Month: May 2013

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We have begun reading ‘Emlyn’s Moon’ by Jenny Nimmo

We finished reading ‘The Snow Spider’ by Jenny Nimmo.

Certainly it was challenging for 2nd class to read as a class novel.

But we were drawn into Jenny Nimmo’s magical world.

So much so, we are continuing with the next book in the trilogy;

‘Emlyn’s Moon’.

Moon
Creative Commons License Photo Credit: Ron Lute via Compfight

We can see how it was adapted for ITV.

Click here to see ‘Emlyn’s Moon’ Part One

I would remind parents not to let

their children watch You Tube unsupervised.

The internet is a wonderful gift,

but it has the potential to be Pandora’s Box.

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‘The Adventure Of A Cardboard Box’

Here are two videos on Vimeo

about recycling which we enjoyed in class.

 

Both videos are about recycling cardboard boxes.

Cardboard Box
Creative Commons License Photo Credit: Douglas Porter via Compfight

Both feature boys of eight or nine years of age.

The first one, is fictional

and the second one really happened.

Which is your favourite?

The Adventure of A Cardboard Box

How many ways does the hero in this video

use the box?

 

The 2nd video is about this boy.

His name is Caine.
Caine's Arcade at the Exploratorium
Creative Commons License Photo Credit: Exploratorium via Compfight

Caine’s Arcade

 

Did you ever make anything out of a cardboard box?

If you want to know what happened next, take a look at

Caine’s Arcade 2

Thanks to Louise Brooks, a primary school teacher in Brisbane, Australia for letting us know about ‘The Adventures of A Cardboard Box’ and Ms. Norton’s class also from Australia who told us about Caine’s Arcade 🙂

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If you would like to supplement your child’s homework, try ‘Help My Kid Learn.ie’

Help My Kid Learn.ie was designed as a ‘key resource’ for parents.

It has many ideas for activities parents can do with their children

in order to improve their skills in

speaking

reading 

writing

and maths.

Click here to go to helpmykidlearn.ie

Children at school
Photo Credit: Lucélia Ribeiro via Compfight

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Student Blogging Challenge 2013

We have just completed a ten week Student Blogging Challenge.

365.14 (Blogging)
Photo Credit: Kim Piper Werker via Compfight

Participating in this international challenge was hard work.

It was challenging sometimes to get our ‘homework’

handed in by the end of the week,

 

but it improved our blogging skills and our blog.

and brought us into contact with other students blogging

all over the world.

 

We learned many skills on this challenge but the one that had

most impact was learning how to use Compfight to access

images relevant to our work quickly while observing

the rules of copyright. This has made a big different to our

blog as you can see if you compare our work before we learnt

how to use Compfight in

Week 4 Student Blogging Challenge – Adding Images Using Compfight

at the end of March 2013 and the quality and amount of images

we used before that.

 

The Student Blogging Challenge is run twice a year and is

co-ordinated by a very busy and dedicated

former teacher from Hobart, Tasmania.

 

As you can see from this link, we received an honourable

mention for our work: Student Blogging Challenge 2013 – Great Blogging Posts

 

We would recommend the Student Blogging Challenge wholeheartedly

as enjoyable, educational and a way to connect with other students who blog globally.

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Project Work: Famous People with links to Greystones

Projects about people, in history.

We are doing projects about people with links to Greystones.

Isambard Kingdom Brunel
Creative Commons License Photo Credit: LEOL30 via Compfight

Our first project was about Isambard Kingdom Brunel

who was born in 1806.

He was an engineer who designed steamships, bridges and tunnels.

He engineered the railway line between Bray and Greystones.

This was a challenging job

as tunneling through rock was needed.

The arrival of the railway in Greystones

has made our town what it is today.

A thing of beauty is a joy forever
Creative Commons License Photo Credit: Nagesh Kamath via Compfight 

 

Next we are going to learn about Elizabeth Whitshed.

On Friday we learned about her husband Colonel Frederick Burnaby.

 

Lots of places in our local area are called after Colonel Burnaby.

 

Colonel Frederick Burnaby was a Victorian celebrity:

a soldier, adventurer, and writer.

He and his new wife Elizabeth Whitshed travelled

to North Africa on honeymoon,

but due to delicate health,

Elizabeth returned to Greystones.

She then moved to Switzerland for health reasons.

Colonel Burnaby was killed in action

(near Khartoum in Sudan) in 1885.

http://www.timetoast.com/timelines/63948

Copy of Who was Colonel Frederick Burnaby? on Prezi

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Special Request from the students for link to the BBC’s ‘Time Capsule Game’.

