Piggley's Adventure in Washington: Sunday 27th of June 2009

Today was a very exciting day for me! Guess where I visited!! That's it- the White House! For more than 200 years, the White House has been more than just the home of the Presidents and their families. Throughout the world, it is recognized as the symbol of the President, of the President's administration, and of the United States. Learn more about the White House at this address; http://www.whitehouse.gov/


All the teachers were excited to see the White House; Andrew Douch, Australia, Nathan Kerr, New Zealand, Mariella Paz, El Salvador, Dan Roberts, England, Ms. O' Connell and myself and Ronald Ddungu, Uganda.


I met a squirrel outside the White House. It is an American Red Squirrel. They eat the seeds of pine cones and are as known Pine Squirrels and Chickarees.


When Barack Obama heard that myself and Ms. O' Connell were in town he had to come and meet us! What an honour! We told him all about your great work on aviation. He was so impressed!


Here are all teachers who are Microsoft Innovative Teacher Winners this year.

Here we are at a poster session where we talked about the project. We talked to so many interesting teachers, educators and innovators.

I met a lovely girl called Sarah. She has a teddy near called Civil War Sallie. She has set up a blog about her teddy and she helps her to learn about the American Civil War. Click on to http://civilwarsallie.wikispaces.com/ to find out more.

Here i am with Ms. O Connell at the ISTE President's Reception. Look at the ice sculpture behind me!

Did you know that there was a big fight in Washington in the 1840s and it was callled the 'Pig Wars'? My ancestors must not have been as peace loving as me!!!

I'll write some more tomorrow! Thanks so much for the last emails! keep it up!
Piggley.
Oink oink!

Piggley's Adventure in Washington: Saturday 26th of June 2009

Hello everyone!


Well, I had such an interesting day today. Myself and Ms. O Connell were up early and left the hotel at 8.30am for the Microsoft Reston Campus. We had a lovely breakfast with all of our friends from Hong Kong. Here you can see me sitting up at the desk enjoying a juice.



It was hot today but the forecast for tomorrow is for it to be even hotter. It will be mostly sunny in the morning...then mostly cloudy with a slight chance of showers in the afternoon. Highs in the lower 80s.(F) Northwest winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 20 percent.
I don't understand the Farenheit temperature. Could someone please tell me what 80 degrees Farenheit is in Celcius? Thanks!!

After breakfast we all went to a meeting room upstairs where we spoke to Les Foltos, who works with the Puget Sound Centre. He helps teachers to peer coach; that is teachers are aided to teach teachers. Les met me in Hong Kong and he was very impressed with all that the Kilvemnon students are working on. Ms. O' Connell told me that he really likes my jumper! Here you can see me giving my thoughts on the subject of collaboration.



We know all about collaboration in Kilvemnon. Collaboration basically means working together and I know that all of you love being part of the Kilvemnon team that help each other in school. You have also collaborated when we work with other schools on different projects. Remember how you worked so hard to help Volkschule Uttendorf, Shoscombe Primary in Bath and Gurranaesig in Cork to learn about the area of Mullinahone? They also hepled us and we learned their own songs, dances, poetry and the history of their areas. Now that's what I call collaboration!! Click here to learn more about our project.

Here you can see some of our friends working on a 'silent chat' about collaboration. Remember this is where you create a mind map of your ideas as a group but you cannot talk.


These are the ideas our group came up with.


The second group had very similar ideas on what makes collaboration work. I like the colour in this one!!




On my way out I spotted this in the hall. I had to take a picture for all you wrestling fans in Kilvemnon. It is the WWE wrestling belt. You'll have to explain the difference between WWE and WWF to myself and Ms. O' Connell when we get home. I know that Lynx and Smiley will know the answer to that one!!



We went to Paolo's Ristorante in Market Street in Reston. Here we are preparing to eat. I had a salad and Ms. O' Connell went for a fish dish. We will in bed early tonight as we are leaving the hotel at 7.30am tomorrow!!

We will travel to the NECC Conference. Click here to to learn more about it. From 7.00pm tp 9.00pm tomorrow evening myself and Ms. O' Connell will talk about 'Flying High: Exploring Aviation',your project from last year. We have to set up our posters for this session. We can't wait to tell everyone about all of your good work and also to learn new ideas for the classroom from other teachers and educators.

