🎨 Junior Infants Explore the Magic of Colour! 🌈

This week, our Junior Infants have been busy discovering the wonderful world of colour! We’ve been learning all about the colour spectrum, and the children can now proudly name the primary colours — red, blue, and yellow. They were amazed to discover that these three colours are the building blocks for creating so many others!

Today, things got even more exciting as we rolled up our sleeves for some colour mixing fun. Using paint, the children experimented with combining two primary colours at a time — and their eyes lit up as they watched secondary colours magically appear!

🟥 + 🟨 = 🟧 “Wow, orange!”
🟨 + 🟦 = 🟩 “It’s turning green!”
🟦 + 🟥 = 🟪 “Look, we made purple!”

There were gasps, giggles, and lots of happy hands-on learning as the children became little colour scientists—predicting, testing, and discovering new colours!

Once the mixing was done, it was time to become artists. Using their newly mixed colours, the children created their very own painting masterpieces. From colourful rainbows and swirling patterns to imaginative creatures and abstract splashes, each piece was unique and bursting with creativity.

The classroom was filled with excitement, bright colours, and proud smiles as our budding artists showed off their work.

🎨 Learning + Creativity = Colourful Fun! 🌈

We are so proud of our Junior Infants for their enthusiasm, curiosity, and creativity. Stay tuned — there are plenty more colourful adventures to come!

🌲 6th Class Outdoor Adventure at Avondale Forest Park 🌲

Today, 6th Class swapped textbooks for trees and classrooms for crisp autumn air as we set off on an unforgettable outdoor learning adventure to Avondale Forest Park! From the moment we arrived, the excitement was buzzing through the group—nature was officially our teacher for the day.

The highlight of the day was our team-building challenges deep in the forest. In small groups, we used branches, leaves, and natural materials to build dens, testing our creativity, engineering skills, and teamwork. We discussed ideas, made plans, and worked together to design shelters strong enough to protect us from the elements—just like real forest survival experts!

Next, things got even more exciting with a strategic outdoor game called Protect the Flag. Teams had to think cleverly, plan carefully, and work together to defend their flags while trying to capture their opponents’. It was a brilliant blend of strategy, problem-solving, communication, and lots of running and laughing! Watching everyone encourage each other and collaborate was truly inspiring.

We also had a fun outdoor picnic (treats taste better outside!) and had time to relax, chat, and enjoy the peaceful beauty of nature around us.

Today wasn't just about learning—it was about exploring, experiencing, and connecting with nature. We left Avondale with muddy boots, big smiles, and lots of new knowledge about the forest and its amazing role in our world.

What an adventure! 🌿✨ Thanks so much to Ms Smith for all her organising for todays adventure, and for all the treats!
We can't wait for our next outdoor learning journey!

Trailblazers in Avondale!

Our Amazing Trail Run Adventure 🏃‍♂️🌲🏃‍♀️

What an incredible day we had at our Trail Run in Avondale! 19 pupils from 3rd to 6th Class proudly represented our school and took part in this much-loved event — a celebration of fitness, determination, and fun in the great outdoors.

The atmosphere was electric as children from many schools gathered together, cheering one another on in the spirit of inclusiveness and teamwork. The scenic forest trail, stretching approximately 2.5 to 3 kilometres, provided the perfect setting for an exciting challenge — full of muddy paths, crunchy leaves, and lots of smiling faces!

All our runners showed fantastic resilience and enthusiasm as they made their way through the trail. It was wonderful to see our pupils supporting each other, pacing themselves, and proudly crossing the finish line.

🏅 Every participant earned a Bronze “Trail Run” medal for completing the course.

And a huge congratulations to Louisa for achieving a gold medal for finishing in 1st place in her category in the event and also to Caleb and Hunter for being awarded a silver medal for finishing in the top 10 in their categories!

A brilliant celebration of effort, perseverance, and achievement!

Despite the chilly and unpredictable weather, our runners arrived well-prepared with warm gear and a change of shoes — and they embraced the adventure with great spirit. Sometimes a bit of mud and drizzle makes the memories even better!

We are so proud of all our trailblazing pupils who took part today. You represented the school beautifully with your energy, encouragement, and determination. Well done, everyone — you truly went the distance!

