| Archive |
Transition Year 2009-2010
Hope Foundation
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| Report Below |
| Calcutta 2010 |
As part of our Transition Year, Alison O’ Connor, Jane Hannigan, Jessie Barlow and I, Sophie Sharpe, decided to get involved with an Irish charity called ‘The Hope Foundation’. The Hope Foundation was established in 1999 to help the street children of Calcutta. They set up schools, coaching centres, hospitals, rehabilitation centres and life skill centres for the destitute people living in the slums. In order to go we had to raise €11,100 between the four of us; therefore we spent from September to January fundraising, primarily by bagpacking, selling chocolate bars, doing a sponsored hike and holding coffee mornings. However strenuous the fundraising was, we knew we were doing it in aid of a great cause, and therefore were delighted when we ended up raising approximately €24,000 – more than double our target!
On Thursday 11th February 2010, we set out from Cork Airport with a group of forty-two students and teachers from around the country on our journey to India, receiving strict warnings before setting off not to drink the water, eat salad or have ice in our drinks…resulting in extreme paranoia for the first few days. Once arriving in Calcutta I was immediately struck by the poverty – even outside the airport people were already coming up to us and begging for money. The group was divided up into three smaller groups, who were bused each day to the different facilities run by ‘The Hope Foundation’.
Whilst in Calcutta we visited many homes for children. In these homes the children are not necessarily orphans, but their parents cannot afford to keep them. The children are educated and given a good quality of life. We also visited hospitals, rehabilitation centres, creches, schools, coaching centres and life skills centres. In each facility the children greeted us with such affection and kindness – I will never forget just how much happiness was brought to them by mere smiles and playfulness. We brought the children gifts such as colouring pencils, balloons and bubbles, and spent infinite hours playing, singing and dancing with them. Let’s just say I have never done the hokey- pokey as much in my life!
We visited a lot of the slums in Calcutta, which was very upsetting to see. When we were with the children, it was always such a happy experience, because The Hope Foundation brought them so much joy and it was very difficult not to become attatched to the children and want to smuggle them home. However, when we would step outside and see the slums where they live, and will remain to live for the rest of their lives, it was heartbreaking. It’s just so unfair that anybody would have to live in such terrible conditions. I cannot describe in words how big and bad a problem poverty is in Calcutta. The shacks in the slums are made of corrugated iron, wood and plastic, and are absolutely filthy. Piles of rubbish litter every street, and the canals, which many people dwell beside, are also open sewers. Every day people wade through these open sewers in the hope of finding items to sell. The water in Calcutta is contaminated, therefore cholera, diarrhoea, dysentry and tuberculosis are extreme problems. Each day we would see people washing themselves in leaking pipes on the street, and tiny children rummaging through piles of rubbish trying to find things to use.
For me, one of the most profound experiences was when we went to the Red Light District. It was one of the filthiest places we went to, and the poverty there was simply horrendous. The people have nothing to live for, and when they get older they’ll have to become prostitutes like their mothers as they have no way of training to become anything worthwhile. And then you see the children, and they’re so happy and oblivious to the fact that somewhere out there, there are children who have it so much better than them; they’re just content the way they are.
I cannot describe in words just how incredible The Hope Foundation is – I genuinely am unable to think of a more worthy charity. Poverty in Calcutta is horrific, but The Hope Foundation staff are doing absolutely everything they can to help. They provide slum children with an education so that they can hopefully get a job someday; they give free healthcare to children; they set up life skill centres to teach the people of the slums skills such as embroidery, weaving, painting etc, so that they can sell their goods and generate an income; they take in children that have no home, and give them a good quality of life. That is just a small sample of the outstanding work that the organisation does. The Hope Foundation schools cost €2,000 a year to run – we managed to raise enough money to keep 12 schools open for a year!
The trip was a very personal experience, and affected all of us in different ways. It completely opened our eyes to how fortunate we are to have all of the opportunities in life that we do, and we would highly recommend anyone to get involved with the charity, and witness the wonderful work that they do.
Sophie Sharpe, Jane Hannigan, Jessie Barlow, Alison O'Connor.
Dance!
"Make-Up Day"
Transition Year Make-Up Day
By Sophie Sharpe
On Friday 13th November 2009, the Transition Year girls were delighted to receive an incredibly beneficial and enjoyable treat – a day of make-up and beauty advice from renowned expert Caroline Holohan.
