Category: News

Marine Biologist Lucy Hunt Helps Pupils Explore Ireland’s Seas & Oceans

Staff

Marine Biologist Lucy Hunt delivered a fascinating workshop with 5th & 6th class today in Herbertstown NS. Lucy has worked on numerous different projects studying marine life all over the world. Pupils had an opportunity to see and examine plankton, crabs, starfish and other creatures.

 

Lucy also gave an excellent talk on marine life around Ireland which included some fantastic first hand accounts of encounters with orcas, blue whales, humpback whales and dolphins.

 

Caoimhe, 6th Class:

Today a woman called Lucy Hunt came to our school. She is a Marine Biologist 

She brought in crabs, anemone,  seaweed and plankton.

Here are some facts she told us:

  • Crabs hiss or scream because they have air in them.
  • There are more mammals in the sea then on the land.
  • Two Otters sleep “holding” paws so they don’t float away.
  • There are 25 species of whales and dolphins in Irish waters.
  • Gannets are the largest sea birds in the Northern Hemisphere.
  • A cetacean is a Greek word that means whales and dolphins.
  • A Bowhead whale ended up in Irish waters last summer when it normally lives in the Arctic.
  • In 2007 a Bowhead was caught with a Harpoon in its head dating back to the 1890’s.
  • Common Dolphins form a Super Pod of 1,000 animals.
  • Bottlenose Dolphins may live up to 50 years and many grow up to 4m.
  • Orcas may grow up to 9.5 metres and may live up to 90 years.
  • Baleen is made of the same material as your hair and nails.
  • Fin whales are large whales and the blow from its blowhole may reach up to 10m.
  • Blue whales are very rare and there are only 500 left in the Northern Hemisphere.
  • In the Mediterranean Sea a humpback whale launched out of the water and landed on a small yacht.
  • In 2016 13 Sperm whales were found dead with stomachs full of plastic.
  • Currently, 70 whales are using Irish waters.

 

To finish, Lucy brought the class outside and had them draw out different marine mammals to get an idea of their size.

 

The workshop was secured as a prize for a drawing of Lough Gur by Nathan back in the autumn. The drawing secured third place in a competition run by Limerick City and County Council.

Limerick Primary Schools Athletics

Staff

 Stellar performances at the Primary School Athletics in Limerick.

 

A 44 strong team departed for the University of Limerick this morning for the Limerick Primary School Athletics.

Our boys and girls teams participated in events like the 100, 200 and 400 metres as well as the long jump and a series of relays. The girls team performed admirably in a keenly contested category. The boys category was equally close with the result going down to the very last race. In a nail biting finish our over 12 relay team produced a fantastic team display to secure first place.  Massive congratulations to every boy and girl who took part, they did their school proud.

 

Pilot Barry Cason Visits Herbertstown NS

Staff

The sky’s the limit for Herbertstown NS pupils after the visit of Captain Barry Cason.

Cpt. Cason, who flies freight for Cargojet and is based in Canada, paid an hour long visit to 5th & 6th class. Having previously worked as a pilot on a commercial airline he was able to talk to the children about all aspects of the job. There was an opportunity for the pupils to quiz Cpt. Cason on what it’s like to be a pilot and he was very impressed with the questions being posed. He fielded questions on topics like taking off, landing, turbulence, weather systems and much much more. One story the children found particularly interesting involved the transport of a polar bear from a zoo in Australia to another in Canada.

 

It was a very memorable experience for all present and perhaps a future pilot or two may emerge from the group in years to come!

Cpt. Cason shows the children the aircraft he is currently flying.

 

Cpt. Cason points out his home city of Toronto, Canada.

 

Cpt. Cason explains how pilots use the curvature of the Earth and its rotation when they fly.

Cpt. Cason shows the children a video of a landing he performed and discusses risks like wind, snow and birds.

Cpt. Cason shows the children the onboard computer.

Cpt. Cason shows the children a weather map and explains why it is so important to pilots.

 

 

 

 

Students Take to the Stage!

Staff

Before the Easter break, 3rd and 4th class performed ‘The Lion King’ which they had been rehearsing very hard for all term. Their acting, singing and dancing talents skills were clear to see in this production and both the audience and the performers enjoyed themselves!

5th & 6th class showcased the major events in Roald Dahl’s life and followed that up with a production of one of his most famous stories, Matilda. Much like the 3rd & 4th class, their efforts in preparation led to many memorable performances!

World Water Day

Staff

World Water Day

 

The school marked World Water Day in a number of different ways. The centrepiece of the day was a ‘Walk for Water’. The object of the walk was to highlight the distances people in certain parts of the world have to walk for water.

 

Over the previous few weeks, the children had brought in used plastic bottles. These bottles were filled using water from Barry the Barrel. The children then carried the water bottles on their walk around Herbertstown. The Walk was led by our water mascot, Spencer Sponge. Afterwards, the pupils brought their bottles home with them with the aim of using the water to water plants etc.

 

Below is a gallery of photographs from the day.

 

 

Prior to the walk, the junior infants joined forces with the pupils of the senior classroom to take part in a water themed quiz.

Roman Battle Herbertstown Style

Staff

The yard in school was turned into the coliseum for one day only last week! 3rd and 4th class designed their own shields and took part in a mock battle just as the Romans would have done. The children became true gladiators decorating their shields, practicing moving with their legions in the turtle formation and attacking the other legions with bean bags. Unfortunately, the rain brought a swift end to the gladiator battle but everyone had lots of fun!