Special Request from the students for this link:

Children’s Lives in Victorian Times including The Time Capsule Game

David Brevitt Glaize
Creative Commons License Photo Credit: suemon123 via Compfight

You can find more student favourites by clicking on the tag

‘Student Request’ 

or ‘Student Favourite’ at the top of this post

on the right of the page under ‘Click below to see…’

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Schools Competition: This is the future we see for Dublin

We entered a competition run by Dublin City Council about the future we see for Dublin.

We wrote an essay …

The Future of Dublin

This is the future that we see for Dublin.  

If we use sun power,

windpower

and pedal power

we can improve the transport system in our capital city.

 

Transport need not all be at ground level.

Windpowered transport would fly above the city with sun powered vehicles.

Wheeled transport and pedal power would move at ground level.

Some transport could travel underneath the ground. Boats would travel along the river.

All vehicles would be light weight and designs would be good.

 Further in the Future of Dublin

 

With the transport at three levels:

 above the city,

 on the ground

 and below the ground,

 traffic jams would be history.

 

With transport being powered by the sun,

the wind

and pedal power,

traffic would not make noise.

Nor would there be the smell of petrol

and exhaust fumes.

Dublin in the Sunshine

In this way it will be more attractive for people to cycle

and to walk in the city of Dublin.

People will be healthier and more fit and they will be happier.

 

Dublin will be greener and cleaner.

There will be no pollution from cars and lorries.

Nature and wildlife will return to Dublin and the river.

 

Evening in Dublin

 

Parking of these new vehicles would be in the underground

and multi-storey car parks that are already there, 

but outdoor carparks can be turned into parks where people can walk and sit.

Trees and plants will grow happily.

  

Dublin will be the same in ways.

The Spire and the Custom House will still be there.

But we will build on the beauty of the city.

It will be a capital city to be even more proud of.

Tourists will visit to see what has been achieved.

This is the future we see for Dublin.

Morning in Dublin 

And then we wrote a poem:

We can see Dublin in the future.

We hear the gentle traffic hum.

We taste success .

We smell fresh air.

We touch the heart of the city.

 

We see the bright spire.

We hear happy talk.

We taste an energy.

We smell clean water.

We touch the soul of the city.

 

A light, bright Dublin

Shiny like a new coin

Strong and green like an oak tree.

Sparkling like the Liffey in the sun

 

We would like to go there now.

The sooner, the better.

We hope it is not a long journey.

If we start now,

We will get there quicker.

 

‘Well done’ the children will say.

Let’s keep it this way!

We say goodbye to noise pollution.

And so long …

to dirt and grime.

We say slán leat …

to lead poisoning

And fáilte romhat …

to a bright new day.

We worked collaboratively and we illustrated our work using an online digital tool called Scribbler.

Nightime in Dublin

 

Congratulations and Well Done

to Fourth Class, Griffith Barracks MDNS.  

You can read their imaginative and innovative ideas here

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Digital Art: We love using ‘Scribbler’.

This is digital art work we did using Scribbler.

First we looked at images of Dublin city on Google.

Then we drew using the Scribbler digital art programme.

Look closely. Can you see The Spire,

the Custom House

the buildings and

the River Liffey?

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Comprehension: Visualization + Making Connections – Summer Poems: ‘Summer Morning’ by Rachel Field + ‘Sunflakes’ by Frank Asch

Summer Morning

by Rachel Field

I saw dawn creep across the sky,

And all the gulls go flying by.

wham:a different corner
Photo Credit: Lali Masriera via Compfight

I saw the sea put on its dress

Of blue midsummer loveliness,

The forest floor
Creative Commons License Photo Credit: Justin Kern via Compfight

And heard the trees begin to stir

Green arms of pine and juniper.

I heard the wind call out and say:

‘Get up, my dear, it is today!’

 

Starburst and Beach Grass On Turquoise free creative commons
Photo Credit: D. Sharon Pruitt via Compfight

Sunflakes

by Frank Asch

If sunlight fell like snowflakes,
gleaming yellow and so bright,
we could build a sunman,
we could have a sunball fight,
we could watch the sunflakes
drifting in the sky.
We could go sleighing
in the middle of July
The Bamboo Forest and some great Twitter Lists to follow
Creative Commons License Photo Credit: Trey Ratcliff via Compfight
through sundrifts and sunbanks,
we could ride a sunmobile,
and we could touch sunflakes—
I wonder how they’d feel.
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Highlights of School Year

We were asked for the Highlights of our Learning Year

Sparkler heart
Creative Commons License Photo Credit: Alison Jackson-Bass via Compfight

for the school newsletter.

We were asked for five or so bullet points.

 

It was hard to choose from all the Highlights of our Learning Year,

so we will put up a longer list on this post.

 

Highlights of our Learning Year – 2nd Class Room 6

–         We were Junior Spider Awards national winners for our class blog

You can see the presentation here: Junior Spider Awards

 

–         We participated in the international Student Blogging Challenge 2013

Student Blogging Challenge 2013

 

– We learned about our digital footprint and digital citizenship.

