Athboy C.S Open Night

On September 30th, Athboy Community School opened its doors to prospective students and their parents for its annual Open Night. The school was open from 6:00pm until 8:30pm, giving visitors the opportunity to explore the facilities, meet teachers and students, and see what the school has to offer.

Students from ACS helped guide parents and prospective students around the school throughout the evening. There were plenty of subjects and activities to see, with different rooms showcasing the wide range of subjects available.

Visitors could learn more about so many subject areas like Woodwork, DCG and Technical Graphics, Home Economics, Music, The Sciences, Art, Robotics, Geography, English, Maths, Irish, History, Philosophy, P.E, Guidance, Religion, Business, Accounting, Computer Science and Coding, Engineering and others. There were demonstrations and displays throughout the school and visitors could try new things in many subject areas.

Mr Kington’s 2nd year art students ran a manga/anime workshop and there was also an art gallery displaying various students’ artwork from all year groups. The school’s Junk Kouture programme was also represented.

An Cuan ( the school’s Autism Unit) was open and staff were on hand to show people the facilities there, and the Learning Support Room was open and staffed by teachers involved in AEN.

There were flag displays, interactive rock displays and scoilnet mapping sessions in the Geography room where students could look up their home areas and see how they are represented on maps and aerial photos.

The kitchens were abuzz showcasing Home Economics in Action, from Fairtrade to hands-on skills. Students wowed visitors with cookery demos, Maisie and Sofia making brownies and Milena making fabulous muffins! Killian and Fiach were flat out with tasty scones and offering safety tips. The Home department also showcased creative projects across all Junior Cycle strands.

The Woodwork rooms were busy with demonstrations and over in the Robotics lab, various robots and creations were put through their paces for the visiting students where guides Walter and Sophie showed visitors how everything worked.

There was live music from the Artistic Performance and Music classes and there were stands in the GPA giving information on Gaisce and Student Leadership in the school like the Prefects, Senior and Junior Mentors and the Student Council. The GAA Future Leaders had a stand as did the Parents Council who also provided the refreshments. There was a stand outlining the benefits of the online Simple Study revision tool used by the students in the school and a Restorative Practice Stand with free giraffes for all visiting students!

Some of the sports in the school were showcased with the likes of gaelic games, soccer and basketball having a stand and both the school gym and fitness suite were open to showcase work done in P.E. 

Principal, Ms Garrihy, also gave two talks during the evening giving parents and prospective students more information about the school and what they can expect from their time at Athboy C.S. 

Many application forms were taken throughout the evening, and the school looks forward to welcoming many new faces to the school community. The deadline for applications for admission is Friday October 30th.

Overall, the Open Night was a hugely successful evening and gave future students the chance to experience the school, meet staff and students, and learn about the many opportunities available at Athboy Community School.

By Megan Broughill, 5th Year.