Ms. Fitzmaurice’s first class girls were learning about homes and then made houses of their own using cardboard boxes and papier–mâché.

Well done to all the girls who represented the school in the cross country in Terenure College last week. They all did fantastic and ran brilliantly, doing the school proud!

We are starting our Christmas art in Senior Infants. This is our favourite time of year

We were delighted with the overwhelming response we had to the Team Hope Shoe Box Appeal.  Thank you to parents/guardians and pupils who took part. Below is a press release issued on Thursday 21st November:

Team Hope Breaks Record With Two Millionth Shoebox and Thanks Nation for Incredible Support

Team Hope is delighted to announce that since 2010, they have today, Thursday, 21 November, counted their two millionth shoebox as part of their annual appeal. The gift-filled shoebox was collected in their Cherrywood distribution centre in South Dublin and will be delivered into the hands of a young girl in Romania in early December.

According to Team Hope CEO, Peter Heaney, the volume of shoeboxes donated this year for children affected by poverty in Africa and Eastern Europe shows the generosity of the Irish public continues with each passing year.

“Every shoebox collected is special, but this milestone figure means that if two million shoeboxes were laid out side by side they would stretch from Dublin to Nashville and beyond!” he said.

5th class girls love using the new chrome books.

Ms McGuinness’s class have been busy doing their Aistear and literacy activities. They are working with sand, play doh, counters to improve their fine motor skills. The role play Doctor’s Surgery was also very popular last week!

Intel Mini Scientist competition 2019 in St. Pius X G.N.S.

Trevor and Byron  (the Intel judges) had the difficult task of judging the competition.  After much deliberation they made their final decision.

Runners-up project

“Does environmentally friendly detergent clean as well as normal detergent?”

– Kayleigh , Hannah, Bailee

Winning project

“What is in an onion that makes your eyes water and how can you prevent it?”

– Abigail, Kate, Katie and Sally.

Congratulations to all the 5^th class girls who worked tirelessly on their projects over the last few months.

Great excitement in St. Pius X GNS as the Intel Mini Scientist Competition 2019 kicks off!

Mussel dissection workshop in Ballyroan library

On Thursday 7^th November 2019, a number of us from the two 5^th classes went to Ballyroan library for a science workshop.  When we arrived a scientist called Ross introduced himself and questioned us about biology, particularly marine biology which is biology of sea creatures.  He told us that we were going to be dissecting mussels.  Many of us had eaten mussels so we knew what they looked like.  He told us that a mussel is a mollusc.  A mollusc can be a slithery slug, an intelligent octopus, a slimy squid or of course a delicate shell fish like a mussel.

Ross produced a plastic bag full of mussels in garlic.   As he removed the mussels from the bag, he dipped them in water to remove the garlic before he distributed one to each of us.   Ross directed us as we dissected the mussel.  He also gave us each a magnifying glass, a knife and a cocktail stick.   The external shell is made from calcium.  We firstly examined the growth rings on the shell to see what age the mussel was.  Cracking open the shell which was on hinges, we were able to see the soft, squishy, yellowy mussel. Ross told us that the silvery, white shimmer inside the shell was mother of pearl which is used to make pearls.  We then removed the mussel from the shell.   It was attached to it by an adductor muscle.  Using a cocktail stick, we removed the outer yellowy squishy skin which is called the mantle.    A mussel, we were told, also has a foot, which we removed and observed closely.  It looked like a cocoa bean!  Instead of lungs to breathe, the mussel has gills.  The mussel we learned is a filter fish which means it sucks in water and food and just filters the food it needs such as plankton, and eats that.  We also examined the syphon which is like the mouth of the mussel.   Finally, we found a little brown substance with tiny green specks.  Ross told us it was mussel poo!!!

We`re not sure whether we`re going to eat mussels again   However, we really enjoyed this experience and we hope to be great scientists in the future!

Hannah  and Katie

Criminal activity detected in 3rd class!!! The girls had a visit from the Guards, showing all the science they use in solving crimes.