Links for AMAZING singing and songs by PS22, a great 5th class in New York: WE can do that! :)

Yes, thanks from me to Mrs Shaw for telling me about PS22, a 5th class in New York City who have their own youtube page. Click here for their youtube page. Wow! We've already enjoyed some songs; try out some more yourself.

First of all, the Cup song: yay! Fun! 

And, of course, their version of our graduation song, Happy! 

Our Best Links for Learning How To Code--Learn in just one hour!

I'm so glad you so liked coding this morning. And I'm so impressed with how well you worked in pairs to learn together... you were great! This video is a cool one that encourages us all to give it a go... give it an hour!

And so here are the links for you to get really good at coding by yourself.

1. The Games We Played This Morning (You Choose Which... I recommend the Grades 1-3 game for everyone to begin with) thanks to twynker.com
2. Next week we're going to go on to the Learning Section of Code.org, where we'll get to control an Angry Bird! :)  
3. And when you've finished that, then you're ready to code to create your own game with the Flappy Bird! (Tip: look at the 2 minute video first [it's in the bottom left corner])
   (THIS is the game that I created... have fun!)
4. And for the one or two of you who get really really good (maybe more of you???) then I recommend the Code Academy page which is meant for grown ups to learn, but maybe you can give it a go? I'd say you're well able for it. 

Why code? Well, in this video will-i-am reckons "Great Coders ARE today's rock starts... that's it!". If you want more reasons, well, it's art (it's YOU who is CREATING, not just using), it's fun (you get to build great things), it's problem-solving (you get to expand your brain so you can solve real-life problems easier and quicker), and it's YOU who is IN CONTROL!

Yes, it's "hard" at first but so is everything. Stick with it, that's the way to become good at anything.

'Work' You'll Enjoy For Your Strengths and Needs

So, like we have learned, we all have strengths. We all have needs. We are all unique. We are all intelligent in many ways. 

Think of YOUR strengths, YOUR needs. 

What ones do you want to 'work' on right now? YOUR choice...

1. Maybe do "a little, a lot", which means do 30 minutes now, and take a break, 30 minutes later today, and take a break, and so on; OR
2. Maybe do a different "a little, a lot", with 30 minutes today, 30 minutes tomorrow, 30 minutes the day after, and so on... make it a great habit for yourself

First of all, before you try out MY links, give yourself a present and click here on Scoilnet and try out the links on the right hand side, sorted by subject. Enjoy!

Now, here are some of MY great links sorted by subject (just a few links per subject)...

Drama

I love when people IMPROV, but sometimes you can't beat a good script... 

• Use this site to find a script you like and then practice being one or all of the characters. Think: just how would each person say their line... what tone, what speed, what feeling... and how would they move their body? 

Music

• Love the orchestra... have fun exploring and discovering the gorgeous different sounds (thanks to Carnegie Hall). If you've already been on this trip, learn the same things in a different way at the San Francisco Symphony (orchestra)
• Try out their Music Lab to explore just what is it that makes music music!

PE/Physical Education

PE is hard to do in the home... but not impossible! 

• Here's a great five minutes of fun dance to try your best with. Enjoy!

ICT/Computer Skills:
During your life, you'll be typing maybe 100 times more than you'll be hand-writing. Wouldn't it be good to be good?

• Ten-Finger Typing from typingweb.com Can you improve your speed each day? Yes, you can. Now, no cheating! Ten fingers to do it right. Within a little while you'll be up to 20 words per minute, and maybe even faster! School record... 39 words per minute. 
• Already pretty good at ten-finger typing? Go straight on to the Most Common English Words typing. 

English Reading: 

• Tumblebooks and more--isn't it great that all these books are FREE! What are your favourites? Maybe tell the rest of us on our kidblog
• If you can have no problems with these BBC KS1 activities then you know the basics
• These BBC KS2 activities are harder! See what you can learn/practise. 
• Don't forget scoilnet!

Irish Reading and Sounds

• Simple Books in Irish with Sounds (Click on the boxes at the top to switch story)(Have the sound turned on!)(Try this one for your first story, about a dog called Brian's life)
• Don't forget scoilnet!

