2016 – 2017

The Farm

“The Farm“ was another topic for our play rota. We made a farm shop and we bought and sold vegetables, fruit, cheese, butter and milk. We took turns being the shopkeeper.

We learned all about the farm and the story of milk. We learned the names of the farm animals and their young. We saw lots of different tractors. Adrian, the farmer came to visit us. He brought a baby lamb to school. We gave the lamb milk from a baby’s bottle. It was really cute! It was on a lead and we were able to hold it. For small world and construction we made a farm with lots of different farm animals.

The Hospital

Our last topic in our play corner was “The Hospital“. We had a nurses uniform, scrubs, a blood pressure monitor, a thermometer, doctor’s cases, robes, an oxygen mask, a syringe and a real stethoscope!

We learned words like Accident & Emergency and Children’s Ward, Surgical and Maternity Wards.

The children brought in dolls and teddies and we put bandages and slings on them for the “Teddy Bear Hospital”

We learned the song “Miss Polly had a Dolly”. and the poem “Burger’s Rash”. We really enjoyed playing in the hospital! One day a real nurse Helen came in to see us. She wore scrubs and showed us all the equipment a nurse uses. It was really cool!

Polar Regions

“The Polar Regions” was the topic in our play corner after Christmas. We made an igloo in the role play corner. We used our badges and pretended we were Arctic explorers. We had a checklist and had to find polar animals. We learned words like icebergs, snowmobile, log cabin and the Northern Lights.

We learned about Antartica and the Arctic. We saw all the different types of penguins and we made penguins in Art. We also learned the names of the polar animals, the Arctic Fox, caribou, huskies, snowy owl, walrus, seals and the names of all the penguins. We watched “Happy Feet,” and looked at lots of books. It was a great topic and we really enjoyed it!

Christmas Café

“The Christmas Café” was December topic in our play corner. We decorated the tree beside the cafe.

We used the dress-up box for the customers and the chef had a chef’s hat and an apron. We had the play kitchen and cooking utensils. The waiters and waitresses wore funny head-pieces. They took the orders and served the food. The cashier gave out the bills and the receipts.

We had great fun playing with the words and pictures on the magnetic board. We also learned about magnets. We made decorations and painted pictures. Everyone enjoyed the Christmas Café.

Pirates

“The Pirate Ship” was a topic in our play corner. We had costumes, swords, hats, eye-patches, a plank and a real treasure chest! It was filled with jewellery and chocolate gold and silver coins.

We learned the poem, “Hank the Pirate,” and the songs “The big ship sails”. A sailor went to the sea, sea, sea, and “Portside Pirates”.

We made treasure maps and pirate ships in construction.

We also learned a lot of new words like “The Jolly Roger,” compass, sailors and skull and crossbones. When we were finished we ate the treasure!

“Arrgh me Hearties!”

Hallowe’en Art

Food Tasting and Bark Rubbings

In October we went outside to do bark rubbings. We also made hedgehogs from leaves.

We did food tasting when we were learning about our senses. We smelled and tasted cheese, oranges, apples and carrots! It was great fun because we had to wear blind folds!

The Airport

We did the topic “The Airport” in our role play. We had great fun talking about airports and aeroplanes. We watched a video about the airport. We dressed up and used real passports and boarding passes. We painted aeroplanes and used our handprints for the wings.

We wrote about the airport in our “Writing bugs.”

Here are some of our pictures.

2015 -2016

Space

Our latest topic was “Space“. We dressed up as aliens and astronauts and we had a fabulous space station in our role-play corner. You had to press a button to get in. We made rockets, robots and flying saucers in junk art.

We painted space pictures.

We learned the names of the planets in the solar system and also watched movies on you tube. We know that Pluto is a dwarf planet. We learned a great song, and a poem about robots.

Neil Armstrong was the 1st man to walk on the moon in 1969.

Everyone wrote about “Space”, in “Writing bugs”.

At the end of our topic, the planetarium came to our school! It was really cool!

Here are some photos of what we did.

: Space

: Space Junk Art

: Two little aliens

: Ready for take off …

: Trying on our new jet packs

: 3, 2, 1 blast off

: Working in our space station

: Ready for take off

: Back at the space station

: Two Martians

: Everything’s under control

: Busy at the Space Station

: Our Solar System

: Fixing the equipment

: Look what we created!