We made friends all over the world through our blog.

 

– On 22nd January 2013 we the featured site

on the Comments4kids blogspot:

Comments4Kids Blogspot – Spotlight Blog

 

– We followed Chris Hadfield of the International Space Station on Twitter.

 

– We read these books: Our Shelfari Bookshelf

 

–         We learned how to make podcasts

Podcast: Julia reads from ‘The Snow Spider’

 

–         We participated in Digital Art Week 2013

Seasaws: Art Activity for Digital Art Week 2013

 

– We took part in the Twitter Autumn and Spring Challenge

Signs of Spring Twitter Project

 

– We entered Write A Book

Senan had his ‘moment in the sun’ and received the class merit award.

 

–         We prepared for our 1st Holy Communion. This was chronicled on the parish website:

Our Communion Preparations on the Parish Website

 

And the happy news is that

our school tour (5th June),

sports day (7th June, weather permitting)

and the annual seaside scavenger hunt (TBA) are still to come!

 

 

 

 

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Communion Photos on Wednesday

Dear Parent,

On Wednesday the photographer is coming

to take photographs of the 1st Communion class.

Other years, it has worked out best if your child

comes to school in their finery,

with their school tracksuit in a bag.

Parents are very welcome to come in

and help their child change,

however there is absolutely no pressure

to come in.

However the timing of all this is up to the photographer

and completely out of Teacher’s hands.

Generally he makes a start shortly after nine,

but as there are two classes you may find

you have to wait for some time,

Thanking you for your patience

and understanding in this matter

This letter will be going home on paper tomorrow.

Model Girl
Creative Commons License Photo Credit: josefnovak33 via Compfight

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Student Blogging Challenge 2013 – Week Ten – Evaluation

This is the tenth and final week

of the Student Blogging Challenge 2013.

You can read about it here 🙂

We began this challenge at the beginning of March
and have learnt a lot of interesting things
about blogging in that time.
We have also made contact
with many other students 
in other countries.
This week we were ask to evaluate our blog
and to ask someone else to audit it.
So here it goes:

 

How many posts did you write?
 
Oops we were on a bit of a roll,
 
we have written 121 posts since the beginning of March
 
How many were school based, your own interests
 
or set by the challenge?
 
10 of these were the blog challenges
 
and the other 111 were school related.
 
How many comments did you receive
 
from classmates, teachers or overseas students?
 
Since the beginning of March

 

we have received 98 comments
 
34  were from classmates
 
15 were from teachers from overseas
 
11 were from parents of students in 2nd Class, Room 6
 
32 were from overseas students
 
6 were from students from other schools in Ireland.
 
Which post received the most comments?
 
With 8 comments, 8 replies and 2 pingbacks that would be:
 
 
Why do you think that happened?
Because other bloggers participating
in the Student Blogging Challenge
were asked to comment as part of that week’s challenge.
There were links on this post to other blogs and
those bloggers got in contact.
 
Which post did you enjoy writing the most and why?
 
It is very hard to choose which post we enjoyed writing the best.
We found talking about our digital footprint very interesting

 

But perhaps our favourite post to write was
The image that we were asked to write about
generated a lot of interesting discussion
and some excellent writing.
We made a slideshow
and it was a collaborative effort
with Nicole writing the script
and Matthew, Isabella and Clara
illustrating the story.
We thought the end result turned out well 
and we got some very encouraging feedback from Ms. W. 🙂

 

Did you change blog themes at all and why?
 
No our blog theme is like our identity at this stage.
 
Our parents and friends who visit would recognize it.
 
If we changed it they might say:
 
‘Where are we?
We don’t recognize this place.
We are lost. Let’s go home!’
 
They might leave
 
and we wouldn’t like that.
 
So we would be slow to change it.
 
How many widgets do you have?
 
We LOVE widgets. We have 20 widgets.
 
Do you think this is too many or not enough?
 
This is probably too much
and makes the blog
a bit slow to load,
but we like them so much
 
we are going to leave them there.
If we saw a new one we really liked,
we’d probably add it.
We feel our widgets like our twitter feed
and add to the personality of our blog.
Having our podcast feed in our sidebar
helps visitors find them.
Widgets tells visitors a bit more about who we are
and what is important to us, like our bookshelf,
 
How many overseas students do you have on your blogroll?

 

We have 6 overseas students
and 12 overseas class blogs on our links.

 

 

What were your first impressions of this blog?

Colourful, busy, age appropriate

 

What captured your attention?

I thought the title was good

and I liked all the images.

 

What distracted you on the blog?

The blog takes some time to load

 

What suggestions can you give us to improve the blog?

Shorter, snappier posts!

