invited to attend the IrEUSO Olympiad for Maths and Science in DCU. This event was for the people who had achieved a place in the top 0.64% of the country in Maths and Science in the Junior Cert. We were all required to select a science subject to complete the test in.

The day began with registration at around 10:30.

By 11 we were all shuffled in to the exam centres to begin the Olympiad. We sat two papers with a 15 break between them. These papers were Leaving Cert level Physics and therefore it is fair to say we all found them very challenging. After we finished the tests we had an hour and a half to get lunch and explore DCU. At 3 we all gathered in the Larkin Lecture theatre to hear the results. To begin they showed us how the selection process for the day had worked as well as what would happen if we were chosen to be on the team to go the European Olympiad. They presented a gold , silver and two bronze medals for each Science as well as four people who were Highly Commended. Ciaran Kavanagh won a bronze medal, and I was Highly Commended. Overall it was a really good day which we all enjoyed.

Tra n s itio n Ye a r N e w s 2 0 1 9

Page 13

EXTRA C U R R ICU LAR

Student Enterprise Awards On Tuesday the 12th of March, 5 transition year students attended the Wicklow student enterprise awards. These awards were hosted in the Carlow IT campus and the school was represented by both “JJRP Embroidery” and “Unibandz”.

We all arrived in the campus at around half past eight, assembled our stands and displayed samples of our product. Both companies displayed an informative poster on the board behind them full of information on their product/ service, as well as a large title to help catch people’s attention. On the tables we also had three copies of our report as well as some sample products. During the morning three judges came around to discuss the product, our sales and all other aspects of our company with each of the groups. With the first judge we all were nervous and unsure of what to say, with the second third judge we were more confident and really enjoyed explaining to them the structure and working of our company the company. There was a total of 40 companies competing against us. Each company had very diverse ideas that would certainly be inspirational for us if we did it again.

After a short break half of the companies went upstairs to one of the lecture rooms in the facility. We were companies 28 and 34 so we watched teams a large handful of companies speak, before we took the floor. Both companies had already practised their speeches, and even though it was harder to speak in front of people our age, we all enjoyed the experience. After we had heard all of the speeches, we went downstairs for a delicious complimentary lunch.

After lunch the 40 companies gathered in the hall for the awards. “Unibandz” were unfortunate not to win an award,but “JJRP Embroidery”, who had done a fabulous job all day as well as throughout the year were awarded with the runner up prize. The day was brilliantly run and commendation must be given to the Wicklow county council for running such an excellent day. We all really enjoyed the experience and would love to participate in another mini company as that day has provided all of us with so much inspiration.

Soroptimists Girls Public Speaking On the 11th of December 3 transition year students attended the Soroptimist girls’ public speaking competition in Bray. One Fifth Year also attended, she was a calming influence for us as she had competed in this competition before. We had been given a choice of topics ahead of the evening so we could prepare our speech in advance. I chose to speak about the topic of “health” and the subheading “global food extremes : overfed and underfed”. The specific topic I chose to talk about was food poverty, as I believe this issue is topical in Ireland in the run up to Christmas.

The other transition year girls chose to talk about gun violence and the importance of gun control and about the environment and the plastic island.

We arrived in the Esplanade hotel in Bray at around 6 and after finding our seats and perfecting our speeches the evening begun. We were all extremely nervous to give our speeches as we had never spoken in front of a large group of people.

There was a total of 15 girls taking part , they represented schools such as Rathdown, Loreto Dalkey and Colaiste Bhride. I was 8th to speak and as my turn approached I grew more and more nervous. I stood up to give my speech and the nerves were gone. I moved around and spoke as confidently as I could. After all the speeches were over the adjudicators went to consider our performances.

Emilia Connolly gave a fabulous speech and received second place, which moved her through to the next round of the competition. We all really enjoyed the evening and we certainly learned a lot and look forward to participating next year. At the end of the night we all received a certificate to say we took part and a very nice bracelet as a prize for competing.

Pag e 14

St . Ge rard ’s S en i o r S c h o ol

EX T R A CURRICUL AR

Boxing For six weeks, commencing on the 1st of October, many of our Transition Year Class took on the challenge of a boxing course run in the school every Monday evening. We began by learning basic boxing terms and moves, such as the jab and hook and then progressed to learning the moves. Each week we were split into groups of four and completed several stations and activities in the hour. Using boxing gloves and pads we worked on strengthening our jabs. We also learned several different combinations and eventually learned how to protect ourselves from our opponents hits by ducking and blocking their jabs. The workshops were always an excellent mix of both theory and technique, as well as some fun activities to keep us all engaged throughout the workshops. The class ended with a cool down and stretch in order for us to avoid any possible injuries following the class.

Overall, this course was both entertaining and educational and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Although for many, it was certainly out of our comfort zones, it did provide us with a new experience and some combat skills which we all loved.

YSI This year the YSI committee is focusing on helping those with special needs and other learning disabilities. The committee hopes to work towards raising awareness among the students and wider community of St. Gerard’s about special needs and learning disabilities among young people and the impact that it can have on the individual and their families. It is a topic that has impacted all members of YSI, even some on a personal level with family members having experienced what is involved in caring for an individual with special needs. The group’s project is called “Réalta Speisialta,” or “Special Stars.” The committee is raising funds for both St. Catherine’s Association and Bray Lakers.

St. Catherine’s Association is a non-profit organisation that provides education, health care and respite to people with disabilities in Wicklow.

