Camping Trip
The camping trip started with the whole of TY sitting waiting for their Junior Cert results in the LRC. Mr Drummy and Mr Dungan went through the names on the roll as one by one each student went up to collect their envalope. Emotions were running high for the next forty minutes as students ran from their parents, to their favourite teachers, to their friends.
When the excitement was over we loaded the bus with our luggage and went to our camp site in Lough Dan.
Our first task was to set up the camp and our tent which for us went smoothly with the help of a few ! After relaxing in our tents together we went on our first "short" hike. We arrived back to the tents starving ready for some food. My tent did a barbaque which was eaten very quickly! When dinner was over and everyone was in their layers of pyjamas it was campfire time. Everyone gathered around the fire and that's where we stayed the rest of the night singing and screaming and having more fun than you would on any night out.
Next morning we were up early and making breakfast and lunch for our twenty-two km hike that day for our Gaisce. We set off at 10:30 and didn't arrive home till 3:45. On this hike we had the chance to chat and get closer to everyone as well as obstacles such as the bog and river which we all lent a hand to each other. When we finally arrived home we went for a swim in the freezing cold lake which numbed any muscle pain from the hike ! Afterwards there was a race to the showers to warm up. That night, the last night, there wasn't much energy to make dinner so most of us snacked while going between playing games in the barn and the campfire.
Although everyone was tired nobody wanted to go home the next day.
On the last morning after breakfast, it was time to take down the tents and clean up the campsite. The bus arrived and we squeezed our luggage into the bus and set off home.
The trip as a whole ran smoothly for me and my tent. We brought the correct equipment and cooked well as well as being cozy in our tents.
The camping experience brought our year so close in such a short space of time. It gave everyone a chance to really be themselves and for us to bond doing things we wouldn't normally do in school. I hope we get an opportunity to redo this camping trip in the future. In my opinion it was better than any JC Results night we could have gone to!!!!!
When the excitement was over we loaded the bus with our luggage and went to our camp site in Lough Dan.
Our first task was to set up the camp and our tent which for us went smoothly with the help of a few ! After relaxing in our tents together we went on our first "short" hike. We arrived back to the tents starving ready for some food. My tent did a barbaque which was eaten very quickly! When dinner was over and everyone was in their layers of pyjamas it was campfire time. Everyone gathered around the fire and that's where we stayed the rest of the night singing and screaming and having more fun than you would on any night out.
Next morning we were up early and making breakfast and lunch for our twenty-two km hike that day for our Gaisce. We set off at 10:30 and didn't arrive home till 3:45. On this hike we had the chance to chat and get closer to everyone as well as obstacles such as the bog and river which we all lent a hand to each other. When we finally arrived home we went for a swim in the freezing cold lake which numbed any muscle pain from the hike ! Afterwards there was a race to the showers to warm up. That night, the last night, there wasn't much energy to make dinner so most of us snacked while going between playing games in the barn and the campfire.
Although everyone was tired nobody wanted to go home the next day.
On the last morning after breakfast, it was time to take down the tents and clean up the campsite. The bus arrived and we squeezed our luggage into the bus and set off home.
The trip as a whole ran smoothly for me and my tent. We brought the correct equipment and cooked well as well as being cozy in our tents.
The camping experience brought our year so close in such a short space of time. It gave everyone a chance to really be themselves and for us to bond doing things we wouldn't normally do in school. I hope we get an opportunity to redo this camping trip in the future. In my opinion it was better than any JC Results night we could have gone to!!!!!
Kiaros
On Thursday the 12th of October our form class went to Kiaros in Maynooth to record a short TV programme. We had been working on our TV programme and script in our English classes and had came up with the idea to film I'm a Celebrity Get me Out of Here! Each of us had our own roles to play. My role was to be one of the actors who would compete in the challenges. We got the bus to Maynooth and when we were arrived we were given a tour of The studio. We had to quickly make a few changes to our script as to fit better into the set. While we were doing that the camera, lights and sound crew were taken and shown how to work the equipment. The other actors and I began to get changed and do our makeup as to look like our chosen celebrity. When everyone was ready we ran through the script on set a number of times to get a feel for what we were doing. We then gone a lunch break and some chicken fillet rolls that made the day 100 times better. After we were fed and watered it was time for the real take of our show. The take went so well that we only had to do it once. The man working in Kiaros was impressed with us and how we worked and really encouraged us throughout the day. All in all it was a brilliant day and I thouraghly enjoyed it and would reccommned it to other schools!
Bag Packing with SVP
On Friday the 13th of October (😱) many of us volunteered to bag pack for St. Vincent de Paul in Cornallscourt and others in Newtown. Many did multiple hours of helping people with their grocerys, it was tiring but was good fun to help people and interest with each other and the shoppers all for a good cause. We ended up collecting a serious amount of money all for a great cause. It was a good deed to give up your time to give back to society and we all left feeling good.