English Writing
The best writing site I've found... just in one site we can learn about how to write better... better arguments(!), better reports, better recounts... better! All on the the BBC KS2 English Writing site. And, if you want to make sure you know the basics, use the bbc ks1 site!

Vocabulary (The Words We Use)
How good are you at finding the right word to use at the right time? We ALL need practice at this. First we have to understand new words, and then it's so important that we USE them.

• This wonderopolis.org website has a new page every day with a new Wonder of the World... look on the right hand side to see the meanings of 'tough' words. It'd be best to write down new words and add them (when you can) to your Vocabulary notebook.

Religion
As Christians the key to following Jesus' example is (1) know about Jesus and (2) pray -- open your heart to God.

• The Lego Movie is out at the moment in the cinemas. Here Lego Men tell the life of Jesus and here Lego Men tell of the dangerous adventures of Jesus Apostles after they received the Holy Spirit. 
• The 5-minute meditation video with sounds of peaceful bells that we love (maybe use this when praying or to prepare your self to pray -- it calms you, it "stills your mind", meaning it helps you "shut up" (!) your noisy mind so that you can experience the beauty and peace of life all around you and in you right now)
• Prayers you could say that are said all over the world by Catholics
• Images of the Holy Spirit you could practice drawing
• A four-minute youtube cartoon about the life of Pope Francis
• Don't forget scoilnet!

Maths/Engineering/Construction/Science

• Here's the bridges game! :)
• And 23 (23!) more games like that: which one do you think we should all get time to play in ICT Class?  
• By the way, here's a NEW Irish site about bridge building that tells you everything you could want to know including "Bridges of Dublin" and Disasters!
• Curious about any thing? Got questions about any THING? That's what SCIENCE is all about? And here's MOLLY to answer your questions! What's the thing that most wow's you? 
• Ready for learning more about other animals in this amazing world: Is there a better site than the National Geographic for this?
• The amazing BBC KS2 Science site, with facts, videos, and games. (If you want to understand easier stuff, choose the BBC KS1 science site.) 
• Don't forget how good mathletics is for your maths :) 
• The amazing BBC KS2 Maths site, with lessons, videos, and games. (If you want to go easier, choose the BBC KS1 maths site.)
• Here's a post I already have up on this blog, giving you some of MY favourite links to great Maths sites
• And here's Maths Attack, an Irish Maths game that's quick and -- for me -- hard! What's your highest score? 
• Don't forget scoilnet!

Geography

• On another post, I've put my best geography and maps links for you. 
• Maps are really important. Here are maps showing how Dublin has grown from nothing.
• The stunning Google Earth (you might already have it downloaded onto your computer).
• And here is everything-geography from the BBC!
• Don't forget scoilnet!

History
History is HUGE! There's so much it's hard to put in enough links. Which do you find most amazing?

• the BBC site for primary school children or 
• the Channel 4 site? 
• Don't forget my links for World War One!
• Don't forget scoilnet!

SPHE

We all know how important it is to make the best decisions for our selves. 

• How well do you know about putting the best food into you, the best fuel, to power your life, to make you power-full!
• How well do you know what to do if you are being cyber-bullied?
• You'll all be leaders in your lives, including in the classroom. Here's ten ideas on how to lead others: all different ideas, much to think about: What IS a good leader? What does he/she do? 
• Choosing Positive Thoughts and not getting stuck in situations with negative thoughts: this little video is simple but it's simply brilliant too (did you see the bit with Nelson Mandela?)

Art

Art is hard to do on a computer. So don't! Do it yourself at home without the computer!! Or, if you really really want to do it on the computer, try these... 

• Create a collage using The Collage Machine (from the USA's National Gallery)
• Practice your drawing using one of your favourite uncles, Fred
• My favourite... Brushter! Have fun! (Try out all the different brush sizes, brush types etc at the bottom... it's [almost] just like the real thing!)

Have you ever heard any child ever say they're bored? 

With the web and all the great stuff above, could they be bored? (If you do have a younger brother or sister who's saying that, just show them this post and let them loose to enjoy themselves!)

