St. Kevin's National School

This is our class bulletin board. We will be posting news and articles on this page over the course of the school year. Check back soon for updates!

We were immense, magnificent, prodigious and stupendous as we engineered a famous victory over Harold Boys’ National School last Tuesday, in our first final of the season. We were truly delighted to win. And as there are many of us in fifth class are part of the team we decided we would put a link below to see photographs from the day of our famous victory!

Our Final!

Thanks to the efforts of our Green School Committee we recently were awarded a new bicycle hub, where our pupils can park their bicycles during the day. In order to create a really great ‘bike hub’ we ran a competition to create a design for the wall of our bike hub. Two of our winners were from fifth class and you can see them hard at work painting their design onto the wall – see if you recognise us!!

We love science in fifth class – and we recently created a ‘Coke and Mentos Eruption’ using a carbonated (fizzy) beverage and Mentos sweets. Mixing these two together causes the beverage to spray out of its container.  We believe it is a chemical reaction between the surface of the sweets and the fizz in the Coke that created all the foam. What a cool experiment – can’t wait for our next chemistry lesson!

This year our class organised our annual Shoebox Appeal with our teacher Ms. Judge. It was a fantastic success as we collected over one hundred shoe boxes from boys and girls in the school. We also visited our local community centre as there were many people there who really wanted to help with our appeal. This was brilliant – we managed to collect more shoe boxes than we had ever hoped!

Here is a short video of our Christmas Assembly. You can see snaps from ‘Christmas spells Christmas by our Junior Infants, simply superb singing from our Senior Infants, ‘The Sleepy Shepard’ from First Class and a wonderful choral performance from ourselves, the singing scholars of  Fifth and Sixth class, as we sing out a number of classic Christmas tunes – click on the link to see all the action!

Our Christmas Assembly

Mr. Reynolds was a tall, clumsy man who has been lonely ever since his wife passed away. He was  really very sad. He couldn’t make friends because he wouldn’t talk to anybody. Yet as Mr. Reynolds  was really smart, he decided to make himself a friend – out of cheese!!!

Mr. Reynolds was also a great inventor so he decided that he would go to his basement to make his new friend. Of course, he went to the cheese shop first, to buy a LOAD of cheese! Mr. Reynolds paid €9.99 to the clerk in the shop and soon he was on his way.

Mr. Reynolds was very good at shaping clay so it was easy for him to shape the cheese into a man. He took him a few weeks to discover how to bring the cheese to life and when he did he discovered a major problem. The Cheese-man was way too small. So straight away  Mr. Reynolds started to work on a growth hormone to make his new friend Cheese-man taller. Soon, Cheese-man was on a strict diet of cheese and growth hormones.

It did not seem to work until one day Cheese-man started growing at an alarming rate. I just one hour the Cheese-man was taller than Mr. Reynolds. This was bad!! In another three hours, he was taller than the house – he had just continued growing!

Soon Cheese-man was as tall as the mountains outside the town. He became so big that he began crushing houses. The mayor of the town soon ordered the police force to take the Cheese-man down. The thumping feet of the enormous Cheese-man was enough to wake Mr. Reynolds who had been sleeping in his house. Mr. Reynolds got dressed and could see that Cheese-man was hiding (not very well) behind Mr. Reynolds’ house. Mr. Reynolds asked the police officer what was wrong. The police officer answered that the giant man, made from cheese, was terrorising the entire town. ‘Either you stop him or we do’ shouted another policeman.

Mr. Reynolds ran to his basement. Luckily he remembered taht he already had one. He ran and fetched a ladder too, so that he coud reach the Cheese-man with his potion. He climbed to the top of the ladder. He told Cheeseman to drink the potion and Cheese-man shrunk rapidly to the same height as Mr. Reynolds. Everybody was happy again. Mr. Reynolds and his smaller Cheese-man continued to be the best of riends for the rest of their lives.

By Luke ‘The Legde’cake’ Byrne.

One day in a kitchen, far, far away, there was a young man called Cheese Andonionwalkers. Mr. Cheese Andonionwalkers lived in a world called Platters. He was an energetic young man, always in pursuit of adventure. Cheese had a very close friend Ham Rollo. Ham owned a ship, the Millenium Watermelom.  It was a battered old fruit ship. The world of Platters was owned by the Imperial Mints. They were a huge army, the biggest of their kind. This army was, in turn,  owned by the Sit (so I guess he really owned Platters, and controlled it with his army!).

