Six Schools, One Language Initiative

On Monday, two of Ms. Ryan's Sign Language classes went to Cabra in Dublin 7, to record the annual deaf song which will be posted on YouTube in the coming weeks. The classes had learned the signs and the song over the midterm and also practiced as a group in school before the day.

On the day, the girls and Ms.Ryan travelled to 'St.Mary's school for Deaf Girls' to record the song with 5 other schools (non-hearing and hearing). Some of our students took part in the harmony which was swaying or bouncing their legs to show the non-hearing a change in the song's beat. They ran through the song with the other school before recording it multiple times.  It was a great experience in which we got to raise awareness of Irish Sign Language and to interact with non-hearing students!

The girls plan to teach the song to the rest of the year to perform as part of our end of year graduation.

TY Work Experience 2016

Personal Experience: Polina 

On the 1st of February I had the amazing opportunity to complete a week of work experience at Smiles Dental Clinic, Balbriggan. It was by far the most interesting and educating work experience I have completed. The staff and clients were very friendly and helpful. During my work placement I was shown how to use dental software and which further enhanced my computer skills. I learned how to review a patient’s medical history and treatments that are going to be done, how to book an appointment, how to fill in the right details of a patient in the right place, how to reschedule an appointment as well as remove one. 

Along with doing secretary work I got the chance to sit through a few procedures, including a root canal, tooth extraction, composite filling and the usual polish and scale. During the procedures the dentist explained what was happening and why. I was also shown how to set up a room for procedure and what instruments are used by the dental nurse. I was taught the name and use of every instrument in the clinic and later on in the week I was able to clean all of the instruments and set up a room for a procedure with all of the right instruments in the right place independently.

Personal experience: Orla

It feels like a lot of fourth year leads up to the Work Experience placements you complete in February, and I personally had a very positive experience. My second week of work experience was probably my most enjoyable. I spent it at a PR company and I will never forget, from the moment I got there to the moment I left, everybody showed me such kindness and really tried their hardest to make me feel at ease and help me learn as much as humanly possible. I was definitely lucky because to be perfectly frank, I was a bit nervous about going to such a big company. However I was included in everything that went on throughout the company and even got to attend to PR events. It was also a very exciting place to be throughout the general elections. The company itself made me feel like I was learning a terrific amount and the whole experience made me feel perfectly integrated within working society.

It wasn't all easy work, I would be the first to admit that, however I learnt lots of useful skills like how to do excel spreadsheets, I had to call clients and make lots of cups of teas but all this work helped me develop organisational skills and time keeping skills. I also initially struggled with the hour long commute so early in the morning and the journey home but I personally think that prepares you for later in life when starting at a new job. It also taught me how to adjust to my surroundings depending on what clients I was working with. Work experience was such a valuable experience for me and one which I will always remember! 

Personal Experience: Ruth 

I thoroughly enjoyed my three weeks at a local pet shop, Drogheda Grammar school and Gormanston Wood Nursing Home but my favourite week was in Drogheda Grammar Secondary School. I shadowed History and English teachers as they taught their classes and this was amazing to see how they really loved their work. The mocks were on at that time and I enjoyed seeing how much effort it took to run the school and make time or room for the years doing their exams.

I was even allowed to teach two first year classes history! I loved that experience and I now realise, to a small extent, how much work a teacher has to do that is not classroom based! At lunch, they gave me advice on what to do and what not to do if I pursued this career!

All the teachers were so friendly, allowing me to mind their classes and take notes on their teaching style. It was a week I will never forget as it has helped me to seriously consider second level teaching.

Personal Experience: Melanie

For Work Experience, I went to St. Molagas S.N.S, Our lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda and a local creche. Overall, my favourite placement was in the hospital. In the Primary school I helped to laminate sheets, organised paperwork and photocopied. One of the tasks I enjoyed the most was helping children with learning difficulties which was very interesting. Likewise in the creche, I worked with different children of all ages. During my placement in the hospital, different workers within the hospital and professors from RCSI gave presentations about their work within the hospital. This helped me to decide on a career choice that I would enjoy in the future.

BT Young Scientist and Technologist Award 2016

Maria Louise Fufezan and Diana Bura have proudly claimed the BT Young Scientist 2016 overall award. The two freshly crowned Young scientists worked very hard since the beginning of the school year on their project. 

The winning Project that crowned them Young Scientists of the year is called "An Investigation into the Effects of Enzymes used in Animal Feed Additives on the Lifespan of Caenorhabditis Elegans." The group was entered into the intermediate section of the Biological & Ecological Sciences category.

