A Week in Our School

1. A Week in Our School Céad Míle Fáilte! A Transition Year presentation of the Brigidine Secondary School, Mountrath.

2. 08.50-09.00 →Assembly 09.00-11.00 →3 classes 11.00-11.10 →Break 11.10-13.10 →3 classes 13.10-14.00 →Lunch 14.00-16.00 →3 classes 16.00→HOME TIME!! Our subjects include; Irish, English, Maths, French, German, History, Geography, Business, Accounting, P.E., Religion, S.P.H.E, Art, Science, Music, C.S.P.E, Computers, Home-Economics and Careers. In TY we also do Italian, Photography, Drama ,Dance, Mini-Company and European Studies. Our Timetable

3. Comhairle na nÓg • We were invited to participate in the Laois Comhairle na nÓg (a youth discussion group) with all the 12 schools in Laois where we discussed important topics including road safety, sports development and sustainable energy. • We were divided into groups with people from each school around the county to discuss each topic. We made new friends and made our voices heard. • Our local council will take our points of view into consideration when making decisions for our area. • 5 students were chosen to represent Laois in Dáil na nÓg which is a nationwide youth discussion group.

4. Before the Musical… • Our class was involved in the stage preparations for the musical. • Our job involved painting props, stage crew and musical backing.

5. Our Musical - Heritage and Horizon • Our school’s performance this year was ‘Heritage and Horizons’. It was about the history of the founder of our school, Bishop Daniel Delaney, and his love of Saint Brigid (the patron of our school). • There was singing, dancing and acting. Almost all the students were involved in some way. • It ran for 5 nights, a lot of effort went into every aspect of the show and it was a great success.

6. Sports in our School Our school takes part in a range of sports including volleyball, basketball, football and athletics. We have a very promising cross country team. Ciara from the TY class recently qualified for the All Ireland finals in athletics. Our cadette basketball team has an impressive record of victories, including this week’s game against Athy. Our cadette volleyball team, which won last years All Ireland Championship, are currently training hard for upcoming matches.

7. Work Experience As part of our Transition Year course, we get the opportunity to go on work experience, to find out if we would like to pursue a particular career. It lasts for four weeks, two weeks in November, and two again in April. We have acquired positions in places like veterinary clinics, hospitals, photography studios, the County Council, dressmakers, primary schools and offices. It is a great opportunity that provides an insight into future careers and allows us to experience life in the working environment.

8. Debating We have a very successful debating history in our school. At the moment we are competing in the Concern Debates. It is a great experience and the girls really enjoy it. The motion for their upcoming debate is ‘Celebrity led campaigns do more harm than good for the developing world.’

9. Bridge The Transition Year class are learning to play the card game Bridge every Wednesday. It is a very complicated game and requires a lot of concentration. It is quite hard but enjoyable. Interior Design We also have some Interior Design classes on a Wednesday. We are learning about colour and different styles of design. We are making mood and sample boards for a design for our bedrooms.

10. Meitheal The 1st years are divided into groups and given leaders from 6th year who help the students settle in and make friends. Each group has a colour and they meet regularly to discuss things with their group and do group activities. ‘Our aim is to integrate the girls into the school in a caring and friendly manner. We like to be seen as friends to the girls, not authority figures.’

11. Green Schools Our school is involved in the Green Schools Programme. The Green Schools Programme is setup to encourage an environmentally aware attitude towards everyday life amongst students. We are currently working towards our 3rd green flag for water conservation. We have already received the flags for ‘Litter and Waste’ and ‘Energy Conservation’.

12. Fancy Dress Coming up to Halloween the school decided to have a Fancy Dress in aid of the Brigidine Sisters working in Kenya. It was a fun event and we raised over five hundred euro. Everyone got involved including the teachers and prizes were given to the best costumes.

13. Skiing! For the TY Bonding Day we all went up to Kilternan, Co. Wicklow for a day of dry-slope skiing. It was quite difficult to walk with the heavy boots and carry the skis up the steps to the slopes. It took a while to gain control of the skis and to stop falling over, but we managed to pick ourselves up and laugh it off. As we gained more confidence we ventured further up the slope. It was a great experience to try something new and we got to know each other better.

14. TY Mini-Companies There are 8 mini-companies in our class. Each group has come up with a business aimed at the students in our school. Our businesses include ‘B-Day Bashaz’, ‘Charming’, ‘Dolly Mixture’, ‘Picture This!’, ‘M+M+Mz’ and ‘Sweet Treats’.

15. European Studies As part of our European Studies Classes we are developing our French and German as well as learning about the background of the European Union, its history and its policies. We hope to become more aware of our identities as European Citizens and to understand relationships between different cultures and traditions in regional, national and European contexts. Soon we will be visiting the Dáil (the Irish Parliament) and will be meeting with Dick Roche, the Minister for European Affairs. We will be posing questions to the Minister about his work and current issues in the European Parliament and receiving a guided tour of the Dáil.

16. TheEnd! We hope you enjoyed our slideshow!! We can’t wait to see your profiles and presentations about your school!