Transition Year was reintroduced to Hazelwood College in September 2002 and is currently being co-ordinated by Miss Griffen. The programme is extremely successful and is already proving to be of great benefit to participants. Transition Year is offered to students immediately their Junior Cert.. The year is seen as a stepping stone for students moving from Junior Cycle to the demands of the Leaving Certificate programme. The year is also designed to give students a taste of different types of careers so that they may have a clearer idea of the career path they will chose to follow after the Leaving Cert. Students who have taken the Transition Year option tend to have a more mature attitude to the Leaving Cert Exam and attain better results. Transition Year aims to help students to develop academically, socially and personally. Students continue their work in the core subjects of Maths, English, Irish and Modern Languages. By this the students are given the chance to begin work on the Leaving Cert. Programme. Students also take classes in Chemistry, Art, Nature Studies, SPHE and Religion. In addition Transition Year students take a number of practical courses, which, on completion entitles them to recognised certificates, which will be of great use to them in later life e.g. The European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL), the Driver Theory Test, Home Management, Toastmasters and First Aid.
Hazelwood College is very proud of its association with the University of Limerick and this is especially true for Transition Year Students. Throughout the Transition Year Students get involved in a number of orientation programmes in the different departments at the University of Limerick. In 2004 Hazelwood College Transition Year Students became the first students in the country to be awarded the new National Sports Leader Award in association with the University of Limerick and the Irish Sports Council.
Transition Year Students to develop a strong sense of responsibility. Students are given responsibility for different aspects of school life such as the school canteen, the shop and the school bank. They also have to work towards achieving the prestigious Gaisce awards from the President.
What the students say:
“The work experience we obtained gave us a chance to experience working life and what we wanted to do in later lifeâ€
Marie Kirwan Transition Yeay 2002/3
“Transition Year gave us an opportunity to mature as group and to develop new friendships within a new group†.
Jenny O Connor Transition Year 2002/3
“We achieved lots of certificates and completed many courses eg, Food and safety, Toastmasters, ECDL, and the Personal Development Dayâ€
Denise O Sullivan Transition Year 2002 /3