Posts in category: News

The primary focus of this initiative, to make every school day count, is to ensure that students can attain the best possible outcome from their time in Athboy Community School. Missing days, or parts of days, may result in students falling behind in their school work. For the month of November we would ask all parents to encourage their son/daughter to have full attendance – perhaps put in place an incentive for your child to achieve this target? The attached Parent sheets provide some worthwhile advice that may need consideration – use the calendar on the app to plan ahead. All students who have full attendance in November will get a school certificate and be entered into a draw for prizes. Lets make this campaign a success.

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Leaving Certificate Results will be available from 9.30 a.m. on Tuesday 13th August.  Best of luck to all our Leaving Certifcate candidates.

Athboy Community School

INVITATION TO TENDER

Applications are invited from registered food vendors to tender for supply and sale of meals in the above school during school years 2019/22

An application form, along with a copy of the school’s Healthy Eating Policy, can be downloaded from www.athboycs.ie or are available from the Secretary of the Board of Management, Athboy Community School, Athboy, Co. Meath. (Telephone 046 9487894)

The closing date for receipt of completed applications is Friday 28^th June 2019

Visit of Tomi Reichental to Athboy C.S.

Tomi Reichental, a holocaust survivor, visited Athboy Community our school on Thursday May 23^rd. For two hours, he spoke to the to the whole school community of pupils, teachers, members of the Board of Management as well as some parents and members of the wider community in the school gymnasium.

Tomi was born in Piestany, Slovakia in 1935. He has lived in Ireland since 1959 and in the past few years has written books like the acclaimed ‘I Was a Boy in Belsen’, participated in TV documentaries, films and generally raised awareness of the holocaust and the plight of the Jews in Europe during the war.

He was captured by the Nazis in 1944 and was sent to Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp in Northern Germany aged only nine. Liberated on the 15th of April 1945 by the British, he survived along with his mother, older brother Miki, his Aunt and his cousin. They were later reunited with his father. However, thirty five members of his family perished during this time, including his beloved Grandmother.

Tomi delivered a fascinating lecture about his childhood in Slovakia, life under German occupation and his time spent in Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. At the core of his talk was the message that the holocaust did not start with a bang, it started quietly with whispers, innuendo and suspicion. In today’s world he urged the students not to tolerate bullying of any kind and to embrace all people equally. This was followed by an enthusiastic questions and answers session. The afternoon ended with rapturous applause for Tomi who absolutely enthralled the audience with his stories and his courage. He had time for everybody both before and after the lecture, signing books and chatting with students, staff and well-wishers.

This very special event was coordinated by teacher Miss Colette Kane and the school would like to put on record its thanks to her and to Tomi for making the trip down from Dublin to share his experiences with the school community.

After the lecture Tomi was presented with a portrait by past pupil Ellen Kane. The portrait was presented by Slovakian student in Athboy C.S. Zsofia Farkasova and Angelina Bartosevic.

Tomi Reichental pictured with Tom O’Dowd (Deputy Principal), school Prefects and Anthony Leavy (Principal)

Zsofia Farkasova, whose family come from Slovakia, speaks with Tomi Reichental prior to his address to the school community

Zsofia Farkasova and Angelina Bartosevic present a portrait painted by past pupil Ellen Kane after his talk

Ellen Kane pictured with Tomi Reichental and her portrait to mark his visit to Athboy Community School

The First Year Class pictured with their Year Head Ms Ita Taite and Tomi Reichental during his visit to Athboy Community School

Athboy C.S. French School Exchange Trip.

Just before Easter 18 Transition Year and 5^th Year students from Athboy Community School took part in a French exchange with the Lyceé Jean Monnet in Crepy-en-Valois in the Oise Départment of the Picardy region of Northern France. This is the 13^th year of the exchange with the Lycee which is located close to the Autonne Valley area with whom Athboy has been twinned since 2000.

On Friday March 29^th the Athboy group flew to Paris to begin the French end of the exchange along with teachers Mr. Anthony Leavy, Ms Colette Kane and Mr. Tony Magner. On the first full day, Saturday, the students visited the medieval town of Compiegne. The group visited the Chateaux de Compiegne built by Louis XV and restored as one of his many residences by, Napoleon. The students continued on to the National Transport Museum in the town. The group had a whistle stop tour of some of the local historical sights including Pierrefonds with its stunning castle overlooking a lake.

Sunday was a day spent with their host families but on Monday morning it was time for classes as the Irish accompanied their French hosts into various lessons. This was followed by lunch in the school canteen and an outing to the local cinema.

On the Tuesday the students enjoyed a full day trip to Paris. The first sight was the Stade de France in St. Denis.  Afterwards the group continued on a walking tour of Trocadero, Champs De Mars and of course, the Eiffel Tower. Next up was the magnificent Louvre with its pyramid inverse as well as lunch in the Tuileries Gardens. The group completed the tour by visiting the Champs Elysees and the Arc De Triomphe

Wednesday was taken up with a trip to Reims, the capital of the Champagne-Ardennes region of France famous for its magnificent cathedral where French kings were crowned in the days before the republic. The group did a walking tour beginning at the cathedral which also took in the World War 1 memorial, Carnegie Library, the Town Hall, the medieval city and of course the shopping district for some well-earned retail therapy. Afterwards, as it was the final evening of the exchange, as a final goodbye the Lyceé hosted a soireé featuring music and traditional French cuisine.

