Transition Year Summer Newsletter Issue 5 2023

TY

St. Gerard’s School

Transition Year

2022-2023

TY T RI P S

Lough Dan Camping Adventure - Isabelle Smith On September 14th, all 4th year students had the opportunity to go camping! This was a trip that had been boasted about by former TY students and we were all rearing to get going. We arrived at Lough Dan and after completing the mammoth task of putting up our tents we left our base to begin our first hike.

During the two day trip we went on two hikes, one of which was a 17 km hike through the Irish countryside.

Unexpectedly, the hikes were by far the highlights of the trip. Though they were lengthy (especially the second one), the pain we endured was worth it for the breathtaking views which I was completely blown away by.

We returned back from our hikes freezing and famished: we did not have the convenience of our mothers’ homemade warm dinner. We had to make do with our own cooking and catering skills (some, we learned, were better than others).

But sleeping in the tents was by far the highest hurdle to overcome… We all woke up freezing in the middle of the night, our teeth were chattering and our fingers were numb. It was nearly too cold to move. We concluded our hard day’s work congregating around the hot campfire, roasting marshmallows and eating smores.

Overall it was an amazing trip, we got to talk to new people and experience many new things. Everyone returned home exhausted but happy. .

This is certainly a super way to start the school year!

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KILLARY - Bella Wilkinson After the high of “Grease”, our year group was closer than ever and excited to spend the week in the West. With enough luggage to last us a month, we loaded onto the bus and prepared for a 4 and a half hour bus journey. It is safe to say that by the time we arrived at Killary Adventure Centre we were happy to be off of the bus!

After our rooms were assigned and our phones were taken, we prepared ourselves for our first activity. Some groups had to get ready to start off strong with the bog run while others had high ropes and raft building activities. Many fears were faced on the high ropes and laughs were shared in the bog as they struggled through the mud. There was a great buzz at dinner on the first night after everyone changed and warmed up as they talked about what they had done that day.

On Day Two, four more groups got up and ready for a morning in the bogs, while the remaining groups prepared for their high ropes course.

There was a lot of fog but thankfully the rain held off for most of the morning! Most people were barely recognisable as they exited the bog, covered head to toe in mud before taking a dip in the fjord to wash off. For most it was a race back to the centre to ensure they were the first in the showers. For those who were not so quick, it was a not so glamorous wait before they could properly wash the mud from their hair!

The high ropes groups were luckier as they went straight for lunch. A warm bowl of soup was just what everyone needed to heat themselves up and prepare for the afternoon activities.

The “Killary Challenge”, orienteering, “The Big Swing” and even katakanuing awaited the TY’s as the skies opened and rain poured. It was safe to say that by the end of it, no one had escaped being drenched and so after the afternoon of adventure activities, people quickly changed straight into comfy clothes or pyjamas before dinner and evening activities.

The evening activities were a great way to bond as a year group and I think I can speak for everyone when I say that the heated building was greatly appreciated as we worked as a group away from the rain! With only an hour before lights out, the

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year unwound sitting on the couches sharing stories from their day while others participated in pool tournaments gathered around the pool table. It’s safe to say that by the time we were sent to bed we were all exhausted!

Day Three of Killary saw more rain, a trend of Lemsips for sore throats and a lot of laughs! A freezing cold morning meant that katakanuing was canceled for the last group and gorge walking was arranged instead! The final high ropes group commenced their climb and many screams were heard from the group doing the “Big Swing”!

By lunchtime hot cups of tea and warm soup was greatly appreciated as everyone tried to heat up from the morning rain. It was a quiet lunch hall as everyone was exhausted from the morning and slightly dreading going back into the rain, however, as the rain cleared up and we set out to the fjord for the last time that day, spirits lifted and laughs were shared as everyone enjoyed their activities safe from rain and hail storms!

Our last evening activity was a nighttime walk around the fjord. This was a great way to talk to people who weren’t in our activity groups and burn off energy before bed. Conscious that it was our last night together, the energy in the year group lifted and everyone really enjoyed their evening. Before bed, the same pool tournament recommenced and the living room area was a hub of chatter as we reflected on our week in the West.

I think most people agreed that there were many ups and downs during the week but we were confident that we will look back on our time together fondly. On the last day we got up and ready for our very last adventure activities. It was clear that everyone was really enjoying the day as the sun shone down on us for the first time all week! There was a bittersweet atmosphere as we returned to the centre for the last time to load the bus home. While everyone was ready to go home and rest in their own rooms, it was sad to have our Killary experience and week together come to an end.

While it was not always easy, Killary was a great opportunity for us to bond as a year and push ourselves out of our comfort zones, and I am sure it will be a week we look back on with great memories.

St . Ge rard ’s S en i o r S c h o ol

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COMEDY SHOW - Ellie Bourke On the 14th of March, the Transition Year students took to Old Connaught Road and made their way into the Mermaid Theatre in Bray for a live comedy show! The comedian, Ger Carey, came in and put on a hilarious, relatable and at times touching show. He told the story of the tortures of the teenage mind through some really amusing anecdotes. I think every student appreciated the lessons being taught throughout the show. We could all relate to Ger’s jokes about teenage behaviours so everyone had a good laugh together while realising we could all be feeling the exact same way as each other… bit of an eye opener that! We all had a wonderful time. From the comedy show to our McDonalds meals, it was a great day out for the TYs!!

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TY Trek/Three Peaks Challenge - Robyn Nowlan On Friday the 28th of April, The TY students took part in the Three Peak Challenge hike. This hike was to raise money for our Difference Day which is to take place in Peamount Hospital on Friday the 4th of May. To complete the 3 Peak Challenge, we had to walk The Sugarloaf, The Little Sugarloaf and Brayhead. Due to the fact we were raising money for such an important day for not only us as TY’s, but for a group of people less fortunate than ourselves, it gave us extra motivation and grit on the walk.

