Here you will find information on various 6th class activities.
2016/2017
Recount Writing
Recount writing is a type of writing where you write about something that happened in the past. Recount writing is mainly used for newspaper or biographies. For the past few weeks 6th class have been doing recount writing. We looked at the steps involved in recount writing. One night for homework we looked at 6 facts on an interesting person. The next day we wrote a mini biography on that person. I wrote about Ronald Reagan. Recount writing is a great type of writing. Here are a few examples from Rooom 27.
By Austin Joby.
King Henry
Henry Shefflin is from Kilkenny. He was born in Waterford on 11th of January 1979. Aged 38, he is an Irish hurler that played centre forward for the Killkenny hurling team.
A native of Ballyhale County Killkenny, Shefflin has won 12 Leinster titles, 10 All-Irelands and was nominated for sportsman of the year 2006. He has 3 children with his wife Deirdre O Sullivan, a camogie player.
He arrived on the inter county scene at the age of 17 before ending up his career in 2009 racking up 453 points to his name.
By Rhys Kennedy.
Fresh Prince
Will Smith was born on the 8th of September 1968 in Phillidelphia .He is most famous for The Fresh Prince of Bell Air.
Will Smith started rapping at the age of twelve. His first album The Fresh Prince made Will a millionaire before he was eighteen . Not long after this, he began his acting career in The Fresh Prince of Bell Air TV show. The show went on for six seasons before coming to an end. From then, he went on to star in many famous movies such as; I Am Legend, I Am Robot, Suicide Squad and many more. When Will was in his thirties he got married to Jada Pickett and had three children Jaden, Willow and Trey.
Will is still acting to this day .Although he is in his forties now he is still a good actor and has been in many good movies.
By Evan Brackett.
The Wizard of Menlo Park
Thomas Edison was born in Milan, Ohio, USA in 1847. He first was a telegraph operator before he became a successful inventor. Thomas died in 1931 after a great career of inventing electronics that was use today.
Thomas Edison set up a research lab in Menlo Park, New Jersey where he invented the phonograph, the motion picture camera and made the longest lasting lightbulb. These electronic inventions gave him the nickname “The Wizard of Menlo Park”. Thomas Edison was a big fan of the American Revolution writer Thomas Paine which he read in his spare time.
Thomas was known as American’s greatest inventor. If it wasn’t for him we would not have many electronics we use today!
By Jack Yu
Television Star in the Making
On Thursday the 8th of December I went to RTE studios to film for Swipe TV. Back in May I made my own music video I danced to “Cant stop the feeling”. I had an amazing time making it with amazing backing dancers from fit kids fit teens. We made it in Dublin Port and the CHQ building on the Quays. It took all day to film it with an amazing camera man Kenny, director Rania and dance teacher, AJ. On the 15th of September my friend Clayton and I went to RTE studios to film for the audience and had a sneaky interview with the presenters Simon and Claire. On the 8th of December I filmed the POP UP POP STAR Award Ceremony which is showing on RTE 2 on the 22nd and 23rd of December at 4:30. On that day I met Ryan Tubridy and I got to talk to him and even got a selfie. You can see my music video on the Swipe TV app on apple and android devices. You can also catch me on the RTE player over Christmas. Merry Christmas everybody.
By Ross Room 26
College Awareness Week
We had great fun this week during College Awareness Week. On Monday we designed and created our very own student id cards. Before doing this, we had to research in pairs what course we would like to do and what college or university we could do it in. On Tuesday, we had a special guest called David O’Shaughnessy. He was a former pupil from the school and he returned to tell us about life in college. We created dream pupils about our dream job. All in all we had a great time learning about colleges,campus, jobs and courses. It was a great week.
Jake Dunne
Zoom in on mini-beasts
We did a mini-beast study in sixth class. The whole class used the scientific method to answer a question. We went out to the school garden with our record sheets and did the following experiment.
Question:
Can we classify different mini-beasts (anthropods)?