The Sit’s biggest enemy was the Jelli. They had been fighting for years (blah, blah, blah – you know the usual!). But let’s get up to date. Cheese and Ham were walking when Cheese offered him a deal. ‘Ham if you hit that grape, I ‘ll but you a drink in the canteen’. Ham didn’t even reply. He took out his seed blaster and shot at the grape. But just before he hit it, an Imperial Mint patrol got in the way and were hit. Now the Imperial Mint army are holding Ham in the Death Spar (nasty place!!). Cheese decided to rescue him and so he must become a Jelli. Cheese went to Master Soda, prepared for anything he tells him to do. But all Master Soda did was throw him an Asparagusaber and mutters ‘Good luck’. Cheese sets off on his quest.

Cheese is nearly at Death Spar when he has to face the Cooking Zone of the galaxy. Totally dreaded by everyone! It is the most dangerous zone in the galaxy. But he has to face it. Even though Cheese early melts by the stove, gets boiled by the kettle and squashed by toast, he survives. Then Cheese sneaks into the Death Spar in an Imperial Mint uniform. He enters an elevator and presses the button that says ‘Hostages’.

Cheese gets to that level and looks around. Ham isn’t anywhere. Cheese looks around in disappointment. But there he is! Ham is underneath a glass panel. Cheese is worried though. The Imperial Mints will come to interrogate Ham soon. How will he get to Ham?

His Asparagusaber!! Cheese takes it out, sets it up and ZING!! Oops, it didn’t cut the glass panel – FAIL!! But then Cheese remembers his suit. All Imperial Mint uniforms hold Ultra Hot Custard Blaster (UHCB!). He takes it out and fires it. Ham is free! But the Imperials are here!! Oh no! Thinking quickly, Cheese uses his UHCB to melt the Imperials. Cheese is running, spinning, shooting, melting and blasting all the Imperials in his and Ham’s path. Suddenly, there is shock!

While they are running, spinning, shooting, melting and blasting, they run into Lord Apple. Lord Apple is the Emperor of the Imperials. But Cheese is not afraid of him and challenges him to duel 0Chillisaber versus Asparagusaber. It is an equal battle until Lord Aplpe slices Cheese’s hand off. ‘E-DAM!!’ yells Cheese. Ham throw him another one. Lord Apple is about to kill Cheese but with a stroke of luck Lord Apple misses and falls into the reactor core. The Imperials are fininshed!! Just before the Death Spar blows up, Cheese and Ham escape in an Imperial fifgter ship. That’s how Cheese and Ham saved the galaxy!

By Séan ‘Genius George Lucas’ O’ Connor!

Each week in P.E. we do a tournament with our Miss and Eimear. We do loads of different sports like football, basketball and tag rugby. This week we did football. It was great fun. The overall winners were Bayern Munich (Scottessi, Chris Kamara Jr., Yolo Kennedy and Courtnee-Time!!), beating the Non-Directioners (Séan, Sophie, Dan and Emma) 2-1 in a very close final. In the 3rd/4th Place Play-Off, Korea (Luke, Panit, Zuzanna, Evelina and Asia) beat Manchester United (Dean, Mickey, Aimee, Destinee and Yasmin). Mickey also won a special award for the football section of our tournament – for team spirit and for passing.

Basketball is our next tournament so keep an eye on our class section and we’ll keep you up to date!

By Séan

Pupil of the week is a system that we do in fifth class. If you have really good homework and punctuality (along with great manners and smiles!) you can get picked. Here are some of our previous winners – Luke, Nathan, Emma, Panit, Aoife, Scott, Zuzanna, Destinee, Mickey and Aimee. And here’s a snap of our winner last week – see if your recognise this star pupil from here excellent behaviour and kindness to all the pupils in the yard!

Our teacher, Ms. Judge, always has her eyes open, looking for absolutely brilliant effort in work and behaviour. Let’s see who it will be next week!

