Fundraising Friday!

Last Friday, all TY and fifth year students in our school had a massive bake sale in aid of the people in the Philippines whose lives are in danger after the disastrous Typhoon Haiyan. Everyone baked as much cakes, brownies, cookies etc as they could and loads of us helped to

sell them all at lunch time. Our bake sale turned out to be a huge success. By the end of lunch, there was nothing left to sell! We raised a total of over €1,500! All of the money raised will be given to UNICEF's "Saving Childrens' Lives" appeal. 

Schools Across Borders Conference

On Thursday we went to City West Hotel for the School's Across Borders Global Citizens Student Conference. There were students from six other schools there. 

When we arrived, Darren Irvine gave us a quick introduction. Then, about four students from each class made a presentation on the progress they had made so far. Aoife B, Ailbhe, Roisin and Karen presented from our class. After this, we were split into different groups with people from different schools to discuss the presentations. I was in group "Justice". Next, a drama group from Antrim called "Quadrangle" performed a play for us. It was called "Burma for One". It was a really effective play about an Irish girl who wanted to raise awareness about what was going on in Burma. We then got to meet some students from Palestine and Burma. 

After lunch, people who work for different NGOs, such as Trócaire and Amnesty International, came to talk to us and briefly explained the work of their NGOs. We then split up and half of us got to go to a different room for an activity fair. I spent most of my time at the graffiti wall activity. When we got back, people from each of the NGOs had set up a stall around the room where they spoke more about their organisation. My group only had time to visit one of the stalls. I went to the Amnesty International Stall. A man called Dan spoke to us about Human Rights, it was really interesting. 

This conference was an opportunity for students from each school to get together and share their ideas and thoughts about the project. Before the conference, I was still confused about the project and what we are trying to achieve but now I have a better understanding of what we are doing. :-)

IBC Contest!

Over the October Midterm Eilis, Ciara, Shauna, Melissa and I got a letter from Beaver Ireland asking us to compete in an online computing competition called the Irish Beaver Computing Contest. On Friday, Mrs L brought us to the library and helped us to log in. We had 45 minutes to complete 15 questions. It was really nerve-wrecking because there was a clock in the corner telling us how much time we had left! The questions were actually fun to complete because it was kind of like a computer game. We will get our results in the next few weeks. :-) 

Trip to Town

On Thursday, our English teachers brought us into town for a WB Yeats themed trip. When we arrived, we split into our class groups before beginning our first tour. 

 A Lunula

One of the Bog Bodies

First, we went into the National Museum with Mr K. Our tour guide showed us lots of artefacts from the Stone Age and the Bronze Age. My favourite artefacts were the lunulae that we saw. They were thin, golden pieces of jewellery that were worn at the start of the Bronze Age. It was interesting comparing them to the jewellery we wear today. Our tour guide then brought us to see the Bog Bodies. I found them really interesting but also pretty creepy. I was surprised by how much our tour guide could tell us about the lifestyles of the people who were found in the bog, just by examining their bodies. 

Dublin Lockout Exhibition

Our tour of the museum finished a few minutes earlier so Mr K brought us to see a 1913 Lockout exhibition. We studied the Lockout in history so it was good to get some more information on it. 

Next, we went to the National Library to see the WB Yeats exhibition with Ms O'R, our English teacher. She gave us a worksheet with lots of questions to answer about Yeats and his life as a poet, so we were busy filling it out for the hour that we were there. The exhibition was really cool. We got to read lots of Yeats' poems and there was a small room set up at the back that was like the backstage area in the Abbey Theatre.

Yeats Exhibit

When we were finished in the National Library, we had about two hours for lunch on Grafton Street. It was really fun. My friends and I had lunch in Mc Donalds. When we were finished eating, we went to look around some of the shops. 

The Disney Shop!

After lunch, we went to the National Art Gallery. First, our tour guide showed us some of Jack B Yeats' artwork. One of his paintings that we saw was called "The Liffey Swim". She then brought us on to see another painting called "The Opening of the Sixth Seal" by an artist called Francis Danby. Danby was trying to portray the end of the world. Next, we saw some of Picasso's paintings. He used a technique called cubism. This was my favourite part of the trip and now I really want to do art for my Leaving Cert!

The Opening of the Sixth Seal

The Liffey Swim

Busy Bees!

Whoever told me that TY is a doss year must have been joking. Since we came back after midterm, we've been so so busy with projects, trips, work experience etc.

