Sixth Class: Persuasive Writing.

Pupils in Sixth Class never fail to impress! They spent four weeks researching, writing and planning house designs. These were no ordinary designs! They also made intricate, miniature, shoebox models of their floor plans. This teamwork culminated in a ‘Sales Brochure’, a Sales Powerpoint and an actual shoebox model of each home. There were eight teams. Each team’s project was assessed by a combination of teachers, in the following areas:

  1. Quality of Brochure: attractive, clear layout of information etc
  2. Oral Presentation Skill: eye contact, voice, tone, body language etc
  3. Persuasive Content: Powerpoint design, imagery, selling points
  4. Team work : Evidence of roles and full participation of each pupil
  5. Shoebox Model: Creativity, design, materials,aesthetics etc

The teachers were most impressed with each team’s incredible effort and the wonderful persuasive Powerpoint presentations, as Gaeilge agus as Béarla. The houses or holiday homes featured geo-thermal wind and solar-powered installations, electric vehicle charging units, handsewn upholstery, recycled and upcycled furniture, steel counter-tops, charging, patios, a swimming pool/ice rink, landscaped gardens, wooden floors and fantastic interior and exterior colour schemes. Some of the presenters pitched the attractive lifestyle, highlighting amenities for children, child-care options for parents and local organic food-markets. These homes were extraordinary. The teams answered questions posed by the judging panel with ease. Every single detail was covered, including their business cards and social media platforms. Well done, everyone! Well done, Ms Marion!

S.T.E.A.M. Week(s)

Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Maths. Take a look at our activities these last few weeks. What great creative fun we have!

Cloud in a bottle.
Hedgehog House
Designing a tower
Raisins- Rising Up!
Our Alder trees have male catkins (see fingers) and female catkins (see eyes). Oak leaves, both sessile and common make for great hair!
This was fantastic! They made this hopping train themselves, during sos!
Banríon na Darach
A beautifully bound Autumn bouquet. Go raibh míle maith agat!
Tower builders in Ms Claire’s room trying different materials this time: cards and Pritt Sticks

Take a look at our Active School Weebly micro-site 2019/20

You will find the link to our Active Schools Initiative on our Main Menu, see ‘Awards and Initiatives’. (but we have posted the link here for your convenience). There are four sections in our ASF initiative: Physical Education, Physical Activity, Partnership and Active Schools Week. Look out for your Parent and Pupil Survey responses and comments in Q.10. This Weebly site is well worth a visit. We are very proud of each other! Follow ‘More’ tab here

https://caherleaheenactiveflag.weebly.com/ ‘Read More’ tab….

Looking Back on October.

Well done to all our teachers and assistants who lead and facilitated fantastic learning activities these last few weeks. Everyone was in full flow! The children have been wonderful and much of their work links outdoor activities with literacy, SESE, SPHE, STEM and artistic creativity. Obair iontach

Fourth Class investigated leaf – types and made these beautiful window suncatchers,

Fantastic Neolithic Projects in Third Class!

MEGA displays!
Maith sibh, Rang a Trí!

Maths Week was again, a superb success with plenty of scope to exploit and link Hallowe’en with Math Strands eg Shape

Maths Week outdoor activities. Wellie throwing = math strand measures and fundamental movement = underarm throw

These letters are more important than any letters that will be written this month….or in December! Taking care and thinking of all our elders who are feeling lonely in nursing homes is so important. These letters will brighten their day, we hope! Well done to all our Fourth Class pupils, all of whom took such great care with these letters and special thanks to Mr Damien for including this important activity in his SPHE programme.

SPHE in Third Class
Third Class….a perspective.

Engagement with St John’s…..

Prayer booklet, holy water, rosary beads and a baptismal candle to hand…..and an attentive young boy from Rang a Dó
Second class enrolled remotely for their Scaraments of Reconciliation and Holy Communion. Many thanks to Paddy Daly, Aoife, Eileen and Fr Séan. It was a very special ceremony. Many thanks to Ms Claire too for all the preparation in the classroom.

FIFTH CLASS PROJECT WORK : Looking at the Normans

Unfortunately, Fifth Class had to close early before the mid-term , due to a cluster of Covid cases. These rainbows were stuck on their classroom windows in the symbolic hope that all would be well. All is well , thank God and we will be delighted to welcome them back after the Hallowe’en break .