Although we definitely found the trek challenging, It was also extremely enjoyable. It was a great opportunity to talk to different people and have chats with friends. It also brought us together as a year group as it was extremely gruelling especially on the steep, uphill stages of the walk.

The most challenging part of the trek was definitely the length of the walk. It was the first time many of us had ever walked more than 15 kilometres and as we got more tired it got a lot harder but everyone supported each other and together, we all completed it. Another thing we really enjoyed was being able to appreciate the beautiful scenery of the Wicklow Mountains. I think sometimes it is easy to forget how blessed we are to have such incredible views and nature at our doorstep.

After the Three Peaks Challenge I think many of us will definitely try to spend more time in nature and this walk definitely inspired us to do more hiking as we actually really enjoy it. It is something that many of us have realised this year as we got so many opportunities to get outside and see beautiful parts of Wicklow. It also felt amazing finishing the walk and seeing literally how far we had come from the start. The Three Peaks Challenge was definitely a great experience and a very enjoyable aspect of our last term in TY.

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TY Ac tivities

Difference Day - Robyn Nowlan Difference Day is a really special part of TY. This year fifteen of us travelled to Peamount Hospital to help build three new garden areas for the residents. The day was organised by LexisNexis and there were around forty other volunteers helping as well. We were split into three groups and each group had to build a garden. A professional builder was assigned to each of the teams, and was there to guide us in everything we did. Immediately we got to work, shovelling out gravel to use as the base of our garden and raking the stones to make it even.

By the end of the first hour our arms were burning! We definitely had added appreciation for builders and labourers after that morning! Gradually we got into the rhythm of the work and it became really enjoyable. It was so much fun! After that, unfortunately, it was time for more shovelling and raking but we had gotten used to it by then so it wasn’t bad at all. We had to use a lot of teamwork skills as we were using dangerous equipment and it was even more difficult as we were working with people we didn’t know. We definitely strengthened our teamwork skills and also communication skills. Communication was crucial as we had to work together to get the job done.

The most amazing part of the Difference Day was that we got to meet the residents that we were building the gardens for. It kept us working hard all day as we wanted to get the job done properly for these lovely people. It was an incredible experience seeing the before and after of our hard work. We had started with an empty muddy patch of grass and by the end of the day we had a beautiful garden complete with sensory flower beds, table and chairs and a swing chair.

By far the best part of the day was seeing the residents come out and use the gardens that we had built for them. It was the most rewarding and heartwarming experience we have ever had. We all agreed afterwards that it was one thing to raise money for something, but actually seeing how your hard work affects someone’s life in such a positive way is entirely different.

We look forward to the opportunity to volunteer for things like this in the future and would highly recommend this to anyone of any age. It definitely made us appreciate everything we have and realise how lucky we all are.

After a long and productive day’s work, we were all very proud of the work we had done and how much we made a difference to Peamount Hospital. It was a really enjoyable project to do and I think everyone now has a better understanding why this day in TY is called ‘Difference Day.’

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T Y ACTIV I TI E S

LAURALYNN COMMUNITY SERVICE - Nicola Harmon There were three girls including myself from school who did their community service placement in LauraLynn, Ireland’s Children’s Hospice which provides palliative and supportive care services to meet the needs of children with life limiting conditions and their families. It mostly relies on generous donations from the public and fundraising initiatives. I had done previous volunteer work with LauraLynn in November for their annual LightUp LauraLynn Christmas event. After this event I was eager to learn more about the amazing organisation.

Our first day included an intensive online training course which consisted of a safe-guarding course, children’s infection control, hand and hygiene course, bullying awareness course and Social Media Confidentiality Policy course. These were all mandatory courses we had to take and get tested on after to be able to interact with children, staff, medical staff and families from the hospice.

After completing our training we were able to meet the children of the hospice and their families. We also got to meet and talk to the fundraising & marketing team, IT department, accounting department and more.

We were with the fundraising team doing the preparations for their annual Heroes Ball. Unfortunately on our fourth day a little girl passed away and we were advised to stay at home as a mark of respect. This was an example of the reality of LauraLynn that I had never witnessed before. The following morning, butterflies of all sizes were displayed everywhere, butterflies signifying a child’s passing and that LauraLynn is mourning the passing of the child.

Our participation was very beneficial and heartwarming to LauraLynn. It is a fantastic organisation that helps so many children and their families. The Heroes Ball, which we helped prepare for raised over €175,000. This was an incredible amount of money for such an important charity.

Even though LauraLynn is a very sad place I learnt that it is also a very happy place. It makes sad situations a bit brighter and that’s all done by the wonderful staff, volunteers, families and donations. Volunteering in LauraLynn has made me extremely grateful for the life I live. I hope to do lots more volunteer work with LauraLynn and never lose contact with such a wonderful organisation.

FOOTBALL MARATHON - Katie Fenelon On the 24th of January, the TY students held a football marathon in aid of Focus Ireland. The marathon took place for twelve hours and we all played for at least an hour each. We paid a twenty euro entrance fee to participate and we also paid an additional five euro for a breakfast roll supplied by the catering team in the school, which set us up for the competitive morning ahead of us. I was involved in the organisation of this event, and divided the year group into different teams, generally consisting of two girls and three boys. I played multiple matches throughout the day, despite the fact we only had to play one. When I played with my assigned team, we won our match. There was also a bake-sale, which raised a further sum of money. Overall, we raised just over €2,000, which was incredible, as it surpassed our initial goal. I really enjoyed this event as it allowed me to get to know other people in the year group better while also helping a really noble cause!

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Focus Ireland Sleepout - Bella Wilkinson On the 14th of October, a group of ten TY students took part in a Sleep Out to “Shine a Light” on homelessness in Ireland. The team (Tara Carey, Aoibhe Hoey, Isabella Wilkinson, Eleanore Bourke, Orla Long, Isabelle Smith, Isabella Stewart, Holly Danaher, Katie Coleman and Pippa Bellows) raised over €10,000 for Focus Ireland.