The pair received a reward of €5000, The BT Young Scientist Trophy and the opportunity to take part in the BT Young Scientist of Europe in Brussels. They made various appearances on RTE as well as our filmed assembly. Keep up the fantastic work girls, we are all very proud!

St. Vincent De Paul Charity Concert 2015

Junk Kouture 2015

                        

                        

               

                       

Art History Trip 2015

On the 18th of November, Ms Bailey`s and Ms Renaudin`s Art History class went to a trip to the National Museum of Ireland. They were able to see the different types of architecture within the building. The main focus of the trip was so that everyone had a better understanding of the history of artefacts that were from the Iron Age. They saw the Tara Brooch, the Broighter Hoard and other historical pieces. Everyone was able to see the different artworks and to study the details that were used. The girls had a great time on their trip.

Santa Run 2015

                                    

                                                      

                                                        

Public Access to Law Course

A fortnight ago students from fourth year took part in the public access to law course.

The course revolved around students learning more about the law and the law in Irish society. Students discussed matters such as what are some of the laws in Ireland, and what are different jobs associated with law. This allowed students to become more knowledgeable about the legal system in Ireland and start thinking about whether or not they would like to pursue a career in law.

Students also got to take part in two mock trials, trying out different roles such as witnesses, judges and lawyers. The students who took part in this course are also expecting an exam based on the course in the next few days; this is in order to test how much they learnt. Overall it was a positive experience for all the students who chose to partake in the course and everyone came away a lot more informed about the legal system in Ireland.

RSA Talk

Last Tuesday, 24th of November, the Fourth Years received a talk on Road Safety from a member of an Garda Siochana.

The talk was very interesting and provocative as he talked about the harsh reality of not wearing a seat belt, driving too fast and the dangers of drunk driving. The guard also showed us advertisements that highlighted the horrors of drink driving and re-enactments of fatal crashes that have taken place.

The Garda talked about one case in particular of a seventeen year old girl called Emma who was thrown from the back of a car as she was not wearing a seat belt. She was slightly intoxicated with a few friends on Valentine's night and her mother told the story of her tragic death. This story was very upsetting to hear about but further emphasised how dangerous being on the road can be.

The Garda also had an important message that he asked us keep close to us in order to stay out of fatal crashes and keep the number of lives taken on Irish roads each year. His message was "Nobody has the right to decide if you live or die", "You must always wear a seat belt" and he gave us many other pieces of advice such as avoiding driving when drinking, tired or drugged.

It was a moving and thought provoking talk that we would like to thank the Garda and the RSA for providing us with this knowledge and awareness.

TY Forms

All forms that will be used during Transition Year including: 

TY Record of Activity, Assignment Record Sheets and Work Experience Teacher Permission Slips can be found on the TY Blog on the right hand margin under the Transition Year Forms folder.

Soroptimist Competition 2015

On the 14th of November a group of Loreto girls participated in the Soroptimist competition. Three of the girls that participated in the competition on behalf of Loreto were Transition Years; Manny Choudhry, Mia Doran and Orla Thompson. The competition took place in the Mansion House. The Soroptimist competition's aim is to inspire action and create opportunities to transform the lives of women and girls through a global network of members and international partnerships. Topics specified for the girls' talks are based on education, environment, economic and social development, health, human rights and the status of women and international goodwill and understanding. The girls had close competition against Castleknock Community College, so well done to everyone for trying their best in the contest. The girls also received a talk from a Dublin city councillor about women in politics and the challenges that she has faced in her career so far due to being a woman.

Mia Doran wrote a fantastic speech about friendship and volunteering. She based her talk on Dalai Lama's inspirational quote: "Our prime purpose in life is helping others and if you can't help them at least don't hurt them" and told us how this advice can make a real difference to those around us. She further emphasised the Dublin city councillor's view, as Mia said that the most popular topic in the public speaking was 'empowering women'. We are glad that this issue is being dealt with more and more and that young girls get the chance to express their opinions easily on this topic through Soroptimist. Mia was also impressed by the atmosphere in the historic Oak Room in which the competition was held, as it had all of the coats of arms of the previous lord mayors of Dublin. I heard that the biscuits served were also very good. Once again, well done Mia.

 Manny Choudhry's speech was based on the topic of 'Health and Environment' with the quote "Building personal resilience: "It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable". Her speech was very elegant with her touching upon subjects such as global warming and Pakistan. Manny felt it was a privilege to be able to say her thoughts and feelings on a subject she is passionate about in the Mansion House. She also said that it was the fastest six minutes of her life but it was a wonderful opportunity to have been able to represent Loreto. As Manny won this round she gets to further represent the school. Some of Manny's personal thoughts were "Over all I feel like the competition was amazing, public speaking is a platform where you can express and communicate your thoughts on topics you're passionate about. It was something I won't forget and it has helped me grow as a person and in confidence".

