Mr O'Dwyer's
5th & 6th Class
Mr O'Dwyer's
Sixth Class 2018
Friendship Week 2018 begins!
As Friendship Week 2018 got underway, the pupils of 5th and 6th Class thought about all the ways they can show kindness to those in their lives. We updated our class charter to reflect our learning this year and, as a treat for our friends in Ms. Wallnutt's Infant class, we created a special friendship bracelet from Loom Bands for each Junior and Senior Infant child!
We are sad to say goodbye to our visiting Spanish students, Gonzalo and Jaime, but we have lots of good memories shared and we hope to stay in touch with them!
We are sad to say goodbye to our visiting Spanish students, Gonzalo and Jaime, but we have lots of good memories shared and we hope to stay in touch with them!
Something Fishy field trip
On Thursday, May 31st, the pupils of 5th and 6th Class had a practical workshop with Rory and Des from Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) and Phil from Blackrock Education Centre. It was part of the Something Fishy programme the class has been following in order to learn more about water, fish and angling. It has been complementing our learning in biodiversity this year as part of the school's participation in Green-Schools.
The class was brought to the bridge at the entrance to the yard where we observed Rory and Des working in the river below: the Owendoher. Using the kick-sampling method, the pair collected water samples for the children to examine. Using a classification guide, the pupils learned what insects live in our river. Des and Rory were very impressed by the cleanliness of the river!
Using special equipment, the men then collected several fish in the river. (They were all put back safely afterwards!) We found fresh brown trout, ranging in age from one to four years! All the school's pupils were invited to look at them in a container to share in our learning!
It was a very interesting and informative day and we were very lucky with the weather. The class will now use their learning to create a video entry for the class competition element of the Something Fishy project. Watch this space in coming weeks for the finished video!
The class was brought to the bridge at the entrance to the yard where we observed Rory and Des working in the river below: the Owendoher. Using the kick-sampling method, the pair collected water samples for the children to examine. Using a classification guide, the pupils learned what insects live in our river. Des and Rory were very impressed by the cleanliness of the river!
Using special equipment, the men then collected several fish in the river. (They were all put back safely afterwards!) We found fresh brown trout, ranging in age from one to four years! All the school's pupils were invited to look at them in a container to share in our learning!
It was a very interesting and informative day and we were very lucky with the weather. The class will now use their learning to create a video entry for the class competition element of the Something Fishy project. Watch this space in coming weeks for the finished video!
Bí Gnóthach - the big day is here!
Today, May 4th, 5th and 6th Class hosted the other classes in the school in several games of special Bingo and we ran a sweet shop! Designed by Catherine Behan, this game of Bingo was like no other because each Bingo card contained nine playing cards. The Bingo callers at the top of the room called out cards using a giant deck of cards! There were some wonderful prizes to be won and everyone left happy after a fun day!
Between rounds, we opened our sweet shop where we sold pre-wrapped bags of jellies, chocolates and other delights! We also had a chocolate fountain with marshmallows and strawberries to be dunked.
Our Treasurers, Aaron and Ellie, did a fantastic job on the money to ensure entry fees were collected and the shop always had a float. At the end of the day, they counted the money and told us we had earned €285 in profit! After the mid-term break, we'll be adding this to the money donated from our Confirmation gifts to go towards a worthy charity.
We will also log all our hard work in a scrapbook for submission in the Bí Gnóthach Primary Schools Enterprise competition! Well done everyone!
Between rounds, we opened our sweet shop where we sold pre-wrapped bags of jellies, chocolates and other delights! We also had a chocolate fountain with marshmallows and strawberries to be dunked.
Our Treasurers, Aaron and Ellie, did a fantastic job on the money to ensure entry fees were collected and the shop always had a float. At the end of the day, they counted the money and told us we had earned €285 in profit! After the mid-term break, we'll be adding this to the money donated from our Confirmation gifts to go towards a worthy charity.
We will also log all our hard work in a scrapbook for submission in the Bí Gnóthach Primary Schools Enterprise competition! Well done everyone!
Working hard on the class mini-company
The class has been working hard in preparation for our mini company's big event this Friday, May 4th. The class is hosting games of special Bingo for every class as well as running a sweet shop. We'll also be selling homemade stress balls!
Everyone has been playing their part to make the day a success. Our MD, Sam, has been overseeing preparations. The Finance team, Aaron and Ellie, have been keeping a close eye on our receipts and costs. The Marketing team, led by Laura, put up posters all over the school and visited each class several times this week to remind everyone of what's happening on the day. Our Entertainment team, led by Rachel, have been overseeing the layout and decoration of our classroom for the event as well as coming up with a playlist of music to create an atmosphere. Well done, everyone!