They support over 280 children. In St. Catherine’s Special School, they supply multidisciplinary services for children with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities in Wicklow. The aim of the committee this year is to raise funds to build a new sensory room for St. Catherine’s Special

Tra n s itio n Ye a r N e w s 2 0 1 9

School, however the funds may end up being put towards something else within the organisation, depending on the needs of the association.

Bray Lakers is a community-based sports, social and recreation club for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The club provides sporting and educational services to it’s members. After the devastating fire that occurred recently at the lakers headquarters in Bray, destroying many of their facilities such as their new kitchen and all four of their buses, we hope to help support them through our fundraisers.

On Friday the 25th of October the YSI group organised a non-uniform day, where each student brought in €5 to help the cause.

On Thursday the 15th of November the YSI committee organised a Bake Sale in aid of Bray Lakers. Recently, the club was affected by a fire which destroyed many of their facilities. We knew the funds we raised could help the club to recover so that they could continue with the good work they do. On Thursday morning the canteen was set up with an array of delicious home baked goods. At break time everyone came into the

canteen to support our cause. The bake sale was a tremendous success. With the money we raised from the bake sale, plus the money from the nonuniform day, we managed to raise € 4,000 for the Bray Lakers.

On the 19th of December our Transition Year YSI students undertook to collect , pack and deliver 125 Dignity Bags for Sunbeam House.

The dignity bags are all going to be distributed

by Sunbeam House to the homeless community all over the country throughout the Christmas holidays. The entire school community supported this TY initiative by donating a range of items including toothbrushes, body lotion, hats, scarves and nature bars. The room above the chapel was filled to the brim and on Wednesday the YSI students packed all the individual back packs with the essentials that might give dignity to someone in need. By 10:30am on Wednesday morning we had filled 125 red backpacks! It was an excellent experience enjoyed by all of students who took part. It was a wonderful experience as we learned the importance of giving to those less fortunate especially at Christmas time.

Page 15

EXT RA C U R R ICU LA R

French Exchange After Anne stayed with me back in October, I had some idea of what my French Exchange would be like. I thought that it would be roughly the same idea, only this time I would be speaking in French. I can tell you now that that seemingly minor detail really changes the entire experience!

I arrived in Nantes on Sunday 10th March with a hefty suitcase and french dictionary in hand, with my head swirling with questions and worries. I didn’t really know the family, other than Anne, and I didn’t exactly know what they were like. I was collected from the airport by Anne and her dad, Fabrice, and after a few minutes of adjusting to the language, I was roughly able to communicate.

I was introduced to the family, (I had to get used to the French greeting of kissing each cheek very quickly) and we all sat down to a lovely meal of galettes. These are a sort of savoury crepes which we had with ham and cheese. The next day, we were up bright and early at 6am for the school bus. Even after the 2 weeks of school there, I could never get used to that ungodly hour! I made the rounds of meeting each of her friends, doing my best to understand them — and trying not to unknowingly insult them them in French or anything!

School in France was very different to over here. For one — they didn’t have a uniform, which was a blessing and a curse for me. A blessing because I didn’t have to drag out a tartan skirt every morning, but a curse because I soon realised that french people are very fashionable and our measly Irish style is pitiful up against them! If nothing else I at least hope their style rubbed off on me!

Another difference between us was the school and class times. The classes could range from one hour to three hours and depending on your classes you could finish really early or really late in the day. Lunch was also two hours long! Two hours! It was insane! That Monday we actually had a 4 hour lunch because the entire english department was on strike!

The meals were definitely something to get used to as well. I was worried that i might be hungry as I had heard that they don’t snack as much as we do between meals, but this was definitely not a problem as all of their meals were massive! For he canteen lunch, we had a salad, piece of fruit, your main meal, yogurt or dessert and a generous helping of bread. It was amazing! I was barely hungry when it came to the next meal, let alone snacking!

By Thursday of the first week, I had sort of gotten used to speaking french 24/7. We had a half day so we decided to head into Nantes city for sightseeing and shopping. It was was a small but quite beautiful, it even had its own Chateau! After a tiring day, we had some delicious crepes for dinner to finish it off.

That weekend, there happened to be a fair on in a neighbouring village so we spent the day going on the amusements and eating churros. The next day, Anne took me cycling around the area. We rode along the Loire river and through the quaint village of Saint Julian. After another week of school, I was fully adjusted to the French language — I still didn’t stray too far from my French dictionary though! By the end I had really gotten to know Anne’s friends, and would actually miss desperately trying to understand whatever they were saying! On Saturday, my last day, they even had a small going away party for me — in which they taught me a recipe for crepes that I will take to my grave! We got up and left bright and early on Sunday morning and I took my second venture of travelling alone — it’s quite stressful I’m not going to lie! Once I landed, I cannot express how comforting the sound of an Irish was! I knew I was finally home!

Overall, this was an amazing experience. Not only did it seriously improve my French, but I actually really enjoyed myself as well. It’s an experience that I was never forget.

Salamanca Spanish Course On the 23rd of September 2018, Ilana Philips, Sarah Lily Lynch, Emilia Connolly and I groggily woke at 3:30 in the morning. We arrived at the airport and checked in our bags, all a little too close to the weight limit, and headed on our way. We flew to Madrid, accompanied by Ilana’s dad Dalton and spent the day exploring the city. After lunch we all hopped into the car and began the journey to Salamanca. We arrived in the city and met our host mother Ana, with who we would be staying for the next 4 weeks. To say we would have been lost without Dalton and his excellent Spanish is an understatement. Even though we had all been learning Spanish for years, we never had to use it in a real life situation.

