Just a reminder that school will finish at 12pm on Friday February 9th and Friday February 23rd to facilitate staff training in the area of Child Protection. The bus driver has been informed so the bus will run as normal at 12pm on those days.

Our 4 representatives Sorcha, Ally, Seán and Wayne, had a great time at the quiz on Sunday in Fernhill House Hotel. They did the school proud. Maith sibh go léir!

In this day and age, we are all very aware of the importance of staying safe while engaging in online activity. I highly recommend the following website www.zeeko.ie which seeks to help adults and children alike to stay in touch with the ever-changing world of the internet. We will be learning lots about internet safety as the year goes on.

We are really looking forward to meeting the boys and girls who will join us in Junior Infants next September! Our enrolment day will take place from 12.45pm to 2pm on Wednesday February 7th. Please bring your child’s P.P.S. number and birth cert.

Any queries should be directed to the office, we will be delighted to be of assistance!

Lorraine Dufficey leads the senior room in a yoga session, spot the teacher!!!

As the days grow colder and shorten please remember to feed the birds.

Mrs Noreen Minihan was the guest of honour to raise our 2^nd green schools flag, this one is for energy. This project was organised by Mary Ronan (teacher).

       Pupils performed the “Wild West Symphony” which they composed themselves under the weekly tutelage of our music teacher Tonya Ley.

On the 11^th of May my friend Brian Ronan and I represented our school with Mary (junior classes teacher) and Claire (SNA) at the Greenschools flag presentation in the Radisson Blue Hotel in Cork with Lisavard NS and Kilcoe NS.

When we arrived I nearly gasped with surprise, the building was so impressive when we entered. I was astounded at the sheer size of the building.

We entered a big room where we were given a bag, a pencil case and a badge and were told to line up to take pictures in Greenschools photo booths. Afterwards we sat down and listened to some extremely interesting speeches and finally sat down to eat.

And lastly this is a quote from Claire the SNA.

“I really enjoyed the speeches, they were very interesting. The photo booths were good fun. I am exceptionally proud of Scoil Náisiúnta Rae na Scríne for all the work and effort they undertook in achieving their second Greenschools flag.”

Produced by;       Evan Fitzpatrick

18/5/2017

Calvin Jones came to Reenascreena School for five days. He showed us all the different types of birds, flowers and trees. First we went walking around the Warren and saw a Minky Whale and a Basking Shark ( they are the second biggest whale in the world). Another day we climbed up Carrigfadda Hill and saw lots of flowers, clovers, birds and bird boxes .Lastly we went for a walk up Dan`s Lane beside our school. There were loads of chaffinches and other birds. We had a lot of fun with Calvin exploring our own locality.

“The peregrine falcon dives at speeds of 200km an hour!” said Ross. We are lucky to live in West Cork.

O’Keeffe’s Fort was a village behind a strong fence on top of a ditch. It was owned by Celts in 400BC. It might have been invaded by pirates.

Now the village is no more than just tree’s and the fosse (moat) is dry.

But O’Keeffe’s fort is still a nice place to visit. You can walk around the fort along the fosse.

It’s a great place to have a picnic.

But some people ask…How did Celts live in Ireland back then?

The Celts who arrived in Ireland back then during the Iron-age came from Europe.

In Winter nothing grows here, so the Romans called it Hibernia- The land of Winter.

In Spring O’Keeffe’s Fort is alive with Bluebells. Next come the foxgloves and in Autumn the blackberries. ………

By Wayne and John

We went to The National Sculpture Factory on the 16/05/17. It was awesome!

When we were there, there was an artist called Alex Pentek he was working on his sculpture of ferns. It was made of stainless steel.

There was lots of other amazing artists. They all had their own rented work space. It’s easy to rent a space to do your own work.

  Sorcha thought:”It is unique, like no other place.”

  Ally thought:”It is very exciting!”

  I would highly recommend this place.

By Aobh

On the 16/05/17 we went to The National Sculpture Factory Cork. First we went in to the clay department the man showed us the kilns where the pottery is dried. Next we went into the main part we saw a big long house suspended overhead. The artist had done this to look like a train carriage because he liked trains. The Sculpture Factory was the old train station.

 And then we saw all the tools; band saw, angle grinder, Dewalt saw and a 5 tonne crane.

 Alex Pentex was making ferns out of stainless steel metal pipes. Alex cut them into ferns and they will be exhibited at a road junction in Australia.

By Ross.

