Trips and Travels

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Kildare Road Safety Expo




On Thursday we visited the Kildare Road Safety Expo in Punchestown Race Course. Upon arrival we got out of the bus and then the wind hit us, hair went everywhere, not fun. As we entered the hall we got yellow wrist bands and we were set free. First thing everyone went to was the free stuff obviously. We got high-vis vests, stickers and key rings. 


The RSA had a big section in the expo, there was a big van/truck and inside they had different demos such as to test your break reaction time and a bike you cycle on and steer with a tv screen showing you on a road. My friend Jayne got snapped on the bike, even through her cries of horror he still took like 10 pictures.  The RSA also had their 'Roll Over Car Simulator'. Jayne, Sophie, Niamh and I queued for over an hour and a half but was rudely turned away just as we were about to go. I'm disappointed that I didn't get to try out this valuable experience.


We then all gathered in an area for a presentation about road safety. First the NYPD and their 'Tangobot' entertained us. Firstly we achieved the perfect Mexican wave then they invited a student up on stage and got him to act like a gangster and speak some French too, and finally we were asked to make a difficult decision, would we prefer a Garda patrolling the streets or Tangobot obviously the Garda won. 


Then the scary stuff came, we were informed of the statistics on road deaths and shown some videos aswell. It was okay altogether but not getting to go on the car roll over simulator was a disappointment.

MATHS TRIPP!!!


Today we went to Rathbeggan Lakes for a Maths Trip!! We arrived at around 10 and it was freezing, there was still icy patches on the grass, and typical me, I forgot my gloves and couldn't feel my fingers. 

When we arrived we were separated into groups of four. I was in group five with Aoife, Cecila and Caoimhe. We were given different tasks to do as a group and there was even a prize for the winners, A family pass to the lakes. We really wanted the prize so that motivated us even more! 

Aoife in the stocks...

The first task was easy enough we had to find circumferences and diameters of circles and divide them by each other, From this we discovered that if you divide the circumference by the diameter you will always get pi! Task two wasn't so easy... We had to find the height of a pole using similar triangles and ratios, it took us a while but we got the right answer in the end! We got various other tasks to complete over the 2 hours, we completed over 5 tasks, but unfortunately we didn't win the free family pass.



But never the less we go to go to Blanchardstown after. Typical TY behavior meant we went straight to McDonalds. After we went for a walk around the shopping centre. Aoibheann and I went to Debenhams and covered ourselves in the One Direction perfume our moment, It smells amazing! After all the mind boggling maths questions and over using perfume testers it was time to return to Celbridge. It was great fun I'll'll definitely return to Rathbeggan lakes during the summer! 


Schools Across Borders




On Thursday we went to City West to attend the Global Citizens Student Conference hosted by Darren Irvine of schools across borders. His aim is to stop conflict in and promote peace world wide. We got the typical blue double decker bus no surprise there... and made our way to City west! On arrival I was impressed with the hotel it was beautiful. We were led to a big function room. All the other schools were already seated. A few other girls and I had our Radio Ty stickers because we would be interviewing some of the NGO's such as Concern, Irish aid, Burma Action Ireland etc. You can read all these on the radio TY blog. 






Firstly Darren introduced the program and each school gave a presentation on what we have researched so far. Our slideshows were by far the best...not bias at all... Then we were all sat in a circle and colourful pages with a word on them were placed in the center of the room...and were told we were going to pair up with other schools. We chose the word Dignity but were unsure as to what we had to do, we were sat in a circle in relative silence. Then we were told to get out of our circle as there was a group preforming a play, It was about the genocide in the Burma and how one voice can make a difference. It was a real eye opener!




When the play finished the actors were sat in a row and were joined by students on either side they were wearing white masks on their faces it was to symbolise how they don't have an identity as one of their lives doesn't have as much value as one of ours. They took the mask off to reveal they were from Rohingya and Pakistan. He also asked them some questions about life in Ireland and got them to speak in their native language. Then finally FOOD! we got chicken goujons and chips, chicken was nice the chips not so much but its better than nothing :D 



When we returned to function room and were told to sit around the floor again and the NGO's were going to give a pitch to interest us in coming to listen to their presentation. This was when Aoibheann, JayneEilís and I went around to interview the different NGO's. Then it was time to return to Celbridge . The day had some confusing moments but it was great fun interviewing the NGO's.


History, Poetry and much more.....



Not another trip.... If anything this is not a 'doss' year, with two trips in one week and plenty of projects to be done too. This time we headed into town to visit the national gallery, natural history museum AND the national library!! all thanks to Ms. B :D

As usual we were divided into class groups, class tabei went to the national art museum first  to view paintings from the time of W. B. Yates and also two that were painted by his brother.




Johannes Vermeers painting 

I decided to put this photo in because we are currently watching the girl with the pearl earring in art so far it's good. Anyway back to the point ... I found the museum interesting but i cant remember the name of my favorite painting typical... 

A Lunula 

After this we went to the museum of natural history. I love history so i was looking forward to this part. We got a tour of the exhibition about the bog bodies. We had to wait in the gift shop area for the tour guide it was rather dull until you looked up. The ceiling was beautiful, it was a complete contrast to the walls around the gift shop. There was a minor distraction to some waiting as there was a boys school there also nothing to noteworthy though... 


This is the best preserved bog body in the world, they injected it with wax unlike the other bog bodies. Seeing these just amazes me how little our anatomy has changed over the years, but it also evokes great emotion from me at how they were all brutally murdered and their corpses are on display, some say that if your body doesn't decompose you don't reach the after life, but everyone to their own.
a hyper Claire and I


And then we were let lose on Grafton street for lunch and obviously we went where every TY would go Mc Donalds... again... And there was a cute guy behind us also hahah im not only concerned about boys... And lunch is complete without starbucks for dessert typical teenage girl







After lunch we made are way to the Yates exhibition in the national library. It was a lovely exhibition showing us the many different things associated with W. B. Yates and his family. It was a great day and a special thanks again to Ms. B for organising it !!


Pádraig Pearse Museum


This was organised for us by our Irish teachers.  It's a museum in Rathfarnham about the Irish school Pádraig and his brother set up in the 1900's. We got the bus from our school and off we went.


We arrived unsure of what we were about to embark on. The heavens opened up as soon as we arrived dampening our mood. But do not fear us TY's always make the best out of any situation. 
                                             Class Tabei


Once divided into our class groups the day began. My class Tabei watched a video about Pádraig and his life then took the tour. We also had to answer an Irish worksheet on the museum. On the tour there's a tradition that anyone who can play the piano would play the piano in the hall. I didn't get the chance too but Aoife did.

                                          The Fountain

After a short break we went on the nature walk learning about the trees and plants on the grounds. There was a beautiful fountain accompanied by the relaxing smell of lavender 


                                          Lavender

There was also a lovely cafe on the grounds which had delightful treats. The owner said we were brilliant, well behaved students. Well obviously we wouldn't be anything but that!


                               Jayne and I 

I also discovered i have a hidden talent for hairdressing which Aoife so kindly allowed me to practice on her :) Altogether it was a great day 







 

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