 

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Congratulations to Today’s First Communicants

Well done to all the boys and girls in 2nd Class

who made their First Communion today.

We were all very proud of how well

you prepared for this special day.

 

You behaved beautifully in the church.

Everyone agreed you sang,

and read very well,

and brought up the gifts

with great reverence.

 

We hope you have had a super day

and that you get a good night’s sleep tonight.

We heard some of you were up very early indeed.

 

Teacher realises you may be very tired on Monday

and has planned the day accordingly

I am looking forward to

hearing all about your Big Day.

 

We will make thank you cards

and write some thank you letters.

You won’t have to work too hard.

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Student Blogging Challenge 2013 – Week Nine

This is  Student Blogging Challenge 2013 – Week 9 – Game Week.

 138...
Creative Commons License Photo Credit: Charlie Barker via Compfight

We read many posts that we found interesting and enjoyed

and we left many comments.

Of all the blogs we visited and posts we read in the past few weeks

these are our top three:

 

We really enjoyed Mrs Krebs Geography Surveys

We loved participating and we thought it was very interesting

how a language we share in many ways can have

different meanings in different parts of the world.

It certainly gave us  ‘food for thought’

if you excuse the pun.

 

We were very flattened to get a mention on

Mrs Tharp’s Class Blog on ‘Being Inspiring’

but that apart we thought her collection of posts

were very inspiring and that it was clever the way

they were linked together under one theme.

 alwaysbecurious EXPLORED!
Creative Commons License Photo Credit: Conor Keller via Compfight

And we just have to give Larkin’s Weirdly Special another mention.

Check the link above and you will see how hard he is working

and engaging with other bloggers.

 

Recognising and commenting on other blogs is key to blogging.

‘No man is an island’ and this is true of blogging too.

 

Since we started blogging we have left oodles of comments

on other blogs and it can be discouraging not to hear back.

 

In general for every 100 comments we leave we get about 5 back.

That is why we treasure those five.

 

Happily this percentage is much better on the Student Blogging Challenge.

 

What can make up for the lack of comments in general is

what good and faithful friends some bloggers then become.

He Waits
Photo Credit: greg via Compfight

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One of the Best Things about Blogging: Making New Friends

 One of the best things about blogging

is the friends we make from all over the world.

Dijana from Canada is a very good friend to us

here on ‘If Only The Best Birds Sang’.

She is a frequent commenter.

What she has to say is always positive and encouraging.

We know that Dijana is a little older than us.

She loves wolves!

And that her beautiful and unusual name is pronounced Dee-ana.

(the ‘j’ is silent).

We learn two languages in school; English and Irish

and Dijana learns English and French.

 

Now Dijana has sent us two lovely pictures

using a free photo editing programme called GIMP.

She asked us what we were interested in.

We said music and animals, especially dogs

and these are what she sent back to us.

 

Thank you Dijana.

Perhaps you would like to visit Dijana’s blog.

This is an excellent poem she wrote on the theme of friendship.

Dijana’s Blog

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Comprehension: ‘Making Connections’: Summer Poems by Wes Magee & ee cummings

 

horizon
Creative Commons License Photo Credit: Lino Gambella via Compfight

What is the Sun? by Wes Magee

 

the Sun is an orange dinghy

sailing across a calm sea

it is a gold coin

dropped down a drain in Heaven

the Sun is a yellow beach ball

kicked high into the summer sky

it is a red thumb-print

on a sheet of pale blue paper

the Sun is a milk bottle’s gold top

floating in a puddle

 

I Got The Star (IMG_6851)
Photo Credit: Schristia via Compfight

 

maggy and milly and molly and may

 

maggy and milly and molly and may


 


went down to the beach(to play one day)




 


and maggie discovered a shell that sang




 


so sweetly she couldn't remember her troubles,




 


and milly befriended a stranded star




 


whose rays five languid fingers were;




 


and molly was chased by a horrible thing




 


which raced sideways while blowing bubbles:




 


and may came home with a smooth round stone




 


as small as a world and as large as alone.




 


For whatever we lose(like a you or a me)




 


its always ourselves we find in the sea




 


ee cumming


 


 










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That Time of Year Again! Information for Parents on Standardized Tests.






As it is that time of year again, 


I thought it would be helpful to 


repost this item on Standardized Tests.


Identity Theft

 

Some information about standardized test results.


‘A test only measures what the test asks’


A parent generally shouldn’t be overly concerned about test results 


unless the teacher is.


The teacher looks at the result in conjunction 


with how the child has succeeded at their schoolwork


over a full year


and decide if it reflects reality or not.


Parents can do this too.


 


Looking back over completed workbooks and copybooks


may show that your child can be inconsistent.


Some days they may do excellent work and present their work beautifully


and on another they may not.


 


This is not unusual.


