Hello again to all the clever pupils of St. Gabriel’s N.S.  I hope you are all staying happy and healthy and being kind to everyone around you.  I know that the class teachers have really enjoyed seeing your work and hearing from some of you this week.  Remember that the activities we put on the website are optional – you won’t get in trouble with your teacher for not doing everything – and if you are busy with other activities such as playing, baking, drawing, building etc, then that’s a good thing as well!

https://padlet.com/faheymairead/5srjmewuml22

May Day                                                                                                                              The first of May is called May Day.  It has long been celebrated in Ireland as the start of Summer.  In ancient times people would light fires at sunset on the 30th of April to celebrate the coming season.  Another tradition is for children to pick May flowers (usually primroses and gorse) and some people leave them on the door step of their house.  Today we might do this because it has become a tradition and it looks pretty but in olden times people believed that it would keep away ‘evil spirits’.  Some people go outside on the 1st of May and wash their face in the morning dew (the liquid on the grass early in the morning).  The tradition goes that the dew on the first of May has magical properties and will give good health (and skin!) to the person who washes their face in it.  I had never heard of this tradition until a teacher in the school told me that she does it!  And yes, she does have very good skin and is always in good health so maybe it works.                                            If someone in your family comes from a different part of the world, ask them if their country has any traditions for the first of May.

Writing                                                                                                                               Can you do some writing based on this picture?

Using your imagination, answer the question and tell us How did this banana grow so huge?  If you are in Junior or Senior Infants you can just talk about how it grew to someone in your family.  If you are in an older class then write a few lines to tell us what you think!

Reading                                                                                                                                   I hope you have been trying to get some reading done every day.  It is very difficult at the moment when all the libraries are closed but there are words all around us and sometimes we are reading without even realising it!  From the writing on packets of food, to the work your teachers are giving you, reading recipes and even reading your own free writing, there are lots of opportunities to read.  I know that some children from our school have been downloading books online from Dublin City Libraries  https://www.librariesireland.ie/elibrary.  If you are reading a new PM book from school (or any book!) remember to:          – look at the book cover and title first.  What might this book be about?  Make some predictions even at this stage.                                                                                                  – next look through the pictures in the book to get an idea about what the story might be about.  Remember the pictures are all clues to help you.  You might want to change your predictions now!                                                                                                                       – now go back to the start and try reading the words.  The pictures and words work as clues together.                                                                                                                          – try and use your lovely reading voice!

Poetry                                                                                                                                This year the last day of April is Poetry Day Ireland 2020.  Here is a poem about May for you to enjoy.  Could you write your own poem about May or Summer?                                                             

I hope you are all happy and in good health!  The weather in April has been amazing so far.  Did you get to go out and enjoy a spring walk?

↓ I will be regularly adding links to my padlet here ↓

https://padlet.com/faheymairead/5srjmewuml22

and will include stories, games, songs and other activities.  Now that we are using Seesaw to help share our learning, you can take a picture or video of yourself if you want to show your teacher how you are getting on with your activities.  If you have mastered a yoga pose or have drawn a picture that you are proud of, take a picture ( if you feel comfortable with that) and send it on Seesaw with a title or a description of what you are doing or what you have created.  If you are not in a class that I am linked in with then I am sure your teacher will let me know!

Reading:

Some of you have PM readers at home with you.  I hope you are remembering all the reading skills that you have learned in Reading Hour.  Perhaps you could make a video of yourself reading your favourite book and upload it to Seesaw?  Don’t forget to use your lovely reading voice.  Here is a simple “Who Am I?” task for you to exercise your brain with.

Yoga:                                                                                                                                   Have you been practising any yoga lately?  I have been trying to do a little bit every day.  Children are much better at yoga than adults are so I am sure you are finding these poses very easy.

The Tree pose is one that you can probably do with your eyes closed but I find it really difficult.  To start, stand in your Mountain pose, thinking of your feet and legs as your roots growing down deep into the earth.  Pressing your palms together at your heart, tuck one foot on the side of the opposite leg.  If you find it hard to keep your balance (like me!!) you can place your foot further down closer to the ground but if you feel confident you can stretch your arms out like branches.  Bend with the wind as it blows.  What kind of tree are you?

This week we have started using the Seesaw app so perhaps you could practise the Seesaw pose with someone from your family!  Face each other with your feet touching and hold each other’s hands.  Like a seesaw, first pull your partner’s hands and lean back and then let your partner pull you forward.  Be gentle!

Free Writing:                                                                                                                      When we practise free writing it is a great chance for us to get some of our ideas down on paper without worrying about spellings and how perfect our handwriting is.  Take a picture of your story if you like and upload it to Seesaw.  If you don’t feel like writing your story down today you could always retell your story out loud to someone.  Here are some story starters for you:

Once upon a time there was an ugly witch …………..

 If I was the richest child in the world ………….

Once upon a time there was a piece of talking cheese……….

On the best day of my life ………………………

One day I went to a haunted house ………….

Dear Children,

How are you?

I am delighted to hear that so many of you are working on the homework that has been posted on the website! Well done!

I have heard great reports from the teachers about you using Seesaw! I am looking forward to trying it with Hollie this week!

I am so happy to hear about all the fun activities you are doing at home.

Most importantly, I am so proud of you for staying at home so that we can all play our part in the fight against COVID-19.

Continue reading →

Hello everybody.

Did you think the echidna is an interesting animal? If you missed it, you can see it again The Echidna-2

Did you get a chance to try the Echidna activities?

Sharon Dillon sent us all some lovely photos of the school garden (thanks Sharon) and I saw the cherry tree in blossom. In Japan they celebrate the cherry blossom every year at the Festival of Hanami. You can learn more about it if you click below …

The Festival of Hanami 花見

Here are some activities you can do if you enjoyed learning about Hanami.

1. Design a kimono

Here is an outline of a Kimono.

Draw it out on paper and design the kind of pattern you would like to have. It could be a blossom or flower pattern. Or maybe a different pattern you have created for yourself.

Here are two examples of Japanese kimono patterns.

2. Plan a Hanami picnic

Write a list of the things you would like to put in a bento box for a Hanami picnic. You can put in whatever you like. Maybe you could plan a bento box for everyone in your family. Don’t forget to draw it.

3. Draw a sori bashi bridge.

A sori bashi bridge is usually curved and narrow. It is not for cars and is usually made of wood. It is found in gardens and parks. Here are some examples.

I hope you enjoyed learning about these traditional Japanese things. I’m looking forward to seeing your work when we get back to school and I’m really looking forward to seeing all of you too.

Remember, stay busy and don’t forget to help the adults in your house.

Take care,

Ms O’Leary