Photo Credit: * starrynight1 via Compfight
Month: December 2013
‘Granny’s Garden’ – Follow Up Activities – Responses to the Story 1
Photo Credit: Joe Penniston via Compfight
Sive’s story:
Never have I been scared of witches but the one in ‘Granny’s Garden’. was scary. This witch was ugly and her hair was knotted and greasy. Her clothes were torn and dirty. She looked as if she had worn the same clothes for her whole life. I am really tired right now, because looking after that little girl, Claire was painful. All she ever did was moan. When I first rescued Claire, she didn’t even say ‘Thank you’. She just kept on hitting me so I would give her the cake. I did make a few friends though, like the Raven, the Spider, the Worm, the Snail, the Bee and the Butterfly. I even got a slice of non poisonous cake from the Witch. I had a very outlandish day and I REALLY enjoyed it.
Photo Credit: Desmond Kavanagh via Compfight
Katie’s Story:
Going on that adventure was brilliant. Most of the kids were good but Daniel wasn’t very grateful. I found the witch’s eyes scary, the way they rolled around. The dragons were freaky and overweight. Most of it (especially the dragons) was funny. In place, it was especially difficult. That the Giant was not eating people. I have to admit, was strange for me. I would give this adventure nine out of ten.
Photo Credit: Joe Penniston via Compfight
Ciaran’s Story:
I hated that day. The Witch scared the living daylight out of me, but luckily I had an axe on my back. The swamp was so annoying. I fell neck deep and I still can’t wash out the smell. The children I rescued were so annoying that I decided to cook them in a stew pot 🙂 The wood was just as bad. I can’t tell you how many times I was ambushed by a blood thirsty bear and when we set up camp, in the middle of the night, the tent blew away. Man, that is the last time, I am doing that.
Photo Credit: 林 慕尧 / Chris Lim via Compfight
John said:
I loved the day when I went to the Kingdom of the Mountains. The witch was terribly funny and the Daniel person was so bold that he jumped out of the castle window and broke his leg. Anna had to bring him to the hospital. That Redhorn person really freaked me out. When the Giant asked me if I wanted to be eaten and I said Yes, the funny thing is that he didn’t eat me. That day was EPIC!
Photo Credit: Aaron Brown via Compfight
Tommy said:
I loved the Witch, her wrinkles and her yellow eyes were so nice. The snake in the cottage scared the living daylights out of me, but luckily I had an apple and I threw it at it. The baby dragons at the village were kinda cute, but the Red Dragon was annoying, but not as annoying as Tom and Anna were. They were always moaning about how they were hungry. Anna was always saying her nails were messed up and her hair was not straight. She was so annoying. Tom kept saying that I could not take care of children and I should give up. I think the Giant was very nice not to eat me and the dwarf in the lake was foolish to tell a stranger his name like that.
Photo Credit: Alex Eylar via Compfight
Evan said:
I liked the Witch. I thought she was really kind because she gave me her cake. I didn’t like the way the Giant was a sissy and didn’t eat me. I think Redhorn was very stupid to give his name away to randomers.
Photo Credit: Joe Penniston via Compfight
Tara said:
I really enjoyed the adventure, even though some of it was just silly. I felt very uneasy when I met the witch in her cottage. She seriously scared my socks off. You sent me on a quest when all I did was come for a holiday in the Kingdom of the Mountains. It was well worth it though. Your giant was awesome. He doesn’t eat people which is good. Your facilities are good. I especially loved the lake. The children were very well behaved, especially Claire. She ‘s a credit to you. You really shouldn’t have let me into the marsh though. It’s a death trap. The dragon bit of the quest was silly. Why would you have to get them out singly. Dragons don’t eat buns, lollies, oranges and chips you know. During Level Four the things that were blocking the paths were weird but super friendly. Overall I thought everything was ok. The only thing is you should give that witch some immediate plastic surgery.
Photo Credit: Eugenio via Compfight
More stories and some artwork from Fifth class, Room 12 to follow, on this theme.
You can read other student responses to the game
‘Granny’s Garden’ – Follow up activities: Reasons you would like to be a bad witch (or wizard)
Photo Credit: Joe Penniston via Compfight
I would like to be a bad witch (or wizard) because…
I could do what I want.
I would be my own boss.
I could do things my own way
Because I could have a secret lair
with hostages and slaves
I would wear black.
I could have a black cat
I could have weird pets
I could live in unusual places.
I wouldn’t have to be nice to people.
I could zap people into whatever I want.
I could change the rules
and destroy pop music.
I could turn the world into a desert
and blow up the school.
I could stop all the fun subjects in school.
I could put a stop to homework
I could banish cheese sauce
and long queues for water slides.
I could steal Christmas,
melt snow
or turn snow into ice.
I could practice my evil laugh:
he! he! he!
I would find it hard to be bad:
at a funeral, a wedding,
football or rugby training
on my birthday
When someone gives me a hug
or a present
or boosts my confidence.
These ideas from Fifth Class, Room 12.
‘Granny’s Garden’ – Follow up activities: Reasons you would like to be a good witch (or wizard)
Photo Credit: Historias Visuales via Compfight
I would like to be a good witch (or wizard) because…
I could use my magic for good and do good spells.
I could go back in time and prevent evil
If I went back in time I could save the dinosaurs.
Everyone would like you
and would defend you.
You could make everyone like you.
No one would be scared of you.
I like to help people with every day problems
I could make the world a better place.
I could heal people with powders and spices.
I would like to save the world and endangered animals
I could change everyone that is bad
and rescue people who are in danger.
There would be no crime and no war.
Ireland would be sunny and warm.
If I forgot someone’s birthday
or forgot to get someone a present
I could solve this problem by magic.
I could apparate instead of walking
or teleport somewhere.
I could use magic to change my clothes
and to do my homework.
I could cook dinner with magic.
I could fly to school,
stop time
and have an infinity of my favourite food.
I’d make things that I want out of thin air.
Sometimes I find it hard to be good:
At school,
at home,
at Granny’s,
if someone is annoying me
or no one listens to you.
or when someone is being unfair
I think it would be a good idea
to keep my powers a secret so…
people don’t know you are a witch.
so others can’t defeat you.
People would ask you for stuff
that they really don’t need
If I kept my powers a secret
I wouldn’t be asked to change people’s lives,
which could be a risky thing to do
These ideas from Fifth Class, Room 12.
‘Granny’s Garden’ – Follow up activities: A review of the game by Sean
Photo Credit: Trey Ratcliff via Compfight
I enjoyed my visit to ‘The Kingdom of The Mountains’
I liked the way that you had to remember a password.
I also like that a bird helped you on your quest.
What I did’t like was that the graphics were not very modern.
I would have liked if there had been more levels.
I would have liked if each level was longer.
I think that would have made for
an even better experience of the game.
Sean
Coming to school is a history lesson…
Coming to school is a history lesson
for the students in our school that
attend school in the convent.
The convent is over one hundred years old.
Built in 1906 it used be a school in the olden days.
Some children attend school there,
while a new extension is being built.
Click on this link if the above slideshow doesn’t show.
A Trip down Memory Lane … to ‘Granny’s Garden’.
Photo Credit: Serena via Compfight
Today I worked with some past pupils.
When they had worked with me before,
we had used the educational, adventure game; ‘Granny’s Garden’
and we thought that it would be interesting to revisit it.
‘Granny’s Garden’ is considered a classic.
It has been educating and entertaining children since 1983.
Many grown ups are quite nostalgic about it.
The aim of ‘Granny’s Garden’ is to find
Esther, Tom, Clare, Anna, Jessica, and Daniel,
the six missing children of the King and Queen
of the Kingdom of the Mountains
who have been kidnapped by the Wicked Witch
Granny’s Garden, involves problem solving
as the children visit ‘The Giant’s Garden’,
The City of Dragons and the Land of Mystery.
