Newsletter

04 10 2024

Wesley’s 5th class Kandinsky art

Good afternoon parents and guardians,

I hope you have had a nice week.

We have been busy in school, as always!

Looking ahead to next week, our school photographer, County Photos, will be with us on Friday. It is the same company we have used last year. More details will follow.

Gentle reminder, if possible, can your child be in school in their line at 8.30am. The school day starts with social time. Sometimes this can be where the best learning takes place – the give, take and negotiations that are involved in social time. We have noticed time keeping has slipped a little already. It can be disruptive in the classroom if children arrive late. Also, it can interrupt the momentum of work in the office when children arrive late. In saying that we do have a few families who have a very long commute to our school. I understand that commuting can be unpredictable.

Thanks to the parents from Grace’s class who attended this morning’s coffee morning. Thanks Sarah and Rory for coordinating it.

Coffee morning

 There will be a coffee morning for parents and guardians of children with additional needs next Friday morning in the staffroom from 8.40am. This can be parents of children in both the ALC and mainstream classes. Our coordinator of this group is Emer Cunningham 087-6039800. This is a social gathering for families who may be experiencing the same challenges in navigating supports for their children. This is an opportunity to connect with others in the same position, ask questions and share information. Everyone is very welcome. We also have a WhatsApp group for ongoing questions. If you would like to join the WhatsApp group please contact Emer. 

Incubator project

Róisín and Kathleen’s first class have been minding an incubator of fertilised chicken eggs for the past seventeen days.  We are now counting down the last four days until the arrival of six fluffy yellow chicks, which are due to hatch on Tuesday.   A farmer (called Kathleen!) from the Nore Valley Park pet farm in Kilkenny came to check on the eggs yesterday, using a process called “candling”.  She shone a torch on the shells of the eggs in a dark storage cupboard in the school and was able to see how the chicks were developing inside of the eggs.  It has been a great learning experience for all of us and we can’t wait to see the chicks after they hatch next week – or maybe even as they are hatching!  The incubator is now in the reception area of the school, with a whole team of people from the staff keeping a watchful eye on them.  We will keep you posted!

Chester Beatty

Enda’s 6th class took a trip to the Chester Beatty Library on a sunny Thursday morning for a self-guided tour of the museum. The pupils followed themed trails throughout the museum which took in artefacts from the Western, Islamic and East Asian collections before having a light lunch in the stunning surroundings of Dublin Castle

5th class Glendalough Tour

Not since 835 has the peaceful valley of Glendalough experienced the kind of marauding horde that visited on Thursday 3rd of October. Just as our Viking forebears had done, D7ET’s 5th Class travelled south from our ancient settlement in Dubh Linn. Navigating the ceaseless waves of traffic on the m50, we ascended the Brockagh mountain before entering the primordial majesty of the glacial valley. Famished from our hour and twenty-minute journey, we established a settlement near the visitors’ centre and replenished ourselves with food and drink before seeking out St. Kevin’s monastic settlement. It was great to see a place we had only read about in class firsthand and to bring the past to life by being amongst the ruins. After exploring the ruins, we continued trekking deeper into the valley, rehydrating from the waterfalls, playing in the woods and finally cooling off and relaxing by the lake.

Lost property

Our lost property has reached a new height in every sense of the word. We have sent all of our clothing to charity today. From next week, we will try to ask the children to label their clothing in school if they have not already done so. Student Council have offered to help with this. Please continue to teach the children responsibility of looking after their own clothing. At this point I would say, best practice is to send in only ‘big’ clothing. Recognisable colours can be helpful to. In my experience, scarves, hats and gloves just disappear. Children don’t really need them to be honest. Yard is so busy. The children are so active. They are warm enough. In terms of yard clothing, less items is more. I have found infants on the yard fixing every finger into their gloves just before the bell goes for lining up!