Goodnight from Piggley!!

Piggley's Adventure in Washington: Friday the 26th of June 2009

Hello boys and girls, I'm off on my travels again!

This time Microsoft have invited me out to Washington to take part in the NECC (The National Education and Computing Conference.)

I left Dublin with Ms. O' Connell at 12.30pm on Friday the 26th of June on Aer Lingus Flight EI119. We flew in an Airbus A330 called the St. Colmcille.


Here you can see me on the plane relaxing and listening to music.



Ms. O' Connell lent me her sunglasses so I could get some shut eye.



We arrived in Washington at 3.30pm (local time). Who knows what the time difference is between Ireland and Washington?

We are staying at the Sheraton Reston which is on 11810 Sunrise Valley Drive, Reston. That's in the state of Virginia.
Here you can see me taking a well earned break after my long flight!





We met all of the other teachers that won at the Microsoft Innovative Teachers Forum in Hong Kong. They were all asking for you in Kilvemnon.

I went to bed early last night as we have an early start in the morning . We are visitng the local Microsoft offices at 8.30am on Saturday morning. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone there.



Stay tuned for more updates and don't forget to email me!!
Oink!
Piggley.

Congratulations 6th Class

Congratulations to 6th class who graduated from Scoil Mhuire Kilvemnon on the 24th of June this year. They can be proud of their achievements in Scoil Mhuire as leaders within the school. Each and every one of them led by example during their time in Kilvemnon.

Principal Múinteoir Barbara, Ms. O' Connell, Mrs. Hayes, Liz, Evita, Mary and Sarah all wish them the best for the future.

Fr. McGrath led the celebrations with a Mass of Graduation in the school. afterwards refreshments were served in Mrs. Hayes' room.

Everyone agreed that it was a fun send off for this years 6th class.

The seeds of today are the flowers of tomorrow.

Go n-éirí an t-adh libh go léir!

Historical Tour of Carraigmoclear

Today we went to the top of Carraigmoclear with Mr. Rickie Sheehan to learn about the Rebellion that happened there in 1798.
We were joined by some of our parents and two of the new Junior Infants for next year came with us too. We really enjoyed the trip!
Thank you Mr. Sheehan.


Learning about the Cross on top of Carraigmoclear


C'mon Piggley!


Learning lots!!


Hello there!


Starting the trip!!

The Birth of the Monkey King Film 2009

Director and Camera Man work with the Old Monkey


Getting ready to film


Chinese Opera Face Paint

What's that coming from the Rock?

Old Monkey gets his face on!

Monkeys everywhere!

Learning the ropes

Monkey Magic!

The National Anthem: Link to Canada and South Africa

Click on the Player to hear our National anthem.

Amhrán na bhFiann" in Irish or "The Soldier's Song" in English is the national anthem of Ireland.

The music was composed by Peadar Kearney and Patrick Heeney, and the original English lyrics were authored (as "A Soldier's Song") by Kearney.

It is usually sung in the Irish language, translation made by Liam Ó Rinn.

The song has three verses, but the national anthem consists of the chorus only.


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Irish version
Amhrán na bhFiann

Sinne Fianna Fáil,[fn 1]
atá faoi[fn 2] gheall ag Éirinn,
Buíon dár slua
thar toinn do ráinig chughainn,
Faoi mhóid bheith saor
Seantír ár sinsear feasta,
Ní fhágfar faoin tíorán ná faoin tráill.
Anocht a théam sa bhearna baoil,
Le gean ar Ghaeil, chun báis nó saoil,[fn 3]
Le gunna scréach faoi lámhach na bpiléar,
Seo libh canaig amhrán na bhFiann

English version:
The Soldier's Song
Soldiers are we,
whose lives are pledged to Ireland,
Some have come
from a land beyond the wave,
Sworn to be free,
no more our ancient sireland,
Shall shelter the despot or the slave.
Tonight we man the "bearna baoil",[fn 4]
In Erin’s cause, come woe or weal,
’Mid cannon’s roar and rifles’ peal,
We’ll chant a soldier’s song

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo Da Vinci was an Italian polymath. Born in Florence on April 15 1452 ,Leonardo was a scientist,mathematician,engineer,inventor,anatomist, painter,sculptor,architect,botanist,musician and writer. Leonardo was famous for his drawings the "Mona Lisa" and "The last supper". He was also famous for his inventions like the "Codex of the birds" I will tell you about it......
Leonardo bought some caged birds at the market and set them free, he watched the way they flew. He thought of an invention and drew it unfortual his inventions never flew. Leonardo Da Vinci died on the 2nd of May 1519. Only 15 of his painting survived and after his death his paintings were admired.
By Smiley

Adam's Starling: Synopsis Part 2

Adam's Starling is a novel we are reading in 3rd and 4th class. It is written by Gillian Perdue. This is a synopsis of Chapters 1-8 in our own words. We love this book!