Caroline, who runs The Institute of Beauty in Waterford and who also owns a salon in Kilkenny, was to shy us away from the world of streaky tan lines, over-plucked brows and the horrors of teenage acne, and show us how to take care of our appearances and accentuate our natural beauty. As we were introduced to the glamorous Caroline that morning, we were all struck by her friendly demeanour and endearing charisma, which therefore eliminated any embarrassment regarding asking questions about our regular make-up blunders.
For the first part of the morning, Caroline talked to us about looking after our appearances, and provided us with information about skin care, eye care, nail care, hair management and make-up. She gave each of us individual tips regarding our own appearances, and thus acknowledged each person’s problem areas – from abysmal nail biting to using the wrong type of tweezers!
The second part of the morning was devoted to demonstrations. Caroline selected several girls to act as models while she showed us how to cleanse our skin properly, and how to apply suitable make-up for daytime. Caroline’s advice was priceless and could not have been given to a more grateful group of people – every teenage girl can relate to the trials and tribulations of trying to get away with wearing make-up in school!
During the afternoon we were given the opportunity to apply make-up to each other, following Caroline’s guidance. Each girl received a new look and it was inevitably great fun experimenting with different colours and techniques, and correcting the mistakes that we all made on a regular basis.
As the day drew to a close, we were sad that the once-in-a-lifetime event had concluded, but were ineffably grateful to Caroline for all that she had taught us. It was a fantastic day, and any girl would be privileged to receive such an opportunity!
The Hope Foundation
By Alison O’Connor
The "Hope Foundation" is a charity that caters for the street children of Calcutta, India. They raise money in order to provide the homeless children of Calcutta with a roof over their heads. Last year a group of Rockwell’s Transition Year students raised money and flew to Calcutta to see the work that the Hope Foundation does over there. This year, we are following in their footsteps. A group of four Rockwell Transition Year students, Sophie Sharpe, Jessie Barlow, Jane Hannigan, and, I, are journeying out there in February. We will be accompanied by Mr.Doyle.
We are currently raising the funds to make our trip possible. We are planning to fundraise in many different areas. At the moment we are concentrating on selling special Hope Foundation Butler’s chocolate bars. As soon as possible we will organise some school based fundraisers, such as a disco and a non-uniform day, and various others. We also have other up-coming events planned.
When we do visit Calcutta, we will be taking a look at all the fantastic work that is done by The Hope Foundation. We will also meet some of the many street children that have been helped by the foundation, and some that have yet to be. This trip will give us a huge insight into the lives of others who are less fortunate than us. It will be a big eye-opener for us and really cause us to appreciate what we have, rather than take it for granted.
Our T.Y. Trip to Birr By Sophie Sharpe
On Monday 21st September 2009, the Transition Year students of Rockwell College undertook an eagerly awaited adventure – a trip to the Birr Outdoor Education Centre. We were all aware that fun and excitement awaited us; however it is debatable whether patient Mr Gleeson would have agreed to be our chaperone had he been aware how much mischief a group of teenagers are capable of causing whilst on a parent-free sojourn.
The sun shone on the bright Monday morning as the bus departed from our school – we were on our way. The aim of the trip was for our year to bond; however we were all slightly doubtful of how successful this endeavour would be – we wanted to have fun with our friends, not be forced to spend time with people we hardly knew at all.
Once arriving at Birr Outdoor Education Centre, we were shown into a large lounge and introduced to the main co-ordinator Yanni, and his fellow colleagues, Lorraine, Louise and Sean. They explained to us our itinerary for the next two days, and the rules and regulations of the centre. Once we dumped our bags in our lodgings and geared up for several hours in the outdoors, we were loaded onto three mini-buses and driven to our activity destinations.
The year was divided up into two groups, who would alternate between the different activities, therefore one group were forced into wetsuits and spent several hours gorge-walking (an exhilarating activity involving ludicrous amounts of falling over, clutching fellow classmates for support and laughing uncontrollably whilst walking up a gorge deep in the forest and jumping off rocks into plunge pools of freezing cold water), as the other group tried their arms at abseiling down the side of a sheer drop in the forest (not for the faint hearted). A picnic lunch followed where both groups reminisced over their ‘near-death experiences’, before alternating the rolls.
By the evening we were all tired but somehow still managed to pluck up the energy to travel across the road to Tescos, where many spent a happy ten minutes selecting inordinate amounts of their favourite junk food to sustain them for the night. Evening activities were also undertaken, such as rock-climbing, archery and orienteering. The evening was spent merely with everybody spending time together – talking, laughing and joking with people that perhaps they had never really taken the time to get to know before.
