21/06/2020
Hi everyone,
It’s the week of the holidays! Generally, a fun filled, buzzing, exciting week at school filled with sports days, competitions, games, extra play time, cleaning up and all that goes with the anticipation of a long summer break! This week is different for you of course being at home (don’t forget there is a virtual sports week!), but none the less celebrating how far you have come is so important. This week take a little time to reflect on the year gone by. Make a list of your ‘Top Ten’ memories of this year. Why not challenge yourself and write up a little ‘ABC of all the things I learnt this year’. Remember there’s so much more to learning than English, Irish and Maths. I’d love to see some of the things you have learnt, you can email me at m.murphy@upperglanmirens.ie.
I have included a few hand strengthening ideas to keep you going over the summer. Some children find when they return to school in September that their hands become tired so easily as they haven’t been writing too much during the summer … doing some of these activities regularly will help your hands remain strong and prevent writing fatigue.
Also this week writing up your list of things you would like to do during the summer is a MUST… then tick them off as you go along. Have a look at Mrs O’Sullivan’s page as she has some ideas which will help you along with this. Of course don’t forget to READ! READ! READ!
I wish you all the very best. If you are leaving Scoil Naomh Micheál and starting on the next part of your learning journey in secondary school my hope is that you will be true to yourself, be kind and remember there is NEVER a problem that cannot be solved. Wishing you all a safe, happy and fun filled summer holiday.
Take care and very best wishes,
Michelle Murphy
13/06/2020
Hi everyone,
I hope you are all well. Another week closer to the Summer holidays! I have a few more fun activities for you to try out at home this week. I have included two activities to develop fine motor skills and a MUST DO virtual trip to Dublin Zoo! Enjoy 😊
This is a great tactile activity which promotes hand eye coordination, fine motor skills and so much more!
You will need:
-ice cube tray
-water
-food colouring
-popsicle sticks
Instructions:
- Fill and ice cube tray with water.
- Add a small drop of food colouring to each cube.
- Cut a popsicle stick in half. Use the flat edge side to mix the water and food colouring. Leave the popsicle stick inside.
- Freeze overnight.
- When painting, use water colour paper for best results. Have fun!
Make your own jigsaws!
How creative is this? Develop your concentration, hand-eye co-ordination, shape recognition, fine motor skills and of course your creative skills with these super easy to make jigsaw puzzles. Challenge yourself by making the pieces smaller or cutting different patterns in the shapes.
I’m sure you’ve heard of the virtual trip to Dublin Zoo already but if not this really is a MUST. Click on the link below and prepare to be amazed! https://www.dublinzoo.ie/virtual-tours-2/ This next link takes you to the live webcams at the zoo! https://www.dublinzoo.ie/animals/animal-webcams/
I hope you have another great week and hope you can start getting out a little bit more. I would really love to hear from you so you can drop me an email on m.murphy@upperglanmirens.ie and let me know how you got on trying out any of the activities. Enjoy😊
Stay safe,
Michelle Murphy
07/06/2020
Hello everyone!
I hope you are all doing ok? It feels like so long since I have seen you all. I have put together a couple of nice activities for you to work on this week … firstly two Fine Motor Skill development activities and a really great Home Music Festival activity.
This is a fantastic fine motor skill game. All you need is a tennis ball, cut open a piece to use as the mouth, put on some googly eyes and use your fingers to open the mouth and pick up the ‘food’ i.e. pom poms, pieces of paper etc. The wider the mouth the easier it is to complete the activity! If you are finding some new words tricky you can write them out on the paper and double up on the learning i.e. put the word ‘wasn’t’ into the box. Or your Maths number facts e.g. pick up the numbers that are multiples of 7 etc. Time yourself … how many pieces can you pick up in one minute? Now let someone else have a turn before you try to improve your score. Have fun!
This play dough tree is also a very calming activity. It will help to develop your fine motor skills, visual processing skills, pinch grip and is very tactile and of course fun! All you need is a grape vine or a small branch and some play dough or theraputty. Roll the playdough into small balls and place on the tree. I’d love to see your creations! 😊
Since it’s the month of June I’m very conscious that you are missing so many of the fun activities that being in school in June involves…. so would you like to create a Home Musical Festival complete with tickets and wristbands, a campsite, a stage, a dance tent and a chill out zone? Don’t forget that festival goers are encouraged to clean up after themselves to leave no trace (this will please your Moms and Dads too!) Are you up for the challenge of arranging your own music festival? If so, have a read of the link below for some more ideas on this … and I would absolutely LOVE to see photos of your festival so PLEASE share them with me on m.murphy@upperglanmirens.ie Enjoy 😊
Click here for music festival- https://dabbledoomusic.com/blog/207113/homemusicfestival
I hope you all have a lovely week.
Stay Safe,
Michelle Murphy