Check out how we made SEED BOMBS today at Forest School. It was great fun.
Forest School: We collected leaves and made leaf puzzles for our classmates to solve:
Check out our Little Family...... created from blu tac!
Our Aistear work on SHOPS with our Teacher Andrea:
This week we celebrated Guru Nanak's birthday by practising putting on turbans:
....Aistear and more in Senior Infants:
Maths Week in Senior Infants:
Hooray! We are now in Senior Infants.
Check out our Senior Infant Book List:
| firhouse_si_booklist_2015_16.doc |
We look forward to welcoming you all to our new premises when school opens on Thursday September 3rd at 8.30am.
We will also be looking for your help to set up the classrooms in our pre-fabs on Ballycullen Drive on Wednesday 2nd September.
We will also be looking for your help to set up the classrooms in our pre-fabs on Ballycullen Drive on Wednesday 2nd September.
- Holiday List - 2015/ 2016
In September 2015 school begins on Thursday 3rd September 2015 at 8.30am
School will be CLOSED on the following dates (inclusive):
October / November Monday 26th Oct. - Friday 30th Oct.
December / January Wednesday 23rd Dec. - Tuesday 5th Jan.
February Thursday 18th Feb. - Friday 19th Feb.
March / April Thursday 17th Mar. - Friday 1st Apr.
May Monday 2nd May - Wednesday 4th May
June Monday 6th June - Wednesday 8th June
Please note all dates are inclusive.
School will close on 30th June for Summer Holidays.
We are delighted to welcome parents and children back to Senior Infants in Firhouse NS and look forward to seeing you on the first day of school at 8.30am on Thursday 3rd September 2015.
*If the school needs to close due to unforeseen circumstances, parents and guardians will be notified as early as possible via text. In the event of the school closing due to dangerous weather conditions, its possible the holiday list will be amended to make up the lost time.
Click on this link to revise Jolly Phonics Sounds: https://youtu.be/eCjJYB07aSU
Take a look at our web page when we were in Junior Infants.
September
October
November
December
January
February
March
April
May
June
June
Book List
Here is the book list for next year
Our school tour to Wooly Wards farm was a huge success. We really enjoyed all the activities we got to do.
Some more of our presentations
Jamie shared what he knows about elephants
Alisha has a pet hamster and knows how to look after a hamster. She shared what she has learned about caring for this type of pet.
Story
Jack and the beanstalk is our story for June.
Can you retell the story from the giant's perspective?
Sports day
We had great fun with Adam in St. Anne's G.A.A. club today for our second annual sports day. Thanks to all the parents who came and helped make our day more enjoyable.
Maths in the environment
We went outside to enjoy the fine weather and sunshine. Darren came with us and we found lots of 3D shapes in our garden. We took some photos to discuss and share with you. we
Siopadóir
Tá siopadóir deas ag cúinne an róid,
Diolann sé arán is bainne le h-ól
Díolann sé cacaí is borróga buí
Tugann sé ceann dom anois is arís.
| siopadoir.ppt |
May
List of Reading Strategies
(Although all of these strategies are very important I have underlined the ones that are most suitable to children who are starting to read)
Predicting: Helps activate prior knowledge. Based on clues in text (pictures, subtitles, etc.)
Connecting: Connecting prior knowledge to new information Comparing. Thinking more specifically about connections they are making, e.g. how is this different to….?
Inferring: Taking information from a text and creating their own interpretations beyond the literal level.
Synthesising: Piecing information together as students read a text, to keep track of what is happening
Creating Images: Creating sensory images to assist with overall comprehension of a text
Self-questioning: Providing a framework for active learning as students engage with the text to find answers
Skimming: Glancing quickly through material to gain an overall view of text
Scanning: Glancing through a text to locate specific details, e.g. names, dates etc.
