Category: Transition Year

Hazelwood T.Ys say no to drugs, yes to leadership skills

We were only five days into the new school year when the Limerick Youth Service came to Hazelwood College to speak to Transition Year students about drug abuse and leadership skills. We learned all about the undesirable effects of drug abuse. We were given the opportunity to see each one of the drugs. It was both informative and disturbing at the same time.
From the leadership skills lecture we learned what skills are required to be a good leader. Characistics such as: Charisma, Foresight and being a good worker are vital in any leadership role.
Overall we have got a very good taste of what is to come in Transition Year from these two first lectures.

Written by Patrick Twomey – Transition Year

My Trip To Ballylochran

My bonding trip began on the 16th of september, the purpose of this trip has the same purpose of TY to make friends. The day began with use being assighned our seats on the bus the groups were TY 1 and the better class TY 2. We were accompained by Mr. Lambe and Ms. Beamish, Our first activaty began at half ten,it was kayaking, it was great craic, especlly knocking Mr. Lambe out of his canoe and his reaction. As the day carred on our second activity began. Rock climbing and over coming those crafty seaguls (you had to be there) The third activty was archery we split into teams and of course my team won and the last activity of the day was soccer and we had a competition and yes my team won again! We then ate our lunch , Which was well deserved and then we got on the bus and travelled home from a great day.

Written by David Finn – Transition Year

TSB Visits Hazelwood’s TYS

On Friday morning two employees from the Newcastle West branch of Permanent TSB came to our school to talk about banking and how to manage your money. They showed us a power Point presentation on the facts on banks. The presentation included how the save money, how a bank works, they showed us how to access our bank account from our mobile phones. The TSB employees asked if anyone would like to set up an account with there bank. If you signed up with the bank you got 2 free cinema tickets and a free personalised ATM card! This presentation is a great lesson for us as we learned the complicated ways of the banks.

Written by David Finn – Transition Year

The new first year group recently travelled to Cappanalea Outdoor Education Centre in Co. Kerry as part of a team building and bonding week. Over the course of the week 104 First Year students and their Transition Year mentors spent three days and two nights participating in a wide variety of games and activities.

While there they took part in Hill-Walking, Orienteering, Kayaking, Rock Climbing, Abseiling and other Team Building Games and Challenges. The purpose of the trip is to give the new first years an oppourtunity to bond with their many new class mate who have come from a wide variety of backgrounds and areas. Secondly the trip through the use of the transition year mentors gives the school a good insight into how well the students are settling into their new environment.

Click on any photo to enlarge

All the Senior students in the school will attend the annual Midwest Careers Exhibtion at Limerick Racecourse Patrickswell on the 29th of September

Transition Years will attend Ballyloughran Activity Centre on the 16th of September as part of the introduction to their new school year. While there they will take part in team building and ice breaking games

Ballyloughran Centre is owned and run by Limerick Youth Service, is situated at Lisselton, about three miles from Ballybunion in picturesque North Kerry.

Part of the Transition Year 08/09 Updates

Debating is alive and kicking in Hazelwood College!
Confidence in oneself is what most people aspire to gain throughout their lifetime, and in Hazelwood College we witness young students blossom into confident young adults through the medium of public speaking and debating. We are proud of our healthy debating culture which is both admired and respected by both the staff and the student community. Last year brought outstanding success to Hazelwood when our VEC Debating team brought the Jim Mc Carthy Perpetual Trophy home after coveting the success of winning the final of the County Limerick VEC Debating Final. Our “Concern” Debating team also coveted outstanding success when they were a hare’s breath away of securing a quarter final place in the National final!
This year’s Concern Debating team are following the trend of previous years by defeating CBS Charleville with the motion “Genetically Modified Food is essential in the fight against World Hunger”. The next challenge was when Hazelwood met The Patrician Academy, Mallow with the motion “The Bebo Generation Cares Little for the Developing World”.
Once a student catches the “debating bug” they soon learn that it is much more than just meeting a team and refuting facts. All students involved in debating are in fact preparing themselves for 25% of the Leaving Cert English exam. What better way to study essay writing!
Heather Coffey a senior student in Hazelwood shares her experiences of debating:
“Starting out in third year and the last thing you expect happens! You become second speaker in the VEC debating team! I was never one for sports and the fact I could be involved in an extra curricular activity was a great achievement in my opinion! In the beginning I attended a debating meeting as I was interested in it due to the previous years debaters saying their speechs during our classes! The competition was high as loads of students applied and i was surprised to be picked as one of the four!
Little did i know 7months after this achievement we would have won the VEC competition!
This year I was part of the Concern debating team as the captain! We first went against Charville CBS and successfully beat them 3/0 this was a great success, then we went against Patrician Academy 2/0 which was a very difficult debate on the bebo generation cares little for the developing world. In the second term we changed captains and Donal O Callaghan took over. Unfortunately we were narrowly beaten by Colaiste Mhuire Buttervant who were a more experienced team! We then managed to get into the knock out phase where we yet again were beaten by Mercy Mount Hawk who just about succeeded in defeating the motion! This was a very sad and difficult night for the team as we had thought we had the victory in the bag but unfortunately we were wrong! This did not slow us down as we are now sending in our application to the legal debating society in Griffiths College and hopefully we will be heading up to Dublin in the end of March!
Debating is a great experience, it helps you to become more confident and it truely helps you speech! I would recommend it to all Junior and Senior students!