The students today succeeded in rescuing the children.
We also did some written work and art based on the game.
Teacher plans to upload some of this work
in the next few days, so keep your eye out for it.
#eddies13 Last request for your vote in the Edublog Awards (We promise ;))
This is our last request for your vote
as voting ends at midnight EST.
Thank you very much if you have already voted.
We have really enjoyed the excitement of the Edublog Awards.
We enjoyed connecting with other bloggers
and seeing other class blogs.
We found ourselves in such good company.
Visitors to our blog increased by 30% in the last week
and we got some lovely messages from old friends and new.
We are proud of our bright blue and yellow Edublog Finalist badge.
We have over one hundred votes
and are just hopeful of holding on to a top five position 🙂
Adults can vote by clicking on the ‘Thumbs Up’ below
and follow the directions from there.
Student Request: ‘Caine’s Arcade’ 1&2
We talked about recycling.
We watched this film about an American boy
who created an arcade from cardboard boxes
‘Caine’s Arcade’ – The Story Begins
‘Caine’s Arcade’ – A World Wide Movement!
Photo Credit: Theodore C via Compfight
We talked about the ‘power of one’.
One boy’s imagination inspired others.
One film maker’s kindness helped Caine realise a dream.
Together they started a world wide movement.
Student Request: ‘Adventures of a Cardboard Box’
We enjoyed this charming eight minute short film today
about the fun a young boy has
playing with a cardboard box.
‘Adventures of a Cardboard Box‘
Photo Credit: sⓘndy° via Compfight
Afterwards we talked about
how many ways the hero of this story used the box.
We used clues in the story to guess in what country
this film was made.
We also touched on the theme of loss
and how happy memories can help us
when we remember people
and pets that we have lost.
Storyline Online: Books to read online
Photo Credit: Don Kennedy – Largo, FL via Compfight
This site has a selection of videos
where books are read by an actor.
There are approximately eighteen videos.
Among them are favourites like ‘The Rainbow Fish’
by Marcus Pfister.
I have used this site from 2nd to 6th.
Many of the stories have a subtext
which the older students get value out of.
The variety of illustrations are very appealing too.
If watching this in school
click on the School Tube icon
at the top left of the page
because You Tube
is often blocked in schools.
Student Request for ‘Viking Quest’ from BBC Schools
Photo Credit: leg0fenris via Compfight
I was visiting Fifth Class today
and they put in a request
for a direct link to BBC’s ‘Viking Quest’
so here it is:
Link for voting in Class Blog category in ‘Edublog Awards’
Some parents have said that they are having difficulty
voting for ‘If Only The Best Birds Sang’
in the Edublogs Awards for Best Class Blog
so we are putting up the link below:
If you click on the ‘thumbs up’ icon on the left of the picture
and follow the instructions, you should be able to vote.
Thanks a million.
‘Pest Control’&Other Stories by Cillian F
Photo Credit: Nina Matthews via Compfight
Did anyone tell you that a mouse
came into the classroom two months ago?
When it came in everyone freaked out.
In the end, we left the room.
Luckily, Room Ten was off on a hike,
so we borrowed their room.
And a week ago I saw a pest control van in the grounds.
There haven’t been any mice seen since.
23rd January 2013
Cartoon by Cillian:
Cillian is currently learning about fractions in school.
He drew a cartoon from which you can probably guess
what he thinks about them!
‘Christmas Customs in Ireland Long Ago – A Grandmother’s Memories of Christmas Long Ago – Part Two
Photo Credit: seyed mostafa zamani via Compfight
Christmas Customs in Ireland long ago
‘Christmas in Ireland was very much a family festival
when sons and daughters who were working away from home
returned home for Christmas.
Many families looked forward to a letter or parcel
from family members who had gone to America.