By midnight Mr Egan, Mr Gleeson and the co-ordinators unwound downstairs, satisfied that they had managed to control more than fifty little monkeys and get them to go to bed. Alas, teenagers will be teenagers, particularly when fizzy drinks and junk food are involved, which resulted in almost the entire year enduring a 4km run at 4.30am. The moral of the story: When Mr Egan is in charge, do not roam the corridors with your peers when you are supposed to be in bed! Lesson learned!
Completely exhausted the next morning and looking very dishevelled, we embarked on more activities. Orienteering and canoeing were next on the list. For orienteering we divided ourselves into groups and wandered around the countryside, learning how easy it is to get to know someone when you spend time together stripped away from make-up and fancy clothes, and have only your wit and personality to rely on. Putting on damp wetsuits and stepping into wobbly canoes followed in the afternoon, but fortunately the sun was shining and therefore thorough enjoyment was found in being constantly capsized and participating in canoe races.
Once we picked up our bags at the centre, it was time to depart for school. We were all tired as we endured the journey home, and there was much less chatter than on the journey over. However, this was because the majority of students sat daydreaming about their experiences over the past two days and the genuine new friendships they had made, and the friendships of old which had been strengthened. Content, and desperate for sleep, we looked forward to the rest of our Transition Year, anticipating with great excitement the experiences to come which we would get to share with all of our new friends.
Transition Year Overview
Rockwell College
Transition Year Programme
2009 – 2010
Aims of Transition Year
- To prepare students for the Leaving Cert cycle by giving them a good academic grounding and allowing them to make informed decisions about their future by giving them a taste of the subjects on offer in Fifth Year.
- To promote the self confidence of all students by encouraging them to express themselves in new ways.
- To promote a healthy lifestyle among students by encouraging them to develop and maintain good fitness levels.
- To achieve education for maturity with an emphasis on social awareness, and preparation for adult and working life.
To ensure all students enjoy their Transition Year.
Special Programmes
Overseas Aid Project: Each year we hope to raise a significant amount of money to help with a development project overseas. This year we have chosen to raise money for the Hope Foundation in Calcutta. On February 11th it’s planned to send four students and a teacher out to Calcutta for a week of work with street children. Our target sum of €16,000 will raise enough money to keep three schools open in Calcutta for a year while highlighting the plight of those less fortunate than ourselves.
German Student Exchange: Our students will be given the opportunity to study in a German school for up to four weeks as part of the exchange programme. Students will subsequently host a German student for a similar period. This is a very cost effective way of developing the linguistic and social skills of our students.
French Exchange: Students are given the opportunity to study in French school for two weeks as part of the exchange programme. Students will subsequently host a French student for a similar period. This is a very cost effective way of developing the linguistic and social skills of our students.
Gaisce: Each student will be given the opportunity to enrol for a Gaisce Presidential Award. To achieve this, students must learn a new skill e.g. public speaking, get involved in regular physical recreation e.g. play on a team, complete an endurance task e.g. walk 30km over two days and undertake community service e.g. work with the elderly. Each of the aforementioned tasks are an intrinsic part of our T.Y programme.
Two day visit to an activity centre: We visit Birr Activity Centre early in the academic year. Students undertake outdoor pursuits such as rock climbing, kayaking and orienteering. This activity encourages teamwork amongst students and helps new students of the college to integrate with their peers.
Song School: This is a two day music workshop where students are encouraged to bring in their own musical instruments and write and record their own music onto a C.D.
Dance School: This programme is designed to encourage non dancers to be comfortable on a dance floor for any occasion while also challenging accomplished dancers to further improve their skills.
Driving School: This one day driving course teaches students the very basics of driving. Students are given the opportunity to drive a car around the college grounds in the presence of a qualified instructor.
Car Safety Awareness: This two hour course highlights the safety features of modern vehicles while giving practical tips for driver and passenger safety e.g. how best to wear a seatbelt. It also highlights dangerous driving practices and their consequences by looking at case studies.
Social Awareness: Students will visit Scoil Aongusa, Scoil Cormac and The Nagle Centre for an hour and a half each visit over a period of eight weeks. This gives the students the opportunity to work with people less well off than themselves in a classroom environment. This is of particular value to students who plan on careers in humanities.