Determining Importance: Prioritising most important information from phrase, sentence, paragraph, chapter or whole text 1
Summarising and Paraphrasing: Reducing larger texts to focus on important elements. Re-stating/re-writing text in own words using key words to capture main focus
Re-Reading: Creating opportunities for deeper understanding, word identification and developing fluency
Reading On: Skipping unfamiliar word(s) and reading on to provide sufficient context to determine unknown word/phrase
Adjusting Reading Rate: Adjusting rate where appropriate, e.g. slowing down to comprehend new information, or speeding up to scan for key words
Sounding Out: Using knowledge of letter-sound relationship to decode unknown words
Chunking: Breaking multi-syllabic words into units larger that individual phonemes
Using Analogy: Transferring what they know about familiar words to help them identify unfamiliar words
Consulting a Reference: Using a dictionary, thesaurus, reference chart or glossary to help find word meanings/pronunciations
Poem for the month of May
Limerick: There was an Old Man with a Beard
by Edward Lear
There was an Old Man with a beard,
Who said, "It is just as I feared! --
Two Owls and a Hen,
Four Larks and a Wren,
Have all built their nests in my beard.”
Story
Our fairytale for this month is Hansel and Gretel. This animation tells a version of the story with a few additional characters.
Gaeilge
B'fhearr Liomsa
Is maith le madra cnámh,
Is breá le moncaí cnó
Tá dúil ag cat i mbainne
Is taitníonn féar le bó.
Tá suim ag coinín i gcabáiste,
Tá bá ag luch le grán.
Tá cion ag asal ar chairéad,
Ach b’fhearr liom féin milseáin.
| bfhearrliomsa.doc |
Mo Mhadra
Sin é mo mhadra ina shuí ar an stól
Bíonn sé ag ithe,
Bíonn sé ag ól.
Ólann sé bainne,
Itheann sé arán
Deireann sé bhuf, bhuf,
Nuair a bhíonn sé lán
Your can download the following file that uses pictures to help explain the words of the poem.
| mo_mhadra.pptx |
Time
We have been learning how to read the clock. In Junior Infants we learn how to read hours on the clock. We have also been sequencing our daily routines. Look how we sequenced this girl's day. We don't necessarily do exactly the same as her so we had to use the pictures to help us figure out the correct order. We decided that we should place the pictures in a circle because we are asleep at the end of our day and the start of our day so one day leads into the next. Look at what we did below and talk about whether your daily routine is the same or different.
Look who shared what she knows about monkeys
Look whose presentation was all about hedgehogs
Look who told us all about tigers
Look who loves dinosaurs
April
Music
We have been singing a song about numbers. Look at all the places we found numerals written.
Here is the song we have been singing
Our traditional tale for April is Little Red Riding Hood
Sunshine art class with Senior Infants
Paired Reading in the sun
We paired up with the children from Senior Infants to read some books and enjoy the sunshine at the same time
Our English poem for April
Our Puppies
by Evaleen Stein
Little ears as soft as silk,
Little teeth as white as milk,
Little noses cool and pink,
Little eyes that blink and blink,
Little bodies round and fat,
Little hearts that pit-a-pat,
Surely prettier puppies never
Were before nor can be ever!
Gaeilge
Cúig rón thuas ar an chloch
Cúig rón thuas ar an chloch
Thuas ar an chloch
Thuas ar an chloch
Cúig rón thuas ar an chloch
Léim ceann amháin amach sa loch.
Ceithre rón thuas ar an chloch
Thuas ar an chloch
Thuas ar an chloch
Ceithre rón thuas ar an chloch
Léim ceann amháin isteach sa loch.
Trí rón thuas ar an chloch srl.
Dhá rón thuas ar an chloch srl.
Rón amháin thuas ar an chloch
Thuas ar an chloch
Thuas ar an chloch
Rón amháin thuas ar an chloch
Léim sé siúd isteach sa loch.
Eilifint ar an Trá
Máire Ní Ghallchobhair
Eilifint
Ar an trá,
Ag caitheamh a bicíní.