This was sure to contain not only good wishes
but also a present of money.
Shopkeepers gave a Christmas box to thank families
for shopping with them. This was often a box of biscuits or a bottle of port.
A candle was lit and placed in the window on Christmas Eve.
The eldest member of the family helped the youngest to do this.
This was done to show that Joseph and Mary,
who found no room at the inn in Bethlehem,
were welcome in the house.
It was believed that at midnight on Christmas Eve,
cows and donkeys knelt to honour the Baby Jesus
and that at that moment, they could talk.
The animals were given an extra feed on Christmas Eve.
Christmas Day was spent at home.
It was very much a family festival
and people didn’t visit unless specially invited to do so.
On Stephen’s Day the branch of a tree was decorated
and the ‘wren boys’ went from house to house
singing in the neighbourhood in return for treats.
These are my memories of Christmas
in Ireland in the 1940s and 50s.
In ways it seems so long ago
but in other ways it only seems like yesterday..’
‘An Orange in My Stocking’ – A Grandmother’s Memories of Christmas Long Ago – Part One
Photo Credit: postbear eater of worlds via Compfight
An Orange in Your Stocking
It was just after the Second World War
in the early forties when Robyn’s granny
was about seven or eight. She said:
“Fruit that grew in hot countries
like bananas and oranges was scarce.
These could only be got if a cargo ship
made it through from Lisbon in Portugal.
These ships had to come through the Bay of Biscay
and many vessels were lost making the trip.
So it was a big treat when someone got…
an orange in their stocking.
Imagine!
This is not to say Christmas was not the most magical of times.
For weeks even months preparations were being made.
The Mammies were arranging with the butcher,
the baker and other shop keepers to keep stuff for them.
There were no supermarkets then
and very little money so people would go to these shops,
pick out what they wanted and pay a little for them every week,
so when Christmas week arrived everything was paid for.
The children had jobs to do too.
They would go to the woods
and gather holly and ivy to decorate the house.
We also collected for the neighbours
who had nobody to do it for them.
If they gave you a penny, it would be riches indeed,
but if they didn’t, it didn’t matter
as we had such fun gathering it.
To us they were wonderful times
and even if everything changes,
the message of Christmas remains the same.
Christ was born to us in a stable
bringing joy to the world and goodwill to man’.
Christmas Memories from Parents and Grandparents
Photo Credit: Alexey Kljatov via Compfight
Christmas past and present.
Some students interviewed parents and grandparents
about Christmas when they were young. They remembered.
‘Trying to be good.
Asking for a surprise.
Letters to Santa being sent up the chimney (not advised nowadays)
or by post to the North Pole.
Shouting up the chimney to Santa.
Counting the days on the Advent calendar’.
They also remembered ‘
Making a wish when stirring the Christmas cake mixture.
Putting a few pennies in the plum pudding mix.
The moving crib.
Making paper chains.
Midnight mass.
It was great going out so late!
Going to Mass in new clothes.
Leaving Santa something to eat and drink.
Spiced beef.
Being excited and finding it hard to get to sleep.
Trying to stay awake to see Santa!
The wind whistling in the chimney made me afraid
in case I would be awake and Santa wouldn’t leave presents.
The excitement of waking up early to see what Santa had brought.
Big thick colouring books and markers
and spending the day happily colouring in.
A family time.
Seeing all the family together in one place.
A special dinner with turkey, roast potatoes, brussels sprouts and gravy.
Christmas pudding for dessert.
Selection boxes. We didn’t get sweets every day back then.
We had no TV!
They said:
Christmas simpler then. It’s very commercialised now.
I wish I was a little girl again!
It’s better now because I have children!”
Thank you to the parents and grandparents
who shared their memories with us.
#eddies13: Voting in the Edublog Awards
Photo Credit: Eric via Compfight
Seomra Ranga has a very clear post on those
‘locals from hereabouts’ who have reached the voting stage.
