different buses and dashed off to Kilkenny, where a magnificent exhibition was displayed to us. Located in The Hub, Kilkenny, TY Expo was the perfect way to begin Transition Year on a high note. There we were able to visit multiple stalls which taught us about different activities we would be able to participate in this year, and were able to absorb the magic and energy emanated by TY. For me, this day out was a highlight to the start of my year and really let me explore my creative side as a student. I would definitely recommend it to next year's TY students!

This month was one of chaos, one of thrills, one of emotion. Day One began with the embracing of old friends, and the making of new ones; the otherworldly yet oh­so familiar feeling of stepping inside the very building in which I had spent three whole years of my adolescent life laughing, crying, frantically finishing homework, you know, more of ‘the usual.’ In some ways I felt shaken ­ I was moving upwards, into a new stage of my life. I was moving away, letting go of another. And although it was strange, discomforting even, I knew that my year ahead was going to be full of new thoughts, new friends and new experiences. Knowing that felt good.

The first week was a blur. I remember faces and emotion, the awkward tickling of a new jumper, the smell of sizzling bacon in the cafeteria. I remember a weak sunshine pushing through the leaves outside, like a runny egg in the sky. I remember drizzly mornings on the bus and the electric buzz of being separated into new classes. I remember thinking that it felt good to be

back. And although not everyone was ecstatic about their new class (you must understand that being yanked from your comfort zone is not the most wonderful sensation in the world), I know that they all felt the same way as I.

The general sensation in the air was turbulent, yes, but it was thrilling too ­ that cheesy back­to­school kind of 'new year, new me' vibe had managed to get into just about everyone!

When Wednesday the 9th of September rolled around everyone had adopted a new anticipation that hadn't been there before ­ an almost alien tension that clung to each student as they roamed the corridors, going about their daily routine. However, once the results of last year's Junior Cert had been drawn out of those big brown paper envelopes, all that was to be seen was brightly glowing faces and tears of absolute joy and relief. (Those feelings of joy and relief were very well celebrated later on that night!).

The Wednesday after that was yet another one to look forward to, as my year group and I tumbled onto two

A New Beginning by Abby Morales

BGS TY Newsletter 2015-2016 S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 5 I S S U E 1 . 1

P A G E 2

“Many of us

tried to block

out the

thought of it

but still felt

quite giddy

with

expectation!”

Junior Certificate Results Day

by Rachel O’Leary

The nerves clawed their

way into our systems

on the morning of the

day. Slowly they

climbed up our veins

and infested our blood,

devouring every happy

thought we possessed.

Every dispute was

heightened and turned

into a vicious brawl.

Brother turned on

sister.

Friend betrayed friend.

Until all that was left

was the day.

Waiting.

Devouring.

E v e r y . H a p p y .

Thought…

…said no one!

Yes, the day was nerve-

wracking for most, but

certainly not nerve-

wrecking-I hope!

On Wednesday the 9th

of September 2015 our

year quietly ambled

into school, anxiously

awaiting the results of

our Junior Cert. Many

of us tried to block out

the thought of it but

still felt quite giddy

with expectation!

The day rolled slowly

along, with Wednesday

being quite a relaxed

day, many sincere

thanks to our timetable!

We had to wait an

eternity to receive our

results though, as they

weren’t issued to us

until 3:30pm in our last

class. This was torture

as you can imagine as

although none of us

really wanted to get our

results, we still itched

to get it over with. Put

all this worry to bed!

W h e n t h e t i m e

eventually came our

entire year filed into the

Lecture Theatre and sat

at the edge of our seats.

Most people talked

excitedly amongst

themselves in little

groups. Others laughed

and acted the eejit (take

a wild guess…) while

the latter sat quietly,

hailing decades of the

Rosary while rocking

back and forth, as if in

a trance. An outside

o b s e r v e r w o u l d

certainly find the scene

an odd one!Then.

It began.

First up:

Clodagh Young.

I think we all remember

Clodagh being first

because, well, this was

it. Time had come to

deliver us (hopefully)

the good news and she

was its first messenger.

One by one we all

exited the room (I

would love to say in a

neat, orderly fashion

but that would be lying)

once our name was

called and the envelope

was handed to us. It felt

like lead in our hands.

Mayhem.

But of the good kind.

Scenes of

friends hugging

tears of happiness

crying

not-failing-high-fiving

exchanging of results

and well-done to one

and all.