Currently over 10,500 people are homeless in Ireland. This is unacceptable for a wealthy, developed country, and something we wanted to draw attention to.

When I signed up to do the sleep out I didn’t expect to find it so difficult.

I knew it would be uncomfortable, but it was not until the next day that I fully realised the effects of sleeping rough. I was exhausted. Our one night sleeping rough wiped me out for the entire next day. I cannot imagine that being the reality of everyday life for so many people. I feel that this sleepout has humbled me and allowed me to empathise with those sleeping rough.

It reinforced my privilege and therefore my responsibility to help. I hope to be able to help Focus Ireland end homelessness again in the future.

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T Y Acti v iti e s

Difference Day - Nicola Harmon Difference Day. What a day.

On 5th May, all Transition Year students got the amazing opportunity to do our Difference Day in Peamount Hospital.

Peamount Hospital provides safe and homely residential care for those who need it and supports people to live as independently as possible in the community. All funds raised from our TY Trek the previous week went to our Difference Day to help pay for the equipment, materials and resources needed to really make this project work.

When we arrived we were split into four different groups. Each group was assigned different tasks to do. There was an art group who painted boards of art for the walls of Peamount. Also, there was a construction group who built wooden chairs, tables and swing sets. Finally, there was a group who made flower beds and a group who resurfaced the outside area for residents of Peamount.

Most people had very little experience with building and construction so it was a bit out of most comfort zones. But everyone was eager to learn and try under the superb guidance of Denis O’ Reilly and his team. It was tiring building and working but knowing that we were working to help and improve the lives of the residents and staff of Peamount brought joy to everyone helping.

The finish result was spectacular, the grounds of Peamount were left with better facilities and all the residents were delighted with their improved area of living. While doing our tasks our communication and teamwork skills improved as we had to communicate with the other people to make sure we were all building the things the same way. It was also lovely to get a chance to talk to the residents and see the difference our effort was making for them.

After a long and productive day’s work, we were all very proud of the work we had done and how much we made a difference to Peamount Hospital. It was a really enjoyable project to do and I think everyone now has a better understanding why this day in TY is called ‘Difference Day.’

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St.. Ge Gerard rard’s ’s SSen eniioorr SScchhooo St oll

EX T R A CURRICUL AR

The course was great fun and it had a really practical elem

barista experience was that after we made the coffees we Barista Course - Robyn Nowlan was amazing. The skills we developed will hopefully help In November, a group of TY students took part in the Barista Course. Three instructors from the Dublin Barista School came to teach us key barista skills and techniques. The course lasted the full day but every minute was filled with information and practical hands-on work.

The first skill we learned was how to use an espresso machine. First of all we learned how to pull a double shot of espresso. It was way more complicated than expected. What we didn’t know was that each specialty coffee shop has a recipe for their own unique coffee.

One of the best parts of making the espresso was tamping the coffee into the portafilter. It was really fun. After we tamped the coffee we had to “bless it” which meant we had to remove any excess coffee from the top and back of the portafilter because the coffee can burn if not removed, causing it to taste terrible.

The course was great

barista experience was The second skill we learned was heating and foaming the milk.

The instructors tried to teach us how to create latte art but it was so hard. was amazing. The ski One of the best parts of the course overall was when we made a makeshift coffee shop for an hour. We were all given roles in the coffee shop: manager, supervisor, barista and runner. Each 3rd year class took turns coming down to the coffee shop and we discovered how chaotic and stressful it would be working in a busy cafe. We had to work really fast to get through all of them but at the same time make sure we were giving every customer a good quality coffee. By the end of the course many of us had drunk up to six coffees so that probably wasn’t the healthiest but It was still so good.

The course was great fun and it had a really practical element to it. I feel The best part of the barista experience was that after we made the coffees we got to drink them.

If you love coffee, it was amazing. The skills we developed will hopefully help us get jobs over the summer!

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EXT RA C U R R I C U LAR

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Photography Course - Kate Loughran On Monday, the 26th of September, a group from our year completed a super photography course. A professional photographer, called Una, showed us all the skills around working a professional camera and the overall art of photography. We each got a camera for the day, to allow us take our professional photos. It was entirely different from being on our phones!

We developed a variety of skills throughout this course.

In pairs, we learnt how to greet a client to make sure they feel welcome and looked after. This skill will really benefit us in the future when we have to greet people in a work environment.

The real fun was learning how to take photos of each other. It was amazing to see how lighting and different angles completely change a photo’s meaning. We mainly focused on portraits but also took photos of each other outside. This was such a laugh! We all really loved this course because we got to express our interest in photography but also have a good time with our friends.

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Food and Drink Course - Kate Loughran Food and Drink was a course all TYs completed in November. Fiona, the host, helped us learn about the hospitality industry and what it’s like to be a waiter in a restaurant. My expectations were that we would learn how to take orders and carry plates on one hand. It exceeded my expectations because at our age this course will help us out greatly when we are looking for a job. This course also relates to the Barista Course and the Home Ec “food safety” test. All of these courses put together will make our year group very employable for jobs.

Everyone completed this course: we all enjoyed it and found it very useful for the future.

St . Ge rard ’s S en i or S c h oo l

Film Workshop - Charlotte Coffey Over the week of the 26th of September, our year took part in a fantastic film workshop. In this workshop we learnt lots, worked together and overall and we all came out with smiles on our faces. Going to the cinema or watching Netflix we don’t really pay attention to how a film is put together, but we developed a much greater understanding of the cinematography, sound, lighting and the rule of thirds.