Everyone has been playing their part to make the day a success. Our MD, Sam, has been overseeing preparations. The Finance team, Aaron and Ellie, have been keeping a close eye on our receipts and costs. The Marketing team, led by Laura, put up posters all over the school and visited each class several times this week to remind everyone of what's happening on the day. Our Entertainment team, led by Rachel, have been overseeing the layout and decoration of our classroom for the event as well as coming up with a playlist of music to create an atmosphere. Well done, everyone!
Bible Explorer
5th and 6th Class have been enjoying a five-week programme called Bible Explorer with Mr. Colin Sheldon. This year, the class is learning about the Old Testament.
Work begins on the Bí Gnóthach project!
The pupils of 5th and 6th class have begun work on this year's entry in the Bí Gnóthach Primary Schools Enterprise Programme. We were visited by Kevin from the Local Enterprise Office (LEO), which provides the initial funding of €50 to start the project. Catherine Behan kindly gave us her time, experience and support to brainstorm business ideas to put into place in the coming week. More to come - watch this space!
Thank You to the Choir!
The 2018 Confirmation class was extremely grateful to the choir and Ms. Wallnutt for the wonderful atmosphere that the music created for the occasion. As a small thank you, our class hosted a party for Ms. Brocklebank's 3rd and 4th class at our outdoor classroom.
Write a Book Project Winners
This week the talented writers of 5th and 6th class received their Write a Book Project entries back from Blackrock Education Centre. Each writer received a certificate in recognition of their hard work. Pupils' books were returned to them so that they can show off their work to their families and friends over the Easter break.
Three books were shortlisted by the judge as Highly Commended; these authors were Ava Gallagher, Lucy Coard and Romy Ross. The overall winner in 5th and 6th class was Briain Walsh. Well done to all four children and to each of their classmates for taking part!
An awards evening will take place in April for the class winners from each school: Briain from 5th/6th class and Sienna Ross from 3rd/4th class.
Three books were shortlisted by the judge as Highly Commended; these authors were Ava Gallagher, Lucy Coard and Romy Ross. The overall winner in 5th and 6th class was Briain Walsh. Well done to all four children and to each of their classmates for taking part!
An awards evening will take place in April for the class winners from each school: Briain from 5th/6th class and Sienna Ross from 3rd/4th class.
P.E. STATIONS
Engineers Week 2018 in 5th and 6th Class!
Engineers Week 2018 has kicked off at Edmondstown NS in Fifth and Sixth Class! We were delighted to get a loan of eight boxes of K'nex from Blackrock Education Centre to help our learning. Projects included towers, cranes, cars, houses (with garages!) and catapults. Pupils learned how best to strengthen their structures and they collaborated to share ideas and skills. More photos can be found on the Engineering page of the STEM Award page of our school website.
Write A Book Project entries submitted!
Today, February 8th, each of the 27 pupils in 5th and 6th Class completed their entries for the Write A Book Project. This initiative, run by Blackrock Education Centre, encourage primary school pupils of all ages to write a book on a topic of their choosing. This is the second consecutive year that 5th and 6th Class have entered, and this year we were joined by the pupils of Ms. Brocklebank's 3rd and 4th Class.
The books are swapped with another class somewhere in South Dublin, where pupils will have the chance to enjoy our stories. In exchange, we will read the books from a different class. Each participating pupil receives a certificate in recognition of their wonderful achievement and hard work writing, editing and re-writing over the past months. Additionally, three books will be shortlisted for Commendations and one winner per class will attend a ceremony where a special prize is awarded. Watch this space next month when the winner is announced!
The books are swapped with another class somewhere in South Dublin, where pupils will have the chance to enjoy our stories. In exchange, we will read the books from a different class. Each participating pupil receives a certificate in recognition of their wonderful achievement and hard work writing, editing and re-writing over the past months. Additionally, three books will be shortlisted for Commendations and one winner per class will attend a ceremony where a special prize is awarded. Watch this space next month when the winner is announced!
Class represented at Library Quiz in Ballyroan
On Wednesday, 7th February our class visited Ballyroan Library where three teams of four represented our class and our school in the Schools Quiz. It was a cold morning but we kept warm by walking at a brisk pace! Thank you to Linda Molloy and Ms. Kelly for accompanying us.
The quiz challenged pupils with questions on general knowledge, geography and famous faces, among other topics. While the teams competed, the other pupils enjoyed the wonderful facilities on offer in the library, including comfortable seating, a great choice of books and computer access for child-friendly sites.
While our teams were unsuccessful in proceeding to the final on this occasion it was a great learning experience and they represented their school well! Well done everyone!
The quiz challenged pupils with questions on general knowledge, geography and famous faces, among other topics. While the teams competed, the other pupils enjoyed the wonderful facilities on offer in the library, including comfortable seating, a great choice of books and computer access for child-friendly sites.