Ciarán: On the journey to Cork I saw five rabbits. Jason and I saw a fox.

Seán: When we eventually got there, we went through revolving doors. As the sixth class went in they got stuck!

Ciarán: First we got something to eat and then Dom and Christiana explained to us about what they do at Gas Networks Ireland. Gas comes from Scotland and Europe to Ireland through big pipes underground. They design and build these pipes and monitor them for safety.

Seán:  After the talk, we split into two groups and we went to an open –plan office which was littered with laptops. Civil, mechanical and electrical engineers worked on computer made drawings.

Next we went to the Control tower where they showed us cool desks which go up and down so you can stand while you work. Ciarán sat at this station and thought he was the head-controller.

Ciarán: We all really enjoyed our tour. I want to be a on the design team and Sean wants to be a problem solver in the control room.

On Wednesday  the 10^th May 2017 my friends and I; Ally, Aobh and Caitlin  made an obstacle course for junior infants , senior infants ,first class and second class .

First we told them to go play a different game while we created  two separate obstacle courses .First, Ally and I demonstrated for them. Caitlin divided them into two teams and Aobh ran with them.

1. First they had to jump in between the parts of the ladder .
2. Then they had to throw the ball through the basketball net. They loved it. “It was the best obstacle course ever” said Ally. We all loved it and it’s a fun way to exercise.

Sorcha.

We organised a Green Day and No Electricity Day – to promote energy saving in our school – on our journey towards our 2nd Green Flag. We really enjoyed the day. It was exciting to see everyone coming in in many shades of Green. We had great fun taking part in our energy saving games.

It was an unusual experience working through our day without electricity. We all learned a lot from this wonderful day.

The circus came to town!

We had the privilege of welcoming Silver Lining Productions to our school during the last week of the school year. Students, parents and staff alike were treated to an amazing performance. We were entertained with: roller balancing; rope spinning; foot juggling; Chinese cloths; gymnastic silk; the Celtic flag and hand juggling. The music that was performed came from a wide variety of instruments: trumpet; clarinet; bongo drums; snare drums; French horn; cornet; Congo drums; tom toms; handmade didgeridoo; handmade war pipes and a handmade cajón box drum. All delivered in a comedy drama style, that allowed the students to interact with the artists and be part of the act. Take a look at some photos of our amazing experience.

“At Silver Lining Production we provide National Schools within Ireland an educational, exciting and colourful program. A learning process that keeps inline with the curriculum. It is a great experience for pupils of all ages.“

On Friday 27th June 2016 we found ourselves in O’Keeffe’s Fort, Gleann A Phíobaire, on route back to school from our weekly swimming lessons in Rosscarbery Leisure Centre.

The bluebells were out in force and the fort looked amazing. We did our best to find some fairies but none dared to show themselves!

The Fairies

by William Allingham

 

Up the airy mountain,

Down the rushy glen,

We dare’t go a-hunting

For fear of little men.

 

Wee folk, good folk,

Trooping all together;

Green jacket, red cap,

And white owl’s feather!

Our special day, Saturday 14th May 2016. St. Peter’s Church, Carrigfadda, Reenascreena.

The whole school took part in a group exhibition held in West Cork Art Centre, Uillinn, Cork.

1916 Centenary Project: 100 years of Art and History Exhibition which opened on Friday 29 April at Uillinn: West Cork Arts Centre.

West Cork Primary Schools explored local, national and international historical events and drew inspiration from artists and art movements of the past 100 years.

Junior room:

We chose the theme Colourful Seventies because of the explosion of colour and shape associated with the period 1970 to 1975. Colourful, glossy and glittering clothes, bellbottoms, afro style hair styles and disco balls were the order of the day.

We chose Patrick Heron, because, to us he expressed what we wanted to portray. He once wrote: “I think this world is magical. Colour, form, space, relationships – these elevate life. They energise. They elevate my whole consciousness”.

He worked with blocks of colour in an abstract way to give very lively, vivid pictures.

In developing ideas for our art work we explored images from the era 1970 – 1975. We discussed these images –colours, shapes, our likes, our dislikes, comparisons and what they reminded us of. We then printed out a variety/cross section of these images.

Now we were ready to start working on our artwork.

• We made prints of these images in two ways.
• Firstly we put paint on a flat surface; we put a sheet of paper on top of this; we then traced an image on top of this. When we removed the sheet of paper from the painted flat surface we had our print.
• For the second print experience we cut out images and stuck them on wood. We put paint on the picture and stamped on our prints.
• Then we cut out sections from these prints and mounted them on black sugar paper, paying attention to colour patterns and shape. We finished with a disco ball in the centre.