Fashion Show : Students will help to organise, promote and star in a Fashion Show in aid of Operation Smile. This raises money to enable people in the developing world to have life changing operations to repair cleft pallets and cleft lips.
Work Experience : This will commence from Monday March 15th to Friday March 26th. Students get the opportunity to gain experience in the workplace with a view to deciding on the chosen career. Student are obliged to report on their experiences will employers are encouraged to give feedback to the students under their care.
Portfolio Development: Students are compelled to keep a record of all activities completed during the year. This will include both academic and extra-curricular activities and will be part of overall assessment at the end of the year.
ACADEMIC PROGRAMME
GAEILGE:
Transition Year offers an opportunity to focus upon improving spoken Irish in the Classroom. Pupils are encouraged to develop aural and oral Irish skills while they prepare for interviews similar to the Leaving Certificate Programme. We visit the Gaeltacht during the final term to facilitate the experience of conversational Irish in everyday life.
We also use the TURAS TEANGA language programme to prepare students for essay writing, vocabulary and literature studies at the core of senior cycle.
ENGLISH:
Content: Comprehension, Creative writing, Literature, Media Studies and analysis, Oral work.
AIMS: To increase the pupil’s awareness of language and communication in a variety of forms, to increase proficiency in writing and comprehension.
A Transition Year Newsletter is also produced while a solid grounding is given for Leaving Cert cycle by studying a major Shakespearean work
MATHS:
We aim to develop the pupils’ knowledge of maths on a functional level.
To demonstrate the practicalities of maths to the pupil in such topics as probability and differentiation while giving a solid grounding for Leaving Cert cycle.
MODERN LANGUAGES: Students will get the opportunity to study any two of the following languages
- Spanish
- German
- French
We aim to promote an awareness and understanding of modern European language and culture, to assist pupils in the practical application of language skills, to develop ability and a confidence in their use of languages. This gives the students the opportunity to make an informed choice for Leaving Cert cycle.
HISTORY:
We conduct a study of key figures in history, including Arafat, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Lech Walesa, while studying the political climate faced by of each of the personalities.
We also do a study of Northern Ireland 1922 – present. ‘Genocide in the twentieth century’ we cover three case studies. This gives an invaluable insight into the Leaving Cert syllabus.
GEOGRAPHY:
We study natural disasters, their consequences and causes. We complete a major field study while sampling topics that occur on the Leaving Cert cycle such as geoecology.
BUSINESS STUDIES:
A practical insight into business, accounting and economics with a focus on topical issues and issues of relevance e.g. interest rates, examining and analysing accounts, management skills and structures. This gives the students a taste of each of the three business subjects for Leaving Cert.
MUSIC:
We aim to develop musical awareness and ability through the Production of a school musical. Its hoped to encourage participation and a positive attitude to musical performance, to develop social skills and team work through the production of the musical. We also learn to play a Bodhrán. This syllabus is designed to give the student a good grounding for music at senior cycle.
ART:
Students learn the skills of clay moulding, self portrait, bag making, set design and construction for the college musical. Students are given an appreciation of the many facets of Art and Art History. This gives students a good grounding for Leaving Cert Art.
RELIGION:
To heighten awareness of issues affecting young people and society in general, to examine social responsibility, to apply information gained on world religions in the Junior cycle to practical examples in modern society.
COMPUTERS:
To facilitate pupils in the use of computers on a practical level, to develop skills of word processing, to introduce the practicalities of spread-sheets and basic accounting, to facilitate the use of computers as an effective research tool. This will give students the basic skills that will be needed in the workplace in the future.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION:
We aim to develop skills in a range of sports, to develop a confidence and a willingness to engage in sport, to gain an understanding of the importance of P.E to general health and well-being, to develop social and interpersonal skill through the medium of sport.
CAREER GUIDANCE:
We aim to prepare pupils in choosing their work experience placement through the creation of a personal profile, to introduce pupils to aspects of responsibility and professionalism in work, to facilitate in career investigation.
Modulated programmes
Students will rotate between Biology, Agricultural Science, Physics and Chemistry.
Biology and Agricultural Science
These 2 subject while combined in TY science are separate subjects in the Leaving Cert which have a major amount of overlapping material. Areas covered in this 9 week programme are:
- Cells →plant and animal cell ultra structure
→experiment examining and preparing such cells
- External structure of animals parts such as cow (beef & dairy), pig, horse and sheep.
- Microbiology detailed study of bacteria and growing of such bacteria in the lab.