3rd Class Celebrate Science Week With Mind-Blowing Experiments!

Science Week in 3rd Class has been full of surprises, curiosity, and plenty of “Wow!” moments. The students rolled up their sleeves, put on their scientist hats, and got hands-on with experiments that challenged what they thought they knew about the world around them. From bending the rules of gravity and materials to discovering the power of air pressure, our young scientists investigated, questioned, predicted, and tested like true professionals.

Here’s a look at two of the amazing experiments that had everyone talking…

Experiment 1: Pencils Through a Bag of Water!

First, we filled a strong plastic bag with water. Then we tried something that sounded impossible…

We pushed sharp pencils straight through the bag, and guess what?

The water didn’t leak out!

What We Saw

• The pencils went in one side and out the other.

• No dripping!

• The bag stayed sealed the entire time.

Why Did This Happen?

Plastic bags are made of a material called polymer.
Polymers are long, stretchy chains that can move around slightly and stretch around the pencil.

When the pencil pushes through the bag:

1. The plastic stretches instead of tearing.

2. The polymer chains slide around the pencil, making a tight seal.

3. This seal stops the water from leaking.

What We Learned

• Materials behave in different ways.

• Some materials (like polymer plastic) can stretch and seal.

• Water stays inside because there is no hole left open for it to escape.

Experiment 2: Walking on Air (The Balloon Table Test!)

Next, we flipped a table upside-down and slid lots of balloons underneath it.
Then, carefully, the students stood on top of the table.

And something amazing happened…

The balloons didn’t pop!

What We Saw

The table was lifted and supported by the balloons.Some children were very brave and tried standing on the table themselves. Sometimes a balloon or two did pop, and sometimes they didn’t.We discovered that the experiment worked much better when all the balloons were about the same size and when the child spread their weight out evenly across the table.

Why Did This Happen?

It’s all about air pressure and spreading the force.

Here’s how it works:

1. Each balloon is filled with air.
   Air pushes outwards in all directions—this is air pressure.

2. When many balloons are placed under the table, the weight of the children is shared between all the balloons.

3. Because the weight is spread out, no single balloon gets too much pressure, so they don’t burst.

What We Learned

• Air takes up space and pushes back (air pressure).

• Forces can be balanced when spread out.

• Lots of balloons together can hold a surprising amount of weight!

First Class Explore the World of Dinosaurs Through STEAM!

What an action-packed week it has been in First Class! As part of our dinosaur topic, the children have been diving into hands-on STEAM activities that brought science, creativity and plenty of excitement into the classroom.

To kick off the week, the class became mini-palaeontologists and engineers as they used wooden puzzle pieces to design and construct their very own dinosaurs. From towering T-Rexes to long-necked sauropods, every creation showed wonderful imagination and problem-solving skills. The children were so proud of their prehistoric masterpieces—make sure to check them out!

Next, things got chilly as the class investigated frozen blocks with tiny dinosaurs trapped inside. The children explored what would help melt the ice fastest, testing everyday materials such as salt and warm water. There was great teamwork and lots of scientific discussion as they made predictions and observed the results. The excitement was real as each dinosaur finally emerged from the ice!

To finish off the week with a bang (literally!), First Class made paper mache volcanos and through experimenting with chemical reactions they turned them into their own erupting volcanoes. With vinegar, baking soda, and plenty of amazement, the children watched their volcanoes bubble, fizz and explode with dramatic effect. The classroom was filled with awe as the children discovered how science can bring learning to life.

It has truly been a fantastic week of curiosity, discovery and prehistoric fun in First Class. We can’t wait to see what adventures next week brings!

Science Week Fun - 6th Class make ice cream in a bag!

Science week got off to a tasty start in 6th class. It was cold, messy, and a lot of fun. We learned about freezing, states of matter, and how salt can lower the freezing point of ice — and the best part was, we got to eat our experiment at the end!

What We Needed:

• 1 small resealable bag

• 1 large resealable bag

• 1 cup of milk

• 1 cup of cream

• 1 tablespoon of sugar

• 1 teaspoon of vanilla essence

• Ice cubes

• 4 tablespoons of salt (rock salt or table salt) - we used both!

What We Did:

1. We poured the milk, sugar, and vanilla into the small bag and sealed it tightly.

2. Then we filled the big bag halfway with ice and added the salt.

3. We placed the small bag inside the big one and sealed it up.

4. After that, we shook it really hard for about 5 minutes — our hands got so cold!

5. When we opened the bags, the liquid had turned into delicious, creamy ice cream

What We LEARNED:

We discovered that when salt is added to ice, it makes the ice melt more slowly and lowers its freezing point. That means the ice can get even colder than 0°C, which helps the milk mixture freeze into ice cream!
It was a perfect way to see science in action — and to have a tasty treat afterwards.

Shining a Light on Science Week in Junior Infants! 💡🔭

Junior Infants have had a brilliant time celebrating Science Week by exploring the fascinating topic of light! As part of our ongoing theme on space, the children have been busy learning all about where light comes from and how it travels.

Together, we discovered different sources of light — from the sun and stars to torches and lamps — and talked about why light is so important in our world. The classroom was full of excitement as our young scientists got hands-on with their investigations, using torches to find out whether different objects were transparent or opaque.

We also explored the magical world of shadows. The children learned how shadows are formed when an object blocks light, why they appear on the opposite side of the light source, and how we can make them bigger or smaller just by moving the object closer or farther from the torch. There were lots of giggles and gasps as the children experimented with shadow animals on the wall! They even investigated what happens when light shines through coloured transparent objects, discovering that the light changes colour as it passes through — a real highlight of the week!

There were lots of curious questions, clever predictions, and plenty of “wow” moments as the children experimented and shared their discoveries. It was wonderful to see them working like real scientists — observing, testing, and talking about what they found.

The Junior Infants did a fantastic job showing their curiosity, teamwork, and enthusiasm for learning. Science Week truly shone bright in our classroom this year — well done, everyone! 🌟

Getting Our School Garden Spring-Ready! 🌱🌼

There’s a real buzz around our school as every class rolls up their sleeves to help get the school garden ready for spring! Over the coming weeks, pupils from all year groups will be taking responsibility for their own patch of the garden — digging, tidying, and planting bulbs that will soon bring a burst of colour to our outdoor space.

In preparation, the children have been busy learning all about bulbs — what they are, how they grow, and the best way to plant them. From discovering that bulbs store their own food to finding out how roots and shoots develop underground, the pupils have become real gardening experts!

We have a beautiful selection of bulbs ready to go into the soil, including daffodils, tulips, irises, muscari, and more. With everyone’s hard work, our garden will be bursting with vibrant colour from January right through to springtime.

Our Junior Infants have already been hard at work in their lawn area, carefully planting groups of snowdrops and muscari. These little flowers will gradually spread over the years — creating a magical blanket of snowdrops in January, followed by a sea of muscari from February through March. What a wonderful start to our garden transformation!

It’s fantastic to see such teamwork and enthusiasm from all the children as they learn about planting, growth, and caring for the environment. We can’t wait to watch our garden come to life — a true celebration of nature, colour, and community spirit!

First and Second Class Shine at Hurling and Camogie Blitz!

Our First and Second Class pupils had an amazing time taking part in a recent Hurling and Camogie Blitz at Bray Emmets GAA Club! The event was a fantastic opportunity for the children to develop new skills, work as part of a team, and experience the excitement of playing matches in a fun and supportive setting.

The teams were mixed in both ability and gender, which made for some brilliant teamwork, great encouragement, and plenty of laughs along the way. For many children, this was their very first introduction to hurling or camogie — and they took to it with great enthusiasm!

From learning how to hold a hurl to practicing their striking and teamwork, the pupils showed amazing effort and sportsmanship throughout the day. It was wonderful to see their confidence grow with every game, and their smiles said it all — they had a fantastic time!

A big thank you to everyone who helped make the day such a success — from teachers and parents who supported the event, to those who loaned equipment and encouraged the children to give it a go. It was a great day of fun, learning, and school spirit!

We’re so proud of all our young players and can’t wait to see their hurling and camogie skills continue to develop in the months ahead.