Please take a look and vote for your favourites.
It would be good to see the Irish nominations
who got so far in the competition progress and get an award.
In particular might I commend
the student entrants to you:
and the phenomenal showing from
St. Wolstan’s TY Group
who have three nominations
and Best Podcast.
You can vote for more than one in each category
so I will also mention our good friends ‘St Peter’s Bray’
who also feature in the Podcasting category.
If you would like to vote for
‘If Only The Best Birds Sang’
in the Edublogs Awards
just click on the arrow on the bottom left of this icon.
You would need a Twitter Account or Facebook to sign in.
#eddies13 ‘Great minds think alike’. Great nominations for Edublog Awards.
Photo Credit: Victor Bezrukov via Compfight
Looking through the finalists for The Edublog Awards
I was very happy to see that ‘Great minds think alike’.
There were very many familiar faces.
I was glad to see that quite a number of the blogs I’d nominated
had gone through to the voting stages.
So take a bow
and EdBlogsIE
There are lots of #irisheddies2013 this year.
From further afield I was delighted to see nominations for
@NZWaikato‘s class
Room 5 @ Melville Intermediate School
from Hamilton, New Zealand.
I was also very pleased to see both Mackenzie’s !ROAR!
and Annabel’s ‘Dance to this Blog’
as I could not choose between them.
The teacher who taught them to blog,
Sue Wyatt is also nominated for the ‘Lifetime Achievement Award.’
She also co-ordinates the biannual Student Blogging Challenge.
I was also glad to see William Chamberlain’s #comments4kids
has reached the voting stage as has Rob Smith’s wonderful
Though I was sorry How I Learn didn’t figure,
there was a certain serendipity to see her nomination
of Fionn Hamill’s ‘Autistic and Proud’ do so well.
Though MargD Teaching Posters didn’t go through,
do take a look at her Aladdin’s Cave for the Primary Teacher.
It is full of teaching ideas, resources and methodologies
and is motivating and inspiring.
Finally, having come so far ourselves
we would really appreciate your vote.
Just click on the arrow
on the left hand side of the link below.
Thanks a million.
#eddies13 Irish Representation in the Nominations for The Edublog Awards a.k.a #irisheddies13
Photo Credit: TempusVolat via Compfight
This time last week I was giving thought
to whom I might nominate
in the Edublog Awards 2013
This evening the nominations that have made it
through to the voting stage of The Edublog Awards
make for interesting reading.
Tonight, I am going to write about the Irish bloggers
and educationalists who are through to the voting stage
and tomorrow I will take a look at friends of this blog
from abroad who have come through.
The Edublog Awards are like the Oscars for teachers who blog
Such was the number of Irish people who were nominated
one tweeter was prompted to coin the hashtag #irisheddies13.
Seomra Ranga for example, has created and made available
many invaluable classroom resources to teachers
over the years and as you can see in the following link
is nominated in three categories.
The well regarded online educational magazine:
Anseo.net is nominated in two.
‘An Open Letter to Ruairi Quinn’
attracted a lot of positive attention
when it was posted at end of September.
It has been nominated in the category of
Most Influential Blog Post of 2013.
The letter writer is also nominated
in the Best Teacher Blog category
Scoil Mhuire in Lucan has been nominated for
Best use of Videos and Media in Education
Take a look at Scoil Mhuire TV
and you will see why.
St. Peter’s Bray have only been blogging since 13th February 2013
and they feature in the Best Podcasts category.
Their blog certainly has a ‘feel good’ factor.
Their work shows the potential of podcasting .
It is informative, entertaining and builds self esteem in the students.
At second level St. Wolstan’s Transition Years are also nominated
Thirteen year old Fionn from the blog ‘Autistic and Proud’
is so happy to be nominated in the Best Student Blog category.
Can you imagine how he would feel if he won the vote!
