TYO '01/'02 - Homepage

Transition Year 2000-2001

This site is designed to give people a better understanding of what life is like for Transition Year students. We decided to start this site as both a class project and as something to do for fun. Most people have a difficult decision to make after the Junior Cert as to what to do next. We decided to help them by giving them a taste of what goes on in Transition Year and how it can be of benefit to them. In this site we have included our views, our teachers' views, news on tours and trips, a photo gallery, a sports page, a group photo of our class, a music page and news on our work experience. Hope you enjoy.

Trips and Tours

Not all transition year activity takes place within the confines of the school. Trips and tours have formed an important part of the course. Previous classes have gone camping, hill-walking, mountain climbing and go-karting. They have visited museums, theatres, cinemas, factories. They have entered the secure area of Intel’s vast computer plant in Leixlip. They have unfurled the largest banner in the world on Dollymount Strand. They have chased each other through the tunnels of the wax museum and across the Bog of Allen. They have been in prison and in hospital, in mosques and synagogues, in swimming pools and in government offices. One student even went swimming in the forty foot while on a tour of the James Joyce Museum at the Martello Tower in Sandycove. David Whelan offers regular updates on the out of school activities of this year’s class on our Trips and Tours page.

Visits to Transition Year

Over the past few years many people have come to the school to talk to the transition year class. These have included politicians, priests, business men and women, local councillors, gardai and past pupils who have undertaken enterprising careers.Sean Garvey, from Bray, came to the school and taught students how to dance in the best Irish manner. Ross maguire, a barrister, gave the class legal advice. For the past three years, Gerry Carey from Carlow, an independant film-maker, has introduced the art of film making to the students.Recently the leader of the Labour Party, Ruari Quinn, discussed his vision of Ireland’s future with this year’s class. Our reporter, Michael Bergin, keeps you up to date on the Visitors to the Class page.

Music

Every year, since Transition year first began in Moyle Park in 1994, one class a week, usually at the end of a hard week on a Friday morning, has been devoted to the relaxing rhythms and the soothing strains of music. Initially the aim was to introduce students to a broad repertoire of classical music. However, over the years, many students took over the class period and offered their own musical choices. In recognition of this achievement last year, for the first time, certificates were awarded to all students who prepared and presented a class in musical appreciation. Over half the class received these awards. You can read about this year’s music class and listen to some of the student choices on our Music Class page. Four of the students - Keith Alford, Vincent Jackson, Keith Kenny and Barry Rossiter - have also prepared their own Music Page in which they offer a musical perspective on the tastes of the class.

Caught on Camera

Over the years the transition year students of Moyle Park College have been caught in the act.......in sports, on a trip, in class activities or just dossing about. Luckily for us our photographers were on hand to catch all these moments so we can relive them through the pages of this site. Last year a digital camera was purchased for the sole use of transition year and the resulting work of students Ben Clarke, Clint Kelly and Shane McCarthy is available in our Photo Gallery.

Transition Year Sport

Moyle Park College has a long history of sport in the school and every year many T. Y. O. Students participate in college sports due to the fact that this is a less academically challenging year. Not only are the sports teams very popular, they are also very successful. The basketball, Gaelic football, rugby and soccer teams have all won competitions and championships over the past few years. Other sports in the school include golf, badminton and hurling. Some of us hope the future will see a tennis club in the school. You can read about our interest in sport on our individual profile pages and also on the Sports page which is edited by Robert Keane.

Work Experience and Community Placement

For two weeks in the first term and a further two weeks in the second term, each student in transition year goes on work experience. You can read about where they worked and savour their reactions to the world of work on our Work Experience page. For a week in December the students go out into the community and offer their services to the less privileged in society. You can savour their satisfaction at jobs well done on the Community Placement page.

Teachers and Subjects

Some teachers have taught T. Y. every year since it first began in 1992; some are teaching it for the first time this year. You can read about their courses, view their photographs, taken by the students and observe their personal views on the value of the programme on the page devoted to Our Teachers.

The Transition Year Rationale

The reasons for the introduction of the T.Y. programme in Ireland are examined in a detailed review of of its introduction and the value of the experience written by Mr Ultan MacGabhann, the first co-ordinator of the programme in the school when the option was first introduced in Moyle Park College in 1992.

Moyle Park College

The school has its own web site which was first set up in March 1999 and has since grown to an extensive account of life in the school. This site was awarded a 4-shamrock award by Doras who praised its ease of navigation and the contributions made by staff and students. Many former Transition Year students have contributed to the site which can be accessed here.

Past Pupils

We are in the process of surveying past pupils of the T.Y. option with a view to ascertaining their reactions and responses to the programme. Any former student who would like to contribute to the survey is invited to e-mail us at the special T.Y.O. e-mail address: moyleparktyo@iol.ie. You can read their comments on Past Pupils page which was prepared by Alan Burke. You can also see some photos from the archives. Students have been given awards at the end of Transition Year and you can read about these on our Awards Page.

Form And Fusion

Moyle Park College hosted the Leinster heats of the Coca-Cola sponsored design awards in the school's Sport's Hall from the 16th February to 1st March. You can read about the transition year entry on the page devoted to Form and Fusion written by Michael Ormonde.

Self help : Ethiopia

This year a teacher, Ms Boyle, and a student, Daniel Martyn, went to Ethiopia to see for themselves the work done by the Self Help organisation. You can read about the project from Daniel Martyn's contribution to the Self help : Ethiopia page.

Transition 2001-2002
consists of the students noted below.
To read their individual profiles
click on the faces
on the group photograph.

Some of the graphics on this site are courtesy of Microsoft Publisher.