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The Curriculum>Transition Year

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Transition Year
Curriculum
Assessment
Physical Education

Transition Year

In St.Declan's College Transition Year is an option, which is open to students of Third Year. It provides a link between the junior and senior cycles. The year provides time for maturation and development as well as providing students with the opportunity to sample subjects in a more detailed way before making their Leaving Certificate choices. A central theme of the year is the development, discovery and enjoyment of the traditional academic subjects as well as the more unusual modules of the year.

Admission:

All Third Year students and their parents are informed about Transition Year and students are invited to apply for entry. All students who applied are then interviewed and informed as to whether they have been accepted for Transition Year or are advised to progress straight to Fifth Year. Approximately one third of the cohort undertakes Transition Year every year.

The Structure of the Year:

The year, 35 weeks, is divided in three, 3 weeks of work experience and two 'half years' of 16 weeks each. Work experience is undertaken in December and February. There are examinations in the core subjects in May. Reports are issued at Christmas and June and there is one Parent/Teacher meeting during the year.

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The Curriculum

There are 7 core subjects/modules, which are studied for the full year and a variety of subjects taken as half-year modules. All students take all subjects and modules, with the exception of the two core choices. Below is an outline of the core curriculum together with some of the modules.

Irish: The students will be encouraged to improve their grasp of the basics as well as work on language and literature with a view to the Leaving Certificate. Much of this will be done in conjunction with improving the students' knowledge of their traditional culture and customs.

English: This core subject is divided into two half-year modules where the students are exposed to different types of literature and encouraged in the art of personal writing. As part of this course the students also take part in drama.

Maths: Basic skills are built upon and students are given the opportunity to carry out surveys and publish their results within the school. Specific attention is given to those areas that will be of benefit in the Leaving Certificate examinations.

French/German:
Students choose French or German depending on which they have studied for their Junior Certificate. Both languages follow broadly the same course. There is an emphasis on the spoken language and, similar to Irish, learning about the customs and traditions associated with the native speakers.

Understanding Northern Ireland:
Students either study this subject or the following one.
St.Declan's is part of the Horizon Project under whose auspices this course is given. An integral part of the course is the exchange between a northern school and ourselves. The students learn about the history and background of the northern situation and try to analyse present day events. Twice in the year they will travel to the north, once to visit the partner school and once to visit Belfast including Stormont and City Hall.

History: This subject has two parts to it, a study of the Crusades using Internet resources and a study of American History and Politics. The students have access to translations of medieval documents, via the Internet, which they use to learn the art of interoperation and essay writing.

Religion: The central part of the religion syllabus is the Edmund Rice Award. As part of this the students undertake 20 hours of voluntary work in the wider community or within the school it self.

Enterprise: Three Mini-Companies are established at the start of the year and the students manage, produce and sell a product in order to make a profit. This is a teacher assisted module rather then a teacher led module.

Modules: All modules are a half year long and the names and content vary from year to year. What follows is a description of just some of them.

Geology: The students are given a basic course on the geology of the Dublin Region. A central part of this module is a geology trip to Balscadden Bay in Howth, Co. Dublin.

Chemistry: This is a practically based course and involves experiments using domestic chemicals. One of the aims of the course is to encourage students to take this subject at senior level.

Physics: The physics syllabus is based on electronics and uses a series of computer generated simulated experiments. This permits much larger and more detailed experimentation then any normal school laboratory.

Biology: This is a project based course and involves the students undertaking a project in many areas of biology including human biology and ecosystems.

Geography: As part of this module the students undertake a project or fieldwork which can than be used as part of their Leaving Certificate studies.

Travel and Tourism:This course involves the students undertaking research, in libraries and on the Internet, about different holiday destinations both inside Europe and beyond.

Social History:As part of this module the students are encouraged to go out into the community and interview people who have lived in it for a long time. They then produce a report and project based on their interview.

Photography: The students learn how to use photographic equipment. They produce a project on a selected theme and these are then displayed at the end of the year.

P.E.: The P.E. module is a continuation of the College's P.E. programme. When possible, the programme incorporates water-sports, orienteering and other adventure-type activities.

Computer Applications:The central part of this module is the ECDL. The school is a certified ECDL centre and two of the teachers are recognised instructors. This is one of two externally certified elements of the year.

Music: The students are exposed to the main elements of European music. They listen to music ranging from early polyphony to modern classical music.

Business: This is a practical course where students undertake projects, which will be of use to them in later life. For example they will go through the steps of house purchase. A central element of the module is the Stock Exchange competition where they see who is making the most, or losing the least, amount of money in a simulated game sponsored by a major bank.

Public Speaking:The main aim of this course is to help the students to be at ease in a public speaking environment.

Other elements

As part of transition year all students undertake two sessions of work experience. They are encouraged to seek work in areas where they may have an interest in a future career. They have one period per week of guidance/careers to help them and also to assess their experiences.

The Knights of Malta run a three day First Aid course. This is the second externally certified element of the year.

The Transition Year has in the past, and will again in the future, take part in exchanges under the auspices of the EU Socrates Projects, administered by Léargas. See Foreign Affairs.

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Assessment

The year is assessed by a variety of methods. There are end of year exams for some of the year long modules. The other modules are assessed by a variety of methods, essay, extended essay, project and terminal exam. This is to reflect the variety of teaching methods used during the year.

The students are awarded certificates at the end of the year at one of three levels, Distinction, Merit and Pass. There is also the award of a trophy for the student of the year.

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Physical Education

Aims

1. To help each and every child reach optimum development, encouraging "exercise consciousness" and enabling students to experience the pleasure of fitness.

2. To give the pupils the opportunity to share the value of Physical Education and games, thus enabling them to meet one another in a "play" situation.

3. To provide a challenge and adventure in life, to experience achievement and appreciation.

4. To lay the foundations for optimum use of leisure time in the lives of our students after leaving St. Declan's.

Some of the activities in P.E include:

Athletics, Cross-Country, Basketball, Badminton, Gaelic Football, Health-Related Fitness, Minor Games, Soccer and Volleyball.

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Parents at the Transition Year Graduation

Transition Year Student of the Year receiving his award

St Declan's Kickboxers

Transition Year Students at Stormont on their trip to Belfast.

St Declan's Transition Year participate in the Horizon organisation's trip to Coleraine.

Transition Year winners of the Edmund Rice Bicentenary Awards with their Teacher, Mr. McCroary.

No-uniform day is a winner for the Zambian Appeal

Our Gym has a modern weights room

The Gym

Under 16s Leinster Champions

Some of our silverware

Lifting the Cup!