Hypothesis:
We will search a habitat for mini-beasts and attempt to classify them as…
1. Insects
2.Arachnids
3. Anelids
4. Molluscs
5. Myriapods
6. Crustaceans
Materials: Magnifying glass, segment, classification jar, pooter, clipboard, results record sheet, pencil.
Experiment:
- We found an area I the garden that predicted would be a habitat. We laid down our segment.
- We used a magnifying glass to find mini-beasts.
- We used a pooter to suck up the mini-beasts.
- We classified it using our classification jar.
- We estimated the population of that mini-beast in the segment and then we let it go.
- We looked for more mini beasts
Results: We found lots of mini-beasts and classified them.
Conclusion: Our school garden is a habitat for many mini-beasts and we are able to classify them.
By Shane Lee
The Order of Malta
The Order of Malta is an organization that teaches people of all ages first aid. They thought all the boys from the three sixth classes how to do c.p.r. and how to do mouth to mouth. They also said not to do it on strangers, only family members. Every boy got a card that showed them what to do and what not to do and we all got certs with our name on it.
It was a fantastic experience for every boy.
By Callum Donohoe.
Maths Week in the Secondary School
For Maths week all the 6th class boys were invited to Drimnagh Castle Secondary School. They had set up Maths Week activities there. There were different stations and every five minutes we would rotate to a different station.
They had fun games and puzzles. For one game we had a card with a number on our head and we had to guess the number. For another game we had to flip over dominoes and whoever got the higher number won. It was great craic and they gave us a ball for the class and a certificate for everyone including the teacher. I had an amazing day there.
By Bradley Johnston Rm 12
Science experiment – Rainbow
How a rainbow forms:-
A rainbow forms in the sky when light from the sun is split into seven different colours –red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. A rainbow can also be made from the sun (or any man made object like a projector, lamp, etc.)shining towards a prism, a transparent ruler or a pen . When the light from the sun (or a lamp) enters a prism, the light slows down and splits into different directions and into different colours. With some shapes like cuboids(or a window) when light enters the shape, it travels at the same pace an the light doesn’t split into different colours.
Our experiment:-
Our experiment was not about making a rainbow but to mix the seven colours to turn them back into white.
Our resources:-
Circle template,
Colours,
Scissors,
Motor
A rubber
How we made it :-
First we took the scissors and cut the white bits of the circular template. Then, we coloured in the colours of the rainbow and made a hole to attach the motor. Finally we put the rubber on top of the motor, to stop the template from flying away
Conclusion:-
As we predicted, the experiment was a success. The rainbow spinner looked like it was white when it was going fast. Thus, we can conclude that a rainbow, when mixed together forms into white.
By Sooraj.R.Nampiar
Design a Jersey
About three weeks ago, Mr. Toher told us he was giving us a chance to design a jersey for the School GAA Team. We discussed patterns, designs, what colours we could use. Mr. Toher gave us a template and we got started. It took a while to complete but they came out very well and we made a display outside. We wanted to do it as part of the build up to GOAL Jersey Day on Friday the 14th October. All the boys in the school have been told to bring in two euros towards GOAL Jersey day. This money will go to people in poorer countries. We discussed how lucky we are and the importance of donating money to homeless and people less fortunate. We had great fun designing our GAA Jerseys. We focused on designing a jersey using the colours of our school-Blue, yellow and White. Castle Abú
By Lennon Kelly
Boxing
For the past four weeks Ed Griffin and Mick have been teaching the three sixth classes boxing .We have been focusing on jabs, crosses and our boxing stance .We have done body sparing twice and this week we will do full contact head and body sparing.
We usually go to Drimnagh boxing club but this year we will be doing it in the P.E. hall. We have now completed our Bronze boxing programme in our first four weeks. In our next four weeks we will complete our Silver boxing programme. The last four weeks will only be a selection of boys, who will complete in the Gold boxing programme against boys from other schools.