We were thrown in the deep end with the speed that the Spanish speak.

Thankfully we soon realised after a few days you start to pick up a few words and next thing you know you’re having a full conversation with a native.

On our second day we started classes in Colegio de España. We had classes between 9 and 1 everyday, as well as homework, a concept we struggled to wrap our heads around at first. After class everyday we had a 1 hour session practicing our oral skills. The college organised a number of different activities for after school. These activities gave us an opportunity to practice our Spanish with other students as well as try new things. The other students in my class were of all ages, and from many different countries, such as; Ireland, Japan, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Turkey and England. This diversity meant that this was also a great opportunity for us to learn about other cultures.

As I mentioned, we stayed with a woman named Ana. She had three different apartments in one block and one apartment had enough space for all her residents to eat in. In our apartment alone there were 8 people.

The majority of the people staying with her were students from other Pa g e 16

parts of the country who were studying at the University of Salamanca.

Everyone was so nice and helpful and we never stopped laughing at dinner. After two weeks had flown by, Emilia’s mum flew over and returned home with Sarah and Emilia, leaving Ilana and I with a double bed each and a very quiet bedroom.

The third weekend we were there was a Bank Holiday Weekend, and my parents and sister flew over. Another long, song-filled journey later and we had arrived in Madrid. We stayed in an apartment in the middle of the city and spent three days exploring and shopping until we couldn’t anymore. On Sunday Ilana and I travelled back to Salamanca, while my family flew home.

Our last week was a blur. Between packing, trying to get last bits of shopping done and some emotional goodbyes, we barely found time to do anything. On the 19th of October our journey began to come to a close. We once again rose before the sun had risen and made the journey from Salamanca to Madrid once more.

This experience was a crazy one, that’s for sure, but I wouldn’t change anything. It was a whirlwind of memories and it felt like I blinked and it was over. We learned so much, made new friends and memories we will never forget. Truly an opportunity of a lifetime. After lunch the 40 companies gathered in the hall for the awards. “Unibandz” were unfortunate not to win an award,but “JJRP Embroidery”, who had done a fabulous job all day as well as throughout the year were awarded with the runner up prize .

The day was brilliantly run and commendation must be given to the Wicklow county council for running such an excellent day. We all really enjoyed the experience and would love to participate in another mini company as that day has provided all of us with so much inspiration.

St . Ge rard ’s S en i or S c h oo l

EX T R A CURRICUL AR

Gaisce This year 80 students took part in the bronze level Gaisce President’s Award programme. The President’s Award is a personal development programme for people ranging between the ages of 15-25. For students to receive their bronze level Gaisce they must complete 13 weeks of Physical recreation, 13 weeks of a new personal skill as well as 13 weeks of community involvement. They must also commit to one of these activities for a further 13 weeks. Along with these tasks, all students also have to complete an adventure journey. The school help the students here as the camping trip is organised to fill the adventure journey criteria.

For the community involvement aspect of the programme students took up a range of activities. Students chose to work with different charity groups such as Riding for the Disabled, Bray Lakers, St. Vincent De Paul and DSPCC. Other students opted to work with organisations such as their local schools and libraries. The community involvement aspect was brilliant as it gave us all the chance to volunteer and help out in our communities.

For the personal skill area of this programme, students took up many new activities while some students put their time into developing old skills. Students took up a range of activities such as pottery, gym, cooking, baking and drama. The third aspect of the programme is physical recreation, again for this students took up new sports while some developed their skills in sports they already played. Students used sports such as rugby, hockey, tennis, horse-riding and athletics for this element of their Gaisce.

Gaisce was an experience thoroughly enjoyed by all who took part, as for most people it pushed them out of their comfort zone and helped them learn and develop new skills they would not have attempted without the Gaisce structure.

TY TRIPS

Spanish Cinema Trip To get a better flavour of the Spanish language, the Spanish classes took a trip to the Mermaid Theatre in Bray to see a showing of a Spanish movie. The movie was called “El Jugador de Ajedrez” or in English, the chess player. The week previous in class we had watched a movie with one of the same actors in it and we had also been discussing Spanish movies in class. The movie itself was excellent I felt as it had a great and gripping story line, warm characters and realistic special effects. It was a great experience to listen to the language in an atmosphere where we were totally surrounded by at, and also learn about Spanish history and culture.

DIT Open Day On the 30th of November, we attended our second Open Day in Dublin Institute of Technology on Aungier Street, near St Stephens Green. The day ran much like the DCU Open Day, there were several lectures taking place in lecture halls and classrooms in the building about the different courses on offer. These lectures were very beneficial as they allowed us to get an idea of what the curriculum covers and what the different entry routes are for each course. We also learnt a lot about the renaming and relocation of the new ‘University’. DIT will be renamed TUD - Technological University Dublin - in the new year and will be relocated to Grangegorman, where there is an amazing new campus. It was interesting to see how that might affect us as we will possibly be studying there in the future.

DCU Open Day On the 16th of November, the TY year group headed off to DCU for their Open Day. It was a day long event, so everyone was excited to be leaving school and travelling to somewhere new and interesting.