Valentine's Day: Our 6th Class Love Poem -- "You Are... "

You Are...

The Winnie to my Pooh!

The Beat to my Heart!

The Doors to my Heart!

My Honey to my Honeyjar!

The Pages to my Book!

The Pillow on my Bed!

As Crunchy as my Crunchnut!

The Bounce to my Bouncy Ball!

The Fillet to my Chicken Fillet!

The Ice to my Cream!

The Hair to my Head!

The Heart to my Break!

The Milk to my Cereal!

The Key to my Heart!

The Cheese to my Cheese String!

The Honey to my Pot!

The Love to my Lovely Day!

The Toe to my Toenail!

The Music to my Heart!

The Handle to my Door!

The Shoe to my Foot!

The Note to my Music!

The Doorknob to my Door!

The Looney to my Tunes!

The Scarf to my Neck!

The Socks to my Feet!

The Pupil to my Eye!

The Nostril to my Nose!

The Sweet to my Heart!

The Map of My Life!

The Story of My Life!

The Rubber to my Mistakes!

The Tea in my Teacup!

The Colour in my Rainbow!

Some of My Best World War One videos and resources for you...

I promised Glen and you all that I'd post up some links to the videos that we looked at today. I might as well also post up some other resources at the same time.

Remember, this year, 2014, it is EXACTLY 100 years since World War One began. Everyone thought it would be over after a few weeks. Nope. It lasted four long horrible brutal de-humanising years.

Is there ever any sense in a war? All the killing. All the heart-ache. All the injuries to the bodies. All the injuries to the minds. Can we really not sit down and work out our problems peacefully? Would you support a war?

Recruitment Posters (Which ones work best? Would they work on you? Notice how they try and put pressure on you to join up.)

Photos of Real Soldiers At War (Would you like to have lived like this? And probably died? Or maybe survived after seeing so many of your friends being killed?)

A Little Bit of Information on the Different Types of Battles: Land, Sea, and Air (which was safest? which was most important?)

A 'FUN' Video Introduction to WHY did everyone go to war... did it make any sense? was there a better way to work out problems between countries? did anyone get to vote on it? or was the decision made by the people in governments only? 

Shellshock--a short video on the horrible way many people were left: Soldiers were in SHOCK at how horrible it was to be in a war and to watch people being killed almost every day. (DO NOT watch this if you are afraid of seeing how bad soldiers were affected in their brains.)

A Sad Video Showing How Hard It Was For Families To Get Bad News from the Front Line of the War

A Real Letter (read by an actor) to a Mother from a French Soldier in the War 

A few Maps: They tell a story: See what you can work out... map of Europe BEFORE the War 

and map of Europe AFTER the war... 

map of Africa before the war (with the names of the European countries in charge)... 

map of the world before the war (with the names of the European countries in charge)...

Four Minutes of Actual Video Footage from the War

What can we learn from it? Stop the video at any spot and ask yourself a few questions. Like: (1) What was it like to be there at the time? (2) Was it exciting? (3) What would those people say to you if they could talk to you? 

I've got more. To do with a BIG horrible battle (called the Battle of the Somme), the Blitz in London in 1917, and more. Enough for now.

Some Useful Climate Change Websites for us to do research...

So, next week, February 12th we'll be presenting in the hall our knowledge about Climate Change. Working in one of four groups, you'll be an expert!!

Remember the four groups:

1. What is Climate Change?
2. What are the causes?
3. What are the effects?
4. What can we do about it?

Here's some websites to help us revise what we learned two weeks ago...

1. From the USA comes NASA's info on climate change, presented for kids your age
2. eschooltoday has lots of well-presented pages
3. the bbc also has some good pages, but they're for older kids so just look for the most important bits (ignore most of the detail!)
4. And this is a lovely-looking site featuring Tiki the Penguin

Most importantly, don't forget your great great notes in your Notes Copy from our afternoons learning all about Climate Change.

(Edit 4th Feb: For the group doing the "Effects" of Climate Change, have a look at today's news ...
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/ireland-facing-a-fortnight-flooding-due-to-atlantic-storm-factory-29976498.html ), especially where it says...

