My TY Dairy - Retreat

We are nearing the end of our TY journey and I am excited for the summer but I have really enjoyed my year and don't want it to end. This week we had a religion trip in Maynooth University where we had a retreat. We left the school at 9:15 for Maynooth. We got there at around 9:30 and went straight in. It was a dark room with lots of 'valuable' paintings. We sat around in a circle while the speakers introduced themselves. They were really nice and we were all excited for the rest of the day. We did different activities during the day, one of which being quite a physical one. Everybody had to link arms and hold their own hands together to make a strong bond while four girls had to break them apart. The girls were called the dentists and we were the teeth. The dentists grabbed your legs and tried the break the bond. I'm not too sure what the point of it was, but it was really fun! We played another game called 'Lifeboats' where the speakers had to call out a number and we had to get into groups groups of that size. That was also very fun! It was around 11 then so we had lunch.Then we went back and did some quiet stuff. We had a moment of silence for ourselves just to reflect on our lives. We then had to get into groups of around 10 people and we were given a question or circumstance. We then had to discuss in those groups what we would do in the circumstances given to us and then share it with the class. Everybody had very strong thoughts, especially when it came to the discussion about who have easier lives, men or women. We then went out and had lunch and some Starbucks and when we came back in, we continued with our discussion. The time flew by and it was soon 2:50 and we had to get back on the buses to go home. I really enjoyed the day and thought it was nice to get time out of our busy lives to reflect and think about things. The retreat was good fun and I think everybody else enjoyed it too!

Until Next Time,
     Goodbye! :)
                  Emer x

          

My TY Diary - Driving

Week 35


This week was a very enjoyable week. We have been off for the past two weeks due to the Easter Holidays and we all enjoyed the time off as well as all the chocolate eggs we received! The first thing we did when we got back to school on Monday was to go for a DRIVING LESSON!!! We went down to The Leinster Driving Campus in Maynooth and i went for my first ever driving lesson. First we split up into two groups. Our group went into a little prefab first. We did basic driving sign posts and signals and a fake theory test. We also had to do some fun activities like making up the funniest name for sign posts. We all laughed so much. It was great fun. After that, we went into another prefab and had lunch. We then swapped the groups over and the girls who were doing the theory first went out. we were split up into smaller groups of 3 and we when with those groups in the car. I was in a car with Eimhear and Zoe. We each got around 50 minutes to drive around their specially designed course. We learned the basics as well going around roundabouts and through crossroads and stuff like that. It was so fun at the end, some people got a free lesson worth €40 for being most improved or best driver and for getting every answer right in the theory. After that, we can home and were back for 2 O'clock. We ate our lunch and went back to class for the rest of the day.
I have to say that I enjoyed the experience and would happily do it again. We all had a great day and the people in the Driving School were so friendly and helpful. I would definitely go back in the future, when I need my driving lessons.

 That was all for this week!
            Until next time, Goodbye x :)


                                     
                               
     
                                       

1. 
   

My TY Diary - Gaisce Hike

Week 36

It was a very exciting week this week as we had our Gaisce Hike. Gaisce is a program that TY's across Ireland can take part in. It involves taking three activities: a physical activity, a recreational activity and a community service and doing them for an hour a week for 13 weeks. The final part of the program is doing a 25 km hike. This year, we went to Kippure in the Wicklow Mountains. We went off in a bus at 2 pm on Friday afternoon and arrived at the lodges at around 3 pm. We packed our stuff and chose our beds and then set off at 3:30. It was a lovely afternoon and we walked 15 km over 3 mountains. When we arrived back at 9 pm, we were dead. We had been walking for 5 hours and our feet were killing us. We then cooked dinner. We already had a pasta dish made thanks to Eve :). We also made 3 pizzas. Two of them were burned at the bottom and uncooked at the top so we were left with one. Our chips also didn't do very well with the outside burned and the inside raw. We ate the food in minutes. We then sat down and watched TV with another house who came into our house and then we all fell fast  asleep. We got up at 7:30 the next morning and had our breakfast. We made our lunches and tidied up the house a bit and got our bags ready for the next day. We then went our to the adventure center. We were split up into groups and did different activities. My group started off with the Leap Of Faith. It is when you stand up in this really tall pillar and them jump off onto the hanging bar. It was terrifying standing on the top but then it was great fun when you got down and I felt like I had achieved something. We then went over to the rock climbing wall and the the vertical challenge. It is like a vertical obstacle course between two trees. It was really hard to do but we reached the top and got a big clap. It started to get really cold all of a sudden while we were doing the abseiling. We went inside and ate something before wrappig up in ay extra clothes that we had and heading out. A van brought us to our starting point and the second we stood out of the van it started to snow. It was freezing and we had to do a 10km hike. Everybody was really grumpy and cold and all we wanted was to go and sit down with a cup of tea and a biscuit. After 4 painful hours, we made it to the bottom and everybody ran inside looking for warmth. We were so wet from the snow, that we may as well had been swimming in all of our clothes. We all got into and dry clothes we had  left, which was (pyjamas for most of us) and headed home. We were all freezing and tired and wet. When we got home I fell asleep for the rest of the day.
Although there was a lot of moaning on the hike, I enjoyed the trip overall. It was a fun experience and I would do it again! (maybe without the walking this time:). )