For many of us it was the first University Open Day that we had been to, so we aimed to see as much of the college as possible and to attend a few lectures also. On the bus, we were all given a timetable of the day and a map of the campus. Once we reached our destination, we all split up and splintered off in all directions, as everyone had different plans for the day. While some were heading straight to a Global Business lecture, others were on their way to Sports Science. One of the great things about the day, was that it gave all of us the opportunity to listen to many different lectures about many different topics. It gave us a chance to explore what areas we are interested in, and to see what college life might be like in the future.

Tra n s itio n Ye a r N e w s 2 0 1 9

Page 17

TY T RIP S

Zoo Trip When we arrived we were split into three groups and each group completed a workshop throughout the day. The workshops were run by Dublin zoo and were based around conservation and sustainability. The instructor was really nice and enthusiastic. Many found this really enjoyable as it is something that it is so topical right now. We did various exercises about how products are made, how different products affect our planet, and why orangutans are hunted in the wild.

To finish it off, our instructor then took us outside to see the orangutans and told us a bit about them.

We were then free to explore the zoo as we wished with our friends. I really loved the monkeys and the reptiles, which is weird because I don’t like snakes at all - however they are interesting to look at. To our luck, the elephants were not indoors and we all rushed to see them. The sea lions were possibly the animals we were all most excited to see, and not only did we get to see them, we also got to see a brief sea lion show in which they would display some of the tricks they had been taught. We also decided to look at the gorillas, who were climbing across ropes above our heads, which was certainly unexpected, and we were amazed by how clever they all were. After seeing the extremely endangered snow leopards and the wolves, who seemed to have no interest in anything but sleeping, we headed back to our bus and headed home.

Although it’s fun to see the animals but I found it sad as they are kept in such confined areas. The tigers, lions, wolves and many more are used to roaming over kilometres of land a day, and now they are in cages. The zoo do keep them well, and zoos can be effective for species that are endangered, but usually these animals would be better in the wild. All in all, it was an enjoyable day that was throughly enjoyed by all the students.

Kairos During the early weeks of October all Transition Year students participated in the Kairos Programme. We discussed ideas for our ‘TV Shows’ in English class for a week or so before going down to Maynooth. Some of the ideas included a Dr. Phil/Jeremy Kyle type sketch and a ‘Take Me Out’ imitation, both hilariously mocking today’s entertainment programmes. Everybody was assigned a role, either they were giving the job of controlling graphics, sound, or the cameras, or they were acting, producing or directing the production.

Form A decided to do their own version of “Mr and Mrs, Mr and Mr and Mrs and Mrs” as well as a weather segment. “Mr and Mrs, Mr and Mr and Mrs and Mrs” was hosted by our presenters ( Ben & Marcus) and focused around four couples. We had Bred & Jesus (Jack & Freddy), Linda and Joe (Aimee & Joe), Bridget and Brian (Emily & Bernard) and Beth & Seth ( Eva & Matthew). In the show each couple was interviewed and then took part in the unique paddle game. The weather was presented by Chest-Hair Doofenshmirtz, played by Joe. This extraordinary show was directed by Roisin, Jay and Josh with Tom in charge of sound and Lucy and Harriet as floor manager and producer respectively. The cameras were manned by Louise, Cian and Callum.

Form B decided this year to do two reality TV shows. They decided to perform “Family Fame” and “The Matthew Miller Show”, they also included a sports interview with Conor McGregor and a general news segment. “Family Fame” involved the Carter family (Isabelle, Mike and Zaelie) competing in a questionnaire against the Robinsons (Orla, Phoebe and Renata). This was hosted by Johnny (Emilia). The “Matthew Miller Show” was a remake of the “Jeremy Kyle Show”. It was about a child who had been caught cheating on his Junior Cert. This was presented by Matthew Miller and featured Orla, Mike, Ailbhe and Jack as the family members as well as Emma as the lie detector. Conor, Robbie and Tommy were in charge of the sports interviews. Form B’s phenomenal show was directed by Stephen with Robyn, Leo and Ben in charge of cameras and Alan as sound producer.

Form C chose to do “Good Morning with Phil and Holly” as well as “Take Me Out” and the weather. Holly and Phil (Jenny and Aimee ) hosted both shows and interviewed our South Dublin bachelor, Ross (played by Ross), about the show and screened the game show. They watched as seven bachelorettes (Mariya, Amalia, Amy, Sarah Lily, Will, Kirsty and Chloe) each with quirky personalities were asked questions by Ross and they decided if they liked him or not. At the end of the questioning there were two lights still on, Lily’s and Jazmine’s (Sarah Lily and Will). It then returned to the good morning show to present the happy couple and went to Ciaran Kavanagh for a sweaty news report. Jack, Sean and Conor were controlling the cameras while Alex worked on graphics. Benji was in charge of sound, Vanessa directed and Isabelle was Floor Manager. Everyone worked perfectly in their jobs. Form D decided to do their own take on ‘Dr.Phil’. Their show centered around two people arguing about theft. One man (Saul) was accused of stealing another’s (Josh) money. The alleged thief’s mother (Grace) sided against him. Two bodyguards (Matthew & Ollie) controlled the situation and broke up fights while our Dr.Phil (Spencer) hosted the show. A surprise witness (Paddy) brought in a plot twist, revealing that the mother stole the money. The show had occasional ad breaks (starring Sam, Adam and Conor). Jemima was the director, with Scott on graphics and Ailbhe as vision mixer. Jordan was producer with Mia as floor-manager. Genevieve was in charge of sound with Harry, Ellis and Josh manning the cameras.

