East Glendalough School

Transition Year provides a welcome break from exam preparation, and allows the students an opportunity to try new things, discover new talents and try out some possible Leaving Cert subjects. It is aimed at educating for maturity, by encouraging personal development, social awareness and social competence. Preparation for the Leaving Certificate continues, with the emphasis on self-directed learning. The Compulsory and Academic Modules, which occupy more than half the week, give the students a chance to approach the traditional subjects from a different angle, and I want to thank all of the TY teachers for their creativity and the extra effort required to develop their syllabi from year to year. Within the Computers Module, many students availed of the opportunity to study for and take the ECDL (European Computer Driver’s Licence), an internationally recognised certificate in computer skills.

The Optional Modules contain a wide range of subjects and activities that are only found in Transition Year. We ask our teachers to make use of their own hidden talents to expand the range of activities the students can try during TY, and we also bring in specialist teachers and instructors from outside the school. Every year we try to introduce new modules into TY, to allow the students to develop their potential outside of the traditional school curriculum. In this way, the number of the Optional Modules has expanded over the years to twenty six, including Magic, Aerobics, Archery, Croquet, Film Studies, Rock Climbing, Music, Art, Modern and Latin Dance, Self Defence and Organic Gardening to mention but a few. This wide range of different activities allows the students to try out things they might never have discovered, extending their experience and increasing their self assurance. Within the Careers Module, students learned how to prepare a CV and letter of application, and also how to present themselves well at interview. They then had a chance to show how well they had learnt the material during Interview Day in April, when they were put through their paces by professional people from outside the school.

Apart from the Compulsory, Academic and Optional Modules, we invited a number of visiting speakers to come to the school and make a presentation or lead a workshop. This year, these included Stephen Peers, who gave a presentation on the Gaisce Award scheme, Joe McGrath on HIV-AIDS, Patrice O’Reilly from PACT on relationship issues, Donal Courtney who led a half-day Drama workshop back-to-back with Dave McFarlane’s Samba Drumming workshop, and Dylan Rynhardt and his Jazz band. Michael Moylan came in with his arms, armour and medieval costumes to lead an interactive presentation on Irish history, and Larry Shannon came to give a First Aid presentation, dealing in particular with safety measures in the workplace and emergency procedures, including CPR and the use of a Defibrilator. Next year’s TY students will each be given their own CPR kit provided by the Irish Heart Foundation, and training to enable them to teach members of their own family this vital skill.

Eileen Cannon came from Wicklow Drug Awareness to speak on the dangers of drug abuse, Peter Byrne from Christian Aid spoke on foreign aid to developing countries, and the Garda Road Safety Unit gave an excellent and moving presentation on driver safety. Shay Doyle from Dublin Airport Customs Enforcement Unit came to speak about the work of the unit, and brought sniffer dog Lulu to demonstrate how dogs are used to locate drugs at the airport. Orla Dormer from the Irish Blood Transfusion Service spoke on the importance of giving blood, Brid O’Keefe from An Oige spoke on the benefits of youth-hostelling, and Thomas McElheron brought in some of his snakes, salamanders, giant toads and huge spiders to talk about his interest in these creatures, and to let the students get “hands-on experience” of the snakes. The students were very keen to handle them, and some had to really face their fear to do so! Last but not least, we had the great privilege of hearing Tommi Riechental’s very moving account of his childhood experience of the Holocaust.