P4/5

Welcome to our Primary 4&5 class page. We hope that you enjoy looking at all our activities throughout the year.

Fun and sun shine on Sports Day!

We took our pea plants home this week. The tallest measured 25cm.

We had our school trip today. We went to “Jump Boxx” in Banbridge and we all agreed that it was the “best trip so far!” Below are some photos of our antics. They may be blurry because no one stayed still long enough to pose for a picture. We went to “Solitude Park” after lunch, and on the way home Henry the bus driver took us to the “magic hill” at Spelga Dam. Wow!

This morning we had a visit from Christine McMahon, the Irish 400m Hurdler. She has competed in 2014 Commonwealth Games and 2014 & 2016 European Championships. The whole school took part in her Sports for Schools Fitness Challenge. It was great fun.

Christine demonstrated some of the techniques she needs to use when she is training and then invited some of us to take part too.....

We worked together to try to identify the characteristics of the front page of a newspaper.

Developing quick (and correct) recall of multiplication facts, playing “Fours a Winner!”

Our pea seeds have started to develop. The roots have started to grow, they are white. We measured them and they are about 6cm long. The stalk has also developed. It is about 7 or 8cm tall. They are growing very quickly.

We are going to monitor the growth of a pea seed. We placed a tube of newspaper into a jar or bottle. Then, (with difficulty) we placed peas between the paper and the jar. We poured some water into the bottom of the jar. It began to soak into the paper. The pea with absorb some water from the paper and begin to grow. We will be able to see how it grows through the jar.

“Eyes Down!” Multiplication Bingo! Oh What Fun!

Our beautiful May Altar. The children brought in statues, prayers, relics and flowers to help decorate it.

We used our knowledge of the characteristics of a diary text to help in our peer assessment of each other’s work.

This week we continued our work on measure. Each group was given a selection of items to measure, sticks, leaves, stones and “rat’s tails.” We had to select the best tool to measure these objects, a 30cm ruler, a 1metre stick or a 150cm tape. We then estimated the length of our objects before we measured them. We were introduced to the word “circumference” when those measuring the stones measured around them.

We then had to create “rat’s tails” of a given length.

We were then challenged to find which group could create the longest “rat’s tail,” The longest tail created was 5m 86cm.

In Measure this week, we estimated the length of given lines. We used our fingers to do this as we agreed that the width of our fingers are about 1cm. After estimating, we measured the exact length of the lines using a 30cm ruler.

In Spanish this week, we played “Snap!” We only used cards with the numbers 1 - 10. When we uncovered two matching cards we had to call out the number in Spanish.

We created “A Plague Doctor’s Beak,” using recycled materials. It had to be worn to cover the mouth and nose. We had to fill it with herbs and spices to protect the doctor from the “bad air”

We were “Finding All Possibilities,” as we sorted 20 eggs in to 3 nests. We were only allowed to have an even number of eggs in each nest. There was lots of discussion as to how we could sort and organise the different variations.

We had a “Clustering” session in Numeracy. We were each given a number and had to find “two relations.” We had many ideas of how our numbers were connected, e.g. consecutive, counting in 2s, counting in 3s. We eventually realised that we were connected through times tables.....

Lots of ICT work going on. We made comments on the C2k Newsdesk about our pets and our school trips. We played some Maths games to help develop quick recall of our times tables.

We played the “Calendar Game” on the IWB creating a schedule for the month. Not just as straightforward as was first imagined, but great fun.

A very busy Mathematics Session this week. Everyone working really hard.

We had great fun, learning how to play the castanets this week. Now all we need to do, is to try to co-ordinate dance moves....

We visited the church, to see the Story of Easter through The Stations of the Cross.

Painting our Easter salt-dough decorations.

We learned how to use an apostrophe, when contracting words. We played “Pairs” to help us remember how to spell the contracted words properly.

Using a two pan balance and a variety of 10g, 20g, 50g, 100g, 200g, 500g and 1kg weights, we found the weight of different everyday items.

