Ms Grier Gray and the Community Care class welcomed members of our community into school to learn how to use their digital devices more effectively. It was a wonderful start to the course which will run for another four sessions.

The Green Schools Class along with their teacher Ms Lamont are continuing to help use reduce, reuse and recycle!

Students from 4A and 4B had a great day visiting Collins Barracks and Go Quest. It was a brilliant combination of history and maths puzzles in the most fun way possible! Ms O'Malley and her team are the reigning Champions!

Students from 4C and 4D had a very interesting experience visiting the Archaeological Museum, Art Gallery and GPO Witness. It was a great opportunity to learn more about our history and culture.

​On 27th and 28th of November 2017 all TYs had the opportunity to attend a Poetry Workshop with poet, Stephen Murray.
Stephen Murray is a very funny man and great guy. The poetry that we were creating and experiencing was not the usual way schools teach us. Stephen taught us a completely different side to poetry. He was really funny and recited the best poems ever. He told us things we never knew about poets.
One of the activities we did on the day was Steven giving us a scenario were we then had to improvise and continue it in the most gruesome way we could think of which was great. At the end of the day we wrote a poem to put on to his Inspire Land website. www.inspireland.ie
 To sum it up I really loved this workshop as poems are a lovely and great way to express yourself. I also just think that Stephen is so good at what he does and so funny. I think my class would agree with that.
By Evan Archbold 4D.

Some samples of poems by our year. To see more go to www.inspireland.ie
​
​What Whispers Look Like
​Can you hear me? Can you hear me?
No, but I can see your lips move though
Can you listen? Can you speak?
Cause somethings clearly not right
Deaf isn’t something to be happy or proud of
It’s a disability that really no one loves
It’s a burden, it’s expensive
It’s just downright unfortunate
To be cursed with this disability
To be categorized or labelled
Not quite right or completely able
I speak the truth, I’m really not messing
I’m faced with the challenges, hearing people wouldn’t consider
Like sleepovers, classrooms and hateful whispers
But honestly, I wouldn’t want it to change a thing
No operation or surgery could make me the same
As everyone else
Just normal and plain
Sydney Sheridan

I’m Tired
​I’m tired of having to live up to this standard.
My work has to vary in quality
Or else inspiration would be indistinguishable from forced bored labour.
I will have better and worse days, weeks, and phases.
I’ll focus on work one time and at a video game another time.
And now it’s not only me that’s wrecked, my friends, my brother, my classmates,
We all have to reach the standard of someone willing to put more time
And talent into work that just happens to be their favourite.
Someone could rhyme this, give it a rhythm, sing it,
Dance it or even paint it into a picture.
That’s not my calling, and I believe that someday that may change,
But at the same time, it might not.
Jan Fraszczyk

​https://youtu.be/EGBbfXKXBaM

The first block of students doing the Photography module in the CPC Transition Year programme recently completed their course, writes Brian Byrne.

At the invitation of the College's Art teacher, Lesley Kelly, we talked with four of the students about their experience on the course.

The short documentary above is the result. It includes a selection of photographs from all the class. The students we talked with are Ella Duane, Katelyn Smith, David Browne and Sydney Sheridan.

The Diary would like to thank them all for their time. There's a full story about the class in next week's Kildare Nationalist, and many of the photographs are on display in a corridor in CPC.

An exhibition of this year's TY class work will be considered when all students have completed the module.

(Ed Note: The video above is a replacement for the original, with extra material and corrections to names in the credits. Views count don't take into consideration the views of the original.)

​"After a tough day at the All Ireland Schools Pentathlon, Ella Duane qualified through and was selected to compete for Ireland in the Schools International in Glasgow on a team of 4. The day began at 10:00am in the Emirates Arena with the shot put and hurdles, putting Ella in the top 8 after 2 respectable performances. She managed to move up in the rankings after a Personal Best of 5.42 in the long jump. This was followed by the high jump and 800m at the end of the day where Ella finished 2nd with another Best of 2.26, putting her in 5th place overall with a points total of 3451 and 1st on the Irish Team who finished 2nd behind England. This concludes the Schools Athletics Year for 2017."

Students who are interested in this competition please go to the above link.

Congratulations to David Browne who was selected after interview to represent Cross and Passion College in the Newbridge Rotary Club finals. David will now represent Newbridge Rotary Club in the Regional Finals in Clonmel on Friday 17th November. Thank you also to Paul Hughes and Maciej Krzetowski from Newbridge Rotary Club who conducted very thorough interviews and provided such a fantastic learning opportunity for all involved. Well done to all our students who were selected to take part in the interviews after completing the initial application form. The standard was very high and we are delighted so many students took the opportunity to become involved.