The whole experience was very enjoyable and we took three takes during the day to ensure we had everything perfect. The dynamic of all of the pupils working together was not unlike a real television set and most people excelled at their assigned task, allowing us to create brilliant and professional looking scenes. It was compulsory that we all played our part to ensure that we produced the show we had promised to at the beginning. I believe that we all did that. Most people were very pleased with how everything turned out and would be happy to participate in the Kairos Programme again.

Pag e 18

St . Ge rard ’s S en i or S c h oo l

Camping Trip Our camping experience began with us getting our Junior Cert results, a Wednesday morning full of nerves, excitement and emotion. The results were much anticipated, but once we were quickly herded onto the buses they were rapidly forgotten and replaced with the excitement of our first major adventure as a year group. Once we arrived at the beautiful Lough Dan, we started to erect all the tents - a fun but tedious task. I think it’s fair to say some tents were erected a little more securely than others, which became evident after the first night, with multiple collapsed roofs and many feet out in the cold (or heads in some cases). After setup and a quick lunch, we began our first adventure - an 8km walk along one of the most scenic parts of Lough Dan. Returning to camp complaining of exhaustion (little did we know of what was to come the next day) we began to fill our empty bellies. Some meals were more wholesome and nutritious than others and this trend continued over the next few days. People either had steaks out on BBQs cooking full meals or the kettle on for Pot Noodles - usually there was no inbetween. With an early wake up call from the teachers, we groggily made breakfast we are quite proud of the fact that only one student set fire to anything . We set off shortly after on a hike the distance of which we all underestimated. It did not help that the first hour and a half was almost all uphill, some would say it was vertical but to any younger years reading this we will let you be the judge of that. We walked around Lough Dan and had a picnic lunch on the bank between lakes. After a quick break to re-fuel ourselves, we walked along the edge of the water to a point where we could cross and complete the final leg of the journey. Soon after we had crossed the lake over slippery rocks, with only one casualty we made it back to the campsite alive - just about.

After the walk, we decided that it would be a good idea to go for a nice refreshing swim in the lake. Some were more brave than others, but the majority of people tackled the cold water. The lake was freezing, but a relief considering how hot and sweaty we all were after the hike, and the absence of salt from the water was definitely a surprise. I think most people would agree in saying that the night time on both nights were the highlights of the trip. Whether you were sitting around the campfire, huddled up in a tent or playing slushie with a very captivated audience, the night gave us opportunities to make new relationships or strengthen old ones. Around the campfire there was never an absence of food, whether that be marshmallows burnt to a crisp, the remnants of the teachers chips or the burger that were so generously given to us, courtesy of Brien. With thick smoke flying everywhere and music playing in the background, we were able to make some amazing memories as a year group, some through having conversations about everything under the sun, and others through playing the world’s most intense game of snap.

Unfortunately the amazing weather did not continue into Friday, and the rainy, gloomy weather almost mimicked our mood. No one wanted to leave, but all good things must come to an end. The dismantling of tents in the rain was a chore and a half for most people, but before we knew it we were ushered onto buses and heading home. The bus ride had a completely dampered atmosphere, the complete opposite to the bus journey there, but I’m sure the teachers were glad to have a little bit of peace and quiet, because knowing our year, there wasn’t much of it during the trip. This trip will definitely be one to remember during our time in St. Gerard’s and we are lucky to all have experienced it together! On behalf of all of Fourth Year, we like to say a huge thanks to all the staff that made this trip possible and as wonderful as it was.

Tra n s i tio n Ye a r N e w s 2 0 1 9

Page 19

TY T RIP S

Carlingford One of the best trips and highlights of our TY so far has got to be our Outdoor Pursuits week in Carlingford Adventure Centre. While we were only there for four days, we were able to do so many fun activities, and being there with all of our friends made it so much better.

We departed the school on a Monday morning. Everyone was well rested up after the week off we had just had, and still on a high since completing the musical. There was a great atmosphere on the bus and a real sense of excitement. Some of us had been to Carlingford before, while others had no idea what to expect. Once we arrived, we were thrown straight into it and sent in our sports groups to our first activity. The sun was shining as the different groups prepared for either laser tag, ziplining or crystal maze. Laser tag was the first of many ‘team’ activities that we did in Carlingford.

Crystal maze was a very simple activity that many enjoyed. It was a series of 15 minute challenges that we completed in teams competing for ‘gems’. An example of the type of challenges we did were mazes, and using planks to get from one side of a ‘river’ to another. They honed in on our teamwork, communication and listening skills. This activity was great as everyone got a chance to join in and everyone on the team was valued. Later that evening, after dinner, we went to a bonfire where we played games and sang songs. This was a really memorable moment of the trip.

The next three days followed a similar structure. Breakfast, morning activity, lunch, afternoon activity, dinner, evening activity. Over the course of the week we completed many different activities including high ropes, night line, canoeing and crystal maze. A large part of Carlingford’s activities were based on zip lining, which for some meant facing their fear of heights straight on. There was three different types of zipline obstacle courses - courses that were mainly obstacles, courses that were mainly ziplining and the high ropes which were team based activities that took place high in the air. Many would agree that the favourite of these three was the high ropes as they were exhilarating and adrenaline filled. During the high ropes course we had to really work on or teamwork and communication, and use team skills to help those that were scared or nervous of the heights! Night line was a night walk where we were all blindfolded and led through a series of twists and turns. This was very challenging and frustrating as we had to depend on the person in front of us to tell us what is coming up, yet this is what made it so fun.