Orla Thompson's speech was on the topic of human rights and was based on the given quote by Paulo Choelo "The world is changed by your examples not by your opinions". Orla discussed three main points throughout her speech. She was very passionate and talked about a woman name Eunice Kennedy Shrider who is the founder of the 'Special Olympics' and how Eunice's example changed and is continuing to change the worlds views on people with intellectual disabilities. Orla also talked about Malala Yousafazai and how she is currently changing the world's backwards thinking towards women with her example. Orla ended her amazing speech by talking about how nervous she was getting up to deliver the speech but how she felt it would be her opportunity to set an example to others who may feel the same way.

The girls did the school very proud and we would like to congratulate them on behalf of Transition Year.

Jigsaw Mental Health Talk

On the 10th of November, all Fourth Years received a talk from a spokesperson from Jigsaw in honour of Mental Health Week. Jigsaw is a network of programmes across Ireland designed to make sure every young person has somewhere to turn to and someone to talk to. Jenny, our spokesperson, explained to us what mental health is and how important it is to take care of and discuss with others. She showed us slides and video of different situations involving mental health and how to deal with them. It was an extremely helpful talk that gave everyone a great insight into having good mental health.

Rowing Trip

Eight lucky Transition Years; Ava White, Ella McNevin, Maille Hopkins, Orlagh Beggs, Ellen O' Driscoll, Elizbeth Murphy, Melanie Fidel and Katie Dinsmore along with Ms. Ferris took part in the Rowing trip to Neptune Rowing Club on the 20th of October. They represented the school in this one day rowing experience along with four other Loreto schools in Dublin. There was a variety of boats available and they all had a chance to row in a boat on the river. The groups were once again split into groups of four and all teams competed in a race to end the day. Ellen O'Driscoll and Elizabeth Murphy's team came runners up in the race. It was a very enjoyable day and all students had a great time rowing.

A Sweet Way to Raise Money

During the week leading up to Halloween, the Transition Year students who are a part of the St. Vincent de Paul fund raising group helped to raise money for the foundation.The chocolate apples were made by a group of committed Transition Year students on Wednesday 21st of October. The apples were sold in the school during both lunchtimes for € 2 each the next day. We are thankful that so many students participated in such a good cause and helped St. Vincent de Paul. About € 1800 was raised, of which half was given to the charity.

Just to remind everyone, St. Vincent de Paul fights poverty nationwide and Loreto Balbriggan got to join the fight too. Also, a big 'thank you' to Ms. Gaughan, who coordinated the event.We kept to the Halloween theme that week with another charitable event. On Friday 23rd of October, all of the students dressed up in Halloween costumes and brought in  €2 for Rumbek Day. This money went towards our fellow secondary school in Rumbek in South Sudan.

 Thank you everyone for your cooperation!

                                                 

Forensics Workshop 2015

On Monday 19th and Tuesday 20th October 2015, TY students got to experience the work of a real forensic. It was a fun and interesting experience for our year group who took part in the workshop. There were many different activities and tasks to do.

The Fingerprint Analysis

We had a chance to analyse our fingerprints and learn about the different elements that make up an individual print. With the use of real forensic powder and brushes, we were able to analyse our friends' fingerprints as well as our own! It an interesting task that everyone enjoyed.

The Logic Analysis

Since we were trained here as crime detectives, crime solving involved a lot of logic and proactive thinking. We were given secret codes and used a 'Caesar Cipher' to crack them and we were also given a riddle to decode.This particular riddle was created by Einstein himself! We were split into teams of four and the team who broke each code or riddle first, was awarded 'Smarties' for their winning efforts. When Einstein wrote this riddle, he said that only 98% of the world's population could solve it!

The Powder Analysis

We were given a selection of powder and we tested their characteristics. Some of the questions included; Does it dissolve? Does it change colour? Does it fizz? We were then given a mystery "potent drug powder" to analyse. By comparing the powder to our characteristics chart, the dangerous drug turned out to be a mix of baking soda and cornflour!

The Blood Analysis

As forensic scientists, we need to analyse different blood types and know the different blood groups to get a better idea of the blood samples left at a crime scene. We were given various anti-serums and blood samples to examine. We were given a task to analyse each of the suspects' blood, the blood from the murder weapon, the sample from the victim and the crime scene. This was a very interesting task since we learned more about different blood groups and what happens if you were given the wrong blood during a blood transfusion which is quite dangerous. At the end, we used our blood samples to identify the victim and catch the murderer.

Overall it was an interesting experience the whole year learned from and on behalf of Transition Year, we would like to thank 'Scientific Sue' for coming to teach us all about the art of forensics.

