February has been an exciting and busy month in our class! From fun activities to learning new things, we’ve made the most of every moment. Let’s take a look back at some of the highlights and all the wonderful experiences we shared together this month.
SESE: Building Bridges: In class, we explored different types of bridges, such as beam bridges, arch bridges, and suspension bridges. Each bridge has a unique design that helps it carry heavy loads. Beam bridges are straight and simple, while arch bridges have curved shapes that give them extra strength. Suspension bridges, like the famous Golden Gate Bridge, have cables to support the road. After learning about these bridges, we had a fun hands-on project! We used spaghetti and mini marshmallows to create our own bridges. The marshmallows acted like the joints, and the spaghetti was used to make the bridge’s frame. We worked in teams to see who could build the strongest bridge. It was exciting to test them by placing weights on top and we learned how engineers use creativity and science to build real bridges!
Designing and creating Valentine's cards - both in English and As Gaeilge: We had a wonderful time designing, creating and writing Valentine's cards this month. We began by talking about the meaning of ‘love’—who we love, how we give and receive love, and why it’s so important. As a group, we discussed our loved ones—family, friends, and others who make our lives special—and shared how grateful we are to have them. To show our appreciation, we decided that there was no better way than through a heartfelt Valentine’s card. First, we created our cards in English, and then we made another set as Gaeilge- so we could practice with our frásaí agus focail nua. Le cabhair ó na focail nua atá foghlamtha againn, d'fhéadfadh gach duine teachtaireacht lách agus áthasach a scríobh do chairde agus do mhuintir. Bhí sé iontach deas agus bhíomar go léir bródúil as ár gcártaí! Teachers: On Valentine’s Day, even our teachers were shown some love! Many of the students designed and dedicated heartfelt cards to each of their 3rd class teachers. Both teachers were overjoyed and deeply touched by the kindness, gratitude, and appreciation shown by their students. It was a beautiful way to spread love and kindness throughout our school, making everyone feel special and valued.
Rugby: This February, we’ve begun an exciting new chapter in class—learning rugby! The energy in the room is high as we dive into this fast-paced and team-focused sport. So far, we’ve been practicing key skills like passing, running, and working together to play as a team. Our coach has introduced us to fun drills and activities that help us get the basics down while also improving our fitness. We’ve been practicing how to move with the ball, communicate on the field, and support each other during every play. The best part is seeing everyone’s enthusiasm and teamwork—every session is full of laughter and growth. As we continue to learn and improve, we can’t wait to see how much better we’ll get at rugby by the end of the month. February is shaping up to be an action-packed, fun-filled month!
Bingo on Mindfulness Wednesday: The last Wednesday of every month has been renamed ‘Wellbeing Wednesdays’. We take these days as an opportunity to tune into not only our physical health, but also our mental and emotional health. It is a day dedicated to participating in activities that allow us to be present in the moment, to take a break from our busy routines and focus on taking care of our minds and bodies. Wellbeing Wednesday is a reminder of how important it is to take care of ourselves and each other. It’s the perfect way to end the month feeling refreshed and ready for what comes next! This Wednesday, the whole school enjoyed a fun game of Bingo! As the numbers were called over the intercom, students marked them off on their cards, with Ms. Smith’s class’ very own Matthew Hand winning the game and shouting “BINGO!!” – earning himself a homework pass. We all had such great fun (as you can see from the photos below).
As February comes to an end, we’ve had a month full of learning, fun, and great memories. We’re excited for what March will bring and can’t wait to continue our journey of learning and growth. Here’s to more adventures, activities, and fun in the month ahead!
January is a month full of excitement in our school. It is the time when we say goodbye to the old year and welcome the new one! The elf on the shelf's Irish goodbye from their homes, Santa's visit, and how fortunate we are to have spent the Christmas break with our loved ones are all prominent topics of conversation during this time. Let's take a look at the fun activities we had in school this month.
New Year Celebrations: On the first day back to school in January, we celebrated the New Year together. Everyone shared their New Year's resolutions, like reading more books, learning something new, or being kind to everyone. The teachers also shared some resolutions, and we all promised to try our best in the new year!
