My name is Avia Breslin. I am a Transition Year student in Coláiste An Átha. since we have arrived back to school in August we have been hard at work preparing for our schools annual Christmas Market. This year the Christmas Market was on the Friday 24th November from 6pm-8pm. Production classes each week allowed our whole Transition Year to produce items that would be sold at our TY Santa’s Workshop at the Christmas Market. Closer to the 24th, with support from our teachers we were let out of classes to help put the finishing touches on our products and to help set up the gym for the event.
We had a wide variety of different items for sale like Santa Stop Here Signs, Custom Santa Stop Here Signs, Small Signs with Christmas sayings and phrases painted onto them, Large wooden stars made by the woodwork class and many more. All profits made would be put back into the Transition Year experience as it paid for our Christmas trip to Dundrum for a day of ice-skating and shopping as well as our TY halfzips.
The Christmas Market was a brilliant opportunity for all TYs who had set up their own Mini-Companies. The market enabled us to sell and promote our products to the whole community. Outside vendors were also able to hire a stall to sell their products and services. Upstairs, there were games organised by some TY students. These game included Soak the Santa, Bobbing for Candy Canes, Guess How Many Candy Canes? And Nerf Gun Obstacle Course. There were also 5th years providing free face painting for everyone.. The choir sung beautifully and brought the spirits up of everyone there.
The night was a huge success with thanks to the help of all the students and staff we wouldn’t have been able to pull it all off. I had so much fun in preparation and during the night and it made me even more excited for Christmas!