Garda Work experience!

Two weeks ago,I took the week off school to do a week of work experience in a Guarda Station.As this placement do not do the one day a week work experience and I was really looking forward to doing one of my placements in a guarda station,luckily I could take the week off to do it as it was a once off opportunity.The week was jampacked with lots of fun activities,it was great!

On Monday 5th of November,I started off my week in work experience.Two other girls from Wolstans were also doing work experience in the guarda station and 15 other ty students from different schools in leixlip,maynooth,etc.We went to the guarda college in Templemore,Tipperary.When we arrived in the college after a two hour bus drive we had lunch in the canteen where guards traning in the college eat.We then has a tour of the college,where we saw a sample court room,gyms,a small guards museum and lots more!We were also told about guards traning eg.daily schedule,how many years of training guards have etc.

On Tuesday,we went into town to the Central Criminal Court.We saw many interesting court cases from robberys to murders.The case we mainly stayed in was a shooting case which I believe is still going on.It was a very interesting day to see the way courts were ran and what it is like in a case.This was my favourite part of the week!

Wednesday we spent the day in town again where we went to Phoenix Park near the President's house where we saw the mounted unit where they guards horses were.We then went to a unit in town where all the 999 phone calls are answered from.I also learnt that here all the CCTV cameras from different places in the city centre are shown and you can see cars around town and people walking!I defintley learnt something from there!

On Thrusday,we had a half day and stayed in the Garda Station where we were given a talk from a detective and also from a man from the armed unit where we showed us many weapons and also his car that was full of weapons from pepper spray to guns.
Friday we went to Naas to the HQ of the guarda station in a few places around Kildare where were given a talk about drugs,traffic,court and just of being a guard in general!

The week really changed by insight of the guarda job.It is such a great job,there is so much involved in becoming a guard and you do something different nearly every day and I am now considering it as a possible career in the future after the week!I thoroughly enjoyed this week,I loved it so much I wish i could do it all over again!I learnt alot about being a guard and also met some amazing people and friends,the other ty students from different schools nearby and also the guards!The guards were so nice and we had great fun with them but they also did their job as a guard making sure we were all at our best behaviour!

I am so grateful I had the opportunity of doing this week of work experience,thanks to all the guards who made the week great and also to Mr C and Ms L for letting me take part in this week!

The Simon Community.

Yesterday,Thrusday, ty's gathered in the library for a talk on homelessness and the Simon Community.Before the talk I was'nt sure what this talk would be about;what homlessness was?if we should donate money?After this talk,by question was answered!It was very interesting and was all about the Simon Community and about a side of homlessness i was'nt aware of before yesterday

 There are houses spread out in a number of counties in Ireland just for homeless people to go when they have nowhere to sleep for the night.But not only that,alot of activities take place in these houses.
   Ms O' S told us about when she worked during the summer in a house for homeless people and she did art with the people staying there.There were lots of pictures of paintings she showed us and they were amazing!The colours,designs everything was great about the art work!


  I learnt that there are so many volunteers who work with homeless people in the houses doing activities with them and lots more.Also,homelessness can be struck on anyone from jsut making a couple of mistakes and they may have had a great job before this.

It was a very interesting and thanks to Ms O' S for giving us the talk.
  

Term two!

Hi again,I havent blogged in a while and now its already the second term.Another week is almost over and once again it has been a busy week.

In Geography we are still working on our 'All Around The World' Project.Hannah and I are visting 6 countries,2 developing,2 developed and 2 under developed.We have started our scrapbook and it is coming along well :)

In Technology,we are doing a F1 school project where myself and 6 others have to make a design of a car and make a plan of it and if our plan is chosen a college make the car we have designed and it goes in for a compettion.

In Irish,we have finished our presentations on ourselves and are nearly half way through presenting them to the class.

Our Junk Couture project is also coming along well and we should be finished in the next 2 weeks!