MY TY WEEK:Tessa Roche (16) and Jodi Ruddy (16), St Leo's College, Carlow

TESSA: "Every week in TY is different. As well as the usual academic subjects, we're taking on public speaking, heritage activities, drama, technology, and even bridge. We've just started rehearsals for the musical Chicago, and we'll be putting on a small show in May.

“In technology class, we’ve made CD racks, mobile phone holders and various metal and wood objects.

“We’re running a mini- company, and we’ve learned about business through a programme run by the Carlow Enterprise Board. We have three mini-company classes a week, and we’re selling customised shoes. We’re buying them in plain white and designing them ourselves.

“We’re also involved in GAA coaching. We were trained for three weeks by a local coach, and in turn, we’ve been visiting primary schools to train local children.”

Jodi: "There's always something going on in TY! Every week, we have Rotary, where we explore politics and European languages, and there will be a competition to win a trip to Brussels.

“A few weeks ago, we went to IT Carlow and spent a day learning about film production. We were divided into two groups, and saw a mock newsroom and green screen. We took turns writing reports, reading the teleprompter, and projecting images onto the green screen.

“Right now, we’re putting together the school magazine. Tessa is writing articles for it, while I’m taking photos. We’re trying to get together as many stories as we can for it.”