I found it really interesting how each small component of the production can make such an impact on the appearance and mood of the scene, whether it changes the time of day or importance of a particular part of the set. We were taught about how lighting has such a huge impact on the mood and tone of the scene and how directors and cinematographers use the lighting for so many things to create their desired atmosphere for the scene.

What was fascinating was learning about how the camera works and all the different shots that cinematographers use to create tension and drama in scenes. Emmett taught us how to use the focus and create

emphasis using this feature.

Each form group had to create a short film, direct, act and film it. It was super that each student had a role to play in the production whether it was cinematographer, actor, sound crew or extras in the film. This was the most fun... using all the skills we spoke about.

This workshop was a great opportunity to gel with our new forms as we had such a good time and didn’t stop laughing from start to finish. Also that we were all in the same position of not having a clue at the beginning to in the end creating a short film together really made the day. We learnt many new skills for the future, including cinematography, acting, leadership Lau ra and M aya Ham and delegation. This workshop was a mond brilliant opportunity to explore the film On the 2 industry as we may never have known 3rd of Se about filmmaking before this workshop. ptember, our year his fun w Overall, we all thoroughly enjoyed T this group pa orkshop rti focuses workshop as it was an opportunity to on two c undtoersta express ourselves and work together ritical are nding eff as ective te achieve our common goal of creating amwork. wh T the best short film we could while ich is a reall h e whole y interes wo laughing and joking the whole way ting way dependin o f w orking o g on ou through the workshop!

Self Defence - Ruby Tuthill Our year participated in a self defence course over 3 days.

On Monday, the 17th of October, we had the lecture part of the course where the instructor, Darragh, informed us on the dangers of the world, and told us how and when to protect ourselves. It was fascinatingly scary how many people get attacked on a regular basis. He educated all of us on how it is a necessity for people to have self-defence skills.

The following Monday we did the physical part of the self-defence course. This was very enjoyable. There was an amazing atmosphere in the hall. First we practised hitting the pads which our partner was holding up, then moved to kneeing the pads, before we moved on to elbowing the pads.

This was actually harder than I expected as it was difficult to put a lot of strength into hitting the pad. Next we moved on to wrestling our friends on the mat which was so fun. Everyone was laughing and smiling which made it even better! We had a competition on who could pin someone to the ground which was hilarious.

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Drivers Ed - Ruby Tuthill On Thursday, the 8th of December, a group of students participated in a Driver’s Ed Course which taught all of us very important skills for driving experience in the future. We started off with learning about the rules of the road which wasn’t as exciting as the other activities, but just as important. On the website, Irish School of Excellence, there is a practice theory test that everyone completed (some more successfully than others). This was extremely beneficial for us as we are all coming to the age to start driving.

Insurance is a huge part of driving and during this course we learned how to insure a car, and the different prices insurance companies charge depending on the person and car model, which was interesting. We also went onto a website which was a driving simulator. You had to press on the screen for your car to slow down if there was a danger or hazard on the road. Depending on your reaction time when pressing the screen you got a certain amount of points. This was really useful to understand when and where to slow down, or stop, in real life situations.

For the second part of the day, we learned about the mechanics of a car. For example how to remove a tyre and put it back on, which is exceptionally valuable information if you’re driving alone. We also learned how dangerous it is to drive while intoxicated by putting on drunk goggles. It was a massive struggle to see properly. To test it out we played a football match and dribbled through cones with the goggles on. It was so funny to see your friends fall or miss the ball.

Finally we learned how to drive a car which was the most exciting part. We drove around the Sports Hall Car Park. It was so entertaining watching our friends drive around. It was not as difficult as I expected, but definitely not easy. This course was so fun, interesting and beneficial especially for the coming years when most of us will be learning how to drive.

First Aid Course - Ellie Bourke From the 22nd to the 24th of March, the Transition Year students took part in a three day First Aid course. This was an extremely important course for students to take part in and probably the most beneficial course of TY. Who knows when we might have to save a life?

Pulse Medical Ltd sent three different first aid experts to teach this course. Once they divided us into our groups we got stuck into the course. They did an excellent job of teaching us really valuable information that could potentially save any of us someday. The course content included: Patient Assessment, Incident procedure, Cardiac First Response (CFR) including defibrillation, choking and stroke, Common Medical Emergencies (asthma, diabetes, seizures, poisoning and stroke), Injury Management and Shock (bleeding, bone injuries, sprains, strains & dislocations, shock), burns and scalds, electric injury care, Hypothermia and Hyperthermia, Information Management, Communications and the wellbeing of the first aider.

Taking part in the practical work of the course seemed to be the most enjoyable part for everyone. Once we knew how to perform CPR, bandage wrists, and put our arms into slings, we started acting out real life scenarios. We were put in high pressure situations and were forced to put our new skills to the test.

On the final day of the course, we all took an exam. This exam tested us on our new knowledge of first aid, how we should react in these situations, but also how important our safety is. It was stressed to us that above all else we must look after ourselves no matter the circumstance. In the wise words of our instructor Brian, “No one wants a hero”.

We’re all so grateful we got to take part in this course as we never know when these skills will be needed: they could save a life someday!

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EX T R A CURRICUL AR

Sign Language - Maya Hammond All 4th Years participated in a brilliant Sign Language Workshop this year. Jenny, who was the instructor for the course, opened all of our eyes to a tiny part of what a deaf person’s day to day life is like. We started the workshop with a presentation about the history of Sign Language and some information about hard of hearing individuals, how someone can become deaf and the everyday struggles they face. The first thing we did in Sign Language was the alphabet. After that we learned how to spell out our name and ask others what their name was.

I think everyone can agree that, as the workshop went on, we all got used to signing out words and most of the room were able to perfectly understand what others were saying. Next we moved onto asking and responding to the question: “how are you?” We were tested with more questions like “where are you from?”, “what are your hobbies?”, and “how many are in your family?” We were all amazed by how everyone in the room could communicate without saying a word. It was a great atmosphere as everyone was eager to learn new words and everyone was encouraging one another. Fun games like charades kept everyone entertained towards the end. The Sign Language Workshop was really useful, it was a completely new experience for most of the year and I think the workshop raised some awareness about the deaf community and encouraged us to find out more.

