Fifth Class 2014 – 2015

Fourth and Fifth class recently explored the history of schooling in Ireland from early times to the twentieth century. We really enjoyed learning about all the different types of schools and seeing how different they were to our school today. We looked at education throughout different time periods;

• Pre-Christian and Christian Times
• Early Irish Monastic Schools
• Hedge School – 17^th & 18^th Century
• National Schools in the 19th Century

We explored in detail School 100 Years Ago. Here is a summary of all we learned, through examining photographs, memoirs, artifacts, roll-books and school reports:

Life in Irish Schools was very different 100 years ago. There were no computers, CD players, gel pens or markers. Many schools were small; often they had only one room. There was no running water and the heat came from a fireplace behind the teacher’s desk. Taking care of the schoolhouse was everyone’s job. Families took turns sending wood to the school for heating. Windows were usually high so that the children could not see out and be distracted!

Children sat at long desks with inkwells in them. They wrote with pens that had sharp nibs that they dipped into the inkbottles in the inkwells. In some schools you were not allowed to write with your left hand! Most of the work was done with chalk on a slate, as books and copies were very expensive.

Discipline in the national schools was very strict. Children who misbehaved or did not learn their lessons were hit with a cane. Some teachers had a “Dunce’s Corner”. Any child who missed a question had to stand there. The children learned reading, writing, and arithmetic when they weren’t needed to work in the fields or at home. 

 Our Class Artifacts

Here we are writing using nibs and ink

Here we are painting using quills and coloured ink

In preparation for St. Brigid’s day the pupils of 4th & 5th class made St Brigid’s crosses last Friday. They learnt about the life of St Brigid through stories and poems about St. Brigid.  We even made some St. Brigid’s Crosses!  The annual tradition of making the crosses is lovely for both the pupils and their families who are delighted to receive a new cross into their homes on time for St. Brigid’s day.

We hope that everyone’s home will be blessed and that everyone will have a happy, safe year.

4th & 5th class recently took to the floor in the GPR and performed a two minute gymnastics routine (in groups) that the children had choreographed themselves. There were cartwheels, rolls, handstands, pyramids, and stunts using benches and the horse. It was a spectacular end to our Gymnastics PE lessons.

A very entertaining and enjoyable time was had by all in fourth and fifth class on Friday 12th December as they performed their Christmas Concert – The X-Mas Factor to a packed GPR. The concert was a twist on the popular TV series ‘The X-Factor’.

Here are a few pictures of us in our costumes:

The Judges: Mr Claus, Mrs Claus, Rudolph, Jack Frost

Jack Frost & the Snow Gang

Mr Claus & the Elves

Mr Claus & the Elves (Audience)

Rudolph & the Reindeer

Mrs Claus & the Angels

The Narrators/Presenters