We then weighed the same objects using a kitchen scale, that had 25g intervals. These scales gave us a more accurate weight.

We had great fun in PE this week playing, “Through the Hoop!”

Our “Green Day!” Celebrations

Wishing the Irish Rugby Team all the best in their quest for the Grand Slam.

Creating our “Mother’s Day” cards. ....brings a completely new meaning to “hand made” ( photos taken by Fianna Murphy.)

The characters who came to school for World Book Day.

Taking part in the “Readon” raising money for sick children.

We explored the properties of 3D shapes this week.

In Mathematics, we played “24!” We had to pick a card. On the card there was a target number. We were presented with two sets of numbers, only one set could be used to achieve the target. We had to decide what set to pick and what Mathematical functions were to be used.....

Playing “Pairs” ....matching the times, analogue clock to digital clock.

This week after a lot of discussion we made our Lenten Promises. We decided not only to “Go Off” something for Lent, but perhaps to also “Go on” something. We wrote our promises in little envelopes, which we then hung on our Lenten Tree.

We worked really hard together, searching in different books, dictionaries and lists to see if we could find different ways the sound “s” can be made.....

Annie was a cast member in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” over the Mid Term Break. She took in part of her costume and a Pantomime Programme to show us. She also got a medal for her hard work.

Fianna was very busy over the Mid Term Break, she created the Digestive System using tissue paper.

We created the Digestive System, it helped us to understand better how it works....

After being chewed in the mouth, food travels down the oesophagus slowly, the muscles help to squeeze it down, like toothpaste in a tube.

When the food moves into the stomach, acid breaks the food down even more. We “created” this by mixing bread with coke and churning it around in a plastic bag.

Food then travels into the intestines. Here food is broken down further and water is absorbed through the intestine walls. We used tights to see how this works...

Our finished “ digestive systems.”

We discussed Personal Hygiene this week. We were all presented with a “shower pack.”

Problem Solving Activities....Finding All Possibilities.

We have been working on the RUCSAC approach to Word Problems in Maths

This week we worked together to write stories containing our target sound. Can you guess the sound??

Uncle Mark

Uncle Mark went to Spar. He bought an apple tart and put it into the shopping cart. He also got some marmalade, carrots parsnips and a bar of caramel. He passed the guard on the way to the carpark. He packed his shopping into the boot of the car. He then went to the bar to play cards.

Mark’s Car

Mark was on the way to the park in his car. He saw his friend’s go-kart parked up in the yard. Mark stopped his car to say “Hi!” to Bart in his go-kart. They started to talk about cars.

Bart’s Guitar

Bart got a guitar from his Mum Marge for his birthday in March. He wanted to enter a talent show with his friends Cara and Clark. Cara had a harp and Clark brought his clarinet. They all practised really hard together. They were the stars of the show.

The Armagh Gargoyles

In an old city called Armagh, there lived an army of gargoyles. They were large and ugly. During the dark night, they started to knock down the castle towers in the Market. They pulled down the arch. The stones all fell into the yard. The gargoyles marched off into the darkness.

This week, we learned that different parts of the tongue are responsible for helping us taste different flavours, sweet, sour, salty and bitter. We took part in a “Taste Test Challenge,” to find out if we could identify different flavour of crisps. We realised that our sight and sense of smell also play a part in our ability to taste.....

We took part in the “Brainbox Science Challenge.” We worked in pairs. One child had a minute to read the information on a card about an animal. The second child then asked a series of questions to determine how much information was retained. It was great fun.

Kayla Maginn receiving her prize, for 2nd place in the Credit Union Art Competition, from Kilkeel Credit Union representative Mrs Philomena Sloan.

Christmas Jumper Day

Working together to identify the characteristics of letters.

Elsie, our Elf on the Shelf got up to some tricks in our classroom.

A selection of photos from our KS2 Nativity Performance.