Develop Me - Laura and Maya Hammond On the 23rd of September, our year group participated in the Develop Me workshop. This fun workshop focuses on two critical areas for students, project management and understanding effective teamwork. The whole workshop is based around a board game, which is a really interesting way of working on teamwork. We got split up into groups depending on our form classes. These different groups went up against each other to be the team that collected the most gold from the mine at the end. I loved this bit of competition and it brought out the rivalry between groups. Each team was presented with the challenge of planning and launching an expedition to the Lost Dutchman’s Gold Mine in the Superstition Mountain Range in Arizona. We had limited time and limited resources which made the game much more difficult. We had to figure out how we would approach the challenge, what route we would take to and from the mine and had to assess the objective for the project. This lead to some serious “conversations” between team members! Also, we had to make the best use of the resources, information and advice we were given. While most teams planned to bring back a fortune of gold, this was certainly not the outcome! Afterwards in the debrief everyone realised how a different approach to the challenge would have yielded far higher results. They showed we didn’t need any more resources, time or ‘luck’ to do this. We learned that everything we did in the game to find the goal were really just lessons that can be applied to daily life. The principles of successful project management that emerge are seen to be just as relevant to real projects or situations in the real world.

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Guest S p e a k e rs

Gambling Talk - Isabelle Smith An eye opening experience was a talk we received from a former gambling addict, Tony O’Reilly, on Monday, the 21st of November. He was introduced gambling as a small hobby he did the odd time for fun. He would place bets on football matches and other competitions he was interested in. As the years passed he fell into the dangerous and obsessive world of gambling.

Tony was thousands of euros in debt, so to fuel his addiction he began to steal money from the post office he worked in, eventually amassing losses of €1.75 million. He was arrested by police as he attempted to hide in Belfast after 8 years of struggling. He ended up spending time in rehab and then three years in prison. His story was truly eye opening: he was very honest, making himself very vulnerable, as he delved into every detail of his story.

CONSENT TALK - Grace Roche On the 7th March, the TYs had a talk on sexual consent. I found this talk very informative and some of the statistics they mentioned really opened my eyes to how serious and prevalent sexual assault is in our society. The talk started off with the lady introducing herself to us and telling us what her job is and what it consists of. She works in SATU which stands for the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit and they offer free healthcare, medication, forensic work and physiological help for anyone over the age of 14 who seeks their assistance.

During the talk the lady handed out different scenarios and questions and, in groups, we came up with answers for the questions, or voiced opinions on the scenarios posed. My group’s question was “where can you go and who can you tell if you think you have been sexually assaulted?”, and our answers were hospitals, GPs, trusted guardians, SATU or the Gardaí.

The last thing that was covered was the kit that is used for forensics when someone is being tested and having evidence collected in case they want to press charges. The kit included swabs, tubes/containers for blood or urine tests, glass slides, sterile water and saline, envelopes, boxes, labels and paper bags. We then did a Kahoot to recap and see what we remembered from the talk and this was really fun and a nice way to end quite a sombre but informative talk.

DELL TALK - Nicola Harmon All TY students had a Digital Futures Talk in the new wing presented by two representatives from DELL Technology Company. First, they informed us about the business itself and that DELL employs over 150,000 people worldwide.

This is an incredible number of people to employ across several continents. Next we discussed the impact technology has had on our lives and the many negative and positive effects technology comes with. They also spoke about computer science and what job opportunities it offers in modern day life. To hear about opportunities to help through technology was an eye opener for many of us. The usual discussion is always the dangers and the strengths, Pa g e 16

but this gave us an idea about making a difference. We learnt that there are not many jobs technology is not used for. In fact, we tried to list jobs that technology is not involved but we couldn’t list many. This came as a shock to most people. We learnt that life would not be the same if technology had not progressed in the way it has in the last century. Which makes sense: we have to explain phones to our parents and grandparents. We even have to help Mr Wall put this newsletter together! Overall, The Digital Future’s Talk given by DELL was very interesting and eyeopening. It was inspiring to many considering working for a technology company or in computer science in the future.

St . Ge rard ’s S en i o r S c h o ol

MUSICAL

Grease:“Superb is the word” - Ellie Bourke With the opening night of “Grease: the Musical” complete, it must be said the TY’s made their mark with dazzling dances and outstanding performances all around. From the incredible cast to the teams in the wings, they really knew how to put on a show.

The impressive “T Birds” and the fashionable “Pink Ladies” ran the night with flair and professionalism of course, while our two leads, Danny Zuko (Gus Dolan) and Sandy Dumbrowski (Laura Hogan), were shining stars.

These two lovebirds demonstrated their talents through their exceptional voices and terrific acting abilities. The main cast rose to the task of taking this show to the next level.

These talented stars really blew the audience away under the stage lights: Holly Danaher as Rizzo, Christopher Kelly as Kenickie, Johnny Harkin as Rodger, Nancy Quiney as

Tra n s itio n Ye a r N e w s 2 0 2 3

Marty, Liam Finn as Sonny, Grace Roche as Jan, Pippa Bellows as Frenchy and Otis Glynn as Doody. There were a few performances that simply cannot be overlooked for their hilarious and entertaining twists on the characters: Isabella Stewart as Patty, Patrick Chen as Eugene,Turlough McCracken Brown as Vince Fontain, Adam Butler as Teen Angel, Odhran Hoey as Johnny Casino, Nicola Harmon as Ms Lynch and Tim Langan as Coach.

The atmosphere was electric as they took the stage and the show exceeded all expectations. From the first shimmy in the opening performance to the final bow these students should be proud of putting on such an incredible display representing Transition Year 2023!