By Courtney

Our video showcases our  masterful collection from the National Museum of Fifth Class Art. Our art collections, created by the talent and ability of each pupil, indicates a a sure well of creativity, realised by the illustrious and impressive ideas of our teacher Ms. Judge. In St. Kevin’s we don’t have a verb, ‘to art’ but what are we, the artists, auteurs, dancers and poets of Fifth Class doing? We”re taking the ordinary and making it special. We have created from clay but made it special by engraving a pattern or figure on it. We have taken blank sheets of paper and illustrated, communicated and enlivened it with ideas and symbols, just as a poet takes ordinary words and makes them special. We, the artists of Fifth Class,  have engaged with the masters of the past, reinvigorating the accepted canon and even endeavoured to add to it, with new and exciting pieces!! We hope you enjoy, just click on the link to see the greatest collection on modern art outside MOMA in New York!!

The Fifth Class Art Collective!!

We hope you have enjoyed the sideshow of all our wonderful art so far this year – now here’s your chance to meet the amazing artists, the masterful maestros and the crazy creators! Just click on the link to see a portrait of each virtuoso performer!

Meet the Artists!!

A huge congratulations toour Fifth Class Table Quiz team, who participated in the Irish League of Credit Unions National Schools Table Quiz on Friday evening in Our Lady of Good Counsel Boys’  School.  The competition was contested closely by all  and our Fifth Class performed wonderfully well, finishing in second place, just two points shy of the winners! Our thanks to Ms. Judge for all her support on the night. Check out the commendably cerebral competitors below, who shall return to compete again in the scholarly showcase next year as sixth class!

This week we offer our coolest congratulations to two Pupils of the Week, one pupil from last week and the other pupil from this week! One of our pupils, D-Cizzle was awarded a prize for outstanding homework every day during the week and a huge improvement on manners, politeness and for ‘living in the love’!. Our other star, C-Time, was awarded her prize for perfect punctuality. See our two absolute ledge’cakes below!! Well done guys!!

By A-Bomb!

Fifth Class accepted a challenge from Mr. O’ Leary a couple of weeks ago. We made a deal and signed a contract saying ‘if we are in everyday, on the line at ten to nine, and and our homework is up to standard’ we will be able to get pizza from Mizzoni Pizza Restaurant! We tried our hardest over the last two weeks. All our hard work was worth it and we completed the challenge. Yay for us!!!!

By Aimee B!

Last week we went on a trip to Glanmore Foods. First the bus took about forty-five minutes, there and back, but it was very enjoyable because we had a television and watched Happy Feet. When we arrived we sat in a room with loads of chairs and the people in the factory gave us coats, hats and shoe coverings so we didn’t carry any germs into the factory.  Then we were split into two groups and got lead into different rooms by different factory workers.

He first showed us the different temperatures they use to cook things and we moved excitedly to the next station. This station was about how they recycle, they crush the boxes until it can no longer handle any more (it happens in a machine). I’m not sure about going in order but then we went to the jelly and pasta stations. The jelly is very hot but it is cooled quickly (same as the pasta), and is put into pots and sealed. If there is something magnetic, the machine will react and suck in the pots. Next was the packing and sealing of the bread and rolls. They seal it very carefully and then the rolls are ready for sending. When we walked to where they make the rolls, they add water and flour and mix it for ten minutes. We went into a very hot room and a room where rolls are left to cool down. We also got too see a room that’s minus twenty degrees, it was great fun.

The last station was where all the fruit was chopped up and perfectly sealed. We then got to have our lunch and watch a quick dvd. Then off we went back to school, I really enjoyed it!

By Destinee

As part of our Dúshlan programme a number of our pupils are taking up new challenges such as learning to play a new musical instrument. And already, a number of our pupils are discovering new talents – such as our man ‘Danger D’! We think this snap might be a glimpse into the future, as his talent, which runs in the family, will surely shine if he keeps with it. So ‘Danger D’, we look forward to seeing you play to the thousands in the years to come (and this photograph will be worth millions!!)

The day started as usual. We wrote down our homework, we read a little bit of our class novel Bridge to Terabithia, and we heard the plan for the day. Then the lady, Deirdre was her name, came in. She explained what we were going to do; plant trees (that attract loads of different species of insects and bugs), dig soil and basically work on our garden.