Children after all are children!


We wouldn’t have them any other way.


 


Some background information on standardized tests.


 


How do teachers prepare children for the test?


It is accepted as more that ‘good practice’ 


not to ‘teach to the test’.


 


In fact it is vital not to ‘teach to the test’


as doing so invalidates the test.


 


We teach the Maths and English curriculum 


as laid down in the Irish curriculum.


 


We do not prepare the children 


for the specific questions in the standardized tests.


 


If we did that would negate the ‘standardized’ aspect of them


and the results wouldn’t be authentic.


 


These results just show how a child performed 


in one test with a set of questions


that they are not prepared for in any way,


 


The format may be unfamiliar.


 


Other aspects to consider


The test may be given in 2nd class 


or in the Autumn Term of 3rd.


 


For that reason, some of the sums included


by the designers of this test


are from the 3rd class curriculum.


 


So this content,


included towards the end of the test


will be unfamiliar to students in 2nd class.


 


Some children will approach these more difficult questions


as problems to be solved and


with a ‘can do’ attitude may get some right.


 


Others can be somewhat perturbed by their unfamiliarity


and say ‘Teacher you never taught us how to do this!’


 


The timing of the tests


The English or Maths tests are completed in a day.


We are advised not to ‘test’ on a Monday or a Friday


or on a day after an event like ‘Sports Day’


or the day of the School Tour.


 


Children find the standardized tests challenging.


At 2nd class, one section of the English test is 40 minutes long


and the Maths test can take over an hour.


 


That’s a long time for a 7 or 8 year old to sit quietly,


– work independently,


– concentrate


– and to remain motivated.


 


While the teacher is there to supervise and ‘support’ the children,


the examinees do not get help or advice from the teacher.


 


Exams by their very nature are all too often an endurance test


as much as a test of knowledge and abilities.


 


Exam Skills


Then there are ‘exam skills’.


These are still very much developing in Second Class.


 


Time management is one of these skills.


 


It is considered ‘good practice’ 


the teacher moves around the classroom during the test.


So, for example, if a child gets ‘stuck’


on one question they can be advised to 


‘leave it until later and move on’.


 


On the other hand some children can be


 inclined to rush and not understand the


importance of checking back over their work.


 


The standardized test results are a ‘snapshot’ on the day.


 


Perhaps a child is tired or distracted.


 


Maybe he or she does’t realise 


the significance of the test 


and doesn’t do their best.


 


Teachers walk a tightrope between 


reminding the children to do their best yet


not cause children unnecessary worry.


 


An analysis of errors made


I was pleased with how the class did


in their tests.


 


I had an interesting time analysing errors, 


particularly in the Sigma T Maths Test.


 


The children do the first two pages with direction from the teacher.


They are then given up to an hour to complete over forty questions.


 


Some children were up to me very quickly to say they had ‘finished’ the paper.


Still in 2nd class some children equate doing best with finishing first.


 


Coming up after even twenty minutes means that a child has given less than 30 seconds to


– reading a question,


– deciding what needs to be done,


– arriving at an answer


– and checking it is correct.


I can see from the exam papers 


that some very simple mistakes were made by those in a hurry.


 


For example;


at one point the students are asked to count money.


Instead they counted the number of coins on the page.


 


Many of the sums had graphics to help the children.


I see from my analysis that some children 


who were in a hurry simply miscounted.


 


Rushing also resulted in some questions not being answered.


 


I also noted children adding where they were asked to take away and visa versa.


 


STen Scores


In the end of the year reports, 


results will be given in the form of STen scores.


(A system of scoring from 1-10)


 


Just a few simple mistakes like those described 


and a child can drop a STen


 


Sometimes it can be a case of two or three more correct answers 


and a Sten would go up.


 


If the child got a STen of 5 (average) last year 


and a STen of 4 (below average) this year,


it can seem like the child is beginning to have difficulties


whereas the reality is,


if they hadn’t made two or three avoidable errors as I have described,


they would still be at a 5.


 


Finally


In accordance with a recent directive 


from the Department of Education,


school reports will be going out before the school holidays.


 


The standardized test results will accompany the school reports.


I hope you have found this information useful.




‘There is nothing in a caterpillar 


that tells you it is going to be a butterfly’ 🙂


 











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Green Schools – Biodiversity – Food Chains and Food Webs






We are working towards earning 


a Green Schools flag for Biodiversity.


We learnt about food chains 


using the games on this link.


We saw how food chains became food webs.


We looked at food webs in different habitats.


Some of the boys drew prehistoric food chains.


We learned how the balance in nature is upset


if a plant or animal is removed from the food chain.




 










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Green Schools: Online Games that teach about Food Chains






What's the worry? Ecosystems are for kids.

