"Mamie`s Cart" Dec. 2007

On Tuesday December 11th three members from "Cups and Crowns Travelling Show", came to do workshops with us. During the workshops, we spent our time doing activities. There was a scoreboard: when we completed an activity we were told the scores for the activity we had done. Afterwards, there was a performance.It was called "Mamies Cart". The show was based on a Restorer and he pretended he was very busy and that Mamie would have to wait patiently until two clock in which then he would be able to assist Mamie. Mamie had no itention of moving herself so, she kept herself busy while waiting. The reason why Mamie came to the Restorer was, Mamie`s Cart shook whenever a person was told lies. The Restorer had something in the corner. Eventually we found out what it was, a toy bicycle.Mamie thought it was pretty.The time seemed to be going much quicker than a normal clock. Mamie took a lot of interesting things out of her cart. The Restorer took interest in some of things she had. Finally, Mamie got assistance from the Restorer but he didn`t really fix it at all. Lastly, the Restorer's sister rang and exclaimed on the phone, "I'm having a party, would like to come?" When the show was over, we applauded loudly. It was time for us to return to class and them to leave.
By Fiona Keely and Jonathan Dooley

Hurling 7 -A - Side......... October 2007

The 11th of October 2007 was a misty day. It was a Thursday afternoon in S Thomas'GAA pitch. The first team we faced was Loughrea. It was an exciting game but unfortunately the well managed Loughrea team came out on top, as Peterswell were missing their more experienced players due to an age restriction. The next team we played was our neighbouring friendly rivals Kilchreest. This time it was a very tight game but they had their full team and proceeded to win the game. We were knocked out of the 2007 Mini Sevens. Kilchreest decided to have a challange game for the subs. The team that played the first two matches marched in to the club house for tea and biscuits. A special thanks to our manager Mrs O'Donnell and our trainer and selector Peter Caulfield. We are all looking foward to the championship and hope we do well. The team was David Massey, Jonathan Dooley, John Massey,Joseph Caulfield, Brendan Farrell, Gary Finn and Mark Caulfield.Subs Colin Devine, Dara Fitzgearld, Robert Crosbie, Cathal Connors, Donacha Gutteridge, Peter Fitzgearld, Over age Players David Sherry,Ronan Devine, Niall Connors,Ross Caswell and John Coen.
By Ronan Devine, John Coen and Joseph Caulfield.

Rocket Workshop...........November 2007

It was dry day,but it was blustery,perfect for launching rockets!In accordance with science week,a man named Robert from the Armagh Planetarium came to teach us all about space and rockets.At the end he asked us questions about what we learned.After that we went to build our own rockets!We split up into pairs of two's and we began to construct our rockets.Of course they were only models, but all the same we loved it!Robert explained how to build the rockets, step by step and promised that we could launch them afterwards.We examined each and every one of the rockets and saw all of the different designs.As soon as we had looked at our rockets,we charged outside to launch them.He had brought a machine with him:it had a foot pump and two buttons.First he put the rocket in a little socket and then he pumped air into it.The pair who had made the rocket held the remote.We had a countdown,on the count of five one button was pressed and at zero the other button was pressed.Blast off!We admired the rockets blasting off into the sky,some of them even got stuck on the schools roof!We really enjoyed the day,we learned some really interesting facts about space and we even got to build our own rockets,It was a fantastic day and I will never forget it!
By Carol Santos,Áine O'Donnell and Joseph Mahon

COOLE PARK !!!!!! November 2007

We made our way to Coole Park on Eamonn's bus. We arrived at Coole Heritage Centre, on a dry cool day at 10:30am.First, we watched a short audio-visual about Lady Gegory and Coole Park. After that, we watched another audio-visual about "Bats".Shortly after that, we made our way upstairs to the nursery, where we searched for thimbles and watched an audio-visual about G.B.S. Anne and Catherine. We learned that G.B.S. cheated in the game of "Hide the Thimbles".After that, we entered the Libary where we examined pictures of famous writers.Lastily, we walked into the Study where we studied an "Autograph Fan".Soon after, we examined how the turlough works.Finally,we listened to the names of the different species of birds who lived in the woods at Coole.
Next we munched our way hungrily through our lunch. Soon after,we wandered out to the deer.One had a fawn only a week before.At the Turlough, we stopped at the public toilets to make "Bat" sounds.Next we made our way down to the Turlough.We noticed that some animals had left prints in the mud. We also noticed that the turlough had dried up. On our way back we stopped at the Autograph Tree and the Sun Dial where Brendan stood in the middle and his shadow told the time.All off Third,Fifth and Sixth enjoyed the trip and everyone learned a lot more about Coole.

FOOD DUDES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Food Dudes is a programme developed by Food and Activity Research Unit at Bangor University Wales.It was setup to encourage children to eat more fruit and veg,both at school and at home.
There are two main phases to the programme:
Phase 1 is an intensive intervension which lasts for 16 days.During this time
we were given fruit and veg, while the teacher is read a letter or specialy designed DVD's of the Food Dudes.These superheros on the DVD's that we were given saved the lifeforce from a gang of badies,whose objective is to take all the energy from the world,by depriving it of nutritious fruit and veg.Each day we were rewarded with small prizes for sucessfully eating a portion of fruit and veg.This phase is primarily school based although we kept a diary of fruit and veg which we ate at home.
Phase2 extends the home element of the Food Dudes programme by encouraging us to bring our own fruit and veg to school everyday in special Food Dudes lunch boxes.Classroom wall charts are used to record progress and further rewards upon reaching goals.This phase maintains fruit and veg intake by up to 50% of the classroom bring in fruit and veg everyday.We really enjoyed the "Food Dudes" We think it was a great sucess!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
By Amy Caulfield and Jonathan Dooley

South Galway Pony Club

The pony club has two groups. The first group is the Junior group and the Senior group is more advanced .The Robbie Bailey is when pony's compete against each other. To see who can jump the highest. The instructor is Gillian. She is an excellent teacher. There are around 20 pupils the pony club.

OUR PROJECT ON PETERSWELL

CAPPARD HOUSE

Cappard House was the ancestral home for generations of the Galbraith family who came to Ireland from Stirlingshire in Scotland in the seventeenth century with William III (otherwise known as William of Orange). They were granted lands in Cappard and the surrounding areas which was originally O’Fahy property and the estate comprised a total of 4,636 acres by 1878.
Cappard Demesne is the actual name of the townland and this is derived from the fact that the farm or parkland around the ‘Big House’ was called the demesne and farmed or used directly by the family in the house. The reasoning is that the views from all of the windows of the house would have a ‘vista’ or view unimpeded by tenants miserable holdings and dwellings or so that no unpleasantness like evictions would occur in the locality of the house.
The house is no longer exists but the Gate Lodge is still the home of John & Margaret Kelleher and their ancestors were gatekeepers to his estate. You will note that the gate lodge is on the opposite side of the road to the entrance and this was the case in the most impressive estates to show that they owned lands on both sides of the road.