: NASA employees of the future

: Space art

: Listening to our space song

: Listening to our space song

: Ooops…..

: Fixing the Space Equipment

: Future astronauts

: Space Station

Snail Race and Stations

The School

The School“was our latest topic in our play corner. We used badges for the teacher , the secretary and the teacher’s helper. We set up the school with tables and chairs. We used the special boards with markers, copies and readers. The secretary worked on her computer in the office, and answered the phone. We had great fun playing with the words and pictures and doing maths on the magnetic board. Everyone wanted to be the teacher so we had to take turns. We used the timer to help us.

Artwork

Here is a sample of our latest artwork.

The Christmas Café

“The Christmas Café“was our Christmas topic in our play corner. We used the dress-up box for the customers and the chef had a chef’s hat and an apron. We had the play kitchen and cooking utensils. The waiters and waitresses took the orders and served the food. The cashier gave out the bills and the receipts. We had great fun playing with the words and pictures on the magnetic board. Everyone enjoyed the Christmas Café When we were finished we ate the gingerbread house and the candy canes!

The Post Office

Another topic in our play corner was “The Post Office“. We had a postman’s uniform, a post bag, a cap, letters, a post box, stamps and other items from the post office. We learned about mail deliveries, and how you have to put an address and a stamp on every letter or parcel that you send. We went into the post office where Caitlín’s Dad works to post a letter. We learned that when you are posting a parcel you have to get it weighed.

Science Week

For science week, junior and senior infants investigated to see which materials floated and which sank in water. They also made bubbles and explored jelly snakes in water. Many of these experiments involved water as we are trying to earn our Green Flag for Water Saving this year.

The Construction Site

Our latest topic for Aistear was the Construction Site.

We wore hard hats and high vis jackets. We also had masks and tools in a tool box. We learned about drawing plans and how you have to use an architect or an engineer to build a house. We went to see the contruction site at the back of the school and also at the church. We saw the “Danger” signs. We learned words like, scaffolding, builders, plasterer, cement -mixer, electrician and plumber. We wrote stories about building for “Writing Bugs”.

Maths Week

For Maths Week this year, we went on a Shape Walk. We found lots of very interesting shapes.

Autumn Art

Spider Spider

Take a look at this spooky poem that the whole class wrote together.

2014 – 2015

Sam’s Flying Adventure

Sam and Belle

Hello there, it’s me Sam ! I am back after my holidays! I had a lot of fun. I got a new superhero outfit and got up to lots of tricks!

I still love eating pizza but I also like chicken and carrots with mashed potatoes, and sometimes I eat pasta. I also love hot chocolate before I go to bed.

I brush my teeth every night, and put on my pyjamas. My bed-time is 8 o’clock, because if I stay up too late Mrs. Tighe says I get grumpy and I am not able to do my work properly.

I am looking forward to my adventures with you all because I had great fun last year.

My friend Frankie still goes to Ballyfeeney N.S. and my other friend Charlie is in Annaduff N.S.

Guess what? I have a new friend called Belle, She is in my school with me. Sometimes we sit beside each other, but if we get too chatty Mrs. Tighe moves us.

Belle is really kind and never plays rough games outside. I don’t like when the children play rough games in the yard as children should be nice to each other.

I got a new Superhero outfit last Summer and I had great fun dressing up in it.

When I put on my superhero outfit I climbed up on the barbeque.

Lucky for me it wasn’t turned on !

I got into a bit of trouble, for doing that because you are not supposed to go near hot things !

Look at me now, I am riding my bike. I can cycle really fast.

Afterwards, I hid in the bushes so Mrs. Tighe couldn’t see me!

Here I am sitting in a golf bag. I am not able to play golf, so I just climbed up on top. Wasn’t that a great idea?

Look at me, up in the apple tree!

This superhero outfit is brilliant!

I love to go home with the children for a sleepover and a playdate.

Please take one photo of you and I together and if you or your Mum or Dad would like to write something in my diary that would be great ! Please bring me back to school in the morning and take good care of me.

Your friend Sam.

These are some of the “Cuddlies” I met last year!

Aistear

Since last September, the pupils in Junior and Senior Infants have been taking part in the “Aistear” programme. This programme involves integrated learning through play. The class is divided into 5 play groups.