Transition Year Easter Newsletter 2024

ISSUE 4, 2024

TY NEWSLETTER

Introduction Uliana Nedilko Welcome to the Easter edition of the TY Newsletter!

This midterm was full of different activities which gave us unforgettable experiences and brought us all together as a year group. During this short period of time we managed to work as a team in Killary and during Difference Day, and develop individually through Work Experience, visit Oxford, Namibia, Ethiopia and Paris and so much more. Add to this the achievements (hockey rugby and debating to name only a few) that we are proud of and it has been a great term. We would like to share our impressions of the past two busy months.

Killary

Daria Bokovenko On 19th February, as we came back to school with refreshed minds after finishing the musical and the midterm, the TYs were ready to start a new journey to Killary Outdoor Adventure Centre.

We always get told that TY is the year that brings us all together the most but it hadn't really felt that much different up until we approached the end of the musical. In my opinion, Killary is the place where it all changed and we really united. Since we had various activities each day in our assigned groups, we would always interact and put energy towards a common goal and each evening tell each other about our days adventures. When we were completing the Killary Challenge, it took quite a bit of brainstorming and teamwork to succeed in the task. At the end of the day, we all did our best to collaborate and become a team. One of the outcomes of this is that we had different groups winning various games such as raft building, archery and so many more activities giving us all confidence and exciting things to talk about each evening. We all supported and helped each other throughout the week. This really came out in the treasure quest during the evening time where, as a group, we earned the resources for each other so people would be able to solve the mystery. This shows how well the students bonded in such a short period of time. It’s wonderful how even without realising it, you start getting closer with people you barely knew before this, even if you did the musical with them or you were in the same form. I hope this connection can be kept for the rest of the school years.

In general, Killary was all to do with leaving your comfort zone and trying out new things without the feeling of being judged by others since everyone is going through the exact same thing as you. This challenge was most evident during the « Turf Challenge » which most of the students surprisingly enjoyed. We all had a great time, whether it was overcoming some of our fears like heights, while completing “High Ropes” or the “Turf Challenge” socialising and sharing our experiences with each other.

I can't help but feel a sense of gratitude to Ms Roy (who organised the adventure) Ms Ní Mhairtín, Mr Boland, Mr Wall, Ms Ní Fhéinneadha and Billy for the incredible adventure we all had. From exploring new places to sharing laughter and creating lasting memories, this trip has truly been a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It's amazing how being disconnected from our phones brought us closer together and allowed us to fully immerse ourselves in the moment. I will forever cherish the friendships forged and the lessons learned during this unforgettable journey.

Difference Day Cuan Woods

On the 19th of March, our TY students spent the day at Camphill Community Centre, Thomastown.

Camphill Communities of Ireland is part of an international movement working with people with intellectual disabilities and other kinds of special needs. Originally created by war refugees in Scotland almost 70 years ago, today, Camphill has over 100 communities in 20 countries.

Rather than going to school normally, the TY’s helped to renovate the herb garden and build a seating and barbecue area.

The TY’s volunteered to help for the day and it was great to see how committed everyone was to the task at hand. Most of the work involved digging up weeds from the flower beds and adding new soil, creating new gravel paths, and building a seating area for a new barbecue that we also had to make. The TY’s left the school at 7:45 in the morning and returned at 6:00 in the afternoon, having spent the whole day hard at work.

Although it was a challenging task, the Transition Year students really showed their dedication to the cause and tried their best to help renovate the area to make it an overall better experience for the residents of the Camphill Community. Despite the fact that they had to get up very early in the morning and work through the cold weather, the TY’s gave it their all and it was all worthwhile knowing that all of the effort spent is going to a good cause helping those with intellectual disabilities and special needs.

This was a super experience for us and really built on the relationships developed since the musical. It was a really fulfilling day. Thanks to Denis O’ Reilly and his team for facilitating this.

Business trip to Paris Hannah Magee I got the amazing opportunity to go on an international trip to Paris, France with thirty eight other TY students. Ms Scallan had been organising this trip for years and she was finally able to make it happen so I was very excited when my name was chosen out of the hat. I don't know what to expect from the business conference but I did feel curious as to what it was about. We arrived at the airport really early in the morning on Saturday and I was functioning on pure adrenaline. I tried to be prepared because I hate security in airports, and I also did not want to lose my passport or any important belongings. After my flight I was very tired but we immediately went on a bus tour around Paris.