How about voting for him
In the Best New Blog category is the ‘SpellingItOutBlog’
This blogger is ‘Irish. Living in Scotland. Training to Teach’
and credit where credit is due,
it was he who coined the hashtag #irisheddies13!
Also featuring in this category is ‘‘My TY Experience’ by Rebecca
from the St. Wolstan’s TY group.
There is a well deserved Best Individual Blog nomination for
Sub Stories who writes about her experience of subbing
and shares useful resources.
This blogger also has a lively and helpful Facebook page.
Congratulations too, to Nigel Lane of ‘The Inside Lane’
who is nominated in this category and also for
EdBlogsIE which provides a great service
showcasing Irish blogs
and is nominated for the Best Group Blog
Irish tweeters @groganbee, @johnmayo and @fboss
are in the running for Best Individual Tweeter
and the hashtag #edchatie (brainchild of @fboss)
is nominated in the category: Best Twitter Hashtag
There are nominations in the
Lifetime Achievement category for
@irasocol who has a lot of Irish support
and also for
@domaho who blogs at e-learning island which
is nominated in the category of Best Teacher Blog
And my own blog ‘If Only The Best Birds Sang’
has been nominated in Best Class Blog category
Oops! Edited to add:
I would like to thank @tasteach who brought another
#irisheddies13 nomination to my attention
Eilis TY Blog again from St. Wolstan’s which has a nomination in
the Best Student Blog category. In particular I like the way
she prefaces each post with an apt quotation from people
as diverse as Mahatma Gandhi to Calamity Jane!
and for Best Mobile App
A History of Ireland in 100 Objects
I make that twenty separate individuals or groups
with Irish connections; twenty six nominations in total,
I believe for #irisheddies13. That is a good representation
and it would be great if this showing at nominations
was reflected in the final awards.
So your vote would be much appreciated.
Voting is open until midnight Eastern Standard Time
on Wednesday, December 18th.
Votes are being counted using List.ly.
This is straightforward enough.
When you vote, you will just be asked to sign in
to List.ly using your Facebook or Twitter account.
In this way people can only vote once per finalist per category.
National interest apart,
the Edublog Awards
comprise a list of the
twitter hashtags,
free web tools
and mobile apps
that teachers are finding useful.
Click on this link to see.
Interactive Games Online – 1st/2nd Class – Dolch, High Frequency & CVC words
Photo Credit: QQ Li via Compfight
Phonics
Blending Dragon from ICT Games.com
CVC Pop Game from ICT Games.com
Dinosaur Eggs with Phonics from ICT Games.com
High Frequency Words
Dinosaur Eggs with High Frequency Words from ICT Games.com
Dolch
Lots of games for teaching Dolch List
http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/dolch/dolch.htm
We use this ‘Listen and Spell’ in class:
http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/dolch/List1/speak1.html
The children also like using
the Teach Your Monster to Read website
to work on their phonics.
You will need to sign up and register for this,
but it is free.
Remember to supervise your child online.
Procedural Writing; ‘Explain How to be Teacher for a Day’.
We worked on Procedural Writing.
We were doing this exercise:
“Supposing you had a substitute teacher,
what would you tell her that you do in school each day”.
Photo Credit: Charlottes Photo Gallery via Compfight
JC wrote:
First we write down our homework.
Then we do our Mental Maths.
Then we do our Modern Handwriting.
Then we say our morning prayer and Teacher calls the roll on Aladdin.
Then we do Maths and English.
At 10.35 we go out for a break.
After break we do Irish.
At 12 we say The Angelus.
Then we do Religion.
At the moment we are preparing for our First Communion.
At 12.30 we have another break.
So far so good 🙂
However this is one of our favourite poems
from the book ‘Please Mrs Butler’ by Allan Ahlberg.
Photo Credit: Susana Fernandez via Compfight
“Here’s the rule for what to do
If ever your teacher has the flu
Or for some other reason takes to her bed
And a different teacher comes instead
When the visiting teacher hangs up her hat
Writes the date on the board, does this or that
Always remember, you have to say this,
OUR teacher never does that, Miss!