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M USI CA L

Interview with MS Olohan and Roisin - Pippa Bellows Pre-musical, I got to interview Ms Olohan and Róisín, the powerhouses behind our fabulous show. Both were so excited for the performance and have put so much effort in, so a big thank you to them! I began by asking when the preparation started and Ms Olohan told me that she started prepping in September! She then held 6 weeks of musical auditions and then Róisín came in at the start of January to help us get underway with dancing. Róisín then told me that coordinating the dancing took a long time because she had to make sure that everyone was visible during the dances and that they had a partner.

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When asked what their favourite number was, both said the hand jive, so the audience should be excited for that one! Róisín’s favourite scene is the infamous Sandra Dee scene followed by an angry Sandra. Their favourite part of getting ready for the musical is being together, awwww!

Roisin would take dancing over lines and singing and no surprise, Ms Olohan would pick singing. Both Róisín and Ms Olohan are super excited for the musical and think the cast and the year are going to be great.

St . Ge rard ’s S en i o r S c h o ol

MUSICAL

MEET THE LEADS - Katie Fenelon Sandy Dumbrowski: Laura Hogan Costumes: Opening costume: yellow cardigan with white skirt and shirt, a belt, white socks and shoes. Prom dress: floral dress. Freddie my Love scene: silk pyjamas and robe. You’re the One That I Want Scene: leather jacket with black trousers and red high heels.

Songs to sing: Hopelessly Devoted, Summer Nights, Sandra Dee reprise, You’re the One That I Want and It’s Raining on Prom Night. Personality: Shy at the beginning, more confident and romantic towards the end.

Favourite line: “Tell me about it stud.” Favourite dance routine: “You’re the One that I Want.”

Highlight of the show: “Hopelessly Devoted” Danny: Gus Dolan Costumes: Blue jeans, boot cut tight jeans, white shirt, leather jacket, biker jacket with Tbird logo on the back with black converse. Prom night: Black jeans, white shirt, tie and turquoise blazer. Track star outfit: white socks, baggy t-shirt with the number 11 on the back with white and red shorts.

Songs: Summer Nights, Sandy, You’re the One that I Want.

Personality: Cool, calm, confident high school bad boy.

Favourite line: Kenickie: “thank God” after Rizzo realised her “friend was visiting”.

Favourite dance number: Hand Jive.

Highlight of the show: The energy of Grease Lightning

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Rizzo: Holly Danaher Costumes: Day wear: A black pencil skirt with a buttoned shirt and collar, a red neck tie, a black belt and black high heels. Prom Dance Scene: A plain black top with a red and black polka dot skirt with a red underskirt, a belt and silver hoops.

Beauty School Dropout: Gold skirt and white top. Freddie My Love Scene: blue shirt with white shorts.

Songs to sing: “Sandra Dee” and “There are worse things I could do.” Personality: Rude, mean, misunderstood, witty, sarcastic and romantic. Favourite line: “look Sandy, if you think you’re gonna be hanging around with the pink ladies, you gotta get with it, otherwise… forget it and go back to your hot cocoa and Girl Scout cookies.”

Favourite dance number: Hand jive contest.

Highlight of the show: Bedroom scene (Freddie My Love) Kenickie: Chris Kelly Costumes: T-bird costume: leather jacket, white shirt, jeans and converse. Prom scene:wine colour blazer, white shirt and black jeans.

Songs to sing: Grease Lightning Personality: Chill laid back, loves his car and women.

Favourite line: “ You get all the neats” Favourite dance number: Grease Lightning Highlight of the show: Grease Lightning because of the atmosphere.

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M USI CA L

INSIDE THE WARDROBE - Grace Roche For our TY musical, Grease, I had the opportunity to be part of the costume team. At the start I thought I would have very little to do but turns out I was very wrong and we were always busy.

Firstly, we had to get every body measurements to make sure that all the costumes would fit once they arrived. This was more of a challenge than the first imagined. It was very hard to get everybody because they were so busy learning lines and rehearsing. Also I was put in charge of making sure that all the boys got the same type of footwear.

This proved impossible for them, so we ended up ordering the shoes. Worryingly, not all of the shoes came the first day of the show, then the rest arrived the next night. It was very stressful making sure they all arrived on time. When they did it made the show just right because we all looked the part. The day all the costumes arrived there was great excitement seeing and trying them on for the first time. It felt like the show was finally coming together and that we were back in the 1950’s with all the colourful and

puffy costumes. Then we had to make sure they all fit properly or make the necessary adjustments if they didn’t. I relearned how to hand sew and how to use a sewing machine.

For the dress rehearsal we had to make sure that everybody had the right props and costume, and if they needed something new they got it. When the show was going on we had to pin people’s costumes to make sure they looked good on stage. The boys were against the idea of wearing makeup but secretly I think they loved it. Also they looked very funny with all their hair gelled back it really looked like they were from the movie. Yvonne was such a great help with all the costumes and props and we couldn’t have put it together without her. My favourite costume was the prom because everybody looked great in their suits and fancy dresses. I think that everybody can agree that all the costumes looked great and really brought the musical to life.

DIARY OF THE SHOW - Nicola Harmon Opening night of the TY Musical - Grease After months, weeks, days, minutes and seconds, the opening night of our TY Musical, Grease, was finally upon us. The anticipation, the nerves and excitement was surreal. You could taste the energy backstage!

The morning of our big show night we did a dress rehearsal for the 1st and 5th years. As predicted we left the audience walking away stunned and amazed at our performance.

But before the dress rehearsal there were definitely nerves as it was most people’s first ever ‘big show production.’ Thankfully performing the dress rehearsal really helped get rid of nerves for the big night ahead. We went home walking on air and came back rejuvenated ready to perform again!

