Welcome back to all of you and welcome to all in TY 2021/22!
This newsletter is the first of many which outlines information regarding activities for the following weeks/months ahead.
It will be updated by each Friday eve throughout the year.
We're very relieved and glad to be back in school and are very much looking forward to meeting all of you as TY 21/22.
It's been a challenging, and no doubt very difficult, time for all of us but we're looking ahead optimistically.
To enable you to have as much a say in the planning of many TY elements and to help you address these challenges you will have representation for the full year in the form of TY Reps (& the Parents Association) so it's important you understand that your TY Reps are fundamental to the success of TY.
Your experiences and opinions matter so it is important you voice any questions or concerns to your reps - they will be addressed as soon as possible and as practicable throughout the TY. We will be talking to you further this week as to how you can suggest and guide TY in ways that you want.
TY is an opportunity for all of us.
In TY, when we ask you to "step outside your comfort zone" we mean aligning yourself with a mindset that:
embraces challenges
persists in the face of obstacles
learns from criticism
finds lessons & inspiration in the success of others
In short, a GROWTH MINDSET.
In May last year, the economist Wiliam Davies pointed out that the term “crisis” derives from the Greek “krisis”, meaning decision or judgment. From this, we also get terms such as critic (someone who judges) and critical condition (a medical state that could go either way). A crisis can conclude well or badly, but the point is that its outcome is fundamentally uncertain.
To experience a crisis is to inhabit a world that is temporarily up for grabs.
Your Transition Year is up for grabs.
TY will be an opportunity to make the most of this year as a space to learn, mature and develop in the absence of examination pressure. For all of you it is an opportunity to take responsibility for yourself and your actions, to take every opportunity that you are presented with and to explore and find opportunities for yourself.
Mr Joyce and I are looking forward to helping you achieve your goals for this year.
Google Classroom
Google Classroom Code: og2psnv
On another important note:
Make sure to keep up to date with sign up sheets and deadlines as I will not be able to guarantee that each TY will be able to participate if they are late signing up.
We have created a Google Classroom for the year group from which general communications on matters relating to TY will be issued as they arise on a day to day basis. All TY students will have access to this classroom.
For those students who do not have access to their school email account or any issues with their school email you will need to contact Ms. Aoife Kenny (School Librarian) when you come into school on Wednesday.
TY Commences
Wednesday, 1st September
8:45am
Allocation of Journals, Timetables & Lockers
Students will be given journals, timetables & lockers by Mr Joyce as to schedule via Google Classroom and in person.
TYs should bring a lock and keys with them (a spare key can be given Mr Joyce to hold in his office for convenient safe keeping).
Entering the School
TYs can enter the school at the Nutley Entrance from 7am and the Ailesbury Road Entrance at 8am.
Continuing from last year, parking bays have been replaced with bench seating so you can sit outside the front of the school or along the side of the Swimming Pool before entering the school building.
Remember, face masks must be worn indoors at all times.
You should go directly to your timetabled 1st period classroom for 8:45am:
4.1 - Room 31
4.2 - Room 17
4.3 - Room 29
4.4 - Room 16
4.5 - Room 15
Core classes have been changed around this year, as we do every year. This allows you to mix with others who you may not have gotten to know well over previous years allowing you a fresh start in TY and a new beginning to senior cycle education.
Any issues please, let us know.
Each class group will receive reorientation on Covid-19 Hygiene & Physical Distance protocol during this period.
A REMINDER:
Little Break Time Change
Changes to the morning break times are still in place : this is to facilitate reducing the number of students on break between 10.45 and 11.00am every day.
These changes now appear on the "official" timetable, but the following will be in operation from Monday 30th Aug:
- 1st, TY and 6th yr will be on break from 10.05am - 10.20am. These students would normally be starting P3 at 10.05am , but now they will commence at 10.20am up to 11.00am.
Lunch break is 1 - 1:40pm
(The remaining year groups ( 2nd, 3rd and 5th yr) will remain as normal ( starting P3 at 10.05) and having their break from 10.45am to 11.00am.This ensures only half the school are on morning break at any one time.)
A Note on Getting to & from School
Parents: As you can imagine, space in school is at an absolute premium: we are encouraging all families to avoid driving in to the school campus. You will not just be helping to facilitate physical distancing; too many cars on the grounds in the morning creates the hazardous and stressful situation for students & families weaving in and out and between vehicles (along with a 3 fold increase in toxic fumes).
TYs: This presents an opportunity for you to cycle or walk to school:
It will be more convenient to cycle to the school as we have taken delivery of additional biking stands.
You will get much needed physical activity (walking or cycling) before sitting in class. Just look ate what a little physical activity does to your brain!
We'd like you to continue to enjoy the freedoms that many of you enjoyed over the summer walking or on your bike (there's also time saved from avoiding sitting in traffic jams)
As part of each activity week, Bike Hub will be running a bike maintenance & city cycling course to help you keep you and your bike in good shape.
TY THURSDAYS
(TY Co-Curricular)
There will be a TY specific activity every Thursday afternoon, 1:35 - 3: 35pm, throughout the year. Activities include speakers, out of school trips and activities, sports competitions etc.
As TY Thursday activities are timetabled (ie not extra curricular), so we're in the position to run these under school Covid 19 guidelines (offering us some more flexibility regarding choice).
All incoming TYs have already been contacted via their GClassroom to get suggestions as to what they would like to participate in throughout the year and many of these suggestions have been included in upcoming TY Thursdays as a result.
I'm very happy to say that, barring a few exceptions, the STMC TY programme can run the majority of activities scheduled for TY.
TY Assemblies
Planning &
Registration for Activities
2nd Sept, Thursday
1:35 - 3:35pm
We will be going through an overview of the year to come. It's a good opportunity for TYs to ask any questions that they might have on the year.
TYs should go to the following rooms every Thursday (until further notice):
4.1 & 4.2 Lwr Study
4.3, 4.4 & 4.5 Assembly Hall
Some of the topics to be covered are:
Appointing TY Class Reps
Activities Weeks Details (WP Requirements)
Assessments & Subject Choices
Gaisce Participation
TY Activities Weeks
All things going well, Work Placements, Cookery & Boxing/Self Defence & Bike Skills/Maintenance are running (in accordance with Covid-19 measures).
For those interested in Law; you will be able to take a short online course in young people's rights in Ireland with a focus on how the law effects you directly. Sign up details will be shared shortly.
We understand that with many larger workplaces closed to facilitate blended workplaces finding Work Placements may be more challenging for some. We will go through what can be done to make work placement searches successful on Thursday, 2nd sSept.
Activity Week 1
4-8th October
4.1 & 4.4: Work Placement
(It is expected that TYs organise their own Work Placement)
4.2: Bike Skills & Mechanics
4.3: Cookery
4.5: Boxing & Self Defence
Finally...
Parents: a polite request...
Regarding emails:
If your son is going to be absent throughout the year please email Mr Joyce.
Also we do endeavour to respond to all emails as quickly as possible, however w am in class for most of the day, so please excuse me if I do not respond within the day. I always aim to return all emails within 2-3 days.
If you do have a question that concerns your son and it is suitable for your son to ask it, please let him do so. It really is important that your son takes responsibility for this year as his own. It is also a valuable opportunity for me to speak with your son face to face and help him work out any issues in person.
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