When you want to change places or wander about
Or feel like getting the guinea pig out
Never forget, the message is this,
OUR teacher always lets us, Miss!
Then, when your teacher returns next day
And complains about the paint or clay
Remember these words, you just say this:
That OTHER teacher told us to, Miss!”
Photo Credit: woodleywonderworks via Compfight
Senan began:
‘My Teacher was out and we had a substitute teacher.
She said to me,
‘Can you be my helper?’
She asked me if I can tell her what our teacher does normally.
So I thought it was time to have a little fun…’
Alice wrote:
1. Ella: She loves art and hates Maths!
So Ella says’Miss, we REALLY want to do Maths,
but our Teacher always says to do Art instead’
Substitute Teacher:
‘Oh really … Well for a treat we will do Maths …for a BIG treat’.
So Ella didn’t fool the Teacher.
2. Sam: He loves PE but hates spelling!
‘Miss, we do PE all day so
where did you get the idea we do spelling?’
Teacher: ‘Well…I…always do spelling.’
Children: ‘It is completely up to you Teacher.
You have two choices Miss.
One: Don’t do PE and don’t be our Teacher’s friend.
Two: Is the other way round.
Teacher: Alright then, we will do PE…
Are you sure about this Sam?’
Sam: ‘Yes, definitely.’
So Sam was more successful.
The class had other ideas too:
‘We’d tell the teacher that we go to the playground everyday
and buy sweets on the way,
that Teacher brings us to the cinema every Friday
and the swimming pool every Monday.
On Tuesdays we go on a nature walk
and on Wednesday, we watch videos and have a half day,
That only leaves Thursday, when we do art all day’.
Photo Credit: Venspired.com (@ktvee) via Compfight
This exercise didn’t turn out as Teacher had planned,
but we had good fun.
Simple Advent or Christmas Prayer Service – Infants to Second
Good morning & welcome to the hall today
for our Christmas Prayer Service.
Advent is the special time in the Church’s year
when we get ready to celebrate
the birthday of a very special baby.
What was his name? (Jesus).
Does any one here know when is Jesus’s birthday?
Yes that’s right we celebrate Jesus’s birthday
on Christmas Day.
How many more sleeps is that? ( )
Sign of the Cross
Candle Prayer;
‘Chase away the darkness.
Fill the world with light,
be a little candle flame
and shine out bright’.
We can be like ‘candles’ who share
the light and warmth of God’s love
with everyone we meet.
Why do we light a candle?
To remind us that God our Father in Heaven is always with us.
On the night Jesus was born,
there was a light in the sky over the place where He was.
Does anyone know what was that light in the sky?
It was the Christmas star shining out bright.
So now we are going pretend that we are going on a journey
like Mary and Joseph and the donkey
nd the Shepherds and the Kings
And to find our way we have to follow God’s shining star.
But first let us get ready for our journey
by making the best possible start when we say
Good Morning to God; this is the best way to start each day;
Father in Heaven, you love me
You are with me night and day
I want to love you always
In all I do and say
I’ll try to please you Father
Please bless me during the day
Amen.
Yes, Christmas is Jesus’s birthday.
Hands up who is doing a Christmas play ?
What job do you have in the Christmas play?
Hands up who is an angel?
Who is a shepherd?
Who is a wise man or a wise king?
Is any one a Whoops a Daisy angel?
I’m sure that after all your hard work your play will go well.
Who knows who told Mary that she was going to have a baby?
It was an angel who came to visit Mary
to tell her the Good News,
that she was going have a baby,
that was going to be the Mother of God.
So stand up and spread your wings you are an angel
and we will sing ‘Mary Will You Take This Baby Boy’
Where did Mary live?
Mary lived in a place called Nazareth.
Who was Mary’s husband?
Mary was married to a carpenter called Joseph.
Mary and Joseph had to go on a journey.
