Cookery Demonstration 21 November

Fourteen 4th year Home Economics students attended a cookery demonstration in "Briscoes Electrical" in Drogheda on Friday the 21st of November. The students got a chance to witness at first hand the wonderful skills of a professional chef. The girls were treated to such delights as apple and mango crumble, prawn curry, homemade pesto, and  basil pesto scones made in the microwave!! The students left with a copy of the recipes all set to practice the dishes at home!

Shakespeare Festival 14 November

Each TY English class participated in the 4^th year Shakespearean Festival on Friday 14^th. Each class incorporated the traditional Shakespearean concepts in their play with modern twists. Some of the plays recreated 'Othello', 'King Lear', 'Midsummer's Night Dream' and 'Much Ado About Nothing'. 

One class put a modern take on 'Othello' with 'Gossip Girl'. Also in the mix were the Kardashian sisters and 'Jeremy Kyle'! The production of 'The Jeremy Kyle Show' in 'Othello' was the well-deserving winner. 

Each play had impressive hair, make-up and costumes, scripts, props, you name it!

Each class received an award for different aspects of their play that made them stand out.

Overall it was a really enjoyable and successful morning that would not have came about if it wasn't for the hard work and dedication of the students and their teachers.  

By Kelly Murphy, Rebecca Hughes Moore and Moyin Ade 

Health and Beauty Workshop 7 November

On Friday the 7th of November, as part of the Health and Beauty module, we were

given a talk about healthy eating and having a healthy lifestyle, by Rachel O'Loughlin from UniSlim.The aim was to give us confidence to make smart choices about the food we eat and how making these good choices will benefit our skin, hair and our overall lifestyle. 

We were shown how to put together some healthy, balanced meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. For example, we were taught how to cook a quick spaghetti bolognaise, a 'curry in a hurry', and a loaf of homemade brown bread. Rachel showed us just how easy it is to make healthy cooking choices! All of these recipe videos are on the Unislim facebook page.

https://www.facebook.com/Unislim

Rachel also allowed us to taste some 'super foods' that are great for achieving clear skin. Some of these were avacado, carrots, mango, broccoli and blueberries. We also learned how to make a homemade hand scrub and face mask using household ingredients such as oats, strawberries, honey and oil. Overall it was an enlightening afternoon and I think it really motivated some of us to begin leading a healthier lifestyle!

             

Geography trip to Iceland October 2014

Day 1

We started off the trip by visiting a geothermal power plant. The power plant was built beside an active volcano that erupted 3000 years ago and is expected to erupt again in 2000 years. They drilled pipes down into the ground to heat the water. This water heats about 99% of the buildings and swimming pools in the capital city, Reykjavik. Because it is so cheap in Iceland to have hot water and electricity, they also have an underground heating system to melt snow and ice off roads, pavements and carparks. The pearl is a store of hot water which contains enough hot water to heat Reykjavik for 3 days!

That night, we went disco bowling in the bowling palace.

Day 2

That morning, we got up early to visit the canyon where the Eurasian and American plates separated. The plates move apart by 2 cm each year. Iceland is drifting apart every year and eventually, it will be in 2 pieces.

We then visited the Golden circle where we saw a huge waterfall.

In the golden circle, we also saw geysers and hot springs. Every 7 minutes one of the geysers erupts.

That night, we swam in the blue lagoon- a naturally heated pool rich in minerals such as sulphur. The blue lagoon also has great skin healing qualities.

Day 3

That morning we went on a glacier walk. We walked 45 minutes through the mountains to get to the glacier. We were fitted with crampons, a harness and an ice hack. On the walk, we climbed into an ice cave and saw lots of crevices and moulins.

After the glacier walk we went to two waterfalls. The water in the waterfalls were the melt water from the glacier. At the first waterfall, we climbed 414 stairs to the top of the waterfall! At the second one, we walked behind the waterfall.

We then visited an earthquake simulator, which measured 6.3 on the richter scale.

That evening we visited an outdoor heated swimming pool with smaller pools of up to 46 degrees celcius. These pools were heated by geothermal energy.

Day 4

On our last day, we went on a walking tour of Reykjavik. We first visited the biggest church in Iceland- a Lutheran church (Lutheran is the predominant religion of Iceland).

We then went to a local flea market where we saw traditional Icelandic market life.

St. Vincent de Paul Fundraiser 24 October

On Friday the 24th of October students from transition year held a chocolate apple sale and pumpkin weighing competition. €575 was raised for the Local Branch of St Vincent De Paul. 

        

                                                                                                                                                                             

                                     

      

French Play 8 October

Last Wednesday, the 8^th of October, a French Theatre Company visited our school. All the TY's who study French attended. The play, ''Le Bureau de Madame Grande chance'', was about three adults who were needed to rob a bank to receive a grand fortune; a banker, a mechanic and a policeman. Each person's job tied in with the plan to rob the Grand Central bank. The room was full of laughter as everyone enjoyed the play. The actors were skilled performers and this helped to give the audience a clear understanding of the plot. Overall, the play was a worth-while experience. It is not often we get a chance to hear French people speak their own language. Moreover, it opened our eyes to new vocabulary and better pronunciation.

Until next time, au revoir!  

Kelly Murphy & Rebecca Hughes Moore

Photography Course 29-30 September

This week the first group of twelve students took part in a Photography Course with Tim Durham. Firstly, we learned photography techniques and how to use a digital camera to the best of our ability. In groups of two or three, we were let loose around Balbriggan to take photos using our new skills. On Tuesday, Tim showcased his photography in an amazing slideshow, telling us about his travels to beautiful parts of the world that inspired him to take up photography as a profession. Our best shots were chosen and our work from Monday was displayed for the group. It was rewarding to see our own pictures on a big screen and get everyone's feedback! Overall everyone thoroughly enjoyed this course and we gained useful skills and insight that we will apply from now on when taking photos! It was a worth-while experience and we would recommend future fourth year students to give it a go.

Kelly Murphy and Laura Cody