# data[].attributes.body
During third year, I was always looking forward to TY and all the experiences that would come along with it. Now that I am in TY, I have decided on a few goals for the year to ensure that I have the best time and make new memories.

My main goal would be to put my all into everything I do. I want to make sure I try my hardest and engage with everyone and everything around me. As I was told at the beginning of the year, you get out what you put in.

My second goal would be to try and socialise with more people and make new friends! I think that’s a very important part of TY and a key to making the best and funnest memories.

# data[].attributes.body
To kick-start the year, we went to Achill for 4 days and 3 nights. It was an amazing experience that I got to share with my friends and teachers. Throughout the 4 days, we did multiple activities, including kayaking, orienteering, hill walking, surfing, cycling and pier jumping.

# data[].attributes.body
On the first day when we arrived, we got split up into our rooms and started to get ready for our kayaking trip. On the kayaks, we played games and raced. Afterwards, we got back on the bus and made our way back to where we were staying. We ate our dinner and got back on the bus to go to the beach for a walk.

# data[].attributes.body
On day 2, we woke up and started getting ready to go orienteering. We made groups, and set out to the fields to look for the checkpoints. My group finished in 47 minutes! Afterwards, we waited for the other groups to finish their activities and we played pool and ping pong. When the other groups came back, we set out on our hill walk.

When we got back, we all put on our swimsuits and headed to the beach to go pier jumping! It was amazing.

# data[].attributes.body
The stages of getting a drivers license in Ireland

# data[].attributes.body
On day 3, when we woke up we got ready to go surfing. We were in the sea for 2 hours before getting out and changing back into our clothes from the wetsuits. Later on, we went on a 20km cycle on the greenway and stopped at a cafe. When we got back, we played ping pong and went pier jumping again.

# data[].attributes.body
On Monday the 8th of September, me and my group made our way to the Phoenix Park to go for a cycling monument hunt. Mr Kelly brought us along onto the Dublin Bus and we arrived in town. We walked to the bike rental and began our journey. We cycled all throughout the park, visiting the popes cross and the Áras an Uachtaráin. I had an amazing time and it was great fun!

# data[].attributes.body
On day 4, we woke up bright and early and got on the bus immediately. Halfway through the 4 hour drive, we stopped at a Supermacs and got food. The whole trip was amazing!

Overall, after completing the trip, I would proudly say that i would do the whole thing again in a heartbeat. I made so many amazing memories and learned so much from my peers and teachers. I understand now why everyone says Achill is the highlight of TY!

# data[].attributes.body
On Monday the 15th of September, me and my group took up driving!

First, we had a two hour lecture on the safety and consequences of driving. Our instructor helped inform us Anity the long legal process of getting your drivers license, and how to prepare yourself for it.

Afterwards, we took turns in groups of three to go out into the student drop off and drive around! It was absolutely thrilling and it helped give me a preview into what it will be like driving in the future.

It was an amazing activity and I’m super grateful to have been able to experience it!

# data[].attributes.body
have a good sponsor

be confident

avoid distractions

always wear a seatbelt

obey speed limits

adjust mirrors

# data[].attributes.body
On Monday the 22nd of September, me and my group made our way into town on the Dublin Bus. We took part in a tour that helped us discover the streets of Dublin through the eyes and experiences of someone who has been affected by homelessness.

It was very interesting and helped me realise how lucky I am to have grown up the way I have in a world where hunger or not having a bed to sleep in was never even a thought that crossed my mind.

# data[].attributes.body
Every Tuesday for 5 weeks, me and my PE group made our way to the Phoenix Park for orienteering.

We got split into groups of 3 and got ready to start!

In the end, me, Ella and Megan came first 3 times. It was great fun! It made me realise, especially after the orienteering in Achill, that I really enjoy it!

# data[].attributes.body
In tech, we started planning our Christmas projects. I decided on making a 3D snowman that lights but inside to make the eyes and buttons appear more real.

This was my annotated sketch

# data[].attributes.body
I had to make a student ID card for the primary school teachers to show to the students. This way, they could get to know me a little bit before we arrived!

