November 2015

Aistear

This month our theme was Fantasy where we talked about Cowboys, Princesses, Knights, Dinosaurs and Superheroes.

The children had great fun acting out stories on the themes, creating designs in the small world theme and constructing art pieces.

Religion and Aistear

The children used the Aistear programme to learn about some of the stories in our religion book. We acted out the stories of Zacchaeus, Jesus calming the storm and the Good Samaritan. It was a really wonderful way to integrate our religion programme with the Aistear structure.

Arklow Colouring Competition

Congratulations to Layla and Molly on being selected to go forward to the final in the Arklow Colouring Competition.

Science Week

The children had great fun partaking in the Science Week. The children learned lots about famous scientists and visited the 3^rd-6^th classes Science Exhibition.

1^st Class

We said good bye to our 1^st class children. While we are very sad to say goodbye to them but it is a really great new path for our school.

September & October 2015

September & October 2015

Welcome to all the Junior Infants! They have all settled into school life and are doing a great job. The senior infants and 1^st class children are working hard and helping to welcome the junior infants into our school.

September and October have been very busy with lots of activities.

Aistear

The junior room have been very busy with our Aistear programme. The children are really embracing and loving our active learning programme.

To date we have explored a number of themes including : English all around us, Maths all around us, Colours all around us and Autumn all around us.

The children have the opportunity to explore the themes through drama/role play, art, reading & writing and small world. The children are working in smaller groups which enhances their problem solving and social skills.

Jolly Phonics

The junior infant children are having a great time learning their letter sounds and formation. So far, they have learned s, a, t, i, p, n. They are enjoying the songs and actions associated with each letter and are working very hard on their letter formation.

Tree Day

We had a wonderful day in Avondale to celebrate National Tree Day. Junior Infants to 4^th class visited Avondale and we even got to travel on the school bus ! We had a lovely day involving a tree trail around Avondale where we saw photographs of animals/birds that live in Avondale and we also learned about items that are made from trees. When we returned to the marquee we had a little break and then had a tour of Avondale house. It was fun seeing what life was like many years ago including the toys they played with. Then we finished our day with an art project and a trip to the playground. It was a lovely day out.

Maths Week

During Maths week we had great fun learning about maths all around us. We had fun active maths activities in our Aistear each day, we had maths stations in our classroom where we identified shapes, sorted, matched, classified items and identified numbers around us . We were delighted to team up with the 3^rd class for a maths trail around the school. It certainly taught us that maths is all around us !!  In addition we had a maths song each day and we celebrated a maths hero for each day. It was a really great week.

Cheerios Breakfast and Pyjamas Day

We are looking forward to the cheerios breakfast and pyjamas day on Friday. In addition, in our classroom we will make chocolate apples and lots of Halloween arts & crafts in the junior room.

Happy Halloween Everyone.

May 2015

Aistear

This month our theme for Aistear was Explorers. We had great fun exploring in Space, Antarctica, Africa and the Seaside !

Space

Home Corner – We pretended to build a rocket and a space station and we blasted off into space. We chose the planets to visit and experience less gravity. Then one of the children role played as an astronaut that had been in space and everyone else asked questions of the experience.

Art-  We painted a planet of choice and constructed space rockets using junk art.

Reading/Writing – We drew and wrote about each of the planets in our solar system

Small World – We created a space station, rocket and each of the planets using small world materials.

Antarctica

Home Corner – We went through the magic door and experienced what it is like to go to Antarctica. We spotted things that you would see there and then role played as Robert Scott and Roald Amundsen the famous Antarctic explorers.

Art-  We constructed penguins and an Antarctica landscape scene.

Reading/Writing – We wrote a poem about penguins and drew four things you see in Antarctica.

Small World – We created an Antarctica landscape.

Africa

Home Corner – We went through the magic door and experienced what it is like to go to Africa. We spotted things that you would see there and then role played as tourist guides visiting the different places ie Table Mountain, Gorillas in Rwanda, Egypt and then we role played going on safari.

Art-  We constructed split pin animals and a hand painted giraffe.

Reading/Writing – We sequenced the story of Handa’s Surprise.

