Transition Year

PORTMARNOCK COMMUNITY SCHOOL TRANSITION YEAR

Transition-year Teacher says! “The opportunity of a lifetime to be used with the lifetime of the opportunity” Student says! “…get involved in as many things as you can, the year will be so much better…”

WHAT IS TRANSITION YEAR? Optional first year of a three-year Leaving Certificate Programme Strongly subscribed to by students, staff and parents of Portmarnock Community School Programme varies from school to school

WHAT IS TRANSITION YEAR? …a unique one year programme that promotes the personal, social, vocational and educational development of students and prepares them for their role as autonomous, participative and responsible members of society.

WHAT IS TRANSITION YEAR? …a bridge to enable students to make the transition from the more dependent type of learning associated with Junior Cycle to the more independent learning environment associated with Senior Cycle. …encourages the development of a wide range of transferable critical thinking and creative problem solving skills.

T.Y. Year Head : Ms Gaffney Tutors: Ms McNamee, Mr Higgins, Ms Sweeney, Ms Malone, Ms Leggett T.Y. Co-ordinator: Ms. Molamphy

Some key dates from 2016/2017 Exams –December 2016: – TY exams (Gaeilge, English, Maths and Continental languages) Exams – May 2017 : – TY exams (Gaeilge, English, Maths and Continental languages) Community Care December (two weeks before Christmas Holidays) Work Experience February(two weeks before February Mid-Term) TY Night Monday May 24 th 2016, similar date in 2017

Planned week for Play - Week of November 16 th 2016

Community Care... to give students a greater understanding of volunteering in their community…...a time set aside to in the transition year calendar for pupils to give back to the community…

WORK EXPERIENCE - AIMS To experience the nature and realities of working life… To identify skills and abilities required for particular jobs… To achieve a realistic knowledge of their own interests, abilities and social skills… To achieve a knowledge and understanding of job application and selection...

THE WORK PLACEMENT Students are advised to begin their search for a placement as soon as possible… During the work experience students keep a diary of each days work... They are monitored by teachers through telephone calls to their employers…

EVALUATION –Initiative in finding a placement 10% –Full completion of diary 25% –Presentation of diary on due date 15% –Report from employer 30% –Oral presentation to class 20% Your Tutor is responsible for this evaluation

Work-experience Diary due date: Monday 19 th January 2015 Community-care Diary due date: Monday 9 rd March 2015 Late diaries will be penalised

Wednesday Modules 1.Animation – Ms. Tynan 2.Visual Awareness – Mr. Higgins 3.Heritage - Mr. Dempsey / Mr. Curran 4.Third World Development- Mr Fitzgerald 5.Life-skills – Ms. Richardson 6.First-aid – Civil Defence 7.Careers- Mr Farrell

Modules and Academic options Teachers will clarify with you the nature of this assessment and its due date - this may be online or as a verbal presentation or a poster, etc

TY Reports Irish / English / Maths / Continental European Language Transition Years sit two formal examinations (Christmas and Summer) and receive two reports with a percentage grade in each subject

End of year:TY Report Divided into three parts: The Modules (except life-skills / First-aid) = 400 marks Academic options (six subjects) = 800 marks Participation = 500 marks (Work-experience (100), Community Care (100), Portfolio(300)

Last year (2014/2015) ,500 - Distinction 825 – Merit 600 – 824- Pass 1 – 599- Fail A small number of students got a “fail” certificate last year, many got a distinction.

TY Reports – as usual in January and June. May TY Report – on the TY Night – a certificate crafted by Mr. Higgins

Portfolio The Portfolio is the purposeful collection of your work To show your effort, progress and achievement in ten areas of learning You will select the pieces of your work that best show learning, not necessarily the best pieces

Portfolio Interview Portfolios submitted to Tutor on Friday May 18th 2016 Interviews: By Tutors, Year Head, and Teachers Wednesday 18 th May 2015

Gaisce There are 4 different challenge areas. To earn an award, you will need to participate in each of the 4 challenge areas. You might decide to build on an activity you’ve tried in the past. Each participant must participate in at least one new activity to earn an award. The 4 challenge areas are: 1. Community Involvement 2. Personal Skill 3. Physical Recreation 4. Adventure Journey

Gaisce Presidents Award Leader: Mr. Dempsey Face to Face and Online requirements with both Mr. Dempsey and Gaisce Deadlines are deadlines

Internal programmes Various Talks e.g. Garda road-safety DATS Aptitude Tests Thinking Outside the Box Law Day Women in Science

Other Activities Mini-companies, mentored by Fingal Enterprise Board AIB Build a Bank Bank Of Ireland visits An Gaisce Award (€10 extra) The Play 2015 “Fool’s” Musical 2016 “Grease” Fundraising – Walk in my shoes/ RNLI

Other Activities Create-school – movie/video making Compute TY DCU Department of Foreign Affairs Law library GAA coaching with local Primary-school Pupil participation in the Arch Club Song School Variety show Girl Guides

Howth Cookery school – “Kitchen in the castle” Buisness Class workshop – stocks and trading Matrix- Thinking outside the box Age action Ireland – Log on and learn FAI coaching Theatre Trip Malahide Castle and Town – History Focus Ireland – The Beloved Shop Health and Safety – HSA-(timetable)

Coaching swimming Bag pack for the local community’s Lion’s Club branch Green Schools

Team Building Activities Bowling Cinema Treasure Hunt – Zoo Surf Doc Jumpzone Table Quiz

Links with Third-level DCU Compute TY (20 places 2014) UCD – Physics workshop (one place) RCSI – Mini-Med (one place) Physics Department TCD – nanotechnology / Astrophysics (1 place each)

The way students (you) are going to college is changing DCU: Degree in Problem Solving & Software Development (2013) General DCU entry requirements plus Maths – not an accumulation of points We still encourage students to do well in their Leaving Certificate exams, but we will select students based on their passion, experience and ability Subjects + Portfolio + Interview

Sports programmes …emphasis on Coaching …emphasis on skills development … Scuba Diving (extra cost) Certificate …Sailing (extra cost – National Certification)

Extras Ski-trip (participants selected in Third- year) South Africa experience (participants selected in Third-year) Sailing with Malahide Yacht Club – certification – excellent value for money

Unscripted opportunities Film Gardening Student Council Fundraising

Transition Year fee “Easy Payments” on the school website- five payments of 50 euro, starting in August, usually around the 15 th of the month Letter going home in July will have the relevant information regarding the payment, The fee, of 250 euro, pays for a range of activities

Activities from the fee DATS Law Day euro Play – 4500 euro First Aid – Civil Defence and equipment- masks 542 euro/civil defence 700 euro Ballymun School Christmas trip – 250 euro European Youth Parliament- 330 euro DCU Compute TY- 735 euro Thinking Outside The Box euro Portfolio Prep days euro

Irish Books- 268 euro Glendalough trip as part of their Gaisce Award, buses and hostel – 1350 euro per trip Samba drums & Juggling- JC results day- 900 euro Textiles and model making equipment- 680 euro Day’s out – cinema and bowling euro Zoo euro jumpzone-1600 euro table quiz 200 euro

Supervision for TY activities when teachers are out Cinema euro Cookery course – 900 euro Stock trading workshop- 900 euro Theatre Trip euro FAI Coaching euro PE activities – archery- 300 euro All buses – usually 300 euro per trip Movie making – 775 euro Song school - 775

Running total – 35,874 euro ( complete total 37,500 euro)