Last term, we were very lucky to have some of the Mums /Dads come into school and tell us about their work!

Siun s Mum, Fionnuala, told us all about going to the dentist! She talked about looking after our teeth and eating “healthy food”! She even brought in a giant toothbrush and all had a turn to brush their teeth. Best of all, everyone got a brand-new toothbrush and toothpaste!

Aoife s Mum,Caroline, also came into the afternoon class to talk about caring for our teeth. She had lovely charts and much fun was had in deciding on food with sugars and no sugars. Best of all, each child got a timer so that they could time the brushing of their teeth before bed!

Olivia s Dad, Alan, is a diver and he brought his laptop in to show us pictures of the rig he dives from and his diving gear. The children were fascinated by the fish under the water especially the giant ray and the sharks! It was lovely to hear him speak about the world under the water which we have never visited

Art s Dad, John, is an architect and the children had such fun as he came armed with blank paper and pens and drew the house the children designed! And then John created a house for each child out of paper which they proudly took home.

We had such fun when Michelle, Julian s Mum came in as she set up a Good 4 U kitchen. The children tasted seeds and dates, learned where they came from, and then donned caps and aprons and set about rolling and making their very own super bites! They were indeed very lucky children going home with delicious Super bites, their very own creations!

Noah s, Mum, and Anna visited too and brought in her sewing machine. Anna helped everyone to make a little bag and then write their name using the machine, It was fabulous as each child had a turn at using the machine.It was also a great lesson in telling children where things come from and sharing a skill that has sadly been lost to many.

Hopefully, parents will continue to visit and share with us. The children are so proud when their Mum or Dad visit!

We have a few vacancies in the ECCE afternoon class (1 pm-4 pm) for September 2023/24.

Phone:0861036207 or email marydorman@gmail.com

It was a good term. We had some great times. Noah, Art, Otis, Julian, Luke, Fia, and Hannah Mai returned as helpers in the morning class, and Sam, Hugh, Alex, and Siun joined the class. Then in the afternoon, Olivia, Cruz, Willow, and Alfie returned as helpers, and Aoife, Ella, Alex, and Izaiah joined the class! The children settled back into school and older children helped the new children settle and have fun.

We enjoyed an Indian summer for much of September and spent lots of time in the garden and orchard. We picked damsons and apples, made jam, and planted bulbs. Alfie’s dad built a new den in the orchard so another little place for fun. We picked vegetables and found and observed little creatures doing their work. Otis is particularly interested in all the tiny creatures living under stones and logs!

In October we visited Eagles Flying and it was lovely that Mums and Dads came too. It was exciting to see these birds of prey and a fun day was had by all. This led to our Birds of Prey projects and each child chose a bird for his project.

Sometimes older siblings help with the project and it’s so nice to have their input too. It is really lovely to see these little children stand up and deliver their projects and then answer questions from a very interested audience!

In November,Trisha , from the Forest school paid a couple of visits and we made huts and fairy houses in the orchard with her. We were very honored to have Dr Aga, the soil expert, come and do a workshop “Mud is not Dirt”. We were joined for this workshop by Miss Rachels School and even though it was wet and windy, we enjoyed examing the tiny creatures found in mud as well as having our minds and eyes opened to the world beneath our feet.

December has been busy. As always the children are entranced by the story of the Nativity and the 1st Christmas. I am always moved by how much they love this story!

Miss Rebecca has been making wonderful crafts with the children and the school is full of fun and laughter as we sing and practice our Nativity Play It’s been brilliant having Vanessa directing the play and adding some lovely songs. The parents are in for a very special concert this year!!

And it has been so cold and frosty, a winter wonderland outside. The `little birds are so hungry and the children are getting to know all the garden birds as they watch them on the feeders. We will do garden bird projects next term. Santa robin is visiting all the time and keeping a watchful eye on everyone!!

Going back to school in September after a long break is always rather daunting but this year was very different!! We were still in the midst of corona virus pandemic!! So it was going to be a very different return to school.

However, I worked over the Summer holidays trying to adapt my school to this new world we were facing. I decided to embrace the idea of an “outdoor school” using the outside environment to my advantage. As teaching through nature, using the Montessori Method, has been my way of teaching young children for many years, the idea of spending as much time as possible outside was really exciting. I consulted my daughter who, luckily for me, is an architect and she came up with a perfect design for an outdoor sheltered area extending from the school room. This area serves many functions. Children arrive wash their hands in the outdoor sink. Each child has a space under a long bench where they keep their box with slippers, wellies and overalls! After greeting me, they can then play here, in the garden or go inside to “work”. We have been able, even now in December, to have circle and sharing times in this area. Children can also bring their work out here if they wish. We have the bird feeders hanging outside and robin and wagtail come right in to the door. Robin, of coarse, is Santa’s messenger and is watching the children sending daily updates to the North Pole so all are on best behaviour.

This new area is a truly wonderful addition and has added a whole new dimension to the school life. We had a lovely Autumn this year. We picked damsons in early September and made jam! The children played in the orchard ,climbed apple trees, swung in the hammock, made huts and ran in the field! We had picnics, picked apples and pears, watched the leaves fall, found slugs, snails and caterpillars( Emily and Finns favourite animal)!

In October the children did their first project…Irish Animals, each choosing their favourite! Then each child presented their project to the class. Each project was wonderful and we all learned so much by listening to each other.

Novembers project was “Birds of Prey”! We have learned a huge amount about all types of owls, buzzards, eagles and hawks! The children take such pride in their project work which are displayed on the school walls and have also gained great confidence.

And so we are nearing the end of this first term in a very different time. It was a great term. We had fun. The children played and worked and made new friends. Autumn merged into Winter and being outside so much allowed the children to truly experience and see nature as it is.

Today we spent the afternoon outside. Finn wanted to check a pea he found in the raised bed in October. He had planted it in a pot in the greenhouse and had been delighted to see it germinate(out of season) ! Yes, it was healthy and doing well so Finn was very happy. We dug up sprouts and parsnips and broccoli and chatted about the goodness of vegetables! There is never a dull moment amongst these little children! Each day brings new challenges and surprises and in these strange times, I feel very blessed to be part of their world.

The children have settled back into the routine of school again after the excitement of Christmas and Santa has waned!We had put up the bird feeders in November and the much loved and much used “garden bird cards” have become so familiar that the children have no problem identifying all the little birds who visit our feeders! Early in December each child picked a bird for their projects. There has been great excitement as the beautiful projects have arrived in and it is so nice to see the confidence of these little people grow as they tell us about “their bird”! And as the hungry little birds are always on the feeders, they continually hold the attention of the children who see them as part of our classroom! I, too, am learning all the time with the snippets of information I glean from the projects!

Autumn is spider season! And we love spiders! Early mornings in the garden last week opened up a whole new world as we watched a spider spin a web! He was a tiny spider and hung from a very fine gossamer thread and the children watched totally enthralled as he moved back and forth spinning the web! Magical !We used the magnifying glass to see the tiny flies he had caught for his dinner. Later in the day,Emily found a spider on the grass and when I picked him up he fell from my finger but spun a thread to hang on to me! Very gently the children passed him around absolutely fascinated by the way he hung from the thread!Little children love all little creatures and when we show respect for them,they do too!By observing and watching the tiny creatures that share our world, the children can see that every creature plays a part !Worms have always been loved by the children in the school and they have discovered different places in the garden where worms are abundant! I have explained that worms are very important for recycling and making our soil healthy and good for the plants to grow. Maybe next week we will make a wormery again!