# data[].attributes.body
Me and three of my friends started a mini business selling candles! We bought all of our products from Amazon and split all the costs and profits. We had to put a lot of planning into it, by creating a marketing mix, a survey to figure out our target market, and making posters.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
The posters we made to put around the school

# data[].attributes.headline
We looked at and studied the parts of a car

# data[].attributes.subject
We looked at and studied the parts of a car

# data[].attributes.body
This Tuesday we travelled by Irish Rail to Hansfeild and walked to CrossFit. We did a lot of core training and weightlifting. The coaches were very supportive and helped us with whatever we needed. I had a great time and it was an amazing first experience in a gym.

# data[].attributes.body
On the 20th of October, me and my year group made our way into the city centre and attended the laughter lounge. It was a great and fun experience and I really enjoyed it!

# data[].attributes.body
Me and my social and cultural group went to the driving range at Elmgreen Golf Club in Castleknock. It was so fun and we got super lucky with the amazing weather. 🌦️ I wasn’t amazing at first as it was my first time ever playing golf, but I would definitely go again!

# data[].attributes.body
On Monday the 3rd of November, me and my group made our way to Blanchardstown Shopping Centre to go bowling in Leisure Plex. We were given an hour before hand to walk around the shopping centre and get some food. I had a great time with my friends. In the end, I came 4th.

# data[].attributes.body
In the first term from September - October, I took part in many projects that were aimed to promote the Irish language. There was many different types of projects, such as posters, keynotes and videos. Me and my project group interacted a lot with the rest of the student body by sending out surveys to help gather information and statistics for our projects. It was a very interesting, fun and interactive term that I really enjoyed!

# data[].attributes.body
On Monday the 3rd of November, my SPHE class was lucky enough to receive a talk from a few past students that attended Edmund Rice College. They talked about the leaving cert and how to prepare for it, their courses, colleges and all the extra societies and facilities that are available to students. It was really great and informative and it made me start considering what subjects I would like to do for the Leaving Cert and what direction I would like to go towards in my future.

# data[].attributes.body
In my first term in school, we took part in in a budgeting project created to plan a family trip to New York City. It was very educational to look at real life prices of flights and accommodation. My total came out to be in the budget so I was very happy with that. I did my project with my friend Emma and we had a great time distributing the work load between the two of us.

# data[].attributes.body
In my second rotation with Ms. Egan i focused a lot on using my Irish skills in projects. I took part in many group activities and projects with my friends about different topics. A lot were focused on celebrating or past events and activities such as Achill. It helped me use Irish in a more natural way. It was tricky, but very fun!

# data[].attributes.body
So far I’ve done a lot during the primary schools programme. It is especially amazing to be back in my old primary school with all my friends. It brings back so many memories! I help out in a senior infants class. They are all so kind and welcoming! Doing this programme made me consider working in my primary school again for the February work experience placement.

# data[].attributes.body
On Monday the 9th of November me and my group made our way into town again to visit the World of Illusion. It was super great and we had an amazing time. The best parts of the museum were definitely the exhibits which you could interact and take photos with. I had great fun!

# data[].attributes.body
The following week, Monday the 16th of November, we entered town again to do a treasure hunt. We were given clues about different shops and businesses while also exploring and learning about different areas in town. It was very fun and educational!

# data[].attributes.body
On Monday the 24th of November, me and my social and my social and cultural group entered town on the commuter to visit the EPIC museum. It was very interactive and fun and I learned a lot about Irish emigration. It was interesting to see real primary sources from the times such as the famine. It made me wonder if there will be museums made designated to the era of covid-19 in the future. It was great!

# data[].attributes.body
I found road safety to be very educational and important. I enjoyed learning a few of the rules of the road, especially at an age where I will soon hope to get my drivers license. It definitely helped me understand the process of getting a drivers licence and the actions I have to make towards it.

# data[].attributes.body
I think that the World of Work module helped me orientation and organise myself a bit in relation to the path I want to take in the future.

