Senior Cycle

 

TYDiarylogo1819

 

Welcome to our TY Diary 2018/2019! On this page we will keep you up to date with all our adventures during the year!

Check out our Photo Gallery here!

TY Gallery 2018/2019

february

Work Experience

From the 11th to the 15th of February, Transition Years went on another week of work experience. Veterinary Clinics, Pharmacies and the like were popular options, and many students also went to places such as Limerick Animal Welfare, Plant nurseries, Primary Schools and Pre - Schools, with some students even travelling as far as London and Holland!

 

Mid Term

The following week, the whole school was on Mid - Term break. A much needed rest!

 

Rehearsals

February saw the finishing touches being put on the school musical, “Greased Lightnin”, in which TY’s were heavily involved. All the hard work and rehearsals promises an amazing show!

GreasedLightenin19

january

Sleep In for St. Vincent de Paul

On the 25th of January 2019 a group of TY students and 5 teachers took part in a sleep in for St Vincent de Paul. Each student donated €10 to the charity to take part. The sleep in began at 8:00pm on the Friday night and ended at 8:00am the next morning. On Friday, students also went up town with buckets collecting money from the public. Between the sleep in and collecting money there was up to €500 raised for St Vincent de Paul. On behalf of the St Vincent de Paul committee in Scoil Pól we would like to thank everyone who donated money and everyone who took part in the sleep in. 

TY Sleep In for St. Vincent de Paul

december

Ice Skating

On the 12th of December, TY’s travelled to Arthurs Quay in Limerick for Ice Skating, at ‘Limerick on Ice’. Although some were more graceful than others, everyone enjoyed the day! Following Ice Skating, students had a small amount of free time to go shopping and get lunch.

TY Ice Skating Limerick 2018


Milk Market

On the 14th of December, a small of students selected by the TY Mini Enterprise teachers got the opportunity to go the Milk Market in Limerick to sell their products. Products on sale included Baked Goods, Handcrafted Wooden Pens, and Decorated Glass Jars.

TY Milk Market Limerick 2018


Teaching Experience!

Mr. O’Donnell's Environmental class got the opportunity to go to Kildorrery N.S to teach the kids about space. Students were split into groups of three or four, and each group was assigned a class. Students created PowerPoint Presentations, Kahoot Quizzes and many other things to help teach the kids in space. We might have a future teacher or two in our midst!


Movie Day

After the last day of Swimming, TY’s went to the library which was set up for a Movie Day. They watched the Christmas Chronicle and had lots of sweets and popcorn.

 

Other Activities

December saw the conclusion of Swimming Lessons with the Jaws Exam, which almost everyone managed to pass. The traditional dance module also finished, with students having learned the Electric Slide, Bunny Hop, Waltz and Country Jive. The general consensus was that this was one of the best modules yet.

 

november

 

Clay Pigeon Shooting

TY students got the opportunity to try Clay Pigeon Shooting in November. It took place at the Lazy Dog Shooting Range. It was great fun for all involved, and some people even discovered a hidden talent! Students were split into three different groups for this, and went on three consecutive Mondays.

TY ClayShooting 8

 

Road Safety Talk

On the 13th November TY’s attended a Road Safety Talk in the South Court Hotel in Limerick. There was a demonstration outside which showed the aftermath of a crash which could have been avoided if greater care had been taken. Following this there were presentations and speeches inside the hotel, including one from a former footballer who had been almost completely paralysed after a road accident. The whole experience was moving and I’m sure our students will take great care on the roads in the future.

TY DriveSafety 9

 

Ger Carey Comedian

The 14th of November saw students make the short trip to Kilmallock to see Ger Carey’s live comedy show. Everyone thought he was extremely funny and relatable. He comes highly recommended!

 

Acceptance Week

Starting the 12th of November, TY’s ran an Acceptance Week in school. On the 12th of November, Joanne O’Riordan, who runs her own campaign called ‘No Limbs No Limits’, has received a young person of the year award and given a speach at the United Nations came to our school. Students found her to be “honest, relateable and just good craic in general”

That same week there was also a talk from Maria Walsh from Mayo. Maria Walsh was the first member  of the LGBTQI+ community to win the Rose of Tralee competition. She spoke about sexuality, alchaholism, school life and what it’s like to be pioneer. She was extremely open with her answers and a good laugh to boot!