Click on posts on the player and select Adam's Starling Part 2


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Visit from Mr. Sheehan (Part 2)

Mr. Sheehan came to visit us yesterday in Kilvemnon for our second History lesson on teh parish of Mullinahone. We looked at our Family Trees again and we have found out the names of our Grandparents, Great Grandparents and soem of us were even able to go as far as Great Great Grandparents.
We also talked about the meanings of place names in the area. Did you know that Boherboy means 'An Bothar Bui' (The Yellow Road) and is called this because when it rained teh water flowed yellow down the road?

Listen to an excerpt from the lesson. Click on posts and choose Mr. Sheehan Part 2


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Cathal o Connell came to our school.

Cathal with Piggley our school mascot

Last Friday Cathal O Connell came to our school. Cathal is the Project Coordinator if Empowering Minds in Ireland.
When Cathal came he helped us with our lego and we had a good time. Cathal helped us a lot. The name of our model is the trap doors . There are two of them E built one and of them and C built the other one. I helped on the wall for them so they can stay steady. Thank you Cathal for coming to our school.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas: Pavel

In the boy in the Striped Pyjamas there is a waiter called Pavel. He is a Jew and he lives in Out-With. He never says much. Once when Bruno made a swing he fell off. He thought that he might have bled to death. But then Pavel came to help him. He got a first-aid kit and he cleaned up Bruno's knee. Pavel told Bruno that he was a doctor. But now he's not.
At dinner Pavel was serving it. He was bringing the wine over to Kotler. But he dropped it on Kotler's lap. No-one knows what happened after that. We think that Kotler killed him because Pavel is not mentioned again in the book.
Pavel was very kind to Bruno and it is sad what we think has happened.
By Bubbles

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas: Father

Bruno's father is a Commandent and when they lived in Berlin, The Fury asked them to moved to Out-With. When they did father was in charge of the Concentration camp
called Out-With. His mother hated what he was doing but his father is proud. He had an Office of his own that was Out Of Bounds-No Exceptions. At the end when Bruno went missing it was too late when they found where he went. Every morning and night when Father woke up or went to bed he thought of Bruno and what they are doing to the Jewish families. But he carried on his job until the Americans burned it down.
By Ronaldo

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas: Grandparents

5th and 6th class are reading the Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne.
We have written Character Profiles on all of the characters in the book and we are going to post them on the blog. We will start today with Bruno's Grandparents. Bruno is the main character in the book and the book is written from his point of view.

Bruno's grandparents live in a flat by the fruit and vegetable stalls in Berlin. Bruno's Grandad is very proud of his son Ralf who is a Commandent in the Nazi Party. But Bruno's grandmother thinks she brought him up the wrong way with the plays she
wrote when he was a boy. This shows that she doesn't like that Father is a Nazi and what he has to do for a living. At a party at their house she leaves the house shouting that she is ashamed.
Bruno's grandmother died at the age 63 Bruno finally worked it out. At the funeral The Fury sent flowers, but mother said that she would turn in her grave if she knew they were there.

The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas Lieutenant Kotler

Kotler is a young soldier who we met when Bruno was about to move to Out-With. It was like he was one of the soldiers that Bruno's father really liked. Bruno doesn't like Kotler much because he has an attitude and he calls him `little man` because Bruno is small. He makes Bruno feel cold. Like at one part of the book Bruno asked Kotler a favour for a spare tyre to make a swing. Bruno's sister Gretel liked Kotler so she flirted with him a lot. So Gretel was with Kotler in Bruno's garden ans when Bruno asked the favour from Kotler he got very sarcastic and said and he carries it on him!" Kotler is also a mean man. He likes to hurt people like Pavel (the waiter.) He accidentally spilled wine over his lap and he got very mad and he hurt him. He also shot a dog for barking! He is only 19 years old and he is flirting with Bruno's mother! He is a very strange and mean man but he is a very good character in the book.
By B612

Learning about John F.Kennedy.