During the course of the four days we were there the sun was splitting the trees, the weather was really spectacular for February. However when the day came for the last group to do their water activity the sun disappeared and was replaced with grey clouds. This was really just terrible luck, however it didn’t take away from the activity because after some serious warming up we were all in the boats and the cold weather didn’t really matter anymore. We rowed out to the secret waterfall and back and then jumped off the pier. In our free time, we played cards, table tennis, or just simply ‘flopped’ on the couches in the common rooms. Carlingford definitely pulled the whole year together and it allowed everyone to mingle and chat with each other. It was a great way to begin the new term on as big a high as the last one ended on!

Pag e 20

St . Ge rard ’s S en i or S c h oo l

T Y REFL EC TION

A Reflection Before I started writing this speech I decided to google the words ‘Transition Year’ to see what it would recommend, and definitions jumped out at me. The most generic definition for Transition Year that I could find was “ a year to promote the personal, social, educational and vocational development of pupils”. Sounds boring doesn’t it? Well I can tell you for a fact that my transition year experience has been anything but dull and boring. While there was a bit of sitting around in classes and tedious blogging for some, as a whole the only words I would use to describe Transition Year are exciting, action packed and rewarding, here’s why.

The first mile stone for me when I look back over the year is the camping trip. My TY didn’t really start until we had received our Junior Cert results. The results really concluded third year and commenced fourth year for me, so the camping trip was an amazing way to kick it off.

We spent two nights in Lough Dan camping and hiking to complete a part of our Gaisce Bronze Medal. It was only September so the weather was still warm (at least during the day), and the evenings still long. I have such fond memories of this trip, everyone was in such high spirits as the feelings of pressure and tension had certainly been lifted, and there was a real sense of community sitting around the campfire. This is one of the special things about St Gerards, because our year groups are relatively small, it creates almost a family effect, however corny that sounds. The trip was a great opportunity for everyone to work on team work, branch out from our usual friend groups and to highlight our strengths and weaknesses heading into the year of personal development.

Both Kairos and Eagles Flight fall under the same bracket for me. While both were equally interesting and enjoyable, both focused on developing teamwork and leadership skills.

Eagles flight was in essence an interactive board game, however there was much more to this than meets the eye. It focused on project management and planning, and really brought out the competitive spirit inside of people. Kairos was a day long course where we were able to write, direct and produce our own TV shows.

Here we saw characters such as Take me Out competitor Jasmine to local court defendant Johnner materialize. In both of these activities we saw a different side of people slowly emerge, whether that be a competitive or theatrical alter ego.

I was very lucky to have been able to study in Spain for two weeks in early October. Living in Salamanca, I was greatly able to improve both my conversational and written Spanish, it was also an insight into what it might be like to live in another country with some aspect of independence. While it was difficult to keep up to date with my school work over there, thanks to google classroom, I was able to complete my mindfulness project from the confines of my

Tra n s i tio n Ye a r N e w s 2 0 1 9

balcony in central Spain.

I decided to spend my Halloween break in County Mayo pretending not to feel the cold swimming in the baltic sea with the hope of being offered a job as an Ard Cinnire in UISCE Irish College. Having been to Irish college twice and loved it, I saw the Cinnire training course as an opportunity to improve my irish and possibly get my first job. The role of the Cinnire is to live with the students and be a role model and friend while promoting irish speaking. The course was one of the best activities that I did in TY, as I made amazing friends in the short time I was there and it certainly improved my confidence.

Work experience played a big part of TY, as most of us did at least three separate weeks working in three different locations. I found work experience quite beneficial as it allowed us to step out of school life and into the workforce for a short period of time. We could catch a glimpse into what the future might hold. During all of my work experiences I was constantly reminded of when I was younger and I would play ‘grown ups’ in my mum’s high heel shoes and bags.

Young Emilia would have been in her element as on the first day of work experience I was given my own desk, swivel chair and personalised lanyard. Work experience isn’t always about the work itself, but also about the more practical learning curves to be faced, such as determining what side of the dart platform to stand on, a skill I haven’t quite mastered yet. I was able to do both office work and retail which gave me a broad idea of many different variations of work.

In conjunction with the career guidance module, work experience also gave us the opportunity to figure out what we have an interest in pursuing in the future.

Most of the term after Christmas was spent preparing for our annual TY musical. As i’m sure you are all aware at this stage, this years performance was ‘Joseph and his Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’. I think that everyone, myself included, was a bit deflated after hearing for the first time what our musical would be, as nobody really knew what the musical was about and we were all quite quick to judge. How wrong we all were! I was fortunate to have been cast as one of the narrators, as we really saw the musical come together piece by piece, and we were all shocked and pleasantly surprised to see how everyone came to life on stage, and that by the final night everyone really seemed to enjoy the performance, whether they liked to admit it or not. This was a great bonding experience as everyone really got a chance to get to know each other and while the backstage chatting had to be kept to a minimal for obvious reasons, some real memories were made in the wings for sure.

As a year group, this year we have been extremely generous with our charitable donations and volunteer work. As part of the Gaisce Bronze Medal, we were required to do

some volunteer work in our communities, and there was a great variety of work that people did, from volunteering in local charity shops such as St Vincent de Paul and Purple House, to helping out in drama and music classes in Bray Lakers.

