Word of the Day – 29th November
Todays word is emanate. It means “to flow or come out from”.
For example; “The radio emanated a spooky sound, a bit like the Jaws theme tune.”
Written and suggested by Liam
Fractions
This week we have been learning about fractions and in particular, we have been learning about thirds and sixths.
Here are some useful links to help you practice!
Which activity helped you most? Which did you like?
Word of the Day – 28th November
Today’s word is “tyrant” and we came across it during our discussion on adjectives.
A tyrant is “a ruler who exercises power in a harsh and cruel manner”. Hitler was definitely a tyrant.
Friday Challenge
This Friday’s challenge is a two-part challenge. The first is Doodle for Google which we have been working on for the last week.
The second part of the challenge is to learn the key vocabulary from our chapter on the water cycle. The key words are:
The Water Cycle: This is the journey that water takes as it goes from land to the sky and back to land again.
Evaporation: This happens when water turns into water vapour or steam.
Condensation: This happens when water vapour or steam meets cold air.
Precipitation: This is when droplets of water fall as rain.
Surface water: Water that falls as rain back to Earth and drains into rivers, lakes and seas.
Ground water: Water that goes deep into the ground and remains in wells and underground lakes.
Don’t forget your water cycle song to help you remember!
Good luck!
Word of the Day – 26th November
Soraya suggested today’s word as she came across it while reading Chapter 4 of Kensuke’s Kingdom and it is “cacophony”.
A cacophony refers to a group of harsh sounds. It appeared on page 62 in the following context: “Suddenly the forest was alive again with noise, a great cacophony of singing and hooting and howling and cawing and croaking”.
Friday Challenge – Doodle for Google
Can you Doodle for Google? 
This Friday’s challenge is an Art challenge and links in with a competition Google are running. They are looking for a new doodle based on the theme of “My Invention”.
Your doodle can be inspired by an existing invention, your favourite invention or even a new way of doing something. For example, a time travel machine, a new or existing sport or toy, a medical creation or a new way to do something old.
You may also like to think about:
- Ways to help the world, such as saving endangered animals or ending global warming
- Looking at new and inspiring ways to do everyday tasks or use everyday appliances
- Developing new machines, toys or gadgets you wish existed
- Medical marvels you can create to cure diseases or help people with disabilities
You need to give your Doodle a title and also to write a few lines about how your Doodle represents ‘My invention’. You could describe what your invention is, how it works, how it helps people, why you have chosen it, or perhaps how it has made an impact on your life or that of someone you know.
Remember, the Google logo must be clearly visible in your doodle. Here are some past Irish winners:
To get more inspiration, you can view all the different doodles by clicking here. We will share our doodles in class on Friday 30th November.
Happy Doodling!
Water Cycle Song
Today, we started learning about the water cycle. To help us remember the difficult words, we have a special song.
Water Cycle Song
(Sang to the tune of She’ll Be Coming Around the Mountain)
Water travels in a cycle, yes it does
(use pointer finger to make a big circle)
Water travels in a cycle, yes it does
(repeat finger circle)
It goes up as evap-oration
(move hands up to the sky)
Forms clouds as con-den-sation
(make a cloud overhead with arms)
Then comes down as pre-cip-it-ation, yes it does!
(sprinkle with fingers while bringing arms down in front of you)
Word the Day – 19th November
Our word of the day is “encountered” and we decided on this word during our discussions on Kensuke’s Kingdom.
We were talking about the family meeting a storm in Chapter 3 and we felt encountered a storm was a better phrase instead of met a storm.
Poetry
This week we have been discussing the poem “Bullying” by Jim Halligan and it inspired us to write our own poems on bullying.
Bullying
Bullying is not right.
It makes me feel so uptight.
My Mum says walk away.
My brother says stand and fight.
What should I do?
What should I say?
Just go away.
No, I just stand and cry.
They always tear my tie.
I feel so bad inside.
No one should bully or lie.
By Daniel *******************************************************************************************************
Cyberbullying
Calls texts and voicemails
Your telling prevails
Bulling isn’t fulfilling
Ever raging war against bullying
Reckless and pointless
Bullying is joyless
Unruly and daunting
Let’s stop bullying
Let’s start telling
You should always tell
It’s never your fault
Not always fights
Get ready for other types
By Liam
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Cyberbullying
Cyberbulling, it’s terribly mean
And upon almost every mobile phone screen
A disgusting message is printed there
Designed to intimidate and scare
Enough to drive anyone crazy
It makes your confidence grow hazy
It makes your happiness wither and die
So all you want to d0 is cry
This creates a burden that’ll always be there
Weighing you down, here and everywhere
Each message, as it comes, weakens you to the core
And sadly, no matter what you do, it happens more and more
By Aoife
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Bullying
Be strong and confident
Using me as a kick pad
Lonely all day and all night
Leave me alone.
You hurt my feelings every day.
It’s not your fault.
Never, never again.
Get away and stay away.
By Amy
*********************************************************************************************************
Break time I hate
Understanding friends trying to help
Leave me alone!
Like a nightmare but I’m not asleep.
You hurt my feelings
I’m getting some help.
Never be afraid
Going home feeling sad.
By Ava
*********************************************************************************************************
Message to a Bully
Stop leaving people out of games,
Don’t you dare call me names.