# data[].attributes.body
Doing tech made me realise that it is very difficult and not something I would preferably head towards. I realised it’s not for me and that I should work towards more theoretical subjects.

# data[].attributes.body
In my first English rotation with Mr. Munnelly, we got into groups and started the production of our mini film. It was very fun and we spent a lot of time on the script and making sure our acting skills were on point! I really enjoyed acting and this was also one of the reasons I decided I wanted a role in the TY musical.

# data[].attributes.body
In my second rotation with Ms. Keenan, we focused on persuasive writing by playing a game called “Traitors”. The aim of the game was to vote out the people who Ms. Keenan chose as the traitors. It was tricky because we all had very good persuasive speeches as to why we were faithful and not traitors. I had a very good time and it was an effective way of learning!

# data[].attributes.body
Our mini business was well planned out, yet we faced one major issue: our candles didn’t work out. So instead of selling the messed up candles, we refunded those who purchased one from us. It was a simple mistake, and we learned a lot from it! Besides that, the process of making and starting a mini business was very fun and we all had a great time together.

# data[].attributes.body
We created our own religion in the first rotation of religion. Mine was very creative and funny! I enjoyed working with my friends and hearing all their ideas.

# data[].attributes.body
In the second rotation of religion, we created a presentation on an ancient religion and all about it. It’s beliefs, sacred texts, rituals, etc. I worked with my friend Grace and we enjoyed researching this topic! We focused on Ancient Egypt.

# data[].attributes.body
In debating, me and my debate team had to debate for the motion that gender inequality does exist. We had an introduction, a starting argument, a main point and a conclusion. It was very educational and I was very glad that I was able to do my debate based on something that I was actually interested in.

# data[].attributes.body
In french, me and my friends had to make and present a project about a planned trip to a French speaking country. We picked Canada. It was very educational. It was tricky presenting in front of our whole class as I felt that my French accent wasn’t great. It is definitely something I need to work on!

# data[].attributes.body
I am a cheerleader! I was a bit disappointed at first as I wanted a greater role, but I am very excited to dance around and be a cheerleader! I’m glad that a lot of my friends are also cheerleaders so we will be doing it together!

# data[].attributes.body
For my December placement of Work Experience, I will be working at a vet clinic in Blanchardstown retail centre. I am extremely excited for this as it has always been my dream to become a vet and now I’m finally doing something towards that. I’m looking forward to working with different animals and getting a real insight to working at a vet clinic!

# data[].attributes.body
My highlight of TY so far is definitely Achill. It was an amazing trip and I really feel that we bonded as a year group. All the activities that we did just brought us all together. I would definitely do it again!

# data[].attributes.body
After Christmas, I am most excited for working towards the musical. I really enjoy the classes as they are now, but I think they will just get better the closer we get to the show itself.

# data[].attributes.body
I completed a lot in the gym rotation and I really enjoyed it. My favourite part of it was using all of the machines. It was a great experience to get started on my future in the gym.

# data[].attributes.body
On Monday the 8th of December, me and my group welcomed in a bunch of different animals and reptiles, such as snakes, spiders and bearded dragons. It was very scary but funny at the same time. We all enjoyed it!

# data[].attributes.body
On Monday the 15th of December, me and my whole year made our way into town to go to the Smithfield Christmas market. We went to the Lighthouse Cinema to watch Elf and then we went ice skating. It was a great experience and it was so fun! Me and all my friends especially enjoyed ice skating.

# data[].attributes.body
After Christmas, on the 5th of January, me and my year received a talk about the complications and obstacles that come along when taking part in gambling. It was a very educational experience and raised awareness between us all on the matter.

# data[].attributes.body
On Monday the 12th of January, I took part in a First Aid course. We learned how to give CPR, wrap and take care of a wound, and how to do compressions on a child. In my opinion, this has been one of the most educational and important activities as these are real life skills that I think could come in handy in unexpected situations.

# data[].attributes.body
On Monday the 19th of January, we welcomed in a few guys from the Barista school in Dublin to learn a few basic coffee making skills. This was definitely one of my favourite activities! I thought it was super fun and I enjoyed drinking my coffee after. The breath workshop was after the barista course and I found it very relaxing.