Creative Commons License Photo Credit: woodleywonderworks via Compfight


We are working on earning our Biodiversity Flag for Green Schools.


We used this great game today to learn about Food Chains.


Sheppard Software Food Chain Game


We also learned about herbivores, omnivores and carnivores


Animal Diet Game


There are even more educational and interesting games here:


Sheppard Software Games for Kids


We like working up the levels on this one:


Build a Food Chain from Cserc.org


As usual BBC Bitesize has an excellent activity 


to help us understand food chains.


BBC Bitesize Food Chain Game


Just remember that the video at the end


is only available in the UK.


Also from the BBC is this one:


BBC Science Clips on Interdependence Game


This one is also very interesting.


We scored 30. 


Could you do better?


How could we improve?


Puzzling Caret – Balance the Food Chain


The above one is set in Sunny Meadows.


This one is set in the Rainforest


Revolution Caret – Rainforest Ecosystem


The following is a clever game 


because you can see what happens


if an animal is taken out of the food chain.


Chain Reaction from Eco Kids


This one is much more challenging (for Senior Classes really)


but it shows you how complicated a food chain is.


No need to log in. Just click ‘skip’.


Food Chain Game from Cool Classroom.org


 










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A Tour of Our School on Photopeach.






BeFunky_null_274.jpg


We enjoyed looking at the slideshows 


Room 5, Melville School, Hamilton, New Zealand 


did which let us see what their school looked like. 


We were amazed to see blue skies and sunshine there 


during what was our Winter. 


Now Summer has at last arrived here, 


we thought our school was looking at it’s best, 


so we took some photos,


Thanks for the GREAT idea, Room 5.


A Tour of Our School on PhotoPeach




 










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A podcast of The Prayer of the Faithful that is said ‘as Gaeilge’ at the 1st Communion Mass.






This podcast is to help you practice the correct pronunciation


of the Prayer of the Faithful that is said in Irish 


at the 1st Communion ceremony (Niamh & Shane).


You will be practicing this for homework this week.


Though you are very good already, 


this might give you even more confidence.


I Say A Little Prayer For You...

Creative Commons License Photo Credit: Christine via Compfight


Guimíd i gcóir ár gclann go léir.


Beannaigh ‘iad a Dhia agus coimead ‘iad


go slán sabháilte.


A Thiarna éist linn.


All: A Thiarna bí ceansa agus éist linn.


listen to ‘For the students who are saying the Prayer of the Faithful ‘as Gaeilge’ at their 1st Communion Mass’ on Audioboo




 










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Student Blogging Challenge 2013 – No.8: These are a Few of Our Favourite Things.






For the last few weeks we have been doing 


the Student Blogging Challenge 2013. This is Challenge 8.


We were asked to write about on Ten Favourite Things. 


You can read more about it here:  Student Blogging Challenge – No. 8


 


1. Our Favourite Thing to do in school is to sing and make music.


 notes of a rock song

 Photo Credit: Bùi Linh Ngân via Compfight


2nd Class Room 6 are a class who really love to sing and make music. 


It was something Teacher noticed almost immediately 


when she came to teach the class in September. 


We love all the singing we do when we are learning in class. 


We sing our tables. 


We learn Irish through song. 


We sing hymns. 


We enjoy singing traditional songs and pop songs. 


But we often find ourselves singing at other times too. 


We will do practicing our handwriting and someone will start to hum. 


Someone will join in and then someone else. 


And before we know it the whole class is singing. 


The Voice

 Photo Credit: Andy Morffew via Compfight


That is how Teacher found out that we really like 


the ‘Minecraft’ version of Taio Cruz’s pop song Dynamite


and Katy Perry’s Firework‘


We also play the recorder


and give us the box of percussion instruments 


and we couldn’t be happier.


 


2. Our Favourite Thing to do in class is learn:


Welcoming

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For example: JC says he would love to learn to say hello 


and good bye in French and Russian and Chinese.


He would love to learn to have a conversation in Chinese and French. 


He wonders who invented machines like the clock. 


He would like to learn about space and gravity and the planets.


 


Cian says he would like to learn how to speak every language in the world. 


And he would like to learn about different religions. 


He would like to know how to fly a plan or a speedboat or


a car or a motor bike. Now that would be fun.


 


Jack S  would like to learn how to talk in every language 


and he would like to learn how to drive a truck and a car. 


He would like to learn how to play baseball and Gaelic. 


He would like to learn how to fly an aeroplane 


or a jet or a boat or a speed boat or a motorbike. 


He would like to learn how to bungee jump 


or to jump out of a plane in a parachute. 


He would like to learn how to draw a lion or a dog or a rhino. 


He would like to know how do you grow a tree or a flower?


 


Obviously we won’t be learning all of those things in school. 


But we are learning some of the skills that would be helpful


and we are learning how to learn.