We used these blocks of colour as used by Patrick Heron. Colours big and bold were essential in his work. Thus it was from him that we got our inspiration. We felt that his art style and blocks of colour clearly demonstrated our interpretation of the era 1970 to 1975.

Senior room:

Chosen Theme and Inspiration: We chose the Flower Power theme because there were lots of flowers and colours. The artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude inspired us because their art was unique. We like the idea of wrapping, it was very unique. Their art was also very different as it is very temporary.

“I am an artist, and I have to have courage……. Do you know that I don’t have any artworks that exist? They all go away when they’re finished. Only the preparatory drawings, and collages are left, giving my works and almost legendary character. I think it takes much greater courage to create things to be gone than to create things that will remain.”                           (Christo)

Developing our ideas: We really liked the orange curtain across the valley. This inspired our own art as we used orange when selecting our, tie dye colours. We brainstormed, created mind maps, and researched the artists and their work, researched the flower power era that began in Haight Ashbury, California, in order to develop our ideas.

Making the Art Work:

• Drew samples of our designs on paper, spirals, flowers, VW signs etc.
• Tie dyed strips of cloth, we marked our own with symbols instead of writing our names.
• Drew designs on the cloth, we worked on our own strips, the symbols made it easy for us to recognise our own.
• Wrapped our models.
• Created a working drawings book on the project.

“When I was researching the artists, I found out they were both born on the same day.” (Ciaran Forsythe, 3^rd class)

Check out the West Cork Art Centre

http://www.westcorkartscentre.com/

The senior room took part in Sciath na Scól.

Travelling to Bantry where they played five matches in total. An excellent day was had by all.

A date for your diaries!! Scoil Náisiúnta Rae na Scríne will hold an enrolment day on Tuesday 8^th March 2016, from 12.30pm until 2pm. Parents and children are invited to come along and look at the bright cheery classrooms and meet the teachers. We look forward to meeting you. If you have any queries contact Mary Ronan on 023-8848000.

Scoil Náisiúnta Rae na Scríne invites people from the community into our school to share their experiences and knowledge with the students.

Monday 25^th January, John Kearney from the Baltimore RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) and Ann Deasy from Union Hall RNLI came to visit us. They discussed the importance of staying safe when in or near water. We learnt that you must always wear a life jacket when out on the water in a boat or a canoe. Did you know that you should wear a helmet when you are canoeing or kayaking? Ann told us that if you see anyone who needs help in the water or on cliffs that you should stay on the shore and call 112 or 999. Never attempt to enter the water to help a person in distress as you too could end up in difficulty.

Karen McCarthy, Road Safety Promotion Officer from the RSA (Road Safety Authority), popped into see us on Tuesday 2^nd of February and gave a very informative talk on staying safe on the roads. Lots of the children told Karen that they act as the Seat Belt Sherriffs in their cars and no one is allowed to travel without wearing a safety belt! Karen sang the Safe Cross Code song with the children, highlighting how important it is to always be seen, be careful when near cars.

The National Flag for Primary Schools Initiative 2016

Wednesday 18th November 2015 saw our school Scoil Náisiúnta Rae na Scríne presented with our National Flag, a memorable event for all involved. Senior Chief Petty Officer Paul Ryan and Petty Officer Kara Moloney were escorted by a member of the Irish Army to Reenascreena.

Children from Reenascreena Community Playgroup, along with their teacher Fiona Deane attended this ceremony. as did parents of our own students.

Senior Chief Petty Officier Paul Ryan presented us with the National Flag and a copy of the Proclamation of the Irish Republic.

At Scoil Náisiúnta Rae na Scríne, we are aware that not all pupils like the rough and tumble of team games. So for the last five weeks every student at our school took to the golf course!! They were introduced to the techniques of golf and gained skill under the guidance of their coach Adrian of LD Golf Ltd. Wednesdays were much anticipated and the final day found the children creating their own golf courses! Later in the school year the students will attend 10 weeks of swimming lessons, for each student. That is 80 swimming lessons during their time with us. (12th October 2015)

On the 15^th of June 2015 S.N.Rae na Scríne went on a wildlife walk up Carrigfadda Hill. Calvin Jones a pupil’s father came with us, alongside other parents. Calvin taught us about the wildlife and all the different birds that were nesting on trees. It was an exciting day for the pupils.