# data[].attributes.body
Me and the girls in my year took part in a 5 week yoga course. I really enjoyed that it was in the middle of the day, as I felt that it made the day go by very fast. It was very calming but also fun and my favourite part of it were the partner poses.

# data[].attributes.body
In my third Irish rotation, I focused a lot on learning my verbs in the past, present and future tense. It was handy as I felt that I had forgotten a lot of them since the Junior Cert.

# data[].attributes.body
At the beginning of January, me and my classmates started a new statistics project. Me and my friend Kayla worked together to organise and proceed with a survey to get a general understanding and overview on the amount of time students in each year spend on their phones.

# data[].attributes.body
In my third English rotation with Ms. Kavanagh, me and my class focused on studying a movie called “The Truman Show”. The movie itself interested me a lot as it was very original and nothing like anything I’d ever seen before. We then worked on creating a project about the most important key scenes. It was a very productive rotation.

# data[].attributes.body
On Friday the 16th of January, me and a few of my friends got the opportunity to visit and help clean in Castleknock Tennis Club. We all got a few bin bags and spread out to collect as much rubbish as we could. I enjoyed this a lot as I think it’s a great feeling knowing you’re helping your own community.

# data[].attributes.body
Since the start of the new year, the musical group has been working hard to organise and put together the whole show. With only 2 months left before the show, we have been working on our dances, songs and general choreography. It’s been great so far!

# data[].attributes.body
In my photography rotation, I got the opportunity to photograph and capture the landscape that appears outside of our school. It was a great class and I enjoyed getting to learn how to take photos using different techniques, methods and filters.

# data[].attributes.headline
Comparing religious themes in different movies 🍿 

# data[].attributes.subject
Comparing religious themes in different movies 🍿 

# data[].attributes.body
In my third rotation of religion, me and my class watched two different Disney movies: “Up” and “Coco”. We then found and contrasted between the multiple religious themes in the two films, such as friendship, love and belief in life after death. I really enjoyed this rotation as I love watching Disney movies, and I found the use of them in religion very creative.

# data[].attributes.body
In my fourth English rotation, my class and I studied the art of podcasting. We learned all about its techniques, its themes and its content. My favourite part of this rotation was creating a Pinterest board that symbolised what my podcast would be like.

# data[].attributes.body
On day 1 of my work experience, I met the vet team and got to know a few of the animals. The nurses showed me around and explained a lot of the machinery to me. I observed a few minor appointments such as injections and broken bones.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Picture I captured through the lens of a telescope of a cats diseased cell

# data[].attributes.body
On day 2, there wasn’t many animals at the clinic that needed taking care of, so the doctors continued to let me use some of the machinery such as the ultrasound machines and microscopes. They gathered a few cell samples for me to look at under the microscope.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Watching the ultrasound machine being used

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
The dog under anaesthesia, before surgery

# data[].attributes.body
On day 3, I was allowed to spectate a neutering surgery. The surgery itself lasted approximately 35 mins and it was very interesting. I was quite nervous before the surgery as I have never seen anything like that before, but seeing the surgeons handle the dog with such care eased my nerves. After the surgery, I mostly just kept a few cats company.

# data[].attributes.body
On the fourth day, I experienced my first emergency at the clinic. A dog was rushed in immediately due to a broken rib. Although the owners were stressed, the nurses and doctors stayed very calm and collected. This automatically calmed the dog down also. It was very cool to see the X-ray of the dog.

# data[].attributes.body
On my last day of work experience, the nurses focused a lot on educating me about the scientific aspect of veterinary medicine. They told me about the educational process and the steps of becoming a veterinary doctor or nurse. I spent most of the day in the lab. I really enjoyed this part of my work experience!

# data[].attributes.body
I loved this week of work experience very much. There wasn’t a single aspect of it that I didn’t enjoy, and it just made my desire for becoming a veterinary surgeon even stronger than before. My favourite part of the experience was getting to observe the operations that took place. I would love to do this again in the future and I hope I can revisit an experience like this.