 


3. Our Favourite Thing to learn about is The Animal Kingdom. 


From the tiniest Irish Mammals; the pipstrelle bat and pygmy shrew 


to the largest creature on this earth, the Blue Whale,


Blue whale, Loreto, Baja California Sur

Creative Commons License Photo Credit: Ken Bondy via Compfight


we love learning about The Animal Kingdom.


We learn about habits and habitat, diet and predators.


This week, Fiona the school’s Green School Co-ordinator 


sent us the link to The Irish Whales&Dolphin Group


where we can search for local sightings.


 


4. Our Favourite Thing to do on a rainy day is Art.


Abstract Fluid Landscape

Creative Commons License Photo Credit: Mark Chadwick via Compfight


We really enjoyed Art this year. 


We developed our skills and we learned 


that there is no such thing as a mistake in Art. 


We worked in 2D and 3D and we also did Digital Art. 


We participated in  Digital Art Week 2013


and learned how to use really interesting online tools like Scribbler


 Isabella says: 


“I draw sketches of trees and nature and stars.


I draw forest and waterfalls and icicles. It is great to do art.


You can make amazing things. I even go out at night to draw owls


and hedgehogs and foxes.“


 


5. Our Favourite Thing to do when we have 


‘nothing to do’ is to go to our blog.


Rainbow on cd

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Jack K says: 


‘We can put our names into the search facility 


and check back over the work we have done 


during the year. We can practice our maths using 


The School Hub’s Balloon Popping Game


We can click on Educational Websites 


in the menu and check out activities 


we enjoy like Draw a Stick Man‘


 


6. Our Favourite Place to go on a Friday at the end of a week’s work 


is Mrs. Mooney’s Sweetshop.


A Rainbow of Flavors

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Mrs. Mooney’s shop is right beside the school. 


This magical shop is famous nationally and last year 


we nominated it as the best shop in Ireland!


24 Reasons Why Mrs. Mooney’s shop is special on PhotoPeach




 


7.Our Favourite Thing to do on Saturday morning is sport.


The Ghost - HDR

Creative Commons License Photo Credit: Marty Desilets via Compfight


 


 


There is a great deal of variety in the sports that the students 


of 2nd Class Room 6 are involved in. 


These include Gaelic Football, Hurling and Camogie, Rugby, Football,


Tennis, Taekwondo, Swimming, Horse Riding and Gymnastics.


 


Max wrote: ‘If I had a favourite thing it would be football 


because I always wanted to be a footballer 


and it is an exciting sport because 


things can happen in football that you do not expect.


My favourite football team is Liverpool 


and I supported Liverpool all my life 


and I will never change that.


 


Alice says: ‘I love gymnastics. 


I go to it every Saturday 


and I do jumping and cart wheeling 


and I do the crab’.


 


8. Our Favourite Treat is to go to the cinema.


Ladies and gentlemen, please take your seats

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2nd class Room 6 often talk about the films that they go to at weekend. 


Generally we will review them and give them a mark out of ten. 


Usually we give the films we see full marks. 


It is very rare that film is given a poor mark. 


Movies we have enjoyed recently include ‘The Croods,’


‘Oz, Great and Powerful’ and ‘The Odd Life of Timothy Green’.


 


9. Our Favourite Present to receive is a book.


girls with butterfly book

 Photo Credit: Rick&Brenda Beerhorst via Compfight


For example as Niamh explains: 


‘My favourite thing to do is read. 


I like to read books written by Roald Dahl and Anne Fine 


and Jenny Nimmo and Jill Tomlinson and Dick King Smith.


I have had a library card since I was three, because my nanny got me it.


I have loads of books at my house and I mostly read them at night. 


I like to read non-fiction books more than fiction books‘.


 


And finally:


10. Our Favourite Thing in All the World is our family


Siblings

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Alice wrote:




My favourite thing in the world is my family. 


Without my family I would not be here right now. 


My Dad gives my family the money to live right now. 


My Mum gives me food to live. My siblings play with me. 


Without them I would be very lonely. 


When my siblings are not here (very rarely) I play with my dog.


I love my family and they love me.


These are a few of our favourite things!


 










 by  


1000 Question Challenge: Level 3






Have you completed Level Two


Are you ready for the challenge of Level Three?


1. What would happen if there was no TV? Why would this be good? bad?


2. What would happen if everyone lived in space? What type of houses would they live in? 


What type of clothing would they wear? 


What type of food would they eat? 


How would they travel?


3. What if cows gave orange juice instead of milk?


4. What if all the streets were rivers? What would be different?


5. What would happen if people never co-operated? 


Why do you think it is important to co-operate?