John F.Kennedy
One of our pupils 007 brought in a newspaper dated the day after J.F.K. was killed
We got this information from it. John F. Kennedy was killed on Friday 22nd November 1963.
John F. Kennedy was the 35th President at the age of 46. He was shot in the brain,
temple and neck at 2:00pm outside the Park Land hospital. He was shot by a rifle
and the guy that was driving was wounded. Lyndon B Johnson was sworn in at 3:30pm.
He was flown from Love Field Airfield, Dallas. They said he felt no pain and died in 40 minutes. He was a PT boat Commandant in the war. He was president for 2 years 10 months and 2 days. In the first car there was Kennedy and in the 2nd, the secret service and in the 3rd the Johnsons. New York listened in silence to the news and turned away sad. They said they should get on with it as Mr.Kennedy would.

Friday 22th November 1963.

by: Ronaldo.

Congratulations to past pupil Paul Curran

CONGRATULATIONS TO PAST PUPIL OF KILVEMNON NS; PAUL CURRAN

'The Nationalist' South Tipperary GAA Player of the Year Awards
HURLER OF THE YEAR
Paul Curran (Mullinahone)

Grandson of Rody Curran who played on Mullinahone's first hurling championship winning team in 1940 and a member of a family which continues to give tremendous service to club and county, he was a fine underage footballer and hurler winning numerous championships. He was a member of the only South Tipperary under 16 hurling team ever to win the Munster (A) championship in 1987 and he won a Munster minor medal with Tipperary in 1999 before progressing to the under 21 side.

He made the Fitzgibbon Cup winning Waterford I.T. team as a "fresher" in 2000 and captained them to victory in 2003. He played his first senior championship game against Offaly in 2002 having part of the extended panel All-Ireland winning panel of 2001. Last year he played a major role in Tipperary's National League and Munster Championship successes and his consistently outstanding performances had him on the short list for an all-Star award. At club level he has great memories of 2002 when in the space of eight days leading up to his 21st birthday he was one of the heroes of the Mullinahone team which captured county senior honours when defeating Thurles Sarsfields in a replay.

Also a fine footballer, Paul Curran has been a wonderful servant to club and county and perhaps the best days are yet to come from a man who now joins the illustrious company of John Leahy, Brian O'Meara, Eoin Kelly and Paul Kelly as Mullinahone winners of this award.

Visit from Mr. Sheehan

Mr.Sheehan came to our school today. He was talking about history. It was very interesting. He told us all the names of places and how they got them. He told us that people say they have been every where but not Mullinahone. Then he told us a poem about 'The Two Travellers' written by CJ Boland and one of them was a show off.
"And The man that was never in Mullinahone
Shouldn't say he had travelled at all."

He told us about CJ Kickham. CJ made up the Slievenamon song.He told us about Michaelangelo and then he told us about how Leonardo da Vinci got his name. He came from the village of Vinci.

Mr. Sheehan taught in our school and he also was a pupil here when he was young. The Irish name for Kilvemnon back then was called Cill Maighidne adn it means the Church of the Virgin Mary. Now people believe that it means the Church of St. Mheamnain. He told us how Cloneen got its name from 'Little Meadow.'
Mr. Sheehan is a really nice man and I can't wait to see him again next week for our next lesson on Mullinahone's history.
by Sparky

Click on posts and choose 'Visit from Mr. Sheehan' to listen to a 3 minute excerpt form Mr. Sheehan's visit. Tune in next week for more.


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Adam's Starling: Synopsis Part 1

Adam's Starling is a novel we are reading in 3rd and 4th class. It is written by Gillian Perdue. This is a synopsis of Chapters 1-8 in our own words. We love this book!

Click on posts on the player and select Adam's Starling.


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Numbers in Latin

1=I
2=II
3=III
4=IV
5=V
6=VI
7=VII
8=VIII
9=IX
10=X
11=XI
12=XII
13=XIII
14=XIV
15=XV
16=XVI
17=XVII
18=XVIII
19=XIX
20=XX
50=L
100=C
200=CC
500=D
1000=M