Special thanks to Jean for visiting our school and teaching the fifth class some cool dance moves! Jean also loves Dance Monkey!!
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The children really enjoyed seeing all the pictures and equipment. The artic sleeping bag was a big hit as were the walking poles, volcanic rocks and headlight. 5th Class pray for Fr. Fintan Monahan who will become Bishop of Killaloe on Sept 25th 201623/9/2016
 Emily Kate Moore secures place in the All Ireland Final of Intel Mini Scientist Competition !!8/12/2015
5th Class learned about Dia de los Muertos ( Day of the Dead ) . It occurs on Nov 1st and 2nd to coincide with All Saints and All Souls Day when we celebrate fhe lives of those who have died. The pupils learned about Mexico and where it is in the world and also learned some Spanish words such as calavera ( skull ) , ofrenda ( altar ) , Dan de Muerto ( special bread ) . The children made an ofrenda ( altar ) in the classroom with candles , food, water and skull ornaments. The children also made their own sugar skull masks ( pictures below ) . Thanks to student teacher Ms. Murray for sharing this very interesting topic with our class. Kim grew up in Canada and currently lives in North Clare. Her first novel FINDING A VOICE was nominated for the Bookseller's inaugural Young Adult Book Prize earlier in 2015 and was inspired by her experience in teaching, therapy and community support work. Her second novel PLAIN JANE will be published in the spring of 2016. Today Kim facilitated an excellent writing workshop with 5th class helping students to find their own writing voices. The pieces of writing that the students shared at the end of today's workshop were truly inspiring ! During September 5th class studied the work of archaeologists in History and in English started to read the class novel Private Peaceful which is based on WWI. This prompted students Hayley Keogh and Amy Mitchell to share some family history with the class. Hayley told us about Annagore Mill . It was built between 1730 and 1740, 100 years before the Famine. It was originally used to make paper and to grind corn. The wheel from the mill was 10ft. ( 300 cms ) long and 2 ft.( 60 cms ) wide and the fall of water was 5 ft.( 150 cms ) deep. The mill was known as Keogh's Mill which is all the more interesting considering Hayley's parents bought it in 2009 and renovated it turning it into the beautiful house they live in today. ( pics below ) Amy shared her Great Grandad's World War 1 story with the class. Tom Mitchell fought in the First World War. His troop were the South Irish Horse and were a horseback troop. One of the pictures you will see below is of Tom and his troop at Limerick Army Barracks before they left for the war. There is a website dedicated to his unit, southirishhorse.com and a memorial in St.Patricks Cathedral in Dublin. Tom went on the train to Dun Laoghaire and then across to England by boat and onwards to France. It is believed Tom fought on the western front. Tom got a box of tobacco from the Queen at Christmas ( pic.below ) and it is in this box that Amy's family keep his whistle, compass, pocket watch and medals ( pics below ) Toms wife Amy's great grandmother only died in 2006. She is buried with Tom in Co.Kildare. They had 7 children and were from Abbeyleix Co.Laois.     |