 6. What would happen if it really did rain cats and dogs?


7. What would happen if animals could talk?


8. What are some of the questions you would like to ask animals?


9. What would happen if you could become invisible whenever you wanted to? 


10. What are some of the things you could do that you cannot do now?


 11. What would happen if everyone wore the same clothes?


12. What would happen if you threw litter? What if everyone did?


13. What if you could walk up walls and across ceilings?


14. How do you feel on a warm sunny day?


15. What would happen if you grew taller than trees? How would this change your life?


16. What would happen if children ruled the world?


17. What would happen if there were no transport; 


no cars, buses, trains, boats, or planes?


18. What if everyone lived under water? Where would people live? 


What games would children play? What would school be like?


19. What would happen if you found treasure in your back yard?


20.What would happen if you found a bean stalk in your garden?


21. What is a bully?


22. What would you do if a bully bothered you on your way home?


23. When do you feel proud?


24. What would you do if a friend borrows things from you but never returns them?


25. What would you do if you were the teacher and everyone forgot his homework?


26. What would you do if you were in the middle of the lake and your boat began to leak?


27. What would you do if your friend had a broken leg? How would you cheer him up?


28. What would you do if you saw little bugs in your salad?


29. What would you do if you woke up in another country and no one could understand you?


30. What would you do if you ordered an ice cream cone and you forgot to bring money?


31. What would you do if someone got in front of you when you were waiting 


to be served in a shop?


32. What would you do if your jam  sandwich fell upside down on the floor?


33. What would you do if only one biscuit is left 


and neither you nor your friend have had one?


 34. What would you do if two of your best friends 


went to the cinema without inviting you?


35. What would you do if the surprise party was for you but you knew already 


and so you weren’t surprised?


36. What would you do if you got a present you didn’t like?


37. What would you do if you were at home and your homework was at school?


38. What would you do if you dropped a glass and it broke?


39. What would you do if you were invited to two parties on the same day?


40. What would you do if you promised to feed your pet and you forgot?


41. What would you do if someone said you did something wrong and you didn’t?


42. What would you do if your new shoes felt fine in the shop but now they are hurting?


43. What would you do if someone told you a joke that you don’t think is funny?


44. When you have a problem who do you talk to? Why?


45. 


46. What would you do if Teacher marked six sums wrong that were right?


47. What would you do if you found fifty euro in the street?


48. What would you do if you found a magic wand?


49. What would you say if your friend told you that he or she had magic powers?


50. What would you do if you wanted to be friends with someone 


who didn’t speak the same language as you?


51. What would you say if someone told you it was all right to steal from a shop?


52. Where do you think we should go on our school tour this year? Why?


53. If you could have been someone in history, who would you have been?


54. If you could only take 3 people with you on a trip around the world, 


who would you take and why?


55. If you could give any gift in the world, what would you give and to whom?


56. If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?


57. If you received money as a present, what would you do with it?


58. If you could do whatever you wanted to right now, what would you do?


59. If you were principal of this school, what would you do?


60. If you were a mouse in your house in the evening, 


what would you see your family doing?


61. If you were five years older you what would you do?


62. If you were lost in the woods and it got dark, what would you do?


63. If it were your job to decide what shows can be on TV, how would you choose?


64. If there were no rules, what do you think would happen?


65. If you owned a shop, what would you do to discourage people from stealing from you?


66. If you could be in the Olympics, which event would you choose and why?


67. If you could break the Guinness Book of Records it would be for?


68. If you had to describe yourself as a colour, which would you choose?


69. If your friend told you of a secret plan to run away from home, 


what would you do and why?


70. What do you think of 3D movies?


71. What do you think someone your age can do to help 


reduce the amount of pollution in our environment?


72. What do you think the world needs now?


73. Should you have to do chores around the house? Why or why not?


74. What do you think about people polluting the environment?


75. What do you think about having set rules and laws for people to follow? 


What would happen without them?


76. What do you think about people who are unkind to others?


77. What do you think the world will be like when you are a grown up?


78. What do you think about when you can’t fall asleep?


79. What do you think courage means? Look it up in the dictionary if you are not sure.


80. What do you think makes a good friend?


81. What do you think makes a happy family?


82. What things do you think are beautiful?


83.What do you think about students having to wear school uniforms?


84.What is something you do well?


85. What is your favourite room in your home and why?


86. What is a good neighbour?


87. What is your favourite time of day?


88. What is your idea of a dull evening?


89. What is your favourite song and why?


90. What is the best birthday present you ever received?


91. What is your favourite book and why?


92. What annoys you?


93. When something annoys you what do you do to calm down.


94. What is the best advice you ever received?


95. What is your favourite holiday? What makes this holiday special?


96. What is your favourite day of the week?


97. What is your favourite month? Why?


98. How do you feel when it’s your birthday? Why?


99. How do you feel on the first day of winter? Why?


100. How do you feel when you do something that is very good?


face-grin

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