November
Parent Teacher Meetings
It was a pleasure this month to welcome so many parents in to our school for our Parent Teacher meetings and thank you for putting the time aside to do so.
ISPCC/ Wildlife Sanctuary
The 3rd to 6th classes were visited by volunteers from Childline where they learned about the charity, what they do and how and when to contact them. These classes also had a visit from our local wildlife sanctuary who explained about the work of all animals in keeping our ecosystems healthy.
Debating
Our debate team gave a strong performance against Scoil Bride, Clane, where they opposed the motion "Fines are the best way to tackle textile waste."
The team argued that fines alone wouldn’t solve the problem of textile waste. They explained that fines might hurt small businesses and low-income communities without addressing the real causes of waste. Instead, they suggested that solutions like promoting recycling, sustainable production, and raising public awareness would be more effective.
Although they didn’t win the debate, our team showed great skill in presenting their arguments clearly and confidently. We wish them the best of luck in the upcoming Shield competition.
Science Week
This year’s Science Week was a fantastic celebration of curiosity, exploration, and hands-on learning! Our students had the opportunity to dive deep into the world of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and discover the wonders of science in exciting and interactive ways.
Throughout the week, many of our children tuned into the Curious Minds science webinar, where they were inspired by expert speakers and fascinating demonstrations. The webinar sparked a sense of wonder, encouraging students to ask questions and explore the world of scientific inquiry.
In addition to the webinar, students also participated in a variety of exciting investigations and experiments. Whether exploring chemical reactions, building simple machines, or testing our senses, our students were fully immersed in the scientific process. These hands-on activities allowed them to develop critical thinking skills and a deeper understanding of scientific concepts.
Mr. Reidy’s class linked in with Ms. Moolick on some Stem activities as part of science week with Lego. Building bridges to transport Lego cars, making boats to test would they float and building pyramids.
Take a look at some of the photos from the week to see the creativity and enthusiasm that filled our classrooms!
Science Week in Ms. Donovan’s Class
Over the past fortnight we have covered some topics from the Living Things strand of the curriculum. We learnt about the food pyramid, our teeth and the skeleton.
The children really enjoyed working in pairs to reassemble and label a cut-out of the human skeleton.
This week we learnt about our pulse, the heart as a pump sending oxygenated blood around our bodies and the effect of exercise on our pulse. We experimented by taking our pulse before and after a variety of activities.
STEM & Design + Make
We undertook a variety of Lego challenges. I was blown away by the children’s creativity!
Artwork
Ms. Pearson’s class engaged with acrylic and watercolor painting inspired by artist Paul Henry.
Credit Union Art Competition
Congratulations to all our winners in the local Credit Union Art competition. Pictured below are a few of the winners from the Academy and Presentation Buildings.
Give a Poem, Get a Poem
This month Mrs Donovan's 3rd class had a visit from poet Nell Regan.
Our class are taking part in an initiative called Give a Poem, Get a Poem organised by the Riverbank in Newbridge.
Nell guided us through the first draft of three different poems.
We first made poetry notebooks, then used our senses to write a poem inspired by items found in nature. Here you can see some pictures of the class getting to know their chosen natural object! 🍁🐚🌲
We listened to very old poems about nature in Japanese which Nell has translated for one of her books. We talked about how the poems are still relevant in modern times, on the far side of the world!
For our second poem we were inspired by Kennings which are Viking words. We brainstormed in our poetry notebooks and used the Kenning style to create poetic riddles about animals.
For our final poem we were inspired by The Sound Collector by Roger McGough. We explored onomatopoeia - how words can sound like their meaning. We performed a sound effect version of the poem and after a deep listening exercise, we began our final poem.
In the last few weeks we have been editing our poems and will be publishing onto special postcards to be sent to other participating schools nationwide. Every child in our class will then receive a gift of a poem!
The Sound Collector
By Mrs Donovan’s 3rd class
A stranger called this morning
Dressed all in black and grey
Put every sound into a bag
And carried them away.
The chatter of the children
The dinging of the bell
The clunking of the bottles
The scraping of the chairs
The ringing of the phone
The stomping of the kids
The rustling of the papers
The tapping of the pencils
The creaking of the door
The shrieking of the fire alarm
The chirping of the birds
The squeaking of the mouse
The howling of the wind
The singing of the choir
The binging of Classdojo
The gurgling of the pipes
A stranger called this morning
He didn’t leave his name
Left us only silence
Life will never be the same.
Junior Choir Christmas Carols
Our Junior Choir travelled to the Whitewater Shopping Centre on Sunday 30th November to entertain the crowds of shopping with their festive performance. This was in support of the local Kildare Branch of the Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus Association who were very appreciative of the children, parents and teachers who came along on the day. Thanks to the Trad group who also entertained the crowds with a wonderful selection of tunes.