DCU
On Friday the 17th of November, all TY students got the opportunity to visit the DCU open day up in Dublin. The day was filled of different talks with people studying and teaching different courses in the university. Not only did we get a feel of the courses but also university life as we had to walk from talk to talk and eat in their canteens.
I went to two different talks. The first was a bEd of primary school education. The room was packed and the talk we were given was next to none. The woman speaking went into detail about different paths that could be taken to become a primary school teacher and what qualities are needed to teach. The talk has gotten me even more interested in teaching.
The second talk I attended was psychology. Unfortunately, it wasn't at all what I was expecting and I didn't enjoy the talk as it was too technical. On the good side I now know not to go to college to study psychology !
I went to two different talks. The first was a bEd of primary school education. The room was packed and the talk we were given was next to none. The woman speaking went into detail about different paths that could be taken to become a primary school teacher and what qualities are needed to teach. The talk has gotten me even more interested in teaching.
The second talk I attended was psychology. Unfortunately, it wasn't at all what I was expecting and I didn't enjoy the talk as it was too technical. On the good side I now know not to go to college to study psychology !
Jumpzone
On the 15th of December all TY girls along with Miss Ní Mhairtín and Miss Roy went to Jumpzone in Sandyford for a girls bonding day.
Jumpzone is an indoor trampoline park with various activities.
We started by putting on our trampolining socks which had grips so we wouldn't slip and slide, we then went and warmed up by jumping on the trampolines followed by a race of "bum-smacking" between trampolines. We then got the chance to fight on a beam to push our competitor into a pit of foam by hitting them with a foam bat as well as shooting basketball hoops on a trampoline. We then split up into two teams and had a match of volleyball that got extremely competitive and was a great laugh. We finished our session by jumping from trampolines into foam pits which was my favourite part.
After wards we went to McDonalds for food and returned back to the school on the bus.
It was genuinely a great day spent with all our girls and I think it's important that we do these things together as there is such a small group of us and we have gotten extremely close because of that.
Jumpzone is an indoor trampoline park with various activities.
We started by putting on our trampolining socks which had grips so we wouldn't slip and slide, we then went and warmed up by jumping on the trampolines followed by a race of "bum-smacking" between trampolines. We then got the chance to fight on a beam to push our competitor into a pit of foam by hitting them with a foam bat as well as shooting basketball hoops on a trampoline. We then split up into two teams and had a match of volleyball that got extremely competitive and was a great laugh. We finished our session by jumping from trampolines into foam pits which was my favourite part.
After wards we went to McDonalds for food and returned back to the school on the bus.
It was genuinely a great day spent with all our girls and I think it's important that we do these things together as there is such a small group of us and we have gotten extremely close because of that.
Carlingford
First thing on Monday morning all TYs were piled onto buses to go to Carlingford Adventure Centre in Louth.
Day 1 - As soon as we arrived and were sorted into rooms and fed we went straight to our first activity- zip line obstacles. This was one of my favourite activity’s and was a great start to a fantastic trip. I am good with heights but it was great to see people who don’t like heights push themselves past their fears. After dinner we did challenges inside the sports hall. Day 2- Bright and early we were out on the sea canoeing. I hated this as it was freezing cold but I’m glad I sucked it up and got on the boat and helped with the rowing and to keep the spirits up as everyone was freezing ! In the afternoon we did my favourite activity - laser tag! We got kitted out in army suits and guns and walked up to the forest. It was so much fun shooting and running away and working as a team. Definitely something so fun that we all took extremely seriously ! That evening we went back up to the forest to do a blindfolded night line. This was at first scary but after time we all learned to trust the person ahead of us and became great fun. Day 3- On our last full day we did a collection of activity’s such as frisbee golf and archery. Afterwards we went to Ziptopia, which are zip lines that reach 60 foot high ! It was such great fun and everyone who reached the end were extremely proud of themselves. That evening we did a murder mystery around the town. Day 4- The last day was probably the best day for activity’s. In the morning we did High Ropes - a collection of extremely high challenges that involves a lot of team work. I was very proud of myself for making it up Jacobs Ladder! In the afternoon we did Crystal Maze which were various team activities that involved our team to work together to complete the tasks such as a pitch dark maze and to cross a “canyon” with only two planks of wood. When we all were packed up it was time to get on the bus and go home :(( The four days were amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed everything (except the canoeing!!). It really brought everyone so much closer, like everything in TY and I was proud of myself for really pushing myself out of my comfort zone. |
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Three Peaks
On Friday the 4th of May, our year took part in one of our final activities. This involves climbing the big sugarloaf, little sugarloaf and bray head. We did this to get sponsorship money to aid our difference day in St. Catherine's later in May where we are planning on building the children in the school a playground.
The walk itself was challenging because of the scorcher day we got. There was a lot of up and down hills with unlevelled ground. We all helped each other and everyone was proud when we got to each peak.