Paris is a beautiful city and even though I had seen the architecture before, it still blew me away by how gorgeous it is. We saw famous buildings such as the Notre-Dame, the Arc de Triomphe, Luxembourg Palace and the Eiffel Tower. We ventured out in the big city by ourselves to explore and eat Parisian food. We then went up the Montparnasse Tower in Central Paris and I was very proud of myself for staying at the top the entire time because I am terrified of heights. I had achieved something I never thought I would do that day, and the views were incredible!

We spent two days in Disneyland. On the first day, I was a little tired but that didn't stop me from having a blast doing the rides. I don't normally do intense rides, but the first ride I did was a ride with a 360° loop and I wasn't prepared for it; however, it did give me adrenaline for the rest of the day. I then went onto doing the most intensive rides in the park, such as the Tower of Terror and the Avengers ride. They were all really fun, but I don't think I'll do them again for a while.

We had the conference during day two of Disneyland. The conference was really good and very interesting. It was an eye opener for me because the panel were all inspiring and intriguing to listen to.

My favourite entrepreneur was Louis Barnette. He began his chocolate career when he was twelve and he has been successful ever since. His life story was incredible and very moving, now wonder he had the determination to create such a unique and practical form of chocolate. I also listened to two other entrepreneurs talk and they both gave advice to young people that want to be future entrepreneurs.

On the last day in Paris, we didn't do much. We went to the Stade de France and a shopping centre before heading to the airport.

As a group,we would like to thank Ms Scallan, Ms Broe, Mr Reidy, Danny, and Ms Fair collectively for taking the time to go around with us and make an effort to keep us all in line. They truly made the trip more enjoyable and because of this, we all created memories that will last a lifetime!

Portlaoise Prison Trip Uliana Nedilko

Oxford Schools Debates Charlie Geelon

Transition Year students were given an unusual opportunity to visit Portlaoise Male Prison this term. It was the first time to visit a prison not only for TYs but for the school. A limited number of places were allocated for this trip, so in order to get there, students had to write down the reasons why we wanted to visit the prison. Forms were selected by teachers.

TYs were given the opportunity to visit the prison site and find out the details of the prisoners’ accommodation and life inside a prison. We were also able to ask questions on the topics we had been interested in such as what education can be achieved in prison? and do prisoners often reoffend?

The students visited different places on the grounds of the prison. We were given the opportunity to familiarise ourselves in detail with the security measures, the visiting room, workshops rooms and were also allowed to look at the place where the cells are.

TYs got acquainted with the schedule prisoners and what they are allowed to do during the day. Prisoners have access to psychological help and they are also allowed to visit church. We learned that prisoners have the right to attend workshops: wood working, metalwork, bricklaying, framing, icon embroidery and DJ skills. Prisoners also have access to a gym and basketball court.

We also learned more about the specifics of working in prison: what courses to take at college, where the internship takes place and what salary you can expect.

At the end of the trip, the students were very pleased with the visit. We learned a lot of interesting information and indulged in discussions about whether such conditions could correct the prisoners' opinion of what they had done. This question is still open for thought.

On the 10th of March, I, alongside fellow Transition Year student Lucy Curran, got the incredible opportunity to participate in the Oxford World School Debates 2024. Over the course of the day, we competed in four rounds of debating. The motions covered a variety of different obscure topics, one example being “this house believes that parents should not teach children about their own conceptions of the afterlife”.

I think as a pair we were immediately taken aback by the standard of the competition, with teams coming from across the globe solely to compete. However, we absolutely rose to the challenge, and over the four rounds we placed first, second and fourth twice. Ultimately however we unfortunately did not progress to the semi finals of the competition however it was an incredible experience nonetheless. We hope to continue to further our skills and compete to an even higher standard next year.

Work Experience Hamish Whitelaw

For Henry Rachwal’s work experience he went to the Netherlands to the city of Delft. He was working for a company called Octofude. This company specialises in fesads glass and steel working. They work with architects on a daily basis to try to turn dreams into reality. During his week with the company he worked with different departments. He worked from sales to engineering to structural engineering. During his time with each department he would be told about what jobs there were and what each job would entail. There would also be different activities that he would complete that were organised for him.