Where were they going?
They were going to a place called Bethlehem.
Why were they going to Bethlehem?
They were going to be counted!
The reason they had to go to Bethlehem
is that that was where Joseph’s family were from.
As well as getting ready for a new baby
Mary and Joseph had gone on a journey
from Nazareth to Bethlehem.
This journey is a long long journey
and there were no cars…
or buses…
or trains…
So how did Mary get there? Mary travelled on a donkey
And how did Joseph get there? He walked
The roads were rough and rocky.
The journey would have taken about a week,
so it would be like if you started walking today – Sunday
and you kept walking ….
on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday
…til next Sunday.
And what happened when they did get to Bethlehem?
Well Bethlehem was full of people.
Mary and Joseph went looking but there was no place to stay.
Mary and Joseph went knocking on all the doors
Poor Mary and Joseph had no place to stay
So now it is time for us to say sorry for times
when we closed the doors to our minds and our hearts.
And if we are truly sorry in our hearts,
then God our Father in Heaven will always forgive us.
So let’s say our Sorry Prayer
O my God I thank you for loving me.
I am sorry for all my sins,
for not loving others and not loving you.
Help me to live like Jesus and not sin again. Amen
Is any one the innkeeper in their Christmas play?
What does the kind innkeeper say?
Yes, luckily one kind innkeeper said,
‘Would you like to stay in my stable?’
So let us open our doors and our hearts and our minds
like the kind innkeeper who let Mary and Joseph stay in his stable did.
That night Baby Jesus was born,
and Mary loved her baby so much
just like your parents love you
Silent Night
Shepherds were minding their sheep.
Who came to tell them that Baby Jesus was born?
Yes angels came to tell them that Baby Jesus was born.
And how did the Three Wise men find Jesus?
The Three Kings or the Three Wise Men in the East saw the star,
they followed the star and found the Baby Jesus.
‘We Three Kings’
The Three Wise Men brought presents.
What presents did the Three Wise Men bring?
gold,
frankincense
and myrrh,
I’m sure Mary and Joseph would have said thank you.
And now it is time for us to say Thank You to God
God our Father I come to say, thank you for your love today.
Thank you for my family and all the friends you give to me.
Guard me in the dark of night and in the morning, please send your light.
Amen.
‘Away in a Manger’
Thank you, dear Jesus, thank you
for coming down from Heaven to save us.
Thank you for Christmas time.
Help us to get ready for Your coming this year.
Amen
So as we get ready for Christmas.
Let’s remember that it is a special baby’s birthday
and celebrate as we go
Jingle Bells.
Fourth Class: Learning about idioms: A Letter Home (Visitor to Ireland confused by idioms!)
Photo Credit: jenny downing via Compfight
Dear Mum,
Though the family I am staying with are very kind,
I am finding it very strange here in Ireland.
When I arrived they told me not to
let the cat out of the bag but that
there would be a surprise party
for their Grandmother.
But they didn’t HAVE a cat.
Perhaps it didn’t like being in a bag
and had run away.
Then they said that Mum had already
spilled the beans
and that Granny was all ears.
She sound like an alien to me.
Then I counted and Granny
only had two ears, like you and me.
Then Dad gave Mum a ring to say that
he would be late because
he was tied up in traffic.
I asked would I call the Police
but they said it was ok,
that the traffic was very heavy
because it was raining cats and dogs.
This is a crazy country
but it is fun. There is never a dull moment!
A short paragraph using idioms, written by 6th class: ‘The soldier was armed to the teeth.’
Photo Credit: Brave Heart via Compfight
The soldier was armed to the teeth.
He had his heart in his mouth.
He was in hot water.
It was time to face the music.
He put his best foot forward.
He hoped to strike while the iron was hot
even though his heart was in his boots.
You could hear a pin drop,
when suddenly he turned a corner
and found his brother hiding in the long grass.
‘I’ve got your back,’ his brother whispered.