Calvin gave us binoculars to look at the birds that were chirping. It was a long way to the top. You could hear people’s legs creaking and the sun was beaming down on us. We would stop every few minutes for a rest and a drink.

At last we made it to the top, you could see the sign of relief on people’s faces. We sat at the top and ate our lunch, everyone was silent, you could hear the birds chirping and the trees blowing in the wind. The scenery up there was unbelievable and the cool fresh air was blowing in our faces.

We made our way back down the hill. From there we walked back to school, stopping for a history lesson on O’Donovan Rossa. What a day, am memory to keep for sure.

Life is hectic at Scoil Náisúnta Rae na Scríne as the school year draws to a close.

Thursday 15th June was Sports Day, all events were planned by the sixth class pupils. A large crowd attended. At 2pm our Green Flag (awarded by An Taisce) was raised by guest of honour Pádraig Whooley (Irish Whale and Dolphin Group). He praised the pupils for their work in caring for the environment and kept them enthralled with his lively banter.

We were too excited to notice the time passing on the journey up to Cork. It was the 21st of May and the 6th class were going to the Triskel Art Centre in Cork for the Regional final of Our World Irish Aid Awards. We arrived at the Triskel Art Centre after several one way streets and involountary detours. We entered the art centre and were warmly welcomed by a friendly member of staff who showed us to the hall. We were one of the first of 15 schools to arrive but there was already a buzz in the room. Everyone was socialising and mingling. We got changed into our costumes and enjoyed refreshments.

Once everyone was seated the Presenter begain. He welcomed us all to the Our World Irish Aid awards and told us why we were here. Then we had great fun learning a Tanzanian Song with dance moves. By now the atmosphere was much more relaxed. We heard from a Tanzenian man about his experience growing up in Africa. There was a ten minute break were we viewed each others projects. Finally we were awarded with a plaque for making it to the regional final and the three schools who were going through to the national final.

Overall it was a brilliant day and we all enjoyed ourselves.

The Award Ceremony

On May 7th we celebrated the centenary of the sinking of the RMS Lusitania. We dressed up in costumes from the era, we researched in depth the famous cruise ship. We discovered that a past pupil of Scoil Naisiunta Rae na Scrine, Julia O’Neill, was on board that tragic day, luckily she and her husband survived. Our guest of honour was Denis McCarthy, Julia’s great grandnephew, we read extracts from fictional diaries of passengers. Following the ringing of the bells at 2.10pm, the time the torpedo struck the ship, we held a minutes silence in honour of the 1,198 lives claimed. We received commemorative purple balloons from RNLI, Courtmacsherry, together with 23 names of those drowned. We flew the balloons high, each one tagged with the name of a victim, alongside a lone white balloon remembering Julia.

On Friday 17th April pupils from 2nd to 6th class to a trip to the Lifetime Lab in Cork. here they engaged in a 3 hour work-shop exploring electricity. They learned how to make electric circuits and they wired a model of a house. Next they made model race cars and even brushes with motors to sweep the floor. An enjoyable, productive day was had by all.

Congratulations to our senior classes who reached the regional finals with their project studying how Irish Foreign Aid monies are spent to help communities in Malawi, Lesotho, Zambia, Tanzania, Vietnam etc. We discovered it helps provide food, shelter and schooling for people in these countries.

We also explained how S.N. Rae na Scríne has supported just-one’s work with street children in Nepal. Representatives of our class will attend the Munster regional finals in Cork on 21st May. We wish them well!

Mooney Goes Wild RTE 1 visited our school on Friday  4^th of  April 2014 to report on our Electric Hen Project . We have hatched chicks, in our incubator, for Easter for the last three years .There was great eggcitement in the school and wider community when reporter Jim Wilson knocked on our classroom door. Annie Kingston and Cillian Fitzpatrick were spoke-persons for the class, explaining that we successfully hatched 17 out of 24 eggs.  2 died and we had 5 “gluggers” (eggs that had not developed). We know this because we did a Grey’s Anatomy style post mortem on these eggs. Annie’s grandfather; Michael Collins from the shop/Post Office in Reenascreena was the local egg merchant. He collected eggs from local farmers sometimes in exchange for groceries. These were exported to Wales during the war years.

Our interview was aired on Friday and we have received phone calls of congratulations from far and wide from past pupils; from Cork, Dublin, Isle of Man, Australia, U.S.A. and Canada.