Welcome to Mrs. Sheriff’s class!
Welcome to 5th and 6th class! This year, our most senior pupils will embrace new challenges, take on new responsibilities and create lots of lasting memories. We look forward to keeping you all updated throughout this new school year.
April
The return to school after the Easter break saw 5th and 6th class getting straight down to business as they prepared for the Confirmation ceremony. It was a wonderful celebration and the sun on the day really added to the occasion.
Many of the children have been very busy with sporting activities, with FAI soccer and Cumann na mBunscol hurling and camogie. We’re also very lucky to have Ezrah with us for the next few weeks teaching tag rugby.
The class studied the book ‘Milo Imagines the World’, investigating stereotypes and the importance of not making assumptions about people based on how they might look. We also explored the work of Kathleen Lynn in the fight for Irish Independence and improving lives and conditions for the poor.
We are delighted to welcome Ms. Nolan to our class for the next number of weeks. She has begun teaching all about The Romans and we have been working on report writing and improving our basketball skills. We hope that she will feel most welcome in our classroom.
March
March was filled with many memorable moments for the pupils in 5th and 6th class.
We began the month with our World Book Day celebrations, dressing up and taking part in book quizzes and book related maths hunts.
We had our workshop about Online Safety with Jenny Holmes. The children learned a lot and engaged really well with such an important topic.
The class prepared for the Céilí Mór and Lá Glas, learning céilí dances and the song ‘Chomh Saor’ by The Coronas. The school was a sea of green and it was a wonderful day.
The children completed a ‘Design a Marble Run’ STEM activity. This was great fun for all, and the children showed wonderful teamwork and innovative ideas. They really enjoyed showing their work in the junior and senior infant classes.
All of the pupils took part in a retreat organised by Fr. Andy and the team from Trócaire. They had a very enjoyable day of reflection and learning about how we can do our small part to help others around the world. They each planted their own sunflower to bring home on the day.
The class completed beautiful artwork, representing the Irish landscape through watercolour painting and depicting world landmarks lit up in green for Saint Patrick’s Day.
We are looking forward to the Easter holidays. When we return to school there will be lots of excitement and anticipation as we prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation.
Beannachtaí na Cásca oraibh go léir.
February
The rain didn’t dampen the spirits of the 5th and 6th class pupils this February!
The children learned about plate tectonics and how volcanoes are formed, and they created impressive illustrated spreads to display their research on volcanoes around the world.
They showed off their rolling skills in gymnastics lessons, with some children even mastering a cartwheel for the first time.
They created some embroidered bookmark keepsakes for Valentine’s Day, and painted their imaginative flower sculptures.
The confirmation candidates made their Confirmation pledge, and we learned about the work of Trócaire as we began the season of Lent.
The children are taking part in Sustainability workshops each week and are very much invested in how they can do small things to combat climate change in their own homes and communities. As soon as the sun made an appearance, we went out to carry out a litter pick around the school and St. Brigid’s Church.
We’re looking forward to more sunny spring days ahead!
January
We’ve started 2026 full of energy and enthusiasm in 5th and 6th class.
The children completed research about Japan and prepared some fantastic project presentations on a range of topics. Their work was truly impressive, and they demonstrated excellent public speaking skills.
We began our work on the Junior Entrepreneur Programme, and we took part in a live stream with Louise Quill, who founded the Tír na nÓg Children’s Foundation in Tanzania. The children were inspired by her work, and we look forward to exploring some of their own business ideas over the coming weeks.
The class completed some lovely artwork based on the work of Japanese artists Hokusai, Takashi Murakami and Yayoi Husama.
We’ve had the great opportunity to take part in a programme called Education for Sustainability. Our facilitator Sanja visits each week to speak to the children about sustainability and climate justice. She is blown away each week by the children and how well they engage and share their own knowledge about climate change.
We’ve also enjoyed taking part in our Croke Park Active Breaks each day.
