6th Class Tour of Ardnacrusha Power Station

Sixth class were given a tour of Ardnacrusha Power Station on Friday.

The pupils got to view many different areas of the station as well as being shown how the plant produces electricity. Their guides explained how the different parts of the scheme were constructed and the pupils really enjoyed learning about how fish travel through Ardnacrusha.

It was a very memorable day for all.

3rd Class Release Butterflies

A few weeks ago we got caterpillars in the post from England. The caterpillars were very small but after a few days they got very fat.

The caterpillars soon went into their chrysalides. They were in their chrysalides for a few days. In those few days one fell down.

After they formed into butterflies (Painted Ladies) we let them go into the school garden. We saw them fly away. We enjoyed the butterflies.

Jocelyn, Sadhbh, Sophie & Saoirse.

Rescue 115 Helicopter Visits Herbertstown NS

Huge excitement greeted the arrival of the Irish Coastguard helicopter, Rescue 115, to Herbertstown today. 

After a few cancellations due to the busy nature of the helicopter’s role, loud cheers went up from the school’s pupils as the helicopter came into view coming from Lough Gur’s direction. After circling Anthony Baggott Park, the huge machine landed. The crew were enormously generous with their time as they allowed all the children present to board the helicopter and answered the many questions they had. They also explained the important jobs the helicopter is tasked with on an almost daily basis and gave the children tips about staying safe when in the outdoors. One of the four crew was Bruff native and winchman Robbie Moloney. To add to what was an already spectacular experience for the children, before departure, the helicopter took off and winched Robbie from the ground before it sped off into the distance. A day that will live long in the memory for all present.

Heritage in Schools – Archaeology Explored in Herbertstown

Archaeologist Francesca O’Callaghan was in the school on Monday as part of the Heritage in Schools Programme. The visit also coincided with Science Week.

Francesca gave very interesting workshops to 4th & 5th class and then 6th class. She brought examples of different artefacts and show the children some examples of the types of materials used for clothing during the different Ages.

It was a great start to Science Week 2022!

1st & 2nd Class Learn About Apples

For the past couple of weeks 1st & 2nd class have been learning about apples.

From looking at the different apple varieties, to how they are harvested and creating an excellent apple harvest display they now have a great deal more knowledge on a favourite fruit for many.

In recognition of their hard work, they all got apples from the Apple Farm in Cahir. The variety they received was ‘Tipperary Pippen’.

Crystal Drop Workshop – Fourth Class

Martin and Louise from SSPC came to the school on Wednesday morning to for a workshop which featured a talk about crystals and also saw the children getting the chance to design and make a device which could safely ‘drop’ a crystal to the ground.

The boys and girls had a great time designing their devices and then working in small groups to construct their design using a finite set of resources.

The gallery and videos below show the children working on their designs and also testing them when completed.

Exploring School Grounds for fruit/seeds

4th & 5th class explore the local school environment for examples of fruit & seeds which would be a food source for birds and other wildlife.

The children found examples of blackberries and ‘haws’ and learned about blackberry bushes and hawthorn trees. We also looked at seed dispersal and the importance of birds to this process. Wind dispersal was also discussed and the sycamore tree on the school grounds allowed everyone to look at ‘helicopters’ and how they can be carried by the wind.