Many of us revealed

our results to the

teachers who helped us

achieve our scores by

frantically running up

and down corridors and

spilling the beans in

one mad rushed,

‘I got the …!!!’

Of course, there are

always a few who can’t

bear to find out how

they got on by either

refusing to open the

envelope point-blank,

or waiting until they go

home. This year was no

exception!

All in all, the day was a

success and I think

most of us were

delighted with our

results. We put in the

hard work and it paid

off. Special thanks to

all the teachers who

guided us in the right

direction and helped us

achieve our scores.

Hopefully the Leaving

Cert results will be just

as successful…

“When the

time

eventually

came our

entire year

filed into the

Lecture

Theatre and

sat at the

edge of our

seats. “

C.S.I by Oisin Devoy P A G E 3

M u r d e r i n B a n d o n

G r a m m a r S c h o o l .

Yesterday, there was a

serious drug deal and an

altercation that ended in

bloodshed in the school. It

was up to the fourth years

to solve the mystery and

find the murderer.

Together we crowded into

the hall to inspect the crime

scene. From finger print

analysis to examining DNA

and gun shot residue we

pieced together what really

happened. Was it Greg ?

Was it the couple? Was it

suicide? It was up to us to

find the evidence and

convict the right person.

Just like Cluedo, it wasn’t

necessarily the ‘smartest’

people who figured it out,

but the people who worked

t h r o u g h t h e f a c t s

meticulously just like a

criminologist.

All in all, luckily for the

wellbeing of Bandon

Grammar School, the Drug

dealer was convicted of

murder by some very

intelligent young detective

minds.

participated and submitted a

variety of ideas and visions.

The competition was one of

the highest standard to date

with attention to detail and

research at professional

level. Our Judges,

independent fashion

designer Agnes O'Leary

and DCU's Project Design

of the year Geraldine

Breen, jobs were tough in

selecting candidates. Five

creations out of eight

groups were picked after

much deliberation! Hopeful

students this year include

Roxanne O'Brien, Erin

O'Leary, Laura Neville,

Aimee Clarke and Chiara

Rijks-Weidner.

The B.G.S Art and Design

Department had the

pleasure of holding internal

heats for Junk Kouture

2016 on Friday 25th of

September, a first for the

school, due to such a

demand for the competition

this year. Interested

students were given 2

weeks to create a mood

board and fashion proposal

that they considered to be

unique and appropriate for

one of Ireland's biggest

event for Transition year

students, Junk Kouture.

With two judges working in

the fashion world selecting

work they deemed unique,

exciting for this years

highly anticipated event.

Twenty four students

Our thanks to Mr. J. Twomey

for organising the two judges

to come to the school

especially for this event.

Junk Kouture 2016 by Mr. J. Twomey

of what it was they were

advertising and some of the

science stalls had experi-

ments you could try out.

One stall that really stuck

with me was ‘Headstrong’,

an organisation promoting

positive mental health

amongst teens.

They had a tree on which

every student wrote a

‘happy thought’, and they

also gave out free stickers

with compliments written

on them that you could

stick on complete strangers.

Undoubtedly there was

something at the exhibition

for everybody. There were

language courses adver-

tised, along with adventure

centres, competitions, chari-

ties and immersion trips

that teenagers could get in-

volved with. There were

stalls for people who love

On Wednesday 16th Sep-

tember, all the fourth years

went to a TY Expo in Kil-

kenny, an exhibition that

attempted to evoke interest

and motivation in all the

students to get involved

with what Transition Year

has to offer.

Although many people ex-

pected this trip to just be a

day off school, I think it

was an extremely interest-

ing and worthwhile expo. It

was great to see all the dif-

ferent aspects that you can

get involved with in TY.

Every stall was extremely

informative and enthusiastic

about what they were ad-

vertising. Many stalls had

free leaflets to take, pens,

stickers and newsletters we

could sign up to. Some or-

ganisations had videos they

showed us to give us a feel

science, debating, art,

sport, maths, history and

many, many more.

Although a six hour bus

journey was very long for

such an exhibition I defi-

nitely think it was a worth-

while experience. It suc-

ceeded in showing us how

fantastic TY will be if we

get involved with different

things. It was a brilliant

idea and I would think

BGS should make the ef-

fort to go to it every year!

TY Expo, Kilkenny by Emily Hamilton Foott

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