January 2024
January 2024 Blog
Fifth and sixth class came back to school in January eager to learn after a nice relaxing break over Christmas. We started January by reflecting on 2023 and making goals for 2024. We thought about what we would like to achieve during 2024 and how we could try to achieve these goals. We completed some “2024” art also, practicing line and pattern. Katie has been visiting us each Wednesday during January and coaching us in tag rugby. We have practiced catching and throwing the rubgy ball and have playing some tag rugby matches. We have had to have rugby coaching in the handball alley as some of the days have been so cold and icy. Ms Foxe even found an icicle that was hanging from the roof outside!
We spent a lot of January learning about An Gortá Mór, The Great Famine, which occurred in Ireland from 1845 – 1851. We studied the Famine in history and we created our own individual projects to showcase all that we learned. Our projects include information on the blight, the conditions for the Irish people at the time, soup kitchens, the public works scheme, the workhouses, emigration, evictions and the short- and long-term effects the famine had on Ireland. We read newspaper reports from Ireland, England and America that were written during the famine years. We then pretended that we were newspaper reporters travelling around Ireland during the famine and wrote reports on what we saw. We have also been reading Under the Hathorn Tree which tells the story of Eily, Michael and Peggy, three siblings trying to survive during the Famine in Ireland. We are thoroughly enjoying the novel and can’t wait to find out what happens to Eily, Michael and Peggy at the end of the book.
The last week of January was Catholic Schools Week. The theme for Catholic Schools Week this year was “Communities of Service”. We read bible extracts of miracles which Jesus performed which showed how He served others. We thought of ways in which we could help our family and friends. At the end of the week we went to mass in Gusserane Church.
Well done to Daniel, Padraig, Annie and Rose from 6th Class who took part in the Credit Union Quiz in New Ross on 27th January. They were fantastic representatives of our school and scored very well in the quiz.
We look forward to February and all it has to bring. We are lucky to have Ms Molloy coming into our classroom and teaching us for three weeks.
