In Mr. Whelan's class, we had an exciting start to the school year, with visits to interesting places and welcoming some special guests during September and October.
We made the most of the sunshine while it lasted, getting outdoors before winter sets in! We took a few trips to Collinstown Park to play games and get active. We also practiced our Gaeilge outside with Classroom in the Sun, playing games to learn how to count groups of people: duine, beirt, triúr, ceathrar, and cúigear. The children did so well that we were invited to visit Maynooth University just before Halloween. We toured the grounds "as Gaeilge" and even participated in a quiz! Everyone had a fantastic time, and maybe some of the boys and girls will return as students when they’re older!
We were also lucky to visit North Clondalkin Library to meet Isla McGuckin, the author of April’s Garden. The children loved reading her book in class and came up with thoughtful questions to ask her in person. We learned a lot about finding story ideas, writing books, and even made origami bookmarks together.
When we finally managed to stay indoors, we were thrilled to have our parents visit us—twice! We had lots of fun in October doing maths stations, and the following week even more parents joined us for some Halloween art. The children were excited all week for both visits and had a fantastic time.
Now, we're looking forward to the lead-up to Christmas. There are rumors of trees already going up in some houses! We can’t wait to dive into all the activities coming our way!