                                                

Sailing Competition

On Friday 16th October, a group of Loreto students participated in a sailing competition in Malahide. They had a wonderful time and received a multitude of awards for their great efforts.

The Loreto sailing team was split into two groups and out of the first group, six people went on to the next stage. The second group went out to sea and also managed to put forward six people for the next stage. These top six people from each group raced each other while the rest of the participants did some sailing with other Loreto students.

At the end of the competition there was a prizegiving to acknowledge everybody's efforts. Alix Buckley and Sophie Callendar are two Transition Year students that took part in the sailing with Alix Buckley winning 2nd place overall. The Loreto team also took home the first prize as a school. The team had an exciting time and look forward to their next competition.

Tips and Tricks for a Perfect TY Module Poject

It’s the middle of October and project deadlines are coming close. As modules come to an end,         teachers expect to see the best of what you have learned through a project. By now, your projects are due soon and if you haven't started yet, don't panic! This is now your bible for the perfect project.

1. Timing

Take a 15 minute power nap before starting your project, this will give your brain a chance to refresh. Work quickly yet efficiently. Try to organise your time effectively so that you don’t have to do five projects in one week. Aim to work for an hour a day but feel free to work longer or shorter depending on how long to meet your deadline.

2. Quality

Teachers always check if the project is of good standard. If you're doing a scrapbook, make sure your gluing is clean and your project is pleasing to the eye. If you use PowerPoint, feel free to make your project interactive and engaging. Use pictures, videos, colour coded fonts and other visuals to capture the essence of your project.

3. Information

Make sure your information is clear to read, factual and relevant to your project. Use can use YouTube videos for a slide or two when presenting a PowerPoint. Don't use the copy/paste button! You should use your own words to understand your topic more. The teacher will also know that your copying and pasting information by the wording so don't risk losing marks! 

4. Presentation

This is probably a nervous aspect of the project for some people. If you're a nervous speaker, take deep breaths before presenting and count to three and imagine the room is empty. Speak clearly and ask if the class has any questions at the end. Try giving your best answer to each question. Perhaps the night before you could look over your project and imagine any questions that the class might ask during your presentation. This will further show off your knowledge of the topic and impress your teacher. Try to avoid any mishaps like stuttering by taking a pause when you run out of words to say. 

Here is a link to a helpful site (Prezi) that allows you to create and save your presentations online for free:

www.prezi.com

TY Spiritual Workshop 2015

From the 5th - 9th of October, 4A, 4B, 4C and 4D had a wonderful opportunity to attend a Spirituality Workshop with four lovely former teachers passing on their wisdom to our year group. We began our morning with something extraordinary called a Yop. We talked about ourselves, learning how to accept yourself and to connect with the feeling deep within. We discussed very profound topics such as who we are and what affects our characters. We sang uplifting songs and calmed down with a meditation session afterwards. We learned more about the rich history of Mary Ward, the founder of Loreto and St. Ignatius Loyola. We finished with a reflection of the day, a peaceful prayer and also discussed how we felt about the experience. We would like to thank Anne, Stephanie, Siobhan and James for their time dedicated to enlightening us.

TY Musical Audition's Begin...

This year’s TY musical, "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" kicked off with a bang last Thursday when over forty Transition Year students nervously gathered to audition for lead roles in the musical. The requirement for the audition was to sing the well known and loved song "Bless Your Beautiful Hide", which as you can imagine, is, quite a difficult song for teenage girls to sing considering traditionally it is sang by a forty year old man. As people shied away from the camera, their nervous anticipation engulfed the entire room. 

The morning began with a few simple warm up exercises in preparation for the auditions. Throughout the auditions the nervous energy was evident but it was clear that this year’s production of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" will contain a huge amount of talent and promise! We are awaiting the next stage of auditions which will take place this Thursday, where the students will perform a monologue. We are sure it will be yet another display of promising talent! One of the members of the TY Blog (Aoife) recalled, "It was a lot of fun, I enjoyed auditioning as I love singing and I can't wait until the next audition!". 

    

Ploughing Championships 2015

On 23rd of September, 48 students from TY went to the 85th National Ploughing Championships 2015. It was a great day out and we had lots of fun!! There were lots of stalls and we enjoyed our day as farmers in training. Ms. Mc Master and Ms. Briscoe allowed us to explore the 800 acre site. The weather was beautiful at the beginning of the day but it began to rain and we were thankful that we brought our wellington boots. It was a day full of Irish traditions which allowed us to become a part of Ireland's national culture. There were lots of well-known people there including Brendan Brogan and the President of Ireland - Michael D Higgins.

Here are some photos taken by the lucky 4th years who went........