Small World – We created an African landscape.

The Seaside

Home Corner – We looked for the signs of Summer outside, We surveyed the middle & senior room on their favourite thing to do at the seaside. We did an experiment on floating & sinking. We spotted things you would see at the seaside.

Art-  We constructed a seaside landscape using sand and pictures from the seaside landscape. We used crepe paper to create a fish.

Reading/Writing – We wrote a postcard on our holidays, drew 4 things you would see at the seaside and played seaside bingo.

Small World – We created a seaside landscape.

Visitors

We welcomed James Turner the local dentist into our classroom to tell us how to brush our teeth properly and the foods that are good for our teeth. We gave each of us a mouth mirror so we can check our teeth.

April Junior Room Blog 2015

April Junior Room Blog 2015

Aistear

Theme : Construction

Small World- Building the school construction site

Home Corner: Created the steps involved in building a new house – architect, planning permission, hiring a builder, building using jenga blocks

Reading/Writing – Writing a poem about cranes. Constructing a construction themed jigsaw.

Art- Creating a construction transport themed display.

Theme: Estate Agent/Different types of homes, buildings

Small World: Creating the main street of Rathdrum building different types of buildings

Home Corner: Role playing as an estate agents

Reading/Writing: Creating a poster to sell a house in an estate agents

Art: Constructing a house for a box town using junk art

Community Games

Congratulations to William for winning 3^rd place in the community games art competition

Write a Book

Congratulations to Daniel for wining 1^st place in the write a book competition. Joseph won 2^nd place and William & Mia won 3^rd place. Everyone did a great job and were presented with a certificate.

Active Week

We had a wonderful time during Active Week – Each night we had active homework and each day we had the 60 minute active challenge, walk a mile with a smile, an extra-active lunch break and drop everything and dance. 

March 2015 Junior Room Blog

Aistear

We have been very busy in Aistear learning all about Easter and the people who help us in our community. We also welcomed two very important guests into our room.

Garda Station

Small World: Created a Garda Station using small world materials

Home Corner: Acted out being in a Garda Station

Art: Constructed our own Garda Hats & Garda Cars

Reading/Writing : Wrote a poem about being a Garda

We were delighted to welcome Garda Niamh into our classroom where she told us all about being a Garda and allowed us to try on her uniform.

Firefighters

Small World: Created a Fire Station using small world materials

Home Corner: Acted out being in a Fire Station

Art: Constructed our own Fire Fighters & Fire Fighter Trucks

Reading/Writing : Wrote a poem about Five Little FireFighters and we drew 4 things that a Fire Fighter does to protect us

We were delighted to welcome Fire Fighter Vaughan from the Dublin Fire Brigade into our classroom where he told us all about being a Fire Fighter and appointed everyone as Fire Safety Officers in their own home.

Easter Story

Small World: Created the Easter Story using small world materials

Art: Constructed Easter Bunnies, Easter Bunny Bonnets, Easter Chicks, Easter Cards, Easter Eggs, Made yummy Chocolate Easter nests

Reading/Writing : Sequenced the Easter Story.

Optician

Small World: Created an Optician Surgery using small world materials

Home Corner: Acted out being in an Optician Surgery.

Art: Constructed our own pair of glasses and an Optician’s eye torch

Reading/Writing : Wrote the reading chart / Sequenced what happens when you go to an Optician’s surgery

St Patrick’s Day  & Seachtain na Gaeilge

The junior room were very busy around St Patrick’s Day. We learned all about St. Patrick and how he became our patron saint. We worked very hard to speak Gaeilge as much as possible around Seachtain na Gaeilge. We learned how to dance some irish dancing and we performed 3 songs “as Gaeilge” for the rest of the school.

Mother’s Day

The children made beautiful pictures for their Mums on Mother’s day and some lovely biscuits. We hope the hardworking Mums enjoyed their treats on Mother’s Day.

Community Games

Congratulations to William Mullally who came 3^rd in the Community Games Art Competition. It was a great achievement William.

February 2015

Aistear

During February our theme for Aistear was food.

