Chess

With the change in weather in October, and the chances of rainy and windy days increasing, 4th Class have begun learning a great game of strategy and skill, perfect for those (hopefully rare!) rainy days ahead.

We began by learning about Rooks (aka "Castles") and Bishops and how they can move around the board, capturing enemy pieces.  We had a lot of fun figuring out how to get to any spot on the board in 2 moves for the rook and also when it might be worthwhile sacrificing a piece of our own to capture a more valuable enemy piece, such as the Queen.  

Enthusiasm is running very high for Chess, so expect some very enjoyable wet breaks in the months ahead.

Cucumber fresh from the Greenhouse!

 September is the time for the harvest!

Fourth Class enjoyed sampling some fresh organic produce from Mrs. Walsh's family greenhouse.  We have heard of James and the Giant Peach, but this was a case of the Giant Cucumber!

There was enough for everybody to have a taste and most people went back for seconds, thirds and even fourths!  Fresh and delicious, we enjoyed our tasty snack!

We also looked at some chestnuts and beech nuts, but didn't taste them!

STEM - Computational Thinking Skills

 4th Class are having fun with STEM!

STEM stands for Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.  

This term, 4th Class have been practising their Computational Thinking Skill of Logic. To practice Logic (using clues to help us solve problems) we have been working with a partner, solving Logic Puzzles.  It can be challenging, but it is lots of fun!

Many STEM skills can be used in lots of other subjects.  For example, we also used Logic when we were tackling some Irish Grammar questions - pretty useful!

P. E. Creating New Games

 In September, 4th Class put their creativity to good use during a P.E. lesson.  

The challenge was to work together in teams, to create a new game using pieces of equipment from the P.E. shed.  They then had to test their game, make any improvements needed and teach the game to the rest of the class.

Lots of co-operation, problem-solving, creativity and fun was had during this lesson!

Art Project Stained Glass

 In September, the girls learned about the Irish Stained Glass artist Evie Hone.  They were inspired to create some "Stained Glass" art of their own, using construction card and tissue paper.  

They also used their Maths skills - measuring and drawing a frame before creating our stained glass.  They learned about Symmetry because they had to cut their designs out in reverse before fixing the tissue paper in place.  

In the end, they were very happy with the results of their work!