History Trip

On the 10th of March, students from the transition year history classes went on a trip to the Michael Collins Barracks, Asgard Museum, Arbour Hill and Glasnevin Cemetery.

The students explored the '1916' museum within the Collins Barracks and were deeply interested by the facts and objects from the rebellion. Students were able to use interactive computers to look up interviews with survivors for the 1916 and see the surrender letters between Pearse and General Lowe.

Next, the students visited the Asgard Museum where the restored Asgard, the boat used in the Howth gun-running, is situated. There, students saw the restored boat and some artefacts related to it such as uniforms, materials and the guns they were transporting.

After the Asgard, students visited Arbour Hill where the seven signatories of the Proclamation and other leaders were laid to rest. It was a very peaceful and inspiring place to visit. 

In the afternoon we visited Glasnevin Cemetery. It was a guided tour and we learned many interesting facts about the Irish Greats and about burials in the cemetery as well as the guarding of the cemetery when it was founded.

We were all delighted to be a part if this trip and the TY Blog would like to thank Mr.Cox and Ms.Buckley for the opportunity.

                             

                                   

Junk Kouture Semi Final 2016

The Junk Kouture Eastern Semi-final took place on the 7th of March. It was a fantastic and exciting event where Loreto Balbriggan's costumes were presented to the judges along with schools from all over Leinster. The fabulous Creations that lit up the Catwalk were Pink Crocodile by Ella Ceban, illuminated Cells by Maya Brezing and Aoife Scott, Meltdown by Aisling Egan and Megan O'Regan Artaud, Intothevein by Cara Dowling and Katie McManus, Dream Queen by Ciara Murray, Roisin Bentely and Rachel Downes, Queen Galactica by Giovanna Elliot and Sophie Hardman, Capsulated by Ciara Fullam, Chloe O'Neill and Sarah Harris, Spring loaded by Rebecca O'Reilly, Mary McKeown and Amy Louise Hall and Ethereal Dreams by Dagmara Dobkowska. 

The judges were impressed with the overall creativity and hard work of the Students in Loreto Balbriggan and chose Ethereal Dreams to go to the Grand Final in the 3 Arena on April 14th in which the Editor in Chief of "Vogue India" and Louis Walsh will be featured in the judging Panel. How exciting!

TY Mini Company Award 2016

Before Easter Niamh Corry, a transition year student, won the overall “Fingal Mini Company” prize. Niamh told us about her project and the experience.

How did you come up with the idea for the business?

I have a massive binder at home full of notes from the Junior Cert and every time I had a test I had to drag this binder out which I hated doing so when I found out I would be doing Mini Company I immediately thought of that binder and how I could make easier for students.

What was your business about?

My company which is called 'Skim it Quick' is an educational playing and revision card company.

I custom designed these cards in a range of subjects and topics. The topics and subjects were compressed into shorter versions of the curriculum.

Who was your target audience?

I aimed the cards originally for Junior Cert students but I realised on 'Market Day', the business fair in school, that a lot of Leaving Cert students were also interested so I extended my market.

What were the prizes that you won?

I won a large trophy and a trip to Barcelona which I'm very excited about!

On behalf of the school, TY Blog would like to congratulate Niamh on her fantastic win.

TY Driving Course 2016

On the 14^th and 15^th of March a number of transition year students attended a driving course for the full day in Mondello park, Co. Kildare. Experienced, professional race instructors had three classes prepared for us; Safety Class, Driving Class and a tour of the park. In the safety class we were explained the rules of the road and how important it is to follow them. We were shown short video clips of what could happen if the rules of the road weren't obeyed. Everyone leaving the class felt more aware and alert of road safety.

Following the road safety talk we then proceeded out onto the race tracks to get into a car with our driving instructors. There were two people per car and each person did four laps around the race track learning and practicing how to drive a car. We were shown how to properly steer the car, how to hold the wheel, how to make a turn, how to stop and how to change gears. The experience was very helpful and exciting.

Lastly to finish the day off we got a tour of Mondello Park. We were shown around the race track and brought up to the watch towers where instructors would monitor the races. We were also brought to the emergency room and shown how a racer would be treated if an accident was to occur. We were then lastly brought to a museum situated in the park which contained a collection of old and new racing cars. The Driving Course was well worth attending and was an extremely fun and exciting experience. All of the transition year students were delighted to have participated in this course and would like to thank the instructors for their time and effort.

History Week 2016

Last week it was “History Week” and we commemorated the centenary of the 1916 Rising. Our history classes decorated the Atrium in honour of 1916 with projects, artwork and letters.

Last Friday, we also had a former student and who is now a member of the Irish Defence Force read out the Proclamation followed by a film created by 4th years, Jordan Kane and Amy Louise Hall on 'Being Irish'. We had a variety of events on in the school which included talks with different guest speakers, a 4th year history trip to Collins Barracks and Glasnevin Cemetery, a re-enactment of the rising on Friday and announcements that reported the events that happened during the week of the rising. We also received a flag to be raised in a national ceremony on the 15th March.

Here is a collection of some of the projects that were on display last week. 

                                     

                               

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.