The last day, Thursday, was spent in school doing a workshop on story-telling in both the French and Irish traditions. A local story-teller facilitated the workshop and told some well-known stories and legends of the local area and beyond. He spoke of the importance of these traditional stories and invited the Irish and French students to write and present their own using the techniques outlined in the workshop, various prompts such as cards and pictures and of course, their imagination. The busy itinerary continued with a return to Compiegne in the afternoon for bowling, Karting and Quaser-Laser before the Irish group departed for Beauvais airport and home

Earlier in March, 21 students from the French Lycee had visited Athboy for a week staying with host families in the locality. As well as attending classes with their Irish hosts, they enjoyed many cultural trips such as Newgrange, Croke Park Museum, Dublin city centre, Bettystown Strand and The Causey Experience.

All the students and teachers felt that the trip was very successful. The pupils got a lot out of the exchange and made some lasting friendships. Some are even hoping to heading back to France in the summer to renew acquaintances with their host families.

The students; Darragh de Barra, Emily Cole, Sinead Daly, Mya Frazer-Luc, Cillian Heaney, Jude Heary, Esha Hughes, Eoin Kane, Anna Kelly, Libby Kelly, Danny Lawlor, Conor Norton, Abby O’Neill, Caitlin Percy, Louise Reilly, Tadhg Walsh, Faye Wheeler and Caoimhe Woods would like to record their sincere thanks to their host families and to Mr. Anthony Leavy and Mdme Corinne Carillon who coordinated the exchange, teachers Ms Colette Kane and Mr Tony Magner of Athboy C.S. and Mdme Dominque Chibani and Ms Louise Henri of Lycee Jean Monnet who accompanied their group on the ‘away leg’ of the exchange as well as all the teachers who helped with various aspects of the trip.

Pupils from Athboy CS and Lycée Jean Monnet enjoy the sunlit courtyard of Chateau de Compiegne on the first day of their visit to the Picardy region

Pupils on this year’s French Exchange visited the historic and war damaged city of Reims pictured outside the city’s Cathederal, the site of the coronation of French Kinds in days gone by.

Athboy Community School Golf Classic 2019

First Team: (54.4 Net) 60 Gross

Shirley Lynch, Tony Maher, Declan O’Brien, Ronan Lynch

Second Team: (55.9 Net) 61 Gross

James Goggins, Paul Monahan, Mark Finnegan, David Fulham

Third Team: (59.0 Net) 65 Gross

David Mc Keown, PJ Mc Keown, Andrew Canning, Kevin Leech

Fourth Team: (60.2 Net) 68 Gross

Niall Brogan, Alan Perry, Phillip Perry, Brian Murphy

Fifth Team: (60.4) 65 Gross

David Heary, Seamus Castles, David Garrigan, Vincent Keating.

Longest Drive: Des Renehan

Nearest the Pin: Declan O’Brien

A Presentation of Prizes took place in Sadler’s Well Athboy later that night. The Parents Association wish to thank all those who supported and played in this very successful Golf Classic. All the proceeds will go towards supporting the wide range of extra-curricular activities currently available for students in Athboy Community School.

Members of the winning team in this year’s Golf Classic were Shirley Lynch, Ronan Lynch and Declan O’Brien (Nearest the Pin) picture with Anthony Leavy (Principal) and Gillian Foy (Chairperson of the Parents Association.  the fourth member was Tony Maher.

Fourth Team in this year’s Golf Classic Alan Perry, Phillip Perry, Brian Murphy and Niall Brogan pictured with Anthony Leavy and Gillian Foy.

Second Place team members David Fulham, James Goggins, Mark Finnegan pictured with Gillian Foy and Anthony Leavy

Well done to all involved in our recent Arts Night.  The event was organised by the Student Council with the assistance of Ms Fitzgerald and other staff members.  In addition to a Gymnastics display, pupils showcased their talents in Art, Music and Baking.  Staff also got involved in a Bake off competition.  Congratulations to pupils Mya Frazer Luc and Cillian Heaney, and to staff members Ms Louise Byrne and Ms Oonagh Shanley.  The winners are pictured with James Boylan and Danielle Browne from the Student Council.

Congratulations to the Leaving Certificate History Table Quiz team that scooped first prize in the History Teachers Association of Ireland Table Quiz competition recently.  Well done to  Ultan Mahon, Dylan Mc Carthy, Oisín O’Keeffe and Cian Harmon.  The team was coached by teachers Mr. Roger Maxwell and Ms Ita Taite.

The school celebrated the end of term with a Carol Service on Thursday 20th and a Concert on Friday 21st.  Well done to all those who organised the events and those who participated.

A Happy Christmas and a Peaceful New Year to the school community.

Nollaig Shona agus Athbhliain Faoi Mhaise daoibh go léir.

The school will re-open for pupils on Tuesday 8th January 2019 (School Self Evaluation CPD Day for staff on Monday 7th January)

Well done to the students of Athboy CS who took part in a Christmas Jumper appeal organised by Sixth Year Yew and Ms O’Hare.  The Students raised in excess of €400 for St. Francis’ Hospice.