AVONDALE ALL A-BUZZ AS SCHOOL HOSTS OPEN EVENING
AVONDALE Community College in Rathdrum opened its doors to parents and students from local primary schools on Thursday for its well-attended annual open night.
The night began with a tour of the school which was expertly orchestrated by current first year students. Having only just settled into school life at Avondale, these students took small groups to classrooms where a number of activities were organised to whet the appetite of next year’s pupils.
Every classroom provided necessary information about the array of subjects on offer in Avondale. The night provided the current students of the school the opportunity to exhibit their proficiency in each subject.
The classrooms for practical subjects were hives of activity as students exhibited their projects and answered questions posed by the young visitors and their parents. A live cookery demonstration by second year Home Economic students certainly drew in the crowd as these young chefs exhibited their talents by preparing a fresh batch of scones and other delights for the visitors. A STEM workshop along with scientific experiments on density, static electricity, the powerful effects of hydro gel and lots more catered for those inter- ested in Science. Transition Year coding skills were exhibited in computer classrooms as guests were invited to play games designed by these students in recent IT classes.
For those interested in the arts and humanities there was lots on offer, from music recitals to art exhibitions. For those interested in reading, the school’s library was transformed into the world of Hogwarts where visiting students were invited to practice their talents in the magical arts by completing spell challenges. Extra curricular activities were similarly exhibited as visitors were invited to participate in LEGO Club challenges and other events.
Once these tours were completed, Principal Rosaleen O’Neill invited visitors to the sports hall and welcomed guests to the school. The night ended with parents and students being invited to a number of workshops on Instructional Leadership and STEM demonstrations until the school finally closed its doors on another busy and successful evening.