Team Hope Shoe Box Appeal 2025

We are excited to share that our school is once again taking part in the annual Christmas Shoebox Appeal with Team Hope! This wonderful campaign delivers specially packed shoeboxes filled with gifts straight into the hands of children affected by poverty, and often these boxes are the only gift that some children receive at Christmas. Team Hope

This year, thanks to the generosity and enthusiasm of our whole school community, we have sent 64 shoeboxes! What a fantastic achievement.

Each of these boxes is packed with joy, hope and kindness — because it’s not just about the gift inside, but the message it sends: someone cares, someone is thinking of you, and you matter. The Shoebox Appeal page reminds us that through this campaign “over 2.8 million shoebox gifts” have been delivered since 2010. Team Hope

We are so proud of the effort our students, staff and families put in to make this happen:

• Choosing and packing thoughtful items for the children who will receive the boxes.

• Bringing the donations in on time and working together to prepare everything for sending.

• Embracing the spirit of generosity and kindness – values we hold dear at our school.

It’s moments like this that highlight the strength of our school community and the difference each of us can make when we come together. A big THANK YOU to everyone who took part and helped us reach this wonderful total of 64 shoeboxes.

We will be watching with excitement as the boxes make their journey to children who will open them with huge smiles, thanks to our contribution. We hope this inspires our students to keep thinking of others, to keep caring, and to keep acting in kindness.

Let’s celebrate this success, and get excited for what we can achieve together next year too!

Halloween Bake Off

🧁🎃 Spooktacular Halloween Baking Competition 👻🍪

Our Halloween celebrations continued with a frightfully fantastic Baking Competition that had the whole school talking! The staffroom was filled with the delicious smell of freshly baked treats, and the tables were lined with an incredible display of spooky creations.

From creepy cupcakes and ghoulish biscuits to monster cakes and pumpkin pies, the imagination and effort that went into each bake was simply amazing. There were cobwebs spun from icing, ghosts made of marshmallows, and even cakes that looked far too scary to eat!

The judges had the very tricky task of choosing winners – every bake was a masterpiece in its own way, and the standard was higher than ever this year. After lots of tasting (and maybe a second helping or two!), the results were finally decided…

🥇 1st Place: Sasha, 1st class
🥈 2nd Place: Alice, 5th Class
🥉 3rd Place: Hayes, Senior Infants

A huge congratulations to our winners, and well done to everyone who entered – your creativity and baking skills made this competition truly spooktacular. It was impossible not to be impressed (and very, very full!).

We hope you enjoy sampling all the tasty treats at tonight’s Halloween Disco! can’t wait to see what hauntingly tasty creations appear in next year’s competition!

Halloween 2025

🎃 Halloween Dress-Up Day Brings Spooktacular Fun to School! 👻

This year’s Halloween Dress-Up Day was one to remember! From the moment the doors opened, the corridors were alive with colour, laughter, and plenty of spooky surprises. Pupils and staff alike went all out, donning an incredible variety of costumes that made the day truly magical.

We saw everything from bouncing footballs to a rather convincing Mr Bean, sparkling princesses to terrifying vampires – and just about everything in between! The creativity and imagination on display was amazing, with costumes ranging from hilarious to hair-raising.

Throughout the day, the atmosphere was buzzing. Lessons were filled with fun, and break times turned into mini catwalks as everyone showed off their fantastic outfits. Teachers joined in the fun too, proving that dressing up isn’t just for the children!

The day was about more than costumes, though – it was about celebrating together as a school community. Smiles, giggles, and a few playful scares were shared all around, creating memories that will last long after the pumpkins have gone.

A huge thank you to everyone who took part and made Halloween Dress-Up Day such a brilliant success. We can’t wait to see what creative ideas appear next year!

The Student Staple

📰✨ The Student Staple Hits the Shelves! ✨📰

Today marked an exciting milestone at our school – the very first issue of our brand-new student newsletter, The Student Staple, went on sale!

Created and published entirely by our talented 6th Class students, the newsletter is packed with brilliant content. Inside, readers can find all the latest school news, the ever-stylish Nun’s Cross fashion section, mind-bending puzzles, exciting competitions, and so much more. There truly is something for everyone!