# data[].attributes.body
For my history rotation, I took part in a group project that occurred over the span of a few weeks. My group was assigned the decade of the 1960s. We all established who was covering what aspect of that decade, such as major political events, major sporting events, pop culture moments, etc. I really enjoyed this project as I feel like during the junior cert, you never really focus on just one decade and learning about it.

# data[].attributes.body
Since Christmas, my year group and I have focused a lot on preparations for the musical. I am so excited for it! In general, I think I have been keeping up quite well with my work load and the effort that I am putting into each of my classes. I am looking forward to the rest of the year and bonding with my year group in Lake Garda, Italy.

# data[].attributes.body
In my fourth rotation of Irish with Ms. Hanly, we focused on working on our listening comprehension skills. I think this will be very helpful for me in fifth year.

# data[].attributes.body
In my fourth rotation of Irish with Ms. Hanly, we focused on working on our listening comprehension skills. I think this will be very helpful for me in fifth year.

# data[].attributes.body
Every Friday morning, we meet in the atrium and set up games and badminton. We wait for the St. Vincent’s kids to arrive and then we spend some time with them having fun and messing around. We always have a great time!

# data[].attributes.body
the musical took place in March and was such an amazing and fun experience. It was 100% my highlight of TY. I had such an amazing time with all of my friends and the memories I made will last forever. It was so special to see all my friends on stage and watch them be celebrated for all the hard work they put into it. It was a blast !

# data[].attributes.body
For my second week of work experience in February, me and my friend Grace worked together in town in The Exam Centre. There, we helped supervise students who were taking their exams in the centre. It was a great way to take a look into what an office job offers, and I enjoyed getting to know the centre itself.

# data[].attributes.body
We met in the airport at 5am and our flight was at around 8am. When we landed in Italy, we got on a bus and drove to a city called Verona. There, we were let off to get lunch and explore the town. After, we visited an old amphitheater in which gladiators used to fight. It was amazing to see how well it has held up after thousand of years. We then went on to visit Juliet’s house from Romeo and Juliet. It was very heartwarming. We then got back on the bus and made our way to the hotel in which we ate dinner and got ready for bed.

# data[].attributes.body
On day 2, we went to Venice. To get there we had to get on a boat. It was a very fun experience. Venice was a beautiful city and I would love to see it again. We got a lovely lunch by the Rialto bridge and then made our way back to the meeting point for a talking tour of the city. We also got to see a glass making factory and it was very interesting. I really liked Venice and I loved seeing it with all my friends. We were then on the bus for 2 hours back to the hotel to get ready for the next day.

# data[].attributes.body
On day 3, we woke up early to go to Gardaland. It was so much fun! I loved going on all the rides with my friends and seeing all the photos after. It was such a fun experience. We then went bowling and me and Mr. Devlin won pool against Cliona and Grace. It was super funny!

# data[].attributes.body
On day 4, we woke up early one last time to go on a lovely boat ride in Sirmione. It was so scenic and beautiful. After the boat ride, we got to explore the town and then we made our way back to the bus to visit the shopping centre. We got lunch there then arrived at the airport to get our flight home. The whole trip was an amazing snd unforgettable experience that I will definitely look back on forever!

# data[].attributes.body
In my biology rotation, we looked at our cheek cells through a microscope. It was super cool to see the cells from such a close up lens. I really enjoyed the biology rotation as I’m doing biology for leaving cert and this got me looking forward to it!

# data[].attributes.body
In the art rotation, we looked at Lino printing. This is a skill that requires a lot of focus and precision. It was really enjoyable and interesting to learn about all the different techniques used in lino printing! I made a ladybug. I really liked this rotation as i picked art for leaving cert and this was an insight into what that will be like.

# data[].attributes.body
My advice for future TYs would be to talk to as many new people as you can and make new friends. Some of my best memories this year were made with the new people I surrounded myself with. I think that in the end, making new connections is the most important part of TY and the part you’ll remember the most.