2024-2025 2ND CLASS - St Brigid's National School

Welcome to Ms. Longe’s class!

We have a busy class of 29 this year and we are so excited for the year ahead. We cannot wait to show you all what we get up to over the next few months. We just know that it’s going to be fantastic!

June

June was one of our busiest months, we had so much fun! Time capsules we packed away in September were finally opened. We got to read letters our parents wrote to us and see our special memory toy once again. We saw just how we have grown and changed over the past year too by comparing photographs from then and now. Aoife Doyle was the class winner of the Bí Cineálta poster competition. She designed and drew a wonderful picture. Kicking off on June 16th, we enjoyed a Wellbeing week packed full of activities where we took part in Yoga, a Basketball tournament and Boxercise. Eljay, Sarah and Oisín won medals in the basketball tournament. Our school tour on the 18^th took us to Clara Lara and we splashed our way happily around the park. Our final week in school, we completed our Tullow show art and handwriting competition entries and got ready to say goodbye to our school friends but only for a short while over the summer.

May

May was one of our most exciting months as we celebrated making our First Holy Communion. Our special day took place on May 17^th and the sunshine on the big day was glorious. We had the most wonderful time on the day and afterwards too. We supported the local FCJ Tractor run as we waved at them passing through the village. Ita has been working with us to teach us Basketball skills and help us perfect those which we already have. We also had tag rugby lesson with John. We had our ukulele concert with Paul from Music Generation and our parents were invited in to see us play some tunes that we learnt through the year.

April

April was a short month yet it was packed with lots of fun and learning. In Early intervention we have been outside doing orienteering tasks and developing our spatial awareness. We have been learning about fractions and money too. The preparation for Communion is still ongoing and we completed our crosses and decorated them for display in the church. We had an Easter egg raffle which we were all very EGG-cited for! Ellie was lucky enough to be one of the winners taking home a beautiful chocolate egg. Penny, Máire, Sarah and Jessica were also lucky winners on the day. Harry was another lucky winner who was successful in the Green school poster competition. In the last days of April Song Tales visited our school to tells us wonderful tales of animals and nature through the medium of music and song, much to our delight we were able to get up and dance along to the fabulous tunes. Finally, Bishop Nulty came to officially open our school playground and bless it. Our class formed the guard of honour to welcome him to our school.

March

March kicked off with our school marking World Book day on the 6^th. We took part in the celebration by bringing in our favourite book or dressing up as a character from our favourite story. It was such fun to see all the creative and colourful outfits. On the 11^th March our class made their First Confession with Fr. Pat and Fr Andy. It was a wonderful evening. Bhí Lá Glas i rith seachtain na gaeilge. Bhí céilí againn ar scoil agus chanamar amhrán Trup Trup a chapaillín freisin. In history we learnt about St. Patrick and how he became the patron saint of Ireland. In learning to appreciate art from other countries, we looked at Rangoli designs. Rangoli is a form of folk art that originated in the Indian subcontinent. And we took inspiration from the colourful designs to make our individual Rangoli design using crepe paper. Juliette from 2^nd class won the St. Patricks Day card competition and was awarded an Easter egg. In literacy we wrote step by step procedures to advise how 8-year olds can get more sweets from their parents or indeed how they can get in their teacher’s good books! In P.E. we have been focusing on and developing our skipping abilities.

February

We welcomed our Grandparents into school on Grandparents day. We celebrated by having mass in the church and then later they came to visit our classrooms where we gave them a special card and recited a poem for their amusement.

We had a day off school to mark St Brigid’s day. We followed the steps of St. Brigid as she made her way from Lough to Kildare. We made St Brigid’s day crosses and put them on display in the corridor. In art we learnt how to weave using a loom and some wool. It was such great fun to learn a new skill. We marked St Valentine’s day by writing creative poems and making cards for our loved ones.

January

School started off in January a litter later than we had expected. After a few snow days at home, we returned to our class once again. We had been kept busy at home completing work given to us measuring items around our house. We were given ‘meter sticks’ made from wool and spent time estimating and measuring the length and width of doors, windows, tables etc. In science we learnt all about magnets and magnetism completing lots of fun experiments in class. In music we learnt and performed the song Count on me by Bruno Mars which linked into our SPHE lessons. We performed this for the school at whole school assembly. January 29^th was Chinese New Year and to mark this special lunar celebration, we made Chinese New Year decorations writing in Han script. As part of our preparation for Confession we have each been given parts in the retelling of the First Penance Gospel, we cannot wait for our First Penance night where we shall demonstrate it.

December

What a month it has been! We held our Christmas Carol service in the church on Thursday 12^th December and it was a glorious night. In school we had an art competition and designed our very own Christmas cards. These were entered into a competition and a winner was picked from each class. Orla took the prize in our class. IN S.E.S.E. we worked in project groups to learn about how Christmas is celebrated around the world in various counties. We presented our learning to the class. On Friday 20^th December we walked to the castle to mark the end of the half term and the start of our Christmas holidays, wearing our festive clothes to mark the special season. Finally, we had a very special visitor pop in to see us all…it was Santa. And he gave us all a selection box each. Happy Christmas!

November

During November we remembered those in our families who have passed away, as we celebrated the Month of the Holy Souls. We coloured in remembrance flowers and wrote the names of our loved one on them, placing them on the wall in the classroom.

We enjoyed mindful walks in the yard and engaged in fun filled activities outside as we played with our playground game boards of Four in a Row and Pinball. In art we learnt about the famous Japanese artist Yayoi Kusama. We interpreted her work and made our very own pumpkin from clay and painted them in her style. We will complete our designs making an infinity pumpkin room.

In maths we have been solving puzzles using geometric tangram shapes.

As gaeilge we performed our play for assembly to rapturous applause and had such fun showing the school our drama as gaeilge. Currently we are getting ready for our school concert next month and look forward to our school carol service in the local church to mark a very special time of year, Christmas.

October

During October we had great fun learning about 2-D shapes and creating them using lollipop sticks. We explored our environment and looked to see where we could see 2- D shapes in the school grounds. We had a fabulous time during Math week where we played games inside and outside the classroom and alongside 5^th and 6^th class we completed a math trail in the school yard.

As gaeilge we are preparing a drámaíocht beag darabh ainm Na Trí Mhuicín. We are so excited to present this at our next assembly. We completed our entries for the Credit Union Art competition which took a couple of art sessions to do. But we are feeling very confident that we shall win (hopefully) some prizes.

On Friday we dressed up for Hallowe’en and walked to the castle. We had a class party to mark the end of term and celebrate all the learning and fun we have completed and had to date.

September

Another summer has flown past and we were once again back with all our friends in Second class in St Brigid’s! In our classroom this year, we have twenty-nine boys and girls in total so we are a busy bunch of students.
September has been a month of beginnings. We have started swimming once again in Graiguecullen Pool and we have commenced learning the ukulele once again with Paul from Music Generation.

In class we are joined by Ms Austin and Ms O’ Neill for Early Intervention each morning. Kevin is working with us teaching us new G.A.A. skills.
Some of our class members were presented with prizes from the Tullow show and kindly brought in their trophies to show us in school. Congratulations to Ellie and Molly on their success at the show this year.

We have a fabulous new play area which we have been enjoying during breaktimes from class. Individually, each of us have created a Time Capsule which we have gathered together our items for and is now sealed. It shall be opened in June 2024. Finally, in art we created our own self- portraits. We are so excited for the adventures ahead and look forward to what October holds for
us.