MANGAHIGH Math Winners: Here are our top scorers from Rang1 and 2 and Rang 3 and 4. Maith sibh and well done to all the other pupils who participated online for Maths week. The prize baskets (daffodil bulbs, sweets, pops, mugs etc) had a distinct Hallowe’en twist as did many of our other activities in October. Sure, why not? We all love Hallowe’en and Autumn.

We love Maths!

Aistear at it’s finest. Junior Infant pods loved constructing their haunted houses and they put in a lot of effort and ‘outside the box’ creativity ! They constructed “creaky staircases” “roofs with bats living in them” ‘” a disco-ball in the “sitting room with disco lights” ” escape doors” ” broken glass-panes” ” nice ghosts” …. ! The project lasted a week and they had great fun building their Creeeepy Streeeeet!

Here are some photos of Hallowe’en art /costumes from all the classes. Well done everyone!

Cá bhfuil Ms Sinéad?
Fabulous art from Rang a Dó
Well done Rang a hAon……..more apples !

Many thanks to our parents, as always. We couldn’t do it with out your support!

Video Compilation of WW2 Project Work in Sixth Class…

What incredible work from each and every pupil in Sixth Class! Well done to Ms Marion for leading her class on a journey of discovery and learning. They explored the socio-economic and political causes and effects of WW2. These wonderful projects looked at Blitzkriegs, the Battle for Britain and accompanying blackouts, the treatment of Jews and the cruelty of concentration camps, the effect on the lives of children and women, food rationing, SS, Hitler, Chamberlain and Churchill, famous battles, offensives and surrenders, allied and axis powers, Irish neutrality and much more. History is such an important subject and these projects demonstrate the level of work and research which pupils engaged with, in class and at home. The illustrations, arrangement and presentation of these projects are superb, you would agree. Each child was given the time to discuss and summarise their individual projects orally in front of their classmates. Their ‘London Blitz’ artwork, using oil and dry pastels , depicting the air raids or ‘lockdowns’ at night is absolutely superb. Well done, everyone! This wonderful work is displayed on noticeboards along our corridors which you can see in the video below. I hope it compensates in some way, for the restrictions which deny parents the chance to walk around and linger during this 2020 challenge.

Looking Back on September

Tomorrow is the first day of October. September was a wonderful month, as we all settled back into our routines very quickly. The children have been superb and we couldn’t do it without them! They are a credit to their parents. The teaching and assistive staff continue to be very proud of them, every day!

PAT PHONICS BOOKLETS, printed and bound by Ms Noreen for each Senior Infant. Thank you, Noreen.
Fifth Class are independent learners. They know what they have to do!
Obair iontach i Rang a Ceathair freisin

A Unique Confirmation…..

Our former Sixth Class pupils were treated to a unique and very special Confirmation ceremony on Saturday. It was spiritual, intimate, relaxed, empowering and very moving. Just like God’s Holy Spirit would have wanted! (Please click the red tab ‘Read More’ here).

Fr Séan, Paddy Daly, Aoife Daly and Eileen Doyle had arranged and overseen all the major and minor details: the beautiful Liturgy, the charismatic music, the inviting, colourful altar and the welcoming Confirmation booklets at each family pew…. and much more. Ushers, all volunteers, kept a close eye, discreetly sanitizing everything as we exited into the evening sunshine. Thank you, all!

Catherine Galway and Conor Falvey, parents, read the readings eloquently to a captive congregation, followed by Fr Séan who gave a perfectly pitched, reassuring and engaging homily, sprinkled with humour, encouragement and philosophy. Our ‘Sixth Class Stars’ were attentive and respectful, as always, resplendent in their lovely smart new uniforms, representing seven Secondary schools! Bród! Those seven schools will be all the richer for enrolling such talented, unique , kind and enthusiastic students, not to mention their supportive parents, in their school communities. These ‘gifts’, from Caherleaheen NS, of whom we are so proud will be welcomed in the seven secondary schools, I have no doubt! We will miss them here in Caherleaheen NS…….

Seamount College, Kinvara

Coláiste Íde agus Iosaf, Abbeyfeale

Presentation Secondary, Milltown

Gaelcholáiste Chiarraí, Trá lí

Presentation Secondary, Tralee

The Green C.B.S., Tralee

Mercy Mounthawk, Tralee

The Confirmation Rite itself was like no other, thanks to the preparation, intimacy and powerful peacefulness. Fr Séan moved through the main aisle, anointing each candidate with the oil of Chrism, while Paddy and Aoife’s choice of background music held us all, mesmerized.

