Community Involvement

 

 COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF TRANSITION YEAR. FOR THE STUDENTS WHO DO “GAISCE”, THE PRESIDENT’S AWARD, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IS A REQUIREMENT. APART FROM THIS, HOWEVER, THE TRANSITION YEARS GET INVOLVED WITH DIFFERENT COMMUNITY GROUPS AND DO A LOT OF FUNDRAISING FOR LOCAL AND NATIONAL CHARITIES.

Fundraising 

Fundraising is a very important activity in the school. Classes from across all years get involved in some way. It is particularly important in TY. This term saw a lot of activity in fundraising. TY students organised a Christmas Jumper Day in aid of Sligo Simon Community. The annual TY Sea Swim for local charities took place in October and the Concern Fast was undertaken by TYs in November. As well as these, TYs also organised an Instrument Collection for the Mayo Alzheimer’s Society. Music is considered to be a very effective therapy for sufferers of this terrible disease and the instruments collected were very gratefully received. Our International students from Spain ran a “Churros con Chocolate” morning to raise funds for Aware. 

Horseriding with St Cecilia’s

St. Cecilia’s School caters for students with moderate, severe and profound learning disabilities. For the past six weeks five TY students, Eddie Coyle, Adam Greer, Ella Bingham, Lucy Mc Nair and Grace O’Sullivan have gone out to Island View Stables, Grange with students from St Cecilias to help out and lend a hand with the children. Horseriding is very beneficial for them and Ella said that, for her, it was “ a very enjoyable experience and she loved helping out”

Projects

 A host of different projects are taken on during the year which encourage TY students to think about the world outside their own experience.Below are a few examples of TY in the community. 

• For the last number of years TY students volunteered to help with the Primary Schools Athletic Event in Sligo IT.  They worked with all classes and learnt a lot about the skills needed to work with children. 

• For many years TY students have worked with St Cecilia’s School which caters for children with moderate, severe and profound learning difficulties. The students from St Cecilia’s come to the Grammar School and the TY students work with them, sharing activities and playing sports with them. The SGS students find the experience challenging but very rewarding. 
• The TY students get involved in special and one-off projects  with different groups around the town. In early 2017 TYs worked with people from Liscarney House, which offers help to those with anxiety and depression. They got involved in an 8 week art project, collaborating with the many different people of all ages who attend Liscarney House. 

• Spending time with the elderly is also part of the year with students visiting the residents of Nazareth House for a chat.  
• In 2016 a group did an Intergenerational History project where they met senior citizens of Sligo and gathered stories and information about the Dance-Hall days in Sligo. the project was presented in Sligo Museum. 

• Every year the TYs  hold a sponsored swim in Rosses Point. The students dress up in fancy dress and plunge into the sea, usually in November. It is always one of the most popular fundraisers. TY students  volunteer to help out with the Special Olympics in Sligo at the athletics event in Sligo IT