We got dressed and stage ready and then did our warm up as a year group. I really enjoyed the time

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before the show to go around and talk to everyone. The atmosphere was electric. At the end of the show everyone got their time under the spotlight and did an outstanding performance. The costume changes were the hardest part but really gave a feel of what is like in the ‘showbiz’ world.

Seeing the crowd cheer, laugh and clap was fascinating and the reaction we got taking our bows at the end was phenomenal. Right there and then we knew we had put on a terrific show that we should all be proud of.

This will go down as one of the most memorable experiences of TY. I felt we really bonded as a group. I learnt that hard work really does pay off in the end and this really wouldn’t be possible without the tremendous help from our teachers, production team (band,light and stage crew) Ms. Ní Mháirtín, Mr. Wall, Ms. Scallan, Roisín, Ms. Olohan and last but not least the enthusiastic effort and performance from my fellow classmates.

St . Ge rard ’s S en i or S c h oo l

TY Acti v iti e s

Gaisc e

JUNIOR SEAGULLS - Katie Fenelon Since the beginning of September, I have been volunteering with a group called “Junior Seagulls” at Greystones Rugby Club to assist children with additional needs. By the end, I will have completed twenty-six weeks, as I am doing it towards the Gaisce Award. The group was set up by Pam and Oisín and training took place every Sunday morning from twelve until one. “Junior Seagulls” provides the opportunity for children with additional needs to enjoy team sports, to socialise outside of school, to learn new skills and to build their self-confidence, but most importantly to have fun! I chose to become involved with this team, as my younger brother Conor has Down Syndrome, so I was motivated to get him involved also!

Each week the children would improve on different skills such as throwing and catching as well as kicking. Numerous games were set up to keep all the participants moving and engaged. The parachute towards the end of training was ultimately their favourite, their faces lit up with joy when we did it. I helped Conor through the drills and taught him what to do (while learning an immense amount myself). I was moved by the improvements made by all the children.

The majority of them went from needing a huge amount of support to being able to complete the tasks on their own. It was such a lovely experience to be a part of, it made my bond with my brother closer and I made good relationships with the children and adults that attended. It was rewarding to see the children enjoy themselves and have pleasure.

Riding for the Disabled - Charlotte Coffey

A group of six girls, including myself, are doing RDA for our Gaisce community service. RDA is riding for the disabled. We work with children aged 6-18 and give them an opportunity to interact with the horses, while also giving them a chance to do something new. Every Tuesday, we take two groups of four students and spend 45 minutes your plate. discourage driving with each. We play various games, racesTo and sing songs.

It is we so inserted bus and rewarding seeing each student arrive excited to ride and leave relaxed lanes will reduce the use of cars, which thereby redu and beaming from ear to ear. We have done this for about 10 weeks composting of each food waste andlook otherforward organics, metha now and we have all built relationships with child and to seeing them each week. We memories for the children and facility to o mycreate partner and I chose to add a compost we all enjoy spending time with these kids as each week we learn centre, as it conserves and reduces air and w something new about them. Even though most of theenergy kids are nonverbal, we have learnt to understand them and they resources. have gottenFinally, used we include natural and conserves to us. This experience has opened our eyes to how lucky we are and reduce the carbon dioxide added to the environment how such a small task for us translates into a highlight of the week for atmosphere. the kids. It is such an enriching experience.The project, although quite simple, reall the effort that we all must make.

your plate. To discourage driving we inserted bus and cycle lanes. The implementation of these

BUILD A CITY PROJECT - Katie Fenelon

lanes will reduce the use of cars, which thereby reduces the carbon emissions. Through the

composting of food waste and other organics, methane emissions are significantly reduced, so In Geography, we were assigned a project to gather materials to build a my cardboard partner andboxes I chose to add sustainable city into a 3D model. We reused to build oura compost facility to our city. Furthermore, there’s a recycling structure as it is an eco-friendly material. centre, We began process of designing as itthe conserves energy and our reduces air and water pollution, reduces greenhouse gases, city by deciding where it is located by picking a random, isolated landmass on and conserves natural resources. Finally, we included a huge green area with many trees to google maps. We then began to plan out the city - how and why we will lay it out reduce the we carbon added to the environment and to increase oxygen levels into the in a certain way. To make the city more sustainable, useddioxide renewable sources of energy, (such as solar energy and windatmosphere. energy) to generate electricity in the The project, although quite simple, really made us think about town planning and residential areas, the hospital, the school and the apartments / offices to reduce the effort thatwith we an all area mustassigned make. for pollution to our environment. We also included a farm the use of growing crops. We included a greenhouse as another option to grow fruit and vegetables all year round. The objective here was to reduce air pollution as planes, ships, trucks and cars are not used to bring the food to your plate. To discourage driving we inserted bus and cycle lanes. The implementation of these lanes will reduce the use of cars, which thereby reduces the carbon emissions.

LAURALYNN COMMUNITY SERVIC Through the composting of food waste and other organics, methane emissions are Nicola Harmon significantly reduced, so my partner and I chose to add a compost facility to our city. Furthermore, there’s a recycling centre, as it conserves energy and reduces There were three girls including myself from sch air and water pollution, reduces greenhouse gases, and conserves natural resources. Finally, we included a huge green area with many trees to reduce the placement in LauraLynn Ireland’s Children’s Hos carbon dioxide added to the environment and to increase oxygen levels into the supportive care services to meet the needs of ch atmosphere. The project, although quite simple, really made us think about town planning and the effort that we all must make. their families. It mostly relies on generous donati

initiatives. I had done previous volunteer work w Tra n s itio n Ye a r N e w s 2 0 2 3

annual LightUp LauraLynn Christmas event.