STEAM

In a recent STEAM activity, the 6th class pupils combined hands-on construction with basic programming to learn about hydraulic power. The children built a simple hydraulic lifting platform using materials from our Gigo Learning Lab Technology Explorer kit to replicate how hydraulic systems work in real life. They learned that by using pressure, hydraulics can create enough force to lift objects – a concept commonly used in machinery and vehicles.

To bring their platforms to life, the class then used Scratch for Arduino (S4A), a child-friendly, block-based programming language. By connecting their hydraulic models to an Arduino board, they wrote simple code to control the lifting mechanism, adjusting the height and movement of the platform with their own programmed commands.

This exciting project showed students how real-world machines use both engineering and programming to solve problems, such as lifting heavy loads in factories or construction sites. Not only did they learn about the science behind hydraulic power, but they also saw how coding can be used to control physical systems – making what they build in school feel more connected to real life.

Through this activity, the pupils gained valuable skills in problem-solving, computational thinking, and teamwork, while also having fun applying their learning to create something tangible.

Zoologist

Niamh’s 6th Class were so lucky to have a talk from Jake’s mum who is a zoologist on all creatures big and small. We discussed habitats, food chains, classification and more during the session and the children were very impressive with how much they have learned during their SESE lessons. 

After-School D7 Dungeons and Dragons Club

Enda, one of our 6th class teachers, is gauging interest in an after-school D7 Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) Club. The club would initially be limited to 6th and 5th class pupils. It will start on Friday 11th October and class will finish at 3.30pm.

If there is sufficient interest, the club will run once per week until the Christmas break at a cost of €10 per session on Fridays, commencing on Friday 11th October. Spaces in the club will be limited so please register your interest as soon as possible through the link below.  Further information will then follow.

https://forms.gle/ibY7gMrnEgxto3Qy9

Further information on the club is below.

What is D&D?

D&D is a collaborative tabletop role-playing game where players embark on epic quests in fantastical worlds. Guided by a Dungeon Master, participants create unique characters, navigate challenges, and tell a story together. It’s all about imagination, strategy, and camaraderie.

What are the benefits?

The game is a fun way for children to explore creativity, teamwork, and critical thinking. Additionally, players engage with math and logic as they use dice and stats for decision-making, enhancing numeracy in a fun and engaging way. For more information on the educational benefits of D&D in schools you can watch this video.

Does my child need to buy anything?

No. Pupils who already have their own books, character sheets, counters, maps and more are encouraged to bring them to the club, but there is no requirement for pupils to purchase anything to take part in the club. 

5th class rowing

Hanora and Paul’s class embracing seasonal change

Gráinne and Marie’s class

Grainne and Marie’s second class have been looking at ways of ‘reducing’ and ‘reusing’ in our lives as part of our SESE and Learn Together curriculum.  We have made a video with some simple tips for all and you’ll spot our posters around the school too!

Remembering Grangegorman

 Saturday, 12 October 2O24

1O.3O a.m.–1.3O p.m.

 Grangegorman Church of Ireland building

 The site of Grangegorman is a place of importance not only for Dublin’s north inner city, but for the wider city and region. The memories of those who have lived its recent past– former employees, neighbours, family members of patients, the patients themselves–are invaluable in (re)constructing the histories of the site and enriching its record. Grangegorman Histories would love to hear your memories and stories of Grangegorman and see any items you have that relate to Grangegorman. These might include photographs, sporting memorabilia, newsletters, religious artefacts, hospital equipment, furniture, clothes, toys, postcards, letters, papers. Please bring them–and your stories–along! With your help and permission, we will document your stories and photograph the items. Anything you bring will go home with you. By participating, you will be contributing in a very real way to the development of a Grangegorman Histories exhibition, opening in 2025, and to the invaluable work of reconstructing the history of the Grangegorman site.

 Tea and coffee will be provided. For more information, contact grangegormanhistories@ggda.ie or visit grangegormanhistories.ie.

Have a nice weekend,

Fionnuala

Fionnuala McHugh, October 7, 2024