December
December brought with it lots of memorable moments for 5th and 6th class. Our days were very busy as we prepared for our Christmas Play, Peter Pan. We had a brilliant time rehearsing and the class absolutely rose to the occasion when our performances came around. They put on an unforgettable show to delighted audiences, and I’m sure it will be a very positive memory to look back on for everyone involved.
We completed some festive artwork, including paper angels, snowflake decorations and even some hand-sewn snowmen for the Christmas tree.
The children completed a STEM challenge, designing and building a working catapult. There was stiff competition as we tested our finished pieces, making improvements as necessary.
We cannot forget our wonderful trip to Leinster House, where we toured the Dáil with Catherine Callaghan TD and met both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste. It was brilliant day for all.
The children also worked on their descriptive writing, completing short pieces with a focus on scene setting and using figurative language to enhance their work.
It was a joyous month, and we will look forward to hitting the ground running once again as the new year begins. Wishing everyone a happy and peaceful break.
November
We’ve had a very enjoyable month in 5th and 6th Class.
We began the month celebrating Science Week in our class. The children investigated careers in Science and Technology, carried out experiments and researched some historical and modern-day scientists. They presented their learning and their illustrated spreads at our school assembly.
In maths, the children have been learning about measuring and drawing angles. They studied the work of Sol Lewitt, a minimalist artist who used many lines and angles in his paintings and constructions, and they created their own artwork inspired by him.
In SPHE, the children have been learning about Healthy and Unhealthy behaviour, and they took on different roles in ‘focus groups’, discussing how healthy lifestyles might look at different stages of a person’s life.
The children had their final swimming lessons, and we saw some fantastic swimming at their end of term races.
The boy’s indoor hurling team had a very successful evening in Spellman Park, where they qualified for the Division 2 Final which will take place in the new year.
A huge focus this month has been on beginning preparations for our Christmas performance. The children have been rehearsing enthusiastically and are very excited to showcase all their work in December.
October
This month, the boys and girls in 5th and 6th class have been busy as ever. At the beginning of the month, pupils took part in Cross Country running in Carlow and certainly made their mark. The 5th class pupils were also invited to Bunclody Community College for their open day, where they got a taste of secondary school life and a feel for some exciting and practical subjects.
The children have been progressing so well at their swimming lessons each week. They’re also continuing to develop their guitar skills with Paul from Music Generation. We are also lucky enough to have Mr. Kavanagh visit our class each week for lessons in French.
We celebrated Maths Week this month, with 5th and 6th class pupils taking the lead in facilitating activities around the school. We had our ever-popular Problem Of The Day competition, and we had some wonderful collaboration between pupils across the school. 5th and 6th class facilitated a Maths Mystery challenge with 1st and 2nd class, and some fun maths stations with our infant rooms. We saw great leadership and responsibility from our senior pupils.
Of course, the month concluded with our Halloween celebrations, and our spooky walk to Huntington Castle.
Wishing you all a safe and happy mid-term break.
September
The new term has gotten off to a great start in 5th and 6th class. The children came back to school full of energy and enthusiasm, so we were excited to hit the ground running!
We had a busy first few weeks learning to work as a whole-class team. We carried out two fun STEM challenges, designing and building structures and working together.
The class were enthusiastic about getting back to their accelerated reading work, with many already earning certificates for their reading. We had a Book Tasting morning in our room where everyone was encouraged to ‘taste’ books that perhaps they would not have chosen before.
As always, the first term is full of sporting activities. As well as our hard-working Cumann na mBunscol teams, the class have also been involved in swimming, GAA with Kevin and even some rounders sessions with Ms. Moloney. We mustn’t forget the competitive soccer matches at lunchtime also!
Our 6th Class pupils were lucky to receive an invitation to a subject tasting day in Coláiste Bhríde Carnew, where they got to experience some of the exciting subjects awaiting them in secondary school.
It’s been a wonderful start to the new school year and we’re looking forward to all that’s to come.