We exited, as directed, and managed to grab a few, quick photos and a chat outside, as best and as safely as we could. There are a few pupils missing from these lovely photos, unfortunately, due to time commitments, compliance and due care. That’s the hard part, these days!

However, anyone I spoke to was positive and only missing Caherleaheen a little or a lot! They had all grown a little bit more, in many ways, these last few months (again!) There was a really happy and energizing air as we bade farewell. The Gifts and Fruits of the Holy Spirit are in good hands!

I know I speak for all our parents, staff and the whole school community when I wish every single student the very best in their respective schools. Keep in touch. Take care and be kind to yourself and all others. Be brave and good.

Beir bua.

Mary

We turned off our phones and the cermony was not recorded….

Arrival and Collection Times

Mon 14th September: These are the revised times for robins and blackbirds. Please remember that children cannot leave their cars to approach the gate, under any circumstances, until the gate is opened by staff and the bird banners are displayed at the entrance. Thank you all for your support and for ensuring that our staggered time-slots work safely and well.

Robins’ Arrival 8:30am to 8:40am

Robins’ Collection 2:25pm to 2:35pm

Blackbirds Arrival 8:40am to 8:50am

Blackbirds’ Collection 2:35pm to 2:45pm

Confirmation Date, Confirmed!

We are delighted to announce that all our graduates will be confirmed on Sat 19th September in St John’s at 4.30pm. All candidates are required to wear their secondary school uniforms. There will be five secondary schools represnted and I imagine it will be a very special day, celebrated by Fr Séan. This is our favourite photo from their graduation in June. So we will all meet again, almost three months later! Please observe social distancing guidelines when entering the church and finding a family pew. This is really important. Exiting and any photos outside, will have to be managed and controlled by all families, as we support the continued, safe, re-opening of schools.

A new generation! Welcome to our new Junior Infants. What a calm and confident class! We are impressed and blessed :)

We were delighted to welcome our new Junior Infants today. It was a VIP reception! Parents should be so proud of how they walked down our steps, waved goodbye, proceeded to Seomra 1 and sanitised, effortlessly. Some even posed for quick photos before they crossed the threshold. They settled in immediately. That does not happen every year. We now have a very small, intimate yet generously spacious classroom, as it should be. We also have a loving and gifted teacher. Thank you Ms Adrienne and welcome back. What a great induction day! Well done, everyone. Thank you all- parents, assistants and teachers. Special thanks to our new little stars. They really were a gift. Dotes! Parents, please send us a few more pics, if you have the time. We were too busy engaging with our new pupils and each other. So, phones and cameras were set aside. Rightfully so! We were under their spell….

Graduation 2020

We started this special day via Zoom and a surprise Graduation Video on Thursday 25th June: teachers, Fr Séan and all of Sixth Class. The children were presented with their Yearbooks, Graduation Certificates, goodie-bags and Class of 2020 hoodie, on school grounds in the afternoon. All the staff attended and parents viewed the proceedings from a safe distance. It was a colourful, fun and uplifting afternoon, as we hadn’t seen each other for such a long time! Everyone looked so well- smartly dressed in their uniforms for the last time. We returned again on Saturday for more pics, balloons, streamers and ice-creams! These photos capture some of the celebrations. The Class of 2020 are an exceptional group of young people and we are confident that they will thrive in secondary schools. Go n-éirí an t-ádh libh!

A quick huddle……….
Staff had a quick huddle too……great to see each other in the flesh after three long months.
It was a super day. Thank you all: 2020 grads, parents and staff!

Closure? What Closure? We are Open to Learning….

This is just a snapshot of the amazing activities being done in all our home-schools. Well done everyone! These photos are a joy. There is some amazing learning going on in every home and the children are having super fun too, with lots of play, making and baking, reading and writing, listening and talking! Maith sibh go léir!