We're still working on loads of projects such as Junk Kouture, Mini Company and our Sci Fest project. We are also doing an Irish project on our Family Tree, a geography project on Ireland's Islands and our Schools Across Borders project for religion. We're making clocks in technology. We had a debate in English about social networking and all of the TY maths classes are working on a maths dictionary to help students in our school with the new Project Maths course. We have also written a French essay on Coco Chanel and a history essay on the 1913 Lockout. 

I am still doing work experience at the Liffey Champion newspaper every Wednesday with Jessica. It's going really well and three of the stories that I have written have been printed. I'm definitely considering becoming a journalist when I leave school! It's pretty tiring but I love it, and I'll be sad to leave in two week's time.

Naas General Hosptial

We have been going on a trip at least once a week! We went to Tallaght IT to see a science show and today we went into town for an English trip about WB Yeats. I have also been to some talks in Naas General Hospital that were really interesting. If I eat any more Mc Donald's for lunch I'll probably become terminally ill. Our teachers also have lots of trips planned for us. Next week, we are going on a religion trip to City West and we will be going bowling on the 19th of December.

I joined the St Raphael's Friendship Club at the start of the year and I'm really happy I did. We go to St Raphael's every three weeks to visit the service users for about an hour. We talk to them, play games, and do arts and crafts with them. It's so much fun and I have made friends with a few girls from my school in different years that I had never spoken to before. 

This is the art we did on the open day!

The open day for incoming first years was held last Saturday. Jessie, Niamh and I went in to help out in the art room with Mr H. We did lots of drawing and I worked on my leaf drawing that we are doing in art. Some of the parents gave me really nice compliments on my work which made me really happy. When the open day was finished, we had a party in the music room!

In choir, we're already doing lots of practise for the Wesley Choir Competition. We are singing a song from Phantom of the Opera called "Think of Me". I am a Soprano 2. Our line is pretty tricky but we're getting better! Next week, we are going to start learning Christmas Carols, I'm so excited! Below is part of the song that we will be singing. :-) 

Xtraordinary Science

As part of science week, our science teachers took us to Tallaght IT to see a show called Xtraordinary Science. The show was performed by a man called James Soper, who had a great British accent. When we first got there, we were pretty early, so one of the lecturers showed us around the room where they make bacteria. It didn't smell too good but it was pretty interesting!

The show itself was really cool. I was sitting in the front row so I got a really good view of all the exciting experiments that he was doing (I was terrified that he would make me go up and do a demonstration though, especially because there were TY students from another school there!). He did loads of experiments. My favourite experiment was when he popped a balloon full of hydrogen, producing a massive bang.. I got such a fright and Niamh screamed! 

When the show was over, we got to go to Liffey Valley for lunch. We had Mc Donald's (surprise surprise!). When we were finished eating, we walked around Liffey Valley and looked in some of the shops until we had to go back home on the bus. I had a really good day and I learned lots of interesting things that I never knew before. :-) 

Zumba!

On Thursday, a woman called Gráinne came in to do Zumba with us. Zumba is a dance fitness programme. Our year had to be split in half. I was with the rest of my class and half of class Tabei. We all really really enjoyed Zumba and some of us are even going to join a Zumba class outside of school. 

We are going to be doing Zumba every Thursday for the next six weeks. Unfortunately, we won't be here for our next class because we'll be away on an english trip, but we get to do Zumba on Friday instead. I can't wait! :-)

Tons of Talks!

This week, myself and some other TYs went to Naas General Hospital to attend talks that were given by some of the doctors and nurses there. I went to two of the talks. Each talk lasted about two hours and there were TY students from other schools in Kildare there too.

Nursing

On Monday, I went to a talk on Nursing. The talk went on from eleven o'clock to one o'clock.  During the talk, different nurses who specialize in different types of nursing also came in to talk to us. There was a general nurse, a pediatric nurse (a nurse who works with children), a a nurse who works with people who abuse drugs and alcohol, and a nurse who works in palliative care. They spoke to us about what they like and dislike about their job. Most of the nurses said that helping people to get better is a very rewarding part of their job, but they said that seeing people die can be very hard. They also told us what universities do nursing courses and how many points we would need to get in our Leaving Cert. I found this talk really interesting.

Physiotherapy 

I also went to a talk on Physiotherapy on Tuesday with about ten other girls from TY. There were two physiotherapists talking to us. They told us about what being a physiotherapist involves. They also told us what universities do physiotherapy courses and how many points we would need to get in our Leaving Cert. I was surprised because I didn't realise how much work physiotherapists do. When the talk was finished, we were allowed to go up and look at all of the equipment that physiotherapists use and they showed us how to use it. It was really fun. 

I'm really glad that I went to the talks because I learned lots of information about nursing and physiotherapy that I didn't know before. We also got to go to Mc Donald's in Naas afterwards! :-)