The Pharmacy

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For the past 8 weeks I have been doing work experience in Clancy's Pharmacy. 
  I really enjoyed my time at the pharmacy, both because I am extremely interested in science and chemistry, and also because the people that own and run the pharmacy are so lovely!
  I spent time working in the shop area of the pharmacy, helping and talking to customers, stocking shelves and pricing items. I also checked invoices and any new stock that was delivered.

  I was also given the opportunity to help in the dispensary, where the drugs are kept (all legal of course :P ). I put items on shelves, helped the pharmacists fill prescriptions and learned about many of the drugs.
  I had such a wonderful time working at the pharmacy, and I'm so glad to have had the chance to see the inner workings of a business and see the vital science aspect of the pharmacy too.
  I'm a little bit sad, to be honest, that my time at Clancy's is over, but nonetheless I will look back on fond memories of slagging the workers and having nice chats all the same!

Friendship Week

This week in St. Wolstan's was Friendship Week, a week dedicated to being friendly and making new friends. Every year, the highlight of the first school term is the last day of Friendship week, when the annual FunWalk is held. Each class chooses a song and makes up a dance based on the theme of Friendship, and dresses up in their designated colour. My class, Tabei, chose to be yellow taxis.

After rehearsing our dance for the week, to the mash up done by Will Smith on the Graham Norton show, we performed it in front of the school on Friday - it was great fun!

I'll be posting again soon, hope you're all well!

Making Videos and Museums

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On Thursday, all of the Transition Year Irish classes went on a trip to the Pearse Museum - a museum of the Irish school that Pádraig Pearse used to run, St. Enda's.
  When we arrived, we went straight into the museum and watched a video about the life of Pádraig Pearse. Pearse was an active participant in the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland, and set up the school as an Irish-speaking school for boys.
  We then received a tour of the museum, and learned about the lives of Pádraig Pearse, the other teachers and the students themselves.

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  After this, we took a tour of the grounds and gardens, and were told about all the different trees and plants there.
  We filmed a few funny videos afterwards, with Ms L, Ms O'C and Ms B, as well as a Class Tabei rendition of Lana Del Rey's 'Summertime Sadness'. It was very funny! :)


 

Workshops!

For the past 3 Wednesdays while we didn't have work experience, we have had workshops in school to prepare us for our entry into the world of work (temporary though it will be!).

  

  We started off with a workshop called 'Life Without Limits'. In this, we were told how not to limit ourselves and to be confident in everything we do. I really enjoyed this workshop and had a fun morning too!
  We then spent some time with Gilíosa learning how to give shoulder and head massages (which were unbelievably relaxing), as well as being told about the somewhat abstract concept of 'energy'.

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  Over the weeks we had several Positive Parties with Denise - we put on funny masks and wigs and sang silly songs, while being talking about our qualities and strengths. We also did laughter yoga - which everyone (including me!) may have been a little too tired to participate fully in, but all the same we had a good laugh! :P

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  My favourite of the workshops would probably be the Etiquette and Deportment classes from BK InniÚ. I got the chance to walk the red carpet wearing high heels, learned how to apply makeup, how to care for my hands and nails, and what skin tone I am (warm tones all the way!).

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   Also, on Saturday I went to a debating workshop in UCD (University College Dublin) in preparation for the Leinster Schools Debating Competition. This is a debating competition for students in Transition Year, 5th year and 6th year and it is run by Ireland's two biggest universities - Trinity College and UCD. I can't wait for the competition to start, and I will keep you posted on everything I get up to related to it!
  For the most part I did enjoy the workshops, and I look forward to spending the rest of my Wednesdays in work experience!
  Hope everyone is well,

Melissa :)  

Two Days Away

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So last Monday and Tuesday, my days were spent away from home, in the smallest county in Ireland - County Louth!
  At 7am on Monday morning, the whole Transition Year group met and got on a bus, before heading off to Carlingford Adventure Centre.

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  When we arrived at the centre, we headed straight into our first activity: laser combat! I had such good fun playing sniper and 'drop and rolling', and I really enjoyed killing people... is that a bad thing?
  After having lunch and getting our rooms, we went out again and played some games on the challenge course. That evening, after some time to ourselves, the group was taken out on a night walk in the dark! We played games where we were blindfolded, and to our surprise we ended up being given a scare by some of the instructors!

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  After very little sleep, we were out again early on Tuesday morning. We tried to complete a maze in the dark, did archery and body zorbing - I had such a good time even though it was wet and cold! 

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   After lunch, we headed out on the water. I had been looking forward to this for days, but when the time came, I didn't really fancy heading out into the Irish sea! After getting into our wetsuits, we headed out onto the sea in kayaks, and made our way over to a giant water trampoline! After this, we went to a cave where we had to stick our heads under a waterfall, which supposedly gives an extra day of life. I would have to say, the water activites may have been my favourite part of the trip!
  When we arrived back to the centre, unfortunately it was time to go home... so we all piled onto the bus and headed back to Kildare (although nobody really wanted to leave - especially me!)
  I had such a wonderful time at Carlingford, and I hope that some day I will get to go back again!
  Hope you're all well, and if any of you are near Louth, you really should take a trip to Carlingford Adventure Centre!!
  Melissa :)

Projects!!!

So after the first week of Transition Year, I already have several projects to be working on!

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  I have been spending a considerable amount of time in the computer room (typical of the TY experience), which to be honest, is a nice change of scenery from a classroom! On the computers, I am working on several projects - a geography project on County Antrim, a religion project on the Millennium Development Goals, an Irish project on "Mé Féin agus Mo Shaol" and of course, this blog!
  I also have a few non-I.T. related projects to do this year. In home-ec, for the first term we have the task of creating a Junk Kouture outfit. Junk Kouture involves designing and making a dress or item of clothing made from recycled materials, and we also must include an electrical element in the outfit. My group and I have so far decided to go for a 50s themed outfit!
  TYs are also required to set up their own Mini-Company, and to enter a science project into the competition SciFest, but so far we haven't had too much progress (it is only the first week after all!), but I will keep you posted!
  So far so good anyway! 
  Hope everyone is well, and I shall be updating again soon!

Summer ends, TY begins... :)

After 3 months of summer holidays, I am finally back in school! I can't say that I am too happy about that fact, but the one consolation is that I am now in TY!

  So far, the first 3 days of Transition Year have been quite satisfactory - my class - Tabei - is really great, I have neither been bored nor overloaded with work, which is a nice change from last year, and I have several trips to look forward to in the near future.

  The whole TY vibe is a lot more laid back than any of the other years, and any of the projects or homework (however little) we have to do are much more relaxed and less pressurised, which is much nicer than work one has to do in exam years!
  Well, so far the year is going well, and I can only hope that it continues along the same path! 
  Hope everyone is well, and I'll be posting again soon!

Melissa :D