Rinne sí
Rince beag,
Ar a barraicíní.
'Stop!' a bhéic an
Portán beag
'Seachain mo chrúibíní!'
Och! Ochán!
An créatúr bocht,
Ina smidiríní!
Maths
We have been learning all about money in in class. We have been adding coins together and have been seeing how many ways we can find to get the same amount
Ireland's Call
We have finally managed to upload this video of us singing Ireland's call
March
Presentations
Lola taught us all about bears
Mohsin told us all about kangaroos
Conor's presentation was all about skunks
Cai shared what he know's about warthogs and even showed us how to spell the word
Isobel decided she wanted to do her presentation on spiders
Maths
We have been learning all about time. We know the long hand has to be at 12 for it to be an o'clock and the small hand tells us what o'clock it is. These games can help us practice what we know about time.
Cake decorating
Lynn came in today to show us how to decorate cupcakes to celebrate Springtime. She baked the cakes for us and brought them in along with lots of fun treats for us to use to decorate the cakes. She also brought in some fun masks to help us celebrate the season. We had lots of fun.
Riverdance
We have been watching Riverdance and have been practising our moves. Have a look at the two videos to see which one you think is the best.
Computer Programming
Scratch was developed by MIT. There are tutorials available online to help children learn or a a manual can also be got. Here is a link to it.
Presentations
Simon taught us all about frogs today.
Here is his presentation.
Look at the brilliant poster he made to help him with his presentation.
World Book Day 2015
We have had a very busy day! Parents Darren and Arnela and transition year students Sarah and Niamh spent their morning reading stories to us as we explored all of the books in the classroom. Then parents Sarah and Ahmad worked with us on reading and writing activities. At the end of the day we invited Senior Infants in to read us some stories and we shared some stories with them. Here are some photos of us and Senior Infants.
Our traditional tale for March is Chicken Licken
Our Poem for March
Daffodowndilly by A.A. Milne
She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,
She wore her greenest gown;
She turned to the south wind
And curtsied up and down.
She turned to the sunlight
And shook her yellow head,
And whispered to her neighbour:
'Winter is dead.'
Maths games
Here are some games to help us learn about capacity
February
Science: Electricity
We have been learning all about electricity. We drew pictures of all the things that use electricity.
Learn Together: Chinese New Year
We have been discussing the Chinese New Year.
We made some red paper lanterns and some yellow fans to decorate our classroom.
Jolly phonics sound and word hunt
We have been busy searching for words that contain the sounds we have been learning. All we need to do this activity are some books. We found all of these words and used the sounds we know to help us read them.
All these words contain the sound 'ee': tree, knees, feel, feet, sweet, feeling, sheep, trees, sheep, seen, screech, sweets, see, thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, deep, green and meet.
All these words contain the sound 'ng': sailing, eating, painting, sing, sting, sings, jumping, hoping, walking, clapping, living, long and things.
We also went in search of the tricky words we know and we found these words: the, to, my, here, I, me, do and one.
Gaeilge
An Béirín
Tá béirín agamsa,
béirín deas donn.
Níl léine ná bríste air,
ná hata ar a cheann
Na héadaí
Tóg cóta as an mbosca,
Tóg cóta as an mbosca,
Tóg cóta as an mbosca,
Tá cóta deas agam
(Tóg hata, stocaí, geansaí srl...)
Science: Learning about animals
We can learn all about animals by using this site to find out fun facts about them.
Growing patterns
Look at all the patterns we have been creating in class
We can practice extending growing patterns by playing this game
P.E. with Nollag and Peter from Thomas Davis G.A.A. club
Our poem for the month
Horsey Horsey
Horsey, Horsey don’t you stop
Just let your hooves go clippity clop
Let your tail go swish and the wheels go round
Giddy up! We’re homeward bound
Story time
Town Mouse and Country Mouse.
