Pres TYs shopped 'til they dropped in Amsterdam

AFTER a week of rest, we Transition Years are ready to get stuck back into our work. It was hard for most of us to get up so early after all our late nights over the mid-term break. On February 10, some TYs and fifth-year students travelled to Amsterdam for their school tour. We visited some historical monuments and tourist attractions such as the canals, Anne Frank's house and the Euromast. We stayed in the Hotel Inner Amsterdam. We all enjoyed the trip even though it was very cold. As you would expect from a bunch of 37 girls, we spent loads of money and did as much shopping as possible.  Our fashion show is only another four weeks away, and we are beginning to realise just how much work we have to do. We are getting a chance to finalise the last few details. We're fixing up our dance routines and our choir is in fine voice. Tomorrow Mandy from Catwalk Model Agency in Kinvara will come in to help us with our deportment. Our clothes are starting to look spectacular. Prepare to be starstruck! This week we are also planning a Smoothie Day as part of our YSI (Young Social Innovators) project with Tuam Cancer Care. We are making smoothies filled with various and nutritious fruits, which are healthy and tasty. We hope the day will be a winner! We will be handing out recipes on the day so the students and teachers can make the smoothies for themselves at home. We hope this will encourage them to be healthier by choosing smoothies rather than fizzy mineral drinks and by eating more fruit. PAL (Public Access to the Law) is a competition for TYs, which involves setting up a mock trial complete with solicitors and barristers. It follows a course delivered by a barrister, which aims to familiarise students with the workings of the law. The competition finals take place in the Four Courts, where we hope to do our school proud. YSI reports On March 2, the YSI groups are expected to have their reports for the projects completed. It is very stressful but we are thoroughly enjoying the work. We are ever conscious of the standards set by the school's previous TYs who have come first in the competition on several occasions. This year we have three projects in the competition. One group of students is working with Tuam Cancer Care on raising awareness of teenage cancer, another is focusing on improving the lives of people in wheelchairs and another is making an ongoing effort to improve the appearance of Tuam. This year's project in that regard is entitled Less Grey, More Green and will tackle the daunting task of improving the appearance of the inner relief road, which connects Shop Street to Bishop Street. On March 3, some of the TYs are climbing Croagh Patrick, which will help them with their Pope John Paul II Awards. We are getting very excited as the day is supposed to be full of craic and laughs. At the end of our climb, there will be well-earned refreshments. We are looking forward to the journey to and from Croagh Patrick as the craic on the bus will be mighty and we hope to survive the ten-mile hike without too many blisters. â€â€ Katelyn Jordan