The most interesting part of Henry’s work experience was meeting with the structural engineers. He thought this was the most interesting because he really enjoyed the stress test. This was a test where the glass would be smashed and then they would test if it was still durable. He told me that he got the most out of learning the process in which an architect turns a project into reality.Next I asked Henry if he would look to pursue a career In the structural engineering business. He told me he wouldn’t because it contained quite a lot of mathematics in the job. He did tell me that the work environment was good and the culture in the company was fun.

When asked if he would recommend it as a work experience he said yes and would rate it 10/10.

For Conor Harty’s work experience he went to St. Kieran's Primary School. While he was there he was helping out teaching and helping out with work that needed to be done.

Conor told me that the most interesting part of his work experience was meeting the kids he didn’t know and trying to get to know them. Conor would recommend this work experience to others because he thought it was a good opportunity to help out and teach kids to read and write. I asked him if he would pursue a career in this and he said he would because he liked teaching. The thing that Conor got the most out of was learning how the kids dealt with different subjects.

European Youth Parliament Matthew Burke

My whole life, I have had a strong interest in current affairs, politics and social issues that affect everyone in our society. I was delighted to continue on from other similar activities I have been involved with this year by participating in the European Youth Parliament recently.

Both Jack Leahy and I had a great experience.

The first part of the day was the opening ceremony. I was assigned to be on the ENVI 2 committee. It was fascinating to be a part of a melting pot of different cultures and nationalities from around Europe. Our brief was to research the problems facing people with intellectual disabilities of all ages in Europe, and to discover solutions to improve their lives. It was shocking to see how our system has failed these people, from the moment they are born until old age.

After much brainstorming and reading firsthand accounts from people in the intellectually disabled community, we created a list of what we believe to be the five most pressing issues facing this cohort across Europe.

Upon making these findings, we were proud to begin creating solutions. It was the final part of a terrific first day at EYP. After much research and productive deliberation we came up with eight proposals on how to solve them.

The following day we were going to present our proposals to our fellow delegates and the jurors. My favourite part of the weekend was the round of open debate where we could share our opinions on the problems being discussed and search for weaknesses in their arguments. Our committee worked very effectively at this.

At the end of the day, it was our committee’s opportunity to share our proposals. Our opening speech went remarkably well and we did a fantastic job rebuking the other committee’s scrutiny of our proposals. After the debate, I gave our closing speech. I was delighted with how it went and I believe that it helped encourage some other delegates who were undecided to back our proposal. Our proposals were then voted on and it was easily passed, with 45 votes in favour, 16 against and 6 abstaining.

I loved EYP from start to end. It covered issues that I have been passionate about for a very long time. I am very grateful for the opportunity to participate in something like this. The Law Society of Ireland were very generous to lend their spectacular building to hold the event.

Junk Kouture Hannah Magee

How did you learn about Junk Kouture?

Junk Kouture is something that I’ve always known about since I was really young, so since then I’ve always had an interest in it and I knew I wanted to get involved in it when I would be in fourth year.

What or who got you into fashion?

When I was around seven, I did sewing classes and I really found a passion for it but then I stopped when I was fourteen. Instead I started delivering my own sewing classes and I would teach other people.

What was the inspiration behind your design?

The inspiration for the look came from designers such as Harris Reed, and Paco Rabbanne also taking from chain mail and Simone Rocha’s draping. I then drew up the design and I started collecting the materials like old road signs, bottle caps from bars around my area and fishing line.

What was the meaning behind the design?

The design symbolises the metaphorical shell or defence that people create to shield their innermost vulnerabilities, fears, or insecurities.

As the outfit descends to the trousers the hard shell begins to break away signifying the letting in and trusting of others.

How did you gather your material for the outfit?

I was very lucky to have easy access to these resources, my dad was able to get me road signs from his work. For the bottle caps, I had to go to eight pubs everyday and ask for the bottle caps. They were actually really hard to get because the pubs regularly threw them away. I then drilled all the holes in them, spray painted them and weaved them through.

How long did it take to complete your design?

About two to three months. I found it easy to work on my own too, because I knew from the start what I wanted to do and I enjoy working independently as I have creative freedom.

How did you feel about your competition and the other competitors?

I was actually very surprised when I went in because the standard was very high this year compared to previous years. When I got there I was really nervous because I hadn’t seen most of them before as some weren’t online.

Do you think we should do Junk Kouture more in Gerard’s?

I think if someone really wanted to do it, they could ask because if I’m being honest, it does take a lot of time and effort for both the student and the teacher. I was very lucky to have Ms Magee helping and supporting me. She has been wonderful.

Namibia

Colm Kavanagh

A group of eight TY boys went to Namibia with a team called the Kingsley Holgate Foundation which was doing a trip called the Africa Odyssey. According to Jack, they decided to join the group in Namibia because it is a safer country in Africa. Visiting Namibia “opened our eyes” to a vast inequality as both “immense wealth and grinding poverty” sat side by side. Shane Kyne’s father and has gone on expeditions before with this group and so he helped the boys organise their trip and communicate with the foundation.

They all had to raise money for the trip. The goal was €50,000 and they raised that by setting up fundraising events. They sold ice cream in school as well as having a go fund me page. They went swimming to raise awareness and money also.

Throughout the trip there was about 3000 km of driving starting in the capital, Windhug. They stopped out in little towns along the way to give out mosquito nets, play football with the villagers and speak with them about their lives and how they live. The boys did some conservation work to stop people from selling rhino horns through teaching kids about the practice and how to stop it.

One thing that stuck out to Jack was the way they lived. When they went to a tribe they found that the people were living very simply and without technology. All they really worried about was their cattle. As well as that all the kids were so well mannered and never took anything for granted, which Jack said was such a great thing to be able to do.

The trip was definitely such a great experience and it is amazing that the boys were able to go.

Strasbourg trip Lucy Curran

Throughout the course of this year I took part in the Rotary Ireland Youth Leadership Competition, completing several rounds of interviews and presentations for a panel of judges. Ultimately this process led to me being awarded an absolutely unforgettable trip to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

The trip was a whirlwind of activity, with each day beginning bright and early. On Monday we paid a visit to Belfast City Hall, posing questions to the High Sheriff. We then travelled to Stormont where we were able to sit in on discussions taking place on a range of subjects from road traffic to childcare.

The following Tuesday morning we were given a presentation in the EU Liaison Office about the importance of voting for young people, before being taken on a fascinating tour of the Masonic Hall. Next we visited the Dáil, touring the building and sitting in on some of the debates. Following this we met and posed questions to many politicians in the Dáil Bar including Alan Farrell, Mairead Farrell, Norma Foley, Jack Chambers and even Micheal Martin.

Wednesday, although the longest day of all, was more relaxed, filled with travel and exploration of Strasbourg city. The following morning, however, marked the beginning of the highlight of the whole trip. In the European Parliament we were given the chance to meet young people from other countries across the EU participating in the event, before entering the Hemicycle to begin the day's events. Firstly we were welcomed by EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola and had Q&A sessions with Robert Zile and Vivienne Halleux. I opened the interaction by posing a question to Vivienne Halleux, becoming the first student from any of the participating countries to speak in the Hemicycle. I also asked a question to Robert Zile about steps being taken to combat the cost of living crisis, contributed to multiple off the cuff discussions, and observed a prepared debate on the EU’s “Zero Pollution Ambition”.

On Friday we were once again up early to maximise the amount of time we could spend in Strasbourg. My friends and I toured the city, popping into vintage shops, buying souvenirs for family and friends, eating delicious food and taking photos of the beautiful buildings.

Our goodbyes in Dublin Airport once home, although sad, were filled with satisfaction at what we had achieved. Each of us had arrived home with newfound friends for life and memories that will stay with us for the rest of our lives.

Ethiopia Charlie Geelon

In March, a group of 14 transition year girls travelled to Ethiopia on a charitable trip. I got the opportunity to talk to Thea Whelehan who gave me an insightful rundown of the trip.

How did you get the opportunity to participate in this amazing trip?

One of my best friends Alice is of Ethiopian descent and she decided to bring a group of her friends with her. We had always known from a young age that Alice’s mother Anne had planned on doing this trip as she had done previous similar journeys with Alice’s sister.

What were the primary goals/objectives of the trip?

Our main project was in Aleltu which was one of Anne’s schools where women and children go there for a year. While the kids are in school, the teacher's train the mothers on how they can live a sustainable life and create a living for themselves.

What work did you specifically do?

The 14 girls who travelled over did a lot of painting in the classrooms of schools, a lot of playing with the kids. On one of the days we taught them how to play the recorder which was very hard to listen to! We also played volleyball against the men's team, whom we unfortunately lost to.

How did the experience impact you personally?