A very wise poet, here…..
Bácéirí Iontacha!
Four Star Bug Hotels !
Adam has had a make-over 🙂
Everyone needs at least one good stegosaurus in their life.
Everyone needs fun exercise 🙂
Math exercise keeps us fit too!
Junior Infants Easter Parade. Bouncy Easter Bonnets!
What a fantastic engineering project!! A Chicken Coop by the Wade family
Mad Scientists
The ‘HAPPY Garden’ (Long family)
Cé hé mise??
Cé rinne an comic seo ? ( Hint: Rang a Cúig!)
What talent! (This is only a glimpse of a fantastic comic book in progress!)
Activities in Number Value
Everyone needs at least one good robot in their life.
……..”And how will these grow?’
Potions and Lotions……I can smell the perfume from here!
Responding to text
Féach ar a gcuid rice crispie buns! Go hiontach páistí sona sásta a fheiscint.
Buachaill gnóthach anseo ó Rang a Sé
Busy Beavers in Junior Infants
Experiments in the Kitchen Lab. SUPER!
Phonics
Horse-Jumping in the Olympics…….postponed.Excellent illustration! Horses are not easy to draw.
A Corona-Busting Robot!
Making our own playdough!

Follow this link to explore what Mr Damien’s Class have been up to http://mrdamiensclass.weebly.com/class-work–pics.html

Ms Caroline’e Class …..learning about Florence Nightingale and Hygiene. How very apt!
Of course, if all else fails, there’s always Scrabble!

Here is the result of our Parents’ Survey on Homeschooling

Please click Read More to find the blue link to the data. Thank you so much….all 80 families! We are very encouraged by all that you are doing and how you are embracing homeschooling. Your support means so much to ALL the staff and most importantly to your kids. Stay positive. This will have a huge effect on how your children approach home-schooling. Make sure you have hours and hours of creative, fun-filled downtime. Thank you again. Your comments were particularly kind and it is clear to see that you are all doing a fantastic job! You will find ‘responses’ when you reach the end of Q.10 https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-XLLTQ83M7/

H

How do our Gardens and Children Grow?

Birds (and their fledglings during April ) are really busy these days. Many of our pupils are lucky enough to live within 2km of trees and shrubs, not to mention that many of us are blessed to have a wee garden. Bird watching and bird ‘scoring’ can be great fun! You can find the top ten birds locally and score them. Check out CaherleaheenTeachers (Facebook Pg) for more info on scoring. Take a look at how our tulips in the patio have grown in 2 weeks:

Fri 13th March…..over two weeks ago.

Lá Fhéile Pádraig Sona Daoibh!🌈☘💚

Last Wednesday, we decided to hold our Paddy Dash, our Céilí Mór sa Halla agus Tráth na gCeist! Little did we know then that schools would be required to close the following day or that our daily lives would change so dramatically. Here are some pics which show the life and vibrancy which children bring to our lives, in contrast with the eerie silence on Thursday afternoon, when we said an emotional ‘Slán agus Beannacht ‘ to children, staff and parents. Today is our national holiday. We hope you all make the best of it, and enjoy your own mini parades, céilí sa chistin, etc Tomorrow, parents will guide/teach their pupils at home, following plans provided by class teachers. We appreciate the effort and time that this will take. Please allow some time each day to correct and edit their work and don’t forget to give them a star, a sticker , a slap on the back:” Maith thú!”ar fheabhas!”, “go hiontach!”. 👏💚

Réidh don Paddy Dash!
Peileadóir Iontach i Rang 5!
Rinceoirí Iontacha i Rang 1 & 2!
Lúthcleasaithe Iontacha I Rang 1, 2, 3, 4.

Agus ar an Déardaoin….ciúnas…. i gach áit…..🙄

One boy got home safe and sound…… 💚
We will miss you and each other……..
May you all 🎶 bloom and grow forever🎶 just like these tulips are doing right now…….despite us not being there !

World Book Day!

Our characters arrived proudly in all their finery, many carrying their ‘current favourite’ books. We were very impressed by their individual summaries, when they shared with their peers the reasons why they loved particular characters, favourite authors and illustrators. There is no doubt that we have an army of book lovers in our classrooms, thanks to all the encouragement from parents and teachers.

May the Force be with us! Engineers Week.

Ms Caroline’s class had a hugely informative and educational outing to Tralee IT this morning. Static electricity and electrical circuits were expertly explored and pupils enjoyed the active demonstrations. Great feedback from our pupils when they returned. Many thanks to Rose Travel for another safe journey to Dromtacker. Mr Damien’ afterschool Lego Club is a hit and LegoWeDo packs were supplied by Michelle Culloty (PDST facilitator)

Lego WeDo

The ‘GREEN’ DREAM TEAM!!