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DEBAT I NG / MU N

THE LUCA GHETA MEMORIAL DEBATE - Pippa Bellows This year marks the first year of St. Gerard’s in-house debating competition, held in memory of Luca Gheta, an avid debater and dearly missed part of our school community. He brought debating to life in the school, even winning the Gillian Lynch Competition in second year so this was a lovely way to honour him. The competition consisted of three knockout rounds, with each team consisting of one fourth, fifth and sixth year. It was a fantastic opportunity to get to know the other years a bit better and learn about some different topics. I found it really helpful and really enjoyed debating with familiar faces as it wasn’t as intimidating. Our finalist teams consisted of Tim Langan, Scarlett Glynn and Ruby Geelon and then myself, Charlotte Finnegin-Quirke and Aaron Corry.

Our debate took place on the 30th of March in front of quite the audience, and was about wealth tax in Ireland. Aaron and

Charlotte had debated in previous competitions so it meant that we were really prepared for this. Yet, it was still nerve wracking standing in front of the 6th years, but as soon as I stood up to speak the nervousness vanished and I grew in confidence.

To have an audience captive listening to the arguments I was making really amazed me. It felt liberating to stand and speak in front of the 6th years. After some impressive speeches and rebuttal, team Tim, Scarlett and Ruby took home the Luca Gheta Cup, which was so well deserved.

All round it was a great experience that everyone enjoyed and in memory of a wonderful person, and on a personal level, to compete in such in such a competitive debate was a real eye opener. The skill and depth of knowledge on show was quite impressive.

MODEL UNITED NATIONS; THE HIGHSCHOOL DUBLIN - Nicola Harmon On 28th April, five TY students got the incredible opportunity to participate in the The High School Model United Nations Conference.

This was the first MUN Conference hosted by The High School since 2018 so it was a great honour to experience their first conference in five years. Each school had a delegation of a country and we were the delegation of Ghana.

On Friday we had our opening ceremony. It was all our first MUN conference and the opening ceremony introduced us to the set up of the two days. We also had a fantastic talk from an United Nations Representative. I was on the E&E committee which was on Environment and Ecology. Each person from St. Gerard’s had a different committee and in each committee we spoke about our resolutions and amendments. This is where we learnt the language debate and negotiation needed during MUN. We had an early start to the second day of MUN. This day was a bit less formal as it included joke resolutions as well, which was fun.

As it was my first time doing MUN it wasn’t mandatory to speak but on the second day I understood better how MUN works. I said a POI which I was very proud of.

Overall I was nervous to compete in Model United Nations but very soon after getting there I thought it was a very enjoyable and inclusive experience. Although I was new to all the MUN ways and language I quickly caught on to it and cannot wait for the next conference.

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St . Ge rard ’s S en i or S c h oo l

WOR K EX PER IEN CE & COM M U N ITY SERVICE

Work Experience Interview with Aoibhe Hoey -Bella Wilkinson After our first successful week of TY work experience, we wanted to find out more about what exciting opportunities had been afforded to members of our year. We sat down with Aoibhe Hoey to talk about her week in “10 Design” an architecture firm in Edinburgh, Scotland. Being a Transition Year student in a country that does not have a Transition Year meant that they had “never had a TY student before”, and so she was largely treated like an employee. This meant she had a “long day” working “basically full hours. I went in at 9am and left at 5:30pm,” Aoibhe explained, “when I went in I got a cup of tea and a snack”, before starting her project with her “mentor.”

After talking with her mentor, Aoibhe started work on her project for the week. “I made a rugby club and stands”, Aoibhe explained. After taking inspiration from clubhouses “around the place” she based her clubhouse on “Herriott’s Rugby Club’’ based in Scotland.

Before beginning work on the design, she had to research “regulations and rules around how big the rooms, showers and hallways could be.” Once she had finished researching, Aoibhe opened a “CAD file” which is a “map of the area that showed outlines of the building.” This allowed her to “measure the width and height of the building.” Her research continued as she looked at the area in which the rugby club was based to ensure that it “talked to the surroundings.” It was then put into “Sketchup”, a programme that allows you to “build it straight away.” This was “a bit finicky putting in all of the details,” but once it was done it was ready to be “sent off to the 3-D printer.”

While Aoibhe’s main focus of her trip to Edinburgh was for work experience, she got to experience life in a different city in her time off. The city was “very Christmassy” and she got to enjoy the “Christmas market and went on a ferris wheel.” Like many of us, I am sure, Aoibhe has “no idea what (she) want(s) to do” now, however as a kid she was interested in architecture! Before her trip to Edinburgh, architecture was not top of her list of future careers, however after finding it “a lot more fun than (she) had thought it was going to be,” a career in architecture is not ruled out of Aoibhe’s future.

Here are some other super work experience that students participated in: ●

Fenelon Properties

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Ernst and Young Induction Programme

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Aviva

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The Europa Hotel

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RCSI Mini Med

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Bord Bia

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Bray Gardaí

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Arthur Cox

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Cairn Homes

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CPL

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Northern Trust

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Sherry Fitzgerald

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Frewen & Aylward

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punch Consulting engineering

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Google

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Rubicon Capital Investment

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Scottish Equity Partners

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RTE/ HULU Collaboration

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Optum Health Insurance

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Greystones Veterinary Hospital

Community Service Opportunities LauraLynn Children’s Hospital ● Bray Lakers ● The Capuchin Centre ● Blue Dolphins ● RDA ● DSPCA St Catherine’s Special School ● Dargle Valley Nursing Home ● Greystones Cancer Support ● Bonagrew Stables Festina Lente ● Rise at the Cove (Tiglin) ● Bray School Project

Special thanks...

Special thanks must go to the wonderful students who worked amazingly all year on the newsletters: Isabella Wilkinson, Eleanore Bourke, Katie Fenelon, Nicola Harmon, Harry Owens, Grace Roche, Holly Danaher, Charlotte Coffey, Laura Hammond, Maya Hammond, Kate Loughran, Robyn Nowlan, Isabelle Smith, Ruby Tuthill

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