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First Class 2 (Ms. Brannigan)

Welcome to 1st Class 2

Important Items to Note:

School Closure: I hope you and your families are all doing well during this very tricky time.
I will be sending daily activities by email during the closure for your children. I can be contacted at ms.m.brannigan@haroldscrossns.ie for any help you need or queries you may have.
Our PE days for January, February and March will be Tuesday and Wednesday. Children should wear their tracksuits on these days
Click here to access our Gaeilge ‘Dolch Words’. Our aim is to know all 100 words by 2nd class. Go n-éirí an t-ádh leat!
Maths link for doubles and number bonds here. Examples of problem solving questions here. Visualising and identifying number patterns at speed- youtube link. (How many more to make ten, how many more to make 20 etc.)

Please take a look at what we have been up to so far this year…

March

Maths- 2D shapes stations

This month, we began learning about 2D shapes. We identified, described and compared different 2D shapes in our groups, deciding if they had straight sides, curved sides, corners etc. We used a Venn Diagram to sort our shapes. We then constructed 2D shapes and finally created 2D shape robots. It was a lot of fun, take a look below!

Maths- Recognising and creating patterns

We also began learning about different patterns. We recognised ABAB and ABBABB patterns and created our own using cubes and lollipops sticks. We then began to identify odd and even numbers.

February

Drama

This month, we completed drama activities based on our novel ‘The Diary of a Killer Cat’, by Anne Fine.

Each group chose their favourite chapter and decided who would play each character. The group then rehearsed together and performed this scene for the rest of the class. We finished by completing a ‘Hot-Seating’ session, allowing our audience to ask each character a question. Take a look at some of our action shots below.

January

In our music lessons this month, we explored different musical instruments. We learned how to use them correctly and investigated the different sounds they make. Then, we broke into four groups and followed the Dabbledoo clock to perform as a class!

Christmas Activities

December was a very busy month in 1st Class 2. All the children worked so hard while preparing for the Christmas concert. I was very proud of their excellent performance. We also welcomed a special visitor into our classroom and asked him some important questions! Finally, we said goodbye to Olwynn and created a class fingerprint tree and scrapbook for her. We wish her the very of best of luck in her new school.

Art- Developing form in clay

During the month of December, we explored the medium of clay. First, we planned and designed our clay creations on paper. Then, we used different skills including- squeezing, pinching, pulling, squashing, prodding and rolling, to create Christmas candle holders and ornaments. Once they were dry we painted our creations.

Science

Exploring the school garden

Power Hour Literacy

We have started Power Hour Literacy in 1st Class 2. In our different groups we work on reading and comprehension, word recognition/phonics and writing.

We have been very busy in PE over the past few weeks. In gymnastics, we have been working on animal walks, jumps and rolls. In Zumba, we have been learning lots of new dance moves. We even got to work on our dodgeball skills with 3rd class last week. Take a look at some of our activities below.

Halloween fun!

To promote allergy awareness in HCNS, our class joined with Ms Stone’s 5th class to participate in the ‘Teal Pumpkin Campaign’. We thought about different allergies and what to do if we see someone having an allergic reaction. We welcomed Cara’s mum into our classroom and she showed us how an epipen works. Take a look at our pumpkin painting below.

Our trip to St Patrick’s Cathedral

As part of our music lessons this term, we went on a trip to St Patrick’s Cathedral. Here we learned about how the cathedral’s organ works. We used a variety of pumps to play a song, each child taking on a different role. Then, we completed choral verse exercises and learned a dance to go with them! A big thanks to the parent volunteers who accompanied us, we had a great day!

Friendship week

This week in HCNS we celebrated Friendship week. In SPHE, we spoke about what makes a good friend and created a “Key to Friendship” art display. Each child was given a “secret friend” and they were encouraged to make a special effort with that person on yard. We also completed circle-time activities and the children played games, while sharing their likes and dislikes. We realised that we all have a lot in common! We gave each other compliments and spoke about the importance of speaking kindly. On Friday, we were lucky enough to welcome Evelyn’s mum into our classroom to share a social story and complete a fun activity with string! All in all, we had a very busy and enjoyable week!

Power Hour Maths

This fortnight, we are learning to recognise and use coins up to €2. We opened our class shop and the children bought items using their coins. Some pupils even calculated the amount of change they were owed! Next week, we will solve word problems involving money and develop our skip counting skills.

Geography

In Geography we have been learning about people who work in our school. The children worked in teams to brainstorm all the HCNS staff and their important roles. Each group leader then shared their team’s work with the class. Next week, we will interview some members of staff and find out more about what they do!

SPHE

We spent our first few days getting to know each other. We began by playing some oral language games and shared our likes and dislikes. We then used our picture prompt cards to help us share our holiday news.

Physical Education

Our first tennis session. This week, we have been developing our ball-handling, catching and striking skills.

Show and Tell

Our Show & Tell participants for the month. Lots of interesting information was shared and many questions were answered. We are developing our speaking and listening skills.