Open Night at Greenhills
Corridors and classrooms in Our Lady’s College were packed on Wednesday night last for the school’s Open Night. This is an annual event when 5th and 6th class students and their parents/guardians are welcomed into the school to sample the curriculum and wide-ranging extra-curricular activities, artistic, sporting and others that the school has to offer.
Visitors were treated to a colourful and creative introduction to life in Greenhills arriving at a medieval banquet in the History Room where stuffed boar’s head and poached pear were on the menu, moving on to the more enticing cupcake offerings on display and for decoration in the kitchen!
The modern languages of French, German and Spanish currently on offer in the school were represented in a cultural display and music on the night was performed in various locations by choir, orchestra and trad. group with students in Artistic Performance entertaining the visitors with their contemporary and hip-hop showcase in the main reception.
Making the most of its extensive indoor and outdoor facilities, the Sports dept. was represented by a range of students demonstrating their skills in camogie, soccer and Gaelic football on the school’s state of the art astro pitch. Rugby and athletics enthusiasts are also catered for! And after all that activity, prospective students could retreat to the oasis of calm that was the Religion room reflecting the 5 major world religions and non-religious world views that feature in the Junior and Senior Cycle Religious Education curriculum.
The fifth and sixth-class girls had the opportunity to meet and chat with teachers and students in all subject areas and extra-curricular activities such as chess, debating, book club and the Green Schools environmental committee. Labs, Art room, computer and technology rooms as well as the graphics classroom featured displays of work and offered the chance to dabble in an experiment, sample a treat or try out a new skill guided on a school tour by a team of friendly and well-informed student hosts.
The English and Irish classrooms reflected the varied experiences in Reading, Writing and Oral work that are facilitated in the school and a colourful display in the Maths room showcased the emphasis placed on Numeracy across the curriculum in Greenhills.
Plate tectonics and volcanic activity featured in exbibits in the Geography room while the finance display in the Business classroom ran with the slogan “everyone counts”!
Transition Year coordinator Una Mc Gorry ably assisted by a number of current TY students was on hand to give an insight into the rich educational and personal development experience that is the Greenhills TY programme and students and parents were provided with a snapshot performance of a few scenes and numbers from “Legally Blonde” currently in rehearsal for its April 2024 performance! Mary Hennessey, Leaving Cert Applied co-ordinator provided an overview of the LCA programme as an alternative to the conventional Leaving Cert.
Principal Geraldine Mulvihill addressed students and parents in the school library, outlining the diverse academic, social and extra-curricular activities at the heart of education in Greenhills. She also emphasised the inclusive and supportive atmosphere that characterises the school where every student is an individual recognised for the unique contribution she makes to the whole school community. The theme of her talk on the night was the school’s
commitment to excellence in its provision of a rounded education appropriate to the needs of the twenty-first century student.
All in Our Lady’s College look forward to welcoming the next generation of Greenhills girls in September 2024 and admissions applications for a place in first year must be submitted to Our Lady’s College Greenhills by Monday 23rd October.