     
               
                                   

My TY Diary - Speed Dating

`
Week 31

This week was the week beginning 16th of March. Yes, that means it was St. Patrick's Day this week!
 As usual, we got the Tuesday off, because it was Paddy's Day, but this year we got Monday off as well, so we had an extra long weekend. On the Wednesday, we had Work Experience, I did the same thing as I usually do. It was good fun. Then on Thursday, there was nothing much on. Everybody was getting excited though, because on Friday ewe had a big day... On Friday morning we came in as normal, and it was normal up until lunch time. At lunchtime, the TY french students went over to Salesians Collage on the other side of Celbridge and went for a 'Speed Dating Afternoon'/ 'Conversational Exchange'. I think everybody was very embarrassed at the start but we all got more comfortable as every person sat down opposite us. We had 2 minutes with each one to talk about ourselves, our families and our hobbies in French.There were crisps and Smarties at every table and were we given water or orange juice. Looking back on it now, I really do think it helped my French and my confidence to speak french to others as well.I learned a lot of new vocabulary through this experience as none of us wanted to be embarrassed with no french so i am really glad that i took part in it. Later that night, there was a ball on as well so we all went home happy and got ready for the ball. It was a really fun and enjoyable day in the end :)

                          Until Next Week, Bye!
                                                  Emer x

                                                          

My TY Diary - Mini Company Finals!

                                 

Week 26

This week has been a very busy week! We had a lot of work to do. On Thursday the 12th, we had our Mini Company Finals on in the school from 9:05 until Lunch Time. All week, we had a lot of work to do to make sure all of our work was done and we had our posters done and we had prototypes to show the judges. As you may already know, from previous blogs, I am in a group called 'Ignite Candles'. We make homemade scented candles with a chalkboard so you can write a personal message on the front. The small candle is €4, the medium is €6 and the large candles are €8. I am the finance manager in the group so it was my job to look after the income and expenditure in the group and also to do the accounts, which I wasn't very good at but I enjoyed it. We had a great experience doing the Mini Company and we think we are going to keep it going until the next order we gets runs out. The finals went well. It was very nerve racking. First the judges came around to look at our project and get our names and that stuff, then we had a break. After the break, each team had to individually get up in front of the other groups and talk about our project. the project manager had to talk about the project in general, and then we had to talk about our individual parts. I had to talk about the accounts, closing stock, profit margins and costs throughout the selling time. i was really nervous and shaking but once i finished, i was really proud of myself and the team. i feel we did really well and am happy with our mini company!  However, I don't think this will be the end for us selling, I thing we will carry on to the end of the year :)

Please Follow us on Facebook and Twitter under the name Ignite Candles!
And if you wish to place an order, we still have plenty of stock so don't be afraid to PM us or send us an email - ignitecandles@hotmail.com with your name, number and order.

                                                
                                                               

My TY Diary - Drama Competition

 Week 24

This week was a very exciting week for all of us Transition Years in St. Wolstans!
For the past few months, we have all been very busy in our English classes preparing dramas for a competition which was held this week, on Tuesday the 27th of Janurary. It was in the Mullingar Arts Centre. We got the bus in the morning and drove down, ready to show our dramas, for the first time, to a live audience and judges. We were all very nervous, but when we got on stage everything went really well. There were two class from my class, class Ariel - Speak Up and Change. Both performed in Mullingar along with the other 5 groups from the different classes. When we finished, we were allowed to go and have lunch in Mullingar. We went to McDonalds and them went around Mullingar buying sweets and things like that. We then had to go home again. We got back to school and went home. A week or so later, we called the competion to see if the results were and they were. Both the groups in our class go through the the FINALS in Macrroom in Cork on the 28th of February!
 We were both so excited and are working extra hard to make sure that everything is perfect for the finals and we cannot wait to go!
          Thats all for this blog!
               Until next time,
                      Bye!
               
                                Emer x



                                        

My TY Diary - BT Young Scientist in the RDS

Week 21

This week was our first week back after winter holidays. I had a lovely break so it was hard on Monday morning. I barely got out of bed on time! We had a normal week but it felt like it took forever, because I was so tired. On Wednesday, it was the first day of our new work experience. For this block, I am in a crèche. It was my first day so I was just watching and being introduced to all the children. I really enjoyed myself. I played Play Dough with them and then we did Lego for a while. I had a great first day and cannot wait for next week. I also got my braces off this week so I was very happy with that :)

On Thursday, we went to BT Young Scientist with the school. Every year, 2nd years and TY both go to look at the projects and stall in the RDS in Dublin. This year, three girls from our school (Eimear, Emily and Aimee) got in doing a project on the best conditions for learning in schools. We went over to show our support but every time we went over, there were a lot of people there so I think that is a good sign. They did very well and got a prize for their work. The school is very proud and their project is hanging up in the school reception. It was a great project and everybody really enjoyed the day out. I had a great day and for my lunch had chips with my sandwich so that was like the cherry on top of the cake!

Until next time,

        Bye,

           Emer x