While our teams were unsuccessful in proceeding to the final on this occasion it was a great learning experience and they represented their school well! Well done everyone!
Biodiversity learning at Edmondstown NS
On St. Brigid's Day we were lucky enough to spot some visitors to our school grounds: two deer! We had to be very quiet so we didn't startle them.
Fifth and Sixth Class pupils also helped Ms. Wallnutt's Infant pupils explore biodiversity on our grounds. In small groups, the children completed a nature walk and planted broad beans. They also got to try out an experiment in Science to explore sound. As always, the senior pupils displayed great kindness and leadership skills.
Fifth and Sixth Class pupils also helped Ms. Wallnutt's Infant pupils explore biodiversity on our grounds. In small groups, the children completed a nature walk and planted broad beans. They also got to try out an experiment in Science to explore sound. As always, the senior pupils displayed great kindness and leadership skills.
Making St. Brigid's Crosses
Each year, the senior classes learn about St. Brigid and her life from Sister Anna. We also support the parish community by making St. Brigid's Crosses.
EU projects in Geography
In Geography, we have been learning about our membership of the European Union. We learned about the countries that make up the EU and their capital cities. Each pupil was then assigned a country to research in greater detail using school laptops to create a profile. More photos to follow!
The Wizard of Clause
Our Christmas Show performance is coming together really well! In this festive twist on a favourite story, Dorothy and Daisy must work together with the Lion, the Scarecrow and the Tin Man to get home to Dublin in time for Christmas! Just watch out for the Wicked Witch of the West!
Penguin art
In December, our class created penguin artwork. We created icebergs from recycled styrofoam and made penguins from bottle corks.
Reindeer with the Cunneys
On December 1st, Mr. and Mrs. Cunney kindly volunteered their time and skill to help each pupil in Fifth and Sixth Class create their own reindeer. Santa will have no shortage of power for his sleigh now come Christmas Eve!
Coding with Scratch
Our pupils love to use ICT to enhance our learning in Fifth and Sixth Class. On November 24th, pupils cooperated in pairs to use Scratch to create a simple animation or a game. Some pupils were brand new to the programme whereas others had more experience. However, there was excellent cooperative learning at play and some teams were brave enough to show off their work at the end of the session. We look forward to learning more about coding and computational thinking over the course of the year!
Sister Anna teaches us about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
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Engineering and coding with Lego WeDo 2.0
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The pupils of Fifth and Sixth Class really enjoyed the hands-on STEM learning they experienced with Lego WeDo 2.0. The class learned about the role of rovers in exploring terrains not suitable for humans to access. Next, the pupils worked with the Lego kit to construct a rover. Finally, the pupils coded this rover with the special software so they could control the rover as they saw fit. We really enjoyed this learning experience!
Pupils plant crocus bulbs
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On November 15th, the pupils of Fifth and Sixth Class worked hard to plant crocus bulbs in the school garden. We are very much looking forward to these flowers blooming in Spring and this work ties in with our objective of earning the Green Schools flag for Biodiversity.
The planting also forms part of The Crocus Project. We received the bulbs from Holocaust Education Trust Ireland, and the yellow flowers will serve as a reminder of the 1.5 million Jewish children who perished in the Holocaust.
The planting also forms part of The Crocus Project. We received the bulbs from Holocaust Education Trust Ireland, and the yellow flowers will serve as a reminder of the 1.5 million Jewish children who perished in the Holocaust.
Science Week 2017 kicks off!
5th and 6th Class pupils enjoyed getting hands-on with our electronics kits to learn about electricity today. Circuits created included a light, a flying fan and an alarm. Pupils learned about the importance of the poles (positive and negative) of components in a circuit and we discussed conductors and insulators. More experiments to follow throughout the week - watch this space!
Visit to Leinster House: November 2017
On Tuesday, November 7th pupils from Fifth and Sixth Class enjoyed an informative trip to Leinster House. This event was kindly organised by Catherine Martin TD. We are grateful for the support of Helen Casey, Linda Molloy and Catherine Behan who volunteered their time to supervise the trip along with Mr. O'Dwyer. Pupils had the opportunity to see Dáil Éireann, as well as the temporary home of Seanad Éireann and portraits of former Taoisigh. Our knowledgeable tour guide provided lots of historical information and explained how democracy works in Ireland, as well as telling us about the importance of voting. Our pleasant visit concluded with a soft drink and a snack before we returned to school. Each pupil was given a copy of the Proclamation as a memento of their visit and two lucky pupils who correctly answered a question also received a postcard with a photograph of US President John F. Kennedy addressing a joint sitting of the Dáil and Seanad.