Darragh Reen returned yet again, with his mates, Corn Uí Mhuirí Champions, after beating The ‘Sem’ Killarney (handsomely). CBS The Green are now Munster Colleges Champions and if they can nail the semi-final on March 21st, they will play in Croke, giving chase to the Hogan Cup. Can you imagine the pride we felt as we welcomed Darragh and two other former Caherleaheen pupils. David and Jack Moriarty ( Kerry Minors:) The whole panel arrived on Thursday and all were cheered by our young hopefuls in the yard at lunch time. Comhgáirdeas libh! However, a night of Active Homework received the wildest cheers! Thanks Darragh! I suppose if you get to Croke again, we will have to give you a night off study. Ádh mór oraibh go léir 21/3/20

Great Weekend News: Swimming,Tae-Kwando, Irish Dancing and Athletics!

What great swimmers, athletes, dancers and fighters 🙂 We have an great participation and success rate, generally, but these young swimmers enjoyed an extra special, superb weekend! We are so proud of them. Our Senior Relay swimmer won a Silver medal in the Tralee Community Games. AND one of our boys won a stunning individaual Gold medal (by at least 5 metres ) in the 100m backstroke. Our Senior individual ‘butterflier’ won Silver. Our Junior girl won an individual Silver. These swimmers won heats and reached finals on Saturday and all are dedicated to weekly training and aqua-discipline! They love it. Most are on their way to the Munster Community Finals in Limerick. Beirigí bua! Our Parent Association has cosistently and generously given of their time to run an afterschool swimming club every Friday for many years. This is essentially a springboard for greater engagement and a love of swimming. Third and Second Class will start their in-school 6 week swimming module in March. It’s an all-inclusive PE curricular strand. Tralee Sports Complex will have five coaches for both classes and all abilities (from the very hesitant to the super confident). They will all be carefully catered for and we are sure they will enjoy learning this life skill, as did our middle classes last year. Our P.Assoc have offered to pay for bus transport each week. So, it’s all go/swim! Míle buíochas daoibh go léir.

Ms Josephine Fearns, glided in today on a cloud, as proud as punch! Her after-school dancers won their Kerry competition handily/footliy! Three of her winning 8 stood proud today with their plaques. The Tae-Kwon Do gang enjoyed High Kick, Patterns and Sparring successes . Great hearts and skills, big and small! Finally, but not least, we had fantastic success in the Community Games Walking Race. That is probably one of the most specific athletic sports and can be notoriously difficult to deliver correctly and quickly! Comhgáirdeas libh go léir. Pride & Bród!

Ár snamhaithe !!
Ár lúthcleasaithe !!

Registration of New Pupils: Tuesday 18th @ 7pm.

There will be a warm, heartfelt welcome to parents of new enrollees ’20/’21. Our Induction and Registration Night is always an informative evening and a great opportunity for parents to get an overview of our culture and ethos, initiatives, schedules, teaching and learning objectives, curriculum and lots of good hints! There will be opportunity to meet some staff and ask any questions in preparation for your child’s first day in ‘Big School’!

In a few short months, these Junior Infants will be graduating to Senior Infants. How time flies! We are really looking forward to welcoming our new Infants. Always a very exciting and joyful occasion. An important date for all involved, big and small: Friday,28th Aug. 2020!

New Bus Service to Caherleaheen.

Ryall’s Travel will open new bus routes to Caherleaheen NS from April. It will be available to pupils from local areas such as Manor, Ballyard, Castlemaine Rd. This service ticks a lot of boxes and will cut down on traffic congestion, driving and collection time, not to mention our daily carbon footprint. Sixth Class have been exploring transport in History and STEM. Some of these modes were used not so long ago. However, back then, walking and cycling were the normal means of transport to school for our parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. They were the days!

Lá na Seanthuismitheoirí & Lá Fhéile Bríde.

Rinneamar crosanna do Lá Bríde sa halla, agus ár dtuismitheoirí ag cabhrú linn! Míle buíochas libh. Bhí an-trathnónana againn. Fr Dan arrived and blessed the crosses. The children in Second Class brought them to 10pm mass on Sunday to give to the congregation. Fr Dan will arrive tomorrow, in honour of St Blaise, for the blessing of our throats.

1 2 3 4 9