Well, what a week it was! There was so much exploration, play, investigations and fun going on in St. Mary’s this week. From Science experiments to maths problems to STEM challenges to coding, the pupils of our school were put to the test so many times, and excelled in exciting and ingenius ways.
One of the big talking points and sources of interest, was our whole-school STEM challenge, The Egg Drop Challenge. Every class were given a small list of supplies and an egg. Their challenge: To find a way using only those supplies to protect their egg from a 6 metre or 20 foot drop. Ideas were aplenty and it all came down to a big drop event on Friday afternoon, when each class submitted one design to withstand the drop. Our pupils were hugely successful, with 12 classes beating the drop and their egg remaining intact. Unfortunately, 7 designs left their eggs scrambled! But what a fun challenge.
It ended in the hall but started in each classroom, with brainstorming, group ideas, experimenting and finally deciding collectively on a class design submission. Here are some pictures of Room 13’s process – which, I’m sure they’d like to add, was successful in protecting their egg.
As well as all the fun in school, our 6th class were also treated to a hugely entertaining and educational science show in Virginia Library. Mark Langtry, or Mark the Science Guy, from RTE and Explorium Ireland, gave our pupils a wonderful presentation on the effects we have on our climate. It was hugely entertaining. Our pupils showed off great knowledge and inquisitiveness throughout and came back to school beaming.
Our 6th classes have started their cycling course with instructors from CycleRight.
All students, no matter their ability, will learn the rules of the road and how to cycle safely. We have some beginners, who already are cycling after lesson 1. And of course, more experienced riders will improve their skills and knowledge.
By week 6 of the lessons, all our cyclists will take to the road to test out their skills and road rules awareness. What a wonderful opportunity and a great skill to learn in our P.E. lessons this term.
It’s always an exciting and fun morning on the day of our Halloween holidays when streams of chidlren enter the school gates, dressed as ghouls. witches, and the latest crazes, like K-Pop’s Rumi or the 6/7 meme. Thursday 23rd October was no different and these are just a selection of the wonderful costumes on show throughout our school on the day.
Well done to all, and have a nice break and safe Halloween.
Our 6th class pupil, Oisín Lynch, graced Croke Park on All-Ireland Final day on Sunday 27th July.
Oisín had been selected as Cavan Cumann na mBunscol’s reperesentative, after impressing the selectors at trials held at Kingspan Breffni Park earlier in the year.
Oisín laced up his boots and donned the Donegal colours for the day, putting on a great exhibition of football during the half-time games on the day. He lined out with other children from all over the country and it was a terrific experience for Oisín and his family.
Well done to Oisín and hopefully he, or other St. Mary’s pupils, will grace Croke Park again in the not to distant future.
Once again, St. Mary’s students wowed as Gaeilge by performing songs and poems for Seachtain na Gaeilge 2024. Every child in the school took part in what, as you can see below, was a fantastic celebration of all things Irish sa Ghaeilge.
As we celebrate Seachtain na Gaeilge this week, our whole school have been working hard with their gaeilge and showing it off to the rest of the school in the form of video performances. We are celebrating our Irish culture through language, song, dance and music.
Today, every class will be shown the Ceolchoirm of all these performances through Gaeilge in what is a thoroughly entertaining collection of videos. We hope you all enjoy these too.
Ms Peyton’s class had great fun today making St. Brigid’s Crosses on this special day. They used rushes and worked together really well to produce beautiful crosses.
Paired Reading with Ms. Smith’s 1st class and Ms. O’Reilly’s 5th class. The 5th class boys and girls visit 1st class every week to take part in paired reading activities.
This is a very enjoyable experience for everyone and all children look forward to it every week!
Friday 25th March 2022 was a very memorable day for students, staff and parents of St. Mary’s NS as television cameras, shovels and trees descended on our school. As it was Greenbelt Ltd.’s 40th birthday, and National Tree Day, the local business had pledged to donate 50 native Irish trees to our school and to help students from every class level take part in the planting of said trees around the school grounds. The trees ranged from Crabapple to Birch to Alder and to our own Yew tree – which our own town Achadh an Iúir (Field of the Yew) is named after – to a host of beautiful trees, which will now adourn our grounds for generations to come.
However, the day became even more exciting on Wednesday when we learned that Greenbelt staff would not be our only visitors on National Tree Day. Deric Hartigan from Virgin Media and Ireland AM, along with his cameraman Gareth, would be joining us too from 7.30am. 6th class were the early birds and were bright and early to school to greet Deric as he landed, along with Maurice and his team from Greenbelt. Have a look at us below in 2 of Deric’s 4 broadcasts from the school.
With our School Trad Music Group playing, and 6th class showing off our fantastic spirit, manners and work-ethic, I’m sure Ireland AM and all those watching around the country were envious of our amazing school.
After Virgin Media departed at 9.30am, 6th class and the Greenbelt team had some well deserved breakfast, before it was time for all our other classes to get their hands dirty and get planting. We were blessed with beautiful weather and every child had a day to remember with lots of fun.
Have a look at our pictures below from a wonderful day.
Ms Geoghegan has been very busy and with help of family and friends, made these amazing traditional Irish music video tutorials. The videos introduce musical instruments, their appearance, characteristics and sounds. We are then also treated to samples of traditional reels and jigs being played on the instrument in question.
They’re a lovely resource to have and something different to add to our homeschool resources. Enjoy below.