I feel frightened, weary and sad,
I think you are really mad.
I think you should really see,
How you are hurting me.
You are really very mean,
Someday you will be seen.
By Renitha
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Bothering bullies
Useless me
Lonely standing there
Looking at the children playing together
I wish they’d include me instead of
Excluding me. No, no, no!
Do you think I should tell someone? Do you really?
By Seán
********************************************************************************************************
Bullying
I hate bullying
My bully is tough
My brother says tell
My dog says “woof”
He tries to make me sob
He tries to make me cry
And I really hate it when
He calls me “small fry”
I sit on the step
Every single day
When he comes over to me
I say “Go away!”
But he won’t listen
He still picks on me
And I don’t know why
But this is the way it has to be
I don’t see why he’s so mean
This is the end of my poem
And it is written by me,
Cian.
By Cian
*******************************************************************************************************
Bullying
Teacher, teacher help me here
I am here in fear
Sometimes they kick me
Sometimes they pick on me
Bullies, bullies everywhere
Bullies all around
Understanding people help you
Lonely out in yard
Leave me alone
You are being mean
I want this over
Never do it again
Go away and never come back.
By Christina
*******************************************************************************************************
Bullying
Beyond the name calling you become
Unsure of yourself but don’t
Lie, tell someone you trust
Like your family or friends.
Your family will help but
In case they don’t listen
Never let the bully invade your life.
Getting help is better than giving up
By Grace
**********************************************************************************************************
Be strong and walk away
Unbearable and mean
Loneliness is certain
Look for a teacher, Mum or Dad
You can stop the bully!
Ignore the bully
Never your fault
Go tell someone you trust.
By Cara
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Bullying is very cruel
Under it all bullies are fools
Laughing at me as they push me off a tree
Like crocodiles trying to eat me
Yet still I do not tell
I fear that they will hurt me
Nearly every day they torment me
Go away is what I say to them, but they never listen
By Mark
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Be strong, stand up for yourself
Unsure of what to do
Lonely feeling
Laughing with your friends then crying
You don’t have to worry
Inside you feel scared
Nothing will stop it unless you tell someone
Get away from bullies – never fear.
By Ella
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Bullies
Oh no, here they come!
Nowhere to hide and I cannot run
They’ll catch me and they’ll be so cruel
Hit me, kick me and play with my mind
Tell me if I tell someone, I’ll regret it with my life
They’re mean, leave me out
Oh I feel feeble and they do worse:
They text me things and send me emails
Once I had a thought and it was silly to stand up
They’ll kill me
I’m so unsure, should I tell again
I really hate living the nightmare.
Why me?
I swear to take it away I’d give all my hair, an arm or a leg.
I don’t care.
By Ciara
*******************************************************************************************************
Bullies
Bullies, bullies they’re everywhere
They pick on me
They push me
They kick me
Bullies, bullies they’re everywhere
They take my tie
They take my shoes
Oh why do they have to lie?
Bullies, bullies, they’re everywhere
They pick on me
They push me
They kick me
Bullying should not be a habit
Understanding people help you
Like it or not
Let them help
You must tell or they can’t help you
Intimidating and cruel
Never your fault
Get away.
By Oisín
************************************************************************************************************
Bullying
I used to be bullied, all the time
She called me names and punched and kicked
I was all by myself.
All my friends pretended to be hers just so they weren’t bullied
She was popular and pretty
But she was mean and jealous
I don’t know why.
Then I learned in class
To tell my parents
They did help
But she still bullied me
Then I stood up to her
And that did the trick
She is now in Belfast – yay for me!
By Soraya
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Bullies, oh bullies, I hate the way they snigger
Unfairness is what they love – the way they think they’re oh so bigger
Like when they pull my shirt and treat us all like dirt
Leaving me alone so I can quiver in such fear
Yet my family and friends help me, I don’t listen to what I hear
Imagining the pain for you may not be very easy
Now every day when I go to school, I just feel very queasy
Give me back my dignity, I shouldn’t always feel so silly.
By Tomi
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Bullying is nasty,
It’s about cruelty and jealousy
Exclusion, physical, cyber and emotional.
They exclude me from games
And they call me names
They’ll take my treats
And things that I need.
I just wish I could tell and look for help
Or should I stand up for myself
What would you do yourself?
By Ellen
Artist of the Month – November 2012
The artist of the month for November is Kandinsky.
Wassily Kandinsky was born in Moscow in Russia in 1866. He was a painter and one of the most famous 20th century artists.
Although Kandinsky was fascinated by colour when he was a child, he didn’t enrol at art school until he was 30 years old!
In 1900 Kandinsky studied art in Munich in Germany. At first, his paintings were realistic as the following paintings show:
However, over the years his style of painting changed dramatically, as they became more colourful, bold and less realistic. His style of art was known as abstract art as the following paintings show:
Kandinsky was inspired by music. He heard colours in music and saw music in colours and in his painting “Squares with concentric circles” Kandinsky painted colours that he felt best corresponded with the music he heard.
We were inspired to create our own concentric circles. Ms. Fay played a eight different pieces of music and we chose the colours that best suited the music. Here we are hard at work:
What do you think of Kandinsky’s style of painting?
Ms. Fay's 4th Class 