I think that everyone really enjoyed this part of the Gaisce work, as not unlike work experience, it was a chance for people to improve on their ‘people skills’ and to give something back to their local community. Our Young Social Innovators did some pretty amazing work this year also. We chose to focus on children with special needs this year with our project title being “Realta Specialta”. We felt that a lack of services and facilities for children with special needs and their families was something that our society faces. We organised both a bake sale and non-uniform day to raise funds, both of which were highly successful. We also raised money for our difference day by completing the three peaks challenge, a 17km walk from the sugarloaf to bray head.

The perfect cure to our post-musical blues was our outdoor pursuits week at Carlingford Adventure Centre. We spent the week following mid term ziplining, hiking, canoeing and indulging in lots of sundaes from the ice cream shop next door. All of the activities that we completed in Carlingford focused on team building and really strengthening our friendships as a whole. Many were even able to overcome their fear of heights and complete the dreaded high ropes challenges. The weather was superb while we were there which made the week just that bit more enjoyable. It really pulled our year together and was such a high note to begin the new term on.

In a short speech I am not even able to scratch the surface with regard to the amazing courses that the students participated in during the year.

Many focused on mastering a single skill such as photography, coffee making, first aid martial arts, and cooking, while others were amazing experiences to partake in such as scuba diving.

And also not forgetting the modules that we completed during the year in which we learnt about a range of new topics including forensic science, pottery and art appreciation.

For me, TY gave me the opportunity to participate in as much as possible, without being worried about being overworked or having to much to complete. For this reason, I signed up for as much as possible, including debating and model united nations competitions and becoming a member of both the library and IT newsletter team. As a part of both teams we wrote many excellent newsletters describing the different activities that we had completed that term. It was a great way to fill my time so I never felt that I was at a loose end. Many of the TY students, myself included continued to participate in hockey, rugby and multisport with some of the teams having success in various leagues.

Page 21

TY REF LECTI ON

I was very privileged to have been able to travel to Ethiopia during the Easter break, with a small group of my friends and their mothers to both experience the diverse and different culture, and to partake in some charity work. The trip was incredibly eye opening and certainly made me grateful to be able to live the life I do. It was an assault to the senses as we were thrown straight into a new culture. It has also shown me that small things which we don’t place great value on can mean so much to others. It was a trip of a

lifetime that I will never forget.

With the year drawing to a close now, looking back, I think that I have filled my year to the brim with various activities and projects. I am very glad I did because I am heading into fifth year with a range of new skills and a brand new mindset. I think that it was a well deserved break from the more academic side of school life following on from a study heavy year during the Junior Cert and in advance of two years of very hard work.

Using the phrase “I’m a changed person” might

be slightly too cliched for my liking, but I certainly have grown and matured, and I think that goes for majority of the students here today. To finish I would like to leave you with my own definition for “Transition Year” that sounds perhaps a little less dull than the other? “ A year where pupils can strive to achieve anything, try new and exciting things, give something back to those in need, really get to know themselves and each other, make friends, both new and old, and maybe, just maybe, grow up a bit”. Thank you

TY SP ORT

Hockey Term 1 » So far this year, our school’s hockey has been very successful with a few wins in our belt already. The girls of 4th Year have spread out across five teams; the SCT, Senior 2nds, Senior 3rds, JCT and the Junior team, all of which have integrated very well into their teams.

Some of the girls from 4th year have even made it onto the Senior Cup Team, lead by captain Rachael Cullen and coached by Niall Denham.

We’re all very proud of them for representing our year on our school’s senior team.

Being on the Senior 2nds myself, I can honestly say that since the start of this year, when many of us were strangers who knew nothing about each other, we have really come together as a team. Our coach, Sarah O’Loughlan, has helped us to connect with each other and further our hockey skills. We’re all very excited for our league this year.

A few of our TY girls have been playing for the JCT, coached this year by Emma Russell and Junior B, lead once again by Hayley Mulcahy.

All those I have spoken to have said that both teams have gotten off to a good start and although they are mixed in with the 3rd Years this year, there is no doubt that all participating have bonded as a team. One Junior player said that their coach has been focusing on their fitness and driving them to be their best.

Term 2 » The Senior Cup team have had a both busy and exciting run up to Christmas, with the league matches being almost put on hold as cup season takes over. Shortly after Halloween on the 14th of November they had their first Cup

Match against Santa Sabina at home which they won 4-1. On Monday the 10th of December the second round of the cup came around against High School at home, with a nail-biting game and an amazing come back the match finished 2-2. The match went to 1v1s and then sudden death that eventually led to an unfortunate loss and an end to the cup season.

The Senior Second team have been training hard since Halloween with not as many matches as before the break. They have had a successful run as they were faced with a few extremely tough matches against some of the best schools in the country. They are now full steam ahead with training for their upcoming league matches.

The girls on the Junior Cup team have been playing very well recently with a few crucial wins in their league and the work they have been putting in outside of training hours can be seen on the pitch. They are a very talented team and the whole school is behind them in all of their upcoming league matches.

Term 3 » In this term all teams with TY players set their focus on the South Dublin League.

This league always takes place after both the Cup and normal League are over. It gave us a chance to play competitively against some of the best teams locally. We had teams such as Senior II reaching the quarter finals, but unfortunately lost to a very strong Holy Child side. Half of the finals were held in the school, and that was a showcase to us of how high the standard was in all of the different age groups.