The first group was from the first table and Joanna went out while the rest of us did English and Irish. At ten minutes to eleven we got our small break and had a chat. When we came in teacher took the rest of table two and nearly all of table three while the rest of us stayed in for Maths and Religion. At lunchtime we had another break and went outside. Then when we came back in, finally our table, table four and table five went out. The rest did P.E. AND S.P.H.E.

The gardening was awesome! We planted trees, picked up worms (yes, we did have gloves!) and dug the soil. We learned alot about birch trees and Séan found a mutant ant with a stinger! And that was day one of bio-diversity!!

Our First Day of Gardening!

By Zuzannah W!

It was ‘Day Two’ in our school garden recently, and our Operation Garden Transformation is coming along nicely. We have most of the weeding finished, (we shredded loads, which was awesome!) and our planting is well on the way. We enjoyed watering our new plants too, check out the muscle men in our snaps, carrying the water cans like a Strong-Man competition!! Click on the link to see all the action from the day!

Our Second Day of Gardening!

Black Tip Reef Sharks, octopus, seahorses, stingrays and Red-Bellied Piranha, check out our recent journey to the deepest seas…without getting wet!! We loved seeing all the fantastic creatures that live in our seas and oceans on trip to the Sea Life Centre in Bray. Unfortunately, all of us made it back, not one pupil ‘accidentally fell’ into the tank of piranhas, as had been requested by the principal! It was a great trip though and will really help us on our Marine Explorers project.

By Mickey 

Our Trip to Sea Life!

Bhí Seachtain na Gaeilge againn i Scoil Naomh Chaoimhín. Bhí orainn go leor imeachtaí. Bhí comórtas ealaíne againn, bhí ceolchoirm againn, bhí lá glas againn agus bhí tráth na gceist againn. Bhí sé spraoi iontach. Seiceáil go léir an gníomh!

Seachtain na Gaeilge!

It was ‘Day Three” in our school garden this week, and our Operation Garden Transformation is now nearly Mission Accomplished!! We have recreated the space of the school garden, opening it up as a space where pupils are welcome. A number of new birch trees have been planted in the centre and along the perimeter of the garden. Biodiversity is our priority and it is now a very open, welcoming space for both our pupils and the bio-diversity that is all around life in St. Kevin’s!! Check back soon to see it in full bloom, roll on the sunshine!!!

Our Third Day of Gardening!

The Wrong Impression

Introduction: I was looking forward to the day. My best friends Mark and John were coming over to have dinner and watch the match between Chelsea and Manchester United but strange happenings at the local supermarket changed everything.

Chapter One: I was feeling on top of the world. I had just got my new plasma screen TV. My friends were coming over for dinner and my favourite team was playing in the final. ‘Life is good’ I thought as I whistled a happy tune and headed for the kitchen. I had decided to make our favourite meal, roast chicken followed by banana split. ‘Drat’ I said when I opened the fridge and saw that it was empty.

Chapter Two: The supermarket felt very strange when I went in but my mind was on my shopping. I needed a good fat chicken and fresh bananas. ‘Gosh’ I thought, ‘I wonder why there are no people here, I can’t even see any staff. I wonder where everyone is?’ With my chicken and bananas under my arm I nervously peeped outside.

Chapter Three: I had just stuck my head out the door when I saw bright lights flashing everywhere. There were strange mooing noises and people were running in all directions. ‘Good grief’ I thought, ‘is there a space invasion or is the world ending?!’ I got so hot with fright I could almost smell the chicken cooking under my arm. I wasn’t able to move.

Chapter Four: The cloud of smoke that hung in the air cleared. I looked up and there in front of me was a group of zombie-looking creatures. Their wizened faces had haunted, bulging eyes. Their foreheads were pointed and wrinkled. Their hair was greasy and scraggy and their bodies were twisted.

Chapter Five: Screeching like a cat in pain, the horrible monster looked me straight in the face, his pointed nose sniffing. I lobbed my chicken and bananas into his hairy hands and ran for my life. As I was racing down the roar, my poor legs shaking my friend John came quickly along on his motor bike. ‘Jump on quickly’ he shouted and ‘let’s get out of here fast!!’ When I got home I was so shaken we decided to cancel our evening. Besides I had no chicken.