At the end of our boxing programme, everybody in sixth class will receive the three certificates -bronze, silver and if your lucky you will get your gold certificate. This is also part of our 6th Class Graduation Programme.
By Lennon Kelly
Room 27
2015/2016
Castle Cup
This years 6th Class Castle Cup was a thriller. In the final, team 5 from Ms Tarpey’s class came up against team 3 from Ms O Connor’s class . Heading into the final team 5 were the favourites as they had a very strong team from the start. Ms O Connor’s class were the underdogs as they lost their first match but they made up for it in the semi final. At the start Ms Tarpey’s class were the strongest but Ms O Connor’s were still in it. Hayden Roche and Richard Delaney were creating most of the chances from midfield, while upfront Daniel Coloe and Alex Brown stood out. Adam Smallhorne was the real danger man for Ms O Connor’s, ably assisted by Conor Nolan. As the game progressed Ms Tarpey’s class were getting stronger and stronger. As the final whistle blew it was heartbreak for Ms O Connor’s and a triumph for Ms Tarpey’s. Ms Tarpey’s class were the deserved winners throughout the tournament. It was a great day for all the 6th classes.
Monster Art
We recently spent time making clay monsters in Art. Before we made the clay monsters we spent time drawing them first and also putting a collage of our monsters together on wallpaper. Have a look at our pictures.
Gardening Module
As part of our Graduation Module, we have to complete a module spent in our school garden. We have planted potatoes already and we spent time last week planting more potatoes. We also spent time weeding and cutting and making sure our school garden looks well. We look forward to spending more time in the next few weeks in the garden.
Spelling Bee
On Thursday, I went to the Red Cow Hotel to represent the school in the Easons Spelling Bee. I was representing the school and I went to the Red Cow with two teachers (Ms.Henry and Ms.Henessey ) and my Mam and Dad. I got to the sixth round and got knocked out on the word insatiable. I got a dictionary, a t-shirt and a goody bag with two vouchers, a bookmark and a pen. Unfortunately, I missed out on the inter-cultural day. I hope you have enjoyed my blog!
GPO Visit
On the 15th of April, the three 6th classes went on a very special tour to the GPO. The tour was called the GPO eyewitness tour, which showed us the history and aftermath of the 1916 Easter Rising. We got the 123 bus into O’Connell Street and back to the school. We were shown around the GPO by a very enthusiastic tour guide by the name of Dara. We were taken down stairs to a room full of replica guns and some slideshows. There was a short movie re-enacted by some of the staff which showed us the view from both the rebels and the British Empire. We saw some of the letters which were written during the Rising. One of them was from a very young boy around the age of 3 or 4. His letter said “Thank you Daddy for choc love Baby”. The description beside the letter said that this letter was found in the fathers pocket when he was shot. The baby’s father didn’t let go of the letter from the day he received it to the he died. I would recommend going on this tour, which would be a great day out for all the family.
Room 27- Narrative Writing
This term, the sixth classes are working on the theme of narrative writing. Here are some examples from Room 27.
The Lost Football Boot by Niall Kelly
It was a beautiful, warm summer’s day for an All Ireland Final and Timmy Crowe had such a severe case of the butterflies, he might as well have had pigeons fluttering chaotically about inside his knotted stomach. I mean who wouldn’t?
When Timmy arrived at the magnificent Croke Park, he could feel the pressure creep up on him. He felt as if all the pressure in the world sat on his shoulders like a chair. Timmy gulped nervously. He couldn’t believe that he would be playing for Dublin in the All Ireland Final.
When Timmy was thinking about the match while he was getting changed, he went over to get his boots out of his boot bag. He noticed that he was missing a boot. “Oh no” he thought to himself. He looked in and out and up and down around frantically in the quiet dressing room. He paced swiftly out of the dressing rooms and retraced his steps cautiously. Timmy began to fling debris furiously about. Timmy could feel the tears make their way through, when all of a sudden a bright, yellow forklift made its way through the entrance. As it did, it moved a shiny piece of metal. Out of the corner of his eye, Timmy could see a bright shiny item. He took another swift glance at the bright light. Timmy could hardly breathe. It was his lost left boot. Timmy grabbed the prodigal item and ran for his life back to the dressing room. “Phew” Timmy muttered under his breath, as he was given that fantastic number 14.