Now that the 2018/19 season is over, all focus is set on next season. Preseason is now in full swing, with training 3 times a week to give us the best chance possible for success next year.

All articles have been written by the TY IT Team - Emily Barrett, Emilia Connolly, Roisin Farrell, Sarah Lily

Lynch, Amy Mc Grath, Amalia Mihalec, Ilana Philips, Lisa Sutton, Orla Wilson, Thomas Devereux, Michael Gleeson, Alex Keating, Matthew Fennelly and Stephen O’Connor.

Pag e 22

St . Ge rard ’s S en i or S c h oo l

TY SPORT

Rugby Term 1 » The TY rugby season so far has been successful. Since the start of the season our coach Dan Power has helped improve our rugby dramatically. I feel like our attacking and defensive structure have really improved after bringing in our new systems.

We played our first match against Campbell College in Belfast. Over the last three years of playing Campbell we never beat them but this time our luck changed as we won 46 12. Although of the score I actually thought Campbell were a good side as they played fast pace and direct rugby, which was difficult to defend against.

Our second match was against CUS where we suffered a lot of injuries which resulted in a disappointing loss. We were already missing a few players so these injuries did not help and I think the match would have had a different outcome if these injuries had not occurred.

We next played Gonzaga College. Our third game of the season. The match was very back and forth. The twenty five degrees weather made it extremely tiring to play. This match was definitely our best performance of the season, although we lost a close match.

Our first league game we played Belvedere College . I hate to say it but I was worried for this game as Belvedere College are known for being one of the best rugby schools In the country. We’d never played them so I didn’t really know what to expect. They were very good and were the dominant team for the first twenty minutes. This completely changed as by half time we were leading, and we added three tries to our lead by the end of the game. The match ended 24 - 12 I’m looking forward to our next match against Clongowes Wood College where I hope we will get our second league win.

Term 2 » I ended my last rugby newsletter in hopes that our next match against Clongowes Wood College would turn out to be a win, unfortunately we were unable to pull it off. I felt we were both pretty equally matched teams.

They had two or three key players that if we had cut them out of the game maybe it would have ended differently.

Our coach Dan spoke to us after the game about a St.Michael’s team in the past who were beaten by a St.Mary’s team in the Senior Cup. The tactic that St.Mary’s had used was to target their main player, Max Deegan, who is now playing for Leinster, they cut him out of the game and ended up winning. So I think we learned an important lesson from this game that will help us in the future. The game ended 32 - 35.

Next up, our match against Blackrock College.

We played a house team this is basically a mixture of players from different Blackrock teams. There were one or two A players, a few

Tra n s i tio n Ye a r N e w s 2 0 1 9

B players and so on. I would be lying if I said I was impressed with the Blackrock team we played, although they were still not a bad side.

It took us about twenty seconds to get our first try and this luck continued for the rest of the first half scoring four more tries. The second half was not as exciting as we only scored once more and Blackrock came back into the game a little bit. The match ended 42 - 17.

We next played Clongowes Wood College for the second time this season. I wasn’t as pleased with our performance in this match.

Clongowes were the more dominant team. We learned a lot from this game and exposed our weak points. We spent our next few training sessions after that working on our defensive spacings to improve on our weakness.

St Mary’s was our next opponent. Junior cup finalists, a really good team that beat us last year. It was a really wet day so the match location was changed from St Mary’s grounds to an all weather pitch in UCD. I thought we played very well, especially defensively. We ended up winning 27 - 12.

Our next match against Gonzaga college was our league semi final, the most important game of the season. This brought me back to our league quarter final against Gonzaga in third year where we lost 5 - 0. This game had a bit more action then that one to say the least.

They were the first to score in the match from a pick and go on our five metre. We then scored twice basically one after the other. Two runaway tries. Then they scored a try a try, out on the wing, to finish up the half with us leading 19 - 17. Gonzaga were the first ones to score in the second half. They scored from about ten metres out by a hard line that cut us open which put there prop into open space and a supporting player created a two on one leading to a try under the posts. We scored one more, a simple hands out wide. This made it 24 - 24. We defended our line for about 5 mins into the final play until they scored making the final score 29 - 24.

I think we

definitely improved since my last rugby newsletter, especially defensively.

Term 3 » All of the transition year rugby players have had a successful end to the season since Christmas The senior 1sts have played 8 matches since Christmas. Their campaign has been very successful and they will now play Cistercian College Roscrea in the senior plate final. After Christmas the begun with a win in the O’Reilly Cup where the beat Glenstal abbey 28 -13.

They suffered an unfortunate loss to Newbridge college in the first round of the senior cup. After entering the cup the began a winning streak beating Castleknock College and Wesley College in the quarter and semi finals. Last week they recorded a win in the O’Conner Cup beating Presentation College Bray 17-7. We wish them the best of luck in the Leinster senior plate final.

The senior seconds have only played 3 matches since the Christmas holidays. They recorded wins over both Castleknock College and Presentation College Bray, before suffering an unfortunate loss to Kilkenny College.

The Senior threes have had a very successful season since Christmas winning all 4 of their EastCoast League matches so far including the semi final which they won 31-21 against Wesley College, qualifying for the Final on the 5th of April. We wish them the best of luck in this fingers crossed!

Now that the 2018/19 season is over, all focus is set on next season. Preseason is now in full swing, with training 3 times a week to give us the best chance possible for success next year.

Page 23

www.stgerards. ie