Rehearsing for our KS2 Nativity Performance.

Creating our Christmas Tea Light Jars

Everyone concentrating so hard with our Problem Solving Activity “Join Them Up” ......have a try yourself..(below photos)

Creating snowflakes for our Christmas window display.

The finished product.

Painting our salt dough Christmas decorations......messy but fun!

Sequencing photos to help us write an Instructional Text.

A Class Clustering Activity We were each given a word and we had to find our partner. We discovered that our partner was the person with the word opposite to our own. We also realised, these words were verbs....the Imperative tense. The tense we use when writing an Instructional Text.

CONGRATULATIONS DANNY!!! Out of 3000 entries from schools all over Northern Ireland, Danny Bartley won the ni4kids & British Airways Art Competition. He won a £50 All For One Voucher for himself and a £150 apple voucher for the school.

More Winning!!!!! Danny Bartley and Conor Cunningham were both winners in the Newry, Mourne & Down District Council P.5 Road Safety Art Competition. They both won a £10 Quays Shopping Centre voucher and a beautifully framed copy of their competition entry.

At our school Open Day we demonstrated how we can follow an Instructional Text. We created " Tissue Lions."

We had our last visit to Kilkeel Library. We had the opportunity to carry out some research using the computers and Interactive White Board. We finished off with a little quiz about the Library Service.

Reading the time on a digital clock then setting it on an analogue clock.

"STOP THE CLOCK!" Who can match the digital clock to the analogue clock in the quickest time?

This week we followed an "Instructional Text" to create "bugs" that are now buzzing around our classroom.

This week was Anti Bullying Week. To promote the theme of "All Different, All Equal, All Together," our school council organised "Odd Socks Day." It was great fun.

We created "Pebble People," ..."All Equal, All Different, All Together!"

Completed product......

We had our second Library visit this week. Shelly told us how non-fiction books are organised according to topic and numbers. We then were challenged to find books on a particular subject.

As our focus text this term is Instructional, we had to listen extremely carefully to the instructions we were given and create an image.

The results....."Listening to and following instructions.

Working together to sequence an Instructional Text.

On Thursday we visited Killeel Library. It was very informative.

Playing the " Homophone Game" ....we are finding them everywhere!!!

We were given six pieces of text. In our groups we had to decide what type of text they were. We correctly identified " Instructional Text." This is to be our focus text for this half term. We then had to identify the common features of these texts. Took a lot of thinking and discussion.

In November we remember those we love but have passed away. Using the lovely Autumn leaves we wrote the names of our loved ones and hung them on our "Class Tree."

We worked in groups to make a list of words containing our weekly target sound. We discovered five variations of this sound. We then, worked as a class to create a story containing as many words as possible containing the target sound. Read it below. Can you guess what was the target sound?

Claire the Fairy

Bernie the caretaker was working in the school. She moved a chair, and she got a scare when she saw a fairy. Bernie began to stare in amazement. The fairy began to cry and told Bernie that her name was Claire and she had a tear in her very rare pair of wings and she could not fly in the air. It was a nightmare!! Bernie told Claire to stay right there and she would help to repair her wings. Bernie ran up the stairs and got needle and thread. She stitched the wings very carefully. Claire flew up into the air, out through the square window and told Bernie to take care.

Problem Solving Activity - Exploring Patterns & Relationships

Hallowe'en Dress-Up Day

Working together to sequence events.

Tesco sent us apples for our "Healthy Break."

We visited Tesco Newry as part of their "Farm to Fork" Programme. We had a fantastic time!

We took the lead in the Harvest Mass.

In "Grow in Love" this week, we were talking about the Trinity. We made "Trinity Bracelets." Three in One.

We are developing our "quick recall of number bonds to 20" (no fingers allowed). Using 3 sets of cards numbered 0 - 15 we tried to find the pairs that made 15. Great fun!

European Day of Languages Celebrations

These are the "characters" that came to school on Roald Dahl Day.