Our Second Classes have worked very hard preparing themselves for First Holy Communion. We took a well-deserved break from the classroom and headed for the Botanic Gardens, even stopping for ice-creams on the way. Sweet!!

Different foods are 'in season' in Ireland at different times. Asparagus ripens in the spring, summer brings berries, apples follow in the autumn and root vegetables such as carrots are at their best during the winter. We have been learning about what time of year certain fruits and vegetables are in season in Ireland. We had fun identifying a selection of fruit and vegetables in a game called 'What am I?'

​Our 2nd Class girls have a real treat in store for you budding gardeners! We have been busy painting terracotta pots ahead of the Easter Fair on April 9th. We used acrylic paint and brushes or just plain old thumbs and fingers to create some bug-inspired pieces. We have some sleek, glossy versions, as well as some aged, rustic pieces which were soaked through, washed with paint, sanded down and finished off with some gardener’s twine. Each piece has been signed by the artist and is sure to be a talking point in your kitchen or garden. See a sample selection below.

We've been busy in 2nd Class finding out about the parts of a tree. We have also been learning about where native Irish trees came from. We took to the outdoors to work as scientists, observing the detail of trees and recording the information. We also talked about trees providing habitat for all sorts of insects, birds and animals. We looked at trees providing wood for building and pulp for making paper. We remembered how trees help to keep our air clean. We learned that there are two main types of tree: deciduous and evergreen. Did you know that a healthy evergreen is never completely without its leaves? And that deciduous trees lose all their leaves for part of the year? Finally, we learned that leaves contain a substance called chlorophyll, which gives them their green colour.

We painted square canvas panels to create our very own coasters as unique Mother's Day gifts. It was our first time using acrylic paint and we really enjoyed it. We were asked to give our work a title, which was new and exciting too.
'Now, where's that cup of tea?'

This week's sub-value was Care for the Environment. Over the past two weeks, we have been collecting cardboard, bottle caps, egg cartons and all sorts of packaging to create our monsters. We worked in groups of 2 or 3, imagining, planning and building our creations. We are very proud of our work and really enjoyed making them. Take a look at these wonderful works of art.
Written by the girls in Room 9
​

In November, we looked at the story of St Vincent de Paul.
​Together, we chose some sentences to share the story with you.

Vincent de Paul was born in France about four hundred years ago. Vincent's family didn't have a lot of money. He worked hard on the family farm and always remembered to say his prayers. One day Vincent told his father that he wanted to be a priest . He told him he wanted to spend his life helping people to be followers of Jesus. Vincent worked hard, but there were a lot of people who needed his help. Together with his friends, he raised money to help people who were poor by asking people who had plenty to share some of what they had with him. He used this money to set up clean, warm shelters. Many years after his death, Vincent was made a saint. In Ireland today, people still gather in small groups to help others who are in need. These people form the Society of St Vincent de Paul.

​We are collecting food for hampers this month, to be sent to SVP.

Our 2nd Classes couldn't believe their luck this Science Week, with a visit from MSD Swords on Wednesday. Our two scientists couldn't have been nicer and we were all eyes and ears as they told us a little about the company itself and then went on to do some fun experiments. And we mean fun! To begin with, we heard how vaccines are made sterile, how tablets are measured and how medicines are checked to see if they are working properly. They are kept busy in Swords!
​We looked at good hand washing and, yuk, not-so-good hand washing. Did you know 1 in 4 people do not even wash their hands after visiting the bathroom? Gross! We made a lava lamp using oil, water, food colouring and Alka Seltzers. ​We looked at acids and bases and used boiled-off red cabbage water as a litmus test. We tested lemon juice, baking soda, 7Up and vinegar. Finally, we made our very own balloon-inflating device. We produced CO2 to inflate the balloon by adding baking powder to vinegar. Birthday parties, here we come! We would like to thank our friendly scientists for their visit. They left us with some parting gifts and an experiment to try out using Coca Cola and a chicken bone. We can't wait and we'll certainly keep you posted on it! Check out our photos below...

We had a lot of success exploring the school grounds today! We worked as scientists, even before we made a break for the outdoors. As a class, we predicted what we might find living in the local habitat. We then went on to use our senses of listening, seeing, touching and smelling to observe and identify a variety of living things. Armed with paper, pencils and a camera, we recorded our findings. Some of the minibeasts were a little camera-shy but we managed to snap quite a few. Take a look...

We had great fun baking these festive treats. We used plain flour, ground ginger, bicarbonate of soda, butter, soft light brown sugar, an egg and some golden syrup. We placed our cut-out trees in the fridge for an hour, before baking them in the oven at 170C. We decorated them when cold with icing and gold balls. Some of us brought them home, while others had them eaten before the icing had a chance to set! Check out our photos below..