June is Just a Bit Mad!

Time is running out. Soon the kids will be out and about enjoying their summer holidays.

Before that, here's a summary of what we hope to get done in the few days left to us...

1. Wed 15th: Basketball Blitz
2. Wed and Thurs 22nd and 23rd: School Concert (which night our class is on stage hasn't yet been clarified)
3. Fri 24th: DFL Trip (the four kids in each class who've earned the most stamps in their journals are taken out for free for the day on a great trip)
4. Mon 27th: Perhaps going to the National Gallery (depending on a few things)
5. Wed 29th: Class Tour going to Fort Lucan

Inbetween we're going to be mad busy...

• Learning and rehearsing our lines, roles, songs, and dances for the concert
• Introducing and getting busy on Mathletics (a great program for use at home, which the kids will be using in 4th class a lot)
• Learning how we are all intelligent in many ways, and all differently intelligent
• Compiling all the ways we've worked out How We Learn
• Choosing our favourite charities to donate €1 a week to
• Learning not just Irish but a bit of other languages too
• Competing in a ten-finger typing competition
• Carefully assessing each kid's reading level, in preparation for a new and better (more individualised) way of teaching reading next year
• And having special subject days...

1. The Last Wolf (our new novel) day (working with Clondalkin Library)
2. Local Plants and Trees Day
3. Corkagh Park day (hopefully getting a good day to go visit--the animals, the lake, all about the park--including the plants and trees, and of course the brilliant playground)
4. Maps Day (as a revision of various geography concepts)
5. Jesus' Appearances Day (& The Holy Spirit), learning more about how Jesus after death was the same but different, and the lessons he gave us before he went to Heaven and sent the Holy Spirit
6. Heat, Light, and Forces Day
7. History Big Picture Day (rather than seeing each episode of history in isolation, we'll be putting it all together, getting 'the big picture' so that the kids can better understand the connections)
8. Different But Equal Day--in Ireland, and around the world (Diversity and Development Issues)
9. SPHE--Finishing the vital Stay Safe program, and asking you to sign the childrens' work when you've reviewed the issues with them
10. Two Assemblies--one will announce the Student of the Month for May, another will announce the Student of the Year and the Most Improved Student of the Year
11. An introduction to the school's Summer Reading supports
12. A final 'Talbot's Got Talent!' competition
13. Together with our usual ongoing work in each subject (PE hopefully including rounders, orienteering, and even a go at golf!)(Religion including different ways of praying, including labryinths, and maybe a look at a child's version of Bunyan's 'A Pilgrim's Progress')(Music including story songs such as Johnny Cash's Early One Morning and then composing their own songs)(English including finishing the story 'Danny, the Champion of the World)(Maths including more Word Problems)

I'll be thrilled if we get the bulk of this done--but it's worth going for, so we are. Full steam ahead!