New Year, New Beginnings

Welcome Back to the students of Colaiste Bhride Carnew. The new school year has begun again as students and teachers return to school after a well-earned and relaxing summer holiday.

We welcome our new first years who took their first steps into the life of secondary school students last week and hope they get all they can from our school in the coming years. We also wish last year’s sixth years all the best with their future endeavours and congratulate them in their Leaving Cert results, which they received during the summer months. With the Leaving Cert results celebrated, the present transition years and fifth years anxiously await the news their own results, which they will receive on Wednesday the 14th of September.

All of the schools activities are well underway with TYs heading to Baltinglass on Friday and sixth and fifth years participating in study skills this week. We hope for an enjoyable and practical year for all students.

 

Hour Long Classes

The return to school this year brought many new additions – new teachers, new students, new subjects and most importantly, hour long classes. The introduction of this new scheme was a big, and for some, unwelcome change to the usual forty and thirty-five minute classes. This change was brought around after teachers found that they were not accomplishing as much per class as they wanted. The hour long class system now gives teachers the time and freedom to achieve plenty of learning in a class.

 

A Dramatic Beginning to the School Year

It’s school time again and this year I’m in Transition Year. Amid all the new choices I had to make on my first day back, I made sure to choose drama as one of my new modules. Over the last few years of my time in Colaiste Bhride, I have gone to see the TY drama classes in action on their drama night. Each year it seemed to be getting better and better. On stage you could see the friendships that were formed through the module and the excitement of each actor, and just how proud each of the transition years were at the amazing show that they had produced after months of practice. I couldn’t wait until I got the chance to experience all this for myself. After choosing my classes on Tuesday last, I began my very first drama class. I absolutely loved it! As soon as we began class I knew that this was going to be a great year. Even though the title of our particular play has yet to be revealed we are already acting out monologues and working on our techniques. I know that through this drama module I am going to make long lasting friendships, with people who I have hardly ever talked to before now. I can’t wait to put this play on stage at Christmas time and I hope to see you there!

 

Will I, or won’t I: the TY option?

Some of us know well before the time comes that we can’t wait to do transition year, that you knew back in first that you wanted to do it. You are so excited for all that transition year holds, such as; creating a mini company, taking part in all the modules or even gracing the runway with your show stopper dress for Junk Kouture.
Others unfortunately can’t decide whether they want the so called ‘extra year’ in secondary school or their parents don’t want them to see transition year as a doss or a year to sit back and do nothing. Yes TY is an expensive year but the experiences that come are a once in a lifetime thing, as things you get the opportunity you get to do and see the chances are you want get to in fifth and sixth year.
Many feel they will fall behind in fifth due to lack of work in TY, trust me there is work. You will get out of the Transition Year Program what you put in, as simple as that.
So, the time, effort and a lot of enthusiasm just might be worth it in the end.

 

Tys go walkabouts

On Tuesday the 6th September Colaiste Bhride’s new TYs had their first experience of the hillwalking module. The first place they were to walk was an 8km beach walk on the beaches of Morriscastle to Cahore. Half of the year group consisting of two base classes were chosen to be the first group to go. There were many happy and tired faces going home that is until the students were reminded that they had nine more weeks of hillwalking to complete.
The hillwalking module is compulsory in TY to aid the students to prepare for their 30km walk for the bronze medal Gaisce – The President’s Award. The module is split up into two sections at the start of the year and the end of the year, with half of the year completing it at the start of the year and the other half completing it at the end of the year. The Gaisce walk is then completed when the TYs venture to Killary, where they complete the 30km in two days.
One things for certain the students will be feeling the effects of this walk for days to come.

Anna Gahan