Some experts believe the melting polar ice in the Arctic as a result of global warming is fuelling the increased storms.

Peter O'Donnell from Irish Weather Online warned that many areas will be unable to take more heavy rainfall. "January was 70pc above normal for rainfall and about half a month's worth is likely to fall this week," he warned.

"This relentless heavy rainfall will be overtaxing the ability of smaller streams and urban drainage systems to cop. Eventually there will probably be some persistent flooding problems. These can be even worse near backed up tidal estuaries of rivers near the coastlines," he said. Residents coping with flooding in Limerick heckled Government ministers as they visited the scene of the storm damage in the city.

Raising the American Flag Today...

This morning was something really different, something that was also really good... Raising the flag of the United States in Scoil Talbot! Who would have thought! Of course we did it as a symbol of our huge heart-felt thanks to the company Xilinx, who have been so generous to the children of Talbot over the years.

And so here's a couple of links to stuff you might want to look at about America. Let me know if you find other really good sites for learning about America.

Enjoy!

• A Day in the Life of a 6th Class Girl in Chicago
• Life in the USA, as created by the US government 
• A free book with good pictures for easy reading on the History of America
• All you could ever want to know about the wonderful celebration of "Thanksgiving" in November each year (some really good and short videos)

New Dance Moves For 6th Class 2014

Hi everyone,

So, good work on kidblog.org/mrs2014. Now it's time to use this site a bit too!

Here's a couple of the Dance Videos that we watched today. Enjoy!!

1. My Favourite: The Lads in Oakland... such movements! Wow! I'd love to be able to do any. Can one of you teach me? :) 
2. The Lads of Diversity in the Final of 2009 (Britain's Got Talent! [sure has!])... great FUN, and fun is so important when dancing.
3. An extra one: the Best One To Practice To... this guy is a great teacher: give it a go at home: it's not just good oxygen going into your brain, it's... FUN! :) 

The Prayers You Prayed For Yourself and Others At Your Graduation Mass

This here is what you prayed today, and all the many caring adults (mostly your families) prayed today, in the Prayers of the Faithful at the Mass.

I’m putting them here so that you might sometime, maybe a few times, pray them again. 

Lord, this morning we’d like to say “Thank you!”  Thank you for loving us and taking care of us in school all these years and making sure we were safe. Lord, hear us.

Thank you for our parents and guardians who have given us so much love all these years. Lord, hear us.

Thank you for everyone who has helped us during our time at primary school, including all the teachers, all the SNAs, all the school staff, and all the volunteers. And a special thank you for Fr Joe, who confirmed us last month with the Holy Spirit, and for Fr Marino and Fr Brendan, who helped prepare us for Confirmation. Lord, hear us.

  

Lord, this morning we’d also like to ask you some asking prayers. Please bless us children now as we prepare to leave primary school and begin a new part of our life’s journey in secondary school. Help us make good choices in our lives. Lord, hear us.

Lord, please bless our parents and guardians for their loving care so far. Help them to ‘be there’ for us as teenagers. Lord, hear us.

Lord, please bless everyone at Talbot with health, peace, and happiness. Help them continue to work hard and work well for all the children. Lord, hear us.

  

Lord, we have grown to be a family, like brothers and sisters. Help us get better at loving others by putting other people’s needs ahead of our own wants. Lord, hear us.

Lord, we say sorry and ask your forgiveness for the bad things we have done. We wish we didn’t do them, and we’ll try to live better and better. Please help us live like Jesus, and not sin again. Lord, hear us.

And, Lord, we know you ask us to follow you and live like you. But we also know that it’s not easy to do that. So help us become stronger and stronger Christians by praying to you more and more. Help us always remember you are there for us. Lord, hear us.

Teacher: Lord, we pray for all these beautiful children, each a wonderful act of creation, as they leave us at Talbot and move forward in their lives. Help them on their mission to become great Christians. Help them give your love to everyone they meet. Help them support each other. Help them make good choices, choosing good friends, choosing the right paths, and staying away from all that is bad. Keep them close to you. Lord, hear us.