The buzz around the school was electric as copies were snapped up, with pupils eager to dive into the stories and challenges inside. It’s clear that a huge amount of effort, creativity, and teamwork went into bringing The Student Staple to life.

A massive well done to all of our young reporters, publishers, designers, and researchers who have been working tirelessly over the last few weeks. Your hard work has paid off – the first edition is a huge success, and we can’t wait to see what you’ll create for the next issue!

Open Cross Country Races in Avondale

On Tuesday, 21st October, a group of 40 of our students took part in the Open Cross Country Races in Avondale. The event brought together young athletes from 3rd to 6th Class, with each competitor running a challenging 1km course.

The races were organised by class and gender, giving every child the opportunity to experience the excitement of competitive running in a supportive and encouraging environment.

A huge congratulations to Louisa and Noah, who ran a fantastic race and secured first place in their category! We are so proud of their achievement.

We also want to say a big well done to all of our pupils who took part. Each runner showed determination, effort, and school spirit—qualities that matter just as much as finishing positions. It was wonderful to see our students challenge themselves and cheer each other on throughout the day.

Thank you to the organisers of the event and to the parents and teachers who supported the children. Days like this remind us of the importance of sport in helping students build resilience, confidence, and teamwork.

Autumn Adventures in Junior Infants

Autumn Adventures in Junior Infants 🍂

Junior Infants have been very busy exploring the magic of autumn! We started with an exciting nature hunt in our school garden, where the children spotted so many signs of autumn – colourful leaves, berries, and even clues about animals getting ready for the colder months.

We’ve been learning all about autumn leaves – discovering why some trees lose their leaves while others stay green all year round. The children also found out about hibernation and the animals that curl up for a long winter’s sleep, and why they need to do it to survive the chilly season. 🦔🐿️🐻

Of course, our learning didn’t stop there! We brought autumn into the classroom through art, experimenting with autumn colours and even using leaves from our school garden to make our very own leaf hedgehogs. Each one is as unique and creative as the children themselves.

It’s been a colourful, creative, and exciting season of learning in Junior Infants!

Building Winter Homes in First Class

First Class have been busy putting their creativity and problem-solving skills to the test by designing and building special homes for animals to hibernate in. ❄️🐿️🦔

We began by planning carefully – deciding which animal our home would be for and what features it would need. Next, we headed outside to gather natural materials, thinking about how animals in the wild use their environment to stay safe. Finally, it was time for the big test: making sure our houses were waterproof and winter-ready!

The children loved seeing their ideas come to life, while learning how important shelter is for animals during the colder months.

Hedgehog Adventures in First Class!

In First Class, we’ve been busy exploring the wonderful world of hedgehogs! 🦔

The children worked hard on their very own hedgehog reports, learning fascinating facts about these spiky little creatures. During play time, imaginations ran wild as the children designed and built cosy hedgehog habitats, thinking carefully about what a hedgehog might need to stay safe and warm. To top it all off, we rolled up our sleeves and got creative with clay, shaping and decorating our very own clay hedgehogs – each one as unique as its creator!

It’s been a spiky, snuffly, and super-fun learning adventure in First Class!

Tag Rugby in Wicklow with 6th class

6th class thoroughly enjoyed participating in a tag rugby blitz which was hosted at Wicklow Rugby Club last week. The team demonstrated great energy and team spirit and won all their matches on the day. We would like to say a huge thank you to Aidan, our rugby coach, for organising and also for all the fun he brings to our school each Monday.

Bricfeasta le Naíonáin Shinsearacha

Last week our Senior Infants had Bricfeasta le chéile to celebrate the great learning they had been doing in Irish. The class had been learning all about food and were so lucky to share bricfeasta on Friday. The menu included sú oráiste, tósta, gránach, bainne, im agus rudaí eile. We are so proud of all the learning taking place each day.

Celebrating National Tree Week in Kilmacurragh

Second Class celebrated National Tree Day in Kilmacurragh. They were very lucky to engage in the budding botanist experience where they learned how to take a botany sample, how to identify if accurately, their sample’s Latin name and common name and how to record this. It was lots of fun!