Chapter Six: Later that evening as I was sitting alone watching the highlights of the match, I heard a knock on the door. Thinking it was my friend opened the door and nearly died with fright. There, standing in front of me was my biggest nightmare . . . . THE ZOMBIE!!!! ‘Is this your chicken?’ he asked, ‘Sorry I ate your bananas’. ‘No need to be frightened’ he told me, ‘We were only making a film and I wonder would you be interested in being one of our extras?’!!!!!!!!!!

By Nathan Costello and Mickey Connors (Written while in Fourth Class and Winner of the Blackrock Education Story Award)

For the last couple of weeks, as part of our Marine Explorers Programme we have had an aquarium in our classroom. We have enjoyed the company of Twinkle, our common starfish, Spikey, our beadlet anemone, our plaice, Chips and the king of our tank, our blenny, Thunder. We have learned so much about each of these marine animals and all sea life really (check out our trip to SeaLife in Bray!). Here are a few snaps from our presentation day, we were really brilliant, as it is never easy to speak or present in front of people, but we survived and were truly great!!

Our Marine Explorers Presentations!!

This week the super scholars of St. Kevin’s sprung into action for our annual Spring Clean, which is led by the great Green School Committee. All the boys and girls were committed to their cleaning on the day, and they did a smashing Spring clean of our yards, basketball courts, football pitches and gardens. At the end of the day our school looked like it had been sponged, scoured and scrubbed, and it looked super slick. So our thanks to our scholars for a superb Spring Clean!! Click on the link to see all the action!!

St. Kevin’s Spring Clean 2014!

We recently conducted an interview with Mr. O’ Leary, our new principal. We wanted to find out how he is doing in St. Kevin’s and find out a few secrets too!! We worked as a class, first putting together some questions and then a few of the class typed them up and met with Mr. O’ Leary for the inquisition! Here’s a few things we found out!!

Were you nervous at all coming into St. Kevin’s for the first day?

Yes, I was very nervous!

How do you remember everyone’s name?

I thought it was very important so I tried to learn one class a day in the first week.

If there was a fire in the school which class would you save and why?

I would save the class I think is worth saving!!

How do you encourage pupils to work to the best of their ability?

I try to encourage that it is not always so important what you learn but that you like learning.

What’s your favourite take-away?

I do enjoy twenty of the finest nuggets from McDonald’s, accompanied by litres of Diet Coke! Nuggets on pizza would be the dream!

If you were not a principal, what do you think you would be doing?

I would be living in France, as a film director.

Who is your favourite band?

One Direction?!!

By Aimee, Nathan and Emma

(Ps. Mr. O’ Leary would like to compliment the interviewers on their ‘determined’ approach, they let me away with nothing!! It was a tougher interview than the interview for principal, for serious!!)

Last week we enjoyed a visit to the marshland at Booterstown. It was a fantastic day. Firstly Rose visited the classroom to discuss the plan for the day and more importantly, why the marshes are such a valuable space in our city. We then took a bus to the marshes where Sean told us all about the birds we could see. Afterwards, we waded into the marsh where we discovered all types of flowers and Scott and Nathan even tasted some wild garlic!! It was a great (and very mucky!) day. Click on the link to see all the action!!

Our Trip to the Booterstown Marshes!

It’s not everyday we can celebrate champions in our midst but this week we certainly can! Thanks to two goals from ‘Messi Gray’, St. Joseph’s clinched the league title with one game to spare. Our local Messi was one of the top scorers in the league and to quote the manager ‘Joey’s could not have won the league without this man’s goals’. ‘Stevie G’ O’ Connor played superbly throughout the season too, marauding forward from midfield, as did our other creative midfielder ‘Hazard’ Costello.  All three players enjoyed a fantastic season, and we are delighted to salute the success of these three talented footballers and scholars of St. Kevin’s, well done guys! Championes, Championes, olé, olé . . . . .

We, the legends of Fifth Class recently completed our ‘Something Fishy’ Project, in collaboration with Blackrock Education Centre. We explored different aspects of fish, including life-cycles, habitats, fish stocks and fish farming. We also studied the conservation of rivers and lakes and the role of fish as part of the food chain – check out the video we made, detailing our recent trip to the River Dodder, where we investigated tree-life, bird-life and of course fish-life!

Our ‘Something Fishy’ Video