We have been debating which place would be the best place for a mouse to live. The class is still divided.
Ireland's Call
We will be learning this song in class
Reggae Music
Play this game to recognise the instruments used to play reggae music.
We have been listening to some reggae music for children.
We have also been listening to some Bob Marley music.
3D Playdough Shapes
Some shapes were easier than others to make. We found cubes and cuboids particularly tricky. Spheres and cylinders were no problem.
January
Buried 3D shapes
Can you figure out what shape is buried?
Mornings in class.
We are very busy in the mornings practising everything we have been learning.
Look at all the things we have been doing.
Some of our parents were able to help us in class.
These photos are from before the winter holidays.
We are going to be having parents helping us with maths and English this term.
Phonics
Look at all the words we can now write by using the sounds we have been learning.
Art
We used chalks to create these lovely pictures. We were experimenting by mixing colours.
Old MacDonald had a farm
Aistear
Gaeilge
Clár teilifíse
Déan É
Tá muid ag foghlaim conas damhsa.
We have been learning how to dance while learning Irish.
Follow this link to TG4 and Cúla4
Here we are learning the dances by following the instructions given in Irish.
Science
We have been learning about materials and their properties. This activity allows us to experiment with different materials to check if they are waterproof and transparent. We can also check if they are strong and flexible.
We went on a material hunt in the classroom and sorted objects into groups or wooden objects, plastic objects, paper objects and metal objects. The windows were too awkward to move so we left them where they were.
An teilifís
Martin Luther King Day is on the 19th of January this year.
We have been talking about him in class and discussing equality.
The story of Rosa Parks and the bus boycott.
Basketball with Gillian from Hoop Skool
Maths
We went on a 3D shape hunt and sort. Look at all the cylinders, cubes and cuboids we found in the class. We did not find any spheres or pyramids yet but we will keep looking.
How many are under the bowl? We worked in pairs to help each other learn how to subtract.
Cartún Gaeilge
We have been learning about the television and different types of programmes. We have been watching an episode of Peg and her Cat. The following link is to the TG4 player for children which contains many Irish language programmes for children.
Languages
We have been discussing how people speak lots of different languages and listening to rhymes in other languages. Some children asked for this to be put on the page so that they could learn Mary had a little lamb in German.
Maths
Number operations
In Junior Infants we work on adding and subtracting amounts within 5. You can choose an amount for us to work with in this game.
Shapes
We have already learned the names and properties of some 2D shapes and we are now working on 3D shapes. You can choose to play this game with either 2D or 3D shapes.
Blues Music
We have been learning what instruments are used to create blues music.
This game involves us listening to and identifying the instrument being played.
Chuck Brown & The Chuckleberries
The time-out blues
Story
The Magic Porridge Pot
Our poem for January
Michael Finnegan
There was an old man named Michael Finnegan
He had whiskers on his chinnegan
The wind came along and blew them in again
Poor old Michael Finnegan
There was an old man named Michael Finnegan
He went fishing with a pin again
Caught a fish but it flopped back in again
Poor old Michael Finnegan
There was an old man named Michael Finnegan
He ran a race and tried to win again
He fell down and bumped his shin again
Poor old Michael Finnegan
Here is a different version of the poem we have been learning.
Gaeilge
Ag Feachaint ar an Teilifís
Tá Liam sa bhaile,
Tá sé ar bís!
Níl sé ar scoil,
Tá sé ag féachaint ar an teilifís.
Faigheann sé an cianrialtán,
Suíonn sé síos,
Tá áthas ar Liam,
Ag féachaint ar an teilifís.
Same story but a different perspective?
We have been exploring different versions of the same story and talking about how and why they differ. Here are some examples.
The wolf's version of events.
The three pig's version of events.
Here is another version of the story.
Can you spot the similarities and differences?
December
Practising for our winter wonderland show
Frosty the snowman
An fear sneachta.
