Our TY roving reporters have been busy over the last few days summarising a few of the activities they have been involved in over the past week or two…
Espresso Yourself: Athboy C.S. Brews Up New Skills  

By Megan Broughill 

Athboy Community School TY students had the opportunity to participate in a Barista course on 9th and 10th September which took place in the school’s lecture room. The group spent two days getting a taste for the coffee-making world and uncovered the methods behind some of their favourite drinks such as Americanos, Cappuccinos and Lattes. The workshop not only exposed students to new skills but also provided a window into potential fields they might be interested in exploring later in life.  

The vibe was upbeat and interactive overall as students paired up for a lot of the day to master the coffee machines, practice their milk frothing but also to perfect the skill of pulling the espresso shot. They didn’t just learn how to make the coffee, they heard about the components of coffee, how aroma in coffees work and how a seed for your coffee starts off.   

Overallthe students enjoyed the Barista Workshop, they learnt new things and got to share their new knowledge with the teachers who all appreciated getting a nice warm cup of coffee! 

First Aid Course 

By Isobel Canty  

On September 12ththe Transition Yearclass did a First Aid course onsite in the school where the group learned how to perform CPR on both adults and babies. They also learned to how to deal with choking incidents, to identify the signs and symptoms of strokes and heart-attacks and how to tend to these. As part of the course,the student also learned how to bandage injuries and how to create slings and splints for bone injuries. All the students got a lot from the course and really enjoyed the workshop. 

TY Dublin Trip  

By Erin Melligan 

On the 16th of September, the TY class headed off to Dublin on their first trip of the year! They spent the day in Dublin visiting the National Gallery and doing the InstaPic Dublin Tour.  

In the National Gallery the students got a tour and got to see art pieces and discuss their meaning. They also got to learn about various Irish Artists and their paintings, and the theme and story behind the artwork exhibited at the gallery. 

In the InstaPic tour the group had a walking tour around Dublin and studied the basics of photography, learning how to use correct angles, work with the natural lighting and how to use reflections to take nice photos of the city, all the while strolling around and seeing the different sights! It was a lovely day out and a great day was had by all!   

Trip to Derrymore Springs 

By Isobel Canty 

On September 19th the TYs took a trip to Derrymore Springs near Killucanfor their bonding trip. An unforgettable day was packed with fun as the TYs completed a nature walk and went kayaking, paddle-boating and pier-jumping. 

The first challenge of the day was a nature walk through a forest setting. Although it was muddy we all still managed to enjoy it. The path lead us along a shallow, peaceful river leaving us with lots of time to chat. 

Then the group took part in a team building exercise where they got into two groupsand each team were given rugby balls. The first team to get all the rugby balls to the opposite side won. This was a good bit of fun to cool down before heading to the water. 

The third adventure of the day was kayaking and paddle-boating. All the students and some teachers hopped into kayaks, paddle- boats and all the boys piled onto a banana boat. Although the plan wasn’t to get wet until the pier jumping, Mr Mahon had a great idea in splashing everyone with his kayak paddle, but he wasn’t laughing for long because one by one the students got him back!  

Lastly the class did some pier-jumping. After some safety instructions (and nervous laughs) we lined up at the edge of the platform and one by one jumped into the freezing cold water.  

Overall a good day was had and the students and teachers really enjoyed it.