Week 1

Theme: Garden Center / Our Spring Gardens

Small World: Create a garden center and a spring garden using small world materials

Home Corner: Act out the story of Jack and the Beanstalk

Reading/Writing: Plan and design your own garden

Art: Using potatoes to print a daffodil/ crepe paper to create a bluebell & snowdrop

Week 2

Theme: Spring and the Farm

Small World : Build a spring farm with spring animals & their young

Home Corner: Acting the story of farmer duck / working on the big book – inferring/summarising

Reading/Writing: Sequenced the story of Farmer Duck

Art: Constructed a split pin farm animal/ constructing the hen life cycle/ learning to draw a sheep/ cow

Week 4

Theme: The Fisherman

Home Corner : Acting out the story of the loaves and the fish. / Role playing being different types of fish and guessing which fish it is/Discussing the names of the seas/oceans around the world/learning how to draw a  fish/ role playing the life as a fisherman

Small World: Creating the sea and all the different types of fish that we can get from it / and the life of a fisherman  - tools that a fisherman uses

Art: Creating a montage of the loaves and the fish/ construct a fish in a bowl

Reading/Writing: Sequencing the story of the loaves and fish. Drawing & Labeling different types of fish.

Doodle for Google

We are very proud of Isabel Riedle and Lucy Mullally who have succeeded on being selected for the semi-final in the top 300 entrants at the junior & senior infant level. A huge congratulations

Bokwa

We have now finished our Bokwa class- we would like to say a big thank to you Lianne for a wonderful class – the children have loved the class.

January 2015

January 2015

Aistear

During January our theme for Aistear was food.

Week 1

Theme: Vegetable Garden

Small World: Built a vegetable garden using small world materials

Home Corner: Acted out the story of the enormous turnip

Reading/Writing: Sequenced the growing process of a carrot and a potato

Art: Using crepe paper – constructed our own vegetables for our class veg garden

Week 2

Theme: Farmer & Food

Small World : Built a dairy farm and a tillage farm using small world materials

Home Corner: Acted out the story of the little red hen

Reading/Writing: Sequenced the story of milk and bread

Art: Constructed masks and split pin characters of the story of the little red hen

Week 3

Theme: The Restaurant

Small World : Built a restaurant and kitchen using small world materials

Home Corner: Role play of a restaurant

Reading/Writing: Sequenced going to a restaurant / writing our own menus

Art: Baked scones, cookies and constructed a health plate of food

Week 4

Theme: The Supermarket

Small World : Built a supermarket and kitchen using small world materials

Home Corner: Role play of a supermarket

Reading/Writing: Wrote the poem pat a cake/ Wrote a shopping list

Art: Constructed a shopping basket, coin rubbings, pasta necklace

Doodle for Google

We had great fun making our doodle for googles where the theme was “my perfect day”- everyone did a great job.

Liam McCarthy Cup

We were delighted to welcome the Liam McCarthy Cup to our classroom. The children got to hold the cup (although it was very heavy!) and have their photograph taken with it.

Write a Book

The senior infants are busy writing their “write a books” to enter the competition in February. Our theme is “When I grow up…”

Bokwa

We started our bokwa movement class – everyone is  having great fun learning the formations of different letters.

GAA

The children have had great fun learning all about GAA football. A big thank you James for teaching us.

December 2014

December

Aistear

During December, we were very busy with Aistear learning about everything relating to Christmas. During the first week, we learned about the nativity story which prepared us for our carol service.  Throughout the second week in December, we learned about writing Christmas cards and all the work that the post man does during Christmas. In addition, during this time the children made wonderful Christmas decorations to take home and decorate their houses for Christmas.

School Carol Service

The junior room were delighted to perform our song “Born in a Stable” and dress up as the nativity story as part of our school carol service. All the children were absolutely wonderful and I was very proud of every one of them.

Avondale Community College

The junior infants were delighted to go to the Avondale Community College to meet Santa, Santa’s elves and hear wonderful Christmas carols.

Avondale Forest Train

Everyone loved going to Avondale to visit Santa and go on the beautiful train.  We all loved the disco and lovely snacks afterwards!

Happy Christmas Everyone!