Ice Skating
Transition Year students recently embarked on an exciting trip to the Ice Skating rink in the Pavillions Swords, creating memories filled with joy and laughter. The students showcased their skills, with some gracefully gliding across the ice while others embraced the fun of learning with a few slips and tumbles. The festive atmosphere, music, and camaraderie made the experience unforgettable. Everyone enjoyed fantastic fun, bonding with friends, and relishing the unique opportunity to break from routine and celebrate the spirit of adventure.
Public Speaking Workshop
Transition Year students recently participated in an engaging Public Speaking Workshop led by Adrian Langan. The workshop focused on developing essential communication skills, including confidence, clarity, and articulation. Students learned techniques for structuring speeches, handling nerves, and engaging their audience effectively. Adrian’s interactive approach and practical exercises inspired participants to step out of their comfort zones and refine their presentation abilities. By the end of the session, students felt empowered and equipped with valuable skills to excel in future speaking opportunities.
Barista Training
Transition Year students recently completed an exciting Barista introduction course, where they gained hands-on experience in the art of coffee-making. From frothing milk to crafting the perfect espresso, students honed their skills while learning the fundamentals of the barista trade. The day was filled with fun as students experimented with latte art and shared laughs over their coffee creations. A special highlight was the kindness shown by some students who brewed delicious coffees for their teachers, earning smiles all around. Special thanks to the instructors for a fantastic experience that combined practical learning with creativity and generosity.
LGFA
E Vidal
On November 19th, we worked with people from the LGFA (Ladies Gaelic Football Association). They were testing a new initiative where they created new and easy to set up and play games for teenage girls. This is because statistics show that many teen girls are inclined to give up sport around the age of 16 (same age as us TYs). Out of the many many schools that applied to be the test run of these games, our school was given the incredible opportunity.
There were 3 instructors who split us into 3 groups. My group got brought out to the astropitch with one of the instructors, Mr. Costello and Ms. Quinn. It was FREEZING but we warmed up to help us deal with the cold. We were then split into smaller teams. I was on team 1. The instructor explained to us that he was going to run three games with us in our small teams. When we were not playing, we had to observe.
I enjoyed the experience today and learned a lot from it.
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It was sad to hear about how many teenage girls quit sports at our age. Sport is so important for our physical and mental wellbeing. It also creates new friendships and helps show commitment. Unfortunately, many girls quit sports, especially when they don't want to take the sport too seriously or don't believe they're any good. Sports is something that everyone should enjoy, even if you are just there for the craic! This was shown to us today through all of the minigames we played today. Nobody was too competitive or hard on each other, we all supported each other and had lots of fun.
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We had to show our listening and attention skills today. None of us had ever played any of the games before, so we had to listen carefully to the instructions given to us. We all demonstrated that we listened attentively when we had to organise a game ourselves. We managed to set up the game and create the teams quickly and correctly, which shows that we were paying attention when the instructor played the game with us earlier.
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Teamwork was an important aspect of this activity, as it is in many of the Transition Year Programme activities. We were split into teams of people we may not know that well, and it is important to integrate and work with others. Today I got the opportunity to work with people I might not normally work with. We all worked as a team and relied on each other during the games, which strengthened our friendships.
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One of the main points of this exercise today was to show how easy it is to set up a game with friends and get involved in sports. As we partook in setting up a game, organising teams, and then playing the game, it demonstrated to us how easy it is to initiate a game like the ones we played today with a group of friends.
I am very grateful that our school was chosen for this LGFA trial course. I had lots of fun (despite the freezing cold) and am now more aware about teenage girls in sport. I will be sure never to give up sport after what I learned today.
