Category Archives: Transition Year

TY French Exchange to Belmont-sur-Rance

Updates all week from Mya on the French Exchnage:

Day 0
The TY class along with Mr Keeney & Ms Mannion departed early this morning for their French exchange to Belmont-sur-Rance. After a smooth flight, they landed in Toulouse airport at 11.30am, where they met the accompanying teacher from Ensemble Scolaire Saint Michel – Belmont sur Rance, who accompanied them to Belmont-sur-Rance.
The TY’s and their teachers were then welcomed by their French exchange students and families, where they had the opportunity to try some speciality dishes from the region, including a boxty like dish, sausage rolls and sweet cake. The TY’s then accompanied their exchange students home. A long but exciting day!
Day 1
The first official day of the French exchange began yesterday for the TY’s and their accompanying teachers Mr Keeney and Ms Mannion. We assembled at Ensemble Scolaire Saint Michel – Belmont sur Rance in the morning before departing on bus to Chateau de Montaigut, a medieval castle dating back hundreds of years. The views from the attic of the castle were incredible!
We then had a small picnic and visited a local restaurant followed by a visit to an ancient Abby. The monastery no longer houses monks but the building itself was beautiful, the scriptorium was particularly amazing.
For the final part of the day we hiked a round trip of 10km to a secluded Russian Orthodox Church given to the French as a token of peace from Russia. The church was unlike anything we had ever seen before! We then took the bus back to Belmont-sur-Rance.
Day 2 of the French Exchange began with TY students joining their French correspondents in class. We enjoyed a range of classes through French including Chemistry, Maths and English.
After which we departed for Millau Viaduct, the tallest bridge on the world. The bridge was incredible! And stood at the 336 meters over an incredible valley.
After this, we visited Les Caves de Roquefort, the caves where Roquefort cheese was invented and now matures. The smell of the cheese was pungent and thronged the entire caves and surrounding areas!
Finally we visited a French supermarket called intermarché on the way home, where students got the opportunity to purchase some French snacks.
Day 3 of the French exchange began in St. Michels school where we sampled some of the subjects studied by French students including English, Spanish and Maths – all through French! French school finishes early on Wednesday, so we departed school at half past 12 with our exchange families, where some students were involved in laser tag, shopping, horse riding etc. with their host families!
A big culture shock for many of us has been that French families have up to 4 or 5 courses at dinner time. Including starter, multiple main courses and dessert!

County Leitrim Library Research Workshop

Today our TY class visited Ballinamore County Library where Librarian, Mary Conefrey, Head of the local library section gave a very thorough overview of how to research and use both online and in-library resources.
Mary also helped students to find sources for their young historian of the year competition, which is on going and will be completed by April 2024. Well done all and keep up the good work. #ballinamore #leitrim #history Leitrim County Library

RSA Workshop

🚘🚴‍♂️Thank you to Louise from the RSA for a really informative and engaging workshop with our TY’s today. Ms. Colums 2nd year science class also participated in the workshop. Students learned about all aspects of road safety for drivers, passengers, walkers & cyclists. 🚗🚃🚴‍♂️🚶‍♀️

TY Waterlands Workshop

Dr.Margaret Flaherty and Dr. Guaduneth Chico from Waterlands Peatlands Project gave an excellent presentation and workshop to our TY and 5th year agricultural science students on our peatlands blanket bogs, basin bogs and fens. Students had the opportunity to look at bogland habitats and flora and fauna of bogs and how important bogs are to our climate and sustainability.

Success for Ava and Nicole at BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition

Massive congrats to Ava & Nicole who took home 1st prize in the Intermediate Social and Behavioural category! A super achievement by the girls whose project titled “Are our Bus Routes Effective” sparked great interest from Political parties, county councils and environmental agencies over the past few days. Well done ladies!!!👏🎊🥳
The girls also took home a special award – The HEAnet award, which is awarded to “the project which shows the most practical and innovative use of network technology in performing background research for the project and/or collaborating with other team members, teachers etc”
A superb achievement!
The girls worked tirelessly from September on their project, in which they studied school bus routes, analysing them in detail to ascertain the efficiency of the routes in terms of carbon emissions, time and distance. Amazingly, they found that by making some changes to the routes at our school, significant time could be saved, empty seats could be almost eliminated and the number of buses needed to deliver the service could be reduced. Perhaps most significantly, the girls found that by making these changes to the school routes around Ballinamore CS, the equivalent of 8 personal flights from Dublin to Adelaide could be saved in carbon emissions! Great work girls!

TY Christmas Trip

TY’s had their Christmas outing to Dundrum yesterday. The group went ice skating, followed by some free time for shopping. A well deserved treat for the group following a very busy term in which they each have done great work in the school and their communities.

 

Ballinamore CS musicians and signgers perform carol service at Community Care Unit to

Students from BCS were out and about again today in the local community. Our TY’s and various musicians, singers and dancers from all years in the school visited Ballinamore Nursing Unit to perform some traditional song and dance as well as some christmas carols for the residents. Thanks to Fionnuala Maxwell and Brian Mostyn who performed with the TYs as a follow up to the workshop completed earlier this term on weaving traditional mummers masks from straw.