There was a chubby snowman
Learn Together
Christmas
25th of December
This month we are learning all about the story of the first Christmas.
Judaism
Hannukkah
December 16th-24th
We have been learning about the story of Hannukkah this month
Phonics blending games
Buried Treasure
In this game you need to blend the words to find out if they are real or nonsense words and decide whether they should be binned or put into the treasure chest.
Dragons Den
Help the dragons find their eggs by sorting the made up words from the real ones.
Picnic on Pluto
Help Obb and Bob find the right words to eat.
Pick a picture
Blend the sounds to read the word and then pick the correct picture to match it.
Our Story for December
Goldilocks and the three bears
Maths games
Ladybird spots
You can choose a counting, a matching or an ordering number game to practice what we have been doing in school.
Balloon Pop
Pop the balloon with the least or the most.
Our Poem for December
Chubby Snowman
There was a chubby snowman
Who had a carrot nose
Along came a bunny
And what do you suppose
The hungry little bunny
Was looking for his lunch
He grabbed that snowman's carrot nose
NIBBLE! NIBBLE! CRUNCH!!
Day and Night
We have been learning about the earth, sun and moon.
Gaeilge
An Fear Sneachta
Is fear sneachta mise,
Ní féidir liom siúl
Ba mhaith liom bheith ag imirt peile
Ach níl aon chosa fúm
Is fear sneachta mise
Tá mé breá fuar
Tá súile beaga dubha agam
Agus dáth ar nós plúr
Is fear sneachta mise
Is breá liom na páistí
Ach ní maith liom é
Nuair a bhíonn sé ag cur báistí
November
Pattern Blocks
We use pattern blocks in class to work on patterns, shape and space and number work. You can see us using pattern blocks in some of the photos below. The following link is to a site where you can make repeating patterns or use the pattern blocks to create a picture.
Mathematics Measures
Weight
We have been working with a pan balance in class.
Click on the link to find an activity to practice what we have been doing in school.
S.P.H.E.
Safety in the bathroom.
We have been exploring safety in the home.
This activity helps us identify possible dangers in the home.
Born performers!
Here is our poem for November
P.E. with Adam
On Wednesday mornings we learn to play games to help keep us fit and healthy
Morning activities
Look how much we are learning during our morning activities
Maths games
We have been working on length and identifying things that are shorter or longer.
The following game will let us practice what we have been working on in school.
Music
Saint Saens Carnival of the Animals
We have been listening to the music, talking about it and moving to it.
We have also been playing a game of identifying the animal by listening to the piece.
Learn Together: sharing
Share a toy on Friday
Gaeilge
Bogha Baistí:
Dearg agus glas,
gorm agus buí,
Féach sa spéir,
An bogha baistí.
Ag ceann an bogha,
Tá pota breá mór,
Féach isteach ann,
Is leatsa an t-ór.
Our first class visit to the library.
Barbara had lots of fun games for us to play
Repeating Patterns
Look how good we are at designing and building our own repeating patterns
Social, personal and health education
We have been looking at dangers in the classroom and at home. Follow the link to the sensory house and identify the dangers in the kitchen.
Story
We are working on the story of the Little Red Hen for the month of November. We will be re-enacting and sequencing the story as well as discussing it. We will also be looking at the characters, the setting and the main parts of the story.
Five Senses
In science we have been learning about the five senses. We have discussed what we love hearing, seeing, tasting, touching and smelling.
Our poem for November
There Once Was a Man
by Charles Causley
There once was a man
Called Knocketty Ned
Who wore his cat
On top of his head.
Upstairs, downstairs,
The whole world knew
Wherever he went
The cat went too.
by Charles Causley
There once was a man
Called Knocketty Ned
Who wore his cat
On top of his head.
Upstairs, downstairs,
The whole world knew
Wherever he went
The cat went too.