Mosaic Art: For our art lessons this month, we combined working on our fine motor skills with recycling- a funny combination you may think! We took old magazines and newspapers that were destined for the recycling bin, and we reused them to create our own pictures. The children took inspiration from 'Mosaic art' that flourished in Ancient Rome and Greece many years ago! As a class, we looked at many examples of Mosaic art. The class then cut magazine pages into several little pieces and glued them onto their own A4 sheet to create a beautiful Mosaic piece. These art lessons not only aided their fine motor skills but also allowed them to explore different art styles and techniques and encouraged their creativity
Playing Tennis: This month, we had a special treat – tennis lessons! Our tennis coach introduced us to the game of tennis, and we learned how to hold the racket, hit the ball, and maneuver around the court. At first, it was tricky to hit the ball over the net, but with practice, we all got better! Some played friendly matches, while others practiced their serves and volleys. It was so much fun to run around and try our best to win points! The tennis coach even awards a trophy each week to the pupils who put in their best effort and have exceptional listening abilities! Tennis is not only a great way to stay active, but it also helps us improve our focus and coordination. We can't wait to play more in the coming months and show off our new skills!
Learning about Chinese New Year: Not only did the 3rd classes discuss how they celebrated their own New Year, but as a class, from our own classroom, we took our minds across the world to explore Chinese New Year. We embarked on an exciting cultural adventure by completing projects on the Chinese New Year! Our class dived into the rich traditions, symbols, and celebrations surrounding this important holiday. We started by discovering that the Chinese New Year is celebrated in many parts of the world and marks the start of the lunar calendar. Each year is associated with one of the 12 animals from the Chinese zodiac, and 2025 will be the Year of the Snake! Using chrome books, the children independently continued their own research on the biggest celebration of the year- marked by family gatherings, delicious food, and lots of fun activities.
Wellbeing Wednesday: During January, as part of our 'Wellbeing Wednesday' initiative, our third-class students took a break from their usual lessons to try something new and exciting—well-being yoga! Yoga is not just about stretching; it’s also a great way to feel calm, focused, and relaxed. Our class was eager to give it a go and learn how yoga can help us feel good inside and out. The best part was learning about how yoga can help us take care of our mental health, too. By staying calm and focused, we were able to take a break from the hustle and bustle of school life and simply enjoy being in the moment. We practiced mindfulness, which meant paying attention to how our bodies felt while we stretched and breathing deeply to calm our minds. Our third-class students loved their well-being yoga session and can’t wait to try it again. It’s a fun and helpful way to take care of both our bodies and minds!
Presenting Our Projects: This month, we also worked on our presenting skills by showcasing the exciting projects that we had completed right before Christmas. Each child chose an animal they were interested in and created a project about it. This project work allowed the children to engage with the English writing genre 'report writing' in a creative way. The teachers guided the students by providing basic sub-headings, but it was up to the students to conduct their own research. The children were provided with the research tools they needed (e.g., chrome books, encyclopedias, books, etc.) and they got to work right away! We learned about many interesting animals, from an axolotl to an ostrich, and a red panda to a mammoth! Everyone worked extremely hard on their projects, and it was fun to see how they expressed their learning and their individuality through the project work. We then worked on our presenting skills and presented our projects to the class- focusing on eye contact, speaking clearly and slowly, and altering our tone to make it exciting for our audience. We even had a questions and answer section at the end of each presentation! It was amazing to see how much everyone had learned, and how proud each child was to share their work with their friends!
As January comes to a close, we've had a lot of fun learning, playing tennis, and completing our projects. It’s been a great start to the year, and we’re excited for what’s next. Let’s keep up the good work and make the rest of the year just as awesome!
During Science Week, our 3rd Class students had a fantastic learning experience at Blackrock Library! They explored forces by testing the tensile strength of jelly, discovering how much it could stretch before snapping. This hands-on experiment made learning about force fun and memorable.
Next, they experimented with electricity by building their own circuits using LED lights, switches, batteries, fans, and buzzers. Working in pairs, they figured out how circuits work and even experimented with switches to control the flow of electricity.
One of the highlights was testing how much electricity a fan could produce when they blew on it, showing them the connection between movement and energy in a fun way.
Both 3rd classes have had a very active start to the new school year, with swimming lessons and the exciting addition of new basketball posts in the yard.
Each Monday, we’ve been attending swimming lessons in Monkstown. The boys have been walking to and from the pool, taking the DART—lots of steps and activity involved!
On Fridays, both classes come together for PE, where they’ve been enjoying the new basketball posts on the yard. It's been a great way to stay active and have fun!