It definitely opened my eyes to the world that was out there. We saw that we live in such a privileged world, and to see people with so little was quite moving. The children in Ethiopia were so happy with so little, even though you could see that they were really struggling, they were extremely grateful for your help.

Did you implement any long term plans to ensure that the benefits of your work continue?

Yes, Anne (Alice’s mum) was the main person who did this. She vowed that she would keep returning and continuing to help. We visited 2 schools which she had built and you could see the impact they had on the local community. Anne and Alice are going to continue to travel back to make sure that the people are getting the support that they need.

Do you have any plans/aspirations to return to Ethiopia again?

I loved Ethiopia. The locals were incredibly friendly and it was such an amazing community. Anything you did with them they were incredibly grateful for. Even just within Africa in general, there was a lot of poverty but then so much gratitude for what they had. So yes, I could definitely see myself carrying out more charity work over there.

SCT Plate Finals

Choni Wong Cotter and Hannah Duffy

I intereviewed Ronan Kelly after he scored the winning try in the Plate Final for the Senior Rugby team. This was a great success and it was super to hear what Ronan had to say.

1. How do you feel after participating in SCT? I feel great, I feel like I actually have learnt a lot throughout the whole thing because you go up at the start and everyone’s older than you, bigger than you, their faster than you and it is a really weird jump from playing against people your own age but the more you do it the more you get used to it and it got easier over time. It was a very good experience I thought and it'll make me better in the future.

1. What do you think you could improve?

I can definitely improve on my handling under pressure because the older everyone gets the less time you have to do your passes and everything so that is something I definitely need to work on but that will come with time.

1. What was your position on the team?

I played on the right wing number 14 and my role was just kind of to get the ball and run because I'm the last man closest to the touch line so when I get the ball I just have to go as fast as I can and try not to get put into touch.

1. How does it feel to be the only TY on the team?

At the start it was quite weird because they were that bit older and it's weird not having any friends to play with but then by the end of the season they were a lot more friendly with me and I got a lot more comfortable when at the start I was the only TY and I couldn't play how I wanted to because I wasn't sure how everyone else would react if I messed up but it definitely got easier the more I did it and I had two other TY lads with me on the bench that came along throughout the season so that also made things a lot better.

1. How has the season been for you ?

It's been fine, it was definitely a slow start then it picked up a lot and we ended up winning the senior plate so to get a come back off losing our first cup match ,against a team we know we could have beaten, and win something tangible was very nice cause our morale was quite low and that's the last game for all the sixth years as well so to go out with such a big win and to get the trophy home was something that I thought was very nice for the school and you know some justice.

I don’t think anyone on the Senior Hockey Team this year will ever forget the day we won the plate. It was the biggest final most of us had ever been in and the fact we had the opportunity to bring home some silverware was amazing.

There are four fourth year girls on the SCT hockey team and all four of us helped bring us to the final however, on the day only two of us were playing as it clashed with the Ethiopia trip.

We played St Andrew’s College on Monday 11th of March in Three Rock Rovers Hockey Club. The fourth, fifth and sixth years were brought to the match so the noise was huge, with different chants every minute.

We had played Andrews during our league campaign and we drew 1-1 so we knew it was going to be a highly contested match. And that it was. We worked hard throughout the whole game and gained lots of chances throughout. We also defended well when Andrew’s came hard at us in the second half.

Despite our best efforts to get a goal in during open play, the match ended 0-0 meaning it had to go to shootout. We lost to Muckross in the cup this year on shootout and when we played Juniors we also lost our cup game on shootout so nerves were high going into this. There was so much at stake for our team.

As fourth years it’s easy to say we still have two more years at senior hockey, but for the sixth years it was their last ever school match. We wanted to win for them as much as us.

Five brave people from our team stood up to take a 1 v 1 and everyone else watched nervously. It was 4-4 after all five penalties from both teams which meant sudden death. We went through two sudden death points with both goalies saving shots and people scoring to keep us even before Katie our goalie made an amazing save that gave us the opportunity to win it.

Charlotte Ballagh stood up to take this penalty and within 8 seconds we had won. Andrew’s were probably the favourites going into this match so the fact we had just beaten them was shocking to everyone.

We, as a team, couldn’t believe we had done it. Everyone was almost crying with happiness going around hugging different people. We were going to get to lift the trophy and that is a feeling that I will never forget. I feel proud to have been on this team as a fourth year and I can’t wait to see what we can do again next year