Timmy couldn’t believe it. He wouldn’t have dreamt of playing for the Dubs. As he walked onto the illuminated pitch, he looked up at the audience. He could see the ecstatic, patriotic fans their county’s colours. Blue and Navy for the Dubs; Blue and Gold for the Longford fans. He could also see the beads of sweat roll off their faces onto the beat up path. The game was a tense, action – packed match and it was down to the last kick of the game, a 45 on the right hand side of the pitch. Timmy Crowe eyed up the goalposts. The suspense was unbearable. The referee blew the whistle. Timmy Crowe swung his left boot at it and……
The final whistle blew. The stadium erupted. Dublin fans started chanting while the Longford fans held their heads in their hands in despair. “WOOHOO” exclaimed Timmy. The Sam was back with the Dubs!
Hurling Legend by Bolu Akingbade
It was a warm,bright,sunny afternoon. Josh Cummins was having a little puck about with his friend Luke.”I can’t wait for the big match on Tuesday against St.Marys,”declared Josh.”Yeah they’re the team to beat,”said Luke.”I already have butterflies in my tummy just thinking about it,”said Josh.”I better be off, see ya,”said Luke. ”See ya.”
It was a dull, wet Monday. Josh woke up and he could feel the pressure mainly because he was the best player. Josh went downstairs for breakfast. Then the terrible news came. ”I washed your so called lucky top,”announced his Mam. Josh nearly choked on a sausage.”The one I told you not to wash till the end of the season?”asked Josh.”Yes,”answered his Mam. He ran over to the washing machine,he opened it and rummaged until he found his lucky top. He froze in horror, he looked at it once, then twice, he couldn’t take it anymore and he let out an ear piercing scream!
It had shrunk. ”What is it,” his Mam asked gasping for air.”Look for yourself,”he said. His Mam laughed, ” It’s just a top we can always buy another one,”she said.”You don’t get it my match is tomorrow and I don’t have my lucky top,”explained Josh.”Don’t worry your going to do fine,” said his Mam.
It was a bright, sunny day perfect for a match and Josh was nervous. Mr.Howard was giving some words,”I don’t care what team were playing, just do your best ,”he said.”Yes sir,”they said in unison .This was it. The match they’ve all been waiting for.They entered the huge stadium.Thousands of people came to watch. Josh was the captain.The ref blew the whistle and threw the ball in, every minute counted.
As one team scored the other did as well.It was near the end of match and Drimnagh Castle thought it was all over .Suddenly disaster struck for St. Marys.The ball was rolling in to Josh and he got fouled in the penalty box.it was all down to Josh. He picked up the sliotar and whacked it hard and low. He was reserving all his luck for now. It went so fast the goalie got confused,he had done it! The swishing of the net confirmed it. The whistle blew and that was it they had won.As each player lifted the shiny trophy,everyone was saying “Josh Cummins is a hurling legend.”Josh Cummens is a hurling legend.”Josh then realized that not everything was luck.
Coming Along Swimmingly- Evan Garry
Meet Jamie, the best swimmer in his entire swimming club. I guess you could say he was “coming on swimmingly”. Ha, I love puns; anyway today was a big day for Jamie. It was his most anticipated race yet. The stained glass doors swung open like a flash of light, but were nothing compared to the anxious children clambering to get in first.
Jamie slipped off his clothes as underneath, he already had his swimming trunks on. “I can’t wait for this!” exclaimed Jamie, waiting for his Mam to answer. “Neither can I.” responded his Mam. He leapt into the Olympic sized pool. Suddenly his loud instructor called his name. “Jamie?” bellowed the instructor. “Here!” responded Jamie. The instructor proceeded to call out the names of the other boys. Jamie always noticed a peculiar noise coming from the bottom of the pool. He eventually had the courage to venture into this desolate black hole.