The Class Poem — with you in it, with many memories in it...

(I told Megan O'Meara I'd put this up. It won't be up forever, so if you want to cut and paste the text now is a good time.)

In the month of September
– I wonder if you remember? –
I was excited to say
you’re each intelligent in many-a-way.

And now it’s June
I’m singing the same tune…

Each of you’s different but each of you’s equal;

The game of life you’re winning,
because your potential you’re fulfilling.

No matter what say the rest,
you know God gave you a mission to be your best.

You learned to “remember the past with gratitude, live the present with enthusiasm, and look to the future with confidence” — to pray is the way.

You learned how to learn by aiming at a target;

What’s great is you stick-with-it til you say “Got it!”

So, just who have we got, in this class that’s so hot?

Well, we got Katie the dancer, so caring and sweet;
and Ian the boxer, so chatty and neat.

RTE’s horse-mad laughing Luke Farrell so happy-go-lucky;
and “Mrs Brown’s” entertaining Luke Corbally so honest and bubbly.

We got the multi-talented and well-named Blessing,
who leads by example and puts up with no messing.

We’ve caring Courtney so constantly cheerful — she’s a joy to be around.
And we’ve gentle Djena so constantly thoughtful — she’s totally sound.

We got ever-reliable, ever-friendly, Councillor Megan O’Meara

Always ready to ask: “How are ya?”

Hugely organised it seems she always has a plan;
And of course Ireland has no greater JLS fan.

And magnificent Morgan so impressively knowledgeable;
In history and maths is his enthusiasm unmatchable.

And we’ve generous Jamie, dependable and so helpful;

What a calm Councillor he is, apparently un-flusterable.

We’ve got the independent and imaginative Jessica,
who knows the value of being alert, ready to say… “Aha!”

And we’ve been graced by a hard-working gentleman, ever-admirable Emmanuel;
who, being so honest, could anything to anyone sell.

There’s big-hearted Adam always so laid-back and funny,
and thorough Tiernan, so richly-talented and usually on the money.

Relaxed Ryan’s passion is soccer, especially United;
When Sir Alex left, we mourned his loss of the boss.

Ever-improving in every-thing Nadean’s bright smiles got us through the dark winter;
Every day she steps closer to hitting her targets right in the centre.

And thank God for mellow Megan McGrath; so musically-gifted
when she plays to heaven you feel drifted.

And of course our ever-listening, ever-blossoming, terrific twins Nicole and Jade;
of this year in English and Maths great success they made.
I hope that one day, “I met Niall Horan!” they can say.

And we’ve elegant, easy-going, and jovial Leah;
who sometimes can’t wait til 2:40 so she can say, “See ya!”

And adaptable Ajibola our amazing friendly artist,

Who in improvements in reading wins the prize that is first.

Sakirat could win the X-Factor with her singing and dancing,
and personality so full of wonderful life a pop star could ask her to be his wife.

Quiet confident Kacper is in class so friendly,
but be warned: in team sports he turns deadly.

And who’s our favourite, deep-feelings poet?
Sure, it’s the wise and all-wonderful Agata, don’t you know it.

Many memories with time gradually fade away;

What matters more is to know that you had many a fine day.

But before time makes your Class memories history
Maybe record some details so they won’t be a mystery.

Here’s some other things I’ll keep
in my memory so deep:

• Our ‘Faith Friends’ night
  when the first Pope Francis first stepped into our sight.
• Your confirmation copies,
  so full of your Spirit, they surely God much did please.
• Your progress in Maths and English
  so huge the news we must publish!
• Friday afternoon’s Talbot’s-Got-Talent where week after week was repeated
  the powerful singing and acting to which we were all treated.

Each of you is creative, intelligent, and unique;
Collectively so noisy, you can’t hear me speak.

You get busy having the craic;
often so much, I’ve to go on the “shhh!” attack.

But when the chips are down and there’s work to be done,
You get in there and work, down to the very last one.
And now we’ve arrived at the end of the year;
You move on to secondary; I stay here.
I sincerely hope, as the years quickly pass,
You’ll remember the good times you shared in 6^th Class.

Memories of Great People...