Handwriting
Here is a clip to help your child learn how to grip a pencil properly
Maths game
The complete the square activity helps us understand the properties of a square.
Click the link to play
October
Self-expression dress up day
Aistear
Here are some photos from Aistear in October
Jolly Phonics blending
We have started blending sounds to read. The following clip is of a demonstration on how Jolly Phonics blending works.
Dogs Trust Visit
We had a visit from Fiona and Jake from Dogs Trust today. We learned all about what is needed to care for a dog. It sounded like way too much trouble for us so we have decided we are not going to ask our parents for a dog as a present.
Maths fun for maths week!
Here are some links to maths games that can support our learning in school
You dress Bobby and then count how many outfits he has in this game
This five frame game helps us understand how other numbers are related to the number 5
This bead game involves us copying colour patterns
This rocket game helps us practice extending repeating patterns
Try this game if you want a challenge.
It helps us recognise the relationships between similar patterns
Poetry
This is us reciting the poem we did last month
Gaeilge
Watch us as we perform the poem Dún do lámha
Dún do lámha
Dún do lámha,
Oscail do lámha,
Suas is síos
Dún do lámha,
Oscail do lámha,
Dún is oscail arís.
Dún do lámha,
Oscail do lámha,
Suas is síos
Dún do lámha,
Oscail do lámha,
Dún is oscail arís.
Here we are reciting the poem An Traein
An Traein
Mise an traein, puff, puff, puff,
Mise an madra, bhuf, bhuf, bhuf,
Mise an bus, bíp,bíp,bíp,
Mise an sicín, tsíp,tsíp,tsíp.
Mise an traein, puff, puff, puff,
Mise an madra, bhuf, bhuf, bhuf,
Mise an bus, bíp,bíp,bíp,
Mise an sicín, tsíp,tsíp,tsíp.
Physical Education
P.E. with Adam from St. Annes G.A.A. club
Our poem for October
Flutter, Flutter Little Bat
by Leanne Guenther
Flutter, flutter little bat,
How I wonder where you're at.
Swooping through the darkest night -
You find your way without a light.
Flutter, flutter little bat,
How I wonder where you're at!
by Leanne Guenther
Flutter, flutter little bat,
How I wonder where you're at.
Swooping through the darkest night -
You find your way without a light.
Flutter, flutter little bat,
How I wonder where you're at!
Road Safety
We have been learning the safe cross code
Here we are dancing to the song
September
Aistear
Visual arts
Enjoying art lessons
Storytime
The Gingerbread Man artwork
Music
We love playing instruments during music lessons
Friendship
We have been learning this song about friendship
Work
Don't forget we work hard too!
Maths
We find patterns everywhere
Friendship
We had a disco to celebrate our new friendships and we invited the Senior Infant class
P.E.
We love playing basketball in school.
Reading time
Junior Infants invited Senior Infants in to read some stories to them.
Junior Infants invited Senior Infants in to read some stories to them.
First two weeks
Here are some photos of our first two weeks in Junior Infants.
Our September Poem
You Cannot See It
by Richard Caley
You cannot see it
Yet you know
The wind is there
You feel it blow.
You feel it sigh
A gentle breeze
Which ruffles hair
And tickles knees
by Richard Caley
You cannot see it
Yet you know
The wind is there
You feel it blow.
You feel it sigh
A gentle breeze
Which ruffles hair
And tickles knees
Jolly phonics
Here are the Jolly Phonics rhymes we are learning in school
Welcome to Our New Junior Infants 2014-2015
Hello Everyone,
It is great to see our new Junior Infant Class settling into school so nicely and we look forward to getting some photos up here to show you!
If you have any questions or anything you'd like to chat about before then please call me on 01 4203707.
With every good wish,
Collette
It is great to see our new Junior Infant Class settling into school so nicely and we look forward to getting some photos up here to show you!
If you have any questions or anything you'd like to chat about before then please call me on 01 4203707.
With every good wish,
Collette