The 4B class also organised a “Rainbow Day” where they drew names from a hat and matched teachers to a colour. They then had to dress in these colours, to show their support for our schools LGBTQI+ community. The teachers were all extremely supportive.

TY Acceptance Week 2018

 

Christmas Dinner

TY’s also got the opportunity to cook a Christmas Dinner for the staff. Under the watchful eyes of Mr.Sommers, Mrs.Power, Mrs. McNamara, Ms. McHugh and Ms. O’Donoghue, the Life Skills class prepared a three course meal, and of course they got to taste test everything!

TY ChristmasDinner 1

 

Other Activities

Even with all this going on, TY’s somehow managed to continue with Swimming Lessons, begin a module in traditional dancing, aswell as taking part in a Boxercise/Self-Defence Class. A number of our TY’s are also involved in the School Musical, and were busy with dancing, singing and acting rehearsals. A busy month indeed!


october

Cake Sale - Fundraising

October was another busy month for TYs. Between Swimming Lessons, First Aid, the conclusion of Yoga and the beginning of Boxercise, there was plenty to keep them on their toes. October was another busy month for TYs. TY’s began to run Fundraisers such as the Cake Sale which was held on a Sunday morning. All students dropped in homemade things to be sold, and a small amount of students stayed at school to sell these goods.

 

School Disco - Fundraising

Another such fundraiser was the School Disco - Vibe. Vibe was run by TY’s for Junior Cert students and was a roaring success. There was a great air of excitement as it was, for many people, their first Disco.

 

Talent Show

TYs also ran a talent show on Sunday the 21st in aid of the Anois programme. Many students, not just TYs preformed. Tickets were sold in school and in Kilfinane. A raffle was held on the night to raise additional funds. The audience were delighted by the display of talent!

 

Scoil Pol Talent Show 2018

Work Experience

TYs went on a full week of work experience in October. Work Experience gave students a chance to see what a particular job would be like and decide whether or not they would like to pursue it as a career. Students went to Pharmacies, Retail Outlets, Veterinary Practices, Garda Barracks and a variety of other places across the country.

 

European Tour

October also held the much anticipated Foreign Tour. This year, the school decided to bring students to Italy, where they spent time sightseeing in Milan, Venice and even got to go to GardaLand. 


september

Awards Ceremony

On Friday the 21st, The Awards Ceremony took place in school. Transition Years took home gold in many categories and were praised for their achievements in Academics, Sport, Art amongst other things.

 

National Ploughing Championships

On the 20th of the month, TY’s travelled to the National Ploughing Championships in Screggan Co. Offaly. The weather may have been brutal but the craic was mighty! It provided a unique experience for those who were not from farming backgrounds to gain an insight into the ins and outs of farming, from machinery, to animals to handcrafted produce, the Ploughing showcases it all!

 

Swimming Lessons begin

Swimming lessons also began in September. Taking place in UL every Tuesday, Swimming was a module everyone was looking forward to. It provided students with a chance to, in some cases, start with the basics, and in others, build on existing skills. The different groups that were made based on ability allowed students to feel more comfortable and learn at a pace suited to them. Some students were even recommended to take the Life Guards course!

TY SwimmingUL 1

 

Yoga and First Aid

During September, TY’s also began six/seven week modules in Yoga and First Aid. Although First Aid classes were more popular, both classes were approached with enthusiasm. Students learned a lot of vital skills in First Aid and Yoga provided a change of pace and a break from studying and a classroom setting.

TY Yoga Limerick    TY First Aid

 

SOAR Retreat

The 11th September saw TYs take part in a mini retreat hosted by the local convent and run by SOAR. Although it wasnt everyones thing, it was hugely beneficial as it gave students the opportunity to open up about things that had been bothering them and realise that they would be supported by their classmates.

 

Ballyhass Lakes - Team Bonding

Transition Year Students started back to School on Monday the 3rd of September. TY this year comprises of over 60 students, including many foreign students from countries such as Spain and Germany, new students who have moved to our school from other local schools. On the 4th of September Transition Year and Leaving Cert Applied students travelled to Ballyhass Lakes Co.Cork for a team bonding day and also a bit of craic! Outdoor activities that required teamwork and mutual trust helped to build new relationships between students, and strengthen ones that already existed. All TY students loved it and the general consensus was that they couldn’t wait to go back!

TY Ballyhass Lakes 2018