- Genetics involving genetics crosses.
- Overview of Rockwell Farm.
- Detailed study of 1 type of animal production on the farm i.e pigs or calves.
The aim of the TY Science Programme is to provide the students with a brief introduction in to the 4 leaving science subject to ensure that they make a well informed choice when selecting Leaving Cert subject. To improve their handling of lab equipment while doing experiments to improve their practical work.
Physics
This programme covers 3 main areas from the Leaving Cert Course which are:
- Mechanics involving
- Speed and velocity
- Acceleration and the 3 equations of motion.
- Force and Newtons laws of motion.
- Electricity involving
- Current electricity
- Potential difference
- Ohms law
- Theoretical Physics involving
- Matter and anti-matter
- Radioactivity
Broken into 3 areas 1) Chemistry 2) Physics 3) Biology & Agricultural Science. Each area is broken into a 9 week programme. So each student will cover each area for 9 week block. Each area has 1 single & 1 double class per week.
Topics covered within each area are as follows:
Chemistry
- Revision of atomic structure & periodic table from Junior Cert.
- Calculations to obtain relative atomic and molecular values.
- Detailed study of the mole
Calculating mass values of the mole
Calculating number of moles from mass.
- Stoichiometry
Determining reactants or products based on Chemical equations (this includes 3 experiments).
- Acids & Bases
Revision from Junior Cert followed by techniques used in acid/base titrations and making up solutions of known concentrations.
Students will rotate between First Aid, Toastmasters and Kickboxing
First Aid (10 weeks)
This course trains pupils to demonstrate an effective level of skill and knowledge in the diagnosis and management of choking, bleeding and shock. It is examined in a practical assessment and divided into three parts:
Test 1: Rescue breathing, action for vomiting and the recovery position on a live casualty.
Test 2: Single rescuer C.P.R. using an adult or mannequin.
Test 3: Knowledge and understanding of basic life support and related conditions.
Toastmasters (10 weeks)
This encourages students to perform various roles which require public speaking. For the duration of this course students will learn how to prepare and deliver a speech, to chair a meeting, to evaluate colleagues, time speeches, set up a room for a meeting and learn to speak off the cuff. This culminates in an open night for students to hold a meeting which parents are encouraged to attend. On completion of the open night students are awarded their Youth Leadership Cert.
Kickboxing (10 weeks)
This is particularly beneficial as it helps develop core strength and cardio vascular fitness.
Students will rotate between Film studies and Sports Science
Film Studies (15 weeks)
Over the duration of this course we learn about the business of film production from the writing of the screen play – the distribution and promotion of the film. Each class will write a screen play – appoint a cast and eventually produce their own fifteen minute film.
Sports Science (15 weeks)
Over the duration of this course we study the physiology of the body, the importance of a good diet and the psychology of sport. Through multiple case studies we get an understanding of the requirements for participation at all levels of sport.
Students also build up their fitness in successive weeks eventually culminating in all students completing a 10km run.
Evening Programme
Evening study takes place between 5.45pm -8.15pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and Wednesday 3.30pm -5.00pm and 5.45pm – 7.15pm. Every effort is made to ensure that a good balance is struck between giving students time to complete their assignments and get time for personal development. Activities such as debating, piano and guitar are available to all students in the college however the following activities are organised with T.Y. in mind.
School Show – All Shook Up (01/09/09 – 23/10/09)
All T.Y. students are encouraged to take part in the production of this show. This involves acting, make up, set design, ticket sales and front of house management.
Seven Habits of Highly Effective Teenagers - (04/11/08 – 10/03/09) -Every Tuesday and Thursday from 6.30pm to 8.10pm (two groups)
This programme is adapted from the best selling book of the same name helps students to deal with the challenges being faced by teenagers on a daily basis. It teaches students how to get the best out of themselves in every facet of their environment helps them to make sense of their quickly changing world.
Speech and drama
The programme is devised to encourage first timers and to develop students with prior stage experience. Each week a new aspect is developed and explored from comedy to improvisation. This programme will also touch on some of the proscribed texts from the Leaving Cert syllabus.
Italian - Every Monday from 26/01/09 to 11/05/09
This ten week course focuses on basic Italian vocabulary with a strong emphasis on conversation and role play. The aim of the course is to enable students to ‘get by’ in Italy while also giving a taste of the language with a view to further study.
Tai Chi: We will undertake six weeks of tai chi which is a combination of self defence and relaxation.