Inside, Jamie found a beautiful city submerged in water. Jamie was running out of air. “Oh my, you’ve got yourself into a spot of trouble” a posh voice sounded. It sounded like a mix between C-3PO from Star Wars and Paddington Bear. This was actually a talking dolphin. The dolphin produced an air mask and placed it on Jamie’s face. “Where did you get this air mask?” asked Jamie, panting from the near death experience. “I don’t know”, said the dolphin curious as to where he got it. “The name’s Cedrick”.
“Hi, I’m Jamie.”
So they were off on an adventure to get Jamie home when suddenly a particularly loud dolphin yelled “STOP!” This was Cedrick’s Dad. “Father, what’s wrong?” asked Cedrick. “You have violated the law.” slammed Cedricks dad. “How?” Jamie butted in.
“He has befriended an inferior human,” “What?” shouted Jamie. “Father, if the boy can beat you in a race can I help him get home?” asked Cedrick doing his best puppy dog eyes.
“Very well” muttered Dad.
This was it… The race of a lifetime against a dolphin. Cedrick was blowing the whistle “3…2…1… GO!” The race was on. Both contestants were off like speeding bullets. But look? Jamie had won! Cedrick cheered joyfully “Hurray”.
Jamie and Cedrick said their goodbyes and Jamie was returned back to the pool. Funnily enough the swimming race was just over. “Come on Jamie!” exclaimed his Mam, having no idea what an adventure he had just been on.
6th Class Cross Country
Cross Country begins this week for other year. 6th Class boys must complete every race as part of their Graduation Programme. There will be a seeding race on Thursday the 14th and the first race will begin on the 18th of January. Competition between classes will be as fierce as always as Miss Tarpey looks to battle it with Mr.Toher and Ms. O’Connor to see what class will receive the most points and win the trophy. Other classes should now begin to practice as their turn will be coming up. Best of luck to everyone.
Room 27
Christmas Concert Rehearsals in full swing
As we near ever closer to Christmas, all attention in The Castle turns to our much anticipated Christmas concerts. Classes are busy learning lines, songs, dances and making props. The pressure is mounting on the students and teachers alike. As always, Mr Tohers boys are looking to put in a show stopping performance. We hope families can come on Wednesday 16th from 09:30am on, to support the boys. As usual, the content of the concert has been kept top secret by all the classes but you can be sure that there will be plenty of familiar faces making appearances!
Room 27
Our Projects on European Countries
As part of our Graduation Module, we had to complete a project on a European Country of our choice. We had been learning all about the European Union in class. Our Projects are displayed outside Room 27. Come and visit and have a look at our interesting projects.
G.O.A.L. Visit
On Friday the 9th of October, the school held a G.O.A.L Jersey Day which was a fundraiser for G.O.A.L., an Irish Community which aims to help poorer countries which are affected by man-made or natural disasters. All the money that was raised will be used by G.O.A.L to buy supplies they need for the project they are carrying out. A member of G.O.A.L. then visited all the 6th classes on Monday and explained to us in more detail the work G.O.A.L carry out. A lot of work was carried out today on food and nutrition in poorer countries and also global warming. It was very interesting finding out so much information.
Niall Kelly
Room 27
6th Class.
Boxing in 6th Class
This year, once again we started the Bronze Boxing Programme in all the 6th Classes. Everyone took part as it is part of our Graduation Programme. We had good fun with Ed in the hall. This week was the start of the silver boxing programme in Drimnagh Boxing Club. We went on Friday with Mr.Toher and Will. It was our first time boxing in the ring and it was deadly. After 4 weeks, some of us will be picked to take part in the Gold Boxing Programme in the National Boxing Stadium. Watch this space….