Welcome to the 6th class 2022/2023 web page. 
Here are some of the things we have been up to in the first term:

September​

We made radial symmetry designs using the letters in our names. We folded pages in half 3 times to create 8 sections. We then designed our names in bubble writing in one section. We folded that section over to trace that design in another section. We repeated this process until each section was complete. Then we coloured in the design.  

We looked at the 18th century Dutch painter Jan Vermeer. We responded to the painting 'Girl With The Pearl Earring'.

This lead us to investigate how artists at that time used a camera obscuras to create very real looking paintings. The word Camera obscura is Latin for 'dark chamber'. They were large light proof boxes with a small holes, or apertures in one end and a viewing hole on the other. Some were big enough for the artist to stand inside. What ever was placed outside the box, opposite the aperture, was projected onto an inside screen. The image from outside was inverted (upside down). The painter could then paint that image. It was really an early form of photography. There is no proof that Vermeer used the camera obscura.


​We decided to make our own basic Camera obscuras. We used shoe boxes, cardboard, tracing paper and different lenses.

Here's a link to a YouTube demonstration of how to make one:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMkOJRXOGfA

Here is a slide show of the class making theirs and having fun experimenting with them:
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That month we also walked to The Mermaid Art Gallery and back to see an exhibition called Blacker Than Blindness. This exhibition was by an artist who is parent in our school. His name is Michael Durand, he very kindly invited us down to show us his work and give us a talk about the creative process. Here is an example of his work in the exhibition.

​While we were there Michael also showed us his electric guitar. We had fun experimenting with the sounds it could make with a violin bow.

October

We did a historical tour of Bray with the Heritage Schools. We looked at such buildings, streets and sites as the Town Hall, The Quinnsborough Road, Bray Railway station and the Promenade on the Seafront. 

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Later that month we managed to successfully complete our first Fun Friday cookery/baking session. We made potato cakes using potatoes grown in our very own garden! Thanks to Mark and Silvestry for their much needed help.

During Maths Week in October we did lots of extra Maths. Here we are with are buddies doing some PE Maths games with our buddies in senior Infants. 

Halloween Parade

November

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                                          At the end of November our wonderful Principal Carol retired. Our class made and composed a variety of creative work for her retirement book. Every child in the school designed a heart, which was printed on to a beautiful quilt made by some very hard working and creative parents. Here's a picture of the quilt and Carol wearing it!  

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The World Cup began at the end of November. We learned about the host country Qatar and another country called Nepal. We learned about the terrible working conditions for migrant workers in Qatar. That many migrant workers from Nepal were over worked and under payed building the stadiums and other infrastructure. 

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Each child in the class picked a country that was competing in the World Cup and did a project on it.

December

December was a very busy month. It started with the return of the Christmas Fair. It  was the first one since before Covid and was a great success. That month we also welcomed in our new principal Alan Bedford.  

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Some of Fifth and Sixth class took part in a basket ball blitz. This was organised by The Sports Promotion Unit. There were other local schools competing such as St. Fergal's, St, Peter's and Ravenswell NS. We won all of our games, but more importantly showed great support for each other and respect for the other teams. Everyone enjoyed the experience and represented our school brilliantly.

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We walked from the school to the seafront and back to sing Christmas carols with two other schools. Our teacher is involved in what's called The Creative Cluster. This where representative teachers from different schools meet to collaborate and organise creative activities for either the children or staff from their schools. We met with North Wicklow Educate Together Secondary School, Coláiste Raithin, Stepaside Educate Together NS and Stepaside Educate Together Secondary School.

BSP 6th class sand their hearts out for such songs as 'Feed The World' and 'Happy Christmas (The War is Over)' They were pretty tired by the time they got back to school, BUT, they were rewarded by their kind new principal Alan with a pizza party!

We took part in a Fighting Words workshop. Fighting Words is a charity set up by the author Roddy Doyle. It aims to promote creativity and imaginative skills through story writing. Our class created our own story that features a gripping tale about Benny The Banana and his treacherous friend Wally The Watermelon. It is entitled 'The Banana Betrayal'

January

We've Kicked off the new term with a chess tournament. This was an independently organised and self managed effort on the part of the whole class. Róisín is facilitating the competition and matching up the children according to ability. So far we have completed round 1.

Happy New year- "Xīnnián hǎo"

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• We looked at traditional Chinese watercolours. These are the things we noticed about these paintings:
• They were mainly of landscapes
• They did not use much colour
• Chinese writing (written vertically) is commonly used on the image
• The artist signs his/her name using a stamp called a chop.

Here are our amazing efforts at watercolour in traditional Chinese style. We chose different views of The Sugar Loaf mountain in Wicklow:
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This year 6th class followed the tradition of parading the Chinese dragon around the school yard. 5th class banged drums while 6th walked under the dragon's tail. As we moved around, all the other classes joined the line of children. We had great fun. 

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We have started to learn about the 1916 Rising. The children typed out information about the signatories of the proclamation of Ireland

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Fraction Art!

February

We researched about electricity, made slides and presented them to the class. Here's the link to view a selection: 
drive.google.com/drive/folders/1nSv0p8Hy-R-AFE1ZC-lm9OatWmQ6WZK4

We also had fun making electrical circuits to light bulbs​
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We composed metaphor poems. In poetry, a metaphor can be used a poetic tool to describe something. A metaphor is created when the poet makes a comparison without using 'like' 'as' or 'than'. Enjoy reading our amazing poems about nature.

metaphor_poems.docx
File Size:	31 kb
File Type:	docx

Download File

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We made vehicles out of cardboard boxes, skewers, bottle tops, blue tac and tape. We tested these vehicles down ramps. The vehicles were rated out of 10 for speed, wheel alignment, distance and style. Here is a selection:

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We looked at the Japanese artist Hokusai famous wood cut prints. His most famous work is The Great, Wave printed in 1831. 

Here is a selection of our responses: 

At the end of February we started our Bray Research Project. We were split in to groups with 5th class. Each class took an aspect of Bray in which to research. Some topics researched were the history of The bray School Project, important people, buildings and landmarks in Bray, historic sites.

Here are some pictures of two of the groups that went on field trips as part of their research:

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March

The school celebrated World Book Day this year by decorating our doors as famous books we chose Harry Potter and 'The Cursed Child' by JK Rowling

We also met up with our buddies to talk about our favourite books

We went on a school trip to the tenement museum in Dublin City. Its called 14 Henrietta street. The reason we went was because we have been reading the Novel The Guns of Easter by Gerard Whelan. This novel is about a young boy growing up in the slums of Dublin City. He witnesses the event of the 1926 Rising. 

We had great fun having a whole school Céilí in the yard. We danced with our buddies with all the other classes

Getting ready for the big performance for seachtain na Gaeilge: